That’s Why We Praise Him
That’s Why We Praise Him
If you’ll turn in your Bibles to Revelations 3 we’ll be looking at verses 14 through 21.
These verses are addressed to the church in Laodicea.
First-century Laodicea sat astride two major trade routes. The first road ran from Rome eastward into Asia Minor, then beyond to Cilicia where Paul was born. At Derbe it split: One leg went to the south through Damascus and on into Egypt; the other leg struck across the east to Mesopotamia, the ancient home of Babylon. Connecting the city to southern Europe through Byzantium, the second route entered Laodicea from the north and continued to the Mediterranean.
The founders built the city in the Lycus Valley where these routes crossed. This provided Laodicea with unlimited opportunities for trade but caused other significant problems. Ideally, prosperous cities are built close to abundant natural resources, especially water. Great cities are usually founded on deep natural harbors or on the banks of navigable rivers where water is abundant. Unfortunately, Laodicea was not established near an adequate water supply. More driven by trade, its builders located it where the roads crossed.
However, the city had much in its favor, and of special note were its three main industries. The Laodiceans produced a glossy, black wool that was prized by the wealthy all over the world. No one knows whether its rich color came from a particular strain of sheep that they bred in the area, or whether they dyed it, but the quality of the wool is indisputable. In fact, they cornered the market in this commodity, producing tremendous wealth.
Their second business was medicine. Laodicea boasted of one of the most renowned medical schools in the world, and with it came all of its associated industries like pharmaceuticals. They produced a world-famous salve, reputed to cure certain kinds of eye diseases. Another salve supposedly healed ear problems. People came from all over the Roman world in search of remedies for their ailments.
These two industries produced a third that multiplied their already vast wealth—banking. Laodicea became a center of currency exchange and money lending. Cicero, it is said, cashed huge bank drafts there. So huge were its assets that, when it was demolished by a first-century earthquake, the city refused Rome’s offer of help, rebuilding with its own funds.
So Laodicea had a monopoly in textiles, a world-renowned medical industry, and a prosperous financial center. Writers of the ancient world speak openly of their envy of Laodicean wealth. Record after record attests to their status.
Their one weakness was the water supply. Water had to be piped in to Laodicea.
Let us read Revelations 3:14-21
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Laodicea. If you’ve studied the Book of Revelations, the name of that church may conjure up all sorts of images. And, as we just read, Jesus told them plainly, “Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Rev 3:16).
Water was brought into Laodicea from two sources. From cold springs in Colossae the water traveled almost 10 miles by aqueduct before reaching Laodicea. From the hot springs in Hierapolis the water traveled almost six miles by wooden pipes. Both sources of water had a high mineral content and was a bit untasty to begin with. But whether their water originated in the cold springs of Colossae or the hot springs of Hierapolis, by the time it reached Laodicea, it was lukewarm.
The church in Laodicea was a church that was tepid, bored, and apathetic–they were overconfident in their own spiritual condition. In short, they were lukewarm. Spiritually speaking, the Laodicean church could be summarized in a single word that (unfortunately) captures the essence of our modern culture: “Whatever.”
The problem, of course, with being apathetic is that you can actually be apathetic about your apathy! Put simply an apathetic church does not think it is that big of deal. But, here are some reasons apathy is a bigger deal than we think:
First, Apathy towards Christ can be more dangerous than enmity towards Him. The fundamental reason people miss the problem of apathy is because they assume its better than being an enemy of God. It’s halfway to being committed, they think, and thus better than being against God. It’s a step in the right direction.
But, Jesus disagrees. For him, apathy (at least in some ways) is worse than enmity towards God. “Would that you were either cold or hot!” “It would be better”, Jesus says, “that you were either hot or cold.”(3:15).
It is actually the “whatever” type of person sitting in the pew that is hardest to reach. Why? Because they say to themselves, as did the Laodiceans, “I need nothing” (3:17).
George MacDonald, a Scottish, author, poet, and Christian Minister, once said: “Complaint against God is far nearer to God than indifference about Him.”
Second, Apathy towards Christ is the religion of our age. Another factor that makes an apathetic church a problem is that it feeds our culture’s perception that religion is best in moderation. Ironically, while Jesus says apathy is the worst spiritual condition, our culture contends that it is the best!
For the most part, mainline churches in modern America are actually aiming for the middle ground. They want enough religion to be respectable, but to not so much that they are viewed as zealots. They’ll stand on some of the Word of God, but not if it may cause division. Their attitude towards God and His Word is, “Whatever floats your boat.”
Parents tell their children that they shouldn’t be atheists, but, at the same time, they tell them not to take this religious thing too far. Lukewarm religion is actually the goal.
In a culture like this, the last thing this church or any church needs to do is to feed this misunderstanding. This is why John Stott thinks that the letter to Laodicea may be one of the most important for the modern church. Stott wrote,
“Perhaps none of the seven letters is more appropriate to the twentieth century church than this. It describes vividly the respectable, sentimental, nominal, skin- deep religiosity which is so widespread among us today. Our Christianity is flabby and anemic, we appear to have taken a lukewarm bath.”
Third, Apathy towards Christ is out of sync with His worthiness. The core problem with Christian apathy, the thing that makes it so serious, is the thing we are apathetic about, namely the person of Jesus Christ.
There is an enormous disparity between the glory, wonder, and beauty of Christ and our bored, tepid, “whatever” sort of response to him. And it is this sizable gap between what Christ is worth and our lackluster reaction to him that makes apathy such a problem.
And that sort of gap raises serious questions not just about a person’s spiritual health and vitality, but about whether they’ve truly been born again!
For example, if someone found themselves at a middle school art fair, it would be fairly understandable if they found themselves bored and unimpressed with the quality of the art.
But, if that same individual stood in the Sistine Chapel and looked up at the wondrous works of Michelangelo and was still bored, then there would be something seriously lacking in their soul..
Simply put, apathy is a problem because it misses the whole point of Christianity: the greatness of Christ. In the end, these three factors remind us that apathy is a bigger problem than we think.
So what can be done about it?
Christ himself gives the answer in his letter to Laodicea: “I counsel you to buy from me” (3:18). A renewed vision of the beauty and greatness of Christ is always the ultimate cure for apathy.
And Christ invites his people to experience him afresh: “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (3:20).
In this verse Christ is drawing on the Song of Solomon, presenting himself as the groom and his church as the bride. And he is asking his church to fall in love with him all over again.
