The Proof Is In The Practice

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““If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world? Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. “Come now; let us leave." (John 14:15-31, NIV) [1]

1.      People practice the things that they are passionate about. 

“If you love me, you will obey what I command”

There is always time, money, whatever resources are necessary for us to do what we are passionate about.  We are tireless in these areas.  These pursuits become personal priorities and we have a fanatical commitment to them.  Often we treat them as though they may hold the potential of world change.  I was in Tim Horton’s of all places one Saturday morning and saw a couple of old guys waddle into the coffee shop.  I suspect they were probably my age or a little more senior.  They were all decked out in softball uniforms stretched tight around the midsection.  I remember a time in my own life when this was a serious thing.  It really mattered who won and who lost.  I suspect that the course of human affairs was unaltered that day by the competition that was held.  I suspect as well that there were some intense arguments and disputes that took place and much talk to take home and reminisce along with tales of countless other insignificant contests.  Many are right there today – plenty of time for things that don’t make a bit of difference and no time for things that can change the world.

Jesus said:

If you love me, you will obey what I command.”

In other words if you are passionate about the faith, you will practice it and the proof is in the practice.  If you really love the game you will strive to become better and you’ll take it seriously.  You won’t settle into the rut of living off yesterdays press clippings but you will practice.

It’s a difficult thing to get people to come to practice.  All of us think that we’re talented enough to show up at game time and perform.  I guess we either overestimate our talents and abilities or we underestimate the importance of the contest.  Both are dangerous.

The contest that we engage in as Christians is an incredibly serious thing.  The battle is clearly for the souls of men.  The devil is crafty and deceptive and regardless of how effective churches are there will be people who choose to live and die apart from God.  Regardless of how well we may parent our children, there may be a day when we will see our children ignore their faith.  The beautiful little child who is dedicated today and raised in a devout Christian home has the God-given freedom to walk away from it as though it were never there.  It breaks the hearts of the parents and it breaks the heart of God.  They will lose their souls, regardless of the advantage that they have been given.  As much as we would like to eliminate this possibility, we cannot.

But God help us when our traditions prevent us from doing everything that we can do to reach the lost.  God help us when our apathetic hearts sit unmoved as we occupy space in our churches and communities and remain ineffective and uninvolved.  For our casual approach to the Christian life, we will be spewed from the mouth of God.  And God help the parents who demonstrate second rate priorities to their children.  God bless the moms and dads who practice their profession, who plainly tell God that they love Him by obeying His Commands and living by eternal priorities.  Your children will never establish priorities that you do not highlight for them by your own commitment.

2.   It is this practice that brings the Counselor to us.

You might call him the coach.  He brings new insight and he focuses on our spiritual growth and development.  There is a personal spiritual intimacy that comes to a person when the Counselor is doing His work within us.

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.”

A coach will not devote himself/herself to an athlete who is marginally committed.  There are those who try out simply because they want the uniform.  It is about an ego that is bigger than the team.  But a coach will work his/her heart out for an athlete who is totally given to the sport.  And they will see results.  The more I practice the more proficient I become.

Why do we suppose it should be different in the Christian life? 

What about the practice of prayer?  How do we suppose that we should ever discover the heart of God unless we practice prayer?  We give up because we get tired or because it seems like work.  Anytime I ever practiced for any sport or contest it seemed much more like work than pleasure. 

What about the practice of evangelism?  How do I suppose that I should become adept at sharing my faith unless I practice sharing my faith?  That means that I am going to make mistakes.  That means that I will have to risk being humiliated by my clumsiness and my awkwardness if I am to develop.  In Taekwondo we talk about the stupid side.  It’s the side that we avoid using simply because we are not naturally as able on that side.  The only way to develop it is to use it.  When we do our drills in practice most of us look pathetic on the underdeveloped side.  Let me ask you about the underdeveloped areas of your faith.  You don’t witness because it’s not naturally you?  You know what I’m getting at don’t you.

