Asking the Wrong Questions and Waiting on God - Purity 1418

Welcome to the MT for Christ 247 podcast. I am M.t. Clark, and this is today's photo. To see today's photo, go to mtforchrist.com or follow me, M.t. Clark, on Facebook or Twitter, or you can watch us on YouTube. Um, good morning. Today's photo of angelic clouds in the big blue sky over the rolling plains just off of Freedom Road in Easton comes to us from yours truly as I stopped to capture this view during a morning stroll with my canine pal Harley back on July 20th. Well, it's Saturday, and on that pleasant morning back in July, a few moments after today's photo, I stopped there on Freedom Road and took photos in every direction. In front of me, behind me, to the left, to the right, above me, below me, and I even took a selfie. Uh, why? Well, uh, although I was still tired from the previous day's work woodchucking an entire mammoth tree into a wood chipper with Scott Salvador and Company at the— at my place down by the river, I was feeling really content with my life and knew that times of peace and joy like the one I was feeling to that extent in that moment were rare. And I wanted to capture a record of it. On that Saturday morning, I not only had done what was right as a steward to my own, to my property by dealing with the giant felled tree the day before, I had also only 10 days prior finally received confirmation, uh, that my hard work training with Julianne Camarath had been rewarded, um, with my certification, uh, with Deeper Walk International as a certified prayer minister, uh, minister. And I was in this— the in-between time of ministry. All the work of the first 6 months of the year, the Freedom in Christ course and round 1 of Celebrate Freedom, were behind me, and I still had another 4 days before round to celebrate was to begin. For all intents and purposes, at the time, all the things on my to-do list were done, and all I had to do on this— that Saturday was to relax and enjoy it. So let me encourage you, no matter what is going on in your life, whether you've got it done or where there's— or if there is, you know, so much more to do, to make a regular practice of stopping and smelling the roses. Because the truth is, If we have Jesus as the Lord and Savior of our lives, every day is a good day. With the ultimate questions of life and death answered, we have reason to give thanks and to rejoice no matter what circumstances or trials we may be currently facing. But I must admit, you know, when we have moments of great contentment like that, you should really stop to notice it. Since my morning of great contentment, I am in the midst of a seeming, uh, seemingly trying times, as I'm not— I am not only back in the full swing of another season of Celebrate Freedom, which causes me to constantly ask, are we doing a good job, as our attendance, uh, in the dog days of summer are not surprisingly a little low, but my recent injury at work has me also fighting off condemnation for hurting myself and has, has me temporarily put sidelines of my normal routine, asking all the wrong questions regarding my self-worth and purpose, uh, both here on Earth and as it is in heaven. As for the terra firma, nothing like a slip-up at work to make you wonder about your future. Cutting myself, um, you know, what am I, an idiot? Is this injury going to be approved? Will I get, uh, the paperwork filled out right? Will I get in trouble? Will they be out to discipline me for my mistake? Will they come after my job? Will they fire me? And as for God's kingdom, nothing like a less-than-stellar launch of your ministry to make you wonder, uh, why aren't more people coming to the meeting? Are we doing something wrong? What's wrong with our church? What's wrong with me? Am I supposed to be doing this? Is this my purpose? What do you want? What do you want me to do, Lord? What should I do? What should I be doing, uh, for your kingdom? What else must I do? So you see that, uh, I can't wait until my injury is healed and I can go back to work to alleviate my stress over whether or not my job is in jeopardy. Although in truth, we have to be diligent in our thought life, um, to put down anxious thoughts, because a fearful mind will always find reasons to be doubtful and afraid. At least when you're working, you You, you may be able to convince yourself that your contributions are enough to possibly justify your company keeping you on the payroll. But as for God's kingdom, when we consider God's amazing grace, we have to try to rest in it because, quite frankly, the abundance of God's love is something we could never do enough to pay back. No matter how obedient we think we may be, a small examination of our life will always cause us to think that we are still a mess or that there is more we can do for God's kingdom, and we would be right on both sides. Um, the story of the rich young ruler in Matthew, uh, Matthew 19 that I read this morning reminded me of our inability to fully understand how God's kingdom works and to ask the wrong questions. In Matthew 19:20-30, uh, the young affluent one, uh, claims moral righteousness but knows he is lacking, as he assures Jesus, I've obeyed all these commandments. But then asks, 'What else must I do?' That's the wrong question, or at least it is in the way the rich young ruler is asking it. His question implies that there is a task or a good deed, maybe a generous donation that must be given, that can be done or paid that will secure him a place in God's kingdom. And the state of his soul has, has him concerned but willing to pay it. If only he is told what he, quote unquote, must do. But Jesus's response shows that no small cost or simple task will be required of us if we want to be in his kingdom. Matthew 19:21 tells us, Jesus told him, if you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come Follow me. For this young ruler, the cost is a full surrender of his financial assets and the unconditional acceptance of the invitation to be Jesus's disciple. Verse 22 tells us, but when the young man heard this, he went away very sad, for he had many possessions. Even though the young man knew who to ask the big questions to, he