Scripture: Hebrews 2:10-18
On Christmas Eve, we considered what Mary and Joseph may have known and what they did not know as they fixed their eyes on the newborn Savior. The truth is that they probably knew very little of what their baby would be able to give to the world or what He would have to endure – all they could see was this new and precious life that had been given to them.
When our first son was born 2 months premature, you would think that we would be concerned about his development. Would he be mentally impaired? Would he have physical defects that would come to light in the next few years? What would he be able to do, what could he learn?
You would think that these are the thoughts that would enter my mind, but the truth is that when I first saw this new baby, the only thought that I had was “My son!” We would learn a few years later that he had some learning disabilities, but that first thought has always stuck with me, and when I look at this fine young man, I still think “This is my son – thank you Lord.”
I don’t think that Joseph and Mary were any different – they had been told that this was the Son of God, but when they looked at him in those first few moments of life, the only thing they could see was their baby.
But they would soon begin to discover that there was more to this child than simply sonship. He would soon be the source of life and glory.
Read Hebrews 2:10-13
What will tomorrow bring? Jesus was to be the “author of salvation”, and salvation would become perfected through His suffering. Those new parents could never have made that connection on their own, not even after the visit of the shepherds, not even with the knowledge that they had regarding prophesy. Joseph had been told that the child would save the people from their sins, but that hardly prepared them for the eventualities of Christ’s ministry.
The text also tells us that the one who is holy and those who are made holy by Him, are of a common heritage. These new parents would never have understood that, either. Family was by blood line, not by a Godly action. They were of the House of David, and were descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and they were “family” with all who could claim the same. Apparently, the reference to “family” meant that no one else would be allowed in! But the Child would turn that interpretation upside down, too.
The latter 2 references – “I will put my trust in him” and “Here am I, and the children God has given me”, are from Isaiah 8:17-18 and are in the context of a warning to the nation, and not as a reassurance. These verses are preceded with these words – ”he will be a sanctuary; but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” (Isaiah 8:14) This Child would be a sanctuary, even while the people would be stumbling over His message and fearful of the words that He would offer them. This Jesus Child was going to be a Savior, a Refuge, even while he would cause others to fall flat on their faces! The Child’s future would be filled with wonder and amazement for many, and at the same time, a sticking point for many others.
Read Hebrews 2: 14-18
What will tomorrow bring? As God, Jesus would break the grip that sin has on humanity, but He had to do it as a Man who could die. God can destroy Satan at any moment that He wants to, but the Lord is allowing us to participate in this salvation. Christ dies so that the hold that sin has on us can destroyed, but we must also die - die to sin - so that our hold on it can also be broken. And these deaths, in Christ, will lead to a new life that is unlike anything that we could ever imagine!
And in escaping from the throes of death, Satan is defeated in his war against you and me.
The Child Jesus would become a Savior to the people, but hardly in an orthodox way!
And He would free us, not only from the penalty of death, but also from the fear of death. The writer uses the term “held in slavery”, which raises an interesting connotation. Slaves are people who have been captured and enslaved against their will, and who have no possibility of release on their own. Freedom requires either the benevolence of the slave holder, or one who is mightier that the slaver. And since we all know that there is no grace whatsoever in Satan, our only hope is in the mighty arm of God Himself.
That is Christ’s legacy – He is the mighty arm of God.
And who is He to help? Who is tomorrow for? His only purpose is to gain freedom for us. We know that many angels left heaven to serve Lucifer, but this tells us that there is no salvation for them. Their sin, if the failing of angels can be called sin, is apparently unforgivable. But praise God, our sin can be forgiven and washed away!
If Christ was to be a Savior to angelic sinners, He would have been like them. If He is to be a Savior to humanity, He must be like us. And so He is. Tomorrow, my friends, is for us!
Mary gave birth to the One whose sole purpose in this life was to bring salvation to all who would accept His incredible gift of freedom.
Verse 18 - “Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.”
Are you being tempted in this life?
Do you feel drawn to ways that are foreign to God?
Do you still have your own “death grip” on sin?
We can no longer claim that sin has a hold on us. Jesus has come and has broken that hold - it is impotent, it is powerless, it has been destroyed! And now the only power that Satan has over us is our own false sense of right and wrong. He places doubts in our minds and hearts regarding the true power of God, he sends jealousy to tempt us to want more of the things of earth, he sends fear to make us cower and tremble at the very thought of God, he sends” self confidence” to replace our confidence in the Lord, he offers “self worth” to demean the worthiness that comes from Christ.
In Christ, Satan has already been defeated, but until we are one in Christ, until we have claimed that family tie with Him, until we are born anew in Him, our victory is still up in the air. Christmas must be the first day of the rest of our life, and when we kneel before the manger of Bethlehem, the impossible becomes our reality and our vision of tomorrow becomes crystal clear.
Dennis Bratcher writes this in his work “The Christmas Season”;
“I think that the true meaning of Christmas is about possibility in the midst of the impossible. It is not the kind of possibility that comes from a confidence in our own skill, knowledge, ability or a positive mental attitude. It is possibility that comes solely from the fact that God is God, and that he is the kind of God who comes into our own human existence to reveal himself and call us to himself. It is a possibility that is so surprising at its birth that we are caught unaware, and so are left with wonder at the simplicity of its expression in this infant child. It is a possibility that is easily symbolized by a helpless infant who has nothing of its own by which to survive; yet an infant who, because he is Immanuel, God with us, will forever change the world and all humanity. It is this same God who has promised to be with us, with his people, with the church and with us individually, as we live as his people in the world.”
—Dennis Bratcher, “The Christmas season,” crivoice.org/cyxmas.html. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
The thing that Joseph and Mary didn’t know is this: That the little baby who laid in His mother’s arms, who received that first nourishment from her breast, who cried and gurgled and giggled, who gave great joy to them that cold night in Bethlehem, would be the one who would change the impossibility of human existence into a promise of great hope and into a whole new reality.
But even after 2,000 years, many have still not grasped this hope of Divine truth. They still have that tight, chocking hold on the ways of earth, and they have no idea as to what tomorrow could bring to them. Will it be darkness and death, or will it be the marvelous certainty of Christ? Those who are in Christ have become even more than just members of the heavenly family – we have become partners with Jesus, and each of us is called to carry the truth of Christmas with us, and to share it, and to lead others into its promise.
What will tomorrow bring? In all honesty, it’s up to each of us today. Will it be glory? Or will glory be absent? It’s up to each of us to see that it will be one in which all can experience the Hope of Christmas - Jesus Christ, Immanuel, God with us, reality in the midst of impossibility. What a story we have to tell! Now, we have to go and tell it!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
“I Wonder What Tomorrow Will Bring?”
Scripture: Luke 2:1-20
One of my favorite Christmas songs is ">“Mary Did You Know?” by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene. It begins with these words:
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
That your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered
Will soon deliver you.
It continues with question after question, probing the mind and heart of Mary to find out just how much she may have known on that cold night in Bethlehem. Personally, I think that these new parents knew very little of God’s incredible plan. I believe that she knew nothing more than what the angel Gabriel told her, that she was held in very high regard by God, that she was to have a child and His name would be Jesus (“The Lord Saves”)), that he would be called the Son of the Most High, that He will receive the throne of David, and will reign over Israel forever, and His kingdom would never end.
And her reply was simply “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” (Luke 1:26-38)
And what did Joseph know? At first, he knew that something had happened that should never have happened! But then the angel appeared to him, and told him that this child had been conceived by the power of God’s Holy Spirit, and not in a normal, human way, that he should not be afraid or worry about this, that this child should be named Jesus, because He would save His people from their sins.
They heard nothing more, they heard nothing less.
God had chosen an unmarried and very young and very humble woman to be the means that His Son would come into this world, and this is all that the chosen ones of earth would know! And yet, with great faith, they accepted the shame that would come to them from their family and friends, and they gave themselves completely to God’s will. Now I also have to believe that the angelic message helped them to be accepting of the condemnation, but on that night when the child came into the world in such a normal and usually way, I also have to wonder what were they thinking about?
This Boy Baby looked pretty normal – no glow, no halo, no divine word from His lips, nothing out of place to indicate that this birth was any different than any other – including the pain of child birth and the cries that come with any infant birth! There were brief instances when the couple would be reassured in the Lord’s plan, and we read that each of these times that Mary “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19, Luke 2:51). But she never knew what would come to be because of this child she had faithfully carried.
But maybe this couple wasn’t supposed to know. Can you imagine the questions that would have flooded their souls if they knew that Jesus would be rejected by the very people He had come to show Divine love to? Or what about His criminal arrest and beating and crucifixion? They would have begun to doubt those visits from heaven’s messenger!
But we know the entire story – maybe not the details behind the story, but we have the benefit of not only knowing the events in Christ’s life, but the outcome of those events. And we still struggle with living a life that is even close to that lived by Mary and Joseph. But even in their ignorance of the things that were to come, these new parents believed and lived life as God had planned.
Where do we fail and fall short? Why do we come up short? We can put so much of Jesus teachings together, and can begin to see why His life among us was necessary. We can be amazed by many of His miracles. We see His death and resurrection and the divine promise for eternity. And still we doubt.
The blind will see
The deaf will hear
The dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of The Lamb
The miracle of Christmas is before us, and all too often the only things our eyes can see is the glitter and festivity that surrounds the day. And we turn a blind eye and deaf ear to the fullness of truth in the day.
My friends,
Do you know that our baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Do you know that our baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Do you know that our baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
And that the child that grows within us is the Great I Am?
When Mary took that newborn child and lifted Him to her breast for the first time, she saw a precious gift, she saw the Son of God, she saw the great potential of hope for this world, but she had no idea as to what He would have to endure. In that moment, she knew that this Child of God had come into the world as a helpless baby, and that she and Joseph had been chosen to be the ones who would nurture Him, and teach Him, and care for Him, and love Him until He came into His own for the world.
And now we have that same responsibility. To hold Him, to care for the truth of His teachings, to remember His miracles and share them with others, to nurture the faith that is within each of us, to love Him with our entire lives, and to share this precious gift to earth with all who will listen.
Mary may have never known, but she believed absolutely. We know, but our faith must become stronger and more obvious in our life. Will you kiss the face of God today?
One of my favorite Christmas songs is ">“Mary Did You Know?” by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene. It begins with these words:
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
That your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered
Will soon deliver you.
It continues with question after question, probing the mind and heart of Mary to find out just how much she may have known on that cold night in Bethlehem. Personally, I think that these new parents knew very little of God’s incredible plan. I believe that she knew nothing more than what the angel Gabriel told her, that she was held in very high regard by God, that she was to have a child and His name would be Jesus (“The Lord Saves”)), that he would be called the Son of the Most High, that He will receive the throne of David, and will reign over Israel forever, and His kingdom would never end.
And her reply was simply “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” (Luke 1:26-38)
And what did Joseph know? At first, he knew that something had happened that should never have happened! But then the angel appeared to him, and told him that this child had been conceived by the power of God’s Holy Spirit, and not in a normal, human way, that he should not be afraid or worry about this, that this child should be named Jesus, because He would save His people from their sins.
They heard nothing more, they heard nothing less.
God had chosen an unmarried and very young and very humble woman to be the means that His Son would come into this world, and this is all that the chosen ones of earth would know! And yet, with great faith, they accepted the shame that would come to them from their family and friends, and they gave themselves completely to God’s will. Now I also have to believe that the angelic message helped them to be accepting of the condemnation, but on that night when the child came into the world in such a normal and usually way, I also have to wonder what were they thinking about?
This Boy Baby looked pretty normal – no glow, no halo, no divine word from His lips, nothing out of place to indicate that this birth was any different than any other – including the pain of child birth and the cries that come with any infant birth! There were brief instances when the couple would be reassured in the Lord’s plan, and we read that each of these times that Mary “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19, Luke 2:51). But she never knew what would come to be because of this child she had faithfully carried.
But maybe this couple wasn’t supposed to know. Can you imagine the questions that would have flooded their souls if they knew that Jesus would be rejected by the very people He had come to show Divine love to? Or what about His criminal arrest and beating and crucifixion? They would have begun to doubt those visits from heaven’s messenger!
But we know the entire story – maybe not the details behind the story, but we have the benefit of not only knowing the events in Christ’s life, but the outcome of those events. And we still struggle with living a life that is even close to that lived by Mary and Joseph. But even in their ignorance of the things that were to come, these new parents believed and lived life as God had planned.
Where do we fail and fall short? Why do we come up short? We can put so much of Jesus teachings together, and can begin to see why His life among us was necessary. We can be amazed by many of His miracles. We see His death and resurrection and the divine promise for eternity. And still we doubt.
The blind will see
The deaf will hear
The dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of The Lamb
The miracle of Christmas is before us, and all too often the only things our eyes can see is the glitter and festivity that surrounds the day. And we turn a blind eye and deaf ear to the fullness of truth in the day.
My friends,
Do you know that our baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Do you know that our baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Do you know that our baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
And that the child that grows within us is the Great I Am?
When Mary took that newborn child and lifted Him to her breast for the first time, she saw a precious gift, she saw the Son of God, she saw the great potential of hope for this world, but she had no idea as to what He would have to endure. In that moment, she knew that this Child of God had come into the world as a helpless baby, and that she and Joseph had been chosen to be the ones who would nurture Him, and teach Him, and care for Him, and love Him until He came into His own for the world.
And now we have that same responsibility. To hold Him, to care for the truth of His teachings, to remember His miracles and share them with others, to nurture the faith that is within each of us, to love Him with our entire lives, and to share this precious gift to earth with all who will listen.
Mary may have never known, but she believed absolutely. We know, but our faith must become stronger and more obvious in our life. Will you kiss the face of God today?
Sunday, December 19, 2010
“Take a Stand in the Lord”
Scripture: Isaiah 7:7-16
Our Revolutionary War was as lopsided a conflict as anyone could possibly imagine. It was a contest between a bunch of citizen soldiers and the mightiest army in all of Europe. It was colonists versus homeland.
- It was rag-tag versus professional. It was a battle between the inevitable and the impossible. But in the end, the ones who should have won didn’t.
During the 6 ½ years of war, the colonists hardly had one decisive victory until General George Washington met Lord Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. Most of the victories that the Americans did achieve leading up to that final engagement were little more than a draw. So why, in the face of such overwhelming odds, did we manage to gain freedom from England? We should have been defeated, and quickly at that!
In our reading for today, we find the Southern Kingdom of Judah in a similar situation. Assyria and Israel have invaded the nation, and are threatening to destroy the people. The mighty vs. the insignificant,
- the world power vs. the meek. Assyria should have rolled over little Judah in a couple of weeks, but they didn’t, they couldn’t. Assyria would later defeat their ally Israel who was much larger and stronger than Judah, but their efforts at the gates of Jerusalem would fail miserable.
Why, in the face of such overwhelming odds, did Judah manage to stand firm against their enemy? They should have fallen, just as every other nation had before the onslaught of power.
In the case of the American colonies, there were three reasons for victory. First, they were fighting for their freedom. England was no longer seen as “home”, but rather as an oppressor nation. The Americans were fighting for their homes, while the British were fighting to retain a colony. The second is that the British were distracted by other problems around the globe. And third, it was simply a matter of perseverance on the part of the colonists. The rebels just wouldn’t give up.
Those are big differences.
In the case of Judah, it was Assyria’s will to conquer the much smaller people, but it was God’s will that they should fail. This is an even bigger difference!
Read Isaiah 7:7-9
The Northern Kingdom, Israel, had abandoned their faith, and had turned to the false gods of their neighbors. They did not stand firm in their faith, and as such, they couldn’t stand at all. The reference to Samaria being the head of Ephraim is a condemnation on the nation. They had turned against their God, and now they were being lead by their own deceptions and failures instead of by Almighty God.
However, Judah was taking a different approach - at least for now. They had continued to be strong in their mighty Yahweh, and Yahweh was still strong in them. And now their God was promising that if they would just stand firm in faith, that the alliance of Israel and Assyria would not only fail to beat them, but that they would be soundly destroyed.
Now most folks, having heard a promise like this one, one that was as unlikely as our experiencing 85 degree temperatures this afternoon (even though there are more than a few of you who would like to have that today!), would like a little more reassurance before they begin their victory celebration!
