Posted by David on August 15, 2004 under Bulletin Articles
After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:21, 22).
Certain statements quickly catch my attention as warnings. For example, I am in a first session of premarital counseling. Seeking to befriend the couple, I ask, “Why are you getting married?” As they look at each other with “goo-goo” eyes, this is their response: “We are in love!” Instantly, alarm bells sound in my head. Is love critical to an enduring marriage? Absolutely! Yet, hormones must not be mistaken for love!
In a similar way, I am very concerned when a person’s primary reason for being a Christian is “to eliminate problems in my life.” What problems? (a) If the answer is to eliminate guilt, accountability for past failures through forgiveness in Christ, hopelessness, and living for something more important than the here and now — excellent! (b) If the answer is to guarantee a good job, a desirable lifestyle, a trouble free existence, lots of pleasure, and the money one thinks “I need” — deplorable!
Christianity has never been about living what the physical world commonly considers “the good life.” We follow a King whose coronation was achieved through crucifixion and resurrection after a life of service, rejection, and surrender. He lived as a servant in poverty. He died as a servant in poverty.
Consider life’s key question. Is life about me or God? The answers to that question are extremely different. Being a Christian because of “me” provides one answer. Being a Christian because of God provides quite a different answer.
This society’s popular answer is this: being a Christian places the focus on “me.” Thus worship is commonly centered on what “I” find pleasurable. Ministry is focused on what “I” find plausible. Service is focused on “my” approval. The key evaluation of everything happening is “my take” on the spirituality of the situation.
In a spiritual climate that focuses on “me,” the message of a health and wealth gospel seems powerfully plausible and most appealing. Why shouldn’t those who belong to the Lord enjoy the best this world has to offer? Surely the “good life” should belong to men and women who belong to God!
Why should the “good life” belong to us? Christians exist as redeemed people in an unredeemed world. They dare to live between the tension and pulls of good and evil. They struggle with temptation as they live among forces that reject God. They get tired as they witness so much unrighteousness and injustice — they weary of being different, not belonging, not fitting. How can those who dearly love the Lord be comfortable in a world that either ignores or hates the Lord?
Those daring to follow God soon realize this world is no friend to the righteous. “The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17). We live to the praise of His glory. Life is about God.
Posted by David on August 8, 2004 under Sermons
This evening I want to call your attention to what I personally regard the classic illustration of transformation. Tonight I call your attention to Paul (Saul). I want us to look at him when he was convinced that Jesus was a fraud, that Jesus was not resurrected, and that the myth of Jesus’ resurrection was the greatest single, immediate threat to Judaism’s future.
One point I want you to grasp is this: the person in the New Testament who had the most to say about transformation was the person who experienced/permitted radical transformation. In the terminology of today, “He had been there, done that, and understood what it was.” He knew “what he was talking about” because he experienced transformation. He knew the difficulty of change [he knew it was hard!], but he also knew the importance of change–transformation is not an option Christians can pursue if they want to!
This is the man who said:
To Christians in Rome: Romans 12:1,2 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
To Christians in Galatia: Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
To Christians in Ephesus: Ephesians 4:22-24 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
To Christians in Corinth: 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
Paul knew that with God’s help transformation could occur and must occur in every man and woman who became a Christian.
- First, I want you to see clearly who this man was when he thought Jesus was not the Christ and was not resurrected from the dead.
- Acts 8:1 Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
- This statement is made at Stephen’s execution [the first Christian put to death because of his faith in Jesus Christ].
- Paul was not only there, but Acts 7:58 states that the witnesses who testified against Stephen and started his execution by stoning placed their outer garments [robes] at Paul’s feet–he kept their robes safe as they executed Stephen!
- He was fully in agreement with killing Stephen!
- That death began a persecution against Christians, and quickly [if not immediately] Paul was involved in inflicting physical harm on Christians.
- Acts 8:3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.
- Pay attention to the words of contempt and hostility describing Paul’s actions:
- “Ravaging the church.”
- “Dragging” men and women out of their homes.
- Putting them in prison.
- Jewish men and women who believed that Jesus was the Christ deserved no respect!
- Jewish Christians as the church deserved no respect!
- Jews who dared believe Jesus was the Christ deserved abuse and pain!
- Jewish men and women who believed Jesus was resurrected deserved to be prisoners!
- Acts 9:1,2 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
- Paul told people who followed Jesus Christ, “I will see you dead!”–and he meant it!
- He did all in his power to destroy those who followed Jesus–his hate for Christians was not restricted to Palestine!
- He must have been highly respected by the Jewish enemies of Jesus.
- He had access to the high priest, and not just anyone could walk into the presence of the high priest.
- He could make a request of the high priest and get a favorable response.
- He could ask for and receive authority to go to Jewish synagogues in a major city of another nation and arrest Jews who followed Jesus.
- He could place such believers under arrest and march these people 4 to 6 days (150 miles) to Jerusalem for trial by the Jerusalem Sanhedrin.
- Can you imagine hating someone so much that you would walk 300 miles to arrest them?
- Listen to Paul’s self description at the point in his life when he hated those who believed in Jesus:
- Paul made this statement as he defended himself before Agrippa in Acts 26:9-11:
So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.
- Note Paul did things “hostile” to the “name of Jesus of Nazareth.”
- Note Paul took Christians in Jerusalem to prison with authority received from the high priest.
- Note Paul used his influence to encourage the execution of Christians.
- Note when Paul found Jewish Christians in synagogue, he abused them in an attempt to make them blaspheme Jesus.
- Note Paul was “furiously enraged” at Christians–we would call him a man out of control, a man filled with hate!
- Note Paul hated Jewish Christians so much that he would go to other countries to pursue them.
- Paul made this statement to Christians in the Roman province of Galatia in Galatians 1:13, 14:
For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.
- Paul said he used to be an extremist in persecuting the church of God.
