November 2018 – Page 3

3. Eager to maintain the unity

1Corinthians 1:10  I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

Ephesians 4:1-7     I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,  eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

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

Psalms 133:1    Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

1 Peter 3:8-9    Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

Romans 12:16     Live in harmony with one another.

1 Corinthians 6:7 Why, the very fact of your having lawsuits with one another at all is a defect (a defeat, an evidence of positive moral loss for you). Why not rather let yourselves suffer wrong and be deprived of what is your due? Why not rather be cheated (defrauded and robbed)?

I heard on the Back to the Bible radio “Unity is something you keep”. We are to be the light shinning in a dark world. We are to show hope, love, generosity, kindness, faith, peace, long-suffering, and patience. How is this shown when there is division amongst those who are to show the world what righteous, holy, humble, God honoring living looks like?

Division comes from an issue that is hammered out in pride not love. Division leads to gossip, rumors, and non-love actions. Division is a tool of Satan and the problem is most of the time he does not even have to use it because of a prideful spirit lodged within the person. Think about when the Israelites were in the wilderness and scripture tells us the people grumbled against God. You have to realize that there was a first person who spoke up and many who then followed. The same happens when division occurs. A person speaks up in a manner that does not reflect our calling in Christ and others follow.

Do you ever wonder why others follow? Does it have anything to do with their walk, or lack there of, with God? Does it have anything to do with there time, or lack there of, in Gods word?

Oh that we would take the path of humbleness, allowing our selves to be wronged, seeking unity in peace and love, finding a way to honor God in the circumstance, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. As far as is it is with you be at peace with all men.

2. Be Doers

James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Matthew 7:21-25     “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Luke 6:46-48    “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?

Luke 11:28     But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Romans 2:13     For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

Obadiah 1:3    The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the ground?”

Galatians 6:7    Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

It does not take much reading of scripture to be reminded of being “Doers of the Word” – “Keepers of the Word” – “Keeping oneself Unstained from the world” God speaks to us through His word from either reading it or hearing others read it. If we spend the time in it we find hope, peace, guidance, and encouragement for the trials that surely follow each day.

How are we to keep unstained if we are not aware of what causes the staining? How are we to be doers if we don’t know what to do? Do we think for a second that we are guiltless or won’t be judged for neglecting His word?

Satan implants lies into our minds. He tells us we are ok enough. He tells us we are better than others. He tells us that we are too busy. Too tired. He tells us we get enough of God’s word on Sunday. He tells us we are content with how we are living for God. He tells us we are not good enough or know enough to be of any value in spreading the Gospel or making disciples. He tells us tomorrow we will have more time for God. He tells us we deserve a break from serving God. He tempts us with stuff that will never satisfy our soul. He looks to confuse and cause division. He deceives us with partial truths and we have not spent enough time in God’s word to know we are being deceived.

Be hearers – read and study God’s word

Be doers – obey God’s word

1. ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’

Exodus 22:28 “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

Ecclesiastes 10:20     Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter.

Acts 23:5     And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

Romans 13:2-7     Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.  For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,  for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.  Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.  For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.  Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Titus 3:1-2     Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,  to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people

1 Peter 2:17     Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

It surely takes godly wisdom to apply these verses. How do you honor a leader you do not respect or trust? How do you not speak evil of one who is authorizing the murder of innocent men, women, and children? How do you not speak out against the Leader who is taking people into unrighteous paths for their life? How do you follow a leader who rejects Christ?

These are human questions but are not the right way to approach the situation of a bad leader. God wants and expects us to come to Him alone for the resolution of a bad ruler, authority, leader. We are to go to Him confessing the sin of what we see and ask His intervention. We are to seek Him for our refuge. We are to rely on Him alone. We are to find peace in the midst of trials and troubles in Him. We are to find strength in God to face the injustice. He is our refuge, hope, rock, fortress, and calm in the storm.

We are to pray for our leaders not complain about them. We are to seek God not speak evil. We are to be submissive and obedient. There are times when we don’t like or approve of our leadership. However we must respect and honor the position.

There may be time when you have to take a stand when asked/told to do something that is against what God teaches us. We accept the consequence gladly as serving God is our goal. We do not speak evil. We speak the truth.

