Right off the bat, you’ve got to be thinking, what does being reluctant have to do with being an overcoming Christian? It’s like the old Sesame Street short: “One of these kids is not like the others…”This is my message to myself. I apologize if it doesn’t meet you where you are, but it’s chock full of Scripture, and the word of the Lord does not return void.
A while back, Carl mentioned that we would have a topical series based on the overcoming Christian from Revelation. Then, as time grew closer he asked if I would consider giving a message. Then, a few weeks ago, he asked if I had thought of a title to go in the program. I had some ideas, but not really a title. I think I said the Trepidatious Christian, then the Hesitant Christian, and then out popped the Reluctant Christian.
My example is Elijah after he had come down from the mountain. You know the story as well as I do. (I Kings 18) Elijah confronts 450 prophets of Baal “alone.” He performs what may be the first recorded standup comedy routine. Taunting the prophets of Baal over the failure of their God to demonstrate any response. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” Elijah then repairs the altar and prepares an offering including drenching it with water. God performs a mighty miracle and fire comes down and consumes the offering, the wood, the stones, the dirt, and the water.
After this, Jezebel sends a threat to Elijah that he will be killed. When Elijah, “saw how things were” he ran for his life. What happened to the man of God who boldly confronted the prophets of Baal, had seen miraculous provision by God, and raised a boy from the dead?
He began to look at “how things were.” Then, he was consumed by his fear. And, Elijah disqualified himself from the race.
God lovingly restores Elijah by nourishing him and allowing him to rest. Then, he appeared to him and spoke truth into Elijah’s life, “who God is.”
The following passage is I Kings 19:9-19.
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. [Do not be afraid.] Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.”
So Elijah went from there…
Elijah was broken out of his reluctance and fear by the voice of God. He got the message and he went.
There are many things that can lead us to be reluctant. None of us have brought fire down on the mountain, but we have had mountaintop experiences. Sometimes reluctance comes from that letdown. Sometimes reluctance comes from having things “go our way,” we become reluctant to seek God not out of fear but out of complacency. (II Chronicles 16) God works in our lives and makes something special, and the next thing you know, we’re thinking about “how things are” not “who God is.” And that leads to all sorts of strange and errant thoughts. What’s the use of trying to do something? God is bigger than me. I’m happy with the way things are. I don’t want them to ever change.
I don’t know if you feel reluctant to engage with God today or any time for that matter, but that is what I want us to do battle against today. God does not want us to stay in that place. He does not want us to remain reluctant and fearful toward him. He wants us to change. We have to change. We need to know the “God who is.”
This is a two part message. The first part is an example of how God can work through our reluctance. The second part is how we can work through our reluctance.
God works through our reluctance.
I want to be careful about painting reluctance with a broad brush as a bad thing. Reluctance toward God is very dangerous, it leads us directly into worldly thinking. Reluctance in our circumstances can come from the Lord.
Jesus himself showed reluctance before he performed his first miracle. The wedding at Cana where they ran out wine. Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” In this case, Jesus was reluctant for a specific reason. “My time has not yet come.”
Consider Romans 8:28.
In all things God works for the good of those who love him (NIV). Everything that happens fits into a pattern for good (Phillips). Every detail in our lives is worked into something good (The Message).
God can prompt reluctance with His Holy Spirit. We know what we should do, but we don’t because, well, we don’t know why. He can make use of our reluctance. God is always looking for ways to use us for his glory.
During the sharing time, I mentioned that Micah might interview for a job at Bosch. He does have an interview, and it is tomorrow morning at 9:30. The amazing thing for me is how it came about.
Micah first called me at the beginning of September and asked if I knew about any job openings at Bosch. I told him that I would look, but I didn’t think so. And a couple of days later, I found out there was no opportunity.
Three weeks later, I was dealing with a difficult situation with one of our engineers. I had put off making a decision and taking action for about 10 months. I was reluctant to make a change because I knew that this engineer would likely go to another department, and there was no reason to deal with a problem that would likely go away. Right?
