Jesus, the Giving Lord

We all need rest. Matt. 11:28-30 is an invitation to come to Jesus and experience rest. We see Jesus as the Giving Lord. He wants His children to come to Him and learn from Him so that they would live with Him forever. In these verses we see 5 interrelated truths.

1st truth, There is A Precise Call...Come to Me. What does Jesus mean when He says come to Me? There is a tie-in with John 6:35-40 that helps explain it: come and believe point to the same thing, as do hunger and thirst. To come to Jesus means to believe in Him. The call is to come to Jesus. Salvation is not through a church, a ritual, a creed, a pastor, a priest, or any human means, but only through Jesus Christ. This is an invitation to believe in Jesus.

2nd truth, There is A Pre-existing Condition...weary & heavy laden. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden. Weary means to work until you're totally exhausted spiritually, trying to please God and earn eternal life by your own effort. Heavy-laden points to some time in the past when a big burden was put on you. Weary is the internal exhaustion that comes from trying to work your way to God through human wisdom and understanding; heavy-laden is to be weighed down with the external burden of trying to gain righteousness by works. Echoes of the first beatitude 5:3 poor in spirit. Weary from your own sin, and weighed down with other's expectations. The invitation to come to Jesus is given to all who hear in such a way that the only ones who will respond to the invitation are those who are burdened by their own spiritual bankruptcy and the weight of trying to save themselves. Peter said in Acts 10:43, “To Him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”

3rd truth, There is A Promised Certainty...I will give you rest.
Jesus promises to give something to those who come to Him. He says “I will give you rest.” We need to know what that rest is. The word Rest means to calm, comfort & refresh. Reflects the O.T. concept of rest as release from the pressures & tensions of life & the peace that follows. Relief. The rest He gives is eternal life. Heb. 4:9-10, refers to a Sabbath rest for the people of God, who cease from working for eternal life and rest in Christ's finished work on the cross. Peace with God flows from it (Rom. 5:1). Jesus promises to give believers eternal life, true rest.

4th truth, There is A Prescribed Commitment...take My yoke and learn. A yoke is a handmade wooden frame used to join 2 animals together so that they work together. It is used in 11:29 as metaphor to describe a person being subject to another. Yoke stood for submission to an occupation or obligation. For Jews a yoke was a common way to refer to the law. Acts 15:10 speaks of a yoke of legalism. Gal. 5:1 says don't be subject again to a toke of slavery, living under the humanly impossible rules and regulations of the law. Jesus' yoke is commitment to Him. Receiving and accepting His authoritative interpretation of God's truth. To learn from Jesus is to receive His revelation of what the law truly intended, Matt. 5:17-48. Being yoked to Christ means to rely on Him, give Him your burdens, accept the necessity of walking closely with Him. Learn of me. The rabbis used yoke for school. Taking Jesus’ yoke means you are signing up for His school. Learn means grow in Christ. 1st you come to Jesus/believe by faith, then you learn of Him/grow in Christ, grow as a Christian. You will know the truth that brings freedom in Christ now, and eternal freedom forever. We find Christ's rest as we grow in Christ, which happens, as 1 Pet. 2:2 says, as we long for the pure milk of the word, that by it we may grow with respect to salvation. Jesus is not offering the yoke of religus obligation, & neither is He offering freedom from all constraints. Jesus' yoke is a yoke of discipleship to Him. Jesus is gentle and humble in heart and gives rest to all who submit themselves to Him.

5th truth, There is A Perfect Confidence...you will find rest for your souls. You will find rest from the endless, fruitless effort to save yourself by works; permanent rest in the grace of God apart from works. Christ’s yoke is not easy in the way we use the word. It does not mean without effort, simple or something that requires no investment. It means good. Christ’s rest is given and found. It is given in forgiveness; it is found under His yoke and burden; as we learn of Him, aka grow in Christ. Jesus is referring to Jer. 6:16–20 which connects the blessing to a right covenant relationship with God. It says, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it [comparable to Jesus’ “light burden”], and you will find rest for your souls [Jesus’ covenant promise]. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it’ … Hear, O earth, I am bringing disaster on this people”. In Jer. 6, Jerusalem was experiencing disaster as a result of disobedience. History was about to repeat itself. They needed to turn to God. So do we.

If you are not yet a believer you need to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31). Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross, shedding His blood for sin, paid the debt of sin for all who will believe. Come to Jesus and find rest for your soul. Believe to the point of submitting yourself to His Lordship. Believe it and live.

If you are a believer maybe you have gotten stagnated, your growth has been stunted, from lack of hearing the Word or maybe you have become spiritually fat and lazy. You hear the Word often but are not a doer of the Word. You deceive yourself.

This is a sacred moment, right now, as you read these words. You can have true rest in Christ. If you already have it it is good to be reminded. If you don't have it, you need it. You need to settle where you stand with Jesus. I suggest you read Rom. 10:9-11 and do what it says.

Soli Deo Gloria

Freedom to Obey God's Word

Like the Pharisees of old, there are evil men and imposters, who deceive and are deceived. I watched a program the other day that encouraged me & made my stomach turn. The show, A Christmas for Everyone, featured a Christian pastor, a Jewish Rabbi and a Muslim Imam. My soul was edified because God's Word was read and Bible-based Christmas songs were sung. My stomach turned because the pastor twisted, mangled and revised the gospel, and the identity & mission of Jesus. To hear the people read God’s Word and sing was awesome. To hear him speak proved he did not believe what others read and sang. The Word of God was read, great Christmas songs were sung, then he explained it away as something almost secular, no mention of sin, judgment and Christ's substitutionary atonement at the cross. The pastor portrayed Jesus as part-biblical, part-political, part-self-help guru. Nothing like the portrait of Christ you see in Matt. 11. Not the Jesus of the Bible; he had as Gal. 1:6-9 says, a different gospel, a different Jesus. He quoted the 1st part of John 3:16, for God so loved the world...then made something up for the rest of the verse that fit his agenda. Nothing about how God sent His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him would not perish, but have eternal life. God's Word changes people, but many people try to change God's Word. 1 Thess. 2:13 says it does its work in those who believe. Jesus sets us free to serve Him, but He does not give irresponsible freedom, He gives freedom under His grace. we do not have freedom to twist Scripture. We have freedom obey it, as the Holy Spirit gives us understanding.

Giving is Godly

I am sitting here in my living room thinking about Christmas. Not an odd thing to do on Christmas Eve, right? It is what we are supposed to do, expected to do. Yet, on a day where the house has been full of family and relatives, at this moment when one part of the family is delivering some gifts to friends and my two youngest daughters are busy making cookies in the kitchen, I find myself in a beautiful moment of quiet reflection.

I am sitting next to a Christmas tree with a few gifts underneath. We, like most families, have downsized our gift-giving the past several years. I think it is better that way. But I am thinking about why we give gifts at Christmas. Several reasons could pass the test: the most popular is because the wise men gave gifts to Jesus. It could also be to show our love for others; to bless those who are in need; to be a blessing to others; to give to the Lord in worship while we give to others; and the capstone, to mirror the glory of God in giving us a Savior, Christ the Lord.

Some celebrate Christmas by perpetuating far-fetched myths about where gifts come from. I won't name names. I do want to take you back to a historical figure that lived in the 4th century. There are many legends surrounding Saint Nicholas, aka Nikolaos of Myra, a 4th-century Greek Christian who became the Bishop of Myra (part of modern-day Turkey). Supposedly, he was hard-nosed when it came to the gospel and tender-hearted when it came to people in need. The story goes that he was thrown in jail as Christians were being persecuted under Diocletian and Maximian. When Constantine became emperor, he was released and returned to preaching only to find a new threat: Arianism. According to one biographer (writing five centuries after Nicholas's death), "Thanks to the teaching of St. Nicholas, the metropolis of Myra alone was untouched by the filth of the Arian heresy, which it firmly rejected as a death-dealing poison." Other biographers claim Nicholas attacked the heresy of Arius (who denied the full deity of Christ) in person by traveling to the Council of Nicea and slapping Arius in the face! That story, is probably just a fable, because there are pretty good records of the council of Nicea and Nicholas isn't mentioned.

Whatever the case, standing for the truth is good. I have also heard that as a pastor he would seek to meet the needs of the people in any way he could, at times sewing blankets for them and giving them whatever he had. Even if these things are legends is is good for us to stand for truth and meet the needs of others for the sake of Christ. It reminds me of Paul's letter to Titus, where he writes "for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior." He encourages Titus to "teach what accords with sound doctrine" (2:1), and to let "those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works." (3:8) He tells him to "let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful" (3:14).

So maybe the best reason to give gifts at Christmas is to worship God as we meet the needs of those in need. If so, as we follow these verses in Titus it ought to transform our giving and our lives. Maybe most importantly we give gifts because we who have received God's grace in Christ, namely Christ Himself (John 1:12), have the most reason to be thankful and generous. Our giving can become a part of our "confession of the gospel of Christ"(2 Cor. 9:13). That beats giving simply because it is expected. That kind of giving is what lead others to say "Thanks be to God for His inexpressible (indescribable) gift!" (2 Cor. 915). Our love for Christ inspires our giving to others. This can change and rearrange both how and what we give and our expectation of receiving. We have received the ultimate gift from God in Christ. We then give out of the overflow of hearts grateful to be forgiven and alive.

Most importantly, Jesus promises to give something to those who come to Him. John 3:16 tells us that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but should have eternal life." God gave. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest." Jesus promises to give us something. Then it is of utmost importance to know what it means to come to Him and what the rest is that He give. I believe there is a tie-in to John 3:16 here. To come to Jesus means to believe in Him. The rest He gives is eternal life. He gives eternal life, referred to in Hebrews 4:9-10, as a "sabbath rest for the people of God."

When we give we are like God. It is Christ-like to give what is good to others.

