Importance of God’s Presence in a Ministry

Posted on December 14, 2011 by MinTools

In a previous post we considered how sin keeps us from experiencing the presence of God.  The example of the Israelites making the golden calf serves as a good example.  God told Moses, “Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way” (Ex. 33:3).   God’s holiness requires judgment on sin.  God would fulfill His covenant in giving these people the promised land but, He told Moses, He would no longer go with them.  The people were distressed when they heard these words.

Later when Moses met with God, he said, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here” (Ex. 33:15).  Moses knew the importance of God’s presence. 

How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth? (Ex. 33:16)

Why God’s Presence is Important:

  1. God’s presence is an indication of God’s pleasure.
    When people sense God’s presence, they perceive that something good is happening in that church or ministry.  God will not bless that which displeases Him.  Because He is sovereign, God will work all things for the good (Rom. 8:28) but that is different from putting His stamp of approval on it.
  2. God’s presence is an identification mark of being God’s people.
    There are a lot of individuals and organizations doing good things in this world who are not Christian.  What makes us different from them? — God’s presence.  With God’s presence comes a power to make an eternal difference, not merely a temporal one.

 
People will be more prone to getting involved if they believe God is present in it because it will be going somewhere, making an eternal difference.

The next question, then, is “What are indications of God’s presence?”  We will look at that in the next post.  You can subscribe to receive e-mail notice of new posts


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Effects of Sin on Experiencing the Presence of God

Posted on December 12, 2011 by MinTools

Imagine the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve were able to freely walk with and in the presence of the Almighty God who had just created the heavens and earth  — until they sinned.  With innocence lost, they now realized they were naked … physically and spiritually.  They knew they were no longer acceptable to be in the presence of a holy God so they sewed some leaves together to cover themselves and hid from God.  (Gen. 3)

God’s Solution:  confronted their sin; condemned their sin; covered them with animal skin which required the shedding of blood

Imagine how despite man’s sinfulness, God still called a people to Himself (Gen. 12-50).  While in Egypt the people grew in number as He had promised which became a threat to the Egyptian king who made them slaves.  “God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob” (Ex. 2:24) and He delivered them out of Egypt guiding the way with a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night.  Despite many visual demonstrations that God was with them, they continued to rebel, blaming their leaders, blaming God Himself, and making their own god of gold.

God’s solution:  judgment of their sin; put them under the jurisdiction of the ten commandments and the sacrificial law in which animals would have to be sacrificed for the atonement of their sin  (Exodus, Leviticus); journeyed with them in the tabernacle which had to be made to His specification and in which was a Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies, where once a year the high priest would enter with “blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance” (Heb. 9:1-7)

Imagine that God still wanted to reign in their lives even though they desired to be like the people around them and have an earthly king.  He nonetheless sought to make His presence known among them, allowing them to build a permanent dwelling for Him among them, the Temple, in which He would dwell, which also contained the Most Holy Place into which a high priest could enter once a year as Moses had commanded.  Yet, the people would still follow after other nations and their gods.

God’s Solution:  exile for His people and 400 years of silence from God due to their sin and then the entrance of Jesus into this world to die once and for all for the sin that has separated people from the presence of a holy God. 

Today we are no longer under the law.  We do not need to offer animal sacrifices to make us right with God.  Because of Jesus, our high priest, the veil is torn in two, and we can now “approach the throne of grace with confidence” (Heb. 4:14-16).

Imagine God with us (Immanuel) in the person of Jesus, dying on a cross and rising again so our sin could be forgiven.  “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  Yet to all who would receive him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (Jn. 1:10-12).  This Jesus had to return to heaven, to no longer be with His disciples.

God’s solution:  the Holy Spirit to not only be with us but in us (Jn. 14:17)

Despite God’s repeated attempts to make a way for people, sin kept getting in the way of them enjoying and knowing the power of His presence in their lives.  Today, we have the Holy Spirit within us so we can experience the presence of God unlike those who have gone before us.  Will we “live by the Spirit” so we do not “gratify the desires of the sinful nature?” (Gal. 5:16)


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Dysfunctional Approach to Spiritual Gifts: Health

Posted on December 7, 2011 by MinTools

One of the definitions for “dysfunctional” in the Encarta World English Dictionary is “affected by disease or impairment.”  In this post we will look at the effect of a dysfunctional approach to spiritual gifts on the health of the Body.  Previous posts have considered its effect on interpersonal relationships and performance. 

Dysfunction Defined in Regard to the Health of the Body:

Think of the metaphor of the Body of Christ being like a human body.  When a human body is not functioning as it should, there will be issues that affect its well-being and growth.  So it is in the Church.

When a limb of the body isn’t used, atrophy sets in.  The limb gets weak and it become harder and harder to use.  Compare this to a disuse of our spiritual gifts.

When the there is some kind of blockage and messages do not get from the head to other parts of the body, we can do abnormal things.  Compare this to a lack of fellowship with the Lord, who is our Head, blocking the power flow and our reception of directions from Him.