When you’re in love with someone it’s difficult to keep them off your mind and almost impossible to keep their name and virtues from your lips.
Praise originates in a heart full of love toward God. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Are you a Christian today? If so, do you realize that the only reason you’re able to love God is because He first loved you? Without God’s love, any praise you can offer is hollow. Love, born from a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, is an essential part of your praise.
Webster defines the word praise as “to say good things about” and it is synonymous to words such as admire, commend, extol, honor, and worship. A definition of Christian praise is the joyful thanking and adoration of God, the celebration of His goodness and grace. This simply implies that the act of praising is rightfully due to God alone.
Why is praising God important? The reasons are countless.
First, God deserves to be praised and He is worthy to receive our praise:
- “For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods” (Psalm 96:4).
- “Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom” (Psalm 145:3).
- “I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies” (2 Samuel 22:4).
- “You are worthy, our LORD and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being” (Revelation 4:11).
Second, praising God is useful and favorable for us. By praising God, we are reminded of the greatness of God! His power and presence in our lives is reinforced in our understanding. “Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant” (Psalm 135:3).
Third, praise discharges strength in faith, which causes God to move on our behalf. “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger” (Psalm 8:2).
Praising God also transforms the spiritual environment that we have. 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 clearly illustrates the alteration that happened when the Levites gave praise and thanks to the Lord and the temple was filled with a cloud signifying the glory of God. “The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: ‘He is good; his love endures forever.’ Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.”
Fourth, God inhabits the atmosphere of praise. Psalm 22:3 says, “You alone are holy, You inhabit the praises of of your people.” If we want to see a clear manifestation of God’s blessings and grace, we need to do is to praise Him with all our heart, our mind, and our soul.
If your unsure why or how you should praise God simply read the Book of Psalms.
The book of Psalms is the praise book of the Bible, and it gives us hundreds of reasons why praise is important, as well as examples of how to give praise to God. In examining those reasons and examples, one thing becomes clear. “It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High…” (Psalm 92:1). Praise is a good thing. That means it is pleasant, valuable, and morally excellent. Psalm 147:1 tells us that praise is beautiful and agreeable.
When we consider the reasons why we should praise God, we find a list of His attributes.
- Psalm 138:5 tells us that, “He is full of glory”,
- Psalm 145:3 proclaims that, “He is great”,
- Psalm 107:8 reminds us that, “He is good”,
- Psalm 89:1 declares that, “He is merciful and faithful”, and much more.
This list of attributes is complemented by a list of His wonderful works.
- Psalm 18:46 exclaims that He alone is the One who saves us,
- Psalm 103:1-3 affirms that it is He who has the power to pardons sin,
- and Psalm 136:25 reminds us that He is the one who gives us our daily food.
John 21:25 says that, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” To try to list all the things God has done is impossible, but it is a wonderful exercise because it turns our hearts back to Him and keeps us mindful of how much we owe to Him.
Psalm 148:1-10 tells us that all of creation is commanded to give praise to God.
Psalm 150:6 declares, “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.”
There are many people, outside the church who choose not to praise God right now. Sadly there seems to be as many inside the church who are as lukewarm as the Laodiceans. There is a day coming though in which every knee will bow and every tongue will confess the praises of God (Philippians 2:10-11). Some will joyfully give those praises because of the salvation they have received, while some will give those praises as conquered enemies headed for eternal punishment for their rejection of God.
Praise is a vital part of a life surrendered to God, and it gives credit where credit is due. Psalm 107:8 wistfully hopes “O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”.
Praising God – The First Thing!
Do you know that praising God is the best thing to do first before anything else? Have you ever been in a situation that you feel all alone? Or have you encountered a difficult situation in your life and you don’t know what to do, like losing your job or suffering the loss of someone very close to your heart? Consider the good times such as when you receive a raise from your boss or earn high marks at school? What do you usually do during these moments? Praising God makes every circumstance of our lives complete, essential, and eminently worthwhile.
But, we cannot embark on the true joy and benefits of praising God unless we have received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. As children of God, He dwells in our bodies through the Holy Spirit. This means that wherever we go, God is to be praised. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 states that “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”
Praise to God is what we offer in acknowledgment of God’s excellent being. You might think that praise is the same as saying “thank you,” but there is a difference. Thanksgiving describes our attitude toward what God has done, while praise is offered for who God is. Psalm 18:3 says “I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise…”
Praising God is not a suggestion for a better life. Born Again, believers – Sons and Daughters of the Most High – Heirs to the Kingdom and Eternal Life, are commanded to praise God! Isaiah 43:21 explains that praise is one reason we were created, “This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise.” Hebrews 13:15 confirms this: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess his name.”
We can give glory and praise to our God with the use of our physical bodies, with our hearts and minds, and with our deeds. There are many ways to praise God! Praise can be expressed in song, in verse, or in prayer and it is to be done continuously! Psalm 34:1 instructs, “I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.” Psalm 71:6 says, “From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.” No matter how you praise and worship God, it should result in an awe of God’s power, love, and grace for all of us!
Praising God should an integral part of your daily life? Praise to God is expressed outwardly through our everyday actions, as well as inwardly in our thoughts. Praise is an act of Christian worship.
“Where do I begin?” you may ask. “How do I start praising God?” If praising God is new to you, try praising God for who He is to you, personally. Proclaim that God’s goodness is without measure; it is abundant and overflowing! Here are some ways to get started:
- Praise God for His holiness, mercy, and justice (2 Chronicles 20:21, Psalm 99:3-4).
- Praise God for His grace (Ephesians 1:6).
- Praise Him for His goodness (Psalm 135:3).
- Praise God for His kindness (Psalm 117).
- Praise God for His salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Praise to God can be offered anywhere any time! In time, it will become as normal as taking a breath. Sometimes we praise God inwardly as in Psalm 9:2, “I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.” Other times we have opportunity to give glory and praise to our God publicly. Psalm 22:22 says, “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.” Search out opportunities to bring praise to God!
The Bible also records:
- All nature praises God (Psalm 148:7-10).
- The sun, moon, and stars praise Him (Psalm 19:1 and 148:3).
- The angels praise Him (Psalm 148:2).
- Even the wrath of men is used by God to praise Himself (Psalm 76:10).
- Children are to be taught to praise God (Psalm 78:4).
Praise To God – Do You Proclaim His Praise?
