Kingdom Living…Now!

I have flown a lot now, but I have to admit that flying still fascinates me. The fact that they can get a multi ton jet off the ground and make it fly is amazing to me. So each time I fly one of the things I do is think about flying.

Now, interestingly enough, the flight to Dallas took 4 hours; but the flight back only took 2 and a half. I think that’s because on the way back we we’re flying with the jet stream, and the way there we were flying into it. Now the fact that you can fly against the jet stream in planes that keep getting larger with people that keep getting larger is amazing to me!

Now when I am flying I like to get a window seat, and I like to be just a little behind the wings. Every time I do I notice two things make the plane get off the ground and fly- the plane starts moving at rapid speed toward the end of the run way, because the engine is committed to flying. Then a relatively small part of the wing slides down and the whole thing starts lifting off of the ground. And even when they are flying into the wind they can get it done!

Listen again to Ella Wilcox’s poem about ships doing the same thing:

One ship drives east and another drives west

With the selfsame winds that blow.

‘Tis the set of the sails

And not the gales

Which tells us the way to go.

Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate,

As we voyage along through life:

‘Tis the set of a soul,

That decides it’s goal,

And not the calm or the strife.

‘Tis the set of a soul, that decides it’s goal, and not the calm or the strife!

If you’re keeping score at home we ain’t talking about planes and ships no more. That plane story and that ship poem illustrate an incredible truth about the Christian life:

Your success as a believer will not come by the direction this life’s winds are blowing, whether for good or bad, but on whether or not you know your destination, and set your soul toward it no matter what!

Exposition

V. 12-13 Keep on Running!

Here the author takes us back to the fact that the Christian life is like a marathon, which we talked about last time

I love the imagery here- the runner has hit the wall- everything in his body is crying out, “QUIT ALREADY- IT’S NOT WORTH IT!”

His shoulders are drooped, his arms have dropped and his knees are wobbly

And then he gets his second wind, for all of the reasons we just recapped- He remembers those who have gone before, he gets a fresh vision of Jesus, and he remembers he is a child of God-

And he straightens up, lifts his arms, and gets a step back in his legs, and says, in spite of the obstacles: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!”

‘My own plans are made. While I can, I shall sail east in the Dawn Treader. When she fails me, I paddle east in my coracle. When she sinks, I shall swim east with my four paws. And when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslan’s country, or shot over the edge of the world in some vast cataract, I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise…”

Reepicheep, the fearless mouse, in The Dawn Treader, Book 5 of the Chronicles of Narnia, Ch. 14

Now it’s one thing to have that resolve stated in fiction, another thing to have it lived out before us in real life

Do you remember Dan Jansen?

He was the star speed skater who was supposed to win lots of events at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. The day he was supposed to skate in the 500 meters he learned his beloved sister Jane, who had cancer, had just died. She had already told him she wanted him to sate no matter what. All of America watched with hope as Jansen skated with the race dedicated to Jane. And we all groaned when he fell, and stood up with his hands on his head in disbelief and emerging grief. Four days later he tried again and failed again. Oh, the heartbreak. No sister, no medals. Many would have given up. But not Dan Jansen! He kept skating. Over the next four years he set a world record and won world championships.

Albertville, France came around in 1992, and he hoped to finally get that Olympic medal. But it wasn’t to be in Albertville: 4^th place in the 500 Meter, 26^th place in the 1,000 meters. Dan Jansen still didn’t give up on his goal. The 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, and it would be his last. He was the favorite in the 500 meters, always his best race. But as had happened before, a slight slip on one turn cost him the race and he finished eighth.

He was down to his last race, and it wasn’t even his best event. Despite winning 46 world cup races and setting 8 world records, he had raced in the Olympics seven times, and seven times come away without a medal. It was the 1,000 meters. As the race started, Dan decided no matter how he did, he was going to enjoy this last race. The result? He won it easily, and in the process set a new world record. During the medal ceremony he finally got to hear the Star Spangled Banner played as Old Glory flew highest. And then he turned his eyes upward and snapped off a salute to his sister Jane. And then he skated a victory lap around the rink, holding his one year old daughter in his hands. You guessed it, her name is Jane!

