Coming Out Of Egypt

Part 4. The Ultimate Loser

April 17, 2007

Ron and Karen Schwartz

To subscribe to these notes: SUBSCRIBE

To see more of these notes: Ron's Thoughts

“They like each other when they win, and they don’t like each other when they lose. I love to watch people lose; you know why? You learn about people when they lose… They love each other, and they lose and they become mortal enemies.”

Donald Trump, The Apprentice.

The TV show “The Apprentice” preys on the greed and lust of humanity. On the show, a group of people are living and working together, forming bonds of friendship. They are then made to complete a task. If they win, they are all rewarded, but if they lose, one of them is fired. The losers are brought before Mr. Trump, where he interrogates them as to who was responsible for the loss. As long as they are winning, they remain best friends, but when they lose, they fight amongst themselves, viciously blaming each other. The impulse to survive can be observed throughout nature. Charles Darwin observed this behavior in nature and called it Natural Selection. But this behavior is not exclusive to the natural world. Far too often, we find the same destructive behaviors of self-preservation and self-fulfillment among Christians as well.

Not Without Purpose

Numbers 20:3-5 KJV

3 And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!

4 And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?

5 And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.

God did not bring His people out of Egypt simply to enrich their lives. He had a purpose: to prepare a nation from which the Messiah would come, and through Him the world would be blessed (Genesis 26:4). But the people did not care about their purpose. They cared only for their immediate comfort and cravings. They constantly complained about what they did not have and never voiced a single concern for what God wanted. They were self-centered and given to pleasure. They were like pompous spoiled children who only cared about their own personal desires.

Their actions defy all logic. One would think that, having experienced slavery in Egypt, they would not want to return there. Yet we find them constantly looking back at their slavery with fondness. When it came to their freedom and their purpose, nothing could make them happy. They complained about everything. They failed to see the misery of their own lives. They were just slaves who had been given freedom. But what is owed to a slave? Just what do they deserve?

People coming out of the religious bondage of institutional churches are much the same. They act like spoiled, arrogant rich kids who have never had to work a day in their lives. Everything is about them: their happiness, their spiritual fulfillment, their opinions, and their journey. They see themselves represented by the earth according to the ancient theories of the universe, with the moon, sun, and stars revolving around them. Only instead of celestial bodies revolving around them, it’s God, His promises, His Spirit, and His Church. These Christians have lost appreciation for their salvation. They are so preoccupied with their own grandeur they forget that not so long ago they were slaves to sin.

The institutional church is itself a product of self-indulgence. It is what the church would look like if it were self-centered with an unlimited budget and unconstrained personal freedom. It is what the church would look like if its only purpose were to be served by God, rather than to serve others. The church would be fat and pompous, full of people fixated upon their own personal fulfillment.

Turning Stones Into Bread

Isaiah 53:6-10 KJV

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

We know that Jesus actually made an effort to conceal His identity:

Matthew 16:20 KJV

Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

Matthew 8:3-4 KJV

3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Matthew 26:59-63 KJV

59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;

62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?

63 But Jesus held his peace…

Why?

Like the children of Israel, Jesus had a mission. His mission was to make the world see the invisible God who created them. His purpose did NOT include proving to the world that He was, in fact, the Son of God. So Jesus did nothing to draw attention to Himself. Everything He did was to bring honor and glory to God. Any demonstration that would lead people to Him instead of to God was a violation of His purpose. Not that there was anything wrong with people knowing who He was, but if He distracted people away from God, He failed. Even though it was true (Him being the Son of God), making this fact known was wrong if it did not ultimately fulfill the purpose for which He was called.

Matthew 4:3 KJV

And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

What exactly was the temptation that Jesus faced here? Satan wanted to get Jesus to defend His authority (“If thou be the Son of God”). Why? Because if He cared enough to defend His authority or credibility, then just how far would He be willing to go in its defense? Jesus was, in fact, the Son of God, so it would seem that there would be nothing wrong in proving it. After all, is there anything wrong in defending truth? Perhaps. If Jesus had demonstrated His power at Satan’s prompting, it would only have served to draw attention to Jesus and His own truth, credibility, and authority, rather than God’s. Satan would have used this by continuing to bring temptation after temptation that challenged His authority. Jesus would have become so entangled in proving His authority that the work of God would have gone undone. But Jesus overcame this temptation by not responding when His own authority was challenged. Jesus told His disciples, “The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me (John 14:30).”