- Paul said his intent at that time was to destroy the church of God.
- Paul said at this point in his life he was Israel’s ” rising star”–he was going places! He had a bright future in Judaism!
- Paul said he was “extremely zealous” for Judaism’s ancient traditions–he knew those traditions, he followed those traditions, and he defended those traditions! He was a devoted, committed man!
- Paul made this statement to Timothy in 1 Timothy l:12-14:
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.
- God through Jesus Christ transformed a blasphemer into a Christian missionary.
- God through Jesus Christ transformed a persecutor of Christians into a Christian missionary.
- God through Jesus Christ transformed a violent aggressor into a Christian missionary.
- How did this happen?
- Let Paul tell us as he defended his Christian actions before Agrippa:
Acts 26:14-18 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect [Aramaic], “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” And I said, “Who are You, Lord?” And the Lord said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.”
- When Paul understood Jesus’ true identity, everything changed for Paul.
- The pivotal understanding that everything Paul understood depended on the identity of Jesus Christ.
- If Jesus was a fraud, the myth of his resurrection was extremely dangerous.
- If Jesus was God’s resurrected son, Jesus’ resurrection was the hope of all people in all nations.
- When he knew that Jesus was the resurrected son of God, that changed his understanding of everything.
- How much change occurred in this transformation of Paul?
- I want to read some verses from two letters Paul wrote, and I want you to listen for yourselves.
- The first is found in 1 Thessalonians 2:5-8:
For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed–God is witness–nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority. But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.
- How much transformation occurs when you go from being a violent aggressor who dragged men and women out of their homes, put them in prison, and encouraged their execution to a gentle man who lovingly works for the faith he hated?
- How much transformation occurs when you go from being a violent, hate filled man to being a man filled with love who will die for the faith he hated?
- The second statement I want to read to you is found in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10:
Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me–to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weakness’, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weakness’, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
- How much transformation occurs if you go from willingly inflicting pain on other people to willingly enduring pain inflicted on you?
- How much transformation occurs if you go from being totally self-reliant and self-confident to being totally dependent?
- I want to conclude these thoughts by asking you some questions.
- How has belonging to Jesus Christ changed you as a person?
- Would you be any different if you did not believe Jesus was the resurrected Christ?
- Can someone who has known you for years look at your life and see the ways Christ has changed you as a person?
- Is it very obvious in the way you behave that Christ is in control of your life?
The objective of living as a Christian is to be transformed.
Posted by Chris on under Sermons
"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them–bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard) — if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority."
- Destructive Heresy
. – Peter has assured us that he is a reliable teacher and preacher. He is a witness to something greater than himself. What he experienced confirms the prophecy of Scripture. It is no myth. And this matters because Peter has taught the churches and has passed on to us the truth about living godly – participating in the divine nature.
By contrast, there are unreliable teachers. Their teaching and the foundation for their teaching is different from Peter’s. As a result, their teaching does not lead to participation in the divine nature. Rather, it encourages the impulses of the sinful nature. Their teaching is based on false conclusions and as a result there is no motivation to live a godly life.
We dare not affix the label of false teacher too easily. We have done so with everything from forms of worship, use of church property, to the administration of funds for the poor. Ascribing the label of false teacher too casually can desensitize us to the truly destructive and unhealthy effect of bad teaching. Scripture recognizes that there are disputable matters, and conflict over disputable matters can make us very anxious. But the sort of false teaching that Peter describes is much more insidious than conflict over disputable matters. It is dangerous because it tampers with the foundation of faith (1:3-5) that is the power for godly living.
Those whom Peter calls false teachers are doing far worse than voicing a dissenting opinion or holding to a belief without fully understanding it. Their activity and teaching is much more destructive and sinful.
A Dangerous Alternative: A heresy is more than a different viewpoint or dissenting opinion. It is more than a measure of doubt. A heresy is a school of thought so different that it represents a alternate faction or school of thought and practice. Peter says that the false teachers have rejected or denied the God who ransomed them. That’s a serious alternative – so serious that it forms an alternate faction, or heresy – and since the foundation of truth and the power to save has been rejected, the heresy will result in destruction. Destruction and ruin are the inevitable products of this orientation toward the sinful nature, just as godliness and love are the products of the orientation toward the divine nature.
- God Knows How To. – Peter is taking the opportunity of his final testimony to warn believers to avoid the destruction that will result by adopting the orientation of the false teachers. To do this, he draws our attention to the "big picture." There is right and wrong not only in our everyday choices, but also on a cosmic and historical scale. Even the angels are held accountable to the rule of God and they cannot claim special privilege simply because they are from heaven. Even the people of the ancient world were held accountable to the rule of God and no one can say that the people of olden times are right simply by virtue of being part of the past. In every time and in every dimension of reality, God knows how to rescue godly people from their trials and to hold unrighteous people for punishment on the day of judgment.
Why so hard on sin? Why is God so judgmental?
- The false alternatives are dangerous and destructive. They are destructive, poisonous seeds of death. They germinate into corruption.
God’s opposes the heresy with zero tolerance because such rebellion and predation must end. Wouldn’t we be against an alternative that leads to destruction … (The ship wreckers and mooncussers – For the sake of profit, the mooncussers lured merchant ships to destruction with false lights).
- Redemptive Intervention. God’s judgment is actually a gracious thing. It is redemptive. Without being intolerant of destruction and divisiveness, without being intolerant of the sin there cannot be conversion and restoration. God did not establish law prophets and Jesus in order to populate hell. That is not his purpose. Judgment is an aspect of Salvation. Like an intervention. Interventions = they are intolerant because they are for the saving of one who is destroying his/her life.
If we share in Christ’s nature, then like him we will also regard our presence in this world as redemptive. That becomes our mission.
