Calvary Bible Church - Pastor Ken’s Weblog

Passage for Sunday, April 13, 2008

II Peter 1
“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”

Spiritual Growth

Last week we started with kind of an “overview” of Peter’s spiritual growth as we walked quickly through a short time-line of his life and ministry.  I think I told you (I intended to at any rate!) that one purpose of that “overview” was because I believe that the better you understand the author of the letter, the better you will understand that author’s message.  When you know where Peter came from, the struggles he had, and how he had grown, it helps you understand his desire to see you become the man or woman God has called you to be.  This week, we’ll take a look at some guidelines Peter gives on how we can achieve the spiritual growth necessary to accomplish the ministry God has called us to as His children.  Spiritual growth is a part of God’s plan for His children, He does not intend for us to remain spiritual babies.  Saving faith and participation in the divine nature through the indwelling Spirit of God are a wonderful beginning, but they are the beginning to our abundant life and ministry, not the end!
I get a kick out of my Grandsons.  (They, of course, as are all my grandchildren, are above average in intelligence and good looks.)  We spent a couple days up there the other weekend, basking in the glow of bein Poppa and Grammy, and I want to tell you, those boys are obsessed with growing “bigger.”  That’s the passion for growth the Lord wants us to have.  Tate, the 5½ year old, was telling me some of his plans from now till he’s 12.  Seriously.  He’s not too sure what he’s going to do after 12, but between now and then, he’s got it figured out!  Seth, who’s 3½, is determined he is almost as big as his brother, and tries to prove it whenever he gets the opportunity.  Whatever he sees his big brother do, he wants to do too, and he’s pretty sure he can do it just as well!  They continually want to demonstrate their growth!  Why are we so content to stagnate?  Why is the goal of spiritual growth and maturity so unappealing to many Christians?

Why are we so content to be “Insurance Policy” Christians?  Listen to the tone of Paul’s voice as he addresses the subject of spiritual growth to the believers at Corinth: I Corinthians 3:1-3:  “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly–mere infants in Christ.”  Wow!  How would you feel if I started my message with a line like that?   He goes on:  “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it.  Indeed, you are still not ready.  You are still worldly.  For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly?  Are you not acting like mere men?”   You can read the disappointment in his voice, can’t you?  Spiritual growth is expected of us.  The work of the Holy Spirit, if unhampered, should produce change, positive change.  We shouldn’t remain worldly, nor act or behave like “mere men”.  We’re Children of God, Holy Warriors!  Listen to Paul’s prayer for the believers in Philippi:  Philippians 1:9-11 “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ–to the glory and praise of God.”

That’s a prayer for spiritual growth!  The writer of Hebrews speaks to the issue as well.  Listen as he expresses his frustration in relating spiritual truth to his readers: Hebrews 5:11-14:  “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.  In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again.  You need milk, not solid food!  Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.  But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”  Our righteousness is at least partly expressed or demonstrated by developing the ability to discern between good and evil, choosing the good, and then displaying those choices in the way we live our lives.  Put simply, right living instead of wrong living.  As Peter said last week, escaping the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.  Such living is a sign of spiritual maturity.
Last week Peter let us in on a huge spiritual secret.  Well, not a secret really, but a critically important spiritual truth. Listen again to what he said God has done:  “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.  Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”  That is an important truth to try to wrap your mind around, isn’t it?

God, in His grace, gives us everything we need to grow spiritually.  He doesn’t just tell us what to do; He also equips us to do it!  We only fail if we choose to fail.  That, my friends, is the plain truth.  Peter expands on the idea by giving us a formula, so to speak, of how to grow.  We pick it up this week in Verses 5-7:  “For this very reason,” (What reason?  So that through the promises of God we may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.  God desires good for us!) “make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.”  That’s Peter’s formula for spiritual growth!  It starts with that saving faith, a faith, he said, as precious as that which the apostles themselves had.

