Bella Vista Church of Christ
LIFELINES
February 14, 2001 Randall Caselman
Soaring Versus Flying
The story is told of an eagle falling from his nest into a chicken pen. It wasn't long until father eagle saw his son eating corn with ordinary chickens. Soaring overhead, he called to his offspring. The eaglet listened, spread his wings, suddenly he begin to fly, then to soar in response to the call of his father.
Turkeys walk, chickens can fly short distances, sparrows fly to get from one place to another. Hawks glide through the skies in search of food, but eagles soar. There is a difference. God, the Lord, the Creator of the earth, neither faints nor does He grow weary. His understanding is unsearachable. It is God who gives power to the weak...
Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and faint not. Isaiah 40.30-31. We can walk. We can even fly. But it is God who calls us and empowers us to soar.
God calls us to soar spiritually. We can be religious, attend church services, participate in congregational work programs, give large sums of money, preach, teach, etc. We can fly, but still not soar. The Pharisees of Jesus' day were good at religious flying, but they seldom soared. They did what they did for the wrong reasons and were condemned.
I believe Jesus, Paul and James speak of religious soaring...
True worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth... I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind... Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. John 4.23-24, Romans 12.1-2 & James 1.27. Are we flying or soaring?
God would have us soar in our love for one another. Our world talks about, and sometimes walks in love, but God's children soar.
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father... If you love those who love you... If you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?... Even pagans do that! Matthew 5.43-48. Paul addresses flying versus soaring...
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and can understand all mysteries, and have all knowledge. If I have sufficient faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I have to the poor and give myself in martyrdom but have not love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13.1-3.
Soaring includes principles like, placing the interest of others before our own... In humility considering others better than yourself... Bearing one another's burdens. Philippians 2.3-4 & Galatians 6.2. Are we flying or soaring?
Our Father calls us to soar in gratitude. God has always expected His people to count their blessings and return to Him a portion in genuine gratitude. We see this concept in Noah's sacrificing to God on Mt. Ararat; Abraham giving to Melchizedek; God's laws on gratitude at Sinai. In the New Testament we are admonished to give regularly, generously, cheerfully, sacrificially and in proportion to our blessings. Some of us fly quite high, but God enables us to soar.
Now if you think I am speaking of money only, you have missed the point. Our giving certainly includes that. And usually when we are cheap and skimpy in our monetary giving, we fail to soar in other areas also... Right? God has given us five things: time, talent, treasure, energy and truth. What we think of Him and His blessings, our gratitude, is expressed by how we use these gifts.
Listen to these verses on soaring...
It is more blessed to give than to receive... Give and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, shall men pour into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. For every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of Lights. Acts 20.35, Luke 6.38 & James 1.17.
Look up and listen... Our Father is calling us to soar...
I have come that you may have life, and have it to the fullest. John 10.10b
RANDALL CASELMAN
