The Joys Of The Resurrection Body 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
The Joys Of The Resurrection Body
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Pastor Barry Kerner
If you’ll turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 15 we’re going to look at verses 51 and 52. While I’ll be using many other verses today, I want to concentrate on what these two verses have to say to us.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”
We have a marvelous subject before us today. The resurrection body. There is a good, better, best pattern to the Christian life. To be in Christ is good. To be with Christ is better, better by far. But even for those who are with Christ now, the best is yet to be.
Our loved ones who are with Christ are fully conscious and actively engaged, but they are also eagerly waiting for the resurrection body that will be the gift of God to all of his people when Christ returns in power and in glory.
Today I want to encourage you as we look together at what the Bible has to say about the resurrection body. We are going to look at four doctrines, four promises, four changes, and then four conclusions. We begin with four doctrines that teach us the importance of the body.
The Importance of the Body
First, the Doctrine of Creation: God made us body and soul
The LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. (Genesis 2:7)
The doctrine of creation tells you what you are: A body/soul unity. God made the body of Adam from the dust of the ground. It was a biodegradable corpse, but then into this corpse, he breathed the breath of life. So the life of Adam is a body/soul union.
This is the reason that the Bible sometimes speaks about death as an “enemy,” or as the “last enemy.” Because death is the undoing of our nature. It is the tearing apart of what God has joined together.
You have a cell phone. But if it is not connected to a network, it is no longer a phone. It cannot fulfill the function for which it was made. The same can be said for the network. The fact that there is a cellular network is of no value to you if you do not have a phone. It is the joining of the two together that makes this wonderful gift of telecommunication possible.
God created your body as much as he created your soul. All that God has created is good.
That is why he will not scrap it and start again. What God has made, he will redeem, and that means your body as well as your soul.
Second, the Doctrine of the Fall: Sin ruined us body and soul
Our bodies, as we experience them, are very different from the bodies that Adam and Eve experienced as they were created by God in the garden. They had no aging, no disease, no pain, and no death. All of that came with the entrance of sin into the world.
Sin has afflicted every area of our lives. That would include tooth decay, cholesterol that goes up, energy that goes down, skin that sags, bones that ache, eyes that need glasses, and hearing that declines. We live with the trials of chemical imbalances in the body, and hormones flying around out of control. On top of that, a multitude of diseases, maladies, and conditions that afflict various people at various times during the course of their lives.
Third, the Doctrine of the Incarnation: Christ became one with us in body and soul
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14)
God became a man in Christ Jesus. The body of Jesus was a body like ours with a central nervous system. He grew in strength from a baby to a child to a man, and he knew what it was to be hungry, thirsty, and weary.
The first heresy, the first false teaching that the early church had to contend with was not the denial that Jesus was God, but the denial that he was man. In that culture people got to thinking, “How could God, who is pure spirit, possibly get mixed up with something as base as the human body?”
There was a nervousness about the Son of God taking on human flesh, but that is precisely what the Bible teaches. That’s why you find in 2 John 7: “Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.”
If the Bible said, “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word remained spirit” (John 1:1), we would have to limit God’s interest in our lives to the things of the spirit like prayer, meditation, and bible study. It would mean that God was concerned with your heart but not with your home; with your spirit but not with your schedule; with your character but not with your activity.
But the Bible doesn’t say, “the Word remained spirit.” It says, “the Word became flesh!” God entered the world of noisy kids and pushy parents, the world of overcrowded schedules and unscrupulous traders, the world of relentless pressures and unending demands.
When Jesus went to the cross, he died, not only to save your soul, but also to redeem your life! That means God invading every part of your life – marriage, checkbook, career, kids –everything!
Fourth, the Doctrine of the Resurrection: Christ will redeem us body and soul
All religions have some belief in the idea of survival after death. This is also true of popular culture. That’s why when they made a movie about the Titanic, Celine Dion sings of how “My heart will go on.” Some idea of the survival of the soul is common to humanity.
But the resurrection of the body is unique to Christianity. Only Christians have a risen Savior. At the heart of our faith is the great truth that the tomb was empty, that the corpse of Jesus was raised to life, and that all who belong to him will share in his resurrection.
The resurrection of the body is a Crown Jewel of the Christian faith. It is a truth to be treasured and put on display for all to see. We should be proud of this and commending it to the world. It is a promise to excite our interest, a hope to anticipate with joy. It is a tragedy that many Christians do not have a firm grasp on this wonderful truth.
I have met many Christians, good people, who have the sub-Christian idea that what God has prepared for us is a kind of half-life, a compensation for those who did not have the strength to continue with real life in this world. But friends, the resurrection is the purpose for which you were created by God and redeemed in Christ!
Let’s look at four Scriptures that speak of what God has promised, marvelous promises throughout the Bible about the resurrection of the body.
Promises about the Resurrection of the Body
#1: Job 19:25-27
For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
Notice what Job already knew: a. that his Redeemer lives, b. that his Redeemer will stand on the earth, and c. when that happens, Job will see God with his own eyes.
Job is talking about the physical here: My eyes! My flesh! I will see God! And all this will happen when my Redeemer, who lives, stands upon the earth. You will see God as truly as you see this pulpit in front of you.
#2: Romans 8:22-24
We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.
The redemption of the body is the hope in which you were saved. The great purpose of God is not to save a part of you (your soul) but the whole of you (body/soul unity). Christ made you (body and soul), and he will redeem you (body and soul). He will do it in this order; soul now, body later. All that God has made is good and all that God has made he will redeem.
#3: Philippians 3:20-21
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
- The human body is described as ‘lowly’
At its strongest and most developed, the human body is fragile. Even if you are really fit, and you get hit by a truck, you will be in trouble. Our bodies are fragile.
- S. Lewis says, “When you are learning to ride they give you unimpressive horses. Only when you are ready for it are you allowed an animal that will gallop and jump.”
Wait till you see the upgrade. Even if you’re impressed now. You ain’t seen nothing yet!
- Your body will be ‘transformed’ by the Lord Jesus Christ and by his power
The resurrection of the body is a truth that cannot be grasped apart from the work of Christ and the power of Christ.
The credibility of this great truth is that Christ demonstrated his power to raise his people by rising himself! Every Christian says, “Yes, the Savior has given me a new heart!” He will also give you a new body. It will be the completion of his redeeming work in your life.
- Your resurrection body will be like Christ’s glorious body
That means it will be a physical body. You will not be a disembodied ghost or spirit in the new creation. The reason you won’t spend eternity floating on the clouds is that bodies don’t float, right?
Jesus said, “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39). Flesh and bones! This is a physical body! Jesus is talking about his own resurrection body.
