Faith for the Present Moment
“Then the king said unto me, ‘For what do you make request?’ So I prayed to the God of Heaven.”
Nehemiah 2:4
Our omniscient Lord will never leave us in a lurch; we simply must cry out to Him in our moment of need, confident that He will hear and answer.
Weeping wine-tasters don’t usually last very long—especially when their boss is someone like Artaxerxes I Longimanus, the powerful Persian king who allowed Ezra to lead around 2,000 other Jews back to Jerusalem in 457 B.C. (Ezra 7). But, here it was. . .some 13 years later. . . when Nehemiah found out “the remnant that had returned were still in great affliction and reproach—partly because the wall of Jerusalem was still broken down and the burned-out gates were still not replaced” (1:3).
You would have thought such needed repairs would have already been accomplished. It’d already been 94 years since the first group had returned; yet, the reconstruction of the Temple had been halted for 14 years (534-520 B.C.) and Ezra had discovered the people had still strayed from God even though they’d returned to Jerusalem.
So, yes, Nehemiah was distraught over the condition of his beloved city and people. That’s why he “wept, mourned a number of days, fasted and prayed to the God of Heaven” (Neh. 1:4). And, that’s why his “countenance was sad, causing Artaxerxes to notice” (2:2a).
Again, no wonder he “was very sore afraid” (2:2b).
We would have been too—for a servant-slave was expected to make his master happy. But, Nehemiah’s grief was so great that no amount of make-up and forced mirth could cover up the dark circles under his bloodshot eyes.
Thankfully he was honest with the king and told him the reason for his great “sorrow of heart” (vv.2c-3). And, thankfully he knew what to do when the king asked him what he wanted/needed: “So I prayed to the God of Heaven.”
The Ultimate Goal
“Now the end of the Commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned.”
I Timothy 1:5
If we don’t know where we’re headed, how will we know when we’ve arrived?
Truly, life is like a jigsaw puzzle—composed of many pieces. . .some brightly colored. . . while others are dark with sharp edges. But, in Christ, they all “work together for good when we love the Lord and are fulfilling His purpose in our lives” (Rom. 8:28).
It’s true “Abraham went without knowing where he was going” (Heb. 11:8). He knew he couldn’t go with God and stay where he was. And, he only knew he was going “unto a land that God would show him” (Gen. 12:1). But, through faith he and Sarah “counted Him faithful Who had promised” (Heb. 11:10), knowing He’d ultimately fulfill His promises to them.
So is it with this jigsaw puzzle called life. Each puzzle is different; yet, ultimately each one that professes that “Jesus Christ is Lord” will one day be transformed into His exact likeness (I Jn. 3:2). Hopefully, through this daily process of sanctification here on earth He won’t have to engage in “Extreme Makeover” on us when we finally see Him face-to-Face.
Today’s Manna further fleshes out what it’s all about in this Pilgrimage of Faith. Paul said “Now the end (Grk. ‘telos’—‘goal, conclusion, purpose, final outcome, ending, etc.’) of the Commandment is this: Love that flows out of a pure (Grk. ‘katharos’—‘clean, clear, cleansed, etc.’) heart, good conscience and unfeigned (Grk. ‘anupokritos’—‘unadulterated, sincere, without hypocrisy, no pretense, etc.’) faith.”
God’s Great Grace
“And the Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”
I Timothy 1:14-15
When we really see ourselves as we are and what we are apart from His Grace, we will also feel this way about ourselves.
“Of whom I am chief.”
Was Paul feeling down-and-out when he wrote these words in today’s Manna? Or, knowing his competitive nature, did he somehow feel he had to be the worst sinner to offset how he’d once felt he was the best Pharisee (Phil. 3:4-6)?
It’s safe to assume that the aged Apostle didn’t suffer from an inferiority complex where he had to feel bad about himself before he could feel better. Paul’s problem (like some many of ours) was a “superiority complex”—i.e., pride. Stinkin’, sinful pride.
We’re born with it. We thrive and rely on it. We love flaunting it.
Power. Prestige. Prowess. Popularity. Possessions.
And, getting “saved” or religious doesn’t free us from it. Some of the worst atrocities ever committed have been done in God’s Name (e.g., Paul’s persecution of that “born-again cult” called Christians, the Crusades, the Salem Witchcraft Trials, jihads, etc.).
