No 7 Eng to German — George Verwer

No 7 Eng to German — George Verwer

But he's an example to the flock. And your greatest leadership gift is your own life. Setting the example. And helping to lead the flock of God. I find that many people are not aware, especially young theological students, just how difficult spiritual leadership is.

I hope in your studies you have been told many times just how difficult it is to be the pastor and the leader of a local church. Because in working with pastors for these last twenty some years, I would say at least 50 of them are discouraged, very discouraged in their ministries.

And it seems that somewhere back in their training they were not taught the reality of the spiritual warfare. Warfare. They were not taught how difficult it is to work with God's people. Even in the area of preaching sermons.

One person may think you're a wonderful preacher. The other five may think you're such a terrible preacher they're praying for your removal. You're listening just to the one who says your sermons are wonderful.

And you're so encouraged. And then suddenly you find that the church has asked you to go and work in the Congo. And then suddenly you find that the church has asked you to go and work in the Congo. You might say, well, if the people were really reborn and were founded on the Bible and were really spiritual, then it would be much easier.

You see, some of you may go to churches where the people are asleep. They are a problem, but not such a great problem, because they're asleep. They're somewhat harmless. So you're praying, oh, that God's people will wake up.

What you don't know is that when some of them wake up, they'll start punching you in the nose. Soon you'll be praying, oh God, put them back to sleep. And tomorrow, when we talk about survivalship, we'll get into some of these nitty-gritty difficult areas.

Humility, Spiritual Warfare, and the Burden of Leadership

Look at 1 Peter 5, 6. This is a very important passage of scripture. In fact, it would be good if we started at verse 5. You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders, and all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you at the proper time. Casting all your anxiety upon him, because he cares for you. That's a wonderful verse. Be of a sober spirit, be on the alert.

Your adversary the devil prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. I would strongly commend this chapter to you. And we see this very basic, basic foundational principle. And on that we can get to know the will of God.

Thanksgiving and Praise as Foundations for Knowing God’s Will

And then the third foundation. If you want to know the will of God, then know the reality of constant thanksgiving and praise. Look at 1 Thessalonians 5, 18. 1 Thessalonians 5, 18. Just read that. 1 Thessalonians 5, 18.

It's a very short verse. But it's very important. In everything give thanks. For this is God's will. You see, if we don't obey areas of God's will that are very simple, very clear, then we must not expect so much special guidance in areas that are more difficult and are not clear.

For example, here's a person. He's always moaning. I don't know if you have any of those among you. Moaners, always moaning, complaining. Everything's going wrong. The school, the principal. He's always moaning.

He doesn't like the food. He doesn't like the teachers. He doesn't like the length of the classes. Many different things. And if you ever get married to that kind of person, you're going to be in for a big, big, long life of persecution.

In fact, many writers say that if a man marries a woman who's a moaner, she's always complaining, always complaining. Especially if she's always moaning about him. The book of Proverbs speaks about this kind of woman.

She's called a nagging woman. I hope you're having a good course in the book of Proverbs. This is a very important book. We have Psalms for praise. We have Proverbs for wisdom. For over 20 years, I've been reading in the Proverbs almost every day.

It says it's better to be alone on a rooftop, freezing, than in a house with a nagging, murmuring woman. Whatever you do, it's not good enough. Whatever you say, somehow it's wrong. Wherever you go, somehow it's not right.

Guarantee almost to get you out of the will of God. Foundation for knowing God's will is constant thanksgiving. Constant praise. One of the things I had to learn when I went overseas was to eat a lot of strange foods.

When I went to Mexico, some of the food is very hot. Not heat hot, but chili hot. I can remember almost sensing that there was smoke coming out of my ears. Then when I went to India and Thailand, where you go through the marketplace and there are big, huge chunks of blood that you can buy a nice big hunk of blood and go home and have some blood.

And to learn to give thanks. Whatever you're eating, this is a very good thing. When you come to Switzerland, you learn to thank God for bread. This is a land with Germany where you eat more bread than anybody else.

Actually here, it's very special. You have two very nice meals. Some places I've gone, one meal is all bread. Of course, I have to watch my weight. But when you go to some other countries, you will not get any more of this German bread.

Which is so nice, it's almost like cake. We had some Germans on the ship Lagos. They placed a special order for flour to be sent from Germany out to the ship. Giving thanks and all things, this is the will of God.

Trusting God Through Depression and Confusion

And it lays a foundation for knowing. Then the fourth foundation is one of the most beautiful words in the Bible. It is the love of God. It's the word trust. Look at Proverbs 3, 5, and 6. I'm sure you know these two Proverbs.

If there ever was a formula, this is a formula for knowing God's will. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.

We have a little song in English, it says trust and obey, there is no other way. I don't know if any of you are subject to depression. I have a book on the table about that subject. Many men of God have been subject to depression.

Spurgeon, the great reformed Baptist preacher of all times, went into enormous depressions regularly. And we're in a day in which there are many forms of depression. And many people ultimately have to be even treated medically for depression.

And I think this is something that you as a minister need to understand. And I have found this word trust very important in times of depression. And you feel very numb, you feel nothing. And emotionally and physically things seem black.

And even your Christian family may just seem to be a jumble of confusing statements. To at that moment just trust, just absolutely trust in the Lord. God is greater than your depression. And traveling on trains through Switzerland as I've done many, many times this is probably my 30th visit to Switzerland.

I learned there are many tunnels. Amazing the tunnels that you have built here in this country. But something that you need to know, don't get off the train when it's in a tunnel. And in your Christian life don't make some big decision, some foolish decision in a time of spiritual depression.

Wait until you come out. There will be a station, there will be some signals and you will see the light again. The same is true when we're wrestling with intellectual problems. Some theological problem is really bothering us.

Maybe the argument of the critic it seems on this point to be somewhat strong. At that moment you need to trust the Lord Himself. And in times of theological confusion and darkness God wants us to trust Him.

Great and fervent faith is not made in the absence of doubt. It's made as we battle through doubt to a position of faith again and again. The fifth principle is found right there in the same passage of Proverbs.

Sharing Testimonies and Declaring God’s Message

And of course it means witness. It means acknowledge Christ. The man who was healed of his blindness he was healed of his blindness. His next step was not theological training. His next step was to witness.

And he gave his testimony. Once I was blind and now I see. Ah, that's great theology. Once I was blind now I see. And I believe we grow in a knowledge of the will of God as we are faithful in declaring the message of God.

When we share what the Lord has given us He gives us more.

And I think this is very important. Now let's stand up for a minute a little air. And let's sing Yesterday, today, forever Jesus is the same. How many know that in English? Okay. Yesterday, today, forever Jesus is the same.

All may change but Jesus never. Glory to his name. God, our Jesus. In German.

Take a deep breath. Stretch a little. Stretch a little bit. Okay, let the air in. Now have a seat. Now this will be much shorter than the first half. Just 20 minutes more. Things I want you to remember as you continue learning how to know the will of God.

God Guides Different People Without Destroying Their Humanity

Just some important little things that I'm afraid sometimes I learned the hard way. Where I have made a number of mistakes. First of all that God guides different people in different ways. We're all different.

And God is very great. That when he is guiding people he does not destroy their humanity. Sometimes people find the will of God in the funniest way. You get people who go through their Bibles and take verses out of context to find the will of God.

You've all heard the old story. He opens his Bible and he finds a verse. Judas went and hung himself. He must have made a mistake. He will try again. So he prays and he opens again. Go ye and pray. And do likewise.

He tries again. One more chance. Lord help me. Whatsoever you do do it quickly. I'm sure in all of your theological studies you'll learn that is not the way to find the will of God. I don't know how many people have written to us feeling the Lord wanted them on the ship because they came across a verse about the sea in their Bible during their morning quiet time.

There's a verse about going down to the sea in ships. If you read the Bible you're bound to come to that verse sooner or later. Everybody will. At the same time because God is great and he works through our weakness and even our mistakes I'm sure in some cases God used that to get people to the ship and then eventually become part of the ministry.

Dreams, Subjective Guidance, and God’s Sovereignty

Other people have great confidence in dreams. I have no confidence in dreams. Last night I had three major serials in my dreams. Three major programs. They say that if mentally and emotionally you are stable you cannot remember your dreams.

Sometimes I don't remember but other times I do remember. So I have my unstable days and my stable days. But really I warn you against putting much confidence in dreams because I've seen people led into extremes and into neurosis and problems down that road but I'm sure there are times especially to unconverted people like Muslims that God has worked through dreams.

In Indonesia a number of Muslims had dreams about the Lord Jesus Christ that led to their salvation. I think the important thing is this. Not to make a basic theology out of a particular situation where God guided in an unusual way.

It is easy to be very subjective in this area of guidance and it's very much linked with what we want with what we feel and it's wonderful that God is greater and even in the midst of weakness He can guide us and He can overrule when we make mistakes and He can.

I'm not even sure that I should be here right now after I finally said I would come to these meetings with other factors we found the ship was going to be in England and then my trip to Asia got longer so that it's six weeks away from home so therefore my wife didn't feel she should come on this trip which was the original plan for us to be together for a number of reasons one of them being to be together on our twentieth wedding anniversary which happens to be today so I had feeling that I had made a mistake then people are always telling me you take too many meetings.

Others say you travel too much you should be home more. It makes it difficult where am I supposed to be and I don't have any easy answer but if I am here in a sense out of God's will it's too late. I am going to believe God to make the best of this week in Switzerland there's no purpose arguing about it anymore.

Yesterday I phoned my wife. I said I think you should fly and be with me tomorrow and stay for four or five days. She didn't feel that was the Lord's will. She is torn apart because she has the three children.

She is also trying to get ready to go to Asia. She doesn't really want to go there either. And I've seen my wife suffering much trying to know the will of God. And this is where we need to understand the message of Hebrews chapter four.

That chapter speaks about the rest of faith how to rest in the Lord. The same principle as 1 Peter 5, 7 casting all your care upon him. He cares for you. So God leads different people in different ways.

And even when we fail God is there. We can trust him. I think that's a wonderful thing. We can trust him. This will build a greater stability into our whole spiritual life also in our relationships with people.

Waiting on God and Seeking His Will in Prayer

And then the second thing we need to remember to learn to wait on God. If you can't read Andrew Murray's book Waiting on God we don't know much about this. These days we're all in a hurry and we need to learn more about what it says in the Psalms be still, be still and know that I am God.

One of the reasons I believe God has brought us to this place is for all of us to get time outside alone just looking and waiting upon God even if it's only an hour. Most people don't know much more about waiting on God.

And it's a beautiful thing to be able to come apart here out of the city and to just wait upon the Lord. And this is very important. There are a number of verses in the Psalms waiting on the Lord. Even in our prayer lives it's not firstly coming to God with your big evangelical shopping list.

These are all the things that I want. We come and wait upon God. We want to get to know the mind of God the will of God. Then we can pray for things that are God's will. This is a great challenge especially for my kind of temperament linked to this is another thing you need to remember.

Gathering Facts and Resisting Self-Deception

And in getting to know the will of God it doesn't hurt to get some of the facts. Get the information get to know the information. If you're praying about India then you get facts and information as much as you can about India.

And in fact before you decide what you're going to do with your life it's good to look at many different possibilities not just make an easy decision. Like I'm a Lutheran. I'm from Germany. Therefore I will be a Lutheran pastor in Germany.

Don't bother me with any other facts. Maybe God has something else for you. Maybe he wants you to be a pastor in the United States California. That's what I want a lot of Americans when the cold weather comes cold weather comes.

And the Canadians as well. They get the call to Florida. The Lord guides them to a new ministry in Hawaii and hundreds of thousands of Christians flock from the frozen north led of God to these areas of witness.

The human heart is very deceptive. And it's easy when you want something to persuade yourself. This is the will of God. Like the man who likes nice shiny fast cars new cars he says to me this is not for myself.

I'm taking up my cross in this car. This is for the ministry. Every Sunday morning we use the car to take the children to Sunday school. Every Sunday morning we use the car to take the children to Sunday school.

It's amazing how we can justify the things that we want. And it's an area where Christians become dishonest. Instead of just saying look I love fast cars. So I went out and I bought a nice new fast car.

Oh we must make a great spiritual story how the Lord led us against our will. But we had this dream. The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. That leads me to my next point. We need to seek counsel from others.

Counsel, Team Leadership, and the Word of God

In Proverbs it says in the midst of counselors there is safety. That's why I believe we should work as a team as much as possible. I hardly ever make a decision of any importance without getting the mind and the opinion of other leaders in the work.

And if you ever take a church somewhere one of your most important ministries will be to motivate and to teach other men to be leaders with you. The reason the church is often so weak is that the congregation is expecting one man or two to do all the work.

This is why I like the emphasis of the navigators of training men discipling men into leadership into responsibility. Then another thing is of course the word of God. God can speak to us from his word.

But when he speaks from his word it is not devoid of all these other basic principles. And when we sense something as we're reading the word of God that we should do the next thing is to put it to the test on some of these other basic principles.

God can give us a sense in our hearts a peace in our hearts that what we are doing is his will. I had that sense as I left England. There were the other problems. But somehow I sensed that in the midst of the problems that I was moving in God's plan yet always ready for God to bring a change.

Prayer, Consultation, and Difficult Leadership Decisions

And then of course next prayer. Much time in prayer asking God because it says ask and you shall receive. It's been the habit of my life to spend a half night of prayer with the Lord each week. And it's often been at the end of those meetings sometimes in the morning that whole new areas of the will of God were revealed to me.

Many of the whole major moves of OM over 20 years many of the ideas and the burdens came in those prayer meetings. Right now everybody on the ship is again waiting for me to make a decision whether they should start and plan for South America.

I make this decision after consultation with the people consultation with many other leaders based on many of facts some of which we agreed on beforehand because OM now is so much bigger making the decisions are far more complicated.

We don't want to go to Latin America if the work in India is suffering. Literature for India in OM is a bigger priority than fuel for the ship. So getting to make this kind of decision is a very important thing in Christian leadership.

What a great. It's difficult and it means much time with God in prayer. Actually on Duluth this week is a whole week of special prayers because they know that they are attempting the impossible to take the ship one more year.

1980 is a bigger project almost as big as getting the ship in the first place. Taking it one more year is as big a project as getting the ship in the first place very quickly. Two more points. The providence of God.

Providence, Circumstances, and Moving by Faith

God uses circumstances. God uses people. God has often led me through a letter. I try to constantly see what is God saying through the circumstances and through the people. That's why I feel it's good to have a wide range of exposure and contacts especially when you're young.

And then the last point we've got to learn to move by faith. Many people I meet they're too fearful they're too conservative. They're waiting for God to sort of pick them up and carry them along. They won't go to the mission field unless God hits them on the head and says go, sail, go to India.

I would have thought that in this day if we love Christ if we believe His word we're going to all be wanting to go to the mission field. And God is going to have to grab some of us to keep us back here.

God doesn't have much trouble stopping people but He seems to have some difficulty getting some people started. We are a product of our culture. We are a product of our nationality. And some nationalities are a little slower to move.

They want to know about the insurance program. They want to know about the pension program the pensions retirement program. They have a long list of questions that they want to ask. What about Abraham when he left Ur the Chaldees didn't even have an application form.

He just went by faith. God didn't give him all the details in a big chart. And we need this today. We need some people who are willing to step out by faith. Not expect to get some diagram like the IBM corporation would give you.

If you go to work there keeping in mind all these other principles there comes a time when you just have to go. And if you don't you could miss the greatest blessing in your whole Christian life. There is no other option apart from the way of faith.

The flesh wants that. I want that some other way. Even now as I think of this trip throughout Asia in my own mind I'm looking for some other way an easier way other than the way of just going by faith.

This is especially helpful because I hate airplanes. Because airplanes test my faith. But I've had enough of that test. I don't want anymore. So in my mind in my mind I'm thinking I'm planning how can I get to Hong Kong some other way except by air looking at the map of the world through Siberia on a horse praise the Lord.

And when I went down to that travel office and I booked that flight that cannot be cancelled. It's a non-cancellable flight can't be cancelled that took faith. Maybe a little thing but I find it so often that first step that first step in something we do that is so difficult.

This covers many areas. I was ministering about marriage in a meeting and there was a young very shy fellow. He'd been interested in this girl for two, three years afraid to say anything. What if she says no.

And somehow through this message about faith launch out. Take a chance. After the meeting he met her on the stairways. Boom. They're married. Whatever we do in life it has got to be the way of faith. And if it's not of faith it is sin.

That's how we know the will of God. And if the girl on the stairway had said no he would have had a wonderful opportunity to give thanks in all things. And anyway there are many stairways. Let's pray Lord.

We thank you that we can know your will. We thank you that though there are not simple little easy formulas there are basic principles that we can build upon and we can know your will. And when we fail you are still there and we will learn in each circumstance.

Lord enable us to take steps of faith in these coming days in Jesus name. Amen. We pray together Father there are many things this morning that remind us of your grace and remind us of all that we have in yourself.

Lord we thank you for the many wonders of your word. And yet your son the Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest wonder of all we know. It is your desire that through your word we see your son Jesus in a fresh way.

We pray oh Lord for those in need in many parts of the world this morning we don't want to forget them. Those in Cambodia those in Rhodesia those in Afghanistan. And we ask that the forces of righteousness may triumph.

Speak to us now from your word in Jesus name. Amen. I'd like us to turn to the book of Timothy. I have finally gotten to that message that I entitled survivalship now. Actually that text has never been used in English until I started using it.

Survivalship: Persevering in the Faith

It's an original word. When you're on a ship you have lifeboats. You have the main ship and then you have the little lifeboats. And those lifeboats are for survival at sea. Now most of the time you're supposed to remain on the main ship but in times of difficulty you have to go to the lifeboats.

Now in English especially we are accustomed to a lot of messages these days on discipleship. Some of you have read William MacDonald's outstanding book called True Discipleship and my own book Jesus in the Practical Your Life is also about discipleship.

Discipleship really covers the whole Christian life. It's not some narrow little thing. Some people when you say discipleship they think of the material realm being disciplined in regard to material possessions.

But that is only one aspect of discipleship. Others think in terms of teaching others to become faithful disciples again that is only a certain aspect of discipleship. So discipleship is as wide as the Christian walk.

It means that we are learners of Jesus. Some people have given the idea that some Christians are disciples and other Christians are not disciples. That's false. All true children of God are disciples.

They may be a poor disciple a weak disciple. They may not even look like a disciple. But they're disciples if they're God's child. That's why in the book of Acts it says the number of disciples multiplied.

The number of people who were becoming through followers of Christ multiplied. Of course many people are not living up to the principles of discipleship and so this teaching needs to continue. But this teaching after teaching it for over 20 years led me into some new thinking especially as I found at times the whole Christian life much more difficult.

And I saw how even dedicated people were seemingly knocked out of the battle by the enemy's devices. I developed these principles of survival and I called it survival ship which doesn't translate so well into German.

Basically it means how to persevere in the faith. That's what we're talking about how to keep on keeping on. We see this principle throughout the lives of the great men of God. Call it perseverance. Call it spiritual stubbornness.

He that puts his hand on the plow must not turn back. And this is something we need in our desperately need in this day and age in our spiritual bloodstream. It's very much linked with the whole concept of being in a spiritual warfare.

Spiritual Warfare Begins Before Ministry

Do not think the great spiritual warfare will begin when you graduate from seminary and you launch out as a soldier as if the devil says well let this young man get all the training he needs to attack me and then we will go to war together.

The devil is not stupid. He's not going to give you three years to learn how to destroy him. Three or three years or for some of you five years from the moment of your conversion satan is after you to destroy you to devour you.

And that's why we need to be conscious of the spiritual warfare even during our time of academic training. And that's why Paul wrote to Timothy in chapter two these words. And read one through verse six.

And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses that trusts faithful people who will be skilled to teach others take part in the suffering as a good fighter. Christ jesus. No one who serves in the gets involved in the business of life so that he likes the one who recruited him.

But if someone also participates in the competition so he does not receive the crown of victory. He fought according to the law the acrobatic the farmer who strives must first have a share in here again this disciple is referred to as a soldier.

Some people don't like this mention of being a soldier. We don't like the idea of war but it's still in the word of God and in many other places. And we are soldiers of Jesus Christ. And in a sense you are already in the spiritual warfare and you are being trained for greater battles in the spiritual warfare.

And that's why it's important to keep your life very close to the Lord Jesus Christ during this time of study and beware of the fiery tarts of the enemy. When I first launched out in my Christian life I was very conscious of the teaching about victorious Christian living.

I had this sense that I must be constantly living up here in sort of the position of total triumph and victory and praise. This was discipleship always in the battle always winning the victory always pressing the enemy.

And over a period of years I learned how important it was at times to draw back from the battle in order to wait upon God in order to be renewed in strength in order to in a sense let the enemy lose some of his force before reattacking.

Renewal and Waiting for God’s Strength

Look at Isaiah 59 verse 19. So they will fear the name of the Lord from the west and his glory from the rising of the sun. For he will come like a rushing stream which the wind of the Lord drives. I'm not sure that's the verse I want.

So let me look in my yes let me read this in this other translation and translate this literally. See if this sounds more like them. When the enemy shall come in like a flood the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.

Somebody says in the German read again verse 19. And it is true that the enemy at times comes in tremendous force. And yet at that time as we wait upon God he will give us the strength. Look at Isaiah 40 verse 29 and verse 30 and 31.

These are three verses everyone should get into their heart 29 through the end of the chapter read it read it. This is such an important concept to understand the Christian life. In the Christian life there are times when we are just battling for our very survival on that particular day we may not think of doing great things for God.

We may have to think only in terms of just getting through that day without a major spiritual disaster. There are days when our emotions will be down and we will have to in a sense lean to the Lord by almost a sheer blind faith.

And I believe this brings as much glory as when we are feeling wonderful and therefore we do wonderful things. And it is very important to understand this concept. And there are some basic principles that will help us understand this that will enable us to persevere that will enable us to stand against the most vicious attacks of the enemy.

Living by Faith Rather Than Feelings

We will have to learn to live by faith rather than by feelings. Let me read something from a book by a man named Hodges. The book is called The Unseen Warfare. He is speaking about the initial fervor we have as a young Christian.

He says this fervor is especially characteristic of beginners. Then he says something that was a real surprise to and it is drying up, it is going away should be welcomed as a sign that we are getting beyond the first stage to try to retain it or to long for it to return in the midst of dryness is to refuse to grow up.

It is refusing to grow up. It is to refuse the cross. He goes on to say by our steady adherence to God when the affections are dried up and nothing is left but the naked will clinging blindly to him. The soul is purged of self-regard and trained in pure love.

Trained, disciplined trained by the way this is a little practical thing. Whenever I get a quotation that is especially powerful I put it in this little book and I take this book everywhere I go. And as you can see it is getting a little worn out.

But I recommend that you have such a small quotation book. Some of you have pages and pages and notes file cabinets filled with all kinds of notes. If you go on a trip you take only 44 pounds on the airplane.

So you will not be able to bring all of your theological studies and notes on the airplane. But if you have some of the best with you in a notebook at all times for your own spiritual help and also to share with others you will find it is a very practical help.

And whenever you read you should take notes. The man of God said any reading without taking notes tends to laziness. And if you don't write down some of the truths that the Lord gives you you can easily forget them.

You may never forget them again. So our burden is to survive. Our burden is to persevere to the end of the race regardless of what happens regardless of what our emotional pitch may be. And we have to set our mind on this.

Persevering Through Long-Term Faithfulness

Now let me give you some of the specific principles that have helped me to survive these 25 years now. I realize that's not very much. I was reading some time ago with Oswald J. Smith. He has written about 30 books.