God’s Order for a Wife (Part 1)

 

“God’s Order for a Wife” 

1 PETER 3:1-6

SUBJECT: SUBMISSION APPLIED TO MARRIAGE

THEME: each believing wife is to submit to her own husband in God’s order for marriage as a matter of trusting God.

RELEVANCE: though much of marriage is thrilling, our experiences can become unfair and sometimes painful; those who are the most intimate can hurt us deeply. Undoubtedly this is the case in marriage. To further complicate matters, many Christian couples are oblivious of what God calls them to deeming ‘God way’ as outdated. Regardless as children of God we are expected to accept God’s order and conduct ourselves accordingly even in poor circumstances. The obligation to trust God and embrace a better future are thus directed and reinforced in marriage.

INTRODUCTION:

Every relationship requires some work, labor, adjustments, growth, change, and effort if it is to serve God’s intentions and be mutually beneficial for all parties. Certainly, this is true in marriage.  

“No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.”—William Penn (1644–1718)

Marriage affords us a unique opportunity to deepen our sanctification, build together, and focus on eternal goals with the guarantee the tunings and personal progress will be worth it in the end.

There are basically three ideas regarding submission and marriage in this short series:

• The acknowledgement of God’s order for all believers
• The wife’s submission to the Lord as she follows her husband     
• The husband’s submission to the Lord by providing leadership for his wife and family

It is imperative that we acknowledge God’s order for marriage because this is one way we represent the Lord and propagate the Kingdom of God. Each person in a godly household exists to promote Jesus Christ and to demonstrate their personal commitment to advancing God’s reign and rule through proclaiming the gospel. This exhibit holiness, hope, and affords some happiness for couples, homes, and society in general. By doing this our Lord reigns in our experiences, is taken seriously, honored, and obeyed through believers who execute His will.  

 MESSAGE:

I.               Acknowledge God’s Order

A.    This is How These Ideas Should be Understood

                                                    i.     “Be in subjection to your own husbands. . .vs 3:1” This of course is the same word that appeared in chapter 1 Pet. 2:13 regarding human government, verse 18 regarding slaves, and in verse 3:5 regarding the character of holy women. 

1.     1 Pet 3:1, employs the word “Likewise” referring to the topic of “subjection” and now applies it to “wives.” Peter also makes a similar injunction for men applying ‘subjection’ to them (1Pet. 3:7).

2.     Submission here means that the Christian wife is to place herself under her own husband’s authority, control, and leadership as unto the Lord. A husband is to follow Christ’s leadership, He is accountable to God for his entire household, and he provides clarity and specificity on boarder kingdom objectives. A wife is to place herself under such authority and employ her gifts and abilities to advance the husband’s purposes in Christ.   

                                                  ii.     It is submission to a wife’s “own” husband and not to men or society in general.

1.     It is the home that God would rule over that is in view, this is also true of churches as God choose men to take roles of leadership.

2.     Leadership for a specific household will vary from one to the next. There is always something to learn from other believers and godly couples, but a wife is to follow her own husband’s lead in the home. Together they make a team for Christ with a team captain and a team member.

3.     God is not addressing the lost world outside of Christ; not work, not governments, and not the culture, or society. He is speaking only to real believers; what the world needs from us is more of the gospel.

                                                iii.     It is Important to Understand What God Does Not Mean When He Commands Submission:

1.     God does not mean that a wife should be subjected to a controlling tyrant, her enslavement, acquiescence to wife beatings, a disrespectful authoritarian, a chronic critic, an unfaithful deadbeat, or a self-absorbed manipulator!     

2.     God is not excusing a wife’s sarcasm, manipulation, disrespectfulness, big mouth—sharp tongue, belittling, lack of affection or intimacy, silent treatment, or undermining criticisms either.  

3.     NONE OF THESE IDEAS CONVEY WHAT GOD INTENDED BY SUBMISSION IN MARRIAGE! These are migrations away from God’s prescriptions; none of these represent what God has in mind for marriage.

