Graceblog

Mark 6:53-56

2011-11-21T13:25:00.001-06:00

This passage in Mark is kind of like a guitar chord. There are lots of familiar notes…individual notes that we’ve heard before but now strung together in harmony. One note is in verse 53: The familiar movement back and forth across the Sea of Galilee. Another familiar note is the word “immediately.” “Immediately the people recognized Him.” This is the 22nd time Mark has used the word “immediately,” not counting the one time he used the phrase “just then” (1:23) for a bit of literary variety!

Another very familiar note is the reality of healing miracles. Thus far in Mark’s Gospel, he has written of eight spectacular healing miracles. In addition to that, Mark has recorded seven mass healings, an occasion wherein there were so many people healed that Mark lumps them all together, just as we see in verse 56, “And wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and entreating Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.”

There is the familiar note of friends carrying sick loved ones on pallets (vs. 55). It makes us think of the glorious miracle in Chapter 2 that results when the friends “dug an opening” in the roof, and “let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.” (2:4) And of course, there is the familiar note of the “touch of His garment.” You remember the woman in Chapter 5? “For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I shall get well.” (5:28) And now, at the end of Chapter 6, people in mass are reaching out for Jesus, if but just to touch the fringe of His cloak. Mark says, “and as many as touched it were being cured.” (6:56)

But there is one note in the chord that augments the whole thing; a little something different, something that we haven’t seen before. It’s the sound of people literally running to Jesus. Carrying pallets and stretchers with sick folks, but literally running as fast as they can. It reminds me of that scene in new True Grit movie, near the end, when old one-eyed barely sober Rooster Cogburn, picks up snake-bit Mattie Ross after lifting her out of the pit….he holds her in his arms and climbs up on Mattie’s horse, Little Blackie, and they ride into the night, racing for help. He holds her in his arms….and a hymn plays in the background – “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.” They ride Little Blackie wide open until the horse begins to play out. Then, Rooster takes a knife and sticks Little Blackie in the hind quarter to make him run some more. Running as fast as they can for help, until finally, Little Blackie falls down for the last time, and then Rooster lifts Mattie into his arms, huffing and wheezing with every breath, running into the night, running as fast as he can, running for her life, until finally he plays out right in front of Bagby’s Store, where inside, there was help to save her life. He puts her down, fires his pistol to alert the people in side, and says, “I’ve grown old” looking like he’s about to have a coronary.

That’s what I see happening at the end of Mark 6: People running as hard and as fast as they can…young people running faster than they’ve ever run before; old people who haven’t run in years…people huffing, and wheezing, falling down but getting up again, playing out but finding a second wind….running to Jesus.

And, it speaks to me of a deep yearning in the soul to be near Jesus.

They’re not running to Jesus because they think they should.
They’re not running to Jesus because someone told them they should.
They’re running to Jesus because they want nothing more for themselves and for their friends than to be as close to Jesus as they can be.

How about you? Are you running to Jesus?

Let’s talk about the reason we run. I don’t know about you, but most of the time I feel like I’m running the way Jackson Browne sings about in one of his songs:
“Running on, running on empty
Running on, running blind
Running on, running into the sun
But I’m running behind.”
And I think often we feel that way for one of two reasons: Either our spiritual tanks are nearly empty, or our tanks are filled with the wrong motivational fuel.

You know, when you run out of gas, you don’t just come to a screeching halt. First, you feel a loss of power. It’s barely noticeable. But the further you push down on the accelerator, the less power you have. And only after you’re well aware of your diminishing power, do you begin to feel the shutter, the knock, the stall of the engine as she gasps for the last breath of gas fumes. Running out of gas is a gradual process. And only the fool fails to recognize the warning signs. I know these things because I have been the fool. What are the warning signs? There are lots of warning signs:

You’re on friendly terms with sins that you used to hate.

You find yourself frequently becoming irritated with people who are close to you, people you love.

You recognize that you haven’t prayed in months.

You find yourself impatient with others about petty things.

You help others when asked but deep down inside you’re so annoyed that they have bothered you.

You’re beginning to recognize that the pursuits of your leisure time just don’t renew you anymore.

The thought of sitting through a worship service makes you feel sleepy.

You’re beginning to recognize that you are just down right weary and it dawns on you that you’ve been doing more, trying to do it all faster, but you’re getting nowhere. You recognize as someone said that “the pilgrimage of life has degenerated into a rat race and the rat’s are winning.”

These are just few warning signs that your tank is getting empty. Don’t ignore them. If you do, you’re guaranteed failure, disillusionment, despair, and defeat.

So, how do you fill up the tank? How do you find your spiritual passion again?
Well, we’ve talked often about what we need to do. It’s called the exercise of spiritual discipline…prayer, the study of God’s Word, worship, servant-hood, giving. You already know what you need to do when you find yourself running on empty. But I’ve come to realize lately that we haven’t talked enough about the motivation behind these spiritual disciplines.

A group of us have been studying through John Ortberg’s book, The Me I Want to Be. It’s a book about restoring spiritual passion. “Flourishing” is the term Ortberg uses. He says that we are all somewhere on a continuum between languishing and flourishing. Somewhere in that great little book, Ortberg urges us to examine the motivation behind our exercise of spiritual discipline. Why do you come to worship? Really….on most Sunday’s, why do you go to all the trouble to come here? The kids were fussing. Somebody last a shoe. And then there was all that traffic in front of the Baptist church! But you persevered through it all and you’re here. But why do you persevere through the difficulty? Why are you here…really? Why do you have your devotional time in the morning? Why do you pray?
Ortberg explains that there are basically two motivations that fuel our spiritual lives:
1. Because we ought to.
2. Because we want to.

“Ought to” is a necessary and powerful force in life. There are lots of things that I ought to do. I may not like it…I may not want to…but still, I ought to. I ought to rake my leaves, pay my taxes, have my teeth cleaned, and wear my seat belt. Now, those are all very important things, and if I will only do them because I ought to, then so be it. The same thing is true of my obedience to God. There are lots of things that I ought to do, and if the only reason I will do them is because I know I ought to, then so be it. I don’t get to choose what is healthy for me to do. I don’t get to choose what is right for me to do. “Ought to” is not the best motivation, but it is a motivation nonetheless.

You see evidence of people living this way in the Old Testament. God gave Israel the Law and He expected them to obey it. They don’t have the luxury of negotiating their obedience. They must obey whether they like it or not. And, if the only motivation behind their obedience is “ought to” then so be it. “I am the Lord your God,” and you are not. “I brought you out of the land of Egypt, with a mighty and outstretched arm,” and if the only thing that motivates your obedience is “I am God, and you will do it because I said so,” then so be it.

But you see, God wants us to relate to him, not on the basis of “what we ought to do,” but “what we want to do.” God is not after obedience for obedience sake. He wants us to practice an obedience motivated by deep desire to be near Him…a deep desire to show forth our love for Him. Not because we “ought to,” but because we desperately want to.

Do you remember the desire that was in the heart of Jacob? He was willing to do anything…to sacrifice everything…because the first time he laid eyes on Rachel, he knew he just had to make her his wife. That’s the way God wants us to yearn to be near Him in the same way…that nothing would matter more to us.

Do you remember the story Jesus told about the farmer whose plow hit a buried treasure? Do you remember the desire in that man’s heart? Nothing else mattered to him…He was willing to sell everything he had in order to make that treasure his own. God wants us to come to Him with that “just gotta have it” desire…that desire around which everything else in life revolves.

Do you remember when Peter launched out across the stormy sea with nothing but his bare feet? In a moment of reckless abandon, he wanted so badly to be near Jesus, that he stepped out on the deep. God wants us to come to Him with the kind of faith would do anything, risk anything, to be near Him.

And all those people at the end of Mark 6, running wide open, full speed, even carrying the weight of crippled friends because they just HAVE to be near Jesus. Not because they ought to. Because they want to … they desire nothing else than to be near Jesus.

Do you want to renew your spiritual passion? Do you want to fill up your tank? Then stop relating to God purely on the basis of what you ought to do, and try relating to Him on the basis of what you want to do. It makes all the difference in the world.

How does that work? How do we move from “ought” to “deep yearning desire”?

Fortunately, God knows us better than we know ourselves. He says, “I knit you in your mother’s womb…I know how many hairs are atop your head…I know what you’re thinking, and I know what’s in your heart…And, I know that far too often, you have related to me on the basis of obligation rather than opportunity. I’ve given you things you can do to get close to Me….I opened the gates of prayer…I gave you worship…I have given you the Bible, My Word,…and I’ve given you other things that you can do…tools that you can use…disciplines that you can exercise….and I understand….I understand that most of the time you have related to me on the basis of what you ought to do rather than out of a deep yearning desire…I understand you because I made you.

And then out of God’s amazing grace and tender fatherly mercy, He says, “Let me just extend to you this invitation…I’m not going to force Myself on you…I’m not going to make you relate to Me out of a higher motivation….I just want to you to try something…. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Psalm 34:8

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” God says, ‘I’m not going to pinch your nose, pry open your clinched jaw, and shove this good food down your little throats. Just take a taste, and you will see that the Lord is good. Just take a little taste, and you will want more.’

Do you trust Him enough to try a little taste?

My son, Stevo, is almost 23 years old, and for most of his life, he has maintained a very narrow palate of culinary desires. He likes Goldfish crackers, Hersey bars, cheese pizza, coke, vanilla ice cream, cheeseburgers, and egg and cheese biscuits from McDonalds. And of course there are hotdogs, but we’re trying to break that addiction. Anything else, he will just tolerate.

Not long ago, I decided that I didn’t want my son to miss out on the many delights the rest of us enjoy. Stevo and I have a very special relationship. He knows that I love him and he trusts me. One evening we were in the kitchen fixing supper. Emily was whipping up a batch of guacamole. She makes a really good guacamole. Of course, is never pretty. In fact it looks down right repulsive. I said, “Stevo, I really think you are going to love this…it is SO good…just take a little taste and you will see that it is really good.” At first he balked, but then he decided to trust me, and he took a little taste…..and suddenly life changed! A whole new world came into being. “Mmmm, that’s good!” He tasted avocado all by itself. He calls it “hopakada.” “That’s great!”

A couple of weeks ago, the tailgaters brought my cooler home with soft drinks that nobody drinks. Not wanting to throw them away, I called Stevo into the kitchen, and said, “Stevo, this is a can of Dr. Pepper, and man, I’m telling you…you are going to love this! Just take a little taste and you will see that Dr. Pepper is good.” He popped the top, took a little sip, swirled it around in his mouth like a sommelier,” his face lit up and he said, “That’s off the hook!”

“O taste and see that the Lord is good!”

Have you been running on empty? Try filling your tank with a different motivational fuel. Not because you “ought to.” But because you trust the Lord enough to take a taste of the good food with which He wants to fill your soul.

Jesus, who said, “I am the bread of heaven”…..
Jesus, who is the “Lord of the Banquet”…..
Jesus, who came to fill your soul with heavenly food….who offers not just life, but life abundant, holds forth the invitation: “Just take a taste.” It’s not a command; it’s an invitation. “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

And he offers you that invitation this morning, with all the confidence in the world, that if you will just taste of what He offers, you will want more!

Mark 6:45-52

2011-11-06T09:52:00.000-06:00

Life has been a stormy sea for our entire community over the past week. And there have been other storms that have battered our church and our families in recent weeks. Life will proceed from one storm to the next, hopefully with many bluebird days between them, but there will be storms. When I was preparing for the ministry, my Dad, who is also a Presbyterian minister, said, “Son keep in mind that at any given time, one third of your congregation will find themselves in the midst of a storm. One third of them will be coming out of a storm. And, one third will be heading into a storm and not even know it.” I don’t think that’s a pessimistic outlook on life, just a realism borne out of experience. Life is full of storms, so you and I need to be prepared face them, endure them, and learn from them. And the very best way that we can make ready for the storms of life is to turn to the Bible and learn from those who have gone through life’s storms before us. Henry Ward Beecher said, “The Bible is God’s chart for you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom of the sea, and to show you where the harbor is, and how to reach it without running on rocks or bars.”

So, this morning, we continue our journey through the Gospel of Mark, and find ourselves once again with the disciples on the Sea of Galilee, in a small boat, slap dab in the middle of another terrible storm. And, there are lessons to be learned. But before we read about the storm, I want to remind you of where we left off in our study of Mark. We were on a grassy slope on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee with Jesus and the disciples and the multitude. People flocked to Jesus, and they appeared to Him, Mark says, “like sheep without a shepherd.” (6:34) He intended to be their Shepherd, to love them, to watch over them, to feed them both spiritually and physically, just as He will feed His flock today in the sacrament. There was a huge flock, a huge hunger, and an even bigger compassion in the heart of Jesus, and so Jesus took the meager resources that were available (five loaves and two small fish), He gave thanks, and then He began to miraculously multiply the bread and fish, such that literally thousands of bellies were filled. And Mark says, “And they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish.” (6:43) The word there for “basket” actually describes the kind of satchel or pack that man would carry on a journey. Twelve satchels full. (This is going to be a very important detail to keep in mind as we move through the next few chapters of Mark.)
• Precisely enough for twelve disciples to carry with them as they journeyed with Christ.
• A constant reminder of the all-sufficiency of Christ.
• The constant assurance of the miraculous provision of His grace.
So, on the heels of this stunning miracle of Jesus, we read these words:

(Read Mark 6:45-52)
What lessons can we learn from the stormy sea?

Well, the first lesson is this: Obedience sometimes means entering the storm. Mark says, “And immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the multitude away.” (6:45) Now, the question that leaps off the pages is “why would Jesus send the multitude away?” Mark doesn’t tell us, so you have to turn to the Gospel of John for the answer. In John’s record of the story, we are told that “Jesus therefore perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew” (John 6:15) from the multitude. Galilee was a hotbed of rebellion against the Romans. The people were looking for a king who would lead the revolt, and here was the best candidate they had ever seen – a man who performed miracles and who gave out free meal tickets. But you see, the point of verse 45 is not about His sending the multitude away. It’s about His sending the disciples into the storm. Jesus had done it before (at the end of chapter 4). The first time, Jesus went with them into the storm. And you remember what happened. Jesus was asleep on a cushion in the stern of the boat. The storm blew in. The waves began to crash over boat. The wind was howling. The disciples bailed furiously with their lives flashing before their eyes, until finally they wake Jesus. He stood up, faced the storm, and uttered a simple command, “Hush, be still,” and the wind died and the sea became as smooth as glass. That time, Jesus sent them out upon the sea, knowing full well that they would be battered by the storm, but He did so to teach them that He was the Captain of their ship, and as long as they were in the boat with their Captain, Jesus, everything was going to be okay.

But you see, this time, Jesus sends them into the storm alone…with just one another, and hopefully with a faith that remembers God’s power and promise. Mark says, “He made His disciples go into the boat…” Once again, He knew the storm would come. He knew He would not always be with them physically. He was trying to make the kind of disciples that didn’t need coddling. So He sent them once again, head long into the storm, but this time alone. And the amazing thing is, they obeyed. Surely they remembered the earlier storm – that without their Captain in the boat with them, they would have all perished. Night is falling. Violent storms are a common occurrence on the Sea of Galilee. And yet, they obey. Because obedience sometimes means launching out upon stormy seas. Jesus commanded them to launch the boat. Jesus commanded them to go to the other side. That was earlier in the evening, and by the fourth watch of the night
(about 3:00 a.m.) the disciples are rowing furiously, being blown off course, but still rowing like madmen to get to the other side, in obedience to Jesus’ command. If I were in the boat with them, I would have probably said, “Guys, this is ridiculous! We’ve been rowing against the wind since sundown and we’re not getting anywhere. Let’s just turn with the wind, raise the sail, let it blow us back where we started, then in the morning, we’ll try again.” But you see, they were more obedient than I would be. They knew something I’m still learning – that often obedience is the more difficult course to chart, but it is the way He commanded, and you’ll never tap into His power and blessings by taking the easy route, or the path of disobedience.

The second lesson is this: Jesus watches over us. Mark says that after Jesus bid them farewell, “He departed to the mountain to pray.” (6:46) This is nothing unusual for Jesus. It was a habit of Jesus, to go off by Himself to the desert or up the side of a mountain in order to spend time with the Father in prayer. It was a need that he felt and a privilege and power He exercised to pray. If Jesus needed prayer, surely you and I do too. Mark doesn’t tell us what Jesus prayed about that night. But we can learn from the recorded prayers of Jesus, that most likely He wasn’t praying for things…the evidence suggests that Jesus would have been praying for His men. So often Jesus prays for His disciples, His people, at all times, but especially when we’re facing the storms. And the Bible affirms that He is still praying, and that if you are one of His disciples, He’s praying for you right now. The Son of God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, matchless in power and love, is praying for you. In Romans 8:26, Paul says “The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Right now, the Holy Spirit is interceding (praying) for you! And Romans 8:34 says, “Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” Right now, Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, talking to Him about you…praying to the Father about your needs.

So I’m absolutely confident that Jesus was upon that high place praying for His men. In fact, Mark tells us that from that vantage point, Jesus could “see them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them…” (6:48) ‘But how could He see them? They’re four miles away, surrounded by storm clouds, in the middle of the night!’ He’s God! He has divine eyesight. And I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that from His high vantage point in heaven, He still watches over us.
Why should I feel discouraged,
Why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart feel lonely
And long for Heav'n and home,
When Jesus is my portion?
A constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

But He doesn’t just sit there watching. The third lesson is this: He comes to us in the storm. Mark says, “And seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea…” (6:48) Now, Mark doesn’t tell us everything that happened. In fact, Mark leaves out one of the most significant turns in the story; when Peter attempts to walk on water and sinks like a rock. Jesus stretches out His hand and rescues Peter. “Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31) Remember that Mark is taking down Peter’s eyewitness account. Maybe Peter was trying to forget that little episode! Mark doesn’t tell us everything. And I can’t help but wonder, who prayed? As Jesus was praying up on the mountain, who was praying in the storm? An old nun taught me a prayer that she said was the single most effective prayer she ever uttered, and the prayer she prayed most often: “Jesus, help. Jesus, help. Jesus, help.” Nothing gets His attention like a prayer for help. Whatever He may be doing, wherever He may be, He drops everything and enters your storm. All the fury of hell may try to prevent Him from coming, but the wind is nothing to Him. He uses the waves that batter your boat as His footstool to come to your aid.

And, there’s that curious detail that Mark throws in: “He came to them walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them.” Be careful how you read that. It’s not that He was intending to go right past them and keep on going, but He was intending to come alongside them…but maybe still at a distance, so that they would recognize Him, and trust Him, and invite Him into their boat. He wants us to cry out to Him. He wants us to look for Him. He wants us to reach out in the midst of the storm. But by this point, the disciples were so blinded by fear that they thought their Savior, their Captain was a ghost. You see, in the ancient world, even hardened salty sailors believed that the depths of the seas were filled with demons, who would rise up at night in the midst of the storms to sink their icy claws into their necks, pulling them down. Sheer terror filled their hearts. But there is a force with the power to calm the storm and chase away our greatest fears.

And that’s the fourth lesson: His voice calms the storm in our hearts. “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” And He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were greatly astonished.” (6:50-51) Are you facing a storm right now? If you are, then who’s voice are you listening to? Are you listening to your own voice? Are you listening to the voice of fear? Or are you listening to His voice? To make it through the storm, you must listen to the right voice.

John Ortberg tells a story about a man named Danny who went “spelunking in the caves of Iowa. The man guiding took him deep underground, then said he would lead Danny through a passageway into a spectacular chamber. The passageway was small enough that Danny had to stoop at first. Then as it grew still smaller, he had to get on his hands and knees. Eventually the only way to go forward was to lay on his back and push his body forward with his feet. Then the ceiling was so low that when he inhaled he could not move at all! He had to stop, inhale, and exhale, and only then was his chest low enough to allow him to move. By this point it was physically impossible to back out…Danny is a sky-diving, mountain-climbing, hang-gliding, thrill-seeker, but there in that cave, he felt sheer panic. He was terrified. He tried fighting his fear, but he kept picturing his body moldering in the cave. Finally, he told his guide he was about to lose it, and the guide said, “Danny, close your eyes and listen to my voice. I will keep talking, calmly, and guide you through this. We will be okay. I have been here before. I will get you to the other side. But you must listen to my voice. It will not work for you to let your thoughts run wild. Just focus on my voice.” Danny did so. What freed him from panic and fear was not trying hard to quit thinking fearful thoughts. It was listening to another voice.” (The Me I Want to Be, p.96-97)

Whose voice are you listening to? Listen to the Word of God. Listen to the voice emanating from the only One with the grace, the love, and the power to calm your storm. Listen to Jesus. He said, “In the world, you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

And, the fifth lesson is simply this: Grace. The overwhelming grace of God in Jesus Christ. By grace alone, they survive another storm and live to see another day. By grace, supplied in full measure by Jesus, they make it to the other side unscathed. By pure unadulterated grace, Jesus continues to put up with them, because even after all they have witnessed, all they have been taught, all they have experienced, they still don’t get it. Mark says that after Jesus got in to the boat and calmed the storm, “they were greatly astonished (and that’s not a compliment!) for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.” (6:51-52) Now, that shouldn’t come to us as a surprise. Not if we’re honest. Because we are all just like that. We know all these things. We’ve learned all these lessons from the stormy seas before. Our hearts are moved by the story and we’re touched by the Good News. And yet, what’s going to happen to you when the next storm hits? You know what’s going to happen! Once again, we’re going into full scale panic mode. We’ll be seeing ghosts when we ought to be seeing Jesus. We’ll be listening to the voice of fear rather than straining to hear His voice. Because, just like those disciples, our hearts are mostly hardened. His power and providence have seen us through, but we too haven’t gained enough insight from the blessings. But you know, Jesus doesn’t love us because we get the point. He doesn’t love you because you catch on fast. He doesn’t love you because you learned the lesson on the first go round. He doesn’t love you because you are a courageous stalwart in the face of life’s storms. He didn’t allow Himself to be nailed to a cross because we deserved to have the price paid for us. It’s pure grace.

And tomorrow morning, if you or I wake up to find ourselves on stormy seas again; and if we completely forget everything He has taught us; and in that crisis moment if we forget every blessing He has bestowed upon us; and even if we make fools of ourselves and descend into full scale panic mode…

He will still be watching over you…
He will still be praying for you…
He will still hear your cry for help…
He will still enter the storm with you…
He will still speak in the voice that calms your heart…
He will still lead you to safe harbor…
Because He still loves you, and the very essence of all that He is and all that He does, is grace.

When through the deep waters I call you to go,
The rivers of woe shall not overflow;
For I will be with you, your troubles to bless,
And sanctify to you your deepest distress.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

Mark 6: 33-44

2011-10-07T08:17:00.001-05:00

Stewardship encompasses all of life. It isn’t simply a matter of filling out a pledge card once a year. Really and truly, it is the heart of the Christian life, and it involves everything that the Christian does:
• how he views the world
• how he thinks about himself and others
• how he interacts with God in daily decision making

And, I can’t think of a better passage to help us grow more faithful in our stewardship than the miracle known as the Feeding of the 5000. So, let’s read this passage together, letting the Holy Spirit speak to us, particularly, to answer this question, “Lord, what will you show me through this passage about the steps I can begin taking today to grow more faithful?”

(Read Mark 6:33-44)

Did you know that there are only two miracles found in each of the four Gospels? The most obvious is the miracle standing at the heart of the Christian faith – the Resurrection of Jesus. But the other miracle is this one – the Feeding of the 5000. This fact alone speaks volumes about the importance of this miracle. And, of all the miracles that Jesus performed, this one speaks volumes not only about the compassionate love of Jesus, but also about steps we can take to be more faithful in our stewardship of all things.

What are those steps? Again, stewardship should never be defined as filling out a pledge card or writing a check to a charity. Biblically, stewardship encompasses all of life. And, let’s be honest about life. Life overflows with God’s blessings, but even with those blessings, life is not a cake walk. Most people I know struggle. Many of us are learning what it means to pray, “give us this day our daily bread.” He provides the daily bread, for which we are thankful, but still, we face what appears to be an impossible situation – a mountain of expenses, even for those who live frugal lives. There never seems to be enough. And so, on a daily basis, we are called upon to make important decisions about the use of our limited resources. Again, stewardship encompasses all of life, and that life, for most people I know, including myself, is lived in the reality of limited resources.

Given that reality, what does faithfulness look like? Well, it involves daily decisions built on a foundation of faith that recognizes the all sufficiency of Jesus…that with Jesus (whether we are talking about the grace that saves us, the mercy that forgives us, or the daily bread the feeds us) there is enough. With Jesus there is always enough, for He is perfectly all sufficient.
How can we begin to live with that perspective of faith?

That’s where this miracle is so helpful. It is proof positive that there are no impossible situations. That’s the first step: Remember that with God, there are no impossible situations. The disciples had a great need that day to learn that lesson and to begin thinking differently. They saw the crowd as a Mount Everest that they couldn’t climb. “Send them away, Jesus” Of course they had seen Jesus conquer seemingly impossible situations before, but nothing like this. It was always one person at a time. Someone was blind – Jesus healed them. Some was sick with leprosy – Jesus cured them. Someone was possessed by demonic forces – Jesus set them free. And, they had even experienced themselves as the conduit for the miraculous power of God. Jesus sent them out and lo and behold, miracles happened. But always one person at a time. But nothing of this magnitude, so the thought of Jesus miraculously providing enough food for thousands of people probably never even entered their mind. It would seem that for a while, even the disciples lived with the perspective that there are impossible situations. Thankfully, Jesus would not let them settle for facing life with that perspective. You can’t either! Remember that with God, there are no impossible situations.

The second step is to remember that God cares about the problem you face. Regardless of how you perceive your problem (as just a little bump in the road or a Mount Everest) remember, God cares about the problem you face.

Do you think your problem is too small for God to concern Himself with? That’s where we often fail....we say to ourselves, ‘there are so many greater problems in the world....I don’t want to bother God with mine....my problems are too small for Him to worry over.’ No they’re not! Don’t you think if He knows about every little sparrow that falls, surely He knows about you? Don’t you think that if He knows the very number hairs upon your head, then He knows about the issues that plague you? Believe that He cares. Believe that He loves you! And, believe that He loves you and cares enough about you to work powerfully and lovingly in your life.

And, of course, there is no problem in your life too big for God to tackle. How big was the problem in Mark 6? Much bigger than the name of the story suggests! Look at that vast sea of people. In the ancient middle eastern world, the crowds were sized only by the men who were in attendance. There were 5000 men. But what about the women? What about all the kids? What about all the babies? How many were there? Ten thousand? Fifteen thousand? Twenty thousand? Maybe more! And do you know what that sea of hungry humanity represents? An utterly impossible situation. That’s how the disciples saw it; an impossible situation. But Jesus saw things differently. There are no impossible situations for Jesus. “For all things are possible...” A difficult situation, yes. But never an impossible situation. And this is how Jesus faced the difficult situation. (Now, learn from this....Jesus wants to teach us through His example, steps we need to take to grow in faithfulness as stewards.)

Step One: Remember that there are no impossible situations with God.

Step Two: Remember that God cares about your problems – the big ones and the little ones.

Step Three: Face the problem.
Jesus never runs from a problem. He rejected the strategy of escapism. Jesus chose to face up to the problem. Instead of saying: “Let's get rid of this difficult problem by ignoring it (“Send the people away”), Jesus said: “Listen, we can’t run away from this. These people are hungry, and I love them. This is not a buck we have a right to pass.” And because Jesus wanted to teach the disciples a very important lesson life and stewardship, He commanded them, “You give them something to eat.” Faithful disciples aren’t allowed to run from problems. Like Jesus, we must face them. You see, for Jesus, the way out was always the way through. To Him the solution of a problem never lay behind him or off on a tangent somewhere. The solution to the problem was found in facing it. Which leads us to the fourth step.

How do you face the problem? Jesus shows us – You do so by identify the resources.
Jesus says, “Okay, let’s find out what we have to work with…How much food do we have? Go look!” I think it is very interesting that He commands them to look outside of themselves for the resources, and, that this is after they have said, in as much, “Well, we have 200 denarii in the kitty, but that’ll never do.” They had about eight month’s salary for a day laborer. Let’s just say they had about $10,000 in today’s money. Not enough to feed 20,000 people. But, here’s the point: They had something (not enough on their own) but they were not willing to apply it to the need. Jesus apparently didn’t want them to give if they were going to give reluctantly. And so, Jesus sends them outside themselves to see what could be found.

In John’s account of this miracle, Andrew (the patron saint of Scotland) finds a little boy toting a sack lunch. “There’s a lad here who has five loaves and two fish.” (John 6:9) And, I want you to get a picture in your mind of what we are dealing with. When the Bible uses the word “loaves,” don’t think “Wonder Bread.” Actually, we’re talking about a small piece of flat bread, more of a cracker. So, the boy had five crackers. And there wasn’t much to the fish either. Think of them as little dried sardines. What resources are available? Five crackers and two dried fish. Certainly, not enough from a worldly perspective to feed a crowd of thousands. But it was a place to start, and it was a gift given willingly by that little boy.

So, after you have faced the reality of the problem and identified the resources, what comes next? Look at the fifth step: As meager as the resources may have seemed, Jesus gave thanks. That’s the fifth step – Give thanks for what you have. Mark says, “And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and he divided up the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied.” (Mark 6:41-42)

Jesus took the resources that could be found, as meager as they were, and He thanked God for it. He didn’t panic. He didn’t give in to defeatism. It wasn’t much, certainly not enough to feed thousands upon thousands of people, BUT, He took what He had and lifted up to the Father; to the One who gives us our daily bread, the One who provides for us all that we need, and then some!

Don’t you see? Jesus acted gratefully and decisively, on the basis of what He had, not what He did not have. And if you and I want to grow more faithful as stewards, we must do the same. We must lift up what we do have toward heaven, giving thanks to God for what He has provided. And that’s when the miracle begins to take place!

Are you facing a problem? He helped those disciples discover that you have to start somewhere. Why not start with what you have, rather than start under the anxiety of what you do not have? Because you see, there are always at least five loaves and two fish.

Step One: Remember that there are no impossible situations with God.
Step Two: Remember that God cares about your problems, big and small.
Step Three: Face the Problem
Step Four: Identify the Resources.
Step Five: Give thanks for what you have.

Then, give. And you will experience the miracle again…the miracle that with Jesus, there is always enough. Glory be to God! In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Mark 6:14-32

2011-09-25T11:45:00.001-05:00

Earlier in Chapter Six, Mark has shown us that whereas, the ministry of Jesus and the disciples was a huge success, still many people rejected Jesus. Mark tells us in verses 1 through 6 that many in His home town of Nazareth rejected Jesus. “Is not this the carpenter…Mary’s boy?...and they took offence at Him.” (verse 3) Then, in verses 7 through 13, Mark records Jesus’ instructions to the disciples as He sent them out to preach the message of Gospel repentance. In those instructions, Jesus makes it clear that some of the people you try to reach with the Gospel will reject it. “And any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake off the dust from the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.” (verse 11)

It boggles the mind! Why would anyone reject Jesus? Why would a person turn their back on the free offer of His grace in order to continue living as a slave to sin? Why would anyone in their right mind chose to keep that which will destroy them, rather than exchange it for forgiveness, new life, and an eternity of joy? Why? Rather than falling into the loving embrace of the Savior, they’re perfectly content to stay trapped in a tangled web of sin. And, here in Mark Chapter Six, we have a case study of that very reality.

(Read Mark 6:14-32)

In verse 14, Mark says, “And King Herod heard of it…” Heard of what or whom?
Well, the most immediate answer is found in verses 12 and 13: “And they (the disciples of Jesus) went out and preached that men should repent. And they were casting out demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.”

Whenever the news of Jesus is spoken, the ears of the Herod family perk up. Mark Six is telling us of a man known as Herod Antipas. His father, Herod the Great heard the news of Jesus’ birth and was “troubled” (Matthew 2:3). He ordered the Wisemen to find Jesus and report His location back to him. “But having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, they went home by another way.” (Matthew 2:12) Then, Matthew tells us, realizing that he had been “tricked by the Magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its environs, from two years old and under.” (Matthew 2:16) Here is a man so troubled by Jesus that he is willing to murder thousands of little babies in hopes that one of them might be Jesus. Can you imagine the darkness in his heart and the pain that he caused?

Once Herod the Great dies, Joseph and Mary bring Jesus out of hiding in Egypt, eventually settling in Nazareth. Thirty years later a new Herod is reigning – Herod Antipas. Like his father, Herod Antipas is troubled by Jesus. For good reason!

First, because Herod’s whole family was a fraud. They bore the title of royalty, but they were royals without nobility. The Romans had propped them up, and given them a small degree of power over the Jewish people to do the bidding of the Romans. To their subjects, the Herods were a sham, a treasonous family, in cahoots with the enemy. They called themselves the Kings of the Jews, but no one bowed down. The Herods knew the message of the prophets; that the Messiah would arrive one day; the real King of the Jews…the King of Kings and Lord of Lords… and on that day they would be deposed. That’s one reason why both Herod the Great and Herod Antipas were troubled by the news of Jesus.

Second, Herod Antipas was particularly troubled by Jesus because Jesus was calling Israel back to the Word of God. His disciples were preaching the same thing – personal repentance as a way to make one’s heart ready to receive the real King…calling people back to a personal morality that glorified God. And, you would be hard pressed to find a more immoral bunch that the Herod clan. In fact, if you were to chart out the Herod family tree, you would find it to be one of the most convoluted, tangled, incestuous families in all of history.

Which brings us to the third reason Herod Antipas was troubled: Herod had murdered a great preacher, John the Baptist. John preached the truth to everyone, regardless of their station in life. He preached the truth of God’s Word to rich and poor alike. He called everyone to repent; from beggars to kings. Again, some people reject the message. Herod not only rejected the message, he murdered the messenger. Of course, you might be able to silence the preacher, but you’ll never be able to silence God. Nor will you ever be able to prevent God from sowing the Word into the hearts He desires to reach. Herod didn’t understand that. He could murder John, but he couldn’t silence the message, nor could he purge his conscience of the reality of his sin. Just as Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth couldn’t wash the blood from her hands, Herod Antipas had the blood of a great preacher on his conscience. And when the news of Jesus came…the news of His power and His message…everyone began to ask, “Who is this Jesus?” And, Herod thought, ‘this has to be none other than John the Baptist, back from the dead to haunt me.’

Then Mark creates a flashback of sorts, taking us on a journey several months back, to give the historical account of the murder of a great man of God. And, I think Mark was inspired to record the history, not simply that we would know the facts surrounding John’s death, but that we would examine our hearts, and come to a more keen understanding of the tangled web that sin can become. We need to be honest about the ways in which we may have fallen into the web of sin. And then, we need to confess our sin, repent of it, and let Jesus pull us out of that destructive web to rest in His loving embrace.

For the most part, the setting is a royal birthday party with Herod and all his guests, while in the dungeon down below, a man of God steels himself against the executioner’s axe.

Who is at the party and what can we learn from them about the tangled web of sin?

Well, Herod is there. He threw this party for himself. We’ve learned a few things about him thus far, but what we haven’t discussed is the reason John has been thrown into the dungeon below. In his preaching, John confronted Herod’s sin with the Word of God. Preaching can be hazardous to your health. My father is a retired preacher. Once he was knocked out cold as a block of ice by a man with a pair of brass knuckles. Twice, he had crazy church members pull guns on him in his office. One, was a man who accused Dad of telling everyone about his deep dark secret sins. Dad didn’t know this man’s deep dark secret sins. He was simply preaching the Bible, and this poor fellow was just being convicted…his sin was being exposed by the Holy Spirit. Thankfully, Dad talked him out of that pistol.

You know, you can preach two ways. You can preach what people want you to say – tickle their ears and make them feel religious. Or, you can preach what God says, and when you do, sometimes the Word of God will be as sharp as a two-edged sword. This was the way John preached, and the sword sunk up to the hilt in Herod’s conscience. You see, Herod was living in blatant violation of God’s Word. He had gotten rid of one wife in order to marry Herodias. John said, “This is adulterous sin.” Not only was it adulterous, it was incestuous. Herodias was not only Herod’s sister in law, she was also his niece.

As Mark tells the story, he gives us a glimpse into heart of a very sinful man. What do we see when we look into Herod’s heart?
• His conscience was deeply troubled. God designed us with a conscience. He speaks to us through the “still small voice.” A person who has been redeemed by Jesus Christ will learn more and more to listen to that still small voice, and to change our course of action to follow God’s will, not the will of our flesh. Even Herod had a conscience. Deep down inside, Herod knew that he was living in sin…that his life was being lived in violation of God’s truth and design. Because his heart was enslaved to sin, Herod chose, to listen, not to God speaking through the conscience, but to the voice of his most base desires.
• He lived in fear. You would think a life of reckless sinful abandon would be fun. But it’s not! Mark shows us that Herod lived in fear, not fun. Mark says that Herod was “afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man.” Because Herod knew the difference between sin and righteousness, and because he chose sin rather than righteousness, Herod sensed the coming judgment of God. There was no true happiness, no true joy in his life of sin. Only fear.
• According to Mark, Herod was “very perplexed” and that he even enjoyed listening to him. (verse 20) You see, Herod was drawn to the truth of God’s Word, because it is a light in the darkness. But at the same time, it was a light that exposed Herod’s darkness. He was drawn to it like a moth to a flame, but it blistered him the closer he got, because Herod had chosen to love darkness rather than light.

Isn’t that an interesting case study of troubled sinner’s heart? And, I think it is no coincidence that at the center of this tangled web of sin is sexual immorality, and no coincidence that a man so given over to sexual sin, that he would steal his brother’s wife, would soon be lusting after his own step-daughter as she danced like a stripper before Herod and all his drunken friends.

History tells us the young girl’s name was Salome. Probably a teenager. Mark says her dancing “pleased Herod.” (verse 22) How did she please him? Made him a proud father? No. She pleased him sinfully. She pleased the darkness that he had invited into his life. We don’t really know how much Salome was in touch with her own sin. I get the impression that she isn’t really all that smart, because she comes across as nothing but an object of lust, on the one hand, and nothing but her mother’s pawn in the other hand. Because, Mark says it was a “strategic day.” Strategic, that is, for Herodias to finally rid herself of the thorn in her flesh - John the Baptist.

Herod says to Salome, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom.” (verse 22 and 23)
“Momma, what should I ask for?”
“Tell, him you want John’s head on a platter.”
Herodias has such a love for her sin and a contempt for God that she will plot and scheme, and do whatever she has to do, even sacrificing her daughter’s dignity, in order to vent her fury and silence the preacher.
But of course, Mark’s primary concern with this story is to give us a glimpse into Herod’s heart. Herodias and Salome are tangled up in the web too, but at the center of it is Herod. Entangled in a web of sexual sin…a web that leads from lust, to adultery, to incest, and then, (in order to maintain his sinful pride) to the murder of a righteous man. C.H. Spurgeon once summarized Herod’s sin as the following:
• He was drawn to John, but not to John’s Master
• He admired goodness in John, but didn’t seek goodness for himself
• He liked to hear John preach, but didn’t accept it as God’s Word
• He had one sin he wished to keep, and was willing to forsake everything in order to keep it. (from the sermon “John and Herod”)

Skip ahead a year or two, and we see Herod again, but now he is face to face with John’s Master. Face to face with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Luke says that Herod “was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him. And he questioned Him at some length; but He answered him nothing.” (Luke 23:8-9) The Bible says that God sent Jesus “into the world, not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:17) When Herod finally came face to face with Jesus, do you realize the grace and mercy that could have even been extended to Herod? Even with the horrible wretch he had made of himself, if Herod had said, “Jesus, I beg you for forgiveness. I’ve made a mess of my life. I’ve committed adultery and incest, and I’m responsible for the execution of your friend John, a true man of God. Please forgive me.” Do you think Jesus would have forgiven him? Absolutely! But you see, Herod never looked at Jesus as a Savior. John knew Jesus as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” but Herod saw Jesus as nothing but an object of curiosity. And although Herod questioned Jesus at some length, Jesus answered him nothing. Do you know what that bone chilling silence is? It is the judgment of God against Herod’s sin.

