For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 (NASB)
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
We see flaws, God sees a Masterpiece. He may have to “chisel” on us some but we are His “masterpiece”. And when God chisels the dead weight out of our lives it can be very painful.
God’s Chisel
This video / skit was the basis of the lesson. Please watch. It is only 9 minutes. So far I have watched it about 10 times and find another mini-message each time in the dialog.
Video can be seen on YouTube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhfUzodLRvk
A masterpiece is a person's greatest piece of work. That creation which over time is acclaimed by his peers as the artist’s or craftsman’s very best work. However, when we are talking about God’s masterpiece it’s not something that can be framed – performed or displayed on a pedestal.
God’s creation is all around us – above us and beneath us. It is both physical and spiritual – temporal and eternal. How can we ever determine which is His greatest piece of work – His masterpiece? Where should we even begin? Is it a mountain range – a water falls – a rain forest – a flower – a precious gem or mineral – sunsets or the northern lights? Could it be one of the countless heavenly bodies He has flung into endless space? Could it be heaven - one of the holy angels or heavenly beings which worship Him continually? No, none of these are His greatest work!
Left purely to human insight, we would have never recognized God’s greatest piece of work. But one of His “peers,” the Holy Spirit, revealed the secret - born again believers are God’s masterpiece. Nothing in all of creation comes close to what He accomplished when He created us anew in Christ Jesus. Paul received this divine revelation and writes, “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins……. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. ……..So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. ……..For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (From Ephesians 2)
That act of grace in the life of the believer is God’s greatest piece of work, making us God’s masterpiece!!
God didn't just save us FROM sin and death, but he saved us FOR an eternal life of beauty and purpose.
The same God who paints a different sunset each evening and who splashed touches of his glory throughout the creation that he has made is the Artist who has created you for a special purpose. He put you together with that purpose in mind when you were still in your mother's womb (Psalm 139:13-16) and re-created you when you were born of the Spirit (Colossians 3:10) and re-made to share in his glory (Colossians 3:4). To help you on your journey, God has given you certain gifts to use for his people, to bring him glory, and to help you find joy in your service (1 Peter 4:10-11).
In our worst moments, we wonder about our purpose, our value, and our significance. In those moments, let's look at the beautiful universe God has created and then push back the voice of Satan who is trying to make us feel valueless and hear the voice of God, "You are my masterpiece, created to bring a blessing."
Don't ever let go of that promise. You may not ever know exactly how this promise is true until you sit in glory with him and meet others who were touched by the beauty God revealed in you — people you never knew were touched by you. Remember, many of the great works of art were not appreciated in the day they were crafted, but over time, their significance, beauty, and power have blessed thousands.
You are God's masterpiece. Don't believe anything less about yourself. Your value is set by your Creator! The heavens declare the glory of God simply by their very existence, doing what he made them to do. So do you!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Lead a Life Worthy of Your Calling: The Old Has Gone and the New Has Come
We are almost through the first quarter of this year. Time flies when we are “having fun”. So, as this “new year” is quickly becoming history, how do we make it more "successful" than past ones? How do we accomplish those things we want and strive to do what we are called to do? And how do we "deal with" the reality that a lot of hopes and dreams won’t happen, this year?
We still have time to try to make a difference in our year, how not to view it (and life) as just something to "get through," and how to live it in a way that honors the Lord in an Ephesians 4:1 sort of way. Paul writes: “lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.”
We have an opportunity for transformation, a chance to do away with improper behavior (or sin) and a time to have a revolutionary year, and most of us probably wouldn't mind "something new" this year. Instead of having resolutions and trying to attain them, let's resolve to alter how we think and what we do in order to lead a life worthy of what we were called to do, and trust God with the rest.
”anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Paul spoke this to the Corinthians about a new life in Christ by no longer thinking and doing what they were accustomed to, but to change their actions in order to live according to God's ways and purpose.
Today, we can use this to inspire us to re-evaluate our relationship with him, our actions toward others and the path we are walking. Some of us may be struggling with our "old" self which hampers our effort to grow in the Lord. Maybe our "old" consists of unbelieving friends who encourage us to stumble, maybe they are habits we haven't completely given up, or maybe they are ways we continue to act or improperly react.
Whatever may be messing up your growth or plans (no matter how small it may seem), what could be better than to leave the "old" where it belongs so you can move into the "new"?
What We Haven’t Done
”When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Luke 18:22).
When many of us first heard or read this verse, we probably flinched. I know I did and still do. In order to follow Jesus we have to sell everything we have and give the money away? For the rich young ruler, to whom Jesus was speaking, it was exactly what was meant.
Jesus' lesson and desire for us is to purge our lives of anything and everything that stands in the way of our relationship and our devotion to him. This passage may be literally speaking to some of us, needing to rid ourselves of all worldly possessions, however, there are likely other areas in our life Jesus wants us to free ourselves from.
If this was re-written specifically for us it might say, "Break off that relationship (or unrelenting search of one) and follow me," "Quit your endless quest for ‘more' and follow me," "Stop that behavior and follow me," or "Give up living for yourself and follow me."
It is so easy to get caught up in everyday life, placing "God" on hold (or pushing Him to the side), while we seek for "something" with our own power, mind and worldly desires.
What may be something we have lived with all of our lives is not something we should continue to do as a believer. Let’s not miss out on another year (we only have 9 months left) of living life to the fullest, following the Lord and experiencing what your true heart desires by hanging onto something not pleasing to the Lord.
No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:13-14).
How often do you talk with someone and hear about "what was" or "what could have been"? Not even in the short-term sense, but what may have happened years ago and why they can't do something now. Living like that is not “forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead”. It is allowing yesterday to jeopardize your life today.
Many of us seem to struggle with "forgetting the past". We all have our "should haves," "could haves," and "what ifs" in life, and we can learn from them and use them (to grow) without letting them obstruct our progress, but we need to "forget" in a sense "what could have been" and look toward "what can be."
Maybe things were "easier" back then, maybe we had "more," maybe we had "somebody," but we can't try to live both in the past and in the present.
We each have to decide where we are going to live—in the past where things "were," or in the present seeking the amazing life Jesus has planned for us. Paul shared with us where he was striving to live.
”Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8).
For each day we don't live knowing and growing in Christ, we are losing time, effort and the opportunity to do so, as well as not attaining our God-given potential.
Before we can expect to experience the new life God has for us we have to determine, deal with and forget the things which have held us back (or controlled us) for so long. Leave the past in the past. Learn from our mistakes, but don't carry any regrets and live for today.
We need to have the faith to trust God enough to let go of the old and embrace the new. We won't be able to walk into the future if we have a foot in the past.
The New Has Come
If there is a choice between something old and something new, most of us would choose new. Let’s look again at the earlier scripture “anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). As a new creation, our purpose changes, our idea of life changes and our desires change, or at least they should.
The one thing I ask of the LORD— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. (Psalm 27:4)
If we are a new person in Christ, our desire is to seek being in the presence of the Lord and delighting in his perfections, not struggling over our imperfections. This is the "new" life God has for us.
Throughout our lives, most of us know what we should do—right versus wrong, better versus getting-by, now versus later. Sometimes we don't make the best choice because we are more concerned with what others will think, how we may look or because we don't feel like it. At other times, we may be so busy just "doing," we lose focus on doing what is better.
One reason we fail on our resolutions or any ambition may be because we don't consult with God for what he wants for us. We may "think" we know what is best (for ourselves and others), and we have good intentions for wanting (or doing) "it." But if we don't ask God first, we are doing it alone.
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. (James 1:5).
We should resolve to alter what we do and how we think in order to achieve and lead our life worthy of what we were called to do. And one of those things, one of the better things, is spending more time with the Lord, allowing him to set our path straight.
“..let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)
One lesson we should have learned by reading the Bible is God doesn't encourage us to "try" or "consider doing" something; he tells us to "Go," "Seek," "Make," etc. He commands us to "Do." In other words, to quote one of the most popular philosophers of today, we need "Git-er-Done." For y’all that don’t know who says this, see me after class. This phrase has become a Southern colloquialism meaning to finish an action or get the job done.
Whenever the thought of a task is quickly followed by an excuse, denial or blame, we should know we’re in trouble. Have you ever asked a friend, co-worker, or family member (even yourself) why something isn't completed and the first words you heard were, "I was going to, but. ..." "I was, before 'so-and-so.'..." "I can't right now because. ..." "I'll do it when. ..."
God doesn't say, "When you get around to it, go and make disciples", "Knock when you get the chance, and the door will be opened", "Seek whenever and my kingdom will be given." He commands us to "Go now", "Knock now", and "Seek now." Great intentions don't complete tasks, doing them does, so just "Git-er-Done."
But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. (2 Peter 3:8-9)
God has given us all a gift—the gift of life and the gift of salvation. He has blessed us with amazing abilities and incredible opportunities, some of which many of us have not even tapped into. Some approach life and each day as something just to "get through" rather than as God desires—an opportunity to grow closer to him and utilize the blessings he has given us to touch others.
We don't understand his ways, nor can we comprehend his timing. We cannot fathom what our Father knows or has planned for each of us, but he has been patient with us as we try to figure it out and live it out.
Don't allow the disappointments of yesteryears squander more time or rob us of the blessings of today. Don't allow the memories of the past cause us from stepping out and living in the present. God wants us to spend time with him and to do those things he commands us to and the only way to accomplish these things (along with all of the other "life" stuff), is to not be complacent and to do them, no excuses.
If we view every challenge as an opportunity to serve him rather than seeing every opportunity as a challenge, we will grow closer to him and have no regrets at the end of the year or at the end of our lives.
We still have time to try to make a difference in our year, how not to view it (and life) as just something to "get through," and how to live it in a way that honors the Lord in an Ephesians 4:1 sort of way. Paul writes: “lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.”