Come to Jesus

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus issues a gospel invitation. "Come to Me" He says. He isn't inviting people to a religion, or an organization, but to a relationship with Himself. It goes out to "all who are weary and heavy-laden". This does not mean those are simply worn out and need a brief rest so they can get back to their striving. It means that those who are worn out by sin's demands would run to Him for eternal comfort. This is not a quick fix, it is a life change. It is not for those who feel no need, but those who deeply know they are bankrupt. This is for the blessed "poor in spirit". This is for those who like Paul, consider themselves "chief among sinners" because they have gotten a horrifying look at the depths of their depravity. They know their need and now they recognize the only cure. They know that all attempts to be their own savior and lord have miserably failed. So they go to the One who promises to never cast out the one who comes to Him in faith, repentance and obedience.

If that is you today you are in a good place. "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved" Acts 16:31. Call upon His name, the Name which is above every name. Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross, shedding His blood for sin, paid the debt of sin for all who will believe. Come to Jesus and find rest for your soul.

Jesus, the Revealing Lord

In Matt. 11:25-27, we see Jesus is the Revealing Savior, the One who reveals God to the world.

Verse 25 is a prayer of praise to the Father. The intimacy of Jesus' relationship with God is revealed as He calls Him Father, 6:9. Lord of heaven and earth is a title of sovereignty that brings comfort and security. Father rpeps us for Son in v. 27. Lord of H&E preps us for a discussion of God’s sovereignty in vv. 25-26. God is merciful. His revelation of saving truths to mankind is our only hope of being saved. The wise & intelligent think they are, yet stubbornly refuse to repent & learn from Jesus, 13:10-16. Little children are those who innocently receive Jesus' revelation of the Father. People will reject Him, but there is another side of the story; a brighter side of the picture that brings joy not gloom; souls that hunger & thirst for salvation will find it in Christ. God has hidden the knowledge of these things, salvation truths, the gospel of the grace of God in Christ, from the prideful & arrogant, who failed to see spiritual reality. The babes come to Jesus with humility and the faith of a child 18:1-4; 19:13-15. Humility is needed for receiving God’s revelation. 1 Cor. 1:21, 27-29 wisdom apart from God is foolishness. We are to be wise and intelligent but not in the worldly sense of human experience and ideas. God chooses the weak and foolish things to frustrate the arrogant and boastful. Those who have the humility to admit their spiritual helplessness receive revelation from God of saving truths, 1 Pet. 5:5, God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Verse 26 shows it is the Father's sovereign prerogative to do as He pleases with those He has made. He owes nothing to anyone and chooses according to His good pleasure alone. He character is perfectly consistent and in harmony...His love, mercy, grace, justice and kindness perfectly fit together. God's revealing and hiding are based on what is good to Him from His perspective, a holy sinless one vs. human perspective, unholy and sinful. God does not need to explain or justify Himslef to mankind concerning His redeeming plan and sovereign work, Rom. 9:20. This concealing and revealing is not an act of injustice, as it would be if we did it, but an act of judgment. The truth is, all are sinful and guilty before God, and He is not obligated to reveal anything to anyone.

Verse 27 shows that one cannot come to God without accepting Christ, 1 John 2:23. Know is epiginosko, which means more than know, involves the most intimate and fullest acquaintance. It is not merely knowing facts about someone, it is firsthand experiential knowledge. Like marriage is meant to be. The Father, by doing what was well-pleasing in His sight, had withheld or revealed the truth about Jesus. Jesus had been given the same authority to reveal the Father to whomever He willed. Such a claim of power & authority was shocking to His hearers. The Father and Son have a mutual, intimate relationship. This led the Jews to accuse Jesus of blasphemy, for making Himself equal to God. They knew He was saying it, and they wouldn't believe it. All things being handed over to Jesus include the power and prerogative to reveal the Father to whomever He wills. Gives greater meaning to Jesus' statement in John 14:6 no one comes to the Father, except through Me. 11:27 Jesus is claiming equality with the Father. These vv. Put a huge emphasis on who Jesus is and what He can do in terms of authority.

Matt. 11:25-27 is all about how Jesus wants us to humbly admit our need for Him so that we would come to know Him.  Jesus wants us to know the greatness of the Father is revealed exclusively in the Son so that we would trust in Christ for salvation and not the wisdom of man. I want to point out two important truths that these verses reveal and how we see it played out in the Christmas story and in our lives.

I. God reveals Himself to the humble & hides Himself from the arrogant. 11:25-27 There is a promise here for all who believe. He gives to us. Those who will admit their need of Jesus get it, they understand, those who don't do not. You see it in the Christmas story. To the humble ones...the prophets and people before the time of Christ...entering into the pre-Christmas anticipation. Is. 7:14, 9:4. To Joseph and Mary. Matt. 1:18-25. To shepherds. Luke 1-2. Simeon and Anna. To wise men. Luke a bit more time delayed than most nativity scenes show. From the proud...Herod. Luke. To the world. Luke 2:14. God with us. God incarnate. Savior. Lord. God is sovereign. He came up with the plan. He set it in motion. He arranged the details. He carried it out. You see it in daily life. He reveals Himself through His Word. He assures believers of His presence. He gives general revelation to all, including an inner awareness of His presence, Rom. 1. He has given specific revelation, through the prophets up to John the Baptist He openly proclaimed the coming Messiah. But He only reveals gospel truth to those who admit their need, while hiding it from those who sense no need for His truth. 2 Cor. 4:3-4 the gospel is hidden to the perishing.

II. The humble receive Christ, the arrogant reject Him. We respond to Him. Some come to know Him, others do not. You see it in the Christmas story. God revealed Himself to Joseph and Mary. Mary said be it done to me as you have said. Joseph took Mary to be his wife. Matt. 1:18-25. Shepherds listened to the angels. Luke 2:8-20. Wise men followed the star. Matt. 2:1-12. Herod tried to destroy Jesus, killed many innocent children. Saw only a threat when he should have seen a blessing. You see it in daily life, in all times and places and where we live. 11:20-24 pictured man responding to a holy God. 11:25-27 pictures the electing grace of God. We need to acknowledge both, both are taught in Scripture, believers agree they freely chose to follow Jesus, and also agree that God has chosen and drawn them to Himself. The language of 11:25-27 hidden, revealed, your good pleasure, chooses points to God’s sovereignty. The language of 11:20-24 points to human responsibility, where people are judged for rejecting Jesus. As does 11:28-30 where Jesus offers salvation to those who will respond favorably. God is sovereign in salvation. It is a sovereign act of God. Man is accountable to God for his response to Him. We are called to preach the gospel to all people. Matt. 28:18-20. Calling people to repentance and faith so that they might believe and be saved. Share the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit trusting God with the results. What a person needs to know to come to faith in Christ is God loves them so much He sent His Son to die in their place, Christ shed His blood on the cross to pay the penalty for their sin, He was buried and rose from the dead, securing forgiveness and new life for all who believe.

Jesus reveals Himself to those who admit their need for Him, so that they would come to know Him.

Soli Deo Gloria

Let the Gospel Launch a Counterattack

More than ever before my inbox and mailbox has been flooded with requests from merchants literally begging me to buy something from them. They are pulling out all the stops. Some will be successful. Many will not. In the midst of this barrage I have to literally force myself to focus on Jesus, and the gospel, or I'll get swept up in the craziness of the moment. Which is exactly what marketers are hoping I will do. Swipe the card now and think later. Which is why I want to 'preach Christ and Him crucified' to myself, my household, and you right now. In hopes that the transforming, life-altering, awe-inspiring, mind-blowing truth of the gospel of the grace of God in Christ will launch a counterattack on the world's hollow wisdom and lead us away from slavery to consumerism and all the other -isms, and into the glorious freedom of the children of God in Christ. Even while we buy presents, cook meals and interact with people, we can be carrying on a secret conversation with God that is pure worship."Thank You Jesus for saving my soul. Thank You for loving me and forgiving me. Thank You for Your presence that comforts, Your Word that teaches and changes me, Your good work of grace in my heart. I need You Jesus."

Jesus, the Coming Judge

It seems odd to speak of Jesus as the Coming Judge at Christmas but it shouldn’t. We prefer to see Jesus as a gentle babe, lying in a manger. A cute and cuddly baby we can handle, not a Judge whose judgment will be executed on those who refuse to believe? But judgment fits biblically in the context of the Christmas story. It goes with the darker sides of the Christmas story, like Herod’s arrogant dishonesty and his slaughter of the innocents. Simeon saying that the child born in Bethlehem was appointed for the fall and rise in many in Israel. God’s judgments are reserved for those who reject righteousness when it stares them in the face, whose unbelief puts them in line for God’s just wrath against their sin.

According to Matt. 11:20-24 Jesus is the Coming Judge. What He wants is for people to turn to Him so that they would survive the Day of Judgment. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. He wants us to take Him seriously, to love Him more than life itself, to believe the truth and be saved. There is a logical sequence of events that get set in motion depending on our response to Jesus.

1. The Tragedy of Unbelief. In Matthew 11:20-21 Jesus began to scold, reproach, rebuke...the cities where most of His miracles had been done. Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago. Tyre and Sidon were large Phoenician cities on the Mediterranean, not far away, often denounced by the prophets for their Baal worship. Sackcloth and ashes were a familiar way to signify mourning. Sackcloth rough fabric made from camels hair, worn close to the skin to express sorrow & grief. Ashes expressed deep emotion, put on the head, sat on, lain on, even rolled in. Jesus uses the familiar practice of pronouncing Woe, an exclamation meaning your suffering will be huge. Warnings had been given, now woes were pronounced. Jesus did most of the miracles recorded in Matthew in Capernaum, nearby Korazin, 2 miles away and Bethsaida. But the people refused to turn from their sin & believe in Jesus. Their lack of repentance revealed unbelief. They were indifferent, they ignored Him. They disregarded God as an issue not worth thinking of, didn’t take Him seriously.

Those who will not believe in Jesus refuse to...
Believe God's Word. 2 Pet. 3:1-7.
Acknowledge Jesus. Jude 3-4.
Turn from sin. Jude 10-16.