And then, we see what sin ultimately makes of us all, if we refuse to see Jesus as Savior and Lord. Luke says “And Herod with his soldiers, after treating Him with contempt and mocking Him, dressed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him back to Pilate.” (Luke 23:11) Sin wants to drag you so low that you will have contempt for God. It will make you want to mock the very Person who came to set you free from sin. Sinclair Ferguson says, “The lesson is crystal clear. Unless we silence sin, sin will silence us. Unless we heed God’s Word, the day may come when we despise God’s Son – and then God will have nothing more to say to us.” (Let’s Study Mark, p.90)

Mark 6:7-13

2011-09-18T11:42:00.000-05:00

There comes a time when you have to get out there and begin actually doing what you have been taught to do. Up to this point in Mark’s Gospel, the disciples have been in training. They have followed the Master. They have sat at His feet and listened to His instruction. They have witnessed Him interact with people. They’ve seen countless miracles and witness the power of Jesus to change lives. In the truest sense of the word, they have been “disciples.” The nature of the term “disciple” implies training, apprenticeship, learning and growing. They’ve have been in school with the Master, but now it is time for disciples to become “apostles.” Literally, the word “apostle” means “one who is sent.” Mark 6 records their field ministry – their practicum. Field Ministry 101.

As Mark tells the story, Jesus sets this up as something of a baptism by fire. He gives them very specific instructions, that when followed, will make this a radical learning experience. Because, Jesus knows that the day will come after He has accomplished all that the Father sent Him here to do – after the cross, after the resurrection – when Jesus will ascend to take His place at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. Someone will have to carry on the ministry. Someone will have to physically represent Jesus on the earth. One day, the ministry of the Gospel will depend upon these disciples. And so, Jesus sends them forth to begin putting into practice, all that He has taught them.

What can we learn from these instructions to the disciples?
Very simple lessons that you and I need to take to heart. Then, put into practice.

Mark says, “And He summoned the twelve and sent them out in pairs;” (Mark 6:7) Here’s what we learn from that: To be really effective in your daily ministry of sharing Christ, you need to be connected to other believers who share the same calling. The Church is not a collection of lone rangers, but a body of believers who strengthen and compliment one another. Not only do we have the gift of one another, but the even greater gift of the abiding presence of the Lord. Later, Jesus would promise, “and lo, I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.”

What else can we learn?
Another simple lesson from verses 8 and 9: “And He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belt; but to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two tunics.” (Mark 6:8-9) A key lesson in Field Ministry 101 is radical dependence upon God. Jesus is teaching us that we will be most effective in our daily ministry when we are totally dependent upon God. Someone may be thinking, ‘This sounds like Bear Grylls Christianity. Do you know Bear Grylls (Man versus Wild)? I love that show. Is a former special forces soldier with survivor training and a british accent. The producers drop in middle of the wilderness with nothing more than the clothes on his back, and he has to survive extreme conditions. In doing so, he teaches lessons on how to be radically self-reliant. I love those shows, but this is the exact opposite. Jesus isn’t teaching them self-reliance. He’s teaching the disciples to live, exactly as He lived, in total dependence upon God.

Jesus reminds them that discipleship is not about comfort, or ease, or luxury, but sacrifice and dependence. Effectiveness will be built on trusting God for everything. Jesus had already taught them to “be anxious for nothing.” God the Father clothes the lilies of the field in splendor. He feeds the little birds of the air. How much more will He care for you, and provide for you, His children! Therefore, be anxious for nothing.

I bet there came a time when the disciples looked back upon this first taste of field ministry and remembered it not as a time for Jesus to test their toughness, their ability to survive, but as a time of growth and maturity…a time to test God’s faithfulness and goodness, because He did in fact provide everything they needed.

Are you the kind of disciple who can trust God for everything?

As the mission got underway, the disciples found the world outside the inner circle of Jesus to be a mixed bag! On the front lines, they found both hostility and hospitality. Some people welcomed them and received the message of the Gospel. Some rejected them. And, I think there are a couple of important lessons to take from this verse eleven: “And any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake off the dust from the soles of your feed for a testimony against them.” (Mark 6:11) Here’s the lesson: Don’t get hung up on the people who reject you…more specifically, the people who reject the message of the Gospel. Not everybody is going to get it. And I don’t think Jesus is telling us to give up easily, or to write people off, but simply to practice discernment, and to not waste our efforts trying to reach people who don’t want to be reached.

And, don’t take it personally! It’s not that they are rejecting you. They’re rejecting Jesus. Let Him be the One to take it personally. Don’t get stuck on the people who reject Jesus. If you stay fixated upon those who don’t want Jesus, you may end up missing out on opportunities where the Lord would use you in an exciting way. Move on, and seek out those who will welcome Him.

Because, two thousand years later, Jesus is still in need of disciples who are willing to take the Gospel to the world. If you bear the name of Christ, you have the responsibility to take the Gospel to the world. Two thousand years later, there are still people who are spiritually lost and blind, still people who are hungry and hurting because they do not know Jesus. And it is the job of every person who knows Jesus, to share Him with others. Here are two indisputable truths about your faith: 1. It is without a doubt the most valuable treasure in your life.
2. It is meant to be shared. God gave you faith and He expects you to share it.

Let me offer you a few personal convictions about the work of faith sharing:
First, I believe that the most effective faith sharing takes place not among total strangers but among close friends. I’m not saying that it is bad to share faith with strangers. I’m simply saying that generally speaking, the most effective faith sharing is done in the context of the trust, mutual respect, and love within a solid friendship. Further, I believe that every single person sitting in this chapel has, at the very least, one friend who will very soon need the faith that you cherish.

Well, how do you share your faith with a friend? I believe that I must earn the right to share my faith with you, and I’ll do that best by becoming a friend that you can trust. You know, it is impossible to coerce another person into the Kingdom of God. People enter the Kingdom of God not because they have been bested by your brilliant argument. You’re not going to win people over by brow beating them. I will never win you over by putting you down. That’s why you don’t get yelled at from this pulpit. I’ll never be able to point you to Christ if I’m shaking my finger at your face. And, I’ll never be able to lead you to the face of Jesus if I’m always in your face. Not only is it ineffective, but it’s terribly unchrist-like.

How do you share your faith with a friend? Think about how Jesus lovingly comes alongside people in their moments of need. Think about the woman at the well, with all those husbands. I’m sure there are lots of Christians who would love to wag their fingers at a person like her, but look at Jesus. Jesus comes along side her with gentleness and truth and love. He addresses the reality of her sin, but not like a prosecuting attorney. He treats her like a person worth dying for, and a soul came to life that day.

Think about Jesus and the tax collectors. He could have preached down to them, but instead, He came alongside them and befriended them. He ate dinner with them and called them His friends. And souls were won.

Think about Jesus and the woman caught in the act of adultery, brought to be stoned. She was as guilty as she could be. Jesus could have thrown the first rock but instead He chose to be her Rock, standing beside her in her moment of utter humiliation. And another soul won.

How do I know when to share my faith with a friend?
People enter the Kingdom on God’s terms and according to God’s timing.
Faith sharing cannot be pushy or coercive. A true Christian friend will wait for that opportunity....that opportunity which God creates in God’s timing, over the coffee table, or in the hospital waiting room, that sometimes painful but divine moment when one person is searching for strength, for understanding, for hope, and another person can point the direction toward the person of Jesus Christ...when one person is stumbling along in the darkness, and another person can say, “there’s the light. Can you see it?” Some wise sage once said that faith sharing, when you get down to brass tacks, is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.

What do we do while we wait for that moment?
While we wait patiently for God’s timing and the right moment to share our faith, we need to be working hard at nurturing and maintaining the kind of quality relationships/friendships that will make it possible for us to be the shoulder to lean on in a time of need. And when the Lord puts you in that position – as a friend you can lean on – then you can use that opportunity to point them to the Friend that never fails; the One with the biggest shoulders of all, Jesus.

When that time comes to share your faith with a friend, what do you say? Well, I believe that the best evangelists are not necessarily the most adept at discussing the finer points of theology, and they don’t need to be. Certainly right doctrine undergirds our evangelism. Certainly every new Christian needs one day to graduate from spiritual milk to the solid food of sound doctrine and mature faith. But, really and truly, all you need to know in order to effectively share your faith, is what Jesus has done for you; how He died for you; how Jesus loved you so much that He gave His life for you and paid the penalty for your sin, as well as your friend’s sin. Mark says “they went out and preached that men should repent.” What does that mean for us? Repentance isn’t a bad word. It’s great news! It means that you can tell your friend about the change that the Crucified and Risen Lord has worked in your life; how you turned from the sin that was destroying you to the Savior who has forgiven you and given you new life. (That’s what repentance is all about – turning from sin and turning toward the Savior!)

You can tell them how Jesus has been your anchor when the storms of life have battered you; how He has been your best friend when the world was against you; how He has filled you when you were empty; how He has lifted you up when you were downtrodden.

Let me close with this question: What are you doing with the faith He has given to you. Are you keeping it to yourself, or are you looking for opportunities to share it?

Please understand that Jesus has no backup plan but you and the disciples around you.
Christ has no hands but our hands to do His work today.
He has no feet but our feet to lead men in the way.
He has no tongue but our tongue to tell men how He died.
He has no help but our help to bring them to His side.
We are the only Bible the careless world will read,
We are the sinner’s gospel; we are the scoffer’s creed;
We are the Lord’s last message given in word and deed;
What if the type is crooked? What if the print is blurred?
What if our hands are busy with other work than His?
What if our feet are walking where sin’s allurement is?
What if our tongue is speaking of things His lips would spurn?
How can we hope to help Him or welcome His return? (Annie Johnston Flynt)

Friend, He saved you and gave you the gift of faith. Will you begin to live more into your purpose as a Christian, and share your faith with others?

Mark 6:1-6

2011-09-04T10:10:00.002-05:00

As we prepare our hearts for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, I want to remind you of the Biblical call to examine ourselves before we share in this sacred meal. Paul says, “First let a man examine himself, then let him eat.” (I Corinthians 11:28) And, I think this passage in Mark’s Gospel is apt to help us do just that.

Think of what we have seen of Jesus in just the first five chapters of Mark.
Simply put, we’ve seen the evidence, time and time again, that Jesus is no ordinary man, but is in fact the Son of God – Almighty God, clothed in the fullness of humanity. We’ve seen Jesus do what no ordinary man can do. He has healed so many people that Mark can’t even name them all, and so he has begun lumping them together, saying things like, “and He healed many.” (Mark 3:10) He has caused people who were disabled to be fully able. Paralytics literally stand up and walk. What’s more, a little girl who had literally died, is raised from the dead.

We’ve seen the evidence: He cast out demons, and Jesus even exercised power over the forces of creation. When the boat is about capsize, Jesus faces the wind and the wave and says, “Hush, be still.” And the sea becomes as smooth as glass.
Convincing evidence to say the least, all of which was ordained specifically to provide us with the proof of Jesus’ true identity and nature. Jesus is God in human flesh. We have the evidence, and yet, as we begin the sixth chapter of Mark’s Gospel, we make a startling discovery, not about Jesus, but about the heart of mankind – that in the face of all the evidence, some people refuse to believe.

Several things are worth pointing out:
First, the location. People say, “You can’t go home.” Well, you can, but it is dangerous. I love my hometown and I wouldn’t trade my childhood for anything in the world. But I try not to spend too much time in Greenwood, Mississippi, because whenever I go home, someone reminds me of all the stupid stuff I did when I was a kid. In fact, once I became a preacher, stupid stuff that other people did started getting assigned to me. Granted, I did my fair share of stupid things. There are still pews in the balcony of First Presbyterian Church with my name carved about a half-inch deep in the wood. They did a sanctuary renovation a few years ago and gave up trying to sand out my name. To the folks in Greenwood, I’ll always be a devious preacher’s kid. The problem I face when I go home is the incongruity between what I was then, and who God calls me to be now. People forgive but don’t forget!
But you see, the life of Jesus never suffered from inconsistency. He was always the sinless Son of God. It may not have been clear to his friends and family members when Jesus was a kid, but still, Jesus was the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. But in the eyes of sinful man, even Jesus is “a prophet without honor in His home town and among His own relatives, and even in His own household.” (Mark 6:4)

Which leads to the second point: Theirs’ was a refusal to believe. They had the consistency of His character – everything that they remembered about Him in the past would have corroborated the fact that Jesus was the Messiah, and nothing He had done (the miracles, the amazing displays of power, the brilliant teaching)…nothing he had done recently was in conflict with the claims now being made about Him by believers. In the face of all the evidence of the past and the present, some of the people closest to Him refused to believe. They chose to ignore the evidence in order to reject the Man. Mark says, “And many hearing Him were astonished (the Greek word there is “scandalized”), saying, ‘Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!” Now here is something very important to take note of: That, no one tries to refute the evidence. Lots of skeptics, agnostics and atheists today try to make arguments that would refute the legitimacy of the person and the work of Christ. Their arguments never hold water. And one of the arguments against the modern day unbeliever is the fact that none of the people face to face with Jesus ever tried to refute the fact of His miracles. The scribes and Pharisees never tried to refute the fact that miracles actually happened at the hand of Jesus – they tried to question the source of His power.
And here, in Mark 6, no one tries to suggest that the miracles were a hoax, or that people were just making up these stories of His supernatural powers, or that it was all just smoke and mirrors. No one refutes His power to do miracles. And, no one tries to suggest that His teaching was false. Why? Because the miracles actually happened. And His teach was irrefutable wisdom perfectly in tune with the Word that God had already revealed to them in the Scriptures.
However, in spite of all the good that He did, and all the truth He proclaimed, still, they chose to reject Him. And the only way they could do it was to try to cast suspicion upon His character.
They said, “Isn’t this Mary’s boy?” Which is an interesting way to refer to Him. The fact that Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, is not mention in the Gospel from Jesus’ twelfth year onward, is most likely evidence that Joseph had died. But even so, custom would dictate that Jesus is referred to as “Joseph’s boy.” A son is referred to in relation to his father, not his mother, even if his father is deceased. But they say, “Isn’t this Mary’s boy?” You see what they are doing? They’re resurrecting the old suspicion that plagued Jesus even prior to His birth. ‘Have you seen little Mary lately? We’ll, you won’t believe it…she’s pregnant! And barely even engaged. Who’s that baby’s Daddy?’ Thirty years pass and now they say, “Isn’t that Mary’s boy?” Same kind of thing. “Miracle worker? Messiah? Awe shoot, He’s “nothing but a carpenter.”
In the face of all the evidence, they chose unbelief. And we do too, when we forge ahead in life without making sure that our decisions are consistent with the Word of God.
We choose unbelief, albeit subtly, when we give up praying about a matter and take it into our own hands.
We choose unbelief, when we face a seemingly insurmountable obstacle and say, “Well, that’ll never happen.”
We choose unbelief, when look at a troubled, sin-sick life, and say “that person will NEVER change.”
In spite of all that God has done, all that God has promised, all the many blessings He has bestowed upon us, we choose unbelief when we give up hope.

Unbelief takes many forms. That’s the third point: The power of unbelief, in its more subtle forms, can plague even believers! I believe that in His sovereignty, the Lord has brought us to this passage in Mark Chapter 6, to help us grow. We need to search our hearts. We need to own up to the ways in which we act and think more as unbelievers than believers. As we keep journeying through Mark’s Gospel, soon we will encounter a man who found himself in a desperate situation. He needed Jesus’ help, and so he comes to Jesus asking for a miracle for his son who had been suffering from birth, and getting worse. Jesus says to this man, “All things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23) So the question is before this man. “Do you believe?” And the man said, “Yes, Lord, I believe. Help Thou my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24) In the same breath, “I believe – help Thou my unbelief.” We’re going to look at this man in depth a few weeks from now, but I want you to think about him. Can you resonate with him? “I believe. But Lord, there are still places in me that are unconverted…still places that revert to the old way of thinking and living…still ways in which I show more evidence of unbelief than belief.” Help Thou our unbelief.

Because, just as there is great power in faith (believing in Jesus, believing in God’s promises, believing His Word), there is also great and terrible power in unbelief. Mark says, “But He could do no miracle there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.” (Mark 6:5) Now, please don’t misunderstand this passage. You see, it is not that Jesus is lacking power, or that He is somehow weakened by our unbelief. No. Our unbelief doesn’t shackle Jesus, rather, it binds us from receiving His blessings.

Isn’t it terribly sad to recognize that in Jesus’ hometown, there were people who knew Him and yet rejected Him? Isn’t it sad that there were people who needed an answer to a prayer they refused to utter? Isn’t it sad that they were so very close to the source of all the power in the Universe, (certainly enough power to meet their most pressing need), and yet they prevented themselves from receiving that blessing because they chose to say “NO” to Jesus?

Unbelief is a powerful force, but it is not a power you want in your life. Faith is the power you want. Faith (believing in Jesus without reservation, without hesitation)…faith is the conduit that connects your need with His power. And that is precisely what happens for a few of the people in Nazareth. They came to Jesus in faith. They believed! And when they brought their need to Jesus, in faith, just as we have seen time and time again, heaven and earth was moved to bless, to heal, to restore. Unbelief is a powerful force. Faith is the greater power!

The last point I want to share with you, again, has to do with location. Where did all of this take place. Yes, in Nazareth. But where in Nazareth? In the Synagogue. Or, in other words, church. The bulk of this passage is set in the context of church! Isn’t that interesting? That in the Lord’s house, there were people who considered themselves believers, but they didn’t trust in Jesus. They knew something of Jesus, but they didn’t know Him in truth. They didn’t know Him personally. People in church, of all places!

Do you? Do you know Him in truth? Do you believe in Jesus? Do you stake your life and your faith in Him? Because, friend, this is the crux of the matter: The power of faith is not simply to open our lives to the blessing of miraculous things. It is a matter of life and death; of where a man, woman or child will spend eternity. Saving faith, in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Do you believe? Please search your heart. Cast away unbelief in all its many forms. Come to Jesus in faith and say in your heart, “Yes, Lord, I believe.”

Mark 5:21-43

2011-08-22T10:30:00.000-05:00

The story we are about to read is a window into the lives of two people who were hurting. One: a father whose heart was breaking as he watched his twelve year old little girl slip away to illness. The other: a woman whose health had slipped away over 12 years. We can learn a great deal from them – namely, as we see what they did with their suffering. But even more than a window into the lives of hurting people, the second half of Mark 5 is a picture of your Savior, Jesus – the One who truly cares about you; the One whose grace is sufficient for you; the One whose touch can make all the difference in your life.

Let’s read Mark 5:21 through 43 together.

Think about the lives that have been changed, as we have read through the first five chapters of Mark. It’s amazing! We’ve seen lepers cleansed of disease and their horrible disfigurement restored. We’ve seen paralytics stand up and walk. We’ve seen people transformed from demon possession to discipleship. It’s like a litany of transformation. And now, Mark continues by introducing us to a Daddy whose twelve year old little girl was near death: "And one of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and upon seeing Him, fell at His feet.”

Here is a man who is wealthy, powerful, influential and admired, but he reached a point in his life where none of that mattered anymore. Because, as He said to Jesus from his knees, “My little daughter is at the point of death.” He was powerless to do anything but to fall upon His knees before Jesus. But O, the power of a Daddy upon His knees! Look at the Psalmist says about the power of prayer:
From Psalm 18: “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry for help before Him came into His ears. Then the earth shook and quaked; and the foundations of the mountains trembled.”

Mommas and Daddies sometimes feel helpless when we think of the problems our children face…when we think of the world they will inherit…when we see our children hurting or even hurting themselves. We need to be reminded of the power we tap into when we get down on our knees before Jesus and humbly pray for our sons and daughters. Prayer is one of the greatest ways to love your kids. They need us to love them, at the ball park, in the football stadium, at the tournaments, at the concerts, around the dinner table at night, but most importantly they need us to love them enough to bow down upon our knees in prayer before Jesus. A Mom on her knees praying for her babies, taps into a power that can move the universe. A Daddy on his knees praying for his sons and daughters, moves heaven and earth. Seeing Jairus and knowing you need to do the same, will you promise to spend more time on your knees in prayer for your children; for the children of Grace Chapel?

Well, Jairus’ prayer begins to work. He prays, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, that she may get well and live.” This man is powerless to do anything but pray. But praying is enough. It moves Jesus to set out toward Jairus’ home. They are on their way, when out of the crowd there comes an interruption. "And a woman..." That's how Mark introduces the unnamed woman in the crowd. In the eyes of the world, and even in the eyes of certain disciples, she was an interruption. Jesus is on His way to save the life of a precious little girl. What could be more important than that? How dare anyone, for any reason, delay that mission. It would like throwing up a roadblock in front of an ambulance! A terrible interruption!

But you see, that’s not how Jesus looks at human beings. I can’t think of a single time in the Gospel wherein Jesus perceived someone as an interruption. Neither should we. When you have a need, and you bow before Him in prayer, He sees you not as an interruption but as someone certainly worth listening to, because in His eyes, you are also someone worth dying for!

We need to learn from Jesus. His time was certainly more precious than mine, and yet, over and over again, I've chosen to interpret a family member, a churchgoer, or a friend, as a "scheduling complication." Lord, help us to see others through your eyes - as people who are worth our time, worth our effort, worth our concern, worth dying for.

She’s not an interruption to Jesus. She’s a child of God, a poor suffering soul, “a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years.” Jairus was about to lose the joy of his life, his 12 year old daughter. But over the course of those same twelve years, this woman had lost nearly everything. What do we know about her? Well, we know that she is hurting, bankrupt, and alone. Mark says, “she had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse.” Based upon the description of her illness, we know from the religious laws of her day that she was viewed as unclean and therefore untouchable. According to the laws of her day, her disease would have been just cause for her husband to divorce her. She would have been cut off from all her cherished relationship. In fact, according to the law, she shouldn’t have even been in the crowd that day. Everyone she brushed up against would have been rendered ritually unclean. Can you imagine her pain? Not only the pain of suffering through this illness for twelve long years, exhausting all her financial resources, but moreso, to be cut off from her family and friends. Left to endure her suffering all alone. You can endure a financial crisis with friends to lean on. You can even weather a storm of sickness, empowered by the warm fellowship of loved ones. But can you imagine going through sickness and poverty in total isolation? This was her experience for 12 long years. In pain, broke, and alone.

Can’t you just see her in your mind's eye? On the edge of the crowd, knowing that at the center of the congested mass of people walked a Man who was more than a man; One in whom dwelled a power that must have come from heaven above. Can you see her, in a moment of reckless abandon, an unclean, untouchable woman pushing forward through the crowd, believing with all her heart that just a touch of His garment will bring an end to her years of suffering. Believing that ‘If I can just be graced with a slight touch, that will be sufficient.’

Do you see what glorious things begin to happen when the power of faith in Jesus touches Jesus? Grace is unleased. Healing love ignites. Transforming power takes over. And a life changes.

“Who touched My garments?” The Disciples say, “Come on Jesus, look at this mass of people crowding us! Everybody’s trying to touch you!” Mark says, “And He looked around to see the woman who had done this.” And now, again, someone is on their knees before Jesus, “fearing and trembling” Mark says, “aware of what had happened to her,” she “fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.”

I think one of the most important details in the record of this miracle, is the fact that Jesus gives her the time to tell her story. She “told Him the whole truth,” Mark says. It’s important for her, because she hasn’t had anyone to talk to in twelve years…and it’s important because she needs to be able to fully recognize Jesus as the solution to her problem. She had tried everything, spent everything, and nothing that she could do to help herself worked. But only when in desperation, her faith reached out to Jesus and she received His touch….that’s what brought the change she needed. Jesus. Only Jesus. She needed to process that truth, and internalize it. And, she needed to share it. And so do you. You who have been touched…you whose lives have been transformed by Jesus, you need to tell Jesus about it, and you need to share “the whole truth,” with others.

Jesus listens to her testimony, and says, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”
Do you realize that Jesus cares about you, and He wants you to bring your problems to Him? Do you realize that Jesus loves you, and He wants to touch your life? Do you realize that Jesus will never view you as an interruption? Believe! Reach out! Get on your knees! Tremble in awe of His great power and love! And like this woman, rejoice in the transformation He can work in your life too!

But what about Jairus? What about his daughter? The news comes quickly. It’s delivered cold and cruel: "Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher any more?"

I can’t begin to imagine Jairus’ grief. But I can imagine what he might have asked:
“But if we had kept moving and not been delayed. Why Jesus? That woman could have waited. Yes, she had been sick for twelve years but she wasn’t at death’s door. She was obviously strong enough to fight her way through the crowd. Why didn’t you hurry Jesus? I told you my daughter was dying. Was her need greater than my daughter’s? Why Jesus? Why?”

So often, death makes us ask those questions. Death tempts us to demand that God justify Himself. Even in the midst of my suffering and pain, I am still a lowly sinner who cannot begin to understand the depths of God’s justice and wisdom. Who am I to demand that God justify Himself? Even when we have suffered a great loss, who are we to demand an answer of Him “who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all?”

That’s a hard word, isn’t it? Even if you haven’t suffered a loss lately, it’s still a hard word, but a word we need to hear. We never have the right to demand that God justify Himself to us, not even in our grief. “My ways are not your ways,” says the Lord. “My thoughts are not your thoughts.” Faith must bow before the Lord even in the greatest losses, not demanding justification, but to say through tears “Thy grace is sufficient for me.” Even when the news comes, as it did to Jairus, “Your daughter has died...” We must say, “Thy grace is sufficient for me.”

Do you believe that? Is His grace sufficient for you? Actually God Himself answers the question for you. II Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace IS sufficient for you...” When the little girl is near death, God says, “My grace is sufficient for you.” When the horrible news comes, “Your daughter has died,” God in human flesh says, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe,” and Luke adds something else Jesus said to Jairus, “and she SHALL be made well.” Not, “may be made well,” or “might be made well,” or “could be made well.” But, “SHALL be made well.” Why? Because, “My grace is sufficient for you.”
Jairus is standing in the presence of the Great I Am. He is face to face with the One who declares, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” And Jesus desires to give His resurrection life and power to a little girl, whose life has slipped away.

She was in fact dead. Yes, I know Jesus said, “Your daughter has not died but is asleep.” He said the same thing about Lazarus when he had been dead in a tomb for three days. The Bible uses the same metaphor to describe those who have died in Christ. But you see, this is God’s perspective on the death of his children. In the face of Jesus, death has lost its power and finality. In Jesus, death loses it’s power to hold us – from God’s perspective, it might as well be sleep. But those who don’t understand Jesus’ power, don’t understand His perspective on death. So the world laughs.

Isn’t it sad, that this world we are called to be in but not of...this world we are called to love and to reach, laughs at Jesus. Mark says, “And they began laughing at Him.” Isn’t it amazing how Jesus confronts that horribly inappropriate laughter with loving power and grace!

Mark puts it this way: “And taking the child by the hand…” The little tips of her fingers are turning blue and they feel cold in Jesus' big hands. Then the Great Physician speaks two simple Aramaic words, "Talitha kum." I am convinced that He spoke these words, not like a General commanding an army, and not like a wizard summoning up a spell. They’re the words that a Daddy speaks to his baby girl; the words that Jairus would have given his life to speak. What do those ancient words mean? “Little girl, get up.” “Time to get up, Sweetie.” Tender words. Loving words. Maybe spoken close to her ear, like a soft whisper, so as to not startle her. But words with such power!
"And immediately the girl rose and began to walk for she was twelve years old.” One moment, she’s dead. The next moment, she’s a beautiful twelve year old again, a budding flower ready to bloom with her whole life ahead of her. But my favorite part of this story is in the last verse when Mark says, “He said that something should be given her to eat.”

That’s my favorite detail in this story. I love that! I love that about Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life; that in that house, praise is exploding in a flood of tears. They’re hugging and kissing this little girl, and bowing in praise to Jesus, and there are tears of joy everywhere, and Jesus could have stood there rightly soaking it all in, but instead, He says, “Ya’ll fix her something to eat.”

And you and I need to feast upon the truth of this wonderful story. Jesus cares about you when you are suffering and hurting. He cares about your problems and He wants to touch your life with the power to transform.

Friends, do not be afraid; just believe. Believe Him when He says, “My grace IS sufficient for you.” Believe Him when He says, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” Believe Him and do not be afraid, for there will come a day for you who are in Christ, when Jesus, who was crucified and raised from the dead, will take you by the hand and He will say, “Little girl, time to get up,” Or, He will say, “Brother, arise.” His resurrection power and life will surge into your soul, and you will know for all eternity, “Thy grace is sufficient for me.”

Mark 5:1-20

2011-08-07T10:00:00.001-05:00

The story we are about to read in Mark Chapter Five, really began with the command of Jesus in Chapter Four: “Let us go over to the other side.” (Mark 4:35) Soon after piling into the boat, Mark says, “there arose a fierce gale of wind and the waves were breaking over the boat.” (Mark 4:37) The disciples bale furiously, thinking they’re about to sink to the depths. Looking to the stern, they find Jesus sleeping like a baby through the violent storm. They wake Him and say, “Teacher do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38) Jesus faced the storm, issued a simple commandment, “Hush, be still,” and the sea became as smooth as glass. This was the most stunning display of power any of these men had ever seen, and proof positive that He did in fact care. One of the things I suggested to you last Sunday was that this is obviously a teaching moment for the disciples. They had heard Jesus’ teaching on faith. But at some point in time, the disciples needed to submit to a test…full speed, real life. Jesus knew that He was leading them into the storm, not to scare them or to imperil them, but to test their faith.

And now, we’re about to read another wonderful story that will show us why Jesus wanted to “go over to the other side.” Jesus goes into the storm to test faith the disciples’ faith, and He goes through the storm to bring a poor tortured soul to faith.

(Read Mark 5:1-20)

This is a critically important and most unusual story. Why? Because of the bizarre subject matter? The demonic possession? No. Here’s why: Mark is recording Peter’s eyewitness account, and this Gospel, fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, bears the marks of Peter’s personality. Mark’s Gospel isn’t concerned with details. It’s the shortest of the Gospels, touching mainly upon the highpoints – the action. It’s as if Peter is saying, “Okay, you want to get to know Jesus? Simple. Look at what He did.” Peter is not one to waste words in an elaborate description of an event. But this story (Mark 5:1-20) is a rare exception in the Gospel of Mark. Peter wants us to slow this fast-paced story down, pay careful attention to it, and begin to draw some important conclusions from the story about the person of Jesus Christ. Show me another event in Mark’s Gospel wherein he takes twenty verses to tell the story. It’s not until you get to Chapter 15 – The Crucifixion, and then it is one verse less than the healing of the Gerasene Demoniac. Obviously, Mark wants us to pay special attention to what is happening here.

Well, what lesson do you think Mark wants us to learn? One very important lesson is this: There is more to reality than meets the eye.

R. C. Sproul just released a new book entitled, Unseen Realities: Heaven and Hell, Angels and Demons. Sproul writes, “I believe that if we are to be consistent Christians, believing all of the Bible rather than portions of it, we must recognize that the supernatural places and beings described on its pages are real. There is an uncompromised supernaturalism at the heart of the Christian worldview, and we must not let the world’s skepticism with regard to these things affect our belief systems. We must trust and affirm that there is much more to reality than meets the eye.” (R. C. Sproul, Unseen Realities, p.9)

Everyone I know believes in unseen realities. We believe in the existence of atoms and molecules, although we cannot see them with the naked eye. I can’t see bacteria, but I know they can affect my health. I can’t see your heart, but I know that you have one. I cannot see God, but I feel His presence and taste of the daily bread that comes from His hand, and I know in my heart of hearts that He exists. I can believe in someone as big as God and something as miniscule as a molecule, not simply by blind faith. I see the evidence. And, the overwhelming witness of Holy Scripture is that unseen realities, like angels and demons, really do exist. The fact that I cannot see them does not mean that they are figments of my imagination. We can see the evidence – the effects. You see the effects vividly in the life of this poor man.

And yet, so many people read this story and react with disbelief. The 20th Century philosopher, Bertrand Russell, wrote a book entitled, Why I Am Not A Christian, citing this story in Mark 5 as the primary reason why he was unwilling to except the rest of the Bible and the Christian faith as true – this bizarre story about demon possession and dead pigs. Mark records this as an historical event. Jesus speaks to the demons as real entities. And, people will throw up all sorts of objections. Someone will say, “But it was 2000 years ago; Jesus didn’t know any better.” If Jesus didn’t know any better, then He’s not God. And if He’s not God, then the rest of the New Testament is a lie and you and I do not have a Savior. So, I can’t give any credence to that objection. Someone else will say, “Well, Jesus knew that this man wasn’t really demon possessed, but He was simply accommodating to their perception of reality. They didn’t know anything about mental illness.” And, I can’t accept that objection because it makes Jesus a liar. And, someone else will say, “Take it with a grain of salt. It never really happened. It’s just the product of First Century Palestinian Christians creating legends of Jesus’ superpowers.” I can’t accept that objection, because if this event (or for that matter, any Biblical event) did not happen exactly as the Bible says it happened, then I can’t trust that the event of the Cross and the Resurrection really happened. Without the Cross and the Resurrection, there is no Christian faith. It’s all or nothing! Still another objection is: “Of course, everyone knows that this kind of stuff doesn’t happen today.” Well, we may not be familiar with it in our culture, but our missionaries verify that this is a common experience in the third world. And, it could be the case that we don’t see it by design. Lot’s of people (even Christians) in our culture do not believe that Satan is real. And if you believe that, old Satan has you right in the palm of his hand.

The Word of God bears testimony to the unseen realities. Think about what Mark has revealed thus far:
• In Mark 1:13, Jesus enters the wilderness and is tempted by the chief of demons, Satan himself.
• Mark 1:23 – Jesus’ first healing miracle is the casting out of a demon.
• Mark 1:32 &34 – “They began bringing to Him all who were ill and demon possessed (note that Mark distinguishes between illness and demonic possession).
• Mark 3:11 – Mark records the demons’ reaction to Jesus (“And whenever the unclean spirits beheld Him, they would fall down before Him and cry out, saying, “You are the Son of God!”)
• Mark 3:15 – Jesus gives His disciples authority to cast out demons.
• Mark 3:22 – The scribes and Pharisees did not contest the fact that Jesus cast out demons, but instead questioned the source of His power to do so. “He casts out demons by the ruler of demons.”

Now, the temptation is to spend more time studying the bizarre phenomena of demon possession, and neglect the study of Jesus. But this story won’t let us do that. In fact, even when we put the spotlight on the demons, the truth and the light of Jesus radiates gloriously.

For example: Let’s briefly examine what the demons believe. Here and elsewhere in the Gospel, we see the evidence that the demons believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Even before men understood this and proclaimed it in the pages of the New Testament, the demons proclaim it. They hate Jesus, but they proclaim an orthodox Christology. When confronted by the presence of Jesus, they fall down before Him and cry out, “Jesus, Son of the Most High God.”

What else do they believe? They understand that they are powerless before Jesus. They believe that Jesus has the authority to judge, condemn, and eternally punish them. Again, they hate Jesus, and yet the fact that their story is told, points to the good news of the Gospel of Jesus – that in Jesus, we have a Victorious Savior whose power is infinitely greater than all the forces of evil combined. They despise Jesus, and yet, even when they spew their venom at Him, the Savior receives the glory and honor that He is due.

What power do they have over men? Look at this poor man. Jesus and the disciples land their vessel near a gentile burial ground. Rising up from a grassy slope are jagged cliffs pocked with small caves – tombs for the dead. And in one of those burial caves lived a man that the nearby villagers wished was dead. Another kind of storm raged in his soul, and there was nothing anyone could do. The villagers tried to subdue him but even the strongest men were thrown off like rag dolls. They tried to chain him up, but this unseen evil reality within him broke the chains. Night and day, the people could hear his voice coming down from the hills - a horrible living nightmare, and they were afraid.

The power that had taken up residence in this man’s life was a terrible power. It was a power that had taken away this man’s health. It was in the process of literally destroying his flesh. It had taken away this man’s sanity, his decency, his self-control. It had robbed him of family, friendship, any kind of loving relationship with other people. It had snuffed out his peace, his happiness, his joy. What powers do the demons have over men? The power to take away nearly every good thing we cherish. But I believe, that in most cases, it is a power we allow the evil one to exercise.

I wish we had the backstory for this man – what happened in his life that caused him to fall under such a dark and destructive influence? When you meet him in heaven, you can ask for yourself. And I bet you he will tell a story of playing with fire…courting seductive sin…making a place in his life for sin and treasuring it…and then, one day becoming so familiar and comfortable with sin that the demons themselves begin to take up habitation in his soul. Like parasites, they begin to suck the very life out of him until he is rendered a raging lunatic living in the tombs. I bet he’s going to tell you “Don’t play with seductive sin. Don’t think that by your own power, you can overpower the sin in your life. Don’t think that you can be your own remedy for sin. Christ alone is the remedy of sin. Christ alone has the power to remove your sin. Flee from sin. Give it no room in your heart. And fall upon the Savior for the mercy and the power to resist temptation.”

What other powers do they have? I don’t know if you picked up on this or not, but if you read this story carefully, you see that evil has the power to self-inflate and deceive. If we will let them, the demons will make us think they are more powerful than they really are. Like puffer-fish at the beach. We used to catch a lot of puffer-fish off the piers at the beach. You reel them in and they swell up to make you think they are bigger than they really are. Pop them, and you see they’re no bigger than a sardine.

In the story, Mark introduces the man from the tombs as having “an unclean spirit.” (verse 2) Singular. One. Jesus addresses the unseen evil within him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” You see it? Singular. One. And it is not until Jesus asks the demon his name that there is any mention of a plurality of demons. Here’s the point: Never trust evil to tell the truth. You say, “But didn’t Jesus cast the demons into 2000 swine?” Yes, He did. But the name the demon used (“Legion”) points to a military unit measured by 6000. The Roman “Legion” was made up of 6000 soldiers. Jesus cast the demons into 2000 pigs. So, even though the evil was bigger than what we might have thought initially, it was still much smaller than it presented itself. And the evil that confronts your life, always wants you to consider it as far more overpowering than actuality. It wants you cower down, to give in, to not fight; and so like a puffer-fish, it inflates itself. But in the face of Jesus, the demons deflate.