Your praise to God is evidenced through your salvation. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
How are you going to offer praise to God today? First though, do you truly know Him as your Lord and Savior? If not, why not begin there. Learn more about salvation. Make this your goal in life. That when others look at you, they see a reflection of God’s praise. As Psalm 113:3 declares, “From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.”
Let us close our time together in a word of prayer.
Father, thank you for all the marvelous things you have done today.
Thank you for your love that you have revealed to us,
And for the love that we share together as your body.
We pray for all the words that you have sown into our hearts this day.
Watch over them, protect them.
May they take root and produce wonderful things,
Things of beauty and great blessings to many.
And as we leave this place now, thank you that you walk with us.
May we be alert to your promptings
And live in your endless love.
For yours is the kingdom, the power and glory
In this age and forevermore.
Amen.
Ears That Hear In Isaiah 6:9-10, Sunday July 26 2020
In Isaiah 6:9-10, God said to Isaiah: “Go and tell this people: ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed”
This type of judgment is articulated by Paul in Romans 1:28 when he wrote, “Since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.”
The worst punishment that can befall us is to be given over or abandoned to our sin by God. This anticipates God’s verdict at the final judgment found in Revelation 22:11, “Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile.”
Every time God’s Word is proclaimed it changes all of those within its hearing. No one ever remains unaffected by God’s Word. To those who hear it positively, there is growth in grace. To those who reject it or are indifferent to it, calluses are added to their souls and calcium to their hearts. The eye becomes dimmer and dimmer, the ear heavier and heavier, and the mystery of the kingdom more and more obscure. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
When we hear God’s word we need to remember whose word it is. If an angel stood in the pulpit to preach the Word of God, you would be riveted by his every word. He would preach the Word better than I do, of course, but he would not preach a better Word that any preacher who preachers the Word of God! Not even an angel can improve on the Word of God, and this is what you hear every week, the Word of God. Most preachers’ sermons are full of mistakes and omissions, but insofar as they are faithful to God’s Word, they are God’s Word. You need to remember Whose Word you’re listening to-or not.
When we hear God’s word we need to remember what the Word is. The Bible can be divided in various ways, and one good way of doing it is Law and Gospel. The Gospel is ‘Good News’-it’s a report of what God has done to save you from your sin and misery. Some news is not worth hearing, other news is worth hearing, once. But the news from heaven is unbelievable, and so, we need to hear it over and over again-until we believe it.
The Law is also important because it tells you how to thank God for doing what He did for you. Now suppose I pulled you out of a pit full of snakes or spiders or rats or scorpions or maggots (or whatever creeps you out). And suppose you were so happy you put your arms around me and said, ‘How can I thank you?’ And suppose as I said, ‘Well, you can.’, you walked off or put your fingers in your ears? This is what we do when we skip sermons or sleep through them or sit politely without a thought in our heads.
If the Law does not save us, it teaches us how to please the One who did. Thus, both Law and Gospel should be listened to with great care to obey the former and believe the latter.
When we hear God’s word we need to remember what the Word can do for you. The Word of God saves sinners when nothing else can. It is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes. If it saves sinners from death, it also equips the saints for life. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, furnished for every good work.
As we move forward, ask God to open your ears to hear His voice, to clear your spiritual eyes, and to let you understand with your heart.
Please turn with me in your Bibles to Mark 4. We will read the first 34 verses. Verse 9 of this chapter reads, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” So those of you who have ears, please listen and note some of what Jesus says about (1) hearing and (2) the word.
1 And He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very great multitude gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. 2 And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, 3 “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 and it came about that as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 “And other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. 6 “And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 “And other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 “And other seeds fell into the good soil and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” 9 And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10 And as soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12 in order that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE; AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND LEST THEY RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN.” 13 And He *said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables? 14 “The sower sows the word. 15 “And these are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16 “And in a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17 and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 “And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19 and the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 “And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it, and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
21 And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a peck-measure, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? 22 “For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it should come to light. 23 “If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 And He was saying to them, “Consider carefully what you hear. By your standard of measure, it shall be measured to you; and more shall be given you besides. 25 “For whoever has, to him shall more be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.” 26 And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; 27 and goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts up and grows–how, he himself does not know. 28 “The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. 29 “But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” 30 And He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? 31 “It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, 32 yet when it is sown, grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE.” 33 And with many such parables He was speaking the word to them as they were able to hear it; 34 and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.
A married couple sits at the breakfast table. The man, reading the paper, says: “Honey, listen to this news item: A study was done that shows conclusively that women speak twice as many words as men!” Wife: “Well, we women always have to repeat ourselves because you men never hear us the first time we say something.” Husband: “What did you say?”
Listening is never easy, is it. All of us are so easily distracted — even in church! When someone gets up during a sermon, perhaps to go to the bathroom, at least 1/3 of the eyes in the sanctuary follow the person out the door — ensuring, I suppose, that the person doesn’t fall down. Many of us will listen for a while, and then realize that for the last five minutes we’ve been thinking about our plans for the afternoon, and haven’t heard a word that has been said. On other occasions, when we are in discussion, we’ll hear a point we want to respond to and begin to formulate our own response — not hearing anything else the other person says.
The development of good listening skills is important in many parts of our lives: academics, workplace, families — but our skills in listening to the word of God are of greatest importance. In the passage we consider today, Jesus has much to say about our doing more than letting the word of God go in one ear and out the other.
To bring this out, we won’t go straight through the passage, but instead look at three themes:
- The Importance of Hearing the Word
- Barriers to Hearing the Word
- Steps to Effective Hearing
Let’s first remind ourselves briefly of the context of this chapter. As we saw, Jesus has been having increasing difficulty dealing with crowds. Those who want physical healing are crowding around him, to the point that he has trouble fulfilling his primary task: to preach the word. He tells his disciples in 3:9 to have a boat ready for him, so that he can escape from those trying to touch him, yet still teach. So, we find in 4:1 that he has to use that boat.
Jesus in chapter 3 begins to distinguish between those who belong to Him — His intimate family, His true mother, brother, and sisters — from those who are there only for physical healing, or to see the latest exciting prophet. He chooses the twelve disciples for greatest intimacy during His earthly ministry, and, on the other hand, warns the Pharisees that they reject the work of the Holy Spirit at their peril. They cannot rely on their heritage from Abraham or their external obedience to the Law; instead, it is obedience to the will of God, it is the reflection of God’s character, that identifies God’s chosen people, those who will His own treasured possession.
