THE GREAT VALUE OF GODLY LEADERS

Paul instructed Titus to seek godly leaders and install them in the churches. “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—” (Titus‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬‬)

John Maxwell says it this way, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” Godly leaders are good leaders and the question is not, “Can the church afford to call a pastor?” The issue is, “Can we afford not to?”  For this is a matter of obedience to God—He has commanded it. He will not bless our disobedience.

Henry Blackaby testified: 

Many churches say, “As soon as we have the money in the bank, we’ll … start that mission church … call that pastor … hire a children’s director.” Congregations have waited for years to obey what God told them. They might consider their behavior financially prudent. God calls it disobedience. 

I found that as we enlisted pastors for our various missions, God led us to successful leaders who were enjoying thriving ministries. Many took a cut in pay to become a mission pastor, but they were given an immense vision! They were also provided the freedom and support to pursue God’s purposes. As a result, we enlisted outstanding leaders who experienced God producing amazing results. 

When churches are small or declining, they often assume they cannot afford to recruit strong leaders. The problem with this thinking is that it prompts churches to either choose not to move forward with what God is telling them, or to settle for weak leadership. The truth is that when you are suffering decline, you can’t afford the consequences of enlisting ineffective leaders. (Flickering Lamps, p.99, Kindle edition)

If an elder is a good leader, then he will reach enough people who will more than fund his compensation. There are some men who are willing to labor in a secular job while also leading in the church. We had great lay leaders who had recently “retired,” but still had much to give to the Lord’s work. These can be set aside as elders. 

It is really a matter of faith. Will we trust God to provide as we step out in obedience? “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.” So said the great missionary Hudson Taylor.  That has been my experience throughout nearly fifty years of Gospel ministry. The Lord enabled me to care for a large family and lead His church and we never lacked what we needed to do so.

SAVED TO SERVE

 

Most evangelicals are familiar with Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  We ought to have those words embedded in our mind. 

Yet, we may not be as acquainted with the next verse, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them,” (v. 10). These go together—two sides of the same coin of salvation. While we are saved apart from our works—the root of salvation is solely in the work of Christ—our salvation is never apart from producing works—the fruit of salvation is seen in the work of Christ in Christians. The quote attributed to Martin Luther states it, “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.”  

We are saved to serve. That is true of every child of God. This Gospel message must be preached. It must also be observed in the preacher’s life as well as heard from his lips.  Otherwise the words ring hollow and we may be branded a hypocrite.  The call is, “Practice what you preach!”

Ours is a POETIC LIFE, “For we are His workmanship…”.  The Greek word for “workmanship,” is poiema.  Our English word, “poem,” is derived from that. We might say it is a life that is “poetry in motion.”  I heard my mentor, Dr. Stephen Olford, put it, “a life of rhyme and reason.”  

God is the Author. He has written the script in His providence. As I look back over the course of my nearly seventy years of life, I can see how God has worked in me and through me. What may seem isolated events at the time, are now seen to be lines of sacred verse that God has been putting together. Since we are still here on earth, we may be sure there are more stanzas to be written.

Ours is also a PRACTICAL LIFE, “created in Christ Jesus for good works…”.  Orthodoxy in our doctrine leads to orthopraxy in our duty. If our belief is Biblical, then our behavior will be practical. God sovereignly created Adam and Eve for a sacred responsibility—to steward the creation and to shun the temptation.  Yet, they failed. Sin is now part of our natural state. 

Jesus came to give us a new nature—to fashion a new creation in Christ. This is regeneration. Yet, we are to flesh out our faith in daily duty. In Christ, His crucifixion means we die to self, sin, and this sphere of the world system (cf. Gal. 6:14), as we have been crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, we live, so in Christ’s resurrection we live for Him—yet, not I but Christ living in and through me, (cf. Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6). 

Further, ours is a PREPARED LIFE, “which God prepared beforehand…”. Before you were born, God already knew you. He fashioned you in your mother’s womb, infusing you with personality and capacity to be His choice servant. Then, He directed your life to the point of conviction of sin and conversion to salvation by the Gospel of grace. 

How all this transpired has been the topic of theological debate for two millennia of church history—so I will not attempt to resolve every question in this brief devotion. Yet, we cannot deny that God is sovereign and He orchestrates all things to the fulfillment of His will. This all redounds to His glory. 

Perhaps you are familiar with the quote, “Try to explain predestination and you may lose your mind.  Try to explain it away and you may lose your soul.” I am content to accept there is mystery in the harmony of God’s sovereignty in His choices and my responsibility for my choices. To paraphrase the Shorter Westminster Catechism, “The chief end of [Dennis] is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”  You can insert your name into that, as well.

