FROM WHERE DO YOU GAIN CONFIDENCE?
JESUS OR THE WORLD?
May 16,
2010 am
MF Blume
Philippians
3:3-10 Complete Apostles'
Bible (3) For we are the true circumcision, worshipping by
the Spirit
of God, rejoicing in Christ Jesus, and having no confidence in the
flesh, (4) although I also am having confidence in the
flesh. If any
other person thinks to have confidence in the flesh, I even more:
(5)
circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of
Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; with respect to the law, a
Pharisee;
(6) with respect to zeal, persecuting the church; with respect to
righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (7) But such
things as
were gain to me, these I have considered loss for the sake of
Christ.
(8) More than that I also consider all things to be loss for the
excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have
sustained the loss of all things, and I consider them to be rubbish, in
order that I may gain Christ (9) and be found in Him, not
having my
own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the
faith of Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
(10)
so as to know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship
of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
Luke 16:13-20 KJV No servant can serve two masters: for either he
will
hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and
despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (14) And
the
Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they
derided him. (15) And he said unto them, Ye are they which
justify
yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is
highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
(16)
The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom
of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. (17)
And it is
easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to
fail. (18) Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth
another,
committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from
her husband committeth adultery. (19) There was a certain
rich man,
which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every
day: (20) And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus,
which was
laid at his gate, full of sores,
Mankind seeks above everything else
in life to feel a needed part of something SIGNIFICANT in this world.
- That can be good and it can be bad, severely bad.
- God created us with desire and ambition.
- But satan came along and challenged Eve with INSECURITY AND
INFERIORITY.
I recommend a book entitled SATAN'S
DIRTY LITTLE SECRET, by Steve Foss.
- He explained how satan used insecurity and inferiority to bring
down the human race in the Garden of Eden.
- He made Eve feel insecure when he asked her if God really did say
to not eat of the forbidden fruit.
Genesis 3:1
Complete Apostles' Bible
(1) (3:2) Now the serpent was the most crafty of all the brutes
on the
earth, which the Lord God made. And the serpent said to the woman, Has
God truly said, Eat not of every tree of the garden?
If you are not sure of whether or
not God is correct, then how secure can you be if you cannot trust
God's WORD?
- Then he attacked her with inferiority and said, "You will not
die, since God knows you will be like Him if you eat this fruit."
- He made her think she was less than what she could be.
Genesis 3:4-5 Complete Apostles'
Bible (4) (3:5) And the serpent said
to the woman, You shall not surely die! (5) (3:6) For God
knew that
in whatever day you should eat of it, your eyes would be opened, and
you would be as gods, knowing good and evil.
If there are two things that so
successfully attack the human race and
even Christians who are born again and serving the Lord, THEY ARE
INSECURITY AND INFERIORITY.
People desire to be needed in
something very significant in this world.
- God created us to be required for the most significant thing we
could ever be a part of -- THE KINGDOM OF GOD, HIMSELF!
- But the devil has perverted that purpose in our minds, and takes
advantage of our desire to be needed in such a significant thing by
tempting us to BE SIGNIFICANT IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD.
Jesus attacked the Pharisees source
of significance -- Law.
- Now, God's Law was not a bad thing.
- But Pharisees sought the esteem of MEN more than the esteem of
God.
- THEY USED LAW to get people to become IMPRESSED WITH THEM.
Matthew 6:5 KJV And when thou
prayest, thou shalt not be as the
hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in
the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say
unto you, They have their reward.
People can use things of GOD to
exalt themselves in the eyes of people and impress people.
- We feel better about ourselves when we IMPRESS PEOPLE and they
speak so much about us and are amazed.
- I recall doing good in my early years of school in grade 6, and
saw other kids talk about how smart they thought I was, and I started
to crave that attention.
- I made sure I did good in school in order to have the kids talk
about how smart I was.
- I also began drawing around grade 5 and learned how to draw real
life very well.
- In fact, I realized that people's faces were the hardest things
to draw, since faces are so familiar to people that you have to do it
quite well to impress a person.