It was a Thursday afternoon when I made my decision to confront the problem. I planned a meeting for Monday to go over the details of the change I wanted to make. I sent an email invitation and within 5 minutes the engineer is at my desk asking me for details about this change. We went down to the canteen, and I went over the change in responsibilities. I could tell that he was not happy at all, but he said, “You’re the boss. I’ll do what you asked.”
The next morning, I’m sitting at my desk and at about 8:30 the director of the department (my boss’s boss) says, “Hey, do you have a second to come into my office?” Usually, the boss’s boss only asks you to come to his office if you (A) did something wrong or (B) he needs you to do something immediately; otherwise, he would get his secretary to schedule a meeting. In case you were wondering what the right answer to the question is, when your boss’s boss asks you if you have a second, the answer is always, “Yes.”
I go in the director’s office, and he says, “What do you think about Bill going to a different department?” The director of that department called yesterday about 6:30 to ask if we could work out a swap. We will trade Bill for an open requisition. An open requisition is permission to hire a new engineer.
Of course, I’m shocked, but not shocked at the same time. I told him that I figured that would happen. I agree that it is the best thing for our department and for Bill, but the final decision is up to Bill.
On Monday, I find out Bill has decided to take the new position, and I have to find a new engineer. The same day, Peter (another engineer in our department) turns in his resignation. Now instead of no openings at Bosch, we have two openings at the same time!
Monday night, I call Micah and ask him to send me a copy of his resume. Then, I’m sitting at my desk with a copy of Micah’s resume. I need to write a job description, but I’m thinking what do I need to put in it. How should I word it? I want Micah to get the job if it’s God’s will and because he’s the right man for the job. I don’t want to have any impropriety. In my anxiety, the Spirit must have been interceding with the Father. I’m staring at my computer not knowing what to do, but that I need to do something and not delay. Then, up pops an email from Peter’s boss. He thought I might like to see his job description for that opening. I’ll read a portion of it.
“BS engineering or comparable. Mechanical, electrical or materials engineering background preferable. Intrinsically motivated individual with excellent project management and follow up skills, technical aptitude to learn a complex product and detail orientation necessary to support high technology automotive manufacturing processes. Ability to function well with and lead cross-functional teams in supporting achievement of business objectives. Must provide technical leadership and expertise in responsible area.”
I won’t read Micah’s resume to you, but from his background and experience he really fits these qualities quite well.
I change about 10 words. And I submit the job description along with Micah’s resume. Here’s the job description and here’s the guy I want to interview for it.
There have been a few more “hand of God” moments as He has directed this process. What will happen at the end? I don’t know. But I do know that God took my 10 months of reluctance and used it to create an opportunity for Micah when he needed it.
I relayed parts of this story to a Christian brother I’ve known for more than 10 years. His reply to me was, “I beat myself up a lot less now about not hastily taking action than I did when I was younger. I used to tell myself I was lazy or afraid, but I have seen God work in those delays too often to keep on tearing myself down for it.”
So there’s a case study on God working through my reluctance to bring about something good. I want emphasize that God works good through all our circumstances whether we can see it or not. While God works through our reluctance and our fears, we also must work through our reluctance and our fears.
We must work through our reluctance.
I went to the dictionary to look up the word reluctant. The reason is that in the past I have found out that a word that I use from time to time does not mean what I think it means. Also, word origins often give us some good insights.
Main Entry: re•luc•tant
Function: adjective
: feeling or showing aversion, hesitation, or unwillingness; also : having or assuming a specified role unwillingly.
Etymology: Latin reluctant-, reluctans, present participle of reluctari to struggle against, from re- + luctari to struggle.
Date: 1667
I tend to think of reluctant as being a safe, innocuous kind of word. A reluctant hero may have been reluctant at the start, but at the end he’s still a hero right? But reluctant isn’t the same as humility, meekness or self-control. Reluctant is not the opposite of pride or conceit.
