Trusted with God’s Words V: Two Vital Questions

Welcome to the WHOLE Council podcast. I'm John Snyder and with me again is Teddy James and Teddy I know that you don't prefer to be on this side of the camera. No, but no complaints this week. Yeah, no complaints officially, but I have to say that I did see a complaint.

So this week I was down on the coast of Mississippi. There's a Kind friend of mine who has an extra little house behind his house a little kind of a guest house and he let me stay in it just for a few days and Left me to myself and so I could just have a few days, you know to read and to think but while I was there I attended church and I wasn't preaching.

One of the men in the church came up and said I listened to your podcast and he showed me a picture of the podcast and it was a Picture of you. It was kind of blurry. Oh Yeah, and it said I still blame John Snyder for this.

Because when when you asked me to focus the camera I focused it on the books behind you. I'm like, yeah, it looks good. Yep. Yeah, it looks good. And and you were blurred the whole time. So that was your professional like caveat like I don't normally focus the camera this way.

This is John.

Yeah, if you want to know what we're talking about and you are Listener, so the majority of people who find us are listening to us on audio. So and we don't really talk a lot about this, but you can watch this on YouTube and see our lovely faces.

Oh, dear, it's scary. Yeah, so. All right, but speaking of seeing though, we do have an announcement to make. Yeah, we do. You've got a new study. Yes, so we have been working on this study. This is called Christ our treasure enjoying the preeminence of Jesus in the local church and this is done.

Written and there's also the video component. We've been working on this for several months. Jordan Thomas. So longtime listeners are familiar Jordan. He's been the podcast a few times. He's also a contributor in both of the Boulder God studies.

So if you've been through those you're aware of Jordan. But this is an eight-week mini study and it's it's on how the church is to treasure Christ now. There is a new Form factor to this. It is, you know when we did our first mini study, which was with you John walking through the book of Judges.

It's a hardback we opted to go for a a. Not a paperback. It's a matte soft finish Book, but it lays open a lot easier. It should take a lot more abuse from being written in and open and kind of having that spine cracked.

So John, we're really really excited to have this out. Yeah, and I'm really grateful that Jordan found time to do that. He's busy and Jordan is a continual we've been friends for Over nearly 30 years and so He's just been a continual encouragement to see how he pursues Christ.

Into you know his 40s or he may be I don't know. I don't think Jordan's 50 yet. I think he's close and he pastors church down in Midtown Memphis an area that is Pretty dark and a lot of crime and his family and families of other elders Moved down into that area and they've been very faithful.

Well this week we're going to.

Real quick before we go. I do want to just say if you want information. Link to the study where you can get it. Everything will be in the description of the episode.

All right. So this week we're not Going to be talking about that rare little book by Hudson Taylor, which was a compilation of his talks in later in life to missionaries in the China Inland Mission Which he was the leader of in the northern part of China.

He traveled there. He had these he had a conference with these missionaries and one of the missionaries took down all the talks there. They're really interesting to see what Taylor says toward the end of a life of Trusting the Lord and serving God in China.

So we're going to be talking about that in coming weeks, but not today, right?

No, we're gonna continue talking on the theme that we have started several weeks ago on Do not let The word of your mouth or the word do not let your word leave my mouth and last week we talked about how it's just you know having the Word of God on the tip of your tongue and and it can be removed and how we must be a People who can be trusted with the Word of God.

And before we even get into it there isn't this idea that I want to go ahead and address that what we have talked about and what we're going to focus on. In this particular episode it is not for only and exclusively the pastor or the leader or the you know Insert title here.

This is for the mom and dad for the grandparents for the the Christian sibling who is dealing with with other siblings who were lost or For the employer employee who is the only Christian in the workplace?

We.

And I'm including myself in this. We must be a people whose words carry weight.

Yes with so many Conflicting voices that are offered to us as Guides for understanding life how to view ourselves our families It's important that we Be a people That God can trust with his word and that men can trust.

So it's not just it's it's as Paul says in 2nd Corinthians more than once I'm commending myself. He says in chapter 6. As a servant of God in the sight of men.

I'm.

