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False Expectations

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This message is a part of the new sermon series for 2016 at King’s Grant Baptist Church, taken from Luke 14:25-35. Here is the video of my message.

There was a debate perhaps 25 years on the meaning of salvation. At that time I discovered a tremendously insightful resource by John MacArthur called, The Gospel According to Jesus. It changed my life. This is what it was all about…

As Baptists we understand that salvation by grace through faith. No one earns salvation through their deeds. But can someone be saved and not follow Jesus as a disciple? Can Jesus be your Savior without him being your Lord? Can you pray a prayer as a younger person, and because Baptists believe in “once saved always saved,” it matters not that you never grow in maturity?

Let me tell you a story about someone coming to Christ while I was out witnessing with my pastor; this was my first full-time staff position after seminary. The pastor and I went out visiting and this young man, likely a senior in high school, sat and talked with us at his kitchen table. I sensed that the guy was not buying what we were selling, but before we left, he was on his knees praying the sinner’s prayer with my pastor. My question after that evening, after it was all said and done was, “will we ever see this guy get involved in worship, Bible study, or have any desire to grow in spiritual maturity at all?” Did he mean it? Was he ready to accept the challenge of following Jesus?

What are the expectations that WE have of Jesus and Christianity? What are the expectations that Jesus has of US?

When Jesus left the Pharisee’s house, great crowds followed Him, but He was not impressed by their enthusiasm. He knew that most of those in the crowd were not the least bit interested in spiritual things. Some wanted only to see miracles, others heard that He fed the hungry, and a few hoped He would overthrow Rome and establish David’s promised kingdom. They were expecting the wrong things.

Jesus turned to the multitude and preached a sermon that deliberately thinned out the ranks. He made it clear that, when it comes to personal discipleship, He is more interested in quality than quantity. In the matter of saving lost souls, He wants His house to be filled (Luke 14:23); but in the matter of personal discipleship, He wants only those who are willing to pay the price.

A “disciple” is a learner, one who attaches himself or herself to a teacher in order to learn a trade or a subject. Perhaps our nearest modern equivalent is “apprentice,” one who learns by watching and by doing. The word disciple was the most common name for the followers of Jesus Christ and is used 264 times in the Gospels and the Book of Acts.

Jesus seems to make a distinction between salvation and discipleship. Salvation is open to all who will come by faith, while discipleship is for believers willing to pay a price. Salvation means coming to the cross and trusting Jesus Christ, while discipleship means carrying the cross and following Jesus Christ. Jesus wants as many sinners saved as possible (“that My house may be filled”), but He cautions us not to take discipleship lightly; and in the three parables He gave, He made it clear that there is a price to pay.

We are going to dive in to what it means to love Jesus Christ supremely and to carry one’s cross.

  1. Jesus’ Instruction concerning discipleship (Luke 14:25-27)
    1. In regard to the candidate’s family (Luke 14:25-26)
      1. Jesus was still traveling toward Jerusalem, and large crowds had joined him.
        1. Perhaps all these casual followers considered themselves “disciples” of this popular teacher.
        2. Perhaps they thought he was the Messiah and wanted to be there when he inaugurated his kingdom.
      2. Jesus needed to explain that following him did not mean receiving goodies, like the expectation of so many children.
        1. He wanted to explain what it meant to truly be his disciple. So he turned and spoke to them. His disciples had to hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself.
        2. This may be the only verse that teenagers will enthusiastically quote and follow, after all, Jesus said that I am to hate my parents.
        3. Certainly this caused a stir among the people. Who would possibly ask his followers to hate their family members and life itself? The point is not to HATE, but to LOVE others less. Your love for Jesus must be so strong that any other relationship of LOVE would look like HATE in comparison.
      3. Jesus never contradicts himself. Never has Jesus advocated “hatred”—in fact, he even commanded his followers to love their enemies (Luke 6:27, 35).
        1. In these words Jesus was not going against his own commands of love, or the fifth commandment to honor father and mother (Exodus 20:12).
        2. Instead, the word “hate” is a Semitic hyperbole—an obvious exaggeration to make a point (see Genesis 29:30–33; Proverbs 13:24). Their love for Jesus should be so complete and wholehearted that their love for family members, and for life itself, would pale in comparison, to the point of being like hatred. In first-century Jewish family settings, deciding for Jesus could mean alienation from the family.
        3. Jesus warned the would-be disciples that they must be clear about their true allegiance. Jesus’ point was that those who wanted to be his followers would have demands placed upon them. The task would not be easy. Sometimes relationships would be severed, and his followers would have to turn away and remain with Jesus (12:51–53). Those who cannot make that kind of commitment cannot be his disciple.
    2. In regard to the candidate (Luke 14:27)
      1. Besides being willing to love Jesus more than any others and more than life itself, the true disciple must be ready to carry the cross and follow Christ.
      2. Jesus’ audience was well aware of what it meant to “carry the cross.” When the Romans led a criminal to his execution site, the criminal would be forced to carry the cross on which he would die. This showed submission to Rome and warned observers that they had better submit too.
      3. Carrying your cross means daily identification with Christ in shame, suffering, and surrender to God’s will. It means death to self, to our own plans and ambitions, and a willingness to serve Him as He directs (John 12:23–28). Bearing a “cross” is something we willingly accept from God as part of His will for our lives.
      4. Jesus gave this teaching to get the crowds to think through their enthusiasm for him. He encouraged those who were superficial either to go deeper or to turn back. Following Christ means total submission to him—perhaps even to the point of death.
  2. Jesus’ Illustration concerning discipleship (Luke 14:28-35)
    1. A disciple must be like a man preparing to build: the example of the unfinished building (Luke 14:28-30). The story has a couple interesting observations.
      1. Adequate Resources – mockery – a landmark of foolishness. If a person could not finish what he started, the community would mock him, and his unfinished building would be a testimony to his lack of following through.
      2. Adverse Reality – the calling to follow Jesus deserves serious thought and contemplation – the example of John Mark leaving the missionary journey (Acts 12:25-13:5, 13:13). The glamour and newness wears off and reality sets in. The young man did not count the cost of following Jesus and serving God as a companion of Paul.
    2. A disciple must be like a monarch preparing for battle: the example of a unsuccessful war (Luke 14:31-33) – To rush out with his soldiers, without first discussing the options, would invite disaster for any nation. It is far better to think it through beforehand. So those who want to follow Jesus should carefully consider their decision.
      1. The Christian life is a battle, if it was easy, everyone would do it.
      2. Satan is the enemy and our adversary, who seeks out downfall. He is the god of this world. Spiritual warfare is not a minor endeavor.
      3. For some, giving up everything may be literal, such as the rich young ruler in Luke 18:18–23 and many of Jesus’ early followers; for others it may be a willingness to hold loosely to material possessions.
    3. A disciple must be like a maître d’ preparing for a banquet: the example of an unsavory condiment (Luke 14:34-35)
      1. The maître d’ handles the reservations and preparations, so many Christians blend into the world and avoid the cost of standing up for Christ.
      2. But Jesus says if Christians lose their distinctive saltiness, they become worthless. Just as salt flavors and preserves food, Christ’s disciples are to preserve the good in the world, help keep it from spoiling, and bring new flavor to life.
      3. This requires careful planning, willing sacrifice, and unswerving commitment to Christ’s kingdom. Being “salty” is not easy, but if Christians fail in this function, they fail to represent Christ in the world. The person with ears should be able to understand these words and apply them.
        1. Salt without flavor is good for nothing; it has no purpose at the dinner table.
        2. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

What are those “costs” to believers? Christians may face loss of social status or wealth. Family and friends may hate or avoid you. We may have to give up control over their money, time, or career. It is not like living overseas where Christianity is illegal, and may cost your freedom or your life.

Following Christ does not mean living a trouble-free life. All people must carefully count the cost of becoming Christ’s disciple so that they will know what they are getting into and won’t be tempted to turn back when the going gets tough.

The title of this message is False Expectations, so let me wrap this us by sharing with you what I would call one of the most haunting verses in the Bible is Matthew 7:21-23 – “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ Talk about false expectations. Those who expects “well done, good and faithful servant,” heard Jesus say, depart from me, I never knew you.”

Discipleship is serious business. If we are not true disciples, then Jesus cannot build the tower and fight the war. Oswald Chambers wrote, “There is always an if in connection with discipleship, and it implies that we need not [be disciples] unless we embrace this. There is never any compulsion; Jesus does not coerce us. There is only one way of being a disciple, and that is by being devoted to Jesus.”

IF we tell Jesus that we want to take up our cross and follow Him as His disciples, THEN He wants us to know exactly what we are getting into. He wants no false expectancy, no illusions, no bargains. He wants to use us as STONES for building His church, SOLDIERS for battling His enemies, and SALT for bettering His world; and He is looking for quality more than quality.

Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem when He spoke these words, and look what happened to Him there! He does not ask us to do anything for Him that He has not already done for us.

To some people, Jesus says, “You cannot be My disciples!” Why? Because they will not forsake everything for Christ, bearing shame and reproach for Him, and letting their love for Him control them.

Will you be His disciple?

Next Steps:

  • How possible are this conditions for you?
  • What has it cost you to follow Jesus?
  • What cost of following Jesus seems too high for you?
  • What relationships of other loyalties do you need to pray about to strengthen your loyalty to Jesus?
  • In what area of your life can you have a deliberate effect for Christ this week?

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Life On Purpose

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Life on Purpose, from Matthew 28:16-20

Why in the world am I here, today, on this planet, at this point in time? That is a question that people spend a lifetime trying to answer. For many, they discover their gifts, talents, and passions early in life and spend their lives pursuing their dreams. For others, they constantly drift from one cause to the next, which spills over into their work life, their marriage, degrees to seek, new relationships… where does it end? They question the point of life.

After all, it IS a very good question. Why we human being spend some 70-80 years on this planet, struggling through hurts and difficulties, enduring suffering and injustice and poverty, and health issues? What is the point of life?

The writer of Ecclesiastes had the same observation, that life is pointless, all vanity, chasing the wind. There is nothing new under the sun; and just when you think you see something new, like a vapor, it’s is gone.

That, in fact, is my testimony.

While in high school I thought about the purpose of life and I came to the conclusion that THIS temporary life was preparation for the everlasting NEXT life. If there is no heaven at the end of this life, then there is actually no purpose for our existence other than to eat, breathe, sleep, and procreate. Life is then no better than a dog, a flea, a monkey, or an amoeba. If preparation for everlasting life is the purpose of our lives, basically, God’s original intent, then it is extremely important to tell other people about how they can prepare for heaven.

Enter the Great Commission.

These famous words are not just for pastors and missionaries, they are for every follower of Jesus Christ. The question then becomes, will I accidentally carry out the Great Commission or will I approach it with intentionality? By accidentally, I mean going through life and reacting to others around, putting in a good word for Jesus only if someone asks us a question. By intentionality, I mean walking through life with an agenda, no matter what our vocation or position in life, seeking ways to get involved in spiritual conversations with unchurched people.

One clear fact in the early days of the Christian movement is that disciples shared the story of Jesus with other people.

The passage at the end of Matthew’s gospel can be divided into three sections:

  1. The Mountain (Matthew 28:16)
  2. The Mixed Reaction (Matthew 28:17)
  3. The Mandate (Matthew 28:18-20)

MOUNTAIN: One of the last meetings that Jesus had with his disciples was this mountaintop meeting in Galilee. The angel told the women at the tomb on that first resurrection morning to go tell his disciples that he had risen from the dead and that he was going ahead of them into Galilee where he would meet them. Some people interpret this event to be the appearance of Jesus to more than 500 of his followers (1 Corinthians 15:6). But from the mountain in Galilee we get a mixed reaction.

MIXED REACTION: The text says that when they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted. The fact that Matthew 28:16 says that, “some doubted” is evidence to me that this gathering was probably with more than his eleven closest men. The text mentions the 11 present, but it does not exclude the possibility of more being present. It doesn’t say ONLY the eleven. But the phrase jumps off the page at me because these guys spent so much time with Jesus, had seen the miracles, heard the teaching, failed to understand the predictions, but witnessed the crucifixion and resurrection appearances…

HOW COULD SOME DOUBT? I suppose for the same reasons that many of US doubt today. It’s an incredible story. It’s hard to believe someone is actually raised from the dead. I choose to deny the reality of what I see in front of me. I think I could come up with a better plan to connect with God than this resurrection and faith thing. But the point of the passage is that we have in our possession, GOOD NEWS, so this leads me to the mandate of Jesus.

MANDATE: Have you ever considered why this passage is called the Great Commission? Is this information any greater than the other stuff Jesus taught? Like the Sermon on the Mount? The parables of the kingdom? His prophetic words to his disciples that he was going to be mistreated, abused, and killed by the religious leaders in Jerusalem?

Perhaps it is because this is the last statement of Jesus before the ascension? It is so true that his last command needs to be our first concern. This declaration applies directly to believers, sort of giving us marching orders, explaining the reason and purpose, and the procedure for the task before the church. By the church, I mean those who are born again and who make up the body of Christ. The task is given to each of us, not just to a select few who are deemed to be professional ministers or exhibit a special call of God in their lives. The Great Commission is for ALL of us, but what is the key information that Jesus leaves for us to understand and obey?

In this mandate, we have three sections to chew on…

We have Jesus’ Authority (Matthew 28:18)

The word POWER actually means authority, the right to use the power. Some people actually leave this part out of the Great Commission, choosing to quote only Matthew 28:19-20, but the authority of Jesus cannot be left out.

