Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”
The Gospel is great, but what if it was even GREATER than what we thought.
So we always go on as we share the Gospel, that Christ died for the sins of mankind, that no matter what we've done, the Cross of Jesus is greater, to overcome all sins!
We must repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38).
God reveals himself to us, so that we can believe (Mat 11:27; John 6:44)
In chapter 15 in the Gospel of Luke, the first two verses are so important -
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
For this reason, Jesus tells them 3 parables - The Parable of the Lost Sheep, The Parable of the Lost Coin and the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
In all three Parables, Jesus is explaining to them why it is, that he eats with tax collectors and sinners, to respond to their grumbling. Jesus teaches them about the Father's love for everyone. How much worth he finds in everyone.
If I had 100 chocolate bars. If I lost one, it will not even be an issue, I probably wouldn't notice, and if I did, it really would not matter, because of the 99 I have left! God does not work that way with us. He cares so much about each one of us individually, to the point that there is great celebration at the end of each one of these parables - as the lost sheep is found, the lost coin is found, and the lost son returns home.
This is all straightforward - the new insight I got from the message, is that this is only the beginning of God's great love! The second son had who stayed home, while his brother was out spending all his father's money. When he hears about the party in honor of his brother's return, he blows up in anger! He represents the Pharisees who are grumbling about Jesus hanging with the sinners. This next verse is so key:
28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him,
Pharisees are the Proud religious jews who believe they have been made right with God through their good actions. This leads them to judge/condemn sinners. Jesus comes to rebuke them. Setting the standards so high that no one could ever be good enough to please the Father. As disciples of Christ, we must then be very careful not to play the Pharisee's game by judging them back!
The whole point of these three Parables was to show the Pharisees why he was after sinners. But this did not mean by any means that they were not to be part of the kingdom, and of the celebration. The pharisees are in sin! If they truly loved the sinners they would be celebrating that Jesus had come to make a way for them. But for this reason, they are like the lost sheep, the lost coin. No matter how much condemning and shaming they have done, we must be as Christ, agents of reconciliation, loving them, serving them, and leading them to God. In the Parable, the father came out to invite the angry son to join them in the celebrating, we must do the same, as we try to reflect the Father's love.
I want to be happy while I'm alive! I really do! And I think that we all do! While we are here why not make the best out of every opportunity!?
I believe in God, I believe he is good, and has created all things for his purposes. I believe we all admire things. I think God created us as worshipers! We look up to people, we adore good food, good music. We stand in awe when we see a beautiful sunset, or admire the mountains, and tropical beaches! In one way or another, we live differently according to our objects of worship, and YES, some worship computer games!
So, I believe that God created us as worshipers. I also believe God being God and all, is the most worthy object of our worship. He is behind everything we worship, he is the creator, he is the greatest, and nothing could ever be greater than he. The only way we can flourish is when we worship THE ONE who HE created us to worship... HIMSELF, rather than all the good things that are intended to point our worship to Him.
So this next part could be weird, but I think it makes sense! When people love themselves, it's a good thing, but it can get a obnoxious when people go on and on about themselves right?! But now if God is the only worthy object of our worship, what does that mean for him?! He must be obsessed with himself right?! And I want to say that if he wasn't all about himself, how could he expect us to be all about him?!?
Because he is all about himself, God just loves it when we worship him, when we appreciate him, when we delight in Him, when he is the one we depend on, when he is our all. Any replacement of Him in our lives is idolatry. When we replace God with something else, it upsets Him, because he is a jealous God, and also because he is a good God, he would not have created us with the purpose of worshiping anything lesser than himself. Worship anything other than God, is like Mountain biking with a road bike, it's really bumpy!
Hedonist= one who strives to maximize net pleasure. (wikipedia)
I want to claim that we are all hedonists, we all want to be happy, we want pleasure, and joy! But I believe most of us aren't hedonistic enough! The way to truly experience pleasure to the fullest is when we are in a relationship with the almighty God and strive to do his will. So maybe I've just lost you with the religious talk!
So here it goes! A few years ago, I went from being an atheist, not believing that there was any purpose in life at all (I didn't really have a problem with that, believed it was just the way things were!) to believing that everything on earth has a purpose. That God exists, that he is love, and he is in the process of reconciling all things to himself, through the death of Jesus Christ. This just changed my life in the best of ways. The Bible, God's word, is about God's love for mankind, and I see now, that it's not just a book of do's and don't's, but that God as a father looking out for his children's best interest warns against what is harmful to us, and recommends what is best for our well being. What is best for us, is to worship Him as Lord. Anything which leads us away from delighting in him is sin, anything that is in line with his plan allows us to flourish and he calls "good"! Because he is love, and loves us, he wants us to flourish. Because he loves himself, he wants us to love him! These both go together. The best thing is to love God, it causes us to flourish!
I love God! And it just happens that He loves that about me! He is glorified in me as I delight in Him. This joy I have, is the kind that makes me want everyone else to partake in. According to John Piper - Love is the overflow of Joy in God that gladly meets the needs of others. My joy, is based on the joy of others! How can I be truly joyful if others are not?
I want to be joyful! And I think you want that too! And I want to help you, because that will make me joyful too!
