Spiritual Viewpoints

by Rick Smith

Seeking God

A Holy Hunger?

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VIEWPOINTS
Thoughts To Encourage Godly Living
April 26, 2002

A HOLY HUNGER?

The way some “saved” people live, it’s no wonder there are so many skeptics. Who can blame an honest seeker for coming up empty when the finders have nothing to show? The truth is, people don’t want to see our dusty truths as much as they want to see our God.

Jesus was asked “Where is your father?” and he replied “You do not know me or my Father,…If you knew me, you would know my Father also” (John 8:19). Jesus’ answer is what we should be searching for. If we haven’t found Jesus, and therefore, God, in our lives, we need to lead the search party!

I’m afraid we aren’t offering the bread of life because too many of us are starving for it ourselves. Comfortable church assemblies and Cocoa Puff sermons haven’t answered man’s deepest longing — the need for a Savior. The best song leader, the finest Praise Team, or the most convincing preacher cannot take the place of the crucified Christ. What lost person cares if we can eloquently articulate the principles of interpretation? Seekers want to see the Holy Spirit living in us.

Are we looking for religion or spirituality? Many have plodded through decades of religion with its rules and regulations. We tell people the Old Testament law was fulfilled, and attempt to satisfy them with a New Testament law. That isn’t what they want or need. They want God. They want a Savior. They need Jesus and we give them a book. The Bible is inspired and important, but the emphasis should not be put on memorizing the genealogy, but rather on where the genealogy leads us. The preacher, Phillip, didn’t own a New Testament and was still able to begin in Isaiah and tell the Ethiopian about Jesus (Acts 8). Too many of us start in Acts, walk right past Jesus, and head straight for the water. We have to ask ourselves, “Are we trying to convert sinners to a plan or a man?” That begs the question, “To which have we been converted?”

Our church patter seems patented. We’ve got the “plan of salvation”, the “five steps”, the “five acts of worship” — where is Jesus? We sound more like parrots and mockingbirds than Spirit-led men and women. We’ve got the “spin”. We’re just missing Him.

Ask yourself, “What is the Lord doing in my life?” Am I really one beggar telling other beggars where to find bread, or am I one of the starving who has never known Jesus? Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). We need a holy hunger before we’ll ever be satisfied. And then we’ll share the Savior!

Must I Be Baptized To Be Saved?

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I’m convinced a person serious about salvation and once understanding baptism would not ask if they had to be baptized to be saved. Instead, they would ask, “When can I be baptized?”

If I was questioning baptism, I would begin with Jesus, what he said and did. “Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.”Then John consented” (Matthew 3:13-15). Jesus was sinless, had no sins to confess, none to be forgiven, but his desire to fulfill all righteousness was paramount.

I must ask, “What would Jesus want me to do?” I am a sinner, no doubt about that. So do I need to be baptized? Jesus met with his disciples and gave them the following instructions. “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’” (Mathew 28:18-20). The answer is yes, but before baptism takes place something else is required, and it makes sense ~ “…go make disciples.”

What is a disciple? When that question is understood and complied with, baptism falls into place. “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. (Love Jesus more than anybody else) 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”  (This is an unceasing death, recognizing our lives are now spent in Christ’s service and not for ourselves).

28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples” (Luke 14:25-33). (Turn everything you have over to God, and he gives it right back to you as its steward ~ to be used for his glory).

Okay, that’s deep, but I get it. Jesus wants a total commitment of my life in order for me to be a disciple or follower of him. Even though we are at different levels of understanding, we can agree that we need to have accepted Jesus as Lord, and with it have a deep longing to follow him. Next, we find the apostles telling folks what to do in order to demonstrate their discipleship, prove their allegiance to Christ, to turn their back on the world and live for Christ. “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves  from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:36-42). The apostle Peter pointed them towards Jesus, told them how their sinfulness crucified him, and how they could be forgiven. They must become disciples or followers of Jesus, repent and confess their sinfulness, be baptized or immersed in water for forgiveness and then receive God’s gift of the Holy Spirit. At that point God would add them to his family, the church, the community of God.

Without knowing everything about being baptized into Christ, you can at least realize the question: “Do I have to be baptized to be saved?” should rather be, “When can I be baptized?” I want to go to heaven! You can learn more about Baptism by responding to this Blog with questions. I’m praying you, if you never have, will make a decision to live for Christ and be baptized into him.