Jesus speaks, and the evil that has robbed this man of so much flees into a herd of swine. They rush down the hillside and drown in the Sea. And that’s where so many foolish people get hung up - with the dead pigs! Some have even scolded Jesus for being so insensitive to the needs of those poor pig farmers who lost all their swine in one fell swoop. Well, it’s obvious to me that Jesus doesn’t care about pigs. Jesus cares about transformation. He cares about the man whose life had been devastated and dominated by the power of evil. That’s why He took the disciples THROUGH the storm on the Sea of Galilee. He cared about the poor sinner on the other side. He cared about aggressively attacking that evil, confronting it with the power of the His love and mercy, transforming that man’s life from demon possession to discipleship.

Did you notice why Jesus cast the demons into the pigs? Two simple points: First, because the demons preferred, if not the soul of man, then a herd of swine. This just goes to show you what Satan thinks about you. Don’t have anything to do with someone who thinks you’re no better than a pig. Second, Jesus didn’t have to cast the demons into the pigs, drowning them in the sea, but obviously He did so, that this poor man and everyone around him would see the physical evidence that the unseen reality within him would haunt him no more. If ever he doubted, if ever he had nightmares about this horrible experience, all he need do is pull up that image in his mind’s eye of all those pigs floating on the water. It was forensic evidence of his transformation, and the power of Jesus over the most destructive storms that rage in the soul!

What an amazing transformation! Mark says, everyone “observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the “legion”” (Mark 5:15) Paul says, “Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.” (II Corinthians 5:17) Born again!

He wants to go on with Jesus. Jesus says, “No, I want you to go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19) I want you to go, beginning with your family and your community, tell them about the glorious transformation you have experienced. Tell them about fury of demons and the awesome power and mercy of the Lord.

Who is the first missionary sent by Christ Himself? Someone with a track record of morality, righteousness? Someone with religious credentials? No. The first missionary sent into the world by Jesus was the man once so utterly filled with evil, that he made his home among the dead. He’s the man sent forth to communicate the Gospel, to tell everybody about the power, mercy and love of Jesus that can cause even the worst of us to be born again. What a glorious transformation!

Friends, there is more to reality than meets the eye. There are unseen powers at work. But the greatest power is Jesus. He has the power to still the storms on the sea, and the power to still the darkest storm in the soul.

When it feels as though evil is pouncing upon you, sinking its dirty claws in you, dragging you down, what do you do? Do what that once demonized man did.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Mark 4:35-41

2011-07-31T09:50:00.001-05:00

Mark ends Chapter Four with a very important question. It’s the question of the disciples, and this morning, we’re going to put ourselves in the boat with the disciples, re-live this wonderful story, and grapple with the answer. Mark leaves the question unanswered, but there is enough evidence in these seven verses for us to come to a clearer, deeper, and more grateful understanding of our Lord and Savior. The question is, “Who is Jesus?” Or, as the disciples put it, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” Well, let’s simply walk through this passage verse by verse, letting God’s Word answer the question for us.
Mark begins, “And on that day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.”” Now, there is much behind this opening verse. The story begins at the end of a very significant day. Earlier, Jesus gathered the multitudes of people and told them stories that would speak to their hearts for the rest of their lives. The Parable of the Sower, Seed, and Soil. The Parable of the Sower at Night. The Parable of the Mustard Seed. He taught them about grace and salvation, about life in the Kingdom of God, and about the kind of faith that bears fruit for the Lord. And, it seems to me that Jesus is now ready to teach the disciples with a different method. It’s like a football coach, early in the summer, gathering his team underneath a blackboard. They need to learn the plays, the routes, the fundamentals of the game on the blackboard with “x’s and o’s.” That’s an important kind of teaching. But another important kind of teaching has to take place on the field; live, full speed, chinstraps buckled. Jesus is taking His disciples out on the field to see if they can translate the lesson into life, a message of faith into active courageous faith. So, He says to His disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.”
“And leaving the multitude, they took Him along with them, just as He was, in the boat; and other boats were with Him.” (verses 36) They passed the first part of the test. Jesus says “go” and they go. Without question. Without hesitation. Without reservation. They pile into a small fishing boat and set sail across the Sea of Galilee. It’s one of the most beautiful places on earth. The Sea of Galilee is a freshwater lake, surrounded by mountains, thirteen miles long and eight miles across. The surface of the lake is 632 feet below sea level. The topography is such that the winds rush down the mountainsides, compress through gullies and ravines, and crash onto the surface of the water like an avalanche of wind. I have boated across the Sea of Galilee several times, and even on bluebird days, it was a very rough and wet ride. But most of the men in the boat were seasoned sailors. They had spent the better part of their lives in boats on the Sea of Galilee. They knew about the sudden storms. No doubt they had experienced many. But they were about to encounter a storm, more powerful and fierce than anything they had ever known.
Mark says, “And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.” (verse 37) The sudden storm was commonplace on Galilee, but the way Mark words verse 37, it’s clear that he wants you to understand that this was no ordinary storm. It was a fierce storm. Lives were in grave danger. Men who had weathered many a squall, begin to fear for their lives. Some of them scramble to bail water, others fight to steer the bow into the waves. With every second, it’s growing more chaotic, dark. The cold icy fingers of death are reaching up from the deep, and men are thinking about the wives and the children they will never see again. And then, they think of Jesus. They look to the stern, and there He is, sleeping like a baby.
“And He Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”” (verse 38)
We need to freeze frame the story, and take good hard look at Jesus. Who is Jesus? Jesus is the man who sleeps soundly through a violent life-threatening storm. The boat is being tossed to and fro, the cold water is filling up the hull. The boat is open to the weather, and so you can imagine what is happening to Jesus while He sleeps. He’s getting drenched. And yet, He sleeps. Who is Jesus, that He can sleep like a baby in the midst of a storm? Well, the fact that He sleeps indicates that Jesus was a man…that He grew tired and needed rest. There is nothing sinful or weak about a man who works hard and needs to rest. What would you think about a man who never slept? Have you ever gone through a season of insomnia? It’s a terrible and unhealthy condition. But you see, Jesus, asleep in the boat in the midst of the storm, is a picture of perfect health, perfect rest, perfect peace. He’s not afraid of a storm. He made the mountains, the water, the wind, the waves. He rules over all creation. In fact, when Jesus commanded them to go with Him to the other side, He knew full well that the storm would hit.
Does that surprise you? It’s true. Jesus knew exactly what would happen. He knew He was ordering His disciples into a dangerous storm, which goes to show you that following Jesus is not exactly a stroll through the park. I can tell you from personal experience, that sometimes, the One who loves me more than I can understand, the One who shed His life’s blood for me, the One who wants my life to be filled with indescribable joy, sometimes leads me headlong into a storm. Sometimes, He brings difficulty into my life. Why? Because I’m a disciple. I’m in training. I need discipline and teaching. I need to get out of the classroom on onto the field. I need to be tested, refined, strengthened. He loves me, so He pushes me and tests me, so that I will grow more strong in Him. And the simple fact of the matter is that the only way you can grow stronger is for your strength to be tested. Your faith can grow stronger when your faith is tested.
Do you think there is possibility that you are being tested now? Maybe you have misinterpreted the difficulty, as just that – difficulty with no rhyme or reason. Could it be that the Lord loves you enough to bring a storm into your life so that you can grow stronger?
Of course, like the disciples, we find it hard to see our storm as a proving ground and a place for growth and strength. They’re bailing and steering. Life is flashing before their eyes, and then they look to the back of the boat, and there is Jesus, sleeping like a baby. They wake Him up and say, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” I want you to notice a couple of things:
First, I want you to notice that they call Him “Teacher.” In Matthew’s account of the same event, the disciples call Him “Lord.” In Luke’s version, they call Him “Captain.” Now, the authors of the Gospel are not contradicting one another. They simply record the scene from different vantage points. Mark is giving Peter’s eyewitness account, and obviously Peter called Him “Teacher.” But that’s very interesting isn’t it? They are in peril on the sea, and Peter views Jesus as a teacher. Matthew views Him as Lord. And whomever Luke drew from for his version of the story viewed Jesus as “Captain.” I don’t know about you, but I’m with Luke. When the wind is howling, the waves are crashing, and the boat is sinking, I prefer a Captain. But the glorious thing is, at one and the same time, Jesus is the Captain that we can trust to lead us to safety, the Lord we can cry out to for divine power and help, and the Teacher who is with us even in the most horrifying experiences of life to help us grow. Teacher, Lord, Captain Jesus is with you in the storm.
Second, I want you to notice that when they wake Jesus, it’s not to ask for help. “Jesus, wake up help us bail out this sinking ship!” No. It’s more of a not-so- subtle accusation. “Don’t you care that we are perishing?” I’d be thinking that too. Wouldn’t you? ‘Good Lord! Look at you! We’re getting ready to die, and you’re back there cutting “z’s”! Don’t you care?’ It’s really a protest. In that moment, they believed that Jesus was indifferent to their plight. They totally misunderstood His sleep. They didn’t see a fearless man who had such peace and calm in His heart that He could rest even in the midst of a storm. They saw a man who had done some incredible things – even miracles – and yet, apparently, Jesus wasn’t all that concerned about them.
Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever prayed with tears streaming down your face, “Lord, don’t you care about me and what I’m going through?” I have too. And, I was wrong. Wrong to make the same assumption that the disciples made – that apparently, God is indifferent...that because God hasn’t acted on my timetable…or because God hasn’t answered my prayer the way I had hoped…that God must not care. But I was wrong.
Well, again, one of the reasons I love this story so much is that it shows us who Jesus really is, and it is proof that He does care.
“And being aroused, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.” (verse 39) Why did Jesus wake up? Was it the cold water drenching His clothes, splashing His face? Was it a clap of thunder? Or, in the tossing of the little boat, did Jesus hit His head on the hull? No. What wakes Jesus is the cry of those whom He loves. It’s like a mother who sleeps soundly through a thunderstorm, and the barking of the dog, and slamming of a door, but when the baby peeps, immediately, she wakes and races to her baby’s side. What wakes Jesus is the cry of the beloved, even when the beloved fail to understand who He really is….the depth of love in His heart…the power that is His to use for our help and blessing.
And what great power! With nothing but the spoken word, “Hush, be still,” He commands nature and nature stands at attention. Tim Keller writes about this scene in his book, King’s Cross, pointing out something that ought to get our attention. Keller notes that there are other miracle stories in legend and myth, where nature is commanded or the dark powers are banished, and typically, the command is in the name of a higher authority. It would be like me saying “I command you, in the name of Jesus,” to do such and such. Because I lack authority in and of myself, I would claim a higher authority, or a higher power, to compel you obey. Jesus need not claim a higher authority or power, because there is no one higher than Jesus. Jesus, who is fully man, at perfect peace, can sleep through a storm. Jesus, who is fully God, can stand in the face of that storm and speak to it as though it were an unruly, rebellious child, “Hush, be still” and the storm immediately obeys God’s command. “Who is this man who sleeps through a storm, only to calm it with nothing but a word?” He is God, clothed in the fullness of humanity.
Mark says, “And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.” Think about the last time you were at the beach after a big storm. Once the storm passes, the waves keep pounding the beach for hours. But this was an instantaneous calm. The sea became as smooth as glass in the blink of an eye. Peter and the other disciples could look over the sides of the boat and see themselves in a mirror surface upon the water. I bet they were breathless…stunned…speechless. No one had ever seen that kind of power. Power over creation itself. And a power that proved them wrong. He did care. One moment they think they’re all going to die. The next moment they’re perfectly safe, and looking for paddles because, now, they’re going to have to row all the way to the other side.
And we also need to pay careful attention to this: Notice that Jesus doesn’t coddle His battered, frightened disciples. He doesn’t say, “Oh, you poor fellows…all wet…shaken up...I’m so sorry that you had to go through that horrible storm…and thinking you were going to die…and your life flashing before your eyes.” Nope.
“And He said to them, “Why are you so timid? How is it that you have no faith?” (verse 40) After rebuking the storm, Jesus rebukes His disciples. Again, Jesus knew that He was leading them into the storm. It was all about faith. He taught them about faith, and now the time had come to test their faith. And the great gift the disciples give to us today, is that we get to hear this wonderful story – their eyewitness account. And, we get to learn the lesson they learned. What’ the lesson?
It’s very simple:
If Jesus commands you to get in the boat with Him and go to the other side, nothing will prevent you from making it. There will never be a storm so fearful and great that it will prevent Jesus from making sure you get to the other side.
If life brings a storm your way, regardless of what form it takes, there is no need to panic as long as you and Jesus are in the same boat. “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39) Whether your storm is a medical crisis, a financial crisis, a relational crisis…no matter what form it takes, don’t panic. Put your faith and trust in Jesus; your Teacher, your Lord, and your Captain.
Finally, Mark brings us full circle, from the fear of storm to the fear of the Lord. “And they became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” (verse 41) There’s a huge difference between the fear of verse 38 (when they thought they were dying) and the fear of verse 41. Literally, Mark says they “feared a great fear.” One fear is terror. The other fear is being totally in awe of God.
We’re all in the same boat. We’re so small. So weak. So feeble and frail. So flawed in our understanding. So sinful. But you and I have been called into the Master’s boat. You are in the boat of the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Lord over the whole Universe, the One true God whose power has no limit, above whom there is no higher authority. He can speak a word, and a Universe comes into existence. And if He wills it so, He can speak another word and a hurricane will halt in its track and the sea will become as smooth as glass. Now, all of this is perfectly true, and it ought to fill your heart and mind with wonder and reverence (what Proverbs calls, the “fear of the Lord”), but what should fill your heart with awe and amazement (what Mark calls “fearing a great fear”) is the fact that He does care about you. How wonderful! The God with the power to still the storm, loves you with all His heart.

Mark 4:26-34

2011-07-24T11:01:00.001-05:00

One of Mississippi’s favored sons is a man from Belmont, named Mac McAnally. Mac wrote a great song called “Simple Life.”
“The simple life is the life for me,
A man and a wife and a family,
And the Lord up above who knows I’m trying’
To live a simple life in a difficult time.”

That simple life that Mac sings about appeals to me, as does the simplicity of the Gospel. It is very simple, and I think if we read these two parables this morning, appreciating the simplicity and the beauty of the truth Jesus communicates, we will be blessed and God will receive the glory, because His Word will accomplish the purpose for which He sent it to us. So, open your Bibles to Mark 4:26 through 34, and let’s open our hearts to the blessing of a simple message.

(Read Mark 4:26-34)

Two Parables about sprouting seed, both of which speak to us about growth in the Kingdom, with our individual hearts, as well as the Church.

When you examine your heart, do you find yourself growing spiritually? Are you growing in your knowledge of the Word? Are you maturing in Christian character? Is your love for God deepening, such that you can honestly say, ‘I love God more today than I did a year ago’? Are you growing more dependent upon prayer? These are the kinds of questions we should continually ask of ourselves, because a part of the work of the Christian life is to lovingly tend the garden of the soul. We need to concern ourselves with growth, but always remember Who it is that actually has the power for growth. It’s the Lord! And why we grow. For His own glory, and to be a blessing to others.

Now, when you read this first parable, one of the things you have to do, in order to interpret it properly, is to distinguish it from the previous Parable of the Sower, Seed, and Soil. There are obvious similarities, but the key distinction is the character of the Sower. In Mark 4:1-20, the Sower is God. But in Mark 4:26-29, the sower is Christian who desires growth. Jesus even calls him a “man” and describes the sower as one who sleeps. Man sleeps. The Bible says, God “neither slumbers or sleeps.” (Psalm 124:4) And, Jesus goes on to describe the sower as one who knows not how growth takes place. But, God knows. “First the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.” And He knows the intricate details of every step in the growing process because He is the Creator of seed and soil, water and earth, and the sun that shines. He designed the cellular structure and the miracle of photosynthesis. He is the One who put life in the heart of the seed, and He is the One who summons life to spring forth at the appointed time for every tiny seed. The Lord God made them all and He knows every detail.

But what is the message of this first parable in our reading? (The Parable of the Sower at Night) Several week ago, I told you about my brother, Billy, who works in the cotton business up in the Delta. I think Billy would read this parable and then say, “it’s a message about humility.” If you understand anything at all about the growing process, it will instill within you a healthy dose of humility. The farmer tills and plants. He fertilizes the soil and eradicates weeds and insects that would feast on the young plants. He drives the combine and takes the seed to the silo. He works hard, but he is only responsible for a very small percentage of the growth. God does the work. God give life to the seed. God causes the rain to fall. God causes the sun to shine. God caused the seed to sprout and grow up, and bear fruit – as the Bible says, “seed to the sower, and bread to the eater.” The humble farm will remember this, and pray.

What about in the realm of spiritual growth?
Individually, we do our part. We worship. We pray. We study the Word. We discipline ourselves. But in the final analysis, the growth is due to the in-working of a gracious and loving Lord who sows the word into our hearts, and continues working in our lives. If you have grown at all in the Christian life, the credit belongs exclusively to the Lord. “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From whence shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.” (Psalm 121)

As a church family, we do our part. We work hard to build up the ministry and the witness of Grace Chapel for God’s glory. But the growth will come from Him. The most important thing we can do is illustrated in this parable. Simply sow the Word. Tell this community about Christ. Live Biblically. In thought, word and deed, give faithful witness to Jesus Christ. God will be at work ahead of us, beside us, beneath us, and above us, to cause the increase. All He wants us to do is to cast seed. Sow the Word that has been sown into our hearts. That’s the simple message.

And, the simple message of this parable is backed up by a glorious promise in the Book of Isaiah. This is a passage that I claim with all my heart, every single day.
God says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there without watering the earth, and making it bear and sprout, furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So shall My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:9-11)
The ministry of the Word (both the ministry of Grace Chapel as well as your ministry in daily life) will accomplish what God desires, according to His plan, and according to His timing. But bank on this: The Word shall not return to Him empty. It will grow. “First the blade, then the head, then the mature grain,” even while we sleep.

In the late 1920's, a Presbyterian missionary by the name of Robert Burris, set out on a 95 mile journey into China. On his wagon, he carried boxes full of Bibles. 2000 copies in Chinese. He intended to set up a mission and use the Bibles in his work. Along the way, the wagon fell apart. And he started walking ahead in search of help to fix the wagon. Soon, he happened upon two men leading a pony. They said that a distinguished looking American shouldn’t be walking but should be riding upon this pony and they offered to sell the pony for $50. Burris said he didn’t have $50. “Well, then, we’ll sell her to you for $40.” But Burris didn’t have $40. “$15.” He didn’t even have $15. All he had was 80 cents. No sale.

Later that night he happened upon the same two men. Now Burris realized they intended to rob him and that what had taken place earlier in the day was only an attempt on their part to find out how much money they were going to steal. They shook him down and discovered the truth. He only had 80 cents to his name. And they threatened to behead him if he didn’t come up with something else. The robbers left, taking all of his luggage and the boxes with the 2000 copies of the Bible. That night, Burris prayed, “Lord I claim that verse, ‘My Word...will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.’”

A few years later, after not much success in the mission field, Burris was forced to come home because of illness. He then served as the pastor of a Presbyterian church in Canton, Ohio. Twenty five years later, a neighbor from another denomination invited Burris to a meeting to hear from a Chinese missionary who was home on furlough. The missionary had worked about 300 miles from Burris’ base of operation. He showed slides of his work. And one of the slides was of a crudely build bamboo hut, the church home to about 400 people. The missionary referred to this particular church as the “Miracle Church.” He said that “when the first Christians went into the area to do evangelistic work, they found this church with four hundred members and no mission worker had been there before. Furthermore, every church member had copy of the Bible and we have no idea where they came from.” But Reverend Burris knew! And, he knew that the Word of God is a living and active power, and that God’s word will not return empty.

Doesn’t that story also illustrate the simple truth of the second parable (The Parable of the Mustard Seed)? It’s the redeeming purpose of growth. A missionary with eighty cents to his name and a stack of Bibles on a wagon, labored for Christ. He sowed the Word into the hands of two Chinese thieves, and God produced a “Miracle Church.” A tiny seed is sown upon the soil, “though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, yet when it is sown, grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that the birds of the air can nest under its shade.” (Mark 4:31-32)

God redeems the sowing, even our smallest efforts, our smallest gifts of faith. Even when I sow out of my feebleness and my human weakness and frailty, I can trust that God will redeem my sowing and He will produce more for His Kingdom than I could ever have imagined. God took the efforts of a small group of men known as disciples, and look at the Church now 2000 years later! God took the effort of a small group of people who wanted to plant a Presbyterian church in south Madison County, and look at what God has done! Look at what God has built! Look at what the Lord has done for His own glory! Grace Chapel is a “mustard seed” church!

And the most important simple message that we need to glean from this final parable is this: He didn’t do it for us. He did it for His own glory, and for the sake of those outside this family of faith who will come and join us in loving and serving the Lord. Jesus says the tree grows up in the garden and sends forth branches not for the sake of the sower. He says, “So that the birds of the air can nest under its shade.” Jesus is drawing a symbol out of the Old Testament. The birds of the air coming to rest in the tree is symbolic of the Nations of the world coming under the Lordship of Christ. We are a part of that vision becoming a reality in Madison and the surrounding area. God is causing the life of Grace Chapel to begin growing up and reaching out. Why? For our glory? No, for His glory. For our benefit? We will be blessed, but it’s not about us. It’s for the benefit and the blessing of those who right now are lost. Ultimately, the Lord planted a little church called Grace Chapel so that others who do not know Him now, may one day come to know and love Him, and unite with us in our mission to make Christ known to the world. And, He wants to use you in the glorious work of building up His Kingdom in this place – even right here at Grace Chapel – so that long after we have reached our home in heaven, generations will still come and light in these branches, and rest in this shade, and come to know and love Jesus.

Will you join me in sowing the seed of the Word into the lives of those around you? Will you take the Word that God has sown into the garden of your soul and sow it into the lives of people in your neighborhood, in your workplace, in your circle of friends? Will you sow the Word by living Biblically and faithfully? Will you sow the Word in your speech, in your decision making, in your character? Will you sow the Word in the witness of your marriage and in the parenting of your children?

Sow the Word joyfully and gratefully, and let us thank Him for the privilege of sharing in the great mission of knowing Christ and making Him known to the world.

Mark 4:21-25

2011-07-17T11:00:00.001-05:00

Upon graduation from seminary, I began serving as Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. Elizabeth and I loved the people, the mountains and the beauty of east Tennessee, and I particularly enjoyed the trout fishing. One of my favorite spots was on the Holston River, below the Patrick Henry hydro-electric generator. The fish would really bite first thing in the morning when the plant was generating. The water level would rise a bit, and the trout would hide behind the large boulders in the river waiting for bait to swim by. One morning I was standing in my waders with rod in hand waiting for first light. I misjudged sunrise and got there too early. There I was, standing in the river in the pitch black before dawn, and suddenly it dawned on me that just up river about 500 yards was a source of immense power; enough power to light up the whole city; so very close to the power and yet I was standing in the cold river in the pitch black dark.

That’s a picture of our lives, isn’t it? Sometimes? I think it is a picture of each of our lives in this very moment, because we are about to connect to a power that is greater than any other power; greater than you can measure; greater than our human minds can fathom. The Word of God is that power, and the Word reveals to us our powerful Savior Jesus, who said, “I am the Light of the World.” (John 8:12) There is no need for you or I to stand in the darkness any longer. This morning, I pray that each of us would be drawn with even greater desire to the Light of Christ. Because something wonderful and amazing happens to people and to churches who embrace the power of the Word, and the Light of the World. You begin to experience the fulfillment in your own life of the great declaration of Jesus that “you are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14)

(Prayer for Illumination)
(Read Mark 4:21-25)

The verse which leaps off the page is “Take care what you listen to.” (verse 24) In a way, it sums up much of what Jesus has been saying thus far in Chapter 4. Last Sunday, we were examined by the Parable of the Sower. Notice I did not say “we examined the parable,” because in truth, the parable examined us. The Sower is the Lord. The seed is the Word. The soil is the heart. And the issue is the receptivity of our hearts to the Word of God. Jesus paints a picture of four human hearts. There is the heart like stone, refusing to hear the Word of God. There is the shallow soil, hearing but not taking the Word to heart. There is the over-crowded heart choked with weeds and thorns; the heart which can hardly hear for all the distractions that person has given himself over to. And finally, there is the heart which hears the Word, accepts the Word, and bears fruit for the Sower; thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold – the Good Soil.

Again, the issue of the parable is your receptivity. What kind of soil most describes your heart? How do you hear and receive the Word of God? “Take care what you listen to.” Are you allowing the Word to take root in your life? Are you bearing fruit for the Lord? According to the teaching of Jesus, one of the marks of a true Christian is a deep fertile receptivity, the kind of hearing of the Word which ultimately bears fruit.
What does that receptivity look like?
• The true Christian reads the Word.
• She studies the Word.
• He loves the Word, even when the Word convicts him of sin.
• The true Christian allows the Word of God to shape their thinking, their view of the world, their politics, their ethics, their hopes and dreams and desires.
• The true Christian allows the Word of God to shape their character, their behavior, their role in relationships, their response to good times and bad.
And, the true Christian bears fruit. Jesus said, “thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” I don’t believe Jesus was specifically speaking in financial terms, but in evangelical and spiritual terms – the impact of your faith upon others. He is saying that the fruit we bear for the Lord is identifiable and measureable. We don’t bear the same fruit, but whether it is thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold, it is substantial.

Someone is thinking, ‘I’m not sure my impact is measuring up to that much; not even three fold, much less thirty.’ But you’ve got to think about it over time, if not over generations of time. Think about the legacy of faith passed down in your family. I’m a fourth generation Presbyterian minister. My great grandfather was a great preacher, who pastored the same church (Covenant Presbyterian Church in Atlanta) his entire ministry. When he received the call to ministry as a young man, he had no earthly idea that the legacy of faith would be passed down from generation to generation and that one day his great grandson would be preaching the gospel to a wonderful congregation in Madison, Mississippi. And, many of you are shaping the lives of young children. You’re teaching them the Word and telling them about Jesus, and your child is going to bear sweet fruit for the Lord long after you are gone. The mommas here who fought WWWIII with your child on the way to church this morning – you may not believe me right now, but it is true! You rebellious child will bear fruit! Your impact will be multiplied “thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold” to the glory of God the Father Almighty, and it will be an impact over generations of time; far greater than anything you can measure right now! So, next Sunday, if you end up in another battle on the way to church, persevere! Fight the good fight, because the generations to come are depending upon you winning the war now.

“Take care what you listen to.” Literally. Take care what they listen to. Take care that you listen to the Word. Take care that you listen with a receptive heart. Take care that you listen with a heart intent on bearing Him fruit. Because, so much is depending upon what you listen to, and how you listen to it.

Friends, casual Christianity (the faith that doesn’t really take the Word seriously) fails the generations to come. But you have been saved by grace through faith, and not by works lest any man should boast. You have been given the precious gift of faith. You have been entrusted with the mysteries of God’s truth revealed to us by Christ in the Word of God. And the very nature of the precious gift of saving faith is that it must be shared. The Lord is depending upon you to share the Gospel with the lost around you. The generations to come are depending upon you to radiate the love of Jesus and shine His light.

Someone said the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is always one generation away from extinction. The faith must be shared.

Jesus says it so clearly: “A lamp is not brought to be put under a peck-measure (or basket), is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lamp-stand?” (verse 21) Elsewhere, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” It would be ridiculous to light a lamp and then cover it so that the light could not be seen. The nature of the light is to be seen.

Jesus is begging us to ask ourselves this question: What is the value of a Christian who hides the fact of their faith? Of no value; useless; worthless; ridiculous; violating the very nature of the light itself. Some of you became Christians years ago. Early on, there were times when you felt so spiritually alive. You often spoke to others about the things of the faith. But lately not so much. Why are you concealing the light?

Some of us have a basket called indifference. We’re surrounded by non-believers. We like them, but we obviously don’t care enough about them to share Christ.

Some of us have a basket called compromise. We’d like to share Christ with others, but not if it means we risk something. So we keep our faith covered up.

Some of us have a basket called fear. We keep our faith hidden for fear that we might be rejected.
Is indifferent faith, real faith? No.
Is compromised faith, genuine faith? No.
Is hidden faith, true faith? No.

Get rid of the basket. True Christians shine the light of Christ!

And what does the light do? Light reveals the way out of the darkness.

You really ought to read Blind Descent by James Tabor. It’s about the exploration of the deepest caves on earth. There is a special class of caves known as “supercaves,” the deepest of which are still being explored, some as deep as nine miles; caves so deep that it takes a week just to climb out of them. Tabor says that there are more than 50 ways a person can die in a supercave. Falling, drowning, hypothermia, poison gas even electrocution, but the worst form of death can result from an experience cavers refer to as the “Rapture.” It is death by darkness. Tabor says that every human body has a reaction to total darkness, and there are times in the deepest depths when a primordial instinct – a horrible anxiety and fear - overtakes a person. The brain is overwhelmed by darkness. Tabor says it is like an anxiety attack on methamphetamine. And if you can’t find light very soon, you will literally die by darkness.

People die a death by darkness every day, without the light of Christ. Jesus, the “Light of the World,” the only light that can lead men, women and children to salvation, has given us the single most important job that a person can have. He said, “You are the light.” It’s our job, as forgiven sinners, purchased and cleansed by His blood, to show people the way out of their darkness. And the only way is Jesus.

That’s the light we shine and the fruit we bear – to lead people to Jesus.

How? How do you lead people to Jesus?

Remember two simple rules:
First, when you let Jesus Christ be Lord over every aspect of your life, you will be pointing people to the light even when you are not conscious of it. When Jesus is Lord over your tongue, your decisions, your work life, your play…when Jesus Christ is Lord over your marriage, your parenting, the way you relate to friends and strangers, the light of Christ will shine and have an impact over people who walk in the darkness, even when you are not conscious of it. But, you must allow Jesus to be Lord over all of your life!
Second, the best faith sharing takes place within the context of a loving relationship or the growing trust of a nurtured friendship. My own philosophy of evangelism is this: I must earn the right to share my faith with another person. And, I will do that through building trust, mutual respect, and through offering to that unbeliever or marginal Christian, a godly Christ-like friendship. Some of you have unbelievers in your household. You’ll never badger them into a relationship with Christ. Earn the right to share by building trust and showing Christ-like love, and the Lord Himself will pave the way to the right moment for sharing your faith. And in that moment, He will give you the words you need. The most effective evangelism takes place in the context of solid, faithful relationships. Work on that, and the Lord will give you the moment and the words.

And I think that one of the greatest joys you will ever experience is not to be realized in this life, but in the life to come. The Bible says that one day, when we’ve all arrived on heaven’s celestial shore, we will be together standing around the throne of grace, and we will all see the face of Jesus. It will be a time of overwhelming joy as we sing praises to Him. And you are going to look out across that crowd (Revelation says it is literally a sea of people), and you will recognize everyone – friends and family. And in a moment of time, your eyes will light upon a familiar face. It will be a friend, or a neighbor down the street, or a child, or a family member, someone who was lost but now is found….someone lost in the darkness but now the light radiating from the face of Jesus dances upon their joyful face. Can you imagine the great joy that you will experience in that moment when you remember that the Lord let you be the one to lead them to the light? What a joy! What an honor and privilege! What an important job He has given to each and every one of us!

Do you want to know that great joy? Then, shine!

“This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine; let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.”

Mark 4:1-20

2011-07-10T10:58:00.001-05:00

If you have been a believer for any length of time, then surely you would honestly admit that the Christian life is like a journey with its rough roads, tough climbs, and joyful summits. There are glorious mountain top experience, but also times when it feels like you’re stuck in the mud or even rolling backwards downhill. The 23rd Psalm kind of recognizes this….it’s that wonderful road that we walk with the Lord leading ultimately to that glorious place wherein we “will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6) And, along the way, the Shepherd will lead us to “lie down in green pastures…walk besides quiet waters…down paths of righteousness…but even through the valley of the shadow of death.” So, it’s not all a primrose path, but ultimately He leads us home. And I think, if I’m really going to be honest – truly transparent before the Shepherd who leads me – I have to also admit that often times, I play a role in those rough spots in my spiritual journey. Maybe there’s some sin in my life that I’m refusing to repent of. Maybe I’m focusing too much on myself and not enough on the One who is leading the journey. Maybe I’m distracted by life’s cares and not listening carefully enough to His direction. I’m not suggesting that all the problems you face are entirely your fault. Not at all. I’m just saying that we need to consider the possibility that when we hit those rough spots in the journey, we very well may be playing a role in making things worse. Honestly admitting this is a key to finding not only solutions to our problems, but the rejuvenation of our souls.

I have a feeling that everyone here today wants to be renewed, revived, rejuvenated. Let’s try to find what Jesus is offering through the text.

(Read Mark 4:1-20)

The Parable of the Sower, Seed, and Soil. We will miss out on the blessing of renewal if we read this parable as “mostly a story about other people”…other people’s failure…other people’s unfaithfulness…other people’s tragic spiritual endings. I don’t think Jesus wants us to interpret this story as pertaining mostly to other people. Every parable (and this one is no exception) functions initially like the wonderful one-way glass that we have in our new building. You walk down the main hallway through the nursery area and alongside the crib room and the Sunday School classroom for our smallest children, you see large panes of glass. From the hallway, the glass functions as a window. Mommas and Daddies can peek in on their babies and enjoy watching them grow and learn and be ministered to by loving teachers and caregivers. But from the other side of the glass, it functions as a mirror. The parables of Jesus are kind of like that. Initially, the parable is a window into the world of Palestine 2000 years ago. The way people lived…the way they did business…the kind of experiences they faced on a daily basis….a fascinating window into the kind of world that Jesus entered into. But something happens as we look through that window. Suddenly the window becomes a mirror and now we’re looking into the parable at our own lives.

Look into the mirror of the parable and see your own heart. Let Jesus show you a picture of your heart as it is right now. Let Him show you a picture of where you have been in the past. And, let Him show you a picture of the joy He wants you to have when you treasure His Word and Spirit dwelling in you.

So, what do we see?

“Listen to this!” Jesus says. “Behold, the sower went out to sow; and it came about that as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up.” Later in verse 15, Jesus explains: “And these are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.” Now, in one sense, this is a picture of hard-hearted people who may never come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Their hearts have been hardened against Jesus, and they may never know the joy of salvation. But in another sense, this is a picture of people like you and me, when, during certain seasons on life, we allow our hearts to be open to all kinds of distracting or destructive influences. And our hearts become thick and calloused – resistant to the Word. Maybe you are that person whom the Lord dragged here today because it is time for your hard heart to be broken. That’s the remedy for the hard heart.

My brother, Billy, is an entomologist and agronomist. He helps the farmers in the Delta produce bumper yields of cotton, beans, corn, and other cash crops. Having grown up in the Delta, I remembered some of the practices and terminology. But I was unsure of this, so I called the expert. And, Billy explained to me that there is a difference between disking up a field and sub-soiling a field. You disk a field to break up the surface, till under the plant material and weeds from last year. Disking essentially just scratches the surface. Sub-soiling, however, is more radical. You sub-soil a field when the ground has become hard-packed by drought or by heavy equipment running back and forth over the field. Sub-soiling is also called “deep-breaking.” The deep-breaking equipment digs down as much as three feet, through the soil profile. And, it takes what my brother called “a big bad tractor” to deep-break a field. Sub-soiling is a traumatic experience for a field, but it is a necessary remedy if that hard-packed ground is ever going to be fertile again.

Not only that, but another reason that farmers sub-soil is to allow the moisture to percolate deeper into the soil. The roots of the new plants sink deeper. And, when the next draught comes, the field that has gone through the trauma of deep-breaking will be fruitful when other fields wither. There’s a good parable straight from the Mississippi Delta! He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Because, there is still hope for the hard-hearted soul. It takes a deep-breaking of the Holy Spirit. Only then, can the seed of the Word of God take root and produce fruit.
Just yesterday, a man asked, “How do I deal with my crack-head little brother?” I said, “Well, you pray for him. Specifically, you pray that God would break him…bring him down to the bottom of life’s pit…and that then, he would be ready to take God’s hand.”

Jesus said, “And other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.” He explained in verses 16 and 17: “And in a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.” Jesus draws a picture of the shallow heart; the faith that is more of an emotional response than a deep love and commitment to Christ. Elsewhere, Jesus said, “Many who say, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” That double naming (“Lord, Lord”) is a verbal claim of affection – an emotional response. And Jesus teaches us here that if the foundation of your relationship with Christ is merely an emotional response (as opposed to a deep and solemn commitment to Christ) then your faith is shallow, weak, and suspect. It may not be the genuine article. Some, who suffer from a shallow heart, shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. But doesn’t this also describe my heart and your heart at certain times of life? Maybe it describes the quality of your faith right now. One way to know for sure is to apply this test: My relationship with God is great when things are going great, and my relationship with him stinks when life stinks. Does that describe your spiritual journey? If it does, then while you still have time, you really need to come to grips with what loving God really means. Love for God is not based primarily in emotion. Real love, that is. True love for God mirrors Christ’s true love for you. His love has nothing to do with feelings. His love for you is an infinitely deep covenantal commitment which says I love you enough to give up my whole life – to literally die the worst kind of death, so that you can have forgiveness and live everlasting. “Greater love hath no man than this; than when he lay down his life for his friend.” He didn’t die on the cross because of an emotional attachment for you. He died on the cross out of committed covenantal love. Once you realize how you are loved, then you can begin to offer back to Him the same. And, the quality of love that you offer to those around you skyrockets.

Jesus goes on: “And other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and chocked it, and it yielded no crop.” In verses 18 and 19, Jesus explains: “And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, and the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” This is the heart that has been over-crowded. There is room for Jesus, but not much. And of course, there are some poor souls suffering from an over-crowded heart that will never know the joy of heaven. “You cannot serve God and mammon.” Or in other words, you cannot expect to receive the Lord’s benefits, when you nurture relationships with lesser lords. Jesus will have nothing of it.

But doesn’t this also sound just like your life and mine? I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I have lived a single day in 47 years wherein I didn’t struggle with this very reality – a heart crowded by too many lords. When really, there is only one Lord you can give your heart to who can bless you…only one Lord who can save you – Jesus Christ the Lord! All other lords (with a little ‘l’) will hurt you and fail you. So why waste another minute allowing lesser lords to inhabit the valuable space in your heart that was made for Jesus?

The over-crowded heart: If you look into the mirror of this parable, does it describe your struggle too? If the Holy Spirit is giving you the good sense right now to see yourself in this parable, then stop whatever you are doing, pray about it, and ask the Lord to help you weed the garden of your heart, before your heart becomes chocked with thorns. Pull the weeds. Get rid of the “worries of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, the desire for other things.” “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things shall be added unto you.”

Now, the great tragedy of a life described by any of the first three conditions (the hard-hearted soil, the shallow soil, or the over-crowed soil) is that they totally miss the point of life. The soil of the human heart was created to produce fruit for the glory of God. That’s it! That’s the ultimate purpose for your life – to glorify God and enjoy Him forever – and the only life that glorifies and enjoys Him is a life that bears fruit for God. A fruitless life is a miserable life. A fruitful life knows unlimited joy. We may not like to take a long look in the mirror, but Jesus wants us to. And He wants us to ask ourselves these questions: “What’s the condition of my heart? Am I living the kind of life that truly produces fruit for the Lord? Am I producing fruit that brings Him joy and glory in my work life? What about in my marriage? In my parenting? In my relationships with friends? Am I producing fruit in the life of Grace Chapel? If I were to die tomorrow, would I leave a legacy of fruitfulness for the glory of God and the building up of His Kingdom, or, would the Kingdom hardly notice that I had spent 47 years on this earth?” Every single one of you need to ask the same hard questions. And, if in all honesty, you find yourself with no evidence of genuine fruit, repent. Pray for help. Ask the Holy Spirit to work in the soil of your heart and do whatever it takes. ‘Deep-break the soil of my heart. Rip up the weeds and the thorns. Break me and make me receptive to Your Word.’

