As you married folk know, it’s hard sometimes to settle on a television show that the whole family can watch. Now, that’s not just because there aren’t very many family-friendly shows, it’s because everyone wants to watch something different.
Since Evelyn came back home, she’s more or less taken back the TV in the living room, Diana has taken the TV in our bedroom, and I’ve been left to Youtube, which is okay.
I found someone on Youtube recently who spoke briefly about the concept of Sit, Walk, Stand. Not sit, stand, walk like we might think; but sit, then walk, then stand. How the invertedness of that is how we are to walk in the Holy Spirit in this coming time, and I thought I’d share that concept with you today.
He talked about it very briefly, only a minute or two, so I’m not stealing anyone’s sermon today. But I would like for us to look at that concept a little more in-depth. If you have your Bibles, we’re going to go to Luke, chapter 10, and look at the story of Mary and Martha; then we’ll take a look at Matthew, chapter 7, and read a few verses from there, and then go over to Ephesians 6––the famous chapter about wearing the full armor of God, and we’ll read verses 12-14.
And I’m not going to read them all up front, but go to them and speak on them one set of verses at a time.
As you’re turning there, I’d like to read something that came from Our Daily Bread. Some of you know that I love art, and if I ever get the chance, I’d love to go to the Louvre in Paris.
The Louvre in Paris is perhaps the most famous art museum in the world. It displays originals by such masters as Michelangelo, Rubens, da Vinci, Vermeer, and many others.
Since 1793, the Louvre has encouraged aspiring artists to come and copy the masters. Some of our most famous modern artists have done that and have become better painters by copying the best the world has ever known.
And I think you know where I’m going with this…
An article in Smithsonian magazine tells about Amal Dagher, a 63-year-old man who has been duplicating art at the Louvre for 30 years. Dagher remains in awe of the masters and continues to learn from them. He said, “If you’re too satisfied with yourself, you can’t improve.”
Paul instructed us to be “imitators of God” (Ephesians 5:1). In his first letter to the Thessalonians, he commended the believers because they were becoming like the Lord and setting an example for others (1Th 1:6, 7, 8, 9, 10-note).
Like the Louvre copyists, we’ll never reach perfection before we get to heaven. Even so, we must resist the temptation to be satisfied with our present imitation of Jesus. We need to keep looking to Him, learning from Him, and asking for His help. Let’s copy the Master. —David C. Egner
That’s the gist of our sermon. So today, let’s take a look at our scriptures and see how we can copy the master. Again, I’m going to read one, discuss it, then move on to the next. So first is Luke 10, verses 38-42
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
It should be noted that these were also the sisters of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. And the two sisters also had another dinner later on to honor Jesus, this was just before he entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey. And it was this same Mary who anointed Jesus’ feet with an expensive perfume and wiped it with her hair.
In that story, it’s noted that Martha was serving as well. In this story, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, and in the other story, Mary is washing Jesus’ feet. There’s another parallel between that story and this one. Mary was doing something––the right thing, and in both stories, someone else told Jesus to rebuke her.
In this story, it’s her sister Martha, who said, “tell her to help me.” But Jesus said that Mary chose the better thing to do.
In the other story, which you can find in John chapter 12, Judas Iscariot, who was the disciple that betrayed Jesus, said, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
You know, both Martha and Judas did have a valid point. I can’t blame them, to be honest. In fact, in either case, they could point to Old Testament scripture and say, “See, Mary needs to help. She shouldn’t be lazy.” Or “This scripture says that we should help the poor.”
But Jesus saw through Judas’ scheme. He wanted the money for himself. And Jesus actually replied with an Old Testament quote from Deuteronomy. “For there will never cease to be poor in the land.” And that verse in Deuteronomy then commands us to give to the poor, but in both cases––with both Judas and Martha, Jesus said that he comes first.
So, in other words, of course, we should give to the poor, and of course, we should not be lazy. But where are our priorities? Is it working for the Lord and just checking off a bunch of commandments, or is it sitting with the Lord, worshiping Him and making sure our relationship with him is right?
If you want to turn with me to Matthew 7, I’m going to read two passages from there. The first are verses 22 and 23, and then backward a little bit to 13 and 14. Here, Jesus is giving the sermon on the mount, and he’s saying quite a few things. Let’s go first to verses 22 and 23:
Jesus says, “22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
It’s harsh, isn’t it? I mean, I think a lot of people had the right intentions. Many want to help the poor and needy and will say, it’s the Christian thing to do. But they lack the importance of knowing Jesus. They lack sitting at his feet. They lack actually listening to the words of Jesus. They lack spending time with him. I used this verse not too long ago, but I think it’s relevant here, too.
