Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Watch Pt.5

Let's turn to Peter's epistle. We want to see if we can wind up this portion of study that we've been dealing with on "watchfulness." We're watching for the coming of the Lord; as we look up, our redemption is drawing near. We're watching because He is going to appear to those that are looking for Him. Are you looking, are you watching? Is the confusion and the seduction of this hour affecting you or are you able to spend that time musing, as we were talking about, instead of amusing, and get quiet, and look for, and hasten the coming of the Lord Jesus? This world isn't our home; we're just pilgrims; we're just sojourning. Are you spending time looking into the heavenlies, where our treasures have been laid up? Because where your treasure is that's where your heart is. We're watching, and looking for the Lord's coming. The Scripture says that if we have that hope, we will continue to purify ourselves, even as He is pure, the first epistle of John says. Every man that has that hope in him will purify himself, even as He is pure. Even as He is pure. What standard? How much is good enough? "Ah, that's good enough." We're not working for the government; we're working for the kingdom. We realize, then, that perfection is the only standard. Are you watching your work? We're living in a world now where quality control is almost a thing of the past. The pride of workmanship, doing a job right, is something that is foreign to many people. We, as believers, can't settle for anything less than the standard of perfection. What we do, we're doing as unto the Lord. Whatever you do, you're doing it for Jesus. See whatever it is that you're doing on a daily basis as something you're going to put in the hands of Jesus.

We had a situation not too long ago that arose in one of the classes, and there was some question about the students' work. They brought some of the stuff back to me, and I looked at some of those things, and I thought the teacher was very gracious for the grades given. Some people thought they were too hard. It was junk! I wouldn't have even accepted it. You know what the problem is? The problem is we don't understand as believers what we're doing. The work is not being done for a grade, or to be turned into a certain teacher, or so that you could get an 80 or a 90 put in the little grade book. What you're presenting, what you do with your hands, is being placed in the hands of Jesus. It is being done for Him; it should be done by Him, His grace, His gifting, the best you can do. Is that how we are to do our schoolwork? Is that how we conduct ourselves in our vocation? Is that how we clean our homes? Is that how we get our children ready for school?

You see, once excellence becomes a way of life, once it becomes normative to us, then we're walking in the spirit. We're watching; we're not being seduced by the standard of the world that says, "Ah, it's good enough, close enough." Because of that we begin to look at our own lives that way and judge ourselves and say, "Ah, that's close enough to being a Christian. This is as good as what they're putting out down the street." As we're dealing with the situation in Maine, and some of what these "Christians" believe is normative Christian behavior is unacceptable in the kingdom. It's nowhere recognizable in the Bible as Christian behavior. Yet, wanting to profess our relationship with God, profess our faith in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ and somehow declare that we are a new creation. Then where's the change? Where is the new man that is to be put on, as we read in Colossians this morning? What are you watching, what standard? When we're talking about watching, watch what fruit you're putting out, grade it. What's the quality? What's the quantity? Is it the fruit of having been grafted into the vine? It's so vital for us to realize that, we're being lied to by the world, and we're being seduced. Just getting by is a way of life for the majority but not in the kingdom of God. Excellence. Perfection. We need to prepare ourselves and realize who it is that's lying to us out there.

Turn to the epistles of 1 Peter, Chapter 5, passages that we're familiar with but I want to point out a couple of things for us as we need to be watchful and guard ourselves against the enemy of our souls. Satan, the father of lies. Are you believing the devil's report card on you? Peter's speaking here and he's admonishing the overseers, and he tells them, verse 2, to feed the flock of God, take the oversight, and don't be lords, verse 3, but be a pattern to the flock. Verse 3, be a pattern of watchfulness; we're looking and observing what's going on around us. Some people are more observant than others are. Some will always recognize that somebody has new clothes, has a new car or has a new hairdo. Aware of the newest fad that is going on. The things that appeal to us, we're aware of that we see those kinds of things. Now, some people by nature are not observant at all. We're not talking about those people. We're not saying that ignorance is spirituality. The three people in the third group that we've talked about so many times the "what's happening" group, walking around in a daze. We're not talking about that. But in the example there are people that are very aware and that's because those are the things that are attracted to them. Those are the things that catch their eye.

