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The Litmus Test of Love
Impure motives of pride, heartless obligation, superiority, longing for admiration, applause, success, wealth, rank, or pity are never sung aloud from our lips for all to hear. We quietly hide them, creatively disguise them, and carefully redefine them. We naturally think ourselves very good at judging the motives of others, but how about our own motives?
Ouch. That question seems to drop like a sharp knife between my toes. Perhaps the most penetrating and uncomfortable question for all of us to ask ourselves is: What is my motive?
To determine the answer to this question I believe we need a litmus test.
A litmus test, of course, can measure the PH levels (among other things) in water. As a former science lab geek, I had all sorts of fun with litmus paper and other not-so-entirely-safe experiments in my parent’s basement.
But according to the litmus test of God’s love in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, where might you land? Be honest.
We can’t always discern our motives and intentions, but the litmus test of God’s Word can. The scriptures cut right to the heart of our issues – even to “joints and marrow, knowing the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). So let’s experience the litmus test. Allow these verses to soak over your soul and work their timeless truth in conviction, repentance, and change of life:
“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)
The most pointed and convicting message a preacher can preach should be communicated with his finger also pointing at himself. Notice this is exactly what the apostle Paul does as he shifts the voice to first-person singular (from 12:27) and begins the litmus test of love in chapter 13 with “I.” Just like Paul, we need to feel the personal conviction of this litmus test deep within our hearts.
Here’s how I paraphrased these lines to cut deep into my soul:
If I am the most powerful preacher, the best Bible teacher in all the world – communicating with incredible creativity, smoothness of speech, and an amazing vocabulary…BUT do not have love, I would be as obnoxious as a crash of cymbals that rattles my eardrums or a blaring alarm at 5 o’clock in the morning: “Shut it off!!”
If I have profound insight into God’s plans, understand all the details of theology and comprehend the most obscure points of eschatology, yet do not have love toward my brothers and sisters, then my entire life equals nothing.
If I have unshakably great faith to believe God for the impossible – to remove mountains of addiction, depression, immorality, abuse, anger, violence – to believe God can do anything, but do not have love, it is of no benefit whatsoever.
And if I give away everything I own – my job, house, cars, family heirlooms, pots and pans – everything – in order to feed the poor and serve full-time in a foreign mission field, and if I surrender to martyrdom at the hand of persecutors, but don’t have love, it all amounts to no reward at all.
___________________
Bringing it Home
How might you personalize these verses to soak over your soul?
If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place, but have not love – I am a housekeeper, not a homemaker.
If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements, but have not love – my children learn of cleanliness, not godliness.
Love leaves the dust in search of a child’s laugh.
Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.
Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.
Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.
Love is present through the trials.
Love reprimands, reproves, and is responsive.
As a mother there is much I must teach my child, but the greatest of all is … LOVE.
Love must be our motive. For if love doesn’t govern and guide all we do, then we’re not really loving at all. Love must be our motivation in all preaching, teaching, singing, leading, serving, helping, baking, cooking, cleaning, evangelizing, counseling, discipling…
But how? The way to daily return to the love motivation is by walking back to the foot of the Cross, beholding God’s love on full display for us in Jesus Christ. This is why the apostle Paul began his first letter to the Corinthians with the message of the cross — because the cross is the compass for all of life in Christ. Let’s walk back there today….
By the way, I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to post your own personalized paraphrase in the comments section below.
Listen to the full audio sermon entitled “The Litmus Test of Love” (1 Cor. 12:27-13:3 by simply clicking on the play button below or by subscribing to our iTunes podcast. This message was originally delivered at North Park Baptist Church of Grand Rapids, MI on Sunday morning, March 13th, 2016.
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Your Wisdom Quotient
Intelligence Quotient. Do you know your IQ score? There is even an organization some of you have likely heard of, which is a society for people with high IQ’s: MENSA (originally established in England in 1946). Membership in Mensa International is reserved for those who’ve attained an IQ score within the upper 2 percent of the general population. That’s pretty intense. How might you measure up? To stretch your mental agility, here are a couple fun IQ questions:
Q: A travel agent has taken 53 bookings for Thailand, 22 for Bali and 23 for India. How many bookings have been made for Canada? (scroll down for the answer)
Q: Replace each set of dashes with a seven-letter word. The same seven letters must be used for both words. What are the words? “The mother said that continually sorting out the children’s _ _ _ _ _ _ _ had given her a headache and she needed a couple of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “ (scroll down for the answer)
The Missing Ingredient
Having a strong intellect is a good thing, yet there is an inherent danger in touting our mental powers or relying on human intelligence. A person may have a high IQ and be missing the essential ingredient for the soil of becoming spiritually mature – to grow in the faith and in the likeness of Jesus. The measure of one’s intelligence does not indicate the measure of one’s spiritual maturity or usefulness in God’s mission. Oh yes, God has uniquely used people of extremely high intelligence for His glory. Yet many, many others with great intellects have lived entirely for themselves, defamed the name of God, and brought havoc upon His Church.
So what is the essential ingredient for the soil of growing mature as Christ-followers? Wisdom.
But this kind of wisdom is not sourced in mankind but in God Himself. It’s the wisdom Solomon asked of God, the wisdom we’re called to pursue in the book of Proverbs, and the wisdom that comes from above not from earth. The wisdom that is necessary for the soil of spiritual growth is given through the Word and the Spirit, not the world and self-help manuals. Inasmuch as life-coaching books contain biblical truth, they may be offer some useful guidance. But ultimately, true wisdom comes from God alone.
James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote an intensely practical letter to Jewish believers scattered throughout the lands north and east of Israel. Confronted by trials from without and temptations from within, these early Christians needed God-sourced wisdom. Therefore, the apostle James outlined a striking comparison between true and false wisdom:
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good behavior [beautiful manner of life] his works in the gentleness that wisdom brings. But if you have bitter jealousy and self ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and tell lies against the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from above, but is earthly, natural-minded, and demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder [chaos] and every evil practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable [accommodating], full of mercy and good fruit, impartial [fair in judgment], and sincere [un-hypocritical]. And the fruit that consists of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.” – James 3:13-18 (my translation/comments)
TRUE Wisdom: Guides us to humbly serve others (v. 13).
