Sunday 11/17/19
Series: Walking the Talk
Message – Healthy & Content Pt. 2
Podcast: Download (48.5MB)
Healthy & Content
I knew the basic idea of where the Lord was leading us last week, but it wasn’t until I listened to the message that I was even able to offer a title.
After hearing it, and spending time with the Lord concerning it I received more clarity as to where the Lord was leading us and the title “Healthy & Content” sprang to mind.
I’d been seeking the Lord, kinda piecemeal over the course of some time regarding where we were spiritually as a church.
My desire has been to see new blood in here in hopes of defibrillating the fold into an active and vibrant faith once more. It wasn’t until last week when we were considering some examples of discontentment which come from unrealistic expectations – that I began to see the real problems and they are some of the oldest problems in existence.
We examined discontentment in marriage, other relationships, work and church.
I pointed out that in each of these arenas of our lives God has something to say. He has a stated goal and purpose for them and when we begin to redefine them, based upon our own reasoning we begin to place unnatural pressures on each of them to meet a standard which is different than the one God created it for – which results in disillusionment and discontentment.
In view of this we read in Hebrews 13 where I would like you to turn now.
“(4) Marriage must be respected by all, and the marriage bed kept undefiled, because God will judge immoral people and adulterers.
Do not covet your neighbor’s mate but honor that relationship doing everything in your power not only to not disrupt or challenge it, but be a supporter of it and do all in your power to aid in it’s fidelity and success.
SATISFACTION and it’s outcroppings
“(5) Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, FOR He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.
(6) Therefore, we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? (7) Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith. (8) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (9) Don’t be led astray by various kinds of strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established by grace and not by foods, since those involved in them have not benefited. (10) We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle do not have a right to eat. (11) For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy of holies by the high priest as a sin offering are burned outside the camp. (12) Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the gate, so that He might sanctify the people by His own blood. (13) Let us then go to Him outside the camp, bearing His disgrace. (14) For here we do not have an enduring city; instead, we seek the one to come.”
In this passage we can see the need for contentment with what we have NOT because of the physical or material quality of our lives or the things we possess, but because we have God and He will never leave us!
So we concluded that satisfaction and contentment were NOT found in the abundance or even the lack of THINGS – but in God and our hearts finding their rest and soul satisfaction in Him!
We then applied that to church. Not just THIS church (though that is without question the one we are most concerned with) but ALL local assemblies.
We read in Acts 20 where we’re told how Paul visited with the elders of the church of Ephesus. He encouraged them concerning their calling by telling them to:
- Watch our for their own hearts first
- Then to see to their responsibilities before God concerning the sheep
- and finally their own personal relationship with EACH of the sheep as individuals.
“Watch out for yourselves and the entire flock over which the Holy Spirit has placed you as Overseers to shepherd the flock of God!”
We learned that this relationship between the shepherds and the sheep was one of the PRIMARY ways in which the Holy Spirit was conducting His work of maturing the image of Christ in the body and equipping the saints for ministry in the kingdom.
Eph. 4:11-16, “(11) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, (12) for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, (13) till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; (14) that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, (15) but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— (16) from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
So we concluded that this relationship was sacred, of the utmost importance and that therefore it was one of the most targeted relationships by the devil!
Paul encouraged the saints of his day with these words, “…we are not ignorant of the devil’s intentions”
Jesus, the Chief Shepherd has appointed under-shepherds with the task of leading and feeding His people (His flock). So, should it really be any surprise then that this relationship should come under attack and be the focus of much animosity, neglect, distortion, misuse, abuse and dysfunction?
I was reading yesterday from Barna Group, the statistics of church attendance and what affected it. It included things like:
- What people expect from church
- what age groups expect from church (meaning Generation ‘X’ as opposed to Millennials or even boomers…etc.)
- What Pastors expect in and from their church…etc.
The one thing I found missing in ABUNDANCE is what the BIBLE says God’s intentions are for church and how the modern church is sizing up against THAT standard (which should be our ONLY standard).
This is a LARGE portion of our current problem, not only here but throughout the world.
Who believes it is God’s intentions which matter? Not just matters most – but matters at all!
THAT is the only meaningful starting point.
A fish might “think” it would be more satisfied in a warmer climate, where there is an abundance of air and less predators …and a desert would certainly afford them these qualities, but it is not only a poor substitution for their natural and intended habitat – it is actually harmful and deadly to them.
So it is for all of us who seek to find satisfaction outside of the provisions God has made for us!
One interesting thing I found as well was how many people believed that because they could “find” God in places outside of the church, they placed less importance on attending.
This thinking is the product of social conditioning. People have been programmed to believe that their assumptions are the only considerations worth considering. It honestly never occurs to them that the Bible might actually have something to say about the role and necessity of an ongoing committed relationship to a local assembly and it’s shepherds.
Worse yet, is there is a growing number of people who call themselves Christians who don’t believe the Bible contains relevant, reliable information by which they should guide their lives. So naturally they would never consider consulting the Bible in the first place and if they did, they would scrutinize it’s message against their subjective points of view.
Church is viewed not as a necessity but a peripheral consideration. It is something to be ordered as a “side dish” to your main spiritual meal. So it is relegated to the backwaters of marginal importance. Paul would find this remarkable and appalling.
…and this is the worst bit yet! Most of the people who maintain these views believed their church is causing them to grow spiritually and that they are doing a good job at disciplining it’s members.
These same people who feel spiritually matured and discipled well by their church – do not know their Bibles (some even question its relevance), they blend with the world so seamlessly that the world does not recognize them as followers of Christ, they live almost entirely materialistic lives and their world views are largely humanistic.
I’m telling you the Body of Christ is in worse condition than you ever thought it was.
So we ended last week with the statement that as the congregation – the fold – the sheep – you need to better understand your relationship with your spiritual leaders so that you will find true satisfaction and rest for your souls.
This is supported by Hebrew 13 which beginning in verse 7 says, “(7) Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith…
That is one of the meanings of the word “rule” >it CBS to stand before.
Skipping on down to verse 17…
“(17) Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. (18) Pray for us; for we are convinced that we have a clear conscience, wanting to conduct ourselves honorably in everything. (19) And I especially urge you to pray that I may be restored to you very soon.”
“(20) Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus–the great Shepherd of the sheep–with the blood of the everlasting covenant, (21) equip you with all that is good to do His will, working in us what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (22) Brothers, I urge you to receive this word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words. (23) Be aware that our brother Timothy has been released. If he comes soon enough, he will be with me when I see you. (24) Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who are from Italy greet you. (25) Grace be with all of you.”
I hope this message will bless you richly…not because I taught it, but because it reveals Christ. He alone is our blessing and if in any way – whether big or small, 100% accurate or even just partially so – I have revealed our great God and Savior to you in a relationally knowable way, then this was time well spent on both our parts.
We at Living Grace Fellowship encourage you to place your trust in Jesus Christ, deliberately choosing Him and bowing the knee to Him as your Master and Lord, so as to come to realize Him as your Savior.
You have a special place in God’s family & kingdom. The fact that you exist… that you are His creation, says you were in His heart, you are His delight!
If you do not know Him, please reach out to us. Give us a call at the number located on every page of this website or use our ‘Contact Us‘ page. We would be deeply honored, if you gave us the privilege of introducing you to the Lord. Neither money nor attendance at our church will EVER be mentioned.
If you HAVE been spiritually fed by this ministry and WANT to give, we truly appreciate that and you may do so here, but please understand that all the outreaches of this ministry are FREE for you and anyone to enjoy at no cost.
Blessings!
