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What we learn in the presence
of God cannot be learned in the presence of men.
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Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a
foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever
believes will not act hastily. ~ Isaiah 28:16
“Whoever believes will not act hastily.” A person who acts hastily is
an unstable person because his actions are not properly founded. This person is
easily moved and swayed by the storms of persecutions and trials. For example,
let’s look at what happened with Simon Peter.
Jesus had entered the region of Caesarea Philippi and asked His
disciples, “Who do men say that I, the Son of man, am? (Matt. 16:13).
Several disciples enthusiastically shared the opinion of the crowds
about who Jesus was. Jesus waited until they finished, then He looked at them
and asked them point-blank, “But who do you say that I am?” (v.15).
I’m sure there was a confused, fearful look on most of the disciples’
faces as they pondered this, mouths half open and speechless.
Suddenly the men who were so eager to speak,
airing others’ opinions, were silenced. Perhaps they had never seriously asked
this question of themselves. Whatever the case, they now
realized they had no answer.
Jesus did what He does so well. He located their hearts with a
question. He brought them to a true realization of what they did and did not
know. They were living off the speculations of others, rather than establishing
in their own hearts who Jesus really was. They had not
confronted themselves.
Simon, who was renamed Peter by Jesus, was the only one of the
disciples who could answer. He blurted out, “You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God” (Matt.16:16).
Jesus then responded to Him by saying, “Blessed are you, Simon
Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who
is in heaven” (v. 17).
Jesus was explaining to Simon Peter the source for this revelation.
Simon Peter was very hungry for the things of God. He asked the most questions.
It was he who walked on water, while the other eleven watched. He was a man who
would not settle for someone else’s opinion! He wanted to hear directly from
the mouth of God.
This revealed knowledge of Jesus did not come by his senses, but it was
a gift, illuminated in
his in response to his hunger. Many had seen and witnessed what Simon Peter saw
and witnessed, but their hearts were not as hungry to know the will of God as
was Peter’s.
First John 2:27 says, “But the anointing which you have received from
Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same
anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and
just as it has taught you…”
This anointing was teaching Simon Peter. He heard what everyone else
had to say, then he looked inward to what God had
revealed. Once you receive revealed knowledge from God, no one can sway you.
When God reveals something to you, it doesn’t matter what the whole world says.
They cannot change your heart.
Jesus then said to Simon Peter and the rest of the disciples, “On this
rock [of knowledge revealed by God] I will build My
church, and the gates of [hell] shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). So
we see clearly that there is a sure foundation in the revealed Word of God; in
this case it was Peter’s understanding that Jesus was
the Son of God.
The Illuminated Word
I have often told congregations and individuals when I am preaching to
listen for God’s voice within my voice. So often we are so busy taking notes
that we only record everything that is said. This yields a mental understanding
of the Scriptures and their interpretations -- head knowledge.
When we possess solely a head knowledge, two
things can happen: 1) we are easily susceptible to hype or emotionalism, or 2)
we are bound by our intellect. But this is not the sure foundation on which
Jesus builds His church. He said it would be founded on the revealed Word, not
just memorized verses.
When we listen to an anointed minister speak or as we read a book, we
should look for the words or phrases that explode in our spirits. This is the
Word God is revealing to us. It conveys light and spiritual understanding. As
the psalmist said, “The entrance of Your word gives
light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Ps. 119:130). It is the entrance
of His Word into our hearts, not minds, that illuminates and clarifies.
Often a minister may be speaking on one subject, yet God is
illuminating something totally different in my own heart. On the other hand,
God may anoint the exact words of that minister, and they explode within me.
Either way it is the revealed Word of God to me. This is what changes us from
being simple (void of understanding) to being mature (filled with
understanding). This illuminated Word in our hearts is the foundation Jesus
said His church would be grounded on.
Jesus compared the unveiled Word of God to a rock. A rock speaks of
stability and strength. We recall the parable of the two houses, with one built
on rock and the other on sand. When adversity -- such as persecution,
tribulation, and affliction -- stormed against both houses, the one built on
sand was destroyed, while the house built on rock stood.
