Tag: Obedience

Lent 2022 | Day 16: Honor

One of my favorite movies is The Last Samurai starring Tom Cruise. It’s an interesting movie for several reasons. While I recognize that it is not an accurate portrayal of Japanese culture, it does have elements that point to key ideas that are true to the underlying philosophy of the samurai mindset. I base this assessment on reviews that I have seen and read since the movie came out.

But for the purpose of this post, I want to focus on a characteristic that was demonstrated by the other main character of the movie. The character Katsumoto is supposed to embody the ideal of the samurai’s spirit. There is a tranquility about his character that surprises Capt. Algren. So much so that Katsumoto’s demeanor and conduct begin to sway the captain’s outlook on life.

In the movie, the idea that is being played out on the screen is that of Bushido. This philosophical framework is beyond the scope of this post, but a shorthand for why it was practiced by the samurai is the idea of living a life governed by honor.

Sometimes it is helpful to see in other circumstances or events ideas that we are trying to make sense of in our own life. Because of the stark cultural and historical differences portrayed in the film, the idea of honor seems more poignant. And while this is a fictional and overly dramatized story the idea is still easy to grasp.

In a way, honor can be defined as the guiding principle by which the samurai conducted every aspect of their lives. And the lengths to which they went to achieve this ideal were through a complete dedication to those principles that advanced the discipline required to achieve them. We see this in a montage as Capt. Algren is familiarizing himself with the hamlet in which he is held captive. With nowhere to go he begins to see beyond the exterior, and physical expressions of the surroundings, to the motivations of the people themselves.

When we are able to accept the fullness of God’s grace, we honor the sacrifice of Christ by living a life consistent with the Father’s character.

What is the connection we can draw between the example of Katsumoto in the movie and our journey towards Lent? For me, it is that living a life of obedience to the principles and truths of Scripture affords us the ability to become what God envisioned in the creation of humanity.

And so, while honor can be seen most often as an internal conviction that guides how we live, it can also be a choice we make as a way of acknowledging the worth or value of something outside of us. When we are able to accept the fullness of God’s grace, we honor the sacrifice of Christ by living a life consistent with the Father’s character.

And so in this instance, I think it makes sense to see and to talk of honor with this two-pronged understanding.

May we learn to live with honor as we strive to honor our Savior.

Lent 2022 | Day 14: Labor

The word labor can be used to describe a variety of activities. And I’ll leave that up to your imagination what those could be. But regardless of how you envision what the word describes, at its simplest level it will involve effort in order to accomplish the task.

We live in a world where convenience and easy access to resources and entertainment are all around us. It is becoming so convenient to get what we desire. We can order it in one minute and have it at our doorstep within a couple of hours. Now, this is not true of every place in the world but it is very common in many places. This is not to denigrate those who have access to such conveniences. This is merely an observation.

The reason I make the observation is to ask a question: what impact has this convenience had on how we understand our faith?

My friend, Pastor Drew Anderson, has written several blog posts and two follow-up books that speak in greater detail on the questions of how, in my particular case, the American cultural experience has impacted my Christian faith. And I think it’s a question worth exploring. I bring it up in this conversation about labor to highlight the fact that an integral part of the Christian experience is the work of building vibrant faith communities in those places where we live. This is not some overtly strategic campaign by a local congregation. This is the simple call of discipleship and to discipleship for which Jesus lived, died, and was resurrected.

As Jesus departed from this earth he instructed the disciples to go into all the world and make disciples. This was the labor to which they had been called. And it is the labor to which we must enter in. It is not one we can pass off to those with official titles or organizational endorsements. The call to obedience to make disciples is the work by which we will be judged when we stand before God. Not that it will put our salvation at risk, but it will be a measure of our faithfulness to what God requires of his people.

For some, this may seem harsh or even exaggerated. But I don’t believe that it is. Think for a moment about what Jesus said in Luke 18:8. In that passage, Jesus asks a simple question. It is a question offered after describing the parable of a woman who persisted in seeking justice from a judge. Jesus asked, “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

When Jesus returns, what will he be looking for? He himself says he is looking for faith. But what will be the evidence that faith has persisted? It will be the presence of his people on the earth. For if they are not present it will mean that his command to make disciples will not have been obeyed. But as long as disciples are made and formed by the people of God the hope that Jesus will find faith endures.

The season of Lent is a good time to draw these various strands of thought together. What does it mean to serve the Lord with our labor? What does it look like to obey Christ in the making of disciples? I think the answer to these questions is simple in one sense and complex in another.

