This is a leftover and vaguely connected thought to the buzzard theme from the blog Drive By Dieting a few posts back. To be an effective evangelist, it seems to me that one must exhibit two qualities: Boldness and compassion. The boldness comes in seeing and seizing an opportunity to speak the gospel to those who need it. Evangelism is rooted in the gospel or the "good news" that Christ has come to do for us that which we can never do for ourselves. One of these things is to die so we can live. Now we will still die a physical death unless we are of the number that remain alive at the return of Christ. You might say that is according to what I believe. I would argue that it is not true because I believe it...it is true because God said it. So the useful kind of boldness comes with knowing that the things we say to others about God is true. For that you must have a good source of truth. God's word is the source. Without a clear understanding of biblical truth, a person does not have a reliable source of truth. Well, one may ask, aren't all Bible translations the same? As a matter of fact, they are not. There are some translations that the wording is changed to deny the deity of Jesus. Oh, some of His teachings are there and some words are attributed to Him as accurate. But in a particular translation, used by people who are attempting to work their way into Jehovah's Kingdom, Jesus is not and cannot be portrayed as God. He is only a man. In this flawed theology, there is no Christ who has come to do for us what we are helpless to do for ourselves...which is to earn our place in the kingdom. Therefore, there is no gospel. Without a gospel, there is no evangelism. So in this case their boldness about their evangelism becomes brash and rash.
Compassion is the other component for effective evangelism. The reason I am writing this is to speak about what I call "buzzard evangelism." This is where some "evangelists" speak to people during the time of a loved one's death or be so bold as to send them an unsolicited letter in an attempt to convey hope. Now, I fully realize that some of the most effective windows of evangelistic opportunity is found in the context of ministry to the family and friends before, during, and after the funeral service. People who do not know the Christ may be more prepared to hear the word of God at that time in their lives because they may be hopeless and fearful of the future. But some evangelists may use this opportunity to manipulate others for reasons other than compassion. Being a boldly compassionate evangelist in these times means that the Spirit of God will guide the evangelist into truth to share with someone that "we have a mighty good God for some awful bad times." And the hope that we have in Christ is that He has come to do for us that which we cannot do for ourselves. He has come as our Hope. Without the gospel component, the evangelist cannot be compassionate, even though they may be bold.
Three days after my mother's funeral I received an unsolicited letter from someone I didn't know. This person attempted to share some things with me about a promised resurrection for all humanity on an earthly paradise soon. And according to this person, we are guaranteed this because Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Nothing is mentioned that Jesus conquered death because He was raised from the dead. Their hope is based on a false premise of a man-centered earthly kingdom. My hope is grounded in the Kingdom of God where Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I am amazed that one can use the raising of Lazarus as a promise of resurrection and miss the following:
So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off; and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house. Martha then said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world." (John 11:17-27)
Being born again enables belief that Jesus is the Christ, and that as the Person of God, He came and dwelled among us. Jesus died on the cross to pay our unpayable sin debt, and was raised from the dead to break sin's death grip. Without the new birth, people will believe almost anything because they are blind to the True Kingdom of God. And their letters, along with their literature, read like empty epistles, dead documents with no life giving promise. These evangelists are like buzzards, feasting on dead men's bones, sincerely believing their "witness" for Jehovah is earning them favor with God. Perhaps they mean well. Perhaps they intend to be compassionate. But if I desire to be compassionate to those who are grieving, wouldn't I want to give them the gospel? Wouldn't I want to give them the truth? Wouldn't I want to present Jesus as this hope? Sometimes well meaning people can be deceived and the truth is that truth is hidden from them. I pray that the sender of my letter will come into the knowledge of the truth and be delivered from living as such a hopeless heretic.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Doctor On Call
Mark 1:25-45
Sometimes it’s hard to find a good doctor. The health care industry seems to be in a constant state of change. You may have been frustrated to discover that a really good and capable doctor is not included in your insurance carrier’s list of preferred providers. It can be very expensive to pay out of pocket for just an office visit and consultation. And just try to get an appointment anytime soon! More and more doctors are deciding that they just aren’t called to the task of being a good doctor. They are pursuing other interests and leaving the practice of medicine altogether. The result is that there seems to be fewer and fewer practicing doctors helping more and more people. So how does one define a “good doctor”? It depends on who you ask.
National standards may differ. If you’ve ever been treated by a doctor in a foreign country, you have probably experienced the practice of medicine at different standards, for better or worse. A doctor may be a “good doctor”, doing the best he or she can with the available resources at their disposal, but not able to provide the care that we have become accustomed to and often take for granted.
Generational definitions can vary. My parents had their interpretation of what it meant to be a “good doctor.” I noticed in the many interactions we had with both of them before their death that they had their distinctive view of what a good doctor looked like. I believe it is shared by many in their generation. For one thing, when a doctor suggested a course of treatment or plan of action, even though they did not think it was necessary, rarely would they express that to the doctor. It mattered more to them that the doctor would spend time to talk and listen to them. They trusted their doctors. In contrast, my generation will question more, and often get more than one opinion, continuously seeking one that agrees with how we want things to be! We might say that a “good doctor” is familiar with our condition and a “good doctor” can be trusted to act in our best interests and a “good doctor” has some authority over the treatment of our disease. I ask you today to consider a “Good Doctor” who is a Great Doctor. He has absolute authority over all disease and the treatment of it.
Let’s read the Word of the Lord.
And immediately after they came out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her. And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she waited on them.
When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city had gathered at the door. And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.
In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Simon and his companions searched for Him; they found Him, and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” He said to them, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.” And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out the demons.
And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, and He said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere. (Mark 1:29-45)
JESUS IS LIKE A GOOD DOCTOR WE CAN TRUST WITH OUR SICKNESS.
JESUS HAS ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY OVER ALL THAT CAUSES DISEASE.
I. LIKE A GOOD DOCTOR, JESUS MAKES HOUSE CALLS. (29-31).
..they came into the house of Simon and Andrew…
Not since Adam lived in Eden, had God walked so close to man. The first Adam enjoyed the presence of God in an unhindered and unobstructed way. Evidently, it was normal for God to walk with Adam in the cool of the day. In the fullness of God’s time, now we see the Second Adam, Jesus of Nazareth, Immanuel, or God with us, walking once again with man. The God-man was actively dealing with disease, which is the result of the judgment of God upon the sin of the first man. In the day he sinned, death began its process. The text shows us Jesus with His disciples in Capernaum, dealing with the effects of disease. Sickness had visited the family of Peter, and death was a potential result.
When there is “fever in the house,” fear is in the home. The Gospel of Luke says that Peter’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a great fever. From the perspective of a doctor, it was a life threatening condition. With extremely high fever, death was often nigh. Even today, sometimes when fever strikes a small child or an older adult they are especially at risk. Godly families are not immune to this kind of fear. My heart goes out to the person without a personal God that can intervene on their behalf. How terrifying it must be for a person without knowing a God who can heal. The fear of impending death can be consuming.
Jesus comes out of the synagogue and into the home. In the first century Jewish community, the synagogue was the hub of community activity. In those days, a lot of religious hypocrisy could be found there. And one of the worst things that could happen to any Jew was to be put out of the synagogue. It severed their community lifeline. Synagogue life was protected and isolated from life in the real world in some cases. It had become an idolatrous substitute for a faith walk with God. Jesus was coming out of the synagogue and into the home. Our life with God is to start in the home, within the family structure, and flow into the community of faith. It is my prayer that our people today become such a family of God at home that it flows back into the church. Strong families will build strong churches.
Christ exercises absolute authority over spiritual and physical bondage. This synagogue venue is important to the issue of authority. In the preceding passage, Jesus had cast out an unclean spirit. The demonic spirit was in the midst of godly instruction. Do not ever assume that only godly people gather for worship. The worship of a human being can be hindered, bound, distracted and perverted by spiritual entities and physical factors. Jesus came to do something about that. Jesus wielded His absolute authority over the demonic and the diseased.
Stability in unstable times for the Christian requires frequent inspection and regular home visitation by the Spirit of God and the Word of God. The old song “God, Give Us Christian Homes,” is a good old hymn. But if I were writing this song for the church today, I would change it to “God, Give Us Biblical Christian Homes.” They aren’t the same anymore. A cultural Christian, claiming the name of Christ without demonstrating the nature of Christ, can still live as though Jesus has no authority in the home. We all have our daily routines. Does yours include prayer and bible study? The Word will inspect you. The Spirit will direct you. How stable is your home foundation?
Jesus comes in as our companion, but is He Lord in our home? This God-Man has promised to be with us, but the question becomes are we with Him? Do you surrender your life and the life of your family to Him? The earliest Christian testimony, Jesus is Lord, can still an encouragement to everyone who visits your home. Under the Lordship of Christ, will your home be disease-free? Probably not this home…not at this time…but one day there will be “none of these diseases”, as promised by God to His people:
And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.” (Exodus 15:26)
As a church we need healing. We can say we believe Jesus can heal us but do we really let Him in? Do we surrender ourselves to His Word or pretend that we are as healthy as God wants us to be? He must have free access to our plans and procedures and that means we have to hold our agendas and goals loosely. God has authority to heal our church. Let the Good Doctor in!
II. LIKE A GOOD DOCTOR, JESUS HEARS OUR REQUEST. (30, 40)
...immediately they spoke to Jesus about her...
...a leper came to Jesus...beseeching Him...falling on his knees before Him…
After Adam’s sin, a mediator was necessary between God and man. People like Moses stood and spoke for God to man and spoke for man to God. Christ came and was actively engaged. There is one mediator between God and man…the man Christ Jesus. If you have not surrendered to Christ, God will not hear you. Some people claim to pray to God but do not know Christ or see their need for Him as a mediator. I would make the claim that they are praying to a different God than the one revealed in the Bible. Here is an encouraging phrase. Immediately they spoke to Jesus about her. This level of communication with God was something restored to man and a great privilege. Through the mediation of Christ, God has granted immediate access to His disciples.
For those who do not know God, who will hear their fearful crying? Who will intercede for the one who is a stranger to God? Have you ever had someone who has asked that you pray for their sick child because they know that you will pray? What a privilege and honor! For you see, they are talking to you on behalf of their loved one. Just as they spoke to Jesus about her. Do not squander this moment to mediate this encounter with God on someone else’s behalf and point them to Christ.
Are we, as God’s people, pleading in Jesus’ name in the public arena? Do people see us as God-trusters? This is what a believer is. A truster. Do we profess that our God is able and willing? At the risk of being mocked, do we still believe that God is able to heal in the name of Jesus?