FALSE Wisdom: Provokes us to selfishly serve ourselves (v. 14a).
FALSE Wisdom: Speaks lies and boasts to get ahead (v. 14b).
TRUE Wisdom: Displays gentleness, purity, and peace (v. 13b, 17-18).
FALSE Wisdom: Reaps a harvest of chaos and evil (v. 15-16).
TRUE Wisdom: Reaps a harvest of peace and righteousness (v. 18).
True wisdom is demonstrated more by character of heart and attitude toward others than by mere words.
Take the Wisdom Quotient Test
So how do our hearts and lives align with true wisdom? Better than an IQ test, let’s pause for a few moments to quietly and prayerfully think through some heart-searching Wisdom Quotient questions.
20 Questions to Ask Ourselves…
PURE in Motive
- What is my motive for…
- …serving?
- …loving?
- …caring?
- …teaching?
- …parenting?
- …leading?
- …praying?
- …preaching?
- …witnessing?
- …giving?
- …working?
- Do I speak and work toward building up others or building up myself?
- Do I show off my accomplishments, possessions, or talents to others… or encourage the gifts, talents, and skills of others?
- Do I seek to bring honor or attention to God or honor and attention to myself?
PURE in Conduct
- Am I relying on God’s Word and the Spirit to guide my actions, govern my thoughts, and harness my tongue?
- Am I serving myself through my service or serving others? Why?
- Am I rejoicing in God’s commandments and design for life or resisting them?
- Am I gentle and self-controlled when responding to a disagreement?
- Do my words match up with my works?
- Do I have integrity, humility, and honesty in all I do – in all business dealings, family matters, and Christian service?
- Do I stretch the truth, i.e. expand the story or facts to cast myself in a more favorable light?
- Do I stretch the truth or spread slander to cast someone else in a less favorable light? (Make myself look good by making someone else look bad)
PURE in Attitude
- Do I sometimes think I’m better than someone else? Why?
- Do I regularly believe I have the best ideas around the table?
- Do I think I deserve the best this life can offer because of my good behavior, intellect, or productivity?
- Do I believe or act like I’ve reached a level of spiritual maturity that is superior to most others around me?
- Do I talk first and listen later… or never?
- Do I readily forgive others with an attitude full of mercy when they offend me?
- Am I genuinely interested in and invested in the success of others or only my own success?
- Would others say I’m a peacemaker, a peace-faker, or a troublemaker?
True Wisdom is pure in motive, pure in conduct, and pure in attitude. When the wisdom is pure in motive, conduct, and attitude then…
We are peaceable because we are not thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to think (Matt. 5:9; 1 Pet. 2:21-23; Phil 2:5-11)
We are gentle with all others because we are not in it to win an argument but to win a brother or sister. (Matt. 5:5; 18:15-18)
We are reasonable because we know we are also in need of further growth and have faults too. (Matt. 5:3-4)
We are full of mercy and good fruits because as God in Christ has watered our roots with His brimming over, never stopping, always-forgiving grace upon grace (like waves on a seashore – see John 1:16), so we are brimming over with mercy and forgiving grace toward everyone so they too may bear a good harvest. (Matt. 5:7; 7:1-5)
We are impartial/fair in judgment because we know we had a great debt we couldn’t pay but it was paid for us at the great cost of Christ Himself, and we are not seeking to lift ourselves above someone else. (Matt. 5:8; 7:1-5; 7:7-12; 18:21-35)
We are sincere (not hypocritical/two-faced) because we are not telling lies to get ahead, playing to the crowd, or seeking people’s approval. We know God knows it all, sees it all, and will judge accordingly. (Matt. 6:1-6; 7:1-5)
The way these fruits of righteousness (right-living according to the new life in the Spirit) are planted is in the soil of peace (not jealousy, rivalry, or selfishness) by those who make peace – within the church, community, and family structure.
God’s wisdom brings in a beautiful, bountiful harvest of peace and righteousness. By God’s good Word and the indwelling power of the Spirit, let’s pray He displays these fruits through our lives today…
________________
IQ question Answer #1: 33 (the number of consonants in each country’s name equals the first number, the number of vowels equals the second number)
IQ question Answer #2: Answer 2a: Battles Answer 2b: Tablets.
Listen to the full audio sermon entitled “Your Wisdom Quotient” (James 3:13-18) by simply clicking on the play button below or by subscribing to our iTunes podcast. This message was originally delivered at North Park Baptist Church of Grand Rapids, MI on Sunday morning, June 26th, 2016.
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Honor Your Father
Dear Friends and Family,
I hope and pray all of you have a wonderful Father’s Day. As a father of two little ones with a third on-the-way, I’m so thankful for the desire God has placed in the hearts of my kiddos to simply LOVE church. It brings great joy to hear them say things like, “I learned about Moses today… he followed God and so do I, ” and “Papa, I learned a new song about how much God loves me!” and recently, “I want to be in the big church! I want to sing the songs!”
When I was just a wee bit taller than a grasshopper, I learned to love God and His people from my father, Charles.
I will never forget…
…how he taught me to sing by running his index finger along the soprano and tenor lines in the hymnal.
…how he guided me to listen attentively to the preacher by taking notes and sitting up straight.
…how he modeled faithfulness by being consistent in daily devotions, prayer, and love.
…how he showed me respect and reverence for God by submitting to truth and leading in repentance.
My Dad and me, about 1985 or 1986.
You know what? I think I might just share these thoughts with my dad this weekend, in order to honor him as God has commanded. Both in Exodus 20:12 and Ephesians 6:2, we find these key instructions:
“Honor your father and your mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.” (from Ephesians)
So how, perhaps, did you learn from you father? How did he guide you in truth and wisdom? Let’s take a moment to praise God for our fathers and if they’re still with us, let’s take time to look them in the eyes and tell them just how they made the difference in our lives.
