Mothers Day 2017

5/14/17                   NOTES NOT EDITED
More Precious than Rubies
Proverbs 31:10-31

SIS--A Godly woman (mother or otherwise) is to be honored, cherished and followed as an example of wisdom and strength.

If you would have asked me a few years ago what my favorite holiday was I would have quickly answered, Christmas.  No one but the "Scroogiest" among us could argue that this is indeed a wonderful holiday.

But, times change, and time changes things. Now, my favorite holiday of the year is without question, Mother's Day.  On this day, I celebrate life.  I celebrate the life that my mother gave me 61 years ago, last Tuesday.  I don't celebrate every event in my life, but I celebrate life itself -- the greatest gift any human could give someone else -- and only a mother (touched by God) can give this gift.

So, with all the pomp and ceremony I can muster in a sermon I want to celebrate "mothers."  Now, if you are a lady who has never given birth to a child of your own -- don't count yourself out.  Some of the most godly and motherly women in the world have never given birth to a child of their own.  These special women, simply mothered any child they could find that needed love.  So, if you are such a lady -- we celebrate you today as a stand-in mother to those special nieces, nephews, and assorted other tripping hazards we call children.

So, regardless of the circumstances that might surround this day for each of us, it is a day to celebrate the most important station any person can have in this life -- motherhood.  There is nothing that can compare to a Godly mother.  The text we will read together in a moment begins like this:

¹⁰A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.

That Hebrew word translated, "rubies," is a very challenging word to translate.  It can also mean, "coral," (as in from the sea).  It can mean simply any precious gem, but it is often associated with something red in color -- as with a rich, red ruby.

Whatever particular view you take, a "a woman of noble (godly) character" is rare and priceless.  In fact, it is so priceless that such a woman cannot be purchased at any price.  Notice in our text that this woman is "discovered" (found) not purchased.  A godly mother is rare and priceless and we should take note of her virtues.

We are going to read a portion of God's Word that is an "acrostic" poem.  This is a type of poetry in which the first word begins with one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet -- in order.  It is a 22 point sermon -- but I'm only going to examine 7 of the points.  You can look at the other 15 at your leisure.  From my seven you will clearly come to comprehend that A Godly woman (mother or otherwise) is to be honored, cherished and followed as an example of wisdom and strength.

Mothers are indeed amazing people.  One amazing feat they can seem to accomplish more than anyone else, is writing a letter to a son or daughter.  Mothers can say things in ways nobody else can say them.  I recall one such letter a mom wrote to her son in college.  She wrote:

Dear Son,
Just a few lines to let you know that I am still alive.  I'm writing this letter slowly because I know you cannot read very fast.

About your father. . . he now has a lovely job.  He has 500 people under him.  He cuts the grass at the local cemetery.

By the way, your sister, Mary, had her baby.  I haven't found out yet if it is a boy or a girl so I don't know yet whether you are an aunt or an uncle.

Some sad news. . . your Uncle Dick who works over at the brewery drowned in a vat of whiskey. Some of the crew dived in to try to save him, but he fought them off bravely.  We had him cremated and it took three days to put the fire out.

The weather here has been awful.  It was so windy last week one of the chickens laid the same egg four times!

Well, that's about all the news I have for now,

Signed, "Your Loving Mother."

PS--I was going to send you $50 but I had already sealed the envelope.

No, nobody can write a letter like a mother. Let's read what God's letter, the Bible, has to say about a godly mother:

Let's read together what God's letter, the Bible, says about a godly mother. We'll read a couple verses and
examine more as we go.

PLEDGE

¹⁰ A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

.................................................

²⁹“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” ³⁰Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. ³¹Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Wow!  I get tired just reading the list of virtues such a godly woman possesses.  I get a little jealous, too.  I also, get just a bit convicted when I think of the type of character this passage calls every one of us -- male and female -- to develop in our lives. 

I recall what the man's man, Teddy Roosevelt, soldier, safari hunter, and president of the U.S., said about mothers.  He said,

"The mother is the one supreme asset of national life.
She is more important, by far, than the successful
statesman, or businessman, or artist, or scientist."

With that in mind, let's consider the virtuous example of a godly mother who is "more precious than rubies."

1. The Virtues of a Godly Woman

a  The first virtue we discover is DIGNITY (v10)

 A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.