Keep on running!

V. 14 – 17 Specific things the Christian has to overcome to finish well

1. Conflicts with others v. 14 a

“Pursue peace with all people…” -Hebrews 12:14a

I wish Christians never had conflicts, but like everyone else, we do

The issue is not weather or not we have conflicts but what we do when they come

Do we move toward the person in the name of relationship or do we simply put an asterisk by their name and add them to the list of the people we are done with forever?

For the Christian, when God reveals to you that your posture toward someone else is not peace, by God’s grace you need to remove that asterisk you have put by their name

“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” -Romans 12:18

Keep pursuing peace, Christian, and keep running!

2. Conflicts within themselves V. 14b

“Pursue holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” -Hebrews 12:14b

My biggest conflict is with Danny Campbell-And your greatest problem is with yourself. Until you acknowledge that, you’ll be an immature Christian.

Paul said, “I am the chief of sinners.”

The godliest people you ever meet are the most aware of their own sinfulness. They don’t have a lot of time to talk about others sins, because they know how far short of the glory of God they continue to fall.

Each Christian is to pursue holiness, but it is so elusive

Some of us are like the saint from 1600 years ago, who exclaimed: “Lord, make me holy, but not yet.”

Others of us groan like Steve Camp when he sang, “Though I call you Lord, I must confess, I’m a stranger to your holiness.”

Keep on pursuing holiness, Christian, and keep running!

3. Conflicts with God V. 15

Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled -Hebrews 12:15

Do you remember the poem I started with?

The wind blows hard sometimes, but the wind doesn’t determine our direction, the set of our soul does

When bad things happen, will they make us better, or bitter?

In Hebrews 11 we saw people respond to their hard times by having faith in the God who will reward us when we seek him no matter what- That kind of faith is contagious to others

Here we see the author warning about responding to hard times not by faith but with bitterness at God

Over the years I have seen the truth of verse 15 lived out- when a person is bitter at God or other people, it’s also contagious

And as that root of bitterness slowly destroys them it also defiles others around them

Their children, their friends, their co workers look on and say, “if that’s what being a Christian is all about, count me out!”

Keep on running, friend, and don’t let your heart be hardened~

4. Conflicts between instant and delayed gratification V. 16-17

Here we see Esau listed as the kind of person not to be

What was wrong with old Esau?

He chose instant gratification over delayed gratification

He gave up his birthright for a bowl of soup- I hope it was good, Esau

Now we know that someone who truly repents is forgiven, so that’s not the point of verse 17

In Esau’s case even though he was later sorry for losing his birthright, nothing he could do could get his birthright back, or later his blessing

Now listen to me, if you choose instant gratification in an area forbidden by God, like fornication, don’t be surprised when it has major consequences

It may not cost you your soul, but it might cost you everything but- -it just isn’t worth it!

The flip side of this is to understand God give you His limits because He loves you

“If our souls were properly ordered, we would love our limits, not despise them.” Ken Meyers

Keep on running, Christian!

Now this passage ends in an awesome way!

Just as you and I are about to get very discouraged because of our conflicts within and without, the author reminds us what our souls are not set on, and then what they are set on

V. 18-21 You have not come to Mount ‘I-Can’

Here he reminds them as they finish their race their focus is not to try and keep the law

Moses and the people tried and failed- so will the Christian if he or she thinks trying harder is the key to finishing the race

Trying harder without your soul set right will just lead to a more spectacular crash!

“Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” Acts 15:10-11

V. 22-24 You have come to Mount ‘Christ-Did’

If you are a Christian, Jesus is your king, and your focus is Kingdom living

You know how great it will be in the Kingdom of Heaven later

The living God is there!

Innumerable angels are there!

Our Christian loved ones who have died are there, very much alive!

Your place there is reserved!

Christian, because you have come to Mount ‘Christ-Did,’ everything you do now is just to experience Kingdom Living Now!

One ship drives east and another drives west,