Category: Pastor’s Notes

Article updates from the Pastors of Believers City Church, Menomonie, WI.

November 30, 2018 Pastor Jason Gilbert | Menomonie

We seem to be at a precipice…

Gone are the days of peaceful protests or simply turning the other cheek. Now is the age of venting our volatile emotions on everything from printers to presidents. To do so, we make use of every outlet available to us including social media, news media, texting, blogging, online commenting, and google reviewing. If that’s not enough, we can take it to the streets with picketing, rioting, yelling, punching, throwing rocks, or even shooting people. In fact, we’ve had over 300 public shootings in the last year alone, to the point where even mass murder is becoming rather unsensational.

I wish I could say that practicing Christians are exempt from such anger, but we are not. The people we point at as volatile and hostile out there are sitting amongst us in church every Sunday. Often, we as Christians, do our very best to hide our grievances against a brother or sister until it is too late. Our anger slowly begins to simmer, and eventually boils over into an eruption of hostility… At that point, it is too late.  The launch codes have been sent, the red button has been pressed, and the missiles are in the air. The damage is done. It is too late.

What does God say?

The first biblical account of anger is found in Genesis 4. The story begins rather unassuming, with Cain and Abel worshipping the LORD and presenting their offerings to Him. Cain and Abel were both present at church. Beyond that, they’d even brought an offering. So, what happened? How could this worship scene turn quickly to anger, lead eventually to murder, and end ultimately in apostasy? We read, “And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.”

Why was Cain angry? Because he felt dissed by the LORD. He was offended. After all, he’d worked hard from a cursed earth to offer God fruits and grains. Abel, on the other hand, sacrificed an animal. It was the lamb that suffered, not Abel. Cain didn’t understand that Abel’s offering of a lamb pointed to a more acceptable sacrifice (Heb. 11:4), that God was putting into motion the redemptive plan for all mankind. Cain only saw that his hard work, his sweat, his toil, his offering had been disregarded. And at this point, Cain began to simmer inside. Are we really any different than Cain? How do we feel when we are disregarded, when someone doesn’t follow our directions, or doesn’t appreciate our opinion, or cuts us off us in traffic, or reveals something that is amiss in our life? When disregarded, how do we react?

Who are we letting in?

Fortunately, our initial response isn’t yet sin. And thank God! Or I think we’d all be in trouble.  Ephesians 4:26 tells us, “Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” In our story, God pleaded with Cain saying, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?  If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” At this point, Cain could have turned the burner off and let the water calm…

We can do the same. Even when sin is crouching at the door, Jesus is standing at the door, knocking (Rev. 3:20), asking “Why are you angry?  Why has your face fallen?” At this point, we have to make a decision. Who are we going to let through the door? Will we let in Jesus? Will we let in His presence to give us peace, His word to transform our thoughts, His love for those who hate us, His forgiveness for our enemies, His death to self, His resurrection to a new life? Or will we allow our anger to conceive and give birth to sin, to fully grow and bring forth death (James 1:15)? We will all choose to allow either sin or Jesus to rule our hearts.

Anger has grave consequences…

Cain would go on to murder his brother Abel and by so doing, sealed his own fate. Cain had hardened his heart and hardened his heart, and eventually, it was too late for him to repent. He would be forever identified with “the evil one” (1 John 3:12). Cain would also be cursed from the ground, the very place he had earlier found purpose and calling. Finally, Cain would become a fugitive and wonderer, away from his home, away from his family, away from his community, and away from his God.

Do we realize that these same consequences await us if we do not turn from our anger? I wish this was simply a historical lesson. But the story of such anger and its consequences has played out again and again over thousands of years. If we’ve been a part of the church for any time, we’ve seen it with our own eyes in the lives of those we once knew as brother or sister.

Does our anger scare us?

