This and That Mockers and Mercy 100512

Eze 33:30-33  As for you, son of man, your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, 'Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.'  (31)  And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.  (32)  And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it.  (33) When this comes--and come it will!--then they will know that a prophet has been among them  

Ezek 33:30-33
We read here God’s words to Ezekiel concerning those who come to hear him.  They come to be entertained, to have their ears tickled.  There is no hunger in their hearts nor is faith or faithfulness to be found.

For these “listeners” there is no “hearing,” except that which serves their gain.  But it is not spiritual or eternal gain they seek.
Let me pose a question.  If we see the evil in the attitudes of these people, why would we create something to which they are draw - invited - even actively pursued - and where their ungodly attitudes are allowed to flourish?

The movie The Field has always bothered me.  Well, not actually the movie but the belief it engendered in some that, “If you build it they will come.”  How did that ever slink its way into our faith?  Are we reaching out to people or to Crows and Magpies?  Crows and Magpies love to line their nests with shiny things.  Why they do so we can only speculate for they are not able to “value” these things.

There are certainly Crows and Magpies in the body of Christ and in some cases they are building nests to their own specifications and not by the Lord's model.  But their nests will not survive His coming.  The will burn in a millisecond.

But - what I want you to see is what the Lord tells us to do about this situation.  Re-read the passage -- go ahead, I'll wait
Did you see it?  Do yu now know what God expects of you in relation to these people?  If you say, "I didn't see anything," you've got it.  God gives us no orders concerning these people.  We're to just continue to be those who communicate the Word in a, "beautiful voice," and to be those who, "plays well on an instrument."  We are to continue to proclaim the Word which comes from the Lord.  Why?

First because judgment and condemnation are not ours to dispense.  God does not share His throne, He alone is judge and executioner.

Second, because we need to be as merciful and God is.  If these mockers are given one more day, one more opportunity to hear the Word it is because God is merciful.  The day before He made me His, the very moment before, I was His enemy.  That, one more moment, was His mercy to me - and to you.
Think about it.  Everyday that God gives an non-believing friend of ours is another opportunity for us to share His grace His Gospel.  It's a mercy to them and to us.  To them because it's another chance to hear.  To us because it's another chance to tell.  Mercy is indeed broader than we think.

Yes, they may reject the message.  But just because they might is no reason not to share.  The very possibility that He may use us to work in their redemption is a grace given to us and mercy given to them.

Think of it this way.  If someone dear to us dies and we are told that sharing the Gospel with them might bring them life - would we not do it just because it might not?  It's is little different with those dear to us who still live.  They are dead and we have the words of life.  Will we refuse to speak them because they may be rejected?  Will we reject the wondrous opportunity just because it might come to nothing?

Yes, it is frustrating to realize than many who call themselves believers are not believers.  It's painful to see them mocking God by taking entertainment from His words.  But if He gives them one more opportunity to hear, we must praise Him for His mercy and silence our flesh.  If He gives them a thousand opportunities to hear and they mock every one of them - it is still His mercy.

Let us not miss any opportunity to make good use of His mercy to the unredeemed. 

Peter’s Pen 1st Peter 3:9-12

1Pe 3:9-12  Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.  (10)  For "Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;  (11)  let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.  (12)  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

Do not - For to this you were called – For – For – But

Vs. 9 & 10

We are called to turn away from evil AND do good – by seeking peace – even pursuing it.

“Called,” – great word.  Indicates being called by name.  We were “named” to turn away from evil.  That evil referred to here is repaying evil with evil.  Curse for curse.  Reviling for reviling.

I wonder when we lost that?  There is just too much returning evil for evil going on from within the Body of Christ.  Yeah, there are the wing-nuts who claim Christ and use that for an excuse to hate – but are they really believers?  I doubt it.

But – in our private conversations how much anger – indeed evil - do we speak of those who oppose, revile and/or do evil to believers and the cause of Christ?

Early on, the very name “Christian” was a reproach, a type of reviling and yet we don’t see any return of that reviling coming from the believers. 

Now please don’t go thinking that if you are not cursing those who hate you, then you are doing ok.  Ambivalence towards our enemies is just as big an evil.  Dismissing, ignoring, much less making snide and hurtful comments (especially among ourselves), is just as bad.  It may be an indirect return of evil but it is evil.

We are to bless!  We are told that if we “love” (agapao) life (zoe/ a kind of life – our life in Christ) then we will labor to keep our, “tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;  let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.”

Ahhh the tongue.  See James 3. No, really, look it up and read it – three times at least.

Jas 3:9-10  With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.  (10)  From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

Any questions?  What part of, “ought not to be,” is hard to grasp?

Mat 15:18  But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.

Does that help you, “get it”?

This is not a matter of “doing,” as much as it is a matter of the heart. 

So, how’s your heart?  Check your mouth and you’ll get the scoop!  Actually, consider what you think and don’t say – that’s a good indicator.

So how do we get our hearts right?

Let me get at this left-handedly.

1Co 7:36-38  If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry--it is no sin.  (37)  But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well.  (38)  So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.

Three things about a healthy heart:

• It is firmly established – set upon and under the sovereignty of God.
• It is under control – both by the believer and the Spirit.
• It is determined – both by the believer and the Spirit and the Word.

We have new hearts.  We have old flesh.  They don’t get along.  But the flesh has only the power and influence we give it.  The Spirit is more powerful.  The flesh can provoke but the Spirit controls – or does He?  That you must ask God, yourself and your faith family.

If the worst thing you say about unbelievers – especially those who revile you – is that they need to be redeemed – then you have said all you can appropriately say.  When you allow the flesh to launch you into either thoughts of speech that demeans, insults or devalues an unbeliever – especially one who opposed you – you have gone too far. 

Look, unbelievers are exactly the way they are supposed to be, sinful.  I don’t really concern myself with WHAT there sinfulness looks like and I certainly can’t allow my personal prejudices allow me to vilify anyone – they are simply sinners – just like me without Christ.  The only critical difference is that I have the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word to work God’s ways into my life through Christ.  I am free of the bondage to sin, they aren’t.  They don’t and aren’t – so I do not ever expect Christian behavior or opinions, etc. from those who are not His.  Regardless of how we “feel” about their sin – their “lostness” is their biggest – BIGGEST problem and should be our main, if not only, concern.

How do we ‘bless” them?  By prayer, by kindness, by helping, by sharing the Gospel; and to do that we have to ask God to work in our hearts so that we are heart-broken for them, about them and with them.