- The Faithful Minority. –
There is no virtue in damning the lost so we might be assured of our salvation. That was never Jesus’ message nor mission. We wait for Christ’s return to this world – his first coming into the world was not to condemn, but to save. His second coming will also be a saving event. He will come to restore all things as they were before the corruption of sin.
Remember how God saved Noah and Lot? In opposing the destruction of wickedness God remained faithful to the righteous. Remember that God was willing to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if there were more righteous – that’s what he promised to Abraham. Even if we are in the minority, we can be assured of God’s faithfulness and his power to rescue us from sin and unrighteousness.
If we had a greater grasp of the awesome danger of sin and the wonderful mercy of God would they change the way we live among others; would we be more trusting of God’s power to save us and others as well?
July 4, 1854, Charley Peace, a well-known criminal in London was hung for his crimes. The execution was performed with formal ceremony. There was a priest present who read the formal prayer prescribed for executions. As Charley was marched onto the gallows a priest read these words from his book: "Those who die without Christ experience hell, which is the pain of forever dying without the release which death itself can bring."
At the reading of these chilling words, Charlie Peace stopped, turned to the priest and shouted in his face, "Do you believe that? Do you believe that?"
The priest, stunned by the verbal assault, stammered for a moment and then said, "Well I suppose do." "Well I don’t," said Charlie. "But if I did, I’d get down on my hands and knees and crawl all over Britain, even if it were paved with pieces of broken glass, if I could rescue one person from what you just told me."
God forgive us for thinking that we are more righteous if we condemn rather than save. As we get pushed more and more to the margins and out of the majority we may grow angry and hopeless and that will lead us to an attitude of negative condemnation.
God has quite a bit of experience in saving and judging. God knows what he is doing. It is his nature.
And it is about time we started acting like "Gods knows how" and get away from the mistaken notion that we know how to do everything ourselves. We have come to understand "work out your own salvation" to mean that it is all up to us. But Peter is calling the faithful to place their confidence in God’s ability to save.
[Ironically, if we are at all doubtful that we might be saved and certain that condemnation is all we can expect, then chances are we will act on what we are most confident about – condemnation. And we will judge others and condemn them.]
Trust God to judge and save – that’s Peter’s gospel and it is ours, too. God knows what he is doing! All we need do is offer the light of the lamp shining in the dark. The light of the morning star.
You don’t have to condemn before you can save others! Just this: Keep yourself in safety and snatch others from the fire (Jude 21-23). The only way we are going to be able to help save others is if we trust God to save us. If we really don’t believe what we say, then no wonder we are ineffective in calling many more to participate in the divine nature. And we certainly won’t help anyone if we ourselves do not participate in the divine nature. [If the people who follow the teachings of Christ do not demonstrate a code of ethics and behavior different from the world around them; Barna shows this is the major hindrance to Christian witness today – add citation].
Your salvation is not simply exemption from Hell. If you possess the virtues of the godly life, your life is effective and productive. It is a witness to those who might otherwise die without Christ.
Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles
“Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God” (1 Peter 4:1, 2).
One of the greatest deceits in the American social/cultural/political perspective: “God wants me to be happy.” Of course, “I” decide what will and will not make “me” happy.
- My feelings define happiness. [I feel sad, not happy!]
- I demand instant gratification. [This is not fun! I want fun now!]
- I want to be where culture says I should be. [Stop wasting yourself!]
- I want to satisfy greedy ambitions. [If I had ___ or did ___, I would be happy!]
- I become a selfish person who places life’s emphasis on “me.” [Nothing is as important as my happiness!]
(Please understand happiness is an extremely difficult, complex discussion. This is a discussion of a general principle, not an unusual situation.)
Consider one point. Begin by noting (and confessing) our arrogance as a culture and a nation. What people are so arrogant as to put in their constitution the right to pursue happiness? (Have you wondered how much that perceived right factors into personal expectations?) What country dares to be so arrogant as to determine its political policies on this basis: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” (We are to determine what is best for a nation on the basis of subjective personal desires?) Thus, if we do not have everything we want, an undefined someone else is to blame.
God’s goal is to move us in His direction. Satan’s goal is to move us further from God. In the beginning God provided for our ultimate desires and needs. Near the beginning Satan deceived us with promises of pleasure. Suffering was not part of God’s provisions. Satan’s deception produced suffering, enormous loss, and pain.
Even though pain was the consequence of deception, our incredible God uses deception’s consequences (pain and suffering) to guide us back to Him. The greatest blessings in our past came through the honesty of pain, not the deceptions of pleasure.
Our most valuable lessons learned from experience are lessons we learned through pain. That does not mean we want to visit those painful circumstances again. It means we learned life’s choice lessons from that pit of suffering. It means our pain and suffering can become God’s constructive tools.
The greatest blessings we have in life (mercy, grace, forgiveness, redemption, purity) were produced by God through suffering — Jesus’ experiences in death. The greatest hopes we have in life (physical death not being “the end” and the joys of a world of righteousness) were produced by God through resurrection — God through Jesus is more powerful than physical death.
The issue in suffering and pain is not, “How can I be happy and endure this?” For the Christian, the issue in pain and suffering is, “How can my pain be God’s helpful tool?”
Posted by David on August 1, 2004 under Sermons
When I was a boy, an old-but-trusted adage said, “Birds of a feather flock together.” It meant, “Be careful who you run with because you will be judged by the company you keep.” People always have had the tendency to judge a person by the company he keeps.
Recently I was in a graduate class with a man who had been converted primarily through his own study. He came from an area of the country quite different from the south or southwest. He obviously was a person who loved to read and loved to think. For a while, prior to graduate studies, he worked as a minister in a small but growing congregation.
He told of one dedicated, mature Christian who made many of his contacts and did much of his work by visiting local bars. This Christian did not drink. He was known by the people in the bars. He had an effective outreach. He was much respected by people in the bars.
Two Questions. (1) Was he letting God’s light shine through by refusing to live in isolation? (2) Was he hiding God’s light by going into a “place of darkness”?