Daniel 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope

Mark 10:13And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

John 3:3-6  Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

John 1:13  who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Titus 3:5  he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

James 1:18  Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

1 Peter 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 John 2:29  If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

1 John 5:1  Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.

1 John 3:9  No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.

Matthew 13:11-16  And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.  For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.  This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.  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.’  But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.

Can you even grasp the depth and width of God’s love in reaching out to us with redemption? Can you comprehend the Love of Jesus Christ willingly and obediently and joyfully being sacrificed by being nailed to the cross for our redemption?

Sometimes I think we take for granted the love of God and sacrifice made for our redemption. Grace and mercy are not to be taken lightly or neglected. Our lives ought to be reflective of this great love.

You wonder why Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than find salvation. Why is that? Because they do not believe it is possible, or needed, or that God exists.

Salvation changes lives, makes the person a new creation (born again), removes all past sin, changes the heart, satisfies the heart, mind, and soul, gives hope, and joy.

6. What must we do

Mark 10:17 And as Jesus was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

John 6:28    Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”

Acts 2:37     Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Acts 16:30    Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Romans 10:2-4    For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.  For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

John 6:27     Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.

We see this young rich man who went away sorrowful and disheartened. Why, because he could not give his all to follow Jesus. We see others who asked what must we do to be saved. We see the disciples asking what must we be doing to do the works of God.

The works we must do is to “Believe” and to believe is translated “Cling to, Rely on, and Trust in.” Sometimes I think believe means something less to people. It does not carry the weight of clinging total reliance and trust.

It is one thing to come to the knowledge of saving grace and another to live so that God is honored through continual reliance, obedience, and trust. When we give belief a lesser application we will find we are thinking we are better off than we are. We end up at a place where we think we are good enough and doing enough – we’re ok enough. In reality, we become dull to the Holy Spirit, blind and deaf, as though we were asleep. When we are to be spirit-filled we are spiritless. When we are to be reaching out to a lost world we are hiding. When we are to be listening and obeying we are deaf and doing what seems right to us. When we ought to be seeking God we are neglecting. When we are to be drinking the living water and bread of life from His word we are starving and dying from thirst. And don’t even know it!

We are called to active humble service to God, at His leading and at His timing. The word “Called” is better translated as summoned. When we see the word just as called it gives way to say yes or no. When we see the word as summoned by God there is no room for denying action on our part.

It is a choice to commit heart, mind, and soul to God every single day. It is a choice to be led by Him. It is a choice to listen and obey Him.

Thinking you are ok enough leads to being asleep and deaf to the Holy Spirit’s leading.

What must you do?

5. Weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you

Luke 16:19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

Malachi 3:18     Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

2 Thessalonians 1:8   in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.  They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,  when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

James 1:11-12    For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.  Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

James 5:1-7     Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.  Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten.  Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire.

Psalms 50:22    “Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!

I wonder if we see the significance of intentionally desiring, following, honoring, and obeying God. I wonder if we think our commitment is close to giving our whole heart, mind, and soul to Him. Reading these verses give me concern with what I see in our culture of what it means to live for God. When the culture waters down this commitment, people live more for self and less for God. Pleasing themselves with what is satisfying to their eyes, yielding to the desires of the flesh, and giving God not more than a glance most days.

It is sad but so true, that we find every reason and excuse to live for self rather than seeking what is pleasing to God. Prosperity seems to always lead people away from God and adversity, for the most part, brings them toward Him. I heard a radio preacher this week say “if you are always walking in the sunshine, more than likely you are walking in a desert void of living water and food. Prosperity can have a “desert” effect on our lives. It doesn’t have to be that way. We can choose to live for God, seek after God, desire to humbly serve God, worship God, honor God, follow God, listen to God, obey God. This choice has to be heart, mind, and soul deep.

.Hell is real. Separation from God is real. Torment is real. There is no second chance once you die. How many people went about their day today not thinking it would be their last? How many people think they have time to spare before they will fully commit to God? If they knew the day and the hour(no one does) certainly they would be ready but they never are. We don’t choose God to avoid hell. We choose God because of who He is. We choose God because of the great mercy, grace, and love He has given to us in and through Jesus Christ. We choose God because He first chose us.

God is not mocked and our lives should not mock the great grace, mercy, and love given to us by which we may be saved. Search your heart and you will know the level of commitment you are living to God. Don’t make the mistake of using what the culture says is commitment. Use His word and see where He leads you into this commitment. Do not delay another day.