Following His Footsteps: “Reverence Reversed” – Matthew 21

disrespect smHave you ever OBSERVED a truly DISRESPECTFUL CHILD? Have you ever stood in a supermarket and watched a parent being TOLD by a child how things were going to be? If you have, you may identify with this story of “reverence reversed”… I recently clipped an article about a rapper some of you may know named Kanye West. He is (at the time of this writing) a 37 year old recording artist and entrepreneur, and has more recently forayed into becoming a fashion designer. Beginning his professional life as a producer and working on projects with rapper Jay-Z, he has worked with a number of famed acts, including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and Janet Jackson. West grew up in middle-class Chicago and reportedly began rapping in the third grade, eventually moving into the city’s hip hop scene in his late teens. He released his debut album in 2004 and continued to vary styles a bit through his sixth album, “Yeezus” in 2013, selling more than 21 million albums and 66 million digital downloads, and winning a total of 21 Grammy Awards.

Since I don’t listen to rap music (is anyone surprised?), the article about West caught my attention because of its title: “Reverence Reversed” –the place from which I took the title of this lesson. The author was unknown to me, and the publication “Pulse” was not one I frequent, but I found the article riveting. The writer (Ryan Arrendell) claimed that he could spot a change in West’s “faith expressions” that led him to conclude he went from “reverencing Jesus” to “mocking Jesus” in a matter of a few years in the industry.

In an early album West sang: “Jesus Walks” where he “talks candidly about his struggle of trying to get the song to appeal to music executives before he was signed to a major label. [with] the lines: “So here go my single, dog, radio needs this. They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus. That means guns, sex, lies, video tapes. But if I talk about God my record won’t get played, huh?” He traced releases from West in 2007, 2010 and 2014 – and showed a trend in his lyrics – each song moved closer to exalting West and moving away from revering Jesus. In the latest album, “Yeezus” openly pokes fun at the Savior on a number of tracks of the album.

The most interesting part of the writer’s conclusion for me was this: the more Kanye West moved from reverence and respect of Jesus, the more HE focused on HIMSELF. That is a worthy observation – but it is not unique to West – we all face that. Here is the truth:

Key Principle: People who don’t revere the Savior cannot even long maintain a respect for Him – for His claims are too striking to ignore.

God didn’t abandon our society, but we have worked hard to demean Him, and remove any impact His Word may have on our culture as it moves forward. It is not an accident – it is an agenda – and every believer is feeling the squeeze. We are worship and reverence removed from modern American culture. Many believers are surprised that Jesus is now the stuff of continual comic amusement on the web, and seldom the object of even a basic modicum of respect as an historically important figure – let alone claims of divinity.

In the sixties, “church going” was seen as a good practice by the general populace. TV shows reflected it as a training ground for healthy attitudes, proper respect and decency – now it is frequently referenced in public communication as the spawning ground which produces “bigots” and “ignorance”. In the seventies and eighties, having a “born again” experience was great on the politician’s resume – but now that it no longer serves to attract a broader electorate – such references are all but gone. So afraid that those who disagree will pounce, any belief that doesn’t model the current trend is kept to one’s self and considered “private”. In the nineties, a “Biblical view” in cultural issues was re-branded a “traditional view” – but that didn’t give it any acceptance, and it has largely become seen as a “bigoted and backward” view. If you look carefully at the media – Jesus has been on a popularity slide for decades in America.

By now, we should have come to understand that Jesus’ claims are so direct, so clear – that it is ludicrous to attempt to accommodate Him in a pagan system. Jesus won’t be boxed in to a feckless, dashboard “bobble-headed” Savior. He demands far too much. People who want to run their own lives may want a Savior to rescue them, but they don’t want a Lord to direct them – and Jesus’ message demands surrender to Him. It seems many Americans are boldly outgrowing their “felt need” for God – and they are admitting to the desire to be their own directors. Sadly, even many who have “claimed an experience with Christ” are following suit. The Word offers them salvation, but no behavior boundary or life direction.

What people do NOT seem to recognize, at least yet, is that when reverence of Christ is sown in our culture, respect for others is harvested. When people understood there is a God in Heaven Who sent His Son for them – there was a healthy respect for a good God above. Conversely, (at least historically speaking) as reverence for the Savior is thought more and more to be worthless – respect for authority, property and even life diminishes rapidly in our western society.

I want to show you that this isn’t a new problem – man has disrespected God since the mutiny in the Garden of Eden. Jesus faced it head on in His own people – and oddly, He made clear His response was not to attempt to soften His message to gain popularity. A Sovereign Lord with ultimate power doesn’t wait to get elected by His Creation. Yet, in some minds there is a notion we can get “respect” back for Jesus. We can demand it in the public square. We can claim it is uncivil to mock our faith and our Savior. Here is the truth: people who don’t revere Jesus don’t care what we think about Him. They never did. Let me show you how it played out when He was standing in front of them.

The stories found in Matthew 21 begin with the “Triumphal Entry” of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. I mention that fact, because the fanfare of that day – people shouting, palms flying and Jesus coming into Jerusalem on a donkey – is the backdrop of several teachings that are essential to understand if we want to recognize Who the Gospel writer claimed Jesus is, and why Jesus came. The narrative moves swiftly, with Jesus coming into the city, and our eyes are pulled toward a number of people who were engaged in the spectacle of that moment:

• First, (predictably) His coming stirred up the crowd: Matthew 21:10 “When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”

• Next He abruptly drew the attention of the religious leadership: Matthew 21:12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER; but you are making it a ROBBERS’ DEN.”

• In short order, He attracted the needy: Matthew 21:14 And [the] blind and [the] lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.

• Fourth, He drew annoyed questions from the Sanhedrin: Matthew 21:15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these [children] are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF’?”

The record is crisp and pointed – not long and detailed. Matthew 21:17 shared that He responded quickly and left promptly. Matthew records: “And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.” By the time Jesus walked back over the Mount of Olives to Bethany, He left Jerusalem in a stir. Consider what that night was like for:

• The crowds that came from Galilee. They had seen the Master feed thousands, answer criticisms concerning Sabbath, and stand up to demons and angry religious leaders. “He is just what the Temple leadership needs!” They thought.

• For the priests and Levitical servants, the mess in the Temple left by Jesus’ tantrum at the money changer’s station was cleaned up, but they were (no doubt) frustrated that one man was able to disrupt the flow of their work after the Temple was so carefully cleaned and prepared.

• For a blind man, who perhaps was sitting on a hillside watching his first sunset with tears in his eyes! For a lame man who may well have been dancing in his home with his wife and children, healed of his malady earlier in the day!

• For some Sanhedrin members who were seething. Jesus disrespected them and His unwelcome smirk played over and over in their angry hearts…“Who did He think He was, anyway?” They probably thought.

The story of the return of Jesus to the Temple for the next day’s celebrations was marked by a brief pause on the Mount of Olives. Jesus saw a fig tree that gave Him an opportunity to teach a lesson – and Jesus never missed such an opportunity! He knew they needed to be prepared to understand His actions as the day unfolded. Jesus was going to walk into the Temple and would come directly under the line of fire of some angry men with power behind them. He was going to answer with the toughest words of any exchange in the Gospels to the Temple leaders. The disciples weren’t ready to observe that conflict – so Jesus stopped by a tree and got them ready. Matthew reminds:

Matthew 21:18 Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. 19 Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be [any] fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered. 20 Seeing [this], the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither [all] at once?” 21 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Jesus saw a fig tree that was either picked clean by midwives, who used the un-ripened green fruit in their craft, or it was a sick tree (the ficus buds leaves and fruit at the same time at that elevation in Jerusalem). Jeremiah 24 used the imagery of rotten figs for the wayward King Zedekiah of Judah. This tree didn’t have BAD figs – it had NO figs. What could it mean? Jesus was about to enter a Temple that had all of the leaves of religion but none of the fruits of faith. He knew that even His disciples lacked in the “faith” department. They didn’t see things through God’s Word, and God’s way of explaining life. The world was so strong to them, and the flesh so real – it was hard for them to see the spiritual world. They lacked the angelic expose that Ezekiel had (Ezekiel 8-11) to peer into the world through God’s eyes – but they had God’s Son standing before them. He cursed the tree, and some were shocked that it withered. He explained that if they would see things through what He calls true – they would become truly powerful and effective. They were impressed by the Temple, by the rulers of it, and by the pomp of the setting. What they didn’t see was that it was largely fruitless and would wither in a generation.

Jesus kept walking, and returned to the Temple. The leaders demanded an explanation of His authority to act as One in charge when THEY were in charge of the Temple (21:23-27).

Matthew 21:23 When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” 24 Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 “The baptism of John was from what [source], from heaven or from men?” And they [began] reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 26 “But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet.” 27 And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Ironically, Jesus exposed that their “authority” was more about maintaining popularity than leading anyone. They challenged His authority – so He tested theirs. They were perplexed about how to take a stand – because they didn’t want to lost popularity. Jesus told them he would answer them if they could not take a public stand on John the Baptizer as a true prophet. Why ask for truth one will not take a public stand on truth?

With that exchange in mind, watch as He offered two linked illustrations, and as they began to seek a way to get back at Him in response (Mt. 21:46)…

A Parable of Disrespect

The first parable (Mt. 21:28-32) was of two sons, one that rebelled and repented, another that gave lip service and yet quietly rebelled.

Matthew 21:28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ 29 “And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 “The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, ‘I [will], sir; but he did not go. 31 “Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. 32 “For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing [this], did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.

Notice that Jesus equated the first son with harlots that heard John and then repented (having begun in rebellion). He equated the second son with THEM – the Temple leaders who, after hearing about repentance, they quietly did NOTHING! (21:28-32). The illustration was not directed against the whole nation of Jews (because the prostitutes and tax collectors were also part of the nation), but rather against those hard-hearted leaders that refused to take a stand on John and his call to repent in preparation for the King’s arrival. THEY were the cause of the problem. They still couldn’t decide and take a stand even after the death of John, Jesus’ cousin. Soon they would try to maneuver between the will of the crowds and their inner desire to silence Jesus Himself!

A Second (Even More Blunt) Shot

Following up with a second parable (Mt. 21:33-46) Jesus told of a vintner that built a vineyard and left it with a tenant farmer. Here, the Savior pulled from the “play book” of Isaiah 5 – where God complained about leaving His “well-designed vineyard” in the hands of Judah’s corrupt leaders…Jesus said:

Matthew 21:33 “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who PLANTED A VINEYARD AND PUT A WALL AROUND IT AND DUG A WINE PRESS IN IT, AND BUILT A TOWER, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. 34 “When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. 35 “The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third. 36 “Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. 37 “But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

By now, you recognize the story that Jesus was sharing. You are able to see God’s claim that He built His people like a vineyard (Isaiah 5) and left them in the hands of leaders who killed His special servants, the prophets, as He sent them to warn them. Now the Son was sent…Jesus continued:

Matthew 21:38 “But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 “They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 “Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” 41 They said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the [proper] seasons.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER [stone]; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’? 43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. 44 “And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. 46 When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.

When the time came to collect the fruit, the tenants killed every servant the owner sent, and eventually even the son of the vintner! This prophecy concerning His own death was remarkable! At the same time, the text need not reflect the idea that Jesus was taking the opportunity of God working with the Jewish people and handing it to the church (as has often been charged by commentators). Indeed the second illustration, like the first, says that Jesus offered the leaders the opportunity to repent, but they passed. The failure of the Sanhedrin would remove God’s offer from them – but not from Israel. Paul knew it had not yet been re-offered and in that day Israel would be redeemed (Romans 11:26).

As a result of this leadership’s hard-hearted rejection, the opportunity would be left to another group of leaders, another time in the nation of Israel, and this group of men would not experience the blessing of those later Jewish leaders who WOULD accept Jesus. It is clear in the text that the Pharisees thought Jesus spoke of THEM (21:45), not the Jewish nation. The term “ethnos” is translated elsewhere “a people” and does not always signify a “nation” as such. In this context, it is most likely the LEADERSHIP representing the people.

Clearly they were not going to get the blessing of the Kingdom, yet the disciples that stood by still thought it was coming to Israel as promised. Later in the same Gospel, Jesus promised a day would come when they would believe (Mt. 23:39). The disciples questioned Jesus about it (23 and 24), and He made clear that it was for a future generation of Jews – not their current leaders (Mt. 24:34). To these Jewish disciples, the words were a bittersweet mix, they were saved and heaven bound, yet their nation would continue to await the blessing that could have been immediate with leaders that would stand with Jesus. Literally, the rejection of the leadership to stand with Jesus pitted the believers against these leaders, creating a terrible tension (Mt. 21:44).

The fact is that disrespect, irreverent rebellion – these are the attitudes that bring death… and we are seeing MORE AND MORE encouragement in our society to oppose reverence, and disregard respect. Al Mohler wrote an article about “Parents obey your children” in 2009, that reflected a reversal of authority. In the article, he refers to a literary critic:

Parents, who have been drinking deeply from the wells of contemporary secular parenting advice, have largely become passive facilitators in the lives of their children. As Zalewski argues, today’s young parents “learn that there are many things they must never do to their willful young child: spank, scold, bestow frequent praise, criticize, plead, withhold affection, take away toys, ‘model’ angry emotions, intimidate, bargain, nag.” In other words, “nearly all forms of discipline appear morally suspect.” Modern “experts” like Alfie Kohn now go so far as to argue that rewarding children for good behavior is virtually as injurious to the child as punishing children for negative behavior. Arguing against what he calls “conditional parenting,” Kohn … asserted: Conditional parenting isn’t limited to old-school authoritarians. Some people who wouldn’t dream of spanking choose instead to discipline their young children by forcibly isolating them, a tactic we prefer to call “time out.” Conversely, “positive reinforcement” teaches children that they are loved, and lovable, only when they do whatever we decide is a “good job.” Today’s parents, advised by the likes of Alfie Kohn, are themselves the children and grandchildren of a generation raised by parents who abandoned traditional parenting for the advice of Dr. Benjamin Spock. The war against parental authority gained momentum throughout the 20th century. Now, today’s children are often virtually undisciplined — their parents having abandoned the central role of disciplinarian due to distraction, ideological intimidation, cultural pressure, or sheer confusion. Parents, Obey Your Children? Albert Mohler Wednesday • October 14, 2009

Let me be clear: disrespect kills a society! When children do not understand authority, they don’t understand reverence of the Holy One. They vote on God, and mute any word that doesn’t square with what they THINK He should want from them! Jesus stood before such a generation – and so do we.

A Third (The Most Blunt Edition) Parable

He offered a third parable (mashal) specifically to the chief priests and Pharisees that were rejecting His kingdom (Mt. 22:1-14) – and this is even clearer.

Matthew 22:1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3 “And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4 “Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are [all] butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.”‘ 5 “But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6 and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. 7 “But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. 8 “Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find [there], invite to the wedding feast.’ 10 “Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. 11 “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. 13 “Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are called, but few [are] chosen.”

He openly exclaimed in the parable, “My Kingdom was being actively rejected by these leaders!” Note that one man came in without proper dress for the occasion (a symbol of contempt for the host in that day) and the king singled him out (22:11-12). The king commanded that he be bound and cast out of the feast hungry for the insulting behavior (22:13). Jesus then closed the illustration with a popular ancient proverb, “Many are called, but few are chosen.”

What was He saying? He was making the point to those who were rejecting Him that there was NO WAY for them to attain the blessing of fellowship with His Father except by honoring Him with proper respect. They were like the man without the wedding garb – they wanted “in” without respecting Jesus, and that simply couldn’t happen.

The proverbial statement is used three times in the Apocryphal book (an apocalyptic book) of 4 Esdras (also called Latin Ezra), and is used in a very wide context. In this case, the Gospel writer chose the words “called” (Greek: klay-tos, probably best translated “invited” in this passage) in place of the Hebrew or Aramaic term Jesus originally employed (it is hard to believe two Jews in the Temple would be speaking Koine Greek to each other!). For the word “chosen” the writer, under Divine direction of the Spirit chose the term “eklayktos” (akin to the word later used to denote “church” in the New Testament). This word simply means selected, but in this context probably is best translated in its general sense, “having been found of a quality that was desired.” In other words, Jesus is saying:

“Many have been invited, but only a few of those who have been invited have met the criteria of proper respect for the King to be fully accepted.”

Here is the truth: People who don’t revere the Savior cannot even long maintain a respect for Him – for His claims are too striking to ignore.

We must recognize WHO Jesus is or face the consequences. By not revering Him, we cut the limb behind us upon which our lives are perched. Disrespect kills the body, but not recognizing Jesus offers eternal death!

I cannot help but think of the HMS Bounty when I think of disrespect, death and mutiny…

The Bounty set sail from Spithead in Portsmouth, England on 23 December 1787 on a mission to gather breadfruit trees from Polynesia and transport them to the British West Indies. After ten months and 27 thousand miles of sailing, the Bounty arrived in Mataivai Bay, Tahiti (where it remained until 4 April 1789. During their long stay in Tahiti, many of the men became involved with local women and some married. When it was time to leave this island paradise, they had a difficult time parting and the men quickly mutinied their captain and stranded him at sea. Captain Bligh and eighteen loyal crew members were set adrift in a longboat and eventually arrived in Indonesia after an incredible open boat voyage of several thousand miles. The mutineers returned to Tahiti for their women, and after months at sea to hide, they chose Pitcairn Island. In short order, the community fell into turmoil. Fueled by homemade alcohol, disputes over women eventually resulted in the violent deaths of all but two of the men – Adams and Young. Six years later Young died of asthma; Adams was left with eleven women and 23 children. Finally, Adams turned to the Bounty Bible, which led him to repentance and a new outlook on life. Using the Bible, he educated the children, built a school and organized the community into a Christian way of life. Later Lex wrote, “I had been working like a mole for years, and suddenly it was as if the doors were flung wide open, and I saw the light, and I met God in Jesus Christ. And the burden of my sin rolled away, and I found new life in Christ.” In 1808 Pitcairn was re-discovered by the American ship Topaz. …Surprised by their find and impressed by the character of the residents, they chose to leave this community, founded by mutineers, alone and allow Adams to remain with his people. Adams died on 6 March 1829 at age 63. – Adapted from http://www.onlinepitcairn.com/history.htm).

One Hour: One Book (Video) “Leviticus”

Leviticus 1I have to admit it, I was shocked to find out the YouTube in the series “One Hour, One Book” on Leviticus was our best draw to GCBI Media’s YouTube channel.

I am clueless as to WHY, but thankful, nevertheless. We are nearing completion of the series, where there is a video overview of each book of the Bible, and now the study notes that will accompany them are in preparation. The last stage is to launch a “One Hour One Book” website of its own, where churches and Bible study leaders can access all of the information at no cost, and use it for their Bible preparations.

