Facing the Giants

When Israel entered the Promised Land they were told to utterly defeat their enemies. The nations they would expunge from the land were evil, so evil that God like in the time of Noah had to destroy them. The problem that was presented to Israel was the influence the enemy would have upon them if they remained in the land. There could be no compromise, the potential of Israel falling away from God was too great, and thus the enemy had to be annihilated. There were 7 nations listed as inhabiting the Promised Land.

Deu 7:1 "When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and mightier than yourselves,

These were nations that had established themselves in the land, had built fortified cities and were renowned warriors and feared giants. The first group of spies sent into the Promised Land by Moses came back with great fear because of what they saw but more important was how they saw themselves, mere grasshoppers compared to the giants they saw. But with a new generation and a new leader in Joshua, the Israelites entered the Promised Land in obedience to God, resting on the promises of God to give them victory over these nations. The enemies were greater in number and stronger. Israel would need the help of God to destroy them, they could not do it in their own abilities, they had to depend upon the Lord and follow his instructions.

In our spiritual walk there are enemies that we must put to death or they will destroy us and cause our hearts to be drawn away from the Lord. Unlike the enemies Israel faced, our enemies have the ability to be brought back to life and we must constantly be aware of their attempts to entice us. When our love for God wanes we open ourselves up to replacing God with our own gods. When we give the enemy a foothold, he takes advantage of it and will continue to move into our lives if we keep the door open. Small compromises lead to greater compromises and more rationalization of the wrong decisions we have made. It is not long until we find that we are no longer serving God but are living our lives separated from him, doing our own thing. Instead of living with Agape Love, The Love of God that is unconditional, covenantally faithful and self-giving, we fall into Eros Love that is man centered, self-centered love that is manifested in our desires to possess, acquire and control.

Bob Mumford in his book “The Agape Road” lists 7 giants that we must conquer in our internal and spiritual lives. These must be put to death or they will keep us from enjoying intimacy with God and others. They come as a result of ungoverned desires that are at the root of each of these 7 giants.

The seven giants are:

1. Look Good

2. Feel Good

3. Be Right

4. Stay in Control

5. Hidden Agenda

6. Personal Advantage

7. Remain Undisturbed

The first 3 are motivations to possess and intimidate. The Kingpin of the 7 is Stay in Control and is the most dominate of them all. The last 3 are manifestations of the need to acquire and manipulate.

As God’s love takes control of our lives the giants begin to lose their grip on our lives. The selfish love that generates ungoverned desires is put to death and the true love of God takes control.

What are these 7 giants and how do they manifest themselves in our lives?

 

Look Good:

Mat 6:1 "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

Look good people are concerned about their image and reputation. They want to be seen as important and are full of pride. It is hard for them to admit they are wrong and even harder to ask for forgiveness. They present a façade and have no substance. They are mere shadows. They may wear the stylish clothes, be covered with tattoos to make them look unique, drive fancy cars and do other things that will draw attention to themselves and make people think they are on top of it all. They wear masks to hide their true identity. Like in the drama “King of hearts” each person wore a mask to present an image that was not who they truly were in their hearts. The masks give false impressions, misrepresentations and half-truths. They seek for positions and titles that will give them respect, fame and recognition.

Look good is ruled by the fear of man.

Pro 29:25 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.

He fears rejection and is willing to do whatever is needed to feel accepted. They want to be liked by everyone. Pride keeps them from true repentance, seeking forgiveness or help because to do any of these would expose weakness which would not look good. Look good is not an authentic person. They are often people pleasers more concerned about being accepted than being real.

We live in a world where “image is everything.” We must recognize this enemy at work in our lives when we try to misrepresent ourselves to others and not be honest about who we really are. It is the genuiness of our faith that will make a lasting impression on others.

 

Feel Good:

James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Feel Good people are pleasure seekers. Whatever makes them feel good whether it is a healthy or unhealthy activity is what they pursue in excess. They avoid pain and discomfort at any cost. They focus on the sensual and sensual pleasures. Eventually pleasure becomes the governing force in their lives and from it addictions to drugs, food, shopping, sex, pornography, gambling etc. arise along with compulsive behaviors. Feel Good people will risk anything because immediate gratification is an insatiable goal. Eventually, however, feeling good stops working because there are not enough drugs, alcohol, attention, or sex to meet the ungoverned desires that keep expanding. The more they use the less satisfaction is received thus leaving greater frustration and pain.

Our society is becoming more pleasure oriented than ever. Paul warned that in the last days people will be:

2Ti_3:4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

Entertainment and recreation are consuming more of our time and energy. Many people live for the weekend so they can do what brings them pleasure. We want our church services to make us feel good. If the message is disturbing we will look for another church that will make us feel good and help us continue to live in denial of the issues we need to confront. People want to feel good as a way of escape from difficult situations that they are encountering through their own choices or as a result of choices of others that have direct effect on them. People involved in ministry are not exempt. We have all read or perhaps personally knew pastors who have fallen into illicit relationships, drug addictions, pornography etc. The desire for pleasure is strong and we must stand against it, resist it and place the focus of our lives on pleasing God rather than self.

 

Be Right:

Job 40:8 Will you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?

Adam and Eve were banned from eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Yet this desire to be like God, to know good and evil and become like God was the very thing the serpent used to cause them to fall. Original sin left us with an innate desire to enter God’s sphere where we have assumed that we possess the needed knowledge of good and evil. This leaves us insecure, anxious, and unable to admit being wrong.

It is the curse of insecurity that makes us feel the need to always be right. An unwillingness to readily admit mistakes is fueled by the insatiable desire for the approval of others. Do we honestly believe that others will like us less or respect us less if we admit that we are wrong? Yes, we do. http://gscandrett.wordpress.com/2007/02/05/the-need-to-always-be-right/

If we admit we are wrong we question whether we have ever been right. Be Right does not want to be challenged or confronted or even questioned. They are often stubborn and rebellious and are very rigid in their thinking. They present the image of always being right yet live with the fear and shame that they may be found out.

Be Right often experiences broken relationships because they have to be right and anyone with a different opinion is labeled as wrong. A rift is created because they are unwilling to admit the possibility of error. They become inflexible and refuse to accept the reality of their situation. “My mind is made up, don’t confuse me with the facts.” Parents who are unwilling to admit failure and ask for forgiveness from their children drive a wedge between them that can cause a lot of lost intimacy with their children.

