Watch Out! You Might Be Deceived! -- 7/25/10

Sunday, July 25, 2010 Ranchman’s Camp Meeting at Nogal Mesa

WATCH OUT! YOU MIGHT BE DECEIVED

Luke 6:20-26

* This message was preached on Sunday morning at the Nogal Ranchman’s Camp Meeting. You will note that because I tried to cover much ground, there are lots of loose ends. Though you may have many questions, hopefully there will be much biblical content for us to chew on.

Intro: About me, so that you won’t be curious

Not used to speaking outside of La Luz Church

Deal: You listen, and I won’t waste your time with trivialities. By God’s grace I will give you plenty to chew on. You listen as long as I speak, and when I sense I have nothing else to say from Him, I will sit down.

I’m speaking to me/us, not “lots of Christians out there.”

With those comments behind us, let’s begin to think together. Let me ask you a question: Which of these best describe the Christian -- “poor, hungry, sorrowful” or “rich, filled, happy”? Think about those two options. Which one best describes the Christian? The title of the message this morning is simply this -- “Watch Out! You Might Be Deceived!”

Now let’s read our scripture text for this morning. Luke 6:20-26…

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. 21. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. 22. Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. 23. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. 24. But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. 25. Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. 26. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

I. The Great Danger is Not Poverty, but Wealth and Plenty

Verse 21, “Blessed be ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” Compare to Matt. 5:3, which says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” If not careful, we just adapt this text to read like Matt. 5:3. “Well, Jesus is just talking about the poor in spirit.” No, here in this text Jesus is not just talking about the poor in spirit. Though Jesus’ disciples would later become poor in spirit, they were also poor materially. We read over in chapter 18:28 where Peter reminds Jesus that they had left all to follow Him. If you are having trouble with that, let me point out the contrast. It is in verse 24, “Woe to you who are rich.” Not “rich in spirit,” but rich. “Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.” Jesus is speaking about those who are literally poor and literally rich.

This must have come as a great shock to Jesus’ disciples. As a matter of fact, much later when Jesus continued to share the same message, they were still amazed. In chapter 18 Jesus deals with the rich young ruler. On the heals of that little interview, Jesus said, “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for camel to go through a needle’s eye, that for a ric man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:24-25). When the disciples heard that, they said, “Who then can be saved?” They were not stupid; they could calculate how many camels they had seen go through the eye of a needle.

On top of that, this teaching ran counter to everything they knew. Looking from the vantage point of the old covenant, they saw wealth and plenty as a sign of God’s blessing. Did not God bless Abraham with much cattle and many possessions because of his faithful obedience? Did not God bless David with a great kingdom because he was a man after God’s own heart? Did the Psalmist not say…

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Were not Jesus’ disciples and all Israel looking for a Messiah who would come with power, reign with authority, and bless them with all physical and material blessings? Yes, yes, yes. That is why Peter rebuked Jesus when He began to talk about dying. All their background told them that material wealth equaled the blessing of God, but now their Master had no place to lay His head. Their Lord would say that His kingdom was not of this world.

Hear me, brothers and sisters. We are not children of the old covenant, but of the new. Yes, the promises of the new covenant are better than the promises of the old. That does not mean that if the old covenant saints had material prosperity, the new covenant saints will have more material prosperity. No, it means that the promises we have are of a better nature. No amount of outward prosperity can equal what the new covenant child of God has on the inside. Even nonbelievers can be blessed materially, but they can never have what I have. We must look at the example of Jesus, who had no place to lay His head. We must heed the words of Jesus, who said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, whether neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through and steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:9-21). “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24).

Okay, let’s pause at this point and consider the question? Who are the rich and who are the poor? Would you say that Jesus was rich or poor? Certainly, He was poor. He had no place to lay His head. He was dependent upon the generosity of others, particularly some women who ministered to His needs. We have little trouble with that question, but now let’s move from Jesus’ day to the present. Let me just ask you the blunt question: Are you rich? How many of you consider yourself rich? If you don’t consider yourself rich, you are greatly deceived. “Rich” and “poor” are comparative terms. We cannot escape that. The rich have much compared to the poor, and the poor have little compared to the rich. You might say, “I know lots of people who have far more than I.” For every person you can name who has far more than you, there are thousands who have far less than you.