In conclusion, ours is a PROGRESSIVE LIFE, “that we should walk in them.”  Perfection is not attainable on earth. That awaits eternity—to be glorified when we see Jesus face to face, “but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is,” (1 Jn. 3:2b). While perfection is not attainable, progression is achievable. John also said, “Beloved, now we are the children of God…. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure,” (1 Jn. 3:2a, 3). More and more, as I express the life of Christ within, I exhibit more of His likeness without. 

Jesus is the Model Servant. He set the example for us. We are being like Him than when we are serving others.  We are saved to serve!

DYING TO LIVE

Read Romans 6.

As you read the title, you may have thought this would be a meditation on heaven.  Although that is our ultimate experience of eternal life, it is but the pinnacle of what we can already experience—abundant life now, rooted in our union with Christ!

This experience is anchored in a truth we must COMPREHEND, “knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” (v.6‬). The reality is that our union with Christ is such that all He is and has done has come to be our experience.  When Jesus died on the cross, we died with Him!  When He rose again, we rose with Him!  Eternal life is simply the life of the Eternal God in us—all Jesus is for all I need.

Based on what we comprehend concerning our union with Christ, we must CALCULATE as true, “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (v.11‬). Paul uses an accounting term here.  Let me explain this way—you have a dollar amount in the bank. You know this, not because you physically can see and hold cash in your hand, but you calculate by faith what the bank tells you and act on it as being true by using your debit card or writing a check. So, if you can trust a bank, can’t you trust God?  He says you are dead to sin and alive in Christ!

From comprehending this truth and calculating it as a promise from God, you then CHOOSE to live accordingly,  “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” (v.13‬). A dead slave would be free from his master’s control. Since we are crucified with Christ, the old master—sin—has no claim on us.  Yet, being raised from the dead in Christ, we have a new master—Jesus.  In the same way we once yielded our body for sin’s passions, we now surrender it for the Savior’s purposes.

In Christ you are free;
Free to be all He wants you to be;
Free, for we died with Him on that tree;
Free, for my life is the Risen Christ in me!

WHICH WAY?

Yogi Berra said, “When you come to the fork of the road, take it.”  Good idea.  But, which way?  Some will follow their own inclination. Others will yield to popular opinion. The wise submit to God’s revelation.

1.  MY DECISION WILL BE MEASURED BY GOD’S EVALUATION. “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts.” (Prov.21:2). Our choice is important. Decisions determine destinations. The way that seems right may in reality be the wrong way. Let the Spirit of God direct you according to the Word of God.  This is our GPS. 

2. MY SPIRITUAL CONDITION WILL AFFECT MY DECISION. “The way of a guilty man is perverse; But as for the pure, his work is right.” (Prov.21:8). Guilt will often lead us into the fog. We want to conceal our shameful conduct and so hide in darkness.  The result is that we stumble along in the wrong way, for we cannot see the right way. The way of clarity is for the pure.  They do not mind the light of truth shining brightly on them—there is nothing to hide.  Why would God show us more until we are willing to do what we already know?  

3. THE WRONG WAY IS DEADLY.   “A man who wanders from the way of understanding Will rest in the assembly of the dead.” (Prov.21:16). God’s way is the way of life, and following man’s way is the way of death. God’s revelation to Adam and Eve provided the light of life. Instead, they deliberately disobeyed—heeding the voice of the serpent and bringing death upon themselves and their offspring.

4. THE RIGHT WAY PROVIDES FIRM FOOTING.  “A wicked man hardens his face, But as for the upright, he establishes his way.” (Prov.21:29). The wicked man can be fully assured he knows best.  He sets his face like flint. He stiffens his neck as steel. He straightens his back like a fence post. And he walks on rotten boards that will soon break. The upright man does not mind swimming against the current of the culture or walking into the wind of prevailing philosophy. Despite the difficulty of walking in God’s way, his feet are on firm footing.

Which way will you choose?  Your way, man’s way, or God’s way?

TRUST AND OBEY

“Practice what you preach!”  Jeremiah would have his faith tested, as God would command him to buy a piece of property in his hometown.  He is “in jail,” so to speak, and his town has been taken by the Babylonians, who are currently besieging Jerusalem.  The prophet had been told by God that Judah would fall, with the survivors taken into captivity—not to return for seventy years.  Jeremiah would not live to see that day, and so it made no sense to buy land where you will never set foot, build on, or farm.

