Last Sunday in Sydney I held forth the three things Peter said to the multitudes on the Day of Pentecost when they asked, "What shall we do?" He said repent, be baptized (in water), and receive the promise of the Father. It was the last exhortation that was particularly heavy upon my heart. Jesus promised the baptism with the Holy Spirit to His disciples in Acts 1:8: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." When the Holy Spirit "came upon" the believers in Jerusalem, this marked the first time the Holy Spirit was poured out in such fashion apart from Christ. As it is written in John 3:34: "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure." When the disciples on Pentecost received this gift of the Holy Spirit, it was accompanied by tongues and the gift of teaching. Later in the New Testament we see many other manifestations of the Spirit operated through God's people by His grace.
When Jesus was baptized in water, that moment held special significance for John the Baptist. He speaks in John 1:32-33 "...I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. [33] I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." I believe in these days Christians who seek this baptism are many but those who receive it are few. God has said that we will find Him, if we seek Him with our whole hearts. When our hearts are divided with love of this world we oppose God's inner work. Many refuse to come apart from the world and be separate, unwilling to be sanctified for God's use alone. Idols have infiltrated the temple of the Holy Spirit and defiled it, and many refuse to part with their secret sins.
Another reason many do not receive was revealed to me after I preached last week. God said quietly to my heart, "Many do not receive because they seek an experience instead of seeking Me." Isn't this often the case? People everywhere are always seeking after experiences: a wonderful meal or a long holiday, a spendy night out on the town, catching a favorite sport in person or on a huge TV. It's all about the experience, the latest and the greatest. First movies were silent black and white, then color, then talking pictures with song and dance, then Betamax, VHS, Laserdisc, MPEG-1, DVD, and now Blu-ray with surround sound, IMAX, and even IMAX in 3-D! Entertainment is all about the quality of the experience! God does not exist to entertain people or wow their senses. He is not interested in people looking for Him to "one-up" their previous experience. He is seeking true followers who worship Him in Spirit and in truth, not thrill seekers who are just as happy to watch a movie as to worship God.
Paul is a great example of a seeker who rejected all worldly gain for the pursuit of Christ. Philip. 3:8-11 says, "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; [10] that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, [11] if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." Everything Paul desired was to be found in God: "that I may gain Christ and be found in Him," "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection," "the fellowship of His sufferings," "being conformed to His death," that he might "attain to the resurrection from the dead." A walk following Christ is full of experiences. But it was not the experiences Paul looked to: it was Jesus!
May we learn from Paul's example and seek Christ for Himself, for He is worthy. It is not for us to dictate how God will use us, or what manifestation of the Spirit we deem acceptable and convenient. As it is stated in Psalm 115:1, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth." It is not because of jaw-dropping experiences we have, but because of the worthy character and nature of God we worship Him and seek to have His Holy Spirit poured out upon us. Then He will receive all the glory. It no longer is about my experiences, but experiencing God Himself.
30 April 2010
29 April 2010
The Escape Strategy
On the way home from Australia, I watched the popular movie "Avatar." It resembles closely, in a way, this current generation which finds escape through technology. I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but the film holds forth the concept it might be possible to move your soul from one body from another. Instead of remaining bound in a paralyzed body, one could inhabit a new body in an alien environment. All one must do is find this new environment, have a body made which could live in it, and the fantasy potential is endless. Yet after the movie is over, reality is still reality. After coming home from a two-week trip, reality waits in the form of going back to work, paying the bills which have piled up, and cooking dinner.
Escaping reality has been a hobby for humans since the beginning. Music, sports, theater, stories, gambling, sex, drugs, and alcohol are just the beginning of things which have been used by people for millenia to remove them temporarily from reality. As Lemuel's mother says in Proverbs 31:6-7, "Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitter of heart. [7] Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more." These verses point out how alcohol numbs the mind but has no power to change reality in a positive way. In the last century, technology has added to the ways we can "unwind," specifically with television, radio, video games, movies, and the internet. All of these latest inventions are highly portable and have opened the door to an almost sinister pursuit of fantasy. It has escalated to such extremes that people or their neglected children have actually died because of this addiction to seeking this escape.
Last night the thought occurred to me: is it possible that church activities could become just another way to seek escape from reality? Is this why some people become disillusioned with Christianity and the church when real problems occur within it? If you haven't recognized this by now, people have problems. Christians are people, therefore Christians have problems too. Since the church is made up of Christians, it stands to reason that there will be problems within the church. This is in no way a justification for sin or immoral practice, but an objective statement of fact. We all have a history with a number of hurts and pain which may or may not have been confessed, recognized, or even dealt with. There are issues that everyone faces on a regular basis and also times of crisis which can occur with the sudden violence of a tornado, leaving wreckage in its path. Those who expect the church to be a perfect utopia free from human error soon find themselves facing grim reality. This should not surprise us, for it is the sick who need a physician and Jesus is a Healer and Restorer of souls dead in sins. Reality should not be grim, for we serve a God who is a Redeemer, Savior, and Lover of our souls.
