Author: Scott Lane

Scott Lane is the Executive Pastor of Ministry at FBCSA.

Obedience- Not Victory

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 4:1-8 (day five)  Work on the wall has started. The mentioned people and families are following God’s plan and purpose. Now comes criticism, mocking, anger, distraction, questioning, and persecution. Probably should have expected it. We know to expect it from Jesus teachings- see John‬ ‭15‬. Yet verse six says in the midst of all the opposition and noise, “So we built the wall”.

I like Jerry Bridges’ thoughts on the preeminence of obedience in the life of the believer- how faithfulness is to be desired over success.  It really gives clarity to the focus and desires of the heart. Am I first and foremost desiring to please and honor God with all I am and all I do?  (See Colossians 3:22) Even at the cost of personal awards and rewards?

“God wants us to walk in obedience – not victory. Obedience is oriented toward God; victory is oriented toward self. This may seem to be merely splitting hairs over semantics, but there’s a subtle, self-centered attitude at the root… Until we deal with this attitude, we won’t consistently walk in holiness.”- Jerry Bridges

Build

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 3:1-5 (day five)  I wonder how Nehemiah reacted when the wall actually started getting rebuilt. He had prayed and planned. He had shared his heart with many. He had faced real opposition (where we last read in chapter 2). He had sensed the Lord’s leading and provision. He kept believing and trusting. Did he ever doubt?  Did he ever question?  Was he anxious or discouraged?  Was there an underlying sense of hope and courage in the midst of it all?

Then in chapter 3, it actually started happening. Little by little and space by space… progress. God was moving and working in the hearts of people to accomplish His plan and purpose. There was work. There was community. There was unity. There was diversity. There was worship. There was joy and celebration. And there was opposition. Sounds like missions and ministry, doesn’t it?  Let’s get to work!  Let’s join in too (to what God’s doing in and thru our church). Let’s serve others, share faith, work, and worship!!  Let’s build God’s Kingdom through His Church.

We

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 2:11-20 (day five)

In chapter 2, Nehemiah makes a thorough and comprehensive inspection of Jerusalem. He then gives a startling and honest review and evaluation. Both the destruction and the negligence are a part of what he has observed and reports. Yet, with the reality of a decimated city, Nehemiah also shares the potential and possibilities of rebuilding.

In the same way, (with the presence, guidance, and grace of the Holy Spirit) we must make the same kind of review and inspection of our hearts and lives. Like Nehemiah, God will allow us to see the full and accurate status of our lives. He then leads us and joins us in the renewal and rebuilding process. Spiritual growth and progress is a “we” endeavor. “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Philippians‬ ‭2‬

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalm 139‬

Pattern for Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 1:4–11 (day five) Good morning from Impact Youth Camp. I’ve had the privilege to be with our Students and Adult Leaders this week. My job at camp this year was to teach and encourage High School Students to consider and pursue “Intimacy with God”.   One of the ways we find intimacy (growing closer) with God is through prayer. Just a couple of notes from this teaching time-

The speaking God not only has spoken, but He also listens – He stops, He stoops, He wants to hear from you. He stands ready to hear your voice, Christian, you have the ear of God. We call it prayer

Prayer, for the Christian, is not merely talking to God, but responding to the one who has initiated toward us. He has spoken first. This is not a conversation we start, but a relationship into which we’ve been drawn… Our asking and pleading, and requesting originate, not from our emptiness, but from his fullness.

God is more ready to hear us, than we are ready to pray.

We also included a pattern for prayer. (The how to section). Very familiar outline. I recommend using it. It’s actually found in our Re:verse passage this week in Nehemiah’s prayer. Can you find it??  Will you use it?

A- Adoration

C-Confession

T- Thanksgiving

S- Supplication

Can you find it??  Will you use it to guide and shape your prayers?

“It shouldn’t surprise us, then, to find that prayer is not finally about getting things from God, but getting God.” – David Mathis

Hunger

Re:Verse passage – Acts 2:1-13, 36-47 (day five) In the blink of an eye what was a group of one hundred twenty becomes a group of three thousand one hundred and twenty. Scriptures say they were “added.”  And what seems to be one of their first rhythms is to gather to learn and hear God’s Word. Not for the sake of gathering, but to listen to and study the scriptures. There was a hunger and desire to know and understand God’s Word. It was fervent. It was prominent. It was continual. What were the Apostles teaching?  The Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms as well as the words of Jesus. What became quickly clear and true for those first believers still remains true for us today. Being filled with the Spirit and being filled with God’s Word go together.

