Pursue Your Mission
1. Disillusioned Disciples
After the resurrection of Jesus the disciples were disoriented and perhaps disillusioned regarding what they thought they were going to be doing. Jesus had visited them before after the resurrection but they still seemed to be uncertain of what they were supposed to do. The daily contact they had with Jesus was no longer part of their lives. Jesus came and went and they did not know what to do. Somehow the mission they thought they were a part of did not seem to be coming to pass. Where was Jesus? Why has he left us? Will we see him again? What are we supposed to do with our lives? I am sure these are some of the questions that ran through their minds and they are ones that I know I would be asking as well.
It seems that when we are unsure of what we are to do it is very easy for us to just return to the old life that we once knew. The tried and true, familiar places and people and jobs seemed to call us back and invite us to return to the former life we once knew. I think this is what was happening in the lives of the disciples. They were looking for something to do and the one thing that 7 of them knew to do was return to their fishing business. Peter came up with the idea but 6 others were quick to agree with him. I don't know if they were super excited about returning to their work, maybe they just did not have any other options available to them. The fishing business was hard work, probably paid well when you made a catch but compared to the life they had experienced for the past 3 years I am sure it was sort of a letdown to go back to the past. I wonder if the disciples reflected back on the day when Jesus called them to leave their nets and follow him so he could make them become fishers of men. Whatever happened to this new life and challenge of the Lord to leave everything behind and follow him?
In our walk with the Lord there will be times when it seems God is not around and you are wondering if and when he is going to show up. You may have left something to follow the Lord, perhaps a lucrative job to answer his call to work in the ministry. You may have even seen him do great things in your life but now it seems that you are unsure of what to do as it seems that God is not blessing your life as in the past and you are experiencing things that you wish were not happening. Maybe things are not happening as you thought they would or the money you need is just not showing up or the people you thought were part of the vision have left or have not showed up yet so you begin to wonder and perhaps doubt if you are in the right place. You contemplate going back to the familiar places of the past where things were more stable, predictable and perhaps where you can depend on yourself to take care of your needs.
All of us will face this challenge if you have not already experienced it. At the core of it all is our faith in God being trusted and our commitment to fulfill his calling on our life is being tested. We wonder if our mission is over and God is redirecting us to a new endeavor or if we are to hang on and see God come through. There are times when God will close one door because he has something new for you to do but in this case the disciples had not even begun to fulfill the mission God had for them. They were on hold because the timing of the Lord was not completed and they needed to simply wait and believe that what Jesus had trained them to do was not for nothing.
I think the disciples returned to the fishing business with some degree of reluctance but in their minds it was the only option they had.
Peter came up with the idea to return to the fishing trade. He was a leader and his influence affected the other disciples. John Maxwell said you can tell if you are a leader by looking behind to see if anyone is following you. Peter was a leader and he had a following. None of the 6 others said to him that they did not think it was a good idea or that it was really not what they were supposed to do. They agreed with him and went to the lake to go fishing. Your life and the decisions you make will have an influence on other people. Some people will be looking to you for guidance and encouragement and what you do and say will have an impact on them. Peter's decision affected the other 6 men and they willingly followed him. When you are a leader you have to be careful of what you say and do as you have influence on many people's lives. The decisions you make will affect others positively or negatively. Our lives are interconnected and we do affect others by what we do. I have seen many churches go down the tube when a pastor makes a decision to leave. My church saw 150 leave when the pastor left to start another church. It took 3 years for the church to begin to recover but it is doing well now.
2. Disappointed Disciples
The disciples spent the entire night casting their nets with no results. Fishing at night was one of the best times to fish as it promised the greatest catch of fish. I imagine it was very frustrating for them since they were experienced fisherman who knew the lake. I wonder if they had second thoughts about their decision to return to their old lifestyle. Surely they should have caught something or perhaps God was preparing them for a message they needed to hear. There are times in life when you are in the wrong place pursuing the wrong things and there is no fruit in what you are doing. Deep down you know you need to get out of Dodge and get on with what God has for your life. I have been there a few times and after experiencing lots of setback, difficulties, financial problems and a nagging thought that I need to get out of there as soon as possible I packed up and left. I was glad I made the decision but regret the wasted time and energy. When the brook dries up like it did for Elijah it is time to move on or move out.
3. A Stranger’s Advice and Promise
I love how Jesus ministers to his disciples in this setting. He came at dawn which is the start of a new day. This day was going to be like none other, it was going to be a new day for this group of disciples. It would mark their lives as a turning point when a decision was made to permanently leave behind their past and move forward with Jesus in the mission he had prepared them to do.
Jesus recognized them but they did not immediately recognize him or his voice. Jesus called out to them like he knew them, "Boys, friends, children, young children, have you caught any fish?" It seems a little strange to me that Jesus would address these grown men as children. The Greek word can mean a young child or an immature child. Was Jesus calling them his children or was he perhaps admonishing them for their immature behavior of returning to the fishing trade? It must have seemed a little strange to have someone address them in this manner and then tell these expert fishermen to throw their net on the right side of the boat. Who was this man and what did he know about fishing? Why listen to him?
The disciples possibly thought they had nothing to lose by casting their nets one more time. I am not sure what motivated them to do what this stranger told them to do perhaps it was an act of faith. There are times in our lives when we are asked to do things that require faith on our part. The disciples could not see the fish and it is unlikely that Jesus could either since he was a football field length away. Yet Jesus knew the fish were there. He knows, he sees, he understands and he simply asks us to believe in him and respond to him. Perhaps you are here today in obedience to the Lord and you are doing what he has asked you to do but you do not understand or have the full picture of how this will play into your future. God is asking you to have faith in Him that He knows what He is doing and that if you remain faithful to Him he will reward you and you will see the fruit of your labor.
I can look back on my life and see the fruit of some of the decisions I made that at the time I made them I did not understand completely why nor was I completely sure I was making the right decision. I had been a teacher in Christian schools and the public schools for 10 years. I was offered a job with a private nonprofit company which worked in the area of public health. I initially turned down the job because the money they offered was less than I was making at my 2 part time jobs. They came back with another offer which was still not what I wanted but I decided to take the job. This job was really good training ground for the work I am now involved in with YWAM. I learned a lot about organizations, policies and procedures, conducting training sessions, organizing large meetings, dealing with many different kinds of people and problems and a host of other things that have been very valuable. It was also during this time that I was able to go on my first missions trip to Mexico which became a true turning point in my life. I was able to continue studying at a Seminary as well and began to take Spanish classes. After 7 years working with the company, I felt it was time to more on to full-time missions. I did not see the end from the beginning of my work with this company but the Lord did and he used this time in my life to prepare me for where I am today.
4. Stranger Revealed
Jesus promised they would get a big catch so they cast their nets and found out he was right. Jesus always blesses our obedience to him. The disciples struck out on their own and were not where they were supposed to be, doing what they needed to be doing and the results were zero. Yet when they obeyed Jesus, not even knowing it was him, they were rewarded and they understood that it was Jesus who was speaking to them. Perhaps it was déjà vu all over again, a reminder of their initial calling when Jesus gave them instructions to cast their nets again and they had a miraculous catch of fish. It was John who had such a love for Christ who first recognized him. Perhaps it was Jesus' voice that John now recognized after the miracle catch. Jesus said my sheep know my voice. When you love someone you can recognize their voice in a crowd and when John put two and two together he was elated, "It is the Lord!"
Peter's response is typical Peter. He forgot about the fish and focused his attention on Jesus. He made himself look decent and immediately jumped in the water and raced to shore to be the first to greet Jesus. I wonder if Peter could have beat Michael Phelps at this moment or if he secretly desired to walk on water again. I think Jesus had a huge grin on his face watching Peter's impulsive response. The fish were not important to Peter, it was Jesus who was his priority. Sometimes we get caught up in the work of ministry and forget to focus on Jesus. He must always be our priority. Our desire should always be first and foremost to be with him and not let other things draw us away from spending time with him. How eager are we to meet with Jesus and do we see him in everything we do? Are we willing to set aside our work just to seek him and spend time with him?
5. Fellowship of Co laborers
The next thing Jesus does for them is he serves them breakfast. He already had a fire going and fish frying along with bread to feed them. He knew they were hungry and in his love for them provided a breakfast for them. He invites them to bring some of the fish they caught. He gave them credit for catching the fish even though you have to think that he was the one who really deserved the credit. We are co laborers with the Lord. He provides direction for our lives and we provide the labor in his power to accomplish his will. When we co labor with him, miracles can happen.
The catch of fish was large in quantity and size. To me this symbolizes the blessing of the Lord on our lives. His desire is to show and prove himself strong on our behalf. He delights to give us the desires of our hearts and even goes beyond what we could ask or expect. When we walk in obedience we make ourselves available to be blessed by the Lord. We do not serve a stingy, miserly God. He is always more than enough. We watched "Mama Heidi" last Sunday night. It is the story of Rolland and Heidi Baker and the ministry God called them to in Mozambique, Africa. Heidi was burned out in ministry, her health was failing and the constant demands of the ministry were overwhelming. She returned to the USA to seek medical help but checked out of two hospitals and ended up in Toronto, Canada at meetings for missionaries who needed restoration and refreshment. At these meetings she was healed and she had a vision of Jesus. She saw his eyes and felt his compassion for the people. She saw thousands of people with needs coming to her and she was overwhelmed wondering how she could meet these needs. The revelation she received was that Jesus was more than enough to meet these needs. He can do more than we could ask or think according to his power that works within us. This is the God and the Jesus we serve.
Jesus invited the disciples to eat with him. His desire is to have fellowship with us in every activity we do. He wants to be a part of our life and invites us to enjoy his fellowship each moment. He also wants to take care of our needs. He knows us better than we know ourselves. Nothing is hidden from him.
6. Restoration and Refocus of the Mission
Had Peter known what was going to happen next he may not have been so eager to get to shore to see Jesus. The next part of the story puts Peter in a very uncomfortable but necessary situation. Jesus had to confront Peter for what he had done in the present situation where he lead the 6 disciples to return to fishing and quite possibly Jesus was using this occasion to deal with Peter's denial during his trial.
Jesus wanted Peter to see his own heart and his own motivations. He questioned him three times about his love for him. Peter's love was being questioned because of the actions that Peter had demonstrated. He needed to be reminded of what his real mission in life was. He was not to return to the fishing industry, he was to be a shepherd of the flock of God. His mission was to feed and care for the lambs and sheep of God's flock. If he really loved Jesus as he said he did it would be demonstrated in his life through obedience to the mission Jesus had given him.
Jesus made it very clear that his independent nature when he was young was no longer to rule his life. His instructions were to follow Jesus and not his own plans. The decision he made to return to fish was an example of Peter doing his own thing, loving himself more than loving Christ and Jesus needed to confront Peter and get him back on track. This is the question that we all need to be asked. Are you doing your own thing or are you doing what you are doing as a result of your deep love for the Lord? I have seen people in ministry who seem to have lost their real love for the Lord. They do things because it is a job or because it makes them feel important or look important but deep down there is no real love for the Lord. When we lose our love for God we will quickly lose our love for people. People will become a bother to us and we will want to avoid them rather than seek them out and minister God's love to them.
Jesus repeated this question three times which emphasizes how extremely important it was for Peter. Peter was embarrassed and grieved that Jesus asked him three times but he did not forgot what Jesus told him to do. Peter became a shepherd of the flock of God and in his letter to the believers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bitynia he gave these instructions specifically to those who were overseers or elders of the churches.
"And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share his glory and his honor when he returns. As a fellow elder, this is my appeal to you: 2 Care for the flock of God entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. 3 Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your good example. 4 And when the head Shepherd comes, your reward will be a never-ending share in his glory and honor." (1 Peter 5:1-4)
Peter's love would eventually lead him to a cross where tradition has it that he was asked to be hung upside down in honor of Christ's death. When we truly love God and love people we will not take issue with laying down our lives for others. Peter's death revealed the fullness of his love for the Lord and for the flock. Love will be tested for its depth of commitment whether we will deny Christ or stay faithful to him and accept the consequences that may be death. Many believers are facing this decision today in India, China, Africa and Indonesia. Your love for Christ may one day lead you to the cross where you will have the honor of proclaiming your faith and carrying out the sufferings of Christ until the day of his return.
Tonight I believe that God is reaching out in love to each one of us. He is here to fellowship with us and encourage us to fulfill the mission He has called each one of us to do. Some of you perhaps find yourself in the position of the disciples who were disillusioned and discouraged. You feel deserted and you have thoughts of returning to the familiar things. God has not abandoned you, he will meet you and reveal himself to you. You are not forgotten, hang on He will meet with you.
Some of you need to be reminded of what your true mission is and what the focus of your life should be. If you have strayed off course and are involved in things that are not part of God’s plan for your life then you need to leave these things behind and press into the things God has called you to do. God cannot bless disobedience. Perhaps your love for God has been challenged since you have come here and you find yourself not being very loving toward others. God is calling you tonight to make him your priority, seek him and allow his love to flow to you and through you. Renew your commitment to him to seek him daily and spend time in fellowship with him.