The entire gospel of Matthew stresses the authority of Jesus to the primarily Jewish audience of Matthew’s gospel.

  1. There was authority in Jesus’ teaching (Matthew 7:29) for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
  2. There was authority in Jesus’ healing (Matthew 8:1-13) There is the story of the Centurion who was under authority, just say the word and my servant will be healed.
  3. There was authority in Jesus’ forgiving (Matthew 9:6) But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He *said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.”
  4. There was authority in Jesus’ dealing with Satan (Matthew 10:1) Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
  5. Here Jesus declares that he has ALL authority (Matthew 28:18)

What is a good reason to emphasize the authority of Jesus?

  1. If he has all authority and power, what do we have to fear?
  2. Wherever he leads, we really can go. No matter the circumstance, we know that we are covered by his authority.

Christianity is a missionary faith, and his last command must not be taken lightly.

  1. He does not desire for ANY to perish but ALL to come to him in faith.
  2. We have a message that the whole world needs to hear, even those who live on our streets, in our neighborhoods, offices, community centers, co-workers, classmates, and friends.
  3. We really have the “good news” that a lost world needs to hear. They may not accept it, but they need to hear it.

In the early church we see that they operated on the basis of Jesus possessing authority.

  1. They ministered in his name.
  2. They depended on his power and his guidance.
  3. They did NOT engage a lost world in their own power.

We have Jesus’ Assignment (Matthew 28:19-20a) the activity in which we must become involved.

GOING – this is actually NOT the command in the sentence, but a present participle (going). The only command in the Great Commission is to “make disciples.”

  1. “While you are going, make disciples of all nations.” The definition of a disciple – a learner, not an expert.
  2. No matter where you are, we are to seek ways to witness for Jesus and lead others to him (Acts 11:19-21)

BAPTIZING – Baptize them, in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

  1. Evangelism – sharing the gospel, the gospel cannot be mimed, it must be spoken.
  2. What is the gospel? (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
    1. The Gospel is Missional: we must not keep this good news to ourselves. We are under direct orders from the head of the church to share the gospel with every created being (Mark 16:15). “I PREACHED to you” (1 Corinthians 15:1-2, said twice).
    2. The Gospel is Christological: It is about Jesus – HE died, HE was buried, HE was raised, HE appeared, HE appeared, HE appeared.
    3. The Gospel is Historical: The gospel is an undeniable fact of history, even referenced in non-biblical sources (Josephus and Tacitus) (note the verbs) – he died, he was buried, he was raised, he appeared…
    4. The Gospel is Theological: Theology is the study or talk about God. The gospel is theological because it addresses the offensive nature of man’s sin toward a holy God (Habakkuk 1:13)
    5. The Gospel is Scriptural: The good news about the death and resurrection of Christ was predicted in the Old Testament, two times in this text it says, “according to the Scriptures” (Romans 1:1-2, Isaiah 53:5, 10-12, Psalm 16:10)
    6. The Gospel is Personal: Christ’s death was for “OUR sins.” Jesus died for my sins and your sins, that is why it is good news… it must be personally appropriated: “I preached to YOU, which YOU also received, in which also YOU stand, by which also YOU are saved, if YOU hold fast the word which I preached to YOU, unless YOU believed in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-2)

TEACHING – TEACH all that I have commanded you…

There are scriptural models.

  1. The example of the early church (Acts 2:41-47)
  2. The example of Paul (2 Timothy 2:1-2)

It is fine to have a systematic discipleship program, but let’s face it, many people in the church are educated far beyond their obedience.

  1. We make it to all these Bible studies and small groups, but we have made them an end unto themselves.
  2. The goal of any believer and any small group is to be missional. That simply means that we embrace the Great Commission and seek to advance his kingdom with intentionality.
  3. How can we get involved with lost people around us? Or impact those in our circles of influence? There is no impact without contact.

Teach what Jesus has commanded – faithful teaching from the Scriptures. Why teach the commands of Jesus?

  1. John 15:14 – to be Jesus’ friend
  2. John 15:10 – to enjoy God’s love
  3. 1 John 3:22 – to see your prayers answered
  4. John 14:15 – to prove your love for God
  5. 1 John 2:3 – to experience security of salvation
  6. John 14:21 – to know Jesus more deeply
  7. John 14:23 – to have close fellowship with God
  8. 1 John 5:2 – to genuinely love others
  9. 1 John 5:3 – to avoid many of the burdens of life
  10. John 13:34-35 – to be known as a disciple of Jesus Christ

Teach what Jesus has commanded YOU – this makes it personal. We are able to teach only that which Jesus has taught us. How are you growing individually? Personal devotion time? Personal Bible study and worship? How do you talk with other people about the things God is teaching you?

Perhaps a tool can help: The Bible App Initiative… you can find it in the Information Center and online, notice the web address in your outline (www.tiny.cc/groupquestions). Here is a quick list of what you can do with the Bible App Initiative this week:

  1. Attend worship and take notes on the pastor’s message.
  2. Sunday afternoon or evening, go to this webpage and select the proper page of questions (choose by book, then chapter or section of chapter).
  3. Print the questions to have handy throughout the week, perhaps leaving the page near the family dinner table.
  4. At a meal (for example) intentionally read the Bible passage, and then ask several questions to have a discussion with your spouse or family.
  5. You might have a question in mind to ask someone during the day (perhaps at school, at work, or in the neighborhood).
  6. Bible knowledge is one thing, but strive to discover the “take away” of this weekend’s passage, asking, “How can I apply this truth to my life?”

We have Jesus’ Assurance (Matthew 28:20b) which gives us an ability to get the job done.

  1. Jesus is not only in our midst when we get together, but he is with us when we scatter all over the world.
  2. Had Jesus stayed on earth, he could not have fulfilled his promise of sending the helper, the Holy Spirit to guide and remind us of all that Jesus said and did.

Biblical examples of Jesus being with his followers:

  1. While obeying this Great Commission, Paul came to Corinth (Acts 18:1) and won many and baptized them (Acts 18:8) and taught God’s word (Acts 18:11). When it got tough, Paul got a special visit from the Lord (Acts 18:9-10) “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”
  2. The end of the age: this indicates that the Lord has a plan, he is the Lord of history.

One way to be able to TEACH others is to be a LEARNER ourselves.

  1. Who are your favorite Christian authors?
  2. What are you reading in order to grow spiritually?
  3. Leaders are readers…

All this is designed to lead us into making disciples of all nations, to help others to know God and to love God; to be intentional witnesses and disciple-makers. We will not win the world by accident, we will not make disciples by simply inviting them to church. In our society today, we often equate evangelism with an invitation to church; but in reality, the Christian faith is more caught than taught.

Right now, as we think about the significance of the gospel message and our part in the Great Commission, we are moving into a time of reflection before taking the Lord’s Supper. This is a time of confession of times that we have fallen short, times when we have failed to be all that God desires for us to be, times when we have served ourselves before considering the needs of others.

As we partake of these elements, they represent the body and blood of Jesus. It is a meal that reminds us of the sacrifice of Jesus during that special Passover celebration, and that Jesus had now become the sacrificial lamb who would take away the sins of the world. No longer would our sins be covered, our sins would now be cleansed.

These elements, and our participation in this ordinance, proclaims the death and resurrection of Jesus until he comes back. This is the first step toward our proclamation of the gospel to a lost and dying world.

Lead through the Lord’s Supper…

Now that we have experienced communion together as the body of Christ, may we make the commitment to continue the proclamation of the gospel until the second coming. The times are urgent, and short, may God challenge us to make a difference in the lives of those around us, for his kingdom sake. Let this be a purpose for existence, to know Christ, and make him known.

Next Steps:

  1. Get involved in the Bible App Initiative – www.tiny.cc/groupquestions
  2. How is it that we continue to doubt, (which keeps us from being missional)?
  3. In what ways are you making disciples, and fulfilling his last command?
  4. What specific teaching of Jesus do you need to obey more consistently?
  5. How might you become more bold at putting in a good word for Jesus?
  6. In what ways are you a continual learner, yet living out your faith in practical ways, passing on faith to others?

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The Keys to the Kingdom

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Perhaps you have asked yourself questions like these: What does God want from me? How does he want me to live? I remember my early days as a believer, and I would often ask God to show me his will, reveal what he wanted from me. I remember finding verses like Micah 6:8, “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” or 1 Thessalonians 4:3, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification;” or Romans 8:29, “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son…” The goal back then was to be the best Christian I could be, walking in faith, walking in the light, walking in purity, but notice that the emphasis was always on ME.

But there are much bigger questions that believers must wrestle with. What is God’s global purpose and how do I fit into that? How does God expect me to do the work of evangelism? How am I making disciples? The preacher is always talking about the Great Commission and the need and responsibility that we believers have to be an intentional witness for the risen Savior Jesus Christ. I’m no Peter or Paul or Timothy; I’m just an average Joe who believes the story of Jesus, his work on the cross, and have put my trust in him alone for my salvation. I’m not ambitious enough to think that I can change the world, nor clever enough that God would use a person like me to make a difference. So, where do I fit in the Kingdom of God? How will I find my place in the Kingdom, which is our theme for 2015?

Perhaps you have been watching the NBC series on Sunday night called AD, the Bible Continues. While there are some portions embellished for story sake, the main story of the early days of the Christian church is great to watch. Those people had to stand up for what they believed in while the threats of imprisonment and death were constantly on their minds. God can’t expect us to live that way in this modern society.

Today, we seek out every possible way to be free from discomfort, and when we sense the need to go deeper with God, we use phrases like, “getting out of our comfort zone” or “if you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat” or we read books like “radical.” In actuality, we are NOT called to be RADICAL, but rather “radical” is a term that should describe the NORMAL Christian life. When we are not radically sold out to Jesus, we are living out some other gospel, not one that we read about in the New Testament.

Let’s get into First Thessalonians:

The first thing I want you to see in this passage is that Paul brought to the church a message with kingdom authority.

  1. Kingdom Authority:

For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, 2 but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. 3 For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.

The first thing I want you to see in these verses is…

The Manner of Paul’s Ministry (1 Thessalonians 2:1-2, 4)

  1. Paul was not a quitter (1 Thessalonians 2:1-2) He spoke with boldness, he suffered, he was mistreated, but he was dedicated to God, he continued to preach with a lot of opposition or contention.
  • He was jailed in Philippi (Acts 16:16-40) so he was a man with a police record, an ex-con, a jail-bird.
  • He was accused of being a man on the run from justice, and who would listen to such a man? There were people who twisted his message, his motives, and his methods.
  1. Paul was a steward (1 Thessalonians 2:4) he was entrusted with the gospel.
  • A steward owns nothing, but possesses and uses everything that belongs to his master.
  • A steward possesses faithfulness to his Master (1 Corinthians 4:1-2), we are not to aim for pleasing men, but pleasing God.

The people had no less than three charges against Paul. Let’s take a look at…

The Message of Paul’s Ministry (1 Thessalonians 2:3a). Paul’s message did not come from error; it was true and contained no deceit. This message came directly from God. People would accuse him of being mad, a crazy man, like…

  • Early in Jesus’ ministry (Mark 3:21), “When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He has lost His senses.”
  • Later in Paul’s life when Festus thought has was insane (Acts 26:24), “While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad.”

We need to have the same burning passion of constantly talking about Jesus, what he has done for us, and sharing what we know and have experienced.

The Motive of Paul’s Ministry (1 Thessalonians 2:3b). Another accusation came that Paul was preaching with impure motives. It is possible to preach the right message with the wrong motives. The early church had a practice of what is called “agape meals” which had been called “love Feasts” according to Jude 1:12. You can imagine how critics could take that term and reduce it toward something immoral, but Paul’s motivation was clean; it was pure.

The Method of Paul’s Ministry (1 Thessalonians 2:3c). There was no guile or trickery to win converts to faith in Jesus. The word has an image of “baiting a hook;” yet Paul did not trap people with cleaver salesmanship. Salvation does not come at the end of some cleaver argument or subtle presentation, salvation is the result of God’s Word connecting with the power of the Holy Spirit … for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. (1 Thessalonians 1:5). In this passage, we see there was no deceit in Paul’s method.

His message of kingdom authority came out of his kingdom authenticity.

  1. Kingdom Authenticity:

5 For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness— 6 nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority.

First Thessalonians tells us that Paul invested his life into this community, and made a difference. People knew the truth of his word and his words. He was not a cheap peddler of elixir, or a feel-good gospel, or a prosperity gospel. People accused him of flattery speech and being greedy, but Paul’s readers knew that he told the truth, just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

Paul also appealed to the witness of God (1 Thessalonians 2:5, 10) and to their witness as well (1 Thessalonians 2:11). A person with flattery speech will manipulate rather than communicate. In America, we are getting used to being manipulated and lied to, especially during an election year. We see this regularly happening today in the mainstream media, if you repeat a lie often enough, and loudly enough, it will be accepted as the truth.

Authenticity means being who you claim to be as well as being who you ought to be. This is a challenge for all of us. There has to be authenticity in our pulpit ministry, corporate worship life, and in our individual and family lives, too.

Paul had kingdom authority and lived his life with kingdom authenticity; which could only happened while possessing a kingdom attitude.