Substitute some of the words from the definition with the word reluctant: the hesitant Christian, the averse Christian, the resistant Christian, the unwilling Christian, the struggling Christian. When you put it that way, it does sound a lot worse. No one wants to have written on their tombstone, “A loving husband, a happy father, and an unwilling Christian.” It’s pretty clear that reluctance is an enemy to an overcoming Christian. If you are hesitant, you cannot win the race. If you are unwilling, how can you give your heart to God, take up your cross and follow him?
“So because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” - Rev. 3:16
Reluctance toward God is a decision to not yield yourself fully to Him. Elijah’s attitude reflected this “shield’s up” reluctance.
We must fight against this reluctance that can infiltrate our hearts and our minds. We must lift our eyes up from the “things that are” and put our eyes on the “God who is.”
God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He created the universe and holds it together. He doesn’t need our strength or our money or our service. He wants us. He wants a relationship with us. He wants to speak through us, love through us, act through us.
Our responsiveness to God matters. He is looking to and fro throughout the earth for the one whose heart is completely His.
If we have disqualified ourselves from the race for whatever the reason, we must know and accept that we are all qualified by God’s grace.
The ultimate example of being disqualified and then requalified has to be the 11 apostles before and after Pentecost. Just coming off the series on Acts, we have seen what God did through the apostles. Let’s remind ourselves what they were like before.
"What is [most] revealing about these men is that at first they do not impress us as being key men. None of them occupied prominent places in the Synagogue, nor did any of them belong to the Levitical priesthood. For the most part, they were common laboring men, probably having no professional training beyond the rudiments of knowledge necessary for their vocation. Perhaps a few of them came from families of some considerable means, such as the sons of Zebedee, but none of them could have been considered wealthy. They had no academic degrees in the arts and philosophies of their day. Like their Master, their formal education likely consisted only of the Synagogue schools. Most of them were raised in the poor section of the country around Galilee. Apparently the only one of the twelve who came from the more refined region of Judea was Judas Iscariot. By any standard of sophisticated culture then and now they would surely be considered as a rather ragged aggregation of souls. One might wonder how Jesus could ever use them. They were impulsive, temperamental, easily offended, and had all the prejudices of their environment. In short, these men selected by the Lord to be His assistants represented an average cross section of the lot of society in their day. Not the kind of group one would expect to win the world for Christ." –Robert E. Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism
At the last supper, they were confused. “Lord, we do not know where you are going, how do we know the way?” “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us, and not to the world?” Later, Peter denied him and “all the disciples left Him and fled.”
At the resurrection, they were surprised that His body was not in the tomb. Later that same day, they were hiding behind closed doors “for fear of the Jews.” Even after Jesus appeared to some of them, Thomas still resisted, “I will not believe.”
Before the arrival of the Holy Spirit, they were troubled, confused, bothered, disloyal, fearful, and doubting. They were reluctant followers of Christ.
But Jesus had promised the Comforter, the Holy Spirit to come to them. And once the Spirit had come upon them, this ragged group was transformed.
I’ve been reading a book called Flying Closer to the Flame by Chuck Swindoll. He summarizes the transforming work of the Holy Spirit among the disciples in 3 points:
1. Their human frailties were transformed into supernatural gifts and abilities (e.g., speaking other languages, miracles of healing).
2. Their fearful reluctance was transformed into bold confidence (e.g., preaching in the streets).
3. Their fears and intimidation were transformed into a sense of invincibility (e.g., obeying God rather than men).
Our question: Is the Spirit of God being allowed to transform your life?
Or, do you tend to “put out the Spirit’s fire?” (I Thess 5:19)
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. - Romans 12:1-2
Our job is to no longer be conformed to the pattern of this world. We must put ourselves in a place where we can be transformed. In the case of the disciples, Jesus gave them very specific instructions. “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised.” Carl introduced us to the word homothumadon (Acts 1:14). The disciples stayed together in Jerusalem in one accord. They were not separated, they did not conform themselves to the world, but were waiting to be transformed, and transformed they were. These men and women changed the world for Jesus.
After warning the lukewarm believers about being “spit out,” Jesus gives an answer in Revelation 3:19 as well.
