When Is God’s Will?
Genesis 50: 20 and Romans 8: 28 – 29.
Introduction.
Last Sunday I preached about “Seeking God’s Will.” If you missed the sermon, you can watch the video on the church website www.fbclufkin.org, or you can read the sermon on my website, www.andypittman.blogspot.com.
I have been preaching about God’s will to prepare us for our 40 Days of Prayer. On Wednesday, March 9, we will begin praying for our church for the next 40 days. We are going to pray for God’s direction for our church as we plan for the future. Who does God want us to be as individuals and as a church? What kind of church is God calling us to become? Does it really matter what kind of church we are?
On one hand, we have a very clear understanding of God’s mission and purpose for our church. God has called us to “make disciples” of Jesus. We are to witness to those who do not know Jesus as Lord of their lives. We are to baptize new believers. We are to provide instruction and worship for Christian men and women, boys and girls to grow closer to Jesus. AND, we are to provide opportunities for all of us to serve Jesus by continuing the work Jesus did during his life on earth. This much we know.
On the other hand, we don’t really know the best methods for making disciples and carrying out Jesus’ ministry in our twenty-first century context. Our mission will never change. It is our methods which need to be examined and possibly changed to become more effective in Lufkin and around the world.
Therefore, we will be praying for God’s will for our church. In fact, I think our prayers ought to reflect the two times Jesus prayed “Let your will be done.” It will be possible for us to try to place OUR will for OUR church ahead of God’s will for HIS church. Did you notice the difference between those two prayers? MY will for MY church versus GOD’S will for GOD’S church. Whose church is this? Who knows what is best for this church?
An interesting thing happens when we talk about God’s will. We usually think of God’s will as something “out there” in the future. It is something better than what we are experiencing right now…It is something we have to pray for and wait for…Surely, this is not God’s will we are experiencing at this moment in time…
I am going to do something unusual today. I am going to tell you the point of the sermon before I preach the sermon. It will be kind of like ruining a good joke by revealing the punch line too soon. Hopefully this won’t actually spoil the sermon… The point is, this IS God’s will.
With all my heart, I believe God has something better in store for Lufkin’s First Baptist Church. But, at the same time, I also believe God is working in us right here and right now. We don’t have to wait for God to work in our church. We don’t have to wait for God’s will to be done. NO. God is at work right here and right now. He is working in us. He is working on us. God is preparing us for the future.
The best example I can think of in Scripture comes from the story of Joseph in the Old Testament…
Read Genesis 50: 20 … You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. (NIV)
This profession of faith comes at the very end of the Book of Genesis and at the end of what we know about Joseph. It is important for us to remember where these words come from. This is NOT a statement about an easy Christian life. This is not a man who believes if you trust in God, then God will make you healthy, wealthy and wise. Rather, this is a statement about how God works in both the good circumstances and the bad circumstances of life. No matter what trials you are facing today or have faced in the recent past, God has not stopped working in you and the circumstances of life.
The story of Joseph began with the story of his father Jacob. Jacob fell in love with a girl named Rachel. He offered to work for her father for a period of seven years in exchange for Rachel to become his wife. Rachel’s father tricked Jacob and sent his older daughter Leah to the wedding. At the end of the day, Jacob had married the wrong girl! So, Jacob had to work an additional seven years to marry the girl he loved.
Once Jacob and Rachel were married, they discovered that Rachel could not have children. At the same time, Leah was having many children—and boys at that. After many years of trying, Rachel finally gave birth to her first son, Joseph.
Joseph quickly became his father’s favorite son, since he was born to his father’s favorite wife. Jacob made this favoritism obvious by having a special coat made for Joseph. We learned in children’s Sunday School that this was a “coat of many colors,” but it is possible that it was a coat with “long sleeves.” Either way, Joseph’s coat was not well suited for agricultural work.
This coat made Joseph’s brothers very jealous. While the brothers were out working in the fields, Joseph stayed close to the house, dressed in his ornate clothes. This gave Joseph plenty of time to dream. The brothers were too busy working to dream. But, Joseph spent all his time dreaming. And, Joseph didn’t do himself any favors…Because each time he had a dream, he told his brothers about it.
In one of Joseph’s dreams, he dreamed he had been helping his brothers work in the fields. They were all binding up sheaves. When they finished the work, Joseph’s sheath stood up and all the other sheaves bowed down to him. In another dream, Joseph dreamed that the sun, moon and eleven stars all bowed down to him. These dreams made his brothers even angrier. They were so angry that they began to plot Joseph’s death.
One ordinary day, the brothers were out working in the fields, and Joseph was dreaming close to home. Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers. The brothers recognized Joseph from a distance and decided it was time to put their plans into action. They captured Joseph and threw him into a well. (This was Reuben’s idea. Instead of killing Joseph, Reuben wanted to scare him by leaving him in a well and eventually helping him get out.)
Before Reuben could rescue Joseph, the brothers decided to sell him as a slave. They sold him to Midianite slave traders, who sold him to an Egyptian official named Potiphar.
According to Genesis 39, Joseph continued to trust the LORD and was able to rise in the slave ranks to become Potiphar’s personal attendant. Joseph was given charge of everything in Potiphar’s house. Well, he had charge of everything except Potiphar’s food and Potiphar’s wife.
It’s beginning to look like Joseph can make the best of a really bad situation. Yet, one day, Potiphar’s wife approached Joseph while no one else was in the house. She wanted him to have an affair with her. Joseph refused her advances for two reasons. It would be a sin in her husband’s eyes and it would be a sin in God’s eyes. Potiphar’s wife would not take no for an answer. She grabbed Joseph by the coat. At this point, Joseph ran away so fast, he ran out of his clothes…Leaving Potiphar’s wife holding Joseph’s coat. When Potiphar found Joseph’s clothes in the house he threw Joseph into prison.
This is perhaps Joseph’s lowest point. At one time he was his father’s favorite son. He had a very easy life. And, most of us have an easier time trusting God when everything is going our way. But, Joseph moved from being the favorite son to being a slave in a foreign land. He remained faithful in his status as slave and was beginning to have a better life. Then, he was falsely accused and placed in prison. There is no obvious reason for Joseph to trust in the LORD. He was not wealthy. He was not happy. Nothing was going his way. Yet, Joseph defied all odds and continued to trust in the LORD.
In fact, the other prisoners began to look up to Joseph and ask him to interpret their dreams. One of those prisoners was the deposed cupbearer for Pharaoh. Joseph listened to his dream and told him that Pharaoh would restore him to his old position in the palace. The only thing Joseph asked for in return was for the cupbearer to remember Joseph when he was back in Pharaoh’s palace. But, the cupbearer did not remember Joseph.
Then Pharaoh had a dream of his own. He called for all the priests and magicians to come and interpret his strange dream. When no one could interpret for Pharaoh, the cupbearer finally remembered Joseph.
Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream as a warning about a coming famine that would affect the entire Middle East. Egypt needed to prepare for the coming famine so they could provide for their own people and for the other nations.
Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph that he made him the second in command. Joseph was responsible for gathering food before the famine and for distributing food once the famine hit.
This is the point in the story when Joseph’s dreams begin to come true. He is now an important governmental official in Egypt. AND, when the land of Canaan experienced famine, Joseph’s own brothers came to Egypt to ask Joseph for food. Joseph was reunited with his family. Joseph was the one God used to save the lives of all God’s people.
God Has a Plan.
The story of Joseph is a story of how God often works behind the scenes. God knew that the famine was coming. God knew that his chosen people would die of starvation without God’s direct intervention. So, God placed one of his own people in Egypt to store up enough food to save God’s people.
We know this was God’s plan from the beginning because of Joseph’s dreams. God didn’t lose track of Joseph and then devise a plan once Joseph arrived in Egypt. God was not surprised by what happened to Joseph…And God is not surprised by what is going on in your life today. He knows the future.
In the same way that God knew Joseph’s future before it ever happened, God knows your future and the future of our church. He has a plan to use you and me. We don’t know what that future looks like…But God knows.
God Is at Work.
It is usually easier for us to see the hand of God at work in our lives by looking backward over our lives than it is to see it right here and right now. The only thing Joseph really knew during his time as a slave and a prisoner is the fact that he could not get a break. Just when things seemed like they could not possibly get worse…they did. Every time Joseph thought he was going to get a good break, something or someone ruined it for him.
But, in the end…Joseph was able to profess his faith that God was always at work in his life.
This does not mean that God was the one who threw Joseph in the well; sold him as a slave; threw him into prison; or caused the cupbearer to forget. God does not cause evil and is not the source of evil. But God can and does work in evil circumstances.
How often have you used the expression, “God is at work?” God is at work in my life…God is at work in our church…God is at work in our world… The only time we use those expressions is when something good is taking place. That’s not the case. God is at work in the midst of pain and struggle and even in evil circumstances.
The work of God is not limited to favorable circumstances. That was not the case in Joseph’s story. In fact, the story of Joseph makes a good argument that God actually PREFERS to work in non-pleasant situations. That is when it is completely obvious to us and to non-believers that God is the one responsible. If Joseph had an easy life, we would give Joseph all the credit. But the story demonstrates that Joseph had almost nothing to do with the outcome. It was God.
The same thing is true for us individually and as a church. God did not choose us because we were the smartest and wealthiest and best looking. God can use any circumstances. God can use any person.
God Can Be Trusted.
