Matthew Clark

Excuses in the Face of Calling

It is almost twenty years ago to the day when Pastor Bob gave a call to his flock at the Evangelical Church in Bangkok and asked us to contribute to the mission of the Church to build a larger sanctuary.  He asked us all to carefully consider what we could do to not only find activities to raise money, but that the activities should raise the profile of the Church. 

I turned round and whispered to my family that the only thing I could do was to grow chickens and ride a bicycle.  “Think about it they said”. 

Let’s be honest, I had already made a number of excuses

• I was looking for a way to stay hidden in the congregation.
• I thought my skills (humble at best) would not be needed.
• In particular, I believed that the Lord had no particular use for a cyclist.
• I really didn’t think I could contribute to fund raising.
• I was looking round the sanctuary and thinking to myself “Somebody else will do this”

I came up with this list of five evasive manoeuvres in about 15 seconds!  It turns out that I was not alone in making them.  It turns out that greater men and women than I have made excuses in the face of a calling from God.  Brothers and Sisters, I present…….

The Five Excuses of Moses

What are excuses all about? They can be how we justify a mistake or how we resist taking necessary or expected action.  Moses, famously tried to excuse himself from leading the Israelites out of bondage.  Moses is arguably the greatest figure in the Old Testament, and yet he fell victim to shyness in the face of a call from God.  Moses’ call is found in Exodus chapter 3:

⁷The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering…….  ¹⁰ So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:7-10)

Excuse the First:  Who am I?

What happened to Moses also happens to us all on a regular basis.  When he met God for the first time and was given his commission, his first reaction was “Who am I”. 

“But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11)

Moses was blessed with a good upbringing, a position in court and society, and most likely a good education.  He was a fine choice of leader and seems to have been groomed by God for the task of rescuing the Israelites from slavery.  Yet even with all these years of careful preparation by God, he still doubts whether he has the right profile.  He doubts himself; he doubts his suitability and status.  This is one of our first reactions when God calls us to serve him.  When the call comes (and it will) remember that God has given you status by adopting you as one of his sons or daughters.

Indeed, God does prepare us by His presence and His care: “And God said, “I will be with you.” (Exodus 3:12)

Excuse the Second: What shall I tell them?

Our next most likely reaction is to doubt whether we are prepared to serve.  This certainly crossed Moses’ mind.

“Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” (Exodus 3: 13)

I have some sympathy with this question.  In the right context and in the right frame of mind the question is constructive.  We should certainly ask ourselves if we need to prepare for service in some way.  If we plan to rise to Christian leadership then preparation is essential.  However, we should not look at preparation as an impossible task and turn a wise question into an excuse to avoid a call to follow.  Again, God prepared Moses and He will prepare us when we pray in faith.

“God said to Moses, “I am who I am” This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14)

Excuse the Third: What if they don’t believe me?

Moses’ next question voices a doubt we will all feel when we think about stepping forward.

“Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”” (Exodus 4:1)

Moses feared that the reception of his leadership would be unfavourable or his teaching contradicted.  We worry not just about whether what we say will be well received, but that our experience of God will be believed when we stand for Christ.  God’s responses to excuses one and two is to be with us spiritually.  In answer to Moses third doubt, God provides signs for Moses to share with the Israelites.  Signs are miracles that continue in the present day. Signs of authority, signs of healing, signs of blessing and many more that accompany God’s faithful workers.

“This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.” (Exodus 4:5)

Excuse the Fourth: I have Never ….  Neither  …. And Moreover

This too is an easy trap to snare us.  Moses was afraid of breaking into new ground fearing that his abilities were not up to the task. 

Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” (Exodus 4:10)

In particular, Moses felt limited by his ability to speak in public, and what a common fear that is!  We sometimes forget the obvious.  We are God’s creation, made for a purpose, and that purpose includes telling of His greatness, spreading His Gospel and leading worship of His holy name.  When we rise to the challenge to spread the word of God, in His name and with His blessing, God equips us with the skills He needs.  In this passage, God is quite firm with Moses, quite insistent, as Moses suggests a fourth possible reason not to lead the Israelites.  God says “Now GO”

¹¹ The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?¹² Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Exodus 4:11, 12).

Excuse the Fifth: Please send someone else

And finally, Moses suggests that somebody else goes in his place.  God knows our hearts and our capabilities, our fears and our doubts, but in the end His purpose will be carried out.

