Got to preach/teach last night
Is it wrong for it to be this fun? I had a great time.
We attend a weekly Bible study at the home of Pastor Jack Cates, who is a retired missionary to Jamaica. He and his wife, Frances, have served the Lord in full-time ministry both here and abroad since (I think) 1956, when Jack stepped out in faith, quit his job, and simply started preaching. God’s taken good care of them - they’re both in their late 80’s and although they’ve got some health problems, they’re doing well.
Jack’s been having different people take turns with the teaching, although he usually preaches, too (you just can’t stop a preacher from preaching, no you can’t!) This past week he told me that I’d be up either this Thursday or in two weeks, depending on whether someone from out of town would be able to be there to teach. He called me up Wednesday night and let me know it would be this week.
Fortunately the Lord had already given me a message, about two weeks ago. THAT was an amazing process. I wish I could entertain the notion that it will always be like this! My mind was instantly full of what He wanted me to say, in outline form. All I had to do was fill in some illustrations and scripture references.
I say “preach/teach” because the Bible study’s an interesting format. Whomever is leading that night is pretty free to do what they want (biblically speaking of course). There’s no podium or anything - but it’s much more like being in the pulpit than it is teaching Sunday School or anything like that!! Except that people can jump in any time they like to ask questions and share. I love it.
I taught on Philippians 4:13 - “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Started off talking about Elijah - how he’d commanded there to be no rain for 3 years, then brought the rain back…called fire out of heaven, then destroyed the prophets of Baal… and so on. Then we read James 5:17, which says (in part): “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours…” I asked if we’re living beneath our privilege, our calling, and our capabilities in Christ Jesus.
Then we picked apart each word of the verse (this is just a summary):
I - I is me. Not someone else. “I” implies that “I” must do what God’s called me to do - not someone else!
CAN - can is CAN… not can’t. I can pick up a book in my own strength, but not a house. With God’s strength, if He’s called me to do it, I could pick up a skyscraper! If God’s called you to do something, He will accomplish His purposes in it. However, we can’t presume to know His intended outcome on a matter. If God calls you to do something, obey even if the results are not clear. Your obedience may be what He’s working out… or He may be giving people opportunity (even knowing their rejection)…or He may be starting a work that will take a long time to accomplish. Obey and do not become discouraged.
DO - Do is DO! Not sit there and think about it! If I want to get a cup of coffee, but all I do is sit here thinking about getting it, the cup’s not going to leap off the shelf, be filled, and arrive in my hand! Got to get up and actually DO it! All too often, we operate in fear… “What will people think?” or “What if I lay hands on someone who’s sick, and pray, and nothing happens?” These fears paralyze us from DOing the great work God’s going to do through us!
ALL THINGS - All is ALL! When God says you can do all things, He isn’t saying “some things” - Jesus said if we have faith, we can speak to the mountain and it will move - nothing will be impossible to us! There are some caveats to this. “All things” only include those things within Christ’s character. Can’t get God’s help on your next bank robbery, adulterous affair, or in cheating on your taxes…sorry! “All things” also must be taken into context with Matthew 7, where people say to Jesus, “We’ve done all things in your name” (casting out demons, prophesying, etc.) and Jesus says, “I never knew you” - For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world (is able to do “all things”), and loses his own soul? If we are not working out of a love relationship with our Savior, there’s no benefit to being able to do all things!
THROUGH - this is the key word. It’s an if-then statement.
CHRIST - our relationship with Him is paramount. In John 15, Jesus says “Abide in Me, and I in you” - if we’re not abiding, our efforts are on our own and meaningless. If God is for us, who can be against us?
WHO STRENGTHENS - Strength. Power. The ability to move beyond what I can do on my own and into the realm of what God alone can do. We must yield to His power. Give up control. (I actually just thought of a GREAT illustration - wish I’d had this last night. Picture a forklift or some sort of machine, moving a heavy box across a room. That’s God’s power. I can either hop on the machine and start pushing that big box with all my might, not realizing that the machine is willing and able to do the work… or I can be still and know that it’s working, yield to is superior capability…)
ME - We began with “I” and came back to “me” … in the end, it does come to my action. If God tells me to (witness, pray, preach, teach, get a job, tell it to stop raining for three years) and I sit here tuned into FoxNews instead… ain’t nothing gonna happen! Sure, God could find someone else to do the work, and in fact He might - and I’d be judged for it.
Are we living beneath our privilege, calling, and capability… not in ourselves, but in Christ? Oh yes. But the good news is that this is an easily remediable situation. As my Dad is fond of saying, “Just do it!”