  1. Kingdom Attitude:

7 But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. 8 Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. 9 For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; 11 just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children,

This section begins and ends with two great illustrations: he behaved as a mother with her child and a father with his children. This reveals the care and concern that parents have for their kids, and as kingdom people, we should have toward those inside and outside of the faith. A kingdom attitude understands that we do not live only for ourselves. The church does not exist for itself. The church is probably the only organization that exists solely for the benefit of those who are not members.

Think about how Jesus treated his disciples. He lived among them, coached them, taught them, challenged them, encouraged them, all these things are done in close proximity, as the body of faith. Babies are not birthed only to let them fend for themselves; neither are we to do the same with the children of God.

Believers in Jesus Christ must invest their lives into the next generation; it is imperative for human families, it is essential with our spiritual family. We must be of the same attitude, to work day and night, proclaiming the good news of Christ (1 Thessalonians 2:9). This type of investment of life and involvement in the lives of other people is different than church business as usual.

Paul had kingdom authority and lived his life with kingdom authenticity; which could only happened while possessing a kingdom attitude; so to make this happen, we need a kingdom approach.

  1. Kingdom Approach:

12 so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

This verse tells us that the way in which we walk (meaning, the way we live our lives) must be in a manner worthy of God. The old approach is that we simply believe in the facts about Jesus whether we end up living according to that standard or not. It was all about right belief and praying a prayer of salvation. This approach has led us to the point we find the church today.

Think about the evangelism of the past, we were taught to go to strangers, knock on doors, or go to the unchurched people you know to make sure they hear a clear presentation of the gospel. We want them saved, to believe in the resurrected Jesus, the only way to the Father (John 14:6). That may be well and good, but I question the effectiveness of this approach. A kingdom approach involves living our lives in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into his kingdom.

I’m not talking about lifestyle evangelism, which is generally translated as, “I won’t speak up and say anything about Jesus, I just let my life speak for me; after all, my actions will speak louder than my words.” The problem is that no one is perfect and lost people will be disappointed in other human beings in the long run.

While it is true that Jesus said to let your light shine before me so they will glorify the Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16), Paul said in Romans 10:17, that faith comes from hearing. People need to hear you putting in a good word for Jesus. Lifestyle alone is not sufficient.

St. Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.” It sounds good on the surface but let’s think about this logically. Doing acts of kindness for others will not invite them to fall on their knees and repent, it takes our speaking up so they can HEAR the gospel and follow Jesus. As an example of the importance of action, consider this, “Feed the hungry at all times, and if necessary, use food.” Being an advocate for hunger issues is different from feeding hungry people. How will people taste of the Bread of Life if we don’t provide the necessary food?

So, this new approach is all about getting involved in our community and impacting our circles of influence, more than creating the next great event designed to attract people to our church in hopes they hear the gospel from a professional pastor. In this attractional model, evangelism has become synonymous with an invitation to church.

So finally, Paul had kingdom authority and lived his life with kingdom authenticity; which could only happened when possessing a kingdom attitude; employing a kingdom approach, and being involved in kingdom activity.

  1. Kingdom Activity:

13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. 14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews,

Paul sums up this entire section by thanking God that the Thessalonians received his message and accepted the message for what it was, the Word of God, and not the word of men. The challenge he has in this section comes right out of verse 14, that they would become imitators of the churches in Judea (1 Thessalonians 2:14). So, what is the church supposed to be doing?

One of the best places in Scripture to read about the activities of the early church is in the book of Acts 2:42-47. Back in April I was able to preach about Praying for the Church’s MVPs (the church’s Mission, Vision, and Proclamation) so I won’t revisit that today, but the point is, we are to be on mission in this life. The church must be active and on the move, we have marching orders, and HIS last command needs to be OUR first concern.

We have been entrusted with the gospel, and we must be good stewards of that which the Father has given to us. We are gifted in various areas, different people are able to serve in different capacities. It is important to find a place to give back, make a difference, and impact the kingdom of God.

We have kingdom authority and are challenged to live with kingdom authenticity; which can only happened when we have a kingdom attitude, employing a kingdom approach, and being involved in kingdom activity. This is how we make a difference in the lives of others, for the kingdom’s sake. These five things really are the keys to the kingdom.

Next Steps:

In what ways can you BLESS your neighbors and co-workers each week? Remember this means to

  1. Begin with prayer, then
  2. Listen, or
  3. Eat a meal that week with an unchurched person, or
  4. Serve someone in Jesus’ name, or
  5. Share YOUR story or HIS story.

How can you make sure that you are trying to please God rather than trying to please yourself or other people?

Into whom, and how, are you imparting the gospel of God and your own life to others (1 Thessalonians 2:8-9)?

What is the difference between accepting a message as the Word of God and responding to it? (1 Thessalonians 2:13-14)

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Praying for Our MVPs

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My text today is from Acts 2:42-47 and Acts 1:8

The emphasis of this week’s chapter in the Thom Rainer book (I Am a Church Member) is on praying for church leaders, like…

  • The staff, shepherds, and sheep
  • His protection, perseverance, and preaching
  • His physical, mental, and spiritual health
  • His faithfulness, fidelity, and family, but let me broaden you prayer list to include…
  • The church’s mission, vision, proclamation (MVPs)
    • Mission
    • Vision
    • Proclamation

Pray for the Church’s Mission: The mission of KGBC is Knowing Christ and making him known. This statement incorporates two main functions: evangelism and discipleship. If we don’t do these two things, we cannot call ourselves a church. To see how we align ourselves with the mission of the early church, let’s go back to the birth of the church, in Acts 2.

Acts 2:42 tells us that “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

This verse appears to be the lowest common denominator for a church, ground zero. These four essentials are what the church is all about. But the description of these events must be read in context, which is immediate follow-up care for new converts to Christianity, Just look back at Acts 2:41.

One key word I see in Acts 2:42 is the word “devoted,” and this continual devotion covers four main activities.

1. Teaching: which includes preaching, and this is not just any teaching, or some positive or motivational message, but the “apostles’ teaching,” which focused on the Word of God, the Bible. They were wholly devoted to the revelation of God and the sacred Scriptures. The apostles were men who were with Jesus from the beginning to the end of his earthly life. They shared the stories and the teachings of Jesus. Through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit they were able to interpret Old Testament passages in the light of Christ and the cross.

Jesus had instructed them in what we call the Great Commission, to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Without an instruction manual, we can assume that they taught or explained the nature of salvation, Christ’s work on the cross, the commands of Christ, and other lesson on the Christian life.

Regarding the commands of Christ, have you ever looked over all the imperatives of Jesus in the gospels? Imperatives are parts of grammar that are in essence commands.

2. Fellowship: teaching without fellowship would be a school, a place simply to dispense information. Koinonia refers to close, mutual relationships, sharing a common life, getting involved with one another. They not only learned through teaching, but they lived through fellowship. This is where we discover the essence of small group ministry.

3. The Breaking of Bread: the Lord’s church is gathered around the table, while baptism is mentioned prior to these verses, we know the church is devoted to two ordinances. Baptism refers to our conversion to Christ and the Lord’s Supper refers to our communion with Christ. An acceptable and inclusive term would be worship.

There is debate over this phrase. The definite article in Acts 2:42, “the breaking of bread” would refer to observing the Lord’s Supper, but in Acts 2:46, there is no definite article and would indicate sharing a meal together. In reality, they likely shared meals together and at the end, they broke bread in remembrance of Jesus.

It is interesting to note that the three other features in this verse are spiritual activities (teaching, fellowship, prayer) that the fourth one here would also be spiritual.

4. Prayer: The verse also includes the definite article and can be read, “and to the prayers.” The temple had set times for prayer and the disciples attended in those early years. In the early church they used the Lord’s Prayer during these times, as we find in the Didache, an early church manual for the church (late first century, section 8 on fasting and praying) that the Lord’s Prayer is recited, three times per day. By the fourth century, John Chrysostom defined prayers as “conversations with God.”

The emphasis for us today is to spend time adoring our Lord and Savior, confessing sin, interceding for others, petitioning for God to provide, and thanking him for his provision.

While you can have more characteristics in the church, you really cannot have less than these four.

Pray for the Church’s Vision: a vision is what spiritual leaders must have and then effectively communicate and pass on to the church (the congregation). Acts 2:43-47 is what we might call the vision of the early church. Let me suggest that “community life” was the vision of the early church fathers.

Acts 2:43-47 – Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

By the empowerment of the Spirit of God, he worked on their lives, integrity, trust, joy, confidence, dependence, unity, generosity, forgiveness, compassion, harmony, stability, grace… and what was the result (Acts 2:46-47)? (The Lord added to their numbers).

  1. A sense of awe – at the signs and wonders of the apostles. Everyone indicates those inside the church and outside of the church. The vision is to have a church that is empowered by our supernatural God, where awe at what God is doing here is a regular feature in worship.
  2. Sharing possessions – property was sold according to needs, the texts supports giving as needed, not turning over property due to force, like we find in communism. Nor was it a once for all disposal of property. The vision is to have people in the fellowship not only touched by Christ, but their wallets are touched as well.
  3. Day by day – Their spirituality was not just reserved for Sunday, but their faith permeated life throughout the week, day by day. The vision is to have people engaged with Jesus and with other believers every day, but not to the exclusion of engaging lost people (I’ll talk about that in just a moment).
  4. Continuing – indicated their commitment to the mission and the vision of the church. The vision is for people to have perseverance as they walk this narrow path with honor and integrity.
  5. One mind – indicates their desire for unity within the body of Christ, they had one mind. The vision is for all of us to be united in spirit and together strive to become more and more like our Savior.
  6. In the temple – this may seem odd in our one-day-a-week attending church, but the early believers tried to maintain ties with lost people in the temple in whatever capacity they could. It was much later, after the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) where they decided that converts to Christianity need not become Jewish first. The vision is that people will no longer forsake the gathering of ourselves together, which is the habit of some… that is Hebrews 10:25.
  7. House to house – These home fellowship groups were the norm in the early church; it was not until about 300 years later that “church houses” were built so everyone could meet together (once Christianity became legalized in AD 313). The vision is to have believers engaging lost people in their homes. Most Americans say that their home is their refuge, away from the rest of this crazy world, but we must remember that JESUS is our refuge, and our homes are places of ministry. The ministry of hospitality is much more genuine than simply inviting people to church, where we hope they hear the gospel from a trained professional pastor. You may have heard the phrase “every member is a minister” but it is more accurate to say, “every member is a missionary” and I will explain that in a moment.

8. Meals together – this seems obvious but notice how these meetings were described: together, with gladness, and sincerity of heart. This goes back to their fellowship, being united in Christ. They had single-minded devotion to God with simplicity and generosity. Joy came from the heart and they felt no need to impress others. The vision is to be a missionary to your neighborhood, your workplace, the sports field, the community center, you name it. Taking the gospel outside of the walls of the church building.

Then we get to the results of our authentic Christianity:

  1. Praising God – This is the natural result of experiencing authentic Christian community; they remember the good things God has done in and through his people.
  2. Favor of outsiders – when people see that our faith is real, it speaks to the hearts of lost people. The early church won the admiration of those outside the church – their honesty, respect, passion, acceptance, joy, peace…
  3. Numerical growth – since all living things grow, and if the church is more of an organism than it is an organization, the church should grow. This growth came as a result of unbelievers seeing the genuine transformation as seen in the lives of disciples of Jesus. (See also Acts 4:4, 5:14, 6:7, 9:31, 11:21-24, 14:1, 16:5, 17:12).

They had all this growth in spite of intense opposition and persecution; sometimes this growth came because of it.
So, this mission of knowing Christ and making him know is clear within the church, and we can use the vision of the early church to guide us toward embracing a renewed vision at King’s Grant, but I have come up short, and perhaps you have noticed it. When I shared the mission section, I only talked about knowing Christ; I need to address the second part – making Christ known.

Pray for the Church’s Proclamation: let’s read Acts 1:8

This is the key to the whole concept of church: Acts 1 comes before Acts 2. Well, you might just be thinking, “well, duh!” So let me explain. We can talk a lot about what the church needs to look like, what it must include, and even get all excited about a vision for the future, BUT, if we focus on Acts 2:42-47 and leave out Acts 1:8, we are NOT the church.

For years, the churches all across America have used an “attractional” model in their evangelism strategy. By this I mean that through the years, evangelism has become an invitation to a church program. If we can only get my lost friend Bill to come with me to church, he can hear the gospel from a professional pastor. There is a flaw in the attractional model. How often are you able to bring an unchurched neighbor or co-worker to church? And for many of the believers here, when you are able to invite someone to come with you on Sunday, you can’t even sit with them because you are volunteering somewhere.

Here is an example: you spend time with Bill you invite him, to a Christmas program here at church, and at some point Bill becomes a believer! Then we tell him that he needs to attend church, read his Bible, get involved on some ministry team at church, and Bill seems to be losing his connection with lost people.

What if we trained Bill to maintain those old connections, partnering with a mature believer, and use those connections to the community center, school, social club, for God’s glory?

Missional: Let me share with you a better way. It is called a “missional model.”

In Genesis 12:1-3, look at what our missionary God said to Abram (later he named him Abraham):

1 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives, And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you;
2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing;
3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Using this very simple acrostic, you can effectively get the gospel past the walls of this building, and be confident that you are intentionally seeking God’s kingdom and interaction with lost people.

Begin with Prayer – remember that you are not trying to win people to the Lord, you are praying that God will reach your lost friends, perhaps through you, but that is not the goal.

