The Call of God (Part 2)
Ezekiel 3
We have seen over the last two weeks the prophet Ezekiel be drafted into God's ministry.
It began with visions of God in chapter one in which we recognized God to be a God of Judgment, Whose competence and expedience is unparalleled, Whose providential plan is complex beyond comprehension and is also universally inclusive, Whose throne is in Heaven, a place of unreachable holiness an purity, finally we saw Jesus, whose faithfulness and mercy was emphasized by the rainbow around His throne.
Then Last week we saw Ezekiel called to a higher purpose in life, called of God to carry out God's plan.
Several aspects of the call of God stand out to us in chapter 2:
I.) The Posture of the Called (Verse 1)
God brought Ezekiel from his face to his feet.
II.) The Empowerment of the Called (Verse 2)
It is only in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit that we can accomplish the work of God.
III.) The Responsibility of the Called (Verse 3-7)
We are responsible to deliver the message in love - we are not responsible for the response of others to the truth.
IV.) The Purity of the Called (Verse 8)
If we are called of God to do His work we are called to purity. We must be different than the world.
V.) The Preparation of the Called (Verse 9-10)
God especially prepared Ezekiel for his ministry by giving him the Word of God to speak to Israel.
This brings us to part two of The Call of God as we get into chapter 3
READ TEXT (Ezekiel 2:9,10 - 3:1-4)
PRAY
The clear mandate for this chapter is:
Every Christian must answer the call of God on their life.
We saw different aspects of the call in chapter two, but now we are faced with a repeated command and a clear challenge, an imperative from God.
We must answer the call.
To aid in our obedience God has laid out the exact response that He expected from Ezekiel.
This should be our response to the call of God on our life as well.
How can we answer God's call on our life?
I.) By preparing for the mission (Verse 1-4)
Ezekiel is shown here doing something strange and extreme, and it certainly won't be the last time we see that.
He eats the scroll that God places before him.
Obviously, this is a picture of how we are to prepare for ministry.
By consuming it in its entirety, Ezekiel shows us that we must ingest the word of God in such a way that it becomes a part of us.
This takes special discipline and many long hard hours of study, but if it means one person comes to Christ as a result of your life-long ministry, it is worth it all.
Have you prepared for the ministry to which God has called you?
If not, perhaps this is why He has not given you further direction.
If you have any inkling that God may be calling you to full time ministry, it only makes sense that you might enroll in a regimented training program like Bible college.
The Biblical precedent for this is clear in both Old and New Testaments.
If you feel that God has called you to minister right here within your church, you should seek to study faithfully that word with which you will minister.
Start a Bible study with another church member.
Ingest the word so that you might be prepared to minister.
The first step to answering the call of God is to prepare for the mission.
II.) By Standing firm in the face of discouragement. (Verse 5-9)
If you begin to prepare for ministry, you will paint a target on yourself that the devil can see for miles.
He will come after you with every form of discouragement allowed him.
Ezekiel is told here by God that he would be rejected by his own people in his ministry.
God even told him that in other fields he would have more converts, but he was to stay with the people of Israel.
Ezekiel had to decide ahead of time that he would stand firm in the face of discouragement.
These decisions must be made now, because discouragement will come.
The great encouragement that Ezekiel had and we can share, is that God would give him the special ability to stand firm in the face of discouragement.
Know this: If you are answering God's call you will face discouragement, but God has prepared you for this, and you do not have to succumb to it.
III.) By Going to where God calls you (Verse 10-15)
Now we get to the hard part: GO!
Ezekiel was told to leave his place of preparation and go to his field.
It is with mixed feelings that I encourage you to entertain the idea of leaving.
It seems I spend much of my time praying and preaching to the end that you might stay.
However, it is not by staying in Jerusalem that the church turned the world upside down.
It is by going.
This is the command that Jesus left His church and the command that God has always given His servants.
God wants every Christian to be willing to go where ever He might lead.
Have you opened yourself up to this possibility?
On the other hand, many have surrendered to missions and have never gone to their neighbor!
Know this: Answering God's call means going. It may mean going around the world. It may mean walking across the room or across town, but it always means going.
IV.) By warning the lost (Verse 16-27)
Lastly we get to the nitty gritty of the call.
It is about warning the lost.
The clear message that God sends through His conversation with Ezekiel is this:
If you do not warn the wicked of judgment, you share in the responsibility of their sin.
Our part in God's plan to saved the world is absolutely clear:
If we don't warn them, they won't be saved.
Ro 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
God enlarges on Ezekiel's responsibility to warn people in verse 20.
We must also warn the righteous when they fall.
We have a responsibility to warn each other and to maintain purity with in the body.
That is not merely the Pastor's responsibility but yours as well.
It is part of answering the call of God on your life.
_____________________________________________________________
What have you done in response to God's call on your life?
Won't you answer His call today?
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Visions of God
Visions of God
Ezekiel 1
It has been said that the book of Ezekiel is the most difficult of all the prophets, and that the first chapter is the most difficult to understand of all.
After reading through it, it is easy to see how it gets this reputation.
I have been praying about preaching from Ezekiel for some time now and have never preached from this chapter before.
However, I recently heard the popular, although heretical, Harold Camping answer a question about Ezekiel 1.
His answer about the meaning of this chapter was vague and unhelpful, but it got me to thinking more about what God might want to convey about Himself in the chapter.
When the vision recorded herein takes place, Israel is at a crucial turning point in the history of the Jewish nation.
Israel had been under the false delusion that God would never let them dissolve as a politically viable nation.
