Real Life Community Church Richmond, KY

Acts | Part 25 | Jack Buskey | When God Asks the Impossible: Dying to Self in Modern Church Life

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Ordinary people become extraordinary vessels when they surrender to the Holy Spirit's guidance. This powerful message by guest speaker, Jack Buskey, explores what happens when believers commit to radical obedience, regardless of how foolish they might appear to others.

Through decades of ministry experience, Jack shares vulnerable stories that reveal God's pattern of working through simple acts of faithfulness. The remarkable account of a blind baby receiving sight after a simple declaration of healing demonstrates how God honors obedience over ability. Equally moving is the story of a hardened biker who finally surrendered to Christ after three separate believers approached him—each thinking they had failed in their witnessing attempt.

The message skillfully unpacks essential truths about the local church using three primary biblical metaphors: the Bride of Christ, the Body of Christ, and an Army under orders. These compelling images challenge contemporary notions that one can follow Jesus without committed church involvement. As the speaker boldly asserts, "How can you say you accept Christ when you reject his bride?"

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Speaker 1:

Thank you, jerry. Acts, chapter 14, and we're going to pick up the story where Paul and Barnabas are preaching in Lystra, starting with verse 19. But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and, having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered around him he rose up and entered the city and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and they had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and Tychonium and Antioch strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in faith and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. But when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Then they passed through Presidia, came through Pamphylia and when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Atilium and from there they sailed to Antioch where they had been commended to the grace of God. Thank you.

Speaker 2:

Church. Before I begin, I want to share some personal things, and it's for a purpose. I came to know the Lord in 1952, baptized with the Holy Spirit in 1953, lord in 1952, baptized with the Holy Spirit in 1953, began ministry as a student in 1954, graduated from Asbury College, the seminary, and then had the privilege to take a doctorate at Drew University. A doctorate at Drew University. I'm saying that say not only in the 36 years of pastoring, but I had opportunity, in a peculiar set of circumstances, to be invited by Russia to be a guest lecturer at one of their universities and I lectured there from 93 to 97. My agenda was to establish a Bible school and we did that and it's still going today. I've had the privilege of meeting, working with some of the greatest preachers of the 20th century. I could drop names to impress you. Some of you may not even know of them, people like E Stanley Jones, but I'm saying that so that I can say this with authority. I can say this with authority, I can say this with authority of experience In the year that I have had the privilege of being here, I have never heard a person bring an exegesis of the Scripture more clear or better than our pastor. I don't know. I just want you to appreciate the fact when you say your prayers. I wonder why is he in a church in the middle of Kentucky of 100 people when he is such a master of exegesis? Well, he's here because this is where the Lord placed him and I want you to thank the Lord every day. Never take advantage, Never take for granted the privilege that we have to hear him bring the Scriptures week after week.

Speaker 2:

I want to lift up as a text. We have the background of this chapter. I want to lift up as a text, as in the 23rd chapter of Acts 14. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church, with prayer and fasting, committing them to the Lord in whom they had put their trust. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church. In this whole 14th chapter we have seen issues that Pastor Chris has dealt with. He's covered the persecution of the church. He's covered what it means to make disciples, the difference between just winning people to the Lord and making disciples. He emphasized the perseverance of the saints. He emphasized, last week, witnessing and how one of the major stumbling blocks is our fear of failure or our fear of rejection. This morning I want to lift up the text that they appointed elders for them in each church. That meant that they not only won disciples, but they were establishing the local church. The church is the only institution that jesus instituted. In matthew we read and I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I'll build my church, and the gates of Hades or hell will not prevail against it.

Speaker 2:

The local church is essential for the continuing of the Christian faith. It is through the local church that we receive the New Testament. It is through the local church that we receive the New Testament. It's through the local church that there is an established ministry to the community. It's through the local church that people are not only led to the Lord, but they're disciples. It's through the local church that ministry goes out around the world. Think about it If there were not a local church. There are many other fine ministries, but if there were not a local church, christianity would not survive a generation. For it's a local church that maintains the gospel, and they so, paul and Barnabas, not only were traveling and winning disciples, they were establishing local churches.