Because, what we most want to present to the Lord is a heart like this:
“And other seed fell into the good soil and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” And, He explained: “And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it, and bear fruit, thirty, sixty and a hundredfold.” (Mark 4:20)

How do you know if this final soil type (the “good soil”) describes your life?
There are certain books that every Christian should read. One such book is Knowing God, by James I. Packer. He asks the foundational question:

“What is a Christian?...He is a man who acknowledges and lives under the Word of God. He submits without reserve to the Word of God written in ‘the Scripture of truth’ (Dan.10:21), believing the teaching, trusting the promises, following the commands. His eyes are to the God of the Bible as his Father, and the Christ of the Bible as his Saviour. He will tell you, if you ask him, that the Word of God has both convinced him of sin and assured him of forgiveness. His conscience, like Luther’s, is captive to the Word of God, and he aspires, like the psalmist, to have his whole life brought into line with it. ‘O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!’ ‘O let me not wander from Thy commandments.’ ‘Teach me thy statutes. Make me to understand the way of Thy precepts.’ ‘Incline my heart unto thy testimonies.’ ‘Let my heart be sound in Thy statutes.’ (Ps. 119:5, 10, 26, 36,80.) The promises are before him as he prays, and the precepts are before him as he moves among men. He knows that in addition to the Word of God spoken directly to him in the Scriptures, God’s Word has also gone forth to create, and control, and order things around him; but since the Scriptures tell him that all things work together for his good, the thought of God ordering his circumstances brings him only joy. He is an independent fellow, for he uses the Word of God as a touchstone by which to test the various views that are put to him, and he will not touch anything which he is not sure that Scripture sanctions.”

And then Packer closes this hard question:
“Why does this description fit so few of us who profess to be Christians in these days?” (J.I.Packer, Knowing God, p. 104)
Friend, look into the mirror of the parable. Examine the condition of your soul. Strive to be the good soil. Break the hardened barriers. Pull up the weeds and the thorns of distraction and divided loyalties. Receive the Word. Take God at His Word. Be doers of the Word, not hearers only. And bear Him fruit. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Mark 3:20-35

2011-06-26T10:56:00.001-05:00

By this point in the Gospel story, Mark has introduced us to all the key characters.

There is Jesus, the Son of God, Savior of Sinners, miraculous healer, the master teacher who speaks the very Word of God. Everything in the story revolves around Jesus, as should our lives. But there are other characters in the drama too, and the important thing that we should do when studying Mark is to ask ourselves ‘how do these other characters understand Jesus…what is their perception of Jesus…how do they relate to Jesus?

There is the multitude. Within the multitude, we have all sorts of people; those who were drawn in faith to the Savior; those who were merely curious; those who were in desperate need of a healing touch. Like it or not, many of the people in the crowd, try to get near Jesus not for Jesus’ sake…not out of faith…not out of love… but only for what Jesus can do for them.

I was reminded recently that when my daughter Emily was just a little girl with bows in her hair, she named my father “Dodaddy.” It was a cute little name – a creative alternative to “Granddaddy.” Once, we asked her why she called him “Dodaddy,” and she said “Because he dos everything I ask him to do.” Well, of course, her relationship with my Dad matured, and as she grew, she began to love him for who he is. And when Emily began to love her grandfather for who he is…for the wise, loving Christian man he is…somehow “Dodaddy” became “Granddaddy.” That’s a lesson all of us need to take to heart. What’s the foundation of your relationship with Jesus? Are you drawn to Jesus because of what He might do for you, or do you love Him for who He is? A chasm of difference lays between selfishly relating to Jesus and lovingly relating to Jesus. The way the crowd is presented in the drama, you get the impression that not all of them were there for the right reasons. And we have to ask ourselves this morning, ‘Where am I in the multitude?’ Am I merely a curious bystander? Am I here admittedly for selfish reasons – I need Jesus to be my heavenly “Dodaddy”? Or, am I drawn to Jesus for who He is?

There are the disciples, an amazingly diverse dozen. Mark introduced us to the disciples last Sunday as we examined Chapter 3, verses 13 through 19. There was Simon Peter, an enigma of a man who would boldly proclaim his faith in Jesus, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” and then turn around and boldy deny Him three times. A man who was quick to fight, quick to run off at the mouth, and yet he loved Jesus so much. A fallen but forgiven man. “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you more than these.” “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” There was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, the first relational evangelist. (That’s the best kind of evangelization – develop a relationship and then look for an opportunity to introduce them to Jesus.) Andrew is always introducing people to Jesus. There were James and John, “the Sons of Thunder.” James would be the first of the disciples to taste of martyrdom. John was known as the “beloved disciple.” He would go on to write the Gospel of John, the three Letters of John, and the Revelation. There was Philip, another great evangelist, Bartholomew (also known as Nathaniel), Matthew the tax collector (also known as Levi). There was Thomas the doubter. James the son of Alpheus. There was Simon the Zealot. The Zealots were revolutionaries, also known as “daggermen”; constantly looking for an opportunity to draw their dagger against a Roman soldier. There was Thaddeus (also known as Judas son of James). And of course, Judas of Iscariot, “who betrayed Jesus.”

We’ll never be certain exactly how Judas perceived Jesus – we just know it wasn’t as a Savior. And that’s what makes his death so tragic. Whatever he thought about Jesus, we know He didn’t look at Jesus as His Lord and Savior. The other disciples died too. Almost to the man, they died painfully horrible tortuous deaths, and yet they died in the Lord. They died for His glory because they staked their lives and offered up their bodies in faithfulness to Jesus Christ as Lord. And so, as we look at the disciples as a whole – how the twelve function as a character in the Gospel story, we learn that how we look at Jesus makes all the difference in how we die. Whether death is tragic or glorious. You and I will die too. Will your death, whenever and however it comes, be a tragic waste of life? Or, will you die in Christ as a humble forgiven sinner who loves Jesus? One man’s death is an eternally painful and tragic waste. Another man’s death is to enter into Christ’s glory. Jesus makes the difference.

Characters in the Gospel: Jesus. The multitude. The Disciples. And of course, we have the religious leadership; the Scribes and the Pharisees who followed Jesus, who were near to Jesus, who heard the irrefutable truth of His teaching, who witnessed the power of Jesus over the forces of evil, and even witnessed the miracles of healing. And yet, they flatly rejected Him. Please keep them in mind when you come to verse 29. “But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” To whom is Jesus speaking? The Pharisees. Mark says Jesus “called them to Himself and began speaking to them.” (Mark 3:23) That just goes to show you what a man Jesus was. He was fearless and confident. He called them to Himself, and he systematically dismantled their false teaching. They couldn’t deny the power of Jesus so they fabricated a tale about the source of His power. According to the Pharisees, Jesus wasn’t healing people by the power of God, but by the power of Satan. Jesus demanded that they look Him in the eye. And He said, “How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” Here’s the logic of your argument: A general and his army face the enemy across the field of battle. His men have dug trenches and fox holes and they stand ready for battle. And as the battle charge sounds, the general exercises his battle plan. He rides out to the front lines, gets down off his horse, and begins to execute his own men one by one. “How can Satan cast out Satan?” Or in other words, “You think I’m in league with Satan, and you say that I cast out demons by the power of Satan…that’s Satan sending his own footsoldiers to hell. Satan can’t win the war by sending his own demons back to hell. You can’t deny my power over evil, so you make up lies about the source of my power.” Jesus had power over evil because Jesus is God.

You know, the world is still full of people who flatly reject Jesus. It’s not that they are ignorant of Him. They know what the Bible says…they know what Christianity claims about Jesus…they know the Bible says that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of Sinners, and the only one through whom we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and still, they flatly reject Jesus. These are the ones who “blaspheme the Holy Spirit.” These are the ones who never receive forgiveness and who are guilty of an eternal sin. The one unforgiveable sin is to know ABOUT the forgiveness of the Crucified Lord, but to reject it. It’s to say, “I know that Jesus is the Savior of sinners, but I don’t want His forgiveness.”

Have you ever worried that you might be guilty of blaspheming the Holy Spirit…that one unforgiveable sin? Friend, the very fact that you might be anxious about it, is proof enough that although you are a sinner (as am I), you haven’t committed that one! Go back a verse and claim the truth of it for your life…claim it…cling to it…never let go of it…stake your life and your faith in it…and celebrate what Jesus said: “Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men!” “All sins shall be forgiven you.” “All” your sins have been forgiven in Jesus! Glory be to God!

Mark introduces us to the multitude, the Disciples, the Scribes and Pharisees, and then he shines the spotlight on the characters who play one of the most disturbing parts in all the Gospel drama – His family.

I think it is good for us to remember that Jesus had a family too. He knew what it was like to be a part of a family that was less than perfect. Jesus was perfect, but even His family suffered from some degree of dysfunction. That might sound like an exaggeration to you, but I don’t think it is. These are the people who were the closest to Jesus. His mother Mary, who is such a wonderful picture of faith when she is great with child and “pondering these things in her heart,” and when she says, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) But go back to Mark 3, verse 21. Mark says, “And when His own people heard of this (everything about Jesus – the teaching, the miracles, the crowds that flocked near Him, the brewing controversy), they went out to take custody of Him saying, “He has lost His senses.”” Who was saying this? His own people. His family. His mother and His half brothers and sisters, and all of his closest relatives. The very people who should have known Jesus most intimately, completely misunderstood Him. Are you having some problems in your family? Jesus knows what it is like to live with problems in the family. He knows what it is like to be completely misunderstood…misinterpreted by His own family. We can take a lot of comfort from Him in our own family problems, and we can also learn quite a bit from Him too…lessons that we need to apply.

One lesson is this: Jesus never rejected His family, even when they said He was crazy. He loved them to the end. You remember from the Cross, Jesus gives John the responsibility to care for His mother and family. John records it: “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household.” Jesus never abandoned family. He didn’t write them off in the midst of family turmoil. He loved them to the end. In fact, there has never been a son who loved a mother more than Jesus loved His mother, Mary. And there has never been a brother who loved his siblings more than Jesus loved His brothers and sisters. Because He loved them with a pure and holy love…a love that was willing to die for them, even when they failed to understand who He was and what He had come to do. And we must love our families the same way. You keep loving them with a Christlike, godly love, even when they misunderstand you…even when they fail to love you back…even when they are treating you like a stranger. You never abandon family. You love them to the end.

Another lesson He teaches is learned at the end of Mark three. They say “blood is thicker than water.” That’s very true. But even truer is this. “Faith in Jesus is even thicker than blood.”

They think He’s lost His mind. Out of fear for His safety and their own, they’ve come to reign Him in. And Jesus uses this awkward and painful situation as a teachable moment for all. “Jesus, your mother and your brothers are out here and they want to see you right now.” Answering them, He said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” And looking about on those who were sitting around Him, He said, “Behold, My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus taught us to “Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness.” We must put Jesus first. To the Christian husband, this means you must put Jesus first…even above your wife. To the Christian wife, it means you must put Jesus before your husband. (Hold on to your seats for this one) To the Christian parent, this means you must put Jesus even before your children. If you fail to do this, then you will not be capable of loving your children as much as you ought to love them or as much as you can love them. Put your children first in your life and you will fail to love them. Put your husband before your relationship with Jesus and you will not be able to love your husband as much as you should, nor as much as God would want you to love him. Put your wife before your relationship with Jesus Christ and you will fail as a Christian husband and she will never receive the precious love that she deserves. What I am saying makes absolutely no sense to those who do not know Jesus, and do not seek Him first, and do not love Him. But if you love Jesus, you know exactly what I’m trying to convey.

Mark shows us the crowd, the Disciples, the Scribes and Pharisee, and the family of Jesus. On the one hand, there is a family formed on the basis of bloodlines and genetics. On the other hand, there is the true family, the household of God, formed on the basis of a true love for Jesus. Jesus makes the difference.

Let Jesus make the difference in your family too. Put Him first and the quality of a man’s love for his wife is infinitely greater. With Jesus first, Christian husbands and wives love one another more. With Jesus first, Christian parents love their children with greater depth, with the kind of love they truly need. Why? Because when Jesus Christ is Lord over your marriage, over your parenting, over your family relationships, He elevates every love to something far more wonderful, more patient, more empathetic, more holy and pure, than any form of love absent of Jesus. Are you having problems in your family? Maybe this is the solution you were sent here to receive: Put Jesus first. Love Him most. And your family will begin to heal.

But how do you really know if Jesus is first…if Jesus is truly Lord over your life, your marriage, your parenting, your family life? “For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.” There is absolutely no reason why you should make the will of God to be some kind divine mystery. It’s not. Do you want to know what the will of God is for your life? Look at Jesus’ life. Do you want to know what the will of God is for the difficulties you face, for the pains you endure, for the dysfunctions in your family? Look at how Jesus faces pain, rejection, humiliation, suffering. Look at how Jesus treated those who mistreated Him. Look at how Jesus loved those who wouldn’t return His love. God’s will is not much of a mystery at all. Just look at Jesus. Read the Word. Do the will of God. And He will be glorified, in your life, in your marriage, in your parenting, in your family relationships.

Glory be to God!

Mark 3:7-19

2011-06-19T10:54:00.001-05:00

If you were with us last Sunday, you will remember the passage from the end of Mark 2 through the first few verses of chapter 3. Mark brings us to a crisis moment. It’s not so much a crises for Jesus as it is a crisis for Judaism. Across the board, the religious leadership of Judaism had failed. They had missed the point of obedience to the Law. They had grown terribly self-righteous and there was no love or grace in their religion. They hated Jesus, and Mark told us last week in chapter 3 verse 6 that “the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.” Hatred of Jesus makes strange bedfellows. Two groups who couldn’t be any more different: On the one hand, you have the Pharisees who are the religious leadership. On the other hand, you have the Herodians who were the political leadership – the Jewish nobility propped up by the Romans. The Pharisees were the self-righteous morality police. The Herodians were virtually lawless with no sense of morality or decency. What is Mark’s point? Jesus is thoroughly rejected by the religious and political leadership of Israel. Again, this is not so much a crisis for Jesus as it is for Israel. Because the time has come for Jesus to replace the leadership.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus called twelve disciples and not thirteen or one hundred or one thousand? Jesus called twelve disciples as a judgment against the failed and unfaithful leadership of Israel. It may not register with us, but I guarantee you it registered with the Pharisees. In Israel’s history, God established twelve tribes. Now, the Son of God is about to establish His Church (the new Israel) with twelve disciples. So, this portion of Mark 3 isn’t simply giving a list of the disciples names. Mark is chronicling a pivotal moment in history. And the decision Jesus would make over these men would prove to be a pivotal decision.

Let’s go now to the text and see what we can learn about the calling of the disciples:

(Read Mark 3:7-19)

Luke adds an important detail to Mark’s version of the story. Luke says Jesus spent the whole night in prayer. When was the last time you spent the night in prayer? Have you ever prayed all night? Ever stayed awake sitting at the kitchen table or laying there in your bed, praying.....really praying about something all night long? Jesus’ record of prayer is extensive in the Gospel. He sought solitude on many a hill top because the Son of God found prayer to be a blessed communion and fellowship with the Father. He found prayer as the primary way to rejuvenate His soul. Every day of His earthly life, Jesus gave and gave and gave and gave, and it was through quiet time that He filled His soul again for another day of service through fellowship with the Father, and through the ministering of the Holy Spirit.

Do you feel tired, drained, washed out, empty? Do you pray? Jesus prayed all night, with good reason. Jesus was praying for those whom He would call as disciples.

As I mentioned, Jesus was changing the course of history, judging and rejecting the religious and political leadership which had rejected Him. But you see, there was even something bigger than history at stake. The future! Jesus knew that He would not be with them long. Jesus came for the Cross; He came to die. And these chosen men would bear the awesome responsibility of carrying the Good News of Jesus Christ out into the world. It would fall to them to do His work once He was physically gone. It would be their responsibility to build up the Church, to lead, to govern, to shepherd the flock, to preach and teach, and to build up a movement that would spread throughout the world, lasting forever. Among the chosen disciples were the men whom the Holy Spirit would inspire to record their eyewitness accounts that form the bedrock of the New Testament. Don’t you see, the decision wasn’t simply about those twelve men, in that day and age. It was about us; that the work would be done, so that today you and I would be here praising Him, hearing His Word, and finding the courage and faith to go into the world and make MORE disciples. It was a huge decision, and so, before making the big decision, Jesus went away where there would be no distractions, and the Son of God spent time on His knees, seeking the Father’s will for our sake.

He prayed all night. From the time the sun set behind distant hills to the west, till the time its rays chased away the darkness in the eastern horizon. Twelve hours of prayer for the twelve men who would lead the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The application is so simple and clear:
• Do you have a big decision to make? Follow the example of the Master – pray. Make it a matter of prayer.
• Pray about the Church. Pray about the Church’s future. Pray about the Church’s leadership. Pray that God would continue raising up the leadership that the Church needs. And pray for the strengthening of our leadership to face the awesome task before us. And pray, that at all times, the Church would have the right people to lead.

The right people? Who are the right people? That’s an interesting question, because when you examine all that we know about these men before and after their call to discipleship, you discover that there really was nothing innately extraordinary about them. Jesus wasn’t struggling in prayer to pick the best and the brightest. He wasn’t asking the Father to make the cream rise to the top. In and of themselves, they weren’t great men. They weren’t particularly faithful, or smart or strong. They were ordinary men who became extraordinary because they followed a great Lord! They remind me of the tiny mollusks that cling to the rocks on a wave battered beach. The waves continually crash and the little shells hold fast. Hurricanes and tidal waves smash the seashore, and the little creatures remain. Not because they have some great power within, but because they have chosen to cling to something infinitely stronger than themselves. And that’s the disciples: ordinary men clinging to an extraordinary Lord.

Who were they? In all four lists of Disciples, Simon Peter is named first. He was a poor commercial fisherman. A rough around the edges kind of fellow. An enigma of a man in a wonderful kind of way; one who would boldly proclaim his faith in Jesus, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” and then turn around and boldy deny Him three times. “I’ve never laid eyes on this man.” But he found forgiveness in the crucified and risen Lord. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter would dictate his eye witness account to Mark (the Gospel of Mark is really Peter’s account) and he would go on to pen the two letters of Peter.

There was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, who is always introducing people to Jesus, and always looking for the best in others.

There were James and John, whom Jesus nicknamed “the Sons of Thunder.” James would be the first of the disciples to taste of martyrdom. John was known as the “beloved disciple.” At the Cross, Jesus gave John responsibility for the care of His mother, Mary. John would go on to write the Gospel of John, the three Letters of John, and the Revelation.

There was Philip the evangelist, Bartholomew (also known as Nathaniel), Matthew the tax collector (also known as Levi) who would author the Gospel of Matthew.

There was Thomas the doubter. James the son of Alpheus, about whom we know very little. There was Simon the Zealot. The Zealots were revolutionaries, also known as “daggermen”; constantly looking for an opportunity to draw their dagger against a Roman soldier. There was Thaddeus (also known as Judas son of James). And of course, Judas of Iscariot. In all four lists of disciples, Judas is always mentioned last, typically with the qualification “who betrayed Jesus.” I’m not going to say much about Judas today. (That will be a sermon for another day.) But I will leave you with this truth to ponder: Jesus prayed over Judas too. He knew what Judas would do. And, Jesus doesn’t make any mistakes.

After a night of prayer Jesus selected these twelve men from among many disciples. Did you notice that? Mark tells us that there were other disciples from which Jesus chose these twelve? Does that suggest anything to you? Maybe that there are many who will call Jesus Lord, but few who will follow. There are many who want Jesus to do for them, but few who want to do for Jesus. There are many who want the personal benefits, but few who want to share them. Friends this world is in desperate need of true disciples. He has been praying over you. Will you follow?

But you say, ‘Oh, I’m not worthy to be numbered as one of His disciples; I’m not good enough.’ Listen, there was not a perfect man in the bunch. He didn’t call them because they were worthy or good enough.

And do you realize, not a single one of them volunteered for service? And, not a single one of them, by virtue of their discipleship, found a life of wealth or ease. None of them rose to positions of earthly power, but today, each of them, including Matthias who replaced Judas, sits on a throne of honor in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Do you realize that ten of the original twelve, beginning with James, died a violent martyrs death. Judas committed suicide after betraying Jesus, and the rest of them died violent deaths. Peter was crucified upside down. Andrew was tied to his cross instead of nailed to prolong his suffering. Thomas was run through with a sword. And only one man, John, died of old age, but not after aging gracefully. John died a lonely exile on the Island of Patmos.

The never achieved material success. They died violent deaths. And yet, by virtue of following Jesus, the shared in the most important work this world has ever known, the building up of the Church. They were ordinary people just like you and me….ordinary, but made extraordinary because they served an extraordinary Lord….great because they served a great and awesome God…strong because they opened their lives to being filled by His strength.

Mark speaks of the secret of their greatness in verse 6: “He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him…” That’s the secret - they spent time with a great Lord! And if you or I will ever be associated with anything great in the Kingdom of God, it will be because they say the same about us. “They spent time with Jesus.” Let that be the distinguishing characteristic of the people who make up the family of Grace Chapel….that the world would see what we accomplish for the Kingdom and know that “they spent time with Jesus.”

Finally, friends, take this last point to heart. Think about it. Pray about it. And then, act upon it. Jesus is still calling disciples. He’s still praying over disciples. He still needs disciples to do His work. He needs you.

I pray that it would ring in your ears for days! Jesus needs you. He wants YOU to be His disciple; to follow Him, to learn from Him. He wants to send YOU to shine His light into this world. That’s why He brought you here today, because He wants you to hear it and believe.....The Lord has need of you.

Why? Well, friends, because the world still looks just like it did 2000 years ago. There are people who are lost and need YOU to point the way. There are people who are sick and need YOU to pray for them and comfort them. There are people who are hungry, and they need YOU to provide for them. Still, there are even people who have all the wrong ideas about Jesus; they despise Him and those poor spiritually blind people need YOU to intelligently speak the truth to them in love, and they need YOU to model Jesus for them.

There’s an old legend that Christians used to tell about the day that Jesus ascended into heaven. After His birth, His life, His atoning death, His glorious resurrection, Jesus ascends into the clouds and is welcomed back into heaven. The angel Gabriel meets Him there and Jesus tells him all about it. Gabriel asks, “Jesus, how will the people of the world hear the Gospel if you stay here in heaven?” Jesus says, “Well, I have a small band of faithful disciples whom I have left in charge.” Gabriel furls his brow, “But Jesus, what if they fail? What if they turn away? What is your backup plan?” Jesus says, “I have no other plan.”

Friends in Christ, you are His plan!

Christ has no hands but our hands to do His work today;
He has no feet but our feet to lead men to His way;
He has no tongue but our tongue to tell men why He died;
He has no help but our help to bring them to His side.

Mark 2:13-3:6

2011-06-12T09:11:00.001-05:00

Behind this text, there is a great story. We need to get in touch with this story, because if we fail to do so, we won’t understand the conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees. We won’t understand the Pharisees. And most importantly, we won’t understand Jesus. It's the story of the Old Testament; the story of the Almighty's relentless love for fallen man, and His determination to redeem fallen humanity. At the same time, the Old Testament tells the story of the His Covenant people's chronic disobedience. From the Garden of Eden, through the lives of the Patriarchs, into the Wilderness, through the time of Judges and Kings, divided and fallen kingdoms, God beckons His prodigal Israel to turn away from the false gods and to worship Him alone. After generations of chronic disobedience, and after generations of fair warning, God punishes His people with Babylonian captivity and exile. A faithful remnant returns to rebuild Jerusalem, and although there are momentary revivals, the people fall again into apostasy. And, with closing of the book of Malachi (the last of the 39 books of the Old Testament) there begins 400 years of silence. Not a word from God. 400 years without a single inspired syllable from Heaven. Until the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us in the person of Jesus our Savior.

Between the Old and New Testaments, something very important takes shape. A group of people known as the Pharisees finally got the point that God is very serious about obedience to His Word. They finally figured out that all the bad things that had happened, Kingdoms divided, battles lost, Babylonian captivity and exile, that all these experiences were directly related to the chronic disobedience of the people of God. So, the Pharisees took it upon themselves to make sure that the people would never again bring curses upon the nation by disobedience to the Law of God.

The 613 Laws, including the Ten Commandments, which God handed down to His people through Moses were perfect and holy. But it was not enough for the Pharisees. For example, God gave the 4th Commandment:
"Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. Six days shall you do all your work. But the Seventh Day is a Sabbath of the Lord; in it you shall not do any work..."

And the crazy Pharisees developed over 1000 additional laws (uninspired man made laws) prohibiting everything imaginable that might even be remotely construed as work on the Sabbath.
"Thou shalt not pick up a rock on the Sabbath Day."
"If necessary, thou mayest pick up thy little son or daughter on the Sabbath Day, but not if the kid has a rock in his hand. Picking up a kid with a rock in his hand constitutes work."
"Thou shalt not tie a knot on the Sabbath Day, for that wouldst be work."
"AIf thy wife falleth into well on the Sabbath Day, thou mayest lower a robe unto her. However, let not thy wife wrap the rope around her waist and tie it in a knot, for that wouldst be work."

And by the time Jesus came, the Pharisees could no longer distinguish between God’s Law and man-made laws. For the Pharisees, the basis of the relationship between God and man was man’s rigorous attempt at obedience. In their minds, man’s obedience produces God’s favor. But, you see, Jesus came not only to die upon the Cross for us, but to re-boot religion – from legalism to the Gospel.

This is what legalism does to you: (Now, listen carefully, because I’m not only talking about what legalism did to the Pharisees 2000 years ago – I’m talking about what legalism does to people like you and me today.) Legalism makes it impossible to truly love God, and it makes it impossible to truly love your neighbor.

The legalists relates to God, not on the basis of love, but out of fear. And I’m not talking about fearing God as means respect, awe, wonder, and reverence. The legalist’s fear of God pictures Him as a tyrant and a taskmaster who is looking for any and every opportunity to punish us. How can you love that kind of God? You can’t. Legalism makes it impossible to truly love God.

And, it makes it impossible to truly love your neighbor. The Pharisees looked at human suffering not with compassion, but with contempt. When they looked upon someone whose life had been damaged by loss or handicap or limited by poverty, they saw NOT an object of the Father's great love, but someone who must have done something horribly wicked to deserve such punishment from God. Like Job's friends wagging their finger at an innocent sufferer, the Pharisees had contempt for those who suffer, because they deserved it! The withered hand was the prima fascia evidence of God's judgment upon some secret dark sin of the past. You cannot love people when you self-righteously look upon them with contempt.

Let's be very clear on a couple of points:
1. God is still very serious about our obedience.
2. Sin is a transgression of God's Law.
3. The Law is a gift of God, as it exposes our sin, convicts us, and compels us to flee toward our Savior, who is our one and only Redeemer.
4. Sometimes even forgiven sin has earthly consequences.
5. But, an all too common mistake is when the Christian assumes that loss, pain, and suffering enters your life as God's personal punishment of your sin.

Were the Pharisees right? Was the withered hand the prima fascia evidence of God's personal punishment of that particular man? One day, they brought before Jesus a man who had been blind from birth. "Tell us, Jesus, was it this man's sin, or his parents’ sin...whose sin is being punished in his blindness?" Jesus said, "It was neither this man's sin, nor his parents’, but so that the glory of God may be revealed..." One day, they brought the headline news to Jesus; a tragic story about a group of Galileans who were slaughtered by the Romans. "Do you suppose they were greater sinners than other Galileans, because they suffered this fate? I tell you no..." Jesus said, "Or do you suppose that those on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, were worse sinners...I tell you no..." (Luke 13:1-5)

Mark 3:5 tells us that Jesus looked upon the Pharisees and became angry and grieved. Angry that Pharisees would make this man's pain all the worse because of their legalism, and grieved that their hearts were so hardened that they could feel no empathy for people who suffer so much.

So, the Pharisees were dead wrong. Just as you should never look upon someone who has experienced loss or is undergoing pain and suffering with the assumption that God is punishing them for some horrible sin, you should never look in the mirror when you are suffering and assume that God is getting even. "I tell you no..." Jesus said.

We don't know much at all about the man with the withered hand, but I can't help but wonder how he perceived his disfigured right hand. I wonder if he believed the Pharisees. I wonder how many times he prayed, "Lord, please show me; what did I do to deserve this?" I wonder if he felt like a failure; that he didn't measure up; that it was his fault.

I know how Jesus saw that withered hand. The withered hand was not the evidence of that man's personal sin, but the evidence of a fallen world of sin; Adam's sin, which brought death and disease and disfigurement, poverty and pain and prejudice into a once perfect world. Jesus saw the withered hand as an opportunity to show love, to do good, to once again through healing, bring a foretaste of the Kingdom that will come, when the work of Redemption is complete; and in that world that is sure to come, there will be no more tears, no more disease, no more disfigurement, no more pain, no more suffering.

It couldn't have happened on a more appropriate day than the Sabbath;
On the sacred day of rest, the time had come for this man to cease laboring in his horrible suffering.

On the holy day of celebration, of worship, of praise; it was the perfect time to give God the glory by doing something wonderfully good for one of the least of these My brethren; to enhance a life for the glory of God the Father.

The Pharisee watches Jesus like a hawk, looking for some reason to bring a charge of violating the Sabbath day against Him. Knowing what they are thinking, Jesus said, "I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm, to save a life, or to destroy it?"

Or in other words, Jesus is saying, what do you fellows think is the best way to honor the Sabbath? We can have it my way (the Gospel way) which is to do a gloriously good thing for him - heal his hand. Or, we can have it your way (the legalistic way), which is to continue to let this man suffer. My way is to do good on the Sabbath. Your way is to ignore the heart of God, and thus, do evil on the Sabbath. It's one or the other. What will it be?

"The message is clear: it is never the wrong day to help another, to minister to human need." (Fred Craddock, Interpretation Series, Luke., p.82)

Jesus said, "Stretch out thy hand." Do you have a need that needs to be brought before Jesus? Has something inside begun to wither and die? Do you have a pain, a fear, a suffering, a loss, an impossible and utterly hopeless situation in your life?

"Stretch out thy hand." Mark says, “And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.” That’s a picture of the beauty of the Gospel. The Gospel is the love of Jesus touch us, sinners though we are, touching us with the power of His love to heal, to restore, to transform. And, it’s a picture of what life the Christian life is all about:
He speaks the Word. “Stretch out thy hand.”
We respond in faith. “And he stretched it out.”
And the great blessing that comes when His power meets our faithful response. “And his hand was restored.”

Mark 1:39 - 2:12

2011-06-05T06:43:00.002-05:00

As we prepare to come to the Lord’s table this morning, I want share two wonderful passages with you, but before we read the Bible together, I want to ask you to think about a question with me. If you could ask Jesus for anything at all, any gift, what would it be? That’s a good question for us to ponder – and to think long and hard about it. If you could ask Jesus for any gift, what would it be?

Now, let’s read Mark 1:39-45

At the end of the first chapter of Mark, we read of a man who sought out Jesus, fell upon his knees, and said, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” If you had the chance to fall upon your knees in the presence of Jesus and look up into His eyes, what would you say? No doubt, many of us would ask for the miraculous healing of friend who is battling for life. Some of you might ask for prosperity. Or, perhaps you would ask for relief of some heavy burden in your life. Or maybe you would ask Jesus to restore a broken relationship. If you only had one chance to ask the Lord for anything at all…just one chance…what would you ask for?

Well, before you answer that question, let’s look a little more closely at the leper. Today, most forms of Leprosy are known as Hansen’s Disease, which is treatable and preventable. But in Biblical times, Leprosy was a horrible disease that caused widespread fear, terrible suffering, horrible disfigurement, and a slow agonizing death.

The Law of God had much to say about the problem of Leprosy. (Do some reading in Leviticus 13 and 14.) God’s Law declared that a leper was ritually unclean. Lepers were required by Law to live apart from the general population - to seek out the desolate places. Leprosy made one an outcast. It made a person literally untouchable. If a leper saw someone coming down the road, they were required by law to shout out “Unclean, Unclean!” so that uninfected passersby could steer clear. And anything the leper wore, must be burned in the fire. The Law may seem cruel, but as always, the Law is a gift of God’s grace. Here, it’s God’s grace given to protect a population from communicable disease long before anyone had a clue about the properties of infection.

And from the way Luke records this story in the fifth chapter, we discover that this poor man was suffering from a hideously advanced stage of the disease. Luke says that he was “full of leprosy.” There was no natural cure. No pharmaceutical remedy. There was nothing this poor man could do to halt the disease and nothing he could do to reverse the damage. But Jesus can! And a poor leper falls on his knees and says, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Of course, if you have only read this one chapter of Mark’s gospel, you know enough about Jesus to know that He is willing. And not only is He willing, He is able. Mark says, “And moved with compassion, He stretched out His hand, and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.”

In John’s gospel, Jesus says, “The one who comes to Me, I will surely not cast out.” (John 6:37) The leper comes to Jesus with the confident belief that Jesus is able (Solus Christus – “Christ Alone” is able, Christ alone is willing.) The leper approaches Jesus from a posture of worship – like a prayer from the knees, crying out, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” And sure enough, Jesus touched him. And suddenly, all the uncleanness was washed away…all that was lost was restored, and life for that man would never be the same. What great power! What great love!

Now, I want you to remember something we talked about several weeks. When you read the Biblical account of a healing miracle, you need to remember that there is always a higher purpose, a deeper meaning…the healing miracle proclaims something powerful, and profound, and life changing about Jesus. And you will begin to discover what this healing miracle has to do with your life when you come to understand this simple fact: Leprosy does to the body what sin does to your soul, to my soul. It makes us filthy. It slowly disfigures us. It makes us unfit to stand in the presence of a Holy and Righteous God. Sin destroys everything good about us and so infects us that we are fit only for the fire. Leprosy does to the body what sin does to the soul.

Ahh! But what Jesus does for the leper is a picture of what He willing and able to do for sinners like you and me. Paul says, “He (the Father) made Him who knew no sin (Jesus) to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (II Corinthians 5:21) Do you believe that? Do you understand how amazingly wonderful that is for you? Christ alone is able. Christ alone is willing to take away our sin?
That’s the gift! That’s the one greatest gift that you should ask for on your knees… “Lord, my sin is killing me. It has made me ugly and untouchable, and it is making my life literally fall apart. It has infected every part of me and is infecting everyone around me and ruining their lives too; and Lord, I finally understand that there is really nothing I can do to rid myself of this horrible infection…this eternally fatal disease….there is nothing I can do to make myself clean, but Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean……..And now I know, Lord Jesus, that you are willing and you’ve already done everything I need in order to be rid of sin. You died on the Cross for me, Lord, and you were raised again on the third day. Your grace is sufficient for me. You paid the price that I couldn’t pay to make me clean…washed by the blood of the Lamb…glory be to God!”

Christ alone can heal a man of such a horrible disfiguring disease. Christ alone can provide you and me with the one thing we most need – forgiveness. Maybe you are the person here today who thinks there are other things you need more. But I pray you will deceive yourself no longer. The one most needful thing is for Jesus to be your Savior. Christ alone can provide you with forgiveness of sin.

Now, let’s very briefly look at the next passage: Mark 2:1-12.

Since my childhood, this has been one of my most favorite stories in the New Testament. I can just see it! Can you? Jesus is preaching, and suddenly light peeks through a hole that gets bigger and bigger, and in the spotlight of sunshine beaming down on Jesus through the falling dust and debris, there is another man who desperately needs healing.

There is so much that needs to be said about this wonderful story…about the crowds, about the faithful due diligence of the friends, about the incredulity and the blindness of the Pharisees. But the one thing I think we most need to see this morning is this: All that we have pondered over in the last passage (that the healing of the leper points to the saving work Jesus can do for sinners like us)….you see the connection?….it is proven in the story of the paralytic. His power to heal proves His power to forgive.

The one thing this man most needs from Jesus is not the restoration of his legs. What he most needs is forgiveness. And like the leper, he is a picture of the helplessness of a sinner. He could not get up on his own. He could not resolve the problem of paralysis on his own. He could not get to Jesus by his own power. He was totally and utterly helpless. And, sin has the same power over you and me. We are utterly incapable of ridding ourselves of sin and its devastating effects. We cannot manufacture our own forgiveness. But Jesus has the power to give it! “My son, your sins are forgiven.”

Lots of people go through life paralyzed by the power of sin for this simple reason: We think we can deal with it ourselves, and we do everything but turn it over to Jesus. People take their sins to the psychiatrist. People try to medicate their sins, and run from their sins. People try to eliminate their sins by self-punishment. People try to rid themselves of sin by denying it, shifting the blame to someone else, and rationalizing it way. All of those ways of dealing with sin are hopelessly ineffective. In a sense, the Pharisees were spot on target – God alone can deal with sin. The Pharisees said, “Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”

If they only knew what you and I can know today! Jesus is God. Jesus has the power to heal. Jesus has the authority to forgive. He is the only remedy. Where we are totally incapable of ridding ourselves of sin, Jesus is willing! Christ alone is able! And He proves it:

“Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Arise, take up your pallet and walk’? But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” He said to the paralytic – “I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.”

And suddenly, all of life changed dramatically for this poor man. A paralytic restored to full mobility. But more! A sinner forgiven.

Today, that could be you. It could be me. And so, I ask the question again: If you could ask Jesus for anything at all…if you could ask for that one most precious gift, what would you ask for? Let it be forgiveness, salvation. Ask, knowing with all your heart and soul that Christ alone is willing, Christ alone is able, Christ alone can make you clean.

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our sin from us.” (Psalm 103:12)

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sin, according to the riches of His grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)

Mark 1:29-34

2011-05-22T10:35:00.000-05:00

Do you believe in miracles? Many people today dismiss the miraculous. They don’t believe that Jesus performed miracles, and they don’t believe that miracles happen today. And, the reason they dismiss them is because they can’t find a rational explanation. For me, “For nothing is impossible with God,” is about the most rational thing I’ve ever heard. Open your eyes to the works of God recorded in the pages of Scripture and you will discover that there are 207 events that are truly miraculous. In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, there are exactly 50 miracles attributed to Jesus. Thirty of those miracles are healings.

To strip those events from the record, to say that they couldn’t happen because they don’t make sense to us, is to miss so much of the beauty and the power of Jesus Himself. Philip Yancey, in his book, The Jesus I Never Knew, says:
“Some see miracles as an implausible suspension of the laws of the physical universe. As signs, though, they serve just the opposite function. Death, decay, entropy, and destruction are the true suspensions of God’s laws; miracles are the early glimpses of restoration.”
And then he goes on to quote the noted theologian, Jurgen Moltmann, “Jesus’ healings are not supernatural miracles in a natural world. They are the only truly natural things in a world that is unnatural, demonized and wounded.”

