Judges 17:6 says, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes”.
Continuing, Pastor Obie tells us that the third thing that led the Israelites to epic failure was a lack of leadership and vision. You have to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything. When you are a leader, you have to own everything that happens under your leadership. Accountability is the only way that things can improve. This is true in the business world, in churches, in the household, marriage and parenting. US President Harry S. Truman has a desk sign that read: The Buck Stops Here. Aaron of the Exodus passed the buck. He lacked leadership and couldn’t take a stand for God. Instead, he crumbled to the peer pressure of the people. He was a people-pleaser and appeased what was popular. Aaron tried to stay culturally relevant and compromised. It is astronomically better to please God and disappoint people, than to please people and disappoint God.
A leader is the one that cast the vision and provides guidance to the people in the way they shod go. Aaron, instead of informing the people, allowed the people to inform him without restraint. Obedience to God’s Commands, Laws, Statutes and teachings in His Holy Word provides a safe and secure boundary for life on this side of eternity. Because of our sin nature, Proverb 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” In our modern culture, the absence of restraint and “doing what was right in his own eyes” is called anarchy. Anarchy is defined as: “Want of government; a state of society, when there is no law or supreme power, or when the laws are not efficient, and individuals do what they please with impunity; causing political confusion.” But, the Bible and common sense tell us that this kind of moral, spiritual and social anarchy brings nothing but chaos and destruction. When men and woman follow their own perverted instincts and inherent sinful inclinations, it leads to ruin. We need to follow and obey God’s Word, Will and Way; not our own.
Without a clear godly vision, a well-defined direction, and proper holy guidance, the people of Israel reverted to their old Egyptian past and their old ways. The Egyptian god Apis was a bull and a symbol of strength. Because they did not stand for the things of God, they fell backwards to their old sins. As the old axiom says, when you bury the hatchet [of sin and ways of unbelief, making peace with God], do not leave the handle sticking out to come back to and pull out again. What do you stand for? Who is leading your life and informing you about paths of righteousness on God’s highway in this journey? All that you input into your mind; what you watch, listen to and read, shapes your vision and leads your actions. Who or what are you letting lead you?
Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.”
If you truly want to stand for God, then fill your mind with the things of God. Educate yourself with what the Bible says, submit to the authority of God and obey what He says. Let Jesus Christ, as your personal Savior and Lord, be your King and leader of your life in body, soul and spirit; not popular culture, not politicians, not peers or yourself, but Christ alone.
Exodus 32:26-28 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the
Lord's side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’” And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell.
How did Israel recover from their failure? They chose to be on the Lord’s side. During the darkest days of the American Civil War, US President Abraham Lincoln was purportedly asked if God was on his side. “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side,” said the President, “my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” God will always give you the choice of which side you will be on, no matter how bad your sin is or how far you fall. God will always leave a door open for you, should you so desire to come return to Him in repentance, belief and acceptance on His side. Will you be on the Lord’s side?
There are three things required for being on the Lord’s side. (1) Being on the Lord’s side requires a decision. God will not force our decision because our heavenly Father desires a love relationship with His children. Love is a choice and a decisive decision freely given, and love is not love if it is forced. You need to make that decision; not your parents, your grandparents or anyone else.
2) Being on the Lord’s side requires action. Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the Lord's side? Come to me.” Move from your current position, change your present status, transformation your existing state, and come closer to God. The call for a decision is followed by a responsive action. The Lord Jesus did not call people to make a one-time decision. He calls His people to become disciples (a student and follower) of Him. That call is a continuous life-long action. In John 8:31-32, Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Some believe that all they need to do is say a “Sinner’s Prayer” (like magic words) without action or follow-through, without a life-change or position-change or status and go back to their old sinful ways. God requires a decision that is followed by not behavior modification, but transformational action.
(3) Being on the Lord’s side requires separation. The nation of Israel turned it’s back on God and produced a golden calf to worship. Moses intercedes for the people, destroys the idol and gives the people a choice to repent and be on God’s side. Yet, there was still a group of 3000 of the 1,000,000+ Israelites who would not repent, disregarded God and chose to cling to their sin, so they were cut out the corruption. There had to be holy separation from sin. The word “holy” is defined as: Hallowed; consecrated or set apart to a sacred use, or to the service or worship of God; a holy priesthood. Properly, the word “holy” means whole, entire or perfect, in a moral sense. Hence, pure in heart, temper or dispositions; free from sin and sinful affections. man is more or less holy, as his heart is more or less sanctified, or purified from evil dispositions. We call a man holy, when his heart is conformed in some degree to the image of God, and his life is regulated by the divine precepts. Hence, holy is used as nearly synonymous with good, pious, godly. Applied to Almighty God, the Supreme Being, holy signifies perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character.
Psalm 99:5 “Exalt the Lord our God! Bow low before His feet, for He is holy!”
God is holy, cut off and separated from anything impure and evil. Habakkuk 1:13 says of God, “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness.” So, there must be a separation from sin in our lives to be set apart and on God’s side. Moses said to “put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp.” Today, the sword of the Christian is the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Ephesians 6:17 confirms, telling us to “take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”. So, what in your soul’s heart and thoughts needs to be cut out? What sinful thought-pattern or sinful habit needs to be separated out and made obedient to Christ? What is that idol or idols that need to be removed from your life? Decide, act and separate yourself from other gods in your life and choose to be on God’s side.
In Christ, Brian
No comments:
Post a Comment