When we look at the world we must realize that something is not right! Just turn on the news, and read all the terrible things happening around the world! People aren't successfully finding joy. And what more they do not want anyone to find joy either. Since the fall of Mankind, when Adam sinned in the garden (Genesis 3), we are fallen creatures, we seek to serve ourselves. We are so short sighted, we look to alcohol, drugs, and sex for pleasures which do not last, but destroy us! We've given up on the only one who can satisfy. But right from the Beginning of Time, God has had a plan, to save humanity from its sin and deception. We all fall short of the glory of God, but He has sent his only son, to die in our place for our sins, so that we could be reconciled to Him. This is the greatest news ever. The only truth that can satisfy! Jesus Christ died, was buried and was raised from the dead. If you have better news than this, please let me know... I Want to know!! If it is not a truth that leads you to tell everyone then it can't be as good!!
It is in my best interest to share this with everyone because it will produce much joy for them, more joy for me and the best part of all, it is what I believe glorifies God the most!
Christian Hedonism is the best way to hedonism! As we were designed to find our joy in God! I don't see a finer way of glorifying God!
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3
This verse has often been on my mind. As I first started reading the Bible, I really started to understand that God is not about being a party poopper. Rather, he is our loving Father who wants the best for his children! He is the designer, so who better than Him, to help us live successfully in this world he engineered!? Who better than Him to give us a manual for life?! You can think that maybe God really appreciates "the sacrifices" you make for him everyday, and maybe you might even feel like he OWES you back? But is that really how you do relationships? "Hey Honey, because we are married, it is my duty to buy you flowers, so here you go..." Expect a big slap in the face! That is no relationship at all! Your spouse might prefer - "I love you so much, I could not help myself from getting these for you....'
I'm sure as we are, God is more interested in the second kind of relationship! Because he wants you loving Him, adoring him, delighting in Him! John Piper's definition of love - love is the overflow of joy in God which gladly meets the needs of others. Do you feel loved when someone does something for you out of pure duty?
I think the world would be a better place if everyone understood the beauty of glorifying God in delighting in him. Seeking what God wants for them, delight and joy for their life. If we were all filled with this overflowing joy that leads us to gladly meet the needs of others, then what could possibly go wrong in the world! Everyone wants to be happy, but as C.S Lewis says -
“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
Here are a few verses about JOY from the Bible:
James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. 1 Peter 1:8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. John 16:22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. Nehemiah 8:10 And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. John 15:11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
We all know the Pope says abortion is a sin! I feel like there's still so much misunderstanding between what the general consensus that Christians believe abortion is wrong, and then what the Bible really has to say on the issue, since the word "Abortion" does not appear in the Bible!
The Gospel - Reconciliation
A quick summary of the Bible, is that God is the Sovereign Lord of the Universe. He is the creator of all things. He created man Good, but because man sinned now everything is messed up - the world, Evil, Disease, our minds, and even our thinking. Our sins separate us from the perfect God (Isaiah 59:2), but the Bible tells us about how he's worked with mankind to reconcile everything to himself. The whole Bible points us to Jesus. The Gospel, is the good news about how Jesus was punished in our place for all the sins we have committed, and will commit, so that we can be reconciled to God, without any guilt. Jesus proclaimed the Gospel that he was the Messiah the one prophesied about in the Law and the Prophets of the Old Testament. Once Jesus died, was buried and rose, the good news proclaimed is that God has done it, he has solved the World's Sin Problem (1 Cor 15:3-4).
My point being, as Christians, we believe this Gospel, we have witnessed God overlook all our sins, we have experienced mercy, and so even though I will call a lie, "lie", and murder "murder" I do not do it in a condemning way, otherwise I would just be condemning myself first of all. If you think I am wrong to call abortion murder that is between you and God, but please do not take it as me condemning you, I'm not! As witnesses of God's mercy, Christians must speak the truth revealed in the Bible, but the point is not to condemn anyone, the goal is to bring people to God. I believe God created us to have a relationship with him, and a person can only truly flourish once they have been reconciled to Him. The sacrifice of Jesus is more powerful that any sin, whether it is a lie or genocide. So I hate abortions! But I love women who have abortions. If I want them to stop it is so that they can live according to God's will that they may flourish.
If you've had an abortion and there you are truly happy about it! You probably don't need to read any further, it will just be nonsense to you. If your experience has been bad, I pray that you will find comfort in knowing that it is okay. It is normal to feel bad for something God opposes, you and God are now on the same page!
Greg Laurie on the Topic of Abortion
When does life start?
The Bible does not give a mixed message about when life starts:
Psalm 139
13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 15My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Jeremiah 1
5"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."
God recognizes the unborn child, so they should be given the chance to live!
God has a plan for every baby out there.
Pregnancy is inconvenient?
We should be so grateful to be alive. If we would have been aborted we would not be here! So many adults today were born at a time that could have been inconvenient for their parents, but aren't they thankful to be alive!
Maybe you accidentally got pregnant, and you are not married or something, but there is no such thing as illegitimate children, there are only illegitimate parents!
Pro-choice?
There are Choices!
Number 1: perfect scenario, you marry the guy, and raise the kid in the ways of the Lord!
Number 2: you raise the kid as a single mother
Number 3: you put the child up for adoption
You do not have the choice of aborting the child if you believe in what the Bible says.
A fetus is not a potential human being, what else is he going to become a horse? A fetus is a human being with great potential!
Sonogram
I'm just quoting here I don't know the source - but apparently, mothers thinking of getting an abortion, who do a sonogram, have way more chances of going through with the pregnancy. Once they do the sonogram, the details reveal to them that the fetus really is a human being. They can't kill the baby.
What if you need to make a choice between the mother and the child?