Commending myself. I'm commending my message and there's always two audiences God sees and he puts his stamp of approval on what we're saying. But humanity looking at our lives our lives do not detract from our message.

And while we are not perfect. Perfect parents perfect grandparents perfect friends perfect co-workers perfect laborers in church we're not that but we are genuine and the realities of Christ show through us and People can listen to us.

Now there are a lot of things that go into that type of a life and we've talked about them in the previous weeks. But let me add One more this week and that is if we want to be people that God can trust with his word and people that that our fellow humans Can trust and they can listen to us.

Then we need to be the kind of people. Then we need to be the kind of people who are frequently asking and correctly answering two Big questions the first who is it that sends me forth today into whatever tasks I have and Second who am I that God would trust me?

Not complicated questions but these really form the bedrock foundation for us to stand on no matter what storm comes next and they fuel our Soul when our emotions and our physical energy sputter out, how can we be faithful?

Servants and messengers on behalf of God. Well, we need to ask and answer two questions. Frequently, who is it? That's sending me and who am I to be sent? So let's look at three examples in the Bible and we're gonna have to hit them quickly.

The first is Moses and of course extraordinary time of redemption in redemptions history God is keeping his promises to Abraham 400 years later by Rescuing the descendants of Abraham which are now many from Egypt that furnace of slavery and bringing them into the promised land and There are a lot of promises that God has made in that covenant which have yet to been to be accomplished.

He has a great number of people like God said, but God said they would be in a land. They would be his peculiar people but he also said that Kings would come from them and we see that more clearly spelled out in the Davidic Covenant and All of that leads to the greatest aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant.

And that is that the Jews through a single descendant of Abraham a Jew One would come who would be who would bring blessing and be a blessing To every corner of the earth and of course, that's the Messiah.

Well at the very beginning of all of this, we know that God Attracts the 80 year old Moses to a burning bush, which is not being consumed and God gives him his task and as he gives him this task. There's a there there is the asking of these two great questions.

Well God when I go back to Israel and when I stand before Pharaoh and I say Thus says the Lord let my people go or I say to Israel the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob is Going to bring us out. He's going to keep his word.

He heard our cry and If these people ask me, what is his name? What am I going to say? Who is it that I should tell them sins me and that's the first big question now Teddy. You've got your Bible and in Exodus chapter 3 verse 6 Through 9 and then again in verse 13 through 16 God gives a description of himself and this answers the first question.

Well God, who are you exactly? So you want to read that 6 through 9 and 13 through 16?

So starting verse 6 and he said I am the Lord I am the God of your father the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look at God. Then the Lord said I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their Taskmasters.

I know they're suffering and I've come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of the land to a good and broad land a land flowing with milk and honey to the place of the Canaanites the Hittites the Amorites the Perizzites the Hivites and the Jebusites.

And now behold the cry of the people of Israel has come to me. And I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppressed them. So and then verse 13. Then Moses said to God If I am come to the people of Israel and they say to me the God of your fathers has sent me to you and they Asked me what is his name?

What shall I say to them? God said to Moses I am who I am and he said say this to the people of Israel I am has sent me to you. God also said to Moses Say this to the people of Israel The Lord the God of your fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob has sent me to you.

This is my name forever. And thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them the Lord the God of your fathers the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob has appeared to me saying I've observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt.

So there are a couple of things that jump out when we think of Moses's question who am I supposed to say is sending me?

Well.

We could say so much we could we could give you know A list of God's attributes each of them infinite in its perfection and you know, we would be here forever. But what are the things that specifically God knows?

Moses needs to know to lead the people throughout these next 40 years and What did the people need to know to trust the God of Moses the God that's bringing them out and he gives just a few Things here.

He is the God of their fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob and so obviously that brings to mind this covenant this promise making and keeping God a God that has chosen them not they chose God and In choosing them by choosing Abraham.

There are a whole Series of privileges they will enjoy and there are obligations that they have their responsibilities that they have because they belong to a king.

And.

