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Soar Like Eagles #11 “I Am the Son of God!” John 10:22-42

16 May

“Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter (23) and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade ‘The Jews gathered around him, saying “How long will vou keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

The origin of the Festival of Dedication lies in one of the greatest times of ordeal and heroism in Jewish history.  There was a king of Syria called Antiochus Epiphanes who reigned from 175 to 164 B.C.  He was a lover of all things Greek.  He decided that he would eliminate the Jewish religion once and for all, and introduce Greek ways and thoughts, Greek religion and gods into Palestine.  At first he tried to do so by peaceful penetration of ideas.  Some of the Jews welcomed the new ways, but most were stubbornly loyal to their ancestral faith.

It was in 170 B.C. that the deluge really came.  In that year Antiochus attacked Jerusalem.  It was said that 80,000 Jews perished, and as many were sold into slavery.  It became a capital offence to possess a copy of the law, or to circumcise a child; and mothers who did circumcise their children were crucified with their children hanging round their necks.

The Temple courts were profaned; the Temple chambers were turned into brothels; and finally Antiochus took the dreadful step of turning the great altar of the burnt-offering into an altar to Olympian Zeus, and on it proceeded to offer swine’s flesh to the pagan gods.

It was then that Judas Maccabaeus and his brother arose to fight their epic fight for freedom.  In 164 B.C. the struggle was finally won; and in that year the Temple was cleansed and purified.  The altar was rebuilt and the robes and the utensils were replaced, after three years of pollution.

It was to commemorate that purification of the Temple that the Feast of the Dedication was instituted.  Judas Maccabaeus enacted that “the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept in their season from year to year, by the space of eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month of Chislew, with gladness and joy” (1 Maccabees 4:59).

For that reason the festival was sometimes called the Festival of the Dedication of the Altar, and sometimes the Memorial of the Purification of the Temple.

But as we have already seen, it had still another name.  It was often called the Festival of Lights.  There were great illuminations in the Temple; and there were also illuminations in every Jewish home.  In the window of every Jewish house there were set lights.

According to Rabbi Shammai, eight lights were set in the window, and they were reduced each day by one until on the last day only one was left burning.  According to Rabbi Hillel, one light was kindled on the first day, and one was added each day until on the last day eight were burning.  We can see these lights in the windows of every devout Jewish home to this day.

These lights had two significances.  First, they were a reminder that at the first celebrating of the festival the light of freedom had come back to Israel.  Second, they were traced back to a very old legend.  It was told that when the Temple had been purified and the great seven branched candlestick relit, only one little cruse of unpolluted oil could be found.  This cruse was still intact, and still sealed with the impress of the ring of the High Priest.

By all normal measures, there was only oil enough in that cruse to light the lamps for one single day.  But by a miracle it lasted for eight days, until new oil had been prepared according to the correct formula and had been consecrated for its sacred use.  So for eight days the lights burned in the Temple and in the homes of the people in memory of the cruse which God had made to last for eight days instead of one.

It is not without significance that it must have been very close to this time of illumination that Jesus said:  “I am the Light of the world.”  When all the lights were being kindled in memory of the freedom won to worship God in the true way, Jesus said:  “I am the Light of the world; I alone can light men into the knowledge and the presence of God.”

“Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, {26} but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. {27} My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. {28} I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. {29} My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. {30} I and the Father are one.””

Jesus’s answer was that he had already told them who he was.  Jesus’s two great claims had been made in private.  To the Samaritan woman he had revealed himself as the Messiah (John 4:26) and to the man born blind he had claimed to be the Son of God (John 9:37).  But there are some claims which do not need to be made in words, especially to an audience well-qualified to perceive them.

This passage shows at one and the same time the tremendous trust and the tremendous claim of Jesus.

In Jesus’ day, people had different understandings of what “the Christ” would be. If Jesus said, “Yes, I am the Christ,” He would be terribly misunderstood by the people who expected “the Christ” to be a powerful, earthly king like David or Solomon.

If He said, “No,” then He would be denying the truth about Himself.

Jesus promised three things.

(i)  He promised eternal life.  He promised that if they accepted him as Master and Lord, if they became members of his flock, all the littleness of earthly life would be gone and they would know the splendor and the magnificence of the life of God.

(ii)  He promised a life that would know no end.  Death would not be the end but the beginning; they would know the glory of indestructible life.

(iii)  He promised a life that was secure.  Nothing could snatch them from his hand.  This would not mean that they would be saved from sorrow, from suffering and from death; but that in the sorest moment and the darkest hour they would still be conscious of the everlasting arms underneath and about them.  Even in a world crashing to disaster they would know the serenity of God.

He also described the nature of the true believers:

– Sensitivity. They hear my voice (vs. 27)

– Fellowship. I know them (vs. 27)

– Obedience. They follow me (vs. 27)

– Life. I gave them eternal life (vs. 28)

– Assurance. They shall never perish (vs. 28)

– Security. No one shall snatch them out of my hand (vs. 28)

Do these verses teach eternal security, with no possibility of “falling from grace?” The verses clearly indicate that this promise is to those who hear the voice and follow the voice.  Those who fall do so on their own volition; it is not because of any failure of the Lord nor because temptation is irresistible. Before all men is the choice of good and evil; some choose good and some choose evil.

The Jewish leaders understood clearly what He was saying: “Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, {32} but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” {33} “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.””

To the Jews Jesus’s statement that he and the Father were one was blasphemy.  It was the invasion by a man of the place which belonged to God alone.  The Jewish law laid down the penalty of stoning for blasphemy.  “He who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him” (Leviticus 24:16).

He told them that he had spent all his days doing lovely things, healing the sick feeding the hungry, and comforting the sorrowing, deeds so full of help and power and beauty that they obviously came from God.  For which of these deeds did they wish to stone him?  Their answer was that it was not for anything he had done that they wished to stone him, but for the claim he was making.

Our Lord used Psalm 82:6 to refute their accusation and halt their actions: “Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’? {35} If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came–and the Scripture cannot be broken– {36} what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? {37} Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. {38} But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.””

The picture in Psalm 82 is that of a court, where God has assembled the judges of the earth, to warn them that they too will one day be judged. These Jewish leaders certainly knew their own language and they knew that Jesus was speaking the truth. If God called human judges ‘gods,’ then why should they stone Him for applying the same title to Himself?

Verse 36 is critical because it gives a double affirmation of the deity of Christ:

– the Father sanctified (set apart) the Son and sent Him into the world

– Jesus states boldly that He was the Son of God (5:25)

What was their response? “Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp. {40} Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. Here he stayed {41} and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true.” {42} And in that place many believed in Jesus.”

This was apparently a place which would provide a safe retreat; the Jewish leaders were not likely to follow Him there. Also it was a good place to prepare for His final week of public ministry when He would lay down His life for the sheep.

The place to which Jesus went is most significant.  He went to the place where John had been accustomed to baptize, the place where he himself had been baptized.  It was there that the voice of God had come to him and assured him that he had taken the right decision and was on the right way.  There is everything to be said for a man returning every now and then to the place where he had the supreme experience of his life.

Even on the far side of Jordan the Jews came to Jesus, and they too thought of John.  They remembered that he had spoken with the words of a prophet; but had done no mighty deeds.  They saw that there was a difference between Jesus and John.  To John’s proclamation Jesus added God’s power.  John could diagnose the situation; Jesus brought the power to deal with the situation.  These Jews had looked on John as a prophet; now they saw that what John had foretold of Jesus was true, and many of them believed.

At the Jordan many people came to Him. This was an act of faith on their part. They said, “While John performed no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true” (10:41).

Their words implied that John had not performed any signs, in contrast to Jesus, who had performed many signs. Significantly, the special word John used for “sign” appears in verse 41 for the first time in chapter 10.

Earlier in the chapter, Jesus’ miracles were called only “works,” because they had not produced faith in the hearts of those who had seen them. However, where faith in Jesus is described in verse 41, the word “sign” reappears.

The conclusion of all the events in chapter 10 is that “many believed in Him there” (10:42).  

By this point in the Gospel of John, those who believed in Jesus had come to understand that the content of true belief is that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

They had also come to understand that the cost of this belief could be conflict, division, and even the threat of death. After all, we see them at the end of the chapter with a band of outcasts in the wilderness, following the One in whom they had come to believe.

Even though John presented a tough message about how costly faith can be, his message is, at the same time, one of encouragement. He wanted us to understand that we will be opposed as believers in Christ.

However, it should not surprise us or crush our spirits. Furthermore, the example of Jesus is to stand firm on the truth we believe—even when we are persecuted. His consistent response to violent opposition was to speak truth, and we should do the same.

Jesus is the Door: Have I ‘entered’ in by faith so I can be saved?

Jesus is the Good Shepherd: Have I heard His voice and trusted Him?

Jesus is the Son of God: Do I believe this and is He first in my life?

 
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Posted by on May 16, 2017 in Gospel of John

 

The Glory of the Church Series: #1 The Church: No Spiritual Option!

12 May

  With all the uncertainly in our world today about the individual need for “the church” as compared to a person simply “believing at home,” I want to begin with a statement of conviction that I hope can receive a hearty “Amen” from most.

What is needed is a ringing affirmation that the church is God’s idea, that it is the living incarnation of Christ in the world, that – for all its flaws and faults – it is now God’s instrument to reconcile the world to Himself.