If a mother is walking across the street, with her child. If she sees a car coming, does she get out of the way to protect herself without caring whether her child makes it or not?
Any self-respecting mother would impulsively push the child out of danger and if she got hit, that's just the way it would go.
Abortion is no different...
What about rape?
Every time you say that you believe abortion is against God's plan, the thing that comes up EVERY time is, what about if the woman was raped?
The fact the you are trying to justify it with such an extreme case means that deep down you know that it is wrong. If you did not you would not need to bring up those sad examples.
My view is that whether a woman was raped or not, the Baby is still innocent! I don't see how you can justify killing an innocent...
Reconciliation
There's a big problem with communication between the Church and women who have abortions.
The first thing, because I'm pointing out things I believe are wrong, it could come across as: "listen to me, because I'm perfect and have it all together"! It is not my intention, I want to start dialogue between everyone so that we can better understand each other's points of view and help each other to live better today!
God is about reconciliation, but it might be hard to tell by the way we act as Christians. We seem so condemning, and judgmental. So I don't think I have been in this post, so don't call me intolerant just because you disagree with my view, or I'll call you intolerant for disagreeing with me! But it is true that we have done a poor job at being tolerant, and loving towards people who disagreed with our Biblical Standards.
I like to look at it like a relationship between a parent and their child. If a mother sees her child doing something she thinks is wrong, she will tell the child it is bad. There's a reason why she thinks it is bad, most often the consequences are negative for the person doing the action. The mother is only loving her child by teaching him what is right and wrong. I think everyone can input in others' lives, being the mother caring for the child. I don't think it is arrogant to think you can teach others. I feel strongly about something and here I want to say why, and if you disagree, I want to hear it! All I want is the truth! When you know something I don't, I want to hear it!
So if you've had an abortion, God loves you! I love you! And we want you to know it. But I still hold a view that it is wrong, bad for society. The same way every sin is in one way or another. Jesus did not come to condemn but to save the world (John 3:17), I want to serve him as an ambassadors of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18-19), not condemn, but point to him, share his love, his truth.
His lies can take two forms - Temptation and accusation.
Temptation gets you to have too higher view of yourself, so you go and do things that you should not. Satan is hiding from you God's Holiness, and how much He hates sin, he hides that from you and plays up the love.
Accusation is the devil's way of getting you to have to low and self hating view of yourself, so you go do things that you should not. Satan hides from you God's love. He plays up God's Holiness, and his wrath against sin.
Temptation and accusation are lies, Satan uses to get us to move you to do what is wrong
Specific Temptation Methods:
He shows you the bait and hides the hook. He shows the short-term pleasure and hides the long-term misery.
He gets you to rationalize sin as virtue. I’m not really greedy; I’m just thrifty. I'm not nosy, I'm just concerned.
He shows you the sins of Christian leaders. He did it too; nobody’s really that pure.
He over-stresses the mercy of God. Do it. God will forgive you; that’s his job.
He makes you bitter over suffering. I’ve suffered; I deserve this.
He shows you how many bad people seem to be having great lives. I might as well do it; playing by the rules doesn’t pay off.
He gets you to compare one part of your life to another. I’m very good over here so it’s okay that I do that.
Specific Accusation Methods:
He causes you to look more at your sin than at your Savior.
He causes you to obsess over past sins that have done damage that can’t be undone.
He makes you think that the troubles you are going through must be punishment.
He makes you think that the inner struggles you have couldn’t possibly be had by a Christian. If I were a real Christian, I wouldn’t be having these thoughts and desires.
I read Joshua 7 yesterday, and was a little bit surprised at Achan's punishment - Stonned and burned!
Bible RECAP:
(Gen 1) God created everything Good
(Gen 3) Man sinned, messing the perfection up
(Gen 3-50) God wants to reconcile man to Himself, works the men - Noah, Abraham, Jacob
(Ex 2-19) Through Moses God frees the Iraelites from Slavery in Egypt.
(Ex 19 - Deu 34) God Makes a Covenant with his people, he will bless them if they please him.
The Book of Joshua begins with the Israelites crossing over into the Promised land (Ch 3), and the Fall of Jericho (Ch 5-6). This is Israel's first victory.
Story of Achan
Before destroying Jericho, Joshua commands them:
Joshua 6:
18 “Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel.19 Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury.”
Joshua 7
1 But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the Lord. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the Lord was very angry with the Israelites.
11 Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings.12 That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.
15 The one who has stolen what was set apart for destruction will himself be burned with fire, along with everything he has, for he has broken the covenant of the Lord and has done a horrible thing in Israel.”
Achan is found as guilty. He stole a babylonian Robe (set apart for destruction), and silver and gold (set apart for the Lord). Achan confesses his sin is taken with everything he ownes and his family. They were stoned and their bodies burned.
So Death Penalty is it right or wrong?
God cares so much about life, that he demands a murderer's life -
Gen 9
“Whoever sheds the blood of man,by man shall his blood be shed,for God made man in his own image.
Lev 24
17 “Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death.
Numbers 35
“But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. 17 And if he struck him down with a stone tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. 18 Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. 19 The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. 20 And if he pushed him out of hatred or hurled something at him, lying in wait, so that he died, 21 or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.22 “But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait 23 or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm, 24 then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules. 25 And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priestwho was anointed with the holy oil. 26 But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the boundaries of his city of refuge to which he fled, 27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundaries of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood.28 For he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest, but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession. 29 And these things shall be for a statute and rule for you throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.30 “If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on theevidence of witnesses. But no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 31 Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death, but he shall be put to death. 32 And you shall accept no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest. 33 You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. 34 You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the Lord dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.”