Some of you are also here tonight and God is challenging you to be willing to lay down your lives for him by serving him in places where there is risk, danger and persecution. The final nations to be reached with the gospel I believe are the ones that will require the most of those who are willing to go. The first missionaries to Africa sent their belongings in a coffin. They were committed and willing to lay down their lives for a people they had never met but were a people whom God loved. Your love for Christ may lead you to a cross.
Holy Bible : New Living Translation. electronic ed. Wheaton : Tyndale House, 1997, c1996, S. 1 Pe 5:1-4
Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples
21 Later Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. 2 Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.
3 Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”
“We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.
4 At dawn the disciples saw Jesus standing on the beach, but they couldn’t see who he was. 5 He called out, “Friends, have you caught any fish?”
“No,” they replied.
6 Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get plenty of fish!” So they did, and they couldn’t draw in the net because there were so many fish in it.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and swam ashore. 8 The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only out about three hundred feet. 9 When they got there, they saw that a charcoal fire was burning and fish were frying over it, and there was bread.
10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.
12 “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. And no one dared ask him if he really was the Lord because they were sure of it. 13 Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. 14 This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.
Jesus Challenges Peter
15 After breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”
“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”
“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.
17 Once more he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was grieved that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know I love you.”
Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep. 18 The truth is, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked and go wherever you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will direct you and take you where you don’t want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to let him know what kind of death he would die to glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”
20 Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them—the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who among us will betray you?” 21 Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?”
22 Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You follow me.” 23 So the rumor spread among the community of believers that that disciple wouldn’t die. But that isn’t what Jesus said at all. He only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”
The audio recording of this message can be downloaded at the following link:
http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=246559265.wma
Friday, October 10, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
The Road Less Traveled...October 2008
Greetings from Guatemala. The past month we started the Kid's club at the base and have had 50-60 children coming on Saturday mornings. It is a blessing to be able to invite them in to the base and spend time ministering God's Word to them. It has been wonderful to see the progress of our staff who have been learning Spanish and are now able to communicate with the children without the aid of an interpreter. This Saturday night we will be showing the movie, 'The Cross and the Switchblade' in Spanish to the people in our neighborhood. This is a timeless film that has such a powerful message. We always give the people an opportunity to accept Christ at the end of the movie and I ask for your prayers that God will touch the heart of the children as well as the adults who will be coming.
A couple of weeks ago a brother in Christ, Paul, who is from England had an accident while riding his bicycle and broke his hip. It has been a challenge to get him the help he needs as he has limited financial resources. We are trying to get him back to England as soon as possible to help him get the care he needs. Please pray that God would bring healing.
The ministry at Higher Grounds Coffee House continues to reach out to the many students and missionaries who are in Antigua. We are so grateful to have a place where they can come to study, use the internet and fellowship with other believers. Business has been slow this month and we continue to trust the Lord to supply for all of our needs. This past month during our Sunday night services we have been looking a the lives men and women whom God has used powerfully in the ministry. Roberts Liardon has produced a series of DVD's entitled, 'God's Generals.' He profiles 12 people who God has raised up in the last couple of centuries who have had tremendous ministries. If you have opportunity to view these you will be blessed.
I have been invited to go to India October 26-November 12, with Oasis International Ministries that is based in Minnesota. I am in the process of securing the required visa and am making plans to go with them. The ministry will be digging a well in a community to be able to supply clean water and they will be hosting evangelistic crusades in the evening along with training sessions for pastors. Several thousand people attend the crusades and several hundred pastors attend the training sessions. I will be working with Darrell Dobbelmann conducting the pastor's training and we will be visiting rural villages to preach the gospel to people who have never had the opportunity to receive Christ. Would you please pray for this trip. Currently in India there is great persecution against Christians in a couple of areas. 50 believers have been killed, homes and churches destroyed and there are constant threats by radical Hindus to continue the violence until the Christians stop preaching the gospel and leading people to the Lord. The area where we will be going has not yet suffered the persecution and we are praying that we will have open doors wherever we go. I will need to raise support for this trip so if you would like to be a part of it through your financial gift it would be greatly appreciated. I do ask for all of you to pray for the team who will be going. Perhaps the Lord will open doors for our DTS students in the future to be able to return to India to preach the gospel to a nation that is filled with great darkness.
I am happy to report that Pastor Efrain's wife, Betty, is responding well to the cancer treatment. The growth that returned is shrinking and we will continue to pray that she will be cancer free.
We will have a new staff member, Sue, joining us in November. She is from England and will be with us for 2 years. Please pray for her as well as she gets everything in order to be able to come.
Thank you for your prayers regarding my residency visa. This week I finally received some information from Immigration officials regarding my status. I need to submit 2 more items this week and hopefully that will be the end of the year long process. Please continue praying for this that I will get a favorable response in a timely manner.
I am grateful for your partnership through your prayers and financial support. I am blessed to be able to serve the Lord in Guatemala and for the opportunity to be a part of what He is doing here as well as in India.
For Him,
Bruce
Correspondence address:
Bruce Ahlberg
6ta Avenida Norte #33
Antigua, Guatemala
Contribution address:
YWAM Chico
15850 Richardsons Springs Rd.
Chico, CA 95973
A couple of weeks ago a brother in Christ, Paul, who is from England had an accident while riding his bicycle and broke his hip. It has been a challenge to get him the help he needs as he has limited financial resources. We are trying to get him back to England as soon as possible to help him get the care he needs. Please pray that God would bring healing.
The ministry at Higher Grounds Coffee House continues to reach out to the many students and missionaries who are in Antigua. We are so grateful to have a place where they can come to study, use the internet and fellowship with other believers. Business has been slow this month and we continue to trust the Lord to supply for all of our needs. This past month during our Sunday night services we have been looking a the lives men and women whom God has used powerfully in the ministry. Roberts Liardon has produced a series of DVD's entitled, 'God's Generals.' He profiles 12 people who God has raised up in the last couple of centuries who have had tremendous ministries. If you have opportunity to view these you will be blessed.
I have been invited to go to India October 26-November 12, with Oasis International Ministries that is based in Minnesota. I am in the process of securing the required visa and am making plans to go with them. The ministry will be digging a well in a community to be able to supply clean water and they will be hosting evangelistic crusades in the evening along with training sessions for pastors. Several thousand people attend the crusades and several hundred pastors attend the training sessions. I will be working with Darrell Dobbelmann conducting the pastor's training and we will be visiting rural villages to preach the gospel to people who have never had the opportunity to receive Christ. Would you please pray for this trip. Currently in India there is great persecution against Christians in a couple of areas. 50 believers have been killed, homes and churches destroyed and there are constant threats by radical Hindus to continue the violence until the Christians stop preaching the gospel and leading people to the Lord. The area where we will be going has not yet suffered the persecution and we are praying that we will have open doors wherever we go. I will need to raise support for this trip so if you would like to be a part of it through your financial gift it would be greatly appreciated. I do ask for all of you to pray for the team who will be going. Perhaps the Lord will open doors for our DTS students in the future to be able to return to India to preach the gospel to a nation that is filled with great darkness.
I am happy to report that Pastor Efrain's wife, Betty, is responding well to the cancer treatment. The growth that returned is shrinking and we will continue to pray that she will be cancer free.
We will have a new staff member, Sue, joining us in November. She is from England and will be with us for 2 years. Please pray for her as well as she gets everything in order to be able to come.
Thank you for your prayers regarding my residency visa. This week I finally received some information from Immigration officials regarding my status. I need to submit 2 more items this week and hopefully that will be the end of the year long process. Please continue praying for this that I will get a favorable response in a timely manner.
I am grateful for your partnership through your prayers and financial support. I am blessed to be able to serve the Lord in Guatemala and for the opportunity to be a part of what He is doing here as well as in India.
For Him,
Bruce
Correspondence address:
Bruce Ahlberg
6ta Avenida Norte #33
Antigua, Guatemala
Contribution address:
YWAM Chico
15850 Richardsons Springs Rd.
Chico, CA 95973
Friday, October 3, 2008
Power:Abuse and Rightful Use
Power: The third knockout punch
The past 2 weeks we have looked at 2 weapons the enemy uses to knock us out of the ring and they were sex and money. Tonight we want to look at the third blow the enemy uses to destroy lives and that is the misuse of power.
The dictionary defines power as: ability to act or produce an effect; possession of control, authority, or influence over others
History is filled with examples of people who have sought after power to be able to control, have authority and influence over others. The election campaign for the Presidency of the USA is a prime example of what people are willing to do to be able to gain what some consider to be the most powerful position in the world. According to the Huffington Post the amount of money that has been raised for the Presidential candidates as of August 31, 2008.
Barack Obama: $468,841,833
Hillary Clinton: $247,793,590
John McCain: $250,057,920
Total: 966,693,343
This amount will increase dramatically as we get closer to the election date. It is a staggering amount of money but the opportunity to have your candidate in power is well worth the expense for many people.
Power in the hands of someone who is looking out for the best interests of others and unselfishly works to achieve goals that reflect this is a good thing. The problem lies in the fallen nature of man that seeks to use power for selfish, immoral and ungodly purposes to influence, control or destroy other people.
One of the stories in the Old Testament that exemplifies the devastation that happens when power is placed in the hands of someone who is not mature and is not seeking to please God is the life of Rehoboam (1Kings 12).
Rehoboam was the son of Solomon and was heir to the throne. When he came into power he was confronted by the people who appealed to him to lighten the heavy load his father had placed upon them. Solomon had major construction projects and had many wives, concubines, servants and workers that had to be supported through the taxation of the people. It became a heavy load to bear and they wanted tax relief. They asked Rehoboam to make changes and he said he would give them an answer after some consultation. The elderly counselors gave wise counsel while his younger counselors gave him bad counsel and wanted him to make things more difficult for the people.
Rehoboam had the opportunity to use his power to serve the people or make the people serve him. He chose the first option and the result was rebellion against him.
Our fallen nature has a desire to be in control of other people and have power over them to make them do what we want them to do. In order to get control and keep control we have to find a way to coerce and/or force people to do what we want them to do.
Another familiar story from the Old Testament exemplifies what happens when someone wants to control others. In the book of Esther (Chapter 3) we read of the problem that Haman, who was the Prime Minister, had with Mordecai, the uncle of Queen Esther. The Jews were not allowed by their laws to worship anyone but God. The king had commanded all the officials to bow to Haman whenever he passed but Mordecai refused and this irritated Haman. He could not control Mordecai and this caused rage to rise within him. He went to the king with his report and convinced the king that it was in his best interests to destroy not only Mordecai but all of the Jews. Haman was a very proud man, he believed he was someone very special who was given great power. People in power often can be filled with pride and when they do not get their way they can respond in rage and act accordingly. But God has a way of humbling the proud which is exactly what happened to Haman. The gallows he made to hang Mordecai were eventually used for his own execution. God is a God of justice and those who use power for evil will have their day of reckoning either on the earth or at the final judgment.
The early church was faced with issues of power and control. The Apostle John wrote his letter to Gaius (3 John) to address a problem with Diotrephes.
9 I sent a brief letter to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the wicked things he is saying about us. He not only refuses to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church.[1]
Diotrephes used his leadership position to control who could come to the church to teach and who could be a part of the church. His name says a lot about his character. His name means “nourished by Zeus or Jupiter”. His inspiration to use his power in a corrupt way was from the devil and not from Christ. People who are consumed with power often love to be in the position they are in, they live to be in control of people and situations. They also are resistant and rebellious toward others in positions of authority, they want to be their own boss accountable only to themselves. They also speak evil of others to elevate themselves and pit people against those opposing their leadership. They will spread rumors, create lies and do whatever it takes to discredit those who oppose them.
The early church struggled with people who wanted power and used power to control others. This has been repeated throughout history in both the Catholic and Evangelical churches. The Catholic church has a sordid history of using the power of the papacy to control and influence the people to do things that have no scriptural basis for the purpose of gaining money. Paying for indulgences was one of the most abusive usages of power to collect money. Richard Hooker explains the concept of indulges in an article in Catholic-pages.com :
Indulgences were originally created by the church for one and only one reason: to collect money. The medieval Catholic church was the source of almost all social welfare and charity and all this social welfare and charity needed to be paid for. Beginning in the twelfth century, various hospitals and other organizations affiliated with the church would send people out begging for money—they were called proctors —begging for money, however, was not a highly effective way to raise money. In the late thirteenth century, the church came up with the idea of indulgences. In the spiritual life of sinners, indulgences function exactly the same way money functions in their economic life. Here's the logic: since the expiation of sin involves temporal punishment and this temporal punishment involves the doing of good works, why not substitute someonelse's good works for the good works you're required to do? Why not pay someone else to do the good works demanded of you as temporal punishment? Church officials argued that clergy were doing more good works then they needed to; they had, you might say, more than good works in their spiritual accounts than they had sins to pay for. Why not sell them? So selling the good works of the church was precisely what the church did. With the approval of the pope, individual bishops could sell indulgences which more or less paid off any temporal punishment or good works that the individual believer had accumulated in the previous year. It substituted the good works of the Catholic clergy for the good works required of the individual believer. Proof of this substitution was in the indulgence itself, which was a piece of paper, like a piece of money or a check, that certified that the good works of the clergy had paid off the "good works debt" of the individual believer.
