Four Seasons of Life – Part 4
Equator Living
Scripture: Matthew 24:12; First Corinthians 15:55-58; John 14:26
This morning I will conclude my series “Four Seasons of Life.” While I have covered each of the four seasons, Winter, Fall, Spring and Summer, I want to conclude the series with a statement that I made at the very beginning. To understand that statement, I must remind you of what the Holy Spirit shared with me early on the morning of September 28th as I sat on my porch looking at the changing weather. He told me, “You go through seasons just as the earth does. The further you are away from Christ the colder you are and the colder you become. Remember, love is warm.” Once He told me that, I began thinking about the implications of that statement, especially in light of what Jesus told the disciples when discussing the signs of the last days. Jesus told them, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold.” (Matthew 24:12) In these last days, because of the abundance and spread of sin in the church, the love of many Christians will grow cold. In other words, Christians will shift in their love for Christ, which will be reflected in their love for one another. This shift, New Light, will impact our decisions because moving away from Christ means we’re moving away from what the Bible says, which should be our standard for what we do and what we say. Remember, in order for love to grow cold, it had to have been warm at the beginning.
We experience seasons naturally in the Northern Hemisphere because of the earth’s rotation around the sun. As we tilt towards the sun we have more days of sunlight and the weather is warmer. However, as we tilt away from the sun, our weather shifts and we become colder. The same happens spiritually. As we experience life’s circumstances, we can shift in our faith and hope – shifting closer to Jesus or shifting further away from Him. When we shift towards Him we are walking in faith and doing what He has called us to do. We are not just focusing on our own lives; we are seeking to help others. When we shift away from Him, we turn inward focusing on and depending on ourselves. We do not have the energy to do anything for anyone else because we are so boggled down with our own problems. As we make this shift, we begin to believe that we are all alone and that God has abandoned us. That shifting in our thinking causes us to tilt away from Christ. Now this is what I want you to think about. As I have gone through this series, I hope you have begun to realize that as Christians, when we are truly walking in and believing in Christ, we should seldom, if ever, experience true spiritual seasonal changes. In other words, if we say, for example, that we believe what the Bible says about God providing for us, about God meeting our needs, then cool and cold spiritual temperatures will be a rarity. I would dare say from my perspective, we should never experience seasonal changes like winter, fall, spring and summer. But it is possible to experience seasonal variations and I will explain this as we get into the message. So this morning to close out this series, I want to talk to you about “Equator Living.”
Let me share a few facts about the climate changes near the Equator. Contrary to popular belief, not all of the weather near the Equator is hot and humid – it depends on where you are. Remember, the Equator is an imaginary line around the middle of the Earth. It is halfway between the North and South Poles, and divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Equatorial regions often experience a hot climate with little seasonal variation and as a result, many equatorial cultures recognize two seasons – wet and dry. The wet, or rainy, season often lasts most of the year. The long, warm, rainy season creates tropical rain forests. Some of the most expansive rain forests in the world are in equatorial regions. The Amazon rain forest of South America and the Congo rain forest of Central Africa are two examples. However, not all equatorial regions are hot and humid. Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, is only 205 miles from the Equator, but its elevation creates a climate with cool, dry weather and even alpine glaciers. The Andes are another equatorial region lacking the hot, humid climate often associated with the Equator. The mountain range includes a desert with almost no rain, as well as some of the tallest peaks on Earth. The equator itself crosses the land or territorial waters of 14 countries. These places also have a constant twelve hours of day and night throughout the year, while north or south of the Equator day length increasingly varies with the seasons. One final point before I move on, while temperatures at the equator are very high, there is one single point on the equator where you’ll find snow. The highest point on the equator is on the south slopes of Volcán Cayambe in Ecuador. So in theory you could go skiing on the equator.