He was told by the Lord to purchase the field in Anathoth from his cousin, Hanamel for seventeen shekels of silver.  Hanamel must have walked out, with his bag of silver jingling, whistling, “Happy Days Are Here Again,” hardly containing his delight that he had made such a shrewd business deal!
It made no sense.  People must have scratched their heads in bewilderment.  Jeremiah was the talk of the town at supper that night.  “He’s nuts!” That must have been a repeated phrase.

What Jeremiah did was not folly, but faith.  He obeyed the Word of the Lord.  It cost him.  Living by faith can be very costly.  God told him to trust Him.  Jeremiah acknowledged that there was nothing too hard for the Lord!  God affirmed this to His man, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh.  Is there anything too hard for Me?” (v.27)

He needed that reassurance.  Jeremiah was getting old, and would never live to walk upon that ground he bought.  Or would he?

God went on to speak of a time that is yet to come—a time when Israel will be restored to the land, when they will do more than return to the land, they will return to God in repentance.  God will reign over them and restore them.  The promises made here exceed those experienced by the exiles when they returned in seventy years.  These blessings await the return of Christ and the redemption of Israel—a day that is coming, and maybe soon!

When that happens, there is a man who will have been raised from the dead, and in a glorified body, Jeremiah will walk into Anathoth, display his deed, and claim his land!  Can you imagine the smile on his face.  He had lost nothing.  He gained everything!  It was an investment in time which would pay dividends in eternity.

For us, let us be reminded of the truth proclaimed in the old hymn, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

BOUNTIFUL BLESSEDNESS

I will be like the dew to Israel….  (Hosea 14:5a)

If we want God to bless us, then we must become “blessable”.  God promises to be like the dew to His people.  Do you think dew rises or falls?  It does neither.  Dew is always present in the atmosphere—it only manifests itself when the conditions are right.  Similarly, God is ever-present and eager to bless His children abundantly—all that awaits is for us to get the spiritual atmosphere prepared to experience Him!  The fourteenth chapter of Hosea tells us how.

There is the PLEA OF GOD TO RETURN (v.1-3a).  The problem isn’t with God; the issue is with us.  If the blessing of God is withdrawn, it is because we have chosen to walk away from Him.  So, God pleads with them to repent (v.1) that blessing might be restored.  Confession of sin will bring cleansing (v.2; cf.1 John 1:9).  We dare not trust in ourselves, or lean on others—we must look to the Lord.

We must then believe in the PLEASURE OF GOD TO RESPOND (v.3b-5a).  As a Father, He adopts the orphan child, and extends mercy to those who need it desperately (v.3b).  Three things God says He will do (v.4-5a).  First, He will heal our backsliding.  As the Great Physician, He will heal our deadly moral malignancy.  Second, He will love us freely.  There will not be a mere trickle, but a torrent; not a drizzle, but a downpour—for God is love—boundless love.  Third, He will be as the dew to us.  Dew just does!

My professor of preaching (it was called “Homiletics”) at Fruitland Baptist Bible College, the late Dr. Kenneth Ridings, loved to preach on this text and remind us of several truths concerning the dew.

• Dew appears at night.  The experiences of God we have in the darkest of times are likely to be the seasons of the soul where God does His greatest work.
• Dew is heaviest in the valleys.  We often long for the sunshine of mountaintop experiences, yet God’s way is to bring us into valleys of the shadow of death, where He walks most nearly and dearly with us.
• Dew appears in the stillness.  It isn’t on windy evenings, but on calm nights that the dew appears.  Ours is a noisy world, and yet Scripture bids us to be still and know that He is God.  Solitude is a needed discipline.

Then we claim the PROMISE OF GOD TO RESTORE (v.5b-9).  There are several facets of God’s promise.

• We will grow like the lily (v.5b).  The beauty of our testimony will adorn the place where we are planted.
• We will be rooted like the cedar (v.5c).  There will be stability about us.  We will not be blown about by every wind of doctrine.
• We will spread our branches like the olive tree (v.6a).  We will bear much fruit for the glory of God.
• We will smell like the fragrance of a garden (v.6b).  Lebanon was known for its lush vegetation.  Trees and flowers adorned the area with their perfume—a remnant of paradise restored.  So, our lives can be a reverse of the curse and pervade our home, church, school, workplace—wherever we may be.
• We will abide in the shadow of the Almighty (v.7).  What a refuge!