READY! SET! WAIT!

Re:Verse passage – Luke 24:45-53 (day five)

What an amazing passage!  The disciples receive much needed clarity and are commissioned to take the gospel to the nations beginning with Jerusalem. I think I would have immediately run down the hill and started immediately sharing, teaching, and preaching. Yet, Jesus tells them to wait. Almost counter intuitive. READY! SET! WAIT!
Here’s the incredible thing- that’s exactly what they do. There is that must trust and submission in their hearts. So what we see is obedience from the disciples. They do exactly what Jesus tells them to do. Our trust and submission to the Lord, should always lead to obedience because His plan, His promises, and His timing are always perfect.

Eternal

Re:Verse passage – John 16:5-16 (day five)

“But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.”
Jesus senses that the hearts of His disciples are heavy and saddened. So, He carefully and wisely chooses His next words. Looking to strengthen and encourage them, He promises and discloses the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit. That work- convicting, guiding, and glorifying is “to our advantage”.  That work also stretches and challenges us in our finiteness and humanness. The Lord’s economy is always seen and understood more clearly from an eternal perspective rather than a temporal one. It is the eternal things that matter most to the Lord. And they should to us as well. Our task and privilege is to think and remember His words (verse 4). So, daily if not more, we read, recite, and remind ourselves of the Scripture (His Words) that produces the eternal perspective of joy, wisdom, hope, strength, and courage.

Restoration and Redirection

Re:Verse passage – John 21:1-19 (day five)

What could have been an overwhelmingly impossible circumstance, becomes a moment of restoration and redirection. For Peter there was the potential for every morning for the rest of his life to be a reminder of failure and sin. Crowing roosters (which never left the region) were most likely a daily alarm of his past. Probably crowing on this morning as well. Jesus had a “charcoal fire” going on shore. Only other time those Greek words were used, were to describe the fire burning when Peter denies Jesus (John 18).

What Jesus teaches Peter (and us) is, that a failed believer isn’t a finished believer. When Jesus has our hearts (our love and desire for Him more than anything else we want or need), He then assigns mission and ministry. He will use our past to remind and direct us to the path (through confession and repentance) where we can live at peace with Him, in joyful obedience, and with the strength and courage of His daily presence.

Missing

Re:Verse passage – Luke 24:36:-43; John 20:26-29 (day five)  

Thomas was missing (at Jesus’ appearance to the disciples). John points this out in 20:24. Do you wonder why?  Was the grief and sense of loss and defeat more than he could bear?  Perhaps. Was he scared and in hiding? Maybe, but my opinion is NO. Remember in John 11, Thomas was willing (leading the charge) to go back to Judea and die with Jesus. I think it was more of the former. Often times our reaction to grief, pain, trauma, or distress is to withdraw.  Be alone.  Circle the wagons, so to speak. In Thomas’ case it was counterproductive.

It can also be said that “Thomas missed out.” He missed seeing Jesus. Maybe a couple of possible applications:  1) When we are with other believers we often sense the strength and encouragement of Christ in and through them. DON’T MISS OUT.  2) When there are folks missing (maybe for the reasons listed previously), our joyful task is to reach out and bring/welcome them back into our groups and gatherings. We get to extend and express the love and strength of Christ (isn’t that cool).  (See Hebrews 10:24-25) Will you be in your place with your group, class, body?  Will you reach out and draw others back, to see and experience Christ at work through your group, class, or body?

Remember/Reflect

Re:Verse passage – John 20:1-18 (day five) “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb.”

As we read and study this first Resurrection Appearance this week, I came across this quote/insight from Dr. Bob Utley. “Remember the stone was removed to let the eyewitnesses into the tomb, not to let Jesus out. His new resurrection body did not have the physical limits of His earthly body (i.e., John 20:19,26).”

It caused me to think/remember many of the ways and times that God uses (has used in my life) to show me Who He is, How He is working, and What He has done. Has been a sweet week of worship and reflection. It is God who shows/reveals His Character, His Ways and Purposes,and His Words and Promises to us. Maybe today, we should all inventory and recount those times where God’s goodness and activity were revealed to us by His grace and power!!