Is It A Hard Saying?

Over the next few posts, I will be showing the text of a chapter from a book that I have just read. I will not reveal the author or the book title until after I have posted the complete chapter. For all of those who have been arguing and stressing the fact of needing to be relevant in today's society, to those who have hinted that we need to lower our standards to reach the world to those who feel that the church is almost a hopeless"club", please read these pages. Share your thoughts. Let me know how you feel about this in regards to the above statements.

I want to stress that this writing is not mine, but being that I have posted it, I must be endorsing it.

The title of the chapter is: "Is It A Hard Saying?"

In a former article I said that the want of an infusion of power from on high should be deemed a disqualification for a pastor, a deacon or elder, a Sunday school superintendent, a professor in a Christian college, and especially for a professor in a theological seminary. Is this a hard saying? Is this an uncharitable saying? Is it unjust? Is it unreasonable? Is it unscriptural?
Suppose any one of the Apostles, or those present on the day of Pentecost, had failed, through apathy, selfishness, unbelief, indolence, or ignorance, to obtain this outpouring of power. Would it have been uncharitable, unjust, unreasonable, or unscriptural, to have accounted him disqualified for the work which Christ had appointed them?

Christ had expressly informed them that without this infusion of power, they could do nothing. He had expressly commanded them not to attempt the work in their own strength, but to tarry at Jerusalem until they received the necessary power from on high. He had also expressly promised that if they tarried, in the sense which He intended, they should receive it “not many days hence” (Acts1:5). They evidently understood Him to command them to tarry in the sense of a constant waiting upon Him in prayer and supplication for the blessing. Now, suppose that any one of them had stayed away and attended to his own business, and waited for the sovereignty of God to confer this power. He of course would have been disqualified for the work; and if his fellow-Christians, who had obtained this power, had deemed him so, would it have been uncharitable, unreasonable, unscriptural?

Is it not true of all to who the command to disciple the world is given, and to who the promise of this power is made, if through any shortcoming or fault of theirs they fail to obtain this gift, that they are in fact disqualified for the work, and especially for any official position? Are they not, in fact, disqualified for leadership in the sacramental host? Are they qualified for teachers of those who are to do the work? If it is a fact that they do lack this power, however this defect is to be accounted for, it is also a fact that they are not qualified for teachers of God’s people; and if they are seen to be disqualified because they lack this power, it must be reasonable and right and Scriptural so to deem them, and so to speak of them, and so to treat them.

Who has a right to complain? Surely, they have not. Should the Church of God be burdened with teachers and leaders who lack this fundamental qualification, when their failing to possess it must be their own fault? It is truly amazing to see the obvious apathy, indolence, ignorance, and unbelief that exist on this subject. They are inexcusable. They must be highly criminal. With such a command to convert the world ringing in our ears; with such an admonition to wait in constant, wrestling prayer till we receive the power; with such a promise, made by such a Savior, held out to us, a promise of all the help we need from Christ Himself, what excuse can we offer for being powerless in this great work? What an awe-inspiring responsibility rests upon us, upon the whole Church, upon every Christian!

Obedience Even in the Midst of Questions

Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and You have not rescued Your people at all. - Exodus 5:23



Have you ever felt like you have been obedient to the Lord for something He called you to do and all you get are more roadblocks? This is the way Moses felt. When Moses went to tell Pharaoh to release the people because God said so, Pharaoh simply got angry and made the people make bricks without straw. Moses caught the blame for this from the people. Moses was just learning what obedience really means in God's Kingdom. You see Moses had not even begun to release plagues upon Egypt. He hadn't even gotten started yet in his calling, and he was complaining about his circumstances. There were many more encounters with Pharaoh to come, and many more plagues with no deliverances in sight. Why would God tell Moses that He is going to deliver them and not do it?

It was all in timing. God never said when He was going to deliver. He just said He would. In the next chapter, we find Moses arguing with God about not being capable of the job God had called him to:

But Moses said to the Lord, "If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?" Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh, King of Egypt, and He commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 6:12-13).

Do you get the feeling God was losing His patience?

God had a good reason for His delays. He said, "And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it" (Ex. 7:5). God not only wanted the people of Israel but also the Egyptians to know Him. It would be the greatest show of God's power on earth.

God often causes delays in our lives that we cannot understand. Sometimes it seems our obedience is not getting rewarded. Jesus said He learned obedience through the things He suffered (see Heb. 5:8). Imagine that - Jesus having to learn obedience. What does that say for you and me? Sometimes God's delays are simply because He wants more glory in the situation, more recognition, more Christ-likeness in you and me through greater patience and obedience.

Faint not, for the fulfillment promise is yet come

Here Is God

This is an article that I place in our last monthly newsletter for our church. It is exciting to see God working among and through us. As you read through this, think of areas in your life in which you may be experiencing the unknown or new borders of new territority. Places of testing or the stretching your faith. Remember, "Here is God".

An interesting map is on display in the British Museum in London. It's an old mariner's chart, drawn in 1525, outlining the North American coastline and adjacent waters. The cartographer made some intriguing notations on areas of the map that represented regions not yet explored. He wrote: "Here be giants," "Here be fiery scorpions," and "Here be dragons." Eventually, the map came into the possession of Sir John Franklin, a British explorer in the early 1800s. Scratching out the fearful inscriptions, he wrote these words across the map: "Here is God."

Ahead of us are days and territories in which we have not been entered before. They have the potential to scare us away from processing what God has in store for us, as they did to the Israelites when they approached the Jordan River the first time. But let us remember that in these new places that God leads us into, “Here is God”.

