Chariot July 2006 - Norm Wakefield  

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The Calling Out of Sons – Part 8

      Calling out sons into manhood is a long process. Although the process may be initiated with a significant event, the day-to-day discipleship brings forth fruit and blessing in a son's life. Thus far, as we've gleaned insights from Luke 2-4, we've noticed the following:

·         By the age of twelve a son needs to be involved with his dad.

·         A father needs to establish his son's identity with himself in his father's house.

·         A father needs to be the son's source to prepare the way for God being the source of his life.

·         A father needs to lead his son to be attentive to, to depend upon, and to obey his word.

·         A father must lead his son to confront the lust of his body and learn to wait on God's words and timing.

·         A father must lead his son to confront self-ambition and the greed of his heart and wait on God's provision and God's timing.

Insight Number Seven: A father must lead his son to confront his pride and his sinful desire to glorify himself.

      And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God [notice again, he is attacking His identity], throw Yourself down from here; for it is written, ‘He will give His angels charge concerning You to guard You,' and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, lest you strike Your foot against a stone.' " And Jesus answered and said to him, "It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test'" (Luke 4:9-12).

Man's way to glory – put on a show

     First, let's analyze Satan's temptation. He led Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple. There is some debate as to where the "pinnacle" is located. Some think it was the southeast corner of the temple mount area. This area overlooked the steps where the Pharisees and Scribes met to teach and discuss the Law. Others believe the "pinnacle of the temple" refers to a projection of a roof of the temple proper. If this were the place, then the priests would have been the intended audience.

     What is the significance of either place? Each place would have provided an impressive display before an important group of leaders in Israel – Pharisees, scribes, and priests. Imagine the response of such a feat as jumping off the high point and being safely landed by angels in front of the crowd. What glory was to be gained! The message of Messiahship confirmed! Surely the devil would have/could have brought the passage in Psalm 91 to the minds of the onlookers.

     The fact that Satan recommended such a public display of power in order to receive glory should be enough to sound an alarm. When man in his pride wants glory, he usually tries to impress others with a show of power, intelligence, money, or skill. God's way to glory isn't Satan's or man's way to glory. Humility and service signal God's means to receiving glory. Consider what the Apostle Paul penned to the Philippians.

     Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11).

     What is missing in the devil's devious plan? The most important ministry of the Messiah – His humble service on the cross. And if the Son of God had received glory in a means other than God's ordained means, then the atoning work accomplishing our salvation would have been short-circuited. Consider this: Had Jesus fallen for Satan's temptation, getting people to vote for His crucifixion would have been almost impossible. The sign would have been undeniable. Word would have spread like wildfire around Jerusalem and Israel that the Messiah had come. We would still be in our sins!

Pride goes before the fall

     What does this have to do with calling out sons? God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). One of the most important qualities of a godly man is humility. Fathers must deal with the natural pride of man spewing out of the hearts of their sons. Consider the attitudes of boyhood: "I'm the best. I'm the fastest. I'm the strongest. I'm the smartest. I'm first. I want… I need…" The call to manhood is a call to the crucified "I". If a father doesn't call his son to put to death his pride, thirst for self-ambition, and incessant lobbying for self-significance, he pampers fleshly qualities which will destroy the son's future relationships and effectiveness for the kingdom of God. As the Proverb says, "Pride goes before destruction" (Prov. 16:18).

The power of the cross overcomes pride

     Can a son in his own strength crucify the flesh? Certainly not. Every time pride shows up, the father has an opportunity to express why Jesus' atoning work on the cross must necessarily be applied. Not only do we see Jesus' example of humble service, but also we see the heinous character of pride and its impact on Him. The pride of man required such punishment. Lead your son to behold the Son of God on the cross – dying for his (your son) proud, arrogant, self. Gaze upon the nails in His feet and hands, the blood-strewn body, the bruised face, the lacerated back, the trembling knees bearing the weight of sin and God's wrath against the proud. Survey the wondrous cross until pride succumbs to shame and repentance. Satan sought to divert Jesus from the cross. His schemes haven't changed. Satan will do all he can to fan the flame of pride and prevent you and your son from humbling yourself before the cross of Christ upon which you died with Him. Paul wrote to the Romans, "Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin" (Romans 6:6).

     Just as the heavenly Father calls His children to die to self and follow Christ, so a father should call his son to die to self and follow Christ. Of course the prerequisite to such a "calling out" by a father is his own humility demonstrated toward God and in relationships. Have you been "called out" by your heavenly Father? He calls us to Himself, to His Son, and to His means of glory in this world. God's way to glory is the path of humble service to God and others at the sacrifice of selfish ambition and pride. This is only possible through the life of Jesus indwelling your body. That's why it is imperative that we hunger and thirst to be filled daily with the Holy Spirit. He is the presence of Jesus Christ living within and manifesting His humility to those around us.