We have an opportunity for transformation, a chance to do away with improper behavior (or sin) and a time to have a revolutionary year, and most of us probably wouldn't mind "something new" this year. Instead of having resolutions and trying to attain them, let's resolve to alter how we think and what we do in order to lead a life worthy of what we were called to do, and trust God with the rest.
”anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Paul spoke this to the Corinthians about a new life in Christ by no longer thinking and doing what they were accustomed to, but to change their actions in order to live according to God's ways and purpose.
Today, we can use this to inspire us to re-evaluate our relationship with him, our actions toward others and the path we are walking. Some of us may be struggling with our "old" self which hampers our effort to grow in the Lord. Maybe our "old" consists of unbelieving friends who encourage us to stumble, maybe they are habits we haven't completely given up, or maybe they are ways we continue to act or improperly react.
Whatever may be messing up your growth or plans (no matter how small it may seem), what could be better than to leave the "old" where it belongs so you can move into the "new"?
What We Haven’t Done
”When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Luke 18:22).
When many of us first heard or read this verse, we probably flinched. I know I did and still do. In order to follow Jesus we have to sell everything we have and give the money away? For the rich young ruler, to whom Jesus was speaking, it was exactly what was meant.
Jesus' lesson and desire for us is to purge our lives of anything and everything that stands in the way of our relationship and our devotion to him. This passage may be literally speaking to some of us, needing to rid ourselves of all worldly possessions, however, there are likely other areas in our life Jesus wants us to free ourselves from.
If this was re-written specifically for us it might say, "Break off that relationship (or unrelenting search of one) and follow me," "Quit your endless quest for ‘more' and follow me," "Stop that behavior and follow me," or "Give up living for yourself and follow me."
It is so easy to get caught up in everyday life, placing "God" on hold (or pushing Him to the side), while we seek for "something" with our own power, mind and worldly desires.
What may be something we have lived with all of our lives is not something we should continue to do as a believer. Let’s not miss out on another year (we only have 9 months left) of living life to the fullest, following the Lord and experiencing what your true heart desires by hanging onto something not pleasing to the Lord.
No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:13-14).
How often do you talk with someone and hear about "what was" or "what could have been"? Not even in the short-term sense, but what may have happened years ago and why they can't do something now. Living like that is not “forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead”. It is allowing yesterday to jeopardize your life today.
Many of us seem to struggle with "forgetting the past". We all have our "should haves," "could haves," and "what ifs" in life, and we can learn from them and use them (to grow) without letting them obstruct our progress, but we need to "forget" in a sense "what could have been" and look toward "what can be."
Maybe things were "easier" back then, maybe we had "more," maybe we had "somebody," but we can't try to live both in the past and in the present.
We each have to decide where we are going to live—in the past where things "were," or in the present seeking the amazing life Jesus has planned for us. Paul shared with us where he was striving to live.
”Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8).
For each day we don't live knowing and growing in Christ, we are losing time, effort and the opportunity to do so, as well as not attaining our God-given potential.
Before we can expect to experience the new life God has for us we have to determine, deal with and forget the things which have held us back (or controlled us) for so long. Leave the past in the past. Learn from our mistakes, but don't carry any regrets and live for today.
We need to have the faith to trust God enough to let go of the old and embrace the new. We won't be able to walk into the future if we have a foot in the past.
The New Has Come
If there is a choice between something old and something new, most of us would choose new. Let’s look again at the earlier scripture “anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). As a new creation, our purpose changes, our idea of life changes and our desires change, or at least they should.
The one thing I ask of the LORD— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. (Psalm 27:4)
If we are a new person in Christ, our desire is to seek being in the presence of the Lord and delighting in his perfections, not struggling over our imperfections. This is the "new" life God has for us.
Throughout our lives, most of us know what we should do—right versus wrong, better versus getting-by, now versus later. Sometimes we don't make the best choice because we are more concerned with what others will think, how we may look or because we don't feel like it. At other times, we may be so busy just "doing," we lose focus on doing what is better.
One reason we fail on our resolutions or any ambition may be because we don't consult with God for what he wants for us. We may "think" we know what is best (for ourselves and others), and we have good intentions for wanting (or doing) "it." But if we don't ask God first, we are doing it alone.
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. (James 1:5).
We should resolve to alter what we do and how we think in order to achieve and lead our life worthy of what we were called to do. And one of those things, one of the better things, is spending more time with the Lord, allowing him to set our path straight.
“..let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)
One lesson we should have learned by reading the Bible is God doesn't encourage us to "try" or "consider doing" something; he tells us to "Go," "Seek," "Make," etc. He commands us to "Do." In other words, to quote one of the most popular philosophers of today, we need "Git-er-Done." For y’all that don’t know who says this, see me after class. This phrase has become a Southern colloquialism meaning to finish an action or get the job done.
Whenever the thought of a task is quickly followed by an excuse, denial or blame, we should know we’re in trouble. Have you ever asked a friend, co-worker, or family member (even yourself) why something isn't completed and the first words you heard were, "I was going to, but. ..." "I was, before 'so-and-so.'..." "I can't right now because. ..." "I'll do it when. ..."
God doesn't say, "When you get around to it, go and make disciples", "Knock when you get the chance, and the door will be opened", "Seek whenever and my kingdom will be given." He commands us to "Go now", "Knock now", and "Seek now." Great intentions don't complete tasks, doing them does, so just "Git-er-Done."
But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. (2 Peter 3:8-9)
God has given us all a gift—the gift of life and the gift of salvation. He has blessed us with amazing abilities and incredible opportunities, some of which many of us have not even tapped into. Some approach life and each day as something just to "get through" rather than as God desires—an opportunity to grow closer to him and utilize the blessings he has given us to touch others.
We don't understand his ways, nor can we comprehend his timing. We cannot fathom what our Father knows or has planned for each of us, but he has been patient with us as we try to figure it out and live it out.
Don't allow the disappointments of yesteryears squander more time or rob us of the blessings of today. Don't allow the memories of the past cause us from stepping out and living in the present. God wants us to spend time with him and to do those things he commands us to and the only way to accomplish these things (along with all of the other "life" stuff), is to not be complacent and to do them, no excuses.
If we view every challenge as an opportunity to serve him rather than seeing every opportunity as a challenge, we will grow closer to him and have no regrets at the end of the year or at the end of our lives.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Overcoming Anger
The story is told that in the latter 1800’s, Alfred Lord Tennyson invited a Russian nobleman to his estate. And early one morning this nobleman took off with dogs and guns and servants to go hunting.
At mid-day he returned and Lord Tennyson asked him how he did. He answered, "Not very well. I shot two peasants." Lord Tennyson thought for a moment and then said, “No, we pronounce it with a ‘ph’ here. It is ‘pheasants.’ You shot two pheasants."
"No," the nobleman replied, "I shot two peasants. They were insolent (in other words, got “smart” with him”) towards me, so I shot them."
Now we smile in disbelief at a story like that. But, how many of you have heard a true story of a “road rage” shooting? Most of have!
Now, of course, we wouldn’t do anything like that. But have you ever lost your temper? Do you ever do things you wish you hadn’t done, or say things you wish you had never said?
Well, the Bible has something to say about overcoming anger. Proverbs 19:11 says, "A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense."
Now there is the secret, isn’t it? If someone offends you and if you are a person of wisdom (God’s wisdom) then you can overlook it, and not allow the situation to become a major event that overwhelms you.
If you study anger in the Bible you will find that there are 4 types of anger dealt with in the Bible. Sudden anger, sinful anger, stubborn anger and justified anger. Let’s look at each of those 4 types of anger.
I. SUDDEN ANGER IS TO BE CONTROLLED
A. First of all there is sudden anger, and the Bible says that sudden anger is to be controlled.
1. Proverbs 14:17 says, “A quick-tempered person does foolish things”. We already knew that because we’ve experienced that in our own lives. We may blame our quick temper on our red hair. Or we may blame it on our heritage. After all, we’re Irish or something like that. We may even be proud of it. But the bottom line is, if we have a short fuse, we’re going to do a lot of foolish things. When we lose our temper we’ll say things we know we shouldn’t have said, and do things that we’re going to be sorry for later on.
2. Next, Proverbs 15:18 says, "A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict." That simply means that if you have a short fuse, if you’re always losing your temper, if you’re walking around with a chip on your shoulder, if you’re just looking for somebody to say something that will irritate you, then you’re going to leave a trail of hurt feelings and unhappiness behind you.
Will Rogers said, "Whenever you fly into a rage, you seldom make a safe landing." And he is right.
Chuck Swindoll said, "I got so angry that I gave him a piece of my mind. And it was a piece that I couldn’t afford to lose."
3. Proverbs 18:13 says, "Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.” (NLT). He is talking about jumping to conclusions. We hear just a little bit of what is said, and we instantly jump to a conclusion, and oftentimes it is the wrong conclusion
A hot temper could also mean loss of family and friends. The penalties of losing our temper are many.
B. So the Bible says, "If you have a sudden temper, then you need to control it." But how can we do that?
You may say, "Why, I just can’t control my temper. It gets away from me." But you can. Have you ever found yourself engaged in a heated discussion with your voice getting louder and your words becoming more rapid? Then the telephone rings and you say, "Hello", very calmly. Sure, you can control your temper.
So we need to recognize that we have a problem with temper. As long as we deny it, as long as we blame it on heritage or short-fuse or whatever we choose to blame it on, we’ll never improve.
Then we must confess our problem to God and ask for His help. "Lord, I’m beginning to lose my temper, and I’ve done it many times before. Please help me see what is causing it to happen, and then help me to overcome it."
The Bible teaches that when the Holy Spirit guides our life, that one fruit of the spirit is self control. And if you have a sudden temper, you need to control it.