We will be called to invest ourselves, our time, our talents and materials as we possess the new land. We will question our selves at times, wondering if we can do it. Will we be able to go beyond the known and walk beyond the boundaries into the unknown? We hear the voice of God calling us, but yet uncertainty rests in our minds. But let us remember that in these new places to which God calls us to enter, “Here is God”.

New opportunities will develop to share the glorious message of the Gospel. We will be called into new places of ministry and service. Lives will come across our paths that are looking for hope. Brokenness will be displayed. We will be challenged to show them the love of Christ in ways that will cause us to step outside of our comfort zone. Each time, the calling out of the church by the issuing of the Great Commission rings powerfully in our heart, yet fear will seem to try to paralyze us. But yet let us remember that in these new opportunities of service for the Kingdom, “Here is God”.

Here is God. What a glorious proclamation and reality. So what if there will be giants, fiery scorpions or dragons in the days ahead, God is there and we are in His hands.

Living Sacrifices

The apostle Paul gives an urgent plea to believers in Christ “to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Rom. 12:1). Paul makes such a plea based upon “the mercies of God.”

We are objects of His saving grace; therefore we are to put our lives at His disposal. Paul uses the sacrificial word for the Jewish Levitical offering of sacrifices. The body of the believer is to be a “living sacrifice.”

How do you become a “living sacrifice”?

It begins in a once and for all being set apart to God. The Christian is set apart for God’s use in the sense of being for pure and righteous purposes. Why such an urgent plea? The philosophy of the world system does not satisfy. The longer you life by the humanistic philosophy the emptier your inner person becomes. However, the will of God is good, acceptable and perfect.

Being a living sacrifice is often not easy, or pleasant. It is self-denial, self-sacrifice, self-crucifixion of the whole person. But remember the problem with living sacrifices is they want to crawl off the altar. For the Lord Jesus Christ being a living sacrifice meant oppressive burdens. It brought Him in conflict with evil. He offered Himself as the perfect Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. However, as He conducted His Father's business He found it to be good and acceptable and perfect. A living sacrifice for Him means He humbled Himself and became “obedient to death—even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8). Should the disciple of Jesus expect anything different?

Only spiritual things will last through eternity. Jim Elliott said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Jim gave his life in reasonable service, to gain a spiritual inheritance that will last forever. How many saints of God have died possessing nothing of earthly value, but a living sense of “no retreats and no regrets.” They were living sacrifices to the living God.

We are living sacrifices because God is at work in us now. He is continuing to work in those whom He has brought to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. We are living sacrifices because He is at work in us changing attitudes, destroying destructive habits, forming new ways of thinking that pleases God. God does not start a new work and abandon it. He always finishes what He begins. The only reasonable worship is to join Him in what He is doing.

It is our privilege to glorify God with our bodies (Rom. 6:13; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; Phil. 1:20-21). Therefore, Paul admonishes us to present our bodies once and for all to God as living sacrifices. A living sacrifice involves yielding the body, mind and will to God. It is a privilege to give God our mind (Eph. 4:17-24; Col. 3:1-11) because He wants to transform it by releasing His power from within by using His Word. “If God controls your thinking you are a transformer.” It is a privilege to give Him your will. It is not by will power that we are transformed, but as we yield to the will of God that His power takes control of us.

Is the “living sacrifice” worth the cost? If we are living sacrifices we will not look back at the end of our lives and be disappointed or feel life is all vanity. We will be able to hear our Master say, "Come, enter into your rest."

We have only two options. We can choose to be conformed to this world system and its values or be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Belief Level

The following is an excerpt taken from Bob Buford’s book, “Finishing Well, what people who really live do differently". It is a discussion between him and Dr. Dallas Willard in regards to the thought “is there something more?”

The Knowing/Doing Gap

… the church has always taught the importance of surrender, yet we don’t (perhaps can’t) let go of our own desires and ambitions in order to let God take control of our lives. The mere thought of that gives all of us pause.

I said, “What you seem to be describing, Dallas, is a knowing/doing gap, that even what we know, what we’ve been taught, what we heard in sermons, what we read in books, doesn’t seem to be a viable reality for most Christians. There seems to be a chasm between our knowledge and our ability or willingness to do it.”

“That’s very true,” he said, “and I would even put it in these terms: We know about these things but we do not believe them. Too many Christians profess to believe them because we are expected to, but profession of belief doesn’t carry the action. Only real belief carries action. We live in a context where millions and millions of professing Christians do not believe what they profess because they’ve been taught that the important things is to profess it whether you believe it or not. Just think of the words of the apostle James: ‘You do not have because you do not ask God’. Our faith is not strong enough to believe and to expect God to answer. Consequently, this gap of faith and action creates a severe problem.”

“That’s very troubling, isn’t it?” I said. “It’s obviously true, just as you said. But it’s such a strong indication of the modern church.”

“Unfortunately,” he said, “historically we have emphasized professing certain things, and sometimes people have died for not professing them. The religious wars were all about this. In recent times, evangelicals have stressed professing faith – not necessarily having it but professing it. As a result, many people don’t think of death as a joyous trip to a world that is so much better than this one. Most Christians are terrified by the thought of dying.”

For Discussion:

Do we really believe what we profess? Is there really a difference or is it just a different way of saying the same thing. If there is a difference, what effect should it have on our lives?

In my pastoral ministry, I see and can relate to the above excerpt and say that many professing Christians have a shallow (either by choice or by lack of teaching) belief level. They have set through many class room teachings, heard many sermons and studied many materials but yet there seems to be a lack of deep spirituality in their lives. Why is this? What is the effect in their lives and the life of the Church?
Please share your thoughts and let’s discuss this issue.