Read Isaiah 7:10-17
And even though Ahaz is reluctant to ask for a specific sign, the Lord gives him one anyway. The proof of the salvation of Judah will be evidenced by the birth of a child. And God tells them that His promise will be fulfilled before the child is old enough to be able to choose between good and evil. But we need to realize that it is the birth and intellectual growth of the child that is the sign from God, not necessarily the pregnancy itself, and whether it actually was a virgin mother, or, as the Hebrew word indicates, is only a “young woman”, the promise is given and is sure. And they are told that his name will be Immanuel, an absolute sign that “God is with them”.
Now, while this may not actually be a prophecy regarding Jesus – note in verse 16 that the attacking nations will be history by the time the child knows right from wrong – it is still a rather unique way for God to reveal His presence and plan to the people.
But why this way? Why the birth of a child to announce that God is with us, that His promise is true? Why not something that is more obvious, like 3 days of continuous day light, or a peace of mind that affects the entire nation, or an end to the hostilities right then and there? Why not something that everyone could experience and no one could dispute?
Perhaps because even though the child comes to the people, the people still must go to find him. The sign is solid, but we have to make an effort to experience it. The Lord has a strange way of not only blessing us, but of including us, of involving us, of making us part of His plan.
With God, we can never be simple spectators! We can’t sit on the sidelines. We have to be part of the team, we have to be involved.
And why a birth? Because birth doesn’t come peacefully and gently – there is a lot of pain and struggle and conflict, on the part of both the baby and the mother. But in the end, new life has come to us, and the joy is an amazing thing!
Freedom for the American colonies didn’t come by simply declaring it to be so. It took dedication and commitment, it took sacrifice, it required a lot of pain but the result was a release from oppression, the result was freedom!
For Judah, God didn’t simply end the conflict with Assyria – there would be more privation, more war, more death
before the day of victory would arrive, but arrive it would, and in a spectacular way (Isaiah 37:35-37). And the glory of God would shine far brighter than the sun ever could, even on the clearest day.
And in Jesus Christ, salvation never comes easily or cheaply. It involved God’s trading in His divine crown and heavenly throne for a dusty road and the animosity of the very people He came to save. It meant that a young woman, unmarried and pure, would have to suffer the humiliation of her family and neighbors, and even the doubts of the man who loved her. It meant that families would be torn apart when some would take up the path of Christ, while others would not. And it meant that God Himself would have to suffer scorn and ridicule and humiliation in a mock trial, with false witnesses being brought against Him, and then to suffer the death of a common criminal. And all of this so that those who will draw near to Him might live with Him in Eternal Paradise.
Salvation and freedom both come at a terrible cost – they require that we stand firm for what we believe, even while others will do all they can to convince us to let go. But the consequences that the alternative brings are far worse than the price that must be paid to gain it, and so, many will take a stand.
Men and women have given their all that our nation might be free, and God has given His all to ensure that our freedom in Him is sure. But whether it is national freedom or Godly salvation, we must still guard it jealously and never take it for granted. The Assyrians of this world are still actively and intently trying to take it all away from us.
“If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” We all must heed these words and take them to heart.
Take a firm stand in Christ, and never, ever waiver.
Our Revolutionary War was as lopsided a conflict as anyone could possibly imagine. It was a contest between a bunch of citizen soldiers and the mightiest army in all of Europe. It was colonists versus homeland.
- It was rag-tag versus professional. It was a battle between the inevitable and the impossible. But in the end, the ones who should have won didn’t.
During the 6 ½ years of war, the colonists hardly had one decisive victory until General George Washington met Lord Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. Most of the victories that the Americans did achieve leading up to that final engagement were little more than a draw. So why, in the face of such overwhelming odds, did we manage to gain freedom from England? We should have been defeated, and quickly at that!
In our reading for today, we find the Southern Kingdom of Judah in a similar situation. Assyria and Israel have invaded the nation, and are threatening to destroy the people. The mighty vs. the insignificant,
- the world power vs. the meek. Assyria should have rolled over little Judah in a couple of weeks, but they didn’t, they couldn’t. Assyria would later defeat their ally Israel who was much larger and stronger than Judah, but their efforts at the gates of Jerusalem would fail miserable.
Why, in the face of such overwhelming odds, did Judah manage to stand firm against their enemy? They should have fallen, just as every other nation had before the onslaught of power.
In the case of the American colonies, there were three reasons for victory. First, they were fighting for their freedom. England was no longer seen as “home”, but rather as an oppressor nation. The Americans were fighting for their homes, while the British were fighting to retain a colony. The second is that the British were distracted by other problems around the globe. And third, it was simply a matter of perseverance on the part of the colonists. The rebels just wouldn’t give up.
Those are big differences.
In the case of Judah, it was Assyria’s will to conquer the much smaller people, but it was God’s will that they should fail. This is an even bigger difference!
Read Isaiah 7:7-9
The Northern Kingdom, Israel, had abandoned their faith, and had turned to the false gods of their neighbors. They did not stand firm in their faith, and as such, they couldn’t stand at all. The reference to Samaria being the head of Ephraim is a condemnation on the nation. They had turned against their God, and now they were being lead by their own deceptions and failures instead of by Almighty God.
However, Judah was taking a different approach - at least for now. They had continued to be strong in their mighty Yahweh, and Yahweh was still strong in them. And now their God was promising that if they would just stand firm in faith, that the alliance of Israel and Assyria would not only fail to beat them, but that they would be soundly destroyed.
Now most folks, having heard a promise like this one, one that was as unlikely as our experiencing 85 degree temperatures this afternoon (even though there are more than a few of you who would like to have that today!), would like a little more reassurance before they begin their victory celebration!
Read Isaiah 7:10-17
And even though Ahaz is reluctant to ask for a specific sign, the Lord gives him one anyway. The proof of the salvation of Judah will be evidenced by the birth of a child. And God tells them that His promise will be fulfilled before the child is old enough to be able to choose between good and evil. But we need to realize that it is the birth and intellectual growth of the child that is the sign from God, not necessarily the pregnancy itself, and whether it actually was a virgin mother, or, as the Hebrew word indicates, is only a “young woman”, the promise is given and is sure. And they are told that his name will be Immanuel, an absolute sign that “God is with them”.
Now, while this may not actually be a prophecy regarding Jesus – note in verse 16 that the attacking nations will be history by the time the child knows right from wrong – it is still a rather unique way for God to reveal His presence and plan to the people.
But why this way? Why the birth of a child to announce that God is with us, that His promise is true? Why not something that is more obvious, like 3 days of continuous day light, or a peace of mind that affects the entire nation, or an end to the hostilities right then and there? Why not something that everyone could experience and no one could dispute?
Perhaps because even though the child comes to the people, the people still must go to find him. The sign is solid, but we have to make an effort to experience it. The Lord has a strange way of not only blessing us, but of including us, of involving us, of making us part of His plan.
With God, we can never be simple spectators! We can’t sit on the sidelines. We have to be part of the team, we have to be involved.
And why a birth? Because birth doesn’t come peacefully and gently – there is a lot of pain and struggle and conflict, on the part of both the baby and the mother. But in the end, new life has come to us, and the joy is an amazing thing!
Freedom for the American colonies didn’t come by simply declaring it to be so. It took dedication and commitment, it took sacrifice, it required a lot of pain but the result was a release from oppression, the result was freedom!
For Judah, God didn’t simply end the conflict with Assyria – there would be more privation, more war, more death
before the day of victory would arrive, but arrive it would, and in a spectacular way (Isaiah 37:35-37). And the glory of God would shine far brighter than the sun ever could, even on the clearest day.
And in Jesus Christ, salvation never comes easily or cheaply. It involved God’s trading in His divine crown and heavenly throne for a dusty road and the animosity of the very people He came to save. It meant that a young woman, unmarried and pure, would have to suffer the humiliation of her family and neighbors, and even the doubts of the man who loved her. It meant that families would be torn apart when some would take up the path of Christ, while others would not. And it meant that God Himself would have to suffer scorn and ridicule and humiliation in a mock trial, with false witnesses being brought against Him, and then to suffer the death of a common criminal. And all of this so that those who will draw near to Him might live with Him in Eternal Paradise.
Salvation and freedom both come at a terrible cost – they require that we stand firm for what we believe, even while others will do all they can to convince us to let go. But the consequences that the alternative brings are far worse than the price that must be paid to gain it, and so, many will take a stand.
Men and women have given their all that our nation might be free, and God has given His all to ensure that our freedom in Him is sure. But whether it is national freedom or Godly salvation, we must still guard it jealously and never take it for granted. The Assyrians of this world are still actively and intently trying to take it all away from us.
“If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” We all must heed these words and take them to heart.
Take a firm stand in Christ, and never, ever waiver.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
“What Do You See in the Wilderness?”
Scripture: Matthew 11:2-15
In case you hadn’t noticed, there is a problem with our faith. It’s not that it is too diverse, not that it is too dilute, not that it is too late in coming - the problem with our faith is that we don’t trust it enough! Whether it is out of fear, or uncertainty, or peer pressure, or some other human frailty, most people have a faith that is more limiting than it is emergent. Faith may seem too radical for our lives, and we decide to avoid it. It may seem too difficult to live, and we give it up with a shrug. All too often, we ask for a sign from heaven to answer our doubts, and when it comes, we dismiss it with another doubt. How much does God have to give so that the people of this world will believe without hesitation?
Read Matthew 11:2-6
Last week we read that John the Baptist was loudly proclaiming that One was coming who he was unworthy to even tie the thongs of his sandals. He had leapt in his mother’s womb at the very presence of the unborn Christ! He would baptize Christ, but with the caveat that Christ should be baptizing him! And now, as he was languishing in prison, very possibly fearing for his life, he was expressing his uncertainty that Jesus just might not be all that he had proclaimed Him to be. “Are you the one who we have been waiting for?” Could there be someone else just around the corner?” Even John, in his “wilderness” experience in a Hebrew jail, was having doubts.
What could have brought about this change in the certain faith of such a committed prophet? He had been bold in his proclamation of the Messiah’s arrival. He had never hesitated in his call to repentance, regardless of the audience. He was austere in every aspect of his life. And yet, he had enough uncertainty in him that he sent his followers to bluntly ask Jesus if He was truly who he said He was.
And Jesus, true to form, doesn’t give them a straight answer. He tells them to believe the miracles that they have seen, to understand the message they have heard, and not to fear the truth of His presence. “Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of me.” Don’t doubt who I am, simply because I don’t conform to conventional wisdom regarding what the Messiah should be like. Believe the signs that have been placed before you, and don’t worry about that “brood of vipers” that John attacked so decisively.
J. Walter Cross, in his book “Under No Delusions” tells this story:
A man by the name of Jay Rathman was hiking in one of the wilderness areas near his northern California home. Passing along a rocky ledge, he sensed a movement beside his face. A timber rattlesnake struck, just missing his right ear. Its fangs got snagged in the wool of Rathman's turtleneck sweater, pulling the snake onto his shoulders. He grabbed it just behind the head with his left hand, as they both tumbled down the slope through the brush and rocks. In this eyeball-to-eyeball encounter, he discovered that snakes don't blink. In about 20 minutes, he was able to throttle the reptile. Later, passing through the checkout gate, Rathman said to the warden, “I'd like to register a complaint about the wildlife here.”
Cross continues: “Reading that hair-raising account reminds us how closely it resembles life on a daily basis. At the most unsuspecting moment, something strikes at us. We are knocked off balance by the assault .... Who hasn't been tumbled head over heels by demands and deadlines? Who hasn't done battle with poisonous irritations on the slopes of overcommitment, underachievement and burnout? Who hasn't had to fend off surprise attacks from criticism that strike at us like hungry predators and rip into us like needle-sharp claws? They are frequent and varied: physical pain, emotional trauma, relational stress, spiritual doubts, marital conflicts, occupational disappointments, financial reversals ... demonic assaults.”_
- J. Walter Cross, “Under No Delusions”, Bradenton, Florida.
“Blessed is the one who does not yield to the attacks that come as we journey along our wilderness path.”
Read Matthew 11:7-10
What do we look for in a prophet? Some want the sage of today to simply reaffirm and reinforce the beliefs that they already hold. Some want to be instantly and surely changed into the perfect Christian, without too much bother, of course. But that’s not the purpose of a prophet! Prophets are sent to present the right way for our lives, and it is our job to make the decision to accept the change.
And prophets are never what we would expect from a Godly person. They are unconventional and they carry an unconventional message. They walk a fine line that leads them between the false goodness of society and the all-too-rigid uprightness of the institutional church. And they are generally despised by both.
Most of us want to follow a much more conventional and charismatic sage than the John the Baptist type, but unfortunately, God seldom sends his message wrapped up in $1,000 suits or riding in Lincoln Towncars.
Why does God not intervene more directly today and save us (and him) from abuse and hurt? The author Philip Yancey has an answer: “Some Christians long for a world well-stocked with miracles and spectacular signs of God's presence. I hear wistful sermons on the parting of the Red Sea and the 10 plagues and the daily manna in the wilderness, as if the speakers yearn for God to unleash his power like that today.
But the follow-the-dots journey of the Israelites should give us pause. Would a burst of miracles nourish faith? Not the kind of faith God seems interested in, evidently. The Israelites give ample proof that signs may only addict us to signs, not to God.”
--Philip Yancey, “Disappointment With God” (Grand Rapids, Mich.:Zondervan, 1988), 48.
And, I might add, the appearance of prosperity only addicts us to prosperity. If we truly want to hear of God’s will for our lives, we can’t be concerned with what the messenger looks like – even if he dresses in camel hair shirts and eats bugs.
Read Matthew 11:11-15
So why do we go out into the strangest places to hear God’s Word? Why do we go to the strangest places to share God’s Word? After all, can’t we just as easily hear and proclaim the word in glorious venues, like the National Cathedral, or Rick Warren’s Saddleback church, or on some evangelist’s television show? Sure we can! But there are very few opportunities for most folks to visit those places. Most folks need to hear the Word of God right where they are – whether in a small country church, or in a rescue mission, or in a poverty ridden section of town, or even under a bridge where the homeless gather.
Our wilderness is not so much a place as it is a state of mind. When the people journeyed out to hear John, they went to hear a life changing challenge, to begin to understand that this existence has nothing to do with the next one, to experience the Lord Jesus before they actually met Him, and to know His call on their life.
Sometimes I think that the church building is the last place we should go to experience Christ - that the best places are in a nursing home, or a prison, or with a shut-in, or with family at home, or with a stranger at the mall, with a harried waitress at our favorite restaurant, or a friend who is struggling with the adversities of life.
“Wilderness” is where the God-in-us is revealed. “Wilderness” is where the world comes to meet Jesus, without the distraction of all the trappings and formalities of “religion”. “Wilderness” is where the need is the greatest and where the potential harvest awaits supreme.
“Wilderness” is not some place where there is only harshness and hardship and nothing of interest to see. Wilderness is the very place where our vision can become the most acute, where our hearts can be “strangely warmed”, where the world can see God clearly, where His Word takes on the greatest meaning.
Whether it is in the Israelites’ Exodus, or Jonah’s 3 day journey inside of that huge fish, or in Elijah’s headlong flight from his queen, or
- John’s home away from home, or even at the foot of Calvary,if we truly want to experience and to know and to be changed by Jesus’ presence, we need to set the world aside, if only for the moment. That’s what the season of Advent is all about – journeying to the beginning of Hope and Joy and the Way of Salvation, without the distractions of earthliness.
May your preparations for the Birth and rebirth be blessed in rich and marvelous and unobstructed ways. May we all have the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the hearts to know.
In case you hadn’t noticed, there is a problem with our faith. It’s not that it is too diverse, not that it is too dilute, not that it is too late in coming - the problem with our faith is that we don’t trust it enough! Whether it is out of fear, or uncertainty, or peer pressure, or some other human frailty, most people have a faith that is more limiting than it is emergent. Faith may seem too radical for our lives, and we decide to avoid it. It may seem too difficult to live, and we give it up with a shrug. All too often, we ask for a sign from heaven to answer our doubts, and when it comes, we dismiss it with another doubt. How much does God have to give so that the people of this world will believe without hesitation?
Read Matthew 11:2-6
Last week we read that John the Baptist was loudly proclaiming that One was coming who he was unworthy to even tie the thongs of his sandals. He had leapt in his mother’s womb at the very presence of the unborn Christ! He would baptize Christ, but with the caveat that Christ should be baptizing him! And now, as he was languishing in prison, very possibly fearing for his life, he was expressing his uncertainty that Jesus just might not be all that he had proclaimed Him to be. “Are you the one who we have been waiting for?” Could there be someone else just around the corner?” Even John, in his “wilderness” experience in a Hebrew jail, was having doubts.
