Totally Unqualified

Not Qualified

Our internet at the house was out for 2 weeks.

The day before Sara drove to Tucson to see her dad, and Jason and his family flew out so the grands were there.

I am so unqualified for things like this. When it goes out all I know to do is cycle the power. I did it 3 or 4 times. Sounds like I know what I’m doing.

I unplugged everything and plugged it back in.

B/C that’s what my buddy Dan Wittig says to do.

Dan came over and check our equipment. It’s all in good working order.

So, the problem is w/ CL equipment outside our house.

Dan got us an appointment. Tried to get it sooner.

The timing could not have been worse. Dan tried to pull some strings w/ the guys he knows locally to move us up. No luck.

All the kids are moving into their dorms and apartments at NAU so all the CL guys are busy hooking them up.

Then, Sara goes to Tucson. Leaves me in the house w/ no internet, just Jack, the dog. Do you know how quiet our house can get?

A couple of years ago, we cut the cable for our TV and switched to an internet streaming service, HULU.

We’re saving a lot of money over the satellite dish we used to subscribe to. Just one problem. When the internet goes out, no TV.

No reading the news online. No sports online. No email at home.

But, we have cell phones. But we don’t have an unlimited data plan. So sitting on my phone all day reading the news and watching what’s going on gobbles up the data and I blew thru the limits on my plan and have to pay thru the nose for the additional data.

So I have to limit my phone time.

You know I bought a Peloton bike to work out on. It’s tied to the internet. I subscribe to their classes w/ instructors that try to kill me every time I get on. No work outs.

At least I can read. I have the Kindle app on my iPad. The first night I opened the app only to discover I hadn’t downloaded any books to my device. They were all on the cloud.

The next day I brought my iPad to the office where I downloaded a book and bought 3 more.

I stop at the gas station for all 3 newspapers. The Flag Daily Sun. The PHX Republic and USA today. It’s all the same news. But I get lots of puzzles that take time. Sudokus, crosswords, whatever they had I was working on them.

How many times did I walk out on my back deck to look at the phone line stretching from my house to the pole that went to the box on Fox.

If only the fix was as simple as a Doctor Seuss book.

I’ve got Gorilla tape, some baling wire, and a steak knife. Maybe I could fix it so it works.

We didn’t realize how dependent we’ve become.

It’s funny. But it was also a little depressing. I could feel it. Nothing to do.

We’re dealing w/ Sara’s dad, a pandemic around here, our friends have been sick, trying to keep everyone safe around the church.

And to add to the fun, Sara found out she has a torn meniscus in here knee and needs surgery.

I couldn’t exercise and burn the stress.

The puzzles help but when I’m stumped I get mad.

I can’t drown my sorrows in the latest whodunit rerun of 48 hours or Dateline about the latest grizzly murder in LA.

Fortunately, I spent a few days in Tucson, but 2 Saturdays at home in the quiet of our internet-less house.

I am desperate for something to do and I am lost b/c I am so unqualified to fix it and make it happen.

The struggle is real.

So how can we qualify for something we are so completely unqualified for? I can’t fix it. I can’t make it happen. And I can’t make anyone else do it for me on my schedule.

So don’t tell CL this, but one of our neighbors told us their password and let us use their internet for a few things.

We had to sit on that side of the house w/ the windows open so there’s less metal and glass between us and them and we could at least use our computers.

If CL has a problem w/ it tough, it took them 2 weeks to get to my house to fix their problem. Do you think they offered me a discount on my bill?

This is like what is going on in c.1 when this sermon of Hebrews was first preached.

He was speaking to a stressed out bunch of ppl. And he was talking about finding rest in a stressful world.

It’s not found in a place or at a certain time. Wouldn’t it be nice if God’s rest was found in your favorite chair, on your deck, or in the forest. Just go to that place and find God’s rest.

But, then you start thinking about all the things going on around you that stress you. No more rest.

He said that rest is available to everyone who lives a faithful and obedient life. All that God offers, the peace, patience, joy, kindness, self-control, wisdom, courage; all of it is available in maximum supply to everyone who live faithfully and obediently.

But don’t we realize, feel it deep down inside, that we are not qualified to get what God offers?

Faithful and obedient. But we fail so often.

We can do better. But, still we’ll never be good enough.

How can imperfect people like us qualify for what God says only perfect people are qualified for?

We can’t Gorilla tape it to us, baling wire it around us, or find the one place where the signal is strong enough to down load it into us.

We simply are not qualified to get it, yet God says it’s possible. How?

Is this the insanity of putting us in a round room and telling us to sit in the corner? No.

This is the message of Hebrews 4:12-16.

First we need to recognize where we mess up. We can do better. We will never be perfect, but we can make progress and grow.

It’s the Word of God that shows us the way.

The Word of God

Hebrews 4:12–13 NIV

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Jesus is the Word of God. He spoke the word of God. And Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, and this preacher among others wrote it down so we can take advantage of what the Word of God offers.

