Shake The Dust From Your Faith

John 3: 5-10 “Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 

When I was a child, I spent some fun times at my grandmother’s house. Her house was full of neat things of intrinsic value. One such item was an old time radio which today would probably be at least 70 years old. When my grandfather passed away, my grandmother gave that old radio to my mother. Years later, I saw that same radio sitting in my mother’s bedroom. On the outside, it was clean and polished. However, it didn’t work because the inside coils were dirty and dusty.

Nicodemus reminds me of that radio. On the outside, he looks pretty good. Over the course of his lifetime, he had risen through the ranks of religious leaders in his community to the point where he has a reputation for being a pretty spiritual guy. Jesus calls him “a teacher of Israel.” That’s quite a compliment. Nicodemus has his offices in Jerusalem. He’s a theological insider, an expert on spiritual things, someone who is skilled at teaching these things to others. It would be difficult to find fault with Nicodemus based on the externals.

But if you were to explore Nicodemus on the inside, I wonder what you’d find? It’s apparent that he’s interested in Jesus and wonders what’s going on with him, but it’s also apparent that Nicodemus doesn’t seem to get it when Jesus starts to talk to him about a deeper life of the Spirit. “You must be born again,” Jesus says. Nicodemus scratches his head and says, “Huh? That’s not possible. I can’t crawl back into my mother’s belly and start over just like that.” Maybe he’s being cynical. Or maybe his voice is more wistful than that: “Can human nature really be changed? Can we really start over? I don’t think so.” Either way, he doesn’t really believe what Jesus is telling him. His whole life had been not only a witness but also an example of how it’s possible to hold a religious faith that grows grimy and dusty with time and loses its ability to change a life.

That sort of faith is a pretty showpiece and will impress the socks off most folks who look at it. They’ll “ooh” and “aah” over the mastery a man like this has over the Bible and the various commentaries that have been written about it. They’ll be impressed by his ability to argue about theological trivia. Still others will be overwhelmed by the breadth of knowledge and depth of insight he has into the present situation in Jerusalem. He’ll know all about the prophecies about the Messiah and will be looking forward to his arrival.

But it’s all just so much dust being stirred up, isn’t it? Because, when push comes to shove, Nicodemus seems to be a good religious man, but he doesn’t seem to have the capacity to receive what Jesus is telling him. He doesn’t seem to connect with the possibility that things in his life really can be any different. He’s been held hostage all his life by a view that values tradition over transformation; that values convention over conversion; that views any change in the system as a threat to his position and personal security. He latches on to the dust and detritus of his unproductive faith with a death-grip because he knows if he lets go he’ll need to change on the inside. And that’s something he’s not quite so sure about.

Kicking the dust off our faith doesn’t mean that we have to change every now and then. Rather, change is a fundamental and ongoing characteristic of those who live their lives under the leadership of Jesus. You might even say that a follower of Jesus is someone who is undergoing continuous conversion or change. Unfortunately, he doesn’t give us the option of following him without letting him change us.

There’s something extremely sad about Nicodemus. He has so much knowledge and so much potential, but his faith is dusty. Is he religious? Most assuredly. Does he know the Bible? No question. Nicodemus is not a rascal or a degenerate. He’s probably never committed adultery or stolen anything in his life. He signifies the very best that we as humans have to offer. But there’s a tragedy in this because his life and his faith are inadequate to the demand that Jesus places upon them.

Kicking the dust off our faith involves more than renewed resolve or attempting to live a better life. It takes an act of God. Like us, Nicodemus has to be born from above. The wind of the Spirit will have to come and blow the dust off all of us. The water of the Spirit will have to come and wash the dust off us. All the determination and willpower in the world can’t remove the dust from my faith. Only God can bring about that kind of change. The wind blows where it wants to. We don’t make the wind and we can’t move the Spirit. Rather, the Spirit must move us if we are to become whole again and have the grime and dust of a decayed faith driven out of us.

OBSESSED

Psalms 62:5 “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.”

Wilderness wanderings create a thirst for God because when he’s all we’ve got, he’s all we want. While writing this psalm, David has lost everything and now he’s able to find the only thing that will truly satisfy ­ God Himself. Psalm 62 is a song that will lead us to true satisfaction no matter what has happened to us. Before David was forced into the wilderness he was obsessed with his own comfort and the satisfaction of his own needs. It’s only when everything is taken from him that he becomes obsessed with God himself, finding full satisfaction in his praise of him.

What are you obsessed with today? An obsession is an “abnormal or intense pre-occupation; an irrational reverence or attachment.” What is it that compels and constrains you? Is it your position? A hobby? A sport? Money? A relationship? Do you obsess about a possession? Are you preoccupied with your health or with your family? Or do you have an “irrational reverence and attachment” to God? How much God do you really want in your life?