They saw the prophecies of a continued Davidic line as assurance that God would never allow Jerusalem to fall.
They had taken God's presence and protection for granted.
They falsely assumed that God would tolerate their sin and their many false gods.
They were wrong.
God loved them too much.
As our text begins, we see that the Babylonians have taken the masses of Israelites into captivity to be used as slaves in foreign countries.
Our prophet Ezekiel is among the captives by the river Chebar in the land of the Chaldeans.
We are now going to read the first chapter of Ezekiel in its entirety.
You will see right away how unique Ezekiel's vision is.
READ TEXT
PRAY
In order to grasp God's clear message to us this morning we have to remember the historical context.
Israel has become complacent in her religion as a nation.
Israel has begun to take God and His protection for granted.
They have defined God into a neat little corner of their lives so that He doesn't interrupt their way of life.
While all of these points could easily apply to our own nation and, to some extent our own lives, it is Ezekiel’s presentation of God's glory that we need to wake us up and help us to realize who God is and what place He insists upon having in our lives.
The chapter we have just read can be divided into six distinct sections.
First we have the Introduction in Verses 1-3
The background which we have already discussed is here briefly glimpsed as we see Israel in captivity.
The man Ezekiel is also briefly introduced as a priest, a prisoner and a prophet, whose vision of God follows.
The rest of the chapter is made up of Ezekiel's Vision's of God.
Secondly we have the Whirlwind in Verse 4
As this first part of our vision of God, we see the proper order our journey back into the truth must take.
A whirlwind speaks of judgment.
Indeed, Israel's primary enemy came like a whirlwind from the north to destroy Jerusalem.
This was clearly the hand of God.
What do we learn about God from this whirlwind that rips violently into our lives and reveals a burning determination from within to execute judgment?
Our God is a God of judgment.
If we sin in our lives, He will bring the whirlwind of judgment.
This is our first glimpse of God and it is a grim picture that reminds us of our shortcomings and His perfect standard of righteousness.
Often our first glimpse of God as we draw closer to Him is the Whirlwind of Judgment.
Thirdly, in Ezekiel Chapter 1 we see the four creatures in Verses 5-14
These four creatures are angels, of this we are sure as Ezekiel mentions them in 10:20.
These angels are the great and terrible cherubim, whose task it is to guard and worship at the throne of God.
Herein is our first glimpse of the greater picture of God ruling from His throne.
The Cherubim are angels, God's messengers, sent for to minister to the saints and to execute God's justice on earth.
They are indescribable in their appearance and Ezekiel’s attempt to paint us a mental picture falls short of completing the task.
Nevertheless, there is something to learn about God from this vision of four creatures: They speak to His ability and efficiency with which He operates.
The modern picture of God is One Who bumbles through with a long, drawn out creation and finally perfects man.
He struggles to maintain peace in various areas of the earth and every now and then actually manages to answer a prayer or two.
These Cherubim show God to be:
absolutely understanding of the condition of man V5
able to see and understand all things V6
determined and consistent in His steps V7
versatile and competent in all His ways V8
Intelligent as represented by the face of a man
Fierce and courageous as represented by the face of a lion
Powerful and determined as represented by the face of the ox
Intuitive and observing as represented by the face of an eagle
completely in agreement in all His persons V12
as determined as fire in his mission V13,
as quick as lightning in His movements V14,
Our God is competent and expedient in all he does.
He will not overlook my sin, but will speedily and efficiently come to me and deal with it.
As I draw closer to the Lord I recognize more than a whirlwind of Judgment. God’s messengers reveal His efficiency and His competency in all things.
Fourthly we see the Wheels within Wheels in Verses 15-21
This portion of the text is perhaps the most difficult of all and certainly hard to imagine.
Some have read this section and envisioned flying saucers and aliens.
The natural understanding of these wheels is much more realistic.
For many centuries, wheels have represented providence.
They are how things get done.
Since this vision is a revelation of God we can only assume that they speak of the efficiency and the intricacy of the eternal plan of providence.
The complicated series of wheels serve to represent what we cannot fathom in God's provision and His overall plan for us.
I cannot tell how all the gears and the intricate details of God's plan works, but I do know this, that He has it all figured out.
He has provided for every eventuality and has planned how I might glorify him with every area and facet of my life.
It is His plan that moves his messengers and his messengers at times that bring his judgment.
Now, as we move closer to the throne, from his judgment to his messengers to his providential plan and ultimately his sovereign will, I want to see more of Him and learn more of His surroundings.
Fifthly we see the firmament upon the heads of the Cherubim in verses 22-25
This firmament speaks of the actual place or ground upon which the throne of God sets.
It is Heaven and the Holiness of it is terrible to our sinful eyes.
However, as we draw closer to the throne we recognize that God can only dwell in a place of holiness, and the only purpose for His Angels is to lift Him up before the world.
From this I take a challenge to be more heavenly minded that I might be some earthly good.
Now we have envisioned God as he comes in the whirlwind of Judgment awaking us from our sinful slumber.
This vision of God became clearer as we noticed the individual messengers that God has sent to represent him to us and the effectiveness with which He works.
Then the wheels of providence reminded us of God’s ultimate plan and intricate details that He knows and we cannot understand.
Then we are brought in this vision to Heaven where the foundation of terrible crystal reminds us of the requirement of holiness to draw closer still.
Lastly we arrive at the throne in verses 26-28
Remember, we do not study God so that we might know how to fit Him into our lives in a more comfortable fashion.
We want to know Him, and the beauty of it is that He also wants us to draw closer.