Jesus says “I am willing.” Here is the glory of God. Christ is willing to hear and do something about man’s sorry condition. The leper is the second example of how Jesus demonstrates His authority over disease. Curing leprosy got the attention of the Jewish community. Leprosy was called the “stroke of God” and was seen as God’s direct judgment on sin. In Numbers 12, Miriam, the sister of Moses, was stricken with leprosy when she and Aaron contended with God’s authority in Moses. In 2 Kings 5, Naaman, the Syrian general, was cured of leprosy when God used the prophet Elisha. Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, was stricken with leprosy for his treacherous and greedy pursuit of Naaman, seeking the reward that Elisha had refused. The New Testament Jewish belief was that only God was powerful enough to take away the curse of leprosy because it was God who placed it there in the first place. We don’t see Jesus as God cursing people with leprosy. We only see Him curing them of it. A new thing was happening in Israel. Jesus was not only able to do so. He told the leper He was willing to cleanse him.
There is a way to ask God for help…directly and desperately. Directly because we can. Desperately because we must. The disciples spoke directly to God when they spoke to Jesus. They did not need to go through a priest. They were talking to the Great High Priest of the Most High God. I am privileged when I am asked to pray for you. But never forget, as a disciple of Christ, you have a direct line to the Great Doctor who is on call 24/7! Direct access is available to you today.
The leper models another way to seek God’s help for healing. He is desperately pleading and utterly abandoned to Him, faithfully proclaiming the ability of Jesus to help him in his utter helplessness. Friends, when you’ve lived like a leper, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by total surrender. Maybe you have not seen God move in your life with power because you still think you can fix what’s wrong with you. Maybe God has not manifested His mighty presence because you are not willing to humble yourself. God exalts the humble. We can be desperately direct in our plea to Him today.
Believe the One who heals us can also hear us and help us. The Church is at a crisis in our time and in our land. We are not in a crisis in the sense that all is lost and we must seek another way to help ourselves and change the message. That would be a new gospel. The one that has been given to us will work just fine. The gospel with which we are to preach is this: God has come in Christ to do for us all that which we cannot do for ourselves. But God will not compete with our own self made methodologies about health and wealth. God will not be seen as some Cosmic Genie who can be managed by man. Naaman found that he could not purchase deliverance. But he did ask for two mule loads of dirt to take to Syria. He had seen the power of the God of that Land revealed. And he wanted that power in his land. For us to see that kind of power in America today we must be direct in our desperation for God. Jesus is our only hope. Perhaps we have not made our request for healing made known to God in a desperate and direct way.
III. LIKE A GOOD DOCTOR, JESUS IS NOT AFRAID TO TOUCH THE ONES WHO ARE AFFLICTED. (31, 41)
...taking her by the hand...
...He stretched out His hand, and touched him...
Salvation’s story unfolds when sin-infected Adam is cast out of God’s presence and quarantined. He became an “untouchable” to God. Holiness cannot be approached by the unholy. God instituted a method for His people to approach Him. The sacrificial system was instituted as a shadow or a type of what was to come. There would be a day when God’s people could touch Him and He could touch them. So the Holy One came and dwelled among us. That day had dawned at Peter’s house and in all of Galilee.
People can be so afraid of being hurt again, that do not trust the hand of God.
Do you find it hard to believe that God wants to make you whole? He is willing. Are you so broken and fragmented that you don’t know where all the pieces fit? Have you lived so long in isolation from God’s community that you don’t know how you are supposed to be among them? The Lord is reaching for you. His arm is strong enough to save. And His hand is gentle enough to heal.
The Christian’s public image can be marred when it comes to our willingness to touch the world. Years ago, I was part of a group that went to the Raleigh Rescue Mission to serve in the kitchen one day. There was one lady among us who seemed to think this was a worthy thing that we were doing. She was so excited about being there and serving a meal to the homeless. During the time we were there, she made a comment that she was thirsty. One of the homeless people working in the kitchen heard her and brought her some iced tea. Thanking him, she set the tea aside and didn’t drink it. I saw her do this. Others did as well. When she was asked why she did that, she responded that she didn’t think the glass was clean enough. The dishwashing operation was highly efficient. The temperature of the water was very hot. There was nothing wrong with the cup. But there was something very wrong with the situation. The unclean vessel was not the one containing the iced tea. The problem is that we desire to be seen as touching the world while keeping the world from touching our world.
The compassionate Word of God in Christ came to touch the world. Moved with compassion for the plight of the leper, Jesus heals him. Interestingly, the Bible says He cleansed the leper with His word. He tells him to go show the priest and bring an offering for in thanks for His cleansing. Jesus passionately warns the leper not to tell anyone else. Why not? Jesus did not come primarily to heal, although He could have. His primary mission was to preach the Word of God. It’s what He came for. Do you want the miracles of Christ apart from the message of repentance? Most of the world did then. And most of the world does now. Here is the truth. His word to us is the miracle of life itself. The word of God is touching the world. And He begins with us.
We may prefer healing from a distance. Some people in the ministry of Jesus were healed at a distance. But these he touched. Jesus wants to get close enough to touch. No one would touch the leper. Jesus is a “hands on” healer. Are His hands touching you?
Mount Olivet Baptist Church…be still. Let the Good Doctor touch us! Let the washing of the Word heal our leprous condition. Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within us! Let the Word of God go forth from here to Raleigh and beyond. Let us be as those lepers in 2 Kings 7:3 who said, “Why do we sit here until we die?” Almighty God has touched us with His word. Let us go to the nations as leprous beggars telling other leprous beggars where to find food that cleanses the soul! Moving into the darkness, we can take courage.
IV. LIKE A GOOD DOCTOR, JESUS WORKS THE NIGHT SHIFT. (32, 35)
...when evening came, after the sun had set...
...in the early morning, while it was still dark...
The God of Light injected Himself into the dark world of human history. Four hundred years of prophetic silence for God’s people came to a close with the dramatic picture of John the Baptist, in the spirit of Elijah, preaching in the wilderness. According to Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus was a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy where “THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT” (Matthew 4:16a). John’s Gospel says that “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”(John 1:4) Dark days for this dark world are numbered. Light has come.
People can remain in darkness, paralyzed in fear and trapped there. The Bible says that men love the darkness more than the light is because their deeds are evil. That’s why they stay there. Another reason is that they are more afraid of the Light bringing judgment to their sinful condition. Change can be scary. But God is merciful.
Does the culture see us as representatives of the “true light” or is our light artificial? It’s easy to shine like Christ when life is good. But when you or someone you love is sick and afflicted, bound in disease, it can wear you down, dimming your light. Sometimes you can pretend that everything is fine but our lamp can be mighty dim. Spending time with the Lord in prayer refuels our lamp.
Prayer is part of the Good Doctor’s treatment plan. It is always a great comfort to see our modern physicians pray about their patients and some even pray with them. Count yourself blessed if you have a doctor like that. Rejoice all the more to know that Jesus is a Good Doctor who prays for His patients. He who can heal our bodies also attends to our soul.
Disease does not take the night off. Neither does Christ. He neither sleeps nor slumbers. Behold, He prays! In the daytime and especially at nighttime, His disciples found Him praying. He lives to make intercession for His people every day and all night long.
For the Christian disciple we can remember at night what we learned in the day. Do you know that Christ works the night shift on your behalf? Do you know He prays while we sleep? What do you want Christ to do in you and for you today? Do you know who you are and what authority you lay hold to when you pray to Him and He prays for you? Remember that in the dark times, we have a Good Doctor on call.
At Mount Olivet, we can pray to the Good Doctor and we can learn to pray like the Good Doctor. Are you often found praying? Are you found praying in the church? Are you often praying for the church?
Our “so what” for today is:
A good doctor can be hard to find. Jesus, the Great Doctor, has already found you.
Are you directly approaching Him? Because you can.
Are you desperately seeking Him? Because you must.
He comes personally to heal us, to hear us, to touch us, to encourage us.
Rejoice! Our Healer lives!
Sometimes it’s hard to find a good doctor. The health care industry seems to be in a constant state of change. You may have been frustrated to discover that a really good and capable doctor is not included in your insurance carrier’s list of preferred providers. It can be very expensive to pay out of pocket for just an office visit and consultation. And just try to get an appointment anytime soon! More and more doctors are deciding that they just aren’t called to the task of being a good doctor. They are pursuing other interests and leaving the practice of medicine altogether. The result is that there seems to be fewer and fewer practicing doctors helping more and more people. So how does one define a “good doctor”? It depends on who you ask.
National standards may differ. If you’ve ever been treated by a doctor in a foreign country, you have probably experienced the practice of medicine at different standards, for better or worse. A doctor may be a “good doctor”, doing the best he or she can with the available resources at their disposal, but not able to provide the care that we have become accustomed to and often take for granted.
Generational definitions can vary. My parents had their interpretation of what it meant to be a “good doctor.” I noticed in the many interactions we had with both of them before their death that they had their distinctive view of what a good doctor looked like. I believe it is shared by many in their generation. For one thing, when a doctor suggested a course of treatment or plan of action, even though they did not think it was necessary, rarely would they express that to the doctor. It mattered more to them that the doctor would spend time to talk and listen to them. They trusted their doctors. In contrast, my generation will question more, and often get more than one opinion, continuously seeking one that agrees with how we want things to be! We might say that a “good doctor” is familiar with our condition and a “good doctor” can be trusted to act in our best interests and a “good doctor” has some authority over the treatment of our disease. I ask you today to consider a “Good Doctor” who is a Great Doctor. He has absolute authority over all disease and the treatment of it.
Let’s read the Word of the Lord.
And immediately after they came out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her. And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she waited on them.
When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city had gathered at the door. And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.
In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Simon and his companions searched for Him; they found Him, and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” He said to them, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.” And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out the demons.
And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, and He said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere. (Mark 1:29-45)
JESUS IS LIKE A GOOD DOCTOR WE CAN TRUST WITH OUR SICKNESS.
JESUS HAS ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY OVER ALL THAT CAUSES DISEASE.
I. LIKE A GOOD DOCTOR, JESUS MAKES HOUSE CALLS. (29-31).
..they came into the house of Simon and Andrew…
Not since Adam lived in Eden, had God walked so close to man. The first Adam enjoyed the presence of God in an unhindered and unobstructed way. Evidently, it was normal for God to walk with Adam in the cool of the day. In the fullness of God’s time, now we see the Second Adam, Jesus of Nazareth, Immanuel, or God with us, walking once again with man. The God-man was actively dealing with disease, which is the result of the judgment of God upon the sin of the first man. In the day he sinned, death began its process. The text shows us Jesus with His disciples in Capernaum, dealing with the effects of disease. Sickness had visited the family of Peter, and death was a potential result.
When there is “fever in the house,” fear is in the home. The Gospel of Luke says that Peter’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a great fever. From the perspective of a doctor, it was a life threatening condition. With extremely high fever, death was often nigh. Even today, sometimes when fever strikes a small child or an older adult they are especially at risk. Godly families are not immune to this kind of fear. My heart goes out to the person without a personal God that can intervene on their behalf. How terrifying it must be for a person without knowing a God who can heal. The fear of impending death can be consuming.
