Seeking Jerusalem – Day 26 “Suffering and Glory”

07 Sunday Jun 2020

Posted by Bert Amsing in 3. Steps To Maturity, Seeking Jerusalem

Tags

Abundance Theology, an eternal weight of glory, Death, Discipleship, discipline, glorification, glory, joy, Maturity, maturity in Christ, Pain, Pastor John Piper, Philippians 3:10, Prosperity Theology, redemptive emergency, Rom. 5, Rom. 8, Romans 5, Romans 5:4, Romans 8, Romans 8:11, Romans 8:17, Shane and Shane, spiritual immaturity, spiritual maturity, Suffering

The Way of the Cross – Lenten Season 2018

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8: 17,18 NIV)

“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10,11 NIV).

“And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given you” (Romans 5:2b-5 NIV).

The Suffering and the Glory (4)

I have an idea for a book (and maybe a movie) called A Glimpse of Glory. It’s the story of a black worship leader who loses his sister to a mugging gone wrong and she is stabbed and killed. Of course this creates a crisis of faith and he goes into a tailspin of grief and guilt which leads him into a frantic search for his sister’s killer. He ends up one night in the very same bar, nursing a drink and wondering what he is doing with his life. He decides to leave and try to get his life back on track but, first, he has to go to the bathroom.

On the way to relieve himself, he feels a knife pressed into his back and a voice in his ear telling him to step outside through the back door. Once in the alley behind the bar, his assailant demands all of his money, using his knife as a warning and a motivation to hurry.

But Brandon wants nothing to do with it and starts to argue with him, asking him if he is the same thief who killed his sister weeks ago. The mugger is confused and obviously high on something, but Brandon won’t let it go and starts to push back – hard.

The thief reacts like a crazy man, shoves Brandon back against the brick wall so fiercely that Brandon’s head cracks against the hard surface sharply. At the same time, he feels the knife in his gut and he sinks to the ground in a heap.

Here is where things get interesting.

The book is called A Glimpse of Glory because Brandon is transported back into ancient Israel (or is it heaven?) at the time of David in his early years when he first became King. A lot of other things happen, but one of the key moments is when Brandon insists on going into the Holy of Holies, unafraid for his life and only focused on his grief. David warns him of the dangers, but Brandon goes ahead with his plan and enters the Temple bent on confronting God with his grief.

Outside, while David is waiting for the inevitable to happen, he sings one of my favorite songs (all of my books are actually musicals). The song is from Shane and Shane and is called Though You Slay Me.

In the middle of the song, at least on YouTube, Pastor John Piper has a few words to say to those who are suffering grief and hardship.

“Not only is all your affliction momentary…

Not only is all your affliction light….in comparison to eternity and the glory there…

But all of it is totally meaningful.

Every millisecond of your pain from the fallen nature or the fallen man….

Every millisecond of your misery in the path of obedience

is producing a peculiar glory you will get because of that.

I don’t care if it was cancer or criticism…

I don’t care if it was slander or sickness…

It wasn’t meaningless.

It’s doing something. It’s not meaningless.

Of course you can’t see what it’s doing.

Don’t look to what is seen…

When your Mom dies…when your kid dies…when you’ve got cancer at 40….when a car careens into the sidewalk and takes her out…

Don’t say “It’s meaningless…” It’s not.

It’s working for you an eternal weight of glory.

Therefore, therefore, do not lose heart but take these truths and day-by-day focus on them. Preach them to yourself every morning.

Get alone with God and preach His Word into your mind until your heart sings with confidence that you are new and cared for.

And then Shane and Shane come back singing their song one last time.

“Though you slay me, Yet I will praise you.

Though you take from me, I will bless your name.

Though you ruin me, still I will worship.

Sing a song to the One who is all I need.”

Do you see it? Right there is your glimpse of glory. Right there is the character of Christ revealed in us. It makes no sense. It shouldn’t be there. But it is. It’s not something you can create on your own by sheer will power or training.

It is something created by God in the midst of suffering.