What could have brought about this change in the certain faith of such a committed prophet? He had been bold in his proclamation of the Messiah’s arrival. He had never hesitated in his call to repentance, regardless of the audience. He was austere in every aspect of his life. And yet, he had enough uncertainty in him that he sent his followers to bluntly ask Jesus if He was truly who he said He was.
And Jesus, true to form, doesn’t give them a straight answer. He tells them to believe the miracles that they have seen, to understand the message they have heard, and not to fear the truth of His presence. “Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of me.” Don’t doubt who I am, simply because I don’t conform to conventional wisdom regarding what the Messiah should be like. Believe the signs that have been placed before you, and don’t worry about that “brood of vipers” that John attacked so decisively.
J. Walter Cross, in his book “Under No Delusions” tells this story:
A man by the name of Jay Rathman was hiking in one of the wilderness areas near his northern California home. Passing along a rocky ledge, he sensed a movement beside his face. A timber rattlesnake struck, just missing his right ear. Its fangs got snagged in the wool of Rathman's turtleneck sweater, pulling the snake onto his shoulders. He grabbed it just behind the head with his left hand, as they both tumbled down the slope through the brush and rocks. In this eyeball-to-eyeball encounter, he discovered that snakes don't blink. In about 20 minutes, he was able to throttle the reptile. Later, passing through the checkout gate, Rathman said to the warden, “I'd like to register a complaint about the wildlife here.”
Cross continues: “Reading that hair-raising account reminds us how closely it resembles life on a daily basis. At the most unsuspecting moment, something strikes at us. We are knocked off balance by the assault .... Who hasn't been tumbled head over heels by demands and deadlines? Who hasn't done battle with poisonous irritations on the slopes of overcommitment, underachievement and burnout? Who hasn't had to fend off surprise attacks from criticism that strike at us like hungry predators and rip into us like needle-sharp claws? They are frequent and varied: physical pain, emotional trauma, relational stress, spiritual doubts, marital conflicts, occupational disappointments, financial reversals ... demonic assaults.”_
- J. Walter Cross, “Under No Delusions”, Bradenton, Florida.
“Blessed is the one who does not yield to the attacks that come as we journey along our wilderness path.”
Read Matthew 11:7-10
What do we look for in a prophet? Some want the sage of today to simply reaffirm and reinforce the beliefs that they already hold. Some want to be instantly and surely changed into the perfect Christian, without too much bother, of course. But that’s not the purpose of a prophet! Prophets are sent to present the right way for our lives, and it is our job to make the decision to accept the change.
And prophets are never what we would expect from a Godly person. They are unconventional and they carry an unconventional message. They walk a fine line that leads them between the false goodness of society and the all-too-rigid uprightness of the institutional church. And they are generally despised by both.
Most of us want to follow a much more conventional and charismatic sage than the John the Baptist type, but unfortunately, God seldom sends his message wrapped up in $1,000 suits or riding in Lincoln Towncars.
Why does God not intervene more directly today and save us (and him) from abuse and hurt? The author Philip Yancey has an answer: “Some Christians long for a world well-stocked with miracles and spectacular signs of God's presence. I hear wistful sermons on the parting of the Red Sea and the 10 plagues and the daily manna in the wilderness, as if the speakers yearn for God to unleash his power like that today.
But the follow-the-dots journey of the Israelites should give us pause. Would a burst of miracles nourish faith? Not the kind of faith God seems interested in, evidently. The Israelites give ample proof that signs may only addict us to signs, not to God.”
--Philip Yancey, “Disappointment With God” (Grand Rapids, Mich.:Zondervan, 1988), 48.
And, I might add, the appearance of prosperity only addicts us to prosperity. If we truly want to hear of God’s will for our lives, we can’t be concerned with what the messenger looks like – even if he dresses in camel hair shirts and eats bugs.
Read Matthew 11:11-15
So why do we go out into the strangest places to hear God’s Word? Why do we go to the strangest places to share God’s Word? After all, can’t we just as easily hear and proclaim the word in glorious venues, like the National Cathedral, or Rick Warren’s Saddleback church, or on some evangelist’s television show? Sure we can! But there are very few opportunities for most folks to visit those places. Most folks need to hear the Word of God right where they are – whether in a small country church, or in a rescue mission, or in a poverty ridden section of town, or even under a bridge where the homeless gather.
Our wilderness is not so much a place as it is a state of mind. When the people journeyed out to hear John, they went to hear a life changing challenge, to begin to understand that this existence has nothing to do with the next one, to experience the Lord Jesus before they actually met Him, and to know His call on their life.
Sometimes I think that the church building is the last place we should go to experience Christ - that the best places are in a nursing home, or a prison, or with a shut-in, or with family at home, or with a stranger at the mall, with a harried waitress at our favorite restaurant, or a friend who is struggling with the adversities of life.
“Wilderness” is where the God-in-us is revealed. “Wilderness” is where the world comes to meet Jesus, without the distraction of all the trappings and formalities of “religion”. “Wilderness” is where the need is the greatest and where the potential harvest awaits supreme.
“Wilderness” is not some place where there is only harshness and hardship and nothing of interest to see. Wilderness is the very place where our vision can become the most acute, where our hearts can be “strangely warmed”, where the world can see God clearly, where His Word takes on the greatest meaning.
Whether it is in the Israelites’ Exodus, or Jonah’s 3 day journey inside of that huge fish, or in Elijah’s headlong flight from his queen, or
- John’s home away from home, or even at the foot of Calvary,if we truly want to experience and to know and to be changed by Jesus’ presence, we need to set the world aside, if only for the moment. That’s what the season of Advent is all about – journeying to the beginning of Hope and Joy and the Way of Salvation, without the distractions of earthliness.
May your preparations for the Birth and rebirth be blessed in rich and marvelous and unobstructed ways. May we all have the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the hearts to know.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
“The One Who Cries Out”
Scripture: Matthew 3:1-12
Jesus certainly had some very unusual relatives. There was Rahab, the prostitute, Ruth, the widowed Moabite, and David, both a man after God's own heart and a murderer. And if these folks didn’t bring enough baggage to Jesus’ heritage, let’s throw in His cousin John.
But John, with all of his strange ways, must be acknowledged as the first one, after Mary and Joseph, to know the truth of the Christ Child. While still in Elizabeth’s womb, John leapt for joy at the very presence of the yet-to-be-born Savior, and in his excitement, he “witnessed”, in no uncertain terms, to his mother (Luke 1:39-45). In his recognizing the uniqueness of Jesus, it was now confirmed that John had been chosen by God as the fulfillment of prophecy, and he began his ministry even before he was born.
Read Matthew 3:1-6
With camel hair to clothe him and locusts and wild honey to nourish him, John began his own individualized and very special ministry. He would never be identified with polite society and the conventional wisdom of Judaism, and he also would never be identified as one of Jesus’ inner circle. He was as radical as the Messiah he was called to proclaim. And he would be as welcome to the ruling aristocracy as the locusts that he ate. Confession? They did that daily, and loudly, as they stood on the steps of the temple, and didn’t need some ignorant itinerant telling them that they weren’t doing it right! Cleansing? Baptism? They were already members of the “chosen” nation – they were already chosen by Yahweh – why should they be baptized?
But rejection by the Jewish leadership could never deter John. He was called to proclaim, and proclaim he did.
Read Matthew 3:7-10
The Pharisees and Sadducees, normally at opposite ends of the religious spectrum, were becoming united in their hatred of John’s message of salvation. They were hearing that their blood line wasn’t sufficient – that they were still going to face “the coming wrath” if they didn’t accept the Divine intervention that was right on their doorstep, and they didn’t like that one little bit. And if that wasn’t enough, John tells them that God isn’t constrained by their understanding that Israel is the only nation, the only people, who God likes.
The great Joe Garagiola tells about a time when Stan Musial came to the plate in a critical game. As a super hitter, Musial was at the peak of his career. The opposing pitcher in the game was young and extremely nervous.
Garagiola, as the catcher, called for a fastball and the pitcher shook his head; Joe signaled for a curve and again the pitcher shook him off. He then asked for one of the pitcher's specialties and still the pitcher hesitated. So Joe went out to the mound for a conference. He said, “I've called for every pitch in the book; what do you want to throw?”
“Nothing”, was the pitcher's shaky reply. “I just want to hold on to the ball as long as I can.”
- Homiletics Online
These learned men weren’t dummies! They knew that judgment would be coming, and that they would be held accountable for the lives they were living. I also think that they had a sneaking suspicion that their efforts were, in all likelihood, insufficient to please almighty God. But just like the pitcher who had to face Musial, they wanted to hold on to their understanding of religiosity as long as they possibly could. And John was telling them that the time had come to “let go”, and that there wasn’t a lot of time left to delay their decision.
This is the worldly view of faith – that somehow, we must have to be involved, to do something that will please God so that we can receive His favor. How could such a simple thing as “repentance and acceptance” be adequate?
A number of years ago when Diane and I were at Apalachin, we were teaching the Junior High Sunday School class, and why we ever agreed to that I will never know! But that’s another story. One day, one of the girls brought in a survey paper with the question “If we are good, will we get to heaven?” 2 of her teachers had already responded, and both of their answers were “Yes. Being good is enough.” I asked if I could respond, and was told yes. So I wrote “No. Only our belief in the goodness of Jesus is enough to get us into heaven.” That, unexpectedly, prompted a 2-3 week discussion that centered on what the Bible had to say about salvation. I don’t know if it made any difference in the kids’ lives, but at least there was one “No” on her survey.
Hanging onto the “ball” of personal effort in gaining salvation, no matter how long we do it, won’t make an iota of difference in the long run, because eventually, we will have to let go! We will either have to make our own inadequate pitch to the best hitter in this world, or we will have to give it up to our “relief”. The second option is the only one that will keep the opposition from hitting a home run against us, and the first one will guarantee that evil will be struck out, once and for all. We have to “Give it up for Jesus!”
Read Matthew 3:11-12
John’s message that Jesus’ baptism and refining is more powerful than the one he is doing with water, does not tell us that water baptism is unnecessary! He is simply saying that our physical baptism is the outward sign of our claiming the inner grace that comes from God Himself. On the other hand, baptism by the “Holy Spirit and with fire” is not, I believe, a reference to Pentecost, but rather is a factual statement that Divine Cleansing and Holy Refining can only come to us through Godly Intervention, through our faith in Jesus Christ. We also need to remember that fire has two purposes – one is to consume, and the other is to purify, and Matthew includes both of these references in the passage.
The believing Church will be refined, and all unbelievers will be consumed.
Jim Wallis, in his book “The call to Conversion”, writes:
“Our call is to seek the conversion of the church in the midst of a crumbling empire, an empire to which the church is now closely allied. Our question today is still the old question of spiritual formation: How is the mind of Christ formed in us and in history?
To answer that question, we need to use an approach which begins by taking seriously the following questions:
1. Will we follow Jesus?
2. Is the Church to be the presence of Jesus in the world?
3. If so, what would Jesus' presence look like now?
-- Jim Wallis, “The Call to Conversion”, (San Francisco: Harper-Collins, 1992).
We will probably see His presence in a very surprising way. I believe that it would, and does, look like John the Baptist who lives on the fringe of both society and the Church, and like John the evangelist who was the only man whose faith was sufficient to allow him to stand with the women at the foot of Christ’s cross, and like Nicodemus the Pharisee who began in faith with a secret visit to Jesus in the middle of the night and who eventually showed far more faith when he took that public stand at Calvary and His presence will look like you and me, loving the people of this wicked old world on behalf of Christ, wherever, whenever, and however they and we may meet.
The need for “one calling in the wilderness, to prepare the way for the Lord” is even more vital today than it was in the first century. John cried out in preparation for the Lord’s first coming, and we must be crying out in preparation for His second. And the cries?
John’s message was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
Ours is “Give it up for Jesus!” And these messages are one and the same.
Jesus certainly had some very unusual relatives. There was Rahab, the prostitute, Ruth, the widowed Moabite, and David, both a man after God's own heart and a murderer. And if these folks didn’t bring enough baggage to Jesus’ heritage, let’s throw in His cousin John.
But John, with all of his strange ways, must be acknowledged as the first one, after Mary and Joseph, to know the truth of the Christ Child. While still in Elizabeth’s womb, John leapt for joy at the very presence of the yet-to-be-born Savior, and in his excitement, he “witnessed”, in no uncertain terms, to his mother (Luke 1:39-45). In his recognizing the uniqueness of Jesus, it was now confirmed that John had been chosen by God as the fulfillment of prophecy, and he began his ministry even before he was born.
Read Matthew 3:1-6
With camel hair to clothe him and locusts and wild honey to nourish him, John began his own individualized and very special ministry. He would never be identified with polite society and the conventional wisdom of Judaism, and he also would never be identified as one of Jesus’ inner circle. He was as radical as the Messiah he was called to proclaim. And he would be as welcome to the ruling aristocracy as the locusts that he ate. Confession? They did that daily, and loudly, as they stood on the steps of the temple, and didn’t need some ignorant itinerant telling them that they weren’t doing it right! Cleansing? Baptism? They were already members of the “chosen” nation – they were already chosen by Yahweh – why should they be baptized?
But rejection by the Jewish leadership could never deter John. He was called to proclaim, and proclaim he did.
Read Matthew 3:7-10
The Pharisees and Sadducees, normally at opposite ends of the religious spectrum, were becoming united in their hatred of John’s message of salvation. They were hearing that their blood line wasn’t sufficient – that they were still going to face “the coming wrath” if they didn’t accept the Divine intervention that was right on their doorstep, and they didn’t like that one little bit. And if that wasn’t enough, John tells them that God isn’t constrained by their understanding that Israel is the only nation, the only people, who God likes.
The great Joe Garagiola tells about a time when Stan Musial came to the plate in a critical game. As a super hitter, Musial was at the peak of his career. The opposing pitcher in the game was young and extremely nervous.
Garagiola, as the catcher, called for a fastball and the pitcher shook his head; Joe signaled for a curve and again the pitcher shook him off. He then asked for one of the pitcher's specialties and still the pitcher hesitated. So Joe went out to the mound for a conference. He said, “I've called for every pitch in the book; what do you want to throw?”
“Nothing”, was the pitcher's shaky reply. “I just want to hold on to the ball as long as I can.”
- Homiletics Online
These learned men weren’t dummies! They knew that judgment would be coming, and that they would be held accountable for the lives they were living. I also think that they had a sneaking suspicion that their efforts were, in all likelihood, insufficient to please almighty God. But just like the pitcher who had to face Musial, they wanted to hold on to their understanding of religiosity as long as they possibly could. And John was telling them that the time had come to “let go”, and that there wasn’t a lot of time left to delay their decision.
This is the worldly view of faith – that somehow, we must have to be involved, to do something that will please God so that we can receive His favor. How could such a simple thing as “repentance and acceptance” be adequate?
A number of years ago when Diane and I were at Apalachin, we were teaching the Junior High Sunday School class, and why we ever agreed to that I will never know! But that’s another story. One day, one of the girls brought in a survey paper with the question “If we are good, will we get to heaven?” 2 of her teachers had already responded, and both of their answers were “Yes. Being good is enough.” I asked if I could respond, and was told yes. So I wrote “No. Only our belief in the goodness of Jesus is enough to get us into heaven.” That, unexpectedly, prompted a 2-3 week discussion that centered on what the Bible had to say about salvation. I don’t know if it made any difference in the kids’ lives, but at least there was one “No” on her survey.
Hanging onto the “ball” of personal effort in gaining salvation, no matter how long we do it, won’t make an iota of difference in the long run, because eventually, we will have to let go! We will either have to make our own inadequate pitch to the best hitter in this world, or we will have to give it up to our “relief”. The second option is the only one that will keep the opposition from hitting a home run against us, and the first one will guarantee that evil will be struck out, once and for all. We have to “Give it up for Jesus!”
Read Matthew 3:11-12
John’s message that Jesus’ baptism and refining is more powerful than the one he is doing with water, does not tell us that water baptism is unnecessary! He is simply saying that our physical baptism is the outward sign of our claiming the inner grace that comes from God Himself. On the other hand, baptism by the “Holy Spirit and with fire” is not, I believe, a reference to Pentecost, but rather is a factual statement that Divine Cleansing and Holy Refining can only come to us through Godly Intervention, through our faith in Jesus Christ. We also need to remember that fire has two purposes – one is to consume, and the other is to purify, and Matthew includes both of these references in the passage.
