Kingdom Power Receive It Use It Share It 1985

I'd like to begin by reading a passage from 1 Peter, chapter 4, verse 7. And in this passage, the term, one another, one another, comes up again and again. I'm not going to talk a lot about that today, I don't think. But this is really something the Lord is doing among us.

He is calling us to draw much closer to a commitment to each other that we've really never had, beyond anything we've ever known. But it's for a purpose beyond ourselves. And that's really what we want to be thinking about and looking at today.

Okay, 1 Peter 4, 7. The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, keep sane and sober for your prayers. Above all, hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another. As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God's very grace. Whoever speaks is one who utters oracles of God.

Whoever renders service is one who renders it by the strength which God supplies, in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

We've entered into a time, as a congregation, of rapid growth and strong impact. And if you doubt this, all you have to do is look around and observe the number of new faces that have turned up here in the last 2-3 months. I think I hear conversation in the back queue, is that right? One thing, you're allowed to be here, you're welcome to be here, but you must behave.

Otherwise, out you go. We don't permit, you know, everybody's welcome here, but everybody behaves. If not, and I'm going to ask, you know, if Hal or somebody would just take a little initiative there.

We don't permit anybody to disrupt anybody else's thoughts. You know, if you behave, you stay. If you don't, out you go.

And to get a little bit closer view of it, all we have to do is observe some of the amazing changes that have taken place in certain lives, again, just during the last 2-3 months. This is something that is, perhaps in its beginning stages, I believe that we're going to see a great deal more in the coming months, perhaps even years. But it's important for us to understand where this growth is coming from and how we fit into it.

Because when kingdom growth is really kingdom growth, and not some human gimmick, but it's something which comes from God, it involves change in us. And it always involves change that's going to cost us something. The impact that the congregation has on the world beyond it, the growth that it experiences, these are things which are done by God.

He does it. We don't do it. And yet, he does it through us.

Angels aren't going to manifest the kingdom of God out there. And angels aren't going to call people to discipleship. Nor are angels going to bring people into a wonderful, clear, amazing new life.

We're going to do those things. I'm giving you, the Lord says to us, the power of the kingdom. With this power, you are to manifest the kingdom to the world beyond you.

You are to call people to discipleship. You are going to lead them into radically committed lives. And if we're getting that at all, if we're hearing this at all, with our hearts, many of us feel threatened.

We're frightened, really, to respond to that, because we say, Lord, somehow, every time I really try this, it falls apart for me. Every time I've tried to take some kind of initiative, it's blown up in my face. Many, many a time, in the past, I've tried to stick out my neck, somebody's chopped my head off.

And for me, I'm just not the type. It just doesn't seem to work for me. Moses went through the same thing.

In fact, for 40 years, in the wilderness of Midian, Moses was licking his wounds, wounds that had been inflicted upon him by the Hebrew people he was trying to help. And what did he get for all his trouble but a kick in the teeth? And for 40 years, he's out there in the wilderness of Midian, herding the sheep of his father-in-law, Jethro, and still burning inside for what they did to him. And he has no desire to ever go back there to Egypt.

And then, chapter 3, verse 1 of Exodus, Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. And he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness, came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of the bush.

And he looked, and, lo, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. Moses said, I will turn aside and see this great sight, why this bush is not burning. When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here am I. Then he said, Do not come near.

Put off your shoes from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. And he said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Then the Lord said, I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt. I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their suffering, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth my people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt. And Moses said, Wait a minute.

I tried that before, and it didn't work. You know, you've got the wrong man. I can't make it with them Hebrews.

He's a Hebrew himself. But I can't make it with them. I don't want any more to do with these people.

They won't listen to me. And he says, Well, you know, if I go there and say this, they're going to say, Well, what's God's name? God tells them. And Moses keeps coming up with one excuse after another.

They won't listen to me. They won't believe that you sent me. They'll say, You're crazy.

Finally, chapter four, verse two. The Lord said to him, What's that thing you got in your hand? A rod. It's the shepherd's staff, the shepherd's brook that you've been carrying around for 40 years.

God says, Cast it on the ground. So he cast it to the ground, but it became a serpent. And Moses fled from it.

But the Lord said to Moses, Put out your hand and take it by the tail. So he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has appeared to you. So this rod, which he's been carrying now for 40 years, becomes something quite different.

It becomes now the sign of God's presence with Moses. And this thing is going to go with him all the way to the edge of the promised land. And it's going to be a means by which he manifests the glory of God to Pharaoh, to the Egyptians, to the Hebrews, to the powers of nature.