Following His Footsteps: “Cracker Jack Surprise” – Mark 14

CrackerjackIn a less complex time than today, a simple “surprise” toy in a box of breakfast cereal or perhaps a little surprise inserted into a molasses-coated popcorn and peanut snack box was a delight for a child. Unless there is an electronic chip in it, I doubt it would keep most “first world” children occupied now – even for a moment. Yet, some of us are both old enough to remember but still young enough to access our memories of the “Cracker Jack” box – with the “surprise” inside. The name was registered in 1896, and many consider it to be the original American “junk food”. The old label was bought by Frito-Lay’s parent company Pepsi-Co in 1996, some one hundred years after it was first hitting the shelves of tiny grocery stores and corner candy shops.

The Cracker Jack box historically included a small “toy surprise” inside. Old ads boasted: “Candy coated popcorn, peanuts and a prize”. In fact, they came in every box since 1912! Prizes included baseball cards, rings, plastic figures, booklets, stickers, temporary tattoos and even “secret spy decoder rings” – which no doubt worried the Russians a good bit “back in the day”. Keeping up with the times, in 2013, some prizes became ‘download codes’ to redeem electronic “nostalgic” games on the Cracker Jack app through Google Play. Yes, the simple times have left us and have morphed into their more complex android cousins.

What is surprising about the Cracker Jack box is that it was never that appealing on its cover for a candy. In fact, it seemed busy and wholly unattractive. On the outside were “mascots” – sketches of one dubious “Sailor Jack” and his dog “Bingo” who were on the box since 1918. The actual image of “Sailor Jack” alone has a bit of a morbid tale – it was an image of Edward Rueckheim who died of pneumonia at the age of 8 shortly after his image appeared on the first box. That image became so important to the founder of Cracker Jack that he had it carved on his tombstone. The dog, incidentally, was an image of a stray found in Chicago in 1917. There you have it: America’s junk food started in a promotional package with the images of a deceased child and a stray dog – yet they sold millions of boxes. In the end, they proved that looks can be deceiving. Sweet things can come in ugly boxes. Secret spy decoder rings can be purchased – disguised as mere junk food.

Interestingly enough, the truth proved by the package is the same one we see in our text today…

Key Principle: Appearances can be deceiving – but only to us. God always see what is under the surface.

In this lesson, we want to look briefly at four literary “snapshots” of people, taken from the week before the Cross at Calvary. Each of these snapshots is admittedly incomplete, but they are sufficient enough to help us see what God captured in His holy lens – and how it differed from what men saw:

Snapshot 1: Pious Men gathered in Priestly Garb (14:1-2)

In our study following the life and ministry of Jesus, we have finally come to His entry to Jerusalem and the “Passion Week” – the time of the Pesach (Passover).

Mark 14:1 “Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him; 2 for they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people.”

If the first day of Unleavened Bread (immediately following Passover) began in conjunction with the Sabbath (Friday night) that year, as has been traditionally recalled, the story opens this chapter with either a Tuesday or Wednesday meeting. Classical artists seem to always capture the men gathered in the night, though that is not clear in the passage. On the bright side, some may use this to Biblically endorse “Wednesday night Prayer Meeting” (just kidding!) but that isn’t what brought these men together.

A careful examination of the first two verses yield a reasonably clear picture of what was happening among these learned men. The men were clearly PLOTTING (zeteo: deliberating an action). They were trying to determine a way to gain control (krateo: to bind) over Jesus by using trickery or a trap (dolos: baiting). Most striking is the reality that this ensnaring was clearly for the purpose of killing Jesus! They appeared to have concluded this was the right way, or at least the most effective way to answer His rising popularity and open questioning if their authority. All of these details come from the beginning of Mark 14.

Look at the second verse, and more detail emerges. What slowed down their plan was not a pang of guilt, but a scheduling glitch. With Passover coming on, they seemed to agree that capturing Jesus when the crowds of Galilean followers, among whom He was remarkably popular, would have ended in a riot (thorubos: uproar, uncontrolled mob reaction). Since this follows the “Palm Sunday” story, it appears Jesus was equally aware of the possibility the “rocks would cry out” if He hushed the crowds. It looks, from the record, like the Temple leadership ironically agreed with Jesus’ earlier assessment.

Mark carefully revealed that these men knew what they wanted to do, but fear of the loss of control over the crowd shut them down – at least for the moment. In some ways, it appears they were afraid to lose STANDING in the eyes of the crowd. They knew the local people would follow them, but this was a time when people came into the city by the tens of thousands, and they were happy to hear Jesus. They didn’t mind His criticism of the Temple leadership. He likely said things others thought of themselves! The Talmudic memory of the household of Hannan, from which Annas and Caiaphas came, was less than sparkling. Jesus wasn’t the only one that noticed the Temple wasn’t working in ideal ways.

These men rose through the ranks probably believing they could serve the God of Jacob. They likely didn’t start out craving power, it just seemed to turn out that way. You can sympathize just a bit, can’t you? They were charged with “keeping the people in order” by their Roman masters. The problem was, they were charged by God to do something higher – that is to teach people the TRUTH. Their call from God got tied up in their power struggle to hold what they only got because God granted it. When we try to desperately hold on to the position or power that we have, we tip our hand to our real belief – the mistaken idea that we EARNED the place we have.

This is the “FAME trap” – we try to keep the lights blaring on our performance long after it is clear we aren’t as special and we have come to believe we are. Only those who are oft reminded by God that all they possess is truly His, and all they attain was by His grace- will be able to place His will higher than that of any earthly master. The FAME trap can happen in anything that leads people to believe they have become a celebrity – no matter what are of life they find it in. God sees it even through religious garb – those who look like they are serving Him to control other people, or to be important among them.

Snapshot 2: A man hiding under a clean cloak (Mark 14:10-21; 42-46)

Drop your eyes down in the passage to Mark 14:10. Instead of a group of garbed priests, we want to focus on a lone figure who is fidgeting and seems out of place in an important meeting…

Mark 14:10 “Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them. 11 They were glad when they heard this, and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time. 12 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?” 13 And He sent two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him; 14 and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ 15 “And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; prepare for us there.” 16 The disciples went out and came to the city, and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover. 17 When it was evening He came with the twelve. 18 As they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me—one who is eating with Me.” 19 They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, “Surely not I?” 20 And He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl. 21 “For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”

Drop a few verses below to a man who came late to the meeting. He was not invited, but the men in the meeting were DELIGHTED to see him come in. Judas snuck off from the other Disciples who were staying in Bethany with the Master. The text is clear, Judas came willingly to the priests (14:10) and made the offer to deliver Jesus to them. Their gladdened reaction showed that Judas’ proposal relieved them of the burden of finding a way to snatch Jesus (14:11). Judas was now seeking a “good time” (eukairos) to deliver Jesus to the priests. How ironic that he would look for a GOOD TIME to do a BAD thing.

The verses that follow that scene may seem like Mark is going on in the story, but He is not. Mark 14:12-16 explain why Judas was unable to deliver Jesus quickly, before the late night prayer session of Jesus in the “Garden of the Olive Press” (Gethsemane). Mark 14:12 set the time for these verses two days after the plot against Jesus by Judas and the chief priests. Jesus came with the twelve on Thursday evening for their Pesach celebration but withheld the location from Judas and the other Disciples – they did not know where the meal was to be eaten. Jesus appears to have pre-arranged the meal with some men beyond the knowledge of His Disciples, and therefore offered detailed instructions to Peter and John (if all accounts are combined) to follow a man with a water pot to a furnished upper room to make the feast observance ready.

Reclining around the three sided banquet table (a triclinium), Jesus openly remarked about the plot that Judas was hatching behind His back. Mark 14:18 offered the detail that it was someone on the inner circle of the twelve, and verse 20 pressed the case by stating it was one who was eating from the same dish as Jesus – the common bowl placed before the group surrounding Him closely. It is impossible to see this as anything less than an excruciatingly uncomfortable moment for the disgruntled Judas, who had to have felt exposed. Listen again to the words that Jesus used concerning Judas:

Mark 14:21 “For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”

Jesus made it clear that the plot would be successful, but the plotter would be ruined in the process. Perhaps nowhere in the Gospels are harder words recorded as coming from the mouth of the Master! Judas had to have been quietly humiliated and angered, as the enemy pressed him to further betrayal. Mark makes no note of Judas’ departure from the meal, but combined accounts show that Judas left after a small exchange between Jesus and himself. Out into the night, tormented by the searing words of Jesus went the betrayer. We don’t see him appearing again until Mark 14:42.

Mark 14:42 “Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!” 43 Immediately while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs, who were from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away under guard.” 45 After coming, Judas immediately went to Him, saying, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 46 They laid hands on Him and seized Him. 47 But one of those who stood by drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48 And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me, as you would against a robber? 49 “Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; but this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures.” 50 And they all left Him and fled. 51 A young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body; and they seized him. 52 But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked.”

Jesus was aware of Judas’ arrival before the Disciples, and He urged them to awaken and stand ready for the time of His arrest at the hands of Judas (14:42). A crowd, including some Roman soldiers and Temple guard, as well as a rabble gathered by the chief priests had entered the olive grove at Gethsemane where Jesus was praying and His derelict Disciples were fast asleep (14:43). Judas told the guards to watch for the One that he offered the “kiss of peace” and arrest Him alone, so the guard and rabble were either confused by the darkness or may not have been wholly familiar with Jesus’ appearance. Judas was close to Jesus – one of the inner circle who “kept the purse” according to John’s Gospel, and Judas would recognize Jesus. Mark reveals that Judas kissed Jesus, and the men arrested Him (14:45-46). Resistance began, with a strike at the head of a guard by what appears to have been Peter (14:47) but the Disciples were outnumbered, bewildered and afraid. Jesus boldly challenged the cowardly way He was being taken, but the guards were not stopped by this (14:48-49). The Disciples fled into the night, one of them slipping out from his top cloak and running shamefully uncovered (14:51-52), Judas had finished his work.

Though Mark says little about the reason of Judas defection, the other Gospel accounts offer other small details that help sharpen our view of the events. John records that Judas was one who specifically complained about the anointing of Jesus’ feet with the valuable spikenard. Matthew reminds us of the “thirty pieces of silver” (the price of redemption) some three times in Matthew 26 and 27. Clearly the Disciples recalled later that Judas’ motive was at least in part financial. Judas wanted FORTUNE to help him gain a sense of control over his life. How many people are willing to compromise principle for this very same reason? The man under the cloak thought he could act in darkness, hiding, deceiving and then disappearing. The problem with the okay was that he had to take himself along on the journey, and life lived in compromise of one’s core values is desperately hard. God saw under the cloak of Judas, and his motives were exposed from the very mouth of his Master.

Judas probably joined the ranks of the Disciples because the words of Jesus touched his heart. I don’t know how deeply, but he is not so unlike many in the church today – who came with deep hurt or a broken heart – some intractable relationship or financial distress. They came believing they could find peace and solutions in the God of Jacob. Then came the problem; the day God’s Word said something they really didn’t like. The day God offended them deeply. They truly believed their own sense of right and wrong was more flawless than the Creator’s – and they just weren’t willing to give up a relationship of love that the Word clearly showed was off limits; or stop a practice that they loved so dearly they thought it beyond God’s right to ask them to give it up. God can be so offensive when He tries to tell the pottery why it was made thus.

When we try to hold God to our standard, we forget who He really is, and who we really are. This is the POWER trap – we try to keep Him at bay from the most important rooms of our hearts. Only those who are oft challenged by God to surrender the key to every locked room- will be able to surrender control and see God powerfully work beyond their abilities. The POWER trap can snare us when we use some inner marker of desire to replace God’s objective standard in His Word. God sees through our proximity to the believers and even to Jesus – and examines the heart. He warns of two paths – one of surrender and one of self-guided nonsense.

Snapshot 3: A boisterous follower of Jesus (Mark 14:27-42; 66-72)

Peter helped to put the meal together, along with John. He was not an EVIL man, like the picture we have of Judas and of the priests we have spoken about to this point in our story. He was DECIEVED. Deception is the “cousin” of EVIL – that leads good men to bad judgment.

Look closely for a moment at the Disciple Peter. He demonstrated some critical flaws that came from a failed power struggle with his ego. They are helpful, particularly to those of us who have fought Jesus’ control in our own lives…

Flaw One: He was Untrusting.

Mark 14:27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP SHALL BE SCATTERED.’…31 But Peter kept saying insistently, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all were saying the same thing also.

When Jesus told all the Disciples that they would scatter and fall down, He made the particular point to mention that God’s Word had settled the subject ahead of time (14:27). At first Peter denied that this could be a part of his future, and later “insisted” (14:31) that could not be the case. These points of argument yield a truth about the EGO battle… The ego battle is essentially a deeply held belief that I know better than God and His Word. It is masked and often polite UNBELIEF in God’s knowledge.

Flaw Two: He was Self-exalting.

Mark 14:28 “But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 29 But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not.”

When Jesus promised that He would be raised up (they probably thought to the throne, not from the dead, though He had revealed His death to them before), Peter emphatically promised that HE would not leave Jesus, in spite of all the other followers. It is remarkable how EGO separates us from the rest of the pack. We truly come to believe that we are DIFFERENT in essence than all others. It offers us a deceived view that allows us to believe we have inordinate personal endurance.

Flaw Three: He was Hardened.

Mark 14:30 And Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, that this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times.”

When Jesus contradicted Peter, there is no record that Peter believed of accepted the conviction of the words of the Lord. Jesus clearly said it WOULD HAPPEN and that he would not have to wait to see it happen! Yet, when we become deluded with our own EGO, we truly close our ears to both the WARNING and CONVICTION of God’s Word.

Flaw Four: He was Overconfident.

Mark 14:32 They came to a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here until I have prayed.” 33 And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. 34 And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.” 35 And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. 36 And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” 37 And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? 38 “Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. 41 And He came the third time, and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 “Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”

Jesus led the men to the place of the public oil press, with its nearby camping places in the olive grove. He asked the Disciples to pray, and it is clear they could see that He was under great pressure. Peter was taken with those of the inner circle and asked repeatedly to pray, but found himself falling asleep. Ego constantly overestimates its strength and underestimates the costs of disobedience. The scene that began with Peter’s arrogant proclamations of being the ONE who would do right, end with him skulking and weeping.

Flaw Five: He was overpowering.

Mark 14:66 As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Nazarene.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” And he went out onto the porch. 69 The servant-girl saw him, and began once more to say to the bystanders, “This is one of them!” 70 But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders were again saying to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean too.” 71 But he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man you are talking about!” 72 Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he began to weep.

After the arrest of Jesus, the weeping Disciple teamed up with John who was known to the High Priest and his family. John was able to get into the front gate, but Peter was questioned at the door. A few minutes later the intuitive woman pointed our Peter before others. When confronted a third time, Peter CURSED JESUS and claimed no knowledge of Jesus. One Gospel writer simply said that as Jesus was being led away, “Jesus looked on Peter”. Ego can’t seem to slow down the train even when it is going toward a head on collision. It is a powerful force of false control – and it leads to our own ruin.

Peter came to Jesus because the words of Jesus made sense, and Jesus had great power. He saw the command Jesus had over the Word of God and the manifest presence of God in miracles. He believed that God was at work in Jesus. He was on board when the swords were handed out. He wanted to bring in the Kingdom with POWER. The problem with the power method, is that it is very SELF EMPOWERED and lacks the meekness Jesus calls upon in us. When we try to reach people with the POWER of our own PERSONALITY, we are often showing ourselves to me more in love with ourselves than our Savior! This is the EGO trap – we try to make God successful and elevate ourselves at the same time!

The EGO trap holds us when we believe that God got a bargain when He got us. It came manifest itself in a legalism control, or an overt and desperate need for constant affirmation in our walk and work for Jesus. In the end, it attempts to lead people to US and not JESUS.

Snapshot 4: A Broken Crying Woman (Mark 14:3; 6-9)

The final little snapshot is found in the earliest part of the chapter. We skipped over a woman (John 12 suggests it was Mary of Magdala) who was sacrificing to Jesus by pouring an expensive and cherished ointment on His feet, to allow her story to linger in our hearts as the final part of the teaching from Mark 14. Look briefly at her story:

Mark 14:3 While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. 4 But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? 5 “For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her.6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. 7 “For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. 8 “She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. 9 “Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

Jesus was pleased with the sacrifice of a woman who FELT SMALL, but gave what she had to be used of Him! She BROKE the vase of what she had to offer, and gave every drop to His use. There can be no more complete snapshot of surrender. She is in this story what the woman with the last coin of her home was in the previous study – one who gave all. How did Jesus respond?

First, He rebuffed those who criticized her action for their own cloaked motives and self-righteousness, protecting her with His words. “Let her alone” (6a). Next, He noted that her sacrifice was “a good deed” to His standard (6b)! Third, He identified her insights and priorities as the CORRECT ones (14:7). Fourth, He again showed the size of the sacrifice was the true gauge of her heart (14:8a). Fifth, He carefully identified that her work fit with God’s plan (14:8b). Finally, He promised that her act would be ever recalled by followers of Jesus in times to come (14:9).

Mary came to Jesus out of a broken heart and a failed life. His words set her free. His love unlocked the deep pain of her heart, and empowered her to serve by surrender and sacrifice. She understood the meekness Jesus called for – because her only hope of eternal life was found in His grace. She saw no goodness in herself. She had little, but she was unwilling to keep any of it for herself!

When we recognize our own deep sinfulness, we are ready to thankfully surrender to the One who gave all for us! This is the SURRENDER KEY– the key that opens us to be used of God for powerful tasks that last for the ages to come! The SURRENDER KEY allows Jesus access to all that we have, and all that we hope to accomplish. It is the gift God most wants. It smells of perfume, but is really not about the physical world – it is a spiritually open heart.

The truth is often beneath the surface.

Maybe you are hiding who you are beneath a cloak. There is danger in not considering the truth that God sees what no one else can.

I am told that there was a rock on the North Sea, just off the Firth of Tay, Scotland. This rock proved very dangerous to many ships, because when the high tide came in, the rock was hidden just below the surface. There was a warning bell attached to the rock by the Abbot of Aberbrothok, so when tide came in the hugh warning bell floated and rang out a warning to all ships that passed: there was hidden danger. This warning bell was stolen by a sea pirate. History records about a year after the said warning bell was stolen, there was a terrible pirate ship crash at this rock, and the pirate perished in the icy waters. It appears the pirate that stole the warning bell, perished on the hidden rock one stormy night. Why? He forgot that what was hidden could still be very dangerous.

God on the Move: “I Found a Little Jesus” – Colossians 2:1-3:2

olive wood jesusWhen we lived in a village on the southern edge of Jerusalem, we had an olive wood stove that warmed us during the cold and rainy winter months. I loved that little stove! It sucked the dampness out of the air, and filled the whole house with a sweet smell that wafts from that oil-laden wood. Because trees in Israel are in short supply, I bought wood chips and refuse from the shops in Bethlehem that carved olive wood figurines for the pilgrims that came to learn about Jesus in that town. The spare parts of the wood were excellent for burning, and they could be purchased relatively cheaply. In the pile of throw away pieces were any figurines that were improperly cut or marred in the process of carving. Some were only half carved.

