Jesus, Man of the Word

“And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written” – Luke 4:17b

 

Jesus was a Man of God’s word. He is described as “the Word made flesh” (John 1:14). He is the manifestation and culmination of God’s word. The entire Bible speaks of Him (Heb. 10:7). God’s purpose for us is to become like Jesus (Rom. 8:29). If that is to happen an essential indispensible ingredient is to become people of God’s word like Jesus. In Luke 4 we see Jesus, Man of the word depicted for us. Our calling is to follow His example.

 

When Jesus, “filled with the Holy Spirit,” was “led by the Spirit into the wilderness” to be “tempted for forty days by the devil” He went with God’s word in mind (Luke 4:1-2). Because Jesus had God’s word memorized and embedded in His heart He was able to ward off the temptations of the devil (Luke 4:3-13). Even when the devil attempted to misuse the scripture itself in his attack, Jesus, knowing the context of scripture, was not duped but was able to answer the adversary. If we are to survive our wilderness experiences and times of temptation, and attacks of the devil, we need to be like Jesus and have the word of God firmly embedded in us through memorization. And we need to know God’s word in context so that we don’t fall prey to those who would take it out of context. We need to be students of God’s word (2 Tim. 2:15). We need to know “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).

 

The victory in the wilderness empowered Jesus. It states, “Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14). His successful resistance to temptation led to empowerment. His familiarity with and use of God’s word was integral to this. Jesus was powerful because He was a man of God’s word. Every time we apply God’s word and resist the devil’s temptations or the lusts of our flesh we get stronger spiritually. That is a principle. Sow to the Spirit and reap a harvest of righteousness. The opposite is true too. Sow to the flesh and reap corruption. We are exhorted by the Lord in His word to “not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart (Gal. 6:7-9). Don’t give up! Obey God’s word! Apply it to life in the power of the Spirit and you will increase your spiritual strength.

 

When Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit He became popular. The Spirit made Him known throughout the entire region. But Jesus was not influenced by the crowds. He returned to His home town of Nazareth.  He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and was handed the book of Isaiah (Luke 4:14-17a). Then it states, “And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:” (Luke 4:17b). Jesus “found the place” in God’s word; He was familiar with God’s word. Jesus was a student of God’s Word. He knew exactly where to look in God’s word for pertinent information for the given situation. That tells us He knew the word of God. Jesus was a man of God’s word. We need to know God’s word and be familiar with it. We need to be able to apply God’s word and be ready to share it pertinently in the circumstances of life. Learn to speak with God’s word in the conversations of life. That is God’s will for us.

 

Because He was a man of God’s word He was able to read, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me . . .” (Luke 4:18). The Spirit being upon Jesus and the Lord’s anointing were the result of Jesus being a Man of God’s word. He was empowered and was able to confidently apply the scriptures to Himself because He knew the word of God. As a man of God’s word He knew He was anointed by God” to preach the gospel to the poor, . . . heal the brokenhearted, . . . proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” He knew His calling and purpose and confidently walked in them because of the certainty He had in God’s word. He knew God’s word and where He stood in relation to it enough to say, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:20-21). If we want the power and anointing of the Spirit and to know and confidently walk in our calling and purpose, then we too must be people of God’s word. Otherwise we will be like sheep wandering aimlessly without a shepherd. We need to heed the revelation of God’s word (Mark 6:34).

 

When Jesus shared the word His listeners, “marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth” (Luke 4:22). Jesus spoke the uncompromising truth of God’s word in a gracious way. He taught God’s word in a way that identified sin but always accompanied that with pointing people to God’s grace. The grace of God was upon Him from birth (Luke 2:40). He was full of grace and the truth of God’s word (John 1:14; 17:17). The grace He embodied was the ultimate goal of the Law (John 1:17; Gal. 3:10-13). We need to receive and share God’s grace based on His word.

 

Jesus’ familiarity with God’s word also enabled Him to make true assessments of people and His life situations. He was not deluded by the fancy of humanity. He knew the whimsy and waywardness of sinful humanity. He shared this honestly and openly (Luke 4:23). He spoke truthfully with the people and applied God’s word to their lives even if it ruffled some feathers. He spoke of how previous generations of Israelites had rejected God and His word. He was not intimidated by their anger but meekly passed through the midst of them (Luke 4:24-30).

 

There’s a consequence to rejecting God’s word. God through the prophet Hosea said of His people, “I have written for him the great things of my law, but they were considered a strange thing” (Hosea 8:12). They had allowed God’s word to become “a strange thing” to them. They were unfamiliar with it. It had lost its importance in their lives. They lost sight of the treasure of God’s word. They turned to worldly pagan alternatives to God’s word. God brought discipline and firm judgment on His people because they rebelled against His Law (Hosea 8:1). God said of those ignorant and rejecting of His word, “their heart is divided” (Hosea 10:2). Without God’s word as our source of absolute truth we degenerate into idolatrous self-serving gods of our own tossed to and fro with every wind and wave of religious or worldly teaching (Eph. 4:14). This ultimately leads to us being cheated out of God’s best for us (Col. 2:8).

 

God’s people also relied on false idols and as a result had become hardened toward God. Through Hosea God said, “The inhabitants of Samaria [i.e. the capitol of the northern kingdom of Israel] fear because of the calf of Beth Aven. For its people mourn for it, and its priests shriek for it - because its glory has departed from it” (Hosea 10:5). Israel was mourning and shrieking in agony before a calf god idol! They had forsaken the One True God and His word and the result was a pitiful delusion. Today people are mourning their financial plight. They weep in the vicinity of the Wall Street bull because Ichabod is written where prosperity used to be. Is there any doubt that we as a people and nation and even throughout the world are shrieking over the idol of mammon? We have made money our god, our idol. The glory has departed and we mourn. And unfortunately this is true in much of the church as well.

 

 Whenever we neglect or reject God’s word or rely on an alternative it leads to sin, spiritual dullness, and a hardening of our heart. The word of God is able to tell us exactly where we are with the Lord. It “is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). It is like a mirror that gives us the correct reflection of who we are (James 1:22-25). In God’s word we are exhorted to ask God to, “search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23-24). We need to go to God prayerfully with an open Bible before us.

 

Through Hosea God called to Israel and He still calls to us saying, “Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you” (Hosea 10:12b). The coldness we see in hearts today is directly related to a departure from God’s word (Mat. 24:12).  Instead of mourning and shrieking over the idols of this world we should be mourning over our sin before the One True Holy God. We need to break up our own hard hearts before the Lord. Isaiah in the presence of Holy God said, “Woe is me, I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). When was the last time you mourned before the Lord and cried out anything like that?  “A broken and contrite heart – these O God, You will not despise” (Ps. 51:17). We and our nation are too concerned with the banking of the Lord. God just may break our banks to break us. We need to be broken before the Lord. That will only happen, that can only happen, if we return to God’s word. Being a person of God’s word is essential to a true assessment of others and ourselves.

 

Jesus, Man of God’s word, ministered with authority. What He said and did was powerful because it was rooted in and based on God’s word. Those who heard Him teach, “were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority” (Luke 4:31-32). Demons left at His word (Luke 4:33-35). People were amazed at the power of the Lord. They exclaimed, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out” (Luke 4:36). How sad it is that the people of Jesus day were so unfamiliar with God’s word. What an indictment it is against the ministers of that day that the people were so ignorant of God’s word. God through Hosea said similarly, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). He called out, “Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Israel, for the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land” (Hosea 4:1). How could this be? What was the cause of this indictment? The answer was, “Because you have forgotten the law of your God” (Hosea 4:6). Gods people forsook His word and “willingly walked by human precept” (Hosea 5:11). How sad it is when people rely on human opinion or precepts instead of or in a place superior to God’s word. There’s little power in personal opinions. The power of God is in His word.

