Following His Footsteps: “Learning to Listen” – John 11

Julian TreasureAuthor of the book “Sound Business” Julian Treasure knows something about listening. He wrote a book that wasn’t the story of an audio recording studio, nor was it a “how to” book on business practices – it was a book about the need for people to learn to listen in our modern world. Recently, he presented a TED talk in which he observed: “In a world that is filled with noise, we spend 60% of our time in communication listening – but we aren’t very good at it. We retain, on average, about 25% of what we take in. We subconsciously use “tricks” to get meaning from the sounds we hear. For instance:

• We use “pattern recognition”. In a crowded room, we may hear someone mention our name and we look – because we recognize that pattern above the ambient noise of the room.

• We learn to “block out” constant sounds, like the noise of a subway when listening to our friend talk as we walk sit in the metro on our way to work.

• We use “filters” that are encoded by language, culture, values, beliefs, attitudes, expectations and intentions – most of them without any conscious thought. They shape how we receive visual and auditory information.

• We can even close our eyes and use sound to “place ourselves” in the size and space of a room. We are intuitively aware of our location and the number of people around us.

Julian offered a warning that “we are not learning to listen as well as we should”.

There are reasons, he posited. First, as man developed abilities to “record” what was being said – first in writing, now in audio and video – the “premium” on accurate listening diminished. Second, as the cacophony of voices, signs, visual and auditory information was increasingly streamed at us – we became too tired to listen well. As a result, we can easily become impatient in this loud climate, listening for “sound bites” over longer oratory. In addition, the “art of conversation” can quickly be replaced by “personal broadcasting”. The net effect is that we are becoming desensitized. Advertisers know this. Our media companies have become a stream of “sensations, shocks, revelations, furies, scandals and exposes” – simply because media has to scream to get our attention.

I found it interesting that Julian noted that “Listening is our access to understanding,” because that was exactly what I discovered in the text for our lesson in John 11. Let me suggest that without conscious listening we don’t truly communicate at all. What is true in the physical world is also true in the spiritual world – we need to learn to listen. As we study a familiar story from God’s Word today, we will see this clearly…

Key Principle: Mature believers learn to listen to God’s Word and pick out the truth from the noise around them.

In our last lesson, we saw five temptations from Luke 18, the last of which was “Becoming Befuddled” – addressed by Jesus in Luke 18:31-34 with the words:

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.

We noted that there is a temptation for followers of God is to be selective in their hearing and assumptive in their conclusions – but God wants us to know what He said and let the truths sink deeply inside us. If we cut up His Word into “fortune cookie sized sayings” and string them together without context – we may be believed by those who hear us, but we become unreliable witnesses of the King. Truly we must recognize that speaking from the Bible is not the same as teaching what the Bible says. Lifting quotes and stringing things together without a grasp of context won’t teach people how to LISTEN to God and pick out what He is saying.

Selective hearing seemed to be a problem as Jesus faced His last winter of earth ministry. By Spring, He would be crucified and raised. For now, He was the Teacher – and He was trying to get His followers to become good listeners. It helps that the end of John 10, just before the account we are about to study, shares that some people DID her Jesus and recognize Him as the One promised – because they knew John the Baptizer’s ministry before Him.

People Turning toward Jesus

John’s account recalled: John 10:40 Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, 41 and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.” 42 And in that place many believed in Jesus.

This little reference reminds us that people were following Jesus, in part, because of what they HEARD about Him from John before the Baptizer was beheaded. John’s testimony, when matched with Jesus’ consistency of life and message, led men and women to see Him as the Lamb of God that was promised – but they weren’t sure what that meant in practical terms. They didn’t recognize the serious implications of the Lamb – that He would be killed and His blood would become payment for sin. Still, it shows some were listening…

Followers that Didn’t Listen

At the same time, some of those who were closest to Jesus didn’t seem to be able to really hear Him.

Word came that one of Jesus’ dear friends from Bethany of Judea was taken ill. His disciples heard Jesus’ words, but didn’t recognize His knowledge of the situation. John recorded: John 11: 1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” 4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

When Jesus heard the news, it appears He understood what the Father had planned. Lazarus was sick, but the end of the story was going to point to Jesus and exalt Him. His certainty is clear in verse four. The disciples heard the same news, but had no idea what was in store for them. Jesus delayed going to Bethany – but the disciples likely interpreted that as mere prudence. John recorded in John 11:6: “So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

His followers heard Jesus’ words, but didn’t grasp His explanation of the situation. When He made the plan to go near to Jerusalem again, they objected:

John 11:8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

Their question was reasonable, don’t you think? “Master, are you sure that is wise?” There are a number of problems with the question – the first of which is the One to WHOM the question is addressed! If Jesus makes a plan, who are His followers to question Him? Isn’t that JUST LIKE US though? Jesus said: “Love your enemies.” We reply, “Really, Lord? Do you have any idea what He did to me? Do you know how WRONG he has been? Jesus quietly smiles and nods: “Yes, Randy. It may surprise you to know that I knew all about it even before you did.” I look down – I am doing it again!

Look at Jesus’ reply. It may take a minute to catch what He said. He replied: “There are a set number of daylight hours. If you stick to walking in them, you won’t stumble in the dark.” In other words, “I have the time. They won’t get me yet.”

Some people can’t hear very well – and that is their chief problem with following God. Years ago, I read about a man who had a terrible hearing problem. One day he and his wife were driving through southern US states. They were pulled over by a state trooper who asked the woman if she knew how fast she was driving. The husband barked at her, “What did he say?” The wife replied, “HE ASKED IF I KNEW THAT I WAS SPEEDING.” Looking at the driver’s license the trooper said, “I see you’re not from around here.” The wife said, “No we are from Jacksonville.” The husband, annoyed that he couldn’t hear shouted, “What did you say?” The wife told him, “I SAID WE ARE FROM JACKSONVILLE.” The state trooper then commented, “You know, the meanest man I ever met was from Jacksonville.” The husband again interrupted, “What did he say?” The wife replied, “HE SAYS HE THINKS HE KNOWS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!”

The disciples were suffering from physical hearing loss – but they were still wondering why Jesus wanted to put Himself in danger (not trusting that He knew exactly what time it was), they heard Jesus’ words, but they didn’t understand His diagnosis for the situation.

John 11:11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” 12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

The problem is, when we start off believing God doesn’t have the whole situation well under control, we find ourselves unable to really listen closely to all His other words! Jesus tried to make clear that there was a purpose to going to Bethany that outweighed their thoughts of danger – and the disciples naively informed Jesus that His visit would be counter-productive. After all, if Lazarus was asleep – that was GOOD FOR HIM. Jesus had to make it even clearer… “HE IS DEAD. Now, let’s go!”

That made even LESS SENSE to disciples that were already worried about the outcome of such a visit. If their friend was dead, that was sad – but there was no point to walking into a trap to see the outside of a tomb and hug friends that lost their brother. It isn’t that such a thing wouldn’t be good – but really, should they risk their lives for it? It is clear that even though they heard Jesus’ words, but didn’t trust His control of the situation. You can hear it in their muttering…

John 11:16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

There is an upbeat response to the Master’s plan. “Fine! If you insist on this fool-hearty errand, I guess we will go and all die together!” Have you ever followed Jesus like that? You DID what He told you – but not with a heart that flowed with confidence in what He was doing!

I want to take a moment, while we are thinking about Thomas’ gloom, to pay closer attention to something. Often in Bible teaching, I find myself making a point about the way we, as followers of Jesus, really don’t measure up. It isn’t because I don’t feel there are many who DO know how to follow the Savior. I have, in my life, met a number of incredible believers – men and women who have inspired me and really shined as an example. I make the points concerning our failures because we live in an “out of balance” world. We live in a culture that insists on telling us that we are really good at things we really aren’t – we are victims of things that we really aren’t.

I love that the Bible is filled with characters that are shown, warts and all. Thomas can’t be herein mistaken for a man of great faith, can he? He decided to DO what Jesus said, but not without a heart so full of doubt that a bit of it spilled out his mouth. I find these moments a bit encouraging – as if we aren’t the first generation of people who wanted to follow Jesus, but may not have it all together. It was like that from the beginning. What Thomas lacked, what we all so often lack, is simple “faith”. We have made the point repeatedly in our study of the Bible that “faith” is “God glasses” – it is seeing things THROUGH the Word of God and not as my eye would see without the “world view” of His Word. Faith, truly comes from HEARING. More accurately, faith comes through LISTENING.

• When we don’t recognize God’s knowledge of the situation – we think we have to get worked up, come to Him and “make Him pay attention” to the troubles we see (as in Habakkuk’s case).

• When we don’t listen to His Word closely enough to grasp His explanation of the situation – we fill in His absolute truth with our flawed and fluffy interpretive filling, much of which is derived from flawed thinking.

• When we don’t carefully listen to His Word, we conclude that we know better what would help in the situation – and we question God’s direction.

• When we don’t trust the control God has of over our lives and our world, we easily become cynical and negative, like Thomas did.

Followers that Learned to Listen

We have seen crowds that believed because they listened to John the Baptizer, and we have seen close-up disciples who acted like they were obedient, but weren’t really listening. Now, look closely at the story that is at the heart of the account – and pay close attention to some followers that learned how to listen to Jesus…

John 11:17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

Jesus arrived, probably at Ein Shemesh, the spring in the valley east of the village. Most caravans stopped there to get water before coming in to greater Jerusalem – the villages of Bethany, Bethpage and the leper colonies on top of the Mount of Olives. Martha came out to meet Jesus, while Mary received guests on behalf of the family in mourning. Martha’s words were telling: “Jesus, you are too late. If you had gotten here sooner, Lazarus would have been healed.” Jesus told Martha that her brother was not GONE, he would be raised. The problem is, the “Last Day” was a long way away – and Martha loved Lazarus. Jesus asked her a pointed question: “Do you believe that I hold the power of life and death?” Martha made clear that she believed Jesus was Messiah, as well as the Eternal Son of God who put on skin to become man. John remembered:

John 11:28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. 32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. 35 Jesus wept.

It is interesting to follow the story and see that Mary had the identical set of feelings about Jesus’ arrival – disappointment and brokenness. Mary sobbed. She missed her brother. She wished Jesus had come before. Even though Mary was the one who sat at Jesus’ feet while Martha tended to the work of the house, it was to Martha Jesus shared the deep truth concerning Himself. With Mary, He just cried.

There are times when theology and the words of the learned are not what is called for – rather the shedding of tears. Jesus saw her heartbreak. Jesus saw her doubt. Jesus didn’t cry for Lazarus – He was about to see him again. He cried because the sorrow of His followers touches Him. Don’t forget that. You never cry alone – you have a Savior Who knows what hurts you and cares about every bit of it.

As strange as it is to admit, even the people who were standing by Him really didn’t understand what Jesus was really doing. The text says:

John 11:36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Stop that think about that. Apparently, because of Jesus’ many healings, it was clear to people that the Master had power over disease and could break a fever. The issue now was that Lazarus wasn’t SICK, he was dead. As the munchkin said in the Wizard of Oz: “He wasn’t merely dead, but really most sincerely dead.” Four days was long enough to get even those caught up in the theology of “soul sleep” to see no hope. Where ever the “spirit of Laz” was, they all thought it was a place Jesus couldn’t touch.

It is difficult to tell if the Hebrew tradition of the “Shemira” existed already in the time of Jesus, but clearly it was accepted within a few hundred years after Jesus, and may be in view here. The tradition refers “guarding the body of a deceased person from the time of death until burial. In Israel “shemira” refers to all forms of guard duty, but outside of Israel the word is used almost exclusively in regards to the religious ritual of guarding the body of the deceased. It was mentioned in the Talmud (Genesis Kabbah 100:7), that the soul hovers over the body for three days after death, so the “shomrim” sit and read aloud comforting Psalms or the book of Job. They are also encouraged to meditate and pray, but are prohibited from eating, drinking, or smoking in the shemira room out of respect for the dead, who can no longer do these things. Other Jewish writings explain that while shemira is good deed but not a commandment, it was a “minhag” or custom.

If the practice was accepted in an earlier form, as some have suggested, the fourth day was beyond the time that anyone believed the soul to still be available for comment – Laz was gone. Personally, I see little evidence that the tradition extended back that far, but that teaching continues to float around, so it is worth addressing the possibility.

Go back to the scene with John’s record, and this time pay close attention to the “hearing and the “listening” that is recorded. What we are watching for is BELIEF, listening with ears that are changed by what they hear:

John 11:38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

Right there is the momentary hesitation, the doubt that Jesus knew what He was doing. To doubt, God adds more revelation…

John 11:40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

Martha could hear in Jesus’ voice the confidence that everything would be alright. There could be only two paths – obedience or mistrust and disbelief.

John 11:41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.

Jesus thanked the Father that He always heard Him, and that He was about to hear Him that day. Lazarus heard Jesus and responded. The onlookers heard Jesus and obeyed – unwrapping Lazarus. Now look at the last part of the story…

John 11:45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

Some who saw it now believed that Jesus was Messiah. They now heard the voice of Jesus with a different ear – ready to follow and obey it. One Who was a mere curiosity now became a Master and Commander. When Jesus is truly believed – He demands to be followed, to be obeyed.

Hearers with Cold Hearts

Not everyone who heard about the events of Bethany were open to changing their position concerning Who Jesus was. John finished the tale with some clear words about others who HEARD about Jesus’ work, but had no intention of LISTENING to Jesus’ voice.

John 11:46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” 49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life. 54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. 55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” 57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.

Step back and consider what we have seen in the passage.

• First, we saw the crowds at John’s old preaching ground. We saw people who heard ABOUT Jesus from John, watched what He did, and began to follow Him. We can call them the CONVICTED and following.

• Second, we saw some disciples who were CLOSE to Jesus in proximity – hearing His voice daily, but not truly trusting that Jesus knew what He was doing. They were negative and cynical, like Thomas, but they were there. We will call them the CONFLICTED and following.

• Third, we saw close friends who loved Jesus, but who hadn’t learned that He was not just a great friend and wonderful Teacher, but Master over life and death – powerful Sovereign Prince Who could call on His Father the King. We will call them the CONFUSED and following.

We saw people who heard an accurate report about the power of Jesus to request from the Father a new life for Lazarus and receive it – yet all they could see is WHAT THEY WOULD LOSE if Jesus took over their hearts. They were not wrestling with WHO Jesus was as He made that plain in front of them – they were wrestling with the place THEY held in their own heart as master and commander. We will call them COLD and fighting.

What kind of listener are you?

Pastor Jerry Flury wrote: “Husbands are notorious for being poor listeners. We are all familiar with the scene of a husband reading the newspaper while his wife is trying to talk. His response is “Yes, dear. U-huh. Mmmm. Is that so?” But we all know he’s not really listening. Suddenly she pulls down the paper and says, “Have you heard a word I’ve said?” He went on to write…Two men were talking one day. One of them said, “My wife talks to herself a lot.” His friend answered, “Mine does, too, but she doesn’t know it. She thinks I’m listening.” Too often, we feel that we are listening to what God is saying to us but we really hear only what we want to hear.”

It isn’t the AMOUNT of revealed truth we hear that makes the real difference, it is the amount we learn to LISTEN TO that make a difference. Some are following, but aren’t convinced that Jesus knows what He is doing. Mature believers learn to listen to God’s Word and pick out the truth from the noise around them. It is also true that we haven’t heard if we haven’t listened.

Some are fighting. You don’t want God to tell you how to live. Remember, God knows our hearts. I call on you to stop and consider Jesus today, so that you will truly be prepared to HEAR HIS VOICE. The Scriptures call Him:

• The Chief Cornerstone: (Ephesians 2:20) – the One who holds together His people.

• The Firstborn over all creation: (Colossians 1:15) – He occupies the rank and pre-eminence of a first-born son over all things, the most exalted rank in the universe, above all others.

• He is called the “Holy One”: (Acts 3:14; Psalm 16:10) – Christ is distinct in His nature, and by His death, we are made holy and pure before God.

• His is called the Judge: (Acts 10:42; 2 Timothy 4:8) –He was appointed by God to judge the world offering the rewards of eternity.

• He is called King of kings and Lord of lords: (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16) – He is Supreme over all authority, over all kings and rulers, and none can prevent Him from accomplishing His purposes.

• He called Himself the “Light of the World”: (John 8:12) – Jesus said those who trust in Him have their eyes opened by Him and walk in the light.

There are more than one hundred other titles, but He is also called:

• The Alpha and Omega: (Revelation 1:8; 22:13) – He declared Himself the beginning and end of all things.

My question is simple. Will you hear Him? Will you LISTEN to what He has said?

God on the Move: The Letter to the Ephesians (Part Three, Ephesians 6:10-20)

UNIFORMDon’t you like to see a man or woman in a sharp, crisp looking uniform? Ever since the phrase rang out seventy years ago from the silver screen “There is something about a man in uniform!” it has been used as the title of articles, speeches, and even the opening of famous jokes. A sharp looking uniform attracts attention. The world over, we have come to appreciate a well-executed uniform that adds ceremony and distinctiveness to a setting. Cruise ships know that it is well worth it to maintain almost military style uniforms in relation to their crew – it makes passengers feel like the ship is in the hands of professionals. Police put on full regalia to honor their fallen because it shows their respect and the significance with which they hold the lives of their comrades. Even in a society that increasingly emphasizes the benefits of casual living, we continue to find comfort in the use of uniforms. They are a symbol of identity, belonging and special service.

There is a section of the letter to the Ephesians that carefully examined a kind of “uniform” – I have in mind more specifically the armored fighting apparatus of a Roman foot soldier. The purpose of the examination of armor was to offer a comparison to the powerful spiritual protections offered to the believer by God during the days of our current spiritual warfare. This “spiritual warfare armor” section of Ephesians is often cited in Christian circles (perhaps more than it is well-used), and the portion of Scripture has become familiar to most believers – but the importance of the battle and the potential of the damage of misuse demands that we take the time to re-visit the rich word pictures of that section with regularity.

If you have been following our series of lessons on Paul’s life, you know that we left him in the end of the Book of Acts, where he sat and awaited an opportunity for appearance before Emperor Nero. While he remained there, the Apostle Paul wrote four letters – Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. We took a few lessons to look at the letter to the Ephesians – a letter that can easily be broken into three parts: The Call of the Believer (1-3); the Conduct of the Believer (4:1-6:9) and finally the Conflict of the Believer (6:10-20).

In our lesson on the Call of the Believer, we noted that Paul offered encouragement to believers that they were neither a mistake nor a surprise to God, but were ADOPTED and GIVEN AN INHERITANCE – as would have been the case with conquered armies of Rome. In the Conduct of the Believer section, we saw that instructions for behavior were offered by means of common Roman word pictures. We continue with pictures, but this time focus on a single, cohesive uniform of a Roman foot soldier in battle. The uniform was not decorative –each piece functioned to offer protection and assistance to one in conflict. The armor was costly but necessary. It’s use needed to be instructed by veterans in the Field of Mars training camp in Rome. Here is the truth Paul conveyed…

Key Principle: God offered us instructions on preparing for defense of our spiritual walk through a series of close-up pictures of Roman weaponry.

Let’s think back to the images and word pictures, to allow us to set the teaching from the armor in a context. We examined briefly six images well known to the Ephesian Roman citizens to instruct them on HOW TO WALK as a believer – each attached to a “walk” command.

#1: THE ROMAN FORUM SLAVE MARKET:

In Ephesians 4:1-3, we looked at a WORTHY WALK as a command to walk in the way that matches the value of what our Lord paid to purchase each of you – and enlist you in His service – taken from the Roman slave market. In a strange way, Paul said, rise to the price you cost God, and that will please Him. There was a sign around your neck when Jesus chose you – and it showed what He could make out of your life. Read it, and then try to live accordingly.

#2: THE ROMAN TRIUMPH PARADE (Virs Triumphalis)

Telling believers they are “slaves to Christ” is accurate, but would have been no doubt humiliating to Romans, and there was a balancing truth of SIGNIFICANT VALUE that was also illustrated by a Roman victory parade in Ephesians 4:7-13.

Paul’s image was this: the conquest of Jesus over the enemy demanded a triumph parade where the demonic world would smell the aroma of death – and Jesus spreads out “sparsiones” – gifts of conquest – in the form of men who were “apostles, and some [as] prophets, and some [as] evangelists, and some [as] pastors and teachers,”. These were to be seen as treasures that Christ provided from His conquest – men who were liberated by Him and tossed into the crowds to transform the world.

#3: THE THERMAE (ROMAN BATH):

Paul evoked his next image from one of the most popular places in any Roman city – the all-important bath complex in Ephesians 4:17-24. Here, the instruction moved from a “WORTHY WALK” to a “DISTINCT WALK”. Paul urged the Ephesians to GET CHANGED into the clean outfit for their call in Jesus. Roman bath complexes had artwork with two themes – sexuality and pagan mythology – but Paul’s instruction was a direct contrast. They needed to recognize that the pagan mind had no connection to God, and therefore has NO SENSITIVITY to pleasing God. Lost men are self-centered about pleasure, and calloused about sensuality. They lived to please appetites, not their Creator. He said: “Believers need to take off the old clothing of that life and put on godly behavior” – distinctive behaviors of right acts and holy deeds.