Bountiful blessing comes when we turn from our false gods (v.8).  We make a clean break with sin.  We turn to the Living God (v.9).  Our feet are set on the pathway of devotion to God.  This is the basis of bountiful blessedness!

IN TUNE WITH GOD

 

Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the LORD came upon [Elisha]….  (2 Kings 3:15b)

Musical instruments need to be tuned.  Time and use take their toll and the result is that the same keys or strings may be struck on different instruments, but will have a different sound.  That’s not good.  We can also be out of tune spiritually.  There can be no harmony with God until we get in tune with Him.   Are our thoughts, motives, and passions in alignment with His?  Elisha was a man in tune with God.  There are several lessons concerning this in 2 Kings 3.

There can be a DROUGHT OF A WORD FROM THE LORD (v.1-10).  King Jehoram wasn’t in tune with God.  While the text acknowledges that he wasn’t quite as bad as his perverse parents, Ahab and Jezebel, he was still an idolater.  He didn’t hear from God because he worshipped idols rather than the true and living God.  If we depend on the arm of flesh we can’t be lifted by the arm of God.  If we listen to the wisdom of the world, we can’t receive the Word of the Lord.   Thus, the army found itself in a wilderness without water.  They would become weak and be defeated. Isn’t that a picture of God’s army today? Here we are a church of Christian soldiers in a spiritual wasteland.  The drought we are experiencing is a scarcity of the water of the Word of God. 

This brings a DEMAND OF A WORD FROM THE LORD (v.11-19).  Perhaps our drought will elevate desire to the point of desperation.  We must demand a Word from the Lord.   Bring a man of God with a message from God! There will always be someone in tune with God, if we take time to listen.  Elisha did not answer because of the plea of Jehoram, but because of his association with Jehoshaphat.  The King of Israel was undeserving of a response, so Elisha did it for the King of Judah’s sake.  Thus, we can cry out to God in faith that He will answer, not for our sake—we are undeserving—but for the sake of another, the King of kings, Jesus Christ.  We pray in His name.  This was a matter of faith.  They were to prepare themselves to receive water, although there was not a cloud in the sky.  They were to dig a channel to receive the miracle God had for them.  We are to make our lives channels to receive the flow of truth and then God will send it.  How?  We must dig into the Word and pray to the Lord.

Then comes THE DELIVERANCE BY THE WORD OF THE LORD (v.20-27).  Great things happen when we get in tune with God.  The people of God went from impending defeat to overwhelming victory!  That’s what happens when we get in tune with God.  Everyone recognized that it was God who brought the victory and not man. God works in such a way that He receives the glory.  A church that draws crowds through gimmicks and compromise will have only that—a crowd—and they’ll get the glory.  But, it is a stench in the nostrils of God.  The church, however, that is built on the faithful preaching and teaching of the Word of God in the power of the Spirit will produce disciples and God will be glorified.  Let us personally get in tune with God, lead our family to be, and insist that the church is!

CONFIRMATION OF THE CALL

Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is the truth.”  (I Kings 17:24)

God still calls people to specific tasks, for set times, in select territories, and with special tools to do His work.  Some are called to be missionaries, pastors, and evangelists.  Others are called to be Sunday School teachers, deacons, and nursery workers.  Every Christian has been called to be God's worker in this world--and that may be in the office, a factory, or a shop.  Every church member is to be in a ministry.

In 1 Kings 17, specifically, it is the ministry of the Word that is emphasized repeatedly (v.1-2, 5, 8, 16, 24).  The chapter begins and ends with this--and is mentioned eight times in total.  Like Paul, who declared that his speech and preaching were not with the enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power, Elijah's call was confirmed.

His call was confirmed in THE STAND THAT HE TOOK (v.1).  Elijah could take a stand against a wicked king because he knew what it was to stand before the King of kings!  God promised, "When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him."  (Isa.59:19)  Ahab and Jezebel unleashed a flood of evil in Israel, but God raised up His standard-bearer.  Elijah seemingly pops up out of nowhere, exploding on the scene.  We know little about him, save that he is a man of God with a message from God confirmed by the might of God.  He prays that the rain will stop--boom--the drought comes and the fields wither.  This was a predicted consequence of God's discipline on His people's sins (Deut.28:20, 23-24).

His call was also confirmed in THE SACRIFICE THAT HE MADE (v.2-16).  The call of God is not a promise of comfort.  Elijah wasn't going to make a profit, but be a prophet.  The Lord assures us He will meet our need, but not our greed!  The man of God was fed--road-kill--and washed it down with brook water!  No ribeye steak and sweet tea for him.  Later, we see how a poor widow became the source of his supply.  Her sacrificial act of faith and obedience became the channel of provision for God's servant--and the Lord rewarded her accordingly.  She was like the widow in the New Testament who gave her all (Mark 12:41-44).  Where would we be in the church today without the loving giving of dear widows?  This pastor has often been the recipient of their sacrifice.  They partner with us in service and God rewards them by stretching their supply!

