This world is not our home. Do we believe that this is true? Do we live with this in mind? Do we pray as ones who belong to another? Do we approach each day remembering that this place is a place of mission, ambassadorship, that we are stationed here with and for a purpose?
It is why the work of the kingdom is to believe in the One who was sent.
John 17:13-21 “they are no more of this world than I am of this world”
I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17Sanctify them by d the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. 20“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me
Jeremiah 29 - how we are to live as aliens and strangers? (1Peter) what do we do? How can I be useful, effective, in the hands of my Father? (John 15; 2Tim 2; 2Pet 1)
4This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5“Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce. 6Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. 7Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper.” 8For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you, and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them. 9For they are falsely prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, declares the LORD.”b
Setting the stage - seeking God’s face. (Col 1; Heb 1&2)
10For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place. 11For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope. 12Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore you from captivityc and gather you from all the nations and places to which I have banished you, declares the LORD. I will restore you to the place from which I sent you into exile.”
So what do we do? How do we navigate this world effectively? In seeking God’s face...
We “work out your salvation with fear and trembling…” Phil 2:12-14
12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
The “fear and trembling” has to do with the battle that rages on between our flesh and its desires and the Spirit in me calling me to righteousness, holiness, goodness, and effectiveness
Paul asks who will you entertain? Who will you “indulge”? How will you follow, keep in step with, align yourself with? (Gal 5)
The “fear and trembling” has to do with our propensity to rely on our flesh, to believe that we can do this in our own strength, or even to desire what our flesh desires - in some regards, our temptation to “return to Egypt” (Ex 16:3; Nu 11:5; 14:2; 16:13; 20:3-4; 21:5; Ps 78:40; 106:25; Heb 3:9-10,16; Jude 1:5), the pleasures and ease of sin (at least) for a season. (Heb 11:24-28)
Those who put their trust in the flesh are cursed (Jer 17:5-6; Phil 3:4)
Those who put their trust in God (Jer 17:7-8; Ps 1:3)
Because the heart is deceitful above all things (Jer 17:9)
Our Father searches our heart (Jer 17:10; Rom 8:27; Ps 44:21; 139:23; Pr 17:3)
We remember that it is God who is working...
13for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Hebrews 13:21 20Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
We believe God for His promises and engage with His equipping…
How do we engage with this equipping: Believing this to be true, we meet with God in word and prayer - we work the process - he’s told you what to do
Ex 14:15 “and the Lord said to Moses. “Why are you crying out to me? ...move on.”
What can short-circuit this process? Our attitude. Our unwillingness to let go of our opinions and insist that God listen, that He must be wrong or mistaken, and eventually working from angry with to embittered toward - our circumstances, those around us, God Himself. Stubbornly holding onto what we want and don’t want.
So, what are we supposed to do when we don’t understand what’s happening?
14Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” c Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16as you hold firmly to the word of life.
We hold our tongue and go to the one in charge (remembering, that that is not us, or, “me”)
“Do everything without complaining or arguing…”
Let’s go back for a moment, we are to have “the same attitude of Jesus” (Isa 53:7; Acts 8:32-33; Phil 2; 1Pe 2:20-25)
When we catch ourselves complaining, grumbling, having, holding, and giving God our opinion - with an expectation of being proven right by Him and justified, we can discern who it is we are entertaining and indulging, and depending on the fruit born, the answer is right in front of us (Gal 5)
With this, we must understand there is a place to register complaints and give opinions: to HIM, and if necessary a trusted and wise friend who will, yes, listen and commemorate, but also has the wisdom and moxie to tell us the truth, that enough is enough, to change our thinking and attitude, to move forward through that thing we are complaining about, and joyfully submit (to the shepherd of your soul) Who does work these things out, and otherwise, muzzle your mouth.
We go to God in word and prayer… I know we know this, and is painfully obvious, but… are we doing this?
Psalm 39
There is a time to share your deepest concerns and questions with God and a way to go about it:
1Timothy 2:1-6
1I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.
When we pray - we admit to our feelings and work them out with God - we pray the way He said - seeking His will, and even more importantly, His face.
Breaking them out…
Petition - the most visceral, guttural, natural of prayers - heartfelt need, specific felt need, arising out of a deep personal need due to lack, or want. This is where we bring the most raw and unfiltered feelings to God.- whether that be fear and anxiety, confusion and doubt, anger and disagreement, sadness and grief - even arguing, the giving of opinion, and even pouting… (Jonah 4; Ps 37:7; Isa 43:26; Jer 12:1; Hab 1:!3; John 21:21)
Prayer - an exchange of wishes - going from ration to reason - working with God to see His will, the working out and converting of our will to His, our thoughts to His, our desires to Him, our reasoning, purposes to His - we do this as we exchange wishes with one another - it is here that God prepares to see and pray His will.
Isa 1:18
This process is essential if we are to come to know God’s will, to trust God’s will, to want God’s will - especially in times that so overwhelming and seemingly without end,
Intercession is being able to agape love another person - that is - love them, for pray for them, solely for their sake, their good, their success - whatever that means in God’s economy - love them and pray according to God’s will for them, or pray for the circumstance in which we or they find ourselves.
And that’s just it, this is about praying for another person or a circumstance according to God’s:
Will and purposes
Economy and plans
Which means that one must come to an agreement with God, at least an understanding of His character, that we trust that what He is doing IS good and right and just and fair
This comes through the transformation of the mind - no longer
Conforming to the patterns of this world (Romans 12)
Looking at anyone or anything from a worldly point of view (1Cor 10)
Indulging the flesh’s desire (Galatians 5)
This transformation begins when we see God for who He is - in reverent fear and awe
This transformation of the mind allows one to test and approve God’s will - what is… (Romans 12)
Right and just and fair (Prov 1; 2)
Every good path (Prov 2) to recognize it as the path of righteousness on which God leads us (Ps 23)
This transformation of the mind occurs when we
Expose our thinking, attitude, and perspective to God’s truth, submitting it to obedience to Christ (Romans 12; Eph; 2Cor 10)
Work through the process of prayer - casting our cares on God - because He does care for us, He IS for us (1Peter 5; Romans 8)
Petitioning: Emoting with God - exhausting the heart and feelings of the heart (Heb Jesus’ prayers)
This may take some doing and several or many approaches (Heb Jesus
Praying to God: reasoning with God, going back and forth in an exchange of wishes with a heart to (Isa 1; Prov 2; 8)
Gain insight and discernment
Understanding and discretion
Wisdom with prudence
The way to go - the good and righteous path
Allowing myself to be led on that path by God’s
Truth
Spirit of Truth
Thanksgiving… this transformation of the mind enables, compels us to be grateful, as are we able to be thankful, even joyful - in all circumstances - is this true of me?
Only if we are seeing God and our circumstances - with God in them; with God and us in them; with God and us in them together, rightly… or better stated, righteously.
Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
We remember that this takes work!
All of this is a matter of perspective - understanding why we are here on this earth that is NOT our home.
There is a reason we are here: to be ambassadors here. What is an ambassador? What is their role? What responsibility do they have with/toward the citizens of the host country?
Phil 2 - blameless and pure - 1Corinthians 10:10
Not complaining
Not arguing and giving God your opinion
Seeing rightly your circumstances in the hand of God as reveals…
When we bow to this truth and submit ourselves to the shepherd of our souls, we will begin to see our world the same way God sees it and intends for it and find peace - when this happens…
We now shine like stars - unencumbered by our attitude
We become more morally pure, deserving no censure, free from fault - or blame - above reproach
We more and more often stand in contrast to the world
What does this shining mean, what does it do?
To become evident, to be brought forth, come view, appear - resplendent
Attractive, impressive, through being richly colorful or sumptuous - striking or stunning
How we see and respond
No longer looking at things from a worldly, “me, my” point of view
2Cor 5:16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
But now seeing God’s hand “clearly”
Trusting His movements, His ability, His good intentions
Causes us to stand in utter contrast to the world around us
A lamp lit and put on a stand
Stars - brilliant
Able to see Jesus - in our character, as the source of our hope
We begin to see that It is not God who makes evil, it is not him who DOES these things necessarily, but He does permit it, He gives limitations (Job
Not relative to comfort and convenience - keeping or getting back what has been lost
Relative your faith and its
Ability to bear under it
Will increase because of it
This is the lesson of Job. God does not do or bring evil, but…
But, He does, promises to, redeem these things, to use these things
As we seek Him and wait on His redeeming - our mind is transformed and instead of fighting we begin working with Him
To join God in this transforming, and as our mind is transformed, we will desire more transformation - this is where - our spiritual weapons - God’s words of truth - are most useful and necessary (2Cor 10)
And we will see God’s hand moving
