Be Unshakable

So since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us give thanks, and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe. For our God is indeed a devouring fire. Hebrews 12:28–29 (NET)

Earthquakes Everywhere

Natural earthquakes can cause significant damage with great loss, both lives, and property. You might be asking yourselves, why am I writing about earthquakes and great shaking?

Here is what Jesus said about the last days: People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Luke 21:26 (NLT)

Jesus predicted there would be:  famines and earthquakes in various places. Matthew 24:7 (NIV). But not only are there earthquakes in the physical realm, but we are also seeing an increase in spiritual, moral, and political areas that are growing stronger and stronger.

The church world is shaking—scandals and resignations surrounding Hillsong Church. The Southern Baptist Convention recently revealed that they had had a history of covering up sexual abuse.

Pastors and other church leaders, succumbing to the pressure of the world, are redefining marriage and relationships. They are no longer willing to call what God calls sin, sin. It appears they are trying to please people rather than please God.

Yes, we are undergoing a great shaking. What is required to remain unshakable?

What is the purpose of shaking?

N.T. Wright said, “Heaven and earth alike must be ‘shaken’ in such a way that everything transient, temporary, secondary and second-rate may fall away.”^[1]

Consider this, sometimes God allows us to be shaken, and other times he is the one doing the shaking.

As I consider the word unshakable, I realize it does not mean we will not be shaken. Instead, it means that it will remain intact despite the shaking. Faith must be tested so that you can prove how strong it is.

Hebrews reminds us that everything around us is temporary and destined for destruction. God’s kingdom alone is eternal and unshakable. Do you struggle to prioritize things of infinite value over shakable things? Let us live with an eternal perspective that invests in God’s everlasting, unshakable kingdom.

There Will Be a Day of Reckoning

We do not like to think about accountability and judgment. It is more than about a leader failing or falling. It is about the impact and devastation that damages the cause of the gospel. One reason I felt compelled to bring this word this evening is that we have a great responsibility to conduct our lives in a manner that brings glory and honor to God, not shame and reproach.

Jesus made a very harsh statement: “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Matthew 18:6 (NIV)

A leader’s failure can shake the foundations of God’s people.

We know that God is love, but he will hold leaders accountable. When God gives us a leadership position, he will also hold us to a higher standard. James said: Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. James 3:1 (NIV)

What does it take to build an unshakable life and ministry?

Things or people which stand alone are more likely to be shaken. On our own, we will fall. Without our feet firmly planted on the sure foundation of the rock that is Christ, we cannot withstand the onslaught that will come against us.

We need to understand what is meant by unshakable. Secondly, we need to learn how to build lives and ministries that are unshakable. Finally, because we are human and subject to human frailty and imperfection, we must learn how to maintain and strengthen unshakable faith.

It takes effort to begin and maintain a life that will not be easily shaken. In Luke 6, Jesus gave us the story, contrasting a wise builder with a foolish builder. The context distinguished between those who heard what Jesus said but did nothing and those who put his words into practice. Verse 48 makes a crucial point, “a wise builder digs down deep to find bedrock, and that is where they lay the foundation.”

Be Unshakable

For the person who wants to be unshakable, we can find a pattern in Psalm 112.

Those who are righteous will be long remembered. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor. Psalm 112:6–9 (NLT)

An undecided person is easily shaken. When something comes against them, they have a difficult time handling it. Often their only course of action is to shut down and withdraw from everything and everybody, sometimes for weeks at a time. It does not mean there aren’t times when God leads you to come away from everything to pray and seek Him.

We all deal with life, but this behavior is not part of the personality of the Psalm 112 believer—the stable man. The Bible says that he shall not be moved—forever! What a powerful statement. This man is unmovable, unshakeable.

Victory through Jesus

Thanks be to God, who gives us this victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! As a result of all this, my loved brothers and sisters, you must stand firm, unshakable, excelling in the work of the Lord as always, because you know that your labor isn’t going to be for nothing in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:57–58 (CEB)

 Remember, it is God who gives us victory. Jesus Christ Is the Victor. But we are responsible for standing firm and not being moved from our safe and secure position on the Rock Christ Jesus. The world and the church are shaking intensely in our present day. Everything that is not firmly planted and attached will fall away. We have a God who promised never to leave us or forsake us. With this in mind, we can follow the words of Paul to stand firm. We must be unshakable. And from that unshakable platform, we will do the work of the Lord. Nothing that we do for God will ever be lost or wasted.

Do not give up, and do not surrender. Be unshakable!

Steve Ekeroth

 

Photo from: sanandreasfault.org

^[1] Tom Wright, Hebrews for Everyone (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004), 165.