You would have every right to complain, to argue, to get mad at God and turn away from him forever. No one would blame you. In fact, there may be more than one who, like Job’s wife, suggest that you just “curse God and die.” After all, it is clear that God has abandoned you, so why not turn your back on Him as well.

Yes, you could. But you don’t.

Instead, you go to God with your pain and grief and pour it all out before him in the Holy of Holies and, like Jesus in Gethsemane, you finally whisper “Not my will, but your’s be done.” Not that it is easy. Far from it. But you do it anyway because, in the end, God is all you need and all you want.

That is the glory of God revealed in you. Just as it was for Jesus.

It makes your testimony meaningful and real to the people around you who are also hurting and in pain. Now you can pray for them. Now you understand them. Now you can tell them the good news that Jesus also endured pain and suffering for their sake, to save them from their sins.

That is what Paul is talking about here in our passage.

To the degree that we share in the suffering of Christ for the gospel, to that degree we will share in his character and glory both now in this life and, even more, in the life to come.

It is only in the context of suffering for the gospel that God can create the character of Christ. There is no other way. That is why we must rejoice in our sufferings because it produces hope (Romans 5:4). It forces us to take God’s promises seriously and to risk our lives on them. God calls that faith. It forces us to look forward to our final redemption and the resurrection of our bodies and the defeat of death and the end of our struggle with our sinful natures. God calls that hope. It forces us to look at our neighbor and deal with them not in pettiness about mundane things, but in terms of issues that have an eternal weight to them. God calls that love.

So far in our study, we have talked about the first promise in Romans 8:1 that “there is no condemnation fro those who are in Christ Jesus.” This promise includes FAITH, HOPE and LOVE.

Then we looked at the second promise of Holy Spirit power in our lives in Romans 8:11 where Paul reminds us that “if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.”

Not only is there NO CONDEMNATION but there are also NO EXCUSES. We have the power of the Holy Spirit within us to deal with temptation and sin and we therefore need to be trained in the ways of righteousness. The Bible calls that Discipleship. We don’t want to fall into the trap of perfectionism but rather understand that this is a struggle and that we need to go on from glory to glory, becoming more and more like Christ each day. Training in righteousness will be needed.

Then we looked at the third promise of the ASSURANCE of our salvation given to us by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit – that is, if you actually have the Holy Spirit within you.

A lot of people assume that it is so but don’t demonstrate any evidence that it is so. We talked about having EVIDENCE OF LIFE and what that would look like. If you have that evidence, you will have the assurance of your salvation. The evidence does not save you, it only tells you that you are saved.

Both the power of the Holy Spirit and the assurance of salvation that He gives us are appropriated by FAITH. We talked about David and his Mighty Men and the faith that they needed to have to fight the Philistines on the one hand and hide from Saul, their King, on the other. It was a balancing act of faith that bore much fruit.

Now we go on to the fourth and fifth promise in Romans 8 which requires us to turn our thoughts to the concept of HOPE. And HOPE is desperately needed in this crazy life of faith where things do not always go as planned.

In fact, if you are still under the impression that the Christian life is one free of pain and suffering where God will protect you from all harm and danger, then I have some bad news for you.

Our example is Jesus Christ, and, although we do not have to go to the cross and suffer the wrath of God, we still must pick up our cross daily, take on His same attitude toward the cross, die to self and live for God.

Prosperity theology does not do well in this context and if you are still suffering under those lies and deceit, perhaps this is the time to renounce the pleasures and passions of this world and start to live for God. Exchange your Prosperity Theology for Abundance Theology.

Remember that we are talking about suffering for the gospel, not just suffering the circumstances of life like everyone else. Yes, that too counts in terms of how you deal with it (see my next post) but the true disciple of Christ follows Him into the world to bring the gospel to those who need it and in that context will suffer as Christ did and therefore, be glorified as Christ is glorified.

It is all meaningful. No matter what you go through. You matter to God. Every tear is precious to Him.

You may not know specifically why God is allowing you to suffer but somehow you need to get to that place where you can say with the apostles that you rejoice in that suffering for the gospel because it produces perseverance and that, in turn, produces hope.

