I saw a meme thispast holiday that was meant to warn children who were going to the rural homesnot to play carelessly with animals. In the short video, a young man is seen playing a head butting game with a sheep which, characteristic of sheep, steps back and gives the young man a serious head butt. The caption on the video is ‘things are real’. I think reality does not hit us in easy times, but when pain, hard work, difficulty sets in things become ‘very real’. In Christian life however, the faith is very real no matter where you are. Romans 12 shows us this reality by calling believers to sacrificially demonstrate real faith, real service and real fruit.
Real Faith.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
Paul shows Roman Christians that they are to be like an offering on an altar – a body given up to flames like a burnt offering on an OT altar. Their bodies are to be a living sacrifice – holy and acceptable to God, for this is their true act of worship. No longer then are they to be conformed to the patterns of this world but are to be transformed by the renewing of minds so that they may discern (and consequently do) the will of God is – the good, perfect and acceptable will. Like the Romans, real faith in Christ will be demonstrated in true sacrificial living. There is a sense in which our lives will be abandoned at God’s altar. For this is our true act of spiritual worship. We are no longer to conform to worldly patterns but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
Real Ministry
Paul moves on to tell the Romans that God has given them gifts such as faith, belonging in the body (church family) and ministries to serve in. Each of these gifts are to be deployed in a particular way to serve the wider body – let us use them he says in verse 6b. The one with prophecy (proclaiming the gospel) in proportion to faith, service, teaching and exhortation, contribution with generosity, leadership (administration) with zeal, Acts of mercy with cheerfulness. Gifts are not for showing off but for showing up
Like one body, the many parts are for serving the Lord and one another.
Real Gospel Fruit
The next section then details what living in faith looks like. It is easy to imagine that fruit is only seen in others but here, Paul shows us that fruit will first need to be seen in the believer. What does a life lived as a living sacrifice look like? We shall divide up these marks into 3 categories – Heart issues, which mainly address our attitudes, Head issues which mainly address our reasons and Hand issues which mainly address our call to action.
Heart (Verse 9- 15)
Genuine love. Abhors (hates) evil and holds fast to what is good. (v9-10). We are to love one another with brotherly affection and showing honour.
Sincere Joy. Rejoice in hope, (v12) rejoice with those who rejoice
Sincere fellowship with others in the body. Weep with those who weep. (v15)
Patient in tribulation.
Persistent in prayer
Overcoming evil with good (v21). Blessing those who persecute us not cursing. (v14)
Q: How genuine is your love for the brethren? What might you need to work on in 2024?
Head (Verse 16 – 18)
Harmony in peace with all men, as far as it depends on us. (v16,18)
Humility. Not haughty (proud) but rather associate with the lowly. (v 16b). Not wise in own sight. (conceited). We listen to the counsel.
Honorable. We are not repay evil for evil but give thought to what is honorable in the sight of all. We are not to avenge for ourselves but leave vengeance to God.
Q: How well is your mind renewed by the gospel? What might you need to turn away from and leave behind in 2023? Please write down 2 -3 areas that you need the Lord to help you in 2024.
Hands (Verse 11, 13)
Zealous– Do not be slothful but be fervent in spirit – serve the Lord. (v11)
Generous. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. (v13).
Application Questions: How zealous are your hands for the Lord’s work. Are there areas where you may have been slothful in 2023? How different will be this year be? Please write down 2 -3 areas where you might need the Lord to help you to do more of or less of next year.
Conclusion
Paul concludes in v 21 by stating that we are not to be overcome by evil but rather to overcome evil with good. We live in a broken world and, 2024 will be marked by brokenness, sin and difficulty. Our call then is to consistently demonstrate a real faith, in a real ministry with real fruit.
A joke is told of a pastor who was asked what he does for much of the week since he only preaches one sermon on Sunday and the questioner thought surely there must be other things that the pastor does between Monday and Saturday. The pastor’s answer was straight and to the point: panicking.
There is no doubt that ministry is tough. A lot of times folk in ‘full time ministry’ can be heard moaning about the difficulties of the work – the lack of fruit, decreasing numbers, diminishing incomes, tight budgets, admin workload, relational difficulties (the people aspect of ministry – which is like 90% of the work, is what I personally find very difficult), etc. All these and more make ministry quite a tough undertaking.
However, the same can be said of every area of work. Salesmanship is demanding. Teaching in a school is daunting. Nursing is exhausting. Running a business is walking a tightrope. Academia literally wears the mind. So in reality there is nothing special about ‘full time ministry’ that warrants all the moaning. A friend rebuked us in a retreat recently with the obvious question: what did you expect?
I was recently preparing to preach from Hebrews 11 and one of the things that stand out in the second half of the chapter is the kind of journey that the men and women of faith listed walked. Yet they were not all in ‘full time ministry’ as the term is understood by many today. This is important for us to understand because the call to Christ is greater that any call to his service. The saints in Hebrews 11 were ordinary men and women in all kinds of trades and vocations – farmers, military men, shepherds and even ‘guys from the hood’ like Jephthah. And although they are commended as men and women of faith it was not easy for them. In reality, their faith looked like…
Costly obedience. v17 -19. Abraham left his homeland to a land he knew not. He was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac and was willing to do it, clearly demonstrating where his heart truly was. Everyone called to follow Christ will surely find the call to discipleship costly.
Hope beyond death. The eyes of those OT saints were well set on the things above. They lopked forward to a city whose designer and builder was God. They essentially lost a taste for this earth and developed a deep longing for heaven. Because of our hope beyond death, we are called live as those whose eyes are set on things above (Col 3:2). We know that we are not yet home and so we are to live as those who look forward to eternity.
Self-denial. Moses gave up the pleasures of Egyptian royalty for ‘he considered the reproach of Christ greater than the pleasures of Egypt’. Followers of Jesus will on many occasions need to make costly decisions which will call for self-denial.
Courageous Conflict. For the OT saints listed above like Barak, Gideon, Samson and Jephthah responding to the call of God meant conflict – going into real battle ground. This calls for courage in the face of conflict. The call to Christ is not dissimilar, indeed the path of discipleship is a path of conflict and Christian soldiers are matching daily as to war. As we take a stand for the things that we are convinced by scripture to be true – like marriage being between one man and one woman or the equality of men and women and the dignity of all people. It will mean costly invasions as we raid enemy territory to proclaim the gospel and call others to faith. We are not a ‘live and let live’ kind of people. On the contrary we are often on the offensive.
Pain and persecution (v35 -38). Captured in this last verses of the chapter is a vivid description of the state of believers. The writer of Hebrews says that they suffered mocking and flogging, chains and imprisonment, stoning and others chained into two. Some commentators have said that this perhaps alludes to how the apostles of the Lord died but we are not told exactly. We do not have definitive accounts in history but certainly many died a martyr’s death. We cannot expect any less dear saints. We will be mocked on social media and hated in family gatherings, we will be rejected in the society and made to suffer for our faith in Christ. The world indeed was not worthy of them and it is not for us. for ‘whoever would follow Christ, must take up His cross and follow him’ Matt 16:24.
If this is what we are to expect, then none of us will make it except by the grace of God. Let us rejoice in the gospel and extend grace to one another as we journey on in faith and as we look forward to being perfected. The path is tough and narrow, with everybody carrying a cross and we are going to need to be patient and loving with one another.
Amazing grace how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me I once was lost, but now I’m found Was blind but now I see
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear And grace my fears relieved How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed
Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come This grace that brought me safe thus far And grace will lead me home
When we’ve been here ten thousand years Bright, shining as the sun We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we first begun
Many of us will be familiar with the dual identity of the believer in Christ as a saint and sinner. A lot more recently I begun hearing a third aspect of our identity – sufferer which I suppose, though true, is a derivative of the other two. The idea of Saints, Sinners and Sufferers has been popularized by Michael R. Emlet in a book that goes by the same title. However, it is the subheading of the book that actually got my attention: Loving others as God loves us. What a striking message for many of us in ministry who can be tempted to be very judgmental of those who are struggling along the path of discipleship.
