Joshua 1:1-9 Sermon

FINDING THE COURAGE TO BE FAITHFUL

A friend and I were talking about the adventurous things people do: bungee jumping, zip-lining, rock-climbing, hang-gliding. I wondered why I was not interested in those things (though I have done hand-gliding; that’s where you stick your hand out the window of the car when you are flying down the highway). My friend replied that people who have stressful jobs don’t need to do crazy things.

            I was glad to hear that because I thought I lacked courage or a spirit of adventure. I even thought I was kind of boring because I didn’t do those things (this may still be true). The truth is I am just not interested in thrill-seeking activities.

            Does that mean that you and I lack courage because we don’t jump off bridges? No, living requires courage. There are a variety of troubles we face in this life, fears that we experience every day, and disappointments that bog us down that all require courage to keep going forward. Living with an illness, a difficult family member, or a job that pays the bills but doesn’t satisfy takes courage. Being a faithful Christian in the Canadian context takes courage.

            So, both finding the courage to go forward when fearful, when life seems impossible and circumstances overwhelming, and giving encouragement to the discouraged is a dominant message in the Bible. Courage comes from being encouraged. We all need encouragement at times to keep living. What does it mean to be encouraged? It means that someone has given us hope, courage or confidence to keep fighting.

            Someone defined Biblical encouragement like this: Encouragement is finding the courage, by God’s grace and strength, to run the race he has laid out before us no matter how difficult or painful the course.[i]

            We can cultivate a spirit of courage and the ability to encourage others from four truths we find in Joshua 1:1-9. Here God encourages Joshua to be the person and leader he was called to be. Let’s look at four components of courage.

1. Recognizing God’s Purposes

Joshua was the man God had chosen to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land. This happened after Moses had served the Lord, leading the Jews through the wilderness for forty years, and had now died.

            Following a leader like Moses would not be an easy task. How do you fill the shoes of a great leader who gave the people God’s laws and led them for so many years? It would take a person who realizes they are not Moses and consequently is confident in who God made them to be. Who was Joshua that he could step into this role?

            Forty years earlier when the children of Israel were on the border of their inheritance, the land of Canaan, Moses chose 12 spies to check out the land. Of the 12 one was named “Hoshea” who was the son of Nun. His name meant “May Yahweh save.” Before the mission, Moses changed his name to “Joshua,” a slight variation of Hoshea which means “Yahweh is salvation” (Numbers 13:16).

            His original name was somewhat dubious, like “I hope God saves us,” whereas his new name exuded tremendous confidence like “God saves!” NO question. This is the name of a deliverer; this is a name of confident assurance.

            You may remember that this is the Hebrew name of Jesus: “Y’shua.” How appropriate that Jesus’ name means “God saves.”

            If changing your name gave you new confidence you would be tempted to head down to Vital Statistics and pay a fee to do it. But there was more to Joshua’s confidence than a name.

            We read in verse one that after Moses’ death, the LORD spoke to Joshua. It is interesting that Moses had to die before God spoke to Joshua. Moses represented the Law then and for many centuries afterward, even to this day. So in a sense, the Law died before the children of Israel could enter the Promised Land. “For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering” (Romans 8:3). Obedience to the law was not enough to conquer the land; the people had to trust in God’s deliverance completely to enter into their inheritance.

            How does Joshua slip into the role of leader then? Not by looking at his own abilities or strength of effort, but by recognizing God’s purposes for his life and knowing that what God determines to do will not fail.

            Moses is dead. There is no one else. You are the one that I have chosen to lead this people.

            Sometimes you are the only one who can do the job or fill the role. You feel inadequate when you look at yourself. You lack the gifting you think, or you lack the education, or you lack support. But God is calling you to do what he has chosen you to do. So what’s keeping you back?

2. Trusting God’s Promises

Now we need to take our eyes off of ourselves and square on God. Trust in his promises to go forward into life’s challenges.

            But we see the obstacles and they seem insurmountable. How can we overcome such hindrances?

            Joshua faced great obstacles in his mission too. These obstacles could have kept him from accomplishing God’s purposes if he had let them overwhelm him with panic. What were his challenges?

a) “Cross the Jordan River” – In Scripture, the Jordan often represents an obstacle, a hindrance to growth, ministry or success. It is possible that at the time of the year Israel crossed the Jordan to enter Canaan the river was swollen over its banks. How would they get across?

b) Entering a hostile land – Once they got across the river they were in enemy territory. They were giant people living in fortified cities and Israel saw themselves as “grasshoppers” in comparison. A further danger exists when these godless people pressure them to conform to the status quo of idolatry.

c) “You and all these people” – This was not a small group of people. Seventy entered Egypt when Joseph brought his family out of a time of famine, and one million men and their families left 400 years later. On top of that these people were known to be complainers and whiners.