So this faithfulness of God then comes to play in the second big thing God reminds Moses of and that is that God has heard the cries of his people. He has noticed them he has seen their oppression and He is now he says coming down to rescue them so even though he is this God that met Abraham four centuries ago and From that point until this day.

They might be tempted to believe the lie of the enemy. Who says well has God really made these promises? I mean, it was 400 years ago and it doesn't look like he's remember that he made them. Maybe it's a fairy tale and we can be tempted with the same lies but God's explains to them that he has not been unaware of their needs and he has Kept them, you know as the apple of his eye a third thing he mentions is Something that's more fundamental to God and that is he is the I am he is the God who is Existing the only God that exists he is when you think of the word the I am Coming from the Hebrew word to be Tell them the I am I am who I am.

We could say some translate it. I Always will be what I always have been. So the I am there is a self existence here. He is the only being that doesn't owe his existence to someone else. There is eternality here.

He's not just the ancient of days. He's not growing older. He's actually timeless he is always I am one old writer said God describes every place as here and every time as now because he is the Omnipresent God not merely geographically omnipresent.

He is on the edge of the universe and he is in our bedroom. But he is also Temporally when it comes to time he dwells a he dwells above the restrictions of time and as the uncreated God he is in all times at once and He's immutable the God who is always the I am doesn't change.

So these are the things that Moses needs to know but in verse 13 that you read There is something about that verse that I think is sad. As you look at that verse, what do you think is unusual about Moses's question?

What is his name? They have no idea who God even is. Yeah, he's not talking about Pharaoh, right? He's not saying when I go and Pharaoh says, okay. I have a lot of gods. In fact, I am in my Egyptian system.

I am the son of a god. I'm kind of a demigod. Well, it's not Pharaoh that's saying can you remind me which God this is that's sending you, you know? Is he the Sun God is he the is he the God of cattle or the God of you know of nature the and you say no, it's the God of the Jews and Pharaoh would you know, very likely say I'm sorry.

I don't know him I'm not a Jew. Tell me his name, but that's not what he says. Moses says when I go there and your people Israel say to me who is this God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob that you say is about to rescue us.

That's quite a telling statement.

Yeah, and and keep in mind just historically and in the context of what's happening with Israel at this point. They didn't have the written Word of God. So everything that was passed down to them was passed down through story.

It was passed down. This is that these are the promises that God has made and For the last 400 years. They've had the oral tradition, but they've also seen the the idolatry of Egypt they've seen the false gods and so it is heartbreaking that.

That these people don't know who God is, but it's also how refreshing must it have been to see the false gods worshipped and and then to hear from your own God I am. When you were preaching yesterday, yeah.

Yeah, Sunday, that was one of the things that just struck me was that was what God starts with he starts with I Am and it's his character and it's so much of his character. To encourage not only Moses, but also the people of God to what they have to do.

They can because of who he is.

Yeah, and I think that as we speak on God's behalf and serve people in God's name We in North Mississippi. We still live in a culture that is Officially very Christian ish and so it's likely that you work with people or live next to people that would officially say Oh, I'm a Christian.

I believe the Bible not the Koran or not, you know any Hindu text or some other. You know ancient texts. I believe the Bible is actually the word that God gave us and.

And.

When you're talking to them and you're talking about the way of the Christian the path of Christ It it may be shocking to you that they say wait now I know Jesus, but the Jesus I know is a lot different than the Jesus you're talking about.

So what's your Jesus's name? Not that they don't know. J-e-s-u-s. It's that name here refers to the whole of God's character, what's he like this God of Abraham? What's your Jesus like? You know, I have a type of Jesus a Jesus that my culture has given me maybe.

Somewhat of an Americanized adjusted Christ. So why do you describe Christianity different than I describe? Christianity and it may be that they will have to be reminded who Christ is. Well, that's a great question, but the second question comes in verse 11 you want to read us Exodus 3 11 sure.

But Moses said to God who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.

Yeah, so second question not who are you but who am I and here the emphasis seems to be that Moses feels that he is Inadequate for a task. We know this because later Moses says things like God I think you've chosen the wrong fella.