Two events in the recent past have made me think quite deeply about shepherding. One was preaching through Hebrews 11 at church. The second one is listening through Hosea in our morning devotions at the office. Let me unpack some thoughts:
In my study and preparation though Hebrews 11, I noticed that the chapter though sometimes called the great hall of fame of faith is actually populated by pretty broken people – The Surprising People of Faith. The list includes 16 individuals and 2 groups – Israel as a nation and prophets). Yet it is quite an unlikely list…
Abraham – Formerly an idol worshipper (Joshua 24:2) and deceiver (Gen 20:2). Isaac – A deceiver. Jacob – the ultimate deceiver who tricked his brother, father and uncle. Joseph – The favored child of his father who had dreams of power and influence. Moses – Raised in royalty, murdered an Egyptian, law giver who had a temper. Israel – God’s chosen people who constantly backslid and worshipped idols. Rahab – A woman of the streets. Gideon – a doubter who leads God’s people in war but did not finish well (Judges 8:27). Barak – The reluctant commander (Judges 4). Samson – Mighty champion but weak with women (Judges 16). Jephthah – Rough guy who makes a tragic vow (Judges 11: 1-3, 31,39). David – king, adulterer and murderer. Samuel – prophet but poor parent. The prophets like Elijah and his depression, Elisha who curses 42 kids, Hosea who marries a prostitute, Jeremiah and his wailing etc.
Surely the list is quite broad and diverse but it paints for us a picture – the people of faith only have it because it is a gift from God that no one earns or deserves. God’s people of faith are mere recipients of grace. Faith and grace then are two sides of the same coin. No wonder then Paul says;
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 1: 8-9.
Clearly, God’s family is made up of people who are not yet perfected (Heb 11:40). None of us has earned the right to be in God’s kingdom, we are all recipients of grace.
How might this affect our discipleship/shepherding?
As recipients of grace, we must extend grace to one another. Every believer is positionally a saint (1Cor 1:2), functionally a sinner (1 John 1:8) and certainly a sufferer (John 16:33, 1 Peter 4:12, 2Tim 3:12). They are struggling on many fronts and hence the call not to criticism, bitterness or hatred but to one-anothering, love, patience, encouragement and to stir up one another to love and good works.
And since this will be an experience for pretty much all of life, we must exercise extreme caution in our shepherding/church discipline so that it does not come across as ‘we are the saint and you are the sinner’ but actually as gentle, loving, careful and restorative process by fellow strugglers.
Certainly there will be those who are pretenders to the faith among us (Gal 2:4) and are not truly regenerate. Such must be called out for indeed they seek to enslave by having disciples follow them rather than Christ (Acts 20:30). Yet, some level of restraint will still need to be exercised for we cannot humanly speaking, easily tell the wheat from the tares – the Lord himself will separate them on the last day (Matt 13:30).
Fromm our staff devotions in Hosea, it is quite a striking to notice how the Lord puts up with his backsliding people. The warnings are given again and again yet the Lord never really divorces from his covenant people. He certainly will use the rod of discipline on them (exile and domination by foreign nations) but they remain his covenant people from whom he will raise a saviour. The closing verses are particularly poignant;
“I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. They shall return and dwell beneath my[] shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.“
Hosea 14:4-7
Dear saints – your brothers and sisters are walking a hard path of sanctification – be gentle and patient with them. The Lord is at work in them and will one day perfect them. For now, they are saints, sinners and sufferers but in the new creation they will only be glorified saints without any sin or suffering and then this old song will be reality –
Tugakena muno muno ma! Twagirio gucoka kwagana!
Tuture nake, Muhonokia, Tene ona tene!
(Joyful, joyful, will the meeting be, when from sin our hearts are pure and free;And we shall gather, Saviour, with thee, in our eternal home. The English version does not capture it as clearly as the Gikuyu translation of the same song above).
We started our journey at 5.00 AM wanting to be in Nyahururu for breakfast at 8.00 and then proceed to our destination – Rumuruti. In the car was Peter Muturi, our Graduate Apprenticeship Programme Manager and Kevin Odhiambo who looks after the regional work and TransformD, our school leavers discipleship programme. Patrick Macharia, our regional staff for Mt. Kenya was to travel from Nyeri and meet us in Nyahururu so that we can travel to Rumuruti together.
Our journey was fairly smooth save for the mist around Kimende. We stocked up on fuel at Gitaru to ensure that we have enough to last us for the return trip for we knew it would be a long journey ahead. Yet we had plenty to talk about with these brothers – about the many trips we have made in a Probox to various destinations across the country making gospel connections or supporting and encouraging God’s people.
We got to Nyahururu in good time where Peter had arranged for us to have breakfast with Patrick Kariuki, our alumni who lives and works in the area. We had agreed to meet at ‘Comfort’ hotel but for some reason, Peter Muturi changed his mind and took us to another establishment called ‘Olympia’ hotel. We did not raise an issue since he comes not too far from the area and probably knew what he was doing. Maybe comfort is not what you seek while in ministry which is akin to Olympic races – tough and demanding. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our breakfast and conversations.
Patrick Kariuki soon joined us and we got chatting. We reminisced about his days as an apprentice at Christ Supremacy Church in Kangemi back in 2016 – the many people we could remember and their whereabouts as well as the goings on in our personal lives. Patrick served as one of the pastors in Nyahururu town. But he had further news to share – his bishop had recently asked him to take charge of a congregation in Manguo, an area just outside of the town. What an encouragement it was for us to see a man whom the Lord allowed us to interact with and play a part in his formation, now shepherding God’s flock in Manguo! But how did you end up here Patrick? I enquired.
“I came here to seek opportunities after the apprenticeship. I joined a local church, went to see the bishop and offered to do anything at the church. The only available opportunity was a janitor in the church. I juggled between looking after the buildings and attending classes the church was offering. Over time my bishop started assigning me more responsibilities. I am now involved in Bible teaching and pastoral leadership”
This got me thinking. Here was a brother who understood that ministry is about servant leadership. He was literally living out John 3:30 ‘I must decrease, that Christ may increase” Ours is call to serve the Lord, ready to do whatever needs doing without waiting to be asked or expecting to be thanked afterwards. That is the essence of our apprenticeship programme. It is easier said that done for sure but certainly the hallmark of our calling to servant leadership.
Patrick Macharia eventually joined us from Nyeri and together we proceeded to our destination. ‘Rumuruti is the local corruption of the colonial name for the town on the ‘remote route’ from Nyahururu to Malaral. Remote Route eventually became Rumuruti – an area vast and open for exploration. As Annete Sheila starts her ministry there this week, here are a few thoughts for her and all of us in ministry to bear in mind.
Ministry is remote.
We can sometimes be blinded by a sense of glamour when we look at celebrity preachers on TV and the internet and assume that is what ministry looks like. In reality that path of ministry is tough. Battles within and without make it quite a challenge to remain true to your convictions and expected action. There will be loneliness, confusion about what exactly is expected and difficulty in seeing fruit. Reflecting about his own ministry Paul says
“Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.”
2Cor 11:24 -28
Dear servant, if our Lord suffered, the departed faithful who have gone before us suffered, it won’t be any different for you and I. It might take a different form but you can be sure of this – in this world you will suffer many trials, yet you can be encouraged that the Lord is with you (John 16:33, Matt 28: 20)
Expect the unexpected
The nature of life is such that we don’t always know how the next minute, day or season will turn out. We live one moment at a time. Yet we can sometimes live with the illusion that we might know and even control the unexpected. In reality, the unexpected happens and how we respond matters much more that what actually happened. In our return trip, a heavy downpour came down soon after we passed Ol Kalou heading to Gilgil. The day had been warm and clear but all of a sudden we were in a hailstorm. So thick was the fog in the car and outside that we could barely see five metres ahead. We slowed down, put on hazard lights and slowly kept going. At one point, we had to stop completely.