It is simple in that we are called to faithfully declare the gospel of Jesus Christ. This means we point people to Christ for salvation. This means we call all sinners to repent, to surrender their lives and purposes to those offered by God the father. And it means we should not make it complicated for people to understand this message.

This can be complex for a variety of reasons. But I think the one that concerns me the most is when we add requirements to the message of hope and salvation that Jesus never did. Living a life of obedience is hard enough without the added burdens we can impose upon ourselves or others. The Scripture is replete with examples of people doing this. And each time those who initially heard what Jesus said, and those of us who read it now, are admonished to fight against the tendency and temptation.

So as we think about our labor, may we never lose sight that we do not work in our own strength. But we labor according to the strength that Christ supplies us by the Holy Spirit (Colossians 1:29).

Lent 2022 | Day 2: Prayer

God is not merely interested in hearing what we have to ask of him. God is interested in speaking to us.

1. The purpose of prayer is to position our minds and hearts according to God’s purposes

There are many misconceptions about what the purpose of prayer is. Enacted because we have not fully appreciated the lesson that Jesus gave to his own disciples when they asked about the subject. Often times when we think about prayer we see it as one-way communication. That means that we are the ones speaking and God is the one listening. But this misses an important aspect of the relationship we have a God.

The reality is that God is not merely interested in hearing what we have to ask of him. Even though he invites us to do it. We have to recognize that God is interested in speaking to us. That doesn’t mean we will always find it easy to hear what he has to say. But God has spoken. And God will continue to speak. The question is will we recognize his voice when he does?

This is what prayer seeks to find an answer for. Not only can we communicate with God and to God what is on our hearts and in our minds, but God can speak to us and share with us what he feels we must know.

2. The reality of prayer can be difficult when we merely desire for God to satisfy our whims

Related to the purpose of prayer is understanding that prayer can at times be difficult. God is not some divine Santa Claus who is sitting in heaven waiting for his children to offer him all the reasons he should fulfill their requests. That is not what prayer should be. And yet many of us have made it that or something similar.

There is a deeper reality that God is seeking to create within us. And that is to make us and conform us into the image of his son Jesus Christ. That we might live in accordance with his purposes and fulfill his will. So how has God determined to provide us this information? Through a listening for the prompting of his Spirit as our ears have been trained through the reading of his word.

The Bible serves us as teacher to train our ears to recognize the voice of God. When we merely read the Scripture to increase our knowledge we silence what God is trying to say through his revealed word. Yes, we can learn from the Scripture, but I think it is more important that we learn to listen by the Scriptures.

3. The power of prayer is found when we surrender our will to that of God’s.

There is a power to prayer that is oftentimes left unused and unseen. The power of prayer will be experienced when we are no longer trying to cajole God into doing what we want. When we stop and listen and learn what it is God desires we become more able to do what God has revealed to us.

Of the many challenges associated with praying, one of the greatest is understanding that when we surrender our limited understanding to God’s infinite wisdom we will come out better in the end. And so prayer functions in our lives to reveal those areas of our lives where we are not truly surrendered to God’s will.

Series Page

God’s Commands are Near to Us

The commandments of God are not difficult to know. But they may be challenging to perform.

11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

Deuteronomy 30:11-14 ESV

The commandments of God are not difficult to know. But they may be challenging to perform. We too often confuse the two. The more we grow in our understanding of what God has desired, the greater our ability to live in God’s will and under God’s blessing.

The passage here is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, in the passage, we are reminded that we spend too much time trying to hear from God something new. But, we overlook and even diminish what God has already said. We should not be constantly asking God to speak some new insight or revelation for our lives. We should rather be looking at what has already been said, and ask, “Is this reality present in my life today?” An additional question we could ask is this: “How consistently am I living this reality out?”

the second reason this passage is interesting is it identifies where these commandments are (or should be!). The commandments are “in your mouth and in your heart.” Wow!

I don’t know about you, but that really convicts me. Is this true in my life? Is this true OF my life?

If God’s commandments are not in my mouth or in my heart can I honestly say that I am living as I should? I know this may not make us feel comfortable, but maybe that’s the point. We should be convicted by this.

Not for one second do I believe this is supposed to make us feel bad. But it might. And if it does, we should not run from it. We should ask ourselves, why? Why do I continue doing what I know is not helping draw me closer to God? There may be a million reasons. Only you know yours.