This was one of the factors that led to the Protestant Reformation spearheaded by Martin Luther.
The Evangelical church is not without its faults and misuse of power. We have all heard or heard of preachers who use their position of power that comes with their claim to be God’s spokesperson to influence people. Some have claimed that if you send in a certain amount of money you will receive a 100 fold return. Other preachers have declared that unless they receive a certain amount of money God will take them home. The misuse the power of the pulpit to coerce and influence people to do things that are not based in the Word of God and do not accomplish the purposes of God has done great damage to the church and individual believers.
One of the worst scandals in the church today is the sexual abuse that has taken place between clergy and children. The clergy have used their power to perpetrate these crimes and have successfully been able to keep the victims silent for many years.
It is hard for us to believe how much control and influence a single person can have over an entire country. Adolf Hitler was able to convince many in his country that the Jews were less than human and that they should be exterminated. Those who opposed his leadership were arrested, imprisoned or killed. Hitler thought he was doing God’s will by destroying the Jews. He used his power to destroy lives and eventually took his own life when his grand plan unraveled and was in imminent defeat.
People in power or groups desiring to gain power and control often resort to violence, murder and destruction to accomplish their goals. Currently in India in the state of Orissa there is a radical group of militant Hindus who are destroying churches, homes of believer and even killing Christian to try to gain control over their country. They are upset that people are leaving the Hindu faith to become Christians. Many who are converting are in the lowest class of people, the Dahlites who are considered to be less than human and do the dirty work that no one else will do. The Hindus are losing control and they are taking drastic measures to try to regain control. It is a struggle over power to control.
We look at these example of abuse and misuse of power and are repulsed by them. Yet we too are guilty of using power to try to control, coerce or force other people to change or do things our way. If we are in a position of power over a person we can just demand that they do what we want them to do and if they want to keep their job they will need to respond as you direct them. But we also have other ways that we seek to use our power to get our way. This is often displayed when we ignore them and treat them as they do not exist. We also do it when we speak unkindly to them, treat them gruffly or do not listen to what they are saying. We also do it when we with hold things from them, we deny them what they need just to show them who has the power in the situation. Or we punish them and cause physical harm or place threats against them that will intimidate them. We try to use whatever means available to get our way. We are all guilty of using power for the wrong purposes and we must constantly stay vigilant against this desire to control other people.
Jesus is our model of one who had the power to do whatever he wanted, yet he did not use his power for his own purposes. The correct use of power is to use it to accomplish the purposes of God. One day the two disciples, James and John, known as the “Sons of Thunder” wanted Jesus to call down fire from heaven to consume a group of Samaritans who had rejected him. Jesus told them that they did not know what Spirit they were from. He could have easily called down the fire and used his power to destroy the people but he chose a different pathway. Luke 9:51-56
51Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”
55But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56“For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.[2]
Jesus was not on a mission to destroy lives but lead them to salvation. People who misuse their powers often seek to destroy others but people who use power for God’s purposes seek to bring people to salvation through the knowledge of Christ. Taking people out seems to be much easier than bringing people in.
Jesus gave us the example of one set aside his deity and power. He humbled himself and served others in order to accomplish God’s purposes. He led by example. One of his greatest demonstrations of humility and service was when he washed the feet of his disciples at the last supper (John 13). Whatever position of authority or power God has place each of us in always must be used with great humility and displayed through a servant’s heart. The people who have had the most influence and power in my life have all been people with a humble servant heart. They lead through example and are willing to do the menial and mundane tasks that most people want someone else to do for them. They could use their power and position to make someone else do the work but they choose to serve others rather than be served.
People in power use their power to appeal to people to make changes rather than force them to make changes. During World War II the coal miners in England were threatening to strike. Winston Churchill had to address them and change their minds as the strike would have been devastating to the country at that time. Rather than demand and use his power to force them to keep working in the mines he appealed to them. In his speech to them he talked about different occupations and he created an interview with the different people. He asked them what they did and they would respond with their occupation, be it a farmer, teacher, soldier etc. He then asked them why they were doing what they were doing and they each responded, “To serve my family and my country.” The coal miners got the message and returned to work and the strike was averted. Appealing to people with the right motivation and obvious unselfishness is much better than using power to demand things from them. Churchill built a bridge to connect with the people instead of a wall to separate them from their fellow countrymen.
Jesus gave invitations to people to become his followers and disciples. He did not conscript any of his disciples but invited them to be a part of his Kingdom.
“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mk.8:34-36)
People responded to his invitation because of the power Jesus demonstrated through his humility. His power was not understood by many of his disciples who wanted to be a part of a new government that would rule over the Romans. His power was the power to transform a life not rule over a life.
Jesus also gave this invitation in John 7:37-38.
37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “If you are thirsty, come to me! 38 If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within.”* 39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)[3]
John 8:12
12 Jesus said to the people, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”[4]
Jesus appealed to people to come to him, believe in him and have what he had. The power of appeal only works when there is something appealing to the person it is being offered to and they are assured they will get what is promised.
Do our lives have the power of appeal? Do our invitations to non believers have the reality of what we promise displayed in our lives? Do they see change in us or values that they want in their lives?
A final way that power is used to accomplish God’s purposes is through the power of our words. Proverbs 18:21 states that death and life are in the power of our tongue or our words. Our words have power to create or destroy. We can use our words to give life and shape the lives of other people. I think of how Jesus used words to create a new image of people. When he met Peter he gave him a new name because he saw potential in him. He changed his name from Simon to Cephas or Peter which means rock (John 1:42). When we see potential in people we need to speak it out and encourage them. God is raising up the prophetic voice in his church for the purpose of encouraging his people. He uses people to confirm the things he has place in our lives which will help motivate us to pursue them. God by the power of his Holy Spirit can reveal things to us that we can share with others to be an encouragement to them. Our words have great power, power to give life even to the dead. Bill Johnson, pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, California wrote about an incident that happened to one of the members of his church who was a missionary in South Africa and was traveling to Mozambique. The vehicle in front of her was traveling at a speed of 60 miles per hour when it suddenly rolled, throwing passengers out of the bus. She stopped to assist and found many people with life threatening injuries, head injuries, unconscious and some were dead. One lady who was dead had her head facing backward and one eye lying on her cheek. She instructed the bystanders to stand beside the victims and gave them these instructions, “Speak life in Jesus’ name. When I look over at you, I want to see your lips moving.” The people did as instructed and miracles began to happen. The lady who was dead began to groan and her head that was facing her back turned around. Her vital signs became strong and the eye that was on her cheek was placed back in its socket.
Our words have tremendous power when backed by heaven. We must speak words of life to each other, words of faith and hope that will bring change. Idle words and unwholesome words cannot be a part of our conversation because they have power to destroy and we will be judged by them. Use the power of your words to edify, comfort and exhort. Use the power of your words to speak truth in love. Use the power of your words to create a picture of all the potential that God has placed in the life of another person.
Power is the ability to control and influence others. We can use power to dominate others to get our way. We can use power to force people to do things our way. We can use power to keep people under our control.
But we can also use power to bring about change for the better in other people’s lives. This power is displayed through humility and a servant heart. This power is demonstrated by appealing and inviting others to experience what we have in our relationship with the Lord. This power is displayed in the words we speak that bring life to others.
The Audio version of this message can be downloaded at the following link:
http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=1332247795.wma
[1] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. electronic ed. Wheaton : Tyndale House, 1997, c1996, S. 3 Jn 8
[2] The New King James Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers., 1982, S. Lk 9:51
*
John 7:37–38
Or “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow from the heart of those who believe in me.”
[3] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. electronic ed. Wheaton : Tyndale House, 1997, c1996, S. Jn 7:36
[4] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. electronic ed. Wheaton : Tyndale House, 1997, c1996, S. Jn 8:11
The past 2 weeks we have looked at 2 weapons the enemy uses to knock us out of the ring and they were sex and money. Tonight we want to look at the third blow the enemy uses to destroy lives and that is the misuse of power.
The dictionary defines power as: ability to act or produce an effect; possession of control, authority, or influence over others
History is filled with examples of people who have sought after power to be able to control, have authority and influence over others. The election campaign for the Presidency of the USA is a prime example of what people are willing to do to be able to gain what some consider to be the most powerful position in the world. According to the Huffington Post the amount of money that has been raised for the Presidential candidates as of August 31, 2008.
Barack Obama: $468,841,833
Hillary Clinton: $247,793,590
John McCain: $250,057,920
Total: 966,693,343
This amount will increase dramatically as we get closer to the election date. It is a staggering amount of money but the opportunity to have your candidate in power is well worth the expense for many people.
Power in the hands of someone who is looking out for the best interests of others and unselfishly works to achieve goals that reflect this is a good thing. The problem lies in the fallen nature of man that seeks to use power for selfish, immoral and ungodly purposes to influence, control or destroy other people.
One of the stories in the Old Testament that exemplifies the devastation that happens when power is placed in the hands of someone who is not mature and is not seeking to please God is the life of Rehoboam (1Kings 12).
Rehoboam was the son of Solomon and was heir to the throne. When he came into power he was confronted by the people who appealed to him to lighten the heavy load his father had placed upon them. Solomon had major construction projects and had many wives, concubines, servants and workers that had to be supported through the taxation of the people. It became a heavy load to bear and they wanted tax relief. They asked Rehoboam to make changes and he said he would give them an answer after some consultation. The elderly counselors gave wise counsel while his younger counselors gave him bad counsel and wanted him to make things more difficult for the people.
Rehoboam had the opportunity to use his power to serve the people or make the people serve him. He chose the first option and the result was rebellion against him.
Our fallen nature has a desire to be in control of other people and have power over them to make them do what we want them to do. In order to get control and keep control we have to find a way to coerce and/or force people to do what we want them to do.
Another familiar story from the Old Testament exemplifies what happens when someone wants to control others. In the book of Esther (Chapter 3) we read of the problem that Haman, who was the Prime Minister, had with Mordecai, the uncle of Queen Esther. The Jews were not allowed by their laws to worship anyone but God. The king had commanded all the officials to bow to Haman whenever he passed but Mordecai refused and this irritated Haman. He could not control Mordecai and this caused rage to rise within him. He went to the king with his report and convinced the king that it was in his best interests to destroy not only Mordecai but all of the Jews. Haman was a very proud man, he believed he was someone very special who was given great power. People in power often can be filled with pride and when they do not get their way they can respond in rage and act accordingly. But God has a way of humbling the proud which is exactly what happened to Haman. The gallows he made to hang Mordecai were eventually used for his own execution. God is a God of justice and those who use power for evil will have their day of reckoning either on the earth or at the final judgment.
The early church was faced with issues of power and control. The Apostle John wrote his letter to Gaius (3 John) to address a problem with Diotrephes.
9 I sent a brief letter to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the wicked things he is saying about us. He not only refuses to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church.[1]
Diotrephes used his leadership position to control who could come to the church to teach and who could be a part of the church. His name says a lot about his character. His name means “nourished by Zeus or Jupiter”. His inspiration to use his power in a corrupt way was from the devil and not from Christ. People who are consumed with power often love to be in the position they are in, they live to be in control of people and situations. They also are resistant and rebellious toward others in positions of authority, they want to be their own boss accountable only to themselves. They also speak evil of others to elevate themselves and pit people against those opposing their leadership. They will spread rumors, create lies and do whatever it takes to discredit those who oppose them.
The early church struggled with people who wanted power and used power to control others. This has been repeated throughout history in both the Catholic and Evangelical churches. The Catholic church has a sordid history of using the power of the papacy to control and influence the people to do things that have no scriptural basis for the purpose of gaining money. Paying for indulgences was one of the most abusive usages of power to collect money. Richard Hooker explains the concept of indulges in an article in Catholic-pages.com :
Indulgences were originally created by the church for one and only one reason: to collect money. The medieval Catholic church was the source of almost all social welfare and charity and all this social welfare and charity needed to be paid for. Beginning in the twelfth century, various hospitals and other organizations affiliated with the church would send people out begging for money—they were called proctors —begging for money, however, was not a highly effective way to raise money. In the late thirteenth century, the church came up with the idea of indulgences. In the spiritual life of sinners, indulgences function exactly the same way money functions in their economic life. Here's the logic: since the expiation of sin involves temporal punishment and this temporal punishment involves the doing of good works, why not substitute someonelse's good works for the good works you're required to do? Why not pay someone else to do the good works demanded of you as temporal punishment? Church officials argued that clergy were doing more good works then they needed to; they had, you might say, more than good works in their spiritual accounts than they had sins to pay for. Why not sell them? So selling the good works of the church was precisely what the church did. With the approval of the pope, individual bishops could sell indulgences which more or less paid off any temporal punishment or good works that the individual believer had accumulated in the previous year. It substituted the good works of the Catholic clergy for the good works required of the individual believer. Proof of this substitution was in the indulgence itself, which was a piece of paper, like a piece of money or a check, that certified that the good works of the clergy had paid off the "good works debt" of the individual believer.
This was one of the factors that led to the Protestant Reformation spearheaded by Martin Luther.