Matthew 11:16-19 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children, and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
Is it impossible to be God’s lights in the world if we have no contact with the world? Is it possible to be God’s preserving salt in the world if we exist in isolation?
Consider one of Jesus’ prayers the last night of his physical life:
John 17:14-16 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”
This evening I would like to continue my recent focus. We began by this emphasis by stressing the fact that we sustained an enormous loss when we made evil a part of human existence. Any attempt to return to what God intended us to be when He made us will involve radical transformation. If we move in the direction of God, there will be radical change in our personal lives. That change will not be understood by those who are not moving toward God. The only explanation for that change is the influence of Jesus Christ on our existence.
The last time I spoke to you I spoke about the Jewish publicans or tax collectors. I used some of them to illustrate transformation. This evening I want to use what the gospels refer to as “the sinners” to illustrate transformation.
- Consider Jewish repayment for wrongful acts.
- In our last lesson I mentioned the commitment Zaccheus made to repay anyone he had wronged.
- He declared he would repay “four fold” or “four times as much” to those he wronged.
- That is 400%.
- The Jewish repayment for wrongful acts was a Jewish response to acts of injustice.
- From early history in Israel, restitution must include more than the full amount.
- Exodus 22:1 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.”
- Leviticus 6:5 “…anything about which he swore falsely; he shall make restitution for it in full and add to it one-fifth more. He shall give it to the one to whom it belongs on the day he presents his guilt offering.”
- Numbers 5:7 “then he shall confess his sins which he has committed, and he shall make restitution in full for his wrong and add to it one-fifth of it, and give it to him whom he has wronged.”
- The classic case is Nathan’s confrontation of King David about the incident of Uriah and Bathsheba.
- When David heard the parable about the rich man who stole the lamb, he was consumed with anger.
- David said the man deserved to die for what he did, but he would make a “four fold” restitution.
- To me, the point to be understood about Zaccheus is seen in his seriousness–he would give of everything he owned to the poor and make “four fold” restitution to anyone he defrauded. (Luke 19:8)
- He would not be a hard hearted Jewish tax collector.
- He would be a compassionate man.
- Following Jesus would make an visible change in who he was.
- May I now call your attention to people in the gospels that were called “the sinners” by many first century Jewish people, including Jewish leadership.
- By Jewish standards, these were irreligious Jews.
- If in your thinking, you see all first century Jewish people as being devout Israelites who are dedicated to Israel’s religious ways, I challenge you to change your thinking.
- In every religious society, there are people who do not wish to follow God.
- First century Israel was not an exception.
- I surely hope that we understand as a church we are not an exception.
- Because you live in a religious society does not mean you are a religious person.
- First century Israel had a segment of their society who rejected the religious standards of society.
- Those people had a number of motives for not being religious.
- Some thought the religious standards were ridiculous foolishness, the religious people were fake, and Jewish society needed to join the progress of the rest of the world.
- Some wanted the pleasurable lifestyle forbade by Jewish law and Jewish tradition.
- Some wanted the money Jewish standards forbade.
- Some resented religious people and wanted no part of their ways.
- Some turned to “taboo” practices because they felt forced into those practices by economic realities in their lives.
- Whatever their motivation, these people were clearly known by the religious society as being non-compliant, rebellious Jews.
- “Sinners” as a visible part of society included a lot of different people–the word was used in reference to “Jewish religious outcasts” and to gentiles.
- To be classified as a “sinner” in first century Jewish society was not a good thing! You were regarded as a social misfit who did not belong–religious people did not want you in their home!
- It included tax collectors.
- It included prostitutes.
- It included people who did not worship at the synagogue on Saturday or at the temple on special holy days.
- It included all people who were not Jewish or proselytes [thus it included all the people Jews called gentiles].
- It definitely included people who did not live by and practice the Jewish “holiness code.”
- For a moment, let me discuss the “holiness code.”
- In the first century, there are certain things devout Jews always did.
- Let’s begin by focusing on their concept of “cleanliness” or purity.
- A person could become spiritually unclean just by touching something spiritually unclean.
- Therefore you limited your physical contact with anything that was considered impure or unclean.
- There were certain people you did not have in your home–like Samaritans, idol worshippers, or sexually immoral people.
- You did not touch the dead bodies of people or animals.
- You did not touch anything people with leprosy touched.
- You ate kosher food prepared in the approved manner. (Leviticus 11 contained a list of things Jewish people could and could not eat.)
- You kept the holy days in the approved ways at the approved times–that included offering proper sacrifices and eating the proper feasts.
- If you did not do those things, you were unclean.
- Remember: all these things were done for religious reasons, not for hygiene reasons.
- When I grew up, we had and practiced a form of the holiness code (as expressions of religious dedication).
- You did not drink.
- You did not cuss.
- Men and women did not swim together.
- You went to the church building every time the doors were open (there were times when Sunday evening attendance exceeded Sunday morning attendance).
- You did not attend movies.
- There were certain words you did not use–like pregnant.
- There were certain kinds of clothing you did not wear–you must never expose your body in public (I even remember a discussion about women wearing jeans).
- In either Israel of the first century or in my youth, were those “bad things”?
- No!
- However, neither were those things a substitute for having the faith of dependence on God.
- The true issue is far deeper than merely yielding to authority.
- The basic issue is having a faith that depends on God.
- A person must not put his or her confidence in what he or she does.
- A person must put his or her confidence in God.
- One is not holy because he or she follows the proper “code;” one is holy because he or she places his or her faith in God, that faith is a faith that depends, and that faith is in control of one’s lifestyle.
- Often it is the unholy person who turns to God who deeply appreciates God’s mercy and kindness.
- With the things I have said as a background, I want to read three scriptures to you, and I ask you to listen to hear what is going on.