#4: THE ROMAN THEATRE

Another image in Ephesians 5:1-6, illustrated a “WALK IN LOVE” command that was to characterize them. He knew Romans used spectacles and entertainment to tell tales of pagan mythology and morality – but the Romans liked violence, and contemporary theatre crowds exploded with laughter over crude groin humor. A mime didn’t act like they do in parks today – they were more like a “Saturday Night Live” presentation that was thoroughly base and filled with sexual innuendo. The coarse dialogue and ludicrous actions were to get the crowd laughing. Paul leaned into this image with the words “Be imitators of God”. Mimicking God meant to walk in love – to meet needs of those around them. Yet, mimes of God must NOT use coarse speech nor empty chatter. In other words, people should know we are believers by the way we speak. In this theatre image, Paul said: “Don’t imitate actors, imitate God!” His words are true, loving, encouraging and helpful – they are never base or inappropriately sensual. His children should speak like their Father speaks – not like the street speaks.

#5: THE VIGILES (Night Watchman) of Roman Street

Paul offered another image in Ephesians 5:7-14 when he wrote about “WALKING AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT”. Night in the Roman city was dangerous for respectable people as a range of seedy characters ventured about the dark side of Roman life. Theft and murder were much more common in a world that had so many poor in close proximity to the rich, and didn’t have the advantages of a “CSI” to find the guilty. Roman authorities established the Vigiles Urbani (“watchmen of the City”) as both firefighters and police of Ancient Rome. Paul told the believers to be like the night watchmen – these “vigiles”. They needed to wake up in the darkness, and use the light of their torches to expose the dark deeds of men. They weren’t to be naïve, but rather carry a torch in the darkness. They create safe places for people by their trustworthy character and their refusal to be involved in the shady work of wicked men and women. They work to please their Master.

#6: THE ROMAN PUB (Popinae and Tavernae)

A final reference to a “walk” can be found in Ephesians 5:15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil….

Here Paul had another image at his disposal. Roman’s celebrated Bacchus – the god of wine – and his gift daily. They had a fundamental belief that wine was a daily necessity to daily life. They made the drink “democratic” and ubiquitous: it was available to slaves, peasants and aristocrats alike. Wine bars are found all over Pompeii and Herculaneum – cities uncovered by archaeologists. The Roman popina (plural: popinae) was an ancient Roman wine bar, where a limited menu of olives, bread, and soups or stews were sold, along with a selection of wines of varying quality and taste. This was the common pub for plebians of the lower classes of Roman society – the part of Roman social culture where so many believers came from. Every one of them knew about the popina, as we would know about a “Chilis” or “Outback Steakhouse”.

The wine bar had simple stools and tables. They provided food and drink, but also often provided sex and gambling. Respectable Romans of the upper classes considered these as seedy places of crime and violence. Some of them, perhaps many of them, had players of music, and provided background for drinking songs that echoed into the night…. Paul told the believers not to be foolish as the people who gambled away their money and fell into a drunken stupor. He called to their attention a different kind of song they could sing-the spiritual and uplifting song both on their tongue and in their heart before God. Spirit-filled believers are filled with song that builds up, song that pleases the Master. Paul told the people to get out of the “spirits” of the PUB and into the Spirit of God.

ARMOR: A Seventh Image (Ephesians 6:10-20)

All of these images were important to help us know how to behave in a distinct way – noticeable to the world around us. Yet there is a seventh image that captivates the Bible student because of its complexity, while it warns us because of the offer of its essential protection.

The armor of God is an essential protection to us. We can deflect the influences of the world and we can discipline ourselves to limit the damage of the flesh – but the Devil cannot be blocked without the use of armor.

You see, believers have three adversaries we are fighting – all at the same time…

The World: By that, we mean the world system that lives in rebellion to God since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. We live in a fallen world of misplaced affections, filled with people who hunger for fulfillment and recognition because something they were designed to have (a relationship with God) is far from them and as a result, many who have strayed more deeply are characterized by a lack of respect for authority. The Bible makes clear it is easy to be “pressed into the mold of the world” (Rom. 12:1-2). It further makes clear that defeating the influence of the world for a believer is possible when we use a strategy He gave us. We must take care to guard against unwholesome influences in our lives while keeping our daily walk with God at the center of our lives.

The Flesh: By this, we mean the fallen nature that is still alive within us until we are freed from this body. We must realize we are set on a “default” to hunger for temporal things and the pleasure found in them – and we are apt to complain when anything doesn’t offer immediate satisfaction. We are easily inconvenienced by others; we are careful to excuse ourselves and make ourselves victims instead of owners of our choices. The Bible offers strategies to defeating the flesh (sometimes called “the old man” inside of us). The methods include training to discipline our eyes, keep honorable our thoughts and deliberately live a life of meekness and humility. We must also deliberately work to focus on others as a tool in God’s hand, and not become self-consumed and self-indulgent.

The Devil: By this, we mean the adversary of our Heavenly Father, who is described as a hungry prowling lion, who is deliberately looking for believer’s weaknesses so as to defeat them and thwart their testimony – all to bring shame on God’s reputation and discouragement to God’s people. He entices people to an agenda opposite of Jesus’ in their life. The Bible offers very careful defense plans for the believer to blunt the Devil’s attacks on each follower of God. First, we must learn to recognize those attacks while we learn to keep our armor on and weapons ready for the battle. His attacks are made using stealth, but they are strategies that have been uncovered in the Word of God. We must know the objective he has in order to defend the right places. The passage in Ephesians 6:10-20 is key in the strategy to fighting the “father of lies”.

Take a moment and look carefully at the text written by Paul from Rome to Ephesus:

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual [forces] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil [one]. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and [pray] on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in [proclaiming] it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

We should also mention the text is followed by some personal notes in the final verses: 21 But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts. 23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible [love].

Step back and look at the verses. They describe one of the greatest reasons why some believers with seemingly good lives fall into collapse and ruin. They help explain why some young and zealous Christians are quickly “cooled off” and back away from their faith. Why does it seem some don’t have the fire in their walk with God they once had? It may be because believers are getting hit by shots of the enemy, and aren’t using the protection and power God offered. In 2 Corinthians 2:11 Paul stated that his ministry team was not ignorant of Satan’s devises. Sadly, we know today that many believers ARE ignorant of the war, let alone the strategy of defense.

The armor of the Roman soldier became the image of the protective covering God provided for the believer. Paul took inventory and assessed the implements for the fight.

roman-armor-labelledBefore you even look at the armor, remember what is NOT PROTECTED on a Roman soldier – his BACK. There was no protection given for a Roman to RUN from battle. Even withdrawals were done FACING THE ENEMY. They were orderly, and they were protected. Running left soldiers wide open… don’t forget that! The battle must be engaged valiantly, and running is not a safe option once the battle has been engaged.

Paul urged the believers of Ephesus “to be strong in the Lord” (10). Perhaps they had an immediate question…How?

First, they needed to grab the resources God gave them – to “put on the armor of God”. This suggests that though God makes possible the armor, He holds each believer responsible to appropriate the pieces. Rome issued armor, but individual soldiers had to put it on properly and be prepared – or be hit by the enemy’s attack. Lazy soldiers get hit. It isn’t God’s fault that we don’t put on the protections He provided. I am repeatedly amazed at the number of believers who have fallen victim to the thinking that “the war is supposed to be easy”. I believe one of the most destructive theological trends has been the one that set up young believers to believe that the implication of God’s power was that I didn’t have to be concerned about DOING ANYTHING. Let’s be clear: God saved you without any payment necessary on your part, but that doesn’t mean that following Him won’t come at a cost. You will need to recognize there is a war going on, and there is an enemy who is lurking in the bushes looking for straying believers that were inattentive to armor strapping.

Second, Paul told them they needed to identify the real enemy – “stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood” (11b-12). Here is another area where the Devil has been so effective – getting the weaponry of the church pointed at the wrong things. The battle for our courts is not in Washington, but ABOVE it. While Christians picket, but forget to PRAY – they set themselves up for defeat upon defeat. Either “the fervent effectual prayer of a righteous man avails much” or it doesn’t. Either prayer, directed strategically at the enemy’s plans is the path to disrupting them, or it is a quiet, pious, Christian tradition that does little. What does the Bible say? It clearly says that we are to struggle – but not against the fleshly armies of fallen men – rather against the powers that stir them of which they are unaware.

Third, they needed to deliberately put on ALL the protection provided by God (6:13). The emphasis is on those who don’t realize when the darts are flying, they need the second type of armor. Paul explained two types of armor – daily armor and armor for times of attack:

The FIRST TYPE was that armor which must always be at the ready.

If there was a lull in the battle, the fighter was not to remove the first three implements. He indicated that in the verb form “always having” the:

Belt of truthfulness: (the Greek text said to “gird” or cover with protection the “osphýs” – properly, the reproductive area used figuratively in 1 Pet 1:13 of the “reproductive” (creative) capacity of the renewed mind, using alethia: (truth as content) over the vulnerable area (14); Paul was not addressing the truth of salvation but rather one’s own commitment to protect truthfulness within the believer!

The point is simple: Truth is easy to leave unprotected, and the enemy loves a soft spot that will truly cripple. We must strap on daily a deliberate commitment to believe truth, speak truth and not accept any less than truth from our lips or in our hearts.

Breastplate of righteousness (The breast cover is the “thṓraks” as in a “coat of mail” which protected the chest and extended down to the hips; figuratively it was that which protected the heart (the center of our moral choices). We are called to place deliberate protection over our heart and emotions or desires, insomuch as they bear on our decisions (resolutions and sympathies, etc.). Paul does not refer to self righteousness (Eph. 2:8-9), nor of imputed righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21), but of a life practice of righteousness, or holy living.

The point is direct: We are to cover our hearts with right choices NOW that protect our sympathies growing in ungodly directions. We must be careful how we allow our hearts to be tugged by ungodly enticements.

Sandle guard straps with cleats fixed in position to provide a firm stand with the Gospel: The term (hupodeó) is to bind under the sandal a string of metal tabs that gained traction on the surface of the ground to hold the soldier in place on slippery soil. The term “preparation” is actually (het-oy-mas-ee’-ah) which means a preparing device that readies us for “firm footing”. The issue here is that the soldier needed to put on the cleats before the battle, or he was unprepared to stand when the battle ensued. Paul referred to the unmovable faith in the Gospel to bring peace in the life of the lost, and the rooted IDENTITY the believer has in that Gospel.

The point is essential: We are to prepare to stand in our place as those saved by God, not those who earned a walk with Him. Our identity is a key to our stability.

Many believers grasp the idea of protecting the truth, making right choices and knowing our identity in the Gospel – but under fire those are insufficient to protect us from the darts flying at us.

There is a SECOND TYPE of armor was indicated in the translation of “In addition to all” at the beginning of verse sixteen.

The term (pás) at the beginning of the sentence adds “extensive-intensive” when the Greek definite article is lacking. The point would perhaps be better translated: “When necessary because of the intensity of the circumstances”. The next three items seem appropriate at a time of attack:

Blocking shield of faith: The (theuron) was a large shield to block arrows, normally some 4.5 feet by 2.5 feet. It was used in sequence – locked together. His reference of “faith” is not to “belief” as such, but to “trust” that changes our view of ourselves and the world around us. Paul said: “When the battle rages, use the shield by locking together; hold tightly and trust one another as you block for those behind you.

Helmet of salvation: The term (per-ee-kef-al-ah’-yah) refers to the covering protection of the transformed mind) when we understand that our salvation has a PAST aspect: justification; a PRESENT aspect: sanctification; and a FUTURE aspect, our eventual glorification. We must see things through God’s eyes and learn to call the battle by His Word! We must deliberately stand guard over the mind – it is deception the enemy uses to do his damage.

Sword of the Spirit: There is NO SWORD in this text. The “machaira” is rather a small dagger and not the broad sword, which is a word not used here (rhomphaia). The WORD (ray-ma) here is from the word “to pour, an utterance” of God. This refers to a specific Word from God that He gives to take a direct shot at the enemy! It doesn’t look deadly to your foe, because it is hidden and small – but when thrust at the enemy, it will cause him to recoil and run.

Paul made clear how can believers use the armor in verse eighteen (6:18): ”With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints…”

• It is used in prayer (for God wants us to ask Him for what we need)
• Believers use it when they persevere in troubles on their knees.
• Believers use it when they stay alert with one another in love.

Following Jesus means we watch out for where the enemy is going, and get praying NOW for believers that are about to get hit. Jesus is NOT LIKE His enemy:

Note some differences between Jesus and the enemy:

• Jesus gives life…The devil is a murderer (Jn. 8:44; Heb 2:14). Watch for places where people argue to justify KILLING and MURDER. The week following the French killings, the American radios were treated to scholars that tried to make the issue about how the killers were “not assimilated properly” by the French, and how their faith was not in any way involved in their motivation – though they clearly showed that it was. Watch for deception – especially in relation to “misunderstood killers”. Don’t be deceived.

• Jesus produces a productive life (fruit)… the devil sidelines us into wasted time and energy (Gal. 5:19-21). Be careful about your focus on leisure. The world needs those who will prayerfully and deliberately accomplish objectives for Jesus, not spend endless hours on digital distraction.

• Jesus tests us to help us mature (James 1:3)…the devil wounds us to hurt us and “devour” us (1 Pet. 5:8). God uses conviction that leads us back to Him, the devil uses guilt that pulls us to withdraw and feel badly – learn to distinguish between them.

• Jesus sets us free to serve His Father in love (Jn. 8:31-32)…the devil binds and enslaves with an end to destroy a life (2 Tim. 2:26).

• Jesus advocates for us – speaks on our behalf before the Father… while the devil “accuses us day and night” before God (Rev. 12:10).

We must recognize that we were born again into a war zone, in the late hours of a raging conflict that is set to destroy or renew the whole world.

Zig Ziglar told a story some years ago that may help pull together the issues of the text for a believer today:

Oil was discovered on some Oklahoma property belonging to an elderly Indian. All his life he had been poverty stricken, just eking out a living. But the discovery of oil had suddenly made him a very wealthy man. The first thing he bought was a very big Cadillac. He wanted the longest car in the county, so he added four spare tires on the trunk. He would dress up in his new clothes and everyday he would take his Cadillac into the hot dusty little town nearby. He wanted to see everyone and he wanted everyone to see him. He was a friendly old soul. so when he was riding through town he would turn in all directions to wave at all the people as he rolled by. Interesting enough, he never ran into anybody nor into anything. The reason for this was that directly in front of that big beautiful auto was two horses harnessed to it and pulling it. There was nothing wrong with the car’s engine. It was because the old Indian had never learned to drive it. He had never learned how to insert the key into the ignition switch and turn it on. Under the hood was 100 plus horsepower ready and willing and raring to go, but the old Indian was content to use the two horsepower hooked to the front of the car. The devil gets really happy (or as happy as a devil can get) when he can keep the believer chugging along in their Christian life on a two horse power faith level. At that rate, the spiritual progress is slowed down to a crawl, and this is what the devil is after in his warfare with us.” (Zig Ziglar—From the Book: See You at the Top).

God offered us instructions on preparing for defense of our spiritual walk through a series of close-up pictures of Roman weaponry. The question is whether or not we will use them – NOT if they are effective when we use them.

God on the Move: The Letter to the Ephesians (Part Two, Ephesians 4:1-6:9)

robotic assemblyJust before I was first married, I came back to the United States from Israel for a few years, working in an assembly plant of a computer robotics firm in Elkhart, Indiana. Dottie and I got married and moved out to a place where we knew no one, but it turned out to be, in some ways, a very fun time in our lives! Being newly married to my sweetheart and learning about life together in a big old broken-down house with excruciatingly tight finances, we had to figure it out and make it all work. At my job, it was a stimulating time for me, as I was learning about Cyber-basic as a programming language, and how to assembly electronic robots that in turn built everything from diapers to car stereos in plant locations around the Midwestern United States. I started on the factory floor in the assembly section, and was moved after a year to a training position for new people who were hired to do that work. The company taught me my first computer language, and I explored a whole new world of tools and robotic methods that I had never even heard of before. Here is what I know: The assembly of complex robots is nothing less than a thoroughly fascinating craft, in which thousands of parts are meticulously assembled and wired to a panel, and the misplacement of ANY single part can have devastating consequences.

Let me ask you a question: “Have you ever tried to put something together that was really complicated?” The truth is, if you are a Christian, you are in the middle of learning that right now! You are learning to allow God’s Spirit to help you assemble LIFE, to live according to God’s Word, and to walk with Jesus joyfully. Like any complicated arrangement, it is not easy to learn – but there are some instructions that will help.

I think there are three simple yet profound words that can strike fear into the heart of a parent of a toddler when they bring a large box into their home… The simple words “Some Assembly Required”. The problem is that many instruction sheets seem to be written by an engineer who originally came from a Swahili-speaking village with only a marginal knowledge of English grammar and syntax. Thankfully, some manufacturers help by mercifully embedding into the instructions a series of drawings or pictures that visually show how the assembly is supposed to come together.

If you think assembling yard toys is difficult, assembling a life that honors God is exponentially more complex. Yet, again we have instructions with pictures. In the second part of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we have a series of “pictures” (though they are admittedly “word pictures”) that show how a believer is to be “constructed”. Yet, because we live so long after the letter was written, the pictures may not pop out at us with the clarity they did when read two thousand years ago. I am referring to the clear and compelling word pictures Paul used in a letter to first century believers to give them clarity on the conduct of a believer – and how certain actions of the Christian should be patterned into their daily life to help them become what God intended.

Key Principle: God offered us instructions on life choices through a series of pictures that were designed to illustrate how He wants to work in and through us!

In our last lesson, we looked at the “Call of the Believer” in an effort to draw out some encouragement from the idea that believers are neither a mistake nor a surprise to God – and we found some consolation in God’s clear choice to love and care for us. Let’s move forward now into the next section of the letter that is referred to as “The Conduct of the Believer” (Ephesians 4:1-6:9). For an historian and archaeology student – this is the really FUN part of the letter – since it was relayed through a series of images from the Roman world.

Before I jump into the Roman past, let’s be clear about the direction the Apostle Paul took in the letter. Here was his bottom line: Paul argued openly that each Ephesian believer had a great calling of God, yet there was a practical side to His call. The rich inheritance believers received from the Father necessitated that they cease living as though they were still in “lost” society, following the desires of the fallen flesh. To make his point, Paul used pictures common to Roman life to address what the WALK of a believer was intended to look like.

There were six images well known to the Ephesian Roman citizens to instruct them on HOW TO WALK as a believer. In fact, Paul used that term “WALK” repeatedly between Ephesians 4:1-6:9, and we will try to make note of each as we study this section. Let’s begin with the first image…

#1: THE ROMAN FORUM SLAVE MARKET:

Roman slave marketEphesians 4:1-3: “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

When the Apostle Paul spoke from his “light chain of arrest” to the people of the church at Ephesus, he told them to WALK WORTHY (the terms “peripateo axios” mean literally: conduct your life in a worthy manner). The image was borrowed from the familiar shopping area or forum at Ephesus – the heart of the ROMAN SLAVE MARKET for the cities of Asia Minor. Even earlier in the letter, Paul made the point believers were “slaves to sin” that had been set free and that each believer was subsequently adopted by a family of great stature (Ephesians 2:11-13). This followed the familiar post war market pattern…

In the first century, when the Romans conquered a tribe from among the Gauls or Celts, they routinely enslaved the populace and eventually made them into Roman servants, transporting the best to the slave markets across the Empire. Each Gaul or Celt had to be legally adopted and registered as part of a family “gens” or clan of Romans – and they became in the patronage system like a member of the family. Yet they needed more than a name change – they were supposed to change their lifestyle to match their new name!

As Ephesians 4:1 began, Paul anticipated something about his readership. Romans fully believed they had the unmitigated right to own conquered peoples. These were not just for the wealthy – slave ownership was common among Romans. The law demanded that dealers disclosed the ethnic origin (natio) of the slaves they were selling. In the market placards (tituli) were hung from the necks of the slaves for sale detailing their place of origin, unique abilities, special talents and (of course) less frequently, their bad points. Most were sold with a “money back” guarantee.

Paul reminded the believers they were BOUGHT by Jesus, and need to live up to the titulus placard of their skills. Look closely at Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore (parakaleo: encourage) you to walk in a manner worthy (viewed as suitable because the cost “matches” actual value) of the calling with which you have been called…”

Paul said: As I sit here under house arrest, unable to travel about freely, let me encourage all of you at Ephesus to walk in the way that matches the value of what our Lord paid to purchase each of you – and enlist you in His service. You are a servant purchased with His precious blood – the highest price ever paid. Walk like you were right for your chosen position He placed you in.

Here is the point: Jesus paid an incredible price for us – and we should serve the role that He placed us in with certain specific character traits. What are they? We should serve with these five characteristics today:

1. 2 with all humility (other person centeredness) Put the other people in your life before yourself.
2. with gentleness (prah-oo’-tace: feminine noun from the root pra-, emphasizing divine sourced “gentle strength” which expresses power with reserve and gentleness). Care for others tenderly.
3. with patience (makro-thumia). Don’t easily boil or erupt with them.
4. showing tolerance (an-ekh’-om-ahee: endure, bear with) for one another in love (agape). Bear with their needs, and meet them where you are able.
5. 3 being diligent (spoo-dad’-zo: be swift, quick) to preserve (tay-reh’-o: to guard) the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Catch every opportunity to build up and keep people together.

