The Grace Zone Part 8 - Reflecting the Glory

            

 chapter four from verses one to eleven, and it’s really in the same direction of God gives us grace to operate and function in certain ways, and one thing I want to share about is reflecting God. So, let’s start from verse one: “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. ² As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. ³ For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. ⁴ They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. ⁵ But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.⁷ The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. ⁸ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ⁹ Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” I have been wrestling through this passage for the last few weeks, and the first week I thought gosh, Then I spoke to Quentin, asking how am I do this, I don’t know how to present this? And I really felt God laid something in my heart. Preparing a word, it is like God does things to get your attention. And I’m the sort of person, Jesus spoke in parables like people like me, because I need practical examples and all that, and travelling to a Thursday morning, two weeks ago, it was five thirty in the morning, and I live in Kwambo, so it’s a half an hour trip there, and half an hour back.

The sun was just coming out, it was looking stunning. The sun is coming up at just after five, and it was looking beautiful, with the colour, the light reflecting off the clouds, at the same time, I was listening to a Joseph Prince podcast on the radio in the car, and he was talking about that passage in Ezekiel where it talks about the river of God flowing out of the temple, and flowing from the east side of the temple, and it really got my attention because about a week before that, I preached about that same passage. And that passage talks about where God takes Ezekiel ankle deep, then knee deep, and waist deep, then swimming. What I was hearing was like it really kind of like wrestling a bit, because I have not really received the full revelation of that passage. The first part of that passage talks about the fiver flowing from the east side of the temple, and what I understand now is that when they refer to the east it’s talking about the glory of God. So, if you look at Isaiah chapter fifty nine verses nineteen, it says: “From the west, people will fear the name of the Lord, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory.For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the Lord drives along.^”  So, God shows His glory when the sun rises. It’s like a beautiful thing, first in the morning, the sun rises. Who has seen the sunrise in the last week? In the last twenty four hours? In the last month? In the last year? Have you never seen the sunrise? Some people need to get up earlier. God shows His glory through the rising sun. In the same way, God demonstrated His glory and reflected His glory when Jesus rose from the dead.  It is almost the same picture, they could have called it the sun god, but they called it the sun. Anyway, you got my attention. But I am going somewhere with this, please bear with me.

When we choose to start our day right, spending time with God, choosing to receive from God, choosing to live lives that reflect God. It allows God to show His glory through us. And when we are showing the glory of God and reflecting the glory of Christ that is when heaven comes to earth. That is when God’s presence and when He starts impacting. So, a live surrendered to God, it’s like a reflection of God. But if you are a life that is not surrendered to God, it is like darkness, there is death, there is darkness, and nothing really grows positively. So, if you have a revelation or an experience with God, it is almost to a certain degree like the sun has not really risen over you. Colossians chapter three verses one to four says: “3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your ^[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” For me, this scripture explains how, when we give our lives to God, the old life dies and the new life is now a reflection of Christ. Another passage that highlights this is John chapter five verse twenty four, it says: “²⁴ “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” So, if you think about going back to the passage in 1Peter chapter four, But I need to read it again, but now, think of it in the perspective of your life reflects Christ. And it needs to reflect Christ. Starting with 1Peter chapter four, verse one, it says: “4 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. ² As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.” So, if you think about the suffering, he is talking about the suffering that Christ went though. And if you think about that Christ set an example for us, He lived a sinless life, and He handled certain things in a certain way.

 I have three boys. The oldest is sixteen, the middle one is eight, and the youngest is five. And it’s been so interesting to see how the older blood brother has led the way, and led by example, both positively and negatively is some aspects. Positively in a way that he loves God, and I can see the younger brother starting to walk in the same path, and Nathan, it’s a really difficult to wake him up. And I’m starting to see the same thing inmy youngest also. But the truth is that Jesus is our perfect older brother. He lived a sinless life, He handled things the way the Father would want it. He led the way for us; He gave us the perfect example. So, if you think about the aspect of suffering in your body, think of the way Christ handled it. I want to read a passage from 2 Corinthians, it talks about the way Paul experienced physical things in what God shared with him. 2Corinthians chapter twelve verse seven to ten, it says: “Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

