foundation series 23

I know that it probably seems like I get up here to just beat you up but I want you to know that is not my intent. I preach hard things with the hope that they will some how break into your inner being and start to grow. I am becoming more and more aware of what Paul in first Corinthians 1 calls: the foolishness of preaching. Unless the Holy Spirit takes my words and implants them in your hearts then there is nothing I can do. I can’t make you see the culture the way I see the culture. I can’t make you see the idols that abound in our lives. Don’t think for a moment because you don’t have any statues sitting around your house that there are no idols. Our world is filled with false Gods and they speak to us on every radio station and TV station both secular and Christian and we bow down to them and look to them to save us without even flinching or batting an eye.
I say all of that because in the book of Nehemiah chapter two we read something similar: And it came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2So the king said to me, "Why is your face sad though you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart." Then I was very much afraid. 3I said to the king, "Let the king live forever Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?"

You see that is where my heart is at. You may not see it but I see the church, as a whole, lying desolate and its gates consumed by fire. I see it everywhere I look. I hear all the words about salvation and the greatness of God and then I see the culture that we live in and I understand that our words are hollow and empty because we have given up the powerful God of Scripture for the impotent forms of religion. I see the brokenness of our lives and our families and how we put on a good face and learn to try and speak positive things but under the surface we wonder why God doesn’t do anything. Maybe you’re not like that I don’t know. I’m just telling you my own experience.
Just like Nehemiah I ask my own King why should I not be sad about the way my family is, the way my community is, and the way my church is? What’s not to be sad about?
I believe with all the strength that I can muster that God has put before us this opportunity to fast and pray next weekend so that we may find that which our hearts desire. And I will be honest here; if deep down all you desire is more of yourself I believe you will find it next weekend. I believe next weekend will be turning point for each of us. It will be the time when we can look back and say that is when God began to soften my heart or it will be a time that we will remember that God solidified the hardening of our arteries.
We are being called to humble ourselves before the living God. Now I don’t want you to think that this will be a walk in the park. You can expect tempers to flair, you can expect fights, you can expect to be on your worst behavior because that is the way the enemy tries to destroy the things that God does. If he can make you think that fasting isn’t doing anything but getting you into more trouble then he can turn you in a different direction. If he can get you to believe that your prayers aren’t being heard because you aren’t worthy to be heard then he’s already won the battle.
Humble yourself next week and expect trouble. Pray and expect trouble. Set your mind now to persevere for twenty four hours; Crying out to God, humbling your self before God so that you can make a request to our King and receive a favorable response.
I want you to understand the context of this passage. The church is a mess. Nehemiah is still in captivity because of the wickedness of the church 90 years before. But in the midst of that captivity God is still giving grace. Nehemiah, by the grace of God, has been place in a position of serving the king. He obviously has a relationship with the king, so much so that the first time that Nehemiah looks sad in the king’s presence the King asks what he can do. As soon as he hears those words Nehemiah prays to God. Obviously it is a quick and quiet prayer, and then he blurts out: If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it." 6Then the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, "How long will your journey be, and when will you return?" So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time. 7And I said to the king, "If it please the king, let letters be given me for the governors of the provinces beyond the River, that they may allow me to pass through until I come to Judah, 8and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress which is by the temple, for the wall of the city and for the house to which I will go " And the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me.
I want you to understand something; if we are humble before God and his presence is with us then we do not have to be on the defensive we can be on the offense. We can press forward with great hope regardless of who is in charge in the land, regardless of whether or not we are sent into captivity. The outcome of our nation is not important. What is important is our humbleness before God. The greatest nations in the world will come tumbling down if they are not humble before God.
Another thing that I want you to get in your heads is that we do not have a pagan king on the throne: Jesus Christ sits on the throne and as much as we can’t see it right now he is ruling and reigning until his enemies are all placed under his feet. But he will not use sin to advance his kingdom. That is why we are being called to humble ourselves before God next week because until that happens, until we see our true condition and fall on our faces before God – God will not give us favor with the King.
God is not in a hurry to advance his kingdom. He builds his kingdom slowly and surely. He builds a solid foundation and on top of that strong foundation he builds a kingdom that will last for all eternity. He is not going to skimp on building materials. He is not going to use faulty supplies. Even if he has to wait two or three generations for good supplies to come in it doesn’t matter to his overall plan. And so if a generation arises that doesn’t know the Lord, God will wait. If the church refuses to humble itself before its maker then God will wait. He is not opposed to killing off a generation before he starts a new phase of construction on the kingdom.
But when the generation arises that is humble before God then he will move at what seems like great speed. Here in less than 10 minutes God opened doors that provided an opportunity for years of jobs, materials; all at no expense to Nehemiah. The door is opened and all he has to do is walk through it. And he does.
I want you to see next weekend as an opportunity to knock on the door and beg it to be opened. Or if you prefer you can see it as the king, Jesus Christ is knocking on our door seeking to come in. Will we open the door with humbleness and let the king come in and eat with us and abide with us and provide for us all that we need to restore our lives and families and the church or will we stay hard hearted and refuse to let him in?
I want to spend the rest of the time today reminding you that our King as been given all authority in heaven and earth. It is something that we obviously do not understand as a church because we are weak and pitiful in the midst of a pagan culture.