I am walking with Jesus well when I put others before myself – just as Jesus did in dying for me. I am pleasing Jesus in my walk when I am tender to others, not snapping or angry in responses to them. I make Jesus smile when I look with understanding at my needy brothers and try to meet their needs – even when it will cost me. I please my Lord when I am swift to hold believers together, and keep the unity that He gave us in Jesus. In a strange way, Paul said, rise to the price you cost God, and that will please Him.

There was a sign around your neck when Jesus chose you – and it showed what He could make out of your life. Read it, and then try to live accordingly.

#2: THE ROMAN TRIUMPH PARADE (Virs Triumphalis)

triumph_chariotHow were the massive number of slaves brought from Gaul or Celtic territories to the ROMAN SLAVE MARKET? In grand Roman triumphalism, it was done by city “triumph celebrations” that began in Rome and were mimicked in major cities, along with the erection of monuments following the parades. Telling believers they are “slaves to Christ” is accurate, but would have been no doubt humiliating, and there was a balancing truth of SIGNIFICANT VALUE that was also illustrated by a common image from the Roman world – A VIRS TRIUMPHALIS Roman victory parade.

Paul followed up the imagery of the slavery with the imagery of THE TRIUMPH PARADE of Jesus, where he led the captives and spread out gifts before the crowds gathered in His honor.

Ephesians 4:7 “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.” 9 (Now this [expression], “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) 11 And He gave some [as] apostles, and some [as] prophets, and some [as] evangelists, and some [as] pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”

As Rome spread her control over the Mediterranean Basin and beyond, it was her custom to welcome her victorious generals and their troops with a massive procession that would work its way through the Forum under a series of “triumphal arches” showing the new triumph’s connection to the history of Roman domination. It was a day of celebration that eventually became the template for such parades across major cities the empire. It was a day for heroes! The crowds attended because “sparsiones” were tossed to onlookers, like tickets for free beer or conquered brass jewelry chains, etc.

In order to celebrate the Triumph legal conditions had to be satisfied: The general in attendance must have been the field commander. The campaign had to be completed, the region pacified, and the troops brought home. At least five thousand of the enemy must have died in battle. The conquest must have contributed to Roman expansion and civilizing of the masses of barbarians. It must have been against a foreign foe, not a civil war.

The Procession typically would follow this order:

1. State officials and the Roman Senate.
2. Trumpeters.
3. Spoils of war (eg., The golden candelabra, the Table of Showbread/Presence and gold trumpets in Titus’ Triumph of the Jewish War.)
4. Pictures of the conquered land, models of ships destroyed and citadels captured.
5. A white bull to be sacrificed.
6. Captives in chains: Enemy princes, generals and leaders to be executed.
7. Lictors: Minor officials bearing fasces (bound rods) who cleared the way for
the person(s) to be honored.
8. Musicians playing lyres.
9. Priests carrying censers of perfume. To the victors it was a perfume of joy,
triumph and life. To the following captives it spoke of defeat and death.
10. The general in a chariot drawn by 4 (white?) horses. The general wore a
purple tunic with gold palm leaves and over it a purple toga with gold stars.
11. The general’s family.
12. His army wearing their decorations and shouting “Lo triumph!”

The line of march there would have soldiers holding flowers and urns of burning incense. The aroma would be sweet to the victors. The days of celebration would follow during which many of the captives would be offered to Roman vanity and bloodletting in the arena. For the victors there were fame, fortune and honors. For the captives there was slavery or death. Do you recall how Paul related this to the early Christians? In 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 Paul wrote: “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.”

Paul’s image was this: the conquest of Jesus over the enemy demands a triumph ceremony where the demonic world would smell the aroma of death – completed in Revelation 20. For the saved, the same aroma was a fragrance of the life of Christ given to us – and meant to be flowing from what we are, what we do and what we say.

Paul again referred to the “triumph of Jesus” in Ephesians 4, noting that Jesus came to the “Lower parts of the universe, namely the earth” and in the triumph parade recalling his victory, He spread out sparsiones – gifts of conquest – in the form of men who were “apostles, and some [as] prophets, and some [as] evangelists, and some [as] pastors and teachers,”. These were to be seen as treasures that Christ provided from His conquest – men who were liberated by Him and tossed into the crowds to transform the world. Part of the Triumph was the reminder that Rome conquered, but left behind in those places men of honor that would “civilize” the barbarians and bring them into the world of Roman influence. In a way, these were also gifts spread to take the world into the cause of Rome. Jesus did it similarly with men who He prepared in one place, and then “tossed” them into a new place to grow His kingdom until the local population comes to the unity of Christ.

#3: THE THERMAE (ROMAN BATH):

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAPaul evoked his next image from one of the most popular places in any Roman city – the bath complex.

Ephesians 4:17 says: “So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 2 1if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in [the likeness of] God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Let be careful to look at the words and see what Paul was saying to the believers through the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

roman bath2For the image of this WALK – the walk DISTINCT from the lost world, Paul went to the BATH (thermae) and urged the Ephesians to GET CHANGED into the right outfit for their call in Jesus.

• All free Romans knew well the inside of a Roman bath. Most business contracts in the city were forged either in the shadow of the union hall called a COLLEGIUM or in the bath complex. Lawyers in Rome took client meetings at the baths.

• Every Roman bath had a locker room called an APODYTERIUM, where slaves stood guard over their master’s clothing, or had that clothing cleaned while the master bathed and lounged in the hot, tepid or cold bathing rooms – or perhaps in the porches or athletic gym areas attached to the baths.

• In every Roman bath complex where the artwork is still visible archaeologically, there are two themes – sexuality and pagan mythology. Nude statuary abounds with some of it designed to be quite provocative.

• Paul’s instruction to the believers was to recognize that the pagan mind doesn’t have the connection to God, and therefore has NO SENSITIVITY to pleasing God. They are self-centered about pleasure, and calloused about sensuality. They live to please appetites, not to please the Creator that made them.

Believers need to take off the old clothing of that life and put on godly behavior –that includes the distinctive behavior of right acts and holy deeds. In the end of the chapter (4:25-32), Paul applied the practice of this walk to WORDS about each other, PATIENT BEHAVIOR to one another, PEACE between believers, and the IMMEDIATE CEASING of anything that hasn’t been pleasing to God. Here is what God instructed through Paul:

Don’t walk like the world. Be distinct in pure thinking and pure words. Show good behavior between believers – not lustful and shady acts and words. If you are taking what isn’t yours – quit. If you are letting your mind wander – stop. It is time to change your clothes into new garb God wants you to wear! In this image God simply said: “Put on the distinctive clothing of one who walks in purity!”

#4: THE ROMAN THEATRE

roman theatrePaul kept pressing common imagery, and we read more in Ephesians 5:1 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. 3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; 4 and [there must be no] filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”

Rome was a vast empire, spread across three continents, with a variety of people groups and national backgrounds. They didn’t have a common alphabet, or common background. They were ethnically diverse with no common history. How can you mold that variety into an empire that sees itself as a singular people? The Romans used spectacles and entertainment to do it. They borrowed from the Greeks the theatrical entertainment used in Greek cities to tell tales of pagan mythology and morality – but the Romans moved the plays into more action and less thought. They liked violence, and they exploded with laughter over crude groin humor.

The Greeks had “tragedies” – where the gods and goddesses would mess with men and bring a turn of fortune to human characters. “Comedies” emerged that were produced to show how the foolish slave may show more wisdom than his wealthy owner – and surprise endings like that. Rising quickly in the Roman theatre was another kind of play – THE MIME. A mime didn’t act like they do in parks today – they were more like a “Saturday Night Live” presentation that was thoroughly base and sexual in its speech. The characters and situations were farcically portrayed as they MIMICKED characters of government – much like Tina Fey imitated Sarah Palin on stage a few years ago. The coarse dialogue and ludicrous actions were to get the crowd laughing.

Paul leaned into this image with the words “Be imitators of God” (using the term “mimic” – a theatrical term). Mimicking God means to walk in love – to meet needs of those around you. Mimicking lost men was to walk controlled by insatiable lusts. Follow God meant NOT walking with a coarse speech. Our mouths should show our Savior. We should speak truth, not empty chatter. We should speak in a way that builds up – not sensual and base speech. People should know we are believers by the way we speak. They should know by the way we encourage. They should notice that some words we used to use – we WON’T use now. They should see that even our sense of humor was changed by Jesus.

In this theatre image, Paul said: “Don’t imitate actors, imitate God!” His words are true, loving, encouraging and helpful – they are never base or inappropriately sensual. His children should speak like their Father speaks – not like the street speaks.

#5: THE VIGILES (Night Watchman) of Roman Street

vigilesPaul offered yet another image in Ephesians 5:7 when he wrote:

Therefore do not be partakers with them; 8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9 (for the fruit of the Light [consists] in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14 For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.”

Roman cities were teeming with people in the daytime, but the streets were not full after dark. Because there was no refrigeration or way to keep food fresh, markets had to be resupplied every night for the next day’s commerce with fresh meat, fish, vegetables and fruits. Since the streets were so full, many cities would not allow load carts to occupy the streets during the daylight hours. As a result, the people on the street in the darkness of night were delivery carts, those leaving the brothels and pubs, and a range of seedy characters associated with the darker side of Roman life. “Respectables” traveled together from a dinner party as a caravan, and were accompanied by body guards. Theft and murder were much more common in a world that had so many poor in close proximity to the rich, and didn’t have the advantages of a “CSI” to find the guilty.

The Romans established the Vigiles Urbani (“watchmen of the City”) as both firefighters and police of Ancient Rome. In the beginning, the “Triumviri Nocturni” were privately owned slaves of the state, organized into a group that attempted to watch over the city at night. They were respected by law abiding citizens, and feared by thieves and thugs. They worked to please the magistrates of the city who called them to this excellent service. Paul told the believers to be like the night watchmen – the vigiles. They needed to wake up in the darkness, and use the light of their torches to expose the dark deeds of men. They weren’t to be naïve, nor were they to be ANY part of the dishonesty and darkness. The people of God carry a torch in the darkness. They help law abiding people to feel safe. They create safe places for people by their trustworthy character and their refusal to be involved in the shady work of wicked men and women. They work to please their Master.

Notice that Paul especially pointed out that when believers walk as children of the light, we get excited about learning what will bring our Master joy. Mature believers seek God’s delight – and not their own. They plan their day around things that will bring their Master honor – and not simply care for their desires. Paul told the people to be like the NIGHT WATCHMEN that walk in dark streets – but believers should carry the light of the truth – and that brings a measure of comfort to others around them while it makes God smile because of them.

#6: THE ROMAN PUB (Popinae and Tavernae)

roman pub tavernAnother reference to a “walk” is found in Ephesians 5:15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

Here Paul had another image at his disposal. Roman’s celebrated Bacchus – the god of wine – and his gift daily. They had a fundamental belief that wine was a daily necessity to daily life. They made the drink “democratic” and ubiquitous: it was available to slaves, peasants and aristocrats alike. Wine bars are found all over Pompeii and Herculaneum – cities uncovered by archaeologists. The Roman popina (plural: popinae) was an ancient Roman wine bars, where a limited menu of olives, bread, and soups or stews were sold, along with a selection of wines of varying quality and taste. This was the common pub for plebians of the lower classes of Roman society – the part of Roman social culture where so many believers came from. Every one of them knew about the popina, as we would know about a “Chilis” or “Outback Steakhouse”.

The wine bar had simple stools and tables. They provided food and drink, but also often provided sex and gambling. Respectable Romans of the upper classes considered these as seedy places of crime and violence. Though gambling with dice was illegal, huge numbers of dice have been uncovered in excavations of popinae in cities like Pompeii that most people ignored this law. Several wall paintings from Pompeian popinae show men throwing dice from a dice shaker. Prostitutes frequented popinae, met their customers and took them elsewhere. Some of them, perhaps many of them, had players of music, and provided background for drinking songs that echoed into the night…. Paul told the believers not to be foolish as the people who gambled away their money and fell into a drunken stupor. He called to their attention a different kind of song they could sing-the spiritual and uplifting song both on their tongue and in their heart before God.

The term DRUNK is literally “dominated by” – and refers to an issue of control. Don’t be CONTROLLED by wine – it is a waste. Rather, be filled with the Spirit of God – dominated by HIM. That domination of the Spirit – as opposed to “spirits” will lead to SONGS for the believers, and placing others ahead of ourselves.

Drunks don’t care about how loud they sing in the dark streets. They aren’t concerned about the baby they will awake. They are unaware, and empty of caring and consideration. Spirit-filled believers are filled with song that builds up, song that pleases the Master. They have songs of the heart, and songs of the lips while the do service with their hands. Paul told the people to get out of the “spirits” of the PUB and into the Spirit of God.

Here is the truth: Slave markets, Roman Parades, Baths, Theatre shows and Pubs – were all places Ephesians and all Romans knew. Paul wanted to make clear that their lives needed to be distinct, worthy, wise and dominated by God’s Spirit – and he used the best images he could think of to make the point. In the end it comes down to this: Life is like a coin. You can spend it anyway you want, but you can only spend it ONCE. Will it be for you, or for Him?

God offered us instructions on life choices through a series of pictures that were designed to illustrate how He wants to work in and through us!

Beginning with the End in Mind: “Finding the Supporting Walls” – Revelations 21-22

PropertyBrothersOne of the HGTV shows that has garnered a lot of interest in the past few years is called the “Property Brothers”. The show follows a very predictable format, where an unrealistic couple or home buyer wants more than they can afford in a finished house, and so the hosts of the show take them to some older homes in need of renovation and promise to add into those old places the features of the new homes they like so much. The buyers are always skeptical until they see the design in a professionally prepared three dimensional video, and that is what finally allows people to decide what house they want to renovate. Most of the buyers were NOT willing until they saw the digital designs, but when they could see the vision clearly, they were prepared to sign the dotted line and buy the older homes.

The best way to start a project of any kind is to be able to grasp what the end will look like. That is especially helpful when we have to “make it that way” – as in building according to directions. Many of us confess that we don’t read assembly directions as much as we look at the picture on the box!

At the same time, looking at the END can also be helpful, when thinking about priorities. If we know exactly what the designer intends as the finished product, we see in that picture a clear view of what the designer thought was MOST IMPORTANT. Let’s take a moment and apply that idea to our lives. Since God let us know what the “eternal state” of those who know and follow Him, how can looking at the conditions of that place and time help us? They can show us what God values – what His underlying priorities are. If the world hadn’t plunged into the illegal renovations as a result of rebellion, we could see this in our world – but the original design of our world has been damaged and altered. As we look at the end of the Bible, let’s see if we can compare how life is designed at the end, and use that picture to see God’s priorities and finally ask how we may change how we live today because of God’s priorities.

Key Principle: The “eternal state” of the believer shows God’s underlying design for our lives.

God Suspends some common things in the eternal state:

The record unfolds between things that are MISSING in this place, and the FEATURES the place offers. It is like the vacation brochure that first promises a “break from traffic” (what won’t be there) and a “place to relax” (what will replace it). Revelation 20 offered a look at the final judgment of God. As we open Revelation 21, we see the “post judgment” era – a new time after time. All sin and rebellion has been fully dealt with. Eternity commences with all where they are supposed to be. Look at how the Apostle John recorded it:

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer [any] sea.

The ecosystem may be significantly different in the final era – because our planet depends on the existence of the sea. It is difficult to know if the “sea” referred to in the passage is used metaphorically – for the Hebrews held the “Yam” as a place of chaos, and that is reflected in ancient language and saying. In any case – it is clear in the text that the OLD WAY is GONE, and a new way has begun. In this new economy, rather than human construction, the emphasis is placed on a pre-fabricated construction of God:

Revelation 21:2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.

Take a moment and notice the short list of things tossed away with the old world:

Revelation 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be [any] death; there will no longer be [any] mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

No Distance between God and man – everyone will walk with God and know Him personally in an intimate way. What a great place to begin the description – our walk with God!!

No Tears left in God’s follower’s eyes – whatever you have suffered as a result of the fall and sin’s destruction will be wiped away. Remember that when you feel under attack – it will all be over someday soon.

No death – all separation is over – and all the pain it brings is finished. When you stare at the grave and feel the pain of loss – the world wasn’t designed that way – sin did that.

No pain – in the context this referred to specifically the pain of the loss from death – that went out with the old when death was finally defeated by the Redeemer.

Some people treat the afterlife like it is a penalty – not a blessing. That isn’t right! I am thinking of a terrible story of Bob and Stan, who were good buddies and baseball friends. One day at a ballgame, they made a vow to each other that, whichever friend died first, that friend would send a message back to earth to let the other friend know if there was baseball in Heaven. Sure enough, one day Bob died. After a while, he sent a message back to earth to Stan: “Hey, Stan, this is your old baseball buddy, Bob. I have good news and I have bad news for you from Heaven.” Stan thought about it and said, “Let’s hear the good news!” Bob said, “Well, the good news is there is a lot of baseball going on in Heaven! I am hitting home runs a mile long and you should see some of the guys in the Heaven League hit a baseball up here, too! It really is baseball Heaven!” Stan smiled and said, “Hey, Bob. What about that bad news?” There was a long pause. Finally, Bob spoke from Heaven and said, “The bad news is……..YOU ARE SCHEDULED TO PITCH UP HERE TOMORROW NIGHT!” That isn’t right! For the believer, death is no penalty any more than birth was. It signals a change in what we do…

The final state is much different than our time…But it is deliberately planned by our Father. Note the way John recorded the words… Revelation 21:5 “And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” …Drop down past the measurements of the Holy City, all the way to the description in Revelation 21:22 and following…

Did you notice what ISN’T THERE?

Revelation 21:22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; 26 and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

When we reach the final stage of history, we will be PERMANENTLY HOME. Nothing will need to be renovated or restored. Everyone will be where they are supposed to be…

It reminds me of the story of a new believer, who was on a plane with an intellectual (a man educated beyond his intelligence). He sneered at her reading the Bible and asked if she believed it? “Yes.” “Jonah and the whale story?” “Yes.”
“How did it happen?” “Don’t know, but I’ll find out when I get to heaven.” “What if Jonah isn’t there?” “Then I guess you’ll have to ask him from where you are for me.” – Source: Galaxie Software. (2002; 2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press.

In fact, many of the things that took up our energy to provide in our old life will slip away – and we won’t need to work to keep it all together.

Notice each detail of what is MISSING. When you do, ask yourself, “What does that do to inform my focus as I walk with God NOW?”

1. We won’t need a temple – because God will live with us. Our focus shouldn’t be on the mechanics of religion as much as on the glory and exaltation of God.

2. We won’t need a celestial light – because God’s glory will shine for us. Our focus shouldn’t be as much on “branding” a church as much as showing what God is really like to a dark world.

3. We won’t need a nightlight – for God’s glory never sets. Our focus shouldn’t be on how to make the world see our ministry in some flashes of outreach as much as how we can steadily show them the incredible God that we serve. This should cause us to refuse to curse the night, but rather build constantly operating lighthouses to attract the wandering. Remember, “its lamp is in the Lamb”. When we exalt Jesus, we draw people to the Light.

4. We won’t need a key – for closed gates and locks will be meaningless. Our focus must be on pointing people to the open door, not keeping them focused on the walls. Yes, holiness and repentance are essential, but they are not the primary message – salvation by grace through faith must be.

5. We need no greater accomplishments – the “glory” and “honor” of the nations will be deposited in Heaven’s city of the King. Our focus cannot be to build a wealth apart from His glory, nor a success that is self-centered.

6. We won’t need guilt – for sin will have no more place there. Our focus must be on the forward movement of our walk with God by deliberately setting aside the hindrances. We cannot and must not make those distractions take more from us.

7. We won’t need defensiveness – for everyone we meet will be what God intended them to be. Our focus shouldn’t be on “winning the battles” in the here and now, but rather speaking with the confidence of those who know the end.

There are a number of reasons we won’t need these things – but a big part will be simply because God will complete everything He started at the beginning of the first book of the Bible….

• In Genesis 1:1 God created the heavens and the earth; in Revelation 21:1 God will create a new heaven and earth.
• In Genesis 1:16 God created the sun; in Revelation 21:23 there will be no more need for the sun.
• In Genesis 1:5 God established the night; In Revelation 22:5, God abolished night.
• In Genesis 1:10 God created the seas; In Revelation 21:1 God dispensed with the seas (which may have been a comfort to John who was exiled and separated by seas from his family and friends!)
• In Genesis 3:14-17 God announced the curse; In Revelation 22:3 God rescinded it forever. Satan would no longer touch the earth, let alone crawl its surface. The new earth would yield without question the fruits assigned to it.
• In Genesis 3:19 Death entered the world; in Revelation 21:4 Death will be dismissed forever.
• In Genesis 3:24 man was driven from paradise; In Revelation 22:14, he stands in Paradise regained.
• IN Genesis 3:17 Sorrow and pain grew from the rebellion; in Revelation 21:4, Sorrow will be cut off forever. Tears and pain are satisfied forever.

