Chris White from Nowhere To Run compiled this sermon from David Guzik on the First Word of the Gospel. Guzik, as many preachers before him, have re-connected missing aspect of today’s gospel preaching. If you leave repentance out of your evangelism, you are simply ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am not typically a fan of Christ being represented in art, however I think this is a video worth posting.
“Lay hands suddenly on no man…” – 1 Timothy 1:22a
Sorrowfully, I remember watching this verse being disobeyed more times than I wish to recall. On occasion I have seen hands laid upon a new believer, and even upon more than a few ‘untested’ young men. The results have been disastrous in almost every case, and though I have no intention of guiding you through the trauma ward of my memories, I do have a desire to understand at least a portion of the council of God on this topic, in order to confer to others a preventative against future disobedience.
Leviticus starts by giving us an understanding of what this means. “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, if any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.” –Leviticus 1:2-4
If you notice here, the laying on of hands did not make the bullock a bullock. The laying on of hands was rather a confirmation that the bullock was one indeed, and without blemish. One way it could be worded, is that the Israelite whom did this was confirming that this was a worthy sacrifice. This bullock would then soon become a sacrifice ascending to God in flame at the hands of the priests.
In Acts chapter 13 the Holy Spirit said, “Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they (the church at Antioch) had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” The parallel between the two passages I have drawn attention to is pristine. The Church at Antioch did not make Paul and Barnabas who they were, any more than the Israelite made the bullock a bullock. The Church at Antioch responded to what God the Holy Spirit had determined them (Paul and Barnabas) to be, which was, “workers whereunto He had called them.” The church does not make God’s giftings and callings without repentance, it only confirms them. We see in Galatians 1:15-18 that Paul says, “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mothers womb and called me by his grace, and revealed his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood, neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter…” The Church at Antioch had no authority whatsoever in the calling of God upon Paul’s life. It could only affirm it.
Laying hands on a lay-about will not make them a bond slave. The laying on of hands will not turn a man given to appetite into a temptation resisting compassionate man of Godly authority. Laying hands on a man whom never leaves his house for fear of a lion roaming the streets will not give him the courage to charge the gates of Hell with the stalwart courage of William Booth.
Though it is true that a “gifting,” may and ought be imparted through the laying on of hands (1 Timothy 4:14) by the elders. It will not change the quality or character of a person. The laying on of hands will not drag Jesus out of heaven to procure his unrepentant calling upon a man. Neither will it produce godly character, or godly maturity. It can only recognize that which is, “unblemished.” Or in our case, “unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27)
I find it fascinating that Hebrews 6:1-2 says that the “laying on of hands,” is a “principle,” or beginning “Doctrine of Christ.” It is to be understood in Christian kindergarten, and yet this is so directly disobeyed, and un-apprehended. As a result I think it speaks profoundly as to the state of our maturity. If we cannot even grasp something as simple as this, I have deep concern for our direction and spiritual capacity as a body today. We have to stop being so utilitarian as Christians. We must stop offering to God un-worthy sacrifices. The book of Leviticus said to only lay hands on the qualified and unblemished bull.
I have come to the conclusion that we have the concept of success all wrong. Which could be defined as the ability to reach a said goal. In the West we may understand the definition of success, but not the measure of it. Though we may have the concept right, we have the goal wrong. In America our goals are things like home ownership, retirement, or attaining happiness. But our time-line is far too short, and our perspective is far too close, to know what our goals really ought to be, or where true success really lies.
Since it is before God that we will be judged we need to measure ourselves by His standards. His value system is far different form ours because He is far different from us, “For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” 1 God is all good, all powerful, and all knowing. He measures us by our faith, which is seen in how closely we’ve followed his commands. Jesus told us the greatest commandment is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 2 These should be our two primary success gauges; how we respond to God, and how we treat people. If we are failing in these area’s we are failures no matter how much money we have or how high we’ve climbed our career ladder. So we ought to calibrate our gauges well.
Are we loving God with all our heart, or with lip-service? Are we loving him with all our soul, our favorite activities and pastimes focused on him? Are we loving him with all our mind; is our thought life focused on sports, sex, or God? Do we love him with all our strength? How much effort are we putting into establishing His kingdom.
Do we value our spouse and treating them as God commands? Are we raising up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? Are we being faithful employees? Are we helping others practically, and not just saying “God bless you”? These are the standards by which our “success” will be judged, and we ignore them at our own peril.
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8
1. Isaiah 55:9
2. Luke 10:27
I pray that God would send another revival to our generation similar to this, yet new in His end-time purposes.