The believing Church will be refined, and all unbelievers will be consumed.
Jim Wallis, in his book “The call to Conversion”, writes:
“Our call is to seek the conversion of the church in the midst of a crumbling empire, an empire to which the church is now closely allied. Our question today is still the old question of spiritual formation: How is the mind of Christ formed in us and in history?
To answer that question, we need to use an approach which begins by taking seriously the following questions:
1. Will we follow Jesus?
2. Is the Church to be the presence of Jesus in the world?
3. If so, what would Jesus' presence look like now?
-- Jim Wallis, “The Call to Conversion”, (San Francisco: Harper-Collins, 1992).
We will probably see His presence in a very surprising way. I believe that it would, and does, look like John the Baptist who lives on the fringe of both society and the Church, and like John the evangelist who was the only man whose faith was sufficient to allow him to stand with the women at the foot of Christ’s cross, and like Nicodemus the Pharisee who began in faith with a secret visit to Jesus in the middle of the night and who eventually showed far more faith when he took that public stand at Calvary and His presence will look like you and me, loving the people of this wicked old world on behalf of Christ, wherever, whenever, and however they and we may meet.
The need for “one calling in the wilderness, to prepare the way for the Lord” is even more vital today than it was in the first century. John cried out in preparation for the Lord’s first coming, and we must be crying out in preparation for His second. And the cries?
John’s message was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
Ours is “Give it up for Jesus!” And these messages are one and the same.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
“Be Prepared”
Scripture: Matthew 24:36-44
Today is the beginning of Advent – a time of preparation. And believe it or not, Jesus’ entire life was about preparation. You wouldn’t think that the Son of God would ever need to prepare – after all, God not only knows what will happen, but when it will happen and how it will happen. How much more preparation should He need?
But the truth is that while Jesus was fully God, He was also fully human, and humans, whether they want to hear this or not, need a lot of preparation and planning! Jesus prepared for His ministry by going into the wilderness for 40 days of fasting and prayer. He prepared for each day’s effort by getting up early to spend time in conversation with His Father. He prepared for His crucifixion by going to the Garden of Gethsemane for – what else – prayer!
He was prepared for ministry at every moment. And He spent just as much time in preparing His followers, throughout the ages, for their ministry.
Read Matthew 24:36-41
Rebbe Nachman, a Hasidic writer and scholar in the early 19th century, writes:
“Growing spiritually can be like a roller coaster ride. Take comfort in the knowledge that the way down is only preparation for the way back up.”
--Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, in Moshe Mykoff, “The Empty Chair: Finding Hope and Joy”,
(Woodstock, Vt.: Jewish Lights Publishing, 1994), 43.
There are a lot of stories in scripture that include both the positives and negatives, the ups and downs of life and faith. The prophets give the call to righteousness (that’s the positive!), as well as a warning for what will happen if the people ignore the Hope of God (the negatives). The apostles challenge the church to truly reflect on their life in faith, and to give up those things that do not reflect Christ to the world. And the Church of today is called to do the same – to share stories of those times when each of us has strayed, but also how we have been welcomed back to a renewed life in Christ.
None of these stories are intended to give the appearance that the speaker is in any way better than anyone else. They are simply offered to help others to prepare for the day when Jesus comes.
But preparations are usually made as part of a process for a particular event, and they lead us to a date that we know that we must be ready for. Packing for the beginning of a vacation, studying for a test that has been announced weeks before, making arrangements for our wedding day, preparing a message for Sunday morning worship, and so on.
But these are all being made with a date, not just an event, in mind. But Christ’s coming is an event without a date. How do you prepare for something like that?
Let’s start with a look at the process of preparation that lead Noah to his year long journey on the Ark. (Genesis 5:28-9:28)
The people of earth had fallen into a life filled with violence and godlessness. They were only 8 generations removed from Adam, and yet, they had totally forgotten God. Noah – apparently the only righteous man left on earth - was told that a flood was going to destroy all life that remained on this earth, and that he had been chosen for the task of preserving animal life, as well as the lives of him and his immediate family.
Now it’s important to realize several things.
First, Noah was over 500 years old when he started this project. Of course, his grandfather Methuselah lived 969 years, and his father Lamech was 777 at his death, so longevity ran in his family. But if I ever get to be that old (OK – maybe not even that old!), I’ll be thinking about retiring again, not beginning some new effort! But the Lord never gives us a task that we can’t handle with His help.
Second, Noah was never given a time schedule so that he would know when the flood was coming, and when the construction had to be complete, and when the boat had to be loaded and ready to “cast off”. He was simply told what he had to do, what the result would look like, and why he was being asked to do this. I expect that getting an early start the very next day was the first order of business for Noah.
No time schedule, no project schedule, no construction plans – just here’s what is going to happen. And that was enough incentive for Noah to complete the project before the waters came.
The lesson? Don’t worry about when it will happen, just be ready when it does.
Noah knew, his family knew, and apparently all of the animals that were supposed to be on the Ark knew. But the world didn’t have a clue. Did God intentionally omit them from the plan? I don’t think so. I believe that if anyone else had been “righteous and blameless” (Genesis 6:9), as Noah was, they, too, would have been saved. They would have known. They would have heard. But they didn’t.
Be prepared, for “no one knows about that day or hour”.
And how suddenly will the Christ come? So suddenly and unexpectedly that the normalcy of the day will be in full swing, and not a single person will know. And only those who have heard and seen will even have a clue that the day is approaching, that this day is about to be changed in a such a drastic and profound way.
Read Matthew 24:42-44
So the world had better be prepared! All but a very few people missed his first coming. Only a bunch of smelly old shepherds and a few wealthy foreigners knew – and why? Because they saw and heard, and didn’t miss the opportunity to go and see more for themselves.
Were the shepherds prepared? (Luke 2:8-20) They were busy keeping their flocks safe during the long and lonely night, but they were ready. Their eyes were sharp and alert, their ears were tuned for any sound that was out of the norm – they were doing what they were supposed to be doing, and they were ready!
Were the magi ready? (Matthew 2:1-12) They were watching the heavens for a sign of divine activity, and when the star appeared for all to see, they were the only ones who had sufficient wisdom and heart to understand. They were doing what they were supposed to be doing, and they were ready, too!
Those who had been watchful were blessed beyond all measure, and when the Lord returns in His glory, once again, only the watchful, only the prepared, will be blessed.
Bishop William Boyd Grove, former bishop of the Wyoming Conference, suggests that certain words deserve to interrupt all other words and conversation. Words like “The house is on fire!” or “The war is over!” or
- “Your hostage brother has been released!”
These are, in his provocative words, startling, interrupting proclamations that change everything. If the house is on fire, you [had better] run!
If the war is over, you [will want to] dance! If your hostage brother is released, you leave everything and go to meet him!
-As found in The West Virginia United Methodist, April 1992, 11.
During Advent we prepare ourselves for another set of words that change everything: Jesus Christ is born today. Now there’s a few words that completely changed the world!
It’s interesting that so many people make such elaborate preparations to celebrate Christmas, the birth of the Babe of Bethlehem, but so few are willing to do the same for His reemergence as Fully God in all of His glory! We get focused on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, the pageant of maxing out the credit cards, the overwhelming drive to out-give the giving last Christmas.
The preparations are both endless and hollow.
But how should we prepare? We weren’t alive when He came the first time, so preparation for that event is behind us – we can’t do anything about it. But His next coming is getting closer every day, and it’s one that all must be prepared for, because everyone - prepared or not - will know when Jesus has come again. No one can afford to miss this one!
Remember our friend Noah? He was found to be a righteous and blameless man. Remember Job? God told Satan that he was a blameless and upright man. (Job 1:8) “Blameless” seems to be the key doesn’t it? But we are all sinful men and women, and not one of us is worthy of even a single, minor blessing from God! And yet, His first journey to earth in the form of a helpless Baby was the first step in making our preparation for the glorious day that is yet to come. And all we need to do is accept the perfect and only preparation that is sufficient – the one that Jesus has already made for us. His life and death and life – to claim the words that were spoken, and the blood that was shed, and the life that is given. He has made our preparations for eternity, and all we have to do to be ready for that day is to trust Him with our entire life and believe!
Are you ready? Are you truly ready?
Today is the beginning of Advent – a time of preparation. And believe it or not, Jesus’ entire life was about preparation. You wouldn’t think that the Son of God would ever need to prepare – after all, God not only knows what will happen, but when it will happen and how it will happen. How much more preparation should He need?
But the truth is that while Jesus was fully God, He was also fully human, and humans, whether they want to hear this or not, need a lot of preparation and planning! Jesus prepared for His ministry by going into the wilderness for 40 days of fasting and prayer. He prepared for each day’s effort by getting up early to spend time in conversation with His Father. He prepared for His crucifixion by going to the Garden of Gethsemane for – what else – prayer!
He was prepared for ministry at every moment. And He spent just as much time in preparing His followers, throughout the ages, for their ministry.
Read Matthew 24:36-41
Rebbe Nachman, a Hasidic writer and scholar in the early 19th century, writes:
“Growing spiritually can be like a roller coaster ride. Take comfort in the knowledge that the way down is only preparation for the way back up.”
--Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, in Moshe Mykoff, “The Empty Chair: Finding Hope and Joy”,
(Woodstock, Vt.: Jewish Lights Publishing, 1994), 43.
There are a lot of stories in scripture that include both the positives and negatives, the ups and downs of life and faith. The prophets give the call to righteousness (that’s the positive!), as well as a warning for what will happen if the people ignore the Hope of God (the negatives). The apostles challenge the church to truly reflect on their life in faith, and to give up those things that do not reflect Christ to the world. And the Church of today is called to do the same – to share stories of those times when each of us has strayed, but also how we have been welcomed back to a renewed life in Christ.
None of these stories are intended to give the appearance that the speaker is in any way better than anyone else. They are simply offered to help others to prepare for the day when Jesus comes.
But preparations are usually made as part of a process for a particular event, and they lead us to a date that we know that we must be ready for. Packing for the beginning of a vacation, studying for a test that has been announced weeks before, making arrangements for our wedding day, preparing a message for Sunday morning worship, and so on.
But these are all being made with a date, not just an event, in mind. But Christ’s coming is an event without a date. How do you prepare for something like that?
Let’s start with a look at the process of preparation that lead Noah to his year long journey on the Ark. (Genesis 5:28-9:28)
The people of earth had fallen into a life filled with violence and godlessness. They were only 8 generations removed from Adam, and yet, they had totally forgotten God. Noah – apparently the only righteous man left on earth - was told that a flood was going to destroy all life that remained on this earth, and that he had been chosen for the task of preserving animal life, as well as the lives of him and his immediate family.
Now it’s important to realize several things.
First, Noah was over 500 years old when he started this project. Of course, his grandfather Methuselah lived 969 years, and his father Lamech was 777 at his death, so longevity ran in his family. But if I ever get to be that old (OK – maybe not even that old!), I’ll be thinking about retiring again, not beginning some new effort! But the Lord never gives us a task that we can’t handle with His help.
Second, Noah was never given a time schedule so that he would know when the flood was coming, and when the construction had to be complete, and when the boat had to be loaded and ready to “cast off”. He was simply told what he had to do, what the result would look like, and why he was being asked to do this. I expect that getting an early start the very next day was the first order of business for Noah.
No time schedule, no project schedule, no construction plans – just here’s what is going to happen. And that was enough incentive for Noah to complete the project before the waters came.
The lesson? Don’t worry about when it will happen, just be ready when it does.
Noah knew, his family knew, and apparently all of the animals that were supposed to be on the Ark knew. But the world didn’t have a clue. Did God intentionally omit them from the plan? I don’t think so. I believe that if anyone else had been “righteous and blameless” (Genesis 6:9), as Noah was, they, too, would have been saved. They would have known. They would have heard. But they didn’t.
Be prepared, for “no one knows about that day or hour”.
And how suddenly will the Christ come? So suddenly and unexpectedly that the normalcy of the day will be in full swing, and not a single person will know. And only those who have heard and seen will even have a clue that the day is approaching, that this day is about to be changed in a such a drastic and profound way.
Read Matthew 24:42-44
So the world had better be prepared! All but a very few people missed his first coming. Only a bunch of smelly old shepherds and a few wealthy foreigners knew – and why? Because they saw and heard, and didn’t miss the opportunity to go and see more for themselves.
Were the shepherds prepared? (Luke 2:8-20) They were busy keeping their flocks safe during the long and lonely night, but they were ready. Their eyes were sharp and alert, their ears were tuned for any sound that was out of the norm – they were doing what they were supposed to be doing, and they were ready!
Were the magi ready? (Matthew 2:1-12) They were watching the heavens for a sign of divine activity, and when the star appeared for all to see, they were the only ones who had sufficient wisdom and heart to understand. They were doing what they were supposed to be doing, and they were ready, too!
Those who had been watchful were blessed beyond all measure, and when the Lord returns in His glory, once again, only the watchful, only the prepared, will be blessed.
Bishop William Boyd Grove, former bishop of the Wyoming Conference, suggests that certain words deserve to interrupt all other words and conversation. Words like “The house is on fire!” or “The war is over!” or
- “Your hostage brother has been released!”
These are, in his provocative words, startling, interrupting proclamations that change everything. If the house is on fire, you [had better] run!
If the war is over, you [will want to] dance! If your hostage brother is released, you leave everything and go to meet him!
-As found in The West Virginia United Methodist, April 1992, 11.
During Advent we prepare ourselves for another set of words that change everything: Jesus Christ is born today. Now there’s a few words that completely changed the world!
It’s interesting that so many people make such elaborate preparations to celebrate Christmas, the birth of the Babe of Bethlehem, but so few are willing to do the same for His reemergence as Fully God in all of His glory! We get focused on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, the pageant of maxing out the credit cards, the overwhelming drive to out-give the giving last Christmas.
The preparations are both endless and hollow.
But how should we prepare? We weren’t alive when He came the first time, so preparation for that event is behind us – we can’t do anything about it. But His next coming is getting closer every day, and it’s one that all must be prepared for, because everyone - prepared or not - will know when Jesus has come again. No one can afford to miss this one!
Remember our friend Noah? He was found to be a righteous and blameless man. Remember Job? God told Satan that he was a blameless and upright man. (Job 1:8) “Blameless” seems to be the key doesn’t it? But we are all sinful men and women, and not one of us is worthy of even a single, minor blessing from God! And yet, His first journey to earth in the form of a helpless Baby was the first step in making our preparation for the glorious day that is yet to come. And all we need to do is accept the perfect and only preparation that is sufficient – the one that Jesus has already made for us. His life and death and life – to claim the words that were spoken, and the blood that was shed, and the life that is given. He has made our preparations for eternity, and all we have to do to be ready for that day is to trust Him with our entire life and believe!
Are you ready? Are you truly ready?
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
“Contentment in our Thankfulness”
Scripture: Philippians 4: 4-9, 12b-13
(Thanksgiving Eve)
In 1789, President George Washington declared a day of Thanksgiving for our fledgling nation. Many in that day disagreed with his decision, and it wasn’t until 1863, while the American people were engaged in war against each other, that the last Thursday in November was finally proclaimed as a national day of Thanksgiving, and it was not until 1941, on the eve of our entry into World War II, that Congress declared that the day would to be a national holiday. But the unknown hero behind the day was a magazine editor by the name of Sarah Josepha Hale. She had a vision that was unshakable – a vision that spoke of her commitment to proclaiming our gratitude for all who had given so much to make our nation great – including the God of all creation.
And it seems that as the apostle Paul was writing his letter to the church in Philippi, from the confines of a prison, he, too, felt the overwhelming desire to give thanks for all that he had received.
Read Philippians 4:4-9
And he wanted the church to feel that same sense of gratitude. This entire letter is one of thanksgiving, and he even begins this passage by calling the church to “Rejoice in the Lord always!” Rejoice in the times of trial! Rejoice in the times of victory! Rejoice in the times of imprisonment! Rejoice in the times of freedom! Rejoice in the Lord God at all times, and in all places and in all venues, and in all circumstances, whether you feel like it or not. Just rejoice!
And why should Paul, who experienced as much privation as any of the apostles, feel this way. Why should we feel like rejoicing in such an extreme way?