So as you have heard, depending on where you are near the Equator, you will have hot, humid weather all the time with mild variations and your seasons are defined by how much rain you get. Or you will be in an area where it is cooler or with higher elevations and its cold all the time. My point is this: if you live near the Equator you will not experience Winter, Summer, Spring and Fall in the same location. It’s either or and it does not change – EVER! Now why is this important to know? It’s important because spiritually, we should always live near the Equator. We may have times when we might not be as hot as other times, but we seldom, if ever, shift so far away from Christ that we grow cold.
I opened the message with Matthew 24:12, where it talks about how the increase in iniquity (sin), will cause a shift in our relationship with Jesus. In this passage, Jesus tells us clearly what will cause our relationship with Him to grow cold. When the disciples asked Jesus what would be the sign of His return, listen to the first thing He identified. “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ (or I am teaching you what Jesus would teach you); and shall deceive many.” (Matthew 24:4-5) Over the years so many preachers have skipped right over these verses and gone straight “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars … For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and pestilence, and earthquakes, in divers places.” (Matthew 24:6a, 7) Yes, the wars and earthquakes are going to happen but they will not be the reason why our hearts will become cold to Jesus and He again emphasizes the impact of false teachings in verse 11. “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” You see, New Light, the iniquity that Jesus is talking about is teaching that leads us away from the truth. In fact, the word “iniquity” means something that is illegal or a violation of the law. Jesus is telling us New Light, that in the last days, right now, it will be the false teachings coming out of the pulpit that is going to lead to the increase in iniquity and the increase in the love of many growing cold.
Now with this in mind, we’re going to see what it will take for us to stop iniquity in its tracks, which will keep us from tilting away from warmth of Jesus’s love and our love for each other. I want you to consider what Paul told the Corinthians because, if we are able to do what is captured in First Corinthians 15:58 then we will be living an Equator lifestyle. Here is what it says, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, since you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (First Corinthians 15:58) Why is Paul encouraging us to live this way? First Corinthians 15, basically the entire chapter, is an exhortation by the Apostle Paul reminding us of the gospel of Jesus Christ and why believing it is so important. He says we can live the way verse 58 says because we have the full assurance that Christ died for us and that He was raised from the grave – for us. In other words, our salvation is sure. We also have the full assurance that with our salvation, spiritual death, our last enemy, was completely and totally destroyed and can no longer send us to the lake of fire. Paul closes the chapter with the truth that Jesus has given us victory over the grave because we belong to Him. Listen to this New Light – “O Death, where is your sting. O grave, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (It’s like you can hear the crescendo building.) Therefore, my beloved brethren, (because of everything you read in this chapter) be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, since you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (First Corinthians 15:55-58) Wow! What a comfort. Now, I want to call out the words, steadfast, unmovable (immovable) and abounding.
Steadfast. The word “steadfast” is the Greek word “hedrios” and it conveys several meanings. The first one is to be stationary. Remember what I said about living near the Equator? The weather does not change. Its temperature is stable. It’s dependable. No surprises. Today will be the same as yesterday. This definition paints a picture of something has been in one place for a long, long time. It also describes something that is firm and steady. Finally it describes something that is strong, unbendable, unbreakable, and permanent. The Holy Spirit, through Paul, urges us to be steadfast – to be fixed in our faith and not let the pull of sin or wrong teachings seduce us away from the gospel. In other words, do not allow yourself to be shifted from these promises and cause a temperature change in your relationship Christ.
Unmovable. This word is a translation of the Greek word ametakineto and refers to something that is not capable of being moved from one place to another. What this means is that once we have said yes to the call of God on our life, we should be a permanent fixture in that place where God has called us to serve. Think about it this way, God has called me to be a minister – to preach His word. It should not be a possibility for me to leave this calling and return to the world. I should be all in as it relates to how I walk before Him. We all understand that Satan will attempt to sidetrack us and sway us away from our beliefs in what God has said, but we should be unmovable. If we are unmovable we will not experience seasonal changes spiritually, but variations of our one season. Let me share with you what I find interesting. What we are seeing here, is God reiterating or saying in a different way, the importance of standing firm on the hope of the gospel. The words “steadfast” and “unmovable” are words with similar meanings and are like two bookends. As Christians, we are to live IN and be SURROUNDED BY a deep seated knowing that we are being steadfast and unmovable in our faith, in what we believe. And when we are, we are putting ourselves in the place to fulfill the remainder of this verse – always abounding for Jesus.