This is Jesus’ invitation at the end of chapter 3: Whoever does the will of God is in my intimate family. So, chapter 4 follows up this invitation with Jesus saying: Listen to the word of God, and obey it!
Jesus here finds himself in a similar situation to Ezekiel, as described in 33:30-32:
“As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.’ 31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. 32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice. (NIV)
Ezekiel had become somewhat of an overnight sensation, an attraction, an amusement. And note that the people responded to his preaching! They expressed devotion, but their actions belied their words. So, Ezekiel was to them a performer, a maestro, fun to listen to but having no impact on their lives. This is what was happening with Jesus — and you know what? It is happening today in a lot of churches this morning. Friends, I don’t want to be like someone singing with a beautiful voice, where people go away saying, “Wasn’t that interesting? And wasn’t that illustration helpful?” — but then don’t change anything in their lives. Listen! Hear the word of God! And put it into practice!
First, The Importance of Hearing
Jesus emphasizes the importance of truly hearing the word again and again in this chapter:
Verse 3: His first word to the crowds is, “Listen!”
Verse 9: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Verse 23: “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Verse 24: “Consider carefully what you hear!”
Verse 33: “Jesus spoke the word to them, [literally] as much as they could hear.”
Jesus issues a stern warning here, following up on the one he gave to the Pharisees in chapter 3: Many people hear God’s word and never take it to heart. Continued failure to hear constitutes rejection of the Holy Spirit, resulting in death.
This is the warning He gives in verses 10-12:
And as soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12 in order that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE; AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND LEST THEY RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN.”
Jesus tells his disciples that they have been given the “mystery of the kingdom of God.” What does he mean by that?
In the Bible, a mystery is not secret, hidden knowledge, but instead a truth that one can only come to know by God’s revelation. We cannot discover a truth like this on our own. Jesus is telling his disciples, “I am revealing to you these mysteries, these vital truths.” He reemphasizes this in verse 22: “Whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed.” God didn’t hide these truths from us forever, but always had the intention to reveal them in the fullness of time. In Colossians 1:26, Paul refers to “the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.” That is the idea. Jesus says, “Yes, these are mysteries — but they are meant to come out! The time is fulfilled! I’m making these mysteries available and understandable: So, hear them!”
That is the positive side to Jesus’ comment: He is disclosing mysteries that have been hidden for ages. But there is a negative side to these verses also. Jesus contrasts the revelation to the disciples with the inability of “those outside” to hear these truths expressed in parables. It almost sounds as if Jesus is speaking in parables in order that they won’t be able to understand, and thus will have no chance of forgiveness.
Clearly such an interpretation would be inconsistent with the theme of this section (as well as many other Scriptures). Matthew’s parallel account (Mat 13:14) helps us to understand what Mark is saying; that verse includes these words: “in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah.” In essence, Jesus is saying: “These mysteries need to be taken to heart. I speak in parables so that you might see the truths in the story, reflect on them, and thus take them to heart. But take care! As Isaiah prophesied, there are people who will hear these parables and never perceive or understand the truths contained therein. Don’t be among those who hear but do not comprehend!”
Mark 4:13 is both a reprimand and a challenge to his disciples. They ask him to explain the parable of the sower, and he responds, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you come to know any parable?” Jesus is saying here that understanding this parable of the sower is fundamental to coming to an understanding of all other parables. He encourages his disciples to apply themselves to gaining this understanding.
Second, Barriers to Hearing
This brings us to the well-known parable of the sower, the first parable of Jesus related in the book of Mark. How shall we interpret the parables?
Jesus explains the parable as an analogy, a story in which each object represents something else: the seed is the word, the birds are Satan, the thorns are the cares of this world, etc. Verse 13 implies that this will be true of other parables: they all are analogies in one way or another.
We frequently understand the parable of the sower as referring to evangelism: the evangelist spreads the word; some people never respond; some people appear to respond, yet fall away eventually; others respond and bear fruit. That interpretation certainly makes sense, and states an important truth. But in context in Mark, I believe it preferable to think of the different grounds as yourself at different times. Ask yourself: How am I responding to the word I hear right now? What barriers prevent you from hearing the word and putting it into practice?
Let’s take Jesus’ examples one by one:
The Road
Some of the seed falls beside the road, and the birds eat it. Jesus explains this as Satan taking away the word before it has a chance to germinate.
For us, this corresponds to having the word go in one ear and out the other. It never even registers in our brain. We are distracted while we are listening, or have preconceived ideas that do not allow us to hear the truths being stated.
This happens to all of us to some extent. We might be in church, supposedly listening to a sermon, perhaps even looking at the preacher — but suddenly notice that for the last five minutes we haven’t heard a word he has said. Or we’re reading the Bible, with eyes moving over the page, but then realize that we can’t remember any of the last three pages.
Preconceived ideas that block our hearing the word are of even greater importance. Most of the Pharisees, for example, did not allow the possibility of Jesus being the Messiah into their minds. They did not listen; they did not hear Him. Instead, they engaged in verbal jousting with Him to try to besmirch his reputation.
Some of us have had similar preconceived ideas that block our hearing; perhaps some here this morning have such road blocks. In the early 1990’s, Satan was taking away many seeds sown in me. At that time, I did not believe in the authority and inerrancy of Scripture, so I could toss out any parts of the Bible that bothered me. I didn’t have to listen, and would close my ears to the word. The Holy Spirit led me to enroll in a Bible college and Seminary where the authority and inerrancy of scripture was taught. My eyes were open and the roadblocks removed. What are your barriers? Are you rejecting the word outright? Or are you feeding on it, allowing it to permeate you and change you?
The Rocky Ground
The sower also sows his seed on the rocky ground, where the plant germinates and springs up, but dries up when the hot sun scorches the ground.
Note that this person hears the word and initially responds in exactly the same way as the seed that falls on the good soil: germination takes place. But as soon as there is any challenge to the word, as soon as obeying that word leads to any difficulty, this person forgets the word and reverts to what he was before.
That is the traditional interpretation, considering this soil as a response to the evangelist. How do we understand this when thinking of the soils as different responses of the same person at different times?
Many of us have heard sermons or read the Bible and responded in our hearts: “Yes, yes, that is true. I agree with that. I will change my life to reflect that.” Unlike the soil beside the road, in this case we do hear the word, and we mentally assent to its truth. But then we fail to act on it consistently and persistently, so that there is no fruit.
