God's Plans Above Our Own

     I wanted to write a quick post just to tell a story of something that God did last night. Among some of the guys that I hang out with where I live, there's a guy that God had really been laying on my heart for the past few weeks. For sake of this discussion, we'll call him Joe (creativity never really was my strong suit). During those few weeks, I had been trying to get in touch with him while praying that God would give me a good opportunity to witness. Last night, a bunch of us guys met at the bowling alley and this young man was there. I was sitting at a table with him, looking for a chance to talk to him, but there were two other guys at the table, and it just wasn't the right time. We were talking, and at some point in the conversation, Joe got up and said he was going to go grab his stuff that he had left at another table. I grabbed my Bible and followed him. I asked him if he knew what would happen to him if he died that night. He said he would probably go to Heaven because he had led a good life. I asked him if he were wrong, would he want to know and he said yes. So we sat down at a table and I opened my Bible.
     At this point, God showed that his plans were different than mine. One of the other guys whom we will call Mike came over and sat down with us. I had just met Mike a few minutes before; I had no idea what to do. The only thing going through my mind at the time was that it was the worst thing that could have happened. Not sure what to do and not wanting to miss the opportunity to witness to Joe, I asked Mike the same question. Then God revealed His plan. Mike said he would probably go to Hell. I asked him if that bothered him and he said "Yeah, it really does." I had the opportunity to witness to both Joe and Mike. They both acknowledged their sin and expressed a desire to be saved.
     I don't know if either of these young men truly got saved. The Bible says in Romans 10:9 "that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt beleive in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Neither Mike nor Joe prayed at that moment; they said they would rather do it later at home. But I do know that God's Word does not return void, they both came to grips with their sin, and they both professed a belief that the gospel is true. I can only hope and pray that they truly gave their lives to Christ at that moment or at a later one.
     I learned something very important last night. God's plans are not mine, and His are far better. In my planning to witness to Joe, Mike did not enter the equation at any point. When Mike joined, I thought it was over. Joe would not listen with another guy there and it would just be an awkward exchange. But, contrary to my plans, Mike heard the truth and, at least on the surface, even seemed to take it to heart more than Joe did. Especially in this area of evangelism, God has plans that far exceed our own. Around the corner may be another soul that you had no intention of reaching, yet God is still seeking and saving those who are lost in ways we probably would never have imagined.

The Way

     For the past couple posts, we have been looking at why we as Christians have an obligation to witness, but I want to divert for a moment and share something that I came across in my Bible study a couple of days ago.
     I have just recently begun the process of studying through the book of Hebrews. Chapter 1 verse 3 says, speaking of Christ,
     "3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high;"
     I was studying out that first phrase "who being the brightness of his glory...", and I was reminded of the familiar account in Exodus 33 when Moses asks to see God's glory. The account covers a pretty hefty chunk of verses, so I would encourage you to take a couple minutes and read Exodus 33:7-23. In verse 18, Moses makes the now-famous request, "Shew me thy glory." In verses 21-23, God assents to Moses' request with certain limitations (i.e. Moses was only allowed to see God's back). However, this account comes into conflict with John 1:18, in which the apostle states
     "18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."
     If we truly believe that the Bible is inerrant, then reconciliation between the Exodus 33 account and John 1:18 must exist. It is believed that Moses saw was not God the Father, but was actually the incarnate Christ. The fifty cent theological word for such an appearance is a "theophany". Charles Ryrie defines "theophany" as a "self-manifestation of God." There are several other such occurences throughout the Old Testament (Genesis 16:7-13; 18:1-33; Judges 6:11-23; 13:3-21)
     However, as I reading this passage in Exodus, I came across something that I never seen before. Earlier in the passage, before Moses' request to see God's glory, he actually makes another request. Before he said, "Shew me thy glory", Moses said in verse 13, "If I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee..." In the next few verses, God says that He will grant Moses' request. Then Moses asks to see God's glory, and God describes the manner in which the request will be granted.
     It is very possible that I am the only one who had never noticed this before, but look at Moses' original request and God's answer. Moses says "Shew me now thy way," and God reveals Christ.
     Remember the famous dialogue between Christ and His disciple, Thomas, in John 14?
     "1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
       2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
       3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also
       4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
At this point Thomas interjects and asks the famous question.
       5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
As Christ hears the sincere question of His disciple, I can just imagine a smile play across Christ's lips as He remembers another follower, thousands of years before, who also wished for God to show the way. As He turns and looks at Thomas with the eyes that Moses was forbidden to see, fully revealed and in the middle of enacting God's plan of salvation, Christ says, "Thomas, I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me." Christ was the answer in Moses' time, He was the answer in Thomas time, and He is still the answer today. From the time of man's fall to the Millenial kingdom, Christ is the Way.

