Ministering to the Hopeless

 “Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

It seems to us that, when people are in need, they would be most open to the gospel. It seems to us that, when they are desperate, they’d most readily receive it.  This, however, is not always the case.

We see an example of this as Moses came to the people of Israel, having been called by God to deliver them from bondage. Having been enslaved for four hundred years, it seems to us that this would be welcome news. It seems to us that the people would receive this with gladness. But, as we see in the above passage, they didn’t respond as we might expect.

We find that, as Moses brought to them this good news, they did not listen to him. They did not listen because of their broken spirit. They did not listen because of their harsh slavery. Their suffering had led them to a sense of despondency and discouragement.

The people were so demoralized, it seems, that they would not receive the good news as it was brought to them. And this being the case, Moses wondered how Pharaoh would ever listen to him. He, then, brought this question to God.

The same can be said, I believe, of many today. Many among us are so broken, their spirit is crushed to such an extent, that they have shut their ears to the gospel. Their hopelessness has caused them to shut down to any thought of relief. And we may wonder what we can do that they might hear, understand, and receive the gospel.

As Moses brought this question to the Lord, he was simply told to carry out his calling. He was told to do so, with the assurance that God would act. And this, of course, is what Moses did.

As we ask this question of ourselves, or as we direct it to the Lord, the answer is the same. We can do nothing to remedy this situation. We’re unable to open anyone’s ears. And we are unable to change hearts and minds. 

We can only be faithful to the call God has given us. We can only proclaim to them the good news. And we can only entrust the people, along with our service, to the care of God.

We can do so knowing that he will work. We can do so knowing that he will act. We can do so knowing that he will work in the hearts and minds of those who hear his Word.

Although, in one sense, this may seem discouraging to us, it’s also a relief. It’s a relief because the changing of hearts and minds is dependent not upon us. It’s dependent not upon our creativity, our giftedness, or our determination. We simply carry out our calling trusting that, as we do so, the Lord will act.

Serving God

 “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”

(Matthew 25:40 ESV)

As Christians, we know that we’re called to serve the Lord. But we often over-spiritualize this. We make it into something that's ethereal. We make it into something almost intangible or immaterial.

Serving God, to us, can be made primarily, or even fully, about spiritual disciplines. We can make it about prayer. We can make it about Scripture reading. And we can make it about worship. We can make it exclusively about practices that enable our personal relationship with Christ, as we like to think of it.

And please don’t misunderstand what I’m trying to say. These practices are, indeed, important. In fact, they’re essential. If we aren’t devoted to prayer, Scripture, and worship, something is wrong when it comes to our life of faith.

However, that being said, serving God is about so much more. And it’s simpler than we often make it out to be. It may seem, in a sense, to be far more mundane.

We see this in Matthew 25 as Jesus describes the final judgment. We’re told that when he comes in his glory, he’ll sit on his throne and separate the people from one another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And as we read this description, the basis of this separation, the basis of this judgment, is our actions. It’s our service.

We do have to be careful with this. We have to be careful with this because Jesus is in no way suggesting that we’re saved by our works. Our works, rather, reflect our faith in the Lord or our lack of it.

But he commends those on his right, he commends the sheep, because they had served him. And as they question how they’d done so, he answers with the words above. He tells them that as they did it to one of the least of these, his brothers, they’d done it to him.

As he condemns those on his left, we see something similar. He condemns them because they’d failed to serve him. And when they questioned how they’d failed, he told them that as they did not do to one of the least of these, they had not done it to him.

The simple point I’m trying to make is this: We serve the Lord as we serve our neighbor. And as we fail to serve our neighbor, we fail to serve the Lord.

Our service of God, then, includes many things. It means serving our spouse and children by preparing them a meal. It means serving our children by bathing them or changing their diapers. It means serving our family by cleaning the toilets and the showers. 

It means serving in the church. It means teaching Sunday School, serving as an usher during worship, or shoveling snow not only at home, but at church. 

It means serving our community. It means donating food to the food bank. It means helping our elderly neighbor with their lawn. And it means visiting those who are in the hospital or the nursing home.

None of this is exciting. And none of it seems spiritual in the least. But it is the very real way in which we serve the Lord.

