“Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? So, with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. So, with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.” [1]
One Sunday afternoon following morning services, I was compelled to rest my feet because of the pain I was then experiencing. Standing in the pulpit to deliver the message can be excruciatingly painful for me. To gain some relief from the pain, I put my feet up, raised the footrest on my easy chair, and turned on the television. Some mindless programming seemed in order at that time. I began to watch a presentation of the United States Marine Corps Band, known as “The President’s Own.” The band played a variety of musical selections, beginning with the moving and powerful round, “When Jesus Wept.”
As the program continued, various members of the band provided some fascinating history of military bands in general and of the Marine Band in particular. They spoke of the unique uniform of the band members. Whereas the Marine dress uniform for enlisted members is dark blue, the band uniform is bright red. According to the commentary, the purpose of these distinctive colours was that military bands originally were used during combat to convey orders through the percussion and the music. Band members needed to be distinguished from combatants, and the instrumentation was essential to the conduct of the battle. Originally, the instruments were rather simple—drums, of course, and bugles and flutes.
In the midst of combat, as the forces were clashing, the tune which the band played gave direction, guiding the units to their required positions in order to meet an anticipated onslaught from the enemy or to take advantage of a break in the defences of the foe. Here is the thing that is important to us even to this day—if the bugle is expected, a flute will not do. It is this practical application that is the basis for the Apostle’s question to the Corinthians: “If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?”
The context of the Apostle’s instruction is the people of God at worship. Worship is so simple, and yet, the act is complex. How could it be otherwise when we are speaking of ascribing worth to the Creator, the God of all the universe? Worship is simple in that mere mortals are ascribing worth to the Living God; there can be no complexity in that since we have so little to offer. However, worship is, of necessity, complex because it is being offered to God Who is infinite. How can mere mortals exhaust the knowledge of God who gives life to all things? How can man, impure and imperfect as he is in this fallen state, truly glorify and magnify the Living God who is perfect in righteousness, in holiness, in purity?
CLARITY IS REQUIRED FOR WORSHIP — I want us to think about the complexity of worship for as we begin our study today. In order to explore this matter, consider an act of worship described by Isaiah. The particular time of worship is described in the sixth chapter of Isaiah’s prophecy. “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!’
And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!’
“Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.’
“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’ And he said, ‘Go’” [ISAIAH 6:1-9a].
Focus on what was going on and what resulted. Isaiah had gone up to the Temple to worship. There, he encountered the Living God, the LORD of Hosts. The majesty and glory of the Lord GOD was revealed to the prophet. Undoubtedly, we would expect to meet God in worship. Each time we come into the House of God, each time we gather with the people of God, we should anticipate that we will meet God through the reading of the Word, through the prayers of His people, through the singing of the songs of Zion, and through the proclamation of the Word of the Living God. We should become aware of the glory and the majesty of the Lord.
When we meet the Lord, we will worship. We won’t have to work up a feeling or pray down some condition, we will spontaneously recognise His presence; and when we do, His glory will suffuse our soul and we will ascribe to Him the honour due Him because He is God.
The prophet was humbled in the knowledge of the revelation of the LORD. And we will undoubtedly be humbled in the knowledge of God’s glorious presence. How can we say we have worshipped if we leave this place feeling good about ourselves? If we have met the Lord, we will cry out, as did the Prophet, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” We will be aware of our sinful condition, just as we will be appalled at the degradation of the society in which we live. Worship will allow us to see clearly the brokenness of our world and to recognise our own inability to change what has been ruined by the brokenness of humanity.
Here is the facet of worship that is too often neglected. When Isaiah saw God’s majesty, recognising his own fallen condition, he despaired, until the LORD sent an angel to equip the man of God for divine service. Just so, when we witness the Lord and when we have despaired of our own brokenness, God’s Spirit will apply the cleansing power of Christ’s sacrifice to take away the effects of the wickedness of the world in which we live, equipping us for service. When we are thus equipped, God will ask, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”
Worship will never be complete until the worshipper has heard the voice of God seeking her response. The appropriate response when she witnesses God in all His majestic glory among His people is to offer herself for His service. As revealed in Isaiah’s response to the revelation of the Lord GOD, when we truly worship, we will eagerly volunteer to serve Him, “Here I am! Send me.” Worship can never be complete until it has led the worshipper into service to God. That individual who attends a service and leaves to enter the mundane world the following day without being changed, has not worshipped. Worship, true worship, always results in service. Underscore that truth in your mind: Worship, true worship, always results in service.
