Allen Jackson - Seasons of Change - Part 2
Galatians 1, «I’m astonished that you are», again, this is not unique to us. It wasn’t unique to just one church, it wasn’t unique to the Corinthian church or the church at Thessaloniki. It’s a persistent problem against the communities of faith in our New Testament. They have been coached, encouraged, discipled by people who knew the Lord personally. They had really good beginnings. Paul writes in Galatians 1, «I’m astonished that you’re so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel». We have a world filled with alternative gospels, social gospels. We do good things. We’re kind and generous and benevolent. We’re civic clubs, but we don’t judge anybody so we don’t bring any moral perspectives forward. We don’t talk about things like right and wrong, good or evil. We study the culture of the first century. We studiously avoid the culture of the 21st century. We have liberation theology.
It’s a real thing. It’s a real thing in theology schools. Prevalent, initially in South America with a strong Marxist orientation. It’s more about class warfare than it is the transformation of the gospel. 2 Thessalonians 2, «Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way». If the Bible warns you about deception, understand this, you are uniquely vulnerable. If you don’t believe you can be deceived, you already are. «Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs». The more literal translation for rebellion would be apostasy, apostasy means falling away. He says, «That day can’t come until the (falling away) occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed,» the Antichrist, «the man doomed to destruction».
The Antichrist won’t emerge until there’s an enormous change amongst the people of faith. We’re watching things we’ve never seen before. Our children are targeted without shame or embarrassment. Targeted for abortion. They’ll pull an abortion ban up in front of a national convention asking for leadership rights in our nation. We see the gender confusion being taught to our children and health care professional’s institutions saying that they’re a profit stream if we mutilate them. They’re being trafficked on our borders, sold into sexual slavery in unprecedented numbers. And we are so blind or so bold as to say, «It’s an expression of compassion to leave the border open».
Biblical values are being set aside and perverted. Values around marriage, sexual morality, gender roles. You know, we got to the place where men are competing in women’s sports? You know, we arrived in a place where culturally we’re so blind to that? That for years, the church has not had the courage to talk about biblical perspectives on gender roles. That’s another series, I’m not going there today. I’ll annoy you later. But truthfully, it’s the capitulation of the church on the things the scripture handed us that allowed the culture to arrive at the point of such absurdity that even ungodly people go, «Now, wait a minute, something’s wrong». We’ve set aside values around the authority of scripture, around the gathering with God’s people.
Now, we imagine we’re in charge of that. We choose. The Bible says, «Don’t abandon that. Don’t stop that». That it’s essential that we only reach maturity together. It’s true, you don’t have to sit in a church building to be born again, but you’re gonna need the people of God to grow up. Matthew 24, Jesus gives us a window in the midst of all this change and of the cataclysmic sweeping, realignment, re-imagination. There’s tremendous opportunities in it. I’ve never had the privilege of serving with a more committed group of people than I do in these days. I’ve never seen a group of people regularly present themselves with a heart to do the best they know for God, to make an impact for the kingdom of God than the current people that I have the privilege of serving with in middle Tennessee and many beyond. It’s the greatest privilege of my life.
I’ve never seen anything quite like it. I’ve also never seen the kind of opposition that we face today. I’ve never seen the open censorship. I’ve never seen the blatant expressions of immorality, the brazenness and the boldness in mocking the values that define a Christian community. I never imagined Leading American corporations would mock and ridicule the Christian faith. We see both of those things happening at the same time. I believe those two trends will increase. You’re gonna have to decide where you wanna fit. Matthew 24, Jesus gives us some insight. He said, «You must be ready, because the Son of man will come in an hour when you don’t expect him».
See, people get really heated up. «You know, I think it’s probably January». And they’ve got a chart and they’re favorite 11 authors. And I’m like, «Yeah, I see that,» but Jesus said, «I’m gonna come when you don’t expect me». Then he asked the question that’s very relevant for all of us. He said, «Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time»? That’s a question every one of us really needs to process privately, not publicly, not in a church building. Who did Jesus say a faithful and wise servant is? I’m gonna give you an opinion, but I really would encourage you to sort it out for yourself. Don’t accept my opinion. «It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he’ll put him in charge of all of his possessions».
That’s the cabinet position you want, right there. You want the king to say, «Let me put you in charge of something significant». I really don’t care who overlooks me, who bypasses me, who diminishes me. If the king says, «You are esteemed in what I’m doing,» I’m good. I didn’t get there in a day. I can’t even tell you that on bad days, I can hold that position. But that is the determination, that’s the intent of my life, is to build that as deeply into myself as I can. That the highest honor of my life is serving the Lord. I’m not telling you, I don’t waiver. I’m not telling you there aren’t times when the people of God will cause me to pray.