Jesus comes out of the synagogue and into the home. In the first century Jewish community, the synagogue was the hub of community activity. In those days, a lot of religious hypocrisy could be found there. And one of the worst things that could happen to any Jew was to be put out of the synagogue. It severed their community lifeline. Synagogue life was protected and isolated from life in the real world in some cases. It had become an idolatrous substitute for a faith walk with God. Jesus was coming out of the synagogue and into the home. Our life with God is to start in the home, within the family structure, and flow into the community of faith. It is my prayer that our people today become such a family of God at home that it flows back into the church. Strong families will build strong churches.
Christ exercises absolute authority over spiritual and physical bondage. This synagogue venue is important to the issue of authority. In the preceding passage, Jesus had cast out an unclean spirit. The demonic spirit was in the midst of godly instruction. Do not ever assume that only godly people gather for worship. The worship of a human being can be hindered, bound, distracted and perverted by spiritual entities and physical factors. Jesus came to do something about that. Jesus wielded His absolute authority over the demonic and the diseased.
Stability in unstable times for the Christian requires frequent inspection and regular home visitation by the Spirit of God and the Word of God. The old song “God, Give Us Christian Homes,” is a good old hymn. But if I were writing this song for the church today, I would change it to “God, Give Us Biblical Christian Homes.” They aren’t the same anymore. A cultural Christian, claiming the name of Christ without demonstrating the nature of Christ, can still live as though Jesus has no authority in the home. We all have our daily routines. Does yours include prayer and bible study? The Word will inspect you. The Spirit will direct you. How stable is your home foundation?
Jesus comes in as our companion, but is He Lord in our home? This God-Man has promised to be with us, but the question becomes are we with Him? Do you surrender your life and the life of your family to Him? The earliest Christian testimony, Jesus is Lord, can still an encouragement to everyone who visits your home. Under the Lordship of Christ, will your home be disease-free? Probably not this home…not at this time…but one day there will be “none of these diseases”, as promised by God to His people:
And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.” (Exodus 15:26)
As a church we need healing. We can say we believe Jesus can heal us but do we really let Him in? Do we surrender ourselves to His Word or pretend that we are as healthy as God wants us to be? He must have free access to our plans and procedures and that means we have to hold our agendas and goals loosely. God has authority to heal our church. Let the Good Doctor in!
II. LIKE A GOOD DOCTOR, JESUS HEARS OUR REQUEST. (30, 40)
...immediately they spoke to Jesus about her...
...a leper came to Jesus...beseeching Him...falling on his knees before Him…
After Adam’s sin, a mediator was necessary between God and man. People like Moses stood and spoke for God to man and spoke for man to God. Christ came and was actively engaged. There is one mediator between God and man…the man Christ Jesus. If you have not surrendered to Christ, God will not hear you. Some people claim to pray to God but do not know Christ or see their need for Him as a mediator. I would make the claim that they are praying to a different God than the one revealed in the Bible. Here is an encouraging phrase. Immediately they spoke to Jesus about her. This level of communication with God was something restored to man and a great privilege. Through the mediation of Christ, God has granted immediate access to His disciples.
For those who do not know God, who will hear their fearful crying? Who will intercede for the one who is a stranger to God? Have you ever had someone who has asked that you pray for their sick child because they know that you will pray? What a privilege and honor! For you see, they are talking to you on behalf of their loved one. Just as they spoke to Jesus about her. Do not squander this moment to mediate this encounter with God on someone else’s behalf and point them to Christ.
Are we, as God’s people, pleading in Jesus’ name in the public arena? Do people see us as God-trusters? This is what a believer is. A truster. Do we profess that our God is able and willing? At the risk of being mocked, do we still believe that God is able to heal in the name of Jesus?
Jesus says “I am willing.” Here is the glory of God. Christ is willing to hear and do something about man’s sorry condition. The leper is the second example of how Jesus demonstrates His authority over disease. Curing leprosy got the attention of the Jewish community. Leprosy was called the “stroke of God” and was seen as God’s direct judgment on sin. In Numbers 12, Miriam, the sister of Moses, was stricken with leprosy when she and Aaron contended with God’s authority in Moses. In 2 Kings 5, Naaman, the Syrian general, was cured of leprosy when God used the prophet Elisha. Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, was stricken with leprosy for his treacherous and greedy pursuit of Naaman, seeking the reward that Elisha had refused. The New Testament Jewish belief was that only God was powerful enough to take away the curse of leprosy because it was God who placed it there in the first place. We don’t see Jesus as God cursing people with leprosy. We only see Him curing them of it. A new thing was happening in Israel. Jesus was not only able to do so. He told the leper He was willing to cleanse him.
There is a way to ask God for help…directly and desperately. Directly because we can. Desperately because we must. The disciples spoke directly to God when they spoke to Jesus. They did not need to go through a priest. They were talking to the Great High Priest of the Most High God. I am privileged when I am asked to pray for you. But never forget, as a disciple of Christ, you have a direct line to the Great Doctor who is on call 24/7! Direct access is available to you today.
The leper models another way to seek God’s help for healing. He is desperately pleading and utterly abandoned to Him, faithfully proclaiming the ability of Jesus to help him in his utter helplessness. Friends, when you’ve lived like a leper, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by total surrender. Maybe you have not seen God move in your life with power because you still think you can fix what’s wrong with you. Maybe God has not manifested His mighty presence because you are not willing to humble yourself. God exalts the humble. We can be desperately direct in our plea to Him today.
Believe the One who heals us can also hear us and help us. The Church is at a crisis in our time and in our land. We are not in a crisis in the sense that all is lost and we must seek another way to help ourselves and change the message. That would be a new gospel. The one that has been given to us will work just fine. The gospel with which we are to preach is this: God has come in Christ to do for us all that which we cannot do for ourselves. But God will not compete with our own self made methodologies about health and wealth. God will not be seen as some Cosmic Genie who can be managed by man. Naaman found that he could not purchase deliverance. But he did ask for two mule loads of dirt to take to Syria. He had seen the power of the God of that Land revealed. And he wanted that power in his land. For us to see that kind of power in America today we must be direct in our desperation for God. Jesus is our only hope. Perhaps we have not made our request for healing made known to God in a desperate and direct way.
III. LIKE A GOOD DOCTOR, JESUS IS NOT AFRAID TO TOUCH THE ONES WHO ARE AFFLICTED. (31, 41)
...taking her by the hand...
...He stretched out His hand, and touched him...
Salvation’s story unfolds when sin-infected Adam is cast out of God’s presence and quarantined. He became an “untouchable” to God. Holiness cannot be approached by the unholy. God instituted a method for His people to approach Him. The sacrificial system was instituted as a shadow or a type of what was to come. There would be a day when God’s people could touch Him and He could touch them. So the Holy One came and dwelled among us. That day had dawned at Peter’s house and in all of Galilee.
People can be so afraid of being hurt again, that do not trust the hand of God.
Do you find it hard to believe that God wants to make you whole? He is willing. Are you so broken and fragmented that you don’t know where all the pieces fit? Have you lived so long in isolation from God’s community that you don’t know how you are supposed to be among them? The Lord is reaching for you. His arm is strong enough to save. And His hand is gentle enough to heal.
The Christian’s public image can be marred when it comes to our willingness to touch the world. Years ago, I was part of a group that went to the Raleigh Rescue Mission to serve in the kitchen one day. There was one lady among us who seemed to think this was a worthy thing that we were doing. She was so excited about being there and serving a meal to the homeless. During the time we were there, she made a comment that she was thirsty. One of the homeless people working in the kitchen heard her and brought her some iced tea. Thanking him, she set the tea aside and didn’t drink it. I saw her do this. Others did as well. When she was asked why she did that, she responded that she didn’t think the glass was clean enough. The dishwashing operation was highly efficient. The temperature of the water was very hot. There was nothing wrong with the cup. But there was something very wrong with the situation. The unclean vessel was not the one containing the iced tea. The problem is that we desire to be seen as touching the world while keeping the world from touching our world.
The compassionate Word of God in Christ came to touch the world. Moved with compassion for the plight of the leper, Jesus heals him. Interestingly, the Bible says He cleansed the leper with His word. He tells him to go show the priest and bring an offering for in thanks for His cleansing. Jesus passionately warns the leper not to tell anyone else. Why not? Jesus did not come primarily to heal, although He could have. His primary mission was to preach the Word of God. It’s what He came for. Do you want the miracles of Christ apart from the message of repentance? Most of the world did then. And most of the world does now. Here is the truth. His word to us is the miracle of life itself. The word of God is touching the world. And He begins with us.
We may prefer healing from a distance. Some people in the ministry of Jesus were healed at a distance. But these he touched. Jesus wants to get close enough to touch. No one would touch the leper. Jesus is a “hands on” healer. Are His hands touching you?
Mount Olivet Baptist Church…be still. Let the Good Doctor touch us! Let the washing of the Word heal our leprous condition. Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within us! Let the Word of God go forth from here to Raleigh and beyond. Let us be as those lepers in 2 Kings 7:3 who said, “Why do we sit here until we die?” Almighty God has touched us with His word. Let us go to the nations as leprous beggars telling other leprous beggars where to find food that cleanses the soul! Moving into the darkness, we can take courage.
IV. LIKE A GOOD DOCTOR, JESUS WORKS THE NIGHT SHIFT. (32, 35)
...when evening came, after the sun had set...
...in the early morning, while it was still dark...
The God of Light injected Himself into the dark world of human history. Four hundred years of prophetic silence for God’s people came to a close with the dramatic picture of John the Baptist, in the spirit of Elijah, preaching in the wilderness. According to Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus was a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy where “THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT” (Matthew 4:16a). John’s Gospel says that “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”(John 1:4) Dark days for this dark world are numbered. Light has come.
People can remain in darkness, paralyzed in fear and trapped there. The Bible says that men love the darkness more than the light is because their deeds are evil. That’s why they stay there. Another reason is that they are more afraid of the Light bringing judgment to their sinful condition. Change can be scary. But God is merciful.
Does the culture see us as representatives of the “true light” or is our light artificial? It’s easy to shine like Christ when life is good. But when you or someone you love is sick and afflicted, bound in disease, it can wear you down, dimming your light. Sometimes you can pretend that everything is fine but our lamp can be mighty dim. Spending time with the Lord in prayer refuels our lamp.
Prayer is part of the Good Doctor’s treatment plan. It is always a great comfort to see our modern physicians pray about their patients and some even pray with them. Count yourself blessed if you have a doctor like that. Rejoice all the more to know that Jesus is a Good Doctor who prays for His patients. He who can heal our bodies also attends to our soul.
Disease does not take the night off. Neither does Christ. He neither sleeps nor slumbers. Behold, He prays! In the daytime and especially at nighttime, His disciples found Him praying. He lives to make intercession for His people every day and all night long.
For the Christian disciple we can remember at night what we learned in the day. Do you know that Christ works the night shift on your behalf? Do you know He prays while we sleep? What do you want Christ to do in you and for you today? Do you know who you are and what authority you lay hold to when you pray to Him and He prays for you? Remember that in the dark times, we have a Good Doctor on call.