Well, let me ask you then, if we have an appetite for things that are spiritual, who's caught your eye? Who in the Scriptures is one of your heroes? Who do you want to pattern your life after? Who of the contemporaries of the last centuries are people that you've been captivated by, the George Mullers, the praying Hydes? Who have you looked at, the Wesleys, the Whitfields? Who is it that you've looked at and said, "Look at these lives, look what God can do through earthen vessels"? God, who is no respecter of persons, took common men, and was glorified in them because of their yieldedness. Are you alert, are you watchful, are you looking and seeing these people whose lives are examples, ensamples? The word here "ensamples" means "a pattern." Who are you patterning your life after? Well, of course, Jesus. Many of us have different Bible characters that we identify with; hopefully, it's not Judas. Who's your favorite Bible character? "Doubting Thomas." Ah, bad choice! He ended up doing "okay" but that's probably not who we want to pattern ourselves after. You go back into the Old Testament, of course, we all look at the very obvious, our father Abraham. Men subject to like passion, just like you and me. There are times they were discouraged. There are times they were fearful. There are times they were moved by their flesh and carnality but they were a people who had a heart for God. Moses: the pursuer of Him that is invisible. Forsaking the riches and the wealth of this world for the greater treasures. Counting all things loss, as the apostle said, that we might inherit Christ. Do you admire the young Daniels? Some of you teenagers, today's the day to be a hero for God. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego. They were not much older than a lot of our teenagers. Mary probably would have been a sophomore. Highly favored. God appeared to a young fourteen or fifteen year old and said, "I've got a work for you; you're going to be overshadowed by the Holy Ghost." What a call. What an anointing.

Watchful. What's got your attention? What are you focusing on today? What lights your fire? What excites you? Is it the fact that some of these teenagers today are dressing like freaks, lip syncing songs and making gazillions of dollars? Our young people that are willing to stand up and say, "Our God will deliver us and even if He doesn't, we won't bow our knee." Who's your hero? Who do you want to identify with? That's the watchfulness. How seduced are we?

You know, my heart was grieved when Chuck mentioned the other day about the response of the seventh and eighth grade class that he was in. Every kid, their goal in life is to be rich. That ought to break the hearts of every one of you parents. That ought to cause you to step back and say, "My God, what am I portraying to my children? What are they seeing in me?" They're watching. We're talking about watchfulness; everybody's watching something. What's got your attention? What's turning you on? What are you following? Are you aware of the condition of your own heart? Just watch the direction of your life, you'll know what's in you in abundance. His admonition to the overseers, and I'm talking to you fathers right now, is to be ensamples, to be a pattern. Can you stand before your kids and say, "Be just like me. If you do what I do, you're going to make it to heaven"? Not what you did; or the sacrifices you made 20 years ago when you got saved and now, "I'm just kind of kicking back." What are you doing today to be a pattern? Is everything you are doing somehow hooked into representing the kingdom of God and declaring the lordship of Jesus Christ? Beloved, for those of us that are citizens of this kingdom, there is nothing secular, there is nothing mundane. If we are a holy people, "Be ye holy for I am holy." If we are holy, we are set apart. We have nothing in this world that attracts us. We have nothing in this world that possesses us, we possess nothing of this world. Everything we have has been given to us by God. This world has not given me anything. I receive nothing; I am not a friend of the world. I'm in it, but I'm not of it.

Listen to what Peter goes on to say. Be a pattern. "And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, [we're watching for Him. He's going to appear to those that are looking for Him the Scripture says. He's going to appear to those that love His appearing. Every man that has this hope is purifying himself even as He is pure.] ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. ["Now, listen to me you young people" he says in verse 5.] Likewise, ye younger..." Now, he's not just talking to teenagers, he's talking to the younger elders, overseers, the newer believers, the less mature, and yet responsible for others' lives. Fathers, I believe that we can even take the principle to a certain degree and apply it to some of you seniors, and juniors. Let me ask you a question. All of these seventh and eight graders that answered the question, they want to be rich, what kind of a pattern are you juniors and seniors? They're watching you. In every society, they're looking to that next generation. They're not really being moved by their parents as much as they are their peers in pursuit. Where are you taking them? You juniors and seniors, where are you taking these younger kids? What do they see in you? Where are your treasures?