From a purely human point of view, Joseph had no reason to trust in the LORD. God didn’t make him rich. Joseph didn’t have a really good job. Joseph lived as a slave in a foreign land, where it was impossible for him to worship God.
We know Joseph trusted in God because of the way he spoke about God to others. He told Potiphar’s wife that he could not have an affair with her, because it was a sin in God’s eyes. He gave God all the credit for interpreting the dreams of the cupbearer and of Pharaoh.
You and I could learn a lot from Joseph. Usually, we are quick to thank God for all the good things in our lives. Then, we turn around and blame God when things are not going well. We get very happy when life is good. We get bitter and angry when life is not good. Joseph teaches us to trust God no matter the circumstances.
Conclusion: God Will Be Glorified.
Notice the way Joseph gave God the credit when he and his family were reunited. There is a big temptation for most of us to point our fingers at ourselves and say something like, “You thought you could stop me. But I overcame.” “You thought you were hurting me, but I showed you!! I turned out OK, all by myself.”
Joseph did not take the credit for his new position in Egypt. Joseph did not brag about being the one to save the family. He gave God the credit and all the glory.
There is a similar statement about God’s glory in the New Testament:
Read Romans 8: 28 – 30 … And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (NIV)
These verses do not teach us that Christians will always be healthy, wealthy and wise. In fact, they teach us just the opposite. Despite the circumstances…Even in the midst of pain and struggle…At times when God seems silent…
God has a plan…
God is at work…
God can be trusted…
God will be glorified…
When we read Genesis 50: 20 and Romans 8: 28 – 30, we discover that God’s will is not something we have to wait on. God is at work right here and right now, bringing his plan for our lives to completion.
It is our job to trust God and let him work in us. His plan is better than our plans for ourselves. His plan leads us through good and bad times. His plan shapes us to become more like Jesus.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Seeking God's Will
Seeking God’s Will
1 Kings 22: 1 – 18
I. Introduction.
When I was in seminary, Baylor University sponsored an extensive survey of all preaching professors from every college, university and seminary in English speaking countries. The survey asked these preaching professors to select the Most Effective Preachers in the English language. The final list was known as the Twelve Most Effective Preachers.
Then Baylor invited each of these 12 preachers to come to the school and receive an award, to preach in a special evening service on campus and to preach in the seminary chapel. Most of them accepted the invitation. (As I recall, Billy Graham was the only recipient who could not come. I remember his having health problems at the time.)
Since I was a seminary student at the time of the survey and the invitations to preach in chapel, I had an opportunity to hear 11 of the 12 most effective preachers in the English speaking world. (I only showed up to about half of the sessions—so, I probably hear only six of the twelve.)
The first preacher to accept the invitation to Baylor was Dr. Lloyd Ogilvie, retired chaplain of the U. S. Senate and former pastor of a large Presbyterian church in Hollywood, California. In seminary chapel, Dr. Ogilvie talked about the relevancy of preaching. In his talk, he suggested that preaching is relevant when it does two things…
First, preaching must proclaim the Word of God…
Second, preaching must answer the questions people are asking. Answering questions that no one is asking is not relevant.
Dr. Ogilvie used to conduct surveys in his Hollywood congregation. He would ask the church to respond to one question: What is the biggest question in your life right now?
I periodically think about doing the same thing…That is, to ask you to share with me the biggest questions in your life. Maybe you should email them to me. Or, maybe we should put a suggestion box out in the church foyer. I did this with my college students in Waco in 1996. I asked them to write down the biggest question in their lives.
Perhaps it will not surprise you what the college students asked. An overwhelming majority of students who responded (over 80%) asked the same question: What is God’s will for my life? (One student was much more specific: I am graduating from college in two months, what does God want me to do next?)
In some ways, this is a timeless question. After all, we all want to have assurance that God has a plan for our lives, and we want to be obedient to God’s will.
In other ways, this is a timely question for us as a church. We are dreaming about the future. We are coming to terms with the fact that some of our efforts as a church are not as effective today as they were 10, 20 and 50 years ago. We want to do something new, which will help us to be faithful to God’s mission and purpose for our church. We are even going to observe 40 days of prayer for our church during the season of Lent—from Ash Wednesday, March 9 through Easter Sunday, April 24.
We are going to pray for God’s will for our church. But, do we really know how to seek God’s will?
II. Read 1 Kings 22: 1 – 4… For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. But in the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to see the king of Israel. The king of Israel had said to his officials, "Don't you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us and yet we are doing nothing to retake it from the king of Aram?" So he asked Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."
Ahab was still king of Israel… Ahab had led Israel in several successful campaigns against the Arameans…But had made one mistake…
After the final defeat of the Aramean army, Ahab allowed the king of Aram to go free… The result of this decision brought an unnamed prophet to the king’s palace to pronounce God’s judgment on Ahab & Jezebel…The dogs would eat them…
Because Ahab did not follow God’s will in utterly destroying the Arameans, the enemy still occupied a stronghold in the land of Israel…Ramoth-Gilead.
Ahab invited the new king of Judah to help in a military campaign against Aram to regain a city that blocked a major trade route into both Israel and Judah…
III. Read Verses 5 – 12… But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "First seek the counsel of the LORD." So the king of Israel brought together the prophets-- about four hundred men-- and asked them, "Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" "Go," they answered, "for the Lord will give it into the king's hand." But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?" The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." "The king should not say that," Jehoshaphat replied. So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once." Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns and he declared, "This is what the LORD says: 'With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.'" All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. "Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious," they said, "for the LORD will give it into the king's hand."
Jehoshaphat had a good idea…Let’s call on God and ask what his will is.
I want you to notice something significant in verse 5…The word LORD is in all capital letters…This is the way all modern English translations translate the Hebrew word, Yahweh.
There are 2 other Hebrew words which we translate into English as Lord, Baal and Adonai…But these are usually written in lower case or only the “L” is capitalized… The reason is to distinguish between the title “lord” and God’s name, Yahweh.
I find this significant because just a few chapters earlier we read about a confrontation between Elijah and 400 prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel. In the end, these 400 prophets were killed, and Baal worship was removed from Israel…
However, Ahab observed a perverted worship of Yahweh… The people were allowed to worship in high places and use idols. Therefore, these 400 prophets are probably corrupt prophets of Yahweh… More than likely they had been trained to tell King Ahab exactly what he wanted to hear…With one exception…There was one faithful prophet named Michaiah.
When Jehoshaphat heard the words of the 400 prophets, he didn’t exactly believe them…Something about their prophecy seemed fishy.
Therefore, he asked for a 2nd opinion…But Ahab didn’t want a 2nd opinion, because he knew it wouldn’t be good.
IV. Read Verses 13 – 18… The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, "Look, as one man the other prophets are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably." But Micaiah said, "As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what the LORD tells me." When he arrived, the king asked him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" "Attack and be victorious," he answered, "for the LORD will give it into the king's hand." The king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?" Then Micaiah answered, "I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD said, 'These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.'" The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?"
When the messengers of Ahab found Micaiah, they coached him a little as to what he was to prophesy…It was as if the messengers said, “Just go along with what 400 other prophets have already said re: this matter.”
I like Micaiah’s response to the suggestion…He said, “I can only say what God says to me.” I must remain faithful…I must be truthful.
I think this is probably one of those Scriptures that is meant to be humorous…We cannot see the humor in it unless we read it in a different tone…Read v. 15 in Sarcastic tone…
The humor comes in 2 ways…
1. Micaiah probably used sarcasm to communicate.
2. Micaiah told Ahab exactly what he asked for, but Ahab did not accept it as the truth…Sometimes we know what the truth is…We just don’t want to listen
Then Micaiah told the truth…And it was exactly what Ahab had expected…It was bad news…
God did want Israel to go into battle…But God did not plan for Israel to win that battle…The battle was for the purpose that the original prophecy re: Ahab could be fulfilled…He would die in battle and dogs would lick up his blood.
V. Conclusion.
I see this story as an important story to us even today…It illustrates, in a negative way, how a godly person should make decisions…The 2 kings in the story BOTH chose incorrect ways to make decisions. So, what is the right way?
I learned some words of wisdom this week, which I had never heard before. “You must learn from the mistakes of others, because you will not live long enough to make every mistake yourself.” I have always heard a similar statement… “Any fool can learn from his own mistakes. It takes a wise man to learn from the mistakes of others.” Let’s look at their mistakes and see what they illustrate. . .
1. Seek God’s will BEFORE you make up your mind (vv. 4 – 5).
Notice how Jehoshaphat answered Ahab’s question BEFORE he sought the LORD’s will…
How many times have we done the same thing? How many times have we prayed, “Lord, this is what I am doing. Let it be your will.” … OR, “Lord, let your will be what I have just done.” … OR, “Lord, bless my decision, because I have already made up my mind.”
2. Seek God’s will in God’s Word.
Modern people are faced with many different views of where and how to seek God’s will: Church Traditions…Priests…Creeds…Feelings…Internal Work of H.S…Human Opinion…Human Authority (political, etc)…
Often these “modern day prophets” are in contradiction to one another…Just as the prophets of Israel were…
How can we discern between true prophets and false prophets? Simply put, God’s will is in God’s Word… Internal witness of Holy Spirit is important, but this cannot be the primary (much less the only) guidance we seek.
John Calvin in his Institutes taught what has become the Landmark teaching re: balance between Holy Spirit and Scripture.