Be right wants to be in control and have things their way. Many churches have suffered from leadership that demands submission because they know more or better than the people. There was a time when there was a “Shepherding Movement” in the church in which certain leaders had to be consulted by the followers on almost every decision that they made. They were the Be Right people who lorded over their followers. It was unhealthy and eventually was disbanded. Be right is often self-righteous just like the Pharisees whose righteousness turned into darkness (Mt. 6:23).

Be right people are not happy people and they are not fun to be around. I have been around people who were always correcting, always insisting they were right and it literally drove people away from them. No one wants to be around people who are always finding fault and constantly insisting they know more or know better.

I witnessed this in a friend who did not like the way his daughter-in-law was carrying out her responsibilities as a wife and mother. He thought his son was being overworked and taking on more responsibilities than he should have. It became a big issue for him because he thought he knew what was right for them. Instead of resolving anything it created animosity between the daughter-in-law and him. His son did not have an issue with what was happening, everything was fine with him and there was no need for Be Right to interfere.

When we have the attitude of Be Right we place limitations on receiving instruction from others and we do not handle the Word of God properly because we already have our mind made up regarding its meaning. Receiving instruction or prophetic words are also difficult because of our need to be in the Right and not needing others.

When Jesus healed the man who was blind, the Pharisees were not able to receive the words of the healed man or his parents and felt offended that he a “sinner” would have the audacity to correct them.

Joh_9:34 They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And they cast him out.

We can become entrenched in our denominational doctrine and become proud or our special knowledge or revelation that others do not have. When we are validated or proven right regarding a point of disagreement we gloat with pride knowing that we were right all along. We find it hard to not say, “I told you so.”

Be right is difficult to identify, expose and slay because it is so defensible and insidious. We feel justified in what we are doing or saying because it seems right. Getting free from the Be Right Giant requires grace, space, liberty, and understanding from others.

Stay in Control

Luke 4:5-6 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, "To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.

Desire to be in control is a major issue-it is also set forth in Is. 14:13-14 in the five “I wills” of satan.

Isa 14:13 You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'

Stay in control has to be in the driver’s seat, he always wants to be in control. He believes that if he is in control, everyone is safe and the results are guaranteed. He is like god to others, determining what the end result will be as long as he is in control. He struggles with relinquishing control to God because he does not know the results or he thinks that God will ask more that he can give.

Stay in Control refuses to abide by limitations, they must have everything under their control regardless of the boundaries others may have established. They cannot participate in anything wholeheartedly unless they are in control. They deceive themselves into thinking they are the only person who can do it right so they have to be in control.

People who have to be in control exhibit behaviors like the following:

• It's difficult for you to trust people.

• As much as possible, you need to do everything yourself.

• You rarely think that you're wrong.

• You love to be the center of attention.

• You get bored when you have to listen to other people talk.

• You tend to think that you know what's best for other people.

• You don't like people touching your stuff.

• When you're in a relationship, you like to know where your significant other is at all times.

• You are definitely a perfectionist - and your own worst critic.

• You can't stand to wait for people who are running a few minutes late.

• You tend to interrupt people a lot.

• You don't like taking orders.

• You don't take it lightly when people disagree with you.

• Other people's messes really bother you.

• When you're watching TV with other people, you always have to have the remote.

• You are easily irritated.

• You generally don't trust people.

• You are insulted when people don't take your advice

Anxiety is a major symptom for anyone who has to be in control. Lie detectors function on the principle of our fear of losing control and consequently being discovered.

Being a loner is one way to stay in control. Isolation eliminates the possibility of losing control. Stay in control shies away from real love because of the fear of being hurt if they reach out in love to another person. Loss of control with its accompanying rage, violence, defiance, and self-hate, is the first cause of suicide. Loss of control leads to the heartbreaking discovery that you are not God.

We have to confront the Giant of control with grace, forgiveness and mercy.

Hidden Agenda

Jud 1:12 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted;

Hidden agenda is covert with words of peace and a heart of criticism. With this giant in operation we lie in wait with hidden motives, watching for weakness and vulnerability, ready to spring the trap, which has been disguised and then set with lies or half-truths. We hide one thing in our hearts while proclaiming another. This Giant is a user; it seeks to use life, people, and every event for the express purpose of advancement of our own interests.

Judas had a hidden agenda. He ate with the disciples and pretended that all was well but he had already contrived the plan to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. The Pharisees used their hidden agenda to try to trick Jesus by asking questions they thought would put him in a corner. Jesus knew what was in their hearts but they did not know what he knew.

Luk 20:19-22 The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. So they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?

Jesus was aware of their hidden agenda and he did not give them the satisfaction of achieving it.

 

Paul addressed hidden agendas in his letter to the church in Corinth.

2 Cor 4:1-2 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

Paul highlights 3 hidden agendas in these verses. Hidden agendas are maneuvered, cultivated, and nourished in secret, clandestine, and often self-deceiving ways. Once engaged, we cannot rest until and unless our hidden agenda has been accomplished.

I have seen this in operation when people need something but they do not come out directly and ask for it. They hide their agenda by stating things like “I wish I had one like that.” Or “I would like to go but I don’t have the money.” Both of these are stated to people who have the means to give what you need and in statements like these, you have a hidden agenda of hoping they give you what you need.

Personal Advantage

Jud 1:16 These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.

With Personal Advantage in operation, we are constantly maneuvering for title, position, or recognition. The original Greek work for Personal Advantage is translated “selfish ambition”: Strongs #2052. This Giant uses others for its own purposes. When we are not the center of attention, we suffer envy and pain. We will help others only if it directly benefits us.

Mat 19:27 Then Peter said in reply, "See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?"

Peter wondered what was in it for himself. What personal advantage could he expect?

The disciples were affected by this when they disputed among themselves who would be the greatest or be placed in charge.

Personal advantage people use others for self-promotion and value relationships based on what they will get out of it or how others will help them fulfill their own dream.

An original idea behind the word parasite in the ancient Greek was one who arranged to have all his meals in other people’s homes and then paid for these meals by flattering their host or hostess.

Parasites suck the life out of others. They use others solely for their own benefit.