How many of you have had this experience in relation to prayer? You hear a sermon on prayer and decide, “Yes, that is important. I will pray for thirty minutes every day.” And you follow through for a week. But then you stay up too late, or sleep too late, or have a busy day at the office or school, and you miss a day. Within a month, you are praying no more than before you heard the sermon.
Most often this results from having only a surface understanding of the truths being taught. These truths have not become a part of you, so you do not act on them consistently. This happens particularly with children who grow up in Christian homes, but fail to make their faith their own; when persecutions or hardships come because of Jesus, they reject the faith; it is not convenient to believe, and the faith is not really theirs anyway. Similarly, those who rely exclusively on one teacher who always gives all the answers can face this problem. Again, their faith is the faith of the teacher instead of their own. The teacher has developed a relationship with them, instead of developing their relationship to Christ through the word.
The solution to this problem is to become like the Bereans that Luke describes in Acts 17:11. They hear Paul preaching, and are eager to hear the word. But they don’t stop there. Paul said about the Bereans, “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so.”
You see what they did? They heard the word, they listened attentively to Paul — and then they searched the Scriptures themselves to check Paul out! Their understanding of these truths deepened, indeed the truths became part of them because of their effort to understand.
As you hear God’s word, work hard to internalize those truths! Make them a part of you, so that they can take root and bear fruit in your life.
The Thorns
Jesus explains the thorny ground with these words, “these are the ones who have heard the word, 19 and the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word.”
One of the saddest verses in the New Testament concerns a companion of Paul’s named Demas. Demas worked with Paul for some time; Paul forwards his greetings in the letters to Colossae and Philemon. But in 2 Timothy 4:10 Paul writes, “Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.”
Desires for other things can present a barrier to our hearing the word — even for someone who worked closely beside the Apostle Paul! If these desires tempted someone working with Paul, they may certainly tempt us.
Unlike those represented by the ground beside the road, these do hear initially, and agree. Unlike those represented by the rocky ground, their understanding of the truth deepens. But they reject the truth, they do not act on the truth because their stronger desires are for success in this world.
Once again, I propose that all of us act this way at times. We may have a good, solid grasp of some biblical truth — but then say:
“Let’s be practical. Surely God doesn’t mean for me to do that! I might lose my job!”
“Yes, I can obey God in that area — after I make enough money and attain financial security.”
“Wow, that’s such a noble sentiment — but it’s simply not practical. Maybe people 2000 years ago could act that way, but it doesn’t work here in the 21st century.”
Have you responded to God’s truth in this way at times? I certainly have. We can all come up with a zillion reasons why living according to God’s word is not practical. But as Habakkuk 2:4 tells us, “the righteous one shall live by faith.” Living by faith means we obey God whether that obedience makes sense from a human point of view or not. Living by faith means we find our security, our satisfaction, our accomplishment, and our self-worth in God alone.
Don’t be a deserter, like Demas. Listen to God’s word; take it to heart; and apply it to your life, regardless of the fears and worries that concern you. God is faithful. The righteous shall live by faith.
Third, Steps to Effective Hearing
We’ve seen the importance of hearing and the barriers to effective hearing. How can we open our minds to the word, and more often become like the ground that accepts the word and yields 30, 60, or 100-fold?
First, we must depend on the Holy Spirit. Pray whenever you read the Bible. Pray whenever you are hearing the word taught. Ask that God might open your ears, that He would break down your barriers, that He would allow you to take these truths to heart.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”
By ourselves we cannot understand God’s truth — we need the assistance of the Spirit. But God willing gives His Spirit to those who ask. As Paul tells Timothy,
In 2 Timothy 2:7 Paul tells Timothy, “Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.” We should remember that if we ask the Lord for insight and discernment His Holy Spirit, who dwells within us, will lead us into understanding and the truth.
It is the Lord who gives us insight. If you’re struggling to grasp the meaning of a particular scripture or verse ask in faith and the Holy Spirit will begin to reveal it to you.
Second, we must spend time and energy trying to understand. Paul doesn’t tell Timothy only to pray; he tells him to reflect, to think hard about these issues — and to know that God will allow that reflection to pay off. Similarly, Jesus tells the disciples in verses 24 and 25 of today’s passage, “Consider carefully what you hear. By your standard of measure, it shall be measured to you; and more shall be given you besides. 25 For whoever has, to him shall more be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”
This first phrase, “consider carefully what you hear,” is quite interesting. The NASB translation “Be careful what you listen to,” while good advice and one possible translation of the words in question, misses the point in context. Literally, Jesus is saying, “See what you hear.” You have ears; you have used them to hear; now see what you hear! Perceive it, dwell on it, contemplate it, mull it over, understand it thoroughly.
Jesus emphasizes this in the rest of these two verses. In saying “by your standard of measure it shall be measured to you,” Jesus presents an image of a bag of grain. We have a choice of scoops for drawing out the seed. Similarly, in verse 25, the first “has” can mean “take hold.” Luke’s account (8:18) clarifies the rest of the expression by rendering the last phrase “even what he thinks he has shall be taken.”
Thus, we might paraphrase 24 and 25, “How deeply are you digging into the bag of the word of God? Pick a big scoop! Gather as much seed as you possibly can, and then even more will be given to you! He who takes hold, who really grabs onto what is there, even more will be given. If you don’t take hold, you’ll find you don’t have even what you think you have.”
Let’s summarize the main points in one more paraphrase of the entire section from 21 to 32:
I am bringing you the light, I am bringing you the lamp; I’m not hiding it from you. Here it is! Here is the word of life, the mystery hidden for ages, revealed to you! Now, mull this over, let the word of God dwell in you richly (Colossians 3:14); take hold of it in great big scoops! For if you don’t, you’ll lose even what you think you have. If you do, it will grow and multiply, and you won’t know where it comes from or how it does it. The seed, the word, is going out. Where will it land?”
I want to close with a thought from Proverbs 20:12
The psalmist declared, “Ears that hear and eyes that see– the LORD has made them both.” It is incumbent upon us to use them.