This is not an insipid, weak-kneed hope in a better future but rather a strong conviction that God will fulfill His promises to us and save us from this body (and world) of death. That is why we persevere. That is where the patience comes from. Hope. Without it we could never endure the suffering and pain of this world much less that persecution inflicted on us in our efforts to spread the gospel.

So, like Pastor John Piper suggests, we need to get alone with God and preach these truths to ourselves, remind ourselves that we are new and cared for, that this is part of the process to become like Christ.

It does NOT mean that God is against us or that He is punishing us for some sin we have committed. We are still polluted with sin and we still consciously commit sin (even when it makes us sick to do so). Welcome to the struggle.

God disciplines those He loves and He loves us as His children. So, no, it isn’t punishment. It is always discipline and discipline is always for our good.

Yes, God is willing that we suffer to become like Christ.

Yes, God is willing that we endure persecution to bring the gospel to those who do not have it.

He sees the eternal ramifications of sin and is willing to do almost anything to save people from that eternal fate.

Are you? Are you willing, like Paul, to do whatever it takes? That is the question after all, isn’t it?

Do we agree with God’s eternal perspective, his loving priorities, His tough but good will? If you remember our discussion of Romans 12:1-4, we talked about spiritual maturity and the process we go through to become more like Christ. In the end, will we agree with God that His eternal perspective on this redemptive emergency is good, pleasing and perfect? Or not?

If we are in agreement with God, then there is a price to pay.

Jesus paid the ultimate price and we don’t have to face the wrath of God. But we can share in his sufferings for the gospel and, in that context, become more like Him. That glory, that character, will be revealed in us here and now as well as on the last day. That glory, that attitude of Christ, that mind-set of Jesus, will empower our testimony and life ministry and we will have the anointing of God to fulfill our purpose on earth.

Frankly, it doesn’t get any better than that. It is the source of meaning and all joy for each of us. A joy that is not bound by circumstances but one that is in us always no matter what we go through.

I want that joy for myself. Don’t you?

The Desert Warrior

Lord, I want to have that joy that passes all understanding. It is rooted in hope and springs forth in the context of suffering but I want it badly. Please continue to reveal Christ’s character in me until my final day. In your name I pray. Amen.

Seeking Jerusalem – Day 21 “My Transfiguration”

09 Monday Mar 2020

Posted by Bert Amsing in 3. Steps To Maturity, Seeking Jerusalem

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Discipleship, Jonathan Edwards, living sacrifice, Luke 9:28, martyrdom, Maturity, Romans 12:1, spiritual maturity, Transfiguration, Transformation

The Way of the Cross – Lenten Season 2018

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1,2 NIV).

“About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him” (Luke 9:28-32 NIV).

My Transfiguration

We were talking about the Transfiguration of Jesus earlier and the glimpses of glory that were given to the disciples on a mountaintop in the wilderness. But we have also pointed out that the glory spoken of here had to do with his departure and all that would happen in Jerusalem.

In short, the glory of God is the cross of Christ. The glory of God is his character as he declared to Moses on a different mountaintop in Sinai. The glory of God, the true character of God, is most clearly seen on a hill outside of Jerusalem a little more than 2000 years ago.

But what does that have to do with our own Transfiguration, our own glory? Everything of course. If glory is character first and foremost, and the glory of God is the character of Christ as demonstrated on the cross, then our glory is also the character of Christ rooted in the cross and shown in us, in our transformation, in our transfiguration.

It is too simplistic to say that our glory will come to us in heaven, in the context of a new heaven and a new earth. It is too simplistic because it is only superficially true. The Bible talks about our glory being revealed in the new world but it is developed in the crucible of suffering as Christ suffered in this world. More on that to come.

It is true that in this life our Transfiguration will only be glimpses of glory just as it was with Christ but that doesn’t change the fact that our glory is neither automatic nor delayed. It is the stuff of real life today as we follow Christ.

Romans 12:1,2 speaks eloquently about that glory, that transfiguration, that transformation. It is worth spending some time to see what Paul says.