We Will Give an Account

     We are in the process of looking at why we as believers have an obligation to witness. The first point we discussed was the fact that it is a command given by God. If we truly are believers we should have a passion and a compassion for the lost, drawn from Matthew 9 and 28 as well as 1 John 2.
     Continuing along this line of thought, I want to bring the second point. Today we'll be spending some time in the Old Testament. If you have a Bible, turn to Ezekiel 3. Just for a little context, at this point, Ezekiel is being commissioned by God as a prophet to deliver a message of warning to the people of Israel and Judah. This passage is part of God's commission. We'll start in verse 16.
     "16 And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
       17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: there for hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
       18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
       19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not fro his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou has delivered thy soul."
     This portion of Ezekiel is potentially one of the most sobering and convicting passages in all Scripture. The point I wish to bring out of this passage, as well as some others we will look through over the course of this post, is the fact that every believer will give an account for their stewardship of God's message of grace before God Himself.
     God's first words to Ezekiel in this passage read "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman..." This illustration is not as relevant in today's world of security cameras and radars, but in Ezekiel's time, a watchman was a crucial piece of a city's defenses. Positioned in a tower or on a high portion of the wall, the watchman was given the opportunity and responsibility of seeing farther than the citizens of the town. If a storm or an enemy army was seen approaching the city, the watchman would shout a warning and the people could make whatever preparations necessary to ensure their safety, as well as that of their families and possessions.
     What if the watchman was not alert? Those people were his responsibility. If the city was taken by surprise, the chances are pretty good that the watchman was at fault. Worse, what if he didn't care about the city's safety? What it he saw the approaching destruction and willfully chose not to warn the people? Such action (or lack of) would border on treason!
     I realize that this passage and the illustration fo the watchman do not directly refer to Christians' sharing the gospel with unbelievers. Ezekiel's message was to God's people, the inhabitants of Israel and Judah. However, there are transcendant principles pertinent to our discussion here. I will deal with three such principles here.
     First, like the ancient watchman, we have been given the ability to "see" farther than the vast majority of the people around us. Our extra "sight" comes from reading the Bible. God has given us His Word; in it is written the end of the story for unbelievers. Even a casual perusal of passages like Matthew 25 and Revelation 20 should fill us with trepidation at the destiny of those who reject Christ Jesus as Lord.
     Second, we have the responsibility to sound the warning. If we honestly believe the Bible to be true, then we cannot ignore the fact that the majority of the world's population will stand before God and pay the penalty for their own sin instead of coming under the covering of Christ. Just like it would be unthinkable for the watchman to remain silent if he saw an enemy army approach his city, how much more unthinkable is it for believers to remain silent when we see the approach of a Godless eternity for the unsaved?!
     Lastly, we will give an account for our stewardship of the message of God's grace. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul describes the reckoning every believer will have with his Lord. Verses 10-11 say,
     "10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
        11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men: but we are made manifest unto God: and I trust also are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your conscience." 
     "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord..." We will stand before God and He will thoroughly review our lives; whether or not we used our time, talents, and opportunities to accomplish His will for our lives. A large part of this is our evangelism. Notice the phrase, "we persuade men". Paul "persuaded men" because he knew the "terror of the Lord". God will hold each and every believer responsible for every opportunity we miss to speak the gospel to those around us.
     Don't misunderstand; every person must make his or her own decision to accept or reject Christ. They will stand before God and be judged for their own life, however, God will hold us accountable for those opportunities of which we did not take advantage. We can not afford to take this responsibility lightly.