At Mount Olivet, we can pray to the Good Doctor and we can learn to pray like the Good Doctor. Are you often found praying? Are you found praying in the church? Are you often praying for the church?
Our “so what” for today is:
A good doctor can be hard to find. Jesus, the Great Doctor, has already found you.
Are you directly approaching Him? Because you can.
Are you desperately seeking Him? Because you must.
He comes personally to heal us, to hear us, to touch us, to encourage us.
Rejoice! Our Healer lives!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Code of Conduct
THE CHURCH’S CODE OF CONDUCT – Ephesians 4:1-6
At eighteen years old, not too many things make a lasting positive impression.
At least that’s the way I remember it. I was too focused on thinking I was the one that was shaping the world. In fact, it was the other way around. The world was putting its mark on me in a negative way. But one thing that stamped a good impression on me was something I was taught the first few days of basic training in the military. It was a six-point document that we had to memorize and it was called the Code of Conduct. All military personnel had to be exposed to it as an expected standard of behavior. I wondered about the possibility of ever living out these words on a practical level. Through the years I have not retained this information. My brain is not what it used to be. So I had to look the Code up again. When I read it this week, I remember exactly where I was when I first heard it, and where I was three years later when I had to review these statements as I prepared to serve my country on foreign soil in the Republic of South Korea in a combat support function.
The U.S. Military Code of Conduct goes like this:
Article I: I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense.
Article II: I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command, I will never surrender the members of my command while they still have the means to resist.
Article III: If I am captured I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and to aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.
Article IV: If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information or take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades. If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me and will back them up in every way.
Article V: When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am required to give name, rank, service number, and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause.
Article VI: I will never forget that I am an American, fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America.
When I was eighteen years old I didn’t know much. But because of the Code, I knew how I was expected to conduct myself as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, no matter where I was or what the circumstances happened to be. Today, as we consider our calling as a church in the calling of a pastor, I wonder if many members of the Church of Jesus Christ have an adequate understanding of how we are to conduct ourselves in the Body of Christ, which is the church and the army of the Living God. Is there anywhere in God’s word where we can learn about a Code of Conduct for Christianity and live out God’s purpose in the church?
Let’s turn in the New Testament to the Book of Ephesians. The Ephesian letter is compared by some to the Old Testament Book of Joshua. Joshua reads like a battlefield account as well as a manual or directive in how to possess the Land of Promise. It had been granted to God’s people under God’s authority. But they still had to fight to possess it and occupy the place that God had provided. Ephesians also directs us to a promised possession and privileged position as the people of God, historically this side of the cross, the greatest battle in time and eternity.
Ephesians is divided into two sections. The first section is doctrinal, teaching us about the nature of God and the believer’s relationship with Him. The second half is practical, informing us as to how these truths are lived out in this place and in this time. We are shown our possession and our position in Christ. Let’s briefly look at a few excerpts of the letter in the first three chapters.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. (1:3-4)
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ ( by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (2:4-10)
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. (2:19-22)
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. (3:14-19)
After we are given a sense of the magnitude of God’s mission of redemption, we can learn a little of our identity as God’s people in the Church, pictured as the members of His body. Our purpose and position in Christ reveals to us who we are. The fourth chapter begins to tell us how to conduct ourselves in our behavior. Let’s read our focal passage for today.
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)
The Word of God contains the Church’s Code of Conduct.
Here we can see that…
I. OUR CONDUCT SHOULD COMPLEMENT OUR CALLING.
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,…
Paul wrote this letter to exhort the Church in Ephesus to think about how they conduct themselves in light of how God has conducted Himself. Therefore, he writes, since God has revealed to you your position and your possession, since you are heirs to a kingdom, conduct yourselves as a royal household. Now what would that look like to believer in Ephesus? It would look a lot different than the culture around them. Ephesus was a center of worship. But the worship was idolatrous. The city had a great temple built as a shrine to the goddess, Diana. The ritual of the temple services consisted of sacrifices and of ceremonial prostitution, a practice which was common to many of the religions of the ancient Orient. She lived in Nature; I guess she was the original Mother Nature, it was believed that she was everywhere wherever there was life, the mother of all living things, an ancient age New Age philosophy. Since all offerings of every possible nature were therefore acceptable to her, vast amounts of material wealth poured into that temple. And the wealth of the temple culture drove the economy. Silver statues and shrines were manufactured and sold, with accompanying incantations as to how to benefit from the worship of this goddess Diana. These people were worshipping the god of their understanding, the spirit of the age.
Into this world of sexual immorality, sorcery and magic, and an idolatry-driven economy came the Word of the Living God. In Acts 19, we get a sense of the high drama when Paul met strong spiritual resistance and warfare. God showed Himself to be the one true God as people who were seeking healing and deliverance experienced miraculous deeds of God through Paul. Some were exposed to the handkerchiefs and aprons that the Apostle touched and were set free from their bondage. In that day it was a time of radical and open spiritual warfare. God was making a statement in their culture which could not be ignored.
We live in a culture where the economy is driven by idolatry as well. Sexual immorality seems to be a massive financial industry and many people give their offerings at this altar of worship. Institutions of greed are propped up by people claiming to have the solutions to the problems and we have political leadership that promises change…and no doubt change is coming. When you live in the times we live in our problems as human beings are still the same as in first century Ephesus. Who do you trust with your future? If you are a stranger to God today, your world is going to become stranger and stranger. The question for the non-Christian to settle in their mind is this: Is my god sufficient to save me today? Paul would echo what I am about to say. You can trust the God of the Bible with your life and circumstance. God is able.
The non-Christian world in America today is watching our “walk” more than hearing our words. Our walk is defined in this passage to denote the way we live out our lives in the manner of our conduct or the way we behave. Can someone in the public arena such as our workplaces or schools point to us and say, “This person is different from most. He or she does not participate in playing the lottery, or hangs out at happy hour, or cheat on examinations, income taxes, or their spouse. They don’t play by the rules of the world. They operate by a different code of conduct.” Can people say that about you, Christian disciple?
Our conduct is to be complimentary to our calling. Christ is the caller. Our habitual lives should mesh, or fit in, to what it means to be “in Christ”. Our walk among other humans should be commensurate or “in step” with Christ. If you have ever watched an episode of Gomer Pyle, USMC, you may recall how the show opened up with the recruits marching in formation. Gomer never could quite get in step with the rest. And you could see Sergeant Carter taking immediate and corrective action. Private Pyle was easy to spot because his head was bouncing. It was up when all the rest of the heads were down and down when they were up. This is the phenomenon when a group of people are walking in unity with one another. Every part is moving together. When one is out of step, their head is not in the same place.
We should be easy to spot in our culture. We should be out of step. As we march along with the masses, our head should not be in the same place. Our thinking will guide our conduct. Our thinking should be different. How should the Christian be thinking and acting rightly? The text gives us the code to live by. Walk, or live worthily…with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love. Here’s how this should apply to us here at Mount Olivet.
Being “in Christ” means being humble and gentle. Many people are coming here during the week to get assistance for help in their life situations. We are at a place in our culture where the promises made by man are fast being exposed as hollow. People need hope and help. We are in a good position in that we don’t possess silver and gold. But what we have we can give to them. We can be humble in our presentation of Christ. We can be gentle with them in the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene. Our calling as Christians mandates humility which is the opposite of pride. Do not look down on the downtrodden as victims of their own bad choices. Look at them as people that Christ has sent. Lost people cannot find their way until they find God’s way.
Conduct that complements our calling is walking with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love. This is the word to the church internally. This is one of the family secrets. Learning to be patient with one another in our disagreements is recognizing our need to deal with one another’s burdens. Tolerance for our brother and sister in love is the way of Christ. This means that we should be patient with one another as we are on this journey. It does not mean that we should be tolerant in ungodly behavior or ignore the destructive effects of sin within the family. We are called to a higher calling. We are called to a worthy calling…to Christ and to community. And a community handles the thing that threatens it. In the Christian community, we are to pursue unity in our unity with God. Love is what keeps us together. Even when we must deal with our sin, we must do this in love. This complements the redemption story. It is in step with restoration. People who love patiently and show tolerance for one another will be thinking rightly about the goal of the church becoming one body in Christ.
II. OUR CALLING IS TO UNITY WITH GOD AND WITH ONE ANOTHER.…
being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
When the Ephesian church assembled, it was a very diverse group. Jews and Gentiles had the potential for great division. Paul met some disciples who were baptized with John’s baptism and did not know about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. So Paul took the opportunity to teach things that people had not yet come to know. And one of the things he taught in this letter was the fact that Christ had broken down the wall of division between these people and brought those who were formerly far away from God and His covenants of promise near to God. Chapter 2:14 says For He Himself is our peace…Knowing about the Messiah was not enough but knowing the Messiah was sufficient to bring unity to the church. And it still is. The common ground is that we are all sinners, saved by grace.
Broken families are some of the world’s greatest heartbreaks. The yearning for family belonging is rooted deep within us. I believe we were created with a desire for family unity in our DNA. How else do you explain the community that is often found in the gang culture? They offer a semblance of belonging and protection and encouragement that is lacking. As an example of the effects of the disintegration of leadership in the family, have you ever observed what often happens when an influential family leader dies? He or she may have been the one who encouraged community, or thought family honor meant something, and perhaps was a catalyst in organizing family reunions. One result of the death of the leader is that people stop getting together or even contacting one another because the only reason they were coming together was that this influential person called them to it. The non-Christian has no leader calling them to unity.
In contrast, the Christian community in the church has a Leader who lives forever. When we celebrate communion, we remember Him. We come to the family table. Christ still thinks that Christian unity is something worth preserving. He died to tear down the wall of separation between us and God and the division between one another. And He rose from the dead to put the exclamation point on this point: We are to be diligent to preserve unity. The world is watching to see if we are unified or divided within the church. Why would someone seek shelter in a house divided? It may fall! Let’s be a house of good repute. Let’s work at unity, working on building the Body of Christ which is the house of God. Are you willing to take extreme measures to preserve unity? One diligent step is to stop any gossip that comes your way. You stop it by speaking truth in love to the one who is bringing it to you. Something like this might be appropriate: “I don’t want to hear things that threaten our family unity. Our Father doesn’t want us to be a part in creating or perpetuating problems. He wants us to be engaged in encouraging those who are struggling in our church.” Think in advance as to how you will respond in love to the next time you hear divisive comments among us and about us.
The Lord our God is One God. And His people are to be one people. The world needs to see a unified church in America today. Be diligent in preserving unity. The Holy Spirit unifies. When we work to tear it down, we contend with God. Our standing as the Body of Christ is to be built in our promise that God stands in unity with us and among us. Our hope for the Church in America will not found in political solutions. Our hope is in our calling. We are called to God and to one another. We do well to remember that today.