There is a serious need for those of us who call ourselves Christians “according to the New Testament pattern” to reaffirm the church’s place in the plan of God and in our own lives.

  1. There is no doubt that many congregations have lost their calling and sense of mission. But if that has occurred, we have allowed it to occur and we are partly to blame. At least, it is something we can change.
  2. We should respond to the leadership of Jesus Christ, and keep our attention to people’s hearts and souls and away from brick/mortar, and personalities and politics.
  3. While every member is part of the universal church, failure to be part of a particular congregation is failure to obey Christ as a member of a local body that carries out the work of the church in the world.

THE LOCAL CHURCH

If the relationship of the individual Christian to Christ is primary or fundamental, then what place does the local church have in God’s plan?

Why Have the Local Congregation?

Some religious teachers see no reason for a local church. Even some individual Christians apparently see no need for the local church since they do not place membership with one or refuse to participate actively in one. Nevertheless, it is better for Christians to gather together into local churches than for them to try to “go it alone” as Christians. How do we know that? Because the local church was a part of God’s plan!

Ephesians 3:9–11 says, And to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If someone says, “I can get along without the church just as well as I can get along with it,” he is really saying that he is smarter than God! Why did God make the local church a part of His plan? In general, to help nurture the relationship between each Christian and Christ, and to help bring more people into that relationship.

To be specific, the local church plays an important role in God’s plan in that:

(1) It is easier to be a Christian, to remain a Christian, and to grow spiritually, in a loving, caring group than by oneself.

(2) Christians joined together in a local church can accomplish works of edification, evangelism, and benevolence that it would be impossible for them to accomplish individually

(3) God is glorified in a special way by the corporate worship of a group of His children.

It’s in the context of a congregation that we commit ourselves to intimate relationships with fellow Christians and submit ourselves to accountability, duties,  responsibilities.

Remember from our studies in Acts:

  1. Individuals confessed faith in Jesus, were immersed in water for remission of sins, and became part of a local congregation.
  2. It is at the very heart of what it meant to be part of God’s kingdom.

My church?!#

It is typically said by some: “Faulty people, flawed preacher, flailing leadership, sinning saints. We can’t get people to participate in ministry. I often feel lonely and isolated when I come to church. I always have a hard time finding a good parking place. Decisions are made I don’t agree with….”

There is a great tension between the church of faith and the church of fact.

There is a cantankerous bunch of stubborn, non-working people who attend some of our congregations. There are people who don’t live as they should. Some ministries need some talent and enthusiasm added to them…but…there is the shining, pure, beautiful, faithful bride of Jesus…loving, harmonious, humble, and hard working! And then there is all of us!

Two sayings that apply?

To live above with those we love, O that will be glory! But to dwell below with those we know..well, that’s another story.

“The church is like Noah’s ark. The stench inside is sometimes unbearable except for the storm that is always outside.”

The Nature of the church

  1. The “called out” (2) body of Christ.

(1 Peter 2:9 NIV)  “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

I Cor. 12 and Romans 12 develop physical body contrasted to the spiritual body, the church.

  1. The “household of God.”

(Ephesians 2:19 NIV)  “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household,”

 (1 Timothy 3:15 NIV)  “if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.”

  1. The kingdom of God.

Kingdom preached at hand.

(Matthew 3:2 NIV)  “and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.””

Parables set forth the church as the kingdom.

(Matthew 13:24 NIV)  “Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.”

(Matthew 13:44-45 NIV)  “”The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. {45} “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.”

(Matthew 13:47 NIV)  “”Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish.”

After the day of Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit, the kingdom is spoken of as ‘past tense’..in existence.

(Acts 8:12 NIV)  “But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.”

(Acts 20:25 NIV)  “”Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.”

(Acts 28:23 NIV)  “They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.”

  1. The temple of God.

 (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 NIV)  “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? {17} If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.”

A temple is a place where God meets those who worship Him…and it is a place where the Spirit of God lives. It must be built according to God’s plan (Christ and the apostles are the foundation).

5. The vineyard of God.

 (Philippians 2:15-16 NIV)  “…so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe {16} as you hold out the word of life–in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.”

 
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Posted by on May 12, 2017 in Church

 

A Look at the Heart #6 – Real, Authentic Communications? Really!

09 May

but-god-looks-at-the-heartTake a Moment to Listen
Take a moment to listen today To what your children are trying to say;
Listen today, whatever you do Or they won’t be there to listen to you.

Listen to their problems, listen for their needs, Praise their smallest triumphs, praise their smallest deeds;
Tolerate their chatter, amplify their laughter, Find out what’s the matter, find out what they’re after.
But tell them that you love them, every single night, And though you scold them, be sure you hold them;
Tell them “Everything’s all right; Tomorrow’s looking bright!”
Take a moment to listen today To what your children are trying to say;
Listen today, whatever you do And they will come back to listen to you.

Jesus had a remarkable way of getting beneath the surface with people, of cutting through the small stuff to get to real, authentic conversation.

He also did it without prying or making the other person feel uncomfortable. If we pay attention, we might learn how to get past “the news, weather, and sports” in our conversations.

Levels of communication
John Powell’s book Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am? suggests that when we communicate, we do so at certain levels of openness and self-disclosure.
1. Level Five – Cliche conversation. This is the safest and most superficial level of communication, little more than a ‘warm-up’ for real conversation. Here the words and subjects are very predictable: “Hello, how are you?” “Just fine, thanks. And you?” “Fine.” And so on…..

2. Level Four – Reporting facts about others. Conversation at least gets more interesting here, but there is little risk of self-disclosure. “I noticed the Smith’s roof is being repaired.”

3. Level Three – My ideas and judgments. Here real communication begins…no longer playing it safe…I venture out to display my thinking for others to hear and accept (or reject). I now become vulnerable to criticism or rejection of my opinions. “I think you might be right, but what do you think about this….?”

4. Level Two – My feelings and emotions. At this level I show others not only my head but also my heart. At what has been called the “gut level,” I disclose what is most important to me by communicating what moves me.Here I reveal heartfelt spiritual convictions. “I’ve never felt happier than when….” “I was furious when…” “My faith is real to me because…”

5. Level One – Peak communication. This is a very special and mature level of sharing myself with others. Here I am most honest, most open, most vulnerable. Here marriage partners and best friends become trusted listeners with whom the deepest joys, fears, and struggles that need expression can be shared. “I have this sin in my life…” “My biggest struggle is when…” “My greatest dream is…”

Getting People to Open Up
A famous psychiatrist was leading a symposium on methods of getting patients to open themselves. The psychiatrist challenged his colleagues with a blatant boast: “I’ll wager that my technique will enable me to get a new patient to talk about the most private things during the first session without my having to ask a question.” What was his magic formula? Simply this: He began the session by revealing to the patient something personal about himself — a secret with which the patient might damage the doctor by breaking the confidence. However questionable we may regard the doctor’s manipulation, it had its desired effect: It released the patient to talk.

Dr. Willard Harley in his book entitled His Needs, Her Needs points out the priorities of the sexes in the order of importance:
A man desires:
1. Sexual fulfillment
2. Recreational companionship
3. An attractive spouse
4. Domestic support
5. Admiration of his wife

A woman desires:
1. Affection
2. Conversation
3. Honesty and Openness
4. Financial Support
5. Family Commitment

Dear Ann Landers:
My husband doesn’t talk to me. He just sits there night after night, reading the newspaper or looking at T.V. When I ask him a question, he grunts “huh, or Uh’huh.” Sometimes he doesn’t even grunt uh’huh. All he really needs is a housekeeper and somebody to sleep with him when he feels like it. He can buy both. There are times when I wonder why he got married.

Openness
Openness is essentially the willingness to grow, a distaste for ruts, eagerly standing on tiptoe for a better view of what tomorrow brings.

A man once bought a new radio, brought it home, placed it on the refrigerator, plugged it in, turned it to WMS in Nashville (home of the Grand Ol’ Opry), and then pulled all the knobs off! He had already tuned in all he ever wanted or expected to hear. Some marriages are “rutted” and rather dreary because either or both partners have yielded to the
tyranny of the inevitable: “What has been will still be.” Stay open to newness. Stay open to change.

Children of low self-esteem (something extra)
Studies have shown that the child who has the lowest self-esteem is the one who isn’t permitted to say anything at the dinner table. The one with the next lowest image of himself is the child who is allowed to dominate the conversation. Highest on the list is the youngster whose parents tell him, “Yes, you may speak up — when it’s your turn.” –Dr. Joseph Bobbit, child psychologist

Why Is It Difficult To Communicate at these deeper levels? We are afraid…plain and simple. A recent survey listed “afraid to speak in public” as most people’s greatest fear, and often the same fears that grip us in public speaking tend to be the same ones that inhibit healthy communication in our relationships.

We fear being misunderstood. We fear looking foolish. We fear rejection. John Powell put it this way: “I am afraid to tell you who I am, because, if I tell you who I am, you may not like who I am, and it’s all that I have.”

This insecurity CAN work in our favor, spiritually! These fears and insecurities can help us cling to the good news of a faithful God!

Lamentations 3:22: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.”

Hebrews 13:5-6: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” {6} So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?””

Daring to be vulnerable. Note the words of Paul and how he made himself vulnerable to Christians through his correspondence:

1 Corinthians 2:1-4: “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed  o you the testimony about God. {2} For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. {3} I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. {4} My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,”

1 Corinthians 12:7-10: “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. {8} To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, {9} to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, {10} to another miraculous
powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.”