I wanna give you one more piece of this. When God is moving, when there’s great change afoot, when there’s a lot happening, it’s hard to know the appropriate response. It takes a moment for the shifting to settle, to have clarity. And often times decisions are demanded and movement is necessary. You can’t just maintain you, you gotta go. One of the most powerful responses that I’m aware of when God is moving, is the power of gratitude. I know it’s Thanksgiving week and you expect me to say that, but I can tell you this, since this most recent election, there has been within me, the most deep-seated, genuinely felt, persistent, quiet, determined gratitude that I’ve ever known. And to be candid, not primarily because of individuals that were elected all over the country, but because of the responses I saw in the hearts of people from coast to coast, and border to border against the messaging they were handed. They said, «We need a different direction».
I think we would miss it completely to think it’s about an individual or a party. I choose to believe it was 'cause there was a group of people that said, «There’s a set of values and principles that we don’t see as broadly as we would like and we need change». The only thing that I think could have made that possible is God himself because we’ve had many elections in my lifetime. I’ve had to come to the platform after many elections and say, «I don’t really have words other than, 'We’ll have to trust the mercy of God».' And I think we’ve seen an expression of mercy but politicians aren’t gonna fix us, folks. So, I wanna invite you towards this attitude of being grateful. Not for politicians and parties. They’re human beings, they will disappoint, they’re gonna stumble, they’re not gonna get it right.
I’ve got an image inside of me. My father for many years was a veterinarian. I know you know that. So, I’ve been around a lot of animals. Horses and then dogs. And then one of the things I still have this memory of is the growl of a dog. You know, when my dad treated horses, you had to go over where the horses were. So, we would get out and it was not uncommon that you’d hop out, or you’d pull up in some farmer’s driveway, or someplace and their dog would be what would meet you. And you had to make a decision from the cab of the truck, or the seat of the car, if he was friend or foe. Not always easy to tell.
Now, if your primary experience with a dog is on television, you don’t understand. And so, you tried to learn to read their… 'cause most dogs don’t speak Southern. And one of the markers was when a dog growled. I don’t mean teeth. If they got their teeth barred and their… but you could have a clue. But there’s something preliminary to that and it starts deep down within 'em. It’s where that Thanksgiving in me has been in. It hasn’t been so verbal, it hasn’t been loud, it’s been a very quiet, persistent rumble of, «Thank you. You have been so good to us». Not because who’s going someplace, not because the office is going to be filled. But the people who said, «God, we need to turn to you».
And I’m so grateful for that, that this idea of a growl is what I’ve been living with. You know, when a dog feels threatened or perceives a threat, there’s an instinctive growl that arises. You’ve never ever had that experience? Let me help you, it’s a warning to the unsuspecting. If a dog’s growling at you, hesitate. Unless you’re the trainer, then that’s a different set of instructions. If a dog’s growling at you, it’s a signal of life. «I’m not inert, I’m aware». It’s a response to an approaching adversary. It’s a presentation of awareness. They may look lethargic, but if you hear that growl, they’re gonna move. Here’s my suggestion, when we perceive a threat to our well being, let’s learn to respond with a growl of gratitude. I’m not suggesting that you’re about to bite. I’m suggesting that you’re about to break out into full-blown thanksgiving. But that you’re gonna start with the deep, heartfelt, quiet sense of the Lord has been really good to me. He’s blessed us. The future isn’t always crystal clear, but God has been good.
Psalm 31 and verse 19 says, «How great is your goodness, which you stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you. In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues». Remember all those things we said would be necessary to take a significant role? This psalm is dressing almost all of them. «Praise be to the Lord, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city. In my alarm I said, 'I’m cut off from your sight! ' Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help. Love the Lord, all his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord». That’s a marvelous declaration over your life. If you’re not in the habit of reading those psalms aloud, you’re forfeiting something of significance.
See, I wanna submit to you that gratitude is a warning to all of God’s adversaries. That I’m aware of God’s abiding presence. Of my dependence upon his strength. It’s a signal of my awareness of the one to whom I belong. It’s a response to any adversary, «I’m not alone. I’m not confused, I’m not frightened, I am giving thanks to the one to whom I belong. I serve in his kingdom». The ultimate authority is the authority in my life. And if you challenge me, you challenge him. You’re not confronting me, I’m limited, folks. In strength, IQ, and resource, you can get to the bottom of me in a hurry. But the one who backs me up. I’m grateful to the one who called me out of darkness. The God who extended to me a gift of righteousness. He set me free from the law of sin and death and brought me into the kingdom of the Son he loves.
I’ve been sanctified, justified, declared righteous. I may face challenges, difficulties, and even enormous threats from adversaries, but the one who called me is faithful. «When I walk through a shadowed valley, he is with me. His rod and the staff, they comfort me and protect me». I’m not afraid, I’m filled with courage. I’m determined to keep my attention upon Jesus, my Lord, Savior, and King. He’s the author and completer of my story. He’s a defender of the weak and he determines the justice of my life. He’s my healer. He’s my complete provision. The Holy Spirit is my helper, he guides my steps. He reminds me of what I need to know. He reveals to me what’s hidden in the darkness.