As an aged Christian lay dying, a friend called to say farewell. “I have just had three other visitors,” said the dying man, “and with two of them I parted; but the third I shall keep with me forever.” “Who are they?”

• “The first was Faith, and I said, ‘Goodbye, Faith! I thank God for your company ever since I first trusted Christ; but now I am going where faith is lost in sight.’

• Then came Hope. ‘Farewell, Hope!’ I cried. ‘You have helped me in many an hour of battle and distress, but now I shall not need you, for I am going where hope passes into fruition.’

• “Last of all came Love. ‘Love’, said I, ‘you have indeed been my friend; you have linked me with God and with my fellow men; you have comforted and gladdened all my pilgrimage. But I cannot leave you behind; you must come with me through the gates, into the city of God, for love is perfected in heaven.’” – The Sunday School Chronicle.

Part of the point of the words of Revelation 21 are to demonstrate that God is going to tear out everything “not built to code” and replace it entirely with what mankind should experience.

Eight Provisions: God’s new build…

Next, what WILL BE THERE? Revelation 22:1 “Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; 4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.”

1. God’s life will flow as a river from His throne to His people – it will be clear, crisp and refreshing. All of life’s thirsts will be quenched! Our focus should be on having our deepest heart needs met by our Master – not our spouse, our children or our friends.

2. Spanning the river will be a tree of life – with its ever changing, always delicious fruit. All of life’s hungers will be satisfied! Our focus should be on training our tastes for the things that please God – and not feasting on things that we know do not.

3. Covering its branches will be bountiful and beautiful leaves – whose oils will produce a healthy and comforting balm for all to partake. All of life’s discomforts will be settled! Our focus should be to see pain and trouble as temporary, rather than allowing ourselves to be swallowed up in this world as though it will never change.

4. The ground will yield no weed – for the curse is forever broken. All of life’s disappointments will be contented! Our focus should be to live with understanding toward those who disappoint and even cause pain to us – they are living under a curse until they are redeemed.

5. Distance from God will evaporate – for we will see Him face to face. All of life’s strain will be eased! Our focus should be to grow our hunger to be intimate with God by asking Him to shape our will toward Him.

6. There will be no need to read the story of redemption – for our very salvation will be revealed on the markers upon our heads. All of life’s insecurities will be erased! Our focus needs to be on building trust in what God has promised in each other.

7. There will be no night for pain to increase and darkness to overcome – for God’s light will shine in unending power. All of life’s anxiousness will be calmed! Our focus should be on prayer and praise to relieve worry and anxiety.

8. There will be no need for rulers – for each will have his place to reign. All ego will recede for there will be One King – and He will be enough! Our focus should be to cede our importance and decrease before Him and that He may increase in us.

One Pastor wrote: There was once a little girl born blind. The only beauty she knew came from her mother’s descriptions of things like the flowers in spring, trees in fall, snow in winter, and the crashing surf of the ocean in summertime. The girl could only imagine what her momma described. At about ten years of age, an experimental surgery was developed and made available to to help the little girl see for the very first time. Oh, what she saw when the bandages were carefully and slowly removed! In a few minutes, after her eye adjusted to light, she ran to the window of the doctor’s office and stood breathless! She cried out: “Mother, why didn’t you tell me it was so beautiful?” Her mom replied: “I tried to, but words just wouldn’t suffice!” I believe that in Heaven we’ll run around breathless, and when some see the Apostle John they’ll say, “Why didn’t you tell us?” and he’ll say, I tried, but words wouldn’t suffice!

The Basis of All Truth

Revelations 22:6 And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true”; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. 7 “And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.”

Our faith is not made up – it was revealed by the God that made us. Our destiny is not the stuff of dreams, but the uncovering of truths revealed by a Sovereign who is timeless and already exists in that place. His Word is His bond, and His Word has been made known. The one who believes His promises awaits His appearing. The one who truly trusts in God’s words concerning the hereafter carefully measures his life in the hear and now. Sloppy living comes from slipping belief. He has promised me a future home, and demanded only that I trust Him to provide it as He said! God didn’t just promise a new day – He explained what kind of future He has planned for us. Want to join in? He has paid your way!

WHY?
By Jack Hyles

I have heard the white-tipped tapping cane,
Which leads a blinded eye.
And then a darkened, lonely voice
Cries, “Preacher, show me why.”

I have caught a fiancée’s burning tears,
And heard her lonely cry.
She held an unused wedding gown,
And shouted, “Pastor, why?”

I have heard the cancer patient say,
“’Tis gain for me to die;”
Then look into his daughter’s face,
And mutely whisper, “Why?”

I’ve heard an orphan faintly say,
Who gazed into the sky,
“Tho Mom and Dad have gone away,
My preacher will know why.”

I have sat beside a tiny crib,
And watched a baby die,
As parents slowly turned toward me,
To ask, “Oh, Pastor, why?”

I tiptoed to my Father’s throne,
So timid and so shy,
To say, “Dear God, some of Your own
Are wanting to know why.”

I heard Him say so tenderly,
“Their eyes I’ll gladly dry,
Tho they must look through faith today,
Tomorrow they’ll know why.”

And so I’ve found it pleases Him
When I can testify,
“I’ll trust my God to do what’s best,
And wait to find out why.”

It is great to know that by looking at the design of eternity, I can see the fingerprints of my God Who prepared it.

God on the Move: “The Letter to the Ephesians” (Part One, Ephesians 1-3)

An oil refinery is pictured 22 SeptemberGrowing up in a small town in South Jersey as a part of a big family, I learned early in life that dad’s role was to go off to “the plant” and work long hours at the oil refinery. I didn’t see my dad nearly as much as my children saw me growing up, but I knew he loved me, and I knew that he worked hard to keep food on the table. I also knew that he felt fortunate to be a part of a big corporation that offered not only a salary, but an array of what they called “benefits” to the employees. They expected much from my dad. He wasn’t available to come to school events, parties and many other things as we grew up – he had to work when they called. My mom said that in all the years he was at work she called him only a handful of time – because that just wasn’t done. The company owned your time – and you gave it to them. Why? Because they gave you what you needed for your family. They paid you and they held your benefit package.

Though many today cannot find employment that offers much more than a salary or even hourly wage, in some better companies, there are still offers of employment that include an entire benefit package. One of the problems with these benefits is that sometimes employees forget what ELSE their position costs the company beyond their salary. They see the paycheck, but they don’t see the astronomical rising costs of the benefit packages – which is why so many companies stopped offering them. The truth is that we often take for granted what has been supplied for so long it has become natural. We are Americans. We believe when the tap is turned, clean water should come out. When the light is turned on, the light should burn brightly. We have made incredible privileges into birth rights, when in fact we are a blessed people more than a deserving lot.

Even among believers today, we have some of the same afflictions of forgetfulness and privilege. We can easily take for granted and even forget both the cost to our Lord and the magnificent benefits that come in our relationship with God. It’s easy to lose track of what God has provided for us in our salvation in Christ. In fact, already in the first century, some believers were already doing it. They weren’t simply forgetful, they were being “picked on”, and many had come to believe they weren’t fully accepted by God because they weren’t fully accepted by other people. God responded by putting a burden on the Apostle Paul to tell those believers they were accepted, and remind them of incredible benefits they had in Christ!

Key Principle: A relationship with God through Jesus brings us certain hope, an eternal home and commanding help.

As we continue in this series of lessons, we have been following Paul’s life for some time. By the time he wrote the letter to the Ephesians – the letter that we want to address in this lesson, Paul had completed his three mission journeys, his three years of waiting on the coast of Judea, and a terrible journey that included a shipwreck, a snakebite and many new friends that he met along the way. Now he sat in Rome, together with Luke and probably Aristarchus. He was under “light chain” arrest – a supervised affair – awaiting a meeting with Emperor Nero, who didn’t publish his schedule ahead of time and didn’t wait for meetings when he wanted them.

We left off at the last verses of the Book of Acts:

Acts 28:30 And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, 31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.

As Luke recorded in those words, Paul sat and listened to visitors and corresponded by letters and couriers with various churches and young leaders of the faith. Some of the Epistles from this time include Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and a tiny, personal sounding, postcard-sized letter to Philemon. For a few minutes, join one of the house churches at Ephesus.

For the next few minutes as we study some of the words he penned, pretend you are sitting in the atrium of a Roman villa and listening to the letter that was just received from the Apostle Paul. Imagine you are in the room as the leader reads each word and then explains some of the comments… The reader could have easily divided the letter into three parts:

• The Call of the Believer (a section on encouragement, Chapters 1-3);
• The Conduct of the Believer (a section on instruction, Chapter 4:1-6:9);
• The Conflict of the Believer (a section on warning, 6:10-20).

In this lesson, I want to focus on the ENCOURAGEMENT. To get the flavor of the letter, take a moment and look at the prayer in recorded in Ephesians 1:15-23. He wrote:

Ephesians 1:15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which [exists] among you and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention [of you] in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 [I pray that] the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. [These are] in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly [places], 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Paul told them he knew of their love and their faith, and he prayed continuously that God would reveal to them three specific things:

1) They would grasp the rich promises involved in their calling by God (18a);
2) They would recognize their magnificent inheritance because they were called to God’s Kingdom (18b);
3) They would grow into an absolute trust in God’s unstoppable might in the midst of any conflict they would face. (19-23).

Look at Paul’s beginning point in verse 18 – it was the SUPREME BENEFIT of following Christ. Paul knew that if the people could understand all the rich promises involved in the calling, the incredible benefits of knowing the Creator and having a relationship with Him, they would be able to stand up to the rigors of a troubled life. Chapters one through three address that very concept – the clear and rich benefits of knowing God and living life for Him. People throughout the centuries have had a far better concept of the COST of surrender than the BENEFITS of a life lived for God. Paul wanted them to remember and be encouraged, and that is what we want to do as we follow what he wrote.

Dive into the opening chapters of this letter, and don’t skip past their encouragement!

Paul opened the letter with the truth like the fact that God called them, knew what He was getting, and wanted them from the beginning. God loved them and accepted them – no matter what others told them about themselves. As we look at some of the words, consider this: Paul answered a painful question.

What can lift a believer that is suffering in an attack on his life and testimony?

Ephesians 1 opened with Paul greeting the church (1:1-2).

Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and [who are] faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Immediately Paul set out to encourage the Ephesian believers as he told them that he continually praised God because of the work God did on their behalf:

1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [places] in Christ,

He wrote GOD HAS BLESSED US. Then he wrote HOW

• First, He chose His followers to be distinctly set apart (3,4).

1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love,

Did you notice that God initiated the relationship with men? Did you notice that God intended those who follow Him to CHANGE because of the relationship? Did you see His motivation? God said He did it because He loved them, each one of them.

• He adopted them (as Gentiles!) in the work of Jesus deliberately (5-7), that is both wisely and willfully (8,9) to bring everything together under Christ’s mighty rule (10).

5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, [that is], the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him..

Look at the words: predestined (placed boundaries around beforehand); redemption (purchasing us from our sinful state); forgiveness (settling the account of our sin once and for all time). Now stop and look at what riches belong to the believer: Wisdom and insight about a relationship with God – we can know God and understand His love in a way that those who do not know God cannot grasp. They don’t get it. They think God doesn’t care – if He is even there at all!

It was almost 1:00 AM when the phone beside his bed rang. Dr. Leo Winters, the highly acclaimed Chicago surgeon, was abruptly awakened. There had been an accident and his skill hands were needed for immediate surgery. The quickest route happened to be through a rather tough area, but with time being a critical factor, it was worth the risk. At one of the stoplights his door was yanked open by a man with a gray hat and a dirty flannel shirt. “I got to have your car!” the man screamed, pulling him from his seat. Winters tried to explain the gravity of the situation but the man would not listen. When the doctor was finally able to get a taxi to the hospital over an hour had elapsed and it was too late as the patient had passed away thirty minutes earlier. The nurse told him that the father of the victim had gone to the chapel wondering why the doctor never came. Dr. Winters walked hurriedly to get to the chapel and when he entered he saw the father… he was wearing a gray hat and dirty flannel shirt. (From sermoncentral.com, original author unknown).

Consider how many people you know are just like the man with the gray hat – running past the One who can save their life and the lives of those they love. We live in a world filled with those who suffer in emptiness, confusion, hopelessness, and enslavement to sin and deception, but they will not slow down and listen – for they are rushing to try to save themselves. The Bible teaches that God gives “heart knowledge” of a relationship with Him to those who truly have one. You don’t have to be uncertain!

It may help to know that there are three Greek terms translated “redemption” in the New Testament.

The first is Agorazo: “To purchase.” This is like the simple act of buying goods from the market. Since slavery was commonplace in first century Rome, there are times when that image is best for what Jesus did for us – purchased those who were slaves to sin.

• The second is Exagorazo: “To purchase out.” This is the word we just looked at, with a prefix placed in front of it meaning “out of”. The word picture probably follows the idea of one who is chosen from a group at the slave market and is removed from the group to be taken home –another great image for the believer.

• Lutroo or Apolutrosis: “To release or set free.” This is the word used by Paul in Ephesians 1, and denotes something a bit different. At the death of a Roman, sometimes the owner’s will allowed for the slaves to be offered the status of FREE MEN while giving them the name of their owner and allowing that slave to become a part of their “gens” or clan. This is what Paul said Jesus did for believers – He died and set them free, adding them to His clan and family. It is a rich image for a first century Roman.

Look at verse 11 for a moment…

• He purposely gave them an inheritance that they may be the first of many to praise and glorify God (11,12) when they trusted His Word and were cemented into a relationship through the Spirit’s power (13).

1:11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation– having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Believers have an inheritance – something we will gain that we did not earn and could never have produced. The seal that this will happen was not simply written on parchment, but on our hearts!

• He gave His Spirit as a promise of the new inheritance to reassure them (14).

Ephesians 1:13b “…you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of [God’s own] possession, to the praise of His glory.

The chapter closes with the assurance that Paul heard about their faith he began praising God for this (15,16) constantly praying that they would receive yet more wisdom and Divinely uncovered truth concerning implications of the great call of God for them: hope, riches of the inheritance, a deep understanding of His mighty power available to them, and a knowledge of the powerful exalted position of their Savior! Paul wrote:

Ephesians 1:15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which [exists] among you and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention [of you] in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 [I pray that] the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. [These are] in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly [places], 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Think about this next time you get knocked down by circumstances or put down by people:

• Because God recruits followers thoughtfully, He specifically chose the army to gain victory in the battle: You are not a “mistake” nor a surprise, and God is qualified to choose the right ones!

• Because God gave an unshakeable inheritance to believers, you have an incredible future planned for you, and God has guaranteed it with a down payment of His Spirit within you!

• Because God moved into our heart to offer incredible power and to reassure us when we feel beaten down, we can be lifted countless times – He has power to keep restoring and rebuilding you! The God who spun planets has secured your future!

Keep reading… there is MORE!

In Ephesians 2, Paul continued the encouragement by helping them look past the circumstances of their daily lives. Peering into the veil of the spiritual world, Paul told them a tale of God’s great rescue work and His eternal purpose:

Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

Paul wrote that all of us were shackled in the dungeon of the dead, enslaved by a wicked prince that forced you to entertain him in the filthiness of the flesh (1-3)… Yet, God wouldn’t let you stay there!

Ephesians 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

God was motivated by love and rescued each of us, giving us life! (2:4-5). He granted His children royal privileges that include full rights to His throne (6) in order that he might someday show all realms His true self! (7) He is gracious, our mighty Savior, a wondrous Creator of good things (8-10)… and He did this to create from our ruined self and NEW MAN or WOMAN.

Paul then carefully explained that because of what God called them to be a part of in Jesus, believers must remember their former state of distance from God (as part of the unbelieving nations) was something completely cared for by God in their salvation. There were two implications he highlighted:

• They were NOT second-class believers as some Messianic Jewish teachers were inferring (2:11-18).

• They were different, but fully part of the new structure that God built to be whole and unified (19-22).

When you are hurt by life, and you don’t FEEL in that moment God’s love – consider these truths:

When God found us, we were lost and unlovable, but that didn’t stop a God who sees through the present into the future (2:1-3). That same God made something happen, no matter who would dare to object or protest. When God says you are “in”, you are “in”! (2:4-5). The greatest privileges are God’s alone to give to His creation, and they have been poured out on those he rescued from darkness (2:6-7).

When you are overwhelmed with discouragement, remember, we play a role in eternal history whenever we choose to participate. We have the King’s ear, and access to His throne room. When we walk in the confidence of His work in us we show His victory over sin. When we walk in the sins of the flesh, we contradict what He has said that we were created for (2:7-10).

I love the truth that God flies everyone first class, and doesn’t distinguish between our backgrounds and former failures. He transforms failures – it is what He loves to do! (2:11-18). Because that is true, drop the differences of our past – for God wants us to share, and celebrate unity. We can find a thousand ways to divide us, but His objective is to build a united Body of Messiah that gives glory to Him! (2:19-22).

There is SO MUCH MORE in Ephesians 3, for Paul wasn’t done lifting them. Lest they be confused, God’s choice of them wasn’t some “late breaking thought” in God’s mind, but as part of His eternal purpose!

Paul called God’s plan a “mystery” in Ephesians 3:1-5 because it wasn’t clearly revealed. What was the mystery?

Ephesians 3:6 [to be specific], that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.

Paul said that no Jew would have ever conceieved of this idea – but it was always God’s plan. He went on to make clear that God always had this planned:

Ephesians 3:11 [This was] in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.

In eternity past, God had a secret. Not everything He was going to unfold was known to even the highest angels of Heaven. He waited for the right time and place, and whispered something that no doubt shocked the angels of His throne room. The name of every believer was part of that secret. Do you know what He said? God put forward YOUR NAME!

God’s covenant with Abraham did not limit His ability to bless the whole earth, even the pagan nations (3:1-8). Though men found this an unbelievable mystery (3:9), and even Heaven was shocked with the news (3:10), it was not an afterthought for God; it was part of His original Divine plan (3:11).

Paul told them exactly what I would tell you today: “When doubt assails, tell the enemy that you have bold confidence and use your access pass to the Father (3:12)!

Pastor John Stevenson told the story: “Dr. Stanley Livingston had a medical condition in which he was required to drink goat’s milk. He was visited one day by a tribal king and he noticed that the king was eyeing his goat. Livingston felt led of the Lord to give the goat as a gift to the king and, in return, the king presented him with the staff that he was carrying. Later that day, Livingston confided in a friend, “I don’t know what I was thinking. How could I have been so foolish as to give my goat away. I don’t know what I shall do with this stick.” His friend replied, “You don’t understand. That isn’t a stick. It is a scepter. You don’t just own one goat. Now you own all the goats in the tribe.” The Lord has given us an inheritance. It is a scepter. And we have been walking around thinking that it is just a stick.

While our old world faces constant conflict and strife I want to encourage the children of the Living God. Do not be preoccupied by a focus on the promises of comforts coming in Heaven. Speak of Heaven, not as a place of gold, but the place of Christ. Don’t simply seek Heaven’s comforts –long for the King Who made it possible for us! Our promise is found in a Person, not a place.

He is the One sung of through the ages; He is the One worthy of glory and exaltation. Beloved, we must look far past mere promises of coming comfort to celebrate their source – our coming Exalted One!

Believers must be unsatisfied with a song that reminds us that Heaven is a beautiful place – until we sing of Paradise as HIS place.

Let me say it plainly, as we grow in Him we must remember this: When troubles assail – we must exalt Him. When pain creeps and throbs about – we must long for Him. Long for the revealing of the One who IS comfort. The song writer of yesteryear told us: “He is everything that my soul ever longed for, everything He promised and so much more. He is more than amazing, more than marvelous, more than miraculous could ever be – He’s more than wonderful, more than wonderful – that’s what Jesus is to me.” How right he was with his song.

Let Him have our full attention, for focus on coming comfort can become yet another rouse of focus on self. Look at what God has given to you – and what He has given FOR YOU! Feel His love – for He planned for you to do so!

A relationship with God through Jesus brings us certain hope, an eternal home and commanding help to face each day.

Following His Footsteps: “Tough Talk about Tenderness” – Luke 17

lombardi-2Anyone who knows anything about the NFL knows the name Vince Lombardi, who took the Green Bay Packers in 1959 and shaped it into the league’s most formidable organization of the 1960s, while he simultaneously fashioned the lives of men that would be a part of the next half century in the history of the sport. On any list of names of the most influential coaches, Lombardi’s name usually appears at the top or near it. He was known as a tireless leader with strenuously exacting standards. It is worth noting that in fifteen seasons of play, his teams never had a losing season. He led the Packers and later the Redskins, before he died of cancer in the autumn of 1970, at the young age of 57. Though that was many years ago, Lombardi still holds the highest playoff winning percentage of all time (.900). He was posthumously inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame, and was universally acclaimed as highly deserving of that honor.

