CLEAVING TO THE LORD

Acts 11:23

Morning Meditation 8/31/17

"Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord."

THE NEW TESTAMENT TEACHING ON SUBMITTING TO AUTHORITY

The word of the Lord spread in several directions when persecution hit the church in Jerusalem. They began to hear that God was doing a great work in Antioch. So they sent Barnabas to see what was really going on at Antioch. When Barnabas arrived there, and saw what the grace of God was doing, he uttered, the words of our text. Barnabas exhorted them all, "that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord." Let's notice what this text says:

1. Barnabas was glad when he saw what was going on. The word "glad" means, "to rejoice exceedingly." This man of God was over-joyed at what He saw.

2. He exhorted them all. His exhortation was, "that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord." They accepted the exhortation and determined that with purpose of heart that they would serve the Lord. God's people need a challenge. The Corinthian Church needed a challenge from an authority that they could respect. I think this is one of the difficulties I had as a young preacher. I was young with the authority of a God-called preacher. A young preacher with God upon his life to minister the word, will have problems. What one will say will be correct but the older Christians have to discipline themselves to listen and allow the Word of God to do it's work in them. The reason is that we have a natural self defense mechanism. When some one younger than we are broad-sides us with the authority of the Scriptures, we want from a natural standpoint to reject what this young whipper-snapper is trying to do. In other words, it is hard for an older Christian to submit to the younger. However, if we are convinced the young man is called, we should discipline ourselves to submit to His authority and over look his mistakes.

3. He exhorted them all that with purpose of heart that they should cleave unto the Lord. Note, Paul did not say, "Cleave to the preacher." The preacher is just the instrument, the authority behind what he says is the Lord. Our service to the Lord is based on truth. If the young man has the truth, why should his age make a difference. If the Lord led us to call him as our pastor, we must accept the authority that the office brings with it even though the man may be young. The young preacher should also take this into consideration and be careful with the use of our authority. This is a good combination when people are submitted to the Lord. There must be a mutual respect for each other. One of the main things the young preacher needs to pray for is wisdom to lead in the office to which the Lord has called Him. He needs to have a high respect for his elders even though he has an office that makes them followers of him as he follows the Lord. When he sees that they are having a struggle with this, it might be good for him to back off momentarily. This attitude in leadership puts the responsibility back on them. Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12, "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." The truths declared in this verse will be a difficult regiment of truths to follow. It will be a matter of daily crucifixion.

Then Paul says to Titus in Titus 2:15, "These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee." The Word of God is to be taught with authority. Therefore, it will be difficult at times for older Christians to submit to the younger's authority. But the Lord clearly says, "Do it!!!" While at the same time Paul says to Titus, "Let no man despise thee." So it is possible for the younger to accept a position to which the Lord has called him and this calling puts the younger over the older. So our submission to Christ as young preachers demands that we submit to the older saints.

There is a verse that suggests to us how far God will go in the discipline of His Children.

Hebrews 12:9 says, "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?"

THE WRITER TO HEBREWS SPEAKS WITH AUTHORITY

Hebrews 12:9 "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?"

This is a general statement concerning corporal punish what was an acceptable way of punishment in Paul's time. When he mentions, "we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence . . ." The words "we gave them reverence" is saying, "you know the kind of respect you gave when you had to be disciplined by the father of your flesh. You know it worked. It left you saying, "I'll never do that again. There is just no use in committing suicide!!! I remember when I was a young boy saying to myself, there is just no sense in this. I can stop it. All I have to do is to quit. So I quit and the discipline quit. I discovered that my grandparents did not whip me just for the fun of it. They did it because they loved me and were contributing to godliness of my life. So I quit the things that would push a button in them that brought on the chastisement.

The same thing will work with God. God does not have fun chastising us. He loves us enough to send His Son to die for us on the cross. It got to making sense to me to stay right and I would enjoy the Christian life. I decided to be a happy Christian.

Let's notice some of the ways we can cleave to the Lord:

BY PRAYERFUL DEPENDENCE UPON HIM

Philippians 4:6 says, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

The words "be careful for nothing" mean "don't worry about anything." It is a present tense, active voice, and imperative mood. The present tense means to make this a continual practice of this in one's life. The active voice means it has to be a decision on their part. What we decide to do takes an act of our volition. We weigh the reasons for the continual practice of the things Paul says here. God presents the facts to us in His Word, then gives us a chance to decide about this all important matter. God never forces Himself on anyone. He allows us to decide.

The words "but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

We can makes our requests known by prayer. "Prayer" is naming our needs to God. The word "supplication" adds the word "pleading." We are to plead our case to God. The Romans 12:2, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." This word brings in it the element of faith before we see the answer. John 6:23 says, "(Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)"

Thanksgiving in prayer is thanking to the Father for the answer to prayer before we see it. Jesus did this as an example in John 11:41-44, "Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go."

Faith is necessary to answered prayer. Thanksgiving in advance of the answer to prayer demonstrates one's faith in the infallibility of the written Word. When did Jesus receive the answer to His prayer for the resurrection of Lazarus? Did He receive the answer before, or at the point that Jesus said, "Lazarus, come forth." I believe it was before Jesus, "cried with a loud voice, Lazarus come forth."

Faith prays with thanksgiving before it sees the invisible God go into action. Someone hold my mules!!! Hallelujah!!! Then there is another way we can cleave to Christ:

IT IS BY BEING TAUGHT BY HIM

Jesus said in Matthew 11:29-30, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

The first thing Jesus says in this verse is, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

The yoke is what fastens us to Jesus. This will keep us going in the same direction He is going. The words, "and learn of me," means, "and learn from me." Jesus is the teacher. He is the one who does the teaching. He is the source of their learning. His teaching is altogether different than what the Jews had experienced all their lifetime. Jesus is there and was the origin of what He taught. If someone were to question where He went to School, or, what Rabbi taught you?" He would have said, "The Rabbi of all Rabbi Rabbi's!!! Here is what He would have quoted, had He been asked: Isaiah 50:4-6, "The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.."

Isaiah explains how the learning of the Messiah as a man took place. The Father got Him out of bed each morning. Not only did the Father teach Him knowledge in general but He taught Him how to explain the teaching as a whole by answering all the questions that they would ask. He did this and it was a great mystery to the Doctors of the Law, and the Scribes, who spent all their time in writing the Scriptures. John 7:15 says, "And the Jews marveled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?"

2 Timothy 3:7 says, "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." This describes a lot of people in the ministry today. The many schools that are out there to train preachers are pushing it. Not only that but, they are denying that they are teaching that where they abandon the Bible for Christ, scientifically." Impossibilities are nonexistent with God.

IT IS BY A WHOLE HEARTED SURRENDER TO HIM

Romans 12:1, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.."

Paul pleads with the brethren by the, "mercies of God," that they present their bodies a living sacrifice unto God which is one's reasonable service. There is no way that Paul could have presented a stronger appeal to a Christian than this one.

To present one's body as a living sacrifice, demands separation from the world: Romans 12:2 says, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." We must be nonconformist and one who has been transformed by the renewing of our minds." It is clear from the last part of this verse that it is impossible for us to live a separate life and be conformed to the world at the same time.

I trust that these words will be a blessing to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White