Always Abounding. We are to be always abounding in doing the work of the Lord because we know and understand that our work is not in vain. If you just look at the word “always” it means that we never stop. We never shift. We keep going. We stay close. “Always” is very significant New Light. In the Greek, the word means every time, all the time, no exceptions! When we are steadfast and unmovable, the Bible says we will always, always, always abound in what we do for the Lord. And the word “abounding” – it means “to be in excess, have enough to share.” What will we abound in? Because we are steadfast and unmovable in what we believe and what we know about God and His promises to us, we can always abound in knowing exactly what to say and do for the person who comes to us needing help from the Lord. That should excite us New Light to know that we can be the starting place of a person’s encounter with Jesus! And this is exactly what Jesus promised us when the Father sent the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. “But the Comforter, Who is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, (think about this as teaching you what you need at the time you need it) and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14:26) The Holy Spirit can work through us to help others by reminding us of verses and passages we’ve read that will help them, encourage them, reassure them (and us when we need it!)
What I want you to take away from this one verse is this: if we are “steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” we will not experience true spiritual seasonal changes. We will experience seasonal variations. What’s the difference? Change is defined as “to become different, or make something or somebody different.” However, a variation is defined as “something that differs slightly from the norm.” With a variation of the norm, the norm is still present – you can still see elements of it. For example, during the summer you can have really hot days with temperatures above 100 degrees, or milder days when the temperatures are in the 80s. Regardless of those fluctuations, the season is still summer. This is not the case when you shift from summer to winter as there is no variation between the two. When one is present, the other is not.
How many of you remember playing the game or heard of the game “pin the tail on the donkey”? The group would blindfold the person and spin him around a couple of times to disorient him so that he would have to depend on what people said in order to find the donkey. Are you following me? And we know that in every group there will be voices that will help lead the person to the donkey and voices that will try to lead the person away from the donkey. For the purposes of this message, the voices that are trying to lead the person to the donkey are like those who are trying to help the person find his or her way to the truth of the gospel. The closer they get to the donkey, or in this case, the gospel, the warmer they become because they are hearing truth. On the other hand, the other voices that are trying to lead the person away from the donkey, away from the truth of the gospel. And the farther away they get from the gospel, the colder they become. Do you see the analogy? The warmth, the love that we have for others, cannot be separated from the amount of truth that lives within us. It is the truth of the gospel that keeps us at the Equator New Light. It is the truth of the gospel that keeps us in a spiritually warm place. It is the truth of the gospel that will help us stay steadfast and unmovable and always abound in serving Jesus. It is the truth of the gospel, New Light, that will keep us in the Equator!
As I close out this series this morning I want to acknowledge that some people are experiencing a shift in their spiritual season today. The United States just elected a new President and as you can imagine, some people are happy and excited while others are upset, sad and angry. Some people are encouraged while others are discouraged. Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum as it relates to the outcome of the election, I want to encourage you to do exactly what Paul told the Christians in Corinth. Be “…..be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, since you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
May God bless and keep you is my prayer.
Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
(If you are ever in the Kansas City, KS area, please come and worship with us at New Light Christian Fellowship, 15 N. 14th Street, Kansas City, KS 66102. Our service Sunday worship starts at 9 a.m. and Thursday night Bible study at 7 p.m. Also, for use of our social media, you can find us at newlightchristianfellowship on FB. To get our live stream services, please make sure you “like” and turn on notifications for our page so you can be notified when we are live streaming. We also have a church website and New Light Christian Fellowship YouTube channel for more of our content. We are developing more social media streams so please stand by and we will notify you once those channels are up and running. We look forward to you worshipping with us. May God bless and keep you.)
