I am grateful we were able to complete our brief study on why God does not pour out wrath during this dispensation of grace. Everything we experience in this world, whether physical events like hurricanes and wildfires, etc, is a by-product of the fallen condition we are all part of. When God judged Adam & Eve in Genesis 3, he cursed the ground, and made nature the enemy of man. It was now going to be a difficult journey through life for every individual. Natural disasters are part of that journey!
We took a few minutes and walked through Paul's brief history of humanity, and how mankind took God's wonderful creation and began to worship and serve the creature making all kinds of images to worship instead of the One who deserved their worship. Romans 1:16-32
We discovered that God has a simple process in place that identifies the source of our rebellion, and the consequences of that rebellion through the law of sowing and reaping. There are three particular areas of attack that all sin sprouts from:
The lust of the flesh (the desire to feel / passion) The lust of the eyes (the desire to acquire / possessions) The pride of life (the desire to be elevated / power)
1 John 2:15-17: 15Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Genesis 3:6: 6And when the woman (Eve) saw that the tree was good for food (lust of the flesh), and that it was pleasant to the eyes (lust of the eyes), and a tree to be desired to make one wise (pride of life), she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. (Romans 5:12)
Jesus experienced the same three pronged attack by Satan as Eve did, in Matthew 4:1-11, but did not succumb. He defeated the devil by quoting scripture as the sword it is, as he was attacked.
The law of sowing and reaping is true for everyone. It is especially true to believers who know the power of the flesh and the battle that rages in each of us.
Galatians 6:7-9: 7Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
We must be vigilant to recognize the wiles of the devil, and be able to identify the continual battle between the flesh and spirit, and sow to the spirit and reap our reward in due season.
I mentioned that I serve on Saturday mornings at men's prayer breakfast by assisting Dick Dodge in cleaning the kitchen and doing the dishes (unloading the dishwasher). Service is a physical way to share in the burden of the church. The first deacons in Acts 6 were selected to meet the physcial needs of the church family.
Men from our class serve each Saturday: Jay Justice cooks eggs, Dave Boles cooks the bacon as well as French toast, biscuits, and pancakes, etc. Dick Dodge does it all, including cleaning. I am just grateful to be useful in the clean up and give back in some small way. There are others who go on mission trips to areas of our country, even locally to help clean up storm damage, build ramps and decks, and so on. There are many ways to serve through FBC, and other organizations.
I stated that no one can really know how to minister to the spiritual needs of people until they have learned how to serve. Serving meets physical needs, but ministry meets spiritual needs through teaching biblical truths to individuals, small groups, or large groups. No one can truly teach unless they have been taught. (2 Timothy 2:2; Philippians 4:9)
There is eternal reward in both endeavors if you serve with right motives and minister with right motives. Eternal reward is based on our obedience to the commands of Christ and our heart attitude as we obey. The gold, silver, and precious stones of 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 are all available to every member of the body of Christ!
