The Honor and Glory of the Lord's Name (continued)
And my last word for this morning is here. Gideon destroying the enemy in his father's house. We will never destroy satan and his kingdom, we will never destroy the Midianites if privately behind the scenes in the background there is some complicity with satan's kingdom. And sometimes, nay always, always the Father's house is inside here. Adam has his residence here, and Adam brought about complicity with satan and that is inside our own souls. You and I know it how easy it is; how easy it is to listen to satan, to agree with satan, to be carried away by his arguments. There is something inside of us which seems to be in alliance with the very devil himself. The Father's house is here and until, until that is dealt with and overthrown and in the place of Baal's altar, the Lord's altar is erected. Ah, more than that: the very thing that belongs to Baal is brought and made the things for the glory of God. That is being more than conquerors, not only conquering. It is taking the enemy's strength and bringing it to the Lord. Well if you do not understand that do not worry, but here it is.
Before Gideon could go to save Israel and recover the honor of the Lord's Name something had to be done in the background of his life. He did it, he did it fearfully. He did it in no strong highhanded way of self-confidence and self-assertiveness. No, in the same meekness which has characterized him all along he takes ten men, ten servants and under cover of the night does it. It may want something, be wanting in something, you may say it is wanting in courage. Well, let it be what you like, but it was done. That is the thing, day or nigh it was done. And the thing is, it has got to be done. But when we have said all, what is the motive, the motive of all this, the motive of all? Because there are not just things in themselves, they are all motivated, governed by a tremendous dynamic. What is it? Jealousy for the Name of the Lord, jealousy for the Name of the Lord. It is the Lord's Name. This state of things i dishonoring to the Lord. This, whatever it is, however little, that can be done must be done for the sake of the Name of the Lord. It is not honoring to the Lord for me to accept this situation and sit down and be passive and placid about it. The Name of the Lord requires that I do something. You see! Governed by the honor of the Lord's Name.
Oh, have a heart for that Name. We must see the Lord's people fed, we must see them enjoying the wealth of their inheritance. We must see them n their feet, standing up strong. We must see them brought together. We must see them in a state that glorifies His Name. Not because we want to be in Christian work, in a great enterprise and undertaking. Not because we want to see something flourishing in which we have a part, but for the sake of the Name. Oh, the Lord give us a heart for His Name, looking on everything as through His Name. Does this honor the Lord's Name? Is this glorifying to the Lord's Name? Is this worthy of the Lord's Name? My relationships with others? Everything, everything. Is this glorifying to the Name of the Lord? If not then - If we want the Lord to be with us and the Lord to make use of us individually and together with others of His people as a vessel we must be after this kind. A vessel after the order of Gideon, Gideon! And looking at Gideon you might, if you took his estimate of himself, feel that he is rather a poor thing. But remember that there were those things which the Lord regarded as of tremendous importance upon which His sovereignty could encamp and these were the things.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 9 - (Called According to Purpose)
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