Internal, subjective witness of Holy Spirit is ALWAYS consistent with external, objective witness of Scripture…In other words, the Holy Spirit will NEVER lead you in a direction different from what is found in Scripture.
However, the opposite of this is also true… Scripture is affirmed through the witness of Holy Spirit in the believer’s heart and life… When we read something in the Bible that applies to our circumstances in life, the Holy Spirit will nudge us and whisper, “That part is for you…This is God’s Word and God’s Will for your life.”
If you are not reading God’s Word, how will you know God’s will?
3. When seeking God’s will, we must be prepared for the truth.
Don’t seek God’s will unless you are willing to expose all of your sinfulness and imperfections and allow God to work on you.
Don’t seek God’s will unless you are willing to make some changes in your life.
4. Seeking God’s will is never enough. We must also follow God’s will.
Four frogs were sitting on a log. Three frogs decided to jump into the water. How many frogs are still sitting on the log? FOUR. There is a big difference between deciding and actually doing something.
Every year, people make New Year’s Resolutions to lose 10 pounds. They buy a diet book. They join a health club. They go to the grocery store and buy healthier food. Do they lose the weight? Of course not. Reading books, joining the health club and shopping for healthier foods does not cause us to lose weight.
It’s the difference between the mind and the body.
1 Kings 22: 1 – 18
I. Introduction.
When I was in seminary, Baylor University sponsored an extensive survey of all preaching professors from every college, university and seminary in English speaking countries. The survey asked these preaching professors to select the Most Effective Preachers in the English language. The final list was known as the Twelve Most Effective Preachers.
Then Baylor invited each of these 12 preachers to come to the school and receive an award, to preach in a special evening service on campus and to preach in the seminary chapel. Most of them accepted the invitation. (As I recall, Billy Graham was the only recipient who could not come. I remember his having health problems at the time.)
Since I was a seminary student at the time of the survey and the invitations to preach in chapel, I had an opportunity to hear 11 of the 12 most effective preachers in the English speaking world. (I only showed up to about half of the sessions—so, I probably hear only six of the twelve.)
The first preacher to accept the invitation to Baylor was Dr. Lloyd Ogilvie, retired chaplain of the U. S. Senate and former pastor of a large Presbyterian church in Hollywood, California. In seminary chapel, Dr. Ogilvie talked about the relevancy of preaching. In his talk, he suggested that preaching is relevant when it does two things…
First, preaching must proclaim the Word of God…
Second, preaching must answer the questions people are asking. Answering questions that no one is asking is not relevant.
Dr. Ogilvie used to conduct surveys in his Hollywood congregation. He would ask the church to respond to one question: What is the biggest question in your life right now?
I periodically think about doing the same thing…That is, to ask you to share with me the biggest questions in your life. Maybe you should email them to me. Or, maybe we should put a suggestion box out in the church foyer. I did this with my college students in Waco in 1996. I asked them to write down the biggest question in their lives.
Perhaps it will not surprise you what the college students asked. An overwhelming majority of students who responded (over 80%) asked the same question: What is God’s will for my life? (One student was much more specific: I am graduating from college in two months, what does God want me to do next?)
In some ways, this is a timeless question. After all, we all want to have assurance that God has a plan for our lives, and we want to be obedient to God’s will.
In other ways, this is a timely question for us as a church. We are dreaming about the future. We are coming to terms with the fact that some of our efforts as a church are not as effective today as they were 10, 20 and 50 years ago. We want to do something new, which will help us to be faithful to God’s mission and purpose for our church. We are even going to observe 40 days of prayer for our church during the season of Lent—from Ash Wednesday, March 9 through Easter Sunday, April 24.
We are going to pray for God’s will for our church. But, do we really know how to seek God’s will?
II. Read 1 Kings 22: 1 – 4… For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. But in the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to see the king of Israel. The king of Israel had said to his officials, "Don't you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us and yet we are doing nothing to retake it from the king of Aram?" So he asked Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."
Ahab was still king of Israel… Ahab had led Israel in several successful campaigns against the Arameans…But had made one mistake…
After the final defeat of the Aramean army, Ahab allowed the king of Aram to go free… The result of this decision brought an unnamed prophet to the king’s palace to pronounce God’s judgment on Ahab & Jezebel…The dogs would eat them…
Because Ahab did not follow God’s will in utterly destroying the Arameans, the enemy still occupied a stronghold in the land of Israel…Ramoth-Gilead.
Ahab invited the new king of Judah to help in a military campaign against Aram to regain a city that blocked a major trade route into both Israel and Judah…
III. Read Verses 5 – 12… But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "First seek the counsel of the LORD." So the king of Israel brought together the prophets-- about four hundred men-- and asked them, "Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" "Go," they answered, "for the Lord will give it into the king's hand." But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?" The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." "The king should not say that," Jehoshaphat replied. So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once." Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns and he declared, "This is what the LORD says: 'With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.'" All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. "Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious," they said, "for the LORD will give it into the king's hand."
Jehoshaphat had a good idea…Let’s call on God and ask what his will is.
I want you to notice something significant in verse 5…The word LORD is in all capital letters…This is the way all modern English translations translate the Hebrew word, Yahweh.
There are 2 other Hebrew words which we translate into English as Lord, Baal and Adonai…But these are usually written in lower case or only the “L” is capitalized… The reason is to distinguish between the title “lord” and God’s name, Yahweh.
I find this significant because just a few chapters earlier we read about a confrontation between Elijah and 400 prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel. In the end, these 400 prophets were killed, and Baal worship was removed from Israel…
However, Ahab observed a perverted worship of Yahweh… The people were allowed to worship in high places and use idols. Therefore, these 400 prophets are probably corrupt prophets of Yahweh… More than likely they had been trained to tell King Ahab exactly what he wanted to hear…With one exception…There was one faithful prophet named Michaiah.
When Jehoshaphat heard the words of the 400 prophets, he didn’t exactly believe them…Something about their prophecy seemed fishy.
Therefore, he asked for a 2nd opinion…But Ahab didn’t want a 2nd opinion, because he knew it wouldn’t be good.
IV. Read Verses 13 – 18… The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, "Look, as one man the other prophets are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably." But Micaiah said, "As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what the LORD tells me." When he arrived, the king asked him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" "Attack and be victorious," he answered, "for the LORD will give it into the king's hand." The king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?" Then Micaiah answered, "I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD said, 'These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.'" The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?"
When the messengers of Ahab found Micaiah, they coached him a little as to what he was to prophesy…It was as if the messengers said, “Just go along with what 400 other prophets have already said re: this matter.”
I like Micaiah’s response to the suggestion…He said, “I can only say what God says to me.” I must remain faithful…I must be truthful.
I think this is probably one of those Scriptures that is meant to be humorous…We cannot see the humor in it unless we read it in a different tone…Read v. 15 in Sarcastic tone…
The humor comes in 2 ways…
1. Micaiah probably used sarcasm to communicate.
2. Micaiah told Ahab exactly what he asked for, but Ahab did not accept it as the truth…Sometimes we know what the truth is…We just don’t want to listen
Then Micaiah told the truth…And it was exactly what Ahab had expected…It was bad news…
God did want Israel to go into battle…But God did not plan for Israel to win that battle…The battle was for the purpose that the original prophecy re: Ahab could be fulfilled…He would die in battle and dogs would lick up his blood.
V. Conclusion.
I see this story as an important story to us even today…It illustrates, in a negative way, how a godly person should make decisions…The 2 kings in the story BOTH chose incorrect ways to make decisions. So, what is the right way?
I learned some words of wisdom this week, which I had never heard before. “You must learn from the mistakes of others, because you will not live long enough to make every mistake yourself.” I have always heard a similar statement… “Any fool can learn from his own mistakes. It takes a wise man to learn from the mistakes of others.” Let’s look at their mistakes and see what they illustrate. . .
1. Seek God’s will BEFORE you make up your mind (vv. 4 – 5).
Notice how Jehoshaphat answered Ahab’s question BEFORE he sought the LORD’s will…
How many times have we done the same thing? How many times have we prayed, “Lord, this is what I am doing. Let it be your will.” … OR, “Lord, let your will be what I have just done.” … OR, “Lord, bless my decision, because I have already made up my mind.”
2. Seek God’s will in God’s Word.
Modern people are faced with many different views of where and how to seek God’s will: Church Traditions…Priests…Creeds…Feelings…Internal Work of H.S…Human Opinion…Human Authority (political, etc)…
Often these “modern day prophets” are in contradiction to one another…Just as the prophets of Israel were…
How can we discern between true prophets and false prophets? Simply put, God’s will is in God’s Word… Internal witness of Holy Spirit is important, but this cannot be the primary (much less the only) guidance we seek.
John Calvin in his Institutes taught what has become the Landmark teaching re: balance between Holy Spirit and Scripture.
Internal, subjective witness of Holy Spirit is ALWAYS consistent with external, objective witness of Scripture…In other words, the Holy Spirit will NEVER lead you in a direction different from what is found in Scripture.
However, the opposite of this is also true… Scripture is affirmed through the witness of Holy Spirit in the believer’s heart and life… When we read something in the Bible that applies to our circumstances in life, the Holy Spirit will nudge us and whisper, “That part is for you…This is God’s Word and God’s Will for your life.”
If you are not reading God’s Word, how will you know God’s will?
