What we celebrate today is the central, defining event The Day Before Easter
of the Christian faith. On this day, for the last twenty centuries, Christians have gathered together all over the world to celebrate that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. This simple statement of faith is the key distinction between Christianity and every other religion or philosophy known to man. It sets us apart. Every man or woman in history who claimed to have discovered the meaning of life, who claimed to know the way to God -- every one of them is still dead. But Jesus Christ lives.
This fact not only makes Christianity unique. It also makes it good news. But to call the gospel of Jesus Christ "good news" is to be guilty of a gross understatement. It’s not just "good" news. It’s great news. It’s fantastic news. It’s unbelievable news; wonderful, amazing, incredible news! We are going to look at why Resurrection Sunday is such great news, why it’s more to us than just an interesting historical event. We’re going to see how something which happened two thousand years ago can still have meaning and significance for us today. But first, we’re going to talk about a different day. Holy Saturday, the day between the death of Christ on Good Friday and the discovery of the empty tomb on Easter Sunday. Because the good news of Christ’s resurrection life can only be appreciated against the bad news of his death.
Consider how the disciples must have felt as the sun came up on that cold, gray Saturday morning. Just the day before, they had witnessed the brutal execution of their leader; they had watched him suffer as his life slowly drained away. His wasn’t a calm, peaceful passing. And it wasn’t a noble, heroic death. It was the agonizing, shameful, humiliating death of a condemned criminal, nailed to a wooden cross between two real criminals. They listened as Jesus took his final, tortured breaths; they saw the Roman soldier thrust his spear into Jesus’ side to make sure he was dead; they watched as his lifeless corpse was pulled down and dragged away to be placed in the tomb.
How must they have felt? Grief-stricken. Heartbroken. Shocked. Horrified. Traumatized. As any of us would be, seeing someone we love treated this way. But most of all, confused. Only a week before, they were walking proudly at Jesus’ side as he rode triumphantly into Jerusalem, surrounded by adoring crowds. Crowds shouting, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" They were all convinced that he was the Messiah, the one who would save his people. He was going to re-establish Israel as an independent nation, he was going to give them, his disciples, positions of honor and authority in his new kingdom. But then everything came crashing down around them. Jesus was arrested, and brought before Pilate, and the crowds suddenly changed their tune. "Crucify Him!" they shouted, "We have no king but Caesar!". And now this. A dead teacher. A lifeless savior.
"How could it end this way?", they must have thought. Everything Jesus taught had seemed so right, so true. Was it all a lie? If so, then how could they have been so mistaken, so deceived? How could they have ever thought that this uneducated carpenter was right, and all of the religious authorities were wrong? What fools they had been! But then again -- didn’t Jesus perform miracles? -- heal the sick, open the eyes of the blind, cast out demons? Could a man who did those things really be a liar and a fraud? Or perhaps they had been following a madman, a lunatic who thought he was God’s Son, but who was really just an ordinary man. Was that it? Or was he just tragically misguided? A sincere man who got carried away, who started to believe the things that people were saying about him, and who didn’t realize where it was all leading until it was too late? Who was Jesus, anyway? They thought they knew him, but now their whole world had been turned upside down, and they weren’t sure of anything. They couldn’t reconcile what had just happened with what they thought they knew about Jesus. Surely, the Son of God couldn’t die, could he?
Yes, try to imagine how confused and distraught they must have felt. Now, let’s ask ourselves a question: We’ve felt this way too, haven’t we? You thought you understood what was involved in following Christ. You thought you knew what was supposed to happen. You had hopes, plans, expectations. And then something came out of left field and knocked you right off your feet. You never saw it coming. And not only that, you never imagined that it could come. "What’s going on!" you cried out, in pain and confusion. "This isn’t supposed to happen! This isn’t supposed to be part of the Christian life! I never expected cancer. I never expected failure. I never expected my wife to have an affair. I never expected to lose my job. I never expected my child to die. Something is terribly wrong. I thought I knew who Jesus was, but the Jesus I was following would never allow this." Have you ever felt that way? If so, you’re in good company. Because those are exactly the kind of thoughts that were going through the minds of the disciples on that Saturday morning. It seemed that God had abandoned them, and they didn’t know what to do, where to turn.
Consider also what this meant to the disciples from a spiritual point of view. By all appearances, it meant that the Pharisees had been right all along. It meant that when the Pharisees attacked Jesus, and warned people not to listen to him, and cast out of the synagogue anyone who admitted to being one of his followers, they were actually doing God’s work! It meant that the disciples, in following Jesus, had been rebelling against God! And that was the worst possible news. Because the God of the Pharisees wasn’t a God of love. The God of the Pharisees was a severe, unforgiving taskmaster who accepted nothing less than perfect obedience to every one of his laws. And although the Pharisees self-righteously claimed to keep those laws, the followers of Christ knew it was impossible. They understood that no one could ever satisfy such a God. And so with Jesus dead, they saw no hope of salvation. If Jesus was wrong, then the God that Jesus was teaching about, the God of love and forgiveness, the God who welcomed all who came to Him in faith and repentance, that God was just a fiction. And the real God was the God of the Pharisees, a God of wrath and judgement, a God who demands, and condemns and punishes. Can you imagine how the disciples must have felt, as they thought about the implications of Christ’s death? They must have been overwhelmed with despair and hopelessness, as in their minds they heard the doors of heaven clang shut forever.
But then something happened that changed everything, for them and for us. “He is risen from the dead! [Luke 24:6]
Hallelujah! As it turns out, Jesus was not a madman, or a con man, or a fool. He was, and is, the risen Lord, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. And the God he revealed to us, the God of love, and grace, and mercy, the God who welcomes all who come to him through faith in Christ -- that God is real. The gates of heaven are not closed to us; they are open wide. And Jesus is standing at the threshold, inviting us in. What a relief! What a joy! What a hope! What a Savior!
Now let’s consider why the resurrection is such great news for the Christian. First of all, it means that Death is not the end. The grave is not our final destination. By dying and then rising again, Jesus Christ has vanquished death once and for all, so that death no longer has the final word. For us, it’s only a doorway to eternal life.
"He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News”. 2 Timothy 1:10b
And because we have accepted Christ as our Savior, “…..we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him”. Romans 6:8-9
But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.1 Cor. 15:57
Because of what Christ did, we as Believers are immortal. Do you understand that? Do you believe that? Through faith in Christ, we possess what mankind has been searching for since the dawn of time -- the fountain of youth, the secret of everlasting life. We have found it! We will never die. We cannot be killed. We are going to live forever. Our lives have a beginning, but will never have an ending. When the stars have all burned out, we will still be alive, worshiping and serving God. We are immortal. [When we’ve been there 10,000 years / Bright shining as the sun / We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise / Than when we’d first begun].
And this knowledge that death is not the end gives us courage. We can stand firm in our faith; we can do the right thing no matter what the cost; we can suffer any loss or hardship without regret. Why? Because the worst possible thing that can happen to us, death, has been rendered powerless. It no longer has the ability to do us any permanent harm.
The resurrection gives us courage, because we know that no one can take from us the thing that we treasure most -- our life. Disease, or old age, or an accident, or even a murder, may kill the body. But because of the resurrection, we know that life doesn’t end at death. And so we don’t need to be afraid.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ shows us that things are often very different from how they appear. As Christians, we walk by faith, rather than by sight. And not everything that looks like a loss, or a failure, or a defeat really is one. Remember that during the time Jesus was in the grave, it seemed that the forces of evil had won. They had destroyed the Son of God! Death was victorious! And yet, as Jesus told his disciples on the road to Emmaus,
“You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke 24:25-27
In other words, the death of Christ, the most terrible crime in human history, was a part of God’s plan. Did the disciples understand that? No. Not at all. Remember, how did they react when the women told them about seeing the angels at the tomb, angels who gave them the good news that Jesus had risen from the dead? Luke 24:11 reads, "But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense". It wasn’t until later, when Christ appeared to them himself, that they finally realized what had happened. [Luke 24:36-45]
You know, we don’t understand what God is doing, either. It may be there on the pages of Scripture for us to read, but we too are often surprised when God does what he says He will do. Does the Bible warn us to expect trials and suffering in this world? Yes. But when it comes, we react as if something has gone terribly wrong. We can’t reconcile our little picture of God with what is happening in our lives. And so it seems that God has abandoned us, as if He is no longer in control. But that isn’t true. Even when things seem darkest, when it seems that God is far away, when it seems that evil is winning, God is at work. He’s at work in our life. And he is working to accomplish his good, and loving, and wise purposes, even when it seems he is nowhere to be found. He hasn’t been defeated. He hasn’t abandoned us. He is here right beside us, just like he’s always been.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
HE BEGAN TO WEEP!
HE BEGAN TO WEEP!
Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples. As he came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” (Luke 19:28b-31)
The 2 disciples must have wondered about what Jesus told them to do, because none of the Gospel accounts about the ministry of Christ ever mention Him riding any animal to get from one place to another. He must have walked hundreds of miles in the area but there is no mention of Him ever riding, except in a boat across the Sea of Galilee.
But now, He gives this unusual command to go into the village to get a donkey colt that had never been ridden, & to bring it to Him. It must have seemed a strange command, indeed.
He even tells them the exact words they are to use should anyone question them. They are to say, "The Lord needs it." Was this prearranged? Did the owners know what Jesus was going to do? We don’t know.
It is obvious, though, that Jesus knew what He was going to face in the city of Jerusalem. So His decision to go into Jerusalem must have been one of the most difficult Jesus ever made.
And on top of that, to ride into the city on a colt, rather than to walk into it as He had often done before, must have been an even more difficult decision, because riding a colt into the city was a public declaration that He was a King.
