A Sermon of Attitudes (pt. 2)

Those who are open to truly hearing God’s Word would be considered “poor in spirit.” This seems to be the attitude where one’s walk with God begins. Without this attitude of humility and reverence, one will not likely seek the kingdom nor the righteousness of God (Mt. 6:33). Those who have a sense of their own unworthiness before a holy God are most likely to be “poor in spirit.”

Humility has blessings to be enjoyed by the disciple of Christ. James reminds us of the same thought: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up” (Jms. 4:10). Jesus taught that the blessing of this attitude is “the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:3). When we learn to see ourselves as God sees us, we can adjust our attitude so that we might not only enter into the kingdom of heaven through humble obedience, but also be meet for the Master’s use.

-Wayne Rodgers

The Holiness of God

Leviticus 19:2 “Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.”

The Lord is holy, and He is the one who has all authority. Our actions, same as Israel’s, must be predicated on that fact. The Supreme Being, the Creator, the Sustainer, and the ultimate authority of all is holy. Therefore, our lives must be that which fall in line with the Creator’s purpose for us: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Rev. 4:11). He is worthy of such from His creation, because He is holy. He requires of His people in every age to be set apart (holy) in character reflecting His character.

--Wayne Rodgers

THE LAST THING YOU NEED TO HEAR

by Michael Whitworth

What is the last thing you need to hear? When you're despondent? When you've cried more tears than you thought possible? When the pain feels like an unbearable burden?

What is the last thing you need to hear? When sadness creeps into your home stays an uninvited guest? When grief empties your heart of joy and your face forgets to smile?

What is the last thing you need to hear when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death?

I've overheard a lot of inappropriate things that have been said to the hurting, the grieving, the despondent. They often are fake expressions of empathy (e.g. "I know just how you feel in losing your husband; my dog died last week."). But they are more likely to be ignorant attempts at explaining "the why" of the tragedy (e.g. "God needed another angel" or "Everything happens for a reason.").

In the book of Job, the suffering patriarch's three friends came for a visit and attempted to explain the why of his suffering. They were adamant that poor Job had some unexplained sin in his life, that this was the reason for the tragedy that had befallen him. "Miserable comforters are you all," Job said.

In the story of Ruth, it doesn't take but five verses for us to see a forsaken Naomi standing at the graves of her husband and sons, forced to imagine life as a lonely, forgotten widow. Scholars and commentators have all chimed in on why Elimelech and his boys died such pre-mature deaths in the land of Moab. Was it because they abandoned the Promised Land? Was it because the boys married foreign wives?

What is the last thing you need to hear when your dreams have been shattered?

I think the last thing you and I need to hear is answers. Reasons. Explanations. Thy "why" of our suffering is the last thing we need to hear when we suffer. How do I know that?

Because the image of a despondent, bitter Naomi isn't mitigated by why her husband and sons have died. If she had known why they had died, I doubt she would have been happier or more joyous. Sometimes we are better off not knowing why. How do I know that?

Because Job railed at God for several chapters, lamenting that God was not a man whom Job could sue, bring to court, and demand answers as to why he was suffering. But when God did come down in a whirlwind, in four chapters of a reply, not once did he explain the why of Job's suffering.

Would Job have been better off if God had done so? Would Job have been comforted by learning that his suffering was because Satan had made an accusation against God, that Job's religious devotion was for hire, and that God's integrity had been on the line. Would Job have been OK with his suffering if he had known that he was a pawn in a cosmic water-cooler wager?

I doubt it.

You and I ask "why" a lot when we suffer, and we do so because we think it will make us feel better, that it will somehow mitigate our suffering if we just knew "why."

But "why" is the last thing we need to hear when we suffer.

Instead, what we need more than anything is a glimpse of God and his unparalleled majesty. We need to be reminded that God sees, that God knows, and that God cares.

The first thing we need to hear when we suffer is that God has sworn on himself to work all things according to the purpose of his will, that he has sworn to work all things to our good and his glory.