I suspect that most of you really want to find full satisfaction in your relationship with God. That reminds me of the man who bought an expensive hunting dog. Eager to see how he would perform, he took off to track a bear. No sooner had they arrived in the woods than the dog picked up the trail. But then the dog stopped, sniffed the ground, and headed in a new direction. He had caught the scent of a deer that had crossed the bear’s path. A few minutes later he halted again, this time smelling a rabbit. Every couple minutes the dog would stop and follow a different trail. Finally the breathless hunter caught up with his dog, only to find him barking triumphantly down the hole of a field mouse.

Sometimes we’re a lot like this dog. We start out with high resolve, keeping Christ first in our lives. We know the answer to the first question posed by the Westminster Confession: “What is the chief end of man?” “To glorify God and to enjoy him forever,” but our attention is often diverted to things of lesser importance.

Most of us are more empty than we care to admit. We know in our hearts that we can only find satisfaction and security in God. But we usually look everywhere else first. When we’re wandering in the wilderness, we’re often forced to admit that what the world offers doesn’t last because it promises more than it can deliver. When God is all we have, then he’s all we want. Or, to say it another way: When we allow the Lord to totally possess us, we will be obsessed with him.

Have you ever fully surrendered to God? As you focus inward do you have to admit there’s not much there? Are you ready to focus upward and forward? Are you ready to go hard after God? Cling to him and allow him to hold you in his righteous right hand. Let him possess you fully so that you can become obsessed with him.

COMMITTED TO THE WILL OF GOD

Jeremiah 42:3 “Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do."

Francis Schaeffer was a relatively famous pastor and Christian author. When he was 19 years old he had a decision to make. He had to decide whether to stay home and become a mechanical engineer (which was something he was interested in) or go away to Bible College to become a pastor (which was a pull he felt in his heart). His father had demanded that he make a decision—the time was at hand. Francis told his father he needed a few more minutes to think and so he went off to the cellar to pray. Weeping, he asked God for help. Finally, in desperation he took out a coin and said “Heads, I’ll go” It was heads. Then he pleaded, “God, be patient with me. If it comes up tails this time, I’ll go.” It was tails. “Once more, God, Please let it be heads again.” It was heads. Back upstairs Francis went. “Dad, I’ve got to go.” Francis went on to become a pastor, philosopher, lecturer, and an author of 24 books.

Every day we make numerous decisions. What cereal to purchase, what to eat for supper, whether to rent an apartment or buy a home, where to go to college, what career path to take, what church to attend, who to date or marry, how to raise your children, how to invest your money. The choices go on and on.

Our lives can be changed by one decision. While flipping coins, which is akin to casting lots, and asking God for signs has been used by God at various times to communicate his will there are other ways to determining his will.

Here are a few things all Christians should be doing in order to stay in the will of God:

1. Pray

James recognized that is not always easy to know what to do, so as he explains in James 1:5, we are to ask God for the needed wisdom “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

2. Go to the Scripture

In Psalm 119:105 it says “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”. The point: God’s Word has much to say on how we are to live our lives and what we are to do.

Too often we are guilty of not considering what the Bible says on an issue. In the Bible God has spelled out all we need to know. The Bible is full of God’s clear commands that offer us direction for most of life’s decisions. The more we know of God’s written Word, the more quickly we will know what God wants us to do.

3. Seek Godly Counsel

Psalm 1:1a it says “Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked” Often times we will go to people for counsel. Sometimes we seek them out because we want approval of plans we have already made. Sometimes we genuinely want their guidance.

When it comes to the matter of God’s will for our lives, our biggest issue is not the determining of it. Yes the determining of God’s will really challenges us as times, however I think biggest thing is actually doing it.

We have at our disposal the necessary tools to determine God’s will. Prayer, patience, the Word of the Lord, Godly counsel: What is often lacking is a commitment on our parts to doing the will of God. We need willing and surrendered spirits that say yes to God regardless of what’s in our heads to the contrary. Remember, it is in his will that we will find perfect contentment.

A TEST FOR A HARD HEART

Exodus 7:14 “Then the Lord said to Moses, "Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.”

Pharaoh had refused to let the Israelites go, even though God showed himself clearly, so the plagues began. The water in the Nile turned to blood and the fish died. The people’s water supply was gone, their food supply was hurt, the place stunk; and what did Pharaoh do? His heart grew only more cold and hardened.

More than anything else, God is concerned with the condition of our heart. More than what we do, where we go, what we say. It is possible to do the right thing, be in the right place, and say the right things all the while having a heart that is indifferent to him. If you are facing difficulty in life; if you find yourself less and less moved by the things of God, it may be time to assess the state of your heart. Here are a few things to watch for when searching you heart.

