Theword

?THE GRASS WITHERS, THE FLOWER FADES, BUT THE WORD OF OUR GOD STANDS FOREVER.? (ISAIAH 40:8)

Pastor Ernest Martinez

The Community Church of Devore

Working Hard but Missing the Lord

One of the tenderest passages of the Bible is found in Luke 19:41 ? 44. Here we find Jesus, coming into Jerusalem and the crowds rejoicing over Him, who is saddened by Israel. When Jesus drew near Jerusalem He was broken-hearted.

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.'' (Luke 19:41 ? 44)

It is sad to see people on drugs or alcohol destroying their bodies and lives and not knowing that healing and times of refreshing are just around the corner. If they would only acknowledge their sin and need and turn their lives over to Jesus, He would heal them. But there are so many who try to live so-called ?good lives,? that are no better off then drug addicts. If we don?t understand ?love,? we will never know how to love God or accept His love. Some people think being religious or performing ?works? is ?loving? God. Look at the ?list? of religious activities and works the Church of Ephesus were engaged in:

I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. (Revelation 2:2 ? 4)

Jesus knew their works. They labored and had not grown tired. They tested false teachers and found them wanting. They did all this and did not see their love for God waning. There is nothing wrong with working and laboring for the cause of Christ, but we can become so focused on our work, and forget who we work for. According to Hebrews we are to run the race (the life) God has placed before us with endurance, ?fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.? (Hebrews 12:2 NASB

In Revelation we read of another church that had become ?lukewarm.? The Church of Laodicea had become ?rich? and felt that they were serving just fine, but they had become complacent. Jesus said to them: ?I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.? (Revelation 3:15) Why would Jesus say that they should be cold or hot? Wouldn?t he want them to be ?hot?? To answer that question, we have to first understand the nature of obedience.

For many people, obedience is more like ?don?t touch? or ?don?t eat,? but to God obedience is listening to Him at all times. This is not a doctrine of sinless perfection, but of humble subjection to the will of Jesus Christ our Lord. King Saul of Israel had a poor understanding of obedience and love for God, just as do many Christians today. They, as Saul did, think that the means justify the ends. They are willing to sacrifice their families in order to secure their future. They go by worldly wisdom and emotion and wonder why things fell apart in later years. ?But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.? (James 3:14 ? 15, 17) Listen to the Prophet of God rebuke Saul:

Then Samuel said: "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.? (1 Samuel 15:22)

The issue then remains: ?Who will you serve?? We all need to be careful that we are not serving ourselves. We have to remember that obedience is better than sacrifice.

James said of Elijah the Prophet: ?Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced its fruit.? Elijah was a mighty man of God, and yet he had a nature just like ours. He was depressed from time to time, struggled with temptation, and still was able to humbly follow God?s word. Elijah served God. In the land of Israel the children of God were involved with Baal worship and idolatry. ?But?, you say, ?I am not an idolater.? Listen to Samuel?s words:

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king. (1 Samuel 15:23 emphasis mine)

When we reject God?s leading and authority we become stubborn, which is the same as idolatry. When we work and labor and forget our first love we become religious and stale and fruitless.

Elijah saw the problem with Israel, and I see that same problem in the Church and in my own life. It creeps up without my even noticing it at times. It is called indifference. When we are indifferent, we become lukewarm and vacillate between the world and God. The Scriptures tell us: ?You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.? (James 4:4) Here was Elijah?s solution.

And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him.'' But the people answered him not a word. (1 Kings 18:21)

The children didn?t answer Elijah, nor did they defend themselves, they just remained, as so many of us can remain, uncommitted. As Charles Swindoll says of this event:

?The people didn?t say a word. They didn?t answer Elijah?s challenge. Nor did they argue with him. The easiest thing to do at the hour of decision is to remain uncommitted. Just linger in the neutral zone. And that?s what they did. They were silent.? (Elijah, pgs. 77,78)

We should not ride on the fence of indifference any longer. Either God is God, and He is in control, or we are. Either we will serve Him and love Him, or simply become religious.

I choose God. I choose to love Christ Jesus. How about you?

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Published on: 2005-05-21 (1983 reads)