In Norway - for killing Anders Behring Breivik has been sentenced to 21 years of prison for killing 77 people. That's about 3 months per life he's taken.
A 17 year old punched a soccer referee which led to his death. He's got 3 years of prison.
I'm not saying these decisions are right or wrong, because it depends what you are striving for. If we were shown justice for everything we had done, we would probably all be dead!
So I want to argue that the only 'Just' punishment for death is death! But it is okay to show mercy and grace. One thing that bothers me a little, is that people confuse mercy with justice - like going to prison for 5 years for killing someone is Justice. They don't see that murderers deserve death, and 5 years in prison is Mercy (not getting what you deserve!).
I think that the death penalty shows the importance of life. "I care so much for life that I will not tolerate anyone taking someone else's life". I hate murder but I want the murderer to get what he deserves.
And then you'll say, yeah, so if you care so much about life why do you want to take someone else's by practicing the death penalty. My opinion and you can disagree is that it is different when a person murders, and when a government chooses to exercise capital punishment
I believe the death penalty has its place but I tend against it (putting it in practice):
Mistakes! It's horrible that innocent men and women get executed
Mercy! I feel like God calls us to mercy - "I desire mercy, not sacrifice".
Death Penalty Irony
I would be curious to see how many people who are against the death penalty, would be okay with people getting abortions on demand?
They want to save the guilty, and kill the innocent?!?!
The GOSPEL
The Good News about Jesus Christ is that - even though we are sinners (we could not stop sinning to save our life!) Jesus Christ has died for all sinners - whether you've lied once or started a genocide, Jesus Christ has paid the price, the punishment for your sins in God's eyes, allowing you to be reconciled to God today if you believe in Him, and allow Him to be Lord of your Life! So I've you've murdered, committed adultery, lied, gossiped, whatever it is you've done, because of what Jesus did, nothing can disqualify you, if you want to be reconciled! If your sins were too big for God, he would not have bothered to send Jesus to die for you! I'm making sure to write this, because just because I think abortion is murder I don't want anyone to feel like I'm condemning anyone! It is murder! But God wants all to be reconciled to Him! So that's what I want too!
So, I believe in separation of state and church. Which means that if 51% of people decided to kill people once they reach 65 years old, I would agree that a country should have that law! Do I agree with that law? Absolutely not! I would be in the 49%. If 51% of the population decides that killing babies is okay, I think the country should have a law allowing people to kill babies! Would I agree with it? Absolutely not! I would disagree with it, but laws are not about what one person wants, but what the majority wants, in a democracy anyway! The laws should reflect what the people think is best for the country.
What about gay marriage? If more that 51% think it's a good idea, I think the law should be passed in its favor!
If killing babies was made legal, I my opinion is that it would be wrong to force someone who is against it to perform the killing! I feel the same way about Gay Marriage, there are enough people who are in favor of gay marriage to let them perform the wedding ceremony, I think it is wrong to force people against it to perform it! Some people are against paying taxes, but they still have to pay them! So I guess if 51% of the people were in favor of forcing Churches to perform Gay Marriages, then they should, but I want to argue that unlike paying taxes, it would be ridiculous! And the country will no longer be able to claim that it has religious freedom!
Church is what Jesus started while he was on earth in human form. Those who followed him, his disciples formed the church (=the congregation of those who follow Jesus). To this day we have nothing better than the Bible to know about Jesus, to find out who he was, what he stood for and what he came to do! It is from the Bible that we know about the first church and what his first followers believed. If we want to know how to live a life pleasing to God, in order to flourish, we go to the Bible! If a church claims that it bases its existence on what is found in the Bible, they choose to no longer proceed according to their "gut feeling", or what they "feel" is right, but rather they submit to what the Bible says because they trust that God knows more than they do. No one can fully understand the Bible, but God created the church for himself, so it makes sense to run a church with the standards He gives us.
One of the things condemned in both Testaments is homosexuality (not good for human flourishing) - Lev 18, Lev 20, Rom 1, 1 Cor 6, 1 Tim 1 and Titus.
If a church submits under the authority of the Bible, because they see it as God's will, what happens if it is forced to function differently that how it was made to? If man decides to change the church, it will no longer be church!
Churches can perform Gay Marriages, but can we still call them churches? If chocolate factories stops making chocolate and produce bread instead, will they still be chocolate factories?
Biblically, marriage is a bond between a man and a woman for life! It's the most intimate relationship a person can have with another person. It is different from any other relationship, because it involves sexual relations - a gift from God.
So Biblically, how can you hijack God's gift of sex for the union between a man and a woman, use it in a different context and then force a church to Bless it in the name of the God who condemns it?!?! It's common sense, not homophobia!
I feel like homosexuals have been oppressed for a long time which is terrible and sad, but it seems that today SOME are becoming the oppressors...
“Seek the Lord while he may be found;call upon him while he is near;7 let the wicked forsake his way,and the unrighteous man his thoughts;let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55
God forgives now!
We've all got some misconceptions and bad theology, and that's okay! Because we are not God. But in the Bible God gives us everything we need to know to live according to his will. We can disagree on some theology, BUT, some things just are not negotiable, specially if these concepts are talked about right through the scriptures.