So, that is how Paul’s revelation of how he should reflect Christ in his suffering. Now, that suffering that that thorn in the flesh, I have heard different versions, nobody really knows, it may be his eyesight, because he spent so much time in prison where the lighting is very bad, and he did lots of writing. It is possible, but we don’t know. I have been meditating on this scripture for a while, and at first I thought he was talking about a spiritual bondage thing that he was battling with, a competitive sin, actually I don’t think so. God has called us to be free, and He set us free from bondage. He wants us to walk in freedom, but physical things, sometimes God will heal now, sometimes will be healed in heaven. I have three ailments in my body that niggle me. One is my back that gets really sore, if I stand up too long. I feel like to just sit down a bit now. And I have a gamy knee that crunches a bit, and if I run too much, it swells up. My eyesight also, if I take off my glasses, it’s a blur. God has actually revealed to me, you know, yes you have a sore back, but I have your back. I felt God says that spiritually, He has my back. And about my knee, I battle to run, and I felt like God said to me maybe you battle to run, but I have you on a spiritual race. And then about my eyesight, I felt God say, you may be a battle to see, but I have given you spiritual vision in this season, in your life. So, it is a kind of a different spin on whatever you are suffering with your body. Do what Paul did, because God needs to be reflected even through our physical sufferings. If we move on with this passage in verse three it says: “For you have spent enough time doing what pagans choose to do living in debauchery, lust and other sins.” Then verse four say: “People who don’t know God think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, they heap abuse on you, and they persecute you in other words. They will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”

For me, this is a picture of the persecution you face if you decide to live a pure life. If you decide to live a life that reflects Christ and His glory, if you think of persecution, many of us thinks that persecution is only for people who travel to the east, where you are not allowed to preach Christianity, where you are not allowed to take Bibles in, or where people in the east where under severe persecution, the reality is that we all face persecution. An example for a first world scenario, what we are facing in this country, in America, there was an article on it recently that said that children ministries and churches are under persecution. They have been confronted and accused of psychologically damaging children by telling them they are sinners. Its’ gone on to a point where a case where they are being accused of child abuse because they are teaching the children about creation. The persecution that we face in this world in our country and a lot of other countries is not blatant, but a lot more subtle, a lot more deceptive. One of the other things is that young people, most of the youth were in the first service, but young people, you need to teach the youth to not experiment and drink and smoke, and have sex before marriage, if you want to do those things, and you will be persecuted. In so much more in the youth of today, who choose to live a pure life, they face severe persecution. How do we choose to live a life where we reflect Christ’s sinless life? We reflect Christ’s glory in all this persecution. In this passage in 1Peter chapter four, it highlights six points to me. There are key principles that we need to apply to our lives.

1.      First one is; to be clear – minded and self – controlled. And if you read in verse seven, it says: “Therefore be clear – minded and self – controlled so that you can pray.” And the truth is that your prayers are a reflection of the condition of your heart, or the attitude of your heart. This passage says that if you do not have self – control, then you are hindered in your prayers. It’s quite a thing to think about. So, if any of you get angry or lose your temper, in today’s world, we think we have the right to lose control, to throw a tantrum and get angry, throw abuse. But the truth is that is not the way Christ has demonstrated it. Christ got angry, but He did not get angry in His own defence. He got angry of the things that brought dishonour to the Father and dishonour the temple. Another perspective of looking at this, I am busy reading a book about fathering, and I am a slow reader, Brent asks: “What book are you reading?” I have been reading the same book for three months. One of the things it is talking about is us as father modelling the way we should live to our children, and the way we should live in our character. There was a quote out of that book that says: “Are you the man or woman that you want your son or daughter to marry one day?” Do you have the character or person that you would like your child to marry one day?

2.      Second point is to love each other deeply. In verse eight it says: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.” Above all, love. We hear so many preaches about love and so many references to the importance of loving, it’s part of the great commandments, is to love your neighbour. It is really crucial to reflect Christ, you need to love. 1John chapter four verse sixteen say: “  ¹⁶ And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” Love is the outworking of God in our lives. Without love, we cannot reflect Christ and Christ’s glory effectively.

