SIN IN THE CAMP EQUALS DEFEAT ON THE BATTLEFIELD Introduction

Joshua 7:1-26
 
Have you ever heard this little tune? Do you recognize the lyrics at at all? It has theological implications you know? 

“You’d better watch out, you’d better not pout, you’d better not cry and I’m telling you why. Santa Clause is coming to town. He’s making a list, he’s checking it twice. Gonna find out whose naughty and nice. Santa Clause is coming to town. He sees you when your sleeping. He knows when your awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good. So be good, for goodness sake.”

I know you’ve heard the lyrics to this little tune, and it tells me I had better behave myself or else Santa can’t bless my life! This little tune also implies If I’m not blessed its my own fault, but the real underlying theological theme to this ever popular Christmas carol is this: That (inside), I’m my own worst enemy when it comes to getting blessed by God!
 
Have you Bible readers ever considered that the worst enemy of at least two of the seven churches in Revelation was on the inside? For in Revelation 2:14 it says about the church at Pergamum, “You tolerate some among you whose teaching is that of Balaam …” (that’s inside!)

For in Revelation 2:20 it says about the church at Thyatira, “You are permitting that woman – that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet – to lead my servants astray …” (that’s inside!)
 
Notice that my worst enemy in getting blessed is inside me, and notice that the church’s worst enemy when it comes to getting blessed is inside it too! You see, if you’er a Christian the devil can’t do very much on the outside to hurt you, and if your a church the devil can’t do much on the outside to hurt you either. So, he tries to wiggle something in on the inside to bring about unhappiness, decline, defeat and bless-less-ness.  
 
This was the devil’s tactic in Joshua 7. Israel, by God’s miraculous intervention has just downed the Jericho walls, and now they’re well on their way to acquiring the rest of the Promised Land. Previous to this, God made a promise of blessing to Abraham. The promise is repeated in Joshua 1:3 which states, “I promise you (Joshua) what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set your foot, you will be on land I have given you.”

By the way, for the sake of practical application and illustration. God said this blessing, this happy place of victory was theirs. It was just a matter of going in and taking it. Now for the practical application and illustration part. For you curious readers out there you should know that the Promised Land, given to Abraham and his seed, is actually over 300,000 square miles. In Israel’s best days they have only claimed 30,000 square miles of it. Today they claim only 150 square miles of it.

I said all that to say this: God says the blessed, happy and victorious Christian life is a promise to us. Its just a matter of claiming the promise and going with it. However, just like Israel we will have battles to fight against our own worst enemy within to acquire all of God’s promises.

Which leaves me with the question: Would you rather have 300,000 square miles of God’s blessings on your life, or only 150 square miles of God’s blessings on your life? Is really up to you, but we have to conquer our own worst enemy within to have all God’s blessings promised to us. Thus the column title over the next few weeks is “Sin In The Camp Equals Defeat On The Battlefield.”

SETTLING FOR THE GOOD RATHER THAN STRIVING FOR THE BEST Part III

Luke 10:38-42
 
To strive for the best means setting the right priorities. Notice in (vs. 40), that Martha has issues. The verse tells us, “But Martha was cumbered with much serving … “

I couldn’t help myself but chuckle when I read an ad found in New Mexico’s Quay County Sun newspaper that said, “Farmer with 160 irrigated acres wants marriage-minded woman with tractor, When replying please show picture of tractor.” I would dare say this man’s priorities would be right if he loves work, but surely not if he were to love a person.
 
I said all that to say this: Martha’s priority was to work for the Lord, but Mary’s priority was to love the Lord! Once again (vs. 40) proves what Martha’s priority was. For it does read, ” … Martha was cumbered about much serving … ” Martha is one hard working woman! She is using her gift of hospitality to serve the Lord, but the Bible says she’s “cumbered” by it. It would be accurate to say she was “distracted” by it.

Now, who would argue that serving up a meal isn’t a good thing? The truth is, had it not been for Martha’s service to the Lord there wouldn’t have been anything good for supper!
 
