woe to those who are at ease in zion...
1 i was feeling quite pleased with myself. for the first time in months i didn't feel 'wrung out'.
often i would return from weekend meetings absolutely exhausted. sue, my wife, would meet me at the airport, drive me home and put me into bed. but this weekend had been quite different. i was the speaker at a camp. the organizers had not been to the Squeeze the Preacher school and had let me off with an amazing three meetings in the whole weekend. now the camp was over and i was being shown my lodging for sunday night.
after seeing my room, i made my way to an upstairs living room. the view was magnificent. through the large window i gazed at the harbor below and watched as the sun seemed to dance on the still water. i sat down in a soft armchair and took a look around. a footstool, the view, a large television, a stereo - and now the hostess entered
2 the room with a cup of hot chocolate and a plate full of fresh home baking. THIS PLACE WAS MADE FOR COMFORT. ease consumed me. i reached out to take one of the offered goodies when suddenly, much to my shock and the surprise of the woman, i jumped out of my seat like a terrified cat on a blistering hot tin roof. i then turned around to see a yellow and black bee crawling around the seat of the armchair. i had been squarely stung on the hindmost part!
i was in too much pain to be embarrassed. as i jumped about the room, my only consolation was the thought, 'there's got to be a sermon in this...' some years before, i had prayed a most dangerous prayer. i asked God to cause things to happen in my life which i could use as sermon illustrations. at this point in time i regretted having made that request.
it wasn't long until i saw the application. i am convinced that God wants the complacent Laodicean Church to rise up on its feet. for too long we have sat in ease and comfort. we have sat back in affluence and said, 'i am rich and have need of nothing', and if it takes the sting of god's chastening hand to cause the Church to stand upright, may it come quickly. charles spurgeon said, 'God save us from living in comfort while sinners are sinking into hell! Whitefield said, 'the christian world is in a deep sleep; nothing but a loud shout can awaken them out of it!' catherine booth, the gentle co-founder of the Salvation Army, regarding church buildings, said, 'a barracks is meant to be a -place where real soldiers were to be fed and equipped for war, not a place to settle down in or as a comfortable snuggery in which to enjoy ourselves.
3 i hope that if ever they, our soldiers, do settle down god will burn their barracks over their heads!
in luke 6,the religious leaders were seeking an accusation against Jesus. we pick up the story in verse 6:
on another sabbath He went into the synagogue and was teaching and a man was there whose right hand was withered. the pharisees and the teachers of the Law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched Him closely to see if He would heal on the sabbath. but Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the withered hand, 'Get up and stand in front of everyone'. so he got up and stood there. then Jesus said to them, 'I ask you, which is lawful on the sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?'
He looked around at them all and then said to the man, 'stretch out your hand'. he did so and his hand was completely restored. but they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.
some year ago, the dallas morning news reported that 68% of professing christians outside of the 'Bible Belt' didn't see reaching out to the lost as being the number one priority of the Church. this was in line with what the barna research group found. in a survey, they discovered that among american adults who said they were 'born again', 75% couldn't even define the Great Commission. (note: matt. 28.18f)...around that time
4 Christianity Today..found that only 1% of their readership said that they had witnessed to someone 'recently'. that meant that 99% of their readership couldn't say that they were 'hot' or 'cold' when it came to concern for the fate of the ungodly. they were just 'lukewarm'. in one year, over 3,000 churches from a mainline denomination didn't report even one soul saved in that whole year. oswald j. smith said, 'Oh, my friends, we are loaded with countless church activities, while the real work of the Church, that of evangelizing and winning the lost, is almost entirely neglected'.
the 'right hand ' of the Body of Christ is withered. the hand, which is supposed to be moved with and by compassion, is not pulling sinners from the fire, hating even the garments spotted by the flesh. (see jude 22-3) we have lost sight of our commission. the agenda, the plan of attack, the reason for the battle has been lost under a dark cloud of apathy. the right hand of the Body of Christ hangs limp at its side. we need to hear the voice of Jesus: 'arise, stand forth in the midst and stretch forth your hand'. when we stand forth in the midst and stretch forth our hand, we will begin to see that glorious, spotless victorious Church for which Jesus is coming back. this is the fiery Church we see in the book of Acts - a far cry from what we see in thee Church of today..