But it doesn’t stop there.  Adrian Rogers said: ” We are saved by Faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone!”  Peter here shows us seven virtues that come alongside that faith to produce growth.  Salvation is the beginning of the new life, and we are expected to do our part to become mature, effective Christians.  Peter shows us how.  First, you will notice that it requires hard work.  Maybe that’s one reason so many never grow very much.  He says: “make every effort” to “add to” your faith… and then lists seven Christian virtues necessary for spiritual maturity.  A “virtue” is an attribute not innate to any human—it is a divine attribute made available for the believer’s appropriation.  We participate in the divine nature, Peter told us.  The Psalmist nails our natural bent in Psalm 69:5:  You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you.”  The word folly means “morally deficient behavior.”  Folly may sound better, but we are morally deficient apart from the power of God in our lives through the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Our only hope for virtue is through the power of God in us.

The good news is that we already have it!  We can live victoriously in this world.  We can grow up!  We can escape the corruption if we choose to.  Hard work?  Yes, definitely.  But possible?  Yes, definitely!  Let’s take a closer look at the virtues and the process.  You’ll notice that as Peter presents it here, it is a process of growth.  You start with faith, then supplement or support or supply it with it these other virtues. (”Add to” gives us kind of a misconception.  We don’t “add to” our faith for salvation, but for growth.)  Peter begins with goodness; otherwise translated as virtue, moral character, integrity, literally “moral excellency.”  One source described it as “manliness.”

I kinda liked that, “man-up” in other words.  The first virtue to shore up or support the faith you have as you strive for growth is moral character, integrity.  Without integrity of character all you have is empty promises.  With it you have virtue in action.  Not just doing good things, but actually being good.  Your goodness then, Peter says, is supplied or shored up with knowledge.  Not just a head full of facts and information, a scholastic degree, this is spiritual knowledge, which comes through the Holy Spirit and is focused on the Person and Word of God.  And remember, Peter says we must make “every effort” to acquire these virtues, they don’t just happen; the Spirit doesn’t just “zap” us with them.  He enables us, but we have to do our part too.  Spiritual knowledge is acquired through diligent reading and studying of the Word of God, and then applying the truths discovered there in every-day life.  This becomes then the “personal and experiential knowledge” of God and his Son, Jesus Christ, as Peter pointed out back in verse 1.  Peter is talking about this knowledge being “applied” in a manner that affects your daily life in visible, tangible ways!
Faith, goodness, and spiritual knowledge, effective and necessary as they are, are not enough for a Christian’s walk.  He must also make every effort to practice self-control.  This basically means to have your passions under control.  This is in sharp contrast to the world’s viewpoint.  The world says indulge your passions any way you want.  If it feels good, do it!  And sadly, many a professing Christian has swallowed the lie and gone along with the world’s philosophy in this area.  Not the spiritually growing Christian.  Our passions are not the problem by the way, it’s the expressing of them that requires the self-control.

Passions are God-given blessings when used in accordance with His purpose and plan.  (Yes, even my passions for chocolate and for mint chocolate chip ice cream!☺)  The virtue that supports or supplements self-control is perseverance.  It’s a critical attribute.  What good is your self-control if it’s only temporary?  We need to persevere, not just in the area of self-control but all of them.  Many times the only difference between success and failure is perseverance.  Listen to James in James 1:12  “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”  What do you call the guy who doesn’t persevere under trial?  Defeated!  James is the one who said earlier, in Verse 4, that “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Perseverance is critical to our spiritual growth.  I’ll let Jesus have the last word on it.  Explaining the parable of the soils to His disciples, Jesus concluded with this verse: Luke 8:15: “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”  Peter then gives us the virtue that helps keep our efforts from becoming fuel for pride.  He says to our perseverance, we are to add godliness.  My favorite definition of godliness is: “a personal attitude towards God that results in actions that are pleasing to God.”  We persevere because we desire to please God, not for our own glory.  Godliness keeps our focus on Him.  Another good definition is: “A genuine reverence toward God that governs one’s attitude toward every aspect of life.”  That works well here too.  In order for our godliness to be properly directed, Peter says we are to add to or supplement or support it with brotherly kindness.  One source defined brotherly kindness as: “Warmhearted affection toward all in the family of faith.”  Adam Clarke feels it a bit stronger.  He says it is: “Love of the brotherhood—the strongest attachment to Christ’s flock; feeling each as a member of your own body.”  Paul stated in Romans 12:10: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

This is a practical concern and response to others needs.  Peter sums it all up by saying we are finally to bring in as the final virtue the greatest of all, love.  Agape. The love that seeks the others good above your own.  The love only possible for us to display or demonstrate because we receive it from God.  It is the love that produces the kind of outgoing, selfless attitude that leads one to sacrifice self for the good of others.  John defines/explains it well for us in I John 4:7-12: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”  Peter begins with faith and ends with love.  That’s his formula for spiritual growth.  Listen to his summation:
Verses 8-9:  “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, (continual spiritual growth) they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  One would hope that it is the goal of the Christian to be an effective and productive member of God’s family.