2. The Reality of Judgment. As Matthew 11:22 says “It will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment. than for you.”
We need to understand that there will be 2 distinct judgments. Believers will be judged at the Judgment seat of Christ, Rom. 14:10-12, we will give account of our actions. Unbelievers will be judged at the Great White Throne of judgment Rev. 20:11-15. Neither determines salvation. Believers are already saved by faith Eph. 2:8-9, unbelievers rejected due to unbelief.

The day of judgment here is the judgment on unbelievers. It is the final judgment Matt 10:15, 12:36, 41-42; Acts 17:31. It refers to the day when Jesus, who has power over life and death, will make a final separation between those who believe and those who do not. Sodom was proverbial for wickedness, the sin city of Bible times. Capernaum had almost made the phrase lifted up to heaven their town motto Capernaum, home of Jesus, they figured they were in, they had Jesus living there. Those in the favored city Capernaum who did not believe, like self-exalting Babylon, will be brought down to Hades – to spend eternity in the torments of hell.

This is one of the most helpful passages for understanding judgment. It reveals several things.
It will happen. It is certain. He will say depart from Me I never knew you. He will separate the sheep from the goats. There will be unmerciful Judgment for those who do not turn from their sin.

There are levels or degrees of judgment in hell, just as there are degrees of blessing in heaven. Jesus is saying that punishment on the day of Judgment takes into account opportunity. The guilt of those who have great opportunity to hear the gospel is intensified. It is better to have heard nothing of Christ than to hear the truth and yet reject Him. The worst sin is unbelief.

God will be fair. His judgment is just. He does not owe anyone anything. An umpire named Babe Pinelli once called Babe Ruth out on strikes. The crowd booed with disapproval. Ruth turned to the umpire & said, "There’s 40,000 people here who know that last pitch was ball, tomato head." The umpire said, "Maybe so, Babe, but mine is the only opinion that counts." We need to realize that God’s judgment is the only one that counts.

Jesus’ message of judgment is not for the contrite, brokenhearted, repentant ones, those who mourn over their sin. It is for the proud and arrogant who refuse to turn to Him and be saved. What the repentant need, want and get is the grace of Jesus. The last thing the brokenhearted need is to be scolded by Jesus or any of His representatives, be it a preacher or a neighbor. Scolding depresses those who are tenderhearted and sensitive to the Holy Spirit. The hard-hearted that need the message of judgment.

3. The Necessity of Repentance. Jesus spoke of those who did not repent. If His miracles of grace and the faith it produces do not lead to repentance, there is judgment. The purpose of Jesus works is changed lives. Lives left unchanged after coming in contact with Jesus the Messiah will give account at the court of Jesus the Judge.

We seem to reserve repentance for special occasions, but God wants us to live a life of repentance, confessing our sins, receiving assurance of forgiveness. In his book I Surrender, Patrick Morley writes of an integrity problem in the church that comes from the faulty idea “that we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin. It is a change in belief without a change in behavior. It is revival without reformation, without repentance.” It’s like Dietrich Bonheoffer said, “Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross.” True repentance is when, by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, a person has a sense of revulsion and Godly sorrow for the condition of sin in his or her heart, and comes, empty-handed and un-defensive, in the most personal and submissive posture he’s ever taken, and from a sincere heart says “I’m sorry”, to the only One who can truly offer forgiveness.

4. The Joy of Life with Jesus. Jesus said that even Sodom, if they had witnessed His mighty works, would have remained. They would have repented of thier sin. There are untold blessings for those who will repent and believe. No one should ever rejoice that others receive judgment; but all who receive blessing in Christ should rejoice that they’ve been spared from judgment. God did not spare His own Son so that we might be spared and receive the adoption as sons.

Jesus as a Baby, Mind-blowing

My son Michael and I are out for dinner, talking and the subject of the incarnation just came up. So we decided to blog about it. It's hard to think of Jesus as a baby, God as a human. Even if you know it is true it is still the craziest thing to think of, still mind-blowing regardless. Still makes you worship Him because of how Great His love is. I think of the song "O Holy Night", my favorite line goes like this, "long lay the world in sin and error pining, til He appeared and the soul felt it's worth".

Jesus Christ came into the world because of sin and God is glorified through His entrance into a world of sin, all because of sin and all because of His good purposes that were determined before the foundation of the world, before any sin had been done. He created Adam and Lucifer with the knowledge that they would sin.

Back to Jesus as a baby. The One who made the world independently came into that world as a dependent. The One who spoke the world into existence had to learn a language. And the One to Whom all worship and obedience is due learned obedience through the things He suffered. Crazy stuff and totally true.

Reaching Repentance

We need to understand what repentance is. Some think it is merely feeling bad about your sin. Some think it is feeling so bad about it that you are willing to go to great lengths to receive forgiveness for what you have done by doing penance. That is not it. Repentance is more than that. It is recognizing your sin and turning away from it to God. It is a complete change of life. It is transformation. It is not something only the super spiritually sensitive do, it is something all Christians are to do. It is to be as natural a part of our lives as crying is for a baby, as breathing is to anyone who is alive. The Christian life starts and continues with it. We won't need to do it in heaven, but it is an absolute necessity on earth. Confession and repentance go together. Romans 2:4 tells us God's kindness leads us to repentance. God grants it. This is the perseverance of the saints.

Comfort in Judgment

There ought to be great comfort in Matthew 11:20-24 for all who believe. No one should ever rejoice that others receive judgment but all who receive blessing in Christ should rejoice that they have been spared from judgment. God did not spare his own son so that we might be spared and receive the adoption as sons. Jesus wants you to turn from sin to Him so that you might escape the day of judgment and receive the joy of life in Christ that the Christmas season truly ought to celebrate. Which is why we are to constantly remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, according to the gospel.

The Lord's Supper and 1 Cor. 11:27-29

In 1 Cor. 11:17-34, Paul, while he had commended them previously, was now correcting abuses in the Lord’s Supper in the Corinthian church. See v. 17, this starts the immediate context. In v. 20 he gives the reason he cannot endorse their conduct, which was selfish and not taking the body of Christ among them into account. In the context of v. 27 the unworthy eating of the bread and drinking of the cup may have had to do with their sinful attitudes and actions towards each other, which was sin against God.  The examination of v. 28 in their context had to do primarily with whether they were harboring sin in their hearts and lives – most likely in the form of an attitude of a party spirit or lack of compassion towards others in the body who were not as well-off (I understand they often celebrated in the homes of the wealthier members – bigger place to meet) – and therefore against what the Lord and His sacrifice had purchased with His blood – a basic discrediting of Christ’s sacrifice for us and others by bringing sin into the gathering and celebration of the very thing meant to kill sin and eliminate man-made distinctions between people. “The ground is level at the foot of the cross” and all that. Hence the “in an unworthy manner” means “not in accordance with its worth”. V. 29, failure to recognize the body of the Lord – either what it meant to their salvation or their community life – and therefore the body of believers among them - which ought to have resulted in their judging themselves and coming back in line with God and what He wants to do in and through His family.
 
The interesting thing to me is we are being called to do all this while in community with other believers. Our corporate gatherings have individual aspects to be sure – we are people, who live in households, who operate in many spheres and it must first be applied in our own hearts and then in the larger body. Re: 1 Cor. 11:27-29 and the larger context in which it is found, these verses actually lean away from being individualistic, if by that we mean just me and Jesus in a vacuum, which is easy to do in our Western individualized mindset. The issue being addressed by Paul, and corrected, was actually their attitudes and actions that were causing a break in fellowship and worship. Paul is writing to a group of people. Each in the group was to examine himself individually, and correct any sinful attitudes and actions that might be present so fellowship can be restored and the family that was created due to Christ’s death for sin could operate as it was intended to operate. They are being called to look within, so that they might realize they are a part of a body, where order and unity were to be preserved, not broken. If they were guilty of breaking fellowship with any in the body, especially those present, they needed to repent.

At the same time and in the same moment, there can be present intensely corporate and personal applications. We are never instructed in Scripture to celebrate the Lord’s Supper alone. We are called to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together because we are interconnected and related by faith.
 

Genuine Followers of Christ follow Christ

Genuine followers go with God's program over their own opinions. They are governed by the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. they have the same inclinations as others, but they exercise Spirit-enabled and produced self-control and so they resist going their own way. They, as Prov. 3:5-6 says, trust in the Lord with all their heart and lean not on their own understanding. In all their ways they seek to acknowledge Him, and He leads them. Genuine followers are those who align themselves with Jesus. They are the poor in spirt, who mourn over their sinfulness, who cling to Jesus. They are, as 1 Peter 1:3 says, born again to a living hope through the reserruction of Jesus Chrsit. They agree with 1 Cor. 1:29, knowing that by God's doing they are in Christ, they are saved. They realize that as Jesus said, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever beleives in Him should not perish but have eternallife. they believe, therefore they live in light of that belief here on earth, just as they will not perish, they will live forever with God in heaven. They are those who, as Jesus said, deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Him. They die to themselves, and live to God.

It's Tough to be a Christian at Christmas

"it's tough to be a Christian at Christmas." That's what a friend of mine said the other day. Or something like it. He added that during other times of the year where things that are blatantly not God-honoring are paraded in front of us, it is easier to stand up for our convictions and live what we believe.

Why is it difficult to be a Christian in America at Christmastime? Because there are so many temptations that can pull us away from worshipping Jesus. There are so many unbiblical influences that saturate our souls at Christmas that are the antithesis of the Savior. So many subtle ways to get sucked into things that dishonor Christ. The magnet pull of the lust of the flesh and of the eyes, and the boastful ride of life being what they are, so enticing and deceptive, it takes large amounts of Spirit-produced self-control to not get swept up in loving the world (1 John 2:15-17). In our consumeristic-saturated context in which we live, we must remember that our life (as Jesus said in the context of being on guard against greed) does not consist of the things we possess (Luke 12:15).