Some things we need to hear from God cannot be found in the Bible. For
example, whom should we marry? Where should we work? What church should we
join? And the list goes on. We must have the revealed Word of God for these
decisions as well. Without it our decisions are founded on unstable ground.
What God reveals by His Spirit cannot be taken from us. This must be
the foundation of all we do. Without it we will be easily offended by trials
and tribulations that blindside us.
Again recall what Jesus said about the Word being heard and received
with excitement yet not taking root in our hearts. It was received with
gladness in the mind and emotions.
Who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with
gladness; and have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time:
afterward, when affliction or persecution arise the for the word’s sake, immediately
they are offended. ~ Mark 4:16-17
We can easily interchange the words ‘root’ and ‘foundation’ for they
both indicate the stabilizer and source of strength for a plant or structure. A
person who is not stabilized or founded in the revealed Word of God is a prime
candidate to be moved along by the storm of offense.
How many are just like the disciples Jesus confronted. They live on
what they have heard others say or preach. The opinions and statements of
others are taken as truth without seeking the counsel or witness of the Spirit.
We can only live and proclaim what it revealed to us by God. This is what Jesus
builds His church on.
I once had an unmarried secretary who was happily dating a young man
who also worked for the church. They were growing closer day by day. Everyone
could see this relationship was going to end up in marriage. They were already
discussing it seriously.
One Sunday night the senior pastor called them out and said, “Thus saith the Lord, you two will be married.”
The next morning my secretary walked into the office on clouds. She was
so excited. She asked if I would marry them, and I said I would be honored to.
I set up an appointment to meet with them for counseling.
But I was uneasy. When they came into my office, my spirit was
troubled. I looked at my secretary and asked if she knew this young man was the
one God had selected for her. She responded with an enthusiastic, definite yes.
I then looked at him and asked, “Do you believe it is the will of God
for you to marry this girl?”
He looked at me with his mouth half open for a moment then dropped his
head and shook it as if to say, “No, I am not sure.”
I looked at them both and then spoke to the young man. “I will not
marry you. I don’t care who prophesied over you or what was said. I don’t care
how many have said, ‘You two make a lovely couple.’ If God has not revealed His
will in your heart, you have no business going on with this marriage.
“If you marry without God’s revealing this as His perfect will to you,”
I continued, “when storms come -- and they will come -- you will have
questions: What if I had married another girl? Would I have had these problems?
I should have made sure it was God’s will. I feel trapped.
“Then your heart will grow weary, and you will not be able to fight
against the adversity that blows against your marriage. You will be a
double-minded man and unstable in all your ways.”
I sent them off and said there would be no reason to meet again. He was
relieved. She was very upset. For the next week it was very uncomfortable in
our office. But I knew I had spoken the truth. This was a time of testing for
her. If God had truly spoken to her that this man was her husband, she would have
to trust the Lord to reveal it to him and stay free from offense with me as
well as with God. I told her to back off and let him have room to hear from
God. She did.
Three weeks passed, and they requested another meeting. I immediately
felt a sense of joy. This time when they came into the office, he looked at me
with a sparkle in his eyes and said, “I know beyond any doubt that this is the
woman God has given me to marry!” They were married seven months later.
When you know God has put you in a relationship or a church, the enemy
will have a much more difficult time getting you out. You are founded on the
revealed Word of God and will work through the conflicts even when it looks
impossible.
No Other Option
The first five years of marriage for my wife and I were very tough. We
had hurt each other so severely that it seemed impossible to salvage the loving
relationship we once had.
Only one thing kept us together: We both knew God had ordained our
marriage. Therefore we did not make divorce an option. Our only option was to
believe He would heal and change us. We both committed ourselves to this
process, no matter how painful.
When I had thoughts of giving up, I remembered the promises God had
given me concerning our marriage. I was not ready to abort what God had
designed and decreed for our union together.
