Principles for Spiritual Progress
30 August, 1998
INTRODUCTION: There is a song that is popular these days that is sung by a contemporary pop group. Although it is definitely not a Christian song, it is quite intriguing. I am not exactly sure what the song is about but the words kind of remind of the journey that you and I as followers of the Lord are on. The songs is written by B. J. Armstrong and the first verse goes like this:
Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road;
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go;
So make the best of this test and don't ask why,
It's not a question but a lesson learned in time,
It's something unpredictable, but in the end its right,
I hope you had the time of your life.
"Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) words and music by B. J. Armstrong
Can you relate to that at all? Does it sound anything to you like the this journey that we are on? This life that we live as Christians are filled with all kinds of turning points. We are constantly being challenged in some way along the way with a test - and it certainly is a life that is somewhat unpredictable. You just never know what the next turning point will offer. But we do know that in the end it is right because we know that we are following Jesus Christ who is The Way, The Truth and The Life. And I would hope that we are having the time of our lives in spite of all that we are face with.
CONTEXT: Jacob had been on a journey from the time he was chosen by God to be the father of the nation of Israel. It was a journey that was filled with all kinds of forks in the road and turning points and it was a journey that would lead him to the place we find him in this narrative that we read today - and it was all according to God's sovereign plan for his life.
Jacob has come such a long way to get back to the place where God wanted him -which is precisely why God spoke to him and told him to go Bethel. He has gone through so much to get here. Some believe he comes to this place after a time of unnecessary and disobedient delay. But the fact is, God spoke to him to return and here he is.
As we consider this home-coming of Jacob to Bethel, there is once again, a couple of different approaches we could take with this narrative. I have chosen to share with you what I see in this narrative to be several principles for spiritual progress. You have to admit that Jacob has made significant progress in his journey to Bethel as well as his journey in following God. And there are several principles that I see from his life up to this point that you and I can apply to this journey we are on as we follow the Lord.
The truth is that those of who have been called out of darkness to follow Christ are on a journey. And if we to make the most of this journey, there are some principles that we need to consider.
1. REMEMBER WHO GOT YOU TO THIS POINT IN YOUR JOURNEY - 35:1
One might think it hard to be believe that Jacob has actually made it this far in one piece. He has been up against some many obstacles - most of which we the result of his own mistakes and bad decisions. He has made so many mistakes. He has probably done things wrong more than he has done them right. And in spite of it all, he is right where God intended for him to be all along. Do you know who got him to this point? It was God who got him here. It was not Jacob's own abilities or intelligence but it was all God's doing. As a matter of fact, it was God's idea from the beginning that Jacob would even begin this journey and if it were not for God, come this far. God has been leading him through one crisis after another. There is no human explanation as to why Jacob has made it this far except that God has brought him to the place.
When you think back over your life and your life as a follower of Jesus, if you are like me, you have to admit that you are where you are in your journey because of the work that God has done in your life. It has not always been "fun." It has not always been easy. Sometimes it has been the hardest thing you have ever done. There have been times that you have wanted to just quit. You have probably thought on many occasions that you are done with this whole thing called Christianity. But for some reason, you have persevered. You have hung in there. You have not given up. And now looking back, you know that if it were not for God and His work in your life, you would not be here. God is the One who has given you the power and the strength to take those stands - to resist the urge to go back. You know for sure that it is God who has gotten you to this point in your journey.
When I read that first verse of chapter 35, I cannot help but be reminded of this truth - that Jacob had come to this point in his journey simply because God had brought him here. And I have a feeling that Jacob knew that full well when he heard God say to him, "Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother."
We must never forget who it is that got us to this point in our journey. We may not be where we want to be - we may not be where we think we should be. But God has used every circumstance in our life to get us to this point. If we do not believe that, then we do not believe in the sovereignty of God. And an understanding of this truth is so important to us moving on in our journey with Him and with one another. Because if God has been faithful enough to get us to where we are in spite of all that we have gone through, then He will faithfully take us the rest of the way.