Unlike Christ, Christians in religious bondage (Egypt) feel obligated to defend their own authority and their own truth. Many actually believe that it is their purpose in life. They know how to fight, how to defend their turf, and they do so with force and vigor. They fight to defend doctrine, styles of worship, protocols for their meetings, the authority of their ministries, and their power over others. They do not seem to understand the correlation between fighting over their views and the temptation of Christ that challenged His authority. They do not understand that by defending their views and authority, they have given in to one of Satan’s fundamental temptations.

There is never an end to proving you are right. Satan will make sure of it. He will point to this person and to that doctrine and to the neighboring churches in order to get you to fight. You will become so entangled in fighting that you will eventually forget all about your purpose. You will become so busy turning stones into bread (i.e., answering challenges to your truth) that your Christianity will become all about you instead of about God, your truth instead of God’s truth. Whatever good you might do is lost in your fixation on self.

Centuries ago, there existed a great people. They just did not know they were great. They were the Greeks. They were a feudalistic society of city-states each of which possessed its own army. But their constant fighting of each other kept them from becoming the great empire that they should have been. That is, until the Persian Empire showed up at their border. Persia had conquered over forty nations and empires. It has an army of millions. In contrast, each Greek city-state had an army that usually numbered in the tens of thousands. Nevertheless, the Greeks inflicted such losses on the Persians that the Persians retreated back to their own homeland, and the Greeks eventually took Persia’s place as the greatest empire in the world.

Just as the Greeks did in their time, today’s Christians fight viciously against each other. They have no common enemy. Their enemy is each other. They fight to bring each other down and steal people from eachother’s churches. They fight for the largest crowd and the most lucrative funding. They fight to prove that they are right, others are wrong, and their truth is superior. They are busy trying to turn stones into bread as Satan sits back and laughs in satisfaction. The temptation Jesus overcame in the desert has become the demise of His followers. Western Christianity has forgotten its purpose and now is evangelizing the world bringing the same decadent form of religion it practices to every other part of the world. Have you ever wondered why Western Christianity spreads almost unopposed by Satan to every part of the globe? If Western Christianity is successful, it will bring the same religious bondage (Egypt) to every other part of the earth.

What Is Wrong With Being Right?

Christian leaders often use the idea of authority to justify tactics of control and manipulation to impose religious bondage (Egypt) upon their people. As they see it, the end justifies the means. They view their “oversight” as a license to force their authority upon others, and they also see their resulting abuse as a necessary evil. Unlike Jesus, they see nothing wrong with a good fight to prove they are right.

John 8:10-11 KJV

10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

By asking, “Where are those thine accusers?” Jesus made it clear that He was NOT an accuser. Rather, He came to bring life. That was His purpose. Standing before Him was a woman who was obviously living a life of contradiction. Jesus did not feel the need to counsel her about her sin or point out all the areas where she was wrong and had need of change. Instead, He brought her life. Jesus knew that the only way to bring change was from the inside out. A change of the heart was all that was needed to bring about a change in behavior.

John 3:17 KJV

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

God is very capable of bringing about conviction and transformation. As Christian leaders, we do not need to manipulate Christians or force them (control) to change their behavior. We need to show them Christ. His Spirit will do the rest. When we convince people to change, we are manipulating or forcing religious bondage. Their change is superficial. They change to please us, not God.

But they don’t need us. They don’t need our sermons. They need Jesus.

We are to be examples for others to follow. People do not emulate their leaders because their leaders are right. They emulate their leaders because they want to be like them. They see something in their lives and in their relationships with God that appeals to them. That is all you need to do. Simply follow after God and glorify Him in your life. Stop trying to prove you are right and forcing your views on others. Follow the Lamb of God yourself, and others will follow your example. Deep down, all Christians want the same thing you want. They are like the woman caught in the act of adultery, and they want to change. They want to be like Christ. They want to be without sin. Example these qualities in your own life, and you will change the world.