In his farewell address to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20: 22 Paul speaks of the uncertainty of the path ahead of him “And now behold I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there…” The only thing he was certain of is that there will be difficulties (v23).
Dear servant, the path of ministry is rife with uncertainties. There are unexpected twists and turns. Our confidence in handling the unexpected is in knowing we are not doing this on our own but the Lord has indeed sent us and is with us. Like in the book of Acts, the Lord sends help from unexpected quarters so that His gospel advances.
Some help for the brethren came our way at a place called Kinamba
Look to Christ
As we get involved in ministry, we can easily take pride in our institutional structures or our own organisational skills and hope that they will serve us and make for our great experience in the field. We may be tempted to forget that the work is not ours but actually belongs to Christ. Those very structures and skills will often fail us and we can be grossly disappointed. Whereas the more recent developments in ‘member care’ and HR practices are to be lauded for encouraging workers to more resilient, Christians of years gone had little if any of that yet they bore fruit and fruit that has remained. How did they keep going through pain and hardship? By looking to Christ.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
Hebrews 12: 1-3
Dear servant, look to Jesus. May your confidence be primarily in Christ. He is the one who calls, who equips, who sends and sustains workers in His harvest field. He is your true eternal reward. iSA, Placements, churches, organisations, leaders and even yourself will certainly be a source of disappointment at some point – may your confidence not be anywhere else but in Christ.
Serve with others
If ministry were a sport (Olympic or not!), it would most be certainly a team sport. We are called to be a community and to work with others. We do not serve alone but actually with others. We are not to be lone rangers but team players in the work. In his closing remarks in the book of Colossians, Paul mentions at least 10 people with whom he labored. Some were church planters like Brother Epaphrus and Sister Nympha, others were encouragers like Tychichus and Justus, others were practical helpers like Dr. Luke. No wonder Paul would have been unashamed of partnership development, he writes in his famous missionary prayer letter;
“I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity… Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Philippians 4: 10, 14-20
Dear servant, work with others. Honour those whom the Lord has brought your way for your training and equipping. Watch out for the individualism that has creeped into every aspect of modern society that exalts the ‘I” and makes you the centre of all things. Decrease that the Lord may increase in your. Invite others into your ministry as your partners. Do not go alone – go with others.
Serve with joy.
Whereas ministry is indeed a remote route, we are to serve with joy and gladness of heart. Joy is not circumstantial happiness but a state of the heart. Sometimes it is expressed as happiness but that is not always the case, for indeed it is possible to have joy even in suffering. Staying with Philippians, it is striking to notice that the letter is written from a Roman jail (1: 7, 12-14) yet it is full of rejoicing. Paul prays with joy (1:5), has joy in proclamation of the gospel (1:18), Calls believers to rejoice (2:18, 4:1, 4:4) and rejoices in their partnership (4:10)
Dear saint, Ministry will be draining and for sure there will be plenty of reasons to be sullen and despondent on many occasions. You will need to intentionally choose to be joyous rather than wait for good things to happen to you so that you can rejoice. Joy will be a daily choice you make. Celebrate the small wins, rejoice over what the Lord is doing and keep going. Even though things are tough and terrain rough, rejoice in the Lord always and again I say to you rejoice for that is the way to stay strong through the remote route.
Romans is a very exciting book in its structure. Throughout the book, Paul is making a case (argument), gives proofs (reasons) and then goes on to point us to a conclusion, often a very practical application. From the beginning of chapter 12 to the end, Paul is making a case for right living as a believer – since you have been saved and you have been given gifts now live rightly with God and others. Now, present your bodies as living sacrifices – in other words, offer yourself up to God, not conformed any longer to the patters of this world but rather transformed by the renewal of your mind so that you many know and do the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. To such a transformed people, Paul will go on to say…
“Let love be genuine, Abhor (hate) what is evil. Hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honour. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
Romans 12: 9-13
Now all these and more might sound like moral platitudes and they are exactly that because a call to Christ is a call to obedience. We obey not in order to be saved but because we have already been saved from disobedience and rebellion to reverent obedience and submission. If the call in 12: 9 -21 is for Christian living within the body of believers in a more personal way, then the verses we are looking at today call the believer to live rightly as citizens in a more public sense. The big idea is to see God calling us to gospel-driven responsible citizenship in the country that he has ordained for us. We will see this argument laid out in three simple questions – what, why and how.
What: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities” Romans 13:1a
Civic responsibility means the patriotic and ethical duties of all citizens to take an active role in society and to consider the interests and concerns of other individuals in the community.
The apostle Paul makes an important call – that every person whoever they are and wherever they may be, whatever their circumstances they are to be in subject to the governing authorities. To be subject to means to be submissive under the rule/authority of another. For example, a student ought to be subjected to his/her school – meaning willingly obeying the instructions/expectations or rules and regulations of their school. Paul is saying that all who call on the name of the Lord, be obedient to those who rule over them. It is worth noting that Paul is writing to Christians living in Rome at a time when the Roman empire was quite hostile to the Christian faith. In less than 10 years from the writing of the letter, Paul himself will be martyred for his faith by Emperor Nero, yet here he is calling believers to obey their governments. Please notice he does not qualify the statement with additions such as ‘democratically elected government’ or ‘when the policies are favorable to the church’ or ‘when the laws are serving your interest’ No – he calls believers to be subject to their governing authorities.
Why: “For there is no authority except from God” Romans13: 1b.
Paul makes it very clear why Christians should submit to their governments – they are instituted by God (13:1c). Theirs is a delegated authority – given by God for the right ordering and flourishing of human life and good living with others. He will give a reason (for) at least five time in 6 verses … look with me in verse 1 – For there is no authority except from God, for rulers are not a terror (v3) for he is God’s servant for your good (v4), for he does not bear the sword in vain, for he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. This is all very striking description when you think of government officials – police, county government revenue officers, judges and magistrates or ministry of lands officers. They are servants of God! It is no wonder then, Paul will give this very firm warning: Whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed and those who resist will incur judgment (v2). The government official, says Paul, is a servant of God who is there for your good (repeated in v4 and v6). Therefore, one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
In these verses, Paul also shows us the role of government: To serve God by maintaining of law and order – punishing wrongdoing rewarding right conduct (v3) now, that can only be done if good and evil has been defined. Moral good is already defined by the word of God and legal/societal and economic good is to be defined by the government. The government then, bears a sword of authority given by God. (v4) and will be held to account. We see plenty of that in the scriptures. Now, Paul does not tell us how such government will come to be in office or for how long. That will be left for different societies. The call for the believer in whichever society, is to honour and obey its government. However, when a government loses its calling to justice, law and order then the Christian duty is to call it out. It is one of the founding fathers of the American society Thomas Jefferson who once said: “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.” Christians then, are not to obey blindly the edicts of their government but actually have a duty to hold it to account to the higher authority – God.
We see plenty of examples of that in the OT where the prophets are calling out kings for their excesses and reminding them that they hold office on behalf of God. Perhaps a memorable example of that is in the book we have just been preaching from 1 Samuel 15 where prophet Samuel announces to King Saul “Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being King”
How: By Obedience, Honour and Love (Verse 6 – 10)
Paul’s case for civic duty is settled but the question lingers how do Christians in Rome, and those in Kenya today obey these words? He gives us three ways in which this truth can be applied in the lives of Christians
By Obeying the law. A clear way to be a responsible citizen of your country is to obey the law. This will include paying taxes and revenues (v7), following the regulations of your county government, obeying traffic rules and reporting offences. In context, this would also include making the law – by participating in elections (Vox Populi, Vox Deo), public discussions and legislative processes. Luke 2 gives us an insight into Joseph and Mary when their colonial government ordered a census. They went to their home-town to be registered. No one among us should be indifferent – we are to participate in putting into office the right people. It is often said that evil triumphs when good men and women do nothing. I get upset to hear of people who were too lazy to register as voters or to change their polling stations. Yet they will be complaining of bad roads, uncollected garbage or unsafe boda bodas for the next five years. Dear saint – repent of your indifference!
