NEVER TIRE OF DOING WHAT'S RIGHT

2 Thessalonians 3:13 “And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.”

Doing right is a personal matter. Doing what is right lies squarely on the shoulder of the individual. No matter what others do, you know what you have to do. If you know the difference between right and wrong, then you know what you need to do to please the Lord. God makes this personal. The Bible says, “Never tire of doing what is right.” He puts it in our lap.

This is similar to what we hear in Joshua, “...as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) We may not be able to speak for others, but we can speak for ourselves. We may not answer for others, but we will answer for ourselves. Therefore our chief concern is that we are doing right. Every Christian is judged on his individual service. We will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, by ourselves. No one will be there to run interference; none will offer defense. It will just be us and the record of all our deeds.

When we were little we tried to blame other kids for what we did wrong. My parents used to ask, "If they jumped off the bridge, would you jump off too?" or "If they stuck their head in the fire would you stick yours in too?" The lesson they were trying to get across was that we should act based on our own knowledge of right and wrong. That’s what God is saying here. Doing right is not an option in the Christian life. James says, “Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” (James 4:17) It’s not like doing right is a luxury enjoyed only by the super-righteous. It is all our responsibility.

When Paul says we are to never tire of doing right, he hints of the effort required to please God. It isn’t always easy to do the right thing. Sometimes it means disagreeing with a friend. They might get angry with you if you refuse to cover for their sin. It may require that you stand on principle. You could lose your employer’s approval. You may have to choose between money and integrity. Doing right could mean you have to stand up against a bully for someone else. Whatever the price of doing right may be, it will be repaid in the judgment. In the end, the cost of doing right will never be as high as the cost of doing wrong.

The Thessalonians lived in troubled times. They faced the threat of persecution. They feared the danger of corrupt teaching. They knew the challenges of the Christian life. They struggled with one another, and they struggled with personal issues. It wasn’t any easier for them to be Christians than it is for us. Isn’t that encouraging? If it wasn’t any easier for those who fleshed out Christianity in the first century, it isn’t any harder for us in the 21st century. You and I can enjoy the same peace they enjoyed. We, too, can have peace at all times.

That’s not pie-in-the-sky-theology; it’s a spiritual reality. Is it always easy? Never was. Is it possible? Always has been. How can we have peace in troubled times? We just need Jesus. We need the peace Jesus gives. Christianity is lived out one Christian at a time. But it is also lived out simultaneously within a community of other believers. Those who seek to live a life pleasing to God are encouraged by the hope of his peace. Serve God individually. Keep a watchful eye on one another and enjoy the presence and peace of Jesus.

THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS

Exodus 3:14 “I am the one who always is.”

To the Hebrew people the statement “I AM” became a very holy phrase. They would refuse to say this word as they believed the name of God was too holy to repeat. What does it mean? It is the expression of what God is, the sum of his being and the greatest of all his names. A commentator paraphrased the verse: "If Israel shall ask: What are the nature and attributes of Him who hath sent thee to bring us out of Egypt? Tell them it is the eternal, self-existent, immutable being who only can say that He always will be what He always has been.” The Lord was saying, “Let Israel know this, I AM hath sent me unto you. I am, and there is none else besides me. All else have their being from Me and are wholly dependent upon Me”

This is his name: Jehovah (YHVH).

His name shows us a number of things:

(1) He is self-existent: he has his being of himself. In one sense God is continually and eternally recreating himself. And yet in another he is always the same. He is ever youthful and yet he is the “Ancient of Days.”

(2) That he is eternal and unchangeable, (immutable) and his character is always the same, yesterday, today, and forever.

(3) That he is incomprehensible. We cannot by searching find him out.

(4) That he is faithful and true to all his promises, unchangeable in his word as well as in his nature.

Whenever Jesus used this name some of his hearers would be scandalized and others would be confused. It was a name which was simply not used by them, because it was so holy. Only God would use it. But Jesus did so many other things which confused or offended his hearers.

We, however, must not be in any way limited in the use of this name. After all, the name of Jesus means “Jehovah saves”. Every time we say the name of Jesus we are using the name Jehovah and all that it means. And then the name is supported by all that the Kingdom of Heaven is: it is irresistible.

In the Old Testament we see that God calls himself by seven covenant names. Jehovah Jireh meaning the Lord my provider, Jehovah Rohi meaning the Lord is my shepherd, Jehovah Shalom meaning the Lord is my peace, Jehovah Nissi meaning the Lord is my banner or my conqueror, Jehovah Tsidkenu is the Lord our righteousness, Jehovah Shammah meaning the Lord is there (or the Lord is here), and Jehovah Rapha meaning the Lord who heals.