 

A Holy Hunger

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The way some “saved” people live, it’s no wonder there are so many skeptics. Who can blame an honest seeker for coming up empty when the finders have nothing to show? Truthfully,  people don’t want to see our dusty truths ~ they want to see our God.

Jesus was asked “Where is your father?” and he replied “You do not know me or my Father…If you knew me, you would know my Father also” (John 8:19). If we haven’t found Jesus, we certainly haven’t found God. This is where the search party must begin!

I’m afraid we aren’t offering the bread of life because too many of us are starving for it ourselves. Comfortable church assemblies and Cocoa Puff sermons haven’t answered man’s deepest longing ~ the need for a Savior. The best song leader and the most convincing preacher cannot take the place of a crucified Christ. What lost person cares if we can eloquently articulate the principles of interpretation? Seekers want to see the Lord living in us.

Are we looking for organized religion or true spirituality? Many have plodded too long through a life of tradition and rules. We tell people the Old Testament Law was fulfilled, and then attempt to satisfy them with a New Testament Law. That isn’t what they want or need. They want God. They want a Savior. They need Jesus but we can’t show him, so we hand them a book.

The Bible is inspired and points us to heaven, but the emphasis should not be put on memorizing the genealogy, but rather, where the genealogy leads us. The preacher, Phillip, didn’t own a New Testament and was able to begin in Isaiah and tell the Ethiopian about Jesus (Acts 8). Too many of us start in Acts, walk right past Jesus, and plunge headlong into the baptistry. We have to ask ourselves, “Are we trying to convert sinners to a plan or to the man?” That begs the question, “To which have we been converted?”

Our church patter seems patented. We’ve got the “plan of salvation”, the “five steps”, the “five acts of worship” – but where is Jesus? We sound more like parrots and mockingbirds than Spirit-led men and women. We’ve got the “spin”, but we’re missing Him.

Ask yourself, “What is the Lord doing in my life?” Am I really one beggar telling other beggars where to find bread, or am I one of the starving who has never known Jesus? Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). We need a Holy Hunger in order to be satisfied.
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Re-Thinking

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Jesus said, “You diligently study the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life” (John 5:39). That verse plagued me for years. It made me feel like the bull’s-eye in an archery contest. I’ve fluently debated the pros and cons on everything from church supported eleemosynary institutions to hand clapping during worship ~ but I didn’t know Jesus.

During years of re-thinking what is and isn’t important, I’ve concluded that lifting up Jesus is all important. I’ve quit exalting papers, preachers, and opinions. Now I exalt the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

I’ve tossed my old sermons in the trash. I no longer spend time underlining passages to prove points that prove little. Instead, I underline passages that help me praise God and win souls; “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken” (Psalm 62:5-6).

Some of us have spent too much time boasting about what we thought we knew. During that time, those who were lost got little from us. While we thought we were standing for the faith, our faith was standing in the way. Our faith was in what we knew, not in whom.

It’s great when we discover what’s truly worth knowing. “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord'” (I Corinthians 1:30-31).

What we have learned about many things is good, but there is only one great thing to know – “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11).

God alone is my rock and my salvation!

Draw Near To God

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I recall in my early twenties people saying, “You’re really going to make a preacher when you get older.” Now that I’m in my 70’s they say, “I bet you were some preacher when you were younger.”

Have you failed to meet others’ expectations? Some folks are miserable because they’ve never felt good about themselves. They’ve always been second fiddle, last to be picked for the team, or fourth place in a three-person race. I was looking at my Florida Christian College yearbook yesterday and saw my picture with Edward Fudge and others. We were giving speeches to the student body in an election for Freshman Class President. I lost. (Edward won.)

In spite of my last place finishes, I’m not a loser! In fact, I’ve already won at life. I’m not a big shot. I’m just a little shot that kept on shooting. I never gave up on seeking the Lord. At my age, seventy-none-of-your-business, I’m still like a kid in a candy store when it comes to the Word of God. I want more! When it comes to my relationship with God, I want more. I just keep plugging away. “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14)

I’ve won the greatest prize any person could win. I can boldly step without fear into the presence of God. “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:19-23).

When everything’s said and done, when it’s all over, it’s not what you know, but who you know. Knowing Jesus will put you on the first team, heaven-bound, and in the best company ever. Jesus makes this possible. He makes it available for everyone who calls on His name and humbly submits to His Lordship.

By the way, if you’ve never become part of His family, He’s still knocking at the door of your heart. Open the door and let Him in!