Getting Your Head Into The Cloud Introduction: Hey everyone. Thank you so much for tuning in today. Before we get started, I want to give a shout out to Waterbury Baptist Ministries for their work on behalf of our Wells for Zimbabwe project. Many of you know that we began building well systems this year in Zimbabwe to help people in that impoverished nation as they have struggled to survive many obstacles. Waterbury Baptist Ministries committed to raising 3,000 dollars towards this project and to date have raised nearly $1800 just by collecting spare change in their offerings each week. Well done. If you were to tell someone to get their head out of the clouds, you probably would mean they were failing to face reality. People who live in denial can be a danger both to themselves and those around them. As leaders in Christ s church, we cannot afford to have our heads in the clouds or can we? Paul told the Philippian church, think the same way that Christ Jesus thought in chapter two verse five. He also charged the Roman Church: Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Both references call upon all believers to have a different mindset than the culture around us. We will need to think differently if we intend to make an impact for Christ. One thing that has hurt the church in our day has been many leaders who strive to fit in with the culture around them under the premise of winning more souls. In truth, the church has become so much like the world; people see no difference. Don t get me wrong. Some churches are very proud of their outdated technologies and church sanctuaries that resemble the Middle Ages. Common sense tells you that staying current with innovations opens up new ways to communicate the gospel.
Instead, I am talking about imitating the culture and beliefs of society so much; the unchurched cannot tell the difference. In any case, I better not wander away from my point which is this: Get Your Head into the Cloud. Now why would you want to do that and what am I talking about? When I use the word cloud in today s world, it generally means one thing: the place you store all your work from the computer. The cloud as it is called puts our data into a ginormous storage area where we retrieve it as needed in the future. I am not smart enough to talk with you about that cloud. Biblically, however, there is another cloud far more critical than the storage area of your next sermon. The cloud I speak of is the conscious Presence of God. We are first exposed to the cloud and its characteristics in the first few books of the OT. During the journeys of the Israel people from Egypt to the promised land, we read about how God led them. We are told in Exodus 13:21, that he appeared to the Jews as a cloud by day and a fire by night. On a practical scale, the cloud protected them from the desert sun while the fire kept them warm and provided illumination at night. However, the cloud was more than just a nice weather pattern. Through their desert experience, the cloud always signified God s identifiable presence among the Jewish people. When the cloud appeared over the tabernacle, they knew God was among them. Through Moses, God gave specific instructions to the nation of Israel concerning their location. When the cloud lifted and moved, the Israeli people needed to break camp and move with the cloud. When the cloud stopped, the Israeli people set up the tabernacle and pitched their tents. Numbers 9:17-22 says:
If the cloud remained over the Tabernacle for a long time, the Israelites stayed and performed their duty to the Lord. Sometimes the cloud would stay over the Tabernacle for only a few days, so the people would stay for only a few days, as the Lord commanded. Then at the Lord s command, they would break camp and move on. Sometimes the cloud stayed only overnight and lifted the next morning. But day or night, when the cloud lifted, the people broke camp and moved on. Whether the cloud stayed above the Tabernacle for two days, a month, or a year, the people of Israel stayed in camp and did not move on. But as soon as it lifted, they broke camp and moved on. Consider the reality of this portion of scripture. When the cloud lifted 600,000 families, gathered their belongings, pots, pans, furniture, and tent. Then they moved to a new location. On some occasions, the cloud moved the next day. Can you fathom the amount of stress this caused? The Jews were given no choice. Whenever the cloud moved, they moved. God wanted them to fully understand that moving with the cloud was not about their convenience or happiness. They were to learn that the essential thing in life was to always remain under the cloud of God s presence. Do you think that God really was supremely interested in real estate choices when he instituted this law? I Corinthians 10:11 says that these things occurred in their lives as examples to teach us something important. As a leader in Christ s church, the body of Christ, can you tell when the cloud of God s Presence moves? Perhaps even more fundamental, would you know the cloud if you saw it? As leaders, the dirty little secret is that often, we don t know a great deal more than those we lead. Many years ago, I worked bi-vocationally as a broker in stocks, funds, and insurance. After securing my licenses, I went to work at a firm to essentially learn the business. What I saw was somewhat alarming. Many of the
brokers knew only just a little more than their clients. Many recommendations were made as a best guess. Seeing all this stressed me out. I knew my job was to guide clients to make solid investments, but if the best guess was all I could do, that did not suit me ethically. During my time the market dropped precipitously, and people got angry. We did not have any right answers other than hold on, and things will get better. Before I left that field, I was fortunate enough to work for a firm that had a much better handle on developing a prudent financial plan. When I worked for them, I always felt good about the advice I gave. As pastors, we are charged with guiding our flocks. Best guessing may be all we sometimes have, but the mark of a good leader is discerning when the cloud moves and when it stays. We live in a world that is constantly changing. Due to marketing and other technology, some churches grow large quickly. It is tempting to think they are growing because they are following the cloud. Two possibilities. Either they are indeed recognizing God s presence and responding to him or they are growing simply because of slick marketing. Some churches grow large because of their nice facility and plethora of programs for kids. Nothing wrong with that, but are members growing in their dedication to the Lord. One evangelist used to say, just because something is big, doesn t mean it is healthy. A 500 lb. man is big, but not healthy if you get my meaning. In those churches that are growing because they are recognizing God s presence and responding to him, it is important to keep something in mind. That church s cloud is not necessarily your cloud. What God leads other churches to do sometimes has nothing to do with where God is leading our church.