Even to casual observers, it is apparent that far too much of what passes as worship in the modern context is incomplete because worshippers are seeking a feeling. Modern worshippers determine whether they have worshipped by how they feel. An undefined experience, a feeling, becomes the criterion for whether they have worshipped! We seek a sense of…, well, we aren’t quite certain what we are seeking; but like the definition of pornography rendered by an American jurist, we’ll know it when we see it. When we’ve found the undefined feeling we are seeking, we will convince ourselves that we have worshipped. Then, we’ll go back to living life as we have always lived. Nothing will have changed; but we will feel good about ourselves. This is the hallmark of contemporary worship—feeling good about what we have done.
Modern worship has been transformed, making it all about us. Oh, we claim to be focused on the Risen Saviour, but we are looking for validation for our own efforts in what we call worship. We are expecting to be stimulated with a feeling; and though we may be somewhat indefinite about what that feeling should be, we are quite certain that we will know it when we experience it. Thus, we have situated ourselves at the centre of what we are doing, calling our effort “worship.” This is in keeping with the contemporary emphasis on the “self.”
The purpose for this excursus into the realm of worship is to emphasise that if we do not know what it means to worship, it is unlikely that we will worship. I’m not discounting God’s power—He can, and does, reveal Himself to us as He wills. The revelation of His mighty presence has surprised His people at times throughout the ages. However, it is also true that when we settle for incomplete worship, we stop seeking Him because we achieved what we deemed important. When we are only seeking a feeling, a sense of self-satisfaction, we will not pursue God with the goal of knowing Him and serving Him.
The Psalmist wrote,
“As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?”
[PSALM 42:1-2]
Modern worshippers would rewrite the opening words of this Psalm to say,
“As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for a feeling.
My soul thirsts for feeling good,
for excitement in my soul.
When will I get my way?”
The rationale behind this seemingly random divergence is that in the text for this day the Apostle has been speaking to Christians as they perform the work of the Lord. That work may be defined as worship. The Apostle has already established that the various gifts distributed by the Spirit are given so that we who are called by the Name of Christ can build one another, encourage one another, and console one another [see 1 CORINTHIANS 14:3].
The context of what is written is the church at worship. In fact, Paul will shortly write, “Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. In the Law it is written, ‘By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.’ Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you” [1 CORINTHIANS 14:20-25].
We have just been informed that the church at worship will convict even outsiders; as we worship we will induce outsiders to worship God, recognising His presence with His people! Practically speaking, this knowledge encourages us to invite lost family members to share in the worship of the congregation. Invite lost friends and colleagues to come with you into the House of the Lord. As the people of God come into the presence of the Living God, lifting their hearts to Him and testifying to His grace, lost friends and family members present will be convicted. They will be compelled by the Spirit of God to confess, “God is really among you!”
Thus confronted by the Spirit of Christ, they will be convicted and called to account. This is the work that the Master promised the Spirit would do. You do recall these words that Jesus spoke, don’t you? “It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged” [JOHN 16:7-11].
For a brief moment, look at the passage we just read in that Letter to Corinthian saints. The Apostle says that thinking that is focused on fulfilling your own desires is childish, infantile. If what I do in an attempt to worship is focused on making me feel better, making me have a sense of fulfilment, I am revealed as infantile. By that same criterion, when my worship seeks to meet the Living God, strengthening others and leading us into service for His cause, it reveals spiritual maturity. Surely, Christians want to be mature in their relationship with the Saviour! Surely, followers of the Christ want to grow up into vigorous manhood as they glorify His Name.