In times of war the conqueror would ride upon a prancing stallion. But in times of peace, the king would ride a colt to symbolize that peace prevailed. So, for Jesus to ride into Jerusalem upon a colt is to declare that He is a King.
How would the people respond to that? Would they recognize that His Kingdom was not of this world - that it was a spiritual kingdom, & He was to be a spiritual King? Small chance, because He had been teaching them that for 3 1/2 years, & still they had not learned that lesson.
Perhaps some of them would greet Him with laughter. Maybe they would be amused by what Jesus was doing. After all, it was a rather ridiculous picture. Here is a carpenter declaring Himself to be a King!
Perhaps some would think, "He is a lunatic, living in a world of fantasy - imagining Himself to be a King!" And they would laugh at him.
Others would greet Him with anger - upset because they would interpret His riding into the city as arrogance & blasphemy against God.
Of course, many would hail Him with joy, welcoming Him as an earthly King, come to reestablish the throne of David, & overthrow the Roman Empire. They were ready & eager to place a crown upon His head.
Among the crowds would be people He had healed. Some had been among the thousands He had fed. Many more had seen some of His miracles, & listened as "He spoke with authority." They had listened, & their lives had been changed.
Jesus knew all of this. He knew that just over the horizon was the cross, looming like a monster ready to consume Him. But Luke tells us that in spite of it all, “Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem." Luke 9:51
As Jesus rides down toward the gate of the city, the crowds are growing, & there is a festive air, for it is Passover & people are gathering from far & near for this greatest of all Jewish holidays.
Even before Jesus arrives, the news has spread that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. You can imagine the excitement that prevails.
"Have you heard the news? Lazarus died, & was buried in a tomb so long that his body was starting to decay. But this teacher from Nazareth called, `Lazarus, come forth’ & Lazarus came forth. I saw him! They stripped away the grave clothing, & he actually walked & breathed & lived again! Surely only the Messiah - only the Son of God could do that!"
The news travels from one person to another, until finally when Jesus was ready to enter the city, great crowds had collected on both sides of the road. They were there! They had cut palm branches & were shouting, "Hosanna…”, (A Hebrew expression meaning “Save!” Which later would become an exclamation of praise!) (Matthew 21:9 NIV) Excitement prevailed throughout the whole city!
Then Jesus looked over His waiting audience. He must have seen the mixture of expressions on their faces.
There were those who loved Him: Perhaps Bartimaeus was there, a man who had received his sight, no longer in his beggar’s rags. How about Zacchaeus? He had paid back his debt to society, & had made his peace with God. And the lepers? Their skin had been cleansed & now they were rejoicing for the healing that the Lord had given them.
Lazarus & Mary & Martha & Mary Magdalene – maybe they were all there! Their lives reflected the love that was in their hearts for this man who had taught them, & molded them & changed them.
There were also sinister faces there. Faces with squinty eyes, waiting for Him to say one wrong word - to make one mistake.
The church folks, the Sadducees & Pharisees were there. They were supposed to be keepers of the law, the spiritual leaders. But Jesus had gained so much popularity that they felt threatened. So, full of jealousy, they watched Him.
The Romans were there, fearing revolt & watching for any sign of rebellion against Rome. They were ready & waiting to crush any uprising.
Jesus realized, as He listened to their "Hosannas," that soon the sinister voices would drown out the voices of love - that those crying for Him to be King would soon be crying, "Crucify Him!" or simply standing aside, saying nothing at all.
Did you ever wonder how the apostles were reacting to all of this? Maybe Judas was ecstatic - basking in the reflected glory - because Judas may have wanted an earthly Kingdom more than any of the others.
Can’t you just see Peter walking with chest expanded -enjoying the throngs & the cheers of the crowd - maybe with one hand on his sword just in case something went wrong - thinking to himself, "Maybe it was worth it to leave the fishnets & boats. Maybe at last we are going to get what we deserve."
Possibly there was Thomas, a bit skeptical about everything that was going on - wondering what is going to happen next. After all, he is “doubting” Thomas.
What about James & John? Do you suppose they were thinking about Jesus being crowned King - so that they could be on His right & left hand in positions of authority & power?
They were all there in Jerusalem - loving faces - sinister faces - anxious apostles. Crowds trampling almost one upon another - when suddenly - the whole procession stopped.
Maybe it was a little like rush hour traffic interstate? One car stops, then all the other cars stop, like a chain reaction. Can’t you just hear the people way back in the crowd that day saying, "What’s the holdup? What is going on? Why don’t you guys move on?"
But the people who were closest to Jesus could see - & they realized that it was He who had stopped the parade. Then they saw His body begin to shake. Maybe at first they thought He was laughing. Laughter would seem to be natural - for everybody else was laughing, & joy prevailed.
But then they saw His face, & they saw no evidence of laughter. Rather, they saw sorrow & tears. He was not laughing. The Bible says in Luke 19:41 that “he began to weep”.
The Scripture tells us that Jesus reacted emotionally many times from different scenes that He saw. When He saw the poor. When He saw the hungry. When He saw people sinning. When He saw the ill. The Scriptures say repeatedly that "...He had compassion on them."
But it only tells us of two times that Jesus cried. One time He cried at the grave of Lazarus. You remember, Mary & Martha were both weeping, & it says that Jesus wept with them. He wept for them. He entered into their grief with compassion & He identified with their sorrow & despair.
Why was Jesus crying. He looked at the city of Jerusalem. He saw the mixture of faces & the masses of humanity crowding there - & He realized the emptiness of their lives. They had not heard the message of peace. They did not understand the purpose of His coming.
Listen as I read Luke 19:41-44. "As He approached Jerusalem & saw the city, He wept over it & said, `If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace - but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you & encircle you & hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you & the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.’"
They had eyes, but they didn’t see. They had ears, but they didn’t hear. They missed the whole point of the message that God had given to them.
The fact they waved palm branches showed that they didn’t understand, because that is exactly what they did when the a group of Jewish militants overthrew the Syrian oppressors & reestablished worship in the temple before Jesus’ time.
By waving palm branches they were showing that they expected Jesus to be another warlord - another general of the armies – a king who would lead them to overthrow the Romans. They were saying that they were ready to pick up their swords & shields & go to war if He would lead them!
Jesus said, "I didn’t come for that purpose. I came to show you a more excellent way. I came to show you the way of love. "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:34-35) I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. (Matthew 5:44)
Those people who listened to Him must have thought, "Well, those are beautiful words, but surely He doesn’t mean Rome? He doesn’t expect us to love Rome? Only a lunatic would command you to love Rome. We can’t love Rome!"
But don’t you see - that was exactly what He was saying? "Love even Rome - because Rome with her mighty army has seen the power of the sword. But Rome has not seen the power of love. Show them love!"
The nation of Israel had the opportunity to show Rome something new & different. But because they didn’t understand Jesus - because they completely misunderstood His mission - Jesus wept over them because the opportunity would be taken away & they would never have it again.
These were God’s people - God’s chosen people. God had loved them & led them across the wilderness & into the Promised Land. But they did not understand the Messiah when He walked in their midst. Because of that, Jesus wept.
He sees the towering Temple of God silhouetted against the sky. But beyond that - in the years immediately ahead - He sees the armies of Titus surrounding the Holy City. He sees Temple stones being taken down & the whole city leveled.
All of that because they didn’t recognize the Messiah when He came! How different their lives could have been. How different the history of Israel could have been if they had only recognized the one who came into their midst, riding on a colt.
It is Matthew who adds that as Jesus looked at the city He said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.” Matthew 23:37
Today, just like the city of Jerusalem, we find ourselves in the presence of Jesus. What He finds when He looks into our faces?
Does He see people concerned about so many things - worried about income taxes - worried about job security - worried about their health, or lack of it? Does He see people who are so busy doing things here & there - so busy that they never bother to consider those things that are eternally important?
Does he see people who recognize Him for who He is? The Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God?
When He turns & looks into our lives, do you wonder, will He weep once again because of what He sees? Or will we have the joy that passes all understanding as we respond to His outstretched arms & hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant! ………Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Matthew 25:23 NIV
Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples. As he came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” (Luke 19:28b-31)
The 2 disciples must have wondered about what Jesus told them to do, because none of the Gospel accounts about the ministry of Christ ever mention Him riding any animal to get from one place to another. He must have walked hundreds of miles in the area but there is no mention of Him ever riding, except in a boat across the Sea of Galilee.
But now, He gives this unusual command to go into the village to get a donkey colt that had never been ridden, & to bring it to Him. It must have seemed a strange command, indeed.
He even tells them the exact words they are to use should anyone question them. They are to say, "The Lord needs it." Was this prearranged? Did the owners know what Jesus was going to do? We don’t know.
It is obvious, though, that Jesus knew what He was going to face in the city of Jerusalem. So His decision to go into Jerusalem must have been one of the most difficult Jesus ever made.
And on top of that, to ride into the city on a colt, rather than to walk into it as He had often done before, must have been an even more difficult decision, because riding a colt into the city was a public declaration that He was a King.
In times of war the conqueror would ride upon a prancing stallion. But in times of peace, the king would ride a colt to symbolize that peace prevailed. So, for Jesus to ride into Jerusalem upon a colt is to declare that He is a King.
How would the people respond to that? Would they recognize that His Kingdom was not of this world - that it was a spiritual kingdom, & He was to be a spiritual King? Small chance, because He had been teaching them that for 3 1/2 years, & still they had not learned that lesson.
Perhaps some of them would greet Him with laughter. Maybe they would be amused by what Jesus was doing. After all, it was a rather ridiculous picture. Here is a carpenter declaring Himself to be a King!