Bart Starr once said that Lombardi “turned men into champions and a rabble into a team”. Here is the thing people don’t say unless you specifically ask them to recall circumstances – it all came at a price. Lombardi pushed his men, expected much, and was known to have a very forceful speaking voice in a locker room. He explained plays to the team in such a way that there was no mistaking of exactly what he wanted. He didn’t mince words and his language wasn’t often appropriate for small school children. Yet, at the same time, he took a special interest in some disadvantaged players, and worked with extra vigor to help them secure a path to their own success. He clearly cared for his players, but he especially cared that there were high standards and absolute fairness on and off the field. By all accounts, he wasn’t a politician and probably learned his motivational speaking at the “General George Patton School of male motivation” – tact wasn’t his best quality.

I do not mention Lombardi for his personal faith (of which I have no knowledge) but rather because he illustrated with his work life the reality that one could be tough for a purpose, and yet tender toward those who had special disadvantages. I imagine that any coach, if he or she wants to transform players, has to find keys to motivating them to give more than they think they can, and yet be encouraged that there is a great purpose behind their talent. Coaches have to be men and women of vision. I suspect the first day Lombardi watched the Packers at practice he wondered if they could ever become a team that could win more than 50% of their regular season games, let alone the Superbowl. Let’s face it: good coaches focus on possibilities and press forward toward them.

If you agree with that assessment, you have to admire another leader who also transformed men – from long before Lombardi – for His toughness in life coaching, even as He offered tender help to the disadvantaged and hurting. I have in mind the greatest life transformer ever to visit the planet – Jesus of Nazareth. Here is the truth the emerges from a look at the Savior in Luke 17…

Key Principle: Jesus was both tough and tender. He showed particular kindness to those who were rejected, hurt and weak – but made clear He detested smugness and stubbornness.

We have been following the “harmonized journey” of Jesus’ life for many lessons, and as we look more carefully at our Savior, we see both aspects of His character revealed more completely – His toughness and His tenderness. In this lesson, we want to examine the interplay between the two character marks as they become plain in His teaching. We will do it by posing five contrasts from the chapter:

First, notice that the tender heart of Jesus toward the young made Him tough on those who thoughtlessly corrupt them (17:1-2).

Luke recorded a teaching Jesus offered to His followers that was more a comment than a fashioned truth. We don’t know what prompted the comment, but Luke remembered…

Luke 17:1 He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! 2 “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble.

Whatever the Master saw that day as He traveled, He made clear that “stumbling blocks” would continue to be part of society, though they were terrible. He used the term “inevitable” – the only place in the Gospels that word appears. What
“stumbling blocks” did He speak about?

The term Luke offered was “skándalon” – the word from which we get the term “scandal” – but that is not the best translation of this idea. In fact, the term as used in the sentence at the time was properly “the trigger of a trap” (or the mechanism that caused the closing of a trap on the unsuspecting victim). Lexicons favor a definition like “the means of stumbling” because they more appropriately stress the means by which one is entrapped, i.e. the device used to ensnare them.

Jesus made the point that there will continue to be those who will deliberately bait traps for the innocent in order to ensnare them until the end comes. Human trafficking of young innocents is not a yesteryear phenomenon. The organization Rescue: Freedom provides two year old statistics, which are the newest I could find on the subject, and they note:

• There are an estimated 27 million people in slavery globally (U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report, 2012).
• Globally, there are 4.5 million victims of sex slavery (ILO 2012 Global Estimate of Forced Labor).
• Between 100,000-300,000 U.S. children are enslaved in sex trafficking each year (Ernie Allen, President of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children).
• In the U.S., the average age of recruitment into sex slavery is 12-14 years old (Polaris Project: Comparison Chart of Primary Sex Trafficking Networks in the U.S.).
• The CIA estimates that 45,000-50,000 women and children are trafficked into the United States. Approximately 30,000 trafficked annually from Southeast Asia, 10,000 from Latin America, 4,000 from the Newly Independent States and Eastern Europe, and 1,000 from other regions (O’Neill Richard, A. DCI Exceptional Intelligence Analyst Program.1999).
Approximately 20% of all internet pornography involves children who are victims of human trafficking (National Center for Mission & Exploited Children).

Jesus didn’t normally offer such colorful commentary as “they’d be better off dead” – but in this case that is exactly what He said. The Master made plain that those who deliberately draw in and ensnare the innocent and unsuspecting are a form of low life that will face their just deserts in the end. His tenderness toward the ensnared led Him to offer harsh commentary on the trapper. Make no mistake about it: every pusher who has ever sucked in a son or daughter to their poison, every cultist who has ever tricked and brainwashed a young man or woman, every pornographer who has ever demeaned the beauty of sexuality for a buck – all will be judged by the One Who made plain His disgust at their indifference and uncaring heart. Jesus was tender on the ensnared, but that made Him especially tough on the hunter or the innocent.

In a second teaching, Luke showed the tender heart of Jesus toward the stumbling follower made Him tough on the one who was stubborn about forgiveness (17:3-10).

The record included Jesus still speaking to the disciples…

Luke 17:3 “Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 “And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

Jesus plainly told His followers that the one who did wrong but repented of the wrong and sought to be made right was to be restored, provided they repented of their wrong. This followed a saying on exploitation for a reason. It is very easy to see that if Jesus’ followers are too lenient on forgiveness, it will be easy to take advantage of them. A careful reading of the words of Jesus forces the Bible student to conclude that Jesus told us to be willing to take that chance – because forgiveness was THAT important.

Jesus did not say that everyone was entitled to endless restoration without repentance, but rather that with repentance the restoration had to remain unconditional in the heart of His follower – even if the offender should have known better based on past experiences. There is no way that was or is easy, and the disciples responded…

Luke 17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

No one wants, now or then, to be taken advantage of by another person. No one wants to be a “sucker”. Yet, Jesus said we should risk being taken advantage of because we are known as those who will forgive the person who repents. That is hard to hear, and even harder to obey.

The disciples assumed the secret to following this command was the addition of a great “amount of faith” bestowed by God. In other words, they thought something additional needed to be provided by GOD in order for them to take their ego-driven characters and embrace those who were repeat offenders that repent. Jesus told them they were WRONG – God didn’t need to send them anything additional. They had what they needed within already.

First, remember our classroom definition of “faith” is “seeing it the way God says it is”. When I have “faith”, I am walking in trust and belief of God’s record, taking as truth God’s expressed view of the situation. Forgiveness of an offensive but repentant disciple and seemingly endless patience with them was not going to require a special gift from God – but rather the simplicity of “seeing it the way God said it was”. Listen to the words of Jesus…

Luke 17:6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea; and it would obey you.

Don’t get distracted by the way Jesus made His point here. He isn’t interested in having followers do tree removal – that wasn’t the point. If He wanted a grove of mulberry trees in the ocean, He could have put them there. He was being absurd to make a very important point: the tiniest faith could have incredible results. It isn’t simply the AMOUNT of belief that makes us powerful and impacting – it is faith in the right Person or thing. If we believe what God says, even a little bit, that belief becomes incredibly energizing and powerful.

Truth doesn’t get stronger because more people believe it – it simply helps people more effectively when they don’t resist it. Kicking against the right answer not only exhausts the kicker, it can easily deceive them into thinking they are progressing when they are, in fact, expending energy and getting no closer to solving their underlying problems. Exhausted, they end up in the wrong place, sad and often cynical that an answer even exists. Welcome to modernity where the popular is often mistaken as the true. This is the reason that learning to distinguish the truth from contemporary mythology is so vitally important. You don’t need a new amount of power from God – you and I need to trust what God’s Word already says. Even a small amount of applied Biblical knowledge, trust and belief will bear results.

Let me give you a simple example: If you want to be healthy, but you decide that you can eat anything you want as much as you want and never exercise at all – as long as you eat one raw carrot every day before 8 AM – all the belief in the world won’t make that true. If you act on that self-invented truth, under normal conditions you will eventually gain girth and lose health. On the other hand, if you decide that a careful diet and some consistent amounts of exercise will help you be a healthier person, you don’t have to really understand how it all works, you just have to accept it to the point that you are willing to consistently act on it. You don’t need to become a nutritionist, nor do you have to hire a personal trainer – but the more you move into the path of living out the truth, the healthier you can expect to be. It isn’t a sure thing, because in the fallen world we live in, there are other factors that affect your health – but in general the point is the same. The less you resist living the truth, the more powerful the truth becomes in your life. The more you live in the land of your own made-up rules – the less things work out.

This is the fundamental problem in our modern view of things like the family. I recognize that some of our congregation grew up in single parent homes. I recognize that some are raising children in them right now. Yet, in the interest of making that seem less awkward, I will not “normalize” that situation. I want to be clear – God designed biologically, emotionally and spiritually a home to consist, whenever possible, of both a father and a mother for the child. No amount of polling in America will change that truth. The more we resist that and try to make other forms of “family” just as “normal” the longer we will prolong the mythology that will harm children. I am not asking those of you who had one parent to curse the memory of your home. I am not suggesting that those who grow up in single-parent homes are somehow destined to be delinquent. I am ALSO not saying it was the design God intended. It will take greater care, more intense effort to do it in a way it was not designed. It can and should be navigated successfully – but let’s not throw out the clear design of the home so that we can make people feel good about their home. Let’s know the design, and seek the design. When it doesn’t happen – let’s add extra support and care for the child.

I am calling on the men of churches to step out and help single moms with things like their automobile upkeep, physical needs around their property – and especially the care of sons who need guidance and modeling by men. We need to do this with wholesomeness, absolute care in our deportment so that no one is ensnared by sin – but we need to do it. People matter to our Master, and they need to matter to us. It isn’t enough to worship vibrantly, and live Christianity privately – we are part of a city set on a hill that cannot and must not be hidden.

The point here was this: Jesus expected the disciples to recognize that they didn’t need to have a full understanding of all the implications of forgiveness – they needed to trust what He told them to do – and forgive one another when repentance was clear. If they would just do that, God would do powerful things through their life. He also wanted to make clear that what He was telling them to do was not some EXCEPTIONAL THING – but the normal requirement of being His follower. He said:

Luke 17:7 “Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down to eat’? 8 “But will he not say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and [properly] clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’? 9 “He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? 10 “So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done [only] that which we ought to have done.'”

In His day, a slave worked all day and then prepared the meal for his or her master before they took in nourishment – and that was expected by both the slave and the master. They both knew the system, and they both recognized the regular expectations. Imagine it is much like what happens when a family with several children in diapers goes on an outing and arrives home after the long drive. Everyone comes in and everyone is famished. The children have slept, the adults have not. Does this mean that the toddlers pitch in to get dinner ready? Not at all! The toddlers plop down on the floor, hungry and start to cry. A tired mom and dad get the children in high chairs and get food in them – the adults can eat later when peace is restored. It is an inadequate illustration, but it may be more understandable, since we don’t have the same situation people did in the time of the Gospel story. Jesus wanted them to know forgiveness, even repeated forgiveness to hard-headed brothers and sisters that keep testing our patience – wasn’t a noble and unusual act – it was the normal expectation of our Master. It may mean we will be taken advantage of, but we have to trust that Jesus will deal with those who make snares in the end.

Third, the tender heart of Jesus toward a hurting stranger made Him tough on those who felt entitled to God’s help (17:11-19).

Apparently the setting had changed, and Jesus was now walking on the way as He came upon ten men who sat along a road leading into the heart of a village begging, for they were lepers. Their leprosy brought them together, though some were apparently Galilean Jews and others were apparently Samaritans (or at least one was!). Luke recorded:

Luke 17:11 While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; 13 and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed. 15 Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, 16 and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine– where are they? 18 “Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.

Jesus encountered ten men with needs, but only one that felt the need to return to Him. What makes a person accept such a great gift from God and NOT say thank you? In a word, the answer is “entitlement”. When we believe we DESERVE something, we don’t become teary-eyed at receiving it. When we get a paycheck, we don’t view that as benevolence – because we feel we EARNED the money with our labors.

Look closely at the details of the story. Jesus was Jerusalem bound, heading south on the dividing road between Jewish and Samaritan territory. On the edge of the village were lepers who called out to Him for mercy. Jesus didn’t stop. He didn’t touch them. He didn’t turn and preach or even promise them healing. Jesus simply just replied: “Go and show yourself to the priests.” That is what they WOULD do if they were healed, but they weren’t healed yet. He told them to move BEFORE any healing took place. They got up, probably a bit puzzled, but thought… “Well, why not? We can always say that crazy teacher from Nazareth told us to do it!” Off they went… The text doesn’t say which man noticed first, but AS THEY WERE GOING the leprosy began to withdraw its devastating effects from their skin, and they were made whole. Nine continued to the priests, but one just couldn’t contain himself. He couldn’t go on and walk further from the One Who brought him healing. He burst into praise and returned to Jesus. Can you imagine why?

The Samaritan didn’t DREAM that God would heal him. He didn’t FEEL worthy! He didn’t FEEL accepted. He didn’t believe he was ENTITLED to get from God what God was more than willing to give him. I believe Luke placed this story after the last one about repeated forgiveness of brothers for a reason… people who are overwhelmed with God’s love offer God’s love. People who are stunned by the mercy of God, find it easier to see others through eyes of mercy. Yet, people who believe they are worth more than others, who feel “entitled” to the good life, have little patience with those who stumble about offensively with need for more love and more forgiveness daily.

Entitlement kills love. It kills grace. It crushes mercy. It severs sensitivity like LEPROSY. Nine guys lost their leprosy, but they never got sensitivity – they just felt like they got what others had – health – and that was their right. One man got back sensitive skin and a heart filled with praise, love and wonder. I submit to you that only one man was truly healed that day – the others simply got a body renewed. Jesus made the point that it was worth healing the group, to see the wonder in one restored worshipper. Wouldn’t you have loved to hear the sound of this man’s praise? Was there ever a song sung with more passion, more brokenness and more wonder? I doubt it.

A fourth short remembrance showed that the tender heart of Jesus toward needy made Him tough on those who saw power as more important than people (17:20-21).

Luke told it this way:

Luke 17:20 Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here [it is]!’ or, ‘There [it is]!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

The short clip from Jesus’ ministry began with a conversation Jesus had with some Pharisees. They wanted to see His “prophecy chart” and compare notes on when the glorious Kingdom of God was going to make them important in the story of history. They wanted to know what was next, what to look for… all the while hurting people were being neglected around them. They wanted to debate theology rather than feed hungry souls. They wanted to air out their theories rather than dirty their hands in the service of God. Jesus wanted them to get their head out of their scrolls and look around. He wanted them to let the Scripture PUSH THEM to a life that mattered, not let it become an artifact that gobbled up their time in endless projections and calculations. Let me be clear: I am a Bible teacher, and I believe knowing the text is the key to understanding God’s heart. I don’t want sloppy Bible study, and I demand that my students take the work seriously – in the study of every part of the Word. At the same time – the Word and its understanding is a tool, a means to an end. The end is relationship with God – not knowledge of a set of books. Yes, they are God’s Word. Yes, they are HOLY. Yes, they offer the key to answers. Yet, in the end, in HIM is life. The Word gets me to Him, but HIS ARMS are the destination for which I must long. The bottom line is this: Prophecy is not more important than people. Study should lead me to compassion, to witness bearing, to loving – or there is something wrong with my study. I want to deliberately encourage study of the Word that leads to a what Tozer called “a mighty longing after God”.

Finally, the string of stories in the chapter end with how the tender heart of Jesus toward those who would long for His return made Him tough on those who wanted to “talk theory” about the coming day of judgment (17:3-10).

Because our study of the Word should lead us back to people, gathering them to the Savior, the cold-hearted study of the Pharisees prompted Jesus to explain an important truth to His men. Luke wrote:

Luke 17:22 And He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.

The Pharisees anticipated the Kingdom, but not the Tribulation that would unfold on the way to the Kingdom. They anticipated the special nature of the Jewish people, but overlooked the special judgment they would face in the days leading up to that moment. Prophets had promised it, but they didn’t take it as seriously as they should have. Jesus told His followers there would be days ahead that were painful, and they would long to have the Kingdom arrive. He went on:

Luke 17:23 “They will say to you, ‘Look there! Look here!’ Do not go away, and do not run after [them].

Hearkening back to the theme of entrapment earlier in the passage, Jesus said that His people will become desperate in the days ahead, and be tempted to be drawn out of hiding to chase after promises of peace and Kingdom. The Master made it clear: Don’t go. Then He added:

Luke 17:24 “For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day.

The cryptic reference was to say something quite simple: When it is really ME, it will be as obvious as the lightning across the sky. Jesus doesn’t plan on a quiet “manger entrance” next time He comes to stand before the Jewish people… Jesus went on:

Luke 17:25 “But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

Jesus made the point that first came rejection, then personal suffering – and only later Kingdom rule…

Luke 17:26 “And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

This isn’t a reference to a rapture of the church. Look closely at the metaphor. Jesus said that like those TAKEN in the days of Noah (that is KILLED) while they were not ready, so will His coming to His people be. People will be killed, but a few will be preserved as it was in the ark. He made the same point in the story of Lot:

Luke 17:28 “It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; 29 but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.

His warning was straightforward – most people won’t be ready or watching…

Luke 17:30 “It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.

Those who are watching, those who are regarding this warning of Jesus know what when trouble comes, it will be a sign that the return of the King is drawing near, and they must hide and wait. People who obey will make it to the cave. People who don’t will end up like a salt pillar. He said:

Luke 17:31 “On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. 32 “Remember Lot’s wife. 33 “Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses [his life] will preserve it. 34 “I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 “There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. 36 [“Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.]” 37 And answering they said to Him, “Where, Lord?” And He said to them, “Where the body [is], there also the vultures will be gathered.”

Jesus ended the story with a simple: “Watch the vultures, that is where the bodies are!” If you pay attention to the signs, you will see where they point. For Jesus, these weren’t theories or stories. Every person crushed in judgment wounded Him. He wasn’t hungry to judge, He was hungry to save. He warned. He cautioned – because He doesn’t WANT people to ignore the troubles that are ahead – He wants them to recognize the days for what they are – signs of the end.

Jesus was both tough and tender. He showed particular kindness to those who were rejected, hurt and weak – but made clear He detested smugness and stubbornness.

Because you know that is true when looking at this whole set of stories, should we not look at our days carefully and measure the tenderness of our hearts more carefully?

Pastor Jimmie Hale wrote: “During a terrible storm at sea that threatened every moment to carry the ship to the bottom, one of the ship’s crew was doing something on the deck when a great sea struck the ship and went fairly over the deck, striking this man with great force, disabling him and carrying him into the mad waters. Although he was a good swimmer, he was so disabled that he could only keep above water. They saw him lifting up his imploring hands through the white foam, signifying his desire for help. But the Captain said, “Don’t lower a boat, for no small boat can live in this sea, in this terrific storm. We cannot save the man. The most we can do is to save the ship.” The vessel was bearing farther and farther from the helpless man. Once more they saw his imploring hands come up among the white caps further off, which moved all hearts that witnessed it. Still the Captain said a small boat must not be lowered, as it could not live a moment among these wild billows. But one man who was an expert swimmer, was so moved by the imploring signals of the drowning man, that he threw off his loose garments, saying: “I will save that man, or die with him.” So plunging into the surging deep, he struggled so bravely with the mad waters, that he reached the poor man just as his strength had gone; he had given up and was filling with water, and sinking down unconscious. He grasped him, and strange to tell, he brought him so near the ship that a small boat was lowered, and both men were taken up and laid down upon the deck. The one that had been swept overboard, entirely unconscious and his deliverer nearly so. Appliances were used and both were brought to consciousness. As soon as the rescued man opened his eyes and found he was not in the ocean, his first words were: “Who saved me?” He was pointed to his deliverer still lying on the deck in his wet clothes. He crept to his deliverer, and putting his arms around his feet, and in the most tender and heart moving tone of voice cried out: “I’m your servant, I’m your servant.” He felt that he could never do enough for him. Let me ask all who read this incident, would you not put your arms about the bleeding feet of your great Deliverer and say from a full heart: “Jesus, I’m your servant, I’m your servant. Ask anything of me, Jesus, and I will do it the best I can.” (From a sermon by Jimmy Haile, My Father’s Business, 9/29/2011).

Following His Footsteps: “Master Storyteller” (Part One) – Luke 14

garrison keillorI didn’t grow up in the upper Midwest, and I have only been to Minnesota and Wisconsin a few times. In fact, thinking about it, I have never been in Minnesota during any season but winter. You cannot prove by my experience that anything grows in that state except house plants and hotel lobby plants – but that surely isn’t the case. If you DID grow up in Minnesota, I am certain that you have heard of the fictitious Lake Woebegone and it her favorite traveling minstrel, Gary Edward “Garrison” Keillor, who entered the real world of Minnesota in 1942, and grew to be the author, storyteller, humorist, and radio personality that he is today. He is probably best known as the host of the Minnesota Public Radio show “A Prairie Home Companion”.

If you have ever heard his voice, you know he is a world-class storyteller. Only the Irish come close to his talents in regard to spinning a saga. He has the ability to weave a tale about virtually nothing, and make it fascinating and funny. I am captivated by his homespun humor, but in this lesson I am focused on his storytelling ability. After following years of his radio persona, I have come to the conclusion that I am only now beginning to understand some of his humor – because it is rooted in specific knowledge of the culture of the upper Midwest that I simply didn’t understand. The more I understand about that culture, the funnier his references become. His humor is developed, at time at a very high level. The problem for the longest time wasn’t him – it was me. I just didn’t know what I needed to know to “get” what he was saying. I mention that, because it strikes me that the same problem exists for many Christians listening to Jesus as the Master Teacher that is reflected in the Gospels.

