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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Wise Preparation for Now and For Eternity - Proverbs 21:20

07/14/2012

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There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, But a foolish man swallows it up.   Proverbs 21:20
 
The wise man takes what God has given him and uses it wisely.  He spends some and uses it for himself, his family, and his friends.  He also saves some and puts it away for future use as well as for lean times.  Today let's take a look at the acts of the wise man who saves for his future and the foolish man who simply swallows everything God grants to him.
 
We are told that precious treasure and oil are in the house of the wise man.  Whether he received these things from the practices of industry and frugality - or whether he received them as an inheritance from godly, thoughtful parents - the wise man knows how to save.  Precious treasure is an interesting word as it has two connotations.  The first is from how the word is used to refer to things like gold, silver, and other commodities.  He saves money, food, and other valuable things so that he will have access to them in the future.  Why does he do this?  Because a wise man knows that since the world in which we live is fallen and affected by sin - there will be times of shortage and leanness.  Throughout all human history there have been both abundance and famine in our world.  Joseph knew such things from God Himself when he interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh.  He did not waste time in the purcuit of gluttony and over-indulgence.  Joseph was a wise man and saved and stored much so that when the famine came he would be ready.  His foresight and obedience to God saved all of Egypt, saved his own family, and made Egypt rich beyond their imaginations.  
 
There is a second way this word "treasure" is used.  The word can also mean "temple treasures."  These spoke of treasures that were given so as to build up and maintain the worship of God in the temple.  In the dwelling of the wise there is provision stored up not only for physical welfare - but for the spiritual welfare of the home as well.  There is little more foolish among mankind than to think this world is all that there is.  They live ignorant of God and ignorant of their responsiblity to Him.  The wise man stores up for both the physical and the spiritual.  There is in his house a physical inheritance - but also a spiritual one as well.  He lives godly and rears his children to love and honor God.  He makes sure that the Word dwells richly within their hearts - desiring for them to walk with God and know Him intimately.  
 
Not only is there treasure within this house of the wise, there is also oil.  When speaking of oil - this could speak of the olive oil that was used in almost every aspect of a Jewish family.  They needed this for food preparation - for spiritual worship for annointing oil - and for medical reasons like softening wounds and helping them heal.  There was also the idea of savings - because some oils were very expensive.  Mary offered a container of very expensive oil as she annointed Jesus with it in preparation for His crucifixion and burial.  This alabaster vial was worth a whole year's wages.  When one of the prpohetic students of Elisha died, his widow was in debt and in danger of haring her chidlren sold into debt slavery.  Elisha answered this by having her collect numerous vials which later were supernaturally filled with oil.  This she sold, paid her debt, and even had plenty to kep her and her children alive and well.  This kind of oil would signify that a family was preparint for their future - for the needs of their children and grandchildren.  On a spiritual note - oil was a picture of the Holy Spirit - so one could even consider this the way that a family cherished the work of the Spirit in their lives and encouraged it in themselves and in their children.
 
The foolish ones don't save any of these things - either physical or spiritual.  Theirs is a consumer mentality.  They swallow up whatever they receive with no thought of the future.  They live by their lusts and desires - and therefore do not even consider anyone except themselves.  The end of such a life is that they are broke, both physically and spiritually.  The saddest example of this is the prodigal son.  He took a large inheritance and wasted it on the party life.  In the end he was broke.  His so-called friends abandoned him and left him to fend for himself.  This was only after he abandoned any kind of spiritual preparation for the future by rejecting his father and his father's God.  He was left with nothing - except the grace his faher would give him in the end.  
 
If we are wise we will realize we live in a fallen world.  This will necessitate preparation for our future - both physically and spiritually.  We will face famines physically that will require that lay up wise stores for that day in order for us and for our families to survive.  But there is also a need to prepare spiritually - for there will also be a day when we will face being ready for the judgment of God.  Oh to be wise and understanding so that our preparations will have our homes and lives filled with treasures both temporal and eternal so that we will be well provided for when the day comes that we need them.  May God, in His grace, work in and deliver us from a life lived for self and for the moment.  May we be ready for anything - famine in life - and fatal spiritual thinking in eternity.    
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Avoiding Using God as a Spiritual Slot Machine . . . Proverbs 3:9-10

04/03/2010

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Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine. Proverbs 3:9-10

Giving . . . here is an area where I struggle with presenting the truth.  Just a personal testimony for a moment is in order.  When I became a pastor - I did not preach on giving for the first six or seven years I was at Calvary Chapel.  This was not because we did not give according to Scripture - we did.  It was because of a reaction I had to all the abuse of this area by the televangelists and others in the church.  I grieve over how the Lord Himself is dragged through the greed and abuse that happens in this area.  But it should not have surprised me - that kind of abuse has been in the church for centuries.  But, I realized through the correction of a godly elder that by not teaching on the biblical basis of giving - I was in effect robbing the saints of the true blessing God brings in this area.  That was a good word for me to hear - and since then I've tried to deal with this area from time to time with the saints. 

I love the way Solomon speaks of giving here.  He does not even use that term.  "Honor the LORD from your wealth . . ."  What a great way to speak of giving.  It is not like we're able to give God anything anyway.  The Word teaches us that God owns the cattle on a thousand hillsides.  He owns everything.  Solomon himself said that all that he had given God had come from God's own hand anyway.  So giving is not a matter of our generosity.  The fact that we have anything to give is a matter of God's generosity to us.  What we are doing is honoring Him from the wealth He has given us. 

Why do we need to honor God from the FIRST of all our produce?  It is because when we do this - our honoring God will not be affected by covetousness or greed.  Too often we make the Lord the last thing we do with what He's given to us.  Honoring Him first means we trust Him enough to know that He will provide for us.  It is a matter of faith and trust that makes us act in this way.  We don't check our budget first - or check if we could use that money for something different - maybe something we really want.  We choose to say, "God, I love You and want to honor You for all Your generosity to me!"  We make it clear through our actions - that He is first in our lives.

There is something about telling the greed that lies within the fallen human breast that God will be first that deals it a death blow.  That greed and selfishness rises up so easily.  Oh, what a wonderful thing it is to put it in its place - and to declare with boldness and confident faith, "God will be honored FIRST here - honored FIRST with my wealth - honored FIRST before self even enters the scene."  That kind of faith statement prepares us for great blessing.

What kind of blessing comes when we honor God with our wealth and the first of all our produce?  That is the subject of verse 10 of this chapter of Proverbs.  In dealing with it we need to see what is says - but just as importantly - what it does NOT say.

First, what it says . . . when we honor God from our wealth and the first of all that we have, God promises that our barns will be filled and our vats will overflow with new wine.  God promises abundance to those who honor Him.  There is a blessing for those who put selfishness and covetousness in its place.  There is promised abundance for us.  There is no other way to look at this from the full teaching of Scripture.  But there is wisdom to grasp here - for often these texts are used as a pretext for our greed. 

What does this verse NOT say?  It does not say that it is God's will for us to be rich - to have health, wealth, and prosperity at all times and in all situations.  First of all there is the example of our Lord Jesus Christ.  If health, wealth, and prosperity IS God's will for everyone - why didn't Jesus embrace it?  He said that He did not have a place to lay His head.  Scripture teaches us that He became poor for our sakes.  That poverty included physical wealth.  Jesus did not go out and give Himself to make tremendous amounts of money.  In His death He had no great physical inheritance to offer.  Not only Jesus lived this way - but John the Baptist did as well.  He chose poverty in serving the Lord.  Paul spoke in Philippians of knowing how to live with much as well as with little or nothing.  The famous passage, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," refers to financial contentment - as well as contentment in all circumstances.  Job's setbacks and temporary financial ruin was allowed by God for a season.  He lost everything - his wealth, health, and prosperity.  Today's false prophets of health, wealth, and prosperity would have eagerly joined Job's three friends in condeming him for his circumstances - saying that if he had enough faith - everything would be restored instantly.

Then we have the Thessalonian believers - who were heavily persecuted for their faith - as well as all those in our day who are their heirs in the persecuted church of the 20th and 21st century.  Hebrews speaks of those who willingly allowed their property to be taken from them.  Others have lost jobs and some lost everything including their lives to hold fast to Christ - and to honor God.  The poor widow who gave everything she had - which amounted to about 2 cents - was not castigated for her poverty.  She was praised for the extreme honor she gave to the Lord - trusting Him with everything she had. 

Oh, how it grieves me - and I believe it grieves Almighty God - when we make wealth and riches our pursuit - rather than honoring God.  The twisting of Scripture that goes on when a religious huckster says that if you give God 100 dollars - He will return 1000 into your lap - is nothing more than the words of a greedy liar who would take from you the blessing of honoring God.  Instead he would have you think that God is a spiritual slot machine.  Insert a certain amount of giving - pull the lever - and you've hit the jackpot!  God did not mean for our giving to be some religious casino experience.  The Word is clear here - this is to be an experience in honoring God - not seeking honor for self in what we'll get back. 

That is why I love this passage in Proverbs.  The whole purpose of this practice is to "honor the LORD."  That is what should be driving our giving to Him.  A desire to honor Him and worship Him through the experience.  This mindset will guard us from the deceivers who would take giving and make something about us.  Instead giving it put in the right context - the context of honoring God!
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