PONDERING... Created For God (Romans 11:36)

Created For God

Charles H. Spurgeon said the following concerning this verse: “Our great God alone can expound this verse for He only knows Himself and He only can worthily set forth His own perfections. Yet I am comforted by this reflection that maybe, in answer to our prayers, God Himself may preach from this text this morning in our hearts. If not through the words of the speaker, yet by that still small voice to which the Believer’s ear is so well accustomed. If thus He shall condescend to favor us, our hearts shall be lifted up in His ways.” I pray the same.

GIST: The Church believes and has been changed by these truths about Jesus: everything is from, through, and to Him.

SCRIPTURE: Romans 11:36 (But, let’s read back to verse 33 just for a little immediate context.)

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,

   or who has been his counselor?”

35 “Or who has given a gift to him

   that he might be repaid?”

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

This weekend at Vacation Bible School, we’ve been focusing on how we are “made by God and built for a purpose”. As I prayed about what to talk about this morning, this verse popped into my mind. Not only is it an awesome picture of who God is--which happens to fit perfectly into the theme of our Maker Fun Factor VBS--but it also connects to the conversations we’ve been having on Sundays about what the Church is supposed to be like. The Church believes and has been changed by these truths about Jesus: everything is from, through, and to Him.

This verse is packed. I don’t feel like I can even begin to scratch the surface of all that is expressed in this one line of Scripture, but pray even this brief discussion will spur us to love Jesus more fully.

1. BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THESE TRUTHS

In The Context Of Salvation. Leading into this doxology, Paul has been talking about salvation. Specifically, he has been discussing how all people, Jews and Gentiles alike, can be saved only through Jesus. He emphasizes this with this marvelous statement about the depth of His riches and wisdom and knowledge (which I wish we had time to break down a bit, but do not), pointing out His majesty and our need (we don’t have these qualities). That’s the context of this passage, and it’s the context of our lives. I’ve said this a million times, and hope to say it millions more; we are all sinners deserving of Hell and in need of a Savior. Jesus chose to come and die for us to provide that salvation. “9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).  If you’ve been a Christian for 50 years or are only hearing this for the first time, this is the most important truth I can tell you, and it’s echoed in these three prepositional phrases.

From Him Are All Things. He is the source of… everything. Genesis 1:1 starts with these four words: “In the beginning, God…” Then, we’re given the account of all creation. Before this world was made, there was only God. Without Him, there is nothing. Oh, how contentious this claim can sound in our world today! Yet, this truth is central to who God is, and understanding it is central to understanding our place as His creations.

Through Him Are All Things. Now, this phrase might just seem like a subtle restatement of the previous, but this is a key point. Everything is from God; He is the source. Everything is through God; He is the cause. This is both deliberate and continual. If we stopped with from, it would be easy to distance ourselves from God. He is not simply the starting point or substance everything sprang from; He made it happen...on purpose. I am not a super chef, but my wife is, and I attempt to assist her in the kitchen. Now, if she’s making a cake, she’ll put her wet and dry ingredients in a bowl and mix them, then bake them...etc. When the cake is finished, you could say that it came from those ingredients. But the ingredients themselves had no intentions of making a cake; Melissa did. They were the substance. She was the cause.

Jesus is not only the substance of all we see, but Himself the cause. He made this world on purpose; He made you on purpose; and He chose to die for you to save you from your sin...on purpose. This is love. This is grace. This is why we’re here. God, without whom there is no life, deliberately made you. And though you are a sinner--and we are; we cannot even live up to our own standards, let alone God’s--He died to save you. “8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Furthermore, Jesus is not only the original source and cause, but the continual. Spurgeon puts it like this “all things are through Him. Let but God withdraw the emanations of His Divine power and everything would melt away as the foam upon the sea melts into the wave which bore it! Nothing could stand an instant if the Divine foundation were removed.” Creation cannot continue without God’s hand. This is true of us spiritually, as well. Jonathan Edwards famously explained this in his often misrepresented sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”: “"You probably are not sensible of this; you find you are kept out of hell, but don’t see the hand of God in it, but look at other things, as the good state of your bodily constitution, your care of your own life, and the means you use for your own preservation. But indeed these things are nothing; if God should withdraw his hand, they would avail no more to keep you from falling than the thin air to hold up a person that is suspended in it." It is by the grace of Jesus alone that we are not all in Hell at this very moment.

