|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
|
6:5:01 GRACE AND FAVOUR Paul instructed Timothy to: 'Be strong in the Grace that is in Christ Jesus.' (2Tim 2:1) We saw last week that one definition of Grace would be: “God's favour and willingness to use His divine power on our behalf, even though we don't deserve it.” Through Paul's statement that: "I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." (1Cor. 15:10) It becomes clear that there is a deeper, more specific meaning when it comes to our own destiny and calling. We could call it: “The power of God at work in us, to fulfill what He has designed.” The writer of Hebrews made this statement: "Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them." (Hebrews 13:9) Two ways then that the heart can be established - by Grace; God's favour and power toward us in Christ, -or with foods, referring to regulations of man; ' do not touch, do not taste, do not handle.' (Colossians 2:21) In the passage in Colossians Paul goes on to say: "These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are no value against the indulgence of the flesh." Paul calls it false humility. Because in truth it is an attempt to get there by our own efforts - which is that old beast again, the pride of man. Trusting in ones own resources.This is the difference between a dynamic relationship with God through Jesus, and dry bones religion. With the first, God through Christ released His power on our behalf. (G.r.a.c.e. - God's riches at Christ's expense.) All we can do is receive it. Because God did the work, He gets all the glory. With the second, it is man doing the works - touch not, taste not etc. - and trying to get God to receive it. And because it is man doing the work, who gets the glory? This is the definition of 'self-imposed religion.'What a travesty that Christianity, or 'Church' has come to be known not as the treasury of God's Grace and Favour, but as the storehouse of doctrines and rules. Now hear this: There is no such thing as 'Grace plus.' If it is unmerited favour, then it cannot be bought, earned or deserved. If somebody gave you a free gift - a new car say - then how much would you expect to pay for it? If you paid at all - even as little as one dollar - it may be the bargain of the year, but it wasn't a free gift! Now, a humble man is a good receiver. But most of us are very unwilling to receive something for nothing. Sometimes the sense of unworthiness - of being undeserving - goes right to the bone! Because we rely on ourselves and our own performance, rather than on the Father 'who gives to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding...' (James 1:5) Tom Tenney (who wrote the book 'The God Chasers') was on Benny Hinn's T.V. program this week, talking about the pursuit of God He used this classic example: His young daughter was fond of learning gymnastic tricks and performing them for him. While he took delight in it, they were rather simple and pathetic. One night he came home bone tired and plonked himself in his lazyboy chair. His daughter was outside pestering him; "Come on Daddy, come and see my new trick." "Okay baby, just give Daddy five more minutes. Then I will come and watch you." He loves her beyond measure, but he's just not that excited about her tricks. But then her voice changes tone: "Daddy, Daddy, I fell over…" and in seconds he is out of that lazyboy, and right by her side, weariness forgotten. "Are you okay honey. Did you hurt yourself?" Tom made the statement that God is not attracted to our strengths. He is attracted to our weaknesses. Jen & I had finished Bible Training Center and had been seeking God as to where He would be sending us. We were hoping and preparing for Ethiopia or India or somewhere, but He deeply challenged my heart: "How can you be thinking about going to Ethiopia or anywhere else when you know how great the need is in New Zealand?" And if we were to be honest, we were on the run from the religion and legalism we had encountered head on back home. The call on us was not just to those that were in darkness and the grip of satan, but to those in the grip of religion. After several months waiting on God, continuing with the process of living, working and raising a family, the Holy Spirit dropped in my heart that I was to go and assist a Pastor in NZ. When I contacted the Pastor to see what he thought, he told me he had known for half a year and was waiting for me to find out. And that he wanted me to come and teach in a Bible Training Center, and how soon could I get there? Well, that threw me into a funk. I've just finished being a student, and now I'm meant to be a teacher! I don't know enough, haven't studied enough, etc. Eyes on myself, and my own abilities and insufficiencies. Fortunately an anointed preacher - Dennis Burke - came to town about then and shared a word that delivered me. I'm sure everyone got blessed from those meetings, but truly it was as if he'd been sent to preach just for me! (That's the manifold - many sided - Grace of God!) Dennis shared how, when called of God, Moses first reaction was "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11) Eyes on ourselves. God's answer? "I will certainly be with you." Eyes back on him. Through Dennis' ministry, and the good Word of the Lord, I had a revelation of His Grace, - His power at work in me, to fulfill what He has designed. And