The Spirit of God has empowered me, provided direction for my journey through time. I stand as an ambassador for the eternal kingdom of the Lord of all lords, the King of all kings. The living one who holds the keys of death and Hades. My reward is established in Christ Jesus. It is not subject to rust, to deterioration, or devaluation. It’s not mine alone. It’s available for all who are longing for his appearance. I will persevere, I will overcome, I will complete my course. «In the strength of the one who called me, I will stand in the day of evil. And having done everything I know, I will stand». The decision has been made, my will has been expressed, «As for me in my household, we will serve the Lord».
All of that is wrapped up in those expressions of gratitude within us. All of them are centered in those expressions of gratitude. My time is about gone. I wanna go back in your outlines to Revelation 5. It’s a marvelous scene of the throne room of God. John, the Apostle, he’s an old man, his friends have been martyred, he’s alone. He’s been isolated because of his faith, not because he’s a thief. And it says, «On the Lord’s Day, he was in the spirit and he has a vision». God trusted John with a picture of the end of the age. May I make a suggestion? Make the ambition of your life to be a person that God would trust with significant assignments.
See, when we pick him up, we don’t know what’s gonna be significant. I’ve had just about every job in this congregation since I started. I’ve mowed the grass, and cleaned the bathrooms, and painted the walls. I vacuumed carpet and straightened chairs. And it seemed like that would be my assignment forever. There wasn’t one I said, «I’ll wait until there’s something more significant. I’ll wait until there’s a larger crowd. I’ll wait until somebody will listen respectfully». If I’d waited for all those things, I would have never began. I had to simply begin and say, «You know, if my job is to clean the bathroom, I’m gonna clean it like the Lord’s gonna be the inspector».
Now, I can’t tell you, I always got my attitude in the right place, but I had enough awareness that I knew I needed to. And I would try to bring correction to it when it got in the wrong space. Determined to be a person that God could trust with something significant. And the pathway for that probably begins with something that doesn’t look so significant. John has this vision of the throne of heaven. It says, «They sang a song: 'You were worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.'» Who’s he seeing? Jesus. «You’ve made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth».
In verse 11, there’s the angels song. All the angels begin to sing. «I looked and I heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. And in a loud voice they sang: 'Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! '» My imagination is not adequate for that scene. It’s an enormous gathering of angels, 10,000 times 10,000. Some of you are good with numbers. That’s a hundred million. There’s more than a hundred million angels gathered.
Folks, there’s about seven million people in Tennessee. You couldn’t see the whole crowd. The gathering of angels would either have had to disappear in the distance or John would have had to been up above them, traveling over them. You couldn’t imagine a number of that great. You can’t see all those. It’s an innumerable company of angels. Horizon to horizon. Imagine them when they begin to sing, it may have started quiet and gentle but what begins as a low rumble is gonna become thunderous. It’s an amazing scene. You know who angels are? Ministering spirits sent forth to help us. The Bible says, «We entertain angels and we don’t know it». That’s another lesson.
Verse 13, «Then I heard every creature in heaven on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that’s in them, singing». Every creature, every creature that walks or swims, «To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever». We’re in a season of tremendous shaking. We saw it with COVID, we saw it again on October 7, I believe we saw another episode last month. There’s a shaking taking place. Realignment, Forcing people to make decisions. Status quo is under great threat. The future is not going to be like the past. We’re gonna see things we haven’t seen some good, some not so good.
One of the most profound responses I’m conscious of, is the determination on our part to be thankful, to practice, being grateful. Doesn’t mean I’m always happy, doesn’t mean things are always going my way. When we’re given these windows into the throne room of God, they are filled with these expressions of thanks. When you and I see the Lord in all of his glory, I don’t believe we’ll say, «You know, I’ve got a question for you». I think we’ll be overwhelmed with gratitude. I want it to grow within me. I want it to shape my response to my circumstances. I want it to be a great strength in my life.
I wanna close with that little hymn of Thanksgiving I gave you. I took it from Revelation 5, if you’ll stand with me, we’re gonna read it together. It’s directed to our King. The one we serve, the one who sets the priorities of our lives, the one we’ve chosen to yield our will to. The one we will submit our emotions to. It says To the elders, the most triumphant from among the people of God when they saw the Lord, they threw their crowns before him. There was nothing they would hold back. We don’t arrive at that place immediately, we hold back a lot. But we’re learning, we’re growing, we’re gaining strength. We are salt and light in this generation and we will choose the Lord.
When the history of the church is put together, may this be one of the most triumphant seasons of the people of God across the span of time. This is our watch. In the face of darkness, and evil, and ungodliness, let’s find our voices. In a time of great pressure, let’s respond with great enthusiasm. Let’s not be hesitant, let’s not be cowardly. Let’s not turn back, let’s not wait for someone else to step up. Let’s not say, «It’s not our assignment». Let’s respond with Isaiah, «Here I am! You can send» me, I’ll go. Let’s respond with David’s mighty men, if the king wants to drink, let’s go get it. We’ve hidden in the shadows long enough, church. We’ve got a hymn and we gotta go. Let’s read it together:
You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood, you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priest to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth. Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! And to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb… forever and ever!