5..when paul wrote to timothy, he used military terms - 'FIGHT the good fight of faith...endure hardness as a GOOD SOLDIER' etc. he wanted to remind timothy that he was involved in a BATTLE and A GREAT CONFLICT. we shouldn't be surprised if the world fires hostilities at us. we are a friend of god and therefore an ENEMY OF THE WORLD...
6 ..over the years, i have asked churches, 'how many of you can say before God that you have witnessed verbally to more than 12 people over the past 12 months? that is at least every 30 days or so somebody who is sitting in the shadow of death has heard the Gospel of everlasting life from your lips?' i have found that only 8-12 percent will raise their hands. where is the zeal? Jesus said, 'but you shall receive power when the Holy spirit comes on you; and you shall be My witnesses in jerusalem and in all judea and samaria and to the ends of the earth' (acts 1.8).. the Holy Spirit wasn't given without purpose in mind. He was given so that we might have power for the purpose of being witnesses of Christ. so many profess to possess the power, but where is the lifestyle that confirms what they profess to possess?
it would seem that the fear of battle has left many a soldier hiding in the barracks. they are afraid to let their light shine before men because they know that men hate thee light. yet, it is a natural principle that when light shines darkness flees. darkness cannot overcome light. try it. switch on some darkness and see if the light leaves, then try it the other way around.
'Gross darkness' only covers this earth because the Church has not obeyed the admonition to 'arise and shine'. we often speak up when it comes to moral issues. we do scatter a little salt. but salt doesn't shine. among other things, it merely preserves.
7 i was somewhere in the midwest sitting with a friend at a respectable restaurant, waiting to be served. i went to the restroom and when i came back, i remarked to my friend, 'that's bad. they've got a pornographic poster outside the men's restrooms.
i suddenly felt like a hypocrite. i then walked over to a waiter and asked why the poster was on the wall. he stepped back defensively and said, 'that wasn't my idea. it was the manager's. he's over there. i told him that i wanted to speak with the manager.
when the man approached me i said, 'is it thee normal policy of this restaurant chain to have pornographic pictures on the wall?
he lookd at me inquiringly and said, 'is there a nude picture somewhere?
i said, 'no. i man that one on the wall. i pointed to the poster of a beautiful woman wearing an excuse for a bikini, and said,. 'that's designed to stir up lust. that is just what it's going to do with some young guy and before you know it some lady is raped in YOUR parking lot. he went wide-eyed. i thanked him for listening to me and made my way back to my table.
when my steak was served up a few minutes later, i called the waiter over and joked that it was still alive. he smiled and said that it would be back in a few minutes, but this time cooked properly.
it was back a few minutes later. my plate was delivered to me by the manager himself. he was very humble and even took a tract from me.
the incident was a lesson for me NOT TO COMPLAIN TO CHRISTIANS ABOUT THE SINS OF THE WORLD, BUT TO CONFRONT
8 THE WORLD. we forget that salt must be shaken out of the shaker.
the bible says that we are salt AND light. salt preserves, but it's the 'light of the glorious gospel of Christ' that will banish the darkness.
some years ago a traditional church dropped 'Onward Christian Soldiers' from their song index because it made reference to war. that's understandable for people who have never been born again...
9...are we hot for God? ....do we have the testimony 'to live means opportunities for Christ'? is theere a zeal to witness burning in our bones? it doesn't matter how much we pray, tithe, fellowship - Jesus said to 'God'. obedience is better than sacrifice.
CHAPTER 2 - pre battle: standard inventory
for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. II corinthians 10.4
12 ..one great key to success in an army is a unity of purpose, a merging into one mind. this is unusually
13 achieved by de-personalizing the recruits -'you sloppy bunch! in the next 6 weeks we are going to make you boys into men; you'll wish you'd never been born! i'm going to tell you HOW to think, WHEN to thing and WHAT to think! etc. curly locks of hair are callously clipped from cringing craniums. the reason for this is that when an army is on the front lines, the commander doesn't want his troops spending time on the vanities of life. he doesn't want his men wasting time in front of the mirror. he wants one body of men to do what he wants when he wants. his life and the life of his men may depend on it.