            These three obstacles would make any leader quake with fear. And fear is paralyzing when it gets out of control. Any thesaurus will list boldness and fearlessness as synonyms of courage.[ii] But courage often exists in spite of the presence of fear. True courage might possibly be most evident when someone does what they are afraid to do. Real courage is the ability to face dangers or challenges with resolve in spite of fear. As John Wayne said, “Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.”

            You can look at the obstacles and be afraid or you can trust in what God said he would do. What did God say?

            “Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give them – to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot…Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them” (1:2-3a,6). The land was called “the Promised Land” for a reason. God had promised Abraham that his children would have this place. In the next chapter Rahab, the lady who hides the spies checking out the defenses of Jericho, tells the spies that the people had heard about the Red Sea crossing and all their victories over different kings since. Now keep in mind that this was generations ago. And the people of Jericho have lived in fear of this invasion for decades. By virtue of that fact alone they were already defeated.

            Here’s another shocker: The first time Moses sent spies into the land two came back and said “Let’s take it,” but the other ten said “there are giants in the land.” But according to Rahab’s report Israel could have taken the land forty years earlier. God had given it to them then already. Only fear kept them from enjoying God’s promises.

            What other promises do we fail to trust in? Romans 8:1? 1 John 1:9? Philippians 4:6-7? I think sometimes we fear spiritual blessings and that’s why we don’t trust God. We live in a “fun” focused culture and if something does not amuse or entertain us it doesn’t interest us. So we are afraid that if we claim God’s blessings it won’t be fun. If that’s the case we are really messed up. TV commercials yell at us what will make our lives better or “funner” with an aggressive “must have” pitch. Meanwhile God without pressure offers his hand full of blessings.

3. Rehearsing God’s Principles

The only way we can know what God has in mind for us and what promises he gives to back that plan up is to study his word. Our courage finds its footing in the Bible. Of all the sources of encouragement, the Scripture is the greatest of all sources. When we turn to the Word in our time of discouragement we will discover hope again in these pages.

            This is why the LORD says to Joshua, “Be strong and very courageous” and then points to his written Word. His Word is intrinsically powerful and is able to produce godly change in us. It is the way in which God is able to speak to us. It is not a quick fix; there is no magic pill in picking up your Bible and reading a few verses. But over a process of time as we pore over his truths we come to know God and discern how he works. The key is “time spent.”

            To Joshua he gives three warnings in this regard:

“Be careful” – God warns against the danger of putting off time spent in the Bible. He urges Joshua to observe and carefully investigate God’s commands regularly.

“Obey all the law” – We don’t get to pick and choose what parts of the Bible we will observe and what parts we will ignore. We have to obey the whole counsel of God.

“Do not turn from it” – This is a strong call to consider Scripture as the objective standard we live by and our guard against moral relativity (or deciding for ourselves what is right and wrong).

            Then the LORD tells Joshua what to do with the Scriptures:

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth” – Talk about it. Let it occupy your conversation with friends and family. If we occupy our mind with God’s thoughts and ways through our conversation we will be less likely to forget God.

“Meditate on it day and night” – Think about it constantly. If we are going to talk about it and apply it, we must know it and see how it applies to life.

“Be careful to do everything written in it” – Put it into practice. How we conduct our lives ought to be governed by God’s truth. C. S. Lewis wrote, “Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality.” To do what the Word says we need courage. It takes courage to love, forgive, to sacrifice, to count the cost, and to follow Jesus.

            I think it was A. W. Tozer who said we are like leaky vessels. We fill up on the Word and think we are “good” for a while but in reality we are leaking constantly and in need of constant filling. This is the danger with summer holidays: we think we have done our church “bit” and are entitled to time away from the regular schedule. Granted we need to take a break from some things, but the danger is that we are tempted to forget God. It all leaks away and we don’t even realize how hungry we are for God.

            If we are going to find courage to face our world of negative influences and pressures we need to rehearse God’s principles for life. Courage comes from knowing God’s Word.