So what’s wrong with being right? When you fight over your “rightness” or feel the need to prove you are right, Jesus becomes lost in your light. It is you that they see, not Jesus. Why not allow them to see Jesus through you instead?

Miracles And Evangelism

Have you ever considered why we generally do not seem to see miracles like those experienced by first century believers?

Acts 15:12 KJV

Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

Acts 8:4-6 KJV

4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

Hebrew 2:4 KJV

God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

The reason why today’s Christians no longer see the miracles like those of the first century believers is because miracles were originally given to the church as an evangelistic tool. They were a means for God to make Himself real to the world. This is our purpose: to glorify God through our lives.

Somewhere over the centuries that have elapsed, miracles and prayer have become something for the personal enrichment of believers. Prayer for healing and miracles are viewed as exclusive benefits “for believers only.” Most Christians have come to believe that God doesn’t want sinners healed as a sort of punishment for being lost, but just the opposite is true. God wants to show the lost the reality of His love and power. He wants to be glorified in their presence. He has given His people the authority to ask anything in His name for this very reason. He wants to demonstrate His power and goodness to the lost. This is why New Testament miracles were performed almost exclusively in the presence of publicans and sinners.

Contemporary Christians tend to play it safe. It is easy to pray for eachother and not see answers come because every other Christian also prays and they don’t see answers either. But to go up to a stranger and say, “Arise and walk,” would make them look foolish if they did not. Consequently, Christians avoid using miracles in evangelism, choosing instead to play it safe. James wrote, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (James 4:3).” Christianity desires miracles and healing, but they want to use it for themselves, not as part of their mission to the world. As a result, miracles are nearly extinct in many churches.

We find that in both Jesus’ ministry and those of His disciples God made Himself real to the world through the use of miracles. Making Himself real is the very reason why God came to us in the embodiment of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:3). God does not just want to see people saved by having the “Four Spiritual Laws” explained to them intellectually. He wants to save them supernaturally. God wants to be real to them. He wants them to experience Him, to know that He met them, touched them, and has forever changed them. People who experience a miracle or have some other form of supernatural encounter that leads to their salvation are never the same. They know God exists and are certain of His reality. That is the reason why the first century Christians were so successful in evangelism. They used miracles as they were meant to be used, not “just” on their own selfish needs. When prayer for miracles, healing, and other needs are directed (almost) exclusively for the benefit of believers, then we have neglected our purpose. We find ourselves just like the children of Israel: preoccupied with self.

The Generation Gap

It is frustrating to see church leaders disrespect and speak condescendingly to young people. More often than not, Christian leaders ought to be listening to their youth instead of dismissing them. Christian youth are plugged into the changing culture, understanding it long before the older generation does. It is interesting that the changes in music, worship services, dress, etc. that the youth embraces and the older generation opposes does eventually make its way into church culture but only after the older generation has done considerable damage to the next generation of leaders. Remember, unless you plan to live forever, these youth will eventually be church leaders. It’s just a matter of time. Why not learn from them and offer them your help rather than preventing them? And “help” does not mean publicly humiliating them or dismissing their ideas. Listen to them. Help them grow.

Church leaders like to play it safe; therefore, they sit on the dreams of youth. Youth see opportunity whereas the old guard tends to see reality. What the old guard must realize is that there is room for both dreams and reality. Generally, however, the church leaders feel that if young people refuse to set aside their dreams and visions for the sake of “reality,” they must be arrogant, rebellious, insubordinate, and out of control. But turn it around for a moment. Just how determined would you be in order to obey what God has told you to do? Why believe that young people are any different? Quite often church leaders forget that what they say about the youth was once said about them. They often fail to realize that the church eventually embraced their youthful visions as their generation grew into the current older generation of leaders. The impact to the church from our youth cannot be prevented, just slowed.

Why not allow the youth to explore their visions and dreams of opportunity without subjugation? It comes down to trust. Quite often church leaders point to immaturity, “reality,” and character flaws as reasons why they must subjugate others. It is very much like the disciples pushing the children away from Christ. He was not happy about it two thousand years ago. Why do you think that He approves of it now? Will they make mistakes? Let’s just hope so, because the only ones who make mistakes are those who try. Failure is one of the best teachers.