His call was further confirmed by THE STRENGTH THAT HE FOUND (v.17-24).  The Lord responds to the grieving heart of a mother and the fervent prayer of the prophet in a miraculous manner.  Elijah is set forth as an example of prayer in the book of James that we are to emulate.  That is the source of our strength!  His credentials were confirmed. The ministry of the Word in the power of the Spirit brings life.

What has God called you to do?  Where are your gifts and passions?  Has God confirmed this by His hand of blessing upon you?  Step out in faith and make a difference!

THE ERROR IN THE EXPEDIENT

“And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you.”  (I Samuel 13:13a)

The tyranny of the urgent--it never stops screaming at you--something has to be done.  "Do something--even if it's wrong!" the voice demands.  Inaction when God has spoken is sin.  The choice may be hard, the cost may be great,  but delayed obedience is disobedience.  The expedient is another matter altogether.  The expedient may be defined this way: "conducive to advantage or interest, as opposed to right."  (dictionary.com)  It is the age-old cliche, "The end justifies the means."  Saul found out the error in the expedient.

The thirteenth chapter of 1 Samuel describes an urgent situation.  Saul's son, Jonathan has stirred up a hornet's nest--attacking a Philistine garrison.  Now, the Philistines mobilize an overwhelming force to fight the Israelis.  Most of the Jews ran for the hills like scared rabbits.  Saul rallied his small contingent,  but even they were fearful.  To his credit, King Saul understood that with God on their side, victory was assured.    Samuel the prophet will come and offer sacrifice, invoking the blessing of God on the battle.  For a week they delay--and still Samuel has not come.  Meanwhile, their peril grew by the minute.

Something had to be done.  The army of Israel was suffering desertion--as the troops were demoralized by what seemed imminent defeat.  Saul caves to the expedient, and assumes an authority not granted him.  He assumes the position of a priest, and acts in haste, offering a sacrifice himself.

He had no more finished, than Samuel showed up.  God is never late--and never early--He is an on-time God!  When we don't align our activity with His will, we get in trouble.  Repeatedly, the Word of God exhorts, "Wait on the Lord."  Saul did not, and his reign would be cut short accordingly.  God would raise up another who would wait--would listen and submit--"a man after H is own heart."  It seemed like such a small act of disobedience when there was such a lofty end in view.  What it revealed was pride and unbelief--deadly sins.

 The error in the expedient for the child of God reveals these terrible twins that are birthed in time of crisis.  We are proud--thinking we must do something--that God needs our help.  We are unbelieving--doubting that God will come through--that He cannot be trusted.  When God says go, don't say, "Whoa!"  When He says, "Whoa!" you better not go--no matter the circumstances, the counsel from others, the internal pressure--or you, like Saul,  may lose your crown!

THE BLESSEDNESS OF OBEDIENCE

And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he commanded you, therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever.” ’ ”  (Jeremiah 35:18-19)

Children are rebellious by nature.  We do not have to be taught to be disobedient.  Defiance is in our blood.  We demand our own way.  The imposing of discipline is essential for breaking down that self-centered spirit, and is an act of love to prepare a child for the adult world where there are rules, direction, and subordination to order if one is to function in society.  For Christian parents, the spiritual dimension is even more important as we are getting the children ready for the world to come—teaching them the need of submission to their Heavenly Father. 

This is why the fifth commandment in the Decalogue is a hinge upon which the two dimensions of duty swing.  The first four commandments point to our duty to God.  The last six point to our duty to man.  That is how the Ten Commandments are typically divided.  I prefer to divide them five and five.  The fifth commandment is to honor your father and your mother.  They are God’s representatives—as such this concludes our duty to God for we honor Him in respecting them.  It also gives us a bridge to the second table dealing with our duty to man.

In Jeremiah thirty five, we find a family that has honored their father—the Rechabites.  These were not Jews, but were Kenites—descendants of the nomadic people of Midian—the in-laws of Moses (1 Chron.2:55).  They were “sojourners” (v.7) dwelling in tents (v.10) according to the command of their father Jonadab.  They had also been commanded not to drink wine (v.6), so when Jeremiah set wine before them, it was a test—and they passed with flying colors! 