As we look more deeply into the teachings of the Master during His extended trip through Perea late in His earth ministry, listening to the parables becomes very important. Many a wrong theology came from a poor listener, who taught from the Bible with the confidence they were teaching truth – but close inspection shows those insights to be imposed on the Gospel account, not pulled from it. Nowhere is that problem more evident than in the teachings we will explore in this lesson. Here is the key we need to keep in mind….

Key Principle: You have to know the teacher to understand His message.

In order to truly understand the message, the hearer should understand the culture and teaching method of the speaker. If the teacher’s background is a mystery, the teachings they offer will be only vaguely understood.

I want to be honest and make clear to you that the key principle is normally a spiritual lesson that I derive FROM the text – and it is usually what I believe to be the underlying truth that binds the story together. For this lesson, I am deliberately doing some differently. In this case, the key principle is designed to “hover over the text” to help us make the words more clear. I recognize that means we need to take extra care here so that we don’t impose ideas on the narrative, but I believe every student of the Word will recognize the benefits of recalling the parables and teaching of Jesus in the way they were conveyed and interpreted by His original audience so long ago, as best we are able.

The Lesson of the Seating Chart (Luke 14:7-14)

Jesus was teaching at a banquet, where He was expected to offer insight while reclining beside a table, as that was the custom. The host was eager, and the guests were their to evaluate the teacher. Luke recorded:

Luke 14:7 And He [began] speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor [at the table], saying to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give [your] place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. 10 “But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. 11 “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 12 And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and [that] will be your repayment. 13 “But when you give a reception, invite [the] poor, [the] crippled, [the] lame, [the] blind, 14 and you will be blessed, since they do not have [the means] to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

There are five important things I would like you to notice about the instruction:

The Setting: Both the instruction and the parable that followed it were given at a villa banquet, and directed at the invited guests, people of some importance and distinction, while other uninvited guests watched from the atrium of the home (14:7a).

The Cause: The Master gave the instruction after He noticed how people chose their seats around the table (14:7b).

The Truth: Jesus told the men not to choose a place that was highly important, because it created embarrassment when one who was more important entered, and left them moving to a lesser place. At the same time, that was the opening, not the main teaching (14:8-10).

The Teaching: Those who believe they are very important will find that others do not take their place seriously, but those who see others as more important than themselves will find that others show them greater honor. The way to be important to people is serve them.

The Instruction: Serve those who no one else is serving. Show love to those who have so little that they will know you did not do it for pay. God loves mercy and humility, and will not forget your deed.

In the world of the first century in the Judea and the Galilee, the customary presentation of a guest to a room mixed with scholars and seeker was the norm. Jesus interrupted the flow by teaching – not in vast generalizations – but in specific admonitions to those at the banquet table. That was different, but not entirely unheard of. What was difficult was the suggestion that they were not men of proper attitude. Insulting people never endears them to you. Jesus was making a point – and that was more important than making new friends in that room.

People of status have a tendency to spend their time with people of similar or greater rank. They see life, many of them, as a climb to the top – with many left beneath them in the end. They pass by hurting people, and consume their wealth on themselves, surrounded by other “beautiful people” – the people who have their problems well-hidden beneath coats of cosmetic paint and fancy clothes. It isn’t their wealth that makes them insensitive – it is their choice to use it to promote self instead of helping those who have greater need. The self-fixation is the real issue.

Let’s say it plainly: Jesus wants His followers to see themselves as less important than those around them. He wants His disciples to reflect humility and sensitivity. It is at the heart of His call and cannot be ignored if we are to be obedient to Him

The Parable of the Big Dinner (Luke 14:15-24)

When they heard Jesus’ words, they weren’t sure how to react. One man made clear that he expected to be a part of the kingdom of God, and knew that he would be happy to do so. He called from the table side:

Luke 14:15 When one of those who were reclining [at the table] with Him heard this, he said to Him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”

The truth is, that was a quiet repudiation of the words Jesus had just uttered. No one at the table believed that blind, lame and poor were going to be ushered to seats of greatness by the Creator. After all, if He thought highly of them, why were they suffering now?

Luke recorded the parable Jesus offered in response to that thinking:

Luke 14:16 But He said to him, “A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; 17 and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ 18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.’ 19 “Another one said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.’ 20 “Another one said, I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’ 21 “And the slave came [back] and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22 “And the slave said, ‘Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 “And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel [them] to come in, so that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.'”

We might be able to pick out three parts of this parable of Jesus.

First, there was the initial invitation that met rejection. The man made preparations and invited the usual guests, but they offered excuses and didn’t respond to the invitation to come (14:15-20).

Second, there was the startling new invitation that met delight. When the slave that brought the invitation to the invited guests returned and told the man his invitations were turned down, the man didn’t cancel the banquet and toss the food, he decided to bring guests that were unlikely and normally uninvited (14:21). The slave obeyed, and each was brought to the banquet, but there was yet more room (14:22).

Finally, there was explanation that explained what the man was doing. The slave was told to go out and find anyone to fill the seats, because he did not want those who rejected his invitation to show up later and think a seat was waiting for them (14:23-24).

The point of the story is that some imagine themselves to be so important, their expectation becomes presumption. The man who thought he would be in the kingdom of God’s great banquet hall with the lame and blind left out did not understand what God was looking for inside those with whom He would work. God doesn’t need our vast confidence, only our commitment to follow Him when He calls. God doesn’t see our qualifications as our attraction point – because He knows our frame. He doesn’t work with us, or even desire to work in and through us, because of our accomplishments, our reputation or our potential. He calls us because He loves us. He wants us because He made us. It isn’t our beauty, our personality or our ability that He uses to draw us in – it is our neediness, our bankruptcy. God resists those who think they are good enough, but offers special favor to those who know their own brokenness and often seek His repair.

Every follower of Jesus, especially after we have followed for some time and have some “accomplishments for the Kingdom” under our belt, needs to heed the warnings of Jesus about attitude from this parable. We don’t have God because we deserve Him. We aren’t invited because we are better. We shouldn’t put God on “hold” because we have essential commitments that call us to do something BEFORE we get to deal with Him and His great invitation.

Jesus’ parable likely referred to the fact that the contemporary generation of Jewish leaders – those who delivered Him into the hands of Pilate and the Romans – would be set aside for a future generation of Jews, who would one day behold Him and know they need Him. Zechariah foretold:

Zechariah 12:8 “In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David [will be] like God, like the angel of the LORD before them. 9 “And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.

The Apostle Paul explained that day had not yet come, but he anticipated it to come in the future:

Romans 11:1 “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! …11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation [has come] to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. 12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!…18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, [remember that] it is not you who supports the root, but the root [supports] you…21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off….25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery– so that you will not be wise in your own estimation– that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.”

Essentially, Jesus made plain the great sin of presumption he heard from the man at the banquet. The man PRESUMED he would be called to be a part of the kingdom and its feasting – for God had so blessed Him in THIS life. He knew the “little people” were on the roadway – the hurting, the broken, the physically destroyed. They were the “other people” – those pitiful unfortunates that did not see the hand of blessing in this life that God had showered on him and his family. They were not blessed – and he presumed there must be a reason. Like Job’s friends, his theology allowed for blessing of the beloved and curse of the broken… and he was wrong.

Jesus made clear that people don’t have God’s blessing in the material world because we deserve it. Others in our world that struggle with extreme deprivation aren’t in that state because they don’t deserve what we have. There are many reasons for their lack and our abundance. The one thing Jesus made clear is that none of us can claim we have what we have because we are the deserving. Blessing is not God’s paycheck. Ease is not the stamp of God’s approval. Some who were approved of God in the text of Scripture struggled deeply and consistently – while many of those who lived in ease and relative comfort walked far from God. Despite what some have preached over the airwaves, Jesus made it abundantly clear that there is simply no fixed correlation between ease and righteousness, between material prosperity and God’s approval. Many who followed God throughout history found themselves wounded for doing do, while many who “blew through” accumulated material possessions didn’t even know God. Blessing in the coming kingdom cannot simply be measured by those who have much in the current earthly domain.

Some believers, sitting on dirt-floored huts in desolate villages, will enjoy great reward in the kingdom ahead – not because they were poor, but because they followed God greatly in spite of the fact they could not see immediate response in the temporal world. When we see our temporal privileges as a sign of God’s approval, we are too short-sighted. God DOES bless some now, because He chooses to do so. That was Jesus’ warning about presumption – and we need to revisit it again and again. Often we don’t see the world through His eyes.

Again, we must say it plainly, so it is not lost in Christian verbiage: Jesus wants His followers to see ourselves as entirely undeserving of His great invitation – and know that God chooses to work among the least, not the greatest.

The Call of True Invitation (Luke 14:25-35)

Luke attached another story directly after the banquet, and the language is not as clear in the original text as the English translation. It may be that the story is not AFTER Jesus left the room, but from the atrium of the home as they listened. This may be a story from the same setting, and the crowds “going along with Him” may be an expression of agreement, not a statement of travel. We simply cannot tell. Luke wrote:

Luke 14:25 Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 “Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 “Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand [men] to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 “Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. 34 “Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? 35 “It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

There are two distinct parts to what Jesus said in this teaching, and both are tough but clear.

The first part we will extract from the middle of the text – the need to seriously count the cost before hastily agreeing to follow Jesus (14:28-32). His words to illustrate this truth were in pictures:

• There was a picture of a tower builder, who did not assess the total cost of the project, but had to stop half-way because of insufficient funds. He brought ridicule on himself by laying a foundation, but finding it impossible to finish.

• There was a picture of a ruler who bounded into battle without carefully considering whether his army could stand up to the fight against a larger army. He should have looked for a negotiated solution, but acted without forethought.

In our haste to offer Jesus to people as the answer for their momentary problem, we need to be careful not to remove the demands that Jesus places on His followers, and we need to heed the warnings He gave about considering the cost. We cannot simply offer new life in Christ without its requisite life surrender. When we do so, we are offering only part of the Biblical message. When we do so, we offer a message different than Jesus Himself offered. We must ask people to consider both the benefits of the Gospel and the demands of it as well. The Good News is that God has made a way for me to have a relationship with Him through Christ’s payment. The Good News is that God will declare me righteous because a Righteous One died in place of my death for my sin. The Good News is NOT that there is nothing God expects from me but a few words muttered under my breath at a Crusade or church service. He wants ME to surrender to HIM. If that is not included in the message, how can someone count the cost before they begin to claim Jesus as their Savior? No matter how one approaches the theology here, all believers of every stripe will agree that God’s plain desire is that His followers to yield to His direction – to do what He says. Some may think they can present Jesus without the message of surrender, but they will eventually have to agree that must be reckoned with before one is truly doing what God wants. Follower means that I… follow. How can someone know that is God’s desire and make an informed decision if that is not part of the message of the Gospel we preach?

The second are the tough conditions for becoming and remaining a disciple of Jesus (14:26-27 and 33). Jesus mentioned four specifics:

First, the area was surrendered relationships. He included parents, children and siblings. The simple question Jesus left us to answer is this: “Is there any relationship so important that I would not allow my Savior to direct me in it? Is there any relationship more important than my obedience to Him? If I cannot say without a doubt that all relationships are subject to my Master’s direction – I cannot claim I am His disciple. I simply can’t.

Second, Jesus included the follower’s own life. Jesus wanted it clear that His followers didn’t own their own lives – He did. He could call them to far flung places for His purpose, or place them, in His plan, in a hospital ward to be a witness for Him. Any follower who wants veto rights for his own life hasn’t surrendered that life. Jesus offered little to the one who wanted eternal life but also ownership of his own life – He simply said they CANNOT be my disciple.

Third, the area of life direction was made clear. Jesus expects followers to give up choices in life direction, and follow Him in the path He guides. If we think we are Christian, but are making the choices for our life without His guiding hand and our humble submission, we are not. A disciple doesn’t dictate terms to his teacher – he follows directions. He listens to God’s path and then follows it. That includes marriage choices, career choices, school choices, parenting choices, new homes, new cars, new jobs – all of it. Either we are deliberately and consciously following Jesus’ direction or we are not – and we may be the only one who truly knows if we are or not.

Fourth, the area of possessions was highlighted. Jesus clearly outlined that any who follow Him would stop possessing the things in their life, and would deliberately surrender them to the Savior. That surrender of the use of anything God provided for my life comes as a natural byproduct of giving up my direction, health and relationships. Either the stuff in my life is His to take away or increase – or it is mine. Jesus made clear if it is mine, I am not His disciple.

I keep reading about people that posit the term “Christian” and “disciple” are not interchangeable – as if one can begin to follow Jesus for salvation, surrender nothing, and yet claim to be one of His. The problem is, that doesn’t seem to have Biblical support. It may make us feel better by suggesting a lesser standard – but the two terms appear to be used interchangeably in the text. The term “disciples” occurs 269 times in the Christian Scriptures, but the term “Christian” occurs a mere three (3) times.

Luke recorded: “The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch” (Acts 11:26). This suggests the early believers used the terms to mean the same thing. The hard part is the implication: if the two words mean the same thing in the usage of Jesus, when He said “you cannot be My disciple” He was also saying “you cannot call yourself a Christian”. If that sounds too harsh, consider the meaning of Christian as “little Christ” or “follower of Christ” – and it seems clearer. Jesus’ words in 14:27, “Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” could also be phrased as “Anybody who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be a Christian.” When I say it that way it not only gets my attention more, it clarifies how serious the issue was to the Master.

When Luke introduced the crowd in the beginning, he noted several things about them. First, they were large, and second they were “going along after Him.” Jesus “turned to them” and taught on being a disciple. He didn’t drop into their lives – they were already curiously following Him around to observe what the fuss was all about. They weren’t antagonistic towards the Master, nor uninterested in His presentation. In “going along after Him” they seemed to be positive in their attitude toward Him, but not yet a part of His discipleship group. Like many today, they apparently mistook a positive attitude toward Jesus and some curious interest in Jesus for discipleship. They were certainly casual fans, but not committed followers.

So many in our time are like them – willing to quote Jesus when He says something warm and comforting, but unwilling to explore any teaching that would present a high cost to their prized personal freedom. They would be willing to give Him an hour on Sunday, a hymn, acknowledgement at a friend’s funeral, and a thirty second recitation of prayer before eating. Look at what Jesus truly required. No relationship could be more important. We couldn’t cling even to our own life as more significant than His direction. Our stuff is placed in His hands. Our direction for the few years of life we have are placed in His care.

Oswald Chambers put it this way: “The religion of Jesus is the religion of a little child. There is no affectation about a disciple of Jesus, he is as a little child, amazingly simple but unfathomably deep. Many of us are not childlike enough, we are childish.

We must recite the words yet again: Jesus wants His followers to recognize that we own nothing. We possess nothing. Our relationships are subject to Him, as is even our own breath. We are His and not our own. There simply is no selfish form of disciple – that is a myth. Followers surrender and the un-surrendered aren’t truly following.

Shortly after coming to Christ, Sadhu Sundar, a Hindu convert to Christ, felt called to become a missionary to India. Late one afternoon Sadhu was traveling on foot through the Himalayas with a Buddhist monk. It was bitterly cold and the wind felt like sharp blades slicing into Sadhu’s skin. Night was approaching fast when the monk warned Sadhu that they were in danger of freezing to death if they did not reach the monastery before darkness fell. Just as they were traversing a narrow path above a steep cliff, they heard a cry for help. Down the cliff lay a man, fallen and badly hurt. The monk looked at Sadhu and said, “Do not stop. God has brought this man to his fate. He must work it out for himself.” The he quickly added while walking on, “Let us hurry on before we , too, perish.” But Sadhu replied, “God has sent me here to help my brother. I cannot abandon him.” The monk continued trudging off through the whirling snow, while the missionary clambered down the steep embankment. The man’s leg was broken and he could not walk. So Sadhu took his blanket and made a sling of it and tied the man on his back. Then, bending under his burden, he began a body-torturing climb. By the time he reached the narrow path again, he was drenched in perspiration. Doggedly, he made his way through the deepening snow and darkness. It was all he could do to follow the path. But he persevered, though faint with fatigue and overheated from exertion. Finally he saw ahead the lights of the monastery. Then, for the first time, Sadhu stumbled and nearly fell. But not from weakness. He had stumbled over an object lying in the snow-covered road. Slowly he bent down on one knee and brushed the snow off the object. It was the body of the monk, frozen to death. (Taken from Sermon Central illustrations).

Jesus made it clear: those who love their life lose it. Those who yield it to Him gain life beyond their own compare. The problem is that not everyone understands what He said. Why? You have to know the teacher to understand His message.

Following His Footsteps: “Master Storyteller” (Part Two) – Luke 14-16

Brothers GrimmOne of the lost arts of our day is that of good storytelling. For generations, people huddled around the hearth and heard tales passed from mouth to ear. Some were famous tales that survived over-alteration, and came from places like those from the collection of the Brothers Grimm. Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were German scholars who collected and published folklore during the early 19th century. They popularized stories such as “Cinderella”, “Hansel and Gretel”, “Rapunzel”, “Rumpelstiltskin” and “Snow White”. Their first collection was published in 1812, and they have been retold countless times.

Many storytellers offered their tales because of the moral they taught the listeners – for storytelling can be a powerful way to transmit a world view and moral system. If you follow the trail back through history, one of the profound moralist storytellers was Jesus, Who used that very medium to explain some weighty truths about God and walking with Him. Jesus seems to have truly enjoyed telling stories – it didn’t matter if it were of plants, fish, rocks or gardens – He had a tale from which He could make eternal truth graspable for the average listener. Unfortunately, as time has passed and cultural references have changed, some of His best material seems dulled from its original luster.

In fact, I would argue that sometimes we struggle to follow God when we know what He has told us to do – it is a battle of the will. Yet, other times we honestly struggle to understand the record God left us in His word – and that can happen easily in grasping the truth from a story told by Jesus. We won’t do what we should and won’t avoid what we must if we don’t understand what Jesus taught about God, life, others and surrender. Some training in His time and the method of storytelling of long ago is essential to properly grasping His message….

Key Principle: We must learn to listen carefully to the storyteller to truly understand His message.

In this lesson, we return to parables as the medium through which Heavenly truths will be unfolded by God, as He taught in human skin from a hillside in the Galilee two thousand years ago. Though this isn’t a CLASS, it is a learning situation, and I want to carefully suggest that learning the pattern of a parable can keep us from extracting the wrong ideas from the Gospel accounts. A casual search of YouTube will reveal that many don’t seem to understand how to get the central truths from the stories recorded in the New Testament – so this is worth our time and attention.

There are three stories that Jesus went on to present to people that we want to look at briefly in this lesson. Each has been misunderstood and misapplied because the form they were delivered in was unfamiliar to the one teaching each passage. We want to understand parables, and get a particular grasp on how to get the intended truth from them the Teacher offered. The three parables are:

• The Parable of Joy in a string of three stories,
• The Parable of the Shrewd Learner (along with application teachings),
• The Parable of Sufficient Revelation.

For the moment, let’s rehearse the biggest principle in dealing with parables. The rule is this: Let the main thing be the main thing, and let the details fall away. No parable is intended to teach a dozen principles – that isn’t how the form was used by the rabbis of yesteryear. Don’t apply YOUR rules to the text – apply the rules of the people in the original situation. Let me illustrate this once more with the first well known parable string with three stories.

The Parable of Joy

We have explored this story a number of times in the past, but each opportunity in a passage is a new mix of listeners, so let’s stop and think through the scene, the string and the Savior’s key principle. The text is Luke 15…

The story opens with the setting that defines the need and true audience for the teaching. Luke 15:1 “Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. 2 Both the Pharisees and the scribes [began] to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He told them this parable, saying

These verses tell us clearly three things:

First, broken people and people with reputations came to Jesus – and He was approachable.

Second, religious leaders thought that Jesus’ approachability was a terrible quality, because it signaled at the least compromise and at the most outright sinful acceptance of those who should be shunned.

Third, Jesus chose to tell a story to make the point to the grumblers. That is a key. Jesus didn’t teach the three stories of the “Parable of Joy” to get broken people to learn about God’s love. He didn’t teach them to people with bad reputations to get them to understand how to clean up their lives. If the hearts of people such as these were moved, it was secondary. Jesus was responding to religious grumblers, and that sets the landscape of the teaching.

Jesus told three stories in the string: a story of a lost sheep, a story of a lost coin, and a story of a lost son. The first story referenced a man on his job. The second story was about a woman in her home. The third story was about a broken-hearted parent and two fussing siblings. In the end, Jesus included almost everyone in his audience – men, women, parents, children. Think through each story and the pattern of “something lost” followed by “something found” responded properly to by “JOY!”

In verses 4-7, Jesus used the shepherd’s craft to explain the story…

Luke 15:4 “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 “When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.” 6 “And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 “I tell you that in the same way, there will be [more] joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

The pattern is clear: a sheep lost, a sheep found, a celebration of joy ensues. The message is simple: “When that which is lost is found, JOY is the natural result.” Jesus made the point that HEAVEN REJOICES when sinners return – because that is what redemption is all about.