Watch out! You might be deceived! You might think that Jesus can’t possibly mean “Blessed are you poor.” He means exactly what He says. Let me point out two things that help us understand this blessing. First of all, understand that God has a particular affection and caring for the poor. If you aren’t careful, you will let your view of the poor be shaped by your politics rather than by the Word of God. No, I’m not going to get political; I’m going to get biblical. I don’t have time to read the many passages which speak of the Lord’s care for the poor, but let me read a few. Ps. 140:12, "I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor." Is. 41:17, "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them." Ezek. 16:49, "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy." Now come to the New Testament and let’s read James 2:1-7…

My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3. And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4. Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 5. Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6. But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7. Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

Maybe it’s been a while since you sat down and actually read what the Bible says about the rich and the poor. Look at Luke 14:12-14,

Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. 13. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: 14. And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

You say, “Yes, but it’s because the rich don’t need anything.” And that relates to my second point about the poor. Jesus pronounces a blessing on the poor because the poor have a decided advantage over the rich when it comes to entering the kingdom of God. I hope you know that. You do know that the poor have an advantage over the rich when it comes to entering the kingdom, don’t you? You say, “No, all have equal opportunity, because Jesus died for the lost, not for rich or poor.” You can do all the fancy reasoning you want to do, but Jesus talked about how hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom. He never said that about the poor. Why is that? Because as a whole, the rich don’t see their need. Wasn’t that the problem in Laodicea? They said they were rich, but they couldn’t see that they wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked (Rev. 3:17).

You might think that those people of the third world countries have a great disadvantage when it comes to opportunity for salvation. After all, it is estimated that over a billion people have never heard of Jesus. Please hear me. God is perfectly capable of sending His gospel to the ends of the earth. As a matter of fact, we have been commissioned to take that gospel to the ends of the earth. But please understand that those who have the most difficulty being saved are the rich, and we are the rich.

This is the upside down gospel. It turns our thinking on its head. We have a natural tendency to think that wealth and privilege make the gospel more accessible and therefore gives us a great advantage. But Jesus says, “Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your consolation. Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger.” It is hard to read these words without thinking of what Jesus said about the religious leaders in Matthew 6. Matt. 6:2,5,16… “They have their reward.” In other words, they are looking for the praise of men. They have it. They better enjoy it, because they will not have any heavenly reward. It is the same message here. You rich people enjoy your riches and plenty, because the rewards in the NOW are the only ones you will receive.

Before you get upset at me, let me remind you that I am simply reminding you of what Jesus said. Does He not clearly say, “Blessed are you poor; for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be filled… But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation [your reward]. Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger”? Does Jesus not say that the poor and hungry are blessed and the rich and full have only woe to look forward to?

By the way, if you want a commentary on this passage, just read through the Gospel according to Luke, where we find this upside down gospel again and again. Jesus was anointed to preach the gospel to whom? “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind…” (Luke 4:18, quoted from Is. 61). But what did the Jewish religious leaders think about blind people? They told the blind man that Jesus healed (John 9) that he was altogether born in sins. In Luke 12, Jesus told he parable of the rich fool. Wasn’t that man foolish to build more and more barns to store up his goods? Don’t miss the punch line in verse 21, “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” You can’t do both; you can’t lay up treasure for yourself and be rich toward God. And anyone who lays up treasure for himself is just as foolish as this rich man who built his barns. In chapter 14 Jesus said, “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Chew on that for a while.

Then we come to chapter 16. We don’t have time to go through Jesus’ parable about the wise steward, but come to what He said about the rich man and Lazarus. What an illustration of these words of Jesus in Luke 6. Let’s read Luke 16:19-25…

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23. And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

Did you catch that? “NOW he is comforted, and you are tormented.” Rich man, while you lived on earth, you had all the comforts and Lazarus was tormented. But now everything has been turned upside down. Now he is comforted, and that “NOW” is going to last forever and ever, just as your “NOW” of torment is going to last forever and ever.

So what is the great condemnation of this rich man? He lived in luxury and cared nothing about the great poverty and hunger of Lazarus. The rich man had the means to serve Lazarus and relieve his suffering, but he didn’t. Somehow he convinced that it was okay for him to have all the comforts of life, while Lazarus suffered deeply just outside his gate. Now I ask this question of you and me, “Are we the rich man?” We certainly have the comforts of life? But where is the Lazarus outside our gate? Do you know how many people in this world will starve to death before we conclude this service? And most of them will go to hell. You may say, “But they are in other parts of the world; I can’t do anything to help them.” When you tell that to Jesus on the last day, you might hear Him say… (Matt. 25:41-46)

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43. I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45. Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Then you go to chapter 18, where Jesus dealt with the rich young ruler and then took the opportunity to teach His disciples about the danger of riches. Zacchaeus is in chapter 19. And then in chapter 21 Jesus commended the widow who offered two mites, “She gave more than all the rest, because she cast in all her living.” We could say much more, but let’s move on.

II. The Great Danger is Not Sorrow, but Happiness

Back in Luke 6:21,25, Jesus said, “Blessed are ye that weep now, for ye shall laugh… Woe unto you that laugh now, for ye shall mourn and weep.” What do you make of that? Didn’t Jesus send us the Holy Spirit, and isn’t the fruit of the Spirit love, joy, and peace? Why shouldn’t we laugh and rejoice? Doesn’t the Word of God itself say, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, ‘Rejoice’”? Earlier I reminded you of Ps. 16:11, “In thy presence is fullness of joy, and thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” Isn’t a great measure of that fullness of joy even in this life, as we have Jesus living within?