In the Bible, miracles always have an underlying purpose. Think the healing of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. But first, think of what had happened just prior to the healing. Jesus has begun His ministry – and what is at the heart of that ministry? “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” Ultimately, Jesus came to strike a death blow to the power of sin. He came to seek and to save the lost. Sin doesn’t belong in the world that God created. Sin is a perversion…a corruption…that taints every aspect of human existence. And, if you recall Genesis 3, what realities enter the world as a result of sin? Disease, decay, death. I fear we are so familiar with disease, decay, and death that we forget that these things don’t belong. Disease, death, and decay are not God’s original intent, not a part of God’s original design. They are invaders, occupying forces, the result of evil entering the world when Adam and Eve fell in sin.

With that in mind, think about the first miracles that Mark records:
Earlier in the first chapter of Mark, a man possessed by demons interrupts the service at the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and Jesus releases that man from the powers of evil that had taken him hostage. And now, Jesus is confronted with a woman who was deathly ill from a fever. Let’s don’t forget what lies beneath the surface. The fever is a result, not necessarily of the mother-in-law’s sin, but of sin entering the world long ago and affecting all our lives. So, in both miracles (releasing the man from the demon possession, and curing the mother-in-law of the fever) we see Jesus showing us something about Himself. What is He showing us?

First, He is showing us that He has the power over darkness. He simple speaks a word or extends a touch, and the person suffering from sickness or from demon possession, is immediately restored. The miracles at the beginning of His ministry are microcosmic pictures of the ultimate work that Jesus came to perform. He came to vanquish sin, and He most definitely has the power to do just that.

Second, in the miracles Jesus shows us His heart. Miracles, in the Bible, are never a matter of putting on a show, but always, their purpose is to show us something about the heart of God. Jesus is showing us that He is God, He has the power of God, and by virtue of His miracles, we can know what is at the core of God’s heart – concern, compassion, love. He cares about your needs.

Think of all the healing miracles of Jesus that you can remember. Who are the recipients? Well, most of the time, the ones on the receiving end of the miracle are the kind of people that the rest of society wouldn’t give a nickel’s worth of compassion to. What does that tell you about the heart of God? Jesus healed the blind, the lame, the lepers. He healed the unclean, the untouchable, the unloved. He healed the outcasts, the downtrodden, the ostracized. Jesus wasn’t doing magic tricks to entertain us. He was revealing to the world the depths and the power of God’s great love.

And what does the power of God’s great love look like? What can it do? The power of God’s love can shatter any barrier, overcome any obstacle, and transform any circumstance for the better.
• Where there is darkness, He brings light.
• Where there is a heart imprisoned by demons, He brings release.
• Where there is blindness, He gives sight.
• Where there is paralysis, He causes people to leap for joy.
• Where there is only silence, He opens deaf ears to sweet music.
• Where there is death, He brings life and life eternal.
And all of these miracles recorded in the Gospel, are signs to us that God’s primary business: His activity in this world and in our lives is to transform.

Third, Jesus performed miracles of healing to prove that He is the great remedy for all that ails us. He is the Great Physician and the cure. He is the first One we should turn to for help. Is there someone in your life that needs healing? Do what they did in Mark 1:30. “They told Jesus about her.” Such a simple statement, but so beautiful and so powerful. “They told Jesus about her.” J.C. Ryle says, “There is no remedy like this. We must use whatever means are available in time of need, without question. In cases of sickness, we should send for doctors. When property or character needs defense, we should consult lawyers. We should seek the help of friends. But still after all, the first thing to be done is to cry to the Lord Jesus for help. No one can relieve us so effectively as He can. No one is so compassionate, and so willing to relieve.” (Matthew, Crossways Classic Commentaries, p.9)

“Cast all your cares upon the Lord, and He will sustain you.” (Psalm 55:22)
“Cast all your anxiety upon Him.” (I Peter 5:7)
“In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)

Do you believe in miracles? I do. Over 21 years of ministry, I’ve prayed for miracles and witness God do what only God can do. I’ve seen people healed of sickness and disease after all hope was abandoned – healed with no earthly rational explanation. I’ve seen God do the seemingly impossible, time and time again. I’ve witnessed God work miracles in relationships – when a relationship was beyond sick. It was dead and buried, but God raised up a marriage in new life. God healed a dying friendship. God cured dead relationships. I believe that all the miracles in the Bible actually happened exactly as we are told. I believe that miracles happen today. I pray for miracles. I witness miracles. I love and serve a God with Whom “all things are possible.” And, I’ve learned that sometimes the cure that I’ve prayed for is eclipsed by an even greater, unexpected miracle of healing.

Here’s a wonderful story that makes the point so well:

Tony Campolo tells about a disturbing conversation he had with a Pentecostal preacher. In the Pentecostal preacher’s tradition, miracles were prayed for and supposedly experienced on a daily basis. “Do you pray for miracles?” the Pentecostal asked Tony Campolo. “Well, I guess it could happen, but it’s never happened to me...it doesn’t really fit in to where I am spiritually.” The Pentecostal chided him harshly, “Didn’t Jesus tell us to expect miracles?” Campolo thought a lot about their conversation. About a week later, he was leading a big service somewhere. Thousands of people had turned out to hear him. After the sermon, he said it just kind of happened. He said, “We’re going to pray now, and I don’t really know if anything could come of this but I’ve been thinking about the healing power of Jesus, and I’ve never really had anything miraculous happen to me, I’m not a healer, but Jesus said to pray for miracles and so if it’s okay with you I’m going to pray. So if anyone needs a miracle in their life, I can’t make any guarantees, but you come, and we’ll see. Who knows? Something might happen.” He said he was surprised at the number of people who came forward that night. But he was even more surprised by their requests:

“My marriage is falling apart. I’ve tried everything and I need God to work a miracle in our relationship.”
“My 14 year old daughter ran away last month and I we haven’t heard from her and we don’t know where she is. We need God’s help!”
“My son is in a rehab, again, please pray for a miracle.”

He listened and prayed and the people went their way. A week later, Tony Campolo got a call. The woman on the other end of the line said, “Do you remember me? I’m the one who came forward for my husband. Maybe you don’t remember but you prayed for him. He had cancer.” Campolo was silent on the other end of the phone line. The woman continued, “Well, he died.” Campolo said he felt so bad he almost fainted. But she continued. “I just wanted to call and thank you for praying for him. You’ll never know how much it meant, not only to me, but also to my husband. To be honest with you, he had become almost unbearable. The cancer made him so full of hatred and anger. He would lay in bed cursing God and cursing anyone who tried to help him. He had driven away his children and his friends. He was a monster. But something miraculous happened after you prayed for him. He was like a new person. And in the last six days of his life, we shared such joy together and such love together. Reverend Campolo, my husband didn’t get cured, but he sure got healed.”

Do you believe in miracles? Jesus is the remedy and the cure.
Do you need a miracle? Pray, “Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, help me stand; I am tired, I am weak, I am worn; through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light; take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.”

Do you need a miracle in a friend’s life? Follow the example of faithful friends. Tell Jesus about her. Tell Jesus about him.

Mark 1:14-28

2011-05-15T08:47:00.000-05:00

As we work through the Gospel of Mark, again and again, we will see Mark answering one of the most important questions a person could ever ask. Who is Jesus?

In this morning’s passage, Mark’s answer is that Jesus is the One who calls us. Mark tells us that Jesus came into Galilee from the wilderness, “preaching the gospel of God.” He said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” And then, Jesus sees two brothers, Simon (who will later be known as Peter) and Andrew, two poor commercial fishermen. “And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they put down their nets and followed Him. ” (Mark 1:16-18)

Isn’t that amazing? Two men who have been making a living all their lives catching and selling fish, hear the voice of Jesus calling them, and they exchange the life they are living now, for the life He will give them as they follow. Someone might want look at the details and then say, “But they were poor. Don’t we know that from the language? They were dirt poor commercial fishermen at the bottom of the social ladder. They had nothing to lose. They followed Jesus because they were poor.” Well, yes they were poor. Yes, they were at the bottom of the social hierarchy. But I don’t think that they followed Jesus simply because they were poor. Further, look at what happens next:

“When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.” (Mark 1:19-20)

James and John were fishermen too, but not of the same kind as Simon and Andrew. James and John were heirs to a very large fishing business. Their father, Zebedee, had a fleet of boats manned by many hired servants. James and John were obviously hard working young men, but they were very wealthy. And yet, when Jesus called them, “immediately” Mark says, “they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.”

In a sense, we have the whole spectrum of men symbolized in these pairs of brothers, don’t we? At one end of the spectrum we have the poor. At the other end of the spectrum we have the rich. And yet, the effect Jesus has upon them is identical. He calls the poor, the rich, and everything in between, and men follow.

Who is this Jesus, that poor men and rich men alike would be willing to walk away from everything they knew, everything they counted upon, everything they were looking forward to, in order to follow Him? Who is this Jesus?

Well, if we jump ahead a bit, we will receive the answer from a most unlikely place. It was a Sabbath day, and Jesus entered the synagogue where He taught the people “as one having authority.” They had never heard teaching like that. Not out of the preachers they knew. This Jesus spoke a message that they had never heard before. He interpreted the Scriptures with a clarity and truth that they had never heard before. Everybody in the synagogue was asking “Who is this Jesus?”

When suddenly, the worship service was interrupted. Mark says, “Now there was a man in the synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did you come to destroy us? I know who you are – You are the Holy One of God.” (Mark 1:23-24) The demons, up from the pit of hell, were as evil as evil can be, but they knew who Jesus was. They knew that He was the Son of God, who had come down to earth from heaven to send them back to hell where they came from. And Jesus did just that. He commanded them, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And a poor sinner was purged of the evil that had overtaken his life.

Who is Jesus? Well, go back with me to Simon and Andrews, James and John.

I think it was John Lennon who said, “Life is what happens while you are making other plans.” That is so true, isn’t it? I don’t think that these brothers, Simon and Andrew, James and John were looking for Jesus. I don’t think that they were hoping to meet a man who would call them away from everything they had known in life, away from everything that brought them security in life. They weren’t looking for Jesus. And yet, “life is what happens while you are making other plans.”

Think about Adam. He was just dust, not even looking to be created. And yet, God put His hands upon that dust and breathed the breath of life into it. And Adam began to live. Abraham was just a wandering Bedouin who didn’t know God, and he wasn’t looking for God’s promises. And yet, God spoke to him out of the wild blue yonder and blessed Abraham more than he could have ever imagined.
And Saul of Tarsus wasn’t looking for Jesus. He was on the road to Damascus hunting for more Christians to persecute.

Simon and Andrew were just trying to make a living. James and John were just trying to inherit a great family business. They weren’t looking for Jesus, but you see, Jesus was looking for them. And when Jesus called out to them, like a magnet draws iron, they followed.

You see, that is precisely what salvation looks like and feels like. He calls and we follow. It’s not that Jesus takes away their power to choose, or puts them under some kind of spiritual mind-control. And, it’s not simply that Jesus was so captivating and compelling that they just had to follow out of curiosity and wonder. It’s grace, plain and simple. We don’t choose Jesus. Jesus chooses us.

One day one, He speaks a command: “Let there be light,” and there is light. The light doesn’t say, “But I’m not ready to shine.” One day in Capernaum, He issues a summons to four brothers: “Follow Me,” and disciples are drawn to follow.

Now, there is a term for this in Reformed Theology known as the “Effectual Calling.” Reformed theology understands the Biblical truth that salvation is God’s own initiative, God’s own doing, and God’s own gift to give to whomever He pleases. The Bible clearly teaches that the Father chooses us before the foundation of the earth, and in His timing, He comes to us and calls us, very much like He did in the lives of the four brothers. It comes as a command, a summons; “Follow thou Me,” and when God issues the summons, His chosen ones rise up and follow.

This is how one Reformed theologian puts it: John Frame writes “You might be able to refuse an invitation, but you can’t refuse a summons....So, in effectual calling, God acts on us first, before we offer Him any response. He acts sovereignly, calling us into fellowship with His Son.” (Salvation Belongs to the Lord, p. 184-185)

After heeding the summons, no one can understand it as anything other than God’s “amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind by now I see.” I was saved not by my doing, not by my choice, but the Lord’s amazing grace alone.

Thomas a' Kempis, in his famous book, The Imitation of Christ, said, “Follow thou Me. I am the way and the truth and the life. Without the way there is no going; without the truth there is no knowing; without the life there is no living. I am the way which thou must follow; the truth which thou must believe, the life for which thou must hope. I am the absolute way, the infallible truth, the never-ending life. I am the straightest way; the sovereign truth; true life, blessed life...”

Jesus has called out to you, “Follow Me.” Have you responded? The Bible teaches us that if in fact God has chosen you before the foundation of the earth, one day, you will get the point, you will claim the gift of your salvation, and you will want to walk through life as a disciple. You will one day say, “Here I am Lord, I will follow You…Like Simon and Andrew, James and John, I will put down my nets and follow You…I see now that there is nothing more important in all of life than my life with You…Yes, Lord, I will follow.”

But through many stories in the Bible, it is equally clear that some who receive the summons, delay following. Unfortunately, many will put off following Jesus while they weigh the cost of discipleship on one hand and the cost of non-discipleship on the other. “But Lord, I need some time to figure things out…I’m not ready yet.”

Is that describing you? Are you the person who came here today knowing that Jesus died for you, knowing that there is much more to the Christian life than you’ve been willing to live thus far, not sure if you are ready to really follow Him?

Friend, if that’s you, please use the good sense God gave you to at least weigh what it is going to cost you to put off truly following Jesus. Dallas Willard says “the cost of non-discipleship is far greater... than the price paid to walk with Jesus. Non-discipleship costs abiding peace, a life penetrated throughout by love, faith that sees everything in the light of God’s overriding governance for good, hopefulness that stands firm in the most discouraging of circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil...The correct perspective is to see following Christ not only as the necessity it is, but as the fulfillment of the highest human possibilities, and as life on the highest plane.” (The Spirit of Discipleship, p. 26)

What’s the cost of putting off following Jesus? Real peace (you won’t know it). The joy of a life head over heels in love with Jesus (you won’t experience the fullness of it). Confident hope and the kind of faith that withstands life’s toughest circumstances (you won’t have it). A clear sense of purpose and meaning in life that transcends earthly concerns (you won’t know it).

But all of these benefits, and more, can be yours, if like Simon and Andrew, James and John, you delay no longer, and say, “Yes, Lord, I will follow You.”

Let me tell you about a very famous painting. It’s a painting inspired by the words of Jesus, “I stand at the door and knock.” Jesus stands outside a door, which is all overgrown with ivy, and there is no knocker on the door; no handle, no door knob on the outside. It’s clear from the painting that Jesus has knocked, and now He’s waiting for the door to open.

The picture hangs in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, and if you’ve ever been to St. Paul’s, you know that it is located at the corner of two very busy streets. All the cars and trucks passing by outside, and all the candles burning inside keep the air dirty and this beautiful painting began to suffer from years of a grimy film building up over the surface of the painting. Like the painting in the Sistine Chapel, the colors were hidden. So the cathedral authorities decided to have it cleaned. The painting was taken down and sent to an art specialist for cleaning. When the man took the picture out of its frame, he saw for the very first time, words that were intended only for God to see. They were written by the artist and this is what he wrote: “Forgive me, Lord Jesus, that I kept you waiting so long.”

Jesus died upon that Cross for you. He knows you and He has called out to you by name. He wants to make you one of His disciples. He wants to fill your life with joys that only faithful followers of Jesus can know. Have you kept Him waiting?

Jesus calls us o'er the tumult
of our life's wild, restless sea;
day by day His sweet voice soundeth,
saying, "Christian, follow Me!"

As of old the apostles heard it
by the Galilean lake,
turned from home and toil and kindred,
leaving all for Jesus' sake.

Jesus calls us from the worship
of the vain world's golden store,
from each idol that would keep us,
saying, "Christian, love Me more!"

In our joys and in our sorrows,
days of toil and hours of ease,
still He calls, in cares and pleasures,
"Christian, love Me more than these!"

Jesus calls us! By Thy mercies,
Savior, may we hear Thy call,
give our hearts to Thine obedience,
serve and love Thee best of all.

Mark 1:4-13

2011-05-08T08:45:00.000-05:00

I love it when people ask questions about Jesus. I love to point people to the answers found in God’s Word. What a joy it is to be with people as they “get it,” as the Word of God shines and as they begin to see their Savior Jesus more clearly. This morning, I want to address several simple but important questions:

Last Sunday, we began a study through the Gospel of Mark, and so with Mark, I’m asking again, “Who is Jesus, and what did Jesus do?” These are the questions that Mark structures his gospel record around. Who is Jesus? What did Jesus do?

Mark wants you to know that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah), the Son of God. We are all sinners. Sin separates us from God. But to know and love Jesus, is to know and love the One whom God sent to provide sinners like you and me with the wonderful gift of forgiveness.

Who is Jesus and what did Jesus come to do? This is the central question we have in mind as we approach the passage today.
But also keep these questions in mind:
• Who can forgive sins?
• How did people who lived before Jesus find forgiveness of sins?
• If Jesus was sinless, why would He submit to baptism?

(Read Mark 1:4-14).

I am a sinner who needs forgiveness. I can’t produce my own forgiveness. I need to receive forgiveness from One who is capable of giving it. So, I need to understand very clearly Who is qualified to offer me forgiveness. Who can forgive?

I want you to notice something about John’s baptism. In verses four and five, Mark says, “John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.” Was John’s baptism actually producing forgiveness of sins? No. John was calling people to seek forgiveness. Through his preaching, John was doing two things:
• John was convicting people of their need for forgiveness
• And, John was continually pointing people toward the Messiah who forgives.
“After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. I baptize you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:7-8) And then, immediately on the heels of that statement, Mark takes us to the Baptism of Jesus. Here’s the important question to ask: If John’s baptism was an act of repentance, pointing people to the forgiveness of the Messiah, why did Jesus seek baptism?

The Old Testament declares that the Messiah will be “numbered with transgressors.” In submitting to the ritual of baptism, Jesus, although perfectly sinless, was identifying with poor sinners like us. He would commit no sin, but at the proper time, three years later, Jesus would take our sin. Paul puts it this way: “He (the Father) made Him who knew no sin (Jesus) to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (II Corinthians 5:21)
Jesus submitted to a baptism that marked His identification with us, and His mission to save us. His baptism points to your forgiveness.

Here’s another important question to ask: In Old Testament times (before the Cross), how did people find forgiveness? The answer is clear. God provided a means through ritual sacrifice. The blood of the lamb was shed and offered up to God, as a substitute for the blood of the guilty sinner. Now, great believers in the Old Testament (like Abraham) didn’t personally know Jesus, but they had a faith that God “reckoned as righteousness,” a faith that knew “my redeemer liveth.” Abraham didn’t know about the Cross, but he knew that for a season, God had provided a way to find forgiveness. And the whole point of forgiveness for believers who lived before Cross as well as all of us who come after…the point about forgiveness is not about what we do to receive it, but what God has done to provide it. Before the time of Jesus, God graciously allowed the Cross of Jesus to cast a shadow of forgiveness in the past to cover men of faith like Abraham.

One of the most wonderful and gut wrenching stories in all the Old Testament makes this point. In Genesis 22, God tests Abraham’s faith and obedience by telling him to take his only son Isaac, the son miraculously given by God to Abraham and Sarah when they were well beyond fertility.

(Read Genesis 22:1-13)

As John the Gospel writer tells the story, on two occasions very close to the baptism, John the Baptist would see Jesus walking by and say to those who were with him, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29,36) It is so clear, isn’t it? Who is Jesus? Jesus is God’s only begotten Son, the Messiah, who came to offer up His perfect sinless life as a sacrifice. Who can forgive? Jesus.

But why was Jesus baptized? In the day of Jesus, the sacrificial lambs were offered up at the Temple in Jerusalem. In fact, the Temple mound was the only place sacrifices could be offered. Jerusalem was a fortress city with gates. One of the gates was called “The Sheep Gate.” The sacrificial lambs were brought into the city through the Sheep Gate, and immediately herded through a water bath, to cleanse them and make them ready to fulfill their purpose as sacrificial animals. Do you see the connection? Jesus is the Lamb. Baptism is the ritual bath. It’s so clear; Jesus’ baptism is pointing us toward the sacrificial work He came to do.

Coming up out of the water, the Spirit descends upon Jesus like a dove, and the Father looks down from His throne on heaven and says, “Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well pleased.” Why? Because Jesus was willingly beginning His journey to the Cross, as the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” Who can forgive? Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

And, look at what happens next. Mark says, “And immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.” (Mark 1:12-13) You should read Matthew 4:1-11 or Luke 4:1-13 for a fuller account of the Temptation of Jesus. As you read Matthew and Luke’s account of the Temptation, know that you are reading about combat! Satan will try very hard to render the Cross just another tragic death. Satan would try to take the forgiveness out of the sacrifice. Notice what Satan is trying to get Jesus to do. Each temptation is designed to short circuit our Redemption, by tempting Jesus to do something other than what the Father had sent Him here to do.

Notice too, the way Jesus resists Satan’s attack. (Here’s a great lesson for you and me) How does Jesus fight back? By standing on the power of the Word of God. Three times Jesus is tempted, and three times He resists the temptation by the power of the Word of God.

Mark doesn’t go into detail. He simply wants you to know that your Savior, Jesus actually has the power and the authority to forgive. Jesus proves His power over Satan. Jesus wins the battle and Satan slithers away “until an opportune time.” (Luke 4:13) This is great news for you and me! It means that if you know and love Jesus, you can draw from the power of Jesus when you are tempted. Lean upon the power of Jesus and the power of the Word and Jesus will prove Himself victorious through you once again.

And, Jesus proves His power over sin. He remained steadfast in the attack. He didn’t give in. He didn’t compromise or cut corners. He remained faithful and obedient to God, and proved Himself powerful enough to provide you with forgiveness. He is in fact the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

Let me close with two more simple but critical questions:

• First, if Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,
and if there is no way that you or I could purchase our own forgiveness,
or do enough good work to satisfy our debt of sin…then why are so many Christians plagued by a feeling of unforgiveness? Why would so many of you think, ‘God would never forgive someone like me, not with all that I have done? Could it be that the reason you don’t feel forgiven is because you are looking to do something to earn what can only come through Jesus? Who can forgive? Only Jesus can offer His life as a substitute for sinners like you and me.
• Second, if Jesus is in fact the only One who can forgive, have you bowed before Him to receive it? Have you been washed by the blood of the Lamb? Will you receive that blessed gift today? “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”…and who takes away your sin.

Who can forgive? Only Jesus.

Mark 1:1-3;14-15

2011-05-01T08:43:00.002-05:00

Imagine it is still quite early on Sunday morning. You take a few sips of coffee and walk outside to find your Sunday edition of the Clarion Ledger. You pick it up at the end of the drive way and as you make your way back into the house, looking forward to enjoying that “easy like Sunday morning routine of coffee and news, you wonder if the headline will bear more bad news, or if finally, you will open up the newspaper to discover, lo and behold, the greatest news you’ve ever read. What would that “greatest news” be for you?

Maybe for you it would be the victory of your favorite political candidate. Maybe it would be the announcement of gas prices plummeting and the stock market skyrocketing. Maybe it would be peace in the Middle East, the successful completion of our mission in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the long awaited homecoming of our troops. Maybe it would be your name as the winner of a multimillion dollar lottery. Or, maybe it would be the news that your friend was healed of a disease…a marriage was brought back from the brink of destruction…or a special kid in your life got off drugs. I hope and pray that this wishful thinking will become reality in your life. But, I want to tell you something this morning: Nothing against the Clarion Ledger, but your “greatest news” will not be found on the front page of the paper. Rather, it is found on the first page of a little book known as Mark.

We call it Good News, and it is. But the word “good” in the English language really doesn’t do it justice. The news that Mark announces isn’t merely good. It’s far better than that. It’s the greatest, the infinitely best, gloriously stunning, jaw dropping, heart skip a beat, back flip, cartwheel, throw a blow out party, life will never be the same, nothing else matters more than this news.

What is it? Look at how our passage begins and look at how it ends. It begins with Mark’s announcement: “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Mark is not just introducing Jesus to us. He is saying that Jesus is the Gospel.
And who is Jesus? Mark says that Jesus is the Christ. In very simple terms, this means that Jesus is the one everyone had been waiting for. “Christ” is the equivalent of the term “Messiah.” So, to say “Jesus is the Christ, Jesus is the Messiah,” is to say that this historical man is the fulfillment of prophecies delivered by Almighty God through His holy Word, literally thousands of year before Jesus took the spotlight of human history, in fact all the way back to God’s own prophecy in Genesis 3:15. God curses the serpent after the Fall, saying, “You will bruise His heel, but He will crush your head.” He is none other than Jesus. To say that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, is to say that He is the subject of a great plan of redemption that God had begun to orchestrate before the foundation of the earth. “The beginning of the Gospel” is not the moment Jesus begins His ministry, it’s not even them moment He climbs upon the Cross. “The beginning of the Gospel” is something God had been working on for you, long before you first met Jesus.

“The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” And to prove that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah, Mark points us to an early and a late prophet (Isaiah and Malachi – He mentions Isaiah but also includes a reference to Malachi): “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face; who will prepare Your way; The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.” Mark isn’t just gratuitously quoting Scripture to make it sound religious. He’s saying, “Listen, let me tell you who the Messiah really is. He is Jesus. Jesus is the Christ we’ve all been waiting for…the One we desperately need…and the One that all the Old Testament from Genesis through Malachi has clearly pointed to.

“The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Mark doesn’t waste any words. That’s the personality of this particular Gospel record and we will talk more about the personality behind the writing of it. But I want you to understand at the outset, that Mark wastes no words, wastes no time in declaring to the world, as he was inspired by the Holy Spirit – “Listen folks, Jesus is God.” That’s what it means to call Jesus the “Son of God.” It means that Jesus is God and therefore, He has all the divine power, all the divine wisdom, all the divine authority, all the divine love, and it is all His to apply to your heart and your need. Mark says, Jesus is God!

‘Well, Preacher, that’s just Mark saying that, the wild speculation of a religious fanatic.’ No, Sir! It is an eye witness account. Mark is simply recording what was confirmed by both the Holy Spirit and the Heavenly Father. Skeptics say the concept of the Trinity is an extra-biblical fabrication. Well, look at the record: There’s the man, Jesus of Nazareth in the Jordan River being baptized by John. And the eyewitness account says, “And immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens; “THOU ART MY BELOVED SON; IN THEE I AM WELL PLEASED.” There’s Jesus standing in the river in verse 9. There’s the Holy Spirit in verse 10, descending upon Jesus in a form like dove. And there’s the Father in verse 11, looking down from Heaven, praising His only begotten Son. According the First Person of the Trinity (the Father) and the Third Person of the Trinity (the Holy Spirit), this man from Nazareth named Jesus is in fact the Second Person of the Trinity, the very Son of God.

Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. Jesus is God. And what God is going to do for you in and through Jesus, is the greatest news that you will ever hear.

Now let’s look at how our passage for the day ends. (I know I’m skipping over a lot, but stick with me. There is a method to my madness and I’m coming back to it next week.) Mark ends this passage with verse 15. And here, we get to listen to the very word of Jesus. And I also need to point out to you that Mark is clearly the first written record of the life of Jesus. So, these words in Mark 1:15, are most likely the first recorded words of our Savior. What did He say? “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.”

In no uncertain terms, Jesus claims His kingship and His reign. He is the King of kings, and the Lord of lords. His Kingdom is more vast than the universe. He reigns over every place, every event, every nation, every government, every army, every power, and every person. His kingdom is bigger than a galaxy full of stars and planets, as small as an atomic particle, and as near to you as the heart beating within your chest. And from the record of the New Testament, I have concluded that Jesus is more concerned with the space in your heart and mind, than He is over all the planets and stars in the sky. In fact, quite often He spoke of the Kingdom this way: “The Kingdom is near…the Kingdom is at hand…the Kingdom is within.” Jesus most wants to reign over the space within your heart. And, He connects the part of His infinite Kingdom of greatest concern to Him (your heart) with the blessed grace of repentance. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.”

The plan that God orchestrated before the foundation of the earth…
The work that God began after the Fall, after the terrible entry of sin into Adam’s life and ours…
All the prophecy of the Scripture, pointing toward Jesus...
The coming of the long awaited Messiah, and the saving work of the Crucified Risen Lord Jesus, and everything that His great Kingdom is about…
You see, it is all focused right now in this moment of time upon that portion of His Kingdom that exists in your heart. The plan of redemption, the work of Christ, the Cross and the Empty Tomb: all of it has to do with your heart right now.

He says to you: “The time is now…I am King of kings and Lord of lords…and to all who call upon My name, I will give you the grace of repentance.” Do you understand what that means? It means that He knows your heart better than you do, and in spite of all that He knows about you and all that He sees within your heart, He is saying to you right now: “You can change. You don’t have to keep living in the same misery. I’ve paid the price for you on the Cross and I want to apply that saving work to you, right now. You can turn from your sin, and turn to Me. And I will begin to work within your heart and life and allow you to experience the kind of transformation that can only be described as a “rebirth.” From death to life! That’s how amazing the transformation will be in your life. The change will be so wonderful, that the words of the great hymn will become your autobiography: “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I’m found was blind but now I see.”

Jesus says, “The time is now. The Kingdom is here. This is your time. You don’t have to be shackled to the power of sin any longer. There is no sin in your life of greater power than the power of My love. There is no regret in your life more permanent than the eternal salvation I want to give you. I can set you free, and give you forgiveness, new life, and life that never ends…Repent and believe the Gospel!” That’s the best news, the greatest news, the news that ought to make your jaw drop, your heart skip a beat, and your soul do back-flips if your body can’t. You can be saved! And nothing matters more than that.

And some of you say, “Well, I’ve already done that. I know Jesus. I’m a Christian, and I know when I became a Christian.” Did Jesus save you long ago? You are very blessed! And, I have a sneaking suspicion that like me, you still need Him more than you know. And to you, the believer, Jesus says, “But I want all of you. There are still parts of your life that are hiding in the darkness. There are still areas of your thinking and behaving dominated by sin. You have allowed it to be so, and that’s why you still haven’t tasted the full sweetness of My joy….This is your time too! The Kingdom is near and can get even nearer… Repent and believe the Gospel.”

Matthew 7:28-29; 8:1-13

2011-04-10T07:15:00.001-05:00

Last Sunday, we were with the Lord, listening to the conclusion of the greatest sermon ever preached. We heard Jesus say at the end of the Sermon of the Mount, that we must build our lives on a solid foundation, and He said that the firm foundation is the hearing and the obeying of the Word of God.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. And the rains descended and floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.”

The rock upon which we must build our individual lives, our family life, and the life of our church, is obedience to the Word of God. The power is in the Word. Build your life upon not only hearing but doing the Word, and Jesus says you house will stand when others fall.

The Sermon reached its powerful conclusion. And the question is, “How did the people respond?” Everyone who hears will respond. Some will receive the Word with a receptive spirit. The Word will take root in their lives and they will bear fruit for the Lord. Others will hear, but never give the Word a chance to take root in their hearts. The birds will come down and devour the seed, or the thorns and weeds will choke it out before it can take root and mature. Everyone responds, but there is only one response that produces fruit – to hear and obey.

How did the original congregation respond? Matthew tells us that they responded with amazement. Matthew says, “The result was that when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were amazed at His teaching;” (Matthew 7:28) No one in history had ever heard anything like that before.
Amazed at the beauty of His words.
Amazed at the economy of wisdom – He said so much in so few words.
Amazed by how deeply these words touched their hearts.
Amazed by the power of His teaching.

And on that note, Matthew expands: “For He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.” (Matthew 7:29)

What is the difference between the authority of Jesus and the authority of the scribes? Let me explain it this way: When I was ordained, 21 years ago, the church vested me with a responsibility and a certain authority, but the authority is not me. A power has been vested in me, but it is not my power, it is not my wisdom, it is not my Word. It’s a borrowed authority. It was much the same for the scribes. They had the authority to speak, but it was a borrowed authority. Even when they were at their best, they were simply passing along information. They taught what someone else had taught them.

But imagine that suddenly I disappeared from this pulpit, and the one before you speaking was not a man with a borrowed authority, but the source of that authority. Imagine how you would feel if Jesus stood before you to preach the Word. Imagine that the one standing in the pulpit was not a sinful man like me, but Almighty God in human flesh. Imagine how you would sit on the edge of your seats, if not down on your knees with your face to the floor in utter humility. Imagine how would feel when you recognized that the One speaking, explaining, teaching, commanding, was the One who created the heavens and the earth, your creator. Do you see the difference? Jesus didn’t speak with a borrowed authority. He is the authority. And, no one had ever heard anyone speak so powerfully. Rightly, they were astonished.

But in order to see the full response of the people, we have to keep reading. Here’s an important side note: We believe the that the Bible is the infallible Word of God, true in all its parts, and that the Holy Spirit inspired great men like Matthew to precisely record the words you have before you. And, you need to know that the division of the text into chapter and verse, (although very helpful in terms of find our way around the Bible and helpful in terms of memorization) were added later by man – in the year 1228 by Stephen Langton. Chapter and verse designations are not inspired of God in the same way that the words are inspired, and there are occasions wherein the division seems to break up a continual thought or narrative unnecessarily. I say this to point out to you that in Matthew’s mind, the end of Chapter 7 flows right into Chapter 8. The story continues with the people’s response to the Word of God.

With that in mind, let’s read Chapter 8, verse 1-13.

Now, I’m not going to touch on everything in Matthew 8:1-13, but I do think it is important to see how people respond to Jesus:

First, in verse 1, Matthew says, “the great multitudes followed Him.” And, that’s the point! That’s why Jesus came to them. That’s why He preached the Sermon. That’s why He put it to them so clearly, so directly, forcing them to a moment of decision. ‘Okay, I have just heard words that cut to the quick…what am I going to do now? I can turn away and pretend like I never heard these words and never met this Man, or I can follow Him…I can seek to live by the words of Jesus.’ Matthew says, “great multitudes followed Him.” How about you? Do you want to be in that number?

Second, people were not only amazed at His teaching, not only compelled to follow, but people came with the hope that the One speaking with power would also act with power.

Look at the leper! He comes to Jesus. He bows down in a posture of worship. And he makes his request out of humility and deep faith. “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” (Matthew 8:2) The disease had reduced this man to a horrifying appearance, and an unspeakable existence. Here was an outcast, an untouchable. And yet, Jesus loved this man. “And He stretched out His hand and touched Him, saying “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:3)

You see, not only does Jesus preach with power and authority, He touches with power and authority…He loves with power and authority. None of us know leprosy, but some of us know what it is like to be the outcast…some of us know what it is like to feel the power of life wasting away, falling apart…some of us know what it is like to be devastated. But the One who speaks with power also has the power to radically transform your life, like a leper suddenly healed of his disease.

Do you need that touch of power this morning? Come and bow in humility and faith before Jesus.

Or maybe, your prayer this morning is not for you own healing, but for the Lord to work mightily in the life of a friend or a loved one. You know there is nothing you can do to change the situation in your friend’s life, and so you hope upon hope that somehow God will work mightily in their life. Look at the Centurion! As a Roman Captain in charge of 100 men, he knew a great deal about power, but all of his military power, the combined power of the battle hardened strength of all the men under his charge, the full power of the Roman Empire he represented, was powerless to do anything at all about his problem. The servant, for whom he cared deeply, was deathly ill. The Centurion knew he needed to tap into a greater source of power. And so, in faith, he comes to Jesus. Listen to what he says to Jesus:

“Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering great pain.” And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the Centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I, too, am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” (Matthew 8:6-9)

Here is a man who clearly understands the power available in Jesus. By faith, he knows that Jesus has the power to speak a word, and the Word will accomplish its purpose. “Just say the Word, and my servant will be healed.” The Centurion knew that the power of Jesus was so great that He didn’t even have to be physically present. He could just “say the word” and the word would accomplish its purpose. There was no distance too great, no barrier too high, no wall too thick. Nothing could stop the power of the Word to heal the servant, if the Lord willed it. “Just say the word...” and the Word will accomplish its purpose with power. What great faith! Claim that power for your loved one today. Nothing is impossible with Him. Not even the distance between heaven and earth can prevent His Word from accomplishing its purpose:
Through Isaiah, God declares:
“Thus saith the Lord: As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My Word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11)

Do you understand that you can tap into the proven power of the Word? Today,
when you crack open the spine of your Bible, you are not merely reading about God and His mighty power, but you are encountering the Living Lord Jesus through the written Word. This Word has power! God has insured that His Word (inspired, infallible, and without error), would be precisely recorded, carefully and deliberately transmitted and preserved from one generation to the next, so that you might trust Him, obey Him, bow down in faith to Him, follow Him, and experience the total transformation of your life, and the lives of those you love.

An unknown writer said, "This Book is the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding; its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's character. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. Follow its precepts and it will lead you to Calvary, to the empty tomb, to a resurrected life in Christ; yes, to glory itself, for eternity.

How did people respond to the Word?
With amazement.
Astonished by His authority.
But they also responded with an active faith.
They followed Him.
They came to Jesus for the power to transform their lives, and the lives of loved ones who needed the powerful touch and the powerful word spoken in their lives.

You have heard the Word. How will you respond?

Matthew 7:24-27

2011-04-03T10:19:00.001-05:00

This morning, we come to the end of an eleven month journey through the great Sermon on the Mount. We’re examining the last verses in the Sermon on the Mount, the Parable of the Builders. And of course, the end of the sermon is really the beginning of the real journey – the journey of the Christian life.

(Read Matthew 7:24-27)

The last section in the Sermon on the Mount begins with a very important word – “Therefore.” The word points us back to everything Jesus has said in the Sermon on the Mount, much of it clearly dictating the way He expects us to live. And, of course, if you have listened to the Sermon on the Mount, then you have arrived at a decision making moment. ‘Either I will take Jesus seriously and begin to follow Him, or I will reject what He says and live by my own code of ethics.’ If you have heard the words of Jesus, then you are accountable to Him. “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them…” You have heard His word. The question is: will you act upon them? Will you obey?

Jesus is serious about our obedience. I can’t emphasize this enough. We need to be the kind of Christians who flatly reject complacency. If the cross means anything to us, then we cannot be content with lukewarm faith. We need to wholeheartedly accept the fact that “faith without works is dead.” We need to be “doers of the Word, not hearers only.” We need to trust and obey. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and obey it.”(Luke 11:28) “If you love Me, Keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) “He who does not love Me, does not keep My commandments.” (John 14:24) “You are My friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:14) “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46) Jesus is serious about our obedience. We cannot call ourselves followers of Jesus and ignore His demands.

What exactly are those demands? He commands us to “repent,” “come to Me,” “believe in Me,”
“love Me,” “listen to Me,” “abide in Me,” “take up your cross and follow Me,” “worship God in Spirit and truth,” “always pray and do not lose heart,” “love your enemies,” “strive to enter the narrow way.”

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them, may be compared to the man who built his upon the rock.” Obedience to Jesus Christ is the way you build a life, a family, a church. If you want to be blessed, then you need to build your life the way your Elders have built the new Education Building behind us. The project is the product of many years of praying, planning, and giving. About a year ago, when it was clear that the dream was going to become a reality, your Elders worked hard to determine exactly what we needed in our new building. Lots of time was spent on the layout, the design, and the finances. But more time was spent talking about the foundation than anything else. Your Elders wanted to plan this new building Biblically, and so they opted to invest in a foundation of steel and concrete that went far above the current standards in construction. I would bet there is more steel per square foot in our foundation, than any building in the community. According to Jesus, this is not only wise construction of an Education Building, but wise construction of a life.