In terms of appearance, Jesus’ resurrection body was so similar to the form of the body we have now that Mary could mistake him for a gardener. And to the two disciples on the Emmaus road, he looked like just another traveler.
So, although the resurrection body will be very different, the similarities to the body you have now are more striking than the differences, according to the Gospels: “He said to them,
‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and took it and ate it before them” (Luke 24:41-43).
Later in John’s Gospel, we have Jesus not only cooking breakfast but eating it with the disciples. We are definitely talking about barbecue in the resurrection folks! We are talking about walking, running, jumping, and hitting balls out of the park on this renewed planet made perfect, as it shares in the redemption of all the children of God. Get that into your mind and you might start looking forward to it!
“A spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have” (Luke 24:40). That’s about as physical as you can get. So forget the idea of a body that passes through walls. You can’t play football with a body that passes through walls! How could you block and tackle?
Wayne Grudem says, “No [Bible] text says that Jesus passed through walls or anything like that.” Why would anyone think that? Because the Bible says the disciples were meeting behind locked doors when Jesus came in (John 20:19). But Peter was also behind locked doors in prison and God miraculously opened them so that Peter could walk out (Acts 12:10).
The idea of heavenly bodies that materialize and dematerialize comes from watching too much Star Trek, not from the Bible. Jesus speaks about his resurrection body in terms of flesh and bones. The first thing you need to know about the resurrection body is that it is a body! When you get that settled in your mind, you will have far greater anticipation of the joys that lie ahead.
#4: 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
The transformation of the body you have now, into the body you will have, will be instantaneous. All believers will receive this gift at the same time. What do we know about this new resurrection body? There’s continuity, but also changes. Here are four of them.
Changes with the Resurrection Body
The Resurrection Body is Imperishable
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. (1 Cor. 15:42)
Lazarus was raised from the dead (John 11), but the body he came back in was the same body, not a resurrection body, which meant that at some point he would have to go through the whole miserable business of dying again!
But Jesus rose in the power of an endless life (Heb. 7:16) and he’s never going to go through death again, and neither will you in the resurrection. Your resurrection body, like his, will be a body that will never die. Your resurrection body will never age, and it will never decline.
People say you can’t put an old head on young shoulders, but in the resurrection the wisdom of maturity will be combined with the strength of youth. All of Christ’s people will flourish to their full potential.
The Resurrection Body is Glorious
It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. (1 Cor. 15:43)
Think about the face of Moses, when he came down the mountain after he had been in the presence of God. His face was shining. Why? Because he had been in the presence of the Lord of Glory.
Think about the transfiguration of Jesus: He goes up the mountain with Peter, James, and John and their faith was strengthened with a preview of the future glory of Jesus! There was a brightness and a radiance about him. And there will be a brightness, a radiance, and a glory, not only around you, but in you (in the resurrection body).
The Resurrection Body is Powerful
It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. (1 Cor. 15:43)
The [resurrection] body is going to have more energy, more physical capability, more stamina, more athleticism, more speed, more coordination, more durability than it ever had because we’re not going to need the body less, we’re going to need it more and use it more.
Think about what this will mean for all of our friends who have been restricted to wheelchairs, or have physical challenges that have restricted their lives in this world. What will it mean when finally and fully Jesus’ words will come true in all of their fullness? The blind will see, the deaf will hear, and the lame will walk.
The Garden of Eden offered scope for the pursuit of art in all its creativity, the pursuit of science in all its forms, and technology as well as theology. The same will be true of the world to come.
Donald Macleod says it well, “Not only the Creator but the Creation, too will be an object of wonder to the redeemed. It will challenge their intellects, fire their imaginations, and stimulate their industry. The scenario is a thrilling one: brilliant minds in powerful bodies in a transformed universe.”
If you work out at the gym and you want to engage someone in conversation, try asking them, “How would you like to have a really strong body, a really powerful body?” Then you can tell them, “You will have one on the resurrection!” I guarantee if you ask them this question, though, at first they’ll think you’re trying to sell them some kind of supplements!
The Resurrection Body is Godly
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. (1 Cor. 15:44)
I use the word ‘godly’ here, because the word ‘spiritual’ is often misunderstood. A ‘spiritual’ body! What is that? That doesn’t sound like a body in which you could go bungee jumping, snorkeling, or snowboarding!
The resurrection body is a physical, material ‘flesh and bones’ body. When Paul speaks about a spiritual body, he is speaking about a body that is fully responsive to the Holy Spirit. That is a marvelous thought! In the resurrection body, you will never feel or think or say, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” Your resurrected body will be as eager to do the will of God as your redeemed spirit.
Here’s what you have to look forward to in the new heaven and the new earth: A body that is adapted to life forever and will never decline, a body that is glorious and powerful, a body that is fully responsive to the Holy Spirit.
Living in the Light of Your Resurrection Body
Recognize that you are wholly owned by Jesus Christ
You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Cor. 6:19-20)
Christ has the right to determine where you live, what you do. He bought you with his own blood, and over every area of your life, Jesus Christ says “Mine.” You are not your own! Your life is his to spend and the great calling of your life is to glorify him.
Be done with everything that defiles your body or your soul
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
(2 Cor. 7:1)
Since we have these promises, not “since we have these rules.” He could have appealed to the law, but he is going for a higher motivation.
There is a glorious future for your mind, so use your mind in a way that glorifies God. Don’t pollute your mind! Fill your mind with what is pleasing to God.
It’s the same with your body. Don’t use your body as a vehicle for sin (Rom. 6:13). Use your eyes, ears, hands, and feet in ways that honor Christ. Let your tongue speak words of kindness. Let your hands be a means of helping (not hurting) others.
Offer your whole self to God
I appeal to you… brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Rom. 12:1)
It is common in church circles to speak about “giving your heart to Jesus.” We understand what is meant by this, but the obvious question is: Why should it only be your heart? It’s not enough to say that your heart is in the right place. God wants more than your heart.
“Present your bodies.” The body is what gives us the capacity to act. Spend your strength in ways that honor Christ! This is the greatest motivation for living a sacrificial life.
One of the implications of the doctrine of the resurrection is that you don’t have to worry half as much about your bucket list! You can afford to live sacrificially. You can afford to lay down your life if need be.
The new earth will be better than the earth we have now. The resurrection body will be better than the body you have now. And you will have forever to savor the pleasures that God has in store for you.
That is the whole basis on which the Christian can say, “I will spend my life doing everything that you call me to do in this world until I see your face.” Otherwise, you will live another life, because you didn’t really believe in the resurrection.
Never give in to discouragement!