Outside of this passage, can you think of any place in the New Testament where the word “laugh” is used? The King James is quite consistent in its usage of the original word. This is the only place where the Greek verb here translated “laugh” is used in the New Testament. However, an intense form of this verb (katagelaw) is used three times in the gospels. Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell of Jesus entering into the home of Jairus and raising her from the dead. And in each one, when Jesus told them that the girl was not dead but only sleeping, we read these words: “And they laughed him to scorn” (Matt. 9:24; Mk. 5:40; Lk. 8:53). Then the noun form of this word “laugh” is used in James 4:9. Let’s read it in the context of 4:7-9…

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

You can see that the other uses of “laugh” in the New Testament are not at all complimentary, especially those troubling words from James: “Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness.” So Jesus pronounces a woe on those who laugh now and James tells his readers to let their laughter be turned to mourning and their joy to heaviness. What do you make out of that, especially in light of Jesus’ words in John 16. Jesus told His apostles that a little while and they would not see Him and then in a little while they would see Him. Let’s pick it up and read John 16:19-22…

Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? 20. Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 22. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

Please hear me. The root of the problem is in the fact that we tend to make joy and sorrow mutually exclusive. In other words, “We should be full of joy, and never sorrowful.” No, that’s a lie. How do I know? Because Jesus pronounced a blessing on those who mourn and James tells us to let our laughter be turned into mourning. Can a person rejoice and mourn at the same time? The Christian can and will.

If you look at the context of that verse in James 4:9, you will see that James has pointed out very serious sins in his readers. James 4:2-4…

Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will [wants to] be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

He was dealing with those who professed Christ but were living like the world. They were like the people of Jeremiah’s day, who were full of religious talk and deeds, but who were ungodly in character. They lived the carefree life and laughed like fun-loving people do. But in light of their present conduct, the great need was to mourn and be in heaviness (the kind that leads to repentance).

But what about Jesus’ blessing on those who mourn? Think with me for a minute. We sometimes give the idea that the ideal Christian is happy-go-lucky. He doesn’t have a care in the world. He is in love with Jesus, pronounces Rom. 8:28 on anything that seems tragic, and continues down the road with a smile on his face. Friends, don’t fall for that lie. But what about James 1:2, “Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations (into various trials).” Yes, count it all joy. Rejoice in the truth that Jesus is just as real in the bad times as in the good times, but don’t think for a moment that such joy rules out sorrow. How can I live a carefree life when I am in a battle with sin, when the church is in a time of spiritual captivity, and people around me are stampeding toward hell?

Pastor Rick encourages us to let our faces show what is in our hearts, but we have to be careful even with that. Let’s suppose that a woman comes into the service. She learned two hours before that her three children were killed in a car wreck. Pastor Rick will understand, if she doesn’t put a smile on her face. The trivial worries that we sometimes entertain are not in the same category as the sorrow she is experiencing. The Word tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice, but it also tells us to weep with those who weep (Rom. 12:15).

Just come to the Word of God. What is Jeremiah often called? The “weeping prophet.” Why? Jer 8:20-9:1…

The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. 21. For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me. 22. Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!

What about the apostle Paul, the man who wrote to the Philippians, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say, Rejoice”? Did Paul mourn? Did he have sorrow? If so, was it just once in a great while? Rom. 9:1-3…

I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 2. That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

Did you hear what he said? Paul said that he had great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart.

And what about our Lord Himself? We love that great Messianic passage from Isaiah 53. In that passage, what is our Lord called? A man of sorrows (Is. 53:3). Yes, He was a man of sorrows, but did He know joy? Indeed, He did. Shortly before His arrest, He said to His apostles John 15:11, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." But again, how can we put sorrow and joy together? Just go to the cross. “For the joy that was set before him, [he] endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2). Was Jesus laughing while He was on that cross? No. Did He have joy? Indeed, He did. His joy was not some happy feeling produced by the circumstances; His joy was rooted in His relationship with His Father and nothing could affect it.

Don’t be deceived; there is a true joy in the Lord, but there is also a counterfeit joy. Not everyone who professes Jesus and wears a smile is filled with the Lord’s joy. Let me put it this way -- the more true joy that fills a person, the more that person will be filled with continual sorrow. Think about it. As your joy in the Lord deepens, so will your sorrow. You say, explain that. How is our joy in the Lord increased? As we grow in Him and have fellowship with Him, as the Holy Spirit produces in us the nine-fold fruit of Galatians 5. Our joy increases as we are conformed more and more into His image. As we become more and more like Him, will we not share His heart? “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” (Matt. 9:36). Can’t you hear the sorrow in His voice, when He cried, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!” (Luke 13:34). As we long to know Jesus, will we not have continual sorrow in our hearts, even as Paul did?