By Honoring/Respecting those in Office. Paul uses the word fear in verse 3 to mean hold in reverence. He also used the words ‘Respect’ and ‘Honour’ in verse 7. We are to hold in high esteem those in authority. We are to be careful in how we address those to whom responsibility is given. An unhelpful culture of disrespect is sweeping through our times where everyone is addressed on first name basis. Soon we devalue those we disrespect, despise and afterwards we disobey. Dear saint – watch your words. Outdo one another in showing honour (12:10). One way to honour your leaders is by praying for them. In 1 Timothy 2: 1-4 Paul calls believers to pray for those in authority, especially that they may come to the knowledge of the truth;
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
By loving our neighbour. Paul uses the golden commandment of love as the motivation for responsible gospel driven citizenship. He calls us to love one another for love is in indeed the fulfilment of the law (v10). If we love one another – there would be no adultery, theft, corruption, love will give way in traffic, love will not move boundaries in your plot, workers will be paid a fair wage, we would care for the environment – for love does no wrong to the neighbour (v10b). The opposite is true – when we don’t love we engage in all kinds of greed: MPs award themselves huge salaries to the detriment of the economy, corruption will mean means there are no public spaces, public transport becomes chaotic etc. Dear saint be a good law abiding citizen by loving your neighbour. As we were reminded last week – you are the salt of the world, a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden. Let your good deed so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13)
Conclusion: The Gospel Motivation – Put on the Lord Jesus (Verse 11 -14)
Brothers and sisters, all this can be a heavy burden, if we don’t remember our source of strength. Paul reminds us of the time we are living in – that the night is far gone and the dawn is at hand. So then, let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. The only we can hold up in true gospel-driven responsible citizenship is by putting on Christ who humbled himself and became obedient, even to the cross. Run to him today.
‘Have you made unusually many trips to the hospital, spending lots of money on doctors, consultations and medications? Thundered the preacher, ‘Or do you find that you have very many trips to the mechanic trying to fix your car? He continued. Or maybe it is the screen of your smartphone. It is because you are not faithfully tithing that is why these misfortunes are coming your way’ He went on. If you don’t give, then even what you have is not protected from moth and rust. So give according to Malachi 3:10 and secure the rest of your income/wealth.
Such messages ring from many pulpits, radio stations and other medium across the continent. People are made to feel that unless they give very specific amounts and in the correct label/category then God might not bless them and they might also be open to all forms of misfortune.
This form of deception emanates from a misunderstanding of the scripture especially the Old Testament where ideas/practices are lifted and applied directly without reference to the cross. Worse still is that this kind of teaching relies on African Traditional Religion and the fears that ATR upheld such as the evil eye, hence the need for spiritual protection over children or property.
Giving in the Old Testament
In the OT we see a number of ways in which people give. There are specific sacrifices and gifts that form the worship pattern of God’s people in the OT. We shall consider 3 of them;
Tithe. The word Tithe means a tenth of one’s income or produce. We first see it done by Abraham in Genesis 4: 17 -20 and later by Jacob in Genesis 28:22. Later on Moses institutes it as part of the Law in Leviticus 27:30 (Deut 12: 5ff, 14:22 -29 and 26: 1-19). It was expected that all of Israel would give their tithe (part of their produce) and this would be given to the priest (Levites), the homeless (sojourner), the widow and the fatherless. The prophets rebuked Israel when people did not give their tithes.
Offering/Freewill offerings: These were general gifts given by Gods people on a voluntary basis. (Leviticus 23:38). In the Law, the free will offering was to be of a male bull, sheep, or goat with no physical deformities or blemishes, and it was not to have been purchased from a foreigner (Leviticus 22:17–25). The offering was to include flour mixed with oil and wine; the amounts varied on whether the sacrifice was a lamb, bull, or ram (Numbers 15:1–10). As with all sacrifices, the free will offering was to be made in a place of God’s choosing, not in an area formerly used by other religions or at home (Deuteronomy 12). Offerings could be given any time (Deuteronomy 16:10). Unlike other offerings governed by stricter rules, the priests could eat the free will offering on the day it was sacrificed or the day after (Leviticus 7:16–18).
The first time a free will offering is mentioned in the Bible is in Exodus 35:10–29. God had given instructions on how to build the tabernacle, and Moses relayed what supplies were needed for its construction. The people responded as their hearts stirred them, bringing jewelry, fine yarn, tanned skins, silver, bronze, acacia wood, onyx stones, spices, and oil. These items were all donated “as a freewill offering to the Lord” (Exodus 35:29). Centuries later, the people made similar offerings for David to pass on to Solomon to build the temple (1 Chronicles 29:6–9). In the book of Ezra, the people gave traditional animal offerings (Ezra 3:5) as well as supplies to rebuild the temple after the Babylonian captivity (Ezra 2:68; 7:16; 8:28). The people also made animal offerings in 2 Chronicles 31 when King Hezekiah, one of Judah’s best kings, led the nation in returning to God and reinstituting His ceremonies.
First fruits: The concept of first fruits is rooted in a context where people lived as an agricultural community. God called his people to bring the first yield—the first fruits—from their harvest to him as an offering. This was to demonstrate their obedience and reverence for God. It also showed that they trusted God to provide enough crops to feed their family. (Deut 14:22)
“When you come into the land which I give you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.” —Leviticus 23:10.
“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.” —Proverbs 3:9
First fruits had to be brought to the temple priests. No other crops could be harvested until after the first fruits were presented. The Israelites saw first fruits as an investment into their future.so that God would bless all that came afterward.
“The first of all first fruits of every kind and every contribution of every kind, from all your contributions, shall be for the priests: you shall also give to the priest the first of your dough to cause a blessing to rest on your house.” —Ezekiel 44:30.
Closely associated to the idea of first fruits was the idea of firstborns – they belonged to the Lord and were dedicated to him (Exodus 13:2) since they were literally the first fruits of the womb.
Conclusion on OT Giving: One Big Lesson and One Big Warning
Giving was an integral part of worship and showed whole-hearted devotion and commitment to the Lord who is the source and indeed the giver of all things. It modeled a love for the Lord with all mind, heart and strength. Application: Worship the Lord with your gifts
OT worship was a shadow of the reality that was to come – Christ, the ultimate gift from God. It later became legalistic and a heavy burden upon the people (Matthew 13). When the purpose is lost and the forms remain then it becomes a meaningless tradition/culture.
Warning: Stay away from religious legalism – OT ideas can shape how we think about giving but it all has to be taken through the lens of the cross.
New Testament Giving
In the gospels, Jesus talks about money quite often but not about much on giving specifically. An often misquoted verse Luke 6:38 – Give and it shall come to you – is really not about giving but actually about judging others. However, we see giving modelled most poignantly in the sacrificial coming, living and dying of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. All Christian giving then is to be done in light of the cross and any giving that does not stem the cross is not Christian.