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Cor. 15:58)
“Therefore…” Because you will soon savor the joys of life in the resurrection body. Because your struggles with sin in this world will soon be over. Because the weariness that comes with being sometimes stretched to the limit will soon be a thing of the past. Because you are pressing toward the resurrection…
Keep giving yourself to everything that God is calling you to do. Don’t hold back in any way.
Do it with joy, and do it knowing that if even a cup of cold water will not go without its reward, you can be sure that a life of faith laid down in service for Jesus Christ will be a life that cannot be lived in vain.
Begin Again
Weekly Blog With Pastor Barry Kerner
Begin Again
After Calvary Jesus regrouped His disciples, and after convincing them of His resurrection, He commissioned them to their life’s work. This commission given to them is found in Luke 24:47. “repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
The Gospel was to be preached throughout the world. The whole earth was to be lit with His Glory. And the disciples were to set this plan going, beginning at Jerusalem. But why Jerusalem? It was a strategic place, of course – the religious center of Palestine. There Jesus had died and risen again. From the point of view of religion it has become a whispering-gallery, where words spoken with dying lips from a cross have reverberated throughout earth. For the disciples, however, it had another meaning. It was the place where they had failed. It was the scene of their greatest breakdown. It was a place of tragic associations. It could not have been easy for them to go back to Jerusalem.
Could Simon Peter ever walk its streets without shameful memories crowing his mind? The very stones would cry out against him. At any moment around some corner he might come face to face with one of those servant maids, and have to meet her mocking smile. Besides, would not their lives be in danger? The authorities hated them and their message. There might be persecutions, prison, and death awaiting them. And it would not be easy to keep their own spirits right. Just think how the people in Jerusalem had treated their Master. What resentment and bitterness they would have to overcome. They would have to act forgivingly to people who had slain their Lord.
Would it not be better to begin in some new place where none of these old entanglements would hinder a new start? Why not Antioch, Alexandria, Athens, Rome, or some other large city where there would be less hatred towards them and fewer memories of the past? Why not some other country where Jewish influence was not so great? But No! They were sent back to Jerusalem to make their fresh beginning in the place where life and things had brought defeat. This is always what God asks of us when some fresh vision of Christ has come to us, or we have come to realize some secret of deeper victory. He bids us make witness and take our stand for Him, right in the place where we have failed.
Think of confessing failings and making a new beginning at home, among people who knew us intimately and with whom perhaps for that reason we have not always troubled to be our best. God often sends us back to the place where sorrow has thrown its dark shadow over everything, where perhaps everything we look at has the power to make the heart bleed. It is not easy to take up some burden that once was shared with a loved one.
Or we have to go back to the place where temptation has been strong and where the whole set of things has been against us, and begin again there.
It is far easier to dream of making the heathen world Christian than to make our own ordinary relationships Christian. There are problems at work, problems at home, problems in the neighborhood, everyone is irritable, falling out with one another, and we can hardly stand another day in this environment. We take a vacation to get away from it all. The days we spent in the mountains, or by the sea, gave us a breathing space in the region of the soul. We were released from pressure, from worry and fretfulness and the strain that got us down. But now we are back to familiar surroundings again, after the holidays. We are back in it all again. Do our hearts sink at the prospect? If only we could get some permanent relief from the burden, a new start somewhere else with things a bit lighter. So we tell ourselves.
But God sends us back to the place where we have failed. For that is the place where He must have the victory in our life. It is from just that place His light can radiate.
Victory there is the strategic thing in the plan of God for our lives and for the world. It is just where life has often beaten us, and our moral problem faces us most keenly, that Jesus is seeking to come into our lives with power. It is there He is able to most directly to break into the world through us.
The greatest comfort is that He is able to send us into our old place with a new Spirit. The Disciples who went back into Jerusalem were changed men. Something had happened to them through their fellowship with the risen Christ that had made everything different. They were filled with the Holy Spirit shortly after returning to Jerusalem. They were ready now to face the place of their defeat, however humbling, for they possessed the secret of victory. They were not ashamed even to meet the people who knew them before. They could tell them of the triumphant power of Jesus Christ. They had an experience to which they could witness. They had been lifted above the fear of men and what they could do to them. They had a new attitude towards the people of Jerusalem, even to those who crucified Jesus. There was no resentment or bitterness or hate, only a great love that longed for their salvation.
The result was that it was not the old world they were going back to. For it had a new look. They had a new attitude to everything – a new point of view. They saw it now as a place of opportunity, a strategic place for winning a victory for Jesus Christ. It was the sphere of a divine purpose which God was waiting to work out through them.
The result was, revival broke out in Jerusalem and it was not long before the whole city was filled with the doctrine of Jesus Christ. And from Jerusalem it moved into the surrounding towns and villages and throughout the known world. We are still being blessed by that group of men Jesus sent back to Jerusalem to begin again.
Would it not make all the difference if we could see our world like that? Would it not bring a new zeal into monotonous living?
It can all happen to us as it happened to the disciples, if we let Jesus have his way in our lives and are ready to receive His Spirit. The place of defeat and failure can become the place of God’s opportunity if we go back to it with him. Amen.
Life Is Hard James 1:1-4 Sunday Sermon for August 23rd 2020
Life Is Hard
James 1:1-4
Life is hard. Don’t believe anyone who tells you that it isn’t. Because we live in a fallen world, nothing works the way it’s supposed to. Sin has stained every part of the physical universe. And sin has deeply infected the human bloodstream. Things break. Our bodies wear out. We grow old and die. People kill each other. Marriages break up. Children get hooked on drugs or alcohol or sex. Or all three. Babies are born with defects that cannot be corrected. Priests molest children. Pastors commit adultery. Our friends disappoint us. And we disappoint our friends.
And so it goes. As the saying goes, “Into each life some rain must fall.” I know that’s true because I just saw a girl with an umbrella on a carton of salt. We’ve come face to face with a reality that some Christians would rather not talk about. There is a false notion that the Christian life is easy. It isn’t. Whoever said that it was? Jesus did say that his yoke was easy and burden was light, but that was in comparison to the Pharisees, and anyway, an easy yoke is a yoke nonetheless. He also talked about taking up your cross daily, denying yourself, and following him. Nothing easy about that.
Don’t misunderstand me. The Christian life is the best life there is because it’s the only true life. To know Christ is to know God and to know God is to have eternal life. In Mark 10:29-30 Jesus himself let us know that anything you give up will be repaid many times over in this life, and much more in the life to come. The paradox is this: If you follow Christ, you have to lose your life in order to save it. You have to go to the cross every day in order to discover the power of the resurrection. You have to die to find abundant life. You have to reckon yourself dead to sin in order to experience the fullness of life in Christ.