So met this guy last week, a waiter. When it came to God, he said that he was "Long Gone"... I thought, that is so interesting! Because on one hand he admitted to falling short of the glory of God, which is bang on the money! BUT when he said he was long gone, I took it to mean that he felt like there was no more hope for him because of the things he had done. Which could not be further from the truth when you read the Bible. If anyone would be "Long Gone" surely is would have been Moses for being a murderer (Ex 2:12), or David for committing adultery and then murder (2 Sam 11), or the apostle Paul for persecuting God's people.
I say: Whether you've lied once, or started a genocide. Jesus' sacrifice was for you and your sin. It is never ever too late, but the time is now, you cannot know what awaits for tomorrow! If you are pour in Spirit, and recognize your need for God's righteousness, "Call upon Him while he is near", and you can change your life style right now! You'll live with the consequences of your past actions but, but keep the past from determining your future and what God has for you! In Christ, God has done everything to reconcile you to himself right now! Which is a better claim to what other religions offer or what?!
We Must Forgive Now!
As we are called to be imitators of God (Eph 5:1), I think the more we learn about how awesome God is, we should strive to grow in his likeness! As God forgives us, we should forgive others. He is gracious enough to forgive all things, even before we ask for forgiveness (Rom 5:8). We must do the same! It's never too late to do the right thing! Maybe pride as prevented you for forgiving for a while, but right now is the time for forgiveness!
The Bible makes it clear, that we live in a fallen world! We hurt people, and they hurt us. The last time I was mad at someone, I realized that I had done some wrong too. The Bible says I will sin, because I am fallen. I was sorry for what I had done. I realized that feeling bad for doing something wrong, and wanting reconciliation was of God. This made me feel better! No matter what you've done, our how long ago it was, the time for reconciliation is now! Yes you've sinned, but so have they! Do your part! You can't control how other people will react. If they are not willing to reconcile, try again! If they've made it clear that they don't want anything to do with you, then it's between them and God! Pray that they may be healed! But know that the time is now! God lives in the now! You can experience Him to the fullest today, how can you be at peace with Him if you are not at peace with people around you (Mat 5:23-24)? The only thing real, is RIGHT NOW, who knows what tomorrow will offer...
How you view yourself changes everything. If you think you are evil, you will try and be coherent, and do evil. If you think you are good you will try to do good!
If you say you are a Christian, depending on how you define Christian you will act differently!
Definitions I've heard:
anyone who claims to be/ wants to be a christian
someone who believes in Jesus
someone who receives Christian Baptism (I promise! that's the first thing i found in google!)
the answer is not clear, even among Christian circles, so their probably is no correct answer.
But what is just amazing is that Christians act completely differently, depending on how they define what a Christian is! I want to define a Christian based on what the Gospel is.
If we look at the Bible as a whole:
God created everything Good
God created man Good, but man sinned, which separated him from God
The Whole Bible is about God's rescue mission for mankind.
The Bible shows us how God as worked through different men to build a nation for Himself - Abraham, Jacob, Moses, then Judges, then Prophets, they all led to Jesus and his crucifixion, who were foretold throughout the Bible. Jesus came proclaiming the Gospel, that he was the fulfillment of all the scriptures. His ministry was about fulfilling the prophesies, and showing the who followed him who he truly was, and what he was about to do for mankind - saving them from their sins!
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul defines the Gospel very clearly:
Now I would remind you, brothers,1 of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
A clear definition of the Gospel: 1 Cor 15:3,4 that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
To the his disciples the great commission Jesus gave them in Mat 28
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in2the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Those who want to follow Jesus call them Christians if you want must be making disciples! Or wanting to make disciples! Training them to make their own Jesus disciples! (Mat 28), because Jesus died for our sins, was buried and was raised on the third day. (1 Cor 15).
These two go together Mat 28 and 1 Cor 15. You cannot be a Christian if you don't believe Jesus Christ, died for your sins, was buried, and then was raised. And you cannot be a Christian if this gospel, good news does not move you to be in the "creating disciples" process, which can look so different to different people!
Having said that - 3 things:
1. I feel like if you don't believe the Gospel, you just CAN't Be a Christian! SORRY! And you might argue that in the Gospels none of the disciples believed! My reply, DUH! Jesus did not die yet! When he gave the great commissions they all believed alright! And we see in the Book of Acts what great things they did because of their faith!
2. I'm not trying to be the "Jesus Police" trying to tell people who's a Christian and who's not so that I can feel good about myself, by saying I know better than anyone. But false security, is not good! So we must all be honest with ourselves, and test ourselves with the scriptures! (2 Cor 13:5).
3. At the risk of sounding legalistic! It's all about having your heart in the right place! Maybe you've been far from God for a while, but truly acknowledge the Christ is Lord! That he died, and was buried, and then was raised! And have not ever done anything about it, but see it as something you must work on, then I think you are a Christian! If on the other hand, you tell me you believe but it has not changed you one bit. You still live as you did before believing and deny the importance of being involved somehow in discipling (whatever that looks like!) to see people's lives change, then I would strongly recommend that you would test yourselves with the scriptures!
The Gospel is what defines Christianity, without it we are just moral people.
I have a big confession to
make, often when I read the Bible, whenever I get to a passage that
discourages some behaviors, names tend to come to mind, and I think
about all these people who do the wrong thing, and then on the other
hand, when they are positive passages, then I think of myself! And I
know that is all wrong, so I need to be intentional to avoid such
thinking! While preparing for the message God revealed so many things
that I need to change or work on in my life, but I'm hoping if you
are not a Christian, that you could see that as an invitation if you
are not perfect, to feel welcomed with us, as flawed as we may be!
