I LIKE CHURCH, BUT. #5/8

#1 · May 29, 2007, 2:03 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on May 29, 2007, 2:03 pm
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>
I LIKE CHURCH, BUT #5/8

MARCHING ORDERS

May 27, 2007

Text: Galatians 5:13-18

Some of you may recall the story I told about my experience during my turn as Company Commander while at basic training for Naval officer candidates. Every morning after reveille, physical training, breakfast, and room cleanup, the entire class mustered for morning formation. Following the presentation of the colors and general orders for the day, we marched by company to our designated locations. On any normal day, that meant giving my company the following orders: left face, forward march, and, at the first intersection, column left. I had it all planned out.

All planned out, that is, until the Gunny Sergeant came up to me beforehand and said, Candidate. The training simulator is broken this morning, so take the company back to the barn. Barn being our barracks, where we could do some more cleaning or studying. Well, that meant that I would need to issue a column right order instead of a column left order. So I quickly made the mental adjustment and nervously got us on the way as our turn came. All was going well as we approached the intersection; I gave the order Column right! March! and the situation suddenly and quickly deteriorated into a mess. Some on the front line of the company, those who would execute the order first, followed the command correctly and made a pivot to the right. Others, however, made a pivot to the left. Some failed to register that the command was different than what they expected to hear and went left. Some recognized the order I gave but, thinking I made a mistake, thought they would help me out by executing the order they believed I should have given. Regardless of the reason, the front rank became an immediate mess and the following ranks quickly dissolved into confusion. I didnt know what to do. Our Gunny knew what to do, though. In typical drill instructor caring fashion, he had us move into a grassy area off the side of the road and do a few calisthenics as all the other companies passed by.

As you can tell, I do not have any trouble recalling that incident. Part of the reason that it stays so fresh in my mind is that I have observed applications it has for numerous life events. This morning, I invite you to think of my experience and put it into the context of Galatians 5:13-18. Throughout the Bible, God gives us His marching orders. Sometimes those orders fall in line with our expectations. Do not murder seems to be one such order we like to live with. We do not want to be murdered so it makes sense, in turn, for us to not murder someone else. But how about love your enemy? And enemy here includes those who are persecuting you. That is an order that does not fall in line with the expectations of many people. But it is one of Gods marching orders, so what do we do with it? Fail to follow because we are so focused on we think God said? Fail to follow because we know better than God and, therefore, will do what needs to be done to correct His mistake? Or will we both hear and follow His marching order?

We read in verse 13, You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. This is one of Gods marching orders. God has blessed us with freedom. This is also called human free will. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, we are saved and so we are free from the bondage of the penalty of the law. This was a law that had become more and more burdensome for the people of Jesus time. Gods law had been replaced by human legalisms that impeded the pure worship of believers and the salvation of unbelievers. It was a works righteousness that placed dependence upon mans ability to comply instead of Gods power to save. So, from Christ, we receive the gospel good news of salvation.

Unfortunately, for some, the negation of works righteousness resulted in their rejection of any kind of righteousness. So Paul reminds Christians that the purpose of the freedom we enjoy from Christ is not to indulge the sinful nature, but to serve one another in love. Gods marching order is to Love your neighbor as yourself.

Following this, and every other, marching order from God is a mark of integrity. Along with freedom, God gives us responsibility. Christians are recognized as models of integrity when they follow Gods marching orders instead of attempting to replace His orders with their own. Dan Lupton writes, We model integrity when character, daily deeds, the values we claim, and the faith we affirm are joined together in a simple, complete, unbroken life system. Hypocrisy sets in when deeds and character do not correspond with the faith and values we claim. (Dan Lupton, I Like Church, But, Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, 1996, p. 109). Christians, both as individuals and as congregations, need to model this kind of integrity.