                                                 iv.     What God intends by “subjection” is order, cooperation, and relationship—that a husband and wife are to walk together, hand in hand, throughout life to execute God’s purposes for a godly home. It is her willingly yielding her will to God’s authority and not forced subjugation manifesting trust, and humility to her husband as the God-ordained spiritual leader of that family. The Christian wife in obedience to God, assumes the proper order for her husband’s leadership, authority, and control so that God’s kingdom is advanced.

                                                   v.     For further emphasis, submission generates a trust in the sovereignty of God that frees a believer from fear and resentment over the way others treat us, posters us to serve the Lord more broadly, and helps us build a genuine love for others.

                                                vi.     “Subjection” also promotes viewing God as our real source of security and not merely ‘managing’ material means like using a man, a steady paycheck, money and excessive spending, or the government’s welfare dole. A lot of so-called ‘independence’ or ‘self-sufficiency’ would rapidly evaporate if the material props were suddenly taken away! To be at the mercy and whelm of mere people is the ridiculous place many find themselves in, but they mistakenly call it ‘independence’!

B.    Society Has Long Departed from God’s Order!

                                                    i.     Many reject the idea of women’s subjection in marriage as archaic, outdated, and old-fashioned. Some even react in anger and hostility against the Word of God and the preacher or person who deals with the subject.

                                                  ii.     Serving and providing service is still honorable, not a form of enslavement! We all exist to serve the Lord in some capacity, we serve each other, society in general, and the kingdom of God. Serving is what we all do; Christian marriage is yet another way to serve. It is not meant to be an institution designed to satisfy any person’s carnal desires. The focus is totally skewed when we insist the relationship exists to make us feel like a ‘king or queen.’ Marriage is not all about you; it is primarily about the Lord Jesus!

                                                iii.     Female leadership has invaded the church because it first invaded the home. Many believe the Bible ‘allows’ such changes if it is considered at all. Further too many young people are raised without any sense of a positive male role model in the home. These children, raised by their bitter mothers, learn to hate men also. These men may have wronged them, but we cannot ascribe such actions to all men. Unfortunately, such young girls have no idea of how to acquire a godly husband (most prefer to be impregnated by some guy from the hood), and they know even less about how to keep one—they have so few examples. The very notion is foreign to them!

                                                iv.     These young men are oblivious of the kind of leadership they are supposed to afford a home. No one demonstrated that for them…they never even heard of such. They don’t even expect to live out their lives; they anticipate a future of drugs, fornication, jail, or death. Again, this is complete ignorance…inexcusable, but unawareness!

C.    Please do not Confuse Gods’ Plan with Today’s Catastrophes!

                                                    i.     Some major challenges with marriage involve us reducing God’s plan and institution to personal feelings and preferences, cultural identity perimeters, manipulated court and divorce strategies, shortsighted laws, a way to realize personal rights, selfish innuendoes, self-centered reasons for leaving, and even assertions of sexual equality. God’s prescriptions unfortunately have been jumbled with human purposes, national traditions, blatant materialism, mere chauvinism, hyper-feminism, sexual equality, simple chivalry, our personal agenda/schemes, and other modern carnal adaptations!

                                                  ii.     Dating and marriage seem obsolete and old-fashioned while God’s ways are rejected and unexplored even though they cannot be improved upon! God made us…He best understands how we can live and work together in the home.

                                                iii.     What is God’s Order then? It is God’s plan to reach every person with the hope of Jesus Christ in the gospel (Matt. 28:19-20; Jn. 20:21-23). Each genuine believer is to serve God to achieve this end—God rules in the life that is devoted to his purpose. We must present ourselves, the people committed to us, and our resources to execute God’s kingdom agenda (Matt. 4:17; 5:3, 10; 6:13; Luk. 17:20-21; Rom. 14;17; 2Tim. 4:18; Jam. 2:5; 2 Pet.1:11). So, we place ourselves on the altar of God’s will (Rom. 12:1-2), we give the people we are responsible for to this undertaking, and we steward our belongings to administrate our portion of God’s plan. The ultimate goal is to manage God’s plan for us and our families demonstrating God’s order, rule, and authority over our lives.  

Ridiculous Joy

Ridiculous Joy

1 Peter 1:8, 9

Trials are that part of life we feel we can live without. However, God can use them to strengthen and mold us with our cooperation.

