Calvary Chapel of Jonesboro

The Ministry of Neglect - part 1 of 7  Proverbs 27:23-24

10/12/2012

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Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds; for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations.  Proverbs 27:23-24

This verse in Proverbs kicks off a section that deals with diligence, as well as the fact of change in life.  The wisdom offered here is to pay attention to things in your life because the one thing that will never change is that there is going to be change in your life.  Time will march on whether you are paying attention to the parade or not.  The danger posed to us by this is that life will change, either financially, politically, or spiritually and we will be caught off-guard by it. 

One of the most effective ministries anywhere in the world is the ministry of neglect.  This is an unintended ministry where we get busy in our lives - and neglect to watch over our finances, our marriage, our children, our business - even our own spiritual growth.  Over time the ministry of neglect grows.  Most people do not grasp what this ministry is doing until they are jolted as to its presence by a "suddenly-serious" problem.  These are things that have been building up (or breaking down in many circumstances) and then make their appearance suddenly to us. 

One of the best ways to describe this is to make reference to my very patient, very gracious wife.  As a guy, I have a tendency to get over-focused in my life.  As a result, I have had a pretty amazing track record of having the ministry of neglect in a number of areas of my life.  What usually happens is that my precious bride wakes me out of my responbility slumber and alerts me to a way in which my life is in the process of falling apart.  Whether it is in regard to my relationship with her - the rearing of our children - our finances - or any number of other things, I am usually shocked to see that there are problems.  This rude awakening is a reminder that I truly do need to pay attention to things - many things - far better.  The rude awakening is followed by - regret - conviction - repentance - and a flurry of action to put things right.  Oh, and occasionally by being mad.  The anger is experienced two ways - first I'm mad that someone is interrupting my stupidity (because at the time I don't see how stupid I'm being).  Second, I am mad at myself for being so stupid - and letting things fall into disrepair through my ministry of neglect. 

For the next couple of days, I want to look deeper into what is means to avoid having the ministry of neglect in your life.  Before we are done, we'll look at several areas where this is important.  We will examine the ministry of neglect and its affect on our personal lives, on our family, on our jobs or businesses, on our churches, and finally even on our nation and those who rule over us in the political structures under which we live.  The ministry of neglect can be a very dangerous thing - if we continue in it.  It is my hope that over the next several days we can strengthen the ministry of diligence - or said in a more eye-opening way - the ministry of true love.

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Are We Muddying the Springs of Our Heart?  Proverbs 25:26

09/16/2012

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Like a trampled spring and a polluted well Is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked. Proverbs 25:26

A spring or well holds such promise. When we come to one or hear of one there is the hope of clear fresh water. We can drink and be refreshed. Yet to come to one and find it trampled to where it is dirty and filled with mud and pollutants is such a disheartening thing. This is true in the realm of water - but how much more so when applied to the lives of godly men.

This trampled spring or polluted well is actually a godly, righteous man who surrenders and gives way before the wicked. Giving way has the idea of wavering, wobbling and shaking before one falls. The fall is imminent and that is what all the movement indicates is coming. The Hebrew also indicates it can be a foot slipping or a fire flaming out.

This picture in the Hebrew is applied to a righteous man who faces the true test of his righteousness. THE test is when he stands before the wicked. He chooses to face such a test by walking in righteousness, and that might cost him dearly. The test may be as little as the disagreement of others - and it may be as large as facing martyrdom for his stand. Regardless the situation, this righteous man chooses instead to give way - to wobble and totter in his views. He changes his mind - or acts contrary to it. His pollution and trampling come as a result of not standing firm in his convictions. He does not hold to the Word in such situations - but gives way before the world instead.

There are so many men and women in history who have given way before the wicked. They have chosen the way of peace - at least peace on this earth. There will be no peace for them in the end when they stand before God. But they do not want to rock the boat. The conclusion of such matters is that a life that could have been so refreshing to others is trampled and polluted. Now all it does it disappoint those who needed a refreshing drink. What they could have offered is ruined - because they chose to waver in their faith before the wicked.

There is another way that we give way before the wicked. It is not as public as the outright denial of Christ contained in a renunciation. Yet this kind of "giving way" happens in a secret tribunal - the one that comes up in our hearts when wickedness comes and asks for our obedience. There are secret forays into sin - and secret moments when we give way before the wicked. Such things are not public displays - but they nevertheless muddy he waters of our heart. It might be a little while lie we chose to indulge in - or a look that begins innocently, but ends in an adulterous heart. It might be a way we've cheated or cut corners at work to not give our best for God's glory and the testimony of His name. Whatever it is, it tramples our well - and muddies the waters of our heart so that we cannot give as clear a drink of clean, life-giving water to others from the well of our hearts - that should be flowing outward with the rivers of living water of the Holy Spirit.

There is hope for those who have thus fallen in the New Testament. Peter gave way before the wicked - and that could have been the final message of his life. Fortunately for him Christ came and offered grace and forgiveness. He called Peter to repentance - and then back to usefulness. In no way do I want to lessen the truth of this passage - that righteous men need to stand in righteous views when the wicked come wanting them to compromise. Godly men need to remain godly when the ungodly want them to "tone it down" and lower their standards (which most often means to lower the standards of Scripture). We do need to stand firm and hold to the Word rather than the world. But, when we do fall, it is good to know that when we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive them. Nevertheless, we need to be wise and stand firm when confronted by the wicked. To do otherwise may mean allowing a well or spring that could offer many a fresh drink of the water of the Word, nothing more than the muddy, polluted waters of sinful compromise with the world. There are plenty of places where you can be served a drink of that kind of swill. May God help us to be men and women who stand firm on the gospel - which grants us power to stand - and also gives us grace to get up even if we've made the mistake of giving way before sin in our lives. May we be wise and choose righteousness and holiness so that the waters of our heart not be muddied with the pollution of sin and compromise.

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What You Pursue, Pursues You Proverbs 11:19

10/30/2011

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He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life, And he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.  Proverbs 11:19

Here we find life gained and life lost.  Both life gained and lost have to do with what we pursue and steadfastly desire in our walk on earth.  It is no shock to us to learn that those who are steadfast in their desire and pursuit of righteousness are those who receive life. The word "steadfast" here means to set something up so that it will be firm and established.  Here it refers to how someone views righteousness - and pursues it in their lives.  Are you building a life whose foundation is laid in God's view of righteousness - or more simply put, in what God says is right?  That is the life Christ referred to in Matthew 7 when He spoke about foundations.  The one who hears the Word of God and heeds it - he is the man who has built his foundation on a rock.  When the winds and storms of life come upon that man, as they surely will, his house will stand.  That is why the steadfast in righteousness will attain to life. 

The life lost is the one that is actively pursuing evil.  Consider King Ahab in the Old Testament, along with his wicked wife, Jezebel.  They pursued evil together.  They were the poster couple of pursuing wickedness and sin.  They excelled in it - and ran after it with an ever-growing lust for more.  They worshipped false gods, stole, killed, and plotted their way to the top.  When at the top they continued in their ways of evil - and heartily encouraged all of Israel to follow their foolish example.  It is no wonder then that they both brought about their own death. 

Ahab foolishly ignored the prophetic statements of Miciah, who warned him that God had allowed a deceiving spirit to move among Ahab's false prophets - so that he could be lured to his death in battle.  Ahab's response was to imprison the prophet - and have him fed with barely enough bread and water to survive until he returned from battle.  Miciah's fateful last words to him were, "If you return, the Lord has not spoken through me."  In another desperate but foolish move, Ahab then disguised himself and did not wear his royal robes into battle.  Thinking he had cheated death and God - he went into battle feeling safe.  We read in Kings that a random archer shot an arrow into the air - and God guided that arrow so that it hit a joint in Ahab's armor.  Badly wounded, he retreated to watch the battle from a distance until he died in his chariot.

Jezebel, having learned of a plot to destroy her family and their legacy in Israel, painted herself and called to her executioner from a tower.  Thinking herself safe there - her executioner called for the men in the tower to throw her down.  They did so and Jehu crushed her beneath his horses and chariot wheels.  These two who pursued evil so passionately both brought about their own death because of their rebellion against God. 

In Deuteronomy God reminded Israel that He put before them life and death.  There was a choice for them.  If they pursued evil and rebellion against God - they needed to know that their sin would find them out.  They would be pursued by the very One against whom they rebelled.  They would learn that He was not impotent as they thought.  They would learn that the One they defied is God - and that He will prevail.  They will also bring about their own death with the evil they think frees them from His authority.  But life is also available to us.  It is received by pursuing righteousness steadfastly.  What is amazing to those who receive that righteousness is that to pursue it, one must pursue by faith.  The just (righteous) man lives by faith.  Their steadfastness is gained by rejecting their own works - and turning to God who Himself will declare them righteous as a gift.  They will learn that the only way of being steadfastly righteous, is to steadfastly cling to God's gift of righteousness which comes only through His Son, Jesus Christ.  That, dear ones, is the only way we can be steadfast in righteousness - and thereby know life.
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