 

The word of this Man of God’s word was circulating throughout the land (Luke 4:37). There’s something about God’s word that impacts people. It is God’s word! God’s word is powerful (Heb.4:12). And therefore ministry and what is done in the name of the Lord is powerful in proportion to the amount of God’s word that is in it. God magnifies His word above His own name! (Ps. 138:2). God honors and empowers His word. Human opinion is a vapor. God’s word is a solid rock foundation (Mat. 7:24). Be a person of God’s word.

 

Lastly, Jesus, Man of God’s word, healed the sick and defeated demons  but priority and prime purpose was, “I must preach the kingdom of God” (Luke 4:38-44). Jesus’ purpose was to share the kingdom of God. The way He did that was by sharing the word of God. That must be our priority and purpose too. If we are to fulfill and experience God’s ultimate purpose we will need to become people of God’s word who share God’s word with others. There’s no getting around this. We need to get into God’s word and let it get into us. And then we need to share it from our hearts and minds where it has been cultivated and grown. Jesus was and is a Man of God’s word. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Mat. 24:35). Are you a person of God’s word like Jesus?

 

Respect God’s Word

". . . and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" - Matthew 16:18b

 

There is a war of world views upon us. It has been raging for quite some time. We are seeing the seeds of sin planted in our educational system and society come to harvest. Such a harvest of unholiness have been watered and ripened under the noses of the church. This harvest of hatred toward God has been cultivated on the watch of a church characterized by Laodicean lukewarmness. God's people have for the most part been complacent, condoning and compromising in her sheepish responses. The church is now watching what is being reaped because we have not sown. Immorality, licentiousness, wickedness, idolatry, and all kinds of unholy rotten fruit is coming to harvest. Jesus said the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few and we should therefore pray for more workers (Matthew 9:37-38). We haven't prayed. The enemy has preyed. There is therefore a proliferation of tares amongst God's wheat. There is a rise of evil in our world that is fast approaching, if not already exceeding that which was like the days of Noah just as Jesus said would happen (Matthew 24:37).

So what is the response of the church? What has the church decided to do? Some, awakened by guilt and the conviction of their lapse of duty, run out into the fray naked. They fail to put on the spiritual armor and weaponry provided by God (Ephesians 6:10-18). No helmet of salvation, no breastplate of truth, no work boots of the gospel, no shield of faith. Nothing, just their prayerless carnal impressions and impulses in a kamikaze attack. And the result has been lambs to the slaughter.

But worse than the prayerless forays is the treachery of those who seek to put unloaded weapons in the Christian soldier's hands. Those in charge of the arsenal have either sent out weapons with no ammunition or provided a badly chipped and unsharpened saber. Not only is their brand of sword not tempered, it is distempered. What do I mean? Too often the church has taken the one instrument, the one effective weapon God has provided for our warfare, and dulled it. I'm talking of the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17).

It's not a pretty sight to see people hacking away at the enemy with a dull machete. No one should be hacking away at anyone. We can hack away at the thick underbrush of the weeds of this world (Matthew 13:22). But we should never hack away at people. The sword of Gods' word must always be administered with the courage of His love (Ephesians 4:15).

Spiritual surgery must be performed by laser sharp tools. The sharper the scalpel the cleaner the cut. The sharper the scalpel the less scarring and more effective the surgery. What is a sharp scalpel of God's word? It is one that is translated true to the text.

Now I'm not looking to get into a war over translations. I'm not a Kings James Only proponent. And I am not looking to get into a discussion over which manuscripts are more reliable. There is a more insidious and fundamental attitude toward the word of God that precedes such discussion of textual criticism. I'm not going to go into an academic discussion that will put most readers into glazed dazed coma. Please hear me out and read on. I am talking about a more basic attitude of disrespect toward God's word.

It is always a dangerous thing to bend God’s word to fit human opinion. That is what we see happening in certain segments of the church of our day. There is a human-centric view that aims to temper the truth of God for the sinner as well as for the wayward saint. People, who claim good intentions, not only bend God's word but avoid and sometimes even cut out portions of the Holy text. They dissect and divide with an eye to sugarcoating. They ignore or divert attention from any scripture that is not palatable to them or that they perceive will not be palatable to those they want to reach. They feel frequently that what God says in His word is too harsh for listeners. But feelings are fickle. We are not called to feel. We are called to faith. And faith comes by hearing God's word (Romans 10:17). Distort or hinder God's word in any way and you limit the ability to see it produce faith in people.

The rationale for the redaction of God's word is frequently a person's self-imposed prime directive of relevance. "We must make God's word RELEVANT!" I understand that. Really, to a certain extent, every "translation" of the original text of God's word is meant to make the revealed content understandable to people in their language. That's a good thing. But the line is crossed when "translation" is mixed with human opinion. The line is crossed when  personal preferences drives  what people feel is important to be emphasized or de-emphasized from God's revealed text.

One wonders if one day, in the pursuit of relevance, a consequence of human centric treatment of God's word would be an attempt to remove God's ordained and revealed gender specific references. Oh I know this has already been spearheaded by, for example, the Today's New International Version "translation." (To me that's not even a work worthy of the definition of "translations.") But I can foresee an even more disrespectful treatment of God's word.

It's not hard to imagine a complete denial of the Fatherhood of God someday in "Christian" circles. Can't you foresee the feminizing of the Holy Spirit? And toward the end if societal trends of our day are adopted to their extremes, can't you imagine some pushing into God's Holy Word a kind of transgender malaise of gender non-specificity. To them God is capricious about His gender. Like them, God can be whatever gender He wants to be. God wears pants one day. God wears a skirt the other. A kind of crazy modern day modalistic view of God. God becomes to them a kind of chaotic chameleon of gender neutrality. This is the ultimate projection of humanities' distorted sinful perceptions on God. It's blasphemous.

How long before such "translations" of God's word or such "interpretations" of God's word begin to cut out references to anything and everything deemed "offensive" to the culture of the day. Can't you just see the political correctness of this world being adopted hook, line, and sinker by the end times stinking stenchy church? Years ago we might have responded to that, "No way!" Today? It might be more relevant to say, "Yes, I can see that way."

Why am I writing this? I'm writing this because of a fire in my belly for God's word. I'm writing this as a precaution. I'm writing this in hopes that in some small way I can be used by the Lord to awaken some of His people to the importance of His word. "'The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?' says the LORD. 'Is not My word like a fire?' says the LORD. 'And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?'" (Jeremiah 23:28-29). We are inundated with the chaff of unfaithfulness to God's word. We are swamped with dreamers passing on human opinions. We are impressed with the machinations of marketeers. But a house built without scripture is built on sand (Matthew 7:24-27). A storm is coming, (it's here!)  and if we forsake God's word we will not stand! We are responding to the world's attempts to stone us by retreating into houses made of straw. We need God's word to break those rocks! We need His fiery word to burn up the chaffy straw houses we've built. We need a revival of God's word. That begins with a respect for God's word.

The problem with a disrespectful attitude toward God's word starts with the human centricity of those who are guilty of this distortion of God's word. They fail to remember that God is the Creator who made us and that He knows best about what we need. No man or woman is worthy of a position to sit as editor of God's revelation. Humanity falls short of God's glory. We need to listen to the Author and surrender to His instructions. We need to "humble yourselves before the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time" (1 Peter 5:6).