It was more than a test for them, however.  It was a living illustration of the blessedness of obedience in contrast to the bitterness of disobedience (v.11-19).  God had been a Father to Israel, yet they had been disobedient.  They ignored His warnings through His prophets.  They were intoxicated with idolatry.  The result would be a life of bitterness as doom would fall on Jerusalem.  The Babylonians were already on the march (v.11) as the rod of correction God would apply to His children.

We are free to choose our path, but we are not free to choose the results of that choice.  Choices have consequences.  “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.”  (Ex.20:12)  This is the first commandment with a promise—that obedience brings blessedness.  It is also true that disobedience will result in disaster.  Again, this is about more than submission to a human parent; it is about obedience to the Heavenly Father.  To submit to Him is to experience His blessing.  Rebellion leads to bondage, suffering, and loss.

The Rechabites would be perpetually in a position of service to God (v.19).  They would stand before the Lord marked with approval—honored by the Lord for honoring their father.  In so doing, they had honored God.  Do we not aspire to such?  It is attainable.  It is the blessedness of obedience.

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  (Mark 1:11)

It is difficult to end up in the right place, if you don’t start out on the right track!  A key to finishing well is beginning well. What we find in our text is the beginning of Christ’s public ministry.  The events recorded here provided the point of departure on a course of obedience to His Father that would lead Him to say, “It is finished”—the race is run, the journey is done, and the victory is won!  That is how I want to end!  Jesus shows us how to get on the right track.

There was THE WITNESS THAT HE SHARED (v.9-13).  If we are on the right track, others should be able to see it!  The witness wasn’t merely declared by His lips, but demonstrated by His life.

We observe the witness of His virtue (v.9-11). “You are my beloved Son….”  From the time of Christ’s appearance at the age of twelve in the temple to his baptism at the age of thirty, there are eighteen hidden years of maturing. He passed that part of His schooling!  God doesn’t develop His leaders in a microwave, but a crock pot!  Then He steps into public view. Baptism was a testimony of His identification with sinners and mission to die and rise again.  It was another step of obedience. 

We note the witness of His victory (v.12-13) “tempted by Satan….”  This was the biggest test yet.  Jesus passed with impeccable credentials!   He was with the wild beasts as the Last Adam—in harmony with earth.  The angels come and ministered to Him after this great battle—He was in harmony with heaven.

There were THE WORDS THAT HE SPOKE (v.14-15).  If we are on the right track, we should be able to tell others how to get on it!  From out of the fountain of His pure heart, flowed these powerful words from His mouth. 

Consider the source of the message (v.14) “the kingdom of God….”  The kingdom of God is the rule of Heaven over all.  As in every kingdom, there are laws, which govern the conduct of the citizens.  Notice that John had been proclaiming that message and now that his voice is soon to be silenced in death, Jesus will take up the message.  God always has someone to lead us on the right track.  In every generation, He raises up witnesses to the truth.

Furthermore, we find the substance of the message (v.15)“Repent, and believe….”  This is the core message of the Bible.  It is still our message for today. Being on the right track means that both repentance and faith are present in order not to derail!

There were THE WORKERS THAT HE SUMMONED (v.16-20).  Being on the right track means we show it by our life and share it with our lips, but also, that we summon others to join us on the trip.

We hear a call to follow (v.16-17a; 18-20) “Follow Me….”  To follow Him is to forsake all else (v.20).  There is just one right track—everything else is a detour.

We have a call to fish (v.17b) “I will make you fishers of men.”  Jesus came to seek and save the lost.  He calls us to fish for souls of men!  There are plenty of fish.  The Gospel is the net.  Apart from Him, we cannot catch men, but apart from us, He will not.  This is our job.  Bring them in!

KEEPING THE FIRE KINDLED

Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the LORD your God.  (Joshua 23:11)

I was living in Franklin, N.C. when the Blizzard of ’93 hit.  Two feet of snow and high winds shut off the power.  Thankfully, we had a wood heater in the basement.  In order not to freeze, I would feed that fire every couple of hours.  I was intent on not letting the flame die.  If we do not keep the fire kindled in our spiritual experience, it will go out.  Our church can become a cold church.  It happened to the church at Ephesus.  Jesus confronted them with these chilling words, “you have left your first love.”  (Rev.2:4)  That is what Joshua is warning the people about as recorded in the twenty-third chapter.  Joshua had come to the end of his service.  Death was coming, and heaven was waiting.  Knowing this, he issues a final challenge—one that still resonates in our generation.