Sara Maitland, in her book “A Big-Enough God”, writes:
“So, as it turns out, we do not have a little, tame, domestic God, thank God, but we do have a huge, wild, dangerous God --dangerous, of course, only if we think that God ought to be manageable and safe; a God of almost manic creativity, ingenuity and enthusiasm; a Big-Enough God, who is also a supremely generous and patient God; a God of beauty and chance and solidarity--or one could [even] say, an Extreme God.”
--Sara Maitland, A Big-Enough God (New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1995).
Our Lord is not a wimp! He does everything in a grand and glorious way. He spoke a word, and creation happened! He created beings, not just to be human, but in Their image and with His own breath! He caused the walls of great cities to simply collapse. He stopped the sun from moving across the sky to gain victory for His people. He sent heavenly, as well as earthly messengers, to speak of His love and glory. And when all else failed, He Himself came to be the perfect Redemption for an unworthy earth.
Why shouldn’t we be giving Him thanks? Regardless of what comes into our human lives, our Extreme and Constant God is never changing, and He continues to guarantee eternal life for all who will accept it. What’s not to rejoice over? He deserves our worship! He deserves our praise! He deserves our lives!
Dale Matthews writes:
It is easy to confuse adoration and thanksgiving, but they are different, though certainly related to one another.
Adoration might be likened to the feeling [young] lovers have for one another as they gaze into each other's eyes, or the emotion that overcomes a parent when a newborn is placed in his or her arms.
Thanksgiving [on the other hand], is a conscious recounting of the blessings God has given us, and a deliberate act of recognizing his work in our lives. I think of thanksgiving simply as giving credit where credit is due -- to the God who gives us life and breath. In the process of giving thanks, we remind ourselves that God is trustworthy, that he cares about us, and that we do not struggle through this life alone.
--Dale A. Matthews, The Faith Factor, (New York: Viking, 1998), 219.
An Extreme God! A Constant God! A Noble God! An Excellent God! A God who deserves all of the credit and all of our praise. And we must never see our thanksgivings as an obligation or a chore. It should be given out of pure gratitude.
Read Philippians 4:12b-13
And in our giving thanks to Almighty God, we gain, in addition to everything else that He has selflessly won and freely given to us, a contentment that will overcome all adversity and acknowledge all blessings, no matter what may come our way.
As we gather around our tables tomorrow, remember Psalm 136 – “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.”
Rejoice in the Lord – not just on Thanksgiving day, but on all days, in all circumstances, at all times, in all places. Rejoice!
(Thanksgiving Eve)
In 1789, President George Washington declared a day of Thanksgiving for our fledgling nation. Many in that day disagreed with his decision, and it wasn’t until 1863, while the American people were engaged in war against each other, that the last Thursday in November was finally proclaimed as a national day of Thanksgiving, and it was not until 1941, on the eve of our entry into World War II, that Congress declared that the day would to be a national holiday. But the unknown hero behind the day was a magazine editor by the name of Sarah Josepha Hale. She had a vision that was unshakable – a vision that spoke of her commitment to proclaiming our gratitude for all who had given so much to make our nation great – including the God of all creation.
And it seems that as the apostle Paul was writing his letter to the church in Philippi, from the confines of a prison, he, too, felt the overwhelming desire to give thanks for all that he had received.
Read Philippians 4:4-9
And he wanted the church to feel that same sense of gratitude. This entire letter is one of thanksgiving, and he even begins this passage by calling the church to “Rejoice in the Lord always!” Rejoice in the times of trial! Rejoice in the times of victory! Rejoice in the times of imprisonment! Rejoice in the times of freedom! Rejoice in the Lord God at all times, and in all places and in all venues, and in all circumstances, whether you feel like it or not. Just rejoice!
And why should Paul, who experienced as much privation as any of the apostles, feel this way. Why should we feel like rejoicing in such an extreme way?
Sara Maitland, in her book “A Big-Enough God”, writes:
“So, as it turns out, we do not have a little, tame, domestic God, thank God, but we do have a huge, wild, dangerous God --dangerous, of course, only if we think that God ought to be manageable and safe; a God of almost manic creativity, ingenuity and enthusiasm; a Big-Enough God, who is also a supremely generous and patient God; a God of beauty and chance and solidarity--or one could [even] say, an Extreme God.”
--Sara Maitland, A Big-Enough God (New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1995).
Our Lord is not a wimp! He does everything in a grand and glorious way. He spoke a word, and creation happened! He created beings, not just to be human, but in Their image and with His own breath! He caused the walls of great cities to simply collapse. He stopped the sun from moving across the sky to gain victory for His people. He sent heavenly, as well as earthly messengers, to speak of His love and glory. And when all else failed, He Himself came to be the perfect Redemption for an unworthy earth.
Why shouldn’t we be giving Him thanks? Regardless of what comes into our human lives, our Extreme and Constant God is never changing, and He continues to guarantee eternal life for all who will accept it. What’s not to rejoice over? He deserves our worship! He deserves our praise! He deserves our lives!
Dale Matthews writes:
It is easy to confuse adoration and thanksgiving, but they are different, though certainly related to one another.
Adoration might be likened to the feeling [young] lovers have for one another as they gaze into each other's eyes, or the emotion that overcomes a parent when a newborn is placed in his or her arms.
Thanksgiving [on the other hand], is a conscious recounting of the blessings God has given us, and a deliberate act of recognizing his work in our lives. I think of thanksgiving simply as giving credit where credit is due -- to the God who gives us life and breath. In the process of giving thanks, we remind ourselves that God is trustworthy, that he cares about us, and that we do not struggle through this life alone.
--Dale A. Matthews, The Faith Factor, (New York: Viking, 1998), 219.
An Extreme God! A Constant God! A Noble God! An Excellent God! A God who deserves all of the credit and all of our praise. And we must never see our thanksgivings as an obligation or a chore. It should be given out of pure gratitude.
Read Philippians 4:12b-13
And in our giving thanks to Almighty God, we gain, in addition to everything else that He has selflessly won and freely given to us, a contentment that will overcome all adversity and acknowledge all blessings, no matter what may come our way.
As we gather around our tables tomorrow, remember Psalm 136 – “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.”
Rejoice in the Lord – not just on Thanksgiving day, but on all days, in all circumstances, at all times, in all places. Rejoice!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
“Bad News for the Idle”
Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15
I have to confess that there are days when I would just as soon remain in bed instead of getting up to face the Lord and all that He has waiting for me. It’s not that I’m lazy, though – I just like to relax after a hard night of sleeping!
Have you ever had those days? When you would rather surrender to the call of the world instead of the one that comes from the Lord? When Israel finally arrived in the Promised Land, after the people who were already living there had been subdued, after they had their farms and vineyards and villages and cities established, the people decided that they wanted to trade in their Judges for a king, and their simple, but mobile tabernacle for a glorious and permanent temple, and then they expected to settle down for a much quieter existence. And in the process, they also traded their trust in God for more worldly pleasures.
Joseph McLelland, in his book “The Clown and the Crocodile”, writes:
“In many ways, if we depend upon our roots to define us, we create a rigid little outline of what our relationship to God is. We take on the attitudes, and accept the priorities of the communities in which we live. But what we gain in physical comforts we lose in spiritual exercise: It is far easier to grow lazy and complacent when we are rooted in a place.
Once you settle down on your own land, turn the humble tabernacle into a great temple, and exchange nomadic customs for agricultural and urban ways, it seems peculiar to pattern your life after a pilgrimage. Since you are not really going anywhere, you begin to think that God stays put, too. “
-Joseph C. McLelland, The Clown and the Crocodile (Richmond, Va.: John Knox Press, 1970), 56.
But God never stays put! He is never still! He is never complacent! He is constantly working in and through our lives – creating and recreating, renewing and refreshing, changing and redirecting. But He wouldn’t have to be recreating and refreshing and redirecting us if we would but stay on track with His leading. But unfortunately, human nature isn’t always attuned to the Spirit – we like to have our own way from time to time!
Read 2 Thessalonians 3:6-8
Now at first glance, it would seem that the people of the first century were not all that different from the people of today. Some were, and are, industrious, while others would, seemingly, prefer to let others provide for their every need. But before we begin to condemn the actions of too large a population, there are many who would like to be gainfully employed, but due to economic or other circumstances, are unable to find a job. That was true in Paul’s time, and it is true today.
So I would like to redefine the word “idle”. Even though Paul’s writing seems to be calling the people to be more active in earning their way in the world, I would like to offer once again the thought that scripture is always oriented toward inspiring us to be more in line with the things of God. So I believe that he is using an earthly analogy to tell us that we need to be more aware of what our faithful service is to be about - that “idle” isn’t so much about our secular employment as it is about our spiritual employment. And you are probably wondering just what spiritual employment is all about!
It means that no matter how much or how little we have, are we faithful stewards in whatever the Lord gives us? I am not implying that unless you give up all earthly employment, and give all of your time to the church, that you are a spiritual slacker! That is not my intent! I am saying, though, that if you think that an hour a week in worship is sufficient to show the Lord how much you appreciate Him, you are sadly mistaken! Paul writes that he and his entourage were busy “night and day, laboring and toiling so that [they] would not be a burden to any [one]” and that they never ate anything that they didn’t pay for.
- Trust me – they slept at times!
- Trust me – they preached and ministered to the people at all times!
They may have worked at a trade to partially defray the costs of their ministry, but people in the church were always helping them with lodging and other sustenance. But Paul and Silas and Timothy were busy all the time, and their time was used to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people in as many places as possible! And they were not in the habit of leaving any town with a full purse of money in their pocket!
Read 2 Thessalonians 3:9-12
Let’s continue with the theme that idleness and unemployment is in regards to faith and not necessarily in a worldly context. Vs. 10 – “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” Think of this in a new way – “If a person will not give back to the Lord, should he continue to be blessed?” God expects so very little from us – He only asks that we show Him our gratitude by following His commandments. Love God with your entire being.
- Love others as if they were you. Treat others as you would like them to treat you. Make a friend, be a friend, bring your friend to Christ. Live the Great Commission
Now I know that these are not the specific commandments that we find in scripture, but if we truly try to do these few things, we, too, will be busy “night and day”! Paul wants us to have a true vision of what a life in Christ is really all about!
I worked at Link as a final inspector on the flight simulators for a year after I got out of the Navy, and one of the guys I worked with – Nick - was a quite a character. We had had a slack period one week, and when we caught up with the installations, we would sit down and visit until someone threw a job into our mail slot, and then we were back to work. One morning, a manager came in early, and saw us sitting around, and the next night there was an edict that if we weren’t busy, we should, at least, look busy. Nick picked up the gauntlet, and for the next 8 hours, he was extremely busy. He was constantly on the go, shuffling papers here and there, peering into cabinet after cabinet and trainer after trainer. At the end of the night, he turned to the rest of us, and confessed, almost sheepishly, that even though he had looked busy all night, he hadn’t inspected or cleared a single job, and that he was so tired that he would never do it again!
Paul’s intention was never that we should become exhausted in our Christian service, he never wanted us to suffer from burn out! But he does believe that the Lord wants us to do what is right, in the eyes of God of course, and not in ours. He wants us to be alive in His plan and to be lively in the goals that He sets. And His plan will never tire us out – and in all truth, it will invigorate us.
Anthony Robbins is a self help author and lecturer. He writes “People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals; that is, goals that do not inspire them.”
—Anthony Robbins.
Do you felt inspired in your walk with Jesus? Or do you fit the model that Paul offers in verse 11 – “We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies.” Busybodies are just that – busy in body, busy in the things of earth, but idle in the things of God.
Read 2 Thessalonians 3:13-15
“Never tire of doing what is right.”
- When we hear of a brother or sister who is struggling in their faith, may we never tire of doing what is right.
- When we know of a homeless person who is shivering in the cold, and hungry for anything to eat, may we never tire of doing what is right.
- When we sense that the Lord is calling us to reach out to a neighbor who is suffering due to a great loss in their life, may we never tire of doing what is right.
- When our friend, or even more importantly our child, is caught up in the throes of an addiction or deeply immersed in a sinful existence, may we never, EVER tire of doing what is right.
And what is right? In 1896, Charles Sheldon published a book by the title “In His Steps”. It is about the people in an urban church who committed, for one year, to always ask one question before making any decision, either professionally or personally – and the question was “What Would Jesus Do?” And it was not easy for any of them. Lucrative business careers became only a memory, relationships suffered and fell apart, a promising singing career was changed from a well paying secular one to one of tent revival meetings, the personal fortune that one person had was all given away. And yet, the movement gained momentum and grew and all who participated were blessed.
The phrase that was popularized in the book has become even more popular today. We see WWJD wrist bands and tee shirts and all kinds of products emblazoned with the logo. But I believe that it has all become too commercialized and it may even have become trite. After all, who among us can actually do the things that Jesus did?
And yet the concept has incredible merit. But I think that the question should be updated. I might suggest that we should be asking “What does Jesus want me to do?” It may not be as grand as the things that we read about in the gospels or the epistles. It may not be seen by others as all that important. But who are we trying to please anyway – the “good” people of society, or the good Lord who is always walking with us and blessing us?
An idle faith is no faith. A faith that is simply busy is no faith. But an active faith that is constantly responding to the call of Christ is faith, and it is what is right. Without an honest faith, we lose the right to sit with Christ at His banquet table, but when we walk in the” right” of God, we will feast on the Bread of Life and will be refreshed with His Living Water.
May we never, ever, EVER tire of doing what is right.
I have to confess that there are days when I would just as soon remain in bed instead of getting up to face the Lord and all that He has waiting for me. It’s not that I’m lazy, though – I just like to relax after a hard night of sleeping!
Have you ever had those days? When you would rather surrender to the call of the world instead of the one that comes from the Lord? When Israel finally arrived in the Promised Land, after the people who were already living there had been subdued, after they had their farms and vineyards and villages and cities established, the people decided that they wanted to trade in their Judges for a king, and their simple, but mobile tabernacle for a glorious and permanent temple, and then they expected to settle down for a much quieter existence. And in the process, they also traded their trust in God for more worldly pleasures.
Joseph McLelland, in his book “The Clown and the Crocodile”, writes:
“In many ways, if we depend upon our roots to define us, we create a rigid little outline of what our relationship to God is. We take on the attitudes, and accept the priorities of the communities in which we live. But what we gain in physical comforts we lose in spiritual exercise: It is far easier to grow lazy and complacent when we are rooted in a place.
Once you settle down on your own land, turn the humble tabernacle into a great temple, and exchange nomadic customs for agricultural and urban ways, it seems peculiar to pattern your life after a pilgrimage. Since you are not really going anywhere, you begin to think that God stays put, too. “
-Joseph C. McLelland, The Clown and the Crocodile (Richmond, Va.: John Knox Press, 1970), 56.
But God never stays put! He is never still! He is never complacent! He is constantly working in and through our lives – creating and recreating, renewing and refreshing, changing and redirecting. But He wouldn’t have to be recreating and refreshing and redirecting us if we would but stay on track with His leading. But unfortunately, human nature isn’t always attuned to the Spirit – we like to have our own way from time to time!
Read 2 Thessalonians 3:6-8
Now at first glance, it would seem that the people of the first century were not all that different from the people of today. Some were, and are, industrious, while others would, seemingly, prefer to let others provide for their every need. But before we begin to condemn the actions of too large a population, there are many who would like to be gainfully employed, but due to economic or other circumstances, are unable to find a job. That was true in Paul’s time, and it is true today.
So I would like to redefine the word “idle”. Even though Paul’s writing seems to be calling the people to be more active in earning their way in the world, I would like to offer once again the thought that scripture is always oriented toward inspiring us to be more in line with the things of God. So I believe that he is using an earthly analogy to tell us that we need to be more aware of what our faithful service is to be about - that “idle” isn’t so much about our secular employment as it is about our spiritual employment. And you are probably wondering just what spiritual employment is all about!
It means that no matter how much or how little we have, are we faithful stewards in whatever the Lord gives us? I am not implying that unless you give up all earthly employment, and give all of your time to the church, that you are a spiritual slacker! That is not my intent! I am saying, though, that if you think that an hour a week in worship is sufficient to show the Lord how much you appreciate Him, you are sadly mistaken! Paul writes that he and his entourage were busy “night and day, laboring and toiling so that [they] would not be a burden to any [one]” and that they never ate anything that they didn’t pay for.
- Trust me – they slept at times!