The second story of the string is found in verses 8 to 10, this time in a home with a woman who lost what was likely one of her prized dowry coins.

Luke 15:8 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 “When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ 10 “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

Again the pattern is clear – if you are listening carefully: a coin is lost, the coin is recovered, neighbors are invited to share a celebration of JOY. Again, angels are taking joy over the recovered sinner. Again the message: “When that which was lost is found, JOY should be the result!”

The final story is told of a father and his two sons in verse 11 to 32. Look closely at the text. You will see the cast of characters is verse 11. In verse 12 you will be surprised at the insolence of a rebellious and restless son. In verse 13 you watch as he journeys away, and in verse 14 you watch as he throws away all that came to him in inheritance. By verse 15 you can see his desperation in the word “impoverished”. In verse 16 – 19 we see the boy hungry, standing in pig slop, dreaming of home and rehearsing his shame before his father in his mind.

The turning point of the story can be found in verse 20, because the boy came to his senses and went home. His father raced out to him as the boy attempted to humble himself in verse 21, but his father was busy hugging and preparing a celebration. Stop. Don’t get caught in the details… in the pattern IS the point. The pattern was a son lost, a son found… now enter the detail that DOESN’T FIT. Something is wrong in the end of the story…

Luke 15:25 “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 “And he summoned one of the servants and [began] inquiring what these things could be. 27 “And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 “But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and [began] pleading with him. 29 “But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and [yet] you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; 30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ 31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and [has begun] to live, and [was] lost and has been found.'”

Look at the older brother. He is the religious moaner from the beginning of the story. He wasn’t happy with an approachable Teacher – he wasn’t excited about broken people being restored to God. He was angry and grumbling. God was forgiving, and that never sits well with someone who has worked so hard to do the right thing. It feels like the one who did wrong got all the same benefits but didn’t have to work so hard at it!

The truth is the Pharisee didn’t have any idea how hard it was to be the lost son. He didn’t know the inner price that someone pays in becoming crushed by their own rebellion. He did right, and he didn’t have much in the way fo patience for someone who didn’t work as hard at righteousness. He saw his discipline as work, and their moral sloppiness as a short cut. He couldn’t feel what it was like to walk in the dark places the lost son knew all too well. The Pharisee didn’t understand the deep inner shame the broken boy brought to his father.

The point of the parable is simple: When that which is lost is found, joy should be the result. If that is NOT what happens, something is wrong with our heart. People who know God should celebrate broken people being restored to God, and value them as much as they do those who never walked away. I believe without a doubt that was the heart of what Jesus wanted to say.

Let me be clear: I have heard this taught many times about the father’s love – but I don’t believe that was Jesus’ intent at all. I have heard it taught about the boy’s need to come to his senses and repent – and it made a great Gospel appeal – but I don’t think that was Jesus’ point at all – and I believe taking the main point from the details of a parable is both WRONG and DANGEROUS. Let me prove my point as we explore in Luke 16…

The Parable of the Shrewd Learner

Jesus offered yet another parable. Look carefully at the setting, because you will again see the principle in light of the setting and some knowledge of those to whom the teaching was directed…

Luke 16:1 Now He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and this [manager] was reported to him as squandering his possessions.

Jesus was addressing His followers (not grumbling Pharisees) and trying to make a singular point – but you have to read the whole thing with that ONE POINT in mind. Keep reading…

Luke 16:2 “And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.’ 5 “And he summoned each one of his master’s debtors, and he [began] saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 “And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 “Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

What the man appeared to be doing was cheating his master, but that wasn’t the point of the story. Jesus made clear that the man did what he did to PLAN AHEAD, and that was exactly what his master saw that was lacking in the poor manager. The man who owned the loans was less concerned about getting back all that was owed than he was at the fact that his affairs were in the hands of a man who didn’t plan ahead, and haplessly fell into situations rather than being proactive.

Let’s see if we can pick out the main point in Jesus’ teachings in verses 8 and 9:

Luke 16:8 “And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. 9″And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.

Don’t lose focus here – this saying is hard to unravel. Jesus was trying to make the point that shrewd dealings and careful planning seemed to be lacking in His followers. There is TRUST in God’s provision, and then there is presumptive laziness. There is confidence in the Lord, and there is hubris in throwing all back on God as the owner. Jesus wanted the disciples to know that they needed to learn to be shrewd. They needed to learn to use the things of this world to promote eternal purposes. Things here will melt away – but they are given to us to steward and we must not waste them. Look at verse 9 and read it slowly. Jesus said that His disciples should make friends in the here and now and use the temporal, physical wealth (referred to as “wealth of unrighteousness”).

These words sound confusing, as if Jesus is suggesting bank robbery or some ill-gotten gain – but that is not in view at all. The translation of a common Hebrew expression (used in Targumim by other rabbis) contrasts the word “unrighteous,” against “the true riches” in Luke 16:11, and means “not real, not permanent, not to be trusted.”

When moved from Hebrew and Aramaic by teachers, it often sounds funny and requires explanation, as in 1 Timothy 6:17.

1 Timothy 6:17 “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.”

The point is the money and physical goods of the earth are not to be wasted as the steward had done, but used for God Who supplies them. At the same time, they represent property that is “deceitful” and not to be trusted as any permanent sign of success. In fact, if you look at the three teachings that follow the parable, you can see this even more clearly…

Three Teachings on Temporal Wealth

Lesser and Greater Wealth

Jesus said that physical wealth is a LESSER thing, but spiritual wealth is a GREATER thing. If God cannot trust us with money, He won’t trust us with souls. He said:

Luke 16:10 “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. 11 “Therefore if you have not been faithful in the [use of] unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true [riches] to you? 12 “And if you have not been faithful in [the use of] that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?

It is the responsibility of the followers of Jesus to steward properly the temporal riches to be given access to the greater riches that pay in eternity. Do you want to see God at work in and through you this year? Jesus said the place to start is stewarding well the time, talent and treasure God had already given you.

Choosing to Serve

Jesus also warned that temporal wealth and eternal values will, at some point, part company. Each will pull our hearts, but the directions are not compatible. He said:

Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

It is the responsibility of every believer to serve God with their temporal things, not make their temporal wealth into their God.

The Cloaked Greedy Ones

While Jesus was speaking, the Pharisees were making fun of Him. Jesus made clear their real issue was their heart – and their handling of His cousin John the Baptizer showed they wanted to keep their place at the expense of standing for truth. Luke reminded:

Luke 16:14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. 15 And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God. 16 “The Law and the Prophets [were proclaimed] until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. 17 “But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail. 18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.

Don’t get thrown off by the divorce comment – it related to John’s preaching that got him arrested. The Pharisees knew Herod Antipas was wrong for stealing his brother’s wife and putting the kingdom in jeopardy with a war – and all that was going on in the background of the news at that time. This was a simple reference to what everyone knew after John’s vicious death. Jesus’ point was simple: “You men know John was right morally, yet you did nothing to risk your positions for truth. Don’t look now, but your compromise is showing your underlying greed!”

The point of the whole story and the teachings is not cloudy: Jesus wanted His disciples to learn to use and not waste material things with shrewdness and planning – in order to maximize the eternal benefits. Wealth in the here and now is temporary, but it can be used for things that produced lasting benefits if we don’t walk off into our monastery and deny ourselves any contact with what God provided for our use. Stewarding things can be God’s test bridge to stewarding lives – when we don’t fall in love with things, serve things and compromise to keep things that will melt away at our last heart beat anyway.

Don’t forget. The only way you will not end up at the wrong place in the teaching is to allow the main thing to be the only thing Jesus was teaching. If the details of a parable are the point, even a little bit, you could end up teaching that Jesus liked the deception of the manager – and that isn’t true at all. The main thing was the shrewd stewardship, not the “markdown process” on the bills he used.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

The third and final story for this lesson is the well-known story of a rich man who came from a family that did not trust the testimony of the Scriptures, and died having trusted in the riches of this life as a symbol of God’s acceptance for the next. Jesus told the story:

Luke 16:19 “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. 20 “And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, 21 and longing to be fed with the [crumbs] which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. 22 “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. 23 “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 “And he cried out and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ 25 “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and [that] none may cross over from there to us.’ 27 “And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house—28 for I have five brothers– in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 “But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ 31 “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.‘”

The rich man in verse 19 lived a life of opulence and dressed his part. A poor man named Lazarus (whose name is from Eleazar, or “God is my help”) lay outside the gate of his villa eating the cast off scraps from his table, according to verse 20-21. Lazarus was sickly and sore-ridden, and eventually died – as did the rich man – as told in verse 22.

Jesus awkwardly juxtaposed the rich man in torment and Lazarus in comfort. Note that in verse 24, the rich man thought Lazarus should still be brought into the position of service to HIM. Father Abraham’s reply was telling: “You had a life of comfort while Lazarus suffered – he cannot come and help you now (16:25-26). The rich man begged that Lazarus be ordered to go to the house of the rich man’s family and warn the living of their end to come – a sort of Dicken’s ghost to an Ebenezer Scrooge. Father Abraham offers but one observation – “If they don’t believe the Word of God as provided, they will not believe one back from the dead!”

Remember, the point of these stories is always found in the setting. Jesus was speaking in front of two groups – the disciples and the Pharisees. One group was learning; the other was scoffing. Despite what you may have read – every evidence in the text is that this is NOT an account of the afterlife – it is a story. For one thing, Abraham isn’t a gatekeeper in eternity any more than Peter will meet you at the pearly gates. This was a parable – and the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. The introduction of a name with meaning doesn’t change the fact that it was a mere story. In the afterlife, those who are comforted don’t watch the torment of others – that was a detail like the way the unjust steward figured out how to make friends… stick to the point.

Jesus taught that the testimony of the Scripture was enough to lead people who are open-hearted to a right relationship with God. He was going to be the “dead man” that rose in the days ahead – but that wouldn’t be MORE if they wouldn’t believe the testimony of God’s Holy Word. The Pharisees that didn’t believe the LIVING WORD standing before them, nor truly grasp the Written Word provided them would later resist the RISEN WORD that would be revealed. That was Jesus’ point, and it all came to be as He promised.

It is essential that we recognize that we must learn to listen carefully to the storyteller to truly understand His message.

If we allow the details to distract us, we will be led into the stories that teach an ethic different than the Scriptures…

Look at what Jesus taught in this lesson – and clear out the details to get the key principles that change the way we think.

First, He said that JOY should come to the people of God when one who wandered from God is broken by life and returns into His arms. If we aren’t joyful about that – something is WRONG with us. Jesus’ people are to be those who hurt for the wanderers and rejoice with each who find their way home – safely into a relationship with God. One of the unintended consequences of living the truths of Scripture is that they will make us FEEL DESERVING of God’s love, welling up pride where there should be nothing but humble gratitude. Do I care about the wanderers? Am I more concerned about how their sin keeps them from God, or how they mess up my country? My inner Pharisee can quickly show – and I need to replace the sense of justice with the truth of undeserved mercy.

Second, Jesus taught that His followers need to become shrewd and careful stewards of the temporal things for eternal purposes. They don’t need to spurn riches of this world, nor serve riches of this world; they need to use them for things that will matter in the time after life’s days on earth are over. Do I love the things of this world more than the eternal purposes of God? Are my dreams about acquiring things that will one day slip away in an estate sale after I am gone from here? Do I see the value of what God has put in my hands – my time, my talent and my treasure – to be able to use them for His glory?

Third, Jesus taught that people in this world need to carefully heed the Scriptures concerning who they are, and what their end will be. If they refuse the Scriptures, the miraculous change that Scrooge made after the three visitors will be the exception – not the rule. Each time I hear God’s voice and don’t submit, a callous grows upon my heart. I become more resistant to listening. Not only that, but like the rich man, I become someone who believes I have obtained some modest riches in this life because I am BETTER than some other poor soul in some destitute village. It is a lie. I live with good things, but I am not good inside. I am self-willed, arrogant, and smug. I need to see myself in the mirror of God’s Word – a man in desperate need of the mercy of God, deserving nothing.

I am often reminded of one of Robert Frost’s sayings about our world: “Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t, while the other half have nothing to say and keep on saying it!” We need to approach words with care or real communication will not result.

The humorbin.com offers some encouraging thoughts on miscommunication that help set the serious tone of this teaching back into our own mixed up daily lives… They wrote:

Cracking an international market is a goal of most growing corporations. It shouldn’t be that hard, yet even the big multinationals run into trouble because of language and cultural differences. For example:

• In Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan “Come alive with the Pepsi Generation” came out as “Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead.”

• In Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan “finger-lickin’ good” came out as “you will eat your fingers off.”

• Years ago, when General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, it was apparently unaware that “no va” means “it won’t go.” After the company figured out why it wasn’t selling any cars, it renamed the car in its Spanish markets to the Caribe.

• When Parker Pen marketed a ball-point pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to say: “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you.” However, through mistranlation the ads actually said: “It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant.”

These are examples of failed communication that should make us both SMILE, and take our task seriously when we open the Word. Our Savior had profound truths to tell us in his stories – but we must become students of the parable to grasp what they meant – or we could get the wrong impression – and that could make for real trouble! Wrong teaching can come from wrong listening.

The Modern Family: “Christmas with people we know”!

Ornaments 4Have you ever looked at a family Christmas tree? I mean, have you ever REALLY looked at it? Some of the mangiest looking ornaments are the most prized on the tree – a faded bulb that says “Our first Christmas together – 1982” has long since lost its luster, but not its meaning. It isn’t just the beauty of the ornament – it is the MEMORY it represents. In some ways, Christmas ornaments are like little photo albums of our Christmas past.

I want you to look back with me to a very old Christmas family album – ornaments that extend all the way back to the first Christmas. This was the album of Jesus’ family – now two thousand years old. When you look at it…don’t be surprised at the people in the album – they look just like the people in yours. People in that old story were just like people you will be sitting across from at Christmas dinner this year. In fact, God’s story of the first Christmas is the same as the story of every subsequent Christmas – albums filed with broken people in some state of repair – all focused on the one Person Who transforms our life… Jesus – the Son of God Who was sent to save us.

The story of Jesus’ birth is told in the Bible in two of the four Gospel accounts: Matthew and Luke.

Matthew began with a long list of names – a genealogy – showing that God had long promised the Messiah to come to Bethlehem of Judea, a small town that couldn’t give up their focus on their favorite son – King David from one thousand years before! If you came from one you know that small towns change slowly and have long memories…

After the genealogy in Matthew’s account, the story moved right away to Joseph – the step-father of Jesus.

Joseph

This first picture in the ancient album was that of an obedient but disappointed friend – someone who was doing right but watching life repay him with undeserved trouble. He wanted to follow God, but God kept changing the directions on the path. Matthew reminds us of his troubles:

Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.

No matter how you look at the story, I think it is safe to say that Joseph was committed to God but still confused by life’s turns. He is the friend you know who has followed God, but came home stunned from the news of his last doctor’s visit. Joseph made a promise to Mary and she appeared to have broken it, though she didn’t (1:18). He was thrust into God’s plan in an awkward way – or at least that is how it looked to him.

Here is the truth: Even when you follow God – things don’t always work out the way you planned.

Joe’s Christmas experience was one of learning about God’s direction. He learned that God can move in our life in a way that makes no sense at the time – this is part of His Divine Prerogative. God is entitled as my Creator and my Master to redirect my life. After all, isn’t the Bible filled with stories that make this truth obvious? This is our God:

• He pushed Noah into building a boat on a flat plain far from water.
• He revealed an “impossible to believe” family expansion for an aged Abraham and Sarah?
• He enlisted Moses as a national leader from a burning bush in a barren desert.
• He trained a little boy named David for “giant slaying” while he was on a lonely hill protecting a flock of sheep.

In the Christmas story, God redirected Joe in a series of dreams – revealing that Joe was called to follow Him, not to figure Him out. The fact is Joe was going to be HURT in order for God’s will to be done.

Why can’t we clearly see that? Why are we so certain that God will only work in my life when I am happy with that work?

In fact, the Bible teaches that God can deliberately bring me into a path that includes pain to serve His purpose. He doesn’t do it cruelly, He does it lovingly… but He still does it. Yet, in the grip of pain, He offers me a place to cry when I cannot stand alone. God hears our cries as He quietly reminds us that He is in control of all things.

You see, God is telling His story. He wanted to tell it through Joseph’s life, but that included wounding him, bringing him through a misunderstanding – and then giving him a key role in the story. No man or woman of God should think God will do otherwise. If we would be used of Him mightily, we must place ourselves in His hand willingly – and be slow to react to the pains of His direction. When we do, here is our consolation…God doesn’t leave struggling believers in the dark forever.

Joe got new direction from God to clear up his confusion. We must understand that as we follow God – Sight will come. God will speak again. The Word teaches that God speaks to the listening ear. The fact is that our problem is not so much ignorance – as it is WILL to obey. The issue is always the same – will I trust His direction? He awaits those who let Him work through them. The story made clear that while Joe was worried about his integrity – but God was busy saving the world! (1:21b).

Mercifully, God was careful to include Joe in the story for listening to God’s direction. Matthew reminds: Matthew 1:24 says “And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, 25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.”

God desired and got obedience from Joe – not understanding or a full grasp of where God’s path was leading him. But Joe got a privilege beyond compare. He held in his arms the child-Savior, and was the first to pronounce His name and official purpose: “He is Yeshua – He is the Savior of man.”

Now imagine holding in your hands the Creator of the Universe in the tender package of a tiny baby. Feel the thrill, and grab the weight of the responsibility of being his “fill in” dad. Do you think he will say in Heaven, “It was worth it! I obeyed the Lord and it was truly worth it!” I bet when we gather in the great throne room of Heaven, and the King of Kings steps forward to the thunderous sound of the song, “Worthy is the Lamb! Worthy is the Lamb!” Joe will be upfront with the “proud pappa” smile. You will recognize him… He will have the tears running down his face and a deep thankfulness in his heart for the whole experience.

He will be grateful to have been included in the plan… and so will you.

Uncle Zacharias and Aunt Elizabeth

The Gospel of Luke focused on other characters in the family – all who were a part of the ancient Christmas family album. In Luke 1, the story began with an aunt and uncle of Jesus – a man named Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth – both Levites who walked through life secretly disappointed by their faith, and shamed by the fact that God didn’t really see, to listen to their prayers…Luke recorded it this way:

Luke 1:5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.

Ironically, Zechariah’s name means “Yahweh remembers.” The sting of praying for a child for a lifetime, and watching your wife disappointed month after month was the story of this quiet and discouraged Levite.

The text is clear: His wife felt SHAME in Luke 1:25.

In the pictures Zacharias may looked stunned by God… because he learned that God always remembers. Every prayer that went seemingly unanswered, God remembered. Every moment when they felt like the heavens were strangely silent, God remembered. That’s the testimony of Uncle Zach and Aunt Liz today: Don’t give up on your prayer—God has not forgotten you. God’s power isn’t sadistically dangled in front of you – He loves you.

Luke made the careful note that Uncle Zach and Auntie Liz had hearts that were clean before God. It wasn’t just religion with them, it was faith – and everything else that happened in the story hinged on the truth of their yielded heart.

Truthfully though, the couple’s hope for God’s answer had mostly slipped away because it appeared that things could never change (1:7b). They were past the time that it would be normally possible to have children. They had to “settle” for second best, and muddle through.

Zach kept working (1:8), but in time he lost the wonder that God could really do anything (1:18). Still, God strangely considered Zacharias a useful tool in the priesthood.

You see, for Jews of long ago, the absence of children was seen as a reproach—evidence of God’s judgment on a person’s sin. How hard it must have been for Zechariah, a spiritual leader in Israel, and Elizabeth, to keep on obeying God, keep on remaining consistent in their faith, and still bear the sentence of a life that appeared unacceptable!

When you are doing all that God has asked you to do, and He still doesn’t respond to your prayers, that’s hard. But they pressed on.

The day came that God chose Zacharias by the casting of lots to burn incense in the temple – to represent the prayers of the people before His throne. Scholars generally estimate about 103,000 members of priestly families in the C1 CE in the land. About 7,200 were eligible for service in the functioning priestly role. These were divided into 24 courses called “mishmarot”. Each mishmar had about 300 servers for their week at the Temple. They served in rotation and all 7,200 at National feasts declared by God in Dt. 16. Of the 300 of the week, 50 served per day with all 300 serving on Shabbat. Only one of the 50 would be selected to mix and offer the prayer incense inside the Holiest Place. As a priest, you may only get one chance to do this in your life.

The lot fell by Divine appointment. Though Zechariah didn’t know it, but God had been planning this day from the very beginning. Zechariah and his family were going to be a part of God’s plan to offer salvation to the world. What seemed like unexplainable silence was really God’s work of preparing Zechariah and Elizabeth for this incredible day.

The point is, when God seems to remain silent, when your prayers seem to go unanswered, it’s not because God is asleep on the job. Before God works on your problems, He wants to work on you. When God says NO, it is because He is working a plan, and your request is pulling against that plan. Don’t worry. God knows what you need, and He is watching the whole scene. Not a tear falls that He might miss.

As Zacharias was performing his duty, an angel appeared beside the altar, while other priests waited in the courtyard outside the temple praying and awaiting the rise of the incense.