In order to pull this off we must do what does not come naturally to us. We may be tempted to only treat the symptoms rather than the true disease of soul that the worldly trappings of Christmastime expose. We fool ourselves if we do not acknowledge that it is as much an inward battle and as outward one. The response of some is to boycott anything that is not explicitly Biblical, but we risk eliminating some implicitly Biblical things or cutting ourselves off from purposeful engagement with people for the purpose of living and giving the gospel in the process.

In order to resist the riptide that threatens our souls at Christmastime we must exercise wisdom, knowing that we can engage in idolatry even if we have nothing. We must exercise caution, knowing that our adversary is a deceived. We must exercise discernment as we engage with others during the season. And above all we must rest in Jesus who is our true life (Col.3:4).

My Signature Line

My favorite topic in all the world is the Lord Jesus Christ.

My signature line is this: All praise to Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. I have been saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, as revealed in God's Word alone, for God's glory alone.

Soli Deo Gloria

What is God calling me to do?

That is a question many are asking every day. Just yesterday three people I know were each seeking guidance as to which way to go in life. These three, in vastly different arenas of life, are expressing that they need, want and desire an answer for this question. This is not surprising. All three are believers. They want what God wants. The answer is not within their grasp at this point. But they are trusting God to provide one in His perfect time.

I shared something with one of them that I learned four and half years ago while praying about whether to accept the call to pastor Grace Church of Orange. It is simple, profound and something I am a bit embarrassed to admit I had not been doing my entire Christian life up to that point. It has to do with prayer. I think I have always, as a believer, prayed for God's will to be done. We pray it in the prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:9-10). There it is, asking for God's will to be done. We desire it to be revealed. "It" being the unanswered question that eludes us. All three of my friends are seeking the same.

Something changed for me as I prayed earnestly in 2006, trying to discern if God was indeed calling us away from a church family we dearly loved, to shepherd another we barely knew. Here is what changed: instead of praying for God's will for me alone, or even our family alone, I began to pray with a bigger field in view. I began to pray, "Lord, which course of action will be best for Your kingdom? Which avenue will further Your purposes for all involved?" It became less about me and more about my part in the bigger picture that God is painting. It ceased being merely about me and became about you and me and them and us. God expanded my vision. It became less self-centered and more Christ-centered and when God got me to that place the fog lifted, the sky cleared and I could see the direction God was taking me. The decision then became a much less laborious one and a considerably more joyful one.

What are you seeking direction for in this season of your life my friend? Is it beyond you? Is it bigger than you? Does it keep you awake wondering? Try tying God's kingdom purposes to your request, the way He tells us to pray, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done" and see what God will do. I think you will be supernaturally surprised. God in His mercy and grace in Christ "is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we can ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Soli Deo Gloria

Simple Obedience paves the way for Glory

We think if we just do what we are expected to do we will receive a reward, be noticed, gain some kind of approval or recognition. We quickly learn this is not the case, that sometimes no one notices, that sometimes our best efforts are unseen by blind eyes and fall on deaf ears.

While We may not get our name in the paper, we can be sure nothing escapes God's notice. Hebrews says "God is not unjust so as to forget your work and labor of love you have showed in ministering and an in still ministering to the saints." He sees and has His own way of rewarding faithful service. Even so, my flesh craves applause. After we have done everything we ought to say, "Lord, we are unworthy servants who have merely done what You have asked and enabled."

I was reading today in Ezekiel, chapter 17, verse 24, where God, after pronouncing coming judgment due to His people rebelling against Him says, "I am the Lord, I have spoken, and I will do it." That is reason enough to seek above all to praise Him, to put ourselves under His authority and rely solely upon His gracious mercy. If only we could simply rest in the simple obedience that desires nothing but the glory of God - no praise from men, no recognition for us, no trophy - just God getting maximum glory.

Saved Free (a testimony)

Hurt I caused
Pain I bore
People fell
Because I chose my own way
Not knowing what was in store
I acted ignorantly in unbelief.

I never knew the freedom
Of a heart at ease and free
I was snared and trapped
In a prison made by me

Lost and lonely
Running scared
I made a mess of tragedy
And sunk deeper in my misery

Until the day everything changed

Hurt I caused
The pain He bore
For fallen men
Like me, wretched and needy
Made beautiful by He who chose them
Giving grace beyond belief.

Jesus, I am Yours Forever (a poem)

I am Yours forever, Jesus
You are my sweet Savior
There's nothing that can separate
Me from You

I am Yours forever, Jesus
You are my True Friend
Everything You do is holy,
Right and true

I am Yours forever, Jesus
You are my soul's treasure
By grace You saved me
And will bring me safely through.

Jesus, I am Yours forever
All because of You

Sovereign Savior (a song)

Reigning King
My Savior stands
Above the fray
With outstretched hands

Pierced by the nails
The blood ran down
To cleanse my soul
My heart to own

Sovereign Savior
Lord Jesus Christ
You're my deliverer
You're my life

My life You purchased with Your blood
The cross Your glory and my good

Without the cross
I would not live
For Jesus Christ
My life I give

He spent it all
To set me free
His child I am
For eternity

Sovereign Savior
Lord Jesus Christ
You're my deliverer
You're my life

My life You purchased with Your blood
The cross Your glory and my good

The Super-Abundant Faithfulness of God

We must remember where Lamentations 3:22-24 comes from…so we don’t get it wrong and waste an opportunity to see a glimpse of glory in the midst of real life. This is not sitting on a beach reading a magazine on vacation saying ‘God you are so faithful’. This is not, when everything works out as we had planned saying God is so faithful. It is not wrong to do so, it is right to acknowledge God in everything, but that is not what Lam. 3 is about. It is so easy to air lift it out, airbrush it, Photoshop it into comfy surroundings, Thanksgiving feasts where we have to unbutton our top button to allow more food in. No, this is saying to God... when you are in excruciating pain, and you don’t know how you will make it, and you have to force yourself to say the words because your circumstances have numbed you to the feelings we often rely on, when you know you have failed and sinned grievously, and all you deserve is wrath but God has held that back from you …God you are faithful, Your mercy is what is keeping me standing, your faithfulness is what is holding me up. And I know it would be far worse, and I deserve far worse, if not for Your mercy which you apply in faithfulness. This is saying even if there is still nothing, I have hope because of Who God is. Even if things stay as bad as they seem, I will praise You in the storm. Because You are Faithful and there is so much of Your faithfulness to go around. An infinite supply for infinite needs. This is saying to God with whatever ounce of energy you have left, when you are at the end of your rope, all I have is Christ. Let’s just remember what this is. Apply it then and you will apply it in every situation.

It is so easy to focus on what God has given us, forgetting what He has not given. Our perspective on praise & thankfulness can change if we see it more like one writer put it...viewing life's blessings as water in a cup, we can discontentedly focus on the ½ of the cup that seems empty; or gratefully focus on the ½ that is full. We know which is the better of the 2, but Lam. 3:22-24 should stir in us a richer gratitude than this. It reminds us 1st that what we actually deserve from God is a full cup of His wrath. If we were given what we deserve each day. So to be handed a completely empty cup from God would be cause enough for infinite gratitude. If there were even the tiniest drop of blessing, we’d be blown away by God’s unbelievable kindness to us. The fact that God has given believers a cup full of every spiritual blessing in Christ, with no wrath, ought to bring us to our knees. We should see all our earthly circumstances as amazing improvements on the hell we deserve. So, be grateful 1st you are not getting the wrath you deserve, & grateful 2nd for the gifts & blessings given instead of wrath.
Soli Deo Gloria

Even More Faithfulness of God

Lamentations 3:24 says "The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I have hope in Him." Ps. 16:5 the Lord is my chosen portion and my cup. Ps. 73:26 my flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. We have hope because God is all we have. The cry of a burdened soul for true security; the honest confession of a needy soul. True reality.

In Lam. 3:22-24, in the entire chapter 3 as well as the larger context of the whole book, we find real assurances tied to the reasons we have to praise God.

Based on God's covenantal love, we can be sure that faith is a gift from God. 3:21 to have hope in the midst of despair and 3:25 the ability to seek God comes from God. Faith is a disciplined, decision-based exercise. It is for thinking, feeling, real people. God’s gifts are good, faith is one.

Because of God's compassionate mercy, Lam. 3 reminds us also that repentance is the normal way of life for Christians. In 3:39-42 we see confession of sin is essential and it can also include praise. We learn to accept that many times disaster is a justified judgment due to people’s sinfulness. God’s mercy grants repentance, His kindness leads us to confess our sins & turn from them. In light of hardship brought on by sin we have no complaints. God is willing and able to alleviate suffering. He withholds what our sins deserve (wrath) and gives us what our sins do not deserve (mercy). In Christ wrath has been removed & grateful, humble repentance is the way of life.

Lastly, because of God's consistent character, we can always hope in Jesus. Even in our darkest hour. 3:24 The Lord is our portion. All we have is Christ. Sin leads to despair, God gives hope. The most important thing that can be said about God is that He is more than enough. This speaks to anyone who has ever felt alone or abandoned by God. God is with us. He can be trusted. It enables believers to identify with those who are suffering. God’s faithfulness in unlimited. It knows no end, has no end. Great faithfulness, immeasurable, infinite, abundant, lots of it to meet every need. God’s faithfulness is great, abundant, in ample supply. Bad as things might get, it is because of God’s mercy they are not worse. If God dealt with us as our sins deserve, we would have been consumed long ago. Mal. 3:6 For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. God is merciful to us, let us acknowledge it to His praise.

It is important to read Lam. 3:22-24 in the context of all of chapter 3, as well as the whole book, but it has an even larger context. We ought to read it in light of one of the Bible’s big themes: exile and homecoming. While they were exiled, there was a promised homecoming as well, by a remnant that would survive. We are exiles due to sin. We were meant to live coram deo, before the face of God, in His presence where there is fullness of joy. But we rebelled against Him and the city was destroyed, paradise lost, in bondage to decay. And mankind has been wandering as spiritual exiles ever since. And only when they turn and admit their wandering, repenting before a holy God, can exiles be restored to their true home. We cannot grasp our true home yet because it is heavenly. In a way we are all like Israel, exiles, longing for our true home. Where we live, the houses and households we inhabit are like hotels along the way, they aren’t our true abode. Make them as fancy as you can, they are a waiting room at the end of the day. Tim Keller said Jesus came to bring the human race home. He came and experienced, in weakness, the exile we deserved. He was expelled from the presence of the Father, thrust out into darkness, the uttermost despair of spiritual alienation – in our place. He took upon Himself the full curse of human rebellion, cosmic homelessness, so that we could be welcomed into our true home.