There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
Seven “ones” are found in this passage. God has always been completely one. He is one God in three distinct persons all by Himself. We are called to Him because we are incomplete without him. He could exist without us (and did) but we cannot live without Him. We die without Him. He calls us to Himself; He calls us to unity within our families so that our families are one with Him. He calls us to Himself in the church so that the church will not be a headless body. He calls us to Heaven where there is perfect and complete unity for all eternity. God will rule perfectly forever and there is never any option or need for a better point of view.
The unity of the Spirit is found in the “bond of peace”. In today’s world we have available to us instruments issued by law enforcement in the judicial process called protective orders, or “restraining orders”. These legal instruments are issued so that two people are restrained from contact with one another which has become destructive and dangerous to one or both of the parties. In days gone by, law enforcement officers were called “peace officers” and a judge was called “justice of the peace.” They issued protective orders as well and they used to be called “peace bonds.” The language expressed indicated the purpose. People were ordered to stay apart to preserve peace. But their unity was sacrificed. In this passage the Holy Spirit unifies the church and the call is to “come together” so we may have peace. The peace that God gives to us will come forth as a function of the assembling of the Body together in worship and community. I challenge you to give yourself to the task of keeping the peace within our fellowship and be diligent about it. Our congregation will reap great benefits if we seek God’s peace and pursue it. And when we get it, we must zealously guard it as a treasured gift.
Why does a church call a pastor? Why do we need one? What is his purpose? We have tried to explore God’s word this past month for the answers to these questions. I could have said to the congregation read these scriptures and pray about what God would have you to do. There would have been nothing wrong with this approach. But I was compelled to prepare the congregation to think seriously on this matter. So with my heart before the Lord, as this sermon series ends, I have tried to help us see how God’s word is sufficient to guide us in this process.
A church calls a pastor because they are to receive a gift. A pastor is God’s gift to the church. And the church is God’s gift to the pastor. These are grace gifts that God provides, according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Because we have been given Christ, we are given His body as well. The cross, the resurrection, and the ascension prepared God’s people to be the church to be an army awaiting the return of the Lord. We are to be an occupying spiritual force, holding our position, engaging the enemy as we are completely surrounded keeping watch for the arrival of our Supreme Commander. Hear what God’s word says about the purpose of the pastor:
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16)
Our “so what” today is a “so that”.
I. OUR CONDUCT SHOULD COMPLEMENT OUR CALLING.
and…
II. OUR CALLING IS TO UNITY WITH GOD AND WITH ONE ANOTHER.
so that…we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head…
Here’s an excerpt from the book Experiencing God Together: God’s Plan to Touch the World by Henry and Melvin Blackaby. It is good reinforcement to what we have been learning as a church these last few weeks.
"Since Christ is the Head of every church, what place does the pastor have? He is not the Head; that position is already occupied. And Christ is not just a “figurehead.” He is present and active in His body as the people live together and function as a church. He is present and active in His body as He seeks to guide His people to do the Father’s will. Believe it or not, He really does desire to direct and guide them into His ways.
The pastor then, is an undershepherd who obeys Christ as the Shepherd and the Head of His own people. The pastor ensures that every member is not only fully connected to the Head but that each one is growing toward Christlikeness. He will enlist every member to function in the body where the Father has placed them. He will then encourage members to live their lives to their maximum potential in Christ. He will be a spiritual catalyst in the body for Christlikeness. What a joyful assignment the pastor has been given! His role is not to get everyone to follow him; his role is to help the members of the church to follow Christ as their Lord.
…When God adds a particular pastor to a church, does He specifically place him in that body? If we take our answers and guidance from the culture around us, we may see the pastor as a “religious chief executive officer,” leading a religious organization. But a church is not merely a religious organization…It is a living body of Christ – a living organism. God adds a pastor to help His people be all He has purposed for them to be! Knowing the condition of His people, He will add a pastor that is uniquely qualified in his relationship with Christ to take His people from where they are to where God wants them to be.
If God’s people are greatly discouraged and brokenhearted, He may bring a Barnabas to encourage and strengthen them. If they are spiritually sick, He may bring a spiritual physician to bring healing into their midst and to deal with the sin that has caused such trouble. If God’s people are mature and ready to go on mission with Him, He may bring a pastor with a great missionary heart. If a church is greatly broken and divided, He may bring a pastor with a shepherd’s heart – who is patient, kind, long-suffering, gentle, and has a strong gift of reconciliation. If a church has been thoroughly discipled and is growing in Christ, God may bring a pastor with a heart for evangelism to help the people bear witness to the Christ they have come to know. If the church has been immersed in evangelism for many years and has many people hungering to be fed the Word of God and discipled to grow in Christlikeness, He may bring a pastor with a great heart for teaching and discipling.
The pastor must be a servant of God and submissive to the Head. The church is not [the pastor’s] church; it is Christ’s church. God Himself has been shaping the church for His purposes before he got there to be the pastor. The pastor, therefore, must be preeminently a man given to prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4). He must take the people to Christ through prayer and the ministry of the Word. God’s people must not only know about Christ; they must be experientially connected to Him. Like a branch and the vine, the people must be attached to Christ. Like the sheep to their shepherd, the people must know and follow their Lord. Like the body to the head, they must function together. This is the great task of the pastor, helping the people walk in a vital union with the Lord." (Experiencing God Together, 119-121)
To close today, If I had my way I’d like to reword Article Six of the Military Code of Conduct:
Article VI: I will never forget that I am a Christian, fighting for unity and not against it in the Church, privileged to freely worship Christ, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the Biblical principles which make my church free to live out the gospel within my culture. I will trust in my God and partner with Him to build up the Body of Christ, which is the church of the Living God, of which I am greatly blessed to be a part.
God’s plan is that His church will be alright one day. Until that day we have much work to do. It will keep us busy until Christ comes…so let’s be about God’s business…and business is good.
Blessings to you,
Sam
At eighteen years old, not too many things make a lasting positive impression.
At least that’s the way I remember it. I was too focused on thinking I was the one that was shaping the world. In fact, it was the other way around. The world was putting its mark on me in a negative way. But one thing that stamped a good impression on me was something I was taught the first few days of basic training in the military. It was a six-point document that we had to memorize and it was called the Code of Conduct. All military personnel had to be exposed to it as an expected standard of behavior. I wondered about the possibility of ever living out these words on a practical level. Through the years I have not retained this information. My brain is not what it used to be. So I had to look the Code up again. When I read it this week, I remember exactly where I was when I first heard it, and where I was three years later when I had to review these statements as I prepared to serve my country on foreign soil in the Republic of South Korea in a combat support function.
The U.S. Military Code of Conduct goes like this:
Article I: I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense.
Article II: I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command, I will never surrender the members of my command while they still have the means to resist.
Article III: If I am captured I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and to aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.
Article IV: If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information or take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades. If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me and will back them up in every way.
Article V: When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am required to give name, rank, service number, and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause.
Article VI: I will never forget that I am an American, fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America.
When I was eighteen years old I didn’t know much. But because of the Code, I knew how I was expected to conduct myself as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, no matter where I was or what the circumstances happened to be. Today, as we consider our calling as a church in the calling of a pastor, I wonder if many members of the Church of Jesus Christ have an adequate understanding of how we are to conduct ourselves in the Body of Christ, which is the church and the army of the Living God. Is there anywhere in God’s word where we can learn about a Code of Conduct for Christianity and live out God’s purpose in the church?
Let’s turn in the New Testament to the Book of Ephesians. The Ephesian letter is compared by some to the Old Testament Book of Joshua. Joshua reads like a battlefield account as well as a manual or directive in how to possess the Land of Promise. It had been granted to God’s people under God’s authority. But they still had to fight to possess it and occupy the place that God had provided. Ephesians also directs us to a promised possession and privileged position as the people of God, historically this side of the cross, the greatest battle in time and eternity.
Ephesians is divided into two sections. The first section is doctrinal, teaching us about the nature of God and the believer’s relationship with Him. The second half is practical, informing us as to how these truths are lived out in this place and in this time. We are shown our possession and our position in Christ. Let’s briefly look at a few excerpts of the letter in the first three chapters.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. (1:3-4)
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ ( by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (2:4-10)
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. (2:19-22)
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. (3:14-19)
After we are given a sense of the magnitude of God’s mission of redemption, we can learn a little of our identity as God’s people in the Church, pictured as the members of His body. Our purpose and position in Christ reveals to us who we are. The fourth chapter begins to tell us how to conduct ourselves in our behavior. Let’s read our focal passage for today.
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)
The Word of God contains the Church’s Code of Conduct.
Here we can see that…
I. OUR CONDUCT SHOULD COMPLEMENT OUR CALLING.
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,…
Paul wrote this letter to exhort the Church in Ephesus to think about how they conduct themselves in light of how God has conducted Himself. Therefore, he writes, since God has revealed to you your position and your possession, since you are heirs to a kingdom, conduct yourselves as a royal household. Now what would that look like to believer in Ephesus? It would look a lot different than the culture around them. Ephesus was a center of worship. But the worship was idolatrous. The city had a great temple built as a shrine to the goddess, Diana. The ritual of the temple services consisted of sacrifices and of ceremonial prostitution, a practice which was common to many of the religions of the ancient Orient. She lived in Nature; I guess she was the original Mother Nature, it was believed that she was everywhere wherever there was life, the mother of all living things, an ancient age New Age philosophy. Since all offerings of every possible nature were therefore acceptable to her, vast amounts of material wealth poured into that temple. And the wealth of the temple culture drove the economy. Silver statues and shrines were manufactured and sold, with accompanying incantations as to how to benefit from the worship of this goddess Diana. These people were worshipping the god of their understanding, the spirit of the age.
Into this world of sexual immorality, sorcery and magic, and an idolatry-driven economy came the Word of the Living God. In Acts 19, we get a sense of the high drama when Paul met strong spiritual resistance and warfare. God showed Himself to be the one true God as people who were seeking healing and deliverance experienced miraculous deeds of God through Paul. Some were exposed to the handkerchiefs and aprons that the Apostle touched and were set free from their bondage. In that day it was a time of radical and open spiritual warfare. God was making a statement in their culture which could not be ignored.
We live in a culture where the economy is driven by idolatry as well. Sexual immorality seems to be a massive financial industry and many people give their offerings at this altar of worship. Institutions of greed are propped up by people claiming to have the solutions to the problems and we have political leadership that promises change…and no doubt change is coming. When you live in the times we live in our problems as human beings are still the same as in first century Ephesus. Who do you trust with your future? If you are a stranger to God today, your world is going to become stranger and stranger. The question for the non-Christian to settle in their mind is this: Is my god sufficient to save me today? Paul would echo what I am about to say. You can trust the God of the Bible with your life and circumstance. God is able.