Let's go through the
Beatitudes together:
2 And he
opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
4 “Blessed
are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed
are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed
are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they
shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed
are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed
are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons1 of
God.
10 “Blessed
are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed
are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds
of evil against you falsely on my account.12 Rejoice
and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The Kingdom – Already but not yet
Matthew never claims to give
us an orderly account of the events in Jesus' life (not like Luke) so
we can't be sure when this sermon was pronounced. But it seems to
clarify to people what he was all about. Jesus is saying to the
people, if you want to follow me this is what I'm looking for this is
what I value. And Blessed/ or fortunate are those I approve of! Each time he mentions an
attitude, he gives a reason why they are blessed. But there is still
a problem, we still mourn, we are still persecuted, we are blessed
today, but there is still more to come in heaven. For today's verse,
has anyone received any Land for being meek? Jesus Christ has come, today
we have his spirit, and the Church is God's body, and so there we see
some manifestations of the Kingdom – as God rules the Church and
in our hearts. But there
is also a not yet – As we are waiting for Christ to come back, and
we will rule with Him on the earth, and there will be a literal
Kingdom on this earth – where all the blessings will be seen
in their complete fulfillment
– Rev 21:4.
The Message – Theme of humility –
Misconception / Truth
The main theme
today will be humility, but I'd also like to talk about
misconceptions we have about what it takes to approved by God, and
how if we take the the Bible as a whole, it's like of course this
sermon on the mount makes perfect sense, so that instead of frowning
when he hear “Blessed are the Meek”; we cry out Of Course! And
Praise God!
The Misconception of how to
get right with God
Evangelism Story – People's
misconception
Setting – about the survey –
and the final question
A
few years ago, in France, I had probably just been a Christian for
about a year, with a few people from the church we hit the streets,
to do some surveys which is always interresting, to meet new people,
see where they are at in the journey we call life! To guide the
conversation we asked about their religious background, what religion
meant to them, was it relevant to them in 2013? what they thought
about Jesus? The last question, and most important was: If you died
today, and appeared before God, and He asked you why should I let you
into heaven, What would you reply!? Have you ever thought of this
question? What would you say? Would that not be a good final exam to
study for?!
Misconceptions
I'm a good person so I will go
to heaven
I
will not guarantee the answer you will get, but I will just speak
from my own experience, they will always say,I should go to
heavenbecause I am a
good person.
But
what I hear by that reply is:
God
owes this to me, he owes me heaven! I deserve it!
And
some of us have really been through horrible, terrible terrible
things. We feel that because we've already been through hell, we
deserve Heaven when we die, we deserve to be compensated! God owes it
to us because of what we've lived.
We compare ourselves to others
Then
you might hear, well yeah, you know I've done some bad things, but
compared to THAT GUY, I'm not that bad. We will pick some character
in world history, who's done terrible things, and be like well at
least I did not kill as
many people. And then we feel good about ourselves by setting
ourselves apart by our deeds. BUT, is that what God is going to do?
Is he going to compare us to mass murderers?
Misconception of the scales
– Good works outweigh our Bad works
One
other things we do is - We seem to think God will take a scale and
see if our good deeds outweigh our bad deeds. And we seem to have a
point system, where if you kill someone well that is probably worth
20 years worth of good deeds, lying's ... well everyone does it, so
it's not really a sin.
Right?!
And maybe that's where you're at now! I've just spoken your thoughts!
And before reading the Bible that's what I thought too!
Misconception about how to
find truth
But
since when are we able to come up with our own truth? What happens
when two people come up with two alternative truth? They can't both
be right! Sometimes you can when it is a matter of perspective. But
somethings, like 1+1=2 don't change whether you agree with it or not!
If
the Bible is God's word to mankind, let's wrestle with the text to
see, what God has for us.
Transition – Misconceptions
& the Bible – Mat 5, Luke 18
I
think the Bible deals with the statement – God will let me into
heaven because I am a good person. And I think we have a hint of how
to deal with this answer in the Beatitudes:
Matthew
5:
3 “God blesses
those who are poor and realize their need for him,[a] for
the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 4 God blesses those who
mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 God
blesses those who are humble, for they
will inherit the whole earth.
So
far there is nothing about doing Good Works. And okay, I think Good
Works are good by definition! And are very important in the Kingdom,
but we must remember that they are not what gets us in!
If
I have to summarize the Gospel to someone who's not familiar with it,
Luke 18 is where I go:
Bible and our misconception –
Luke 18
Luke 18, // Beatitudes
9 Then Jesus told
this story to some who had great confidence in their own
righteousness and scorned everyone else:
If
you would tell God, heaven is for you because of your good works,
this is for you -
10 “Two men went
to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a
despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and
prayed this prayer[b]:
‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I
don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m
certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week,
and I give you a tenth of my income.’ 13 “But
the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his
eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow,
saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I
tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified
before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those
who humble themselves will be exalted.” This
text is just perfect for the first beatitudes – v. 3 The Poor in
Spirit (Not the proud in Spirit) in the temple, this was a holy place
at the time, the tax collector stands at a distance he does not dare
come any closer than he is. He can't even lift his eyes. He feels so
far from God, poor in Spirit. Instead
he beats his chest he realizes that it is not his works that will get
him right by God, it causes him to mourn, and instead of being proud
about it, he humbles himself, and seek help, relies on God's mercy.