That’s why our Manna attests to Paul’s true conversion—for no longer did he see himself “as somebody come;” instead, he realized his “laundry list of sins” was extensive (vv.13a, 16a), but God “in His Mercy was exceedingly gracious, giving him faith and love in Christ Jesus” (vv.13b-14). And, he knew our omniscient Lord knew he would trust Him and “counted him faithful and entrusted unto him the Ministry of the Gospel” (v.12).
Dirty, Defiled Hearts
“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart and they defile the man—for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man—but to wash with unwashed hands defiles not a man.”
Matthew 15:18-20
Until we realize the depths of our depravity we cannot know the depths of His Grace.
Jeremiah once said, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9). Do we really believe this? Or, do we believe it only applies to someone else?
When Jesus spoke today’s Manna He knew there were many in His audience (then and now) who’d think He was talking about someone else. Such is always the case with a “deceitful and desperately wicked heart”—for it always envisions itself as better than that. . .more innocent and refined. . .a cut above the rest. . .purer in intentions and passions than the average, run-of-the-mill person who darkens the church door on Sunday.
But, every heart—your heart, my heart, ‘ole Joe’s heart, Uncle Bill’s heart, Grandma Susan’s heart, etc.—is guilty of all of those above-mentioned sins. Look at them again: “Evil thoughts… murders. . .adulteries. . .fornications. . .thefts. . .false witness. . .blasphemies.”
“But, I’ve never murdered anyone!” cries one.
“And I’ve certainly never committed adultery or had premarital sex, much less robbed a bank, lied under oath on a witness stand or taken God’s Name in vain.”
Is that so?
The Prayer of Destitute Desperation
“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto You. Hide not Your face from me in the day when I am in trouble. Incline Your ear unto me; in the day when I call answer me speedily…He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer.”
Psalm 102:1-2, 17
Don’t hold back; pour out your heart to Him in prayer even as a child would present his petition to a loving father.
How desperate are you, Pilgrim? Have you reached the place where your “tears have been your food day and night while they continually say unto you, ‘Where is your God’?” (Ps. 42:3). If so, you can likely understand what the anonymous author of today’s Manna was feeling when he composed these words.
His is a fervent plea (“Hear my prayer, O Lord”).
And, it is a desperate prayer-plea. . .for you don’t cry “And let my cry come unto You” and “Hide not Your face from me in the day when I am in trouble” if you feel God’s not readily-at-hand or easily accessible.
Sermon Illustrations: Christ as Son of God
Who Do You Say He Is?
If I told you to pull out a piece of paper and write on it who you say Jesus is what would you write? We all have some answer; we all have some images of Jesus. Some of them are the images we learned as children in Sunday school which have proved troubling and we don’t’ have anything to replace them with. Sometimes we dismiss Jesus on the basis of what we knew about Jesus at age six. Some of us have never examined the evidence for ourselves.
One of my main goals in preaching is to gain a fresh hearing for Jesus, especially among those who believe they already understand him. I’m sorry to tell you this, but you probably don’t. Because what happens sometimes is that presumed familiarity has led to unfamiliarity. Jesus is sometimes obstructed by clouds of well-intentioned misinformation.
But ultimately, rather than give you my answer to the question I’d rather challenge you to answer the question for yourself because that’s the only answer that matters. Is he Messiah? If that’s what you think, what does that mean? Jesus clearly didn’t’ fit into what a Messiah was expected to be. Messiahs were supposed to have power, were supposed to take charge, were supposed to set things right and free the Jews from political expression. But Jesus refused to stiff arm anybody. He refused to dominate or to take up arms.
Is he Savior? OK. But what is he saving us from and what is he saving us to? Some people clearly had no interest in being saved. When Jesus said the poor are precious and the rich are in big trouble, only those on one side of that equation found it intriguing.
Is he Teacher? Surely, but is that all?
Who do you say he is? Messiah, Savior, Lord, shaman, teacher, friend, prophet, prince of peace?
Now, as you try and answer that question, don’t be too alarmed if you cant’ nail it down. Even those of us who wrestle with the question regularly find it difficult, because Jesus is sometimes downright incomprehensible; he is often enigmatic, ambiguous. From the very beginning, who Jesus was, what he was about, was far from self-evident. There were people who stood face-to-face with Jesus and said, “This is God incarnate.” There appear to be many more who said, “This man is nuts.” Although I think that for most of us, the biggest issue isn’t that we’ve listened to Jesus and found him incomprehensible; it’s that we’ve listened to him and found him too damned difficult.