The Evangelical church is not without its faults and misuse of power. We have all heard or heard of preachers who use their position of power that comes with their claim to be God’s spokesperson to influence people. Some have claimed that if you send in a certain amount of money you will receive a 100 fold return. Other preachers have declared that unless they receive a certain amount of money God will take them home. The misuse the power of the pulpit to coerce and influence people to do things that are not based in the Word of God and do not accomplish the purposes of God has done great damage to the church and individual believers.
One of the worst scandals in the church today is the sexual abuse that has taken place between clergy and children. The clergy have used their power to perpetrate these crimes and have successfully been able to keep the victims silent for many years.
It is hard for us to believe how much control and influence a single person can have over an entire country. Adolf Hitler was able to convince many in his country that the Jews were less than human and that they should be exterminated. Those who opposed his leadership were arrested, imprisoned or killed. Hitler thought he was doing God’s will by destroying the Jews. He used his power to destroy lives and eventually took his own life when his grand plan unraveled and was in imminent defeat.
People in power or groups desiring to gain power and control often resort to violence, murder and destruction to accomplish their goals. Currently in India in the state of Orissa there is a radical group of militant Hindus who are destroying churches, homes of believer and even killing Christian to try to gain control over their country. They are upset that people are leaving the Hindu faith to become Christians. Many who are converting are in the lowest class of people, the Dahlites who are considered to be less than human and do the dirty work that no one else will do. The Hindus are losing control and they are taking drastic measures to try to regain control. It is a struggle over power to control.
We look at these example of abuse and misuse of power and are repulsed by them. Yet we too are guilty of using power to try to control, coerce or force other people to change or do things our way. If we are in a position of power over a person we can just demand that they do what we want them to do and if they want to keep their job they will need to respond as you direct them. But we also have other ways that we seek to use our power to get our way. This is often displayed when we ignore them and treat them as they do not exist. We also do it when we speak unkindly to them, treat them gruffly or do not listen to what they are saying. We also do it when we with hold things from them, we deny them what they need just to show them who has the power in the situation. Or we punish them and cause physical harm or place threats against them that will intimidate them. We try to use whatever means available to get our way. We are all guilty of using power for the wrong purposes and we must constantly stay vigilant against this desire to control other people.
Jesus is our model of one who had the power to do whatever he wanted, yet he did not use his power for his own purposes. The correct use of power is to use it to accomplish the purposes of God. One day the two disciples, James and John, known as the “Sons of Thunder” wanted Jesus to call down fire from heaven to consume a group of Samaritans who had rejected him. Jesus told them that they did not know what Spirit they were from. He could have easily called down the fire and used his power to destroy the people but he chose a different pathway. Luke 9:51-56
51Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”
55But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56“For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.[2]
Jesus was not on a mission to destroy lives but lead them to salvation. People who misuse their powers often seek to destroy others but people who use power for God’s purposes seek to bring people to salvation through the knowledge of Christ. Taking people out seems to be much easier than bringing people in.
Jesus gave us the example of one set aside his deity and power. He humbled himself and served others in order to accomplish God’s purposes. He led by example. One of his greatest demonstrations of humility and service was when he washed the feet of his disciples at the last supper (John 13). Whatever position of authority or power God has place each of us in always must be used with great humility and displayed through a servant’s heart. The people who have had the most influence and power in my life have all been people with a humble servant heart. They lead through example and are willing to do the menial and mundane tasks that most people want someone else to do for them. They could use their power and position to make someone else do the work but they choose to serve others rather than be served.
People in power use their power to appeal to people to make changes rather than force them to make changes. During World War II the coal miners in England were threatening to strike. Winston Churchill had to address them and change their minds as the strike would have been devastating to the country at that time. Rather than demand and use his power to force them to keep working in the mines he appealed to them. In his speech to them he talked about different occupations and he created an interview with the different people. He asked them what they did and they would respond with their occupation, be it a farmer, teacher, soldier etc. He then asked them why they were doing what they were doing and they each responded, “To serve my family and my country.” The coal miners got the message and returned to work and the strike was averted. Appealing to people with the right motivation and obvious unselfishness is much better than using power to demand things from them. Churchill built a bridge to connect with the people instead of a wall to separate them from their fellow countrymen.
Jesus gave invitations to people to become his followers and disciples. He did not conscript any of his disciples but invited them to be a part of his Kingdom.
“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mk.8:34-36)
People responded to his invitation because of the power Jesus demonstrated through his humility. His power was not understood by many of his disciples who wanted to be a part of a new government that would rule over the Romans. His power was the power to transform a life not rule over a life.
Jesus also gave this invitation in John 7:37-38.
37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “If you are thirsty, come to me! 38 If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within.”* 39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)[3]
John 8:12
12 Jesus said to the people, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”[4]
Jesus appealed to people to come to him, believe in him and have what he had. The power of appeal only works when there is something appealing to the person it is being offered to and they are assured they will get what is promised.
Do our lives have the power of appeal? Do our invitations to non believers have the reality of what we promise displayed in our lives? Do they see change in us or values that they want in their lives?
A final way that power is used to accomplish God’s purposes is through the power of our words. Proverbs 18:21 states that death and life are in the power of our tongue or our words. Our words have power to create or destroy. We can use our words to give life and shape the lives of other people. I think of how Jesus used words to create a new image of people. When he met Peter he gave him a new name because he saw potential in him. He changed his name from Simon to Cephas or Peter which means rock (John 1:42). When we see potential in people we need to speak it out and encourage them. God is raising up the prophetic voice in his church for the purpose of encouraging his people. He uses people to confirm the things he has place in our lives which will help motivate us to pursue them. God by the power of his Holy Spirit can reveal things to us that we can share with others to be an encouragement to them. Our words have great power, power to give life even to the dead. Bill Johnson, pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, California wrote about an incident that happened to one of the members of his church who was a missionary in South Africa and was traveling to Mozambique. The vehicle in front of her was traveling at a speed of 60 miles per hour when it suddenly rolled, throwing passengers out of the bus. She stopped to assist and found many people with life threatening injuries, head injuries, unconscious and some were dead. One lady who was dead had her head facing backward and one eye lying on her cheek. She instructed the bystanders to stand beside the victims and gave them these instructions, “Speak life in Jesus’ name. When I look over at you, I want to see your lips moving.” The people did as instructed and miracles began to happen. The lady who was dead began to groan and her head that was facing her back turned around. Her vital signs became strong and the eye that was on her cheek was placed back in its socket.
Our words have tremendous power when backed by heaven. We must speak words of life to each other, words of faith and hope that will bring change. Idle words and unwholesome words cannot be a part of our conversation because they have power to destroy and we will be judged by them. Use the power of your words to edify, comfort and exhort. Use the power of your words to speak truth in love. Use the power of your words to create a picture of all the potential that God has placed in the life of another person.
Power is the ability to control and influence others. We can use power to dominate others to get our way. We can use power to force people to do things our way. We can use power to keep people under our control.
But we can also use power to bring about change for the better in other people’s lives. This power is displayed through humility and a servant heart. This power is demonstrated by appealing and inviting others to experience what we have in our relationship with the Lord. This power is displayed in the words we speak that bring life to others.
The Audio version of this message can be downloaded at the following link:
http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=1332247795.wma
[1] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. electronic ed. Wheaton : Tyndale House, 1997, c1996, S. 3 Jn 8
[2] The New King James Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers., 1982, S. Lk 9:51
*
John 7:37–38
Or “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow from the heart of those who believe in me.”
[3] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. electronic ed. Wheaton : Tyndale House, 1997, c1996, S. Jn 7:36
[4] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. electronic ed. Wheaton : Tyndale House, 1997, c1996, S. Jn 8:11
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Money: Temptation or Tool?
Money: The second knockout punch
Last week we looked at the problem we are facing in the area of sex and pornography and how it can destroy the life of a believer. It is probably the strongest punch the enemy uses to knock us out of the ring as we fight the fight of faith. Tonight I want to look at the second punch he uses and that is money.
During the past week the USA experienced one of its most critical financial crises since the Great Depression. The very foundations of our financial system have been shaken and the government had to intervene to prevent another depression from occurring.
NBC news reported that 10,000 families have lost the mortgage on their home every day.
Part of the cause of the fall of three large companies came as a result of giving out loans that people were not qualified to receive and eventually were unable to pay. Once the company’s finances were scrutinized several things came to light. One issue many have questioned is the practice of paying executives of these companies enormous wages and bonuses that leave them multimillionaires when the company goes bankrupt. Nicholas Kristof wrote about an executive with Lehman Brothers in an editorial in the NY Times on September 18,
Last year, Mr. Fuld earned about $45 million, according to the calculations of Equilar, an executive pay research company. That amounts to roughly $17,000 an hour to obliterate a firm.
Mr. Fuld when he was an executive with Tyco billed the company $6000 for a shower curtain!
1 Timothy 6:10
10 For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.[1]
The Bible states that the love of many is a root of all kinds of evil. We see the destructiveness that comes when people become greedy to gain money at all costs or make it one of the highest priorities of their life. A survey of college freshmen revealed that 75% of those surveyed felt that making a lot of money was a high priority. Having a large amount of money is appealing to them because it represents the ability to do whatever they want to do. It represents security and power along with prestige. It seems that a spirit of greed is sweeping over many people lives and is driving behavior that leads to great problems. A person who is motivated by greed is blind to the needs of others as they are focused primarily on themselves, making their life comfortable. Greed is like an incurable cancer that does not stop growing. It continues to grow until it totally consumes and destroys the person. Greedy people do not know when to say they have enough. Enough to them is always just a little bit more.
Solomon was one of the richest men of his day and he understood very clearly what happens to people who seek after wealth and become greedy. In Ecclesiastes 5:10-17
Ecclesiastes 5:10-17
10 Those who love money will never have enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness! 11 The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what is the advantage of wealth—except perhaps to watch it run through your fingers!
12 People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich are always worrying and seldom get a good night’s sleep.
13 There is another serious problem I have seen in the world. Riches are sometimes hoarded to the harm of the saver, 14 or they are put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children. 15 People who live only for wealth come to the end of their lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day they were born.
16 And this, too, is a very serious problem. As people come into this world, so they depart. All their hard work is for nothing. They have been working for the wind, and everything will be swept away. 17 Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry.[2]
The writer of this book points out several important things about greed.
First greedy people never have enough. John Rockefeller one of the richest men ever was asked how much money was enough and he said a little bit more. When he made his first million he was asked how much more he need and he replied another million. It almost becomes a game to them to see how much they can accumulate and it drives them to seek for more each day. We live in a day of excess and the media does everything they can through their advertizing to convince us we need more stuff.
The second thing about greedy people is that once you have money others will be attracted to you to get it out of you. People who win the lottery are prime examples of how bothersome wealth can be. Everyone becomes your friend and everyone wants a piece of the pie. You attract people who are really parasites who want to live off of the wealth you have obtained. It is difficult to have genuine relationships with people because you are always wondering what they are after.
The third thing about greedy people is they find it hard to not be anxious about their money. It becomes the consuming thought of their lives is how to get more and how to manage and protect what they have. Wealth can be taken away very quickly and those who have placed their confidence in their wealth will always have anxiety and worry about losing it. Many do not experience a good night of sleep and do not have true peace in their lives.
The fourth thing about greedy people is they have a false sense of security. Wealth can be lost quickly in a bad investment or stolen by a con artist. In the end they have nothing but their birthday suit. Placing one’s trust in the temporary riches of the world is a false security. During the recent rise in oil prices many speculators were driven by greed as they saw no end to the rise in the price of oil. Those who bought oil at $150 a barrel have lost their investment as the prices have plummeted. Our faith must be in God who is our security. He will never leave us or abandon us. He promised to take care of all who seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness.
The final aspect of greedy people is that they are not joyful. True joy comes from being in right relationship with God and other people. When one’s focus is on materialism, people become objects or obstacles to one’s desire to obtain more. Everything is centered on money and it becomes the controlling factor of their emotional health. The recent hurricane that swept through Texas gives evidence to what really matters in life. Those who placed their happiness in their possessions were greatly saddened when it was all stripped away while those who valued life and relationships saw beyond the set back and expressed gratitude for the families and friends that surrounded them.
The opposite value of greed is contentment. A person who is content is not dependent upon their financial situation to determine if they are happy. Contentment is learning to appreciate all that you have and being able to be fully satisfied with what you have.
Hebrews 13:5,6
5 Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.”
6 That is why we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?”[3]
It is not wrong to desire to have certain things, we all have dreams that keep us motivated to improve and be successful. The problem lies with whether or not we can truly enjoy and be content with what we have now. We have to be able to say, “yes it would be nice to have that but I am happy with what I have right now and if the Lord wants me to have something else I will wait until I have the money to purchase it and will ask the Lord at that time if it is something I really need.” We all have to examine our motivations regarding why we want certain things. If we want something based on greed we have wrong motivations. I heard it said that “we buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.” Being ruled by greed will do this to you. It is a never ending battle in which you are guaranteed to be the loser.