Transition – Misconception in
our day and Jesus' day
There
is a misconception among us! And even though we've heard message like
these over and over, we still live like we are saving our saves with
our Good works – But I want to go to the text, and suggest that the
audience in Jesus' day – properly had the same misconceptions we
had today.
Misconception in Jesus' day –
Sermon on the Mount “Shocking”
Introduction of Matthew –
Presents a KING/MESSIAH/SON OF GOD
When
we read the Sermon on the Mount, we must realize that to the hearers
just as much as it is today, it was a shocking message! Maybe I've
read Matthew 5 so often that it loses its effect, but try going out
in the streets saying: “Blessed are the poor, those who mourn,
Fortunate is another word, oh fortunate are the small, the meek, the
humble!”. This is not at all what the people wanted to hear at all.
The First four chapters of Matthew introduce us the one who is a
King, and then the son of God. So anyway we can expect something BIG!
Which was perfect given the time period:
Shock
among the Zealites
– Political Activists
Politically
- the land was occupied by the Romans. The Jews wanted to be freed.
No longer having to pay taxes to Rome. The Zealites one of the Jewish
groups were waiting for a warrior Messiah who would really kick some
Roman Butt!! How do you think they felt when they heard Jesus
talking about poverty, mourning and smallness?
Shock among the Religious -
Pharisees
Religiously
– If you are religious you go to Church every Sunday, you like to
dress up with your best suite (and that's cool if you wanna rock up
in a suit that's not a problem – as long a church does turn into a
fancy dress party and being about clothes). And you also always pray
before bedtime, you give a big part of your money to the A50... These
kind of religious people existed too back then, they were called the
Pharisees. They added on lots of rules to the Laws of Moses and
imposed them on everyone. What they expected from the Messiah was
something like this – Blessed are the religious who perform all
their duties, and who know how to pray in public, and know when the
right time is to live their hands up in the songs! They wanted to be
congratulated, praised, invited right into the Kingdom! But to their
great surprise, Jesus is not describing that at all! And if you like
dressing fancy please keep doing it, if you give to the church keep
doing it, if you like lifting your hands during the worship please
keep doing it! Personally I love all those things. But not one of
those things makes you right by God.
Contrast
in the Bible Between Pride and Humility
Psalm
37
“Blessed
are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
What
is Meekness and why do the meek inherit the earth?
Probably
what Jesus was quoting
Psalm 37
Let's
go to Psalm 37:
we will not read it, but quickly look at this with me:
37 Fret
not yourself because of evildoers; be
not envious of wrongdoers! 2 For
they
will soon fade like the grass and
wither like the green herb. 3 Trust
in the Lord,
and do good; dwell in the land and
befriend
faithfulness. 4 Delight
yourself in the Lord, and
he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit
your way to the Lord; trust
in him, and
he will act. 6 He
will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and
your justice as the noonday. 7 Be
still before the Lord
and wait
patiently for him; fret
not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over
the man who carries out evil devices! 8 Refrain
from anger,
and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it
tends only to evil. 9 For the evildoers shall be cut
off, but those who wait for the Lord
shall inherit the land. 10 In
just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though
you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. 11 But
the meek
shall inherit the land and
delight themselves in abundant peace.
Contrast between pride and
humility
David
contrasts two kinds of people:
the
wicked who will fade away
Those
who trust in the Lord and do good, who are faithful, who delight in
Him, who commit their way unto the Lord, those who wait for him –
how it will show is that they are slow to anger.
Verse
10: The wicked will disappear, and the lowly will possess the land.
Definition of humility
I
want to suggest here the a sign of lowliness is acknowledging that
between relying on yourself, so the good works that you've done and
God, you've acknowledged your need for God, his mercy, and grace.
So
I stole this definition from Neil T. Anderson – I'm paraphrasing -
“Humility is not self-abasement, this is condemned in Colossians
2:18, but rather, humility is confidence properly placed”. Compared
to God, you are small, you need to rub it in! No matter how
successful, how rich compared to God, we are very small. Humility –
is seeing the truth correctly acknowledging God is Huge, and compared
to Him we are small.
False humility
Denying complements, instead of
praising God
Humility
does not mean when people compliment you, you contradicting them
every time.
Imagine
Lesley's dad, buys her a Ferrari, one of her friends says – wow
your car is awesome! And she's like “no it's not”, how would her
father feel?
The
Same way, God has given her musical talents, dunno how many
instruments she plays, but imagine I tell her how wonderful her
playing is, and then she's like no it's not!
Imagine
God's given you a real talent to be musician if I compliment her for
being awesome, and and you say no I'm not. What if God made you
awesome, and you had just denied him that joy or that glory that he
feels when we are satisfied in the gifts that he has given us. Again
let's place our confidence in God! I want to encourage all of us,
when you are complemented to praise God for it. From the passage just
read, humility seems to be about trusting in the Lord, delighting in
Him.
