Coming Forth As Gold Fall Series: Expecting An Encounter Installment Eleven, Christ the King Sunday Malachi 3:1-4, {A gold standard of anything comes with nothing less than golden expectations} I received this advertisement in the mail. On the envelope it said, Would you like to get your advance degree with no exams and no term papers? Our first reaction on seeing this, Where was this good news when we were in school? The only option we had was no avoiding the challenge. The idea of getting anything by putting in as little as possible is attractive. Unfortunately, Scripture is lost on this approach to life. If you're looking to achieve a gold standard kind of life, then it's not possible without testing. Why can't we achieve good things without an ultimatum? Scripture begins with the notion that in order to grow, mature, advance, or increase in anything, there is something we must live up to and into. Testing isn't optional but is central to the advancing process. Beginning in Genesis, we can see the history of humanity started with an ultimatum. Why couldn't they exist without some testing process? Here is a garden full of abundance, but there is one thing you must not do. At that moment, excellence is possible. It's not possible unless the possibility of genuine achievement and genuine failure are live options. All of life revolves around the expectation. Some might think the possibility of failure asks too much. Remove the test and let us just exist without any expectation. One might think this is asking for more but it's asking for less. Excellence is no longer possible on these terms. Excellence unavoidably requires a test. God's people were always interested in the high privileges. They were not so interested in the high expectations that were inseparable with the high privileges. There isn't one without the other. I'm interested in the prize but I'm not interested in the price that makes the prize worthwhile. I'm interested in the reward but I'm not interested in the rigor that makes the reward worth possessing in the first place. Subtract the rigor and then the reward loses its meaning, Well done good and faithful servant disappears. By the time Moses arrived on the scene, God gave the people specific expectations. They were raised up to become a peculiar people. Other nations would look at them and find their character peculiar and set apart. God's people were distinguishable by their interests, their pursuits, their aspirations. Their life was to radiate what mattered. Often they would say, But the Egyptians do it or But the Philistines do it or But the Babylonians do it. God's people were told that they weren't to take the clues for living from everyone else. In fact, everyone else was to take their clues for living from observing God's people. There were 1
high expectations placed on the reaching for standards. When they achieved the standards, they were rewarded, and the rewards meant something. When they failed the standards, they experienced consequences, and the failure meant something. These days there's an intense desire to receive something for nothing. There's an old saying, You get what you pay for. A religion that asks nothing deserves what it gets back in return, nothing. God's people were to display a spirituality that came with high standards. Testing is required to separate honor/dishonor. Malachi is the last prophet of the Old Testament period. Remember when the people returned from Babylon? They enjoyed a period of renewal under Ezra and Nehemiah. There was a great revival but within a few years the people began to slide into non-gold-like behavior. God sends Malachi to remind the people it's impossible to desire a prize without a price. There is no reward without rigor. Notice the image Malachi proclaims about gold and its refinement process. If you desire a gold standard life it will come with gold standard expectations. There is no gold standard life without the refining and testing process that makes such a life possible. The people had the misconception if God really cared about them, then they should enjoy a life of lenience. One of the classic books for parenting is entitled, Hate Me Now, Thank Me Later. This text addresses a problem many parents have in attempting to gain approval, the standard of excellence gets eliminated. What gets put in its place is a low bar where achievement no longer exists. Under such conditions a parent gets neither respect nor a child who rises above the lowest common denominator. Although the child may appreciate the lenience in the present, they will end up with a life absent of honor. They will look back wishing someone had overrode their preferences that were immature and unwise at the time. God is big enough to not care if we grit our teeth as we follow expectations. The assumption is that if God loves us then God should let us go our own way and remove expectations. Malachi reminds the people a love without expectations isn't worth having because it really isn't love at all. It's unloving to leave us stunted. A love that is genuine has expectations because genuine care has a desire to see the beloved elevated. It seeks to makes us better in every way. Whether it is a coach, a teacher, a manager, or a platoon leader, the goal of an instructor is to bring about increase and advancement. Growth isn't possible without refinement and testing. We don't achieve the gold standard without the golden expectations to bring us there. St. Jerome was one of the early church fathers and wrote during the 5 th century. What he said then echoes through the centuries. Good, better, best. Never let it rest until your good is better and your better is best. The most successful teams, the most successful 2
