A CONSUMING FIRE

 

Jesus is our perfect pattern in all things good. In John 2:17, He is seen to fulfill the prophetic word of Psalm 69:9 in His consuming zeal for the house of God.   It is a startling portrait of Christ’s holy passion for His Father’s house. 

Do we have a zeal for God’s house?

I fear there are only a few scattered embers glowing in a few places—and that most “worship” services have the appearance of ashes. Once a fire burned there, but it went cold a long time ago. Revival happens when someone stirs the ash, finds a hot coal buried there, the breath of God blows upon it, and we fuel it with our prayers. It is then the fire can be rekindled. How I long to see it!

Or do I?

If revival tarries then it is not the fault of God. Nor can I point to the godless environment around me, though the world indeed seeks to water any spark. I can rightfully scorn the false fires where carnal Christians mistake emotionalism for a deep work of repentance that is needed.  But to make that the focus is to miss the coldness in my own heart. 

Will it start in the pulpit?

If the preacher does not have a consuming passion for the house of God, then it is unlikely anyone in the congregation will. I think of a chorus I heard many years ago, and invite you to make this your plea:

My eyes are dry
My faith is old
My heart is hard
My prayers are cold

And I know how I ought to be
Alive to You and dead to me

But what can be done
For an old heart like mine
Soften it up
With oil and wine
The oil is You, Your Spirit of love
Please wash me anew

With the wine of Your Blood. (Keith Green)

STEADFAST SERVICE

I heard a sermon recently that quoted these words from Spurgeon on 1 Cor. 15:58:

 Let us continue true to him, for evil would be our case if we were to desert his cause, and then should see him come in the glory of his Father, attended by cohorts of angels. It would be a dreadful thing to have deserted the army just when the shout of “victory ” was about to be raised. Be ye stedfast, unmoveable, for he is risen, and he ever liveth to secure the victory. Our work of faith is not in vain, because we shall rise again. If what we do for God were to have its only reward on earth, it were a poor prospect. Strike out the hope of the hereafter, and the Christian’s reward would be gone; but, beloved, we shall rise again.

     Our work is ended when our eye is closed in death, but our life is not ended with our work. We shall preach no more, we shall no more teach the little children, we shall no more talk with the wayfarer about the Saviour; but we shall enjoy better things than these, for we shall sit upon our Saviour’s throne even as lie sits upon his Father’s throne. Our heads shall have crowns to deck them, our hands shall wave the palm of victory; we shall put on the white robe— the victor’s apparel; we shall stand around the throne in triumph, and shall behold and share the glories of the Son of God. O brethren, shrink not, for the crown is just within your reach. Never think of diminishing your service, rather increase it, for the reward is close at hand. And remember that as you will rise again, so those whom you come in contact with will also rise again. When I have preached the gospel on a Sunday I have thought, “Well, I shall never see many of these people again,” and the reflection, has flashed across my mind, “Yes, I shall; and if I have faithfully, as God’s servant, preached the truth, I shall not need to be afraid to see them either.” If they have received benefit and found Christ through the witness I have borne, they shall be my reward hereafter in the land of the living; and even if they reject the testimony, yet shall they bear their witness to my faithfulness in having preached to them the word of God, for they shall rise again.

     O beloved, what is this poor world? There, shut your eyes to it, for it is not worth your gaze. What is there here below? What see I but fleeting shadows and dreams, and phantoms? What shall I live for? What is there worth living for beneath yon stars? What, if I hoard up wealth, I shall have to leave it to ungrateful heirs! What if I get fame, yet how can the breath of man add to my comfort when I lie tossing on the verge of eternity? What is there worth living for, I say, beneath yon stars? But there is a something that makes it worth while existing and makes life grand and noble. It is this: if I may crown with praise that head which for my sake was crowned with thorns, if I may honour him who was dishonoured for my sake, if to the manifestation of the glories of Jehovah I may have contributed a share, if at the reading of the records of all time it may be found that I put out my talent as a faithful servant, and gained interest for my Master, it shall be well. Saved not of debt – far hence the thought! – but of grace alone, yet shall it be no small thing, out of a sense of indebtedness to grace, to have lived and loved and died for Jesus.

     What more can I say? are there no ambitions among you? I know there are. Young men, consecrate yourselves to God this day. If you have looked to Jesus and trusted him, serve him for ever. Preach him if you can; go abroad into the foreign field if you may. If you cannot do that, make money for him that you may give it to his cause. Open your shop for his sake, let everything be done for Jesus. Take this henceforth for your motto— All for Jesus, always for Jesus, everywhere for Jesus. He deserves it. I should not so speak to you if you had to live in this world only. Alas, for the love of Jesus, if thou wert all and nought beside, O earth! But there is another life— live for it. There is another world— live for it. There is a resurrection, there is eternal blessedness, there is glory, there are crowns of pure reward— live for them, by God’s grace live for them. The Lord bless you, and save you. Amen.

