Pastor Billy G. Lobbs
Theme: A study in the challenge and changes that God’s arising in our midst will bring.
Introductory Remarks
Today, I want to share with you on the challenging theme of "Letting God Arise" using Psalms 68:1-3 as the scripture text. I am praying that at the conclusion of this message our hearts will be burning with the same desire that filled the heart of the Psalmist as he cried out these words...
"May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him. As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God. but may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God, may they be happy and joyful." (NIV)
If you read this scripture in the KJV you will find it says, "Let God arise". The Living Bible states, "Arise O God" and the Modern Language Bible records it as "God shall arise".
Point I:
Probably like myself, many of you when you hear the phrase, "Let God Arise": there pops into your mind the scripture chorus:
"Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered
Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered
Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered
Let God, Let God arise."
Today, that chorus is very seldom sung in the church. But in the explosive Charismatic Holy Spirit renewal of the early 70’s and 80’s, that chorus was the church’s marching song. During that period, the church went on the offensive against the Kingdom of Darkness. The gates of hell were stormed. The devil’s strongholds began to crumble. God’s people won great spiritual victories as they went forth with fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit on them and in them. Souls in great numbers were added to the church. Spiritual songs were birthed in hungry hearts that caused us to want to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord." We wanted to "Come before his presence with singing and to enter his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise; to be thankful unto him and bless his holy name." (Psalms 100)
What had happened? The answer is very simple. We, as God’s people, finally got ourselves out of the way and we started doing things God’s way. "We let God arise!" When we did, things suddenly came alive and the church began to move forward for God. We broke out of our religious spiritual rut that we had gotten ourselves into by thinking we had to continually do things in the church the same way in order to experience God in our midst.
Why did we do it the same way every time? Because the first time we did it that way- heaven came down and glory filled our souls. So we thought if it worked once, it will work again. We thought all we had to do was to copy exactly what we had done the first time and we would get the same results. Not so! From experience I want to testify to you that it doesn’t always happen that way.
Several years ago I was called to preach revival services in New Boston, Michigan. The very first night we had one of those Holy Ghost "gully washer" type of services. I didn’t even get to preach. The spirit of praise and worship filled the sanctuary and the hearts of the people in it. People literally lost themselves in the presence of God. People shouted and wept in his presence. Many were healed in their bodies as they stood or knelt in God’s presence. People were convicted of sin and sought God in repentance around the altar. It was truly wonderful. Revival was on its way and I hadn’t even preached. I hadn’t done anything but join in with what the Spirit of God was doing. The next night word had gotten out and the place was packed with people from wall to wall. It was evident from the very beginning of the service that the people expected God to duplicate the first night’s meeting. They worked real hard trying to make it happen. It didn’t. They did everything the second night they had done the first, but God said "Nope, not interested, been there done that...let’s do it another way tonight. My way." And that night God did with his Word what the Spirit alone had done the first night.
As God’s people, we need to understand that God is a God of variety. He isn’t controlled by habits. He does not run in ruts. He doesn’t always manifest himself or his power the same way every time. Look at how he healed blind people. Some he spoke to, some he touched, some he rubbed spit mixed with clay on their eyes and in one case he spit right in the eyes. Different methods--same results. They were all healed.
We build spiritual ruts in our Christian walk when we put limitations on God that would require him to operate in the boundaries of how we think things should be done in the church. He refuses to operate that way and we find ourselves "going around in circles" forming a rut that goes nowhere.
Point 2:
The phrase "Let God Arise" did not originate with the writer of Psalms 68 whom many Bible scholars believe to be David. It was first originally spoken by Moses during the wilderness journeys. Numbers 10:35, " And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, "Rise up Lord, and let Thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate Thee flee before Thee."
What happened when Moses cried out "Let God Arise" is best described in the following scenario. Immediately the priests and the Levites became very busy. Those charged with the carrying of the Ark went to the Holy of Holies. They took down the separating veil between the Holy of Holies and the Most Holy Place and used it to cover the Ark of the Covenant for traveling. They put their shoulders under the staves used to carry the Ark and began to follow the Cloud of Glory. The God who arises was in that cloud.
The rest of the Levitical Priesthood attended to their designated assigned duties of dismantling the rest of the Tabernacle structure and quickly followed the carriers of the Ark. The rest of the camp of Israel packed their belongings, folded their tents and followed the wagons carrying the Tabernacle framework. There was no argument about it. There was no time for delay. The God that arises was moving and his people must move with Him or be left behind. No human initiated the move of the cloud. Flesh had no part in it but to comply with what God was doing. It was always God leading his people onward.
Point 3:
To the Israelite, the cry of "Let God Arise" became a cry of change. It was a cry of forward progress. It was a moving from one camp of learning experiences to another. The God who arises was teaching them His ways.