You might ask, “Is serving a bad thing Preacher-man?” Oh no no, I highly recommend it. Martha here in our text is commendably working hard to exercise her gift of hospitality … so what’s the problem with that? The problem is that she’s “cumbered” or “frustrated” by it. I don’t know, maybe she spilt the goat’s milk or burnt the lamb chops and that’s why she’s so cumbered. Whether frustrated or not, I think we can all agree, that Martha is doing a good thing here in the kitchen. However, Martha was settling for only the good thing. She was working for the Lord, at the total expense of the best thing which is knowing the Lord! Warren W. Weirsbe quips about this passage, “What we do with Christ is more important than what we do for him.”
 
Consider this: If your a woman looking for a relationship with a man … do you want the best one or do you want to settle for one? Mary wasn’t going to just settle for a “working relationship” with the Lord. No way! She wanted the best in a ”loving relationship” with the Lord! Mary knew all along there was work to be done in the kitchen, but she purposely didn’t do it until she took the time to sit at Jesus’ feet first. That’s good advice! Our Lord even commended Mary, and needled Martha at the same time about it when he said, “Mary has chosen the best part.” (vs. 42)
 
Maybe you’re like me. I am a “doer” by nature. I hope in the context of what I’ve just written you understand me when I say, “I find it easier to get up and work for the Lord like Martha, than I do to sit down and love the Lord like Mary at his feet.” Here’s what we should learn about this telling tale of two sisters in Luke 10: If we are too much like Martha, we are out of balance in our relationship with the Lord. Please don’t be fooled by the “busy bee” Martha’s serving in the kitchen all the time; that its always a tell tale sign that they love the Lord. As a pastor I’ve spoken to many busy bee Martha’s over the years whose service for the Lord is terrific, but their personal relationship with the Lord is terrible!
 
When someone like a Martha comes to me as their pastor disheartened and discouraged over their work for the Lord, I’ve learned to ask them a telling question. The telling question I ask is, “How’s your devotional life?” What’s telling is their bowed head, embarrassed look and confession, “I haven’t read my Bible or prayed daily in quite a while.” You see, if that’s you, if that’s me … we’ve got issues like Martha.
 
In closing out this series of columns, let me remind you as you go on your way, that you can’t work for the Lord and love it, if you won’t take time with the Lord and love him first. Are you a Mary or a Martha? The issue very well could be that you are settling for the good, rather than striving for the best. 

- THE END

SETTLING FOR THE GOOD RATHER THAN STRIVING FOR THE BEST Part II

Luke 10:38-42
 
To strive for the best means listening to the right voice. Notice in (vs. 39) where Mary was and what she did when it says, “Mary, sat at the feet of Jesus and heard his word.” I happen to think that Charlie Brown of Peanuts cartoon fame is a wise old sage. He said about hearing voices that, “Sometimes I awake at night, and I ask, ‘Where have I gone wrong?’ Then another voice says to me, “Huh! This is going to take more than one night.” However, concerning Mary hearing a voice in our text, we find she was close enough to hear only His voice. Concerning sister Martha, she was not close enough to hear only His voice.
 
Consider the word “heard” in (vs. 39). If you understand proper grammar this will make sense to you. St. Luke, the writer of our passage, switches the tense of the verb “heard” to an imperfect tense. Which makes this verse mean that Mary didn’t listen to Jesus’ words casually. No ADHD, nor going to sleep in church going on here! In other words, Mary hung on his every word, and Martha hung out in the kitchen. The fact that Mary hung on every word implies that she pondered what He said long after He quit talking and how it applied to her life.
 
This reminds me of pondering King David on his bed one night when God came to him with a word and said, “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) I know how it is to be busy. I find myself living out the lyrics to that old country song that the country band Alabama used to sing that goes like this: “I’m in a hurry to get things done Oh I, rush and rush until life’s no fun. All I got to do is live and die, but I’m in a hurry and don’t know why.”
 