4. Resting in God’s Presence

Resting does not mean “sitting back” and letting God do what God does. Resting in God’s presence is having that sense of lightness in your chest that God is here. It is the opposite of the tightness or stress we often feel in our chests when everything depends on us. It doesn’t – God wants us to depend on him.

            “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (1:9).

            Remember the people of Jericho? They were defeated by their fear before the children of Israel even approached their walls. If we let fear get the best of us we are beaten before the battle even begins.

            Instead, if we remember that God is with us we will have courage to face the day. Psalm 27:1 declares, “The LORD is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid.” There is a verse to meditate upon.

            God is present. The LORD told Joshua he would never leave him nor forsake him (1:5). Jesus also bore the prophetic name “Immanuel” which means “God with us” and concluded the gospel of Matthew saying, “And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age” (Mt. 28:20).

            Whatever you are facing today, tomorrow or in the near future, you do not face it alone. God is with you. We may feel like God is very far away, but as someone once said, it is in those times that God is so near to you that he has to whisper. Wherever you go God goes with you. That is a promise to rest in and breathe a sigh of relief.

Application

These are great principles for Christian leaders. But, you say, I am not a leader. And I would beg to differ – yes you are. You may not be the leader of a group of people, but someone is following you. We don’t always know who is following us, yet they are watching your moves and imitating your ways. No matter who you are someone is following you.

            With that in mind: Be strong and courageous. Know that God has a purpose for you. Trust in his promises. Read your Bible and know God. Then rest in the presence of our ever-watchful God.

            Be strong and courageous for the LORD.

            If you are a grad today, you are entering into a new land. You are leaving the safety of school and entering the workforce or university. The changes will be significant and I urge you to hold on to your Christian convictions.

            If you are a recent baptism candidate, you are entering a new land. You have made a decision for Christ, to stand for him and not for the world. Your enemy, the devil, is going to put temptations and snares in your path. You will be tested and challenged on the grounds of your faith. Stand firm with courage that Christ died for you.

            If you are going on vacation this summer, or making summer plans, you are entering a new land. Be careful that the pursuit of pleasure and relaxation does not dull your mind to the things of God. The temptation is great to skip church and forgo your spiritual disciplines for the summer. You are a leaky vessel – be sure to fill up on the God stuff.

            If you are working in the machinery of society, you are entering a new land. Be strong and courageous for the sake of Christ. It may be that you work with pagans for the very reason that you are a light to them of the truth of our Savior. Stand up for Jesus in those dark places.

            Be strong and courageous – God is with you.

                                                            AMEN

---

[i] J. Hampton Keathley III

[ii] The Original Roget’s Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases

Romans #25

OUR MYSTERIOUS GOD

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!”

            There is something down there. If there is nothing really down there, then the riches and wisdom and knowledge are not deep. They are a delusion. No, there is something down there and it is so deep as to be unknowable immediately and thus is a mystery to us.

            It is so beautiful to behold but it is not poetry, nor could a poet do justice to it. The riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God revealed in Scripture are not a human art form, and biblical theology is not a poetic product of human imagination.[i]

            Paul says there is something down there. He revealed some of it. What God knows fully we know only in part. So there’s more and we have just begun to see it in Romans.

            A good mystery invites us to follow the clues and yearn for the solution, to find that which is hidden from us. Such is the depth of God’s mystery that we will never find it in this life; at the same time we cannot leave it alone.

            The point I want to leave you with this morning is this: When we realize the depth of God’s plan of our salvation we cannot help but be humbled by our mysterious God.

            Let us delve into the mystery of Romans 11.

1. God reveals his mystery to us

We have already seen that the Gentiles were in danger of having an attitude of arrogance towards unbelieving Jews. They were “in” and the Jews were “out”; believers were grafted into the olive tree and unbelievers cut off. To think this way is based upon ignorance and not knowledge. Ignorance is the basis of arrogance; humility is based upon knowledge. As they often say in Bible College, “the more you know the more you realize you don’t know anything at all.”

            This is why Paul says, “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited” (11:25). He goes on to explain how the hardening of the Jews leads to the salvation of others and eventually the salvation of the Jews themselves. This is the mystery.

            When pagan Greeks used the word “mystery” they referred to something revealed only to special members of a religious club. No one else was privy to such secrets. In the NT however, “mystery” refers to that which was formerly hidden and now has been revealed by God and freely declared to all. A mystery then, is that truth which mortal men would never have imagined and which they are unable and unwilling to believe, even when it is revealed to them.[ii]

            God’s mystery was at one time hidden in eternity past. The mysteries of God are those plans and purposes God has planned and predestined which have not been yet made known to humankind. Some of this mystery was foretold by the prophets; it was still to come in fullness. Then when the time came the mystery was revealed and fulfilled. After this the mystery is proclaimed to all revealing what God has purposed, promised and produced.

