Beware of Stumbling Blocks | Sunday, August 2, 2020

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5)

When the message you planned hits a wall, sometimes God wants you to speak to the moment you're actually living in.

When the Plan Hits a Wall

Every preaching pastor has experienced this: you get everything ready to prepare your message for Sunday and your brain hits a brick wall. Many of you might remember experiencing what is commonly called writer's block in college. It can be very frustrating, but in more than twenty years of pastoral ministry I've learned that more often than not, when that happens, it means you need to wait, think, and pray about what God may want you to do differently.

We have been studying Deuteronomy since the beginning of 2020, and I was very much looking forward to this study. I am very much a student of the Old Testament, yet I had spent the previous twelve years here at Cross Connection preaching almost entirely through the New Testament. For those new to the Bible, it is a book of books—sixty-six in all—divided into the Old Testament's first thirty-nine books and the New Testament's last twenty-seven.

When I became pastor here in April of 2008, we were about three-quarters through the Gospel of Luke, an account of Jesus's life written in the first century by a Greek physician and historian. Luke also wrote the follow-up, the book of Acts, chronicling the early church. So after finishing Luke in 2008, we went right into Acts and spent the next decade studying through the New Testament with Acts as our timeline. I have also taught Old Testament books like Isaiah and Jeremiah at a local Bible college for many years. I believe this collection of thirty-nine books, written by dozens of authors more than 2,500 years ago, is divinely inspired and applicable for our day.

A Year Like No Other

After finishing our New Testament studies at the end of 2019, I looked forward to a new year, a new decade, and a fresh opportunity to discover the Old Testament with you. But who could have imagined a year like this? On our Questions podcast at the end of 2019, I said I believed this would be a year of chaos—but I did not begin to imagine coronavirus, Antifa, BLM protests, riots, and the utter chaos we've witnessed.

It has been said—though I can't substantiate it—that there's an ancient Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times." These are those, for sure. And the things I was thinking of when I called this a year of chaos haven't even really happened yet. I was thinking about the fall, about the election, and we're only just beginning to head into that season. So buckle up, friends; we're headed into some rough waters. You may not want to hear that, but you should be circumspect about the times we're living in.

To walk circumspectly means to walk with our eyes wide open and our ears attentive. We need to keep our physical senses about us, but as Christians we also need to keep our spiritual senses about us. That's why Paul says to be filled with the Spirit. So God, fill us afresh and anew with the Holy Spirit and help us as Your church. There are many foolish people walking in drunkenness and darkness in our day. We, the people of God, need to be wise and circumspect, redeeming the time, for the days are certainly evil.

Calling Evil Good

What does it mean that the days are evil? I'm reminded of the words of Isaiah from 2,800 years ago:

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5)

When I read those words, I think of our nation at this time. We live in a time when people call evil good and good evil. Woe to those who call riots peaceful and ministers of justice evil. Woe to those who call men women and women men. One English translation renders "woe" as "destruction is certain." It should concern you that our society is in the shape it is in. I don't say these things to frighten you, but they should stir you to pray.

We set aside the thirty-one days of July as a time of refocusing prayer, and Pastor Mark sent out a daily prayer guide with Andrew Murray. During that time we encouraged you to social-distance from social media and even the corporate news media. Many of you took up that challenge and experienced a time of refreshing as you fasted from the news and focused on the Lord in prayer. I hope it helped you develop a new routine that might just stick. One thing is certain: our nation is in desperate need of a move of God. As one great saint used to say, "Where prayer is focused, power falls."

We Are Still the Church

I know we're in unprecedented times. Some of you are deeply fearful in the face of all that's going on, and some of you are frustrated that our church and many churches have not reopened for weekly services. I'm grateful that this church has been wonderfully supportive of me and our leaders. You have prayed with us, supported the church financially, and encouraged us with texts, emails, cards, and calls. I'm so blessed by you.

If you're frustrated with us for not reopening, you certainly haven't been pushy about it, which tells me you are mature in your faith and recognize some important truths. First, you recognize that our church is not shut down. We are still the church, still the body of Christ, still worshiping on Sundays, still studying the Scriptures, still praying for one another, still shining as a light in a dark world—even though we're not at 1675 Seven Oaks Road on Sunday mornings. For years pastors have said the church is not a building; the church is the people of God. We're being tested on that right now. Paul encouraged, strengthened, discipled, and pastored the church at a distance some 2,000 years ago through letters. Today we're doing so through YouTube.

Submitting to Authority

Second, you are fulfilling the exhortation of Hebrews 13:

Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Third, you are being a witness to neighbors, family, friends, co-workers, and our community by bearing with their fears and not gathering in a large group. Fourth, you are honoring the words of the apostle Peter:

Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake... For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—as free, yet not using your liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.