From the Amplified version
“Those whom I love, I tell their faults and convict and convince and reprove and chasten. So…
Be earnest (Amplified) – Be intentional, daily in prayer and the Word.
Be enthusiastic (Amplified) – Make like you love it; tell someone about what God is doing/has done in your life.
Shake off complacency (Phillips) – Do those things that you know God would have you do. Acknowledge the truth that his lovingkindnesses are new every morning. Challenge yourself, “Why so downcast, O my soul, put your hope in God!”
Repent - Turn around, about face; change your mind and your attitude.
We often think of Rev 3:20 as being an evangelistic verse (which it is), but in its context here, it is not restricted to the unbeliever. It applies to all of us, all the time.
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”
May we open the doors of our hearts and receive him in. May we not hinder the Spirit, but allow God to transform us.
I want to make sure that I have not pushed the point too far. I don’t want you all walking out of this room with heads hanging low and hearts burdened because you can’t attain some standard or measurement of being yielded to God.
Being yielded to God does not mean that we are suddenly perfect and words flow from our mouths and people are converted to Christ at the sight of us. In some ways, being yielded to God means that we are more vulnerable, more real, more authentic. We try new things. We love others when it’s not convenient.
Stepping out of your comfort zone will bring you face to face with the need for the Holy Spirit in your lives. Being dependent on Him is right where God wants you to be. I have a couple of examples of what it looks like to be yielded to God.
Lame Evangelism
I want to be careful about painting reluctance with a broad brush as a bad thing. Reluctance toward God is very dangerous, it leads us directly into worldly thinking. Reluctance in our circumstances can come from the Lord.
Jesus himself showed reluctance before he performed his first miracle. The wedding at Cana where they ran out wine. Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” In this case, Jesus was reluctant for a specific reason. “My time has not yet come.”
Consider Romans 8:28.
In all things God works for the good of those who love him (NIV). Everything that happens fits into a pattern for good (Phillips). Every detail in our lives is worked into something good (The Message).
God can prompt reluctance with His Holy Spirit. We know what we should do, but we don’t because, well, we don’t know why. He can make use of our reluctance. God is always looking for ways to use us for his glory.
During the sharing time, I mentioned that Micah might interview for a job at Bosch. He does have an interview, and it is tomorrow morning at 9:30. The amazing thing for me is how it came about.
Micah first called me at the beginning of September and asked if I knew about any job openings at Bosch. I told him that I would look, but I didn’t think so. And a couple of days later, I found out there was no opportunity.
Three weeks later, I was dealing with a difficult situation with one of our engineers. I had put off making a decision and taking action for about 10 months. I was reluctant to make a change because I knew that this engineer would likely go to another department, and there was no reason to deal with a problem that would likely go away. Right?
It was a Thursday afternoon when I made my decision to confront the problem. I planned a meeting for Monday to go over the details of the change I wanted to make. I sent an email invitation and within 5 minutes the engineer is at my desk asking me for details about this change. We went down to the canteen, and I went over the change in responsibilities. I could tell that he was not happy at all, but he said, “You’re the boss. I’ll do what you asked.”
The next morning, I’m sitting at my desk and at about 8:30 the director of the department (my boss’s boss) says, “Hey, do you have a second to come into my office?” Usually, the boss’s boss only asks you to come to his office if you (A) did something wrong or (B) he needs you to do something immediately; otherwise, he would get his secretary to schedule a meeting. In case you were wondering what the right answer to the question is, when your boss’s boss asks you if you have a second, the answer is always, “Yes.”
I go in the director’s office, and he says, “What do you think about Bill going to a different department?” The director of that department called yesterday about 6:30 to ask if we could work out a swap. We will trade Bill for an open requisition. An open requisition is permission to hire a new engineer.
Of course, I’m shocked, but not shocked at the same time. I told him that I figured that would happen. I agree that it is the best thing for our department and for Bill, but the final decision is up to Bill.