None of this is easy to do. If you think it’s easy, it’s only because you haven’t taken the Bible seriously. Romans 7 speaks of a “war” going on in the inner life of the believer and Romans 8:13 commands us to “put to death” the deeds of the flesh. Galatians 5:17 tells us that the flesh and the Spirit are continually at war with each other. Christians traditionally have spoken of three great enemies they face: the world, the flesh and the devil. The world is “out there” and all around us. The “flesh” is inside and loves to answer the call of the world. And as 1 Perter 5:8 reminds us, the devil is everywhere, like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
No wonder that in Acts 14:22 the Bible says that “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” And that’s why Paul told Timothy to “share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3).
The most beloved hymn of all time (“Amazing Grace”) contains a verse that teaches this same truth:
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come.
’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
Truly, there are “many dangers, toils and snares” along the road that leads to heaven. Those difficulties are placed in our path for our spiritual benefit. This law teaches us that spiritual growth is possible and necessary but it is not instant or easy. There are no shortcuts on the road to glory. As football coaches have said for generations, “No pain, no gain.”
Personally, I prefer, “No pain, no pain”! But the principle still stands. And the truth is because we live in a fallen world, bad things happen to all of us. Most of the time, we have no control over much of happens to us or to those around us. We do, however, have complete control over how we respond. And our response to our trials largely determines our spiritual growth—or lack thereof.
Here are four principles that help us think clearly about our trials:
1) Because we live in a fallen world, bad things happen to all of us.
2) We have no control over many things that happen to us or to those around us.
3) We do have complete control over how we respond.
4) Our response to our trials largely determines our spiritual growth—or lack thereof.
And as much as we dislike it, struggle and pain in the Christian life is inevitable and it’s lifelong. But ultimately, it’s of great benefit to us. We encounter God’s grace through our trials in ways that would not happen if the trials had not come in the first place. It takes a mature Christian to understand this principle, and ironically, it is this principle that makes us mature.
Jim Warren, the longtime host of Primetime America on the Moody Broadcasting Network passed along this bit of advice: “When hard times come, be a student, not a victim.” Unfortunately, most of us would rather be victims than students.
Many people are professional victims, always talking about how unfair life is. A victim says, “Why did this happen to me?” A student says, “I don’t care why it happened. I want to learn what God is trying to teach me.” A victim looks at everyone else and cries out, “Life isn’t fair.” A student looks at life and says, “What happened to me could have happened to anybody.” A victim feels so sorry for himself that he has no time for others. A student focuses on helping others so that he has no time to feel sorry for himself. A victim begs God to remove the problems of life so that he might be happy. A student has learned through the problems of life that God alone is the source of all true happiness.
In James 1:2-4 we find practical guidelines that will help us be students and not victims when hard times come our way.
First, James gives us the Command
James 1:2 tells us to, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” James begins by reminding us that sooner or later (probably sooner) we will all face trials of various sorts. The word “face” has the idea of falling or stumbling over a problem.
Picture someone driving down the highway in a convertible. The top is down, the music is blaring, and the driver is having a blast. Not a problem in the world, not a care or a concern. Suddenly there is a bump, a jolt, and the car comes to a sudden halt. What happened? The car hit a massive pothole and suddenly the happy journey is over. Life is like that for all of us. No matter who we are or where we live, trouble is just a phone call away. A doctor may say, “I’m sorry. You’ve got cancer.” Or the voice may inform you that your daughter has just been arrested. Or you may be fired without warning. Or someone you trusted may start spreading lies about you. Or your husband or wife may decide they don’t want to be married anymore. The list is endless because as the verse makes clear, our trials are “of many kinds.” Unlike the Baskin’s and Robbin’s ice cream, our trials come in more than 32 varieties.
How, then, should we respond to these hard times that suddenly come to us? James offers what appears to be a strange piece of advice: “Consider it pure joy” or as the King James says, “Count it all joy.” That sounds so odd that one wonders if he is serious. “Count it all joy? Are you nuts? Do you have any idea what I’ve just been through?” It does sound rather idealistic, if not downright impossible. I confess to be being bothered by this so I decided to check it out in the Greek. No help there. The word “joy” means … joy. Pretty simple.
So I decided to check out some other translations. One version says, “Be very glad” and another says, “Consider yourselves fortunate.” The translation, The New Testament in Modern English by English Bible Scholar John Bertram Phillips puts it this way, “When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends!” Even as I type these words, there is a rueful smile on my face. I think it’s the exclamation point at the end that does it for me. It’s not just “welcome them as friends,” which would be hard enough, but “welcome them as friends!” which to me sounds positively giddy, like I’m welcoming long-lost friends to my home.
As I thought about it more, and considered my own difficulties, the thought occurs that “counting it all joy” when troubles come is not a natural response. If we want a natural response, we can talk about anger or despair or complaining or getting even or running away. It isn’t “natural” to find joy in hardship. But that’s the whole point. James isn’t talking about a “natural earthly” reaction. He’s talking about a “supernatural spiritual” reaction made possible only by the power of the Holy Spirit who enables us to see and to respond from God’s point of view. I’ve come to the conclusion then that “counting it all joy” is a conscious choice we make when hard times come. It’s a choice we’ll have to make again and again and again and again as we face trials of many kinds. And to do it we’ll have to take the long view of life, to understand that what we see is not the final chapter of the story. If we can make the choice to view life that way, then we can make the following statements about our struggles and our trials:
First that they’re sent from the Lord, and Second that they’re necessary for our spiritual growth.
The first statement that they’re sent from the Lord reflects a high view of God’s sovereignty. In Isaiah 45:7 God reminds us, I am the One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these things. Everything that happens to us is either caused by God or sent by God. If I truly believe that, then I can move to the second statement, that they’re necessary for my spiritual growth and begin to look for ways to grow spiritually.
Here’s a practical hint. Don’t trust your feelings! When those you love are in great pain or when you face senseless tragedy or when friends turn against you or when life tumbles in around you, your feelings won’t be an accurate guide. You won’t normally “feel” joyful or grateful or full of trust. You are quite likely to be filled with a plethora of negative emotions. So don’t judge your circumstances by your feelings. Judge your circumstances by the Holy Spirit and by the Word of God. When you do that, a powerful conclusion emerges: These great trials give me great hope that God means a great benefit to come to me by them. Seeing things God’s way doesn’t cancel your trials and it doesn’t turn them into non-trials, but it does transform your evaluation of those trials. You will view them differently because you believe that God intends through them to give you a great benefit that could not come any other way.