I remember a pastor who got caught up in a movement that massively impacted the church in America. New groups sprung up everywhere advocating a particular mode of worship and practice. A great deal of what this movement did was pretty awesome. Many of the original churches that sprung up remain today. This particular pastor came from a traditional denomination and saw the cloud. as it moved over this new movement. He resigned from the denomination that he served for decades to start up a new church under the new movement. Within a few short years, his new church collapsed, and he left the ministry. What happened? He failed to realize that this new movement, which I believe was ordained by God, was not the cloud for him. His background and culture were so different than the culture of the new church movement. He became disillusioned when his little church did not grow like all the other churches in the new movement. Can you tell when the cloud moves for you and your congregation or is it just guesswork? Is ministry all about copying the latest fad or hearing God for your church? Henry Blackaby wrote the book, Experiencing God in the 1980s. Henry was a Baptist which was interesting because the word experience back in those days was anathema to fundamentalists, but that is another story. Henry taught us something about recognizing the cloud that bears repeating. He suggested that no one can come to Christ unless the Father draws him, which is what Jesus said in John 6:44. From that scripture, he opined that whenever any unchurched person asks a question about God or church, it indicates God is working. For our context, the cloud just showed up. He taught that when such occasions occur, we should stop what we are doing or planning and take the time to speak with that individual. If we do not, the cloud will lift and move on.
If you think about it, that is very powerful in its simplicity. No one seeks the Lord on their own. If they become interested in any way and express it to us, that is a clear indicator that God is moving, and we should drop what we are doing to answer their questions or pray for them without being overbearing. Circumstances are not the only indicator of cloud movement. I am sure that you ve all had an occasion when preaching, that the Holy Spirit drops something out of left field into your mind. Unless you naturally have ADD, often this prompting is the cloud leading you away from your prepared sermon into something He wants to communicate to your church. Are you in a place as a leader where the Holy Spirit can re-direct your plans? This was the issue with the Jews in the wilderness. They always needed to be ready at a moments notice to stop what they were doing and follow God in what He was doing. Because of the nature of ministry, it is effortless to slip into a routine week in and week out. We can become spiritually lazy and stop reaching for all God planned for us. If you are following the cloud of the Holy Spirit, you should live in a place where you are at peace, but always stretched to achieve more for God s Kingdom. Like the Israelites, you should always be mobile and ready to move in a new direction when the cloud moves. Well, I see that we are out of time. What are some clear, biblical ways to be led by the Spirit and follow the cloud of God s Presence? I created a free download for you entitled, Following the Cloud of the Holy Spirit. As leaders, we cannot afford to be using our best guess when teaching, preaching or leading our congregations, so take a minute and get the download. For the past few weeks, I have mentioned my new book entitled, Spiritual Abuse: How to Identify and Break Free From Toxic Churches Without Losing Your Faith. Get this book for anyone in your congregation that has difficulty overcoming a negative church experience.
As always, I end each show with a quote especially for you. This one is from Reinhard Bonnke who said, I discovered that no revival comes if we don't preach the Word of God under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. If we only have the Great Commission and only the Holy Spirit, we have power without purpose or purpose without power. It is a package deal, and that is what God honors. Do you enjoy the podcast? Would you help me by sharing a quick, honest review on itunes? This goes a long way to helping us get the word out. Thanks!