God in His great mercy would still protect Cain, promising vengeance sevenfold on anyone who would attack Cain. Yet even God’s mercy would not prevent the growing tide of consequences that Cain had set into motion. The last of Cain’s offspring, Lamech, would go on to murder someone who had wronged him. Lamech presumed that if Cain’s revenge was sevenfold, his would be seventy times seven. Like Cain, our sin is neither isolated nor benign. It spreads and grows.

What did God consider when He saw all of this? Scripture tells us, “Because the wickedness of man was great… the LORD regretted that he had made man… For the earth was full of violence” (Gen. 6:5-7, 11-13). And what did God do? He flooded the earth, killing everyone. Do we see how one man’s refusal to repent of anger… planted the seed for world destruction?  I wonder what God thinks when he looks down at our world today? Does our anger scare us? It should… Because next time God will use a book of matches…

Ah, Jesus… Got it!

As we look at our world today in light of Genesis, it’s hard to find any hope. However, I’m reminded of the time Peter asked Jesus “How often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Then [as if harkening back to our story in Genesis], Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven” (Matt. 18:21-22). Ah, Jesus… Got it… There is only one hope in this world. It is that we might let Jesus rule our hearts, that we might repent of our anger, and that we might learn to forgive those who sin against us.  There is a way out.  God is patient toward us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance (2 Pet. 3:9).  May we repent, therefore, and turn back, that our sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send the Christ appointed for us, Jesus (Acts 3:19-20).

 

November 2, 2018 Believers Church

“31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”  -Ephesians 4:31-32

What’s up with all the Sin?

One thing I have learned from reading and studying the bible is that the writers of the epistle letters spent an awful lot of time talking about problem sins in the church. There is so much practical direction given in these letters. It was eye-opening for me to realize that the reasoning wasn’t primarily so that churches and Christians could establish a code of doctrine to run the church by. What I mean is, when Paul addressed lying and immorality in his letters, it wasn’t just for the sake of writing a how-to manual on church management. People were actually committing these sins in the church.

It was no shock to the Apostles that sinners would, well… sin… and sin badly sometimes! So, they wrote the letters to help correct these issues. See, sin is expected from church people, but sin is not excusable and the writings clearly convey that sins in the church need to be corrected for the sake of the people and for righteousness and growth. If you have a heart for God, you will be thankful for the instructions in the bible.

I have a dang good reason!

In the scripture we’re looking at, Paul conveys a switch of progression for us that I think we have a hard time with. He tells us to let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander be put away along with malice. I don’t know about you but all of these things can really puff me up inside and they have NEVER produced positive results. It is interesting that something so evil as this list of emotions and feelings is something we so easily allow. We defend our right to feel these feelings because it’s possible we had been unfairly treated or have had our rights infringed upon. At any rate, we allow these feelings and emotions to pressurize in us slowly over time.

“He can’t talk to ME that way! Who does he think he is?”
“How is it I am ALWAYS overlooked when the church is picking someone to help with _________”
“All the guys seem to fawn over THAT girl? if they only knew what she really was like.”
“Did you hear about SO-AND-SO? Something bad happened to them and it’s about time!”
“They didn’t ask for my help. They must think something bad about me.”

The Time-Bomb

We often feel justified in the way we think. When you harbor sinful feelings like these, they don’t remain controlled. They will eventually rupture into other attitudes and reactions. When we give in and leave space for our hearts to be devilish, something gets altered inside. We begin to accommodate the darkness in us. Where this leads in time is isolation. Consider this scenario: if there is a brother or sister you begin to feel this way about, you will begin to avoid them. When other brothers and sisters don’t feel the same as you, you separate from them. When sermons and the Bible convict you, you separate from it. Then you begin to feel like there is a secret vendetta; covert meetings and discussions organized to set you aside.

Over the years I have observed that people in melt-down mode have one commonality between them. All of them have it in one degree or another: isolation… disconnection. Eventually, that person will explode, no holds barred, writing off and tarnishing every friendship and relationship they once held dear. I have seen people even do it to their own spouses and children.