2. TURN AWAY FROM ANYTHING THAT WILL HINDER YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD - 35:2-4
During their travels, Jacob and his clan had obviously accumulated some things that posed a real problem to their spiritual well being. You remember that when they were living in the house of Laban, Rachael had stolen the household idols. And as they fled from the scene under adverse circumstances, unbeknownst to Jacob, Rachael took the idols with her and kept them hidden. It is very likely that by this time, Jacob was aware of the fact that Rachael had stolen those household idols and the presence of these false gods had been and would be hindrance to the covenant family on their walk with God. As we considered the previous narrative describing Jacob and his sons' confrontation with Hamor and Shechem, I mentioned that I think it was possible that when they plundered the city of Shechem that maybe part of what they took were the false gods of the Canaanites. Again this would certainly pose a real problem. And it was now time to do some house cleaning. And God instructs them what they need to do to do that.
First of all, the family is instructed to out away the foreign gods. The basic meaning of the word "put away" is to "turn aside from or withdraw from." Here in this verse it means "to remove as they are urged to put away those things that will do spiritual harm to them."
Secondly, they were to purify themselves and change their garments. All of this served to portray both cleansing and defilement from idolatry and consecration of the heart to the Lord. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible, p. 66)
It is true that their relationship with God was based solely on His grace and unmerited favor. But the presence of such idols would be a hindrance to their walk.
Our relationship with God is based solely on His grace to us and our faith in Him. It is not based on a bunch of do's and don'ts but it is based on the covenant that God has made with us through the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. But along the way, it is possible for you and I to pick up an idol or two that gets in the way of our spiritual lives and progress and service.
Anything that gets in the way of our walk and the work is not good. And it may be that some kind of decisive action needs to be taken before we can make any progress.
3. BE EVER SO AWARE OF GOD'S HAND OF PROTECTION ALONG THE WAY - 35:5-7
God's hand of protection has obviously been a factor in Jacob's life. Consider a few examples from what we have already seen in the life of Jacob:
And now Jacob has a concern that the Canaanites and the Perizzites might destroy his household because of the way that his sons had dealt with Hamor and Shechem. But "the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob." This terror mentioned here was a "supernatural terror. It basically means "to break, terrify and dismay." And it was not a terror that was caused by the actions of the sons of Jacob but it was put there by God.
There is no other explanation for Jacob's safe arrival at Bethel other than God's hand of protection. And even though Jacob experienced many life threatening ordeals and discouraging times, God's hand was upon him.
Sometimes God works in our lives in such a way that we know that His hand of protection has been upon us. But at the same time, God' promise to protect us on our journey as we follow Him does not guarantee us a life that is completely free from hardships and suffering. Some who follow Christ will even experience some of the most tragic circumstances that happens to those who completely ignore God. But we do have the promise that He will bring us safely home in His good time and in His own way.
4. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ALLOW TO DELAY YOUR PROGRESS - 35:8
Loss and grief are a real part of the Christian life. Though God has promised to be with us and to protect us, He has not promised us a life without sorrow and grief. In the context of Jacob's very special meeting with God at Bethel, he and his family lost someone who had been with them. Her name was Deborah and she was Rebekah's nurse. Her service to the family had obviously caused the family to respect and love her. And it would have been easy to allow this significant loss to delay their moving on. Gordon Talbot points out, "When the people of God are seeking Him with their whole heart the interruptions of daily responsibilities and routines do not necessarily impede spiritual progress" (Gordon Talbot, A Study of the Book of Genesis, p. 212). In spite of this significant loss to this family, Jacob continued on with plans without any loss of momentum.
I would certainly never say that we should ignore something as significant as the loss of a loved one. But there is a real danger in us allowing such circumstances to completely get us off course in our walk and in our service to God. There have been so many people who have lost a loved one and have become so bitter or so emotionally incapacitated that they come to a complete stand-still in their walk with God and the ministry to which He has called them. We certainly need to give ourselves time to grieve and adjust to such circumstances but not to the point that we give up on everything we have been called to do.