You might have a hard heart if when God tries to correct you, you blatantly disobey God. Pharaoh’s response to letting God’s people go was to make it worse on them. He did the opposite of what God said to do. Moses took this response to God and God told Moses that he would deal with Pharaoh. Moses was sent back to Pharaoh and this time he performed the miracle of the staff to a serpent, but Pharaoh ignored that also when the magicians were able to do the same thing. The more God punished, the harder Pharaoh’s heart became. Is it the same with you? The more God tries to correct you, the more stubborn you become?

You might have a hard heart if when God tries to correct you, you become insincere. The second plague that God brought was the plague of the frogs. Aaron stretched forth his hand over the water of Egypt and frogs came up out of the waters and covered the land. This is especially significant because the frog was considered sacred in Egypt and could not be killed. The magicians were again summoned and asked to perform the same miraculous act, and they did; but this wasn’t helpful, because they needed less frogs not more. Pharaoh was only willing to change when there were no other options; but when the problem was gone he had no need to obey God.

You might have a hard heart if when God tries to correct you, you attempt to bargain with God. Pharaoh offers different bargains to God. The proposals that Pharaoh offered to God are the same that Satan offers to Christians today. First, Pharaoh says, “you can go but on my terms.” Sound familiar? “God, I’ll change, but I’ll do it my way”. Later, Pharaoh says, “you can go, but leave your possessions behind.” Does this ring a bell? “God, I’ll conform, but not with everything”

Finally, you might have a hard heart if when God tries to correct you, you refuse to commit. Even when pharaoh said “go”, he couldn’t stay committed to the idea. It is very challenging to have a hardened heart and go “all in” for Christ. Because there will be portions of your heart that are not made available to the work of his hand.

Always remember, any true and meaningful change in our life, must begin with a change of heart. You can temporarily change your behaviour, but if you want true progress in life and the abundance that God has promised you, you must allow his spirit to soften your heart. Watch the warning signs, be sensitive to his voice, and allow your heart to be moved by him.

WHEN FAITH FALTERS

I Samuel 27:1 “But David thought to himself, "One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand."

I think that there are at least 3 sources for spiritual doubt, one of which describes David at this point in his life but all of which can lead us to doubt God. (1) There is intellectual doubt. That is when Scripture is inconsistent with our human experience. We read in the Bible where the entire world was destroyed by a flood or where Jonah was swallowed by a great fish or where Goliath was said to be over 9’ tall and intellectually we have a real hard time accepting that. We think, "That must have been myth or legend and if the Bible is not true in those instances then...” (2) There is moral doubt. That happens when a person doesn’t like God’s commands and then rationalizes, "Well, I don’t think I believe in God, or the Bible, after-all." And that becomes a convenient way of relieving guilt or escaping accountability. (3) Is circumstantial doubt. This is the doubt that is produced when a person goes through a long period of problems or a time of extreme difficulty. The adversity begins to wear on us and we doubt that God is really in control.

That’s where David was. His doubt was a result of difficult circumstances. For 8 years he lived the life of a fugitive, constantly in danger. Imagine the pressure of escaping death day in and day out. Eventually, David began to feel sorry for himself. After all, he was innocent. He had spared Saul’s life, he deserved better. Where was God? Why didn’t He do something?

Often circumstances have to knock us to our knees before we will look up. David hit dead bottom, but when that happened, he looked up and saw God’s loving, forgiving face. And then he realized that God had never forsaken him, but he had forsaken God. So he got up and began his reconciliation with his people and with his Lord.

I think the thing that David lost in the wilderness, that which sent him into this spiritual spiral, was that he lost sight of his worth before God. He had lost his “spiritual esteem.” Not his self-esteem, his spiritual esteem. We can all fool ourselves for awhile that we have it all together…for a while. David had forgotten how important he was to God. God was not going to let him die. He was going to be the next king. God had not forsaken him. If you are longing for real fulfillment, if you have drifted away from God or if you see in your life, any of the characteristics of David’s downward spiritual spiral, remember that you have great worth in God’s sight.

Archie Moore, a heavy weight boxing champion, once got knocked down early in a fight. He got back up and won the match by knock-out. Afterwards a reporter asked him, “Archie, what were you thinking while you were on the canvas?” He said, “I thought, Hey, I’m the champ! I don’t belong here!” Don’t allow doubt to creep into your life and derail your purpose. Remember that God sees you as an over comer, even when you’ve been knocked down.

CERTAIN OF A REDEEMER

Job 19:25 “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.”