One promise God had given us was that my wife and I would minister
together. At the time He gave it, I thought, I can easily see that. His hand is
on us both for ministry.
In the midst of our marital storms, I could no longer see the promise
clearly. But I refused to let go of it. Natural hope was gone because of strife
and pride that had entered our marriage. Yet there was still a supernatural
seed of life in my heart. That promise was an anchor or foundation in the time
I needed it.
As it turned out, God not only healed our relationship but made it much
stronger than before. We grew from the conflicts by forgiving one another and
learning from them. We now minister together. I consider my wife not only my
lover and best friend but the minister in whom I place the most confidence. I
confide in her more than in any other person.
After coming through those rough first five years I realized that God
saw flaws in both of our lives -- and our relationship brought them out into
the light.
I was in awe of the wisdom of our being joined as man and wife. Before
I met Lisa I prayed diligently for the woman I would one day marry. That choice
was the second most important decision of my life -- next to obeying the
gospel. Because of praying and waiting on God’s choice for my mate, I thought I
would not have the problems others had in marriage. Oh, how wrong I was!
God selected a wife for me who was the desire of my heart. But she also
exposed the selfish immaturity that was hidden in me. And there was much! To
run from the conflict by choosing divorce or by blaming her would have only
buried my immaturity under another layer of counterfeit protection called
offense. Knowing the Word of God for marriage kept me from leaving.
At this point I must detour from the main thrust of this lesson. Some
of you who are reading this may be thinking, “I was not saved when I was
married.”
To you God says, “Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord:
A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her
remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to
divorce his wife… brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which
he was called” (1 Cor. 7:10-11,24).
Let this word on the covenant of marriage be settled in your heart so
that you are not moved from your steadfastness by the trap of offense. Then
seek the Lord for His revealed Word for your marriage.
Some of you may not have married in the will of God even as believers.
To enter into the blessing of God for your marriage, you must repent of not
seeking His counsel before marrying, and He will forgive you. Settle it in your
heart that two wrongs do not make a right. To break a covenant because of
offense is not the answer. Then seek the Lord for His Word for your marriage.
The Solid Rock
The revealed Word of God is the solid rock on which we are to build our
lives and ministries. Numerous people have told me of the many churches of
ministry teams they have been a part of in only a short time. My heart grieves
as I see how they are moved by trials and not by God’s direction. They extol
how wrong things are or how badly they and others were treated. They feel
justified in their decisions. But their reasoning is only another layer of
deception that keeps them from seeing the offense and their own character
flaws.
They describe their present relation to the ministries or churches they
are now part of as “temporary” or “this is where God has me for now.” I even
heard one man say, “I’m on loan to this church.” They make these statements so
that, if things get difficult, they have an escape route. They have no
foundation to stand on in the new places they go; storms can blow them easily
to the next port.
Where Could We Go?
To return to the example where Jesus asks His disciples who they say He
is, we see the stability that comes when you know the
revealed will of God. Look at Simon Peter.
After Simon told what the Father revealed to his heart, Jesus said, “And
I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church,
and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18).
Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter. This significant for the name Simon
means “to hear.” The name Peter (the Greek word for petros)
means “a stone.” As a result of hearing the revealed Word of God in his heart
he became a stone. A house built of stones on the solid foundation of a rock
will endure the storms that beat against it.
The word rock in this verse comes from the Greek word
Peter later wrote in his epistle, “You also, as living stones, are
being built up a spiritual house” (1 Pet. 2:5). A stone is a small piece of a
large rock. Strength, stability, and power are in the rock of the revealed Word
of God, and there is fruit in the life of a person who receives it. That person
is made strong with the strength of the one who is the living Word of God,
Jesus Christ.
As the apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:11, “For no other
foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” As
we seek Him who is the living Word of God, He will be revealed, and we will be
established.