Perhaps some would think, "He is a lunatic, living in a world of fantasy - imagining Himself to be a King!" And they would laugh at him.
Others would greet Him with anger - upset because they would interpret His riding into the city as arrogance & blasphemy against God.
Of course, many would hail Him with joy, welcoming Him as an earthly King, come to reestablish the throne of David, & overthrow the Roman Empire. They were ready & eager to place a crown upon His head.
Among the crowds would be people He had healed. Some had been among the thousands He had fed. Many more had seen some of His miracles, & listened as "He spoke with authority." They had listened, & their lives had been changed.
Jesus knew all of this. He knew that just over the horizon was the cross, looming like a monster ready to consume Him. But Luke tells us that in spite of it all, “Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem." Luke 9:51
As Jesus rides down toward the gate of the city, the crowds are growing, & there is a festive air, for it is Passover & people are gathering from far & near for this greatest of all Jewish holidays.
Even before Jesus arrives, the news has spread that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. You can imagine the excitement that prevails.
"Have you heard the news? Lazarus died, & was buried in a tomb so long that his body was starting to decay. But this teacher from Nazareth called, `Lazarus, come forth’ & Lazarus came forth. I saw him! They stripped away the grave clothing, & he actually walked & breathed & lived again! Surely only the Messiah - only the Son of God could do that!"
The news travels from one person to another, until finally when Jesus was ready to enter the city, great crowds had collected on both sides of the road. They were there! They had cut palm branches & were shouting, "Hosanna…”, (A Hebrew expression meaning “Save!” Which later would become an exclamation of praise!) (Matthew 21:9 NIV) Excitement prevailed throughout the whole city!
Then Jesus looked over His waiting audience. He must have seen the mixture of expressions on their faces.
There were those who loved Him: Perhaps Bartimaeus was there, a man who had received his sight, no longer in his beggar’s rags. How about Zacchaeus? He had paid back his debt to society, & had made his peace with God. And the lepers? Their skin had been cleansed & now they were rejoicing for the healing that the Lord had given them.
Lazarus & Mary & Martha & Mary Magdalene – maybe they were all there! Their lives reflected the love that was in their hearts for this man who had taught them, & molded them & changed them.
There were also sinister faces there. Faces with squinty eyes, waiting for Him to say one wrong word - to make one mistake.
The church folks, the Sadducees & Pharisees were there. They were supposed to be keepers of the law, the spiritual leaders. But Jesus had gained so much popularity that they felt threatened. So, full of jealousy, they watched Him.
The Romans were there, fearing revolt & watching for any sign of rebellion against Rome. They were ready & waiting to crush any uprising.
Jesus realized, as He listened to their "Hosannas," that soon the sinister voices would drown out the voices of love - that those crying for Him to be King would soon be crying, "Crucify Him!" or simply standing aside, saying nothing at all.
Did you ever wonder how the apostles were reacting to all of this? Maybe Judas was ecstatic - basking in the reflected glory - because Judas may have wanted an earthly Kingdom more than any of the others.
Can’t you just see Peter walking with chest expanded -enjoying the throngs & the cheers of the crowd - maybe with one hand on his sword just in case something went wrong - thinking to himself, "Maybe it was worth it to leave the fishnets & boats. Maybe at last we are going to get what we deserve."
Possibly there was Thomas, a bit skeptical about everything that was going on - wondering what is going to happen next. After all, he is “doubting” Thomas.
What about James & John? Do you suppose they were thinking about Jesus being crowned King - so that they could be on His right & left hand in positions of authority & power?
They were all there in Jerusalem - loving faces - sinister faces - anxious apostles. Crowds trampling almost one upon another - when suddenly - the whole procession stopped.
Maybe it was a little like rush hour traffic interstate? One car stops, then all the other cars stop, like a chain reaction. Can’t you just hear the people way back in the crowd that day saying, "What’s the holdup? What is going on? Why don’t you guys move on?"
But the people who were closest to Jesus could see - & they realized that it was He who had stopped the parade. Then they saw His body begin to shake. Maybe at first they thought He was laughing. Laughter would seem to be natural - for everybody else was laughing, & joy prevailed.
But then they saw His face, & they saw no evidence of laughter. Rather, they saw sorrow & tears. He was not laughing. The Bible says in Luke 19:41 that “he began to weep”.
The Scripture tells us that Jesus reacted emotionally many times from different scenes that He saw. When He saw the poor. When He saw the hungry. When He saw people sinning. When He saw the ill. The Scriptures say repeatedly that "...He had compassion on them."
But it only tells us of two times that Jesus cried. One time He cried at the grave of Lazarus. You remember, Mary & Martha were both weeping, & it says that Jesus wept with them. He wept for them. He entered into their grief with compassion & He identified with their sorrow & despair.
Why was Jesus crying. He looked at the city of Jerusalem. He saw the mixture of faces & the masses of humanity crowding there - & He realized the emptiness of their lives. They had not heard the message of peace. They did not understand the purpose of His coming.
Listen as I read Luke 19:41-44. "As He approached Jerusalem & saw the city, He wept over it & said, `If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace - but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you & encircle you & hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you & the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.’"
They had eyes, but they didn’t see. They had ears, but they didn’t hear. They missed the whole point of the message that God had given to them.
The fact they waved palm branches showed that they didn’t understand, because that is exactly what they did when the a group of Jewish militants overthrew the Syrian oppressors & reestablished worship in the temple before Jesus’ time.
By waving palm branches they were showing that they expected Jesus to be another warlord - another general of the armies – a king who would lead them to overthrow the Romans. They were saying that they were ready to pick up their swords & shields & go to war if He would lead them!
Jesus said, "I didn’t come for that purpose. I came to show you a more excellent way. I came to show you the way of love. "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:34-35) I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. (Matthew 5:44)
Those people who listened to Him must have thought, "Well, those are beautiful words, but surely He doesn’t mean Rome? He doesn’t expect us to love Rome? Only a lunatic would command you to love Rome. We can’t love Rome!"
But don’t you see - that was exactly what He was saying? "Love even Rome - because Rome with her mighty army has seen the power of the sword. But Rome has not seen the power of love. Show them love!"
The nation of Israel had the opportunity to show Rome something new & different. But because they didn’t understand Jesus - because they completely misunderstood His mission - Jesus wept over them because the opportunity would be taken away & they would never have it again.
These were God’s people - God’s chosen people. God had loved them & led them across the wilderness & into the Promised Land. But they did not understand the Messiah when He walked in their midst. Because of that, Jesus wept.
He sees the towering Temple of God silhouetted against the sky. But beyond that - in the years immediately ahead - He sees the armies of Titus surrounding the Holy City. He sees Temple stones being taken down & the whole city leveled.
All of that because they didn’t recognize the Messiah when He came! How different their lives could have been. How different the history of Israel could have been if they had only recognized the one who came into their midst, riding on a colt.
It is Matthew who adds that as Jesus looked at the city He said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.” Matthew 23:37
Today, just like the city of Jerusalem, we find ourselves in the presence of Jesus. What He finds when He looks into our faces?
Does He see people concerned about so many things - worried about income taxes - worried about job security - worried about their health, or lack of it? Does He see people who are so busy doing things here & there - so busy that they never bother to consider those things that are eternally important?
Does he see people who recognize Him for who He is? The Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God?
When He turns & looks into our lives, do you wonder, will He weep once again because of what He sees? Or will we have the joy that passes all understanding as we respond to His outstretched arms & hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant! ………Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Matthew 25:23 NIV
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Blinking Light
Blinking Light
A couple of weeks ago I was driving my wife’s van and this little annoying light just appeared on the dashboard. It is only a “picture” of an engine. I ignored for a while I guess thinking it would just go away. It didn’t. Thought about just putting a piece of tape over so we couldn’t see it. You see this vehicle doesn’t have many miles on it so how could it be a problem. Decided against that. Saw Clayton (one of our WhoSoEvers) Saturday and decided maybe I should heed this early warning sign and let him come get it Monday and take to their shop. Maybe it just needs an oil change. We’ll see.
You see, the manufacturers of the van designed it in such a way that when the engine was having some problems, when there were some signs that something was wrong or going to become wrong, that check engine light would begin to blink. And when that check engine light comes on, it’s a call to action. Now you can ignore it. You can cover it with tape. You can pretend like everything is okay. But it is not to your advantage to ignore the blinking light on the dashboard of your car. If you do something about it now, it could save you a small fortune later, a lot of stress down the road.
And in our lives, God has what we’ll call an “Early Warning System.” He has these blinking lights that begin to show up on the dashboard of our lives to get our attention, to help us realize some areas that need some help. And when those lights come on, when God sends us His warning signals, it is an invitation to us to take action, to get some help, to spiritually wake up, to make some changes. Yet a lot of us cover it with electric tape.
Maybe…maybe right now in your life there are some early warning signals. There are some blinking lights that are flashing, some areas—maybe a marriage, maybe in your family, maybe your spiritual life—where God is trying to get your attention. So in this series we’re going to talk about God’s Early Warning Systems. God tries to draw our attention to areas of our life that we need to ask for His help (in) or we need to make some changes.
We are not given these warnings from an angry judge but rather from a loving father. God gives us warnings in our lives because He wants what is best for us. So these warnings that we’re going to be talking about…these are not the bad news of Scripture. This is good news that God warns us because He cares about us.
There are many examples in the Old Testament where God is giving his people warning signs – their “blinking light”. In 2 Chronicles 36:15a we read) “The LORD, the God of their ancestors, repeatedly sent his prophets to warn them…”.