When the Berlin wall came down and when communism fell one of the amazing things that happened was that people had access to the files that the secret police had kept on them. For many people it made uncomfortable reading. People whom they trusted had betrayed them – family members, husbands, wives, children etc. They thought they knew these people but they were wrong. It left them wondering: What can I know for certain? Truth is there is very little we can know for certain.

Job was a man who had everything and lost it all. He had family and friends, health and wealth, position and purpose. But in a few short weeks it was all taken away. His health failed, his wealth disappeared, his family turned their backs and his friends did nothing but criticize him. Job was a man who lost everything. Now in and of itself that is neither unusual nor remarkable. But Job is remarkable in that he wants the answer to the question - Why? He wanted to understand what was going on. He was not satisfied to just shrug his shoulders and retreat into a cocoon. Job wanted to know that his life meant something. His friends put before him all sorts of arguments but none of these answer his questions. Job wanted to know, hard as it is to know anything, that his life could be anchored.

When he speaks these words he is sitting on top of the town dump scraping the sores on his body with a piece of broken pottery. The only thing that had been said to him was some pious prattle that he must have sinned against God and if he would only straighten up then all this would turn out right. There was no evidence in his circumstances or what he had heard which gave him grounds to state that he would be redeemed from this bondage. And yet he states: ‘I know my Redeemer lives.’

Job believes he is close to death. It is a pretty fair conclusion for him to come to – it is the wrong conclusion at this time though. However, Job knew that one day he must die. Job knows that the words he is about to utter may not be heard, heeded or understood by those gathered around him at that moment but he desires for them to be recorded – not for posterity but that future generations would benefit from the truth contained therein. He desires that somehow what he is about to say will not die with him but live on because the truth to which they witness, namely that his redeemer lives, is of eternity – eternal truth, value and consequence for those who hear them. So what Job is about to speak is of such importance to him that he wants it recorded. It is basically his last will and testament. The whole dialogue to this point has been Job seeking to defend and justify himself before his friends and their accusations. He now speaks with a secure knowledge and experience which comes from only through faith.

We like Job know that one day we will die. We like Job know that our bodies will see decay. But here is the real question: Do we like Job know that our Redeemer lives and that one day we shall see him with our own eyes? Job could only speak with the eye of faith. We can speak as people with a fuller revelation – Christ has come and God has revealed to us in His Word that he is the Redeemer – the Savior. Job in the midst of all his despair had this eternal hope – do you? Job said his very heart yearned within him in the knowledge of his redeemer – does yours?

ONLY ONE PLACE TO TURN

Deuteronomy 33:27 “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”

Some may depend on their bank accounts, their jobs, their families, their relationships. But our God is a far better refuge than any of those. It is not that relationship we’ve invested so much time in that is our refuge and strength. It is not a job or a house that is our ever present help in time of trouble. It is not the economy that gives us our strength. It is not the age, appearance, condition or health of our bodies which provides us help. It is God who provides us with a place to run, a place to hide.

There are times when everything in the world gets turned upside down. There are times the earth is moved. Sometimes the waters roar and the mountains shake. It seems as everything is against us and out to destroy us. No one is exempt from these realities. Whether it is a national tragedy that involves millions or a lone person sobbing in a hospital waiting room after learning their loved one has died in the night, tragedy in life is a reality.

We cannot control the things that happen to us, but we can control how we respond to those things. The truth is that God often uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It was the broken Jesus who gave us life. And it is broken families, cities, and nations who will rally and become stronger. Just like a broken bone is stronger after it heals. God promises, as we heard in our reading, that He will make all things work out for the good of those who love Him. Don’t forget that when you find yourself in the midst of a calamity. Be sure that you are one of those who have put their faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. That relationship is our sure foundation when the earth is shaken.

At times our foundations are shaken. It seems like everything is coming apart beneath us. But those who put their faith in God will not be swallowed up by such events. We have a firm foundation in God. When the waters roar and the mountains shake, we can stand firm. As Charles Spurgeon wrote: “Faith rests on a firmer basis, and is not to be moved by swelling seas. Evil may ferment, wrath may boil, and pride may foam, but the brave heart of holy confidence trembles not.” Even when everything seems to be against us, Christians can remain at peace. This doesn’t mean we will never go through storms for we do. It means Christ is with us in the storm and he brings peace in the midst of that storm.

It is easy to let our calamities overwhelm us until we lose sight of God. Get still long enough to remember who God is and what He is doing. We need to wait and behold the works of God. Remember what He has done and what He surely will do. Get still long enough to see things from God’s perspective. Only God knows how your situation will end. We don’t know where this calamity or others will lead us. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. But we do know who our God is. When calamities come, remember that God is with us.