John wrote is his letter to Gaius about a problem he had with someone who acted out of personal advantage.

3Jn 9 I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.

Diotrephes hindered the apostolic work of John by discrediting his written words. Selfish ambition is a giant that must be evaluated whenever we considering work in the Kingdom. Am I truly motivated by love for God and people or am I looking at opportunities to advance my position or status? Am I looking for personal benefits of trying to work for the benefit of the Kingdom?

Remain Undisturbed

Jer 48:11 "Moab has been at ease from his youth and has settled on his dregs; he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into exile; so his taste remains in him, and his scent is not changed.

This Giant disguises himself as the need for stability, or the need to preserve his reputation or honor of respectability when more is asked of him than he wants to give. Becoming a Father pleaser requires that we deal with being undisturbed. Kingdom rule may cause serious disruption and or interference with our own plans, desires and comfort levels. Undisturbed says “I will follow you, but I cannot follow you that far!” Undisturbed is that subtle difference between admiration for Christ and identification with Him.

When undisturbed Giant sees drastic or unpredictable change in his life, his sets his face, hardens his will and determines to deny or avoid all challenges at any cost. Note Jesus’; evaluation of the power and strength of the Undisturbed Giant in

Matthew 13:14-15 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: "'You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.'

Inconvenience becomes a barrier to our helping others. It is too inconvenient to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, invite the stranger in, clothe the naked, or visit the prisoner. (Mt. 25:35-35. As someone once observed, those with modern home entertainment centers do not rise up in revolt.

Undisturbed was on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho (Luke 10:30-35). It wasn’t that the Levite and the priest were not concerned about the man; they just did not want to be disturbed. The Samaritan was willing to have his day, journey, and pocket book disturbed in order to act in mercy and compassion. Undisturbed is a lifestyle so guarded and protected that we don’t let anybody or anything touch it. Every one of us has experienced this.

When we set ourselves to remain undisturbed, we calcify and soon become undisturbable.

Hos 4:17 Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone.

Jesus said of the people about to be judged in the fall of Jerusalem

Mat 11:17 "'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.'

Their unwillingness to and inability to be disturbed and respond to Christ and his purpose was symptomatic of what it means to be ruled by this Giant.

Undisturbed can describe a powerful and potentially useful person wrapped in spiritual sloth, apathy and self-preservation. We can lose our life because of the refusal to embrace the adventure and take the risk.

Heidi Baker and her husband Rolland established a ministry in Mozambique reaching out to hundreds of kids and families in need. I encourage you to read any of the books she has written as her life will truly inspire you. There is a short video I want to show called “Stop for the One” that will challenge us to not be undisturbed. http://youtu.be/mO8FFI6pJJA

These 7 Giants will always try to sidetrack us in our walk with the Lord. We have to recognize them when they surface and put them to death in order for us to advance God’s Kingdom in our personal lives as well as the work of God’s Kingdom in the world.

1. Look Good

2. Feel Good

3. Be Right

4. Stay in Control

5. Hidden Agenda

6. Personal Advantage

7. Remain Undisturbed

Which Giants are controlling or influencing your life?

Tonight I want to talk about being a nation of priests unto the Lord. We are approaching the Holy Week in which there is much emphasis in Guatemala regarding the suffering and passion of Christ. Christ was our sacrifice for our sin but he also is our perfect High Priest who was the only one qualified to offer the eternal sacrifice once and for all time. In the Old Testament God established the nation of Israel as he had promised to Abraham in Genesis 12. When the nation was liberated from Egypt, God set in order the laws and the sacrificial system that would prepare the nation to receive the Messiah when he arrived.

The nation of Israel had a high and holy calling to represent God as his royal priests and a holy nation. The entire nation was given this privilege and responsibility.

Exo 19:3 while Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel:

Exo 19:4 You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.

Exo 19:5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;

Exo 19:6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel."

Exo 19:7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him.

Israel was a people holy to the Lord. Holy means separated for service to the Lord. When God drew the Israelites out of Egypt he had to establish a counter culture that was ruled by a new set of standards that would identify them as his people and be a reflection of his character and nature. His laws were given to protect the people, to establish a moral code and a system of justice and to prepare the generations to come with knowledge of the need for a sacrifice for their sins that would be accomplished through the Messiah.

Israel was God’s special treasure. His love for them was demonstrated from the very beginning when he chose them because of his love for them. He chose the nation of Israel to be a special people who would represent him to the pagan nations and through which the Messiah would come. He chose them not because they were a great people but out of his love for them and to honor the covenant he made with Abraham, he set them apart and gave special revelation of his nature and character.

Deu 7:6 "For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

Deu 7:7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples,

Deu 7:8 but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Deu 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,

Deu 7:10 and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face.

We like Israel have been chosen by God’s grace to be his holy people, to represent him on the earth. God has a holy calling on each of our lives. He calls us to be separated unto service to him. Our lives are not our own to do as we please but we are hand picked by God to labor in his Kingdom. We are the people God has chosen and separated unto himself. He chose us because of his love for us and we are his treasured possession. When you understand the tremendous love God has for you it will transform your life.

God loves you not because you are valuable; you are valuable because he loves you. God’s love for you is beyond your understanding, his love is beyond our comprehension because his love is infinite and our understanding is finite.

The prophet Hosea stated

Hos 11:1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

Hos 11:2 The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols.

Hos 11:3 Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them.

Hos 11:4 I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.

These verses reveal the tenderness of God toward his people. The illustration God uses is one of a parent teaching their child how to walk, lifting them up by their arms to embrace them, leading them with cords of kindness and bands of love wrapped around them, easing their pain from mistreatment, lowering himself to feed them as you would a child. Many people claim the God of the OT is different from the God of the NT seen in Christ but this picture of God shows his great love, compassion, patience and care for his people in spite of their rejection of him. Do you see God like this in your life? You are his treasured possession and he delights to show his tender love toward you.

Too often we judge our value and worth by what other people say or think about us. We allow them to be our judge and often we are put down because of our imperfections. God wants us to let him be the one who judges our value and worth. The fact that he loves you makes you infinitely valuable. God did not create you to just live a short time on earth and then disappear. His love for us is eternal and we were created to live with him and experience his love for eternity. Human love often falls as we see marriages terminated for reasons that seem insignificant. Fidelity in spite of changes that may happen is not honored by all but when it is it reflects God’s love for us and his commitment to us.