If the assembly of the faithful meet the Risen Son of God, if the congregation of the redeemed worship, outsiders will be confronted by their lack of knowledge of the Saviour. Being confronted by the Spirit of God, they will be compelled to confess that God is really among us. This is nothing less than the work of the Spirit of God. If we do not witness His divine work in our midst, it is mute, though effective, witness that we are quenching the Spirit [cf. 1 THESSALONIANS 5:19], that we have grieved the Holy Spirit of God [see EPHESIANS 4:30]. When the Spirit of God is present, and when the Spirit of God has freedom to work, He will do what only the Spirit can do, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgement [see JOHN 16:8].
Where a bugle is expected, a flute will not do. Don’t get the idea that I don’t like flutes. I still thrill to hear the melodic trill of piccolos playing in unison during Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.” I enjoy hearing an accomplished flautist. I spent an enjoyable evening with our daughter Rochelle at a concert by Jean-Pierre Rampal. I enjoy hearing James Galway’s masterful renditions of contemporary tunes. However, the idea that “The Rouse” or “Reveille” played on a flute could convince anyone to get out of the sack is rather strange, to say the least. The thought of sounding “Charge” with a flute would merit ridicule from mounted troops. The “Last Post” played with a flute would generate disgust in those who have attended the funeral of a hero and heard that mournful tune. The point is, where a bugle is expected, a flute won’t do.
CLARITY IS REQUIRED FOR INSTRUCTION — Perhaps one reason Christians fail to worship in this day is that we are uncertain what worship is. Few people seem to have ever worshipped! Too often, worship, should it actually occur, catches us by surprise—we are unprepared to worship, and true worship is unexpected. This strong statement grows out of the observation that among contemporary churches, the tendency is to focus on the mechanics of what we are doing, forgetting the Person we claim to be meeting. Worship teams and worship leaders appear to be focused on lighting, sound, presentation and a myriad of other issues as they direct the music of the congregation. Reading the articles on sites that deal with the issue of contemporary worship, the emphasis is assuredly on the mechanics, with almost a casual nod to the Person worshipped.
Perhaps this has always been the case, but it assuredly appears to be the case today. Focusing on the mechanics makes it easy for us to convince ourselves that we have done all that is required. We recite the liturgy, sing the appropriate choruses repeatedly and we have worshipped. It’s all so simple in our estimate. However, we seem inevitably to leave the service disillusioned, unfulfilled, knowing that something was dreadfully wrong.
We need to remember that worship is not defined as having fulfilled a prescribed ritual; worship is ascribing worth to the One worshipped. Worship is the spontaneous response of mere mortals when they are in the presence of the Living God. Thus, it is less important that we have a defined liturgy than that we actually meet with the Risen Son of God! I have at times described this as the “Oh!” factor. When we find ourselves in the presence of the Son of God, we spontaneously gasp out a startled response. We gasp out, “Oh!” We can’t help it.
If there is a lack of clarity in what we are doing when we say we are worshipping, and I do believe this too often to be the case in this day, then we who stand behind the sacred desk must bear a major responsibility for the condition. I don’t deny that modern congregations demand entertainment rather than engagement with the Living God. I don’t deny the congregants want to hear a message that will make them feel good about themselves. However, we preachers are responsible to present the full counsel of God. We who claim to have been appointed to deliver the prophetic Word are responsible to speak the truth in love. Tragically, it appears that our love of ease stifles the message of the Risen Saviour. We don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. Thus, we preachers are prepared to allow people to dishonour God, stumbling into eternity without Christ and without God just so we don’t have to feel uncomfortable ourselves by confronting them in their wickedness.
We need to be reminded of the charge to those who would follow the Saviour. Jesus charged, “As you go, disciple people in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you” [MATTHEW 28:19-20a ISV]. Focus on the fact that we are responsible to instruct those who are being discipled. If we fail to provide clear instruction, how will anyone be discipled!
I recall a conversation with a representative of a major cult after he and another cult member had knocked at my door. It was one of the many occasions such individuals have interrupted my life in an attempt to proselytize. When I politely informed the individual that I was uninterested in what he was peddling, he asked whether I went to a church. I responded to his query that I was a Baptist by conviction. He immediately responded, “Oh, I was a Baptist; most of our members were Baptists.” I shot back, “You never were a Baptist. You may have carried the name, but you never had the conviction of the Word. You are ignorant of what Baptists believe. If you knew what Baptists believe, you’d still be a Baptist and not a member of a soul-damning cult trudging door-to-door to proselytize unsuspecting and ignorant souls.”