The non-Christian world in America today is watching our “walk” more than hearing our words. Our walk is defined in this passage to denote the way we live out our lives in the manner of our conduct or the way we behave. Can someone in the public arena such as our workplaces or schools point to us and say, “This person is different from most. He or she does not participate in playing the lottery, or hangs out at happy hour, or cheat on examinations, income taxes, or their spouse. They don’t play by the rules of the world. They operate by a different code of conduct.” Can people say that about you, Christian disciple?
Our conduct is to be complimentary to our calling. Christ is the caller. Our habitual lives should mesh, or fit in, to what it means to be “in Christ”. Our walk among other humans should be commensurate or “in step” with Christ. If you have ever watched an episode of Gomer Pyle, USMC, you may recall how the show opened up with the recruits marching in formation. Gomer never could quite get in step with the rest. And you could see Sergeant Carter taking immediate and corrective action. Private Pyle was easy to spot because his head was bouncing. It was up when all the rest of the heads were down and down when they were up. This is the phenomenon when a group of people are walking in unity with one another. Every part is moving together. When one is out of step, their head is not in the same place.
We should be easy to spot in our culture. We should be out of step. As we march along with the masses, our head should not be in the same place. Our thinking will guide our conduct. Our thinking should be different. How should the Christian be thinking and acting rightly? The text gives us the code to live by. Walk, or live worthily…with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love. Here’s how this should apply to us here at Mount Olivet.
Being “in Christ” means being humble and gentle. Many people are coming here during the week to get assistance for help in their life situations. We are at a place in our culture where the promises made by man are fast being exposed as hollow. People need hope and help. We are in a good position in that we don’t possess silver and gold. But what we have we can give to them. We can be humble in our presentation of Christ. We can be gentle with them in the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene. Our calling as Christians mandates humility which is the opposite of pride. Do not look down on the downtrodden as victims of their own bad choices. Look at them as people that Christ has sent. Lost people cannot find their way until they find God’s way.
Conduct that complements our calling is walking with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love. This is the word to the church internally. This is one of the family secrets. Learning to be patient with one another in our disagreements is recognizing our need to deal with one another’s burdens. Tolerance for our brother and sister in love is the way of Christ. This means that we should be patient with one another as we are on this journey. It does not mean that we should be tolerant in ungodly behavior or ignore the destructive effects of sin within the family. We are called to a higher calling. We are called to a worthy calling…to Christ and to community. And a community handles the thing that threatens it. In the Christian community, we are to pursue unity in our unity with God. Love is what keeps us together. Even when we must deal with our sin, we must do this in love. This complements the redemption story. It is in step with restoration. People who love patiently and show tolerance for one another will be thinking rightly about the goal of the church becoming one body in Christ.
II. OUR CALLING IS TO UNITY WITH GOD AND WITH ONE ANOTHER.…
being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
When the Ephesian church assembled, it was a very diverse group. Jews and Gentiles had the potential for great division. Paul met some disciples who were baptized with John’s baptism and did not know about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. So Paul took the opportunity to teach things that people had not yet come to know. And one of the things he taught in this letter was the fact that Christ had broken down the wall of division between these people and brought those who were formerly far away from God and His covenants of promise near to God. Chapter 2:14 says For He Himself is our peace…Knowing about the Messiah was not enough but knowing the Messiah was sufficient to bring unity to the church. And it still is. The common ground is that we are all sinners, saved by grace.
Broken families are some of the world’s greatest heartbreaks. The yearning for family belonging is rooted deep within us. I believe we were created with a desire for family unity in our DNA. How else do you explain the community that is often found in the gang culture? They offer a semblance of belonging and protection and encouragement that is lacking. As an example of the effects of the disintegration of leadership in the family, have you ever observed what often happens when an influential family leader dies? He or she may have been the one who encouraged community, or thought family honor meant something, and perhaps was a catalyst in organizing family reunions. One result of the death of the leader is that people stop getting together or even contacting one another because the only reason they were coming together was that this influential person called them to it. The non-Christian has no leader calling them to unity.
In contrast, the Christian community in the church has a Leader who lives forever. When we celebrate communion, we remember Him. We come to the family table. Christ still thinks that Christian unity is something worth preserving. He died to tear down the wall of separation between us and God and the division between one another. And He rose from the dead to put the exclamation point on this point: We are to be diligent to preserve unity. The world is watching to see if we are unified or divided within the church. Why would someone seek shelter in a house divided? It may fall! Let’s be a house of good repute. Let’s work at unity, working on building the Body of Christ which is the house of God. Are you willing to take extreme measures to preserve unity? One diligent step is to stop any gossip that comes your way. You stop it by speaking truth in love to the one who is bringing it to you. Something like this might be appropriate: “I don’t want to hear things that threaten our family unity. Our Father doesn’t want us to be a part in creating or perpetuating problems. He wants us to be engaged in encouraging those who are struggling in our church.” Think in advance as to how you will respond in love to the next time you hear divisive comments among us and about us.
The Lord our God is One God. And His people are to be one people. The world needs to see a unified church in America today. Be diligent in preserving unity. The Holy Spirit unifies. When we work to tear it down, we contend with God. Our standing as the Body of Christ is to be built in our promise that God stands in unity with us and among us. Our hope for the Church in America will not found in political solutions. Our hope is in our calling. We are called to God and to one another. We do well to remember that today.
There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
Seven “ones” are found in this passage. God has always been completely one. He is one God in three distinct persons all by Himself. We are called to Him because we are incomplete without him. He could exist without us (and did) but we cannot live without Him. We die without Him. He calls us to Himself; He calls us to unity within our families so that our families are one with Him. He calls us to Himself in the church so that the church will not be a headless body. He calls us to Heaven where there is perfect and complete unity for all eternity. God will rule perfectly forever and there is never any option or need for a better point of view.
The unity of the Spirit is found in the “bond of peace”. In today’s world we have available to us instruments issued by law enforcement in the judicial process called protective orders, or “restraining orders”. These legal instruments are issued so that two people are restrained from contact with one another which has become destructive and dangerous to one or both of the parties. In days gone by, law enforcement officers were called “peace officers” and a judge was called “justice of the peace.” They issued protective orders as well and they used to be called “peace bonds.” The language expressed indicated the purpose. People were ordered to stay apart to preserve peace. But their unity was sacrificed. In this passage the Holy Spirit unifies the church and the call is to “come together” so we may have peace. The peace that God gives to us will come forth as a function of the assembling of the Body together in worship and community. I challenge you to give yourself to the task of keeping the peace within our fellowship and be diligent about it. Our congregation will reap great benefits if we seek God’s peace and pursue it. And when we get it, we must zealously guard it as a treasured gift.
Why does a church call a pastor? Why do we need one? What is his purpose? We have tried to explore God’s word this past month for the answers to these questions. I could have said to the congregation read these scriptures and pray about what God would have you to do. There would have been nothing wrong with this approach. But I was compelled to prepare the congregation to think seriously on this matter. So with my heart before the Lord, as this sermon series ends, I have tried to help us see how God’s word is sufficient to guide us in this process.
A church calls a pastor because they are to receive a gift. A pastor is God’s gift to the church. And the church is God’s gift to the pastor. These are grace gifts that God provides, according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Because we have been given Christ, we are given His body as well. The cross, the resurrection, and the ascension prepared God’s people to be the church to be an army awaiting the return of the Lord. We are to be an occupying spiritual force, holding our position, engaging the enemy as we are completely surrounded keeping watch for the arrival of our Supreme Commander. Hear what God’s word says about the purpose of the pastor:
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16)
Our “so what” today is a “so that”.
I. OUR CONDUCT SHOULD COMPLEMENT OUR CALLING.
and…
II. OUR CALLING IS TO UNITY WITH GOD AND WITH ONE ANOTHER.
so that…we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head…
Here’s an excerpt from the book Experiencing God Together: God’s Plan to Touch the World by Henry and Melvin Blackaby. It is good reinforcement to what we have been learning as a church these last few weeks.
"Since Christ is the Head of every church, what place does the pastor have? He is not the Head; that position is already occupied. And Christ is not just a “figurehead.” He is present and active in His body as the people live together and function as a church. He is present and active in His body as He seeks to guide His people to do the Father’s will. Believe it or not, He really does desire to direct and guide them into His ways.
The pastor then, is an undershepherd who obeys Christ as the Shepherd and the Head of His own people. The pastor ensures that every member is not only fully connected to the Head but that each one is growing toward Christlikeness. He will enlist every member to function in the body where the Father has placed them. He will then encourage members to live their lives to their maximum potential in Christ. He will be a spiritual catalyst in the body for Christlikeness. What a joyful assignment the pastor has been given! His role is not to get everyone to follow him; his role is to help the members of the church to follow Christ as their Lord.
…When God adds a particular pastor to a church, does He specifically place him in that body? If we take our answers and guidance from the culture around us, we may see the pastor as a “religious chief executive officer,” leading a religious organization. But a church is not merely a religious organization…It is a living body of Christ – a living organism. God adds a pastor to help His people be all He has purposed for them to be! Knowing the condition of His people, He will add a pastor that is uniquely qualified in his relationship with Christ to take His people from where they are to where God wants them to be.
If God’s people are greatly discouraged and brokenhearted, He may bring a Barnabas to encourage and strengthen them. If they are spiritually sick, He may bring a spiritual physician to bring healing into their midst and to deal with the sin that has caused such trouble. If God’s people are mature and ready to go on mission with Him, He may bring a pastor with a great missionary heart. If a church is greatly broken and divided, He may bring a pastor with a shepherd’s heart – who is patient, kind, long-suffering, gentle, and has a strong gift of reconciliation. If a church has been thoroughly discipled and is growing in Christ, God may bring a pastor with a heart for evangelism to help the people bear witness to the Christ they have come to know. If the church has been immersed in evangelism for many years and has many people hungering to be fed the Word of God and discipled to grow in Christlikeness, He may bring a pastor with a great heart for teaching and discipling.
The pastor must be a servant of God and submissive to the Head. The church is not [the pastor’s] church; it is Christ’s church. God Himself has been shaping the church for His purposes before he got there to be the pastor. The pastor, therefore, must be preeminently a man given to prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4). He must take the people to Christ through prayer and the ministry of the Word. God’s people must not only know about Christ; they must be experientially connected to Him. Like a branch and the vine, the people must be attached to Christ. Like the sheep to their shepherd, the people must know and follow their Lord. Like the body to the head, they must function together. This is the great task of the pastor, helping the people walk in a vital union with the Lord." (Experiencing God Together, 119-121)
To close today, If I had my way I’d like to reword Article Six of the Military Code of Conduct:
Article VI: I will never forget that I am a Christian, fighting for unity and not against it in the Church, privileged to freely worship Christ, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the Biblical principles which make my church free to live out the gospel within my culture. I will trust in my God and partner with Him to build up the Body of Christ, which is the church of the Living God, of which I am greatly blessed to be a part.
God’s plan is that His church will be alright one day. Until that day we have much work to do. It will keep us busy until Christ comes…so let’s be about God’s business…and business is good.