We tend to avoid “leadership meetings” like the plague because these are usually a waste of time. They are usually about status rather than mission. They exist to allow leaders to identify themselves as such and “strut their stuff.” Why don’t these meetings welcome balance from their wives? Why are they usually barren of those who have the real vision of this generation: the youth? Where are the dreams and zeal of the youth? These meetings are often about ideology (dict. “a body of doctrine, myth, belief, that guides an individual or groups. A body of doctrine, myth, with reference to some [religious] plan, as that of fascism, along with the devices for putting it into operation”). They are a group of hands getting together believing that they have no need of the feet or the legs or anything else. These meetings often result in exactly what you would expect: more useless ideology.

Today’s leadership is often less about example and more about control and subjugation. We have found that those who feel it necessary to force their views on others are the ones who have the least to share. It is simply a means of establishing authority, or essentially proving oneself to be the Son of God. If leaders really had something to give, they would not need to force their authority. If Christian leaders were truly leaders, then youth would not feel held back. If your youth feel held back, then you ought to consider whether or not you are indeed a leader. And if you have no youth, you ought to ask yourself why. Also, why is it that some congregations have not grown after 5, 10, 15, or even 20 years? Where are the new people being drawn to your vision? If this is your church, then your church is either dead or dying. Perhaps it’s time that you step down and let a young person lead. Perhaps it’s time that you stop “squatting” at the head of the line and get out of the way!

Conclusion

If you feel the need to confront those who challenge your authority, then consider how Jesus responded when Satan challenged His. If it was wrong for Jesus to respond, then why is it right for you? If you feel the need to force your authority upon others, then you have none. Your authority is artificial. You are nothing more than a bully. That is not the example Christ set for us. It is an invention of man. Many Christian leaders point to where Paul exercised apostolic authority over a church as justification for their abuse and subjugation. But Paul never conveys his apostolic authority to pastors. Because of this, many Christian leaders create an artificial apostleship, which entitles them to force “their” authority over others. God will deal with them in His time.

True leaders don’t need to force people to follow them or listen to them. People want to, especially the youth. If you find the need to force your views onto others, then you are not a leader at all. You are just their boss. Enjoy it while you can.

Jesus never forced His authority. He simply invited his disciples to follow Him. He never defended His personal authority even when it was challenged. If Jesus became the greatest of all winners by becoming the ultimate loser, then why do we believe that God wants us to fight to protect ours, or to prove that we are right and that our doctrine and beliefs are true? If Jesus never responded to those who challenged His authority, and even worked to hide His identity, then why do we believe we must compel people to see things our way, to force our will upon them? Men who are arrogant enough to believe that their knowledge makes them better are like Pharaoh, a religious oppressor who kept God’s people in bondage and was ultimately humiliated before them.

Who will you choose to be like: Jesus, the ultimate loser, or Pharaoh, the religious oppressor?

When the youth finally take your place in the church as the current generation of leaders, will they remember you as a dictator who dismissed and blocked their ideas, aspirations, and dreams? Or will you be remembered as a visionary who inspired them to achieve?

Amen.

kmsrjs@triton.net (use the same address for MSN Messenger)

To subscribe to these notes: SUBSCRIBE

To see more of these notes: Ron's Thoughts

· You have my permission to post this article, publish and reprint it, and to forward it to others and to your groups. This permission extends to messages that you previously received.

· More messages can be found at: http://members.triton.net/kmsrjs/thoughts.htm

· To unsubscribe, simply email me with the word ‘UNSUBSCRIBE’ in the subject.

· To subscribe, email me with the word ‘SUBSCRIBE’ in the subject. You may also send me your email list to add to my subscription list.

· To send a prayer request please put PRAYER in the subject line. To send a request for our employment page please place the word EMPLOYMENT in the subject line.

· Please pray for these needs: http://members.triton.net/kmsrjs/Prayer.htm

· Can you find employment for these: http://members.triton.net/kmsrjs/Employment.htm

E-mail me: kmsrjs@triton.net.

Back to Ron's Thoughts Page

Counter: