Bold Salt, Part 2

Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. A genuine, healthy walk with God is going to manifest itself in transformed attitudes and practices. As we sit at the feet of Jesus in full surrender, we will start to look like Jesus. In this message titled Bold Salt, Pastor Rich will show the character qualities of Christ lived out in his people. Let's listen in. This is part two of a message on Hebrews 13, 1 through 17.

It was first preached on February 17, 2013. Commitment is bound only by convenience and pleasure. As long as something is pleasurable to me or convenient to me, I will commit to it. And that just takes every bit of meaning out of the word commitment, doesn't it? Because as soon as convenience and pleasure end, then commitment ends.

There's no commitment in that. It's a dead word. It's a meaningless word. And so it is even particularly and especially in marriage relationships, and it ought not to be in the house of God. It is not a manifestation of one's walk of faith. In our marriages, in this faithfulness, in this commitment, there ought to be a proactive pursuit of faithfulness with definite boundaries. It is a character of Christ. And as we pursue that faithfulness with those definite boundaries, we need to be very, very aware of the subtleties that can get their foot in the door and drive a wedge and ruin my faithfulness.

Some of those subtleties can lead us to virtual affairs. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Let it be known among the people of God that faithful marriages among God's people are bold salt in this world. Quality number five, look with me at verses. Oh, by the way, the idol that that contrasts is the idol of self-gratification, convenience and pleasure, self-gratification, commitment beyond convenience and pleasure.

All right. So quality number five, contentment. Look at with me at verses five and six. Let your conduct be without covetousness. Be content with such things as you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper. I will not fear.

What can man do to me? The New American Standard translates this, be free from the love of money, free from the love of money. What is your object of trust? Are you willing to trust God when things are going well for you? Is that when you're having a good day, when your bank account, your savings account, all of that, your portfolio is showing in the positive and you're looking good and you, you know, everything is just fine. But when things start falling apart, you wonder if God knows what he's doing. Let me ask you a question. Humanly speaking, did things seem to kind of fall apart for Jesus Christ? Let's see in one word.

Yeah. But he trusted his father. He trusted his father. That is a character of Christ.

It was contentment. Your object of trust can be a public testimony. We will boldly say, the Lord is my helper. I will not fear. You see, when you fear, that compels you to try to control. And that can happen, that can manifest itself in two ways. It can manifest itself in manipulation or it can manifest itself in worry and anxiety. All of that's related to fear. It's a lack of trust in God. Do you trust God?

If you are walking with Christ, if you are pursuing him, trust God. And this will be an outflow of that. The contentment will be an outflow of it. Listen to this.

This is true. Your trust in God is equal to your contentment in this life. Your trust in God is equal to your contentment in God, in this life. What is the idol that this quality contrasts? The idol that it contrasts is self-sufficiency. I have to manipulate. I have to take care of myself. We're contingent beings. You didn't create yourself. You can't sustain yourself. You need to trust God for that.

You see, I can't calculate and manipulate. Fill in this blank because we all do this, right? If I had, I would be happy. You fill in that blank because you've done it, haven't you?

Say, mm-hmm. We all have. We've all said that. I've said that. I have recently said that. And I've had to confess it before God. If I had this, I would be happy.

What is that? That is a lack of trust in God. This cannot make you happy. We need to trust God. And this contentment is an outflow of my pursuit of Christ and my walk with him. All right, number six. Number six. This comes from three verses. Chapter 13, verse 7, 8 and 17.

Quality number six is the quality of submission. Jesus himself was submissive. He said, I do nothing on my own. I only do what the Father gives me to do. Look at verse 7 and 8 and then verse 17. Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow considering the outcome of their conduct.

Jesus Christ the same is the same yesterday, today and forever. Look down at verse 17. Obey those who rule over you and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account, let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Those who rule over you, mentioned in verse 7 and verse 17, that word is hegeomai. It is a word that literally means to be of an opinion, which means to guide, one who is a guide, to make choices. Leadership means making choices. Take for example the conductor of a symphony. How many pieces are there in a symphony? Some symphonies are as big as this congregation right here and the conductor has to lead that symphony. He chooses the song, he chooses how it's going to be played, he chooses when they're practicing. All of those choices are made and he doesn't do it by taking a poll.

What would be the success of that symphony if every decision that was made had to be done by the symphony voting on every decision? You see it doesn't happen that way. Leadership is making choices and it says remember those who rule hegeomai over you and specifically those who have spoken the word of God to you. It says to follow their faith. Warren Wiersbe said this in his commentary on the book of Hebrews, particularly on this verse. He says, I have been privileged to preach in many churches in America and I have noticed that where the people permit the pastors to lead, there is usually blessing and growth.

Just quoting Warren Wiersbe, he's been in a lot of places and he is a highly respected conservative commentator on the word of God. It's important that Paul said follow me as I follow Christ because Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. So if there is a man who claims to be a pastor and proclaiming the word of God today who is not representing Christ that we find in the scriptures, then don't follow him. It's that simple. And it should be very clear, read the scriptures. And if what's being presented, if what's being presented exemplary and in teaching is not what's in the scriptures, then don't follow him.

It's that simple. What is the idol that this contrasts? Submission. What is the idol? It's self preeminence. Submission contrasts the idol of self preeminence.

What it says in verse 17, those who lead you, they must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief. Grief means when those who are being led insist on having it their way. That makes it hard. It makes it very hard. Pastoral tenure in America is not a pretty sight.

It's not a pretty sight at all. And the research that has been conducted on that generally comes down to the sense that there is a diminishing capacity for people to be led. In our culture, in our culture, it is accepted and applauded and laughed at to disdain and mock those who are in authority.

Christians, let it not be named among us. Our attitude toward authority is bold salt. It doesn't say that you agree with authority.

It has everything to do with your attitude towards it. This is a character of Christ. It is a quality as a fragrance of Christ. It is the beauty of Christ because Christ himself was submissive. So let's make sure that we are countering the idol of self preeminence through our attitude of submission towards those whom God has placed in authority over us. Quality number seven, verses nine through twelve. Quality number seven is to be established by grace. Established by grace. Do not be, verse nine, do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which not have profited those who have been occupied by them. This section of this chapter is dealing with a contrast between externalism and genuine transformation from the inside out. To be established, this word established means to confirm, to verify, to increase in inner strength. For example, in First Corinthians one six, Paul says the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you.

Meaning that you are transformed from the inside out at the level of desire. Listen, anyone can follow rules. My dog can follow rules. It's not about following rules. Because if it's about following rules, then it becomes a matter of pride over what you do or don't do.

And when it becomes a matter of pride over what you do or don't do, then that translates into judgmentalism who don't follow the rules the same way you do. This ought not be in the church of God. This is not a manifestation of Christ because Christ was not that way. Jesus was hardest on the moralists of his day. He is contrasting here in verses nine to twelve, the writer of Hebrews is contrasting externalism versus heart and mind transformation. And we see an excellent example of that and it's in your notes for discussion tonight at Care Group. Colossians chapter 2 verse 20 through chapter 3 verse 3. Colossians chapter 2, 20 to 23 is talking about self-imposed religion.

Touch not, taste not. We're so glad you've joined us for Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. You can hear this message and others anytime by visiting our website, www.delightingrace.com. You can also check out Pastor Rich's book, Seven Words That Can Change Your Life, where he unpacks from God's Word the very purpose for which you were designed. Seven Words That Can Change Your Life is available wherever books are sold. As always, tune in to Delight in Grace weekdays at 10 a.m.