Listen – ask lots of questions and honestly listen to their hurts, needs, struggles, joys, motivations,

Eat – this is an easy one; simply eat a meal with an unchurched person you know. It is amazing how sharing a meal brings down walls. It can be a fast food lunch or a dinner you prepare at home. It is an interestingly inconsistent that we would desire someone to be saved (and spend eternity with them in heaven) yet don’t invite that person into our home.

Serve – out of our listening and eating with people, how can we take what we heard to help meet their needs, how can we serve them, do things for them, expecting nothing in return?

Story – at this point there are two stories that you are seeking to share, YOUR story and HIS story.

We must be a praying church: and not just for an illness, an upcoming surgery, or safety when we travel. I mean a praying church where we spend time on our faces before God pouring out our hearts to God over lostness, broken families, unreached people groups, martyred Christians in the middle east, women and children trapped in the sex trafficking industry, men addicted to pornography, and yes, praying for opportunities to put in a good word for Jesus and then the strength to actually DO IT.

Ask God to give you a vision of being a part of authentic Christian community through the small groups that we offer here.

Better yet, pray about how you can actually use your home as a ministry tool.

Ask God to help you BLESS people each week.

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Facing Our Spiritual Immaturity

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The writer to the Hebrews instructs the church to, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrew 13:17). This is an awesome charge, NOT to the leaders, but to the people. While the leaders have charge over the souls of God’s people (which is intimidatingly awesome to say the least) the writer tells the people that it is their responsibility to not cause grief to their spiritual leaders. Spiritual leaders teach, guide, instruct, challenge, protect, admonish, comfort, and yes, rebuke and discipline when it is needed. It is not an authority thing, or a superiority issue, but God says there are benefits in people cooperating with their leaders. As people catch vision, discover their places of service and ministry, live out their faith in a lost and dying world, leading people ought to be a joy, not full of grief.

So, this message is from a heart of love and compassion, to help us and to challenge us all to become the people of God that the Lord desires for us to be.

From the Hebrews 5 passage today, the consequences of not being all-in for God, is spiritual immaturity. And let’s admit it, we often desire to remain immature, probably so that we are not obligated to work, or to serve, or get connected, or talk about our faith, or lead people to Jesus, or teach preschoolers or children… just fill in the blank with whatever you fear that God would ask you to do for his kingdom.

How many of us would admit that we have told God, “Give me enough of Jesus to escape hell, but not so much that would move me toward actually BEING the hands and feet of Jesus in the church or the community.”

After a long discussion about the priesthood of Christ being superior to that of the earthly priests in the line of Aaron (Hebrews 5:1-10), we get to our focal passage today. Here the writer deviates from his theological presentation to address to the people of the church… and in addressing them, he addresses us.

This is a practical section on how to move away from spiritual immaturity and toward spiritual maturity (Hebrews 5:11-14), but first, everyone needs to take an inventory of their spiritual progress. If you recognize your spiritual immaturity, you may be have-way there. But let’s NOT stay there. Using this spiritual inventory, we will see that it is so important to know where you ARE before you can get where you want to GO.

What about the people reading this letter? They needed to face their spiritual immaturity… and so do we. The first thing I want to point out is that…

They had a MENTAL problem, they were dull of hearing. Dullness in hearing is definitely a sign of spiritual immaturity. Let’s read again Hebrews 5:11 – Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. Let’s recap through the book of Hebrews and discover their backward journey…

First, they were drifting from the Word (Hebrews 2:1-3a) – For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, 3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?

Next, they were doubting the Word (Hebrews 3:7-4:13) – 3:12 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end… 4:11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. How will anyone have an evil, unbelieving heart? They doubt the Word of God and embrace the deceitfulness of sin.

Now, they were dull of hearing the Word of God, which manifested itself by being unable to listen to God’s Word, receive the Word, or even act on the Word. They were not like the people in Thessalonica where Paul writes about them, “Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

Face it; one of the first steps backward toward spiritual immaturity and complacency is that we develop a dullness toward the Bible and the things of God.

  • The Sunday School class is dull.
  • The lesson is dull.
  • The preacher and his sermons are dull.
  • All this church stuff is always dull, or to use the word of the day, BORING.

But let me submit to you that it is not the Sunday School teacher, not the preacher, or anything else, but the problem resides within the attender himself, because when you encounter the living God, it is anything but dull.

The fact is, you get out of a service or a Bible study exactly what you expect from it or what you put into it. Worship becomes “all about me” when I tell myself or someone else about how the choir special didn’t speak to me, or that the preacher’s message was irrelevant to my life.

How often do we drive to church having LITTLE or NO preparation to encounter the living God? We hurriedly strut into God’s presence with an attitude of, “bless me, wow me, God must surely be happy that I’m here today, this service better not go past 12:00, I hope no one comes forward to get saved because that will delay my lunch, I’m not going to respond to the invitation and commitment time because THAT is for other people, because me and God are just fine.”

So, people were dull of hearing, which indicated they had a MENTAL problem. I also challenge you to see that…

They had a MORAL problem, they refused to be teachers. Face it, the inability to share God’s truth with other people is a sign of spiritual immaturity. Hebrews 5:12a says, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God.” The word, “ought” indicates an obligation, and since it was their DUTY to teach others, their failure to do so became a moral problem.

I understand that not all believers have the gift of teaching, but we ALL can tell someone else about what we learned in the Bible, or what God has taught us by reading the Bible.

I find it interesting that the very first real problem we discover in a child is the inability to share with other people? NOT sharing is certainly a sign of childishness and immaturity.

Those who were the recipients of this letter should have been teaching others by now. But instead of helping others to grow in their knowledge of and love for God, they were in need of going over and over again the elementary principles of the Christian life. They wanted to stay in the shallow end of the pool, never desiring to launch into the deep end of spiritual truth and understanding.

If you want to get out of the kiddie pool or out of your second childhood, then learn to teach others, learn to share the Word of God with other people. It takes a little practice to be good at it, but you have to get started and keep moving forward.

Teach in your own Sunday School class; ask for an opportunity to lead a lesson one week, be a substitute once a month.

Tell Connie or Karen that you want to invest your life into the next generation, leaving a legacy of faith to the children in our congregation. You can sign up for every other month in a 9:45 Sunday School class or even once a month working with preschoolers at 11:00.

Think about all the needs we have in our children’s and our preschool departments. If everyone would simply commit to helping out every once in a while, we will share the load, and those who have been serving faithfully for years won’t burn out. People can still be a part of an adult class on a regular basis.

I’ve heard a few stories from older members who founded and established this church, that “we have put in our time, and it’s time for the 30-somethings and 40-somethings to step up…” There IS something to be said for that.

I know that many people in this room have taught for years and faithfully served for so long, but is it EVER true that you can retire from teaching others the Word of God?

Some people may not be physically able to serve like they used to and that’s OK. Maybe your strength doesn’t allow you to securely hold babies anymore, or your knees won’t let you to get on the floor with toddlers.

But I challenge you all to look around the room and see all of the able-bodied believers who could step up to the meet needs of others and share what they have and what they know with others.

After looking around, make sure you also look in the mirror. What is holding YOU back? Knowledge? Apathy? Education? The fear of tough questions? Very few people attended seminary so you can’t simply leave it all to the pastor or staff. The CHURCH is charged with the gospel, that ALL of US, ordinary followers of Jesus allowing the Holy Spirit to use us as he sees fit.

Remember that the Word of God was translated into the vernacular (the common language) so that God’s Word would be in the hands of everyday common people. No longer would God’s Word be only for an elite few (like pastors and priests) who understood Latin, or New Testament Greek. The Bible is for the PEOPLE to read, and then people are unleashed to read, serve, teach, witness, and share about God and what he has done for us all.

Let me put in a good word about small groups and teaching: I would much rather have servant-leaders who have a heart for a small group of people, than those who just teach the Bible without exercising care and concern for their flock.

Fortunately, King’s Grant has a bunch of people serving in our discipleship ministry who do BOTH very well. But the fact is, we will not, and cannot grow to the next level without the body of Christ stepping up and doing what it takes to serve and teach others. We cannot let our faith or discipleship be a “one-hour-on-Sunday” experience.

So, not only did these people in the book of Hebrews have a MENTAL problem, (they were dull of hearing the Word of God); and have a MORAL problem, (they refused to do their duty and teach God’s word to others)…

They had a DEVELOPMENTAL problem: They preferred their “baby food” diet by continuing to feed on “milk” rather than “meat,” which is another sign of their spiritual immaturity. Hebrews 5:12b-13 says, “you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.” These people were still babies.

I believe that spiritual infancy is nurtured by religious ritual. I say this because the nation of Israel would be considered to be in the infancy stage of Christianity. The old covenant has passed away and the new covenant was brought through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. With the coming of Christ, the nursery is left behind. They made no spiritual progress because they were tied to the apron strings of a ritualistic religious system.

Perhaps the ritualistic system today is what I call “drive by church.” Many people say, “I’ll just attend, but have no plans on getting involved, or investing my life into others, or allowing others to invest their lives into me.” For many people, Christmas and Easter are all they desire of the things of God, and this may be the ultimate in a ritualistic mindset.

Let’s talk about the “milk” and “meat” for a moment:

  • “Milk” is considered to be the first or elementary principles of God, which would include the teachings about the earthly ministry of Jesus: his birth, life, teachings, miracles, death, burial, resurrection.
  • “Meat” would be the teachings about the ministry of Jesus RIGHT NOW in heaven as our high priest.

Even the most mature believer still drinks milk, we enjoy and are challenged by the teachings of Jesus while he was on earth. But we must not stop there. We must include what we call theology. How does all of this fit together? How is Jesus the fulfillment of the Old Testament? How can I apply this teaching in today’s world?

So, these people had a MENTAL problem, (they were dull of hearing the Word of God); and had a MORAL problem, (they refused to do their duty and teach God’s word to others); they also had a DEVELOPMENTAL problem (preferring spiritual milk rather than meat); and finally, we come to the last mark of spiritual immaturity…

They had a DISCERNMENT problem: They were unskilled in using God’s Word, because as we grow in spirituality and knowledge of God’s Word, we must learn to apply it in everyday life. Hebrews 5:14 tells us, “But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”

When we APPLY the Word of God, we develop our spiritual senses and exercise discernment. Little children lack such discernment; think about it, a baby will put anything in its mouth, food, bugs, dirt, rocks, moth balls, a soiled diaper.

So, what does that means for an immature believer? He or she will listen to ANY preacher on the TV, radio, or podcast and not be able to discern truth from error.

Discerning good and evil are a part of the Christian life, and those reading this letter to the Hebrews were in danger of making a terrible mistake. Just as Israel failed to discern God’s leadership, their failure caused them to go backwards and wander aimlessly through the wilderness. They were unable to enter into God’s rest.

Hebrew 4:11 says, “Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.”

Wow, it’s time to draw this to a close. How do we make this message practical? Let me tell you a story.

Imagine a football team, fired up, the cheering crowds, with pep rally fever pitch, and now the team is running out to the huddle. They gather to hear the play, break, and then run back to the bench. This happens several times, and the crowd begins to wonder what’s going on. This is a great picture of today’s American church. We run out on the field, huddle, hear the pastor’s plays, he tells us what we need to do, we all agree, then break, we run back to the sidelines. Imagine the church actually running the plays, and making a difference. (from Francis Chan, The Forgotten God)

It’s time to face your spiritual immaturity and you MUST conduct a proper evaluation of where you are before you look ahead to where you want to be. Check your bulletin outline and look at those questions at the bottom.

  1. How would you describe your level of spiritual maturity?
  2. How have you grown since you first came to faith in Christ?
  3. For what decisions do you need a little extra discernment?
  4. Of what does your spiritual diet consist?
  5. How can you become more useful to God and his kingdom?
  6. What will you plan to do to become more mature in your relationship with Christ?
  7. What will you change in your daily and weekly routine to combat spiritual immaturity and laziness?
  8. Where will you volunteer to make an impact on others? It’s time to get out of the huddle and run some plays!

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How Do You Respond to Jesus?

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The message comes from all of John chapter seven, but on Sunday we read only John 7:40-52.

The Feast of Tabernacles looked back to Israel’s journey through the wilderness, and looked forward to the promised kingdom of the Messiah. The Jews lived in these booths (or tabernacles, or shelters) made of branches to remind them of God’s providential care of the nation for nearly 40 years of wandering in the wilderness (Leviticus 23 33-44).

Following the Feast of Trumpets and the solemn Day of Atonement, Tabernacles was a festive time for the people. The temple area was illuminated by large candlesticks that reminded the people of the guiding pillar of fire, and each day the priest would carry water from the pool of Siloam and pour it out from the golden pitcher, reminding the Jews of God’s miraculous provision of water from the rock.

The feast may have been an exciting time for the people, but it was a difficult time for Jesus because it marked the beginning of open and militant opposition toward him and his ministry. Ever since he had healed that paralytic on the Sabbath day (John 5:1-15), Jesus had been targeted by the Jewish leaders who wanted to kill him, so he remained in Galilee, where he would be safer, but he could not stay in Galilee and observe the feast.

1. Before the feast there was DISBELIEF (John 7:1-10)

The first 10 verses in chapter 7 reveal a little bit about the family life of Jesus. Mary, the mother of Jesus, had other children with Joseph, so Jesus would have been their half-brother. It seems incredible that his brothers could have lived with him all those years and not realized the uniqueness of Jesus. Certainly they knew about his miracles because everybody else did. They had the closest contact with him and had the best opportunity to watch him and test him, yet they remained unbelievers.