This desire to escape from reality can also find a foothold in doctrine. There are some who in my opinion over-emphasize certain doctrines such as the Rapture. I believe the Rapture is imminent and certain, but there are some who are given over entirely to the intrigue of eschatology (end times prophecy). There is a longing in people to be free from their current situation. They think, "How great it would be to be caught up to heaven with the church now! Not only will I be spared from the great tribulation, but I won't have to worry about my financial debt, the fact my marriage is a disaster, or that I'm about to lose my job. I can't wait until this is all over!" Church and biblical doctrine become just another way to distance the heart and mind from reality. Thoughts turn from glory of God and the lost and hurting of this world and are turned inward. Those who use Bible teachings to escape into a world of fantasy will find their desire to live a godly life stunted and choked of any power to walk with Christ.
Jesus prays this for His church in John 17:15-17: "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. [16] They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. [17] Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." We do not know which day will be our last, whether we are caught up to be with the LORD in the clouds or if our physical body fails due to sickness or trauma. Jesus did not pray that we should be taken out of the world, and we should not desire to escape from it either. This desire to escape is largely selfish. In what way would leaving this earth glorify God? I suppose it is in the way you leave it. King Saul was caught up wounded in the midst of battle and fell upon his own sword because he was afraid he would fall into the hands of the Philistines. Stephen was stoned for his unwavering faith and boldness in Christ. I ask you: from whom did God receive greater glory?
Paul says this in Philip. 1:19-26: "For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, [20] according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. [21] For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. [22] But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. [23] For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. [24] Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. [25] And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, [26] that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again." May we as Paul live every day with the unwavering determination to live for the glory of God. Paul loved Jesus and wanted to be with Him in heaven, but he recognized that God's will was for him to remain on earth. The day for leaving the earth would someday come, and it would not be productive for Paul to dream about that day when there was much work to be done for the glory of God. Day-dreaming never makes us more efficient in our labor, more diligent workers, or stronger Christians. May we be able to say, "To live is Christ." God will manage the day of our death without our input. When it comes may He receive the glory due His name.
Escaping reality has been a hobby for humans since the beginning. Music, sports, theater, stories, gambling, sex, drugs, and alcohol are just the beginning of things which have been used by people for millenia to remove them temporarily from reality. As Lemuel's mother says in Proverbs 31:6-7, "Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitter of heart. [7] Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more." These verses point out how alcohol numbs the mind but has no power to change reality in a positive way. In the last century, technology has added to the ways we can "unwind," specifically with television, radio, video games, movies, and the internet. All of these latest inventions are highly portable and have opened the door to an almost sinister pursuit of fantasy. It has escalated to such extremes that people or their neglected children have actually died because of this addiction to seeking this escape.
Last night the thought occurred to me: is it possible that church activities could become just another way to seek escape from reality? Is this why some people become disillusioned with Christianity and the church when real problems occur within it? If you haven't recognized this by now, people have problems. Christians are people, therefore Christians have problems too. Since the church is made up of Christians, it stands to reason that there will be problems within the church. This is in no way a justification for sin or immoral practice, but an objective statement of fact. We all have a history with a number of hurts and pain which may or may not have been confessed, recognized, or even dealt with. There are issues that everyone faces on a regular basis and also times of crisis which can occur with the sudden violence of a tornado, leaving wreckage in its path. Those who expect the church to be a perfect utopia free from human error soon find themselves facing grim reality. This should not surprise us, for it is the sick who need a physician and Jesus is a Healer and Restorer of souls dead in sins. Reality should not be grim, for we serve a God who is a Redeemer, Savior, and Lover of our souls.
This desire to escape from reality can also find a foothold in doctrine. There are some who in my opinion over-emphasize certain doctrines such as the Rapture. I believe the Rapture is imminent and certain, but there are some who are given over entirely to the intrigue of eschatology (end times prophecy). There is a longing in people to be free from their current situation. They think, "How great it would be to be caught up to heaven with the church now! Not only will I be spared from the great tribulation, but I won't have to worry about my financial debt, the fact my marriage is a disaster, or that I'm about to lose my job. I can't wait until this is all over!" Church and biblical doctrine become just another way to distance the heart and mind from reality. Thoughts turn from glory of God and the lost and hurting of this world and are turned inward. Those who use Bible teachings to escape into a world of fantasy will find their desire to live a godly life stunted and choked of any power to walk with Christ.
Jesus prays this for His church in John 17:15-17: "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. [16] They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. [17] Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." We do not know which day will be our last, whether we are caught up to be with the LORD in the clouds or if our physical body fails due to sickness or trauma. Jesus did not pray that we should be taken out of the world, and we should not desire to escape from it either. This desire to escape is largely selfish. In what way would leaving this earth glorify God? I suppose it is in the way you leave it. King Saul was caught up wounded in the midst of battle and fell upon his own sword because he was afraid he would fall into the hands of the Philistines. Stephen was stoned for his unwavering faith and boldness in Christ. I ask you: from whom did God receive greater glory?