2 Corinthians 6:11: “We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you.”

2 Corinthians 6:13: “As a fair exchange–I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.”

C.S. Lewis wrote: “To love is to be vulnerable, and the only way to make sure your heart will never be bruised or broken by love is never to give it to anyone. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers…of love is hell.”

The example of Jesus
The ultimate vulnerability was the incarnation of God in Christ. Think of it: The Creator rubbing elbows with his creatures!

What if Christ had not been willing to be vulnerable? Look at the risk He took! But the fact that He did come to earth gives us some special insight into how He was able to relate to people.

Philippians 2:5-8: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: {6} Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, {7} but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. {8} And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross!”

A Conversation at the well (John 4)
1. He noticed her. Is this too obvious to mention? We often squelch the possibility of good communication by not even seeing the people around us.

2. He prized her uniqueness. He didn’t allow her categories (woman, Samaritan, sinner) to prejudice him against her. He saw a uniquely precious lady…Jesus accepted people.

3. He asked for her help. He broke the ice “Will you give me a drink?” and most people respond to a simple request for assistance. Jesus let people serve Him.

4. He talked about what was important to her. Water! It had brought her to this place many, many times….and it’s a basic need of each person. Jesus used as a point of contact a subject he knew might interest her. “Where can you get this living water?” she asked.

5. He kept the conversation on track. Jesus kept the conversation at a significant personal level and didn’t allow her to “use scripture to avoid truth.”

6. He revealed His identity. He earned her trust with his acceptance and interest and was then able to reveal Himself fully to the woman “I who speak to you is the Messiah” (John 4:28).

Getting beneath the surface. If you want to get serious about getting beyond small talk and chatter:
1. Encourage others to talk about their interests, opinions, and feelings. Learn to be an encouraging listener. Develop and demonstrate a deeper interest in others.

2. Learn people’s names when you first meet them. My name is an important part of who I am. Others are flattered when we make the effort to remember.

3. When you encounter defensiveness in others, do not attack it: “What’s the matter, are you afriad to be open and honest?”

4. Create opportunities for unpressured conversation in comfortable settings. Let people know you want to be with them. “How about something to drink?” “Let’s go for a walk.”

5. Always keep a confidence. Respect others’ vulnerability when they open up to you. Nothing discourages vulnerability like gossip.

6. Don’t be argumentative. When others start revealing their personal opinions and feelings, you won’t always agree. You can state differing views without trying to win the conversation.

7. Admit to others your faults, needs, and fears. Some Christians think it’s unspiritual to admit any weaknesses or struggle. But genuine transparent persons (David, Jeremiah, Paul, and Jesus) have always been more attractive and credible than those who wear masks of religious perfectionism.

 

 
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Posted by on May 9, 2017 in Marriage

 

A Look at the Heart #5 – How Reliable Are Reliable Sources?

02 May


godlooksattheheartThe bold print on the cover of a popular women’s magazine states: “Gossip is fun.” Apparently, it is also a great way for some people and a few magazines to make a lot of money.

The National Enquirer claims the largest circulation of any paper in America. There seems to be an insatiable national appetite for gossip.

The fact is that people love to read and talk about, more than anything else — people.

Who is the gossip?
The word was originally used to refer to those in close personal relationships: a dear friend or godparent (thus “go-sib”) but it has come to represent the very abuse or pretense of closeness – the idle talk of a person concerned with the private affairs of others.

1. The Busybody.
This is the person who has the motto “the public has a right to know.” Paul blames idleness for their behavior in 2 Thessalonians 3:9-12: “We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. {10} For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” {11} We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. {12} Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.”

2. The Whisperer.
This is the person who breaks confidences entrusted to them or reveals secrets he has learned about others. Someone else’s privacy and trust go right out the window whe he whispers “I probably shouldn’t tell you this,
BUT…..”

Proverbs 11:13: “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.”

Prov. 20:19: “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.”

3. The Slanderer.
This is the most dangerous of all because he damages other’s reputations by speaking malicious or evil things about them. The terms “back-stabbing” and “character assassination” fit them well, because their intentions are murderous.

“Slander slays three persons: the speaker, the spoken to, and the spoken of.”

“To murder character is as truly a crime as to murder the body; the tongue of the slanderer is brother to the dagger of the assassin.”  — Tryon Edwards

“Character assassination is at once easier and surer than physical assault; and it involves far less risk for the assassin. It leaves him free to commit the same deed over and over again, and may, indeed, win him the honors of a hero even in the country of his victims.” —Alan Barth

There is a Greek word that speaks loudly here! It’s the word diabolos and is used to refer to Satan or the Devil….but when it it applied to a human being, it is translated slanderer.

1 Timothy 3:11: “In the same way, their wives (deacons’ wives) are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.”

Titus 2:3: “Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.”

2 Cor. 12:20: “For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.”

Will Rogers said: “The only time people dislike gossip is when you gossip about them.”

700 years before Christ, the Greek poet Hesiod said: “Gossip is malicious, light and easy to raise, but…hard to get rid of. No gossip ever dies away entirely, if many people voice it … gossip is virtually impossible to exercise strict controls over…admonitions like ‘don’t tell a soul’ make for pretty cheap and ineffective insurance against its
fire.”

Ever played the game gossip? You have a group of people sitting in a circle and someone starts a simple message around the circle….after a dozen or so passes, it’s amazing how badly the original message has been altered.

The real shame? The person who is the object of gossip is at a tremendous disadvantage because he usually can’t defend himself!

William Barclay (for this reason) suggests that the whisperer is worse than the gossip: “A man can at least defend himself against an open slander, but he is helpless against the secret whisperer who delights in destroying reputations.”

A great point
Gossip has the potential to damage or destroy two of our most precious personal possessions: our relationships and our reputation.

Dr. Alan Loy McGinnis, in his book The Friendship Factor says “one of the signs of deepening friendships is that people trust you with secrets.”

But it is also true that “whoever gossips to you will gossip of you.”

Think of the importance of our reputation:
Proverbs 22:1: “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”

1 Timothy 3:7: “He {the elder} must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.”

Gossip is cheap, cowardly entertainment and reveals a love of darkness!
John 3:19: “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”

Proverbs 18:8: “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.”

He who is in the mud likes to pull another into it. — Spanish proverb

Gossip also speaks to a person’s sin of pride.
3 John 1:9-10: “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. {10} So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.”

John Powell: “It is much easier to tear down others than lift one’s self up by achievement. Superiority and inferiority being relative terms, lowering others seems to raise one’s own status.”

It can also speak of guilt. It can be an attempt to ease a person’s feelings of guilt and sinfulness. If we can look at others, it can help us ‘look better.’

Jesus didn’t see it that way.
Matthew 5:21-22: “”You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ {22} But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca, ‘ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”

Paul warned against the Comparative Righteousness Game:
Galatians 6:4: “Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else…”

Apply the love test.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8: (Have I been)
· patient
· kind           
· does not envy
· does not boast, it is not proud
· not rude
· not self-seeking
· not easily angered
· keeps no record of wrongs
· does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth
· always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres

1 John 3:18: “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

Pruning The ‘Grapevine’ of Gossip
1. Honor the individual. Consider the rights and needs of the person being discussed. Does this conversation need to be with them rather than about them? Romans 12:10: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

2. Identify the source. Be wary of any personal information which is not firsthand. Ask: “who told you this?”

3. Guard the confidential.
If you suspect that you are hearing secret or privileged information, ask “should this be kept confidential?” “May I quote you on that?”

  1. Resist the temptation to pry.
    Don’t go fishing for more information rather than less. Seek out only information that will help you bear that person’s burdens or gently restore them to spiritual health and fellowship.

Galatians 6:1-2: “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. {2} Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

5. Encourage an intolerance of gossip. We need to be ‘fire stoppers!”
Proverbs 26:20: “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.”

6. Find somebody to serve! Idleness is the fertile seedbed for gossip! And spending time in prayer for that person will HALT the talk because it is highly unlikely that we will “talk in public about a person we’re praying about privately.”

 

 
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Posted by on May 2, 2017 in Encouragement

 

“A Look at the Heart” #4 – To Tell The Truth

27 Apr

Do you remember the old television show To Tell The Truth? Three persons stood before the camera and solemnly declared “My name is _________.” All three claimed to be the same individual. The point of the 30 minute show was for a panel of three people to ask them questions and decide which of  the three was the real person compared to two impostors.

The more successful their deception, the higher the prize money.

Tell the truth now — do we always tell the truth? Think of some oft-told lies in our society that go like this:
– The check is in the mail
– I was only kidding
– I’ll get right on it

It’s frightening how easily and automatically a lie can spring from our lips.

Truth in the flesh
Jesus often used an expression both in his conversation and his teaching: “Verily, verily” he says…those words are translated I tell you the truth in some translations.

It was not intended to be an idle boast but those words pointed to a primary objective of Jesus’ mission: in the midst of human confusion and misunderstanding, Jesus came to tell the truth.

And He lived that way to the extent that it He could say in John 14:6:  “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Paul’s words were equally strong when the faithfulness (truthfulness) of  God was questioned, in Romans 3:1-4: “What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? {2} Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God. {3} What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? {4} Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.””

We live in a day when it’s hard to know who we should believe. We’re skeptical of the media…the politician…the scientists….are we skeptical of the elder or minister?