We can be confident that God will never fail us in regard to our needs. We can place all of our trust in his promises to never leave us in a desperate situation. Our confidence is that God will show up to help. He is our ever present help in time of need.
Another money issue or attitude that also leads to trouble is mismanagement of finances. All of us are subject to temptation in areas of greed and mismanagement and the enemy has used them both to destroy many Christian’s witness and ministry. Currently in the USA there is an on-going investigation of several ministries that are being accused of misusing money given to them. They are being asked to give account for the money they have received and how they have spent it. Some do not feel it is the legal right of the government to meddle with their finances with the exception of the IRS that has the right to reject non-profit status if there are violations. Regardless of the legality of these inquiries the real issue for the believer has to do with stewardship of the resources God has given us. Someone described stewardship as “Everything that happens to a person after they give their lives to Christ.” Stewardship involves every aspect of our life not just our finances. The concept is that God is the one who gives us everything we have and it is still under his control after we receive it. We are not free to use what he has blessed us with in whatever way we choose. The ministries that are being questioned have used donations to purchase homes, cars, jets, vacations etc. that to many people seem quite extravagant and an unjustified use of the money. Are these ministries being wise stewards of God’s resources or have they mismanaged the money given by others who in good faith gave money to be used to further the gospel? It is not just ministries that need to be open to examination of their finances but individual believers must come under the same scrutiny. Each of us must hold ourselves accountable first to God but also to each other. We must first go to God and ask him how we are to use the resources he has given us. We need to ask him first if what we plan to do with the money is what he wants us to do. I think we fail to ask because we are afraid he will say no. We have a warped attitude about God and forget that he is the giver of all good gifts. If we feel a check in our spirit or know that we are violating scriptural principles then we need to stop pursuing whatever we are doing. We also have to be willing to submit our decisions to the scrutiny of other believers. If we are uncomfortable allowing others to question our financial decisions or see our financial records then one has to question if there is some impropriety involved. We need to be transparent and open to the counsel of other believers who have our best interest in mind. This becomes very critical in the marriage relationship as disagreement regarding finances is one of the leading factors of stress and divorce in marriages. I know of husbands who buy things behind their wives backs because they are afraid that they will be denied if they should ask. They hope that forgiveness will prevail. This is a recipe for failure, mistrust and revenge that is rationalized as justifiable. It is often expressed in these terms, “You bought this so I am buying this.” This does not promote harmony in the home but rather competition. One of the best courses you can ever take is one on money management from a Christian perspective. I have seen many young people with desires to go to the mission field thwarted because they have not learned to manage their money and have accumulated great debt which will take time to pay back. Keep track of how you spend your money and you be in control of where it goes rather than at the end of the month when you come up short wonder where it went. Many financial advisors give a simple plan of 80-10-10. Use 80% of your money to meet your needs; give 10% to God as your tithe and save the other10%. Learn how to be a wise steward of the resources God has given you. If you will prove to be faithful in little God will be able to entrust you with more.
Another temptation we often face is stinginess. We hoard things for ourselves and do not freely give when legitimate needs are presented. Sometimes we may give a token offering to satisfy our conscience but we miss out on the blessing because we have not given generously with a cheerful heart. The Bible says if we see a brother in need and are able to meet the need but fail to do so we lack the love of God. Love by its nature always wants to give.
1 John 3:17
17 But if anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help—how can God’s love be in that person?[4]
God told Abram that he would be blessed to be a blessing to the nations (Gen. 12:1-3) When we are blessed by the Lord we are to use those blessing to help other people and not spend it all on ourselves. When we are aware of needs and we have the resources available, we need to respond with generosity and cheerfulness knowing that we are blessing the person who is receiving. Generosity is the mark of a believer who has placed his trust in God to be his provider. When we give we know that God has promised to give back,
Luke 6:38
38 If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving—large or small—it will be used to measure what is given back to you.”[5]“
Our motive in giving is not to get back but to be a blessing to other people. God will reward our obedience in a variety of ways but the true joy in giving is knowing we are helping another person.
I listened to the life story of John Lake and was impressed with a couple of things. One was his obedience to God and the other was the obedience of people who gave to help him fulfill the mission God called him to. Dr. Lake was called by the Lord to go to South Africa. He had no contacts in South Africa and had no money to take his family of seven there. Yet he knew that God had clearly spoken to in a vision for him to go and he knew that God would be his provider.
Lake invited a friend and his family to go with him and they had no money either. They prayed about the money and the Lord spoke to Lake’s friend and said they had the money to go. Within a few days they received $2000 in the mail and they had all the money they needed to buy their train and ship fare to get to S. Africa.
On the train ride to get to the port, they met a lady who needed to buy a ticket to get on another train. They took the lady to buy her ticket even though they had no money. While in line a man came up and gave him $10 in obedience to the Lord and this was just what the lady needed to buy her ticket.
While on the boat they had very little money to spend and had only $.25 when they arrived in England. They had to wait a couple of days to transfer to a different boat that would take them to S. Africa and they needed to do their laundry but they did not have enough money to do it. They decided to send their clothing in to be washed and trusted the Lord to provide for the payment. After a couple of days they needed to pick up their laundry but they still had no money to pay for the service. Lake went on a walk and prayed about the need and while walking a man came up to him and gave him enough money to pay for his laundry and have a little extra.
When they got to S. Africa, the immigration office told him he needed $125 to be able to enter the country. Lake got in line to see the immigration officer even though he had no money. A man who was behind him in line asked if he could talk with him in private so they stepped out of line. The man gave him $200 out of obedience to God speaking to him.
Lake still had no contacts once they passed through immigration. They saw a lady from America standing outside of immigration. His friend Tom was in front of him and the lady walked up to him and asked him how many were in his family, he replied 4 and she said you are not the one I am supposed to meet. She proceeded to talk to Dr. Lake and asked the same question. He replied 9 and she said you are the one. God spoke to her the night before that she was to go to immigration where she would meet a missionary family of 9 from America and give them a home to stay in while in S. Africa.
Talk about a faith builder not only for Lake and the other family but also for the people who God strategically put in their pathway who responded in obedience to meet needs that some did not even know existed. They gave willingly and generously to a person they did not even know. John Lake went on to have a tremendous ministry in S. Africa but without the help of the people who gave in obedience to the Lord it may not have happened or may have been delayed.
We need to be led of the Lord with our finances. When God speaks to us to give we need to respond because he has a definite purpose in asking us to give. We can cooperate with him and be a blessing to others or we can hang on to what we have, give sparingly and cautiously according to our own plan. When you feel the prompting of the Spirit to give, don’t delay because you may miss out on an opportunity to bless someone in ways that are beyond your understanding. God wants us to be a channel of blessing he can freely flow through not a safe vault that is only accessible to you.
Money can be a root of all kinds of evil if it is used to meet selfish and greedy desires or it can be a tremendous blessing if it is used according to God’s purposes and principles.
I believe we are entering a time when our finances will be shaken. Nations as well as individuals will undergo a great shaking but God will show himself faithful to those who have surrendered their lives to him and are living according to his purposes.
Hebrews 12:26,27
26 When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” 27 This means that the things on earth will be shaken, so that only eternal things will be left.[6]
The Bible says that in the last days everything will be shaken that can be shaken and I believe this includes our finances. Only those who have their foundation in the truth of God’s word will be able to stand.
The enemy has used money to distract many people from seeking after God and unfortunately many believers have lost perspective on how they should view money. They are spending more time seeking after wealth than they are seeking after God. They are working extra jobs so they can buy things that will need to be replaced or repaired and are neglecting the most important aspect of their lives, their relationship with God and the family they are a part of. Treasure the time you have with your family and especially your children who all too quickly grow up and move on with their lives. If you have not built a solid relationship with them because you have neglected them it is very unlikely that they will want to have much of a relationship with you after they leave home. The bad choices you make regarding the pursuit of wealth above relationships have consequences that you may live to regret for a long time.
We can have an attitude of greediness, recklessness or stinginess regarding the financial resources God gives us or we can have an attitude of contentment, wise stewardship, and generosity. One attitude will bring calamity and the other will bring great blessings. Purpose in your heart tonight that you will use the resources God has blessed you with to advance the Kingdom of God and be a blessing to others.
An audio version of this message is available at the following link:
http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=137066558.wma
[1]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[2]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[3]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[4]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[5]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[6]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
Last week we looked at the problem we are facing in the area of sex and pornography and how it can destroy the life of a believer. It is probably the strongest punch the enemy uses to knock us out of the ring as we fight the fight of faith. Tonight I want to look at the second punch he uses and that is money.
During the past week the USA experienced one of its most critical financial crises since the Great Depression. The very foundations of our financial system have been shaken and the government had to intervene to prevent another depression from occurring.
NBC news reported that 10,000 families have lost the mortgage on their home every day.
Part of the cause of the fall of three large companies came as a result of giving out loans that people were not qualified to receive and eventually were unable to pay. Once the company’s finances were scrutinized several things came to light. One issue many have questioned is the practice of paying executives of these companies enormous wages and bonuses that leave them multimillionaires when the company goes bankrupt. Nicholas Kristof wrote about an executive with Lehman Brothers in an editorial in the NY Times on September 18,
Last year, Mr. Fuld earned about $45 million, according to the calculations of Equilar, an executive pay research company. That amounts to roughly $17,000 an hour to obliterate a firm.
Mr. Fuld when he was an executive with Tyco billed the company $6000 for a shower curtain!
1 Timothy 6:10
10 For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.[1]
The Bible states that the love of many is a root of all kinds of evil. We see the destructiveness that comes when people become greedy to gain money at all costs or make it one of the highest priorities of their life. A survey of college freshmen revealed that 75% of those surveyed felt that making a lot of money was a high priority. Having a large amount of money is appealing to them because it represents the ability to do whatever they want to do. It represents security and power along with prestige. It seems that a spirit of greed is sweeping over many people lives and is driving behavior that leads to great problems. A person who is motivated by greed is blind to the needs of others as they are focused primarily on themselves, making their life comfortable. Greed is like an incurable cancer that does not stop growing. It continues to grow until it totally consumes and destroys the person. Greedy people do not know when to say they have enough. Enough to them is always just a little bit more.
Solomon was one of the richest men of his day and he understood very clearly what happens to people who seek after wealth and become greedy. In Ecclesiastes 5:10-17
Ecclesiastes 5:10-17
10 Those who love money will never have enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness! 11 The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what is the advantage of wealth—except perhaps to watch it run through your fingers!
12 People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich are always worrying and seldom get a good night’s sleep.
13 There is another serious problem I have seen in the world. Riches are sometimes hoarded to the harm of the saver, 14 or they are put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children. 15 People who live only for wealth come to the end of their lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day they were born.
16 And this, too, is a very serious problem. As people come into this world, so they depart. All their hard work is for nothing. They have been working for the wind, and everything will be swept away. 17 Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry.[2]
The writer of this book points out several important things about greed.
First greedy people never have enough. John Rockefeller one of the richest men ever was asked how much money was enough and he said a little bit more. When he made his first million he was asked how much more he need and he replied another million. It almost becomes a game to them to see how much they can accumulate and it drives them to seek for more each day. We live in a day of excess and the media does everything they can through their advertizing to convince us we need more stuff.
The second thing about greedy people is that once you have money others will be attracted to you to get it out of you. People who win the lottery are prime examples of how bothersome wealth can be. Everyone becomes your friend and everyone wants a piece of the pie. You attract people who are really parasites who want to live off of the wealth you have obtained. It is difficult to have genuine relationships with people because you are always wondering what they are after.
The third thing about greedy people is they find it hard to not be anxious about their money. It becomes the consuming thought of their lives is how to get more and how to manage and protect what they have. Wealth can be taken away very quickly and those who have placed their confidence in their wealth will always have anxiety and worry about losing it. Many do not experience a good night of sleep and do not have true peace in their lives.
The fourth thing about greedy people is they have a false sense of security. Wealth can be lost quickly in a bad investment or stolen by a con artist. In the end they have nothing but their birthday suit. Placing one’s trust in the temporary riches of the world is a false security. During the recent rise in oil prices many speculators were driven by greed as they saw no end to the rise in the price of oil. Those who bought oil at $150 a barrel have lost their investment as the prices have plummeted. Our faith must be in God who is our security. He will never leave us or abandon us. He promised to take care of all who seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness.
The final aspect of greedy people is that they are not joyful. True joy comes from being in right relationship with God and other people. When one’s focus is on materialism, people become objects or obstacles to one’s desire to obtain more. Everything is centered on money and it becomes the controlling factor of their emotional health. The recent hurricane that swept through Texas gives evidence to what really matters in life. Those who placed their happiness in their possessions were greatly saddened when it was all stripped away while those who valued life and relationships saw beyond the set back and expressed gratitude for the families and friends that surrounded them.
The opposite value of greed is contentment. A person who is content is not dependent upon their financial situation to determine if they are happy. Contentment is learning to appreciate all that you have and being able to be fully satisfied with what you have.
Hebrews 13:5,6
5 Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.”
