Life in the Grove

I’ve been migrating through John Piper’s book, Desiring God. The latest of his continual insights that cause me to ponder is as follows:

“The eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show his might on behalf of those whose heart is whole toward him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). God is not looking for people to work for him, so much as he is looking for people who will let him work for them. The gospel is not a Help Wanted ad. Neither is the call to Christian service. On the contrary, the gospel commands us to give up and hang out a Help Wanted sign (this is the basic meaning of prayer). Then the gospel promises that God will work for us if we do. He will not surrender the glory of the being Giver.

The more we see the possibilities of the kingdom in our sphere of relationships and influence, the more eager the follower of Jesus is to accomplish something for the glory of God. It is through seeking the Lord in prayer and searching His word while listening for His Spirit’s leading that we learn how to position ourselves to see the provision of the Lord. This touches every area of our life, from developing strong relationships to cooperating with God in serving him though our gifts and talents. God is the giver of good and perfect gifts. He will give no other kind. Let us pray and live expectantly.

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No one was more surprised that day than the preacher. It all seemed wrong.

The right preacher was preaching and the right baptizer was baptizing until the rabbi from Galilee showed up. Then it was backwards; or so it seemed. It wasn’t just because John and Jesus were related. Nor was it that they weren’t on the same page theologically. John knew that Jesus was the Messiah. John knew he was the lead blocker for the redeemer of Israel and the Savior of the world. But in John’s mind it seemed like Jesus’ life and message superceded his own. John wanted to identify with the person and work of Jesus. Jesus wanting to identify with John’s message was all-wrong in the mind of the tough minded prophet. Review the story for yourself (Matthew 3:13-17).

Jesus’ reason for wanting to be baptized was “to fulfill all righteousness.” This was confusing as well. You see John’s message was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” “Repent!” Jesus had no need to repent. He had never sinned. Why would Jesus want to be baptized in that context?

Perhaps we miss the significance of baptism. We forget that baptism is to publicly identify with a message. Then it makes sense. Jesus identified with the truth about John’s message. He agreed that people needed to repent for the kingdom of God was at hand.

It was humanly speaking a credibility issue. Jesus was completely submitted to the plans of God, the Father and lived that way on earth. He went with his folks to the temple, spent time in the synagogues learning the OT law, and now submitted to the message of God’s prophet, John. He did it because it was right to do. He did what He was asking His followers to do, trust and obey.

Jesus is still asking his followers to trust and obey. Christian baptism is still central. There is a clear message to be accepted:

Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call. (Acts 2:38, 39)

Submission to the message from God today begins with repentance, i.e. to think differently about my life and my need for forgiveness. Jesus, the Savior of the world has made it possible to be forgiven of my sin and to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God. Jesus the Lord, lived the life I couldn’t, went to the cross to die the death I deserved, then rose from the grave to offer new life to any who would place their full trust in Him, becoming His follower. That is the message.

If you are living today, that is the message you must come to grips with. Repent. Have you repented? Do you agree with God that Jesus is our only hope for salvation? Have you heard the call to become a follower of Jesus? If the answer is yes then there is a truth you must recon with. It was never God’s intention that your decision about Jesus would remain a private matter in your heart.

That is why Baptism is at the core of Christian discipleship. Jesus told his disciples to go reproduce themselves. Make disciples was the mandate. Baptize them and teach them were central to that mandate. Baptism is the way we publicly identify with the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is a matter of obedience (Matthew 28:18-20).

On June 13th, a Sunday morning, we will have another opportunity for you to publicly identify with Jesus. Baptism doesn’t save you; it reveals you.

Have you been baptized since you received the Savior and submitted to be a follower of Jesus? If you have, then come and celebrate as others go public with their faith.

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I love to listen to the people of God praise His name. Have you ever just stopped for a second to hear those around you singing to God. The diversity is beautiful.

I can hear the beautiful voice of elderly woman singing praises to God in a lovely virbrato. I hear the voice of the woman with the well trained ear. I hear the man praise God with all his heart with a voice that scratches and is poorly out of tune. Each one of these are lovely and pleasing to God. As I listened in Church this Sunday I too praised God that He has saved us, and somehow in His wisdom has chosen for us to be part of the plan to bring Him praises.

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

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A voice from the not too distant past is often helpful in provoking thought about things I’ve heard before. A. W. Tozer wrote in his book, The Pursuit of God the following reminder:

“Among the famous sayings of the Church fathers none is better known than Augustine’s, “Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.
“The great saint states here in few words the origin and interior history of the human race. God made us for Himself: that is the only explanation that satisfies the heart of a thinking man, whatever his wild reason may say….” - Tozer, The Pursuit of God: 33

Earlier in the same volume Tozer had reminded us:

The modern scientist has lost God amid the wonders of His world; we Christians are in real danger of losing God amid the wonders of His Word. We have almost forgotten that God is a person and, as such, can be cultivated as any person can. It is inherent in personality to be able to know other personalities, but full knowledge of one personality by another cannot be achieved in one encounter. It is only after long and loving mental intercourse that the full possibilities of both can be explored. - Tozer, The Pursuit of God:13

How easy it is to lose sight of the privilege of knowing my Creator! How easy it is to be distracted from actually connecting with God, from getting to know Him on a deeper level! I know it takes time to develop friendships among fellow human beings. So, a whole hearted investment is required of me. Significantly, my effort is always in response to God’s initiative. He has already moved toward me.

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I ran across this post today by Joshua Harris quoting John Piper in Finally Alive. I can totally relate to being swayed by my feelings.

“My feelings are not God. God is God. My feelings do not define truth. God’s word defines truth. My feelings are echoes and responses to what my mind perceives. And sometimes–many times–my feelings are out of sync with the truth. When that happens–and it happens every day in some measure–I try not to bend the truth to justify my imperfect feelings, but rather, I plead with God: Purify my perceptions of your truth and transform my feelings so that they are in sync with the truth.

That’s the way I live my life every day. I hope you are with me in that battle.”

- John Piper, Finally Alive, pages 165-166

It is good to be reminded to realign them with the truth.

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