There appears to be three steps to this Transfiguration process. I call them SACRIFICE, TRANSFORMATION and MATURITY. And they seem to be integrated and circular, creating even more sacrifice, transformation and maturity in an upward spiral of virtue.

In the first verse, Paul says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.”

Wow, there is so much to say about this one verse that it literally blows your mind. What I will say is this. In the book of Revelations, God reveals his secret weapon against the forces of darkness throughout time and especially at the end of time. His secret weapon is the living martyrship of his people who are committed to following Him. I call it a “living martyrship” because this testimony is not just that someone dies (a lot of people were killed by the Romans) but rather how they died which means how they lived especially just before they died and why they died. Living Martyrs seems to capture the idea (rather than just Martyrs).

Everyone knows that Christians aren’t supposed to seek Martyrdom but can still accept that it may happen to them if they follow the cross of Christ. This is our testimony – a willingness to follow Christ even to death. Sometimes it is just a question of suffering and persecution, sometimes outright death. Whatever the case, it is the attitude and focus and testimony of these godly men and women which changed the Roman Empire and the world forever. Within 300 years or so, the testimony of these people so affected the populace of Rome that the Roman Empire officially (for good or bad) became a Christian nation.

Being a living martyr and being a living sacrifice are the same thing. It is a willingness to give up this life (and everything in it) to gain an eternal life with God. Jesus felt the same way. That character, that willingness to die to follow God, that trust in the Father, that boldness in the face of sin and evil, is the glory of God. A love for the sinners of this world motivated Him to pay the ultimate price. It is holy and pleasing to God and is our spiritual act of worship.

But how do we get there, to that place of being willing to die in our obedience to Christ and the glory of the cross? Not so easy, is it? Even just a little bit of inconvenience can get us started complaining or discouraged, forget about real persecution. That is the second step. The process, the transfiguration, the transformation.

Paul says in verse two, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Everybody notices that contrast between being conformed and being transformed but lets be clear. The first is an active verb and the second is a passive verb. And that makes a world of difference here. It doesn’t say that we should not “be conformed” to this world as if it is something that happens to us against our will (although there is a lot of truth to that as well) but rather it says, “do not conform any longer” meaning that we were doing it before (perhaps without thinking) but now we have to actively fight it, actively stop doing it, actively think differently and act differently (see Romans 7 and my post on The Good Fight).

And it also doesn’t say that we need not to conform to the world but to “the pattern of this world.” Well, what does that mean? That one word, “pattern” can only be understood in the context of everything that Paul and the Bible teaches. It is more than a question of morality. It is more than a question of going to church or sending your kids to a Christian school. It has to do with the “pattern” of this world (or worldview). It has to do with your Identity, your Purpose, your Significance all of which makes up your Meaning in this world. It is a change at a fundamental level.

And how is this change at a fundamental level going to work? Through the “renewing of your mind.” But first, let me remind you that the second verb which talks about transformation is passive. It says “be transformed” indicating that something will happen to you if you follow what Paul is telling us here. There is still a question of effort since this is an imperative as well as a passive. How does that work? How can you command someone (imperative) to have a passive experience?

Simple, by focusing on the means by which the passive experience will happen. The transformation will be automatic (although developmental) if you focus on the “renewing of your mind.” Ok, that makes sense. Obviously, in the context, Paul is saying that our minds will be renewed by the Word of God. Yes and No.

Yes, if we are talking about the truth of the Word of God applied to real life in the context of ministry. That is a mouthful but it is necessary to say since there are so many people in the church today that know their Bible’s, have memorized a lot of verses, can talk theology on par with the best of them but have no fruit, no ministry, no suffering for the sake of the gospel to act as the forge, the furnace for making those truths the most important things in their lives. That’s why I said Yes and No. It depends on the context of your transformation.

In this context, it is like saying that unless your life is a living sacrifice of ongoing cross bearing and gospel sharing, with a healthy dose of suffering and inconvenience for the sake of the gospel out of love for Christ and the sinner you are ministering to, then you do not have the necessary furnace or forge to make the truths of the Word of God become a transforming reality in your life. Period.