Blessings to you,
Sam
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Drive By Dieting
Last week I was driving by a serene country estate on a rural road and saw a sight that I won't easily forget. On the side of the road, in a peaceful pasture, I can only describe it as a buzzard buffet of sorts. A group of vultures were feasting on what must have been for them the highlight of some of their lives. The sun was shining, the temperature was mild for a winter day, and the carcass of the whitetail deer on the menu was fast disappearing, all the way down to the white tail! Life was good for the buzzards in that community. All was right in their world. I can only imagine what it was like in the buzzard roost that night. Some of the talk (if buzzards really do talk) was probably about their good fortune. Who would have thought that fate would have dealt them such a kind hand? I wonder if there was a plan hatched that night in the buzzard roost about how to meet at that same spot next year and celebrate, perhaps building a memorial and creating a tradition to remember their provision. They could call it Dead Meat Day or something.
More important to me is not what may or may not be in the mind of a buzzard, but what may lurk in the mind of a man. I am interested in what may be lurking in the mind of a particular man, my mind to be more specific. There was a time I was hanging out with some of my buzzard buddies, thinking all was right in the world, basking in the sun and picking the bones of some skeletal dead thing, believing that I was dealt a kind hand by Fate or some non-specific, non-personal, non-living entity. For me it was the desire to delight myself in the practice of imbibing alcoholic beverages, believing that all was right in my world. I was a living dead man, dead meat, so to speak. I was self deceived and deluded in my worldview and believed that this lifestyle was what some folks called the "high life". In reality I was a "low life."
Often we think of drunkards these days as something other than drunkards. We can believe that they are genetically predisposed to their addiction, or their environment is the cause of their condition. Bottom line, their socio-economic status or their exposure to a parent who was an out-of-control addict can be influential, to be sure. But it is never determinative. I learned that when I was a drunkard, I was worshipping a dead god. And the dead god was me. I brought my sacrifices in the form of money and time and family and offered them at the altar of pleasure. I was out to serve myself. I wanted what I wanted, so I practiced what I practiced. We make it a habit to do what we do because we want what we want. I made choices to feast on dead things that only produce death. Isn't it amazing how a drunkard is described at parties as the "life of the party"? If the drunkard goes to enough parties and continues to believe that this is life, he or she can wind up being like the deer that the buzzards are feeding upon, or at the least one of the buzzards that are eating dead things. Do not be mocked or deceived by your inward desires. Only fools feast on death...and believe it leads to life.
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise. (Proverbs 20:1)
Take care and be wise so that you will not become the main course on some buzzard buffet. Life is a terrible thing to waste.
Blessings to you,
Sam
More important to me is not what may or may not be in the mind of a buzzard, but what may lurk in the mind of a man. I am interested in what may be lurking in the mind of a particular man, my mind to be more specific. There was a time I was hanging out with some of my buzzard buddies, thinking all was right in the world, basking in the sun and picking the bones of some skeletal dead thing, believing that I was dealt a kind hand by Fate or some non-specific, non-personal, non-living entity. For me it was the desire to delight myself in the practice of imbibing alcoholic beverages, believing that all was right in my world. I was a living dead man, dead meat, so to speak. I was self deceived and deluded in my worldview and believed that this lifestyle was what some folks called the "high life". In reality I was a "low life."
Often we think of drunkards these days as something other than drunkards. We can believe that they are genetically predisposed to their addiction, or their environment is the cause of their condition. Bottom line, their socio-economic status or their exposure to a parent who was an out-of-control addict can be influential, to be sure. But it is never determinative. I learned that when I was a drunkard, I was worshipping a dead god. And the dead god was me. I brought my sacrifices in the form of money and time and family and offered them at the altar of pleasure. I was out to serve myself. I wanted what I wanted, so I practiced what I practiced. We make it a habit to do what we do because we want what we want. I made choices to feast on dead things that only produce death. Isn't it amazing how a drunkard is described at parties as the "life of the party"? If the drunkard goes to enough parties and continues to believe that this is life, he or she can wind up being like the deer that the buzzards are feeding upon, or at the least one of the buzzards that are eating dead things. Do not be mocked or deceived by your inward desires. Only fools feast on death...and believe it leads to life.
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise. (Proverbs 20:1)
Take care and be wise so that you will not become the main course on some buzzard buffet. Life is a terrible thing to waste.
Blessings to you,
Sam
Monday, September 8, 2008
Debt Free Living
It's a strange thing about debt. Everyone owes something. The talk lately is how to live debt-free. But is that really possible? I guess it depends on what kind of debt you're talking about. You could live in a house without a mortgage. You can drive a car and hold a clear title. But can you enter eternity debt-free? Who owns us? Who holds our note? Who has paid our debt?
Being saddled with debt can be a binding thing. We cannot be free to serve the Lord when we are enslaved to worldly wealth. We cannot do all that God commands when our obligations are to another master. We can suffer tremendous pain while suffering in debt. But this worldly pain of being indebted to the world's systems pale in comparison to the eternal pain we will encounter if we leave this temporary world and our eternal account remains unsettled.
When we realize that our payment has been made for us to live in eternity, it makes a difference how we live our lives here and now. We can be indebted to the bank and live freely in Christ. Our eternal debt has been settled by an Eternal One. He has forgiven our sin debt. He absorbed the cost Himself.
Several things have to occur when a debt is settled. The first question to settle in our minds is about the debt itself. There must be agreement about the debt. Does the debt exist? How much do we owe? And to whom? Our eternal debt exists. Even if you are reading this and do not believe that you owe God your life, trust me, you do. The wages of sin (sin being our natural-born existence and not only the wrong things we do)is death. Someone has said that sin has a payday someday. We have to consider that we are being held as hostages to sin by the ruler of this world. He has control over our lives because we are born sinners. We are born debtors. So yes, we have a sin debt to reconcile.
The next question is about the debt. Can we repay it? What is the amount? Consider that there are two ways to settle a debt. The debt can be paid in full. This option only exists if we have capacity to pay. The currency that we use must be correct for the amount and it must be acceptable as payment. Or the debt can be forgiven. This is highly appealing to the debtor but highly unlikely. Only the creditor has this option. Only the one who is owed can forgive, or cancel, the debt. The creditor alone enjoys the privilege of taking the initiative to exercise this option. I can pretend that I do not owe my life to God and must give an account to Him, but the reality is that I would be living in a fantasy. I do not have the currency or the resources available to buy my way into God's presence. The sin debt is too high. I am powerless to cancel it because that is not the debtor's option.
But when I enjoy a relationship with God, the One to whom I am indebted, the truth is that this dream of debt forgiveness has come true. God has assumed the cost of the debt. He has purchased us from the master of sin. As in any debt settlement, the terms of forgiveness must be accepted to take advantage of our new standing as debtors. This is the choice of the debtor. The conditions often include a pledge not to live in such a way that we become indebted again. Our problem as humans is that we want to be forgiven of our unpayable debt, but we also want a clean slate to live how we want to live. But rejecting the terms of our debt forgiveness leaves the debtor in debt. Are you still a debtor of a debt that you can never pay? Our has your debt been settled by God? Our account must be settled up when we're called up. Jesus paid it all…all to Him I owe. Only the blood of Jesus has been considered sufficient to pay our way out of bondage to sin. Are you grateful for that transaction today? Are you taking advantage of your debt settlement? God's children have been redeemed from slavery. We have been bought. bought by Him, and bought for Him.
I can't tell you how that stirs my heart with joy. So I'll just let the words of God's word say it for me.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace... (Ephesians 1:3-8)
Being saddled with debt can be a binding thing. We cannot be free to serve the Lord when we are enslaved to worldly wealth. We cannot do all that God commands when our obligations are to another master. We can suffer tremendous pain while suffering in debt. But this worldly pain of being indebted to the world's systems pale in comparison to the eternal pain we will encounter if we leave this temporary world and our eternal account remains unsettled.
When we realize that our payment has been made for us to live in eternity, it makes a difference how we live our lives here and now. We can be indebted to the bank and live freely in Christ. Our eternal debt has been settled by an Eternal One. He has forgiven our sin debt. He absorbed the cost Himself.
Several things have to occur when a debt is settled. The first question to settle in our minds is about the debt itself. There must be agreement about the debt. Does the debt exist? How much do we owe? And to whom? Our eternal debt exists. Even if you are reading this and do not believe that you owe God your life, trust me, you do. The wages of sin (sin being our natural-born existence and not only the wrong things we do)is death. Someone has said that sin has a payday someday. We have to consider that we are being held as hostages to sin by the ruler of this world. He has control over our lives because we are born sinners. We are born debtors. So yes, we have a sin debt to reconcile.
The next question is about the debt. Can we repay it? What is the amount? Consider that there are two ways to settle a debt. The debt can be paid in full. This option only exists if we have capacity to pay. The currency that we use must be correct for the amount and it must be acceptable as payment. Or the debt can be forgiven. This is highly appealing to the debtor but highly unlikely. Only the creditor has this option. Only the one who is owed can forgive, or cancel, the debt. The creditor alone enjoys the privilege of taking the initiative to exercise this option. I can pretend that I do not owe my life to God and must give an account to Him, but the reality is that I would be living in a fantasy. I do not have the currency or the resources available to buy my way into God's presence. The sin debt is too high. I am powerless to cancel it because that is not the debtor's option.
But when I enjoy a relationship with God, the One to whom I am indebted, the truth is that this dream of debt forgiveness has come true. God has assumed the cost of the debt. He has purchased us from the master of sin. As in any debt settlement, the terms of forgiveness must be accepted to take advantage of our new standing as debtors. This is the choice of the debtor. The conditions often include a pledge not to live in such a way that we become indebted again. Our problem as humans is that we want to be forgiven of our unpayable debt, but we also want a clean slate to live how we want to live. But rejecting the terms of our debt forgiveness leaves the debtor in debt. Are you still a debtor of a debt that you can never pay? Our has your debt been settled by God? Our account must be settled up when we're called up. Jesus paid it all…all to Him I owe. Only the blood of Jesus has been considered sufficient to pay our way out of bondage to sin. Are you grateful for that transaction today? Are you taking advantage of your debt settlement? God's children have been redeemed from slavery. We have been bought. bought by Him, and bought for Him.
I can't tell you how that stirs my heart with joy. So I'll just let the words of God's word say it for me.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace... (Ephesians 1:3-8)
Monday, August 25, 2008
Bitter Root Roundup
To look at me now, you would probably never guess that there was a time in my personal history when I was steadfastly opposed to consuming most types of food, especially vegetables that were good for me. Alas, I have now arrived at a season of life where I am a friend to almost every type of edible thing, although they are not so friendly to me! This includes gaining an affinity to brussel sprouts, broccoli, and turnips. I have not always liked turnips. As a young boy I was encouraged (that's code word for commanded) to eat them. I could endure the green leafy part but the turnip roots were another thing entirely. Although I was informed about their high vitamin content I was not enthused about them at all. They tasted very bitter to me. I did not believe that I needed to have turnip roots in my diet and the quality of my growth would not suffer if I separated myself from them. Turnips were a bitter root experience for me. It wouldn't be the last time I would find that a bitter root was something I would strive to avoid.