And Christians can model this kind of integrity. We do so simply by accepting and following Gods marching orders. Unfortunately, some Christians attempt to bypass Gods Word, which results in dangerous situations. In the 1930s, plans for a new school in New London, Texas, included a boiler and steam heating system. To cut costs, however, school officials opted for gas heaters to be installed around the school. To cut costs further, the school constructed a line to bleed natural gas from a neighboring oil companys pipeline. Although this was not officially sanctioned, it was a common practice then since the natural gas buildup in the pipelines was bled off as waste anyway. Unfortunately, because of their desire to take some shortcuts and save some money, school officials and employees created a dangerous environment. Natural gas, which at that time had no additive to create a smell, leaked out from the tap on the residue line and built up inside a crawlspace that ran the entire length of the building. Natural gas is colorless and odorless, so it was not readily detectable. Some students complained of headaches for some time, but little attention was paid to it. On March 18, 1937, a shop instructor turned on a belt sander. The resulting explosion was catastrophic. More than 290 people, mainly children, were killed. The ferocity of the blast threw a two ton block of concrete clear of the building, crushing a Chevrolet parked nearby. I learned recently from my Father that my Grandfather was one of the men from nearby towns who responded to the disaster. I am told that, except for acknowledging that he went to the scene, he never talked about it. One of the outcomes of this disaster is that a substance creating a distinct smell has been added to natural gas ever since.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_London_School_explosion)

We put our lives in danger every time we try to get around Gods marching orders. When the architects drew up plans for a boiler and steam heat, they knew what they were talking about. They knew that the system would be as safe as possible for their day. When others decided to go around that plan, they set their school up for disaster.

God is our architect. He has put us together, and so He knows what is best for us. But like those school officials, we sometimes convince ourselves that it is necessary and proper to short-circuit Gods plans. Unbelievers do this all the time, but they are not alone. Even some believers fail to model integrity and become involved with changing Gods marching orders. And as was learned at the New London school, it can prove a recipe for disaster. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not know what you want. (Galatians 5:17)

The antidote to our inclination to ignore or change Gods marching orders is found in the verse before: So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (Galatians 5:16) How do we do this? Remember that Christ has bought us at a tremendous price and that we are to be like him. We call ourselves, and are called, Christian, which means little Christs. We are reflections of our Master. The question becomes: just how good a reflection are we? It is told about Alexander the Great that during one of the many times he was called upon to judge several of his soldiers for their misconduct, he asked one of them who had offended his standards, What is your name? Alexander, sir, the offending soldier replied. Young man, the great conqueror replied, either change your name or change your character. If we are living as models of Christian integrity, as we are supposed to be doing, then we do not have to worry about changing our name.

Dont think that failure to model Christian integrity - in other words, hypocrisy will not find us out. Paul wrote, If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Galatians 5:15) Sins have a way of doing that. Just like my company made it known to everyone around that they ignored my marching orders, so others become aware when Christians ignore Gods marching orders, even thought they try to be so careful and discreet about it. One couple Long Beach went into a fried chicken place to get their dinners. By mistake, the manager handed the fellow the box in which he placed the money received for the day instead of the box of chicken. The manager was in the habit of placing the money he was going to deposit in one of the chicken boxes in order to camouflage it. So after this couple drive off, they discovered that they had a box full of money. How easy it would have been for them to just keep it. After all, there was no way for the poor manager to track them down. It was a free gift. It was also an act of robbery to keep it. Even though it was a mistake, it was not their money. So they decided to go to all the trouble to drive back to the place and return the box of money. The manager, both amazed and elated with this selfless act, said to the young man, Stick around, I want to call the newspaper and have them tell the story. Youre the most honest guy in town! Oh, no, dont do that! he exclaimed. Why not? asked the manager. Well, he said, you see, Im married, and the woman Im with is not my wife!

This is a good illustration of how on the surface we may look like people of honesty and great integrity. It looks like others can count on folks to be so thoroughly honest theyd give the change back they find in the phone booth - but underneath, it isnt unusual to find a lot of corruption. And were never smart enough to figure out how to completely hide our dishonesty. If someone is determined to dig up the dirt from our past, theyre going to find it - unless there isnt any there. How do we get to that point? We determine to follow Gods marching orders.