Speaker 2:

There are so many facets of the local church that when the New Testament describes the local church. It cannot do it with one metaphor, but it uses a number of them, and I want to lift up several of them this morning. The local church is called the Bride of Christ. Come and I'll show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.

Speaker 2:

Now, if you know anything of theology or history, you know that the Catholic Church says there's no salvation outside of the church. And what they mean by that is you have to—they're talking about there's no salvation outside of the Roman Catholic Church. But I believe there's no salvation outside of the church, and I'll tell you why I believe that it's something entirely different. I know of people who'll say well, I don't need to be in the church or part of the local church. That's a deception. If someone were to say to me years ago Pastor, we want you to come to lunch, but leave your wife at home, we're not going to tolerate her. Do you think I'll go to lunch? I would tell them where to head in and get forgiveness later. So when you say I don't need the church, how?

Speaker 1:

can you say you accept Christ when?

Speaker 2:

you reject his bride. In addition to the bride, the church is called the body of Christ. Now, you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it. We are a body and we know that it's not just the pastor that makes up the body. We are the body. We don't go to church, we are the church, and so each of us has a particular function, and when that part doesn't function, the body's in difficulty. I was able to walk and play golf until I was 90 and then I had an episode and lost the use of my legs. So I'm in this chair. I I need help, I need assisted living. It's a pitiful kind of body, I'm sorry to say. That describes the church, because part of the body won't respond to the leadership of the body. You think the church is an audience and you come and they perform. The church is to be a congregation and if you look at me, look at yourself, are you this part of the church? Church? I'm not trying to remember my next point, I want that to settle in.

Speaker 2:

He also calls the church an army. You're in the army now. You know we read in Philippians, but I think it necessary to send back to you Epaphritus, our brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also a messenger, whom you have sent to take care of my needs. We are in the army. That means we're under orders. That means we're not a civilian. That means that we've said that you are our Lord and Savior. I used to think that was back here. No Savior and Lord Savior, no, no. You see, if he's not our Lord, there is no salvation. Come on, we're in the army, we're under orders. That means we're to be obedient to the Holy Spirit. We'll deal with more of that later.

Speaker 2:

But as we look at the purpose of the church, we read in Ephesians the fourth chapter. So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and the teachers to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may build up To equip his people for the work of service. The responsibility of the pastoral staff, the responsibility of a pastor, is not to do the ministry. We are to do the ministry. His responsibility is to equip us to do the ministry. His responsibility is to equip us to do the ministry. We are the ministry All different facets of it. So many times we think the pastor is to be the minister. We sit in the bleachers and watch the pastor play the game. Yay, he scored another touchdown. I remember having people call me and tell me, ask me to call on a neighbor who just moved in. I'll say, no, you call on them. They're your neighbor and I'm going to call you in a couple of weeks and see how you've done. Well, I thought that's what they paid you to do. Good grief, we are to be equipped. He is to equip us.

Speaker 2:

The image I like to have is that the pastor is like a commander of a carrier. He keeps his ship going so that the people on the fighter planes can go out and fight the battle and the ship's there for them to return to a place of safety. We are those in the fighter planes. We are those out the fighter planes. We are those out in the community. We are those that have neighbors and friends. We are those that have working colleagues. We are those that are out there in the community, the pastors like the captain of that aircraft carrier to keep it running smoothly so that the ministry through us can take place.

Speaker 2:

Now let's look for a minute at the—now. When a pastor says a minute, it's like a woman's minute. Oh, I love to pick on the women because my wife is going on to be heaven and I can almost get away with it. You know, I used to tell them how to women look at a clock different than we do. It's got those little dots. For a man, each dot is a minute, but for a woman, you see the one, the two and the three. Each one of those is a minute. They don't tell time like we do. So when I say a minute, you know what it means. God's provision for us.