This week I read about a pastor in Florida who occasionally throws “Count it all joy” parties. He prepares a nice invitation, sends it out to lots of people, and then waits for the response. “Why are you having this party? Is it your birthday? Your anniversary? Did you get a raise?” they ask him. “No, I’m having this party because I’m going through a hard time right now and I want to celebrate because I know God has something good planned for me in the end.” The thought occurred to me that this is a far better idea than the “Pity Parties” many of us like to throw. Perhaps a group of people going through hard times should come together to throw a “Count it all joy” party so they can commiserate and celebrate together. That approaches the spirit of our text.
We can experience joy through our trials because God is in control. Our main problem is that we misunderstand the word “joy.” To most people the word is a synonym for happiness. Joy to many people speaks of a pep rally or a champagne party or a New Year’s Eve bash. To us, joy means the absence of all pain. But that’s not at all what the Bible means. Here’s a working definition: Joy is deep satisfaction that comes from knowing that God is in control even when my circumstances seem to be out of control. The key to joy is knowing that God is in control. If you know that, you can be satisfied at a very deep level even while you weep over what is happening around you and to you.
During a Bible study this week, a friend pointed me to the story of the death of David’s son in 2 Samuel 12. You probably remember the details. David seduced Bathsheba, committed adultery with her, and had her husband Uriah the Hittite murdered. Then he married her and they conceived a child together. But the Lord was displeased with David’s sin so he sent Nathan the prophet to tell David that the child would die. When the child was born, the Lord struck him with a serious illness (2 Samuel 12:15). In response, David fasted and prayed and cried out to God to spare the baby. He lay on the ground weeping for seven days. His servants begged him to eat but he refused. When the child died on the seventh day, the servants were afraid to tell David because they feared that he might harm himself, so great was his anguish. But David overheard their whispers and asked, “Is the child dead?” When they replied that he was dead, David rose, washed and anointed himself, put on fresh clothes, and went to the temple to worship. Later he returned to his house and began to eat a meal. His puzzled servants couldn’t figure out why he fasted and wept when the child was alive, but when he died, he got up, went to the temple, and ate a meal. David’s response is classic. He told them that he had fasted and prayed while the child was alive, thinking that God might yet spare him. But once the child died, fasting would make no difference. David said, “Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me” (2 Samuel 12:23). The last phrase, by the way, gives us an early glimmer in the Old Testament of the hope of being reunited with our loved ones after death.
You can search through 2 Samuel 12 and you won’t find the word “joy” anywhere. Yet I believe this passage offers us a sad and true-to-life example of what it means to “count it all joy” even in the midst of a terrible personal loss. There is no laughter here, only pain and sorrow and weeping over one man’s foolish choices that led to the death of a son. But David’s response teaches us that down deep, far deeper than his sin, he understood God. He wept and prayed and fasted while that was appropriate. When the time had passed, he rose, washed, worshiped, and ate a meal. He understood that even through his tears, life must go on. He could not and should not fast and pray and weep forever. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says that there is a time to weep and there is a time to refrain from weeping.
The great 19th-century preacher Alexander MacLaren points out that excessive grief can be selfish. There are many of us who make some disappointment, some loss, some grief, the excuse for shirking plain duty. There is nothing more selfish than sorrow, and there is nothing more absorbing unless we guard against its tendency to monopolize our lives. Working for God and working for others is our best comforter next to the promise of God’s Holy Spirit. There is nothing that so lightens the weight of a lifelong sorrow as to make it the stimulus to a lifelong devotion; and if our patience has its perfect work, it will not make us sit with folded hands, weeping for the days that are no more, but it will drive us into heroic and energetic service, in the midst of which there will come some shadow of consolation.
And so I ask this practical question. How can we go on when sorrow has paid us a visit? What shall we do when tragedy strikes and we feel like giving up? Here are five suggestions:
First, Remind yourself of the promises of God.
That simply means, dwell much in the Word of God. Talk to yourself and forcibly call to mind the promises of God’s presence, his comfort, his divine care, and his unerring purpose to mold you into the likeness of his Son. In the darkest hours, the promises will not come easily. You must do whatever it takes to feed your own soul with the Bread of Life.
Second, Give thanks for what you can give thanks for.
There are times when thanksgiving seems almost impossible and sometimes even impious. Sin in all its ugliness sometimes comes as an unwanted guest. Should we give thanks for sin? No, never. But even if you cannot give thanks for 99% of what is happening, focus on the 1% you clearly see and give thanks to God for that.
Third, Refuse to give in to bitterness and despair.
Here I speak of the conscious choices of the heart. Too many times we speak as if we were involuntarily overwhelmed and had no choice but to be bitter, angry, and hostile. Or we had no choice but to give up our faith in God. Better we should say, “I could give in to anger but by God’s grace I will choose a higher road. I could turn away from my Lord but I will not do it.”
Fourth, Choose to believe in God.
That means exactly what it says. Believe in God! Believe in his goodness. Believe in his love. Believe in his kindness. Faith is a choice made by the heart. If you want to believe, you will believe, and the angels of heaven will come to your aid.
Fifth, Make up your mind to go on with life.
This is what David did. This is what we must do. Grief is good and proper and is healing and even ennobling, but after grief has done its work of healing and helping, then we must move on. The past is gone and we can’t go back. Don’t try. You can’t live in yesterday. And you can’t even live in today. The voice of God calls us onward toward tomorrow.
This can be the Christian’s mantra, I can’t go back. I can’t stay here. I must go forward.
Even if we want to go back, we can’t. And we can’t stay where we are. God’s call is always onward, forward, upward, moving out by faith into the unknown future. This is not easy but it must be done. And when we do it, we will discover a well of joy springing up to refresh our souls as we march onward with the Lord.
Second, James gives us the Reason
“Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:3). Every word of this verse is crucial. The phrase “you know” refers not to head knowledge (what we sometimes call “book learning”) but to heart knowledge, the kind gained by years of experience. Some things we learn from books, others we learn in the School of Hard Knocks. This lesson comes from daily life. God wants to put our faith to the test. The word “testing” refers to the process by which gold ore was purified. In order to separate the gold from the dross, the ore was placed in a furnace and heated until it melted. The dross rose to the surface and was skimmed off, leaving only pure gold. That’s a picture of what God is up to in our “fiery trials.” We all have to undergo some “furnace time” sooner or later. And some of us will spend an extended time in the furnace of affliction. But the result is the pure gold of Christlike character. Job spoke of this experience when he declared of the Lord, “He knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).
What is God trying to do when he allows his children to go through hard trials and deep suffering? There are several answers to that question.
First, God wants to purge us of sin and to purify us of iniquity.