Then we see His motivation. It says in 15b, “for he had compassion on his people…”.” So it’s out of God’s love for us that He warns us, that He activates His warning system and gives us these blinking lights. That if we pay attention to them, if we look at the dashboard of our life and we see these areas that need attention, it can save us all kinds of heartache and all kinds of stress later down the road.
Most of us know the story of Abel and Cain (if not see Genesis 4:2-4:16) – the sons of Adam and Eve. Short version – The brothers each bring a sacrifice to God. Abel’s is acceptable to God but Cain’s isn’t. Instead of seeking what God wanted he developed an “attitude”. God warns him! “Why are you so angry?” the LORD asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” Genesis 4:6-7
But Cain doesn’t see this as a warning. He takes a piece of tape; he covers the blinking light. He moves ahead and does what he wants to do. And…and everything just comes crashing down around Cain.
Now this is a story that we’ve become fairly familiar with. We could all probably point to examples in our own life or of other people who have been warned by God, people who have been given opportunity after opportunity to listen to God and to do things God’s way but they don’t do it. For whatever reason, the blinking light…they just ignore it. They go at it their own way.
It’s not to hard to look back and see blinking lights we ignored in our past. We can see them in hindsight where God was trying to get our attention. But sometimes it is hard to see it when we really need…really need the warning.
But let’s look on the dashboard of our lives now. Let’s think about where we are right now and just ask the question, “Is it possible that God is trying to get our attention?” Is it possible that he is calling us to change, that He is wanting us to wake up and He wants us to do it now so that down the road we can be saved all kinds of heartache, and our families, our spiritual life can be saved devastation?
So are there some warning signs in your life? Is God trying to get your attention? Let’s look at just a few of the ways God warns us, some of the blinking lights that will show up. Here is one of the blinking lights that you can expect. God will send you His Word at just the right time. That’s when He speaks to Cain—when sin is crouching outside his door. There is a supernatural power of the Bible to speak into your life at just the right time when you most desperately need to hear it if you’ll have ears to hear. It is the supernatural power of the Word of God.
In order to see this light, we need to be reading His Word; we need to be praying daily, “God, speak into my life with the truth of your Word.” As we do that, we’ll have a better awareness of His warnings and of His guidance in our lives.
Often God uses sermons and lessons like this one as blinking lights. Over the years that I have been teaching, I’ve gotten feedback from people that will say that the lesson that God had given us for a Sunday was for them – some of you in this room and others from our internet ministry. Anybody thinks this was by chance? That I personally knew what was going on? Certainly not – God had a message for us! Is it possible that God is trying to get our attention, that there is a light that is blinking on your dashboard that you need to pay attention to? He will speak into your life at just the right time. But we have to listen.
Another blinking light that God will sometimes send our way is the examples of others who go before us. Whenever Cain’s name is mentioned in the New Testament, it is always used as a bad example. In other words, in the New Testament Cain becomes the blinking light. The New Testament writers point to Cain and say to the rest of us, “Look, be careful. Be careful of following the path that Cain was on because if you do, here is what will happen to you.” First John 3:12 says, “We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother.” Jude 11, “What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain…”
We have other examples as well—people who are, for us, an example of what will happen if we continue down the path we’re on. There is something about seeing someone else experience the consequences of the decisions we are now making. We see that they made the same decisions we’re now making and here is what happened to them, and it’s an opportunity for God to get our attention.
Mistakes others around us make can serve as a warning to you: “Look, if you keep going down this path, if you keep going in the direction you’re going, you’re going to end up in the same place.” So God will sometimes speak to us…He will sometimes warn us through the life of someone else.
Here is another blinking light that God will use: He will use the words of someone in your life. Now here is the thing. You may not know this, but most people know…like friends and family…they know about your blinking lights. Now, they may not know about their own, but they know about yours. And when you’re not around, your friends and family will talk about the blinking lights on your dashboard. Do you know that? Every once in awhile…not very often… you’ll have one of them who will come to you and say, “Your check engine light is on, and you probably ought to give that some attention.” Now when someone comes to you and points out a blinking light in your life, your response, like most, is to become defensive. “You see my dashboard…? You ought to see your dashboard! My light is blinking; but you motor is “knocking”. Why don’t you change your oil, pal?” So we quickly become defensive … But maybe that is the voice of God in your life. The Bible says in Proverbs 27:6 that “wounds from a friend can be trusted.” Maybe you have a friend who comes to you and says, “I don’t want to overstep here but it seems to me that your drinking has become more and more of a problem. Look, I don’t want to make you upset but I’ve got some real concerns about your teenage son, and I know this is awkward but I feel like I need to talk to you about it.” The tendency is to be defensive, but maybe this is God’s warning system and He has sent someone into your life. Maybe it’s a pastor, or a parent, or a teacher, or a neighbor, or maybe it’s a child or a stranger. They come and they say something to you, and if you’ll have ears to hear you’ll realize this isn’t…this isn’t them speaking. God is saying something to me.
Another blinking light for us is sometimes a sample of future consequences. Here is what God will do. He’ll give us a taste of what the consequences will be if we continue down the path that we’re on. So what He’ll do is He will allow a fender bender to prevent us from a train wreck down the road. Maybe that is where some of you are.
Another blinking light is the supernatural leading from God. We don’t always call it a supernatural leading. We sometimes call it a coincidence. We sometimes call it, you know, chance, luck, or maybe even indigestion. (I personally do not believe in luck or chance for a Christian) We just kind of dismiss it. But it is very likely that God speaks to us more than we realize. But we just don’t see it. Sometimes we can see it and we go like ---, “How can you not see it? God is trying to get your attention here! How can you not see it? How can you think that is just chance?” But we can dismiss it. And I know I can do it too.
So today let’s just look at some of the lights that may be blinking on the dashboards of our lives. One of the biggest reasons we miss God’s voice in our lives…one of the biggest reasons we miss those blinking lights is because we’re going so fast. I didn’t even see the light. You need to slow down. So hit the brakes a little bit. Slow down a little bit more now.
We have been talking about blinking lights on the dashboard but let’s switch for a moment to a road sign. It is a sign put up by Jesus: It’s a U-turn sign. It says, “Look, today is the day. Now is the time. It doesn’t have to be this way.” God says turn around, “It’s not too late. You can still do the right thing.” The reason it is not too late is because Jesus has paid your price. He has died on the cross for your sins. So He specializes in coming onto the scenes of wrecks and putting the pieces back together if you’ll just turn things over to Him. So there is a light that is flashing on your dashboard. What are you going to do? Ignore it? Put it off? Cover it with a piece of tape? Or will you listen to God’s loving voice in your life warning you to take action?
A couple of weeks ago I was driving my wife’s van and this little annoying light just appeared on the dashboard. It is only a “picture” of an engine. I ignored for a while I guess thinking it would just go away. It didn’t. Thought about just putting a piece of tape over so we couldn’t see it. You see this vehicle doesn’t have many miles on it so how could it be a problem. Decided against that. Saw Clayton (one of our WhoSoEvers) Saturday and decided maybe I should heed this early warning sign and let him come get it Monday and take to their shop. Maybe it just needs an oil change. We’ll see.
You see, the manufacturers of the van designed it in such a way that when the engine was having some problems, when there were some signs that something was wrong or going to become wrong, that check engine light would begin to blink. And when that check engine light comes on, it’s a call to action. Now you can ignore it. You can cover it with tape. You can pretend like everything is okay. But it is not to your advantage to ignore the blinking light on the dashboard of your car. If you do something about it now, it could save you a small fortune later, a lot of stress down the road.
And in our lives, God has what we’ll call an “Early Warning System.” He has these blinking lights that begin to show up on the dashboard of our lives to get our attention, to help us realize some areas that need some help. And when those lights come on, when God sends us His warning signals, it is an invitation to us to take action, to get some help, to spiritually wake up, to make some changes. Yet a lot of us cover it with electric tape.
Maybe…maybe right now in your life there are some early warning signals. There are some blinking lights that are flashing, some areas—maybe a marriage, maybe in your family, maybe your spiritual life—where God is trying to get your attention. So in this series we’re going to talk about God’s Early Warning Systems. God tries to draw our attention to areas of our life that we need to ask for His help (in) or we need to make some changes.
We are not given these warnings from an angry judge but rather from a loving father. God gives us warnings in our lives because He wants what is best for us. So these warnings that we’re going to be talking about…these are not the bad news of Scripture. This is good news that God warns us because He cares about us.
There are many examples in the Old Testament where God is giving his people warning signs – their “blinking light”. In 2 Chronicles 36:15a we read) “The LORD, the God of their ancestors, repeatedly sent his prophets to warn them…”.
Then we see His motivation. It says in 15b, “for he had compassion on his people…”.” So it’s out of God’s love for us that He warns us, that He activates His warning system and gives us these blinking lights. That if we pay attention to them, if we look at the dashboard of our life and we see these areas that need attention, it can save us all kinds of heartache and all kinds of stress later down the road.
Most of us know the story of Abel and Cain (if not see Genesis 4:2-4:16) – the sons of Adam and Eve. Short version – The brothers each bring a sacrifice to God. Abel’s is acceptable to God but Cain’s isn’t. Instead of seeking what God wanted he developed an “attitude”. God warns him! “Why are you so angry?” the LORD asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” Genesis 4:6-7
But Cain doesn’t see this as a warning. He takes a piece of tape; he covers the blinking light. He moves ahead and does what he wants to do. And…and everything just comes crashing down around Cain.
Now this is a story that we’ve become fairly familiar with. We could all probably point to examples in our own life or of other people who have been warned by God, people who have been given opportunity after opportunity to listen to God and to do things God’s way but they don’t do it. For whatever reason, the blinking light…they just ignore it. They go at it their own way.