He is already speaking from his throne when we step onto the portals of the firmament.
He desires that we come to Him and learn of Him.
A few characteristics stand out in this last portion of these visions of God:
1) The appearance of a man can be none other than Jesus Christ.
2) The appearance of flame can be none other than His absolute holiness.
3) The bow behind Him speaks loudly of His faithfulness and mercy.
Let us seek to know this God Whose voice shakes the heavens and Whose unfathomable glory makes these small worlds of ours turn.
We may come to him through the same journey as Ezekiel's vision.
His judgment convicts me.
His messengers constrain me.
His providence upholds me in my quest.
His Heaven leads me closer to Him until I am finally in His presence, where I can like Ezekiel fall to my face when He speaks to me.
Have you put God in a box?
Have you managed to fit him into your life in a way that makes you comfortable?
This chapter is meant to shake you from your comfort zone and cause you and me to see Him as he is.
Ezekiel 1
It has been said that the book of Ezekiel is the most difficult of all the prophets, and that the first chapter is the most difficult to understand of all.
After reading through it, it is easy to see how it gets this reputation.
I have been praying about preaching from Ezekiel for some time now and have never preached from this chapter before.
However, I recently heard the popular, although heretical, Harold Camping answer a question about Ezekiel 1.
His answer about the meaning of this chapter was vague and unhelpful, but it got me to thinking more about what God might want to convey about Himself in the chapter.
When the vision recorded herein takes place, Israel is at a crucial turning point in the history of the Jewish nation.
Israel had been under the false delusion that God would never let them dissolve as a politically viable nation.
They saw the prophecies of a continued Davidic line as assurance that God would never allow Jerusalem to fall.
They had taken God's presence and protection for granted.
They falsely assumed that God would tolerate their sin and their many false gods.
They were wrong.
God loved them too much.
As our text begins, we see that the Babylonians have taken the masses of Israelites into captivity to be used as slaves in foreign countries.
Our prophet Ezekiel is among the captives by the river Chebar in the land of the Chaldeans.
We are now going to read the first chapter of Ezekiel in its entirety.
You will see right away how unique Ezekiel's vision is.
READ TEXT
PRAY
In order to grasp God's clear message to us this morning we have to remember the historical context.
Israel has become complacent in her religion as a nation.
Israel has begun to take God and His protection for granted.
They have defined God into a neat little corner of their lives so that He doesn't interrupt their way of life.
While all of these points could easily apply to our own nation and, to some extent our own lives, it is Ezekiel’s presentation of God's glory that we need to wake us up and help us to realize who God is and what place He insists upon having in our lives.
The chapter we have just read can be divided into six distinct sections.
First we have the Introduction in Verses 1-3
The background which we have already discussed is here briefly glimpsed as we see Israel in captivity.
The man Ezekiel is also briefly introduced as a priest, a prisoner and a prophet, whose vision of God follows.
The rest of the chapter is made up of Ezekiel's Vision's of God.
Secondly we have the Whirlwind in Verse 4
As this first part of our vision of God, we see the proper order our journey back into the truth must take.
A whirlwind speaks of judgment.
Indeed, Israel's primary enemy came like a whirlwind from the north to destroy Jerusalem.
This was clearly the hand of God.
What do we learn about God from this whirlwind that rips violently into our lives and reveals a burning determination from within to execute judgment?
Our God is a God of judgment.
If we sin in our lives, He will bring the whirlwind of judgment.
This is our first glimpse of God and it is a grim picture that reminds us of our shortcomings and His perfect standard of righteousness.
Often our first glimpse of God as we draw closer to Him is the Whirlwind of Judgment.
Thirdly, in Ezekiel Chapter 1 we see the four creatures in Verses 5-14
These four creatures are angels, of this we are sure as Ezekiel mentions them in 10:20.
These angels are the great and terrible cherubim, whose task it is to guard and worship at the throne of God.
Herein is our first glimpse of the greater picture of God ruling from His throne.
The Cherubim are angels, God's messengers, sent for to minister to the saints and to execute God's justice on earth.
They are indescribable in their appearance and Ezekiel’s attempt to paint us a mental picture falls short of completing the task.
Nevertheless, there is something to learn about God from this vision of four creatures: They speak to His ability and efficiency with which He operates.
The modern picture of God is One Who bumbles through with a long, drawn out creation and finally perfects man.
He struggles to maintain peace in various areas of the earth and every now and then actually manages to answer a prayer or two.
These Cherubim show God to be:
absolutely understanding of the condition of man V5
able to see and understand all things V6
determined and consistent in His steps V7
versatile and competent in all His ways V8
Intelligent as represented by the face of a man
Fierce and courageous as represented by the face of a lion
Powerful and determined as represented by the face of the ox
Intuitive and observing as represented by the face of an eagle
completely in agreement in all His persons V12
as determined as fire in his mission V13,
as quick as lightning in His movements V14,
Our God is competent and expedient in all he does.
He will not overlook my sin, but will speedily and efficiently come to me and deal with it.
As I draw closer to the Lord I recognize more than a whirlwind of Judgment. God’s messengers reveal His efficiency and His competency in all things.
Fourthly we see the Wheels within Wheels in Verses 15-21
This portion of the text is perhaps the most difficult of all and certainly hard to imagine.
Some have read this section and envisioned flying saucers and aliens.
The natural understanding of these wheels is much more realistic.
For many centuries, wheels have represented providence.
They are how things get done.
Since this vision is a revelation of God we can only assume that they speak of the efficiency and the intricacy of the eternal plan of providence.