Jesus says, “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.” He goes on to explain that the foundation you rest upon will one day be tested. “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.”

You are building a life one decision at a time, one word at a time, one thought at a time, one prayer at a time, one worship service and one Bible Study at a time, one act of kindness and one generous gift at a time, one act of mercy, one act of compassion, one commitment to honesty, one gift of love at a time. One act of forgiveness, one act of hope, one desire to glorify God at a time. And if you are building your home on this kind of obedience to the Lord, you are wise.
Because, every follower of Jesus will face the storms.

Maybe it is a physical catastrophe. Maybe a loss. A dreaded diagnosis. A failed business. A troubled relationship. A conflict. An addiction. A depression. The storms and floods come in many forms. And your house must be built to stand strong. Because God does not coddle His saints. He never promises us that the Christian life will be insulated from experiencing the difficulties of life. He promises the gift of endurance and the gift of perseverance. He promises His presence to ride out the storms with us; “lo, I will be with you always.” He promises victory and glory on the other side of the storms. “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet, it did not fall…” Why? The house built upon obedience to Jesus Christ and all that He commanded, was built to stand strong.

You are a builder. You are building a life, a family, a marriage, a church family. Build it right. Build it on the sure foundation of Christ and upon obedience to His Word, and you will be called a wise builder. If you’re wise, you don’t build your house for bluebird skies. You build for life’s storms and floods. Every builder will be tested. William Barclay said, “It is Jesus’ claim that obedience to him is the only sure foundation for life; and it is his promise that the life which is founded on obedience to him is safe, no matter what storms may come.” (Daily Study Bible, Matthew, vol.1, p.292)

You are building a life. Are you building upon faithfulness to Jesus Christ?
You are building a family. Are you building wisely?
Together, we are building a church family called Grace Chapel. Are you doing your part, in loving obedience to Jesus, to build a home worthy of His presence?

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ name.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

Everyone is building. Some build upon bedrock of faithfulness to Jesus, and some build upon sinking sand. There is only one foundation that stands up to the storms of life. Listen again to what Jesus says about those who build upon the sinking sand: “Everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall.”

Foolish builders take the easy way out. They practice shoddy workmanship. They cut corners, thinking ‘the foundation is hidden…no one looks at foundations…let’s just throw something together, put up a pretty façade and everyone will admire our beautiful home.’ They don’t think about the threats which will no doubt come. They don’t think about strength and endurance. Jimi Hendrix said, “And castles made of sand, fall in sea, eventually.” Jesus said, “and it fell, and great was it’s fall.”

If you are not building on obedience to Jesus, you are building upon a crumbling foundation.
What kind of poor foundation do you have underneath? That short cut that required an unfaithful compromise of the truth of God’s Word. That treasured anger. That deeply cutting word. That forgiveness withheld. That indifference to need. That selfishness. That expediency. That cold shoulder. That cruel criticism. That abandonment of hope. That ignoring of God’s Word. That trivialization of spiritual matters. That gift withheld. That violation of a sacred relationship. That neglect of a child. That lackadaisical commitment to the church. You’re building your house with shoddy, inferior materials, with a design unable to withstand the crisis.

The storms will come. Some houses stand. Some fall. The key is obedience to Jesus.

John MacArthur says, “Obedience is the only validation of your salvation.” Jesus is showing us a picture of the life which stands up the storms of life. It’s a life of obedience. It’s the kind of life pictured throughout the Sermon on the Mount. It’s a life that closely resembles the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit… those who mourn… the gentle… those who hunger and thirst for righteousness… the merciful… the pure in heart… the peacemakers… those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness…” It’s the kind of life that tries to be salt and light to the world. It’s a life that takes God’s Word seriously; like Jesus, not wanting to dispose of even the smallest letter or stroke of the Word. It’s a life with a Biblical view of morality, and not the kind of life that is always trying to see what it can get away with. It’s a life that gives generously, prays vigorously, and always seeks first His Kingdom and His righteousness. It’s a life of contentment, peace, and trust in God’s providence. It’s a life of humility and non-judgmentalism. It’s a life that walks narrow and difficult way that leads to life; a life that bears good fruit.

Does this describe your life? If not, there is still time build a new life on the one sure and solid foundation; the only foundation that can stand. There are many who hear the Word but few who hear and do. Build your life, your home, your marriage, your family, our church, upon the solid rock of obedience to Jesus.
Let…
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support you in the whelming flood.
When all around your soul gives way,
He then is all your Hope and Stay.
On Christ the solid Rock we stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

Matthew 7:21-23

2011-03-27T10:17:00.000-05:00

In his book, The Glory and the Dream, William Manchester tells of the great hurricane that struck Long Island on September 21, 1938. Manchester says the impact of the first storm wave was so jarring that it registered on a seismograph in Sitka, Alaska. That’s hard to believe. But even in 1938, man had access to enough technology to warn of an imminent storm. They didn’t have the kind of computer technology we have today – pinpoint Doppler that accurately predicts down to the very minute when the storm will impact a certain neighborhood and a certain street. But still, there was enough technology for a reasonable person to be adequately warned. Manchester tells of one poor fellow who purchased a brand new barometer through a mail order catalogue. It arrived in the mail on September 19th. He opened the box, examined the barometer, and was very distressed to see that the needle was stuck on 29. The face of the barometer explained a barometric reading of 29 to be indicative of hurricanes and tornados. He tapped the side of it with his hand hoping to free the stuck needle. He banged it on the counter, and still the barometer was stuck on 29. So, on the morning of September 21st, still fuming mad at the company that would sell him a faulty barometer, this poor fellow drove to into New York to put the barometer in the mail along with a nasty letter demanding his money back. While he was gone, the hurricane made landfall and blew the poor fellow’s house away!

We should consider ourselves warned. The Lord has spoken. We might not like the reading. But He has given warning and given us time to run to Him for safety. That Jesus gives us the warning as well as the grace to repent, shows us that the barometer of His heart reads, “love.”

How has Jesus warned us?

Remember what Jesus has said to us in this last portion of the Sermon on the Mount. He has warned us of choosing the false path. “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.” Out of love He warns us, and out of love He points us toward the way that leads to life. “The gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life and few are those who find it.” Our nature is always to take the broad and easy way, but we have been warned. Jesus is the narrow way; the only way to life and salvation. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one cometh to the Father but through Me.”

Next, Jesus warns us of the false prophets. “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” They may be attractive and winsome. Their message may sound inviting and convincing. But you are sheep who have been warned, and you must constantly listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd. You must be wary and discerning and diligent to measure the message of every preacher and teacher (including yours truly) against the Word of God. And, you must examine the fruits of the messenger. “Every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit…So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

We’ve been warned of the false paths, and been given the grace of seeing the one true path, the way of Jesus, that leads to life.

We’ve been warned of the false prophets (the wolves in sheep’s clothing), and been turned once again toward the Good Shepherd’s voice.

And now, Jesus warns us of the false profession.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”

What is Jesus warning us of? Look at the first phrase: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord…” No doubt, everyone here calls Jesus “Lord.” What does it mean to call Jesus “Lord?” To recognize Jesus as “Lord” is to signify something very special about Him. It means that you acknowledge Him as the Son of God. To call Jesus “Lord” signifies that you accept His nature as fully human and fully divine. To call Him “Lord” is to accept the facts that the Bible reveals about Jesus to be true. You understand that Jesus was an historical figure who truly lived. He died upon a cross, and He rose again and ascended into heaven.

And this is the fact Jesus wants you and me to come to terms with today: You may call Jesus “Lord,” you may give mental assent to the facts about His life, you may not have any intellectual problems with anything the Bible reveals about Jesus, but your calling Him “Lord” and your believing all the right things about Him is no guarantee of an automatic salvation. “Not everyone who says to Me ‘Lord’…will enter the Kingdom of heaven.” Be fair warned: Those who only know the fact of Jesus will hear Him say “I never knew you; Depart from Me.”

Knowledge is critical. The life of the Christian Mind is essential. But Jesus doesn’t want any of you to be deceived any longer. Knowing facts about Jesus is not the same as knowing Jesus personally. Knowing the facts about Him has never saved a single soul. “So, preacher, are you saying that it doesn’t really matter what you believe?” Absolutely not. Jesus wants you to know the truth. He is the way and the TRUTH, and the life. He said, “The truth shall set you free.” So, what you believe is vitally important. Just don’t be self-deceived. Knowing facts about Him doesn’t equate to knowing Him personally.

And here’s another way that Jesus warns us against self-deception. Knowing Jesus personally is not merely something that we claim. You are not a true follower of Jesus simply because you claim to be one. He makes that clear in an interesting ancient Middle Eastern sort of way. Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’…” In the Bible, every time we see a double naming (“Lord, Lord”) it signifies intimacy. It’s akin to saying a loved one’s name with a whisper and a kiss, like when I hug my wife and tell her tenderly that I love her. Saying it is great, but even saying it softly doesn’t constitute love. There must be profession and there must be proof. If I say, “I love you,” but the rest of the time I’m rude and cold and mean, I’ve given no evidence that my profession was true. Judas betrayed Jesus with kiss. Just saying you know Jesus personally…just saying that you are a true believer…just saying that you are a follower and a disciple and lover of Christ, doesn’t make you a Christian. And the hard warning of this passage is that some who claim intimacy with Jesus will one day hear Him say, “I never knew you; Depart from Me.”

Why? Dietrich Bonhoeffer would probably say, because cheap grace doesn’t save. People who claim to know Jesus personally, but whose lives don’t bear the fruit of salvation (profession without proof) are people who are dangerously banking on cheap grace. And cheap graces can’t save. Bonhoeffer writes: “Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” (The Cost of Discipleship, p. 47)

Friends, I know this is a hard word, but we have to come to terms with what Jesus says in this passage. And while we still have breath, we must examine ourselves against the light of this infallible truth. I pray for God’s grace and mercy to fall upon each and every one of us right now. I pray that by God’s mercy, we would no longer linger in self-delusion. I pray for you, and I pray for myself. “Lord thank you for stomping on our toes…thank you for loving us enough to warn us…help us Lord hear what you are saying, to take it to heart, and the be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit sowing this hard word into our hearts…Lord, help us to trust in grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone…and to no longer trust in ourselves for salvation.”

Salvation is not secured by what you know…by thinking all the right things. Salvation is not secured by what you claim…by saying all the right things.
Nor is salvation secured by doing great things.

Someone is probably thinking, ‘I got you now preacher…I was paying attention…I heard what Jesus said, He said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.” So, you’re wrong preacher. Doing good things IS what counts the most.” Am I wrong? Did Jesus ever say that you and I can secure our salvation by doing great things? Did Jesus ever say that you can achieve salvation by doing anything? No. What you do is critical. There must be proof of our profession. We must bear the fruit of our salvation. Obedience is a must. Our behavior must be in accord with the will of God. We must be doers of the Word, not hearers only. We must talk the talk, and walk the walk. In fact, must choose the narrow and hard way that leads to life, and forsake the broad and easy way that leads to destruction. Because, the message of the Bible is clear: faith without works is dead. And equally clear that human works never saved a single soul.

Listen carefully to what Jesus says: “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?’ Jesus never contradicts them. We don’t hear Him say, “Well, you claimed to do those good deeds, but you’re just fibbing.” No. He never contradicts the fact that they did good deeds. And still, Jesus says to the “do-gooders” “Depart from Me.” Their good deeds didn’t save them.

Does this verse shock you like it shocks me? Jesus is describing a scene of judgment. Everyone will come before Jesus who will judge us all. There will be “many” Jesus says… “MANY” who will claim intimacy with Jesus. They will call Him ‘Lord, Lord.’ And, they will present Him with a list of all their great deeds…they preached and taught and prophesied…they even cast out demons and performed miracles, and yet Jesus will say “Depart from Me.”

Why? How could it be?
False profession, and self-deception.
*Trusting in our ability to think all the right things, and believe all the right things as though knowing all the facts leads to salvation.

*Trusting in our capacity to say all the right things, as though salvation was merely a matter of knowing the password or learning the lingo.

*Trusting in our own sense of goodness to do all the right things, as though salvation could somehow be earned by the tainted good works of sinful man.

And all the while, never truly trusting Jesus for gift of salvation.

Jesus has given us warning, but He has also given us Himself, and reminded us today of the very heart of the Gospel: Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Will you trust Him today? His grace is sufficient for you. Be the person who can say with all your heart:
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, why do we call you “Lord, Lord” and do not do the things you say? Why do we call you the way and travel the prodigal’s path? Why do we call you the truth but stake our lives in lies? Why do we call you the life but do not live in you, through you, or for you? Why do we call you Master, and do not obey? Why do we call you King of Kings and Lord of Lords but do not submit ourselves to your rule? Help us, Lord, to continue this day, examining our hearts. Remove the self-deception. Remove the self-righteousness. Remove any and all foolish trust in ourselves, and bring as again to the foot of the cross. Let us kneel there until we understand the Gospel, and then, let us stand and joyfully live it.

Matthew 7:15-20

2011-03-20T10:16:00.000-05:00

Two Sunday’s ago, we listened to the voice of Jesus and were immediately confronted with a moment of decision:

“Go in through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the road which leads to ruin, and there are many who go in through it. Narrow is the gate and hard is the way that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

Jesus is driving home the point that there comes a time in the life of every man, woman and child when we must choose. We have to choose between Jesus, who is the narrow way that leads to life, or choose to go some other way. If Jesus truly is the Son of God and the Savior of sinners (He is), and if the Bible truly is the Word of God, infallible and without error (It is), then what Jesus said is absolutely true; “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one cometh to the Father but through Me.” Jesus is the narrow way that leads to life. All other ways lead only to destruction. You have to choose.

Next, Jesus shows us the care with which we must approach that decision. Even when you earnestly desire to follow Jesus, you still must take care. He warns us, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

Who are the false prophets, the wolves in sheep’s clothing?

Well, to understand what Jesus is saying here, we need to see this text as a part of a larger warning that reverberates through Scripture. Examine what Jesus says here in Matthew 7 alongside the many passages of the Bible that echo it. Jesus warns Christians in the end times to be particularly careful and discriminating: “At that time, if anyone says to you, “Look, here is the Christ!” or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect - if that were possible. So be on your guard...” (Mark 13:22-23)

Paul warns the Elders in Ephesus, “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard!” (Acts 20:29-31)

Peter warns Christians that the false teachers “will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Sovereign Lord...” (2 Peter 2:1)

John instructs true Christians to test the spirits: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (I John 4:1)

Jude, as if describing liberal Christianity in 2011, says: “I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (Jude)

So, please understand that when Jesus says, “Beware of the false prophets,” it is no empty warning. Jesus is not at all like the man who posts a “Beware of the Dog” sign on his fence, when his only pet is a fluffy little cat. Jesus sounds the alarm “Beware of the false prophets” because there is a real and present danger, not only in the day these words were first spoken, but down to this very day…especially in the world in which we live. And especially in the lives of our children.

When the wolves attack the flock, the never go after the big ram, or the boss ewe, or the mature and the strong. They always go after and much prefer to devour the young. Several years ago, while hunting in Colorado, late one evening I witness a group of about 30 Coyotes gather one a hillside, yipping and howling. It was an amazing sight. The next year, I was hunting in the same area and I watched a herd of elk move up a draw in disappear in the black timber one by one. Last in line, straggling behind the herd was a little elk calve, obviously slower and weaker than the rest. Just as that little calf disappeared into the black timber, a group of Coyotes converged on her trail and disappeared into the timber after her. I don’t have to wonder what happened to the calf. They got her. They didn’t go after the big bull elk. They didn’t go after a fat cow. They went after the weak and the vulnerable. And so, the false prophets are coming after our children.

They have been on the trail of our children for a long time, working to inject their poisonous agenda in our schools, in the music our kids listen to, in the television programs and movies they watch, in the internet sites they visit. They prey on the vulnerable, the weak, the naïve. And that is precisely why we must not only finish this Educational building, but why we must make sure that everything we do in this new space around us is geared toward strengthening the faith of our children, not only to live joyful and abundant lives, but to be able to withstand the act of those who are actively pursuing their minds and their hearts. We must protect the flock.

Beware of the false prophets!

Quite often, the false prophet appears harmless. So harmless, that they actually appear as “one of us.” They appear as one of the flock. But Jesus says, be wary of them because they are wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Today, the false prophets are those who tell you that it really doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you are sincere in your belief, and as long as you are trying to be a good person. Friend, let me warn you: If that describes your thinking, you are not a Christian. You don’t know the Gospel. You aren’t following Jesus. You are following after wolves that will devour you.

Today, the false prophets have taken up positions of leadership, in pulpits and in denominational bureaucracies, using their influence to try to convince people that although the Bible is a very important and inspiring book, it bears limited authority over the way we live and the way we make decisions in life. Friend, if you believe that, you are being led to slaughter.

Today, the false prophets are those who want to cast a new definition of truth. “Truth,” they say, “is a matter of opinion. You can have your truth, and I can have my truth…there is no absolute truth…truth is relative….ultimately, it’s just a matter of personal opinion.” Friend, wolves teach this, not Jesus.

Today, the false prophets are those who want to redefine sexuality. Despite what the Bible reveals to us about the nature of human sexuality (that sex is a gift of God reserved for marriage) they want you to believe that all that is necessary in order to make sex acceptable and good is consent and pleasure. If it feels good, do it. Friend, this is a trap set by wolves.

Today, the false prophets are working hard to redefine the nature of marriage. They want both the Church and the State to bless “monogamous” relationships between two men, or two women. Once they have achieved cultural toleration of same sex marriage, the next poison forced down society’s throat will be the blessing of polygamous relationships. Are you aware that one of the hottest television shows today is called “Sister Wives,” a show about a man and his four wives, casting polygamy as a wholesome alternative to traditional marriage.

Today, the false prophets want you to believe that it is okay to take the life of the unborn. They teach that abortion is a sacred right and a morally neutral act. And friend, the kind of false prophets we face today may advocate for different things, but they’re all the same. They stand at the head of the broad and easy way, luring ignorant and naïve sheep to slaughter - literally.
John MacArthur explains, “False prophets talk much about the love of God but nothing of His holiness, much about people who are deprived but nothing about those who are depraved, much about God’s universal fatherhood of every human being but nothing about His unique fatherhood only of those who are His children through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, much about what God will give to us but nothing about obedience to Him, much about health and happiness but nothing about holiness and sacrifice. Their message is a message of gaps, the greatest gap of which leaves out the truth that saves.” (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary)
Heed the warning, but have absolute confidence and trust in the Lord. The great hymn says it best: “And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed his truth to triumph through us. The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him.” And that one word is Jesus.
Beware of the false prophets! Jesus not only warns us, but He gives us the means to test them. He says, “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

William Barclay explains that those who first heard these verses in the Sermon on the Mount, would have immediately had in mind, the kind of plants that were around them in the deserts of the Middle East. Barclay said, “There was a certain thorn, the buckthorn, which had little black berries which closely resembled little grapes…There was a certain thistle, which had a flower, which, at least at a distance, might well be taken for a fig. The point is real, and relevant… There may be a superficial resemblance between the true and the false prophet. The false prophet may wear the right clothes and use the right language; but you cannot sustain life with the berries of a buckthorn or the flowers of a thistle; and the life of the soul can never be sustained with the food which a false prophet offers. The real test of any teaching is: Does it strengthen a man to bear the burdens of life, and to walk in the way wherein he ought to go?” (The Gospel of Matthew)

Examine the fruit of their message. Does the message satisfy spiritual hunger and thirst? If it doesn’t exalt Jesus…If it doesn’t move us to repentance…If it doesn’t call us to lives ordered by the Word of God…If it doesn’t bring us to the foot of the Cross, then it is not a fruit which can satisfy and sustain us.

Lastly, I don’t think we can leave this passage without acknowledging that, yes, we are called upon to carefully examine the truth claims that surround us to sift through that which is Biblical and unbiblical…that which is true and that which is false. But we also must remember that the people we encounter every day are examining our message against the fruit we bear. Are you, as a Christian, bearing the kind of fruit that would lead others to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ? Are others seeing a consistency between your message and your behavior? Are others witnessing in you and in me, a life that exalts Jesus Christ…a life that glorifies God…a life that bears evidence of saving grace…a life in harmony with the teaching and the example of Jesus? Is your life bearing buckthorns and thistles, or the sweet fruit of knowing and loving Jesus?

Everyday, people are choosing to follow Jesus or to follow some other way, based upon the witness of your life (what you say and what you do)…the fruit that your life bears.

Trust in the Word, even when the message of the Word and the world are in conflict. Stand with Jesus, even if it means standing against the world. Follow Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life. Do your part to protect the flock from the wolves. Bear the sweet fruit of discipleship. And, live in such a way so that others will want to follow Jesus too.

Matthew 7:13-14

2011-03-06T10:14:00.000-06:00

There comes a time in the life of every man, woman and child wherein we must make a decision. The first critical decision making moment occurred in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve chose to reject God’s Word and begin living on their own terms. They chose sin, and their sin affects us all.

Moses led the Children of God out of Egypt toward the Promised Land. Near the end of his life, just on the verge of entering the Promised Land, Moses preaches a sermon that cast the people upon a critical moment of decision:
"See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it. "But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." (Deuteronomy 30:15-20)

Joshua led them into the Promised Land and to ensure they would be blessed enough to keep it, Joshua brought the people once again to a moment of decision:
"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living ; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15)

When Jesus comes, invariably by His very nature, He confronts men with a moment of decision. Matthew writes: “Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. (Matthew 4:18-22)

At this point in our study of the Sermon on the Mount, maybe you will agree with me that the whole point of the Sermon is to move us to a moment of decision. You can’t hear the Sermon on the Mount and simply relish the literary beauty of it. You can’t listen to Jesus preach and simply be impressed by the power of His ethic. There is only one thing you can do. You must make a decision. Either you will continue to live life on your terms, or you will choose Jesus and begin living life on his terms. There comes a time in life for every man, woman, and child wherein you must choose. This is the way Jesus describes the choice:

“Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
If you take this passage and lay it alongside several others, you will begin to see even more clearly that Jesus is not prescribing an option among many options. He is not prescribing a religious list of things we must do. Jesus is prescribing Himself. He is the narrow gate. He is the way that is narrow. He is the way that leads to life. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says: “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved…” (John 10:9) And, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” (John 14:6)

Human instinct is choose the easy way. Imagine two doorways open before you. One way is uphill. It is hard and craggy. That’s a part of what Jesus means by the “narrow” way – it’s difficult. The sun beats down upon this climb. It’s treacherous and possibly painful. But the other doorway opens to an easy downhill grade. The way is lush and green. There is plenty of shade, an ample supply of water, and lots of places to sit and rest. Our instinct is always to choose the easy way.

But Jesus not only allows us to look through the doorway at the terrain along the way, but He tells us in no uncertain terms where each road will ultimately lead. “The way is broad that leads to destruction…the way is narrow that leads to life.” Thanks to Jesus, you can know the end at the very beginning. There is no false advertising, no deception, no big surprise. You can go the way that leads to destruction or the way that leads to life. You have to choose. And if you are wise, you will choose not on the basis of the temporal but on the basis of the eternal. You will choose a way not because it is easy or hard, but you will choose because one is a destiny of destruction and one is a destiny of boundless joy and eternal life. Choose Jesus. He is the door. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the narrow way that leads to life everlasting.
Have you made that decision? If suddenly, your life on this earth came to an end and you had to hand your Maker a travel log of your life’s journey, how would it read? Would it show forth convincing evidence that you have chosen the narrow way of Jesus? Or, would God say, “I’m sorry, but at every turn I’ve placed before you, you have chosen the broad and easy way that now leads to your destruction”?
According the Jesus, many choose the broad and easy way. Few are the followers of Jesus. You have to choose.

And friend, please understand that you cannot put off your decision. You can’t say, “Well, I think I’ll wait a few more years before I get serious about following Christ.” You’re deceiving yourself if you think you can put it off. Putting it off is just the same as saying to Jesus, “No thank you. I’m going my own way.”

You have to choose: The narrow difficult way that leads to life. Or the broad and easy way that leads to destruction. Is the choice that simple and clear? In an age of endless options and multicultural pluralism and all things being relative, could it be that simple a choice? Yes. Absolutely yes.

Maxie Dunnam said:
“We don’t stop often enough and reflect deeply enough about who this Christ is. Jesus is not just a good man, not even the best of all men, not just a mighty prophet among prophets, not just one god in a lineup of deities from whom we may choose. All things were made by Him. In Him was life. He is the beginning of the created order. He is the pre-existent Christ. He is the cosmic Christ. No glory belongs to God that does not belong to Jesus Christ.” (Jesus’ Claims-Our Promises p.106)
Everything that Jesus said, everything He did, everything He is by nature, forces us to a moment of decision. Will you follow Jesus?
“Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
Do you remember that old camp song?
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
Though I may wonder, I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.

Matthew 7:12

2011-02-27T07:23:00.007-06:00

Several years ago, North Dakota was hit by the hardest winter in meteorological history. Bitter cold. Deep snow. Not even North Dakotans were ready for it. And in the midst of that long cold winter, a writer turned his pen away from fiction, toward the experience of surviving that kind of cold. He lived in a farm house and several times a day he’d make his way 100 yards or so to the barn, in order to tend to the animals. In blinding snowstorm, the writer tied a rope around his waste and tied the other end to the post on the back porch, and out he’d go. Leaning into the wind, the snow stinging his cheeks, snow blowing sideways, so thick he couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of his face. He’d make it to the barn and then upon the return trip, the writer would grasp the rope, pull it taught and with one hand over the other, he’d follow the rope home.

I find the Word of God to be like that rope, anchored in all that I’m searching for, all that I most need, and all that I most need to follow.

Matthew 7:12 is one of those great anchors. I would bet that Matthew 7:12, otherwise known as the “Golden Rule,” may very well be the first verse of Scripture that most of us memorized. And, I would bet that most of us internalized this verse as little children without even knowing that it was the Word of God, from the Word of God Incarnate.

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

The great Scottish New Testament scholar, William Barclay, called the Golden Rule, the “Mount Everest of all ethical teaching.” He’s right. It is the foundation for every good text book of business ethics, and universally recognized as the secret to everything we need to know about maintaining healthy human relationships.

Every major religion has some variant of the Golden Rule. But they are all phrased in the negative.
Jewish tradition taught, “What is hateful to yourself, do to no other.”
Confucius said, “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”
A Greek philosopher said, “Do not do to others the things which make you angry when you experience them at the hands of other people.”
The Stoics said, “What you do not wish to be done to you, do not do to anyone else.”
Hinduism teaches, “One should never do that to another which one regards as injurious to one’s own self.”
Even Mohammed, the founder of Islam, 600 years after the time of Christ, borrows a form of the Golden Rule: “Hurt no one, so that no one may hurt you.” Can you imagine what the world would look like if all the major religions around the globe, including Christianity, actually lived according to these negative variations of the Golden Rule? The world would be a different place.

But the world is not that “different place” we wish for. Why? Well, the obvious answer is sin. And the fact that none of the world religions I’ve mentioned can do anything to rid the world and rid individual lives of the destructive power of sin. And maybe too, another part of the problem is that within each of these variations of the Golden Rule, love is misunderstood. Love is thought of in terms of what we don’t do to others. To love you is to not hate you. To love you is to not hit you. To love you is to not steal from you. To love you is to not make you angry. That's a very shallow and weak concept of love.

But if you will follow Jesus, you will see in Him both the answer to the problem of sin, and true love embodied.

Jesus was the first to articulate the Golden Rule in a positive form. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” And there is a vast difference between the way the negative forms and the positive form of the Golden Rule function in life and in relationships. What’s the difference? Well, think about it. It’s not too terribly difficult to live by the negative form of the Golden Rule. If the Everest of ethical teaching and right living can be summed up by “What you do not wish to be done to you, do not do to anyone else,” then all I have to do is to steer clear of you. You leave me alone, and I’ll leave you alone. We’ll both keep our hands to ourselves. If we don’t have anything nice to say to one another, then we won’t say anything at all. All I have to do to satisfy the demands of the Golden Rule in the negative form, is to insulate myself from you.

But the negative form is not how Jesus delivered the Golden Rule. This is the Golden Rule straight from the mouth of God: “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.” How is it any different? Well, it is no longer good enough for me to assume that loving you simply means refraining from doing mean things to you. Love is bigger than that. Love is more demanding and active and involved and intentional and sacrificial. It’s not enough, according to the true Golden Rule, to just keep my hands to myself, and to refrain from saying anything at all if I don’t have anything nice to say. If taken seriously, the Golden demands that I strive to love you the way God in Jesus Christ loves us all.

Specifically, the Golden Rule requires three things:

First, it requires that I’m willing to be in relationship with you. “Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them…” Jesus is telling us that if you want to be treated kindly (of course you do) then you must treat others kindly. And if you want people to value you as a person, you must value others. If you want people to deal with your weaknesses and faults graciously, tenderly, and mercifully, then you must deal with them graciously, tenderly, and mercifully. If you want people to respect you, you must respect them. If you want to be loved (and you want that most of all) then you must love. All of this assumes that I am in relationship with you.

Second, it requires that the foundation of my relationship with you is love. Victor Frankl, the great Jewish theologian who spent so much of World War II in a Nazi concentration camp, wrote that "man searches for and finds meaning for his life in many different ways. Some find meaning in what they create for themselves; some find meaning in what they are able to endure without becoming bitter. But," he says, "there are a few, rare people who are mature enough to find meaning for life in something outside of themselves." That purposeful something, I would argue, is to love others. Jesus put it this way: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” And what does “love your neighbor as yourself mean”? It’s so simple. “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.”

Third, it requires that I take the initiative to relate to you in an unconditionally Christlike manner. Notice that Jesus did not say, “Here’s the Golden Rule – be nice to other people IF they are nice to you; as long as people love you, then you love them back; be helpful and respectful and generous only IF they are helpful and respectful and generous to you.” Jesus said no such thing. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” doesn’t involve reciprocity. This is not tit for tat. If you love Jesus and if you take the Gospel seriously, and if you strive to live in obedience to His Word and His life, then you must do good unto others, even if they return no good unto you.

This is summing up everything Jesus has taught us about human relationships within the Sermon on the Mount: Jesus said, “For you have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,” But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone wants to sue you, and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you…. I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love (only) those who love you, what reward have you.” (Matthew 5:38-46) If you only love the loveable...if you only love those who love you first...if you only love those who love you back, you really aren't loving.

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

On the surface, it seems so simple that even a kindergartner could understand it. Just love your neighbor as yourself. Just do unto others as you would have them do unto you. But if it is so simple, why don’t we live that way? Self.
Why can’t people who have been at one another’s throats stop fighting and find the happiness and peace of life according to the Golden Rule? Self. Somebody’s putting self before others. Why can’t husbands and wives living in bitterness and resentment just start living under the Golden Rule, and find in it a rebirth of the once happy marriage? Self. You can’t live under the Golden Rule when you put self first. Why can’t two rivals on a playground stop picking at one another and find friendship through the Golden Rule? Self. We can’t live under the Golden Rule when we’re thinking mostly about self.

The best story Jesus told to illustrate the Golden Rule is the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. You remember the story. A man fell among thieves. They beat him, robbed him and left him for dead. The robbers were living only for self, and in the worst sort of way. Their philosophy of life was “Take from others all that you can take.”

In time, a priest and a Levite happened by. They recognized this man’s great need. They had the ability to do something about it. Most likely both the priest and the Levite carried a satchel with water, wine, oil, bandages and food. Each man could have stopped, but probably out of fear, they put self first, thinking that they might need those supplies if the robbers lay in wait for them. Their philosophy was “Forget others; do for yourself.”

But in the nick of time, a Samaritan came by. Jesus said the when he saw the man “he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.” (Luke 10:33-36) The Samaritan’s philosophy? “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

For a long time I thought I understood this parable. Don’t be like the robbers. Don’t be like the priest and the Levite. Be the Samaritan. But I had missed a crucial point, and I don’t want you to miss it any longer. The only way that you and I can begin to live as the Good Samaritan to others…the only way you can truly “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you”…the only way that you and I can begin to “love neighbor as self” is when suddenly it dawns on you that Jesus has been the Good Samaritan to you…to me.

While I was dead in my sins and trespasses, Christ came to me. Sin took everything away from me. It beat me down and stripped me naked, and left me utterly helpless, and without hope, except that Someone might take notice of me, that someone might stop and stoop to my need, and do for me that which I was totally incapable of doing for myself. I didn’t deserve His love, His compassion, His forgiving mercy, but Jesus did everything that was necessary in order to save me. He gave me His all. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me; I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.” Now I see! I wasn’t the robber. I wasn’t the priest. I wasn’t the Levite. And I most certainly wasn’t the Good Samaritan. I was the man in the ditch of my own sin, left for dead.

But now I see. Jesus was the Good Samaritan to me! Jesus lifted me up out of that ditch. Jesus gave me new life. Through the Crucified and Risen Lord, I have been given all that I need for life, for forgiveness, for eternity. Now I see that I can and must “do unto others as I would have them do unto me,” because this is precisely the way God in Jesus Christ has chosen to relate to me.

“By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (I John 4:9-11)

Pastoral Prayer:

Lord, help us to live from day to day
In such a self-forgetful way,
That even when we kneel to pray
Our prayer shall be for others.

Help us in all the work we do
To ever be sincere and true,
And know that all we’d do for you,
Most needs be done for others.

Let self be crucified and slain
And buried deep, and all in vain
May efforts be to rise again,
Unless to live for others.

And when our work on earth is done,
And our new life in Heaven’s begun,
May we forget the crown we’ve won
While thinking still of others.

Others, Lord, yes others,
Let this our motto be,
Help us to live for others,
That we may live for Thee.

Matthew 7:7-11

2011-02-20T07:22:00.005-06:00

Prayer is central to the message of the Sermon on the Mount because prayer is central to the Christian life. So, in Chapter Six, Jesus instructed us on the posture of prayer. He taught that we are to approach God with humility and reverence, and not pray like the hypocrites who only care to be heard by men. “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)

Then, Jesus teaches us how to pray, outlining the model upon which every prayer can be based:
“This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13)

Now we come to Matthew 7, and we see Jesus taking up the topic of prayer again in verses 7 through 11, not so much in terms of instruction, but more in terms of encouragement.

“Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) Could anything be more encouraging to a praying disciple?

When you’ve prayed long and hard…
when you’ve not known what to pray…
when you’ve reached your wit’s end and the end of your rope…
when you have exhausted every human remedy but still haven’t found the solution…Jesus encourages you to pray with the utmost confidence in the Father, trusting completely in His Word and His providence: “For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7:8)
Do you pray with that kind of confidence?

Where does this confidence come from? It is not confidence in yourself, nor is it confidence in your ability to pray, nor confidence in your worthiness to be heard. The foundation of confident prayer is in rightly knowing God. Your concept of God is key. Jesus wants you to know personally and to pray intimately to your Father in heaven.

What kind of Father is our God? James Montgomery Boice says, “If a young man wants to ask his father for something, he will pattern his request on the nature and the temperament of his father. If the father is ill-tempered and stingy, the young man will ask for little. He will take care to present his need in the most winsome and unobjectionable manner. If the father is good-natured and generous, the child will present his need openly and with great confidence. It is the same spiritually. If a man prays, he will pray in harmony with his view of the God to whom he is praying.” (Sermon on the Mount, p. 235)

So, if we perceive God to be angry and vengeful, we’ll likely tremble in prayer (if we pray), cowering like a dog, afraid that if we pray the wrong thing God will get us. If we perceive God to be something akin to what J.B. Philips referred to as the “Cosmic Bellhop,” then our prayer will be nothing more than a list of things God needs to promptly attend to. If we perceive God to be anything less than sovereign and almighty, then we’ll be addressing a semi-deity who might be able to help, but then again, he might not. But if you pray to the Sovereign Lord of the universe who is your Heavenly Father, the Father who loves you beyond your wildest imagination…if you pray to God as He has been revealed to us in the Word and through Jesus, you will never doubt Him. You will pray with absolute confidence in His power and in His love. And answers will come! On rare occasions, your Father will give you exactly what you ask for. The vast majority of the time, God's answers will far exceed your hopes and dreams, even when His answer is the exact opposite of what you prayed for. Praying disciples learn from experience that even God's "no," in the long run, turns out to be far better than our "yes." Do you confidently pray to the Father who is infinitely kind, and who wants only the best for you?

Your concept of God determines the way you pray. That’s why Jesus said, “Which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, being sinners, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” If you truly know God (not some distorted image but as He is revealed to us by Jesus) you will most definitely pray with great confidence. The more you pray with confidence, the more reason the Father will give you to continue praying with confidence.

Do you pray with confidence in God's ability to bring answers?

George Muller was a man of extraordinary faith in God. He was an Englishman, a preacher and evangelist of the 19th Century. He prayed simple but confident prayers, and God displayed His power and greatness through George Muller’s life. Once, he was aboard a ship sailing across the Atlantic from England to Canada. For days, the ship barely crept through a terribly dense fog. The Captain remained on the bridge around the clock. Muller came to the Captain and said, “Captain, I have come to tell you that I must be in Quebec on Saturday afternoon.” The Captain assured Muller that this was utterly impossible and that they might be delayed for days. Muller replied, “Very well. If the ship cannot take me, God will find some other way." He was absolutely confident that God wanted him in Quebec on Saturday. "Let us go down in the chartroom and pray.” Retelling this story, the Captain said, “I looked at that man and I thought ‘What lunatic asylum could that man have come from.’ I never heard such a thing as this.” He said, “Mr. Muller, do you know how dense this fog is?” “No, my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life.” Muller knelt down and began to pray a simple but confident prayer, and when he was finished, the Captain started to pray, but Muller put his hand on the Captain's shoulder and told him not to pray. “Firstly,” Muller said, “because you do not believe God will, and secondly, I believe God has, and there is no need whatsoever for you to pray about it. I have known my Lord for fifty-seven years, and there has never been a single day that I have failed to get an audience with the King. Get up and open the door, and you will find that the fog has gone.” The Captain said, “I got up and the fog was indeed gone.” George Muller was in Quebec Saturday afternoon right on schedule. (from I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes, by Glenn Clark)

Jesus told an even better story about confident prayer in the 18th Chapter of Luke.
Luke says He wanted His disciples "to pray and not lose heart." He knew that during their lifetime, faith would be tested to the limits. Jesus knew that for men like Peter and James and John, and others who believed and followed like Mary Magdalene and Martha and the Apostle Paul, there would be times of grief and pain and loss, and times when they would have plenty and times they would have nothing. He knew that for them, there would be periods of persecution and many of them would pray for help and strength over and over again, and it would seem to them for a while that God was not hearing, and maybe not answering their prayer.

Maybe you know that too. Have you ever prayed, and prayed, and prayed, only to wait, and wait, and wait some more? Our trust loses place to frustration and impatience, and soon the frustration becomes doubt, and if doubt lingers long enough, we just might give up on prayer and take matters into our own hands, or throw our hands up in defeat. When times are tough, it's easy to lose heart, especially if your concept of God is less than or different from what is revealed to us in Scripture. So, to make sure their concept of God remained true and strong, Jesus gave the disciples a parable to strengthen their prayer life. He wanted them to pray with confidence.