- Trust me – they preached and ministered to the people at all times!
They may have worked at a trade to partially defray the costs of their ministry, but people in the church were always helping them with lodging and other sustenance. But Paul and Silas and Timothy were busy all the time, and their time was used to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people in as many places as possible! And they were not in the habit of leaving any town with a full purse of money in their pocket!
Read 2 Thessalonians 3:9-12
Let’s continue with the theme that idleness and unemployment is in regards to faith and not necessarily in a worldly context. Vs. 10 – “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” Think of this in a new way – “If a person will not give back to the Lord, should he continue to be blessed?” God expects so very little from us – He only asks that we show Him our gratitude by following His commandments. Love God with your entire being.
- Love others as if they were you. Treat others as you would like them to treat you. Make a friend, be a friend, bring your friend to Christ. Live the Great Commission
Now I know that these are not the specific commandments that we find in scripture, but if we truly try to do these few things, we, too, will be busy “night and day”! Paul wants us to have a true vision of what a life in Christ is really all about!
I worked at Link as a final inspector on the flight simulators for a year after I got out of the Navy, and one of the guys I worked with – Nick - was a quite a character. We had had a slack period one week, and when we caught up with the installations, we would sit down and visit until someone threw a job into our mail slot, and then we were back to work. One morning, a manager came in early, and saw us sitting around, and the next night there was an edict that if we weren’t busy, we should, at least, look busy. Nick picked up the gauntlet, and for the next 8 hours, he was extremely busy. He was constantly on the go, shuffling papers here and there, peering into cabinet after cabinet and trainer after trainer. At the end of the night, he turned to the rest of us, and confessed, almost sheepishly, that even though he had looked busy all night, he hadn’t inspected or cleared a single job, and that he was so tired that he would never do it again!
Paul’s intention was never that we should become exhausted in our Christian service, he never wanted us to suffer from burn out! But he does believe that the Lord wants us to do what is right, in the eyes of God of course, and not in ours. He wants us to be alive in His plan and to be lively in the goals that He sets. And His plan will never tire us out – and in all truth, it will invigorate us.
Anthony Robbins is a self help author and lecturer. He writes “People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals; that is, goals that do not inspire them.”
—Anthony Robbins.
Do you felt inspired in your walk with Jesus? Or do you fit the model that Paul offers in verse 11 – “We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies.” Busybodies are just that – busy in body, busy in the things of earth, but idle in the things of God.
Read 2 Thessalonians 3:13-15
“Never tire of doing what is right.”
- When we hear of a brother or sister who is struggling in their faith, may we never tire of doing what is right.
- When we know of a homeless person who is shivering in the cold, and hungry for anything to eat, may we never tire of doing what is right.
- When we sense that the Lord is calling us to reach out to a neighbor who is suffering due to a great loss in their life, may we never tire of doing what is right.
- When our friend, or even more importantly our child, is caught up in the throes of an addiction or deeply immersed in a sinful existence, may we never, EVER tire of doing what is right.
And what is right? In 1896, Charles Sheldon published a book by the title “In His Steps”. It is about the people in an urban church who committed, for one year, to always ask one question before making any decision, either professionally or personally – and the question was “What Would Jesus Do?” And it was not easy for any of them. Lucrative business careers became only a memory, relationships suffered and fell apart, a promising singing career was changed from a well paying secular one to one of tent revival meetings, the personal fortune that one person had was all given away. And yet, the movement gained momentum and grew and all who participated were blessed.
The phrase that was popularized in the book has become even more popular today. We see WWJD wrist bands and tee shirts and all kinds of products emblazoned with the logo. But I believe that it has all become too commercialized and it may even have become trite. After all, who among us can actually do the things that Jesus did?
And yet the concept has incredible merit. But I think that the question should be updated. I might suggest that we should be asking “What does Jesus want me to do?” It may not be as grand as the things that we read about in the gospels or the epistles. It may not be seen by others as all that important. But who are we trying to please anyway – the “good” people of society, or the good Lord who is always walking with us and blessing us?
An idle faith is no faith. A faith that is simply busy is no faith. But an active faith that is constantly responding to the call of Christ is faith, and it is what is right. Without an honest faith, we lose the right to sit with Christ at His banquet table, but when we walk in the” right” of God, we will feast on the Bread of Life and will be refreshed with His Living Water.
May we never, ever, EVER tire of doing what is right.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
“Don’t Worry – He’s on His Way!”
Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
While our passage today is generally seen in connection with “end times”, I believe that it is more accurately a warning and a cry to the Church of today. 2 Thessalonians is a call to be aware of false teaching and false prophecy. It is a call to persevere in the things of earth - the oppressions, the pains and failures, the lies and deceits and to look forward to the day when Christ will return to claim his people. The Christian Church, during the last half of the 1st century, was all wrapped up in great anticipation of the Second Coming. All that Jesus had preached regarding the Last Days seemed to be coming true. There were wars of tyranny and repression against His people, hatred for the Church was becoming more and more a way of life, the temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed in 70 BC and not a stone would be left standing – everything pointed toward the fact that Satan was running about unrestrained, and therefore a few interpreted this as a sign that the Day of Judgment was imminent – or at least they hoped that it was! A New Testament scholar by the name of Helmut Koester described this time as one immersed in “apocalyptic fervor”.
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3
The Church at Thessalonica was getting all riled up, and they were neglecting the ministries of the day. Fear was settling in – were they fully prepared to meet the Living Christ? They were getting agitated – do our teachers really know what they’re talking about? They were more focused on how God was going to punish their oppressors than they were on their faithful servanthood in Christ! They were sacrificing their walk with the Lord in favor of the hysteria that the false teachings were creating.
Some were even saying that the Day of the Lord had already come! Of course, there was no evidence of that – if Jesus had already returned, where was He? Why didn’t the entire Church know this? Why wasn’t anyone seeing Him? Talking to Him? Falling at His feet and praising Him?
Paul tells them that they are being deceived with the lies of a few – that Christ won’t be returning until the satanic rebellion occurs and Satan’s own man appears to claim authority.
And today isn’t much different. We hear them all the time. "The End is near!" "Christ’s return is just around the corner!" "The signs of tyranny and hatred and darkness and calamity are all around us – how can you possibly not believe that the time has come?"
While Jesus walked among us, He confessed that even He didn’t even know the time or day – He simply knew that it would be. What makes people, spread all over the past 2,000 years, think they can know something that even Jesus didn’t know? The truth is that we don’t want to even imagine that things are going to get worse than they already are! But before the Antichrist is revealed, they are going to! The loss of personal liberties,
the hatred of the earth toward Church, the dominance of paganistic beliefs
– it will get worse before the “man of lawlessness” comes, and even worse than that, after he returns!
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:4-7
The lawless one – Antichrist – will set himself up as God on earth. He will have the full power and authority of Satan, and will do everything that he can to mislead the people of this planet. But for now, his activity is being curtailed. There is a power that, as Paul describes it, is “holding him back”. But even as Antichrist waits for his time to come, there is still evil at work in the world.
And that seems to be the sticking point. Throughout the years, many people have seen the activity of demons as proof of antichrist. But it isn’t. They experience a mounting sense of anti-Christian activity in society, and believe that it is proof of antichrist. And it isn’t. They see world leaders take power and begin governing in decidedly un-Christian ways, and they are said to be antichrist. They aren’t. As bad a shape as the world is in, it’s nowhere near to being like the days before the End.
Think about the periods in history when life was as bad or worse than it is now. Consider the 200 years of Christian crusades, in which hundreds of thousands of people, including thousands of children, died for a misplaced glory. Consider the hundreds of years and thousands of lives that were brutalized during the period of Inquisitions. And all in the name of Christ! Consider the countless people of Africa, who were torn out of their homes and away from their families, for the sole purpose of lining the pockets of slave traders and slave owners. Consider the millions of Jews and others who died in Nazi concentration camps, in the name of racial purity.
It has been worse in the past than it is today. And yet we still hear of people who claim that Antichrist has already been released into the world.
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12
In God’s time – Kairos vs. Chronos – immeasurable time, vs. a given time – the force that holds Antichrist back, will be removed, and, to use a phrase, all hell will break loose! He will set himself up as God, with the true God being set aside. He will do many miraculous signs through the power of Satan, and many will be deceived into thinking that he really is divine!
And non believers will sink even deeper into the depths of darkness, and the Lord will not be throwing them a life line. The time for second chances, the time for forgiveness, will have passed. Vs. 12 – “… all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” And even worse, The Lord’s words to the church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) tell us “So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
Even those in the church who are coming up short on faith will receive His condemnation. This will not be a pleasant time!
The coming of Antichrist will be unmistakable, and, obviously, the time has not yet arrived. So if we still have time, so what if we haven’t made that commitment to Christ? Why worry? There’s always tomorrow!
The truth is that the time gets closer every moment of every day, and no one has insight into when that Day will be. Suffice it to say that when Antichrist is revealed to the world, it will be too late to choose Jesus. So what are we to do until then?
Our job is evangelism – sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as is humanly possible. We have to let others know that not only is more pain on the way, but salvation and eternal life in the name of Jesus Christ is, too! And He will trump Satan – His way will win out! Even though the earth will be devastated, those who are in Christ will have no need to worry! This is the message for today!
And you’re thinking – “But I could never do that!” But we must, and we can! And we are able to do that, not through our own means, but through the leading of the Holy Spirit. We must show the love of Christ to others in new and unplanned ways. It will require our being the reflection of Jesus Christ in uncomfortable ways. It will necessitate the living of a new kind of life – one that is totally unlike that which other people live. It may even mean that we will have to use scripture to reveal the truth of God in Christ. Now there’s a novel approach!
But regardless of how we convey that message, it means that we no longer have the option to wait. Our salvation can’t wait, and our leading others to Christ can’t wait. A few weeks ago I challenged you to greet others with the phrase “Take a risk for Jesus”. And recently, several have been reminding me of those words (It looks like I need to be very careful about what I tell you from up here! Some of you remember my words very well!) And I think I’m supposed to challenge you once more.
And the challenge is this: Don’t be careful! Don’t hesitate! Don’t worry! Don’t be afraid to take that risk! Reach out to all who are perishing because of the lies of society, and through their embrace of false teaching, and for their failure to surrender to the love of Christ, and through their belief that there is always tomorrow.
Don’t gamble with the Lord’s offer of eternal life. There is only one gift of truth, and that is God’s. And one of His time honored warnings is this –
“Falsehood often comes wrapped in the same garb as truth.”
- New Interpreter Bible
That is what the deception is all about. But Christ’s own have a vision that can see through the falsehoods, and we are each called to share that vision with others – perhaps those in our families, maybe those we work with, possibly a neighbor or someone else who we know very well. Maybe all of these! Let them know that the Body of Christ is for them, and that Jesus is the only one who can destroy our “worry”!
Regardless, share the word that our glorious Lord has handed down to you today. Be a true friend to this hurting world – introduce them to Jesus.
He’s on the way, you know.
While our passage today is generally seen in connection with “end times”, I believe that it is more accurately a warning and a cry to the Church of today. 2 Thessalonians is a call to be aware of false teaching and false prophecy. It is a call to persevere in the things of earth - the oppressions, the pains and failures, the lies and deceits and to look forward to the day when Christ will return to claim his people. The Christian Church, during the last half of the 1st century, was all wrapped up in great anticipation of the Second Coming. All that Jesus had preached regarding the Last Days seemed to be coming true. There were wars of tyranny and repression against His people, hatred for the Church was becoming more and more a way of life, the temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed in 70 BC and not a stone would be left standing – everything pointed toward the fact that Satan was running about unrestrained, and therefore a few interpreted this as a sign that the Day of Judgment was imminent – or at least they hoped that it was! A New Testament scholar by the name of Helmut Koester described this time as one immersed in “apocalyptic fervor”.
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3
The Church at Thessalonica was getting all riled up, and they were neglecting the ministries of the day. Fear was settling in – were they fully prepared to meet the Living Christ? They were getting agitated – do our teachers really know what they’re talking about? They were more focused on how God was going to punish their oppressors than they were on their faithful servanthood in Christ! They were sacrificing their walk with the Lord in favor of the hysteria that the false teachings were creating.
Some were even saying that the Day of the Lord had already come! Of course, there was no evidence of that – if Jesus had already returned, where was He? Why didn’t the entire Church know this? Why wasn’t anyone seeing Him? Talking to Him? Falling at His feet and praising Him?
Paul tells them that they are being deceived with the lies of a few – that Christ won’t be returning until the satanic rebellion occurs and Satan’s own man appears to claim authority.
And today isn’t much different. We hear them all the time. "The End is near!" "Christ’s return is just around the corner!" "The signs of tyranny and hatred and darkness and calamity are all around us – how can you possibly not believe that the time has come?"
While Jesus walked among us, He confessed that even He didn’t even know the time or day – He simply knew that it would be. What makes people, spread all over the past 2,000 years, think they can know something that even Jesus didn’t know? The truth is that we don’t want to even imagine that things are going to get worse than they already are! But before the Antichrist is revealed, they are going to! The loss of personal liberties,
the hatred of the earth toward Church, the dominance of paganistic beliefs
– it will get worse before the “man of lawlessness” comes, and even worse than that, after he returns!
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:4-7
The lawless one – Antichrist – will set himself up as God on earth. He will have the full power and authority of Satan, and will do everything that he can to mislead the people of this planet. But for now, his activity is being curtailed. There is a power that, as Paul describes it, is “holding him back”. But even as Antichrist waits for his time to come, there is still evil at work in the world.
And that seems to be the sticking point. Throughout the years, many people have seen the activity of demons as proof of antichrist. But it isn’t. They experience a mounting sense of anti-Christian activity in society, and believe that it is proof of antichrist. And it isn’t. They see world leaders take power and begin governing in decidedly un-Christian ways, and they are said to be antichrist. They aren’t. As bad a shape as the world is in, it’s nowhere near to being like the days before the End.
Think about the periods in history when life was as bad or worse than it is now. Consider the 200 years of Christian crusades, in which hundreds of thousands of people, including thousands of children, died for a misplaced glory. Consider the hundreds of years and thousands of lives that were brutalized during the period of Inquisitions. And all in the name of Christ! Consider the countless people of Africa, who were torn out of their homes and away from their families, for the sole purpose of lining the pockets of slave traders and slave owners. Consider the millions of Jews and others who died in Nazi concentration camps, in the name of racial purity.
It has been worse in the past than it is today. And yet we still hear of people who claim that Antichrist has already been released into the world.
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12
In God’s time – Kairos vs. Chronos – immeasurable time, vs. a given time – the force that holds Antichrist back, will be removed, and, to use a phrase, all hell will break loose! He will set himself up as God, with the true God being set aside. He will do many miraculous signs through the power of Satan, and many will be deceived into thinking that he really is divine!
And non believers will sink even deeper into the depths of darkness, and the Lord will not be throwing them a life line. The time for second chances, the time for forgiveness, will have passed. Vs. 12 – “… all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” And even worse, The Lord’s words to the church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) tell us “So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
Even those in the church who are coming up short on faith will receive His condemnation. This will not be a pleasant time!
The coming of Antichrist will be unmistakable, and, obviously, the time has not yet arrived. So if we still have time, so what if we haven’t made that commitment to Christ? Why worry? There’s always tomorrow!
The truth is that the time gets closer every moment of every day, and no one has insight into when that Day will be. Suffice it to say that when Antichrist is revealed to the world, it will be too late to choose Jesus. So what are we to do until then?
Our job is evangelism – sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as is humanly possible. We have to let others know that not only is more pain on the way, but salvation and eternal life in the name of Jesus Christ is, too! And He will trump Satan – His way will win out! Even though the earth will be devastated, those who are in Christ will have no need to worry! This is the message for today!
And you’re thinking – “But I could never do that!” But we must, and we can! And we are able to do that, not through our own means, but through the leading of the Holy Spirit. We must show the love of Christ to others in new and unplanned ways. It will require our being the reflection of Jesus Christ in uncomfortable ways. It will necessitate the living of a new kind of life – one that is totally unlike that which other people live. It may even mean that we will have to use scripture to reveal the truth of God in Christ. Now there’s a novel approach!
But regardless of how we convey that message, it means that we no longer have the option to wait. Our salvation can’t wait, and our leading others to Christ can’t wait. A few weeks ago I challenged you to greet others with the phrase “Take a risk for Jesus”. And recently, several have been reminding me of those words (It looks like I need to be very careful about what I tell you from up here! Some of you remember my words very well!) And I think I’m supposed to challenge you once more.