That tells me that "why" matters less in my suffering than "how." How can my suffering, my pain, my grief, my tears be redeemed by God? How can he transform my pain to praise, my heartache to hallelujah? How can God reveal his power and his love, how can he glorify himself through me?

That's what I need to hear, to ask when I suffer. Because pain is never so beautiful as when it stands in awe-struck wonder at the goodness and greatness of God.

Are you hurting? Are you grieving? Has physical or emotional pain wrecked your life? Have you forgotten what joy or laughter are like? Have you been made to walk the lonely road through the valley of the shadow of death?

May I offer this helpful word? The last thing you need to hear is answers for your suffering. The last thing you need to know is why. The first thing you need to hear is that God sees, that God knows, that God cares. You need to hear about the power and glory of God.

Because when you stand in the presence of a powerful, glorious, holy God, you are never the same.

"Father, we don't like pain. But life is filled with it, and we trust you to redeem our heartache for our good and your own exalted glory. We don't always know why we suffer, but help us to focus on Christ instead of circumstances; help us to glory in you instead of gripe about ourselves. Give us a vision of your love and faithfulness and glory and power. Through the Scriptures and through Christian friends, rub salve on the wounds of our heart through your Word. Remember that we are dust, so be patient with us as we learn to praise you again. In Jesus' name."

Michael's bio & links: Michael Whitworth preaches in Bowie, Texas. He is the author of several books, including the award-winning The Epic of God and The Derision of Heaven. His next book, Bethlehem Road: A Guide to Ruth, releases September 2, 2014 and is currently available for pre-order. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, drinking coffee, watching sports, and spending time with his awesome family and furry golden retriever.

http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Whitworth/e/B009URIGQE/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
http://michaelwhitworth.com/books/

DISTRACTION FROM GOD

by Allan Hornbuckle

When one goes to the Scriptures to learn about how to walk in a manner pleasing to God, there are many things which may be noted to be important.  One of those things that is worthy of mention is the concept of keeping our focus on God.  A few verses that emphasize this are:  

Hebrews 12:1-2, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” 

Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

God is clear in His word that if we want to maintain our faithfulness to Him, we should be solely focused on our spiritual life. There are many warnings also of the dangers of not focusing on God.

Hebrews 2:1, “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.” 

2 Timothy 4:9-10, :Be diligent to come to me quickly; for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia.”

In our modern world there are many things that can allure us to be distracted from spiritual things. I would like to mention a few of these distractions and offer some practical ways we can maintain our focus on what is truly important in our lives. 

Entertainment

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American spends $2,827 on entertainment annually.  To put that in perspective, their findings also record that $2,979 is spent on healthcare.  That means that the average American spends almost as much on entertainment as they do their own physical wellbeing and health.  That is a very high amount.  

Recreation and entertainment are valuable however.  By using time away from work, stress, and other worries we are able to decompress emotional pressure and be ultimately more happy and productive.  However, there is a need to maintain a proper balance in where we spend our time. If we want to keep our focus on spiritual things, we must understand the need to limit our time and expenses towards entertainment and recreation.  If the bulk of our income goes to distraction from stress and our lives, is that the best use of the financial blessings God has given us?

In Matthew 25:14-30 the Bible records the parable of the talents.  In this parable we find a Master leaving his wealth to three servants that are in his household.  He invests this wealth with them that they can use it to bring back a profit while he is away.  Two of the servants go and trade with the money and double the master’s initial investment.  The third servant goes and buries the money until the master returns as to not lose any of the money.  The two who bring back a profit are approved and given the lord’s approval and the third who was lazy with the master’s money was rebuked and chastened.  The overall message of this parable from Jesus is that God gives us certain blessing to bring a return from His investment.  There are many possible applications from this, but most obvious is the fact that God blesses us with the time of our lives and the money through employment to be used to bring glory to Him.  