If human nature runs true to form (and I have discovered that it usually does), not everyone in the camp of Israel was always anxious to move when the cloud moved. Most people like security and permanence of the sameness of routine in everyday life. For some people, change can be so unsettling and challenging. For them, rut living can be so accommodating, so comfortable and so uncompelled after one is in it for awhile.
But, it can also be very boring, very empty and very unsatisfying.
Use your imagination for just a moment and picture this scene. You’re an Israelite who has been a part of this wilderness group since leaving Egypt. You have set up camp and taken down camp so many times you have lost count. By this time you have worked out a definite daily routine and you’ve gotten quite good at it. Once again you’re settled securely in this present camp and you really like it here. For once you’ve got one of the better campsites. Suddenly, you’re informed that the cloud is arising and starting to move and it’s time for you to start packing again. But you’re stubborn about it this time. It is afternoon and you don’t want to move again. Mumbling to yourself, you say, "Oh no, there’s just no way I’m going to pack up everything again. I’ve had it. I’m not about to give this campsite up. I’m staying right here. If God wants to move, let Him. If everybody else wants to move, let them move. I’m happy. I’m content. I’m not moving from this spot and that’s that."
So, the Glory Cloud moves on across the wilderness to the next camp. You stand in front of your tent waving goodbye to everybody as they march out to only the Lord knows where. Still mumbling to yourself about the whole affair, you try to go about your usual routine of daily life. Suddenly, you begin to notice the heat of the desert sun. It’s never been this hot before. Then you remember. The Glory Cloud had always shaded the camp in the day from the intensity of the sun. But now, as you look out across the wilderness, you can see that same sheltering cloud advancing ahead of your friends and neighbors in the far off distance. So you head back into the shade of your tent grumbling about the unbearable heat.
Finally, after a long shivery and silent night, morning arrives. You think to yourself that things are going be a lot different today. When you go out to pick up your manna you’re not going to have to fight the crowd anymore. So out you go, fully expecting to pick your breakfast off the ground in the form of manna. But as you step out you can’t believe your eyes. There is no manna; no provision of food. Again, you remember. The provision of manna only came down under the perimeter of the Cloud and the Cloud had departed.
In frustration you then decide that if you can’t eat, at least you can drink some water. So you pick up your jug and begin looking for the rock that supplied water at Moses’ voice command. But there are hundreds of rocks dotting the landscape and you don’t know which one it could be. You find yourself desperately running from rock to rock shouting at the top of your voice, "Spring up O well--spring up O well" until in utter exhaustion you find yourself pleading with a rock to give you some water. You can’t believe it. Suddenly, it dawns on you that the rock that supplied water to the camp has moved with the Glory Cloud of the God who arises and is still supplying water to those who moved with it--but not to a dummy like you. You stubbornly refused to go with the Cloud. You thought you could survive very well on your own doing it your way. Now you know. Life without the God who arises is just impossible. You know what you have to do, and in only a matter of minutes you are packed and headed in the direction of the Cloud and the God who arises.
Point 4:
When we ask God to arise and we are really serious about it, we’re in for an exciting but very challenging experience. God is going to lead us into a spiritual encounter that will stretch our faith to the max and at times downright amaze us. Just as he did for the Israelites, when God arises in our life, he is going to lead us into territory that will be new to us. I want to say three things about this.
1. Israel of old moved from one natural campsite to another as the God who arises led them by the Cloud. When Israel moved to a new campsite they took with them everything that they had learned and experienced at the past campsite.
2. As a New Testament believer, we move from one spiritual encounter to another as the God who arises leads us by his Spirit. Those who move with him to new spiritual frontiers will bring everything they have learned of spiritual value from their past experiences. We need to retain everything that God gives to us and teaches us in those campsites. That’s why he allows us to experience them.
3. In every new move we’re involved in with the God who arises and at every new campsite he brings us to, we’re going to find two things to be true. We’re going to find things about it that we feel good about and really enjoy and we’re going to find new things presented to us that we are going to have to deal with. That is where we begin to grow spiritually. Our growth in God does not come from being comfortably conformed, but from being challenged to change.
If we entertain the thought that God is willing to let us settle down at one specific spiritual campsite in our Christian walk, we can forget about it. He’s not. Like the Israelite in the illustration, we can refuse to move with the God who arises, but we’ll be sorry.
Conclusion:
The individual or church body that wants to experience a fresh move of God has got to be willing to say, "Let God Arise." And then let Him. Quit trying to hold Him down. Stop putting limitations on His arising. God’s nature is to rise-up. So, Let God arise! Those that do will always walk in and enjoy God’s presence...provision...protection...power and purpose.