One day I asked my son to get me some of the wood chips from the bag, and he brought me a little Jesus figurine that was holding a lamb across His shoulders. Aaron asked me what it was, and I described it as a “little Jesus” from the “Good Shepherd” teaching of John’s Gospel. He giggled! He thought the idea of a “little Jesus” was one of the funniest things EVER. Though he grew up in Jerusalem, the Jesus he knew was a powerful and immense Savior – and while this figurine displayed gentleness, this little statue didn’t communicate any of that power he heard about – and it didn’t SEEM like Jesus to him. Yet the truth is that a tiny Jesus (in the lives of those who claim to follow Him) isn’t nearly as uncommon as you may think. MANY people, even many Christians, have a “tiny Jesus”. They recognize the baby in the manger, and they identify with the lifeless crucified form on a cross – but they don’t see Him as He is – the powerful and High King of Heaven –the Master of salvation. Lost in the Lamb, they cannot see the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

It is worth noting that marred view began shortly after the church spread from those who saw Jesus after the resurrection to other places in the Roman world. The message spread about His Resurrection, His power and His glory in the Heavens, but believers struggled, almost from the beginning, to see the Master more clearly than the earth and its powerfully tugging fleshly enticements. The Apostle Paul could see it clearly as he traveled and encountered the “tiny Jesus” problem. Too many believers were too fixated on this world – and the problem became clearer as visitors came describing the events of the first century churches to Paul in chains. He knew that believers needed to be encouraged to see the physical world properly – by seeing it through the “lens” of a powerful Savior. Here is a truth he taught to the believers at Colossae, a truth we touched on in the previous lesson…

Key Principle: When we see the Savior clearly (as He truly is!) we see life clearly. We must learn to see earth and its history in the perspective of its larger Heavenly context – or we won’t understand the story properly.

Let’s face it – life here doesn’t make sense without the record of our true origin from above – out of the mind and purposes of God. I am not saying there is no other posited explanation for humanity – I am saying that all explanations come down to the same thing. We are here. We exist. The material world is here – and it either got here from nothing and has no purpose or plan – or it got here by intelligent intention. I believe unapologetically that we who believe in the Bible as God’s proclamation and trust in God’s prophecy of the destiny of all things are not casting into a dark sea without solid evidence – quite the contrary.

Men and women, left to themselves, will use the modern conventions they are inventing to paint themselves into awkward corners and be quickly be reduced to absurdism. A story was related to me last week of a man who stood before a local council asking that he be granted “special minority status”, with all the privileges it entails for assistance to his business, because he feels as though he is African-American. There he stood – blonde hair, blue eyes, and boldly claimed if he could not be denied rights to a women’s restroom based on what he “felt about his own sexuality” then he should be able to claim “minority rights” provisions under the council if he felt himself to be a person of color. The council deliberated and could not find a way to deny him the special provisions without hindering their other accepted positions. Do you see where we are going? The absurdity of self-definition erases logical identity – and we have only begun to step off the precipice. Soon, anyone who feels like they are a horse will claim they should be given “stable privileges” – and there is little in the modern thought process to stop them from getting what they request. Reason dies – not with belief in God – but with the absence of God and His implanted moral definitions.

My point is simple: either there is a Creator or there is not. Either there is an objective definition of right and wrong that transcends popular vote and strong opinion, or there is not. That leads us to the Bible. So that you will grasp our approach, we are going to state up front that we believe we were created by a personal, loving and purposed God. We believe He both created earth and later came to earth. We believe He spoke and that He preserved His words. It is to those words we turn to learn from whence we have come, why we are here, and to what end we have been made.

With our Bibles open to Colossians 2, let me admit something. In our last lesson, we went too quickly (in my view) through something that is far too important for our time…so I want to re-visit a teaching of Paul from the second chapter of Colossians. For simplicity, if you reduce the chapter to its essential components, Paul related that there were essentially three problems the early believers in that time were facing that I believe we can still readily relate to:

• Some believers were confused by the circumstances and couldn’t figure out God’s direction based on what they observed in the daily news (2:1-7).

• Other believers were distracted by a focus on “their felt needs” that led them to desire something “more than Jesus” to fulfill their religious impulses (2:8-15). They weren’t satisfied with Jesus alone – and that was pushing them to act up.

• Still others were frustrated by seeking affirmation from other men and women, allowing others to dictate their practices in following Christ (2:16-3:1). They wanted to fit in, and that meant they sought the “like” button of their neighbors instead of the approval of Jesus above all.

If you look at these three issues, they have one root – where can the truth be found that will affirm us and guide our thinking? That is at the heart of this chapter – and it is worth more time and consideration. Consider these important questions:

• Do circumstances always reveal what God is doing? Paul addressed that is 2:1-7.

• Since life is relatively short and the end of it is certain (I have never met someone who is 212 years old), should I chase my inner hungers, feelings and desires to find purpose and truth – and then somehow hope I have “done enough good” to be recognized and accepted by God as I leave this life? Paul peeled that open in 2:8-15.

• Since the sea of life is so big and I feel my boat is so small – shall I simply lean on the wisdom of others and seek to follow a path that pleases them? Paul unpacked an answer in the balance of the chapter.

Paul simply addressed the answer to a HUGE question people face…How do I move through life with meaning, purpose and anticipation of an end that will offer me grace and not reward my true inner selfishness?

Distracted by the Circumstances (2:1-7)

distractedAs we open to the first seven verses of Colossians 2, don’t forget that Paul was under a “light chain” of arrest, awaiting a hearing before Nero. He waited two years, and that slowed his travel plans and made it difficult for him to be on the front line of spreading the Gospel. Add to that, some were making noises in the church that Paul was actually in hiding, or afraid to be bold during his incarceration – as if any of them could have done better. The cheap seats are often occupied by loud critics!

Paul knew that every believer could get distracted and lose a clear understanding of the work of Jesus in the pile of confusing circumstances. In fact, when we see life through the lens of this world alone – we lose HOPE, we lose PERSPECTIVE and we can even lose our grip on THE TRUTH. Mature believers CANNOT let circumstances shape their view of the world. Take a look…

Colossians 2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and [attaining] to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, [resulting] in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, [that is], Christ [Himself], 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. 5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. 6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted [and now] being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, [and] overflowing with gratitude.

Three truths are perfectly clear.

First, Paul was greatly struggling in 2:1a – that is what the text said. Did that mean the message he was preaching was unreliable, because he emotionally struggled? Not at all! On our best day, we who know and love Jesus are broken vessels carrying a whole and perfect truth.

Second, Paul made clear his concern that some had never seen him or met him face to face in 2:1b-3. Did that imply they would be unable to grow to full maturity in his absence? If you read the verses carefully, Paul recognized that his work among them would be encouraging, but was not necessary for them to be fully completed in Christ. No man provides what God can do without a man. His Spirit and His Word can bring us into completion – and the body of Christ will shape us in our gifts and service functions. We are blessed to have each other – and we do help each other grow – but the reality is that God is doing the work. Paul’s concern was that “their hearts may be encouraged” (that is that they would have full and positive HOPE), that they would join with the others in the body “having been knit together in love” and that they would grow into a full and intimate understanding of Jesus “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” They needed to see Jesus clearly, not Paul. Godly leaders know they have a function – but it is NOT to give you more of THEM. They are to point you to Jesus – because He is Who you need.

Paul had a third concern. His emotional struggle surfaced because some were being misled (2:4-5) by evil men who were trying to pervert the truth for their own purposes. Did that mean the Colossians would be lost to persuasive arguments and perversions of truth? Not necessarily! Without Paul’s presence, yet some were exhibiting “good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.”

Here is the point: Men can mislead when troubles arise. Things aren’t what they seem to be – they are what God says they are. Close up, you cannot often see the truth – so God has revealed it in His Word.

The day that Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane – the devil danced and those who knew the One Who is truth incarnate were pushed aside and wept in hiding. The night Jesus was slapped about in the house of Annas and Caiaphas, He looked stripped, broken and weak while those men looked powerful in their colorful religious costumes. The early morning when they drove nails in the hands of the Savior as He cried out in excruciating pain, Rome looked powerful, and Jesus looked weak and broken… but things aren’t as they appear, they are as God declares them in His Word!

Rome was ridding itself of a nuisance. The High Priest was removing a public challenge and political distraction. Crowds spat and cursed to hurl insults upon another and hope they could feel better about themselves. Yet that wasn’t what was truly happening at its core. You see, in a place of filth God was saving mankind. It didn’t look like Jesus was King – but He was, and He is still.

Fast-forward to Paul’s time. He was under arrest. He couldn’t be with them, and others were preying upon young believers and confusing them. It looked like the Christian message was about to meet its end in Colossae – but it didn’t. Paul told them: “6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted [and now] being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, [and] overflowing with gratitude.”

He said: “In the same way you accepted by faith”, now they must daily walk in light of that faith.” They were told not to look at the circumstances – but to look more deeply at Jesus as God had revealed Him and live according to the knowledge that He is alive and at work changing them! “Just as roots grew in the tenderness of your heart”, Paul said, “so they should encourage those roots to grow deeper and stronger.” Just as they learned first steps in Christ, now they should allow each new lesson to take hold. They needed to add back the WONDER and the OVERWHELMING GRATITUDE they had when they first recognized Who Jesus is and what He did for them. Can we do any less?

Dear ones, we must not build our faith upon men – but on a deepening of our surrendered walk to Christ Himself. Don’t despair as God’s men lose their voice. Billy Graham’s voice is now all but silent – but Jesus is still speaking loudly to those who are lost and in need of a Savior. As you mature, more and more, walk on the solid words and teachings of Jesus – and spend your time listening to His voice from His Word. In Heaven you will have neither a Pastor nor a teacher – you will have Christ Himself. As you grow, get more and more used to the sound of His voice. You will find it in His revealed Word.

Discontented by Choices (2:8-15)

discontentedFor some people, they matured past the point of looking at the circumstances. They were mature enough to know that whether it looked positive that day or not – God was very much at work. Yet there was still temptation to be drawn away from fullness in Christ. They weren’t distracted as much as discontented… and it was still rooted in their desire to be affirmed and accepted by others. Discontent was planted in them by men who desired to draw them away from Christ. Look at the words Paul wrote to them. As you do, notice the difference in the TONE from what we read in the first seven verses:

Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

Did you notice how much more DIRECTIVE the sound of Paul’s speech when he addressed this second problem. The first paragraph was tender and concerned – but this paragraph was more like a dictate than an encouragement. There is a good reason.

Truth isn’t something you can negotiate. You can’t add a little sewage to the water and still have a safe drink from that fountain. It takes more diligence, more tenacity to get to the truth and block the diseasing influences of the lies of the fallen world. Think of it as “spiritual hygiene”. Do you want your doctor to use clean tools in your surgery? If you do, then do you also want your teacher to use the cleanest moral tools in the training of your heart?

Paul cited specific traps that were set for them:

First, there were deliberate deceivers at work to trap them while appealing to “sensual tug points” in their still fallen hearts. Just because we love Jesus and trust Him for salvation does not mean we won’t still be tugged toward sinful practices – as though these will fulfill us. Paul warned: 2:8 “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” The term “taken captive” implies a hunter is at work, and they are intentionally looking to ensnare your life. In truth, captivity necessitates a hunter, a plan and an ultimate goal.

Let me say it plainly: As a believer, you walk with a target on your back. The enemy of Christ is the enemy of Christ’s people – never forget that. The brutality of that enemy on Jesus during the passion is no more content today than two thousand years ago. He wants to destroy you, your family, your testimony, your nation – everything you treasure. He wants to frustrate you, make you impatient for God’s assistance, and push you toward doubting God’s goodness. If he cannot have your soul in eternal destruction (because you have trusted Jesus as Savior) he will work to cut your progress down, and punish your every disciplined step if he is able.

Don’t forget also that he has familiar agents. Some come in lab coats and professor’s robes. I had a fifth grade teacher who did all he could to persuade me the Bible was false, and I was just a child! Some have erudite speech and persuasive arguments – but they do not know where man came from, why man is here and where mankind is going. They are both smart and clueless, educated and ignorant. They offer the best the “tradition of men” can dispense – but without Christ they do not offer life. They have the ABC’s of the world – but lack even the first syllable of an eternal vocabulary.

Second, Paul made the point that some of the most profound traps are found in philosophical systems that are carefully constructed to compete with and even attempt to defeat a Biblical world view. These “air filled” systems are carefully constructed deceptions that offer a life devoid of any eternal values, push against any personal accountability to God, and even distort temporal value systems. We live in a time when “smart men” can argue wrong into being right, and right into being silly. We are spending millions to invent a morality without God, and an existence without a Creator. Modern philosophies of naturalism (hoisted over an obviously created world), hedonism (as if one can ever get enough pleasure to stop focusing more and more on SELF), and humanism (as if some new technology can take away our basic penchant for violence, hatred and injustice) – all these have been carefully placed in our path to replace God and His Word in our public square. Some of our most educated men and women act as if all that was created on this continent was done by godless men – when the opposite is the record they left behind for us to follow. They need only read of William Bradford’s commitment to Christ to recognize they are fabricating their own history.

Bradford completed a work on the “Plymouth Plantation” in 1651, some six years before his death, and told us why he did what he did: His driving force was “a great hope and inward zeal they had of laying some good foundation, or at least to make some way thereunto, for the propagating and advancing the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in those remote parts of the world–yea, though they should be but even stepping stones unto others for the performing of so great a work.” Find that in a modern text book. You won’t, because it doesn’t fit the pagan narrative re-written for the upcoming generations. Modern history books are far too often fashioned on cleverly devised mythical scenarios – but the truth lives in the quills of our founders – and that truth can be a stubborn thing.

Note that 2:8 makes a clear statement that the goal of worldly philosophies is singular – to reduce the world to THIS LIFE. The goal is to ERASE any real thought of a spiritual world – to relegate it to the “hocus pocus” of superstitious fools. Look at the prescription Paul left – the inoculation every believer can have that will gain them resistance against the virulent power of the lies… It is the Person, work and Word of Jesus Himself.

Paul made clear that Jesus was the agent of Creation – so in Him the answers about origin, purpose and destiny lie open in the book of the past. The point of Colossians 2:9 “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form…” is that He has all that we need to get to the truth – because the Truth is His very name.

He is enough – we need nothing more. Paul wrote in Colossians 2:10 “…and in Him you have been made complete…” there is nothing more, nothing better, no additional parts necessary. Jesus alone will bring you safely home to God when life’s journey is done.

He cannot be overruled – as Paul continued in Colossians 2:10b “…and He is the head over all rule and authority.” No other prophet, book or work needed to be completed for salvation to have its full effect. Buddha offered nothing more. Joseph Smith didn’t need another document to explain the contribution of Jesus. It was over when Jesus was done speaking His Word.

Note as well that He isn’t “part” of your sin solution – as Paul made clear in Colossians 2:11: “…and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” There was no need to add practices, even good ones, to the payment Jesus made. He cancelled the full debt of our sin. He took the dead and gave them life.

Jesus triumphed over every spiritual authority – Paul made clear that we march in a triumphal procession because the war has been won. He wrote: “15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.” Jesus isn’t competing with the devil for the world – He patiently awaits the devil to play his last card. His Father will raise His hand from Heaven’s throne and in a mere hour the religious rebellion around the world will be stripped of power and splendor. When the Father speaks, the markets of the world-wide economy will be crushed in short order. Jesus has won, and in a day soon, every knee will bow –without exception. No one is powerful before the Creator. No one is His rival. No one else will win in the final day. It will be as He has promised. The text of 2:15 declares there is a public spectacle coming when the world will marvel that it followed the enemy after he has been broken by the Savior.

Let me get to the point: If you want more than Jesus, it is because you do not truly understand Who Jesus is. You only want something other than Jesus because you neglected truly grasping the Person of Jesus! The careful gaze upon Christ will quench the thirst of your heart. We must come to recognize the great prize of salvation is not Heaven – it is Christ Himself. When we DIE to self, we are raised in new life with Jesus. He becomes our life, our hope, our satisfaction. That brings us to the last concern… some were…

Derailed by Consensus (2:16-3:1)

DerailedWe don’t get salvation from others accepting our way to doing things. We don’t get it from religious accolades and lists of rules that define us. We are defined by Christ, by love for Him and trust in His Person and work alone. That is why lists don’t replace relationship with Christ. That is why though we are called to love one another, and to respect one another – we must carefully follow what Jesus told us to do in His Word, and not to take our cues from those who cannot show us from Scripture the path we should take. He argued:

Colossians 2:16 “Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day—17 things which are a [mere] shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. The celebrations God called upon Israel to learn of Him were no replacement for the relationship with the Savior God gave to the Colossian believers. They were given to Israel to help them see Who God is – but they were not intended to replace God in them.

God wasn’t against the disciplines, rules and celebrations He instituted in the Law. He simply didn’t want people to think that by following them people cooperated in their own redemption. We don’t. You and I do NOTHING to make God happy with us but believe Him and trust the payment Jesus made on our behalf. The bottom line is that anything that tries to provide “something more” is a FRAUD. People who bind us into other things DEFRAUD us from the prize – having and trusting Jesus for our salvation. Paul said it this way:

Colossians 2:18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on [visions] he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the head…20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22 (which all [refer] [to] things destined to perish with use) — in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, [but are] of no value against fleshly indulgence.”

Here is the issue:

• Some will offer a prescription of DENIALS – acceptance by NOT DOING a list.
• Others will offer a perversion of WORSHIP – seeking another in the place of Jesus.
• Still others offer a personalization of TRUTH – THEY ALONE saw and heard from God – and you need to trust THEM to get to HIM.

People often prefer to obey rules instead of seeking Christ. Why? Because some religious lists appear to offer wisdom and make us look humble and austere as we harshly treat ourselves in self-denial – thereby making an attempt to earn God’s favor. The truth is that ANYTHING WE DO THAT REPLACES CHRIST’S WORK IS SHEER IDOLATRY – no matter what it looks like. When we look at life – we need to see it through the lens of what God says is right – not what others say. Chapter two tells us WHY we need to see life through Jesus – because circumstances cannot lead us; because a choice for anything other than Jesus will lead astray; and because there is no other consensus we need to be affirmed by other than Christ Jesus.

Chapter three opens with two verses that are not about WHY, but rather about HOW! How do we see life properly? We look at here through the lens of there.

3:1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

That is the way to view life… I was sorely tempted to close this message with a cute story – because it has been heavy. I will tell you a story, but it isn’t cute – it was a real story.

Let me tell you of a man who made his living as a fisherman until he met Jesus one day. He followed Jesus, sometimes incredibly badly, but he kept at it. God used him mightily, though his flaws and weaknesses were ever obvious. He was with Jesus. He walked on water with the Savior. He saw Lazarus raised from the dead! He ate bread multiplied by the hands of Jesus Himself…and one day, he heard God’s voice over Jesus’s head, declaring Him to be God’s Son. Peter told the story until he was ready to die. His last letter made it clear:

2 Peter 1:12 “Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things…14 knowing that the laying aside of my [earthly] dwelling is imminent…16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”—18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. 19 [So] we have the prophetic word [made] more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.”