When you add up these redemptive names of Jehovah all you get is the name of Jesus. And the name of Jesus is powerful. It never matters what the name of the problem is. It is always inferior to the name of Jesus. When we have difficulties we should find out what to call it, and then remind both it, and ourselves that it has to bow its knee to his authority.

Moses was to remind the Israelites that God was sufficient to accomplish everything they needed. He is still that same God today, the one who always is.

WORSHIP - NOW AND FOREVER

Psalms 145:1 “I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.”

This is really David’s crown jewel of praise. This is the last psalm that has David’s name associated with it and the title, “A psalm of praise” is used only for this one. This hymn is characterized by praise, ¬ not thanksgiving or even prayer. It’s set apart for a specific purpose. It is magnificent in its beauty and almost breathtaking in its grandeur. This psalm has a special blessing associated with it. According to the ancient Israelites, who recited this psalm twice in the morning and once in the evening, a person who sang this psalm out loud three different times during the day would be “happy.”

David as God’s king adores Almighty God as his king above all kings. To “exalt” is to set on high above all others, it’s the expression of the greatest possible admiration. The phrase “for ever” means that David’s praise has no end, but when he adds another “ever” to it he forbids all idea of a close to his praise. Our praise of God shall be as eternal as the God we praise. Praise is the only activity that we’re called to do now that we’ll continue doing in eternity. We pray now, but there will be a time when our prayers will no longer be needed. We believe, but there shall be a time when our faith will be lost in sight when we see him face to face. We hope but a time is coming when what we hope for will come to glorious fruition. But, praise is with us now and will continue in heaven. We are to praise him “every day” regardless of how our day looks. When we’re up and everything looks good, we’re to praise him. And, when we’re down and things look dark, we’re still to praise him. Every day is a new opportunity to praise him.

C.S. Lewis says, “We praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed.”

And so, because of God’s position, we are to praise him daily.

Our worship should be in some ways like the object of our worship ¬- great praise for a great God. There is no part of God’s greatness which is not worthy of great praise. Spurgeon has said, “Praise may said to be great when the song contains great matter, when the hearts producing it are intensely fervent, and when large numbers unite in the grand acclaim.” No chorus or hymn is too loud, no band or orchestra too large, no psalm too lofty for the lauding of the Lord of Hosts.

While God is great, David recognizes that “no one can fathom” his great power completely. When we contemplate the immensity of God, we find ourselves surrounded by unknowable wonders. Paul put it this way in Romans 11:33: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out.”

I read recently about a Christian conference that was held at a church in Omaha, Nebraska. People were given helium-filled balloons and told to release them at some point in the service when they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts. All during the service balloons ascended, but when the service was over, 1/3 of the people were still holding on to their balloons. Don’t hold back ¬ let’s let our praise rise up to God.

A MODEL FOR COPING WITH GRIEF

2 Samuel 12:21 “His servants asked him, "Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat"

Every Christian deals with loss and grief at some time during their life. It might come in the form of the death of a loved one, the loss of a financial position, the loss of good health or the shattering of dreams. When this happens, we naturally ask, "Why?" and along with the original loss, we are sometimes tempted to lose our faith in God’s goodness. We enter a period of grief. How should we deal with this grief? Is it wrong to grieve? Has God forsaken us?

The first thing the Christian faced with a loss should understand is, that it is "okay" to grieve. Jesus said, "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." The word "mourn" comes from a Greek word that means "to lament or bemoan oneself". Jesus said that we who bemoan ourselves are to be envied - blessed. Why is that? Because those who mourn will be comforted. We are not helpless in our grief. He is here to give us the strength to go on and to live successful lives. In fact, he wants to change our losses into gains.

Our scripture offers a Biblical pattern for the grief process in a story from the life of David. You may recall that David committed adultery with Bathsheba, she became pregnant with his child and he had her husband killed. They then married but their child died soon after birth.

