Strong On Our Behalf (Sermon 24 June 2018)

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him." 2 Chronicles 16:9

Also read 1 Samuel 17 (David & Goliath)

When I was in high school in North Salem, NY, I was on the basketball team. I was what is known as a "bench warmer", which  if you're not aware, means that you spend a lot of time "riding the pine", or sitting on the bench at the side of the court to "keep it warm" for the better skilled players in the game. We were a Class D team in New York, which is the smallest class, but we were small even by Class D standards, having a graduating class of only about 60. Even so, the new athletics director from New York City hired when I was in middle school quickly built a formidable basketball team, capitalizing on a set of twin brothers from Lithuania who were closer to seven than six feet tall.

By the time I was on the high school team, however, our tallest players were barely over 6 feet. But we had an outstanding point guard, chemistry, and a coach that knew how to bring the fire out of us (and we knew how to bring the fire out of him - in fact I distinctly recall a heated locker room exchange, when, after several wisecracks from my friend, this coach threatened to put him in the hospital). We had an excellent season in my senior year, and our small school was catapulted into the state tournament. As I recall we won the first one or two games, but then were faced with a team with an All-American player (who would later play Division 1 college ball), and we were (seemingly) faced with more than we could handle. We were all nervous about the game, but the night before the game our coach had our team over for spaghetti dinner and we watched the movie "Hoosiers". If you haven't seen it, it features Gene Hackman as the coach of a small town Indiana high school basketball team that against all odds makes it all the way to and wins the state finals. In the locker room before the climatic final game, the team's local preacher enters the room and simply reads the Bible verse:"And David put his hand in the bag and took out a stone and slung it. And it struck the Philistine on the head and he fell to the ground. Amen."

Talk about firing up the competitive spirit! We went on to easily win the game (I even got to play!), and we traveled upstate to the semifinals. Though we lost a heartbreaking next game (to a team with some players later found to be beyond the allowed age limit), it's an experience me and those on my team will never forget.

The story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) is a well known one, a favorite with my boys (for obvious reasons), and may also fire your competitive spirit. There is something to this idea of the underdog: the theme of a hopelessly outmatched person or group of people that has captivated millions and has played out across thousands of movie screens and book plots.

What is it about underdogs that we love? Well, my first thought is, who really wants to root for someone who stands a really, really good chance of winning? (I totally don't get you Yankee fans) But I also think that maybe we see ourselves in the characters, and it stirs our emotions and our sense of justice and triumph of right over wrong.

The Bible contains many underdog stories: for example the story of Gideon comes to mind, who was from the smallest clan of the smallest tribe, leading an army that God made him reduce from 32,000 to 300 soldiers (some of them for the way they drank water (!)). There's also king Jehoshaphat, against whom the Bible says a great multitude came, who were essentially defeated by the worship team! In fact to the nation of Israel itself, God said "I did not choose you because you were more in number than other peoples": in fact the Bible says they were "the least" of all peoples (Deuteronomy 7:7). Yet God chose them and wanted them to succeed. So what is it God also likes about the underdog?

Recently I've noticed a theme in Julia's sermons and now my sermon, and that is: God working through our weakness. In 2 Chronicles 16:9 it says "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him".  The reason God constantly  gives throughout the Old Testament for why He allows these hopelessly outmatched situations, was that so the Israelites (as well as the surrounding nations) would not think they did it on their own. So, in a nutshell, the reason is that God wants the credit and to manifest His power!

So what does this mean? Is God just this big insecure being who wants to run around getting the credit for everything?

Have you ever worked for a boss that took complete credit for ideas you came up with and work you did? Infuriating, right? As humans sharing the human condition, no matter how humble we seem to be, when it comes down that situation - maybe for example a public speech someone is giving - where someone else getting credit for a good job we did, something inside us just gets twisted in a knot! Swallowing pride is one of the most difficult things as humans to do!

But when we humble ourselves and let God work through our weakness, someone far greater than our boss or ourselves gets the credit. And the reason why He wants the credit is not that He is our heavenly insecure boss. It's so the world might know Him! The testimony of the entire Bible is that God longs for people to turn to Him. 1 Timothy 2:4 says that God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. And aside from the witness of the glory of the natural world of creation, we are it as far as how the world will get to know God, folks. That means it's time to start letting God crucify the pride that is so deeply ingrained in us, and let God work through our weakness. 

To go back to high school again, I, like some of you maybe, was terrified of public speaking. Mine was a particularly bad case, though: sometimes if even all I had to was say my name and something about myself, I would sweat and panic. One time I remember I even faked a nosebleed to leave the room! When I began lay speaking the old nervousness was still there. But I soon realized something that made me overcome my nervousness: it's not about me. When I realized that being nervous was putting myself between the people I was talking to and God, I was sort of scared straight, so to speak! God was then able to work through my weakness.