Peter was dying, and he wasn’t lying. He knew Jesus was real, and that made everything else in life clear – including his life’s purpose. When we see the Savior clearly (as He truly is!) we see life clearly. We must learn to see earth and its history in the perspective of its larger Heavenly context – or we won’t understand the story properly.

God on the Move: “Eyes on the Road Ahead” – Colossians 2-3

texting 2Are you concerned about people who TEXT when they drive? Have you ever found yourself focused on something other than the road ahead WHILE you were driving? In this lesson, we want to look at the road ahead, and we want that road to have our full attention – undistracted.

If you are involved in training young people in the church, these are exciting days to live in! I believe a new wind is blowing in the church of the west, and God is raising up young people who are preparing to take a firm commitment to Jesus Christ into a world where even western culture has grown hostile to its historic roots. These young ones are not giving up, and we mustn’t give up on them. In the coming days you will see they are not moving into the world unarmed – but with the Spirit of God, a commitment to the Word of God and a renewed grasp of the scope of the battle they are pressing outward. The fog is lifting!

It appears many of us inadvertently allowed culture to slide into moral morass while our churches were distracted by side issues. Some churches worried about hymnals and drum sets while the world removed the “stigma of divorce” and redefined “sexuality and marriage” right under our noses. While the church thoughtfully attempted to preach a more relevant message blending Scripture with psychology and self-affirmation (in many cases trading Scripture to do so), the world redefined the story of the origin of the cosmos as a random and meaningless adventure going nowhere. Now, many of us are increasingly pleased to see a new and dynamic generation of young people who seem to see more clearly. We are approaching a new day, should the Lord permit – a time to send out God-loving, Word-grasping, Spirit-dependent youth is coming close. God isn’t done yet, and we mustn’t become weary in well doing.

Key Principle: The road ahead has obstacles that cause some to falter, but a focus on our incredible Savior and His purposes will keep us moving toward our goal.

More than any other fight we may be engaged in today – our culture is fighting for its future; and it is a fight worth waging. Our “ships of state” appear heavy-laden with prophets of self-satisfaction, preaching “Do what feels good” to the masses. The infection has taken hold throughout our morally drifting university system, and has followed the blood lines all the way into the hallowed halls of our own national Congress. As a people, we seem to be making one decision after another without regard to the long-term future of our people. Here is the problem: Self-centered people think of their own satisfaction long before they carefully consider the impact of any decision on the generations who follow them.

There are observable symptoms to this problem. Such a culture will casually borrow the resources not yet earned to fund their current pleasures, loading a heavy debt on their children without much apparent concern. They consume natural resources at alarming rates without sufficient regard for how their children will make due. They make moral decisions based on what will satiate any immediate desires (no matter how destructive in the long term), without careful consideration of how their actions will harm the generations behind them. In truth, they are less interested in the “one day” than the “now”. If we carefully examine it, at the center of “selfishness” is a false urgency for complete and immediate happiness at the expense of all other values. Is there any doubt we are watching selfishness become a virtue in our day? No, but we are deliberate in our push back against it.

One thing you should be aware of – the struggle is not new to us, nor the strategy to wage war against it. The enemy has few new strategies, but replays the old – over and over. More than anything else, mature believers are called to deliberately work to leave behind those who are seeking to follow Jesus and lead others to Him no matter their social climate or culture. If that doesn’t happen our movement is finished here, no matter how big our buildings or famous our leaders – Christianity will die in our land – and God will raise it up in another place.

The Apostle Paul was well versed in that truth, and in our last lesson, we explored touch points of his mentoring and discipleship from the opening chapter of Colossians – particularly the spiritual form of growing people in Christ to spiritual maturity. Let’s remind ourselves of the setting of this essential writing on discipleship… You may recall that we left Paul stuck in Rome waiting for two years for his hearing before Emperor Nero in our story. During that long wait, he wrote letters, sent messengers and engaged young followers in Jesus. In the Colossian letter (written during that time), we spent a few moments looking at two realities from the first chapter:

First, God has stated goals for His children.

In Paul’s elegant prayer for the Colossians in 1:9-12, he shared some important GOALS of God for believers:

• He wanted young believers to be “dominated by a precise knowledge of God’s true desires.” Because God expressed what pleases Him we concluded that Christians must labor for a Biblical world view if we are to provide our communities with a true moral compass.

• God also expressed that believers would apply their knowledge and “10 …walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please [Him] in all respects…”

• We are called to conform our desires in every area to produce a life that shows the world Who God is and what He has said. When we are “…bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” we go through the buffet line of life choosing for our plate not according to our fallen taste buds, but anticipating what GOD wants on the plate – since it is FOR HIM. Let’s be clear: It simply ISN’T CHRISTIAN to live to please ourselves, but rather we live to please our Creator – and that brings to our life significance and impact.

• With pleasing God in mind, we must remember the goal is not simply WHAT WE DO as much as what we learn about God Himself. Our life will be a rich, growing experience when it is deepened by an intimate and thorough knowledge of God Himself! My life is a relationship with God, and when I know Him as He is, I will naturally adjust my appetites to things that please Him.

• Paul pointed to another important truth: God wanted to empower believers daily according to the measure of God’s great power so that they would be immoveable and patient in the process. He doesn’t want believers to “tough it out” in their own will power because His is an inexhaustible reserve of power to draw from! We are to gain the ability to remain under pressure and be able to endure trouble.

• Finally, we noted that God wants us to “get our smile back on” and (as Paul wrote it): Colossians 1:11b “…joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.” We are to celebrate the fact that God saved us, and wants us for Himself! We must learn to be thankful – vocally thankful – for the gift He gave us to be inheritors of new life! (1:12).

Second, as our Creator, God has every right to “impose” His goals upon us.

God wasn’t asking TOO MUCH when He stated goals for us that included our surrender to Him. Paul argued that God could lay out His goals for us for two important reasons: what He did for us, and WHO He is.

Look for a moment at WHAT GOD DID FOR US (Colossians 1:13-14).

God orchestrated in Messiah three specific acts that are outlined by Paul in Colossians 1:13 “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

• God entered the prison of darkness in Satan’s dominion and set me free (1:13a).

• God relocated me to a new Kingdom that was part of the estate of His much loved Son (1:13b).

• God set aside my guilt by considering payment in full through the work of Messiah for me (1:14).

Not only did God DO great things, but His plan for me comes complete with a view of WHO OUR SAVIOR IS (1:15ff) – and intimate knowledge of Him changes EVERYTHING! It is clear that God has the right to ask me to surrender my will because I follow the Incomparable Christ.

Let me pause to remind you that just knowing the glory of Christ is an end in itself, not a means to something more. Christ is not glorious so that we get healthy, wealthy or famous – or even that His church is victorious. The glory of Jesus Christ is such that whether rich or poor, sick or sound, prosperous or persecuted – we are able to find total satisfaction in Him – and the Father Who sent Him. Let us be clear: Jesus is worthy of worship if He had never done any of the things the Gospels assure us He did. His is an intrinsic worth!

In Colossians 1, The Savior was described in remarkable terms. Colossians 1:15 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, [both] in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

• The Master possesses the unique and privileged place of “oldest son” with all its rights and titles of the ancient family structure (1:15).

• He is the Creative agent of the Father (1:16a) who did His Father’s bidding in the creation of the world.

• He is the Owner of all things (1:16b). He has authority over creation because His Father has given Him ownership over all of it. He made it, but His Father said He could make it “for Himself!”

If that is true, then all things were made BY HIM and FOR HIM – PERIOD. I am made for Him. My life was initiated for His purpose. Knowledge of that truth gives my life meaning, purpose, focus and direction. God gave me life and then exposed my goals for living.

There it is. Paul argued effectively in Colossians 1 that God has goals for my life that are wrapped up in surrendering to Him and knowing His Word. He has the right to demand my life be lived to please Him, because He is my Creator.

Abraham knew it. David knew it Daniel and his three friends knew it. Jesus preached it: “Give your life to gain your life, hoard your life to lose it.”

Yet, sadly, somehow this has become the message UNCOMMON in the modern church. We are called to live for fulfillment and not Christ. We are called to give to multiply our riches, and not solely to delight our Father. We are told to think positive thoughts about our day, rather than set our affections on things above. Our voices must be re-tuned to Heaven’s anthem. The choir is set. The time is now…

Our message must be to communicate WHO JESUS IS, not simply rehearse, time and again, the benefits of salvation. John 3:16 isn’t our only theme, as wonderful as it is! Apart from a knowledge of WHO God is and what He is doing in history, “Heaven” and “salvation” have little context. Paul made it clear in Colossians 1:28 “He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.”

The goal is maturity, not a temporal and trouble-free life. The goal is to be “presentable to our Savior” not simply “pleased with ourselves”.

Look at the verbs, the action words of these verses: proclaim, admonish, teach, present. Here is a great message of Paul’s simple but powerful vision. What began with a simple announcement of the truth of Jesus’ life and work, became a warning that response to the gift of God MUST come. After that response, the acceptance of Jesus, there followed the need to teach men and women of a walk with God. All of this work – the preaching, the teaching, the warning – had a single goal – to present those reached as followers that delighted Jesus, and completed the work in them!

We must, at this moment in church history, ask the important question: “Do we really CARE if those in the body of Christ are getting ready to meet Him?” Do we even think – with our culture so thoroughly soaked in the “It’s nobody else’s business but mine what I do” that we SHOULD care about whether our brothers and sisters are becoming stronger in their ability to live and work for Jesus?

Individualism is the world’s way – body is the Bible’s way. Paul stood opposed to individualism that allowed people to name Jesus as their Savior without responsibility to the body of Christ in their daily walk. With so many churches – many built on the ego of men and women – people move about without any real accountability and think they have founded a new “individualist Christian way of life”. Paul would have clearly argued they were completely wrong. Only a believer who thinks himself or herself accountable comes under admonishing preaching and teaching – and checks each word in the text. The others ignore it, and live a half-surrendered, self-made version of the original Christian message.

Third, God made clear what was blocking the path to our maturity.

Paul made clear the issues that stood in the way of presenting them to Jesus fully mature.

For some, the issue was a distraction of the circumstances:

Some Colossian believers were unable to recognize the issues behind the struggles of Paul, and didn’t know him (2:1-5). They were tempted to listen to voices closer to home:

Colossians 2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and [attaining] to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, [resulting] in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, [that is], Christ [Himself], 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 2:4 I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. 5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.

It is obvious to me that Paul craved the personal touch in ministry, not a long-distance ministry aided by secondary methods. I think he would have used electronic ministry methods, but as a disciple maker, I think he would have disdained the impersonal nature of them. He used writing, because it was the best option available to him at the time.

His objective was clear: Paul did not want his temporary incarceration to distract people into believing he didn’t want to be with them. He wanted to be there sharing Jesus with them. He frustrated over distance and delay – just as we all would – but he recognized the work was getting done in God’s way.

Beyond distraction, Paul also knew there were powerful enticements that were pulling on people:

Enticement One: The Deception of Something More (2:6-15)

Colossians 2:6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted [and now] being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, [and] overflowing with gratitude.

Paul took the believers back to where they began. They were taught to live IN CHRIST. They were told to find their rooted security IN HIM – not is their self-importance, their bank account or their political freedoms. They were strengthened by HIS WORD and built up in HIS SPIRIT – not trained to draw their significance from their peers, their children or their church. It was a life dependent on the Word of God, and the WORK of God in them… and it popped out of their mouths in thankful words. If you are grousing and complaining all the time – you need TIME OUT in the corner with God. You need a cleansing of the inside that comes when you are again worked from the inside out by Jesus.

The truth is, many people don’t want that. They want something more IMMEDIATE, something that meets the demands of their FLESHLY DESIRES in the here and now. Paul wrote:

Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

In a world where Romans greeted their departed ancestors daily in the atrium of their house, where they prayed for their spirit guidance and looked for assistance from the long dead for matters ranging from crop planting to child-rearing, ancient Romans were always tempted to look back into their traditions for answers. Philosophies abounded on the street in the multi-cultural polytheism of the Roman city. The temptation to hear of “something new” and “something more” abounded everywhere.

The sad part is that two thousand years later, many a believer has fallen prey to the same type of speculation. Instead of carefully studying God’s infallible Word on the issues of life after death, they scoop up the books on the market shelf about people’s speculative ventures into Heaven from an operating table, and think they can now prove the truth from some “slice of life” biography. Woefully ignorant of the context of many passages of Scripture, they swallow false prophetic visions and gleefully claim promises God never gave them – when the promises God HAS made for them are marvelous and rich. We must never forget that religion is a cold imitation of a real and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ. It is not WORK FOR HIM that we desperately need – it is Christ Himself, gently invited into our heart to share the pains, ponderings and plans of our life. Paul reminded them of all that Jesus truly is in the verses that followed (look at these words cut from the total paragraph):

2:9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
• 2:10 and in Him you have been made complete,
• 2:13 When you were dead …He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
• 2:14 “[HE] canceled out the certificate of debt … having nailed it to the cross.
• 2:15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

When you read the words, the point is clear – Jesus paid your debt, and your account is clear.

• STOP living as though your need to impress people with your body is important – that is short lived nonsense.

• Stop living for the next party – that won’t satisfy.

• Stop moving from one hunger to purchase something to another – your addiction only satisfies the people making the JUNK you are buying. Stuff is just stuff.

Fortune, fame, power and pleasure in this life pale in comparison to following the call of God with your whole heart. WHAT a Christ you serve! Fully God! Fully Giving! Fully Satisfying – if we stop running around looking for another way to be made complete.

Enticement Two: The Defrauding of False Judgment (2:16-23)

Another enticement was the deception of living under the false judgment of controlling religionists:

Colossians 2:16 “Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day—17 things which are a [mere] shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. 2:18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize…”

Look at how quickly a walk with Jesus is torqued by some to become an issue of CONTROL. They want to tell you what to EAT, what to DRINK, when to CELEBRATE, how ANGELIC WORSHIP will bring you “good luck” or how some vision they have seen should change how YOU live! Keep reading, and it will come down to RULES: Don’t touch this! Don’t taste that! Paul said: “They look and sound wise!” but they will all be like a balloon suddenly popped. Don’t be distracted by those who are impressing rules on you that cannot be clearly and carefully shown from the Word of God itself

Don’t misunderstand me. There are rules to relationships, even those with the Lord Jesus. He didn’t save you to empower your sinful rebellion. The problem is that too many people want you to live by THEIR RULES, and not by the Spirit-affirmed, Scripturally-mandated truths of life. Eat what Jesus says you can. Drink what Jesus says you can. Celebrate what and how Jesus says you can. Let me say it clearly: Christianity is following Christ as He is revealed in His Word. If it isn’t what the Word says – seek the Spirit’s personal counsel to you and follow it uncompromisingly – and God will bless you.

I need you to make me a promise…Don’t believe me if you cannot what I am saying in the text of Scripture. Don’t take it from the book by the latest author or the lyric of your favorite singer. Get into the Word and check EVERYTHING by that – or keep walking on. Please Him. Please Him…. Not yourself… nor please those you wish to impress on this earth. Please Him!

Enticement Three: The Distraction of Temporary Values (3:1-4)

Colossians 3:1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Some are content with Jesus, and can discern the Scripture in a way that they are not led into the controlling hands of the legalist… but they are still distracted. The siren that captured their heart is the focus on the PHYSICAL WORLD.

• If you endlessly crave constant good feeling – move your eyes from LUST to Heaven.

• If you dream, day after day of the next shiny toy – move your eyes from GREED to Heaven.

• If you rage, day after day, over the latest shock from political world – move your eyes from POWER to Heaven.

Believers can be distracted to LIVE THE WRONG LIFE. They can easily love the wrong things, because they learn to crave the fleshly over the things from above.

Enticement Four: The Dirtying of Mud Pulls (3:5-11)

Colossians 3:5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, [and] abusive speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its [evil] practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—11 [a renewal] in which there is no [distinction between] Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

Paul offered word of yet one more distraction… the hunger to satiate the flesh. In a way, it is a more exaggerated form of the distraction of temporary values we just talked about. In another way, a very personal way, it is the deep and driving appetite that is for many an addiction. As a Pastor and Bible teacher, I am not unaware that some who are encountering this lesson have as recently as the last twenty-four hours found themselves hiding from others and indulging in pornography. Perhaps you listen to this lesson as some strange form of Bible penance. Here is the truth: Your desires CAN be put away by accessing the power of Jesus.

At the heart of the problem is a single lie. You may be listening to the voice of the deceiver, who wants you to be these words: “YOU NEED THIS. YOU CANNOT STOP. YOU MUST HAVE THIS TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAY.” He is lying, and deep inside you know he is. If you were stuck on a desert island, you wouldn’t die from a lack of porn. The practices of the life lived for self-pleasures that bring enormous guilt must be put to death in Christ. One more thing: The “fifty shades of grey” are more darkness than anything else. Black dressed as grey fools no honest man. Paul applied that same word to bad mouthing, angry outbursts, and filthy speech. Stop saying that Jesus has the power to take away your sin, but hasn’t the power to help you stand against the lie that you need dirt to fulfill your life. You don’t. There is a way of escape – it is in Jesus. When you invite Him, He provides the power to stand. He won’t leave you withering if you ask Him to rescue you!

During World War I, two friends enlisted who were inseparable. They trained together and were shipped to the front together. They fought side-by-side in the trenches. During an assault, one of the men was critically and unable to crawl back to his trench. Blistering and constant enemy fire made it suicidal to reach him, but his friend decided to try. As he began, his sergeant yanked him back inside and ordered him not to go. “It’s too late! You can’t do him any good and you’ll only get yourself killed.” As the sergeant turned his back, the man scurried after his fallen friend. Moments later, he staggered back, mortally wounded, with his friend, now dead, in his arms. The sergeant was both angry and deeply moved. “What a waste,” he blurted out. “He’s dead and you’re dying. It just wasn’t worth it.” With almost his last breath, the dying man replied, “Oh, yes, it was, Sarge. When I got to him, the only thing he said was, ’I knew you’d come, Jim!” (Original source unknown).

Remember this: The road ahead has obstacles that cause some to falter, but a focus on our incredible Savior and His purposes will keep us moving toward our goal.

God on the Move: “The Dream” – Colossians 1

newborn1When a brand new baby is first placed into the arms of a new loving parent, a universe of dreams is ignited. This much I have seen: new parents handle the baby with such care, you can tell they believe the child is far more “breakable” than they really are – but that is fine. It is better that they learn to be gentle than they learn how resilient that little child truly is. The first days, new parents often share with me that their fears are NOT about the baby, but about their ability to be good parents. They want to do things the “right way”. Should their little boy be circumcised? The hospital asked and they never thought about that. In the coming months, should the child get vaccinations when the time is right? What is the safest car seat on the market? Are all the garments for the baby made from the right materials? Is the crib really put together properly and is it safe? The list goes on and on…

The first part of parental life is about protecting a child – and new parents are painfully aware of the pitfalls of neglecting in that stage. Yet, that isn’t all there is to parenting. The second task, the one that emerges as the child grows through the stages of development, is increasingly to prepare a child – to help them become a self-sufficient yet God-dependent individual. Part of that process is helping them understand the POINT of life. The real dream most parents have for their children is for the child to become a happy, fulfilled and positive contributor to society. To do that, they must come to understand what life is all about – they must learn the POINT of the whole human experience.