How did David respond? First, we see that David got down on the ground, fasted and prayed. That’s what we should do as well, when we are faced with new pain, disability or loss. We should humble ourselves, fast and pray. We should seek the Lord and ask him to restore us. When it became evident that God had not answered David’s prayer in the way he had hoped, the scripture says that he "arose". That is what we need to do as well. At some point, we must "rise above" our grief and sorrow, pick up the pieces and go on. Next, it says he "washed". Each one of us is God’s vessel to be used for his purposes. Then, he "anointed himself". Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. We know that one of the very names used for the Holy Spirit is "The Comforter". At this point in the grief process, we must let the Holy Spirit minister to us in two ways: First, we need for him to comfort us in our grief. Then we need to let him empower us for the road ahead. Next, he "changed his garments". We need to do that as well. Put away the mourning clothes - God is about to do something new. Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Then, he "worshipped" God. We, too, need to worship him. In his extreme situation, Job was able to say, "The Lord gives, the Lord takes away; Blessed be the Name of the Lord." Does that sound too difficult? If God is God, he deserves our worship whether things are going well in our lives or not. Once you really know him, you will find it possible to worship him - even in the worst of circumstances. Finally, he "went in to Bathsheba and lay with her" and she gave birth to Solomon. I’m sure that David and Bathsheba, like all parents, had dreams for that first child - dreams and hopes that were dashed and left unfulfilled when he died.

Do you have dreams that now seem destined to remain unfulfilled? Had you hoped that your life would turn out differently? Give up those hopes and dreams to God and let him give you new ones, just as he gave David and Bathsheba a new son. God has created us for good works that we should walk in them.

CUSTOM-BUILT RELIGION

Judges 17:5 “Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some idols and installed one of his sons as his priest.”

A certain credit card company had a commercial set in the board room of some international corporation. A merger is in progress. The CEO says everything is set to be finalized on the 28th. One office flunky at the copier turns and says, "Sorry, I’m only available on the 12th. There is a moment of silence while the board members look at each other in wonderment. Then the CEO says, "OK, the 12th it is." A narrator then asks, "Wouldn’t you like to world to revolve around you?" The commercial goes on to inform you that if you will subscribe to their credit card you can choose your own billing date.

In fact, most of us would like the world to revolve around us. This is particularly true in the religious realm. Multitudes seek a Church or religious group that fits their preference. They go from one to another because they don’t like the preacher, the singing, the seating, etc. Failing to find the church that suits them, they may even resort to starting a new group or just quitting altogether and finding a service they like on TV. We think everyone should agree with us and everything should go our way. Unfortunately, (or fortunately) it seldom happens.

Our scripture tells a story of a man who thought everything should revolve around him. His name was Micah. Micah lived in the hill country of Ephraim, probably not too far from "The House of the Lord at Shiloh" where God’s people were supposed to worship at that time. No doubt there was something he didn’t like about Shiloh. Maybe it was just inconvenient for him to travel the short distance. In any case, he had built a little chapel of shrine at his home. Soon, Micah had built silver shrines to worship and he even hired a wandering Levite to be the priest of his self-made temple. It was no longer necessary for him to go to Shiloh and put up with the dull preaching, hard seats, and tasteless unleavened bread. In the end, his "homemade religion" turned out to be a real disappointment.

What was wrong with Micah’s little family cult? It was superficial: A surface thing only. He saw God as someone he could manipulate and move from place to place. As a guest in his spare bedroom. He thought he could buy God’s blessing by hiring a priest. There is no evidence any of his efforts to achieve God’s blessing changed his life in the least or made him a more spiritual man. It was self righteous. Everything he did was thought up in his own mind. No indication he prayed and asked for guidance, let alone consulted God’s Law. Even the priest he hired had no influence in his life. Micah said, "live with me and be my father." but the record states, "the man was to him like one of his sons."

Micah wanted a faith and religion that revolved around his every whim. He wanted something that would operate just the way he wanted it. No one else could please him, so he created his own. Micah proved he didn’t need God. He made his own gods. He had a personal, private, customized religion. We can do the same. No one will stop us as long as we do nothing illegal. But, like Micah, we will experience a terrible disappointment in the end because no religion is adequate to the needs of the spirit of man and no religion can grant forgiveness and eternal life except that which God has given us. The only way to enjoy these blessings is through Jesus Christ.

SOLD OUT

1 Kings 19:21 “So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.”

On April 21, 1519, the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez sailed into the harbor of Vera Cruz, Mexico. He brought with him only about 600 men, and yet over the next two years his vastly outnumbered forces were able to defeat Montezuma and all the warriors of the Aztec empire, making Cortez the conqueror of all Mexico. How was this incredible feat accomplished, when two prior expeditions had failed even to establish a colony on Mexican soil? Here’s the secret. Cortez knew from the very beginning that he and his men faced incredible odds. He knew that the road before them would be dangerous and difficult. He knew that his men would be tempted to abandon their quest and return to Spain. And so, as soon as Cortez and his men had come ashore and unloaded their provisions, he ordered their entire fleet of eleven ships destroyed. His men stood on the shore and watched as their only possibility of retreat burned and sank. And from that point on, they knew beyond any doubt there was no return, no turning back. Nothing lay behind them but an empty ocean. Their only option was to go forward, to conquer or die.

