Alignment with God

Introduction

Good morning and welcome back!

And welcome to all of those joining us online this morning.

If you will start turning in your Bibles to Acts 1 and when you have found that, stick a thumb there and look for Acts 16.

This morning we are going to continue with our series on “Being the Church” and building our pyramid.

And if you remember we started a few weeks ago with our foundation that consisted of the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.

And then we moved on to changing our attitude about the mission of the Church.

And then last week we looked at changing our Actions.

This week we are going to start building the next level of our pyramid, which directly relates to the Great Commission— or our call to Go and Share the Gospel.

And the subject we are going to be talking about this morning is alignment.

Being in proper alignment with God.

There’s an old story that they say is true but we don’t know for sure, that took place off the coast of Newfoundland with the Canadian authorities. The event was chronicled in the following transcript:

Naval ship: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the North to avoid a collision. Canadians: Recommend you divert YOUR course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.

Naval ship: This is the Captain of a Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course. Canadians: No. I say again, you divert YOUR course. Naval ship: THIS IS AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS, AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES TO THE NORTH, OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP.

Canadians: This is a lighthouse. Your call.

And like I said, we don’t know if it is a true story but it is an accurate representation of what we are talking about today.

You see in the story we have this powerful naval vessel, supported by many other vessels who was used to doing what they wanted how they wanted.

They were going to go their way and everybody else needed to get out of the way.

However, the lighthouse was an immovable object, who’s main purpose was to guide and steer the vessels in the water.

And even though the naval vessel was in alignment with it’s mission and had the support of others, it was not in alignment with the lighthouse.

And the naval vessel as powerful and independent as it was, had to listen to the lighthouse in order to survive and to thrive.

And we are like the naval vessel and God is like the lighthouse.

We may have a mission in front of us and we may have even accepted the call of God to take the gospel into the world, we choose to do it our way, which can and does get out of alignment with God’s way.

We choose to ignore God’s instructions for proper alignment with Him and we run aground many times.

And a big part of the problem is perspective . . .

The Great Commission says we are to go to all peoples—not just to the responsive ones.

Western culture however has taught us to look for immediate returns and results.

We want an immediate payoff for our mission’s investment!

However, the Great Commission is all about obedience, or being in proper alignment with God’s revealed will.

Some church growth theorists say we should go only to the ripe fields yielding quick results, but this may not necessarily align with God’s plan.

The reality though is that fields must be cleared, plowed and spread with fertilizer before fields become ripe.

We must be willing to listen and obey and adopt new methodologies, some of which may go against our long established practices.

We need proper alignment relative to each other and the entire body of Christ.

So, how do we come into proper alignment with God?

Well, the process begins with openness and “listening” prayer - prayer that listens and doesn’t dictate blessings on our plans.

It then progresses to a willingness to move in obedience into God’s realigned strategies, which is what we are going to be talking about this morning.

So, starting in Acts 1, Luke writes this . . .

Scripture Focus

Acts 1:12–14 NIV - Anglicised

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

Now let’s go to Acts 16 . . .

Acts 16:6–10 NIV - Anglicised

Paul and his companions travelled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Preparing in the Upper Room

Now, the first passage I read are the events that took place immediately after Jesus had ascended into heaven.

And these disciples were doing what Jesus had told them to do.

But before we get to this, let’s back up a few verses and look at what is actually going on here.

Looking back and verse three, Luke records . . .

Acts 1:3–4 NIV - Anglicised

After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.

And this one occasion that Luke is talking about is very close to the ascension.

But notice what Jesus told them—actually commanded of them . . .

Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.

And that gift was the Holy Spirit.

Verse 5 tells us . . .

Acts 1:5 NIV - Anglicised

For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.”

Now, this is important because they were ready to get down to business.

They were ready for Jesus to set up His earthly kingdom and get to it.

However, that was not the plan.

The plan was to first establish the Church.

And for the Church to be established, Jesus had to ascend and the Holy Spirit had to come.

That was the only way.

