Monday, October 25, 2010
New Sermon Series!
You may have noticed that with yesterday's sermon, we have now completed our series through the book of Philippians. Starting next week, we will be starting a topical series through the book of Proverbs. So keep checking back for some very practical lessons from God's Word!
"Funny Money"--Philippians 4:15-23
A few years ago, I worked part-time at a bank as I was going through seminary, and there’s nothing quite like working at a bank to change your perspective about money. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the first time that I held $100,000 in cash in my hands. The first time you do it, it’s pretty cool, but the funny thing is that the second time you do it, it’s not quite the same rush, and then eventually it’s no big deal at all. It’s just another day at the office.
Actually, handling money all day is pretty gross. Most days my fingertips would be black by the end of the day because of all of the dirt and grime on the bills. Here’s something for you germ-o-phobes to think about: picture a five-dollar bill that’s been in circulation for ten years, and think about how many people have touched that piece of paper. And it’s probably never been washed either, because money only gets washed by accident, right? Now think about handling thousands of those pieces of paper every day. That’s kind of gross to think about.
At the bank I encountered people with all kinds of different perspectives about money. I encountered rich people who were greedy and who seemingly worshiped their money, and then I encountered poor people who were greedy and who seemingly worshiped their money. I encountered people who should have been rich who bounced several checks a week. I’ll never forget a doctor who banked with us who had to work a part-time job on the side because his wife and kids blew through his paycheck as soon as it came in. Then I encountered people who by all accounts should have been poor, but they had so much money that my boss told me to make sure and call them by name so they would feel special.
People get kind of funny around money, and we get particularly funny when we start to think about the matter of giving and receiving financial assistance from others. We have all kinds of unwritten social rules about how we’re supposed to approach a transaction like that, but what should our perspective on this matter be, from a biblical point of view? That is the question that we will answer from the book of Philippians today:
What should our attitude be toward giving and receiving financial assistance?
Let’s take a look at Philippians 4:15–23. Here Paul discusses the financial gift that the Philippians had sent to him while he was in prison, and he offers some helpful perspectives for us on this whole matter of financial assistance. Would you follow along with me as I read [READ 4:15–23]. We’re going to take a look today at three perspectives surrounding the matter of financial assistance—first, the recipient’s perspective, then the giver’s perspective, and finally the Lord’s perspective.
I. The recipient—Praise God for providing for you through His work in someone else’s life
In our society it seems that there is often a stigma attached to the idea of receiving financial help, and many people are resistant to receiving such help even when it may truly be beneficial for them. But I think Paul will help us see that such a stigma doesn’t need to exist. Look with me again at what he says in verse 17 [READ v. 17].
Paul offers a couple of helpful thoughts here. First, he reminds us that those who may have a financial need should not use that need simply as a way of getting money out of other people. He writes, “Not that I seek the gift itself.” To put it simply, Paul was reminding the Philippians that he wasn’t after their money. He didn’t treat their friendship as an ATM that he could simply hit up whenever he needed some extra money. In fact, the gifts from the Philippians were completely voluntary, and their friendship with Paul did not depend on these gifts, though the gifts did serve to enhance their friendship.
Elsewhere, Paul wrote that those who are able to provide for themselves should do so. At one point, the church in Thessalonica apparently had some members who were unwilling to work, but still expected the church to provide for them. In 2 Thess. 3:10–12, Paul writes this concerning the matter [READ 2 Thess. 3:10–12]. So the bottom line is this—if you have a financial need, you shouldn’t use it simply as a tool to leverage money out of other people.
However, I think Paul’s perspective also shows us that there is no reason to feel guilty about receiving financial help from other people when you have a legitimate need. Back in Phil. 4:17, Paul finishes his statement by saying, “but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.” Paul is using the metaphor of gaining interest to draw attention to the Philippians’ spiritual growth. What Paul is truly focusing on is God’s work in the life of another person, and we can see in the rest of the passage that their generosity was an act of service to God which really got Paul excited.
So as Paul considered this financial assistance that he received, he wasn’t so much focused on himself or the Philippians, but on the work of God to provide for him through someone else. I think this is a very helpful corrective for us, because often when we receive financial assistance from others, our thoughts are centered on ourselves. We struggle with questions like, “What will other people think of me?” or “How can I respect myself after this?” And sometimes we throw a little pity party when we really would be justified in having a praise party to glorify God for meeting our needs.
The reality is that the generosity of others is one of several means that God may choose at times to meet your needs. Oftentimes, God chooses to provide for us through the work that we do at our jobs, but that is still God’s provision! Let’s not give ourselves too much credit and think that we’re doing it all on our own. After all, who gives you the strength to do your job? God does. Who gives you the health to continue working? God does! Who controls the entire world economy to keep your company stays in business? God does! So even when our needs are met through our own work, we’re still just recipients of God’s generosity.
Occasionally, God may choose to provide for us through unexpected gifts. We can call this the “Beverly Hillbillies” method. You’ll remember how Jed Clampett unexpectedly became rich after “shooting at some food, and up from the ground came a-bubblin’ crude.” Sometimes God chooses to give us unexpected gifts like that. Sometimes He plants a wind farm on your land and allows you to make some income from it.
So whether God chooses to meet your needs through a job, the generosity of others, or an unexpected gift, the end result is the same—God has provided! That is what we need to focus on, and if He does choose to use the generosity of other people, we don’t need to feel ashamed; we can simply feel grateful, and praise God for His provision.
So that’s the perspective that the recipient of financial assistance should adopt. But what about the one who is giving financial assistance?
II. The giver—Have enough faith in God to be generous to those in need
In v. 19, Paul—under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit—gives a promise that has comforted many believers over the years. He says, [READ v. 19]. Now as Paul wrote those words, he may have had in the back of his mind a social custom of that time that was known as reciprocity. The idea behind reciprocity was this—if someone helped you out in a time of need, there was the social expectation that you would seek to do the same if they were ever in need. It wasn’t that there was an idea of indebtedness toward the other person; it was just simply the notion that a true friend should respond in kind when generosity was shown to them.