The complicated series of wheels serve to represent what we cannot fathom in God's provision and His overall plan for us.
I cannot tell how all the gears and the intricate details of God's plan works, but I do know this, that He has it all figured out.
He has provided for every eventuality and has planned how I might glorify him with every area and facet of my life.
It is His plan that moves his messengers and his messengers at times that bring his judgment.
Now, as we move closer to the throne, from his judgment to his messengers to his providential plan and ultimately his sovereign will, I want to see more of Him and learn more of His surroundings.
Fifthly we see the firmament upon the heads of the Cherubim in verses 22-25
This firmament speaks of the actual place or ground upon which the throne of God sets.
It is Heaven and the Holiness of it is terrible to our sinful eyes.
However, as we draw closer to the throne we recognize that God can only dwell in a place of holiness, and the only purpose for His Angels is to lift Him up before the world.
From this I take a challenge to be more heavenly minded that I might be some earthly good.
Now we have envisioned God as he comes in the whirlwind of Judgment awaking us from our sinful slumber.
This vision of God became clearer as we noticed the individual messengers that God has sent to represent him to us and the effectiveness with which He works.
Then the wheels of providence reminded us of God’s ultimate plan and intricate details that He knows and we cannot understand.
Then we are brought in this vision to Heaven where the foundation of terrible crystal reminds us of the requirement of holiness to draw closer still.
Lastly we arrive at the throne in verses 26-28
Remember, we do not study God so that we might know how to fit Him into our lives in a more comfortable fashion.
We want to know Him, and the beauty of it is that He also wants us to draw closer.
He is already speaking from his throne when we step onto the portals of the firmament.
He desires that we come to Him and learn of Him.
A few characteristics stand out in this last portion of these visions of God:
1) The appearance of a man can be none other than Jesus Christ.
2) The appearance of flame can be none other than His absolute holiness.
3) The bow behind Him speaks loudly of His faithfulness and mercy.
Let us seek to know this God Whose voice shakes the heavens and Whose unfathomable glory makes these small worlds of ours turn.
We may come to him through the same journey as Ezekiel's vision.
His judgment convicts me.
His messengers constrain me.
His providence upholds me in my quest.
His Heaven leads me closer to Him until I am finally in His presence, where I can like Ezekiel fall to my face when He speaks to me.
Have you put God in a box?
Have you managed to fit him into your life in a way that makes you comfortable?
This chapter is meant to shake you from your comfort zone and cause you and me to see Him as he is.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Expedition of Faith
Expedition of Faith
Hebrews 11:1-16
Tomorrow is Columbus Day.
For me, this day has become more interesting over the last few years as I have noticed the flurry of controversy around the characterization of Christopher Columbus.
It seems he has been painted by many a different brush as viewed from the various perspectives of time and political or religious bent.
Some have painted him as some sort of evangelical missionary, whose passion for souls drove him to take the gospel to lands yet undiscovered.
Others, more recently have insisted that he was more of an imperialist tyrant, whose passion for personal glory drove him to conquer peace-loving peoples and subject them to the horrors of slavery.
Having studied him and his quest in some depth recently, I am convinced that neither of these charicatures are true.
However, his story is a fantastic one.
As a real historical character, Columbus is undeniably important, and his accomplishments were impressive.
He did take an incredible risk with sketchy navigational information to prove what he believed to be true.
He was convinced that he could sail to India from the Western shores of the Europian continent.
He was so convinced of this, that he embarked on a journey from which many thought he would never return.
Even when he stumbled across the islands that bordered the Caribean, he rejoiced at having finally reached India.
What did transpire as a result of his several journeys changed the face of the world.
I sometimes regret that there are no continents left to discover.
What a life of excitement, to find unmapped areas, and explore lands about which nothing has been written!
Our text this morning is about the greatest expedition of all.
The discoveries of this expedition have change the world more than any map change.
The discoveries of this great expedition will even today, change your life.
This morning I want to challenge you to leave your known world behind to embark on the greatest expedition of all, the expedition of faith.
READ TEXT
PRAY
This portion of Scripture is all about faith.
It is definitive of faith.
It exemplifies faith.
It even shows the great reward of faith.
Faith is the essence of the Christian life.
It is what motivates and sustains us.
It is what God requires of us.
It is also what often lacks the most in our lives.
Many Christians will never enjoy the discoveries of new lands, I speak figuratively of life accomplishments and personal and spiritual achievements.
They have professed a faith in their goal, that God has for them something better than what this world has to offer.
However, they have sailed along the known shores of their former life without ever embarking on the great expedition that God offers.
In doing so, they surely miss some of the storms and the difficulties, but they also miss out on the beauty of really knowing God, because they have never launched out into the deep.
Many non-Christians have strolled along the shores of familiar territory, even walked out onto the dock of religious interest, but have never stepped onto the ship that would take them to a new life.
Today I want to challenge you to step off the shore.
If you are already a Christian, know this, God has bigger things planned for your life than just sailing along the shore.
Strike out into the deep water and see what God will show you.
Our text begins with a definition of faith. Verse 1
It is substance of things for which we hope.
We hope for a relatiosnhip with God and we chose to believe in the way He has provided.
We hope for eternal life so we believe and that belief is substantial, in that it produces works in our lives.
It is also the evidence of things not seen.
I can not show you my God, but my faith is evidence of Him.
I cannot show you creation, which the Bible presents as a one time event, anymore than an evolutionist can show you evolution, which, by the way, they claim is a constant process.
