Romans 10.1-13 George Barna, a market researcher on Christianity, recently revealed that 51%, or 1 out of 2 people, believed 'good people' went to heaven. Sophie Loren, some of you are old enough to know who that is, said this when asked if she was going to heaven: "I should to heaven, otherwise it is not nice. I haven't done anything wrong. My conscience is very clean. My soul is as white as those orchids over there and I should go straight to heaven."
You know the sad thing about those two comments - many people, even some reaing this, actually agree with them. I want to answer the question 'Why Christian?' If good people go to heaven then how much good is good enough to get there? If a clean conscience is the necessary requirement then how do we clean our conscience? I want to say neither of those are the means of salvation and heaven. Read Romans 10 and hear what the Word of God says concerning being a Christian.
Romans - context of the letter - it is generally accepted that Romans is the greatest of all Paul's letters. He wrote Romans somewhere between 51-57AD. Romans is the great exposition of the doctrine of salvation set out in logical fashion. Paul states the doctrine and then the application of that doctrine to daily living of the Christian. Salvation is the main theme of Romans and it comes from the righteousness of God.
Romans 10.1-13
In verses 1-4 Paul speaks of his loving concern for the nation of Israel. Paul speaks from personal experience of their condition before God. Paul knew their condition as it was his own before he met the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. In verse 1 he addresses them as 'brothers' - but please remember this letter is going to the Christians in Rome. He is referring here to those who are 'brothers in Christ.' He wants to state again, as he had shown in his actions of going to the Jews, first with the gospel, that his desire is for them to be saved. This is Paul's heartfelt desire and purpose in preaching the gospel that the Jews, but not only they, would come to the saving knowledge of Christ.
Verse 2 - Paul bears testimony to the zeal of the people of Israel for God. However this zeal is based on ignorance and not true knowledge of God. But please note their ignorance is not excused. They may have been sincere, as Paul once was, in their zeal, persecuting the church, as he once did (1 Tim 1.13), but they were sincerely wrong and therefore stand condemned before God. Zeal is good but without knowledge it will lead to disaster. Augustine once said "It is better to limp in the right way than to run with all your might out of the way." Please here those words of Paul. If the nation of Israel were without excuse, even though they acted out of ignorance of the revelation of God in Christ, then how much more do you and I stand condemned when we do have the knowledge of Christ. It was not out of evil minds that they acted but ignorance and yet they are still not saved.
Verse 3 'Since' introduces the reason for their zeal, their actions. They were ignorant of the righteousness which comes from God. Ignorant of that they sought their own righteousness through human effort in keeping the Law. But in so doing Paul says they were in fact refusing to submit to God's righteousness. If as you read this you are seeking to be right with God through anything other than Christ then you stand condemned - according to these verses. It is in fact a rebellious act to seek righteousness other than that which comes from God in Christ. The Jews did not understand that they could not establish a righteousness of their own before God. No matter how hard they tried or how sincere they were they were doomed to failure. Listen to these words of Paul in Romans 1.17 - read. This righteousness from God is revealed in Christ and it is this alone, received by faith, which Paul says brings salvation. It was of this that the nation of Israel was ignorant of and so attempted to establish their righteousness through observance of the Law.
Verse 4 - but look what Paul says here about the Law. 'For' at the beginning of verse 4 moves the argument along and establishes the basis for Paul's teaching on this matter. In Christ the Law not only found its fulfilment but also its end. Paul speaks here of the decisiveness and finality of the work of Christ. The Law pointed to Christ and in Christ it came to completion. But all that the Law did was to establish their sinfulness before God and their need for the righteousness which comes from God. The life, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ had brought to an end any attempt to be righteousness before God by observation of the Law. Look at the last sentence of this verse - righteousness for those who believe. Paul now brings his readers back to what he had stated in 1.17 - it is by faith the righteous live.
Verse 5 once again Paul begins with the word 'For.' Once again he is moving the argument on a stage further. Now he states how Moses taught that observance of all the Law was required. The emphasis in the Law was obedience but the dark side was the curse and condemnation which came from infringing, breaking and failing to keep the Law. The Law required 100% observance 100% of the time. All that the Law ended in doing was revealing the need for a Saviour.
Verses 6-8 'But…' - don't you just love the word 'but' in Scripture. Where there could be despair - Paul says 'but' there is a righteousness that is not about works and not about you at all but all of God. Read again verses 6 and 7.
Paul says there is no need to ascend to heaven to seek to gain spiritual knowledge because Christ has already come from heaven to reveal God to us - the Incarnation. He goes further to say that there is no need to go down to the depths to seek such knowledge as Christ has already gone down to the depths and rose again to bring us such knowledge. You see they had had no part in the Incarnation and no part in the resurrection - it was all of God. Paul is using the absurdity of man reaching heaven and bringing Christ down or descending to the dead and raising Christ from the dead to show how futile their understanding actually is. It is all of God and not of them. Paul says the assurance of salvation lies on two foundations;
1. Our realisation that life has been gained for us.
2. Our realisation that death has been conquered for us.
Our part is to believe, just as their part was to believe. This righteousness is not something which is distant from them says Paul. No it is right there in front of them in the gospel message which Paul had proclaimed (preached) before them and is now writing to them. There is nothing hidden in the depths of the earth - it is the message of Christ crucified and risen from the dead. There is nothing distant about it locked away in the mysteries of heaven - it is there before them in the message of the gospel which they had believed.
Verses 9-10 - Paul now outlines for them the simple step of believing and confessing this righteousness that comes from God and saves them from their sins. He begins verse 9 with the word 'That' or 'Because' pointing to the content of what he had proclaimed before them, namely Christ. He then connects both the outward and the inward reality of the gospel in personal experience. No one is saved merely by outward observance - the state of their heart is a key element. But Paul does not contemplate an inward state that has no corresponding outward reality. The heart is reflected in the conduct. Belief is seen in life. The outward reflects the inward belief. In verse 10 where Paul speaks of confessing with your lips he is speaking of a public declaration of commitment to Christ Jesus. Please note will you that faith has content - it is belief in Christ as Lord and in his resurrection from the dead. It is not just belief - but belief in the teaching of the gospel as revealed in the Word of God.
Verses 11-13 Paul finishes this section with a reminder to his readers that salvation is not limited to the nation of Israel but is open to all who call on the name of Christ. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile when it comes to the need for the righteousness which comes from God. Both need salvation which can be found in Christ alone through faith alone by grace alone. He assures them that when they do call on him in repentance and faith then Christ will not let them be put to shame (Isaiah 28.16) - that is He will not let them be lost eternally.
Paul's chief concern in the verses before us is that the people of Israel would have their eyes opened to the fact that they cannot establish righteousness before God by merely observing the Law. In fact their failure to observe the Law 100% at all times reveals to them, and the world, their need of a Saviour. All of their attempts at righteousness end in failure. They may have acted in the past out of ignorance, being unaware of the righteousness which comes from God in Christ, but now they are without excuse because Paul in the proclamation of the gospel has made it known before them.
you and I stand in that same place. We have tried to establish before God our own righteousness. We have tried to establish it through religious observance, through personal effort, through good works and generous gestures. We have tried to establish it through living a good life. Many of us have thought, or are thinking, the exact words of Sophie Loren. Paul says here, even if we have done so out of ignorance, we are still condemned . Without Christ and his righteousness we stand condemned to a lost eternity - there is no salvation outside of Christ Jesus. why Christian? Because without Christ I am lost. Without Christ I am doomed to eternity in hell. No matter my good works, my religious observance, no matter even my ignorance- without Christ I am lost BUT - says Paul to all who call on Christ he saves them.
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Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Monday, 29 November 2010
Parenting
Discipleship: Parenting
Deuteronomy 6
. Please do not dismiss what I am going to say with the attitude that what would he know about parenting a teenager or twenty something or older. I am not going to give you my advice as a parent nor the wisdom of this age. I wouldn't be so arrogant as to think that as a father I know better than any of the rest of you or have done a better job than some of you. I am going, as I try to do in each blog, to share God's Word with you. It is God's Word that has something to say to us as parents and it is to this that I want to turn our minds and hearts now.
Look at Deuteronomy chapter 6. Allow me to set the context for you. The people of Israel are camped east of the Jordan. Canaan, the Promised Land, lies across the Jordan to the west. Moses calls the people together and reminds them of all that has happened to them since leaving Mount Sinai. He is giving the people of God final instructions before they cross the Jordan to the Promised Land. As you know he will not be crossing over with them because of his disobedience. A generation has died out over the 40 years they have wandered in the wilderness. That is the context of these words recorded for us in Deuteronomy 6. We only read a small portion of chapter 6 but we will venture beyond the first nine verses as we look to see what God would say to us about being His disciples in parenting children.
Verses 1-3 Learn about God yourself. Moses begins his exhortation to the people of God by calling, or recalling, them to the 'fear of the Lord' (v2). Did you notice that Moses extends this to the children and the grandchildren of the people of God? The 'fear of the Lord' is the basis of godly Christian parenthood. When we hear the word 'fear' we immediately think of something to be scared of or something which makes us afraid. Whilst the use of fear here does have something of that, it is not the central focus of the usage of the word here. The central thought and focus is that the people of God are to stand in awe of God. The phrase the 'fear of the Lord' incorporates reverence and respect. God reminds them of who He is, what He has done for them in the past and what He is about to do for them as they lift their eyes across Jordan. 'The fear of the Lord' speaks to them of the totality of a right and devout relationship to and with God. That 'fear' was based on the faithfulness of God to the covenant promises made to His people. Their understanding of 'the fear of the Lord' is based on their knowledge, their experience and the teaching of the Passover, the Exodus and the wilderness wanderings of 40 years. All of their individual and national experiences, all of their knowledge and the teaching concerning the Lord God are brought together in the phrase 'the fear of the Lord.' It is this that they are to teach their children and their grandchildren. Stop for a moment and think about this generation who are hearing these words spoken by Moses. It was their parent's generation who had experienced the slavery of Egypt. It was their parent's generation who had experienced the Passover and the deliverance from Egypt. It was their parent's generation who had walked through the Red Sea on dry land. It was their parent's generation who first ate manna from heaven. It was their parent's generation who rebelled and condemned them to wander for 40 years and who experienced God's gracious provision in those years. It was their parent's generation who witnessed the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night as they left the slavery Egypt. It was their parent's generation who saw water flow from a stone and who saw the glory of God descend on to Mount Sinai. The generation standing before Moses, with the exception of Caleb and Joshua, are the next generation and knew only of the Passover and Exodus by the teaching of their parent as they celebrated the Passover each year. Moses wants them to pass on this knowledge, this teaching about God to their children and to their children's children. Yet they cannot pass on what they do not know for themselves.
In leadership there is a lesson called 'the Law of the Lid.' It is quite simple really. You cannot take people beyond what you know yourself. There comes a lid in your leadership beyond which you cannot lead. There is a lid to parenting as well. You cannot teach and lead your children where you have not been yourself. If you do not know God yourself then you cannot lead your children to God. If you do not know the Word of God you cannot teach your children the Word of God. So the very first instruction Moses gives them, and us, is to fear the Lord so that they, and we, can teach their, our, children and children's children to do the same.
It wasn't until I got into my twenties that fully appreciated the godly Christian parenting of my mum and my maternal grandparents. My greatest regret is not telling them sooner and more often how much their 'fear of the Lord' has meant to me in later life. What about you as a parent? Do you know God personally? Would your children say you fear the Lord?
Live what you profess - verses 4-9
The very first things that a Hebrew child learned from their parents - the Shema. It is the greatest commandment - total commitment to God. Moses asserts that there is only one true God and it is the God of Israel. In Matthew 22.37-38; Mark 12.29-30 and Luke 10.27 Christ Jesus states that this is the first and the greatest of all the commandments - total commitment to God. Verse 5 gathers the totality of a person together and asserts that it is with all that a person is that they are to love God. There is here the tying together of love, obedience and loyalty towards God in the covenant that He has brought to fruition as they stand on the banks of the Jordan looking over into the Promised Land.
In verses 6-9 the people of God are called to impress this commandment upon their children and their children's children. These commandments were to govern their hearts, their lives, their homes and the paths they took.
What lesson had their parents and grandparents learnt since leaving Egypt? Looking at these verses I can only conclude that they had learned that it was not sufficient to say that they loved God with their lips if their lives did not support that claim. The incident with the golden calf and their failure to trust God when the spies brought back their message about the Promised Land showed the consequences of lives that did not agree with lips that praised God.
Let me bring this up to date for you. Do you realise as parents how difficult it is for young people to love God and follow God when they witness you say one thing with your lips and another with your lives? Do you realise the impossible task that you place on the leadership of your church when you live lives that deny the Word of God but expect your children to come to church Sunday by Sunday? Ask yourself what message has your life, not your words, but your life spoken to your children in this past week? Do you ban them from watching things on TV and then spend hours watching inappropriate material yourself? Do you ask them about reading their bibles, about praying etc but they never see the bible in your hand or hear your voice in prayer. Do you call them to be honest whilst you lie? Do you expect them to live a life in conformity to the Word of God when you yourself deny it with the way you live?
Children learn from our example - what is my example? Let me say to you that there are some things I am glad I learned from my parents and there are some things I try not to repeat from my parents. They were not perfect but I am thankful to God that they taught modelled important Christian characteristics for me.
Verses 7-9 teach what you have learned. When you see your children following Christ's example encourage them to keep going. They need encouragement as much as correction from you. Teach them the importance of doing things for the glory of God and not for any reward. Teach them what you have learned of Christ by word, by deed, by the way you direct your home life and the paths you take in life. Model it for them. May I ask you fathers: Will your sons be good husbands if they follow your model? Will your daughters choose good husbands if they choose a man like you? Mothers - the same questions to you? Grandparents, what a responsibility is placed on you here. You know grandparents have an unbelievable influence on grandchildren. Your wiser, your older and you realise the mistakes (at least you should) that you made with your own children - but do you set godly examples to your grandchildren? Those of you who have been asked to be godparents - do you take that seriously? You pray regularly for your godchildren? Set them a good example?
Verses 10-19 take a moment and read these verses closely. You will see the guidance God gives to you as parents. Here are commands and warnings that we are to learn ourselves and then we are to teach to our children. There is a warning not to forget God when things are going well in life. How easy it is for people to forget all about God when life seems to be going well. How easy it is for many of our parents to forget God when holiday time comes around. What are we teaching our children about God there? Do we set our children the example of thanking God for His blessings in our life? Does God get the glory and the praise when things are going well? Or does He get the blame when things are going wrong in our eyes?
Also you will notice in these verses that there is a warning that we are not to get distracted by the things of this world - remember these are the things we are to teach our children.
