Spiritual Growth

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” – Luke 6:46-49

Jesus had just finished teaching on loving enemies and putting others above a bunch of rules. Here, he brings it all home: Stop listening and start doing.

Seems like the American church is full of a bunch of listeners. I get sick when I hear people say that they come to church to be fed.

Most often this comes in the form of a complaint (insert whiny voice) “I’m just not being fed.”

It leads me to ask a couple of questions:

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One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water’s edge two boats, l – Left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. – Luke 5:1

Two boats. Two. Jesus comes up to the water and sees two boats. Fishing crews from both boats were cleaning their nets after an all-night fishing expedition with no results. Probably frustrated crews. No catch means no money. This guy Jesus rolls up. It’s early in his ministry so they may not have heard much about him. Jesus looks at one of the crews and asks him to push out from the shore for a make-shift stage. Jesus would teach the people from the boat, the people would stay on the shore. I can see the guys from the 2nd boat smirk. “Glad this guy didn’t ask us. We are tired and want to go home.”

I can picture the crews. Those on Jesus’ boat were probably tired. Maybe they didn’t want to be bothered with maintaining a floating stage after a 12 hour shift of fishing. For some reason, they do it. Maybe somewhere in the middle of anchoring the boat in just the right place, they stop. They have never heard teaching like this. Maybe rigging the floating stage was not so bad after all.

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Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. – Luke 2:25-29

Simeon hangs at the Temple almost every day. Sometime in the past God made a promise to him. God had designed a special road for Simeon: he would see Christ. He would stare into the eyes of God in the flesh. He would hold the one who was present at the creation of the world. He would touch God.

Maybe he woke every day wondering “Is this the day?” Perhaps we would see parents come with a child and his heart would skip a beat. After a long day of no baby Christ, maybe he went home a bit disappointed thinking “maybe tomorrow.”

It is interesting to me that Simeon’s plan is to see the baby Christ. Somewhere God had made a promise that Simeon would not die until he saw him. That was enough for Simeon, to see Christ. But why stop there? Why not press in and ask God for more than that? I fear that I would not have accepted what God had promised. It just didn’t seem like enough.

I can imagine a conversation if I was Simeon. God says I can see Christ as a baby. Not being disrespectful in any form, but wanting to ring everything I can out of the situation, I might go a step further.

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I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!” – Rev 22:8-9

John is nearing the end of his vision on the Island. He records some heavy visions to say the least. As it all piles on him and he realizes his place in this great drama he falls to the feet of the angel who had been showing him theses things. The angel immediately takes charge. Wrong move John.

Why? What is so wrong with paying some honor to an angel? What was the angel thinking? I believe that he knew that in that moment they both had the potential to go totally off mission.

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And now, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel. – Ezekiel 36:1

God grabbed me. God’s Spirit took me up and set me down in the middle of an open plain strewn with bones. He led me around and among them—a lot of bones! There were bones all over the plain—dry bones, bleached by the sun.

He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I said, “Master God, only you know that.”

He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones: ‘Dry bones, listen to the Message of God!'”

– Ezekiel 37:1-4

God instructs his man of the hour, Ezekiel to prophesy to the mountains. Go speak to the mountains. I find that odd. I can imagine Ezekiel out talking to the mountains. Speaking softly, maybe getting fired up and yelling. Using hand motions. To the mountains. What would that look like? What if someone came by. “What up Zeek?” Zeek: “Um, just talkin’ to the mountains about God.”

Did it make Ezekiel feel like a crazy? What is the purpose of speaking to a mountain. They don’t respond or move or say “thanks” or anything. Just a mountain. But Ezekiel did it. God said to do it and he did.

Cooler than mountains have to be dead bones. Ezekiel’s next assignment was prophesying over some dead bones. Same as the mountains, except that the bones came to life. Check out the whole story, it’s pretty incredible.

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Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and son has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather thank for my flock, therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them. – Ezekiel 34:7-10

God puts some pretty strong words in Ezekiel’s mouth. It seems that God always holds the leaders to higher standards. Teachers are held accountable for their influence. Here, shepherds are as well. Maybe God knows that we all have the ability to turn inward. We start out the journey wanting to help others. Somewhere along the way we forget why we were so attracted to the kingdom in the first place. Wasn’t part of it, maybe most of it, this compelling desire to live outside ourselves?

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