He who can behold the condition of the church in America and rub shoulders with hellbound sinners and not have deep sorrow in his heart either doesn’t know the Lord or needs to repent. This is not a time for carefree living. 1 Pet. 4:7, "But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer." We talk about believing the end is near. If that is true, then it’s time to be serious. We, along with the people around us, are going to stand before the Lord. And how many of us and those around us are going to call Him “Lord, Lord,” only to hear Him say, “I never knew you; depart from me, you who work iniquity”? (Matt. 7:21-23). How can we say we believe Jesus is coming soon, while we laugh our way through life?

Yesterday I was reading in Jeremiah and came across a verse in chapter 23. This chapter is a blunt divine rebuke of the false prophets who opposed Jeremiah. Listen to Jer. 23:32, "Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD." Notice that term “lightness.” These prophets did not take seriously the Word of the Lord.

Make no mistake about it, there will be a time to laugh. The key is the timing. Woe to you who laugh now… Blessed are you who mourn, for you shall laugh. We will no unmingled joy for all eternity; there will be mixture of sorrow, but now though we rejoice in our Lord, we mourn.

III. The Great Danger Is Not Persecution, But Deception

Come back to Luke 6. Luke 6:22-23, "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. 23. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets." But now listen to verse 26, "Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets."

Listen to me very carefully. While we have been on this mountain, we have prayed for our country. We do so in obedience to the Word of God, which tells us to pray “for kings, and for all in authority” (I Tim. 2:1-2). We rejoice that we have the freedom to assemble in Jesus’ name. Nevertheless, we must understand that the professing church in America is warped. It is a good thing to value religious freedom, but we have made it a god. Some of us speak as if religious freedom was as dear to us as the Lord Himself. Oh yes, we are to “pray for those in authority, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (I Tim. 2:2-4). Ultimately, the goal of religious freedom is the proclamation of the Lord Jesus. But don’t forget that the same Paul wrote these words to the same Timothy: "Yea, and all that will [want to] live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (II Tim. 3:12).

The danger for the believer is not that he will be persecuted. Regardless of what happens in this country, if we desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus, we will suffer persecution. The great danger is that we will be deceived. As I see it, in part of the world Satan is opposing believers through persecution. In other parts of the world, particularly here in this country and in western Europe, he opposes believers and nonbelievers through strong deception. How does he deceive? His deceptions are too numerous to mention, but for starters, he deceives us into thinking that when things are going well and people respect us, we are blessed. Can we not hear the clear words of Jesus? “You are blessed when people hate you and separate you from their company… But woe to you when all people speak well of you.”

This deception runs deep and has become strongly entrenched in American evangelicalism. It begins with our shallow evangelism, which tells people that if you just believe the facts about Jesus death and resurrection and say a prayer, you will be saved. If you ever doubt your salvation, just go back to that experience when you prayed and asked Jesus to save you. What did Jesus tell the man who came to Him and said, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” How did Jesus respond? After the man said that he had kept the commandments, Jesus said to him, “You still lack one thing. Go and sell all that you have, give it to the poor, and follow me.” We don’t have time to go through that passage, but understand that Jesus made it clear there was a cost to following Him. When great crowds followed Him, what did He do? Did He turn to them and say, “If you will believe that I am going to die for your sins and will say this prayer, you will be right with God”? Do you remember what He did? Jesus turned to them and said, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26-27). Then after giving two illustrations about counting the cost, He said, “Whoever doesn’t forsake everything he has, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33).

As I stated earlier, there is no greater deception than to believe that a person can encounter Jesus Christ and become a child of God and not have his world turned upside down. The Bible teaches that the one who is justified is also regenerated. That is, he has been born again and has the life of Christ within him. Can I have the life of Christ and continue to live as I did before? Remember what Jesus said to Nicodemus in explaining what it means to be born again. “The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear the sound of it, but you can’t tell where it comes from and where it’s going. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). Can the wind blow through here and the leaves on the trees not move? Neither can a person receive the indwelling Spirit and not be moved.

Come back to what Jesus said about riches. How hard it is for a rich man to be saved. It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. His disciples said, “Who then can be saved?” “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Luke records that encounter in chapter 18. In the very next chapter, he gives us an example of a rich man who was saved. His name was Zacchaeus. What was his occupation. He was a tax collector, and the tax collectors were hated because they worked for the Romans and because they cheated their own fellow-Jews. They got rich at the expense of their own countrymen. You will remember that Jesus spotted Zacchaeus in the tree and then went home to eat with him. When Jesus left that house, He said, “This day is salvation come to this house.” Was it recorded that Zacchaeus believed certain facts? Or that he said a prayer? No, Jesus made that statement after Zacchaeus announced that he was giving half of his wealth to the poor and would restore fourfold to anyone whom he had cheated. God did a mighty miracle, and it showed in what Zacchaeus did with his riches.