1 Peter 1:8 says: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory”. Peter speaks of the immense love and inexpressible thrill we feel for our Lord Jesus Christ. He first loved us and we love and believe in Him even though we have not physically seen Him. We correctly anticipate the magnificent deliverance of our souls.

Such sentiments are nothing short of profound and inexpressibly filled with godly joy marking our deep, triumphant happiness because of our Lord’s grace and presence.  

How Does This Truth Enable Us to Conquer Trials? (1 Peter 1:8, 9)

The trails of life, though real and often painful, are not to defeat or discourage us. On the contrary, we are to regard them as steppingstones to becoming stronger in the Lord. But how do we do this? How can we conquer trails when they are so painful, devastating, destructive, disorienting, powerful, damaging, and threatening? Fortunately, our feelings don’t tell the entire story!

                A.  Conquer them by Our Love for Christ, Vs 8 “Whom having not seen ye love….” Because we love Christ, we obey him, we keep his commandments, turn away from temptations, and we walk with him through trails. True love does everything possible to show love and avoid hurting our beloved; in fact, when we love someone, we do our best to please them. I read something that said, ‘love is still the strongest force on earth.’ If this is true, then the most formidable power to overthrow our trails is ours.

In times of trails, reflect on how Christ saved you and forgave you and how greatly He suffered for our sin. He freely demonstrated His great love for us! Permit your natural appreciation for Him to empower you to stand for God in trails and temptations. Love is not primarily an emotion, it is action.

Recall the example of Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicademus. They loved the Lord and openly identified with Him at a very trying time for any followers of Christ. Matt 27:57-58, When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: [58] He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.

                B.  Conquer them by Our Faith in Christ   Vs 8

We must continue to believe or trust Christ, and we must continue to be faithful to His teachings.  Stand firm upon His council and rely completely on His power and presence to conquer and carry us through all trails.

The Three Hebrew Boys understood what it meant to stand for God in Faith and be true to God centered convictions during trials! They were literally in the fires of their trial, but they enjoyed wonderful fellowship of the Son of God during that experience. Through their trial they bore testimony for Christ before a watching world! They knew what it meant to rely on God’s Power and Presence during trails!

Eph 6:13-16, Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14, Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15, And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16, Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

I Jn 5:4-5, For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5, Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

                C.   Conquer them by Our Rejoicing in Christ   Vs 8

Our Joy is not based on circumstances but upon the finished work of Christ. There are times though when this joy is to be filled up with “glory”. Our present joy and rejoicing are to be based on things to come; again, this will enable us to stand during trials. Sometimes you must rejoice on credit and there is strength from God during such periods!

Isa 61:10, I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

Neh 8:10, Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

                 D.  Conquer them by Focusing on our Salvation Christ Provided   Vs 9

1 Pet 1:9, Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

The goal of our salvation is living in the very presence of God to execute His great will continually free of opposition or difficulty! Stay focused on this goal!

                                      TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS

O soul are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There's light for a look at the Savior and Life more abundant and free!

His word shall not fail you He promised; Believe Him and all will be well: Then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation to tell!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face; and the things of the earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His Glory and Grace.

Abel’s Excellent Sacrifice

Hebrews 11:4

So, why should we remember people of faith who lived in the past? What made the faith of these people extraordinary? (Hebrews 11:4–8) Well, to recall the people of faith from history links them with our own reality and affords us hope, inspiration and guidance. Since these were real people and faith proved effective for them as they worked through their challenges, trusting God is a legitimate approach to coping with the perplexing realities we face today. From them we learn that lazar-focused confidence in God and His ways will ultimately win.

Their faith is extraordinary because it proved effective even in the face of death. Trusting the Word of the Lord enabled them all to please God despite their contemporary challenges and difficulties (Hebrews 11). Believing God gave them courage to face life-threatening dangers and persecutions. Furthermore, we are assured God takes special pleasure in those who continue to live by faith, but not those who draw back in doubt and unbelief (Heb. 10:38-39). The difficult times help us understand how firm our faith in God truly is. Challenges also have a way of weeding out the pretenders and insincere persons resulting in a purer brand of Christianity.

