For this post I want to share a link with you to four sermons I just completed that are from Exodus 20 that I pray will be a blessing to you.
Here is the link
or you can view the sermons:
04-02-2016 Chad Stuart: Remember: Part 1 from Spencerville Church on Vimeo.
04-09-2016 Chad Stuart: Remember: Part 2 from Spencerville Church on Vimeo.
04-16-2016 Chad Stuart: Remember: Part 3 from Spencerville Church on Vimeo.
04-23-2016 Chad Stuart: Remember: Part 4 from Spencerville Church on Vimeo.
So I recently sent out a survey to our church family and one of the questions on there was, “I will invite at least one person to church in the next 12 months.” 23.4% of the respondents said, “NO.” This survey is completely anonymous so I have no idea who those 23% are, and some of them may have very legitimate reasons for saying, “No,” I personally can’t think of any, but some may…I guess if they’re homebound that would make sense for them to say “no” but much beyond that I don’t understand…
But there are some who reason simply, “It is not my responsibility” or “I just don’t care enough to.”
I read something in today’s reading that those folk who said, “No” may want to hear,
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” -2 Corinthians 5:20
Who are the “We”? The church members, that is whom Paul is writing to. The last line is interesting…in order to be ambassadors, true ambassadors we must be “reconciled to God.” And then verse 21 tells us how…
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf,” -2 Corinthians 5:21a
For what purpose?
“so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” -2 Corinthians 5:21b
“the righteousness of God” i.e. ambassadors.
Christ became sin for us not so we could sit in church and never reach out to anyone…
But so we could be ambassadors.
Saying “No” could be very close to saying “No” to being God’s ambassador…
And I’m not saved by being an ambassador…but if I am truly saved, then I will be an ambassador…
Something to think about if my “no” is because I just don’t care to or I somehow think being an ambassador is not my responsibility.
Tomorrow’s Reading: Exodus 17-20
Mark 13 hit me with some insights I had never thought of before…
In verse 5 the very first thing Jesus says about the eschaton is,
“And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.”
This should immediately alert us to the importance of understanding what will happen in the last days of earth’s history. Before Jesus gives us any signs of recognizing the end, He informs us through this statement that there will WRONG ideas/interpretations about the end of times.
What should we be doing or supporting in the last days?
“The gospel must first be preached to all the nations.” -Mark 13:10
The preaching of the gospel…the good news of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, intercession in the heavenly sanctuary, and second coming.
It seems as the world becomes more and more wicked there is more and move emphasis by the church on “fitting-in” with the world, but Jesus said,
“You will be hated by all because of My name…” -Mark 13:13a
We should not seek enemies, but we should not be surprised by them either. And as I read scripture there are only two reasons why people hated believers in the Bible, they were arrogant (see Israel at points, Pharisees) or they were different. I don’t believe in this statement Jesus is speaking of hatred due to arrogance, do you? So it must be because we are different. This does not mean weird, it means different. How we speak, what we enjoy, how we act, how we spend our money, how we use our time, how we smile 🙂
“But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.” -Mark 13:23
Everything, to the extent that all we need to know in order to endure and recognize the eschaton, Jesus has provided in His scriptures. This would mean there will come a day, not one of us can say, “How was I supposed to know?”
“What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’” -Mark 13:37
BE ON ALERT–I’ve known many that have said, “We’ve been warning people forever and still Jesus hasn’t come. We need to tone down the second coming talk. We need to tone down the evangelism and the stories of the end times.”
Not by Jesus’ standard. “I say to ALL” that means not one person in any generation should miss this message…BE ON ALERT!
Tomorrow’s Reading: 2 Corinthians 4 & 5
Two points I wrote down in response to today’s reading.
Tomorrow’s Reading: Mark 13 & 14
One story that really touched me and I saw a preview of Jesus’ gospel parable of the workers found in Matthew 20 in the leadership of David.