If that is your goal, then cultivating and continuing in these seven divinely inspired and enabled character traits: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love are going to be visible in your life. To experientially know Jesus Christ is to participate in his divine nature and then manifest the characteristics listed.  This knowledge, then, is not mere intellectual understanding, as we said but full, experiential knowledge of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Peter then gives a warning:  “But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.”  We need to examine ourselves.  We need to seek out a brother or sister we can trust to be truthful to us and ask if these virtues characterize our lives.

If someone were to describe you to someone who had never met you, would they use these descriptions?  If not, maybe you are fooling yourself.  Maybe you suffer from myopia, maybe your eyes are closed and you have forgotten what Christ has done for you, you have forgotten that through the precious blood of Christ you have been cleansed from the filth of your past sins.  Anyone who remembers that cleansing stays motivated to respond in obedience.
Verses 10-11:  “Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure.  For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”   Peter is not talking here about living a perfect life or earning your salvation by works.  He is saying that your works authenticate your claim of saving faith.  You authenticate, make sure, your calling and election, your salvation, by living in obedience and exhibiting godly character.

A person who lives like that will not fall and will be welcomed into heaven!  Every once in a while, I will tell you about a verse that I think is so important that everyone should commit it to memory.  Here is another one for you: Psalm 37:23-24  “If the LORD delights in a man’s way, He makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with His hand.”   Powerful promise, isn’t it?  James said in James 3:2: “We all stumble in many ways.  If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.”   Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 7:20 “There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.”  These verses aren’t justification for sin, just stating simple truth.  Peter is talking about spiritual growth, living an obedient life, not becoming perfect.   I’ll close with this “spiritual growth checklist” I came across.

Seven rules that promote good health in babies can be adapted and applied to a Christian’s spiritual growth:
1.    Daily Food:  Take in the “pure milk of the word” through study and meditation.
2.    Fresh Air:  Pray often or you will faint. Prayer is the oxygen of the soul.
3.    Regular Exercise:  Put into practice what you learn in God’s Word.
4.    Adequate Rest:  Rely on God at all times in simple faith.
5.    Clean Surroundings:  Avoid evil company and whatever will weaken you spiritually.
6.    Loving Care:  Be part of a church where you will benefit from biblical teaching and Christian fellowship.
7.    Periodic Checkups:  Regularly examine your spiritual health.

In His Grip,

Sunday, January 13, 2008
Scripture text for today: Romans 2:1-16
“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? “

Before we get started this morning, I wanted to promote the Read-Thru-The-Bible-in-a-Year program one more time. I was checking the “Tract Rack” the other day and ran across this flyer: “The Bible Guide” in one of its slots. It’s just one more of the many guides available to you if you want to tackle reading the Bible in a year! It is not too late to start this year by the way; it’s only the 13th of the month. Read an extra chapter a day and you’ll be caught up in no-time! The “Daily Bread” has a Bible in One Year schedule too, in case you’re interested, and we provide them free each quarter as well. Just pick a plan and get at it! Spend a little time in the Word and in Prayer every day, and do what the Lord tells you to do. It will change your life. And it will help you more effectively impact other’s lives for Christ too, which is the theme of the message today!

I want to start this morning with a modern parable:
“On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur, there was once a little life-saving station. The building was primitive, and there was just one boat, but the members of the life-saving station were committed, and kept a constant watch over the sea. When a ship went down, they unselfishly went out, day or night, to save the lost. Because that station saved so many lives, it became famous. Consequently, many people wanted to be associated with the station to give their time, talent and money to support its important work. New boats were bought, new crews were recruited, and a formal training session was offered. As the membership in the life-saving station grew, some of the members became unhappy that the building was so primitive and that the equipment was so outdated. They wanted a better place to welcome the survivors pulled from the sea. So, they replaced the emergency cots with nice beds, put better furniture in the enlarged and newly decorated building, and put in a small kitchen so they could offer hot coffee and snacks.