            “A mystery, at each and every phase, is a mystery: fallen men would not have predicted God’s purpose, they would not believe it when it was prophetically revealed, they cannot grasp it even when it is taking place, and they refuse to believe it when its fulfillment is proclaimed.”[iii]

            The greatest mystery of all is the mystery of Christ. Can you say that you completely understand the incarnation (Jesus becoming a man) or how his death saves you? But God has given us this mystery, as Paul told the Colossians, “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27).

            Who could have imagined that God would enter this world as a helpless baby? Who could have dreamed that he would die for our sins when he himself sat in judgment of us? And who could even conceive of Christ residing in us through his Spirit? These are true mysteries.

            How in the world could we grow conceited about our salvation when we had nothing to do with its planning or imagining? How can we hold our salvation over anyone’s head when we are so graciously saved? There is no way we can stand arrogantly on this faith.

2. God’s mercy is a mystery

That God is merciful to us is a mystery.

            When Paul was on his missionary journeys spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ all over Asia Minor it was the Jews who opposed him the most. It is likely that because Christianity grew out of Judaism that Jews felt it was a distortion of their traditions. They were in every respect enemies of the cross of Christ.

            But Paul makes clear how mysterious is the mercy of God. “As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (11:28-29).

            Indeed, a key part of the mystery of God in revealing his love and truth to the world was the choosing of a particular people to represent him, the Jews. Now since the Jews rejected his fullest revelation of himself in the person of Christ, they would appear to be of no worth to God. But God’s gifts to them and his calling them to be his people are irrevocable.

            I like that word “irrevocable.” It means that God is not sorry he called them; he will not repent this decision. God has no regrets in calling the Jews.

            History Television has been airing a short series on the famous feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys. At one time the two heads of the families were friends and comrades in war, but after an incident with a stolen pig (among other issues) they were bitter enemies. People died in this feud: sons, brothers, friends, and even children. At one point McCoy tells Hatfield, “I regret the day I saved your life.”

            God could have felt that way about the Jews for rejecting his Son. He could have felt that way about us for our sinfulness as described in Romans 1. Just read verses 30-32 in chapter 11 and we see the word “disobedience” as it refers to both us and the Jews, and then the word “mercy” lavished on us both by God. It is illogical; it makes no sense; mercy is not what we deserved. Yet God poured out his mercy on us and gave us Christ – Christ in us, the hope of glory.

3. God himself is a glorious mystery

At this point of Paul’s letter he breaks out in praise. We have reached a climax in the description of our salvation. Romans 1-11 must end with praise. Theology without praise of God is simply academics, mere head knowledge; Praise without theology is fluffy emotionalism, mere sentimentality. Theology gives us the basis for praising God. So Paul breaks out in this doxology about the mysterious God we love.

            Consider Paul’s song of praise to God. Why does our God deserve praise for our salvation?

a) He knows everything – A southern gospel song declares, “Has it ever occurred to you that nothing has ever occurred to God?” Nothing surprises God. He does not wake up and think, “I just had a great idea.” God never sleeps; God does not muse. He knows everything.

            This is what Paul means when he says “Oh!” It’s like looking down the gorge of the Grand Canyon and going “Wow!” only this is deeper. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” (11:33a).

            God’s knowledge is unfathomably deep. John Piper said, “He knows all recorded facts—all the facts stored in all the computers and all the books in all the libraries in the world. But vastly more than that, he knows all events at the macro level—all that happens on earth and in the atmosphere and in all the farthest reaches of space in every galaxy and star and planet. And all events at the micro level—all that happens in molecules and atoms and electrons and protons and neutrons and quarks. He knows all their movements and every location and every condition of every particle of the universe at every nano-second of time. And he knows all events that happen in human minds and wills—all volitional and emotional and spiritual events—all thoughts and choices and feelings.”

            He knows you intimately. He knows all things past, present and future. God knows how everything will turn out and every choice we make and the repercussions of those choices. He is able to see at a glance the billions of consequences of every action, decision and thought that goes on in our finite brains. He knows all this without the least bit of strain on his mind. That’s what it means to be God.

b) His ways are above our ways – To get into the mind of God would blow our minds - literally. We could not handle the full knowledge of God. How then could we begin to understand his ways?