- Mark 7:1-8 The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?” And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”
- Matthew 15:1-9 Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ “
- Luke 7:36-50 Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.” And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
- If a “sinner” was a “sinner” because he or she used self or body for ungodly purpose, when the “sinner” turned to Jesus, would the “sinner” continue to do ungodly things?
- No!
- In fact, if you knew that person had been a sinner and you saw him or her after they turned to Jesus, you likely would say, “Didn’t they use to …?” Following Jesus changes who you are.
It is true that our world needs to hear more about godly existence. But that is not enough. Our world needs to see lives that have been transformed in Jesus. Until the world can see the impact Jesus has on the way we live, the world had no reason to listen to what we say.
Posted by Chris on under Sermons
In recent decades, there has been so-called experts who deny that there was a Holocaust initiated by the Nazis. To overcome this denial of tragedy, those who survived the holocaust have made an effort to tell their stories. Whereas the deniers attempt to gather scientific evidence and patch together historical information, the survivors tell their stories. They relate the events that they and others experienced. They are eyewitnesses.
(Robert Clary: In 1980 Robert felt the need to talk about his experience during the war; he began speaking publicly through the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s nationally acclaimed outreach program. "For 36 years I kept these experiences during the war locked up inside myself. But those who are attempting to deny the Holocaust, my suffering and the suffering of millions of others have forced me to speak out." -from RobertClary.com )
Peter: The Eyewitness of Christ’s Majesty
- There were scoffers and false teachers within the church who claimed that the apostles fabricated the expected return of Christ. They claimed it was a myth – something that the apostles devised to impose morals on the church.
- Epicurus among others in antiquity who opposed myths. They claimed they were nothing more than fanciful tales meant to goad superstitious people.
- Peter makes a point to assure the believers that the things that he and the other apostles taught are no myths …
- His appeal is to something he himself saw, and the word of God … They witnessed to something outside themselves, something from God:
1 Peter 1:16-18
16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
Peter’s Witness- This is No Myth!
- I saw the majesty!
- Peter’s first response to the charge that Christ’s return is a myth is that he is an eyewitness to the glory and power of Christ, the Son of God.
- He saw the "transfigured" Christ on the mountain …
- The Transfiguration (Mark 9:1-13)
- The apostles are headed up the mountain. They have hopes that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is filled with the glory and majesty of God. It changes his appearance – he’s radiant! Moses and Elijah speak to him. The appearance of these two figures triggers awe and hope! They are the heralds of the Messiah! This is the installation of Christ as ruler over the earth! This is his crowning as King!
- Here’s a vision that stirs the apostles’ passion and hopes – but they don’t quite understand. Peter speaks up ready to make three tabernacles to establish the presence of heaven on earth – the beachhead of the invasion from heaven! And since Peter, doesn’t quite grasp everything that is taking place, the voice of God from heaven booms out "This is my son, listen to him!"
- I heard the voice!
- What Peter saw was not left to his interpretation. Peter saw it and heard it. The voice of God from heaven declared that Jesus is the Son of God. God’s approval and appointment of Jesus is made clear.
- And this is more than simply the Father affirming the Son. He is exalting Jesus as the Christ – the Messiah, or the Anointed One. This means that Jesus is invested with the authority to rule and he takes on the power and glory of heaven to accomplish this mission.
- (To assert his power over Scotland nearly 700 years ago, Edward I of England took the crown of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny, upon which the Kings of Scotland were crowned. Nevertheless, Robert the Bruce threatened the rule of Edward when he declared himself to be King. The pronouncement of a king is a profound event!)
- For Peter, the eyewitness, this voice gives meaning to what he sees. This is no mystical vision or dream left open to his interpretation. The voice of God gives it a clear caption explaining the event.
- Pay attention to Scripture – Scripture confirms Peter’s experience, and his experience confirms Scripture!
19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
- The event that Peter witnessed, the majesty of the Son of God and his appointment as King and Judge of all the earth, is confirmed not only by Peter’s witness but also through Scripture. And notice that he considers Scripture to originate from a source outside of any individual prophet – it originates from God!
- The nations rage against God. But God is not threatened. Instead he laughs. He establishes his king, the final king, on the holy mountain and this king will subdue the earth.
- When did this happen? Peter understands that God established his final, end of time king at the transfiguration. (Christ was approved, anointed, appointed – He saw it, He heard it – Reading Psalm 2 [vs 6-9] it must have all come together.)
- This king will subdue all the earth and bring it under the authority of God. When did that happen? The subjugation of the rebellious world is still in the future. Therefore, since Christ was appointed the end-time king, and that king MUST rule the world, he MUST come back to finalize the rule of God. His return is inevitable.
- Hope!
Conclusion:
The expectation of Christ’s should be certain to the believer. It’s not optional.
- Living with hope and eternal expectation. The aim of Epicureans and Humanists is to seek pleasure in the ordinary human lifespan. But their philosophy has no hope. The witness of the apostles and Scripture is a light shining in a dark place. It is a beam of hope for our hopeless and despairing world.
- But this lamp is just for the darkness. The glory of Jesus, his rising and his return is like the morning star that signals the coming of daylight! The word of God is like a lamp shining through the murkiness of the hopelessness and ignorance of this world. And when the morning star rises, we know that the Day is coming soon!
- Paying attention to the lamp and reflecting the glory Peter witnessed means sharing in his divine glory. It means growing in godliness and excelling in love.
As newsman Clarence W. Hall followed American troops through Okinawa in 1945, he and his jeep driver came upon a small town that stood out as a beautiful example of a Christian community. He wrote, “We had seen other Okinawan villages… down at the heels and despairing; by contrast, this one shone like a diamond in a dung heap. Everywhere we were greeted by smiles and dignified bows. Proudly the old men showed us their spotless homes, their terraced fields… their storehouses and granaries, their prized sugar mill.”