On Monday, I find out Bill has decided to take the new position, and I have to find a new engineer. The same day, Peter (another engineer in our department) turns in his resignation. Now instead of no openings at Bosch, we have two openings at the same time!
Monday night, I call Micah and ask him to send me a copy of his resume. Then, I’m sitting at my desk with a copy of Micah’s resume. I need to write a job description, but I’m thinking what do I need to put in it. How should I word it? I want Micah to get the job if it’s God’s will and because he’s the right man for the job. I don’t want to have any impropriety. In my anxiety, the Spirit must have been interceding with the Father. I’m staring at my computer not knowing what to do, but that I need to do something and not delay. Then, up pops an email from Peter’s boss. He thought I might like to see his job description for that opening. I’ll read a portion of it.
“BS engineering or comparable. Mechanical, electrical or materials engineering background preferable. Intrinsically motivated individual with excellent project management and follow up skills, technical aptitude to learn a complex product and detail orientation necessary to support high technology automotive manufacturing processes. Ability to function well with and lead cross-functional teams in supporting achievement of business objectives. Must provide technical leadership and expertise in responsible area.”
I won’t read Micah’s resume to you, but from his background and experience he really fits these qualities quite well.
I change about 10 words. And I submit the job description along with Micah’s resume. Here’s the job description and here’s the guy I want to interview for it.
There have been a few more “hand of God” moments as He has directed this process. What will happen at the end? I don’t know. But I do know that God took my 10 months of reluctance and used it to create an opportunity for Micah when he needed it.
I relayed parts of this story to a Christian brother I’ve known for more than 10 years. His reply to me was, “I beat myself up a lot less now about not hastily taking action than I did when I was younger. I used to tell myself I was lazy or afraid, but I have seen God work in those delays too often to keep on tearing myself down for it.”
So there’s a case study on God working through my reluctance to bring about something good. I want emphasize that God works good through all our circumstances whether we can see it or not. While God works through our reluctance and our fears, we also must work through our reluctance and our fears.
We must work through our reluctance.
I went to the dictionary to look up the word reluctant. The reason is that in the past I have found out that a word that I use from time to time does not mean what I think it means. Also, word origins often give us some good insights.
Main Entry: re•luc•tant
Function: adjective
: feeling or showing aversion, hesitation, or unwillingness
Etymology: Latin reluctant-, reluctans, present participle of reluctari to struggle against, from re- + luctari to struggle.
Date: 1667
I tend to think of reluctant as being a safe, innocuous kind of word. A reluctant hero may have been reluctant at the start, but at the end he’s still a hero right? But reluctant isn’t the same as humility, meekness or self-control. Reluctant is not the opposite of pride or conceit.
Substitute some of the words from the definition with the word reluctant: the hesitant Christian, the averse Christian, the resistant Christian, the unwilling Christian, the struggling Christian. When you put it that way, it does sound a lot worse. No one wants to have written on their tombstone, “A loving husband, a happy father, and an unwilling Christian.” It’s pretty clear that reluctance is an enemy to an overcoming Christian. If you are hesitant, you cannot win the race. If you are unwilling, how can you give your heart to God, take up your cross and follow him?
“So because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” - Rev. 3:16
Reluctance toward God is a decision to not yield yourself fully to Him. Elijah’s attitude reflected this “shield’s up” reluctance.
We must fight against this reluctance that can infiltrate our hearts and our minds. We must lift our eyes up from the “things that are” and put our eyes on the “God who is.”
God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He created the universe and holds it together. He doesn’t need our strength or our money or our service. He wants us. He wants a relationship with us. He wants to speak through us, love through us, act through us.
Our responsiveness to God matters. He is looking to and fro throughout the earth for the one whose heart is completely His.
If we have disqualified ourselves from the race for whatever the reason, we must know and accept that we are all qualified by God’s grace.
The ultimate example of being disqualified and then requalified has to be the 11 apostles before and after Pentecost. Just coming off the series on Acts, we have seen what God did through the apostles. Let’s remind ourselves what they were like before.