3. When seeking God’s will, we must be prepared for the truth.
Don’t seek God’s will unless you are willing to expose all of your sinfulness and imperfections and allow God to work on you.
Don’t seek God’s will unless you are willing to make some changes in your life.
4. Seeking God’s will is never enough. We must also follow God’s will.
Four frogs were sitting on a log. Three frogs decided to jump into the water. How many frogs are still sitting on the log? FOUR. There is a big difference between deciding and actually doing something.
Every year, people make New Year’s Resolutions to lose 10 pounds. They buy a diet book. They join a health club. They go to the grocery store and buy healthier food. Do they lose the weight? Of course not. Reading books, joining the health club and shopping for healthier foods does not cause us to lose weight.
It’s the difference between the mind and the body.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Failure Is Not Fatal
Failure Is Not Fatal
John 21: 15 – 25.
What kind of person comes to mind when I say the word “failure?” Do you think of someone who has lost their job? Do you think of a family who has lost their life savings? Or, maybe you think of someone who never really lived up to the expectations people had for them when they were younger or just getting started in their career?
In the current economic climate, there have been lots of people who have lost jobs, lost money and probably feel like their careers are not developing as they had hoped. It would not be fair to judge someone as a failure based on these criteria.
Take Abraham Lincoln as an example… Most people would agree that Abraham Lincoln was either the greatest president our country ever had, or that he ought to be listed among the greatest presidents. However, a few years ago, there was an email circulating about all the failures that Lincoln endured before he was eventually elected President of the United States of America. Some of Lincoln’s failures were overstated in the email, but the website Snopes.com tells us that there is some truth in the email.
· In 1831, Lincoln lost his job as the manager of a general store, when the store’s owner went bankrupt.
· In 1832, Lincoln ran for the Illinois state legislature and lost. He finished eighth out of thirteen candidates.
· In 1833, Lincoln started another general store with a partner. They were unable to make their first loan payment in the following year. All of Lincoln’s assets and possessions were seized by the lender.
· In 1834, Lincoln was finally elected to the state legislature.
· In 1835, Lincoln’s girlfriend died. Some think they were engaged to be married. Most agree this was a grief that affected him for the rest of his life.
· In 1843, Lincoln ran for the Whig Party nomination for U.S. Congress and lost.
· In 1854 and 1858, Lincoln lost his bids to become a U.S. Senator.
· In 1860, Lincoln was elected President of the United States.[1]
On one hand, Abraham Lincoln’s life is characterized by numerous “failures.” On the other hand, Abraham Lincoln is widely recognized as one of the greatest leaders our country has ever known.
How can one person endure so much failure and then go on to become so successful? Perhaps the answer lies in a quotation attributed to Winston Churchill: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue which counts.”[2]
From a biblical standpoint, I think we could learn a lot about success and failure from the Apostle Peter.
John 21: 15 – 25.
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."
19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"
20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?")
21 When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"
22 Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."
23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"
24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.
25 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.
(NIV)
I think most of us think of Peter as a success. For example, according to Acts 2, Peter preached a sermon in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. This was no ordinary sermon. At the end of the sermon, over 3,000 people became Christians, and the Christian church was born! After Pentecost, Peter was widely recognized as one of the “Pillars” of the early church. Peter preached fearlessly about Jesus and the resurrection. Peter healed the sick. Peter even participated in the spread of the Gospel from Jerusalem to the Gentiles. It is safe to say that you and I would not be Christians today, without Peter’s sermon at Pentecost and Peter’s obedience to preach the Gospel to Gentiles.
However, this was not always Peter’s story. We have the luxury of 2,000 years of biblical history and church tradition to help us understand Peter as a successful disciple. Yet, Peter experienced some devastating failures in his lifetime.
This Scripture is often referred to as “The Reinstatement of Peter.” Peter had failed, and before he could become successful, he needed Jesus to reinstate him.
Can you think of times that Peter failed?
After Jesus fed the crowd of over 5,000 people using only five rolls and two small fish, Jesus sent the disciples across the Lake of Galilee ahead of himself. While the disciples were rowing their boat across the Lake, a storm overtook them. Jesus came to their aid in the storm. Jesus was walking on the top of the water. The disciples thought they were seeing a ghost. Jesus spoke to them and assured them it was their Lord. Peter answered, "Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Jesus said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and took several steps on the top of the water. But, then he became afraid of the storm and started sinking in the water. Peter called to Jesus for help. Jesus answered, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14)
In Matthew 16, Jesus explained to his disciples everything that would happen to him in Jerusalem at the hands of the Jews and the Romans. Jesus told them he would suffer at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law. Jesus told them he would be killed and would rise again on the third day. Peter immediately rebuked Jesus by saying, "Never Lord! This will never happen to you!” Do you remember what Jesus said to Peter? He said, “Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
In Mark 9, Jesus took Peter, James and John to the top of a mountain. He wanted to show them his glory. While Jesus was talking to them, a cloud descended from Heaven. Jesus’ clothes turned a bright white. Then, Moses and Elijah appeared right there with Jesus. The disciples were given an incredible preview of Jesus in all his glory. Of course, there was only one way Jesus could receive this glory. He had to go to the cross. The path to glory led through suffering. Peter did not want to come down from the mountaintop. Peter suggested that they ought to memorialize Jesus’ glory by building three shelters—one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah.
And then there is what Peter did before, during and immediately after Jesus’ crucifixion. When Jesus was arrested, Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of one of the guards (John 18). Perhaps Peter was trying to help Jesus avoid suffering. Or, maybe he thought he could begin a political revolution. Jesus was carried away, and Peter followed from a distance. Then, Peter was given an opportunity to claim Jesus as his Lord. A servant girl asked Peter, “Are you one of Jesus’ disciples?” Peter said No. Then, a group of people warming at a fire asked Peter a second and third time, “Are you one of Jesus’ disciples?” Peter denied knowing Jesus three times.
More than likely, this is what John wants us to remember when we read this story in John 21. Just as Peter had denied knowing Jesus while standing around a fire, here we see Jesus and Peter standing around a fire. He has a chance to be reinstated.
Notice that Jesus addressed Peter as “Simon, son of John.” I can think of three reasons why Jesus would address him as “Simon, son of John.” First, that’s his name. Second, the name “Peter” is a nickname which means “Rock.” And lately Peter has not been acting much like a “rock.” He failed his Lord, denied knowing Jesus, and abandoned Jesus in his time of need. Third, this is Jesus’ way of showing Peter that he is giving him Another Second Chance.
Keep in mind where we are right now. We are not in Jerusalem anymore. No. We are on the shore of the Lake of Galilee. This is a special place to Peter. It is his hometown, AND this is the place where he first met Jesus. This is the place where Jesus called Peter to follow Jesus, leave his fishing business and become a fisher for people. In other words, Jesus has just taken Peter back to the very beginning of their relationship. This is Another Second Chance.
The conversation between Jesus and Peter revolves around three questions, three answers and three commands. Actually, it’s one question, one answer and one command. It just happened three times. Jesus asked, “Do you love me?” Peter answered, “I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The Greek text of John 21 reveals a subtle play on words in the conversation between Jesus and Peter. In Greek, Jesus’ question reads, “Do you agape me?” And Peter’s answer reads, “I philo you.”
I suppose it is possible to build a sermon from the basic meanings of these two Greek words for love. Agape love is selfless and giving love, best defined by Jesus’ self-giving sacrifice on the cross. Phileo love is something akin to friendship.
This is a very attractive interpretation…except for a couple of problems.
If Peter never used the word agape to describe his love for Jesus, then Jesus had to compromise his expectations for Peter. In fact, when we look at the commandments Jesus gave Peter, we would have to say that Jesus gave Peter a divine calling despite his inferior love for Jesus.
The second problem is even more difficult to overcome. More than likely Jesus and Peter did not have this conversation in Greek. They probably spoke in Aramaic. And Aramaic only has one word for “love.” So, there must be another reason for the three questions.
Jesus asked for Peter’s love three times. Does that remind you of anything? Better yet, should the number three remind Peter of anything? Yes. It ought to remind him of the three times he had previously denied knowing Jesus. Remember in John 18, we read that Peter stood by a fire and denied Jesus three times. Now, in John 21, we watch as Peter and Jesus stand by another fire as Peter professes his love for Jesus three times. This is Another Second Chance.
Yes, Peter had failed. He had an opportunity to stand up for his Lord but refused. He denied knowing Jesus. No matter how badly you have failed, you too can have Another Second Chance. Jesus wants to give you Another Second Chance. (I like the way that sounds, “Another Second Chance.” It’s not just a second chance. It’s another second chance!)
But notice how Jesus wanted Peter to use his second chance. Jesus said, “If you love me, feed my lambs; take care of my sheep; and feed my sheep.” Again we find a variety of words, which might lead us to interpret these commands as being separate commands. However, I think they are the same thing, repeated in three similar statements. In fact, Jesus’ commands to Peter only have one word in common: “my.”
Jesus did not hand over his sheep to Peter. The sheep still belong to Jesus. Peter simply has a responsibility to care for Jesus’ sheep.
You and I might not know much about sheep and how to take care of sheep. But Peter knew about sheep. Most every family in the ancient world had their own flock of sheep. The flock of sheep was their primary source of wool, milk, meat and religious sacrifices. Shepherding the flock was a responsibility of every family and was a position traditionally held by the youngest son. When he got older, he could go to work for his father in the family business. But every young man took responsibility for shepherding the flock.