During the last days of Jesus’ walk on earth, life became more
difficult for His ministry team. The religious leaders and the Jews were
persecuting Jesus, seeking to kill Him (John 5:16). When things started looking
up and the people wanted to take Him by force and make Him king, He refused and
walked away (John 6:15).
“Why did He do that?” His disciples wondered. “This was His
opportunity, and ours.” They were getting troubled. The storms were blowing
hard.
“We have left our families and jobs to follow this man. We have a lot
at stake. We believe He’s the coming One. After all, John the Baptist declared
it, and we heard Simon Peter say it in Caesarea Philippi. Those are two
witnesses. But why does He keep irritating the existing leaders? Why is He
digging His own grave? Why does He make such hard statements as ‘O faithless
and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?’ to us, His own
disciples?”
The offense was beginning to mount in these men who had left all to
follow Him.
Then the ultimate happened. Jesus preached something to them that
sounded like flat-out heresy: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the
flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (John
6:53).
“What is He preaching now?” they wondered. “This is too far out for me!”
Not only that but He said these things in front of the leaders in the synagogue
in
Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a
hard saying: who can understand it?” ~ John 6:60
Notice the response of Jesus:
When Jesus knew in Himself that
His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you?” ~
John 6:61
These are His own disciples! He does not
retract the truth but instead confronts these men. He knows some have been
living on a faulty foundation. He exposes that foundation and gives them an
opportunity to see their own hearts. But they were not like Simon Peter or the
other disciples who hungered for the truth. Look at their reaction:
From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no
more. ~ John 6:66
Notice it was not a few; it was “many.” Some were no doubt the same
ones who were quick to say earlier in Caesarea Philippi, “Some say John the
Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets” (Matt.
16:14). They were not founded on the revealed Word of God.
The offense built to the point where they did what many do today --
they left. They thought they had been deceived and mistreated, but they were
not. They did not see truth because their eyes were focused on their own
selfish desires.
Now look at what happens with Simon Peter as Jesus confronted the
twelve:
Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon
Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You
have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. ~ John
6:67-69
Jesus didn’t beg these men, “Please don’t leave. I just lost most of My staff. How would I get along without you!”
No, He confronts them. “Do you also want to go away?”
Notice how Simon Peter answers, even though he is wrestling with the
same opportunity to be offended as the others. “Lord, to whom shall we go?”
What he heard must have confused him; but there was a knowing in him
that the others didn’t possess. At Caesarea Philippi, Peter had a revelation of
who Jesus really was: “the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16).
Now in the heat of this trial, he spoke what was rooted in his heart: “We
have come to believe and know that You are the Christ,
the Son of the living God.” These are the exact words he blurted out in
Caesarea Philippi. He was a stone, set on the established rock of the living
Word of God. He would not leave offended.
Reaction Under Pressure
I often say that trials and tests locate a person. In other words, they
determine where you are spiritually. They reveal the true condition of your
heart. How you react under pressure is how the real you reacts.
You can have a house built on sand that is five stories high and
beautiful, decorated with the most elaborate materials and craftsmanship. As
long as the sun is shining, it looks like a bulwark of strength and beauty.
Next to that house you can have a single-story plain house. It is
almost unnoticeable and possibly unattractive compared to the beautiful edifice
next to it. But it is built on something you can’t see -- a rock.
As long as no storms strike, the five-story house looks much nicer. But
when it encounters a severe storm, the five-story house collapses and is
ruined. It may survive a few minor storms but not the hurricane. The plain,
one-story structure survives. The larger the house, the
harder and more noteworthy its fall.
Some people in the church are like the disciples who were so quick to
speak in Caesarea Philippi, but only later to be exposed. They may look like
five-story Christians, the picture of strength, stability, and beauty. They may
weather a few minor and midsize storms. But when a mighty storm blows in, they
are relocated.
Be sure that you build your life on God’s revealed Word, not what
others say. Keep seeking the Lord and listening to your heart. Don’t do or say
things just because everyone else does. Seek Him and stand on what is
illustrated in your heart!
Next Week (Dec.11) : All that can be shaken,
will be shaken.