Perhaps some might imagine I was overly harsh with these cultists; however, we who are appointed as overseers are responsible to provide sound instruction. If a rabid dog was wandering the neighbourhood, wouldn’t I have a responsibility to do all possible to protect children and the unsuspecting? Cultists that deny Christ the Lord are a far greater threat than a rabid dog. The dog can only injure and make anyone who is bitten sick. To be certain that bite can threaten life. However, cultists are seeking to destroy a soul for all eternity. Is that not a greater threat? This is the reason we are warned, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works” [2 JOHN 10-11].
On the basis of the instruction John provided, I was adamant in my excoriation of those who claimed to have been “once a Baptist.” I would have been just as strong against those who were “once Christian.” Such people never believed what they thought they knew. For that, I place a major responsibility on those who stand behind the sacred desk. The thought that people who supposedly have sat under the teaching of the Word are ignorant of the Word implies that a teacher or teachers have failed in fulfilling the charge they received from the Lord of the church. Sound instruction demands that clarity be provided as we teach.
It must be emphasised that one does not cease being a follower of the Christ. Christians, those who have been redeemed, do not cease being Christians. We are taught, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us” [1 JOHN 2:19]. One born from above and into the Family of God faces divine discipline when he dishonours the Father. One who leaves the Faith without consequence reveals that he never had a relationship to the Father. Not only did he not know the Lord, he was unknown to the Lord. Had he known the Lord, he would have continued with Him or received loving discipline from His hand.
The churches are to know what is taught in the Word and to ensure that all coming into the Faith are instructed in the things of God. This is the thrust of Paul’s admonition to Titus as he insists that those appointed to eldership understand the Word of God. The Apostle wrote, “[The overseer] must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” [TITUS 1:9].
It is possible to become so focused on systematic theology that we forget our calling. Jesus commanded Peter, “Feed my lambs” [see JOHN 21:15]. Preachers, in particular, but all Christians to some degree, can become so enamoured of their own voice that they appear to be feeding giraffes rather than feeding sheep. We want to sound sophisticated, cosmopolitan, worldly, so we throw out theological terms that hide what we are trying to say. If we mean to warn those who hear us to flee the coming wrath, then we need to say, “Run!” We don’t need to counsel people, “Consider the ramifications of senescence to your eternal welfare.” Too often, in trying to soften the blow of our words, we become an offense to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I understand the temptation to address the latest social fad, to sound the alarm about the most recent issues of interests to the youth of the community, to guide the flock toward some political outcome, however, the Risen Saviour has commanded His people, “Proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation” [MARK 16:15b]. We must be reminded that we are commanded to teach those whom we have discipled to observe all that the Saviour commanded [see MATTHEW 28:20]. We are told that we will be His witnesses—not the witnesses of the latest political movement, not the witnesses of the most vocal social fad, not the witnesses of the noisiest community group, but witnesses of the Living Christ! This means there must be clarity in what is taught. The man declaring the message of life must maintain his focus on what truly matters. He must not allow himself to be distracted and turned aside from what is essential and of eternal significance.
The Apostle to the Gentiles teaches us, “Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who does not need to be ashamed, teaching the message of truth accurately” [2 TIMOTHY 2:15 NET BIBLE]. We who occupy the sacred desk are responsible to teach clearly the truths of God’s Word; and those who occupy the pew bear an awesome responsibility before the Lord to demand such clarity from those who teach. What a marvellous example is presented by the Bereans. Scripture describes them thusly, “[The Jews of Berea] received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” [ACTS 17:11b].
Clear instruction is demanded in the Apostle’s expectation for those who teach. Think of passages such as these. “[The overseer] must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” [TITUS 1:9].
Again, Titus was commanded, “As for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine” [TITUS 2:1].
The continued advance of the Faith depends upon clarity in what is taught. Paul commanded Timothy, “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” [2 TIMOTHY 2:2].
James Emery White provides an insightful view of the voice we are to have in our service before the Lord. [2] He identifies the prophetic voice, a clarion call to turn to God and get right with God. He identifies the second voice as the evangelistic voice calling people into a relationship with Christ as Forgiver and Leader. Finally, he points to the heretical voice which attempts to distort the content of the Gospel.
White then cautions that the prophetic voice without the evangelistic voice condemns without redeeming. Using the heretical voice in the name of the evangelistic voice in an attempt to get a hearing, leads to capitulation to culture. If we use the evangelistic voice without the prophetic voice, we bury orthodoxy by avoiding truth. We are to speak grace and truth, as did the Master [see JOHN 1:14].
Where a bugle is expected, a flute won’t do! We don’t need teachers who have a message declaring, “Repent, such as it were, and believe, after a fashion, or be damned in a measure.” There is quite enough of supposed teachers who equivocate when confronting sin. They don’t want to hurt any feelings. If we will honour the Lord, we must clearly reveal the mind of God. We must not tiptoe around, hoping that people will like us and hoping that we don’t upset anyone with clearly stated expectations as provided in the Word.
CLARITY IS REQUIRED FOR SERVICE — If we are responsible for overseeing a particular duty within the congregation, we must ensure that those we oversee understand what is expected. People are heard to complain with dismaying frequency that they don’t know what God wants them to do or that they don’t know what God expects of them. Let’s address that matter in a pointed manner by stating that the issue is not that the will of God is not known, the issue is that our will is in conflict with the revealed will of the Living God!
So very often, it happens that we know precisely what God expects, but we don’t particularly want to do what God appoints us to do. Though we are followers of the Christ, we nevertheless exalt our own desires over the will of the Living God. What we want is in conflict with God’s will, and we don’t want to yield. Though we may have been saved for many years, we struggle with this need to accept the will of the Lord. Yielding to the will of God is not something that is done once, and we are finished; we will be challenged to surrender to Him throughout the days of our life and until we are at last perfected.
Jonah knew he was to go to Nineveh, but he boarded a ship headed to Tarshish. Jonah had no desire to be an instrument of grace in the hand of the merciful God if it meant kindness toward the Ninevites. The prophet of God would gladly consent to be a rod of judgement destroying the wicked nation; but a source of blessing to these vicious, violent people? Never! He would complain to God, “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster” [JONAH 4:2]. Jonah’s problem wasn’t that he didn’t know what God wanted of him; his problem was that he knew God’s character! He definitely understood the Lord’s character, but he had no desire to see that character manifested toward Nineveh. Jonah did not want to see God act in mercy.
Isn’t that a picture the reflects our own attitude! We know God is merciful, and we don’t have much difficulty with that knowledge until God shows mercy toward those that we have determined are undeserving of His grace. I recall my first message to a Bible college in assembly, now almost fifty years ago. The young preachers were assembled to hear the wisdom dispensed by those coming before them. I was actually younger than many of those gathered that day. I brought a message that challenged the young preachers to pray for revival.
As I brought the message to a conclusion, I emphasised that the men must leave to God whom He would revive. “Will you pray for still revival if God is pleased to revive the Pentecostals?” I challenged. “What if He should revive the Lutherans? Or the Episcopalians? Will you still pray for revival?” I challenged.
It was a blessed session and a number of those young preacher boys indicated that they would commit themselves to praying for revival. They would selflessly seek God’s glory and not their own glory. God had blessed the assembly, having met with us. However, not everyone was pleased with the message I had delivered.
As I was moving toward the exit to leave the school, the Dean of Students confronted me. He was obviously somewhat agitated. He fairly shouted with his mouth inches from my face, “Young man, if you’re going to preach like John the Baptist, you’d better get used to eating what John ate.”
Without thinking about my response, I shot back, “He didn’t starve to death.”
Why would a leader such as that Dean of Students not want his charges to look expectantly for God’s blessing? Why would he be angered by a call for God’s mercy and grace, even if His goodness should be revealed within other communions? What is the offense?