- And I remember seeking to impress the classmates each year of
school and high school by bringing in a drawing I did.
- We all need to be complimented by people and others, but we need
to be very careful about this.
- When Jesus spoke of things that would take away the source of
esteem and identity that the Pharisees looked to, He stirred them up.
- It was not so much the Law that they were upset with Jesus about,
when He said Law had ended, but rather their esteem from men.
- Since they used LAW to impress people with themselves, by taking
away Law Jesus was disallowing them to continue to receive esteem from
people.
- The means whereby they made people impressed about them was being
removed.
- So they took it as though they were defending THEIR FAME and
THEIR ESTEEM.
- And they therefore took it personally and fought tooth and nail.
I know people in the ministry who
had worked and built up a half decent
sized church congregation over the years who expressed jealous anger
over the thoughts of a younger ministry coming in and taking the reigns
and, as it was in their minds, getting the ATTENTION AND IMPRESSING
PEOPLE with the attention they used to get and how people were
impressed by them.
- They felt they earned the right for respect and esteem from
people and someone else should not be able to get it instead.
- Such is actually abuse of the work of God.
- God does not want us in the work of God so that we can attach our
identity to how big our church is and impress people around us.
- He wants to save souls and HAVE HIS KINGDOM EXALTED IN THE EARTH.
- HE WANTS TO IMPRESS PEOPLE.
When Jesus spoke against the
Pharisees and their source of identity in this world, HE SPOKE OF
KINGDOM.
Luke 16:(14) And the
Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all
these things: and they derided him. (15) And he said unto
them, Ye
are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your
hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in
the sight of God. (16) The law and the prophets were until
John:
since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth
into it.
Jesus even spoke of the rich man
and Lazarus.
- One who had the esteem of the world due to all his riches in
which he connected his identity to, who represented the PHARISEES.
- And one who had the esteem of God, a beggar, who represented the
TRUE CHRISTIAN.
In the eyes of Israel in that day,
the Pharisees were the respected ones and had the esteem of the people.
- But God knew their hearts and what people esteemed was
abomination to Him.
A Christian who seeks not the
esteem of men but of God is looked down upon as a BEGGAR.
- They do not have what the world esteems.
- In the world's eyes they are like beggar's who have no value.
- Beggars beg for the things the world values.
- They lack the world's treasures.
- But when life is over and we find out where the esteem of men got
the Rich man, and where the esteem of God got the Beggar, the rich man
was tormented in hell as the beggar seemed to be tormented in the
world, and the beggar was in the comfort of Abraham's bosom as the Rich
man was in the comfort of a mansion.
Luke 16:19-23 KJV There was a
certain rich man, which was clothed in
purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
(20) And
there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate,
full of sores, (21) And desiring to be fed with the crumbs
which fell
from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his
sores. (22) And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and
was
carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and
was buried; (23) And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in
torments,
and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Luke 16:25 KJV But Abraham
said, Son, remember that thou in thy
lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things:
but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
Notice Abraham called this rich man
"SON."
John 8:33-39 KJV They
answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were
never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made
free?
(34) Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Whosoever
committeth sin is the servant of sin. (35) And the servant
abideth
not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. (36)
If the Son
therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
(37) I know
that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word
hath no place in you. (38) I speak that which I have seen
with my
Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
(39) They
answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto
them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
Jesus was definitely speaking of
the PHARISEES and CHRISTIANS when he spoke of the rich man and
Lazarus.
- The Pharisees were children of Abraham, so Abraham called the
rich man, "Son."
- And Jesus was showing that it was not whether they descended from
Abraham that counted, but rather having the esteem of God and not men.
But we continue to think like the
world and act so worldly by desiring
to drive the fancy cars around town and wear fancy clothing.
- Nothing is wrong with such things in themselves.
- Have them and enjoy them if you can get them.
- BUT DO NOT USE THEM TO IMPRESS PEOPLE AND TO CONNECT YOUR
IDENTITY TO SUCH THINGS.
- We think that whatever is impressive is what we can connect our
identity to so that when people think of what impresses them they think
of us.