Therefore, let’s get right back to the bottom line of God's word. Let's consider why we should not try to alter the meaning of God’s word to fit our human opinions. Let's set aside our "relevance" for the sake of God's revelation. If we truly believe in God and His omniscient foreknowledge then we should believe that none of what we see in our world today has caught God off guard. God has revealed His word to humanity knowing full well what humanity needed to here "for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14). Let's trust God and His word as God's word. What does God say about His word and how we should handle it?

First, God warns against changing or altering His word in numerous places in His word. The God says in His word:

·         Deuteronomy 4:2 - ² You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

·         Deuteronomy 12:32 - ³² “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

·         Proverbs 30:5-6 - Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.⁶ Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.     

·         Revelation 22:18-19 - ¹⁸ For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; ¹⁹ and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

If you wrote a letter to someone and the person who read it changed your words and altered its meaning to mean something other than what you clearly and simply intended, you would probably find that offensive and even criminal. If a general sent orders to the front lines and when they got there the orders were altered  by those in lesser command, the offenders would face a court marshal and more importantly victory in the battle would be put in jeopardy. Changing God’s word is like changing orders or changing a letter, it puts people at risk and jeopardizes God’s intended purposes, it is offensive and it is criminal.

Second, God’s word is holy, unique, and ought to be approached with the utmost reverence. God says His word is holy which means it is unique. The Bible states this saying:

·         Romans 1:2 - ² which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,

·         2 Timothy 3:15-17 - ¹⁵ and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

There is no book like God’s book the Bible. No other book is verified and validated by the combination of manuscript evidence, archeological evidence, prophetic evidence, the preservation in the face of persecution evidence and the logical statistical rational of the combination of these factors considered together.  No book can match the 66 book Bible for truth and reliability. God’s word is holy and we ought to have reverence for it. 

Third, we should inductively look to learn from God in His word not deductively look to use God’s word to support our views.  The proper way to approach God’s word is inductively. This means we come to it open and eager to learn what the Holy Spirit wants to reveal to us through the word. This means we come to the word of God first and form our beliefs and opinions based on what the word says, not the other way around. When a person approaches God’s word deductively with preconceived beliefs and then seeks to support their particular opinions with God’s word, it leads to scripture twisting, misinterpretation, misunderstanding and manipulation of God’s holy word. We are the ones who must learn from God; we cannot teach God anything.

At the root of the problem is that we live in a sinful world that places man at its center. This man-centered mentality has crept into the church. The Bible refers to this as the works of the flesh. It is walking according to our own understanding rather than walking in the Spirit and being guided by God (1 Corinthians 3; Galatians 3:1-5; 5:16-26). We shouldn’t look to shade God’s word to fit our preconceived opinions. Rather we should look to the Holy Spirit to illuminate God’s word to our understanding (1 Corinthians 2:9-15).

When people try to contemporize God’s word under the premise that it needs to be made “relevant” to peer pressures and beliefs of the day, what they have done is they have become people pleasers and consequently stopped being servants of God (Galatians 1:10).  God’s word is true and unchanging like He is (Matthew 24:35; John 17:17; Hebrews 13:8). Rather than trying to change God’s word to fit the prevailing human opinion of the day we ought to be trying to see how what human beings say fit according to God’s word. When you look at human fields of learning you find an ever changing unstable series of “facts” that with time prove to be wrong or off for the most part. God’s word is dependable and has stood the test of time. We need to respect it when we approach it because it is indeed, God’s word. If we do that, then we can change the momentum of this war of world views. If we do that, we can go on the offensive. Jesus said, "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. . . . and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 7:24 and 16:18b). Respect God's word. Amen.

 

"Do not be Afraid"

And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. - Revelation 1:17

 

Are you looking at the presidential candidates for the United States of America and feeling fear rise concerning any or all of the possible outcomes for the highest position in the land? Are you looking at your monthly bills; your monthly credit card statements; your monthly medical bills; your monthly transportation or food bills and fearfully wondering how you are going to make ends meet? Are you looking at your marriage or your children or friends and fearful over what the future holds? Are you feeling a bit paranoid about Big Brother watching you, or the dangers of identity theft, or loss of freedoms? Are you looking at climate change, natural disasters, alien sightings, wars and rumors of wars, and the state of the world in general and feeling anxious and unsettled? Whatever anxiety or fears you may be feeling in whatever circumstances of life, Jesus has a word for you - "Do not be afraid."

 

The book of Revelation is an incredible inspired-by-God book. It is a book about the end times of human history. Some say it's a sealed book and avoid studying it. Others cut away parts and try to disregard it as irrelevant to our day reasoning it was mostly fulfilled in the first century. And still others reduce its contents to a squabble of symbolisms. But to shut the door on Revelation or relegate it to irrelevance like Preterists or reduce it to subjective interpretations like Amellenialists, you have to manipulate and force the round pieces of Revelation into square holes; it just doesn't fit. No, Revelation has a clear word of comfort. It is a word from Jesus to us. That word is, "Do not be afraid."

 

The book of Revelation is an unveiling (which is exactly what the term "revelation" means). It is an unveiling and disclosure about Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:1). It isn't primarily about the Apostle John. It isn't primarily about the church, history, or even the unfolding of the end times events on God's prophetic calendar. It includes all of those things in its pages, but its primary focus is Jesus Christ. If you're going to understand this great book you have to see it in light of Jesus. The spotlight of Revelation is always on Jesus. And He's holding up a sign for us that reads, "Do not be afraid."

 

The book of Revelation is the only biblical book of the Bible that carries a promised blessing to the one who reads it, hears it, and who practically implements its principles in life (Rev. 1:3). There's always a blessing when we read, hear and live in light of Jesus.

 

Jesus says a lot in His book of Revelation. He speaks to the church through seven letters, commending, correcting and encouraging them (Rev. 2-3). We see Jesus the Lamb and King worshipped in heaven (Rev. 4). We see Jesus exalted as the only one qualified to take in hand the title deed of the earth (Rev. 5). We see Jesus' ultimate Millenial rule on earth (Rev. 20). Jesus is, after all, "the ruler over the kings of the earth" (Rev. 1:5). Jesus is in control; always.

And because Jesus is in control, always, we should listen closely when He says, "Do not be afraid."

 

The book of Revelation is an unveiling of world events as they revolve around Jesus and His rule. There are a lot of convicting challenges laid out by Jesus to His bride the church (Rev. 2-3). The apostle John in the opening lines of this great book falls at the feet of Jesus as dead, overcome with the majesty and glory of the risen Lord Jesus (Rev. 1:17a). And when John is fallen and overcome with the presence of Jesus, Jesus gently lays His hand on the shoulder of the apostle and says those comforting assuring words, "Do not be afraid." Jesus says, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last." Jesus can tell John, and us, to not be afraid because He is there at "the First," and He will be there at, "the Last." He is with us when the trouble starts. And He stays with us until the trouble ends. Jesus is "faithful and true" (Rev. 3:14; 19:11; 22:6).

 

In the Gospels Jesus says, "And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). In Revelation when He tells us not to be afraid it's as though He is saying, "I told you so." You can count on Jesus. So when you're tempted to be fearful, to think everything is out of control, and to think terrible things are inevitably in our future, remember the words of the faithful and true witness Jesus, "Do not be afraid."