Second, God uses suffering to test our faith. Will you still obey God in the darkness? Will you serve God when things aren’t going your way? Will you hold on to the truth when you feel like giving up?
Third, God uses times of difficulty to humble us. When things are going well, we tend to get puffed up about our accomplishments. But let the darkness fall and we are on our knees crying out to God.
Fourth, God definitely uses hard times to prepare us to minister to others. He comforts us so that we may comfort others. I know many Christians whose greatest ministry has come from sharing with others how God helped them through a time of crisis.
Fifth, I believe God uses hard times to prepare us for a new understanding of his character. In the furnace we discover God’s goodness in a way we had never experienced it before.
Until your faith is put to the test, it remains theoretical. You never know what you believe until hard times come. Then you find out, for better or for worse. When the phone rings with bad news, when your son winds up in prison, when your best friend betrays you, when you lose your job, when your parents suddenly die, when life comes apart at the seams, then you discover what you truly and actually believe in the depth of your soul. Until then, your faith is speculative because it is untested. You can talk about heaven all you want, but you’ll discover whether or not you believe in it when you stand by the casket of someone you love.
God’s great design is to produce in us“perseverance.” The Greek word is hupomone, sometimes translated as “endurance” or “steadfastness” or “patience.” In the book of Revelation, this word describes the faith of those brave saints who would not take the Mark of the Beast. Thus it describes a certain kind of “battle-tested” faith that stands up under withering fire from the enemy and does not cut and run. William Barclay notes that in the early church the martyrs gained the respect of unbelievers because in the moment of death, they had this quality. To the very end, they died with their faith intact. Of them it was said, “They died singing.”
Third, James gives us The Promise
“Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4). There is a process involved in our trials that leads to a product. Perseverance requires work and faith and hope and dogged determination to hold on to our faith even when the world seems to be disintegrating around us.
Perseverance says, “I will not give up no matter what happens or how bad life may be. I will hold on because I promised and because I believe the Lord has something good in store for me.” The reward of such gritty stubbornness is genuine spiritual maturity. When trials have finished their work in us, we will not lack anything the Lord wants us to have. If we need faith, we will have it. If we need hope, we will have it. If we need love, we will have it. If we need any of the nine-fold fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), it will be produced in us. Nothing will be left out; nothing will be left behind; noting will be found wanting!
Let me finish up with a few concluding thoughts. When trials come (and they will come to all of us eventually), there is something we can’t know and something we can know:
First, We can’t always know why things happen the way they do.
No matter how hard we try to figure things out, there will always be many mysteries in life. The greater the tragedy, the greater will be the mystery. God does not explain himself to us. As we go through life, we can look back and see many blanks that we wish God would fill in for us. Most of the time we will carry those unfilled blanks with us all the way to heaven.
Second, When hard times come, we can know that God is at work in our trials for our benefit and for his glory. To say that is to say nothing more than the words of Romans 8:28. For the children of God, “all things” do indeed work together for good. Sometimes we will see it; often we will simply have to take it by faith. But it is true whether we believe it or not.
Third, through it all, Be of Good Cheer!
When English evangelist Charles Simeon finished his exposition of this passage found in the Book of James, he addressed himself to two groups of people. First, there are the timid, those who fear the trials of life. Our message is, Be of good cheer. Fear not. Nothing can touch you that does not first pass through the hands of your Heavenly Father. Though the arrow be shot by the evil one, it cannot touch you unless God should will it so. And your Father who loves you will never give you more than you can bear. Though you may feel that you are far past the limit, you aren’t. God measures his trials along with his blessings. If he afflicts you, it is not to destroy you but to develop in you the gold of Christlike character.
And what shall we say to those who are suffering right now? Should we pity you? No! We should rather congratulate you that God has counted you worthy of such great trials. Nothing is wasted—not your pain, your tears, your confusion or even your doubts. All of it is grist for the mill of God’s loving purpose. “Behind a frowning providence, he hides a smiling face.” Receive with joy what God has given you, and bless his name.
Two Simple Words
In order to make this as simple as possible, I’d like to boil today;’s message down to just two words. When hard times come, when trials fall upon us, or we seem to fall upon them, when the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune knock us to the ground, what should we do? Remember these two words.
Pray and stay. Repeat that out loud. PRAY and STAY.
Don’t run. Don’t hide. Don’t shake your fist at God. Don’t start arguing with the Almighty. And don’t waste time trying to make excuses or empty promises. And don’t try to bargain your way out of trouble. It doesn’t work, and you don’t have anything to bargain with anyway.
Pray and stay. Pray and stay. Pray and stay.
Pray: Seek God’s face. Spend time with the Lord. Listen for his voice. Ask God, “What are you trying to teach me? Speak, Lord, and I will listen to your voice.”
Stay: Wait. Be patient. Don’t rush God. (You can’t rush him!) Refuse to run away. Affirm by faith that God is at work even though he seems invisible and your life seems chaotic.
The Christian way is not an easy way and any representations to the contrary are false. There is an abundant life to be had, and there is spiritual victory, and there is joy in the Lord and the filling of the Spirit, but those things don’t come in spite of our trials. Most often they come through and with and alongside our trials. In various ways we will all struggle every day as we make our earthly pilgrimage. In a fallen world, there can be no other way. And for the most part, we can’t choose our trials nor can we avoid most of them. But we can choose how we respond. That part is up to us.
Here are some things that in the midst of trials we can choose
Joy or bitterness.
Forgiveness or anger.
Trust or unbelief.
Faith or fear.
Love or hatred.
Kindness or malice.
Temperance or self-indulgence.
Gentleness or stubbornness.
Mercy or revenge.
Peace or worry.
Hope or despair.
Our perspective makes all the difference. Our trials are not sent to make us fall. They are sent to cause us to fly like eagles as we soar by grace. They are not meant to defeat us but to be the means to a greater spiritual victory. They are not intended to make us weaker but to make us stronger. They are not sent to hurt us but to help us. Therefore, we should not complain when hard times come. We should rejoice. And we will rejoice if we believe what God has said. Every hard trial is another step on the stairway that leads from earth to heaven. Amen.
Let us pray.
Revival Preparation: The Revival We Need Psalm 85
Revival Preparation: The Revival We Need
Psalm 85
If you’ll open your Bibles to Psalm 85 we’ll be reading all 13 verses.
This psalm is a prayer about return and revival. It is a community lament in which the psalmist recounts blessings conferred on the people by the Lord (verses 1-3), pleas for salvation (verses 4-7), and expresses faith that God will save them (verses 8-13).
