Yahweh said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.” – Psalm 110:1 (from the Hebrew)

This is the last of our series on Psalm 110:1 quotes in the New Testament: The Church. In every possible way, God is trying to show us that the declaration of something is not the same as the completion. Like you’re fully married on your wedding day, but you may not feel like you’re one until years later. And the whole challenge is to keep believing and hang in there.

This is repeated so many times in scripture:

1. Psalm 110: Enemies – everything isn’t perfect day one, it’s a process
2. Hebrews 1: Powers – the unseen world had to get sorted out over time
3. Ephesians 1: Creation – happened instantly, but needed to be ordered
4. Acts 7: Promised Land – given to Israel, but still needed to be taken
5. Matthew 22: Law – the Law was given, but still had to be obeyed
6. Acts 2: Kingship – David was anointed, but 14 years until enthroned
7. 1 Corinthians 15: Jesus – fully King 2000 years ago, but not done yet
8. Hebrews 10: Church – commissioned 2000 years ago, not done yet

Story

When I was 32 the corporate execs came up to Vancouver and hosted a big event in a rented theatre downtown. They came to present a significant restructuring of the org chart. I looked for my name up at the top of the screen, near the the 5 VPs I worked mostly closely with, but couldn’t find myself. I got more and more panicky as my eyes scanned further and further down the page, until I found myself near the bottom!

In the year leading up to that event, I had become a bit of a golden boy in the organization. I was flying to the head office in California almost every week, sometimes just for a lunch meeting. Making million dollar decisions with the CIO in minutes. Meeting regularly with the Exec VP who was in charge of 160,000 staff. Leading development teams in Canada, US, India and the Philippines.

It all seemed a little surreal to me. But actually, if you sift that down, I travelled for a few meetings and the development teams mostly ran themselves. No big deal. Then they put me in charge of setting the technological direction for our whole $40B company for the next 5-10 years and had me to tour around the various offices presenting my vision. That put me over the edge. Totally stressed out. Sitting in my office with the door closed completely paralyzed for weeks. No idea what to do, but too ashamed to admit it. Of course, I failed, and hence the demotion.

Looking back I wonder, what if I had just believed that I could do it? All the things I was involved in up to that time, they weren’t too much for me. Because I was barely doing anything. Tons of support from the organization. Almost no responsibility in hindsight. Definitely not like running your own business as I did in later years. Just getting carried along by the organization. What if I had just believed that they would all help me the same way, that it wasn’t all up to me. My pride set me up and my unbelief made me freeze and my fear kept me there.

You know what I’m getting at. What if we the church would actually believe all the great things the Bible says about us? And what if we could stay humble enough to realize that none of it is to our credit? And what if we could embrace the role God has for us right now?

Jesus is Waiting

When this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. – Heb 10:12-13, referring to Psalm 110:1

Who is Jesus waiting for?

What if it’s us?

Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Mt 28:18-20