By the way, I’m not at all excited about my chocolate cake. 🙂
In Christ Alone,
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The Object of Shame
Shame.
The ultimate mark of shame in royal families is for one to be removed from “the table” – from the position of honor and relationship… to the place of loss and separation. No longer can the rebel or the guilty taste the delectable dishes and enjoy the camaraderie and conversation. They are disinherited – cut off from the family.
From the moment Adam and Eve scurried around the Garden of Eden to cover themselves up with leaves and hide in the bushes, all men and women have hung their shoulders in shame.
“[Adam] said, ‘I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” (Gen. 3:10)
And they used to walk with God in loving communion in the cool of the day.
Cut Off
Our sin cut us off from God, but it was our own doing…our own rebellion. The shame of sin taunts and haunts all who remain separate from the God of all love and grace. The shame and guilt of pride, envy, lust, greed, anger, hate, profanity, and violence now seems to control every waking moment. Nothing we can do or say or work toward can take away the shame of our sin and restore the relationship that was severed when Adam and Eve chose to believe the lie of Satan rather than the word of God and fell into the pit and shame of sin.
Separate. Far away.
Cut off. Lost.
John Piper writes, “We can cut ourselves, or throw our children in the sacred river, or give a million dollars to the United Way, or serve in a soup kitchen on Thanksgiving, or perform a hundred forms of penance and self-injury, and the result will be the same: the stain remains, and death terrifies.” (The Passion of Jesus Christ, pg. 51)
But God stepped in with His rescue plan.
God sent His perfect, sinless Son to take the full brunt of our shame upon himself – the punishment we all deserve.
Let’s just pause there for a moment. Jesus the Christ took all the blame. He bore the just wrath of God against sin. He was mocked, whipped, ridiculed, bruised, and crucified for us and for our salvation so that we could be brought back into relationship with God. The apostle Peter penned these gospel-proclaiming words:
“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18)
Jesus Christ took our shame so that we could be brought to communion with God at His Table, as one family. Now He calls us sons and daughters, adopted by His grace into His family together through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. We have peace with God and with one another (Eph. 1:3-6; 2:11-22).
God draws the lost to the Good News of the Cross so that we may receive a new and eternal relationship with Him. Christ’s blood was the way to peace with God.
God has rescued us through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. So let’s remember Him at His Table as One Family together because of the One Savior: Jesus Christ.
And we will yet again walk with God in a garden in perfect communion in the cool of the day…
“Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him…” (Revelation 22:1-3)
Q & A
How does this new, restored relationship with God in Christ change the way…
- …we think about our purpose here on earth?
- …we respond to others still separate from God’s family?
- …we treat all those within God’s family?
- …we think about celebrating the Lord’s Supper – Communion?
For A Deeper Look…
My Interpretive Translation of Ephesians 2:11-13 [Greek Text: UBS 4)
“For the specific reason that you have received eternal salvation by grace through faith in Christ Jesus (v.8-9) and are now called to work on this earth in the manner God has prepared for you (v. 10), I command you to constantly remember that, in your past spiritual condition, all of you Gentiles (with respect to your physical condition) who are labeled as “Uncircumcision” by those of the so-called “Circumcision” which merely refers to a physical badge produced by the work of human hands, 12 That you all were at that time, prior to your salvation, completely without access and separated from Christ the Messiah, alienated and separated from the religious community and legal citizenship possessed by the people of Israel, and foreign strangers to the covenants of promise given by God, not having any hope, and finally, even completely without the one, true God in the world. 13 But in great contrast to this prior situation, now by your faith in Christ Jesus, you who were in the past far away from all these things previously spoken of, have now entered into a state of nearness, by means of the blood of Christ the Messiah.
*Seen throughout this passage (and particularly in v. 13) is the action of God toward man (objective nature). It was by the personal agency of Christ and the instrument of His own blood that brought those who had no way to the Father and no hope for the future, near to the Savior and reconciled to God. The phrase “the blood of Christ” certainly speaks of the sacrificial atonement made by the Savior on the Cross (H. Hoehner). No longer were the saved Gentiles to live in godlessness and hostility towards God’s chosen people. No longer were they to abide ostracized and separated from the One who created them. No longer were they to act in animosity in regard to the “favored” Jews. Instead through the work of Christ alone, they who were in the past far away (μακρὰν, accusative of measure – extent of space, cf. GGBB, 201-3) now have the divine privileges of a personal relationship with God. Peace now reigned between their souls and the justice of God, and also between the hearts and minds of their Jewish brothers and sisters. Truly, all things “have been made new.”
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Pointing Fingers
A pointing finger... No one likes a finger pointed at them. There is just something about a pointing finger that stirs the nerves and unsettles the stomach.
When I think about pointing fingers I vividly recall a certain Sunday afternoon vocal practice with a large children’s choir I participated in when I was 7-10 years old. This particular rehearsal was led by an interim instructor from Great Britain, who spoke with a magnificent accent. However, as the afternoon wore on I grew very antsy, squirmy, and distracted. Another young boy sitting next to me whispered something funny in my ear and I responded with another joke in return. We went back and forth for a couple minutes until…
Suddenly, the giant British teacher wound-up like a baseball pitcher and threw a piece of chalk into the seat next to me. Yow! My entire body bounced about 3 feet into the air. He then pointed directly at me with ferocity in his eyes, “You mustn’t speak while I am teaching, young man!”
I quietly squeaked out an apology, but that didn’t alter the consequences. All one hundred and fifty other children stared and pointed, snickering at my calamity. The instructor’s finger seemed frozen in a sharp arrow directed toward my chest.
Pointing with Presumption
We don’t like having a finger pointed at us because it implies we’re guilty! However, we are pretty natural at pointing toward someone else. It seems quite easy to see the sins of others; doesn’t it? We think we’re quite accurate at evaluating the faults and failures we presume to observe in friends, family members, neighbors, and the like.
