God's Plumb Line

God’s Plumb Line

Scripture: Amos 3:3; 7:7-8; Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 28:16

Good morning Strangers Rest. In my message last week, I talked about our being independent together with God and with one another. I read the Scripture from Amos 3:3 which says, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” At the close of the message, I told you that for Christians to be independent together with God, it requires us to come into agreement with Him first, and when we come into agreement with Him, then the foundation is laid for our coming into agreement with one another. This morning, I want to focus our attention to our coming into agreement with God. Remember, when we come into agreement with God, it becomes much easier for us to come into agreement with one another. As Amos said, two cannot walk together if there is no agreement. We love the saying “Won’t He Do It!” because we know that God can do all things, but for that statement to be true in our lives, we must be in agreement with Him. When we come into agreement with God, we can depend on Him “doing it” – whatever that “it” is for us in the moment.

Last week during the altar call, I mentioned the two blind men who cried out to Jesus for healing. Matthew 9:27-30 records the following: “(27) When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, ‘Son of David, have mercy on us!’ (28) And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ (29) Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith let it be to you.’ (30) And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, ‘See that no one knows it.’” I want you to see something in this passage. Before Jesus touches their eyes, He asks the blind men if they believed He could heal them. Everything we receive from God starts with our believing He can do it. After Jesus asks them the question and they answer affirmative that they believed that He could do it, He then tells them “According to your faith let it be to you.” What I want you to remember is that if they had been lying to Jesus about believing He could heal them, they would have remained blind. In their belief, they came into agreement with Jesus. Jesus knew He could do it, but they needed to agree with Him – they needed to agree that He could do it – before He could do it for them!

I share this story with you so that you understand how important it is that we come into agreement with God. We must come into agreement with Him in order to walk with Him. We must come into agreement with Him for Him “to do it.” Unlike our personal relationships, where each person gives and takes to form an agreement, it doesn’t work that way with God. When it comes to our relationship with God, we are the ones coming into agreement with Him – not the other way around. Psalm 119:89 says, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.” The word “settled” communicates this simple truth: God has a standard and it is our responsibility to learn it, know it, accept it, and then live by it. There is no give and take which I will explain in more detail shortly. Believe me when I tell you that the interpretation of the standard can be different depending on who you are talking to, but God knows what it is, and it is not up for individual interpretation. This morning, I want to encourage you to set aside what you think you know. We cannot meet a standard that we do not know exists or are not in complete agreement with. The title of my message this morning is “God’s Plumb Line.”

Now before you get too concerned and start thinking that I am going to beat you up about something you may not be doing, I want you to hear me out. Two weeks ago, I spoke to you about establishing a faith budget. That request was not because you were doing something wrong, it was because I wanted you to consider expanding on some things you are doing correctly. This Church has members who believe in giving and readily and consistently support the work of the Church. I cannot speak to what anyone gives other than Nikki and me, but what I can speak to is that it is God’s responsibility to provide for Strangers Rest when we come into alignment with Him. I read to you Second Corinthians 9:6-8 which says, “(6) But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. (7) So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. (8) And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”