A virtuous woman is a "Noble" woman.  She carries herself with dignity and honor.  It is unusual to see this word used here in regard to a virtuous woman because it is the same word used in verse three.  Here, the writer is reminding Solomon not to dilute his position of dignity as the king by taking foreign wives.  V.3 says:

do not spend your strength on women,

your vigor on those who ruin kings.

The Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint, translates a “noble, capable” woman as a “manly woman.”  The focus is not on physical strength as much as it is a deep understanding of one’s value before God.  Dignity represents and inner strength that derives from knowing we—man or woman—are created in the image of God.

Like this virtuous woman, we should all carry ourselves with the dignity of knowing not only “who” we are, but “Whose” we are.  We are God’s unique creation, and we should act like it.

b  A godly woman is also DEPENDABLE (V. 11)

A noble, virtuous wife can be "safely trusted." Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

If you pay attention to the context here, you will see that this probably refers to "trust in financial matters," not just "matters of the heart."  The passage goes on to say, "He will have no lack of gain."  A godly, virtuous woman does not put pressure on her husband to sustain a lavish lifestyle for the family.  She is frugal with the resources of the family and content with that which her husband provides.  Nothing brings more disharmony into a family than for the husband and wife to be at odds on what the standard of living should be for the family.  Discontent over money matters is the number one cause of marital discord.  Someone once wrote:

"There's was a perfect marriage except for one feminine flaw // He was fast on the deposit //  But she was quicker on the draw.

Mothers, be content with what resources you have as the manager of the home.  Learn to be content.  Learn to make much out of little if you have need to do so.  Let your husband know that he can depend on you to make the most out every paycheck.  Never harp about money -- it is the kind of harping that carries a horrible tune.

g DEVOTION characterizes a godly mother (v. 12)

"She does him good and not evil  all the days of her life."

I read a sermon this week in which the preacher said, "A godly wife is like a fountain of blessing that never runs dry."  Such a woman is a perpetual, devoted source of unspeakable blessing to her family.

We could all take a lesson in devotion from this "noble woman" of Proverbs 31.  Many marriages end almost as soon as they are started because of a lack of devotion -- sometimes on the part of the wife, sometimes on the part of the husband, or sometimes (oftentimes) on the part of both.  Devotion is absolutely essential to wedded bliss and a long, happy marriage.

In one of his books, Gordon MacDonald tells about a young Florida man who became devoted to Elvis Presley. For Dennis Wise, devotion meant spending every bit of money he had to collect Presley memorabilia (books, magazines, pillows, records, and even tree leaves from the Presley mansion in Memphis). Wise never met Presley but he saw him perform several times, and he had once seen him at a distance when he looked through the gates at Graceland (Presley's home). He had stood there for more than twelve hours to get a fleeting glimpse. Wise's devotion is so great that he underwent six hours of plastic surgery to make his face resemble that of the famous singer.

Dennis Wise was completely devoted to Elvis and had never even met him.  A wife should be that devoted to her husband and even more -- except for the part about getting plastic surgery to look like your husband -- that would be just "creepy."

Devotion requires a depth of love that far exceeds any idea of simple romance or emotional attachment.  Devotion erupts from a well-spring of personal sacrifice -- sort of like, the love God demonstrates for to us that "while we were even His enemies, he loved us and gave his son to die in our place" (Romans 5:8).  That's the sort of "devotion" that makes a great marriage.  Anything short of absolute devotion, and the winds of life will tear apart a marriage like a tornado tears apart a teepee.

d  The 4th virtue describing this "noble lady" that
      is more valuable than rubies is DELIGHT (v 13)

V. 13 says, "she willingly works with her hands."

The key word in this verse is, "willingly."

Nearly every translation I could read used the word, "willingly" to describe how this Virtuous Woman of Proverbs 31 went about her daily tasks. In each of these translations the emphasis is on "how" she went about her tasks, but not, "why."  The Hebrew word for "willing, or willingly" can also be translated, "delight, or delightfully." I don't think the important issue is so much "how" she went about the daily chores -- and they were many and hard -- but "why" she went about the daily chores so willingly -- she took great "delight" in serving her husband and children, no matter how difficult or arduous the task.

There's not enough money in the world to get someone to "willingly" carry on the tasks of motherhood.  The labor pains alone were enough for me never to want to be a mother again!

No, what keeps a godly mother going is not working because she "has to, " but because she "wants to."  As one preacher said, "She does what she does because she loves her family and she loves the Lord."