In our scripture we see Elisha, a simple farmer, who is suddenly and unexpectedly approached by the famous prophet Elijah and invited to accompany him and serve him as his personal attendant. When Elisha requests time to first go home and say good-bye to his parents, Elijah makes it clear that the decision to come is entirely Elisha’s to make. In other words, Elisha is free to stay or go. In response, Elisha not only chooses to accept the call, but he slaughters his oxen and feeds them to his neighbors, burning his plowing equipment to cook the meat. By doing this, he publicly and irrevocably declares his intention to leave his former way of life and follow Elijah.

What does it mean to be committed? It means making a firm choice. It means not worrying about keeping your options open, or leaving yourself a way out. It means pursuing something wholeheartedly, with no contingency plans to fall back on. It means being 100% sold out to a person, or a cause, or a goal; not holding anything back, not keeping anything in reserve.

The idea of being this committed – to anyone, or anything – makes some people uncomfortable. It feels risky. It feels like they’re going out on a limb. What if the person you’ve committed yourself to lets you down? What if the cause turns out to be not as worthy as you thought? There’s a lot to be said for caution. God isn’t calling us to be reckless or foolhardy. He doesn’t want us to just rush into things without counting the cost. But once we’ve determined the path we’re going to take; once we’ve discerned to the best of our ability what God is calling us to do; then what he wants are sold-out followers who won’t look back when the going gets tough. What he wants are disciples who are so committed to him that they will burn their bridges, or their boats, or their oxen, disciples who will jettison whatever is holding them back, and who will follow him wherever he leads. Are you that kind of disciple? Do you want to be?

When we undertake to follow Christ, he invites us to first count the cost. Because once we set out on that road, there will be many temptations to turn back, to turn aside from the path. Jesus wants us to consider carefully what we’re getting into, so that we don’t fail at a critical moment and dishonor ourselves and him as well. He wants us to determine in our hearts, once and for all, that when we follow him, there will be no turning back. Be committed today. Don’t look back. Press forward for God.

HONOR GOD BECAUSE HE HONORS US

Psalms 91:15 “He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.”

We all want a place to go when we’re stressed or sad, tired or lonely, fearful or tempted, disappointed or discouraged. We want a place where we can unload our burdens and get some relief. When we feel insecure and inadequate we need a refuge - a shelter. We need a retreat. Prayer can transport us to such a place.

One young boy was telling the pastor that his mother said his prayers for him each night. "What do you mean, your mother says your prayers for you?" the puzzled minister inquired. The youngster replied, "When mom tucks me in she always says, "Thank God he’s in bed." Well that’s one way of utilizing prayer as a way to get away from it all, but there’s much more.

Talking to God is much more effective when we’ve been walking with God. We need to seek his face, not just his hand. Let’s say we need a favor. Who are we going to ask, a friend or a stranger? Naturally we’re going to ask a friend because we have a relationship with him. The closer the friend the more we may feel inclined to make bigger requests. That’s why we need to constantly nurture our friendship with God. Friendship is a two-way street. God is the initiator but we’re given an opportunity to reciprocate.

If we come to God only when we’re in trouble and not on a daily basis - what kind of friendship is that? That’s a one-way street kind of friendship. We’re just using God. On the other hand, when we have a lifestyle of continually walking and talking with God, like we do our other friends, we can call on him and he will answer. But be forewarned - he may call on us too. Psalm 50:15 puts it this way, "and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

God wants us to honor him when he answers our prayers. When he delivers us he expects some sort of appreciation. Isn’t that just good manners? Don’t we at least say thanks to our other friends when they help us? Our Father in heaven isn’t asking us to do something he doesn’t do. God certainly honors those who participate in a friendship relationship with him. Our scripture reinforces this principle.

Can you imagine that? God honoring us? That’s precisely what he says he will do for those who make him their dwelling. The Hebrew word for "honor" literally means "to make heavy."

Here’s what happens. We go to God with a heavy load of burdens and we leave with a heavy load of blessings. That’s how God honors us. He doesn’t stop at delivering us from our difficulties. He goes on to make us heavy with blessings.

Why wouldn’t we want to honor him in return? Psalm 91 is not just a song of confidence that God will provide a place for us to get away from it all. It is also a song of thanksgiving and adoration.