Friends if you want to be a godly parent then you must guard your children with all your strength because satan will use many things of this world to tempt them away from the path of God. As a parent exercise your God-given responsibility in your own life not to follow other gods. Let me say to you we need to rediscover and recover parenting in the Christian church. Stop listening to the pop psychology of the world and all its experts and listen to the Word of God. Be a father and be a mother to your children. I know for some of you no one ever modelled it for you. I know for some of you that your mum and dad let you down in how they behaved or didn't behave but don't follow their example - take responsibility for yourself as a father and as a mother. The reading from Ezekiel tells us clearly that each of us is responsible for our own lives before God. There is a distinct difference between influence and choice. It is important that we learn that distinction. Your parents might have had a bad influence on your life, they may still do but they do not make the choices for you and you are not programmed to make bad choices because of the way you were parented. You may be influenced by past bad decisions but they do not determine future action. Influence only goes as far as I allow it to go and I must take responsibility for my choices. If your parents did not set good examples, did not follow the Word of God then seek out godly role models and learn from them. I love my father dearly but for most of my life he was not a Christian. I never saw him read a bible, I learned that from my mother. As I said I love my father dearly but I don't want to follow his example in that part of my life. I don't want Jude(my son) to have to seek out other men to model godly manhood and fatherhood for him - that is my calling in his life and under God I want to fulfil that calling. Please, please take on board personal responsibility and accountability from the reading from Ezekiel.
Therefore, as a Christian father there will be things that I will not allow Jude to wear, places I will not allow him to go, things I will not allow him to watch and things I will not permit him to do. There will be things I will not allow into my home. Does that make me a mean Dad? No, I am exercising God-given, God-ordained responsibility as a father. I am called of God to set the spiritual temperature and tone of my home and I am, quite frankly, being sinful if I fail to do that. Parents it is not a popularity concert. It is not about being friends with my children. That will one day come. When they are young they need a father and a mother more than they need a friend.
It is about being a parent and exercising that God-given responsibility in the home and in the life of children entrusted to our care by Almighty God. One day we will answer for the way we have parented our children, therefore, guard your children.
In closing: Prepare for trying times - verses 20-25. Trying times will come, they always do. Even in the bible parents had wayward children. Adam had Cain. David had Absalom. Christ even used the story of a wayward child. We all know that trying times will come as parents but we can prepare for those trying times. Look at verses 20-25. God told the people of Israel that when they had entered the Promised Land and they were following the ways of God their children would ask 'Why?' Don't you just love that question from the lips of children? 'Why?' You are so tempted to answer 'because I said so...' God doesn't say that to the people of Israel. He tells them to explain the reasons - because of the covenant love of God and the deliverance of God of His people from slavery and the gift of the Promised Land. Your children, my child, will ask 'Why?' The answer will be in the years before those days - the years that we have taught and modelled the Word of God and lived out the Word of God before them. You know one of the saddest parts of ministry is when you encounter people who think that the pastor, the teacher, the social worker, the doctor or the policeman will sort their children out for them. I am not saying that they do not have a role and please understand me I am not saying that it is all down to bad parenting but often such people come on the scene when it is too late - the horse had bolted years before. It is your responsibility, and my responsibility, as a parent to teach them and model for them the answers to the 'Why?' questions. God tells the people of Israel that the answer to 'Why?' is found in His dealings with His people in the past and their present following of the commandments of God. Why would we depart from that instruction as parents and expect to have the answers at the 'why' moment?
The choice is before you. Are you going to follow the instruction of the Word of God and be totally committed to Him and live that out in word and deed before you children or not? Are you going to take responsibility for being a godly parent by following the Word of God, even when it conflicts with the way of the world? Amen.
Deuteronomy 6
. Please do not dismiss what I am going to say with the attitude that what would he know about parenting a teenager or twenty something or older. I am not going to give you my advice as a parent nor the wisdom of this age. I wouldn't be so arrogant as to think that as a father I know better than any of the rest of you or have done a better job than some of you. I am going, as I try to do in each blog, to share God's Word with you. It is God's Word that has something to say to us as parents and it is to this that I want to turn our minds and hearts now.
Look at Deuteronomy chapter 6. Allow me to set the context for you. The people of Israel are camped east of the Jordan. Canaan, the Promised Land, lies across the Jordan to the west. Moses calls the people together and reminds them of all that has happened to them since leaving Mount Sinai. He is giving the people of God final instructions before they cross the Jordan to the Promised Land. As you know he will not be crossing over with them because of his disobedience. A generation has died out over the 40 years they have wandered in the wilderness. That is the context of these words recorded for us in Deuteronomy 6. We only read a small portion of chapter 6 but we will venture beyond the first nine verses as we look to see what God would say to us about being His disciples in parenting children.
Verses 1-3 Learn about God yourself. Moses begins his exhortation to the people of God by calling, or recalling, them to the 'fear of the Lord' (v2). Did you notice that Moses extends this to the children and the grandchildren of the people of God? The 'fear of the Lord' is the basis of godly Christian parenthood. When we hear the word 'fear' we immediately think of something to be scared of or something which makes us afraid. Whilst the use of fear here does have something of that, it is not the central focus of the usage of the word here. The central thought and focus is that the people of God are to stand in awe of God. The phrase the 'fear of the Lord' incorporates reverence and respect. God reminds them of who He is, what He has done for them in the past and what He is about to do for them as they lift their eyes across Jordan. 'The fear of the Lord' speaks to them of the totality of a right and devout relationship to and with God. That 'fear' was based on the faithfulness of God to the covenant promises made to His people. Their understanding of 'the fear of the Lord' is based on their knowledge, their experience and the teaching of the Passover, the Exodus and the wilderness wanderings of 40 years. All of their individual and national experiences, all of their knowledge and the teaching concerning the Lord God are brought together in the phrase 'the fear of the Lord.' It is this that they are to teach their children and their grandchildren. Stop for a moment and think about this generation who are hearing these words spoken by Moses. It was their parent's generation who had experienced the slavery of Egypt. It was their parent's generation who had experienced the Passover and the deliverance from Egypt. It was their parent's generation who had walked through the Red Sea on dry land. It was their parent's generation who first ate manna from heaven. It was their parent's generation who rebelled and condemned them to wander for 40 years and who experienced God's gracious provision in those years. It was their parent's generation who witnessed the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night as they left the slavery Egypt. It was their parent's generation who saw water flow from a stone and who saw the glory of God descend on to Mount Sinai. The generation standing before Moses, with the exception of Caleb and Joshua, are the next generation and knew only of the Passover and Exodus by the teaching of their parent as they celebrated the Passover each year. Moses wants them to pass on this knowledge, this teaching about God to their children and to their children's children. Yet they cannot pass on what they do not know for themselves.
In leadership there is a lesson called 'the Law of the Lid.' It is quite simple really. You cannot take people beyond what you know yourself. There comes a lid in your leadership beyond which you cannot lead. There is a lid to parenting as well. You cannot teach and lead your children where you have not been yourself. If you do not know God yourself then you cannot lead your children to God. If you do not know the Word of God you cannot teach your children the Word of God. So the very first instruction Moses gives them, and us, is to fear the Lord so that they, and we, can teach their, our, children and children's children to do the same.
It wasn't until I got into my twenties that fully appreciated the godly Christian parenting of my mum and my maternal grandparents. My greatest regret is not telling them sooner and more often how much their 'fear of the Lord' has meant to me in later life. What about you as a parent? Do you know God personally? Would your children say you fear the Lord?
Live what you profess - verses 4-9
The very first things that a Hebrew child learned from their parents - the Shema. It is the greatest commandment - total commitment to God. Moses asserts that there is only one true God and it is the God of Israel. In Matthew 22.37-38; Mark 12.29-30 and Luke 10.27 Christ Jesus states that this is the first and the greatest of all the commandments - total commitment to God. Verse 5 gathers the totality of a person together and asserts that it is with all that a person is that they are to love God. There is here the tying together of love, obedience and loyalty towards God in the covenant that He has brought to fruition as they stand on the banks of the Jordan looking over into the Promised Land.
In verses 6-9 the people of God are called to impress this commandment upon their children and their children's children. These commandments were to govern their hearts, their lives, their homes and the paths they took.
What lesson had their parents and grandparents learnt since leaving Egypt? Looking at these verses I can only conclude that they had learned that it was not sufficient to say that they loved God with their lips if their lives did not support that claim. The incident with the golden calf and their failure to trust God when the spies brought back their message about the Promised Land showed the consequences of lives that did not agree with lips that praised God.
Let me bring this up to date for you. Do you realise as parents how difficult it is for young people to love God and follow God when they witness you say one thing with your lips and another with your lives? Do you realise the impossible task that you place on the leadership of your church when you live lives that deny the Word of God but expect your children to come to church Sunday by Sunday? Ask yourself what message has your life, not your words, but your life spoken to your children in this past week? Do you ban them from watching things on TV and then spend hours watching inappropriate material yourself? Do you ask them about reading their bibles, about praying etc but they never see the bible in your hand or hear your voice in prayer. Do you call them to be honest whilst you lie? Do you expect them to live a life in conformity to the Word of God when you yourself deny it with the way you live?
Children learn from our example - what is my example? Let me say to you that there are some things I am glad I learned from my parents and there are some things I try not to repeat from my parents. They were not perfect but I am thankful to God that they taught modelled important Christian characteristics for me.
Verses 7-9 teach what you have learned. When you see your children following Christ's example encourage them to keep going. They need encouragement as much as correction from you. Teach them the importance of doing things for the glory of God and not for any reward. Teach them what you have learned of Christ by word, by deed, by the way you direct your home life and the paths you take in life. Model it for them. May I ask you fathers: Will your sons be good husbands if they follow your model? Will your daughters choose good husbands if they choose a man like you? Mothers - the same questions to you? Grandparents, what a responsibility is placed on you here. You know grandparents have an unbelievable influence on grandchildren. Your wiser, your older and you realise the mistakes (at least you should) that you made with your own children - but do you set godly examples to your grandchildren? Those of you who have been asked to be godparents - do you take that seriously? You pray regularly for your godchildren? Set them a good example?
Verses 10-19 take a moment and read these verses closely. You will see the guidance God gives to you as parents. Here are commands and warnings that we are to learn ourselves and then we are to teach to our children. There is a warning not to forget God when things are going well in life. How easy it is for people to forget all about God when life seems to be going well. How easy it is for many of our parents to forget God when holiday time comes around. What are we teaching our children about God there? Do we set our children the example of thanking God for His blessings in our life? Does God get the glory and the praise when things are going well? Or does He get the blame when things are going wrong in our eyes?
Also you will notice in these verses that there is a warning that we are not to get distracted by the things of this world - remember these are the things we are to teach our children.
Friends if you want to be a godly parent then you must guard your children with all your strength because satan will use many things of this world to tempt them away from the path of God. As a parent exercise your God-given responsibility in your own life not to follow other gods. Let me say to you we need to rediscover and recover parenting in the Christian church. Stop listening to the pop psychology of the world and all its experts and listen to the Word of God. Be a father and be a mother to your children. I know for some of you no one ever modelled it for you. I know for some of you that your mum and dad let you down in how they behaved or didn't behave but don't follow their example - take responsibility for yourself as a father and as a mother. The reading from Ezekiel tells us clearly that each of us is responsible for our own lives before God. There is a distinct difference between influence and choice. It is important that we learn that distinction. Your parents might have had a bad influence on your life, they may still do but they do not make the choices for you and you are not programmed to make bad choices because of the way you were parented. You may be influenced by past bad decisions but they do not determine future action. Influence only goes as far as I allow it to go and I must take responsibility for my choices. If your parents did not set good examples, did not follow the Word of God then seek out godly role models and learn from them. I love my father dearly but for most of my life he was not a Christian. I never saw him read a bible, I learned that from my mother. As I said I love my father dearly but I don't want to follow his example in that part of my life. I don't want Jude(my son) to have to seek out other men to model godly manhood and fatherhood for him - that is my calling in his life and under God I want to fulfil that calling. Please, please take on board personal responsibility and accountability from the reading from Ezekiel.
Therefore, as a Christian father there will be things that I will not allow Jude to wear, places I will not allow him to go, things I will not allow him to watch and things I will not permit him to do. There will be things I will not allow into my home. Does that make me a mean Dad? No, I am exercising God-given, God-ordained responsibility as a father. I am called of God to set the spiritual temperature and tone of my home and I am, quite frankly, being sinful if I fail to do that. Parents it is not a popularity concert. It is not about being friends with my children. That will one day come. When they are young they need a father and a mother more than they need a friend.
It is about being a parent and exercising that God-given responsibility in the home and in the life of children entrusted to our care by Almighty God. One day we will answer for the way we have parented our children, therefore, guard your children.
In closing: Prepare for trying times - verses 20-25. Trying times will come, they always do. Even in the bible parents had wayward children. Adam had Cain. David had Absalom. Christ even used the story of a wayward child. We all know that trying times will come as parents but we can prepare for those trying times. Look at verses 20-25. God told the people of Israel that when they had entered the Promised Land and they were following the ways of God their children would ask 'Why?' Don't you just love that question from the lips of children? 'Why?' You are so tempted to answer 'because I said so...' God doesn't say that to the people of Israel. He tells them to explain the reasons - because of the covenant love of God and the deliverance of God of His people from slavery and the gift of the Promised Land. Your children, my child, will ask 'Why?' The answer will be in the years before those days - the years that we have taught and modelled the Word of God and lived out the Word of God before them. You know one of the saddest parts of ministry is when you encounter people who think that the pastor, the teacher, the social worker, the doctor or the policeman will sort their children out for them. I am not saying that they do not have a role and please understand me I am not saying that it is all down to bad parenting but often such people come on the scene when it is too late - the horse had bolted years before. It is your responsibility, and my responsibility, as a parent to teach them and model for them the answers to the 'Why?' questions. God tells the people of Israel that the answer to 'Why?' is found in His dealings with His people in the past and their present following of the commandments of God. Why would we depart from that instruction as parents and expect to have the answers at the 'why' moment?
The choice is before you. Are you going to follow the instruction of the Word of God and be totally committed to Him and live that out in word and deed before you children or not? Are you going to take responsibility for being a godly parent by following the Word of God, even when it conflicts with the way of the world? Amen.
Sunday, 28 November 2010
A Healthy church needs prayer part 3
Matthew 6 verses 5-15
If your church did a survey amongst you I wonder how many of you would say you pray regularly. Yet let me ask you a question: What is Prayer? That seems to me to be a fundamental question when we come to look at the topic of prayer. If someone were to ask you what you are doing when you pray, how would you answer? If your church is to be a healthy church then a key ingredient is prayer. The purpose of this blog is not to persuade you that you ought to pray but to actually persuade you to pray. If you already pray then the purpose of this is to encourage you to keep on praying. If you are struggling to pray then it is my desire and prayer that this will help you in your prayer life.
Luke 11 verse 1 - here is an interesting question asked by the disciples of Jesus. This is Luke's account of the passage from Matthew 6. The disciples could have asked Jesus many questions but they asked him to teach them to pray. For three years they follow Jesus. For three years they watch him perform miracles, raise people from the dead, feed 5000 with loaves and fishes and calm a raging sea. For three years they listen to him teach amazing stories which confound the religious intelligentsia but are understood with those who have ears and hearts of faith. They see him transformed before them and when they have the opportunity they ask him to teach them to pray. Why? Well, I believe the one thing that is pretty clear in the four gospels is that Jesus is a man of prayer. No doubt he followed the Judaic practice of praying three times a day. It is pretty clear that he often withdrew from the crowds of people, and even from the disciples, to seek his father's face in prayer. When Judas comes to betray him he knows exactly where Jesus will be in the garden of Gethsemane. Do you think that is an accident? I am more convinced that it was a regular place of prayer for Jesus and Judas knew this to be so. He is also certain that at such a time as the Passover Jesus will go to this private place of prayer. There is a pattern and practice of prayer in the life of Jesus that we could all do well to follow.