We see it appearing, of course, many times during the plagues in Egypt. For instance, in 7, 8, And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, When Pharaoh says to you, Prove yourselves by working a miracle, then you shall say to Aaron, Take your rod and cast it down before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. It was the same rod.

And over in verse 20, Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, lifted up the rod and struck the water that was in the Nile, and all the water that was in the Nile turned to blood. And this rod becomes now something quite different. Even though he was familiar with this for 40 years, now it's a sign of the presence of God in this man's life, and also a sign of the call of God upon this man.

The Passover takes place. The Hebrew people are finally released. They're traveling toward the Red Sea.

The Egyptian armies are pursuing them now, and they're hemmed in. The sea on one side, the Egyptian armies behind. They don't know what to do.

Moses doesn't know what to do. And so we read in 1415 of Exodus, The Lord said to Moses, Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go on dry ground through the sea.

And it goes on and on. We can follow that rod all the time. He uses the rod to lead the people forth.

He uses the rod to bring water out of the rock. And Moses, who is called the meekest of men, is bold when he uses this rod. In fact, so bold that he becomes, at one point he goes, he's out of line.

He gets angry with the people, remember? And he's so angry with these people, these dumb Hebrews, that he strikes the rock with the rod when he was only lifted up, and speaks to the rod, and he pays dearly for this. But the point is that the rod, this shepherd's crook, now becomes the means by which he calls the people together, and by which he leads them forth, and by which he directs them in the way of God. Now this rod comes down through redemptive history, through the kingdom of God, to our present moment, to this age, right now.

And the rod is given to the body of Christ. And every member of the body of Christ, every believer, is meant to use it. Everyone, without exception, is given this rod, and is called to use it for the glory of God.

The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, keep sane and sober for your prayers, above all, holding unfailing love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another, as each has received the gift, as each has received the rod.

Employ it for one another, as good stewards of God's very grace. Whoever speaks is one who utters oracles from God. Whoever renders service is one who renders it by the strength which God supplies, in order that in everything, God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.

Jesus, who was the real Moses, used the rod, by means of the rod, which was the gift of the Spirit, given to him at his baptism. He heals the sick. He casts out demons.

He calls people to discipleship. He sends them forth. After the resurrection, he takes this rod, and passes it on to the disciples.

He says, here, take it. Use it. Share it.

And we see this, really, in every account of the resurrection, in every one of the four Gospels. But looking at Matthew's account, we read, in Matthew 28, 16, Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted.

And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Here it is. I got the rod.

Now I'm giving it to you. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. I want you to use the rod.

I want you to share it, teaching them to observe all that I've commanded you, and, lo, I am with you always, to the end of the age. John gives us a similar account. In John 20, 19, On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you.

When he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you.

As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. Here, I'm giving you the rod.

If you would forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained. Use this rod.

In Luke's account, we find over in the book of Acts, chapter 1, verse 6, So when they had come together, they asked him, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? He said to them, It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you when you receive the rod. And you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. And if you read the epistles, which are really the apostolic, the history of the church in apostolic days, you see the rod appearing again and again, described usually by the term gifts or the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

And we see this in the Apostle Paul. As an example, this passage in Romans 12 that we looked at very carefully the last number of Wednesday nights. Twelve, six of Romans.

Having gifts that differ according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them. Here's the rod. If prophecy in proportion to our faith, if service in our serving, he who teaches in his teaching, he who exhorts in his exhortation, he who contributes in liberality, he who gives aid with zeal, he who does acts of mercy with cheerfulness.

Everybody has something here, a way in which to use the rod. Everybody is given the rod, everybody is expected to use it. We see it in Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 1-4.

I give thanks to God always because of the grace of God given to you in Jesus Christ. The rod again. So that you are lacking in no spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here's the rod. And of course in the passage we're looking at right now on Wednesday nights, there are varieties of gifts with the same spirit. Varieties of working with the same God behind them all.

He's talking about the rod. Now the rod is the authority and power and life of the kingdom given to the body and to every member of the body, he says, take it, use it, share it, so that the body can fulfill its function. And it will only fulfill its function if we do this.

Looking at that slowly. First of all, the word of the Lord to us, all of us, as individuals and as a body, is receive the rod. Receive the Holy Spirit.