My brother Aaron is a great public speaker. I stumble I Get my words mixed up. I'm not good at this. So let Aaron be the one you choose instead and God of course has chosen Moses and not Aaron and Aaron will assist Moses.

But Moses is the man God chose and it's not humble to argue with God and tell him you picked the wrong guy. All right. So who am I it's a good question. But we have to accept God's answer and the answer for the the the small weak Insufficient Moses who could never bring all these people out from underneath the grip of the Empire of Egypt the answer is I.

Who just described myself to you I am God and I will go with you so yes, you're weak and Unimpressive and you can't do this. But you can obey me and I will go and I will see to it that it's accomplished all of his promises.

Rest upon him and we plead with God according to the integrity of your character. God do this. The application to the Christian I hope is very clear. We have tasks that God gives us whether it's speaking the truth to an adult son or daughter.

To a next-door neighbor to a co-worker to someone that sits next to you in church. And we know that they are facing a crisis or they've gotten themselves into a pit. You know and they've made bad choices and here they are and you think but God how can I help?

You know, I I can't get them out of that. I wish I could and Then we remember the answer to the question. Well, who is it that's sending me? I'm weak, but he is not. Reminds me of Paul in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 where starting around verse 8 and going down he gives a list of things how He is, you know.

Confused he is cornered. He is pressed hard. He is knocked down. But he is not and then but then he gives a long list of what he's not and so even though these things have happened. You know, I'm not without hope.

I am I'm not destroyed. But all of these expressions of my weakness God allowing Paul's weakness to be displayed. When he is mistreated. Results in whatever God does through Paul the people see that it's God so Paul says at the end of this long list of Mistreatment and his weakness he says.

So.

Life works in you but death in me, so I'm daily dying to self and Through that God is bringing life to others. But he also says so that the power the glorious power would be of God not of me.

So it sounds like in a couple of episodes ago One of the things we talked about was how we have to have the Word of God and and kind of give Access to every area of our life to the Word of God and and leave no corner Dark or in the shadow where the light of the Word of God has not shined in in a similar way to this.

Every area of our life must be yield to the call of the Lord and whatever that may be and whatever Submission or whatever obedience may look like. So if it is Speaking that hard word to that one person if it was anybody else God I would do it but not to this person I'm not qualified to speak to that person or to that issue or to whatever.

No if the Lord has Has put it has given it to us to do Then he will provide what we need to do it. Is that yeah.

Yeah, certainly I think that's clear and you know and the fact that God is the covenant remembering God the God of Abraham. We think of the new covenant there are so many promises and when you sit across the table from a believer who is Really struggling not not the normal ups and downs an extraordinary season of need.

You know that God Will keep his word in His own time and in his own way. So we don't snap our fingers and you know quote the Bible to God and say you've got to do it the way I think You should do it, but we can say to God God sinned like the like the psalmist psalm 119 God sinned your covenant privileges send your Covenant blessings your promises to us.

So that we will have an answer for those that mock our hope. Well, that's Moses. We're gonna hit two more. So we'll have to go quickly. The second one is David at the end of David's life in first Chronicles 28 He calls together the leaders of the nation and he's passing the baton to his son Solomon and David has already given Solomon the plans for the temple which God Gave David.

So Solomon is going to be the one not David. Solomon is God's chosen man to build the temple. But even though David's not been allowed to build it David has been allowed throughout his life as a king to set aside Materials and money to pay for the construction and in first Chronicles 28 The other leaders the princes of all of Israel seeing David's generosity.

They are inspired and they give to and so it's it's this great. You know, it's this crescendo. It's this high point. David is passing the baton and he and the leaders are united in heart glad to give Sacrificially for the temple and again, it's such a significant time in the history of redemption.

It's not bringing people out of Egypt. But it's building a temple and the temple its priest it sacrifices its ceremonies will for centuries. Will preach it'll be a living object lesson a living sermon of who the Messiah will be.

What he will do he will be the Lamb of God. He will do these things. So it's very important that it's done exactly the way the Lord says to do in first Chronicles 29. In verse 10 after talking to the crowd David turns and talks to God and in this prayer David answers the question who God is and Asked the question, but who are we me David and and the other leaders who have given so Sacrificially Teddy.