Nothing Good Will Come of It

Wake up, guys. Big explosions like these are always fueled by this crop of permitted feelings inside: bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice. James adds in his first chapter, “19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” The anger of man does produce something: self-righteousness. That’s about it.

In my past and even in the present but to a much lesser degree, I would go through dark times in my life where rough feelings would stew within. I would become cynical and suspicious about what people were doing around me. It drove me to feel like I couldn’t trust anybody. Isolation was the result and I felt like everyone around me was trying to stick it to me in some way or that they just didn’t care about me. I still get duped by my emotions today but the presence of the Holy Spirit and the practical thinking of the Bible offer help to re-focus… dispel the pressure… disarm the bomb.

What’s a person to do?

Paul in Ephesians 4 gives us something simple to do. He says to “let” these feelings and emotions “be put away.” It’s like he is saying “turn it off!” and that’s not easy, right? He doesn’t stop there (because Paul is not a moron). He knows it requires a change of mind; correct perspective. We need the Holy Spirit to empower us to replace destructive thinking with correct thinking. He goes on to instruct us to “be” something else. He says “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, and forgiving.” Here’s where Paul’s direction amps up, and follow me by assessing your life with these questions:

Are you a sinner? -yes. Are you born again by the grace of Christ? -yes. Before salvation, where you aimed for hell? -yes. Did you do vile things? -yes. How vile? -Extremely vile. Did you think vile things? -yes. Often? -yes! So, listen… we are to use that measuring stick (how much God forgave us in His kindness and tenderheartedness) to measure our kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness toward others. When you contemplate how much God forgave you, you cannot help but to humbly forgive those around you. The side effects of this are unity, fellowship, and love. Inclusion… family… connection. The death of Christ for each of us should level us… it disarms us… to humbly love.

October 18, 2018 Believers Church

We’re Called to Make Disciples, Not Converts

Has a culture of convenience and consumerism changed the way we preach the Gospel?

(Tyler Edwards, Relevant Magazine, November 24, 2017)

What if I told you that Jesus didn’t want us to win converts? What if I said that in all of Scripture we are never told to convert anyone? What if I proposed that people accepting Jesus into their life does not fulfill our mission?

We may share the Gospel, but it’s not always the same Gospel Jesus shared. Our version can be a little softer. It can be easier. The message, too often, has been watered down. Many of us don’t want to be called radicals. Many of us take the message of Jesus, and we omit some of the more intense parts because they might scare people away.

An Inconvenient Truth

Out of our desire to win converts we’ve often tried to make Jesus more convenient. That’s what our culture is all about. So watering down the Gospel to reflect the culture can be an easy trap to fall into.

We often make following Jesus comfortable and easy, reducing the expectations: You don’t have to do anything different. Just believe.

Carrying our cross has been reduced from a radical relationship of self-sacrificing love and humility to cheap advertisements with bracelets, jewelry and bumper stickers. We turned following Jesus into little more than eternal “fire” insurance. In so doing we made Him something He is not: safe.

What happened to Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s idea of, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die”?

The Consumerism Gospel

When we sell people on a Jesus who is easy to follow, can we really blame them for bailing out or drifting off when things don’t go smoothly?

It shouldn’t be surprising living in a consumer-based culture, that many times people bring the same attitudes into church: It’s my way, my preferences, my desires that are important. If I don’t get my way, I’ll take my business elsewhere.

In watering down the Gospel we have taken what is all about Jesus and made it all about us.

Jesus is a part of our lives when He should be our life. He is life. Following Him requires all our life. The disciples ate, drank, sweat and slept ministry from when Jesus called them to the day they died. Jesus wasn’t a part of their lives. He was their life.

We all are guilty of putting things above Jesus. Whether it’s health, wealth, comfort, causes, dreams, hobbies or interests, we all come to Jesus with expectations of what He will do for us. We all have our passions and causes.

But Jesus didn’t come to take sides. Jesus came to take over.