The principle's the same here and he says, listen, "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder." Every one of us is to look for somebody to be subordinate to that's mature, that's setting a pattern for us, and be subject one to another, and here's the real kicker, and this is where we've been coming to in the whole teaching on watchfulness. You will be blind to yourself, to your own condition, without humility. You cannot be watchful and be confident in your own perception. He goes on and says, "...be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace [gives ability, gives insight, illumination, revelation] to the humble."

Beware when you think you stand, as we were reading this morning in Peter, "Lord I'm willing to die for you!" Everybody else said, "Amen!" to that but what really is the condition of our heart? Peter, as we see, the man that's writing this epistle is an aged man. This wisdom that he's given you and me came through the failure of Gethsemane. This is the man that lived through the denial as the cock crew and he denied the Lord for the third time, and Jesus looked on him. I can't ever recount that story without it affecting my life. Every time I think about it, I think about how many times I've denied Him through my disobedience, saying I want Him to be Lord of my life, and choosing my will over His. Seeking my own ease, comfort, glory, and praise. I see that same look in those same eyes, and if you know Him at all, it breaks your heart. The more time that goes on, the less confident you are and the more thankful you are for the grace, and the enabling. The more you pursue and relish those visitations and count precious the grace that enables you to stand, and hate, and flee from everything that is self-originated. God resists the proud but He gives grace to the humble. Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time. Have you ever had Him look at you following one of your denials? Aren't you glad that the same admonition has gone forth after the Lord had risen when He said, "Go tell the disciples and Peter that I've risen"? Praise God.

For every Gethsemane where we've slept, for every judgment hall that we've denied Him, there is an Upper Room, praise God! There is a spirit in-filling and enabling. There is a holy boldness to go into the streets, as Peter did, and preach the great sermon where thousands are saved. There is no credit taken for it because we know what we do without that enabling: we deny Him. What is it that prepares our heart for the Upper Room? What is it that solidifies us in this humility? When the Lord visits us on the shores of Galilee and says, "Lovest thou Me more than these? Do you love Me?" "Lord thou knowest." That's what he's saying right here in verse 7. "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." Listen to the aged man saying, "Look guys, you want to know what humility is? Humility is casting your care upon Him; He cares for you. He's going to watch out for you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. You don't have to watch out for yourself. You're not going to come up short if you'll just give up your own personal agenda. If you'll begin to think a little bit less of your own opinions, evaluations, traditions and you begin to devalue what you used to treasure." If your answer can be, "Lord, Thou knowest, I don't know. I want to love You more, but You know." That true humility allows God, verse 6, to exalt you in due time, His time, His way. As we've said so many times before, due time is not you time. Due time is God's time. We always want immediate results. "I humbled myself, where's the exaltation? It's been five minutes? It's the longest I've ever been humble! I'm proud of it." Cast your care upon Him, He cares for you.

Now watch. The Bible says in the parable of Jesus that Satan will come immediately to take this word out of your heart. The moment you try to cast your care upon Him, the moment you try to become totally reliant on God's love, and His lordship, and His promises, the moment you stop caring for yourself, and cast your care upon Him, humble yourself. He says, "Be sober. If you're going to make that decision, be sober, be vigilant." We all know what a vigil is, right? You see, this watchfulness that we're talking about is one of vigilance. It's something that is prolonged. It continues as long as necessary. There's the alertness of Gideon's three hundred. There's the discipline of the watchman who declares, "The sword of the Lord," so that the blood of the people that are around us are not upon our hands. What are we crying, men, in our households? When we see the seduction of everything that this world is bringing before the eyes of our family, our children, our wives, what are we crying as watchmen? Do we even see the hour? Do we know what it is that's coming in this form of seduction? Do we see that this prosperity, which every one of us here partakes of, is the judgment of God? It's not the blessing of God.