Now the life-saving station became a popular gathering place for its members. They met regularly and when they did, it was apparent how much they loved one another. They greeted one another, hugged one another, and shared with one another the events that had been going on in their lives. But fewer members were now interested in going to sea on life-saving missions, so they hired lifeboat crews to do this for them. About this time, a large ship was wrecked just off the coast, and the hired crews brought into the life-saving station boatloads of cold, wet, dirty, sick and half-drowned people. Some of them had black skin, and some of them had yellow skin. Some could speak English well, and some could hardly speak it at all. Some were first-class cabin passengers of the ship, and some were the deck hands. The beautiful meeting place became a place of chaos. The plush carpets got dirty. Some of the exquisite furniture got scratched. Coffee got spilled. Because of this, the property committee immediately had a shower built outside the building where the victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside.

At the next meeting, there was a rift in the membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club’s life-saving activities, for they were unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal fellowship of the members. Other members insisted that life-saving was their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a life-saving station. But, they were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the lives of all those various kinds of people who would be shipwrecked, they could begin their own life-saving station down the coast. So, that is what they did.

As the years passed, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. It too evolved into a place to meet regularly for fellowship, for committee meetings, and for special training sessions about their mission, but few if any went out to the drowning people. The drowning people were no longer welcomed in that new life-saving station. So another life-saving station was founded further down the coast. History continued to repeat itself.

If you visit that seacoast today, you will find any number of adequate meeting places with ample parking, plush carpeting, nice furniture, warm fellowship and formal training sessions. Shipwrecks are still frequent in those waters, but most of the people drown.”

I came across that story in my studies last semester, and was struck by how vividly it portrays the church, which of course, is the author’s intent. It was first written in 1953, was paraphrased in a different article in 89’ and yet is still too true in 08’, isn’t it. Think about Fond du Lac, and the number of “life-saving stations” that line the coast of this dangerous stretch of the ocean of humanity.

How many have become “meeting places” rather than life-saving stations? More to the point, have we at Calvary Bible Church become a mere meeting place, or are we in danger of becoming one? Maybe it’s time to take a good look at what God expects from His Church, and measure ourselves against His standard.

The New Year is a great time to examine ourselves as a “Church” as well as individually, and to make choices that ensure we maintain our life-saving mission. We touched on much of this in our Discipleship class, and I thought it important enough to share with all of you. In the next couple weeks we will be taking a close look at some applicable scriptures regarding our purpose and responsibility as a church.

Speaking of the Church, the Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:11-13 “It was He (Christ) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ (The Church) may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

God has an agenda for the church. He has given the church a mission that is people-focused and Christ-centered. That “mission” is the task of proclaiming the gospel of Christ and helping those who respond to the gospel to “grow-up” in Christ. This is true of every congregation of believer’s in every place. It does not change with time, culture, or congregational size. People maturing in Christ, then, should be the ultimate measure of success for any church. Not number of people attending, number of people joining, or the size of the building or how many programs they have and what kind of music they use. People becoming more Christ-like and loving one another more effectively.

Every individual believer and every congregation ought to ask two fundamental questions. First, “Are we doing what Christ has called us to do?” Second, “Do we increasingly reflect Christ in our services, ministries, and actions?” No matter where it meets or what its size, the church’s goal is the same.

It is to “make disciples” and use its ministries to help others attain “to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Jesus laid it out for us in Matthew 28:18-20, what we like to call the “Great Commission.” Listen again to this familiar passage: “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
I think this is a great starting point for the first question we are to ask:

• Are we doing what Christ has called us to do?
• Are we fulfilling the “Great Commission?”

He gives four basic commands here, and I believe they are given to us both individually and corporately. First, He told them to “GO”. He didn’t expect them to sit around and wait for Him to come back, but to get busy with kingdom tasks. We need to do the same thing. Go. Go next door, go to work, school, play etc.. Just “go” and as you go, which is the idea in the original language, share the gospel. Need a little motivation? Look at Proverbs 24:10-12: “If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength! Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not He who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not He who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?”