Disciples vs. Converts

Many people come to Jesus thinking it is enough to believe, to stand on the sidelines and root for Him. Jesus isn’t looking for cheerleaders. He is seeking men and women who will follow Him whatever the cost. He is looking for radical devotion, unreasonable commitment and undivided dedication.

Jesus isn’t looking for converts. He’s looking for disciples.

Converts are new believers. We all start as converts. Too often we stop there. We make Christianity all about what we believe. Converts aren’t bad or wrong. They are like babies. There’s nothing wrong with being a baby. The problem comes when that doesn’t change. When a baby acts like a baby, it’s cute. When a 35-year-old does, it’s sad. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”

For years churches have worked to get people to make a decision to accept Christ, which is a great thing. It’s important. But what happens next? Where’s the follow up? How do we train up new Christians?

Our mission isn’t to win converts; it’s to make disciples. So what is the difference?

  1. Converts are believers who live like the world. Disciples are believers who live like Jesus.
  2. Converts are focused on their values, interests, worries, fears, priorities, and lifestyles. Disciples are focused on Jesus.
  3. Converts go to church. Disciples are the church.
  4. Converts are involved in the mission of Jesus. Disciples are committed to it.
  5. Converts cheer from the sidelines. Disciples are in the game.
  6. Converts hear the word of God. Disciples live it.
  7. Converts follow the rules. Disciples follow Jesus.
  8. Converts are all about believing. Disciples are all about being.
  9. Converts are comfortable. Disciples make sacrifices.
  10. Converts talk. Disciples make more disciples.

A disciple is someone who whole-heartedly follows the life and example of Jesus, who makes His mission their mission, His values their values, and His heart their heart.

A disciple is someone who desperately seeks to be like Jesus. A disciple is someone so committed to the cause of Christ that they would follow Him through the gates of hell and back.

A disciple is someone who finds their entire identity, purpose and meaning in Jesus. Jesus is the center of their lives. They are all in, fully committed.

Not only is a disciple willing to die for Jesus, but they are dedicated to living every day of their life for Him.

A Change of Heart

Jesus doesn’t call us to be converts or to win converts. Jesus calls us to make disciples.

Jesus offers us grace and love without condition, but not without expectation. When we try to water down the message by saying things like, You don’t have to give up sin. You don’t have to change. You don’t have to be transformed. You don’t have to die to yourself. You just need to believe. In doing this, not only are we depriving people of the truth. We are denying them access to a real, transforming relationship with the almighty God.

Christianity isn’t just a system of belief. It isn’t a lifestyle. It’s a life transformed by Jesus.

Jesus doesn’t call everyone to leave everything every day. He calls us to be willing to give up everything at any point.

His call for each of us is different. He has uniquely gifted every person to carry out a unique and valuable function in His kingdom. While what we are called to may be unique, the call is an extreme standard: Jesus must be greater than everything else.

Tyler Edwards is a pastor, author, and husband. He currently works as the Discipleship Pastor of Carolina Forest Community Church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He is passionate about introducing people to and helping them grow in the Gospel. He is the author of Zombie Church: breathing life back into the body of Christ. You can find more of his work on Facebook or you can follow him on Twitter @tedwardsccc.

Read more at relevantmagazine.com

 

August 31, 2018 Pastor Jason Gilbert | Menomonie

What does it mean to be “established”?  Googling the word “establish” brings up several results including (1) to set up on a firm or permanent basis; (2) to achieve permanent acceptance or recognition for; (3) to show something to be true or certain by determining the facts…  Looking at those definitions, what would you say is “established” in your life?  Maybe your home is established.  You’ve paid the mortgage payments to the bank.  You have a clear deed of title.  You have lived there for years.  Your cat and your dog are there.  When you speak of “home”, people know where it is.  Maybe your marriage is established.  You had a large crowd of witnesses at your wedding.  Your marriage certificate was signed and filed with the court house.  When you do your taxes, you mark married in the checkbox.  When you open a bank account or take out a loan, you do so jointly with a spouse.  When you go home, there is someone there to meet you who also calls that place home.  It’s easy to recognize someone who is established in a certain area of their life, whether that be in a home, a marriage, a sport, a business, or a career.