A lady was walking down the street to work and saw a parrot in a pet store. She stopped to admire the bird.  The parrot said to her, "Hey lady, you are really ugly."  Well, the lady was furious!  She stormed past the store and went to work.

 

On the way home she saw the same parrot in the window and the parrot upon seeing her said, "Hey lady, you are really ugly."  She was incredibly angry now.  The next day on the way to work she saw the same parrot and once again it said, "Hey lady, you are really ugly."  The lady was so furious that she stormed into the store and threatened to sue the store and have the bird killed. The store manager apologized profusely and promised the bird wouldn't say it again.

 

When the lady walked past the store on the way home from work, the parrot said to her, "Hey, lady!"  She paused and said, "Yes?"  The bird said, "You know."

Golf is a game that just doesn’t happen without practice.  I am a once a week golfer and that just doesn’t bring me to a place where my game is going to improve.  If I associate myself with church for an hour on Sunday morning, my game is going to need help as well.  If the game doesn’t go well, the first place that then coach looks is to the practice session.  A good coach watches his players perform and whether they are winning or losing, he identifies the things that need to be addressed in practice.  The defeats identify the need to practice in certain areas.  What do your defeats tell you about your own need for practice?

Jesus indicates to his disciples that there is a greater realm of experience open to them in his absence then there is in his physical presence.  When the work of God becomes the passion of men the outcome is incredible.  He speaks of greater things.  We have the wonderful privilege of experiencing the pure work of the church.  The road has been paved and the battle is over. The devil has been defeated and by the power of Christ we can be used as redemptive agents to see lives transformed by His power and grace.

3.   He comes as the “Spirit of Truth”.

Where do you go to find the knowledge that you choose to live by?

·         The source should be larger than your own capacities.  It is a fool who chooses to live by his opinions alone.  I would hope that all of us rely on something greater than our own opinions.  The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”  If everything in life made sense to you the future would be dismal because the body of knowledge that we live by would be greatly diminished.  I have understandings of life that you may never have and vice versa.  There are people who can see and understand things that other may never comprehend.  We all have a place to play and we all need one another.  There are those who trust their eternal future to their own uninformed opinions.  They consider “truth” to be a matter of opinion.  While we all develop our own slant on truth within the Christian community, we have a common source over which we dialogue.  It is the Bible, God’s Word.

·         It should be proven - a body of truth widely embraced that has passed the tests of time. 

....we are increasing the sophistication of deception faster than the technology of verification. The consequence of that is the end of truth. The dark side of the information technology explosion is that it will breed a population that believes nothing and, perhaps even more dangerous, a population ready to believe only one "truth" fanatically and willing to kill for it....

 

-- Alvin Toffler, American Writer and Futurist

I don’t know of too many “bodies of truth” that people are so open to on their death beds.  People who have lived lifetimes without reconciling themselves to God look for him when the end is near.  Why is it that death makes us so open.  I think that most people who face death look for something to trust in.  Many people allow Oprah or Dr. Phil tell them how to live and I think that they offer some good insight from time to time.  But would you allow them to tell you what to do if you were laying on your deathbed?  Would you take the final step under their guidance?  In my opinion, a system of truth or insight that is insufficient to take you beyond this life is insufficient to sustain you in this life.  As good as it may be it is incomplete and partial.

I might want to emulate the leadership skills of Donald Trump if I wanted to achieve wealth and status in this life but would I trust Donald to tell me about the next life?

4.   What happens when “TRUTH” comes in?

129 Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them. 130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. 131 I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands. 132 Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name. 133 Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. [2] (Psalm 119:128-133)

 

103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. [3] Psalm 119:103-105 (NIV)

·         It brings light.  Light allows us to see things as they are.  Once we have seen we are changed.  The real world becomes a shadow and the world unseen becomes a primary reality. 

Paul wrote:

 

17Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new. [4] 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ASV)

We look at things that we have seen for years as if we had never seen them before.

"This book contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's character. Here Paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand Object, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a Paradise of glory and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened in the judgment, and will be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents"

·         I become spoiled once I understand the truth.  Going back is a terrible possibility.