The Necessary Use of the Sacraments

 “At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it…”

(Exodus 4:24–25 ESV)

Quite often, as we think of the sacraments, we believe that they’re unnecessary. We believe they don’t matter. We believe they’re unimportant. And we believe they are nothing more than signs or symbols of our faith in the Lord.

We, then, reach for extreme examples to make our point. What about a baby who dies moments after delivery, and doesn’t receive baptism? Is he saved? What about a man who is brought to faith in Christ but dies before he’s able to be baptized? Is he saved? 

We also point to situations like the thief on the cross. He clearly came to faith at the end of his life. But, as he was being crucified, and as Jesus was being crucified along with him, there was no opportunity for baptism. And we conclude from this that the sacraments don’t matter.

Using cases like these fail to make the point. They fail in their effort to demonstrate that the sacraments are nothing more than signs. And they fail in their effort to demonstrate that they are unnecessary.

The passage above demonstrates the exact opposite. God, you recall, had commanded circumcision to Abraham and his descendents after him. A promise of God was also attached to this act. Being circumcised, having their foreskin removed, meant that they were a part of God’s people and heirs of his promise, the promise given to Abraham.

We find in Exodus that, after fleeing from Egypt, Moses married the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian. And he had two sons with her before being called by God to return to Egypt to bring his people out of their bondage. He then went, with his wife and children, back to the land from which he had fled.

However, at a lodging along the way, the Lord met Moses and sought to put him to death. The reason for this is not clarified in the text. But Zipporah, the wife of Moses, clearly knew.

She took a flint, cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched Moses’ feet with it. We see from this that Moses had failed to circumcise his son. He had failed to obey this command of the Lord and to ensure that his son received the promise of God.

This had angered the Lord. It had angered him enough that he sought to put Moses to death. But, because of her actions, the Lord left him alone.

The physical act of circumcision is no longer required for the children of God.  But baptism, Scripture tells us, is a type of circumcision. Through baptism, Colossians 2 tells us, we are circumcised without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ. 

Realizing this, and looking at Exodus 4, we can see how seriously God takes it. And, as he takes it seriously, so must we. Baptism, along with the Lord’s Supper, is a means of grace, by which God bestows his precious promise and blessing upon us.  We, therefore, must necessarily make use of them.

Not Me!

  “But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses…”

(Exodus 4:13–14 ESV)

As believers, we’re called by God into his service. Our service, of course, plays no role in our salvation. We are saved by the grace of God alone, through faith in Jesus. But, as the children of God, we are called into his service, which results from our faith.

We receive this call in two distinct ways. We receive it, as it’s given generally to the church as a whole, to proclaim the gospel to the whole creation and to make disciples of all nations. And we receive it specifically, we receive his call as the Spirit of God gives to us gifts that we are to use in his service, filling a distinct role in the body of Christ.

As noted in my last post, our tendency, when we are called, is to make excuses. Our tendency is to list all of the reasons why we cannot or should not carry out the task assigned to us. What it often comes down to, however, is our unwillingness to do so.

This was the case with Moses, as God called him in Exodus 3, to bring his people out of Egypt. He first listed several excuses. He wouldn’t be able to tell the people God’s name, if asked. They wouldn’t believe him. And he was not a good speaker.

In each case, God provided for his need. He took away each excuse Moses offered. He shared with Moses his name. He gave to Moses miracles or signs he could perform to convince the people that he’d been sent by God. As he assured Moses that, as he made man’s mouth, he would be able to speak.

When all was said and done, however, Moses spoke the words seen above. He asked that God would send someone else. He asked that he might not have to do it.

We, then, see God’s response to Moses. We see that the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses. We see that it burned against Moses.

Based on this, I believe it’s safe to say that his response to us is the same. What I mean is that God’s anger burns against us, as we refuse to serve him. His anger is kindled against us as we refuse his call. 

This, then, is not something that can be taken lightly. It is clearly sinful. It’s clearly an act of disobedience, it’s an act of rebellion on our part.

Moses’ words and actions also did nothing that led God to revoke his call. God’s call remained. And Moses finally submitted himself to the Lord and departed for Egypt.