“But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” (Exodus 4:13)

If you have personal doubts about your ability to follow God’s calling, remember that even Jesus was daunted by God’s plan for him. 

• At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus made a conscious and determined choice to take on the role of saviour when he asked John to baptise him Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness.” Then John consented. (Matthew 3:15)

• Sometimes the call to follow God’s will takes extreme effort.  We should not pretend that choosing God’s path is the easy option as Jesus felt so keenly in the garden of Gethsemane “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39)

“Please send someone else” is the final petition, but remember that God’s work requires workers for God.  If we don’t step up individually, who will?

I Can only Ride a Bicycle

Ultimately, my excuses didn’t work for me either.  I was actually a keen cyclist, and so I decided to pursue this unlikely ministry of Two Wheels. There was an outreach committee to co-ordinate activity to which we all had to submit plans.  I gave my outline to the Outreach Supremo and he asked me how much it would cost the church.  “Nothing” I said.  “Oh fine then, no worries, go ahead, but don’t come back to me later needing funds” said El Supremo. With that blessing I set up my booth on the ‘Outreach Sunday’ with a map of Thailand and a plan to ride from Chiang-Mai to Bangkok raising money by sponsorship.

So, I explained to anyone who came close that cycling was great fun.  The ride, all 730 Kms of it, would take 5 days, and would have a built-in bible study on the theme of building churches.

Two young lads, 14 and 15 years old stepped forward said they wanted to join.  My two disciples were a good start, and then I started getting phone calls.

Two guys who were also serious wheelers like myself joined up.  Then the Church secretary signed up to give herself a lifetime challenge.  One of our diabetic church members who had been on insulin injections signed up to show the world that he wasn’t going to be held back by diabetes.  We gave ourselves four weeks to get fit and the training program started.  What a sight we were!

It’s a long story to tell all, but we grew.  We grew in spirit and were blessed with a team of 25 people including logistic and medical support.  We built up our fitness, took the challenge, and headed to Chiang-Mai by train, looking like a cycling team that knew what it was doing!  We looked like a church too, and my goodness it was visible as we set off for the 5-day run to Bangkok

We made it, all but the youngest who was heartbroken to come down with flu.  When we did the ride two months later, he made the whole distance. 

We had an epic journey, epic saddle sores and epic aches and pains quickly forgotten by the glow of achievement.

None of us realised our potential when we set out.  It was a revelation.  It was a bit of a surprise in the church too.  We raised around RM50,000 for the project.  Boy was it good to make it back to the church!

How about Us in KL Wesley?

We may be tempted to think we have never had a Great Calling to challenge us.  But…  In our Church’s 125^th anniversary we should remember that we all have a calling – a Great Commission from Jesus:

¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matt 28:19-20)

The first 125 years of ministry and worship is a great achievement.  Our calling from God is to build for the next 125 years to continue the Great Commission to His Glory.

Brothers and Sisters, how will we respond to a call for generational growth?

Anyone else know how to ride a bicycle?

Let’s be honest, turning the other cheek is not a natural reaction. When I was growing up, the social norms encouraged us, boys in particular, to stand up for ourselves. Fight back! The competitive urge to get even or to win is an earthly reaction deeply ingrained in us.

Jesus, on the other hand, gives us a different paradigm for handling potential conflict – one of meekness and humility. He says:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”

Matt 5:38

Originally the legal aspect of “Eye for Eye, and Tooth for Tooth” was to limit retribution to be in line with the crime and avoid excessive punishment. In time, this principle was taken to make a quid pro quo response a requirement. Paul expands on these words of Jesus encouraging us not to repay evil with evil, but to counter evil with good. (Romans 12:21)

Obviously, we do not just accept evil. Jesus would tackle evil, as he did when he cleared the temple of moneychangers. However, when Jesus talks about a “slap on the right cheek” he is discussing insults. Jesus is asking us to take criticism or insult and not resort to a verbal tit for tat.

The Spirit inspired ability to accept insult without fighting back is a key component of Christian living. It is also important that we do not simply swallow insults, but let them go, forgive and bless those who (apparently) oppress us. Recently our company had a good example of this approach in action with one of our key customers.