Last week I mentioned the fidelity of a missionary and university president, Robertson McQuilken, to his wife Muriel. I came across a similar story that also reflects committed love in spite of difficult circumstances as told by a nurse in hospital.

Nurse: "It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30 am , when an elderly gentleman, in his 80's, presented to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am . The nurse took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch. While taking care of his wound, we began to engage in conversation. I asked him if he had a doctor's appointment this morning somewhere else, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I then inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer Disease. As we talked, and I finished dressing his wound, I asked if she would be worried if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised, and asked him. "And you are still going every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?" He smiled as he patted my hand and said. "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is." I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, "That is the kind of love I want in my life."

http://kmgarcell.blogspot.com/2011/04/kind-of-love-i-want-in-my-life.html

God’s love for us is even more committed than the highest form of human love. He is eternally committed to us to always love us with a love that will never change or fail. We are God’s special treasure and he has decided to pour his love out to us and allow us to represent him to a world that has a very warped image of true love.

God invited the entire nation of Israel to be his priest but because of the fear the people had of the Lord they asked that Moses represent them on Mt. Sinai. When the laws were given to Moses, God required the people to wear a special tassel on their garment to remind them of his Word.

Num_15:38 "Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner.

Num_15:39 And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after.

Num 15:40 So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.

Num 15:41 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the LORD your God."

As God’s representatives on earth we have a responsibility to walk according to his ways. The Israelites had a visual reminder every time they saw the blue cord and tassel that they were to obey the laws of God which separated them from the nations. As believers today we have the written Word of God and the Holy Spirit residing in us to keep us walking in God’s ways. We have an internal guidance system within us that will keep us on track but we have to develop ears to hear the voice of the Spirit. As God’s special people we have been given His Spirit to guide us and teach us. The people in the world do not have this available to them but we do. Our lives should be very different from the world because we have the Holy Spirit residing and directing our lives as we allow him access to us. We can hinder the work of the Spirit by acting in arrogance, pride and selfishness or we can give way, yield ourselves to the Him by humbling ourselves and submitting to him. The Holy Spirit knows the mind of God and he can communicate God’s thoughts to us. As we learn to hear and recognize God’s voice we will have wisdom and understanding that is not available in the human realm. God will speak things to you that you would have never thought on your own. He will give you ideas, visions, dreams, words of knowledge, words of wisdom and discernment that will help you make decisions and give counsel to others. Often these messages comes as impressions, gentle thoughts and at times even loud words to help guide us. A pastor I who spoke at my church a couple of weeks ago told of a time he was driving his car and he heard a voice tell him to stop at a certain house and share the gospel with a person in it. He looked at the house, did not recognize whose home it was and continued driving. The voice again told him to stop and go to the house but he continued to drive away. Finally the voice came through loud and clear and said stop your car, turn around a go to the house. This time he obeyed and went to the house. He knocked on the door and a woman came to answer it. She had a pistol in her hand which startled him. The pastor introduced himself and said God had spoken to him that he was to stop at this house and share the gospel. He told the lady “I don’t know what you are going through but I know someone who can solve any problem you may have.” The lady broke down in tears and told him that she had the pistol in her mouth and was ready to pull the trigger when she heard the knock on the door and decided to see who was there instead of blowing her head off. She received the message of the gospel and gave her life to Christ and continues to follow after him today. As you grow in intimacy with the Lord you will learn to hear his voice and experience supernatural ministry.

The priesthood established by God had three groupings: Levites, priests and High Priest.

The LEVITES were the appointed servants of the court, but they were excluded from the holy Place on pain of death. All priests were Levites but not all Levites were priests.

The PRIESTS executed the ministry of the Holy Place but were as solemnly prohibited from entering beyond the veil into the Holy of Holies. The Priests were responsible to:

• Teach the people. (Leviticus 10:8-11)

• Serve as judges to resolve controversy. (Deut. 21:5)

• Offer sacrifices. (Exodus 29:38-42)

• Assess impurity. (Leviticus 13-15)

• Burn incense. (Exodus 30:7-8)

• Bless the people. (Numbers 6:22-27)

• Bless God (Deuteronomy 10:8)

• Keep the tabernacle. (Numbers 3:38; 4;16)

• Take care of the altar (Leviticus 6:8-13), the lamps, and the

showbread (Leviticus 24:1-9)

• Prepare the holy things for each days journey. (Num. 4:5-15)

• Continue the sacred fire. (Leviticus 6:12-13

• Blow the trumpets. (Numbers 10:1-10)

As a priest hood of believers today we have the responsibilities of

• teaching others how to be a disciple of Christ (Mt. 28:19-20);

• judging controversies according to God’s Word even as Paul reprimanded the Corinthian church for not judging among themselves but going to a public judge (1 Cor. 5:12, 13);

• Offering our lives as living sacrifices unto the Lord (Rom 12:1, 2);

• Keeping purity a priority (1 Jn 3.3);

• offering prayers on behalf of others (1 Tim 2.8);

• being a blessing to others through our works and words (Heb. 10:4);

• caring for our bodies that are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3.16,17)

• keeping ablaze in the Spirit, being filled with the Holy Spirit daily (Eph. 5:18) and

• sounding the warning when danger is present (2 Cor. 13:2, 2 Thes. 3:15).

A final aspect of the priesthood is that God has placed us in a community of believers. God knows how much we need each other and how important it is for us to be a part of a loving community. People who are not linked to a body of believers separate themselves from the very environment that will produce the most growth in their lives. Through our involvement and participation in a body of believers we grow spiritually and become a visible force on the earth to carry out God’s will. There is tremendous potential when we are unified as a body. When you read about the construction of the tower of Babel you begin to understand the dynamic of a unified group.

Gen 11:1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.

Gen 11:6 And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.

God recognized the power of unity and he had to break up the culture by diversifying the languages because they were using the power for a wrong purpose. When we as a group of believers are unified to carry out God’s plans there is a tremendous amount of power released to accomplish it.

Jesus prayed for unity among all the believers.