Christ’s twelve disciples were pretty good at pointing fingers, too. In Matthew 20:20-28, the mother of the sons of Zebedee (James and John) came with her boys to make a request that they sit at Jesus’ right and left in His kingdom, much to the indignation of the other disciples, of course. This little position-seeking posse implied they were better than the others around the circle.
The disciples were also known for getting into debates about who would be the greatest. They not only brought up this discussion early in their time with Jesus but also even during the Passover meal.
“And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be the greatest.” (Luke 22:4; see also Matthew 18:1; cf. John 13:1-18)
But in Matthew 26:20-25 something surprising happens… just prior to Christ instituting The Lord’s Supper:
When it was evening, he reclined at the table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me. And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” (Matthew 26:20-22)
Pointing Not Out… But In.
We would expect the disciples to point fingers at each other when Jesus began talking about one of them betraying Him. But, no. In the raw, honest, and humble moment gathered around Christ’s table of grace, they point their fingers not out but in, asking, “Is it I?”
What might have been swirling around in Peter’s mind? Perhaps he thought, “I know my weakness, my failing, and faltering. I know the struggle of sin still within my soul. Could it be that I give in and betray the Messiah, my Lord?”
Maybe Thomas’ heart sank, “I know my struggle with doubt and discouragement. In my darkest moment do I give into the lies I hear ringing in my ears?”
Matthew may have wondered, “Do I cave in for the money again to get gain out of this, just like when I was a tax collector?”
John is bewildered but knows, too, his own issues with anger and pride….
In a rather shocking turn-of-hearts at Christ’s table of grace, the disciples point their fingers not outward, but inward.
Humility over pride. Contrition over position. Repentance over passive resistance.
As we gather around Christ’s Table to recall His love, remember His passion, and reflect on His unending mercy, where should we be pointing?
Christ’s Table of Grace prompts us to…
…Cease from inspecting the sins of others (v. 20-22). Just as the disciples allowed Christ’s words to search their own hearts, so we must let the mercy of Christ and His cross unearth the stones and thorny roots buried deep within the soil of our souls.
Some of us were trained like workhorses for the specific task of detecting and reporting the imperfections of others. We automatically adjust the lenses of our judgmental microscopes (often masquerading as “discernment”) the moment we walk into a church building, gather in a small group, or observe the values of another family.
Our eyes presume to measure the spiritual maturity of others by a whole plethora of external litmus tests:
- What kind of clothing do they wear?
- What type of car do they drive?
- What kind of house do they own?
- Who do they spend their time with?
- How much do they weigh? Does their supposed unhealthy diet equate to a lack of truth in their life?
- What type of movies or TV shows do they watch?
- What kind of music do they listen to?
- How many vacations do they take?
- Where are they on Wednesday nights?
- How are their children behaving?
- How much make-up and jewelry does she wear… too much? Not enough?
- Is their smile as big or as genuine as mine?
Undoubtedly, the list could go on and on. Yet at the table of grace there is no place for boasting, pride, or religious nonsense. Christ’s unstoppable kindness prompts us to cease from inspecting the sins of others.
…Look at our own propensity to wander (v. 23-25). Judas Iscariot was blind to his sin. He was numb to the magnitude of his own depravity. Yet it’s all too easy to point a finger at him and forget we are all born with equal depravity and deserve equal punishment: eternal death.
We cannot fully understand the magnitude of God’s grace until we understand the magnitude of our sin. We deserve the full weight of God’s wrath. No one is excluded for special behavior, a unique birth, keeping up a super-spiritual persona, or the niceties of religious effort.
On our best day we still deserve the same punishment as the worst sinner. Because the ground is level at God’s justice, we all deserve death and separation from the holy God. However, the ground is also level at the foot of the cross, so that both the “worst” and “best” of sinners may receive mercy — full pardon — because perfect justice and mercy met in Christ’s atoning death. The symbolism of Christ’s table of grace points to the Cross: God’s way to redeem all those prone to wander.
So as we gaze upon our own sin, we are met with the healing balm of Christ’s unending grace at Calvary. Christ not only died for us, He died instead of us.
So we must cease our inspecting, detecting, reporting, and masquerading at the foot of the cross. I revel in the truth I heard Ray Ortlund Jr. once say,
“There is limitless grace for people who have sinned away all their excuses.”
Humility points my finger at myself (not at others) recognizing the magnitude of my sin.
So where do we point the finger? At someone else who needs to hear the sermon? Toward a sibling, parent, or friend who’s tripped and fallen?
No, not at them, but at us. Not at him or her, but toward me.
“Is it me, Lord?”
Then when the mountain of our sins, the propensities to wander, the faultiness of our hearts show their true colors… we run to the Cross where mercy ran red and washed away all our sin, giving us new and eternal life in Him.
“To thee I repair for grace upon grace, until every void made by sin be replenished and I am filled with all thy fullness.” (Valley of Vision, “Grace Active,” pg. 215)
In Christ Alone,
Listen to the full audio sermon entitled “Pointing Fingers” (Matthew 26:20-25) by simply clicking on the play button below or by subscribing to our iTunes podcast. This message was originally delivered at North Park Baptist Church of Grand Rapids, MI, on Good Friday evening, March 25th, 2016.
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Mission Mosaic
God’s message of love is the message of the Cross. I once heard Pastor R. Kent Hughes say, “The cross of Christ is the divinely inspired diagram of God’s love.” Let’s pause for a moment to let these words soak into our souls:
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” – 1 John 4:10
God the Son, Jesus Christ, died the death we deserved to free us from sin and give us new, eternal life in Him. Yet this shocking, heart-saving, soul-healing love is not only a message for people like you and me, but also for men and women from every corner across the tapestry of God’s world. Let’s hit the brakes for a minute and pour over these anthem-like words:
“And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” – Revelation 5:9-10
God the Son’s death paid the full price for our sin and is fully effective to erase sin’s price-tag for all who trust in Him for rescue… men, women, and children from each patch on this globe.