I think that is one of those Scriptures we all should commit to memory, or at the very least have written where we will review it on a regular basis. These are commands after all, not suggestions. Jesus said that as we go, we are to “make disciples” of all nations. In context, a disciple is one who follows Jesus Christ. We are to live Christ before others in a manner that allows them to see Him in us and create a desire to follow Him themselves. We are to be the “instruments” in the hand of the Lord to reveal salvation to the lost. The “light” and “salt.”

According to Marks gospel, we are to: “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” (Mark 16:15) People need to hear the word as well as “see” it lived out. Paul said in Romans 10:12-15: “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile–the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

As we have seen in Matthew’s gospel, we have been sent. Now we need to follow Peter’s advice, and be ready to preach. I Peter 3:15-16, remember? “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” Preaching can be as simple as sharing what Christ has done for you, in your life.

Having made the “choice” to be obedient to Jesus’ command to “go” and preach, “making disciples,” we come to the third command, or rather the third aspect of the command. We are to baptize these new disciples, which is the visible, tangible symbol of the change that has taken place in them as a result of having placed their faith and trust in the name of Jesus Christ and a sign of their union with and commitment to Him.

Our instructions are pretty clear; we are to baptize them into the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to baptize in the “name”, singular, not the names, plural. This is one of the strongest “trinity” passages in Scripture. As one commentary said: “Our one God has one triune name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To be baptized into the name of the triune God is to be united with him.”

Baptism was an identifying statement of devotion to the one into whose name you were baptized. Matthew Henry says: “Baptism is a sacrament, that is, it is an oath. It is an oath of abjuration, by which we renounce the world and the flesh, as rivals with God for the throne in our hearts; and an oath of allegiance, by which we resign and give up ourselves to God, to be his, our own selves, our whole selves, body, soul, and spirit, to be governed by his will, and made happy in his favour; we become his men, so the form of homage in our law runs. Therefore baptism is applied to the person, because it is the person that is dedicated to God.”

That brings us then to the fourth and final aspect of the command; we are to “teach” these new believers, these disciples, to obey everything He commanded us. Christ enlists soldiers in His army so that He may train them for His service. This “teaching” comes through example and instruction as we welcome them into the “body”, build relationships with them, disciple the new disciples. Adam Clarke had a great line in his commentary. He said: “Men are ignorant of Divine things, and must be taught.” It doesn’t come naturally or automatically. The Church plays a prominent role in the implementation of these final two aspects of the command. It has a role in the first two as well, but I think those are primarily “individual” tasks and responsibilities.

I personally do not believe it is the local church’s task to “go” and be the primary proclaimer of the gospel. It shares in that responsibility, but I believe the primary responsibility for going and making disciples is placed on Christians as individuals. Now I could be mistaken, but that’s my position until I see it differently in Scripture. The primary struggle that most of us have, new disciples or old, is obeying this command completely. Jesus said: “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” It is human nature to want to pick and choose which of Christ’s commands we want to obey, and to teach others to obey. But that is not what He said. It’s kind of like picking and choosing which parts of Scripture we want to believe. It just doesn’t work that way.

You may not like what scripture says, but you had better believe it. Christianity is pretty much an “all-or-nothing” choice that we need to make. Ist John 2:3-6 “We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, “I know Him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”

It’s pretty plain really, isn’t it? Choices. To believe and obey, or to try it our own way. To walk as Jesus did, in obedience to the Word and to the Father, or to pick-and-choose the parts we like and hope we’ll be okay in the end. That is not a gamble I’m willing to take, at least not any more. I used to. But I’ve seen the light! I’ve discovered the “Fear of the Lord.”

Need a little more motivation to make the right choice? Listen to this word from the prophet Nahum. Nahum 1:2-3 “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.” We sometimes forget that God’s patience does have limits, that the God we so often ignore and disobey is still the God Nahum was talking about.

God hates sin, and will judge it. Psalm 5:4-6 “You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.” One final word of warning. Romans 2:4-6 “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will give to each person according to what he has done.”