When we are sick or have some sort of disease or infection, our human bodies don’t function up to par.  Compare this to sin in our lives and the effect that has on how we serve.

When we try to use a part of the body in ways for which it was not designed to be used, we must compensate in certain ways and often are not as effective.  Compare this to the misuse of our gifts, being in ministry for which we are not gifted.

Effects of Dysfunction Due to Poor Health:

Think of your own tendencies when you physically do not feel well.  These same effects can be experienced in the Body of Christ.

  • affects the morale … more likely to get frustrated, perhaps even despondent
  • affects the energy level … easier to do the minimal of what is needed just to get by
  • affects the perceptions and reactions  … tend to be quicker to misinterpret things, get irritated or defensive, ensuing in conflict
  • affects the quality … harder to put a wholehearted effort into what you are doing

Dysfunction Broken:

Truth

The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. (Ps. 145:18)  Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Ps. 139:23-24)

Be honest about your condition.  Remember Achan.  His sin affected the whole camp.  Remember Ananias and Sapphira.  They were judged not so much for what they did but for lying about it.  “Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. … But everything exposed by the light becomes visible.”  (Eph. 5:8-13)

Grace

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn. 1:9)  “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. ” (Eph. 1:7-8)

If we have done something to cause our spiritual unhealthiness, God’s grace is the answer.  He might not rid us of the consequences of our sin but He will forgive and bring healing to our souls.  If our condition was the result of someone else’s wrongdoing or something God allowed to happen to us out of our control, still, His grace is sufficient.  His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:7-10).

Power

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.  (Eph. 3:16-21)

Sometimes when we are sick it is hard to imagine ever being well again.  Don’t despair or give up hope.  God can strengthen you through His Spirit and do far more in and through you than you can ever imagine.  Why would He do that, particularly if the problems were your own fault?  Through it He is glorified as His power is made known.


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Dysfunctional Approach to Spiritual Gifts: Performance

Posted on December 5, 2011 by MinTools

One of the definitions for dysfunctional in the Encarta World English Dictionary is “not performing as expected.”  In addition to affecting interpersonal relationships and health, a dysfunctional approach to spiritual gifts affects our performance.

Dysfunction Defined in Regard to Performance:

That we were commanded to use our gifts in certain ways, lets us know it is possible to use our gifts with the wrong approach, attitudes, or motivations.

If we are commanded to faithfully use our gifts (1 Pet. 4:10), then it must be possible to use our gifts inconsistently or not to the level we could.

If those with the gift of giving are commanded to give generously (Rom. 12:8), then it must be possible for them to be stingy in using this gift.

If leaders are commanded to lead with diligence (Rom. 12:8), then it must be possible for leaders to get lazy.

If people with the gift of mercy are to show mercy cheerfully (Rom. 12:8), then it must be possible for them to do so begrudgingly or with hesitation.

God expects that in whatever we do, we give it our all, doing our best, for His glory (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17; 2 Tim. 2:15).  Anything short of using our gifts in this way is dysfunctional because we are “not performing as expected.”

To what should we be lining up in the use of our spiritual gifts?

  • the character of God which is always true and always good and therefore an absolute standard (1 Cor. 14:33, 40)
  • the purpose of spiritual gifts which is to serve others for the good of the whole, the building up of the Body (1 Cor. 12:7; Eph. 4:12; 1 Pet. 4:10)
  • the essence/nature of spiritual gifts which is the administration of God’s grace in its various forms (1 Pet. 4:10)

Effects of Dysfunction from Not Performing as Expected:

When we are not performing in accordance with God’s standards, we do not experience the fullness of the His life in and through us.  God must remain true to Himself.

We might sense a measure of success but how much more could have been accomplished if done for the right reasons and in the right ways?  God will sometimes use us despite ourselves so just because He is choosing to work through us doesn’t mean everything is right with us.

Dysfunction Broken:

Truth

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. (2 Cor. 11:3)

Usually when we do not fully line up with God, we are believing some kind of lies … like it doesn’t matter how well I do something as long as I love the Lord, like somehow it is dependent on me, like there should be something in it for me when I serve, etc.  When we go into serving with faulty premises, it is bound to affect our performance as our attitudes and motivations make a difference.  We must recognize those lies, taking the thoughts captive (2 Cor. 10:5) and tell ourselves the truth as found in God’s Word.

Grace

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Cor. 9:8)

Only by God’s grace will we be able to do anything.  We must constantly pull on His strength, as a branch gets its sustenance from the vine, so we can bear fruit, not just get by in serving.  We must always remember Jesus’ words, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5).  His grace will always be sufficient but we must grab hold of it.

Power

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23)

These Christ-like characteristics must govern even how we use our spiritual gifts.  Any time we do not serve according to His expectations, we are letting self get in the way.  The antidote? — “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” (Gal. 5:16)


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