'SHIP 003
Obedience is our duty. We have both a commission to fulfill and an obligation to grow.
Are you? Obedience?
It takes work - hard work.
It takes sacrifice - tough sacrifice.
It take your commitment - which of course is meaningless without the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Peter tells us that we have been given everything we need for life and godliness. Now that's not some certificate or diploma. It's the means we have everything needed to begin and continue in the fulfillment of our obligtion and the fulfilling of our commission.
So, how're we doing? Are we "lukewarm" like our brothers and sisters in Laodicia?
Revelation 3:15-22 ESV
"'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! [16] So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. [17] For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. [18] I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. [19] Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. [20] 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. [21] The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. [22] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"
What's "lukewarmness?"
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
Ouch! Also, note verse 20! Contrary to how we have heard this verse used, Jesus is talking to the Church (collectively and individually). Hellooooo! Anybody home?
How can Christ be "outside" the Church knocking on the door to come in? I have no idea but obviously it's possible.
No look closely at verse 20b. "If anyone," "in to him," "eat with him," "grant him."
Him (and of course Her as well - duhh) - singular. That means we do not wait on everybody else! We don't need to! Indeed, we can not afford to!
You are a sheep - part of a flock -BUT whether the flock follows the Shepherd (or not), you can, you must. What does "following" the shepherd look like? Simple, trusting obedience to the one trusted.
But, when sheep get fat they tend to get sassy. They're full, they have no sense of danger so they just do their own thing. They don't sense the NEED anything.
Oh, wait, could this be something? Do we tend to forget our need? Not our need for food, for material provision but our NEED for Him. Let me ask two questions. First, "When was the last time you were convicted of sin?" Second, "When was the last time you sinned?" Any disconnect there? Any loss of sensitivity? Any (and oh this is scary) absense of sensitivity?
Uhhhhhhh --- 1 John 1:8-10 ESV
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [10] If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Oh, we'll cop to sins - when they're in our faces. But do we live insensitive to them? Do we minimize, ignore, prevaricate? Are we able to dodge conviction? Are we shown our sin and then comparing it to what we call BIGGIES do we just walk past it? The eating of a piece of fruit threw the whole of creation into the corruption and devastation of sin. So how serious is any sin?
Do you hate sin as sin or do you just hate the consequences?
Consider:
"...the choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin...Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you. Your being dead with Christ virtually, your being quickened with him, will not excuse you from this work." From Mortification of Sin, by John Owen.
Disobedience is sin. Right" Or have I missed something?
'SHIP 002
James 4:7 ESV
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
"Submit." We can find all kinds of soft ways to translate this word but in the final analysis it means, "to obey." In a military usage it means to obey the commands of a superior. In non-military usage it is a voluntary "giving in," or "cooperating." Now which do you suppose is intended here?
For me the non-military usage would only result in a hypocritical obedience. It is voluntary - a giving-in, a mere cooperation. The military usages however is more to the point. One does not "cooperate," with one's King and one only "gives-in" under pressure. We are called to obey not cooperate. We are called to kneel, fully acknowledgeing our sovereign Lord, not just give-in.
So we might consider actually putting in the word, "obey," to replace "submit." Submissison/obedience is not something God asks. It is something God commands - demands. We can't satisfy this by just cooperating or givein-in.
Now along with the fact that God has every right to command our obedience there is the second side to this. That is the command to resist the Devil. This word means to oppose, to set one's self against. It's more than a "No," it is a "Not ever!" What part of "adversary" (1 Peter 5:8) do we not understand."
Now, many people may "resist" the Devil - they do not give in to the worse of their inclinations - but--BUT, they do not stand a chance because although they may be saying "No," there is nothing behind it. We, on the other hand are first saying, "Yes," to God's commands and then we are opposing the Devil. It is only the resistance of those submitted - under the command - of God whose resistance has any value.
Ok - we're not talking legalism here. But, how any true believer can get around the need for obedience to the Lord God is beyond me. To paraphrase Bonhoeffer, "Only those who obey beieve and only those who believe obey."