Hall said that he saw no jails and no drunkenness, and that divorce was unknown in this village. He was told that an American missionary had come there some 30 years earlier. While he was in the village, he had led two elderly townspeople to Christ and left them with a Japanese Bible. These new believers studied the Scriptures and started leading their fellow villagers to Jesus. Hall’s jeep driver said he was amazed at the difference between this village and the others around it. He remarked, “So this is what comes out of only a Bible and a couple of old guys who wanted to live like Jesus.”
- If we will pay attention to the lamp shining in the dark place (the apostle’s message and Scripture) then we can reflect the hope of the Christ’s return in a hopeless world. Church, we need to be the diamond in the dung heap.
Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles
It is down right unnerving! We are in a society that overwhelmingly is composed of people who chase the American dream. As a society, we believe in the American dream without questioning. We are sure the keys to the “good life” are on the American dream’s key ring. Thus, achieving the American dream makes life good!
The American dream gives us the right to pursue happiness. The keys to happiness are wealth, a superb lifestyle, many possessions, limited responsibility, and lots of personal pleasure (as defined by each person).
So we work ourselves to death pursuing the American dream. Why? We are convinced it is essential for the pursuit of happiness. We get money, but we are not happy. The conclusion: we do not have enough money. We purchase the equipment for a superb lifestyle (wonderful homes, “bells and whistles” automobiles, recreational equipment), but we are not happy. The conclusion: “We need something else.” Most of us have difficulty listing everything we own (or does it own us?), but we are not happy. The conclusion: “Let’s be super consumers who live to possess.” We work hard to reach a time when we have little responsibility, but we are not happy (we are bored!). We indulge our pursuits of pleasures only to find devoting life to pleasure is meaningless. The conclusion: we are confused and feel betrayed!
Think! Is it not amazing that so many who pursue the American dream never find happiness? Many (the greater majority) commit to the journey. Yet before “the goal” is achieved, there is a death; there is an illness requiring all one’s strength and endurance; there is a divorce; there is a child causing agony; there are dismal detours to “nowhere;” there is financial collapse; or there is the unexpected (and it is horrible!).
We live in an unredeemed world as an unredeemed people. We can become redeemed people, but that does not make the world a redeemed world. What is the nature of an unredeemed world? Injustice. Exploitation. Deceit. Failed relationships. Grief. Suffering. Sorrow. Death. Does the fact that we accept redemption in Jesus Christ protect us from an unredeemed world? No! It did not protect Paul, or Peter, or the twelve, or the Christian martyrs!
Could it be that there is something more important to live for than the American dream? Could it be that Satan has deceived us by getting us to blame God for Satan’s work in an unredeemed world?
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Romans 8:20,21).
Posted by Chris on July 25, 2004 under Sermons
Veronica Hynes has a message that is very precious to her. The message is from her husband Capt. Walter Hynes of Ladder Company 13, New York Fire Department. Capt. Hynes and his crew were heading for the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. The second hijacked jet had just flown into the south tower. He called home and left a voice mail message: "Honey, it’s real bad. I don’t know if we’ll make it out. I want to tell you that I love you and I love the kids." Veronica Hynes takes comfort that she has these final words from husband. It comforts her to know that he was thinking about his loved ones in his final moments.
If you knew that death was near and you had a chance to leave behind a final message what would you say? Who would you say it to? It is interesting that most last words focus on first things – those things that are of ultimate importance. There is no stunning revelation expressed in Capt. Hynes message; not really anything that his wife or children did not know. But his message was one that needed to be shared. Last words tend to focus on those things that are most important.
The letter we call Second Peter represents the last words of the apostle. For his farewell testimony, Peter does not offer any new revelation or a long held secret he needs to reveal. There is no attempt to reconcile a long held grudge, rather he holds out one more time the basic message to which he has preached and taught since Christ called him. He admits that his readers will know all these things and are probably quite devoted to these principles. Peter chooses to make the first things his last words.
12 Therefore, I intend to keep on reminding you about these things, even though you already know them and are firmly established in the truth that you now have. 13 Yet I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I am living in this bodily tent, 14 because I know that the removal of my bodily tent will come soon, as indeed our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me.15 And I will make every effort to see that you will always remember these things after I am gone.
Peter is interested in the believers remembering these first things and keeping them in the center of their lives. Knowing that his days are few he intends to spend them in an effort to emphasize the importance of these first things. Peter is establishing a legacy. He intends for this testimony to continue beyond his life. As we study these "famous last words" let us be aware that the apostle intends for us to remember these first things that are foundational to our faith. What are these first things? Peter discusses these in the opening of the letter.
The Power for Godly Living [2 Peter 1:3-4]
1 From Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a faith that is as valuable as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 2 May grace and peace be yours in abundance through the full knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord! 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the full knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. 4 Through these he has given us his precious and wonderful promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, seeing that you have escaped the corruption that is in the world caused by evil desires.
Everything Peter has to say is based on the power of God. It all begins with God! Before any of us did anything, God has already acted.
There is a troublesome idea that too often circulates among Christians. It is the idea that God is the all-seeing eye waiting and watching everything we do and then, when the moment is right (or wrong depending on how you look at it) he reacts to our actions. It is as though God is a patrolman waiting to catch those of us you break life’s speed limits. Or he is the school principal who always seems to appear when you break the rules. This view of God is childish and unbiblical. God is not waiting to react to our actions. He has acted, he sent his prophets, he visited us in Christ, he has given gifts, he has blazed the trail, he has sent the Spirit, he has prepared the future and after all this action we are the ones who must react!