You see, what I’m really looking for in this life is a little peace. Oh but wait a minute … let me check my calendar first and see if I can fit it in! That is one of the reasons I found myself two American bulldogs. I thought I would find a little peace, and that walking them everyday would get my mind off church work and people’s troubles all the time. I must sadly admit, its not working, because my brain won’t let me stop thinking about what I need to do, where I’ve got to go, and who I’ve got to go see. So, I still find myself searching for the ever evasive little peace.
 
The other day I came across a few thoughts by the touted Christian philosopher Pascal. He shares a little secret about gaining this ever evasive little peace I’ve been talking about. He told me what my problem is. Maybe its your problem too! He said, “Most of men’s troubles come from his inability to be still.” I think at the very heart, of what Pascal is trying to say is, that to strive for the best in the Christian life means we have to stop long enough to listen to the right voice. Mary did strive for the best Christian life, because she intently took time to listen to Jesus’ voice, while Martha settled for the good Christian life, being so intensely busy didn’t take time to listen to Jesus’ voice. Are you more like Martha, or are you more like Mary?

SETTLING FOR THE GOOD RATHER THAN STRIVING FOR THE BEST Part I

Luke 10:38-42
 
To strive for the best means to be in the right place.  (vs. 39) says, ” … Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet … “ 

If you don’t believe being in the right place is important you need to go to my sticky fly paper and ask the flies about how important it is. Since so much manure has been spread out here in the country lately the flies have about taken over out here. So, we decided to hang some fly paper over the door in the carport to take care of these annoying flies! I’ve noticed, as far as these flies are concerned, there is a right place and a wrong place to be! I must tell you there have been a host of flies that didn’t choose the right place, and now they find themselves “stuck.”
 
In our text, particularly in (vs. 40) it says, “Martha was distracted with much serving … ”

Martha was “stuck” in the kitchen (the wrong place), and Mary in (vs. 39) was stuck to, like fly paper (the right place), at the feet of Jesus. For (vs. 39) does say, ” … Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet … ”

What am I saying?  I’m saying, “If you are going to strive for the best you must be in the right place too.” I think its very safe to infer from Mary that striving for the best Christian life means being found often at Jesus’ feet!
 
By the way, this is not the first time we find Mary in the right place at Jesus’ feet. Here in (vs. 39) we find her amidst the smell of food sitting at Jesus’ feet feeding on his words the Bible considers ”The Bread of Life.” In John 11:32 we find her amidst the odor of death sitting at Jesus’ feet, and in John 12:3 we find her amidst the aroma of perfume sitting at Jesus’ feet. Take special note, for the sake of upcoming columns in this series, that we find Mary sitting often at Jesus’ feet, while we find Martha most often working in the kitchen.
 
The word “sat” in (vs. 38) is parakathizo in Greek. It means more than to just sit down. It means to “sit near.” Someone might say, “She was on him like white on rice!” However, it is better described as a child cozying up to a parent. A child psychologist would tell us the reason that children cozy up is to bond with the parent. Mary was God’s child, and the reason she sat near Jesus’ feet was so that she could bond with the God-man!
 
Back in Bible days this was considered proper protocol. The right place for a student to be was to sit at the feet of his master. Paul indicated this about himself as a student of a rabbi in Acts 22:3 where it says, “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel … ” In Luke 8:35 we find the demoniac of Gadara, once he gave his heart to Jesus, shows us the right place to be. For it indicates (they), ” … found the man from whom the demons had departed sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed and in his right mind.”
 
Concerning, and considering this man from Gadara … may I stop and ask you something? Are you in your right mind, or are you about to lose your mind? Then for goodness sake, just like this man did, sit down at the feet of Jesus and bond with him there! Bond with him there just like “white on rice,” because to strive for the best Christian life you’ve got to be found in the right place.