But when someone does achieve the status of established in a certain area of their life, have you noticed how often they try to motivate others by saying something like, “with enough determination, you can do it too!”  Or, “with enough hard work, you can make your dreams come true too!”  Many of us hear this worldly mantra and subconsciously determine to work hard in order to establish our own relationships, our own businesses, our own positions, our own careers, and our own social structures.  A few of us achieve our goals, only to perpetuate the mantra to others.  But many of us never reach our lofty goals.  Why?  Is the whole thing some giant Roulette game in which some of us came up short?

Biblically, we look at a guy like King David.  We can quickly recognize him as a hero and as an example to follow (at least in his early life).  After all, as a young shepherd he rescued sheep from the mouths of lions and bears.  As a teen he took down Goliath without any armor or sword.  He went on to slay tens of thousands of Israel’s enemies as a commander of Israel’s armies.  He was then unjustly hunted down due to jealousy and persevered in the wilderness for several years.  In the midst of all this, he rallied worthless men around him and transformed them into mighty men of valor.  When David was finally anointed King of Israel, He of all people could point to all he had done as the reason for why he was King… But he didn’t.  In 2nd Samuel 5:12 we read, “And David knew that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.”  David recognized his Kingship as the LORD’s work, not his own.  Because of this, David wanted to honor the LORD by building Him a house of cedar.  And this is how the LORD responded to David just a few chapters later in 2nd Samuel 7:12-16, “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.  I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son… And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.”  It wasn’t about what David would do for God, but what God would do through David.

The bible is clear about how someone becomes established.  Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.”  In other words, hard work and determination, though necessary, do not complete the recipe for success.  I cannot establish anything strictly in my own effort.  It is the LORD who establishes.  I don’t know about you, but I have to remind myself of that daily.  There was a verse I had on a yellow post-it which stuck to my monitor throughout my 20s.  The verse is now captioned on a portrait in my home of a light house that is under construction.  It hangs at the bottom of the steps to remind me as come down the stairs each morning.  It is Psalm 127:1 and reads, “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.”  In other words, unless God is in what I am pursuing, all my time, energy, plans, and strength to make it happen will come to nothing.  It is the LORD who establishes.  And unless the LORD keeps what he establishes in my life, all my efforts to protect it, maintain it, and hold onto it will come up short.  I’ll be grasping at the wind.  It is the LORD who keeps that which He establishes.

So, what would you say is established in your life?  Is your home established?  Is your marriage established?  Is your career established?  Certainly, these earthly aspirations may or may not be a part of our lives depending on God’s individual will for us.  But what about the areas you biblically know to be God’s will for all Christians?  Are you established in your relationship with God?  Does your daily bible reading, prayer life, and worship of God reflect that?  Are you established in a local church family?  Are you invested in their lives?  Can others vouch for you on that?  Do you have the “paperwork” to prove it?  Are you established in the unique place that God made you for within Christ’s body, the church?  Do you know where that is?  If you asked someone, would they know where it is?  If you can’t answer yes to these questions and are a relatively new Christian, take a deep breath and jump in.  God has a wonderful, exciting, scary, and adventurous journey in front of you.  And through it, God will reveal his plan for your life.  But if you’ve been a Christian for years and aren’t established in these areas, it’s time to be honest with yourself.  Is it because you have no commitment to God’s revealed will?  Is it because you refuse to walk in the path God has shown you?  Is it because you are to busy pursuing your own plans and have no time, energy, and strength left over for God?  If so, I would encourage you with Proverbs 16:3, “Commit your work to the LORD and your plans will be established”.  God isn’t hiding His will from you…  He is asking us to accept it and walk in what we know to be true…  His desire is that we all might be established in that which He has called us to.  That we may know, like King David, that which “the LORD has established” in our lives.  And that we may live out God’s plan for us both in this life and in the eternal life to come.