The fact is, most are wary about the trustworthiness of many around us because “we’ve ben burned in the past.” People often use careless words or practice deception. They certainly make and break promises regularly!

Isaiah 59:15: “Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.”

George Washington, we are told, could not tell a lie. Abraham Lincoln would walk five miles to return a nickel that wasn’t his. But in our time the level of public trust in what we hear from our leaders has eroded.

I have learned only as an adult that I have watched a TV show for decades that has in it the biggest liar ever presented: Andy Griffith. It’s amazing how often he lied in that show! It’s no different today – many of the most popular shows are presenting lies being told.

“On the cover of your Bible and my Bible appear the words “Holy Bible.” Do you know why the Bible is called holy? Why should it be called holy when so much lust and hate and greed and war are found in it? I can tell you why. It is because the Bible tells the truth. It tells the truth about God, about man, and about the devil. The Bible teaches that we exchange the truth of God for the devil’s lie about sex, for example; and drugs, and alcohol, and religious hypocrisy. Jesus Christ is the ultimate truth. Furthermore, He told the truth. Jesus said that He was the truth, and the truth would make us free.”

“Truth is narrow. If we were hiking and came to a wide river, and we learned that there was one bridge, down the river a mile or two, we wouldn’t stomp in disgust and moan about how that was such a narrow way to think and that the bridge should be right there, where we were. Instead, thankful that there was a bridge, we would go to it and cross over. Or consider the following. When we go to the doctor, we want a prescription for exactly what we will need to get well. We would be quite startled if the doctor said, “These pills ought to cure you if you’re sincere. After all, we believe in health, don’t we?” Or would you trust yourself to a surgeon who had received no specialized training but was simply a really good person who meant well? Of course not! You know that truth is narrow. And you will trust your life only to someone who knows exactly what he or she is doing”

John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

What about me? What about you? Can it be said of “church members” that we are full of grace and truth?

Discuss fully the following sets of verses
Matthew 5:33-37: “”Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ {34} But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; {35} or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. {36} And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. {37} Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

Matthew 23:16-22: “”Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ {17} You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? {18} You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’ {19} You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? {20} Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. {21} And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. {22} And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.”

Jesus causes us to ask:
· does my word stand for anything
· can I be trusted
· the Pharisees had gone to great lengths to establish terms about how an oath should be stated and whether or not it would be binding
· ever “cross my heart and hope to die?” with your fingers crossed behind you back?

Five ways we compromise our standards
1. Satan’s native language. – lying.
John 8:44: “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

The lie is to Satan what the truth is to God – his native language. Lying is the most blatant violation of integrity in communication. When we lie, we allow ourselves to be a puppet for Satan.

Acts 5:3: “Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?”

Why do people lie?
· Pride. We lie to create impressions to others that we are more virtuous, responsible, or productive than we really are.
· To hide our own selfish interests, motives, or laziness.
· Because we are afraid. Afraid to accept responsibility for our words or deeds; afraid to trust others with the truth.

Proverbs 12:22: “The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.”

2. The White Lie.
Most would agree that a “bold-faced lie” is morally wrong and has no place in the speech of Christians. But what about the “tell him I’m not here” statement when we don’t want to talk to someone on the telephone” white lie? If the fundamental assumption of this study is true – that no area of a Christian’s speech falls outside the sovreignty of God – then lying has no degree?

Herman Bezze: “White lies are silken threads that bind us to the Enemy, invisible webs that are woven in hell.”
   “The commandment tells us to speak truthfully whenever it is appropriate for us to speak at all. Respect for truthfulness does not compel us to reveal our minds to everyone or on every occasion. The Ninth Commandment assumes, no doubt, a situation that calls on us to speak.
   “It does not ask us to tell the people at the next table in a restaurant that their manners are repulsive. It does not obligate a nurse to contradict a physician at a sick person’s bedside. Nor does it require me to divulge all of my feelings to a stranger on the bus. We are called to speak the truth in any situation in which we have a responsibility to communicate.
   “Further, the command requires only a revelation that is pertinent to the situation. A politician ought to speak the truth about public matters as he sees them; he does not need to tell us how he feels about his wife. A doctor ought to tell me the truth, as he understands it, about my health; he does not need to tell me his views on universal health insurance.
   “A minister ought to preach the truth, as he sees it, about the gospel; he does not need to tell the congregation what he feels about the song leader. The commandment does not call us to be garrulous blabbermouths. Truthfulness is demanded from us about the things that we ought to speak about at all.”
   “Truth and love go together. The mind grows by taking in truth; the heart grows by giving out love.”

3. The Empty Promise
2 Corinthians 1:17: “When I planned this, did I do it lightly? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say, “Yes, yes” and “No, no”?”

2 Corinthians 1:17: (NNAS) “Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no at the same time?”

Paul had to answer to the charge that he had stated “good intentions” but had not followed up on them. His point is clear: a person who does such a thing with no intention of following up is a worldly, flesh-driven person!

There are many times when we plan to do better and it doesn’t work out; times when we have every intention of doing what we say. But there are also those who make promises with no intention of keeping them…a promise made with no credibility.

“I am praying for you” can fit in that category if we make the promise and don’t keep it. It becomes idle words — something taken lightly when it should be very important to us.

4. Flattery.
Webster: “excessive, untrue, or insincere praise; exaggerated compliment or attention.”

We all enjoy a good compliment or a word of praise for a job well done. Christians ought to look for ways “daily” to encourage others, according to Hebrews 3:13: “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

But we ought never something we don’t mean.

Psalms 12:3: “May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue”

Proverbs 29:5: “Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet.”

1 Thessalonians 2:4-5: “On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. {5} You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed–God is our witness.”

5. Honesty.
Honesty is the Christian policy! Ephesians 4:25: “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.”

Honesty is never license for rudeness or insensitivity or arrogance. No matter how many scriptures I might speak, it is just a noisy nothing (!) if there is no love: 1 Corinthians 13:2 NNAS) “If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.”

Jesus spoke plain and to the point with people but never to put himself in a better light, never to inflict pain for pain’s sake:
· Nichodemus “You must be born again”
· Woman at the well: “The fact is, you have had five husbands”
· Peter: “I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times”

Some important questions
a. What are my motives here
b. Do I have my facts straight?
c. Is my mind made up and closed shut?
d. Can I present the truth lovingly?
e. Does this truth need to be verbalized?

Some truthful statements
A large plaque in Rockefeller Center bears this inscription: “I believe in the sacredness of a promise, that a man’s word should be as good as his bond, that character – not wealth or power or position – is of supreme worth.”

Paul said it best many centuries earlier: Ephesians 4:15: “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”

It isn’t the things that go in one ear and out the other that hurt as much as the things that go in one ear, get all mixed up, and then slip out the mouth.

A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. — Mark Twain

 
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Posted by on April 27, 2017 in Encouragement

 

“A Look at the Heart” #3 – The Problem of Unclean Lips

20 Apr

Isaiah 6:1-5: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. {2} Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. {3} And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” {4} At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. {5} “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.””

Before we can speak with the accent of Christ, we must begin with this confession: we are a people with unclean lips. And the response?

Isaiah 6:6-7: “Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. {7} With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.””

For too long the myth has been circulated that old speech habits can’t be broken:
· I can’t help it…I’ve always been a sarcastic person
· …always told little white lies
· …always used profanity
· …always been a gossip
· …always said nasty things when I get mad

IF we have a problem of speaking ‘what we think,’ we need to be careful about what we think!

In the beginning, God created man and woman to communicate powerfully, lovingly, and constructively.

In Christ he gives the recreated man and woman assurance of the same magnificent possibility.

Sins of the Tongue
Proverbs 10:21: “The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.”

Proverbs 12:18: “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Proverbs 15:1: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Proverbs 15:4: “The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.”

Proverbs 16:24: “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

Do my words bring healing or harm? God expects us to know the answer to that question and to make the necessary changes if needed!

When we might suggest that our words are not that powerful, we would do well to remember the verbal integrity of many early Christians. They were commanded to speak these words: “Caesar is Lord” as they were ordered to “make your incense offering to the genius of Rome.” If they would not say such words, they were definitely put in prison and, on many occasions, they were even put to death!

Sins of the tongue
The New Testament has much to say about the ways we can abuse the gift of speech:
1. Angry talk. Words uttered in a fit of temper; a sudden outburst of wrathful speech (2 Cor. 12:20; Col. 3:8).
2. Boasting, arrogant talk. Bragging; conceited, self-centered, self-glorifying speech (2 Tim. 3:2; James 4:16).
3. Blasphemy. Speaking contemptuously of God or of Jesus Christ. (1 Tim. 1:20; 6:1).
4. Coarse joking. Vulgar humor; particularly the mocking of human sexuality (Eph. 5:4).
5. Deception, distortion. Mingling the truth with false ideas or unworthy motivations. Paul spoke of some who “peddled” God’s Word, corrupting the gospel for personal gain or advantage (2 Cor. 2:17, 4:2).
6. Flattery. Excessive or untrue praise; insincere complimenting of another to gain some personal advantage (1 Thess. 2:5; Jude 16).
7. Godless chatter. Profane or empty babbling; conversation which is irreligious, misleading, or worthless (1 Tim. 6:20; 2 Tim. 2:16).
8. Gossip. Spreading idle talk, rumor or even truthful/factual personal information about others; betraying a confidence (2 Cor. 12:20; 1 Tim. 5:13).
9. Lying. Making false statements with intent to deceive or mislead (Acts 5:4; Col. 3:9).
10. Obscenity. Using profane or vulgar language; unwholesome conversation (Eph. 5:4; Col. 3:8).
11. Quarreling. Heated verbal strife; unkind argumentation or debate (1 Cor. 3:3; 2 Tim. 2:23-24).
12. Slander. Damaging someone’s reputation by speaking malicious or untrue things about them (Eph. 4:31; James 4:11).