The Background

The challenge was that our participation in a client’s meeting did not go well. There were a number of issues, and the client was concerned about the impact on their customer relations. Some of the points our client raised in the follow up were well deserved criticism, some were moot and some were a little personal.

We resolved to defuse rather than excuse.

Everything we do is for Christ

Every action we take reflects on us as Christians. Our reactions can bring glory or dismay to Christ and His Church. When we are under pressure, we should always have a vision of the intended conclusion to a challenge as well as the handling of the challenge itself. When all is said and done, we must be prepared to ask ourselves:

Have I behaved as a Christian and glorified God?

We should always conduct ourselves in such a way that the answer in the final analysis will be YES.

We stand for Christ, even in small things that are apparently outside of our classic ideas of evangelism. If we set our eyes on Jesus at the earliest possible opportunity, we greatly increase the strength of our witness.

Listen and Learn

As we tackled the criticism, I have to say that the Director I spoke to was very gracious, and her gracious handling of the situation inspired me to behave likewise, which I sincerely appreciated. In this first follow up call I listened; I had no prepared comebacks and I supressed those that flashed through my head.

The book of Proverbs is a rich source of practical pointers for this situation

Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity (Proverbs 21:23)

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Proverbs 12:18)

Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues. (Proverbs 17:28)

Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end. (Proverbs 29:11)

I was determined not to make matters worse by arguing and I turned the other cheek. Patience is a wonderful virtue in these situations.

Our Problems belong to God

We should never forget the intimate presence of God when we face tests. The bible verses that have had the biggest impact on my life are the words of Jesus talking to the disciples about prayer. These verses have been a constant source of comfort to me and were comforting once more:

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”

Matthew 6:6-8

The beauty of Jesus’ promise here is that he reveals that our Father knows what we need even before we come to Him. When we share our problems in faith with God, the solutions will flow, and we need God’s strength to be patient, kind, gentle in all our dealings.

This cycle was no exception. Sharing the problem in prayer and meditation lead me to conclude that acceptance, peace and grace were our best way forward.

Turn that Cheek

We must not forget that when someone gives us a slap, there is a strong possibility that we deserved it! In the heat of moments such as this we often think we are right. On reflection in this case, turning the other cheek for a slap was meet and right. We did deserve to be criticised. Proverbs again was a useful source of advice:

The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out. (Proverbs 19:19)

Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. (Proverbs 19:20)

Had we reacted immediately, we would have lost out on some valuable information to help our business in the future, and maybe even lost the business that we had.

The Blessing Followed

Indeed, what followed was a series of fruitful discussions. The old me would have reacted and missed out on some valuable lessons. The old me would have foolishly fought gracelessly and lost.

As we emerged from the darkness, we knew that we had given a glimpse of our transformation in Christ. Indeed, it was the Light of Jesus that guided us through a very earthly problem.

My dear Brothers and Sisters, life was never advertised as an easy exercise. God is gracious and blesses those who follow him. We must remember that we will be judged according to our actions by Christians and Non-Christians alike. We are all ministers for Christ by example, not just in our holy moments but in all aspects of our daily life.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:16

The climax of our Christian year is drawing closer. Soon we will be following the final earthly moments of Jesus from his entry into Jerusalem, to his betrayal, arrest, trial, crucifixion, death and glorious resurrection. It all seems to happen in a very short space of time with the events of Holy Week running at a fast pace over a period of about five days. In reality, the journey was much longer and to follow Jesus in his final days, we should cast our thoughts back to the beginnings of His Journey.

We do not know much about the early life of Jesus, but we do know he was born into a family faithful to God who trusted in His purpose. Both Joseph and Mary received the word of God through angels and were faithful to the path that God had given them. Their faith is unquestioning and inspirational.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Joseph’s ancestral home of the house of David, and from there he and his parents fled to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod following a message from an Angel. When Herod died, they returned to Nazareth in Galilee where Jesus grew up with his parents. It was a devout household. Every year they would travel to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of the Passover, and it was during one of these visits that Jesus went missing and was found in the temple courts. We have a glimpse of Jesus upbringing in Luke 2

⁴⁹ “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”⁵⁰ But they did not understand what he was saying to them. ⁵¹ Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.⁵² And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

Luke 2:49 -52

From the announcement of Jesus coming birth to reaching adulthood in Nazareth; we see the meticulous care of our Heavenly Father guiding the families around Jesus and protecting him from the rages of Herod. We see the devout care of Mary and Joseph; doubtless encouraging Jesus’ spiritual growth.