In the passage that was read today we see Paul calling the church in Corinth towards generosity. He commends the churches of Macedonia for their sacrificial giving and shows us a model for giving. Here then are some lessons we can draw about Christian giving;
Christian giving is an outpouring of and a response to the gospel. ‘We want you to know about the grace of God that has been given among the churches’ 8:1, 5, 9. Christian giving begins with and ends with the gospel ‘They gave themselves first to the Lord’ V5 and in verse 9: You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…. Here the motives are important. If the heart is not with the Lord, then the gift – no matter the size may, not be precious. The example of Ananias and Sapphira is instructive – their gift was big but their hearts were not. The language of NT giving then is thanksgiving (for the gospel) (9:10 -15). Giving then is not a means to another end but actually an act of worship in thanksgiving to what God has already done. Here, then labels do not matter(Tithe, Firstfruit, Offering etc) – the heart does.
Christian giving is unlimited in scope. Because it is giving from the heart, the amounts do not matter. It can be everything or hardly anything. Jesus talks about the widow who gave two copper coins as being very generous in Matthew 12:42-44. In Acts we see people like Barnabas selling land and putting it in apostles feet to be used for gospel advance. People lay down their very lives before the Lord, spending and being spent for the sake of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says each one must give what they have decided – not what has been imposed on them or to fulfill any pre-set conditions.
Christian giving is ernest, cheerful and generous. 8:8. Paul says that he does not command the believers to give yet they are to be eager, ready and zealous to give to show that their love is genuine. He knows of their readiness to be generous and encourages them to prepare their gift. Unlike tithes which are dues to be paid, Christian generosity is expresses willingly, earnestly (not reluctantly) and under no compulsion. (9:7). It is not an exaction but a willing gift (9:5)
So, can I Tithe? Yes and No.
No because there is no NT imperative (command) to tithe for believers.
No because Christians do not follow OT worship regulations. We live in a different time and place, in a different economic model.
No if your motive is to reap the benefits associated with tithes in the OT.
Yes, Tithing can be a helpful discipline, done with the right motive – to honour the Lord with our income consistently.
Yes, because it points to the Lord being our highest priority hence coming first in our financial decisions
Yes, because there is no prohibition/restriction of it in all of scripture. The christian is at liberty to label their gift as they may choose. Giving is an act of worship and the worshipper needs the space to exercise their conviction.
The year was 1996 during a challenge weekend in our high school. The weekend had been ‘power packed’ with so many boys coming to Christ. Then came Sunday afternoon, the climax of the whole weekend – The rally, when CU’s from other schools could join in and everyone looked forward to it. The visiting team (missioners) came from a ministry based in Thika and they were very well prepared. I could see them pacing up and down in the special classroom that they had been assigned and from where they would get their meals and hold special prayers in preparation for the main sessions.
Then the meeting begun. After a series of choruses, presentation from other CU’s – finally the speaker took to the stage. He preached a sermon from Acts 2 reminding us – about 1000 teenagers gathered in the Assembly Hall that in the latter times the Lord will pour His spirit on all flesh and young men will see visions. He later made an altar call for people to come to Christ and many went to the front to be prayed for to receive Christ – but it was not over. There was another alter call for those who wished to receive the holy spirit in their lives.
At first I was stunned – I did not realise that one needed a second, separate event to receive the Holy Spirit different from conversion. I had never heard of that before. I had been a Christian since childhood but this was a new teaching all together. Yet it was attractive. Those boys who had experienced this before spoke of it in very enticing terms – One would be caught up in ecstasy, speak in a new tongue and might even be overcome in the power of the spirit and fall on the floor.
Out of curiosity I went up the stage. A huge number of us had responded including girls from other schools. Then the prayers begun. The speakers came round laying hands on each of us to be ‘baptised in the Holy Spirit. They asked us to close our eyes and open ourselves up to ‘receive’ the holy spirit. They would stick their fingers into our ears, sometimes hold our stomachs or at times lightly tap on our foreheads while blowing air into our faces and whispering the words – receive. The results were dramatic to say the least – many burst out in strange, though familiar phrases which we were told are tongues. Some fell down backwards – losing all control of their bodies and had to be covered in lesos so as not be indecently exposed. The whole experience was labelled a great move of God among us. I did not experience anything spectacular myself. I assumed I did not have enough faith and the teachings afterwards introduced doubt in my life. I always felt like a second class Christian.
My only prior experience of this new spiritual emphasis were akorino movements I saw in our village shops then known as ‘saika’ who wore distinctive colours and usually went round a spot, under a flag and would be caught up in trance-like experiences and would go round shouting ‘saika’. I knew such groups to be outrightly cultic but did not realise the same was being introduced to us in school only packaged differently.
It was not until much later that I learnt in a church camp that the Holy Spirit was given to the church (all believers) and the way to know is in bearing spiritual fruit.
***
Of all the teachings in the body of Christ for the last 150 years none has been as divisive as the question of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. A new movement that begun mid19th century begun to teach that it was not enough to receive the gospel but that Christians needed to also be filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. The movement was known as the charismatic movement and had as its key emphasis the infilling of the Holy Spirit, then known as second blessing. It was also characterized by manifestation (public display) of gifts (charismata) such as supernatural healing, word of knowledge, prophecy (foretelling the future), dreams and visions, faith and miracles (extra-ordinary or supernatural experiences). The movement had for its leading lights people like Smith Wigglesworth in the UK, John G Lake in South Africa, Charles Parham and William J Seymour of Azusa Street Mission in the US and many others including Katherine Kuhlman, Benny Hinn, Morris Cerullo and Kenneth Hagin.
Here in Kenya, the movement did not quite gather pace until the 1970’s. However, it exploded in the 1980’s and 1990’s and it is still a major religious movement to this day. Earlier this month a well known city church advertised for a job and one of the requirements was that applicants needed to be filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. In fact, another well known established church in this country still requires the evidence of speaking in tongues before admission to membership.
Charismatic teaching is mainly drawn from the apostolic experience of the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, 9 and 10 and Paul’s teaching 1 Corinthians 12 – 14 about the nature of spiritual gifts in what appears to be a response to a question arising out of an existing practice. (12: 1 – Now, concerning spiritual gifts…). Paul outlines that indeed the Holy Spirit has given many gifts to the body for the edification of the whole. This is all good and healthy for the church and there is much to rejoice about. In fact, the charismatic movement has been a blessing to the wider body of Christ by
Calling the church to be spiritually alive. Through much prayer and dependence upon the Holy Spirit the church has been awakened spiritually. Spiritual hunger has led many to seek the Lord.
Increased zeal for the lost. The charismatic zeal and boldness has no doubt inspired many to witness to their friends and neighbours leading to many conversions and churches growing.
Recognizing the place of affections (feelings/emotions), whereas the evangelical movement was busy serving the mind with its deep concern for truth, the emotions were left behind. The charismatics recognized the place of emotions in our faith journey.
Real belief in miracles. Charismatics not only believed in the supernatural but actually expect it in their daily lives. Among the charismatics there is real belief in in Satan and the demonic is taken quite seriously. Evangelicals on the other hand can live as if God is distant and has nothing to do with our world today.
Joy: Charismatics insist that Christians should rejoice and praise God at all times and in all places. This is seen in the music, dancing and even sermons. There is an openness to the Spirit and childlike trust, joy and humility, which is refreshing to see.
However, this has also come with certain excesses and obvious doctrinal errors that should be called out and the church warned against.
The charismatic movement teaches that not every believer has the Holy Spirit. This is an open contradiction to scripture (Romans 8:9, 1 Cor 12:3, 1 John 4:3). This has created doubt among many believers leading to some thinking of themselves as second class Christians. All believers in Christ have the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5, 2 Timothy 1:14, Ephesians 1:13 -14, 1 Corinthians 6:19) for no one can come to faith in Christ except by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The charismatic movement puts personal experience in a position higher than God’s objective word. The whole second blessing experience is pushed by personal testimonies of those who have already experienced. Instead of trusting God’s word, one is encouraged to seek an encounter. The movement makes people a source of authority who have a bigger say in the lives of believers than the word of God.