Let's apply this virtue of "delight" to being a servant of Jesus Christ through His church.  A church will never achieve what God wants her to achieve if people are merely coming to church to fulfill some religious duty.  In order for the Holy Spirit to fall upon a church, each member must "delight" in His Presence.  Psalm 1 says,

¹Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. ²But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

The word translated "delight" in this Psalm is the same word translated, "willingly," in Proverbs 31.  The key to being a godly wife -- or a godly person in general -- is to serve because it is a "delight" to serve, not a duty.

h  For the next virtue, I'll combine verses 14 and 15
    under the heading, DEDICATION.  (15 actually begins with w)))

Notice to what great lengths a Godly Mother will go to provide for her family:

In verse 14: "She is like a merchant ship sailing the seas to find the best food for her family."  In verse 15: "She rises before daybreak to get the best deals at the market."

Now, keep in mind she does this every day.  Her day starts before everyone else and it ends -- according to verse 18 ("and her lamp does not go out by night")-- after everyone else.  This is her routine day in and day out.  She is an early riser and a late sleeper.

Now, maybe some of you women are not "early risers."  You aren't always your best before dawn.  I remember reading about a man who went to the doctor because he was not feeling well.  The doctor wanted to diagnose his problem and began asking questions.  He asked the man, "Are you sleeping well at night?"  The man answered, "Yes, I am sleeping fine?"  The doctor continued, "Well, do you ever wake up grouchy in the morning."  The man calmly replied, "Oh, no doctor.  I let her sleep."

Well, maybe some of us men and ladies are not at our best before dawn.  That's not really the point.  The point is that "godliness" -- whether for a mother or anyone else -- requires dedication.  In the family, and in the church, we must be willing to do what ever it takes to make our homes and churches successful

NOW, let me jump down to verse 20, (mistake in bulletin notes, not verse 22) or the letter y (yōd), in the Hebrew alphabet.  This verse begins with the word, for "hand," (yad).  Here we highlight this noble woman's virtue of

y  DUTIFULNESS (V. 20) (we skipped, z zayin;,j heth,;f teth)

"she extends her hands to the poor."

What devotion is to those within our family or our church, dutifulness is to those outside of our families and churches.

In the Great Commandment Jesus teaches that true belief in God is manifest in two spheres or arenas of love -- first, love for God; second, love for our fellow human beings.  When asked by a religious expert (who wanted to trick Jesus into making one of the ten commandments more important than the others) Jesus said:  (Matt. 22:38-40)

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

The context shows us that Jesus considered these two facets of love as two parts of one whole.  Jesus was teaching that you really could not love God (devotion) without loving or serving others (duty).  Devotion and duty are two sides of the same coin.

The godly woman here in Proverbs 31 exemplified both these facets of true godliness.  One really cannot say they love God if they do not love those for Whom God sacrificed His only Son.  For Devotion to God to be true, it must be reflected in Duty to others.

The godly wife of our Proverbs passage "reached out with a loving hand to a hurting world."

Wow!  What a lesson.  Let me say that again: the godly wife of our Proverbs passage "reached out with a loving hand to a hurting world."  Dutifulness was one of her key virtues.  It should be one of ours also.

OK.  One more virtue to demonstrate the godly character of this Noble Woman we should all follow as an example.  Jump down to verse 23, or "nūn"in the Hebrew alphabet. (Skipping k kaph;
l lamek; m mem)

 n  Call this virtue:  DEFERENCE. (v. 23)

Her husband is respected at the city gate,

where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

Deference means "yielding in opinion, judgment, or wishes;  courteous regard or respect."

Now, some of you ladies may not like what I am about to say but it is God's truth and I'm going to say it anyway (and then perhaps run for cover).  Here it is:

"Ladies, if you are wearing the pants in the family -- you are out of uniform!"

God never intended for women to assume the leadership role in the family.  That will never work.  The Bible is clear:  "Jesus is the Head of the church and the man is the head of the family"  (Eph. 5).

Feminism has taken a secure hold in our society and it has assisted in the continuing unraveling of the American family.  If this is not put into check soon -- America will not survive. 

This does not mean that a woman cannot work outside the family. Clearly, this virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 did contribute to the family treasure chest.  What DEFERENCE means is that the wife should follow the husband as the husband should follow Christ.  God will hold both husband and wife accountable for the roles each chooses to play in the marriage.  Men, take that as a solemn warning.