Why don't you read us verse 10 through 16 of first Chronicles 29?

Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly and David said Blessed are you O Lord the God of Israel our father forever and ever. Yours O Lord is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty.

For all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours yours is the kingdom O Lord and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you and you rule over all in your hand or power and might and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all and Now we thank you our God and praise your glorious name.

But who am I and what is my people that we should be able to thus? That we should be able thus to offer willingly for all things come from you and of your own have we given you? For we are strangers before you and sojourners as all our fathers were.

Our days on the earth are like a shadow and there is no abiding. Oh Lord our God all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house and for your holy name comes from your hand and Is all your own.

So in in those verses David raises these questions and and. And we have this answer. All right, so first verses 10 11 12. God. Who is this God who is the God that has given us the task of giving? To the building of a temple and you know to this living picture of His son and he describes him.

He is the king. He is the ruler of all he possesses all glory and all power. Intrinsically, it's not that he has achieved it. This is who he is. Every human king that possesses glory and power have Achieved it and they don't do it themselves.

They do it on the backs of their armies or their supporters. He says that this God possesses all riches he exalts and he Strengthens his servants in contrast to that God, but who were we David asks? Who am I who who is this people that we would be allowed to give and he says well, we're nobody's.

I think the emphasis here Contrasted with what Moses was emphasizing that he was insufficient for such a task David seems to be emphasizing that he is insignificant he and these leaders. Who are we? We're sojourners.

We just passed through this life. We don't own anything. We're travelers. We have lives that are short this God is eternal. God has allowed us to be part of something that is everlastingly important and Yet in something that will last long beyond, you know.

Our earthly lives and everything that we have been able to give sacrificially to this work. Well, none of it was ours. It was all given to us by God and. So the the point seems to be God we are so insignificant.

And yet you have amazingly through a great mercy and grace you have allowed the most insignificant beings to be part of an everlasting kingdom. So applications for the modern Christian Teddy. Do you see them here?

Yeah, absolutely and in so many ways. I mean in in just one way.

When it comes to the promises of God, it would be so easy for us to look at those and to say, okay God I see these things. These promises that you've made the things that you have commanded of the believer.

But I am incapable and there's no way that I could do this and and honestly what it comes down to is. It's a question. Are you sent by the God who is infinite eternal and unchangeable and if so then? Walk forward in light of that.

Yes one. Yeah, I think the amazing, you know that the amazing grace that Nobodies who are insignificant might be noticed of God and not just noticed and given mercy themselves. But given the privilege of being co-laborers with God like Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 6.

So we are co-laborers. It's you know It is something that when we first cry out to the Lord for mercy when we first turn in repentance and faith toward Christ. You know, we we don't think of The fact that there is so much more in God's mercy.

There's a wideness in God's mercy That we haven't even begun to consider. We think of forgiveness of peace with God, you know of Receiving the love that we could never have earned of being brought into his family from exile.

To as near as you can be one preacher that we've had here before said Bringing us from the courtroom into the family room, but it's not just that there's also the Extraordinary joy of laboring alongside the eternal God in doing good to those who Once were his enemies to bringing the gospel to them to to laboring to Supplying whether it's time or energy or emotions or thought whether it's our money or weekends.

We laid down our personal rights even in Following the pattern of Christ we give up our personal preferences and Instead of complaining and saying why should I have to give up my personal preferences again?

To to serve in the kingdom of God. Why do I have to give more? The right question is who am I that God would let me I'm insignificant I'm here for a moment and then my earthly life will be over and Everything I'm giving thought.

Emotional energy physical labor time money relationships. Everything is given to me by him first and and if I can add to that John one thing.

It is so easy. So so my wife is at home right now. She sent me a text just before we started recording. She's putting our youngest to bed and and typically when when our youngest goes to bed, so I'll work from home.

She'll stop in my office and knock on my door and say dad. I love you. Good night you know. And she goes on and gets a nap and After she gets when she's getting in now, that's when My wife takes some time.

She lets the others go outside and she'll you know. Pick up toys or she'll do laundry or do whatever the case may be and I have come in and seen her doing these things.