Yes, there is a lot more to say about all of this (and we will) but today we are just getting the gist of these verses so that we can start to understand the glory of our own transfiguration which starts here and now in the real world of your life ministry.

But here comes the good part. How do you know that the transformation is working? On the one hand, Jonathan Edwards, the great American theologian who lived during the Great Awakening, points out that only humility (as shown in confession, repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation) cannot be counterfeited by the Devil (or “untransformed” religious people). So that should be one clear evidence of transformation in our lives.

Although that is true, that isn’t what Paul is specifically saying here. For me, this last step is the most interesting and powerful.

“Then,” Paul says…… Then? THEN? Obviously this is a consequence, a result, a given that happens if you are truly transformed. Read on…..

“Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

So if you are truly transformed, you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is. Point blank. Now, maybe a lot of people think that that is rather obvious. I do not. I can’t tell you how many leaders and pastors of churches who, although they preach well, do NOT understand the will of God for them or their church. They may understand a lot of theology, but without a commitment to the crucible of ministry (rather than programs) in the real world of messy lives, difficult people and situations, and smelly people off the street, they miss the will of God for them and their church on a regular basis. But why should that surprise us.

There is no greater truth than the fact that the church is asleep and needs to wake up. It is often called, “awakening the sleeping giant.” If Jesus was able to turn the world upside down and change the entire Roman Empire in less than 400 years using 12 disciples (plus the 500 witnesses of his resurrection), why can’t the church accomplish anything in their own neighborhoods much less the world?

Where is the transforming power of the gospel in society today? Has it disappeared altogether? No, but those who still carry the torch have been transformed through the renewing of their minds and the fruit is evident to all.

But not just for churches, also for individuals. Do you see what the problem is? God calls us to suffer, yes, and rejoice in persecution when we are vitally involved in the ministry of reconciliation, the furtherance of the gospel. This is not an easy task. It takes a focus, a commitment, a truly life changing effort. It is not for the faint of heart who only want to maintain their middle class lifestyle and take no chances, spend no money, certainly not go anywhere to share the gospel (even if they knew how to do that in the first place).

Most people (rightly so) suspect that God’s will for them will hurt, will cost them money, will be inconvenient and smelly and perhaps even make them look bad (inside and outside the church). They would be right. Many people complain that God seems willing to let them get hurt, not answer their prayers, let them continue to have cancer and even die, all because of his priority of trying to save the world through our testimony. We are suppose to agree with him that that priority is also our priority. But the truth is that most of the time, it isn’t. Our lifestyles show that all too clearly.

So it isn’t just a matter of knowing the will of God and the priority of the gospel in our churches and our lives as we build together the kingdom of God in the hearts and lives of people. It’s not just about knowing the priorities of his purpose but also about liking it. Liking it? Yes, liking it. Agreeing with Him.

The ability to test the spirits, the theologies, the preaching, the messages of the world and the church and to be able to recognize what is of God and what is not, is essential but we are also to “approve” of what God’s will is. It isn’t that God needs our approval but rather that we need to agree with God in order to be transformed and to show evidence of our transformation.

Some people like to say that there are three types of will that God has. Some of it is good. Some of it is pleasing. And some of it is perfect. I disagree. All of God’s will in every circumstance is good, pleasing and perfect. These three things have to do with our perspective on God’s will. We are the ones that need to realize (and agree) that God’s will is good – even when our child is dying of cancer. We are the ones that need to change how we feel about God’s will – that God’s will is pleasing and we are able to rejoice (even through tears) for the death of our child because of the people who received a powerful testimony of faith from your family in one of the most difficult situations that life can throw at you.

Or do you think that your faith is normal? The nurses and doctors, and friends and family, and church members look at you and know that you are justified to be angry at God, at life, at everybody. That it makes sense that you are bitter and resentful like anyone else in that situation. Who wouldn’t agree with that? And yet, even though you hurt, you have faith. Even though you weep, you have hope. That is your living sacrifice. That is evidence of your transfiguration, your transformation.