2 Corinthians 4:2: “Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”

2 Corinthians 12:20: “For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.”

Ephesians 5:4: “Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.”

Colossians 3:8: “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”

James 4:11: “Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.”

The common effect of all the sins of the tongue is destruction. Speech infected by sin destroys truth, destroys trust, destroys reputation, destroys love, and destroys love for God and man.

Yet the abuses of language mentioned above are commonplace in our offices, around our neighborhoods, on our campuses, and even within our churches.  We need someone to redeem our speech, to tame our tongues.

“The rabbis used to say that the tongue is more dangerous than the hand because the hand kills only at close range while the tongue can kill at great distance.”

Man can tame the great creatures but not his own tongue.

Lehman Strauss says: “While no man can tame the tongue, there is One who can. The Lord is no less able to control a lying, blaspheming, slanderous, gossiping tongue than He is to deliver the drunkard from alcohol, the gambler from the game table, the narcotics addict from drugs, or the lustful person from adultery” (James Your Brother. Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1956, p.134).

Matthew Henry says: “‘No man can tame the tongue without supernatural grace and assistance.’ The apostle does not intend to represent it as a thing impossible, but as a thing extremely difficult, which therefore will require great watchfulness, and pains, and prayer” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary, Vol. 6, p.985).

I grew up in a faithful, church-going family. I think I learned early in life what a Christian is to sound like….pious words on Sunday don’t offset the gossip of Monday, the profanity of Tuesday, or the harsh words on Wednesday.

Do we realize the power we possess to strengthen another person with simple words: “good job” “I’m sorry” “Forgive me” “I love you” “I’m praying for you”

 
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Posted by on April 20, 2017 in Encouragement

 

“A Look at the Heart” #2- In Search of a Standard

13 Apr

jesus-words1Every morning the man would pause in front of the watchmaker’s shop, gaze at the large clock in the window, set his watch by it and walk on. Every day at noon, the watchmaker would go to the big clock in his window, and set it precisely by the blowing of the noon whistle at the local factory.

After many years had passed, the watchmaker stopped the man one day and complimented him on his faithful commitment to the correct time. “Oh, I have to be correct,” said the man. “You see, I’m the one responsible for blowing the noon whistle at the local factory. Without knowing it, they had both been using the other as the standard.

Do we use the speech of the people around us as the standard for our communication? That can be risky business!

Malcolm Muggeridge asks us to imagine a collection of 21th century videos discovered in a cave somewhere in the centuries ahead…tapes of our TV shows, tapes of our music, our videos, our radio advertisements….what would they make of us? (Does that question depress you as much as it does me?)

Alvin Toffler has written that we are a society with “value vertigo,” morally out of balance. It’s been said that we have lost the noble quality of moral courage. Where do we look for absolutes – values that enable us to distinguish right from wrong?  If we look to one another as the standard, we’re in big trouble! We will almost always compound one another’s errors. Of course…the answer: God’s Word!

Ephesians 5:1-5: “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children {2} and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. {3} But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. {4} Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. {5} For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person–such a man is an idolater–has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”

The Believer is to Walk Following God, 5:1-7
(5:1-7) Introduction: the challenge of this passage is one of the greatest challenges in all the Word of God. Just imagine—the great Pattern for the believer is God Himself. The believer is to follow the Person of God. The believer is to walk through life following God.
    1.    By becoming a follower of God (v.1).
    2.    By loving as Christ loved (v.2).
    3.    By being clean-bodied, that is, morally pure (v.3).
    4.    By being clean-mouthed (v.4).
    5.    By knowing God’s solemn warning (v.5-6).
    6.    By separating oneself from the unclean (v.7).

(5:1) Believer, Duty: the believer follows God, first, by becoming a follower of God. Note the word “be” (ginomai). It means to become a follower of God. The idea is that of commitment, attachment, devotion, allegiance, attention. Before a peson can be a follower of God, he must commit and attach himself to God. He must surrender and devote his life to God and then begin to follow after God.

The word “followers” (mimetai) means imitators. Some prefer the translation that we are to become imitators of God. Note the phrase “as dear children.” Just as children learn by imitating their parents, so we are to learn by imitating God. The very idea that we are to be followers and imitators of God is a bold idea. Just imagine, Scripture boldly proclaims that we are to become like God!
Þ    Christ said: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).
Þ    God demanded: “Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy  (Leviticus 19:2).
Þ    Paul declared: “But we all…are changed into the same image [of Christ] from glory to glory” (2 Cor. 4:18).
Þ    Peter charged: “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16)
Þ    The early church saint, Clement of Alexandria said: “The Christian practices being God” (Quoted by William Barclay, The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians, p.190).

(5:2) Jesus Christ, Death—God, Glory of—Believer, Duty: the believer follows God, second, by loving as Christ loved. Two things about the death of Christ should be noted here.
    1.    The phrase “gave Himself for us” is a simple phrase with profound meaning. It does not mean that Christ died only as an example for us, showing us how we should be willing to die for the truth or for some great cause. What it means is that Christ died in our place, in our stead, as our substitute. This meaning is unquestionably clear.
a.    The idea of sacrifice to the Jewish and pagan mind of that day was the idea of a life given in another’s place. It was a substitutionary sacrifice
b.    The idea of sacrifice is often in the very context of the words, “Christ gave Himself for us” (Ephes. 5:2). 

2. The words “Christ gave Himself…an offering…to God for a sweet-smelling savour [smell]” gives a higher meaning to the death of Christ than just meeting our need. The word “offering” refers to the burnt offering of the Old Testament (Leviticus 1:1f). The burnt offering was given to God not merely because of sin, but because a person wished to glorify and honor God. A person wished to show his love and adoration to God. This is an aspect of Christ’s death that is often overlooked—an aspect that rises far above the mere meeting of our need. In giving Himself as an “offering to God,” Christ was looking beyond our need to the majestic responsibility of glorifying God.

This means that His first purpose was to glorify God. He was concerned primarily with doing the will of God—with obeying God. God had been terribly dishonored by the first man, Adam, and by all those who followed after him. Jesus Christ wished to honor God by showing that at least one man thought more of God’s glory than of anything else. Christ wished to show that God’s will meant more than any personal desire or ambition that He might have.

He said: “That the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father hath given commandment [to die for man] even so I do. Arise, let us go hence” (John 14:31; cp. Luke 2:42; John 5:30).

The point is this: the believer is to walk in love, just as Christ has loved us and has given Himself as an offering and a sacrifice to God. The believer is to love so much that he gives himself as an offering and a sacrifice. There is to be no limit to the offerings and sacrifice of our lives to God and to men. Remember: God’s love—agape love—is always an acting love.

(5:4) Believer, Duty—Tongue—Speech—Conversation: the believer follows God by being clean-mouthed. If a believer is to follow and imitate God, he has to be pure in speech and conversation; he has to keep his mouth or tongue clean. He cannot let his mouth become foul and polluted, filthy and vile.

1.    He is never, not once, to be engaged in “filthiness” (aischrotes): using the mouth in obscene, shameful, foul, polluted, base, immoral conduct and conversation. What an indictment of our day—a day of sodomy and perversion. And note: the word refers to both conduct and speech. How polluted and foul-mouthed so many have become—so much so that society could easily be known as a second Sodom and Gomorrah.

2.    The believer is never once to engage in “foolish talking” (morologia): empty, unthoughtful, senseless, wasted, idle, aimless, or purposeless talk; talk that just fritters away and wastes time, that has absolutely no purpose to it. It also means sinful, foolish, silly and corrupt talk.

3.    The believer is never once to engage in “jesting: (eutrapelia): to joke, talk foolishly, poke fun, act or speak without thought; to be suggestive in conversation; to make wisecracks. It also has the idea of being cunning and clever, of being polished in suggestive and off-colored joking and using it to attract attention and win favors (Wuest. Ephesians and Colossians, Vol.1, p.121). Jesting is often used in off-colored jokes or conversation, at parties or breaks in order to be suggestive.

Barclay points out that there were and still are two main deceptions about Christianity (The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians, p.192f). a. There were those who felt that they could say and do anything and still be acceptable to God. This argument came primarily from those outside the church, although there were some within the church who held the same argument. This idea finds its roots in the philosophy of Gnosticism. Gnosticism said that man is both body and spirit. They felt that the spirit is the only important part of man—the only part that really matters. It is the only part that really concerns God.

What a man does with his body does not matter; the body is not important. It makes no difference whatsoever if a man abuses his body: gorges, dirties, and fouls it.

However, Christianity counters, “Never!” Both body and soul are important. We see this in Jesus Christ. He honored the body by taking a body upon Himself (Hebrews 2:14). Today He honors the body by making it the “holy temple” for His presence in the person of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). Jesus Christ is interested in the body of man as well as the spirit of man. He is interested in the whole man, and He saves the whole man.

b.    There were those primarily within the church who felt that sin was irrelevant. How much a person sinned just did not matter. God is love and He forgives and forgives no matter how much wrong we do. In fact, some rgued that the more we sin, the more God is able to forgive and demonstrate His mercy in us. So why not live the way we want? Why not sin and let God’s mercy and love shine through us, for the more we sin the more God’s grace will be seen. But Christianity counters, “Never!” God’s love and grace are not only a gift and a privilege, but a responsibility and an obligation.