And the challenge is this: Don’t be careful! Don’t hesitate! Don’t worry! Don’t be afraid to take that risk! Reach out to all who are perishing because of the lies of society, and through their embrace of false teaching, and for their failure to surrender to the love of Christ, and through their belief that there is always tomorrow.
Don’t gamble with the Lord’s offer of eternal life. There is only one gift of truth, and that is God’s. And one of His time honored warnings is this –
“Falsehood often comes wrapped in the same garb as truth.”
- New Interpreter Bible
That is what the deception is all about. But Christ’s own have a vision that can see through the falsehoods, and we are each called to share that vision with others – perhaps those in our families, maybe those we work with, possibly a neighbor or someone else who we know very well. Maybe all of these! Let them know that the Body of Christ is for them, and that Jesus is the only one who can destroy our “worry”!
Regardless, share the word that our glorious Lord has handed down to you today. Be a true friend to this hurting world – introduce them to Jesus.
He’s on the way, you know.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
“The Blessed”
Scripture: Luke 6:20-31
Some people see scripture simply as evidence of Immanuel - that God is with us. And while it certainly is that evidence, I believe that it must be much more. The Word of God must also be insight into the Lord’s plan, his desire for our lives, and it teaches us right and convicts us of wrong and changes the life that we are so bent on living.
The gospels are a good example of this. Jesus is seen healing the injured and the infirm, he reveals the depth of the truth of God, and he is constantly challenging both his followers and his tormentors to live a different kind of existence.
His life is the very proof that God is with us, but if there is no call to change, if we are allowed to continue living a worldly life while in the presence of a divine Lord, then what is the point?
But I also have to confess that as I read the word more and more, I have to dig deeper and deeper into its meaning for my life. What is it that Jesus wants me to know? What is it that he wants me to do?
Maybe he simply wants me to be more like him!
Read Luke 6:20-23
Last week, I read from Romans 5 – “we rejoice in our suffering..” Our passage today seems to be taking the same tack, except that Romans describes the change that enduring suffering will bring to our lives, while this passage is about the future rewards that will come to those who must struggle now.
Jesus tells us that the poor are to inherit the Kingdom, the hungry will be fed, the sorrowful will be filled with great joy.
This can’t be about today – the poor are still with us, the hungry are still hungry, and the tears of grief and regret still flow, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be doing something about these conditions now! We could probably spend a week on each of these issues, considering what we should be doing about them in the here and now! But that may be the topic for a future series. For today, we’ll take them as a whole.
Jesus is telling us that these conditions are only temporary, and more importantly, that they are not of him, but of the world. And verses 22 and 23 remind us that we aren’t alone. That while the world has hated and discriminated against and snubbed and demeaned his beloved for ages, God is seeing them in a whole different light. His promise is that one day, all will be changed.
The New Interpreter’s Bible says this about the passage “Jesus teachings are scandalous because they overturn every conventional expectation. The scandal of his ministry is that he associated with outcasts, and it was on them that he pronounced God’s blessings.”
Scandal, of course, is from the secular perspective, and it is all because Jesus is about the overturn the “conventional wisdom” of the earth, that all things will be made new!
Isaiah 61 begins with the words “The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.” And the chapter then goes on to list all of the pains and troubles that haunt us in this life, and to describe the restoration that God is going to bring to the oppressed. The expectations of earth are expressed in that famous bumper sticker – “Those who die with the most toys wins!” Jesus overturns that saying, and makes it read “Those who die with the most toys just die, but my people will live forever!” And we can rejoice, even in our suffering, for we have Christ’s promise that the day of “overturning” is on its way!
Read Luke 6:24-26
And the “overturning” will not be limited to only those who have been oppressed. Those who have been the oppressors, and even those who have turned a blind eye to the oppression, will also have a reversal of fortune.
John Killinger, in his book on the Beatitudes (Letting God Bless You [Nashville: Abingdon, 1992], 74, cites Herman Melville's Moby Dick, the great novel about the American whaling industry of the 19th century.
There is an unforgettable passage about a ship's lantern that hung in the captain's room on the Pequod. No matter which way the ship yawed and hawed in the rolling, pitching waves, the lantern always hung down exactly perpendicular to a line drawn through the center of the earth. As Melville said, it 'revealed the false, lying levels' of everything around it.
So it is with Christ.
- Homeletics OnLine
Amos (7:7-8) also speaks about the measuring and plumb lines for Israel, and God has set a reference for us, too. Jesus tells us that those who have received the pleasures of this life are not meeting his standard. The prophets of old received the enmity of earth, and the false prophets of all time receive the accolades.
Have you noticed that we never seem to get it right? Every person in the world is too much like the ship in Melville’s tale – we tend to rock and pitch wherever the winds of life take us, and we fail to meet the standard that is set before us in Christ!
This, too, will be overturned! Jesus Christ reveals the false and lying intents of everything around us, and it’s there for all to see.
Read Luke 6:27-31
Jewish theologian Abraham Heschel writes that God needs not only sympathy and comfort, but partners, silent warriors. We not only need God for help, but God also needs us for help.
God does not need those who praise him when in a state of euphoria. He needs those who are in love with him when in distress....
This is the task: in the darkest night to be certain of the dawn, certain of the power to turn a curse into a blessing, agony into a song. To know the monster's rage and, in spite of it, proclaim to its face (even a monster will be transfigured into an angel); to go through hell and to continue to trust in the goodness of God - this is the challenge and the way.
(Heschel, A Passion for Truth [New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1973], 300-301)
Love your enemies, even if they will never love you.
Do good to those who hate you, even if they keep all of their goodness for themselves.
Bless those who curse you, even if they will never deserve your blessing.
Pray for those who mistreat you, even if their abuse is endless.
If anyone strikes you, don’t retaliate – even if they continue to swing.
If they demand your coat, surprise them by giving them your shirt, too.
Whatever they may need so badly, give them even more – let your generosity toward the world mimic that which you would like God to shown to you.
This is what the blessed of God are called to be, and if anyone ever tells you that only weaklings can be a Christian, know that only the strong, the faithful of Christ can ever stand up to the standard that God has set for us; that the Body of Christ gains its strength and resolve, not by individual efforts, but by being united in Christ Himself; and not by physical dominance but by spiritual grace.
William Barclay writes “We have a Christian duty to encourage one another. Many a time words of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer have kept people on their feet. Blessed is the one who speaks such a word.”
Receive God’s blessings, not for personal gain, but to be able to share those blessings with those who are without. Be the Lord’s partner, and begin overturning the “conventional expectations” of the world today.
Some people see scripture simply as evidence of Immanuel - that God is with us. And while it certainly is that evidence, I believe that it must be much more. The Word of God must also be insight into the Lord’s plan, his desire for our lives, and it teaches us right and convicts us of wrong and changes the life that we are so bent on living.
The gospels are a good example of this. Jesus is seen healing the injured and the infirm, he reveals the depth of the truth of God, and he is constantly challenging both his followers and his tormentors to live a different kind of existence.
His life is the very proof that God is with us, but if there is no call to change, if we are allowed to continue living a worldly life while in the presence of a divine Lord, then what is the point?
But I also have to confess that as I read the word more and more, I have to dig deeper and deeper into its meaning for my life. What is it that Jesus wants me to know? What is it that he wants me to do?
Maybe he simply wants me to be more like him!
Read Luke 6:20-23
Last week, I read from Romans 5 – “we rejoice in our suffering..” Our passage today seems to be taking the same tack, except that Romans describes the change that enduring suffering will bring to our lives, while this passage is about the future rewards that will come to those who must struggle now.
Jesus tells us that the poor are to inherit the Kingdom, the hungry will be fed, the sorrowful will be filled with great joy.
This can’t be about today – the poor are still with us, the hungry are still hungry, and the tears of grief and regret still flow, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be doing something about these conditions now! We could probably spend a week on each of these issues, considering what we should be doing about them in the here and now! But that may be the topic for a future series. For today, we’ll take them as a whole.
Jesus is telling us that these conditions are only temporary, and more importantly, that they are not of him, but of the world. And verses 22 and 23 remind us that we aren’t alone. That while the world has hated and discriminated against and snubbed and demeaned his beloved for ages, God is seeing them in a whole different light. His promise is that one day, all will be changed.
The New Interpreter’s Bible says this about the passage “Jesus teachings are scandalous because they overturn every conventional expectation. The scandal of his ministry is that he associated with outcasts, and it was on them that he pronounced God’s blessings.”
Scandal, of course, is from the secular perspective, and it is all because Jesus is about the overturn the “conventional wisdom” of the earth, that all things will be made new!
Isaiah 61 begins with the words “The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.” And the chapter then goes on to list all of the pains and troubles that haunt us in this life, and to describe the restoration that God is going to bring to the oppressed. The expectations of earth are expressed in that famous bumper sticker – “Those who die with the most toys wins!” Jesus overturns that saying, and makes it read “Those who die with the most toys just die, but my people will live forever!” And we can rejoice, even in our suffering, for we have Christ’s promise that the day of “overturning” is on its way!
Read Luke 6:24-26
And the “overturning” will not be limited to only those who have been oppressed. Those who have been the oppressors, and even those who have turned a blind eye to the oppression, will also have a reversal of fortune.
John Killinger, in his book on the Beatitudes (Letting God Bless You [Nashville: Abingdon, 1992], 74, cites Herman Melville's Moby Dick, the great novel about the American whaling industry of the 19th century.
There is an unforgettable passage about a ship's lantern that hung in the captain's room on the Pequod. No matter which way the ship yawed and hawed in the rolling, pitching waves, the lantern always hung down exactly perpendicular to a line drawn through the center of the earth. As Melville said, it 'revealed the false, lying levels' of everything around it.
So it is with Christ.
- Homeletics OnLine
Amos (7:7-8) also speaks about the measuring and plumb lines for Israel, and God has set a reference for us, too. Jesus tells us that those who have received the pleasures of this life are not meeting his standard. The prophets of old received the enmity of earth, and the false prophets of all time receive the accolades.
Have you noticed that we never seem to get it right? Every person in the world is too much like the ship in Melville’s tale – we tend to rock and pitch wherever the winds of life take us, and we fail to meet the standard that is set before us in Christ!
This, too, will be overturned! Jesus Christ reveals the false and lying intents of everything around us, and it’s there for all to see.
Read Luke 6:27-31
Jewish theologian Abraham Heschel writes that God needs not only sympathy and comfort, but partners, silent warriors. We not only need God for help, but God also needs us for help.
God does not need those who praise him when in a state of euphoria. He needs those who are in love with him when in distress....
This is the task: in the darkest night to be certain of the dawn, certain of the power to turn a curse into a blessing, agony into a song. To know the monster's rage and, in spite of it, proclaim to its face (even a monster will be transfigured into an angel); to go through hell and to continue to trust in the goodness of God - this is the challenge and the way.
(Heschel, A Passion for Truth [New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1973], 300-301)
Love your enemies, even if they will never love you.
Do good to those who hate you, even if they keep all of their goodness for themselves.
Bless those who curse you, even if they will never deserve your blessing.
Pray for those who mistreat you, even if their abuse is endless.
If anyone strikes you, don’t retaliate – even if they continue to swing.
If they demand your coat, surprise them by giving them your shirt, too.
Whatever they may need so badly, give them even more – let your generosity toward the world mimic that which you would like God to shown to you.
This is what the blessed of God are called to be, and if anyone ever tells you that only weaklings can be a Christian, know that only the strong, the faithful of Christ can ever stand up to the standard that God has set for us; that the Body of Christ gains its strength and resolve, not by individual efforts, but by being united in Christ Himself; and not by physical dominance but by spiritual grace.
William Barclay writes “We have a Christian duty to encourage one another. Many a time words of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer have kept people on their feet. Blessed is the one who speaks such a word.”
Receive God’s blessings, not for personal gain, but to be able to share those blessings with those who are without. Be the Lord’s partner, and begin overturning the “conventional expectations” of the world today.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
“Healing for the Chosen”
Scripture: Luke 18:1-8
Have you ever felt that no one was listening to you? Whether you are attempting to express a concern, or a warning, or seek assistance for an injustice, or simply trying to make your voice heard,
it is the worst kind of struggle when you are being ignored and have no hope whatsoever of knowing that anyone cares. And it is even worse when the deaf ear belongs to the very one who can be of the most help.
Read Luke 18:1-3
Moses gave a charge to the judges he appointed to be fair and just in their actions.
Read Deuteronomy 1:16-17
Judge fairly, regardless of who is before you; do not be prejudicial; do not sit in fear of anyone who is powerful or of any decision that is right; God is the ultimate judge.
This parable is offered after Jesus has been teaching about the coming of the Kingdom of God – a time filled with right judgment, perfect judgment, fair judgment – a judgment that will be unlike any that we could possibly find on earth. The woman in the parable not only can’t get a fair judgment, she can’t even get the judge to hear her case! And the plight of a widow was one of the most dire cases a judge could hear. She had no assets, no income, no support of any kind. Many widows had to depend on the generosity of family and close friends for survival, or at the worse, to resort to begging on the street. The judge had an opportunity to ensure that she was cared for, and he wouldn’t even hear her out.
Read Luke 18:4-5
The woman, even though she was living at a lower level of society, never gave up. And eventually, even a man who has no love for either God or other people gets worn down. He makes the decision to grant the woman justice in her situation.
And since this parable is, in truth, about God, we know that the justice she would receive is more than sufficient, and is not simply a matter of law. Her case is resolved, her life is saved, and she is healed from the wrong that has been done to her.
There is the story of a man who came to a holy person seeking healing. The holy person listened patiently as the man listed his complaints and then asked, “Do you really want to be cured?”
The man was shocked by the question and said, “Of course I want to be cured. Why else would I have come?”
To which the holy person replied, “Most come, not to be cured, that is too painful. They come for relief.”
-- Joan Chittister, The Rule of Benedict (New York: Crossroad, 1992), 128.
Why would anyone claim that healing is “painful”? Isn’t it the disease, the illness, the injury that gives us so much pain? Probably because complete healing requires more than just a change in health – it requires a change of heart. Not just a removal of disease, not just a mending of bones, not just the knitting together of a wound, but an entire change in life. As some of you know, my wife Diane has Multiple Sclerosis. For a number of years, she was always trying to prepare for the time when she would lose her mobility and independence. Not only did the disease have a hold on her, but she had a hold on it. Then one day, she was able to claim that she had been healed – not in body, but in her heart and mind. She now witnesses to the fact that, while she still has a few symptoms from time to time, she no longer has fear of the disease, and no longer fears the future. MS no longer has a hold on her, and she has let go of the MS. She has claimed the healing.
Some would claim that this is not the kind of healing that they would want – they want “relief”! But when the heart and soul and intellect are healed, the body is also in a much better condition. When we can finally let go of the pain, when we can claim that the struggle no longer has control over our life, it is then that the healing begins! The widow in our story today didn’t simply receive redress for the wrongs perpetrated against her, but she received justice with all of its ramifications. She would have to begin to accept responsibility for her life, she would have to receive the judgment with grace, she would have to be forgiving and let the past remain in the past, she would have to begin living in the freedom of today and not in the pain of yesterday.
Healing isn’t always easy.
Read Luke 18:6-8
Will the Lord keep delaying the restoration that you have been promised? No, He will not! He will see that you receive justice, and at the perfect time. But we must still persevere in our prayers for that perfect healing – we can never give up, we can never lose heart.
It’s all about the depth of our faith. It isn’t that faith will bring healing, even though it is a big part of it, but the central point of faith is that it sustains us until the time for our renewing finally arrives.
Read Romans 5:3-5
We aren’t expected to rejoice over the fact that we are sick or injured – we are to rejoice in our faith for what God is and will be doing on our behalf through His Holy Spirit.
Today is a day for our healing to begin. And our Lord God, that Judge who wants only the best for us, that marvelous Spirit that is filling us and sustaining us, is listening, and is caring, and is giving.
At this point in our worship, we held a healing service, with an invitation for all who desired to come forward for anointing and prayers.
Have you ever felt that no one was listening to you? Whether you are attempting to express a concern, or a warning, or seek assistance for an injustice, or simply trying to make your voice heard,
it is the worst kind of struggle when you are being ignored and have no hope whatsoever of knowing that anyone cares. And it is even worse when the deaf ear belongs to the very one who can be of the most help.
