Evangelistic Insight ???

Psa 36:11  Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me,

nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

The message at worship today had a plethora (cool word) of really great points and insights.  It was a wonderful morning.

Not only was I personally blessed but I had a lot put in my “hopper” to consider and pray over.  One thing in particular ended up on the top.  It was the opposition to the Gospel.

While I was reading this afternoon I came across Psalm 36 which I used in the P & Me blog today.  As I read the rest of the Psalm, verse 11 jumped off the screen.

Here is a good description of the problems we might have while we seek to share the Gospel.  The first problem is us.  If we do not remember from whence He has bought and brought us we will run the danger of an arrogant spirit.  We will fall into the “us” and “them” trap.  We will come, not in the humility of Christ but the arrogance of the flesh.

Ok, maybe – maybe we can see ourselves as better off than the unredeemed sinner but there is nothing we can claim that will ever make us “better.”  If Romans 7 doesn’t convince us of that, nothing will. 

Yes, there is bad news before the good news but the good news is about Him not about us.  Actually the only power in the Gospel is Him.  Our, “How I came to Jesus,” story may be powerful but that’s not the Gospel.  He is the Gospel.

The world thinks we think we are “good” people because we are believers.  The world thinks that because “we’ve” somehow (arrogance??) conveyed that idea.  I am called (don’t want to impose my view on you) not to oppose evil in the world – but rather to proclaim the coming of the Savior.  I am not the overcomer of sin – not even in my own life.  Rather I am the proclaimer of good tidings of great joy.  Maybe if we presented the Gospel with more “I was” than “you are” in it we would avoid any appearance of arrogance.

The second part of this verse is tough.  To be honest, if I had a dollar for every time I’ve held my tongue or stated something “safely,”  I’d be rolling in $.  My sin – my problem – that He can overcome.

But we all know the feeling of discomfort when we are talking about our faith.  Do I say this, do I say that?  We don’t want to offend but folks we have to accept that the cross in all its meaning is, well, offensive.

There is insight in the words of Paul:

1Co 1:21-24  For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.  (22)  For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,  (23)  but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,  (24)  but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

AND

2Co 4:8-10  We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;  (9)  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;  (10)  always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

Consider Psalm 36:11, as you pray for the opportunity,  wisdom and call to share the Gospel with others.  These are two biggies that can hinder His work through us as we go about His work,  at least they are for me.

Peter’s Pen 1st Peter 1:6 & 7

1Pe 1:6-7  In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,  (7)  so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Remember the “exiles” thing?  Well here it is again in another way.

Notice Peter starts by acknowledging the effect what he has just written would have on his readers.  The word rejoice refers to singing, dancing (Oh?), etc.  There’s a subtly here.  It is “in this” – what Peter has just shared – that we find something to rejoice about.  It is “in Jesus” we have the reason to rejoice.

though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,

Well, exiles can expect that.  We’re not “home” yet. 

We are grieved both by being here and by not yet being there.  We experience sadness and sorrow.  “Put on a happy face,” is not found in the Bible.  Neither is “Grin and bear it.”  Sorrow and sadness are not inappropriate for the believer!

Paul wrote:

2Co 1:8  For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.

Yet he followed it with:

2Co 1:9  Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.

Note the end of verse 9.  There was a reason.  Peter expresses the same thing in this passage:

so that the tested genuineness of your faith—

more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—

may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ

The ‘tested genuineness of your faith,” really causes some believers a lot of worry.  They read that and have a sense that they have to prove their faith to God.  First, that’s impossible.  Second, that’s not the point.  Third, that’s exactly what the devil wants us to think.

God knows our faith – mustard seedy as it is.  We don’t need to prove anything to Him.  Remember – He made us His – He guards us.

What Peter is saying to you and I is that through various trials God proves He is faithful.  It’s His trustworthiness that is proven – His faithfulness to us as His children.

The, praise and glory and honor Peter writes of is what we will explode into when that glorious day comes when we are “home” with Him.

Walk with P & Me -03 More about me than us

Husbands, love your wives,

as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

so that he might present the church to himself in splendor,

without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,

that she might be holy and without blemish.

(Eph 5:25-27)

Pretty much an old “Yeah duhhh,” verse – right?  Well somehow it grew teeth for me.

As Patti and I walk together through our “next steps” I thought of this verse and several things bit me.

The first was, “and gave himself up for her.”  Boy that was a punch in the gut.  We, husbands, tend to feel we “give up” a lot for our families – and we do.  But here we see that we are to give up our self for our wives.  OK maybe Sunday night football or a round of golf – but myself?  Ouch.

It’s interesting how that got twisted over time.  We talk about a wife’s sacrifice for her husband – her making a home, raising the kids.  Yeah, I know, that’s biblical.  But just like that’s gotten all out of whack in our culture so has the sacrifice we husbands are to make.