One source said: “The “Great Commission” contains an evangelical commission and a Church or pastoral commission. The evangelical (or, missionary) charge is contained in the words, “Go, make disciples of all nations.” This was addressed to all the disciples who were there with Jesus (possibly over five hundred present at that time) and to those throughout this age. (You and me) Then, each new disciple was to be baptized into the reality of the triune God, thus setting a seal of visible discipleship upon each new convert.

The church or pastoral charge is found in the words “teach them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you.” In the teaching there is implied the feeding and shepherding. Every new believer needs this teaching. For the fulfilling of the great commission, Jesus grants strong encouragement. First, we can go and make disciples of all nations knowing that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Christ, and it is in His authority that we work. Second, we can always know that Christ is with us, regardless of the circumstances, even to the end of this age.” The command is given to us individually and as a Church. It is only one of the commands it’s true, but it is a critical one.

Earlier I said that every individual believer and every congregation ought to ask two fundamental questions. First, “Are we doing what Christ has called us to do?” and second, “Do we increasingly reflect Christ in our services, ministries, and actions?” We addressed the first question to some degree today, or at least one aspect of it. How do you think we measure up? What do you need to do to ensure that you as an individual are doing what God has called you to do in this area? Prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit to help you see the “choices” you need to make to be obedient to His call. Then, prayerfully ask what you can do to ensure that we as a “Church” are doing what we have been called by God to do in this area, and what if any “choices” we need to make to be obedient as a Church. We’ll look at question two next week.

In His Grip,

Sunday, January 6, 2008
Scripture Text for today: Genesis 4
“At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD.”

“Choices” seemed an appropriate title for the first message of 08’! Many of us look at the beginning of a New Year as an opportune time for reflection and contemplation on choices we made last year and choices we need to make this year to bring about desired goals and objectives. Hindsight is often 20/20, as the old saying goes, and we learn by looking back and seeing the effect of choices we made, good and bad. That helps us make better choices, or at least, it should.

I’m not big on making “New Years Resolutions” but there are a few things I like to determine to do each year, and they’re probably very close to resolutions! For some reason, about this time of year I get sick of being so out-of-shape and overweight, so exercise and a more realistic diet (much less chocolate and ice-cream) become a viable part of my routine. I’m not sure it’s technically a “New Years Resolution,” but it’s pretty close! I also think it’s a great time to look at our “spiritual fitness” and make some choices to improve that as well.

We should all probably commit to memory Paul’s advice to Timothy where he tells him: “train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” found in I Timothy 4:7b-8. In my opinion, one of the best ways to train yourself to be godly is to spend time daily in the Word of God and in prayer, and then apply what you learn to your daily practice of life. But it needs to be more than a “New Years Resolution” if you want to succeed.

There is something inherent in “New Years Resolutions” that leaves failure as a legitimate alternative. For the believer, failure in training yourself to be godly is not an option. You can be a fat Christian, an out-of shape Christian, even a bad-habit struggling-with Christian, but you cannot be an ungodly Christian.

Godliness will help you keep godly resolutions! Remember that with resolutions, intent is critical. If you are simply trying to be more worldly, don’t look for God’s help! If your resolutions focus on making you more acceptable to the world’s standards or are self-centered and egocentric, they’re probably not God’s will for you.

Remember Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Paul tells us in Romans 8:29 that we are to “be conformed to the likeness of Christ.” Resolutions that lend themselves to godly living have victory available through the power of prayer and the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Paul tells us in Galatians 5:24 “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” That brings Victory! We sin because we chose to sin, we become godly because we chose to “train ourselves to be godly.” It’s hard work, not unlike the physical training we undergo, but the rewards are both current and eternal, as Paul pointed out.

I like reading through the Bible every year as a part of my “godliness training.” There is a great sense of satisfaction as I reach the end and then turn back to the beginning to start over again in the New Year, and every year I learn more and see things I didn’t before! Last year was a little weird because I changed my reading pattern to accommodate my schooling. I read the Old Testament from January to May, then the New Testament from late August to mid-December. I started again this year with a chronological Bible, which I really prefer in a read-thru-the-Bible-in-a-year program.