But here’s the crux of the challenge for us: All who have received God’s love in the Son are commissioned as His people to march forward with His love.
Our orders are to go into all of God’s world with the good news about His love proclaiming: “Jesus saves!” Contrary to popular assumptions, God’s mission is not just for select professionals who hold the title “missionary” or “pastor.” Every member of God’s family is called to work, think, talk, and serve as a sent soldier on God’s mission.
Furthermore, God’s love compels us to go with His love to all the people groups of God’s World… both globally and locally. Our God is not a mono-lingual, mono-ethnic, mono-culture deity, but the Creator who has beautifully woven people from every background together into the one family of God in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:11-22). Just as the first-century church was multi-cultural (Jew, Gentile, slave, free, rich, poor, etc.) so God’s design for His church today is unity within our diversity, only possible through God-empowered humility and love.
Think about it: How do these truths run against the grain of our culture or creature comforts? What about God’s mission and an intentionally multi-ethnic local church seems most difficult or uncomfortable to you? How should the power of the Gospel inform and transform your thinking about these truths? How is God directing you to live on His mission today?
- April 17th 10:30 AM: Dr. Royce Evans, Pastor and professor at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, Executive Director of Ministry Residency and the Urban Cohort Program.
- April 17th 5:00 PM: Potluck Dinner | 6:00 PM Worship + Panel Q & A with Missionaries
- April 24th 10:30 AM: Dr. Larry Salisbury, Executive Director for Ethnic to Ethnic Ministries
- April 24th 6:00 PM: El Salvador Mission Trip Team and Jenny Vliek Report | Dessert Fellowship
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Grace in April Snow
When I was a wee little boy of 7 or 8, my parents took my brother, sister, and I to see an exciting full-color movie from Disney: Bambi. Do you still remember that classic children’s story? If you don’t, perhaps you should check it out of your local library this weekend. There are some lessons in the story-line for all ages.
Nevertheless, I recall a catchy little tune all those friendly woodland animals danced to called, “April Showers.” Ha! Now you’re starting to remember it too. The trouble is I don’t recollect SNOW showers being a part of those April showers. As I type these words to you, I see soft, white flakes dancing and fluttering to the ground with steady persistence.
Undoubtedly, the deer, rabbits, and skunks are probably running for cover…burrowing into the warmth of a hollowed out tree trunk deep in the forest. Some of you are probably ready to burrow under a blanket just thinking about it. But as Jesus reminded His followers in His sermon on the mount, God “causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matt. 5:45b), God also sends snow on the baptists, presbyterians, and everyone else, too.
Every rain drop, every crazy mid-April snowflake is of God’s design and timing. Really. God pours out common grace through the sun to warm the earth and rain to water the ground for those who are faithful and those who are faithless. Common grace is that unbelievable mercy and kindness of God that no one deserves or earns, but that which God joyfully gives to all the people He has made.
He pours out the good things of sun, rain, and dare I say… snow, on all humanity. Yet all of His common grace is aimed toward directing us to His saving grace in Jesus Christ.
Humans look up at God’s amazing orchestration in weather patterns, eco-systems, genetics, and astro-physics, and cry out, “Who or what arranged all of this?” Many choose to shake their fists, wonder, and yet walk away in disbelief. But God still continues to show them common grace. Still others observe and see, and in all the seemingly mundane, behold the glory of God in….
…the periodic table of the elements.
…the fact that Pi is not only a mathematical formula discovered 360 years ago, but is now showing up as “a formula which approximates the energy levels of a hydrogen atom.”
…the healing of a deep wound on the human body.
…the balance of weather seasons.
…the birth of a newborn baby.
In every aspect about earth, God is showing Himself as Sovereign-Creator. God juxtaposed His sovereignty with our smallness when He asked Job:
“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, which I have reserved for the time of distress, for the day of war and battle? Where is the way that the light is divided, or the east wind scattered on the earth?” (Job 38:22-24)
God is completely in control. He never loses His grip on the steering wheel. He never drops His conductor’s baton. Those who look for the mark of His craftsmanship will find His handiwork everywhere.
Yet in all of this, our God directs us through the snow and wind and Pi to His offer of redemption in the Son. The disbelieving heart of humanity is without excuse. So the apostle Paul wrote:
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” (Rom. 1:20)
Here’s the glorious song of the gospel: In the Son, God is showing Himself as Sovereign-Savior. The God who sends the rain and snow is not only the Creator but also the Savior. So if you are redeemed through faith in the work of grace in Jesus Christ, let these April showers… of snow cause you to praise God for saving your soul, as the flakes remind you that He is sovereign and in total control. But don’t worry, you can still burrow under a blanket while doing so.
In Christ Alone,
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Baptism: Your Gospel “Show and Tell”
Just a couple days ago, a middle-aged man who had recently trusted in Christ as his Savior asked me, “Do you think I should be baptized? If so, why?”
As a pastor of a church that practices believer baptism, the question was not a tremendous surprise. Not a week seems to go by without someone asking me, “what is baptism all about? What does it really mean? How do you baptize people? I was baptized as an infant, should I be baptized now that I’ve believed in Christ as my personal Savior?”
The men, women, and children I regularly speak with usually approach the who, what, why, when, and how of baptism with a note of seriousness, recognizing it’s no trivial matter. But many people have heard such a variety of opinions about baptism that they are left rather confused about the biblical meaning and pattern for this important ordinance Christ established for His followers.
Are you unsure about the meaning or practice of baptism? Have you not yet taken the step to be baptized as a follower of Jesus? Were you baptized as an infant, yet now wonder if you should be baptized as a believer?
I’d love to help you discover the answers to your questions. Below is a short walk-through on the meaning, biblical teaching, and reasons for baptism. Please comment below if you have any other questions or would like to be baptized as a follower of Jesus at Mayfair Bible Church!