And.

There's a lot of things that she could be doing with her life. You know, I mean, she's she's brilliant.

And.

What the Lord has caused her to has called her to do is the work of a mother. It is changing diapers it is picking up toys and the reason that I bring this up is we. Individually, I think we're all tempted to have this idea that we were born for greatness.

I mean we all kind of see ourselves as you know Alexander the Great leading our armies forward in great battles and there will be great historic tomes written about us. But the reality is we are called to great work to historic work.

We work with the greatest King. We are the co-labors with this great King, even though. From a world perspective the task we may do Seem small it's picking up toys. It's it may be you know Inputting data into spreadsheets.

Or it may be you know coding software or building a house or cutting down trees. Whatever it may be but done for the glory of the Lord. And done as a co-laborer with the Lord. It gives a weight and it gives a reality to these tasks that I think we so easily overlook and even minimize.

Yeah, it's good to remember. Yeah, so whether we eat or drink whatever we do do it as unto the Lord the whole life can be an expression of Our awareness of God's worth and are expressing it back to him for his pleasure.

It becomes important because it's him it's connected out of love and then the world sees and he's honored. Well the third example and we'll hit it really quickly. I only have one verse I'm gonna get Teddy to read but before we read that it's in first Timothy chapter 1 Paul the great apostle is writing to his protege to Timothy his Son in the Lord who is now a pastor and Paul, you know Has a special affinity for Timothy and there's two letters in our New Testament are Just for Timothy and they give us so many helpful principles and in chapter 1 of 1st Timothy Paul describes the goal of the ministry that there would be you know that the gospel would spread that there would be obedience from you know, a sincere faith from love from a clear conscience and Then Paul describes his part in the work of the kingdom.

So in 1st Timothy Paul is going to answer the second question first. Who am I and then He's going to say well, who is the one who sends me? So who am I to be sent? Paul says well, I was a blasphemer. I mocked the claims of christ.

I was a persecutor. I opposed all that the christians were doing to bring hope to the world and I was violent. I hunted the people of christ. I saw to it that they were imprisoned and killed. But he says well that is true.

And in my blindness, I thought I was pleasing the lord, but the blindness doesn't make it not sinful because He goes on to say Even though that was true christ God sent the gospel to me christ conquered me.

So that in me the worst of sinners. The world would see this abundant grace. So if anybody wants to know well, what's grace look like or could grace be for a person like me? Maybe i've been an idol worshiper my entire life.

I raised my children as a roman or as a gentile. I raised my children worshiping idols and they raised their children my grandchildren. And i've been in complete agreement and now I realize that all this time I have set my heart towards something that was not god and god has Rescued me me of all people the worst person I know.

Could it be true that god could love me forgive me and use me? And if you look at paul the answer is Absolutely, who am I? Here he's not emphasizing his uh insufficiency like moses his insignificance like david and the princes of israel but his unworthiness.

He is impure in himself. But god has washed him. And then he answers the second question here, but our first big question. Well, who is it that sins me? Teddy read first timothy 1 verse 17.

So.

To the king of the ages immortal invisible the only god be honor and glory forever and ever amen.

Yeah.

This invisible god that man can't see because we don't make this god. He makes us this king this king of the ages or the eternal king forever undying. Always seated on the throne never replaced and never preceded he is The only one who possesses glory and majesty.

He is the only king the only god. So paul can look at himself and say well Who am I to speak of this pure king? Who am I to point men to christ? And whatever happens. Whatever the cost to timothy to follow paul as a servant of god, whatever the cost to paul.

Whatever the cost to those christians those men and women and children who are embracing the gospel every place paul goes. Even if they're put to death because he brought them the truth from god paul can step back and say Who am I to be allowed to do this?

Well, who is he? He is the timeless king and whatever the cost We incur To serve and embrace his rule. It's worth it. You know, there is something that you have said multiple times.

On.

Occasions and sundays particularly. But that the christian life is a self-forgetful life. And it is the more that we can become self-forgetful and in these moments. When we see the life of worship and we've talked about that before as well.