Now Paul’s situation, you might remember, was kind of up in the air. He was in prison awaiting trial before Caesar because of some false charges brought against him by enemies of the Gospel, and there was a real possibility that he might not make it out alive. So as he wrote this letter, he knew there was a possibility that he would never have an opportunity to show the Philippians the same generosity that they had shown him. But even though he might not be able to help with any future needs that they might have, he assures them that God will meet their needs. They had sacrificed to send Paul this financial gift, but they didn’t need to fear, because God would see to it that their needs would be met.
This is the perspective that we need to have when we have an opportunity to help someone else in need. Oftentimes, the thing that keeps us from being generous is worry about our own bottom line. Sometimes we even feel like we have some money that we could give today, but we’re hesitant to part with it because of fear about tomorrow. So we might find ourselves thinking, “Well, I could give this money today, but what if I have an unexpected bill that comes up? What if my car needs a new fuel pump tomorrow?” Then the fear of the future creeps in and chokes off our generosity.
But the promise of this verse frees us up to be generous because we can trust God to meet our needs. So we can help those around us who are in financial need without being afraid that our own needs will go unmet. Now notice that this verse does NOT say, “my God will supply you with a fleet of BMW’s.” The promise is that our needs will be met. And how does the Bible define our needs? Well, in 1 Timothy 6:8, Paul says that if we have food and covering, we should be content (“covering” probably refers to clothing and shelter). He doesn’t even include transportation there because that wasn’t really a need for the majority of people in that time. Most people lived on the land that they farmed, or if they had a trade, their shop was right there at home. Transportation is more of a need in our society because many of us have to drive to work, but there are many things that we’ve become accustomed to in our standard of living that really can’t be called “needs.”
We need to keep that in mind when we read this verse so that we don’t find ourselves expecting things from God that He has never promised to give us. What we can be sure of is that we can feel free to be generous without fear, because God will meet our needs until the day He calls us home.
And speaking of God, what is His perspective on this whole matter?
III. The Lord—Our Lord is pleased when we obey Him by being generous
In v. 18, Paul uses a metaphor comparing the Philippians financial gift to the sacrifices of the Old Testament. He writes, [READ v. 18]. In the Old Testament when the sacrifices were offered with the proper motives, they were said to be like a sweet fragrance to God. Many of us enjoyed a sweet fragrance over the last few days as the rains came through, and as you know when you smell an aroma that is pleasing to you, there’s a feeling of contentment or pleasure that comes over you.
That’s what our obedience in this area is like to God! When we are generous to others, its like we’re providing Him with a sweet fragrance, and He is greatly pleased by our actions. So even though it may seem like our money is just going to another person, the Lord views that act of obedience as an offering to Him, and He is pleased by it.
The Bible repeatedly talks about God’s concern for the poor and His desire that His people would look after their needs. In the Old Testament law God laid out specific commands that were designed to see to it that the community looked out for those among them who had needs. The book of Proverbs also says much about this matter. Proverbs 19:17 says, “One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed.” Likewise, Proverbs 28:27 says, “The one who gives to the poor will not lack, but whoever shuts his eyes to them will receive many curses.” And over in James 1:27 it is put very simply: “Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
Would you like to do something today that you know will be greatly pleasing to God? That sounds pretty good doesn’t it—a sure-fire way to please God? Then keep your eyes open to see those around you who have financial needs, and be generous toward them. Don’t let fear about the future keep you from being generous to other people. Our Lord Jesus said in Matthew 6:31–33, “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
God is always faithful to provide. As we noted earlier, sometimes He provides for you through the generosity of others, and when He does, there’s no need to be ashamed about that, but you can simply be grateful to Him. And all of us need to be aware of moments where God may be seeking to provide for someone through our generosity, and in those moments we need to respond in obedience to Him, knowing that He will be greatly pleased when we do.
Actually, handling money all day is pretty gross. Most days my fingertips would be black by the end of the day because of all of the dirt and grime on the bills. Here’s something for you germ-o-phobes to think about: picture a five-dollar bill that’s been in circulation for ten years, and think about how many people have touched that piece of paper. And it’s probably never been washed either, because money only gets washed by accident, right? Now think about handling thousands of those pieces of paper every day. That’s kind of gross to think about.
At the bank I encountered people with all kinds of different perspectives about money. I encountered rich people who were greedy and who seemingly worshiped their money, and then I encountered poor people who were greedy and who seemingly worshiped their money. I encountered people who should have been rich who bounced several checks a week. I’ll never forget a doctor who banked with us who had to work a part-time job on the side because his wife and kids blew through his paycheck as soon as it came in. Then I encountered people who by all accounts should have been poor, but they had so much money that my boss told me to make sure and call them by name so they would feel special.
People get kind of funny around money, and we get particularly funny when we start to think about the matter of giving and receiving financial assistance from others. We have all kinds of unwritten social rules about how we’re supposed to approach a transaction like that, but what should our perspective on this matter be, from a biblical point of view? That is the question that we will answer from the book of Philippians today:
What should our attitude be toward giving and receiving financial assistance?
Let’s take a look at Philippians 4:15–23. Here Paul discusses the financial gift that the Philippians had sent to him while he was in prison, and he offers some helpful perspectives for us on this whole matter of financial assistance. Would you follow along with me as I read [READ 4:15–23]. We’re going to take a look today at three perspectives surrounding the matter of financial assistance—first, the recipient’s perspective, then the giver’s perspective, and finally the Lord’s perspective.
I. The recipient—Praise God for providing for you through His work in someone else’s life
In our society it seems that there is often a stigma attached to the idea of receiving financial help, and many people are resistant to receiving such help even when it may truly be beneficial for them. But I think Paul will help us see that such a stigma doesn’t need to exist. Look with me again at what he says in verse 17 [READ v. 17].
