Episode 42- Chapter 24 Part 2
Transcription
Hello friends and welcome to the latest in a series of podcasts that follow along with our book The Wizard of God. This is Steve Roy and today we're going to continue to discuss Chapter 24. In part one, as always, we share the good news of Jesus Christ and what He has done. In part two, we're going to look deeper into the factory to uncover what's hidden in the dark places. For such a diabolical place to exist, there must be a great deception, a master deceiver at work. What could possibly lead people to consume the dead flesh of their own kind? We believe the Bible is clear that the perverted message of Christ, the leaven of the Pharisees, the false gospel, is the root cause of most of the darkness and death within a church. This is actually the only thing Jesus warned his followers to beware of, and the only thing he actively battled against throughout his entire earthly ministry. In our day, Christians are told to beware of many things, many different people, but rarely is what Jesus warned against even mentioned.
In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul calls this perverted message the veil that hides Jesus in his gospel from the people of God. This inevitable result, the inevitable result, is they become like sheep to the slaughter. How can a false message be so destructive and deadly? We'll begin with two foundational statements by Jesus.
First, in John 18:36, he tells Pilate, "My kingdom is none of this world." And in John 17:16, he declares,
"They, (my disciples) are not of the world even as I am not of the world.”
So the kingdom of God and all who dwell there, including Christians still alive on the earth today, are not of the world. We are in the world, but we are not of the world even as Jesus is not of the world. ​​Have you ever thought about this? I wonder how many have. Can you imagine the problems, the consequences of trying to live on a planet other than your own, trying to live like the creatures who are of that other planet?
Could this be why the Christian life isn't working for so many? Failure to consider, to believe, to walk in, this reality must surely be the number one problem in the church. So many of God's children are trying to live the Christian life of this world because they see themselves as ones who are of this world. The religious person will think the way we keep from living in the world is that we keep all the rules, the laws, and commandments as perfectly as we can. Is this how Jesus lived? Did Jesus use his willpower, self-discipline, commitment to the Father to keep himself holy and not of the world?
Consider his words in John 14:10. He says,
"Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me, the words that I speak to you, I do not speak of my own authority, of my own, but the Father who dwells in me does the work.”
So the correct answer to the question written on wristbands, the WWJD question is, “nothing.” When it came to how he lived, how he remained faithful, Jesus did nothing in, nothing originating of his flesh. Jesus walked in the Spirit. He walked in, was led by, and powered by, the Holy Spirit. Why would He do anything of the flesh as He said in John 6:63? It profits nothing. The main damaging effect of the leaven of the Pharisees, the perverted false message teaching, is it confirms what the natural mind already believes, that we, in our flesh and our own strength must do something to please God, do something to earn favor, do something to earn what Jesus has done. In doing so, it keeps Christians from receiving, fully walking in the Spirit, which is the gift of God.
This is how Jesus lived. And as the Father, the Holy Spirit, were in Jesus, God is in us as well. We are not of the world even as He was not of the world. Again the prayer of Jesus for us before going to the cross in John 17:22:
“And the glory which you have given me I have given to them that they may be one just as we are one. I am them and you and me that they may be perfect in one and that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.”
Hallelujah. Glory means identity, who we are in God's kingdom. In Christ, we have His identity. To seek to have our own, to live as somehow independent, is to reject our glorious identity in Christ. So many lives if the Christian life is shrouded in mystery. It's complicated, hard to understand, but Paul uncovered the mystery in Colossians 4:3 when he wrote,
"The mystery of the gospel is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
Jesus told the Samaritan woman that the gift he came to bring the world was the Holy Spirit who would flow in her and through her as an artesian spring. The leaven of the Pharisees, the false gospel, doesn't work because you can't mix human flesh with the ever-flowing living water of the Holy Spirit. They just do not mix. Yes, the Spirit of God dwells in us in our bodies, but the gift, the treasure, is not of us. Paul makes this clear in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 7. He says,
"But we have this treasure in earth and vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves."
The treasure in us is 100% of God. The treasure is God, and our flesh is not in the mix. There is no trying, no struggling to live the Christian life, and it's 100% of the Spirit. In Galatians 1 Paul said that any message that added the flesh to the grace of God or the gift of God was a perverted teaching, and in Chapter 3 a foolish idea.
Again, Galatians 3:33,
"Are you so foolish having begun by the Spirit? Are you now being perfected by the flesh?"