Fifth, you are honoring the words of Paul:

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God... For he is God's minister to you for good... Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. (Romans 13)

Liberty That Loves the Weak

Listen, I am as rebellious as the next guy—just ask my mom; she's got a lot of great stories. I'm pretty libertarian in my views. I don't like to be told what to do, and there have been a number of times I've thought, Let's just reopen and go for it. Yes, I saw Pastor John MacArthur's statement on reopening from a week ago. But John MacArthur isn't my pastor; he's not the head of our church—Jesus is.

Will there be a time for Christians to exercise civil disobedience as it relates to everything happening in our nation? Maybe. I hope it doesn't come to that. But every time I've started to feel like it's time to exercise my liberty, I hear a still small voice saying:

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:13–14)

And then: "Beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak" (1 Corinthians 8:9). In addition to that still small voice through Scripture, I've had a number of conversations with people in our community who are not Christians and don't go to church, who have said to me, "Thank you for not putting us in danger by gathering in a large group."

Now, I'm not sure it would actually put people in imminent danger if we reopened. It does not appear the fatality rate of COVID-19 is as high as we first feared—praise God for that. But whether it is or not, there are weaker people among us who are terrified of this virus. I think much of their terror is rooted in what they're reading on social media or the corporate news media, and I think those behind such things have perverse incentives in amplifying fear. Be that as it may, there are fearful people among us, and beware lest this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. Remember, we've been studying the statutes and judgments of God in Deuteronomy, and all the law is fulfilled in one word, even this: you shall love your frightened and fearful neighbor as yourself.

Remembering Two Faithful Saints

You've noticed by now that we're not really getting into Deuteronomy this week. As I sat down to prepare in Deuteronomy chapter 4, I hit a wall and sensed I should wait, think, pray, and prepare something different—another pointless message, without points. With the time remaining, I want to share three things.

First, this last week we experienced a couple of losses at Cross Connection. Ed Childers—"Chief," as he was known to those close to him—went home to heaven this last Sunday morning. Chief was Pastor Mark's dad and had been battling a number of health issues for the last couple of years. He entered eternity surrounded by his family. Pastor Mark prayed that God would mercifully take him home, and shortly after that prayer Chief's breathing became less labored, and he breathed his last breath in this life and his first in the presence of Jesus on Sunday, July 26th. He was 84.

Glenn Michael Rignet—"Mike"—has been a faithful prayer warrior, usher, and servant at Cross Connection for many years, and had battled cancer for several of them. This last Wednesday night Mike stepped into eternity, where I believe, like Chief before him, he heard the Lord say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Mike was 73. Both of these men were tough and faithful followers of Jesus. Whether he was in excruciating pain or not, Mike would faithfully serve as an usher every week he could. He shared with me a few weeks ago that he hoped he could be back here for a worship service before his death; I think he was happy with the welcoming service he got in heaven. Chief would often tell me, "That was a heck of a message, Pastor." Both will be greatly missed. Please pray for their families. We sorrow, but not as those who have no hope.

Baptism and Communion

The second thing I want to share has to do with baptism. During His ministry Jesus instituted two sacred ordinances for the church: communion and baptism. We had planned a large baptism and church picnic at the end of June at Felicita Park; COVID-19 shut that down, but baptism is still very important to us. Baptism is an act by which we declare our faith in Christ and our obedience to Him. Through immersion in water we identify with His death, burial, and resurrection. If you're a follower of Jesus who has not yet been baptized and would like information, please go to baptism.lifeinconnection.com.

Third, communion. Acts 2 says the early church continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, the breaking of bread, fellowship, and prayers. "The breaking of bread" can carry two meanings: hospitality—gathering in homes to care for one another—and the Lord's Supper. In the early church most of that took place in homes, just as you are at home together right now. So I hope you have the bread and the cup to remember Jesus's body broken for us and His blood shed for us.

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." (1 Corinthians 11)

If you have bread this morning, take it now as we partake together—even though we are separated from one another—as a memorial of Jesus's body broken for us so that we could be reconciled to God through Him.

In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

As you read through the Old Testament—and we'll see this in Deuteronomy—there were sacrifices and the shedding of blood to deal with the sin of the nation and of individual people. The book of Hebrews says that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. But Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us, that we might receive His righteousness. Let's partake together and remember His blood shed for us.

Closing Prayer

Father God, we thank You for Your grace, Your goodness, and Your mercy displayed in that You sent Your only begotten Son to die for us. You demonstrated Your love in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us on the cross. We thank You that as we put our trust in Your finished work, You make it possible for us to be restored to relationship with You and with one another. I pray that You would use us, Your church, to be messengers declaring that good news to others, especially during this period of time. And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of His Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.