17 These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. 20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,”f and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.” (2 Peter 2:17-22)[5]

“Somebody must be by the door to tell them they are spoiled

For the old life; they have seen too much:

Once taste God and nothing but God will do any more.”

·         I am given an internal guidance system

5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful mane is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mindf is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. [6] Romans 8:5-8 (NIV)

I recognize the difference between right and wrong.  I know what pleases God and what displeases Him and I follow after those things that bring Him pleasure.

·         There is an undeniable separation that takes place between the child of God and the child of this world.

The world is unable to accept the truth of God because of its implications.  It is impossible to acknowledge God’s truth without acknowledging personal error.

6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.[7] (1 John 4:6 NRSV)

Truth and error cannot co-exist.  They are as mutually exclusive as light and darkness.  When the Spirit of Truth fills a person’s life they will be driven toward God.  They will know without doubt what pleases Him and what displeases Him.  There are those who become tortured with this revelation because they come to know the heart of God and can never run away from it.  If they try they are plagued for their earthly existence with the knowledge that they are in conflict with God’s great and perfect will for their lives.

Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world? Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.

God does not go to lengths to reveal himself to people who are not prepared to embrace his teaching.  A person will never know God intimately unless they are prepare to follow Him.  “He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.”  The degree of insight that a person carries depends upon the degree of receptivity.  God will not give you truth for your consideration.  You don’t get to skip classes or lessons and move to the next component of faith until you have dealt with the truth that currently confronts you.

I have taught guitar lessons over the years.  I send students home with lessons to complete and ask them to spend 15 minutes a day practicing what I have shown them.  I have them come back occasionally with absolutely no practice between lessons.  Do you have any idea how painful it is to teach a person who will not practice what they have been taught?  And so I don’t.  I refuse to re-teach them what they refused to come to grips with previously.  As a guitar teacher I don’t look for them to return and have it flawlessly prepared.  I just look to see if they have invested time and effort toward the end that I have in mind.  Every once in a while you run into a student who is both gifted and passionate about guitar.  You can teach them more and teach them faster than the perfunctory student.  The more interested a student is the more connection they make.  They can see how this related to that and the picture is more complete in their minds.

Spiritually speaking there are folks who never go beyond the basics of faith.  They stall at certain lessons simply because they fail to practice what they have been taught.  Then they return to the teacher because they want to be able to play the guitar, hoping that there is some magical way that they can attain the end without the investment.  To practice means to sit down and do the drills.  Drills are never fun until they are learned and automatic.  Until they reach the point where they become reflexive.  The lessons that we learn are the lessons that we practice.  If we stop practicing we lose our edge.  The music does not flow from us anymore.  There are times that many of you can recall today when you did with ease things that you could never do today – no practice.

"When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?"  If He should now come, would He find it in us?  What fruits of faith have we to show?  Do we look upon this life only as a short passage to a better?  Do we believe that we must suffer with Jesus Christ before we can reign with Him?  Do we consider this world as a deceitful appearance and death as the entrance to true happiness?  Do we live by faith?  Does it animate us?  Do we relish the eternal truths it presents us with?  Are we as careful to nourish our souls with those truths as to maintain our bodies with proper diet?  Do we accustom ourselves to see all things in the light of faith?  Do we correct all our judgments by it?    Alas!  The greater part of Christians think and act like mere heathens; if we judge (as we justly may) of their faith by their practice, we must conclude they have no faith at all.

 

... Francois Fenelon (1651-1715), Meditation


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[1]  The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.

[2] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Zondervan: Grand Rapids

[3] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Zondervan: Grand Rapids

[4] American Standard Version. 1995. Logos Research Systems, Inc.: Oak Harbor, WA

f Prov. 26:11

[5] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Zondervan: Grand Rapids

e Or mind set on the flesh

f Or the mind set on the flesh

[6] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Zondervan: Grand Rapids

[7] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. 1996, c1989. Thomas Nelson: Nashville

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