Paul offers a couple of helpful thoughts here. First, he reminds us that those who may have a financial need should not use that need simply as a way of getting money out of other people. He writes, “Not that I seek the gift itself.” To put it simply, Paul was reminding the Philippians that he wasn’t after their money. He didn’t treat their friendship as an ATM that he could simply hit up whenever he needed some extra money. In fact, the gifts from the Philippians were completely voluntary, and their friendship with Paul did not depend on these gifts, though the gifts did serve to enhance their friendship.
Elsewhere, Paul wrote that those who are able to provide for themselves should do so. At one point, the church in Thessalonica apparently had some members who were unwilling to work, but still expected the church to provide for them. In 2 Thess. 3:10–12, Paul writes this concerning the matter [READ 2 Thess. 3:10–12]. So the bottom line is this—if you have a financial need, you shouldn’t use it simply as a tool to leverage money out of other people.
However, I think Paul’s perspective also shows us that there is no reason to feel guilty about receiving financial help from other people when you have a legitimate need. Back in Phil. 4:17, Paul finishes his statement by saying, “but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.” Paul is using the metaphor of gaining interest to draw attention to the Philippians’ spiritual growth. What Paul is truly focusing on is God’s work in the life of another person, and we can see in the rest of the passage that their generosity was an act of service to God which really got Paul excited.
So as Paul considered this financial assistance that he received, he wasn’t so much focused on himself or the Philippians, but on the work of God to provide for him through someone else. I think this is a very helpful corrective for us, because often when we receive financial assistance from others, our thoughts are centered on ourselves. We struggle with questions like, “What will other people think of me?” or “How can I respect myself after this?” And sometimes we throw a little pity party when we really would be justified in having a praise party to glorify God for meeting our needs.
The reality is that the generosity of others is one of several means that God may choose at times to meet your needs. Oftentimes, God chooses to provide for us through the work that we do at our jobs, but that is still God’s provision! Let’s not give ourselves too much credit and think that we’re doing it all on our own. After all, who gives you the strength to do your job? God does. Who gives you the health to continue working? God does! Who controls the entire world economy to keep your company stays in business? God does! So even when our needs are met through our own work, we’re still just recipients of God’s generosity.
Occasionally, God may choose to provide for us through unexpected gifts. We can call this the “Beverly Hillbillies” method. You’ll remember how Jed Clampett unexpectedly became rich after “shooting at some food, and up from the ground came a-bubblin’ crude.” Sometimes God chooses to give us unexpected gifts like that. Sometimes He plants a wind farm on your land and allows you to make some income from it.
So whether God chooses to meet your needs through a job, the generosity of others, or an unexpected gift, the end result is the same—God has provided! That is what we need to focus on, and if He does choose to use the generosity of other people, we don’t need to feel ashamed; we can simply feel grateful, and praise God for His provision.
So that’s the perspective that the recipient of financial assistance should adopt. But what about the one who is giving financial assistance?
II. The giver—Have enough faith in God to be generous to those in need
In v. 19, Paul—under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit—gives a promise that has comforted many believers over the years. He says, [READ v. 19]. Now as Paul wrote those words, he may have had in the back of his mind a social custom of that time that was known as reciprocity. The idea behind reciprocity was this—if someone helped you out in a time of need, there was the social expectation that you would seek to do the same if they were ever in need. It wasn’t that there was an idea of indebtedness toward the other person; it was just simply the notion that a true friend should respond in kind when generosity was shown to them.
Now Paul’s situation, you might remember, was kind of up in the air. He was in prison awaiting trial before Caesar because of some false charges brought against him by enemies of the Gospel, and there was a real possibility that he might not make it out alive. So as he wrote this letter, he knew there was a possibility that he would never have an opportunity to show the Philippians the same generosity that they had shown him. But even though he might not be able to help with any future needs that they might have, he assures them that God will meet their needs. They had sacrificed to send Paul this financial gift, but they didn’t need to fear, because God would see to it that their needs would be met.
This is the perspective that we need to have when we have an opportunity to help someone else in need. Oftentimes, the thing that keeps us from being generous is worry about our own bottom line. Sometimes we even feel like we have some money that we could give today, but we’re hesitant to part with it because of fear about tomorrow. So we might find ourselves thinking, “Well, I could give this money today, but what if I have an unexpected bill that comes up? What if my car needs a new fuel pump tomorrow?” Then the fear of the future creeps in and chokes off our generosity.
But the promise of this verse frees us up to be generous because we can trust God to meet our needs. So we can help those around us who are in financial need without being afraid that our own needs will go unmet. Now notice that this verse does NOT say, “my God will supply you with a fleet of BMW’s.” The promise is that our needs will be met. And how does the Bible define our needs? Well, in 1 Timothy 6:8, Paul says that if we have food and covering, we should be content (“covering” probably refers to clothing and shelter). He doesn’t even include transportation there because that wasn’t really a need for the majority of people in that time. Most people lived on the land that they farmed, or if they had a trade, their shop was right there at home. Transportation is more of a need in our society because many of us have to drive to work, but there are many things that we’ve become accustomed to in our standard of living that really can’t be called “needs.”
We need to keep that in mind when we read this verse so that we don’t find ourselves expecting things from God that He has never promised to give us. What we can be sure of is that we can feel free to be generous without fear, because God will meet our needs until the day He calls us home.
And speaking of God, what is His perspective on this whole matter?
III. The Lord—Our Lord is pleased when we obey Him by being generous
In v. 18, Paul uses a metaphor comparing the Philippians financial gift to the sacrifices of the Old Testament. He writes, [READ v. 18]. In the Old Testament when the sacrifices were offered with the proper motives, they were said to be like a sweet fragrance to God. Many of us enjoyed a sweet fragrance over the last few days as the rains came through, and as you know when you smell an aroma that is pleasing to you, there’s a feeling of contentment or pleasure that comes over you.
That’s what our obedience in this area is like to God! When we are generous to others, its like we’re providing Him with a sweet fragrance, and He is greatly pleased by our actions. So even though it may seem like our money is just going to another person, the Lord views that act of obedience as an offering to Him, and He is pleased by it.