HERALDS OF THE KING

 

The herald was sent to prepare the way for the coming of the king. The road was to be prepared and the reception was to be planned. The herald’s cry summoned the crowds in anticipation of the king’s arrival. That was John’s mission, and models that of the preacher. As  John the Baptist was a herald of the Lord’s first advent, we are honored to prepare people for His second coming. 

There is a MANDATE for the Lord’s herald. John was “sent.”  He was sent and he went. There was the call of God and his obedience to it. Every man of God serves because he is compelled by God’s command to preach the Gospel. It is not his choice, but God’s. 

There is a MISSION for the Lord’s  herald. John was a “witness.”  The witness is summoned to court for a “testimony.” He tells what he has seen and heard. This demands our study of the Scripture, as we gaze upon its truth and hear the voice of God. This goes beyond only the mere intellectual, to the experiential; we are not repeating hearsay, but what we have known and applied.

There is a MESSAGE for the Lord’s herald. John was a “voice.”  He stood up and spoke out. There was authority in his message for he was God’s appointed herald. There was clarity in his message for he gave an explanation rooted in Scripture, quoting from Isaiah 40:3 as “the voice of one crying in the wilderness.”  This should be said of every man who stands in the pulpit.  His words are not the opinions of a man, but the truth of God, spoken with authority and clarity.

John was not the Light, but pointed to the Light. Since some thought he might be that Light, this means that he much reflected Christ’s Light. Do we?

John summoned people to believe in Christ and be saved. He beckoned them to look to the Light and come out of the darkness of unbelief. That is our glad privilege also.

He cried out in the wilderness.  This world is a spiritual wilderness. It is replete with thorns and thistles due to the curse of sin. But, that is where God has sent us to minister. We are to help reclaim a bit of paradise from the jungle of a wicked world.  Let us tend the garden of the local church and the church field.

John beckoned those on a crooked path to straighten up. This was his call to repentance.  That is a demand to turn to Christ and away from sin. Let us persist in preaching repentance.

His focus was on Jesus.  John the Baptist wanted no glory for himself. He never said, “Behold, I am a man of God,” but declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”  Later, he would underscore this, “He must increase, but I must decrease,” (John 3:30). May our prayer ever be that people would not leave the worship service saying, “What a great sermon,” but “What a great Savior!”

A FAULTLESS SAVIOR AND A BLAMELESS PREACHER

There has only been one sinless human—Jesus Christ. He alone is worthy of worship. Born of a virgin, and thereby conceived by the Holy Spirit without a depraved nature, yet being a real man, tempted at all points as we are, yet without sin. To condemn Him required false witnesses and the miscarriage of justice.  Pilate upon examining Him declared Jesus to be faultless. He had no guilt. As preachers, it is imperative that we point people to Jesus. He alone can save from sin. If people will honestly examine Christ, they will see One unique and meriting submission to Him as Lord and Savior. He is in a class unparalleled—the “one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,” (1 Tim. 2:5). 

Yet, as His representatives, we are to be blameless. It is a different word in the Greek language than the one used to describe the sinless Savior.  Scripture demands that, “A bishop then must be blameless,” (I Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬‬).  This means to be above reproach. None may justly accuse the pastor of scandalous sin. He is a holy man of God who seeks to practice what he preaches. When he does stumble, he confesses his sin with deep contrition and makes it right. If he has offended another, he seeks reconciliation. He keeps short accounts with God and man. His wife and children see him consistent in his home life with what he teaches in the church. His character in private aligns with his claims in public. He abhors hypocrisy.

Pastor, if you want to be set on a pedestal and revered, someone will knock you off, or you will eventually fall yourself. That singular place of being faultless is reserved for the Savior, our Lord Jesus.  But, if you think your character, conduct, and conversation unimportant, then you disqualify yourself. There should be a passionate pursuit in my life to be like Jesus. Paul put it this way: “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”  (1 Corinthians‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬‬). 

Holy God, 

May I follow in the footsteps of Jesus that others might follow my leadership and not go astray.  Give me a passion to progressively become more like my Savior, so others would see Jesus in me. As the moon reflects the light of the sun, may I gaze into the Light of the world—nothing between my soul and the Savior to diminish that illumination, nor the shadow of earth to eclipse it. 

In the Name and for the Fame of Jesus,

Amen!