 

Jesus says, "Do not be afraid," to the individual like John and to the church as a whole as represented by John (e.g. Rev. 4:1ff.). There are admittedly a lot of scary and tumultuous events in earth's future. Revelation 6-18 lays out in great detail the events of the Tribulation; a seven year period of God's justly outpoured wrath on a Christ-rejecting world. There will be seven seals of events that will shake up the world (Rev. 6-8). There will be seven trumpet blasts announcing the a scenario that leads to the triumph of the Lamb (Rev. 8-14). And there will be seven bowls of the complete righteous wrath of God poured out on this sinful world (Rev. 15-18). The literal foundations of the earth will be moved out of place. Every alternative to God fallen sinful humanity has been trusting in will be shaken and moved out of place. Nothing outside of Jesus will be stable and dependable. But you Christian, "Do not be afraid."

 

Then at His Second Coming, the surviving sinner will see Jesus, the Captain of the Lord's Army, the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, eyes aflame with heart piercing fire, crowned with truth confirming glory, a robe dipped in His righteous redemptive blood and inscribed with the everlasting "Word of God." To the sinner, time will have run out. But for the Tribulation saint and those who accompany Jesus from heaven, it will be clear as though without even a word Jesus is saying, "See, you should not have been afraid."

 

I think it's interesting and telling and yes, very comforting, that the introduction to this great book of revelations about the great culmination of world events, frightening events, cataclysmic events, that Jesus makes sure to tell John, and to tell us, "Do not be afraid." That's a truth that we need to receive in faith. That's a word of hope; an anchor for our soul to keep us from drifting in troubled waters (e.g. Heb. 6:19). The future may be uncertain in many ways, but because we are assured that Jesus holds our future, we can proceed unafraid.

 

Are you afraid? Are you afraid right now? Are you troubled and consumed with fear and anxiety and worry about your life circumstances personally and the nation and world generally? If so we have a word from Jesus to get us through. That word is from the Lord. That word is, "Do not be afraid." "Do not be afraid." "Do not be afraid." No matter what, "Do not be afraid." Amen.

Are You Called To Be A Pastor?

How does a person know if they are called to be a pastor? How does a person know what God is calling them to do? Below are some questions to consider for those who may be in the feeling stage of considering their call. Why is it important to consider carefully and prayerfully one’s call, especially a call to be a pastor?  I am convinced that to enter pastoral ministry without God’s call is one of the greatest deceptions of the devil. This is so because the one who is deceived and drawn into pastoral ministry apart from God’s call, will suffer great personal loss if not shipwreck their lives and the lives of their loved ones. But worse, the one who ventures into ministry for the wrong reasons will be powerless to prevent the desecration of God’s holy name. The non-called pastor , the non-called person in any position, is one of Satan’s most effective weapons. (See 1 Timothy 4; 2 Timothy 3-4; 2 Peter 2; Jude; and Revelation 2-3).

Furthermore, there is another enemy in discerning the call to be a pastor, it is called self. There is something attractive to people about standing in front of a group and speaking. This is often at the root of a person’s interest in pastoral ministry. Because of this the person considering whether or not they are called to be a pastor needs to really reflect and prayerfully consider their motives. Is pride involved? Is this “calling” self-serving or self-crucifying? Really pray about your motives. Is this “call” from inside you or heavenly in origin? Satan will seek to sneak into a person’s life through their self and oftentimes snares them on the hooks of pride. He should know, he’s hooked himself (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19).

 

Therefore, how does one cut through the fog of impression and feeling to discern in the Spirit whether or not they are called by God into pastoral ministry? Below are a few areas that are particularly important for discerning the one called to pastoral ministry. While I’m sure these questions are not exhaustive or all-inclusive of every individual situation, they are the product of prayer, Bible study, and experience and should be considered seriously and prayerfully. (This tool is focused on discerning the pastoral call, but many of the questions can be applied to various other aspects of ministry to which someone might feel God is calling them to.)

 

1.)    Discerning God’s Will – 

 

What evidence is there that you are called to be a pastor? Do you have a plan to discern God’s will? Do you have a history of feeling called to do something only to leave the work unfinished? If so, what makes this “feeling” or sense of a call different? Have you truly put yourself on God’s altar and opened yourself to His will no matter what that might mean in regards to your own personal desires? (See Romans 12:1-2 as well as Joshua 1:8; Psalm 37:5; 119:168; 143:8; Proverbs 3:6; Hebrews 4:16).

 

2.)    Evidence of Pastoral Call –

 

• Origin of Call – How was this “call” initiated, by you or someone else? Genuine calls are usually brought to light by others who see it in you before you “feel” it in you. If you had not felt the call and initiated it, would anyone else have seen it in you or brought it to your or someone else’s attention? If someone other than yourself has initiated recognition of your call, what is the basis of their observation? Are they simply confirming something that you have sent a message about in some way and therefore trying to affirm you and please you more than they are observing a work of God in you and through you? Jesus initiated the call in the lives of the disciples; they did not come to Him to initiate it. The call by Jesus is more of a follow Me than it is a let me follow You. (Matthew 4:18-22; 10:1-4)

 

• Small Groups – Do you take an active role in small group activity? (e.g. Sunday School class; Home Bible Study) It is here where the fruit of a pastoral call is usually seen first. What fruit or evidence of a pastoral call is present in the small groups ministry? Do small group Bible studies “take off” or grow and bear lasting fruit as a result of God working through you? Or, do you find teaching in and leading a small group difficult, uncomfortable, and unfruitful? 

 

• Interpersonal Evidence - What evidence is there of being able to relate to people in a pastoral way? Do you tend to be frustrated with people or patient with people? Are you able to communicate with people by both listening and speaking to them? Is communication one way, your way? Are you gracious with people? Do you love people? (Galatians 6:1-5; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; 1 Peter 5:1-4).

 

• Teaching – Has the Lord opened a door of opportunity for you to teach? If not, why not? Lack of opportunity may indicate this spiritual gift is not present. If the opportunity has presented itself, what fruit of a spiritual gift of teaching was apparent? Pastors need to be able to teach (Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 and 2 Timothy). What evidence is there in your life of an ability to teach? Is there evidence that you can effectively communicate God’s word in an edifying manner? If a person cannot excel in Biblical studies, if God’s anointing is not present in this area, are they called to pastoral ministry? (E.g. Calvary Chapel Bible College/ Extension  courses or similar studies – Do you revel and thrive in the work and preparation? Or was the work a burden?)

 

• Godly Counsel – What do others (Christians and Christian leaders) think about you being called to pastoral ministry? Do they see it in your life? Can they clearly see evidence of such a call?  If so, why? If not, why not? Are you open to their godly opinion or is your mind made up? The counsel of others is important to decision making (Proverbs 11:14; 15:22; 20:18; 24:6)

 

• Service – Do you have a servant’s heart? Are you willing to serve in obscurity? Have you ever done so? Are you willing to do whatever God wants whenever He wants it done? Even if that means you are not called to pastoral ministry? (Mark 10:45; Luke 9:23-26; John 13; Philippians 2:5-11).

 

• Anointing – Last and most importantly, is there evidence of God’s anointing on you as a pastor? Is it clear or questionable? Can you go through the questions in this Are You Called To Be A Pastor? Study and confidently answer “yes” to these questions? If not, why not? What is the Lord saying to you? Are you rationalizing your responses to bend them in the way you would have them to go? Be honest.

 

3.)    Existing Ministry –

 

What area of ministry has God gifted you in? Would God have a person begin ministries only to leave them prematurely? Would God open doors to ministry and not have a person walk through them? If God has given you a gift to do a certain ministry, then that is probably where He is calling you to minister. As an unprofitable servant it would be inappropriate to rebel against and wiggle out of the way God wants to use you (Luke 17:10).

It would be best to test the waters in ministry locally to see where God’s gifting is in your life, rather than embark in life altering plans based on insufficient evidence or feeling. If God blesses and his call is sure, then proceed in that call, but if He does not bless, you will save yourself a lot of heartache and frustration by moving on and discovering where God really does want to use you. (See 1 Corinthians 7:17,24)

 

4.)    Gifting –

 

Some have mistakenly used Paul’s inspired words in 1 Corinthians 1-2 and 2 Corinthians 3:5-6 as justifying the use of anybody, regardless of God’s gifting, to enter ministry. The foolish things God uses are foolish from the world’s perspective, not God’s perspective. The ones God chooses to minister are gifted by the Spirit to do the work He calls them to do (1 Corinthians 12:1-11; Ephesians 4:11-12). Therefore, if God is calling a person to be a pastor-teacher, they will show evidence of spiritual gifting for such a calling. If God is calling a person to be a pastor then His power working in and through that called person will be evident in such an area. The gifting evidence accompanies the call. A “call” without evidence is suspect. Would God give a person gifts (e.g. Pastor-teaching, evangelism, musically for worship, etc.) that are blessed and spiritually powerful in ministry and then not call that person to that ministry? The calling usually is accompanied by gifts related to the ministry the Lord is calling a person to fulfill. Why would God gift and bless in an area of ministry, seemingly lead a person into an area of ministry, only to have the person “sense” a calling to another area of ministry? Does God give contrary evidence? If you look at the beginnings of the Calvary Chapel movement and the pastors God raised up, (E.g. Greg Laurie, Raul Ries, Mike McIntosh, Jon Courson, et.al) they were not initially learned or schooled in seminaries or Bible schools, but they had been discipled under the teaching of Pastor Chuck Smith and when they took over situations such as small group Bible Studies, the fruit that followed made it very clear of the calling of God in their lives.

 

5.)    Pastoral Perspective –

 

Do you have a realistic view of pastoral ministry? Ministry is not only teaching, or being in view of a group of people, it is above all serving. It is administrating, shepherding, discipling. It is running to the hospital to be at the beside of the sick and doing so at any time of night or day.  It’s uncomfortable situations galore when you are called upon by God to rebuke, exhort, correct and encourage. It’s disciplining those who do not see that ministry is service and not a bully pulpit for their own agenda. It is taking a stand against carnal folly and superficiality when those who indulge in such things often rally the unwitting crowd against you. It is speaking the truth in love, no matter what.

Pastoral ministry is serving the Lord and sacrificing time with your family. Your wife and children will miss you every time you step out to minister and you will constantly be reminded of the cost of such a venture. You will be convicted and torn, but you will continue on because God’s call is on your life and you trust the Lord and His grace to compensate for your failings.

Pastoral ministry is always subordinating your will to the will of God. It is never self-serving and always self-crucifying.  It is a life of continual sacrifice. It is living in a fishbowl and being the brunt of accusations, insinuations and outright falsehoods made by people who are really not informed of the entire truth of the pastoral situation. Its receiving comments and criticisms offered in a good-natured way about your ministry and wondering if there is something more substantially meant beneath the surface. Pastoral ministry will drive you to paranoia if you are not called by God. Pastoral ministry is depending upon God to defend you in such situations rather than defending yourself (1 Peter 5:6). It is having people pick at your family, judge you, assess not only your pluses and minuses, but all your families’ as well. It’s not reacting to such “attacks” fueled by the enemy who seeks to get to the pastor through those closest to him.

Pastoral ministry is constantly relying on God and patiently working with people who are often transient, or sitting back, uncommitted, or simply infants in Christ. It is waiting on God in service. In its beginnings it is often working a full time job, heading up a family, and being used by God to serve in a work of His that may require you to remain in such a situation for years, with no guarantee that it will ever end, (a pastor may be bi-vocational for their entire ministry). The pastoral ministry is not a means of “great gain” (1 Timothy 6:3-10).

Pastoral ministry is serving in obscurity. It is living in a part of the world that only the pastor and God can fully comprehend, no one else, not a wife, not a friend, not even another pastor at times. It is often a humanly lonely calling solely between the pastor and God.

Even so, pastoral ministry is a joy to the called. It is the only option for the called pastor. If you can find happiness and satisfaction in anything else, you are not called to be a pastor. Pastoral ministry is not an alternative and last resort for someone who has failed in every other area of their life and figures, “Hmm, everything else has failed, why not give pastoring a try?” Beware; pastoral ministry is a frustrating hurricane that will blow down the presumptuous who are not called. Those who enter in with presumptuous perceptions of grandeur, of being golden-tongued orators in front of thousands, will soon learn that the weight of ministry will squash those who enter in by their own strength rather than the grace that comes with the call of God. Pastoral ministry is serving God with no other reward but to know that by relying totally on God, He will one day say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

We often casually read the description by Paul of his ministry, but as the pastor matures in their ministry they learn and see the truth of this description more and more. Read what Paul said about his ministry and what it means to have a pastor’s heart – 2 Corinthians 3:5-6; 4:2,8-11; 5:14-15; 11:16-23; 12:11-21. Truly a pastor’s call is expressed by the following words of Paul who wrote:

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering,” - 2 Timothy 4:6a

 

If you are called to be a pastor, nothing else will satisfy or do for you, and though the road may be hard, God’s call and grace will sustain you. If you are not called, and you venture out haphazardly in your own strength, you are doomed to a life of frustration and folly and will have missed the work God would have blessed.

The words shared above are not to discourage the one who is called by God. In fact, the one called by God will find assurance of their call if they prayerfully apply these questions to their lives. The purpose of such a study is to spare people the frustration and failure that might come by entering into a holy calling presumptively apart from God’s actual call. It is also meant to spare the church any more scorn and poor witness that has come via those who are self-servingly involved in pastoral ministry. When Peter had denied the Lord, Jesus didn’t throw him on the scrap heap, He restored him. But Jesus restored Peter in a way that confirmed his calling and assured him of God’s will in his life. Jesus did this by asking him a few questions:

• John 21:15-17 – “So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.” 

Now I do not quote this passage to get a rise of emotion out of the reader; I quote this to hopefully strike to the heart of the situation. Peter was asked repeatedly by Jesus, “Do you love me?” Love of Jesus is the center of our relationship with Him. All decisions should be based on that motivation, our love for Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). Now the point here is not that those who are actually called by God to be a pastor are more loving of Jesus; not at all. The point here is do you love Jesus enough to do whatever He wants you to do? Even if that means you are not to serve him as a pastor? That’s the point. If you love Jesus, you can serve Him joyfully from the heart whether He calls you to do so as a pastor or not. The answer to that question gets to the heart of the truth and the truth at heart, about your “call” to be a pastor; about your call to be anything God wants you to be.  May God guide you and call you according to His will.

 

 

 

Rest in Him

“Then the land rested from war” - Joshua 11:23

 

Are you exhausted? Do you feel like a loser in the race of life? Do you feel bitten in the dog-eat-dog rat race of the world? Are you a worldly war casualty? Are you striving for more and more always seems just beyond your grasp? Do you feel beaten down by the circumstances of life? Do you feel like the weight of the world is bowing out your legs and they’re at a breaking point? Do the storms of life have you shaken and rattled? Do you fear the storm? Jesus is able to calm the storm and give you rest. He says, “Peace be still!” (Mark 4:39). “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9). There is rest for your soul.

First off, the New Testament “rest” is a rest in the completed work of Jesus Christ. On the cross He cried “It is finished!” (John 19:30; Hebrews 10:12). Our righteousness, legal justification, and forgiveness for sin is complete in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 5:1f.; Eph. 1:7; Acts 26:18). By faith we rest in His work for our redemption. “Every spiritual blessing” comes in Christ (Eph. 1:3). Our victory is secure in Christ (Romans 1 Cor. 15:57; 1 John 5:4). We rest in the fact that our salvation and eternal life is secure in Him. We need not fear eternity.

But the reality of life is that while our victory is secure in Christ there are still battles to be won in this life. Our final resurrection glorification victory is still a ways off. So what is the “rest” God speaks of that we can enter into now? The conquest of the Promised Land by Joshua exemplifies aspects of the rest of the Lord. It states, “So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land rested from war” (11:23; cf. also 14:15). Similarly, Jesus gained the victory of redemption for sin on the cross; He bore our sins on the cross. Then He sat down at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19; Heb. 1:3; 10:12; 12:2). That is our reality in Christ. But there is also a very practical rest in Christ. It is possible to rest in Jesus even in the storms of life.

The Promised Land is typical of the conquest of our own heart. God calls us to take our heart for Him; to defeat enemy rulers in our heart that challenge His lordship. He promises victory in this endeavor. He states, “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:3-4). Upheaval comes when we try to do this on our own apart from the Spirit. Then we struggle and strive and live a wretched way (Rom. 7:24). There is rest from that; rest in the Lord.

What is this rest of the Lord? Alan Redpath explains:

What kind of rest is it? It is certainly not the rest of exhaustion. . . . His is surely a rest of satisfaction. . . . The rest of the Savior is the rest of calm, the rest of poise, the rest of assurance, the rest of satisfaction, the rest from work that has been completed; all that need be done for the salvation of every soul has been accomplished, and therefore He has sat down. . . .

What is the effect of that rest in the Christian life today? . . . The work of God can never be done efectively until we learn to rest in His strength that He may mold us, until we learn to let the fever, the rush, the worry, and the excitement subside into the rest of Jesus. . . . It is the purpose of God in Jesus Christ to lift us every day of our lives above the grime and fog and conflict of daily living into the clear blue sky of the love of heaven and of the rest of Jesus. . . . .

The restful Christian is he who lives his life above the storm with Jesus. Oh, he is sensitive to sorrow and to the troubles of other people, but he is able always to discern the wisdom of God. He is willing to trust the loving heart of God and therefore is able in the conflict to await the unfolding of God’s plan. He is able to keep silent while he waits on the Word of God. . . . resting in Jesus. He is also the busiest man of all, going at such a speed you wonder that he doesn’t’ break down. The only answer he can give you is that as he has waited on the Lord he has exchanged his puny strength for the almighty energy of the Holy Spirit. The resting Christian – are you like that? I didn’t say the lazy Christian, I said the resting Christian: busy, keen, always at the work of the Master, while deep in his heart is peace that no storm, however unexpected, and no sorrow however miserable and hard to bear, can ever disturb. . . . [It is a] rest of assured forgiveness. . . . He has heard the cry, ‘It is finished!’ He listens to the Word of God – ‘Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?’ (Rom. 8:33). [It is also] the rest of victory. . . . The child of God begins to see that Christ has done everything and to understand that Satan is a conquered foe, he finds rest and victory. He begins to realize that the devil cannot touch the life of the child of God who is resting in Jesus, for his life is hid with Christ in God. . . 

There is nothing – no circumstance, no trouble, no testing – that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment; but as I refuse to become panicky, as I lift my eyes up to Him and accept it as coming from the throne of God for some great purpose of blessing to my own heart, no sorrow will ever disturb me, no trial will ever disarm me, no circumstance will cause me to fret, for I shall rest in the joy of what my Lord is. That is the rest of victory. . . . The Christian who is resting in the Lord is calm in every situation. . . . because the power of God is there in place of his own puny strength. . . . because he has surrendered his will to the will of God. [1]

Do you have that rest? It comes when we by faith rest in full surrender of our will and circumstance to the Lord. We do our best, but trust Him with the rest. “For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His” (Hebrews 4:8-10). Stop striving. Stop fighting against the lot in life God has ordained for you. Serve Him where you are. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). God knows what He’s doing. Trust Him. Rest in Him.

If God wants to move you to different territory, He is able to move you. If He chooses to do so, cooperate with His will. If He keeps you where you are, cooperate with His will. Rest in the Lord. He has your back. He knows what He’s doing. Listen to the LORD, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” He’s got the hairs on your head numbered (Mat. 10:30). He thinks about you all the time (Psalm 139:17-18). He won’t forget your loving efforts on His behalf (Heb. 6:10). Just seek Him wherever you are and whatever storm you are in; He will be found by you. “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:12-13). Stop fighting God. End this war. Rest in Him.

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[1] Alan Redpath, Victorious Christian Living, (Calvary Chapel Pub. Santa Ana, CA 2007)  pgs. 144, 145, 146, 147

 

Identifying and Entering Your Promised Land

"Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of the disobedient" - Hebrews 4:11

In Hebrews chapter 3 and 4 Jews who had accepted Jesus as their Messiah were contemplating a return to the religious human reliant ways of their Jewish tradition and laws. In these chapters they were warned against leaving God's place of "rest" for a wilderness life. As a backdrop illustration to such sin Paul references the conquest of the Promised Land. This conquest has a great deal of valuable principles for living.

The Promised Land spoken of in the Old Testament and referenced in the New Testament is a type or symbol of  the abundant Spirit filled life promised by Jesus. When we look to the Old Testament account of how God's people came into the Promised Land therefore, there is a great deal of spiritual insight for us to gather in and apply to life.

God called Abraham to go to a "land that I will show you" (Gen. 12:1). This "land" was to be God's gift to His people, a place flowing with milk and honey and the blessing of His presence (Deut. 6:3). It was a place where God's people would find rest and peace in the presence of the Lord. God promised Abraham and his descendants this land.

God's Promised Land was a geographical location with real boundaries in the Old Testament. But that is not all it was. It was to be a place where God will dwell with His people. God called His people out of the world of Egypt to go to the Promised Land to meet with Him in fellowship (cf. Exodus). Along the way He led them with a pillar of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night. He was there leading them. He also provided a Tabernacle where they could experience His presence. God desires for His people to be with Him, in His presence.

In the New Testament the Promised Land remains a physical geographical destination prophetically promised to God's people. But in the New Testament the Promised Land is mostly used to describe a state of heart and mind. This does not preclude God leading us personally to a geographical location today in our lives. He very well might lead us to experience both in His process of fulfilling His plans and will in and through us. But while the material Land is important, the spiritual state of being it points us to is more important. The Land will pass away, our relationship with God will not. We should keep this in mind as we study on.  

Much of the Old Testament is a "shadow" of things to come or a symbol of greater spiritually eternal truths (cf. Col. 2:16-17; Heb. 10:1). For instance the sacrificial lamb of the Old Testament is a type of Jesus. The Old Testament priest is symbolic of the priestly role of Jesus. The Temple symbolizes how we approach the most holy presence of God. The feast days speak to us about various redemptive events to come in Christ. And the Promised Land is symbolic of the Spirit filled abundant life we can have walking by faith in Jesus.

There are three conquests or approaches of the Promised Land for us to consider in our study. In the first approach, Abraham the man of faith, follows the Lord by faith into the Promised Land (Gen. 12-13). In the second approach, led by Moses, the people missed out on the Land because of unbelief (Numbers 13-14). In the third approach, led by Joshua, the people were able to enter the Land (Joshua 3-4). Importantly we are told in the New Testament that Moses is symbolic of the ways of the law and Joshua - whose name is closely associated with the name of Jesus - is a type of Jesus (cf. John 1:17). We don't enter the Promised Land by human efforts or works to keep laws. We enter the Promised Land by grace through faith in Jesus.

When we inductively look at these passages we find a great deal of important treasure truths about living a life in Christ that is filled with the presence and promise of God. When we look at these conquests we learn about how to identify God's Promised Land before us as well as how to enter it and live in it. You see there is a Promised Land place of "rest" to experience now in Christ (Hebrews 3 and 4). This is a place where we no longer live relying on our works. We do work in this Land. There are battles to be fought. There are tests and trials in this place. But it is a place where like our Forerunner Jesus we can be at peace even though storms are raging around us (e.g. Mark 4:38). This is not a rest of laziness or a lack of care as some might assume. It is a place, a state of mind and condition of the heart that is completely at rest in the Lord. It is  a place of complete trust in the Lord; complete surrender to the Lord. It's a beautiful place and it is God's promise to us. So what is this Promised Land of rest and how do we enter into it?

First, God's promised land is revealed by Him to us. Abraham wasn't looking for a particular land to venture too. Abraham was minding his own business livin' the life. But God interrupted his life with a call to go to a land that He would show him (Gen. 12). God spoke this call to Abraham. God still speaks today. The Holy Spirit speaks to the human heart today (cf. Romans 8:26-27; 1 Cor. 2:9-16).

Later God would confirm the promise of His land to Abraham and his descendants by inspiring Moses to write words of God that contained opportunity for a covenant with God as well as a promised land. He speaks to us today through His word, by Jesus, by the Holy Spirit (Psalm 119; Hebrews 1:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:16-17). God is speaking. God is calling. Are you listening?

Second, God's promised land calls us to respond in faith. This call to the Promised Land required faith from Abraham (e.g. Romans 4; Heb. 11). It required obedience and a willingness to sacrifice from Abraham. This obedient faith of Abraham reveals he was a man of faith who had a relationship with God. Abraham's faith  suited him to be looked at by God and called to such a venture in faith. Abraham was living in a way that he was unaware such a call was coming, but nevertheless prepared him to follow such a call when it came. If we want to reach the Promised Land of God we will have to be alert, to be people who walk in faith and are ready to receive His revelation. How about you, how would you respond to an interruption of your life by God; to His call?

Third, God's promised land is a place He leads us to. God didn't give Abraham a five or ten year plan. God didn't give Abraham any old fashioned map or any modern GPS coordinates or address to the land. God simply said, "Get out," and "I will show you" the "land," the place "I want you to be." In the New Testament Jesus similarly called people to "Follow Me" (e.g. Mark 1:17). If you're going to reach the Promised Land you have to step out in faith and follow the Lord.

In this we learn from Abraham that if someone is ever to reach this destination of God their faith relationship with Him needs to be a current and constant. Abraham would have to walk with God, day by day, moment by moment, by faith. How's your walk with God, is it current, is it constant?  

Fourth, God's promised land is a place He leads us too over time. Abraham would follow the Lord to the Promised Land of Canaan. He would live there. But life would lead his descendants from the land into an Egyptian bondage. Hundreds of years would pass before God's people would be brought again to the Land of God's promise. God's timetable is different from that of human beings. Human beings have a limited life span and so tend to rush through life. They have biological clocks and appointments to keep. God has divine appointments. But there are no clocks in eternity where the Eternal One resides. Therefore His sense of timing and scheduling is different and often conflicts with ours.

We tend to see God's timing as making us wait. God's timing makes us nervous. We frequently deal with God's prolonged timings by becoming anxious. This anxiety often leads us to succumb to the temptation to act in our own understanding. Abraham and his wife Sarah and future generations would learn this the hard way (cf. Gen. 16). Impatience leads to lunging out ahead of the Lord without the Lord. That is never a good thing. If we want to reach the Promised Land we need to remember God's timing is always right; it is always perfect; Gods' timing is always best.

Fifth,  God's promised land is a place whose journey begins with deliverance. God called His people out of Egyptian bondage. The road to deliverance from Egypt led through a miraculously parted Red Sea. This was how their journey to the Promised Land began. Typologically, Egypt represents the enslavement in sin in the world. God calls us out of this and miraculously delivers us from this slavery. Passing through the Red Sea is a type of baptism. The journey to the Promised Land begins as we are saved from the slavery of sin and baptized into newness of life in Christ by the spiritual second birth of the Holy Spirit (e.g. John 3).

Sixth, God's promised land is a place which requires we cross wilderness to get to it.  It was in the wilderness that God's people learned to depend on God. It was in the wilderness that God's people complained and rebelled revealing their fleshly sin nature ways. God's people had to be taught to follow Him, to depend on Him. The wilderness served this purpose. But God never intended them to remain in the wilderness. He always purposed to bring them through the wilderness.

After we've received Jesus as Savior and experienced the second birth there will be a time of spiritual growth where we need to learn to depend on God and walk with Him by faith. It will be a time with growing pains spiritually. While this is part of God's purpose for us, and we will always be growing in our walk with Him, He wants to bring us through this wilderness. God wants to bring us through to a better place. The saddest thing is when people choose to settle in the wilderness never growing in their faith and never continuing to pass into God's Promised Land. The wilderness is a place of settling for less, of fear, of struggle. Does that describe your walk with the Lord? Maybe He would have you move on with Him.

Seventh, God's promised land is a place He invites us to investigate. In Numbers 13 when Moses and the people of Israel have come through the wilderness God instructs Moses to select a "spy" from each tribe to go into and check out the Promised Land. Faith is never blind. Taking a "leap of faith" like Soren Kierkegaard coined is not scripturally sound advice. God called Abraham to follow Him. God didn't give Abraham a map or address to the Land but Abraham was not blindly following God. Abraham had the voice of the Lord, the presence of the Lord, and the unfolding evidence of God's working to guide his faith. Abraham was not blind to the fingerprints and footprints of God in his life.

Just as God invited Moses to send spies into the Land to confirm His truth and promise about the Land, we are invited by God to investigate His promises in His word as it plays out in life. God does keep some things secret. That is more for our protection and safety than any wrong intent on God's part. God has revealed what we need to know. And that is our part of His promise to us (cf. Deut. 29:29). God has invited us to investigate the truth about His Promised Land for our lives. If you aren't clear or are uncertain, do some investigation and research to see if God's promises are true. God invites you to do that. Go for it.

Eighth, God's promised land is a place of abundance. "Abundant" is probably the best way to describe God's Promised Land. When the spies returned they reported it was true, the Land "truly flows with milk and honey" (Num. 13:27). Jesus spoke of "abundant life" (John 10:10). Paul spoke of "exceedingly abundantly" (Eph. 3:20). Paul spoke of a strength in Jesus by which we could accomplish whatever God called us to do (Phil. 4:13). Peter spoke of "His divine power," by which we might be "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:3-4). John spoke of the possibility that "your joy may be full" (1 John 1:4), and being pure "as He is pure" (1 John 3:3), and of "perfect love" (1 John 2:5; 4:12, 17-18). We might not understand or have experienced all of that, but certainly it sounds like something abundantly wonderful! That is God's Promised Land for us.

