Extreme Faith
It's impossible to please God without faith. And the immediate context of the faith referred to in Hebrews 11 is Enoch's faith. Abel's faith is also mentioned, how by simple faith he brought a better sacrifice than did his brother Cain. But Enoch's was simpler--he simply walked with God. That was his "offering." And God was pleased to have Enoch as walking companion. After talking of Enoch, mention of the other patriarchs followed.
Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash.
Faith and walking--very simple things. Yet God was so pleased that he snatched Enoch up to heaven so that Enoch skipped death as an exit point from here to the hereafter. No more death just because Enoch walked with God. That's all Enoch did. Church today do a lot of complicated things and nice programs and yet fails to please God. Churches spend millions. But Enoch simply walked with God for 300 years. This should wake us up to deeper Kingdom reality.
Walking is Life
It may be literally walking or it may be figuratively living daily life. Whichever, it shows how faith that pleases God is simple yet extreme. Imagine a worship or ministry doing nothing for 300 years except walking with God. Jesus did say we can rest in Him and carry a lighter load (like walking), but resting for 300 years seems too much. It's extreme faith. A lot will disapprove of that. They'd say we need to do something else than just walk around.
But to be sure, only simple things done in faith pleases God. And that seems extreme to the ministryholic (one who loves doing lots of ministries). They believe salvation is by grace--not works. But after salvation they have to work a lot (even punish or overstress themselves in ministry) to please God. "Faith without works is dead," they'd add. "And look at the apostles," they might point out, "they travelled around the known world to preach the Gospel. They didn't just walk around or rested in God."
But ministry to the men of God in the bible was not "work" in the way the world understands work. The world always thinks of employment when it hears the word "work." And employment is working for money--a salary or profit--like when you want church membership to increase to also up church income. So you work hard. More members means more tithes and offering. That raises your salary as pastor as well. Right?
Extreme Faith. Extreme Rest
But to Jesus and the apostles, the kind of work they did was for "food that endures to eternal life." It was not for church income or pastor's salary. They didn't work for "food that spoils." They didn't drag people into their church membership by hook or by crook. They simply preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and left everything else (convincing, follow up and visitation) to the work of the Holy Spirit. It was the Father who drew men to them for discipleship [John 6.44]. So it was not "work" but LIFE. In this sense, they did ministry by simply resting in God and walking with Him.
In fact, their ministry was so casual it was nothing short of simply resting--an extreme rest in God--something church today is alien to. It was Jesus doing all the work through them, not they themselves. They acted only on God's minute instructions through HIS Word. They didn't meet together to make plans, pray for the plans and execute them. They were simply led by the Spirit. It was daily life in the Spirit. When they did act, they didn't do it in their own strength or effort. They did everything in the power of the Holy Spirit.
It was extreme rest.
Faith that pleases God is like Enoch's faith--just walking with God everyday. As aforementioned, "walking" can be living with God daily or literally walking with God. We go back to simple things as simple as walking. Just walk with God everyday--talking with him, laughing, crying, confiding, listening, learning, obeying, and even cooking, eating and traveling--and that's real ministry in God's eyes.
How can we do ministry if we can't hear God? How can we do anything if we don't know what walking with God is?
Walking as a workout can shake off stress. Doctors prescribe it as the best exercise for both the healthy and the sick. In short, it is easy yet powerful. If you're doing big ministry but do not walk with God, all you do is stress yourself for God, which is NOT his will. His will is that all who are tired and heavy laden should come to him for rest. The idea is resting while obeying.
Paul and the apostles enjoyed "rest" while doing big and awesome ministry for God. They were persecuted, beaten, hungry, experienced shipwreck, lacking sleep and even tortured. Yet, because all these were God's will for them, they were actually "resting" in God despite the hardship, even experiencing joy. There is rest that is extremely productive and there is hardship that is extremely restful in spirit. These are Kingdom truths.
Faith that pleases God is like Enoch's faith--just walking with God everyday. As aforementioned, "walking" can be living with God daily or literally walking with God. We go back to simple things as simple as walking. Just walk with God everyday--talking with him, laughing, crying, confiding, listening, learning, obeying, and even cooking, eating and traveling--and that's real ministry in God's eyes.
How can we do ministry if we can't hear God? How can we do anything if we don't know what walking with God is?
Walking as a workout can shake off stress. Doctors prescribe it as the best exercise for both the healthy and the sick. In short, it is easy yet powerful. If you're doing big ministry but do not walk with God, all you do is stress yourself for God, which is NOT his will. His will is that all who are tired and heavy laden should come to him for rest. The idea is resting while obeying.
Paul and the apostles enjoyed "rest" while doing big and awesome ministry for God. They were persecuted, beaten, hungry, experienced shipwreck, lacking sleep and even tortured. Yet, because all these were God's will for them, they were actually "resting" in God despite the hardship, even experiencing joy. There is rest that is extremely productive and there is hardship that is extremely restful in spirit. These are Kingdom truths.
They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51 So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. [Acts 13]
3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. [Romans 5]
Self-Effort Ministry
But hardship or rest can both be nothing but waste if they are all human effort. Often, self-effort ministries like that are thought to be "God's will" because they look impressive, but they're not. They are dead works of religion. Anything that pleases the ego is human effort and garbage. God-effort is when the ego, self-importance and centeredness die and God alone is magnified. The servant fades more into the far background, unnoticed and unseen. Yet, being the least, he is all the more recognized in heaven as among the great.
But hardship or rest can both be nothing but waste if they are all human effort. Often, self-effort ministries like that are thought to be "God's will" because they look impressive, but they're not. They are dead works of religion. Anything that pleases the ego is human effort and garbage. God-effort is when the ego, self-importance and centeredness die and God alone is magnified. The servant fades more into the far background, unnoticed and unseen. Yet, being the least, he is all the more recognized in heaven as among the great.
All works will go through fire anyway, said apostle Paul, and fire will reveal their true worth--whether they're of gold, silver or costly stones, or of wood, hay or straw.
Gold, silver or costly stones do not automatically mean mega, peopled and moneyed ministries. Only simple faith like that of Enoch's pleases God. The thing is, if you walked with God during ministry, and it is God who did everything through you, your work will survive the fire. Or, using the language in 1 Corinthians 3, if your life and body have been fitting places for God to dwell in, then you please God. Your faith is approved and your ministry is productive in God's eyes. If otherwise, then it's a failure. As simple as that.
Gold, silver or costly stones do not automatically mean mega, peopled and moneyed ministries. Only simple faith like that of Enoch's pleases God. The thing is, if you walked with God during ministry, and it is God who did everything through you, your work will survive the fire. Or, using the language in 1 Corinthians 3, if your life and body have been fitting places for God to dwell in, then you please God. Your faith is approved and your ministry is productive in God's eyes. If otherwise, then it's a failure. As simple as that.
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