I suggest that the man I referenced had lost clarity of vision for the service he was appointed to render. It is a great tragedy to recognise that when we lose sight of what we are responsible to do, our loss of clarity has an impact in the lives of those about us. What we see has an impact on others; and if our vision is hazy, it will influence others in a negative fashion. The leader that no longer remains focused on the goal is liable to lead astray those who follow. Tragically, many of the saints of the Lord have shifted their gaze.
As he gave instructions to the nation, at the prompting of the Spirit of God, Moses made a most insightful provision for the warriors when preparing for war. He wrote, “When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’ Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying, ‘Is there any man who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it. And is there any man who has planted a vineyard and has not enjoyed its fruit? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man enjoy its fruit. And is there any man who has betrothed a wife and has not taken her? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man take her.’ And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘Is there any man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house, lest he make the heart of his fellows melt like his own.’ And when the officers have finished speaking to the people, then commanders shall be appointed at the head of the people” [DEUTERONOMY 20:1-9].
Those who are about to enter battle could be distracted by thoughts of the new house they had just built. They would be thinking of family and the special times represented in the home rather than focusing on the pending conflict. A loss of focus, even though it might be temporary, would endanger their fellow warriors. Warriors must remain focused on the battle.
If those who were about to enter battle were only recently married, quite naturally they would be tempted to think of their new wife rather than focusing on the battle they were facing. Their failure to remain focused on what had to be done would threaten their colleagues. Therefore, they were excused from fighting. It was a matter of prioritising what was taking place so that they would be focused on the immediate need.
Finally, the leaders were to ask, “Is there any man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house, lest he make the heart of his fellows melt like his own.” Fear is contagious; timidity is contagious. If a warrior cannot control his fear, he will lose focus and jeopardise himself and those who depend on him in the fray. The warrior must maintain focus on the cause at hand, lest he become a danger and a detriment to his fellow warriors.
The identical principle holds for the people of God. When God appoints you to a task, the entire assembly depends on you to fulfil the responsibility assigned. The Master assigned your responsibility because He knew the assembly needed someone to fill that gap in the line. Your position is critical, perhaps even essential. Moreover, whom God appoints, He equips. Because He chose you for the task to which He assigned you, He knows you are able to accomplish His will and perform the duties necessary to ensure that the task is completed. He will provide what is required for you to fulfil what He assigned. The Spirit will ensure that the assembly is not bereft of the ministry you can provide, so long as you stand firm and do not flee.
Where a bugle is expected, a flute won’t do! The churches have no need for supposed followers of the Master who appear convinced that their spiritual gift is warming a pew or that they possess the gift of being comfortable, of being at ease in Zion. There are quite enough professed Christians among the churches who are distinguished by their camouflage skills, hiding from being identified as godly. The great need is followers of the Master who dare listen for His voice and who courageously obey His commands.
We will not find courage hiding in emotional moments, weaving and swaying while lost in a song. The courage we require will be given by the Spirit of God when we meet the Risen Saviour. Here is what is easily forgotten in our drive to be religious—we meet the Saviour in His Word as that Word is proclaimed. As we hear the testimonies of grace and hear the proclamation of the Word, we meet the Living Christ.
Week-by-week I cite the words of Paul’s missive to the saints in Rome. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” [ROMANS 10:9-10]. Of course, the Apostle clarifies what is written through appeal to the declaration of the Prophet Joel, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [ROMANS 10:13]. What isn’t often cited is the verse that follows. That verse declares, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching” [ROMANS 10:14]?
This is a declaration that we meet the Saviour in the proclamation of the Word. If all we present is a sermon, where is the possibility of meeting the Master Who has given the Word? However, if we bring a message from the Spirit of Christ, declaring and explaining what He has provided through this written Word, then those who hear are confronted by Him, witnessing His mercy and grace. Let the bugle be blown and declare the Word with clarity. Amen!
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] James Emery White, “Reclaiming the Prophetic Mantle,” ChurchLeaders, April 24, 2019, https://churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/349163-reclaiming-the-prophetic-mantle.html?utm_source=outreach-cl-daily-nl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text-link&utm_campaign=cl-daily-nl&maropost_id=&mpweb=256-7808474-742210145, accessed 27 April 2019