These men were going up to a religious feast, at the same time rejecting their own promised Messiah. But before we judge them too quickly, think about how easy is it to follow religious tradition and miss an eternal truth? In John 7, the common people were rejoicing at the message of Jesus, but his own half-brothers were making fun of him (see John 7:3-5).

These men certainly have the world’s point of view, if you want to get a following; you take opportunities to do something spectacular. Jerusalem would be crowded with religious pilgrims, and this would give Jesus the ideal platform to present himself to the public and win disciples. No doubt the brothers knew about all those disciples who had deserted Jesus back in John 6:66, so going to Jerusalem was his opportunity to recoup his losses.

Jesus was exercising caution because he knew that the Jewish leaders wanted to kill him (John 7:1). Although they were religious leaders, they were a part of the establishment that hated Jesus because he exposed their evil deeds. By his character and by his ministry, he revealed just how shallow and empty the existing religious system was. But Jesus did not go up with his brothers, his time had not yet come (John 7:6, 8) so he stays in Galilee (John 7:9).

Interestingly enough, Jesus immediately goes up to the feast anyway, but in secret, he did not go publicly as the brothers recommended (John 7:10).

2. In the midst of the feast there is DEBATE (John 7:11-29)

While in Jerusalem, at the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus gets involved in various debates with three different groups of people.

1) First, there were the “Jewish leaders” who lived in Jerusalem and were involved in the temple ministry. This would include the Pharisees and the chief priests as well as the scribes. While these men differed theologically, they agreed on one thing, they opposed Jesus and were determined to get rid of him. The only known exceptions were Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea.

2) The second group of people would be the “festival crowd” who traveled to Jerusalem to worship. Many of these would NOT be influenced by the attitude of the religious leaders in Jerusalem. In John 7:20, the people were amazed that anybody would want to kill Jesus. They were not up-to-date on all the gossip in the city and had to learn on the streets that Jesus was considered a law breaker by the religious officials.

3) The third group of people was composed of Jews who actually lived in Jerusalem. They would have likely sided with the religious leaders.

The debate begins even before Jesus arrives in the city, and it is centered on his character (John 7:11-13). The religious leaders kept seeking Jesus, but the crowd kept arguing 1) whether he was a GOOD MAN or 2) a DECEIVER who was leading the multitudes astray (John 7:12). In their minds he would have to be one or the other, because a truly good man would not deceive anybody. Jesus is either who he claims to be, or he is a liar.

When Jesus began to teach openly in the temple, the debate shifted to his doctrine (John 7:14-19). It is interesting how character and doctrine go together. It would be foolish to trust the teachings of a liar. The Jews were amazed at what Jesus taught, because he didn’t have any credentials from their approved rabbinical schools (John 7:15). Since he lacked this proper accreditation, his enemies must have said that his teachings were nothing but private opinions and not worth much of anything (but Jesus responds in John 7:18, Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies).

It is interesting to note that it was often said that “Jesus taught with authority,” while all the scribes and Pharisees “taught from authorities,” quoting all the famous Rabbis.

The first debate was with the Jews, but then the visitors to the city entered into the discussion (John 7:20). Jesus boldly announced that the leaders wanted to kill him because he had violated the Sabbath (back in John 5:1-9) and then he claimed to be God (John 5:10-18). But look what Jesus says in John 7:23, the Jews would break the Sabbath laws when they had their sons circumcised on the Sabbath Day, so why could Jesus not heal a man on the Sabbath? So, “Why do YOU lawbreakers want to kill ME?” (John 7:19)

But the visitors to the city did not know that the religious leaders were out to kill Jesus, so they challenged Jesus in his statement. Their response contained a serious third accusation, 3) that Jesus had a DEMON. This goes way beyond debating whether he was a good man or a deceiver. But it was not a new accusation, because the leaders had said it before (Matthew 9:34, 11:18, John 8:48-49). I’m not sure if they actually believed Jesus had a demon, or if the people were simply saying, “You must be crazy to think that anybody wants to kill you.”

The residents of Jerusalem entered into the conversation in John 7:25, Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started to ask each other, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?

They knew that the rulers wanted to kill Jesus, and they were amazed that he was teaching openly and getting away with it. Maybe they thought, “Perhaps the religious leaders are now convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, sent from God, but then WHY were they not worshiping Him and leading others to worship Him?”

3. The end of the feast brought DIVISION (John 7:40-52)

So, here, at the point of debate, is the main point, exactly WHO is Jesus and how will YOU respond to him? Jesus mentions that he is the living water that springs up from our innermost being (John 7:38). He give them an opportunity to respond to his claims, but what was the result of his declaration and invitation? The people were divided. Some defended him and some wanted to arrest him. Let’s review a few possibilities, and then add a few more.

  1. Is he a good man? (John 7:11-12a, 43-46)
  2. Is he a deceiver? (John 7:12b-13, 47-48, 52)
  3. Is he demon-possessed? (John 7:20)
  4. Is he an ordinary man? (John 7:25-27, 41b-42)
  5. Is he a promised prophet? (John 7:40, Matthew 16:13-14)
  6. Is he the Christ, the Messiah? (John 7:31, 41a)

If only they had honestly examined the evidence, they would have discovered that indeed, he was the Christ, the Son of the living God.

The leaders refused to face these facts honestly, but passed judgment on the basis of their personal prejudices and their superficial examination of the facts.

Is that not human nature? It is much easier to label people than listen to the facts they present. It’s like the Pharisees were saying, “Have you been led astray? Some other people have believed in Jesus, but these common people know nothing about the law anyway! Have any important people like US believed in him?” (John 7:47-49)

Then Nicodemus spoke up. This man is found three times in John’s gospel, and each time he is identified as “the one who came to Jesus by night.” No doubt Nicodemus had been doing a great deal of thinking and studying since that first interview with Jesus in John 3, and he was not afraid to take a stand for truth.

Nicodemus was sure that the council was not giving Jesus an honest hearing. The rulers had already passed judgment and they were trying to condemn him before they even gave him a fair and lawful trial.

WHAT did Nicodemus want them to consider about Jesus? Examine his words and his works. It was Jesus 1) the teacher and 2) Jesus the miracle worker who has attracted people in the first place. In fact, Jesus previously pointed to his WORKS as proof of his DEITY. He also repeatedly urged people to pay attention to his WORDS. John 5:36 says, But I have a greater witness than John—my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me.
The two go together, because the miracles point to the messages, and the messages interpret the spiritual meaning of the miracles. The miracles were signs; they were events that pointed to something greater than the miracle itself.

In John 7:52, you can almost hear the sarcasm in the reply of the Pharisees, “Are you a lonely and despised Galilean, too?” They refused to admit that Nicodemus was right in asking for a fair trial, but the only way they could answer him was by means of ridicule. This is an ancient debating trick that is present today (especially during an election year), when you cannot answer the argument because of the facts, you attack the speaker.

You cannot help but feel sorry for the people described in this chapter, people who responded to Jesus in the wrong ways. His half-brothers responded with disbelief, various people in Jerusalem responded with debate, and the result was division.

Had they willingly received the truth and had they acted with sincere obedience, they would have ended up at the feet of Jesus, confessing him as Messiah and the Son of God.

As you can see, people today commit the same mistake and permit their personal prejudices and superficial evaluations to blind them to the truth. Don’t let this happen to you.

So, what about YOU? Who is Jesus to YOU? Will you examine the evidence and come to the same conclusion as believers throughout the centuries; just like Peter in Matthew 16:13-16…

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Is Jesus Christ a Legend, Lunatic, Liar, or Lord?

You see, there really is only one choice when we think about this logically. It may be a surprise to many people but you actually DON’T put your brain in neutral when you come to faith in Jesus Christ. Christianity knows NOTHING about BLIND FAITH, and let me tell you why…

Jesus claims to be God, this is an unmistakable fact in the gospels, the local people and religious leaders understood his words and wanted to kill him for blasphemy, making himself equal with God. There was no confusion about Jesus claiming to be God.

So, there are only two options, his claim was either TRUE or it was FALSE. Let’s assume for a moment that the claim was false. There are also only two options, he either KNEW the claim was false or he did NOT KNOW the claim was false.

If Jesus KNEW his claim to be God was false, that would make him a LIAR. Remember the character issue that a good man would not deceive anyone, so this does not match the Jesus of the gospels.

If he knew the claim was false, that would also make him a HYPOCRITE since he taught people to be honest, and even worse, this would make him a DEMON because he was telling people to trust their eternal destinies to him. So practically, it makes him a FOOL for dying for a claim that he knew was not true.

Let’s assume he claims to be God and he DOESN’T KNOW that his claim is false. This would make Jesus a LUNATIC, on the level of a crazy man on the street saying that HE is Jesus.

If Jesus’ claim of divinity was false, there is absolutely NO REASON for us to pay any attention to him, he would NOT be a 1) good man, or 2) a great moral teacher, or 3) the founder of a new religious movement. He should be dismissed.

Since the claim of divinity being false is absurd, let’s agree that his claim to be God is TRUE. Then there are really only two choices, we either ACCEPT that fact, which makes Jesus our LORD, or we REJECT that fact, which makes us LOST.

For you visual learners, it looks like this:

Liar Lunatic LordIn his famous book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis makes this statement, “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg–or he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher.”

As we are reading through the Bible, this is the chapter that God has placed in front of us for this weekend; it is unavoidable that we will be confronted with the claims of Christ, whether we do it in THIS life or in the NEXT life. If we wait until the next life, it is too late; there is no second chance because Hebrews 9:27 tells us that, each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,

  • Are you ready to meet God? Don’t put it off, any decision to wait or put it off is a decision to reject his invitation.
  • Where do you stand with Christ?
  • Who do you say that he is?
  • Maybe you have received him as your Savior, but you are asking yourself why you live as though he doesn’t exist.

Today is the day to make things right, to set things in order, to lay a foundation upon which you can build your life, build your family. You are here for a reason today. What commitments are you going to make now that we have opened up John 7 this morning?

The end of your outline has several questions to consider, and I hope that you get with a couple of friends to talk about these. They are designed to help you chew on what we learned in the Bible today. Those questions are to help you grow in your faith and have spiritual conversations this week.

As we sing this last song, what decisions are you going to make? Maybe you have never officially come to faith in Christ, today is the day to get this nailed down. Let me talk with you after the service, come find me!

Perhaps you have been attending for a while, so there is a reason you keep attending King’s Grant, why not officially join the church? You can do that today. Let’s talk about it.

Maybe you are going to take this information you learned today and have decided to live boldly for the cause of Christ. We can help with your relationship with God, knowledge the Bible, and how to make an impact on those around you. Jesus uses the terms of being SALT and LIGHT in the community, the idea is to make a difference in the lives of those around us.

Father, you know our hearts, you know our thoughts, you know whether we are serious about our faith and our relationship with you, or if we are playing church games. Give us wisdom to take an honest assessment of where we are in Christ and the courage to make necessary changes, in Jesus name, Amen.

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What’s New?

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What’s New, According to the Bible?

We like new stuff… new cars, new homes, new gadgets like computers, cell phones and iPads, new shoes, new large screen HD TVs, make new friends, need new ideas, have a new attitude, new wave, newfangled, new day, new dawn, the New Deal, turning over a new leaf, the new kid on the block, new baby in the family, ring out the old and bring in the new, Happy New Year, brand spanking new, something old something new something borrowed something blue, a brave new world, new and improved, looking for that new workout, that new diet, a new recipe, a new direction, and we even have the emperor’s new clothes.

It was Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, who said that there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

2 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!”

3 What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. 6 The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. 7 Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. 8 Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.

9 History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. 10 Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. 11 We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.

He refers to his observation of the effects of repetitious, persistent activity in God’s creation over many generations compared to the brief, comparatively profitless activity of one person which fails to produce lasting satisfaction, so he concludes that all of life is wearisome. He sees life as offering nothing new, and over time nothing will be remembered… so life is futile, it is like chasing after the wind.

But when you read through the Bible, you find A LOT of information on the topic of newness…

New Jerusalem – Revelation 21:2

New Heaven and Earth –

  • Isaiah 65:17 (Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore)
  • Isaiah 66:22 (As surely as my new heavens and earth will remain, so will you always be my people, with a name that will never disappear)
  • 2 Peter 3:13 (But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.)
  • Revelation 21:1 (Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared.)

New Creation –

  • 2 Corinthians 5:17 (if any person is in Christ, they are a new creation…)
  • Galatians 6:15 (It is not about religious ritual. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation)

New Song – Ps 33:3, 40:3, 96:1, 98:1, 144:9, 149:1, Isaiah 42:10, Revelation 5:9, 14:3

New Branch – Isaiah 11:1 (Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.)

New Strength – Isaiah 40:31 (But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.)

New Path – Isaiah 64:16 (I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them.)

New Name –

  • Isaiah 62:2 (The nations will see your righteousness. World leaders will be blinded by your glory. And you will be given a new name by the Lord’s own mouth.)
  • Isaiah 62:4 (Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City” or “The Desolate Land.” Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight” and “The Bride of God,” for the Lord delights in you and will claim you as his bride.)
  • Revelation 2:17 (To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.)

New Heart and New Spirit –

  • Ezekiel 18:31 (Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.)
  • Ezekiel 36:26 (And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.)

New Patch and New Wine – Matthew 9:16-17 (no one puts new wine into old wineskins)

New World – Matthew 19:28 (Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Mansits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.)