 

SETTLING FOR THE GOOD RATHER THAN STRIVING FOR THE BEST Introduction

Luke 10:38-42
 
I almost hesitate to tell you all this, but I absolutely love boxed chocolates. I hesitate, because I don’t need anybody out there to give me any. However, if you do I’ll be forced to end up just like the old saying goes ” … becoming what you eat.” I could stand being sweeter, but surely no more rounder than what I am now!

 

Growing up in George Clark’s house meant boxed chocolates were a staple, because he absolutely loved them, and everybody gave them to him. Almost daily my dad would open the box and the fresh aroma of chocolate would burst forth, and he’d say to me,”Only one, no more than one, but get whatever one you want.”
 
That was all it took to begin my almost daily dilemma. So, I would terse my lips and concentrate really hard on the decision at hand. Should I take the biggest one? No, that probably has a big brazil nut in it, and I don’t like what we called pig toes back home in New Brunswick. Yuck! Should I take the square one? No, that will stick to my teeth, but it might last longer. Then there was the special round one in the middle of the box wrapped in pretty gold foil. Surely this must be the best one in there don’t you think? Oh which one to choose, and what will be the consequences of my choice? Should I settle for the good one or should I strive for the best one?
 
You see, when it comes to a box of chocolates I have to disagree with Forrest Gump who famously said, “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get.” I disagree, because I think most of the time we have a pretty good idea of what we’re going to get. This compels me to ask you in this first month of 2012, “Will you decide to settle for the good Christian life, or will you strive for the best one God can give you? Something tells me those of you reading have a pretty good idea right now of what you’ve already got?”
 
In the text referenced above, and in the next few columns we’re going to look at two sisters faced with this all important choice. One sister has chosen to strive for the best Christian life. Jesus calls the best here ”good” in Luke 10:42 when he says, ”Mary has chosen the good part … ” The other sister has chosen not to strive for the “best,” but only settle for the good. For Jesus says in (vs. 41), “Martha you are worried and troubled about many things … ”

 

 

WHAT ON EARTH AM I HERE FOR? Part III

Isaiah 49:5 – Various
 
Here’s a case scenario of what its like to live without any specific purpose. Just say I went into my back yard and worked from sun up to sun down to dig a big hole. What good would that do? I’m convinced that hard work is rewarding, but what do I need a big hole for? This makes my hard work utterly unrewarding, and all my energy utterly depleted … for what? Nothing!
 
You must realize that things like work, career and education were never meant to bring ultimate fulfillment in life. I know this is not what we’re taught in modern day education, but these things are only supposed to be a means to fulfill our specific purpose in life. God never intended our education, nor “working for a living” to be the end of all things, but only a means to an end. That true end being, according to Isaiah 49:5, ” … He formed me in the womb to be his servant.
 
Here are the benefits of living for God’s specific purpose rather than our own manufactured purpose:
1. The Reduction of Frustration – When you’re fulfilling God’s specific purpose there is no meaningless work to be done. You won’t always feel like your busy working (digging holes), and accomplishing nothing. It is possible that you have so many irons in the fire you’re putting out the fire! Somebody said, “When you’re burning the candle at both ends, you’re not as bright as you think you are!”
 
2. The Elevation of Motivation – Knowing your specific purpose in life makes you want to get out of bed in the morning. Specific purpose creates entheos, which in Greek means “enthusiasm in God.”
 
3. The Application of Concentration – When you know your specific purpose then you can focus on doing it. It will keep us on track, making it easier to ignore what is important and pay attention to what really is. Somebody said, “Nobody has time to do everything, and everything isn’t even worth doing.”
 
Very quickly let me show you how God reveals what His specific purpose is for your life. Its found in Proverbs 3:5-6 which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.” Sounds like a plan for your ”specific purpose discovery” to me! Please keep in mind that God’s specific purpose isn’t just dumped in your lap one day, but rather is unfolded day by day as you serve him.

 

However, before you can serve him, before you can know his specific purpose for your life; you must according to Proverbs 3:5 you must, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart … ” so, turn that frown upside down, because you’ve just found the way to discover God’s specific purpose for your life!
 
