Outward Series: Provoke One Another

Contemplation

“let us consider...”

After the writer of Hebrews unpacked the reality that we are no longer under the Old Covenant and therefore can confidently enter the inner chamber of God he admonishes us to consider some things

One of the areas that I have noticed growth in with my life is as new privileges have been granted to me, how am I responsible for them.

There is the real question of stewardship in regard to this access that we have with God…what do we do with it and what does is spur us on to do?

The writer states previously that we ought to “draw near”, “hold fast” and now “consider”

The term “consider” is the idea of taking a calculated response to something now given the new information.

It’s interesting to me how few times I actually do this.

I was in a meeting with another pastor and we were discussing how difficult it is to have individuals move past their feelings and realize that there are facts to consider.

We live in a day and age of emotional responses that are stirred up by various memes, tribes, and media outlets.

Yet here we are admonished to consider intently a thing because our position has changed.

You now have new information, what are you to do with it and how are you to respond?

That new information is that you have access to God and can enter places that people literally dropped dead entering beforehand.

You have a reconciled relationship with a holy God that is permanently established by the blood of Jesus Christ…what’s sad is at some point that reality has become mundane to us.

I often wondered upon reading the Old Testament, how the Israelites could’ve ever sinned against God while witnessing a giant tornado of God’s glory in their midst every day…I think I see how now.

Yet here we are, with access and “considering”…folks please during this time…use your minds.

What are we setting our minds toward???? Each other!!!

Here’s the amazing thing to me…the focus, after drawing near to God, after holding onto our faith…is each other!!!

We are to consistently be about “considering” each other and setting our mind to each other.

Evaluating weaknesses, strengths, distance, depression etc.

One of the most heart warming things I have experienced is when people consider me…they reach out, let me know their thoughts of me, and show a genuine concern.

How are you considering…each other??? Ruminating, contemplating, accessing, evaluating, each other???

TR: What we’re called to consider is how to provoke...

Provocation

Now I can already hear some of you now...”oh you want me to irritate and provoke someone? I got this down!!!”

Not quite lol

Remember what I preached last week that we must be mindful that we are rooting our behaviors in the right source otherwise they are carnal.

This means, if your primary source of truth is coming from your political party…you are carnal

If your primary source of truth is from your feelings…you are carnal

If your primary source of truth is from your social media friends, media outlets, your mama, daddy, grandma, spouse, friends, etc. you are carnal.

This world lacks no amount of provocation or being provocative rather we provoke each other out of a source of self...

We retweet, share, and repost all sorts of things that are provocative without ANY consideration of where they come from...

Some of us are provocative just for the sake of being provocative.

Now let me talk to the other side of the spectrum…those that flee all semblance of conflict…STEP UP!!

The Lord has called you to jump into the fray, to challenge and to speak.

Stop sitting around waiting for Jesus to come back! He wants to find faithful servants when he returns…not people who’s primary mode of spirituality is knowing Greek and Hebrew

Not people who’s exclusive method of being godly is individual prayer...

Obviously none of those things are wrong but they can become safe spaces that we hide in to avoid being provocative, to avoid being passionate, and that is wrong.

The term “provoke” here conveys a sharp response like getting cut.

I can already hear some of our ladies like “oh shoot pastor I knew you’d come around…I’ve been waiting to cut someone”…not quite lol

We are to sharpen each other and to provoke a response and we’ll talk about what that response should be in a moment but we must first people a people who have the courage AND the discernment on provocation!!!

Let me be clear…this world THRIVES on the provocative. We sell everything from toys to religion provocatively

News thrives on it…just realize how many news stories we have bounced between in 2020 and what you are told to become empassioned by every waking moment.

One of the amazing things about the enemy that I have witnessed is that he creates nothing but perverts everything.

There’s nothing wrong with eliciting a response but to what end?

TR: The source and the ends of our consideration and provocation is the same…to love and good deeds

Operation

What we’re considering and what we’re provoking in one another shouldn’t be division based on political spectrum....it shouldn’t be disassociation because you voted the wrong way, retweeted the wrong thing or support the wrong movement.

Let me explain…in the first century church you had people who were slaves and masters…in the same church. No biggie right…but you quite possibly had them learning side by side and in some cases undoubtably had slaves that were pastors and masters who were members

You had rich who were submitting to poor pastors…you want to talk about awkward. You had Jews that were repulsed by pork and Gentiles walking into the sanctuary with pork rinds…I mean let’s think about it.

There were DEEP divides and yet they realized one thing…that they ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD!!!

Did they disagree? Absolutely! And strongly so. They argued and fought…however, one thing that they always had to keep in mind is that at the end of the day they were family…THEY HAD A COMMON GOAL…and that was to share the full counsel of God’s word through word and deed.

You all know full well that I am for saying what needs to be said. However, there comes a time when your provocation is rooted in your desire to feel empowered and RIGHT moreso than it is rooted in love for your brother and sister in Christ…that is sin.

Rather when you provoke…we are to elicit a response of LOVE and GOOD DEEDS.

Isn’t it amazing that the nearer we are called to draw to God the more we are called to focus not on our love and works rather we are admonished to help others along their path?

A minister was concerned about the absence of a man who had normally attended services. After a few weeks, he decided to visit him. When the pastor arrived at the man's home, he found him all alone, sitting in front of a fireplace. The minister pulled up a chair and sat next to him. But after his initial greeting he said nothing more. The two sat in silence for a few minutes while the minister stared at the flames in the fireplace. Then he took the tongs and carefully picked up one burning ember from the flames and placed it on the hearth. He sat back in his chair, still silent. His host watched in quiet reflection as the ember flickered and faded. Before long it was cold and dead. The minister glanced at his watch and said he had to leave, but first he picked up the cold ember and placed it back in the fire. Immediately it began to glow again with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it. As the minister rose to leave, his host stood with him and shook his hand. Then, with a smile on his face, the man said, "Thanks for the sermon, pastor. I'll see you in church on Sunday

Family, we are called to aggressive goodness and to provoke it in others.

This can be through accountability, praying with each other, challenging each other on truth. Taking time to ask how husbands are loving wives, how are you reflecting Christ in your parenting.

Sadly the enemy is taking ahold during this time of isolation and I feel like we are waning in the darkness...

This isn’t the first plague/pandemic that the church has went through…many times Christians put themselves in harms way to care for those that were sick

Many times that was the only care that the sick would receive…so I’m not saying recklessly expose yourself and those you love to death.

However, one thing a pandemic DIDN’T stop was love and good deeds....so here I am…provoking you Christian…what are you going to do?

Are you going to quarantine not only your body but also the spiritual life that is in you? Or is there a way you can share the life of Jesus when there is death, despair, and demoralized masses looking for hope.

Call each other…immediately after this sermon is over…call someone, pray with them, consider where they are and provoke them to acts of love and good deeds

Don’t wait another moment that will pass and then busyness ensues…reach out and CARE about that person and watch and see what the Spirit does through His church.