So let us turn to Matthew 6 and hear what Jesus taught his disciples concerning prayer. Look at verse 5 and the words of Christ: "when you pray..." There is an assumption that his disciples, his followers, will pray. He assumes that prayer will be part of their daily lives. So the first thing we learn is that Christ expects his followers to pray.
He then sets down simple guidelines for them when they pray. The first thing is they are to go somewhere private and quiet. Their sole concern should be God. This is in stark contrast of the religious leaders of their day who made sure everyone saw them pray. Their concern is to be alone with God their Father - nothing else and no one else matters. So find a quiet place to pray. Now I know that might be difficult but be honest how much time do we make for other things in our lives and yet we do not go to the same effort to find that quiet space for prayer. If it is a priority we will find the time and the place. You know I have found walking the dog a great opportunity to pray. So find a quiet place. Please notice the promise that Jesus attaches here - your heavenly Father will hear you when you pray. That is a promise to us all - God hears our prayers - so be assured of that because Christ himself has promised it.
Verse 9 - Relationship. When Christ begins his model prayer he addresses God as Father who is in heaven. This was a traditional means of opening a Hebrew prayer. Christ followed a pattern known to his disciples since childhood prayers in their homes, the synagogue and Temple. What pattern of prayer are your children learning from you? Our Father is a personal address to God. Here is an important lesson for us all - at the very core of prayer is a personal relationship with a personal God. At the heart of prayer Christ says, is a relationship of sons and daughters with a 'Father.' Christ begins prayer with an intimate term of endearment - 'Abba.' There is nothing impersonal about prayer - it is the most personal and intimate relationship between Almighty God and his children. Please note how Christ taught his disciples to address God - 'Our Father...' please don't be flippant about how you address God in prayer and please note it is to the Father that we pray. Yes we pray in the power of the Holy Spirit through Christ, God's only begotten Son, but it is to the Father that our prayers are directed.
Christ Jesus then lifts his voice in adoration of his Father - stating the holiness and otherness of God. Again this is part of traditional Hebraic prayers of the day. Once again Christ is not departing far from what His disciples have learned as children and is familiar to them, after all it was to the God of Israel that they were praying but in a new relationship through His Son. God is His Name - Exodus 33.19 - when Moses asks to see the glory of God - God says 'I will make my glory pass before you and I will declare my name...' God is His Name and in Scripture your name was more than what you were called it referred to your whole character and being. God's name is holy because He is holy - and we are instructed to call him 'Father.' This is why the commandment tells us that God's name is not to be taken in vain.
It is because God's Name reveals his character - holiness and it is not to be taken lightly because holiness is not to be taken lightly and I wish we as a people would learn that again. So when we come to pray remember before whom it is that you come in prayer - He who is holy, who is purity in and of himself and who cannot, will not, have sin in his presence. You and I have no right to be in his presence save by the blood of Christ shed for us and atoning for our sins - so do not take prayer lightly and do not enter his presence flippantly. Address him correctly because His name is holy and he will not hold you blameless for taking it in vain, even in prayer.
Verse 10 note what comes next in this model prayer - God's will and God's kingdom. Why had Christ come - to do the will of the Father. What should be our primary concern in life? The will of God our Father and his kingdom. That should be the basis of all our prayers - what is God's will in this situation and what will further God's kingdom in my life, in the life of my family, church and this situation. How different our prayers would be if this was our priority in prayer. So take note - a healthy church will have the will of God the Father and the furtherance of his kingdom as its priority - especially in prayer.
Verse 11 - now we enter upon our needs in this model prayer. There has been a lot of teaching on this phrase over the centuries and I don't wish to go into the detail. However, notice the simplicity of this phrase. Notice what is not being asked for and what is being asked for. Christ assures them that God, their Father, is concerned about their daily needs - after all not even a sparrow falls to the ground without their heavenly Father knowing. It is their daily bread, the basic things of life that they are to ask for. Friends ask yourself - what are the basic food needs of your life? Maybe you can remember famine scenes from the past - daily bread means what to you compared to those in such situations? When I read this phrase in prayer I am caught up by God's Spirit to get a right perspective on my daily bread. My prayers so often move from basic necessities of life to the luxuries of life in the west - how tragic is that? Or should I say how blasphemous?
Verse 12 - Christ now moves in his model prayer to forgiveness of sins. They were to ask God, their Father, for forgiveness but do you notice there is an onus on them to offer forgiveness also. Christ has elsewhere taught parables on forgiveness - the unforgiving servant for example and the healing of the man lowered down through the roof. When I know forgiveness of my sins, and how great they are and at what cost, then I am motivated in my prayers to forgive others. So in prayer I not only seek God's forgiveness but I seek to forgive others. Prayer changes me as I pray - is that not part of the teaching of this phrase?
Verse 13 - again I want you to take a moment and ponder these two prayer requests. We ask that we might be spared the trial of temptation and delivered form the 'evil one.' Do you notice also that these phrases are not individual but plural (group) - 'give us...forgive us...lead us...deliver us' Whilst we pray as individuals prayer is also corporate in nature. My concern is for my brother and sister in Christ also to be spared from the trials of faith for protection against the evil one in this world. Why would Christ pray such a phrase? Read Ephesians 6 verse 12. Here is the battle that we seek deliverance from and protection in. In prayer we are involved in a spiritual battle and we wrestle against powers in the spiritual realm that we have no real understanding of and no power against save the blood of Christ Jesus.
To conclude read - Romans 8 verses 26-27. Traditionally people have understood these verses to mean that the Holy Spirit takes our hearts cries and intercedes before the Father for us. Yet that does not do true justice to the text. Paul is saying that the Holy Spirit comes to our aid to help us pray aright. Sometimes we do not know what to pray for (out of ignorance) and sometimes we do not pray well. So the Holy Spirit comes and puts into words what we ought to pray and enables us to pray aright - since he already knows the will of the Father. So even in our weakness, in our inability to put into words the deep longings of our souls God in his desire to communicate with us has given us the Holy Spirit who intercedes because we are unable to do so. One writer said this of this work of the Holy Spirit: 'this prayer is the very breath of the soul.' I think that is a wonderful description of this work of God's Spirit in our lives.
This blog has really only scratched the surface of the Bible's teaching on prayer. Here is the essential point though - pray - actually pray. Get alone with God and pray. Call on him as your Father because he has promised to hear you and answer you. Lift your voice to him in prayers of adoration, confession, thanks and supplication (request). Pray, pray and pray again. Pray as an individual and with others. Come together with others in this fellowship and pray. Without prayer your church will die. Without your prayers your pastor may struggle each week. It is the prayers of the saints that powers the church forward. So if you want to be a healthy church you need to pray. Not talk about it but pray. Not just preach about it but pray. Not just read about it and learn about it but actually pray. So you want to be healthy, spiritually healthy -then pray. Finally - note what Christ says at the beginning of his prayer- it is not about your elegant words, nor the vain repetition of them - it is about a relationship with God that enables you, his child, to come to your heavenly Father and he promises to hear and answer - so pray.
Amen.
If your church did a survey amongst you I wonder how many of you would say you pray regularly. Yet let me ask you a question: What is Prayer? That seems to me to be a fundamental question when we come to look at the topic of prayer. If someone were to ask you what you are doing when you pray, how would you answer? If your church is to be a healthy church then a key ingredient is prayer. The purpose of this blog is not to persuade you that you ought to pray but to actually persuade you to pray. If you already pray then the purpose of this is to encourage you to keep on praying. If you are struggling to pray then it is my desire and prayer that this will help you in your prayer life.
Luke 11 verse 1 - here is an interesting question asked by the disciples of Jesus. This is Luke's account of the passage from Matthew 6. The disciples could have asked Jesus many questions but they asked him to teach them to pray. For three years they follow Jesus. For three years they watch him perform miracles, raise people from the dead, feed 5000 with loaves and fishes and calm a raging sea. For three years they listen to him teach amazing stories which confound the religious intelligentsia but are understood with those who have ears and hearts of faith. They see him transformed before them and when they have the opportunity they ask him to teach them to pray. Why? Well, I believe the one thing that is pretty clear in the four gospels is that Jesus is a man of prayer. No doubt he followed the Judaic practice of praying three times a day. It is pretty clear that he often withdrew from the crowds of people, and even from the disciples, to seek his father's face in prayer. When Judas comes to betray him he knows exactly where Jesus will be in the garden of Gethsemane. Do you think that is an accident? I am more convinced that it was a regular place of prayer for Jesus and Judas knew this to be so. He is also certain that at such a time as the Passover Jesus will go to this private place of prayer. There is a pattern and practice of prayer in the life of Jesus that we could all do well to follow.
So let us turn to Matthew 6 and hear what Jesus taught his disciples concerning prayer. Look at verse 5 and the words of Christ: "when you pray..." There is an assumption that his disciples, his followers, will pray. He assumes that prayer will be part of their daily lives. So the first thing we learn is that Christ expects his followers to pray.
He then sets down simple guidelines for them when they pray. The first thing is they are to go somewhere private and quiet. Their sole concern should be God. This is in stark contrast of the religious leaders of their day who made sure everyone saw them pray. Their concern is to be alone with God their Father - nothing else and no one else matters. So find a quiet place to pray. Now I know that might be difficult but be honest how much time do we make for other things in our lives and yet we do not go to the same effort to find that quiet space for prayer. If it is a priority we will find the time and the place. You know I have found walking the dog a great opportunity to pray. So find a quiet place. Please notice the promise that Jesus attaches here - your heavenly Father will hear you when you pray. That is a promise to us all - God hears our prayers - so be assured of that because Christ himself has promised it.
Verse 9 - Relationship. When Christ begins his model prayer he addresses God as Father who is in heaven. This was a traditional means of opening a Hebrew prayer. Christ followed a pattern known to his disciples since childhood prayers in their homes, the synagogue and Temple. What pattern of prayer are your children learning from you? Our Father is a personal address to God. Here is an important lesson for us all - at the very core of prayer is a personal relationship with a personal God. At the heart of prayer Christ says, is a relationship of sons and daughters with a 'Father.' Christ begins prayer with an intimate term of endearment - 'Abba.' There is nothing impersonal about prayer - it is the most personal and intimate relationship between Almighty God and his children. Please note how Christ taught his disciples to address God - 'Our Father...' please don't be flippant about how you address God in prayer and please note it is to the Father that we pray. Yes we pray in the power of the Holy Spirit through Christ, God's only begotten Son, but it is to the Father that our prayers are directed.
Christ Jesus then lifts his voice in adoration of his Father - stating the holiness and otherness of God. Again this is part of traditional Hebraic prayers of the day. Once again Christ is not departing far from what His disciples have learned as children and is familiar to them, after all it was to the God of Israel that they were praying but in a new relationship through His Son. God is His Name - Exodus 33.19 - when Moses asks to see the glory of God - God says 'I will make my glory pass before you and I will declare my name...' God is His Name and in Scripture your name was more than what you were called it referred to your whole character and being. God's name is holy because He is holy - and we are instructed to call him 'Father.' This is why the commandment tells us that God's name is not to be taken in vain.
It is because God's Name reveals his character - holiness and it is not to be taken lightly because holiness is not to be taken lightly and I wish we as a people would learn that again. So when we come to pray remember before whom it is that you come in prayer - He who is holy, who is purity in and of himself and who cannot, will not, have sin in his presence. You and I have no right to be in his presence save by the blood of Christ shed for us and atoning for our sins - so do not take prayer lightly and do not enter his presence flippantly. Address him correctly because His name is holy and he will not hold you blameless for taking it in vain, even in prayer.
Verse 10 note what comes next in this model prayer - God's will and God's kingdom. Why had Christ come - to do the will of the Father. What should be our primary concern in life? The will of God our Father and his kingdom. That should be the basis of all our prayers - what is God's will in this situation and what will further God's kingdom in my life, in the life of my family, church and this situation. How different our prayers would be if this was our priority in prayer. So take note - a healthy church will have the will of God the Father and the furtherance of his kingdom as its priority - especially in prayer.
Verse 11 - now we enter upon our needs in this model prayer. There has been a lot of teaching on this phrase over the centuries and I don't wish to go into the detail. However, notice the simplicity of this phrase. Notice what is not being asked for and what is being asked for. Christ assures them that God, their Father, is concerned about their daily needs - after all not even a sparrow falls to the ground without their heavenly Father knowing. It is their daily bread, the basic things of life that they are to ask for. Friends ask yourself - what are the basic food needs of your life? Maybe you can remember famine scenes from the past - daily bread means what to you compared to those in such situations? When I read this phrase in prayer I am caught up by God's Spirit to get a right perspective on my daily bread. My prayers so often move from basic necessities of life to the luxuries of life in the west - how tragic is that? Or should I say how blasphemous?
Verse 12 - Christ now moves in his model prayer to forgiveness of sins. They were to ask God, their Father, for forgiveness but do you notice there is an onus on them to offer forgiveness also. Christ has elsewhere taught parables on forgiveness - the unforgiving servant for example and the healing of the man lowered down through the roof. When I know forgiveness of my sins, and how great they are and at what cost, then I am motivated in my prayers to forgive others. So in prayer I not only seek God's forgiveness but I seek to forgive others. Prayer changes me as I pray - is that not part of the teaching of this phrase?
Verse 13 - again I want you to take a moment and ponder these two prayer requests. We ask that we might be spared the trial of temptation and delivered form the 'evil one.' Do you notice also that these phrases are not individual but plural (group) - 'give us...forgive us...lead us...deliver us' Whilst we pray as individuals prayer is also corporate in nature. My concern is for my brother and sister in Christ also to be spared from the trials of faith for protection against the evil one in this world. Why would Christ pray such a phrase? Read Ephesians 6 verse 12. Here is the battle that we seek deliverance from and protection in. In prayer we are involved in a spiritual battle and we wrestle against powers in the spiritual realm that we have no real understanding of and no power against save the blood of Christ Jesus.
To conclude read - Romans 8 verses 26-27. Traditionally people have understood these verses to mean that the Holy Spirit takes our hearts cries and intercedes before the Father for us. Yet that does not do true justice to the text. Paul is saying that the Holy Spirit comes to our aid to help us pray aright. Sometimes we do not know what to pray for (out of ignorance) and sometimes we do not pray well. So the Holy Spirit comes and puts into words what we ought to pray and enables us to pray aright - since he already knows the will of the Father. So even in our weakness, in our inability to put into words the deep longings of our souls God in his desire to communicate with us has given us the Holy Spirit who intercedes because we are unable to do so. One writer said this of this work of the Holy Spirit: 'this prayer is the very breath of the soul.' I think that is a wonderful description of this work of God's Spirit in our lives.
This blog has really only scratched the surface of the Bible's teaching on prayer. Here is the essential point though - pray - actually pray. Get alone with God and pray. Call on him as your Father because he has promised to hear you and answer you. Lift your voice to him in prayers of adoration, confession, thanks and supplication (request). Pray, pray and pray again. Pray as an individual and with others. Come together with others in this fellowship and pray. Without prayer your church will die. Without your prayers your pastor may struggle each week. It is the prayers of the saints that powers the church forward. So if you want to be a healthy church you need to pray. Not talk about it but pray. Not just preach about it but pray. Not just read about it and learn about it but actually pray. So you want to be healthy, spiritually healthy -then pray. Finally - note what Christ says at the beginning of his prayer- it is not about your elegant words, nor the vain repetition of them - it is about a relationship with God that enables you, his child, to come to your heavenly Father and he promises to hear and answer - so pray.