ILLUSTRATION: Two weeks before Terri and I were to move to Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa, GA to prepare for the ministry, my dad passed away. We knew his death was imminent because he had been ill for some time. We knew that if we were to move before he died, we would be making a trip back home in the near future to attend his funeral. But that trip back home for a funeral never had to happen. My dad passed away on July 15, we laid him to rest on July 17 (my birthday) and on August 1 we moved to Toccoa as planned. Yes, it was a difficult time. Leaving my mom and my brother in Durham under such circumstances was not easy. But we knew that God was calling us to the ministry. We knew that the way had been made for us to begin our preparation that year. And so we continued on with what we believed God had already set in motion. I guess we could have delayed our move but if we had, but there was really no point in waiting.
But we do need to be careful what we allow to impede us moving on in the direction that we know that God wants us to go.
5. REMEMBER THAT GOD IS FAITHFUL IN KEEPING HIS PROMISE TO YOU - 35:9-12
One thing is for certain about the life of Jacob - God's faithfulness to him has been steadfast.
And here God makes it clear to Jacob that He had not changed His mind or His plans for Jacob. He was being true and faithful to the promises that He had made to Jacob. After all that Jacob had done:
Here we see very clearly God reminding and reaffirming Jacob of that covenant promise He had made to Jacob long before he ever reached Bethel. God's plan for Jacob had not changed. Jacob might have been able to get in the way from time to time but God's purposes for him would be fulfilled - and it was all based on that covenant promise. This reminds me of the words of the Prophet Jeremiah as recorded in Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
And listen to the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 33:8- 12 says "Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance."
And in Psalm 40:5 we read, "Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare."
Let me direct your attention to a very significant passage of scripture in the New Testament book of 1 Corinthians 1:1-9. Keep in mind that these words are written to a body of believers who Paul could not address as spiritual but worldly - mere infants of Christ. And yet, he had these encouraging words to say.
God is faithful to keep His promise to His people. And that is something we need to remember as we continue to follow Him.
6. DON'T FORGET THE COMMITMENT THAT YOU ONCE MADE TO GOD - 35:7,13-15
Everytime we see Jacob being met by God, we see him responding by building an altar to God for the purpose of worship and the reaffirmation of the vow that he had made to God. The first time God meet with Jacob at that this very place as recorded in chapter 28, Jacob made the following vow to God: "He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, 'If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.' " (Gen 28:19-22 NIV) And now that God has actually brought him back to his father house, to Bethel, he reaffirms that vow he once made to God. Just as God had not forgotten the promise He had made to Jacob, Jacob did not forget the vow he had made to God.
What about you?? Have you forgotten the vow that you once made to God? Maybe it was at an altar in a church or in your car or maybe even sitting there in that same spot you find yourself every Sunday morning. It is so easy to forget those times we came to God and made a commitment. Sometimes we think that maybe God has somehow given up on us and so we figure, "what's the use." But God never forgets the promise He has made to us and neither should we forget that time we said, "I will follow You."
CONCLUSION: I really believe that when I get home, I am going to be able to say that I have had the time of my life. That it has been an adventure. And it has all been God from beginning to end.
And having the time of our lives is not about having "fun" as much as it is about serving and following Jesus. We never really know where He is going to lead us but we can be sure that He knows the way. And like I said last week, because we don't know what is down the road, the safest and smartest thing we can ever do as followers of Jesus is to follow Him in obedience.
And another thing, you will never have the time of your life until you become a follower of the Only One who can give you life. Jacob would have never made it to Bethel, the house of God, unless he had been moving along at God's command. And you and I will never see "The Promised Land" of His kingdom unless we are followers of Him. Jesus said it plainly, "...no man comes to the Father except by me." Maybe you will be one who will come to the end of your journey and can say, "I know I had the time of my life."