A New DNA
Baptizo (βαπτιζω) – “to baptize, dip, immerse”
New life in Jesus Christ comes through faith in His death, burial, and resurrection by the grace of God alone. This new life is eternal (John 3:16; 5:24; Romans 6:23) and transformational in the life of the believer. Those who have placed personal faith in Christ are now in union with Him (cf. Eph. 1) and have received a new identity (cf. Romans 6:1-13).
The apostle Paul shouts with joy about our new spiritual “DNA” in Jesus:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”(2 Corinthians 5:17)
There is something intrinsically different about those now in Jesus Christ, who have crossed over from death to life (John 5:24; 1 John 3:14). If you have been born from above (John 3:1-17) through the God-initiated process of the Spirit-drawing, Gospel-hearing, faith-receiving act of conversion to Christ, you are not the same man or woman you once were. You are part of a new family (Eph. 1:5; 2:19). You are completely righteous in God’s sight (Rom. 5:1). You are empowered to walk in a whole new way of life (Romans 6:1-12). You are free from condemnation (Romans 8:1). And you are commissioned for a new mission (Matthew 28:19-20).
The Picture Preaches
The ordinance of baptism is to be performed as an outward, visible sign of God’s indwelling Spirit and the conversion of the person to Christ – their new identity in Him – and should be performed by means of full immersion. It is a proclamation of the faith one has already placed in Christ and is intended to be a witness to the unbelieving world (see Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:38-42).
Why full immersion? First, lexically, the verb “to baptize” (from the New Testament Greek verb baptizo – βαπτιζω) was used only for “dipping, submerging, or immersing” in every context in the New Testament but also in other pieces of ancient Greek literature. Historically, Jewish proselytes also practiced baptism by full immersion long before John the Baptist and the later followers of Christ began baptizing. The immediate cultural setting of the early Church would only have understood the term ‘baptism’ to connote the act of immersion in water.
The gospel accounts of Jesus’ baptism also clearly indicate He was fully immersed in water, not baptized by pouring or sprinkling as some might suggest:
“After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him.” (Matthew 3:16)
“In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him…” (Mark 1:10)
Second, theologically, baptism by immersion as believers in union with Jesus beautifully and creatively symbolizes our death, burial, and resurrection with Christ. The apostle Paul articulates the theology of our new identity with Christ and its real-life implications today:
“Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism[1] into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” (Romans 6:4-7)
What does this have to do with baptism by immersion (which, ironically, is actually like saying “baptism by baptism”)? The reason why the early church understood baptism in terms of its symbolism in death and resurrection was because the act of being laid down underneath the waters of baptism and then raised again above the waters was to be like a sermon in pictures – a live object lesson and proclamation of our belief in the Christ who was buried and raised for us and for our salvation.
The same is true today for followers of Jesus. The act of being lowered down into the water symbolizes dying to your old life of sin in separation from God. The act of being raised out of the water symbolizes receiving new and eternal life in Jesus Christ. The picture is meant to preach. Sprinkling, pouring, or other so-named modes of baptism fall short of all the brushstrokes intended for the portrait of Christian baptism.
New Testament Baptism Stories
The baptism stories in the first-century church show a clear pattern of one receiving Christ as Savior by grace through faith, followed by baptism as a public demonstration of their identity with Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection:
- People in Jerusalem who responded to Peter’s sermon by receiving the Gospel of Christ: “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41)
- The inquisitive Ethiopian who received Christ as Savior through Philip’s ministry: “The eunuch answered Philip and said, ‘Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?’ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture [Isaiah 53:7-8] he preached Jesus to him. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?’ And Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.” (Acts. 8:34-39)
- The apostle Paul, following his conversion and the healing of his eyesight: “And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized.” (Acts 9:18)
- The Philippian jailer and his family, through the ministry of Paul and Silas: “And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.” (Acts 16:29-34)
- The new Christ-followers in Corinth: “Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.” (Acts 18:8)
- The new Christ-followers in Ephesus: “And he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 19:3-5)
For Me?
Take time to prayerfully evaluate your desire to receive baptism in order to determine your reasoning and the biblical motivation for baptism.
Bad Reasons for Baptism
- “I think baptism will help me get saved.”
- “I believe baptism is necessary for my salvation.”
- “Everybody else is getting baptized…”
- “My parents really want me to be baptized.”
- “I want to become a church member and baptism is required.”
The Real Reason for Baptism
Christ’s final words before His ascension call every follower to be baptized in the name of the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – who are all together as One, active in drawing the lost to saving faith:
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Therefore, your baptism is a response of joyful submission and loving obedience to Christ’s command, in light of the great salvation you have received by grace, through faith, on the basis of His death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism is a public proclamation that you are a follower of Jesus Christ and a wonderful moment for the church to rejoice in what God has done in your life.
If you have trusted in Jesus as your Savior, the only Way to be rescued from sin and death, and have not yet obeyed His command to be baptized as a believer, we invite you to take this important step. It will be a day of celebration you’ll never forget!
Here’s a short video of me baptizing a man “first century” style in the Grand River (in downtown Grand Rapids, MI):
Further Information (for the extra curious)
“Sticky” Verses
“…born of water and the Spirit” – John 3:5
Edwin Blum outlines 5 major views on this rather difficult passage to interpret:
- The ‘water’ refers to the natural birth, and the “Spirit” to the birth from above.
- The ‘water’ refers to the Word of God (Eph. 5:26).
- The ‘water’ refers to baptism as an essential part of regeneration (This view contradicts other Bible verses that make it clear that salvation is by faith alone; e.g. John 3:16, 36; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).
- The ‘water’ is a symbol of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39).
- The ‘water’ refers to the repentance ministry of John the Baptist, and the “Spirit” refers to the application by the Holy Spirit of Christ to an individual,” (John 3:5). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament edition, pg. 281.