While we can’t be sure when this psalm was written, it was probably after the return of the exiles from Babylonia. That exile was God’s judgment for their sins. After a regime change, the Persian King Cyrus had allowed a remnant to return to Jerusalem in 538 B.C. The return of the exiles could account for the account of blessings in verses 1-3.
However, when the exiles returned to Jerusalem, they found the city and temple in ruins. Their neighbors were hostile, so that their first order of business had to be building walls for protection. It was anything but the grand homecoming for which they had hoped, and they were severely disappointed. That would account for the plea for mercy in verses 4-7.
But while their faith had been dealt a severe blow by diminished circumstances, they nevertheless lived in faith that God would redeem them. That would account for the expressions of faith in verses 8-13.
As we return to in person service today I hope that this Psalm will also be a prayer for us as we seek renewal and revival for ourselves and our church.
1You, Lord, showed favor to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people
and covered all their sins.
3 You set aside all your wrath
and turned from your fierce anger.
4 Restore us again, God our Savior,
and put away your displeasure toward us.
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your unfailing love, Lord,
and grant us your salvation.
8 I will listen to what God the Lord says;
he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—
but let them not turn to folly.
9 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.
10 Love and faithfulness meet together;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
and righteousness looks down from heaven.
12 The Lord will indeed give what is good,
and our land will yield its harvest.
13 Righteousness goes before him
and prepares the way for his steps.
The greatest need of the church today is not more members, more money, or more buildings. It is not even more missions nor evangelism. It is repentance and revival. Church membership, Christian stewardship, and building construction are all up. But, so is crime, divorce, illegitimacy, alcoholism, and drug abuse. When church activities are at an all-time high, but the morals of the country are at an all-time low, there is something wrong.
The need for revival is evident everywhere in the church. It can be seen in the low level of living by many church members today. While Christians profess that there is but one true God, many of them live like there is NO God! Lowell Thomas, the famous news commentator, said that early in his life, during the gold rush days, his father moved their family to the mining town of Cripple Creek, Colorado. He wrote, “In this wide open atmosphere, I soon felt right at home with sin.” The church today is like that. It has settled down and is at home with sin. As someone said, “The church today is like Noah’s ark. If it weren’t for the storm on the outside we couldn’t stand the stench on the inside.”
The need for revival can be seen in our complacency. Most churches are half empty and fully satisfied. At least sixty-two percent of the churches in the Baptist denomination have either plateaued or are in decline and few people seem concerned. Most of our members seem content just to sit and soak and sour until the second coming. The need for revival can be seen in the unrest of our churches. In a recent eighteen month period 2,100 ministers in our denomination were terminated. When you add to those who have been thrown out, those who are washed out, burned out, or found out, our churches are in turmoil.
One friend, who serves in our denomination, said to me, “Most of my meetings (revivals) are rescue meetings. I go to straighten out the mess in the church so the pastor can stay or to get well enough acquainted with him to recommend him somewhere else.”
The need for revival can also be seen in our lack of commitment. People today have more leisure time than any other generation that has ever lived. Yet, it is increasingly more difficult to get people to make a commitment to teach, sing in the choir, serve through the church. They say, “I don’t want to be tied down.” When people are unwilling to be tied down for the one who was nailed down for them, there is something wrong with our level of commitment.
And finally, the need for revival can be seen in the dullness of most church activities. Religion is either an acute fever or a dull monotony. For far too many it is a dull monotony. We are like the children of Israel in Malachi’s day who sat in the house of God and said, “O, what a weariness it is.” (Mal. 1:13) That attitude is probably what led Nietzsche to say, “If you want me to believe in your redeemer you’ll have to look more redeemed.” And when that is true, revival is needed.
The need of both the church and society is apparent. We must have revival for survival. It is Pentecost or holocaust. What is revival? The word “revival” comes from two Latin words: re, which means “again”, and vivo, which means “to live.” The literal meaning is “to live again.” Revival is not the conversion of an old rascal, the town reprobate, some celebrity, or a star athlete. That’s evangelism. Evangelism is bringing the lost to new life. Revival is the stirring of God’s people to new life, to new dedication, new effort, and new concern. It is a coming back to God, a renewal of what ought to be first in our lives. It is a return to our first love.
Charles Finney said, “Revival is nothing but a new beginning of obedience to God.” R. A. Torrey said, “Revival is furnishing someone for the Holy Spirit to work through.” And, D. M. Panton said, “Revival is the in-rush of the spirit into a body that threatens to become a corpse.” The kind of revival we need was described by the psalmist when he said, “Wilt thou not revive us again that thy people may rejoice in thee” (Psalm 85:6). The occasion for these words was Israel’s return from Babylonian captivity. They had been exiled because of their sin. It was God’s chastening for not obeying him and not serving him. Now, as they returned home after seventy years, the land was desolate and the people discouraged. As the psalmist remembers their former days of glory and grace, he cries out to God for mercy and restoration.
Behind this prayer for revival by the psalmist are three implications: first, that we were once right with God; second, we aren’t now; third, we can be again.
In his prayer, the psalmist expresses the kind of revival we need. What kind is it? It is a heaven sent, a church centered, a God honoring revival. Worked Up or Prayed Down First, we need a heaven sent revival. This verse is a prayer. The writer is asking God to do something only he could do. He asked, Wilt thou revive us again? There has long been a difference of opinion over where revival comes from. Charles G. Finney said revivals are the work of men. They are worked up. So he emphasized promotion along with prayer as a part of revival preparation. But, Matthew Henry said, “When God intends great mercy for his people, the first thing he does is set them praying.” He believed prayer was the main secret of revival. And Charles Haddon Spurgeon affirms, “Christian men should never speak of getting up a revival! There is no good place to get it up from? I do not know any place which you can be and get it up except the place which is better to have no connection with. We must inquire of the Lord to do it for us.
Too often the temptation is to inquire of an imminent evangelist, or ask whether a great preacher could be induced to come. Now, I do not object to inviting soul winning preachers, or to try any other plan of usefulness; but our main business is to inquire of the Lord. For after all, he alone can give the increase.”
So, which is it? Are revivals prayed down or worked up? The relationship between the two can best be seen in the great revival under Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18). Israel had forsaken God and gone after Baal. Elijah assembled Israel on Mount Carmel to call them back to God. He challenged the prophets of Baal to prove whether Baal or Jehovah was the god of Israel. The prophets of Baal called on their god to demonstrate his power, but he failed miserably. Elijah then built an altar, piled it high with wood, dug a trench around it, and soaked it with water. He poured water on it until the water ran down the altar and filled the trench surrounding it. He then prayed this simple prayer, “Lord, let it be known this day that thou art the God of Israel.” Then, fire fell from heaven and all of Israel declared, “The Lord, he is God. The Lord, he is God.”