(Read Luke 18:1-8)

A poor widow needed legal protection. She's living under some sort of threat or danger. In the middle of the night she beats on the judge’s door, absolutely refusing to quit until he gives in and grants her the protection she needs.

Now, the parable is often lifted up as an illustration of praying with persistence, and it certainly teaches that. So too, does Matthew 7:7. The commands “ask…seek…knock” in the grammar of Greek, are given by Jesus as perpetual commandments, not one time imperatives. He commands us to continually ask, seek, and knock. He wants us to be persistent in prayer. But there is no perseverance in prayer without confidence in the one to whom we pray. And, in the parable of the Widow and the Judge, I believe Jesus was teaching a higher lesson on confidence. Again, if you truly know God as He is revealed to us by Jesus, you will invariably pray with great confidence.

Look at the judge and then look at God. The two are exact opposites.
The judge could care less. Your God is a Father who truly cares for His children.
The judge is trying to sleep. Your Father never sleeps or slumbers.
The judge is slow to answer. Your Father begins answering even before we pray.
The judge is unrighteous. The Heavenly Father is perfect and holy.
The judge is concerned with himself. Your Father is filled with love for you.
The judge only answers to rid himself of the pesky woman. Your Father wants to be with you forever.
The judge is wicked. God the Father is good!

If a wicked judge who really didn't care at all for the widow would finally give in and grant her request, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good things to His children who ask Him?

He is your Father - He knows everything about you. He knows your problems better than you do. He is perfectly attentive to your needs. You are His child - He invites you to come to His throne of grace anytime of day or night, and you will never find Him too busy, or disinterested, or too tired, or sleeping. He is your Father who has the power and the means and the willingness to give you what is best and to work wonders in your midst. There is no one bigger, no one more powerful, no one more amazing, no one more wonderful, no one more loving, than your Heavenly Father.

To the mystery of prayer and God's answering, Jesus gave a face, and on that face he put a smile - the smile of a loving Father caring for His beloved child. Pray with confidence!

The family of Grace Chapel has much to pray about…many people to lift up. We love each other very much, so we pray for each other daily. I've never known a church more dedicated to prayer! There are people in our church family, and friends of our church, who are facing tough, scary, difficult realities. We’re praying for people battling cancer, and for people recovering from surgery, and for people who face depression and anxiety, and for people suffering in dysfunctional relationships. I urge you to make sure you are praying confident prayers, from a deepening confidence in the goodness and the power of God.

What have you been praying for lately? What are asking for? What are you seeking? Why are you knocking on God’s door? Share it with me. Share it with other members of your church family. And let's make it a matter of confident prayer. Have absolute confidence in God's goodness and His love. Don't lose heart. “Ask and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you." Our Father has the power, and He keeps His promises!

Matthew 7:1-6

2011-02-13T10:16:00.001-06:00

As we begin to study the final chapter in the Sermon on the Mount, it might prove helpful to think about what Jesus taught us in the latter half of Chapter Six. He pinpoints several of Satan’s most effective weapons, and teaches us how resist attack. One of Satan’s favorite arrows is called the love of money. He tempts both the rich and poor alike, to put devotion to material things above our devotion to God. Another of Satan’s favorite arrows is worry. Satan knows that as our level of worry increases, our level of trust in God decreases. The shield we need to lift up to protect ourselves from Satan’s attack, whether by love of money or by worry, is Jesus Himself. “Seek first His Kingdom, and His righteousness, and all these other things shall be added unto you.”
As we move into Chapter Seven, Jesus pinpoints another weapon in Satan’s arsenal - Hypocritical Judgmentalism. Satan knows that if he can keep us focused upon other people’s faults and not our own, we won’t be seeking Jesus’ Kingdom and righteousness, but we will be building our own little kingdoms of self-righteousness. To this, Jesus commands us, “Judge not, lest ye be judged.”
We’re going to come back to judgmentalism in a moment, but before we do, let me point out another one of Satan’s weapons. It’s one of the most subtle and devious weapons he uses to assault us. It is to refrain from distinguishing right and wrong in the name of the modern day understanding of tolerance.
Matthew 7:1 may very well be the most misinterpreted and misapplied verse in the Sermon on the Mount, if not the whole New Testament. It is one of Satan’s favorite verses too. It is often quoted by non-believers who get annoyed by Christians who want to maintain a Biblical world-view, people who determine matters of right and wrong according to Biblical standards. To the non-believer, “Judge not, lest ye be judged” means that you and I can never express our opinion; we cannot determine that another’s behavior is wrong or sinful even if the Bible says that behavior is sinful.
The worldly interpretation of Matthew 7:1 is to promote a type of tolerance which insists on the moral equivalency of any and all behaviors. “Jesus,” the non-believer declares, “does not want you to judge the thought or behavior of any person to be wrong or sinful.” “Judge not, lest ye be judged.”
But, is that what Jesus meant?
No. One of the great things that our Reformed Tradition teaches us about interpreting Scripture is this: Scripture interprets Scripture. What does this mean? Well, in part it means that it is never a good practice to formulate your opinions and then go hunting in the Bible for a single verse that you can use as justification for your preconceived notion. And, it means, that it is not a good practice to lift up a single verse and build a whole system of belief around it. And, it means to properly interpret Matthew 7:1 (or any verse for that matter) we must read it in its Biblical context. What does this verse have to do with the verses that come before and after? How does this verse fit into the Chapter and the book? How does this verse dovetail with broad sweep of Biblical teaching?
And when we begin to apply these principles to Matthew 7:1, we see that the claim of non-believers (that this verse demands that we refrain from discerning right from wrong) is patently false. One need look no further than Matthew 7:6. Jesus says, “Do not give to dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” Any rational-minded person would have to conclude that Matthew 7:6 requires a certain exercise of judgment. Jesus never commands His followers to refrain from judging between right and wrong, from using the powers of discernment to differentiate between truth and falsehood; the rightness and wrongness of a person’s belief or the goodness and badness of a person’s behavior. On the contrary, He commands us to do just that. You can hardly go five minutes in a day without needing to exercise good judgment. And if you are a Christian, you must exercise a Biblically faithful discernment.
John says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.” (I John 4:1-3)
Jesus says, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” (Matthew 7:15) Jesus warns Christians in the end times to practice a careful kind of discrimination: “At that time, if anyone says to you, “Look, here is the Christ!” or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect - if that were possible. So be on your guard...” (Mark 13:22-23) Paul warns the Elders in Ephesus, “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard!” (Acts 20:29-31) Peter warns Christians that the false teachers “will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Sovereign Lord...” (2 Peter 2:1)
These are just a few of the many passages in Scripture, which, when held together, prove that the Bible commands Christians to judge between right and wrong. We are commanded to judge!
So then, what is Matthew 7:1 about? Why does Jesus say, “Judge not, lest ye be judged”? In context, Jesus is giving us a stern warning against judging others hypocritically, judging with harshness, judging with a lack of objectivity. “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:2)
We bear the responsibility to correct, and reprove our brothers and sisters. Jesus told his disciples, “if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.” (Matt. 18:15.) To turn a blind eye and a deaf ear toward a destructive problem in our neighbor’s life is to say to that person, I don’t love you enough to tell you the truth. Jesus is not telling us that we should never judge or criticize. He is saying that a great deal of work must take place in my life before I go about offering my criticism of you. Personally, I believe that I have to earn the right to offer you my judgment. And the way I must earn that right is through loving you and through building a relationship of trust. Even after I have established that kind of relationship with you, I still don’t have the right to criticize you. According to Jesus, I must first practice careful, honest, critical self-examination. This is the way Jesus illustrates it:
“And why do you look at the tiny, insignificant speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is protruding from your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself are walking around with a log sticking out of your eye socket!? It’s crazy! It’s preposterous! You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye (look at yourself in the mirror - deal with your own faults and problems and sins), and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”
There are two very important words in this illustration - two words which stand in contrast:
The first word is hypocrite. This word literally refers to an actor . . . someone who is two-faced…someone who can put on a face of self-righteousness to judge and condemn, and then go about committing the same sins he has just condemned in another person. We all have that tendency! Jesus warns us not to be hypocrites, for in the way we judge others, we shall be judged.

Hank Williams Sr. sang a song about it:
A tongue can accuse and carry bad news
The seeds of distrust, it will sow
But unless you've made no mistakes in your life
Be careful of stones that you throw.

The second important word is adelphos which is normally translated as “brother.” Literally translated, adelphos means “as if from the same womb.” Too often, when we practice hypocritical judgment of another, we assume we are better, that we have a better standing before God. But here, Jesus reminds us, that the person I may feel inclined to criticize, is not my inferior, but my brother or my sister.
What will we be to one another? Hypocrites or brothers? Our willingness to see our own sin in large part determines how we will see others.
Right before the turn of the last century, Sir Percival Lowell rose to a position of prominence as the most respected astronomer of his day. He heard of the work of another great astronomer in Italy, who declared that he had seen straight lines criss-crossing the planet Mars. With his own fascination for Mars, Lowell spent the rest of his life in Arizona behind his huge telescope, squinting and straining as hard as he could to see the lines. Finally, after squinting and straining hard enough, he began to see the lines. He theorized that the lines were actually canals and more importantly, signs of an ancient civilization, possibly more intelligent than our own. Until his dying day, Percival Lowell, mapped the canals and his theories gained much credibility among other astronomers.
Of course, now we know better because we have since sent space probes to orbit and photograph Mars. And, we have landed rovers on Mars to photograph, sample and analyze the surface of the Red Planet. There are no canals. So, what could Lowell have possibly seen through his telescope? He most definitely saw something, but what he saw was within himself.
Lowell suffered from a very rare disease of the eye, in which a person actually sees the blood vessels in his own eye. The canals were actually the veins in his own eyeballs. Today, the medical condition is referred to as Lowell’s Syndrome.

What do you want to see in the person you feel inclined to criticize? Do you want to see sins and faults and weaknesses in that person, or do you want to see the good? What you want to see often determines what you’ll see. Take special care not to suffer from a case of spiritual “Lowell’s Syndrome.”

“Judge not, lest ye be judged.” Be very careful in your exercise of judgment. Make sure you spend some time taking a good hard look in the mirror, before you rush out to criticize others. Don’t be a hypocrite. Be a brother.

Can a Christian judge another brother’s behavior? Can a man point out the faults in his brother’s life? Yes, you can…in love, and only after self-examination. You can and must exercise good judgment, but remember, it is not our place to be the Judge. That’s God’s job.

Once upon a time, a preacher had a dream. Jesus came to him in the dream and said, “You know, I have been listening to you preach through these years and you know, you really sound so much more like the public prosecutor than the public defender. Why is that?” The Preacher said, “Listen Jesus, I look out across that congregation and I see people who commit adultery, cheat their partners, cheat on their taxes, and abuse the gift of their families. I see these people who take their church for granted and do such horrible things, and to be quite honest with you Jesus, I simply cannot justify the way they’re living!” Jesus said, “Who asked you to justify them? That is not your job that’s my job. I never asked you to sit behind the Judge’s bench. All I ever asked you to do is to love a brother, love a sister, and to speak the truth in love.” The preacher woke and he said, “I went forward that day and the whole tone of my ministry began to change. I got off of the judge’s bench and started loving my brothers and sisters in Christ. And suddenly, the joy of Christian living returned.”
“Who is the One who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” (Romans 8:34) Glory be to God!

Matthew 6:25-34

2011-02-06T10:14:00.002-06:00

Erma Bombeck once confessed her worries:
“I’ve always worried a lot and frankly, I’m good at it. I worry about introducing people and going blank when I get to my mother. I worry about a shortage of ball bearings; a snake coming up through the kitchen drain. I worry about the world ending at midnight and getting stuck with three hours on a twenty-four hour cold capsule. I worry about getting into the Guinness World Book of Records under “Pregnancy: Oldest Recorded Birth.” I worry what the dog thinks when he seem me coming out of the shower; that one of my children will marry an Eskimo who will set me adrift on an iceberg when I can no longer feed myself. I worry about salesladies following me into the fitting room, oil slicks, and Carol Channing going bald. I worry about scientists discovering someday that lettuce has been fattening all along.”
I appreciate Bombeck’s confession, not only because it makes us laugh, but more so, because it rings true. When we let worry gain more and more control over our thinking, we worry about the craziest things! Bombeck’s confession is a picture of what life becomes when we refuse to listen to Jesus;
when we refuse to trust the providence of God;
when we refuse to be truly grateful for the overwhelming blessings God has bestowed upon us.
When we do these things, worry becomes the lord over our lives.
Worry is a powerful force and one of Satan’s most effective weapons. Satan knows that when you are worrying, you’re not trusting God. Jesus understands this too. And so, out of great love and concern for your wellbeing, three times in this passage, Jesus commands us to abandon worry.

But before we examine the three “Do not worry” commands, let’s be clear about the kind of worrying Jesus is talking about. There’s a difference between concern and worry. Being concerned when a loved one gets a serious diagnosis is not necessarily worry. Being concerned with a family member who rejects Jesus is not the same as worry. Being concerned to do everything you can do to provide for your family is not necessarily worry. But when we are not grounded in the truth of the Gospel, worry can easily overwhelm your concern and distract you from the One who can help you in your problems. The issue is: What do we do with our concern? Do we translate that concern into prayer? Do we act upon our concern
by showing love and compassion? Do we let our concern move us to working harder and smarter, or do we slowly descend into despair. Does our concern move us to trust God more, or, through worry, do we become more inwardly focused?
Please don’t think that Jesus is telling you to be unconcerned or indifferent. Indifference can be just as foolish as worry. Just like worry, ignoring your problems doesn’t make them go away.
Two businessmen in the church were talking about the economic downturn we’re in. One of them said, “Well, I’m about to lose my job and our house is going into foreclosure any day now, but I’m not worrying about it.” His friend asked, “How in the world can you not be worried?” He answered, “Because I’ve hired a professional worrier. He does all my worrying for me. As long as I have him on my side, I don’t even have to think about it.” “Wow,” the friend said, “that’s a great idea! How much does it cost to hire a professional worrier?” The unconcerned man said, “It costs $125,000 per year if you keep him on retainer.” “$125,000!” his friend replied, “Where in the world are you going to get that kind of money?” He said, “To be honest with you, I haven’t even given it a thought. That’s his worry.”
Jesus isn’t commanding us to ignore our problems, nor does He want us to be consumed by them. In this teaching of Matthew 6, Jesus is focusing our attention upon the kind of anxious thought patterns which are completely unnecessary, distracting, destructive, and which always point to a deeper issue – the lack of trust and faith in the Lord.

Let’s look at the three “Do not worry” commands:
In verse 25, Jesus commands: “Do not be anxious for your life…”
Jesus is pinpointing a deeper problem. Worry is symptomatic of a flaw in our perspective on what is of utmost importance in life. Here’s the key: The most important thing in my life can never be me…and my wants…and my needs…and my satisfaction. What I’m going to eat…what I’m going to drink…what I’m going to wear. Surely there is more to life than that! Jesus says, “Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing?” Life is more! Proverbs 12:25 says, “An anxious heart weighs a man down.” Yes it does, and it takes our focus away from the One who is the source of our meaning and purpose in life; the source of our joy and peace. Life is more! There is an abundant life made available to people like you and me from the Lord of life. Are you focused on the abundant life, or selfishly obsessed with the lesser things? Life is more! It’s not about me, but about “Loving the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbor as ourselves.”

In verse 31, Jesus commands: “Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?’”
Building upon the previous command, Jesus shows us another problem that lies beneath worry – it’s when we fail to factor into the daily equation of our lives the reliability, the generosity, and the all sufficiency of God’s providence.
“Look at the birds of the air…your heavenly Father feeds them.” (Matthew 6:26) The birds don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. God didn’t send His only begotten Son to redeem them. Yet your Father takes care of them. You do have a personal relationship with Jesus. The Father loves you so much that He sent His Son to die upon the Cross for you. You are worth infinitely more than the birds. Why are you anxious? Don’t you think that God will provide for you too? Look at the flowers of the field. God didn’t have to clothe the lilies with such stunning beauty, but He did. Jesus wants us to see it as a sign of God’s extravagant care and providence. He gives us more than we need. Why are you worrying? If God pours out His extravagant generosity upon the lilies, don’t you think God will generously care for you, His beloved child?
One of the greatest comforts in this passage comes in verse 32: “For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” We need to learn to pray “Give us this day our daily bread” and then actually trust Him for it. Do you believe God’s Word when it promises, “my God shall supply my need”? We need to learn to pray with the confidence of the Apostle Paul, who said, “Don’t worry about anything. Instead pray about everything; tell God what you need and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

In verse 34, Jesus commands: “Do not be anxious for tomorrow…” (Matthew 6:34) Another problem that lies beneath worry is when we fail to trust in God’s sovereignty. God is in control of your life. He holds you and your future in His hands. There is nothing; no eventuality, no potential circumstances beyond His sovereign rule, and the One who is in charge of your future has promised to never leave nor forsake you. Worrying about the future is ultimately a failure to trust in God’s sovereign loving power.
What good does it do to worry about the future? Jesus says, “And which of you being anxious can add a single cubit to his life’s span?” (Matthew 6:27) Ernest Hemingway said, “Worry a little bit every day, and in the course of a lifetime, you will lose a couple of years.” Rather than add to your life’s span, worry is a poison that has the destructive power to hasten your death. What good does it do? Worry has no effect upon the past. Worry cannot change the future. The only power worry has is to make you miserable today.
George MacDonald said, “no man ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrow’s burden is added to the burden of today that the weight is more than a man can bear. Never load yourselves so, my friends. If you find yourselves so loaded, at least remember this: it is your own doing, not God’s. He begs you to leave the future to Him, and mind the present.” “Therefore, do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself.”

Jesus commands us not to worry. Will you take Him at His word?
Don’t worry about your life. Instead, keep the proper perspective on the most important things in life. Keep your focus on loving and serving Him.
Don’t worry about what you eat or drink or wear. Instead, trust God’s providence. He knows you need these things.
Don’t worry about tomorrow. Instead, trust in God’s sovereign loving power today.
“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) Are you plagued by worry? Don’t worry, seek Jesus.

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
and life more abundant and free!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
in the light of His glory and grace.

Matthew 6:19-24

2011-01-30T12:54:00.001-06:00

Bright and early every Tuesday morning, I am blessed with the opportunity to spend time with a group of Christian businessmen as we study the Word of God together. They are wise, faithful, and devoted servants of the Lord who teach me a lot every Tuesday. Last Tuesday, I came to them seeking financial advice. (Really, my ulterior motive was to get them to help me write my sermon, and asking them for financial advice was the means to accomplish that end.) So, I asked them, “Gentlemen, if you had someone come to you with an investment opportunity…to invest in a new business, or in the development of a new product…how would you go about evaluating that potential investment? What would be the criteria upon which you would determine whether or not to invest?

Each man brought a different area of expertise to the table and I was fascinated by what they had to say.
One of the men said, “Well the “buy in” is very important…how much does it cost to invest?…what does it take to buy in to this opportunity?”
Another man said, “And you have to be able to determine the track-record of the person or the business you are being asked to invest in. How successful have they been in the past? Are they trustworthy?”
Another man said, “What’s at stake? What’s the risk? And what advantages does this potential partner have in the marketplace?”
And, another man said, “What are the anticipated rewards? What will be the return on my investment?”

The Buy in.
The trustworthiness and track record of the partner.
The risk.
The anticipated return on investment.

Well, if you have spent much time in the New Testament, then surely you know that Jesus provides us with a great deal of instruction on how to make wise investments. In fact, let me offer you just a sampling of what Jesus has to say to us about investments:

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven…but woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.” (Luke 6:20)

“One’s life does not consist of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)

“Sell your possessions and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old.” (Luke 12:33)

“Any of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33)

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:25)

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)

And I believe that the truth of all the above is summed up in the verses which form the heart of Jesus’ investment strategy: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20)

That’s the strategy: Don’t invest your life, your passion, your time, and all of your resources in temporal earthly things. Lay up treasures in heaven.

Let’s evaluate the opportunity: What’s the buy in? What’s the trustworthiness of the partner? What’s the risk? And, what’s the return on investment?

Jesus made His investment strategy so simple that even poor Galilean peasants living 2000 years ago could understand it. They didn’t have to attend a financial seminar. He just explained it to them in the simplest of terms. He told them stories. Let me give you a couple of examples: Three wonderful little stories illustrating this investment strategy are found in Matthew 13. In Matthew 13:44, Jesus says, “The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.” People get sidetracked and say, “But it wasn’t his land.” In Jesus’ day, the law was akin to that little phrase children say - “Finders keepers, losers weepers.” So there was no ill gotten gain. He was just a poor tenant farmer. He didn’t have much and probably didn’t know much, but he was smart enough to know this: that he had just stumbled over the investment opportunity of a lifetime! What little he had could be exchanged for something infinitely more valuable. Jesus says that the Kingdom of Heaven is like that treasure.

The second story is Matthew 13:45 and 46. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” He’s not like that poor farmer. This is a wealthy man. He has in his possession many pearls but upon discovering the one great pearl, he realizes that he has found that one pearl that makes all others pale in comparison. The point? He knows the value of things. He has much treasure already. But it is all worth nothing compared to exceeding value of the one great pearl. He too is faced with the investment opportunity of lifetime – give up all the lesser things in order to possess the thing he had been looking for all of his life. Jesus says the Kingdom of heaven is like that one great pearl.

The third story is found in Matthew 13:47 and 48. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, gathering fish of every kind; and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away.” And the point of this story, alongside the other two, is this: You and I are just like those fishermen, sitting there on the beach with a big pile of stuff before us; some things we need to keep, and some we need to toss. Some things are wise investments of our time and resources. Some things are foolish investments. For the Christian, life is about the daily sifting and sorting…of how you go about judging the value of things…and in the daily nitty gritty of life, whether or not we’re investing in earthly or heavenly treasures.

Here’s a simple example of the sifting and sorting based upon what we value the most: One day last week, Stevo and I were on our way home from the church. As I cranked up the truck, I had to do some sifting and sorting. I had three options. I could force Stevo to listen to talk radio, or to country music, or to our favorite CD. Three investments and three different returns. The return on my investment of listening to talk radio is that, on the one hand, I learn a few things about current events, but invariably, I end up frustrated and discouraged and mad. The return on my investment of listening to country music, is that Stevo and I get to sing, but mostly about worldly things. But the return on my investment of listening to our favorite CD (Alan Jackson, “Precious Memories”) is that I get to sing with my son to the top of our lungs some of the greatest old hymns of the church. “Blessed a Assurance.” “Standing on the Promises of God.” “I’ll Fly Away.” “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.” The return is greatest on that investment of time. We sing praises to God and have a great time, and God blesses us mightily. To me that’s priceless.

We need to be more like that farmer, that pearl merchant, those fishermen. They each choose to orient their lives around the great blessing they have found. Jesus is teaching us through these stories how to invest, how to orient our lives around heavenly treasures. You have been saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. He is your treasure, your pearl? Do you know the true value of that gift? If you do…if you truly treasure Jesus, your investments (the way you handle material things) will show forth the evidence.

Jesus says, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21) John Piper, explaining why Jesus spends so much time talking about money, says, “the reason money is so crucial is that what we do with it signals where our heart is. “Where our heart is” means where our worship is. When the heart is set on something, it values it, cherishes it, treasures it…the reason money is so crucial for Jesus is that across all cultures and all ages it represents the alternative to God as the treasure of our hearts, and therefore the object of our worship. It becomes the great threat to our obedience to the first and last of the Ten Commandments: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exod.20:3), and “You shall not covet” (Exod.20:17). Money represents all the other material things and securities and pleasures that it can buy. Therefore, it represents the great alternative to God in our hearts. This is why what we do with our money is so crucial to Jesus.” (What Jesus Demands from the World, p. 272-273)

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

How much do you treasure the love of your Heavenly Father?
How precious to you is the price that was paid for you as Jesus hung upon the cross?
How much do value the gift of salvation that that Jesus has given to you?
And what would be the evidence in your life…in the choices that you make…in the investment of your time and resources, that in your heart, you put Him first?

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones told a true story about a “farmer who one day went happily …to report to his wife…that their best cow had given birth to twin calves, one red and one white. And he said ‘You know I have suddenly had a feeling and impulse that we must dedicate one of these calves to the Lord. We will bring them up together, and when the time comes we will sell one and keep the proceeds, and we will sell the other and give the proceeds to the Lord’s work.’ His wife asked him which he was going to dedicate to the Lord. ‘There is no need to bother about that now,’ he replied, ‘we will treat them both in the same way, and when the time comes we will do as I say.’ And off he went. In a few months the man entered the kitchen looking miserable and unhappy. When his wife asked him what was troubling him, he answered, ‘I have bad news to give you. The Lord’s calf is dead.’ ‘But,’ she said, ‘you had not decided which was to be the Lord’s calf.’ ‘Oh yes,’ he said; ‘I had always decided it was to be the white one, and it is the white one that has died. The Lord’s calf is dead.’

And Lloyd-Jones ends the story with an indictment; “It is always the Lord’s calf that dies.”

Maybe that’s a bit harsh. Maybe not “always” but surely “often.” Often…when the economy goes south and when times get tough and when things get tight, quite often it is the Lord’s calf which we sacrifice on the altar of earthly treasure, rather than heavenly treasure. Jesus said “Listen, no one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You can’t serve God and mammon.” What does that mean? It means that you cannot put both God and material things first. You can’t make God and money co-equals at the top of your hierarchy of values. You can’t invest your heart in both at the same time. Jesus says you’ll end up loving one and hating the other. Everything is at stake! Invest wisely. Let the Lord be the ruler of your heart. “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these others things shall be added unto you.”

What’s the buy in? All of your money? No, that’s not really what the Lord wants. The buy in is all of your heart. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” If money prevents you from loving God that way, get rid of it. Bob Marley said, “Don’t gain the gold and lose your soul.” Jesus said it first, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”(Mark 8:36)

What’s the trustworthiness and track record of the One making this offer? He is none other than the Maker of Heaven and Earth. He is the One who loves you the most and who has proven it through the Cross. He is the One who guarantees never to leave you nor forsake you, and He has never broken a promise. So there is no risk of a deal gone bad.

What is the return on investment? To give up everything that you cannot keep in exchange for that which you can never lose. Treasures in heaven, infinitely valuable, infinitely wonderful, infinitely joyous, incorruptible, and eternal.

“Count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8)

Pastoral Prayer:

Father God, I pray that the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened, that we may know what is hope of Your high calling for our lives;

That we may know what are the riches of the glory of the inheritance that is ours in Jesus;

And the surpassing greatness of Your power toward us who believe;

That we who have be saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, would be able to understand with all the saints,
the breadth and length, the height and depth,
of the love of Christ which surpasses comprehension.

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Matthew 6:16-18

2011-01-23T07:20:00.002-06:00

Think about what we have learned thus far from Matthew Chapter 6. We’ve read Chapter 6 as a discourse on three extremely important spiritual disciplines. Now, there are many spiritual disciplines Jesus could have discussed, but here, He narrowed it down to three. He teaches us how to give and how not to give. He teaches us how to pray and how not to pray. And the third discipline? Fasting. He teaches us how to fast and how not to fast. Disciples give. Disciples pray. Disciples fast.

Do we really? I’m the chief sinner in this respect. I’ve been convicted over and over again in my study this week. This is an area of great weakness for me, and I need the Lord’s help to practice what I preach…to begin to exercise a spiritual discipline that was so evident and so fruitful in the life of Jesus. What I’m about to share is the fruit of my study, not the fruit of my practice.

If you want some good practical advice on how to fast, I would recommend Richard Foster’s book, Celebration of Discipline. It contains a helpful chapter on fasting. What I want to focus upon this morning is not the method of fasting, but rather the Biblical rational for fasting. I think this will be a more beneficial exploration that you can build upon in your own study. And, it is definitely something we need to study. Some Christians fast without really understanding what the Bible teaches. As is evident in the text this morning, sometimes people fast for all the wrong reasons. So, I think that if we look at what the Bible teaches, maybe it will open a whole new way for us to experience the deeper nourishment of our souls – through a Biblical understanding of fasting.

Let’s lay down some facts and principles:
1. Biblical fasting is not a weight loss plan. It’s not a diet. Please don’t think that fasting will make you a spiritual giant in skinny jeans!
2. Fasting is not a justification for self-punishment, or a way to hide an eating disorder.
3. A person who undertakes a fast, needs to be medically and psychologically healthy. You need to have a good measure of common sense. And, if you have questions about the medical ramifications, you need to consult your doctor before undertaking a fast.
4. The fact that the Old and New Testaments both affirm the goodness of fasting doesn’t negate the truth that food is also good. Eating is good. Eating good food is even better! We need to eat good food to stay healthy, and God desires that we enjoy it. God put Adam and Eve in a garden, with an abundance of good food to eat, and to enjoy.
5. Yet, like anything in a fallen world, we can pervert a good thing by taking it to extremes. You can hardly watch ten minutes of television or drive a mile down a blacktop road without multiple reminders to eat, which Satan uses to tempt us to excess. It’s been Satan’s way since the beginning of human history to use food as means to cause us to sin. How did the crafty serpent tempt Adam and Eve? With food. “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes…she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:6) How did Satan cause Noah to fall so shamefully after the great Flood? Through the fruit of the vine, in excess and drunkenness. For what did Esau forsake the birthright and blessing? A bowl of stew. Why did the Children of Israel grumble against the God who had set them free from slavery in Egypt? “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.” (Numbers 21:5) Satan turned them against God through their stomachs by giving them a bitter taste for the sweet manna from heaven.
6. Fasting is not the corrective for the sin of gluttony. I’ve already told you that gluttony is a weakness for me. It’s self-evident. What if I told you, “I’m going to do battle with my sin of gluttony by starting a fast.” What if I told you, “I’m going to try to battle the sin of gluttony by going on a 40 day fast.” Or, “to deal with my sin, I’m going to fast several days a week, or by skipping meals.” How would you respond? I hope you know enough about the Gospel to say, “Listen friend, you can’t rid yourself of that sin by fasting or by any other human effort. The way to be rid of the sin which plagues you, is to lean upon Jesus.” Fasting might cleanse my body of toxins, but it won’t cleanse my soul of sin. Only the crucified and risen Lord Jesus can do that. Trust not in your works. Trust in Him.
7. Biblical fasting involves putting something aside in order to put God first. Ordinarily, fasting is to abstain from food, but one can fast from any number of things. J.I. Packer says, “We tend to think of fasting as going without food. But we can fast from anything. If we love music and decide to miss a concert in order to spend time with God, that is fasting. It is helpful to think of the parallel of human friendship. When friends need to be together, they will cancel all other activities in order to make that possible. There's nothing magical about fasting. It's just one way of telling God that your priority at that moment is to be alone with him, sorting out whatever is necessary, and you have cancelled the meal, party, concert, or whatever else you had planned to do in order to fulfill that priority.” (Your Father Loves You p. 14)
8. Central to the proper motivation for Biblical fasting is a desire to become more dependent upon God, thus more obedient and more useful to Him. R. C. Sproul says “Fasting is extremely beneficial to our spiritual growth and our prayer lives. Going without food helps reminds us how much we depend on God for our sustenance and, indeed, for all things. This helps us seek Him fervently, for we know that the only hope we have to see our loved ones saved and our lives changed is through His working. Consider taking some time to fast and pray this week so that you may know what it means to rely wholly on the Lord.” (www.ligoner.org)

When we study the people in the Bible who fasted, we see these principles illustrated. Why did people in the Bible fast? Because God commanded them to fast. Well, actually no. (Here is another important principle). There is only one time in the Bible where people are commanded to fast. That was on the great Day of Atonement, when they not only fasted from food, but from drink, and from work, and from bathing, and from wearing sandals and from having sex. Every other occurrence of fasting in the Bible is strictly voluntary. Jesus assumes that we fast. “When you fast…” (Matthew 6:16&18) He guides our fasting. “Do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do…anoint your head and wash your face” (Matthew 6:17) and do your fasting in secret. But He never once commands us to fast. So, if you want to fast Biblically, you will choose to do it not out of duty or obligation, but freely as you are moved in your own heart by the Holy Spirit to offer this gift to the Lord.

Look at who fasted in the Bible: Moses the great deliverer. David the king. Elijah the prophet. Nehemiah the builder. Esther the queen. Daniel the visionary. These great people in the Old Testament (among many others) fasted primarily for two reasons. First, as a sign of repentance. So, we can be instructed by a man like David, who entered a time of fasting after being convicted of his sin with Bathsheba. David is truly sorry for his sin, and he fasted in order to show the Father the depth of his repentance. Second, they fasted as an act of sorrow. What did Nehemiah do when the news of the dismal state of Jerusalem came to his attention? He fasted as an expression of his grief. He loved the people of God and the holy city of Jerusalem, and so, in solidarity with those who were suffering greatly, he fasted.

Just as we have seen in the case of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day, who fasted for self-righteous and hypocritical reasons, there were also people in the Old Testament who fasted for the wrong reasons. They fasted in hopes that they could manipulate God into doing something for them. Sometimes we treat God like that too, as though God is a heavenly slot machine and our self-sacrifices are the nickels. In Isaiah 58 the people say, “Why have we fasted and Thou dost not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and Thou dost not notice?” (verse 3) Or in other words, “Our fast hasn’t moved God to do what we want Him to do.” You see, they want God to do favors for them, but they weren’t at all interested in doing favors for people in need. God says, “But on the day you fast, you mistreat your workers…you end your fast with strife and contention and wickedness.” (verse 3&4) “This is the fast that I’m looking for,” God says. “To loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and to break every yoke…to divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into the house…to cover the naked.” (verses 6&7) God wants us to fast from sinfulness and feast on love, kindness, and goodness. James Montgomery Boice says, “In other words, God says that ceremonial fasting means nothing. The only fasting that is of any value is that which involves repentance of sin resulting in a transformed and charitable life. This is what fasting implied before Christ’s coming.” (The Sermon on the Mount, p.209)

In the New Testament, we see a shift in the motivation of fasting from sorrow and repentance, to the setting aside of “the normal distractions of this life in order to seek God’s clear direction” for life. (Boice, p.209) Jesus fasted in the wilderness as He prepared to begin His ministry. He fasted often. Always, in the life of Jesus, fasting is connected to prayer. Fasting, prayer, and feasting on the Word of God went hand in hand in the wilderness of temptation. The Apostle Paul fasted for three days after his life changing encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. For both Jesus and Paul, fasting is a component of a season of intense prayer seeking clarity and direction.

What a great lesson for us! Maybe you’ve been going through a season of uncertainty…maybe you’re worrying about what the future holds…maybe you’ve been praying and waiting a long time for answers…and maybe the lesson for you is to pray AND fast…and maybe then the clarity and direction and answers will come. Maybe a season of prayer and fasting is the Christlike prescription needed to tune out the distraction in order to receive God’s direction.

One of the greatest lessons you and I could learn today from examining the New Testament practice of fasting, is a lesson on the power of faith unleashed in the lives of disciples who practice this Christlike discipline. A story in Matthew 17 makes the point. A poor little boy had been overtaken by a demonic spirit. The boy’s father fell down at the feet of Jesus and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is… very ill; And I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” (Matthew 17:15-16) Well, of course, Jesus immediately healed the boy. Matthew says, “Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” (verse 19) Jesus said, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you.” (verse 20) And then listen to what Jesus says next: “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Verse 21)

What does this mean? C.H. Spurgeon called it “the secret of their failure.” Why did their attempt to cast out the demon fail? Because, in the weakness of their faith, they failed to tap into the life changing power of praying and fasting. “But by prayer and fasting,” Jesus says. There is a greater power of faith that can be unleashed when we truly believe in His power, when we make ourselves completely dependent upon Him, and when follow His example to pray and fast. What a great promise! Jesus says, “And nothing will be impossible to you.”

Pastoral Prayer:
Father, we need your help:
To fast from hate; and feast on love.
To fast from judging others; and feast on the image of God they bear.
To fast from words that pollute; and feast on words that edify.
To fast from discontent; and feast on gratitude.
To fast from anger; and feast on patience.
To fast from worry; and feast on trust.
To fast from complaining; and feast on appreciation.
To fast from noise; and feast on prayer.
To fast from resentment; and feast on forgiveness.
To fast from self-absorption; and feast on compassion.
To fast from discouragement; and feast on hope.
To fast from things that nourish only the body, and feast on things which nourish the soul.

Matthew 6:14-15

2011-01-16T15:09:00.000-06:00

In Matthew 6:12, Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Then, in verse 13, Jesus concludes the teaching on the Lord’s Prayer; “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” And in the very next breath, Jesus brings the Sermon on the Mount back to forgiveness. “For if you forgive others their trespasses, our heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” Why? Let me share a story that helps make the point.

Michael Christopher’s acclaimed play, "The Black Angel," tells the story of Herman Engel, a Nazi general in World War II, and a man named Morrieaux, a French journalist obsessed with Engel's punishment. Engel is tried at Nuremberg and Morrieaux is there covering the story as a journalist but more so as a victim. Engel massacred Morrieaux's family and now Morrieaux wanted to see nothing less than the death penalty. The jury deliberates and returns with the verdict. "Thirty years imprisonment for the atrocities of war." Morrieaux is crushed. His whole family butchered and Engle is allowed to live. Morrieaux wonders, ‘Where is the justice?’

Engle lives out his prison sentence. Upon his release, he and his wife build a little cabin in the forest on a hill above a small village and there they seek to live out their lives alone, incognito. For thirty years, Morrieaux's hate festers. Soon after Engel is released from prison, Morrieaux tracks him down. He talks to the people in the village below Engel's cabin. He convinces them that their lives were in danger living in such close proximity to such a monster, and Morrieaux enlists the services of the villagers to finally bring about justice. Later that night, as planned, the villagers would surround Engel's cabin, set it ablaze, and shoot both Engel and his wife.

The journalist in Morrieaux is compelled to have all of his questions answered, to complete the puzzle about his family's massacre. Mustering up all of his courage, he ventures out toward Engel's cabin. Morrieaux knocks on the door of the cabin, introduces himself as a journalist and finds himself face to face with an old man, guilty of an unspeakable crime. He asks question after question about the events of the killing...probing, struggling, grilling Engel about the evil events of his family's massacre. But, as the afternoon wore down into the evening, Morrieaux found himself face to face with a feeble old man...guilty, but old and feeble, no longer a threat to anyone.

As the sun sets, Morrieaux's vengeance blurs into pity and he blurts out that the villagers would surround the house at dark to burn him out and to execute him. Morrieaux offers to lead Engel and his wife away from danger, saving his life. Engel says, "My friend, I will go with you on one condition..." Morrieaux is confused and outraged. 'What does he mean?...Is he mad?...I'm offering to save his guilty life and he lays down a condition for me?...What condition?'

"That you forgive me?"

In the stillness of a moment that seemed like an eternity Morrieaux remembered his family and their cruel death. Even with the rage that filled him, he could bring himself to save this guilty man's life. He could lead Engel away from the cabin, away from the villagers, away from death....But forgive him? No. Nothing could make him forgive Herman Engel and so he left the guilty old man and his wife. Faced with the challenge of forgiveness, he walked away. And that night, the villagers came to the cabin with torches in their hands. They set fire to the cabin and they executed Engel and his wife.

