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.
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