Though life is punctuated with serious challenges, confidence in Christ is never misplaced. Faithful responses enable us to continue obediently to ultimately triumph in our difficulties. Even when faced with mortal danger, forsaking Christ is not an option; we must insist on faithfully living by faith.

In Hebrews 11:4, we see a believer of real courage and commitment—Abel.

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

Verse 4 of Hebrews 11, mentions Abel the second son of Adam and Eve and the first son of promise. He was the first person to be killed for the cause of Christ. The awful fact is this heinous act was committed by his older brother Cain. The big brother who should have been looking out for his younger sibling maliciously struck him down in death! With ‘brothers’ like Cain, who needs enemies…right?

Abel speaks to believers today as the first martyr for the faith. His essential message is be faithful to the “excellent sacrifice” even unto death. To enlarge further Abel is still saying trust the offering God provides, approach God only through blood sacrifice, and worship God His way—in truth. He stands first in line of what would eventually become a long and incredible line of believers who suffered unbelievable persecutions at the hands of religionists and hardened atheist. The histories of America, China, Russia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe all bare testimony to this reality. Beloved, this is sometimes how people of “real faith” are treated. Recall the account from Genesis,

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. 2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. 9 And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? (Genesis 4:1-9, KJV)

Cain insisted upon approaching God with his own method and sacrifices, but God rejected it while accepting Abel’s blood sacrifice. Furthermore, when God prompted Cain to make the correction he refused. He rejected God’s counsel and finally killed his righteous brother who approached God by faith.

Religionists have persecuted the righteous since the beginning of time. This was the constant experience of Israel, the early churches were persecuted by Jewish and Roman authorities, the true Christians were persecuted during the Inquisitions and the Counter-Reformation, and believers all over the Middle East and parts of Africa are met with violent opposition from Muslims and terrorist groups. The death toll mounts and hundreds are being killed on a regular basis while the United Nations stands by impotently. Thousands are fleeing their countries seeking refuge in sympathetic nations….

Abel’s Excellent Sacrifice Pleases God (Heb. 11:4).

With such pressures, the temptation to forsake Christ for personal safety and survival seems plausible. After all our survival instinct is very strong…. As we reason through such challenges we may find ourselves inclined to compromise our commitment to the “excellent sacrifice.” By faith we must hold on to the truth that God is pleased with the “excellent sacrifice” and this warrants a steadfast faith free of any acquiescence! So, what can we learn from Abel that we may be faithful also? Let’s examine…    

His Parents

Cain and Abel were brothers and Adam and Eve were their parents. They were taught by God on how to make an “excellent sacrifice”. The interesting thing here in Hebrews 11, is that they are not mentioned at all. The first couple is bypassed with no mention of their faith. In the Garden of Eden during the Fall of Man, Eve believed the Devil and failed to trust what God had said. As a result, she was deceived, and Adam sinned with his eyes wide open. I personally believed they were saved by faith in the “excellent sacrifice” God himself provided for them. You see, to provide coats of skin to cover their shame, God killed an animal—blood was shed and atonement was provided. Adam and Eve accepted the God-provided sacrifice and blood atonement and thus were saved (Gen. 3). Though the first parents taught this blood sacrifice to their boys, the lesson only resonated with Abel.

As parents we have an incredible duty to pass our faith on to the next generation. I do not subscribe to the modern notion of letting children figure out for themselves what they should believe. Parents have an obligation to God to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the great truths about God, and faithfulness to worship and service through a local church to their children. Our young people need leadership in these matters.

Note thoughtfully what Paul says to Timothy about the importance of home-based discipleship and child training.

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (2Tim. 3:12-17, KJV)

Timothy’s mother and grandmother took responsible actions to ensure he was exposed to God’s life transforming truth. They started when Timothy was very young and consistently shaped his thoughts, values, and beliefs throughout his formative years. They knew their times were evil and occasional exposure to spiritual things was inadequate. They knew frequent, regular, and meaningful instructions from the Word of God was essential to raising godly children for Christ. This is the work of faithful parents who decidedly respect the “excellent sacrifice.”