Now, according to the Jewish rabbis there are 613 Law/Commands. Well and good, no arguement. But, having the full revelation of God we can begin with what Jesus told us are the two key commands. Love God (utterly) and love your neighbor. It is not beyond our abilities (guided by the Spirit) to start there and figure it out. Is it?
But - God is really really good. He has provided well:
Ephesians 4:11 ESV
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
Ok - we have no Apostles today (see the requirements in Acts). Prophets? Well that all depends upon how you define prophet. We do not need any new revelations. But we do need those called to warn us, to cajole us, to call us back to Him. So if that's the type prophet you have in mind -Ok - I can go with that.
But we do have evangelists, shepherds and teachers (not to mention elders and deacons) who are all called to serve the Body in their callings. So, we do not need to stumble around in the Word with no direction, guidance or help. Actually I don't think we honor God when we forgo the ministry of those He has called for our instruction.
We are commanded to renew our minds, to grow in His likeness and we are given those He has called to walk alongside us and guide us. To me, to refuse their ministry is to be disobedient. As I like to say, "There are no Lone Rangers is the Kingdom!"
So, let me ask you. Are you under the guidance, shepherding, teaching, etc. of a godly and sound teacher? And - are you part of a submitted fellowship where you are challenged in and by the sound teaching of the word of God? Be careful here. It's common in our day to suppose that we are becasue there are lots of people and we feel good about the sermons. That is not the measure of soundness not godliness. The Roman Circus always drew more people than the early church.
Are you convicted where you are? I mean are you consistantly being called to holiness and realizing how fall short we all fall and are you challenged and encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to grow in your faith? Or is it more a case of "I'm OK-You're OK - and here we are together?"
The whole of the passage we're launching from in James reads:
James 4:7-10 ESV
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [8] Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. [9] Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. [10] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
I would draw your attention to verses 8b and 9. Hello! That should be a part of your Christian experience along with joy and peace and comfort. No? Mmmm curious, it was Paul's experience and he was a wonderful teacher.
Romans 7:21-25 ESV
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. [22] For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, [23] but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. [24] Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? [25] Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
Submit - Resist > aptly describes the contenders for our attention and efforts.
"KingSHIP" 001
010113
Gloom and Doom - Doom and Gloom
They're really nothing new and other than the fact they make everything very uncomfortable, they're not out of God's sight or withdrawn from His concern and attention. But Satan loves to scare the children of God and get their eyes off the Master and on to the Mess. Well, let's not be tricked by that - OK?
As you begin your new 365 consider:
Luke 12:22-31 ESV
And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. [23] For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. [24] Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! [25] And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? [26] If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? [27] Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [28] But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! [29] And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. [30] For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. [31] Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
Consider verse 26 especially: "If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?"
The key here for me is, "why are you anxious about the rest?" My response to God is a resounding, "Becaue of three reasons: First, I'm a weenie. Second, I still think I can and need to make it all work. Third, it's not that my faith is weak - it's more like I don't use it first but wait until I've tried all my ideas first."
Instead of anxiety (not the neurochemical kind ;-}) He calls us to: "Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you."
Remember the song, "Don't worry be happy"? Well, he seems to be saying, "Don't worry get busy (specifically busy!)"
"Seek His Kingdom!" Proposed: There is no real difference between God's Kingdom and His Kingship - so we can legitimately use either term - Ok?
So, the alternative (and perhaps the remedy) for anxiousness is Kingdom/ship seeking. Mmmmmm - that's a pretty big seekiing.
But let me suggest that you consider that it all begins with "ship" and you. What I suggest is that we first seek to live out His King SHIIP over us - individualy and uniquely before we run off trying to do the King DOM thing.
So, we begin a series on SHIP KingSHIP which, on the other end of the stick, is submission as vassals to the King.
I'll try to keep these brief - just hints and suggstions from scripture and my own turbulent seeking.
First step:
James 4:7 ESV
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Second step:
James 4:8 ESV
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Just consider and pray about these imperatives and NEVER forget -----
2 Peter 1:3-4 ESV
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, [4] by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