The Bible repeatedly talks about God’s concern for the poor and His desire that His people would look after their needs. In the Old Testament law God laid out specific commands that were designed to see to it that the community looked out for those among them who had needs. The book of Proverbs also says much about this matter. Proverbs 19:17 says, “One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed.” Likewise, Proverbs 28:27 says, “The one who gives to the poor will not lack, but whoever shuts his eyes to them will receive many curses.” And over in James 1:27 it is put very simply: “Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
Would you like to do something today that you know will be greatly pleasing to God? That sounds pretty good doesn’t it—a sure-fire way to please God? Then keep your eyes open to see those around you who have financial needs, and be generous toward them. Don’t let fear about the future keep you from being generous to other people. Our Lord Jesus said in Matthew 6:31–33, “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
God is always faithful to provide. As we noted earlier, sometimes He provides for you through the generosity of others, and when He does, there’s no need to be ashamed about that, but you can simply be grateful to Him. And all of us need to be aware of moments where God may be seeking to provide for someone through our generosity, and in those moments we need to respond in obedience to Him, knowing that He will be greatly pleased when we do.
Monday, October 11, 2010
"Babies: A Bonanza From the Lord"--Psalm 127
Over the last couple of years, I’ve become a casual fan of the old TV show “Bonanza.” A few years ago I ran across one of those DVD specials at Wal-Mart where I picked up a box set of 30 episodes of Bonanza for $5, and now every so often when I want to relax, I’ll put on an episode and get lost on the Ponderosa.
One thing you can always count on when you watch an episode of “Bonanza” is that no matter what kind of fights the Cartwrights have with each other during the course of the show, they will always be fighting for each other by the end. Ben and his sons has their disagreements, but they could always count on each other in a gun fight, or when the cattle got loose. They always pulled together to protect each other and to help each other out.
I think that aspect of “Bonanza” captures what King Solomon was trying to say in Psalm 127. In this Psalm, he describes how children are a precious gift that God gives for the success and protection of the family [READ Psalm 127].
Now at first glance, this psalm appears to have two halves that have very little to do with each other. Solomon starts out the psalm talking about building a house and guarding a city, and then he wraps it up by talking about children. How does all of this fit together?
Well, to put it simply, we can trace the main idea like this: Solomon starts out by talking about the necessity of God’s blessing for our well-being and protection. Then, in the last part of the psalm, Solomon states that children are one such blessing that the Lord gives for the well-being and protection of the family.
He begins talking about the blessing of children in v. 3 when he writes [READ v. 3]. Then in vv. 4–5, he gives a simile and an illustration of how children provide protection for the family. In verse 4 we find the simile—he writes [READ v. 4]. Here he pictures children as being a weapon of defense for their parents. We have to keep in mind that Solomon was writing in a time in which there was no Social Security or Medicare, there were no retirement communities or anything like that. So who would take care of people in their old age to make sure that they were cared for and not taken advantage of? Their children would—and of course we still see a lot of that today, even if the circumstances are a little different.
Then Solomon goes on in v. 5 to offer an illustration of how that protection might play out. He continues the archery imagery in the first part of the verse as he writes [READ v. 5] Now what is he talking about with the “gate” here? Well at that time, cities were all built with walls around them for protection against invasion, and there was a main gate in the wall where people could enter and exit the city. That meant that the gate was a high-traffic area; it was a public place, and because of that, in most towns legal proceedings and court cases were held in an area right by the city gate so that they would be open to the public.
So what Solomon is talking about here is a situation where the family has some kind of legal dispute with some enemies, and it seems that what Solomon is saying is that the family can band together to see to it that they don’t become the victims of injustice. He may again be thinking of parents in their old age—elderly people could have been taken advantage of if they were all alone, but their children could ensure that they received justice.
Overall, I think we can take a lesson from this psalm that we desperately need to hear in our society today, and the lesson is simply this—children are a blessing, not a burden. Ever since the sexual revolution of the 1960’s and the legalization of abortion in 1973, children have been increasingly viewed as something of an optional accessory in life, which we can take or leave according to our whim. Our society has correctly observed that raising children requires parents to make personal sacrifices, but rather than affirm the inherent goodness of those sacrifices, people have increasingly concluded that such sacrifices are a burden, and our birthrate has plummeted accordingly.
But Christians must never view children as a burden when the Bible so clearly calls them a blessing. Let me briefly spell out a few of the implications of the Bible’s view of children.
First, I think this tells us that every Christian couple should desire to have children. When two Christians get married, there should be no question about whether or not they will try to have children. Now we know that God, for His own reasons, does not always allow that to happen, but that should be the desire of every Christian couple.
Second, we should never downplay the importance of our role as parents. God has made us caretakers of His blessings, and we should take that very seriously. That means we should never shove our kids into second or third place behind our careers or our personal hobbies or anything else. We need to place our role as parents ahead of those things. Dads, we shouldn’t think that raising children is “women’s work” and thus neglect our responsibilities. Moms, you shouldn’t think that dads are optional either, like many people sadly seem to think today. Nor should we as Christians ever be guilty of suggesting that a stay-at-home mom isn’t really doing anything important. We need to elevate our role as parents to a position of primary importance in our lives.
Third, we as Christians should be at the forefront of protecting and caring for all children—including the unborn and the orphan. This has been a hallmark of Christianity since its earliest days. Who do you think have been the first to build orphanages in countries around the world? Who do you think cares for AIDS orphans in Africa and children in China who have been abandoned because of that country’s policies? Christians have always made this a priority, and we must keep that alive. This means that we need to stand up for the lives of unborn children and live in compassion toward the needy children around us. We need to be supportive of families in our church who might adopt children, and in all honestly this probably means that many of us should consider adoption as a way to express God’s love for orphans.
Children are a blessing, not a burden, and that lesson should influence every aspect of the way that we think about children in this world—from desiring to have our own to loving those whom no one else wants. Let’s ask God to help us love these little blessings that He sends into our world.
One thing you can always count on when you watch an episode of “Bonanza” is that no matter what kind of fights the Cartwrights have with each other during the course of the show, they will always be fighting for each other by the end. Ben and his sons has their disagreements, but they could always count on each other in a gun fight, or when the cattle got loose. They always pulled together to protect each other and to help each other out.