In 2 Timothy 3:5, Paul warns Timothy of those who have a form of godliness but deny its power. Then Paul commands us to have nothing to do with them. Why? Because they are the ones that Jesus is talking about in Matthew 7.
Gotquestions.org says Those who have a form of godliness are those who make an outward display of religion. They present themselves as godly, but it is all for show. There is no power behind their religion, as evidenced in the fact that their lives are unchanged. They speak of God and live in sin, and they are fine with that arrangement. As commentator Charles Ellicott wrote, “These, by claiming the title of Christians, wearing before men the uniform of Christ, but by their lives dishonoring His name, did the gravest injury to the holy Christian cause” (Ellicott’s Bible Commentary for English Readers, entry for 2 Timothy 3:5).
So we can do many good things and attribute it to our Christianity, but that doesn’t make us true Christians, does it? True Christianity requires us to stop our busywork, even if it is godly work, and sit and spend time with Jesus. He, not His work is our first priority.
After we take the time to sit with the Lord, then we can walk with the Lord doing His good work. Let’s take a look at Matthew 7, verses 13 and 14:
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Do you think those who don’t sit with the Lord enter through the narrow gate? Do you think those who have a form of godliness enter through the narrow gate?
If you’ve been paying attention to popular culture and those in our entertainment and other various types of media, you’ll know that they’re going through a wide gate. How do I know this? Because of their followers. They have a wide following, and it’s getting wider. They’ll even say, “Look, why do you think this way is so popular? It’s because it’s the right way. Come along.” It’s kind of like when we were kids, and we had that kind of peer pressure. “Come on, everyone’s doing it.”
Well, adults have peer pressure too. It’s not sex, drugs, and alcohol, it’s more sophisticated. “Think this way. Look at things like this.” It reminds me of what the snake in the garden said, “Did God really say? Does the Bible really say?” Things like that.
But how many of you, through experience, have looked at that wide gate and noticed how it leads to destruction and said, “No way. Not me.”
Thank God I had church, Godly parents, and Godly role models that I could compare and contrast each gate with. And I said, “We might not be the most popular, but I’m still going through that one.”
And look at us. Unfortunately, our church congregation is smaller now than it was when I first started here just four years ago. And I know that it’s due to people having moved or having a hard time making it here because they live far away or they have physical conditions or they work on Sundays. But how many churches are struggling now? A lot.
On Friday, I saw a retired pastor who lives in Dansville. He’s either 90 or 91 years old now. I asked him if he heard what’s going on with the churches in Dansville these days. He’s kind of kept up with that better than I have. It seems the churches are just hanging in there, and there’s one that might be closing within a few months. It’s sad because it has a beautiful building. But their congregation might be joining with another one.
It seems the wide gate is getting wider, and the narrow gate is getting narrower.
This is from Verse of the Day: The world wants a Savior but not a Lord. The New Testament is clear, a Savior who is not Lord is no Savior and no friend. If the Old Testament showed us anything, it is that God’s seemingly bizarre laws were written not for his fascination but for his people’s preservation. Let’s not only call Jesus Lord this week, let’s live in a way that shows he controls our lives and his Spirit produces our character.
And that’s where our walk comes in. That’s where we have to sit with the Lord in order to walk. Our walk is with the Lord, not just for the Lord. Our walk is with the Lord, not just I’m a Christian. “See how holy I am. See how I obey these commandments?” Our Sunday School study on The Chosen exemplifies that when we see the Pharisees and the Jewish people trying to do all the right things, they lack a certain something. And Jesus is showing us that certain something is Him. God wants to walk with us, and guide us on our journey.
Matt Tommey, who is a Christian artist and author, said, “Stop doing things for God. Why? Because some of Jesus’ strongest rebukes were for well meaning people doing things FOR God. Religion is about doing things for God in a place of obligation and servanthood but the Kingdom is about doing things with God as Sons.”
Notice he gave us a contrast between religion and kingdom? In other words, there’s a difference between religion and relationship. He goes on to say…
The Kingdom is about walking WITH and by the Spirit, co-laboring with Him in the things He’s already doing. He creates the inspiration, momentum and acceleration. We simply get to “see and agree” in alignment with our design and assignment. Doing things for God because things need to happen is a recipe for religious frustration and striving.
In other words, what Matt Tommey says here is the same as what I mentioned a few weeks ago in our sermon from Ecclesiastes: “The God-given task.” Our work being a calling, not just a religious duty or a thing we do just to pay bills. But a God-given task. The Jesus character mentioned this on The Chosen last week that our occupation is more than just our occupation. We get to walk with the Lord, but we should make sure we sit with him, know him, and learn to hear His voice.