Count the cost of following Jesus, because it won’t be easy. Our culture has squeezed us into its mold. We come up against opposition and we whine and complain. Jer. 12:5, "If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?" Prov. 24:10, "If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small." As we in the La Luz church read about, pray for, and financially support brothers and sisters who are severely persecuted in other parts of the world, I pray that we will be delivered from some of the deception that has gripped American religion. If we follow Jesus, we can expect to increasingly be misunderstood, despised, and hated by this world. And a great measure of that opposition will come from religious people, just as it was in Jesus’ day.

As we cling to Jesus and let Him shine through us when the world hates us, we are blessed. We can rejoice, remembering the words of our Lord, “If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18). But when everyone thinks well of you, watch out, for Jesus pronounces a “woe” on you.

Conclusion

You may be thinking, “This pastor is preaching works salvation.” Am I saying that we must not be like the rich man, but we must help the poor in order to be saved? Am I saying that if we must weep mourn for the condition of the church and the lost in order to be saved? Am I saying that if we are not persecuted, we are not saved. I am not saying that at all.

Gospel is clear. God created man to be in a relationship with Him, but we have sinned. We have sinned because we are sinners to the core. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way” (Is. 53:6). Even what we think are righteous deeds are like filthy rags. We can’t do anything to fix our sin problem. But praise God that He sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Jesus is the wrath-removing sacrifice. He became our substitute, dying on the cross in our place. He took God’s wrath in order that we might escape it. That doesn’t mean that everyone is saved, just because Jesus died. Jesus said, “Repent and believe the gospel.” We must give up on ourselves, admitting that we have no goodness in ourselves. As we do that, we cast ourselves on Jesus, trusting Him who died and rose for us. He has never turned away anyone who came to Him like that.

But watch out! You might be deceived! In the last day, many will claim that Jesus is their Lord. Many will say, “I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior.” And Jesus will say to many (not to a few, but to many), “I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matt. 7:23). Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith.

Do you know what is the first promise recorded in the New Testament? “And you shall call his name Jesus, for he will forgive his people of their sins.” Is that the first promise recorded in the New Testament? If not, what is it? The angel said to Joseph, “And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). The promise is that Jesus will deliver us from our sins. No, that does not mean sinless perfection, but it does mean the breaking of sin’s power and a life that is decidedly different. The Christian has been buried with Jesus and raised to walk in newness of life.

Don’t be deceived. “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God… Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.” The deceitfulness of riches has choked out the Word of God, and you bear no fruit. Your attitude toward riches and the poor demonstrate that you in spite of your profession, you have not been changed by the upside down gospel.

Don’t be deceived. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh… Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” You can put a smile on your face and laugh, but you don’t weep over the souls of men. Paraphrasing Charles Spurgeon: “If you are not concerned for the lost, you can be sure that you yourself are not saved.”

Don’t be deceived. "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. 23. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets… Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets." Do you suffer reproach with your Lord? Or are you so high above the Master that all people think well of you?

So how do we respond to these blunt and bold truths of Jesus? I am not saying that if our attitude toward riches doesn’t line up with Jesus, then we are not Christians. However, that is a real possibility. The other possibility is that our understanding of God’s truth has been hindered by the enemy and we simply need to be taught from God’s Word. If that is the case, then repentance is in order this morning. I don’t even want to think about the third possibility, that God’s Spirit might bring conviction and we might ignore it. “Well, Lord, I’m certainly no different than most people around me who profess Christ. I’m just going to hope I will be all right.”

If we follow Jesus, we can’t walk with the crowd. Matt. 7:13-14, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Lord, Please Give Us More -- 7/18/10

Sunday, July 18, 2010

LORD, PLEASE GIVE US MORE

Sometimes we ask questions something like this: “Should we be content with where we are in life? Surely we can be content in Christ, but does that mean we should be content with everything?” Let me be more personal. Am I content? Are you content? Was Jesus Himself content, as He walked on this earth? Yes, Jesus was absolutely content in His Father. Nevertheless, He was moved with compassion over the helpless and harassed who were like sheep with no shepherd. Literally, what He saw tore His guts out. Jesus wept over the spiritual condition of Jerusalem. His soul was troubled, as He looked at the prospect of the cross.

When we were talking about this very thing in relation to Philippians, one of my dear brothers reminded me that we are told clearly and specifically that Paul was content. Phil. 4:11, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." That is, Paul was content concerning the necessities of life, with the emphasis on his physical needs. The same word is used in 1 Tim. 6:6, "But godliness with contentment is great gain." The context makes it clear that Paul is again talking about the physical necessities. On the other hand, he was not content with how well he knew Jesus, because he tells us clearly that he longed to know more of Him.