Joh_17:11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

The power of unity is seen in every institution and movement to bring change. I watched the video “Kony 2012” which began in the mind of one man, Jason Russell, who is trying to bring to justice the despot leader of the Ugandan group called the Lord’s Army. The leader, Kony, is not a Christian so the terminology of “the Lord’s Army” falsely represents the Lord as he abducts young children to be his sex slaves and soldiers. Efforts are now underway throughout the world to find Kony and bring him to justice to stop all the atrocities he is guilty of committing. You may or may not agree with this story or the motivations of Jason Russell but the main thing we can all agree upon is the power of bringing people together to accomplish a mission.

As I watched this video I was reminded of how much power we have as a body of believers to bring changes that God desires on the earth. This is the challenge we face as a group of believers is to be united to carry out God’s work on the earth. Too often we are individually trying to make changes or are only a small group of people trying to make a difference and we are seeing some success. But I believe we will see greater changes as we unite with other believers to truly become the Lord’s Army in this hour. We have to be united as a true body, removing walls of separation that hinder the progress of the gospel message. We have to declare war on the real enemy and unite our efforts to destroy his works. God has blessed us with technology that can be used in a positive way to accelerate his work but if we are unwilling to cooperate and unite ourselves with other believers our work will be hindered, delayed or discredited. A united church is a powerful church as it submits itself to Christ as its head and each believer submits one to another for the purpose of achieving unity. I once lived in DeRidder, LA a town of 12,000 people that had 23 churches from the same denomination in the city. This did not take into account all of the other church denominations. Are the differences so great that unity is unachievable? How much more could be done if we truly were united in the main purpose of the church of evangelizing the lost and making disciples of all the nations.

Find your priestly purpose and mission and unite yourself with other believers who are dedicated to bringing changes that God has place in your heart. Be a part of God’s plan of action to see his Kingdom come and his will be done through a community of believers united in love, willing to sacrifice and committed to the work. Don’t be on the sidelines, get in the game and give yourself wholeheartedly to work and you will see God do amazing things.

What Does God Love?

What Does God Love?

What does God love and take delight in? What brings joy to his heart? The scriptures reveal several things that God specifically loves and takes delight in. Each of these things is a reflection of his character, who he is. God takes delight in himself. He loves who he is because he is the perfection of everything good. Tonight I want to look at specific things that he loves and delights in so that we can put them into practice in our lives. As in any relationship you want to do the things that please the other person. God has specific things mentioned in the scripture that bring him pleasure.

God loves to be loved.

Pro_8:17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

This chapter in Proverbs is talking about wisdom but it is specifically making reference to God who created the heavens and the earth by his wisdom.

God loves those who love him. He wants love to be reciprocal, he wants our love, our affection. Just as we are the object of his love, he wants to be the object of our love. He wants us to seek after him. No one in a relationship with the opposite sex does not want to be sought out. When we truly love someone there is a longing for them and we intentionally and diligently seek them. Our love for God is measured in the actions that come from that love. To be loved is one of man’s greatest needs and this desire to be loved comes from God himself. It is not that God needs our love because he has perfect love within the Trinity yet because we are created in his image and likeness we have the capacity to love him. If we choose to love him it will be demonstrated by our actions. The love that most people know is not the same love that God has for us. Fallen man loves with a selfish love which in the Greek is Eros. Eros love is a sensual love, a love that seeks its own satisfaction. This is the love of fallen mankind and it is only when we come to know Christ and receive him as our Lord and Savior that we can begin to experience and live out the love of God, the agape love.

Bob Mumford in his book, “The Agape Road” has compared the differences between Eros and Agape love.

“The essential meaning of Eros is the desire or intention to possess, acquire, or control. Eros does not seek to be accepted by its object but to gain possession of it. Eros has an appetite or yearning desire that is aroused by attractive qualities of its object. Eros, in Greek philosophy, came to mean that which is loved for the purpose of personal satisfaction. It is from this posture that the word Eros took on its sexual and ultimately pornographic connotation. The word is not primarily sexual, but has more to do with living for my own personal advantage…It can be recognized because it is self-referential… self-centered, but it becomes self-consuming, turning increasingly inward upon itself in a tighter and tighter spiral…The Greek symbol for Eros is actually a serpent consuming its own tail.” When Eros love is operating in our lives even as believers we live to get things from God and do what we know we should do in order to receive his blessings. We are not motivated by true love but selfish love.

“The word agape has to do with the nature of God. 1 John 4:8 says, “God is [agape]”. He is the source of love and when we are united with him in Christ we are able to give this love to him and to others. We can also love ourselves because we possess the love that God has for himself.

“Love, biblically understood is a longing and intention toward another person, object, or experience. God’s agape creates a longing and intention toward Himself-He is the One who retains the initiative.”

Agape love is described most clearly in 1 Corinthians 13.

1Co 13:4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant

1Co 13:5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;

1Co 13:6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

1Co 13:7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1Co 13:8 Love never ends.

Have you ever evaluated your love for God based on these verses? We often use these verses to test our love for another person but have we thought about loving God this way?

• Are we patient with God or do we demand that he act now to do something about our situation?
• Do we take credit for things that we do instead of give the glory and honor to God who has enabled us to do it?
• Do we think we can do quite well on our own and really don’t need God’s help and don’t seek his advice?
• Do we demand God do things our way instead of asking Him what He wants us to do?
• Do we get mad at God when things seem to go against us and we feel that God has let us down?
• Do we love truth and have God’s hatred for evil?
• Do we carry our burdens with gratefulness or spitefulness?
• Do we speak in faith, believing in the goodness of God and his faithfulness to fulfill his promises to provide for our needs?
• Do we express hope in every situation or do we doubt that God is really at work?
• Do we stay strong in our love for God during the hard times or do we retreat or give up?

God desires that we love him in the same way that he loves us. The more we allow Christ to dwell in us and live his life through us the more capacity we will have to truly love God in the way he wants us to love him. Our love for God should always be growing and always be a source of joy and delight to God.

God is unified in his character. He is not more one thing than he is another. He is just as much a God of love as he is a God of wrath. We have to view God is his entirety and not just focus on the character traits that appeal to us the most because that will give us a distorted view of God. One of the traits about God that he loves is his justice.

God loves justice.