Amen.
Healthy Church Part 2
Is your church a Healthy Church? - The Bible.
2 Timothy 3 verses 10-17
Famous last words - some are poignant, some funny and some tragic. For example there was a writer called Bennett who was alleged to have said "Of course the water is safe to drink", only for him to die of typhoid. Dr Johnston once said "Nothing concentrates a man's mind so much as the knowledge he is to be hanged in a fortnight." 2 Timothy is Paul's last letter, written to the young Timothy. In this letter Paul concentrates on the Gospel and Christian duty. Paul concentrates on the grace of God and the outworking of that in the life of a believer towards God and towards others. So this is Paul's last letter to his young pastor Timothy.
2 Timothy 3 verses 1-10 - in these opening verses Paul outlines a very dark picture of human behaviour. When you read those verses you see a picture of the world in which Paul and Timothy lived and I think you will also agree a portrait of the world in which we live today. In verses 6-9 Paul outlines the behaviour of the false teachers of Timothy's day. And we then come to our reading this morning.
Verses 10-11 - Paul wants to encourage the young Timothy by reminding him of the example he had seen with Paul. In contrast to this the false teachers has lived a very different life. Paul begins verse 10 with a very emphatic 'You', emphasising a clear contrast between the young Timothy and the false teachers of verses 1-9.
'know all about' - literally you follow closely, or follow faithfully as a rule of life a standard of conduct. He has not only known it mentally, and assented to it, but has also followed it closely, but what has he known fully about Paul?
Paul speaks of 'My teaching' (or doctrine) which was seen in his 'manner of life' or way of life. Paul's conduct was consistent with his teaching. Oh, if only we could say that of every Christian today.
'My purpose' which was expressed in his 'faith' lived out in his manner of life.
'Patience' which is that self-restraint, fruit of the Spirit, when faced with provocation. The very opposite of anger in a given situation, such as the persecution and suffering which he had faced for the sake of the gospel.
'Love' - divine love produced in the heart of the yielded believer by the Holy Spirit. How very different from the self-love of the false teachers of verses 1-9.
'Endurance' - whilst under pressure, which does no surrender to circumstances and does not succumb under trial. This is one characteristic that we desperately need in the church today. Too many Christians give up too easily. Too many Christians expect life to be easy with no trials or tribulations on the road to heaven - Psalm 23 should persuade you otherwise.
'Persecutions' - coming form the verb 'to pursue'. Paul had once pursued the Christian believers from town to town in his zeal to persecute them. Now he too had experienced such persecution. Why would we expect anything different than our brothers and sisters in Christ?
'Sufferings' or 'afflictions.' Paul lists the places that he had faced such sufferings. These are recorded for us in Act 13 and 14. Take Lystra for example. Timothy would have been familiar with this episode in the life of Paul as he was a young man at the time and converted under Paul's ministry there. Paul was bombarded with stones and left for dead in Lystra. Timothy would have had poignant memories of this event.
Verses 12-13 here is a very important verse for us all this morning. Suffering and persecution is a normal part, and to be expected, of living a godly life. Those who determine to be constant in godly living take note of this. Godliness is not being sanctimonious, nor is it self-righteousness but a life lived according to God's Word. You see the devil will happily ignore a worldly Christian but faithfulness to Christ and the ways of God will draw his hostility. What a contrast the life of the evil impostors of Paul's day. This is the only time in the NT where 'impostors' is used of people. The word originally meant a wailer or howler, a juggler or enchanter. Over time it came to be associated with those who practiced the deception and with witchcraft. These false teachers were themselves deceived and have set out to deceive others. Their evil character has been described in verses 2-5 and the impostor's seductive part has been outlined by Paul in verses 6-9. The authorised version of the Bible spoke of these people 'shall wax worse and worse.' We would say they are going from bad to worse. The Greek has the sense of a man cutting a way through thick vegetation for others to follow him. Such is the description Paul gives to the false teachers who lead people astray from the Word of God.
Verse 14 - we have one of the great 'But as for you...' statements of the NT. In contrast to these evil impostors Timothy is live a very different life. He is to 'continue in...' that is he is to abide or remain in the way of life and teaching in which he is already established. Timothy is not only to grab hold of the truth but he is also to allow the truth to grab hold of him. The truth must be believed and be seen to be believed in the manner or way of life lived by Timothy. Timothy's daily life was to reveal that the truth had taken hold of him. It is not enough to know the truth but also to be seen to live according to the truth. Again a lesson we all need to obey. As the evil around Timothy increases and persecution presses in on every side Timothy must stand firm in the knowledge that the truth of God does not change but remains constant and is unchanging in its character.
Listen to what Paul tells Timothy - hold on to the faith once taught 'that you have learned..become convinced of.' It was not just a mental assent but a truth that had wrought a change in his heart and life and in his way of life. He had become fully persuaded of the truth of God's Word. He had two reasons for his confidence:
First, he knows from whom he had learned that truth. He had learned from Paul, from Eunice his mother and Lois his grandmother. Their trustworthy character is the key to this. He had heard the truth from them but as equally importantly he had seen them live the truth each day. That is the key isn't it- we need to be seen to be living according to what we believe. There are enough Christians who do not live it the way they talk it today. That is why Paul has repeatedly emphasised his manner of life to Timothy - because he lived by the truth each day, even in the face of suffering and persecution.
You see the custom of the Jews was from the earliest age to teach their children the Word of God and to expect them to memorise it. We have lost that today, we should not be so quick to despise the memorising of scripture. Timothy's heritage was the holy Scriptures, the sacred writings (the OT) which his mother, grandmother and pastor Paul had taught him. Look at what Paul says - this is able to make him wise (in preparation) unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. The Scriptures that he was taught disciplined him in obedience to God and pointed to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, through whom salvation would come. There is a simple little lesson for us all there - do not neglect to teach your children the Bible, the whole Bible and not just the NT. You know one of the field workers for Fields of Life gets angry when people only give children New Testaments. She says 'it is like giving them half a meal.' Think for a moment about Handel's Messiah - most of it is taken from the OT and yet it is all about Christ - the OT reveals Jesus Christ - it did to Timothy.
Verses 16-17 Paul now speaks to Timothy of the written Word of God. 'All' or 'Every Scripture is God breathed.' When writing to Timothy here Paul is speaking of the OT, the sacred scriptures but these two verses can be expanded to include the NT as well - when we place them alongside 2 Peter 3 verse 2 and verses 15-16, 1 Thess. 2 verse 13 and 1 Timothy 5 verse 18. These verses link the OT and NT writers together and Peter includes Paul's writings with 'the other scriptures.' Paul himself in 1 Thessalonians refers to his letter as 'the Word of God.'
Here Paul joins two Greek words together to speak of Scripture as being 'God-breathed' (theopneustos). This word is used only here in the NT and means literally 'God-breathed.' The breath of God. We know that only things that are living have breath. Paul is saying the Scriptures were breathed out by God, brought into being by the very breath of God. He then speaks of their usefulness:
Teaching the truth or doctrine. Both the content of the teaching and the action of obedience to the teaching is spoken of here. It is the impartation of knowledge which requires action. Scripture is inspired by God to transform and not just to inform.
Rebuking - which is to rebuke in order to bring about conviction of the sinner (Titus 1 verse 9). A good example of this is the letter to the Galatians. Correction - the setting right of that which is wrong, or the restoration to an upright position of that which has fallen. The restoration of a sinner to a right state with and before God.
Instruction - conveys the idea of training. Literally Paul uses the word for the rearing of a child. All believers need to be trained in righteousness and this must be by the application of the Word of God. This is to be both inward and outward.
Verse 17 the outcome of all this is that the Christian is perfect, brought to maturity by the Word of God working in their life so that they may be 'thoroughly equipped for every good work' which according to Paul in Ephesians 2 God has prepared in advance for them to do. The imagery here of being thoroughly equipped is of a vessel being fitted out and furnished for readiness. For Paul it is the Word of God which fits out, furnishes, the believer to be ready to live a manner of life worthy of a follower of Christ.
Conclusion
Is your church a healthy church when it comes to the Bible? If we believe that this is the Word of God, that it contains all we need to know for salvation and will enable us to be equipped to follow Christ - what are we doing with it? Reading it daily? Living it daily? Teaching it to our children? Are we using it in our lives to teach and train, correct and rebuke so that we commend the gospel? Well only you can answer that for yourself.
Amen.
2 Timothy 3 verses 10-17
Famous last words - some are poignant, some funny and some tragic. For example there was a writer called Bennett who was alleged to have said "Of course the water is safe to drink", only for him to die of typhoid. Dr Johnston once said "Nothing concentrates a man's mind so much as the knowledge he is to be hanged in a fortnight." 2 Timothy is Paul's last letter, written to the young Timothy. In this letter Paul concentrates on the Gospel and Christian duty. Paul concentrates on the grace of God and the outworking of that in the life of a believer towards God and towards others. So this is Paul's last letter to his young pastor Timothy.
2 Timothy 3 verses 1-10 - in these opening verses Paul outlines a very dark picture of human behaviour. When you read those verses you see a picture of the world in which Paul and Timothy lived and I think you will also agree a portrait of the world in which we live today. In verses 6-9 Paul outlines the behaviour of the false teachers of Timothy's day. And we then come to our reading this morning.
Verses 10-11 - Paul wants to encourage the young Timothy by reminding him of the example he had seen with Paul. In contrast to this the false teachers has lived a very different life. Paul begins verse 10 with a very emphatic 'You', emphasising a clear contrast between the young Timothy and the false teachers of verses 1-9.
'know all about' - literally you follow closely, or follow faithfully as a rule of life a standard of conduct. He has not only known it mentally, and assented to it, but has also followed it closely, but what has he known fully about Paul?
Paul speaks of 'My teaching' (or doctrine) which was seen in his 'manner of life' or way of life. Paul's conduct was consistent with his teaching. Oh, if only we could say that of every Christian today.
'My purpose' which was expressed in his 'faith' lived out in his manner of life.
'Patience' which is that self-restraint, fruit of the Spirit, when faced with provocation. The very opposite of anger in a given situation, such as the persecution and suffering which he had faced for the sake of the gospel.
'Love' - divine love produced in the heart of the yielded believer by the Holy Spirit. How very different from the self-love of the false teachers of verses 1-9.
'Endurance' - whilst under pressure, which does no surrender to circumstances and does not succumb under trial. This is one characteristic that we desperately need in the church today. Too many Christians give up too easily. Too many Christians expect life to be easy with no trials or tribulations on the road to heaven - Psalm 23 should persuade you otherwise.
'Persecutions' - coming form the verb 'to pursue'. Paul had once pursued the Christian believers from town to town in his zeal to persecute them. Now he too had experienced such persecution. Why would we expect anything different than our brothers and sisters in Christ?
'Sufferings' or 'afflictions.' Paul lists the places that he had faced such sufferings. These are recorded for us in Act 13 and 14. Take Lystra for example. Timothy would have been familiar with this episode in the life of Paul as he was a young man at the time and converted under Paul's ministry there. Paul was bombarded with stones and left for dead in Lystra. Timothy would have had poignant memories of this event.
Verses 12-13 here is a very important verse for us all this morning. Suffering and persecution is a normal part, and to be expected, of living a godly life. Those who determine to be constant in godly living take note of this. Godliness is not being sanctimonious, nor is it self-righteousness but a life lived according to God's Word. You see the devil will happily ignore a worldly Christian but faithfulness to Christ and the ways of God will draw his hostility. What a contrast the life of the evil impostors of Paul's day. This is the only time in the NT where 'impostors' is used of people. The word originally meant a wailer or howler, a juggler or enchanter. Over time it came to be associated with those who practiced the deception and with witchcraft. These false teachers were themselves deceived and have set out to deceive others. Their evil character has been described in verses 2-5 and the impostor's seductive part has been outlined by Paul in verses 6-9. The authorised version of the Bible spoke of these people 'shall wax worse and worse.' We would say they are going from bad to worse. The Greek has the sense of a man cutting a way through thick vegetation for others to follow him. Such is the description Paul gives to the false teachers who lead people astray from the Word of God.
Verse 14 - we have one of the great 'But as for you...' statements of the NT. In contrast to these evil impostors Timothy is live a very different life. He is to 'continue in...' that is he is to abide or remain in the way of life and teaching in which he is already established. Timothy is not only to grab hold of the truth but he is also to allow the truth to grab hold of him. The truth must be believed and be seen to be believed in the manner or way of life lived by Timothy. Timothy's daily life was to reveal that the truth had taken hold of him. It is not enough to know the truth but also to be seen to live according to the truth. Again a lesson we all need to obey. As the evil around Timothy increases and persecution presses in on every side Timothy must stand firm in the knowledge that the truth of God does not change but remains constant and is unchanging in its character.
Listen to what Paul tells Timothy - hold on to the faith once taught 'that you have learned..become convinced of.' It was not just a mental assent but a truth that had wrought a change in his heart and life and in his way of life. He had become fully persuaded of the truth of God's Word. He had two reasons for his confidence:
First, he knows from whom he had learned that truth. He had learned from Paul, from Eunice his mother and Lois his grandmother. Their trustworthy character is the key to this. He had heard the truth from them but as equally importantly he had seen them live the truth each day. That is the key isn't it- we need to be seen to be living according to what we believe. There are enough Christians who do not live it the way they talk it today. That is why Paul has repeatedly emphasised his manner of life to Timothy - because he lived by the truth each day, even in the face of suffering and persecution.
You see the custom of the Jews was from the earliest age to teach their children the Word of God and to expect them to memorise it. We have lost that today, we should not be so quick to despise the memorising of scripture. Timothy's heritage was the holy Scriptures, the sacred writings (the OT) which his mother, grandmother and pastor Paul had taught him. Look at what Paul says - this is able to make him wise (in preparation) unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. The Scriptures that he was taught disciplined him in obedience to God and pointed to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, through whom salvation would come. There is a simple little lesson for us all there - do not neglect to teach your children the Bible, the whole Bible and not just the NT. You know one of the field workers for Fields of Life gets angry when people only give children New Testaments. She says 'it is like giving them half a meal.' Think for a moment about Handel's Messiah - most of it is taken from the OT and yet it is all about Christ - the OT reveals Jesus Christ - it did to Timothy.
Verses 16-17 Paul now speaks to Timothy of the written Word of God. 'All' or 'Every Scripture is God breathed.' When writing to Timothy here Paul is speaking of the OT, the sacred scriptures but these two verses can be expanded to include the NT as well - when we place them alongside 2 Peter 3 verse 2 and verses 15-16, 1 Thess. 2 verse 13 and 1 Timothy 5 verse 18. These verses link the OT and NT writers together and Peter includes Paul's writings with 'the other scriptures.' Paul himself in 1 Thessalonians refers to his letter as 'the Word of God.'