It’s not to hard to look back and see blinking lights we ignored in our past. We can see them in hindsight where God was trying to get our attention. But sometimes it is hard to see it when we really need…really need the warning.
But let’s look on the dashboard of our lives now. Let’s think about where we are right now and just ask the question, “Is it possible that God is trying to get our attention?” Is it possible that he is calling us to change, that He is wanting us to wake up and He wants us to do it now so that down the road we can be saved all kinds of heartache, and our families, our spiritual life can be saved devastation?
So are there some warning signs in your life? Is God trying to get your attention? Let’s look at just a few of the ways God warns us, some of the blinking lights that will show up. Here is one of the blinking lights that you can expect. God will send you His Word at just the right time. That’s when He speaks to Cain—when sin is crouching outside his door. There is a supernatural power of the Bible to speak into your life at just the right time when you most desperately need to hear it if you’ll have ears to hear. It is the supernatural power of the Word of God.
In order to see this light, we need to be reading His Word; we need to be praying daily, “God, speak into my life with the truth of your Word.” As we do that, we’ll have a better awareness of His warnings and of His guidance in our lives.
Often God uses sermons and lessons like this one as blinking lights. Over the years that I have been teaching, I’ve gotten feedback from people that will say that the lesson that God had given us for a Sunday was for them – some of you in this room and others from our internet ministry. Anybody thinks this was by chance? That I personally knew what was going on? Certainly not – God had a message for us! Is it possible that God is trying to get our attention, that there is a light that is blinking on your dashboard that you need to pay attention to? He will speak into your life at just the right time. But we have to listen.
Another blinking light that God will sometimes send our way is the examples of others who go before us. Whenever Cain’s name is mentioned in the New Testament, it is always used as a bad example. In other words, in the New Testament Cain becomes the blinking light. The New Testament writers point to Cain and say to the rest of us, “Look, be careful. Be careful of following the path that Cain was on because if you do, here is what will happen to you.” First John 3:12 says, “We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother.” Jude 11, “What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain…”
We have other examples as well—people who are, for us, an example of what will happen if we continue down the path we’re on. There is something about seeing someone else experience the consequences of the decisions we are now making. We see that they made the same decisions we’re now making and here is what happened to them, and it’s an opportunity for God to get our attention.
Mistakes others around us make can serve as a warning to you: “Look, if you keep going down this path, if you keep going in the direction you’re going, you’re going to end up in the same place.” So God will sometimes speak to us…He will sometimes warn us through the life of someone else.
Here is another blinking light that God will use: He will use the words of someone in your life. Now here is the thing. You may not know this, but most people know…like friends and family…they know about your blinking lights. Now, they may not know about their own, but they know about yours. And when you’re not around, your friends and family will talk about the blinking lights on your dashboard. Do you know that? Every once in awhile…not very often… you’ll have one of them who will come to you and say, “Your check engine light is on, and you probably ought to give that some attention.” Now when someone comes to you and points out a blinking light in your life, your response, like most, is to become defensive. “You see my dashboard…? You ought to see your dashboard! My light is blinking; but you motor is “knocking”. Why don’t you change your oil, pal?” So we quickly become defensive … But maybe that is the voice of God in your life. The Bible says in Proverbs 27:6 that “wounds from a friend can be trusted.” Maybe you have a friend who comes to you and says, “I don’t want to overstep here but it seems to me that your drinking has become more and more of a problem. Look, I don’t want to make you upset but I’ve got some real concerns about your teenage son, and I know this is awkward but I feel like I need to talk to you about it.” The tendency is to be defensive, but maybe this is God’s warning system and He has sent someone into your life. Maybe it’s a pastor, or a parent, or a teacher, or a neighbor, or maybe it’s a child or a stranger. They come and they say something to you, and if you’ll have ears to hear you’ll realize this isn’t…this isn’t them speaking. God is saying something to me.
Another blinking light for us is sometimes a sample of future consequences. Here is what God will do. He’ll give us a taste of what the consequences will be if we continue down the path that we’re on. So what He’ll do is He will allow a fender bender to prevent us from a train wreck down the road. Maybe that is where some of you are.
Another blinking light is the supernatural leading from God. We don’t always call it a supernatural leading. We sometimes call it a coincidence. We sometimes call it, you know, chance, luck, or maybe even indigestion. (I personally do not believe in luck or chance for a Christian) We just kind of dismiss it. But it is very likely that God speaks to us more than we realize. But we just don’t see it. Sometimes we can see it and we go like ---, “How can you not see it? God is trying to get your attention here! How can you not see it? How can you think that is just chance?” But we can dismiss it. And I know I can do it too.
So today let’s just look at some of the lights that may be blinking on the dashboards of our lives. One of the biggest reasons we miss God’s voice in our lives…one of the biggest reasons we miss those blinking lights is because we’re going so fast. I didn’t even see the light. You need to slow down. So hit the brakes a little bit. Slow down a little bit more now.
We have been talking about blinking lights on the dashboard but let’s switch for a moment to a road sign. It is a sign put up by Jesus: It’s a U-turn sign. It says, “Look, today is the day. Now is the time. It doesn’t have to be this way.” God says turn around, “It’s not too late. You can still do the right thing.” The reason it is not too late is because Jesus has paid your price. He has died on the cross for your sins. So He specializes in coming onto the scenes of wrecks and putting the pieces back together if you’ll just turn things over to Him. So there is a light that is flashing on your dashboard. What are you going to do? Ignore it? Put it off? Cover it with a piece of tape? Or will you listen to God’s loving voice in your life warning you to take action?
Monday, April 4, 2011
The Tax Collector and The Savior or A Story of Grace
The Tax Collector and The Savior or A Story of Grace
Levi lived in the region of Galilee that consisted of small towns and villages. Galilee’s residents weren’t an elite class of people – they were common folk, mostly farmers and fishermen. Yet Jesus chose all his disciples (except for Judas Iscariot) from Galilee. Christ deliberately passed over the religious and influential, and instead chose a group of common (and yes, believe it or not, sinful) men to be His disciples.
Unfortunately, Levi held one of the most despised positions in all of Israel – he was a tax collector – also called a publican. Tax collectors were hated by all of Jewish society, and were even more despised than the Roman soldiers who occupied Israel at that time.
Tax collectors were men who bought tax franchises from the Roman emperor and then extorted money from the people of Israel – this money was added to the Roman treasury and also padded the pockets of the tax collector. Tax collectors had no moral integrity, and wouldn’t hesitate to use force to get their pay. They were despicable lowlifes of society and were treated as such.
For a Jewish man like Levi to be a tax collector was even worse. His occupation made him a traitor to the nation, a complete social outcast. He was in essence worse off religiously than a Gentile, one of them “other’ people.
In the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee in Luke 18:10-14, the tax collector stood “at a distance”. He had to - tax collectors had to keep their distance from any group, because they were so hated.
So, yes, Levi was a sinner and more – a despised tax collector.
Yet, what a wonderful thing happened to this sinner! – “…as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. (Luke 5:27)
Oh, by the way, this tax collector also was called Matthew. He became one of Jesus’ apostles and wrote the first book of the New Testament.
He instantly and without hesitation left his old life behind forever, and followed the Lord.
Can you imagine the religious leaders reacted when Jesus called a tax collector to become part of his inner circle? They must have gasped… or even worse!
Matthew began his book listing the Jesus’ lineage or his ancestors. And this list was not an “unflawed” group of people. Within the lineage of Jesus the Messiah, was a handful of colorful characters. There were liars, swindlers, and lawbreakers. There was a murderer, a slave trader, an adulterer, and a prostitute.
When Jesus began his ministry, he found the nation of Israel divided over the issue of personal righteousness; that is, how a person gains and maintains good standing with God. One group argued that a person could earn a right standing with God by keeping the law. To do this, however, they had to perfect the art of self-delusion. In addition to that, they had to dumb down certain commandments to bring them in alignment with the behaviors they had no intention of changing.
On the other hand there were those who refused to live in a continuous state of denial regarding their personal unrighteousness. If the Law was the standard, they knew they would never be good enough to earn God's favor. So they simply kept their distance. Mutual contempt held the self-righteous and the self-condemned full resentment toward each other. The self-righteous considered themselves better than the admittedly unrighteous. And the unrighteous felt judged by the so-called righteous, while at the same time seeing the hypocrisy between what they claimed to be and what they actually were.
By the time Jesus showed up, the temple had become the place where this division was most evident. Jesus illustrated the problem with a parable, most likely based on an actual event. “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income. But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ (Luke 18:10-14)
That pretty much summed it up: one group who are not as good as they think they are, and another group who know they are not as good as they need to be. And there they were, together in the temple, the very place where God desired to dwell with men and atone for their sin. The very design of the temple with its various gates and plazas stood as an invitation to sinners, both Jewish and non-Jewish. (That’s why there was a “Court of the Gentiles”). In the temple there was no room for self-righteousness and there was no need to cower behind one's sinfulness. But, it seemed everyone had missed the point. The self-righteous chased sinners away and their own shame kept the sinners running.
And then Jesus showed up. He came to break the stalemate (or tie) between self-deluded self-righteous folks and “honest to goodness” sinners. He came to shine a penetrating light of reality on the self-righteous and to offer those who were full of shame a way back. When Jesus met Matthew, he certainly needed a way back. So when Jesus said, "Follow me," that's exactly what Matthew did. He got up and followed. But Jesus didn't lead him to the temple. He invited himself over to Matthew's house. And oddly enough, Matthew didn't object. In fact, he got the word out to his friends that he was throwing an impromptu party and that everybody was invited.