Money will help them on the journey, but money cannot be the object. Reputation is important, but they cannot make life all about “being known”. Becoming competent and empowered to care for self is very important, but life cannot become simply about how much you can do, what you can build or what you can create. Joyful experiences are wonderful, but life cannot become focused on a mere series of fun engagements without a balanced role of responsibilities that bring about the greater long-term goals. Teaching a young man or young woman the POINT of life is one of the greatest pursuits an older person can engage.

At this point we should entertain the notion of mentoring and discipleship – but our thoughts are not about physical parenting – rather we have in mind a spiritual form of growing people to maturity. In fact, the story of Paul’s life and journeys that we have been pursuing over these past lessons, is very much a story about mentoring and discipleship. We left off in our story with Paul stuck in Rome awaiting for two years for his hearing before Emperor Nero. During the long wait, he wrote letters, sent messengers and engaged young followers in Jesus. We have been following those letters – those we now call “Epistles” – t0 make one point very clear: The Bible is concerned with the POINT of life, and so is disciple making. Here is an important truth…

Key Principle: God gave us life and then exposed our goal for living. We must learn a practical love for Him that works its way into our daily life choices.

Let’s be honest: Even a lot of believers don’t seem to get the POINT of our Christian walk – and that becomes painfully obvious when you examine their lives. In fact, some who once could be found careening through the unmarked road of life with great zeal in the beginning of their walk, are now pulled over into the rest stop called “life compromise”, while others have clearly crashed into the guardrails of public sin and disgrace. Some have moved toward the goal, but many have not. Some have produced spiritual children and the fruits of righteousness. Others have run out of spiritual fuel and sit beside the road in well-dressed but concealed spiritual boredom, waving on the passers-by, as thought this were a mere “rest break” on their arduous journey. They are stuck and they know it. They have lost the clear direction. Some don’t get the POINT of this journey at all.

Paul was concerned about the young believers who felt they were praying only to the ceiling, weakly walking in the power of their flesh and feeling spiritually overwhelmed and depleted? That burden grew inside the Apostle, when he heard about the small community of believers following the teaching of Epaphras at Colossae. Because the letter offers such important words that can be confusing, we want to take a few lessons to untie what God used Paul to tell a church struggling to get back on track.

Before we study it together, it is worth recalling the first chapter of Colossians can be broken into two major ideas:

• The first idea is “What are God’s goals for His children?” The answers to this particularly question are obvious from Paul’s elegant prayer for the Colossians 1:9-12, where he shares the POINT of God’s work in and through a believer – one who has truly trusted Christ for salvation.

• The second idea is “Why God has a right to “impose” His goals on us?” The answers to this question are particularly found in 1:13-29, where God offered through Paul’s pen some basic reasons He has rights to us.

God unlocked, through the prayer of Paul for that small church by the Lycus River, some very practical goals for a believer we want to lay bare today. Before we do, let’s get there in a quick read of the beginning of the letter:

The letter reads:

Colossians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ [who are] at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as [it has been doing] in you also since the day you heard [of it] and understood the grace of God in truth; 7 just as you learned [it] from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit. 9 For this reason also, since the day we heard [of it], we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please [Him] in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

Now squeeze the text to it’s essence. It may read something like this:

Paul and Tim to Colossian Saints (1,2):

We thank God for you in our prayers! We heard about your faith and your earnest expectation of Heaven that you accepted in the Gospel message. That message is growing and it is producing fruit in your lives. Epaphras shared that truth with you, and word of you with us. (3-8).

After he shared, we ceaselessly began praying for you:

• That you would be filled with knowledge of God’s will.
• That you would live according to that knowledge – pleasing Him in every way and bearing all the fruit that delights Him.
• That you would grow in strength by His power to become steady, patient and joyful givers of thanks.

Stop there and consider more closely the prayer of Paul for these believers. What does the Apostle’s prayer reveal about God’s GOALS for a believer? I read several important words concerning these goals…

God wants us to know His desires

First, God expressed through Paul that these young believers ought to seek to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will. Note that he didn’t say “that you would know what God’s will is” – he said something far greater in Colossians 1:9. Let me offer a painfully literal but long sentence of what he said:

He prayed for “filling” (playrao) which is better translated “domination by” the knowledge (epi-gnosis) which is literally “to know around”, i.e. to ascertain the precise and correct knowledge of God’s will (theleyma) which is rightly God’s desires and pleasures with wisdom (sofia) or practical ability and understanding (sunesis) that which brings it all together. In plain words, Paul desired that the people would become “dominated by a precise knowledge of God’s true desires with an understanding of the truths that tie all things together.”

Let’s say it this way: God’s first goal is that He wants believers to be knowledgeable of what pleases Him and with that to work out practical ways to live that way. We weren’t made to fumble around about the will of God.

How exactly can we do that? It helps if we know His family well, but it is critical that we know the acts in His past that are found in His Word. Jesus said in John 17:17 “Set them apart by Your Truth; Your Word is Truth!”

The Savior identified that it is the Word of God that was to set apart believers – because they believed it, followed it and tried to make it their rule for faith and practice. Take a moment and consider how whole groups of Christians – denominations, churches and other groupings have so wildly changed their positions over the past few decades.

Let me encourage you: Christians must labor for a Biblical world view if we are to provide our communities with a true moral compass. Moral ideas formed apart from the revealed boundaries of God’s Word eventually lead to an “alternative” way of looking at the world – one that inevitably will oppose God’s ultimate goals. Let me draw a line:

There is a direct connection between churches, denominations and fellowships that lose a careful focus on clearly transmitting the Scriptures to and through their followers, and the “social justice” crowds that grow from that old Bible root but move forward in their own sense of “compassion” to tolerate and promote the opposite of God’s stated agenda. They began with the position that matched the text of Scripture, now they proudly stand against clear, black and white text, to show they are truly “loving”. How did they move so far, so fast?

Let me say clearly that they don’t do it because they are bad people, they do it because they honestly don’t know what God said about many things, because their circle hasn’t been teaching that for some time. After a while, they take their spotty knowledge of the text and “fill in the gaps” with their own sense of morality that was formed without keeping God’s specific cautions and directions in mind. This is how a church can move in one century from proclaiming one set of values from God’s Word to proclaiming “morality and justice” that is in direct opposition to the clear reading of the text some years later.

Here is what we must remember: We are not more compassionate than God. We do not have a greater sense of justice than He. We are not more knowledgeable of truth or equity than our Creator- and He wrote His Word. To form standards of justice, mercy or tolerance without a carefully fixed understanding of God’s Word is terribly dangerous – and that isn’t God’s goal for us. He wants a people who KNOW HIS DESIRES based on His revealed truths.

God wants our life to count

God has a second goal that was expressed in the first part of verse ten: “10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please [Him] in all respects…”

Look closer at those words. Literally it says that our walk (peripateo) lit. “about-tread” which refers to the “course of your life journey” is to be in a manner worthy (axios: “with proper weight”) of the Lord. In a word, God wants our life to be Impacting. He desires the course of our life to have the impact that He can bring to it!

Again, we should ask the timely question – how? How can God make my little life count for an eternal purpose? In essence, the method is for me to walk where He wants, be there when He wants, and act in that place how He wants. Let me explain:

Most of us probably haven’t heard of a woman named Henrietta Mears. Henrietta was an education director in a church in California. Through her influence many in her church, including two prominent Christian leaders were influenced for Christ. Henrietta was faithful in many small ways to God and God blessed her work. One of the men she influenced was Bill Bright. He was President and founder of a group called Campus Crusade for Christ. It is believed that that group is responsible for over 2 billion people hearing the gospel message. Another man was none other than Billy Graham. We all know who Billy Graham is. He’s probably witnessed to more people in more places than anyone alive. Who knows how many people Henrietta influenced over the years by her impact on those who men alone. She was faithful to the task God called her to and God used her in awesome ways. (Story taken from In Touch Magazine, “Our Circle of Impact”, November 2003, pgs.8-9)

Here is what Paul wanted the believers to know: Our walk should “please” the Lord, a term (areskeia) that means “to conform one’s desires to bring joy to another”. This term was used of musical slaves in the period. They were to play in such a way as to “soothe” or “please the ears” of the guests at the dinner party. We are to do this for God’s pleasure in all respects (pas), literally in every area. Let me say it plainly: If you and I live with a focus on God’s desires and joy through the deliberate obedience of our life – God will get a “soothing break” hanging out with us. Even clearer: You can live for your pleasure or you can live to bring God pleasure – but you cannot do both. If you focus on bringing Him delight – the byproduct is that He will offer you a depth of satisfaction you could NEVER find search apart from Him. Jesus said if we try to keep our own life, we will lose it.

God wants us to change our appetites

Because we have a relationship with God through Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, you and I are called to conform our desires to His in every area of life (1:10b). The terms in Colossians 1:10b are: “…bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

Let me make this plain. Did you ever go to a buffet and bring back a plate for someone else? The issue isn’t what YOU LIKE, but rather what THEY LIKE. Scripture teaches that we are to choose from the buffet of life as though we are bringing the plate back to the table for God’s enjoyment, not our own. How exactly are we to do that?

In well explored passages like Romans 12:2 we are reminded that we are not to be “conformed to this world…” In Colossians 1:10b, the believers were told to be busy bearing fruits (karpo-foreo) “deliberate outcomes” in every good work (ergon) performance or endeavor). We are to deliberately work toward things are productive. Let this be clear: God desires that your life produce something in each of your life endeavors (1:10b).

There are a number of ways we can do this. One that stands out is in the very famous “fruit bearing” passage found in John 15:4-8. Jesus presented a picture of a vine (Himself) and branches (His followers). He told them they could not produce fruit without “abiding” or “drawing life” from Him (15:4-5;8).

Look at the end of verse ten, where it says: “increasing in the knowledge of God.” Our life will be a rich, growing experience when it is increasing (auxano), literally “having a life deepened and augmented by” an intimate and thorough knowledge (epi-gnosis: lit. “to know around” precise and correct knowledge) of God Himself! When I know God, and I live to please His desires, I will naturally adjust my appetites to things that please Him.

God wants us to get stubborn about doing right

If you keep reading from Paul’s prayer in Colossian 1:11 he wrote…

Colossian 1:11 “…strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience…”

Paul wrote that God wanted their ability to be empowered (dunamoo) literally “strengthened or powered by” daily according to the measure of God’s great power (kratos: force), so that they would be immoveable and patient in the process. God doesn’t want believers to “tough it out” in their own will power. He has all the power we will ever need to accomplish a life that pleases Him. God’s desire is that we have an inexhaustible reserve of power drawn from Him! Our use of His power is specific: We are to become unmoved (hupomene) ability to remain under pressure) and able to endure trouble (makrothumeo: “long heat”). Our life will face pressures to buckle, but God desires to offer us a power that will help us endure and remain faithful.

I recently read an article that told this story, “The most sacred symbol in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a tree: a sprawling, shade-bearing, 80-year-old American Elm. Tourists drive from miles around to see her. People pose for pictures beneath her. Arborists carefully protect her. She adorns posters and letterheads. Other trees grow larger, fuller — even greener. But not one is equally cherished. The city treasures the tree not because of her appearance, but her endurance. She endured the Oklahoma City bombing. Timothy McVeigh parked his death-laden truck only yards from her. His malice killed 168 people, wounded 850, destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, and buried the tree in rubble. No one expected it to survive. No one, in fact, gave any thought to the dusty, branch-stripped tree. But then she began to bud. Sprouts pressed through damaged bark; green leaves pushed away gray soot. Life was resurrected from an acre of death. People noticed. The tree modeled the resilience the victims desired. So they gave the elm a name: the Survivor Tree.”

God gave that tree more stability than that blast could take away – and He wants to do that to your life as well. Jesus rose from the rubble, brimming with life. He walked out of a graveyard a whole new man – because the Father possesses the power to do that to a lifeless body. God wants that power to be in your life.

God wants us to get our smile back on

Look at the end of the prayer…

Colossians 1:11b “…joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”

Note that He wants to see us rejoice in all things, praising (eucharisto) saying thank you to the Father. He wants believers to learn to be thankful – vocally thankful – for the gift He gave us to be inheritors of new life! (1:12).

Cecil Conrad was a farm boy, tired of waking up at the crack of dawn to clean up after cows. He lied about his age, joined the Army and helped free Asia from the Axis. But it was in the next war, battling Communists in Korea, that Conrad might truly have regretted his change of career. In a too-shallow foxhole, somewhere north of Seoul, the 188th Airborne Division soldier held his gun close to his head, trying to shield himself from fast-flying ordinance that “whistled through the air like birds tweeting,” he said. Then the world exploded in his face. “It was like being smacked with a baseball bat. It knocked me backwards,” Conrad said. Dirt hit him, a chunk of sod flung up by a shell, Conrad thought, as he gradually accepted the fact that he was still alive. Then he touched his helmet, and felt the hole that a shell had torn out of the steel. “I knew a piece of sod couldn’t do that,” he said. By the laws of nature, that big bullet ought to have kept on going, making a fatal journey through his skull and brain. Instead, it struck the steel at such an angle that it cut through the metal and then deflected away. He had a bruise and a headache, but he lived to tell the story. Conrad still has that old helmet, with its tell-tale furrow in the brow. He is one Korean vet thankful for the helmet that saved his life. SOURCE: From “Korean Vet Thankful For The Helmet That Saved His Life” by Cliff Davis.

Here is the funny thing. Long after the engagement was over, he couldn’t put the dirty thing down! He CLUNG the helmet, because it saved him from certain death. I wonder if that isn’t what Paul had in mind when the Spirit nudged him to write how we would joy over the Father that gave us the one thing that saved us. We could never have breached the gulf of unrighteousness. We would surely have been lost.

Let me offer these simple words… God didn’t say life would be easy. That teaching isn’t growing spiritual people that press toward God’s real goals!

In the foreword of his book, Inside Out, Larry Crabb wrote: “Modern Christianity, in dramatic reversal of its biblical form, promises to relieve the pain of living in a fallen world. The message… is too often the same: The promise of bliss is for NOW! Complete satisfaction can be ours this side of heaven….. We are told, sometimes explicitly but more often by example, that it’s simply not necessary to feel the impact of family tensions, frightening possibilities, or discouraging news. [We are told that] life may have its rough spots, but the reality of Christ’s presence and blessing can so thrill our soul that pain is virtually unfelt. It simply isn’t necessary to wrestle with internal struggle and disorder. Just trust, surrender, persevere, obey. “The effect of such teaching,” continues Crabb, “is to blunt the painful reality of what it’s like to live as part of an imperfect, and sometimes evil, community. We learn to pretend that we feel now what we cannot feel until Heaven. But not all of us are good at playing the game. Those whose integrity makes such pretense difficult sometimes worry over their apparent lack of faith. “Why don’t I feel as happy and together as others? Something must be wrong with my spiritual life.” To make matters worse, these people of integrity often appear less mature and their lives less inviting than folks more skilled at denial. And churches tend to reward their members who more convincingly create the illusion of intactness by parading them as examples of what every Christian should be. [But] beneath the surface of everyone’s life, especially the more mature, is an ache that will not go away. It can be ignored, disguised, mislabeled, or submerged by a torrent of activity, but it will not disappear. And for good reason. We were designed to enjoy a better world than this. And until that better world comes along, we will groan for what we do not have. An aching soul is evidence not of neurosis or spiritual immaturity, but of realism.

It seems like so few get to the place that God desires, a place of fulfillment in Him and productivity in their spiritual walk. Yet the goals that Paul shared with Colossae so long ago tell us that the battleground is the WILL. We can shed our condemning past, trim off the expectations of those about us in the present and starve out the inner lusts that trip us up. Yet we can do NOTHING without allowing God to work in our WILL!

Paul argued that God could lay out His goals for us because of WHAT GOD DID FOR US (1:13-14). God orchestrated in Messiah three specific acts that are outlined by Paul:

Colossians 1:13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

• God entered the prison of darkness in Satan’s dominion and set me free (1:13a).

• God relocated me to a new Kingdom that was part of the estate of His much loved Son (1:13b).

• God set aside my guilt by considering payment in full through the work of Messiah for me (1:14).

Beyond what God did for us, a second reason is given to explain why God cold expect me to follow His plan for me: WHO OUR SAVIOR IS (1:15ff).

It is clear that God has the right to ask me to surrender my will because I follow the Incomparable Christ.

He is at the center of our worship – and that is as it should be. As we mature, we must recognize one of the greatest truths concerning the study of the Bible is this: Knowing the glory of Christ is an end in itself, not a means to something more. Christ is not glorious so that we get healthy, wealthy or famous – or even that His church is victorious. The glory of Jesus Christ is such that whether rich or poor, sick or sound, prosperous or persecuted – we are able to find total satisfaction in Him – and the Father Who sent Him. Let us be clear: Jesus is worthy of worship if He had never done any of the things the Gospels assure us He did.

In Colossians 1, Jesus is described in remarkable terms. Though not an exhaustive list of qualifications and qualities, it is an impressive list that should lead us to understand God’s right to our submission of will. That is the point of Paul’s sharing it!

Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, [both] in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Jesus possesses the privileged place of “first born” with all its rights and titles (1:15), He is the Creative agent of the Father (1:16a) who did His Father’s bidding in the creation of the world. He is the Owner of all things (1:16b). He has authority over creation because His Father has given Him ownership over all of it. He made it, but His Father said He could make it “for Himself!” If that is true, then I am made for Him. My life was initiated for His purpose. Knowing that gives my life meaning, purpose, focus and direction. God gave me life and then exposed my goals for living.

One of the greatest scientists of our time was Albert Einstein. He was a man who was so focused on his scientific theories. He was so focused, he often neglected even the simplest things of life, such as personal appearance (as evidenced by his hair). One time, Albert Einstein was taking a train out of town for a speaking engagement. As he sat in his seat engrossed in his work, the conductor stopped by to punch his ticket. Looking up in shock, Einstein realized he didn’t know what he had done with his ticket. Frantically, he began to search his coat pockets, and then his briefcase. Gently, the conductor said, “We all know who you are, Dr. Einstein. I’m sure you bought ticket. Don’t worry about it.” But, as the conductor moved along, he looked back to see Einstein on his hands and knees searching under the seats for his ticket. The conductor walked back, “Dr. Einstein, please, don’t worry about it. I know who you are.” Exasperated, Einstein looked up and said, “I, too, know who I am. What I don’t know is where I’m going.

