One thing really spoke to me in our study of Isaiah 7 - the idea of courage. In Isaiah 7:4, God says to King Ahaz, "...neither be fainthearted..." Another way to understand this statement is, "have courage."
They say that courage comes in two forms, physical and moral. Soldiers serving in combat often employ physical courage. They push their minds and bodies to do what is contrary to their will. God has wired us to flee when we are confronted by something frightening. This is called the "Fight or Flight Response." When someone is confronted by something frightening, their first response is to run away, or at the very least defend themselves. A soldier must learn to overcome this feeling and go into danger. This takes great courage.
The other form of courage is moral. The idea here is to do the right thing. What caught my mind after preaching the Sunday message is the fact that like the Fight or Flight Response, humans have a natural moral response. Unfortunately, it is not to flee but to join in. Because of man's depravity, when he is confronted by something immoral it is not his inclination to flee from it, but to join in. It is only because of the Holy Spirit that we can have courage and do the right thing.
So my friend, when you are confronted by the question, "Should I do the right thing?" Call upon God to give you courage.
Often preachers use Scripture to beat down members of the congregation. They hope that because of the weight of their words conviction will fall upon the listeners and change will be wrought. No doubt there is a time for such a message. However, I am convinced that the good news of God's message can have the same impact. Last Sunday we looked at Ephesians 1:18-19. In this passage Paul is praying that believers would have their understanding opened to see three things God has already accomplished in their lives. Paul is not praying that they will gain these three items. Why? Because all believers already posses them. Rather, he longed that they know them and that they live up to them.
The first item in verse 18 is, "...that you may know what is the hope of His calling..." The fact that God chose us makes us special, unique, set apart from the many. Most people long to be special. They assert their personality to gain attention; they attend schools to set themselves apart; they even dress to draw people toward them. So the desire to be special is understood. For some reason believers are unaware, or dimly aware, that God chose them; and they are unaware of how special that makes them. In Sunday's message we learned that God did this for His own purpose (Romans 8:28); He did it to conform us into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29); and that He will never take away this choice (Romans 11:29), making the believer eternally special.
Next we see that God desires that we fully understand that we are His heirs, "..what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.." To be an heir of God is to be eternally secure because you are a child of the King - and not just any king, but God. In Ephesians 1:5 we learned that because of this choice we were adopted into God's family. This relationship is eternal and it contains the eternal benefit of security. The fact that we are a child of the King should cause us to live differently. Let me quickly add that I stand against the perverse teaching known as the prosperity gospel. The hymn writer once penned, "A tent or a cottage, why should I care? They're building a palace for me over there..." Being a child of the King does not mean we must buy the $40,000 BMW or the $5,000 suit. It means that we are forever secure in this eternal relationship.
The final point to understand is the knowledge that God has given us His power to overcome life and sin. 2 Peter 1:3-4 teaches this as well. If you look closely at the passage you will see that God has given us the power over life. Sometime life stinks. I'm not talking about sin, although that does affect life. Rather, I'm talking about everyday life, the hard decisions we must make. This power also addresses the godly life to which we are called. Living like a child of the King can seem difficult. However, God has empowered us to live up to that standard. Finally, in 2 Peter 1:4, we find that we have the power over sin. It says "partakers of the divine nature." This does not mean we will create our own planets and live like a god. Rather, Peter points out that like God we will have power over sin, "having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
So believer be encouraged. God has made you eternally special. He has made you His child. And, He has given you His power to live a life unhindered. Hold your head up. And when you are confronted by what seems overwhelming, say, "I am a child of the King and God has given me the power to see even this through."
Of the Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit must be the least preached member. That could be due to John 16:13-14, where we learn that the Holy Spirit will not speak of Himself but of Christ. Nonetheless, there are verses that teach of the Holy Spirit. This Sunday we will examine one, Ephesians 1:13-14. In preparation for this message I was drawn back to my notes for Dr. Mook's class on Pneumatology/Ecclesiology. This was probably my most favorite class in seminary; not so much for the ecclesiology but for the pneumatology. Wonder fills a person when he reads the Scripture with the intent of understanding the Holy Spirit. Sunday we will examine just one ministry of the Holy Spirit, sealing. What a great promise we find when we understand this ministry. First, this seal is a guarantee "of the believer in Christ until the day when the Lord Jesus returns to rapture His church our of the world." (Dr. Mook's notes) Over the next few posts I will share more in the ministry of the Holy Spirit. But for now, just think upon this promise or guarantee. There are times I do not feel like I'm in Christ. There are times when Jesus cannot come back soon enough. But I know from Ephesians 1:13-14 that my future is secure. It is guaranteed.
Somewhere in the past, the fundamental church learned that it was improper to show emotion. Probably, this was a response to our charismatic brethren. The unfortunate result was that the church became the church of the living dead. Over time however, we became aware that something was lacking. So we tried to regain emotion in worship in all the wrong ways.
One mistake is to assume that music and the musicians that play it will recover our joy. This rarely makes a long term difference. Another is to blame the preaching. There is probably more to this than the music reason. If the people are starving for God's Word, their joy will diminish. I could go on, but I think you get the idea.
What then can restore a church's joy? I think it begins with each individual in the church. As they seek to return to what they had when they first found Jesus, or better said, when Jesus first found them. When you were first redeemed you were in joy overload. You were keenly aware that a moment before you had been an unsaved sinner. Now a moment later Christ has redeemed you and God has adopted you; and joy filled your soul.
I must repeat what I have put in previous posts. Believers must bring to mind what they had when they first met Christ. If individual believers will remember that, repent of the sin of apathy, and return, the passion will flood the church and the church of the living dead will return to life.
One thing really spoke to me in our study of Isaiah 7 - the idea of courage. In Isaiah 7:4, God says to King Ahaz, "...neither be fainthearted..." Another way to understand this statement is, "have courage."