I used to say, my bible was just ground up tree pulp and some poor cow gave its life so I could have a nice bible. Now, it’s all electronic. Dots, dashes, ones and zeroes, plastic, glass, and computer components.

But the Word is so much more. There is power in the words, behind the words, in understanding and getting the words into out lives.

One of my seminary profs, Howard Hendricks, used to always say, it’s not how much you are in your bible, it’s how much of your bible is in you.

The preacher already quoted Ps 95 about hearing the voice of God. God is alive and speaks to us. Often, he used the written word to communicate w/ us.

We can know what it says just by reading it. We can figure out what it means, even the tougher passages w/ a good commentary, dictionary or preacher.

Part of my job in your life is to do for you what you may not be able to do for yourself. You can read it but I can help you understand it.

Then, it’s entirely up to you to apply it.

You have to know what it says and know what it means, then you can apply accurately.

When you do, this is what it will do for you.

The Word of God is alive and active. It is dynamic and in pursuit of you.

It is neither dead, nor passive.

Rules are inanimate. The law is dead, not alive. And, it just sits there waiting for someone to do something w/ it.

But this Word of God is moving. Not a moving target. Still enough for you to figure it out. But, once it’s inside you, it will move you. It makes things happen.

It will move you in a direction of Christlikeness.

It will clean out the bad stuff and install the good stuff. Like an operating system update.

When you let it in, it will penetrate deeply and separate the good from the bad. That way you can discard the bad and save the good.

Here’s how that works.

How can you tell the difference between the voice of God in your life and your own strong feelings?

This is the point of him saying it divides the soul and spirit.

The soul he’s referring to is the source of your natural desires.

The Greek word is “psyche”, where we get psychology from.

Your human, natural psyche that is fallen and flawed.

Versus the spirit that is w/in you that is from God.

Greek word: pneuma.

I don’t know what it is about silent ‘p’s but that’s what it is.

So take a situation you feel strongly about. Really strong.

Conviction? or Strongly held opinion? Okay.

Abortion. (Ps. 139)

Slavery. Racism. (Rom. 15:7)

Real hot-button issues.

Same-sex marriage. LGBTQ issues. Transitioning.

Vaccinations.

Defunding the police.

Afghanistan.

The Word of God will separate out the feelings you have that are sourced in your flawed soul from the feelings from the spirit God gave you.

It can be as exacting and excruciating as laser surgery.

It’s not like there is one verse you can go to on all of these issues. Maybe one or two of them.

But, the answer for you will be found in the character of God and the ID Jesus gave you when you came to faith.

And your answer may differ even slightly from someone else’s answer as to exactly where we land on the issue. All similar reactions w/ specific differences.

Some of you may be called to picket in front of an abortion clinic. I’ve done that.

I was part of a church that would put crosses out on the front lawn on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

Then, I had a man in our church tell me his girlfriend would never come to our church b/c of that. She needed Jesus and all that he offers her. But she’d had an abortion and her feelings would not let her get past the crosses in the front lawn.

We will have similar responses on these issues w/ differing specifics.

Our IDs are different.

The Word of God judges, evaluates our thoughts and attitudes.

A friend of mine used to always say, a good baptist wouldn’t smoke, drink, or chew. Or go w/ girls who do. Nor even want to.

And it was always the want to that got you.

Even Jesus said in the sermon on the mount, murder is a sin. But so is hating someone so much you want them dead.

Just b/c I think doesn’t mean I should say it or do it. Stop and let the Word of God evaluate the word of Steve before it rolls off my tongue.

Attitudes. Paul’s attitude about killing Xians was he bel’d w/ all his heart he was doing the right thing by eradicating this heretical sect until Jesus met him on the road to Damascus.

Hitler’s attitude toward Jews was he bel’d w/ all his heart he was improving the world by eradicating an entire race of ppl.

Many slave owners in this country believed they were in the right in owning and how they treated other human beings.

They all might have thought they were acting out of pure motivation but they hadn’t submitted their feelings, thoughts, and attitudes to the Word of God to do surgery on them.

Only Paul, and it wasn’t his choice at the time.

I’m sure Hitler discovered his biggest mistake about a minute after he died.

Even us, b/c we feel strongly about something we can shut out the eval process of God’s Word.

It takes a sword to cut the bad feelings, bad thoughts, and bad attitudes out of us.

The things we think are secrets, heart motives, that are either intentional or even unintentionally hidden deep w/ in.

We think we’re hiding even from God.

But it’s all open and uncovered. The Greek word; “gymna” Where we get the word gymnasium b/c ancient Greeks would work out naked.

Laid bare, means “to bend the neck back”

Think of when you catch someone in a lie.

“Look me in the eye and tell me the truth”

B/C, you can read it in their eyes. Eye contact.

If their guilty they will have a hard time looking you in the eye.

Bend your neck back, look God in the eye and explain your thoughts and attitudes.

So, by letting God’s word eval all this w/ in us, we see what’s bad and we can do better.

But even doing better. We know we’re still not good enough.