Jesus not only died but rose form the dead. Heb. 2:14 says He broke the power of death, Acts 2:24 says, God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him. Jesus Christ is God's last word on everything. Heb. 1:1-3. Judgment cannot be God's last word, He has judged sin with finality at the cross, & His compassion is victorious, mercy triumphs over judgment. As Ps. 30:5 says, His anger is but for a moment, His favor for a lifetime; weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Jeremiah's weeping over Jerusalem forshadowed Christ weeping over the same city, Matt. 23:37-39, Luke 19:41-44. God was the judge and executioner, but it brought Him grief to bring the destruction of Jerusalem. He brought Christ to grief at the cross so that we might have joy. Christ's sacrifice brought great joy. So that the word might be fulfilled, that one day God will wipe away all tears Rev. 7:17, 21:4, one day sin shall be no more. Sin brings misery but God in His faithfulness is loving, compassionate and merciful.

Tomorrow we'll wrap it up with some closing thoughts on God's abundant faithfulness.

More Faithfulness of God

God is trustworthy. He keeps all His promises because of who He is. He is true to His character. This is reason to praise Him. To say God is faithful is to admit we need what He promises. We can rely on them. 2 Pet. 1:4 says that they are "precious and very great". What are some things God promises?

God promises...

1. To punish sin. Gen. 3:15; James 4:11-12; Heb. 12:25-29, 13:4. He promised to execute His wrath against sin and in faithfulness He punished sin at the cross.

2. To save those who believe. Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9-10. God is a rescuing God, faithful in providing what is needed for those who will believe to believe and be saved. Faithful is He who calls us, who will also bring it to pass.

3. To forgive those who confess their sins. 1 John 1:9. 3:39-42. The repentant are assured of forgiveness because God is faithful.

4. To answer prayer. Jer. 33:3; John 15:7, 16. He faithfully answers prayer in Jesus' name, which means according to all Jesus is, for the sake of His name.

5. To be with us. Ex. 33:14; Matt. 28:20; Heb. 13:5. His presence.

6. To send the Holy Spirit. John 16:5-13. Acts 2:33 promise of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit once He went back to the Father. All who believe are indwelt by the Spirit of God. As Rom. 8 tells us, all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

7. To provide for us. Phil. 4:19. God will meet every need in His perfect way & time. To those who lack & ask, He will give wisdom. James 1:5. Protection in temptation, 1 Cor. 10:13.

8. To come back to take us home. John 14:1-6, 2 Pet. 3:4, Rev. 22:20. Jesus is coming back to take His chosen ones home to heaven.

Tomorrow we'll see three assurances built upon God's promises and based on the reasons we have to praise God.

The Faithfulness of God

Lamentations 3:22-24 highlights the faithfulness of God. To be faithful means to be true, able to be counted on, solid, trustworthy. To be known as unfaithful is to be marked as untrustworthy. Those who are or have been unfaithful find it hard to overcome the label. It sticks. It has to do with trust. Once it is broken it’s sometimes nearly impossible to regain what was lost. The issue of Lamentations is Israel’s unfaithfulness to God which led to Jerusalem’s downfall. God had fixed His covenant love on Israel, chosen her, betrothed her to himself; His choice not based on past or foreseen performance but solely on His matchless grace. He laid out the stipulations. He marked out the boundaries, and Israel transgressed over and over again. It was not simply a one time lapse, which would have been reason enough to reject them; this was serial unfaithfulness of the most heinous kind, continual rejection of their Sovereign. God kept reaching out to His beloved based solely on his unilateral love and promises, and still, fallen sinful man made a shambles of their situation. Jerusalem fell in 586 BC and with it the hopes of a nation gone wrong. And so the writer of Lamentations, which means 'loud wailing' or 'loud cries’ rightly laments. This is a dirge, a funeral song for a city that fell due to the sins of her people.

Lamentations is the saddest book in the Bible. The writer, most likely Jeremiah, was so overwhelmed by grief over the destruction of Jerusalem, and the sin that caused it, and the suffering that resulted that he could barely contain himself. Jeremiah was singing the blues. Most likely he was a witness to the seige, the famine, the flight of the army and the king, the burning of the palace, temple and city, the breaching of the city walls, the exile of the people, the looting of the temple, the execution of the leaders. He was reliving the memory of the awful experience as He wrote. Stuck in a moment he could not get out of; his thoughts consumed by the somberness of the situation. He recounts the anguish he felt as he saw the judgment foretold 800 years earlier through Joshua unfold. For 40 years he prophesied of coming judgment but the people continually rejected God’s Word. When judgment finally came on the unbelieving, unrepentant people, Jeremiah responded in sorrow and compassion for his countrymen. A true shepherd.

We must read 3:22-24 in the context of all of chapter 3, as well as the whole book. Sin brings misery and Jeremiah recounts it. In Ch. 1, Jeremiah appeals to God for deliverance. He owns that God is righteous 1:18 and we are sinful. Their captivity was of their own making. They had no one to comfort them 1:2, 17, 21. Ch. 2, they were swallowed up 2:5, God had become their opponent due to their sin against Him. He was right in doing what He did and He fulfilled His Word – there is no argument re the judgments of God & those afflicted due to their unrepentant hearts 2:17. He appeals to God’s compassion. Ch. 3, bitterness was their lot 3:15 and even that was not as bad as it could have been. Ch. 4, the sins of the leaders were acknowledged, the prophets and priests that should have led them righteously had led them blindly away form God and into His judgments. Therefore they were devoured 4:11. Ch. 5 is a prayer for mercy, knowing all their woes were due to their own sin and God was righteous in it, they could not argue but only plead for mercy. They had no rest 5:7, 15. Back to Ch. 3, bad as things were it would have been worse if not for God’s faithful mercies.

In the midst of the rubble, smoke and fog rises Lamentations 3:22-24. Out of the ashes comes one of the most hopeful, pristine, beautiful statements of faith found in the entire Bible. It is the high point of Lamentations. Everything ascends to it or descends from it. In it we see, like a diamond that comes from blackest coal, God’s glory shines brightest in the deepest pit made by man’s sin.

In 3:22-23 we see the heart and anguish of a man who loves God and His people and in it we see 3 Reasons to Praise God: rationale for returning thanks, for expressing our gratitude to Him.

The 1st reason is His covenant love. 3:22 says The Lord’s lovingkindnesses (steadfast love, mercies, lovingkindnesses.) never cease (never completed, never finished). The Hebrew word for lovingkindnesses is used almost 250 times in the OT, referring to God’s gracious love. It means much more than one thing: in one word it captures and combines the ideas of love, mercy, grace, goodness, forgiveness, truth, compassion and faithfulness. God’s covenant love enables our love for Him. We love because He first loved us – that is reason to praise Him.

The 2nd reason to praise God we see in v. 22. His compassionate mercy. 3:22 mercies, compassions. His compassions never fail (never done, completed, finished, consumed, destroyed…the job is never done, God’s compassions are always at work.). They are new every morning. Every day there is a fresh supply. The supply is never-ending because God is never-ending. God’s mercy alleviates the suffering we endure due to sin. Reason to praise Him.

V. 23 highlights the 3rd reason to praise God: His consistent character. 3:23 says "Great is Your faithfulness." Faithfulness is a covenant word...tied to the keeping or breaking of covenantal commitments. When we say God is faithful we mean He is everything faithfulness entails and does everything faithfulness demands. v. 23 says that His faithfulness is great. We think in terms of status, like Alexander the Great. Great in terms of ability and performance. Or even in terms of quality, beyond anything we could imagine as great. Better than you could do or think. Far beyond anything. Amazing. Awesome. But the Hebrew word for "great" refers to quantity not quality. It is a quantitative not qualitative word, meaning much, many, abundant. Quality is there, it is assumed, this is not cheap stuff in bulk, this is the finest stuff imagineable en masse. "Great is Your faithfulness" means that God's faithfulness is plentiful and abundant. There is a lot of it to go around. Mass quantities of God's faithfulness are shown to us. Our issue is our unfaithfulness to God, cosmic treason of gargantuan proportions, which leads to our downfall. But in the lives of those who believe God intervenes. John Stott says "the way God chooses to forgive sinners & reconcile them to Himself is fully consistent with His own character. It is not only that He must overthrow and disarm the devil in order to rescue his captives. It is not even only that He must satisfy His law, His honor, His justice or the moral order; it is that He must satisfy himself." In satisfying Himself God appeases His holy and just wrath against sin, and opens the door to untold blessing for those who repent and believe. He is absolutely consistent. Great reason to praise Him.

Tomorrow we'll focus on the promises of God.

Abundant Faithfulness (a poem)

More than I ever expected, wanted or could hope for,
More than ever could be imagined,
This provision, this light, this strength,
Beyond comparison, amazing grace.

A well that never runs dry, a calculated risk,
A Friend that never lets you down,
A situational infraction, a substitutional transaction
Before the making of the world.

An ever-flowing fountain, a never-ending flow,
Continuing a process whose perfection is legendary,
Unlikely pieces molded into a tapestry,
Working all things together for good.

Forever lovingkindness leads to faith,
Forever compassionate mercy is in place,
Forever mercy triumphs over judgment,
Forever we will praise the glory of His grace.

Joy in the Morning

Psalm 30:5 says, "For His anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning."

In light of our sins we deserve death, misery and hell. We warrant extreme wrath. No mercy. But God intervenes and instead of wrath His chosen ones get magnificent blessing. We may grieve our waywardness but God celebrates Christ's victory over sin. We weep, but now for joy over the gracious gift of salvation God gives.