It’s interesting to me that two different words are translated authority one should be translated power and the other to rule over and exercise dominion. The word power is used for the authority of Pharaoh. But even more importantly it is used in Genesis chapter 3 verse 22 of Adam and Eve right after the fall: Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever." The phrase stretch out his hand uses the power word for authority: that he might use his rebellions power, his self appointed authority. That is the essence of the fallen world that we live in. Men and women boys and girls born with a desire to be their own authorities; Nobody tells me what to do.
The other type of authority we see in scripture is that of advancing dominion of the one true king; it flows out of being under rightful authority, being under God and his law. That is the type of authority that our King has.
Hebrews chapter 12 reminds us: that since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; 6FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." 7It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. 12Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, 13and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. 14Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; 16that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. 18For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, 19and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. 20For they could not bear the command, "IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED." 21And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, "I AM FULL OF FEAR and trembling." 22But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, 23to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. 25See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. 26And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN." 27This expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; 29for our God is a consuming fire.
This is where we are at, today. God is shaking his kingdom. The ones that remain will remain for ever the ones that can be shaken out will be consumed by the living god who is a consuming fire.
Jesus Christ has been given all rule to exercise dominion over the whole earth. He will not fail in his task because he has been obedient to the father in everything, even in laying his life down. It is obedience that leads to godly rule and dominion.
And therefore, the church today is in bondage, a slave to the lender.
It doesn’t have to be this way. There is still time to humble ourselves before God. There is time to turn this thing around, it will be turned around, the only question is will God use us to do it or will he consume us and move on to another generation?
You see when Jesus came on the scene the people who heard him were amazed because was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. What that tells me is that if you are walking in obedience your authority will be noticed by ever day people. The church is ridiculed today, it preachers laughed at because it is without authority. In essences, our preachers are no different than the scribes and Pharisees. They only have empty words – Good words yes but words that are empty of any authority.
People instinctively know when authority is present. In Matthew 8 we read this: when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, 6and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented." 7Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." 8But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9"For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." 10Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. 11"I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; 12but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 13And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed that very moment.
I don’t know if you caught it or not but Jesus said basically this: there are going to be people in the kingdom from all over the place but there will be a lot of people who spent their lives in church that will be cast into hell. That’s a big deal.
In chapter 9 of Matthew we read this: they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, "Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven." 3And some of the scribes said to themselves, "This fellow blasphemes." 4And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, "Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? 5"Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, and walk'? 6"But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"--then He said to the paralytic, "Get up, pick up your bed and go home." 7And he got up and went home. 8But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
The great temptation in all of this is to grab authority on you own strength. That is what adam and eve did in the garden. Instead of serving the father and exercising dominion under God they attempted to speed of the process and take authority for themselves. They wanted to be served and not serve.
We see that in the disciples in Matthew 20: 20Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. 21And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left." 22But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to Him, "We are able." 23He said to them, "My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father."
24And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. 25But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26"It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
That is where the authority of the Kingdom of God comes from. You see Jesus Christ has been given all authority in heaven and on earth but he is still serving his father. He is doing his father’s will not his own.
In first Corinthians 15 Paul tells us that in Christ all will be made alive But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, 24then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. 28When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.
You see Jesus is ruling and reigning fighting against all the enemies of God and when he finally completes his work some day then he will hand the kingdom over to its rightful owner – God the Father. Even Jesus will bow in submission to God the father. That is where authority comes from. That is what obedience is all about.
We can keep going the way we are doing our own thing, playing church and believing in the form of godliness or we can stop fooling around, humble ourselves before God and show that humbleness by laying down the sin which so easily besets us and begging God to let us walk in the authority of obedience.
Unless we are ready to lay down every thing that god calls sin then we are not ready and not able to advance the rule and dominion of the kingdom of God. As long as we are of the world in the way we live our lives we will never be in the kingdom of God.
May God give us the grace of humbleness in the coming week. Let’s pray.
Oh Father, please don’t let next weekend be a game we play. Cause us to be humbled before you. Break us Lord. Save us from ourselves. Pull us into obedience and submission to you and your will. In Jesus power and authority that flows from his obedience I ask these things. So Be It.

Here the word of our Lord from Matthew 28:
“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”