Growing Closer to God Pt 25
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Humility
Humility
We just passed through the voting process. Many Christians are in the state of panic and worry. For most of you who know me know that I am not a political person. I do vote, and did vote in this past election. I do so because I believe it is a Christians duty to vote. You are directly connected to the Diety with all the answers, and we should be joining with Christ in saying not my will but thy will be done. The bible states that all authority comes from God and to buck against any authority for any other reason than a biblical standard is a sin.
Why do I mention voting when talking about humility? The reason is because we as Americans see America vastly bigger than it actually is which in the minds of some makes God vastly smaller than infinite. God is not dependent on a political party and neither should our faith be dependent on what party holds the majority vote. Either way, I believe that God’s ultimate will will be done. The world didn’t stop at the fall of Rome. The world didn’t stop with invasion of Germany. And it’s not going to stop if America falls from power.
I feel, and I could be wrong, that much of our security as Americans, comes from being an American. Many will talk politics before we talk Christ. Many relate the fall of America with the end times as if Christ needs America to fall in order to come and judge the world. We worry about the stock market, the gas prices, the ability to trade with China and what that means for scrap prices. We worry about moons and polar ice caps. Some worry about falling off the edge of a flat Earth, while others pray, I mean worry about California falling into the Ocean.
All of these concerns diminish who we are in Christ and more specifically who God is in general. The reason, I believe, most of us worry is because we tend to think to highly of ourselves and too low of God. We somehow think that the senate runs the country, when last time I checked God was in control. We shake over the presidents twitter account like it’s the bible itself and we grip onto all these things that have little to no meaning at all.
Anything that happens today is nothing more than a warning of a coming storm. There isn’t a point to worry about the storm if we are secure in Christ, but like the disciples in the boat with Christ we worry over what we see. Why was Christ asleep? Simply because he knew it wasn’t his time yet. But Pastor I don’t know if it’s my time like Jesus did. The reality is that to live is Christ and do die is gain.
It is understandable that much of what is going on is a barometer. We begin to think that the future depends on the atmosphere around us while forgetting that it is God who ultimately controls the weather.
My point here is not to condemn you for your way of thinking or how you voted, but rather it’s instill a sense of hope and a realignment of our focus not only as individuals, but as a church as well and understand I am not talking to you on the celebration of a mountain top, but rather the drudgery of the valley of the shadow of Death.
As I have been countlessly pouring hours into figuring out how to pump life into this church, start my own business, maintain a family, walk through an added calling of something which pertains to Africa, and start a new job as a sub I find that much of my life is looking down realizing I don’t support God, the US of A doesn’t support God, The bill collectors don’t support God, but rather God supports and maintains us.
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree,
do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.
Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”
That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.
So for those of us self proclaimed theologians Paul is talking about Israel. Apparently many of the gentiles were becoming proud of their new found salvation and possibly mistreating Jewish non believers for one reason or another. Paul is attempting to explain to the gentiles that they are adopted into the family and that their position is based of grace not stature. Further more Paul is telling us that we are supposed to help and support the Jewish people in hopes that they may be re-grafted into the family.
But I really want to focus on the warning we as Christians must heed in Vs 18.
Remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.
Remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.
When we get this backwards and we believe to think that for some unknown reason God needs us instead or more than we need God we begin to worry about things we have no reason to worry about. Yes God needs as in as much as he loves us and desires to use us.
Worry comes when we try to position ourselves in God’s seat on the thrown.
Worry comes when we try to position ourselves in God’s seat on the thrown.
As mentioned before I say this to you while in the trenches of the valley and there are certain things we need to understand while we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death.
It doesn’t depend on you.
It doesn’t depend on you.
Most of you know that I am trying to start a real estate investment business not only to support myself, but I believe it is my wife’s and I’s calling to support the church and to finance the kingdom of God. Right now my wife and I are trying to buy another house and I find myself tempted to believe lies which stress me out.
One of the biggest lies I believe is that IF I fail God will have failed. You may be judging me right now and that’s ok because if you look down deep enough I believe we all struggle with this. We believe that if we can’t make things work out in a certain situation, or if God doesn’t some how miraculously provide everything is going to fall apart. We begin to believe to look at God’s plan as a house of cards waiting to fall if we aren’t diligently supporting it rather than a house built on a firm foundation.
We see this mentality with our current political climate. I hear so and so didn’t make it to office, all Christianity is doomed. Or if I don’t get this promotion/job I don’t know how I will support my family. If the stock market or scrap prices don’t rise I’m never going to be able to retire.
We forget the countless verses that show life depends on God not us.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Lately I stopped worrying and began to profess in faith the things God is going to do in my life. I have leaned on some odd verses verses
But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people.
Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ”
And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.
Moses Gave God
3 reasons not to kill Israel-3 Reasons your calling will not fail
You rescued them could You not sustain them
The Egyptians will state—God has taken them not to rescue them, but to judge them
Are you going to turn back on your promises now?
Many people argue that Moses changed God’s mind, but I can’t really find support for that in scripture if you take the bible as a whole book. I believe God showed us this dialog between himself and Moses to remind us that
God can sustain us
He will use our victory as a witnessing tool
God’s promises are eternal and can be leaned on.
Last week we talked the difference between trial and judgment. If you are having a hard time and you are not in judgement than God is simply making good on his promise that
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
If we can let go of the temporal concerns we will see in influx of salvations. That through our struggles God voice bellows louder when we succeed.
The other verse I hold onto it
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
I want to pay attention to the word shadow. Why does God use the word shadow. I believe it’s because a shadow isn’t real or tangable. How many movies have you seen where someone’s scared off by a shadow? When the camera zooms out we see this little defenseless thing laughing because they scared off their opponent. The reason we shouldn’t be scared of the shadow of death is because if we have God in us death can never become a tangible reality. It only remains a shadow of what could be if we allowed Satan to control our lives. If we were governed by fear. If failure or success was determined by us.
All those voices that cast doubt are nothing more than hollow threats screamed by shadows that can’t touch your calling and your life in Jesus Christ. They may look scary, but
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”