Before long, Matthew's home was filled with fellow tax collectors, along with a broad assortment of less-than-righteous riffraff from all around the city. The Rahabs, Bathshebas, Judahs, and Davids of Capernaum all showed up for this unique celebration. They dined on Matthew's food and drank his wine, along with Jesus and his posse, who probably laughed and sang with Matthew's motley collection of religious and social outcasts. There under one roof was righteousness personified, celebrating right alongside unrighteousness on steroids. On that hot Middle Eastern afternoon, Matthew's home became a place of grace. For a brief time it served as a substitute temple of sorts. Here the righteous and the unrighteous had come together as they were, with no pretense for being anything other than who they knew themselves to be. And Jesus was supremely comfortable. Don't rush by that too quickly. Jesus, God in a body, was not uncomfortable surrounded by those who most needed the bridge back to God that only grace could provide.
But not everybody felt the way Jesus did. Standing on the outside of that unusual dinner party were the religious icons of the community. The teachers of the Law. The Pharisees. The good people. Even if they were invited, they would never dream of entering a so-called sinner's home. To do so would be to compromise their ceremonial purity. One touch from a sinner such as Matthew would require hours of washing. For this group, sin was a communicable disease. So it was always best to keep one's distance. As they huddled together, casting disparaging glances toward the party, they grumbled to some of Jesus' disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum? (Matt. 9:11).
Interesting question. We must assume they asked this because they really did not understand how a man who claimed to be from God would get so close to those who were nothing like God. How was it that a man who was nothing like Matthew seemed to like Matthew? They had no category for this. And they had no patience for it either.
When Jesus heard about the objections of the religious elite gathered outside, he sent them a message: “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do." (Matt. 9:12). Jesus was playing to their thinking for the moment. They assumed they were healthy. They assumed Matthew and his crew were sick. Jesus then quoted an Old Testament passage (Hosea 6:6) that would have been very familiar to the Pharisees. He said, "I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.” (Matthew 9:13b) The Greek word for mercy was the term used to describe God's grace. "I desire grace, not sacrifice." His point? God prioritizes grace over sacrifice. Then Jesus offered them his one-sentence mission statement: "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matt. 9:13).
Here, Jesus used the terms righteous and sinners with pointed sarcasm. It was his way of saying, "I have not come to call those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners." If we could freeze that moment in time, we would be left with a startling and perhaps uncomfortable truth: grace is inviting to the unrighteous and threatening to the self-righteous.
Jesus' invitation for Matthew to become his follower, combined with his presence at Matthew's home, confirmed beyond all doubt that grace is not earned; it is offered. This was not a new idea. It was as old as the Garden of Eden. But as would happen time and time again, the simple message of grace had been buried under a mountain of religious complexity - complexity created by men who sought to earn their righteousness rather than admit, and rest in, the truth that there is no righteousness apart from that which is given by grace.
The tension between the self-righteous and the self-exiled did not end with the coming of Jesus. It is a tension that exists to this very day. So maybe this would be a good time to stop and ask ourselves, "To which side of the aisle do I tend to lean?" If we had been invited to Matthew's party, would we have hesitated? Would our first inclination be to stand on the outside and wonder? Would we wonder why Jesus would fellowship with sinners before confronting their sin? Would we be concerned that by not addressing their sin Jesus was in some way condoning it?
Or would you lean the other way? Are there things about your current lifestyle or perhaps your past that would give you pause before walking into the presence of Jesus? Would a cloud of shame form overhead? Would you be tempted to stand outside in the hopes of catching a glimpse while avoiding eye contact? After all, we know. We know who we are and who we pretend to be. To bring all of that into the presence of pure righteousness? Wouldn’t we be crazy not to pause? Or would we?
Chances are, there's a little bit of both in all of us. We are judgmental of certain types of people or behaviors, and then we can turn around and put ourselves in time-out-self-inflicted exile from the presence of God. But in either case we step onto the well-worn path of graceless religion. Either way you choose you find yourself further from the grace of God.
Here’s where Matthew would tell us after watching Jesus there's a third way. The way of grace. The way of grace is offered; it is not earned. It is offered to all people, regardless of who they are. So, when you catch yourself bouncing back and forth between judging others and condemning yourself, pause. Pause and remember: you can't be good enough; you don't even have to be. That is the way of grace.
Note: Parts of this lesson are from Andy Stanley’s book: The Grace of God
Levi lived in the region of Galilee that consisted of small towns and villages. Galilee’s residents weren’t an elite class of people – they were common folk, mostly farmers and fishermen. Yet Jesus chose all his disciples (except for Judas Iscariot) from Galilee. Christ deliberately passed over the religious and influential, and instead chose a group of common (and yes, believe it or not, sinful) men to be His disciples.
Unfortunately, Levi held one of the most despised positions in all of Israel – he was a tax collector – also called a publican. Tax collectors were hated by all of Jewish society, and were even more despised than the Roman soldiers who occupied Israel at that time.
Tax collectors were men who bought tax franchises from the Roman emperor and then extorted money from the people of Israel – this money was added to the Roman treasury and also padded the pockets of the tax collector. Tax collectors had no moral integrity, and wouldn’t hesitate to use force to get their pay. They were despicable lowlifes of society and were treated as such.
For a Jewish man like Levi to be a tax collector was even worse. His occupation made him a traitor to the nation, a complete social outcast. He was in essence worse off religiously than a Gentile, one of them “other’ people.
In the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee in Luke 18:10-14, the tax collector stood “at a distance”. He had to - tax collectors had to keep their distance from any group, because they were so hated.
So, yes, Levi was a sinner and more – a despised tax collector.
Yet, what a wonderful thing happened to this sinner! – “…as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. (Luke 5:27)
Oh, by the way, this tax collector also was called Matthew. He became one of Jesus’ apostles and wrote the first book of the New Testament.
He instantly and without hesitation left his old life behind forever, and followed the Lord.
Can you imagine the religious leaders reacted when Jesus called a tax collector to become part of his inner circle? They must have gasped… or even worse!
Matthew began his book listing the Jesus’ lineage or his ancestors. And this list was not an “unflawed” group of people. Within the lineage of Jesus the Messiah, was a handful of colorful characters. There were liars, swindlers, and lawbreakers. There was a murderer, a slave trader, an adulterer, and a prostitute.
When Jesus began his ministry, he found the nation of Israel divided over the issue of personal righteousness; that is, how a person gains and maintains good standing with God. One group argued that a person could earn a right standing with God by keeping the law. To do this, however, they had to perfect the art of self-delusion. In addition to that, they had to dumb down certain commandments to bring them in alignment with the behaviors they had no intention of changing.
On the other hand there were those who refused to live in a continuous state of denial regarding their personal unrighteousness. If the Law was the standard, they knew they would never be good enough to earn God's favor. So they simply kept their distance. Mutual contempt held the self-righteous and the self-condemned full resentment toward each other. The self-righteous considered themselves better than the admittedly unrighteous. And the unrighteous felt judged by the so-called righteous, while at the same time seeing the hypocrisy between what they claimed to be and what they actually were.
By the time Jesus showed up, the temple had become the place where this division was most evident. Jesus illustrated the problem with a parable, most likely based on an actual event. “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income. But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ (Luke 18:10-14)
That pretty much summed it up: one group who are not as good as they think they are, and another group who know they are not as good as they need to be. And there they were, together in the temple, the very place where God desired to dwell with men and atone for their sin. The very design of the temple with its various gates and plazas stood as an invitation to sinners, both Jewish and non-Jewish. (That’s why there was a “Court of the Gentiles”). In the temple there was no room for self-righteousness and there was no need to cower behind one's sinfulness. But, it seemed everyone had missed the point. The self-righteous chased sinners away and their own shame kept the sinners running.
And then Jesus showed up. He came to break the stalemate (or tie) between self-deluded self-righteous folks and “honest to goodness” sinners. He came to shine a penetrating light of reality on the self-righteous and to offer those who were full of shame a way back. When Jesus met Matthew, he certainly needed a way back. So when Jesus said, "Follow me," that's exactly what Matthew did. He got up and followed. But Jesus didn't lead him to the temple. He invited himself over to Matthew's house. And oddly enough, Matthew didn't object. In fact, he got the word out to his friends that he was throwing an impromptu party and that everybody was invited.
Before long, Matthew's home was filled with fellow tax collectors, along with a broad assortment of less-than-righteous riffraff from all around the city. The Rahabs, Bathshebas, Judahs, and Davids of Capernaum all showed up for this unique celebration. They dined on Matthew's food and drank his wine, along with Jesus and his posse, who probably laughed and sang with Matthew's motley collection of religious and social outcasts. There under one roof was righteousness personified, celebrating right alongside unrighteousness on steroids. On that hot Middle Eastern afternoon, Matthew's home became a place of grace. For a brief time it served as a substitute temple of sorts. Here the righteous and the unrighteous had come together as they were, with no pretense for being anything other than who they knew themselves to be. And Jesus was supremely comfortable. Don't rush by that too quickly. Jesus, God in a body, was not uncomfortable surrounded by those who most needed the bridge back to God that only grace could provide.
But not everybody felt the way Jesus did. Standing on the outside of that unusual dinner party were the religious icons of the community. The teachers of the Law. The Pharisees. The good people. Even if they were invited, they would never dream of entering a so-called sinner's home. To do so would be to compromise their ceremonial purity. One touch from a sinner such as Matthew would require hours of washing. For this group, sin was a communicable disease. So it was always best to keep one's distance. As they huddled together, casting disparaging glances toward the party, they grumbled to some of Jesus' disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum? (Matt. 9:11).
Interesting question. We must assume they asked this because they really did not understand how a man who claimed to be from God would get so close to those who were nothing like God. How was it that a man who was nothing like Matthew seemed to like Matthew? They had no category for this. And they had no patience for it either.