Why do we live right? Because God gave us the power to live right and he has invited us to live a life better than any other. He took the initiative to save us. God has a vision for our lives that breaks away from a hollow, meaningless life marred by sin. His vision is a life in which he empowers us to participate in his divine nature. It seems like a huge challenge, but remember that God has already equipped us with everything we need to make the journey …
The Path for Godly Living
There is an old saying that says the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The wisdom of this saying invites to look at life as a journey of growth. In between the blessings of divine power and the promises of divine nature are the virtues of godly living. There is a "path" that we follow as we grow and mature in Christ. The Christian life is a journey in which the things we know are more than just knowledge – they become virtues. The faith that we might so eagerly contend for is not so much a legal code as it is a transforming truth that bears fruit in the lives of those who accept it. This is certainly Peter’s outlook as he envisions a path of growth for those who begin with faith …
5 For this very reason, you must make every effort to supplement your faith with moral character, your moral character with knowledge, 6 your knowledge with self-control, your self-control with endurance, your endurance with godliness, 7 your godliness with brotherly kindness, and your brotherly kindness with love.
There’s much we could say about the process from faith to love. Faith leads to virtue and in time we come to know more about God as we live virtuous lives and the knowledge of God gives us discipline which enables us to endure temptations and hardships and that perseverance then builds more character in the form of godliness and that then changes the way we relate to others first by enabling us to love better those who are dear to us and then, ultimately, blossoming into the kind of love we see in Jesus – the love of God. This love is the goal of God’s word. Paul described it as the most excellent way and said that love is the highest quality of all – even higher than faith and hope. Without love, all other good things and good deeds are lacking something (1 Corinthians 12-13).
The Promise of Godly Living
The path of godly living is not a process for obtaining the promises of God as though it were some sort of contract that puts an obligation on God. That kind of thinking is not consistent with the mature knowledge that Peter describes. The path is a lifestyle that is really a foretaste and glimpse of what is to come. (Traveling to Branson – The destination influences the path – Look at what has happened to Hwy 412 and Hwy 65.)
Peter says that if we follow the path toward the promises of God then that future life we look forward to will seep into the present time.
8 For if you possess these qualities and they continue to increase among you, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in attaining a full knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For the person who lacks these qualities is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing that he has received from his past sins. 10 So then, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election certain, for if you keep on doing this you will never fail. 11 For in this way you will be generously granted entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
- God has given us the power to grow in Christ. (v. 8) – The increase of virtue = success in knowing Christ. Peter says that our lives are going to count for something. Our lives will not be ineffective and unproductive. Get this, as you come to know Jesus your life will become more meaningful. There is no such thing as a person who really knows Christ whose life is meaningless. Paul disregarded everything he strove for in his life (and he had quite a resume) and his only point of pride was that he might know Christ ever more and be more like him (Philippians 2).
- We are promised new life. The old life is gone. We have been cleansed. These promises are certain and guaranteed. Those who lack the virtues of the divine nature have lost their sight/vision. We can live godly lives! That’s a promise! (But isn’t that presumptuous? Sure if you are relying on yourself – but Peter’s confidence isn’t on self – it is on God.) We can look back to our baptism and we understand how it was a turning point. In his first letter, Peter says that we were born again, not of perishable seed, but imperishable (1:23).
- Since that is the case, we need to live up to our Christian calling. We are invited to participate in the divine nature. Simply staying the course is success because it is God who opens the way to the kingdom – not our own righteousness. Too often we falter on the journey because we get distracted by our own inadequacies or fears. The problem is, we think we’re trailblazers – and we’re not. Jesus is the pioneer and he has blazed the path ahead of us. The outcome is not uncertain. We have free will, but the promise is secured by God – you cannot get a better backing! Entry into the kingdom is not something we secure. We have been invited into the kingdom. We trust the one who shares the divine nature with us. We are brought in as partners. We are shareholders in the divine nature [The role of a shareholder]
So, what is holding you back? What would you do differently if you weren’t afraid of failing? God will ensure success in his way. Just stay the course!
Conclusion
Among the many last words spoken by those who perished on Sept. 11 there is this one: A husband in one of the hijacked jets left a message for his wife saying, "I want you to be happy, I want you to carry on, See you when you get here."
Peter’s last message for the church tells us that we will find true happiness if we rely on God’s power and live a godly life. He wants us to continue on the path of godly living so we can obtain the promise of that sort of life. Peter wants us to strive for the life that is to come in the new heaven earth. In a sense he’s saying, "Stick to the path, trust in the promises and I’ll see you when you get here!"
Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles
“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” (Galatians 6:9)
All of us “have been there.” We helped, and helped, and helped until it seemed there was nothing left in us to be helpful. Or, we gave, and gave, and gave until it seemed obvious our giving changed little. Or, we sacrificed, and sacrificed, and sacrificed until something occurred that made past sacrifices meaningless. Or, we worked, and worked, and worked and changed nothing. Or, our behavior set the example of God’s light; we did “the right thing” constantly; and we were conscious of our influence, but even our family preferred the darkness. Or, we understood scripture, and understood scripture, and understood scripture only to confront (again) our ignorance “face to face.”
To follow Jesus Christ to God is to swim against the tide! Swimming against the tide of culture and society is hard! Tiring! Exhausting! To help 24/7 is demanding! To give 7 days a week is relentless! A lifestyle of sacrifice is numbing! Serving God constantly winds us! To be God’s influence daily is overwhelming! To seek to understand scripture only to discover how little you know is disillusioning!
The apostle Paul knew the feeling! He took a mission journey into the province of Galatia (a Roman Empire province). Most of the converts to Christ were Gentiles. Paul established many Gentile (non-Jewish) congregations. As soon as he left that area, some Jewish Christians (known as Judiazers) came to those congregations insisting that Paul deceived them. Unless new converts followed Jewish customs and traditions, their baptism was meaningless. These Jewish Christians were so convincing that many Gentile Christians believed them, let them be teachers, and did as they were told!
Paul was astounded and heart-broken! He could not believe these Gentiles received Christ’s freedom, then turned from that freedom. In response to the crisis, Paul wrote Galatians. He was so upset that he did not begin his letter (as was his practice) with encouraging statements. In essence, he said, “I cannot believe what you did and continue to do!” (Galatians 1:6-9.) Paul was so disturbed by their situation that he feared he wasted his time and effort (Galatians 4:11). Swimming against the tide was one thing! Doing it while dragging an anchor was quite another!