businesses, the most successful organizations never rest on the laurels. One is always looking to reach higher. They see growth as inseparable if the gold standard is desired. Although we may take exception to it at the time, the best teachers, the best coaches, the best platoon leaders don't intend to endorse us as we are. The deadliest quality that threatens a gold standard life is complacency. It's the attitude of self satisfaction. Malachi reminds the people that God shows us love by meeting us where are. However, God also shows us love by not leaving us as we are. When we look at the beautiful objects of value, whether it is gold or diamonds, these objects don't just exist that way in the natural state. Encounter these objects in the natural state and your likely to walk right over it unaware. To the uninformed, it will resemble a worthless piece of rock. It will achieve its potential only through passing through a process of refinement. In the same way, we require a process in order to progress to gold standard. The disciples were inclined to come to Jesus and desire the gold standard. Lord, grant that we might sit on the right and left of your throne in the kingdom. On the night of the last supper, the disciples are still debating over who will hold the gold standard positions. They were interested in the privilege but they gave little or no attention to the price which made the privilege possible. Jesus returned the request with a correction. Can you drink from the cup? Are you willing to pass through the refining process to achieve the gold standard you desire? If left as you are, the gold standard doesn't just happen. It's not automatic. There is a difference between refined and unrefined. There is a difference between the rock that makes itself available to the trying and testing process in order to increase and advance. Those who by-pass refinement by-pass what would be the finished product. To enjoy the privilege of gold requires gold expectations. There have been people in my life that caused me to grit my teeth at the time. When I'm honest, I must confess it was those who brought whatever good out of my life that I can presently enjoy. They took what I thought was my limit and they forced me to stretch beyond it until I found a new limit. Just when I thought I had reached a stopping point, they reminded me that we were just getting started. Today is Christ the King Sunday. It's the final Sunday in the Christian calendar. We look ahead to Advent and there's no better passage to help us celebrate both. Malachi is looking toward the promised Messiah. Only He is capable of serving as the refining fire. Through an unwavering love, this Messiah enables us to achieve greatness we didn't think possible. That's precisely how growth occurs. We look at our lives and we assume we're acceptable as we are. It's not until our unrefined lives are put through the refining process of a Messiah's quickening fire 3
that He expects more and pushes us to become more. If we weren't given a higher standard then we'd never grow, never advance, and never achieve our untapped potential. Gifts that are laying latent in our hearts are never allowed to cultivate until someone sets a refining process in motion. Think of it this way. We show up first day of class, first day of practice, first day of basic training. We have the leverage to design our own schedule and training. What would it look like? Would we stretch ourselves beyond what we thought was our breaking point? Would we push ourselves beyond what we thought was our maximum limit? Of course not, we'd stop much sooner. Only a refiner is capable of taking us places we never go on our own. 400 years will pass after Malachi and then the last great prophet John the Baptist arrives on the scene. John the Baptist takes his inspiration from Malachi. The refiner is separating wheat from chaff. This is a process that requires some testing. This is a process that requires some striving. This is process that requires some exertion. Too often these days we do people no favors to offer a Christmas where excellence is removed. We offer a Christmas where honor is removed. We offer a Christmas where the gold standard is nonexistent. It's a standard-less, generic thing that asks nothing of us, and comes with no expectations. Malachi and John the Baptist would say how is that any different from what we already have? If we stay as is, why bother with Christmas? One of the most popular television shows in our culture is the reality show, Ultimate Ninjas. Have you see the obstacle course these contestants put themselves through? Very few finish the course but there are no shortage of prospects who desire to take it on. Each level gets progressively more challenging. Those who participate find the achievement a thing of honor. A person can't enter this thing and expect to do well without refinement. I'm not interested in training. I'm not interested in endurance. I'm not interested in maximizing my potential. I'm not interested in stretching myself to new levels. Those who enter these course have a keen understanding of the maximizing mindset. They are not people seeking to remain in place. They desire to see an increase. Those who participate want the test because the testing process is what enables genuine growth. It's impossible to expand skills by avoiding the refining process. I want the thrill of completion but I don't want the strenuous process that leads there. There's not the end without the beginning. The refining process becomes an inseparable link in the journey. Before they arrive at the completion, each step is viewed as a reach that exceeds their grasp. If they weren't pushed, if they weren't stretched, if they weren't given high expectations, then they would have settled for self contentment. I'm fine as I am. If we're not careful, we'll adopt a mentality of I'm okay and you're okay. Friendship on these 4