            “How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” (11:33b). You cannot help but think of Job in this instance. Job had lost all his sons and daughters to strange catastrophes, his property was destroyed, and his wife told him he was a fool to trust in God. Job also suffered illness and skin diseases. He kept his faith in God but at the same time he demanded an audience with God to get an explanation for all of these hurts. Job wanted to see God and ask, “What is the meaning of my suffering? I need an answer!”

            Near the end of Job God appears out of the storm and says to Job, “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me” (Job 38:2). Later the LORD asks, “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!” and Job replies, “I am unworthy – how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once but I have no answer – twice but I will say no more” (40:2, 4&5). How can we begin to challenge God or God’s ways? He makes plans we cannot understand. He sees the big picture and how our little part fits into the big picture. All we can do is trust him and his infinite mercy.

c) There is no one like our God – Paul in his hymn of praise asks three rhetorical questions to which there is only one answer: “no one.”

i. Who has known the mind of the Lord? No one can explain God. Take the Trinity for instance: God in three persons. Explain how this is possible? Father, Son and Holy Spirit living as distinct yet acting in concert with one another so that one knows what the other is doing all the time…because they are one. Now consider that the Trinity lives in you…

ii. Or who has been his counselor? Who can give God advice about running the world?

            Isaiah writes, “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who has understood the Spirit of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?” (Isaiah 40:12-15).

            It is absurd to think that we can tell God how to do anything. Yet our prayers are sometimes so specific in the “how to” details we must have forgotten who we are talking to. Prayer in this way is truly prayer when we bow our heads and confess in humility we know nothing.

iii. Who has ever given to God that God should repay him? Who does God owe? Is God indebted to anyone?

            R.A. Torrey was in Melbourne, Australia, and one afternoon at a meeting for businessmen a note was handed to him. “Dear Dr. Torrey: I am in great perplexity.  I have been praying for a long time for something that I am confident is according to God’s will, but I do not get it.  I have been a member of the Presbyterian Church for thirty years, and have tried to be a consistent one all that time. I have been Superintendent in the Sunday School for twenty-five years, and an elder in the church for twenty years; and yet God does not answer my prayer and I cannot understand it.  Can you explain it to me?”

            Torrey read the note from the platform and replied, “It is very easy to explain it.  This man thinks that because he has been a consistent church member for thirty years, a faithful Sunday School Superintendent for twenty five years, and an elder in the church for twenty years, that God is under obligation to answer His prayer.  He is really praying in his own name, and God will not hear our prayers when we approach him in that way.[iv]

            Again in the book of Job, God said, “Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me” (Job 41:11).

d) All glory belongs to God – Concluding Paul’s song is this amazing crescendo, “For from him and through him and to him are all things” (11:36). This is like the supreme praise of God.

i. From him – He is the source of all things: God is Revelation’s Alpha. A. W. Tozer said, “An elementary but correct way to think of God is as the One who contains all, who gives all that is given, but who Himself can receive nothing that He has not first given.” And Abraham Kuyper said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry ‘MINE!’.”

ii. Through him – He is the sustainer of all things: God is involved in everything and nothing falls outside his plans and purposes. He keeps everything in balance, even though we find our world tipping at times.

iii. To him – He is the supreme purpose of all things: Just as God is the Alpha, or the Beginning, he is also the Omega, or end of all things. Everything is for his glory.

            Piper said this: “The infinite depths are his, and the infinite heights are his. He is the foundation, and he is the destination of all things. There is no explanation beneath God. No matter how deep you go, there is only God. He is the last explanation whether you go down to causes or go up to purposes.”

            He is the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2) and we know that He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6). And since he is the beginning and end, the Alpha and Omega of all things, since he is the source and the finisher, then all glory belongs to him. The chief purpose of humankind is to glorify God. “To him be glory forever! Amen.”

What does this mean for us?

The mystery that has been revealed to us concerning God’s greatest revelation, Jesus Christ, is the basis for humility. Arrogance comes from a “know-it-all” attitude. When we begin to grasp the infinite depth of the wisdom and knowledge of God, we realize how little we do know. When this produces humility in us our hearts are inclined toward God to listen to him. Knowledge produces humility, and humility seeks the wisdom of God.

            With this new attitude towards the life that God has given we will even see our work in a different way. I often pray for Sharon that she will see how she in her so-called secular job is doing the will of God. As an insurance adjustor she is bringing balance to the world by administering justice and fairness to those who have experienced loss.