But that isn’t developed in the moment. You have to prepare for it. You have to build your house upon the rock so that when (not if) the storms of life come, you will be able to stand. Your testimony will make a difference because it is real, not fabricated, not invented, not determined with gritted teeth but, rather, obvious and even natural, because of the relationship of trust, the faith, you have in the glory of God as you look to Christ and how he suffered for you, to save you.

And you know, deep down in your gut, that God’s will is perfect. If even one person is saved through your testimony, it was worth it. If your other children are saved and transformed, it was worth it. If a stranger gives his life to Christ, it was worth it. Worth the death of your child? Are you crazy? Yes, probably. But when you are transformed, you know that it isn’t just about this life but about eternal life. It isn’t just about health but about spiritual health. That there is a bloody battle going on for the lives and hearts of the people all around you, the pagan and the religious alike, and for some strange reason, you believe in faith that all of your suffering and pain and difficulty and inconvenience is worth it.

Why? Because you agree that God’s will in every circumstance is perfect. You know, because you have seen his glory, his character on the cross, his suffering, his pain, his mockery, his injustice. You know that he would never allow you to go through it if there wasn’t a “redemptive” gospel promoting reason for it. And if that was reason enough for Christ, then it most certainly is enough for me.

That is the testimony of a living sacrifice, a living martyr and that is God’s secret weapon in the battle against evil and the salvation of the world. And we get to be a vital part of it. Our testimony, our transformation, our transfiguration is key to the whole process. That is our significance in life.

When we truly accept our new identity in Christ, to become like him in his character, priorities, purposes, glory and when we truly accept our new purpose in Christ to suffer for the gospel as he did (and rejoice in it), then we can understand our true significance in the economy of God and realize that He is the one who brings true meaning to our lives as we invest them in the furtherance of the kingdom of God.

Now that is transformation. That is my Transfiguration. You can see glimpses of that glory as I (sometimes half-heartedly) stumble in the direction of learning to “approve” of God’s will for my life and the life of the church.

That is true spiritual maturity.

The Desert Warrior

Let us pray….

Lord, I look at your vision for my life and it both thrills me and scares me (more than a little). I know that I can’t do this on my own and I am not expected to. I need your help and the help of your church. Teach me to live as a living sacrifice for the gospel and in the process be transformed until I can approve of your will in all circumstances. That is who I am and who I want to become. That is my glory which I share with you. Thank you for that new life. You make all the difference in my life. I love you. Amen.

Seeking Jerusalem – Day 30 “Steps to Maturity”

21 Monday Oct 2019

Posted by Bert Amsing in 3. Steps To Maturity, Seeking Jerusalem

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

church discipline, consecration, Jude 21, Jude 24, Jude 25, just keep swimming, keep moving forward, Matthew 7:24, restoration, Romans 7, Romans 8, Romans 8:37, Romans 8:38, spiritual maturity

The Way of the Cross – Lenten Season 2018

Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life…..To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 21, 24, 25 NIV)

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8: 37-39 NIV)

Keep Moving Forward

For those of you who know who Dory is, her words are an inspiration to children and adults alike. “Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming….” Or in the immortal words of the Robinson family, “Keep moving forward….”

Why am I quoting children’s movies to talk about spiritual things. Well, because this is not just a spiritual truth. It is a creational truth. Keep Moving Forward. Keep going. Don’t stop. These are words to live by and take to heart. In life a lot of people have stopped and are not going anywhere. They mill around like sheep in a pen with no direction, no guidance, no interest in going anywhere. All they do is survive. That’s no way to live…

Of all things, our walk with God has purpose. There is a reason why we still live, why we are still here, why we haven’t gone on to glory. And if there is a reason, a purpose, a point to our continued existence, then we must keep moving forward.

But it isn’t easy. There is opposition. It is easier to just stay home, not try, avoid rejection, mistakes and shame. If the Devil cannot keep you from heaven, he will certainly try to keep you from being effective in your life ministry. It is a battle after all. So don’t be surprised. Keep moving forward.

In fact, if you don’t keep moving forward, keep doing good, keep working for the kingdom of God, then that is also a statement. Perhaps more a statement of unbelief than belief, but a statement nonetheless. What do I mean?