God has made His own ways of getting new recruits into line. (i think i prefer the army's way.) as a new christian, i went into what is commonly called a 'wilderness experience'. it was a most dreadful, miserable, depressing experience, but in retrospect it was a necessary part of my primary training. God wants to shake the 'world ' out of new converts. they have enlisted in the Army of God for active service. the quicker they respond the quicker they will be trained, and the quicker they will find themselves promoted in rank and relocated to where the action is.
when the U.S. navy trains rescue pilots, they place so much psychological pressure on recruits, that 50% drop out. they want the best, so those who enlist are pushed to the limits by being dropped out of helicopters into freezing water. in the water, a man simulates a drowning, and when his rescuer reaches him, he deliberately panics, grabbing the would-be rescuer and pulling him under. the trainee must take charge of the situation or be disqualified
14 from the course. he must take control, not only of the circumstances, but also of his own fears.
christianity isn't for wimps. God put the heat of tribulation on Jesus in the desert (see luke 4.1) - 'thou He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things that He suffered...(hebrews 5.8). how much moe will you and i be tried if we want to walk in the footsteps of the Savior? if we want to rescue humanity from the fires of Hell, we must take control, both of our own fears and of the demonic restraints placed in front of us.
the time has come when every able soldier is needed in the front line of battle. he who will not overcome will be overcome. as a great man once said, 'we must keep our fears to ourselves and share our courage with others'.
we need to know what our weapons are...
1. the Belt of Truth
2. the Breastplate of Righteousness
3. feet (note: Prepared to share) the Gospel of Peace
4. the Shield of Faith
5. the Helmet of Salvation
6. the Sword of the Spirit
7. ..Prevailing Prayer
15....first, we are told to have our LOINS 'GIRT ABOUT WITH TRUTH'. this is a reference to the belt worn by soldiers around the time this scripture was written. their clothing wasn't like ours. it was often loose. to be free from being hindered by this loose clothing, a soldier would 'gird up his waist' or fasten the clothing to his belt.
..so our firs preparation for battle is to determine to (note: FIRST...LIVE, then) speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth - from the heart, without compromise. ...in other words, give your all for the truth and don't make concessions at any price.
if you want to see how we deceive ourselves with lies, try this way of sharing your faith. ask an unsaved person if he has kept the Ten Commandments. most will say, 'yeah, pretty much'. then say, 'let's go through them and see how you do. have you ever told a lie/' the usual answer is, 'one or two[. then ask, 'what does that make you?' and watch human nature do verbal contortions rather than face the truth. they will say, 'i'm not a liar. everyone tells white lies. i'[m only human. i bet you've told lies! they're just 'white' lies'.
16 the Ten Commandments are like a mirror and the picture we see reflected in the Law is not a pretty one. however, when we become christians, we FACE the truth. ( note..I AM A SINNER. ) our hearts are desperately wicked. we are easily deceived by our own conceit. we know that we can look in the mirror of the law, walk away and 'forget what manner of persons we are'. (..james 1.24) we can lie to ourselves; therefore, we must continually search our hearts under the spotlight of the fear of God and the light of the Word of Truth.
if this is to be our attitude to the truth of the gospel, where the eternal welfare of men's souls is at stake. we are to be 'valiant for the truth', following the One who has the 'law of truth in His mouth', who is 'full of grace and truth', who is 'the way, the truth and the life'.
it's interesting to note the relationship john the baptist had to elijah. Jesus said that john came in the spirit and power of elijah. (..luke 1.1) there are also similarities between john and the Church. as with john, the true christian:
1. preaches in the 'wilderness' of this world.
2. rebukes even the sin of kings.
3. has a diet of locusts (plague of the Law) and honey (the sweetness of the gospel).
4. is a burning and shining light.
5. prepares the way of the Lord.
6. is uncompromising in regard to sin.
7. preaches future punishment.
8. is filled with the Spirit.
9. is bold.
10. is humble of heart.