Read Luke 18:1-3
Moses gave a charge to the judges he appointed to be fair and just in their actions.
Read Deuteronomy 1:16-17
Judge fairly, regardless of who is before you; do not be prejudicial; do not sit in fear of anyone who is powerful or of any decision that is right; God is the ultimate judge.
This parable is offered after Jesus has been teaching about the coming of the Kingdom of God – a time filled with right judgment, perfect judgment, fair judgment – a judgment that will be unlike any that we could possibly find on earth. The woman in the parable not only can’t get a fair judgment, she can’t even get the judge to hear her case! And the plight of a widow was one of the most dire cases a judge could hear. She had no assets, no income, no support of any kind. Many widows had to depend on the generosity of family and close friends for survival, or at the worse, to resort to begging on the street. The judge had an opportunity to ensure that she was cared for, and he wouldn’t even hear her out.
Read Luke 18:4-5
The woman, even though she was living at a lower level of society, never gave up. And eventually, even a man who has no love for either God or other people gets worn down. He makes the decision to grant the woman justice in her situation.
And since this parable is, in truth, about God, we know that the justice she would receive is more than sufficient, and is not simply a matter of law. Her case is resolved, her life is saved, and she is healed from the wrong that has been done to her.
There is the story of a man who came to a holy person seeking healing. The holy person listened patiently as the man listed his complaints and then asked, “Do you really want to be cured?”
The man was shocked by the question and said, “Of course I want to be cured. Why else would I have come?”
To which the holy person replied, “Most come, not to be cured, that is too painful. They come for relief.”
-- Joan Chittister, The Rule of Benedict (New York: Crossroad, 1992), 128.
Why would anyone claim that healing is “painful”? Isn’t it the disease, the illness, the injury that gives us so much pain? Probably because complete healing requires more than just a change in health – it requires a change of heart. Not just a removal of disease, not just a mending of bones, not just the knitting together of a wound, but an entire change in life. As some of you know, my wife Diane has Multiple Sclerosis. For a number of years, she was always trying to prepare for the time when she would lose her mobility and independence. Not only did the disease have a hold on her, but she had a hold on it. Then one day, she was able to claim that she had been healed – not in body, but in her heart and mind. She now witnesses to the fact that, while she still has a few symptoms from time to time, she no longer has fear of the disease, and no longer fears the future. MS no longer has a hold on her, and she has let go of the MS. She has claimed the healing.
Some would claim that this is not the kind of healing that they would want – they want “relief”! But when the heart and soul and intellect are healed, the body is also in a much better condition. When we can finally let go of the pain, when we can claim that the struggle no longer has control over our life, it is then that the healing begins! The widow in our story today didn’t simply receive redress for the wrongs perpetrated against her, but she received justice with all of its ramifications. She would have to begin to accept responsibility for her life, she would have to receive the judgment with grace, she would have to be forgiving and let the past remain in the past, she would have to begin living in the freedom of today and not in the pain of yesterday.
Healing isn’t always easy.
Read Luke 18:6-8
Will the Lord keep delaying the restoration that you have been promised? No, He will not! He will see that you receive justice, and at the perfect time. But we must still persevere in our prayers for that perfect healing – we can never give up, we can never lose heart.
It’s all about the depth of our faith. It isn’t that faith will bring healing, even though it is a big part of it, but the central point of faith is that it sustains us until the time for our renewing finally arrives.
Read Romans 5:3-5
We aren’t expected to rejoice over the fact that we are sick or injured – we are to rejoice in our faith for what God is and will be doing on our behalf through His Holy Spirit.
Today is a day for our healing to begin. And our Lord God, that Judge who wants only the best for us, that marvelous Spirit that is filling us and sustaining us, is listening, and is caring, and is giving.
At this point in our worship, we held a healing service, with an invitation for all who desired to come forward for anointing and prayers.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
“Forgiveness God’s Way”
Scripture: Matthew 18:23-35
When I was active in prison ministry, I discovered one of the great, and generally unspoken, secrets of men who have been found guilty of committing a crime, and it revolves around the issue of forgiveness. Many will come to the understanding of why they need to forgive those who have wronged them – their abusive parents, an unfaithful wife, a deceitful friend, their inept public defender, an opinionated judge. They understand the need to seek forgiveness from their victims. But the hardest thing for most is the vital need to first forgive God (He didn't stop them from committing the crime!) and then to forgive themselves for having inflicted so much pain on strangers and loved ones alike.
The Kairos weekend focuses on many aspects of faith growth, but “forgiveness” is emphasized the most during 3 separate experiences spread out over the 4 days. And most of the men who attend will eventually accept the need to both forgive themselves, and to accept the forgiveness that will begin their healing.
Read Matthew 18:21-22
These verses bring us to the basic truth of forgiveness – that it isn’t ritualistic in nature, but rather must be heartfelt. Peter knew that the law said he must forgive 3 times, but he wanted Jesus to think that he had grown beyond the law. But even though he increased the count, he still wanted to keep count, to know that there was a limit to forgiveness, to keep forgiveness within his own control.
But Jesus lets him know, in no uncertain terms, that forgiveness must be centered in God’s heart, not within the human mind. “No Peter, not even a perfect 7 times. Forgive him My way.” What kind of forgiveness forgives only up to a point, and not a step further? The answer is that it is no forgiveness at all. What kind of forgiveness will expect forgiveness for the big things, but not for the routine things of failure in our daily life? Only a poor and completely inadequate forgiveness would do that.
In the 19th century there was a whole genre of Wild West stories. One of them was about an old cattle rancher who discovered that a young cowhand had been caught in the act of rustling a cow. When the thief was dragged before the rancher, he looked down at the frightened youth and said, “Hang him. Nothing personal, son. I like you a lot, you understand. But we have rules here in the West. Besides, it will teach you a lesson.”
One day, years later, the old rancher dies and appears before the judgment seat of God. As he stands there, he remembers all the mean, horrible things he had done on Earth. He particularly recalled hanging that young cowboy he liked so much -- and he trembled in his boots. Whereupon, the Lord God of heaven looked down upon him in mercy and tenderness and said, “I forgive you. It will teach you a lesson.”
Of course this is only a story, but it teaches us a valuable lesson. And the lesson is this - our way isn’t even close to God’s way! Amen?
Read Matthew 18:23-27
This is one more example of what we can expect in heaven. The servant has not been faithful in his managing of the master’s estate. But the amount that is owed goes far beyond all conscious thought – it is about 10 times greater than the annual tax income for all of Herod the Great’s territories. It would have been in the multi-millions of dollars, and no servant could ever owe that much money to his master. Having an appreciation for a debt of 10,000 talents in Jesus’ day is like our understanding of what a $13 trillion debt means for us! It’s just a very, very, VERY large number that boggles our mind, but we know that it’s a lot more than we’ll ever have or can ever repay!
This servant certainly deserves to be punished for incurring such a huge debt for his master, and, quite honestly, could never in a million years be able to repay it. His only hope was to seek forgiveness for his failure, and to ask for time to repay the money. But the master knows full well that the money can never be repaid, and decides that his only course of action would be to forgive the debt outright.
The servant admits the wrong that he did, and asks for a chance to make it right, but how does the King respond? He forgives the debt that the servant could never repay anyway.
The people of the world would certainly question the sanity of this story. Who in their right mind would ever forgive the repayment of millions, maybe even billions, of dollars? And anyone who mismanages an estate to this degree deserves to spend the rest of their life in prison. And quite honestly, I doubt that any normal person on earth would or could act like this marvelous King.
But then, as we have seen over the past several weeks here, the parables that Jesus told are never about the world – they are about our God and His capacity to be God for us. The truth is that our God isn’t normal – at least by earthly standards! Hallelujah! He is driven by mercy, not condemnation. John 3:17 – “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” We deserve the most intense punishment that even God could devise, but He would greatly prefer that we throw ourselves on His everlasting love and mercy. The king in the parable is so vastly rich that even 10,000 talents can be forgiven. Our heavenly Father is so wealthy in goodness that He can forgive the most heinous sins that we can ever commit. And He has the capacity to go on forgiving 70 times 7.
And how do people respond to the Lord’s “infinite goodness”?
Read Matthew 18:28-31
Yep – you guessed it! God’s forgiveness for our sin is a wonderful thing to behold, but our forgiveness of the pain that others heap on us may not be so forthcoming! Human nature likes to keep things in balance – let the punishment fit the crime, a little remorse for a little sin, “I can forgive, but I’ll never forget!”.
Get the picture? We don’t want to forgive too much or too quickly. But how can we possibly think that our glorious Father in heaven doesn’t know what we’re up to? - That we aren’t forgiving like He has forgiven us? That we’re forgiving with our minds instead of with our hearts? That our forgiveness has limits? That we’re still stuck on Peter’s 7 times, instead of Jesus’ 70 times 7?
Read Matthew 18:32-35
We will be held to account for not only our own sinful ways, but also for the ways we treat the sinfulness that others show to us. We want God to show us His mercy and forgiveness, but do we show that same level of love to others? When in doubt, forgive, and then, just to be sure, forgive some more.
A short mnemonic.
When you stand at the Pearly Gates,
would you rather be told you believed too much or you believed too little?
would you rather be told you cared too much or you cared too little?
would you rather be told you tried too hard or you didn't try hard enough?
would you rather be told you were too forgiving or you were too judgmental?
would you rather be told, Well done, thou hyper-hopeful and risk-taking servant, or Well done, thou sober and play-it-safe servant?
- Homiletics Online.
A couple of weeks ago, I challenged us all to be more willing to take a risk for Jesus! But we will never take that risk if we let our minds rule our actions. We need to lead with our hearts. That last verse tells us “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from ..” – where? Our mind? No! “From your heart.”
Jesus is the life line that the Lord God Almighty has given to each of us, and unless we grab on and hold real tight, we will never be able to live as He lives, to love as He loves, to forgive as He forgives.
Praise the Lord, that His love for the likes of us isn’t a balancing act, ensuring that we receive just what we deserve – no more and no less. I don’t know about you, but when I commit a 6” sin, I want His forgiveness to extend beyond the horizon! And I need to show that same “horizon” love to others.
Praise the Lord!
When I was active in prison ministry, I discovered one of the great, and generally unspoken, secrets of men who have been found guilty of committing a crime, and it revolves around the issue of forgiveness. Many will come to the understanding of why they need to forgive those who have wronged them – their abusive parents, an unfaithful wife, a deceitful friend, their inept public defender, an opinionated judge. They understand the need to seek forgiveness from their victims. But the hardest thing for most is the vital need to first forgive God (He didn't stop them from committing the crime!) and then to forgive themselves for having inflicted so much pain on strangers and loved ones alike.
The Kairos weekend focuses on many aspects of faith growth, but “forgiveness” is emphasized the most during 3 separate experiences spread out over the 4 days. And most of the men who attend will eventually accept the need to both forgive themselves, and to accept the forgiveness that will begin their healing.
Read Matthew 18:21-22
These verses bring us to the basic truth of forgiveness – that it isn’t ritualistic in nature, but rather must be heartfelt. Peter knew that the law said he must forgive 3 times, but he wanted Jesus to think that he had grown beyond the law. But even though he increased the count, he still wanted to keep count, to know that there was a limit to forgiveness, to keep forgiveness within his own control.
But Jesus lets him know, in no uncertain terms, that forgiveness must be centered in God’s heart, not within the human mind. “No Peter, not even a perfect 7 times. Forgive him My way.” What kind of forgiveness forgives only up to a point, and not a step further? The answer is that it is no forgiveness at all. What kind of forgiveness will expect forgiveness for the big things, but not for the routine things of failure in our daily life? Only a poor and completely inadequate forgiveness would do that.
In the 19th century there was a whole genre of Wild West stories. One of them was about an old cattle rancher who discovered that a young cowhand had been caught in the act of rustling a cow. When the thief was dragged before the rancher, he looked down at the frightened youth and said, “Hang him. Nothing personal, son. I like you a lot, you understand. But we have rules here in the West. Besides, it will teach you a lesson.”
One day, years later, the old rancher dies and appears before the judgment seat of God. As he stands there, he remembers all the mean, horrible things he had done on Earth. He particularly recalled hanging that young cowboy he liked so much -- and he trembled in his boots. Whereupon, the Lord God of heaven looked down upon him in mercy and tenderness and said, “I forgive you. It will teach you a lesson.”
Of course this is only a story, but it teaches us a valuable lesson. And the lesson is this - our way isn’t even close to God’s way! Amen?
Read Matthew 18:23-27
This is one more example of what we can expect in heaven. The servant has not been faithful in his managing of the master’s estate. But the amount that is owed goes far beyond all conscious thought – it is about 10 times greater than the annual tax income for all of Herod the Great’s territories. It would have been in the multi-millions of dollars, and no servant could ever owe that much money to his master. Having an appreciation for a debt of 10,000 talents in Jesus’ day is like our understanding of what a $13 trillion debt means for us! It’s just a very, very, VERY large number that boggles our mind, but we know that it’s a lot more than we’ll ever have or can ever repay!
This servant certainly deserves to be punished for incurring such a huge debt for his master, and, quite honestly, could never in a million years be able to repay it. His only hope was to seek forgiveness for his failure, and to ask for time to repay the money. But the master knows full well that the money can never be repaid, and decides that his only course of action would be to forgive the debt outright.
The servant admits the wrong that he did, and asks for a chance to make it right, but how does the King respond? He forgives the debt that the servant could never repay anyway.
The people of the world would certainly question the sanity of this story. Who in their right mind would ever forgive the repayment of millions, maybe even billions, of dollars? And anyone who mismanages an estate to this degree deserves to spend the rest of their life in prison. And quite honestly, I doubt that any normal person on earth would or could act like this marvelous King.
But then, as we have seen over the past several weeks here, the parables that Jesus told are never about the world – they are about our God and His capacity to be God for us. The truth is that our God isn’t normal – at least by earthly standards! Hallelujah! He is driven by mercy, not condemnation. John 3:17 – “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” We deserve the most intense punishment that even God could devise, but He would greatly prefer that we throw ourselves on His everlasting love and mercy. The king in the parable is so vastly rich that even 10,000 talents can be forgiven. Our heavenly Father is so wealthy in goodness that He can forgive the most heinous sins that we can ever commit. And He has the capacity to go on forgiving 70 times 7.
And how do people respond to the Lord’s “infinite goodness”?
Read Matthew 18:28-31
Yep – you guessed it! God’s forgiveness for our sin is a wonderful thing to behold, but our forgiveness of the pain that others heap on us may not be so forthcoming! Human nature likes to keep things in balance – let the punishment fit the crime, a little remorse for a little sin, “I can forgive, but I’ll never forget!”.
Get the picture? We don’t want to forgive too much or too quickly. But how can we possibly think that our glorious Father in heaven doesn’t know what we’re up to? - That we aren’t forgiving like He has forgiven us? That we’re forgiving with our minds instead of with our hearts? That our forgiveness has limits? That we’re still stuck on Peter’s 7 times, instead of Jesus’ 70 times 7?
Read Matthew 18:32-35
We will be held to account for not only our own sinful ways, but also for the ways we treat the sinfulness that others show to us. We want God to show us His mercy and forgiveness, but do we show that same level of love to others? When in doubt, forgive, and then, just to be sure, forgive some more.
A short mnemonic.
When you stand at the Pearly Gates,
would you rather be told you believed too much or you believed too little?
would you rather be told you cared too much or you cared too little?
would you rather be told you tried too hard or you didn't try hard enough?
would you rather be told you were too forgiving or you were too judgmental?
would you rather be told, Well done, thou hyper-hopeful and risk-taking servant, or Well done, thou sober and play-it-safe servant?
- Homiletics Online.
A couple of weeks ago, I challenged us all to be more willing to take a risk for Jesus! But we will never take that risk if we let our minds rule our actions. We need to lead with our hearts. That last verse tells us “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from ..” – where? Our mind? No! “From your heart.”
Jesus is the life line that the Lord God Almighty has given to each of us, and unless we grab on and hold real tight, we will never be able to live as He lives, to love as He loves, to forgive as He forgives.
Praise the Lord, that His love for the likes of us isn’t a balancing act, ensuring that we receive just what we deserve – no more and no less. I don’t know about you, but when I commit a 6” sin, I want His forgiveness to extend beyond the horizon! And I need to show that same “horizon” love to others.
Praise the Lord!
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