August 1, 2018 Believers Church

DISCOVERY

In a recent discussion in the School Discipleship, we were engaged in a conversation about the apostle Peter and his “commitment issues”. No doubt, Peter’s story is an insightful one to us. He walked with Jesus and was taught by him. Peter walked on water when the Lord called him out of the boat. He even stood in the very presence of a radiantly transfigured Jesus. But in the modern church age we often quip about Peter like he was some idiot. You know the stories… He pulled Jesus aside and rebuked him for talking about being arrested and killed (Matt. 16:22). Also, when Jesus was humbly washing the feet of the disciples, Peter proudly shut Jesus down, “You shall NEVER wash my feet!” (John 13:6-8) Even in the book of Acts, he was experiencing a vision from God and promptly said “No Thanks!” to the command God was giving him (Acts 10:13-14).

Now, before we get too judgmental about Peter, anyone out there want to put their ministerial life up against his? Nah, I didn’t think so. Peter indeed had his failures, but his life tells a different tale.

People today seem to be mostly committed to themselves. It’s kind of ugly and it’s not the way of the Christian

OBSERVATION

Commitment is often a curiously absent characteristic in the modern age. People don’t remain committed to really much except to their own lusts, desires, comforts and personal well-being (or perhaps their favorite sports team). I am awestruck when I legitimately see it today. I see it in many members of the military, for sure. Negatively, I have seen it in religious radicals, too (suicide bombers, etc.). Do you know that people used to be commonly more committed to things like their jobs, spouses, family members, or even good causes? People today seem to be mostly committed to themselves. It’s kind of ugly and it’s not the way of the Christian.

An element that came out of our discussion was something I found quite revealing. For all of Peter’s “commitment issues” in those three stories (and others), we must admit Peter was still a great servant of God, full of the spirit of God, and a fighter for the Kingdom of God. Looking at his life, no one can argue, Peter was a clear representation of a “Christian” by the strictest definition. With that said, I’d like to point your attention to the common thread in these three stories about Peter. The common thread is that Peter was engaged with God and God with Peter. Even though foolishly sometimes, Peter was clearly in relationship with God.

It could even be argued that in each of the stories, Peter had sincere motives for telling God “no!” With his rebuke of Jesus, maybe Peter did not want to see Jesus die perhaps because he thought if Jesus died it would mean the end of what he had left his old life for.  With his rejecting Jesus’ foot washing, maybe he thought so highly of Jesus that perhaps the idea of foot-washing should have been beneath Jesus. And finally with the command in the vision from God to kill and eat unclean animals, what if Peter was trying to honor what he had learned of the law of God? This is just conjecture but, in each story, there is at least a commitment (albeit misguided) to Jesus’ life, Jesus’ honor or God’s law. This is a far cry from what is seen today.

APPLICATION

Today’s church-goer (maybe you) looks at “commitment” and says, “Commitment means I go to church and read my devotions and say my prayers… believe in God. Non-commitment means I skip church, miss my bible readings, and neglect my prayers.” There are problems with these definitions. The first question I would ask you is, “Why do you do such things (church attendance, devotions, and prayers)?” My guess would be that, while you might never say it out loud, you hope that by your good committed behavior, you’ll get something from God. That is, by definition, “manipulation”. [Manipulation: 1. controlling someone or something to your own advantage, often unfairly or dishonestly. –Cambridge Dictionary]

So, perhaps you have created a list of things you believe will make you “acceptable” in the sight of God, and therefore “committing” to do those things should grant you God’s favor; eternal life. God is not blind, stupid, or gullible. He calls false motives out from a thousand miles away. Honestly, that type of life is far from the commitment of Peter or of the scriptures. The reality is, living that way is not actually commitment but compliance; a compliance that is ineffective with God and is not effectual… empty.

Commitment is liberty and compliance is legalism

So, I leave you with these definitions and a question:

Commitment: 1. The state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.

Compliant: 1. Disposed to agree with others or obey rules, especially to an excessive degree; acquiescent.

