Christ Preached

Philippians 1:15-18 ESV
15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

It’s amazing what the bottom line was for Paul: that Christ was proclaimed! Not that I’m promoting factions or rivalry, but I want to be to that point where if Christ is being preached that I can rejoice.

I don’t want to be concerned with the opinions that can surround church life. We get so bogged down with the “organization” that we forget about Christ proclaimed. So our methods differ from church to church – is Christ being preached? If yes, Praise God!!!

Do sermon styles differ from one preacher to the next? Yes. But does it really matter if Christ is proclaimed? Why get worked up over delivery when Christ is the center of the message?

Are you one who makes issues out of these areas at your place of worship? If yes you may need to check to see if Christ is proclaimed in your life. Don’t get deceived into thinking there is only one way to proclaim Christ. Do pray that you discern Christ when messages are being presented to you. Do proclaim the biblical, the real Christ in your everyday life. Don’t let a matter of taste in delivery prevent you from hearing the truth that can be found in God’s Word.

Simple Obedience

2 Kings 5:9-14 ESV So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.  

Naaman was given a simple command to clean him of leprosy and he balked at it. In his eyes, he could have done this simple command by himself in his own homeland. But it was not the Jordan that would cleanse him, it was God. He was waiting for Naaman to obey Him.
 
Aren’t we like that sometimes? I think one of my biggest challenges is not being so busy that I miss out on what God is doing around me (Ps 46:10). Another challenge is giving things over to God first before I make an attempt to do them (Pr 3:5-6). You may have different challenges, but in essence many of those challenges are just simple commands to follow that we balk at. Why? Because they seem too simple. Because we can take of things on our own. Because we just don’t always believe in God and His word.  


Fortunately Naaman had servants that reasoned with him to obey. Naaman did obey and he was cleansed. Seek to put people around you who will help you obey God’s word. Even if you balk at a little change that a sermon or daily reading has moved you to do, you can still turn around and obey.

Apologies

Hi folks I just realized that one of the formatting settings was turned off. This resulted in a lack of separation of paragraphs. I have turned the setting back on and it looks as though everything is alright.

Not By My Hand am I Delivered

Psalm 44:6-8 (KJV)
6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.
7 But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.
8 In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.

Though we might be able to fight, it is the Lord only who can deliver us. Sometimes the fight itself is the defeat. Think about it, what is the profit in getting worked up and angry over a situation that may not be your fight? Don’t get me wrong, you may be asked to stand up for God’s word or put in a bad situation because you choose to follow God. Many times giving the battle up to the Lord is the true victory.

The Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-20 (ESV)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

If you have been listening to sermons for any length of time you have heard one about the Armor of God (vv. 14-17). So instead of my breaking that down, go ahead and read those on your own. Today, however, I would like to address what is said before and after the description of the Armor of God.

First we are called to be strong in the Lord and His power (offense). Then we are told TWICE to put on the WHOLE armor of God (defense). We need both, but it seems that the Armor of God is really important – and not just parts, but the WHOLE Armor of God. We are to STAND AGAINST the schemes of the devil, STAND FIRM and to STAND IN the whole Armor of God.
With God’s strength and armor we will wrestle the powers of this present darkness (the devil’s world system) and withstand evil.

And through this we are called to persevere and prayer. Pray for other Christians and pray in the Spirit. The fight is grueling and will get to us, we need to pray and persevere. There are situations that may seem to have you pinned down. It may seem that everyone is out to tear you down and destroy your serving God. The gossip, the backbiting, the slaps in the face and other things done by those you trusted and loved can make you just want to give up. It may even seem worse when these people are fellow Christians. If you are faithful to God and seek His righteousness and hunger for His word, you are in a good place.

Rely on God’s strength, use His armor for defense, persevere and pray. Pray for those brothers in Christ who are trying to hurt you. Who knows why they are being malicious? I do know that David, a man after God’s own heart, was provoked by Satan to sin (1 Chron 21:1); and after David sinned all of Israel suffered. Is Satan so weak now that he can’t catch you or a brother off-guard and provoke us to sin? These brothers and sisters are not tares in the wheat field, but rather wheat that has been trampled on and broken. You have been given the ministry of reconciliation, is this your chance to restore them to the body?

The Company of the Godly

2 Kings 3:13-15 ESV
13 And Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No; it is the Lord who has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” 14 And Elisha said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you. 15 But now bring me a musician.” And when the musician played, the hand of the Lord came upon him.

The king of Israel, Jehoram, went to inquire of the Lord from Elisha. The king of Judah, Jehoshaphat, and the kind of Edom joined him. They were all wondering what to do to defeat Moab.

Elisha would not even have seen him if it wasn’t for who he was with (vs. 14). The company of the Godly opened doors for the king of Israel. (2 Chr 17:3-4 - The LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals, [4]but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel.)

Have you ever considered that those around you may be blessed when you seek to follow God with your whole heart? You may have friends or family who are wholly seeking God or have rejected Him entirely. God may be using you as a blessing to these people. Not to make you look good but rather to draw those around you to Him. This is the challenge: don’t compromise your devotion to God in order to keep the peace with close to you. That doesn’t mean you can be obnoxious, it means to continue to love the Lord your God with your whole being regardless if you are around Christian friends and family or if you are around those who don’t follow the Lord.

(observation on music in worship: verse 15 shows how music prepared Elisha’s heart while coming into the Lord’s presence.)

Getting Past Hurt and Shame

Psalm 40:11-13 KJV
11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.
13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.

Read verse 12 again. Have there been times in your life where you have felt this way? This portion of this psalm is talking about where you have rejected God because of the pressures of the world. This verse is a confession; it is not coming out of pride (or false humility). The psalmist has let sin get such a hold on his life that he is ashamed to be before God (…I am not able to look up). It even shows remorse for what he has done (…my heart faileth me). I believe Proverbs 28:13 is in play here. The psalmist is laying out his sins and his heart hurts because of what he has done.

Verse 11 is where the psalmist is trusting in God’s patience and mercy. Not only that, it looks as if he desires to replace his iniquities with God’s truth.

An interesting aspect to notice about verse 13 is the request for deliverance. In this we see that there is a bondage to something. Verse 12 does put forth that his iniquities have taken hold of him.

What does this all tell us? That sin is not merely seeking pleasure or indulging selfish desires, but sin is a way to put us in slavery. Sin is used to put a burden so heavy on us that we are ashamed to be seen by God. Sin is rebelling against God; it is our way of saying that we know how to do things better than the Creator. We can’t live in sin and seek God at the same time – our hearts feel the pulling of the two natures against each other. We can leave sin and seek God. Or we can keep sin and hide from God. Are we always going to take the preferred path? I doubt it, but if you given your life over to Christ you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you and He will keep at you if you are living in sin. There will not be peace in your life.

This brings us back to where the psalmist was. You too can come to the throne of God and lay out your iniquities before Him and ask for His truth to lead you. His mercy is there for you. Confess and forsake those iniquities that hold you and seek His mercy. Christ paid the price for those sins. He desires your freedom for a better relationship with God. And know that God wants you more than anything else and He wants that sin out of the way so that relationship will flourish!!!