For Daniel says, "In the last day by their prosperity, the antichrist will destroy them." Drunken and reveling in this hour of ease and amusement. Unaware, unaware that tomorrow it begins to rain, the trumpet sounds, God closes the door Himself, and no one else can enter. The five foolish come back and there is no access. The multitude scream outside the ark and Noah has no power to open the door, even if he would, because God closed it. We work while it is day; the night comes when no man can work.

"Be sober, [disciplined] be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast [How?] in the faith..." What is the faith? It's casting your care upon Him; that's what the faith is. What is the faith? It's humbling yourself. It's not trying to vaunt yourself, not trying to get ahead, being content with what God has given you. Being content with His presence. Being content with godliness, which is great gain. What is the faith? What is this armor of faith, this shield of faith that the Scriptures talk about putting on? The word "faith" literally means "trust and reliance." You look at money and imprinted on it is, "In God we trust." Do we, as a nation? No, in money we trust. What do you trust in today? Is your trust in your retirement plan, your portfolio, the government, and the company you work for? "This company's so big, it can never go belly up, that's why our officers told us to buy all the stock we can in it." What are you trusting in? Your own strength? Your own ability to connive? Your good looks? There's something unstable. What are you trusting in, really? All faith in God is is reliance, it's trust.

Now, watch what he says, Resist Satan steadfastly in the faith "...knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." You see, he's talking about a people that collapse when things get tough; they're not ready. They think they are. They think they're tough. They think they're prepared. They think they are trusting God, and when everything around them shakes, "Nobody else has experienced this. Nobody else has been tried like this." "There is no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, and with every temptation He makes a way of escape. Why do you think it strange concerning the fiery trials that are coming upon you? All that live godly in Christ Jesus, all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers us out of them all." In this day of abundance, are we laying up, as Joseph did in Egypt, for the famine? I'm not talking about saving money, because you can't save enough money for what's coming. The Bible says that a man's righteousness will sustain him. What are you watchful of in this hour?

"But the God of all grace, [verse 10] who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, [will] make you perfect, [complete] stablish, strengthen, [and] settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." That's the aged Peter's letter to us. There's an enemy who will raise you up to bring you down. He will seduce you, fatten you up, make you soft, and turn against you. Where's your trust today? What is your source? Is godliness with contentment the hallmark of your family's existence? The hour is coming; don't let it come upon you and yours unawares.

Father, we thank You for the Word tonight and the admonition that comes to us, the awareness of this hour, the sobering of a generation who's drunken, drunk with pleasure, drunk with abundance, a drunken stupor of amusements with an inability to search, and know their own hearts. Let us be a people with ears to hear what the Spirit says to the church in our generation, a people who can go to the mirror of the Word of God and see our hearts' condition. A people willing to become patterns, ensamples in a day when so many people say, "I'm no role model." You should be able to look to your people and say, "I am. I have cast all my care upon Him, I care only for His glory, and He cares for me." Father, I pray that would become a reality in every heart here in Jesus' name, amen.

Let's stand before the Lord. As Gary plays for us, we'll just take a moment and rest in the goodness of the Lord and the revelation of our hearts. Watchfulness. Inwardly, the condition of our heart, outwardly, the signs of the times, the coming of the Lord. Watchfulness. Watch and know who you should be following. Watch and know who your enemies are. Be very aware of who your enemies are. We're not ignorant of their devices. Satan's one and only device: "Don't trust in God, trust in yourself. Have your eyes opened. God will hold out on you. He's afraid that you will become as He is. You need to be self reliant." The original ultimate lie, the seed of death: Independence, the greatest curse to ever come upon man. Total dependence on the character, love and grace of God makes us invincible, more than conquerors; it makes us heirs and joint heirs. Humble yourself and in due time God will exalt you.

Let's sing this together and just rejoice in His goodness. Thank you Father. "To Your majesty and Your beauty, I surrender..." Hallelujah! Amen. Before you go, turn to someone next to and say, "Watch and pray!" Amen, go in peace; God's love go with you.

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