Dealing with Doubt

Doubt is a part of life. We feel confident, then something happens or doesn't happen, and we waver, we question, we wonder if we had it wrong or if we've been let down or even fooled. It happens in every area of life. We’re doing fine but something happens and then our perspective changes. Plenty of people in the Bible doubted. Moses doubted God’s call, name, plan and power. Abraham doubted God’s promise. Gideon doubted God’s ability to provide. Eve doubted God’s motives. Thomas doubted that Jesus rose from the dead. We all deal with doubts. It even happened to John the Baptist.

In Matt. 11:1-6 our attention is turned from the apostles, who are just beginning their ministry, to John the Baptist, who is coming to the end of his. John the Baptist received the gospel favorably, but due to his being imprisoned and facing discouraging circumstances at that point, he was dealing with some doubts about the nature and identity of Jesus. He needed reassurance. What I hope you grasp is something very comforting: that while the true child of God sometimes doubts, Jesus deals perfectly with us and our doubts.

What is doubt? To doubt is to have misgivings, to question, to not be sure, to be uncertain, to be conflicted in mind. It is wrestling with truth as it intersects with our perspective and present circumstances, as we try to make sense of life as it relates to God’s purposes and what He allows. These verses ought to encourage us to be honest about the doubts we might experience, while taking them to the One who can answer every doubt, the Lord Jesus Christ. God is big enough to handle all your doubts.

By the way, almost all the gospel references to doubt refer to believers not unbelievers. The kind of questioning John the Baptist engaged in can only happen in the life of a believer. See Matt. 14:31, 21:21, 28:17; Luke 24:38; and James 1:5-8.

Doubt is not the absence of faith, but a lack of it. Doubt is not unbelief, it is to partially trust.

Doubt is not rejection or denial of Christ. Doubt is humble; rejection & denial is arrogant. Doubt is not the absence of nor does it cause us to lose salvation. John was not questioning the truthfulness of God's Word, he was just not sure of his understanding of those truths. What we possess, our faith; is strong enough to withstand questioning because of Who possesses us, our Savior.

To doubt is not sin, but to keep doubting can be. Even John the Baptist had doubts. Jesus basically warned him not to let it lead him to stumble, told him to stop doubting. In Rom. 14:23 it says "he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin". Notice, doubting is not sin, the eating is. Allowing the doubt to lead to an action not based on faith. To doubt is not to sin, but it can lead you there. It all depends on what you do with it. John took his doubts to Jesus. So must we. And what caused John's doubts can also be the cause of ours.

The Causes of Doubt
1. Difficulties...John the Baptist was in prison for doing what is right. What are you facing that might put you in a doubting frame of mind?

2. Discouragement...Feeling defeated, deflated, depleted of resources. In 1 Kings 19, after a huge victory over Ahab and the prophets of Baal, Elijah became discouraged and wanted to die. He said he was the only one left who was on God's side. God had to remind him of the truth, that He had 7000 people who had not worshipped false gods. What has you discouraged?

3. Disappointment...disillusionment, things not working out as planned. What happens doesn't fit your expectation. Sometimes our expectations are exceeded, sometimes they are not even met. For John, the kingdom of heaven wasn’t unfolding quite like he thought it would. Jesus let him stay in prison and allowed him to be beheaded. As tough as it was, it was God's plan for John's life. What disappointments are you nursing today?

The Cure for Doubt
In Christ’s response we see the way out of doubt. What you should do if experiencing it or helping someone who is.

1. Reassurance...encouragement that all is going according to God’s plan. 11:4-5 Jesus didn’t condemn him, He comforted him, had mercy on him. Like Jude 1:22 says "have mercy on those who are doubting". We all need reassurance at times, even the strongest and most secure. We need to hear that all is well, God is in control, all is not lost. God's Word leads to assurance. John was wavering, like Peter who walked on the waves with Jesus but saw the danger and sank. Doubt like John had and most believers sometimes struggle with is common. Atheists and skeptics have deep seated doubts that lead them to stumble over Jesus. Believers have doubt, or confusion, which is honest questioning, stemming from a humble heart as opposed to prideful questioning that comes from an arrogant unbelieving heart. Doubt is questioning in the safe context of faith and belief. I understand how doubts develop. You are condemned by man so you doubt if God will forgive you for all you have done. You are lied to so you doubt if Jesus will keep His promises. 1 John 3:18-24 Assurance is knowing for sure, John 17:3. We all need our assurance refreshed at times.

2. Remembrance...remembering what God has done. It is comforting to see Jesus' response to John's doubts. He doesn't blast him, He reassures him. Jesus reminds him of Scripture, of His presence, of the power of God displayed through His life and ministry as foretold in Isaiah 61:1. If you struggle with honest doubts, turn them over to Jesus. Find your comfort and security in Him not in nursing your doubts.

3. Realignment...we need to refocus on truth and get in line with what Jesus is doing. 11:6 Whoever finds no occasion of stumbling in Me. This comforts and corrects John. John was in a fog and needed both. There is need to both comfort and correct those who doubt. Like realigning car wheels, sometimes minor adjustments can make huge differences. Jesus may not do what you think He should be doing, but He is doing exactly what He intends to do for His glory and our good. Things might not work out like you think they will, but God is in control. Allow the Word of God to realign you with Jesus’ program.

If we are honest, we would all admit, that at times, especially when we are feeling defeated and discouraged and depleted of resources, that we have doubts. We believe, but find it tough reconciling present situations with eternal realities. The glorious gospel of the grace of God in Christ cures our doubts, distrust, even suspicion of God. When we question His motives, when we wonder if He really has His glory and our good in mind.

The true child of God sometimes has doubts, and Jesus has a perfect way of dealing with us and our doubts.

Soli Deo Gloria

The Faithfulness of God

To say God is faithful is to admit that we need what He promises. Lamentations 3:23 says that His faithfulness is great. We tend to think in terms of quality when we use that word. Great in terms of ability and performance. But the Hebrew word for "great" refers to quantity not quality. "Great is Your faithfulness" means that God's faithfulness is plentiful and abundant. God keeps His promises. He is trustworthy. And there is a lot of it to go around.

Faith chases Doubt Away

You've been condemned by man so you doubt if God will forgive you for all you have done.
You've been lied to so you doubt if Jesus will keep His promises, if He is really who He says, if He is coming back like he said he would.
Truth paves the way for faith. Faith chases doubt away.
Fear is doubt's traveling companion.
Faith is truth's friend.
Doubt feeds on discouragement and disappointment.
Faith thrives on mercy, truth and grace.

To Doubt is not a Sin

We all deal with doubts. At one point we feel confident, then something happens or doesn't happen, and we waver, we question, we wonder if we just had it wrong or if we've been let down or fooled. It happens in every realm of life. We think one thing is true, but then something happens and our perspective changes. What once seemed to be a sure thing doesn't look so hot to us now.

It can happen spiritually. We are confident in God and then things change in our Ives and we wonder if our view of God is accurate, if maybe somehow we have been resting on wishful thinking rather than objective truth. It seems that John the Baptist had a similar thing happen. It is recorded in Matt new 11:1-6. John is in prison and he sends his disciples to ask Jesus whether or not He is the really the Messiah. Whether they should rest in Him or wait for another to come. It is understandable that John would have some doubts. Jesus was supposed to bring judgment on sin.he allowed John to be put into prison and didn't come and rescue Him out of it. Add to that the fact that his disciples were close by while he was in prison, he was their leader, they were still looking to him for direction.

To doubt is not to sin, but it can lead you there. It all depends on what you do with it. Let's look at how it plays out in daily life. Doubt is part of real life. Doubt is honest questioning, stemming from a humble heart as opposed to prideful questioning that comes from an arrogant heart.it seems John's doubts were of the first kind.

It is comforting to see Jesus' response to John's doubts. He doesn't blast him, He reassures him. Jesus recomissioning him to reengage others in the truth. He reminds him of Scripture, of His presence, of the power of God displayed through His life and ministry as foretold in Isaiah 61.

If you struggle with honest doubts, which are not intellectual but emotional, turn it over to Jesus. find your security in Jesus.

SENT: Reward (Part 2 of 2 blogs)

Jesus’ conclusion to His Sermon on Mission in Matthew 10:40-42 contains some important truths for us in the way of implications & applications.

1st, You can't reach someone at arms length, so get close enough to matter. 10:40 It is implied there will be close contact, a relationship. You might engage in e-evangelism...via text, email, Facebook, but nonetheless there is some sort of relationship being built. Refers back to Matt. 9:36-38. There are few enough workers as it is who claim to have compassion but instead they keep people at arms length. Why? Fear of not knowing the Gospel. Being rejected. Take the time to develop a relationship so that they are not at arms length. I am so thankful for the people of Grace Church, who are such great partners in ministry, who are willing, as Paul was, to spend & be spent for the souls of others.

2nd, Christians are Christ's representatives, so represent well.10:40-42 indicates the importance of the servant of Christ as a representative of Christ. They carried his authority & message. The Lord was always with them. So to receive them was to receive the Christ Himself. 2 Cor. 5:16-20 as new creations we have a new identity & new message (testimony). Because of this, we are ambassadors for Christ. Always ready to give an answer for the hope in us. How can you share Christ in non-threatening & effective way? People are sensitive about how they’re approached regarding God. We can get so excited about our faith in Christ that we want to share it with everyone we meet, and our motives are good...but we can come across to people as somehow portraying that we are better than others. People are rightly turned off by that. Somebody said once that true evangelism, is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. There’s nothing that should make me boastful about my faith. My faith is a result of the grace of God. When we’re talking to people, we’re called to be gracious, kind, patient, friendly, and respectful. But we cannot completely remove the offense of the gospel because the gospel speaks of man's true sinful condition and need for repentance, and people are threatened by that. To many Jesus is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. But we should not add to the offense that is built into the message. Sometimes people reject what we say because they’re rejecting Christ. There are times people get offended by our actions or treatment of them as people. Closed door. We need to get close enough to matter…and get along. 1 hurdle in the way of evangelism is personality conflict. Another is worldview disagreements. All I can say is, & I speak from the experience of making this mistake, don't allow your dislike for another person or your disagreement with their views to keep you from attempting to reach them for Christ. You may have some relational cleaning up to do before re-engaging someone with the gospel. Humble yourself and make amends. Trust God to give you the courage to love them enough to courageously tell the gospel story, even risking rejection and embarrassment. 1 Thess. 2:1-6.