Question: Which one describes your Christian life? …Are you a person behind the cause or one who seeks to fulfill his quota?

-=pastor tom

June 30, 2018 Pastor Tim Dodson | Menomonie

The Dilemma

It seems that many of us have “lost our compass.” Maybe we never had one. For the fact is, many of us have no clue where we are going. Some folks want to be selective in the answer to this question. They say yes, God has a sovereign plan for our lives…a specific “best road” scenario in order to fulfill our purpose for His glory with the time that we have here on this planet. But then those same folks will claim…much to their own fleshly wants, that this item or that issue is not part of the mix. For example, I have had such folks tell me that God has not chosen a specific mate for our lives and decry the idea of “Soul Mate.” The argument is presented thus: what if my spouse dies? Can I not remarry? What if I miss my soul mate, am I therefore relegated to a life of being single? What happens if I marry someone who I now think is not my “soul mate”? Should I…can I, then divorce to marry someone else?

Of course, here and in so many other such situations we are placing a non-linear time based God into a linear time based scenario and expecting to make sense of it. I don’t pretend to know the mind of God or how that exactly works in my world. I however see no “permission” to operate outside of God’s direct and express will and plan for my life in any matter, and I find that scripture only paints a picture that He has a quite specific plan for me. There appears to be no “exempt” issues, and if there are, what are they? If I can “choose my wife off the shelf” then can I do so with my career? What church I go to? …the town I live in? or what friends I hang with? How much of my finances I give to God? And if they answer is “no” to these questions, then what is the criteria for such a godless endeavor on my part? The Bible tells me that God “knows how many hairs are on my head.” Job 23 :10-14 says

“But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside. I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food. But once he has made his decision, who can change his mind? Whatever he wants to do, he does. So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny.”

Well? Is the Word of God true or not? Does He control your destiny? All of it or just part of it?

Psalms 37:23-24 says “The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.”
Psalms 139: 1-6 “O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!”
Jeremiah 1:5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.”
Psalms 139:16 “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

Do I need to continue? Any argument that God is “standing down” in any aspect of the destiny of our lives is based on human reasoning but not scripture. And we all know where human reasoning takes us! It’s just a case of the answer making us uncomfortable so we rewrite scripture to allow us the path we want to take. Such is the same case with the “Family First” doctrine so popular today. No such scriptural directive is found anywhere in the Bible. This is played out throughout Christendom by those who would claim that Christ is in control and that He is “Lord” except for… This path is a slippery slope and many of us eventually find ourselves adrift in a sea of uncertainty and without purpose.

Some of us have chased our own passions and desires for so long, we are miles off course. Perhaps that makes you panic and hyper-ventilate a little. But I assure you that if you are still breathing, it is not too late. You are not “too far out” for God to rescue. Again, let us remember Psalms 37:24; “Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.”

Change

The idea that God has a perfect will for our lives can often cause a paralyses in our movement…fear immobilizing us. Yet “perfect love casts out all fear.” God’s intention was that we do not live recklessly, but that we do live boldly. That we take time to “wait on the Lord.” Psalms 27:14 “Wait patiently for the LORD. (BUT) Be brave and courageous!” (emphasis mine)

“But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:4

Yes, be patient when God is preparing you and the way before you. But keep moving Christian! Ps 37:34 “Put your hope in the LORD. Travel steadily along his path.” Keep dreaming and keep praying! God loves to give good gifts to His kids. (Matthew 7:11) and “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.’’ (1 Cor 2:9.) It is so important to you and those in your immediate circle of influence that you have both dreams and vision for your future. Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” The NLT renders that passage thus: “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.” Hmmm. That seems fitting!

What is the plan that God has for your life? Do you know? Are you even looking?

Psalms 37:4 “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.”

(For more information on seeking Gods will: http://jfbelievers.familyds.org:5000/fsdownload/x4Yurc1Iv/Sermon%20Archives
Follow: Tim Dodson – Topical – “Hearing God’s Voice in a Noisy World”)