17 ...Jesus warned peter that he would pay the ultimate price for his faith. He said that when he was young he girded himself and because of this he was able to walk wherever he wanted. then He said that when peter was old, another would gird him and carry him where he didn't wish to go. (see john 21.18) ...when we are girt about with truth, the world will hate us. if we would just say that Jesus isn't the only way to
18 God, or that you can sin and love God, or that the Bible is only one revelation of god to man, then we would have the world's smile. the unyielding truth may cause us to have to pay the ultimate price for our faith. like peter, when we were young and lacked the understanding as to what produced true salvation, we had a choice. however, because we know the truth, we have no choice. we cannot but speak that which we have seen and heard.
those who have been born of the spirit of truth, ...'cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth' - '...having your loins girt about with truth'.
the second item which we are commanded to put on as soldiers of the Lord, is the 'BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS' i thessalonians 5.8, paul says, let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love..' here we are reminded that we are enlisted in the Army of the God of love. righteousness by itself is no defense against the enemy. the pharisees had a form of righteousness, yet were still sons of the devil. )..john 8.44) without love we are nothing. (..I corinthians 13.13) charles spurgeon said, 'love should give wings to the feet of service and strength to the arms of labor'.
righteousness must be linked with faith and love. (..hebrews 11.6) it is this righteousness that shows whose side we are on:
in this the children of god are manifest and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. (I john 3.10)
19 if we have been born of the God of righteousness we will live in righteousness.
'righteousness', according to vine's expository dictionary of new testament words, is the 'character or quality of being right or just'. it was formerly spelled 'rightwiseness', which clearly expresses the meaning.
it is said of Jesus in isaiah chapter 59, 'for He put on righteousness as a breastplate and a helmet of salvation upon His head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal as a cloak'.
Jesus Christ, thee Lord of Righteousness, love righteousness. He has vehement fervor for justice. the soldier who has been taught and trained by the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead will not only HAVE righteousness, but DO righteousness. he should love what is right and hate what is wrong. the child of god longs for a new earth 'wherein dwells righteousness'. he 'hungers and thirsts for righteousness'. if we haven't that testimony, then we haven't seen an answer to the cry, 'create in me a clean heart, O god, renew a RIGHT spirit in me', or perhaps that has never been our plea.
the breastplate keeps the heart clean, for out of the heart come the issues of life. how could we approach the King with soiled garments? (note: man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart!)...
20 ... how loudly does the sergeant major of our conscience need to shout to bring us to attention? if we move out of order, do we hear his voice? a good soldier won't even wait for the voice of a sergeant major to call him into line. if by chance he gets out of step with what he knows he should be, he does immediate correction.
have we debts unpaid? ..
do we honor our parents?..
have we unforgiveness in our hearts? then forgive or you will not be forgiven.
do we lack love? then we must get on our knees and ask god to pour His love through us or we have no biblical grounds to think we are saved.
are we easily irritated?
do we obey traffic laws
do we love and pray with our spouse..
do we read God's word daily...
do we pay all our taxes...
is our thought-life pure
do we daily confess our sins and ask for cleansing when necessary
are we zealous for God ?
these questions are merely soul-searchers to see if we have the things hat accompany salvation.
this is the profile of the NORMAL christian.
if we lack these things, better we realize it now, rather than on Judgment Day.
IS GOD SPEAKING TO YOU ABOUT SOMETHING RIGHT NOW?
don't let my words distract you.
stop reading this book and RESOLVE TO DO what you have failed to do and UNDO what you should not have done.
if we confess our sins,
21 He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleans us from all unrighteousness.
if you leave that thing undone, you will give a foothold to the enemy.
it will leave a gaping hole in your armor.
REPENT NOW, WHILE THERE IS TIME. (note...NOW is the acceptable time, today is the day of salvation!)
there is no such thing as a small sin. to steal one cent is to be a thief in the sight of god. there is no mention that the theft of judas was even noticed by the other disciples. perhaps he just took a little here and thee, but it only takes a small hole in the hull to sink an ocean liner. then all that is needed is time.
our Creator is righteousness itself. righteousness can no more be separated from His nature, than the ink can be from his book. we must strive to always have a conscience which is void of offence to both God and man, not only for our own sakes but for the sake of the unsaved.
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