A final thought about this passage is that it clearly details what we should be doing and why. But it also helps us to understand the promises attached to our obedience. When we understand our part in hearing and doing what God commands we will feel and experience the nearness of God.

The link between obedience and our growing awareness of God’s presence can be missed if we are not careful. It is in obedience that we know God is near. Why? Because our obedience is how God knows we are serious about our relationship with him. He doesn’t forsake when we falter. But, when we obey, all the other distractions are removed so we can more fully experience how near God really is.

Jesus I Come – Awaken Generation Music (feat. Alarice)

Verse 1
If you’re calling me, I will answer
If you’re bidding me to come, I will come
If you’re leading me into deeper waters
May I not refuse

Chorus
Jesus I come, I surrender
All for your glory, I give my life
Here in this moment
I’m marked forever
I am yours

Verse 2
If you’re drawing me… closer
If you’re lifting me… higher
If you’re bringing me into greater purpose
May I not refuse

Chorus

Bridge
Just a glimpse of your glory
And in my heart I know
That I won’t let go
No, I won’t let go
Just a taste of your goodness
And in my heart I know
I’m not letting go
I’m not letting go

[Source for Lyrics]

Lent 2021, Day 1 | Psalm 119:1-4

The life of the believer in Jesus will be marked by one important choice: will I strive to live according to the will of God as contained in the word of God.

Psalm 119:1-4

1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
    who walk in the law of the Lord*!
2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
    who seek him with their whole heart,
3 who also do no wrong,
    but walk in his ways!
4 You have commanded your precepts
    to be kept diligently.

* Through these reflections, those phrases that identify God’s word, revelation, or law will be highlighted in the text in the hopes of accentuating the many and varied ways we can visualize what God has given to us for our good.

Reflection

The life of the believer in Jesus will be marked by one important choice: will I strive to live according to the will of God as contained in the word of God.

This may feel like an oversimplification. And it might be. But the benefit of thinking about our journey in these terms is that is clarifies what the goal is. Whether we are comfortable with it yet or not, we must live in such a way that when we stand before our Lord and Savior we hear him say, “Well done.”

One of the great realizations of my life in Christ was discovering that what God commands are the training wheels faith. They are not the end of faith. They are the beginning. What God calls us to do is what trains us to go deeper into who he is and what he has called us to do in the world.

The more I think on this, the more profound the realization. And the more clear the task.

Commentary

Verse 1: There is a link between the integrity of our lives and the state of blessedness we experience. But what is it that bridges these two realities? The inference from the text is that is the commitment to our obedience to “the law of the Lord.” This phrase is a shorthand for God’s revelation. For that which God has spoken. To be blessed and to be seen as blameless and to walk in the law of the Lord are not disconnected ideas. They are, in fact, the way we know we are moving in the same direction as God.

Verse 2: What does it mean to “keep his testimonies”? To treasure. To esteem. To protect because of what it means to you. Does this define our disposition for what God has said about himself? What others have said about him? Too often we make the mistake of thinking that “knowing” is the same as “keeping.” It is not. The former speaks to a mere familiarity. The latter, a deep and abiding intimacy. And this is a key to making sense of why we ought to keep his testimonies. In our pursuit of him, we do it with out “whole heart.” With the totality of who we are. We are not merely trying to find God. We are trying to connect with God. To be known by God in the deepest of ways.

Verse 3: The pursuit and the treasuring manifests itself in a life that embodies the essence and character of God. We “do no wrong.” We are able to discern what we ought to do, for that is most pleasing to God. And, in our pleasing God, we are deeply fulfilled. Satisfied in our innermost being. As we discover what God requires of us, we can see the manner of our living is changed. It is transformed. So much so that we being to walk like he walks. We are more than just copying his actions. Our apprehension of what it means to be with God and to be like God has matured. It is growing clearer in our understanding. We become living examples of his grace.

Verse 4: The kind of life that is blessed and has internalized the truths of the law of the Lord is a disciplined life. I find that we take exception far to quickly with God’s commands. Why should we not listen to the one voice that has our best interests at heart and who knows the end from the beginning? Why do be buck so strongly that instruction? Is it because we fail to accept that in our own limitations we will fail more often than we can admit? The apostle John tells us that the commands of God are not burdensome (1 John 5:3). And yet we feel as those we are being overwhelmed by what has requested. We must confront this tendency. We have been commanded to be diligent in our keeping of God’s precepts. That requires discipline and trust in God to do with confidence.