Here Paul joins two Greek words together to speak of Scripture as being 'God-breathed' (theopneustos). This word is used only here in the NT and means literally 'God-breathed.' The breath of God. We know that only things that are living have breath. Paul is saying the Scriptures were breathed out by God, brought into being by the very breath of God. He then speaks of their usefulness:
Teaching the truth or doctrine. Both the content of the teaching and the action of obedience to the teaching is spoken of here. It is the impartation of knowledge which requires action. Scripture is inspired by God to transform and not just to inform.
Rebuking - which is to rebuke in order to bring about conviction of the sinner (Titus 1 verse 9). A good example of this is the letter to the Galatians. Correction - the setting right of that which is wrong, or the restoration to an upright position of that which has fallen. The restoration of a sinner to a right state with and before God.
Instruction - conveys the idea of training. Literally Paul uses the word for the rearing of a child. All believers need to be trained in righteousness and this must be by the application of the Word of God. This is to be both inward and outward.
Verse 17 the outcome of all this is that the Christian is perfect, brought to maturity by the Word of God working in their life so that they may be 'thoroughly equipped for every good work' which according to Paul in Ephesians 2 God has prepared in advance for them to do. The imagery here of being thoroughly equipped is of a vessel being fitted out and furnished for readiness. For Paul it is the Word of God which fits out, furnishes, the believer to be ready to live a manner of life worthy of a follower of Christ.
Conclusion
Is your church a healthy church when it comes to the Bible? If we believe that this is the Word of God, that it contains all we need to know for salvation and will enable us to be equipped to follow Christ - what are we doing with it? Reading it daily? Living it daily? Teaching it to our children? Are we using it in our lives to teach and train, correct and rebuke so that we commend the gospel? Well only you can answer that for yourself.
Amen.
Saturday, 20 November 2010
IS YOUR CHURCH A HEALTHY CHURCH?
Are we a Healthy Church?
Acts 2 verses 42-47
'Is your church a Healthy Church? Paul tells us that we are one body in Christ and within that body we all have different parts to play. I think it is important to note two things from that passage - first that no one part of the body is any greater than any other, and secondly the parts that we all need one another if we are to function as a healthy body. So keeping those two points in mind read Acts 2 verses 42-47.
Context.
The book of Acts was written by Luke for a man named Theophilus. Acts is really volume 2 of Luke's gospel. In the book of Acts Luke continues the theme of his gospel that Jesus is the universal Saviour. Thus the theme of the book of Acts can be expressed as: The Word of Jesus progressed from Jerusalem to Rome and the New Israel, the Christian church, grew. Acts features Peter prominently at the beginning and then later concentrates on Paul. There are many references in Acts to the work of the Holy Spirit and the historical account of the missionary work of the early church. Acts is primarily a history book, it is not primarily a book of theology. Luke gathers information together, and it is not always chronologically related. If you Luke at chapter 1 verse 4 we find the purpose of the book. So that is the context of the book of Acts.
Acts 2 v42-47 - the immediate context is that the disciples have been filled with the Holy Spirit and they have spoken in other languages (which the crowds understood) and Peter has preached the gospel to those gathered around them. The result is that 3000 were added to the church that day. Luke then concludes this part of his book with a summary statement of the state of the embryonic church - verses 42-47. It is this summary which gives us the checklist for a healthy church.
Verse 42 - here is the list to check if your church is healthy church, which means checking yourself.
'Devoted to the apostles teaching...' they were a learning church. The word which Luke uses for 'devoted' here speaks of a steadfast single minded fidelity to a certain course of action. This was their settled heart, mind and will - to follow the teaching of the apostles. The teaching of the apostles was considered authoritative because it was the message about Jesus of Nazareth proclaimed by accredited apostles. It undoubtedly included a compilation of the words of Jesus (20.35), some account of his earthly ministry, passion and resurrection (2.22-24), and a declaration of what all this meant for man's redemption (1 Corinthians 15.3-5). In other NT epistles we read of the 'Christian tradition' which could be passed on to others - I Cor.11.2, 1 Thess.2.13, 2 thess. 2.15 and 3.6. Therefore submission to the teaching of the Apostles was a sign of a healthy church - for us that means submission to the authority of the NT is a sign of a healthy church today. The early church did not dispose of the need for human teachers of the Word of God. They had a whole hearted, whole mind and whole life steadfast faithfulness to obeying the teaching of the Apostles. It was not mere verbal consent or intellectual consent - it was consent by a life lived according to the teaching of the Apostles whatever the cost. Could this be said of us? Of you?
'the fellowship'- they were also devoted to the fellowship of believers. This implies that there was something very distinctive about their gathering together as believers. There must have been some discernable external identity that meant the disciples, the 3000 and those added to the church daily were known by. They had a common identity in Christ. They were a loving church in fellowship one with another.
You need to hear this Word from God as a church.. There are some of you who claim to be followers of Christ and will be seen for a few weeks and then no one will see you for a few weeks and your devotion to your fellowship is weak. To be honest with you if it was your place of employment you would probably be sacked for poor attendance. I take no pleasure in saying that to you but if your church is going to be a healthy church then some of you need to seriously examine your commitment to your fellowship. The sign of a healthy church is one were the believers (there is the key word - the believers) are devoted to fellowship with one another. 'The breaking of bread' - many NT scholars have debated what this meant. Some have argued that it was a type of fellowship meal like the 'Haburah' meal of the Pharisees. It is generally agreed that it was meal which demonstrated mutual love and respect, recalled their earlier association with Jesus and was a paschal remembrance of the crucifixion of Christ. This meal expressed their joy of communion with the risen Christ and of fellowship with one another.
In taking communion we, together, are saying that in Christ alone do we find salvation. May I remind you that the sign of the peace is not an insignificant act but is a reminder that we should be in fellowship with one another and an opportunity to correct any defects before we come to the table. Please remember that.
'Prayer' - both formal and informal prayer. Prayer was central to the life of Christ. He often modelled it to his disciples. We often read in the gospels of Jesus praying both in private and in public. I have always been struck by the fact that the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. They could have asked about all sorts of things from him but it was prayer that they wanted teaching about. How seriously do you take prayer? How healthy is the prayer life of your congregation? So prayer is on the checklist for a healthy church.
Verse 43 - The result of all of these is seen here. 'Everyone' - not just the believers but the whole community was filled with awe. The phrase which Luke uses 'to be filled with awe' speaks of something which was ongoing and not just a momentary reaction. It is the same with the wonders and miraculous signs - they were not just a temporary phenomena but something which was ongoing in the life of the early church and apostles, as you can see if you read on through Acts. So the people held the early church in awe because of their lives and because of the wonders and miraculous signs.
Verses 44-45 the early church expressed itself in communal living and sharing with those in need within their community. Please note this was a voluntary thing and not compulsory - because if you read on into Acts 5 you realise that people within the church still owned property and land. So this is not a compulsory requirement of all but the principle is important - that we should share out of our own wealth with those in need and that within a church fellowship we are to care, practically, for one another. Again Luke uses the imperfect tense to show that this was an ongoing pattern of behaviour involving both real estate and personal possessions. So let me ask you again - in light of this is your church a healthy church? Are our eyes and hearts open to the needs of others? Just something to think about.
Verses 46-47 - the early church followed the tradition of their Jewish heritage of meeting in the Temple and in their homes to share fellowship. They did this daily - now we understand the context of this period - Pentecost had just happened and they expected the immediate return of Christ. None of the apostles or believers have yet left Jerusalem and so meeting together daily was possible. When they started to move from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth such a practice became less and less possible. Yet the principle again is important and the manner in which they met is key - with glad and sincere hearts, praising God. Ask yourself is that the attitude of your heart when you come to meet in fellowship here - a glad and sincere heart, praising God? A healthy church - a healthy heart?
Look at how this summary ends. They enjoyed the favour of all the people (which will soon change as persecution comes upon the church) and God added, daily, to their numbers those who were being saved. So a healthy church is one where people are coming to saving faith in Christ - is your church a healthy church then?
Let me conclude by asking you this question: Has God changed? Has God changed?
If God has not changed, and He has not, and His church once existed that exhibited all these characteristics, that lived in this way and that daily saw people coming to faith in Christ - let me ask you a second question: Can such a church exist again? Can such a church exist again? Or more importantly: Do you want your church to be such a church? Because only you can make it so. Is your church a healthy church? Only you can answer if you, as part of this body, are healthy, spiritually healthy.
.
Acts 2 verses 42-47
'Is your church a Healthy Church? Paul tells us that we are one body in Christ and within that body we all have different parts to play. I think it is important to note two things from that passage - first that no one part of the body is any greater than any other, and secondly the parts that we all need one another if we are to function as a healthy body. So keeping those two points in mind read Acts 2 verses 42-47.
Context.
The book of Acts was written by Luke for a man named Theophilus. Acts is really volume 2 of Luke's gospel. In the book of Acts Luke continues the theme of his gospel that Jesus is the universal Saviour. Thus the theme of the book of Acts can be expressed as: The Word of Jesus progressed from Jerusalem to Rome and the New Israel, the Christian church, grew. Acts features Peter prominently at the beginning and then later concentrates on Paul. There are many references in Acts to the work of the Holy Spirit and the historical account of the missionary work of the early church. Acts is primarily a history book, it is not primarily a book of theology. Luke gathers information together, and it is not always chronologically related. If you Luke at chapter 1 verse 4 we find the purpose of the book. So that is the context of the book of Acts.
Acts 2 v42-47 - the immediate context is that the disciples have been filled with the Holy Spirit and they have spoken in other languages (which the crowds understood) and Peter has preached the gospel to those gathered around them. The result is that 3000 were added to the church that day. Luke then concludes this part of his book with a summary statement of the state of the embryonic church - verses 42-47. It is this summary which gives us the checklist for a healthy church.
Verse 42 - here is the list to check if your church is healthy church, which means checking yourself.
'Devoted to the apostles teaching...' they were a learning church. The word which Luke uses for 'devoted' here speaks of a steadfast single minded fidelity to a certain course of action. This was their settled heart, mind and will - to follow the teaching of the apostles. The teaching of the apostles was considered authoritative because it was the message about Jesus of Nazareth proclaimed by accredited apostles. It undoubtedly included a compilation of the words of Jesus (20.35), some account of his earthly ministry, passion and resurrection (2.22-24), and a declaration of what all this meant for man's redemption (1 Corinthians 15.3-5). In other NT epistles we read of the 'Christian tradition' which could be passed on to others - I Cor.11.2, 1 Thess.2.13, 2 thess. 2.15 and 3.6. Therefore submission to the teaching of the Apostles was a sign of a healthy church - for us that means submission to the authority of the NT is a sign of a healthy church today. The early church did not dispose of the need for human teachers of the Word of God. They had a whole hearted, whole mind and whole life steadfast faithfulness to obeying the teaching of the Apostles. It was not mere verbal consent or intellectual consent - it was consent by a life lived according to the teaching of the Apostles whatever the cost. Could this be said of us? Of you?
'the fellowship'- they were also devoted to the fellowship of believers. This implies that there was something very distinctive about their gathering together as believers. There must have been some discernable external identity that meant the disciples, the 3000 and those added to the church daily were known by. They had a common identity in Christ. They were a loving church in fellowship one with another.
You need to hear this Word from God as a church.. There are some of you who claim to be followers of Christ and will be seen for a few weeks and then no one will see you for a few weeks and your devotion to your fellowship is weak. To be honest with you if it was your place of employment you would probably be sacked for poor attendance. I take no pleasure in saying that to you but if your church is going to be a healthy church then some of you need to seriously examine your commitment to your fellowship. The sign of a healthy church is one were the believers (there is the key word - the believers) are devoted to fellowship with one another. 'The breaking of bread' - many NT scholars have debated what this meant. Some have argued that it was a type of fellowship meal like the 'Haburah' meal of the Pharisees. It is generally agreed that it was meal which demonstrated mutual love and respect, recalled their earlier association with Jesus and was a paschal remembrance of the crucifixion of Christ. This meal expressed their joy of communion with the risen Christ and of fellowship with one another.
In taking communion we, together, are saying that in Christ alone do we find salvation. May I remind you that the sign of the peace is not an insignificant act but is a reminder that we should be in fellowship with one another and an opportunity to correct any defects before we come to the table. Please remember that.
'Prayer' - both formal and informal prayer. Prayer was central to the life of Christ. He often modelled it to his disciples. We often read in the gospels of Jesus praying both in private and in public. I have always been struck by the fact that the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. They could have asked about all sorts of things from him but it was prayer that they wanted teaching about. How seriously do you take prayer? How healthy is the prayer life of your congregation? So prayer is on the checklist for a healthy church.
Verse 43 - The result of all of these is seen here. 'Everyone' - not just the believers but the whole community was filled with awe. The phrase which Luke uses 'to be filled with awe' speaks of something which was ongoing and not just a momentary reaction. It is the same with the wonders and miraculous signs - they were not just a temporary phenomena but something which was ongoing in the life of the early church and apostles, as you can see if you read on through Acts. So the people held the early church in awe because of their lives and because of the wonders and miraculous signs.
Verses 44-45 the early church expressed itself in communal living and sharing with those in need within their community. Please note this was a voluntary thing and not compulsory - because if you read on into Acts 5 you realise that people within the church still owned property and land. So this is not a compulsory requirement of all but the principle is important - that we should share out of our own wealth with those in need and that within a church fellowship we are to care, practically, for one another. Again Luke uses the imperfect tense to show that this was an ongoing pattern of behaviour involving both real estate and personal possessions. So let me ask you again - in light of this is your church a healthy church? Are our eyes and hearts open to the needs of others? Just something to think about.
Verses 46-47 - the early church followed the tradition of their Jewish heritage of meeting in the Temple and in their homes to share fellowship. They did this daily - now we understand the context of this period - Pentecost had just happened and they expected the immediate return of Christ. None of the apostles or believers have yet left Jerusalem and so meeting together daily was possible. When they started to move from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth such a practice became less and less possible. Yet the principle again is important and the manner in which they met is key - with glad and sincere hearts, praising God. Ask yourself is that the attitude of your heart when you come to meet in fellowship here - a glad and sincere heart, praising God? A healthy church - a healthy heart?
Look at how this summary ends. They enjoyed the favour of all the people (which will soon change as persecution comes upon the church) and God added, daily, to their numbers those who were being saved. So a healthy church is one where people are coming to saving faith in Christ - is your church a healthy church then?
Let me conclude by asking you this question: Has God changed? Has God changed?
If God has not changed, and He has not, and His church once existed that exhibited all these characteristics, that lived in this way and that daily saw people coming to faith in Christ - let me ask you a second question: Can such a church exist again? Can such a church exist again? Or more importantly: Do you want your church to be such a church? Because only you can make it so. Is your church a healthy church? Only you can answer if you, as part of this body, are healthy, spiritually healthy.
.
Friday, 19 November 2010
Faithful to Christ
Faithful to Christ Matthew 6 verses 19-24
. I cannot but wonder how many people, including professing Christians, have graven images in their lives which they bow down to each day.
Read Matthew chapter 6 and verses 19-24. Matthew's gospel is the most Jewish of all the gospels. Matthew brings his blocks of teaching together in units of 5 or 7, a very typically Jewish way of teaching. The reading that we are looking at forms part of a larger body of teaching which is known as the Sermon on the Mount. I want specifically to concentrate on verse 24 . Read verse 24.