New Tomb – Matthew 27:60 (Jesus was placed in a new tomb)

New Covenant – Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25, 2 Corinthians 3:6, Hebrews 8:13, 12:24 (there’s way to much theology to even comment right now, but the rest of the message will unpack this new covenant)

New Commandment – John 13:34 (love one another)

New Life – Romans 5:18, 1 Corinthians 15:22, 2 Corinthians 5:15, Galatians 3:21, Colossians 3:1, 11, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:23, 3:7 (this is the essence of the entire New Testament)

New Person – Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 6:15-16

New Bodies – 1 Corinthians 15:38, 2 Corinthians 5:4

New Way – 2 Corinthians 3:7-12 (the glory of the new covenant)

New Nature – Colossians 3:10 (Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.)

New Birth – Titus 3:5 (he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.)

New Everything – Revelation 21:5 (And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”)

Wow, so much newness. So on this last Sunday of 2013, and as we launch into a new year, let’s take another look at the passage from Jeremiah 31:31-34…

31 “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord.

33 “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”

This passage is actually the longest Old Testament passage quoted in the New Testament, and it is applied to the church (2 Corinthians 3:5-18, Hebrews 8:8-12, 10:16-17).

The word “new” is described as “different from one of the same which existed before; made fresh.” There is a larger concept of newness where Scripture expresses God’s concern for people and the creation in four broad categories.

1. God’s New Act: Scripture often calls for us to remember his past activities, such as creation and the exodus, which reveal God’s care for God’s world and God’s people. Although faith is rooted in God’s acts in history, biblical faith does not leave God in the distant past. Time and again writers of Scripture called for God’s people to anticipate God’s new intervention in their lives.

In Isaiah 43:14-21 God promised Babylonian exiles that he was now “doing a new thing” which paralleled God’s acts of saving Israel from Egyptian slavery. It would be THAT big.

By the time we get to the New Testament, God again acted in a new way in Jesus Christ, who offered a new teaching with amazing authority (Mark 1:27). His ministry would be compared to new wine bursting old expectations of God’s involvement in human salvation (Mark 2:22).

There would not only be God acting in a new way, there would be the building of new relationships.

2. New Relationships: The Bible records how God acted in the past to establish relationships, primarily with the descendants of Abraham and the people of Israel at Sinai. Jeremiah anticipated God’s establishing a new covenant with God’s habitually faithless people. This new covenant would make knowledge of the law a matter of the heart, something internal rather than external (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:8-13).

Take a look at Luke 22:20, After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.

Luke points to the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross as the basis for this new covenant. In Jesus Christ the believer experiences newness of life (Romans 6:4; 2 Corinthians 5:17) and this renewed life is characterized by new relationships with God and with other people (Ephesians 2:15-16; Colossians 3:10-11). So, we have God’s new acts, bringing new relationships, which leads to new birth.

3. New Birth: Out of the concept of new relationships comes the term, new birth, which refers to God’s gift of spiritual life to undeserving sinners. It is synonymous with regeneration and finds its origin in John 3:1-10, where Jesus told Nicodemus, “Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Jesus indicated that the idea of the new birth is rooted in the OT when he scolded Nicodemus for not remembering his seminary Old Testament classes: “Are you a teacher of Israel and don’t know these things?” (John 3:10; cp. Ezekiel 36:26-27).

The new birth is caused by the gracious and sovereign act of God apart from human cooperation or effort (John 1:13; Ephesians 2:4-5). We cannot earn our salvation. God brings this new birth through the preaching of the word of God (1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18).

So, today, you must ask yourself these questions, “Have I experienced this new birth? Am I in a new relationship with God through Jesus Christ?” If you are not sure, or know that you have never taken that step of faith, today is the day that you can nail down your destiny.

The result of the new birth is a changed life; a new life (2 Corinthians 5:17) which includes saving faith, repentance (Ephesians 2:8; Acts 11:18; 16:14) and obedience to God’s law (1 John 3:9). With God’s new acts, and new relationships, and new birth, this all leads us to this new covenant.

4. New Covenant: This New Covenant is all about the unity of five divine covenants we find in the Old Testament: Despite their differences, these covenants reveal a structural and thematic unity of grace that is found throughout all the Scripture. It is NOT simply a matter of Law versus Grace, so let’s take a quick look at these previous covenants.

The Noahic covenant preserves the human race from destruction so that the Messiah might be born. It demonstrates the grace of God in that he promises to patiently put up with the human race until the coming of Christ (cp. Acts 17:30).

The Abrahamic covenant follows the covenant of grace as well, creating a historical lineage or family through which the promised Messiah would come.

The Mosaic covenant, too, is part of the covenant of grace and is an extension of the Abrahamic covenant. The Scriptures specifically says that the Mosaic covenant is established because God “remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Exodus 2:24). By delivering Israel from Egypt and forming them into a nation by giving them the Law, God established an arrangement in which all of mankind might see that they cannot live up to the covenant of works, and then they will realize their need for a Savior.

Within the context of the nation of Israel, God founded the Davidic covenant that provided the divine monarchy through which God would govern his redeemed people for all eternity. God also kept this covenant unconditionally, preserving the rebellious Hebrew nation and bringing them back from exile “for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake” (2 Kings 20:4-6 NASB).

This New Covenant brings the covenant of grace to fulfillment with the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ who is the promised Messiah of the covenant of grace. So, in the progressive revelation of these covenants, we can see one unified, unfolding story of God’s plan.

Let’s get back to the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31, which lists four provisions, or “I Will” statements, which indicate what God is going to do:

  1. I will make a new covenant; here God is taking the initiative in making this covenant, this is renewal (v.31)
  2. I will put my instructions deep within them, writing it on their hearts; this is regeneration. (v.33)
  3. I will be their God and they will be my people; this is restoration of relationship. (v.33)
  4. I will forgive their sins and remember them no more; this is removal, complete justification, wiping the board totally clean. (v.34)

This is a profound Word of Hope is for a hopeless people who are alienated from God by their own sin. They have a broken relationship and they are a disobedient people, yet God has not abandoned them. Like the parent of a prodigal child, God longs to gather his people back into his arms again. We know that Jeremiah’s mention of this New Covenant is fulfilled completely in Jesus Christ.

The New Covenant is established by the blood that Jesus shed on the cross. That blood, which guarantees to Israel the New Covenant, also provides for the forgiveness of sins for the believers who are the church. Jesus’ payment for sins is more than adequate to pay for the sins of the whole world.

So, as we make New Year’s resolutions, all these promises that we intend to keep yet faithfully forsake by the end of January, remember this: any plan for the betterment of humanity or society that ignores the sin problem is destined for failure.

It is not enough to change your environment; we need to change our heart problem. God wants to change the hearts of his people so they will WANT to love him and follow him. God initiates a new covenant to replace the old one. Ever since the time of Moses, this old covenant would direct their conduct but did precious little to change their character.

Have you ever wondered why you fail in the Christian life so often? You have been working on your conduct, to adhere to some external list of rules and regulations, do’s and don’ts. What you need is a new heart whereby God will begin to change your character.

Hear the words of the prophet Ezekiel, I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. (Ezekiel 36:26)

Where are you in this new covenant? Have you recognized your alienation from God? Do you understand that Jesus Christ is the only solution to the sin problem and gaining access to the Father? (John 14:6).

God’s new covenant is offered to all those who receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. As the writer of Ecclesiastes tells us, that there is nothing new under the sun, today we see that there is plenty of newness in the Bible and in a relationship with God.

What is holding you back from being ALL IN? You have tried to change your behavior, failing year after year. Now it is time for a new heart, a heart transplant. God’s Word can be written to your heart where he can effectively change your character that will eventually change your conduct.

Perhaps without knowing it, maybe this is what you have been seeking all these years, to see God acting in human history, to experience a new relationship with God and with other people, to understand and accept this new birth (receiving forgiveness and power to live a life pleasing to God), and to embrace the new covenant of which Jesus speaks during the last supper, this new covenant in his blood.

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Minding Your Mind and Emotions

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The counseling process has been around a long time, and there are a lot of different methods, theories and procedures that are as different as night and day. Many begin with how the therapist views the nature of mankind, others focus on:

  1. The psychoanalysis of Sigmund Freud, understanding the Id, Ego and Super-ego and the role of the subconscious in our mental functioning, and using dream analysis to discover both manifest and latent content (hidden symbolic disguised messages);
  2. The transactional-analysis of Eric Berne tells us that life and relationships are full of scripts that run through our minds and these transactions are sent and received by the scripts of the parent, adult, or the child inside of us;
  3. Or the use of behavior modification techniques to increase or decrease the likelihood of a certain behavior;

There are so many directions one can take:

  1. The Rational-Emotive Therapy of Albert Ellis which focuses on how beliefs influence our behavior;
  2. The Client Centered Therapy of Carl Rogers which focuses on the belief that all people possess a strong drive toward personal growth, health, and adjustment (which he calls self-actualization);
  3. The Reality Therapy of William Glasser which focuses on the three Rs of facing reality, doing right, and being responsible;
  4. The Logotherapy of Viktor Frankl which focuses on mankind’s search for meaning in life.

Dr. Page Huff would be able to tell story after story of people suffering through life and the need for help in coping with stresses, hurts, pain, self-image, neuroses, psychoses, relationships, decisions…

The passage in Romans 12:2 challenges us to have a renewed mind. We are human and live in a fallen world so when Paul tells us that anyone in Christ is a new creation, the old is passed away and all things become new, we wonder why we continue with the same struggles, experience the same pains, and give in to the same vices as we did before we were saved. We are desperately seeking for a renewed mind, but how can we do it?

That which was available in the first century is still available to us today. With all of the science, technology, and counseling theories to help explain our thoughts and behaviors, sometimes getting back to the basics of Scripture can help a huge percentage of what ails us. Psychology has a definite place in our society, and is a great tool for helping people gain insight and awareness into the reasons for their behavior and thinking, but if we can get back to the time of the Bible to see how the spiritual side of mankind can help us cope with developing a renewed mind.

Why is it so important to renew your mind? Because of Proverbs 23:7 – “As a man thinks within himself, so is he.” NASB

Skip has mentioned this before, but today I want to expand on the idea that emotions respond to a signal sent to them by the mind.

Here is a wife and mother:  “Why do I feel so much resentment toward Harold every time he comes into the house?”  Her life and marriage were being destroyed because of the powerful emotion of resentment.  Her emotions were being produced by the thoughts within her mind.

Or how about you driving down highway when suddenly a glance into the rear-view mirror reveals that a highway patrol car is closing on you with its blue lights flashing.  Your heart leaps into your throat.  You feel nervous, uncertain, and the palms of your hands begin to sweat (perspire).  You begin to pull over, all the time wondering what you did, and contemplating receiving a ticket.  As you begin to pull over, the patrol car pulls on around you and keeps going.  Then you realize that he is not after you and your emotions return to normal.  What has just happened?

  • You thought you were going to be stopped and issued a ticket.
  • Your emotions responded to that thought.

You placed a wrong interpretation on one fact, the patrol car coming up behind you with its blue lights on. You did NOT think of other reasons why it was happening.  (Maybe the car ahead of you was his target . . . maybe he had received a call and was being dispatched to an accident scene . . . Maybe the Krispy Kreme doughnut sign was flashing hot and ready . . .)

  • Your distorted view and interpretation of that one fact produced your emotion.
  • Your emotions responded to the signal that your mind sent them.

Listen Carefully:  It is not the actual event but your perception of the event that results in changes in your moods . . . your emotions.

  • You determine your emotions by the choice of thoughts you hold and believe. Something happens and then you THINK before your FEEL.
  • Emotions are not external entities which enter our bodies arbitrarily like a germ. They are a part of our makeup form the very beginning and rise up within us because of what we THINK.
  • So, your emotions, regardless of their nature, are the product of your thoughts.
    • You re in the driver’s seat . . . You select your emotions when you select your thoughts.
    • You feel the way you do right now because of the thoughts you are presently thinking.
    • The bottom line: change your thinking and your will change your emotions.

The Five Senses:  (Sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell) These are the doors to the mind . . . especially the eyes and the ears.

This is why we must be very careful as to what we allow to enter our minds through our eyes and ears. There is an old computer phrase that is very applicable to human beings… “GIGO” which stands for Garbage In Garbage Out.

The band Casting Crowns took that little children’s song and challenged the dads in our generation to stay pure by guarding ourselves from the negative things that enter our lives through the senses, “be careful little eyes what you see…” Garbage in, garbage out.

Let’s look at some biblical support for this concept:

  • Proverbs 4:23 – “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”
  • Galatians 6:7 – “Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap.”

We must be diligent to lean toward purity, righteousness, and thinking, because sowing negative thoughts produce negative emotions, and negative behaviors and consequences.

Think Right to Feel Right:

Look at Proverbs 23:7 again – “As a man thinks within himself, so is he.” NASB

“How do you feel?”  The answer to this question depends on what you are thinking at the moment.

  • If you are thinking positive thoughts your response may be, “I feel great!” or “I have a positive outlook.”
  • On the other hand, if your frame of mind is negative you may say:
    • “I don’t feel so hot.” “I feel lousy.” Or “I’ve felt better.”
    • Like the old song, “Everybody hates me, nobody likes me, I think I’ll go eat worms…”

If you think negative thoughts, you WILL reap a crop of negative emotions.  If you think positive thoughts you will reap a crop of positive emotions. So, WHY do we dwell on the negative when there is an alternative?

Feelings Aren’t Facts!