3.      Point three is; Be hospitable to everyone. Verse nine say: “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” That’s more than just making a cup of tea to someone, it’s about being friendly and helpful, whether it’s people in the church you see after a meeting, whether it’s people who come to your house, whether it’s the person standing in front of you in the cue at the canteen at work. It’s being friendly, and reflecting the friendship of Christ. I have a good definition of the word hospitality, and we need to make others comfortable in our presence. So, when you speak to others, or the way you speak to other people, and the way you demonstrate yourself to others, or your body language, does it make other people feel comfortable or uncomfortable? Jesus showed love and acceptance to everyone. Whether they were the highest, or whether they were  poor people, or the tax collectors, or whatever they did, Jesus showed love and acceptance to them. It made me wonder, I don’t see homeless people coming to our church. It made me wonder, do they feel accepted and loved, or do they feel judged? Jesus paid far too high a price for us to be selective with who we will be friendly, and with who we will be open to.

4.      Point four is; serving those around you. Verse ten says: “¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” So, God’s grace is defined as God’s unmerited favour. Undeserving favour that is what God’s grace is. He talks about that passage, faithfully administering God’s grace. So, we actually have to administer God’s grace. How do we do that? We do that through the gifting and abilities that God has given us. The grace He has given us in those things. So, we have certain gifts to serve, and the way we serve people. Serving is not about being noticed, it’s not about what you can do to show other people the way you serve. It’s all about how you can glorify Christ. So, if you serve effectively with the right heart, you glorify Christ.

5.      Point five is; speak in a way that reflects God. It says: “¹¹ If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God.” Do you reflect God’s glory in what you say? My wife guides me and helps me. She told me I take bluntness to a whole new level sometimes, and Terence came to me afterwards and said if Stephen is the whole level of bluntness, then what are you? I prayed to God to convict me in the way I speak, in the way I use my tongue. There are many passages that talks about the power of the tongue, and the power of how you speak. And when you speak, you can either bring life or death. And you can either break down or build up. It’s so important of the way we talk will reflect Christ.

6.       The sixth point is to prioritise and effectively be available for God. Verse eleven, the second part, says: “If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides.” There are many principles in our walk with God that doesn’t make sense. It’s like giving when you don’t have, and God provides. And the same applies to your time. By being available and setting time aside for God, doing things for God, and your schedule is full, you think; “I don’t have any other time in the day, I’m overworked.” There is something that supernaturally happens when you set time aside for God. When you give your first fruit, when you are working long hours, you wake up early to spend time with God. He supernaturally makes a way for you. In the same in serving and other ways like that.

Sometimes, at the other side of it though, you might feel that what you do for God is like a burden, you don’t enjoy it, in case like that, I often have to ask myself is this outside my gifting, or am I just doing this in the flesh when I should not have been doing it that way. The chances are you are doing something out of the grace of God in that season, or out of the grace and gifting that you have, the chances are you probably will not reflect Christ as effectively you would be if you were lead be God and doing it in His timing. Brent asked me to share messages at times I think; “I don’t have much time, and I don’t really know.” And I just feel God say, you need to do it. And it’s been amazing. All glory to God. So, to summarize the six points, first one; be clear – minded and self – controlled. Second point, love each other deeply, third one is to be hospitable to everyone. Forth one, serve those around you. Fifth one, speak the words of God. Sixth one is to be effectively available for God. So, how do you reflect Christ? There is a song I have been listening to, I have this radio in my office, the speakers are right behind my head, and I am very tempted to cut the cables, but that is not very Christ like damaging company property, so I chose put some earphones in my ears and listen to some Casting Crowns, and one song has already caught my attention. The song is about God’s love is extravagant, and His friendship is intimate. It caught my attention, Do I reflect the glory of God so that I can see, so that people can see God’s extravagant love. And do I reflect the glory of God in a way that I have friendships with people that are intimate, that are deep friendships, that I am not just a shallow person. If I could summarize my sermon, we have been talking about God’s grace, and if we want to be effective for God we need to assure that we are reflecting His glory. The last part of verse eleven sums up my entire sermon, it says: “so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever men.”

Senior Pastor: Brent Brading

Website Address: www.outlookchurch.co.za