Well, those are seven virtues  that show us the godly example of a virtuous woman that we should look to and learn from to live a godly life.  But, I want to say a quick word about:

2.  The Victory of a Godly Woman

Ladies (girls) and guys, too. If we will take to heart the lessons in this 22 point poem, here is what we can expect.  Look at verse 31:

Give her the reward she has earned,

and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Folks, as sure as I am of anything else, I am sure of this:  God will reward those who seek to live virtuous, godly lives while pilgrims marching across the frontier we call "life."  God knows how to reward those who are faithful and true, who live good, virtuous lives to the best of our abilities with the help of the Holy Spirit. 

The result of living a virtuous life, is gaining victory over sin and death by the blood of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  In addition to that, the “Noble Lady”

1) gained the praise of her family (v.28), and received; 2) the respect of others (31, “at the city gates”.  She gained the victory in this battle we call life.

How much better our world would be if we all followed the example Noble Lady of Proverbs 31, who was "more precious than rubies." 

Divine Direction Pt3--Trusting the Process

May 7, 2017                                              NOTES NOT EDITED
Divine Direction Pt3—Trust the Process

Acts 20:22-25

Series in a Sentence:  Making wise decisions brings blessings and wise decisions come from following God’s Divine Direction.

Sermon-in-a-Sentence:  Divine Direction comes from trusting and obeying the process of God’s Providence.

We all have a story to tell.  That story reflects the choices we make in life.  Different choices lead to a different story.  Of course, the biggest decision contributing to my story—or anyone’s story is my decision to accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of my life.  My decision to join the Navy out of the blue significantly changed my story.  My decision to volunteer for submarine service has significantly impacted the story of my life.  My decision to ask Shari to be my wife is perhaps the most significant contribution to my story, second only to accepting Jesus as my Lord.  The decisions keep coming and we are always writing our story.

I think of one man in the Bible who significantly changed the story of his life with his decision to accept Jesus as the Resurrected Messiah.  The story of Doubting Thomas is familiar to many around the world.  In fact, the term, “Doubting Thomas,” is used in general for someone that seems overly skeptical about things.  But, I don’t think the term “Doubting Thomas” accurately describes his story.

Remember that Thomas was not with the other disciples when they first saw Jesus.  Thomas did have an analytic nature and he did say, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in His hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe!” (Jn. 20:25).

Thomas did see.  Thomas did believe.  Belief, not doubt, describes the story of Thomas, contrary to unfortunate nickname of Doubting Thomas that has lodged in the mind of society today.  Here’s the real story of “Trusting Thomas.”  Thomas travelled all the way to India to carry the gospel as the first evangelist to that far away land.  So deep was Thomas’ conviction that Jesus was the Messiah that he would die as a martyr in India.  Tradition says Thomas refused to recant his faith before a public tribunal which condemned him to death.  He was pierced with the swords of four government soldiers.

How different Thomas’ story would have been had he persisted in his doubts and refused to trust in Jesus, the Lord.  That moment when Thomas declared his trust in Jesus by saying, “My Lord and my God! (Jn. 25:28),” changed the story of his life.  That demonstrates the awesome power of trusting in Jesus—it changes our story.

There is a huge difference between “knowing about Jesus,” and “knowing Him.”  Knowing Jesus and trusting in His plan for our lives with sacrificial obedience changes our story—it changes our story eternally.

There is a process through which God guides our lives and gives us Divine Direction.  As we learned in Part 1, God is more concerned about “who we are” than what we do.  In Part 2 we learned that God does not always, or even often, guide us by giving us specific instructions, but by showing us the Way of Wisdom by which we can make good decisions.  In this sermon, “Trusting the Process,” we will learn how the process of Divine Direction, or providence, works as we follow faithfully the plan of God for our lives.

1.  Spiritual Compulsion (22)

²² “And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, bound in my spirit, not knowing what I will encounter there.

This very colorful and emphatic wording.  Keep in mind that Paul had just come from Ephesus as part of this Third Missionary Journey.  He is going to travel north, into Macedonia, east and then south heading back to Jerusalem.  In Ephesus, he had challenged the false god, Artemis, called, “The Great Mother.”  More than that, Paul’s testimony had affected the silversmiths who made “silver shrines of Artemis” (19:24).  Silversmiths made these replicas of the Temple of Artemis which were used in homes to pay daily homage to the goddess.  So, Paul’s spiritual mission directly affected the economic prosperity of the idol makers.  Paul’s presence created an “uproar” (20:1) putting Paul and his travelling band in great jeopardy of imprisonment and brutality.  Hence, Paul choose the words “bound in my spirit” as a word-play indicating he may well soon be “bound physically.”  Chapter 20, verse 23, describes what Paul might likely expect to encounter when he gets to Jerusalem,

that in town after town the Holy Spirit testifies to me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me.

The image Paul gives is of being “chained up by the Spirit,” (fr. deo ho pneuma, v22) on the way to being “chained up by men” (v23, fr. the same root, deo). 

Paul is describing the “deepest kind of emotional and spiritual compulsion.” The Greek phrase comes from the root of the words, deo ho pneuma.  It means literally, “chained by the Spirit.”   It is like a pregnant woman wanting ice cream, or some such pregnancy food.  It is not a mere “desire” but a “compulsion.”  It is an addictive draw toward something that is like being lassoed and pulled along.  This compulsion Paul is feeling at the prompting of the Holy Spirit is overwhelming and overpowering.  It is like the old picture of men in white coats placing someone in a strait jacket and carrying them off.  It is a pull or passion that cannot be ignored. 

These types of “deo ho pneuma” moments happen all the time in our lives.  If we are walking with the Lord, and following the Way of Wisdom as we discussed last week, we just “know” what God wants us to do.  We cannot resist any more than a pregnant woman can resist the urge to eat ice cream, or pickles, who knows what!

Most Christians miss these “deo ho pneuma” moments in life because we are not in the Word regularly and praying passionately.  Many times we miss these moments because we neglect our time with other believers.  Remember what we learned last week, “The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm” (Prv. 13:20).  Be very careful to pay attention for those “deo ho pneuma”—compelled by the Spirit—moments.  Learn how to tune the radio of your heart to the frequency of God’s Holy Spirit.

2.  Certain Uncertainty (22b)  Look back at verse 22,

²² “And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, bound in my spirit,  not knowing what I will encounter there.

There is nothing “certain” about trusting and obeying God than to realize the details of our walk will be very “uncertain.”  Paul clearly knew God wanted him to go to Jerusalem, but God didn’t share all the details.  There is a note of “uncertainty, or unknowing” that goes along with trusting God.  How many Christians pray for Divine Direction from God, but then complain about the way God provides it? 

Oh God, I prayed for swimming abilities and you let me drive my car off the road and into the lake?  Oh God, I prayed for patience, and here I am sitting in traffic late for work.  Sometimes, perhaps most of the time, God provides what we need—but in ways in which we would never have expected.

We must learn to “trust the process” of God’s Divine Direction and be willing to face Certain Uncertainty.  Trusting God does not mean we ask for what something and then complain about the way God provides it.

Do you remember Jack Nicholson in the movie a Few Good Men?  As Colonel Jessup Nicholson gives us that now famous line, “You can’t handle the truth!”  God compels us through a “deo ho pneuma” moment to go in one direction or the other and we cry out, “I want details!”  God yells back, or maybe not so much of a yell, “You can’t handle the details.”  We must learn to trust God’s process, and not complain.  Here’s how Jack Nicholson explains the issue:

FILM CLIP

Part of implementing God’s Divine Direction in our lives is to expect and embrace, “Certain Uncertainty.”  As we repeat in our Bible Pledge every week, “Make it [the Bible] a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).  God’s Divine Direction is a lamp for our feet, not a spot light into the future.

3.  Predictable Persecution (v23)

In town after town the Holy Spirit testifies to me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me.

Sounds a lot like what Jesus predicted for His followers (John 15:18): “If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you.

4We live in a time in America where Christianity has lost its favored status.  It might be better to say, “We have come to that time in America that Christians have squandered our favored status.”  We were founded solidly on Christian principles.  That is not debatable among any group of honest persons.  Those days are gone.

Quite frankly, Christianity did not thrive under favored status.  As someone has wisely said, “What we attain too cheaply, we esteem too lightly.”  Christianity doesn’t work well when it is “favored” by the government and depends upon that favored status to promote Her values.

Most of the world realizes that part of God’s process of Divine Direction means “persecution, resistance, and often, even death.”