What Paul is clearly saying here is that we must continue. We must live the Christian life the same way we began, supernaturally, by the Spirit of God. And this is all of grace, my friends. You can't earn it. Only receive it as a gift from God. The Christian life is to receive a new birth of the Spirit and to live, walk, breathe, do all things in and through the Holy Spirit. But the problem is, this message is 100% contrary and foolishness to the flesh. And Galatians 5 Paul teaches that the unrenewed flesh wilwar against or contend against the Spirit and seek to retain dominion.
Walk, breathe, do all things in and through the Holy Spirit. But the problem is, this message is 100% contrary and foolishness to the flesh. And Galatians 5 Paul teaches that the unrenewed flesh will war against or contend against the Spirit and seek to retain dominion. Do something for God. Yes, God will be there cheering you on, helping you when you lose strength. It feels so right, so good. Friends, God will not be a part of this mixture. Do a word study of every place in the Bible that speaks of God's strength, and you won't find a single place where God seeks to add to mix his strength with human strength. Here's one example that illustrates this clearly.
In 2 Chronicles 14, we read about King Asa. At one point, a million-man army was coming up against him and his people. Here is his prayer from 2 Chronicles 14, beginning at verse 11,
“Then Asa called to the Lord God and said, ‘Lord, there is none besides you to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength. So help us, O Lord God, for we trust in you, and in your name have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are God, let not man prevail against you.”
But did Asa and Judah really have no strength? Listen to what was written just a few verses earlier in verse 8. This is now,
"Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah bearing large shields and spears and 280,000 from Benjamin bearing shields and wielding bows and all of them were valiant warriors."
Wait a minute. This is, "Asa had a total of 580,000 valiant warriors." How could he pray that he had no strength? No strength. Our problem as Christians is not that we're weak, but that we believe we have strength. The flesh does have strength to operate in the natural world, but it is totally helpless, powerless in the spirit. The flesh is powerless to fight spiritual battles.
2 Corinthians 10:4 says,
"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God through the pulling down of strongholds.”
Here's the point. The weapons of spiritual warfare are not carnal, meaning not of the flesh. Spiritual work, spiritual battles, require spiritual strength. It's really this simple. Asa knew the strength he had was completely inadequate for the battle at hand, so he didn't even consider that it existed. We must do the same. In the last podcast we read from 2 Corinthians 12 where Paul had this revelation. He embraced his weakness so that he may lay hold of the strength of God. But adding our strength to God's, being strong for God, is what is widely taught. If you're like me, think of the church services you've been in. When they're not lulling you to sleep with principals, distracting you with entertainment, aren't they continually hammering you with what you're doing or not doing for God?
But Jesus said the work of God is to believe on Him, which means not to believe on ourselves. Now friends, I hope your church isn't like this, and maybe it's not, and there are ones that aren't, but all too often this is the case. And going to church as widely seen is the place we get instruction on what we need to do for God, what we need to do to put ourselves in or remain in good standing with God, God as seen as being in the wings, so to speak, waiting for us to be strong and to do mighty works for Him. Some believe God stands at the ready to swoop in and help us if needed, but this would require God to add to mix His strength to the strength of our flesh, which is completely unscriptural. It would contradict Jesus' statement also that the flesh profits nothing.
But promising to be strong for God feels so right, so brave and true. Bulls and goats are no longer sacrificed, so instead we go to the altar to offer ourselves and promise to be strong for God. Yet in the book of Hebrews we are taught plainly that Jesus offered one sacrifice for all time. At the cross Jesus finished sacrifices for all time. Praise God.
Yet in the book of Hebrews we are taught plainly that Jesus offered one sacrifice for all time. At the cross Jesus finished sacrifices for all time. Praise God.
Hebrews 10:14, "For by one offering or sacrifice he is perfected for all time those who are sanctified." We are perfected. Some churches will say, "Ah, yes, we're justified, but now it's up to us to be sanctified." This makes no sense. Just four verses earlier. Hebrews 10:10,
“By this will, we have been sanctified to the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Jesus said it's finished. Our only work is to believe on him and everything else will flow from him. Yes, it's really that simple. Friends, we were in Jesus when he died and when he rose again and we are in him now and he is in us and we are complete in him, hallelujah, and amen.
While some will say what about Romans 12:1? Offering ourselves is a living sacrifice. Well, a living sacrifice is a lot different from what normally happens to sacrifices of an altar. An altar is a place of death. Sadly, some have misunderstood this verse to mean that we need to sacrifice our body, discipline our flesh, buy the flesh, to live for Jesus in addition to what Jesus has done.
We add that to what Jesus has done in order to be right, to get right with God. Know this verse is talking about living in Christ Jesus, not adding to His perfect sacrifice. If you're still not convinced, look at the preceding verse to Romans 12:1. Remember, there are no chapter separations in the original manuscript. Romans 11:36, Paul writes, speaking of Jesus,
“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever.”