When Jesus heard about the objections of the religious elite gathered outside, he sent them a message: “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do." (Matt. 9:12). Jesus was playing to their thinking for the moment. They assumed they were healthy. They assumed Matthew and his crew were sick. Jesus then quoted an Old Testament passage (Hosea 6:6) that would have been very familiar to the Pharisees. He said, "I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.” (Matthew 9:13b) The Greek word for mercy was the term used to describe God's grace. "I desire grace, not sacrifice." His point? God prioritizes grace over sacrifice. Then Jesus offered them his one-sentence mission statement: "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matt. 9:13).
Here, Jesus used the terms righteous and sinners with pointed sarcasm. It was his way of saying, "I have not come to call those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners." If we could freeze that moment in time, we would be left with a startling and perhaps uncomfortable truth: grace is inviting to the unrighteous and threatening to the self-righteous.
Jesus' invitation for Matthew to become his follower, combined with his presence at Matthew's home, confirmed beyond all doubt that grace is not earned; it is offered. This was not a new idea. It was as old as the Garden of Eden. But as would happen time and time again, the simple message of grace had been buried under a mountain of religious complexity - complexity created by men who sought to earn their righteousness rather than admit, and rest in, the truth that there is no righteousness apart from that which is given by grace.
The tension between the self-righteous and the self-exiled did not end with the coming of Jesus. It is a tension that exists to this very day. So maybe this would be a good time to stop and ask ourselves, "To which side of the aisle do I tend to lean?" If we had been invited to Matthew's party, would we have hesitated? Would our first inclination be to stand on the outside and wonder? Would we wonder why Jesus would fellowship with sinners before confronting their sin? Would we be concerned that by not addressing their sin Jesus was in some way condoning it?
Or would you lean the other way? Are there things about your current lifestyle or perhaps your past that would give you pause before walking into the presence of Jesus? Would a cloud of shame form overhead? Would you be tempted to stand outside in the hopes of catching a glimpse while avoiding eye contact? After all, we know. We know who we are and who we pretend to be. To bring all of that into the presence of pure righteousness? Wouldn’t we be crazy not to pause? Or would we?
Chances are, there's a little bit of both in all of us. We are judgmental of certain types of people or behaviors, and then we can turn around and put ourselves in time-out-self-inflicted exile from the presence of God. But in either case we step onto the well-worn path of graceless religion. Either way you choose you find yourself further from the grace of God.
Here’s where Matthew would tell us after watching Jesus there's a third way. The way of grace. The way of grace is offered; it is not earned. It is offered to all people, regardless of who they are. So, when you catch yourself bouncing back and forth between judging others and condemning yourself, pause. Pause and remember: you can't be good enough; you don't even have to be. That is the way of grace.
Note: Parts of this lesson are from Andy Stanley’s book: The Grace of God
Monday, March 21, 2011
I Am Not A Fan of Jesus!
I Am Not A Fan of Jesus!
Sometimes when preparing a lesson, I “worry” that it may hit someone in the class or somone who is reading the lesson very hard. I really want people to come to our class or continue to read the lessons on the WhoSoEver “blog” or in an email or on Facebook. I really want people to continue to “Forward” our email lesson to others! But wouldn’t that really be selling Jesus cheap and watering down the gospel in hopes that more of you will read our lessons online, that more will come to hear the lessons? And that's why this Sunday we're talking about whether or not we are prepared to just be an excitable fan of the Lord Jesus Christ, awed by His miracles, caught up in His stories and parables, or have we really made a decision to be committed to the only Lord of Glory, to belong to Him in such a way that it doesn't matter whatever happens, whatever comes, whatever anyone says.
This is one of these “worry” lessons. But here it is anyway! NOTE: Remember that I often say in class that God has done “wore me out” with the lesson before it gets to y’all!
Today, let’s look at defining the relationship (DTR) between us and Jesus. What exactly is the commitment level? Now some of us may get a little uncomfortable, a little anxious…you may even have a fight or flight response because you kind of like the current arrangement you have with Jesus. He seems like a good guy – and you like having something to do on the weekends – what it comes down to is this - you want to have a relationship with Jesus with all the benefits but none of the commitment. A No Strings Attached arrangement – where you can connect with him from time to time – but it doesn’t really mess with your life. You want to be a fan of Jesus – but not a follower. Have you ever looked seriously at Luke 9:23? Seriously?
In this passage Jesus put it this way: “….If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” NASB
The New Living Translations says: “you must turn from your selfish ways”.
A fan is simply defined as an enthusiastic admirer. And the DTR question is this:
Are you a fan or a follower?
As you read through the Gospels you will find example after example where Jesus will put people in a position where they must choose… Sometimes there were large crowds following him like in Luke 14 and John 6 – and Jesus would preach a sermon that would determine who in the crowd were fans and who were followers.
Jesus was never impressed by the size of this crowd, it’s the commitment level that he cares about. A concern with our churches today is that when we gather together - there is the possibility that instead of a community of followers we are nothing more than a stadium full of fans. Where we may wear a cross, but we don’t bear the cross. You can come to church, know all the songs, open your Bible and take notes, walk out to your car with a Jesus fish on the bumper and say grace before lunch, but that doesn’t necessarily make you a follower.
I believe that for years I was more fan than follower. Mainly because I confused knowing about Jesus with knowing Jesus. But there is a difference between knowledge and intimacy. Many of people think it is their knowledge and their good behavior that makes a good follower. Has this been or is this how we may think? We love Jesus and we know a lot about Jesus – but we don’t know Jesus. We don’t talk to him about our day – we aren’t listening for him to speak into our lives. See, a lot of us don’t mind Jesus once a week on Sunday. We don’t mind making some minor change in our lives but Jesus wants to turn our lives upside down – we want him to do a little touch up work, but Jesus wants complete renovation – we come thinking tune-up but Jesus is thinking overhaul – we think just a little makeup is what we need and Jesus is thinking makeover. We think a little decorating is required, and Jesus wants a compete remodel.
A pastor got an email that informed him of a person who wanted to be removed as a member of the church because they didn’t like his sermons. That was the reason given. After making sure it wasn’t his wife , he decided to pick up the phone and call the person. When the man answered the phone, the pastor identified himself and said, “I understand you are leaving the church because you don’t like my sermons…" This caught the man off guard, there was an awkward silence, and then he started talking, rambling really, trying to express what he meant. But somewhere in his lengthy explanation he said something…and the pastor wrote it down…because when he said it the pastor breathed such a sigh of relief that that tears literally came to his eyes. Here what the ex-member said – "Well…whenever I listen to your messages I feel like you’re trying to interfere with my life." Now he didn’t mean that as but it was a compliment – in fact it’s really more of a job description of a pastor – to teach the Bible in way that interferes with your life.
But the truth is that it is only in letting Jesus interfere with our lives – that we find real life. Jesus didn’t come to this earth so that you would be better behaved or to tweak your personality or fine-tune your manners or smooth out your rough spots. He wants total transformation. The objective of the gospel is not to make you a well-behaved person but to turn your life upside down. When we quit fighting for the controls of our lives and surrender everything to him – when we “give up our selfish ways” and live for him, we find life that that is truly life.
In Luke 9:23, Jesus says that if we want to follow him we must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily. But at the end of this chapter Jesus gives three examples of people who are potential followers, but are shown to be fans – just enthusiastic admirers. And here’s what we find – what keeps them from following – is really what keeps most of us from following.
We find the 1st fan verse 57. As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." He’s at least talking a good game. But look at verse 58. Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Jesus draws attention to the fact that this man loved comfort more than following him. And maybe that’s what’s keeping you. Because the call of Jesus to take up our cross and follow him – is in direct conflict with our desire to be comfortable. We are by nature comfort seekers.
A follower is not asking the question “How can I be comfortable?” Many of us are not following Jesus – we’re following comfort. We’ve made comfort our God – it’s what we live for – work for – and sacrifice for. But there’s nothing comfortable about the call to follow Jesus.
So as you determine the relationship we have with Jesus, let’s ask ourselves a question:
Is the relationship one of convenience, or is it committed?
This man in verse 57 spoke words of commitment, but when Jesus painted him a picture of what that commitment looked like the man seemed to back off. There are a lot of people who have made a decision to believe in Jesus – but never really committed to Jesus.
Many of us are committed until it becomes inconvenient and uncomfortable. Many Christians approach their commitment to Jesus and Bible. I really like Jesus – but I don’t really like serving the poor – I like the idea of going to church – but my resources (time and/or $) are spoken for. I love Jesus but this area of my life – but when I’m with these friends – when I am at this place...I’m not 100 percent committed.
And so they will say, I want to follow Jesus but don’t ask me to forgive the person who hurt me. Don’t ask me to release that bitterness and resentment I’m not going to let that go. I want to follow Jesus but don’t ask me to give a percentage of my money. I worked hard for that. I’ll follow Jesus but don’t talking to me about my sex life –. I can’t help my desires. We wear the name Christian and then we pick and choose - the teachings of Jesus that we’re going to follow – as if the teachings of the Bible were a buffet, where you just take what looks good to you and don’t worry about the rest.
We would never do that – but that is what fans do.
Most parents want their kids to have a little bit of God – they want their kids to have some Biblical morals. But one of the most dangerous ways to be raised is with a little bit of Jesus…it’s like an inoculation. A little bit can make you immune to the real thing.
In verse 59-60 we meet fan number 2. “He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." One of the first words out the guy’s mouth is “First.” The first thing he does is put Jesus off. I want to follow, I really do, but not right now. And so we say I’ll start tomorrow…this is my last time…when I’m out of college…when I get married…when we have kids…when I get a less demanding job. Instead of getting out of bed we just keep hitting the snooze alarm – just 10 more minutes we tell ourselves.