We Cannot But Speak

     The focus of this entire blog has been to inspire and equip believers to evangelize a lost and dying world. But a challenge should only be given when accompanied by a reason to accept it. That will be the goal of my next several posts: to show from Scripture some of the different reasons we as Christians have an irrevocable responsibility to witness to those around us.
      This first post will cover the primary reason for our obligation to witness. This first point is the fact that it is a command. If you have a Bible close by, take a look at Matthew 28:19-20. It reads, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." I challenge you to find a request in this verse. There is none. It is an express command given by our Lord. It does not say "If you have a spare moment...", "Unless you feel tired...", or (surprisingly) "Unless the Steelers game is on...". There is no "please" or "if you don't mind" in this verse. The fact of the matter is that if you are a believer, you have an unchallengeable commission to witness.
      The question could be raised, "Why are we obligated to obey this command?" Again, if you have a Bible on hand, turn to 1 John 2. Verses 1-6 say
    "1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
     2 And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
     3 And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 
     4 He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
     5 But whoso keepeth His word in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him.
     6 He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked." (pronouns referring to Christ capitalized for clarity)
     I wanted you to see the whole passage for context, but the main point I wish to draw out is found in verse 3-4. John says that the litmus test for a true believer is if we keep Christ's commandments. In verse 6, John also declares that whoever claims to be a follower of Christ will walk as Christ Himself walked. How did Christ view the lost? Turn to Matthew 9:35-38.
      "35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
       36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
       37 Then saith He unto His disciples, 'The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
       38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest.'"
     How did Christ view the lost? When He saw their condition, He was moved with compassion. Based on these passages, what then should our attitude be toward the lost and the command to witness? The only conclusion that can be drawn from these Scriptures is that if we as believers do not obey this command and if we are not, like Christ, "moved with compassion" at the plight of the lost, we need to seriously check our hearts; we need to ensure that they truly do belong to Christ.
     We have been given a directive from our Lord. If we truly call ourselves followers of Christ, ignoring this command is not an option.

Focal Point

     A spear without its head is pretty close to useless. A sword without its blade isn't much of a weapon. Try hunting with a rifle but no ammunition. When the deer has a decent chance of winning, you know something's wrong.
     What about the gospel without the cross? What about the miracles without the sacrifice? What about the magnitude of God's love without the appeasement of God's wrath? Our message is powerless without its thrust. If the cross is removed, what are we left with? A worthless spear, an broken hilt, and a futile mission. Sin has won, we are still objects of God's wrath, and the gospel is rendered ineffective to reconcile love for the sinner and hatred for sin.
     Yet the gospel is not rendered ineffective. In Galatians 6:14, the apostle Paul says, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world (emphasis mine). Matthew 27:35 says "And they crucified Him..." Our message is not futile because Christ was sacrificed; God was appeased. I am probably not sharing any new information here, but I think that it is necessary for a Christian to revisit Calvary and remember what took place there over 2,000 years ago.
     It all starts in the Garden of Gethsamane. Jesus has revealed to his followers that the time for His sacrifice has come. He also foretells that they will abandon Him to the Romans. In Matthew 26:34 Peter emphatically states "'Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.' Likewise said all of the disciples." They were all standing with Him when Judas came over the hill to "greet" Jesus, but when the Romans topped the hill with their swords drawn and torches held high, all that stood behind Jesus was a cloud of dust. They had all abandoned Him at about 40 miles per hour. The ultimate irony? Jesus died hours later for sins the disciples had committed.
     Christ was brought before the prominent religious and political leaders in that area. False witnesses hired by the Pharisees came and testified against Christ. They accused Him of being who He was, the Son of God. For the crime of saying exactly who He was, He was condemned to die a murderer's death, although innocent.
     In preparation for His crucifixion, Christ was handed over to Roman soldiers to suffer at their hands. He was mocked, spat on, beaten, slapped and humiliated. Pilate ordered Him scourged with a whip called a scorpion. Secured to the handle were nine leather strands embedded with pieces of bone or metal. It was laid across the victim's back and torn away, ripping away pieces of flesh. Thirty-nine times this instrument of torture was laid across the Messiah's back and torn away. As a final token of derision, the soldiers fashioned a crown of two-inch thorns and twisted it onto Christ's head.
     This done, the soldiers loaded a 100-pound crossbeam, His crossbeam, onto His back to be carried a mile outside the city gates. he was so weak from the beatings and loss of blood that He could not go the distance. He had to be helped the rest of the way.
     When He finally reached Calvary, nails were driven through His wrists and feet, securing Him to the cross. Ropes were attached, and the cross bearing the Christ was pulled to an upright position. It is believed that the joints in His shoulders and hips were thrown out of socket from the jolt. But the worst was yet to come.
     All humanity past had waited for this very moment; all humanity to come would look back at this crucial event. These minutes were the focal point of all history. "All have sinned..." (Rom. 3:23). "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins" (Heb. 9:22). The "fulness of the time" had come. God, as His Son hung on a cross, gathered together the guilt of all sins, past, present, and future, and placed it on Christ. As God's wrath towards ungodliness was unleashed against His Son, "Jesus cried with a loud vioce, saying 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' which is, being interpreted, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'" (Mark 15:34) "...He said, 'It is finished:' and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." (John 19:30). By Christ's death, the wages of sin had been paid. A spotless Lamb had been sacrificed for our sake. Of His own volition, God became man and died for our redemption. That was the price for our freedom. As a result, how now shall we live?