            Every occupation can be seen this way. Every job can bring glory to God whether it is pumping gas (service), fixing cars (the gift of helps), or working as an accountant (promoting stewardship). Your work is given by God to glorify him in the big picture of his masterpiece.

            Second, God’s wisdom is infinitely above and beyond our knowledge or grasp, so we should expect God to accomplish His will in a way we would never have imagined. If we pray that God should do such and such in this way or that way, we come very close to limiting what God should do by our weakness. It would be better to ask God to do more than we ask or imagine according to his purpose and will leaving it open for him to answer on the basis of his promises. As one pastor stated, “I suspect most of our prayers would be substantially improved by reducing our petitions and increasing our praise.”[v]

            God is still a mystery to us, even though we know him better through Jesus. God’s ways are a mystery to us, but we can have confidence in his infinite knowledge and wisdom that he is doing the right things in the right way for his own glory and power and praise. And we know that if God is glorified it will be to our benefit.

            Christ, the hope of glory, is in you.

                                                                        AMEN

           

---

[i] John Piper, The deep riches and wisdom and knowledge of God

[ii] Bob Deffinbaugh, The wisdom of God and the wisdom of man.

[iii] Deffinbaugh

[iv] James Montgomery Boice, ROMANS Vol. 3 p. 1462, 1463 (Torrey was at one time the pastor of Moody Bible Church in Chicago)

[v] Deffinbaugh

Romans #24

LESSONS FROM THE OLIVE TREE

I am not a big fan of olives. Tried them on pizza and Greek salad, but they are strangely salty. Sharon loves the black ones and actually craves Greek salad on occasion. I do, however, love to use olive oil in cooking. It is one of the healthier and heartier oils out there.

            When we travelled to the Mediterranean exactly five years ago we saw olive trees in groves by the side of the highway. You could tell that for both Turks and Greeks olives were a staple of life.

            The olive tree is a very hardy tree. It can withstand drought, disease and fire allowing it to live to a great age. Even if the tree is set ablaze and seemingly destroyed, its root system is so robust it can regenerate the tree from down-up. The older an olive tree gets the more gnarled its trunk appears. Many olive trees in the Mediterranean are said to be hundreds of years old.

            Various countries claim to have olive trees that are 2000 years old. It is even said that several trees in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem date back to the time of Jesus. “If trees could talk,” as they say.

            One town in Lebanon claims to have the oldest olive trees in the world. It’s hard to believe and there is no scientific support for this claim but the residents of this town declare these trees to be from 4000 BC. Can you imagine?[i]

            Two questions beg to be asked of an olive tree that old: 1) Is it still vital and living? 2) Is it fruitful? If it is not living and fruitful then it is a museum piece or a tourist site but it is not useful; it is not doing what it was created to do.

            In the OT the Lord called Israel an olive tree. It even became one of its national symbols. Now in Romans Paul points to the olive tree and makes a lesson out of Israel’s failure to receive Jesus. What are the lessons we need to learn from the olive tree?

            They come in the form of two questions:

1. Are we making anyone envy us?

When God chose Israel to be his special people he did not intend for Israel to keep this privilege to themselves. Israel was meant to be a missionary people, to spread the news that God is real and he is to be worshiped. The Lord gave them a land and he intended to shower them with so much blessing that other nations would envy them and turn to Yahweh.

            But the story of Israel is one of rebellion, idolatry and sin. In his patience the Lord put up with the chosen people and continued to rescue them, loving them back each time. God finally sent his Son and the Jews rejected him.

a) The Jews’ loss is our gain – God is not done with Israel; they have not gone so far as to be beyond saving. But because of their transgression, “salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious” (11b).

            If Israel would not become a people that all the other nations would envy, then God was going to make a people out of other nations that Israel would envy. The Jews loss has become the Gentiles (our) gain.

            When Barnabas and Paul went on their first missionary journey they came to Pisidian Antioch. Their habit in preaching was to go to the Jews first with the gospel. Teaching in the synagogue they found the Jews resistant to the message of Jesus Christ. Barnabas and Paul responded, “We had to speak the Word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46). This happened several times in Paul’s ministry. Even so, Paul had a burden on his heart for his own people.

            The Jewish rejection of Jesus Christ has been a blessing to us. Blessings are meant to flow to us and through us to others. If the Jewish habit of hoarding the blessings was going to be the norm it was better for us that they reject the blessing of Jesus Christ and let it flow around them to others, namely the Gentiles.