Amen. My friends, write this on the wall of your heart, maybe on a refrigerator note also. All we're saying here is that all Paul is saying is that all things in the Christian life are from Jesus, through Jesus, and to Jesus. All things flow from Him through Him, never from or of human strength, human flesh, willpower. I don't know how this verse can be any more plain.
And again, this is exactly the way Jesus lived unto the Father. Remember what He said, "I do nothing of my own. The Father dwelling in me does His works."
Friends, this verse can be our guide for all things in the Christian life. So what would Jesus do? Jesus also said I only do that which is pleasing to the Father So what is pleasing to the father that we do nothing of our own of our flesh? But as Jesus if we yield the Father and abiding in us will do his works through us Again when asked Jesus taught that the work we needed to do for God all the work we needed to do for God Was believe in him.
But as Jesus if we yield the Father and abiding in us will do his works through us Again when asked Jesus taught that the work we needed to do for God all the work we needed to do for God was believe in him. Believe on him. I'm going to read this in context as he was talking to the crowd about the need to seek and receive spiritual food. John 6:26, he said,
"Jesus answered and said to them, 'Truly, truly I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you, for on him the Father God has set a seal. Therefore they said to him, "What shall we do that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them,
"This is the work of God that you believe on him whom he has sent." It always amazes me that immediately after Jesus told the people he would give them spiritual food, they asked how they could work for it.
"This is the work of God that you believe on him whom he has sent."
It always amazes me that immediately after Jesus told the people he would give them spiritual food, they asked how they could work for it. This illustrates so clearly that the way of the flesh is embedded in the human mind. The government work for food program, the EC's program to memorize and live on the secrets, they are simply telling the people what they expect here. Friends believing on Jesus is the work of God. It is also the work that produces rest. Believe on Jesus.
Receive. Drink of Him and you will flow of Him. From Him to Him and through Him are all things. Jesus told the Samaritan woman that God is a spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth must. Actions which originate in the flesh are dead and they remain so. We are new creations and are freed from living in the flesh. We are to live to walk in the spirit as those who are always in good standing with God.
Actions which originate in the flesh are dead and they remain so. We are new creations and are freed from living in the flesh. We are to live to walk in the spirit as those who are always in good standing with God. But again, sadly, this is not the way that seems right to the natural man. So many decide to create a mixture that suits them and call it religion. Man-made religion is so damaging because it portrays itself as the truth, the way to God. It is a counterfeit to Jesus who said,
"I am the way, the truth, and the life."
But can religion be as dark and sinister as we portrayed it in the factory? I mean, come on, eating dead flesh? Well, in Ezekiel 34, the prophecy against the false shepherds that God spoke to Ezekiel, listen to what God says is the motive for the false shepherds of religion leading his sheep astray.
Ezekiel 34, verse 7, "Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord, as I live," says the Lord God, "surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd. Nor did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed my flock. Therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord.
Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my flock from their hand. I will cause them to cease feeding sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more, for I will deliver my flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them."
Wow. This passage clearly says that the false shepherds were feeding themselves, consuming the sheep of God. Yes, friends, it's sad, it's horrific, but it's true. Read it for yourself. God delivers His sheep from the mouths of the false shepherds that they may no longer be food for them.
This is how God portrays what false shepherds are really up to. This is the effect of false shepherding, false teaching, and it is shocking. It creates well-dressed, flesh-consuming zombies. This is what God said about the false shepherds and their false teaching. And this is the evil that's depicted in the factory. Here's what God tells Jeremiah.
In Jeremiah chapter 2 verse 13,
"For my people had committed two evils. They have abandoned rejected me, the fountain of living water, and they have carved out for themselves sisters, broken sisters, that can hold no water."
Yes, God's people had committed many evils, but they all stemmed from these two. First, they abandoned, they rejected God, and then they set out, on their own, to be a God, independent of the living God. As independent gods, they devise their own religion. This is the broken cistern.
A cistern is designed to capture water and hold it in itself. But man-made cisterns are all broken. Why would people want to abandon a found a living water for a leaky cistern full of stagnant water?
Again, a devilish deception is the only answer that makes any sense. Broken cisterns symbolizes dead religion, trying to retain living water in something man-made, trying to be strong, live the Christian life in ourselves, our flesh, but we cannot. Our flesh is broken. But as Christians, the fount of living water is within us.