It’s a specific sacrifice – it is “for her.”  Not security, not things but for her.  Which makes me wonder what Patti needs for me to sacrifice about me; and how do I give up me?

Reading or shooting is one thing – me is another.

This has made it to my “Huh?” prayer list.  That’s the list of things I need to pray about that I don’t quite “get” what I need to pray about.  I know that if I asked her she’d say, “Nothing,” with that sweet Irish smile but also that raised Jewish eyebrow. 

This is, at least to me, a bit beyond, “Honey what can I do to help.”  It’s also beyond, “What’s one thing about me you’d like me to change?”  This my fellow husbands looks and feels like, well, the Word and the Spirit stuff.

No, not some airy-fairy, incense and weirdness thing but a search my soul thing.  I guess what I’m trying to say is that this looks and feels like something bigger than either of us could discern – especially in our flesh.  This is – ginormous!

So – do you have a “Huh?” prayer list?  You might want to start one and put this down first.  So far my mind wants to go to all the worldly happy things that I could do for or provide for her.  But I think that would miss the mark.  I want Patti to enjoy the full assurance of her redemption and the full joy of serving Him.

Read the verse paying particular attention to what follows:

Loves….her

that he might….her

so that he might….her

that she might….

Oh, that we might that our wives might.  We can, but only in His might.

I am grateful in a new way for His forgiveness and for His instruction.

No, I don’t know how to give up me for her – I’ve got some ideas but I don’t want to let my flesh feed my function – soooo  it’s prayer time.

Walk with Patti and me 02

Walk with Patti and me….02

This weekend was a real learning experience.  For several hours all our worry and concern just faded away.  It was as though everything was AOK.

How did this happen?  Well, Saturday we spent several hours collaborating on some of the blogs.  It was a wonderful time of questions and challenges and laughter (ok if you’ve read any of the pieces Patti didn’t get to edit you understand the laughter).

The thing is that we were so focused on the work of improving the blogs that we were absorbed by it.  This wasn’t busy work; it was a mutual concentrated focus on serving Him through the blogs.  What was so wonderful was that we both had such openness and freedom in the exchange.  It wasn’t about us and our circumstances it was about Him and you.

The second experience of relief was, as you might suspect, at worship.  Again, our problems were kept from imposing themselves on us.  We were not giddy but at peace and a little joyous.  Again, for that period of time it wasn’t about us and we were safe from the distraction.

What’s the point?  I think it was the experience of fellowship – real fellowship with each other and the body of Christ.  We weren’t “distracted” (that’s what TV is for ;-}).  We were focused off ourselves and on a greater priority.

In the lesson at church Pastor David mentioned perspective.  Well maybe it was being engaged with Him that altered our perspective.  Even when I shared our circumstances with the fellowship the impact seemed smaller.  Maybe we were repairing our nets but it was a wonderful gift from Him to be working and worshipping together.

A thought -

In Sibbes’ book, The Souls Conflict With Itself, he devotes an entire section to the imagination.  It is tied, of course, to our vanity and our difficulty in being un-autonomous. 

I was especially convicted when he wrote about how we imagine things to be worse or potentially worse than the reality. 

It’s real easy for Patti and I to “imagine,” how things will go and it is typically a terrible imagining.  What Sibbes helped me see is that there is very little of the rational in our common imaginings.

Just yesterday my Pastor taught about the need to know and the need to be biblically rational.  As the Puritans would say, the mind needs to direct the affections (feelings) and no doubt that needs to be true of our imaginings as well. 

Here’s the great thing (thank you David) about starting with what we know.  Of course I use know in the “know God” (John 17:3).

When we begin with what we know (and it must be biblically sound) our imaginings start with the final truth and its assurance.  So we know, regardless of our imaginings, that it all ends well – in Him.  Now it’s the time between this moment and that one that we have to deal with.

But the lovely truth is that God has provided us with examples of a lot of in between stuff.  Some of it is tough to accept, some of it we hope for – but all of it has happy endings for those who are His.

Now, imagining can be a useful powerful tool when done in submission to and dependence upon the Holy Spirit and the Word.  The Word gives us boundaries, the Holy Spirit works with our consciences to warn or encourage us. 

What we’re working on:

There ought to be in man a conformity to the truth and goodness of things, or else, 1, we shall wrong our own souls with false apprehensions; and 2, the creature, by putting a fashion upon it otherwise than God hath made; and 3, we shall wrong God himself, the author of good-ness, who cannot have his true glory but from a right apprehension of things as they are.

Sibbes, Richard (2012-04-24). The Soul's Conflict With Itself: And Victory Over Itself By Faith. (p. 153). A Puritan At Heart Press. Kindle Edition.

Keep praying with and for us!!

THANK YOU!

Michael & Patti Sanders

2205 New Garden Rd # 2807

Greensboro, NC 27410