So now if one of my classmates were to come and see me speak, they would be amazed, and I would have opportunity to tell them about what God has done for me.

You may say "But I was born with natural talents! You mean to say that God doesn't want these, only my weakness?" Well, not exactly, but we just need to be careful how we use them. Gospel music great Keith Green was an immensely talented pianist, singer, and songwriter poised to become the next Elton John in the 70s, but once God got a hold of him, he laid his music aside, terrified that his natural talent would overwhelm anything God wanted to do through him. Thankfully God gave him the go-ahead, and he wrote some of the greatest modern Christian music we have. But he had to lay it down first. 

I wonder if there's anything in our natural strength we need to lay aside, so that we would get out of the way and God would get the glory. Natural talent and organization in a church are certainly good things to have, but in and of themselves they will not turn people to God.  Is pride preventing us from letting our weaknesses be exposed? A friend from my old church had a great idea for a ministry name: "Cracked Pot Ministries", taken from 2 Corinthians 4:7 where it says that our treasure is in earthen vessels, that the "excellence of the power may be of God and not of us". Our brokenness, or weakness, is how God is allowed to shine in our lives.

If we don't know how to let God work though our weakness, the first thing we can do is simply make ourselves unreservedly available to Him, praying the prayer that John Wesley prayed and we say every New Year: "I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal." Or to put it another way, "I'm gonna live so God can use me, anytime, anywhere" as we sang this morning.

By praying this prayer to be willing to be outside our comfort zones, we give God the "go ahead" in our lives, activate His Holy Spirit, with the result that He will work through us in ways we hadn't imagined or thought possible before.

Our little basketball team all those years ago didn't give God the glory and the opportunity was wasted. Let us let God show Himself strong on our behalf so the world may know Him Amen

Expanding Our Presence

" I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

I recently heard a radio ad for "expanding your digital presence". Basically the meaning was finding innovative ways to reach people through the internet, connecting them to whatever product or service you may be providing.

In the realm of evangelism using digital formats has been taken advantage of since the advent of the internet. There are more Christian resources at our fingertips than at any time in history. However I wonder if many of us are taking advantage of God's original model for "expanding our presence".

If you've observed wild vines, whether they be grape or Virginia creeper, you'll notice that if the vine is connected to a robust root, that vine will spread and engulf anything in its path.

The kingdom of God is supposed to be like this: constantly growing & overtaking Satan's kingdom. The vine, as Jesus clearly explains, does nothing on its own, but it wholly dependent upon the root from which it springs (and "Son" light, of course). Therefore when the kingdom of God is not expanding in our personal lives and in our churches, we need look no further than our connection to the root for the reason.

Abiding in Christ may be easier said than done, as millions of saints throughout the ages have endeavored to do this but have failed to fall into God's perfect plan for their lives. However if you search there are some who found the secret to abiding, and though we do well to steer clear of formulas to finding our own way, studying the lives of saints past who found the secret is very worthwhile.

One such saint was Hudson Taylor, the great missionary who started the China Inland Mission. He was facing great struggles and doubts in his faith and ministry until the above verse unfolded to him. He did not have to do anything to be a vine, he already was a vine. It sounds simple and maybe does nothing for you or me, but this realization wrought a profound change in him, and Mr. Taylor and China were never the same.

The common denominator in my studies of saints who have found the secret of "abiding" is that breakthrough was always preceded my a season of intense struggle, motivated by a sincere desire to find God's will for their life, as well a longing for personal holiness. When the breakthrough does finally come, look out! The person is radically changed: the fruit of ministry grows, ripens, and falls to the ground and reproduces of no fleshly effort of the person, but by that intimate connection of being "in Christ".

Each of us must "work out" (Philippians 2:12) the secret of abiding in our own way and in God's own timing. This may seem discouraging at first, but what a wonderful Creator that has personalized a plan for each of us to follow, custom made not only to draw us closer to Him, but to hide us in Him forever. (cf. Colossians 3:3)

Stay Awake, Stay Alive

"And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake." Mark 13:37

You may have seen the above sign on the highway lately.  A bit oversimplified, perhaps, but effective: I can remember once or twice driving to the point of my head nodding, which is not a good thing at all. My friend tells the story of himself and another awaking to the fact that they had rolled to a stop in the middle of a [thankfully deserted] highway. 

Seeing one of these recently got me thinking about our spiritual state. Some of us are awake, but not necessarily "alive", whereas others of us consider ourselves "alive", but are we awake?