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

Rev. Charles A. Layne, Pastor

First Baptist Church

Bunker Hill, Indiana

765-689-7987

www.bhfirstbaptist.com
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org   

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

I LIKE CHURCH, BUT #5/8

MARCHING ORDERS

May 27, 2007

Text: Galatians 5:13-18

Some of you may recall the story I told about my experience during my turn as Company Commander while at basic training for Naval officer candidates. Every morning after reveille, physical training, breakfast, and room cleanup, the entire class mustered for morning formation. Following the presentation of the colors and general orders for the day, we marched by company to our designated locations. On any normal day, that meant giving my company the following orders: left face, forward march, and, at the first intersection, column left. I had it all planned out.

All planned out, that is, until the Gunny Sergeant came up to me beforehand and said, Candidate. The training simulator is broken this morning, so take the company back to the barn. Barn being our barracks, where we could do some more cleaning or studying. Well, that meant that I would need to issue a column right order instead of a column left order. So I quickly made the mental adjustment and nervously got us on the way as our turn came. All was going well as we approached the intersection; I gave the order Column right! March! and the situation suddenly and quickly deteriorated into a mess. Some on the front line of the company, those who would execute the order first, followed the command correctly and made a pivot to the right. Others, however, made a pivot to the left. Some failed to register that the command was different than what they expected to hear and went left. Some recognized the order I gave but, thinking I made a mistake, thought they would help me out by executing the order they believed I should have given. Regardless of the reason, the front rank became an immediate mess and the following ranks quickly dissolved into confusion. I didnt know what to do. Our Gunny knew what to do, though. In typical drill instructor caring fashion, he had us move into a grassy area off the side of the road and do a few calisthenics as all the other companies passed by.

As you can tell, I do not have any trouble recalling that incident. Part of the reason that it stays so fresh in my mind is that I have observed applications it has for numerous life events. This morning, I invite you to think of my experience and put it into the context of Galatians 5:13-18. Throughout the Bible, God gives us His marching orders. Sometimes those orders fall in line with our expectations. Do not murder seems to be one such order we like to live with. We do not want to be murdered so it makes sense, in turn, for us to not murder someone else. But how about love your enemy? And enemy here includes those who are persecuting you. That is an order that does not fall in line with the expectations of many people. But it is one of Gods marching orders, so what do we do with it? Fail to follow because we are so focused on we think God said? Fail to follow because we know better than God and, therefore, will do what needs to be done to correct His mistake? Or will we both hear and follow His marching order?

We read in verse 13, You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. This is one of Gods marching orders. God has blessed us with freedom. This is also called human free will. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, we are saved and so we are free from the bondage of the penalty of the law. This was a law that had become more and more burdensome for the people of Jesus time. Gods law had been replaced by human legalisms that impeded the pure worship of believers and the salvation of unbelievers. It was a works righteousness that placed dependence upon mans ability to comply instead of Gods power to save. So, from Christ, we receive the gospel good news of salvation.

Unfortunately, for some, the negation of works righteousness resulted in their rejection of any kind of righteousness. So Paul reminds Christians that the purpose of the freedom we enjoy from Christ is not to indulge the sinful nature, but to serve one another in love. Gods marching order is to Love your neighbor as yourself.

Following this, and every other, marching order from God is a mark of integrity. Along with freedom, God gives us responsibility. Christians are recognized as models of integrity when they follow Gods marching orders instead of attempting to replace His orders with their own. Dan Lupton writes, We model integrity when character, daily deeds, the values we claim, and the faith we affirm are joined together in a simple, complete, unbroken life system. Hypocrisy sets in when deeds and character do not correspond with the faith and values we claim. (Dan Lupton, I Like Church, But, Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, 1996, p. 109). Christians, both as individuals and as congregations, need to model this kind of integrity.

