Life Ordinarily Part 2 3/4/2018
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We are finishing our message from last week entitled Life Ordinarily.
This will be our last message from our series Unhindered for a little bit as next week I want to turn everything towards our Easter Celebration.
As I’ve said, our theme is Unhindered.
Our scripture for the year is
And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”
Jesus calls Lazarus out of the grave for a purpose. It wasn’t just about a cool show
Lazarus had things to do - God was going to get the glory for those things.
My Brothers and sisters, God wants to get the glory for what he does in your life
And he wants to be glorified in the lives of those around you.
For that to happen - As in the case with Lazarus, they need to be set free.
And we the church are the very element that he wants to use to do that.
But we are also in need of being freed.
Jesus came to do that - tells us to give us a resurrected life
Not just in eternity, but to live a new life now
And then tells us that he came to show us the way to walk in the truth to experience this wonderful and abundant or full life.
And what we’ve been looking at is how those characteristics or traits of life take place in us as God’s people - DAILY
We said that it had to do with being salt and light
and for that to happen, we need to be careful that we don’t integrate with the world’s views and lifestyles around us.
That we need to stand firm in the truth of God’s word and live it boldly
And when asked how we do that, Jesus taught a wonderful message about the spiritual attitudes that we are supposed to be living in daily.
What I’ve been calling the BE Attitudes.
They are a step by step progression of life that guarantees the believer victory.
First we have to become poor in spirit or spiritually bankrupt outside of Christ
That he is our everything. - We need to admit that we need a savior
Second - We have to learn to spiritually mourn - to spiritually weep over our spiritual condition with out the life and Spirit of Christ living in us.
To weep over that which separates us from God
To seek God’s comfort and forgiveness
These two things bring death to our human and fleshly pride and arrogance and our independence from God.
And Jesus says they bring us to a place of living humbly or meek - which is where we find ourselves today
Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are the Meek
Blessed are the Meek
Those who are humble, those who live life preferring others above themselves
Those who are looking to bring out the best in others.
Those who aren’t overly concerned about their lives or where they stand in the pecking order on this earth.
It’s a hard place to get to isn’t it? Poor in Spirit and spiritually mourning
We said that Meekness isn’t weekness - It’s really how God empowers a person.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
And so Meekness gives us victory over the flesh
It’s the ground that the Fruit of the Spirit grow in
It’s the soil of discipline
Paul says I have to crucify the flesh daily
Today I want to look at the second part of this verse - the victory over the flesh and this earth
The Meek will Inherit the Earth
The Meek will Inherit the Earth
I told you last week that Jesus was quoting scripture when he said this
It’s found in
But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Last week I jumped ahead of myself and shared a couple of verses that seemed out of place. That is if you didn’t know where I was headed with all of this.
I shared about Peter in Prison where the men who put him there want to just dismiss him and let him walk out the back door - And Paul steps up and says no, they did this to us, let them deal with it publicly. If they are releasing us, then let them do it in front of everyone. - Didn’t seem very meek did it? But it was
I shared about Jesus turning over the tables in the temple - May not have seemed to be done in the spirit of meekness, but it was.
We looked at Jesus before the High Priest when they had arrested him and slapped him and he says, why have you slapped me? What right do you have to do so?
The Bible tells us that he was like a meek lamb being led to the slaughter - sure doens’t seem that way to me? But it was
Let me set this up with some history. Some old American Western history.
Has anyone ever heard of Black Bart?
When you said his name any time between 1875 and 1883 it struck fear in the hearts of every stage coach driver.
It struck frustration on the face of every law officer
and it probably put a smile and some jealousy on every little boy who roamed the prairies playing guns or cops and robbers.
Black Bart - No one ever saw his face - he used a hood to hide it
There were not observable pictures of him in the Post Office or the saloon
The law officers couldn’t track him down, no matter how close they ever seemed to him
And He never fired a shot or took a hostage.
His weapon was his reputation and his ammunition was intimidation
He terrorized the Wells Fargo Stage Line for 13 years showing up, and robbing 29 different stage coach crews.
Why do I share that today? Because like Black Bart
Satan is the Father of Fear
Satan is the Father of Fear
Fear - We all have to deal with it
Hospital visits, places of danger, middle of the night imaginations, job interviews
This enemy takes our courage, and gives us knees that shake and hands that tremble
We have the fear of death, fear of failure. Some are afraid of God, the dark, and other people.
The Applause of Heaven Chapter 8: The Bandit of Joy
A legend from India tells about a mouse who was terrified of cats until a magician agreed to transform him into a cat. That resolved his fear … until he met a dog, so the magician changed him into a dog. The mouse-turned-cat-turned-dog was content until he met a tiger—so, once again, the magician changed him into what he feared. But when the tiger came complaining that he had met a hunter, the magician refused to help. “I will make you into a mouse again, for though you have the body of a tiger, you still have the heart of a mouse.”
We battle fear by putting in a bigger and louder alarm system
WE build higher and stronger walls, install stronger locks in our steel doors
We guard our hearts from people who we think might hurt us
We buy a bigger gun, our nation expands it’s military
But does it help? Does it alleviate the fear? Maybe for a time until we see the next news article or hear the next story.
I said it in last weeks message - Courage is inwardly produced.
It’s not something that we can just put on. It happens because of who we already are inside
What we miss when we read the beatitudes is what Jesus is saying that the meek will be courageous. They shall inherit the earth.
No longer will the fears and intrepidations of the earth dominate them, but through Jesus Christ, we will dominate the earth.
Jesus is the Father of Courage
Jesus is the Father of Courage
Think about what he does with 12 men
They weren’t special. They were people who lived next to people
They had fears, they had problems
But they listened to him closely. And they left everything to follow him
And he sends them out.
These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.
“Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. And when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
“Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”
And he tells them not to fear these things - But rather know who God is and fear him.
tells us this will happen when we are judged
But tells us
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Do you see what happened? You are dead
You have come to a place where you have nothing on this earth - Poor in spirit
You have mourned that which has been done away with through Jesus’ sacrifice
And now you are free from the pull that this earth had on you - you are meek
And yet very powerful and overcoming this earth.
The Applause of Heaven Chapter 8: The Bandit of Joy
If you are in Christ, these promises are not only a source of joy. They are also the foundations of true courage. You are guaranteed that your sins will be filtered through, hidden in, and screened out by the sacrifice of Jesus. When God looks at you, he doesn’t see you; he sees the One who
surrounds you. That means that failure is not a concern
for you. Your victory is secure. How could you not be courageous?
The Applause of Heaven Chapter 8: The Bandit of Joy
Earthly fears are no fears at all. All the mystery is revealed. The final destination is guaranteed. Answer the big question of eternity, and the little questions of life fall into perspective.
Let me close with Black Bart.
Do you know that he wasn’t anything to fear?
When they finally caught him and the hood came down, they found a mild-mannered druggist from Decatur Illinois.
He never stormed through the mountains on horseback like the legend told, because he was afraid of horses. He rode to and from his robberies in a buggy
His name was Charles E Boles - the bandit who never once fired a shot, because he never once loaded his gun.
What does that tell you about the things that you are fearful of today?
PRAY