II. SINFUL ANGER IS TO BE CONDEMNED
The second type of anger discussed in scripture is sinful anger. Not all anger is sinful, and we’ll talk about that later in the lesson. But some anger is. So let’s see what the Bible says about whether your anger is sinful or not.
In Matthew 5:21, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.”
Now that passage tells us some things about anger that should help us realize when our anger is sinful and when it is not. Now if you’re a brother or sister to someone it indicates that you are a member of the same family, whether a domestic family or the family of God.
If we’re brothers and sisters, we ought to be lifting each other up, supporting and helping each other. We should not spend our time being angry at one another. If you’re angry at your brother or sister, this indicates that you are focusing your anger on a person and means that your anger is sinful. We should never focus our anger on people, but rather on the sins they commit. Jesus was never angry at people, but He was angry at their sins. So look beyond the person. We must love the person, but hate their sin.
Now in Romans 12:19 Paul says, "Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.”
Another test of our anger is this: Is it anger that seeks revenge? Are we always trying to get even? The Bible teaches that God is the one who has the right of vengeance. Not us. We don’t have the right to repay anyone. But rather, turn that over to God. So if our anger is geared towards seeking revenge, then it is very definitely sinful anger.
If it is vengeful, then most likely it is also an anger that is cherished. There are a lot of people who love being angry. They’ve been angry for years. Inside of them there is a boiling mass of anger. So if anger is cherished, it most certainly is sinful anger.
If it is a cherished anger it will also be anger with an unforgiving spirit. And the secret to getting rid of anger is to be able to forgive. But if you can’t forgive, if you can’t release it, then it is a sinful anger.
If it is sinful, then we need to repent, to turn away from it, and allow God to forgive us of it so that we can become forgiving people, too.
III. STUBBORN ANGER IS TO BE CONQUERED
Stubborn anger is that which just stays there, day after day after day. One of the classic passages that deals with anger begins in Ephesians 4:26. “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry." And the next verse says, "And do not give the devil a foothold."
One you’re angry or upset about something. You’re carrying a chip on your shoulder, just waiting for someone to knock it off. Then your spouse (could well be child, parent, fellow worker or maybe a friend that you run into) says something you don’t particularly appreciate, and soon heated words are being exchanged. It really doesn’t amount to much, but you’re determined to get your way, and the other one is determined to get their way. So the argument continues. And the day ends and the issue is not resolved. You may even begin to think about all the bad things people do and say to you, all the insults, all of the inconsiderate things that go on. And then you blow up! And the things that Paul says we should get rid of in verse 31, happens: bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, and malice.
Do you realize what has happened? The Bible says that you have opened the door, and said, "Mr. Devil, come right on in. We’ll make you welcome here." Then Satan begins to do his dirty work.
Paul goes on to say in verse 32, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
JUSTIFIED ANGER MUST BE CHANNELED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR GOD
“In your anger do not sin." It is okay to be angry, but do not sin.
Mark 3:1-5 is a passage that deals with a situation where Jesus has healed a man on the Sabbath and knew that some the “church folks” were looking for “a reason to accuse Jesus” and healing on the Sabbath was against their “rules”. In verse 5 the Bible say, “He (Jesus) looked around at them in anger”. He is angry because of their stubborn hearts and their stubborn anger.
The Bible says that Jesus was tempted in all points, even as we are tempted, but He never sinned. So this passage teaches that Jesus became angry but it wasn’t sinful anger. It was justified anger, channeled anger, anger that has the right focus, and the right object - sin.
Maybe an infusion of anger is the very thing that the church needs. A holy anger at all the sin in the world. Anger at the fact that many people are dying without Jesus.
There are all kinds of anger. And if you are wrestling with them, God promises to give you victory, if you’ll let Him.
So get let’s get the chip of our shoulders.
At mid-day he returned and Lord Tennyson asked him how he did. He answered, "Not very well. I shot two peasants." Lord Tennyson thought for a moment and then said, “No, we pronounce it with a ‘ph’ here. It is ‘pheasants.’ You shot two pheasants."
"No," the nobleman replied, "I shot two peasants. They were insolent (in other words, got “smart” with him”) towards me, so I shot them."
Now we smile in disbelief at a story like that. But, how many of you have heard a true story of a “road rage” shooting? Most of have!
Now, of course, we wouldn’t do anything like that. But have you ever lost your temper? Do you ever do things you wish you hadn’t done, or say things you wish you had never said?
Well, the Bible has something to say about overcoming anger. Proverbs 19:11 says, "A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense."
Now there is the secret, isn’t it? If someone offends you and if you are a person of wisdom (God’s wisdom) then you can overlook it, and not allow the situation to become a major event that overwhelms you.
If you study anger in the Bible you will find that there are 4 types of anger dealt with in the Bible. Sudden anger, sinful anger, stubborn anger and justified anger. Let’s look at each of those 4 types of anger.
I. SUDDEN ANGER IS TO BE CONTROLLED
A. First of all there is sudden anger, and the Bible says that sudden anger is to be controlled.
1. Proverbs 14:17 says, “A quick-tempered person does foolish things”. We already knew that because we’ve experienced that in our own lives. We may blame our quick temper on our red hair. Or we may blame it on our heritage. After all, we’re Irish or something like that. We may even be proud of it. But the bottom line is, if we have a short fuse, we’re going to do a lot of foolish things. When we lose our temper we’ll say things we know we shouldn’t have said, and do things that we’re going to be sorry for later on.
2. Next, Proverbs 15:18 says, "A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict." That simply means that if you have a short fuse, if you’re always losing your temper, if you’re walking around with a chip on your shoulder, if you’re just looking for somebody to say something that will irritate you, then you’re going to leave a trail of hurt feelings and unhappiness behind you.
Will Rogers said, "Whenever you fly into a rage, you seldom make a safe landing." And he is right.
Chuck Swindoll said, "I got so angry that I gave him a piece of my mind. And it was a piece that I couldn’t afford to lose."
3. Proverbs 18:13 says, "Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.” (NLT). He is talking about jumping to conclusions. We hear just a little bit of what is said, and we instantly jump to a conclusion, and oftentimes it is the wrong conclusion
A hot temper could also mean loss of family and friends. The penalties of losing our temper are many.
B. So the Bible says, "If you have a sudden temper, then you need to control it." But how can we do that?
You may say, "Why, I just can’t control my temper. It gets away from me." But you can. Have you ever found yourself engaged in a heated discussion with your voice getting louder and your words becoming more rapid? Then the telephone rings and you say, "Hello", very calmly. Sure, you can control your temper.
So we need to recognize that we have a problem with temper. As long as we deny it, as long as we blame it on heritage or short-fuse or whatever we choose to blame it on, we’ll never improve.
Then we must confess our problem to God and ask for His help. "Lord, I’m beginning to lose my temper, and I’ve done it many times before. Please help me see what is causing it to happen, and then help me to overcome it."
The Bible teaches that when the Holy Spirit guides our life, that one fruit of the spirit is self control. And if you have a sudden temper, you need to control it.
II. SINFUL ANGER IS TO BE CONDEMNED
The second type of anger discussed in scripture is sinful anger. Not all anger is sinful, and we’ll talk about that later in the lesson. But some anger is. So let’s see what the Bible says about whether your anger is sinful or not.
In Matthew 5:21, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.”
Now that passage tells us some things about anger that should help us realize when our anger is sinful and when it is not. Now if you’re a brother or sister to someone it indicates that you are a member of the same family, whether a domestic family or the family of God.
If we’re brothers and sisters, we ought to be lifting each other up, supporting and helping each other. We should not spend our time being angry at one another. If you’re angry at your brother or sister, this indicates that you are focusing your anger on a person and means that your anger is sinful. We should never focus our anger on people, but rather on the sins they commit. Jesus was never angry at people, but He was angry at their sins. So look beyond the person. We must love the person, but hate their sin.
Now in Romans 12:19 Paul says, "Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.”
Another test of our anger is this: Is it anger that seeks revenge? Are we always trying to get even? The Bible teaches that God is the one who has the right of vengeance. Not us. We don’t have the right to repay anyone. But rather, turn that over to God. So if our anger is geared towards seeking revenge, then it is very definitely sinful anger.
If it is vengeful, then most likely it is also an anger that is cherished. There are a lot of people who love being angry. They’ve been angry for years. Inside of them there is a boiling mass of anger. So if anger is cherished, it most certainly is sinful anger.
If it is a cherished anger it will also be anger with an unforgiving spirit. And the secret to getting rid of anger is to be able to forgive. But if you can’t forgive, if you can’t release it, then it is a sinful anger.
If it is sinful, then we need to repent, to turn away from it, and allow God to forgive us of it so that we can become forgiving people, too.
III. STUBBORN ANGER IS TO BE CONQUERED
Stubborn anger is that which just stays there, day after day after day. One of the classic passages that deals with anger begins in Ephesians 4:26. “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry." And the next verse says, "And do not give the devil a foothold."
One you’re angry or upset about something. You’re carrying a chip on your shoulder, just waiting for someone to knock it off. Then your spouse (could well be child, parent, fellow worker or maybe a friend that you run into) says something you don’t particularly appreciate, and soon heated words are being exchanged. It really doesn’t amount to much, but you’re determined to get your way, and the other one is determined to get their way. So the argument continues. And the day ends and the issue is not resolved. You may even begin to think about all the bad things people do and say to you, all the insults, all of the inconsiderate things that go on. And then you blow up! And the things that Paul says we should get rid of in verse 31, happens: bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, and malice.
Do you realize what has happened? The Bible says that you have opened the door, and said, "Mr. Devil, come right on in. We’ll make you welcome here." Then Satan begins to do his dirty work.