We need practice putting pride to death

     Perhaps you've observed the same thing about yourself that I have: Wherever there's been conflict and relational problems, pride exists unchecked. Pride is ugly, and we should hate it if we truly know the Lord Jesus. I'm ashamed of the times I have let my pride rule. Often those times were laced with anger, contentiousness, argumentation, complaining, self-defense, and bitterness. I'm embarrassed and grieved over words and actions that were explosive and physical because of pride in my pre-Christ years. I'm so grateful to God for breaking that pride when He revealed Christ to and in me. Thankfully, the process continues!

     Let's get practical for a moment. Have you considered the significance and purpose of God's orchestrating circumstances and relationships you can't control – situations utterly confusing, frustrating, and uncomfortable? It is the Father's way of providing training exercises for His sons! He is calling you out of your pride. Your pride cries, "I need to do this" or "I need to fix this" or "I need to show that I'm right." God puts us in situations we can't fix so we can practice waiting on Him. How often do you resist expressing this thought? "I am so humbled by this situation or relationship. God, I thank you. You are my Father, and You are calling me out to Yourself. Glorify Your Son in me." If a son doesn't learn to do that when he is a young man, how will he learn to live and walk in humility when he is a husband, father, elder, or boss? This is important for building a leader.

Real men humble themselves

     When the Father calls through a difficulty, I've found these thoughts to be helpful. I encourage you to first practice them until it makes a difference and then teach them to your family.

·         First, look up. This is from my Father in heaven. It has a good purpose.

·         Second, look within. "Holy Spirit, reveal Christ in me. Fill me with your love."

·         Third, look to (the situation). "How can I infuse humility into this situation or relationship?"

     There are many ways to infuse humility into a tense or difficult situation or relationship. Usually silence is best. Instead of opening your mouth and bringing about the possibility of being a fool, a better course of action might be to learn to keep quiet and make those observing wonder if you actually are humble. J A kind word acknowledging the difficulty of the moment can often disarm emotion (Proverbs 15:1). Being quick to listen and slow to speak shows a sign of humility and maturity (James 1:19). Asking these questions also can be helpful: What am I looking to get? What does love for Jesus require I give? Responses like the following can produce wonderful results:

·         "I'm sorry. Your reaction tells me I must not be understanding or loving you. Can you help me?"

·         "I'm not sure what to do here. Can we pray?"

·         "I don't know the answer to this, but I'll see if I can find someone who does."

Don't assume on God's grace

     Jesus' response to Satan's temptation is good advice from a father to a son. "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test" (Luke 4:12). When we act according to our own initiative, desire, or earthly wisdom and expect God's grace to catch us, we're putting God to the test. Consider the arrogance of thinking you can glorify God in your own strength, your own way, according to your own timetable. Here's an example.

     Stan (not real name) has chosen to divorce, destroy a family, and bring shame to the name of Christ (professes to be a Christian) because he feels unloved, has difficulty relating to his wife of twenty years, and has found someone who he thinks can make him happy. Although his wife would not claim to be faultless, she has done nothing to give Stan biblical grounds for a divorce. Sadly, Stan has found other so-called believers who encourage him that God is love and understands the need to be happy and remove himself from a "hopeless" relationship. So he jumps off the pinnacle of the temple of self-worship and expects God not to hold him to the God-ordained principle of moral gravity. In pride, Stan tests the Lord God by doing something he knows is wrong, expecting God to help him avert the destructive consequences. Stan is going to find himself splattered on the ground! That is Satan's goal in the temptation.

     We need to ask ourselves, "Can we relate to the temptations Jesus and Stan have faced? Is there anything we have done or are doing to test God's grace? Are we doing something we know to be wrong expecting God to bear us up so we (and those who depend upon us) don't get hurt? Do we not think too highly of ourselves to think God will suspend His righteous principles and justice so we can satisfy our lusts and selfish desires?"

     Sons must learn not to put God to the test by proudly demanding attention, glory, self-pleasure, and significance. If the Son of God needed practice humbling Himself by suffering the temptations of self-glorification, then we can expect to be sanctified by similar trials. Besides lust and greed, pride must be faced as an enemy of true manhood. I encourage you to set your face like flint toward humble service and self-sacrifice for the sake of God's glory and the blessing of your family. And the Father in heaven will exalt you in due time.

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    The backbone of Elijah Ministries is the prayer team who pray diligently for God to turn the hearts of men to Himself, their wives, and their children. Before I leave to speak, I send out a prayer team invitation to those who will intercede for God to work for His glory in us as a team for the Kingdom. Not only is it a blessing to those whom I speak and myself; but it is also a reminder to the team about the direction of their own hearts. If you would like to enter into the labor together with me, you may go to my website and click on "Prayer Team".

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