The Resolve Of The Remnant Ezekiel 5 Sunday July 19th Sermon
The Resolve Of The Remnant
Ezekiel 5
The current Coronavirus pandemic has caused great distress to God’s church. These are days of abnormal fear, panic, anxiety and hopelessness with towering ramifications on human health, financial security, social life and future goals. Fear, loneliness and stress have become companions in homes, even Christian households. When social and spiritual interactions are thwarted, not by choice but by circumstances beyond our control, we are forced to adjust. Consequently, doing church in these times of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed for all churches.
Despite greater privileges and blessings from God, many who call themselves Christians struggle to honor God and remain faithful to Him at this time. We seem to take His Grace for granted. There will come a time when we will be held accountable to Him for our choices, and only a remnant who stay faithful until the end will be saved.
God’s chosen people enjoyed God’s grace and mercy and His accompanying blessings even while being held captive by the Babylonians. But they refused to honor God and remain faithful. God then used the hand of the Babylonians to utterly destroy Jerusalem in 586 BC.
In Chapter 4 of the Old Testament Book of Ezekiel, God had Ezekiel prophesy the destruction that was soon to befall the city of Jerusalem. God instructed Ezekiel to draw the town of Jerusalem on a block of clay and to draw pictures of laying siege against it to show the people of Israel that they would be destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar. He then had Ezekiel put an iron skillet between himself and the town to show God was not going to look upon the town with mercy. He then had Ezekiel lay on his side representing the sins of Israel and Judah.
God then had Ezekiel shave his beard. The razor is the sword of the enemy which God is going to use to humiliate His people because of their disobedience. Shaving to the prophet was humiliating. Under Levitical law, priests were not allowed to “cut the corners” of their beard. No goatees, no chinstrap, no mutton chops, no neck-beard, no duck-tail. A priest’s beard was to grow untouched by a razor. Ezekiel was not only a prophet, but he was also a priest. This means that for him to shave his beard, this was a clear sign to everyone that something was wrong. Something was very wrong. They were about to be humiliated militarily by the Babylonians.
The hair from Ezekiel’s beard was divided into three parts. The first part represented 1/3 of the people of Jerusalem that would be killed in battle with Babylon. The second part represented the 1/3 of God’s chosen people who would die as a result of famine. The third part of Ezekiel’s hair represented the 1/3 who would be deported and scattered among the gentiles. While shaving his beard, a small number of Ezekiel’s hairs fell into the prophet’s skirt. These represented the remnant of God’s chosen people who were to be preserved.
This was all done to show that the people in Jerusalem were acting more wickedly than the surrounding nations, despite their greater privileges and blessings from God.
It was bad that God was saying that the heathen nations were acting better than his own people. Kind of like if those in the world – the non-churched have better morals than the churched. It was bad enough that God even said He was against His own people.
There is not much in the way of ‘Gospel’ in chapter 5, but the one thing that we need to remember and focus on, is that God will leave a remnant.
A remnant is what is left after a catastrophe. A remnant is all that remains of the original body.
The Bible mentions a remnant of people numerous times.
1) Survivors of the catastrophic flood Noah and his family.
2) A group of non-Israelite survivors “the remnant of Edom” found in Amos 9:12.
3) Israelite survivors of the Assyrian invasion in 721-718 BC .
4) Jewish survivors of the Babylonian invasion in 585 BC .
5) The remnant of Jews who returned to Judah from Babylon.
6) The remainder of physical Israelites and Jews after the Great Tribulation.
7) The remnant of converted sons of God in the last days.
Romans 9:27 speaks of this remnant when it tells us, “And Isaiah calls out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is only the remnant [a small believing minority] that will be saved [from God’s judgment]”
Zephaniah 3:13 says that the remnant are a people of unshakable integrity, “The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down and none shall make them afraid.”
Matthew 7:13-14 speaks of a few, a remnant, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow and difficult to travel is the path that leads the way to [everlasting] life, and there are few [a remnant] who find it.”
The Bible contains the doctrine of the Remnant? It is simply this; that in our blind, fallen, sinful world of mankind, at any given time, the vast overwhelming majority is lost. And by lost, I do not mean they have missed their way or come short of the mark or are less that they wanted to be or fail to fulfill their dreams. By lost I mean, alienated from God and an enemy to Him, without pardon, without life, without hope.
What does the doctrine of the Remnant mean? “Remnant,’ means a small fragment, a surviving trace. It means that some-thing yet remains when the larger body is somewhere else. The Romans 9:27 text deals with Israel, but it sets forth clearly the doctrine as applying to the entire human race as well as the Church. This was true among the nations before Abraham; it was true of Israel after Abraham; and it is true of the Church since Pentecost. Isaiah 1:9 says, “Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah” I am alarmed because it has been true since Pentecost that such a vast number of people who call themselves Christians-the overwhelming majority-are nominal, and only a remnant is to be saved.
Let’s take the Coronavirus pandemic church of today using Ezekiel as an example. We can separate the church into thirds. One third of the church is dying from battle. They’ve neglected to put on the full Armour of God and are unable to stand against the wiles of the enemy during this time of great distress. While churches have been shuttered they have fallen away and have returned to the world of which they had supposedly been called out. A second third of the church is dying of famine. They’re failing to drink of the Living Water. They’ve neglected their prayer lives, they’ve fallen away from reading the Word and studying the scriptures. They pass on watching online services or listening to recorded messages. Like the seed of the parable, they have no root and wither away when the cares and concerns of the world come round. The final third are being scattered. They can’t attend church so they attend to themselves through things of the world. Now, we will take some of the scattered. Some of them will remain faithful and continue to honor God during this time of great distress. These people are God’s Holy Remnant. These are the people who will will return to rebuild God’s church
Remember what Zephaniah 3:13 says, “The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down and none shall make them afraid.” We remember that the remnant are those who have unshakable integrity.
I believe that there are three characteristics that God’s remnant Church will have.
First, they are watchful. Remember how God told Ezekiel twice that he was to be a watchman for his people. The remnant will be those who are paying attention to what is going on. They won’t fall prey to what the world claims to be good when God’s Word declares it to be bad and immoral. They will know God’s Word because they have studied God’s Word. They will rightly divide God’s Word and apply it to their lives.
One of the things that greatly concerns me is the unintentional misquoting of scriptures or misuse of scriptures. While they may seem harmless to a Christian, they can lead astray those who don’t know God’s Word. And remember, their blood could be on our hands if we don’t warn them and lead them the wrong way.