Speaker 2:

I'm going to go back to Exodus, the third chapter. They don't have that scripture. It came later. Then the Lord said to Moses See, I have chosen Vithiel, the son of Ur, the son of Ur, the tribe of Judah. Hear this, and I have filled him with the Holy Spirit of God. Did you know that was in the Old Testament? I mean there were Pentecostals in the Old Testament, they just didn't know it. I mean there were Pentecostals in the Old Testament, they just didn't know it. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills he's talking about those that he had filled with the Spirit to build the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant, exactly according to God's specification. But they did it because they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They were given those gifts by God.

Speaker 2:

So we read in 1 Corinthians now, each one, the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. The manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good To one. There is given, through the Spirit, message of wisdom To another. There is given knowledge to another, faith to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit to another, miraculous powers to another, prophecy to another, tongues to another, the interpretation of tongues To another. The interpretation of tongues, Remember it's to another, to another, to another. That's important. So he distributes them each one, just as he determines. Now hear this, or you're going to throw stones at me.

Speaker 2:

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not received by faith. They're given by God and you can pray all you want to, but he's not going to give you all the gifts. He's not going to give the pastor all the gifts To another, to another, to another. And the gifts are given by direction of the Holy Spirit, not by faith. Now here's the issue we exercise the gifts by faith, but we don't receive them by faith. You can pray and pray and pray and you're not going to receive all the gifts of the Spirit. He will give you a particular gift as you need it for ministry. We received it by His appointment, but we exercise those gifts by faith, which means if he calls you to do something, he will give you the gift to do it. The gifts aren't ours. If you take a gift of the Holy Spirit and you pick it up and you look at the bottom, it's written on there property of God.

Speaker 2:

I want to share some examples that I experienced by a gift. Moving Didn't mean I have it, it was just a gift for the hour. Way beyond anything I could do or explain scared me to death. We had a family in our church and they had two young girls. They had a baby. The baby had meningitis and it was misdiagnosed. When the baby finally came out of the hospital and was in the church for the first time, they were thanking the people, because the people gathered around, you know, they brought meals to the family, they took care of the girls when the parents had to be at the hospital and all of that. But the baby came out of that totally blind. They could flash a light in its eyes, it wouldn't respond. They could do this, it would not respond, totally blind. They brought the church. They brought the baby to church.

Speaker 2:

It was the first Sunday and during the altar call the spirit spoke to me and he didn't say pray for the baby. Oh, I'd have been willing to pray for the baby, that's easy. He said you declare that the baby is being given her sight? Are you serious? I don't want the people to think that the pastor is a loony tune. I mean, suppose I do that and it doesn't happen. And I mean, the Spirit got a hold of me and said are you going to listen to me or are you going to worry about your reputation? I said I'm going to worry about my reputation.

Speaker 2:

But it came so heavy. I called him forward and I said I didn't lay my hands on a baby, nothing like that. If you notice, peter, when the cripple was healed he didn't lay his hands on him, he just spoke to him and I said called the baby by name and said you are receiving your sight. No one clapped, no one said hallelujah. It got quiet. I mean that awful kind of quiet. And I said to the congregation do you believe this baby has received his sight. No one responded and I said I don't believe it either. But the Lord told me to say it. Hey, this great man of faith is a pastor. The thing I appreciate about Chris is he's just transparent and honest. So that night, appreciate about Chris is he's just transparent and honest.

Speaker 2:

So that night I got this call from the mother and she's screaming and hollering. I said what she said. My husband was holding the baby over his shoulder and when he walked past me the baby followed him. We got a flashlight and flashed in his eyes and the irises closed and then they opened. We did this and he followed our finger. Wow, wow. I'm talking about a gift that will flow through the Holy Spirit. It's nothing that we have anything to do. That didn't mean I was going to put a big sign out in the tabernacle of the church and say Come and be healed. The pastor has the gift of healing. No way in the world. Let me use one other illustration about someone following the Holy Spirit. It's a strange story. Use one other illustration about someone following the Holy Spirit. It's a strange story.

