Untuchable

                         

Think about the apostle Paul, what comes to mind?

Author, missionary, man of God, martyr, pillar of faith? Matt Chandler, pastor of the Village Church in Texas, would claim that the apostle Paul was untouchable.

Untouchable? surely not. Lets think about that list Paul gives us in 2 Corinthians 11:22-29

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

 Does that sound untouchable to you, beaten, flogged, imprisoned, shipwrecked, adrift at sea, danger from everyone? Where is it I see untouchable as being a characteristic of the apostle Paul?

First, If you threaten to kill him Paul says, "to die is gain." (Phil. 1:21). Paul is ready to die, in fact he almost can't wait to die in order that he might be in the presence of his Lord and savior Jesus Christ. "...My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better." (Phil. 1:23)

Then, we decide to let him live, and Paul says, "for to me to live is Christ" (Phil. 1:21).

Well then we will beat you. And Paul will reply, "I am ready and welcome suffering for the sake of Christ." (Phil. 1:29)

Alright Paul then we won't kill you and just throw you in jail. Paul's response is alright I'll convert all the guards and most of the prisoners.

Paul is indeed untouchable. Lets go back to the 2 Corinthians passage, because before he lists off all these troubles, he says, "for this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison" (2 Cor. 4:17). Isn't that crazy? Paul sees flogging, beatings, shipwrecks, and being stoned and left for dead, as being light afflictions.

Why does the apostle Paul seem so untouchable, so free? Because he is so filled up by the gospel of Christ. That is how we become free and untouchable like Paul, we constantly go back to the gospel.

It is when we are willing to die that we will be able to truly live.

No Turning Back!

Microscope or Telescope?

I'm scared for the "American" church today. I see far to many nominal Christians who value the gifts of God over God himself. We are so mixed up in this day of the self. Our culture feeds you, and so we put God on the back burner, but this mustn't be. And I can be just as guilty of it as anyone else.

"Creation exists to call attention to the creator, not the creature." - John Piper

I heard a sermon a while back that pointed out two ways we can look at God, through a microscope or through a telescope.

What is the distinction between the two? Well through a microscope we make small things look bigger than they actually are, and a telescope makes something big look how it should, or as close to it as we can get.

Too many people are looking at God through a microscope. We take whatever He can give us and then go back to our own self-sufficiency because we understand how to live our lives better than God does. However, that is a wrong view of God, and that view will lead to destruction. We need to look through a telescope at God, we need to bring is greatness and glory into a bigger and better light. 

David had it right and particularly in Psalms 8. 

O Lord, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

Out of the mouth of babies and infants,

you have established strength because of your foes,

to still the enemy and the avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,

and the son of man that you care for him?

Just here in verses 1-4, David  is overwhelmed by God. David is looking through a telescope at God, he is seeing God as He is, powerful, glorious, immense, holy, etc. David was a king and yet he felt oh so small in the light of who God is. As should we.

I would ask you to read the Bible with me through a telescope not a microscope. Find God to be who He is and put Him in the rightful place in our lives, number one. 

Telescope not Microscope.

Fear Of God

Proverbs 1:7 tells us that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction (ESV).” It is of great importance that we have a healthy understanding of fear as it pertains to God. We talk of having a fear of God, but what does it mean to actually fear God? I believe that we focus so much on God’s grace, mercy, and love, that we miss out on the rest of God’s attributes: His holiness, omnipotence, justice, wrath, etc. We all acknowledge these attributes of God but do not like to emphasize them. However, it is very important that, when dealing with God, we do not emphasize any of His attributes over another. This is where I find the fear of God is not understood or studied very closely by us today. We want to worship and adore God not be frightened of Him. I agree that we do indeed need to worship and adore Him but that must include a right understanding and fearing of Him. And that fear means a reverent understanding as well as well as a very real terror. 

There is a transcendent side and reverent side to God, God is awesome. When we are in His presence we are in utter awe of His majesty and power. We see this very clearly when we are face to face with God in nature. On top of a mountain, we are in awe of the great height and views, yet we are wary that there is a great danger locating ourselves in that place. Although it is beautiful it can just as quickly become terrible. Wild animals have the same effect. For example I am not afraid of a snake but I do have a healthy fear of a snake. The difference is that even though I do not take off running the other way when I see a snake I will avoid or approach cautiously because I “fear” the snake, I know what that snake could possibly do to me if I get too close or anger it. Fear is the beginning of knowledge (Prov. 1:7), so for me to not fear that snake would be for me to be ignorant of the dangers that snake possesses. God will not tolerate sin and if we cannot fearfully understand that we will say with Isaiah in His presence, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King…” (Isaiah 6:5). We revere, love, and glorify God, but before we run to Him we had better fear him. 

The second aspect of fear, I think, is best described as abject terror. To be brought low in an intense fear. When the disciples were in the midst of a storm, they were fearful for their lives. Yet when Jesus calmed the storm they were even more terrified. There is an immense fear that is brought upon by one who is holy. We don’t understand it and we are afraid of it. When Jesus had done the miracle of the great catch of fish in Luke 5, Peter wasn’t even looking at the fish, he was bowing on the ground telling Jesus to get away from him (Luke 5:8). Peter realized he was sinful and Jesus was set apart, holy. Instead of making Peter run to Jesus he wanted nothing more than to get away from Him. The same thing happened with Moses when he went to see the burning bush. Acts 7:32 tells us that when God spoke, Moses trembled and did not dare to look. Isaiah, in Isaiah 6, called a curse of death upon himself after being in the presence of God. Paul Washer describes fear as when our “knees knock together, and teeth chatter.” The sinful cannot stand to be in close proximity with the holy, it terrifies us to a point of ruin and death. 

Yes, God is graceful, merciful, loving, compassionate, and sympathetic, but He is also all powerful, wrathful, just, and awesome. And we should fearfully remember it before we do something foolish before Him. Philippians 2:12 tells us “therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” So quite literally Paul wants us to scare the Hell out of ourselves. There is nothing easy about salvation, praying the prayer won’t do. However; be comforted in the very next verse, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). God can be counted on to get us through salvation’s door, but for us to know Him we must fear Him. 

Tremble if you ever feel any inclination to leave the Lord. - John Piper