To Him Are All Things. There is so much energy spent in this world trying to determine our purpose. Why are we here? What should we be doing? How can our lives have meaning. And until we embrace this truth, all of our energy will be spent in vain. Jesus is the meaning of life. King Solomon was one of the wealthiest and most prosperous kings in antiquity. He had everything life could offer. Yet, when he wrote his reflections on life in Ecclesiastes, he clearly proclaimed: everything this world has to offer is meaningless. Then, he closed with these thoughts: “13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Everything is from Him, everything is through Him… where else are you going to find meaning? We are made for Him. Period. If we’re looking for meaning in anything else, it simply will not be found. I’ve put it this way before: nothing in this world can carry the weight of your worth and purpose. Define yourself by position, or family, or friends, or wealth, or abilities… and you will be let down. These are all transient and unfaithful. The God who died to save your soul is not.

2. WE’LL BE CHANGED IN THIS WAY

These truths are fundamental, and as a Church, we should embrace them. When we do, our lives will be changed. And we see that change reflected in this closing statement: “To him be glory forever. Amen.”

We Will Give Him Glory. I know glory is a word that can have negative connotations. A lot of times, when we think of someone getting glory, we associate it with being praised for something done well. If someone wants glory, we view that as arrogance. Therefore, it’s really hard for us to hear statements like “we’re meant to give God glory” and not assume pride is somehow at play. Here’s the deal. In a human context, glory is almost always circumstantial. Think about classic knight tales--quests in search of glory. The knight wants his fame to be known across the land, so he rescues a princess, wins a tournament, or slays a dragon in pursuit of this cause. And that is exactly how man's glory works. There is some deed, or title, or reputation for which we receive honor or praise. Some of these acts are truly worthy ones (an upright reputation or a deed of valor). Others are not (family names, financial standing, popularity). Either way, this standard is fickle.

In God, however, there is a difference. Men receive glory when the they do something deemed worthy of praise. God by nature is always worthy of ultimate praise. God's glory, therefore, is a full revealing of His character. (See notes on John 13). So when we say we’re living to give Him glory, we aren’t making Him something He’s not, or ignoring His faults and praising the good He sometimes does; we are living to make Him known. In fact, this is where Paul goes next in the letter. “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). Everything about our lives should point people to the God who is the entire point of our lives and theirs.

Forever. And we will do this every day of our lives here and for all eternity. I think sometimes we hear statements like this and, if we’re a Christian, try to fight the urge to consider them boring, and if we’re not...well we just call them boring straight up. But, if God really is who His Word tells us He is, then we will never get tired of living like this. “22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Amen. We say this word a lot. It means “it is true”, or “let it be so”. And so should this be of our lives if we are truly saved. We cannot say we are believers and not embrace these truths and live for Jesus anymore than Chris Myers can claim to be vegan and continue to live on his all-meat diet. There will be a change. “17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

TAKEAWAYS

1. You were made by God...on purpose. This was the whole point of night one of VBS: You were created for a relationship with God. There are so many hurting in this world. They need to know this truth. We need to know this truth.

2. You were made for God...that’s your purpose. One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes is from Mere Christianity where he says, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I  was made for  another world.” You will find your worth in no one and nothing else. For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things.

3. Do you know these truths? You need Him. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

4. Have they changed your life? Having information in your head that does not penetrate your heart, will not save you.  Have you let God make the difference?

RESOURCES:

1. I am indebted to this sermon by Dr. Steve Lawson for expanding my understanding of these verses. If my outline in any way resembles his, it is because his was better. I want to give credit where credit is due here: Check out the message by clicking this link!
2. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermons: 1, 2, 3
3. Spurgeon on Romans 11:36 I did not stumble upon this message until Saturday, but benefited from its reading.

PONDERING... John 10:11-16

Disclaimer: This is an outline of our Youth Group lesson not the entire content.

The Good Shepherd...