Paul goes on to say in verse 32, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
JUSTIFIED ANGER MUST BE CHANNELED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR GOD
“In your anger do not sin." It is okay to be angry, but do not sin.
Mark 3:1-5 is a passage that deals with a situation where Jesus has healed a man on the Sabbath and knew that some the “church folks” were looking for “a reason to accuse Jesus” and healing on the Sabbath was against their “rules”. In verse 5 the Bible say, “He (Jesus) looked around at them in anger”. He is angry because of their stubborn hearts and their stubborn anger.
The Bible says that Jesus was tempted in all points, even as we are tempted, but He never sinned. So this passage teaches that Jesus became angry but it wasn’t sinful anger. It was justified anger, channeled anger, anger that has the right focus, and the right object - sin.
Maybe an infusion of anger is the very thing that the church needs. A holy anger at all the sin in the world. Anger at the fact that many people are dying without Jesus.
There are all kinds of anger. And if you are wrestling with them, God promises to give you victory, if you’ll let Him.
So get let’s get the chip of our shoulders.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Backsliding
“Backsliders get what they deserve; good people receive their reward.” Proverbs 14:14 NLT
One of the greatest dangers we face in the Christian life is the danger of backsliding. And the fact that church rolls are filled with the names of people who seldom, if ever even darken the doors of a church building, reveals just how serious this problem is. At this time we have 232 members in the church database. I went through the database and looked at each name and we have 131 that come fairly regularly.
Just a generation ago, sermons on backsliding was the “meat and potatoes” of most preachers and especially evangelists. But these days we rarely, if ever, hear the term backsliding. It is possible that some of us may have never heard a lesson or sermon on backsliding, and perhaps have never even heard the term “backslide” before today. How long has it been since any of you have heard this term? Let’s look at what “backsliding” means.
The definition from the Dictionary of “backsliding” is: “Slipping back; falling back into sin or error; sinning.” Also, “The act of one who backslides; abandonment of faith or duty.”
Other meanings are “turn one’s back on the Lord” …………or………”to turn one’s heart away from the Lord. To backslide means to lose one’s spiritual passion, enthusiasm and interest.
Backsliding also means “to fail to make progress in one’s spiritual life.” If I am not moving forward in my spiritual life then I am moving backwards. If am not progressing spiritually I am regressing spiritually. There is no such thing as “standing still” spiritually. A Christian can’t just maintain “status quo” and be in God’s will.
God takes really dim view of backsliding in the Old Testament. In some translations it is referred to as turning your back on God: “You have abandoned me and turned your back on me,” says the LORD.” Jeremiah 2:19 NLT. And backsliding in others: “You have rejected me,” declares the LORD. “You keep on backsliding. So I will reach out and destroy you; I am tired of holding back. Jeremiah 15:6 NIV.
The term "backsliding" is applied only to God's people, not to unbelievers. In other words, the backslider must have at one point in his life been placed in a position close to God from which he/she has since slid back or away from and toward a more distant position from God.
Backsliding is not an event, it is a process. It doesn’t occur over night, it occurs over a period of weeks and months and even years. Backsliding is not like jumping off a cliff, but rather it’s like slowly drifting down a long hill.
The New Testament gives us a number of examples that describe backsliding. Luke 9:62 Jesus says a man “who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” Jesus also says that “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor?” Matthew 5:13. In II Peter 2:21-22 the apostle Peter gives us two very graphic pictures to describe backsliding: “It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”
In Revelation 2:4 (NKJV) Jesus tells the church at Ephesus that “I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”
The Bible gives us many examples of people who backslid. Some backslid for a period of time then came to repentance, while others left this world in a backslidden condition. People such as Lot, Samson, King Saul, King David and King Solomon and the entire nation of Israel in the Old Testament. As well as Peter, Judas, Ananias & Sapphira, and the prodigal son in the New Testament.
The fact that GOD includes so many examples of backsliding in the Scriptures ought to serve as a warning to every believer that any one of us is capable of backsliding. As the apostle PAUL warns us that “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:12
What Are Some Symptoms of Backsliding?
Backsliding is a heart condition. And because it is a sin of the heart, its symptoms may not always be obvious to anyone, including the one who has backslidden.
Sometimes the symptoms of backsliding are very obvious and easy to identify. For example, let’s say someone accepted Christ years ago and for a time they were active in the church and faithful in their church attendance. But over the course of time they became less active and their church attendance became more sporadic. And now that individual rarely if ever darkens the doors of a church building. Well it’s obvious that individual is a backslider, isn’t it?
Or, lets say someone professes to be a Christian, yet lives a very worldly and sinful lifestyle. Well again, it’s very obvious that individual is in a backslidden condition.
But there may be things going on inside of one’s heart long before any outward symptoms are visible.
It is very possible for one to be in Sunday School and church every week and yet be backsliding in their heart. It is possible for one to teach a Sunday school class every week or serve as a deacon or even stand in the pulpit to preach every Sunday and yet be a backslider in the heart.
Could we be a backslider in our heart and not realize it yet?
Here are some soul searching questions every Christian needs to ask themselves
on a regular basis. As we ask these questions, ask ourselves, do I have this symptom?
• Like Lot, do I spend little or no time alone with God?
• Like King Saul and King David, have I lost my spiritual joy and enthusiasm?
• Like Samson, David, Judas and Ananias & Sapphira, is there a “secret” or
“habitual” sin in my life?
• Like the church at Ephesus “you have left your first love.”
• Like Peter am I currently following the Lord “at a distance?”
By no means are these all the symptoms. Any pattern of sinful speech or behavior, any kind of an addiction, any loss of appetite for spiritual things or increased appetite for worldly things are all symptoms something is going on inside your heart.
As one minister once said “If there was ever a time when you were closer to Christ than you are now……….if ever there was a time when your prayers were sweeter and your worship more meaningful than it is now, you have backslidden.”
What Are the Sorrows of Backsliding?
“Backsliders get what they deserve” What this verse is saying is that when one’s heart is in a backslidden condition, he invites all kinds of sorrows and troubles into his life. The Bible says: Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” Galatians 6:7 (NIV). One only has to look at King David and see the many sorrows that can happen to a backslider. Read Psalm 38 and see what David says after he had an affair with Bathsheba and had her husband killed. An example of what David writes in verse 2-3, “Your arrows have struck deep, and your blows are crushing me. Because of your anger, my whole body is sick; my health is broken because of my sins.”
What is the Solution to Backsliding?
Let’s suppose you are sitting here today or reading this lesson and you now realize your relationship with God is not as it should be. And you are wondering, what can I do to make that relationship right again?
Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15, provides us with some valuable insight as to what we must do when we have backslidden. You remember after receiving his share of the inheritance from his loving Father ……..the Prodigal ran away to the “distant land” and wasted all his money on “wild living”. When he was broke, had lost all of his friends, and was so desperate that he went to work for a farmer who assigned him the job of feeding the pigs. This is about the worse thing a Jewish person could do. He was so hungry that he was eating “slop” with the pigs. He finally came to his senses. It was then the prodigal said, “I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ Verse18
The most beautiful part of Jesus’ parable comes in verse 20. “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.”
We certainly don’t don’t miss the valuable truth God is revealing here: “while he was still a long way off, ……HIS FATHER RAN TO HIM!
Our Heavenly Father wants you and me to know, that when we backslide the road back to home is shorter than the road that took us away from Him. When He sees us coming back to Him with a repentant heart, He runs to meet us and wraps His loving, forgiving arms around us to welcome us home.
Where do you go, when you’ve come to the end of your road? And you feel like the only one and you’re all alone? When you’ve seen all you wanted to see. And become all you wanted to be. And you still don’t really know where you belong? You go to the place where life begins. To the love that never ends. To the One whose arms are open wide, You run on inside. And HE tells you…….. “You should have come sooner! You should have come sooner!”
For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org. Also, Check out our “blog” at: http://thewhosoevers.blogspot.com/
One of the greatest dangers we face in the Christian life is the danger of backsliding. And the fact that church rolls are filled with the names of people who seldom, if ever even darken the doors of a church building, reveals just how serious this problem is. At this time we have 232 members in the church database. I went through the database and looked at each name and we have 131 that come fairly regularly.
Just a generation ago, sermons on backsliding was the “meat and potatoes” of most preachers and especially evangelists. But these days we rarely, if ever, hear the term backsliding. It is possible that some of us may have never heard a lesson or sermon on backsliding, and perhaps have never even heard the term “backslide” before today. How long has it been since any of you have heard this term? Let’s look at what “backsliding” means.
The definition from the Dictionary of “backsliding” is: “Slipping back; falling back into sin or error; sinning.” Also, “The act of one who backslides; abandonment of faith or duty.”
Other meanings are “turn one’s back on the Lord” …………or………”to turn one’s heart away from the Lord. To backslide means to lose one’s spiritual passion, enthusiasm and interest.
Backsliding also means “to fail to make progress in one’s spiritual life.” If I am not moving forward in my spiritual life then I am moving backwards. If am not progressing spiritually I am regressing spiritually. There is no such thing as “standing still” spiritually. A Christian can’t just maintain “status quo” and be in God’s will.
God takes really dim view of backsliding in the Old Testament. In some translations it is referred to as turning your back on God: “You have abandoned me and turned your back on me,” says the LORD.” Jeremiah 2:19 NLT. And backsliding in others: “You have rejected me,” declares the LORD. “You keep on backsliding. So I will reach out and destroy you; I am tired of holding back. Jeremiah 15:6 NIV.
The term "backsliding" is applied only to God's people, not to unbelievers. In other words, the backslider must have at one point in his life been placed in a position close to God from which he/she has since slid back or away from and toward a more distant position from God.
Backsliding is not an event, it is a process. It doesn’t occur over night, it occurs over a period of weeks and months and even years. Backsliding is not like jumping off a cliff, but rather it’s like slowly drifting down a long hill.