terms doesn't seek to challenge. Friendship on these terms doesn't seek to correct. Friendship on these terms doesn't seek to hold accountable. Just let me go my way and I'll let you go yours. Malachi says beware when religion becomes this. I've always liked the story one Christian author tells about something he saw at career fair for high school seniors. He was there by invitation representing a Christian university from where the author had graduated. Also at this career fair were the armed services. He remembered each of them standing up to give their pitch. One of the recruiters said, Our branch of service is known for the best college education fund. Come to our service and you will earn more for the best education. He sits down and the next recruiter stands up. Our branch of service is known for bases in some of the most exotic and beautiful places in the world. Come to our service and you will enjoy adventure like most only dream about. He sits down and the next recruiter stands up and offers the same kind of speech. The last recruiter to speak was the Marine recruiter. The Christian author was watching this unfold and was fascinated by the approach the Marine recruiter took. He said, Those are all great things. I'm here today for those who are interested in honor before everything else. In this branch you will train for some of the most daring missions and you will go places that are on the front lines of the action. This is only for those who are ready for what honor requires. The recruiter then took his seat. The Christian author thought this marine recruiter was going to get embarrassed when no one came to his table. What followed next was stunning. Those high school seniors couldn't get there fast enough. They by-passed all those other tables to enlist. Why do we have this instinct in Christian formation to lower the bar? Why do we think in order to attract people we must make it non-demanding? A study was done on the 12 steps of AA and the interest was to find out what has made this program enduring? The mentality that exists in this group is a common thread, I came away stronger. Listen to these people stand up and offer confession. Too many people in my life pampered me. Too many people in my life enabled me. Too many people in my life handled me like a porcelain doll. I came into this group and I was hearing things I never heard before. These are our expectations. These are what you must conform to. Here is your accountability partner. You will report to them directly. It was only after having both experiences that they were able to compare. Instinctively you think the unrefined life is preferable. It doesn't ask anything of you and therefore leaves you happier. Ironic that you end up with the exact opposite of that. People that thought they knew these AA participants would see them months later. Is that you? 5
How is this even possible? What made the difference? I entered into a refiner's fire. It removed all those unnecessary weights that I thought were so important but I found were hindrances that were holding me back from the gold standard I was really longing for. Too often we tend to live in ways that are contradictory to our own dreams. Real happiness would be possible if we could only get out of our way. We mistake the dross for what we believe brings us fulfillment. If we would only allow the refiner to have His way, we'd find that dross is an inferior substitute for the authentic worth that we never have a chance to tap into. We spend all of our time on the worthless surface. It takes a refiner to go beneath it and bring out the untapped value. Paul will come to the end and his last letter is to Timothy, a young person who needs experienced advice. If there's one thing I can tell you that will make the difference, Fight the good fight. Nothing worth having comes without a refining process. Nothing worth having comes without a strenuous reach where the weights that hold us back are removed so the untapped potential can break through. I fought the good fight. I was stretched beyond my limits. I was pushed beyond what I thought was as far as I could go until I found out I was just getting started. Paul isn't saying anything new. He's repeating the thread that stretches all the way back and is renewed by Malachi. Remember the easily forgotten virtue of refinement. Our instinct gravitates toward the lesser but we're not asking for more when we settle. We're settling for less. In our heart of hearts we long for the completed work of gold. We want a life that shines like stars. We want a life that is ravishing in every way. We want a life that is authentic through and through. We want a life when you hold up to the light, it doesn't look worse, but it looks better. We want that completed gold standard life. For those who want that life they learn to desire and to relish the golden expectations that are inseparable from it. For those participating in that reality show obstacle course, only few can compete, and only fewer are able to finish. Malachi offers the good news of a coming Messiah who calls anyone and everyone to join His refining process. He promises that as long as we stay close to Him, He can promise a perfect success rate. For Malachi, our success comes down to only one simple truth. Real gold fears no fire. 6