Open your heart and let me pour into you the life of the kingdom. There are people sitting in this gathering right now who have never yet in their lives picked up the rod. Now it's time to do that.

Receive it. God is giving to each one of us some means by which we manifest the kingdom to somebody else. We touch somebody else's life redemptively and we also encourage and strengthen brothers and sisters in the body by means of the rod.

Maybe it'll be a word that comes out of your mouth. Maybe it'll be light that flows through your hands into the life of somebody else. But in some way, the life of the kingdom is to flow out of each one of us.

Others among us were given that rod years ago and it's kind of been gathering moss or mold or dust and it needs to be picked up and cleaned off. Stir up the gift that is within you, says Paul. Come on, get this thing going.

You got a smoldering fire. Let it come into bright flame. Use this thing, but first of all, you have to receive it.

You have to know that you have it. Grab hold of this. And this goes for every single one of us.

In some way, you are to take the power and life of the kingdom of God to yourself and begin to praise God and thank him that he's given you this gift. Secondly, he says use the rod. Use it.

As everyone has received the gift, employ it for one another as good stewards of God's manifold grace. Or what is the one in Romans 12, 6? Having done gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let's use them. Perhaps it's a word from God burning in your heart.

Don't let it just burn a hole in your heart. Speak it. Utter it.

Give it forth so that the body can be edified by the word that God gave you. Maybe it's insight that brother so-and-so needs a visit. Somebody needs to be encouraged.

Over here's somebody who needs help. And don't sit there and say, why don't people see these things? What's the matter with them? Don't wait for other people to see what God has shown you. If he showed it to you, that means that you're to take the initiative.

The rod will put into your hands. Use it. Don't be frightened about somebody else not doing it.

You saw it. That's your blessing and your curse if you don't do something about it. You know, and our inclination is to always wonder why other people don't.

You saw it. Do something with it. And if it takes more than one, round up some people to help.

But take the initiative. The leaders took the lead and the people offered themselves willingly in some way to use this thing. Maybe, for instance, during the service, a spirit of worship comes on you.

You know, let it come forth. Don't bottle it up and say, I don't know why these people don't worship around here. Worship! You worship! And it will just wonderfully encourage and help everybody else.

And if anybody pours cold water on you, that's their problem. That's their problem. You know, it's true.

You know, I believe the Lord is dealing with us and we have to stop putting lid on everybody. We have to encourage the things to come forth and even run the risk of terrible abuses. But coming down to each one of us, when the Lord gives you a rod to worship, if he gives you freedom to worship, worship.

And it will bring freedom and liberty and encouragement and joy to the whole body. You're aware of the fact that Sister Willoughby Lee needs a call. Maybe a phone call.

Maybe a visit. Or Lee Calzey, Sister Lee Calzey, 96 years old. You know, still trying to keep going here.

Needs a little attention. Or maybe Bill Chapman sitting out there in Taylor needs somebody to go visit and wait for, you know, 20 minutes for him to be able to get from the bedroom to the front door. But somehow, some specific thing that needs to be done.

Use the rod. Use it. And there's not, not one of us who isn't given some specific situation in which to use that rod, even today and this week.

And finally, the call of the Lord to us is to share it. That is, make disciples. Help people to learn how to use the rod that they have.

Encourage them. One of the main reasons for God putting believers together in the body is so that we can be used by God to help each other to use our rod. So that he can teach us through one another what it means to be a disciple.

Here's a brother who may have a gift similar to yours, but he's extremely timid. And he's not sure how to move with it or what to do. Encourage the man.

You know, take him with you when you use your rod. Help him to see what he can do with this. Here's a sister who's got a spirit of hospitality, a tremendous gift of hospitality all bottled up inside her.

Draw near to her and welcome her and encourage her and help her to know how to use it. We need to help each other. To know how to share the rod, how to use it, how to exercise these ministries God is giving us.

The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, keep sane and sober for your prayers. Above all, hold unfailing your love for one another since love covers a multitude of sins.

Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another as each has received the gift employed for one another as good stewards of God's very grace. The growth of this congregation, the impact of this flock on the world beyond it are things that God does. We don't do them.

God does them. But, they are done through us. As we take the rod we're given and use it.

As we receive the kingdom power and exercise it. And so the word of the Spirit to this body and no doubt to bodies of believers all over the place is receive the rod. Use the rod.

Share the rod. And if we will do this, we're going to see growth in our own personal lives and glory in the life of the body such as we've never known. Hymn number 198 is a communion hymn but we're going to