This Wednesday we will be studying some misquoted scripture often taken out of context. Join us for our Zoom Bible Study Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm. Some misquoted scriptures include
- “Judge Not” – Matthew 7:1
- “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you” – Jeremiah 29:11-13
- “Where two or three are gathered” – Matthew 18:20
- “Ask for anything in My name” – John 14:13-14
- “All things work together for good” – Romans 8:28
- “No more than you can handle” – 1 Corinthians 10:13
When these and other passages are taken out of context they dishonor God and do more harm than good.
Second, the Remnant are workers.
Workers are over-comers. Workers don’t give in when the going gets tough. Workers don’t let things slide by. The may not be perfect, but they are excellent. They give it their all and don’t hold back. They press on keeping their eyes on the prize.
The Remnant will work to revive and keep alive the fire inside of them. They won’t allow the embers to burn out. They will continue to fuel their fire, even if it means burning everything they have of sentimental value to keep the fire going. They will lay aside the things of this world for the things of God. Their treasure will be found in the things of Heaven. The Remnant will resolve to keep their fire going and keep the memory alive of God. They won’t allow the revival of the dead embers to replace the fire that is still going. They will work to keep it all going strong.
The Remnant will remember where The Lord has brought them from and what He has done for them. It is not about resting on past glory, it is about remembering what was once there and knowing it can still be there. It is about remembering what it was like to walk in the POWER OF GOD and what He did and how He used you.
The Remnant will humble themselves, repent of their wicked ways and turn to God. God will not be mocked and will not accept an offering from those who continue to live in total rejection of the Gospel of Christ. We have to experience a change of mind, a change of heart, a change of action.
AW Tozer “God cannot do our repenting for us. In our efforts to magnify grace we have so preached the truth as to convey the impression that repentance is a work of God. This is a grave mistake, and one which is taking a frightening toll among Christians everywhere. God has commanded all men to repent. (Acts 17:30) It is a work which only they can do. It is morally impossible for one person to repent for another. Even Christ could not do this. He could die for us, but He cannot do our repenting for us.”
AW Tozer also said “God in His mercy may “incline” us to repent and by His in-working Spirit assist us to repent; but before we can be saved we must of our own free will repent toward God and believe in Jesus Christ. This the Bible plainly teaches; this experience abundantly supports. Repentance involves moral reformation. The wrong practices are on man’s part, and only man can correct them. Lying, for instance, is an act of man, and one for which he must accept full responsibility. When he repents he will quit lying. God will not quit for him; he will quit for himself.”
Third the Remnant are waiters. They wait for God. They wait expectantly for God. Of the 10 virgins who had the lampstand in Matthew 25, 5 took oil and 5 did not. They waited for the bridegroom. When the bridegroom came, the 5 that had no oil lost out.
The oil was symbolic of the Holy Spirit. Waiting on The Lord means being full of the Holy Spirit and being ready for when He calls.
Isaiah 40:31 tells us, “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
I believe that God is using this time of pandemic to separate the wheat from the chaff. Many will fall away but the Chosen of God, A Holy Remnant will remain faithful. Post pandemic these will be the Remnant with which God rebuilds his church.
How to Know God’s Will Romans 12:1-2
How to Know God’s Will Romans 12:1-2
A man wanted to know the will of God for his life, so took out his Bible, let the pages fall open, closed his eyes and put his finger down on a spot. Looking down at the verse under his finger he found that it said, “Judas went out and hanged himself.”
Slightly frustrated he followed the procedure again. This time the verse at the end of his fingertip instructed, “Go and do likewise.” Now alarmed he repeated the same steps once more. Anxiously, he peered down at the text under his finger which read, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”
We all want to know what God’s will is for us in our lives. So many times I have struggled when making decisions on what God’s will is. I want to make the right decisions, but so many times it is hard to determine what it right for us to do. Perhaps you are dealing with the same questions. Every Christian at some time asks the question “what is God’s will in this situation?”
It seems that people expect God to reveal His will in a very special way. The truth is God has revealed His will to us. We can know what he wants us to do in most situations. I believe that within God’s Word is either a command or a principle that will show us His will for every situation.
So often we want to base our decisions on what we think God wants on how we feel. The world tells us if it feels good it must be right. We incorporate that idea into our decision making. Whenever we make a decision, however we should consider God’s will. We should ask ourselves two questions
1) What does the Bible tell us?
2) What would Jesus do?
I hope that we all are truly seeking to find God’s will in our lives and incorporate it in every decision we make. Sometimes it is hard to determine what God’s will is and sometimes it is not. It is not hard to determine what God’s will is if you are debating on whether to go to the bar and drink one night? It can be hard though to determine God’s will in other situations though where the scripture is not so clear. God’s will can be made evident to us. I think that Paul makes it clear how we can learn and determine God’s will for our lives. He seems to not give us some mystical things we can do, but most of learning God’s will is bettering our relationship with Him. The better you know him the easier it will be to determine His will.
As you get to know friends and as you grow in relationships you can determine easier how a person will react to certain situations. You know what your wife’s will is after you have built a relationship with her. Therefore if we want to know God’s will we must start and build a relationship with God.
I heard a story of a man who was baptized one Sunday morning, at the close of the service after the baptism, the preacher asked him to close in prayer. The man began to pray, saying “thank you God for Jesus”, then there was a pause and silence filled the air for about 30 seconds. Then he closed “I guess when I get to know you better I will know what to say to you”. Learning God’s will depends on our stance with Him.
If you have your Bibles open to Romans 12 you can read verses 1 and 2 along with me.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
To know God’s will, we must first offer ourselves as living sacrifices.
That’s what Paul tells the Romans. That to know God’s will they first must offer themselves to God as a living sacrifice. The readers immediately would have been drawn to thinking about the animal sacrifices that took place in the temple. Surely God is not asking us to go and jump onto an altar as a sacrifice. We are to be a living sacrifice. This basically means that our whole lives should be surrendered to God to be used for His glory. I believe that there are several ways that we can offer ourselves to God and show our devotion to Him.
First, we show our devotion to God through Bible Study.
Bible Study is of the most important aspects of our Christian lives. It is the way in which he communicates to us. If we want to learn His will we must study His word for that is where His will is revealed. We must be like the apostles who devoted themselves to the Apostle’s Teaching. We must do as Psalms tells us to write his word on our heart. If you want to know God’s will for your life, you must go to his word to see what it says. There is no better place to go. Many times I will read God’s Word looking for God’s will and it happens that when I am doing that I find just what I need, I get the answer I need. The times I struggle the most in finding God’s will is when I am not in God’s Word. We must offer ourselves to God by frequently studying God’s Word. The more and more we learn His Word the clearer we will know what God wants in our lives.
