Out of Order
1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Recently there were those in the UK who were opposed to the war in Iraq (2003) and decided upon a simple yet devious plan of civil disobedience. They decided to print up signs with the words, "Out of Order," on them and post them on machinery every where. What an ingenius and devious plan. It didn’t matter if the machines didn’t work, all that mattered was if people could be fooled into thinking they weren’t working. I really don’t know how big or sucessful their campaign of civil disobedience was, but I do know that the spiritual parallel is that satan would have us to be actually out of order, or convince others we are out of order. Either way the result is the same: We are rendered unable to help them. May God help us to avoid such seasons of being out of order, and may He help us to maintain our testimony that we are not out of order, but are salt of the earth and light of the world.
Research has shown that the sign "Out of Order," is one of the most effective and adhered to sign there is. Speed limits are often ignored, warning lables on cigarettes are virtually ineffective, but the out of order sign has a very high rate of compliance. Thus the "Out of Order," sign is one of the labels that we should avoid at all costs.
Have you ever been traveling, and needing to go to a rest stop, finally you find one on the highway, rush to the bathroom, only to find a sign on the door that says, "out of order"? Talk about frustration, vexation and grief. Isn’t that similar to what Jesus felt when He came by the fig tree and was expecting fruit? The tree had an, "out of order," sign on it, so Jesus cursed the tree. Listen to what He said, to the fruit tree that had no fruit for Him in His hour of need,
Mark 11:12-14 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not [yet]. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard [it].
Barnes’ commentary puts this lack of figs in perspective: "It was the time for fig trees to be And found nothing thereon, but leaves only. Mark 11:13 gives as a reason for this, that "the time of figs was not yet." That is, the time of gathering the figs was not yet, or had not passed. It was a time when figs were ripe, or fit to eat, or he would not have gone to it, expecting to find them. But the time of gathering them had not passed, and it was to be presumed that they were still on the tree. This took place on the week of the Passover, or in the beginning of April. Figs in Palestine are commonly ripe at the Passover. The summer in Palestine begins in March, and it is no uncommon thing that figs should be eatable in April. It is said that they sometimes produce fruit the year round."
So we had a tree that should have had figs, looked like it would have figs on it (gave a show that it was healthy with its leaves) but when pressed there was no fruit to be found. The tree was, "out of order," at a most inopportune time - the time the Master had need of it. Sad to say there are too many Christians that are walking around with an, "Out of Order," sign about them. They are not in a fit state to be used of the Master, nor are they producing the fruit that they should be producing.
Our text in 1 Peter 3:15 states that we should be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh...
This message is going to concern itself with the types, effects, cause and cure of being spiritually, "Out of Order."
TYPES OF BEING SPIRITUALLY OUT OF ORDER
THE EFFECTS OF BEING SPIRITUALLY OUT OF ORDER
THE CAUSE OF BEING SPIRITUALLY OUT OF ORDER
THE CURE OF BEING SPIRITUALLY OUT OF ORDER
TYPES OF BEING SPIRITUALLY OUT OF ORDER.
For this portion of the message I want to use things we find in the natural world that are often out of order and make a comparison to being spiritually out of order.
1. Soda Machine - no refreshment for others. This particular out of order so upset Jesus that He cursed a fig tree.
2. Elevator - no ease in labor. When an elevator is out of order you have to work harder to get things done. I am not advocating laziness, but I am addressing the fact that there is a type of being spiritually out of order where we are working too hard. The writer of Hebrews addresses this fact when he speaks of people not entering into the "rest," of God. Jesus said, "My yoke is easy My burden is light." In the Old Testament the priests were told they were not allowed to wear anything that causes sweat. (Ezekiel 44:18) The spiritual lesson is that in serving God we should not be doing it in the strength of the flesh, but in a position of rest and trust in God.
3. Bathroom - no personal relief. (2 Cor. 2:13 - No rest in ourselves; 2 Cor 7:5-7, Paul was out of order Titus had a gift of putting things back in order.)
4. Telephone - no communication. (1 Samuel 28:6 And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.)
So then we are spiritually out of order when we are unable to refresh others, are not walking in God’s rest, are experiencing no personal relief or refreshing, or are in a place where we aren’t hearing God speak to us.
THE EFFECTS OF BEING SPIRITUALLY OUT OF ORDER.
1. We don’t meet the needs of others. (Illus. Man going through divorce meets Christian friend all friend can talk about is baseball. He is out of tune)
2. Because we don’t meet their needs they are tempted to go elsewhere. (Seeking the living among the dead)
3. Because we aren’t meeting needs our needs also aren’t being met. If you are not in a fit state to speak you are not in a fit state to hear. For Christians our meat is to do the will of God. (John 4:34) He that waters will himself be watered. Proverbs 11:25 "The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself." Those who minister to others will have God minister to them. Isaiah 58:11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
So then when we are spiritually out of order the effects are these: We don’t meet the needs of others, creating a situation where they may try to seek help from other sources (non-Christian), and we ourselves are cheated because those who water will themselves be watered.
THE CAUSE OF BEING SPIRITUALLY OUT OF ORDER.
1. Fellowship with the world. (1 John 2:15) Are you influencing or being influenced?
2. Investing in Enron. (Casting your lot with a thief) (Living worldly) Samson was a man who was called to be a deliverer of his people, and little by little the devil stole everything he had. His anointing, his ministry, his family, his freedom, and finally his life.
3. Failure to refill. It is daily bread, not weekly bread. It is pray without ceasing, not weekly praying.
4. Neglect. Perhaps more deadly than we think. Things tend to decay. Weeds come, rust comes, moth’s come. We must be diligent.
So then we are spiritually out of order we can say it is most often caused by having too much fellowship with the world and not enough with God. This is often caused more by spiritual neglect rather than overt sin. But spiritual neglect will lead to overt sin.
THE CURE OF BEING SPIRITUALLY OUT OF ORDER.
1. Seek out Titus - that is what Paul did. (Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together)
2. Listen to Godly music - that is what Saul did, he had David play for him when he was out of order.
Elisha at one point in his life had an out of order sign on him. 2 Kings 3:14-18
In this story the prophet wasn’t in a spiritual state to be able to bless someone he didn’t like. That is being spiritually out of order. The King of Moab rebelled against the King of Israel. The King of Israel asked the King of Judah to help and the King of Edom. (The king of Judah found himself in a very compromised position - hanging with the heathen) Elisha finds himself in the company of some people he really disliked. They asked him for a word from the Lord. He had the sense to realize that anger short circuited his ability to hear from God and had placed him in an, "Out of Order," position. His cure was to call for a minstrel. He labored to put himself back in a fit state of mind, and he used Godly music to do so.
3. Do the first works (Rev. 2:5) - that is what Jesus said to do.
1. Fellowship, 2. Worship, 3. Bible study, 4. Live the book, 5. Prayer
4. Seek to meet the needs of others.
Close: Are you sensing that you are, "out of order?" Are you in a position that you are ready always to give an answer for the hope that lies within you? The journey back to usefulness begins with seeking God, and asking for His touch, help and blessings. Let us pray...