Could God find someone else to do what he’s asked of us? He certainly could. But he desires that we, as his people, will honor him by doing what he’s asked.

As we, then, demonstrate an unwillingness to serve, we should recognize it for what it is. We should recognize it as sin, confessing it to the Lord, and trusting in Christ for the forgiveness he provides. And, like Moses, we should embrace his call by serving our neighbor.

No Excuses

 “Then the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”

(Exodus 4:11–12)

When we’re called to serve, our first instinct is to get out of it. And, typically, we begin listing excuses. We begin listing all the reasons why we can’t do what’s been asked of us.

When the call comes from people, we’re more inclined to this than ever. We feel little guilt in doing so. We want to do anything and everything to preserve our time and energy.

However, that being said, we do the same when the call comes from God. As he calls us to serve, we again make excuses. Even if we feel guilty for doing so, we begin thinking of all of the reasons we cannot serve.

As we look at Exodus 4, Moses did the very same thing as God called him to lead the people out of Egypt. And if any call was intrusive on someone’s life, it was this. It meant giving everything, it meant giving his entire life to this task.

Moses first told God that, if he came to the people claiming that God had sent him, they would ask for his name. They would want to know the name of the God who sent him. And God gave to Moses his name.

Moses next told God that they wouldn’t believe him. God, then, gave him miracles that he could perform. He gave him signs to convince the people of his claim.

Finally, Moses told God that he was not eloquent. He said that he was slow of speech and tongue. And, for this reason, he could not do as he’d been called.

God then spoke to Moses the words of the passage above. He asked who made man’s mouth. He asked who made man mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind. And he pointed out that it was he, that it was the Lord himself, who did so.

He then repeated his call to Moses. He again told him to go. And he reassured Moses that he’d be with his mouth and would teach him what he should speak.

This is a great reassurance to us. When we are called by God, our shortcomings should not be an issue. They should not be an issue because, if God has called us, he’ll also supply to us the ability to carry it out.

On one hand, this removes all excuses. It puts the pressure back on us to do as we’ve been called. But it’s also reassuring.

It’s reassuring because God isn’t asking us to fulfill our calling by our own strength. Nor is he asking us to do so by our own abilities. He’s telling us that we’ll do so by his strength and ability.

Rejoicing in the Proclamation

 “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.”

(‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

We are often critical of other believers. We’re critical of other churches. We’re critical, focusing primarily upon our disagreements and differences.

We also question the motives of these groups or individuals. We question their purpose. And we assume that they’re less than sound.

Although this isn’t always the case, we may even be right. Our criticisms may be well-founded. And their motives may be less than pure.

We’re also right to be concerned about the faithful teaching of God’s Word. We should desire that it be rightly taught and proclaimed. And we should desire that it be proclaimed with the right motives.

The fact remains, however, that we have no say when it comes to those outside of our church. We have no say when it comes to what they teach. And we have no say when it comes to what they do.

We also can do nothing to ensure the purity of motive. Because of our sinful nature, our motives are often impure. And, if this is true of us, we can do nothing to ensure the purity of motives when it comes to others.

So, how do we respond in such cases? How do we respond to believers or to congregations with whom we disagree? How do we respond to those whose motives we question? Do their successes cause us to grumble? Or do we seek their failure?

We see the response of Paul in the verse above. As he was imprisoned, the reason for his chains had become widely known. It was very clear, to the imperial guard and to all, that his imprisonment was for Christ. It was the result of his faith in Christ and his ministry in the Lord’s service.

His imprisonment had also caused his fellow believers to become more confident and bold. They’d been led to share the Word of God without fear. But the motives of these individuals were not one and the same.

Some, he said, preached Christ from good will. They did so out of love. But others did so from envy and rivalry. They did so out of selfish ambition and a desire to afflict Paul, or to cause him distress, during his imprisonment.

Yet, knowing this reality, Paul rejoiced. He rejoiced in the fact that Christ was proclaimed. He rejoiced in the proclamation of the gospel, even if the intent of those proclaiming it was less than pure.

And this, you see, is to be true of us as well. We should focus less on who is proclaiming Christ and their motives in doing so. And we should simply rejoice that Christ is proclaimed.