    However, note what God says: “Because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience” (Ephes. 5:6; cp. Ephes. 2:2). The wrath (orge) of God is a decisive anger, a deliberate anger that arises from His very nature of holiness. It is an anger that is righteous, just, and good—that stands against the sins and evil of men—their dirt and pollution and immoralities—their injustices and neglects of a world that reels under the weight of lost, starving, diseased, and dying masses. God could never overlook the whoremonger who destroys family life nor the covetous man who overlooks the needy. He would not be God; He would not be loving or just if He overlooked such evil persons.

Colossians 3:12: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

(3:12-14) New Life: the clothing of the elect. Believers are the “elect of God.” They are the persons whom God has chosen to be His holy and beloved people.
Þ    Believers have been elected to be holy. The word “holy” (hagios) means separated or set apart. God called believers out of the world and away from the old life it offered, the old life of sin and death. He called believers to be separated and set apart unto Himself and the new life He offers, the new life of righteousness and eternity.
Þ    Believers have been elected to be the beloved of God. God has called believers to turn away from the old life that showed hatred toward God, the old life that rejected, rebelled, ignored, denied, and was constantly cursing in the face of God. God has called believers to be the beloved of God, the persons who receive His love in Christ Jesus and who allow Him to shower His love upon them.

The point is this: the elect of God, holy and beloved, are those who have really believed and trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior.  It is these persons, the believers, who now have a new life in Christ. Therefore, this passage is for the believer. Note one other thing: the command “put on” (enduno). This is the picture of putting on clothing; the believer is to clothe the new man. The new man must not be left naked; he must be clothed. What are the garments to be put on? There are eight garments of clothing for the new man.

Mercy (oiktirmou) means compassion, pity, tenderheartedness. God has had so much mercy upon us, the one thing we should do is to show mercy to others.

Of course, the list could go on and on. The point is that the believer no longer has the right to overlook the needy of the world. He is now a new man, a part of the clothing of the new man is the garment of mercy. The believer is to be clothed with mercy. He is to have compassion and reach out to meet the needs of the world—reach out with all he is and has, holding back nothing so long as a single need exists.

Something is often forgotten: there are many things about everyone of us that people have to forbear. People have to put up with a great deal of things when dealing with us.

There are some things about everyone of us that just turn some people off. None of us escapes the fact. In addition, everyone of us does things that irritate some people. Again, there is no escaping the fact. Any person can be looked at and have his flaws and weaknesses picked out.

But note: this is not what the Scripture says to do. The Scripture says that the believer is to put on the clothing of forbearance. The believer is to forbear the flaws of others. He is to put up with and bear with the weaknesses of other believers.

(3:13) Forgiveness: the believer must put on the garment of forgiveness; he must be forgiving (charizomenoi). The word means to be gracious to a person; to pardon him for some wrong done against us. Note: a quarrel or some difference has taken place. A person has hurt us and brought pain to us. But no matter what they have done, we are to have a forgiving spirit clothing us. We are to be so clothed with the spirit of forgiveness that no difference or quarrel can shake us.

Note why: because Christ has forgiven us. No matter how much wrong a person has done against us, it cannot match the wrong we have done against Christ. Yet, Christ has forgiven us. Therefore, we are to forgive those who have done wrong against us—no matter how great the wrong is.

(3:14) Love: above all, the believer is to put on the garment of love (agapen). Note that love is to be the main garment of the believer’s new life. It is called the bond of perfection; that is, love binds all the clothing or great qualities of the believer’s life together.

Hebrews 12:1-2: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. {2} Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

The Problem of Unclean Lips
Isaiah 6:1-5: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. {2} Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. {3} And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” {4} At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. {5} “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.””

Before we can speak with the accent of Christ, we must begin with this confession: we are a people with unclean lips.

And the response?
Isaiah 6:6-7: “Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. {7} With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.””

For too long the myth has been circulated that old speech habits can’t be broken:
· I can’t help it…I’ve always been a sarcastic person
· …always told little white lies
· …always used profanity
· …always been a gossip
· …always said nasty things when I get mad

In the beginning, God created man and woman to communicate powerfully, lovingly, and constructively.

In Christ he gives the recreated man and woman assurance of the same magnificent possibility.

 

 
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Posted by on April 13, 2017 in God

 

“A Look at the Heart” #1 – A study of the Christian and Communications

06 Apr

god-is-loveThere’s an old Scottish saying that challenges our careless use of communication: “Heart your tongue!” It’s a rendition of the more common phrase “mind your tongue” but puts a biblical perspective behind it.

We all experience the excruciating pain of being misunderstood….and often it comes from those who are both ‘friend and foe.’ We try hard to say what we mean, and yet it’s amazing sometimes what people hear.

Is communication one of our greatest problems? Considering the misunderstandings, broken relationships, and hurting memories that fill our life with stress—I think it is at least one of them.

I am concerned, too, as this becomes very personal for this congregation…that Satan is going to work hard to hurt us because much is going well and a revival is taking place. If we don’t accomplish what God wants and needs us to accomplish in the next few months, it won’t be because of a ‘force from without but rather from within. It is my prayer that some of the coming lessons will help us make certain that this doesn’t occur!

I was told a story of a young girl who was going through a privacy phase in her household. In order to keep the family advised of her feelings, she made two reusable signs which she placed on her door (both describe a young peson in the midst of the vital process of learning how to communicate what’s on her mind and what’s on her heart):
· when she felt fiercely private: you cannot come in! That’s it!
· when she was more benevolent: Do not come in. I love you.

There are almost one million words in the English language, I am told, and we use them as tools for both building and understanding and weapons for destroying and deceiving.

Proverbs 10:19-20: “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. {20} The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.”

Proverbs 10:31: “The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.”

Proverbs 11:12: “A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue.”

Proverbs 12:18-19: “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. {19} Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.”

Proverbs 15:4: “The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.”

This is the verse which seems to sum up the rest for me:
Proverbs 18:21: “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Our words reveal something about our heart
Proverbs 4:4: “…he taught me and said, “Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live.”

Proverbs 4:23: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

Proverbs 7:3: “Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.”

Proverbs 16:23: “A wise man’s heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction.”

Proverbs 22:17-18: “Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, {18} for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips.”

This one seems to sum up the rest:
Proverbs 27:19: “As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.”

Communication is an inside-out process. Our words, the tone of our voice, and our body language are outer expressions of our inner selves. Jesus put it this way:
Luke 6:45: “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”

The primary speech organ is not the tongue—it is the heart! Deep down within our values, beliefs, and convictions—that’s where the words come from.

Sin Can Garble a Great Gift
The ability to communicate with God and with each other is one of our greatest gifts. But our sinfulness can garble that gift.

Just look at Adam and Eve in the garden…they enjoyed a perfect union with God until sin entered the picture through their willful choice:
· God comes to speak with them and they hide
· Adam seeks to shift the blame to Eve and implicates God (“this woman you put here with me”)
· Eve blames the serpent

But look at this book of beginnings:
· Cain murders his brother, Abel, and lies to God (Genesis 4)
· Men build the Tower of Babel as a monument to their egos and God confuses their language (Genesis 11)
· Joseph’s brothers sell him into slavery, then deceive their father Jacob into thinking Joseph was accidentally killed (Genesis 37)

Luke 6:45: “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”

Jesus rightly identifies the heart as the birthplace of our words. We can’t merely pass them off as insignificant (“Oh, that was no big deal…just something I said”) for they reveal what’s inside us.

Our sinful words create alienation from our Father and our spiritual family. Falsehood, unkindness, profanity….they cause great harm and put our soul into jeopardy.

Matthew 12:36-37: “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. {37} For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.””

It is said, “The spoon always seems twice as large when you have to take a dose of your own medicine.” In the light of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 12, we might paraphrase that truth, “Words which appear to be just tiny molehills of idleness and frivolity here will loom as mountains of error when we face them in the judgment!”

Not only the wicked utterances of the tongue will rise up against us in that day, but for every foolish, idle word we shall also be called to give a strict account!

Some illustrations and quotations
CBS released The Karen Carpenter Story. Karen died unexpectedly of heart failure at age 32 brought on by years of self abuse from the eating disorder Anorexia Nervosa. But what brought on Karen’s fatal obsession with weight control? It seems a reviewer once called her “Richard’s chubby sister”. Lord, please help us to know the power of our words!

Contentious tongues have hindered the work of God a thousand times over.  Critical tongues have closed church doors. Careless tongues have broken the hearts and health of many people. The sins of the tongue have besmirched the pure white garments of the bride of Christ. – George Sweeting

Proverbs 26:18-19: “Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows {19} is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!””

 
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Posted by on April 6, 2017 in Encouragement

 

“Soar on Wings” The gospel of John #11 – I  Am The Light of the World John 8:12-30

30 Mar


It’s been several years since I first began to notice a word that keeps popping up these days. This word can have several meanings, I guess, but it seems to be used primarily to end discussions.

At first, I thought it was used only by teen-agers, but I have since heard it on the lips of people of all generations. Increasingly, it is used to say, “It doesn’t matter enough to talk about any further.” The word is “whatever.”