Second, we show our devotion to God through prayer.
Not only did the apostle’s devote themselves to the study of God’s Word, they also devoted themselves to prayer. So many times I hear of people looking for God’s will without prayer. Prayer is the way in which we communicate to God. Philippians 4:6 tells us, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. It is through prayer that we lift our burdens off of us and give them to God. We must bring everything before the Lord and he will make clear to us what he wants us to do. We cannot go about our daily life; we cannot know God’s will if we are not talking to God. We must offer ourselves to God through prayer
Third, we show our devotion to God through fellowship.
Another thing that Acts tells us is that the Apostles were devoted to fellowship. They did this because fellowship helped them in their relationship with God. I believe fellowship is essential to determining God’s will. Sometimes God will use other people to communicate His will to us. Proverbs 12:15 tells us, The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. Proverbs 24:6 says, For by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
Godly counsel is to be sought after. Have you ever been talking to someone who says just what you need to hear? God works through people to help his people! If we are deprived from fellowship we may miss the opportunity to hear what God has to say to us. This fellowship includes coming to Church whenever possible and being in conversation with fellow Christians as frequently as possible. There is no better place to be then where the saints are gathered. If we miss church we may be missing out on much more than just a service, we may miss God’s direction for our lives. With the current Coronavirus pandemic and church closures we must seek out fellowship in other places throughout the week. Scripture tells us that wherever two or three are gathered in my name there I will be. Fellowship is so important to our daily lives and our walk with the Lord. Remember as iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another. If we neglect the fellowship of our brothers and sisters besides the Lord’s Day we will have trouble growing and may miss hearing what God or godly people have to say to us. We must offer ourselves to God by devoting ourselves to fellowship with one another.
Second, to know God’s will we must not be conformed to this world.
Paul was very adamant in telling the Romans not to conform to the world. This is another thing that we must do if we want to be able to see God’s will in our lives. So many times Christians live double lives, and then expect God to provide for them in every way and to make His will known. When one conforms to the world God’s will becomes distorted. We cannot determine God’s will if we are not living for Him, and even more if we are living in the world.
The world says that anything goes. How can we determine God’s will living in the world, when the world tells us that anything goes. One can see clearly the world’s view on life and morals by watching television. Television shows and the media today mock God, laugh at those with morals, make adultery and fornication a funny situation, and make sexual innuendos every time you turn around. It seems that many people seek God’s will or an answer to their decisions through the television. The world will tell you that anything goes, and it does not matter what your decisions are, but God makes clear that there is a right and wrong and it does matter what decisions you make. Do not be conformed to the world.
The world also mocks God. To most people the thought of even caring what God thinks is humorous. But we in everything must seek God. The world will mock us, the world will laugh at decisions and stances you take on certain issues, but we must hold our ground. Jesus makes it clear that Christians will be mocked when he says if they did not accept me they will not accept you either. He warned His disciples numerous times of the mockers and persecutors of the faith. Why would you want to participate in the things of the World, when they are the very people who mock God and godly people.
The world is not guided by the Spirit as we are called to be led by the Spirit. It is clear in the scriptures that there is a big difference in decision making by those who are guided by the spirit and those guided by the flesh. Those guided by the Spirit seek to please the spirit and those guided by the flesh seek to please the flesh. The world is guided by the flesh. If we are living in the world we are living and living like people who are living contrary to the spirit of God. Sure people of the world can make good decisions, but they cannot include God in their decisions because they do not understand God. Do not be conformed to the world
Therefore, if we leave behind the world and the things of the world we can more clearly see what God wants us to do. Do not seek advice from pagans, but from those guided by the Spirit. Do not be conformed to the world then you will be able to see what God’s will is for your life. Paul says not to be conformed to the world so that we can clearly see God’s will and not have a distorted worldly view.
One of m professors said, many of us are like fish swimming in muddy water. We have been swimming so long in the mud we do not know what clear water is like. We cannot even tell right from wrong. Do not be conformed to the world.
Third, to know God’s we we must be transformed. Paul makes it clear that in order to know God’s will we must be transformed. What does transformed mean? It simply means to change. We may have to make some changes in our life in order to see God’s will.
You will be transformed by repenting. If there is sin in our life that is continuous, perhaps we need to repent in order to better see what God wants from us. We cannot expect to know what God wants us to do if we are living in sin. Sometimes we simply need to humble ourselves and repent and turn away from our sin. Repentance is a change for the better. It is not simply asking forgiveness, it is changing. Maybe you need to repent of sin. We all have sin that we need to repent and turn from; we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I encourage us all tonight to repent from any sins that we have. Sin separates us from God and hinders us from knowing Him better. Let us remove the sin that is on our life so that we can clearer see what He wants us to do. As Paul told Titus, Let us throw off the sin that so easily entangles us and run the race with perseverance. God’s Word makes it clear how we are to live, and if we are doing contrary we need to repent and turn away and be transformed.
You will be transformed by obeying. Perhaps you are seeking God’s will and cannot determine it. A question that you need to ask yourself is, do I have the Spirit of Christ? Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to all those who ask. One cannot appropriately make decisions if they lack they Holy Spirit. First, you must obey the gospel by confessing your sins and accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior. Second, you must be obedient as Christ calls you to publicly declare your new life through Baptism. A non-Christian cannot truly know what God wants or expects. Obedience to God’s Word brings transformation.
You will be transformed as you continue pressing on in faith. If you still cannot determine God’s will and are a Christian and have repented, then you simply need to continue to be faithful to the Lord. Continue to Study God’s Word. Continue to pray diligently. Continue to fellowship with one another. Fight the good fight, finish the course and in that time you will be able to see God’s will.
Let me finish with this thought. A.W. Tozer writes in the Pursuit of God: “Why do some persons find God in a way that others do not? Why does God manifest His presence to some and let multitudes of others struggle along in the half-light of imperfect Christian experience? Of course the will of God is the same for all. He has no favorites within his household. All he has ever done for any of his children he will do for all his children. The difference lies not with God but with us.” How open are we to trying something new, even if it takes a little effort on our parts. Our spiritual receptivity or our openness to God depends on who is in charge. The more God is in charge the more receptive we are to his voice and experiencing his presence.”
Let us pray.