so while I was diligent to study, to prepare, in the end it came down to receiving the measure of His Grace to do the job. My sense of inadequacy became my strength, so that I would 'Glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Because His strength is made perfect in my weakness.' (2Cor 12) Father, if you want me to do this, then you will have to give me the Grace to do it. Still today, fifteen years later, in spite of what knowledge or abilities I possess, I am totally dependent on the Grace of God. The pursuit of His Destiny and Calling on our lives is a pursuit of His Grace on our lives. Since becoming dependent on His Grace, I am very sensitive to its presence. At one stage I was living in Whangarei and helping a Pastor with the music every Sunday in Auckland. Every weekend as I left home & family to go to church in Auckland, as I hit the road I would feel the Grace of God come upon me, enabling me. God would upturn the honey bucket! It's like you get on the bike, and have to push yourself off to get moving. Then you start to pedal, slowly at first, and with a lot of effort. Then gradually you start to feel energized, and you gather momentum. You may even be thinking that you are some cyclist - until you take your feet off the pedals. And they keep going around of their own accord! In fact you feel yourself being swept along, and the first instinct is to hit the brakes! About Moses again - he didn't always think that way. There was a time when he thought that he was THE MAN. He knew that he was called to deliver Israel, so he set out to do it - in his own strength! The upshot was forty years in the backside of the desert. (Acts 7) When we set out to bring the calling of God to pass in our own strength, we leave no room for the Grace of God - for His power to work in us. So it will become dry, and demand more and more effort. The life of Saul shows us that it will lead to pride, envy and jealousy. We become man pleasers rather than God followers, performance rather than people orientated. "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith… Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them.." (Romans 12:3&6. I have omitted the words 'of himself' that are not in the original manuscripts, but added by the translators.) Our giftings differ not because of difference in ability or personality. But according to the 'Grace package' on our lives. If we can say, with Paul: "I am what I am through the grace of God' then there is no need or room for competition or comparison. If you are riding the bike in your own strength, you don't like it when someone overtakes you. And each day will bring it's own agonies of doubt - can I go the distance, have I got what it takes. IN His Grace, you still have to get on the bike. And usually you have to get it moving. But once God's Grace and Favour kicks in, all you have to do is steer. And if you steer the wrong course, the Grace engine cuts out and it's uphill and sweat all the way. Until you get back on God's track, and then the Grace engine fires up again. At the Whangaroa Golf Course there is an uphill stretch that takes quite an effort to drag yourself, your trundler and clubs up. So they have a cable running beside the path connected to an engine. Turn on the switch and grab the cable, and it will pull you up the hill at a good pace. But you have to be going where the cable is going - get off the path and you're on your own baby. One more thought. If someone is cruising along on their bike, and God's Grace engine is carrying them along, what is going to happen to you if you get in their way, or try to deflect their course? That's right, they're going to go straight over the top of you, and you'll be left on the road battered and bruised, with a mangled bike. Moses was pretty awed by God's Grace on His life. The grace that turned his staff into a serpent, that parted the red sea. So much so, that when others murmured against him, or against God, he fell on his face before them and implored them not to do it! The greater the Grace, the worse the collision! God knows your heart. You have a genuine desire to pursue His plan for your life. But you haven't seen any burning bushes, there have been lots of apparent wrong turns and set backs, so maybe you're just not sure anymore. Remember that towing cable.. If it's hard going then you have either left the path, or you are trying to climb the hill in your own strength. Hey, dumbo, grab a hold of the cable and kick back. You will get a chance to enjoy the scenery. Sometimes the whole plan will put the wind up you (did I say sometimes?) because, as I stated last week, the Grace does not manifest until its needed. So what you have to ask yourself is - is the Grace there today? Sure it may be challenging, sometimes plain hard work, but am I being pulled along? Is the Grace engine working? I find my best assurance is in the day by day, moment by moment. Regardless of the challenges, I know that right here, right now, God's Grace and favour is enabling me, pulling me along. If I have today's Grace, then I'll be in position tomorrow to receive tomorrow's Grace! And if I'm feeling uncertain about my ability to face tomorrow, instead of sweating it I'd best be talking to Dad about it - remember He's attracted to our weaknesses! He resists the proud, but gives Grace to the humble! "Help, Daddy!" - Steve & Jen |