1. Is more than just the nursery wall paper

Dick Lucas was quick to point this out in his teaching series on the Good Shepherd. Shepherds lead. Not only do we have the imagery of care and compassion, but to the Jews this was rich with kingly images...power, strength, provision.

2. Loves His sheep to death (vs 11-13)

This is the central point. It's the kind I'd typically close with, but this is where Jesus starts (and finishes...and clarifies all throughout). I'm following His lead. He is talking about His death. He, unlike the false leaders (Pharisees) truly cares for His sheep. Oh, the wonder of knowing 1-we are loved so completely and undeservedly, and 2- we are His.

3. Knows His sheep intimately (vs 14-15)

The Father and the Son are one. They know each other with an intimacy outside human experience. This is God's desire for us. We are known and are to know Jesus on this level. This side of Heaven, this will not be fully realized. Nonetheless, obviously it is understood that the sheep will have intimate relations with Christ on earth because it this knowledge (relationship) that keeps them from following wolves.

4. Calls His sheep effectively (and they follow Him) (vs 16)

Jesus calls. His sheep follow. Praise The Lord! This is the reason we are saved. We are sheep that were not of the Jewish flock. This is why we evangelize. He has sheep; we go to them and tell them the good news; He saves them.

Also note the implication here of the sheep following Him. This is not just the sheep coming into the sheep gate. This is the sheep living behind the Good Shepherd. We go where He goes. We do what He does. He is our life.

PONDERING... Freedom (Shocking... I know)

Disclaimer: The writer reserves the right not to be even remotely original...ever. Oh, and there is a terrifying story in this post.

As we celebrate the 4th of July, Independence Day, Freedom, Justice, and the American Way... I am reminded of the following truth from Scripture.

John 8:31-36  So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,  32  and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."  33  They answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?"  34  Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.  35  The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.  36  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

As we celebrate freedom, let's not forget the ultimate freedom given to us by Christ, and that any not freed by Him are still slaves to sin. It is easy to forget, as Jonathan Edwards put it so well, "How dreadful is the state of those that are daily and hourly in danger of this great wrath and infinite misery!" We so often overlook the gravity of our situation. Some even like to deny that we are slaves. However, like Paul, we cannot escape this captivity.

Romans 7:15-24 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.  16  Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.  17  So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.  18  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.  19  For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.  20  Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.  21  So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.  22  For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,  23  but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.  24  Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

As I thought about this today, it reminded me of something that happened to me yesterday. I was doing some yard work and went to set up a bird bath that had been tipped over. While doing so, I bumped into one of the many bird feeders that the previous owners of our house have posted throughout our yard. To my great delight, the post was lose. So, I shook it a bit, and then, abandoning the bird bath altogether, began to pull it out of the ground. It came out fairly easily, so I balanced the feeder portion on my hip and walked across our yard to dispose of it. As I was walking, Melissa sent me a text. Promptly, I set the feeder down to check my phone. When I did this, I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. In the bird feeder that I had been shaking, and pulling, and balancing on my hip was a swarming yellow-jacket nest!

I was blissfully ignorant of the danger. In fact, I was enjoying a good audio sermon at the time. I was unaware, but I was not free.

We, by nature, are slaves to our own sins.

James 1:14-15 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

But Jesus, by His sacrifice, has paid the price to set us free from a captor we could never escape. That's freedom!

Ponder, pray, and propagate your perceptions.

Happy 4th!

Upchurch

ENJOY SOME CLASSIC NEWSBOYS: I AM FREE

Reference:

Edwards, Jonathan. "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." N.p., n.d. Web. 4 July 2014.

PONDERING... The Meaning of Life and the Bible

Disclaimer: These blogs are not intended to be taken as complete dissertations upon the given subjects. They are designed to be brief and digestible (metaphorically speaking...please do not lick your computer screen). The writer is, however, willing to engage in further conversation upon request. 