As for me, my problem is that I am too easily satisfied. Oh yes, I am satisfied with my Lord, for there is no other true satisfaction, but I am too satisfied with my shallow experience of Him. There is a false contentment that tempts us to believe that things other than Christ will satisfy. Such a false contentment lulls me and you to sleep while our time for service in this world dwindles away and people all around us are stampeding toward hell. How can I look at my life and be content, when I realize that all the people I see around me will one day stand before the Righteous Judge?

I don’t really have a sermon to preach to you this morning. I had one, but the Lord has made it obvious that it isn’t for today. I’m not exactly sure how this is going to come out this morning. It’s going to be rather personal, and that makes me uncomfortable, because we want to focus on Christ and not on the preacher. On the other hand, as I cry out to the Lord, I trust that I will represent us as a people. It is my hope that we are unified in such a way that you will identify with me and join me in crying out to our gracious Lord.

Let’s pray…

I. I Don’t Want to Be Content; I Want to Be Broken

We hate to see anything broken, don’t we? During VBS a window was accidentally broken. That’s not the end of the world, but it’s messy. People had to clean it up. And it’s trouble. Someone had to take it and get it repaired and it will have to be reinstalled. Sometimes it can be very costly when something gets broken. And when it comes to these bodies of ours, we sure don’t want anything to be broken. Our preference is for everything to stay intact, whole, perfect. We view brokenness as a bad thing.

Let’s read from Psalm 34:11-17…

Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 12. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? 13. Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. 14. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. 15. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. 16. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

That’s good stuff, isn’t it? When the righteous cry out to God, He hears them and delivers them out of all their troubles. We’re doing just fine until we come to verses 18-19, "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. 19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." We much prefer, “Few are the afflictions of the righteous.” And no one wants a broken heart and a crushed spirit. But the Word of God clearly tells us that the Lord is near to those who have a broken heart.

We must understand what he means by a broken heart. This is not a broken heart that results from the common troubles of mankind. Rather, this is the kind of brokenness that is described in the Beatitudes of Jesus. Matt. 5:3-10…

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

This truth is well illustrated in the Bible itself. Many times we have looked at the story of how Mary anointed Jesus for His burial. We read it earlier this morning in Mark 14:3-9. Mary didn’t just pour a little perfume on Jesus. Mark 14:3, “And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she broke the box, and poured it on his head.” It was a slender vial. It wasn’t made with any kind of lid. You just broke the top off and poured out the perfume. When we read the same story in John 12, we are told that “the house was filled with the odor of the ointment [perfume]” (John 12:3). The perfume was useless until the vial was broken, but once it was broken, the fragrance was released.

If you go back to Luke 7, you find the story of that “sinner” woman who came to Jesus. She too brought an alabaster vial of perfume and anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her own hair. Though we are not specifically told that she broke the vial, she obviously did. In her case, it was an illustration of her own brokenness. The religious leaders referred to her as a “sinner,” designating her as a notable sinner who was not worthy to approach a Rabbi. She came to Jesus as a broken woman. She threw off all dignity and restraint, letting down her hair to dry his feet. She was broken before Jesus, but what healing, what forgiveness she found in Him.

Or go back to John 12, where we were last week. John 12:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." We want to protect that grain of wheat. Put it in a little dish and set it on a kitchen shelf. Nothing will be able to harm it there. No, that’s crazy. It will never produce a crop until it falls to the ground and dies. That is a picture of brokenness. Jesus was speaking first of all about Himself. Yes, He was the Master Teacher, the Great Physician, even the One who raised the dead, but it would all come to nothing unless He was broken and put to death. Remember what He said at the Last Supper: “This is my body, which is broken for you” (I Cor. 11:24). Through His brokenness and death came life.

I don’t want to be content; I want to be broken. Jesus’ words apply to me and to you. If we are not broken, there will be no life. Jesus makes it clear in the next verse, when He says, “He that loveth his life shall lose it.” That’s self-preservation, and it leads to destruction. On the other hand, “he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” That’s brokenness, and it leads to eternal life.

This is not a one-time thing. The Bible does not teach that we are broken only when we come to Christ at conversion. II Cor. 4:7, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels.” What treasure? Verse 6, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” If you are His child, then you have God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ. The love of God has been shed abroad in our lives. Praise God! But His plan isn’t to leave the treasure neatly within us. His plan is a brokenness that releases the “sweet savor of Christ” (II Cor. 2:15). It is only when we are broken that the life of Christ within us is released to touch others.

Lord, break me. (Invite people to read “Lord, Break Me,” from William MacDonald’s book True Discipleship).