“When David came to the two hundred men who were too exhausted to follow David, who had also been left at the brook Besor, and they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him, then David approached the people and greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked and worthless men among those who went with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away and depart.” 23 Then David said, “You must not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us, who has kept us and delivered into our hand the band that came against us. 24 And who will listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage; they shall share alike.” 25 So it has been from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.” -1 Samuel 30:21-25
It is clear whose side inspiration stands on in this story, “all the wicked and worthless men”…it was the wicked and worthless that did not want to share. I love what David points out so clearly in verse 23…the Lord gave you the victory and the blessings, you have no right to be possessive of these blessings or these rewards and think you get to decide who gets what.
It is a temptation for people serving in ministry to become possessive of their ministries and of receiving “credit.” I have also seen churches hesitant to share the leadership, the authority with “new” people because they haven’t put in the time/money/stress. When we find ourselves leaning this way let us remember whom inspiration states responds in such a manner to God’s blessings, “all the wicked and worthless.”
“Wait” you may say, “What happened to day’s 108-116?” We will do those, but it was pointed out to me that there are people that are caught-up with their reading and that God has been using this blog as I a blessing but in more ways than just information, but also as an accountability tool. With me falling behind it has been easier for them to miss a day or two knowing I’m not going to be there for a while. My goal is to have people in their Bibles every day, by myself falling behind I am in a way giving folk an excuse not to read or rather the devil could use my absence as an excuse not to read…so if I can be a help in your journey or as you build this daily habit then I desire to do so. I think for me also personally it will be good to go to where I am supposed to be and on the days I have time I will fill in those 9 days I’m behind with a second blog on that day. So today we are supposed to be in Job 33 & 34 and so that is what I am going to write on now. I thank you for your understanding.
And of course right when we are trying to catch-up we are in Job 🙂
“However now, Job, please hear my speech,
And listen to all my words.
2 “Behold now, I open my mouth,
My tongue in my mouth speaks.
3 “My words are from the uprightness of my heart,
And my lips speak knowledge sincerely.
4 “The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 “Refute me if you can;
Array yourselves before me, take your stand.
6 “Behold, I belong to God like you;
I too have been formed out of the clay.
7 “Behold, no fear of me should terrify you,
Nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you.” -Job 33:1-7
This opening salvo by Elihu reminds me of many a conversation I’ve had with Christians. There is a presumption sometimes under those of us that call ourselves followers of Jesus, that just because we are His followers and just because we are speaking of Christian things then we are speaking with all knowledge and understanding. Elihu here makes that claim, “Listen to all my words…My words are from the uprightness of my heart.” But the problem is he still speaks in error. In the next chapter he chastises Job asking who is he to question to God and accuse Him of not punishing in fairness, here Elihu speaks a partial truth. This is a good question. Who are we that we should question the will and the acts of God? Praise Him He allows us to question, but we should be cautious that our questioning does not move to accusing and accusing to doubt. Anyway Elihu is correct in that assessment, but then he is in error in that He again asserts that God is punishing because Job “deserves” it,
“Behold, God does all these oftentimes with men,
30 To bring back his soul from the pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.” -Job 34:29, 30
I personally don’t in fact disagree with this, that God allows things to happen in our lives at times to allow us to go through a “crisis” and see our need for Him. But Elihu applying this to all situations is a partial truth mixed with error. He is both correct and incorrect.
And it is why we as Christians should be very cautious of applying universal observations to all situations?
Job was not in fact going through this because of His need to return to God, but rather God was allowing it for a lesson to all generations on some cosmic scale to illustrate in live action the Great Controversy that exists between good and evil.
Sometimes we may look at a situation and say, “________ is happening because this person did _______” Do we really know? Elihu spoke as if he knew without a doubt…but he should have doubted because he was wrong.
Let us as Christians be cautious in speaking in black and white when there may be some gray not because God is gray, but because our minds our finite and we cannot fully see the solid shades just yet.
Tomorrow’s Reading: Jeremiah 22-26