I think that aspect of “Bonanza” captures what King Solomon was trying to say in Psalm 127. In this Psalm, he describes how children are a precious gift that God gives for the success and protection of the family [READ Psalm 127].
Now at first glance, this psalm appears to have two halves that have very little to do with each other. Solomon starts out the psalm talking about building a house and guarding a city, and then he wraps it up by talking about children. How does all of this fit together?
Well, to put it simply, we can trace the main idea like this: Solomon starts out by talking about the necessity of God’s blessing for our well-being and protection. Then, in the last part of the psalm, Solomon states that children are one such blessing that the Lord gives for the well-being and protection of the family.
He begins talking about the blessing of children in v. 3 when he writes [READ v. 3]. Then in vv. 4–5, he gives a simile and an illustration of how children provide protection for the family. In verse 4 we find the simile—he writes [READ v. 4]. Here he pictures children as being a weapon of defense for their parents. We have to keep in mind that Solomon was writing in a time in which there was no Social Security or Medicare, there were no retirement communities or anything like that. So who would take care of people in their old age to make sure that they were cared for and not taken advantage of? Their children would—and of course we still see a lot of that today, even if the circumstances are a little different.
Then Solomon goes on in v. 5 to offer an illustration of how that protection might play out. He continues the archery imagery in the first part of the verse as he writes [READ v. 5] Now what is he talking about with the “gate” here? Well at that time, cities were all built with walls around them for protection against invasion, and there was a main gate in the wall where people could enter and exit the city. That meant that the gate was a high-traffic area; it was a public place, and because of that, in most towns legal proceedings and court cases were held in an area right by the city gate so that they would be open to the public.
So what Solomon is talking about here is a situation where the family has some kind of legal dispute with some enemies, and it seems that what Solomon is saying is that the family can band together to see to it that they don’t become the victims of injustice. He may again be thinking of parents in their old age—elderly people could have been taken advantage of if they were all alone, but their children could ensure that they received justice.
Overall, I think we can take a lesson from this psalm that we desperately need to hear in our society today, and the lesson is simply this—children are a blessing, not a burden. Ever since the sexual revolution of the 1960’s and the legalization of abortion in 1973, children have been increasingly viewed as something of an optional accessory in life, which we can take or leave according to our whim. Our society has correctly observed that raising children requires parents to make personal sacrifices, but rather than affirm the inherent goodness of those sacrifices, people have increasingly concluded that such sacrifices are a burden, and our birthrate has plummeted accordingly.
But Christians must never view children as a burden when the Bible so clearly calls them a blessing. Let me briefly spell out a few of the implications of the Bible’s view of children.
First, I think this tells us that every Christian couple should desire to have children. When two Christians get married, there should be no question about whether or not they will try to have children. Now we know that God, for His own reasons, does not always allow that to happen, but that should be the desire of every Christian couple.
Second, we should never downplay the importance of our role as parents. God has made us caretakers of His blessings, and we should take that very seriously. That means we should never shove our kids into second or third place behind our careers or our personal hobbies or anything else. We need to place our role as parents ahead of those things. Dads, we shouldn’t think that raising children is “women’s work” and thus neglect our responsibilities. Moms, you shouldn’t think that dads are optional either, like many people sadly seem to think today. Nor should we as Christians ever be guilty of suggesting that a stay-at-home mom isn’t really doing anything important. We need to elevate our role as parents to a position of primary importance in our lives.
Third, we as Christians should be at the forefront of protecting and caring for all children—including the unborn and the orphan. This has been a hallmark of Christianity since its earliest days. Who do you think have been the first to build orphanages in countries around the world? Who do you think cares for AIDS orphans in Africa and children in China who have been abandoned because of that country’s policies? Christians have always made this a priority, and we must keep that alive. This means that we need to stand up for the lives of unborn children and live in compassion toward the needy children around us. We need to be supportive of families in our church who might adopt children, and in all honestly this probably means that many of us should consider adoption as a way to express God’s love for orphans.
Children are a blessing, not a burden, and that lesson should influence every aspect of the way that we think about children in this world—from desiring to have our own to loving those whom no one else wants. Let’s ask God to help us love these little blessings that He sends into our world.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Sovereignty--God's Royal Reign
Have you ever listened to someone talk about why they don’t like to fly in an airplane? I, for one, kind of enjoy it—I feel like I get to sit back and relax while I’m travelling somewhere. But I know a lot of people really don’t enjoy flying, and they have a lot of different reasons for that opinion. For some people, it might be the fact that they’re afraid of heights—they don’t like to think about being thousands of feet up in the air. Other people just feel too confined when they’re in a plane—they don’t like sharing an armrest with the person next to them or going into those tiny restrooms on the plane.
But one reason that I’ve heard from people a number of times is that they don’t like to fly because they’re not in control of the plane. They feel much safer in a car because they’re in control of the vehicle. But in a plane, they don’t know what’s going on in the cockpit; they don’t know what all of those strange noises are; they don’t know if the pilot is actually paying attention!
So for people who feel this way, the feel uneasy because they are not in control of the plane. You know, sometimes I think life can make us feel the same way. Life offers us many, many reminders that we are not in control. We are not in control of the people around us, we are not in control of the economy or the stock market or the weather or the future or even the present day, and these reminders can make us feel very uneasy. We feel unsettled because we can start to feel helpless in the face of all of these things, and when we realize that we are not in control of all of these things, deep down we want to know that someone is. We know we’re not in control, but if we have the reassurance that someone is, it can go a long way toward bringing rest to our souls.
The word we are going to study today teaches us that God is in control of all things. Today we are going to study the word “sovereignty.” We’ll take a look first of all at what the word “sovereignty” means and then we’ll look at a couple of aspects of God’s sovereignty.