            However, it is worth noting that there is a ping-pong ball effect in Paul’s words. He declares, “But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!” (12). In other words, Israel’s rejection of Christ is to our benefit; but our benefit will make Israel envy our relationship with God; that envy will make them want Jesus; if they accept Jesus our blessings will be greater than without them. The blessing ricochets from Israel to the Gentiles, from the Gentiles back to Israel, and from Israel back to the Gentiles again.

            Why does the church need Jewish people? Well we want everyone to come to salvation – that’s a given. But they are God’s chosen people intended to lead us in worshiping God. When a Jew comes to faith, because of their background and understanding of the OT, they tend to receive a fuller understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

            A few Sundays ago Dr. Jabbour challenged us to pray for a Muslim friend to come into our life. I think it would be equally appropriate to pray that we would make Jewish friends as well.

b) Making much of our ministry – Our hope, whether our friends are Muslim or Jew, is that they would see Jesus in us and be envious of our relationship with God.  The question then is: Are we making anyone envy us? Do they see God at work in us? Do they see us expressing our faith in good times and in bad?

            Paul said, “I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them” (13c-14). To make much of our ministry is to exult in it or make it the top priority of our lives. As in every sermon I ask now very pointedly, is Jesus the reason you get up in the morning? Is he the reason you go to work? Is he the permanent resident in your home (not guest)? Do we make much of Jesus?

            As we make much of Jesus people will take note of our faith. If we make much of other things people will note our lack of faith.

            John Piper wrote along these lines when he said, “The health, wealth, and prosperity “gospel” swallows up the beauty of Christ in the beauty of his gifts and turns the gifts into idols. The world is not impressed when Christians get rich and say thanks to God. They are impressed when God is so satisfying that we give our riches away for Christ’s sake and count it gain.”[ii]

            What impresses people (and Israel) and will cause them to envy is when they see that we are enjoying the mercy and goodness of our God. They will see what they are missing and desire the salvation they have rejected. This is why it is essential that we be a church where we forgive one another and make an effort to show love in all its forms to each other.

            In regards to Israel, Paul says of their rejection, “For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” (15). What does it mean to receive Jesus? Eternal life, yes – but it is also a resurrection of the spirit from death to life. When we are saved we truly begin to live. That’s what Paul desires for Israel.

            This hope for Israel is expressed in two illustrations: “If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches” (16). The first illustration is the imagery of the firstfruits of an offering described in Leviticus 15. God asked for the first portion of grain or product from each person’s crop as thanks to God for his provision. What it meant was an acknowledgement of God’s provision and that the best was yet to come. One Jew receives Jesus – more will follow; we share Jesus with one person – more opportunities will follow. If the first lump of dough given to God is holy, the rest will be holy too.

            If the root is holy, the branches are holy too…this is the basis for Paul’s next lesson.

2. Are we learning from Israel’s mistakes?

If Israel had a fault it was spiritual pride. They had Abraham as their father; they had the Law of Moses; they had the Prophets; they were a chosen people. But resting in these possessions they became arrogant and looked down on other people who were not Jews. This is what led to God’s rebuke of Israel and their rejection of the Christ.

            What can we learn from their fault? This is the second lesson of the olive tree. Paul focuses heavily on the analogy of being grafted into the olive tree to teach this lesson.

            Grafting was a common practice in coaxing new growth from old stock. If the branches on the olive tree were not bearing fruit then God was going to break them off and put different ones on the tree. Usually a branch from a cultivated tree would be grafted on to a wild tree in order to produce orderly fruit. The wild tree would benefit from the new branches. In a sense this is what God does, only reversed. Our faith is an old cultivated tree, but we are from wild stock. God put wild branches on his good tree to bring new life into it. That’s not normally done. God does it anyways.

            Jesus said, “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he trims clean so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:1-2). God, like every gardener, wants branches that bear fruit. There is no point in keeping a withered branch on the tree. So he cuts it off.

a) The Danger of Spiritual Pride - There are four attitudes that lead to spiritual pride.

1. Forgetting the root – Paul said if the root is holy, so are the branches. It seems that the branches thought they were holy on their own. Paul warns the Gentiles that they have the same temptation and may look down on the Jews because now they are in and the Jews are out.

            “If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you” (17-18).

            This means that there is only one people of God.  There are not Jewish believers and Gentile believers, there are just believers. The only thing that matters is that we belong to Jesus. 