Ninth, God's promised land is a place that involves temptations to be cowardly fearful and challenges to be courageously faithful. When the spies came back they all agreed that the Land of Promise was a place filled with abundance and blessing. But they also agreed, "Nevertheless, the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cites are fortified and very large. . . . The land . . . devours its inhabitants. . . all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw giants. . . and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight" (Num. 13:28, 32-33). There is evidence that the inhabitants of Canaan were indeed very large people. We know Jericho was a city with great walls. All of this was a true assessment. But the problem was how they resonded to these observable facts.

The Promised Land of God is not without adversaries and battles. It is a place of the presence of God in the midst of such adversaries and battles. That's why this is not a type of heaven. There are no more battles in heaven. But in the Promised Land state of being with God you are at rest as you battle and take ground. You are at rest as you trust in God to fight for you and provide for you. That's the difference. You are "more than a conqueror" (Romans 8:37-39). A conqueror enters battle, even bravely, even willing to give their life for the cause, but they are uncertain of the outcome. Someone who is "more than a conqueror" knows the outcome of the battle; is assured of the victory and fights on confidently, restfully, peacefully and courageously with this in mind and heart. That assuring certainty comes from their relationship with God and from His word. It's not a matter of whether or not there will be battles and trials and challenges in life. It's a matter of how you handle such things, or rather, how you surrender to God to handle such things. That's the difference. In the Promised Land you rest in His will.

Ten of the spies presented a "bad report" or discouraging report to the people (Num. 13:3). Their eyes were on the potential problems and the limitations of the people. Two however, Joshua and Caleb, presented the facts in light of the power and Person of God. These two said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it. . . . If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, 'a land which flows with milk and honey.'"(Num. 13:30; 14:8). It was all a matter of perspective. Ten spies kept their eyes down and saw life without God. They were fools failing to factor God into their life equation(cf. Psalm 14:1ff.). Ten along with the majority of the people chose to be cowardly fearful. They turned away from trusting in God. It wasn't that the foes in the land weren't indeed fearsome. They probably were. But their small faith made them look like grasshoppers. These chose fear and their fear drove them to "rebel against the LORD" (Num. 14:9).

Two on the other hand looked at the life circumstances with God as the Greatest Factor. To them these formidable and real obstacles and enemies were "our bread." They knew, they believed, they trusted that God would help them gobble their enemies up and possess the Promised Land. They trusted in God's word. They chose faith. The others distrusted God. Joshua and Caleb chose to be courageously faithful. Because they trusted God and looked at life through His capabilities and resources they would have gone up against an army of King Kong's.

Tenth, God's promised land is a place that not everyone enters. The ten spies and the majority of the people who chose to fear and follow them all were disciplined by God by being barred from entering the Promised Land.  Only Joshua and Caleb and the next generation of people would enter the Promised Land. Those who had "rebelled" against God and His Promise would wander in the wilderness until they died off.

The fearful faithless rebels would wander near forty years in a wilderness that some calculate should have taken them mere days to cross through. Those who choose to rebel against God in fear wander and spend their lives spinning their wheels. They never progress to where they should have been, could have been. Part of the discipline for such faithless rebellion is not only the lost opportunity of living in His Promise, but it is the conscious awareness and regret for such a faithless rebellion.

When God through Moses rebuked their unbelief and informed them of the consequence for their sin, it states, "the people mourned greatly" (Numbers 14:39). They even confessed and admitted their sin. Then they tried to right their wrong by trying to take the Land in their own strength. They failed miserably. That's because you can't enter or take the Promised Land by human strength. It isn't by our might or by our power but by the Spirit of God and His power that we enter the Land (Zech. 4:6). We can't and don't enter on our terms. To enter we must submit to Him.

Moses interceded on behalf of the people and God limited His discipline. With God "Mercy triumphs over judgment. . . . The Lord is very compassionate and merciful" (James  2:13; 5;12). God could have wiped out these rebels. But He did not. He did discipline them though. He did bar them from the Promised Land. They would lose this incredibly gracious opportunity and blessing of God. But thanks be to God we are no longer under law but under grace.

Today if we confess our sin God forgives us (1 John 1:9). The blood of Jesus is able to wash away our sins and keep us in fellowship with Him (1 John 1:7). James was inspired to write "Let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:20). If we repent of our faithlessness and humbly come before God, perhaps He will cover such sin and remember the words of His prophet through whom He said, "So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten" (Joel 2:25). God disciplines those He loves (Heb. 12). But the God of grace will give the repentant rebel grace too. Have faith. Seek God. Trust and obey. There is no other way. And there is always hope with the God of hope (Romans 15:4, 13).

It is this critical decision of faith or fear that Paul in Hebrews uses as a historical backdrop to illustrate the importance of trusting God and entering that state of rest in Him (Heb. 3-4). It is a magnificent eternal blessing to experience a second birth, a spiritual birth, forgiveness for our sins and eternal life in Christ with God. But that is only the beginning of a life Jesus described as abundant. How's your life in Christ? Would you describe it as abundant? Have you come to a crossroad where there is a formidable challenge before you. Are those fearsome challenges to your faith threatening to keep you from a promised land you just know God is calling you too? You have a choice to make. You can choose to be a foolish rebel grasshopper or step up in courageous faith into the glory of God's presence and provision. What's it going to be? Here's one last option for you to consider.

Lastly, God's promised land is a place we can enter by faith. When the faithless fearful rebellious generation died off and the mantel had been passed from Moses to Joshua, it was time to enter the Land. Joshua had big shoes to fill. He was Moses' successor. Moses was the preeminent leader of God's people to this point in history. This must have been intimidating to Joshua. The weight of responsibility for leading God's people into the Promised Land was on him. Joshua must have been tempted to fear. Why else would God repeatedly affirm him and encourage him to, "Be strong and of good courage" (Joshua 1:6, 7, 9).

God instructed Joshua, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success" (Joshua 1:9). Trust in God and obey His word. That was the key to entering God's Promised Land. And that's exactly what Joshua did. He instructed the priests to lead on with the Ark of the Covenant. To enter the Land they needed to cross the Jordan River when its' waters were at flood level. But by faith and in obedience to God the priests stepped into the rushing Jordan and the waters parted, just as the Red Sea had parted. And they entered in.

In Hebrews 4 Paul opens the chapter concluding, "Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it" (Heb. 4:1). If "a promise remains of entering His rest," then God must be speaking of a rest different from the original Old Testament crossing of the Jordan into the physical Promised Land. There is a rest of God for us today.

For those who might be confused or tempted to fear Paul, just like God did for Joshua, points us to "the word of God" which is "living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:12). Our sword for the battles of the Promised Land is the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God (cf. Eph. 6:17). This sword, while "sharper than any two-edged sword" is not for physical altercations. It should never be used to hack at others like an explorer hacks with a machete through thick underbrush. This sword of the Spirit is for battles in the heart over the Promised Land.

This living and powerful word of God used in the power of the Holy Spirit and according to the Commander of the Lord's armies Jesus (cf. Joshua 5) will help us when doubts, fears, temptations, threatening obstacles, trials, and anything else threatens us or presents itself as an opponent or obstacle of God's promised rest. I hope and pray by now you see this. It's not about us, it's about Him. Rest in Jesus. Rest in His work. Rest in His ways and will. Rest in His timing and place. Rest in His plans. Take a deep breath. Have faith. Trust Him currently and constantly. Grab your sword and get ready for battle. Get ready to step in and through the Jordan before you. "Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of the disobedient" (Heb. 4:11).

And don't ever forget these words as you journey to God's Promised Land for you: "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:14-16). Jesus is with you. Trust in Jesus. Talk to Jesus. Lean on Jesus. Follow Jesus. By God's grace through faith in Jesus identify and enter God's Promised Land for you. Amen.