Can you imagine what they were praying for? Some, like old Simeon, awaited the Messiah. Some were praying for another prophet for direction was lacking and God seemed so quiet that the silence was unsettling.

That day, God was answering as He spoke through Gabriel. He connected Zach and Liz’s prayers to a larger plan in a supernatural way. All the time of waiting now began to make sense. Zach wanted a son – but God wanted a prophet – and the people had to be ready.

Remember, if God speaks to us only when we demand answers, then the focus is all on US. But life is not about us. We serve Him.

Zach learned that although doubt causes us to focus on what WE can’t do, faith calls us to remember what God can do.

Mary

Focus for the last few moments on a mother and a baby in the back of a cave with a house built in front of it. Mary’s lessons were deep, and took a lifetime to grasp. She learned to listen to the cry of the Savior – and jump to response. She learned to ponder God’s direction when others forget yesterday quickly…She learned that God forgets no one. There are no God-forsaken people. The lowest of the low are part of His plan – and she sung about it.

Look at her tenderness – a young woman interrupted by God learning deep things with unexperienced eyes.

Her focus was probably immediate that first night – get the baby out! By the way, this wasn’t a silent baby – no matter what the songs say. He had God-sized lungs that needed to practice crying before He could bellow out preaching!

Make no mistake about it… This was an invasion of God… and Mary got a front row seat. This was God’s love expressed in a warm bundle, snuggled against her heart.

Jeannette George tells a story about an experience she had on a short flight from Tucson to Phoenix. Across the aisle from her sat a young woman and her baby, both dressed in white pinafores. The baby had a little pink bow where there would eventually be hair. The mother was smiling, as the baby kept saying “Dada, Dada,” every time someone walked down the aisle. The mother said Daddy was waiting for them after they had been gone for a few days. She was so adorable – quiet – that all passengers enjoyed watching her. Unfortunately, there was a lot of turbulence, making the flight extremely rough, which of course was hard on the baby. But the mother had some fruit and a little Thermos with orange juice in it. Every time the baby cried the mother fed her a little bit more orange juice and a little more fruit. While this seemed like a good idea at the time, the turbulence seemed to spread from the air around the plane right down to that baby’s gastro-intestinal system, and pretty much all of the fruit that had gone down came up. However, the process of coming up was considerably messier than the process of going down had been. It also seemed to have increased in volume tremendously between the going down and the coming up, so that not only were the baby and the mother pretty much covered in it, but so were most of the passengers within a significant radius of the baby, [including Jeanette George, who was telling the story.] Fortunately for the mortified mother, all of the passengers were gracious and tried to help her and tell her it was OK. After all what could she do about it?? The baby was crying, and she looked awful. Even though they didn’t cry, her fellow passengers looked – and smelled – pretty awful, too. The mother was so sorry about it. As soon as they landed, the baby was fine and returned to calling: “Dada, Dada.” The rest of the passengers didn’t recover quite so quickly, being covered as they were in pre-digested fruit. Ms. George said, “I had on a suit, and I was trying to decide whether to burn it or just cut off the sleeve. It was really bad.” Waiting for the plane was a young man who had to be “Dada.” He was wearing white slacks, a white shirt, and he carried white flowers. Now what do you think that clean Daddy all dressed in white did when he saw his baby who had that sticky, smelly stuff all over her clothes and her face and her hair? He ran to the young mother, who handed the baby over pretty quickly so she could go get cleaned up. That Daddy picked up that baby, and he hugged her and he kissed her and he stroked her hair. As he held her close, he said, “Daddy’s baby’s come home. Daddy’s baby’s come home.” All the way to the luggage claim area, he never stopped kissing that baby and welcoming her back home. Ms. George thought, Where did I ever get the idea that my Father God is less loving than a young daddy in white slacks and white shirt with white flowers in his hand? [Jeannette Clift George, “Belonging and Becoming,” Preaching Today, Tape No. 93. Taken from sermoncentral.com]. Remember, God isn’t afraid of human dirt – Jesus made that clear.

Don’t be surprised at the Christmas family photo album of Jesus – it looks just like yours. People in the story are just your family and friends. God’s story is told through broken people who are being changed by Jesus.

Consider this: The same baby that was introduced by the Father into a dirty stable was introduced into dirty hearts that opened their door to Him. Just as He willingly entered a sin-sick world, so He eagerly enters a sin-sick heart – if we ask Him. That is the Christmas story. God invades the dirty and the broken – and changes them. He transforms them to be His children. They find peace by finding Him.

Merry Christmas!

God on the Move: “God’s Recovery Room” – Acts 28

surgeryIt has been my experience that surgery, though usually absolutely necessary, is painful. Even though it will hurt, we will do it if we need it – even if we don’t understand exactly why we need it. We will trust a little gray-scale piece of film and a doctor who explains the incomprehensible problem. We take it at face value that we must attend to our troubles – regardless of the pain that surgical attention will cause. In our lives, surgery is just one kind of storm that can unexpectedly blow in and take, for a time, our sunshine away. The difference is that in most cases it is a scheduled storm.

The truth is that most of us don’t want storms when they come into our lives – but as we have grown in our trust of God, we have come to recognize that our Father may have planned a storm to intersect our path. While we may easily nod our heads and affirm while sitting in the peace of our church pew that God is allowed to touch our lives with storms – it doesn’t mean the storm’s approach doesn’t still bring dread. Only sadists love pain. In fact, as storms assail us, we can even search for a silver lining, but the simple fact is that storms often bring pain and loss. Our experience warns that the coming squall may be both difficult and costly. We have learned the hard way that life storms usually leave us wounded for a time – and some change us for the rest of our lives. They become like that broken leg that never completely knits back together. Long after, it throbs on damp days and night. Even though we will eventually learn to walk—and even to dance again, it will always be with a limp that doesn’t allow us to erase our memory of that storm.

Sometimes storms teach us deeper truths. Usually they change us. In the best of circumstances, they leave us kinder people – more sensitive to fellow victims of other life storms. They may make us more aware of the need for our Father’s mercy and grace – a truth that can fleet away when our busy lives leave us believing in the myth of our own competence. They can help us see scars on ourselves and others, not as marks of damage, but as signs of experience. Our scars become less ugly when we recognize them as signs the storm has now passed by and our healing has – at least to some extent – begun to take place.

In the last lesson follow the Apostle Paul’s life, we watched a powerful storm overtake him and his companions and crush the ship beneath their feet. They weren’t running from God like Jonah; they were following God in obedience. Yet, the truth is, following God isn’t a guarantee of temporal safety – it is a guarantee of eternal reward. God will remember our storm. He will see the hard things we pass through during our obedience. In the lesson on storms we learned:

• God directs our lives by having a plan long before we know what it will be.
• God directs our lives by putting the right people at the right time into our story.
• God directs our lives and He has the “detours” worked out – but they are actually the plan.
• God directs our lives even when people don’t take us seriously.
• God directs our lives even when we are outvoted in the board room.
• God directs our lives even when we have to rid ourselves of things we thought were precious.
• God directs our lives even when our resources are gone and our strength is fading!
• God directs our lives even when they seem long, hard and drawn out – while He proves that He keeps His Word!

I remind you of that list, because it is very much attached to the truth for this lesson…

Key Principle: Just as God guides through the storm, so He plans for your recovery after the storm has passed.

I would like to share with you from the next portion of Scripture that recorded the day after the storm seven truths about the recovery room of God. Remember this if you are passing through it right now… the storm DOES end. If you pick up the Bible and read the first page, then flip to the last page and read it – you will see something remarkable: the universe that began in darkness is slated to end in a light that emanates from the person of the Savior Himself. Let me share with you from God’s Word about the recovery room that follows the storm…

The recovery room begins at the safe passage through the storm.

In the case of Paul, the life storm was a bonafide cold north wind that smashed his ship. It wasn’t a metaphor – it was a painful experience. The next day, it was over. Luke recalls the end of the drama…

Acts 28:1 When they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta.

Luke recalled all the men were recovered as some swam to the beach, and others floated on debris. The men were glazed, tired, hungry and wet – but thankful to see another day. In fact, Paul’s Malta experience began without the ship, without their belongings, without the pounds shed from lack of food – there was much to lament, but that isn’t what people do when they make to it land. They were relieved to have survived. The shivers and wet clothing were reminders that life was still theirs.

Here is the point: The entrance into the recovery room comes with real losses, some very hard memories and maybe fewer things in your possession than you had when you entered the storm. Here is the trick… look at the words “brought safely through” and rejoice. The recovery room fills you with an “Ahhhh!” followed by a little rest.

Storms don’t only TAKE from us, they also GROW us. Passing through storms can help us taste the sweetness of another new day with more passion and appreciation. Powerful gales can, and should, help produce in us endurance – that bittersweet quality that can only be gained by passing through the uncertainty of a tempest beyond our control. During the peril, endurance is the quality that emerges as moment by moment we believe we cannot make it for yet another, but we continue to stand up. When the storm has passed, we are stunned by the grace that has been granted to stiffen our weak frame.

At the same time, we emerge from the storms and enter the recovery with full knowledge that we are a work in progress. We begin to learn to pick up the pieces, and recognize that there is neither magic nor instant cure for the damage we have suffered. There are only momentary steps of progress. We learn that our “new normal” may be very different – but slowly the pain of the storm recedes and we begin to thaw back into something that is pliable. In time we laugh again – not out of nervous shock – but out of true delight. In time, we will again be able to make faces at the passing baby in the shopping cart – and catch ourselves ebbing anew toward wonder. Deep inside, even our storm weary frame wants to believe in a new morning that will bring a new sunrise, and a new day that will offer warmth of the sun to heal our inner stiffness.

Recovery doesn’t begin until the storm has passed, but it does come. We have to learn to wait for it, learn from it, and see it as another part of God’s grace.

The recovery room includes God-provided helpers.

Maybe you aren’t sure what the recovery looks like. The experience of Paul began with people provided by God to lift the men from the beach and bring them to a warm fire…

Acts 28:2 The natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received us all.

Living for more than fifty years on this planet has taught me a lesson: People in the cold world don’t have to be nice. They don’t owe us anything, and many of them act like they know that. Yet, strangely, when people pass through life storms they often report that a strange kindness falls on the people around them. People see their pain, and recognize the scars. After a hurricane, people from unaffected areas come to offer relief and assistance. It is one of the mysteries of life – when we hurt, there are people who wouldn’t normally offer help that just feel compelled inside to do something. We all recognize that we are like that home battered by the storm. The moment we are twisted by the violent winds, our value seems to fall away. Yet, in the hands of a skilled craftsman, the broken pieces can be removed and renewed. We must remember that when kind people are placed in our path after the painful storm, it is wonderful move of God to give us some relief.

Paul and the men came upon the beach soaked from the shipwreck and the storm. Take a moment and note in the verse that relief was offered to Paul and his fellows first in the form of emotional kindness, then in practical warmth and finally in inviting hospitality. Consider this when you have passed through the storm: It is easy not to notice the people that God gives us to begin your healing – especially while we are still trying to move in the strangeness of new pain. Let me ask you to do something…Look for those who offer a warm hug – mark down their names. Notice those who offer the practical warmth and assistance that will allow you to focus on healing – remember their faces. Embrace those who offer invitation into their homes and lives. You are looking at the faces of storm survivors. They came because they know something you do not. They know the night will end and a friend can make the transition much easier.

The recovery room includes moments of God-ordained testimony.

On the first reading of the next few verses it may look like Paul’s recovery is slipping back into troubled times – a new storm may seem to be brewing. That isn’t true. Paul isn’t worried. That isn’t the point. Luke recorded the story this way…

Acts 28:3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they [began] saying to one another, “Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and [began] to say that he was a god.

The story wasn’t about trouble for Paul – he barely seemed to notice the viper stuck to his hand. Wet to his aching bones, exhausted from the ordeal and hungry beyond belief he simply pulled the venomous snake off his hand and tossed it into the fire. It was more an aggravation than anything else. If God preserved him from the storm and told him he was heading for Rome, no snake was going to stop the plan. Paul wasted no time complaining about the snake, because he wasn’t worried about death – God told him where he was going. Besides that, a quick snake bite death was probably going to be much less painful than what WAS actually ahead for Paul! The fact is the account wasn’t primarily about Paul – but rather about those who were watching him.

You cannot help but think the villagers were a fickle lot that really went through quite an unusual turnabout! One minute they were mentally digging Paul’s grave and thinking him a wretch – the next they were dropping to their knees to pay him tribute as a god. They observed the ongoing misfortune of a storm and a viper – but they got a lesson in God’s power and knew that something beyond the normal was going on with this man. Paul’s next invitation no doubt got people out of their seats and down the aisle. This guy mustn’t be taken lightly.

Do you wonder why didn’t God block the snake from snagging Paul’s hand? It is clear from the text that God intended Paul to be a testimony, and the snake bite gave him a platform to share the Gospel. We need to remember that lesson when we feel like recovery has begun and something happens that appears to be a step backwards. Even in the recovery room we must not forget why were created – to serve the Master’s purpose. Our lives are not primarily FOR us – but for His good pleasure and usefulness. When God offered a place for the recovery to show God’s power, the testimony of the Master’s goodness flowed from the recovering man.

The recovery room often includes moments of intimate, new friendships.

During the storm, you are just trying to hang on. In the recovery room, there is an opportunity to embrace new people – some who would never have come across your path in any other way. Look at the days of recovery as explained by Luke…

Acts 28:7 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us courteously three days. 8 And it happened that the father of Publius was lying [in bed] afflicted with [recurrent] fever and dysentery; and Paul went in [to see] him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him. 9 After this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured. 10 They also honored us with many marks of respect; and when we were setting sail, they supplied [us] with all we needed.

It is obvious that Paul and his men would never have met Publius had the shipwreck not occurred. This was far off course of their destination – but the detour was planned by God along with the rest of the journey.

Recently I spoke to the wife of a longtime friend – just after she passed through another round of cancer surgeries and chemotherapy treatments. She told me about the people she met at the cancer center and showed me pictures of what amounted to a room full of new people she calls “dear friends”. She told me that although she loved her church very much, she found a new church in a cancer ward. These were people tossed from their lives into a treatment center – and each struggling with their own pain, perpetual vomiting and hair loss. Here is what impressed me about the pictures – everyone was smiling. The people weren’t somber – they were nothing short of “goofy”. I saw strange clothing, party hats and many bald heads with faces painted on top of them. “What is wrong with these people!” I thought. Then I listened. These were the league of the hurting. The myth of safety that covers us like a veneer had been stripped from their lives. They didn’t want to wait to live. They wanted to love, laugh and feel connected – even if they had to look silly to do it. They didn’t care. She said, “You know, when you pause a conversation to vomit in a bucket, and then continue, you have already been seen at your worst. What’s worse than that?” She paused and said, “They don’t care. They have their own bucket, and they know what the feeling is. At least we can share the moments in between.”

I don’t think like that. I hide my bucket and want to keep my hair – at least for now. I wonder how much I hide behind, and how my life would be more authentic if I really didn’t care if I looked silly in my relationships, my laughter and my loving. I am not sure, but I want us to focus on the words we read again…

Paul healed Publius’ dad, and then Paul healed many from the town. The snake was God’s gift that gave him a public platform to witness, while the healing power from God gave him an opportunity to touch people personally and up close. Paul used the time well, and helped people see Jesus through his life. He may have been marching to his death, for all he knew, but he might just as well do it with his combat boots on.

In addition to the touch of Paul and the positive testimony that grew from his healing hands, the Lord used that empowering to endear Paul to the people’s hearts. They were only too willing to supply for Paul, Luke and Aristarchus. They arrived on the shore as strangers; they left the dock as dear friends of so many people. In just a few months, the vulnerability of the recovery process allowed God to introduce new and deep friends that touched parts of us we didn’t know existed. I want to encourage you to refuse to overlook the work that God may do through you while you are in recovery to touch the lives of other people deeply. People need to see you as real, accessible and willing to touch them. You may be surprised at how deeply they touch you in return.

The recovery room includes the special strengthening by Godly people.

God wasn’t done rebuilding Paul and his friends after the storm. They got on yet another ship a few months later, but they were not yet ready for the years of waiting in Rome and the discomforts, and needed still more recovery. Luke shared how God brought that about…

Acts 28:11 At the end of three months we set sail on an Alexandrian ship which had wintered at the island, and which had the Twin Brothers for its figurehead. 12 After we put in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days. 13 From there we sailed around and arrived at Rhegium, and a day later a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. 14 There we found [some] brethren, and were invited to stay with them for seven days; and thus we came to Rome. 15 And the brethren, when they heard about us, came from there as far as the Market of Appius and Three Inns to meet us; and when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

Parting from the new friends at Malta, Paul had to face the days ahead and get the courage to stand in Rome without flinching. After another five days of uncertain travel, they entered the Bay of Naples. The spring season made the travel possible, and the broken nature of the travel made the centurion even more flexible than normal, which gave Paul an extra week at Puteoli. Seven days to share with open-hearted believers that excitedly invited others to join them (2.5 hours drive) made for a refreshing time for the men. How Paul needed that! Most were probably new faces to the Apostle – people reached by others and fellowships that sprung up in places Paul had never been. For a man who spent a third of his life building churches this was deeply encouraging.

Paul met with them, but I was particularly moved with how he thanked God for the way they helped build up his courage. He wasn’t made of stone, and he the scars of a fresh storm from which he was still recovering. These were people who were excited about Jesus, and added encouragement to Paul’s life. Don’t forget to look for the encouragers that God will send your way. The encounters may be brief and the experience not nearly so deep as those in Malta – but breathe in their encouragement – you will need it as you complete your recovery. While you do that, let me remind you of another important thing…

The recovery room strengthens us to continue to share Christ – even if conflict results.

Acts 28:16 When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him. 17 After three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews…

The remaining part of verse seventeen to verse twenty records part of the conversation between Paul and the Jewish leaders. Paul explained his arrest, and the Jewish leaders admitted they knew nothing of his coming. Luke explained…

Acts 28:21 They said to him, “We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you. 22 “But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere.” 23 When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening. 24 Some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe. 25 And when they did not agree with one another, they [began] leaving after Paul had spoken one [parting] word, “The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, 26 saying, GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND SAY, “YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; 27 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES; OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.”‘ 28 “Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen.” 29 [When he had spoken these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves].

Here’s the truth: In pain, we can pull back from sharing our faith – because we don’t feel whole. More than that, in recovery, we can instinctively flee pain and may be sorely tempted to compromise our walk while focusing on restoring our comforts. We forget that the whole point of God taking you through recovery was to be again useful to His purposes – we must not forget that! Conflict may come, but recovery will help you become strong again – and you won’t lilt if you pay attention to the Master’s openings to be used.

The final thought on recovery comes at the end of the Book of Acts…

The recovery room can be an extended period, but it often leads to a time of unparalleled productivity and joyful fruit!

Paul was about to again be set aside from travels. His cruise membership was probably already terminated, but he was going to be very limited in travel options. He was under a “light chain” – a form of pre-trial supervision that was costly and inconvenient. Imagine someone watching you at every moment of the day and night. Luke said it this way:

Acts 28:30 And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, 31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.

That doesn’t sound so bad… not compared to a shipwreck! At the same time, from this “light chain” experience in Rome, Paul received people and letters from the young churches, and wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon – a clear sign that God used this time in Paul’s life to influence and lead many while he was in bonds. He wasn’t STOPPED from productivity, but accomplishments were more difficult because of the special conditions. Maybe your storm left you with a continued chain that is keeping you tied down. It could be a six month check-up that you dread two times a year – because you don’t know what news will come from it. Maybe your storm took from you someone precious – and you aren’t sure how to move forward. What you can do, what you MUST do, is to learn to savor life under your chain. It may not be the same, but it can be fruitful for God’s kingdom.

Pastor Ken Pell shared a story of one who passed through an early storm but made it through to fruitfulness. It is worth recalling. His extraordinary talent may be what the world will remember of him. As for me, I will remember his storm and his committed recovery…

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was born into the musical family of Bachs in 1685. By the age of ten, both of his parents were dead. Early in his friction-filled life, young Johann determined he would write music … music for the glory of God … and this he did. Most of Bach’s works are explicitly Biblical. Albert Schweitzer referred to him as The fifth evangelist, thus comparing him to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. At age 17 Bach became the organist at the church; soon thereafter he was given charge of the entire music ministry. During his ministry in Weimar, Germany he wrote a new cantata every month … EVERY MONTH! And during one three-year period he wrote, conducted, orchestrated, and performed (with his choir and orchestra) a new cantata every week! No one had any idea what a mark Bach would leave. His legacy lives on some 300 years later. You can hear his music at will. At the beginning of every authentic manuscript one will find the letters “J.J.” This stands for Jesu Java (Jesus help me). At the end of each original manuscript you will find the letters “S.D.G.” This stands for Soli Deo Gloria (to the glory of God). From sermon central illustrations.

I’ll bet if you think of signing the work of your hands to the glory of God- it will be partly because you have always felt you needed to have Jesus help you. You see recovering people don’t feel whole – they feel repaired by God’s grace and in need of God’s constant love. Fortunately, we know that just as God guides through the storm, so He plans for your recovery after the storm has passed!