My wife Mary started the same thing, but with a Bible from a different publisher, so they’re a little different and we compare notes from time to time. She is actually the reason I chose this section of scripture for this mornings message! She is wiser than she realizes, and asked a question that got me digging a little deeper. Let’s take a closer look:

Genesis 4:1-2 “Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.” Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.” Mary said something like: “were Cain and Able twins?” I had never thought of it before. I read that verse every year for 10 years or more, and never thought about the boys being twins, but Mary did. She said it reminded her of her sister and her twins, how she gave birth to the first one, and then later, his brother! I did a little digging later at the office, and it turns out they probably were twins! That makes what happens a couple verses from now even more heinous.

In separate pregnancies, scripture usually says something on the order of: “and she conceived and gave birth” or words to that effect. Here it simply says: “later she gave birth to his brother Able.” A literal reading would be something like: “she added to birth his brother.” It’s not a big deal, just one of those amazing things you discover as you read and study the Word. What we do not know is when the twins were born, or how many other children Adam and Eve had. We don’t even know if they were her first children or not, just that they were the first recorded.

We know their occupations, as verse 2 continues: “Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.” Cain was a farmer, his younger brother a shepherd. Neither was a better occupation; both were valuable and necessary trades. Their Dad was a gardener. We also don’t know how old they were when the following story unfolds, but it would seem that they were old enough to be married, possibly with families of their own.

Verses 3-5: “In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.”
This is where the story gets interesting. Both men brought an offering to the Lord.

That was a good thing. They brought to the Lord an offering of the work of their hands. Again, a good thing. There was no “Levitical” requirement for offerings as yet. Worship was probably simple, and evidently presenting an offering was part of it. The offering was not the problem, though many a sermon has been preached on Abel’s offering being “right” because it was the “fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock” while Cain’s was fruits of the soil. That wasn’t the issue.

The problem was with the heart attitude of the one giving the offering. Cain brought “some of the fruits of the soil” and offered them to the Lord. He did not bring some of the first-fruit, he did not bring the “best” of the fruit of the soil; he brought “some.” Almost as an after-thought, a last-minute gesture, a “this is good enough” expression.
Well, it was not good enough, was it. Cain showed disrespect to God by what he brought. He made a bad choice. Abel, on the other hand, brought as his offering something of value, a sacrifice, the “fat portions” of one of the first-born of his flock. Again, not because that was the sacrifice or offering required by God, but because he understood the worship of offering to the Lord an offering of value.

The writer of Hebrews, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit tells us Abel brought an offering by faith. Hebrews 11:4 “By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.” The contrast is not between an offering of plant life and an offering of animal life, but between a careless, thoughtless offering and a choice, generous offering.

Motivation and heart attitude are all-important, and God looked with favor on Abel and his offering because of Abel’s faith. Cain resented the fact that God accepted his younger brother’s offering but rejected his, and rather than look at how to properly honor God with his offering, blamed God and his brother, and became very angry, and his anger so controlled him that it showed on his face! Have you ever seen anger displayed on the face of someone? Not a pretty sight, is it. Especially in church!

I wonder what our faces would reveal if the Lord Himself displayed his acceptance or rejection of our offerings on Sunday when the ushers return the plates to the table here in front of the sanctuary? Think it would make a difference in how and what we give? For some it just might. Do we give a choice, generous offering, or a careless, thoughtless, last-minute one? Only you and God know. But, you and God do know. God knew Cain’s heart too.

Verses 6-7: “Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” God confronted Cain with his problem. He confronts you and I too. The Holy Spirit convicts us of wrongdoing as surely as the Lord convicted Cain of his. Listening to and obeying God remains our choice though, just as it was Cain’s.

God gave him the answer. Stop doing wrong, choose to do right. Here we see the classic struggle between good and evil. Anyone full of envy and strife is a target for the Evil one. How many sinners perish, not because there is not a Savior able and willing to save them, but because they will not use that which is within their power. As Scripture says in II Peter 3:9b “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” He gave Cain the chance to repent. But He doesn’t force it. He leaves the choice to us. Cain made his.

Verse 8: “Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.” The first murder was especially heinous because it was committed with deliberate deceit (”Let’s go out to the field”), against a brother.