- When we connect our identity to these things, the devil has
successfully made us inferior and insecure, and caused us to look to
the world for satisfaction, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE JOINT HEIRS TO THE SON
OF GOD WHO IS KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS AND SITS AT THE RIGHT
HAND THRONE ON HIGH!
- And we are being so fleshly that we find peace and rest in THE
THINGS THAT MAKE THE WORLD FEEL SECURE AND GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES.
- We are therefore worldly and caught up in the spirit of the World.
We feed the fleshly part of us when
we connect our identities to things of the world, and actually walk
after the flesh.
- If we are not fulfilled in Christ and all the riches in Him, then
we are carnal Christians.
- We are hindering the Kingdom in our lives and God cannot manifest
through us.
Psalms 10:3-4 Complete Apostles'
Bible (3) Because the sinner praises
himself for the desires of his heart; and the unjust one blesses
himself. (4) The sinner has provoked the Lord: according to
the
abundance of his pride he will not seek after Him; God is not before
him.
1 Peter 3:3-4 Complete Apostles'
Bible (3) Of whom let it not be the
outward adorning of braiding of hair, and wearing of gold, or of
putting on of fine clothes, (4) rather let it be the hidden
person of
the heart, with the incorruptible attitude of a gentle and quiet
spirit, which is very precious before God.
Paul taught us to have as though
having not.
1 Corinthians 7:30-31 KJV
(30) And they that weep, as though they
wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they
that buy, as though they possessed not; (31) And they that
use this
world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
You have to be EXTREMELY CAREFUL
WITH ANYTHING IN THE WORLD, like being
careful with medicine that can become ADDICTIVE AND CONTROL YOU if you
have too much of it.
- It is constantly used by satan to misdirect our attention for
identity.
- And when we get our focus off Jesus, we will exalt self as we
seek to find identity for our lives.
Galatians 6:15 Complete Apostles'
Bible (15) For in Christ Jesus
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but a new
creation.
2 Corinthians 5:16 Complete
Apostles' Bible (16) Therefore, from now
on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known
Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.
Colossians 3:10-11 Complete
Apostles' Bible (10) and have put on the
new man who is renewed in full knowledge according to the image of Him
who created it, (11) where there is not Greek nor Jew,
circumcised
nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is
all and in all.
Paul knew the issue of real value
and confidence.
- If the queen walked in, he would sooner talk to a little born
again child.
- A beggar born again in Christ is greater than anyone in the
world..
Satan will see someone used of God
and have folks attack them, to make them feel insecure and inferior.
- But if we seek identity in Christ, satan cannot affect us with
that.
- When WE DO NOT LOOK FOR IDENTITY IN PEOPLE, BUT CHRIST, nothing
can stop us.
- Satan gets us to look for security in the world so he can torture
us.
- It is his system.
- He knows who we are in Christ and tries to get us away from that
awareness so he can get to us.
When it really bothers us that we
come to a place in life and do no
have the things we expected to have by this time, and do not have the
position we expected to have, and do not have the ESTEEM FROM PEOPLE
that we sought to have, WE ARE HINDERING THE KINGDOM.
Matthew 16:21-25 KJV From
that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his
disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things
of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be
raised again the third day. (22) Then Peter took him, and
began to
rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto
thee. (23) But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee
behind me,
Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things
that be of God, but those that be of men. (24) Then said
Jesus unto
his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross, and follow me. (25) For whosoever will
save his
life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall
find it.
Savouring the things of men and not
the things of God is what hinders the KINGDOM.
- It is an offence to the KINGDOM.
- It stops the kingdom from moving.
Carefully check our lives and see
if we truly get depressed or insecure
and inferior because we DO NOT HAVE THIS OR DO NOT HAVE THAT or people
cannot see the things that impress them in our lives.
Paul had to speak to the
Corinthians about his sincerity in ministry at
one point in his life and made these comments, showing where a true
Christian heart should be.
2 Corinthians 6:8-10 KJV
(8) By honour and dishonour, by evil report
and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; (9) As
unknown, and yet
well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not
killed; (10) As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor,
yet making
many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.