Then when Jesus is maybe 30 years old, there is a pivotal moment. The verses in Matthew 3:13-17 really grab our attention. The account is short but packed with a divine heavenly drama played out before us on earth.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. Matthew 3:13

This sentence is deceptively short. The book of Mark records that the journey started in Nazareth and so we can estimate that this journey would have been about 45 kilometres, maybe a bit more. In today’s world, this would be equivalent to a small hop from say KL Wesley to Port Klang. In Jesus day, this was a long and dangerous journey on foot; a very deliberate act of Jesus setting out on His mission.

John is surprised to see Jesus. Remember that John’s vibrant ministry is preparing the way for the Messiah by preaching a baptism of repentance. He is washing away the sins of those turning to God. When John sees Jesus, he tries to deter him from Baptism “But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”” (Matthew 3:14)

John is taken aback. When he sees Jesus, he sees the sinless Son of God. Jesus, innocent of all sin, comes to the Jordan to be baptised and cleansed of sin. Jesus insists on being baptised.

“Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness.” Then John consented.”(Matthew 3:15)

Whose sin is he carrying? Not His own.

It is proper, it is necessary, to fulfil all righteousness.

Jesus at this point has taken our sin upon himself and presented himself before John and before God as the carrier of our sin. This is the incredible moment at which Jesus rises to His higher purpose from son of Joseph, the carpenter, to Jesus the Son of God, Saviour by the grace of God and His own loving choice for the redemption of our sins.

Parents, do you remember the first time your children did something wonderful without being told? I remember a moment my son, when he was only three years old leaving hospital after an operation; standing on tiptoes to give the ward sister a kiss goodbye. The fearsomely efficient lady was overcome! Watching from three paces, I choked back tears; it was a heart pulling moment.

This is God our Father’s great moment. Up until now, God has been the constant, but unseen, unheard presence, speaking through his angels, and guiding his plans. Now Jesus has stepped forward as Saviour and God opens up, overflowing with joy and excitement

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:16 &17)

God opens His heavens; God sends his Spirit upon Jesus and proclaims His love as a Father. My friends, this is an awesome moment. We have the joy of seeing our Saviour stepping forward; a joy we share and a joy for which we praise God. Joy that for a time will change to deep sorrow.

Jesus has taken up our sin. This is the start of the road to Calvary.

Lent is one of the traditional times of fasting in the Christian calendar.  In days of old in England, Advent was also a time of fasting.  It may seem curious to the uninitiated observer as to why we as Christians would deny ourselves in the interests of spiritual growth particularly with a festival coming.  Surely the coming excitement should include celebration, not a period of sombre reflection?  The truth is that we are not making sacrifices by denial, but by making space.  As we anticipate the great events in our devotional year, we should make space in our lives to contemplate God’s word and inspiration to draw closer to Him.

In Lent, our particular mission is to anticipate the death and the glorious resurrection of Jesus; His selfless and perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.   As the writer of Hebrews expresses “For by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” (Hebrews Ch 10).  It is this extraordinary event for which we are preparing ourselves – the one perfect payment for our sins by the grace of God our Father and the love of Jesus our Lord.  

In that preparation, I would encourage you to draw back from the busy-ness of the world and spare a little extra time for reading and devotion.  In my quiet time I reflected on the words of Psalm 32 and came to understand more about the joys of perfect forgiveness that Jesus brings.  In this Psalm, David expresses His joy of redemption in a hymn of praise to God and gives us a powerful insight into not just the danger of sin, but the effect of sin – and in particular the effect of unrecognised or unconfessed sin.  

David begins Psalm 32 by explaining the prize of redemption that we approach in Lenten meditation. 

¹ Blessed is the one
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.
² Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

Psalm 32:1-2

He speaks of two blessings:  The blessing of salvation, of being able to join God in His Kingdom and also the simpler earthly blessing of transgressions being forgiven; changing our lives for the better.  In verse 3 David explains the effect of the weight of sin on the living soul:

³ When I kept silent,
    my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
⁴ For day and night
    your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
    as in the heat of summer. 