After teaching us to pray, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors,” why is it that in the very next breath, Jesus says, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, our heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses”? Why does Jesus return to the issue of forgiveness? Because, Jesus knows us. He knows how hard it is for us to truly forgive. Jesus knows that forgiveness is without a doubt, the hardest thing a Christian is called to do, and the single most Christlike thing we’ll ever do.

But how? How could someone like Morrieaux forgive someone like Engle? How can the scores of people in Arizona affected by the evil crimes of Jared Loughner ever find the power to forgive? How can you forgive the person who hurt you? Is genuine forgiveness humanly possible?

You have been wronged by someone. Perhaps you were cheated out of money, double crossed by a friend, or experienced the pain of trust violated. Perhaps you were the victim of a violent crime. You have been hurt deeply by the actions or the neglect of another, and you know how terribly difficult it is to forgive. Maybe you have said, “I forgive you," but deep down inside you know the words did not come from your heart. Maybe deep down inside you feel that genuine forgiveness is just not there to give. Maybe like Morrieaux, you would rather turn and walk away than offer genuine, complete forgiveness.

We are commanded to forgive. The forgiveness we receive from God is clearly tied to the forgiveness we extend to others. But is forgiveness humanly possible? The answer is no. Forgiveness is not humanly possible. Some of you are shocked by that statement. But it is the simple truth. Genuine forgiveness (not just saying "okay, don't worry about it, I forgive you, just forget about it) the kind of forgiveness we read about in the New Testament is not humanly impossible....the kind of forgiveness which says "I truly forgive you...I will accept you in love...I will never hold this against you nor will I ever allow the past to color the way I think about you..." This kind of forgiveness is beyond human power.

Maybe you have had a hard time forgiving someone because you looked to the wrong place as the source of that forgiving power. The power to forgive is not found within. If you are in Christ, then true forgiveness is a power made available to you by the Crucifed Risen Lord. It is a gift that comes from on high that we receive and share with others. Forgiveness is not ours to create, but ours to accept from God and pass along to others. He commands us to forgive, and if you will let Him, He will also allow you to tap into the power to forgive. Look not within for that power. Look to Him.

When someone says "Rise and Shine," they're not asking you to create the day but to participate in it. When Christ tells us to forgive one another, He's not telling us to create forgiveness, but to participate in the gift that has already been given to us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The old saying is so true: "To err is human, to forgive is divine." Genuine forgiveness is not humanly possible…not by human power. But if you are in Christ, you can tap into His power to forgive.

Who do you need to forgive today? Seek the power to forgive, not from within, but from Christ, the One who has so graciously forgiven you. Seek that power from Him and forgiveness will flow, and God will be glorified.

Morrieaux had the chance to forgive, but walked away. What will you do?

Corrie ten Boom tells the story of a speaking engagement where she talked to the listeners about the Christian imperative to forgive. And when she finished, she stood down front as the kind people came forward to greet her....to shake her hand and tell her what a marvelous job she had done. And one man came up to her and he extended his hand and said, "Sister ten Boom, it is an honor to meet you and I want you to know just how wonderful it was to hear you tonight, and it is even more wonderful for me to think that Jesus has washed away my sin." The man stood there with his hand outstretched waiting for Corrie ten Boom to offer her hand and she said the memories came over her like a tidal wave. There came over her an instant chill of recognition. The man who stood before her with his hand outstretched was one of the guards in the gas chamber where her sister Betsy was murdered. And all of the horror and the suffering and the anger and the pain came rushing back in that brief moment, and she said in telling of this event, "I could not move my hand." She prayed, "Lord, what do I do?" Still, she could not move her hand because. She prayed again, "Oh Lord, help me to say something, to do something.” Still she could not move. Then she prayed, “God, I cannot forgive this man. You forgive him and Lord, forgive me too." And she said, “Then with a power not my own, my hand was lifted and it took the hand of an old enemy,” and forgiveness began to flow.

"To err is human, to forgive is divine."

Matthew 6:13

2011-01-09T09:52:00.002-06:00

Last Sunday, we examined the petition, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Jesus taught us that when we pray, we should confess our sin, ask for forgiveness, and forgive others as we have been mercifully forgiven by God.
In the next petition of the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to ask our Heavenly Father for help in battling the temptation to sin, and to spare us from the clutches of the evil one. Later in Matthew, Jesus will urge His disciples, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation" (Matt 26:41). It should be of comfort to disciples today, to know that Jesus not only taught us to pray for help in battling temptation, but that He experienced temptation, and in so doing, He gives us a perfect example of how to remain faithful when we’re attacked by temptation.
In order to understand how this prayer (“Lead us not into temptation…”) functions in the Christian life, we need to examine the temptation of Christ. I invite you to turn your Bibles to Luke 3:21, and follow along.

Luke describes a powerful scene: Jesus submits to baptism and as He prays, the heavens opened, the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove, and then the Father’s voice was heard: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Then, you will notice that Luke takes us on a genealogical tour from Jesus the “Son of God,” in verse 23, all the way back to Adam the “son of God” in verse 38. Why the genealogy? First, Luke wants us to remember the fact that Adam failed. Adam sinned and Satan won the first battle for the souls of men. But Satan didn’t win the war! The New Testament refers to Jesus as the “Second Adam.” Now, the “Second Adam” stands ready to fight.

Everything is at stake! When Adam was tempted He failed, and everything changed. Sin, and pain, and death enter the world. The consequences of Adam’s fall are horrible enough. But now, everything is at stake! If Jesus fails in His season of temptation, everything’s over. You and I will live and die in our sin, and then every single one of us would fall into the clutches of Satan eternally. Let’s see what happens. (Luke 4:1-13)

Jesus wins a stunning, hard fought battle! Don’t think for a minute that it was easy for Jesus. Consider the differences between the Temptation of Adam and the Temptation of Jesus:

Adam was tempted in a beautiful and bountiful garden with plenty to eat and many things to enjoy. All of his genuine needs perfectly met in the perfect paradise. Jesus broiled under the sun of a lifeless desert, with nothing to eat for 40 days. Adam had the companionship of his lovely wife, Eve. Jesus was alone.

Why the difference? Because if Jesus is going to undo the horrible work of Adam’s fall, He’s going to have to fight on the battle ground that Adam’s sin made of the world. Paradise is lost to sin. Now, the world is place of hunger and pain and loneliness. A deadly place. The battle ground of Temptation is so much more difficult for Jesus.

This time, the Devil waited until the heat, the hunger, and the loneliness began to take a toll.... until he thought ‘surely Jesus’ defenses would be compromised.’ He waited until he thought ‘you know, I bet after 40 days of heat, hunger, and loneliness, surely Jesus would be doubting the words of the Father: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” I bet Jesus doesn’t feel very well pleased now! I’ll catch Him at His weakest moment. It had to seem like an opportunity of lifetime for the Devil.

And so, Satan lithers up next to Jesus and begins the subtle assault.
“I know you’re hungry. If you really are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread.”

Do you see what he’s doing? He’s appealing to Jesus’ intense hunger, and trying to convince Him to forgo any further personal suffering, and He desperately wants Jesus to doubt the Father’s Word. (“This is My beloved Son.”) Because, you see, if Jesus doubts the Word of God, then He will forgo any further suffering, and there will be no Cross, no sacrifice on our behalf, no redemption, no forgiveness.

And look at the second temptation:
“Just worship me for a moment - no one will see - just tip your hat to me, Jesus, and I’ll give you the world.” Because if he could get Jesus to worship him, there would be no perfect obedience, no perfect righteousness, no perfect holiness, and it would render the sacrifice on the Cross completely ineffective.

Look at the third temptation:
“If you really are the Son of God, take a dive off the Temple....you know what the Good Book says in the Psalms, “He will send His angels to protect you.” He drops the bomb of doubt and confusion on Him again - “If you are the Son of God.” And he even quotes Scripture, but in way that totally perverts the truth. The Devil’s strategy?
Make Jesus doubt the Father’s Word.
Make Him compromise obedience.
Make Him avoid the Cross.
Make Him use His power in a way that will cause the world to bow down to Him as a miracle man, but not as a Savior from our sins.

The Devil knew that if there would be no Crucifixion, then there would be no empty tomb, and no Triumphant Risen Lord. And, he would win again. In Paradise, Adam fell. But in the wilderness, Jesus wins! The Son of God endures the assault of the Tempter in loving obedience to the Father, on our behalf.

How do we handle temptation? Like Christ! Pray and fight like Jesus. Pray, “Lead us not in temptation,” then fight it just as He fought. If you believe you can resist the temptation to sin in any way other than that of Christ, you will fail. But if you follow the example of Jesus you will find Him fighting the battle for you, and He will win again!

How did Jesus fight the battle? Three times Jesus was tempted and three times Jesus resists the temptation by believing the Word, knowing the Word, applying the Word, and speaking the Word.

Jesus believed that the Scriptures are the very Word of God, the voice of the Father. When you pick up that Bible, what are you holding? Is it a classic of literature; a hodgepodge of ancient religious writings? Do you believe it contains error and contradiction? Or, do you believe that you have in your hands the very Word of God, inspired and infallible? Are you holding another book or the Holy Bible, through which you too hear the voice of your Father? What strength would Jesus have found from a book of partial truth, error and contradiction? None. Jesus believed the Scriptures to be the Word of God, true in all its parts. Do you believe the Word?

Jesus resists the temptation by knowing the Word so intimately that the appropriate defense was ready on His lips. To know the Word, you must read the Word and study the Word, and join yourself to other Christians who hold the Word of God in highest esteem and study the Word with them. You have to crack open that spine and read it so often that it becomes internalized. Then, like Jesus, the Scriptures will become second nature to you. When you’re tempted, or when you’re puzzled, or when you’re confused, or when a friend needs you to be a source of comfort and wisdom, you will be ready. Do you know the Word? Do you know it intimately enough to apply the Word rightly? Do you know the Word so well that you can speak it accurately, and boldly, and intelligently?

How do we battle temptation?
Pray like Jesus. Then, fight like Jesus with the Word of God as your weapon and your armor. Believing the Word. Knowing the Word. Speaking the Word.

Luke tells us that after temptation, the Devil left Jesus “until an opportune time.” He would assault Jesus again in the Garden of Gethsemane, and fail. There would be another opportune time as Jesus hung in agony from the Cross.... “If you are the Son of God, come down and save yourself.” And again the Devil would fail and Jesus would prove victoriously faithful.

Paul says the Devil is like a lion prowling about, looking for someone to devour, ready to pounce upon you any given moment. Every day is an opportune time for the Tempter. We need to pray this prayer every day – “Lord, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.”

Pray, and then fight like Jesus, and He will be victorious in you. And then, you will praise Him; “For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, Amen.”

Matthew 6:12

2011-01-02T10:14:00.002-06:00

Forgiveness. We pray it, but how do we live it?

The key is in understanding Biblical forgiveness. What is the Biblical concept of forgiveness?

The first key is this - we live in a fallen world, a world marred by the reality of sin. I’m a sinner and you’re a sinner, and everything we do, think, and say (even when we are at our best) is tainted by the reality of sin. Even when someone has sinfully hurt me, I’m still a sinner. And so, as a sinner, I will process the wrong that was done to me. And as a sinner, I will try to figure out how to respond to it. Even if that person gets down on their knees begs forgiveness, I, the sinner, will try to forgive. Because, you see, even when I’m sinned against, I’m still the sinner.

A second key, implied within Matthew 6:12, is that Christians cannot withhold forgiveness. If you are withholding forgiveness remember, that “all we like sheep have gone astray.”(Isaiah 53:6) We have all sinned against God and against one another. We have wronged others as many times as we have been wronged. The most cruel thing done to you is nothing compared to the heinous sins you and I have committed against a holy and righteous God. And yet, terrible sinner that I am, I have been forgiven. Who am I, then, to withhold forgiveness? If I’m going to ask the Lord to forgive me my debts, then I must also be willing to forgive my debtors. “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

A third key is to understand that all sin incurs a debt and requires a payment. We pray “forgive us our debts,” because a payment must be made to satisfy the debt. Think about our sins against God. God has never once forgiven a sin by saying, “No problem. Don’t worry about.” No. The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death…” and no sin goes unpunished. Somebody has to pay the debt. Either the debtor must die, or, (and this is the good news of the Gospel!) the One who was sinned against (God), can choose to make the payment on behalf of the debtor.

So, how does God forgive us our debts? Willingly and lovingly, Christ takes our place upon the Cross and makes the payment for us. That is the essence of the Gospel.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23). He made the payment for you.

“For God so loved the world that He gave is only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish, but have life everlasting. For God sent His Son into the world not to condemn us, but that through Him we might be saved.” (John 3:16-17) Jesus came not to extract the penalty from you, but to satisfy the debt for you. He came to forgive us our debts.

A fourth key, made clear in our text, is the relationship between the forgiveness we receive from God and the forgiveness we offer others. When you are wronged, still, a debt must be paid. The un-christlike option is to make them pay. Maybe that means cutting them off from your friendship, or a long season of cold shoulder. Maybe you get revenge. “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot.” (Exodus 21:24) Martin Luther King said “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth only leads to a blind and toothless generation.” Lewis Smedes, in his book, “Forgive and Forget,” says that the problem with revenge is that “it never gets what it wants; it never evens the score. Fairness never comes. The chain reaction set off by every act of vengeance always takes its unhindered course. It ties both the injured and the injurer to an escalator of pain...and the escalator never stops, never lets anyone off.

Do you know why Jesus ties the forgiveness we receive from God with the forgiveness we offer to others? Because it is grossly hypocritical to ask forgiveness of God while withhold forgiveness from someone else. And, because it is self-consuming and destructive. The longer it festers in you, the weaker you become and the more prone you are to lashing out in sinful ways and falling deeper into other sins.

Maybe you don’t lash out. Maybe you internalize it and the sun comes back up day after day with your refusal to forgive. You’re only hurting yourself. All that bitterness and anger relived every time you remember the wrong done to you is like a self-destructive disease eating away at you. The person whom you refuse to forgive goes on with life. Soon they forget what they did to you (if they were ever even conscious of it) and they’re just fine. But you’re letting resentment eat you alive. But “when we forgive, we set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner we set free is us.” (Smedes, “The Art of Forgiving: When You Need to Forgive and Don’t Know How” p.178) “Vengeance is mine” saith the Lord. (Deuteronomy 32:35)

You are a Christian. You have put aside the old self and been given new life in Christ. Therefore, you choose to respond in the Christlike manner. A debt must be paid. But like Christ, you choose to repay evil, not with evil, but with good. You choose to pay the debt with forgiveness. What does that mean?

It means that you choose not to relive the wrong over and over again.
It means you work to not dwell on it.
It means that you don’t keep bringing it up in conversation.
It means that you don’t feel yourself to be superior.
It means that you don’t try to align people to your side, and you don’t seize
opportunities to let everyone know what that other person did to you.
It means that no matter how much they hurt or angered you,
you don’t talk bad about them.
It means when you see them, you don’t avoid them.
And it means that you choose to do whatever is necessary and reasonable
to reconcile yourself with the one who hurt you.

That’s the price you must pay. The price is forgiveness. And when you strive to live that way, you begin to discover what Christlike forgiveness is all about. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Pray it and live it.

Where do we find the capacity to forgive? At the foot of the Cross. The Cross of Jesus towers above the sin we have committed against God as well as the sins of others that caused us pain. Stand at the foot of the cross and dare to consider how much pain we caused Him, the cost of our wrong doing, the depths to which we sink and depths to which He was willing to descend in order to forgive us.

Kneel at the Cross of Jesus. Look at the hands and feet of Love, pierced with iron spikes. Look at the head of your Savior and King, adorned with such a crown of suffering. Look at the physical body of the One who loves you most, struggling for each breath. Listen as He says, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

“As a spark which falls into the sea hurts not the sea, but is itself extinguished, so an evil thing befalling a loving soul will be extinguished...” (John Chrysostom)
Render no man evil for evil. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ has forgiven you. He will forgive your debts, as you also forgive your debtors.

Glory be to God! In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Matthew 6:11

2010-12-26T10:11:00.000-06:00

Matthew 6:11 is such a simple verse. It’s a prayer that speaks to our need for simplicity, and the grace of God to sustain us day by day even in our most basic necessities. But behind this verse, there is a deeper truth that you and I need to feed upon this morning – Jesus is the daily bread we need. One the best ways for us to get in touch with this truth is to look at a time when Jesus fed people their daily bread.

John tells the story in Chapter 6 of his gospel. The people have flocked to Jesus out of a deep spiritual hunger. He feeds the soul with His presence and with His truth, but He is also concerned about their physical hunger. They are mostly poor, and they have traveled on foot for many miles, and Jesus wants to feed them daily bread. He looks out across the sea of hungry humanity, feels deep compassion for them, and He asks one of the disciples, “Philip, where are we going to get enough food to feed all these people?” Philip said even if he had six months wages to buy food, it still wouldn’t be enough. But Andrew was there and Andrew said, “Well, there’s a lad over here who has five loaves of barley bread and two fish.” And you know what happened. A miracle happened. Ten, maybe 15,000 people were fed daily bread, and when every belly was full, they gathered up the left-overs...12 baskets full.

The disciples have just witnessed a miracle. Not only that, but they’ve just participated with Jesus in the working out of a miracle (their part being that of helping to identify the meager resources, and then distributing the food as it was miraculously multiplied)....they’ve witnessed a miracle with their very own eyes, they’ve touched a miracle with their hands, and the disciples have even tasted of it.....their bellies were just as full as everyone else. They have literally become a part of a stunning miracle of God providing daily bread for His people.

But what happens next is like a window into our lives.

And John tells us, that when evening comes, Jesus went up the mountain to pray, by Himself, and the disciples just up and leave, without Him! How quickly we turn to Jesus when we’re empty. How quickly we forget Him when we’re full. And how soon we find ourselves in trouble when we depart from Him.

John says that without Jesus, the disciples get caught up in a storm. In the midst of the storm, they look up and see, what at first glance appears to be a ghost. But the apparition is Jesus, who says, “You don’t have to be afraid.” He walks on water and climbs in the boat, and brings a sense of calm and peace, and leads them safely to the shore.

The next morning, the multitudes who had been miraculously fed awaken and Jesus is nowhere to be found. They saw the disciples leave the evening before, but they didn’t see Jesus leave with them. So, they commandeer boats to go in search for the giver of bread. When they find Jesus, they ask, “How did you get here?” Jesus said: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.”

In other words, “You people rowed across the Sea of Galilee for another loaf of bread. Don’t labor for bread which molds. The bread which fills you for eternity....I’ll give it to you.”

They didn’t get it. “There is much more to life than physical bread…You need more than physical bread…You hunger for more than physical bread, and I can give you that something more.”

They say, “Jesus what kind of work do we have to do to get some of that eternal bread?” Jesus said, “This is the work you need to do; that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

Just believe. Just have faith. Just trust. And He will give you what you really need. But they still don’t get it! Listen to their response.

“Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

Can you believe that? They ate a miracle yesterday. They ate so much that their stomachs were still full. “I don’t know Jesus....you’re going to have to do something....give us a reason to believe....show us some kind of sign....something dramatic....like when Moses gave the Children of Israel manna in the wilderness....he gave them bread from heaven. Show us a sign Jesus.”

Jesus said “Moses didn’t give them bread from heaven, God did.” And then He said it. “I am the bread of life.”

First, teaches us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Then, He teaches us not to “labor for the food which perishes, but the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.”

And then Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.”

C. S. Lewis once said the great figures in other religions never made such claims. Lewis said, “Ask Muhammed if he is really Allah and he’d charge you with blasphemy and cut your head off.’ Ask Socrates if he’s really Zeus, and he’d tell you you’re living in a myth. Ask Buddah if he’s god and he’d tell you that you’re living in an illusion. But Jesus said, “I am.”

I am the Bread of Life.

So, when He teaches to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” it is a prayer for simplicity; it is a prayer for God’s providence even of our basic necessities; but I believe, more than anything else, it is a prayer asking Jesus to fill our souls with His life, His power, His forgiving love and grace, every single day of our lives.

Jesus is the source of everything we truly need. Everything! Yes, the bread that fills our bellies, but more importantly, the bread that fills our souls. He is the source of the water that quenches our parched throats, but even more importantly, Jesus is the Living Water that gives life to the parched and dying soul.

And Jesus said to the multitude, “I will give it to you.”

He says the same to you and me, but like that multitude, so much of the time, we can’t hear it. We’ve allowed ourselves to be convinced by the world that the essential nature of man is to feed the physical desires, the physical appetities... to satisfy the physical hunger, when really, that’s not what we were created for. We were made for a higher plain of living - the spiritual life. That’s what Jesus came to do...to feed our souls.

He can give us our daily bread; that’s easy! What He really wants to do is to feed us the Spiritual bread, and fill us with the Living Water and He says, ‘I’ll give it to you.” But all the multitude wanted was another loaf of bread, and if not that, another miracle as proof.

The multitude didn’t get it. Their salvation wouldn’t come through physical bread, or through supernatural signs, but through a painful sacrifice on a rugged cross. Jesus wasn’t their heavenly entertainer, but the Savior of their souls. True satisfaction wouldn’t come through another spectacular miracle, but through a living relationship with the Savior.

“I am the bread of life....the bread of God,” Jesus said, “is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.” “I will give it to you,” Jesus promised.

When the crowd finally got it.....when it finally sunk in....they said, “Lord, evermore give us this bread.”

What about you? What do you say?

Luke 2:8-20

2010-12-12T07:18:00.000-06:00

This afternoon, we are going to have our annual Christmas Pageant. All the characters will be here. Joseph and Mary, and a baby Jesus. Angels and wisemen. King Herod, and sheep, and donkeys. Everyone plays an important role. But I don’t want us to underestimate the role of the shepherds. The way Luke tells the story, shepherds play a key role. This morning, I want us to look at the role they play in the Christmas story, because in doing so, I think we may begin to see the Christmas story as “our story.”

Why did God send the angel to lowly shepherds? Well, I think it has everything to do with what God was doing for man in Christ Jesus. The Shepherd represents ordinary man. They were down to earth people. God sent the angel to announce the birth of Christ, not to the elite, but to ordinary people. Christ the Savior was born as a gift, not to the elite alone, but to ordinary people. You see, what God is looking for in you is not how you measure up to the world’s standard. God isn’t impressed with how much money you have, or how much power you have, or where you stand on the social ladder. God isn’t impressed by what you drive, or what you wear, or how much money you appear to have. God looks at your heart. And, I think in the way the Bible tells the shepherd’s story, we see a picture of the kind of heart God is looking for.

What does the heart of the shepherd look like? Look at where they were. Luke says, “there were some Shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night.” (Luke 2:8) It’s dark and cold out in the desert. All manner of dangerous threats surround them. It’s cold and dark and the shepherd is vulnerable to attack by wolves and lions and thieves. And if you’re out in the desert in the middle of the night, you are quite literally spending the night in the shadow of death; like the heart of an ordinary human being when that heart doesn’t have Jesus residing in it. It’s dark, and cold, and vulnerable. But into those hearts, the Good News of Jesus is about “to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.” (Luke 1:79)

Isaiah prophesied this moment 700 years before the birth of Christ. “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.” (Isaiah 9:2) The light will shine upon shepherds’ hearts; upon sinner’s hearts; upon the hearts of ordinary sinners like you and me.

Luke says, “And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.” (Luke 2:9) Like the heart of an ordinary sinner when suddenly the light of God’s holiness and righteousness shines down upon it. It’s like being in the pitch black of a darkened room for a long time, when suddenly someone flips the switch of a spot light. What does the light do? It shocks your system. It hurts your eyes. And once your eyes begin to adjust, there, exposed in the pure light, you see your heart for what it is. You look around in the room of your heart, and what you see terrifies you. Without Jesus, everything in us is tainted and stained and ugly. You begin to compare the state of your unholy heart with the holiness of God, and it too....the difference.....the chasm of difference between your heart and God’s holiness, terrifies you even more.

Have you ever experienced that? This was Isaiah’s experience when the glory of the Lord confronted him. “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of host.” (Isaiah 6:5) And it happened to the Shepherds: “and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terribly frightened.” (Luke 2:9)

Let me be so bold as to say, that if you have never experienced that fear (the light of God’s holiness bursting forth into the darkness of a sin-blackened heart), then you cannot truly celebrate Christmas, and you will not understand WHY the Good News of Jesus’ birth is so very supremely good.

To some people, the news of Christ’s birth is not anything more than a nice sentimental story....not much different than Santa Claus, and Rudolph the Red nosed raindeer, and Frosty the Snowman. If you don’t know your need for a Savior, then it’s just a nice story at best. But if you truly know how desperately you need the Savior...if you’ve come to fear the darkness of your heart...and if you’ve discovered that God sent His Son into the world to be your Light and your Savior, then there could be no greater news.

“For God so loved the world (a world full of sin-blackened hearts) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn us, but that we may be saved in Him.” (John 3:16-17)

The light of Christ comes to chase the darkness of sin away. And to Shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night, terribly frightened by the glorious light, comes the comforting message of the angel:

“Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord;” (Luke 2:10-11)

“Twas grace that caused my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.” The knowledge of our sin brings terror, as well it should. But to know the One who came to save us from our sins...to know His forgiving grace in our lives....what great joy!!!

Maybe of all the people in the world to whom God could have revealed the Savior’s birth, maybe Shepherds would understand....the great need that the whole flock of humanity would have for the Good Shepherd. Jesus would one day say, “I am the Good Shepherd; the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)

Why Shepherds?
• Because we see in the Shepherds the good news that the Savior came to ordinary sinners like us.

• Because we see in the Shepherd’s experience, a picture of our hearts, when the light of the Savior and His redeeming love shines down upon it.

• And because we see in the Shepherds a picture what our lives should look once we have heard the Good News of Jesus.

Luke paints a very simple picture:

“They began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” (Luke 2:15) What did they do? They determined to be near Jesus and to let nothing prevent them from getting as close to Him as they could. They went “straight to Bethlehem,” Luke says. If Jesus is your Savior, you too will want nothing more than to be near Him.

“And when they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.” (Luke 2:17) Real Christians, like the Shepherds, know that this news is the very best news in all the world and it MUST be shared. People need to hear what you have come to know and experience in Jesus. If you really understand the full impact of the Gospel, you won’t be able to contain yourself. You’ll want to share it. And, like joyful Shepherds, you will praise the Lord and give Him glory. Luke says “the Shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.” (Luke 2:20)

And Luke says the Shepherds “went back.” Went back where? Went back to what? Well, Luke is probably telling us that these Shepherds went back to being Shepherds, tending their flocks. They went back to their homes. They went back to their wives and their children. They went back to ordinary life, but they would never ever be the same. And you and I will leave here today, and we’ll go back to our beautiful homes and our wonderful families. And tomorrow morning, we’ll wake to another beautiful day. But if, like these Shepherds, you have seen Jesus, whatever you go back to will never be the same once you meet the Lord.

You may go back to the same place and to the same job and to the same set of circumstances and back into the same circle of friendships and relationships, but you won’t go back to the same old same old....if you’ve really met Jesus today. Even if your “going back” is back to the same perplexing and painful problems, things will be different because the One you have met is Immanuel, God with us....
God, with whom all things are possible…
God, who has the power we need…
God, who keeps His promises…
God, who will never leave us nor forsake us…
God, who will never stop loving us...
God, who will see us through.

Glory be to God! In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Micah 5:2-4

2010-12-05T07:20:00.003-06:00

Why was Jesus born in Bethlehem, and not the Holy city of Jerusalem? Why Bethlehem and not Rome or Alexandria? Why some small, seemingly insignificant place as center stage for the most important birth in all of history?
I’d like to explore this question with you, because I think in doing so, we can come to a greater appreciation of God’s great gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.
Why Bethlehem?
First, because the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem speaks of the sovereign majesty of God, who rules over all the earth and over all the circumstances of our lives.
Luke gives the most beautiful historical account of Christ’s birth, and on the surface, he addresses the question from the angle of early First Century middle-eastern politics. Tyrannical governments were in the process of making decisions regarding how much money they would take away from their subjects in taxation. And so, everyone was ordered to return to the place where their family records were kept. There, a census would be taken, and the census would be used to tax the people.
“And all were proceeding to register for the census, everyone to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register, along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.” (Luke 2:3-5)
So, at one level, a man named Joseph was taking his betrothed and her unborn child to Bethlehem at the order of the government for the purpose of paying taxes. But at an infinitely higher level, God was working His purposes out. The angel had already visited Joseph in a dream, saying “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21)
So, you see, Jesus was not born in Bethlehem as a consequence of the decree of Caesar. Jesus was born in Bethlehem by the decree of Almighty God, who is sovereign over all things. We may not feel as though God rules the world, but feelings don’t determine reality. Let the fact of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem sink in, and it will speak great comfort to your life. When decisions are being made above us (often times by people who have no business making those big decisions, and no business sitting in those seats of authority) we have to be reminded of one supreme and glorious fact: God has never ceased, not even for a moment, to exercise His sovereign rule over everything, big and small. No matter how big and powerful and far reaching and intrusive the government gets…God is bigger…and God is good…and God loves us…and God is working His purposes out. Bethlehem proves it! As we sing in another great Christmas Carol:
“He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love.” Christ’s birth in Bethlehem is proof of the sovereign love and power of God. Take comfort. Even when your personal life seems to be governed by chaos…when you can’t make heads nor tails of the events taking place, take comfort in the fact that God is still reigning supreme, even over things we may not understand right now. Bethlehem proves it!

Second, His birth in the “Little Town of Bethlehem” speaks to the trustworthiness of God, the utter reliability of God’s Holy Word, and of the promises He keeps.
Why Bethlehem? The answer is found in the name. Bethlehem was known as the city of David because it was the birthplace of David. 700 years before Joseph took Mary to Bethlehem to heed Caesar’s decree, the Lord God Almighty had declared through the prophet Micah:
“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephratha, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity. Therefore, He will give them up until the time when she who is in labor has borne a child…”
Some might say, ‘But maybe Micah is talking about King David.’ The prophesied King could not be David. David had been born 300 years prior to Micah’s prophecy. The One prophesied to be born in Bethlehem can only be Jesus.
Now, what does this have to do with people like you and me? Well, the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem is one more fact in a large body of evidence verifying the truth of the Scriptures. What does it have to do with us? It means that you can trust God’s Word. All of God’s Word is true, and all of God’s promises contained in His Word are promises kept. You can trust God’s Word. You can trust God’s promises. You can trust God! Christ’s birth in Bethlehem is proof of the trustworthiness of God. Christ is the Word made flesh. Christ is the promise fulfilled.

Third, His birth in the “Little Town of Bethlehem” teaches us to approach God with humility.
Why Bethlehem? Today, Bethlehem is a small town, with a struggling economy. 2000 years ago, Bethlehem was just a little village about a half day’s walk from Jerusalem. So, why would God want His only begotten Son to be born in a small, seemingly insignificant place? Micah touches on another dimension of the answer. He points to the smallness of Bethlehem. But why “O Little Town of Bethlehem”?
God knows how easily impressed we can be with ourselves and our achievements and accomplishments. God knows how prone we are to focus on our glory rather than His glory. Had Jesus been born in a luxurious palace at the center of the most powerful city in the world, people like you and me might not see God’s glory. We might confuse man’s glory with God’s glory. And so, God chose the little town of Bethlehem as the birth place for the King because there was nothing in Bethlehem to distract us or confuse us. The Apostle Paul would explain it this way:
“God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, that, just as it is written, “Let Him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (I Corinthians 1:27-31)
He was born in a humble little town, in the most humble means. There was no room for them in the inn, and so the King was born in a cattle stall. His cradle was a feeding trough. Even as an infant, Jesus is teaching us lessons we should follow for the entirety of our lives. Every Christian’s posture before God should be one of deep humility. Paul says, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself…” (Philippians 2:5-8) Christ is the great teacher of humility.

Fourth, Jesus was born in the “Little Town of Bethlehem” to point us to the essential purpose of His life, and our great need; salvation from our sins.
Why Bethlehem? “Bethlehem” can be translated as “House of Bread.”
No one can say it better than C.H. Spurgeon:
“Ought not Jesus Christ be born in the “house of bread?” He is the Bread of his people, on which they feed. As our fathers ate manna in the wilderness, so do we live on Jesus here below. Famished by the world, we cannot feed on its shadows. Its husks may gratify the swinish taste of worldlings, for they are swine; but we need something more substantial, and in that blest bread of heaven, made of the bruised body of our Lord Jesus, and baked in the furnace of his agonies, we find a blessed food. No food like Jesus to the desponding soul or to the strongest saint. The very meanest of the family of God goes to Bethlehem for it. House of Bread! Whence could come our nourishment but from thee? We have tried Sinai, but on her rugged steeps there grow no fruits, and her thorny heights yield no corn whereon we may feed. We have repaired even to Tabor itself, where Christ was transfigured, and yet there we have not been able to eat his flesh and drink his blood. But Bethlehem, thou house of bread, rightly wast thou called; for there the bread of life was first handed down for man to eat.”
Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life! Have you eaten of that Bread? There is a hunger in your life than can only be satisfied by Jesus. “Salvation belongs to the Lord” and you can only receive it through Jesus. Are you hungry for forgiveness? Are you hungry for new life? Are you hungry for a joy that you’ve never reached because you have yet to taste of the sweetness of Jesus? Today, Jesus invites you to eat of Bread of Life. Will you let Jesus fill you and satisfy you with the precious gift of His salvation?
O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray. Cast out our sin and enter in,
be born to us today. We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell. O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel

Isaiah 9:2-6

2010-11-30T09:02:00.001-06:00

Can you remember how awful it felt as a child to be alone in the dark, when it’s really dark, when it’s so dark you can’t even see your hand in front of your face? It’s terrible. I know a beautiful little girl who was afraid to go into the bathroom by herself because it was so dark, and she wasn’t tall enough to reach the light switch. Just imagine that! She has three problems: She’s afraid of the dark! And she’s too short to reach the switch. And she really has to go! What an awful predicament. I said she’s beautiful, and she’s also very bright. She knew that her big brother was wrapped around her little finger. So, she decided, ‘I don’t have to be scared, I have somebody who can turn on the light.’

We grownups know the terror of darkness too. And we know full well, the many forms and shapes of that darkness. But do you know the One who can turn on the light? The Bible declares that Jesus is the Light of the World.

That broken relationship finally begins to take its toll on you - that’s darkness - but the light of Jesus can bring reconciliation out of that kind of darkness. Do you believe that?

The doctor brings the test results of a dreaded illness, and in that moment, you experience the life’s darkness, but the light of Jesus is shining. You may not see it at first. You may not recognize it, but His light can bring healing out of that darkness. Do you believe it?

The graveside service is over and you walk back to your car, and that short walk is for you, the valley of the shadow of death. But if you are a Christian, in time, you will discover the promise, “Thou art with me.” And the light of Jesus shall shine in the form of everlasting life. Do you believe it?

Darkness takes many forms. Broken relationships, illness, grief. But there is another kind of darkness spoken of in the Bible; the primary reason for which God sent Jesus. It’s the darkness of sin.

This is the first Sunday in Advent, the beginning of our celebration of the birth of Jesus, and you may not have come here today to hear about sin. But I would argue that unless you understand something about the reality of the darkness of sin in the world and in our lives, the celebration of Christmas is meaningless sentimentalism.

Isaiah understood it. To get the point the text, you first need to understand something of the role of the Biblical prophet. They were not fortune tellers, reading palms and tea leaves, and crystal balls to predict the future. No. They were godly men, inspired first to see the world as it truly is, and then, to speak the very Word of God to the world. Often God told them to speak a word of warning and judgment because of the darkness of human sin. Often too, God gave them a very special word to speak; a word of glorious promise.

When Isaiah looked into his world (700 years before the birth of Christ) what did he see? Well, backtrack a little into chapter eight and we will see.

In 8:17, Isaiah says that there is so much darkness in the world that God is hiding His face from the people. In 8:19 we are told why: People refuse to turn toward God. They turn to anyone and anything other than God for truth and for answers. In 8:20, he says that the people would rather settle for the darkness rather than turn to the light. In 8:20-21, Isaiah says that the very darkness people have become accustomed to will be the darkness through which God will judge them. And one of the most sobering descriptions of sinful man ever recorded brings verse 20 to a close:

“They have no dawn.”

Years ago, I was hoping to hunt ducks one morning deep in the Delta National Forrest. Sarah Norris’ Dad and I were slogging through the flooded timber in our waders, hauling guns and decoys, about an hour before sunrise. It was the darkest night I’d ever seen. We had made the journey many times before, but never in this kind of darkness. Never needed flashlights and never carried a compass. Sunrise would always guide us East to the familiar duck hole, but this particular morning, a dense fog began to set in before sunrise. For us, there was no dawn, and we were lost. We walked all morning long carrying our heavy load, praying every step that somehow the sun would peak through the dense fog.

Imagine how you would feel if God said over you, “There shall be no dawn for you…You have refused to turn toward Me…You have loved the darkness rather than My light, therefore I give you over to the darkness.” One of the ways the ancient Hebrew people pictured hell, was Sheol, a place of complete and utter darkness where you are totally, completely, eternally alone…isolated in the darkness forever.

Isaiah says that many of the people in his day would have no dawn. We need to take God’s Word seriously, including the word of warning. We can be just like the people of Isaiah’s day – so accustomed to our sin that we no longer recognize it as sin; so familiar and comfortable with our sin that we no longer fear the darkness of it, and no longer fear God who judges us.

How much darker would life be if God were to hide his face from you?
Wouldn’t it be better to forsake the darkness of sin and walk in the light of the Lord?

Isaiah preached about human sin and Divine judgment. But he also preached the promise! For those who turn to the Lord, you will see the glorious light of dawn.

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2)

And you see, the message of Isaiah isn’t to point to some generic kind of light, but specifically and directly to Jesus as the Light of the World.

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

And there are other places in Isaiah where the birth of Christ is foretold. Listen to Isaiah 7:14:

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with Child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us.”)”

And listen to Isaiah 11:1-6:

“Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision by what His ears hear; But with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth ; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, and faithfulness the belt about His waist. And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them.”

And God kept His promise. The child was born. He grew up to be a man. One day, after giving sight to a man born blind, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

You know what it means to walk in the darkness. Here’s the critical question: Is Jesus your light? And if you say “Yes,” what would be the evidence to back up your claim?

The Bible says the evidence should first be in the form of belief. Jesus is your light if you believe in Him and trust in Him. Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of sinners?

The Bible also says the evidence will be in the change of heart…in the thoughts, words, and deeds of a follower of Jesus. The kind of life we used to live when we walked in the darkness will be forsaken, and every day, we will walk more boldly into the light. More and more, Christlike thoughts words and deeds will characterize our lives; goodness, kindness, truthfulness, love, righteousness. Are you walking in the light or in the darkness?

Finally, the Bible says the evidence will be seen in our desire to lead others into the glorious light of Christ. Once there was a blind man sitting in the middle of a huge city at a busy street corner with a lantern in his hand. A pragmatic fellow came up and asked him, “What’s up with the lantern? Why hold up a lantern if you can’t tell the difference between darkness and light?” The blind man said, “That’s not for me…that’s for others.”

Jesus is the Light of the World. Is He your light?
Believe in Him. Walk in the light of His ways. And let your light shine, so that others stumble in the darkness no longer.