If we spend the majority of our time and resources on ourselves through entertainment and leisure, we are wasting an opportunity to bring glory to our Master.  Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and place for entertainment, recreation, and leisure but to not be distracted from God we must maintain balance.  

Technology

We have so many valuable tools at our disposal in our day and age.  It’s a wonderful thing to be able to use the internet to connect to virtually everyone on our planet. We can communicate with people around the globe in an instant, inexpensive way.  It’s a marvel that we have all of these resources at our fingertips and in our pockets.  

A question was once asked on an internet forum “If someone from the 1950’s suddenly appeared today, what would be the most difficult thing to explain to them about life today?”  The most popular answer was this: “I possess a device, in my pocket, that is capable of accessing the entirety of information known to man. I use it to look at pictures of cats and get in arguments with strangers.”  What an interesting perspective on the common usage of our technological assets.  

We can allow our phones and computers to be a distraction from the most important things in life.  How many times have you seen a family sitting in a restaurant and while they are together, sharing that experience they all have their phones out and are lost in the screens?  Also you can commonly see people who order their food and before they take their first bite, they have to snap a picture of it and post it for strangers to see, “like”, and comment on.  What a strange world we live in.  

The capabilities of these devices are so wonderful, we want to be good stewards of them and their uses. So how can we protect our focus and ensure it’s placed in the proper place?  Here are a few suggestions I have tried which have helped me keep focused:

Have a “Screen Sabbath”.  This is a day a week where you do not use your computer or phone except for absolute emergencies.  This allows you to break the mental dependance on your screened device.

Do you find yourself opening and checking certain apps on your phone almost through auto-pilot?  Try this: delete the app on your phone for a week.  See how many times in that week you pull out your phone and click where the app used to be.  It may surprise you how often you will do that.  It sure surprised me.  

Make a daily commitment for “no screens after XX o’clock”.  I try to ensure that I will not be on my phone any later than 10.  It will be different for each person for a variety of reasons, but your family will notice the conscious effort you are putting forth and will be appreciative.  

Finally, try to use more analog forms of communication to connect with life before the internet.  For example, do you have someone that you are thinking of Facebook messaging to catch up? Send them a letter.  Like a real letter.  On paper that you have to send through the mail with a stamp and everything.  Do you need to take notes throughout the day to remember certain things? I know I do.  Pick up a small pocket notebook like a Moleskine or Field Notes and keep it in your back pocket.  It’s amazing to re-learn how physically writing a note down helps you retain the information.  

Self

In our world we are taught that the most important thing is personal happiness.  If you want to be successful, you work hard for yourself until you find happiness and fulfillment.  The Bible has another take on it: “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “ Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it” (Mark 8:34-35).  

It also interesting to do a search on how to overcome depression.  Among all the practical tips for overcoming a mood of melancholy, doing something good for someone else is consistently suggested.  If we want to be focused on God and spiritual things we ought not forget James’ definition of pure religion: “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).

Notice Luke 17:5-10, 

“And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” So the Lord said, “ If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, “Come at once and sit down to eat’? But will he not rather say to him, “Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.”

In this teaching, Jesus is essentially saying that if you want a challenge to your faith which will increase it, think of yourself as a servant of the Master.  When you do His will instead of expecting thanks for your service, understand that doing His will is your purpose.  You are only fulfilling your duty to your Creator.  What this will do is to pull you out of yourself.  When you exist to serve and to perform His will, there is no more self there is only service.  

How does this help us practically? Well, when you think of yourself as only a servant of God you know exactly to whom you are accountable.  This same sentiment is reflected in 1 Corinthians 4:3-5, “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God.”

So to conclude our thoughts, there are some things which can distract us from God and our spiritual lives.  A few of them are entertainment, technology, and “self”.  If we want to be faithful to God we should want to not be distracted and maintain our focus.  May God bless in so doing.

For more from this author visit: www.allanhornbuckle.com  

Charles Town church of Christ: http://charlestowncoc.org