THe Complete Lent 2021 Series

Lent 2020 | Day 25: “Go”

The irony of today’s word focus is not hard to notice!

The world has virtually stopped. What was once hustle and bustle has now become still and quiet. This is the world ruled by an invisible adversary.

And yet, in the midst of all of this God has called us to be a people who go. Go the extra mile. Go for the sake of others. Go into the highways and byways of the world. God to the least of these.

Just because we have to be more aware of the threats around us does not relieve us of the charge to go. We may have to get more creative. We may have to do things we never thought we could. We may even have to step far outside our comfort zone. But the admonition to go is about making an assessment of our own hearts. Are we willing to consider others before ourself?

It can be quite challenging to serve one another. It can even be down right difficult to serve a stranger. But, the call to go is at its core a call to serve. What many of us don’t realize is that we will discover the assignment or task when we get moving. Not before.

God wants to see us get up and move. Then he can see if we are being serious. Not everyone is ready to take a step like that. But, I think only difficult step is the first one. After that I just becomes a habit.

Until we see that the biggest issue with going is in the heart, we will find ourselves worried about the where we will be sent. Don’t worry about it. If God is in it, you will never be alone.

Lent 2020 | Day 3: “Command”

The focus for Day 3 will be “command.”

One of my favorite moments that took place in Jesus’s ministry was when he encountered the Centurion (Matthew 8:5-12). The man comes to Jesus and asks him to heal his servant. And as Jesus says that he will, he says that he will go with the centurion to his house, but the centurion stops him and says to Jesus, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.”

What makes this story so impactful to me and the reason that I love it so much is because, in it, Jesus makes an amazing and bold statement about the faith of this centurion. He looks at the centurion’s faith. And Jesus says that there is no greater demonstration faith in all of Israel except the faith that is seen in this Gentile soldier. In this simple action, faith is both demonstrated and defined.

Why?

Why does Jesus say this about the Centurion’s faith? Because of the way the Centurion defined what it means to believe. The Centurion said to Jesus, if you would just say the word, it will happen. The Centurion was a man under authority. And the example that he gave was that if he commanded one of his servants to go, he would go, and if he commanded him to come, he would come.

It is amazing to me, that in this simple exchange, we see one of the most important aspects of faith. Faith is grounded in our obedience. It is grounded in our willingness to accept that which we have been commanded to do. When we surrender our will to the will of God; when we surrender our desires to the desires of God; when we surrender all that we are to become more and more like Christ; we accept in faith, by faith, through faith, that who we are is who God has designed us to be from the very beginning.

The issue of command can sometimes be a burden because we do not want to submit to the one who has given it. But that is the heart of the problem. We have to recognize that in order for us to receive all that we desire from God, we must first surrender all that we desire in ourselves. This is the challenge of being a disciple of Christ. This is the challenge that we are being asked to confront in this season of Lent.

As we move forward, preparing ourselves to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, we must remember that we also like the centurion are those who ought to be under authority. We must submit ourselves to the commands of God, as John tells us in 1 John, that the “commandments [of God] are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). So if they are a burden to us, we should ask ourselves a simple question. Why? what must I do to relieve myself of this burden? The reality is the answer is quite simple. We must obey. And in our obedience, we will see the faithfulness of God manifested as he speaks the word like he did over the servant, he can do that for us even today.

Lent 2019 | Day 32: Steady

On Friday, I rode with my father to visit one of his friends. A pastor he has known for over thirty years. What I did not know was that I was going to meet a giant in the kingdom.

Pastor Tracy Hipps serves as the Executive Director of Christian Service Mission. CSM is an amazing ministry that strives to help the church reach the community in which it lives. It is a para-church ministry that is working to help the Church do the work. It really blew my mind. But, the one aspect of the man who heads this organization that stood out as we ate lunch was his commitment to a steady obedience.

In every story he shared, he spoke of waiting on God and watching God fulfill every need. When he took over, the ministry was $900,000 dollars in debt. In seven years the debt was paid off, and they now have an operational budget over seven figures. All through donations and all a result of a steady obedience. They don’t even do fundraisers. Oh, he also doesn’t take a salary. He raises his own support, missionary style.

If you are in or near Birmingham, AL, I encourage you to go over and see what God is doing through Christian Service Mission. Ask Tracy to tell you a story. You won’t regret it. I didn’t.

 

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