However, by faith, I understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Verse 3
It is by faith that the people of the Old Testament pleased God and received of Him a good report. Verse 2
Some of the people who have taken the journey of faith are next mentioned in our text.
They made the great expedition of faith and they discovered a life worth living.
They made discoveries that even today are challenging us to live better lives and to grow closer to God.
The first explorer in our text is Able. Verse 4
It is said here that he offered God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.
Able left the shores of self-sufficiency and sacrificed a new lamb as God had required.
The second explorer is Enoch. Verse 5
Enoch was willing to be different than the rest.
He was more interested in walking with God than walking with men.
He knew that God would reward him if he shoved away from shore in search of knowing God.
Indeed, God blessed Enoch, in that, He translated Enoch directly into His own presence.
What if Enoch had been afraid of leaving the shoreline of normal life and had not been driven to sea by a desire to know God?
The third explorer is Noah. Verse 7
Here is a man that literally sailed on faith.
He would have been much more comfortable living like everyone else, but for 120 years, he built a boat, in which God saved his whole family.
He was willing to strike out into the ocean of separation from the world in order to follow His Lord's direction.
Following the most documented event in all of natural history, the worldwide flood, Noah and his family were chosen of God to repopulate the earth.
Given common reproductive rates, and calculating from Noah's time we now have exactly the population on earth today that supports this Biblical fact.
The fourth explorer is Abraham. Verse 8
He left his home and family to find a promised land.
Verse 10 tells us that Abraham was not interest in just any new place.
It had to be a place that God had prepared for him.
Today, Abraham is in the city for which he sought, because he was willing to make the expedition of faith.
The Fifth explorer is Sarah. Verse 11
She put her trust in God and God blessed her with bearing Isaac, whose son, Jacob would be known as Israel.
All of these explorers died without ever quite reaching their goal. Verse 13
They did, however, enjoy the blessings of the greatest expedition of all.
They lived for the horizon, always seeking to know God more, always seeking to obey the Lord.
Verse 14 tells us that by their lifestyle they declared plainly that they were seeking a country.
What does your life declare?
How different are you now that you have a relationship with Christ?
I am challenging you to take the journey.
Embark on the greatest expedition.
Live a life of faith.
Hebrews 11:1-16
Tomorrow is Columbus Day.
For me, this day has become more interesting over the last few years as I have noticed the flurry of controversy around the characterization of Christopher Columbus.
It seems he has been painted by many a different brush as viewed from the various perspectives of time and political or religious bent.
Some have painted him as some sort of evangelical missionary, whose passion for souls drove him to take the gospel to lands yet undiscovered.
Others, more recently have insisted that he was more of an imperialist tyrant, whose passion for personal glory drove him to conquer peace-loving peoples and subject them to the horrors of slavery.
Having studied him and his quest in some depth recently, I am convinced that neither of these charicatures are true.
However, his story is a fantastic one.
As a real historical character, Columbus is undeniably important, and his accomplishments were impressive.
He did take an incredible risk with sketchy navigational information to prove what he believed to be true.
He was convinced that he could sail to India from the Western shores of the Europian continent.
He was so convinced of this, that he embarked on a journey from which many thought he would never return.
Even when he stumbled across the islands that bordered the Caribean, he rejoiced at having finally reached India.
What did transpire as a result of his several journeys changed the face of the world.
I sometimes regret that there are no continents left to discover.
What a life of excitement, to find unmapped areas, and explore lands about which nothing has been written!
Our text this morning is about the greatest expedition of all.
The discoveries of this expedition have change the world more than any map change.
The discoveries of this great expedition will even today, change your life.
This morning I want to challenge you to leave your known world behind to embark on the greatest expedition of all, the expedition of faith.
READ TEXT
PRAY
This portion of Scripture is all about faith.
It is definitive of faith.
It exemplifies faith.
It even shows the great reward of faith.
Faith is the essence of the Christian life.
It is what motivates and sustains us.
It is what God requires of us.
It is also what often lacks the most in our lives.
Many Christians will never enjoy the discoveries of new lands, I speak figuratively of life accomplishments and personal and spiritual achievements.
They have professed a faith in their goal, that God has for them something better than what this world has to offer.
However, they have sailed along the known shores of their former life without ever embarking on the great expedition that God offers.
In doing so, they surely miss some of the storms and the difficulties, but they also miss out on the beauty of really knowing God, because they have never launched out into the deep.
Many non-Christians have strolled along the shores of familiar territory, even walked out onto the dock of religious interest, but have never stepped onto the ship that would take them to a new life.
Today I want to challenge you to step off the shore.
If you are already a Christian, know this, God has bigger things planned for your life than just sailing along the shore.
Strike out into the deep water and see what God will show you.
Our text begins with a definition of faith. Verse 1
It is substance of things for which we hope.
We hope for a relatiosnhip with God and we chose to believe in the way He has provided.
We hope for eternal life so we believe and that belief is substantial, in that it produces works in our lives.
It is also the evidence of things not seen.
I can not show you my God, but my faith is evidence of Him.
I cannot show you creation, which the Bible presents as a one time event, anymore than an evolutionist can show you evolution, which, by the way, they claim is a constant process.
However, by faith, I understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Verse 3
It is by faith that the people of the Old Testament pleased God and received of Him a good report. Verse 2
Some of the people who have taken the journey of faith are next mentioned in our text.
They made the great expedition of faith and they discovered a life worth living.
They made discoveries that even today are challenging us to live better lives and to grow closer to God.
The first explorer in our text is Able. Verse 4
It is said here that he offered God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.