Paul says this in Philip. 1:19-26: "For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, [20] according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. [21] For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. [22] But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. [23] For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. [24] Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. [25] And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, [26] that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again." May we as Paul live every day with the unwavering determination to live for the glory of God. Paul loved Jesus and wanted to be with Him in heaven, but he recognized that God's will was for him to remain on earth. The day for leaving the earth would someday come, and it would not be productive for Paul to dream about that day when there was much work to be done for the glory of God. Day-dreaming never makes us more efficient in our labor, more diligent workers, or stronger Christians. May we be able to say, "To live is Christ." God will manage the day of our death without our input. When it comes may He receive the glory due His name.
22 April 2010
The Natural Reaction
It caused me to consider the function of the church of Jesus Christ, His Body on this earth. Is a church supposed to "run like clockwork," without heart or soul? Is the church intended to be reactionary, simply acting opposite to what is contrary to biblical doctrine? The answer is clearly no. If we would be honest, one thing is true about the church today: there is much motion, but little devotion. God did not create the church to be perpetually in motion, but desires we be constant in pious devotion. Devotion means obedience and humble submission to Him, seeking His direction and empowerment for His glory. The church is not a machine, but a Body. A Body is intended to respond to outward stimuli with a mind, heart, and soul according to the God-pleasing attitude within.
Though Newton's Law is true in the natural physical realm, the church is not bound by it in the supernatural. Performing the work of God is God's doing, and we are tools and vessels in His hand. He is the Potter, we are the clay. The Body of Christ is directed by the Head who is Jesus, and the Holy Spirit empowers us to fulfill the will of God. We need not react according to our natural inclinations, for the grace and love of God is supernatural. Our work is not to form committees and scheme how we will win the world for Christ, but simply respond to the guidance and strength which come from God alone. To react is to follow worldly wisdom: to respond with genuine love in all circumstances is of God. A soft answer turns away wrath. The world may rage against us, but the force imposed upon us can be brought to nothing by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our faith in Christ is not blind motion, but according to truth revealed in our hearts through His Word and Holy Spirit.
Consider the things you do "for God." How many of those things has He explicitly told you to do, and how many are you doing because you were thrown into the motion of a church? As people, we are masters of motion. Once a ball gets rolling, sometimes it is hard to catch. Sometimes when a ministry starts churning, it can simply be an outlet of the flesh that continues long after God has ordained. Let's decide it is time for Christ to run His church and faithfully do our part with joy and gladness! This is the most natural response for every believer. What a relief it is to obey God!
17 April 2010
Australia Update!
Today is the third very full day Laura and I have spent in Sydney, Australia. So far it has been a wonderful blur of a trip, and it is hard to believe we've only been here three days. We've been meeting beautiful people, going to different places, and it's already a challenge to keep it straight. Ross and Joan have been terrific hosts, and we've met several families from Calvary Chapel Sydney. I would say the jetlag has been a non-issue except I find when I sit down to write my mind is blank, still feverishly processing information from the day.
We've taken many pictures, visited with wildlife, taken a drive down the coast, hopped on the train and hung out at the harbour for half a day, and sampled local fare. Within a few days we hope to share some pictures and communicate some of the memorable things we've already done. At the moment it is difficult for me to focus on anything but tomorrow, because God-willing I will be preaching at Calvary Chapel Sydney. The message has already been put to paper but my prayer is tomorrow God will inscribe His Word upon our hearts with grace and Spirit-led anointing. It is to this I have been called, and prayerful humility is the only preparation for such work.
It is an amazing thing, to do what you cannot. A man cannot do the work of God, but God is willing to do His work through a yielded man. Man is a failure, but God is faithful. I rejoice in the provision of God's mercies which are new every morning: great is His faithfulness. Please pray that hearts would be prepared, that the good seed of God's Word would be sown, and it would be fruitful to the glory of God. Monuments of man and even the beauty of nature pale in comparison to the soul work God desires to do daily in the hearts of His people. Show us your glory, Jesus. Pull back the veil of our feeble expectations and reveal yourself as the LORD and Christ that you truly are. May the seeds sown tomorrow bear eternal fruit so you may receive the reward due your suffering.
We've taken many pictures, visited with wildlife, taken a drive down the coast, hopped on the train and hung out at the harbour for half a day, and sampled local fare. Within a few days we hope to share some pictures and communicate some of the memorable things we've already done. At the moment it is difficult for me to focus on anything but tomorrow, because God-willing I will be preaching at Calvary Chapel Sydney. The message has already been put to paper but my prayer is tomorrow God will inscribe His Word upon our hearts with grace and Spirit-led anointing. It is to this I have been called, and prayerful humility is the only preparation for such work.
It is an amazing thing, to do what you cannot. A man cannot do the work of God, but God is willing to do His work through a yielded man. Man is a failure, but God is faithful. I rejoice in the provision of God's mercies which are new every morning: great is His faithfulness. Please pray that hearts would be prepared, that the good seed of God's Word would be sown, and it would be fruitful to the glory of God. Monuments of man and even the beauty of nature pale in comparison to the soul work God desires to do daily in the hearts of His people. Show us your glory, Jesus. Pull back the veil of our feeble expectations and reveal yourself as the LORD and Christ that you truly are. May the seeds sown tomorrow bear eternal fruit so you may receive the reward due your suffering.
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