We often talk about sheep as being dependent animals. They need a shepherd to look after them and to take care of their needs. But there is another thing about sheep that we sometimes forget. Sheep are a herd animal. They don’t do well on their own. They stick together. They need each other.
The Old Testament is full of references to sheep and shepherds. Many of these references describe the people of Israel as sheep. The New Testament adopts this same language to describe God’s people—the church—as sheep. So, I believe Jesus was commanding Peter to use Another Second Chance in the church.
You and I are like sheep. We are dependent on our shepherd—Jesus—to take care of our needs. AND, we need to flock together in the church. Christians NEVER do well on our own out in the world.
Conclusion.
On one hand, Peter’s story is a very personal story. It is addressed to each of us individually. Your failure—or your many failures—are not fatal. Just because you think you have failed in business, in finances or even in relationships, God is not through with you. Even if you have failed spiritually—after all, Peter failed spiritually by denying that Jesus was his Lord… Even if you have failed spiritually, your failure is not fatal. God is not through with you. God has a plan for your life. God wants to reinstate you and give you a job to do among God’s sheep, in the church.
On the other hand, Peter’s story is a good story for our church to hear. Yes, we can find a personal and individual message in this Scripture. But, we can also find a message to our church.
In the past several weeks, I have been talking about our Long Range Planning Committee and our upcoming 40 Days of Prayer for our church and the fact that we need to make some changes in the way we do church in the future. BUT, I do not believe our church is a failure. I love this church. I am proud to tell people I am pastor of this church.
Lufkin’s First Baptist Church has a wonderful legacy of worship, ministry and missions. We have been entrusted to carry on that legacy. Today, I do not believe we are living up to our God-given mission…potential…expectations… I suppose we could think of ourselves as failures and just quit right here and now. But, that is not like the story of Peter or like the story of the Gospel. The Gospel tells us that failure is not fatal, God has a plan for us, and Jesus wants to reinstate us for service.
No, this is not the end of Lufkin’s First Baptist Church. It is the beginning of Another Second Chance. The biggest mistake we could make today is to become so afraid of failure that we decide to do nothing.
Friday was the 164th birthday of Thomas Edison. Thomas Edison became famous as an inventor. He still holds the record for the most patents in his name, 1,093! But, all my life I heard the story about how many times Edison failed to invent the light bulb. I don’t know if this is a true story or not, but this is a story of truth. It was said that Edison failed a thousand times before he ever invented the light bulb. But, Edison said, “I didn’t fail. I simply discovered a thousand ways NOT to invent the light bulb.”
Or consider Hank Aaron[3]… Call me old fashioned, but I refuse to acknowledge Barry Bonds as the player with the most home runs in Major League Baseball. Hank Aaron hit 755 home runs in 23 seasons. Do you know how many times he struck out? 1,383 strike outs. He had a career batting average of .305 in 13,940 plate appearances. He made an out in 69% of plate appearances and hit a home run 5%.
If we believe the Gospel, the we also believe failure is not fatal. We have to be willing to try…And we have to be willing to fail sometimes…
[1] http://www.snopes.com/glurge/lincoln.asp
[2] http://www.quotesdaddy.com/quote/280615/winston-churchill/success-is-not-final-failure-is-not-fatal-it-is-the
[3] http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/aaronha01.shtml
John 21: 15 – 25.
What kind of person comes to mind when I say the word “failure?” Do you think of someone who has lost their job? Do you think of a family who has lost their life savings? Or, maybe you think of someone who never really lived up to the expectations people had for them when they were younger or just getting started in their career?
In the current economic climate, there have been lots of people who have lost jobs, lost money and probably feel like their careers are not developing as they had hoped. It would not be fair to judge someone as a failure based on these criteria.
Take Abraham Lincoln as an example… Most people would agree that Abraham Lincoln was either the greatest president our country ever had, or that he ought to be listed among the greatest presidents. However, a few years ago, there was an email circulating about all the failures that Lincoln endured before he was eventually elected President of the United States of America. Some of Lincoln’s failures were overstated in the email, but the website Snopes.com tells us that there is some truth in the email.
· In 1831, Lincoln lost his job as the manager of a general store, when the store’s owner went bankrupt.
· In 1832, Lincoln ran for the Illinois state legislature and lost. He finished eighth out of thirteen candidates.
· In 1833, Lincoln started another general store with a partner. They were unable to make their first loan payment in the following year. All of Lincoln’s assets and possessions were seized by the lender.
· In 1834, Lincoln was finally elected to the state legislature.
· In 1835, Lincoln’s girlfriend died. Some think they were engaged to be married. Most agree this was a grief that affected him for the rest of his life.
· In 1843, Lincoln ran for the Whig Party nomination for U.S. Congress and lost.
· In 1854 and 1858, Lincoln lost his bids to become a U.S. Senator.
· In 1860, Lincoln was elected President of the United States.[1]
On one hand, Abraham Lincoln’s life is characterized by numerous “failures.” On the other hand, Abraham Lincoln is widely recognized as one of the greatest leaders our country has ever known.
How can one person endure so much failure and then go on to become so successful? Perhaps the answer lies in a quotation attributed to Winston Churchill: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue which counts.”[2]
From a biblical standpoint, I think we could learn a lot about success and failure from the Apostle Peter.
John 21: 15 – 25.
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."
19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"
20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?")
21 When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"
22 Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."
23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"
24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.
25 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.
(NIV)
I think most of us think of Peter as a success. For example, according to Acts 2, Peter preached a sermon in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. This was no ordinary sermon. At the end of the sermon, over 3,000 people became Christians, and the Christian church was born! After Pentecost, Peter was widely recognized as one of the “Pillars” of the early church. Peter preached fearlessly about Jesus and the resurrection. Peter healed the sick. Peter even participated in the spread of the Gospel from Jerusalem to the Gentiles. It is safe to say that you and I would not be Christians today, without Peter’s sermon at Pentecost and Peter’s obedience to preach the Gospel to Gentiles.
However, this was not always Peter’s story. We have the luxury of 2,000 years of biblical history and church tradition to help us understand Peter as a successful disciple. Yet, Peter experienced some devastating failures in his lifetime.
This Scripture is often referred to as “The Reinstatement of Peter.” Peter had failed, and before he could become successful, he needed Jesus to reinstate him.
Can you think of times that Peter failed?
After Jesus fed the crowd of over 5,000 people using only five rolls and two small fish, Jesus sent the disciples across the Lake of Galilee ahead of himself. While the disciples were rowing their boat across the Lake, a storm overtook them. Jesus came to their aid in the storm. Jesus was walking on the top of the water. The disciples thought they were seeing a ghost. Jesus spoke to them and assured them it was their Lord. Peter answered, "Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Jesus said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and took several steps on the top of the water. But, then he became afraid of the storm and started sinking in the water. Peter called to Jesus for help. Jesus answered, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14)
In Matthew 16, Jesus explained to his disciples everything that would happen to him in Jerusalem at the hands of the Jews and the Romans. Jesus told them he would suffer at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law. Jesus told them he would be killed and would rise again on the third day. Peter immediately rebuked Jesus by saying, "Never Lord! This will never happen to you!” Do you remember what Jesus said to Peter? He said, “Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
In Mark 9, Jesus took Peter, James and John to the top of a mountain. He wanted to show them his glory. While Jesus was talking to them, a cloud descended from Heaven. Jesus’ clothes turned a bright white. Then, Moses and Elijah appeared right there with Jesus. The disciples were given an incredible preview of Jesus in all his glory. Of course, there was only one way Jesus could receive this glory. He had to go to the cross. The path to glory led through suffering. Peter did not want to come down from the mountaintop. Peter suggested that they ought to memorialize Jesus’ glory by building three shelters—one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah.
And then there is what Peter did before, during and immediately after Jesus’ crucifixion. When Jesus was arrested, Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of one of the guards (John 18). Perhaps Peter was trying to help Jesus avoid suffering. Or, maybe he thought he could begin a political revolution. Jesus was carried away, and Peter followed from a distance. Then, Peter was given an opportunity to claim Jesus as his Lord. A servant girl asked Peter, “Are you one of Jesus’ disciples?” Peter said No. Then, a group of people warming at a fire asked Peter a second and third time, “Are you one of Jesus’ disciples?” Peter denied knowing Jesus three times.
More than likely, this is what John wants us to remember when we read this story in John 21. Just as Peter had denied knowing Jesus while standing around a fire, here we see Jesus and Peter standing around a fire. He has a chance to be reinstated.
Notice that Jesus addressed Peter as “Simon, son of John.” I can think of three reasons why Jesus would address him as “Simon, son of John.” First, that’s his name. Second, the name “Peter” is a nickname which means “Rock.” And lately Peter has not been acting much like a “rock.” He failed his Lord, denied knowing Jesus, and abandoned Jesus in his time of need. Third, this is Jesus’ way of showing Peter that he is giving him Another Second Chance.
Keep in mind where we are right now. We are not in Jerusalem anymore. No. We are on the shore of the Lake of Galilee. This is a special place to Peter. It is his hometown, AND this is the place where he first met Jesus. This is the place where Jesus called Peter to follow Jesus, leave his fishing business and become a fisher for people. In other words, Jesus has just taken Peter back to the very beginning of their relationship. This is Another Second Chance.