Though Dr. Einstein was unsure, I am not – and you don’t have to be either. You can know why you are here, and where eternity will take you – because of Jesus.

Following His Footsteps: “Anticipation” – Luke 18:35-19:27

anticipation2aaHave you ever had to wait for something with such expectancy that you could hardly contain yourself? Carly Simon sung to us about “anticipation”, and a number of years ago, the Ketchup company “Heinz” paid for the use of that old pop song to emphasize how much thicker their ketchup was than their competitors. Their argument was, “Ours comes out slower because it has less water.” They proudly pressed their claim that water was somehow a cheater’s way to make ketchup, and sitting there with a bottle that wouldn’t yield the condiment was somehow a symbol of its higher quality. I don’t know about that – it seemed to me the bottle was perhaps poorly designed if I couldn’t get the product onto my burger without imperiling the white shirt of others at the table. Maybe I am not technically minded enough, I don’t know.

We all know what it is like to look forward to something longingly, don’t we?

The quintessential moments for many of us come when we recall in our growing up years the days leading up to summer vacation from school – where the classroom felt like a prison and the days dragged on and on. The only worse experience I can think of was Christmas Eve, lying in bed and trying to sleep when the coolest toys ever lay beneath the tree a few dozen steps away in the living room. It was child torture in my little mind.

Anticipation…the longing to see, have or hold something…we all know the feeling. As we open Luke’s Gospel once again, we follow the footsteps of Jesus, and encounter a string of three stories of people stung and throbbing with anticipation. They didn’t all want the same things. They didn’t all look forward to the same events. Yet, they all looked with anticipation that something was about to happen…Here is the truth: we don’t control the future, our Creator does. We have to learn what He says is coming, so we learn how to prepare for the days ahead. We have to tune our ears to the Creator’s voice to recognize the times we live in. In effect…

Key Principle: We must listen carefully to God’s Word to know what to truly anticipate.

Let’s start with the story of a simple walk into Jericho near the end of the Perean Ministry of Jesus (the last six months before the arrest and cross). The winter always brought crowds to Perea, and Jesus traveled and spoke to the people in places where John the Baptizer had once preached. Now Jesus was heading into the oasis like city of Jericho, where our first two encounters are mentioned. Pick up your look at the story near the end of Luke 18. There you will meet some men near the road…

The first two independent accounts recall two men, each with a distinct physical challenge, each who anticipated seeing Jesus.

The first man was a blind, roadside beggar – his eyes wouldn’t work:

Luke 18:35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. 42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Look more closely at the scene. Jesus was coming into the city, and a crowd of people were surrounding Him while others were gathering in anticipation of His entrance. Beside the road approaching the city was a lone beggar, a fixture in ancient cities. People who were needy often sat in places of high traffic to ask those who HAVE to care for their needs. His problem was obvious, and I suspect he met along that road many who were willing to help him. The truth is that people with needs are abundant all around us. They don’t need a judge to examine how they got into that state, they need a friend to help them make it through that day.

The beggar in the story had bigger aspirations – he wanted more than to get through the day. He heard that Jesus could give him back his sight, and he longed to have Jesus pay attention to his need. Here is the problem: when we hurt, when our bodies break down – it is easy for us to feel that God isn’t looking at us anymore. He isn’t paying attention to us. The enemy uses the brokenness of our bodies (even though the temptation in the Garden of Eden was his doing and the broken bodies we live in are the result of his work) to try to get us to become impatient with God. That is his ploy. In this case, the man wanted Jesus to SEE HIM so that he could in turn be enabled to SEE OTHERS.

The blind man asked people around him what the “stir” was all about. When he heard, he started calling out to Jesus. It was, no doubt, nothing more than an annoyance to others who passed by him on the road. We must remember that some are desperate for Jesus to care for their needs, and the sound of their crying out can become bothersome to the rest of us. Let’s be honest, the thirteenth time someone is crying: “Jesus of Nazareth have mercy on me!” all of us who aren’t the naturally merciful types are starting to get a bit bugged. We rationalize that they don’t seem to be truly honoring Jesus – they are just asking to get out of their problem. “That isn’t right!” we say.

Yet, look at the account of the Master. Jesus heard the voice of a broken heart, and ordered the man be brought to Him. He didn’t ask the man FOR anything – but rather asked “What do you want from Me?” The man replied: “I want to see!” How interesting that Jesus didn’t require that the man truly know Who Jesus is when we first met Him – only believe that Jesus could care for his need. The issue to Jesus seemed to be more how he responded after he encountered Jesus.

People who come to Jesus to get what they want and then take it and GO, miss the true blessing of life. The man wasn’t blessed when he got his sight – but rather when he used it to follow the Master! From that day forward, walking with the One Who defines truth and righteousness – He learned to see the world the way it truly is. I contend that his blindness wasn’t healed in one day – though in one moment his eyes started working. His ability to see clearer and clearer grew as he followed Jesus – and so will yours.

Keep reading, there is another story of a man in anticipation of Jesus’ coming. He can see with his eyes, but is blocked because of the crowd.

This man was short – he couldn’t see because the crowd was too big:

You have heard this story since you were a child – the story of Zacchaeus and the Sycamore tree…

Luke 19:1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

This story reminds us that some don’t know WHO Jesus is – it is sheer curiosity that draws them to see Him, to listen to His words. Sadly, in the case of Zacchaeus, it was Jesus’ own followers that blocked the short man from seeing the Savior. They huddled around Him instead of moving into the crowd to get people to come to Him. They focused so much on Jesus, they didn’t recognize why Jesus came. His primary mission was to seek out the wanderers and reconcile them to God.

This problem continues into our time. Many who come to Jesus, don’t really grow up. They spend their lives as disciples and followers, but not as models and gatherers. Beloved, we need to grow past the elementary level of walking with the Master. We need to learn the disciplines that go with our incredible relationship with God – and then grow up. Like the poor soul that spends years in counseling and can name all their phobias but never see an end to any of them – many believers had saddled into the rut of “carnality” and decided they cannot be expected to grow up, get past their issues, and begin to bring others to Jesus. I do not mean to be hard hearted, and I am not perfect in my following of the Master – but I cannot license perpetual laziness and lack of growth in our lives either. We must grow up, get it together by allowing God to work in us, and then move on to helping others. A life focused on our own problems will not add one person to the kingdom; it will leave all our neighbors in darkness while we sort out our own hurts. Jesus found you in order that you would be transformed, and begin to draw others to Him.

We need to get people to Jesus – to give them time with Him. He can show them what they are missing, and in His tender sweetness, He can bring them to change. Time with Jesus was enough for Zacchaeus to give back his ill-gotten gain and restore the funds even above what was called for in the Law (Leviticus 6:5; Numbers 5:6-7). Time with Jesus’ followers left Zacchaeus distant from God – in a tree hoping for a glimpse – but a little while with Jesus brought Him to repentance, generosity and kindness. What will it take to bring people all the way into the presence of Jesus? For one thing, the church will need to focus on doing that – and not being in the way. We cannot focus on being center stage – but on bringing people into the place where they can hear the Words of the Savior, and see His loving hands. It is there they will be challenged to change. This cannot be about a preacher’s ego or a singer’s style – it must be about the Jesus we are trying to display.

Frankly, beloved, I get tired of the ways we block people from seeing Jesus. We can bicker incessantly over our theological finer points while the world hopelessly perishes. One group thinks they have the only true Bible – never mind that much of the world cannot read that language and those that do read it haven’t used that vocabulary for more than three hundred years! Others are so busy examining how God chose them that they aren’t listening to His call to share the Gospel with the rest of their city. Some are so busy using grace to cover their personal licentiousness they can scarcely open the Bible to a single instruction they feel bound to keep. At the same time, others are so busy thumping the ungodly behaviors out of people they invite people to God’s bountiful provision of salvation and rescue.

I want sometimes to stop and shout: “Stop blocking Jesus!” I want to exclaim: “People can’t see Him – all they see is YOU in the way, desperate to be right about the argument while they remain LOST in the darkness!” We will not win a true hearing in the world until we get the church out of the way so that they can see and hear Jesus. I LOVE the church – but I want people to see Jesus, alive, well. transforming us into His image. I want them to see Him even if they go to the “other” church, if they believe the “other” thing. I want them to cherish God’s Word and find God’s wholeness before it is too late. We must get out of the way and let them see Jesus.

I am not saying that what we believe about the Bible is unimportant. To be clear, I am making the argument that not all arguments are equal, and not all are relevant. I have heard the Gospel presented in the last few years by people who sound more like Jonah than Jesus. Jonah gave the truth to Nineveh hoping that they WOULDN’T repent – so he could have the satisfaction of seeing them destroyed. He ran toward Tarshish, not because he didn’t think Nineveh would listen, but because he was concerned they MIGHT. I am surprised when I hear about the condemnation of man from people who seem to enjoy that too much! What we learn from the Word is very important, but not every theological point is necessary to understand to come to Jesus. Don’t overcrowd the message of the Gospel with your political views, your theological fine points, and the like. Most of us came to Jesus with little knowledge beyond the fact that we are sinners and He seemed to know how to fix our unrighteous status before a holy God.

Jesus watched as Zacchaeus changed. He proclaimed the man truly was saved, not simply by hearing the Savior, but by changing the pattern of his life in response to the conviction of sin. Salvation isn’t that change – it is evidence of that change. Sin is of the heart, not the hands. Sin and spiritual separation from God are issues dealt with inside of you. At the same time, a change of world view (what we call faith) without the outworking of it is meaningless (James used the word DEAD).

Luke continued his account…

The third story tells of some who were anticipating the swift arrival of the kingdom:

In the next portion, Luke recalled Jesus’ teaching as a response to the conversion of Zacchaeus:

Luke 19:11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.

When the people saw the tax collector powerfully changed by God, and they knew Jesus was heading for Jerusalem in the near future, they anticipated the coming of the Kingdom of God in short order. Powerful transformation of lives draw focus to Jesus and His power – that is to be expected. When people see God at work in the lives of people, when they hear the testimonies of God convicting people and the people responding – they begin to anticipate that God is about to work in a larger and more dramatic way. Jesus wanted to slow down the anticipation, and get them focused on the days ahead. It is the Word of the Lord that sets out sight on what to truly expect. He taught:

Luke 19:12 He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’ 14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ 15 “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. 16 “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ 17 “ ‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’ 18 “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ 19 “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’ 20 “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’ 24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ 25 “ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ 26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’ ”

Just as the blind man and Zacchaeus didn’t know WHO Jesus was, others didn’t know what His Kingdom would be like, how swift it would arrive, and what it would look like. People had common and popular teachings concerning the Kingdom, but they bore little resemblance to the Kingdom as it was truly going to be. Since it is my observation that many STILL DON’T understand the use of the term “kingdom” in this context, that is where I believe we should invest the rest of the lesson – explaining carefully the story Jesus told to make that more accessible to us.

First, look at the elements of the story:

• The story began with a rightful prince, who was traveling to a territory that was his by right, and expecting the people to crown him in a ceremony when he arrived. He was not going to stay in that province, but rather be crowned and then return to his home country to rule from afar (19:12).

• Before his departure, he gave to each of ten servants an amount of money to invest on his behalf – each in the same amount (19:13). They were to use that money to grow his worth in his absence, expecting his return.

• The journey to his distant land wasn’t easy, and the people crowned him stubbornly, not desiring to have him as their ruler (19:14-15a). The prince left them and returned to his native homeland.

• Arriving home, he called the servants to give account of their investments, one by one (19:15b). He was pleased with the first, that had doubled the value – and gave him charge over ten cities of his kingdom (19:16-17).

• Another servant came before him, and this man had increased the value by half again, and was similarly rewarded with five cities of his kingdom to manage on behalf of the prince (19:18-19).

• The focus and theme of the story was on another servant. He appears to be the third who came before the prince, but we don’t know. We know his actions set up the moral of the story (19:20). Interestingly enough, he seemed to possess the same attitudes as the people in the far off country that didn’t like the prince when they crowned him. They hated the man, and this servant appeared to be like them (19:21-22). The servant felt the prince was a “hard man” who took the benefits of the labor of others and made his income off the backs of his workers.

Before we move past verse twenty-two, let’s make sure we understand the nature of the servant’s complaint. He didn’t argue the character of the prince was evil – merely that it seemed unfair to him that the prince should live in the benefits that he and other servants worked hard to produce. In every generation there are people who believe that there should be no rich or poor – but everyone should start at the same level and finish there – working in the field beside their fellows to all get the same thing. Karl Marx believed this. The rulers of the former Soviet Union espoused this. Mao and the Communist revolution taught this. The problem is, that in all those cases, there is ample evidence to show that the leaders of such movements also received more than their share of benefits. In essence, it doesn’t work. In the end, it kills productivity when there is no upward place to strive for. This isn’t a lecture on communism, but it is important we not read into the text some evil on the part of this prince – Jesus didn’t say it was his deportment that was the problem, but rather the belief system of the servant was the issue. Go back to the story…

• The prince chose to judge the servant by his own words. He told him: “If you thought that was unjust and that I was that hard, why didn’t you DO something with the money rather than hide it away?” (19:23). He ordered the money taken away from him, and told the servants it would go to the one who made the best investment (19:24). It is interesting in the story that the prince essentially had two kinds of servants – those who followed his word, and those who didn’t submit to him because (though they were called servants) they didn’t believe he was entitled to be who he claimed to be. They were like the people in the far country!

• The scene closed with others among the servant’ corps questioning the prince on his decision to give to the most rewarded servant – as if it wasn’t his choice (19:25).

The teaching or moral of the story is made clear in the end with these words: Luke 19:26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’ ”

Don’t get lost in the verbiage. Jesus said the one who didn’t trust the prince’s right to rule and DO as he said, would be stripped of his association with the prince and his kingdom (19:26). In addition, those who were supposed to be under the prince but refused in their heart his right to rule over them would be done away with permanently.

Remember the context from the beginning of Luke 19:12: “…because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.” That reminder set the tone for the whole story…

Let’s not go crazy with the parable, but rather work to “keep the main thing the main thing.” Remember, we are never to extract theology from the detail of a parable – that is the wrong use of the medium (it is like trying to shove a flash drive in an electrical outlet, it won’t work out).

First, if the setting was people who thought Jesus was about to go to Jerusalem and set up a kingdom – deporting Roman authority and subjecting Temple authorities – the people could get excited because of coming change, even if they had no concept of what would happen next.

Second, the people to whom the prince was a rightful ruler didn’t want his rule. Could it be that when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, Rome and the Temple wouldn’t kneel to His authority? The crowd needed to consider that possibility, since the next story was about the “Triumphal Entry” at the end of the chapter, and the Temple leaders made clear they wanted Jesus to tell the Palm Sunday crowd to “Shut up!” The story looks, at least in part, as a preparation for that coming exchange.

Third, in the story, there was another group of followers that were with the prince – not just those in the distant kingdom – but those who were dubbed “servants” of the prince. They were closely associated with the prince, worked for his purposes (at least they were supposed to!) and they were rewarded by him for their labors. They seem to be the followers of Jesus that were with Him in Jericho; the ones who experienced the changes in Zacchaeus and celebrated. Now we see the tough part of the parable… Not all of them were the same. Some were followers in deed; others were follower in word alone.

Look at the servant who didn’t believe in the prince. Listen to his words. He said: “You are HARD. You take what ISN’T yours – you take what I WANT.” Can you understand his view? He believed that Jesus DIDN’T HAVE THE RIGHT to his life, his choices, and his labors. He wanted to work for HIMSELF. He wanted life to be under HIS CONTROL. Could he be a follower of Jesus who got “on board” because of the benefits, but not to be a real servant?

Step back for a moment and consider these three stories. First, a man who couldn’t see wanted Jesus, got his sight and followed Him – gaining clarity with each step he took following the Master. Next, a man who searched for fulfillment in THINGS sought Jesus, and time spent with the Master helped him see that ill-gotten gain hindered him from being truly fulfilled. Finally, some people anticipated that Jesus was worth following because of the benefits of a coming Kingdom – but they didn’t really trust Him to direct their lives and choices. His teaching also called them to consider carefully what serving Him truly meant. Remember: Just because someone is on the prince’s payroll, doesn’t mean he is truly serving the prince at all.

Let me ask you a simple question: What are you looking for? Why are you taking the time to look at this lesson? What is God saying to you? Do you trust Jesus, or do you just want His benefits?

Don’t skip that Jesus’ teaching cautioned them that there will be a delay in the lieral and earthly Kingdom of Messiah (something that is much clearer to us that would have been to them). Messiah came to die, was raised to show the acceptance of the payment for sin, and will return to take His place on the throne of David. This was the promise, and if it were a mere spiritualization, huge portions of the prophetic parts of Scripture are good for little beside balking up your Bible to make it a paper weight!

Beloved, even believers of our age consistently display impatience for the Kingdom and an earthly time and place of righteousness. Many long for heaven to take root in this time and land – and forget this world is not our home. Some rest in a prosperity doctrine, hoping wealth, health and fulfillment will be the absolute fruit of following Jesus in the here and now – but the whole idea of martyrdom doesn’t fit their theology. Don’t try selling that one in Iraq right now – they won’t buy it.

Here is the truth: Jesus is coming back. The Prince of Heaven will come, and those things He promised are coming – but not here and not now. They come with the Savior’s return.

Some express impatience by turning their attention to political enforcement of Christian morals and ethics, as if human government will ever eradicate poverty, racism or injustice – or truly promote our faith. While we should thoughtfully influence the state through informed voting and careful engagement, we are wholly unrealistic if we believe Caesar will promote Christ. If Caesar puts Christ on his placards and bumper stickers – it will be to get the church’s vote – not to promote the church’s Master. Incidentally, when the church had Caesar’s power in history, the world’s influence seemed more pervasive, impregnating the church with ungodliness, far more than the world was wooed by the church. That isn’t the best way for the church to take a stand… Bruce Larson wrote: “When I was a small boy, I attended church every Sunday at a big Gothic Presbyterian bastion in Chicago. The preaching was powerful and the music was great. But for me, the most awesome moment in the morning service was the offertory, when twelve solemn, frock-coated ushers marched in lock-step down the main aisle to receive the brass plates for collecting the offering. These men, so serious about their business of serving the Lord in this magnificent house of worship, were the business and professional leaders of Chicago. One of the twelve ushers was a man named Frank Loesch. He was not a very imposing looking man, but in Chicago he was a living legend, for he was the man who had stood up to Al Capone. In the prohibition years, Capone’s rule was absolute. The local and state police and even the Federal Bureau of Investigation were afraid to oppose him. But single handedly, Frank Loesch, as a Christina layman and without any government support, organized the Chicago Crime Commission, a group of citizens who were determined to take Mr. Capone to court and put him away. During the months that the Crime Commission met, Frank Loesch’s life was in constant danger. There were threats on the lives of his family and friends. But he never wavered. Ultimately he won the case against Capone and was the instrument for removing this blight from the city of Chicago. Frank Loesch had risked his life to live out his faith. Each Sunday at this point of the service, my father, a Chicago businessman himself, never failed to poke me and silently point to Frank Loesch with pride. Sometime I’d catch a tear in my father’s eye. For my dad and for all of us this was and is what authentic living is all about.” Bruce Larson, in Charles Swindoll, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, p.124-5.