The New Testament gives us a number of examples that describe backsliding. Luke 9:62 Jesus says a man “who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” Jesus also says that “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor?” Matthew 5:13. In II Peter 2:21-22 the apostle Peter gives us two very graphic pictures to describe backsliding: “It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”
In Revelation 2:4 (NKJV) Jesus tells the church at Ephesus that “I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”
The Bible gives us many examples of people who backslid. Some backslid for a period of time then came to repentance, while others left this world in a backslidden condition. People such as Lot, Samson, King Saul, King David and King Solomon and the entire nation of Israel in the Old Testament. As well as Peter, Judas, Ananias & Sapphira, and the prodigal son in the New Testament.
The fact that GOD includes so many examples of backsliding in the Scriptures ought to serve as a warning to every believer that any one of us is capable of backsliding. As the apostle PAUL warns us that “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:12
What Are Some Symptoms of Backsliding?
Backsliding is a heart condition. And because it is a sin of the heart, its symptoms may not always be obvious to anyone, including the one who has backslidden.
Sometimes the symptoms of backsliding are very obvious and easy to identify. For example, let’s say someone accepted Christ years ago and for a time they were active in the church and faithful in their church attendance. But over the course of time they became less active and their church attendance became more sporadic. And now that individual rarely if ever darkens the doors of a church building. Well it’s obvious that individual is a backslider, isn’t it?
Or, lets say someone professes to be a Christian, yet lives a very worldly and sinful lifestyle. Well again, it’s very obvious that individual is in a backslidden condition.
But there may be things going on inside of one’s heart long before any outward symptoms are visible.
It is very possible for one to be in Sunday School and church every week and yet be backsliding in their heart. It is possible for one to teach a Sunday school class every week or serve as a deacon or even stand in the pulpit to preach every Sunday and yet be a backslider in the heart.
Could we be a backslider in our heart and not realize it yet?
Here are some soul searching questions every Christian needs to ask themselves
on a regular basis. As we ask these questions, ask ourselves, do I have this symptom?
• Like Lot, do I spend little or no time alone with God?
• Like King Saul and King David, have I lost my spiritual joy and enthusiasm?
• Like Samson, David, Judas and Ananias & Sapphira, is there a “secret” or
“habitual” sin in my life?
• Like the church at Ephesus “you have left your first love.”
• Like Peter am I currently following the Lord “at a distance?”
By no means are these all the symptoms. Any pattern of sinful speech or behavior, any kind of an addiction, any loss of appetite for spiritual things or increased appetite for worldly things are all symptoms something is going on inside your heart.
As one minister once said “If there was ever a time when you were closer to Christ than you are now……….if ever there was a time when your prayers were sweeter and your worship more meaningful than it is now, you have backslidden.”
What Are the Sorrows of Backsliding?
“Backsliders get what they deserve” What this verse is saying is that when one’s heart is in a backslidden condition, he invites all kinds of sorrows and troubles into his life. The Bible says: Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” Galatians 6:7 (NIV). One only has to look at King David and see the many sorrows that can happen to a backslider. Read Psalm 38 and see what David says after he had an affair with Bathsheba and had her husband killed. An example of what David writes in verse 2-3, “Your arrows have struck deep, and your blows are crushing me. Because of your anger, my whole body is sick; my health is broken because of my sins.”
What is the Solution to Backsliding?
Let’s suppose you are sitting here today or reading this lesson and you now realize your relationship with God is not as it should be. And you are wondering, what can I do to make that relationship right again?
Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15, provides us with some valuable insight as to what we must do when we have backslidden. You remember after receiving his share of the inheritance from his loving Father ……..the Prodigal ran away to the “distant land” and wasted all his money on “wild living”. When he was broke, had lost all of his friends, and was so desperate that he went to work for a farmer who assigned him the job of feeding the pigs. This is about the worse thing a Jewish person could do. He was so hungry that he was eating “slop” with the pigs. He finally came to his senses. It was then the prodigal said, “I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ Verse18
The most beautiful part of Jesus’ parable comes in verse 20. “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.”
We certainly don’t don’t miss the valuable truth God is revealing here: “while he was still a long way off, ……HIS FATHER RAN TO HIM!
Our Heavenly Father wants you and me to know, that when we backslide the road back to home is shorter than the road that took us away from Him. When He sees us coming back to Him with a repentant heart, He runs to meet us and wraps His loving, forgiving arms around us to welcome us home.
Where do you go, when you’ve come to the end of your road? And you feel like the only one and you’re all alone? When you’ve seen all you wanted to see. And become all you wanted to be. And you still don’t really know where you belong? You go to the place where life begins. To the love that never ends. To the One whose arms are open wide, You run on inside. And HE tells you…….. “You should have come sooner! You should have come sooner!”
For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org. Also, Check out our “blog” at: http://thewhosoevers.blogspot.com/
Monday, February 7, 2011
Do We Have a Chip On Our Shoulder?
Do We Have a Chip On Our Shoulder? In other words Do We Need and Attitude Adjustment?No one on earth has a life that is deeper, richer, more meaningful, more abundant and more rewarding than the life you and I have as Christians, through Jesus Christ.
*Other people may have more money than you.
*Other people may wear nicer clothes than you.
*Other people may live in nicer homes than you.
*Other people may drive nicer vehicles than you.
But is absolutely impossible for someone who is outside of Jesus Christ to have a life as full and abundant as the life you and I have in Christ.
We have God’s Word to guide us. We have God’s Son to strengthen us. We have God’s Spirit to empower us. We have God’s love to sustain us. We have God’s grace to save us. We have God’s riches to bless us. We have God’s promises to anchor us. And we have God’s Heavenly home waiting for us.
Even if we are blind, we can still see God’s love. Though we can’t hear, we can still hear God’s still small voice. We may be crippled, but we can still walk with Christ. We may not be able to speak, but our life can still speak of God’s glory. Even if die here on earth, we will live with God forever.
Now having said all this, let’s consider a very important question:
If we and I have all these things going for us through Christ Jesus, why in the world would any of us ever choose to go through life with a lousy, rotten, negative, defeatist attitude?
Second only to our daily to do God’s will is our choice of attitude.
Our attitude in life will determine our attitude in life. Our outlook on life will determine our outcome in life. Our attitude is more important than all our talents, all our abilities, all our skills, all our credentials, all our education and all our experience. Because we can have all those things, but if we have the wrong attitude, it will hinder us from reaching our God-given potential in life.
If our attitude is right…………..
No mountain will ever be too high. No obstacle will ever be too big. No goal will ever be too unattainable. No dream will ever be too impossible. No challenge will ever be too great.
No situation will ever be too hopeless. And no foe will ever be too invincible.
But if our attitude is wrong………….
No day will ever be sunny enough. No relationship will ever be rewarding enough.
No amount of praise or attention will ever be adequate enough. No circumstance will ever be good enough. No material possession will ever be satisfying enough.
Our attitude is our choice, be it good or bad!
Here is a soul-searching question this morning. Do we need an attitude adjustment?
When it comes to choosing the right attitude no one provides us with a greater role model than Jesus Christ.
Paul writes in Philippians 2:5: “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”
Can you imagine a church where everyone has the same attitude as Jesus? It would be a church where there is never any fussing and fighting……….or grumbling and complaining. It would be a church where there’s never any criticizing or gossiping or backbiting. It would be a church where everyone cares and shares………a church where everyone is bonded together through the love of Jesus. It would be the kind of church everyone would want to be part of.
And imagine a world where everyone has the same attitude as Jesus. Imagine a world without war, with terror, without conflict. Imagine a world without murder or rape or murder. Imagine a world without corruption and abuse and mistreatment.
Imagine a world where everyone loves his neighbor and everyone is treated with equal fairness…….dignity……..and respect.
Do you see how different things would be if everyone would choose to have the same attitude as Jesus?
Christ had an attitude of selflessness: “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave.” Philippians 2:6-7
There is something wonderfully attractive about the totally selfless attitude of Christ.
……..What if instead of coming here to seek and to save the lost, Jesus had come here to seek and exploit as many people as He could.
………What if instead of being totally selfless Jesus had been a selfish, self-centered, self-absorbed Savior?
No doubt if Jesus had been that kind of man, we would have found the mere mention of His Name repulsive.
But Jesus was not that kind of man at all. Never before has this world ever known someone to be completely selfless. “…he gave up his divine privileges...”.
Instead of dwelling on the unfair treatment He received Jesus chose to focus on the unfair treatment of others.
Instead of dwelling on what was best for Him, Jesus chose to dwell on what was best for others.
Instead of dwelling on people not meeting His needs, Jesus chose to dwell on meeting the needs of other people.
Instead of seeking comfort for His own pain and suffering, Jesus chose to give comfort to others in their pain and suffering.
Complete…….Total…….Selflessness!!!
Are we completely…….totally……..selfless?
Are we always thinking about the needs……..the hurt………..the trials………the burdens……and the troubles of others.
Or are we always thinking about our needs, our hurts, our trials, our burdens and our troubles.
Without a doubt the most miserable people in the world are those who are totally wrapped up in themselves. And as the old saying goes, “He who is all wrapped up in himself makes a very small package.”
Here’s a challenge for us this week.
-When we are tempted to complain about our problems, try to think of people who are dealing with bigger problems.
-When we are tempted to complain about how bad we’ve got it, try to think of people are in a much worse situation than us.
-When we are tempted to complain about how heavy our burden is, try to think of people who are carrying much heavier burdens.
Then selflessly reach out to one or more of those people. Send them a card, call them on the phone, text a message, send them a “private” message on Facebook , or how about write them a letter. Note: Does anyone write letters any more?
With the selfless attitude of Christ simply reach out to them.