The charismatic movement unhelpfully puts tongues as the evidence for the Holy Spirit. Although the Pentecost experience of Acts 2 involved speaking in new tongues (languages) this description does not mean that it would happen again or in the same way every time. Jesus who was full of the Holy Spirit never spoke in tongues. Paul clearly says all beleivers have been baptized in the spirit (1 Cor 12:13) and that not all would speak in tongues (1 Cor 12:29). Yet the charismatic movements says the opposite – not all are baptized and that all should speak in tongues. The true evidence of a spirit filled life is departure from evil (2 Timothy 2:19 and Galatians 5:22ff)
The charismatic movement has unbiblical obsession with the person of the Holy Spirit often at the expense of the gospel (Christ). Whereas the Bible calls us to know Christ as the way, the truth and the Life, charismatics obsesses about the Holy Spirit sometimes even praying to the Holy Spirit in a way not patterned for believers. Jesus teaches that the Holy Spirit will not draw attention to himself but actually glorify Christ (John 15:26; 16:13-14). The Spirit bears witness to Christ! The Spirit ever points people to Christ! The glorious ministry of the Spirit is to glorify and lift up Christ! If the Holy Spirit is really working in my life, then CHRIST will become more and more precious to me each day! His blessed office work is to produce Christ-like saints (Gal. 4:19; 5:22-23; 2 Cor. 3:18)!
The charismatic movement implies that the Bible is not sufficient and that we need something else – visions, prophecies, revelations etc. Nothing is more important to a believer than God’s written Word. Although God once spoke at various times and in “divers manners” (through visions, dreams, etc.), He has in these last days spoken by His Son (Heb. 1:1-2). All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable . . . that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly equipped for all good works (2 Tim. 3:16-17) Though Peter actually heard God’s voice from heaven, he assures us that “we have a surer word of prophecy . . . the Scripture” (2 Pet. 1:18-20). Jude writes concerning “the faith” (the body of Christian truth) which has once for all been delivered to the saints (Jude 3). At the end of the book of Revelation, The Lord issued one final warning: LET NO MAN ADD OR TAKE AWAY FROM MY WORD (Rev. 22:18-19) We don’t need any extra biblical revelations or words of knowledge – the word is sufficient.
Conclusion: 1 Corinthians 13
It is worth noting that the basis for much of charismatic theology is two chapters in 1 Corinthians (chapters 12 and 14) written to a divided church that was caught up in an obsessions display of power and wisdom. Interestingly, the subject is not addressed elsewhere in any of the other epistles at least not to the degree we find in these two chapters. However, sandwiched between these two chapters is a precious poem that calls believers to a higher path, that which Paul calls a more excellent way. Let us read it together and draw some lessons to take away today.
A more excellent way
Love is true mark of a believer (verse 1 -3)
The nature of love (verse 4 -7)
Patient
Kind
Does not envy or boast
It is not arrogant or rude
Does not insist on its own way
Does not rejoice at wrong-doing
Rejoices with the truth
Bears all things (persevering)
Believes all things
Hopes all things
Endures all things
Love never ends.
Gifts are temporal, fruit is eternal (verse 8)
We do not see in full (check your pride)
Fruit is more important than gift. Know your focus. Verse 13.
Big Idea: Christians have already been delivered from the kingdom of darkness and continues to grow in Christ-likeness, trusting in Christ alone and His complete work rather than special deliverance sessions.
If you have lived in Kenyan town you may have come across tents pitched in strategic places where they invite people to walk in to have their blood cleansed – apparently your blood has a lot of toxins. If you walk in they would soak your feet in water and then put in some salt and then turn on a device. After a while the water would change in colour and they would convince you that those are toxins leaving your body. They would then sell you certain herbs or drugs in order to heal the affected part of the body. The only thing they did not tell you was that the water would change colour whether your feet were soaked in or not because this was a simple electrolysis. The ionic salt they put in simply caused the electrodes to rust and the water changes in colour. It is straight from the deceiver’s rule book: Convince a person they have a problem they know nothing about, develop a solution and then sell it them.
How many useless things are in your houses that you were sold by clever marketers that don’t help you at all? My most memorable one is a certain device I bought at Sarit Centre many years ago. I was convinced by a certain Mr. Patel that it would be slicing our tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers very neatly and quickly. He had some vegetables on display that looked very well cut and he said the simple device did all the job. I imagined how impressed our visitors would be with our kachumbari and decided this is the thing we really needed in our lives. We bought one but when we got home and I tried to use it, it was disaster – I could not produce the finely cut tomatoes I had seen on display. Today, I don’t even know where it is. Our kachumbari is back where it was, we lost our money and we have a useless device at home that either we don’t know how to use or it was over-marketed to us. Such is the nature of ‘deliverance’ ministry as peddled in our continent.
***
You may have been casually told by a well meaning person that you need deliverance. Usually what they mean is that you need intense prayer in order for a particular problem to end – usually a persistent health problem, a bad habit or they may just be joking about your perennial lateness or sloppiness. But do you really need deliverance?
In the last 3 months we have been on a journey unmasking false teachings that have dominated our country and continent for many years. We noticed from the beginning that deception works in one of two ways either by taking away from the gospel or by adding to it. The reason we are taking the time to labour through these topics is because false teaching is a big deal in the Bible and there are warnings after warnings in scripture calling believers away from deception. Deception by its very nature is shady – it is never black and white, never easy to tel. We therefore need constant reminders so that we can carefully watch our life and doctrine so as not to fall into the trap of the enemy.
The passage that was read for us today is part of a book written to church that was clearly battling deception yet its primary message is perhaps the biggest take-away from this series: Christ is enough for you. He is all you need. I pray that as we draw closer to the end of the series and of the year itself that you will walk away knowing that Christ is indeed sufficient for you and that you don’t need to add anything else to his complete work – you call and mine to trust in him and walk in daily submission to His will.
What is Deliverance?
In the Biblical sense, the word deliverance simply means ‘to rescue’ or ‘to save’. To deliver is essentially to save someone from a dangerous situation or circumstance. In the Bible we see God’s people calling on him to deliver them. Throughout Psalms for instance, God’s people plead with Him for rescue from their enemies. David in Psalms 59 cries to the Lord for deliverance
“Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me; 2 deliver me from those who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men.
Or again in 143:9:
“Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord! I have fled to you for refuge.”
In many instances in the Bible the Lord is identified as the deliverer of His people (2 Samuel 22:2). Essentially then, to deliver is to save, to rescue or to intervene on behalf. To deliver then, is to save. We can actually see from scripture that deliverance is exactly the same thing as salvation in the Bible.
In the NT, deliverance points to the saving work of Christ on the Cross – that great rescue from judgement. In Luke chapter 2 Jesus is identified as the deliverer of Israel. The word is used interchangeably with the word Saviour because it is exactly the same mission: To save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21)
In Acts 5 we see the apostles pointing to the saving ministry of Jesus.
“The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Deliverer, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”
Peter shows us who the deliverer is and what it leads to – repentance and forgiveness of sin.
Deceptive Deliverance Ministry
As understood by many people in our context today, deliverance is a kind of teaching, prayers and rituals that are aimed to call out evil spirits (demons) from people. It involves special prayers, a particular ‘servant of God’, tools like holy water (exorcism), anointing oil, points of contact like holding certain body parts, slaps, laying on of hands, conversation with the possessed person or the spirits themselves etc.
This kind of ministry is premised on the idea that people are possessed by demonic spirits and that is why they act as they do and if they are prayed for or are taken through a deliverance session, then the problem will go away. At times, this is indeed a sincere desire for rescue from an oppressive habit, a series of misfortunes, bad decisions or broken life circumstances.
