Where Are You?

Listen to the message
(To download: Right Click, choose “Save Target As…”)

Series: Other Speakers

Sun am 21 April 2013; Daniel van Eeden

John 8:31-32; John 14:6; Heb. 4:12; John 1:1; Josh. 1:7-8; Matt. 10:41; John 13:17; John 7:17;
Matt. 6:31-34; Phil. 4:7-8; Col. 1:13-14; Col. 3:1; Rom. 8:6; 1 Pet. 2:9; (Acts 3:4); Gen. 3:9-10;
Isa. 61:10; (Luke 1:38); (Josh. 14:12); (Matt. 10:41).

When I heard the word on transition, I felt the Holy Spirit asking me, “Where are you?” If you do not know where you are, you will not get to where you want to go. We need to know where we are, but also who we are in Christ, individually and corporately.

How far have we walked with and in this word of the kingdom that is coming to this household? Has it become a part of our lives? Does it influence our work situation? Does it affect our friendships and our home and family?

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb. 4:12). The marrow is right at the core of our physical being. The judgment that we are talking about is not punitive judgment; it is weighing the thoughts and intentions of the heart. It cuts as a two-edged sword, it pierces as a lance; it judges, it weighs our lifestyle, our value systems; what we are, who we are and our actions. We must allow this process.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). This means that God is writing His very character, His personality and value system, His very self into our innermost being. God wants to penetrate into our marrow, our value system, our very being and reason for existence. He wants to change our DNA. Painful! Confronting! But life-changing if we will just allow the word of God to enter our lives. If we can be like a Mary who said, “Let it be done to me according to Your word” (Luke 1:38). We are talking about a core value system. What is the fuel in your tank? What makes you tick? What drives you?

In the transition from Moses to Joshua , there was a very clear and definite command from God. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; it says “which Moses my servant commanded”, not “What I commanded you.” God identifies Himself with Moses.

He who receives the prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward (Matt. 10:41). Your perception of what you hear will determine what you receive. Is this a word from man? Then that is what you will receive. Is this a word from God? Then what you are going to get is a life-changing, piercing, cutting, dividing word. To know something, to know a principle, to know about a truth is one thing, but to do it is another. Then you can say like Jesus said, “I am.” Before you do it, you cannot say “I am” because you have not become the word. Jesus could say “I am” because He was the word made flesh.; He did what God commanded Him to do, He walked in it. He did nothing unless He saw His Father do it. When can we say “I am”? If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them (John 13:17). You may ask, “How do I know it is from the Lord?” If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself (John 7:17). We have no excuse. Why is there doubt? Because we are not willing to do His will.

God spoke to us about peace and living in the now; not dwelling on yesterday or being anxious for tomorrow. Do not worry then, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear for clothing?” For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matt. 6:31-34). We all have problems but the outcome depends what we do with it. You can let the storm lift you up, or you are going to allow the storm to drive you into a hole. It is your choice. It does not mean that you must not plan for tomorrow, it just says, “Do not worry about tomorrow.”

Living in the now and being doers of the word; having that peace that is above all understanding will set you apart; it will make you a city on a hill, it will make you a light in the darkness, it will make you the salt of the earth; it will make a statement. The peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and minds; then he says, Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise,dwell on these things (Phil. 4:7-8). What do we dwell on? It is what we see that affects us. Where is your focus? What are you looking at? Are we the peace and joy in a world full of pain and unrighteousness?

If you look at the transition of Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land, you notice a whole generation was wiped out, and the generation that came after them had to be circumcised, for God to roll away the reproach of Egypt. The slave/grasshopper mentality had worked its way into the next generation. The good news is that there were two men, Joshua and Caleb, who came through the whole transition, walked the 40 years in the wilderness, and when they went into the Promised Land they said, “Give me the hill country” (Josh. 14:12). So there is hope. There is a generation, a people who will make it without being affected. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:13-14). He transferred us out of our Egypt; He skipped that whole process and transplanted us into the kingdom of His beloved Son. We are the hope of the world; the Son of God in the sons of God. The answer is in us.

Who are we and where are we? We are to proclaim, to show forth; to be light, the salt to the world. Stop looking elsewhere. The disciples said, “Look at us” (Acts 3:4).We are the Romans 8 people who are groaning for our adoption as sons. The mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace (Rom. 8:6). Who sets your mind? You set your own mind, you determine where you focus.

When God looks at me He does not see my nakedness. We are not naked anymore. We do not have to hide like Adam and Eve in the garden, because He has clothed us with garments of salvation and wrapped us with a robe of righteousness. It is not about what we feel or experience, it is what God has said that we take by faith. I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul ill exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness. (Isa. 61:10).