Isa_61:8 For I the LORD love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

God’s justice is based on his righteousness and his moral law. He is the standard of what is right and we have his Word which explains his righteousness and the moral laws he has given to us that reflect his character. As you study the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy you become acquainted with God’s standards that cover many areas of conduct. God’s justice is revealed through the laws he established for Israel that would set the nation apart from the other nations. Since we are created in his image and likeness we have within us a desire for justice. If our conscience has not been defiled completely, we cringe when we hear of injustices that are happening. Justice is served when the guilty are convicted and given the proper punishment for the crime. When the guilty go free or when the guilty do not receive a just punishment, we have a righteous indignation that rises within us. The moral code God has placed within us demands that justice be given for the victim and the offender. Statistics in Guatemala indicate that 98% of crimes go unpunished so there is little incentive for the criminals to not commit the crimes when they know they will get away with it. Because of this people take justice into their own hands.

God hates all evil and can never be accused of doing anything wrong.

Job 34:10 "Therefore, hear me, you men of understanding: far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.

Hab 1:13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?

All sin no matter how small it may seem is an abomination to God because it is completely opposite of his character. He does not close his eyes toward evil and injustice. He will take revenge one day and he will repay those who have committed acts of injustice and not repented.

He loves honesty.

Pro_11:1 A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight.

Abomination 8441 something that is vile, shameful, detested.

God established a standard weight, “the shekel of the tabernacle” that was used to measure the weight of the items that the people were required to give. The people knew exactly what was expected of them and when they fulfilled it they brought joy to God’s heart. When they cheated and did not give what was expected of them they were considered robbers, robbing God of what was rightfully his. The book of Malachi exposed the greed of the people who gave God less than the best he demanded.

They brought animals that were blind, lame and sick to be offered as sacrifices. Mal 1:7,8

They brought was taken by violence not of their own free will. Mal 1.13

They made vows to bring the best offering but instead brought offerings that were blemished. Mal 1.14

They robbed him of the tithes not giving the full tithe which was used to support the Levites and the sacrifices offered to God. Mal. 3.8

In doing these things they made a mockery of God and did not honor Him for who he is and their offerings were rejected and cursed.

God delights when people are honest, don’t cheat in business transactions, and give what God demands and deserves.

In his justice he will render judgments on those who have violated his laws.

Mal 3:5 "Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.

Mal 3:6 "For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

Pro_12:22 Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.

We bring delight to God when we speak the truth and live out the truth in our lives.

In the story “Les Miserables” Jean Valijean was sentenced to prison for stealing bread. He escaped and established a new identity after he was given a second chance by a priest who had mercy on him and did not have him arrested for stealing from him. Jean was later confronted with a situation in which he was told that a man named Jean Valijean had been captured and was going to be tried as a criminal who escaped prison. He knew that this man was not the man they thought he was. He was faced with the decision of letting this man take his punishment or revealing his true identity so the man would not be unjustly accused and sent to prison. He went to the place of the trial and when it appeared that the court would convict the man, he came forward and revealed that he was the man they were looking for.

Video clip http://youtu.be/A25-dJt7O-0

Psa_51:6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

This Psalm was David’s confession of his guilt and cover up for his sins after he was confronted by Nathan the prophet. Life for David was not easy after he tried to hide his sin, he was miserable until he came to admit his sin. He realized that God delighted in truth and that the lie he was living needed to be confessed and forgiven. God wants us to come clean from any secret sin. When we admit the truth, he takes delight because we will be set free through our confession and his forgiveness. We need to be brutally honest and truthful with God and not hide anything from Him. Our secret sins will destroy our lives.

God takes pleasure in those who fear him.

Psa 147:11 but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

To fear the Lord is to reverence him for who he is. It is to be in awe of Him not to be afraid of him.

Proverbs 1:7 declares, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” Until we understand who God is and develop a reverential fear of Him, we cannot have true wisdom. True wisdom comes only from understanding who God is and that He is holy, just, and righteous.

When we have the fear of God we also have a hatred for evil.

Pro_8:13 The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

Pro_16:6 By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil.

A biblical fear of God, for the believer, includes understanding how much God hates sin and fearing His judgment on sin—even in the life of a believer. Hebrews 12:5-11 describes God’s discipline of the believer. While it is done in love (Hebrews 12:6), it is still a fearful thing. As children, the fear of discipline from our parents no doubt prevented some evil actions. The same should be true in our relationship with God. We should fear His discipline, and therefore seek to live our lives in such a way that pleases Him.

Deu_28:63 And as the LORD took delight in doing you good and multiplying you, so the LORD will take delight in bringing ruin upon you and destroying you

This verse may be hard for many to accept but we must always remember that God is unified. If he was not just, he could not punish sin or evil. If he were not loving, he would not love justice and thereby hate evil. God would only delight in bringing ruin if he loved justice. His justice is both punitive judgment and restorative justice. He punishes with the hope that it will bring restoration to a broken relationship.

God takes delight in prospering us

Deu_30:9 The LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers,

God will prosper the work that we do. It is not that God will just dump blessing on you but rather that he blesses the work of our hands. When we take responsibility and do our best, God prospers our lives. He wants the earth to be filled with the knowledge of his glory so he blesses the womb and the possessions that we have to be able to provide for us so we can mulitiply. We are the people who have the knowledge of his glory and in blessing us and sending us out into the world we spread his glory to the nations.

God desires to bless us in order that we will be a blessing to the nations. God takes delight in prospering us because it enable us to fulfill his purposes as we use the blessings God has given us to advance his Kingdom on earth.

Psa_16:3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.

We bring joy and delight to the Lord. We are the apple of his eye, the focus of his attention and the desire of his heart. He loves us and longs for us. He wants to be united to us and to shower his love upon us. He has adopted us into his family and called us his sons and daughters.

1Jn 3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

God absolutely loves his children, we are his delight and he delights in our well being, in prospering us.

I pray tonight that each one of us will live in a way that will delight God. We so often live for ourselves and think about what we want or need God to do for us. But if we live our lives in a way that delights God he will take care of all of our needs because of his great love for each one of us. When we love the things God loves we bring delight to him because we are living with the values that reflect his true character.

Entrustment and Expectation

All of us have been made aware of the tragic shipwreck of the Costa Concordia.

The Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia[p 1] partially sank on the night of 13 January 2012 after hitting a reef off the Italian coast and running aground at Isola del Giglio,[p 2] Tuscany, requiring the evacuation of the 4,252 people on board. Twenty-five people are known to be dead;[3] 64 others were injured[5] (at least two seriously)[6] and 7 are missing.[3] Two passengers and a crewmember trapped inside were rescued in the days after the incident.[5][7]

Captain Francesco Schettino[p 3] had deviated from the ship's computer-programmed route to treat people on Giglio Island to the spectacle of a close sail-past or near-shore salute.

Ship's officers at first told passengers that the problem was a reparable "electrical fault" and told inquiring maritime officials that the event was merely a "black out". The captain delayed preparations to abandon ship, and the ship developed a list, both which factors hindered eventual evacuation attempts. Soon after grounding, the ship listed more extremely, trapping people inside. Meanwhile, the captain left the ship during the evacuation and did not reboard despite orders by maritime officials. After the event, Schettino was arrested on preliminary charges of multiple manslaughter in connection with causing a shipwreck, failing to assist 300 passengers, and failing to be the last to leave the wreck.[8] He was later additionally charged with failing to describe to maritime authorities the scope of the disaster[9], a matter for which 7 other officers and managers of Costa Cruises are under investigation, and with abandoning incapacitated passengers[10]. Source: Wikipedia

Captain Schettino was entrusted with the lives of 4, 252 people and the expectation of every one of them was that he would use his abilities to navigate the ship safely to every port on the journey. Sadly and tragically he failed and lives have been lost.

Entrustment and expectation are part of our lives as believers and tonight I want to look at a couple of teachings of Jesus regarding these two things.

Jesus taught 2 parables that emphasized entrustment and expectation. The first one is found in Matthew 25:13-30

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying,'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'

But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Three slaves were entrusted with the property of the master. Each was given as much as they could handle or they had the ability to handle. The amount of money given was huge. A talent was the equivalent of 6000 denarii. A denarii was a day’s wage. Do the math: 6000/365=16.4 years of wages. If the median income in the USA is about $50,000 this would mean that the slave who was given the least amount of money was given the equivalent of $821,917; 2 talents=$1,643,834 and 5 talents = $4,109,585. No small sums of money by any measure. Each of the slaves was entrusted with a lot of money based on their ability as determined by the master.

The master had no expectations laid out to the slaves other than he trusted them to do whatever they wanted with the money and use it wisely. The money was given to them to develop their abilities more than anything else. The Master could have placed financial goals for each of them but he let them determine what they would do.

The response of the three slaves is interesting. The one who had 5 talents “went off at once” and doubled his money by trading. He was highly motivated and wasted no time using the money to make more money. He found opportunities to put his talent to use and profited. He recognized the opportunity that was before him and took advantage of it. He took the risk of trading his talents in order to gain more. He was prepared for the challenge and when the opportunity was presented he went for it and was rewarded.

The second slave with 2 talents doubled his amount as well over the course of time. I believe the first 2 slaves had a desire to please the master by using the talents to gain more while the third slave did not want to disappoint the master by losing the money given to him. The slave who was given the least went off and dug a hole, to hide the money because he feared losing it and if he did would experience the wrath of the master. This slave was unwilling to take a risk or make a change. He wanted everything to be just as it was and the best way to accomplish this was to bury the money in a secure place.

If you are a sports fan you know that a team can play with the attitude of playing to win or with the attitude of playing to not lose. One is willing to take risks and pour themselves into the game to score more points while the other is simply trying to maintain what they have and keep the other team from scoring.

Like these 3 slaves we have been entrusted with many things in life that are given to us from the Lord. Virtually everything we have is given to us by the grace of God. God thinks highly of us enough to entrust us with the work of his Kingdom using the talents he has given us. We are free to do whatever we want with the things God has entrusted to us but there is an expectation that we will use them wisely and profitably. God gives us freedom in how we will use our gifts but the expectation is that we will use them profitably for the work of his Kingdom and the glory of God. In using these talents we are developing our ability to be entrusted with even greater responsibility and privileges in the Kingdom.

Some of you know what your abilities are and others are still learning what they have been given by the Lord. These abilities open doors of opportunity for us to be used of God. The master knew the capabilities and the abilities of each of the slaves and gave them responsibility accordingly. God knows what we are capable of doing and often he challenges us by presenting opportunities that we may not feel that we are fully prepared to meet. We must always remember that we are partnering with God and with God all things are possible. We can dream big things when we know who is working with us. When the Holy Spirit fell upon the believers it was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy that dreams and visions would be given to us. Dream with God and allow him to prepare you for the work he has for you. When preparation meets opportunity there is the possibility of ministry. Ministry happens only when we act upon the opportunity. But as we move forward to use the talents we have, God helps us grow in these abilities to be able to be successful in our work and mission.

The perception of the master was different from each other. The first 2 had a different image of the master while the third had a distorted image that influenced how he would respond. Perhaps the first 2 knew that the master would reward them because he was a trusting and generous man. The third slave saw his master as a thief, one who takes away from others.

Our perception of God has a tremendous influence on what we are willing to do and the motivation we have for doing it. If we serve God based on an accurate understanding of his character and nature and truly out of love for him, we will desire to be a blessing to his kingdom we will look for opportunities and take risks to serve his purposes. If we have a warped view of God being a thief or unjust we will most likely stay hidden from him, fearing he will punish us if we step out of line. We will play it safe or not play at all.

When we realize what we have been given and the truth about the nature of God, our next decision is what we will do with the knowledge, gifts and abilities God has entrusted to us. The first two slaves responded with ambition and desire to please the master. The third slave was called “slothful” by his master. The word “slothful” means “shrinking, irksome”, he was drawing back, retreating and avoiding what he should have done. Irksome means annoying , irritating. He took the easy way out, was unwilling to take a risk, unwilling to take a step of faith to use what he had been given. He could have done great things with the money and made his master proud but because he was lazy he did nothing. What a tragedy to live your life in fear, misperception and in laziness. I read an article entitled “5 Core Values of a Church in Decline” in which the author listed the number one value is laziness. The author stated, “Most people of churches are not “stuck” in decline because they do not know or understand what the Lord wants them to do. God speaks very clearly in his Word and through his Spirit-it’s just that God’s work always requires people to take a step of faith.”