Psalm 32:3-4

While we have the divine gift of Jesus conquering death for us, we also have a part to play in the cycle of forgiveness.  Too often we fail to recognise where we have sinned, not least because we are reticent to look deep into our hearts.  David’s observation here is very practical.  He speaks of the effects of keeping silent, as we are tempted to do, telling us that when we stay silent, it is going to hurt – “my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long”.  This is such an important message to us.  So many people suffer both physically and mentally under the weight of guilt.  It affected David deeply – “For day and night   your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped   as in the heat of summer.”

Our Lenten challenge is to re-examine our own responsibility for whatever may be sapping our spiritual strength.  We speak of a close equivalent, depression, nowadays as a ‘chemical imbalance’.  I have great respect for the advances that have been made in mental health care and treatment.  However, the trending issue is to blame the world around us for our pain.  

The cause of mental, physical and spiritual anguish may well be closer to home than we care to think.  The Christian response is to look for the sin and guilt that separate us from the love of God and His redemption.  We do this by self-discovery, removing the burden of guilt that is so damaging to the fulfilling life that God intends for us.  David says

“⁵ Then I acknowledged my sin to you
    and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
    my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave
    the guilt of my sin”.

Psalm 32:5

Uncovering our inner faults is the Christian devotional way forward.  It is not an easy path to take, but it is a road to blessing.  For sin to be forgiven, the fault first needs to be discovered in faithful humility and then presented to God.  Our Heavenly Father welcomes this; we can confess with confidence as there is joy in heaven when a sinner repents.  Jesus came to find sinners; they were a priority to Him.  Examination, discovery, confession and regeneration lead to blessing.  David rejoices in the change that a deep cleaning of the heart brings and concludes his Psalm:

“¹⁰ Many are the woes of the wicked,
    but the Lord’s unfailing love
    surrounds the one who trusts in Him.
¹¹ Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
    sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Psalm 32:10-11

David was a remarkable king, spiritual leader and example; not because he was a perfect man, but because he was an imperfect man with a yearning to be in the presence of God. He laid his imperfections before God in faith and in the knowledge that he would be restored.  This aspect of Lent sounds like a tough journey, and I would not pretend that it is easy.  However, as we bring our inner thoughts to God in humility and repentance, we can do so confidently with the prospect of Joy.  

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

God’s gift is beyond price and beyond our human imagination.  In loving response, we lay our lives before Him to prepare to receive our risen Lord and Saviour.  The blessing of allowing God full access to our hearts, by examination and confession, is one to grasp with joy.

Happy New Year!

One of the joys of living in Malaysia is the blessing of experiencing a variety of different new year celebrations. So far, we have had the western celebration of January 1^st with its new year resolutions, and now we move on to the Chinese New Year celebration with the colourful traditions and the regular greeting of “Gong Xi Fa Cai” is very common.

This phrase translates (roughly) as “wishing you enlarge your wealth”. We may also wish each other prosperity, good health and happiness. This year we have health and wealth very much in mind as the terrible strain of Covid-19 affects us economically, physically and mentally. It is an uncertain world and a challenging one. So how should we react as Christians? One avenue is to review our understanding of ‘wealth’ when we as a Christian community wish our friends and family abundance in the future.

It is a blessing to us all to hear the prayer and praise of a wealthy man, King David, as he converses joyfully and prayerfully with God in Psalm 19. David sings praise before the Lord for His laws, statutes, precepts, commands and decrees. David describes these lovingly as ‘perfect’, ‘trustworthy’, ‘right’, radiant’ and ‘firm’.

Our human perspective is to view laws as something of a burden. Indeed, when we create our own laws or customs to supersede God’s loving designs for us, we do create burdens. David on the other hand describes the effect of God’s laws in glowing and appreciative terms:

• They refresh the soul
• They make wise the simple
• They give joy to the heart
• They give light to the eyes
• All of them are righteous.

God’s word and His law are POSITIVE. They are rather like the control and warning systems on an aircraft which can sense unseen danger, show the right course, make minor corrections or give alarms at major faults, keeping us alive and well.

David gives God’s revelation and guidance the highest priority and describes them as

They are more precious than gold,than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.

Psalm 19:10

Indeed, they are more precious than gold and immersion in God’s word is the best investment you can make this year. The greatest blessing that we can show our friends and family is God’s word that guides us safely and happily through life. May we follow David, absorb God’s personal guidance for us and write His laws in our hearts in the coming year.

“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight,Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer”

Gong Xi Fa Cai!