So, even though they were in line with Jesus’ plan and wanted to get to it—they were not in alignment with God’s will, and Jesus had to slow them down a bit.

In fact, here is what takes place next . . .

Acts 1:6–8 NIV - Anglicised

So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Which means they now had a choice, either to listen to what Jesus said and wait, or barrel ahead because they were in a hurry.

And I say they had a choice because here is what happens next . . .

Acts 1:9 NIV - Anglicised

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

So, he is gone, taken up into heaven, and now they were there and had to choose to follow God’s plan or their plan.

So . . .

Acts 1:10 NIV - Anglicised

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.

And in their defense we would probably be the same way.

They had never seen anyone ascend into heaven—have any of us?

So they were shocked and amazed by it and here they are gazing up into heaven looking around, not really knowing what to do when two men dressed in white, showed up and stood beside them.

And of course we know that these are two angels.

And these two angels had a message for them . . .

Acts 1:11 NIV - Anglicised

“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Why are you standing around?

You’ve got work to do—Jesus is coming back again and you have got to get ready.

And that is first part of it, getting ready.

When God has given us a mission we have to first get ready to fulfill that mission.

And the way we get ready is in prayer.

Seeking the Lord.

Seeking His will.

Coming into alignment with Him.

So. . . .

Acts 1:12–14 NIV - Anglicised

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

Gathered together in on mind, one accord, in constant prayer—not doing anything yet—but seeking direction from God.

Coming to alignment with God.

And we know from history that very soon after the Holy Spirit came, the Church was established, and we sit here 2000 years later as a testament to it.

But it all started with seeking God’s will and coming into alignment with God.

Paul is Diverted in Macadonia

But what happens though when we are in alignment with God and actively involved in the mission.

We are happily going along doing what God has called us to do and God changes direction.

Do we recognize that?

And how do we respond to that?

And one example of when that happened in our Bible is when Paul was traveling around on his missionary journey.

He is going along and things are going pretty good.

People are getting saved and miracles are happening, but there came a point when God had a different plan than Paul had.

And that is what we see happening here in Acts 16.

It starts out this way . . .

Acts 16:1 NIV - Anglicised

He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek.

And the “he” here is Paul.

Acts 16:2–5 NIV - Anglicised

The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they travelled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

So, he’s going along and they pick up Timothy along the way, people are getting saved, but . . .

Acts 16:6 NIV - Anglicised

Paul and his companions travelled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.

So, we see Paul wanted to go to Asia and preach there---BUT the Holy Spirit said NO.

And Paul didn’t fully understand why but he was sensitive enough to the Holy Spirit to know that if he didn’t listen then it wouldn’t be successful anyway.

So, he continues on, both doing the work and seeking God’s will . . .

Acts 16:7 NIV - Anglicised

When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.

So, again—denied.

He thought they were supposed to be there but—NOPE, not happening.

But did Paul just give up and go home?

No—He kept at it and kept going.

He kept working and kept seeking the Lord . . .

Acts 16:8–9 NIV - Anglicised

So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

So, there it is, after all of this, finally something from God.

Some clarity.

So, what does Paul do?

Does he say, but God I’m already here let me finish up.

Or, Lord I really don’t want to go all the way down there, do I have to?

No . . .

Acts 16:10 NIV - Anglicised

After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

He said, boys I’ve heard from the Lord and we got to go.

We’ve got work to do.

So, they set out and go.

Altar/Challenge

And we have to have that same attitude.

We have to first be willing to put in the prayer work in the beginning, which brings us into alignment with God.

And then we have to be willing to listen to God along the way.

We have to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and pivot as the Holy Spirit leads.

We cannot be so tied to our own ideas that we are not willing to change as the Holy Spirit leads.

We, in other words have to come into alignment with God and stay in alignment.

And the altar service this morning is simple—are we in alignment?

And if not, are we willing to do what it takes to come into alignment?

Are we willing to do what it takes to stay in alignment with God?

It’s our decision to make, what will it be?