His Person

Abel took the lesson to heart and faithfully employed this method of worship and sacrifice—approaching Holy God through blood sacrifice. Perhaps he received additional revelation from God to reinforce his conviction that sinful humanity can only approach God through shed blood—the excellent sacrifice. While I cannot be dogmatic on this point, I can freely assert He believed in this approach alone and would not deviate. He was faithful to the “excellent sacrifice” that is pleasing to God. At some point his parent’s faith became his—he personally embraced the truth and intentionally walked in it. He knew God, explored life with God, worshiped the Lord, and willingly yielded to God’s eternal principle of living by faith—approaching God through blood sacrifice. He did not need someone monitoring him to ensure he did what he was supposed to. No, Abel owned faith in Jehovah in a deepening and personal way.

You may review Genesis 4:1–10, to grasp the background for this thought in Hebrews. Also bear in mind that this perfect and singular sacrifice is a major point of the Book of Hebrews’ thesis (Heb. 9:1-28). According to Abel, salvation is purely by the grace of God through faith in His provision for our sin problem. Human works, efforts, and performance cannot merit salvation.

Beloved, Jesus is the only way; I know many people say differently claiming there are many paths to God. I must stand beside faithful Abel and say, they are wrong. Jesus is the only Way, Truth, and Life, and not even one single individual can approach God, the Father, except through Him, His Cross, and His resurrection (John 14:6). I know other religions claim that they have the truth and claim exclusivity. Beloved, it is the resurrection of Jesus Christ that distinguishes it from all other world religions. No other religion or ‘faith’ on the planet makes such an extraordinary claim. Investigate the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and you too will agree that Jesus is the only Way to God.

Abel was a man of faith; he believed God and was faithful to the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Though he did not actually understand the New Testament Gospel, he was well exercised in the principles of justification before God through faith, accepting God-provided atonement, grace as the means of redemption, one way to approach holy God—blood sacrifice, and righteousness imputed and imparted by faith. The tenants of ‘The Faith’ are timeless and enduring and they will never change. They transcend dispensational periods because they reflect how God operates. Abel was faithful to these principles and sealed his testimony with his very life.  

Our Lord Jesus, the glorious Lamb, says to His churches, “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Rev. 2:10, KJV) Be faithful unto death, Beloved.

Courage to Reach out to Others

JOSH. 1:1-9 

1.   Courage is Require to Face and Endure the Times of Difficulty.

In many ways, hard times of trouble are like boot camp; it is rigorous, painful, and challenging. Adversity causes us to adopt new routines and habits, to develop aspects of our being—physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual—that might have been undeveloped or underdeveloped previously. Troubles sometimes puts us under the authority of people who affect our lives in ways that are foreign to us. In all these areas, we need courage to keep our balance as we feel hit by so many new feelings, facts, restrictions or limitations, obstacles and challenges, and offerings of advice and help.

2.  Courage is Required to Make the Necessary Personal Changes in Times of Difficulty.

Courage is required not only to face and endure times of adversity, but also to make the changes in our lives that adversity compels us to make. In either case, we can trust the Holy Spirit to help us in times of adversity and to grow and change so that we live in keeping with the example set by Jesus Christ.

3.  Joshua Knew about Adversity and Times of Difficulty.

Certainly, forty years of wandering in a wilderness qualified him to understand hardship, trials, and troubles—physical, relational, spiritual, and no doubt emotional and mental pain. Joshua also knew that the Lord was with him and his people. As a close associate of Moses, Joshua had grown in his faith and leadership abilities. The time came for the people of God to cross the Jordan River and inhabit the land of promise, and Joshua was named the leader to succeed Moses.

4.  Three Times, the Lord Spoke to Joshua about Courage:

Joshua 1:6-7, Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. [7] Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

  

Joshua 1:9, Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Note the three things that required courage of Joshua: (1) to make decisions that affected other people under his leadership {vs. 6}, (2) to keep the laws and commandments, even as changes were occurring {vs. 7}, and (3) to remember continually that the Lord was with him {vs. 9}, the implication being despite what circumstances might indicate to the contrary.