At the same time, there is a spiritual sense of kingdom we live with; (even today) that foreshadows the power and magnificence of our Prince above.

• He is unmatched in power and unmarred by evil.
• He is the victor over death and the Prince of life itself.
• He was crucified that I might live.
• He was beaten that I might be healed.
• He was rejected by men than I may be accepted by God.
• He was shamed before the world so that I could be lifted to glory in Heaven.

Yes, we must listen carefully to God’s Word to know what to truly anticipate… and that anticipation should lead us into the arms of Jesus to be a servant indeed.

Following His Footsteps: “The Temptations” – Luke 18

temptations1In this lesson, we have the privilege of meeting five temptations. The singing group named “The Temptations” has been successful for more than half a century – noted for their choreography, harmonies, unmistakable wardrobe, and their musical evolution. They sold tens of millions of albums, featuring five male vocalists originally formed in 1960 in Detroit, Michigan under the name “The Elgins”. The founding five members came from two rival Detroit vocal groups. The group, over the years of their performances gave the world some true Motown hits, including “My Girl” (1964), “Treat Her Like a Lady” (1984), “Just My Imagination” and “Get Ready”. They have performed in venues from small supper clubs to huge concert halls – and are known the world over…but they are not the five temptations I want you to meet today.

I have in mind a different “five temptations” – these even better known but lesser liked. I have in mind the five temptations that are highlighted by the teachings of Jesus in Luke 18 that easily inflict His followers. They were recorded as a warning and a call to self-examination for all of us who name Jesus as our Master and Lord.

Let’s start by understanding something…Every believer faces a series of distractions that can cause us to move away from our call to continuously seek the Master’s smile by our both our clear thinking and our dedicated behavior.

• Some get caught up trying to EARN the love of Jesus –when that isn’t the right perspective at all.

• Others are routinely overwhelmed by and subjected to the strong winds of feeling, and cannot remain resolute to walk as a child of God ought.

• Still others, led by poorly reasoned arguments of strayed leaders, convince themselves that their salvation is all that matters, and Jesus can get their obedience AFTER they get to Heaven. That, too, is deeply errant thinking.

It is easy for believers to get off track in our walk with Jesus. A straightforward understanding of our walk with God should lead us to this truth…

Key Principle: Every follower needs to consistently re-examine their willingness to truly follow our Savior’s direction, step by step.

When we pick up reading in Luke, we need to recall that Jesus had been telling His followers that His Kingdom would not come until a time of suffering for them (and the world) that would include their deep longing to see Him (17:22). He would seem as though He delayed during their intense struggles – and some would be tempted to fall away from following Him (Luke 17:26-36).

Jesus followed those statements, at least as Luke recorded them, with five simple temptations that would befall the believers of that time. Though the teachings will certainly be necessary for the days ahead, they are also temptations we all face today – so they are even more relevant than first glance would make a student of the Word believe.

Temptation One: Becoming Self-Reliant

Look at the first temptation as Jesus presented it:

Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

In every age, there is a temptation for followers of God to become self-reliant. We get distracted and discouraged from prayer – but God desires that we remain persistent. Look closely at the verses and see if the temptation has been dangled in front of you, and God’s prescription for dealing with it.

First, note that Jesus’ point is not in question – the parable was to make the ONE POINT that persistence in prayer is a key to success in our walk with God (18:1).

Second, note that Jesus didn’t hesitate to make the characters in His parable VERY DIFFERENT than their underlying “real world” archetypes. In this parable, God the Father’s part was handed over to “an unrighteous judge”. The praying follower of God’s part was played by a nagging old widow. Don’t let that bother you a whit; it is all part of the medium of parable in the time of Jesus. Stay focused on the main point, which was disclosed in verse one.

Third, note that the parable offered both a comparison and a contrast in verse six and seven between the unjust judge and the King of Glory – but they were connected by the result. Though God listens out of GOODNESS, the judge listened out of SELF INTEREST. That wasn’t the point. The point was that BOTH LISTENED. God is not LIKE the judge, He is good. Yet, He is LIKE the judge in that He will hear the call of His children – He will not ignore their voices.

Fourth, note that WHEN Jesus comes, justice will follow. It won’t come BEFORE Him, but WITH Him. That is the point of verse seven and eight.

fire chief kevin chochranBelievers are tempted to seek justice in the here and now, and increasingly that is becoming hard to find. Ask the Fire Chief in Atlanta who was fired recently because he wrote a book for his Sunday School men on sexual purity that referred to homosexuality as a perversion. He was fired because he believed such a heinous, terribly unjust book as the Bible, in spite of the lack of evidence that he had ever discriminated against anyone in his departmental responsibility. He isn’t allowed to say that he believes that – because he was a public employee. If he held the opposite view, he could say that… there is no penalty for holding the non-Biblical but popular belief. Increasingly, tolerance means “you are free to believe what WE say.”

What should we do about that? Shall we write letters? Maybe. Should be cross-post on social media our objections? Perhaps. Here is the real question… Will we stop and pray for the people involved? Will we seek Heaven’s intervention for our public officials that are trying to serve with integrity and follow the Bible? Will we still do it next month? How about a year from now or later when the case is brought before the courts for the firing? I suspect we will find this momentary issue to be quickly distracted from, and be off on the next outrageous move of the enemy while Heaven awaits our persistent voice.

Here is the truth: If we advertise free counseling for marital difficulties, parent-child relationships and time management – we will find a line forming outside the door. If we advertise that we will bow our knee beside you and pray with you and for your need – no line will form. Many of us have been thoroughly conditioned to believe the answers can be found on earth, and seeking Heaven is at least less effective and at worst a total waste of time. We won’t admit it (that wouldn’t sound Christian!) – but our footprints and schedule books tell the story. We are self-reliant Christians – people given to frantic picketing in place of fervent prayer and social network complaints in place of quiet but persistent seeking of God’s face over a situation. What more did Jesus need to say about this? We are tempted to do it on our own, or give up quickly – and both leave us in a state of self-reliant weakness. As darkness increases, some will begin to recognize anew the tall stature of the bent knee.

Temptation Two: Becoming Arrogant

The second temptation is just as convicting, and offers a different warning…

Luke 18:9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The temptation for many followers of God is to become self-exalting and arrogant: We think of ourselves as “better” than others – but God desires we humble ourselves.

Look again at the verses, and you will see a comparable pattern to the first temptation’s revelation.

First, you see the aim and audience of the whole story in the phrase: “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else.” These were people DOING RIGHT in life behaviors, but going off course in ATTITUDES. They followed God, but they used their obedience as a whip to sting those who seemed further back on the path.

Second, Jesus’ story opened with an event – both a Pharisee and a tax collector went to the Temple to pray. One went to recite his obedience and goodness, the other went to sob and seek God’s mercy for his many sins. One boasted of his works as a display before Heaven; the other was so broken over his own faults, he wouldn’t look up. One sought PAYMENT for a life well-lived, the other pleaded for MERCY for a life that left a mess in its wake.

Third, Jesus made clear who “connected with God” at the Temple. One man messed up his life but then sought God honestly; in seeking undeserved mercy he found hope. The other man who felt God’s grace was payment for his good choices knew little of what God truly wanted – and left without Heaven’s approval. God knows that my best efforts done for self are not righteous deeds – they are selfish deeds. They reflect arrogance – and I wish I wasn’t so familiar with them.

When each of us first heard the Gospel message, those who gave their heart to Jesus were quickly overwhelmed by His love, and we began our journey with a full knowledge that we were not worthy of our Savior’s love – nevertheless we have it. We began our journey in humility. Then… slowly… something happened. We walked a few steps with Jesus. We began to DO right. We began to experience the empowering of God in our lives as we served Him. Time passed, and we got “better” at doing God’s will as revealed in God’s Word. We watched as others DIDN’T FOLLOW GOD, and their lives were increasingly messy. We tried not to judge everyone overtly, but inside we knew that our obedience paid off – and their stubborn disregard for the things God said only brought them increasing pain. After a while, we began to see ourselves as “good” and “obedient” – a silent creep toward the “deserving” category. We tried to hide it, but on occasion, especially when really dark people happen by in front of us – it pops out of the surface. We believers, the recipient of God’s rich mercy, began feeling “deserving” of God’s special favor. What began in brokenness morphed into arrogance.

Let’s be clear: God resists the proud. He avoids the arrogant. We have a choice – we can see ourselves as the wretched, judgmental, self-loving people that we are – or we can lie and act like we really see the world through eyes broken by the realization of the receipt of our own undeserved blessings. Only when I am convinced that God’s mercy isn’t, wasn’t and never will be because of me – will I know Him the way He wants me to, and only then will I see the world as He does. Stunned by the wonder of God’s mercy toward me, I can see lost men as objects of my Father’s magnificent obsession. He loves the broken.

There is an old story of an eagle who, on an early morning during the spring thaw, soared high above the forest looking for something to eat. As he followed the course of a river he looked down and spied a small rodent, trapped on a piece of ice that had broken free and was floating down stream. Seeing an easy meal, he swooped down, landed on the ice, killed the mouse and began to eat. As he continued his meal, he saw that his perch was rapidly approaching a water fall, but determined to finish eating and thinking he would rise into the air and to safety at the last moment, continued his course. As the ice neared the falls, the eagle finished his last bite. Satisfied with his breakfast he spread his mighty wings and attempted to rise skyward as the chunk of ice tipped over the edge. While enjoying his meal however, he had failed to notice that the warmth of his feet had caused his claws to become embedded in the ice. Try as he might, he could not dislodge them and free himself from what had now become the burden that would carry him to his death on the rocks far below.

People who think they are smarter than the average sinner, stronger than the average person, more able to resist temptation and more powerful in avoiding sinful situations have forgotten how quickly any of us can find ourselves stuck in the ice of our own cold hearts.

Temptation Three: Becoming Mistrusting

Luke 18:15 People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

The temptation for followers of God is to become too worried and doubtful – but God desires us to trust Him in handling our lives.

This passage is often misunderstood. The disciples were not “anti-baby”. They didn’t dislike children at all (so far as we know). The issue was one of “PROTECTING JESUS’ HONOR”. That was their assumption.

There are always believers who think they need to protect Jesus from those who do not know how to act – but that isn’t the case. Jesus is perfectly capable of dealing with the errant and the profane. We don’t want to imitate them, but we don’t need to somehow become “bodyguards for the Savior”, for He needs none. It is a nice sentiment to give Him honor in that way –but that is not something He asked for. What does that mean? It means we share Jesus openly, and we let those who want to follow Him learn, step by step, what it means to be in the presence of the Holy One. We honor Him. We revere Him. We address Him with respect and come before Him carefully, because He is the King about all kings. The “not yet” believer in our midst may not know how to carefully enter His presence – but they should SEE it in the way we do it. At the same time, we shouldn’t be so caught up in protecting Jesus and His reputation, that we don’t see that He came FOR THEM.

A number of years ago there was a riot on the Haram esh-Sharif, the ancient “Temple Mount” of the city of Jerusalem. I was there with a British group, and we got caught up in a full-scale meltdown in Jerusalem, complete with tear gas, bullets and helicopters. I won’t take the time to explain it all, because it isn’t necessary to the illustration. When the troubles began, I told all the people that I could see to “get down” and crawl toward the northern gate, where the El-Omariyeh School is located. The people crawled along and we got to the Via Dolorosa, made a right turn and ran down the hill into the Kidron Valley. When we got to the bottom, the crowds were growing exponentially. I ran to the head of the group and went up to the door of the Gethsemane “Church of All Nations” to get the Franciscan fathers to open up and let people in for safety. The guard at the gate was stopping people from coming inside because “some of them had shorts on”, despite the fact that shooting was going on and people’s lives were in danger. That guy would have kept babies from Jesus! Some people don’t get it.

Jesus took a moment to offer a teaching that was larger than a mere response to the situation. He taught: “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” His teaching wasn’t about honor at all – it was about something else. It was about the trusting nature of the little ones that came to Him.

When we meet Jesus, we are told of His love. Someone explains to us the story about how He took our place at Calvary, and how He died for our sins. We respond to the message, trusting the Word of God and the power of Jesus to save. Time moves on, and we find ourselves walking with Jesus through times of celebration, and other times of trouble. After a while, we grow up… that is our problem. As we grow, we hear many opposing voices to the One we hear in the Word. Some exchange trust for doubt, and doubt for disbelief – because they stop simply taking the Word for what it is…TRUTH. Jesus made the point that children BELIEVE what they are told and RECEIVE the Word completely – taking it at face value. Grown-ups often complicate simple things, because they have a way of hiding their ego behind a mask, and their rebellion in a religious costume. Children just believe it is true because Jesus said it is. That’s good enough – of such is the Kingdom of God. May God grant that you grow in Him enough to be reliable and strong, but never so much that you become more intelligent than your Savior in your own estimation. Accept His Word as your final answer to life’s questions.

Temptation Four: Becoming Resistant

A fourth temptation was also presented by Jesus in the text in the form of the answer to a direct question:

Luke 18:18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’ 21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

The rich young ruler had a problem to which many of us can relate. Some followers of God attempt to make up the rules for what God SHOULD want from us – in spite of the fact that what God truly desires we surrender to Him is WHAT HE ASKS of us. Look it up: the antonym of surrender is resistance. The participants of a resistance are called “rebels”. Some of us are trying to play both sides in one life.

Look at the situation closely. The man approached Jesus with a question – but He wasn’t actually going to accept Jesus’ absolute authority over the answer. IF Jesus told him something that he was willing to do, then he would do it. If Jesus asked for something MORE than the man was willing to give, he’d find another rabbi and ask again. This isn’t new or rare.

Countless times I have watched people argue that they were not doing wrong when they were walking in direct violation of the Scriptures, because they KNEW God wouldn’t actually ask them to give up something they felt so deeply about. I have heard this reasoning applied from boats to illicit relationships – each time the line of argument was the same – if I feel this strongly, God wouldn’t want me to deny myself and follow Him. They never read this story. They never considered how hard it was for a rich man to set up a “yard sale” sign and let all his stuff go – only to give the proceeds to the poor. That is what Jesus said to do. Why? Because we don’t have anything in our lives that God didn’t provide – including the things we clutch hold of to make us happy. If we are willing to find our joy in Him, we will find that He knew from the beginning what we truly needed.

Recently I read a Pastor’s blog where he wrote about his two birds, Coffee and Charlie. I thought it might make the issue of resistance more clear…

My pet finch Coffee runs into a serious problem once in a while. Her claws grow so long she loses the ability to control them. They get stuck in the nest and she can’t get them out. Once we found her nearly dead, hanging for hours upside down with one claw ensnared in her wicker home. Carol rescued her and nursed her back to health. We decided we needed to regularly clip her claws so she could maintain control of them. I reach into the door and try to catch her while she desperately scrambles to the eight corners of the cage to escape capture. Once I do grip her gently in my palm, her heart races in a panic and she attempts to peck at my hand to free herself. I hold her steady, clip her nails, and release her back into the safety of her cage where she gleefully flies for months without getting ensnared. But when the nails grow again, we have to repeat the procedure, each time with her panic, pecking and distrust. It’s sad when she distrusts me. Charlie, Coffee’s nest mate, seems to enjoy being held and stroked, simply receiving the care for what it is as we clip his nails. I’m afraid I’m more like Coffee when God gets me in his grip. I fret and resist and at times turn hostile toward him as he holds me tight and gives me a trim. I wish I was more like Charlie. Actually, I’m going to try to be. (Clipped from “Pastor’s Round Table” – original author unknown).

Temptation Five: Becoming Befuddled

One last temptation needed to be addressed by Jesus beginning in verse thirty-one:

Luke 18:31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; 33 they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.” 34 The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.

The temptation for followers of God is to be selective in their hearing a assumptive in their conclusions – but God wants us to know His Word and let its truths sink deeply inside us.

When you read the account as Luke gave it to us, isn’t it a mystery on your first pass of reading why the disciples didn’t “get” what Jesus was saying? Perhaps that is “Monday morning quarterbacking” – because we know the end of the story already. If we look more closely, we may have clues to why they didn’t relate the story to the coming months of Jesus’ earth ministry.

First, Jesus didn’t just say, “I am going to die on the cross for your sins…” It was much more cryptic. He used a title, “Son of Man” that came from Daniel, and was one that He used of Himself. Was it that clear in His speech, or just clearer to us after knowing the story?

Second, Jesus wasn’t involved in a negative way with Gentile authorities at that point (though Herod Antipas was a Roman puppet and wanted to see Jesus). It is possible that they weren’t clear that the popular itinerant preacher would be turned upon so quickly – and it never struck them that their movement was about to be violently interrupted. If this is just after the raising of Lazarus the disciples seemed to know something bad was about to happen, which is why I believe Luke 18 was just before John 11 and not after. In John 11:16 the Apostle recalled: “Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”

Here is the bottom line: Many followers of Jesus don’t listen closely to His Word. They pick out the parts they like, and don’t contextualize anything at all. You can make the Bible say anything you want if you cut it up into fortune cookie sized sayings and string them together without context. Let’s be clear: speaking from the Bible is not the same as teaching what is IN the Bible. In churches around the world people will lift quotes, but many will say little or nothing about what was before and after the quote. They will select out what they like, borrowing by implication the authority of the Word – but fail to really explain what God said.

I have been in theology discussions where people offer all kinds of re-shuffled Bible parts – like fast food chicken nuggets that are reassembled and fried until you cannot tell what part you may be getting. The theology was just about as spiritually nutritious. We must be careful to measure the difference between theological debate and actual Biblical instruction – they are not the same thing. We need to stop robbing the Bible of its richness, and really study it to hear our Father’s voice.

Do you all know much about Emperor Penguins? Emperor Penguins are monogamous; they have one mate for life. Perhaps even more interesting than that, though, is the fact that it is the male Emperors who care for the egg until it hatches. Every year, when mating season is over, the female Emperors take off for the ocean; all of them together in one huge flock traveling hundreds of miles so that they can fish and get plenty to eat to sustain them and their new chick for a year. Meanwhile, back at their home, the male penguins care for the eggs. Each male tucks his egg between his feet to keep it from breaking and to keep it warm in the cold, harsh, winter winds. When all those females return from the ocean, hundreds, perhaps even thousands of them, how do you think they find their mate in the equally large crowd of males? The Emperor penguins always find their mate by the sound of their call, by their voice. It seems impossible for a flock of thousands of penguins to sort themselves out by the sounds of their voices, but they do it. They have learned to block out the noise of other voices, and hear the important one. That is what believers need to grow to do. Only when we learn to pick out God’s voice will be truly listen to what He really said. We must resist the temptation to pick and choose lazily, and do the work of real study with open hearts!

It is easy for believers to get off track in our walk with Jesus. Every follower needs to re-examine their willingness to truly follow our Savior, step by step.