Verse 24 - in this verse Jesus explains that behind the choice between two treasures (verses 19-21) and two visions (verses 20-23) there lies the still more basic choice between two masters - whom are you going to serve (verse 24). To ask 'what is your treasure?' or 'What is your vision?' or 'Who is your master?' is in the mind of Christ to ask the same question. Our treasure, vision and master are one and the same. When you have chosen your treasure and your goals (vision) then these become your master. From that time on your choices are governed by your master. Remember that. None of us are truly free beyond the choice of our master.
Verses 19-21 - choice between two treasures. In verse 19 the present tense is used - stop storing up treasures - rather than do not store up. Jesus is saying that the time for a decisive break has come. In 1 Timothy 6 verse 10 Paul makes it clear that the love of wealth is a great evil. James (5 verses 2-3) tells us that for those who belong to Christ and are heirs of the eternal kingdom of God it is utter foolishness to hoard riches in the last days. However, it would be wrong to say that wealth in and of itself is evil. 1 Timothy 5 verse 8 requires for a man to provide for his family, in proverbs we are told to work and provide for the future (Prov. 6 vs 6-8) and we are encouraged to enjoy the good things that God the Creator has provided for us - 1 Timothy 4 vs 3-4). The focus here is on selfishness. Do you notice what the verse actually says - read verse 19 - lay up treasure for yourselves.
The emphasis in verses 20-21 is on where their heart is. Where is the treasure of your heart? The warning given to those who are following Christ is clear - do not put your treasure in clothing that can wear out, or in precious metals that will rust nor in treasure that can be stolen. Whatever controls your heart is your treasure. Whatever controls your heart is what you will be faithful to - Romans 6.16. Do you notice the clear distinction Christ makes here? Treasures on earth are temporary, corruptible and insecure but treasures in heaven are eternal, incorruptible and therefore secure. So where would the wise man place his treasure (heart)? Throughout the Sermon on the Mount Christ has spoken about the heart of man and here again he makes it plain that where your treasure is your heart will follow. So where is your heart as you this post?
Eternal or heavenly treasure - it is not a system of gaining or storing up merit by good deeds. Heavenly treasure is a Christlike character, the fruit of the Spirit, evangelism, knowledge of God and His Word. No moth or rust can corrupt such things and no thief can steal them away.
Verses 22-23 Christ now raises the question of vision. The contrast here is between a blind person and a sighted person and between light and darkness in which they live. This speaks of the human condition before God. Christ points out that the man who can see walks in the light but the man who is blind walks around in darkness. The metaphor is simple enough to understand - both men walk around but only one is guided by the light. Christ wants his hearers, and us, to understand that just as the condition of your physical eye affects your whole body so your ambition, your goals, your treasure affects your whole life. Physical blindness leads to darkness - spiritual blindness leads to darkness. An ignoble and selfish ambition (through laying up treasure for yourself or self-centred vision) leads to spiritual darkness and plunges you into moral darkness. As surely as night follows day so does moral darkness follow and flow from spiritual darkness. It is all a question of vision.
If your spiritual vision is clouded by the false gods of materialism, ambition, sensuality and we lose our heart and vision for God, our values change, then our whole life is plunged into darkness and we cannot see where we are walking.
Verse 24 Christ then leads his hearers, and us, to the conclusion in verse 24. There is no other option available to mankind. Please note here that the imagery behind this verse is that of a slave owner, not an employer. A man could work for two employers, but since 'single ownership and fulltime service are of the essence of slavery' - only one man can a slave truly serve. Please understand that imagery this morning because it is of central and key importance if you are going to live faithfully to Christ. Christ says a man cannot serve two slave masters because a slave only truly belongs to one master. Now you might be uncomfortable with the imagery of slavery but it is actually the only true imagery of man - a man is a slave to the treasures of his heart and the vision (or goals) of his eyes. You don't believe me? Look around you in the world in which we live? Greed, ambition, lust, covetousness, anger, hate, and immorality of all kinds - would you say freedom of choice or slaves to the choices made, the masters chosen, the treasures stored and visions followed? The sad thing that often there is no difference between those claiming to follow Christ and those who make no such claims. You see too many Christians think of employer/employee relationship and not slave/master relationship when they hear such teaching of Jesus. You see attempts at divided loyalty betray, not partial commitment to discipleship, but deep-seated commitment to idolatry. Anyone who has divided his loyalty between God and mammon has already given his allegiance to mammon - remember that.
Jesus makes it clear in this verse - read the verse again. Notice 'no man can...you cannot' - there is no half-way house in these words. There is no room for compromise in these words of Christ. It is a straight forward choice for a man - God or mammon/idolatry. Read Isaiah 42 v 8 and 48 verse 11. Pretty clear isn't it? God will not share his glory with anyone or anything - hence the first commandment to have no other gods before God.
The choice is not just between comparative durability and comparative benefit but between comparative worth: the intrinsic worth of the One and the intrinsic worthlessness of the other.
This morning we all need to examine our lives and ask ourselves: Where is my treasure stored? To what is my heart truly devoted? Where are my eyes fixed? What are the goals of my life? Verse 24 is a stark challenge to us in 2010 - you cannot belong to God and serve this world's riches and idols. Listen to what Paul says in Romans 6 verses 16 following. Building on this teaching of Christ Paul challenges every Christian believer to live out this truth - to be faithful to Christ in how we live because we are owned by him - bought with his blood. So this morning there is a decision to be made by you - who will be your master? Who will own your heart? Who will direct your vision? Who ultimately will you follow?
I want to say that it is pretty clear from this verse that you cannot serve God on a Sunday and mammon from Monday morning. I want to say to you that 'mammon' is not just a financial thing in your life - it is whatever directs your eyes, grabs your heart, demands your attention and rules your life. You know what that is. Let me say to you also that whatever it is, in and of itself, may not be a bad thing but if it comes before God in your life then it is a sinful idol and you need to repent of it because you cannot serve two masters. As Christ says you will love one and hate the other. You may be aware of the thing, the person, the ambition, the habit or hobby, whatever it is, that comes between you and Christ - bring it before Him today and lay it before Him and commit your life afresh to serving Him faithfully.
. I cannot but wonder how many people, including professing Christians, have graven images in their lives which they bow down to each day.
Read Matthew chapter 6 and verses 19-24. Matthew's gospel is the most Jewish of all the gospels. Matthew brings his blocks of teaching together in units of 5 or 7, a very typically Jewish way of teaching. The reading that we are looking at forms part of a larger body of teaching which is known as the Sermon on the Mount. I want specifically to concentrate on verse 24 . Read verse 24.
Verse 24 - in this verse Jesus explains that behind the choice between two treasures (verses 19-21) and two visions (verses 20-23) there lies the still more basic choice between two masters - whom are you going to serve (verse 24). To ask 'what is your treasure?' or 'What is your vision?' or 'Who is your master?' is in the mind of Christ to ask the same question. Our treasure, vision and master are one and the same. When you have chosen your treasure and your goals (vision) then these become your master. From that time on your choices are governed by your master. Remember that. None of us are truly free beyond the choice of our master.
Verses 19-21 - choice between two treasures. In verse 19 the present tense is used - stop storing up treasures - rather than do not store up. Jesus is saying that the time for a decisive break has come. In 1 Timothy 6 verse 10 Paul makes it clear that the love of wealth is a great evil. James (5 verses 2-3) tells us that for those who belong to Christ and are heirs of the eternal kingdom of God it is utter foolishness to hoard riches in the last days. However, it would be wrong to say that wealth in and of itself is evil. 1 Timothy 5 verse 8 requires for a man to provide for his family, in proverbs we are told to work and provide for the future (Prov. 6 vs 6-8) and we are encouraged to enjoy the good things that God the Creator has provided for us - 1 Timothy 4 vs 3-4). The focus here is on selfishness. Do you notice what the verse actually says - read verse 19 - lay up treasure for yourselves.
The emphasis in verses 20-21 is on where their heart is. Where is the treasure of your heart? The warning given to those who are following Christ is clear - do not put your treasure in clothing that can wear out, or in precious metals that will rust nor in treasure that can be stolen. Whatever controls your heart is your treasure. Whatever controls your heart is what you will be faithful to - Romans 6.16. Do you notice the clear distinction Christ makes here? Treasures on earth are temporary, corruptible and insecure but treasures in heaven are eternal, incorruptible and therefore secure. So where would the wise man place his treasure (heart)? Throughout the Sermon on the Mount Christ has spoken about the heart of man and here again he makes it plain that where your treasure is your heart will follow. So where is your heart as you this post?
Eternal or heavenly treasure - it is not a system of gaining or storing up merit by good deeds. Heavenly treasure is a Christlike character, the fruit of the Spirit, evangelism, knowledge of God and His Word. No moth or rust can corrupt such things and no thief can steal them away.
Verses 22-23 Christ now raises the question of vision. The contrast here is between a blind person and a sighted person and between light and darkness in which they live. This speaks of the human condition before God. Christ points out that the man who can see walks in the light but the man who is blind walks around in darkness. The metaphor is simple enough to understand - both men walk around but only one is guided by the light. Christ wants his hearers, and us, to understand that just as the condition of your physical eye affects your whole body so your ambition, your goals, your treasure affects your whole life. Physical blindness leads to darkness - spiritual blindness leads to darkness. An ignoble and selfish ambition (through laying up treasure for yourself or self-centred vision) leads to spiritual darkness and plunges you into moral darkness. As surely as night follows day so does moral darkness follow and flow from spiritual darkness. It is all a question of vision.
If your spiritual vision is clouded by the false gods of materialism, ambition, sensuality and we lose our heart and vision for God, our values change, then our whole life is plunged into darkness and we cannot see where we are walking.
Verse 24 Christ then leads his hearers, and us, to the conclusion in verse 24. There is no other option available to mankind. Please note here that the imagery behind this verse is that of a slave owner, not an employer. A man could work for two employers, but since 'single ownership and fulltime service are of the essence of slavery' - only one man can a slave truly serve. Please understand that imagery this morning because it is of central and key importance if you are going to live faithfully to Christ. Christ says a man cannot serve two slave masters because a slave only truly belongs to one master. Now you might be uncomfortable with the imagery of slavery but it is actually the only true imagery of man - a man is a slave to the treasures of his heart and the vision (or goals) of his eyes. You don't believe me? Look around you in the world in which we live? Greed, ambition, lust, covetousness, anger, hate, and immorality of all kinds - would you say freedom of choice or slaves to the choices made, the masters chosen, the treasures stored and visions followed? The sad thing that often there is no difference between those claiming to follow Christ and those who make no such claims. You see too many Christians think of employer/employee relationship and not slave/master relationship when they hear such teaching of Jesus. You see attempts at divided loyalty betray, not partial commitment to discipleship, but deep-seated commitment to idolatry. Anyone who has divided his loyalty between God and mammon has already given his allegiance to mammon - remember that.
Jesus makes it clear in this verse - read the verse again. Notice 'no man can...you cannot' - there is no half-way house in these words. There is no room for compromise in these words of Christ. It is a straight forward choice for a man - God or mammon/idolatry. Read Isaiah 42 v 8 and 48 verse 11. Pretty clear isn't it? God will not share his glory with anyone or anything - hence the first commandment to have no other gods before God.
The choice is not just between comparative durability and comparative benefit but between comparative worth: the intrinsic worth of the One and the intrinsic worthlessness of the other.
This morning we all need to examine our lives and ask ourselves: Where is my treasure stored? To what is my heart truly devoted? Where are my eyes fixed? What are the goals of my life? Verse 24 is a stark challenge to us in 2010 - you cannot belong to God and serve this world's riches and idols. Listen to what Paul says in Romans 6 verses 16 following. Building on this teaching of Christ Paul challenges every Christian believer to live out this truth - to be faithful to Christ in how we live because we are owned by him - bought with his blood. So this morning there is a decision to be made by you - who will be your master? Who will own your heart? Who will direct your vision? Who ultimately will you follow?
I want to say that it is pretty clear from this verse that you cannot serve God on a Sunday and mammon from Monday morning. I want to say to you that 'mammon' is not just a financial thing in your life - it is whatever directs your eyes, grabs your heart, demands your attention and rules your life. You know what that is. Let me say to you also that whatever it is, in and of itself, may not be a bad thing but if it comes before God in your life then it is a sinful idol and you need to repent of it because you cannot serve two masters. As Christ says you will love one and hate the other. You may be aware of the thing, the person, the ambition, the habit or hobby, whatever it is, that comes between you and Christ - bring it before Him today and lay it before Him and commit your life afresh to serving Him faithfully.
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
A HEART THAT IS PURE
There are so many things today sold as being pure. In fact great value is placed on the 'purity' of things - from water to diamonds. When we think of the word 'pure' we have images of natural spring water flowing or something clean and refreshing. I looked up the word 'pure' in the Oxford English Dictionary and this is what it said: "not mixed or adulterated with any other substance; innocent or morally pure; free of impurities; complete." Now ask yourself could the word 'pure' be prefaced to your heart? Taking the definition you have just read would you say those things are true of your heart? It is not a trick question because I believe such things should be seen in our hearts if we are followers of Jesus Christ.
READ Mathew 5 verse 8 and Hebrews 12 verse 14. There is nothing complicated about those verses, in fact the very opposite is true. Their simplicity hides a challenge that is a constant battle for all believers. Why should we be concerned about having a heart that is pure? Well if you read 1 Peter 1 verse 6 we read these words: 'Be holy because I Am holy." We are called to be pure in heart because the One to whom we belong is pure in heart and He has warned us that without that purity of heart we cannot see Him. We are commanded to live lives which are a reflection of His purity - 2 Peter 3 verse 11 and because it is an expression of our love from Him - John 14 verse 23.
What do we mean when we say we want to have a heart that is pure? Well the first thing we need to do is to be honest and admit that our hearts in and of themselves are not pure. In fact our hearts are sinful and often sin filled. Listen to what Article 9 (page of the BCP) says about you and me this morning. You may not like to admit that this morning and in fact part of you right at this moment might be a little indignant that someone would say such about you today. As you read this we should be admitting that our hearts are sinful - that is a prerequisite to having a heart that is pure - admission of having a heart that is sinful.
Secondly, we confess that God is Holy and it is against His Holiness that we compare ourselves. When we say God is holy we mean that there are two basic components to this:
Relational quality - in that God is separated from all Creation. In the OT the people were constantly reminded of this by the Tabernacle and the Temple. Each of these taught them of God's immanence (His eternal presence with them and amongst them) but also of His holiness, he was separated from them and they could not enter His presence without the shedding of blood to atone for their sins.
Moral quality - God is pure in every aspect of His character and behaviour. There is no sin in God and nothing He does or says is sinful.
So when we say that we desire to have a heart that is pure we are seeking to be relationally separate from the world and morally devoted to God and His will in all areas of our life and in all things. We can thank God as you read this that because of the blood of Christ, which atones for all our sin, we can freely enter His presence. However, we should never assume we have any right to be in His presence and sometimes we have lost that 'fear of the Lord God' that the people of God had in times past. Sometimes we are too familiar with God and we forget that we are sinners in the presence of a holy God. We would do well to remember that each day and each time we come to worship. Yes we have freedom in Christ but that does not excuse or preclude us from being holy and reverent in the presence of God.