3rd, we need to Preach the gospel always, & it is necessary to use words, accurate ones. If we want to share the gospel with unbelievers we will need to get to know them & tell them the accurate truth of the message. 10:41 People can't know what you don't tell them. You may be a wonderful example, but they aren't mind readers. In contrast to the oft-quoted and most likely misquoted or misattributed St. Francis of Assisi line, "preach the Gospel always, if necessary use words", I say preach the gospel always, it is necessary to use words. Our lives must ring true & not cancel out our words, but if we don't use words we leave it up to them to fill in the blanks. Mere words are cheap, but God's Word is a priceless treasure. Ps. 19. 2 Tim. 4:2 preach the Word, the inerrant, infallible, perfect Word of God, in which the gospel is found, which is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe Rom. 1:16. The Word which does its work in those who believe 1 Thess. 2:13. R.C. Sproul wrote... the Gospel…is often given to massive distortions or over-simplifications. People think they’re preaching the Gospel…when they tell you, ‘you can have a purpose to your life’, or ‘you can have meaning to your life’, or even that ‘you can have a personal relationship with Jesus.’ All of those things are true, and important, but they are not the heart of the Gospel. The Gospel addresses the most serious problem that we have, which is: God is holy and just, and we are not. And at the end of our life, we will stand before Him and be judged, either on the basis of our own righteousness – or lack of it – or the righteousness of another. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus has done for us what we could never do for ourselves. He offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice to satisfy the justice and the righteousness of God. All mankind was lost in Adam & became children of wrath, under a sentence of death & God has provided a way to reconcile us to Himself again. The 2nd Person in the Trinity took man’s nature upon Himself, and was condemned with our sin. He suffered what God’s justice required. A faulty assumption many people want to believe today is that somehow God overlooks everyone’s sins & forgives to everyone – that He is not concerned with upholding His own integrity or acting in accord with His character. The Gospel is the message of who Jesus is & what He did. The Bible makes it clear that we are justified not by our works, our efforts, or our deeds, but by faith alone. The only way a person can receive the benefit of Christ’s life & death is by putting their trust in Him alone. All who do are declared just by God, adopted into His family, forgiven of their sins. 1 Thess. 1:5 Our gospel did not come to you merely in words, but in power & the Holy Spirit & with full conviction (much assurance). What encouragement: we represent the King of kings & Jesus, the Apostle & High Priest of our calling, is with us as we serve Him. The triune God fills our hearts and inspires our words.

4th, Every Christian's testimony is significant. 10:42 God has chosen us, & as His chosen ones we are to be a witness. It reveals the work of God in a sinner’s life that is practical to the person hearing our testimony. It identifies us with other believers, all coming from different life experiences & back grounds, but redeemed by 1 Savior who by grace gives us a corporate identity. Your story is needed. The world is blinded by Satan who wants to keep people from seeing the glorious nature of the gospel of Christ (2 Cor. 4:3-4), but we should never be ashamed of the gospel or afraid to share it because the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes for the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel (Rom. 1:16-17). The gospel does not come simply in words.

5th, Every person's response to the gospel is important. 10:40-42 Jesus describes the proper response to him. Receiving Jesus is equivalent to receiving God. To receive Christ as He is presented by His messengers is to experience God and salvation. Hence the main point: Those who receive the gospel favorably are rewarded with eternal life. Those who reject the gospel get the just reward of their error. To turn away from Christ when He is offered is to be on the road to hell, to be close to perishing. Those who reject Him with finality will perish. In a day of depressing headlines & uncertainty all around, good news is very welcome. Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin so that we might become God’s children through faith in Christ alone. If you aren’t sure whether or not you are God’s child, you need to make sure. If there is anything keeping you from believing in Jesus you need to receive Jesus, then trust God to take care of that thing, whatever it is. There is no other way to freedom. Maybe you think you can't forgive...you can’t until accept Christ's forgiveness. Receive His forgiveness, you’ll find you have the capacity to truly forgive. Or you can’t understand the Bible…receive Jesus, the Holy Spirit will help you understand. Or you fear your family and friends reaction…receive Jesus, you will have the courage to face any reaction.

Christ's words in 10:40-42were written 2000 years ago. It is by obedience to these words that Christ's followers have taken the gospel of the grace of God in Christ through the whole world. It is because of these words that I proclaim the gospel to you now. In Christ's name and by His authority I say to you, believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, Acts 16:31. In Christ's name and by His authority I also say, reject the Lord Jesus Christ and you’ll be lost forever. That is truth that you must deal with.
Soli Deo Gloria

SENT: Reward (Part 1 of 2 blogs)

Today, an exposition of Matt. 10:40-42; tomorrow, 5 implications for us in daily life.

Conclusions are good. They signal the end of one thing so something else can begin. Every once in a while you get a cliffhanger, but normally conclusions conclude. They wrap things up, summarize, synthesize, resolve issues, tie things together…then move on. We come now to the conclusion of Christ's Sermon on Mission. How believers are SENT by God to to carry the gospel, being Christ-centered people in a hostile world.

In Matt. 10:40-42 Jesus concludes His sermon on mission with words of assurance & encouragement. Jesus was instructing His apostles, preparing them for real life & ministry; & He gave them a realistic, non sugar-coated look at what would come at them. But He ends this sobering sermon on a high note. He tells them that those who receive them favorably give evidence that they receive Him favorably. As we conclude it’s good to see where we’ve been Beginning at Matt. 9:35 and moving through ch. 10, we’ve seen Christ’s compassion that must motivate our mission-mindedness & actions; God’s calling which is the basis of our living & giving the gospel; God’s character displays in & through us to make the gospel attractive to those who will believe; the caution He wants us to exercise; the courage we need to get out of our comfort zone & engage in courageous witness for Christ; the crucifixion to self that is necessary as we live for Christ; and now in conclusion, reward. No C word. We usually think of rewards in terms of what we deserve, what we earn for good performance or behavior. But as we will see, this is not the kind of reward Jesus is speaking of here. In context of sending His apostles to reach the lost, He teaches that Those who receive the gospel favorably are rewarded with eternal life. Our Savior is the rewarder of those who seek Him, of the one who pursues & serves Him by faith, Heb. 11:6. Let’s pick it up at v. 40.

10:40 begins He who receives you receives Me. Christ lives in His people. They go in His name as His representatives. How they are treated is how He is treated (18:5; 25:45; Luke 9:48). He who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He makes another strong assertion of His deity by saying all who receive Him receive Him who sent Him. The Son is equal to the Father. Jesus wasn't just the Sender, He was sent. Apostellō is the common Greek word for SENT. It has several usages. Jewish rabbis used it of one called & sent as an official representative of another, an ambassador. The NT uses this term of Jesus being sent by the Father. It is used of Jesus sending believers, John 17 as the Father sent Me, so I send you. The New Testament used it for disciples. Paul uses the title at the start of most of his letters as a way of asserting his God-given authority as Christ’s representative. Jesus was an apostle/sent One from the Father, the 12 were sent ones from Jesus, & the Father’s authority was conveyed through them. The response of those to whom they went was a response to the One who sent them.

10:41 in the name of a prophet … in the name of a righteous man. This expands on the principle of v. 40. To welcome Christ’s Reps equals welcoming Him. Prophet one who, if he conducted himself in a worthy manner, was to be treated exactly as the one he represented. He had the same authority and the same message as the person he represented. Receive is a key word; it means to welcome, take hold of, accept. Greek word dechomai, used 6x, 4 in v. 40, 2 in v. 41, the word lambano is used 2x in v. 41 & also translated receive, means take. Jesus focused on the positive response of receiving rather than the negative response of rejection. In the OT, a person who received or accepted a prophet & his message was basically accepting God’s will. They believed God had spoken. The will of God for those who heard the message of the apostles & those who hear the message we bring, & received it favorably was/is that they would believe and be saved. Back to 10:40 to receive the message of Christ’s sent ones is to receive Christ. A person receives us & our testimony receives Christ because we are His ambassadors. And to receive Christ is to receive God.

10:42 whoever gives a cup of cold water to one of these little ones. Beautiful picture. The reference is to their lowliness in spirit, their littleness in the eyes of an undiscerning world. Believers. Not stature but status. Little ones was a term of affection that Jesus used toward his disciples, especially when they followed him with the innocence and faith of a child (18:1–6; 19:13–15). He used the same wording in 25:31–46; saying that those He sent represented Him & any response to them was equivalent to a response to Him in person. 25:40 to the extent you did it unto the least of these My brothers you did it unto Me. A cup of cold water, the smallest service, a gift even the poorest person could give. In the name of a disciple or, as in Mark 9:41, because you are Christ’s: from love to Me, & to him from his connection with Me. He will not lose his reward. Here is the word reward again, for the 3x. The key to understanding this passage is what the reward is & why it is given. Jesus seems to assume His disciples understood the concept of reward in His kingdom. Reward is usually something offered in return for some service or benefit received. In the Bible, a reward can refer to something given for either a good or bad act. The psalms speak of a reward for the righteous Ps. 58:11 and of the reward of the wicked Ps. 91:8. When the Son of Man returns in glory, He will reward each according to his works Matt. 16:27. 1 Cor. 3:8-15 speaks of varying rewards for believers. Here it is used in the sense of an outcome, the result of belief. It means they believe & are saved. It ties back to 5:12 great is your reward in heaven. This is the salvation Christ purchased & gives to His chosen ones. We tend to think of reward in terms of what believers earn, like 1 Cor. 3:8-15...but the idea behind reward in Matt. 10 is of receiving by faith not works and the reward being of grace, undeserved and unearned.