What is the meaning of life? Deep, complex, universal. Regardless of circumstances, everyone considers this question at some point or another. Consequently, there have been a vast array of proposed answers. Things like:

1. To obtain as much knowledge as possible
2. To demonstrate virtue
3. To become one with nature and/or society
4. To suffer for the greater good
5. To live life to the fullest (though the definition of fullest is in constant debate)
6. To overcome emotion
7. To embrace emotion
8. To gain wealth, glory, or recognition
9. To make the world a better place
10. To have children
11. To serve your fellow man
12. To experience the greatest happiness
13. Nothing
14. 42

The Bible, however, offers a far different view. Why does that matter? Well...if life has meaning, then it has to be absolute. Any relative, personal meanings we attribute to life are subject to our desires. Our desires are varied and fickle. Therefore, those meanings are ever changing fabrications to meet a wide variety of ever changing needs. Since those desires have no standardizing source, what gives them value? Nothing. This train of thought leads to the conclusion that life is whatever we make it to be...which is a nice way of saying life has no real (objective) meaning. 

However, few of us would be willing to swallow that there is no real purpose to this existence. If there is purpose, then, from where does it come? If there is an absolute purpose to life, the source of this design, by necessity, must also be absolute. To give conscious meaning, this something must also be capable of absolute intelligent thought. We could continue, but ultimately, absolute meaning points to an absolute being. By definition, that being is God. Through further reasoning, we can arrive at the fact that this God, one and only, has revealed Himself through the Bible, His Word. Therefore, it is vital to consider what He, the giver of life, has to say about our purpose here on earth.

I just want to look at a few verses and a couple points of application.

Point 1: The Meaning of Life Is...Not You

Ecclesiastes is a book written by King Solomon at the end of his life. In it, he explores the meaning life has apart from God. He had experienced great wealth, love, wisdom, and personal success. He had also lived according to his desires. He concluded that all things in life were vanities. None of these were worthy of his full devotion. Riches fade; love disappoints, wisdom is fleeting and often ignored; and accomplishments come and go. Therefore, he ended his exposition with the following statement: 13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. - Ecclesiastes 12:13 ESV

Similarly, God inspired the Psalmist to write:...Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. - Psalms 127:1-2 ESV

God's design for man, the purpose of our existence, is to love and serve Him. This life is "through Him and for Him" (Colossians 3:16). Our selfish hearts, as I've mentioned before, don't like this. We want this world to be about us. We want some kind of control, some semblance of autonomy. Before you stop reading this post, think about what drives you. What is your purpose? In what or who have you place all your hope? Can it/they hold this weight? How solid is your foundation? If it is built upon anything subject to change or temperament, it will not stand.

"24 "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."" - Matthew 7:24-27 ESV

The difference between these two houses wasn't the circumstances they endured. Both went through storms. The difference was in their design--what they were built upon.

 "17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." - James 1:17-18 ESV

Solid. Unchanging. Good. This is who our lives are to be built upon.

Point 2: Therefore, Recognize That You Are Not Living in Light of the Meaning of Life

"23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" - Psalms 139:23-24 ESV

We have to recognize that we all fall short here. None of us live like Jesus is our purpose 100% of the time. If we think we have somehow "arrived" at the pinnacle of Christianity--a place beyond the need of further growth, we are wrong. We will never love God enough, or know Him to the fullest extent. Paul--who told the Philippians that he, too, had not attained perfection (Philippians 3:8-12)-- exclaimed in his letter to the Romans,"33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" 35 "Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?" 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." - Romans 11:33-36 ESV 

Because we fall short and will forever be in great need of Him, we need to ask God for conviction. Though we don't like this word, unless we are redirected, we'll always be going astray. This is not punishment. It's grace.

Point 3: And Seek God
19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ... 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. - Matthew 6:19-21, 31-33 ESV

I love the passages above and ponder them all the time. Anything that we devote ourselves to apart from God opens our hearts up to destruction. Teaching at a high school and working with teens, I see this illustrated all the time. At the end of each school year, I have my students write a world-view essay. They are tasked with breaking down their core-values. Frequently, friends and family top their lists. Unfortunately, I watch heart-break after heart-break when a friendship crumbles over something trivial, or a family is destroyed by divorce, death, or disappointment. When these things are their world, they truly feel like their lives no longer have meaning. Adults do the exact same thing. Misplaced devotion leads to destruction. Seeking God, loving and living His Word, leads to life.

Ponder, pray, and propagate your perceptions.

Upchurch