The main reason that people stop moving forward is either because they are convinced that their work is ineffective or that they are unworthy. To think that your work is ineffective is arrogant. After all, what do you know about the results that God will work through your efforts. Yes, you can try and improve your ministry but without the arrogance of final answers or ultimate results. Progress not perfection is the name of the game.

But what about this idea that we are unworthy of continuing our ministry. Most likely because of some sin or moral failure that we have committed. Divorce. An affair that became public. Misuse of funds. Personality conflicts with key personnel in your ministry. Whatever it is, you are ashamed of yourself and cannot move forward. Restoration is necessary.

The point is to get restored. That is what it means to move forward. Move forward in the path that God has set before you. Perhaps you will no longer lead your ministry. Perhaps you will need to start at zero again, do something different, go somewhere else. But keep moving forward in faith and with the Lord. Do not let sin, even your own, keep you from fulfilling your life ministry. If you end up in jail, start a jail ministry. If you end up on the street, start to minister to the street people. Wherever you are, no matter what has happened, there is forgiveness and there is restoration, even if it looks different and feels strange. Keep moving forward in your life ministry.

But there is a danger here as well.

On the one hand, we have talked about the struggle, about surrender, about consecration and how the Holy Spirit helps us in our need. We have talked about the importance of prayer and the context of grace. But, on the other hand, the purpose of all of this is to restore us to the joy of our salvation and help us to become effective (maybe even more effective) in our life ministry again. Without the end goal of restoration to effective ministry, we have missed the entire point of the exercise.

But here is where the danger lurks. We want that restoration so badly that we are willing (and quite able) to skip the necessary steps for true restoration to happen.

Keep moving forward does NOT mean to get things back to normal as quickly as possible, to cover up the shame, to avoid dealing with the consequences of our sins. Keep moving forward always means to take the path of the Way of the Cross without skipping a single step. Restoration without resurrection power is useless and, in fact, may keep you from the very blessing and anointing power that was available to you to mark your restoration with even more effectiveness than ever before. There is nothing more powerful than a sinner restored through the blood of the cross. It is what the world deeply desires and needs.

But our tendency is to avoid the cross, to avoid the difficult introspection, the shame, the confession, the brokenness that the cross demands of us. And that avoidance can be costly.

Our obedience is rooted in love but it must still be obedience. The path before us is always the Way of the Cross. The focus is on the relationship, most certainly, but it does not ignore the morality of our lives. Morality is the symptom, the result, the fruit of our relationship with God. Most certainly. That is why we must take the time and make the effort to deal with the underlying relational issues whenever a problem in morality rears its ugly head.

As we obey, we will enter into struggle, no doubt. As we struggle, God will uncover our idols of desire and our fortresses of fear and we will tear them down in the name and power of the Lord. But it is a battle and sometimes we will fail, the temptation will take us by surprise, our faith will not be strong enough. At that point, we must choose brokenness and surrender at the foot of the cross, embracing its shame and exchanging it for the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. If we take that first step down the path in the Way of the Cross, it will lead us through a process of renewal and consecration that will make us even more effective as we return to our life ministry of obedience to God and struggle against sin.

Obviously, confession and repentance are key elements in the process and forgiveness and reconciliation the result. This is always true between us and God and also true in terms of forgiving ourselves. But what about other people….

This is where it gets difficult. What do you do about other people who may or may not see things the same way? What if they don’t agree or don’t even know about the Way of the Cross or the process of restoration? What if they don’t understand that following means struggle and struggle means failure at times and failure needs to be surrendered and a renewed consecration be accepted?

Loving Obedience, Struggle in Faith, Surrender, Brokenness and Consecration are the natural spiritual steps in an ongoing virtuous circle of spiritual maturity. In fact, if you ignore or deny any of these steps, your spiritual maturity is impossible for their is no spiritual maturity without the cross and learning to stay and walk in the Way of the Cross is the entire point of our Christian walk.

But what if your Board doesn’t see it that way? They are ashamed of the problems of their pastor, their worship leader, their fellow board member. They are confused about what to do about it and look to denominational guides and political handbooks instead of trying to understand the Way of the Cross. I get it. It has happened to me.