A parent says to a child, “You should do this!” and the child replies, “Whatever.”

A teenage girl encourages her friend to “do the right thing” in a situation, and the answer is “Whatever.”

Two adults argue over politics until one of them has had enough, so he shrugs his shoulders and says, “Whatever.”

On a more significant level, “whatever” can mean that truth does not matter to people It can communicate that you are entitled to your view of truth, I am entitled to my view of truth, and we can assume that we are both equally right.

In the United States, “whatever” is more than a cultural fad; it is a one word indicator of the way a nation is thinking.

What do you think about my evaluation of this interesting word? Did I hear you say, “Whatever?”

      John 8:12f (NIV) When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

18  I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” 19  Then they asked him, “Where is your father?” “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

23  But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24  I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am [the one I claim to be], you will indeed die in your sins.”

28  So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am [the one I claim to be] and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. 29  The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” 30  Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.

In our text, Jesus challenged the spirit of “whatever.” His message is bold, and His claims cannot be ignored. In the end, you may respond to Him with a joyous “Yes!” or a defiant “No!”–but He will not allow you to answer, “Whatever.”

Light has to bear witness to itself! The only people who cannot see the light are blind people.

Light bears witness to itself; it tells you it is here. 

Can you imagine this? The Jews think they are the authorities, the ones in charge. Yet here stands Jesus, the One they are determined to silence by killing Him. He is there in the temple, teaching the people. And He is doing so literally outside the door of the room where the Sanhedrin meets.

This is indeed ironic, especially in the light of the story of the woman caught in adultery at the beginning of this chapter. The scribes and Pharisees insisted that this woman be stoned, in order to fulfill the Law of Moses. Jesus did not disagree about her guilt or even her punishment under the law. What He did (which caught His adversaries completely off guard) was to appeal to the Law of Moses as to how they should proceed with the stoning. Under the law, there must be two eye witnesses. When Jesus required that the two witnesses be innocent and that they “cast the first stone,” no one was willing to do so, and the case was dropped for lack of any witnesses who would testify against this woman.

The most important thing about any witness is that he or she is, in fact, a witness.

THE “I AM” PHRASE

In this passage Jesus talks of “following” himself. We often speak of following Jesus; we often urge men to do so. What do we mean? It has at least five different but closely meanings:

– It is often used of a soldier following his captain.   

On the long route marches, into battle, in campaigns in strange lands, the soldier follows wherever the captain may lead. The Christian is the soldier whose commander is Christ.

– It is often used of a slave accompanying his master.

Wherever the master goes the slave is in attendance upon him, always ready to spring to his service and to carry out the tasks he gives him to do. He is literally at his master’s beck and call. The Christian is the slave whose joy it is always to serve Christ.

– It is often used of accepting a wise counselor’s opinion.

When a man is in doubt he goes to the expert, and if he is wise he accepts the judgment he receives. The Christian is the man who guides his life and conduct by the counsel of Christ.

– It is often used of giving obedience to the laws of a city or a state.

If a man is to be a useful member of any society or citizen of any community, he must agree to abide by its laws. The Christian, being a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, accepts the law of the kingdom and of Christ as the law which governs his life.

– It is often used of following a teacher’s line of argument, or of following the gist of someone’s speech.

The Christian is the man who has understood the meaning of the teaching of Christ. He has not listened in dull incomprehension or with slack inattention. He takes the message into his mind and understands, receives the words into his memory and remembers, and hides them in his heart and obeys.

How does God hear witness to the supreme authority of Jesus?

– The witness of God is in Jesus’ words.

No man could speak with such wisdom unless God had given him knowledge.

– The witness of God in Jesus’ deeds.

No man could do such things unless God was acting through him.

– The witness of God in the effect God had upon men.

He works changes in men which are obviously beyond human power to work. The very fact that Jesus can make bad men good is proof that his power is not simply a man’s power, but God’s.

Jesus never really answered their question, “Where is your Father?” The word father is used 21 times in this chapter, so Jesus did not avoid the issue but faced it honestly. He knew that “their father” was not God–but the devil!

Why would John mention the fact that Jesus was near the Treasury when He said these words? Because the temple treasury was very near the council chambers of the Sanhedrin. (8:22)  “This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?””

This verse implies several things:

– There are certain opportunities which come and do not return. To every man is given the opportunity  to accept Christ; but that opportunity can be refused and lost.

– Truth and life are limited. The time to make a decision is limited–and none of us knows what his limit is. There is every reason for making that time now.

– There is judgment. The greater the opportunity, the more clearly it beckons, the oftener it comes, the greater the judgment if it is refused or missed.

Luke 12:47-48:  “”That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. {48} But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

– Jesus claimed to possess all authority in heaven and on earth. (Matt. 28:18)  “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

– Jesus asserted authority for Himself above the authority of the Scriptures  (Matt. 5:27-28)  “”You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ {28} But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

– Jesus claimed identity with God (John 10:30) and to be a manifestation of God (John 14:9)      

(John 10:30)  “I and the Father are one.””

(John 14:9)  “Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

– Jesus professed that no one has access to God except through Him (John 14:6) “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

– Jesus claimed to have been existent with the Father from all eternity (John 17:5)  “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”

– Jesus claimed that His words were the means of obtainaing everlasting life (John 5:24)  “”I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”

– Jesus contended that His word would be the basis of judgment of the world (John 12:48)  “There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.”

JESUS’ CLAIMS TODAY

What are we to think about Jesus today? Most people are willing to accept that Jesus lived and that He was a good man, but many are not willing to accept that He is, indeed, the Son of God.

Jesus made such a view absurd. He did not claim to be just a good man; He claimed to be “I am.” He did not present Himself as a great philosopher; He presented Himself as the only way to the Father. He did not teach that He had special insight into God; He claimed that He was one with the Father.

His bold claims force us to make a choice to believe or reject His true identity. When it comes to Jesus, “whatever” is not an option. In this matter, the furious Jewish leaders with stones in their hands understood what Jesus was saying better than do unbelievers today who talk about how Jesus was “a good man.”

Concerning this, Josh McDowell wrote: “To Jesus, who men and women believed him to be was of fundamental importance. To say what Jesus said and to claim what he claimed about himself, one couldn’t conclude he was just a good moral man or prophet. That alternative isn’t open to an individual, and Jesus never intended it to be.’

Years earlier, C. S. Lewis came to a similar conclusion: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a manand said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic  on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg–or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

CONCLUSION

What does all of this mean for us today? First, for those who have grown up in the Christian faith, it forces us to move beyond the “Jesus was a nice man” phase of our own spiritual development. As our children grow up, I want them to be impressed at an early age by Jesus’ kindness and gentleness toward children and people who are hurting. Having such a picture of Jesus is good.

However, if my children never grow beyond that picture of Jesus, if they never realize that Jesus was not only gentle but also bold and demanding, then their faith will fail to mature. Jesus claimed to be “I am.” The old saying is true: “Either Jesus is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all!”

The encounter with Jesus in John 8 hits sleepy, apathetic Christians like a cold slap in the face. Is He who He says He is? If He is not, then why are we still “playing church”? If He is, then why are we not living and working as if nothing else in life matters as much as the Lord Jesus?

To the man or woman who still attends worship services but is not living as a Christian Monday through Saturday, this meeting with Jesus is a call to make a decision. Each of us must stand on the side of faith or on the side of disbelief.

What do you think about Jesus? Was He a blasphemer? Was He a liar? Was He a lunatic? Is He Lord? You must decide!

“Whatever” is not an option!

 
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Posted by on March 30, 2017 in Gospel of John

 

1 Corinthians #8 – The Single Adult Christian and Sexuality

27 Mar

Up to this point, Paul had been dealing with the sins reported to be known in the Corinthian congregation. Now he takes up the questions about which they had written to him.

Some liberal critics have accused Paul of being against both marriage and women. These accusations are not true, of course.

Nor is it true that in 1 Corinthians 7:6, 10, 12, and 25 Paul is disclaiming divine inspiration for what he wrote. Rather, he is referring to what Jesus taught when He was on earth (Matt. 5:31-32; 19:1-12; Mark 10:1-12; Luke 16:18).

Paul had to answer some questions that Jesus never discussed; but when a question arose that the Lord had dealt with, Paul referred to His words. Instead of disclaiming inspiration, Paul claimed that what he wrote was equal in authority to what Christ taught.

Christians Married to Christians (1 Cor. 7:1-11)

Apparently one of the questions the church asked was, “Is celibacy [remaining unmarried] more spiritual than marriage?” Paul replied that it is good for a man or a woman to have the gift of celibacy, but the celibate state is not better than marriage, nor is it the best state for everybody. Dr. Kenneth Wuest translates Paul’s reply, “It is perfectly proper, honorable, morally befitting for a man to live in strict celibacy.”

1 First Corinthians 7:6 makes it clear that celibacy is permitted, but it is not commanded; and 1 Corinthians 7:7 informs us that not everybody has the gift of remaining celibate. This ties in with our Lord’s teaching in Matthew 19:10-12, where “eunuchs” refers to those who abstain from marriage. “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Gen. 2:18) is generally true for most people; but some have been called to a life of singleness for one reason or another.

One purpose for marriage is “to avoid fornication.” First Corinthians 7:2 makes it clear that God does not approve either of polygamy or homosexual “marriages.” One man married to one woman has been God’s pattern from the first. However, the husband and wife must not abuse the privilege of sexual love that is a normal part of marriage.