II. I Don’t Want to Be Content; I Want to Be Transformed

There is something we dislike almost as much as brokenness. Do you know what it is? It is change. Though some dislike change more than others, for the most part, none of us enjoy change. We like the routine to which we have grown accustomed. So what’s wrong with that? God’s great purpose in the life of every believer is continual change until this earthly life is over. Rom. 8:28-29, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." God has claimed us as His own so that He might conform us to the image of Christ. That word translated “conform” literally means to “form the same.” Would you not agree that for God to form us like Christ there will have to be great and continual change?

We have seen it in Phil. 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that he hath begun a good work in us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Brothers and sisters, it is a work of change. What a change when He saved us, when He gave us new life through His Spirit. The change is so great that Paul could say, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Cor. 5:17). But that is only the beginning.

We have an English word “metamorphosis.” It is from two Greek words and it basically means “a transformation.” We know the word best because it is used to describe the process by which a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. I can just imagine a caterpillar thinking, “Maybe I will just stay where I am. I may not be as beautiful as a butterfly, but at least it’s safe here. I don’t have any big problems. I’m not sure what it will be like as a butterfly. Yes, the butterfly is pretty, but it may have problems that I don’t even know about. I think I’m content to just remain a caterpillar.”

What about you? Do you want to be transformed? Do you want to be continually changed to be more and more like Christ until the day you see Him face to face? The process began at conversion, but that was only the beginning. Let’s read Rom. 12:1-2, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." That word “transformed” is the metamorphosis word. We’re commanded to stop being poured into the world’s mold but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Transformed into what? Into the image of Christ.

That metamorphosis word is used only four times in the New Testament. In the parallel accounts of Matt. 17:2 and Mark 9:2, we read that Jesus was transfigured (metamorqow). That is, His appearance was radically changed, as He was on the mountain with Peter, James, and John, along with Moses and Elijah. We have just seen that the same word was translated “transformed” in Rom. 12:2. The other occurrence is in II Cor. 3:18. Let’s read II Cor. 3:17-18…

"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." It’s the phrase “are changed.” Changed to what? Into the image. What image? The image of Christ.

So in these passages, we see how God is going to change us to make us like Christ. We are commanded to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Though we are new creatures in Christ, there is still the need to change the way we think. Remember that when Jesus rebuked Peter, it was because Peter was minding the things of men. We must be changed to think like Jesus, to have in us the mind of Christ. And how does that renewing of the mind take place? Primarily through the Word of God. Our delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law we meditate day and night (Ps. 1:2). That process will slowly and surely renew our minds.

But our looking at the Word has a specific direction. We find this back in 2 Cor. 3:18, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." This speaks of the great delight in beholding our Lord Jesus. We keep on looking to Jesus. As we read the Word, we do so in order that we might gaze on our Lord Jesus. As we keep on looking at Him, we are transformed into that same image, the image of Jesus. The more we look at Him, the more we will be like Him.

And finally come back to Rom. 8:28-29, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." All things work together for good, but what is the good? The good is found in verse 29 -- “to be conformed to the image of Christ.” God takes all the things that happen to us and uses them to make us like Christ. This doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It occurs as we keep on coming to the Word of God and beholding the Son of God. Is there some circumstances that God can’t use to make us like Jesus? No. Did you notice that verse 28 says “all things”? Not “some things” or “most things,” but “all things.” When we grasp this and receive it as a blessing from God, then we will be able to give thanks in all things and rejoice in all our trials, as we are commanded in scripture.

I don’t want to be content; I want to be transformed. Don’t you? What could possibly be more glorious that being continually and increasingly more like the Lord Jesus! That is glory!

III. I Don’t Want to Be Content; I Want to Be Filled

Let’s read from Luke 11:1-13…

And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. 2. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3. Give us day by day our daily bread. 4. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. 5. And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6. For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? 7. And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. 8. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. 9. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12. Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

We’ve been through this passage before, but its truth is gripping me again. After giving them the Model Prayer, Jesus then gives them a little illustration. Two things stand out to me about this illustration. The man went to his friend at midnight for one reason. It certainly wasn’t easy for him to go. It must have been embarrassing to knock on his friends door at midnight. Nevertheless, he went through with it. Why? For one reason -- he didn’t have anything to set before his good friend who had come to visit him. He had to beg resources from someone else, because he didn’t have any of his own. The second truth we see here is his persistence. At first, his friend told him to go away. Even though he was a friend, his family was all bedded down and he didn’t think it important enough to disturb them. But because this man kept knocking and asking with great persistence, he gave in and produced some goods for his friend. On the basis of that truth, Jesus then says, “Ask (keep on asking), and it will be given to you; seek (keep on seeking), and you will find; knock (keep on knocking), and it will be opened.”

But Jesus isn’t quite done yet. Now He gives another illustration. It is about a son who comes to his father and asks for bread. Will his father give him a rock? Or if the son asks for a fish, will he give him a snake instead? Or suppose he asks for an egg. Will his father give him a scorpion? In each case, we know that the answer is “No.” How do we know? Because a father wants the best for his son and will give him what is best. Now comes the punch line in verse 13, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” It’s the much more argument. The Father is far more eager and far more capable of giving us the Holy Spirit than a father to give good gifts to his son. Therefore, plead with the Father for the Holy Spirit, just as the man pled with his friend at midnight for some food to give to another.