Herb Miller, Who Do You Say That I Am?
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Defining Christ
Every photographer knows the importance of having the camera lens in focus before triggering the shutter. You can set the right shutter speed. You can open the lens to its proper setting. But if that lens is not in focus, the picture will be worthless.
Anyone who’s trying to sell something these days knows the importance of having an accurate focus on the market for which a product is intended. Whether you’re trying to sell soap or soft drinks, it’s necessary to know exactly which people will most likely purchase your product. On what age group or sector of the public do you focus your advertising?
So Jesus realized that if people were going to follow him, and if his followers were going to be truly effective Christians in the world, they needed to know exactly who he was. They also needed to know precisely what was involved in being a Christian.
That’s probably one reason why he asked this simple, but all-important question in our Bible reading. “Tell me,” he says, “who do people say I am?” And a little later he refines the question: “What about you?” he asked them. “Who do you say I am?”
Richard W. Patt, Partners in the Impossible, CSS Publishing Company
His Bountiful Supply
“But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19
His is limitless and always given at just the right moment.
“His riches in glory.”
That’s the way the Apostle Paul described the Father’s Heavenly Supply. And, he further stated that Christ Jesus Himself is the One Who distributes them to us. Why, then, should we ever allow ourselves to feel abandoned like some homeless orphan—especially when He’s promised to never leave us in that condition (Ps. 37:25; Jn. 14:18)?
The key to all of this is “my God.”
Until the God of the universe is “my God” He’s always someone else’s God. We watch Him taking care of other folks and inwardly wonder why we’re suffering so. But, such inward resentment and envy should remind us of our hostile mind toward Him (Rom. 8:7), causing us to “cast down those imaginations and every lofty thing that obscures His Face by bringing every thought under His Lordship” (II Cor. 10:5).
A True Pastoral Work Part 2
Text: 1 Corinthians 3:1-17
Feed The Sheep
The word “pastor” originally means shepherd, the one who has the care of flocks and herds. He is someone who feeds and pasture the flocks.
As we already have discussed, pastoring is not an easy task. The primary goal of a pastor is to impart God’s word, that is to feed the flock. However in the passage, we can see here that Paul is pointing out that the spiritual food that he is giving to the Corinthian Church is only milk. He pointed out that many of them were worldly (other translations used the word “carnal”).
According to Paul, jealousy and quarreling within the church is a form of immaturity. What are they quarelling about? They are quarelling about who is their discipler. They have their own favorite workers. Some follow Paul, some Apollos, while others say they follow Cephas (1 Cor. 1:12). And probably they were trying to compare their teachers (pastors).
The truth is, such arguments are useless and only promotes division inside the church. It is a form of carnality, a form of worldliness and a sign of immaturity. Why? It is because they are now out of focus. Their church leaders like Apollos, Cephas, and Paul are there to serve, to feed the sheep. This is their primary task and all of them comes from the same source. Their teachers have the same spirit, the same teachings, and the same doctrines.
Apostles are to impart God’s message to the sheep. They are to share what God is telling them in accordance to the Scripture. Similarly in our time, there is no need to compare the past from the present for pastors do the same thing. That is to feed the sheep.
Not By Might or Power
“Then He answered and spoke unto me, saying ‘This is the Word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts’.”
Zechariah 4:6
If it’s attainable or explainable in our own strength, we can rest assured it’s not of God.
How much do we really live by faith? Think about it: What are you attempting to do that’s impossible without His direction or aid? If we’re honest, we’ll say “Very little.”
Oh, we say we do. We dream “the impossible dream” and “launch out into the deep” after having drawn up detailed plans, hired consultant agencies, developed a marketing plan, conducted an extensive and elaborate fund-raiser, etc. But, in reality, the world does the very same thing—and usually does a much better job at it than we do!
For sure, we can construct magnificent edifices where the steeple touches the sky. And, we can fill those massive buildings with the most beautiful stained-glass windows ever seen. But, the question still comes back, “Was this accomplished by God’s Spirit or just another worldly project accomplished in one’s own strength though cloaked in religious garb and lip service to Him?”
“Not by might nor power.”
The Hebrew word “chayil” is used here for “might” and means “army, wealth, company, etc.,” while “koach” is used for “power” and also means “firm, vigorous, hardiness, strength, substance, etc.” Thus, it’s clear any undertaking that’s achievable in our own strength or the result of our own worldly wealth and wisdom is not “of His Spirit.”