Speaker 2:

This is in Manlius, new York, a very conservative village of 40,000 people, six miles from downtown Syracuse. It had a diner there that nobody that didn't know wouldn't come. It was a great place for the locals. In fact, most of the town council meetings the decisions were made at Buzzy's Diner, not in a formal meeting. And there was a biker I don't know what he was doing in Manlius, but he had the whole nine yards. You know the Nazi helmet, the tattoos, the leather jacket and he was a big bruiser. And this was Manlius, not Mardi Gras. And someone came up to him and gave him a tract and he almost spit on it and threw it on the floor and went out and he got outside. Now this is Manlius on the floor and went out and he got outside. Now this is manliest.

Speaker 2:

Some guy came up to him and asked him about receiving the Lord and he almost cussed him out. I mean he just he got on a bike and in the center of the village was a swan pond. It had a bunch of ducks and swans and people would stop by their benches to watch them play and they'd feed the swans. And a member of our church, a retired automobile dealer, I mean he's walking by the swan pond and there's this biker just kind of looking out over the pond and the Lord spoke to him and said go to that biker and ask him if he's finally ready to accept the Lord. There's no way in the world that guy could send me into the next world. And he said it was so strong. I finally went up to him and I said are you ready to receive the Lord? He got off his bike, got on his knees and started to weep. I mean, the guy just said this was his story.

Speaker 2:

So I had a grandmother that knew the Lord. I knew she was praying for me and I made fun of her. And she said when they gave me that track in the diner and then when somebody came up and started to talk to me on the street, I was thinking about that and I said, lord, if it's really you, if it's really you, if one more person comes up and asks me about the Lord, I know it's really you. I expect the person that gave the tract and the person that tried to witness thought they were failures. Man, god is faithful.

Speaker 2:

I could tell you about a lot of failures. One of them was I'd preached a sermon like this in Connecticut and I preached on what Mary said. Whatever he says to you to do, do it and I really hammered it home. So afterward they take me to this nice restaurant they always do that and we're having a wonderful meal. And we come out of the restaurant and parked right in front of the door is a stretched limousine. Now, I'm impressed by stretched limousines and the windows were down and I'm nosy by nature and in the back of the limousine was an old man with a walker in front of him and an oxygen mask on, and the Spirit spoke to me and said you put your hand on that man and pray for him. No way in the world am I going to do that Now. I just preached on whatever he says to you to do. But, man, I wasn't going to be an idiot in front of a congress. Our reputation is so important. I wasn't going to be an idiot in front of a congressman. Our reputation is so important. I wasn't obedient. But let me tell you this God is merciful and he forgives and he'll give you another shot. Now I'm going to close the message. I love closing. I can do it several times.

Speaker 2:

How does this apply to the day in which we're living? I was praying in my office when we were in Fort Myers and I had a very special office. It was 16 foot long, had a 120 horse inboard outboard and I was in the middle of the Kool C Hatchett River praying. I said, lord, I don't want to just be an optimist. I know what the Word says about the last days. People are going to rebel against authority, kids are going to rebel against their parents, there's going to be lawlessness and all of that stuff. It's going to be a mess. But, lord, I don't want to just be an optimist. But if there's really going to be a great move of God, a tremendous revival across the world, I want to see it. I want to see it in your word, because all I have been taught and read about was these terrible last days.

Speaker 2:

And the Lord gave me two scriptures. One is in Matthew 24, 30-35. Then will appear Jesus is speaking. Then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the people of the earth will mourn, for they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, and he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Now, get this. Now learn the lesson from the fig tree as soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out. You know that summer is near, so, even so, when you see these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly, I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Well, it's obvious. He wasn't talking about the apostles, because that generation is long gone. I think he gives us a clue. I think he gives us a clue about when the second coming is going to happen August 31st 2020. No, not that August 31st 2020. No, not that. Now, learn this lesson from the fig tree, as soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out. You know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly, I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Happened Now.