Joshua is concerned that they will compromise with the pagan world.  The fire does not go out all at once.  It gradually dies if neglected.  They would be tempted to weariness in their warfare against those nations, and declare a truce, that would lead to embracing them and their gods.  That would be a spiritual disaster.  It is such a sinister and subtle thing.  Cancer is a killer.  Many of our members have died from it.  Dealt with early, it can often be overcome, but the peril is that it often works so insidiously that one does not realize it is there until it is too late.  Compromise is like cancer.  It will little by little eat away at your spiritual life.

An evidence that the fire has been diminished is the presence of defeat, where there had been victory.  God promised to drive their enemies before them, if they would cling to Him, but if they abandoned Him, God assured them that the enemy would scourge their sides, driving the Israelis before their foes.  Does not the church today seem impotent before the assault of the ungodly?  The world is given over to iniquity because the church has yielded to apostasy.  Rather than setting sinners free from sin, we hear of many church members held in the shackles of sin themselves.

The fire does not have to go out!  Joshua told them how to keep the fire kindled.  He called them to fuel the fire with faithfulness.  They were to know, believe, and obey the Word of God.  He said, “Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left…” (v.6).  Confessing to believing the Bible must be matched by committing to behave by the Bible.  Submission to Scripture must be matched with separation from sin.  The people of God were warned not to become intimate with the wicked and adopt their ways.  When we watch trash on TV, look at filth on the internet, frequent the beer joints and gambling halls, listen to degrading music, and laugh at filthy comics, then the fire of our love for God will diminish and we will embrace the world in spiritual adultery.  One love excludes the other.  Tend to the fire of your love for God.  Be zealous for Him, and you will not seek the pleasures of sin.  “Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the LORD your God.”  (Joshua 23:11)

BLESSING OR CURSING?

“Therefore keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.”  ‎(Deuteronomy 29:9)

There are fundamental moral laws.  Keeping them brings blessing and transgressing them brings cursing.  It is a matter of life and death. 

A man might say, “I don’t agree with the law of gravity.”  He then climbs atop a skyscraper and says, “I am free to choose.  I reject this law that cramps my style.”  When he steps out into the air, he has made a choice; he is not free, however, concerning the consequences of his choice.  The decision will not be a good one.  That illustration of the physical laws that govern the universe is likewise a reality in the spiritual dimension of moral law.

God made a covenant with Israel.  He promised them blessing as a nation, if they would obey His laws.  Furthermore, He gave them warning that disobedience would bring disaster.  God had demonstrated His grace.  How faithful He had been in bringing them into liberty—their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt!  The Lord had provided for them in the desert and preserved them from their enemies.  His sovereign choice was to prosperity them as a people.  The implications of their response would have far-ranging implications.  God was establishing them in the land, but with the sobering caution that to turn from Him was to choose discipline.  His love would not let them go.  They were His people.  Yet, that would not mean they could presume upon His grace.  Choices have consequences, so they must choose wisely.  Sadly, Israel has often chosen folly, has suffered greatly, is currently in peril, and the worst is still to come.  All this is not to obliterate them, but to overcome their sinfulness until they make another willful choice—repentance.

This should speak to the covenant people called Christians today.  God chastens those whom He loves.  We are recipients of amazing grace and mercy—and God will not revoke those.  Even when we fail Him, He will be faithful.  His faithfulness also includes the fire of refining—to purge the dross from our lives.

There is a national application as well.  Israel was given a land and liberty—free to choose as a people to be governed by God.  If they chose to give themselves to gods of their own fashioning—rejecting the Lord’s moral laws for the degraded passions of paganism, then God would make a choice too—and the consequences would be severe.  America seems oblivious to God’s goodness in the past.  Today we are codifying wickedness.  Perversion is paraded and filth is flaunted.  We are biting the hand that feeds us.  As the folly of such choices becomes evident in multiplying disaster, perhaps we too will fall on our knees and cry out to God.  He has been, is, and forever will be the Hope of a nation.

 

A BOOK LIKE NO OTHER

Blessed are the undefiled in the way,

Who walk in the law of the LORD!  (Psalm 119:1)

The Bible is a Book like no other.  There are other books that are inspiring, but no other book is inspired like this Book—for God is the source, as well as the subject, of its message.  No other book has affected history like His story contained in its pages.  To read and heed the Scripture is to have the blessing of God in this world and in the world to come.

Psalm 119 is at the heart of this best of books.  It is no accident that in this Divine library of 66 books, that this longest chapter in the Bible extols the veracity and virtue of the Word of God.