6 That is why we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?”[3]
It is not wrong to desire to have certain things, we all have dreams that keep us motivated to improve and be successful. The problem lies with whether or not we can truly enjoy and be content with what we have now. We have to be able to say, “yes it would be nice to have that but I am happy with what I have right now and if the Lord wants me to have something else I will wait until I have the money to purchase it and will ask the Lord at that time if it is something I really need.” We all have to examine our motivations regarding why we want certain things. If we want something based on greed we have wrong motivations. I heard it said that “we buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.” Being ruled by greed will do this to you. It is a never ending battle in which you are guaranteed to be the loser.
We can be confident that God will never fail us in regard to our needs. We can place all of our trust in his promises to never leave us in a desperate situation. Our confidence is that God will show up to help. He is our ever present help in time of need.
Another money issue or attitude that also leads to trouble is mismanagement of finances. All of us are subject to temptation in areas of greed and mismanagement and the enemy has used them both to destroy many Christian’s witness and ministry. Currently in the USA there is an on-going investigation of several ministries that are being accused of misusing money given to them. They are being asked to give account for the money they have received and how they have spent it. Some do not feel it is the legal right of the government to meddle with their finances with the exception of the IRS that has the right to reject non-profit status if there are violations. Regardless of the legality of these inquiries the real issue for the believer has to do with stewardship of the resources God has given us. Someone described stewardship as “Everything that happens to a person after they give their lives to Christ.” Stewardship involves every aspect of our life not just our finances. The concept is that God is the one who gives us everything we have and it is still under his control after we receive it. We are not free to use what he has blessed us with in whatever way we choose. The ministries that are being questioned have used donations to purchase homes, cars, jets, vacations etc. that to many people seem quite extravagant and an unjustified use of the money. Are these ministries being wise stewards of God’s resources or have they mismanaged the money given by others who in good faith gave money to be used to further the gospel? It is not just ministries that need to be open to examination of their finances but individual believers must come under the same scrutiny. Each of us must hold ourselves accountable first to God but also to each other. We must first go to God and ask him how we are to use the resources he has given us. We need to ask him first if what we plan to do with the money is what he wants us to do. I think we fail to ask because we are afraid he will say no. We have a warped attitude about God and forget that he is the giver of all good gifts. If we feel a check in our spirit or know that we are violating scriptural principles then we need to stop pursuing whatever we are doing. We also have to be willing to submit our decisions to the scrutiny of other believers. If we are uncomfortable allowing others to question our financial decisions or see our financial records then one has to question if there is some impropriety involved. We need to be transparent and open to the counsel of other believers who have our best interest in mind. This becomes very critical in the marriage relationship as disagreement regarding finances is one of the leading factors of stress and divorce in marriages. I know of husbands who buy things behind their wives backs because they are afraid that they will be denied if they should ask. They hope that forgiveness will prevail. This is a recipe for failure, mistrust and revenge that is rationalized as justifiable. It is often expressed in these terms, “You bought this so I am buying this.” This does not promote harmony in the home but rather competition. One of the best courses you can ever take is one on money management from a Christian perspective. I have seen many young people with desires to go to the mission field thwarted because they have not learned to manage their money and have accumulated great debt which will take time to pay back. Keep track of how you spend your money and you be in control of where it goes rather than at the end of the month when you come up short wonder where it went. Many financial advisors give a simple plan of 80-10-10. Use 80% of your money to meet your needs; give 10% to God as your tithe and save the other10%. Learn how to be a wise steward of the resources God has given you. If you will prove to be faithful in little God will be able to entrust you with more.
Another temptation we often face is stinginess. We hoard things for ourselves and do not freely give when legitimate needs are presented. Sometimes we may give a token offering to satisfy our conscience but we miss out on the blessing because we have not given generously with a cheerful heart. The Bible says if we see a brother in need and are able to meet the need but fail to do so we lack the love of God. Love by its nature always wants to give.
1 John 3:17
17 But if anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help—how can God’s love be in that person?[4]
God told Abram that he would be blessed to be a blessing to the nations (Gen. 12:1-3) When we are blessed by the Lord we are to use those blessing to help other people and not spend it all on ourselves. When we are aware of needs and we have the resources available, we need to respond with generosity and cheerfulness knowing that we are blessing the person who is receiving. Generosity is the mark of a believer who has placed his trust in God to be his provider. When we give we know that God has promised to give back,
Luke 6:38
38 If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving—large or small—it will be used to measure what is given back to you.”[5]“
Our motive in giving is not to get back but to be a blessing to other people. God will reward our obedience in a variety of ways but the true joy in giving is knowing we are helping another person.
I listened to the life story of John Lake and was impressed with a couple of things. One was his obedience to God and the other was the obedience of people who gave to help him fulfill the mission God called him to. Dr. Lake was called by the Lord to go to South Africa. He had no contacts in South Africa and had no money to take his family of seven there. Yet he knew that God had clearly spoken to in a vision for him to go and he knew that God would be his provider.
Lake invited a friend and his family to go with him and they had no money either. They prayed about the money and the Lord spoke to Lake’s friend and said they had the money to go. Within a few days they received $2000 in the mail and they had all the money they needed to buy their train and ship fare to get to S. Africa.
On the train ride to get to the port, they met a lady who needed to buy a ticket to get on another train. They took the lady to buy her ticket even though they had no money. While in line a man came up and gave him $10 in obedience to the Lord and this was just what the lady needed to buy her ticket.
While on the boat they had very little money to spend and had only $.25 when they arrived in England. They had to wait a couple of days to transfer to a different boat that would take them to S. Africa and they needed to do their laundry but they did not have enough money to do it. They decided to send their clothing in to be washed and trusted the Lord to provide for the payment. After a couple of days they needed to pick up their laundry but they still had no money to pay for the service. Lake went on a walk and prayed about the need and while walking a man came up to him and gave him enough money to pay for his laundry and have a little extra.
When they got to S. Africa, the immigration office told him he needed $125 to be able to enter the country. Lake got in line to see the immigration officer even though he had no money. A man who was behind him in line asked if he could talk with him in private so they stepped out of line. The man gave him $200 out of obedience to God speaking to him.
Lake still had no contacts once they passed through immigration. They saw a lady from America standing outside of immigration. His friend Tom was in front of him and the lady walked up to him and asked him how many were in his family, he replied 4 and she said you are not the one I am supposed to meet. She proceeded to talk to Dr. Lake and asked the same question. He replied 9 and she said you are the one. God spoke to her the night before that she was to go to immigration where she would meet a missionary family of 9 from America and give them a home to stay in while in S. Africa.
Talk about a faith builder not only for Lake and the other family but also for the people who God strategically put in their pathway who responded in obedience to meet needs that some did not even know existed. They gave willingly and generously to a person they did not even know. John Lake went on to have a tremendous ministry in S. Africa but without the help of the people who gave in obedience to the Lord it may not have happened or may have been delayed.
We need to be led of the Lord with our finances. When God speaks to us to give we need to respond because he has a definite purpose in asking us to give. We can cooperate with him and be a blessing to others or we can hang on to what we have, give sparingly and cautiously according to our own plan. When you feel the prompting of the Spirit to give, don’t delay because you may miss out on an opportunity to bless someone in ways that are beyond your understanding. God wants us to be a channel of blessing he can freely flow through not a safe vault that is only accessible to you.
Money can be a root of all kinds of evil if it is used to meet selfish and greedy desires or it can be a tremendous blessing if it is used according to God’s purposes and principles.
I believe we are entering a time when our finances will be shaken. Nations as well as individuals will undergo a great shaking but God will show himself faithful to those who have surrendered their lives to him and are living according to his purposes.
Hebrews 12:26,27
26 When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” 27 This means that the things on earth will be shaken, so that only eternal things will be left.[6]
The Bible says that in the last days everything will be shaken that can be shaken and I believe this includes our finances. Only those who have their foundation in the truth of God’s word will be able to stand.
The enemy has used money to distract many people from seeking after God and unfortunately many believers have lost perspective on how they should view money. They are spending more time seeking after wealth than they are seeking after God. They are working extra jobs so they can buy things that will need to be replaced or repaired and are neglecting the most important aspect of their lives, their relationship with God and the family they are a part of. Treasure the time you have with your family and especially your children who all too quickly grow up and move on with their lives. If you have not built a solid relationship with them because you have neglected them it is very unlikely that they will want to have much of a relationship with you after they leave home. The bad choices you make regarding the pursuit of wealth above relationships have consequences that you may live to regret for a long time.
We can have an attitude of greediness, recklessness or stinginess regarding the financial resources God gives us or we can have an attitude of contentment, wise stewardship, and generosity. One attitude will bring calamity and the other will bring great blessings. Purpose in your heart tonight that you will use the resources God has blessed you with to advance the Kingdom of God and be a blessing to others.
An audio version of this message is available at the following link:
http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=137066558.wma
[1]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[2]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[3]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[4]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[5]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[6]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Coming Events
YWAM Antigua will be hosting several special events in October and November.
Saturday, October 25 we will be conducting an Evangelism Seminar at Higher Grounds Coffee House from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Friday, October 31 at 7 p.m. we will be hosting "Come to your funeral"
Thursday, November 27 at 4 p.m. we will be serving an American Thanksgiving meal with all the typical foods.
All events are open to the public.
Saturday, October 25 we will be conducting an Evangelism Seminar at Higher Grounds Coffee House from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Friday, October 31 at 7 p.m. we will be hosting "Come to your funeral"
Thursday, November 27 at 4 p.m. we will be serving an American Thanksgiving meal with all the typical foods.
All events are open to the public.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Please Pray!
Please pray for Paul Bathurst from England who is residing in Antigua and has suffered a broken hip after falling off his bicycle on Tuesday. He is currently in a local hospital that is not able to perform the surgery he needs. Paul is not a young man and his situation is very difficult. He does not have insurance to pay for the operation nor does he have the finances necessary. If he can return to England he can receive the care he needs but getting him there in his present condition would be a challenge. Please pray for healing for Paul. He is a wonderful brother in the Lord and has a huge heart for the children of Guatemala. He has no family in England that I am aware of who could help him at this time so several of us are doing what we can to get him the help he needs. Your prayers for him are needed.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Fight the Good Fight
Fight the good fight of faith
The year was 1964 and a large part of the world was focused on a heavyweight championship fight between Sonny Liston and Cassius Clay who shortly afterward changed his name to Mohammed Ali.
Liston was an ex-con who had ties with organized crime and was feared by other boxers and their managers. One manager, Jim Wicks, made this statement. "We don't even want to meet Liston walking down the same street."[1]
Cassius Clay had just turned 22 years old before the fight. He was full of confidence in his ability and spoke openly and often about it. He was the underdog in the fight with 7 to 1 odds against him becoming the champion.
During training, Clay took to driving his entourage in a bus over to the site where Liston was training, and repeatedly called Liston the "big, ugly bear".[2] Liston grew increasingly irritated as the motor mouthed Clay continued hurling insults ("After the fight I'm gonna build myself a pretty home and use him as a bearskin rug. Liston even smells like a bear. I'm gonna give him to the local zoo after I whup him... if Sonny Liston whups me, I'll kiss his feet in the ring, crawl out of the ring on my knees, tell him he's the greatest, and catch the next jet out of the country."). Clay insisted to a skeptical press that he would knock out Liston in eight rounds.
Clay was declared the winner of the fight after Liston did not answer the bell at the start of the 7th round due to an injured shoulder. Clay proceeded to make claims that are still remember today and recorded. I want to show you a short clip of him that was taken after the fight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UaDbVbQTrM
Our spiritual lives have been compared to a boxing match. The Apostle Paul used the analogy of a boxer as well as the analogy of the believer being in a fight against spiritual forces of darkness. He gave instruction to Timothy to “Fight the good fight of faith.” (1 Timothy 6:12)
The fight between Liston and Clay had several analogies that we can draw from and apply to the spiritual battle we are facing each day. Both fighters were well prepared and confident in their ability. Both gave their all in the fight and were constantly looking for the opportunity to deliver the knockout blow and be declared the winner. Accusations and intimidation were used even before the fight as psychological warfare to bring fear or anger which would serve as a distraction and possibly hinder the concentration of the opponent.
As we look at life as a believer we have to be prepared for the spiritual warfare that we face on a daily basis. We are in a fight daily whether we realize it or not. The bell to start the fight rings every morning when we awake and we have to be prepared.
We have an enemy who goes about like a roaring lion seeking to deliver a knockout blow and devour us (1 Peter 5:8). Lions roar when they are hungry and we have an enemy that has an insatiable desire to consume believers. The enemy of our soul, the devil or satan is constantly on the attack, looking for his next victim he can devour. He is not all powerful, neither is he omniscient or everywhere present. He has limitation because he is a fallen angel and though he is a powerful enemy he is not able to overpower a believer who is operating in the wisdom, authority and power Christ has given. He is skilled in his tactics and if we are not alert and attentive, he can do serious damage to us. Just as a skilled boxer waits patiently for his opponent to drop his guard or make a mistake so he can deliver the knockout blow so too the enemy we face operates with the same strategy. His goal is the knockout punch that will put us out of commission, take us out of the ring, incapacitate us and damage our reputation and walk with God.