knew that he was unable to do what Jesus was asking. Following Jesus meant giving up what was certain and safe. Following Jesus with the way he lived his life was what this young man and all of us must do. But the young man calculated the cost of doing so to be too much. I think we can all feel his pain. Sometimes we think Jesus asks for too much, but it usually comes after times when we're asking the wrong questions. And not seeing the truth of his answer and the worth of his presence. In my temporary time off from work, I've been listless because I have too much time on my hands, and I'm fighting off anxiety as I try to assure myself that I'm okay just as I am, but simultaneously asking the question, what must I do to be approved and accepted on earth and in heaven? So today I'm trying to rest in the permanence of my relationship with God. He will never leave me or forsake me. Nothing can separate me from his love, and I'm already accepted, secure, and significant because of my faith in Jesus. I am okay in the most important sense of the word. But to, to experience the peace and joy that come from my relationship with God, I have to Stop asking the wrong questions. I am saved after all— already after all, and God will direct my path until I see him face to face. So I can stop worrying and just wait on him. Today's In Touch devotional shares wisdom on that topic today, waiting on God. So I'm sharing it on the blog today to help us all to stop asking the wrong questions and worrying about what we must do. Uh, and Dr. Charles Stanley writes, waiting for the Lord, trusting God's timing can be incredibly difficult when everything within you cries, do something! When we're dealing with a painful or challenging situation, we want action, so waiting for God feels passive. To wait for the Lord means to pause for further instruction while remaining in the present circumstance. It is a purposeful, expectant focus on God, a choice to be still and quiet in our heart while listening for his voice and watching for his intervention. At times, God will change a situation to redirect us, or he will motivate another person to give guidance. However, always remember that any advice or direction were word given must align with the Lord's will as revealed in his word. Otherwise, it's not from him. The first step in waiting for the Lord is submission to his choice of how and when he will act. What are you hoping God will do? Are you seeking him, or are you seeking only the thing that you want from him? Since he alone knows what is best for you, let go and trust his decision. Amen. Let's let go and trust his decision. Let's follow his lead. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 6:31-34, so don't worry about these things, saying, what will we eat, what will we drink, and what will we wear. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today. Let's not worry about tomorrow. Let's focus. Let's follow Jesus' advice to seek the Lord and to live righteously today. We focus on today. Tomorrow won't seem so scary because we find our peace one day at a time. When we keep on walking and talking with God. Amen. Today's Bible verse, uh, verses actually come to us from the, uh, Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling by John G. Cruis. This morning's meditation verses come from the section on fear, and today's verses are from Psalm 56, and they are verses 10 and 11. The word of God says, in God whose word I praise, in the Lord Whose word I praise. In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? Today's verses are the second of two passages of scripture that fall under the fourth point of our Counseling Reference Guide's resource section on fear. And that fourth point is: Trust in God, cast out fear. Today's verses ask the wrong question—what can man do to me?—to remind us of what we have with the Lord and to encourage us to not be afraid. What can man do to you? Oh, quite a bit actually. Man's inhumanity to man is well documented in the history of our race. And just when you think you may have heard it all about how we can abuse, harm, molest, and kill one another, some new act of depravity will make the news to make you question whether or not God should save anyone. So let's not think about what man can do. But Jesus put old scary mankind in perspective for us in Matthew 10:28, where he tells us, "Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body. They cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Man can hurt us and take our lives, but only God can heal us and give us eternal life. And he is also the only one to fear because he is a righteous judge who has the power to send us to hell. So don't fear man. Praise God in whom you trust, for his perfect love not only saves us, he also casts out fear. As always, we encourage everyone to go to mt4christ.com, where we always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist our brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. Today we continue sharing from According to Your Word: Morning and Evening, um, through the New Testament by Stephen F. Alford.. And in Alford's devotional, he prompts us to read a chapter of scripture. Today's chapter is Philippians 3, and from that chapter he shares a portion of verse 16, which says, "To the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule." And Stephen Alford writes, "New revelations from the word of God carry with them heavy responsibility. For to the degree that we have already attained," says the apostle, let us walk by the same rule. The principle here, in effect, is the same as that contained in the words, sin is not imputed when there is no law, Romans 5:13. The Lord Jesus said when he— when here upon earth, if I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin. But now they, those who rejected Christ and his teaching, have no excuse for their sin. John 15:22. And, and Alford continues, so for every new revelation of truth, there is the corresponding responsibility to walk according to the revealed truth. The same rule. So James says, be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. He who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the word