"What is [most] revealing about these men is that at first they do not impress us as being key men. None of them occupied prominent places in the Synagogue, nor did any of them belong to the Levitical priesthood. For the most part, they were common laboring men, probably having no professional training beyond the rudiments of knowledge necessary for their vocation. Perhaps a few of them came from families of some considerable means, such as the sons of Zebedee, but none of them could have been considered wealthy. They had no academic degrees in the arts and philosophies of their day. Like their Master, their formal education likely consisted only of the Synagogue schools. Most of them were raised in the poor section of the country around Galilee. Apparently the only one of the twelve who came from the more refined region of Judea was Judas Iscariot. By any standard of sophisticated culture then and now they would surely be considered as a rather ragged aggregation of souls. One might wonder how Jesus could ever use them. They were impulsive, temperamental, easily offended, and had all the prejudices of their environment. In short, these men selected by the Lord to be His assistants represented an average cross section of the lot of society in their day. Not the kind of group one would expect to win the world for Christ." –Robert E. Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism
At the last supper, they were confused. “Lord, we do not know where you are going, how do we know the way?” “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us, and not to the world?” Later, Peter denied him and “all the disciples left Him and fled.”
At the resurrection, they were surprised that His body was not in the tomb. Later that same day, they were hiding behind closed doors “for fear of the Jews.” Even after Jesus appeared to some of them, Thomas still resisted, “I will not believe.”
Before the arrival of the Holy Spirit, they were troubled, confused, bothered, disloyal, fearful, and doubting. They were reluctant followers of Christ.
But Jesus had promised the Comforter, the Holy Spirit to come to them. And once the Spirit had come upon them, this ragged group was transformed.
I’ve been reading a book called Flying Closer to the Flame by Chuck Swindoll. He summarizes the transforming work of the Holy Spirit among the disciples in 3 points:
1. Their human frailties were transformed into supernatural gifts and abilities (e.g., speaking other languages, miracles of healing).
2. Their fearful reluctance was transformed into bold confidence (e.g., preaching in the streets).
3. Their fears and intimidation were transformed into a sense of invincibility (e.g., obeying God rather than men).
Our question: Is the Spirit of God being allowed to transform your life?
Or, do you tend to “put out the Spirit’s fire?” (I Thess 5:19)
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. - Romans 12:1-2
Our job is to no longer be conformed to the pattern of this world. We must put ourselves in a place where we can be transformed. In the case of the disciples, Jesus gave them very specific instructions. “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised.” Carl introduced us to the word homothumadon (Acts 1:14). The disciples stayed together in Jerusalem in one accord. They were not separated, they did not conform themselves to the world, but were waiting to be transformed, and transformed they were. These men and women changed the world for Jesus.
After warning the lukewarm believers about being “spit out,” Jesus gives an answer in Revelation 3:19 as well.
From the Amplified version
“Those whom I love, I tell their faults and convict and convince and reprove and chasten. So…
Be earnest (Amplified) – Be intentional, daily in prayer and the Word.
Be enthusiastic (Amplified) – Make like you love it; tell someone about what God is doing/has done in your life.
Shake off complacency (Phillips) – Do those things that you know God would have you do. Acknowledge the truth that his lovingkindnesses are new every morning. Challenge yourself, “Why so downcast, O my soul, put your hope in God!”
Repent - Turn around, about face; change your mind and your attitude.
We often think of Rev 3:20 as being an evangelistic verse (which it is), but in its context here, it is not restricted to the unbeliever. It applies to all of us, all the time.
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”
May we open the doors of our hearts and receive him in. May we not hinder the Spirit, but allow God to transform us.
I want to make sure that I have not pushed the point too far. I don’t want you all walking out of this room with heads hanging low and hearts burdened because you can’t attain some standard or measurement of being yielded to God.
Being yielded to God does not mean that we are suddenly perfect and words flow from our mouths and people are converted to Christ at the sight of us. In some ways, being yielded to God means that we are more vulnerable, more real, more authentic. We try new things. We love others when it’s not convenient.