So how do you and I go about cultivating a pure heart? You should ask yourself if you want a pure heart. In 1 Samuel 16 verse 7 God tells us that He examines the heart of a man to judge him. When God looks at you each morning, and on the day of judgment, it will be your heart He examines because out of your heart comes all the desires, the thoughts, the words and the actions of your life. It is the motives of your heart that God examines in every situation. You can do a good deed with a morally corrupt motivation and though people see the good deed God will examine the sin of your heart in doing that action.
A pure heart begins with a fear of the Lord God and a right understanding of sin. If you want to understand a pure heart then you must know the holiness of God - you will only know that if you know the truth of the Bible and what it teaches about the holiness of God. Do not neglect the OT and the countless examples from Genesis 1 onwards that reveal the total separateness of God from Creation and His purity, holiness, which will not tolerate any presence of sin. You cannot read the OT without realising how seriously God treats sin and how devoted He is to purity/holiness. We would do well to get that right understanding into our own hearts and what a difference it would make. We need to see with the eyes of God. Too often as Christians we look at a situation and ask ourselves "What is wrong with this?" God looks at a situation and asks "What is right with this?" We need to see with the eyes of God and we can only do that if we know the Word of God. If you do not know the Bible and the truth of the Bible you cannot expect to have a heart that is pure nor will you have a desire for a heart that is pure. There is no shortcut to a heart that is pure. James 2 verse 17 - a heart that is pure is the evidence that we are saved. Purity of heart is evidence of true Christian faith and therefore we should seriously question our faith if we do not have a pure heart or a desire to have a pure heart. You see without purity of heart you will not live a holy life and holiness of life is an assurance of salvation - 1 John 2 verse 3 and 3 verse 19. You see Judas Iscariot had the name of a disciple and he followed Jesus closely for years but he had no purity of heart and his heart led him to betray Christ and to his ultimate damnation. In the opening chapters of Revelation God condemns the churches of Sardis and Laodicea for having hearts that were not pure.
Would you have a heart that is pure? Then you must begin with Jesus Christ. You can have no purity of heart without Christ Jesus in your life. In Romans 6 verse 6 Paul tells us that when we come to Christ our old selves are crucified with Him and they are gone, dead and buried. I need to remind myself of that constantly. My old self is dead. It is Christ who lives and reigns in me today and not the old Adam. When I repented of my sin and put my faith and trust in Christ there was a clean break with sin in my life. As I identify with Christ Jesus I become alive to God and the ways of God. Recognise this morning that when you came to Christ your sin was taken away. Would you continue with a pure heart? Then you must abide in Christ Jesus - John 15 verses 4-5. When Christ abides in me and I in Him then I am called to stop sinning and to stop living the old life - Romans 8 verse 13. You see if I continue to live a life which reflects an impure heart the consequences are eternal damnation - Ephesians 5 verse 5. I must seek the help of the Holy Spirit through prayer and the study of God's Word. When sin is exposed in my life I must repent of it and turn from it. 'I' must do that and not someone else. 'I' need to take responsibility for my own sin because one day 'I' will be answerable before God for it. You see too often Christians want an easy way out and they do not want to put any effort into changing their lives. It is sad, but true, that there is all too often nothing to distinguish the Christians from the non-Christians in this world. A heart that is pure will make you distinctly different from those of the world and the ways of the world.
I want to be very honest with you, some of you reading my blog have deliberately walked into sin and suffered the consequences, some of which you still live with today. I have seen people who were alive to Christ turn from Christ and walk away because they would not repent of their sin or give up a morally corrupt behaviour or habit. Some have made the excuse that they do not wish to be legalistic in their Christian faith. In reality you are using it as an excuse to do as you desire. There are laws in the Christian faith, ye we are under grace, but we are called to be obedient as a sign of our love for God. Some of you are in that place and you know that you are in that place because right at this moment the Holy Spirit is pricking your conscience.
God says to all of us - Be Holy because I Am Holy - without purity of heart you cannot please God, you will not see God and your faith is a sham - you are in fact a hypocrite. Do you know where the word 'hypocrite' comes from? It comes from the Greek theatre. An actor would put on a mask and recite his lines. He was called 'hypocritos' - one who wore a mask. People who desire purity of heart and have a heart that is pure have peeled off their masks. Masks are okay for fancy dress parties but they are literally death to the spiritual life of an individual. Fancy dress masks can be funny but spiritual masks always smell of decay and death. There is nothing funny in wearing a spiritual mask before God or His people. God's Word warns you that if you continue along the path that you are now on God will expose your sin because He desires holiness of heart. I do not wish to end on such a negative challenge but on an encouragement to us all. Purity of heart is placed in our hearts the moment we come to Christ Jesus and are cleansed by His blood. It is like the first moment a parent holds a new born baby in their arms - there is just this unexplainable love and desire for the best for that child. You cannot explain where that feeling came from or how it is still there even when they are grown and have families of their own but it is there and it motivated, or motivates, you to make sacrifices and to do your best for them. God has placed in your heart today the desire to have a heart that is pure because His Holy Spirit is in residence. He is in residence and He is holy and your heart is pure this morning because of Him. Now live accordingly. Fan it into flames. Remind yourself of it each day. Make the necessary sacrifices. Keep the daily disciplines of bible reading and prayer and obedience. Encourage one another in purity of heart and watch the transformation of your life and the lives of others. Be holy because I Am holy says God. Today you have a decision to make. Yes, today, not tomorrow morning. "It is make your mind up time folks." Well make your mind up - do you want a heart that is pure? 2 Corinthians 6 verse 17 tells me to be separated from the world and chapter 7 verse 1 tells me that I am to cleanse my life from all that would defile me. Let me finish with one more verse Psalm 119 verse 9 - obey it and you will have a heart that is pure.
READ Mathew 5 verse 8 and Hebrews 12 verse 14. There is nothing complicated about those verses, in fact the very opposite is true. Their simplicity hides a challenge that is a constant battle for all believers. Why should we be concerned about having a heart that is pure? Well if you read 1 Peter 1 verse 6 we read these words: 'Be holy because I Am holy." We are called to be pure in heart because the One to whom we belong is pure in heart and He has warned us that without that purity of heart we cannot see Him. We are commanded to live lives which are a reflection of His purity - 2 Peter 3 verse 11 and because it is an expression of our love from Him - John 14 verse 23.
What do we mean when we say we want to have a heart that is pure? Well the first thing we need to do is to be honest and admit that our hearts in and of themselves are not pure. In fact our hearts are sinful and often sin filled. Listen to what Article 9 (page of the BCP) says about you and me this morning. You may not like to admit that this morning and in fact part of you right at this moment might be a little indignant that someone would say such about you today. As you read this we should be admitting that our hearts are sinful - that is a prerequisite to having a heart that is pure - admission of having a heart that is sinful.
Secondly, we confess that God is Holy and it is against His Holiness that we compare ourselves. When we say God is holy we mean that there are two basic components to this:
Relational quality - in that God is separated from all Creation. In the OT the people were constantly reminded of this by the Tabernacle and the Temple. Each of these taught them of God's immanence (His eternal presence with them and amongst them) but also of His holiness, he was separated from them and they could not enter His presence without the shedding of blood to atone for their sins.
Moral quality - God is pure in every aspect of His character and behaviour. There is no sin in God and nothing He does or says is sinful.
So when we say that we desire to have a heart that is pure we are seeking to be relationally separate from the world and morally devoted to God and His will in all areas of our life and in all things. We can thank God as you read this that because of the blood of Christ, which atones for all our sin, we can freely enter His presence. However, we should never assume we have any right to be in His presence and sometimes we have lost that 'fear of the Lord God' that the people of God had in times past. Sometimes we are too familiar with God and we forget that we are sinners in the presence of a holy God. We would do well to remember that each day and each time we come to worship. Yes we have freedom in Christ but that does not excuse or preclude us from being holy and reverent in the presence of God.
So how do you and I go about cultivating a pure heart? You should ask yourself if you want a pure heart. In 1 Samuel 16 verse 7 God tells us that He examines the heart of a man to judge him. When God looks at you each morning, and on the day of judgment, it will be your heart He examines because out of your heart comes all the desires, the thoughts, the words and the actions of your life. It is the motives of your heart that God examines in every situation. You can do a good deed with a morally corrupt motivation and though people see the good deed God will examine the sin of your heart in doing that action.
A pure heart begins with a fear of the Lord God and a right understanding of sin. If you want to understand a pure heart then you must know the holiness of God - you will only know that if you know the truth of the Bible and what it teaches about the holiness of God. Do not neglect the OT and the countless examples from Genesis 1 onwards that reveal the total separateness of God from Creation and His purity, holiness, which will not tolerate any presence of sin. You cannot read the OT without realising how seriously God treats sin and how devoted He is to purity/holiness. We would do well to get that right understanding into our own hearts and what a difference it would make. We need to see with the eyes of God. Too often as Christians we look at a situation and ask ourselves "What is wrong with this?" God looks at a situation and asks "What is right with this?" We need to see with the eyes of God and we can only do that if we know the Word of God. If you do not know the Bible and the truth of the Bible you cannot expect to have a heart that is pure nor will you have a desire for a heart that is pure. There is no shortcut to a heart that is pure. James 2 verse 17 - a heart that is pure is the evidence that we are saved. Purity of heart is evidence of true Christian faith and therefore we should seriously question our faith if we do not have a pure heart or a desire to have a pure heart. You see without purity of heart you will not live a holy life and holiness of life is an assurance of salvation - 1 John 2 verse 3 and 3 verse 19. You see Judas Iscariot had the name of a disciple and he followed Jesus closely for years but he had no purity of heart and his heart led him to betray Christ and to his ultimate damnation. In the opening chapters of Revelation God condemns the churches of Sardis and Laodicea for having hearts that were not pure.
Would you have a heart that is pure? Then you must begin with Jesus Christ. You can have no purity of heart without Christ Jesus in your life. In Romans 6 verse 6 Paul tells us that when we come to Christ our old selves are crucified with Him and they are gone, dead and buried. I need to remind myself of that constantly. My old self is dead. It is Christ who lives and reigns in me today and not the old Adam. When I repented of my sin and put my faith and trust in Christ there was a clean break with sin in my life. As I identify with Christ Jesus I become alive to God and the ways of God. Recognise this morning that when you came to Christ your sin was taken away. Would you continue with a pure heart? Then you must abide in Christ Jesus - John 15 verses 4-5. When Christ abides in me and I in Him then I am called to stop sinning and to stop living the old life - Romans 8 verse 13. You see if I continue to live a life which reflects an impure heart the consequences are eternal damnation - Ephesians 5 verse 5. I must seek the help of the Holy Spirit through prayer and the study of God's Word. When sin is exposed in my life I must repent of it and turn from it. 'I' must do that and not someone else. 'I' need to take responsibility for my own sin because one day 'I' will be answerable before God for it. You see too often Christians want an easy way out and they do not want to put any effort into changing their lives. It is sad, but true, that there is all too often nothing to distinguish the Christians from the non-Christians in this world. A heart that is pure will make you distinctly different from those of the world and the ways of the world.
I want to be very honest with you, some of you reading my blog have deliberately walked into sin and suffered the consequences, some of which you still live with today. I have seen people who were alive to Christ turn from Christ and walk away because they would not repent of their sin or give up a morally corrupt behaviour or habit. Some have made the excuse that they do not wish to be legalistic in their Christian faith. In reality you are using it as an excuse to do as you desire. There are laws in the Christian faith, ye we are under grace, but we are called to be obedient as a sign of our love for God. Some of you are in that place and you know that you are in that place because right at this moment the Holy Spirit is pricking your conscience.
God says to all of us - Be Holy because I Am Holy - without purity of heart you cannot please God, you will not see God and your faith is a sham - you are in fact a hypocrite. Do you know where the word 'hypocrite' comes from? It comes from the Greek theatre. An actor would put on a mask and recite his lines. He was called 'hypocritos' - one who wore a mask. People who desire purity of heart and have a heart that is pure have peeled off their masks. Masks are okay for fancy dress parties but they are literally death to the spiritual life of an individual. Fancy dress masks can be funny but spiritual masks always smell of decay and death. There is nothing funny in wearing a spiritual mask before God or His people. God's Word warns you that if you continue along the path that you are now on God will expose your sin because He desires holiness of heart. I do not wish to end on such a negative challenge but on an encouragement to us all. Purity of heart is placed in our hearts the moment we come to Christ Jesus and are cleansed by His blood. It is like the first moment a parent holds a new born baby in their arms - there is just this unexplainable love and desire for the best for that child. You cannot explain where that feeling came from or how it is still there even when they are grown and have families of their own but it is there and it motivated, or motivates, you to make sacrifices and to do your best for them. God has placed in your heart today the desire to have a heart that is pure because His Holy Spirit is in residence. He is in residence and He is holy and your heart is pure this morning because of Him. Now live accordingly. Fan it into flames. Remind yourself of it each day. Make the necessary sacrifices. Keep the daily disciplines of bible reading and prayer and obedience. Encourage one another in purity of heart and watch the transformation of your life and the lives of others. Be holy because I Am holy says God. Today you have a decision to make. Yes, today, not tomorrow morning. "It is make your mind up time folks." Well make your mind up - do you want a heart that is pure? 2 Corinthians 6 verse 17 tells me to be separated from the world and chapter 7 verse 1 tells me that I am to cleanse my life from all that would defile me. Let me finish with one more verse Psalm 119 verse 9 - obey it and you will have a heart that is pure.
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Encourage
ACTS 11.19-26
The Duke of Wellington, a famous military leader who defeated Napoleon was asked at the end of his life if he had any regrets. He said that if he had a regret it was that he did not give more praise. Someone once said "flatter me and I may not believe you, criticise me and I may not like you, ignore me and I may not forgive you, praise me and I will not forget you." There is something about praise and encouragement that, although we may find hard to believe or accept, never leaves our hearts or minds. This morning I want to encourage you to become an encourager. To be one of those people who encourage others on to greater things in the kingdom of God. To help us understand this I am going to look at Barnabas in the book of Acts.
Turn with me firstly to Acts 4.36-37 - this is where we first encounter Barnabas in the book of Acts. He is mentioned 34 times in the NT and all but 5 of those are in the book of Acts. I want you to note first of all that his name was 'Joseph.' His parents had called him Joseph but he was given the nickname 'Barnabas' -which meant 'son of encouragement.' Bar = 'son of.' 'Nabas' was Hebrew referring to a prophetic exhortation which encouraged or built people up. We know also from this text that he was a Levite. That is, he was from the priestly tribe of Israel. We learn that he was from Cyprus and this enabled him to be an important bridge between the Hebrew and Hellenistic worlds in the church, which would become significant later.
Turn now with me to Acts 9 verses 26-27. Saul (Paul) has been converted to Christ on the road to Damascus and has come to Jerusalem to meet the Apostles. They are justifiably afraid of him and it is Barnabas who takes Paul to the Apostles. In fact we read in verse 27 that it is Barnabas who retells the story of Paul's conversion to them and not Paul himself.