The idea of God’s reward being given to His people is stated as early as God’s covenant with Abraham Gen. 15:1 do not fear Abram, I am a shield to you, you reward shall be very great. But even there it is clear in context that the reward is not deserved from God, but is an expression of God’s grace toward the human covenant partner whom God has chosen. The reward is not a payment for but a motivation to faithfulness. The reward of Matt. 10 is God’s gift of eternal salvation Matt. 25:34; Rev. 11:18. The reward is given not in response to our works but our response to Christ's finished work. Rom. 2:6; 1 Pet. 1:17; Rev. 22:12. God's rewards are always gifts of grace to undeserving sinners who can only respond well to Him due to His giving them the ability and desire to respond well. What do we have that we have not received from God as a gift?

C.S. Lewis wrote a paper in 1962 entitled "They Asked for a Paper", where he distinguished between various kinds of rewards. He said a person may marry only for money, so is rewarded by money, but is rightly judged dishonest & selfish because the reward is not linked with love. On the other hand, marriage is the proper reward of an honest & true lover, and it is not selfish desiring it because love and marriage are naturally linked. The proper rewards are not simply tacked on to the activity for which they are given, like a trophy, but are the activity itself in its fullest experience. The rewards of the New Testament belong largely to this category. So if we speak of merit or earning rewards in the context of this passgae we misunderstand Jesus in 10:41-42. Jesus is saying essentially the same thing in 3 ways...that those who receive his followers, because they accept what those individuals stand for, will in turn be received by God. Because he is is literally in the name of and refers to recognizing the prophet, righteous person, or “little one” for who he is as God’s representative who carries the life-giving gospel. The person receiving the disciple is becoming a believer. Receiving or not losing a reward here in Matt. 10:40-42 means receiving eternal life, not some specific status on earth or in heaven such as the rewards God promises to believers for their faithfulness to Him as seen in 1 Cor. 3:8-15.

Next up, five implications for daily living. Check out the blog tomorrow for that.

Get Close Enough to Matter...and Get Along

If we want to share the gospel with unbelievers we will need to get to know them and then tell them the accurate truth of the message. One hurdle in the way of evangelism is personality conflict. Another is worldview disagreements. All I can say is, don't allow your dislike for another person or your disagreement with their views to keep you from attempting to reach them for Christ.

You may have some cleaning up to do before re-engaging someone with the gospel. Humble yourself and make amends. Then trust God to give you the courage to love them enough to courageously dive deeply into the gospel and tell the whole story, even risking rejection and embarrassment.

"For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts. For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed -- God is witness -- nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority." (1 Thess. 2:1-6)

Words are Necessary when Preaching the Gospel

Preach the gospel always, it is necessary to use words. Accurate ones. People can't know what you don't tell them. You may show them a wonderful example, but people aren't mind readers. In contrast to the oft-quoted and most likely misquoted or misattributed St. Francis of Assisi line, “preach the Gospel always, if necessary use words”, I present the idea "preach the gospel always, it is necessary to use words." Of course our lives must ring true and not pull the rug out from under our words, but if we don't use words we leave it up to them to fill in the blanks. Mere words may be cheap, but all are significant. God's Word is a priceless treasure. And the Holy Spirit said, through the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4:2, "preach the Word", the inerrant, infallible, perfect Word of God, in which the gospel is found, that God which is "the power of God unto salvation for all who believe" (Rom. 1:16). The Word which does it's work in those who believe (1 Thess. 2:13).

SENT: Crucifixion

In Matt. 10:34-39 we see some of the toughest & hard to understand words in Christ's sermon on mission.

A sword, not peace (vv. 34-37)
In v. 34 Jesus in essence says "Do not think inaccurately about what I came to do and what the result will be. Do not mistake or misunderstand why I came." He says Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth, I did not come to bring peace but a sword. This is an often misunderstood verse. What does it mean? Think... means practice, consider, consider, supppose. Peace...is the a bsence of strife and presence of blessing. Bring is literally the word...throw, cast or send. By this word the expectancy of the disciples is dramatically pictured, as if they were eagerly looking up for peace as something to be flung down to earth from heaven. But Jesus says there will be a sudden hurling of a sword where peace is expected. There are three primary words for sword in the New Testament, here it is a short sword, a dagger. The kind used for hand to hand combat.

It makes sense that they would have thought that peace would permeate life for disciples of Jesus. He was promised as the Prince of peace. Isaiah foretold that there would be no end to the increase of His government, or of peace. The Holy Spirit spoke In Luke 1:78-79 through Zacharias to say that John the Baptist was a forerunner of the Sunrise from on high, who would guide our feet in the way of peace. The angels sang at Christ's birth Luke 2:14 glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace among men with whom He is pleased. Even before His crucifixion Jeaus said John 14:27 peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, let not your heart be troubled or fearful. He said John 6:33 these things I have spoken that you might have peace. So why a sword instead of peace? Jesus is talking about His disciples relation to the world, the kind of reception they could expect to receive. He would give peace to those He saves, but the world would not. Christ’s servants are to remember the nature of His mission. In stark terms, He describes His mission as bringing a ‘sword’ to the earth (v. 34). It will be a sword of division, in which the closest blood ties might be severed in the interest of spiritual ties of loyalty to Jesus Christ.

In verses 35-36 Jesus says that the members of a household who do not believe, while loving each other, friendly, caring, family, would be enemies for the sake of the gospel. Set...means to cause a separation, alienate. Enemies...signifies utmost hatred, hostile in mind.

Verse 37 is a clear declaration of Christ's deity, because no one, not even parents, deserves higher honor than Jesus.

In light of Christ’s words, how do you relate to friends and family who are unbelievers?
You do what Christians are called to do…you love them, treat them honorably, kindly, pray for them, do everything you can to live and share the gospel with them. REMEMBER: 1. Jesus brings the sword not us. It is metaphorical, not actual. We are at peace with a holy God therefore at peace being alienated from sinners. 2. We are called to live in peace with all. Blessed are peacemakers, love your enemies. Love Jesus more than any other person or thing [family, possessions, sin], therefore willing to be hated. 3. Let your speech be gracious. Col. 4:5-6/Eph. 4:29. Our true peace is with God, not those who are still His enemies. We are to love, be kind, reach out...but we can have no true peace unless they are at peace with God. What harmony has Christ and Satan?

A cross, not comfort (vv. 38-39)
Verse 38 is probably one of the most misused and misunderstood verses in the Bible. To fully understand the power of Jesus’ words “take up your cross” we need to know what it isn’t. Your cross is not...

1. Some tough thing or person in your life. The cross is not just bearing the difficulties and pains of life. Our cross is not an angry husband or nagging wife; it is not that wayward child or that arthritic hip. We all have problems. Those who are saved and unsaved. That is a part of life. No matter how tough life gets, the things that happen can never be crosses. A mean person, a difficult relationship, financial hardship, these may test your faith but they are not crosses. Your cross isn’t your difficulties, your health or the bad situations you face in life.

2. A substitute for the cross of Christ. your cross isn't a self righteous version of the only sacrifice for sinners.

3. Something that gains you better standing or favor with God.

What it means to take up your cross.
1. Dying to yourself. The cross is not just a place of suffering, it is a place of death! When Jesus spoke of the cross everyone in his audience knew what he was referring to. When Jesus says that we are to take up our cross, He is saying that we are to live as dead men, alive to God's will, dead to ours. We were dead in sin, now we are alive to God in Christ.
2. Giving yourself without reservation to Christ's lordship. In verse 37 Jesus is calling us to give Him ultimate supremacy, The 12 would have instantly known this meant giving themselves wholeheartedly to Christ's lordship. The people of Jesus’ day were concrete thinkers. When He spoke of the cross they knew exactly what he was speaking of as they had watched many a poor soul marched to their death by Roman soldiers carrying their crosses. When a criminal was forced to carry his own cross to the place of execution, he was admitting that the Roman Empire had the right over his life to carry out the death sentence. As we engage in following Jesus it is our privilege to admit, acknowledge that He has sovereign right over our lives, He is the owner, He is our Captian, our Lord, our Master, therefore we submit ourselves to Him.
3. Willing to give up everything for Jesus.
Jesus says in verse 39 "He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it." No earthly sacrifice can compare to what we gain in Christ. A cross is a willing sacrifice of everything you have for the sake of Christ. Your ambitions. Your opinions. Your judgments. Your successes. Your failures. Your pet sins. Everything is for Christ's sake...because of Jesus and for Jesus. Milton Vincent’s book A Gospel Primer for Christians has been & continues to be very helpful and challenging to me…he says, "when my flesh yearns for some prohibited thing, I must die. When called to do something I don’t want to do, I must die. When I wish to be selfish and serve no one, I must die. When shattered by hardships I despise, I must die. When wanting to cling to wrongs done against me, I must die. When enticed by allurements of the world, I must die. When wanting to keep besetting sins a secret, I must die. When dreams that are good are shoved aside, I must die." Rom. 6:5 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. Paul said I die daily.

We die to self, give ourselves without reservation to Christ’s lordship, willing to give up everything for Jesus …so that we might follow Christ wherever He leads.

Crucifixion hurts. In the 1st century crucifixion was one of the most feared forms of execution. It was used effectively by Romans, as a strong deterrent not to rebel. Jesus came to earth to die on a cross, for our sins. He used the image with profound significance as an example of discipleship with His followers. Jesus’ path of suffering & death on the cross is the ultimate example of obedience to the Father’s will. Jesus prayed before He was crucified Not My will but Yours be done. We must die to our will and take up God’s will. And we ought to be compassionate towards those who are still in the state we were before Christ saved us…those who do not believe are held captive by Satan to do his will, not God's.

Phil. 2:8 being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, death on a cross. We who follow Jesus are the living dead…We live crucified…but we must know that it leads to life. The gospel teaches us that dying is not the end but the beginning. There is a new quality and character to our lives, a new way of life in Christ because we have been born again, regenerated. Phil. 3:8-10. I count all things loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. Rom. 6:11…even so consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Soli Deo Gloria