I. What does the word “sovereignty” mean? Dan. 4
The word “sovereignty” refers to the power or authority that someone exercises over a certain area, like a kingdom or a nation. This is illustrated well in Daniel 4—why don’t you turn there with me? In Dan. 4, King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, has an unusual dream about a large and mighty tree. In the dream, this tree was cut down and stripped of all of its foliage and fruit, but its stump was still left in the ground. Eventually, King Nebuchadnezzar had Daniel interpret this dream, and Daniel revealed that the tree represented the king. The fact that it was cut down meant that Nebuchadnezzar was going to lose his power for a while, but the remnant of the stump meant that the king would regain his power after a period of time.
The fulfillment of this dream is recorded beginning in v. 28 [READ Dan. 4:28–32]. So we see here in v. 32 that the king’s sovereignty was removed from him, and we can see exactly what that means—his authority and power was taken away from him. And in this case, his reason was, too, because he started acting like an animal!
But then we have the rest of the story beginning in v. 34 [READ Dan. 4:34–36]. So now the king’s sovereignty has returned—he has lost his sovereignty at first, but then he regained it, and its not hard for us to see what that means: he lost his power (when he went insane) and then he got it back. During that period he didn’t have authority over the kingdom, but eventually he regained his authority.
So the word “sovereignty” is not a difficult word to define. Again, it refers to the power or authority that someone exercises over a certain area. Now when we read the Bible, we read over and over again that it is God who exercises sovereignty over all of creation. God is pictured as a majestic and glorious king over all of the universe. Let’s take a moment to see how God is pictured in His sovereignty.
II. How is God pictured in His sovereignty? Ps. 103:19–22
A. God’s sovereignty is a settled fact
Verse 19 says [READ v. 19]. Just a few verses prior to this, David mentioned how quickly we as men pass away [READ vv. 15–16]. But God and His sovereignty stand in contrast to this; His throne is established in the heavens. You know, sometimes when you walk into a building you’ll see a cornerstone or a plaque that says, “Built: 1932,” or “Est. 1932.” Well, if God’s throne had a plaque like that it would say, “Est.—eternity past!”
God’s position of authority in the universe is established; it is set, fixed, and it includes all things. There have been religions in the past that have taught that our universe is ruled by two gods—one that is good and one that is evil, and these two gods are in constant competition with one another. But the Bible won’t allow us to believe any notion like that, because it clearly declares that God’s sovereignty is over all. There isn’t a corner in this universe where God doesn’t have control, and there isn’t a being in this universe over whom God doesn’t have control. His sovereignty rules over all!
B. God’s sovereign will is carried out by mighty angels
Look at vv. 20–21 again [READ vv. 20–21]. Here King David mentions a group of beings that carry out the Lord’s commands. Like any king, God has servants in His presence who wait to carry out His every command. They are at His beck and call, and David says they are mighty in strength. Apparently, they are strong enough to carry out whatever it is that God asks of them.
In fact, the word “hosts” is a military term that pictures these angels as warriors. Whenever you see God called “Lord of hosts” in the Old Testament, the idea is that God is the commander of a vast and mighty army that stands ready to carry out his orders.
Think about this in human terms for a moment—a king really doesn’t have much power unless he has control of an army. Kings and presidents get overthrown all the time when the army turns against them. But with an army under his command, a king’s authority is reinforced.
So it is with God—He has authority, He has sovereignty and His sovereignty can be seen among the ranks of angels who stand ready to do His will.
C. God’s sovereignty is displayed in His creation
In verse 22, David reminds us of God’s power as creator [READ v. 22]. What a powerful reminder for us of our place in this universe! No matter how great we might think we are, we are still simply the works of God’s hands. We didn’t bring ourselves into existence—God did! Nor are we the product of any process of evolution. We were designed and we were brought to life by God, and we are still dependent upon Him for the necessities of life at every moment.
Oh, we can curse God and speak against Him, but the breath that we use will be a breath that He has allowed us to take! We can oppose Him or run from Him, but the energy we use will be energy that He has allowed us to have. Lest we ever be tempted to think that God is not Lord of all, we need only to remember that God is the creator of all things, and He sustains us in this world according to His good pleasure.
So this picture of God in His sovereignty should keep us from ever thinking that we are on the same level as God. We should never be so foolish as to think—as Satan did!—that we can ascend to the same level of power and authority as God, because as David said, “His sovereignty rules over all.” God created all things and He rules over them according to His will.
So God is sovereign, but how does God exercise His sovereignty? What does that look like in our world?
III. How does God exercise His sovereignty? 1 Tim. 6:15
A. By controlling and ordering the events of history
Let’s start reading back at v. 13 so we can get the complete thought here [READ vv. 13–15]. The important idea for us to focus on is at the end of v. 14 going into v. 15, where Paul says that God will bring about the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ at the proper time. Paul is talking about the moment that Jesus will return to this world, and he is affirming that God is in control of the timing of that event. The New American Standard translation says God will bring that event about “at the proper time.” I think the NIV has a better translation here—it says that God will bring it about “in His own time.” Or if we really want to bring this into everyday language we could say that God will bring it about when He is good and ready! It’s God’s decision, because He is in control of how history plays out!
Now there is a teaching in some Christian churches today that says that God doesn’t really know what’s going to happen in the future. Those who teach from this perspective would say, “God knows everything that might happen tomorrow, but He doesn’t know what actually will happen tomorrow; He knows all of the possibilities, but He doesn’t know which possibility will actually play itself out.” I think this teaching is a misguided attempt to answer questions about how our choices play into God’s plan, because it seems clear that this verse here tells us that God is in full control of everything that will happen in the future. Let us never reject that truth simply because we cannot understand it!
Now lest we be tempted to think that God’s plans for the future might actually be bad and harmful, Paul tells us something very important in v. 15 when he says that God is “blessed.” Now sometimes when we say that someone is blessed, what we mean is that they are fortunate or lucky. But the word that Paul uses here actually carries the idea of being happy or contented. So, as one of professors in college loved to say, God is a happy God. He is not grumpy or angry or vengeful as many people tend to think He is. It is true that He shows wrath toward sin, but that is not His basic frame of mind. God is a happy God, and so we can be encouraged to know that such a God controls the events of history. We can rest assured that God’s plan is a good plan—it is not based on evil motives or intentions, but instead it flows out of a heart of love.