            This week in the Messenger I was reminded of the spiritual elitism that can come with making too much of the branch. Tim Moore from MacGregor wrote concerning the EMC 200^th anniversary that too much emphasis was put on celebrating culture. He wrote, “As we celebrate this year it would be better and more inclusive to serve Jesus by celebrating the many people of varying cultural and religious backgrounds who worship together and call themselves Evangelical Mennonites. When we focus on one culture and religious heritage we become exclusive and it goes against the evangelical of our name.”[iii]

            We share a common heritage with every person who puts his or her trust in Jesus Christ. We have a common heritage that runs through Christ and goes all the way back to Abraham.  This is why the church should be the least prejudiced place on the earth.

2. Faith alone – We might be tempted to forget that we are grafted into the tree for the sole reason of our faith in Christ. “You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.’ Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith” (19-20).

            While we have concentrated on Paul’s teaching of divine election and God’s calling in that respect, this verse balances this out. Faith, our responsibility to believe, is the key to our stability. We are “in” only because of faith. So the warning is to nurture our faith and not grow lazy like Israel did and rest on our pedigrees or Mennonite heritage.

3. Avoid Arrogance – I think Paul has made that plain but he draws a line under this attitude to make it clearer. “Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches he will not spare you either” (20b-21).

            How easy it is to look down on those who are not as enlightened as we are about faith. We have Jesus and they don’t. Does that make us better? We have a long history of church attendance. Does that give us an advantage spiritually? What do we stand confidently on that is really sinking sand? Yes we have faith, but it is by grace we have been saved. Paul said not to look down on the Jews just because they don’t believe yet – And we are not to look down on those who have yet to make a decision.

            What do we have to be proud about? “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world” (Gal 6:14).

4. Focus on God – We must never take God for granted. Many Christians are asleep in their faith expecting God to be there but making no effort to be in relationship with him. Do we meditate on the character of God? “Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God…” (22), Paul exhorts. Make much of God and his Son Jesus Christ.

b) God’s version of horticulture - As it says in v. 24 God does what is contrary to nature by allowing us to belong to his olive tree. It is a far more natural thing for a Jew to be grafted in to the olive tree because they are made of the same stuff. So for us, wild branches, to be grafted in is another act of his grace. We do not naturally belong and therefore it is a privilege to be grafted in.

            What is the bottom line? It’s this: God is no respecter of persons. He deals with the Gentiles and Mennonites on exactly the same basis as He deals with His chosen people, the Jews. He forgives and blesses those who believe in him. He is severe toward those who do not believe. What do we believe? Just what Paul began this letter saying: the gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. We are sinners without hope of God’s favor and deserving only wrath. But God sent his Son to die in our place, to pay the penalty and to give us his righteousness.

            On this ground we are all equal: Saint and sinner, Mennonite and English and French and Latino and Jew and Muslim.

I have heard it said, and I have thought it myself, that Mennonites and Jews have a lot in common. Both:

1) are not very populous.

2) have been persecuted and dispersed.

3) are strong on heritage and genealogy.

4) are successful everywhere they go.

5) have a heavy emphasis on ethnic preservation (intermarriage).

6) seem to think heaven is reserved only for them.

7) favor the names Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

            Both do have a proud heritage. That is a blessing and a curse, especially if we rely on it for faith. God has called us to an active faith dependent on him alone. He wants us to be true Jews, true Mennonites, and more so, true Christians (though all of these could be the same thing spiritually). What does that look like?

            The missionary E. Stanley Jones once asked Gandhi the leader of India what Christians would have to do to win India over for Jesus. Gandhi knew India well and also knew very much about Christianity. He said, “There are four things Christians should do if they want to win over India for Christ. First, Christians should act like Christ. Second, do not compromise your faith. Third, learn all you can about the non-Christian religions. And fourth, let everything you do be characterized by love.”

            We have been grafted into the olive tree by the grace of God in Christ. To remain grafted in requires drinking deeply of the life-giving sap. In other words, to dwell in Christ alone, making much of Jesus, and forsaking all other worldly distractions. And in humility to consider all men and women as potential branches in the olive tree, winning them and loving them just as they are into that divine and wonderful connection.

            May God help us to be true branches of Jesus the true vine.

                                                            AMEN

---

[i]  Notes on Olive Trees from Wikipedia.

[ii] John Piper, Don’t Waste Your Life, p. 72.

[iii] The Messenger, May 2012, letters to the Editor