2 Tim. 1:7, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

We need courage in the same three areas of our lives as we face adversity.

LESSON:

COURAGE TO REACH OUT AND TOUCH OTHER LIVES

Reaching Out to Others Takes Courage

Joshua 1:6, Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

REALIZE THAT GOD GIVES US COURAGE TO HELP OTHERS

We need God's wisdom to know how to deal with people. Our times of heartache almost always involve people we love.

Courage to Help When I Need Help

We need courage to get beyond our pain and help our children, parents, spouses, associates, and other loved ones and colleagues to cope with the pain they also are likely to be feeling. It takes tremendous inner fortitude to get beyond ourselves—to put aside our inner hurt and frustration—and to be concerned about others when we are sick, facing a loss, or in emotional turmoil. Yet, that is precisely what the Lord wants us to do. That's why the Lord gives us courage.  

RECEIVE GOD’S BLESSINGS AS YOU GIVE OF YOURSELF

In fact, in getting outside ourselves and helping others in need we often find the strength to get through adversity.

Getting Help As I Give Help!

Time and again, I've watched people who were going through hard times reach out to help those who were hurting just as much as they were—although perhaps in a different way—and have seen them benefit, not from what they received from others, but from what they gave to others. This principle of God defies human reasoning, but it is absolutely true in God's kingdom.  The worse thing we can do is shut ourselves off from everyone else because we are afraid!

Luke 6:38, Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

We assume that when we give, we have less than we had before. But in God's eyes, when we give, we open ourselves up to receiving in a way that results in a blessing, both materially and spiritually.

Just when you think you have nothing to give, that's the time to give! It takes courage to do so!  

The Lord promises to give you that courage. Ask Him to help you, to guide you, and to show you the person or people to whom you should give. Ask Him to reveal to you the best gift possible, in the best timing and for the best results.           

1.  Touch Lives Through Fervent Prayer.

James 5:16, Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

2.  Touch Lives Through Service and Ministry.

Luke 22:26, But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

3.  Touch Lives Through Doing Good Deeds.

Romans 12:21, Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. 

Self-examination should not be limited to areas of sinfulness or pride; it may also involve areas of weakness we need to strengthen and develop.  Fear is often a natural response to difficulties, and troubling circumstances.  But God wants us to use these challenges to grow in the areas of courage, hope, and faith.  Remember we should never waste an adversity. Learn all you can from each one. Realize that you can grow when you are willing to examine yourself closely and make the necessary changes.

When troubles come your way, look inward to see what God is trying to show you about yourself.  Use these self-evaluations to identify areas which need improvement and refinement.  In this respect Difficulties can be used to your advantage to further your spiritual progress in the Lord.   

The Inspiration of Storm-Walkers

MATT. 14:27-29

Subject: Trials/Testing

Theme: Dynamic and triumphant living recognizes the presence and power of Christ, even in the storms.

Matt. 14:27-29,
 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 

Introduction:  

Fears: intimidation fears, fear of pain or of being hurt, fear of the unknown, and general timidity can lead to serious frustration and a mediocre lifestyle of simply playing it safe. Life has become a quest to find the "comfort zone" or stay with the familiar even though they are bored to tears with life. The incredible thing is so many expect extraordinary things for their lives or their loved ones.... Yet, they refuse to really take on legitimate challenges or opportunities.

Fear is a thief and it has effectively stolen many believers desire to live the impossible life. Sometimes a series of hard experiences can leave us broken and afraid.... Believers are even afraid of the plan of God for them because it may require sacrifices or challenges, or difficulties. Hardness has resigned them to the dull ‘boat life’—just surviving. Though they are storm-tossed, thrashed, and often overwhelmed, they have come to believe the "safe life" is normal. They have lost their sense of adventure and their dreams of winning over life’s challenges have faded into oblivion. They do not realize that acknowledging Christ’s Presence in the Storm is the difference between discouragement and dynamic living. In fact, the presence and power of the Lord Jesus is the source of our inspiration. What do you fear? Is it yourself...failure…success…sacrifice…the unknown…making mistakes…what people may say or think?