The conversation between Jesus and Peter revolves around three questions, three answers and three commands. Actually, it’s one question, one answer and one command. It just happened three times. Jesus asked, “Do you love me?” Peter answered, “I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The Greek text of John 21 reveals a subtle play on words in the conversation between Jesus and Peter. In Greek, Jesus’ question reads, “Do you agape me?” And Peter’s answer reads, “I philo you.”
I suppose it is possible to build a sermon from the basic meanings of these two Greek words for love. Agape love is selfless and giving love, best defined by Jesus’ self-giving sacrifice on the cross. Phileo love is something akin to friendship.
This is a very attractive interpretation…except for a couple of problems.
If Peter never used the word agape to describe his love for Jesus, then Jesus had to compromise his expectations for Peter. In fact, when we look at the commandments Jesus gave Peter, we would have to say that Jesus gave Peter a divine calling despite his inferior love for Jesus.
The second problem is even more difficult to overcome. More than likely Jesus and Peter did not have this conversation in Greek. They probably spoke in Aramaic. And Aramaic only has one word for “love.” So, there must be another reason for the three questions.
Jesus asked for Peter’s love three times. Does that remind you of anything? Better yet, should the number three remind Peter of anything? Yes. It ought to remind him of the three times he had previously denied knowing Jesus. Remember in John 18, we read that Peter stood by a fire and denied Jesus three times. Now, in John 21, we watch as Peter and Jesus stand by another fire as Peter professes his love for Jesus three times. This is Another Second Chance.
Yes, Peter had failed. He had an opportunity to stand up for his Lord but refused. He denied knowing Jesus. No matter how badly you have failed, you too can have Another Second Chance. Jesus wants to give you Another Second Chance. (I like the way that sounds, “Another Second Chance.” It’s not just a second chance. It’s another second chance!)
But notice how Jesus wanted Peter to use his second chance. Jesus said, “If you love me, feed my lambs; take care of my sheep; and feed my sheep.” Again we find a variety of words, which might lead us to interpret these commands as being separate commands. However, I think they are the same thing, repeated in three similar statements. In fact, Jesus’ commands to Peter only have one word in common: “my.”
Jesus did not hand over his sheep to Peter. The sheep still belong to Jesus. Peter simply has a responsibility to care for Jesus’ sheep.
You and I might not know much about sheep and how to take care of sheep. But Peter knew about sheep. Most every family in the ancient world had their own flock of sheep. The flock of sheep was their primary source of wool, milk, meat and religious sacrifices. Shepherding the flock was a responsibility of every family and was a position traditionally held by the youngest son. When he got older, he could go to work for his father in the family business. But every young man took responsibility for shepherding the flock.
We often talk about sheep as being dependent animals. They need a shepherd to look after them and to take care of their needs. But there is another thing about sheep that we sometimes forget. Sheep are a herd animal. They don’t do well on their own. They stick together. They need each other.
The Old Testament is full of references to sheep and shepherds. Many of these references describe the people of Israel as sheep. The New Testament adopts this same language to describe God’s people—the church—as sheep. So, I believe Jesus was commanding Peter to use Another Second Chance in the church.
You and I are like sheep. We are dependent on our shepherd—Jesus—to take care of our needs. AND, we need to flock together in the church. Christians NEVER do well on our own out in the world.
Conclusion.
On one hand, Peter’s story is a very personal story. It is addressed to each of us individually. Your failure—or your many failures—are not fatal. Just because you think you have failed in business, in finances or even in relationships, God is not through with you. Even if you have failed spiritually—after all, Peter failed spiritually by denying that Jesus was his Lord… Even if you have failed spiritually, your failure is not fatal. God is not through with you. God has a plan for your life. God wants to reinstate you and give you a job to do among God’s sheep, in the church.
On the other hand, Peter’s story is a good story for our church to hear. Yes, we can find a personal and individual message in this Scripture. But, we can also find a message to our church.
In the past several weeks, I have been talking about our Long Range Planning Committee and our upcoming 40 Days of Prayer for our church and the fact that we need to make some changes in the way we do church in the future. BUT, I do not believe our church is a failure. I love this church. I am proud to tell people I am pastor of this church.
Lufkin’s First Baptist Church has a wonderful legacy of worship, ministry and missions. We have been entrusted to carry on that legacy. Today, I do not believe we are living up to our God-given mission…potential…expectations… I suppose we could think of ourselves as failures and just quit right here and now. But, that is not like the story of Peter or like the story of the Gospel. The Gospel tells us that failure is not fatal, God has a plan for us, and Jesus wants to reinstate us for service.
No, this is not the end of Lufkin’s First Baptist Church. It is the beginning of Another Second Chance. The biggest mistake we could make today is to become so afraid of failure that we decide to do nothing.
Friday was the 164th birthday of Thomas Edison. Thomas Edison became famous as an inventor. He still holds the record for the most patents in his name, 1,093! But, all my life I heard the story about how many times Edison failed to invent the light bulb. I don’t know if this is a true story or not, but this is a story of truth. It was said that Edison failed a thousand times before he ever invented the light bulb. But, Edison said, “I didn’t fail. I simply discovered a thousand ways NOT to invent the light bulb.”
Or consider Hank Aaron[3]… Call me old fashioned, but I refuse to acknowledge Barry Bonds as the player with the most home runs in Major League Baseball. Hank Aaron hit 755 home runs in 23 seasons. Do you know how many times he struck out? 1,383 strike outs. He had a career batting average of .305 in 13,940 plate appearances. He made an out in 69% of plate appearances and hit a home run 5%.
If we believe the Gospel, the we also believe failure is not fatal. We have to be willing to try…And we have to be willing to fail sometimes…
[1] http://www.snopes.com/glurge/lincoln.asp
[2] http://www.quotesdaddy.com/quote/280615/winston-churchill/success-is-not-final-failure-is-not-fatal-it-is-the
[3] http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/aaronha01.shtml
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Conflict of Will
Conflict of Will
Galatians 5: 16 – 26.
I. Introduction.
For the past couple of weeks, I have been promising you that we will enter into a period of forty days of prayer for our church. That is still the plan, and the plan is beginning to take some shape. For example, our Long Range Planning Committee met last Sunday to begin praying together and organizing our church-wide prayer emphasis. We are planning to launch our forty days of prayer on Wednesday, March 9. That day is also known as Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent. Lent is a forty day period of prayer that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday.
Many of us have probably never observed Lent. We are Baptists and (for those of us who grew up in Baptist churches) this is not something we are accustomed to. The only reference we have to Lent is that it has something to do with fasting and “giving up something for Lent.” That is part of the story. Lent is a season of repentance and “getting ready” for Easter, just as Advent is a season in which we “get ready” for Christmas. People “give up something for Lent” as a way of participating with Jesus in his forty days of fasting and as a way to remember to pray. If someone gives up meat for Lent, they are supposed to remember to pray every time they think about meat.
What I would like for you to do is to pray for your church during this period of time. Actually, I hope you pray for our church regularly—I know that I could really use the prayers. The difference between asking you to pray for our church regularly and asking you to pray for our church during Lent is the fact that we are going to provide you with a “prayer guide.” This will hopefully mean that we will all pray about the same things.
Several themes surfaced in our Town Hall Meetings that will be placed on our prayer guides for the forty days of prayer. (I know I have said this before, but the best way to communicate an idea is to keep saying it over and over.) Three themes were repeated consistently by many of our church members: Sunday morning worship, the need to do more and better outreach, and the condition of our church buildings. We will definitely pray about these specific topics.
However, there is one theme that I want you to pray about which did not show up on any of our responses. The Culture of Our Church. What kind of church are we?
In my opinion, there are basically three kinds of churches.
First, there is the church that tries to make ME happy. Therefore, this kind of church can only grow by reaching out to more people who are just like me.
Second, there is the church that tries to make EVERYONE happy. I know some people like this. They call themselves “people pleasers.” They have never learned the lesson that it is impossible to make everyone happy. On one hand, there will always be someone unhappy about the things you do as an individual or as a church. On the other hand, if everyone around you is happy with you, then you are probably miserable on the inside. You make everyone else happy only to discover that you have driven yourself insane.
Third, there is the church that tries to make GOD happy. This is the church I want to be a part of. This is the church which functions as the Body of Christ in the world, continuing to do the works that Jesus began and demonstrated in his earthly life and ministry. Preaching the Gospel to the lost and serving people who are in need.
Galatians 5: 16 – 26.
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.(NIV)
The section before this section deals with Christian freedom. True freedom is the freedom that can only come from Jesus. For example, the Old Testament reminds us of God’s expectations for his people. This is what we call the Law. The Law is an impossible standard for us. No one has ever kept the Law perfectly. We all sin and fall short of God’s glory and expectations. Therefore, we are deserving of God’s anger and wrath.
However, Jesus took all of God’s anger and wrath away when he died on the cross. Anyone who places their faith in Jesus does not have to fear God’s anger and wrath. The message of the cross is that anyone who believes has freedom from God’s anger and wrath. God is no longer angry at us, even though we are sinners. God will never be angry at us again.
As a result, Christians are free from God’s anger…free from God’s wrath…free from the Law…free from sin…free from death…free from Satan.
The Galatians were probably a little bit jealous of their neighbors. The pagans had a standard of ethics they lived up to on a daily basis. The Jews tried to fulfill the Old Testament Law. But, what about Christians? How are Christians to measure our conduct? The answer is the Holy Spirit.