B. By ruling over those who have power within history
In the last part of v. 15, Paul describes God as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His meaning is very clear—with respect to anyone who can be called a king, God is their king; or with respect to anyone who can be called a lord, God is their lord. Anyone in human history who has held power has received only because God has allowed them to have it.
This is the consistent teaching of Scripture with respect to those who are in power. In Romans 13:1 Paul said, “There is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” When Jesus was on trial before Pontius Pilate, He told Pilate, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above.” Even King Nebuchadnezzar back in Daniel 4 had to acknowledge “that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whom He wishes and sets over it the lowliest of men” (Dan. 4:17).
So what this tells us is that every ruler in this world, whether good or evil, is under the sovereign power and control of God. It may puzzle us why God allows certain leaders to come to power, but they can never—not for a single moment!—act in a way over which God has no control. Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.”
So once again we can rest assured that our happy God, who controls the events of history, also rules over the movers and shakers of history—those who rule over tribes or nations or kingdoms. Even though such leaders might reject God, they cannot change the fact that God is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, who orders all things for our good and for His glory.
So how are we to respond to all of this? I think Ravi Zacharias said it well in an illustration from his autobiography. Allow me to read it for you in closing:
"If you travel to the north of India, you will see the most magnificent saris ever made, and Varanasi is where the wedding saris are handwoven. The gold, the silver, the reds, the blues, - all the marvelous colors threaded together are spectacular. These saris are usually made by just two people- a father who sits on a platform and a son who sits two steps down from him. That father has all the spools of silk threads around him. As he begins to pull the threads together, he nods, and the son responds by moving the shuttle from one side to another. Then the process begins again, with the dad nodding and the son responding. Everything is done with a simple nod of the father. It's a long, tedious process to watch. But if you come back in two or three weeks, you'll see the magnificent pattern emerging.
This is an image I always remind myself of: we may be moving the shuttle, but the design is in the mind of the Father. The son has no idea what pattern is emerging. He just responds to the father's nod.”*
And so it should be with us. Since we know that God is in control, our response should one of humble obedience to His will. Even though we can’t see the whole plan that he has for our lives, we know that He is good, and the plan that unfolds will be beautiful if we simply do what He has called us to do in His word.
*Ravi Zacharias, Walking from East to West, (Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 2006) 27.
But one reason that I’ve heard from people a number of times is that they don’t like to fly because they’re not in control of the plane. They feel much safer in a car because they’re in control of the vehicle. But in a plane, they don’t know what’s going on in the cockpit; they don’t know what all of those strange noises are; they don’t know if the pilot is actually paying attention!
So for people who feel this way, the feel uneasy because they are not in control of the plane. You know, sometimes I think life can make us feel the same way. Life offers us many, many reminders that we are not in control. We are not in control of the people around us, we are not in control of the economy or the stock market or the weather or the future or even the present day, and these reminders can make us feel very uneasy. We feel unsettled because we can start to feel helpless in the face of all of these things, and when we realize that we are not in control of all of these things, deep down we want to know that someone is. We know we’re not in control, but if we have the reassurance that someone is, it can go a long way toward bringing rest to our souls.
The word we are going to study today teaches us that God is in control of all things. Today we are going to study the word “sovereignty.” We’ll take a look first of all at what the word “sovereignty” means and then we’ll look at a couple of aspects of God’s sovereignty.
I. What does the word “sovereignty” mean? Dan. 4
The word “sovereignty” refers to the power or authority that someone exercises over a certain area, like a kingdom or a nation. This is illustrated well in Daniel 4—why don’t you turn there with me? In Dan. 4, King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, has an unusual dream about a large and mighty tree. In the dream, this tree was cut down and stripped of all of its foliage and fruit, but its stump was still left in the ground. Eventually, King Nebuchadnezzar had Daniel interpret this dream, and Daniel revealed that the tree represented the king. The fact that it was cut down meant that Nebuchadnezzar was going to lose his power for a while, but the remnant of the stump meant that the king would regain his power after a period of time.
The fulfillment of this dream is recorded beginning in v. 28 [READ Dan. 4:28–32]. So we see here in v. 32 that the king’s sovereignty was removed from him, and we can see exactly what that means—his authority and power was taken away from him. And in this case, his reason was, too, because he started acting like an animal!
But then we have the rest of the story beginning in v. 34 [READ Dan. 4:34–36]. So now the king’s sovereignty has returned—he has lost his sovereignty at first, but then he regained it, and its not hard for us to see what that means: he lost his power (when he went insane) and then he got it back. During that period he didn’t have authority over the kingdom, but eventually he regained his authority.
So the word “sovereignty” is not a difficult word to define. Again, it refers to the power or authority that someone exercises over a certain area. Now when we read the Bible, we read over and over again that it is God who exercises sovereignty over all of creation. God is pictured as a majestic and glorious king over all of the universe. Let’s take a moment to see how God is pictured in His sovereignty.
II. How is God pictured in His sovereignty? Ps. 103:19–22
A. God’s sovereignty is a settled fact
Verse 19 says [READ v. 19]. Just a few verses prior to this, David mentioned how quickly we as men pass away [READ vv. 15–16]. But God and His sovereignty stand in contrast to this; His throne is established in the heavens. You know, sometimes when you walk into a building you’ll see a cornerstone or a plaque that says, “Built: 1932,” or “Est. 1932.” Well, if God’s throne had a plaque like that it would say, “Est.—eternity past!”
God’s position of authority in the universe is established; it is set, fixed, and it includes all things. There have been religions in the past that have taught that our universe is ruled by two gods—one that is good and one that is evil, and these two gods are in constant competition with one another. But the Bible won’t allow us to believe any notion like that, because it clearly declares that God’s sovereignty is over all. There isn’t a corner in this universe where God doesn’t have control, and there isn’t a being in this universe over whom God doesn’t have control. His sovereignty rules over all!