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism (though really he was just an Anglican Church reformer), was keenly aware of the different spiritual states of man. The first, or natural, state of man, he believed scripture described as one of sleep: "his senses are not awake: they discern neither spiritual good nor evil" (Sermon 9).  The second state described is a man "under the law", or the "legal" state: one who is aware of his sinful state but still in bondage to it.  Between these two states, Wesley describes in other places a person who has been "awakened": that is, they become aware they are searching for something but they know not what. The class meeting, or small group of the day, was invaluable in guiding someone through this state, helping them see their need for a Saviour. 

If a person progresses and presses through the "legal" state, they reach what Wesley called the "Evangelical" state, or being "under grace". Such a state involved liberty from both guilt from sin and sin itself: a true liberation where one could truly say he or she was spiritually "alive". 

Some of us have experienced such liberation. We are freed from the guilt of past sins, and also, though occasionally stumbling, are freed from habitual sin that once bound us. We "rejoice in hope of the glory of God". (Romans 5:2) However some of us become satisfied that this is the "be all end all" of our faith, and need to ask the question again: "Are we awake?"

The painting above is called "Who Cares?" by Mauricio Palacio, and was inspired by "A Vision of Lost Souls" by Salvation Army founder General William Booth. It depicts a rocky island thrashed my waves, where some people have built a comfortable landing and are engaged in various leisurely pursuits. Below them in the waves are people drowning. I hope I don't have to explain the significance of the picture.

Have we forgotten from where we were rescued? Have we become asleep to the cries of the unsaved? Jesus' admonition above was to the disciples when he found them sleeping, to continue in prayer. What does our prayer life look like? Is it filled with cries to awaken the unsaved?

If we are comfortable in our faith and ministries, Jesus calls to us and has the same message: "Stay awake!"

Stick to the Template

"...look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged" Isaiah 51:1

Anyone familiar with basic carpentry will know that if you want to cut a series of identically lengthed pieces, instead of measuring every time you cut, you just take the first one (an exact cut of what you want), and use that as a "template" to measure successive pieces. If you were to continually take the last piece you cut to measure the new one, by the end your last piece would likely be a significant amount different than the first piece.

Our "template" for all things spiritual is contained in the Bible (anyone who does not agree with or is open to agreeing with this idea will find little benefit reading further). Specifically the template I'm thinking of is that of the church as contained in the book of Acts. Throughout the pages of that book, glimpses of the manifest power and unity of that body show us clearly and painfully how far we have gotten off the template. 

What were the characteristics of that church? One as we mentioned was unity. Another was close community. They broke bread and met much more than once a week. A third was devotion to and precise knowledge of the scriptures (which during the very early years was primarily the writings of Moses). The church was "lay led" (not even yet a concept at that time). Lastly, It was mission and spirit driven. 

There will always be those who say that that was for that specific time, and such a church is not practical today, but I respectfully disagree. All of these characteristics are essential for a church that pleases God. They are timeless, yet we have deemed ourselves smarter than God and have gotten away from them.

The first salvo lobbed at the church was the institutionalization of the church under "converted" Roman emporer Constantine*. The "Jewishness" of the church was forcibly taken out, including feast days prescribed by the law of Moses, and extemporaneous worship was replaced with dry, formal worship modes derived from Greek stoicism (mirroring emporer worship). John Wesley and others did much to recapture the movement of the early church, but Roman structures remained in place and the church for the most part relapsed into a dry institution obsessed with self-preservation. Templates were being cut that bore little resemblance to the original, and the church has drifted farther and farther off course. 

Is this a grossly simplistic representation of the church's history? Perhaps. But I strongly believe that a powerful revival is going to sweep the nation in the near future: one which will occur when we truly regain all the God-ordained elements contained in the book of Acts church. 

We need to go back to the original template. The salvation of this and future generations depends upon it.

* Constantine still worshipped the pagan sun god Mithras: he just though Christ to be a manifestation of that God. Think sun halos around artistic representations of Christ from that and succeeding periods. 

Universal Adaptor

“I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some”  1 Corinthians 9:22 
I am traveling to England right now. There’s always many things to consider while traveling to a different country. One thing I’ve learned from traveling with my wife is that you need the proper adaptor to be able to connect to electricity in the region you’ll be in. Otherwise you will have no power!
One of the complaints I’ve heard from Americans since I was little is how “snooty” people are in other parts of the world, particularly Europe (even more particularly, France!) I always just assumed this to be true (along with everything else I was told), until I actually travelled to other countries, and found out that it’s usually the Americans who are obnoxious! To be sure Europeans can be “snooty”, but it’s usually when an American makes absolutely no effort to engage or understand the culture! If there is a degree of respect and accommodation on the part of the American, the host will usually respond with kindness.
As stewards and ministers of the mystery of God (1 Corinthians 4:1), we are to be extremely adaptable in order to get God’s message across. As Paul put it, he was made “all things to all men”.
Does that mean Paul was watering down God’s truth to make it more palatable? Hardly. Read through any of his letters and you’ll find someone who was uncompromising in the truth of the gospel. We must do everything in our power, however, to “grease the skids”, so to speak. Any human element hindering communication must be removed if we are serious about spreading the gospel.
The truly successful missionaries over the centuries have been the ones who have made steps to understand the culture and adapt to it as much as possible without compromising God’s truth. I think of St. Patrick (who recent research has revealed to actually be a Messianic Jew) among the “barbaric” Celts who once enslaved him. Or Hudson Taylor, perhaps the most successful missionary ever, who adopted the dress of the Chinese (even going so far as shaving his head and sporting the traditional “queue”). These men laid down their rights and personal preference, so that men would be saved.
We should do the same, considering the lengths our Lord went to save us. 