We forget, or have never taken the time to learn in America, that most the world has, and does, suffer great persecution if they choose to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.  We hear much about China in the news these days.  China has been an intense purveyor of persecution for many years.  Brother Andrew, known as God’s Smuggler, spent his adult life trying to get the Word to Chinese people.  He spent much of that time in prison—but he never gave up.  One writer tells the story of Brother Andrew’s mission to smuggle 1 million Bibles into China at one time.  Smuggling even ten Bibles would mean beatings and prison.  Wanting to be sure that believers in China realized the immensity of the task and that they were willing to accept the risk, we sent Joseph, a Chinese team member, to meet with five key house church leaders.  Realizing the tremendous challenge and risk of smuggling 1 million Bibles, Joseph questioned us, “Do you know how much space it will take to store 1 million Bibles?”  We answered, “We have already prepared storage places.”  Joseph continued, “Do you know what could happen to you if you were caught with even a portion of these Bibles?” We answered again, “Joseph, all five of us have been in prison for the Lord.  All together, we’ve spent seventy-two years in jail for Jesus.  We are willing to die if it means that a million brothers and sisters have a copy of God’s Word.”  With tears in his eyes, Joseph folded up his long list of question and put it away.”
My heart is pierced by those words, “We are willing to die.”  So many Christians in America are not even willing to be a little “inconvenienced” for the gospel, let alone die.  Divine direction will bring predictable persecution.

One preacher stated the matter with great insight and eloquence.  He said, “If you’re not ready to face opposition for your obedience to God Not ready to be used by God.”

4.  Uncommon Confidence (24, 25)

²⁴ But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry  I received from the Lord Jesus,  to testify to the gospel of God’s grace. ²⁵ “And now I know that none of you will ever see my face again.

I said earlier, Paul was uncertain about the details, but he was absolutely certain about the outcome.  Notice the confident tone:  I may “finish my course.”  Absolute confidence that God’s plan for His life would be accomplished.  Paul liked the idea of “finishing a race.”  He used this same wording in a farewell encouragement to his young protégé, Timothy:

⁶ For I am already being poured out as a drink offering,  and the time for my departure is close. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ There is reserved for me in the future the crown  of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,  will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing (2Tim. 4:7).

Come “hell or highwater” as they say, “Paul was gonna ‘git ‘er done!”  [PIC—Larry the Cable Guy]

Let me go back to where we started in verse 22 with Paul’s “Spiritual Compulsion” to serve Jesus.  Remember that this was “deo ho pneuma” moment when Paul was literally “chained to the purpose of God in His life!”  Remember that in verse 23 Paul says he can look forward to being “literally chained and imprisoned by men.”  Though these two phrases share the same “deo” root, the construction of the phrase describing Paul’s “spiritual chains or compulsion” is constructed differently.  The words translated, “chained, compelled, or bound by the Spirit” is a participle—a verb form indicating an on-- going event or situation, like “running, eating, etc.”  But, even more emphatic is the fact that it is in the perfect tense.  This verb tense, a form of past tense, indicates an action that has taken place  “but the results or effects continue forever.”  In other words, Paul’s physical chains were temporary, but his eternal chains binding Him in love to the Lord Jesus are eternal.

Eternal security is what gives Paul, and all true believers, “uncommon confidence.”

Divine Direction isn’t like being teleported as they we see on Star Trek.  God doesn’t instantly pick up in one place and set down in another.  There is a process—a Divine Process.  We must learn to trust that process and obey God’s leadership.

As one preacher reminds us, “Our goal is not to have plan to succeed, but a passion to obey.”  Success is God’s response to our obedience.

Paul had a passion for fulfilling God’s purpose in his lfie—“to testify of the gospel of God’s grace.”  Paul longed for, prayed for, and listened for God’s Divine Direction in his life.  Paul knew he had to learn to Trust the Process of Providence.  This involved several elements:  A Spiritual Compulsion, A Certain Uncertainty, A Predictable Persecution, and an Uncommon Confidence.  These elements, properly understood and prayerfully implemented propelled Paul into a ministry that changed history.

Would you make a commitment today to seek God’s Divine Direction in your life, and obey God step by step as He leads you into a world changing ministry?  The apostle Paul was just a man like all of us—as are all those whose stories of obedience are recorded in God’s record. 

We have a choice to make today in regard to God’s Divine Direction.  Which story of our lives will we choose:  “Doubting Thomas,” or “Trusting Thomas?”

The choice is ours to make.