Maybe you hear this man’s excuse for putting Jesus off – he wants to go bury his father – and think Jesus is being a little too hard core. Let the guy go bury his dad. Well, most likely he father wasn’t even sick. This was a way for the man to say – when my parents die…then I will follow you. When I get the inheritance…when I know they won’t disapprove – then I will follow you. But his excuse isn’t enough for Jesus. I’m not sure what is holding you back. It may be something that seems very legitimate – but Jesus says the time is now.
And the third fan is in verse 61-62. “Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Jesus isn’t looking for half-hearted followers. Following him part-time isn’t an option. He has no interest in Sunday Christians that say they will follow him but are always looking over their shoulder wondering if they are missing out and second guessing their decision. Jesus explains that following him in not something you do part-time or half-way.
And so the invitation hasn’t changed since Luke wrote his Gospel. Jesus still says, “If anyone would come after me he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” A great word in this invitation is ANYONE. No matter what your story – no matter what you’ve done, this is the relationship Jesus wants to have with you. Anyone…Anyone who has ever laid awake in bed and thought I would give anything to undo what I’ve done. Anyone who has looked at themselves in the mirror and said I can’t believe what I have become. Anyone is an all-inclusive term – Anyone means everyone. Anyone means me and anyone means you.
Based on lesson by Kyle Idleman
Sometimes when preparing a lesson, I “worry” that it may hit someone in the class or somone who is reading the lesson very hard. I really want people to come to our class or continue to read the lessons on the WhoSoEver “blog” or in an email or on Facebook. I really want people to continue to “Forward” our email lesson to others! But wouldn’t that really be selling Jesus cheap and watering down the gospel in hopes that more of you will read our lessons online, that more will come to hear the lessons? And that's why this Sunday we're talking about whether or not we are prepared to just be an excitable fan of the Lord Jesus Christ, awed by His miracles, caught up in His stories and parables, or have we really made a decision to be committed to the only Lord of Glory, to belong to Him in such a way that it doesn't matter whatever happens, whatever comes, whatever anyone says.
This is one of these “worry” lessons. But here it is anyway! NOTE: Remember that I often say in class that God has done “wore me out” with the lesson before it gets to y’all!
Today, let’s look at defining the relationship (DTR) between us and Jesus. What exactly is the commitment level? Now some of us may get a little uncomfortable, a little anxious…you may even have a fight or flight response because you kind of like the current arrangement you have with Jesus. He seems like a good guy – and you like having something to do on the weekends – what it comes down to is this - you want to have a relationship with Jesus with all the benefits but none of the commitment. A No Strings Attached arrangement – where you can connect with him from time to time – but it doesn’t really mess with your life. You want to be a fan of Jesus – but not a follower. Have you ever looked seriously at Luke 9:23? Seriously?
In this passage Jesus put it this way: “….If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” NASB
The New Living Translations says: “you must turn from your selfish ways”.
A fan is simply defined as an enthusiastic admirer. And the DTR question is this:
Are you a fan or a follower?
As you read through the Gospels you will find example after example where Jesus will put people in a position where they must choose… Sometimes there were large crowds following him like in Luke 14 and John 6 – and Jesus would preach a sermon that would determine who in the crowd were fans and who were followers.
Jesus was never impressed by the size of this crowd, it’s the commitment level that he cares about. A concern with our churches today is that when we gather together - there is the possibility that instead of a community of followers we are nothing more than a stadium full of fans. Where we may wear a cross, but we don’t bear the cross. You can come to church, know all the songs, open your Bible and take notes, walk out to your car with a Jesus fish on the bumper and say grace before lunch, but that doesn’t necessarily make you a follower.
I believe that for years I was more fan than follower. Mainly because I confused knowing about Jesus with knowing Jesus. But there is a difference between knowledge and intimacy. Many of people think it is their knowledge and their good behavior that makes a good follower. Has this been or is this how we may think? We love Jesus and we know a lot about Jesus – but we don’t know Jesus. We don’t talk to him about our day – we aren’t listening for him to speak into our lives. See, a lot of us don’t mind Jesus once a week on Sunday. We don’t mind making some minor change in our lives but Jesus wants to turn our lives upside down – we want him to do a little touch up work, but Jesus wants complete renovation – we come thinking tune-up but Jesus is thinking overhaul – we think just a little makeup is what we need and Jesus is thinking makeover. We think a little decorating is required, and Jesus wants a compete remodel.
A pastor got an email that informed him of a person who wanted to be removed as a member of the church because they didn’t like his sermons. That was the reason given. After making sure it wasn’t his wife , he decided to pick up the phone and call the person. When the man answered the phone, the pastor identified himself and said, “I understand you are leaving the church because you don’t like my sermons…" This caught the man off guard, there was an awkward silence, and then he started talking, rambling really, trying to express what he meant. But somewhere in his lengthy explanation he said something…and the pastor wrote it down…because when he said it the pastor breathed such a sigh of relief that that tears literally came to his eyes. Here what the ex-member said – "Well…whenever I listen to your messages I feel like you’re trying to interfere with my life." Now he didn’t mean that as but it was a compliment – in fact it’s really more of a job description of a pastor – to teach the Bible in way that interferes with your life.
But the truth is that it is only in letting Jesus interfere with our lives – that we find real life. Jesus didn’t come to this earth so that you would be better behaved or to tweak your personality or fine-tune your manners or smooth out your rough spots. He wants total transformation. The objective of the gospel is not to make you a well-behaved person but to turn your life upside down. When we quit fighting for the controls of our lives and surrender everything to him – when we “give up our selfish ways” and live for him, we find life that that is truly life.
In Luke 9:23, Jesus says that if we want to follow him we must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily. But at the end of this chapter Jesus gives three examples of people who are potential followers, but are shown to be fans – just enthusiastic admirers. And here’s what we find – what keeps them from following – is really what keeps most of us from following.
We find the 1st fan verse 57. As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." He’s at least talking a good game. But look at verse 58. Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Jesus draws attention to the fact that this man loved comfort more than following him. And maybe that’s what’s keeping you. Because the call of Jesus to take up our cross and follow him – is in direct conflict with our desire to be comfortable. We are by nature comfort seekers.
A follower is not asking the question “How can I be comfortable?” Many of us are not following Jesus – we’re following comfort. We’ve made comfort our God – it’s what we live for – work for – and sacrifice for. But there’s nothing comfortable about the call to follow Jesus.
So as you determine the relationship we have with Jesus, let’s ask ourselves a question:
Is the relationship one of convenience, or is it committed?
This man in verse 57 spoke words of commitment, but when Jesus painted him a picture of what that commitment looked like the man seemed to back off. There are a lot of people who have made a decision to believe in Jesus – but never really committed to Jesus.
Many of us are committed until it becomes inconvenient and uncomfortable. Many Christians approach their commitment to Jesus and Bible. I really like Jesus – but I don’t really like serving the poor – I like the idea of going to church – but my resources (time and/or $) are spoken for. I love Jesus but this area of my life – but when I’m with these friends – when I am at this place...I’m not 100 percent committed.
And so they will say, I want to follow Jesus but don’t ask me to forgive the person who hurt me. Don’t ask me to release that bitterness and resentment I’m not going to let that go. I want to follow Jesus but don’t ask me to give a percentage of my money. I worked hard for that. I’ll follow Jesus but don’t talking to me about my sex life –. I can’t help my desires. We wear the name Christian and then we pick and choose - the teachings of Jesus that we’re going to follow – as if the teachings of the Bible were a buffet, where you just take what looks good to you and don’t worry about the rest.
We would never do that – but that is what fans do.
Most parents want their kids to have a little bit of God – they want their kids to have some Biblical morals. But one of the most dangerous ways to be raised is with a little bit of Jesus…it’s like an inoculation. A little bit can make you immune to the real thing.
In verse 59-60 we meet fan number 2. “He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." One of the first words out the guy’s mouth is “First.” The first thing he does is put Jesus off. I want to follow, I really do, but not right now. And so we say I’ll start tomorrow…this is my last time…when I’m out of college…when I get married…when we have kids…when I get a less demanding job. Instead of getting out of bed we just keep hitting the snooze alarm – just 10 more minutes we tell ourselves.
Maybe you hear this man’s excuse for putting Jesus off – he wants to go bury his father – and think Jesus is being a little too hard core. Let the guy go bury his dad. Well, most likely he father wasn’t even sick. This was a way for the man to say – when my parents die…then I will follow you. When I get the inheritance…when I know they won’t disapprove – then I will follow you. But his excuse isn’t enough for Jesus. I’m not sure what is holding you back. It may be something that seems very legitimate – but Jesus says the time is now.
And the third fan is in verse 61-62. “Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Jesus isn’t looking for half-hearted followers. Following him part-time isn’t an option. He has no interest in Sunday Christians that say they will follow him but are always looking over their shoulder wondering if they are missing out and second guessing their decision. Jesus explains that following him in not something you do part-time or half-way.
And so the invitation hasn’t changed since Luke wrote his Gospel. Jesus still says, “If anyone would come after me he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” A great word in this invitation is ANYONE. No matter what your story – no matter what you’ve done, this is the relationship Jesus wants to have with you. Anyone…Anyone who has ever laid awake in bed and thought I would give anything to undo what I’ve done. Anyone who has looked at themselves in the mirror and said I can’t believe what I have become. Anyone is an all-inclusive term – Anyone means everyone. Anyone means me and anyone means you.
Based on lesson by Kyle Idleman
Saturday, March 19, 2011
God’s Chisel - We Are GOD’S Masterpiece.
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!
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!
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.
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