Stepping out of your comfort zone will bring you face to face with the need for the Holy Spirit in your lives. Being dependent on Him is right where God wants you to be. I have a couple of examples of what it looks like to be yielded to God.
Lame Evangelism
"God powerfully works through even awkward attempts to reach the lost." - Andrée Seu
"On a snowy Sunday morning in Colchester, England, 1850, a 15-year-old boy made a detour from his intended destination and stumbled into a Primitive Methodist Chapel. The usual pastor was not in attendance and had constrained a member of the congregation to preach. The uncertain pulpit-filler read the day's text (Isaiah 45:22: "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth")—and then, having no second act, read it over and over again, with different inflections, for 10 minutes. Noticing a new face in the pew, he gazed at him and said, "Young man, you look miserable. Look to Jesus Christ. Look! Look!" The young man did. His name was Charles Hadden Spurgeon.
"I am collecting lame, awkward, fumbling evangelism examples. The one above fits my criteria in some ways but not others: It at least has actual Scripture in it. I heard a lamer one recently at a Bible conference in New Jersey, where the speaker, Rick Phillips of Florida, once a hard-living cavalry tank commander, told how a woman he carried a box for from her Philadelphia apartment tossed off the following: "If you're ever looking for a good church, try Tenth Presbyterian." Lame. She must be kicking herself today. But Rev. Phillips remembered the name a few months after the encounter, made his way to 17th and Spruce, and was converted under the preaching of James Boice.
"Then there's my first Christian roommate, Susan J. It was the early 1970s and she was hanging out on the Boston Commons when someone approached her and said the lamest thing you can say if you want to convert somebody: "Hey," the interloper called to the burnt-out hippie, "want to come meet some normal people?" Susan followed at once. Just like Andrew and Peter."
"On a snowy Sunday morning in Colchester, England, 1850, a 15-year-old boy made a detour from his intended destination and stumbled into a Primitive Methodist Chapel. The usual pastor was not in attendance and had constrained a member of the congregation to preach. The uncertain pulpit-filler read the day's text (Isaiah 45:22: "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth")—and then, having no second act, read it over and over again, with different inflections, for 10 minutes. Noticing a new face in the pew, he gazed at him and said, "Young man, you look miserable. Look to Jesus Christ. Look! Look!" The young man did. His name was Charles Hadden Spurgeon.
"I am collecting lame, awkward, fumbling evangelism examples. The one above fits my criteria in some ways but not others: It at least has actual Scripture in it. I heard a lamer one recently at a Bible conference in New Jersey, where the speaker, Rick Phillips of Florida, once a hard-living cavalry tank commander, told how a woman he carried a box for from her Philadelphia apartment tossed off the following: "If you're ever looking for a good church, try Tenth Presbyterian." Lame. She must be kicking herself today. But Rev. Phillips remembered the name a few months after the encounter, made his way to 17th and Spruce, and was converted under the preaching of James Boice.
"Then there's my first Christian roommate, Susan J. It was the early 1970s and she was hanging out on the Boston Commons when someone approached her and said the lamest thing you can say if you want to convert somebody: "Hey," the interloper called to the burnt-out hippie, "want to come meet some normal people?" Susan followed at once. Just like Andrew and Peter."
Are you starting to feel better, too—like maybe you don't have to be a sure-footed Ph.D. in apologetics to win souls for Christ? Like maybe there is something strange, unearthly, going on here? Could it be that the gospel is a living, breathing thing (Hebrews 4:12), a force that "overtakes" (Zechariah 1:6) like a thundering posse? A bristling, pulsating, throbbing, shimmering power (think Frodo's ring, but for good), so poised to strike and conquer that it will surge into the slightest crack like electricity, unembarrassed by the vehicle it rides in on?
The old Puritan Richard Baxter was on that wavelength: "The work of conversion is the first and great thing we must drive at; after this we must labor with all our might. Alas! The misery of the unconverted is so great, that it calleth loudest to us for compassion. If a truly converted sinner do fall, it will be but into sin which will be pardoned.... But with the unconverted it is far otherwise. They are in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity, and have yet no part nor fellowship in the pardon of their sins, or the hope of glory...."