You know you’re guilty. There’s a standard and you’re not measuring up. So we compartmentalize. Pack it away. ignore it.

I may be bad, but I’m not as bad as you. God’s so busy dealing w/ you he’ll leave me alone.

But what God offers is only available to the faithfully obedient. And, I’m just not.

I’m still not qualified even as I allow His word to change me.

But he says his rest is available to to me. How?

B/C of the work of our high priest, Jesus. We can still get all that God offers.

The Throne of Grace

Hebrews 4:14–16 NIV

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

This is where we find grace and mercy. All underserved.

We have presented our soul and spirit, thoughts and attitudes t/b judged by God’s word. And we have fallen short. Every time.

Still we can approach God’s throne of grace w/ confidence b/c of the work Jesus did on our behalf.

He is the Great High priest. Superior to all others. Christ above all.

He is the only one who has been in heaven and on earth. In fact, he has traveled back and forth many times.

He showed up on the scene to tell Abraham and Sarah they were going to have a son.

He was conceived and born by a young, teenage mother.

His lifeless body was put in a tomb. And he went to heaven.

He returned to earth when he walked out of his tomb.

Then returned to heaven. And back to confront Paul.

Hold firmly to the faith you profess. Don’t give up no matter how unqualified or unworthy you feel.

Jesus wasn’t surprised by any of your mess-ups.

“Oy, didn’t see that coming!”

He knew you’d do it. And he died for you anyway.

The priest does the work to atone for the errors we make that leave us in a deficit position w/ God.

All other priests sac’d an animal. It only represented what God would eventually do.

Jesus did it Himself.

He understands us like no other. Sinless himself.

But tempted in the same ways we are.

That’s how he can empathize w/ us.

Sympathy feels all the same things.

Empathy does not feel the same, but understands the feelings.

Jesus was tempted and never messed up.

His humanity felt the attraction to sin.

His divinity prevented him from the action of sin.

We don’t have the excuse that Jesus just doesn’t understand how hard it is to say no to the things we know we shouldn’t be doing.

He does know. He had resources we don’t.

So we are left in a deficit to God and unqualified to approach God’s throne.

But, b/c our high priest did the work of atonement we can confidently, boldly approach the throne where we experience everything we are unqualified to experience as if we were really qualified to do it.

We’ve been declared guilty. Then the guilt was removed from us b/c of what Jesus did for us.

Grace: Getting good stuff we don’t deserve.

Mercy: Not prevented from getting the good stuff we don’t deserve.

All, exactly what we need when we need it.

In an incredibly stressful time, as all hell breaks loose around us, we can find a little slice of heaven to stand in.

Get into the Word. Let the Word in you. It will show you right from wrong. It will change you for the better.

But it won’t change you enough to qualify you for what God offers to perfect people.

We can live guilt-free, anxiety-free, and stress-free.

Well, we can keep it to manageable levels.

We can confidently approach the God’s throne of grace and get all the good stuff we don’t deserve b/c of the work Jesus did for us.

That’s how we can achieve the maximum levels of rest, peace, patience, kindness, self-control, courage, wisdom, and the like.

In the Word. The Word in us. In the throne room. The good stuff in us.

Applications

The Word

We have to get into the word so that the word can get into us.

It’s good that you’re all here, or watching online. That helps.

But, we offer bible studies that help even more.

And, you can do this on your own.

Get into the word so the word can get into you, show you right from wrong, and change you for the better.

Feelings

What do you feel strongly about?

Could be anything.

Ask God right now if your feelings are from your flawed soul or from His perfect spirit.

Just b/c you feel it does not mean you’re right about it.

Back to getting the Word of God in you. There may not be 1 verse or passage that speaks to your feelings.

Maybe you need to know the character of God better and your own ID in Christ better to know how to react better.

Make sure you are allowing the Word of God to penetrate and divide your flawed soul from His perfect spirit.

Approach

We have to go into the throne room.

Don’t let guilt from your past prevent you from going in.

Don’t let your insecurities, ignorance, or naivety keep you out.

You can’t do enough to qualify yourself to enter. But Jesus did it for you.

Faithful obedience. Faith first. Believe then behave. B/C of your faith, you get to do what Israel could not do in the wilderness.

And in the throne room is where God maximizes his gifts in your life.

You don’t deserve it. But that’s where His grace and mercy facilitate the acquisition of what we are so unqualified to get.

Speaking to a stressed out bunch of people telling them God’s rest is possible but it’s not in a place or saved for a later time.

There is not a place I can go to get the internet.

There’s no way I can get the 5G that’s available in Flagstaff.

Is this the insanity of putting us in a round room and telling us to sit in the corner? No.

We can’t Gorilla tape it to me, baling wire it around me, or find the one place where the signal is strong enough to down load it into me.

What God offers is only available to the faithfully obedient.

But we are woefully not.

How can imperfect people like us qualify for what God says only perfect people are qualified for?

B/C of the work Jesus did for us, he qualifies unqualified ppl to get what God reserves for only the perfect.

Boldly, confidently approach the throne and get what you need when you need it.