Able left the shores of self-sufficiency and sacrificed a new lamb as God had required.
The second explorer is Enoch. Verse 5
Enoch was willing to be different than the rest.
He was more interested in walking with God than walking with men.
He knew that God would reward him if he shoved away from shore in search of knowing God.
Indeed, God blessed Enoch, in that, He translated Enoch directly into His own presence.
What if Enoch had been afraid of leaving the shoreline of normal life and had not been driven to sea by a desire to know God?
The third explorer is Noah. Verse 7
Here is a man that literally sailed on faith.
He would have been much more comfortable living like everyone else, but for 120 years, he built a boat, in which God saved his whole family.
He was willing to strike out into the ocean of separation from the world in order to follow His Lord's direction.
Following the most documented event in all of natural history, the worldwide flood, Noah and his family were chosen of God to repopulate the earth.
Given common reproductive rates, and calculating from Noah's time we now have exactly the population on earth today that supports this Biblical fact.
The fourth explorer is Abraham. Verse 8
He left his home and family to find a promised land.
Verse 10 tells us that Abraham was not interest in just any new place.
It had to be a place that God had prepared for him.
Today, Abraham is in the city for which he sought, because he was willing to make the expedition of faith.
The Fifth explorer is Sarah. Verse 11
She put her trust in God and God blessed her with bearing Isaac, whose son, Jacob would be known as Israel.
All of these explorers died without ever quite reaching their goal. Verse 13
They did, however, enjoy the blessings of the greatest expedition of all.
They lived for the horizon, always seeking to know God more, always seeking to obey the Lord.
Verse 14 tells us that by their lifestyle they declared plainly that they were seeking a country.
What does your life declare?
How different are you now that you have a relationship with Christ?
I am challenging you to take the journey.
Embark on the greatest expedition.
Live a life of faith.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Where are you putting the "IF"
Where are you putting the "IF"
Mark 9:17-29
Over the last few weeks we have listened to Jesus' advice to His disciples before they began their ministries as recorded by Luke in chapter six of his Gospel.
The challenges regarding relationships and our attitude toward ministry in general were convicting.
Today we will see Mark's record of one of my favorite stories in the New Testament.
It is a story that three of the Gospel writers recorded, but Mark includes an aspect of it that the others left out.
It was just this last week that I noticed this important lesson and have looked forward to sharing it with you.
The passage is the Holy Spirit's record of a father bringing his child to Jesus for healing.
Specifically, the child is possessed by a devil, something that is very real and very terrifying.
What made this instance of exorcism especially intruiging is that Jesus disciples had attempted to cast out the devil and had failed.
The text tells the story, se let's read it, and pay special attention to the way the Father asks for help and how Jesus corrects his dilema.
READ TEXT
PRAY
There is so much sadness and tragedy in this story at the beginning, I have wept as I read it and thought of this poor man's desparation to have his son freed from this bondage and pain.
I do not believe that it is improper to apply such turmoil and suffering to our own struggles in life and our utter helplessness to deal with them.
We too have issues that seem to be completely out of our control, situations and temptations that we seemingly cannot avoid.
Perhaps you, like the father in the text, have sought help from another follower of Christ, only to find that they could not solve your problem.
Perhaps they prayed with you.
Perhaps they gave you advice.
Perhaps they even guided you to Scriptures that showed the error of your ways or the proper path for you to take.
Did you, like the father in our text, find that you still were bound to your situation, still unable to overcome the obstacle in your life?
Perhaps you found that you were still lost, without a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Today I want to challenge you to go directly to Jesus.
That is what the disciples did.
They could not solve this poor man's problem, so they sent him to Jesus.
Jesus was able, immediately, to ascertain what the real issue was.
It was not that the demon was exceptionally strong.
It was not that the disciples were exceptionally weak.
The real problem was where the father was putting the "IF."
It is very clear from the text that there was an "IF."
1.) The problem with this man's child was long-standing. V21
Is your problem longstanding?
If so, there is some doubt, an "IF," as to whether your problem is going to be solved.
You may have become so used to it that you think that it is just something that you have to live with.
That is not an assumption that you should readily make unless God expressly leads you to that conclusion.
2.) The problem could not be solved easily. V18
Is your problem difficult?
If you have tried and failed to solve your problem, there is an, "IF."
Perhaps you have tried and failed, others have tried to help and failed.
Perhaps you have reached the conclusion that this one is too difficult to overcome.
Jesus would dissagree.
3.) The problem was serious. V22a
Is your problem serious?
I would challenge you to see the seriousness of it.
Maybe it has brought you to the brink of taking your own life.
Maybe it has taken you to the edge of leaving the faith, falling away.
Maybe you don't know Christ.
If so, your problem is serious, and the very shortness and fragility of life lends an, "IF," to the equation. You may never be free of it.
The father in our text saw a definite, "IF," in his situation.
He had lived with it for some length of time, he had seen failure in attempts to resolve it and he knew that one day this demon might destroy his child and he would never see his request answered.
So he clearly expressed his doubt in the "IF" that he uses in verse 22:
"if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us."
So often we, like this man, see the "IF" and, like him, we put it in the wrong place.
I. VERSE 22 SHOWS THE "IF" IN THE WRONG PLACE
Let me show you first where the "IF" does not belong:
1.) The "IF" does not belong before God's ability to help you.
V22: "if thou canst do any thing"
In the very next verse, Jesus makes it clear, "all things are possible."
God CAN solve your problem.
It is not bigger than His ability.
This is that God who spoke these worlds into existance.
This is that same God who stood on the boat in the midst of the storm and said "peace be still." and the seas were calm.