Actually dynamic faith is what we all need. That is, we need confidence in God's love, wisdom, grace, and power to become people who dream of executing His will for us in a big way. This is Faith that overcomes fears, obeys Christ’s commands, attempts the impossible, and experiences Christ great enabling power to triumph is God’s desire for every believer. If you are saved then this includes you. In the incident of Peter, the disciple, it is the presence of Jesus that moved him from fear to faith.  Are you relying on the Presence of Jesus in your storms?  How can we be transformed by recognizing the presence of Christ during life’s challenges? How can we become “Storm-Walking Christians?”

Relevance: Recognizing the Lord’s Presence in the Storm will inspire faith, generate security, embolden the timid to attempt the impossible, and avail Christ’s power to triumph over the storms of life.

Thesis: To become “Storm-Walking Christians” we must Hear Christ’s Command, Attempt the Impossible, and Experience His Power.

Message:

                 Attempt the Impossible in the Storm (Matt. 14:29)

Now our center of interest shifts to Peter. Before we criticize Peter for sinking, let’s honor him for his magnificent demonstration of faith. He walked not only on water, but He walked on a raging storm at sea! Though he was a normal human being, he actually believed he could do the impossible. It was in fact his idea to walk on the storm to go to the Lord Jesus. Peter was inspired by the realization that Jesus was actually with them in the storm. On many occasions he had witnessed the power of the Lord Jesus in his own life and the lives of many others. Peter knew in his soul that Jesus could enable him to walk on the storm. He dared to be different and refused to be mediocre. Beloved, anybody can sit in the boat and watch. But it takes a person of real faith to leave the boat and walk on water...to walk on an incredible storm at sea. God really does expect us to live for Him even through the Storms! But, how can we attempt the impossible? What will motivate us to become storm-walking believers? 

Consider the following observations...

1. Respond to Christ’s Command During the Storm!

Matthew 14:29, And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

1.      Leave the Boat of the Status Quo.  You will never walk on the waters of your trials unless you get out the boats of status quo, and complacency.  This requires obedience, responsiveness, willingness to risk, and faith!  Only Christians who respond to Christ’s commands walk on the waters of their storms! This is clearly our part during the stormy times, we must do the following:

1. Turn to God, putting your eyes squarely on Him and not on the storm, nor yourself.
2. Ask God, “What do You want me to do?” Ask, “Am I to use my faith against this storm? Am I to grow in trust by riding out this storm?”
3. Do what God tells you to do. The acid test of faith is always obedience. It is not enough to hear God’s command in the storm. We must obey His command.

2.      Trust God to guide as you look to him in the midst of the storm. Psalm 32:8, I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Purpose to act upon his directives in your life. 

2. Don’t Listen to People, Listen to God in the Storm!

            Often we receive conflicting messages in the storm adding more confusion and horror to our experience. Unfortunately many of these conflicting ‘words of wisdom’ come from God’s “Boat People.”  These have learned to ‘survive’ and ‘play it safe’ in the storms, but they know nothing about “water walking faith.” Consider briefly three things about these folk.

1.      The Condition of Boat People.

a.       First of all they are still is the storm tossed boat! Because their fears are greater, their faith is weaker. Because they fix their attention on the storms, they seem unable to remain focused on the Lord. They ignore Christ presence or devalue it.

b.      His commands seem ‘unreasonable’ and ‘too extreme’ to them. Their experience is a mundane and mediocre storm tossed life—they know nothing of spiritual empowerment and inspiration. Their Christian experience is totally boring.

2.      The “Commonsense” of the Boat People.

a.       They have their ‘logical reasons’ for remaining in the boat:

                                                                                       i.      Some are in the boat of bitterness from past hurts and storms of unfair mistreatment; they feel they have a right to be in the boat of bitterness.

                                                                                     ii.      Some are in the boat of disappointment; they have been frustrated so many times they refuse to hope again for fear of another letdown. Instead of trusting, they are suspicious of anyone who attempts to inspire hope.

                                                                                    iii.      Some are in the boat of quitters; they are weary from the storms and have been worn out by the never-ending challenges. The stress and anxiety of trying to walk on water has finally overwhelmed them and they have decided to retire in the boat.