B. God’s sovereign will is carried out by mighty angels
Look at vv. 20–21 again [READ vv. 20–21]. Here King David mentions a group of beings that carry out the Lord’s commands. Like any king, God has servants in His presence who wait to carry out His every command. They are at His beck and call, and David says they are mighty in strength. Apparently, they are strong enough to carry out whatever it is that God asks of them.
In fact, the word “hosts” is a military term that pictures these angels as warriors. Whenever you see God called “Lord of hosts” in the Old Testament, the idea is that God is the commander of a vast and mighty army that stands ready to carry out his orders.
Think about this in human terms for a moment—a king really doesn’t have much power unless he has control of an army. Kings and presidents get overthrown all the time when the army turns against them. But with an army under his command, a king’s authority is reinforced.
So it is with God—He has authority, He has sovereignty and His sovereignty can be seen among the ranks of angels who stand ready to do His will.
C. God’s sovereignty is displayed in His creation
In verse 22, David reminds us of God’s power as creator [READ v. 22]. What a powerful reminder for us of our place in this universe! No matter how great we might think we are, we are still simply the works of God’s hands. We didn’t bring ourselves into existence—God did! Nor are we the product of any process of evolution. We were designed and we were brought to life by God, and we are still dependent upon Him for the necessities of life at every moment.
Oh, we can curse God and speak against Him, but the breath that we use will be a breath that He has allowed us to take! We can oppose Him or run from Him, but the energy we use will be energy that He has allowed us to have. Lest we ever be tempted to think that God is not Lord of all, we need only to remember that God is the creator of all things, and He sustains us in this world according to His good pleasure.
So this picture of God in His sovereignty should keep us from ever thinking that we are on the same level as God. We should never be so foolish as to think—as Satan did!—that we can ascend to the same level of power and authority as God, because as David said, “His sovereignty rules over all.” God created all things and He rules over them according to His will.
So God is sovereign, but how does God exercise His sovereignty? What does that look like in our world?
III. How does God exercise His sovereignty? 1 Tim. 6:15
A. By controlling and ordering the events of history
Let’s start reading back at v. 13 so we can get the complete thought here [READ vv. 13–15]. The important idea for us to focus on is at the end of v. 14 going into v. 15, where Paul says that God will bring about the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ at the proper time. Paul is talking about the moment that Jesus will return to this world, and he is affirming that God is in control of the timing of that event. The New American Standard translation says God will bring that event about “at the proper time.” I think the NIV has a better translation here—it says that God will bring it about “in His own time.” Or if we really want to bring this into everyday language we could say that God will bring it about when He is good and ready! It’s God’s decision, because He is in control of how history plays out!
Now there is a teaching in some Christian churches today that says that God doesn’t really know what’s going to happen in the future. Those who teach from this perspective would say, “God knows everything that might happen tomorrow, but He doesn’t know what actually will happen tomorrow; He knows all of the possibilities, but He doesn’t know which possibility will actually play itself out.” I think this teaching is a misguided attempt to answer questions about how our choices play into God’s plan, because it seems clear that this verse here tells us that God is in full control of everything that will happen in the future. Let us never reject that truth simply because we cannot understand it!
Now lest we be tempted to think that God’s plans for the future might actually be bad and harmful, Paul tells us something very important in v. 15 when he says that God is “blessed.” Now sometimes when we say that someone is blessed, what we mean is that they are fortunate or lucky. But the word that Paul uses here actually carries the idea of being happy or contented. So, as one of professors in college loved to say, God is a happy God. He is not grumpy or angry or vengeful as many people tend to think He is. It is true that He shows wrath toward sin, but that is not His basic frame of mind. God is a happy God, and so we can be encouraged to know that such a God controls the events of history. We can rest assured that God’s plan is a good plan—it is not based on evil motives or intentions, but instead it flows out of a heart of love.
B. By ruling over those who have power within history
In the last part of v. 15, Paul describes God as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His meaning is very clear—with respect to anyone who can be called a king, God is their king; or with respect to anyone who can be called a lord, God is their lord. Anyone in human history who has held power has received only because God has allowed them to have it.
This is the consistent teaching of Scripture with respect to those who are in power. In Romans 13:1 Paul said, “There is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” When Jesus was on trial before Pontius Pilate, He told Pilate, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above.” Even King Nebuchadnezzar back in Daniel 4 had to acknowledge “that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whom He wishes and sets over it the lowliest of men” (Dan. 4:17).
So what this tells us is that every ruler in this world, whether good or evil, is under the sovereign power and control of God. It may puzzle us why God allows certain leaders to come to power, but they can never—not for a single moment!—act in a way over which God has no control. Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.”
So once again we can rest assured that our happy God, who controls the events of history, also rules over the movers and shakers of history—those who rule over tribes or nations or kingdoms. Even though such leaders might reject God, they cannot change the fact that God is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, who orders all things for our good and for His glory.
So how are we to respond to all of this? I think Ravi Zacharias said it well in an illustration from his autobiography. Allow me to read it for you in closing:
"If you travel to the north of India, you will see the most magnificent saris ever made, and Varanasi is where the wedding saris are handwoven. The gold, the silver, the reds, the blues, - all the marvelous colors threaded together are spectacular. These saris are usually made by just two people- a father who sits on a platform and a son who sits two steps down from him. That father has all the spools of silk threads around him. As he begins to pull the threads together, he nods, and the son responds by moving the shuttle from one side to another. Then the process begins again, with the dad nodding and the son responding. Everything is done with a simple nod of the father. It's a long, tedious process to watch. But if you come back in two or three weeks, you'll see the magnificent pattern emerging.
This is an image I always remind myself of: we may be moving the shuttle, but the design is in the mind of the Father. The son has no idea what pattern is emerging. He just responds to the father's nod.”*
And so it should be with us. Since we know that God is in control, our response should one of humble obedience to His will. Even though we can’t see the whole plan that he has for our lives, we know that He is good, and the plan that unfolds will be beautiful if we simply do what He has called us to do in His word.
*Ravi Zacharias, Walking from East to West, (Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 2006) 27.
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