This is that same God whose powerful hand has brought emperors to their knees and kingdoms to ashes.
Your problem is not more than He can handle.
The "IF" does not belong before God's ability to help you.
2.) The "IF" does not belong before God's willingness to help you.
V22: "have compassion on us, and help us."
We serve a God whose mighty arm is offered to us to command.
Isa 45:11 ¶ Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
We serve a God whose provision for escape always matches the temptation we face.
1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
We serve a God whose willingness to save is promised from before time began.
2Pe 3:9 ¶ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Our God wants to help and save us.
It is not for lack of God's desire that we go unsaved or unhelped.
The "IF" does not belong before God's willingness to help us.
Now let us see how Jesus corrects the placement of the "IF" in Verse 23
II. VERSE 23 SHOWS THE "IF" IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
The "IF" belongs before our faith and our willingness to believe.
Notice that there is a powerful promise with this verse.
"All things are possible."
However, no victory, no salvation, no freedom, no deliverance will take place until we put the "IF" in the right place.
It is not because God is unable or unwilling to help us that we suffer under the weight of our sin or our situation, but rather because we do not believe.
Allow me to demonstrate how this is so in your own life:
Think of that one thing that you know should change yet you are powerless to stop.
Think of that one situation with which you know God is displeased and yet you are convinced that it cannot change now.
Think of that one sin to which you are enslaved hopelessly.
Why has it not changed?
Why have you stalled?
Why are you not free?
Is it not true that if you wholly believed that God would provide, you would change?
Is it not true that if you were convinced of God's support you would remove yourself from the situation?
Is it not true that if you knew that God would grant you victory over your sin, you would leave it today?
So it is due to a lack of faith that we remain in need.
The "IF" belongs firmly before our faith.
It is faith we lack.
The works are lacking because the faith is not there.
In the next verse we see this poor father break down and weep at the lack of faith in his own heart.
He stopped blaming God for his need and accepted the responsibility to exercise faith.
How did he do this?
How did this father find the faith that he needed to heal his son?
III. VERSE 24 SHOWS THE "IF" REMOVED FROM THE EQUATION
The words, "I believe," show that the "IF" is gone.
What made the difference?
How does faith come?
Ro 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
This father heard the word of God from the mouth of God when Jesus said, "all things are possible to him that believeth."
First, we must listen to the word of God.
We must purposefully place ourselves under its preaching, read it for ourselves, listen to its instruction.
It will produce faith in our hearts.
Secondly, we must surrender to Him as Lord.
This father had called Jesus master, didskalos, which implies teacher.
Now he calls Jesus, Lord, Kurios, which implies supreme leader.
A man or a woman lacks the faith needed to be delivered because that person is still lord of their own life.
How can we say we believe Him when we refuse to obey Him?
This step of complete surrender is made with utter abandon.
Often this step of surrender to the lordship of Christ is characterized as a foolish leap off of a cliff.
Know this: Making Jesus Lord of your life is not the leap of a fool but the resting of a child in the arms of a father.
Won't you stop fighting him and let Him hold you?
Obey his prompting, He will never fail you.
Third, Start with a little faith.
Did the father in our story suddenly feel a heart so full of faith that he realized he need no longer fear for his son?
Clearly not, He still saw a need for more faith and asked Jesus to make up the difference.
Jesus does not require a heart full of faith for deliverance.
Mt 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
He simply requires a little.
Don't wait until you are sure.
You will never leave your sin if you wait.
You will never overcome your obstacle if you wait.
You will never be saved if you wait.
Faith is not about knowing, it is about trusting.
Won't you take that step today?
God is weary of our lack of faith.
Let us trust him and obey His prompting this morning.
Mark 9:17-29
Over the last few weeks we have listened to Jesus' advice to His disciples before they began their ministries as recorded by Luke in chapter six of his Gospel.
The challenges regarding relationships and our attitude toward ministry in general were convicting.
Today we will see Mark's record of one of my favorite stories in the New Testament.
It is a story that three of the Gospel writers recorded, but Mark includes an aspect of it that the others left out.
It was just this last week that I noticed this important lesson and have looked forward to sharing it with you.
The passage is the Holy Spirit's record of a father bringing his child to Jesus for healing.
Specifically, the child is possessed by a devil, something that is very real and very terrifying.
What made this instance of exorcism especially intruiging is that Jesus disciples had attempted to cast out the devil and had failed.
The text tells the story, se let's read it, and pay special attention to the way the Father asks for help and how Jesus corrects his dilema.
READ TEXT
PRAY
There is so much sadness and tragedy in this story at the beginning, I have wept as I read it and thought of this poor man's desparation to have his son freed from this bondage and pain.
I do not believe that it is improper to apply such turmoil and suffering to our own struggles in life and our utter helplessness to deal with them.
We too have issues that seem to be completely out of our control, situations and temptations that we seemingly cannot avoid.
Perhaps you, like the father in the text, have sought help from another follower of Christ, only to find that they could not solve your problem.
Perhaps they prayed with you.
Perhaps they gave you advice.
Perhaps they even guided you to Scriptures that showed the error of your ways or the proper path for you to take.
Did you, like the father in our text, find that you still were bound to your situation, still unable to overcome the obstacle in your life?
Perhaps you found that you were still lost, without a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Today I want to challenge you to go directly to Jesus.
That is what the disciples did.
They could not solve this poor man's problem, so they sent him to Jesus.
Jesus was able, immediately, to ascertain what the real issue was.
It was not that the demon was exceptionally strong.
