Roused [pt. 6] the finale!

First of all...read clear to the end but DO NOT SKIP THERE NOW!!! There's a surprise (again I love a little mystery and intrigue) at the end! But please read the blog before skipping down to the end.

I've resurrected an old hymn, "Thou Whose Purpose is to Kindle," and have over the past 2-3 months encouraged and exhorted using it's stanzas as my basis. Alas, this is the last of the series, I called the series "Roused." Today, we embark upon stanza # 6. This one will leave you begging for air. If you haven't read the others (and I'd highly encourage you do so before proceeding), you will have missed some extremely pivotal, life-altering lyrics. This hymn writer knew the nature of our flesh and penned some words in order to "rouse us with redemptive shame." Let this final stanza pierce to your inner places. Let the Spirit of God use these words to bring about godliness, holiness, and righteousness in your life. Oh boy, it's gonna be good. Here my friends, is the final stanza from, "Thou Whose Purpose is to Kindle:"

Save us now from satisfaction,

when we privately are free,

yet are undisturbed in spirit

by our brother’s misery.

We were designed for satisfaction. The Rolling Stones got it right, "Can't get no satisfaction." The young man that just shot and killed 9 classmates in Finland wanted satisfaction. Did he get it? President Ahmadinejad of Iran wants Nuclear Missiles in the pursuit of satisfaction. Will he get it from a nuclear warhead? Britney Spears daily reminds us of her need for satisfaction. Has she gotten it yet? The President of Oral Roberts University exploited university funds for personal satisfaction. Did he get it?

You see. It's everywhere. It's in our blood. It's why there's abortion, murder, genocide, drug abuse, domestic abuse, clergy abuse, scandal, rape, extortion, alcoholism, pornography, religion, government, dysfunctional relationships, mediocrity, and so forth and so on. I'm going to make a brazen statement: Nothing will satisfy you except Jesus Christ. I realize I'm bordering on heresy in our modern church culture, but there it is. Nothing will satisfy you except Jesus Christ. A relationship with Jesus won't do it. A religion about or for Jesus won't do it. A song about him won't do it. A church built for him won't bring it. A good book about how to please him won't. Pursuing an idea of him won't satisfy you. Nothing will satisfy you except Jesus Christ. And I believe that firmly. I want to say with Paul,"

Phl 3:7
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Phl 3:8
Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ,
Phl 3:9
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Phl 3:10
That I may know him [Christ], and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Phl 3:11
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

We have been given the only thing that will satisfy and we treat IT as dung. Rather than treating all else as dung compared to HIM! This is travesty, and the church is no less guilty of this offense. Oh, my brothers and sisters...know Christ! Seek only Him. Don't seek an ethic, ideal, idea, creed, or calling, seek Him, and Him alone! The hymn writer nails it though, when he says, "Save us now from satisfaction, when we privately are free."

Too often, the church rallies behind an idea of Christ and become satisfied with their own personal salvation and religion. It is folly to settle into a body of believers and simply be satisfied with good teaching, music, and a great children's church. The cross and empty grave are not about you. They are about God's glory in the entire universe. How dare you say as I heard one old believer say, "Well, I s'pose I've done enough for God. I've served Him long enough." Have you become satisfied with Christ, or are you only satisfied with the convenience your "Christianity" brings you? The church in China is anywhere from comfortable, yet they are satisfied in Christ and they are growing exponentially. The martyrs were not satisfied with their personal faith. The were satisfied in Christ and He enabled them to endure being sawn, split, torn, gauged, and tormented! We have been freed by the blood of Jesus to live satisfied in Him alone so that NO trinket of this world tempts us to stray from fulfilling His purposes on the earth! This is satisfaction my friend.

When we have become freed by Jesus Christ, from our sin and the death our sin would bring, we are then constrained to be disturbed and burdened by the things that grieve our Lord. Orphans in Nicaragua are used as cargo holders for smuggling drugs. The church in Sudan is suffering because of the government there. Ugandan boys of 8,9, 10 are being forced to be apart of the army and are being killed daily, without a voice. Little girls are being prostituted in Bangkok for the enjoyment of rich men, and for a 10 minute thrill. Americans daily go about their monotonous pursuit of material and have no lasting joy. Brothers and Sisters in Christ, does this not disturb us! Why are we so consumed with the latest Carrie Underwood CD? Why do we care about who People magazine says are the sexiest Americans? Why do we bother and fret about what church to go to? We care more about Will Smith than we do about Jesus Christ!

The cross bought for us a new life. If we are truly saved, we no longer care about worldly treasures. Our King has beckoned, and we must follow Him wherever He leads. We cannot say we know Christ, and yet be undisturbed in spirit by the misery of the orphan, widow, slave, and the lost. Hell isn't talked about anymore. But it is a grave reality. The way is narrow into the kingdom of God. Do not become satisfied with just a typical American lifestyle. Do not be lulled into thinking your salvation will cost you nothing. My friend, your salvation will cost you your very life. Collosians says, "For you are dead and your life is now hidden in Christ." We must be brought to life. We must be roused. We must let Christ satisfy us, and lead us where He would, no matter the cost to our personal pleasure or dreams. In the end we gain Christ! What could be more blessed, joyous, delightful, pleasing, glorious, splendid, captivating, or magnificent?!

My King, My Lord, My Ransomer. You have a clear message for Thy bride, "Do not settle for any other lover, but me." Lord, I cry out to Thee on behalf of my generation, save us from satistfaction in our convenient Christianity. Let me fill up in my body what was lacking in the sacrifice of Thy precious Son, Jesus, who is called the Christ. God of glory, we need Thy courage to conquer the flesh in our lives. We need Thy satisfying presence to free us from complacency and rouse us to aid those in need! Father of Lights, forgive my triteness, but through Thy Holy Spirit's daily activity in our lives, let us be Thy hands and Thy feet to the widow, orphan, slave, and the lost. Lord so many will die today and tomorrow and the next day and spend their entire existence seperated from knowing Thee! God, we cannot be content with our private freedom. Yet unless You interced on our behalf we are useless. So I ask, by Jesus' holy blood, that You enable us to please Thee. Humbly, and reverently I bow my head to whatever Thou may command me to do, and ask that Ye impart to me Thy righteous grace to carry out what Ye command. In the name of the Preeminent One Jesus Christ, Amen!

For His renown,
BenZ
www.benzornesband.com/new
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Thou Whose Purpose is to Kindle

©1967 David Elton Trueblood. Tune: Esther Wiebe, ©1968 by composer

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