Coffee With The Lord

There it was, right on the front of his t-shirt … “I’M A FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST!” He had just moved into our neighborhood (and even visited the church we attended)… I mean with that message emblazoned on the front of his t-shirt, what would you expect? How would you expect him to live? What would you expect his conversation to be like? How would you expect him to conduct himself under pressure? What values would you expect him to live by? … I mean after all, there it was… “I’m a follower of Jesus Christ!”

CHRISTLIKE BEHAVIOR IS EXPECTED FROM THOSE WHO CLAIM BE “CHRISTIANS” DON’T YOU THINK?

Apostle Paul thought so… Paul was in prison for “the Gospel!” – He wanted to hear that his fellow believers were “living the Christ-life” in Philippi – living like citizens of the “Kingdom of heaven” in a pagan culture! So here’s how he urged those who lived in the Roman colony of Phillipi to live (Philippians 1:27-30):

“ONLY LET YOUR MANNER OF LIFE BE WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST!”

Now he borrowed language used of Roman citizens – Roman citizens were expected to live by the laws, the responsibilities and privileges, and the values of Rome. In like manner Paul believed he (and others) had a right to expect “Christians” (followers of Christ) to behave like Christians should!

HEY… IF YOU’RE GOING TO WEAR THE T-SHIRT YOU’VE GOT TO BE WILLING TO LIVE THE LIFE! I never want my lifestyle to contradict my claim to be a “follower of of Christ” and a citizen of the “Kingdom of heaven!”

LITTLE THINGS MATTER! Small things can be VERY significant! As I read Psalm 117 in the Bible this morning during “coffee with the Lord” I was reminded of that. This little Psalm, the shortest in the Psalter as well as the shortest chapter in the entire Bible packs a “wallop”!!

As many of you know, I have often had the privilege of teaching overseas. I’ve often gone to Asia Pacific Theological Seminary (APTS) in Baguio, Philippines and taught graduate students from all over Asia (and elsewhere) how to preach God’s word (Homiletics/Sermoncraft). During those occasions I’ve had students from the Philippines, China, South Korea, North Korea, Myanmar, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and elsewhere (one particular group from 13 different countries!). I have also taught student from all over the Arab world at a training event in Amman, Jordan. On other occasions I have taught in Honduras, Republic of Georgia, Mongolia, etc. All of these have been WONDERFUL opportunities to impact the world for Christ by developing and training the key leaders who will do it!!

What does all that have to do with Psalm 117 you ask?

Ponder these words… “PRAISE THE LORD, ALL YOU NATIONS! PRAISE HIM, ALL YOU PEOPLE OF THE EARTH! For He loves us with unfailing love; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.” This is precisely the Psalm that Paul the apostle selected (directed by the Holy Spirit) to make the following point…

“Therefore, accept one another just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory! Remember that Christ came…so that the Gentiles (all the nations of the world) might give glory to God for His mercies to them! That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote… ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Praise Him, all you people of the earth’” (quote from Psalm 117!)

So, In the margin of my Bible this morning I wrote these words… FULFILL IT LORD! MAY YOUR GREAT REDEMPTIVE PURPOSES BE FULFILLED IN ALL THE EARTH!! Hey, l want do my part!! Yes!! Amen!! (John 3.16!)

The Christian life is not ten days on a Carnival Cruise to the Bahamas. It is not a skiing vacation in the Colorado Rockies. The Christian life is not even a weekend retreat of several power-packed days at an old fashioned camp meeting. Paul describes it in Ephesians 6:10-24 as warfare – Spiritual warfare.

Now if you’ve never experience a spiritual attack – never felt under siege by your spiritual “Adversary,” the Devil – something is wrong! The Christian life is a battle. If you don’t have a sense of being in a battle, it doesn’t mean there isn’t one. It may mean you just haven’t shown up for duty – you are spiritually AWOL!

Satan is a spiritual Osama Ben Laden – a spiritual terrorist. The Bible calls him “the Adversary” (1 Peter 5:8). He is out to rob, kill, and destroy every believer that he can as well as neutralize the Church of Jesus Christ.

Paul is writing to 1stCentury Christians who were living in Asia Minor located in and around Ephesus. They had been delivered from the dark spiritual forces that had once bound them. They were under attack from the Devil for trying to accomplish something for the Lord. Often they experienced ridicule and were belittled by their old pagan friends. For them, persecution was not imaginary. Temptation to compromise and return to idolatry and their old sinful lifestyle was real. They were sometimes bewildered by the multitude of religious and philosophical options clamoring for attention in their day. Even fellow believers, who saw themselves as some kind of “super-saints” because of the unusual experiences they had, were trying to make them feel inferior (read Colossians 2:12 23, the “sister epistle to Ephesians). Living the Christian life in Ephesus was a battle and it’s a battle in our world today!

So what does this great “Spiritual field commander,” Apostle Paul tell his fellow warriors (including us) in this passage? Fundamentally four things:

1. Come to grips with the fact that you’re involved in a real battle with real enemy! (vs. 12)

2. Strengthen yourself for “Spiritual guerrilla warfare” and take your stand! (vss. 10-14)

3. For “heaven’s sake” put on all your Spiritual armor! (vss. 11, 13-17)

4. And PRAY in the Spirit, all the time, with all kinds of prayer for yourself, fellow Christians and your Spiritual leaders! (vss. 18-20)

Listen, let me tell you NEVER HAS THIS BEEN MORE IMPORTANT!