To conclude these thoughts on purpose let me tell you about Kirk Cameron who was the most recent star in the Christian movie “Fireproof.” Many of you may remember that for 7 years Cameron played Mike Seaver in the television show “Growing Pains.” As a teen Kirk had everything. Fast cars, admiring fans and a lot of money. One day his girlfriend’s dad said, “Kirk, you’ve got a lot of things, but there’s something you don’t have. You don’t have God. You don’t have eternal life.” Then he took Kirk to church, and Kirk heard the gospel for the very first time. On one hand he felt guilty, and on the other hand he felt hope. He felt this way because he understood like never before that Jesus saw him worthy enough to die on Calvary’s cross for his sins. A while later Kirk was driving his car and the thought suddenly struck him, “If I died today in a car wreck … would I go to heaven?” He knew the answer was no. It was at that moment he prayed, “Lord, I realize you have a great purpose for my life, and I don’t want to miss it. Come into my life and forgive my sins in Jesus’ name A-men.”

 

Giving your heart to Jesus like Kirk Cameron, begins the answer the question, “What on earth am I here for?” Kirk’s specific purpose is to make Christian movies, and God has an exciting specific purpose tailor made just for you too!

 

 THE END.

WHAT ON EARTH AM I HERE FOR? Part II

Isaiah 49:5 – Various

“Do I really matter to God?” really is a question about (how you see) your worth as a person.

Consider the worth of this person as you listen to this illustration. Early one morning an ugly woman made a mad dash to the curb to chase down the trash truck. She was ugly to begin with, and she looked affright. She was running after this trash truck in her faded bathrobe, her hair up in homely pink curlers, her legs unshaven, and her face clumped up with gobbled gook. In short … she was a frightful picture! When she finally caught the truck she called out.” Am I too late to take out the trash?” And the sarcastic driver said, “No Madam … hop right in!”

Have you ever heard that “God don’t make no junk?” Well, He don’t make no trash … He don’t make nobody ugly neither! You are someone of real value, no matter who you are, even if you look affright like the lady chasing the trash truck in her bathrobe … YOU matter to Him!
 
So, the answer to the question, “Do I really matter to God?” is YES! You matter to those who love you. You matter to the Double Branch Free Will Baptist Church, and for what its worth you matter to the Preacher-man too!

I know how it is though: Sometimes our hardest times, and our hardest critics get us down and we say, “Why me?” Its then we start questioning our value to others and to God too. That’s when the devil pounces on the opportunity, jumps on our back when we’re weak and yells in our ears, “You really are a worthless loser!”
 
In the Bible we find that Isaiah questioned his value, and the devil also jumped on his back and told him he was a worthless loser too. This led him to lament over his “reason for being” by saying in 49:4, “I labored for no purpose; I have spent my strength for nothing …”.  I think Isaiah felt like such a big loser that he felt nothing he worked hard at would be rewarded.

If you feel this way, I think it would be helpful for you to read the second part of (vs. 4) which tells you just the opposite. It says, “Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with my God.” That tells me you matter to God, and that He will, if not now, later reward your hard work.
 
Furthermore, God thought you were significant even before you were born. Listen to what God says about you in Isaiah 44:2. . .

“I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born.” (CEV)

God says about you in Psalm 139:16 that (His) ” … eyes saw me when I was only a fetus. Everyday my life was recorded in your book before one of them had taken place.” (GWT)

Oh I think you matter!  The Bible says God knew you and loved you even before you were an ugly little fetus on a sonogram! He says I made you for this purpose, and that purpose is to work for Him on this earth whether you’re a plumber, pro-golfer or a preacher. 

God indicates that if you make His purposes the main priority in your work for a living; He will reward you. He will reward you for serving Him (through your work for a living) by a sense of fulfillment, and eternal life in heaven someday!

I think we can conclude that the answer to the question, “Do I really matter to God?” is YES! God don’t make no junk, and you’re no piece of trash! So, turn that frown upside down, because you really have purpose and you really have worth to God!