Most people don’t understand why it is important to follow God’s Word closely. We have a world of experts, and many of them think they know better than anything you will read in the Bible. Maybe this will help:

The doubleheader train was bucking a heavy snowstorm as its steam engines pulled it west. A woman with a baby wanted to leave the train at one of the little stations along the route. She repeatedly called, “Don’t forget me!” to the brakeman responsible to call out the stations they approached. Her husband was to meet her. The train slowed to a stop, and a fellow traveler rather certain of himself said, “Here’s your station.” She hopped from the train into the storm. The train moved on again. Forty-five minutes later, the brakeman came in. “Where’s the woman?” “She got off at the last stop,” the traveler said. “Then she got off to her death,” the brakeman responded. “We stopped only because there was something the matter with the engine.” They called for volunteers to go back and search for the woman and child. When they found her hours later, not far from the track where they stopped, she was covered with ice and snow. The little boy was protected on her breast. She had followed the man’s directions, but they were wrong—dead wrong.

Just because people think they know what will work – doesn’t mean they really do. God designed life. He is the One Who knows. Follow His Word – it will lead you home.

You have met our five temptations. Now I ask you to stop singing their tunes. Turn your attention to the songs of the Savior – our magnificent King!

• Trust Him – not yourself.
• Behold His humility – not arrogance.
• Trust Him as a small child trusts his parent to do good.
• Don’t resist. Don’t rebel. Don’t over complicate.
• Listen to His Word.

God on the Move: The Letter to Philemon

bridges2_1478275cBridges are important. If you have ever lived in a place where the bridge was necessary to access the rest of the world – you know that is true. For a number of years my parents lived (while my wife and I were overseas) on the “Outer Banks” of North Carolina. They made their way to and from “Southern Shores” in the “Kitty Hawk” area, by means of some bridges that were the KEY to being connected to the mainland. In times of storms, those bridges are often jammed as people flee the oncoming hurricane winds that occasionally pound that area. For those who live there, the bridge is essential.

Bridges are also places of supreme trust. When you begin to drive over them, in some cases, you may for just a moment find yourself wondering about the engineer and his abilities. It helps if you are in a “string” of cars and not alone. If the bridge “moves” or overtly “creeks” – it can be unnerving. My wife still has nightmares about a bridge that was near her home as a child – because of traumatic memories of driving over the ‘rickety bridge”. In truth, driving across a bridge is a public act of trust that the designer knew what he was doing, and the contractor didn’t cut costs on the materials.

I mention the importance of bridges, not because we are about to flee to anywhere, nor because there is any need in central Florida to cross over any perilous heights – we live where it is painfully flat. The bridge I have in mind is not between land masses – but between people. It is a bridge of reconciliation. It is a bridge over the troubled waters of interpersonal conflict.

One of the realities of our modern world is that we see broken relationships EVERYWHERE in our society. Obviously, our first thoughts go toward the myriad of divorced couples that have become all too common in our society. Yet, divorce is only one way we see broken relationships. I have sat with parents that admit it has been years, decades sometimes, since they have had a conversation with their now adult child. The issue that caused the split may have been years ago, but the pain is still alive today. I know siblings that are divided over an argument long ago, but they cannot seem to reconcile – no matter how much time passes. Is there any hope for people who have become so hurt by someone’s actions in the past that they do not seem to be able to move forward in the relationship? I am glad to say that there is! The Bible offers a pattern to build a bridge in damaged relationships in a little postcard sized epistle. It teaches an important truth…

Key Principle: Mature believers desire to rebuild the bridge of broken relationships– because the state of the body affects the health of our witness.

In fact, truly mature believers will work hard to resolve and reconcile relationships if at all possible. They do so with the full knowledge that God forgave them of their mutiny and crimes, so they need to forgive others to please the Master. Consider for a few moments the verses penned out by the Apostle Paul while waiting to see Emperor Nero in Rome in about 62 CE. He was arrested and sitting for years, while his case awaited presentation. During that time, he “ran into” a man who trust Jesus Christ to be his Savior, but was hiding some baggage of brokenness. When Paul found out what the man was hiding, he sent him home with a letter. God was superintending a great work of reconciliation while He was leaving us a record of how it was done… The letter is the small Epistle to Philemon which told an ex-slave owner that was stolen from to receive back the now believing brother as a servant. We will look at the brief letter in a moment. First I want to be sure something is clear, so the context of the letter is soberly recognized.

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, do you recognize that you have no right to vengeance? Do you freely recognize that you are commanded to forgive those who do wrong to you?

Some believers today have found ways to justify in their own minds a permanent break from other believers that is not godly – and we have to face that and repent. If they don’t, it will break the testimony of the body of Christ in their lives. Consider a story for a moment (on our way to our text)…

One of the excellent Christian sites that can still be observed at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland is that of the “door of reconciliation”. A dispute between two leading dynastic families the Butlers, (who were Earls of Ormond) and the FitzGeralds (who were Earls of Kildare) was resolved in 1492 at that door. The reason it is so famous is because of HOW it was resolved. A feud that may have begun over territory (others say it was about a public shaming and embarrassment) grew into a war between two clans. As a war erupted between the two clan armies, Black James, nephew of the Earl of Ormond, fled from FitzGerald’s Geraldine soldiers, and took sanctuary in the “chapter house” (an old “board meeting room”) of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The soldiers of Gearóid Mór FitzGerald surrounded Black James and his men, but FitzGerald (who was then Ireland’s premier earl) wished to end the bloody feud. He pleaded with Black James to negotiate a peace. Black James rebuffed all refused though surrounded. FitzGerald ordered soldiers to cut a hole in the center of the door. He explained how he wished to see peace and bravely thrust his hand and arm through the hole to shake hands with Black James. James’s men could have severed the Earl’s arm off; but James grabbed his hand and ended the dispute. The men reasoned that two families of the same faith in the same land shouldn’t be killing one another.

I have to admit there is no issue more painful to me, or closer to my heart, than the break-up of relationships between believers. When Christians decide they can no longer live in harmony – there is a particular bitterness that I feel about the situation. One reason for that is simply this: they have made clear by their lives that their testimony of God’s wonderful forgiveness to them does not extend past their own discharge of other people’s guilt. They don’t feel they have to forgive another as Jesus forgave them. They apparently don’t truly believe, as demonstrated by their actions, that their sin before God was as bad as the sins perpetrated against them by the one refuse to forgive.

Perhaps that is too bold. Maybe they simply judge themselves unable to rise to the level of a truly forgiving one – as Jesus did for them. In any case, when a believer decides they cannot live in harmony with another believer – the message of Jesus is negated in their life. Jesus came to reconcile broken man to a Holy God, and to give His followers a “ministry of reconciliation”. It is a fair question to ask how a man or woman of God can be used of God to bring a message of forgiveness of sin, when in the center square of their life they have refused to forgive another for sin done against them.

Jesus made it clear that we were not only to ask for God’s forgiveness – but we were to anticipate that God would hold us to the same standard with each other.

• In the last days of Jesus’ ministry on earth, before the Crucifixion, He said: (Mark 11:24) “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. 25 “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. 26 [“But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”] **There is a manuscript argument about verse 26, but that doesn’t change the imperative of verse 25, about which there is no debate.

• The teaching does not stand alone, but echoes what is found in other Gospel places such as: Mt. 6:14: “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

• The concept also clearly appears in the instruction to the Disciples on Prayer Jesus said: (Lk. 11:4) “And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us…”

In other words, Jesus said His followers were supposed to FORGIVE as they sought God’s forgiveness. Now, let’s be careful here.

In my experience, the people who have abused the trust of others are often the first to quote Jesus’ standard of forgiveness. Yet, it was not a license to get out of jail free. If we are going to place the need to forgive on the shoulders of abused people by the word of Jesus, we need to set His word in the context of what He truly expected. There are cases in Scripture that Jesus would not have included in the need to reconcile because such forgiveness was NOT called on by God to be granted apart from other judicial solution.

Listen closely, because this is the part of “the all-forgiving Jesus” the Hallmark card believer has forgotten. Under the law, for an example, a man who physically or sexually abused the children of their home would not be tolerated by society, and would simply be put to death. We don’t live under that time or those laws – but Moses didn’t make them up. The same Jesus who forgave men of their sins with His own blood, collaborated with the Father and offered the Law at Sinai along with the subsequent additions added in the wilderness between Goshen and Moab. Essentially, a person who committed heinous acts in the family could be forgiven – but posthumously. The Law was clear, and the judgment was real. If we use the words of Jesus in a “standard of forgiveness” without the legal limitations that would have been in the context of the time of Jesus, we torque the words of Jesus out of their proper context and forget the exceptions that were already clear to those to whom He was speaking.

I am concerned that many well-meaning Christians have oversimplified the Bible on forgiveness and reconciliation. Don’t forget that even our forgiveness by God only came AFTER judicial payment. Jesus DIED for the payment of the sin, and God didn’t declare you righteous without full and complete payment for your guilt PRIOR to His release of debt declared over you. We aren’t set free from sin just because we asked, but because we asked AFTER the debt had been fully paid judicially by the Savior! Forgiveness happens when I release someone from their debt – but real reconciliation can only happen when they agree that they were wrong in what they did. If someone hurt you, it is in your power to forgive them, even if they are not asking for it. It is NOT in your power, however, to truly reconcile the relationship that has been severed by the wrong, unless the offending party AGREES they were wrong, and DESIRES to make it right.

Be careful here. Some have categorized any awkwardness in their relationship as “abuse” and thereby think this will be their escape hatch to walk away from reconciliation – and they are wrong. I have heard the claim that “my spouse abused me because they were thoughtless about the sacrifices I made in our marriage.” I want to be clear – that isn’t abuse in the sense we are talking about. Their behavior may have been wrong, and it may have been painful. It may have been thoughtless – but it was not ABUSE – it was perhaps hard-heartedness or maybe just stupidity. We need to be careful and deliberately avoid extremes – a “one size fits all” forgiveness is not called for in the Bible, nor is a super-sensitive “they hurt me so I have been abused and excused from forgiveness” – the Bible supports neither extreme.

• Jesus didn’t offer you a “free pass” from reconciliation on a broken relationship because you didn’t know Him as Savior when you made the relationship – that is covered in 1 Corinthians 7 and clearly has no bearing on your need to forgive and reconcile. If you believe that you don’t need to stay together, say as a couple, because you found each other before you knew Christ – you are Biblically flatly in error.

• Jesus didn’t say that if you argued incessantly for five years in your marriage, (or even much longer) that you could have an exception on the basis of “irreconcilable differences”. That term is a scar on a life reconciled to God. What bigger differences can be had then those found between a fallen man or woman and a Holy God? Yet God reconciled to you and I who know Christ. How can we now, in good conscience, act as though we are allowed to break a relationship in which we covenanted together?

I do not take theft and disrespect lightly, but our passage in this lesson is very applicable to instruct those who may have been economically and perhaps emotionally abused, though not physically beaten or sexually assaulted. They have a different path to resolution.

Here is the background. In the first century, Paul was moving about the Mediterranean world preaching the Gospel and making disciples, forming them into small accountability and study groups called local “churches”. In the process, he met the people of Colossae, Hierapolis and Laodicea – and was greatly encouraged by their salvation and growth into communities of faith. In one of them, a man named Philemon was sharing leadership with others of the tiny church. He was a man of some means, and had household servants that were common in that time to one of his stature in the community. One of those slaves worked poorly, and did not attempt to fit into the household. Ironically, he was named Onesimus – the word that translated “profitable” – although he did not fit his name in deeds. Eventually Onesimus fled the home, apparently stealing some of Philemon’s personal possessions. Philemon was a believer, a leader in disciple making, and now the victim of theft and disrespect. Much later, it appears that Paul met Onesimus, that very same runaway slave, in Rome while Paul awaited his hearing before the Emperor. Paul urged the return of the runaway slave – now a follower of Jesus Christ. He was guilty of theft and of unlawful departure, and now he came back. The normal Roman penalty of death lay upon his shoulders – and he brought with him a petition of Paul the Apostle. This is a record of that petition.

In the story, Paul petitioned Philemon to offer forgiveness and restoration to Onesimus who took advantage of him – robbed him of property and badly disrespected him in the past. This wasn’t a “he said, she said” case. This wasn’t a “two sided” case. One was wrong, the other wronged – and yet the one hurt was petitioned to restore the relationship. Paul did not make this request of one who had murdered someone in the family, nor of someone who had physically attacked the other – the context was property loss and disrespect. That context is important, or these principles can be un-righteously hoisted on a struggling and emotionally distraught victim of violence and physical abuse – and that isn’t the appropriate use of the passage.

Here is an important question: “How could Paul expect the one who was taken advantage of by a thief to forgive?” Paul knew the conditions very well. He wrote a request for reconciliation and forgiveness, based on VERY SPECIFIC conditions…Paul taught an important truth that we need to recall in our “broken relationship racked” modern world.

Remember: Mature believers desire to rebuild the bridge of broken relationships– because the state of the body affects the health of our witness.

For the sake of clarity, let’s say up front that we will refer to Paul simply as the petitioner – since he is the one with the request to Philemon. Let’s also agree to call Philemon in this case the “petitioned” since a request is being made of him to accept Onesimus back into his home without the requisite penalty of death.

Conditions: The appeal to repair the relationship is best when offered where the right three conditions prevail:

First, the petitioner stepped into the situation with a solid testimony of following the Lord (1:1a).

Philemon 1:1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother…”

Don’t doubt the value of having a good public testimony – it may open doors to help people well beyond what you can easily see. Being known as a servant of Jesus that follows His Word will invite others seek you out. Not only will your life work better – but you will be seen by others as wise in life – because you follow the designs of your Creator. A walk with God lends credibility to your attempts at dealing with other’s needs in a proper way. It is imperative that we get and keep our house in order before we try to get others to do so.

Second, there was a direct and solid relationship between petitioner and the petitioned (1:1b).

Philemon 1 :1b “…To Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker, 2 and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

Look at the descriptions Paul used of believers. He called them beloved brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier. Don’t doubt the value of developing and maintaining a wide net of believing friends in a local church context– it will allow God to use your voice in many more ways. God’s work is most often about relationship and connection. We can be used of Him to connect people to each other, or people to HIM.

Third, the appeal was being made to another believer who was serving the Lord with their life (1:3).

It includes the general knowledge of the salvation of the petitioned – Philemon 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

It also includes specific knowledge of the testimony of the petitioned believer – Philemon 1:4-5 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints 6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake. 7 For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

Paul knew that both parties in the broken relationship were now believers. He knew the offender had come to Christ AFTER the offense – because Paul led the man to Jesus. He knew that the ex-servant desired to do whatever it took for God to reconcile his past. He anticipated that even an offended believer could be made to understand the place of all believers before God and each other.

Trying to get someone to do a right thing that does not know Jesus as Savior is much harder, because you don’t share a common ethical standard. Trying to get a believer that is NOT living out their faith is also incredibly hard. The best case scenario then, is to reach into a situation that is broken but has a party that is actively following Jesus Christ. The letter offers particular insight about how a believer who has both a testimony of walking with God and a relationship with two other believers who have “fallen out”, where one of the divided parties is mature in faith – but needs some assistance.

It may be possible to reconcile people who are not believers, or with people who are not living out the faith – but it is much harder. The approach would not differ much – but it would have to be adapted…

When two people KNOW Jesus, and one believer has wounded the other, how can they be reconciled? That is the central question here. Our response won’t fit every situation, but it will fit SOME situations. It provides principles for when BOTH KNOW JESUS, and when the person who wronged the other LONGED NOW TO OBEY CHRIST and reconcile.

Here is the model process we have from the text, along with some principles the process revealed.

First, expect the wounded believer to CARE about the reconciliation and relationships, and make that clear.
8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment…

Note the word “appeal”. Don’t bully, show them relationship and love to get relationship and love.

Second, take the time to acknowledge the injured party – don’t bury the offense in love. (11a). 11 “who formerly was useless to you…”

Third, recognize the value of the offender as well as the offended (11b). “…but now is useful both to you and to me.”

Fourth, if at all possible, bring the parties physically together (12a). 12 “I have sent him back to you in person…”

Fifth, put your heart into their restoration, this is not simply an intellectual exercise! (12b). “…that is, sending my very heart”.

Sixth, state the rights of the injured and enlist their help for the solution (13-14a). “13 whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel; 14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything…

Seventh, offer the injured party the means to respond willingly in the repair of the relationship (14b). “…so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.

Eighth, look for and express a Heavenly perspective if you can, God was at work in this relationship even in the difficult times (15-16). 15 “For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.”

Ninth, be direct in asking the parties to forgive each other (17). 17 If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me.

Tenth, be warned. If you are truly willing to serve in the restitution of the relationship, it may cost you something, but the payoff is a restored relationship (18-19). 18 “But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account; 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well).

Remember, the reconciliation must be worth it to you! If so, you should verbally encourage and anticipate the best in both the parties, encouraging them to act responsibly toward the Word of God and the relationship (20-21).

1:20 Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.

I truly have long held concerns about believers not getting along – and I say this with no particular situation in mind (which is the best time to teach on such a thing!). Yet, I want to be clear to those who would lead God’s church – we must be people of reconciliation – and far too many bitter spirits are rising into places of leadership in churches across the land. Let me illustrate that with a story that will perhaps leave you with a smile. Pastor Gene Gregory told a great story that I think will tie together what we are saying to those who are maturing in their faith:

The story is told of a terrible traffic accident. Police officers were called to the scene and when they arrived they found a husband, wife, and two children lying unconscious in the car. They pulled them from the car, and as they waited for the paramedics to arrive they noticed a monkey in the car also. Seeing that the monkey was the only witness to the accident who was conscious, the officers decided to question him about the accident. Turning to the monkey they asked, “What was the dad doing at the time of the accident?” The monkey motioned, indicating that the dad had been drinking. The officers next asked what the mother had been doing at the time of the accident. The monkey took his finger and shook it angrily at the unconscious man. The officers then asked what the children had been doing. The monkey this time indicated by hand gestures that the children had been fighting in the back seat. The officers said, “Well, no wonder there was an accident with all of that going on in the car.” As they turned to leave, almost as a parting thought they asked, “By the way, what were you doing at the time of the accident?” To which the monkey signed that he had been the one driving. He went on to say this: My friends, I am afraid that there are many churches today headed for trouble. There are many churches heading for an accident because they do not understand God’s design for the church. They do not understand God’s call for leadership, and as a result they have allowed the noisiest monkeys in the group to run the church. My friends, noise does not equal leadership.

I am blessed to have in place godly men and women who lead, serve and care about the flock. Let us be warned, though, that it is easy for noisy people to take over the agenda. In the absence of strong leadership, strong personalities take over. We need to be growing in our understanding of forgiveness and deepening the roster of reconciliation – and that comes by following the model we have. We need to build some new bridges between people who have left the landscape broken.

Mature believers desire to rebuild the bridge of broken relationships– because the state of the body affects the health of our witness.