PRAYER OF CONSECRATION
Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
Jesus, I belong to you.
I lift up my heart to you.
I set my mind on you.
I fix my eyes on you.
I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice.
Jesus, we belong to you.
Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.
Acts 25:20–22
“I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.”
Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.”
He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”
CONSIDER THIS
Some of you will remember from years ago the cartoon strip called “The Far Side.” It was my favorite and I miss it so much. Remember that one of the man yelling at his dog? In the top of the split frame was a man with his hand pointed toward his dog’s face.
Then the caption: “What we say to dogs: ‘Okay, Ginger! I’ve had it! You stay out of the garbage! Understand, Ginger? Stay out of the garbage or else!'”
Then this caption in the bottom of the split frame: “What dogs hear? ‘Blah blah, Ginger! Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah, Ginger! Blah blah blah blah blah.'”
What’s the connection to the text? Paul likely made a quite eloquent witness to the gospel and the resurrection and sinners and salvation and so forth. All Felix heard was a dispute among warring religious parties and something about a dead guy named Jesus who Paul said was alive.
That’s what it looks like to the watching world when they see our vitriolic internal conflicts and battles. There is likely a massive disparity between what we say and what they hear because (as they say) actions speak louder than words.
Today’s text reminds me of a slightly different rendition of the cartoon.
In the top of the split frame is the average follower of Jesus proclaiming the gospel to hearers who have been exposed to the church but do not know Jesus.
WHAT WE SAY:
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8)
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:21)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Eph. 2:8–9)
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. (2 Cor. 4:6)
WHAT THE UNBELIEVING WORLD HEARS:
Blah blah blah blah blah. (John 3:16)
Blah blah blah God blah blah. (Rom. 5:8)
Blah blah, Jesus, blah. (2 Cor. 5:21)
Blah blah blah blah. (Eph. 2:8–9)
Blah blah, Jesus, blah. (2 Cor. 4:6)
Lest I betray my deep confidence in the Word of God to speak on its own terms and with its own power, I think you see my point. If our lives and relationships are not ringing true to the texts we proclaim, we tarnish their witness.
This is why Jesus prayed things like, “That all of them be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you; may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me” (John 17:21).
It’s why Paul wrote things like, “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life” (Phil. 4:2–3).
What we say is often the least of our witness, or at least it will not matter much if our relationships are not backing it up.
THE PRAYER OF TRANSFORMATION
Lord Jesus, I am your witness. I long to be like you.
I receive your righteousness and release my sinfulness.
I receive your wholeness and release my brokenness.
I receive your fullness and release my emptiness.
I receive your peace and release my anxiety.
I receive your joy and release my despair.
I receive your healing and release my sickness.
I receive your love and release my selfishness.
Come, Holy Spirit, transform my heart, mind, soul, and strength so that my consecration becomes your demonstration; that our lives become your sanctuary. For the glory of God our Father, amen.
THE JOURNAL PROMPTS
Are you living in open conflict with other believers? Have you done all that is possible in your power to make peace? Why not? Have you ever considered that your broken relationships could be leading people away from Jesus?
THE HYMN
Today we will sing “Blest Be The Tie That Binds” (hymn 405) from our Seedbed hymnal, Our Great Redeemer’s Praise. Get your copy here.
For the Awakening,
J. D. Walt
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4 Responses
The substance of the commentary for today’s Wake-up Call illiterate’s the need for one’s life to be consistent with one’s testimony, otherwise we justly receive the label, hypocrite. Social media, which is viewed by the public is definitely NOT the best place to debate finer points of doctrine with other believers, especially when it leads to name calling and insults. I’m sure that many would be converts have been successfully made immune against receiving the Gospel message due to observing non-Christian behavior displayed on the internet. Why would anyone willingly want to be adopted into such a dysfunctional family? I believe that human pride remains one of the chief weapons that Satan use’s to divide Christ’s Church.
Correction: illustrates
When people hear “blah, blah, blah,” from Christians what we say is blah, blah, blocked from their awareness and they walk away unaware of the reality of the living, resurrected Jesus. It’s a great sin when Christians bore people with the most exciting news in human history–the invasion of planet earth by the God-man, Jesus the Christ.
One reason multitudes of people don’t hear, comprehend, and surrender to the Good News about Jesus is because of the way it is presented. It is presented as religious theory, as ancient history, as church routine, and as prideful theology, instead of as present-day reality. It is lectured about in formal Sunday sermons instead of being openly testified about with heart-felt vulnerability, gratitude, and humility that radiates from Christians’ faces and from their daily lives. If we want people to be able to hear about and receive Christ’s present-day forgiveness and life-transforming power, we need to point them to the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, passionately testify about how Jesus has become real and active in our daily lives, and lay down our self-protection, self-righteousness, and self-focus. (See Revelation 12:11.)
The world wants inclusion. Inclusion! This biblical inclusion is usually ignored by Christians. “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” We human beings have “all” fallen into a rebellious self-focused mess. That includes each one of us. We all need God’s mercy, forgiveness, and ongoing restoration. “There is none righteous, no not one.” Will you join with the tax collector in the Bible who “beat his breast and said, ‘God have mercy on me a sinner!'”? “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
If instead of joining the blame game parade, Christians would obey God’s “If my people,” instructions, He would heal our land. (See 2 Chronicles 7:14.)