Speaker 2:

If you know biblical history, you know that that tree fig tree was the symbol of Israel. Remember when Jesus was going with the disciples and he cursed the tree. You need to realize. The reason that was so dramatic is that was like burning the flag. Now it says when that fig tree blossoms again. Well, when did that happen? That happened when Israel became a nation in 1948. Now, I'm not going to be dogmatic about it, but I think it's very possible. Let me read it again Now. Learn this lesson from the fig trees. He's talking about the second coming. As soon as the twigs get tender and as leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.

Speaker 2:

Truly, I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. If I'm reading this clue right, the Lord will return before the generation of 1948 leaves the planet. I won't dogmatically say this is that, but it seems like a clear clue to me. But the question I have if we're in those last days, if we're in those last days, where does the Bible say there's going to be a great move of God?

Speaker 2:

And I was led to Revelation, the 14th chapter, verses 14 to 16. I looked and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like the Son of man, and he had three crowns of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was? Word about that cloud? This cloud that that's talking about is not the kind of clouds we see drifting along. It's a cloud that led the children of Israel across the wilderness. It's a cloud that appeared to Moses on the mountain when he got the Ten Commandments. It's a cloud that received Jesus at the ascension. It's that cloud. So he who was seated on the cloud. Now we have a description of who it is. It's Christ, he who was seated on the cloud. Now we have a description of who it is. It's Christ.

Speaker 2:

He who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth and the earth was harvested. Wow, I said Lord. How can the whole earth be harvested when, after two centuries of Christianity, there hasn't been more than 20% of the people won to Christ? How could the whole earth possibly be won to the Lord? How could the whole earth be harvested in one generation? He said you know, we have the history of the church. God worked through the apostles, through special leaders like Polycarp, augustine, calvin, luther, wesley, billy Graham, on and on. There's always been a time in history when God used certain people in a great, marvelous way. But he said in the last days, in the last days, my spirit is going to be poured out on ordinary people like you, like other ordinary people, and if they will be obedient to the leadership of the Holy Spirit, they will perform miracle after miracle, so that when their neighbors see real miracles by a person they know, they will be influenced by the Holy Spirit and they'll be drawn to Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Speaker 2:

Remember Ananias? In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias and the Lord called to him in a vision. Ananias, yes, lord. He answered. Go to a house of Judas on the straight and ask for a man of Tarsus named Saul. Are you serious? But he went. How would you like to be the one that prayed for Paul, for Saul to become perfect? What a miracle. We don't hear of him.

Speaker 2:

After that, don Carpenter going to a kid on a bike saying are you ready to receive the Lord? Lord, my telling a blind baby. It's receiving his sight while ordinary me. He's going to win the world through ordinary people like you and me. He wants to perform miracles through you and me, like he did the apostles. I'm convinced of that part. Boy, you talk about dying to self. When the Lord tells you to do something like that, you're surely going to die to self. You're going to die to your reputation. You're going to die to people thinking you're a loony. You're going to die to all that stuff. The altar call I want to give this morning is that those who say Lord, as best as I understand it, I will be obedient to you. Even if it costs me my reputation, even if it costs me people thinking I'm insane, I will be obedient to you. It may be a simple thing. It may be the Lord telling you to go to a neighbor and witness with them.

Speaker 2:

It may be going to a person who is crippled and declaring their healing. I don't know what it's going to be, but if God's people will commit themselves, lord, I commit myself to the best of my understanding to be obedient to the Holy Spirit. And let me say this If you're not obedient like I have not been, he'll forgive you and give you another shot at it Someplace else. The issue is He'll forgive you and give you another shot at it someplace else. The issue is will you make that basic, fundamental commitment, lord Jesus, I commit myself to be obedient to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. How will you know it's the Holy Spirit? Because it won't be your idea and it'll be a pressure from within. Would you stand, please?

Speaker 2:

And whatever the music committee is going to play, the altar call is this you just come forward and by doing that you don't need to have people pray for you. By doing that, you just are making publicly the commitment before the Lord and the body to the best of my ability, I die to self and I'll be obedient. To the best of my ability. I die to self and I'll be obedient to the Holy Spirit. Amen. That's the altar call. So if you're willing to make that commitment come.