The Galatians were in the process of considering to walk away from the freedom that Christ offered on the cross. They wanted to exchange that freedom for the Law. It was a clear, understandable, black and white ethical standard. But, to do this is to return to slavery. This is not how free people are to live. Free people live by the power of the Holy Spirit.
II. Flesh and Spirit.
So, Paul begins this section arguing for the Holy Spirit over the Law. Yet, he begins this argument by contrasting the Spirit and the “sinful nature.” Literally, the “sinful nature” is the Greek word “flesh.” I prefer to use the NIV’s term “sinful nature,” because it is not as confusing. For example, Paul is not trying to tell us that we can divide our nature into two sections: the human spirit and the human flesh.
You do not have a good side and an evil side. It is not like the cartoons with an angel that looks like you on one shoulder and a devil that looks like you on the other shoulder.
Paul’s point is much more complicated than that. Paul says that as long as you live in the “flesh”—or as long as you have an earthly body—you will deal with sin and temptation. There will be a day when you can get rid of your earthly body in exchange for a heavenly body. Only at that time will the victory over sin and temptation be complete. Sin affects our nature as long as we live on earth.
Notice that the word “Spirit” is capitalized. This is an interpretation based on the theology I just explained. The Greek word for spirit can mean either human spirit or the Holy Spirit. The interpreters of the NIV agree with my statement that you and I do not have a good and reliable spirit. However, we do have the Holy Spirit who is both good and reliable.
The only way to avoid sin is to follow the Holy Spirit. God has given each of us what we need to live good and godly lives. It is not the Law. It is not human ethical standards. It is not within us (i.e. human spirit or human goodness). All we need is the direction of the Holy Spirit.
When Paul talks about the “flesh” or the “sinful nature,” he is really talking about what it means to be human. I cannot imagine a life without flesh or a body. In the same way, I cannot imagine a life without a sinful nature. Both “flesh” and “sinful nature” describe who I am. Therefore, the contrast Paul is drawing is not between two forces within me. Paul is describing the conflict between me and God. It is a conflict of doing things my way versus doing things God’s way.
Think of this in terms of the church. There are basically two ways to think about church. Some people think church is a place for perfect people. If this is true, then church is a holy huddle. A place where Christians can hunker down and escape from sinful people and sinful activities. The other view of church is to think of it as a hospital for sinners. This is what I think the church is—or at least ought to be.
What kind of people do you find in a hospital? Sick people! What kind of people do you find in church? Sinners!
Just as sick people go to the hospital to recover from sickness, sinners come to church to recover from sin. The only difference between a hospital and a church is what the hospital does with well people. Once you get well—or even start to get close to well—they kick you out of the hospital. Even people who come to church their entire lives will never get well.
Sin will always be a fact for human beings. We are constantly in a struggle between flesh and Spirit, self and God. But we are not left alone in this struggle.
Where do you go to find help in times of temptation? Do you turn to the Law? Do you turn to ethics? Do you look deep within yourself? Do you read the Bible?
A friend of mine told me this fable about a chicken and a hare. A chicken and a hare were talking one day. The hare asked the chicken, “How do you escape from the fox?” The chicken replied, “I have 42 patterns of flight. Sometimes I run straight and take flight. Other time I run left or right and fly straight up. I have 42 options. What about you? How do you escape from the fox?” The hare answered, “I run left, then right, then left, then right, then left, then right…until the fox is gone.”
One day, the fox came. The hare ran left, then right, then left, then right… The chicken thought, “Which of my 42 patterns of flight will serve me best?” While he was considering this, the fox ate the chicken.
God has not given us 42 options for dealing with temptation. God has given us only one…Be led by the Spirit.
There is a difference between sin and temptation. Everyone faces temptation on a daily basis. Opportunities present themselves for sin. There is lust, greed, anger, hatred, envy, etc… What is there to help you resist daily temptation?
If you try to look at the Law or search the Bible for answers, you might end up like the chicken—overtaken by the fox. But, if you pray for the Holy Spirit to lead, then you can be like the hare—run away from the fox. The Spirit is the only resource we need and the only resource that can help us resist temptation.
The Holy Spirit is the only resource you need as an individual. AND, the Holy Spirit is the only resource we need as a church. The Holy Spirit is IN us and AMONG us.
III. A Church who Pleases Itself.
This passage looks a lot like a typical “catalogue of vices.” Paul uses a catalogue like this in other places of his writings. He lists several sins that are easily recognized as sins. There is no gray area here. Most everyone will read this list and agree that these are sins.
Notice that Paul used the word “acts” to describe these sins. An act is something that you and I do by our own strength, ability or even our will. These are intentional acts. They are things we accomplish for ourselves. Now, compare that to what Paul described as a conflict between flesh and Spirit. If Spirit refers to the Holy Spirit and God…If flesh refers to the sinful nature and human beings in general…Then, this is a list of the things human beings do when left to our own devices. It describes us individually and corporately (as a church).
In the Book of Galatians, Paul is addressing a community of Christians and not individual Christians. I have usually thought of this passage as a warning to individuals. What if Paul is writing about the ethics of the community? What if Paul is writing about the Culture of the Church? Churches have personalities and cultures and ethical standards as well as individuals.
If you look for the word “and” in verses 19 - 21, you will notice that Paul’s list can be organized into four categories. The first three sins are sexual sins. The next two sins are spiritual sins. The next eight sins are social sins within the church. The last two sins are social sins in the community at large. It seems that Paul spends more time focusing on the sins that can bring harm to the church.
Another way to think about this is to say Paul is describing the way a godless and pagan temple would operate. It was common to find sexual sins and idolatry in a pagan temple. Those sins would never appear in a Christian church. However, the sins in the middle of Paul’s list are not exclusive to pagan temples. Some Christian churches are plagues with the same sins. In other words, it is possible for Christian people to sin by allowing our sinful desires to keep us from following the Holy Spirit. AND, it is possible for Christian churches to act like pagan temples!
IV. A Church who Pleases God
Notice that Paul does not refer to the “acts” of the Spirit. He talks about the fruit of the Spirit. Fruit is the natural produce found in the agricultural world. Farmers don’t produce fruit. Plants produce fruit. Farmers wait for and harvest fruit. In fact, harvest is another word we can use here. The Harvest of the Spirit. This is what your life will look like when the Spirit does his work in you.
However, what if Paul is addressing this to a church and not to individuals? I think we can make a great case for that by reading the entire book of Galatians. Therefore, Paul is describing what a church ought to look like.
Love… Agape
Joy… From the Spirit, regardless of circumstances
Peace… Peaceful relations with God and each other
Patience… Bearing with one another’s burdens…All are sinners
Kindness… Attitude of the heart
Goodness… Action that results from a kind heart…Generosity
Faithfulness… Could be translated “faith,” but probably refers to our relations with God and one another…Like Peace
Gentleness… Word also translated meekness…Means under control…Probably refers to having emotions under control and thus treating others mildly
Self-Control…Word refers to controlling the animalistic instincts of over eating, indulging in sexual activity…or in general resisting temptations
The end of verse 23 literally reads, “Against such there is no law.” The NIV chooses to interpret “such” as a neuter and thus adds the word “things.” It is possible to interpret “such” as masculine and a reference to people. So, Paul could be saying, “Against such people there is no law.” I choose to think of this as people. Therefore, Paul is saying people and churches who are led by the Holy Spirit have no need for the Law. If we are controlled by the Holy Spirit, we will live our individual lives and our community lives in ways that are pleasing to God
V. Conclusion.
This is a vivid illustration of two different church cultures...A church which pleases itself versus a church which pleases God.
Galatians 5: 16 – 26.
I. Introduction.
For the past couple of weeks, I have been promising you that we will enter into a period of forty days of prayer for our church. That is still the plan, and the plan is beginning to take some shape. For example, our Long Range Planning Committee met last Sunday to begin praying together and organizing our church-wide prayer emphasis. We are planning to launch our forty days of prayer on Wednesday, March 9. That day is also known as Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent. Lent is a forty day period of prayer that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday.
Many of us have probably never observed Lent. We are Baptists and (for those of us who grew up in Baptist churches) this is not something we are accustomed to. The only reference we have to Lent is that it has something to do with fasting and “giving up something for Lent.” That is part of the story. Lent is a season of repentance and “getting ready” for Easter, just as Advent is a season in which we “get ready” for Christmas. People “give up something for Lent” as a way of participating with Jesus in his forty days of fasting and as a way to remember to pray. If someone gives up meat for Lent, they are supposed to remember to pray every time they think about meat.
What I would like for you to do is to pray for your church during this period of time. Actually, I hope you pray for our church regularly—I know that I could really use the prayers. The difference between asking you to pray for our church regularly and asking you to pray for our church during Lent is the fact that we are going to provide you with a “prayer guide.” This will hopefully mean that we will all pray about the same things.
Several themes surfaced in our Town Hall Meetings that will be placed on our prayer guides for the forty days of prayer. (I know I have said this before, but the best way to communicate an idea is to keep saying it over and over.) Three themes were repeated consistently by many of our church members: Sunday morning worship, the need to do more and better outreach, and the condition of our church buildings. We will definitely pray about these specific topics.
However, there is one theme that I want you to pray about which did not show up on any of our responses. The Culture of Our Church. What kind of church are we?
In my opinion, there are basically three kinds of churches.
