SITTING AND SERVING

Tucked away at the end of the tenth chapter of Luke is a very short story that shows us two of the key elements of discipleship. One without the other makes a very lopsided Christ follower.

In brief, here is the story (Luke 10:38-42): 

Jesus visited the home of Martha and Mary, whom we have met before. It was their brother Lazarus who was dramatically raised from the dead (see John 11).

As soon as Jesus arrived, the two sisters took very different approaches to His visit. Martha was all about blessing Jesus by her serving, getting the house ready and preparing the food. Mary left that to her sister because she was eager to receive Jesus’ teaching; she wanted to sit at His feet and listen to what He had to say.

Martha got a little bent out of shape—first, with her sister for not helping her, and then with the Lord. She asked Him in Luke 10:40, “Don’t you care that my sister is not helping me?”

The Lord’s response to Martha was a very gentle, corrective rebuke. “Martha, you have let yourself get distracted and you’ve lost sight of what’s really important here.”

I believe the two sisters are pictures of something that happens in the Christian life all the time, and left alone without correction, these issues become damaging.

Martha is a type of the believer whose life is centered in well-meaning activity. For these people the highest level of following the Lord is totally wrapped up in acts of service. They are the first in line to volunteer, every time. Bible study and prayer, to them, is good but really not that important.

One of the troubling attributes of this type of follower is the tendency to become critical and judgmental; anyone not working as hard as they are just isn’t really as sold out to Christ as they are.

On the other hand, Mary was anxious to know all about the teachings of the Lord. She wanted to be in the Lord’s presence and receive from His teachings—how to communicate with Him in prayer and how to receive from Him through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Mary is a type of the prayer warrior who carries a big Bible. For them the highest level of dedication to the Lord is to be in a revival meeting, a teaching service, or a prayer meeting. And while they are not usually verbally judgmental of those like Martha, they have a tendency to look down on them as being rather immature and not all that spiritual.

So why is this little gem of a story here? Was this just a little padding Luke put in the book to fill it out a bit like many of our modern writers do? I don’t think so! The Holy Spirit through the writing of Luke was showing us the balance that must be in place for a disciple to be “on the road to maturity, to become an overcomer.”

The Lord’s brother, James, deals with this at length in the Epistle of James. This is just conjecture on my part, but I love to think that James was with Jesus on His visits to the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus in Bethany. I believe he watched in amazement, with all the other disciples, when Jesus called Lazarus out of death and into life. I believe he learned about being a complete overcomer as he carefully watched his brother lovingly deal with Mary and Martha and bring into focus the key elements needed to see a disciple reach full stature.

Later in his life James put into writing what he observed and learned: “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17, NKJV).

“Sitting and serving” . . . this is what I call the balance that is needed in the life of every mature, fully developed, overcoming disciple. It’s not being a Martha without the Mary, and it’s not being a Mary without the Martha; it’s finding the balance of embracing the best of both.

Sitting is regularly being with the Lord and receiving from Him through His word, through times of intimate fellowship with Him in prayer, and receiving from Him through the fellowship of the saints—and by that I mean the Church.

Serving is finding a place where you can actively be a representative of Jesus Christ and actively give of yourself in service. Perhaps it will be through your local church or a ministry or service organization in your area, but there are always ways to be giving expression to your faith through acts of service. And no one gets a pass on this!

When we are both “sitting and serving,” then we truly are on the road to becoming the kind of disciple the apostle Paul described in Romans 8:37: “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (NKJV).

GETTING IN GOD'S FACE

“And he said to him, ‘If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?’” (Exodus 33:15-16, ESV).

Have you ever had someone “get in your face”?

I used this title, a play on words, to get your attention and if you’ve read this far, it worked. Let me explain.

In Exodus 33, God commands Moses to leave the desert of Sinai and head toward the Promised Land. There was a lot going on with the Jews at this point. Not long before, Moses had led the Jewish nation through the Red Sea and out of Egypt. And Moses had just been up on the mountain for an encounter with God that resulted in the Ten Commandments. Meanwhile, down in the camp, the people threw a wild party which ended up with their creating an idol, a golden calf. The Jews were partying by mimicking the lifestyle and behavior of the pagan tribes around them, not realizing that copying the unrestrained conduct and idolatry of the pagans brought them into open ridicule in the eyes of their enemies.

Moses came down off the mountain and heard and observed the wild behavior of the twelve tribes. What happened next is what some of my southern friends describe as a “come to Jesus meeting”—Moses was so upset by the foolish behavior that he smashed the tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written.

Moses quickly brought order back to the encampment and then went before the Lord to make atonement for the sins of the people. This was not a happy revival meeting where singing, dancing and worship prevailed. At least 3000 died by the sword of judgment because of the foolishness of the people.

Moses interceded on behalf of the nation and God accepted his appeal. God then told Moses to lead the children of Israel to the land where, according to His promise, His Presence would go with them (v. 14) and Moses responded with the appeal of Exodus 33:15-16. Simply put, Moses was saying, “If Your Presence does not go with us, then don’t let us move. We are the people of Your Presence. It is Your Presence that separates us from everyone else on earth.”

How do we understand this appeal of Moses? If God is everywhere, what was Moses asking for and why was he worried?

We know that God is omnipresent, that He is everywhere, and that is not what Moses was talking about. Moses was asking for God’s presence to be evident, tangible. He was asking that the blessing and favor of God rest upon Israel and be seen by those who opposed them.

It is important to note that the Hebrew word used in Exodus 33:15 for presence (paniym) is the same word used in Psalm 44:3 (ESV) for face or countenance.

“For not by their own sword did they win the land,
            nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
            and the light of your face (paniym),

            for you delighted in them.”

Moses knew that without the blessing of the Lord upon the tribes of Israel, they could never possess the Promised Land. The Jews were not the best warriors, nor were they the most numerous, and left to their own devices they never could have taken and subdued Canaan. Moses knew that it was only when the favor and blessing of God rested on Israel that they were distinct, different from all the other peoples on earth, and only then could they be successful and walk in victory.

Today’s American church is a timid church, not ready to go to war! The contemporary church has largely been built on the business models of the world, the overdone concept that we need to be more culturally relevant; and, for some, on the misguided idea that God has destined the truly righteous to be successful according to earthly standards. The western church is not living in victory—we talk about it, we try to define it, but we are not living in it!

We need to be in God’s face; that is, we need to have His tangible blessing in our midst. What makes us different is God’s presence, His face shining upon us. Only then will we see real victory.

“May God be gracious to us and bless us
            and make his face (paniym) to shine upon us,

 that your way may be known on earth,
            your saving power among all nations.”  

(Psalm 67:1-2, ESV)

It’s time to get in God’s face. Your future depends on it!

THE THREE

I am fascinated with the little vignettes of a group of warriors in King David’s army known as “David’s mighty men.” There were thirty-seven warriors in this exclusive club who are introduced to us in 2 Samuel 23:8-39 and among them were the toughest of the tough, known as The Three.

At one time, when David was being hunted by Saul, The Three heard him say how much he liked the drinking water from a particular well near Bethlehem. The Three loved their leader, David, and wanted to bless him, so they took it upon themselves to break through the ranks of the Philistines and draw water from that well. When they brought the water back for David to enjoy, he was so overwhelmed by what they had done that he refused to drink the water. Instead, as an act of worship, “He poured it out to the Lord” (23:16-17).

Let me introduce you to The Three:

First, there was Josheb-Basshebeth, who killed eight hundred of the enemy in one encounter (see 23:8). Clint Eastwood, meet the real Dirty Harry!

And there was Shammah. Shammah fought a great battle, by himself, against the Philistines in the middle of a bean patch. A bean patch? Who cares about a field of beans? But this wasn’t just any field of beans—it belonged to the king, and this warrior gave up nothing that belonged to his sovereign! The Lord used his stand and his courage to bring a great victory (23:12).

The third member of “The Three” was Eleazar (23:9-10) and I don’t know why, but I feel particularly drawn to this man.

“And next . . . was Eleazar. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered . . . for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day” (2 Samuel 23:9-10, ESV).

In one sentence we learn three things about this warrior:

1.     “He rose”

When the others turned and ran from the enemy, Eleazar planted his feet and refused to move. He was not frightened or confused by the battle. You cannot “rise and stand your ground” if you don’t have ground to stand on. You cannot build a skyscraper if you do not have a solid foundation. It is incredibly important for every Christ-follower to have a strong foundation to their faith and then when the battle comes, and it will, you rise in faith, plant your feet, and say, “On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand and I’m not moving!”

2.     “He struck down the Philistines”

Eleazar engaged the enemy in battle and defeated them. He was not afraid of the battle—he used his weapons, and took the fight to the Philistines. We need to be thoroughly aware of all the weapons God has provided for us. Far too many believers today can only play one note on the piano. Some think that just knowing what our weapons are is enough. Many of these believers have never learned to war in the Spirit, never learned to be persistent in prayer, and never learned to use the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word.

After D-Day, June 6, 1944, the U.S. Army changed how they trained soldiers for combat. Why? Because they discovered that during the invasion, only 20 percent of combat soldiers fired their weapons at the enemy which means, of course, that 80 percent of the combat soldiers did not use the weapons they were carrying! I don’t think it’s much different in the church today; in fact, very likely well under 20 percent of believers are actually firing their God-empowered weapons at the enemy.

You cannot successfully battle the enemy if you don’t know what your weapons are and you don’t know how to use them!

3.     “His hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword” 

In the Hebrew, the word “clung” (this is sometimes translated “froze”) means that his hand adhered to the sword; it was permanently glued to the weapon. In several places this same Hebrew word is used for the welding of metals. This is a powerful picture of a fighting man who became one with his weaponry.

I have to wonder what people say about me when they view me from a distance. Do they say, “He’s a nice guy”? Or perhaps, “What a doofus!” Do I show them anything that mirrors my faith in Christ? Do they clearly see a Christ follower? The holiness movements of years past tried to make this happen through legalistic approaches to dress, personal grooming, and certain habits. I don’t think that’s the answer; that’s like dressing up a pig and calling it a lion.

I ask myself, “Is my life so intertwined with the life of Christ and the path of God’s plan for me that others see that in me? Have I become ‘welded’ to living the Christ-life or do I send out a confusing signal?”

BREAKING BARRENNESS - PART 2

THE INHERITANCE OF THE SONG

In our previous article we discussed the singing cry or shout of praise and worship that breaks the spirit of barrenness (see Isaiah 54:1). Our purposeful praise and worship makes welcome the presence of the Lord and with Him comes His strength and power that sets us on our path of victory.

Psalm 22:3 teaches us that praise brings the presence of God: “But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.” The Hebrew word enthroned or inhabit (as used in the King James Version) means “to sit down, to remain, to settle, to marry.” In other words, our praise causes God to take up residence. When the Bible was first being translated into the Japanese language the translators had difficulty with the word enthroned. Apparently there was no comparable word in Japanese so the translators decided to use the following “When God’s people praise Him, He brings a big chair and sits there.” I love this! What a marvelous visual image. (Special thanks to Dick Eastman and his excellent book, “Intercessory Worship.”)

Isaiah 54:2-3 continues this teaching on Breaking Bareness and speaks of the inheritance that comes to the barren who enter into strong and focused praise and worship.

“Enlarge the place of your tent,
      And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings;
      Do not spare;
      Lengthen your cords,
      And strengthen your stakes.
      For you shall expand to the right and to the left,
      And your descendants will inherit the nations,
      And make the desolate cities inhabited.”

Our family was a part of Dr. Jack Hayford’s church, The Church on the Way in Van Nuys, CA, from 1977 to 1990. Those were exciting years of spiritual and numeric growth for the church and affected all of us who were there. In the late 70s a new sanctuary was built to accommodate the growing attendance. At one stage of the construction, all of us active leaders in the church were invited to take a brief walking tour through the construction site. Accompanied by one of the associate pastors, we embarked on our tour.

About halfway through the new building, the associate pastor stopped and asked, “What is the Lord saying to you about this building—right now?” In a flash, verses 2 and 3 of Isaiah 54 came to my mind and I answered, “Enlarge the place of your tent, strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left—from Isaiah 54.” The associate pastor smiled and said, “David, those verses came first to the pastoral staff and have now been confirmed by many of our leadership like yourself.”

What I didn’t realize at that moment was that as a church we had already been taught to sing, to praise and worship. We had already learned to “sing” and now, as a body of believers, we were beginning to reap the inheritance of the song. Fruitfulness follows worship—the inheritance follows the song—and worship leads the way to victory.

“Lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.” This means that the church or individual believer is not to sit back and revel in the growth and fruitfulness that comes because barrenness has been broken. No, this is an injunction to strengthen ourselves and those whom the Lord has entrusted to us. For Israel, the tent was a symbol of their dwelling place. Increased fruitfulness could put stress on their dwellings and barns and so they were to enlarge and secure the dwelling so that the increase would not end up destroying them.

In the years we were a part of The Church on the Way, it went from being a successful local church to an internationally-known megachurch. Over the years thousands of pastors visited to see how Pastor Jack and the church did things. Often, pastors would fly in and visit the church for a few days to “watch and learn.” The well-meaning pastor would see a few things that were different and rush home to put these “revelations” into practice. What often happened to those who only took a brief glimpse at this move of God was that they rushed home and adjusted a few things and then . . . nothing happened! They made a few changes—which meant they just rearranged the furniture!

Many of these well-meaning pastors who were hungry for breakthrough failed to initially understand the reason for the fruitfulness of that church. It was not because of some different approaches to home groups, or offerings, or teaching; good or bad, those things did not affect the fruitfulness of the church body. What released that congregation into fruitfulness was the foundation that God had led Dr. Hayford to teach to the church about prayer and worship. The Church on the Way was a worshipping church—and worship led the way to victory and fruitfulness.

The song, as I call it, breaks the back of the spirit of barrenness and leads us to the inheritance of worship.

 

Get ready for growth, singers of worship! The more you worship, the more your inheritance is being released, and the more you worship, the less you will care that it is happening. But it will happen—and God will release the inheritance through you to the needy around you.

Are you ready to sing?