Turn to Acts 15.36ff. Paul and Barnabas have a disagreement over John Mark. John Mark had let Paul down on a previous journey but Barnabas wants to give John Mark another opportunity to serve. Paul and Barnabas disagree and separate at this point. Later Paul calls for John Mark and he describes him as one of his closest companions and servants in the gospel. Barnabas takes this opportunity of encouraging a young man who has failed in the past by offering him another chance to serve. He saw in John Mark the grace of God even if at this point Paul does not.
Now turn to the passage we read this morning from Acts 11.19-26.
Verses 19-21. Stephen has been martyred and once again the Christians have been scattered by the persecution. Luke tells us that they continued to preach the gospel and that many people had come to faith in Christ. Luke records for us that there was a significant number of people who came to faith and that this was because the hand of the Lord was upon the believers. We have here the geographical and cultural expansion of the gospel. Geographically it has spread from Jerusalem to Judea and then on into Samaria and now out to the Gentile nations. Culturally it has moved out from the Jews in Jerusalem to the Jews in the Diaspora and now on to the Gentiles.
Verse 22 - is a significant verse in this account. News of the gospel reaching Antioch has filtered back to Jerusalem and the apostles send Barnabas to Antioch to investigate. I find it significant that it was not an Apostle who was sent but Barnabas. No doubt part of the reason for sending him is that he is from Cyprus and therefore understands the culture etc.
Verses 23-24 read. Barnabas arrives and witnesses what? Luke tells us that he witnesses the 'grace of God' at work amongst the people of Antioch. He is gladdened by what he sees in Antioch. His generous spirit is moved to joy at the sight of people coming to faith in Christ Jesus. Luke tells us that having witnessed the work of God's grace in their lives Barnabas encourages them to persevere in the faith in 'remaining true to the Lord Jesus with all their hearts.' There is a deliberate play on his name - he (Barnabas - son of encouragement) encouraged them. Please note this is no general encouragement but a specific encouragement to wholehearted devotion and commitment to the Lord Jesus. Barnabas did not come and utter nice platitudes but encouraged them to persevere in the gospel. This was a critical moment in the life of this young church and of these new born babes in Christ. So often people come into such situations and all they do is find fault and raise their own self-esteem by criticising others. Not Barnabas. he arrives and he firstly seeks to see the grace of God at work. How did he know it was the grace of God at work? People turning from sin in repentance and faith to Christ Jesus. People confessing Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Barnabas did not burden them with rules and regulations - instead he encouraged them to persevere in their wholehearted commitment to Christ. Did you note the word 'wholehearted?' Not apathy. Not here this week and not next week. Not read my bible today but not tomorrow but wholehearted commitment. He encouraged them to be 'true to the Lord.' We would say 'faithful to the Lord.' Loving the Lord above all else. Having the Lord as the one whose word you obeyed, heeded, listened to and sought counsel from. He encouraged them to be true to the Truth - Christ Jesus. Barnabas knows that their hearts will determine the direction of their lives. If the gospel is to take root and firmly establish their lives then their hearts must be devoted first and foremost to Christ. You see the gospel can only put down deep and firm roots by faith when it is grounded in the heart of a believer. Otherwise when the sun rises and the heat of the day comes the plant withers and dies - according to the parable of the Sower.
Luke goes on to give us a description of Barnabas' character - read verses 24. It is because of his character that his words are accepted by these young believers and that his recommendation concerning the church at Antioch will be accepted by the Apostles back in Jerusalem. His character of goodness, of integrity and uprightness marked him out as the right man for this task. You know Luke describes no one else in the book of Acts as 'a good man.' Luke further tells us that he was a man 'full of the Spirit and of faith.' It is this that is the source of his character, the source of the goodness in his life. Note too what Luke says of Barnabas' time in Antioch - a multitude were added to the church. More people came to saving faith because of Barnabas.
Verses 25-26 - you know it would be easy to finish at verse 24 and miss out on a significant point of being an encouragement to others. Luke tells us that Barnabas goes and seeks out Paul and brings him to Antioch. Paul and Barnabas stay there for a considerable period of time teaching and instructing the believers. Barnabas was not concerned about his own reputation when he went to Tarsus and brought Paul to Antioch. His concern is the glory of Christ, the building of the kingdom of God, the furtherance of the gospel and Antioch and the building up of these new born Christians. His reputation did not matter. He knew these young Christians needed the teaching of Paul. He saw their need and he knew the answer and it mattered not that it wouldn't be Barnabas who got the praise and that Paul would be given preference over him.
Lessons to learn about being an encourager: Wholehearted devotion to Christ - you cannot encourage others to be or follow what is not in your own life. It really is a case of 'follow my example.' So what is your example like this morning?
Look for the grace of God working in people's lives. Barnabas saw the grace of God at work and he delighted in it and encouraged the young believers to persevere in the truth. What about you? Do you see the grace of God in the lives of others and encourage them to persevere in the truth? Or do you only see the faults and failings in others?
Be prepared to bring others in to the task of encouragement. It is not about self but about others. Barnabas was not concerned about his own reputation but about the spiritual welfare of these young Christians. He was not building his own kingdom but Christ's kingdom.
Barnabas was not threatened by new things happening in the kingdom of God. He took Paul to meet the Apostles when they all had grave doubts about his conversion. He took John Mark on another missionary journey after he had messed up the first time round. He went to Antioch and praised God for the work of grace in the lives of the Hellenists there. Barnabas took risks in order to encourage people in the faith. You and I must do the same. Will we get it wrong sometimes? Yes - but it is worth the risk for a John Mark who has messed up to be given another chance. It is worth the risk for a Paul who has messed up to become a great evangelist and church planter. It is worth the risk to encourage the grace of God working in others.
Barnabas saw potential in others when those around him saw only danger, problems and past failings. What about you? It really is a mindset how you see others. The bible does not tell us to turn a blind eye to people's sins or to past failures and yet the gospel tells us that none of us have made the mark - all have fallen short - and all in Christ can be forgiven and restored. Barnabas looked for the potential in others and not the failures. I have no doubt there were disappointments for him, as there will be for us but I am certain there were more times of joy as he experienced at Antioch.
You know when you stop to think about Barnabas he had a significant impact on the spread of the gospel. I wonder what would have happened without Barnabas' encouragement of Paul in bringing him to the apostles in Jerusalem and recognising the call of God for him to bring the gospel to the Gentiles by bringing him to the fledgling church at Antioch. Where would John Mark have ended up if Barnabas had not taken him on that missionary journey and given him another chance? Where would the little church at Antioch have gone if he had not brought a positive report back to the apostles and if he had not encouraged them by bringing Paul to teach them the faith? His ministry of encouragement had eternal significance for the gospel and so can yours.
So can I encourage you to be an encourager of other believers. Look for the work of God's grace in the lives of others. When you see it encourage them to keep going. Be humble enough to bring others on board to teach what you cannot because you know it will encourage others in the faith. Be an encouragement by giving someone a second chance after they have messed up the first time. Ultimately when you do God will bless you and your work as he did Barnabas and his work.
The Duke of Wellington, a famous military leader who defeated Napoleon was asked at the end of his life if he had any regrets. He said that if he had a regret it was that he did not give more praise. Someone once said "flatter me and I may not believe you, criticise me and I may not like you, ignore me and I may not forgive you, praise me and I will not forget you." There is something about praise and encouragement that, although we may find hard to believe or accept, never leaves our hearts or minds. This morning I want to encourage you to become an encourager. To be one of those people who encourage others on to greater things in the kingdom of God. To help us understand this I am going to look at Barnabas in the book of Acts.
Turn with me firstly to Acts 4.36-37 - this is where we first encounter Barnabas in the book of Acts. He is mentioned 34 times in the NT and all but 5 of those are in the book of Acts. I want you to note first of all that his name was 'Joseph.' His parents had called him Joseph but he was given the nickname 'Barnabas' -which meant 'son of encouragement.' Bar = 'son of.' 'Nabas' was Hebrew referring to a prophetic exhortation which encouraged or built people up. We know also from this text that he was a Levite. That is, he was from the priestly tribe of Israel. We learn that he was from Cyprus and this enabled him to be an important bridge between the Hebrew and Hellenistic worlds in the church, which would become significant later.
Turn now with me to Acts 9 verses 26-27. Saul (Paul) has been converted to Christ on the road to Damascus and has come to Jerusalem to meet the Apostles. They are justifiably afraid of him and it is Barnabas who takes Paul to the Apostles. In fact we read in verse 27 that it is Barnabas who retells the story of Paul's conversion to them and not Paul himself.
Turn to Acts 15.36ff. Paul and Barnabas have a disagreement over John Mark. John Mark had let Paul down on a previous journey but Barnabas wants to give John Mark another opportunity to serve. Paul and Barnabas disagree and separate at this point. Later Paul calls for John Mark and he describes him as one of his closest companions and servants in the gospel. Barnabas takes this opportunity of encouraging a young man who has failed in the past by offering him another chance to serve. He saw in John Mark the grace of God even if at this point Paul does not.
Now turn to the passage we read this morning from Acts 11.19-26.
Verses 19-21. Stephen has been martyred and once again the Christians have been scattered by the persecution. Luke tells us that they continued to preach the gospel and that many people had come to faith in Christ. Luke records for us that there was a significant number of people who came to faith and that this was because the hand of the Lord was upon the believers. We have here the geographical and cultural expansion of the gospel. Geographically it has spread from Jerusalem to Judea and then on into Samaria and now out to the Gentile nations. Culturally it has moved out from the Jews in Jerusalem to the Jews in the Diaspora and now on to the Gentiles.
Verse 22 - is a significant verse in this account. News of the gospel reaching Antioch has filtered back to Jerusalem and the apostles send Barnabas to Antioch to investigate. I find it significant that it was not an Apostle who was sent but Barnabas. No doubt part of the reason for sending him is that he is from Cyprus and therefore understands the culture etc.
Verses 23-24 read. Barnabas arrives and witnesses what? Luke tells us that he witnesses the 'grace of God' at work amongst the people of Antioch. He is gladdened by what he sees in Antioch. His generous spirit is moved to joy at the sight of people coming to faith in Christ Jesus. Luke tells us that having witnessed the work of God's grace in their lives Barnabas encourages them to persevere in the faith in 'remaining true to the Lord Jesus with all their hearts.' There is a deliberate play on his name - he (Barnabas - son of encouragement) encouraged them. Please note this is no general encouragement but a specific encouragement to wholehearted devotion and commitment to the Lord Jesus. Barnabas did not come and utter nice platitudes but encouraged them to persevere in the gospel. This was a critical moment in the life of this young church and of these new born babes in Christ. So often people come into such situations and all they do is find fault and raise their own self-esteem by criticising others. Not Barnabas. he arrives and he firstly seeks to see the grace of God at work. How did he know it was the grace of God at work? People turning from sin in repentance and faith to Christ Jesus. People confessing Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Barnabas did not burden them with rules and regulations - instead he encouraged them to persevere in their wholehearted commitment to Christ. Did you note the word 'wholehearted?' Not apathy. Not here this week and not next week. Not read my bible today but not tomorrow but wholehearted commitment. He encouraged them to be 'true to the Lord.' We would say 'faithful to the Lord.' Loving the Lord above all else. Having the Lord as the one whose word you obeyed, heeded, listened to and sought counsel from. He encouraged them to be true to the Truth - Christ Jesus. Barnabas knows that their hearts will determine the direction of their lives. If the gospel is to take root and firmly establish their lives then their hearts must be devoted first and foremost to Christ. You see the gospel can only put down deep and firm roots by faith when it is grounded in the heart of a believer. Otherwise when the sun rises and the heat of the day comes the plant withers and dies - according to the parable of the Sower.
Luke goes on to give us a description of Barnabas' character - read verses 24. It is because of his character that his words are accepted by these young believers and that his recommendation concerning the church at Antioch will be accepted by the Apostles back in Jerusalem. His character of goodness, of integrity and uprightness marked him out as the right man for this task. You know Luke describes no one else in the book of Acts as 'a good man.' Luke further tells us that he was a man 'full of the Spirit and of faith.' It is this that is the source of his character, the source of the goodness in his life. Note too what Luke says of Barnabas' time in Antioch - a multitude were added to the church. More people came to saving faith because of Barnabas.
Verses 25-26 - you know it would be easy to finish at verse 24 and miss out on a significant point of being an encouragement to others. Luke tells us that Barnabas goes and seeks out Paul and brings him to Antioch. Paul and Barnabas stay there for a considerable period of time teaching and instructing the believers. Barnabas was not concerned about his own reputation when he went to Tarsus and brought Paul to Antioch. His concern is the glory of Christ, the building of the kingdom of God, the furtherance of the gospel and Antioch and the building up of these new born Christians. His reputation did not matter. He knew these young Christians needed the teaching of Paul. He saw their need and he knew the answer and it mattered not that it wouldn't be Barnabas who got the praise and that Paul would be given preference over him.
Lessons to learn about being an encourager: Wholehearted devotion to Christ - you cannot encourage others to be or follow what is not in your own life. It really is a case of 'follow my example.' So what is your example like this morning?
Look for the grace of God working in people's lives. Barnabas saw the grace of God at work and he delighted in it and encouraged the young believers to persevere in the truth. What about you? Do you see the grace of God in the lives of others and encourage them to persevere in the truth? Or do you only see the faults and failings in others?
Be prepared to bring others in to the task of encouragement. It is not about self but about others. Barnabas was not concerned about his own reputation but about the spiritual welfare of these young Christians. He was not building his own kingdom but Christ's kingdom.
Barnabas was not threatened by new things happening in the kingdom of God. He took Paul to meet the Apostles when they all had grave doubts about his conversion. He took John Mark on another missionary journey after he had messed up the first time round. He went to Antioch and praised God for the work of grace in the lives of the Hellenists there. Barnabas took risks in order to encourage people in the faith. You and I must do the same. Will we get it wrong sometimes? Yes - but it is worth the risk for a John Mark who has messed up to be given another chance. It is worth the risk for a Paul who has messed up to become a great evangelist and church planter. It is worth the risk to encourage the grace of God working in others.
Barnabas saw potential in others when those around him saw only danger, problems and past failings. What about you? It really is a mindset how you see others. The bible does not tell us to turn a blind eye to people's sins or to past failures and yet the gospel tells us that none of us have made the mark - all have fallen short - and all in Christ can be forgiven and restored. Barnabas looked for the potential in others and not the failures. I have no doubt there were disappointments for him, as there will be for us but I am certain there were more times of joy as he experienced at Antioch.
You know when you stop to think about Barnabas he had a significant impact on the spread of the gospel. I wonder what would have happened without Barnabas' encouragement of Paul in bringing him to the apostles in Jerusalem and recognising the call of God for him to bring the gospel to the Gentiles by bringing him to the fledgling church at Antioch. Where would John Mark have ended up if Barnabas had not taken him on that missionary journey and given him another chance? Where would the little church at Antioch have gone if he had not brought a positive report back to the apostles and if he had not encouraged them by bringing Paul to teach them the faith? His ministry of encouragement had eternal significance for the gospel and so can yours.
So can I encourage you to be an encourager of other believers. Look for the work of God's grace in the lives of others. When you see it encourage them to keep going. Be humble enough to bring others on board to teach what you cannot because you know it will encourage others in the faith. Be an encouragement by giving someone a second chance after they have messed up the first time. Ultimately when you do God will bless you and your work as he did Barnabas and his work.
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