Some of us are old enough to remember that famous line in President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”
Christian……..”Ask not what your fellow Christians can do for you, but what you can do for your fellow Christians.”
In his book, Strengthening Your Grip, Charles Swindoll writes these thought-provoking words regarding our attitude.
“Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitude toward life. The longer I live the more convinced I become that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it. I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. My attitude fuels my fire or assaults my hope.”
Perhaps through this lesson the Lord has made you keenly aware of some areas of your attitude that need some work. And since our attitude is our choice, the only one who can do something about your attitude is you.
May we all strive harder to have the same attitude as Jesus.
*Other people may have more money than you.
*Other people may wear nicer clothes than you.
*Other people may live in nicer homes than you.
*Other people may drive nicer vehicles than you.
But is absolutely impossible for someone who is outside of Jesus Christ to have a life as full and abundant as the life you and I have in Christ.
We have God’s Word to guide us. We have God’s Son to strengthen us. We have God’s Spirit to empower us. We have God’s love to sustain us. We have God’s grace to save us. We have God’s riches to bless us. We have God’s promises to anchor us. And we have God’s Heavenly home waiting for us.
Even if we are blind, we can still see God’s love. Though we can’t hear, we can still hear God’s still small voice. We may be crippled, but we can still walk with Christ. We may not be able to speak, but our life can still speak of God’s glory. Even if die here on earth, we will live with God forever.
Now having said all this, let’s consider a very important question:
If we and I have all these things going for us through Christ Jesus, why in the world would any of us ever choose to go through life with a lousy, rotten, negative, defeatist attitude?
Second only to our daily to do God’s will is our choice of attitude.
Our attitude in life will determine our attitude in life. Our outlook on life will determine our outcome in life. Our attitude is more important than all our talents, all our abilities, all our skills, all our credentials, all our education and all our experience. Because we can have all those things, but if we have the wrong attitude, it will hinder us from reaching our God-given potential in life.
If our attitude is right…………..
No mountain will ever be too high. No obstacle will ever be too big. No goal will ever be too unattainable. No dream will ever be too impossible. No challenge will ever be too great.
No situation will ever be too hopeless. And no foe will ever be too invincible.
But if our attitude is wrong………….
No day will ever be sunny enough. No relationship will ever be rewarding enough.
No amount of praise or attention will ever be adequate enough. No circumstance will ever be good enough. No material possession will ever be satisfying enough.
Our attitude is our choice, be it good or bad!
Here is a soul-searching question this morning. Do we need an attitude adjustment?
When it comes to choosing the right attitude no one provides us with a greater role model than Jesus Christ.
Paul writes in Philippians 2:5: “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”
Can you imagine a church where everyone has the same attitude as Jesus? It would be a church where there is never any fussing and fighting……….or grumbling and complaining. It would be a church where there’s never any criticizing or gossiping or backbiting. It would be a church where everyone cares and shares………a church where everyone is bonded together through the love of Jesus. It would be the kind of church everyone would want to be part of.
And imagine a world where everyone has the same attitude as Jesus. Imagine a world without war, with terror, without conflict. Imagine a world without murder or rape or murder. Imagine a world without corruption and abuse and mistreatment.
Imagine a world where everyone loves his neighbor and everyone is treated with equal fairness…….dignity……..and respect.
Do you see how different things would be if everyone would choose to have the same attitude as Jesus?
Christ had an attitude of selflessness: “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave.” Philippians 2:6-7
There is something wonderfully attractive about the totally selfless attitude of Christ.
……..What if instead of coming here to seek and to save the lost, Jesus had come here to seek and exploit as many people as He could.
………What if instead of being totally selfless Jesus had been a selfish, self-centered, self-absorbed Savior?
No doubt if Jesus had been that kind of man, we would have found the mere mention of His Name repulsive.
But Jesus was not that kind of man at all. Never before has this world ever known someone to be completely selfless. “…he gave up his divine privileges...”.
Instead of dwelling on the unfair treatment He received Jesus chose to focus on the unfair treatment of others.
Instead of dwelling on what was best for Him, Jesus chose to dwell on what was best for others.
Instead of dwelling on people not meeting His needs, Jesus chose to dwell on meeting the needs of other people.
Instead of seeking comfort for His own pain and suffering, Jesus chose to give comfort to others in their pain and suffering.
Complete…….Total…….Selflessness!!!
Are we completely…….totally……..selfless?
Are we always thinking about the needs……..the hurt………..the trials………the burdens……and the troubles of others.
Or are we always thinking about our needs, our hurts, our trials, our burdens and our troubles.
Without a doubt the most miserable people in the world are those who are totally wrapped up in themselves. And as the old saying goes, “He who is all wrapped up in himself makes a very small package.”
Here’s a challenge for us this week.
-When we are tempted to complain about our problems, try to think of people who are dealing with bigger problems.
-When we are tempted to complain about how bad we’ve got it, try to think of people are in a much worse situation than us.
-When we are tempted to complain about how heavy our burden is, try to think of people who are carrying much heavier burdens.
Then selflessly reach out to one or more of those people. Send them a card, call them on the phone, text a message, send them a “private” message on Facebook , or how about write them a letter. Note: Does anyone write letters any more?
With the selfless attitude of Christ simply reach out to them.
Some of us are old enough to remember that famous line in President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”
Christian……..”Ask not what your fellow Christians can do for you, but what you can do for your fellow Christians.”
In his book, Strengthening Your Grip, Charles Swindoll writes these thought-provoking words regarding our attitude.
“Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitude toward life. The longer I live the more convinced I become that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it. I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. My attitude fuels my fire or assaults my hope.”
Perhaps through this lesson the Lord has made you keenly aware of some areas of your attitude that need some work. And since our attitude is our choice, the only one who can do something about your attitude is you.
May we all strive harder to have the same attitude as Jesus.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Open The Eyes of My Heart, Lord!
What if our prayers were published?
That’s a fascinating (and slightly scary) thought, isn’t it? What if every prayer you prayed, word for word, somehow ended up on the Internet so that anyone, anywhere could read them? Would your prayers be worth reading if they were published? And would they qualify for the pages of Holy Scripture or would they be fit for the National Enquirer?
If prayer is the language of the heart, what is your heart saying?
How do you pray? You can learn to pray by studying the great prayers of the Bible. If we want the Lord to teach us to pray, this is a good place to start. After all, prayer is the thermometer of the soul. It tells us how hot or how cold our spiritual life is. If we want to know what a person believes, don’t tell us what they say; tell us what they pray. A person may say many things, but when they pray, their heart is fully revealed.
With that in mind, we turn to the prayer of Paul in Ephesians 1:15-23. The heart of the prayer comes at the end of verse 17 where Paul prays “so that you may know him better.” That’s it! That’s the whole prayer right there. Paul is praying that the Ephesians might know God better. This means to know Him deeply, personally, intimately. For instance, we can say we know the president. We know who he is and what he looks like. If we see his picture we know he is president. But we don’t know him personally and he doesn’t know us from Adam’s housecat. Now I can say know my wife. That’s an entirely different kind of knowing. After almost 45 years of marriage this has a different meaning than saying I know the president. And that’s the sort of knowledge Paul is praying for.
To Know Him Better
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." (Ephesians 1:17).
There are three levels of knowing God. First, there is the level of experience. All of us who know the Lord have some experiences with him that we can use to help others. Second, there is the level of knowledge. This comes from going to church, listening to sermons, reading the Bible, reading good books, maybe even going to a Christian college or to a seminary. Most people consider knowledge a higher level of the spiritual life. But this is not enough. There is a third level, which is called the level of wisdom. This level comes only by prayer.
At this level we begin to see things through God’s eyes and less through our eyes. Peace only comes from this level. It is not measurable, explainable, nor understandable. Levels 1 and 2 are not always prerequisites to reach this level. Prayer can lift the illiterate to great levels of peace and wisdom where certain PhDs in religion may feel empty. Our prayers become less ‘gimme’ and more ‘help me see what you want me to learn through this–to deepen my relationship with you.’"
God invites us to seek his face. He wants us to know him better. It’s not as if our Heavenly Father is hiding himself from us. But we can only have a close relationship with him if we will seek it in prayer. That’s the burden of Paul’s prayer–for a Level 3 relationship with God that doesn’t depend on knowledge or experience but comes through wisdom as we seek the Lord. Any of us can have that sort of relationship with God if we want it, and if we are willing to pay the price to have it.
Open the Eyes of Our Hearts
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened" (Ephesians 1:18a).
This is the heart of the prayer. It is also the only time the phrase “the eyes of your heart” appears in the New Testament. That means that this is a significant truth that demands our attention. When Paul speaks of “your heart,” he’s not referring to the organ in your chest that pumps blood throughout your body. The term “heart” refers to what we might call “the real you,” the place inside where the decisions of life are made. The heart is the place where you decide what values you will live by and what direction you will go and how you will live your life each day.
Every important decision you make is made by your heart. And your heart has eyes that can be opened or shut. When the eyes of your heart are closed to the light of God, you stumble blindly through life, making one dumb choice after another. You fall into sinful patterns, you break God’s Laws, you end up driving into the ditch, you make the same mistakes over and over again, and you enter one dead-end relationship after another. Why? Because the eyes of your heart are shut and you lack moral vision. The light of God is shut out of your life. And that means you can see and be blind at the same time. That is, you can have 20/20 vision with your physical eyes but the eyes of your heart can be blind to the light of God. There are lots of people like that in the world. Physically they can see but spiritually they are totally blind.
A lot of Christians live like that. And until those eyes are opened, all the yelling in the world won’t make much difference.