The Bible says in James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.[1]
The first step in waging successful warfare against the enemy is to submit ourselves completely to God. To submit means that we place ourselves under God’s rule and dominion. We intentionally subject ourselves to him because he is God and he knows what is best for our lives. God has not been silent regarding these areas of temptation. His Word is profitable for instruction in righteousness or right living. If we fail to submit ourselves to the revealed truth of God’s Word we set ourselves up for attack. If we submit ourselves to God and follow his advice we will be able to stand against the attack of the enemy using the truth that God has revealed to us. We cannot be ignorant of God’s Word and God’s ways. We have to arm ourselves with the truth of God’s Word. There has to be a hunger in our soul for this truth. Jesus said “My words are spirit and they are life.” If we want to enjoy life to its fullest we must know the Word and live by it. If we remain ignorant or naïve we have exposed ourselves to the enemy and he will take advantage of us. If your spiritual appetite for the Word of God is in the dieting mode be careful because you are not as strong as you need to be. Someone has said, “Sin will keep you from the Word and the Word will keep you from sin.” I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing and obeying the revealed truth of the Scriptures. When we submit ourselves completely to God we are in essence submitting ourselves to the teaching of his Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth.
In boxing there are 3 punches that are used to knockout the opponent. A left hook that goes around the side of the head, a right cross that smacks the temple area and an upper cut that goes under the chin and renders the opponent unconscious. In our spiritual lives I believe the devil uses three punches to knock us out and they are sex, money and power. I think the greatest area of attack today is the area of sex. The world uses this area in so many ways to lure us into things that lead to sin. We see it all the time in the newspapers, advertizing, web sites, billboards, and the list goes on.
We must do all we can to resist the devil in this area. We have to understand what he is doing and how he is attacking us on a daily basis. In the area of sexual temptation I do not think there is a more powerful influence today that that of internet pornography.
Because of the advances in technology and especially the internet the proliferation of pornography has become the greatest tool of the enemy to bring destruction. Here are some statistics taken from a message entitled, “Love gone astray” given by Carol Kaminsky at Gordon Conwell Seminary.
Every second 28,000 users are viewing porn
$ 3,000 spent on porn every second
Every 39 minutes a new porn video is being produce in USA.
In 2004, 420 million pages of porn were produced
In August 2005 71.9 million people visited adult site in one month
In 2006 there were 4.2 million porn web sites
Every day there are 68 million porn site search engine requests
Annual revenue from pornography in the USA alone is 13 billion dollars. This is more than the combined total of ABC, NBC and CBS combined.
China receives highest revenue worldwide from porn. South Korea, Japan, USA and Australia follow in that order.
Pornography generates more revenue than the combined revenue of the top technology companies Microsoft Google, Yahoo, Amazon, eBay, Apple, Netflix and EarthLink combined.
Average age of first internet exposure is 8 years old.
Largest group of internet pornography users is the 12-17 years olds
Pornography has invaded the church just as it has the world. It has destroyed many lives and relationships. It is one of the strongest if not the strongest attack the enemy uses to bring destruction of individuals and families. It has touched the Christian community as well as the world. A recent study from Focus on the Family stated that 29 percent of Christian men have looked at pornography on the internet. A study by Christianity Today in 2001, found that 51 % of those surveyed had viewed pornography. A survey by Promise Keepers found that 53 percent of the men had visited porn sites the previous week.
It is not only men who are being influence but women as well and the numbers continue to increase each year. The availability and easy access to pornography have made the temptation that much stronger and the pornography industry uses deceptive techniques to lure people into websites. Here are some of the tactics they are using to lure and trap people.
Unwanted and unsolicited email with sexual content is constantly sent out. There are 2.5 billion porn emails daily of which 34% are unwanted and unsolicited.
Traps like the following are used and include: disguising names, porn mapping in which sites purchase expired well know names so when you click on the site it leads to porn site.
They use a well know site name but misspell it intentionally so that when you make a mistake typing the name of the known site it automatically leads you to a porn site.
Cyber Squatting: Using similar wording of a well known name as part of the site name so when you use a search engine a porn site will come up.
Door way scam. First page is okay but leads to porn site
Mouse trapping: 25% of porn sites have it, click on it and once in you cannot leave, mouse is useless
These are all strategies the devil uses to draw us into sexual sin, perversion and addiction. We cannot be ignorant of his devices and we have to take steps to guard our eyes, our mind and our feet from walking into the traps he has set. The devil always wants to take something God made as good and pervert it into something evil.
Once we understand how he operates we have to take action to not give him access to us. It is like in the movies when someone is trying to hack into a computer and the message is stated on the screen “Access Denied.” The Scriptures state that we must not leave any foothold or opportunity for the enemy to access our lives. We cannot allow him access so he can trip us and cause us to fall. We have to set standards and discipline ourselves as well as hold ourselves accountable to another person to maintain these standards. We must establish boundaries ahead of time so that we are prepared when the attack or temptation comes our way. We cannot afford to be naïve and unprepared.
Since the internet is a huge source of temptation it is wise to set limits on how much time you spend on it and what sites you access. Filters are available that will impose limitations on your ability to access sites known for sinful content. Covenant Eyes, http://www.covenanteyes.com/ is one program that is very helpful. It costs $2.50 per month. It tracks all your website history and sends a report to the person you have designated as your accountability partner. There are also other free programs available and are listed below.
http://www.x3watch.com/ (Free); http://www.integrity.com/ (free);http://www.accountable2you.com/ (free).
Another step that can be taken is to shut off the internet in the evening. Studies have shown that most men access internet porn sites after 10 p.m. Shutting down your computer after this hour or before will help you to a degree. It is also important if you are struggling with porn to not view your computer in a private area. Someone should be able to see what you are doing. Children should not be allowed to have internet access in their rooms. On a recent broadcast of Focus on the Family, one the counselors reported that she had received a call from a mother who had a 9 year old son who was exposed to pornography by a 9 year old neighbor boy. The neighbor boy had consequently sexually molested her 7 year old son after viewing porn on the internet.
Another area that we must deny the enemy access is in our relationships between same sex and opposite sex. The enemy is having great success in this area and we daily read of men and women who have abandoned God’s standards and fallen into sin. God’s standard for sexual relations has always been for a man and woman. Anything else is a perversion and is not to be practiced. The enemy’s goal is to normalize all relationships that God has specifically stated in his Word are wrong. Even gender identity has come into question in several states. Children can choose their sexual identity and are encouraged to be what they feel they are in spite of what their DNA tests say. Satan wants us to explore ways to experience sex outside of the boundaries God has established. He wants us to believe that we are missing out by being obedient to God. He tries to get us to rationalize our decisions to enable us to justify our deviation from God’s standards.
Just this past week Ray Boltz who is a Christian singer who is well known for several of his songs, publicly declared that he has been living a homosexual lifestyle. He has been married for 33 years and has several children. It is hard to understand his decisions and actions but one thing that we have to acknowledge is the power of the enemy to influence our choices when we fail to believe the Word of God and submit to its teachings.
As believers we must set standards in the area of relationships between the opposite sex. Some churches have policies that no single woman or married woman can ride in the same car alone with a married man who is in leadership in the church. It is a safeguard against the enemy bringing attack and accusation that something sinful is going on between the two people. Counseling with a member of the opposite sex is also an area that must have strong boundaries and limitations. Some churches do not allow opposite sexes to counsel each other and if they do they require another person to be present in the room or an open door with another person present in an adjacent room.
Boundaries must be established on where we will meet with other people, especially if you are single and in a dating relationship. The devil loves it when we try to hide away in secrecy where no one can see us. It is not wise to conduct your relationship with the opposite sex in this manner as it leaves you open to sexual temptation and false accusation. It is not wrong to want to be alone with another person but you can be alone and still be in a public area where others will be around you.
Standards must also be set on physical contact with the opposite sex in a dating relationship. The enemy always wants you to rush into the physical aspect of the relationship. Set high standards for each other so that you will not take advantage of each other and damage the other person. Don’t make yourself cheap, it is a reputation that you do not want to have. Concentrate on the other aspects of your relationship and let the physical aspect be low on the priority list.
A final area that we must set strong standards to deny the enemy access is in the movies we watch. The images from movies make lasting impressions on your mind and especially the parts that have sexual content. It is especially important that children up to the age of 14 not be allowed to view movies with sexual content and violence. The brain is still being mapped during this time and the introduction of sex and violence can bring permanent damage to the formation of thought in these areas. Movies are also an area that the enemy can and will use to cause bring sexual temptation. As believers and followers of Christ we too have to set standards and take precautions before renting or viewing a movie. I have been using a website of the Catholic Church to get an overview of a movie I may have an interest in viewing. The website address is: http://www.usccb.org/
There is also a link on Focus on the Family’s website http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/
Take the time to review a movie before you find out it is not worthy of your time, money and most importantly is contrary to your spiritual values.
One test we can always give is to ask if I would be able to stand in front of the church and feel comfortable talking the them about the content of the movie.
The scriptures teach us that we are to stay far away from anything that will bring offense and destruction to our relationship with the Lord as well the people he has placed in our lives. We are instructed to hide ourselves from these things and not give place to them. Prudent people see the danger they cause and they stay away from them. Naïve people or people who have not set boundaries and restraints fall prey to the enemy and reap destruction in their lives. We have to carefully consider our ways and not go down the path that leads to death.
Our enemy is a predator and we are his prey. We must take action to not give him access in these areas of our life. One of the ways you can help guard your way is through an accountability partner. During “The Call” on August 2, Mike Bickell mentioned that they have a Purity agreement available at their website, http://www.thecall.com/ . It lists 7 Practical Commitments that you need to make with another person or persons. I have copies of this available for anyone who wants one.
The scriptures clearly point out that there are 2 voices calling out to us each day. One is the voice of wisdom and the other is the voice of folly.
Proverbs 9:1-6
Wisdom has built her house,
1 She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 She has slaughtered her meat,
She has mixed her wine,
She has also furnished her table.
3 She has sent out her maidens,
She cries out from the highest places of the city,
4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
5 “Come, eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Forsake foolishness and live,
And go in the way of understanding.[2]
We can choose to seek out wisdom and walk in the knowledge of the truth in submission to God or we can choose to follow after folly.
Proverbs 9:13-18
13 A foolish woman is clamorous;
She is simple, and knows nothing.
14 For she sits at the door of her house,
On a seat by the highest places of the city,
15 To call to those who pass by,
Who go straight on their way:
16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here”;
And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
17 “Stolen water is sweet,
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of hell.[3]
Both wisdom and folly are calling out to us each day. One lead to life and true enjoyment while the other leads to death. I pray tonight that you will make the choice to follow after the wisdom of God in the area of sexual purity. We have to fight the fight of faith with all the weapons God has given us and with the wisdom we gain through his Word. We are living in a day of great temptation and I believe it is only going to increase and the list of Christian casualties is going to grow unless we take action to come against the strategies of the enemy and establish standards and boundaries that will help not fall prey to his attacks.
If you have fallen in these areas we have talked about tonight there is healing and forgiveness available. You have not committed the unpardonable sin even though the enemy would like you to believe it. God will forgive and cleanse you through the blood of Christ. He wants to set you free and keep you free but you will have to make that decision and take the appropriate action to continue to walk in freedom and purity. Don’t let another day go by in which the enemy gains victory over you in this area. Seek help from other trusted believers and draw upon their strength as you set your feet on the pathway of liberty. We have the promise of God’s Word that if we submit to Him and resist the devil, the devil will flee. We can experience victory over the enemy if we will put into practice the principles of God’s Word each day.
Click on the following link to listen to an audio version of this message: http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=706574231.wma
[1]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
[2]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
[3]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
The year was 1964 and a large part of the world was focused on a heavyweight championship fight between Sonny Liston and Cassius Clay who shortly afterward changed his name to Mohammed Ali.
Liston was an ex-con who had ties with organized crime and was feared by other boxers and their managers. One manager, Jim Wicks, made this statement. "We don't even want to meet Liston walking down the same street."[1]
Cassius Clay had just turned 22 years old before the fight. He was full of confidence in his ability and spoke openly and often about it. He was the underdog in the fight with 7 to 1 odds against him becoming the champion.
During training, Clay took to driving his entourage in a bus over to the site where Liston was training, and repeatedly called Liston the "big, ugly bear".[2] Liston grew increasingly irritated as the motor mouthed Clay continued hurling insults ("After the fight I'm gonna build myself a pretty home and use him as a bearskin rug. Liston even smells like a bear. I'm gonna give him to the local zoo after I whup him... if Sonny Liston whups me, I'll kiss his feet in the ring, crawl out of the ring on my knees, tell him he's the greatest, and catch the next jet out of the country."). Clay insisted to a skeptical press that he would knock out Liston in eight rounds.