In the police illustration at the beginning, the blue lights were NOT intended for you.  You felt at the moment that they were, but the true fact was that they were NOT for you.  Feeling they WERE for you did not make them be FOR you. Feeling are not facts.

Bill Bright, with Campus Crusade for Christ, developed a graphic called FACT, FAITH, FEELINGS Train. The fact is the engine, your faith is the coal car and the caboose is your feelings. Many times we reverse the order; we put our faith in our feelings. We say things like, “I just don’t feel saved” and we live in ambiguity and fear rather than conviction and assurance. The challenge is to change your thinking. Put your faith in the facts that we find in the Bible, and the fact that you have committed yourself to Christ. So when you don’t FEEL saved, it’s because of your improper thinking. Dwell on the FACTS so that you KNOW you are saved whether you feel like it or not.

Emotions respond to feelings whether the feeling is factual or not. Our minds will respond to the FACTS whether they feel like it or not.

Twisted Thinking:

Twisted thinking produces emotions that are also twisted. I worked with a fellow, a professional counselor, years ago and he told me about his philosophy of counseling. He mentioned that people with emotional problems will often listen to negative self-talk, which is rarely based on facts. They will play this tape over and over about how bad they are, how worthless they are, how trapped they are, how pointless life is for them. His goal was to help them to understand the truth (the facts) no matter how they feel. He needed them to get rid of their twisted thinking.

Twisted thinking is your mind processing thoughts, not actual facts or events, and producing emotional responses such as fatigue, nervousness, anxiety, depression, loss of appetite, and a host of others ailments.

Twisted thinking can create problems for people. We move out on what we FEEL is true rather than letting the facts guide us.

Ever heard the phrase, “Just follow your heart?” I sense that following your heart is the single worst piece of advice that someone can give to another person. Now that I have you thinking differently, and you have the emotional response to support it, let me explain. Check out Jeremiah 17:9, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” So, when you follow your heart, you will end up with heartache.

Failure and negative thoughts, which produce twisted thinking, need to be ejected from our mind. Let me give you a biblical example. Saul, before his conversion, is a great example of twisted thinking.

In his defense before King Agrippa, he acknowledged the results of his twisted thinking.  Acts 26:9-10 – “So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.  And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them.”

The prime motivation behind Paul’s actions against the church, Christ and his followers, AND his emotions, according to his OWN confession, was his thinking.  “I thought to myself that I had to do. . .”

He was the product of what he permitted to enter his mind, the negative and false teachings about Christ and Christianity.

  • He thought both were wrong and needed to be eliminated.
  • Later, through proper instruction which he accepted, he was able to straighten his twisted thinking.

Apply this principle to people in a denomination and you will better understand that their feelings and emotions are based on what they THINK is right, even if it isn’t according to biblical instruction.  Churches may adopt unbiblical stances on hot topics and politically correct issues, but deep down that position cannot be condoned or supported through proper exegetical Bible investigation.

When people’s thinking is changed, their feelings and emotions will also be changed.

People’s thinking is NOT changed by dealing with feelings, but dealing honestly with their thinking.  You are not going to change their feelings until you change their thinking . . . perceived facts. This is why it is so important to have a renewed mind (Romans 12:2).

My friend’s counseling goal was helping them to hear positive, rather than negative self-talk. Stop playing the tapes of the lies we tell ourselves about us, the world and other people, and the world around us. So, the discipline of counseling helps correct their stinkin’ thinkin’.

Sometimes we need help to understand why we have this negative self-talk, or what triggers the negative thinking, but you know, all of us can search for the truth to know exactly what the Bible says about us, our behavior and the world around us.  This is why the matter of biblical authority is so profoundly important.

  • John 8:32 – “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
  • John 17:17 – “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.”

What About the Truth?

  • Romans 1:28 – The truth can be suppressed.
  • Romans 1:25 – The truth can be exchanged for a lie.
  • Romans 2:8 – Truth that is not obeyed leads to unrighteousness.
  • Romans 9:1 – Truth can be told and taught to others with the authority of the Holy Spirit.
  • 1 Corinthians 13:6 – Truth can be rejoiced in.
  • Galatians 2:5 – The truth continues, remains or preserves.
  • Galatians 3:1 – Truth will not be obeyed by foolish people.
  • Colossians 1:5 – The truth is the gospel of Christ.
  • 2 Thessalonians 2:12 – Condemnation comes where the truth is not believed.
  • 2 Thessalonians 2:13 – The truth is involved in salvation.
  • James 3:14 – People lie against or cover up the truth.
  • 1 John 2:21 – The truth can be discerned from lies.
  • 3 John 3 – The truth can be confirmed to others and people can live by the truth.
  • 3 John 4 – The truth can be walked in . . . and lived.

It has been proven over and over again that the emotions do not know the difference between an established fact and an erroneous fact.

Illustration: Man received a phone call and thought the caller said his father was dying with a heart attack.  He got into his car and drove as fast as he could to his father’s house, only to be greeted by his father at the door.  The son almost had a heart attack himself.  His emotions were responding to thoughts the mind were holding as true, but were not actually true.  In his mind he believed his father was dying, thus his body acted accordingly.  Later he learned the caller had said “John,” instead of “Don.”  John was a friend of the family.

The Keys to Winning Over Stinkin’ Thinkin’ or the meat of the message, to Find God in Psychology.

We need to recognize that our thought patterns and habits can be changed for the better and we can experience release from twisted thinking, reactions and responses that eventually will defeat us.

1. Recognize that YOU are in control of your thoughts.  God created you with this wonderful ability to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

2. Don’t try to suppress your thoughts. Burying thoughts only reinforces the negative response demonstrated by your emotions. We must be alert to these thoughts as they come into our minds and say “NO” to them, and saying “YES” to a positive replacement.

3. When you are challenged by a twisted thought, ask yourself, “Why am I thinking this way?  What has triggered this negative thought?”  Determining the stimulus or root of the thought is a key to victory.

4. At the very suggestion of a defeating thought, eject it from your mind with a positive Bible verse. I don’t suggest this lightly, or because I’m a pastor. The New Living Translation of Philippians 4:8 reads:  “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

Isn’t that a wonderful piece of advice  . . . It came from God through the Holy Spirit as penned by the apostle Paul. As a matter of fact, I plan to preach this passage on Sunday October 13, How to Fortify Your Mind.

5. Changing your thinking is an act of the will.

  • Colossians 3:2 – “Set your mind on things above.” Now are you beginning to see why the Bible teaches this? This imperative statement involves an act of the will . . . Who sets your mind . . .  YOU set your mind.
  • Colossians 3:5 – “Therefore, put to death whatever in you is worldly: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry.”
  • Colossians 3:8 – “But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language…“
  • Colossians 3:12 – “Put on or clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”

6. You cannot control what others say about you or think about you, but you can control how you react to it. If I’m having a bad day it is because I choose to allow the circumstance of that day to bring me down.

  • Proverbs 25:28 – “A man who does not control his temper is like a city whose wall is broken down.” Question:  What can happen to a city whose wall is broken down? It will be overrun by the enemy.

Our desire is not to rid ourselves of our emotions, but rather, learn how to control them with God’s help.

7. Pray to God for wisdom and strength.

We need to face life in the spirit of a man who lost his eyesight.  He rushed to the doctor.  The treatment by the physician made it possible for him to see again, but the return of his sight caused him to lose his memory.  He returned to the doctor.  This time he was treated for a loss of memory.  The man regained his memory but lost his eyesight again.  “Well,” said the physician, “we can’t cure both of them together, so you’ll have to choose between sight and memory.  Which will it be?”  The man answered, “Eyesight!  I’d rather see where I’m going than to know where I’ve been.”

It doesn’t matter that you have been plagued in the past with twisted thinking or warped emotions; the next step you take to handle it is what counts.

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Sermon-Based Small Groups

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I’ve been thinking about how we can get more people involved in smaller communities without loading down already busy families. I also sense there are only so many truth units that a person can absorb each week… Sunday School, the pastoral message, Wednesday night meeting, any devotional book someone may be reading, and perhaps a Christian living book from your local Lifeway store.

All that spiritual activity is likely pretty optimistic on MY part, but the reality is, a Sunday class and the Sunday sermon may be all that people are taking in each week (or twice a month, or once a month). So, what do you think about designing groups that meet during the week, NOT for additional truth units, but to focus on application and clarification of something already heard last Sunday… like the pastor’s message? I thought of a few questions on the topic:

1. How can sermon-based groups be used for God’s glory, for the good of the local church, and for the good of the community?

Anything that brings glory to God is used by God to glorify Himself, and any time He is glorified the local church is better for it. Anytime the local church is known as being focused on bringing glory to God, the community is enhanced.

I like that! These groups can help our church to be “a city on a hill,” (Matthew 5:14) and a light shining brightly for Christ on the street or cul-de-sac where believers live. They can function as a mission of our church which they represent, in the community where God has placed them for his own glory.

2. How can sermon-based groups “remember” their leaders (Hebrews 13:7) rather than forget what their leaders spoke?

One of the most positive aspects of sermon-based groups or Bible studies is that group members are reminded of the main points of the sermon. Imagine how God will be glorified in the lives of the participants! These groups would study the passage more fully and strive for clarification, questions and application. After reviewing the main points of the sermon, group members should then process what they heard in the sermon then make commitments to live out what was preached.

3. How can I lift up the name of Jesus above all names and respect my pastor?

Humankind will instinctively worship that which they can seen and touch, so there is potential for the pastor to become the focus of attention rather than Jesus. In order to overcome this, small group leaders should be trained to elevate the words found in the Bible above the teaching, clichés and phrases spoken by the pastor in the sermon. Then, consistently during the Bible study time, leaders should point people to Jesus and his word rather than focusing on the teaching pastor and his words.

4. How can people move beyond the after-service surface-level comments like  “Great sermon” to significant conversations?

A very short answer ought to do it… GREAT discussion questions that are placed in the right order. When this happens a transformational conversation will be experienced. Our need is to develop capable of creating these kinds of experiences. This is where most sermon-based groups fall very, very short.

5. What are some upsides of sermon-based small group studies?

  • The pastor is happy with the small group pastor knowing he or she is working in tandem to establish the principles and practices that were unearthed during the sermon.
  • Small group members are reminded of the main points of the sermon which helps establish the truths that were taught.
  • Sermon based Bible studies make more time to discuss application. Since the principles and practices that would normally be unveiled as group members discussed the passage are already established, (since the pastor took care of this when preaching) the group can climb immediately into discussing how these principles and practices are to be lived out.

While God’s Word is sufficient, we must caution that group discussion and attempting to determine what God is saying is vital as group members learn how to interpret Scripture without an official “teacher.” Many people may never learn to think on their own or use their Bibles or interpret Scripture apart from someone telling them what it means.

The Downside of Sermon-Based Groups:

I am a proponent of any small group experience that lifts the name of Jesus above all other names, creates a safe place for everyone involved, and produces an environment where unbelievers feel as though they are equals on a spiritual journey so they attend consistently.

I recently spent some time reading about the sermon-based small group experience, and not everything is positive. These are some concerns I discovered.

1. Elevating the pastors words while inadvertently diminishing God’s Word: When utilizing biblically based, well-done discussion guides, the conversation must be strategically turned toward what the Bible is saying. When discussing the weekend sermon, the conversation can be built around what the pastor said. The primary voice in the Bible study wouldn’t be God and his Word, but the pastor and his words. Instead of hearing phrases like, “The Bible says,” or “Jesus told us,” or “God’s Word instructs us,” small group members hear phrases like, “The pastor told us,”or “If the pastor was here he’d probably say,” or “I’ll check with the pastor and see what he meant.” The pastor’s voice may inadvertently become known as the ultimate truth source rather than the Bible being the only source of all truth.

2. Senior pastor worship: Sermon based small group experiences can easily lead to high levels of senior pastor worship. My research on this topic has indicated that the senior pastor’s name is brought up (and he is held in awe) at least six times during each group gathering. Jesus’ name and his personality are discussed much less than the pastor’s personality and the senior pastor’s name. In some pastor-driven high-power church, Jesus is subconsciously established as the senior pastor’s sidekick, the secondary personality in church life. Before long, many believers speak more of their pastor and his great sermons than their Savior and his redeeming power.

3. Those farthest from Christ won’t attend a small group – Those who are far, far from Christ are not going to attend church services which means they’ll never feel comfortable in a sermon based small group experience. The truth is, people who are far from Christ are NOT going to come to a group to discuss a sermon they haven’t heard. To expect a “not yet” follower of Christ (who didn’t hear the weekend sermon and never will because they are not going to attend a weekend worship service) to come weekly to a sermon based small group experience is like asking someone to come to a book club for a weekly meeting to discuss a book they refuse to read. They aren’t going to attend.

One way to combat this last observation is to invite unchurched friends for the fellowship and discussion on a certain topic (the sermon topic, for instance). Even though someone did not hear the message, in the conversation, the group can highlight the main points of the message as the evening progresses, and then the Bible is STILL the primary source of guidance and the one who missed church is not disadvantaged.

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All Things Become New

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Welcome to my final message of 2012, as we look forward to a New Year in just a couple of days. It’s hard to believe that 2013 is nearly here.

I enjoy from time to time seeing one of those Extreme Makeover shows; it is amazing what they can do over a short period of time. In this chapter in the Bible, Paul writes about the ultimate makeover any person can have. Paul writes about the new bodies believers will one day receive and about the duty of believers as ambassadors for Christ.