Paul prayed for the Ephesians that “the eyes of your heart might be opened.” One translation says, “that the eyes of your heart might be flooded with light." Opening blind eyes is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. He and he alone can do it. But he can do it, and this is the source of our hope. This is why we pray for ourselves, for our children and grandchildren and for our family members and for friends and loved ones who today are far from God. As our children grow older, we discover over and over again how little control we have over them. We cannot compel their obedience because we cannot compel their hearts. But we can pray and cry out to God and say, “O Lord, open the eyes of their heart. Help them to see the light of truth.”
Christ at the Center of Life
There are two radically different ways of looking at things. Either the world is at the center and Christ is around the outside edge or Christ is at the center of life and the world is at the edge. So many Christians have bought into the notion that this world is all that matters. They’ve pushed Christ to the outskirts of life. But when Christ comes to the center, the world is seen for what it really is–something on the edge. Something not nearly as important as we want to make it!
Christ is like a football game. You’re either on the bench or you’re in the game. Instead of sitting on the bench goofing off we ought to be in the game serving the Lord. Bench warmers sit around, goof off, laugh, cut up, and trade jokes while the game is going on. When we decide to get in the game, we won’t have time to do goof off.
Paul prays “….that you may know the hope to which he has called you,” (Ephesians 1:18b). This hope refers back to the moment of when the Ephesians accepted Christ. Verses 3-14 list some elements of that hope that also applies to us when we accepted Christ:
He blessed us with every spiritual blessing
He loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
He adopts us into his own family
He gave glorious grace to us who belong to his dear Son
He purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
He revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ
He makes everything work out according to his plan.
He saved us.
He gave us who believe in His Son, the Holy Spirit
And He will give us the inheritance he promised
All this is ours. It is the possession of every child of God. We are rich and blessed beyond all measure. Paul prays that we might understand how rich we already are.
Pray, Pray, and Keep on Praying
Why should we worry? Why should we fear? Why should we doubt? Why shouldn’t we go out singing? Our God has given us all we need. May we know the hope of our calling, the riches of our inheritance, and the amazing power of God. It’s all ours and it’s all wrapped up in one Person, Jesus Christ. May we might know him better. May our eyes might be opened to see things clearly. May we might love him and serve him and make him the center of our life.
So, Pray, pray, and keep on praying. Pray for each other. Husbands, pray for your wives, and wives for your husbands. Pray for your class. Pray for the new Christians you are discipling. Pray that they will be turned on by the truth of God. There are so many ways we might apply this message. First, here is a good guide to praying for our children. How long should we pray for them? And what should we pray for them? The answer is, never stop praying for your children. Paul said, “I keep on asking.” We can always know God better than we do. And when you pray, ask the Lord to open the eyes of their heart to let light from heaven come flooding in.
Second, we should pray this for ourselves. "O Lord, help me to know you better. Open my eyes, Lord. Let your light come flooding into my heart. Help me to know all that you have given, all that you have promised, and all that you have provided for me.”
That’s a fascinating (and slightly scary) thought, isn’t it? What if every prayer you prayed, word for word, somehow ended up on the Internet so that anyone, anywhere could read them? Would your prayers be worth reading if they were published? And would they qualify for the pages of Holy Scripture or would they be fit for the National Enquirer?
If prayer is the language of the heart, what is your heart saying?
How do you pray? You can learn to pray by studying the great prayers of the Bible. If we want the Lord to teach us to pray, this is a good place to start. After all, prayer is the thermometer of the soul. It tells us how hot or how cold our spiritual life is. If we want to know what a person believes, don’t tell us what they say; tell us what they pray. A person may say many things, but when they pray, their heart is fully revealed.
With that in mind, we turn to the prayer of Paul in Ephesians 1:15-23. The heart of the prayer comes at the end of verse 17 where Paul prays “so that you may know him better.” That’s it! That’s the whole prayer right there. Paul is praying that the Ephesians might know God better. This means to know Him deeply, personally, intimately. For instance, we can say we know the president. We know who he is and what he looks like. If we see his picture we know he is president. But we don’t know him personally and he doesn’t know us from Adam’s housecat. Now I can say know my wife. That’s an entirely different kind of knowing. After almost 45 years of marriage this has a different meaning than saying I know the president. And that’s the sort of knowledge Paul is praying for.
To Know Him Better
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." (Ephesians 1:17).
There are three levels of knowing God. First, there is the level of experience. All of us who know the Lord have some experiences with him that we can use to help others. Second, there is the level of knowledge. This comes from going to church, listening to sermons, reading the Bible, reading good books, maybe even going to a Christian college or to a seminary. Most people consider knowledge a higher level of the spiritual life. But this is not enough. There is a third level, which is called the level of wisdom. This level comes only by prayer.
At this level we begin to see things through God’s eyes and less through our eyes. Peace only comes from this level. It is not measurable, explainable, nor understandable. Levels 1 and 2 are not always prerequisites to reach this level. Prayer can lift the illiterate to great levels of peace and wisdom where certain PhDs in religion may feel empty. Our prayers become less ‘gimme’ and more ‘help me see what you want me to learn through this–to deepen my relationship with you.’"
God invites us to seek his face. He wants us to know him better. It’s not as if our Heavenly Father is hiding himself from us. But we can only have a close relationship with him if we will seek it in prayer. That’s the burden of Paul’s prayer–for a Level 3 relationship with God that doesn’t depend on knowledge or experience but comes through wisdom as we seek the Lord. Any of us can have that sort of relationship with God if we want it, and if we are willing to pay the price to have it.
Open the Eyes of Our Hearts
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened" (Ephesians 1:18a).
This is the heart of the prayer. It is also the only time the phrase “the eyes of your heart” appears in the New Testament. That means that this is a significant truth that demands our attention. When Paul speaks of “your heart,” he’s not referring to the organ in your chest that pumps blood throughout your body. The term “heart” refers to what we might call “the real you,” the place inside where the decisions of life are made. The heart is the place where you decide what values you will live by and what direction you will go and how you will live your life each day.
Every important decision you make is made by your heart. And your heart has eyes that can be opened or shut. When the eyes of your heart are closed to the light of God, you stumble blindly through life, making one dumb choice after another. You fall into sinful patterns, you break God’s Laws, you end up driving into the ditch, you make the same mistakes over and over again, and you enter one dead-end relationship after another. Why? Because the eyes of your heart are shut and you lack moral vision. The light of God is shut out of your life. And that means you can see and be blind at the same time. That is, you can have 20/20 vision with your physical eyes but the eyes of your heart can be blind to the light of God. There are lots of people like that in the world. Physically they can see but spiritually they are totally blind.
A lot of Christians live like that. And until those eyes are opened, all the yelling in the world won’t make much difference.
Paul prayed for the Ephesians that “the eyes of your heart might be opened.” One translation says, “that the eyes of your heart might be flooded with light." Opening blind eyes is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. He and he alone can do it. But he can do it, and this is the source of our hope. This is why we pray for ourselves, for our children and grandchildren and for our family members and for friends and loved ones who today are far from God. As our children grow older, we discover over and over again how little control we have over them. We cannot compel their obedience because we cannot compel their hearts. But we can pray and cry out to God and say, “O Lord, open the eyes of their heart. Help them to see the light of truth.”
Christ at the Center of Life
There are two radically different ways of looking at things. Either the world is at the center and Christ is around the outside edge or Christ is at the center of life and the world is at the edge. So many Christians have bought into the notion that this world is all that matters. They’ve pushed Christ to the outskirts of life. But when Christ comes to the center, the world is seen for what it really is–something on the edge. Something not nearly as important as we want to make it!
Christ is like a football game. You’re either on the bench or you’re in the game. Instead of sitting on the bench goofing off we ought to be in the game serving the Lord. Bench warmers sit around, goof off, laugh, cut up, and trade jokes while the game is going on. When we decide to get in the game, we won’t have time to do goof off.
Paul prays “….that you may know the hope to which he has called you,” (Ephesians 1:18b). This hope refers back to the moment of when the Ephesians accepted Christ. Verses 3-14 list some elements of that hope that also applies to us when we accepted Christ:
He blessed us with every spiritual blessing
He loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
He adopts us into his own family
He gave glorious grace to us who belong to his dear Son
He purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
He revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ
He makes everything work out according to his plan.
He saved us.
He gave us who believe in His Son, the Holy Spirit
And He will give us the inheritance he promised
All this is ours. It is the possession of every child of God. We are rich and blessed beyond all measure. Paul prays that we might understand how rich we already are.
Pray, Pray, and Keep on Praying
Why should we worry? Why should we fear? Why should we doubt? Why shouldn’t we go out singing? Our God has given us all we need. May we know the hope of our calling, the riches of our inheritance, and the amazing power of God. It’s all ours and it’s all wrapped up in one Person, Jesus Christ. May we might know him better. May our eyes might be opened to see things clearly. May we might love him and serve him and make him the center of our life.
So, Pray, pray, and keep on praying. Pray for each other. Husbands, pray for your wives, and wives for your husbands. Pray for your class. Pray for the new Christians you are discipling. Pray that they will be turned on by the truth of God. There are so many ways we might apply this message. First, here is a good guide to praying for our children. How long should we pray for them? And what should we pray for them? The answer is, never stop praying for your children. Paul said, “I keep on asking.” We can always know God better than we do. And when you pray, ask the Lord to open the eyes of their heart to let light from heaven come flooding in.
Second, we should pray this for ourselves. "O Lord, help me to know you better. Open my eyes, Lord. Let your light come flooding into my heart. Help me to know all that you have given, all that you have promised, and all that you have provided for me.”
I Want What You Have
The word “covet” in various forms is found 25 times in the King James Bible. Not as many in other translations because it is translated into different words similar to covet: Loved money, greed or greedy, dishonest or ill-gotten gain, selfish gain, craves, etc. Actually the word “covetousness” is used the most in the KJV and translates primarily into “sinful greed”.
While I was studying for this lesson I came up on this passage in the King James Bible.