There would have been no need for Elijah to pray unless he first stacked the wood, for there would have been nothing to burn. And, there would have been no need to stack the wood unless he prayed, for there would have been nothing to ignite it. It is the same with revival. To have revival we must work as though everything depends on us and pray as though everything depends on God. The song writer put it this way:
“Brethren we have met to worship And adore the Lord, our God
Will you pray with all your power While we try to preach the Word.
All is vain unless the Spirit Of the holy One comes down.
Brethren pray and holy manna Will be showered all around.”
Preaching and praying — that’s it! It takes them both. The revival we need is a heaven sent revival.
Second, we need a church centered revival. The psalmist prays, “Wilt thou not revive us . . .” Who is the “us” he is talking about? He tells us in the next sentence, “. . . that thy people may rejoice in thee.” His words remind us of 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land.”
Revival must start within the church. It does not start outside and break in. It starts inside and breaks out. Revival can never lay hold upon the world until it has first laid hold on the church. In the Old Testament God wanted to save the city of Nineveh and called Jonah to preach repentance and salvation to them. But, Jonah had no love for Nineveh and refused to go. Instead he caught a ship for Tarsus, which was in the opposite direction. God sent a great storm, Jonah was thrown overboard and swallowed by a great fish. In the belly of the fish Jonah repented and agreed to go to Nineveh to preach. When he did, revival came and the whole city was saved. The greatest obstacle to the conversion of Nineveh was not to be found in Nineveh. It was not the sinfulness of the Ninevites, although that was great. It was not the corruption of the politicians or the brutality of the police. It was not in the prevalence of cults. The biggest obstacle to the salvation of Nineveh was Jonah. When Jonah repented of his disobedience, prejudice and indifference, revival came. Jonah was the key to the salvation of Nineveh and God’s people are the key to the spiritual condition of our nation and world.
Revival must start with you and me. Since a revival can never lay hold upon the world until it first lays hold upon the church, the need is for the fountain of sin to be broken up in the church. Back-slidden Christians must be brought to repentance. They must have their faith renewed. We are to pray for that. The question is, “Do we really want revival badly enough to seek God’s face, to pay the price, to pray and prepare the way for God’s coming in revival?” No one can predict revival. No one can program revival. No one can earn revival. We cannot generate revival by faithfulness, busyness, or spiritual activities. God is the only source of revival.
In the early 1900s, British evangelist, Rodney Gipsy Smith was once asked how to start a revival. He answered, “Go home, lock yourself in your room, kneel down in the middle of your floor, draw a chalk mark all around yourself, and ask God to start the revival inside that chalk mark. When he has answered your prayer, the revival will be on.”
- A. Torrey said, “I can give you a prescription that will bring revival to any church or community or city on earth. First, let a few Christians (they need not be many) get thoroughly right with God themselves. This is the prime essential. If this is not done, the rest that I am to say will come to nothing. Second, let them bind themselves together in a prayer group to pray for a revival until God opens the heavens and comes down. Third, let them put themselves at the disposal of God for him to use them as he sees fit in winning others to Christ. That is all! This is sure to bring revival to any church or community. I have given this prescription around the world. It has been taken by many churches and many communities, and in no instance has it ever failed; and it cannot fail!”
Charles G. Finney said, “To have a revival, take a piece of paper (no matter how long) and record all your sins. Make a clean sweep — record things like pride, envy, temper, grumbling, neglect, robbing God, unthankfulness. Then confess all these to God and believe him.” In Acts 3:19 God explains that repentance is required before revival may come. He tells us, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,” Revival and refreshing will come to those who repent and are right with God.
There are three things that always characterize spiritual renewal. First, there is a deep dissatisfaction with the status quo. People sense there is a mighty need and a hunger for renewal and revival. If you are satisfied with your life and the church as it is, forget revival. It will never come. Revival always begins with a deep dissatisfaction. Second, there is a personal soul searching, confession, and repentance of sin. Personal holiness is always a major ingredient in true revival. Third, there is a mighty commitment to prayer. People forego meals for prayer. They lay aside entertainment, shopping, meetings, and other things from time to time as the spirit of God calls them to prayer.
Someone once said, we could have revival in the church if . . .
. . . all the disobedient folks would straighten up,
. . . all the gossipers would shut up,
. . . all the lukewarm folks would fire up,
. . . all the sleeping folks would wake up,
. . . all the depressed folks would look up,
. . . all the dishonest folks would ‘fess up,
. . . all the discouraged folks would cheer up,
. . . all the disgruntled folks would sweeten up,
. . . all the soldiers of Christ would stand up, and
. . . all the church members would pray up!
We, then, must come to grips with sin in our own life if revival is to come. A great revival in Scotland and Wales years ago began in a seminary. A preacher said in chapel, “God can mightily use any man whom he can bend to his will.” Evans Roberts heard him, fell on his knees and prayed, “Oh, God, bend me.” And revival came. The nation was changed all because one man said, “Oh, God, bend me.” Are you willing to pray, “Oh, God, bend me.” Revival must begin with us or it will never begin. I believe that!
The revival we need is church centered. We need a God honoring revival. Are we seeking something or someone? The prayer of the psalmist was, “Revive us again that thy people may rejoice in thee.” Churches sometimes seek revival as if they were seeking some thing rather than some one. They seek revival in order to see the sensational or to bolster sagging statistics. They take a revival emphasis and turn it into “big business” and it becomes an end in itself. Some people seek revival like they seek God’s will, as though it were separate and apart from God Himself. My advice to people who want to know God’s will is always the same, “Don’t seek God’s will. Seek God himself. And, when you find him he will reveal his will to you.”
It is the same with revival. We do not need to seek revival, we need to seek God. When we find him, that will be revival. And, when revival comes there will be new joy in the church. There is pleasure in sin. There is no doubt about that. Sin has a kick but it also has a kick-back. But real joy, lasting joy, is to be found in God.
In Psalm 16:11 the psalmist declared, “In thy presence is fullness of joy. At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Joy is the birthright of every believer and should be the hallmark of every church. In Romans 14:17 Paul wrote, “The kingdom of God is not meat and drink (rules and regulations); but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.” If you are going to church more and enjoying it less, you need revival. If the joy, the excitement, the enthusiasm that you had when you first met Christ has been lost, you need to pray the prayer of David, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation” (Psalm 51:12). Revival can begin now, and it can begin with you. If you aren’t as close to God as you once were, don’t make a mistake about which one has moved. When you come back to him, that will be revival. And that will be a cause for rejoicing.
Let us pray
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.