The wife’s body belongs to the husband, and the husband’s body to the wife; and each must be considerate of the other. Sexual love is a beautiful tool to build with, not a weapon to fight with. To refuse each other is to commit robbery (see 1 Thes. 4:6) and to invite Satan to tempt the partners to seek their satisfaction elsewhere.

As in all things, the spiritual must govern the physical; for our bodies are God’s temples. The husband and wife may abstain in order to devote their full interest to prayer and fasting (1 Cor. 7:5); but they must not use this as an excuse for prolonged separation. Paul is encouraging Christian partners to be “in tune” with each other in matters both spiritual and physical.

In 1 Corinthians 7:8-9, Paul applied the principle stated in 1 Corinthians 7:1 to single believers and widows: If you cannot control yourself, then marry.

The Responsibilities of Marriage Partners (7:2-6)

“Because of fornication it is better for every man to have a wife.”

Sexual drive is God given; but must be fulfilled within the bounds of marriage. Love is something which is expressed by seeking the best for another even when the emotional enthusiasm has diminished.

Paul’s inspired judgment is that man has the right of choice in the question of marriage.

Obligations in marriage.

Sexual intercourse in marriage is not just permitted; it is commanded. The husband and wife belong to each other. Deprive not one another except by mutual consent. Could relate to temporary separation during a time of religious involvement. Without the consent, separation should not take place. Agreement based on a time of prayer. Such prayer was not commanded.

Generally thought of during specific needs and times.

The necessity is there to come back together to avoid Satan’s temptation which is ever present. The idea of separation between husband and wife is a concession, not a command.

 Paul’s Personal Example (7:7-8)

Paul possessed self control with regard to sexual desires. He credited his self control in sexual desire to a gift from God. Paul wished everyone possessed that gift as he did 1 Corinthians 7:9. 

“Better to marry than to burn.”

“Burn” – Has to do with present sexual feelings or desire. Does not mean burn in torment. Paul stresses the need for marriage as the means of controlling sexual desires. Marriage should be exercised before sex; not as a result of having sexual encounters. Sexual desire is God given and therefore, not impure if placed in the context of marriage (Hebrews 13:4). In spite of the distress, marriage is better than being overtaken by temptation.

All covenants with God have a visible sign.

Sex is the Marriage Covenant’s Visible Sign

And sex is a sign of the marriage covenant between a man and a woman and God. Sex is a visible sign that makes visible the invisible reality of the union of the two people. The sign of the marriage covenant is sex.

According to the Bible, every other woman in the world a man relates to as a sister or a mother, but only one does he relate to as a wife. The sign between you and that only other person who you relate to as your spouse is sex.

It is designed to be a sign of permanence, safety, security, faithfulness.

Implicit in having sex is the promise of faithfulness. Sex communicates to the other person’s heart and to God the father: “I am touching you because I promise never to leave you nor forsake you. The exchange of our most intimate gifts communicates permanence. That is why sex belongs in marriage.

In this context, we are able to see why sex as a single adult is so damaging. When you have sex with someone as a single adult you are doing two things:

1) you are making permanent promises to the other person’s soul while you have temporary intentions. This creates confusion, anxiety, and insecurity.

2) Sex as a single adult makes a mockery out of the covenant between a man and a woman before the Lord and brings you into a state of spiritual disconnection. It doesn’t matter how brief the hookup or how strictly physical it is, sex outside of marriage leaves devastation emotional and spiritual devastation in its wake.

1 Corinthians 6:18: Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.

The way we typically see things is as commitment increases so does physical intimacy. We basically earn the right to be more intimate as we stay with the person longer. If you haven’t been allowed to have a kiss after three dates then you might get a little upset because you have the right to have a kiss. That’s what dating people do. “We are dating, come on. I’m going to go find someone else.”

However, what the Bible indicates is that if there are only two types of relationships, those you relate to as brothers/sisters/fathers/mothers or husbands/wives, then there are only two levels of sexual intimacy. No sexual intimacy or total sexual intimacy. Please don’t tune this out because it’s some preacher guy who is out of touch. There is no middle ground. No “friends with benefits”. No “hook-up buddies”. No dating and doing everything but intercourse. Because sex includes more than the act of intercourse.

I am not trying to draw a new set of rules for you. I am trying to get you to think about your sexuality in a new way. The way you relate to the opposite sex. Relating sexually as if you were married to that person you are dating brings incredible relational, emotional, physical, and spiritual confusion.

And you are setting yourself up for failure.

Sex as not a birthright or a mile-marker needed after so many days in a relationship. The damage from sex as a single adult comes not because you don’t have the right person, but because it is in the wrong context. The truth

is that the only place where sex is going to be satisfying to your soul is when it is the visible sign of the invisible covenant you have made with that one person of the opposite sex. It is the way we demonstrate our commitment to the covenant to that one person for the rest of our lives.

Managing your Sexuality as a Single Adult

So how does a single person resist the temptation? Sometimes the sex drive seems almost overwhelming especially for those single adults who are single again after being in a marriage relationship where they enjoyed sex in its rightful context.

Here are some practical steps to managing your sexuality as a single adult:

Do not seek sexual satisfaction through touching or being touched by another person, even if you stop short of sexual intercourse.

A lot of single adults will draw a line at not having intercourse but will do everything else. They call it messing around. For married people, “messing around” is the onramp onto the freeway.

Single adults consistently operate in this realm of “messing around” doing everything but the final act and then they wonder why they cannot manage their sexuality.

Do not seek sexual gratification through self stimulation.

Self stimulation does not solve sexual pressure. Many Christians believe that it is a healthy way to deal with their sexual desires. But it is not. Not only can self gratification become habitual, but it produces guilt, is accompanied by lust, and, most importantly, contradicts the God-given design of sexuality.

The sexual act is not designed to be done alone for selfish gratification. Sex is created for relationship with the opposite sex in a marriage covenant. When you gratify yourself, you are training yourself to not need another person physically, emotionally, and mentally, to satisfy yourself. It is pseudo sex.

The more you train yourself to satisfy yourself physically before marriage, the more likely you are to satisfy yourself physically after you are married. Because it’s not really about sex. It is about our lazy, self-centered desire, to satisfy ourselves rather than give ourselves to and for another person. The answer to your pent up  sexual desires is not gratifying yourself, but resisting temptationResist and avoid sexual stimulation.

James 4:6a-7 6 But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil  desires…7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

It is a no-brainer that pornography is destructive and works against you in your quest to be sexually pure. But the real test is what you do with the more common sources of sexual stimulation. R-rated movies, Men’s Health magazine, the newspaper, television, music videos.

In our society you cannot escape sexual stimulation, but you can refuse to seek it. And you can avoid it often when you see it coming. This will tell you whether you are enslaved or free. Can we say no to our bodies that want us to keep looking?

This becomes easier the more we focus on Christ and pure things. There is no better way to overcome a bad desire than to push it out with a new one. It is in prayer that we summon the divine help to produce in us that new desire for God. Fill your mind in God’s Word.

There is nothing that renews the mind like regular meditation on the Scriptures.

Embrace Christian Community

Hebrews 10:24: Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

The struggle to resist temptation and manage your sexuality must be done in with the help of others seeking the same goals. For some of you the odds are not in your favor of having a lot of success with this because you are surrounded by people who do not believe the same things as you. Every conversation and outing is focused on sex and hooking up. Christian community gives you strength and support. Others will join to help you get to where you want to go instead of trying to rip you off course. You can pray for each other and hold each other accountable.

Make Spiritual Compatibly the Highest Requirement for Romantic Relationships

2 Corinthians 6:14 (Holman Christian Standard Bible): Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and  awlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?

The Bible clearly teaches that it is not appropriate for Christians to be in a relationship where an unbeliever has control over their life. This is especially true for dating relationships. It is hard enough to stay sexually pure as a dating couple when you are both spiritually aligned  with Christ as the center of the relationship. But when the  people is not in agreement and one is trying to remain sexually pure and the other does not have the same goal, guess which one will eventually win? You must make spiritual compatibility your highest priority.

Don’t get Desperate.

Desperate people make poor choices. Desperation begins when faith in God’s future and the enjoyment of the present disappears. When you believe that it will never happen unless you begin to take steps to make it happen yourself because you are just sick and tired of waiting.

When you get desperate you make mistakes. You will make compromises you never intended, date people you should never have dated, marry someone that is not a good fit.

As a single adult, the Bible teaches in 1 Corinthians 7 that it is a special time in life where you can pour yourself into ministry and serving others more than at any other time in life. It is a time to live for God boldly, to grow close to him and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Do not become desperate. Desperate people make desperate decisions and pay drastic consequences.

Conclusion

Many want that sexual experience because we believe that that is the pinnacle of feeling loved by someone as a human. But we can learn to replace that with the love that can only be found in the total abandonment to Jesus then we can begin to be loved completely by him and him  alone.

There is going to come a day that even though you are  in a great marriage that there are areas that your spouse can never satisfy.

Inside the covenant of marriage sex is like a great meal, satisfying and nourishing. Outside of marriage it is more like candy. It might give you a short rush, but is full of empty calories with no nourishment. And a steady diet of it will make you sick. It will make you sick in your relationships with the opposite sex and it will make you sick in your relationship with God. Jesus has given us a choice. Now what are you going to do with it?

 
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Posted by on March 27, 2017 in 1 Corinthians, Sermon

 
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