Matt Chandler - Modeling

If you have your Bibles, go ahead and grab them; we’re going to be in Deuteronomy, chapter 6. I want to thank you for the grace afforded to me to do ministry in other places. I’ve been out the last couple of weeks and got to spend some time in Rome. Just for the building up of your own faith: at the Acts 29 European Conference in Rome, we had 280 ministers and their wives from 27 different countries, with sermons being translated into multiple languages—all in the shadow of the ruins of the greatest Empire to ever rule the Earth, one that at one point was hell-bent on destroying us. And yet, I paid 15 EUR to walk through their ruins. Just let that build your heart up: the most aggressive schemes of man against the people of God will always fall flat. You can go check out the pyramids, you can go check out the Coliseum—it’s a marvelous experience to be preaching the Word of God and hearing it in the back of the room being simultaneously translated into French, Spanish, Italian, and Russian, all the while realizing that this gathers borders that went well beyond the borders of the Roman Empire.

Here’s something to consider: Rome ruled the known world for 500 years. The United States is still in its infancy. I mean, this was a brutal, powerful Empire, and here we are. Not only do we exist, but we are flourishing in a way that would have blown their minds. They threw everything they had into earthly power, and we simply spread. Let that build your faith this morning, knowing that regardless of what’s on the horizon for us—whether we see increased secularization or the loss of things we once thought secure—we really are witnessing an unprecedented experience for Christians in terms of cultural and political favor, and that is vanishing. I don’t want you to be nervous or panic about that. Christian courage and trust in the Lord will be the undoing of every Empire that stands against it, and we have ample historical evidence on this front. So, be of good cheer; the God of the Bible reigns on high.

With that said, we’re going to start a four-week series today on family discipleship, and I need to lay some groundwork before we dive into our text—not just for today but for all four weeks, as we will return to the same text. Let me start this way: we believe that the God of the Bible is true and that He is the only real God, and that He has created everything that exists, including certain systems and structures for two ends. The first is for the glory of His name, and the second is for the joy of His people. So, when God designs or works things, He is working them for His glory and our joy. We embrace that. In fact, when my time is done as your pastor—I don’t plan on ever pastoring another church; I plan on being with you until it’s just time for the old crazy guy to step aside and make space. He’s crazy; now those were such good days, but he’s lost his mind. Let’s find another guy. You won’t have to tell me; I already have other guys who will inform me when they see it coming, so I can transition out peacefully. We don’t want to make this a tomb, okay?

My plan is to be with you for the long run, by the grace of God. I just got back from home, and I couldn’t wait to get here. For me, this is a very generous gift from God. I love being here with you; you’re what I think about when I go to sleep at night. You are the object of so many of my prayers. So when my time with you is up, I want, in the deepest parts of your soul, for you to know that all that God has done, all that He has designed, and all that He has wired is for His glory first and foremost. I am not the point, and you are not the point. Secondly, it is for our joy—that God’s ways are always better than our ways. The Word of God always outlines for us what is best and when the design and plans and commands of God are submitted to humanity, we flourish. We discussed this in our exploration of beautiful design. When we see and hear the Word of God and submit to it—acknowledging «You’re God; I am not"—and choose to do things His way, then mankind flourishes.

I’m not necessarily talking about financial flourishing, although some of that may be present. I’m not suggesting that you will get everything you want, because what you want is not always in accordance with what is best for you. What God has for you is what’s best for you. Ultimately, when we rebel against that, when we think we know better, destruction always follows.