It was not that the disciples were exceptionally weak.
The real problem was where the father was putting the "IF."
It is very clear from the text that there was an "IF."
1.) The problem with this man's child was long-standing. V21
Is your problem longstanding?
If so, there is some doubt, an "IF," as to whether your problem is going to be solved.
You may have become so used to it that you think that it is just something that you have to live with.
That is not an assumption that you should readily make unless God expressly leads you to that conclusion.
2.) The problem could not be solved easily. V18
Is your problem difficult?
If you have tried and failed to solve your problem, there is an, "IF."
Perhaps you have tried and failed, others have tried to help and failed.
Perhaps you have reached the conclusion that this one is too difficult to overcome.
Jesus would dissagree.
3.) The problem was serious. V22a
Is your problem serious?
I would challenge you to see the seriousness of it.
Maybe it has brought you to the brink of taking your own life.
Maybe it has taken you to the edge of leaving the faith, falling away.
Maybe you don't know Christ.
If so, your problem is serious, and the very shortness and fragility of life lends an, "IF," to the equation. You may never be free of it.
The father in our text saw a definite, "IF," in his situation.
He had lived with it for some length of time, he had seen failure in attempts to resolve it and he knew that one day this demon might destroy his child and he would never see his request answered.
So he clearly expressed his doubt in the "IF" that he uses in verse 22:
"if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us."
So often we, like this man, see the "IF" and, like him, we put it in the wrong place.
I. VERSE 22 SHOWS THE "IF" IN THE WRONG PLACE
Let me show you first where the "IF" does not belong:
1.) The "IF" does not belong before God's ability to help you.
V22: "if thou canst do any thing"
In the very next verse, Jesus makes it clear, "all things are possible."
God CAN solve your problem.
It is not bigger than His ability.
This is that God who spoke these worlds into existance.
This is that same God who stood on the boat in the midst of the storm and said "peace be still." and the seas were calm.
This is that same God whose powerful hand has brought emperors to their knees and kingdoms to ashes.
Your problem is not more than He can handle.
The "IF" does not belong before God's ability to help you.
2.) The "IF" does not belong before God's willingness to help you.
V22: "have compassion on us, and help us."
We serve a God whose mighty arm is offered to us to command.
Isa 45:11 ¶ Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
We serve a God whose provision for escape always matches the temptation we face.
1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
We serve a God whose willingness to save is promised from before time began.
2Pe 3:9 ¶ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Our God wants to help and save us.
It is not for lack of God's desire that we go unsaved or unhelped.
The "IF" does not belong before God's willingness to help us.
Now let us see how Jesus corrects the placement of the "IF" in Verse 23
II. VERSE 23 SHOWS THE "IF" IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
The "IF" belongs before our faith and our willingness to believe.
Notice that there is a powerful promise with this verse.
"All things are possible."
However, no victory, no salvation, no freedom, no deliverance will take place until we put the "IF" in the right place.
It is not because God is unable or unwilling to help us that we suffer under the weight of our sin or our situation, but rather because we do not believe.
Allow me to demonstrate how this is so in your own life:
Think of that one thing that you know should change yet you are powerless to stop.
Think of that one situation with which you know God is displeased and yet you are convinced that it cannot change now.
Think of that one sin to which you are enslaved hopelessly.
Why has it not changed?
Why have you stalled?
Why are you not free?
Is it not true that if you wholly believed that God would provide, you would change?
Is it not true that if you were convinced of God's support you would remove yourself from the situation?
Is it not true that if you knew that God would grant you victory over your sin, you would leave it today?
So it is due to a lack of faith that we remain in need.
The "IF" belongs firmly before our faith.
It is faith we lack.
The works are lacking because the faith is not there.
In the next verse we see this poor father break down and weep at the lack of faith in his own heart.
He stopped blaming God for his need and accepted the responsibility to exercise faith.
How did he do this?
How did this father find the faith that he needed to heal his son?
III. VERSE 24 SHOWS THE "IF" REMOVED FROM THE EQUATION
The words, "I believe," show that the "IF" is gone.
What made the difference?
How does faith come?
Ro 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
This father heard the word of God from the mouth of God when Jesus said, "all things are possible to him that believeth."
First, we must listen to the word of God.
We must purposefully place ourselves under its preaching, read it for ourselves, listen to its instruction.
It will produce faith in our hearts.
Secondly, we must surrender to Him as Lord.
This father had called Jesus master, didskalos, which implies teacher.
Now he calls Jesus, Lord, Kurios, which implies supreme leader.
A man or a woman lacks the faith needed to be delivered because that person is still lord of their own life.
How can we say we believe Him when we refuse to obey Him?
This step of complete surrender is made with utter abandon.
Often this step of surrender to the lordship of Christ is characterized as a foolish leap off of a cliff.
Know this: Making Jesus Lord of your life is not the leap of a fool but the resting of a child in the arms of a father.
Won't you stop fighting him and let Him hold you?
Obey his prompting, He will never fail you.
Third, Start with a little faith.
Did the father in our story suddenly feel a heart so full of faith that he realized he need no longer fear for his son?
Clearly not, He still saw a need for more faith and asked Jesus to make up the difference.
Jesus does not require a heart full of faith for deliverance.
Mt 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
He simply requires a little.
Don't wait until you are sure.
You will never leave your sin if you wait.
You will never overcome your obstacle if you wait.
You will never be saved if you wait.
Faith is not about knowing, it is about trusting.
Won't you take that step today?
God is weary of our lack of faith.
Let us trust him and obey His prompting this morning.
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