Unwanted plants can spring up in a cultivated garden and often the only way to keep them from overwhelming and crowding out the good things are to pull them up by the roots. But something called Roundup works pretty as well. It's the brand name of a herbicide that is pretty effective. Spray it on weeds and for a couple of days afterward, you may think it has had no effect. But suddenly, the plant will begin to wilt and become discolored as it dies. It won't matter what you feed the plant after an application of roundup. It will not be revived. Death has gone all the way down to the root.
Spiritually speaking, the writer of the Book of Hebrews had some wise counsel about bitter roots. I believe the advice was given to religious people and is relevant for us in our day as well. Early Christians were advised that they were to be on guard for a certain kind of growth in their midst would only yield big trouble. A growing root of bitterness would spoil the growth of many.
Have you ever been blessed by God in the things that you do? There is nothing quite like it. In those times it seems that everywhere you look spiritual fruit seems to be growing. Then suddenly, much like the dramatic death of weeds after a shot of roundup, the fruit begins to wither in your life. In times like these, you begin to wonder what's wrong. You begin to review your relationships and your life before God to discover that somewhere along the way, you have begun to harbor feelings of unforgiveness in your heart. The unforgiveness begins to feed a root of bitterness. Things begin to wither and die. Ever been through that kind of trial? Ever wonder where the fruit has gone?
A clear understanding of the grace of God does not provide environments for bitterness to grow. Once we know that grace is not earned, we understand that we are not entitled to it either. When we are more aware of God's grace in our life, we are more willing to extend that to others. Applications of grace retards the growth of bitterness. Keeping grace growing helps to crowd out roots of bitterness. Bitterness needs room in the heart to grow. It flourishes in graceless hearts. Bitterness will spring up when envy, jealousy, and resentment exist. Roots of bitterness grow in graceless gardens. A life lived apart from the grace of God will yield bitterness. Bitter lives beget bitter lives. Bitter roots grow bitter fruit.
Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; (Hebrews 12:14-15)
We must actively see to it that bitter roots are spotted and removed. A shot of spiritual roundup can go to the root. A generous and repetitive application of forgiveness and grace is a death sentence to bitter roots and bitter fruit. Interesting that the glory of God was once seen in a fruitful garden and the desire to want something more than He had provided resulted in this broken and bitter world. But God is intent on restoration. God is glorified when we forgive those who have wounded us. God is glorified when bitterness is identified and we agree with Him that this attitude dishonors Him. God is glorified when we ask forgiveness for being resentful, angry, and envious and allow the Spirit of God to have His way in renewing our lives.
Always monitor your spiritual garden for the bitter root. There is no substitute for pulling the weed up. Roundup is good, but sometimes we need to get our hands around the weed of bitterness. Pull it up. Bring it to God. Ask His forgiveness of the unforgiving attitude.
Unwanted plants can spring up in a cultivated garden and often the only way to keep them from overwhelming and crowding out the good things are to pull them up by the roots. But something called Roundup works pretty as well. It's the brand name of a herbicide that is pretty effective. Spray it on weeds and for a couple of days afterward, you may think it has had no effect. But suddenly, the plant will begin to wilt and become discolored as it dies. It won't matter what you feed the plant after an application of roundup. It will not be revived. Death has gone all the way down to the root.
Spiritually speaking, the writer of the Book of Hebrews had some wise counsel about bitter roots. I believe the advice was given to religious people and is relevant for us in our day as well. Early Christians were advised that they were to be on guard for a certain kind of growth in their midst would only yield big trouble. A growing root of bitterness would spoil the growth of many.
Have you ever been blessed by God in the things that you do? There is nothing quite like it. In those times it seems that everywhere you look spiritual fruit seems to be growing. Then suddenly, much like the dramatic death of weeds after a shot of roundup, the fruit begins to wither in your life. In times like these, you begin to wonder what's wrong. You begin to review your relationships and your life before God to discover that somewhere along the way, you have begun to harbor feelings of unforgiveness in your heart. The unforgiveness begins to feed a root of bitterness. Things begin to wither and die. Ever been through that kind of trial? Ever wonder where the fruit has gone?
A clear understanding of the grace of God does not provide environments for bitterness to grow. Once we know that grace is not earned, we understand that we are not entitled to it either. When we are more aware of God's grace in our life, we are more willing to extend that to others. Applications of grace retards the growth of bitterness. Keeping grace growing helps to crowd out roots of bitterness. Bitterness needs room in the heart to grow. It flourishes in graceless hearts. Bitterness will spring up when envy, jealousy, and resentment exist. Roots of bitterness grow in graceless gardens. A life lived apart from the grace of God will yield bitterness. Bitter lives beget bitter lives. Bitter roots grow bitter fruit.
Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; (Hebrews 12:14-15)
We must actively see to it that bitter roots are spotted and removed. A shot of spiritual roundup can go to the root. A generous and repetitive application of forgiveness and grace is a death sentence to bitter roots and bitter fruit. Interesting that the glory of God was once seen in a fruitful garden and the desire to want something more than He had provided resulted in this broken and bitter world. But God is intent on restoration. God is glorified when we forgive those who have wounded us. God is glorified when bitterness is identified and we agree with Him that this attitude dishonors Him. God is glorified when we ask forgiveness for being resentful, angry, and envious and allow the Spirit of God to have His way in renewing our lives.
Always monitor your spiritual garden for the bitter root. There is no substitute for pulling the weed up. Roundup is good, but sometimes we need to get our hands around the weed of bitterness. Pull it up. Bring it to God. Ask His forgiveness of the unforgiving attitude.
Friday, August 15, 2008
The Birds and The Bees
I've watched an ongoing conflict take place lately around the hummingbird feeder. The lament in the past few months about the absence of an abundance of honey bees in various parts of the world has a new meaning for me. I think I've found what the world's looking for. These missing bees are congregating around the hummingbird feeder. At least a large number of them. And it's driving the hummingbirds crazy. For a couple of years now, the population of hummingbirds in my back yard seems to have flourished. But this year there has been more bees than birds. I don't know how to get rid of them. The honey bees have responded to the colored sweetened water like it was the nectar that they so desperately love. And they usually cover the openings to such an extent that the hummingbirds have no place to feed. But there has also been another phenomenon to observe. Sometimes it only takes one bee around the feeder to disrupt the hummingbird's plan. The hummingbird seems to be ill at ease while the bee is close by. The bee's mere presence is often enough to make the hummingbird leave empty and disappointed.
When I was young, it was a popular thing to tell children about "the birds and the bees". The information that was communicated had nothing to do with feathered friends or buzzing bees but was indeed about nature. It was about the nature of human sexuality. Often when the session was completed, the children left with more unanswered questions and the adults left with a sense of incomplete and frustrated instruction. We never seemed to do an adequate job of sex education. The homes began to hush about it. And the church began to push the mute button. It was something we just didn't talk about until it was too late. So we left it to the cultural institutions. The schools began to teach it. And the streets began to instruct us. I wish I could turn back the clock a generation or two just to get this insight out for all to see. So here's my latest leftover thought:
The hummingbirds and the bees are attracted to the colored sugar water which appears to be nectar. Nectar is something good for both of them and was created naturally for the good of the rest of creation. So the birds and the bees are in conflict over something that is not what it seems. They would be better off searching for the real thing around real flowers but the feeder makes it too easy for them and it is so alluring. It seems we humans have intervened once more with our own design and haven't thought it through so well. So it is with society's teaching about sexual things. The media, our prominent cultural institution, does a pretty good job of promoting that which is not the real thing when it comes to the allure and accessibility and satisfaction of our sexual desires. In contrast, the Creator God has designed in His mind and written in His plan the good and right way to enjoy a sexual relationship between two human beings. The boundaries of marriage between a man and a woman is His naturally designed place to partake of this God-given pleasure. When our society turns from a trustworthy plan and design in favor of something that looks good and seems right to the mind of man, there is emptiness, disappointment, and death at the end of this direction. We have made our own design the way we think things ought to be. And we suffer as a people because of it. I think I understand the anxiety of the hummingbird as he shares the space at the feeder with the lone honey bee. Even though the tiny hummingbird dwarfs the bee, the bird knows that the bee has a stinger. That stinger could be death to him. Our so-called freedom to experience and experiment with sexual relationships comes with a price we are not prepared to pay. Our sexual freedom, the prize of my generation's sexual revolution, has deceived us. It is not what it seemed. It is no prize at all. It's a penalty and the price for our ignorance and rebellion. We are only as free as God makes us. Free love is when God sets us free to love His way.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
When I was young, it was a popular thing to tell children about "the birds and the bees". The information that was communicated had nothing to do with feathered friends or buzzing bees but was indeed about nature. It was about the nature of human sexuality. Often when the session was completed, the children left with more unanswered questions and the adults left with a sense of incomplete and frustrated instruction. We never seemed to do an adequate job of sex education. The homes began to hush about it. And the church began to push the mute button. It was something we just didn't talk about until it was too late. So we left it to the cultural institutions. The schools began to teach it. And the streets began to instruct us. I wish I could turn back the clock a generation or two just to get this insight out for all to see. So here's my latest leftover thought:
The hummingbirds and the bees are attracted to the colored sugar water which appears to be nectar. Nectar is something good for both of them and was created naturally for the good of the rest of creation. So the birds and the bees are in conflict over something that is not what it seems. They would be better off searching for the real thing around real flowers but the feeder makes it too easy for them and it is so alluring. It seems we humans have intervened once more with our own design and haven't thought it through so well. So it is with society's teaching about sexual things. The media, our prominent cultural institution, does a pretty good job of promoting that which is not the real thing when it comes to the allure and accessibility and satisfaction of our sexual desires. In contrast, the Creator God has designed in His mind and written in His plan the good and right way to enjoy a sexual relationship between two human beings. The boundaries of marriage between a man and a woman is His naturally designed place to partake of this God-given pleasure. When our society turns from a trustworthy plan and design in favor of something that looks good and seems right to the mind of man, there is emptiness, disappointment, and death at the end of this direction. We have made our own design the way we think things ought to be. And we suffer as a people because of it. I think I understand the anxiety of the hummingbird as he shares the space at the feeder with the lone honey bee. Even though the tiny hummingbird dwarfs the bee, the bird knows that the bee has a stinger. That stinger could be death to him. Our so-called freedom to experience and experiment with sexual relationships comes with a price we are not prepared to pay. Our sexual freedom, the prize of my generation's sexual revolution, has deceived us. It is not what it seemed. It is no prize at all. It's a penalty and the price for our ignorance and rebellion. We are only as free as God makes us. Free love is when God sets us free to love His way.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
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