"It is so sad a case to see men in a state of damnation, wherein, if they should die, they are lost for ever, that methinks we should not be able to let them alone, either in public or private, whatever other work we may have to do.... Who is able to talk of controversies, or of nice unnecessary points, or even of truths of a lower degree of necessity, how excellent soever, while he seeth a company of ignorant, carnal, miserable sinners before his eyes, who must change or be damned? ... Methinks, if by faith we did indeed look upon them as within a step of hell, it would more effectually untie our tongues .... O, therefore, brethren, whomsoever you neglect, neglect not the most miserable! Whatever you pass over, forget not poor souls that are under the condemnation and curse of the law, and who may look every hour for the infernal execution, if a speedy change [does] not prevent it. O call after the impenitent, and ply this great work of converting souls, whatever else you leave undone" (The Reformed Pastor).
"Timid and reluctant evangelists like myself, let us screw up our courage. Paul was not being poetic but stating God's literal truth when he said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation" (Romans 1:16). Nor did he say, "I had a seminary degree, and so I spoke," but rather, "I believed, and so I spoke" (2 Corinthians 4:13). Let us trust the Force and let it use us—lame, fumbling, and bumbling though we are. There is one qualification for evangelism: to care that your neighbor is sliding into hell. There is one wrong way: to say nothing."- taken from WORLD Magazine, October 04, 2003, Vol. 18, No. 38.
Do you remember that the word reluctant came from a Latin root. I could only find one form of the verb luctari (to struggle) in the Latin translation of the Bible.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. - Eph. 6:12
If you are a Christian, you have an Advocate before the Father. You have the Comforter in your hearts. Let us offer up our bodies, hearts, and minds as a living sacrifice. May we be continually transformed by His Spirit, not looking at the way things are but looking to the God who is.
"It is so sad a case to see men in a state of damnation, wherein, if they should die, they are lost for ever, that methinks we should not be able to let them alone, either in public or private, whatever other work we may have to do.... Who is able to talk of controversies, or of nice unnecessary points, or even of truths of a lower degree of necessity, how excellent soever, while he seeth a company of ignorant, carnal, miserable sinners before his eyes, who must change or be damned? ... Methinks, if by faith we did indeed look upon them as within a step of hell, it would more effectually untie our tongues .... O, therefore, brethren, whomsoever you neglect, neglect not the most miserable! Whatever you pass over, forget not poor souls that are under the condemnation and curse of the law, and who may look every hour for the infernal execution, if a speedy change [does] not prevent it. O call after the impenitent, and ply this great work of converting souls, whatever else you leave undone" (The Reformed Pastor).
"Timid and reluctant evangelists like myself, let us screw up our courage. Paul was not being poetic but stating God's literal truth when he said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation" (Romans 1:16). Nor did he say, "I had a seminary degree, and so I spoke," but rather, "I believed, and so I spoke" (2 Corinthians 4:13). Let us trust the Force and let it use us—lame, fumbling, and bumbling though we are. There is one qualification for evangelism: to care that your neighbor is sliding into hell. There is one wrong way: to say nothing."- taken from WORLD Magazine, October 04, 2003, Vol. 18, No. 38.
Do you remember that the word reluctant came from a Latin root. I could only find one form of the verb luctari (to struggle) in the Latin translation of the Bible.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. - Eph. 6:12
If you are a Christian, you have an Advocate before the Father. You have the Comforter in your hearts. Let us offer up our bodies, hearts, and minds as a living sacrifice. May we be continually transformed by His Spirit, not looking at the way things are but looking to the God who is.
God let us yield our lives to you. May we seek you and find you in daily quiet times. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit. Work through us your love and your grace. Let us not disqualify ourselves or disqualify others. May we encourage each other and lift one another up. Lead us to people who need you and give us the right words to say. Most of all, may your will be done through each one of us in this room. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment