Slothfulness - both physical and spiritual

The Bible condemns slothfulness. Slothfulness can be defined as no desire to work, laziness, complacency, and apathy.

Proverbs 19:15 - "Laziness brings on deep sleep,  and the shiftless go hungry."
Proverbs 21:25 - " The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work."

In these two passages and many other it talks of laziness in the sense of unwilling to work or exert oneself in a given task. God condemns this and speak of the terrible consequences of these slothful actions. Yet, there is a slothfulness which is worse than the physical slothfulness. It is spiritual slothfulness. Society in general condemns laziness in the sense of work or not be diligent in ones task. Yet, society in general does not condemn spiritual slothfulness which I believe in God's eyes is a greater sin and has greater consequences, even eternal consequences.

Hebrews 6:12 - "We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."

Here he is speaking of spiritual slothfulness. Even as Proverbs says that laziness brings on deep sleep, spiritual laziness will bring spiritual sleep. When one falls into a spiritual sleep, he is unaware what God is doing around him. He is unaware what God is doing through others and unaware that God wants to work through him. Spiritual apathy brings spiritual slumber. Often those who have fallen into a spiritual slumber are not even aware that they are a sleep.This is why another believer needs to poke them and say wake up. If they are not woken, they will become entirely weak and unable to arise. A hospital knows that the longer someone is in bed, the harder for them to recover. There is even the possibility of never recovering fully or at all. The end result could be spiritual death.

Hebrews 6:1 says, "Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God."

Neglecting fervent prayer and the reading of the Word brings slothfulness. It is as well an indicator of slothfulness. Neglecting coming together as believers will bring spiritual slothfulness as well as an indicator of slothfulness. When our faith is weakened we will fall into spiritual apathy. When we no longer believe 2 Timothy 3:16 - " All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." We become apathetic as believers. We will lose are zeal for the Lord and the things of God.

Colossians 3:23 - "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters."

As believers we are to put our whole selves into whatever we do, both in natural work and spiritual work.  We must guard against despair. We must guard our hearts from resentfulness towards others or God. When our hearts become hardened, we become numb and lose our fervor in serving others and God. 

Revelation 3:14-19 warns about being lukewarm. How it is better be cold or hot and how God will reject those who are lukewarm in the church.

The antidote to slothfulness in both the physical realm and spiritual realm is two fold. The first is love.

Matthew 22:37-39 tells us to love God and others. The amount of love we have will determine the amount of commitment we have to God and any task, be spiritual or physical. Our laziness and apathy is a result of our lack of love. When one loves someone, they want to please them and do their best for them. Also, love and faith causes us to be patient and persevere. Love is not dependent on others approval or disapproval, it remains true not matter what. The basis of godly character is love.

The second antidote is the infilling of the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God will produce zeal, passion, faithfulness, godly character and love. There are those who are not lazy and do not have the Spirit because they are motivated by greed, favor, power, and other factors. Yet, this does not change the fact that the love of God and the Spirit of God should be our motivating factor.

Romans 12:12-10-12 - "
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

Transformational Presence

Our failure to have transformational impact on our culture is because we have become so busy and self-sufficient that we have defrocked God of His Lordship and power in our lives. We think because God has blessed us and our nation that we are somehow okay. However, the blessings and prosperity of God in our lives is not what identifies us as the people of God. Our religious achievements with all our dedication, work, talents and technology has not transformed our nation.

 

What will transform our churches, families, community and nation is the transformational presence of God. In Exodus chapter 32 after Israel had angered God because of their idolatry, God told Moses, I’ll send an angel with you into the Promised Land. Yet, Moses who has just spent forty days in God’s presence replies, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth." (Exodus 33:15-16) Are we satisfied simply with God’s provision and not His presence?

 

What identifies us as God’s people is the transformational presence of God in our lives. It was the cloud and fire of His presence that lead Israel in the wilderness. It was His presence that caused the enemy to tremble and brought them into the fullness of His promises. It was the presence of Jesus in the boat on Galilee that brought peace to the storm and brought them to their destination. It was the presence of Jesus that healed the woman with the issue of blood with just a touch of His garment. It was the presence of Jesus with the two discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus that caused their hearts to burn within them and sent them running back to Jerusalem with the good news.

 

It was the transformational presence of Jesus in the lives of Peter and John that healed the lame man at the gate beautiful. When the authorities arrested them for their good deed and for preaching about Jesus, it says in Acts 4:13, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”

 

Do people recognize that you have been with Jesus? Time in the morning and evening is important, but what is even more important is that we invite His presence into every area of our lives. It was when Israel became impatient with Moses on the mountain that they reduced God to a calf. Oftentimes, in our rush to do things in our way and in our ability, we reduce God to a powerless calf in our life. A small God does not impose any threat to our lifestyle but He also has no power to carry us into the Promised Land.

 

Begin to develop a greater awareness of God. Give Him a greater place and authority in every aspect of your life, and His presence will transform your world.

Be One even as the Father and Son are One

Philippians 2:1-2 - "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind."

John 13:35 - " By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

As believers God wants us to be unified with other believers. The Bible teaches how we are Christ's body, many parts but one body. We all have the same Spirit in us. Therefore, we are to be like minded, loving one another and one in spirit and mind. Yet, the reality of this is not always true. There is often division between believers, hard feelings and the holding of grudges. Often there is unforgiveness and many times permanent division or discord. This is because of our human nature. Pride and selfishness is at the heart of all division and discord. 

James 4:1-2 - " What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God."

There will always be a division in the church because everyone is full of the Spirit of God or led fully by His Spirit. Yet, God's desire is that be one even as he is one. God is not seeking conformity or exact likeness. He is seeking oneness, harmony and love.

Matthew 5:9 - "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

2 Corinthians 5:18 - " All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:"

Let us look at some steps in resolving conflict and bringing reconciliation between us and someone else.

First of all, discuss the problem with God. When we go to God in prayer, you will find direction on what the next step should be. When you go to God in prayer, you will find that your heart will soften and change, and God will begin to work in the heart of the other person.

Secondly, it is not important who offended who or who did what to who. What is important is that you seek reconciliation. Often, we want the the other person to take the first step in this process, but we should not wait on them.  (Matthew 5:23-24) We should not allow a lot of time to elapse before we seek to reconcile. The more time that elapses, the more difficult it will be and often become a bigger problem. Also, unforgiveness towards our brother will hinder our spiritual life. Yet, in all this we must find the appropriate time and place to do this.

Thirdly, we must be sympathetic and put ourselves in the other persons shoes. We need to seek to understand the person and why he said or did what he did. We need to listen to the other person before we speak. Along with this, we need to put the other person first. (Philippians 2:4; Romans 15:2)

Fourthly, we need to admit that we are part of the problem. (Matthew 7:5; I John 1:8) When we confess our sin or weakness to the other, it opens the way for reconciliation.

Fifthly, we are to attack the problem, not the person. We can never resolve a conflict if we attack a persons character. We need to speak with the person in love. (Proverbs 15:1; Philippians 4:29)

Sixthly, we need to be ready to make compromises. Not compromises God's Word or the truth, but compromising none the less.

Seventhly and lastly, seek reconciliation, not agreement. We can disagree, but still be unified. God asks for unity, not conformity. God looks at the attitudes and the things of the heart. If theses are right, everything else will fall into place.

I challenge you today. If there be anyone you hold in your heart or have not reconciled too, you should wait no longer but be reconciled.

Whom Shall I Send

Short but powerful word.

Is. 6:8, "Whom shall I send,, and who will go for us? Then said I; send me "
God did not address the call to Isaiah; Isaiah overheard God saying, "Who will go for us?". The call of God is not for a special few; it is for everyone. Whether or not I hear depends upon my disposition. "Many are called but few are chosen," that is, few prove themselves the chosen ones.
Isaiah was in the presence of God and he overheard the call. His response was, "here am I send me." get out of your mind the idea of expecting God to come with compulsions and pleadings.
If we let the Spirit of God bring us face to face with God, we too shall hear what Isaiah heard, the still voice of God, that my friend is when you will say, "Here am I, send me."

Transformation vs. Reformation

2 Corinthians 3:18

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

 

In our western culture we think more in the sense of reform rather than transform. Reform means “to improve (someone or something) by removing or correcting faults, problems, etc.: to improve your own behavior or habits. “We watch TV shows, read books, hear teachings and sermons on how we can correct our faults and improve ourselves, our marriage, our children, our job, and our church. While these are good, God desires to do something much greater than what we can produce ourselves.

 

The emphasis in Scripture is on transformation. Transform means “to change (something) completely.” The word in Greek is metamorphoo from which we get our English word metamorphosis, as a caterpillar changing into a butterfly. When Nicodemus came to Jesus in John chapter three, his mind was so bound by the reformation of religion that he could not grasp the metamorphosis of the new birth.

 

For many becoming a Christian is adopting a religious belief and lifestyle. But, from its inception Jesus demands the transformation of a new birth. The reason we embrace reformation rather than transformation is that we can reform ourselves or attempt to reform ourselves, while transformation is supernatural and requires a yielding to and submission to God. We struggle with the supernatural because it is beyond our understanding and capability, requiring faith in God to do the impossible in our lives.

 

The other issue we face is that transformation requires dying to ourselves. Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” John 12:24-25 Dying to self releases the transforming and explosive growth of the Spirit in our lives.

 

The wonderful thing about transformation is that it moves us from the natural into the supernatural, from our ability to God’s ability, and from provision to the promise. Transformation happens as we take our eyes off of ourselves, others, and the world and begin fixing our gaze on the Lord of glory, allowing His Spirit to transform us from glory to glory into His image.

Receiving the Promise

In Genesis 26:3-5 God reaffirms to Isaac his covenant with Abraham, “Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws."

 

Over six hundred years later Israel stands on the bank of the Jordan River preparing to receive the promise God had given Abraham. For forty years they had walked under God’s provision in the wilderness, but now was the time to move from provision into promise. They faced great challenges of fortified cities, giants and great armies with chariots. Forty years earlier their fathers had stood on the banks of this very Jordan. But because of a bad report of ten spies, they retreated from the promise back into the comfort of provision.

 

Oftentimes in our lives we fail to move from provision into God’s promises for us. As I mentioned last week, we often let the promises that God gave us die in us because of time and circumstances. The challenges of entering into the promises seem often times overwhelming and impossible. God intentionally makes His promises too great for us because He wants to fulfill the promises as we trust and obey him. Notice God’s word to Isaac, “I will be with you, I will give you all these lands, I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham, and I will make your descendants multiply.” To receive the promise, we must maintain faith that He who is faithful will fulfill the promise. Because it is only out of that position of faith that we can be led by the Spirit to walk out in obedience today what God wants us to do in order to receive the promise.

 

God told Isaac, “I will give your descendents all these lands --- because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge.” Abraham was not some great preacher or evangelist. He was a herdsman who most of his life led a nomadic life like many in his day. But when God asked him to do something, He immediately did it whether it was leaving his home and country, or being asked to sacrifice his son Isaac. In the midst of all Abraham’s wandering, he never forgot his charge, what God had charged him to do, his destiny. In all the places he traveled, all the challenges he faced and things he did, he never lost sight of the faithfulness of God and the promises God had given him.

 

As Joshua stood on the banks of the Jordan facing the giants of Israel’s past, the Lord appeared to him and said to Joshua, “Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. --- Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you. --- Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:3,6,9

 

“Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:” Heb. 10:35-36

“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”         I Corinthians 1:20

Take Your Place

Psalms 23:5 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.”

 

The table of the Lord is a place of abundance, a place of peace, and a place of communion. David draws this picture from the ancient Near East custom, where covenants were often concluded with a meal expressive of the bond of friendship. The head of the honored guest at the banquet was customarily anointed with oil. The cup running over was a sign of abundance. What an awesome picture of the relationship God wants to have with us!

 

Jesus reinforced this at the Last Supper with His disciples. In Luke 22:15 Jesus says, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you.” (NKJ) In the Message Bible it says, "You've no idea how much I have looked forward to eating this Passover meal with you.” Then just as the honored guest would have his head anointed with oil in David’s day, Jesus in the custom of his day honors his disciples by getting down and washing their feet.

 

Sometimes we fail to understand how much Jesus desires to fellowship and commune with us. We become so busy running here and there, trying to meet our needs and the needs of our family, when He already has a table of provision set for us. We are desperately trying to prove ourselves and to demonstrate our value or worth, when He desires to honor us. We struggle with worry and fear in an uncertain world and struggle with the attacks of the enemy, when He has already set a table for us in the presence of our enemies. We struggle in our own might to serve Him, when he wants to anoint our head with the oil of His Spirit to empower us to do what we cannot do in ourselves.

 

Stop struggling and running and take your place at the Lord’s table. “In His presence is fullness of joy;

at His right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalms 16:11) The God of the universe “fervently desires” your presence. He has prepared a table for you and for me. He is honored to have us as a guest at his table. Even more than that, He wants to honor us. We are the apple of His eye, His joy and His desire. He wants to give us honor even before our enemies, for we are His treasured possession and he has redeemed us from every tribe, tongue, and nation by the blood of His Son. He wants to fill your cup until it runs over.

 

The one thing our Lord seeks above all else from his servants, ministers, and shepherds is communion with Him. His table is vast and is never lacking. This table is a place of spiritual intimacy and is spread daily with all that we need. David said in Psalms 27:4, “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.”

 

May you be blessed, encouraged, strengthened, and satisfied in the presence of the Lord today.