At the face value, that kind of ‘deliverance’ looks like a genuine ministry that believers should seek. After all, there seems to be a lot of that kind of ministry in Jesus’s ministry on earth and we also see quite a bit of it happening in Acts of the apostles. However, a deeper look will actually reveal the deceptive nature of this kind of ministry.
First, we need to understand that the purpose of miracles of Jesus and in the early church was to affirm the gospel – pointing to the fact that the savior is here and calling us to put our faith in him (John 20: 30 -31). They were not to continue in the same way exactly as in Jesus’ ministry or in the apostolic ministry shortly afterwards. Our focus then must shift from the miracles to the great miracle of Jesus’ resurrection and our hope of resurrection.
No wonder there is no imperative (do instructions) anywhere in the NT to deliverance ministry. There is no requirement for elders in Titus 1 and 1Timothy 3 that they were to be good at exorcising demons. The reason is simple – Christians are not demon possessed. The holy spirit of God indwells them and so they have no demons in them. What they need is loving shepherding (1 Peter 5) .
Someone might point me to the sending of the disciples in Matthew 10:5 -15 (also in Luke 10: 1-12) and the instructions to set free those who are demon possessed but clearly that sending is specific to the apostles and localized to Israel – a very specific setting where they are not even to greet people on the road or go from house to house. We cannot take that to be an imperative for all believers at all times and in all places. We are not the twelve (or the seventy-two in Luke’s gospel) but believers in Jesus living in 21st century Africa.
It is also worth noting the pre-dominant worldview of Palestine around the first century AD. One of the realities we see present at the time (and to a great extent present in our continent) is a spiritual worldview where demons are seen as active in people’s lives. The unknown was explained as demonic activity and there were even names for some of them (Matthew 12:22 ff). Now, I need to slow down here and say demonic activity may well be a reality but our worldview is different. We don’t explain phenomena in demonic terms. A person born blind today or suffering depression is not seen as demon possessed but as a physically or mentally challenged person in need of our love, care and support. That is not to say that demons do not exist but it is not the way we understand our world today.
We must be careful not to import the first century worldview to 21st century without any course correction. The gospel transcends all time and geography but not the worldviews. Deceptive Deliverance rides on a fear you have to sell you a solution to a problem you don’t really have at a price you can barely afford and does not eventually deliver (pun intended) on its promise.
The Deceptive Nature of Contemporary Deliverance Teaching
Deceptive Deliverance points to another problem. Whereas the Bible shows us the real problem in our lives is sin and its effects in the world, those who hawk deliverance present another problem: the ill-motives of another rather than your own laziness, your ancestors rather than your own sin, the jealousy of your competitors (who are seen as enemies) rather than your own greed, demons rather than lust. The problem dear saint is not life circumstances but actually sin. The Bibles shows us that our real problem is sin in our hearts. Deliverance understates sin, emphasises the effects of sin and overstates its own solution. It is often an attempt to deal with a symptom and not the actual cause.
Application: Dear saint – sin is your biggest problem and the cause of all other problems – not childlessness, joblessness, joylessness or any other expression you might have in mind. This is not to minimize the other problems, but to show you what the big issue really is.Believers are grow in overcoming sin daily (sanctification) by feeding on the word, respond in trust and obedience. This will be a continuing work until the Lord returns.
Deceptive Deliverance presents another solution and not the gospel. Having misdiagnosed the problem, it is not any wonder this kind of teaching also misses the solution. Instead of the gospel, people are pointed to a man of God, to certain books, to a certain processes or certain prayers. Special rites are carried out in order to deal with the demons. In the Acts passage that I quoted earlier, the apostles are pre-occupied with one thing – teaching that Jesus is Lord and saviour. They are calling people to repentance and forgiveness of sins. They are not pointing anyone to themselves or their ministry but rather pointing to Christ. There is indeed no other solution God’s people for there is only one name by which people may be saved – the name of Jesus. I sometimes get people wanting to see me for special prayers or for mentoring but when we start looking at the gospel they lose interest because they wanted a quick fix. They wanted some magic wand to be waved before them on some incantations, words or phrases to be said. True ministers of the word have nothing to give but the gospel.
Application: Jesus is your saviour – He has already saved you. Colossians 1:13. To a church that was clearly battling false teaching, Paul pointed them to the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus. There is nothing else we need dear saints beyond Christ in us – the hope of glory.
Deceptive Deliverance undermines the scripture. In at least two ways the kind of deliverance ministry peddled today misses the timing of rescue and devalues sanctification as taught in the scriptures. The Bible teaches us that our big rescue is in the past – we have already been delivered from the kingdom of darkness. Look again with me in Colossians 1: 11-14. Paul speaks of deliverance as a done deal – the work of our redemption is complete. It is indeed finished and nothing else can or should be added to it. Deceptive deliverance implies that the work is incomplete and needs optional extras – prayers or special sessions. The bible teaches us we are to continually grow in Christlikeness and grace, to grow in overcoming sin, the world and the devil. Deceptive deliverance presents an instant solution to ongoing battles that Christians face. Instead of feeding on the word in order to grow, fellowshipping with other believers, walking in obedience, Deceptive deliverance creates its own problem and presents its own solution. No wonder it does not work and can only rely on subjective testimonies rather than the objective truth of scripture.
Application: The world is broken by sin (Genesis 3: 14 19) – we live between two worlds: the now and not yet. Sicknesses are here with us, accidents and all sorts of brokenness until the end of time. We are to continually apply the gospel and to look at the world around us with the lens of scripture. We can do this in scripture reflection, in mentoring, biblical counseling, one-anothering, prayer etc. That is why we can boldly pray as the Lord taught us in Matthew 6 for his daily deliverance because it is fitting for children to ask their loving father for his daily rescue from the evil one.
My friend from college always wanted to buy himself a good radio cassette player. It was the ambition of every young person to have a radio when I was growing up. You needed one to listen to music, listen to news and for most Kenyans to listen to general announcements and obituaries. (It is a Kenyan fascination to listen to obituaries or read them in the papers by the way to this day). This was before the days of the smart phone so the only way you got your dose of music or Salaams if you come from the other side of Kenya was having a radio. So as soon as our first government loan came though at Postbank, he rushed to Luthuli Avenue in Nairobi and came back smiling from ear to ear bearing what he thought was the radio that beats them all. Sony.
Now, my younger friends here might not appreciate the power of Sony. Sony ruled the electronics market in Kenya. It was an expensive brand that did more than deliver your favorite FM stations. It was the premium brand. It was a status symbol. It would also last a long time. But that was not the case for my friends newly acquired asset.
Turns out that when he went to the shop along Luthuli Avenue, he found people in the shop who looked like they were attendants and they showed him what looked like the Sony Radio he wanted all along. They then packaged the radio in a box and off he went. It is only when he got to campus that a few of us pointed that his was actually Sqny that he realised he might have been deceived. We asked him for the receipt but he said the attendant had given him a big discount off the original price and so had not been given a receipt. Sadly, my friend was stuck with an imitation that soon was not working and a government loan (HELB) that he is probably still servicing today.
***
Perhaps the story above is all too familiar. We have all heard this kind of stories before. The characters and the setting might be different but the content is often the same. This is because deception is all around us whether that will be fake products, fake news or false teaching.
The Bible takes false teaching quite seriously. There is hardly a subject dealt with as broadly and deeply throughout scripture as false teaching. We find it (implicitly and explicitly) in almost every book of the Bible. This because false teaching is serious, leads many astray, enslaves many to false demands, wastes many lives, ruins entire households and destroys the eternal destinies of many. The warnings are therefore many and severe because eternity is at stake. Unlike a fake radio or phone which one can learn their lesson and replace, false teaching can eternally lead people astray. The purpose of this sermon series then is to unmask false teaching in its various forms (shades) but more importantly to show us the true gospel of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ so that we may delight in Him as the only hope for our fallen world.