Listen to what the Apostle John said in I John 3:11-15: “This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.” This first murder is a striking illustration of the awful consequences of the fall.

Verses 9-12: “Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” Like the question posed to Adam in Genesis 3, it wasn’t that God didn’t know, he wanted to give Cain an opportunity to admit guilt. “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” When confronted with his sin, he did what most sinners do; he lied. Directly to God! I’m reminded of Proverbs 19:3 “A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD.” Cain acts like God has a lot of nerve asking him about his brother. But he forgot that God knows the heart, and fully knew what had happened to Abel. He asked for Cain’s sake, to give him one more chance to confess and repent. Cain basically spit in His face.

Verse 10 “The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. (This statement indicates Cain probably dug a shallow grave and buried his brother in an attempt to hide his crime.) When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” The ground had been cursed because of his parents’ sin, but now Cain himself is cursed. Formerly he had worked the ground, and it had produced “life” for him. Now the ground, soaked with his brother’s blood, would for him symbolize death and would no longer yield for him its produce. The curse on Cain was not just that the ground would no longer produce for him, but he was driven from the land he had lived in and destined to become a “restless wanderer.”

Verses 13-14: “Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” Confronted with his crime and its resulting curse, Cain responds not with remorse but with self-pity. In his eyes, it’s not his sin that was the problem; it was God’s punishment of it. His path of sin was virtually uninterrupted: irreverence for God as shown in the offering he brought, anger, jealousy, deception and murder, lying and finally, self-pity. The final result was alienation from God himself.

As the Prophet tells us in Isaiah 51:1-3 “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things.” One commentary stated: What an overwhelming sense of misery! Yet he shows no sign of penitence, and he makes no request for pardon. He is only concerned about his punishment. But in reality the sentence was a light one. Why was his life not taken? (This was another of Mary’s questions!) Apparently because no specific prohibition against murder with an appropriate sentence had been given. That would come later, after the flood, in Genesis 9:6: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.”

But Cain feared for his life, now that his sin was uncovered as revealed in his statement “whoever finds me will kill me.” This statement shows that the population of the world was increasing according to God’s command to Adam and Eve to “Be fruitful and increase in number”, it wasn’t just Adam and Eve and Cain living. Some commentaries speculate the population to be anywhere from 1200 to several hundred thousand. We see again God’s mercy, even to those whom we cannot see as deserving it in Verse 15.

“But the LORD said to him, “Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.” Scripture does not tell us what the mark was, but it was specific to Cain, not something passed down to his children and grandchildren. God did not turn his skin black, initiating the black race as was erroneously taught from many a pulpit in the past.

Verses 16-18: “So Cain went out from the LORD’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.” In an effort to solve his own problem and defeat the curse, Cain builds a city, a place for the restless wanderer to settle, away from the presence of the Lord. But I doubt his restlessness went away. Cain’s offspring continue in his rebellious tradition against the ways of God. Lamech is a prime example, he was the first to enter into polygamy, and boasted of murder. We won’t go into his story today. God showed mercy to Adam and Eve as well, and the chapter closes on a positive note.

Verses 25-26: “Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.” Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD.”

One commentary had this to say: “Seth means “appointed.” For Eve, Seth was to replace murdered Abel. The name may have theological significance, since from this line comes Noah, Abraham, David and Jesus Christ. “At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord” - rather: by the name of the Lord. This suggests that in the midst of the debauchery of the Cainites, Seth’s family worshiped Yahweh. They began to be called sons of God.”

We have seen how choices affect not only the one who makes them, but those around them as well, and often they can have generational effects. The choices we make are important. Mary is fond of the saying: “Every decision is a spiritual decision” and I am tempted to agree with her. We affect our future by the choices we make every day.
We notice it more as we begin a New Year, but it is true every day of our lives. We don’t always know which decisions are the life-changing ones, it’s not always obvious.

That’s why it is critical to “train yourself to be Godly” and seek divine guidance on every decision and choice. Cain didn’t start out with a decision to kill his brother. Sin is subtle, and we need to be on our guard against it. Take Paul’s advice, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Time spent in the Word and in Prayer on a daily basis will help you be able to discern truth and make right decisions and choices.

In His Grip,