Clay was declared the winner of the fight after Liston did not answer the bell at the start of the 7th round due to an injured shoulder. Clay proceeded to make claims that are still remember today and recorded. I want to show you a short clip of him that was taken after the fight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UaDbVbQTrM
Our spiritual lives have been compared to a boxing match. The Apostle Paul used the analogy of a boxer as well as the analogy of the believer being in a fight against spiritual forces of darkness. He gave instruction to Timothy to “Fight the good fight of faith.” (1 Timothy 6:12)
The fight between Liston and Clay had several analogies that we can draw from and apply to the spiritual battle we are facing each day. Both fighters were well prepared and confident in their ability. Both gave their all in the fight and were constantly looking for the opportunity to deliver the knockout blow and be declared the winner. Accusations and intimidation were used even before the fight as psychological warfare to bring fear or anger which would serve as a distraction and possibly hinder the concentration of the opponent.
As we look at life as a believer we have to be prepared for the spiritual warfare that we face on a daily basis. We are in a fight daily whether we realize it or not. The bell to start the fight rings every morning when we awake and we have to be prepared.
We have an enemy who goes about like a roaring lion seeking to deliver a knockout blow and devour us (1 Peter 5:8). Lions roar when they are hungry and we have an enemy that has an insatiable desire to consume believers. The enemy of our soul, the devil or satan is constantly on the attack, looking for his next victim he can devour. He is not all powerful, neither is he omniscient or everywhere present. He has limitation because he is a fallen angel and though he is a powerful enemy he is not able to overpower a believer who is operating in the wisdom, authority and power Christ has given. He is skilled in his tactics and if we are not alert and attentive, he can do serious damage to us. Just as a skilled boxer waits patiently for his opponent to drop his guard or make a mistake so he can deliver the knockout blow so too the enemy we face operates with the same strategy. His goal is the knockout punch that will put us out of commission, take us out of the ring, incapacitate us and damage our reputation and walk with God.
The Bible says in James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.[1]
The first step in waging successful warfare against the enemy is to submit ourselves completely to God. To submit means that we place ourselves under God’s rule and dominion. We intentionally subject ourselves to him because he is God and he knows what is best for our lives. God has not been silent regarding these areas of temptation. His Word is profitable for instruction in righteousness or right living. If we fail to submit ourselves to the revealed truth of God’s Word we set ourselves up for attack. If we submit ourselves to God and follow his advice we will be able to stand against the attack of the enemy using the truth that God has revealed to us. We cannot be ignorant of God’s Word and God’s ways. We have to arm ourselves with the truth of God’s Word. There has to be a hunger in our soul for this truth. Jesus said “My words are spirit and they are life.” If we want to enjoy life to its fullest we must know the Word and live by it. If we remain ignorant or naïve we have exposed ourselves to the enemy and he will take advantage of us. If your spiritual appetite for the Word of God is in the dieting mode be careful because you are not as strong as you need to be. Someone has said, “Sin will keep you from the Word and the Word will keep you from sin.” I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing and obeying the revealed truth of the Scriptures. When we submit ourselves completely to God we are in essence submitting ourselves to the teaching of his Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth.
In boxing there are 3 punches that are used to knockout the opponent. A left hook that goes around the side of the head, a right cross that smacks the temple area and an upper cut that goes under the chin and renders the opponent unconscious. In our spiritual lives I believe the devil uses three punches to knock us out and they are sex, money and power. I think the greatest area of attack today is the area of sex. The world uses this area in so many ways to lure us into things that lead to sin. We see it all the time in the newspapers, advertizing, web sites, billboards, and the list goes on.
We must do all we can to resist the devil in this area. We have to understand what he is doing and how he is attacking us on a daily basis. In the area of sexual temptation I do not think there is a more powerful influence today that that of internet pornography.
Because of the advances in technology and especially the internet the proliferation of pornography has become the greatest tool of the enemy to bring destruction. Here are some statistics taken from a message entitled, “Love gone astray” given by Carol Kaminsky at Gordon Conwell Seminary.
Every second 28,000 users are viewing porn
$ 3,000 spent on porn every second
Every 39 minutes a new porn video is being produce in USA.
In 2004, 420 million pages of porn were produced
In August 2005 71.9 million people visited adult site in one month
In 2006 there were 4.2 million porn web sites
Every day there are 68 million porn site search engine requests
Annual revenue from pornography in the USA alone is 13 billion dollars. This is more than the combined total of ABC, NBC and CBS combined.
China receives highest revenue worldwide from porn. South Korea, Japan, USA and Australia follow in that order.
Pornography generates more revenue than the combined revenue of the top technology companies Microsoft Google, Yahoo, Amazon, eBay, Apple, Netflix and EarthLink combined.
Average age of first internet exposure is 8 years old.
Largest group of internet pornography users is the 12-17 years olds
Pornography has invaded the church just as it has the world. It has destroyed many lives and relationships. It is one of the strongest if not the strongest attack the enemy uses to bring destruction of individuals and families. It has touched the Christian community as well as the world. A recent study from Focus on the Family stated that 29 percent of Christian men have looked at pornography on the internet. A study by Christianity Today in 2001, found that 51 % of those surveyed had viewed pornography. A survey by Promise Keepers found that 53 percent of the men had visited porn sites the previous week.
It is not only men who are being influence but women as well and the numbers continue to increase each year. The availability and easy access to pornography have made the temptation that much stronger and the pornography industry uses deceptive techniques to lure people into websites. Here are some of the tactics they are using to lure and trap people.
Unwanted and unsolicited email with sexual content is constantly sent out. There are 2.5 billion porn emails daily of which 34% are unwanted and unsolicited.
Traps like the following are used and include: disguising names, porn mapping in which sites purchase expired well know names so when you click on the site it leads to porn site.
They use a well know site name but misspell it intentionally so that when you make a mistake typing the name of the known site it automatically leads you to a porn site.
Cyber Squatting: Using similar wording of a well known name as part of the site name so when you use a search engine a porn site will come up.
Door way scam. First page is okay but leads to porn site
Mouse trapping: 25% of porn sites have it, click on it and once in you cannot leave, mouse is useless
These are all strategies the devil uses to draw us into sexual sin, perversion and addiction. We cannot be ignorant of his devices and we have to take steps to guard our eyes, our mind and our feet from walking into the traps he has set. The devil always wants to take something God made as good and pervert it into something evil.
Once we understand how he operates we have to take action to not give him access to us. It is like in the movies when someone is trying to hack into a computer and the message is stated on the screen “Access Denied.” The Scriptures state that we must not leave any foothold or opportunity for the enemy to access our lives. We cannot allow him access so he can trip us and cause us to fall. We have to set standards and discipline ourselves as well as hold ourselves accountable to another person to maintain these standards. We must establish boundaries ahead of time so that we are prepared when the attack or temptation comes our way. We cannot afford to be naïve and unprepared.
Since the internet is a huge source of temptation it is wise to set limits on how much time you spend on it and what sites you access. Filters are available that will impose limitations on your ability to access sites known for sinful content. Covenant Eyes, http://www.covenanteyes.com/ is one program that is very helpful. It costs $2.50 per month. It tracks all your website history and sends a report to the person you have designated as your accountability partner. There are also other free programs available and are listed below.
http://www.x3watch.com/ (Free); http://www.integrity.com/ (free);http://www.accountable2you.com/ (free).
Another step that can be taken is to shut off the internet in the evening. Studies have shown that most men access internet porn sites after 10 p.m. Shutting down your computer after this hour or before will help you to a degree. It is also important if you are struggling with porn to not view your computer in a private area. Someone should be able to see what you are doing. Children should not be allowed to have internet access in their rooms. On a recent broadcast of Focus on the Family, one the counselors reported that she had received a call from a mother who had a 9 year old son who was exposed to pornography by a 9 year old neighbor boy. The neighbor boy had consequently sexually molested her 7 year old son after viewing porn on the internet.
Another area that we must deny the enemy access is in our relationships between same sex and opposite sex. The enemy is having great success in this area and we daily read of men and women who have abandoned God’s standards and fallen into sin. God’s standard for sexual relations has always been for a man and woman. Anything else is a perversion and is not to be practiced. The enemy’s goal is to normalize all relationships that God has specifically stated in his Word are wrong. Even gender identity has come into question in several states. Children can choose their sexual identity and are encouraged to be what they feel they are in spite of what their DNA tests say. Satan wants us to explore ways to experience sex outside of the boundaries God has established. He wants us to believe that we are missing out by being obedient to God. He tries to get us to rationalize our decisions to enable us to justify our deviation from God’s standards.
Just this past week Ray Boltz who is a Christian singer who is well known for several of his songs, publicly declared that he has been living a homosexual lifestyle. He has been married for 33 years and has several children. It is hard to understand his decisions and actions but one thing that we have to acknowledge is the power of the enemy to influence our choices when we fail to believe the Word of God and submit to its teachings.
As believers we must set standards in the area of relationships between the opposite sex. Some churches have policies that no single woman or married woman can ride in the same car alone with a married man who is in leadership in the church. It is a safeguard against the enemy bringing attack and accusation that something sinful is going on between the two people. Counseling with a member of the opposite sex is also an area that must have strong boundaries and limitations. Some churches do not allow opposite sexes to counsel each other and if they do they require another person to be present in the room or an open door with another person present in an adjacent room.
Boundaries must be established on where we will meet with other people, especially if you are single and in a dating relationship. The devil loves it when we try to hide away in secrecy where no one can see us. It is not wise to conduct your relationship with the opposite sex in this manner as it leaves you open to sexual temptation and false accusation. It is not wrong to want to be alone with another person but you can be alone and still be in a public area where others will be around you.
Standards must also be set on physical contact with the opposite sex in a dating relationship. The enemy always wants you to rush into the physical aspect of the relationship. Set high standards for each other so that you will not take advantage of each other and damage the other person. Don’t make yourself cheap, it is a reputation that you do not want to have. Concentrate on the other aspects of your relationship and let the physical aspect be low on the priority list.
A final area that we must set strong standards to deny the enemy access is in the movies we watch. The images from movies make lasting impressions on your mind and especially the parts that have sexual content. It is especially important that children up to the age of 14 not be allowed to view movies with sexual content and violence. The brain is still being mapped during this time and the introduction of sex and violence can bring permanent damage to the formation of thought in these areas. Movies are also an area that the enemy can and will use to cause bring sexual temptation. As believers and followers of Christ we too have to set standards and take precautions before renting or viewing a movie. I have been using a website of the Catholic Church to get an overview of a movie I may have an interest in viewing. The website address is: http://www.usccb.org/
There is also a link on Focus on the Family’s website http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/
Take the time to review a movie before you find out it is not worthy of your time, money and most importantly is contrary to your spiritual values.
One test we can always give is to ask if I would be able to stand in front of the church and feel comfortable talking the them about the content of the movie.
The scriptures teach us that we are to stay far away from anything that will bring offense and destruction to our relationship with the Lord as well the people he has placed in our lives. We are instructed to hide ourselves from these things and not give place to them. Prudent people see the danger they cause and they stay away from them. Naïve people or people who have not set boundaries and restraints fall prey to the enemy and reap destruction in their lives. We have to carefully consider our ways and not go down the path that leads to death.
Our enemy is a predator and we are his prey. We must take action to not give him access in these areas of our life. One of the ways you can help guard your way is through an accountability partner. During “The Call” on August 2, Mike Bickell mentioned that they have a Purity agreement available at their website, http://www.thecall.com/ . It lists 7 Practical Commitments that you need to make with another person or persons. I have copies of this available for anyone who wants one.
The scriptures clearly point out that there are 2 voices calling out to us each day. One is the voice of wisdom and the other is the voice of folly.
Proverbs 9:1-6
Wisdom has built her house,
1 She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 She has slaughtered her meat,
She has mixed her wine,
She has also furnished her table.
3 She has sent out her maidens,
She cries out from the highest places of the city,
4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
5 “Come, eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Forsake foolishness and live,
And go in the way of understanding.[2]
We can choose to seek out wisdom and walk in the knowledge of the truth in submission to God or we can choose to follow after folly.
Proverbs 9:13-18
13 A foolish woman is clamorous;
She is simple, and knows nothing.
14 For she sits at the door of her house,
On a seat by the highest places of the city,
15 To call to those who pass by,
Who go straight on their way:
16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here”;
And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
17 “Stolen water is sweet,
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of hell.[3]
Both wisdom and folly are calling out to us each day. One lead to life and true enjoyment while the other leads to death. I pray tonight that you will make the choice to follow after the wisdom of God in the area of sexual purity. We have to fight the fight of faith with all the weapons God has given us and with the wisdom we gain through his Word. We are living in a day of great temptation and I believe it is only going to increase and the list of Christian casualties is going to grow unless we take action to come against the strategies of the enemy and establish standards and boundaries that will help not fall prey to his attacks.
If you have fallen in these areas we have talked about tonight there is healing and forgiveness available. You have not committed the unpardonable sin even though the enemy would like you to believe it. God will forgive and cleanse you through the blood of Christ. He wants to set you free and keep you free but you will have to make that decision and take the appropriate action to continue to walk in freedom and purity. Don’t let another day go by in which the enemy gains victory over you in this area. Seek help from other trusted believers and draw upon their strength as you set your feet on the pathway of liberty. We have the promise of God’s Word that if we submit to Him and resist the devil, the devil will flee. We can experience victory over the enemy if we will put into practice the principles of God’s Word each day.
Click on the following link to listen to an audio version of this message: http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=706574231.wma
[1]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
[2]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
[3]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
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