“John the Baptist had stirred the nation by his ministry and stress on repentance (Matt. 3:1-6). ‘Water’ would remind Nicodemus of the Baptist’s emphasis. So Jesus was saying that Nicodemus, in order to enter the kingdom, needed to turn to Him (repent) in order to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit.” (Blum, TBKC, pg. 281)
While numerous interpretations of this verse have arisen, the most probably meaning, in keeping with other relevant passages, is the fifth view presented by Blum.
“…Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you…” – 1 Peter 3:21
Some have claimed that this singular passage teaches “baptismal regeneration,” namely that the act of receiving water baptism is necessary for salvation. There are three key problems with this view:
- The entire message of the New Testament points toward salvation in Christ as completely separate from any human works, including the physical act of baptism. The work of Christ alone, in His sinless life, death, burial, and resurrection, is salvific, not any of our good or righteous-looking deeds.
- Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace [the unearned, unmerited favor/kindness of God] you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Paul repeats the same pivotal idea in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” And in Paul’s letter to Titus he again affirms salvation by grace alone: “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit…” (Titus 3:4-5). Jesus continually points to the salvation gift as received only through the God-initiated response of faith – belief that He is the Messiah, the Son of God, who has come to save us from our sins: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) And again: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” (John 5:24) See also: John 6:47-51; 12:36; 14:6; 20:31.
- Peter’s own Spirit-inspired writings, in the immediate context, clearly point to forgiveness of sin and eternal salvation as a gift received only through the work of Christ alone, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;” (1 Peter 3:18)
- The “baptismal regeneration” view ignores the Old Testament parallel drawn by Peter and the analogical picture of what baptism theologically signifies. Peter is giving us a picture illustration (because he’s a preacher): As (type) God provided the ark for Noah and his family so that they could be rescued against the flood of God’s righteous judgment, so in a much greater way (the antitype) God’s provision of Christ the Savior is our rescue from the just wrath of God against sin. How do we receive God’s rescue? Through believing in Christ’s victory: His death, burial, and resurrection (cf. 1 Pet. 1:3; 3:18, 22). When Peter uses the phrase “Corresponding to this, baptism now saves you,” he is referring to the meaning behind the symbol, the symbolic significance of baptism. And he makes it clear he is not talking about literal water, “not the removal of dirt from the flesh (your physical body)” (v. 21b). Instead, he relates it to the act of repentance – turning to God in Jesus Christ for salvation: “but an appeal to God for a good conscience” (v. 21c). And how is our salvation ultimate possible? Because Jesus Christ rose from the dead (v. 21c). The “appeal to God for a good conscience” is the response of faith to God’s message of rescue and forgiveness of sin in Jesus Christ. And this is precisely what is theologically proclaimed when a believer is baptized. So just as God’s rescue provision for Noah and his family was the Ark through the waters of judgment, so God’s ultimate rescue provision for humankind is Jesus Christ (in His death, resurrection, and ascension), who took all our judgment upon Himself so that we could receive His righteousness.[2]
[1] Meaning the union/identity we have in Christ, e.g. Paul is explaining the symbol theologically not literally about the actual act of baptism.
[2] “Peter is using the flood and deliverance of Noah and his family as a loose analogy or type of what is portrayed in Christian salvation and baptism. Just as Noah passed through the floodwaters into salvation from God’s judgment, so believers pass through baptism into salvation from God’s judgment. But, before you leap to wrong conclusions, Peter clarifies – it is not the act of baptism which saves (“the removal of dirt from the flesh”), but what baptism signifies – the appeal to God for a good conscience.” – Steve Cole
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Taking Your Vitamins?
Did you take all your vitamins today? Some of us struggle to remember to take our vitamins….like me. But when I catch a bad cold or virus, it’s quite amazing how I suddenly remember to take all my vitamins with clock-work rhythm each day. At least until I’m healthy again, that is.
Not all our vitamins are pleasant to the tastebuds, but we know they’re good for us. We need the upkeep. Our bodies are susceptible to any number of germs. And all the March-season bugs are just waiting to grab a hold of our sinus cavities.
Similarly, when we’re jogging along in a healthy trajectory of spiritual growth, we can find ourselves gaining an inordinate confidence in ourselves. We gaze back at our past accomplishments with a token note of thanks to God, yet also an encroaching desire for a good ole’ pat-on-the-back. We might ease up on the throttle, subtly believing we’ve crossed a threshold in obvious maturity.
And we might skip a few vitamins… a little less time in focused prayer won’t hurt, will it? Suddenly three days go by without digging into God’s Word. We miss one Sunday of collective worship and service, then surprisingly it turns into three out of five. Not so suddenly, an intentional effort to share the gospel drifts to the back our minds. We find ourselves scratching our heads to remember the last time we showed Christ’s love in a tangible way to someone in need. Our response is less than gracious to people at church who park in our spot, sing to loudly, or irritate us for one reason or another.
Yikes. I know we all don’t want to go in that direction.
So we all must keep taking good, God-ordained vitamins. And the “we” also includes me.
Vitamins are for maintaining and growing in health and that’s just what our new series entitled “Worship… through the Lens of Love” is all about. God’s message for us in First Corinthians is a strong dose, indeed. The needs and issues in first-century Corinth are shockingly similar to the “germs and viruses” we face today.
Our study is not meant to be triage but a good shot of truth-saturated vitamins. Yet just as we don’t like the taste of every vitamin, the truth of God’s Word may seem quite uncomfortable at times.
We might even attempt to dodge the convicting sword of God’s Word through rationalizing our way into believing we’re “just fine.” You and I may even have the gall to disagree with the plain message of the Bible. Oh, not openly, of course. But with a quiet resistance to repentance, we tell God, “I don’t like this. I don’t believe I have to change this. Therefore, I’m not going obey You on this.”
Pastor Timothy Keller shoots a “cannonball across the bow” toward this sort of religious posturing:
“If your god never disagrees with you, you might just be worshiping an idealized version of yourself.”
Ouch. Sometimes the truth hurts.