And Christians can model this kind of integrity. We do so simply by accepting and following Gods marching orders. Unfortunately, some Christians attempt to bypass Gods Word, which results in dangerous situations. In the 1930s, plans for a new school in New London, Texas, included a boiler and steam heating system. To cut costs, however, school officials opted for gas heaters to be installed around the school. To cut costs further, the school constructed a line to bleed natural gas from a neighboring oil companys pipeline. Although this was not officially sanctioned, it was a common practice then since the natural gas buildup in the pipelines was bled off as waste anyway. Unfortunately, because of their desire to take some shortcuts and save some money, school officials and employees created a dangerous environment. Natural gas, which at that time had no additive to create a smell, leaked out from the tap on the residue line and built up inside a crawlspace that ran the entire length of the building. Natural gas is colorless and odorless, so it was not readily detectable. Some students complained of headaches for some time, but little attention was paid to it. On March 18, 1937, a shop instructor turned on a belt sander. The resulting explosion was catastrophic. More than 290 people, mainly children, were killed. The ferocity of the blast threw a two ton block of concrete clear of the building, crushing a Chevrolet parked nearby. I learned recently from my Father that my Grandfather was one of the men from nearby towns who responded to the disaster. I am told that, except for acknowledging that he went to the scene, he never talked about it. One of the outcomes of this disaster is that a substance creating a distinct smell has been added to natural gas ever since.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_London_School_explosion)

We put our lives in danger every time we try to get around Gods marching orders. When the architects drew up plans for a boiler and steam heat, they knew what they were talking about. They knew that the system would be as safe as possible for their day. When others decided to go around that plan, they set their school up for disaster.

God is our architect. He has put us together, and so He knows what is best for us. But like those school officials, we sometimes convince ourselves that it is necessary and proper to short-circuit Gods plans. Unbelievers do this all the time, but they are not alone. Even some believers fail to model integrity and become involved with changing Gods marching orders. And as was learned at the New London school, it can prove a recipe for disaster. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not know what you want. (Galatians 5:17)

The antidote to our inclination to ignore or change Gods marching orders is found in the verse before: So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (Galatians 5:16) How do we do this? Remember that Christ has bought us at a tremendous price and that we are to be like him. We call ourselves, and are called, Christian, which means little Christs. We are reflections of our Master. The question becomes: just how good a reflection are we? It is told about Alexander the Great that during one of the many times he was called upon to judge several of his soldiers for their misconduct, he asked one of them who had offended his standards, What is your name? Alexander, sir, the offending soldier replied. Young man, the great conqueror replied, either change your name or change your character. If we are living as models of Christian integrity, as we are supposed to be doing, then we do not have to worry about changing our name.

Dont think that failure to model Christian integrity - in other words, hypocrisy will not find us out. Paul wrote, If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Galatians 5:15) Sins have a way of doing that. Just like my company made it known to everyone around that they ignored my marching orders, so others become aware when Christians ignore Gods marching orders, even thought they try to be so careful and discreet about it. One couple Long Beach went into a fried chicken place to get their dinners. By mistake, the manager handed the fellow the box in which he placed the money received for the day instead of the box of chicken. The manager was in the habit of placing the money he was going to deposit in one of the chicken boxes in order to camouflage it. So after this couple drive off, they discovered that they had a box full of money. How easy it would have been for them to just keep it. After all, there was no way for the poor manager to track them down. It was a free gift. It was also an act of robbery to keep it. Even though it was a mistake, it was not their money. So they decided to go to all the trouble to drive back to the place and return the box of money. The manager, both amazed and elated with this selfless act, said to the young man, Stick around, I want to call the newspaper and have them tell the story. Youre the most honest guy in town! Oh, no, dont do that! he exclaimed. Why not? asked the manager. Well, he said, you see, Im married, and the woman Im with is not my wife!

This is a good illustration of how on the surface we may look like people of honesty and great integrity. It looks like others can count on folks to be so thoroughly honest theyd give the change back they find in the phone booth - but underneath, it isnt unusual to find a lot of corruption. And were never smart enough to figure out how to completely hide our dishonesty. If someone is determined to dig up the dirt from our past, theyre going to find it - unless there isnt any there. How do we get to that point? We determine to follow Gods marching orders.

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

Rev. Charles A. Layne, Pastor

First Baptist Church

Bunker Hill, Indiana

765-689-7987

http://www.bhfirstbaptist.com

-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org