Our Change and God's Patience

 ^"I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." John 16:12

We all have those moments where we wish God would just change us already (for crying out loud). For me it's usually after a time where I've really thought myself to be obedient in all things: rising early and praying, reading the Word, serving, etc. Then I find myself in a situation I just can't overcome and lose my temper or fail in some other way, and then the inevitable angry outburst at God follows. 

It usually goes something like this: "What the %&*, God?! Are you going to help me out, or what? I'm doing all you ask, what the %&* do you want from me?"

It may surprise you to hear that I occasionally use such language toward God, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't. It's not something I'm proud of or recommend, and as I've gotten to know God better these type of outbursts have become much less frequent. But I believe that willingness to pour ourselves out emotionally to God - no matter what it looks like - is a key ingredient of having a close relationship with Him (cf. Psalm 62:8). We are in a relationship, for better or for worse. We wrestle until we are changed (Genesis 32:24-28). 

Another thing I've learned is that it's always our fault that we are not changed, not God's (imagine that!). When we are on our "best behavior" it is still to some degree in our own strength and willpower, and we are setting ourselves up for failure. God patiently watches it all happen, knowing it is for our best when we fail and the hard lessons we will (hopefully) learn.

As a father of two young boys it brings tears to my eyes to think of this from God's perspective. To have to let your children go through misery, not able to speak to them because you know what is best for them and that they are not yet in a position to receive it. They then curse you to your face and you patiently and lovingly bear it. It is only after we have exhausted ourselves as children in our tantrum that we are suddenly able to see clearly that we were in the wrong, and how patient God has been with us all along. This is called contrition (cf. Psalm 51:17).

The words Jesus spoke to the disciples at the top of this devotion were before he had died and risen, and before the Holy Spirit had been given to men. Without the indwelling Holy Spirit the disciples were short-sighted and railed against Jesus' will when they couldn't understand it (cf. Matthew 16:21-22). So it is with us when we so easily slip into the natural while trying to do God's will, rather than fully rely on His Spirit to accomplish everything in us. As Jesus very clearly put it, "without (literally "apart from") me you can do nothing." (John 15:5: the Greek word for "nothing" is very interesting: it means "nothing"!)

Full reliance on God (FROG) is a lifelong lesson, and even in the midst of our confusion and suffering, we should rejoice in the fact that the God of the Universe has deigned to teach it to us, so that one day we can be one with Him.

Keep Moving!

 

"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." Hebrews 11:8

I have learned a lot in my spiritual walk from Oswald Chambers. He drives right to the heart of matter without sentimentality, often forcing us to forego our "pity party" and move on the task at hand. 

One of the things Chambers talks about is "drudgery".  That is, when our lives are bereft of uplifting experiences, and all that lies ahead are the daily menial tasks of "life". No credit is given to you for what you do - no one even notices. He believed that this was the true test of the saint: to shine in times like these.

We've talked about the folly of trusting emotions before on this blog. God can seem cruel at times, but our whole lives He is lovingly engaged in the most profitable things of all for us: to be stripped of everything that prevents us from fully relying on and having our every joy in Him. The scripture doesn't say in vain He is a "jealous God" (Exodus 34:14). He wants us all for Himself!

Abraham is rightly held up as an example of a faithful person in the Bible. God told him to grab everything he had and leave his home and family. To go where? Don't worry I'll show you! (Genesis 12:1) 

There is a reason we are told to "walk" by faith! (2 Corinthians 5:7) . Yes, we are also told to "rest" (Psalm 37:7) and that we are "seated" (Ephesians 2:6), but these are spiritual realities to be applied to our ever-dynamic walk. Just keep moving! Like Abraham, even if you have no idea where you're going, keep moving forward in faith! 

The reason why we falter or even go back can always be traced to doubts of God's goodness, that the place He is leading us will not be worth it in the end. Brothers and sisters, it will be worth it beyond our wildest imagination (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:9). 

Keep moving!