For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. Isaiah 57:17 KJV
As most of you know I personally have a lot of trouble understanding the KJV so I looked this up in the NIV Bible to see if I could understand it better.
I was enraged by their sinful greed; I punished them, and hid my face in anger, yet they kept on in their willful ways. Isaiah 57:17 NIV
This is why I prefer the NIV or NLT. ’nuff said about this subject – back to the “real” lesson.
Dictionary Definitions are: to wish for earnestly, to desire what belongs to another, to feel “unreasonable” desire for what belongs to another
The word “covet” usually thought of in negative terms. We get this from the 10th Commandment – Exodus 20:17: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” In most cases the Bible refers to this term in a negative manner. However, there are some positive aspects to this word – covet.
When we research “covet” more, it seems that this word can be translated 3 different ways in Greek (This is the case for many other words, such as love). It can mean “to fix the desire upon”, “to covet earnestly” and “to stretch after,”
Today we want to look at this idea in a positive way. There are times when there is nothing wrong with “fixing one’s desire upon” a thing or “stretching after” something — depending upon the object that you are reaching for. For that reason, the word is used in a positive sense when the object for which one seeks is good.
We know that the Christian should never covet worldly things (Col. 3:1-3; 1 John 2:15). It is the goal, however, of Christians to be “coveted” by people around them. When we exemplify Christ in our lives, many people will say with sincerity and zeal, “I want what you have.”
The Christian’s quality of life is noticed by friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors, and there is no worldly or material explanation for it. This is the goal of which the Lord spoke, when he said, “…..let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16).
So what does the Christian have that non-Christians don’t? What should someone “covet” or “want” when they sincerely contemplate the life of a child of God? I looked up some words for synonyms for the word “contemplate”: chew over, cogitate, consider, ponder, debate, deliberate, entertain, eye, kick around, meditate, mull (over), pore (over), question, revolve, study, think (about or over), weigh, wrestle (with).
Are we ready for a non-Christian to use any of the above words in conjunction with our Christian lives? We should be. Our prayer each day should be that someone can see Jesus in us!
As a Christian we are “are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus”. Galatians 3:26 NLT. And “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” Romans 8:14. Okay, so what does a Christian have?
The Christian “Has Peace with God”
“Therefore, since we have been justified (NLT says “made right”) through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).
This peace of mind is the result of being right with God. This is no mere emotion, although it is wonderful and gratifying. It is the understanding that sin separates us from God (Eph. 2:1), and that Jesus Christ has died for our sins (1 John. 2:1-2). It is the action one takes to “get himself right with God,” through the plan that the Lord has disclosed in the Bible (Heb. 5:9; Mark 16:16).
Understanding what God did, and doing what the Lord requires, results in peace – “God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.” (Phil. 4:7 NLT).
Christians “Have grace”
Paul reminds us that as Christians, “we have grace.”
“…through (Jesus Christ) whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” (Rom. 5:2a).
“Justified” (v. 1) is equivalent to being “acquitted.” We are, however, not acquitted because we are innocent, for “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:23). We are “made right in God’s sight” because Christ Jesus suffered the penalty for us, and this is the grace of God in action. We have access to the favor of God, which we could never earn nor deserve, through the death of Jesus. And it is in the favor of God that his faithful children remain.
Christians “Have Hope”
“…And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.” (Rom. 5:2b).
Being right with God is important because of the future. Judgment awaits all (1 Tim. 4:1), and we must be prepared to “meet our Maker” (Heb. 9:27).
Christians can have confidence about the future. If we are truly a “child of God” we will go to Heaven (1 John 5:13; Rev. 2:10). This realization ought to motivate every Christian to be excited to be in God’s service.
Therefore Christians: “boast in the hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:2
The future is awesome to contemplate (there’s that word again). The word “awesome” may be one of the most over-used words today, but when used of the “hope of the glory of God,” it does not seem adequate. To be in the presence of God, our Creator and Redeemer will be AWESOME.
Christians “Have Joy”
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (Rom. 5:2-5 NLT).
This could be described as insight into the meaning of life. Children of God even view the anxieties and tragedies of life from a divine perspective (this is sometimes hard for us to do) — with an understanding that this world is not all that matters. When the experiences of life make us long for heaven, we can view distressing times with an element of joy. Anything that makes us want to go to heaven is of great spiritual value.
Christians “Have God’s Love”
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. (Rom. 5:6-9). Also, we can refer back to last week’s lesson on John 3:16, “For God so loved the world….”
The Children of God have learned and experienced the saving love of God. We’ve seen the proof of God’s love, and we have enjoyed its benefits. We constantly should develop a greater appreciation for it (Eph. 3:17-19).
What we have, the world needs. May God help us to love and live the Christian life. When we do, someone will notice, and they’ll want what we have been given.
Does anyone say about us “I want what you have”?
For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org. Also, Check out our “blog” at: http://thewhosoevers.blogspot.com/
While I was studying for this lesson I came up on this passage in the King James Bible.
For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. Isaiah 57:17 KJV
As most of you know I personally have a lot of trouble understanding the KJV so I looked this up in the NIV Bible to see if I could understand it better.
I was enraged by their sinful greed; I punished them, and hid my face in anger, yet they kept on in their willful ways. Isaiah 57:17 NIV
This is why I prefer the NIV or NLT. ’nuff said about this subject – back to the “real” lesson.
Dictionary Definitions are: to wish for earnestly, to desire what belongs to another, to feel “unreasonable” desire for what belongs to another
The word “covet” usually thought of in negative terms. We get this from the 10th Commandment – Exodus 20:17: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” In most cases the Bible refers to this term in a negative manner. However, there are some positive aspects to this word – covet.
When we research “covet” more, it seems that this word can be translated 3 different ways in Greek (This is the case for many other words, such as love). It can mean “to fix the desire upon”, “to covet earnestly” and “to stretch after,”
Today we want to look at this idea in a positive way. There are times when there is nothing wrong with “fixing one’s desire upon” a thing or “stretching after” something — depending upon the object that you are reaching for. For that reason, the word is used in a positive sense when the object for which one seeks is good.
We know that the Christian should never covet worldly things (Col. 3:1-3; 1 John 2:15). It is the goal, however, of Christians to be “coveted” by people around them. When we exemplify Christ in our lives, many people will say with sincerity and zeal, “I want what you have.”
The Christian’s quality of life is noticed by friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors, and there is no worldly or material explanation for it. This is the goal of which the Lord spoke, when he said, “…..let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16).
So what does the Christian have that non-Christians don’t? What should someone “covet” or “want” when they sincerely contemplate the life of a child of God? I looked up some words for synonyms for the word “contemplate”: chew over, cogitate, consider, ponder, debate, deliberate, entertain, eye, kick around, meditate, mull (over), pore (over), question, revolve, study, think (about or over), weigh, wrestle (with).
Are we ready for a non-Christian to use any of the above words in conjunction with our Christian lives? We should be. Our prayer each day should be that someone can see Jesus in us!
As a Christian we are “are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus”. Galatians 3:26 NLT. And “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” Romans 8:14. Okay, so what does a Christian have?
The Christian “Has Peace with God”
“Therefore, since we have been justified (NLT says “made right”) through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).
This peace of mind is the result of being right with God. This is no mere emotion, although it is wonderful and gratifying. It is the understanding that sin separates us from God (Eph. 2:1), and that Jesus Christ has died for our sins (1 John. 2:1-2). It is the action one takes to “get himself right with God,” through the plan that the Lord has disclosed in the Bible (Heb. 5:9; Mark 16:16).
Understanding what God did, and doing what the Lord requires, results in peace – “God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.” (Phil. 4:7 NLT).
Christians “Have grace”
Paul reminds us that as Christians, “we have grace.”
“…through (Jesus Christ) whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” (Rom. 5:2a).
“Justified” (v. 1) is equivalent to being “acquitted.” We are, however, not acquitted because we are innocent, for “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:23). We are “made right in God’s sight” because Christ Jesus suffered the penalty for us, and this is the grace of God in action. We have access to the favor of God, which we could never earn nor deserve, through the death of Jesus. And it is in the favor of God that his faithful children remain.
Christians “Have Hope”
“…And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.” (Rom. 5:2b).
Being right with God is important because of the future. Judgment awaits all (1 Tim. 4:1), and we must be prepared to “meet our Maker” (Heb. 9:27).
Christians can have confidence about the future. If we are truly a “child of God” we will go to Heaven (1 John 5:13; Rev. 2:10). This realization ought to motivate every Christian to be excited to be in God’s service.
Therefore Christians: “boast in the hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:2
The future is awesome to contemplate (there’s that word again). The word “awesome” may be one of the most over-used words today, but when used of the “hope of the glory of God,” it does not seem adequate. To be in the presence of God, our Creator and Redeemer will be AWESOME.
Christians “Have Joy”
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (Rom. 5:2-5 NLT).
This could be described as insight into the meaning of life. Children of God even view the anxieties and tragedies of life from a divine perspective (this is sometimes hard for us to do) — with an understanding that this world is not all that matters. When the experiences of life make us long for heaven, we can view distressing times with an element of joy. Anything that makes us want to go to heaven is of great spiritual value.
Christians “Have God’s Love”
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. (Rom. 5:6-9). Also, we can refer back to last week’s lesson on John 3:16, “For God so loved the world….”
The Children of God have learned and experienced the saving love of God. We’ve seen the proof of God’s love, and we have enjoyed its benefits. We constantly should develop a greater appreciation for it (Eph. 3:17-19).
What we have, the world needs. May God help us to love and live the Christian life. When we do, someone will notice, and they’ll want what we have been given.
Does anyone say about us “I want what you have”?
For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org. Also, Check out our “blog” at: http://thewhosoevers.blogspot.com/
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