In John 10, Jesus calls himself the gate. He is the narrow gate. He says starting in verse 7, 7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.”
And then one of my favorite verses, verse 10 says, “10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Going down to verse 14, Jesus said, 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”
And down to verse 27, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
So our walk with the Lord requires us to sit, listen, hear his voice and learn his voice. Sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes it’s easy. Sometimes his voice is reading scripture, listening to a sermon, reading a devotion, listening to Christian music. Other times, while we’re in prayer, maybe God is speaking, but his voice may sound like our own voice. It may be a tug on our hearts, but it may be our own desire. His voice can be hard to discern sometimes, but God will find a way to make his voice heard.
Psalm 1 says, Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
And that leads us to our third set of scriptures this morning. Ephesians 6, verses 12-14. We sit with the Lord, gaining wisdom, strength, direction, and we learn from Him. We sit and worship him. Then, we walk with him, putting into practice our faith.
But doing so isn’t easy. It’s contrary to that wide gate. It requires a steady gaze on the Lord, the narrow gate, the shepherd. Let’s take a look at what Ephesians 6:12-14 says.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
So here’s where and how we stand. We sit, walk, then stand. As we sit with the Lord, learning and leaning into him, as John literally sat and leaned on Jesus, we are to do the same. This is why it’s so important to come to church to have that time with the Lord. It’s why we need to spend time reading our Bibles, praying, and worshiping. It’s part of not only resting us but also readying us for the warfare that we’re going to encounter when it’s time to get up and walk.
When we walk, we also have to stand firm in the faith. Why? So that when the day of evil comes––days like we are living in when the whole world seems to be going through that wide gate––we will be able to stand our ground and not follow suit––to stand with the belt of truth buckled around our waist. And again, how do we get that belt of truth? By sitting with the Lord, without the distractions of this world, gaining our strength from Him.
Can you imagine going into the world without Christ? What would our foundation be? Where would our sense of hope come from?
A story from the Korean War illustrates this attitude. As enemy forces advanced, Baker Company was cut off from the rest of their unit. For several hours no word was heard, even though headquarters repeatedly tried to communicate with the missing troops. Finally a faint signal was received. Straining to hear, the corpsman asked, “Baker Company, do you read me?” “This is Baker Company,” came the reply. “What is your situation?” asked the corpsman. “The enemy is to the east of us, the enemy is to the west of us, the enemy is to the north of us, the enemy is to the south of us.” Then after a brief pause, the sergeant from Baker Company said with determination, “The enemy is not going to get away from us now!” Although surrounded and outnumbered, he was thinking of victory, not defeat.
In our walk with the Lord, we must not just walk, but stand. 1 Corinthians 16:13 says, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” And how do we do that? Through sitting with God, walking with God, and standing in the promises of God.
One last thing before we close. That verse is followed up in verse 14 with, “Do everything in love.”
I don’t want to get bogged down with that because there isn’t enough time, and it’s a whole other sermon unto itself, but let’s remember that our sitting, walking, and standing––everything we do must be carried out with an attitude of love. Again, it’s not about doing this or that or fulfilling the law out of strict obedience, but out of our love and relationship with God.
How we fight spiritual warfare, as stated in Ephesians 6––with the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness and so on––are our weapons, but we fight in love. Too many times, Satan tries to attack us with discouragement, fear, anger, hatred, disappointment, and bitterness. And all those things, if we’re not protected with the full armor of God, we tend to project onto someone. We can’t do that. We have to, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 16, “Be on [y]our guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong [and] 14 Do everything in love.”
I don’t think those verses are back-to-back for no reason. As we stand, we stand firmly in the faith, courageously, and with strength. But we balance that with love for God and love for one another. That’s how we fight the devil’s schemes, with love.
Ironic. Backward. Counterintuitive. But that’s how it’s done.
Love dismantles sin’s power; love heals, and love believes in and wishes for the best for others.
And this goes back to where we started: sitting with the Lord. We can’t love if we don’t sit with the Lord, walk in love and stand in love. I’ll close with this quote from crosswalk.com:
The power of love comes from its source. It is not a thing in and of itself. This is the mistake the world often makes. When love becomes the force we honor or worship, its power vaporizes. But if we let the radiance of love beckon us back to its source, we find the true reason as to why love conquers all. We find there is a Lover behind love…love conquers all because God is love and God has already won.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on First Baptist Church of Watkins Glen
Featured Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
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