So Here’s a Warning Label:
God’s vitamins of truth contained in First Corinthians may result in serious discomfort, conviction, and the acute awareness of one’s guilt and/or spiritual immaturity.
Physical symptoms may include but are not limited to tears, sweaty palms, heart palpitations, racing thoughts, anger, frustration, a pit in one’s throat, and weakness in the knees.
Positive effects of receiving these vitamins include but are not limited to freely and joyfully turning away from the viruses of sin (i.e. pride, selfishness, envy, strife, gossip, bitterness, lack of self-control, anger, violence, immorality, etc.), a renewed spiritual vitality, an overflowing love for others, an experience of greater unity within the church, and a clear sense of purpose for one’s life.
The following vitamins are imperative and repeated throughout First Corinthians:
“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Cor. 16:13-14)
God’s Word read, studied, preached, and taught is like a full-order of vitamins, whereby we grow and remain healthy. So we’ll you join me in prayer as we gather again to come under the convicting work of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God? Please pray with me that we all come ready to receive from the vitamins of God’s Holy Word. Thank you!
In Christ Alone,
Below are a few of the audio messages from our 6 part series (currently continuing) entitled, “Worship…through the Lens of Love [A Series from First Corinthians], delivered at North Park Baptist Church of Grand Rapids, MI on Sunday mornings in March and April 2016.
You can listen to the full audio message by clicking on the play button below or by subscribing to our iTunes podcast.
“The Cross as Our Compass” (1 Corinthians 1:14-25) – Part 1
“Body Parts” (1 Corinthians 12:12-27) – Part 2
“The Litmus Test of Love” (1 Corinthians 13:1-7) – Part 3
“Unfailing Love” (1 Corinthians 13:8-13) – Part 4
“Worship Wars and the Love of God” (1 Corinthians 14:1-19) – Part 5
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A Sermon From My 16-year-old Self
A few days ago I uncovered an old spiral-bound notebook from my high school days. “Aha! This should be humorous!” I thought. “What sort of peculiar ideas was I scribbling down at that age?”
As I thumbed through various notes from my landscape business, exam preparation material on American government and economics, backpacking food recipes, and other random jots, my interest perked up when I happened upon a sermon I wrote concerning prayer and the status of our country. Interestingly, all the dates in this notebook are from 1999, which indicates I penned this sermon-essay a little over 16 years ago, when I was 16 years old (I’ll be 33 this coming May).
Just what was I thinking about when I was 16 years old? Well, that is for you to determine as you read my short “sermon” below. But as I reflect on this message from my 16-year-old self, I recognize my biblical and theological understanding is now (hopefully) deeper, clearer, and more nuanced. With all the grammar and syntax pounded into me during 9 years of college and seminary education, I now see obvious gaps in my 16-year-old self’s writing style.
However, what I pray never fades is the passionate fervor for God’s truth and the “fire in my bones” (Jer. 20:9) to preach with His authority and power. The calling of God to “preach as a dying man to dying men,” as Richard Baxter put it, has been woven into the fiber of my being from the time I was a small boy. I pray this flame is never dampened with age but ever increases to the praise of God’s glorious grace.
I again echo the words of the legendary missionary, Jim Elliot:
“God, I pray Thee, light these idle sticks of my life and may I burn for Thee. Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus.”
On Prayer: A Sermon From My 16-Year-Old Self
Prayer is communication with God. What is communication? It is talking and listening. The need for prayer in our nation is very great. God is longing for people who will hear His voice and obey, people that will hunger after God, long to speak with Him and desire His will in their lives. I’m talking about a praying spirit or for lack of a better word, a praying attitude.
We hear people complain about the moral decay and the corrupt society we live in. We hear politicians, preachers, and the like condemn this act and blame this person and that person (which might be all well and good), but do we hear people praying? I believe if God’s people long to see this nation turn to Christ, they must pray.
Jesus, the blood-shed on Calvary, is the answer. But the only way we can get to know Jesus is by talking and listening to Him. We all know how God has changed our nation in the past through prayer and action. From our nation’s birth to the great revivals of Edwards, Moody, and Azusa Street, prayer to the Lord God Almighty is what started it and prayer is what kept it going.
If prayer stops, revival stops.
Our time is now. It is time to rise to the occasion, to take the torch and run with it. For the prayers that have gone before us will not carry us any longer. We must long to know God and do whatever He wills.
The reasons to pray are enormous.
Based on 1 Tim. 2:8; Luke 19:46; Acts 1:14; 6:4; 12:5; Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6; Jam. 5:15-16:
Through Prayer…
- God sends revival.
- God casts out demons.
- God breaks down principalities and powers, “rulers of darkness,” etc.
- God gives us victory over sin.
- God gives life and joy in life.
- God mends relationships.
- God changes lives.
- God gives comfort.
- God gives us love.
- God grants salvation.
- God heals.
- God gives wisdom.
- God gives strength.
- God changes cities, states, and He can change this country.
- We enter God’s presence.
Through prayer… God is changing my life and He can change yours!
Prayer is vital, for if we do not pray, we will not see lives changed, relationships mended, and lives saved. Prayer is the backbone of revival, and oh how we need a church with a strong backbone!
It is time for soft Christians to get tough, for weak Christians to become strong, for lukewarm Christians to turn back to the Lord. And this can only happen through prayer — through knowing God intimately.
Let us pray. Let us humble ourselves, seek His face, turn from our wicked ways, and He will heal our land.
1999 – from a 16-year-old Michael Breznau
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Let us all rivet our attention on these striking words from the late Leonard Ravenhill (1907-1994):
The two prerequisites for successful Christian living are vision and passion, both of which are born in and maintained by prayer. The ministry of preaching is open to few; the ministry of prayer – the highest ministry of all human offices – is open to all.
Spiritual adolescents say, “I’ll not go tonight, it’s only the prayer meeting.” It may be that Satan has little cause to fear most preaching. Yet, past experiences sting him to rally all his infernal army to fight against God’s people praying. God is not prodigal with His power; but to be much for God, we must be much with God.