1. Reassurance (2 Corinthians 5:1-8) Paul is telling these believers what to expect in the next life. It had been a while since Jesus was raised from the dead, about 24 years before Paul writes this letter to the Corinthian church. People started asking “How long?” and “When is Jesus returning?” “What happens to US after we die off?” They needed a little reassurance. These first eight verses teach mainly about two bodies…

  1. Old Body (2 Corinthians 5:1a, 2a, 3-4a, 6-8)
    1. It is referred to as an earthly tent being torn down (2 Corinthians 5:1a)
    2. It is filled with weary groaning (2 Corinthians 5:2a)
    3. In this body we groan and are burdened, and dying (2 Corinthians 5:4a)
    4. It reminds us that we are absent from the Lord and we cannot see him (2 Corinthians 5:6-8) Remember that Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to be with us after he left this earth. Since we are not present with Lord, the Spirit is present with us.
      1. The Spirit helps us face the present (2 Corinthians 5:6) be of good courage.
      2. The Spirit stirs our faith (2 Corinthians 5:7) walk by faith and not by sight.
      3. The Spirit sirs our desire to be with Christ (2 Corinthians 5:8) we prefer to be at home with the Lord.
  2. New Body (2 Corinthians 5:1b, 2b, 4b-5)
    1. It is referred to as a home or house in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:1b) and it is not built with human hands.
    2. We will be clothed in a new heavenly dwelling or body (2 Corinthians 5:2b) and will not be found naked. It was quite troubling to think about the afterlife and having no body, what sort of existence would that be? It is as if they knew that a ghost is never at rest or at peace. Paul then clarifies even further in 2 Corinthians 5:4…
    3. We will be clothed, the old is swallowed up in life, we will NOT a disembodied spirit (2 Corinthians 5:4b) because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
    4. It will be able to see Jesus face to face. God prepared us for this purpose (2 Corinthians 5:5) I see here that God has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. That which is to come is in the presence of our Lord and Savior. God guarantees our hope; the Spirit enhances our hope.

2. Resolve (2 Corinthians 5:9): The NIV uses the word, “So,” while the NASB uses the word, “Therefore” to mean that Paul wrote all these verses to get to his main point. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. Paul’s ambition is to please God in BOTH bodies, here in this life and there in the afterlife. There IS an ambition that is self-serving and selfish, but there is also a holy ambition that seeks to honor and glorify God. Paul’s greatest ambition was to please Jesus Christ, and him alone (Galatians 1:10). The word “pleasing” can also be translated “accepted.” This word indicates that whatever we do in life, if it is pleasing to God, we can be assured that he will accept our behavior. The opposite is also true; if we live a life and offer to God that which displeases him, we can be assured that it will be rejected. We are in a dangerous position when God does not accept our words, worship, lifestyle, habits, prejudices, jokes, movie choices, internet pages we have bookmarked, language and attitudes. This verse is a great introduction into the very next verse, 2 Corinthians 5:10.

3. Review (2 Corinthians 5:10): The apostle reminds his readers of a sobering truth: we all are going to be held accountable. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. There are two things to notice in this one verse…

  1. The Place (2 Corinthians 5:10a): we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. The word here is bema seat; it’s that bench where decisions are handed down by rulers, or the place where awards are handed out to the winner of a competition. This judgment seat will be a place of revelation, the word used is “appear,” which means “to be revealed.” At that time of judgment, there will be no hiding our dirty little secrets. The second thing worth noting is…
  2. The Purpose (2 Corinthians 5:10b): It is here that the quality (or lack of quality) of our life will be determined. The purpose is to, receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Paul is sure to tell us that while not every believer is ambitious for the Lord, ALL believers are going to stand before him one day… so NOW is the time to prepare.
  3. I’ve noticed that people today would rather deny the existence of God than to be held accountable to him. If people really understood that we ALL will be judged one day, and that hell is a real destination, our behavior is bound to change. If on the other hand I can deny that God exists, and that this life is all that there is, I can do as I please, believing I’m not going to be judged or held accountable. If I acknowledge the existence of God, I must also know that I am accountable to that God for my behavior.
  4. Think about our society these past two generations: evolution has permeated most everything our children are taught in school; it is taught as fact instead of theory. Belief in a divine creation is written off as myth, fable and superstition; creationists are narrow-minded, bigoted or unthinking. There’s a term for such a philosophy of life, they call themselves “free thinkers.” Yet, they fail to see that it is only the TRUTH that sets you free, not the rejection of God and the Bible. Evolution teaches our children that they are NOT a special and unique creation of God. This worldview has brought so much evil into our society, and America has embraced it.
  5. Think about it, if we descended from apes, then there is no moral code by which society must live. Those who are the biggest and the toughest will survive… and anyone age 15 and older knows very well that school is the epitome of “survival of the fittest.” So, when some children behave like animals, the world scratches its collective head and wonders why. Why do kids abuse themselves with drugs, alcohol, pornography and promiscuity? Why is society filled with so much tragedy, death and violence? Can it be that we have taught our children for years that they are no more than an animal? They are NOT really a divine creation; something special and unique among all the animals on the planet. They buy into the message that they are no more than “an ape that made it” up the evolutionary ladder. If we teach children that they are no more than mere animals, we should NOT be alarmed when they behave like animals, simply running on instinct, selfishness and hormones.
  6. Let’s get back to the passage. Are there any people here today who do the right things (like being honest, kind, helpful, sexually pure, being a person of integrity) but, perhaps it’s ONLY because you know that you will one day be held accountable for how you lived?
  7. THAT is what Paul is talking about here. We must please God in all that we do, because we will one day stand before the Lord in judgment, for the deeds we have done while in this earthly body. Alright, let’s move on…

4. Recognition (2 Corinthians 5:11) Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. There is an urgency here, to do God’s work, while we still have time to do it. We are motivated by reverence for the Lord. I chose the word “recognition” here because of what I read in the New American Standard text, “we are made manifest to God.” The NIV translates it this way, “What we ARE is plain to God,” while the New Living Translation uses the phrase, “God knows we are sincere.” So, in our sincerity, God is made known by the way we live our lives. People will recognize God by the way we live our lives. Paul is authentic. It seems to be a bold statement, almost as if Paul is boasting about how he is living, because in the very next verse Paul addresses the subject of potential arrogance.

5. Rectitude (2 Corinthians 5:12-13) This word is not used much but it means: character, decency, goodness, honesty, integrity, morality, rightness, uprightness, or virtuousness. Integrity is required of all believers. This verse goes back to 2 Corinthians 3:1, regarding how the Judaizers were proud of their “letters of recommendation.” The point is, if we seek the praise of men in this life, we will NOT get the praise of God at the judgment seat. We need rectitude and integrity. We need to be the same people outside the walls of this sanctuary, as we are inside these walls. If our lives are demonstrating Christ, we don’t need letters of recommendation; or PROOF that we are believers in Christ. Our actions will speak as loud as our words. Second Corinthians 5:13 mentions Paul being crazy or beside himself… if this is the case, it is for GOD. Paul was crazy for God… Are we the same?

6. Relationship (2 Corinthians 5:14-16) I see relationship in these verses because Paul mentions that we are ALL in this together, which means we are relational.

  1. Christ died so that all might die with him (2 Corinthians 5:14) the old life no longer has control over a believer.
  2. Christ died so that all might live in him (2 Corinthians 5:15) we are raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). We are ALSO able to overcome sin. We are no longer a slave to sin whereby we must obey its desires. We ALREADY have the power to say NO.
  3. Christ died so that we might share in the new creation (2 Corinthians 5:16) we see the old man as we look at one another, but a believer is a new person. We no longer see the world or other people with the same eyes as before. Our worldview has changed to a biblical worldview. From now on we do not judge men in a carnal, earthly way, according to appearances, human credentials, or national origin. We see them as precious souls for whom Christ died.

7. Regeneration (2 Corinthians 5:17) Just as Adam was the head of the old creation, Christ is the head of the new creation. If anyone is in Christ, that is, if anyone is saved, he is a new creation. Before conversion, we might have judged others according to human standards. But now all that has changed. Old methods of judging have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Regeneration is the key. We as Christians have long preferred resuscitation over regeneration. We want a new spirit inside this old dead body, we think that is what it takes to be “born again.” But the reality is that we must experience regeneration; become a totally new person, made that way by the power of the Holy Spirit.

This verse is a favorite for many people who have recently been born again, and is often quoted in their personal testimony. Sometimes it gives quite a false impression. Listeners are apt to think that when a man is saved, old habits, evil thoughts, and lustful looks are forever done away, and everything becomes literally new in a person’s life. We all know that’s not true. The verse does NOT describe a believer’s practice but rather his position. Notice it says that if anyone is in Christ. The words in Christ are the key to the passage. In Christ, old things have passed away and all things have become new. Unfortunately, our focus is often changed toward ME and not Christ. I must change my focus from “in me” to “in Christ.” As I progress in the Christian life, I desire that my practice may increasingly correspond to my position.

8. Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19) All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. The key word in this paragraph is reconciliation. Because of rebellion, mankind is the enemy of God and out of fellowship with him. But we were brought back into a relationship with God through the finished work of Christ on the cross. The two are brought back together again. The ministry of reconciliation is explained in the message, that “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.” God was actively removing the cause of the separation that had come between Himself and mankind by dealing with our sin problem. God does not need to be reconciled, but mankind DOES need to be reconciled to Him. The result is that mankind will no longer have their sins held against them.

Another key phrase in this section is, “not counting the people’s sins against them.” At first glance, it might seem that this verse teaches universal salvation, that all men are saved through the work of Christ on the cross. But that teaching is completely opposite to the rest of the Bible. God has provided a way by which men’s sins might not be imputed (or assigned or counted) against them. Even though the way is available to everyone, it is effective only for those who are in Christ. The sins of unsaved people are counted against them, but the moment lost people trust the Lord Jesus as Savior, they are declared righteous in Christ, and their sins are blotted out.

In addition to God’s reconciling work, he has also committed to His servants the ministry of reconciliation. In other words, He has entrusted his followers with the huge privilege of going into the world and preaching this wonderful message to all people everywhere.

9. Representation (2 Corinthians 5:20) the Bible mentions that we are ambassadors for Christ. We are now representatives of a new kingdom that will never fall, it will last forever. An ambassador is the appointed representative of another nation. He lives in a foreign land representing the country of his citizenship. We are aliens and strangers in this world because our assignment in this life is to be an ambassador for my King.

10. Righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. This verse reminds us that not only are we forgiven for our sins, the deal gets even better because God has put into our account the actual righteousness of Jesus himself. He does not MAKE us righteous, but we are DECLARED righteous. So you may be asking, “What’s the difference?” As human beings, we can never be righteous enough to stand before a holy God, so it is our old sin nature preventing us from actually BEING righteous. But as we receive Christ and the forgiveness he offers, we are DECLARED righteous. The Father looks at sinful human beings and for those who have trusted Christ as their Savior; he sees the shed blood of Christ covering us. The Father sees the righteousness of Christ and declares us righteous.

THAT is what grace is all about. We are able to GET something that we totally don’t deserve. In conclusion, I actually want to go into the next chapter…

11. Reception (2 Corinthians 6:1) As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. Some understand that Paul is addressing the Corinthians and encouraging them to make full use of the grace that had been shown to them. But I think that Paul is still giving an account of the message which he preached to unsaved people. He has already told unbelievers of the marvelous grace which has been offered to them by God. Now he further begs them not to receive such grace in vain. They should not allow the seed of the gospel to fall in barren soil. Rather they should respond to such a marvelous message by receiving the Savior of whom the message tells. Grace is not automatic, you have to take a stand and receive it, as it says in John 1:12, But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.

12. Response (2 Corinthians 6:2) Finally, we are getting to the end! I labeled this section, response, because that is exactly what God wants from you. “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. Don’t put it off any longer. You know when the Spirit of God is working you over, the heart pounds and everything inside of you is screaming to put it off. We know for certain that any voice telling you to wait or delay or put it off for another day, is the voice of the enemy. It directly contradicts this verse that tells us that TODAY is the day of salvation.

As you begin this New Year in just a couple of days, what changes do you need to make?

Maybe you’re lost and you know it, but today is the day that something just clicked and you’re ready to start your new relationship with Christ. You want to be the new creation that Paul writes about in 2 Corinthians 5:17. Step out and come to Christ, while it is still today, because no one is ever assured of another tomorrow.

Maybe you’re a believer but your life has gotten so far away from what you know God wants. It’s time to repent of sin and your worldly behavior and get back to living a life of integrity and purity. You know your personal vice that has dragged you down; confess it to God and receive forgiveness, and enjoy new fellowship with the God who bought you with a price, the blood of his one and only Son. Nail it down today, step out for prayer, let the enemy know that on this day you are recommitting your life to Christ.

If you’re ready to join this church, your search for a church home has brought you here, why not start the New Year right by uniting with King’s Grant? I can show you how.

For all of us here, look at the Next Steps in your outline:

  1. What is this message calling you to do right now?
  2. How will this New Year be different from the last year?
  3. What decision are you putting off until another day?
  4. What motivates you to do God’s will in this world?

Pray: Father, we know deep down that we need an Extreme Makeover, but sometimes we lack the courage to take a stand right now. I pray that you will interrupt our plans and make yourself and your will known to us. What decisions do I need to make? How can lasting change be a reality in my life? Help me to know how deep your love is for us, and let that love compel us toward living a life that draws people toward God. Help us to be authentic in our spirituality, relationships and our daily walk with you. AMEN

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