The Bible is the best of books in the direction it furnishes (v.1-8).  Throughout these opening verses, the writer stresses how our walk in life is directed by the Word of God.  The Psalm begins with this:

Blessed are the undefiled in the way,

Who walk in the law of the LORD!  (v.1)

 

God’s Word gives us solid footing for our steps.  The world’s constantly shifting opinions and philosophies are quicksand, but God’s truth marks out a stable path for us to navigate safely our journey from earth to heaven.  The Scriptures are a roadmap to guide us home.

The Bible is the best of books in the delight it brings (v.9-24).  The author of this Psalm does not come to God’s Word with an attitude of obligation, but a spirit of anticipation.  He doesn’t see reading the text as a mere duty, but as a delight.  For instance, he exults:

I will delight myself in Your statutes;

I will not forget Your word.  (v.16)

 

The Word of God is a fountain of joy from whence flows rivers of pleasure.

The Bible is the best of books in the dedication it inspires (v.25-40).  Being devoted to grasp the meaning of Scripture will cause that message to grasp us and bring out devotion to obey it.  For example:

Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law;

Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.  (v.34)

 

Our culture has moved away from objective truth to subjective experience.  The church has been impacted by this, and too often prefers entertainment in songs rather than exposition of Scripture.  They want a little pop psychology with a verse or two of Scripture thrown in—a sermonette that produces Christianettes. 

David Wells speaks to this troublesome trend by noting: “Sustaining orthodoxy and framing Christian belief in doctrinal terms requires habits of reflection and judgment that are simply out of place in our culture and increasingly disappearing from evangelicalism as well.” 

Devotion to studying and meditating deeply on the truth of the text will lead to dedication and submission to those truths—and a shallow, superficial understanding will yield that kind of faith, as well—if it is any faith at all.

I am far from being all God wants me to be.  There has been come progress, however, in that direction.  Without question, the most significant factor in my spiritual growth has been a consistent pattern of daily study of God’s Word.  There is no substitute for the proper nutrition of feeding your soul on the best of books.

 

 

A NOTE TO REMIND YOU

“Therefore you shall love the LORD your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always.”  (Deuteronomy 11:1)

I can be so forgetful.  When I make an appointment, I put it into my phone with all kinds of alarms to go off—along with the details of who, where, when, why, and the like.  Just yesterday, I needed to go to the store for three things and could only recall one of them.  It later dawned on me what it was, so, lest I forget again, I took a sharpie and all I had in the car to write on—a napkin—and made myself a note lest I forget once more!  An old fellow was asked, “Do you believe in the hereafter?”  His reply was, “Oh, yes!  I walk to the other end of the house to get something and by the time I get there, forget and ask, ‘What am I here after?’”

Deuteronomy 11 is a spiritual reminder note from God.  There is not any new material—the message was given before and is repeated.  The reemphasis is for two main reasons.  It was given to a generation that came out of Egypt as children.  They have meandered through the wilderness for forty years, until all their parents have died—Moses is soon to depart.  Only two of that older generation will survive to enter Canaan with them—Joshua and Caleb—because of their faith and obedience.  Therefore, the first reason for the repetition is to underscore that their fathers and mothers failure to follow the Lord’s instructions must not be the path they take.  The second reason for the repetition is—people have thick skulls!  It takes a lot to drum the truth into our noggin.  We forget—and we dare not!  Really, the Bible does not say many different things—it just repeats the same truths repeatedly.

The congregation addressed has reached maturity.  They have seen the mighty hand of God at work.  They are called to remember, and then to relay that baton of truth to their children.  Each generation must be faithful to transfer their testimony to the next one.  Do not drop the baton or the team will lose the spiritual race!  We have the privilege and responsibility of preparing the children and youth of today for their leg of the race tomorrow—and then as we complete ours, to cheer them on as they take off down the track.  I cannot understand why it is always such a chore to get church folk to work in the nursery, teach youth Sunday School, or help with Vacation Bible School.  God takes it seriously and we should!

They would come into a God-blessed land.  If Israel would be obedient, they would continue to experience those blessings, but, they are warned turning away into sin would bring God’s displeasure and with it, His discipline.  My generation grew up in such a place called America, but we have not taught our children well, and the results are what seems to be impending judgment—if we are not in it already.  There is no enemy within our gates or outside our borders, we would need to fear if we would fear God.  Failing in that, we have every right to expect the blessing to turn to cursing, and from being the victor to become the vanquished.  Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.  What is God saying to you today—again?  This is a note to remind you.