This one will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22 and 25. And Alfred ends by praying, oh, that I may be faithful to always walk according to the truth you have revealed to me. Amen. Amen. Yeah. Like I said, once you think— if you think you're walking right, all you have to do is take a wide-eyed look at your life and you'll discover ways you've failed. To sin is to know what's right and not to do it. So even if you're not doing egregious sins that are breaking God's law, usually there's something you should do. And that draws us, you know, unfortunately, that self-examination can lead us to ask the wrong questions. What must I do, Lord? Well, what must you do? You're already saved. But today's revelation by Stephen Alford shows us that the Lord will teach us more as we grow in relationship with him. More truth will be revealed, and thus the need for progressive sanctification and a spirit of learning to be a disciple of Christ. That's why we're disciples. We don't ever graduate. Until we go into God's kingdom, I suppose. Um, maybe that's when we graduate, but we don't graduate here on Earth, I can tell you. Uh, I have a couple degrees in, you know, theology. Well, I have a degree in, uh, biblical studies and Christian counseling, and I don't know it all. Um, I have certificates from International School of the Word, Deeper Walk International, and, uh, Light University for mental health coaching and, and Christian life coaching, and I don't know it all. I have a degree in psychology for SUNY, uh, from SUNY Oswego. I have a degree in information technology, um, and business administration from, uh, Colorado Technical University, and I don't know it all, and I do stupid things like cut myself. Um, uh, so yeah. We're going to always be learning, and what we're supposed to do is, is continue to learn from our mistakes and learn the things that we don't know. And James tells us when we want wisdom, we should ask God for it. And that's why the rich young ruler and all of us ask God, what must we do? Because we know he's the one we have to ask. Ask and answer to. And he has wisdom. So, um, now the way, the way things unfold when you walk with the Lord is, is that he calls you to do different things in terms of your sanctification and in terms of ministry. Um, you know, to sit and take up space in a church is not what the Lord's calling us to do. He's calling us to be disciples and go out and make disciples. And, uh, we're going to have to learn some things in order to do that. So it makes our life full of purpose, uh, full of meaning, and full of hope, as, um, the Lord can use us to help people. And the thing is, it's the Lord helping people, not us. So we have to be patient and wait on him, um, to work through us. So that requires a full surrender to God. And, um, unlike the rich young ruler, luckily the Lord hasn't asked me to, uh, surrender all my financial assets to follow him, but I follow him all the same. And, uh, like I said, as we learn more truth, we progressively grow in our purpose in Christ. And so we do something with God's word, and sometimes that do something is wait. So, uh, it's pretty complicated following the Lord. Turns out. Anyway, uh, one of the things he did call me to do is lead a, a group, uh, a Christian recovery and discipleship group at Starpoint Church that begins on Wednesdays. There's room in the meeting, uh, if you, if you need it. Uh, basically we have it. Uh, we meet on Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM, uh, at this, at Starpoint Church, uh, for recovery and discipleship encouragements. And teachings, and, uh, we invite anyone who's in the Capital District of New York to join us. Um, beyond that, we, we, we instruct people at, uh, Freedom in Christ Ministries with the Freedom in Christ course. Um, we'll be leading an online class, um, on September 3rd for men. So if you'd like to join men, sign up by going to ficm.org. Good news is I'm not the only teacher at Freedom in Christ Ministries, and that there are other courses available for women and, and co-ed classes as well available this fall to register. And so if you want to learn more and grow in your faith and your freedom in Christ, we encourage you to go to ficm.org and sign up today. Anyway, it is Saturday, and we always ask the question, are you empty for Christ? That's— is there room for God to move in your life? If, if not, you might have to make some room. But if you are, if you are walking with God, just keep on walking and talking with the Lord because his life is the one of fullness and peace and joy. Um, and we, when we stop asking the wrong questions and rest in who we are in Christ, we can walk forward in freedom and, um, peace and joy and all the other fruit of the Spirit. So we encourage that and we pray for it too. So let's do that. Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank you for another day in your kingdom. Thank you so much for all that you do for us. Thank you for that day of great contentment. And you know what, Lord, uh, we thank you for this day, um, because we're going to be— we're going to be— we're going to rejoice and be glad in it because that day's behind us. And there's new challenges that make us grow, um, that challenge us to, to keep going with you and keep learning more about you. So we thank you for the challenges, and we thank you for the fact that we can, you know, draw away from those challenging times to find moments of peace, uh, where we can realize that we really don't have to accomplish everything. Christ did it all for us on the cross, and we just have to pick up our cross and follow him and learn as we go. Lord, so we pray for anyone who's listening or reading today's message, that you come alongside them and their prayer requests and their walk of faith. Um, because we all need your help, Lord. We're asking for it too. So today, go before us, open our eyes to the things you want us to see, and lead us in the way we should go. So all we want to do is represent you in your kingdom, Lord, and do your work on the earth. Lord, we thank you, we praise you, we love you, and we pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.