Everyone here has taken a step of faith to be here. There were a lot of unknowns but you came to be used of God, offering your gifts and abilities and developing new abilities. You have taken a step of faith and have seen God provide for you as you have taken advantage of opportunities that are presented to you. What you have learned can serve as an inspiration to many in the church who are fearful, have a warped view of God, and perhaps are lazy. We have to be the ones who serve as the catalyst to spur others to do good works. Some need to be encouraged regarding the abilities they have. Some need training to be able to use their gifts. Some need to see the opportunities that are available to them. And some may need someone to help push them into the ministry. Sometimes the best thing that can happen to us is the removal of our security with the absence of someone who we have depended on to do the task.

A couple of years ago I arranged to go to India with an evangelist. He had planned to be in Chennia for 3 days doing ministry and then we would move on to the site where the 5 night gospel and healing crusade would be held. I thought I would just be helping him in whatever way I could and I planned to visit the YWAM base in Chennai. On the day of my departure from Guatemala I was waiting at the coffee house for my shuttle when I received a phone call from the evangelist. He remembered that I was leaving that day and called to tell me he had broken his hip playing racquetball and needed an operation and would not be able to go to India. He asked if I could change my ticket to go at another time and I said I would look into it. He then said if he could find someone to go with me he would not cancel the crusades he had set up. He was able to get someone to go with me who had gone with him several times so the crusades were back on. He had arranged the meetings in Chennai and told me that he would cancel them which was fine with me as it would give me more time to be at the YWAM base and see their ministry. When I arrived in Chennai I received a phone call from the pastor who served as the director of the ministry and made all the arrangements for the evangelist. He informed me that the 3 special meeting the evangelist was going to do at a church of 40,000 people were not going to be cancelled and that I would be doing them! One of the meetings was a seminar on evangelism, another meeting was preaching at the church service on Sunday and the final was a healing service on Monday night. I was okay with the first 2 meetings but the healing service was something I had never done before. I watched the evangelist and the other minister do it but had never done it myself. It was new turf for me and God was entrusting a ministry to me that I did not feel very capable or qualified to do. I felt a little pushed into the opportunity but it all worked out and God came through and healed many people as I stepped out in faith to do what was presented to me. It was an amazing experience and I am grateful for the preparation I had and the opportunity that was presented to me.

The other aspect of this parable that should be an encouragement to each of us was the rewards they received. The master commended the first two servants. 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'

The slave with the most money was rewarded and commended by the master when he returned after a long time. He was given more responsibility because he had done well and proved his trustworthiness. The second slave was also commended and rewarded with greater responsibility. It is interesting that the master viewed the amount of money he entrusted to them as “a little”. I don’t know about you but both amounts of money are more than I have ever been responsible for. Yet in the master’s perception it was only a small amount of money compared to the wealth he must have had. Because he had such great wealth he was able to give them more to be responsible for managing.

The third slave was chastised and called wicked and slothful because he did not act according to his understanding even though it was misguided. His perception of his master was not accurate but even if it was he should have at least but it in the bank to earn interest and keep the principal safe. His money was taken away and given to the one with 10 talents and he was banished to the outer darkness.

The master was pleased with the work of the servants and commended them for it. I want these words to be said of the work I do for the Lord to please him. The servants were given greater responsibilities by the master because they had proven themselves to be faithful and trustworthy. As we fulfill the ministries God has given us, God will give us greater responsibilities. He is a rewarder of those who are faithful, trustworthy and use their talents and abilities.

The second parable Jesus taught about entrustment and expectation is found in Luke 12:42-48

And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

The master left and entrusted the servant with these responsibilities of running his household and providing food for the workers at the right time. The expectation of the master was that the servant would be faithful to do what was expected of him. When he returned and found the servant faithful and trustworthy to carry out the responsibilities he would reward him by giving him greater responsibilities.

When the master did not return quickly the servant decided to take advantage of his power and position and use it to beat the servants rather than care for them. He lost his focus in his ministry and spent his time partying. The servant misused his authority for his own pleasure which was quite perverted. This continues to happen today in ministries in which people in positions of authority think they deserve special treatment or think they can violate God’s standards and expectations. Recently a pastor in Florida was found dead in a hotel in NYC from a drug overdose. He had a church of 4000 people and had been divorced by his wife while he was in the ministry because of a relationship he had ongoing with a stripper. It was a tragic end to a life that had been used by God to help many people.

There are all kinds of temptations for those who are in ministry. It seems as though the enemy targets people in ministry to pull them down and bring discredit to the ministry. He uses the lie that you are special, you can get away with things because God understands your needs and pressures and that you can use your status and power to control and manipulate people for your own satisfaction. Many are tempted with money thinking that they have to present an image of success which is equated to possession in order to prove they are blessed by God for what they are doing. Money is used for personal gain and all too often there is a display of extravagance by people in leadership positions.

The servant lost sight of his focus and purpose and focused on his own selfish desires. This is another ploy of the enemy to put ourselves above others and seek to meet our needs at the expense of others. We have to be focused on ministering unto the Lord first and then ministering to the needs of people in a way that honors the Lord and honors the people we are serving.

The servant in this parable was only accountable to his master and since he was not around, he took advantage of it to do things he would not have done in the presence of the master. Who were are when authorities are absent or when we are in private or what we do when no one else is watching is the real test of our character. We have to guard ourselves from ourselves by using self-control and establishing high standards along with accountability. We cannot make any provision for the flesh to rise up and be satisfied. We cannot put ourselves into situations that lend themselves to compromise and sin. Many in ministry have fallen into sin because they did not keep their guard and were sucked into temptation and evil.

The master returned unexpectantly and found out what the servant was doing. For us as believers God is always present, he sees all and knows the thoughts and motivations of our hearts. We are not getting away with anything, we will reap what we sow. We are called to live lives of holiness and purity before the Lord. In all that we do our primary goal is to bring glory to God by representing him for who he is.

Jesus ended the parable by saying, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”

The more the Lord entrusts to us the more he expects from us. He is worthy of our best efforts, our best use of our gifts and talents for his Kingdom. God gave us his best, how can we do any less?

We will all give an account for our lives on judgment day when our works will be judged for their quality. God has entrusted us with the work of the ministry and his expectation is that we will give our best efforts to use our gifts for his glory. Someone once said, “Your abilities are God’s gifts to you. How you use them is your gift to God.”