First, there is the church that tries to make ME happy. Therefore, this kind of church can only grow by reaching out to more people who are just like me.
Second, there is the church that tries to make EVERYONE happy. I know some people like this. They call themselves “people pleasers.” They have never learned the lesson that it is impossible to make everyone happy. On one hand, there will always be someone unhappy about the things you do as an individual or as a church. On the other hand, if everyone around you is happy with you, then you are probably miserable on the inside. You make everyone else happy only to discover that you have driven yourself insane.
Third, there is the church that tries to make GOD happy. This is the church I want to be a part of. This is the church which functions as the Body of Christ in the world, continuing to do the works that Jesus began and demonstrated in his earthly life and ministry. Preaching the Gospel to the lost and serving people who are in need.
Galatians 5: 16 – 26.
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.(NIV)
The section before this section deals with Christian freedom. True freedom is the freedom that can only come from Jesus. For example, the Old Testament reminds us of God’s expectations for his people. This is what we call the Law. The Law is an impossible standard for us. No one has ever kept the Law perfectly. We all sin and fall short of God’s glory and expectations. Therefore, we are deserving of God’s anger and wrath.
However, Jesus took all of God’s anger and wrath away when he died on the cross. Anyone who places their faith in Jesus does not have to fear God’s anger and wrath. The message of the cross is that anyone who believes has freedom from God’s anger and wrath. God is no longer angry at us, even though we are sinners. God will never be angry at us again.
As a result, Christians are free from God’s anger…free from God’s wrath…free from the Law…free from sin…free from death…free from Satan.
The Galatians were probably a little bit jealous of their neighbors. The pagans had a standard of ethics they lived up to on a daily basis. The Jews tried to fulfill the Old Testament Law. But, what about Christians? How are Christians to measure our conduct? The answer is the Holy Spirit.
The Galatians were in the process of considering to walk away from the freedom that Christ offered on the cross. They wanted to exchange that freedom for the Law. It was a clear, understandable, black and white ethical standard. But, to do this is to return to slavery. This is not how free people are to live. Free people live by the power of the Holy Spirit.
II. Flesh and Spirit.
So, Paul begins this section arguing for the Holy Spirit over the Law. Yet, he begins this argument by contrasting the Spirit and the “sinful nature.” Literally, the “sinful nature” is the Greek word “flesh.” I prefer to use the NIV’s term “sinful nature,” because it is not as confusing. For example, Paul is not trying to tell us that we can divide our nature into two sections: the human spirit and the human flesh.
You do not have a good side and an evil side. It is not like the cartoons with an angel that looks like you on one shoulder and a devil that looks like you on the other shoulder.
Paul’s point is much more complicated than that. Paul says that as long as you live in the “flesh”—or as long as you have an earthly body—you will deal with sin and temptation. There will be a day when you can get rid of your earthly body in exchange for a heavenly body. Only at that time will the victory over sin and temptation be complete. Sin affects our nature as long as we live on earth.
Notice that the word “Spirit” is capitalized. This is an interpretation based on the theology I just explained. The Greek word for spirit can mean either human spirit or the Holy Spirit. The interpreters of the NIV agree with my statement that you and I do not have a good and reliable spirit. However, we do have the Holy Spirit who is both good and reliable.
The only way to avoid sin is to follow the Holy Spirit. God has given each of us what we need to live good and godly lives. It is not the Law. It is not human ethical standards. It is not within us (i.e. human spirit or human goodness). All we need is the direction of the Holy Spirit.
When Paul talks about the “flesh” or the “sinful nature,” he is really talking about what it means to be human. I cannot imagine a life without flesh or a body. In the same way, I cannot imagine a life without a sinful nature. Both “flesh” and “sinful nature” describe who I am. Therefore, the contrast Paul is drawing is not between two forces within me. Paul is describing the conflict between me and God. It is a conflict of doing things my way versus doing things God’s way.
Think of this in terms of the church. There are basically two ways to think about church. Some people think church is a place for perfect people. If this is true, then church is a holy huddle. A place where Christians can hunker down and escape from sinful people and sinful activities. The other view of church is to think of it as a hospital for sinners. This is what I think the church is—or at least ought to be.
What kind of people do you find in a hospital? Sick people! What kind of people do you find in church? Sinners!
Just as sick people go to the hospital to recover from sickness, sinners come to church to recover from sin. The only difference between a hospital and a church is what the hospital does with well people. Once you get well—or even start to get close to well—they kick you out of the hospital. Even people who come to church their entire lives will never get well.
Sin will always be a fact for human beings. We are constantly in a struggle between flesh and Spirit, self and God. But we are not left alone in this struggle.
Where do you go to find help in times of temptation? Do you turn to the Law? Do you turn to ethics? Do you look deep within yourself? Do you read the Bible?
A friend of mine told me this fable about a chicken and a hare. A chicken and a hare were talking one day. The hare asked the chicken, “How do you escape from the fox?” The chicken replied, “I have 42 patterns of flight. Sometimes I run straight and take flight. Other time I run left or right and fly straight up. I have 42 options. What about you? How do you escape from the fox?” The hare answered, “I run left, then right, then left, then right, then left, then right…until the fox is gone.”
One day, the fox came. The hare ran left, then right, then left, then right… The chicken thought, “Which of my 42 patterns of flight will serve me best?” While he was considering this, the fox ate the chicken.
God has not given us 42 options for dealing with temptation. God has given us only one…Be led by the Spirit.
There is a difference between sin and temptation. Everyone faces temptation on a daily basis. Opportunities present themselves for sin. There is lust, greed, anger, hatred, envy, etc… What is there to help you resist daily temptation?
If you try to look at the Law or search the Bible for answers, you might end up like the chicken—overtaken by the fox. But, if you pray for the Holy Spirit to lead, then you can be like the hare—run away from the fox. The Spirit is the only resource we need and the only resource that can help us resist temptation.
The Holy Spirit is the only resource you need as an individual. AND, the Holy Spirit is the only resource we need as a church. The Holy Spirit is IN us and AMONG us.
III. A Church who Pleases Itself.
This passage looks a lot like a typical “catalogue of vices.” Paul uses a catalogue like this in other places of his writings. He lists several sins that are easily recognized as sins. There is no gray area here. Most everyone will read this list and agree that these are sins.
Notice that Paul used the word “acts” to describe these sins. An act is something that you and I do by our own strength, ability or even our will. These are intentional acts. They are things we accomplish for ourselves. Now, compare that to what Paul described as a conflict between flesh and Spirit. If Spirit refers to the Holy Spirit and God…If flesh refers to the sinful nature and human beings in general…Then, this is a list of the things human beings do when left to our own devices. It describes us individually and corporately (as a church).
In the Book of Galatians, Paul is addressing a community of Christians and not individual Christians. I have usually thought of this passage as a warning to individuals. What if Paul is writing about the ethics of the community? What if Paul is writing about the Culture of the Church? Churches have personalities and cultures and ethical standards as well as individuals.
If you look for the word “and” in verses 19 - 21, you will notice that Paul’s list can be organized into four categories. The first three sins are sexual sins. The next two sins are spiritual sins. The next eight sins are social sins within the church. The last two sins are social sins in the community at large. It seems that Paul spends more time focusing on the sins that can bring harm to the church.
Another way to think about this is to say Paul is describing the way a godless and pagan temple would operate. It was common to find sexual sins and idolatry in a pagan temple. Those sins would never appear in a Christian church. However, the sins in the middle of Paul’s list are not exclusive to pagan temples. Some Christian churches are plagues with the same sins. In other words, it is possible for Christian people to sin by allowing our sinful desires to keep us from following the Holy Spirit. AND, it is possible for Christian churches to act like pagan temples!
IV. A Church who Pleases God
Notice that Paul does not refer to the “acts” of the Spirit. He talks about the fruit of the Spirit. Fruit is the natural produce found in the agricultural world. Farmers don’t produce fruit. Plants produce fruit. Farmers wait for and harvest fruit. In fact, harvest is another word we can use here. The Harvest of the Spirit. This is what your life will look like when the Spirit does his work in you.
However, what if Paul is addressing this to a church and not to individuals? I think we can make a great case for that by reading the entire book of Galatians. Therefore, Paul is describing what a church ought to look like.
Love… Agape
Joy… From the Spirit, regardless of circumstances
Peace… Peaceful relations with God and each other
Patience… Bearing with one another’s burdens…All are sinners
Kindness… Attitude of the heart
Goodness… Action that results from a kind heart…Generosity
Faithfulness… Could be translated “faith,” but probably refers to our relations with God and one another…Like Peace
Gentleness… Word also translated meekness…Means under control…Probably refers to having emotions under control and thus treating others mildly
Self-Control…Word refers to controlling the animalistic instincts of over eating, indulging in sexual activity…or in general resisting temptations
The end of verse 23 literally reads, “Against such there is no law.” The NIV chooses to interpret “such” as a neuter and thus adds the word “things.” It is possible to interpret “such” as masculine and a reference to people. So, Paul could be saying, “Against such people there is no law.” I choose to think of this as people. Therefore, Paul is saying people and churches who are led by the Holy Spirit have no need for the Law. If we are controlled by the Holy Spirit, we will live our individual lives and our community lives in ways that are pleasing to God
V. Conclusion.
This is a vivid illustration of two different church cultures...A church which pleases itself versus a church which pleases God.
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