Was Paul discouraged? Yes! Did the Gentile converts’ decisions upset him? Absolutely! Did Jewish Christians’ teachings and actions distress him! Mightily! Did he quit swimming against the tide? No! He could not be who he was in Jesus Christ if he quit.
If you belong to God through Christ, do not let weariness stop you from swimming against the tide! Weariness is a “when,” not an “if.” You will get tired if you allow Christ to lead you toward God! Anyone daring to move toward God swims against the culture’s values and society’s norms. Christian lifestyle begins as a wondrous challenge, continues as a grueling marathon, and ends as a matter of endurance. So why “hang in there”? God’s promise will not fail! The reward far exceeds the demands! The harvest is unquestionable! Only fainting can rob us of God’s blessing!
Posted by Chris on July 18, 2004 under Sermons
Read Matthew 18:1-5
Quite often during Jesus’ ministry, there were arguments among the disciples over who was the greatest inthe kingdom. On one occasion James and John even had their mother campaigning for the top positionsin the kingdom. It is another such occasion – a moment when the disciples are concerned for status,importance, power, and influence – that begins our text.
Jesus replies by showing them that the way to greatness in the kingdom is to change and become likechildren. Now what seems odd to me is that the disciples seem to be acting very childish already wouldn’tyou agree? They are arguing over “whose the boss” and “who Jesus likes best” – isn’t that what children do? So why does Jesus instruct them to change and become like children?
We may mistake Jesus’ teaching if we think that Jesus is instructing the disciples to take on the qualities andcharacteristics of children. Jesus is not calling for “childish behavior or childish mentality.” Notice that inverse 4 he says that the greatest in the kingdom takes a humble place – like a child. In the kingdom ofheaven, “the little ones” have importance and value.
In the world of the disciples children were the lowest ranking members of society. Some of it was for logicalreasons – children are dependent on adults after all. But some of it was for rather brutal and cold reasons- children are the weakest members of society and were seen as a sort of commodity – their value aspotential adults was their only value.
That may be a bit difficult for us to grasp because in our culture we value children – at least we say we do. I wonder if as a culture we truly value children simply because they are children?
There are few places in our culture where children are valued for being children. Maybe it is only the churchand Chuck E. Cheese where a kid can be a kid. And I hope the church never abdicates it all to Chuck E. And let’s be careful, because even in the church we can get the wrong idea about what it means to valuechildren and to be like children.
Take George Barna for an example. Barna is a churchman and believer. In his book, “TransformingChildren into Spiritual Champions” he confesses that he missed the mark when it come to children and thechurch: “In my mind, children had always been part of a package deal: we want to reach adults with thegospel and then help them mature in their faith in Christ, so we have accepted the kids as a “throw in.” … Like most adults I have been aware of children, fond of them, and willing to invest some resources in them,but I have not really been fully devoted to their development, In my mind that were people en route tosignificance – i.e. adulthood – but were not yet deserving of the choice resources.” (pp. 7-8)
There’s a lesson here for the way we regard and minister to children …
In the kingdom of heaven, we don’t serve people based on what they can do for us. Nor do we target peoplebased on what they can do for the church. In other words, there are no prize “catches” in ministry. That’sworldly thinking. It is the sort of thinking James discourages when he warns the church not to showfavoritism between wealthy and poor people (James 2:1-4).
When Jesus speaks of the little ones and the child-like he means more than children, but don’t think that hedoesn’t mean children also. The disciples must have thought Jesus teaching was metaphorical – or theydidn’t get it. For later, they are turning children away from Jesus. Why would they do that? Well in theirmind Jesus has important business. He has a messianic movement to plan he has an army to equip anda government to establish. And yes, kids are important but they can’t fund your movement, they can’t fightin your army, they can’t provide wisdom and counsel. So you folks leave the teacher alone, he’s had a hardday and he doesn’t need all these kids clamoring about. “Let them come near me!” shouts Jesus. “Thekingdom of heaven belongs to them too!”
In the kingdom, children matter simply because they are children. I am afraid that as much as we lovechildren we might segregate them too much. I know they need some special attention – I realize that. Butdo we have assumptions that children have to have “their own kind of church” and we have to have another. Well what a disappointment it must be to turn 18 and have to enter into the boring adult sector of thekingdom of heaven. Some good soul with a clipboard and manual greets you with a manual and says “Nowfrom this point on there’s no more of that clapping, laughing and joyousness. And forget about retreats andgames, you’ll have too many meetings for that. Give your offering, stay out of trouble and by all means findsomething to worry about.” I hope that when we get like the disciples and make their well-intentionedmistake of throwing up barriers between children and adults that Jesus will knock them down. Let’s help himdo that – and let’s do more than just get involved in children’s ministries, let’s invite them into some of ours. Could we get children to participate in some of our so-called business meetings? Could we ask them whatthey think about the way we adults do things? Maybe we could invite them into our gatherings and shareourselves with them? I know it seems odd, probably because it challenges our assumptions about control,status, and importance …
There’s a lesson here for the way we regard status – and thus the way we behave in the kingdom …
Just after Jesus blessed the children, Jesus met a rich young man – some say he was a ruler of some sort- a man of authority. I know those “kingdom-minded” disciples must have been considering what this fellowcould do for the movement. Here’s a wealthy fellow, young and strong, and moral and upstanding too – whyhe’s kept the commandments faithfully. But there’s just one hindrance to his entry into the kingdom saysJesus, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor and you will havetreasure in heaven. Then come follow me.”
Jesus asks him to become like a child – dependent on the father, trusting in his riches, not our own. Jesusasked this man to change and become like a child.
Do you want to be perfect? Do you want to enter into the kingdom of heaven?
