Episode 127: Final Thoughts before Synod from Jason Ruis

"However, if you get over yourself, recognize how weak and powerless you are, but entrust yourself fully to God, you will be freed to be a Joyful Warrior. You will be able to laugh when people slander you because you don't think much of yourself. You will be able to speak boldly and faithfully because you're more worried about what God will think of you than the rest of the world. You will be able to stand firm in defending God's Word and God's Church because you know that He is the one who will do the work and He is the one who promised to build his church and who promised that the gates will of hell will never stand against it. Joyful Warriors fight because God has placed them in a battle, but they are Joyful because they know that God is with them in the battle." -Jason Ruis

Transcript from this Episode

As we've gotten closer to Synod, I've found myself thinking a lot about the book of Nehemiah, especially the beginning of the book and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Nehemiah finds out that Jerusalem is in shambles--everything has been destroyed--and it breaks him. He weeps over it's ruin and then turns to God in prayer and repentance. He knows that the destruction of Jerusalem is a result of their unfaithfulness. So, he turns to God in faith, repentance, and hope.
What's beautiful is that flowing out of his faith, repentance, and hope is an incredible boldness and faithfulness. Nehemiah boldly approaches the king, boldly leads a group of people to Jerusalem, faithfully and diligently does his work of leading the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem. He boldly and faithfully continues his work even in the midst of false accusations and attacks and conflict. None of that causes Nehemiah to back down because he knows two things: (1) God is faithful and will never leave him nor forsake him and (2) it was the unfaithfulness of the people that brought this destruction upon them in the first place--further unfaithfulness would not make things better. So, in faith, repentance, and hope, Nehemiah leads the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem.
Yet my second favorite part of this entire story is the part that most people either skim or skip over because it's very tedious to read. It's chapter three. Chapter three is a long--very long--list of all the people involved in the rebuilding project and all the menial tasks that were required to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. We read about various people and families building portions of the wall, and the gates and towers around the city. This was not the work of one man, but the work of a TON of people working together in the midst of conflict and turmoil, all of them working toward the same goal.
My favorite part of the story comes in chapter 6. We read, “So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.” (Nehemiah 6:15–16, ESV). When the work was done, nobody said, "Wow, look how diligent and faithful and hard-working those Jews were." No, they said, "The only way this could have happened is if God had done this." And they gave glory to God.
I think this is an important reminder for us as we head off to Synod this year (and in the years to come). It's easy to head into Synod with this idea that WE are going to accomplish great things and great tasks. It's easy to head to Synod relying on our own strength and might and power and intellect. Yet, God's typical pattern is NOT to use the wise and powerful to accomplish his purposes. His typical pattern is to use the weak and powerless.
My "life verse" has come from the first chapter of 1 Corinthians: “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”” (1 Corinthians 1:26–31, ESV). God didn't call us because we were wise or powerful or have authority. God called us because we were foolish and weak and lowly and despised and nothing.
That's who we are and that's why God chose us and that's why God is sending us to Synod. So that he can use a bunch of weak, lowly, despised, fools to shame the strong and powerful. And God is doing this so that HE is the one who gets the glory and not us--because it's not about us. It's all about him. And we better not forget that. I love the reminder that comes in the ninth chapter of Deuteronomy where God tells his people, "Once you get into the Promised Land, you better not say that you're there because of your own righteousness or abilities. You're in the Promised Land because God brought you into the Promised Land. Period. It's not about you."
The same thing applies to reformation in the CRCNA. If God so chooses to bring about reformation in our ruined denomination, we better not try to boast and brag about what we accomplished. We better not say that it happened because were more righteous or special than anyone else. We better not try to pretend like we did anything to accomplish this or deserve this. Rather, we better get on our knees and thank God that he did this AND then go into the world boasting in, and glorifying, God for accomplishing this powerful work.
And here's what is really beautiful about heading to Synod with these things in mind. You are completely freed to be faithful and bold in the work God has called you to do. If you go to Synod trying to show how wise and powerful and worthy you are, you will be in bondage, always trying to show everyone how wise and powerful and worthy you are. You will be in bondage and anger and frustration and anxiety, whenever anyone questions your wisdom and power and authority. However, when you head to Synod realizing that you are NOTHING and that you are a fool and you are weak and you have no power, it doesn't matter what anyone says about you. People can all you whatever they want. They can falsely accuse you and slander you and call you names and your response will be, "You don't know the half of it!!! I'm even worse than you think..." You won't be wounded and injured and angered by these things. You will just continue to rely on your God, faithfully carry out the work He has called you to do.
This will free you from all anxiety because you will finally realize it's not up to you. If this reformation is going to happen, it will be a work of God. So, we need to rest in that, trust Him, and be faithful in our task.
This also frees us to be more like RC Sproul. Last year I read RC Sproul's biography (and I highly recommend it to everyone). In that biography Stephen Nichols wrote that RC strove his entire life to be a Joyful Warrior. For those who have been heavily discipled by Sproul over the years, we could see this in him. He was the one guy who was constantly teasing and joking and laughing until he cried and he was the one guy who was unafraid to speak and defend the truth of God with deep levels of boldness and conviction. In one breath he could rebuke an entire conference saying, "What's wrong with you people!" and in the next breath jokingly say, "I wanted to make sure this one was lively and not boring like the last time we had a Q&A." A Joyful Warrior.
You can't be a Joyful Warrior unless you understand that you are nothing and are completely relying on God. There is no joy in trying to keep up your reputation. There is no joy in trying to promote your intelligence. There's not joy in worrying, worrying, worrying about what's going to happen and how things are going to turn out. If you go to Synod thinking you're a big deal, you will be full of fear and anxiety, you will have no joy, and you will accomplish nothing.
However, if you get over yourself, recognize how weak and powerless you are, but entrust yourself fully to God, you will be freed to be a Joyful Warrior. You will be able to laugh when people slander you because you don't think much of yourself. You will be able to speak boldly and faithfully because you're more worried about what God will think of you than the rest of the world. You will be able to stand firm in defending God's Word and God's Church because you know that He is the one who will do the work and He is the one who promised to build his church and who promised that the gates will of hell will never stand against it. Joyful Warriors fight because God has placed them in a battle, but they are Joyful because they know that God is with them in the battle.
I want to end this the same way I ended it last year, because I think still very relevant. This is still the way I feel as I head off to Synod 2023. We all know it's going to be a difficult one--most likely more difficult than last year. We all know there will be difficulties and trials and afflictions. So, I want to end with a portion from Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders, but I want to tailor it for us as we head off to Synod. I ask that if you're not a delegate to Synod, please, please, please, hold us up in your prayers. We will need the strength and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. For those heading off as delegates to Synod, may this be your prayer an attitude as you go. From Acts 20:22-24:
And now, we are going to Synod, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to us there, except that the Holy Spirit continues to testify that difficulty, trials, and afflictions await us. But we do not account our lives of any value nor as precious to ourselves, if only we may finish the course and the ministry that we've received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Don't be afraid. Don't be anxious. By faith, be joyful, be bold and faithful, and keep fighting the good fight in this messy reformation.

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