Jesus first announced this, of course, of the Samaritan woman at the well. All Christians are new creations. We are not of this world and not of the flesh, and so our new life in Christ can't be lived in and through the flesh. We must tangibly drink and keep drinking of the life of God through the Spirit. I know when I speak of these things. Natural minds will tune me out, but there's no other way,
My friends, you can't mix flesh with the Spirit. Christianity, born of the flesh, mixed of the flesh is just another religious bondage. Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world." So to minister, to shepherd others in this kingdom, the shepherds will need to do it from another world, the world of the Spirit. I pray you won't be distracted or deceived by what it means “to minister.”
All true ministry is the ministry of the Spirit, and the ministry of the Spirit always gives life. Well, the gospel is good news. It's all good news for the poor, for those who come to Jesus and receive life. But in Ezekiel 34, I feel that I must share that there's very bad news for those who refuse the grace of God. All shepherds should heed this warning.
Ezekiel 34 verse 3,
"You eat the fat and you clothe yourself with the wool. You slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock. Those who are sickly you have not strengthened. The disease you have not healed. The broken you have not bound up. The scattered you have not brought back. Nor have you sought for the lost but with force and severity you have dominated them. They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered. My flock wandered through the mountain zone every high hill. My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to seek or to search for them. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord, as I live,’ declares the Lord God. ‘Surely because my flock has become a prey, my flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd, and my shepherds did not search for my flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed my flock. Therefore you shepherds hear the word of the Lord."
Verse 10, "Thus says the Lord God, I am against the shepherds and I will demand my sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver my flock from their mouths so that they will not be food for them."
We'll come back to verse 11, but skipping down to verse 16, God says,
"I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bindeth the broken, and strengthen the sick. But the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment."
The Apostle Paul issued a similar warning, and Galatians 1 to all those who lead the sheep astray from the grace of Christ to another gospel, which is no gospel.
Galatians 1 verse 6,
"I marvel that you are so that you are turning away so soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel, which is not another, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you other than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed."
Verse 9, “As we have said before, I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you other than what you have received, let him be accursed.
God have mercy upon those who do this in ignorance. And who are themselves being deceived? It should not be so and does not need to be so. Yes, the false shepherds are being consumed as well by the real enemy, who continually seeks for those to destroy.
Chapter 5, verse 8, Peter says,
"Be sober, be villageant, for your adversary, the devil walks around like a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour."
But the good news is Jesus reaches out to the lost ones, wherever they are, whoever they are, with the love of God, urging them to come to their senses, to sober up and to come unto him, to dine and to rest. God the true shepherd.
Yes, back to verse 11. This is what God will do.
"For thus says the Lord God, I indeed I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day, he is among the scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them to their own land, and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and the valleys and all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in good pasture, and their folds shall be on high places,
high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in good fold, and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.”
God says in verse 15, "I will feed my flock, and I will make them lie down," says the Lord God.
All this, of course, was fulfilled in Christ. All this, the land we have, is in us. And the mountains, all the places, all the good places, all the food, all the rest is in us by the Spirit. God said, "I will rescue and feed my sheep." And He did in Christ. This prophecy, promising food, rest, all things, has been fulfilled, my friends, in Christ.
So if God has done it all, what is our part? Receive, as the body of Christ on earth, allow Him to feed His sheep through us. This book and the podcast are dedicated to this one purpose, to assure that every Christian who seeks, who comes and believe on Jesus, will never live in a state of unsatisfied hunger or thirst due to a false perverted message about Christ.
That no precious sheep will be abandoned on high hills in places where there's no rest. Jesus promises food, drink, and rest in this life in the land of God today, and all His grace is here and now. We, the body of Christ, are the ones who continue to fulfill this promise. We eat, we receive the living bread, and share it with other sheep.
We drink living water and share it with all who thirst. And of course, we never run out because we have an artesian spring of life in us. This is ministry, feeding His sheep with His bread. And God's promise to rescue and feed His sheep is fulfilled. Never forget, your work is to believe on, to trust in, to receive from Jesus. All of life, all of ministry is from Him, through Him, and to Him. Friends, this is the life of the rest of faith.
This is the imitation of Jesus to the weary and heavy burden. Matthew 11 verse 28, "Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and overburden." This is from the Amplified, by the way.
"Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and overburdened and I will cause you to rest. I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls. Take my yoke upon me. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle, meek, and humble, lowly in heart, and you will find rest, relief, and ease, and refreshment, and recreation, and blessed quiet for your souls.”
Hallelujah. Please join us again next time as we continue our look inside the factory and look forward to the feast. Until then, may you be blessed with grace, peace, relief, ease, refreshment, recreation, and blessed quietness for your souls. Bye for now, friends.