Jesus gave his disciples a simple parable that answers this question very well. He tells his disciples that they should build their houses on the rock and not on sand (Matthew 7:24-27 NIV). You do that by obeying his word. Quite simple, really. After all, Jesus didn’t say “if” the rains and floods come, he said “when” they come, you will stand, you will survive, if you built your life on the rock.

Of course, the first application of this saying of Jesus is to our salvation and discipleship. But there is a general truth here as well. Preparation is key. If you are not prepared spiritually for the storms that will come, then you will have problems. If your Board, or your partner, or your family is not prepared for the storms, you will get into problems.

And don’t just think about yourself. Think about them. If they are not prepared to understand what spiritual maturity is, or if they are not prepared for spiritual battle and warfare, or moral failure or disagreements in the church, then it can knock them off the path of their own obedience as well. And that’s not good.

So, your job is to prepare your team, your Board, your family. Your job is to teach them the Way of the Cross. Train them in the priority of relationship over morality without excusing sin but learning to deal with it in a certain way, through confession, repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Teach them that loving obedience always brings the struggle of faith and that in that struggle there are sometimes (many times) failures and problems as our idols and fortresses are uncovered and we are sometimes reluctant, sometimes even outright defiant in trying to maintain them because we need them, we want them, we would be lost without them.

It is a process of progressive sanctification. The quality of our fight is what matters. It is faith in the promises and truths of Romans 8 in the context of the struggle of Romans 7 that matters. It is a rocky road on the way to spiritual maturity and many are those who do not find it.

But the solution is not rejection and fear but surrender and renewed consecration. The goal is restoration. The power is in the resurrection of our Lord and what that means for us today in terms of forgiveness and reconciliation.

But if we don’t train our team, our family, our church in these truths how will they learn spiritual maturity or deal with the storms when they come. It isn’t just about us.

That doesn’t mean that we will keep our leadership position if we are in a particularly bad place in our spiritual progress. Without condemnation, it may still be necessary to step down for a bit (or for good) but with restoration still the goal and faith that our life ministry may become even more powerful in the context of that restoration, and with faith that God has something different, better, more effective for us to do.

The point is to keep moving forward……with God, in the power of the Holy Spirit, in the truth that He keeps us in the palm of His hand, that our salvation is assured, that our job is to walk in the Way of the Cross and prioritize the relationship we have with Him.

Don’t let sin keep you from your purpose. But also don’t let your purpose keep you from dealing with your sin. Neither your sin nor your purpose is anything without your relationship with God. Walking in the Spirit is our normal, mature place to be but even grieving the Spirit is relational. We are still in the Spirit. That makes everything spiritual. Even our sin is a spiritual issue. Our sin does not destroy the relationship but the joy of the relationship must be restored, otherwise what’s the point?

Spiritual maturity has to do with your ability to stay right there in that sweet spot at the foot of the cross. Dealing with sin. Confession and Repentance. In the context of Grace. Forgiveness and Reconciliation. So that you can have even greater effectiveness in your Life Ministry. Surrender and Consecration which is Spiritual Maturity.

It’s about the relationship, stupid. It’s not about the sin. The sin is a symptom of the relationship. Sin has been dealt with at the cross. Our job is to prioritize the relationship and deal with our sin through the cross. The ability to do that consistently is spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity (which is relational) is the foundation and power-source for a life of morality and obedience in fulfilling our purpose and life ministry.

The Desert Warrior

Let’s talk to God…..

Lord, my sin sometimes overwhelms me. Some of it is private enough to deal with quietly between you and me but other things are more public. I’m scared of the fact that so few other people really understand any of this and I don’t want to be condemned out of hand. But then I remember that you, too, were rejected by your own people, abandoned by your own disciples. And you call me to share your suffering for the sake of the gospel so that I can also share your glory, your character, your spiritual maturity. It takes faith and it is hard. Of course. Why am I surprised. Like you, I have to choose to please God and follow Him no matter how those around me react or whether they even understand what I am going through. Thank you that you will never leave me. I want to stay in your love always. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.