Now immediately we have concerns about this passage. First of all, some of us know that there is another verse that is very similar to this one. We find it in Matt. 7:11, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" You will notice that it is essentially identical to Luke 11:13, except that Jesus says the Father will give good things instead of the Holy Spirit. Maybe we will just stick with the good things and forget asking for the Holy Spirit. If you will study these passages carefully, you will see that these are two different occasions. There is no contradiction here. On one occasion, Jesus said that the Father is eager to give good things. On another occasion, He said the Father will give the Holy Spirit. Both are absolutely true.

The bigger concern we have can be stated quite concisely: “How can we ask for something we already have? Every believer already has the Holy Spirit dwelling within Him. Therefore, how can he in good conscience ask for the Holy Spirit?” I must confess to you that this was my thinking for years. So what did I do with this passage? I ignored it. That’s sin, and I had to repent. So what do we make out of this passage? Let me answer that question by giving you a couple of things to consider.

First of all, do you see any problem with asking God for good things? After all, if He is your Father, surely it would be right for Him to give you good things. But wait a minute. You already have good things. He has given you and given you and given you good things. How can you ask for good things, when you already have good things? Are you getting my point? Do you see the inconsistency in our thinking?

What is the scriptural command given to us in Eph. 5:18? "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." We are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Literally, “Be being filled,” or “Keep on being filled.” The Christian has the Holy Spirit, but that isn’t the end of the story. He is commanded to be filled with the Spirit. In Gal. 5:16 we are told to walk in the Spirit. It is when we walk in the Spirit that we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Brothers and sisters, we desperately need the work of the Spirit in our lives. It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to effectively bear the good news of Christ to others.

So if we have this desperate need to be filled with the Spirit, to let Him control our lives, then why do we have so much trouble with this concept of asking for the Holy Spirit? Don’t you think Jesus was well aware that every believer has the Spirit living within him? Somehow I think Jesus knew that when He spoke these words. Yet He says that our heavenly Father is eager to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. Don’t make this so difficult. Is He not simply talking about the Spirit’s ministry and power?

I say right now, “O God, our Father, give us your Holy Spirit.” I’m not asking Him to put the Spirit within me. I am asking Him to fill me with His Spirit, to empower me by His Spirit. You say, “Then why don’t we just say, ‘Lord, fill me and empower me with your Spirit.’” By all means, say it! Our Lord isn’t concerned with the words, but He is urging us to ask. The problem is that we get to the point where we think we know we should be filled with the Spirit, but we are afraid to ask. Some would say, “We are commanded to be filled with the Spirit, but we are not commanded to ask to be filled with the Spirit.” That’s foolish.

If _____ truly needs something from his dad, do you think he should ask? I think it would be a good idea. Do you think his father would scold him for asking? Surely not. Do you think your heavenly Father is going to scold you or penalize you for asking for something you really need? Brothers and sisters, we desperately need the Holy Spirit. That’s what this whole Luke 11 passage is about. Like the man who had nothing to set before his visiting friend, we have nothing to give unless the Spirit of God works powerfully within us. Let’s cry out to God, “O Father, grant us your Spirit. Fill us until rivers of living water flow through us. And then fill us some more.’

I don’t want to be content; I want to be filled. Don’t you?

Conclusion

If you see me as discontent, praise God. I thank God for everything He has done in my life and in this church, but it’s nothing compare to what he longs to do in and through us. Mercy drops round us are falling, but will we not plead for the showers?

“So what are you looking for, pastor?” I long for a life that is totally consumed with Jesus Christ, a life where trivial things lose their power to captivate me. I long for a church where the presence of God is so real sinners are deeply convicted of sin. “Lord, show us your glory!”

I went to the mountains yesterday. While I was there, waiting on the Lord, He impressed two things on me. The first was basically what I have shared with you this morning (or at least the culmination and coming together of those things). The second was more specific. No, the Lord didn’t speak to me in an audible voice, but I know He communicated to me something specific that He wants me to do. In order to do it as He wants me to, I need to be broken, continually conformed to His image, and filled with His Spirit.

Our trouble is that we get so comfortable in our routines that we can pretty well handle anything that comes our way. We lose the daring adventure of following Christ. There is risk and danger in being a disciple of Jesus Christ. You say, “Where is it?” As we truly desire to follow Him in brokenness, conformity, and the filling of His Spirit, we will find it.

Pray

Sing: Spirit of the Living God, Fall Fresh on Me;

Spirit of the Living God, Fall Fresh on Me.

Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me;

Spirit of the Living God, Fall Fresh on Me.