Come with us then as we dig into this big subject – a topical sermon series on deceptions. We have interspersed it with an expositional series through 1 John, a letter which is also big on false teaching. Please raise questions, comments and observations to help us in our teaching.
What is Deception?
According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, deception is “the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid that which is false”. It can also be defined as “an act or statement which misleads, hides the truth or promotes a false idea.” In other words, it is knowingly misleading another person.
The classic example and certainly the root of all deception is in Genesis 3 where the serpent deceived the woman to eating the fruit of the tree of which God had commanded them not to eat. From that we can see a pattern of how deception works.
A crafty character (cunning, one who has an agenda).
Introduction of doubt (Did God really say?)
Contradiction of God’s word (You will not surely die)
Maligning of God’s character (God has kept good things from you)
An appeal to felt needs/lust (good to look at, good for food, desirable for wisdom)
Deception by and large follows that pattern to this day. False teachers – like their father the devil, who is the father of all lies follow the same script. They are crafty and their agenda is to lead astray or to fulfil their greed for money or followers after themselves. They directly or indirectly introduce doubt on scripture or even out rightly deny it. They malign the character of God by pretending to know what is better for you than your creator and finally and most shamefully they appeal to your felt needs like food, beauty, esteem, knowledge, security etc.
Such was the message of the false prophets in the Old Testament for indeed deception is as old as mankind. Moses warns against them in Deuteronomy 18:20 ff
“But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.”
They were there in the days of Elijah and of David and of the prophets of old.
Prophet Jeremiah speaks against them in chapter 23 of his book, warning that they give false hope. They do not hear from the Lord and yet pretend to speak in His name. In Ezekiel’s days they were there too. He warns them of the coming judgement in Chapter 13:
Thus says the Lord God, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!4 Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel. …6 They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the Lord,’ when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word.
Our Lord Jesus Christ warns against it (Matthew 7: 15 -20)
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.16 You will recognize them by their fruits.
In many passages throughout the new testament, the warnings are loud and clear – beware of false teaching. Brothers and sisters, deception is a big deal and looms large.
In the passages that we have read today, we see the two foremost apostles of the church battling against deception. Peter says quite clearly in 2 Peter 2 verse 1 that there will be false teachers among you. Paul says in 2 Timothy 4: 3 -4
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
How them might we know of and be wary of deception. I will suggest three marks of Deception and close with what the Bible points us to do when caught up in false teaching.
Deception presents a different Problem. Whereas the gospel shows us clearly that our problem and that of our world is sin, deception points everywhere else except our hearts. Because the aim of deception is to fulfil people’s desires (verse 2 – sensuality), the problem is elsewhere – in family background/childhood, birth order (first born – anger or control issues, middle child – esteem issues, last born – irresponsible etc). Deception points to your family history and tells you of generational curses (but never mentions generational blessing 😊). Deception points to your personality but never your sin. The gospel pin-points your problem and that of the world all around us – sin and the broken relationship with God.
Deception presents a different Solution. Since the source of our problem is not necessarily sin according to false teachers, then the solution is not peace with God through the saviour given to us in the gospel. This is most obvious mark of false teaching – denial of Christ (2 Peter 2:2). False teaching presents the man of God, a series of teachings, a deliverance process or special prayers/fasting as what is needed to solve your problem. There is always something else to do either instead of looking to Christ or in addition to Him. Deception takes away from the complete work of Christ on the cross and shifts to man-made myths and solutions.
Deceptions presents a different Authority. Rather than the Bible which is the authoritative, complete and sufficient word of God, deception relies on visions, dreams, words of knowledge, human wisdom and ideas. There is no laboring in the word for the Bible is merely a flower in the services. It will be twisted, misinterpreted or largely ignored. Deception will then be passed on through personal testimonies and marketing gimmicks of the day to get going – radio, TV, internet, building anticipation etc. Deception always presented as the latest, the newest and you are made to feel that you are missing out if you haven’t heard it. The Bible might be read but it never really leads the people or the preacher – the real authority is the preacher or prophet or that prayerful brother or sister.
Application
Beware of Deception: Christians are to be on their guard against false teaching and one of the best ways to do so is to be aware of its existence. The warnings throughout scripture are to inform us and to keep us alert that deception looms large. We are to guard our pulpits for even presumably good churches can easily slide into false teaching. Paul instructs young Timothy to be carefully watch his life and doctrine. Part of our duty in healthy church membership is to keep our elders on check. To gently ask them questions, but not treat churches like shops- walking away when something is not clear or is questionable. Normalise – double checking your pastors like the Bereans.
Behold your saviour. The best way to guard against false teaching is to interact very deeply with the truth. There is no limit to the forms and versions of deceptions out there but the sure way to confront them all is by savoring our saviour. It is often said that those who check out currency spend years just looking at the original and if they spot a fake, they can tell it from a mile away. So it is with false teaching. If you spend too much time exploring false ideas, theologies, cults etc you will shipwreck your faith. Spend time in scriptures. Look at Jesus as given to us in Scripture. Normalise careful study of the Bible. Normalise regular participation in your GG.
Believe the gospel. At the heart of deception is a failure to take God at His word. Like we noticed at the beginning of this sermon, the enemy works by introducing doubt about God and His word. If our hearts are doubtful, then the ground is fertile for deception to take root. Unbelief is a serious issue in the Bible – our hearts easily stray from believing the good news of our salvation and turns to myths that promise what they cannot deliver. May the Lord help you and I to believe in Him and obey his word. Normalise taking God at His word.
In the name of God the father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
“Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands).
Ephesians 2:11
The reality of human separation from each other goes back to the fall in Genesis 3. That reality is however still with us today as we see in racial, tribal and national hatred in our times. Human beings have hated each other and gone to great lengths to demonstrate it.
In this passage, Paul calls Ephesian believers to remember that they, were gentiles by birth and were called ‘uncircumcised’. The Jews had a very low opinion of Gentiles and viewed them as the lowest of the law. In his commentary of Ephesians, John Stott quotes William Barclay to express the depth of the separation.
‘The Jew had an immense contempt for the Gentile. The Gentiles, said the Jews, were created by God to be fuel for the fires of hell. God, they said, loves only Israel of all the nations that he had made …. It was not even lawful to render help to a gentile mother in her hour of sorest need, for that would simply be to bring another Gentile into the world. Until Christ came, the Gentiles were an object of contempt to the Jews. The barrier between them was absolute. If a Jewish boy married a Gentile girl, or if a Jewish girl married a Gentile boy, the funeral of that Jewish boy or girl was carried out. Such contact with a Gentile was the equivalent of death. [1]
But the hatred went both ways. The Gentile treated the Jews with similar if not more contempt. The Jews have been hated in much of human History having suffered genocides perhaps more than any other people in history in what is more recently called anti-Semitism.
But the division goes beyond Jews and Gentiles. All of humanity is broken by sin all the way from Genesis 3. We see evidence of that in wars, The transatlantic slave trade of the 16th and 17th Century, The Rwandese Genocide of 1994 where nearly a million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed, The tribal clashes in our own country in 1992, 1997 and 2007 and in many other ways and places. We are broken as a society and almost always at war with each other.
If the imagery of the Jew-Gentile separation did not strike you, Paul uses the second imagery of the derogatory term ‘uncircumcised’. This term pointed to the uncultured outsiders who did not bear the covenant mark of membership in God’s family. Closer home, the idea of being uncircumcised is derogatory in most cultures. It is a term used to demean, despise, dehumanize, reject and exclude others. Such was your state and mine – hating and being hated.
Paul wants us to appreciate how wide and deep this division is because unless we appreciate the extent of the rot, we might not fully appreciate Christ’s unifying work on the cross.
Remember.
[1] Stott, JRW The Message of Ephesians,1979 Nottingham, UK, Intervarsity Press. Page 91
I Was Just Wondering 