                                                                                   iv.      Some are in the boat of mediocrity; they have been there most of their Christian lives. While they are glad heaven is their future, they hesitate at any ministry opportunities or responsibilities. They don’t like the word ‘commitment!’ They seem content with weak faith like everybody else and are unwilling to change.

b.      The common factor with all of them is a failure to recognize the presence of Christ and the power of his Word in their lives.  They are skilled in offering their common sense rationale as an excuse, but they will never know the joy of walking with Christ and leading the impossible life with Him.

3.      The Counsel of the Boat People

a.       Since they are held captive by their circumstances in spiritual defeat and monotony they resent those who perceive a different outcome for themselves. They will discourage others from getting out of the boat.

                                                                                       i.      They may say, “Oh, I know you are excited about spiritual things, but it will wear off soon.”   With a rather condescending tone.

                                                                                     ii.      They will ask, “What’s wrong with being a boat people? I mean look at me, I’ve been a boat member for 99 years.”  And they are proud of this????

                                                                                    iii.      They will tell you, “Sit down, you are rocking the boat!” or perhaps they’ll say, “I love God too, but don’t go overboard.”

                                                                                   iv.      They will say, “You can’t walk on the water yet because you have not taken “Water Walking 101.”

                                                                                     v.      They might reason, “Have you ever walked on the water before?” “Well, have you ever seen anyone else walk on the water before?” “Then what makes you think you’re so special that you can walk on water?”

b.      The mistake of many believers is that they listen to the boat people instead of listening to the Lord who said “come.”  Don’t listen to boat people, listen to God!

3. Discern His Voice in the Storm

1.      How Do We Recognize the Voice of the Lord Over all the Storm Related Noise?

a.       It will always be consistent with the Bible’s teachings.

b.      His Commands will contradict worldly wisdom and conventional rationale.

c.      Christ's voice will not accommodate the carnal fleshly desires.

d.      He Will Challenge You to Grow in Faith

                                                                                       i.      Jesus said to Peter after Peter walked on the water and then started to sink, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Matt. 14:31). Jesus clearly expected His followers to have faith, to use it, and to grow in their faith.

                                                                                     ii.      We grow in faith when we hear from God, obey what He says to do, and then recognize and acknowledge God's faithfulness to His word in our lives. If we are not hearing from God, it is virtually impossible for us to grow in faith.  

e.      Jesus will Call You to Have Courage

                                                                                       i.      If you are being asked to move against the tide of conventional human wisdom and act in contradiction to your fleshly nature, and if you are challenged in your faith, you are going to feel as though you are taking a risk in obeying God.

                                                                                     ii.      Any time you take a risk for God’s purposes, you are going to need courage. Such 'risks' have the quality of a real step of faith. 

2.      Remind yourself daily of what God said to you, stay close to Him, and refuse to allow yourself to give in to fear or discouragement (Ps. 27:14; 31:24; Phil. 1:27–28; 2 Tim. 1:7.).

Conclusion: Christ designs our storms to give us opportunity to face our fears with confidence in Him. He is able to handle and storm and He will never forsake us in the storms. His power and His presence inspires us to become storm-walking believers.

Yes, God will help us grow through such storms. We can grow in our experiences with the Lord Jesus, grow to overcome the challenges that have historically intimidated us, and grow in our understanding of God plan. This was the whole purpose of the storm, to help the disciples grow in their faith. God desires the same for us. He deserves faithful, fearless, bold servants who daily advertise His grace in their lives to a watching world. We must learn to trust Him implicitly.

Jesus came with unexpected help and encouragement during the disciples’ time of desperate need. Their need was real; their fears were real. But in the presence of Jesus, fear must give way to faith. 

When Jesus arrived, he made a huge difference! Because of Jesus—all he taught, all he did—your life is different now! You're not alone. You have a heavenly Father, a living Savior, and a Comforter. All the problems that beset you are now theirs as well. In the face of every problem, every heartbreak, every troubling diagnosis . . . Here Christ’s Command, Attempt the Impossible, and Experience His Power!

The first result of walking with God is great joy, abounding joy, and secondly, a great sense of security, of abiding peace.—R. A. Torrey