False Humility and most
modernism
No absolute truths – Intollerance if you have
the truth
We
live in an age – where there are no absolute truths. Claiming you
have the truth is seen as arrogant. People are okay when you say that
you are a Christian. It's your right! But once you say Jesus is the
way the truth and the life, No body comes to the father except
through Jesus. Then you are being intolerant! Brothers and Sister,
this is when we can remind them the true definition of tolerance,
which implies disagreement. I disagree with you, but I love you
anyway. I think I hold the truth, and I think you are wrong, but I
respect you, and I really want to know what you believe. We must keep
that humility is confidence properly placed in God. If we are scared
to offend somebody, and say well Christianity works for me and it's
my truth, and you can have your own truth. We are no longer placing
our confidence in God, we may think it is the humble, but we are not
we pride ourselves in our humility and acceptance, but we've just
denied God, and His Word! I don't want to offend people, I don't but
sometimes the truth hurts. And I believe I am a sinner, we are
sinners, and I rejoice because the creator of the Universe has done
something about it! (This is when you say hallelujah!)
And
YES Jesus' statement about himself being the only way is very
arrogant indeed. Except if it is true! And if it is true, the most
loving, humble thing we can do is let people know about it! And pray
that the world stops depending on itself, but humbly relies on the
God Saves!
Transition
This conflict between pride and
Humility is found throughout the Bible -
So
quickly looking at some passages in the Bible I would know like to
show how we can go from hearing the sermon on the mount thinking, it
is shocking to, of course given the context of the Bible, obviously,
who else but the meek to inherit the land!
Across the Bible
Pride - the Fall of Man
(Genesis)
Let
me summarize the Bible for you in a few sentences: God created Man
good, Man sinned! Separating himself from the perfect God. And the
whole message of the Bible is God's rescue mission, how can God
reconcile Man to himself.
In
the Garden, Adam and Eve were both innocent. What sin was committed
in the Garden?
In
Gen 2:15-17 Adam is given a direct command: “You may freely eat the
fruit of every fruit in the Garden, except the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil”.
In
Gen 3, after the snake convinced Eve that it would be a good idea to
take the fruit – she wanted the wisdom the fruit would give her.
Then Adam has some too.
Remember
how Psalm 37 defines Humility?
Those
who trust in the Lord and do good, who are faithful, who delight in
Him, who commit their way unto the Lord, those who wait for him
They
didn't do any of these things here. What they really did was tell
God, that maybe he could keep his commandments for himself because
they were ready to do their own thing! I don't need you God, I know
best what is best for me. And now I will be about to know as much as
you do!
This
is one of the most important moments in History!
Rom
5:12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought
death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned!
Isaiah
59:2 Says it is our sins that cut us off from God.
The
consequence of this Pride – God had created everything Good,
because of man's sin, everything has become terrible. Right from
birth our hearts are bent towards evil right from childhood.
We
always want to do what we want, when we want, and how we want! And
today we've defined that as Freedom! What it really is, is
Destruction! God is Love, the Bible is about his love for Mankind,
but he cannot force you do not anything, that's what love does, it
give you the choice. It breaks God's heart, but destruction is one of
your choices.
So
that's how the problem started in the Bible, with Pride, and I
believe this problem, of pride, is in all of us!
Humility – the Redemption of
Man
God doesn't judge like we
do, he looks right to the heart – 1 Sam 16:7 He has been so consistent –
at picking one kind of people, those who would trust him. Properly
place their confidence in Him:
Abraham
We've just finished studying
all about his faith – He trusted the Lord so much that he was
willing to give up his only Son, even though he had to wait until he
was 100 years old to get him. God doesn't get any glory, from our
power or might, but in our meekness, when we rely I him, we can
glorify Him.
Moses –
Does anyone know what is
said about Moses and meek?
David
– 1 Sam 16:7 – God was
not happy with the currant King, and wants to replace him, he sends
Samuel, into a family – straight Samuel sees one of the sons, and
he's like Oh this is the guy, the Lord said – Don't judge by the
appearance or height, the Lord does not see things like people see
them, they judge by outward appearance but the lord looks at the
heart.” The Lord could have picked any of the Sons of Jesse, but he
chose the youngest, and even though he was an adulterer and a
murderer, he depended on the Lord, and was a man after God's heart.
I'm going to skip right to
Jesus now!
Fulfillment
in Jesus
Jesus the Servant
Christianity is the ONLY
RELIGION that has its central event being the HUMILIATION OF GOD!
Mark 10:45
Tells us that Jesus did not
come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for
many.
John 13
Shows God made flesh,
washing feet!
And then I have to finish
with
Philippians 2
5 You
must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though
he was God,[a] he
did not think of equality with God as
something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine
privileges[b]; he
took the humble position of a slave[c] and
was born as a human being. When he appeared in human
form,[d] 8 he
humbled himself in obedience to God and
died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9 Therefore,
God elevated him to the place of highest honor and
gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name
of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven
and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God the Father.
Our Response
How do we respond to this?
To be included in God's
redemptive history we must humble ourselves
Are we ready to be part of
this kingdom, that looks like Jesus? Are we ready to bow down before
his name and confess that he is the Lord of your life! And Maybe we've already
believed, we have humbled ourselves, and have accepted God's gift in
Christ for our sins.
All
religions will tell you that you need to do this this and that, they
are all based on performance everyone of them – And you will never
know if that is enough or not. You can work and work and work, and
there is more work to be done.
The
Bible teaches, that it is impossible for a man to do enough good
things.
Rom
3:23 says that we have all sinned – every one of us.
Rom
6:23 says that the punishment for sin is death – that is what we
all deserve – not my words, the Bible's.
2
Cor 5:21 God made Jesus, him who knew no sin, to become sin so that
we could be the righteousness of God. (Christ died so that we would
not be punished for our sins).
And
that is how God saved the world!
And
Maybe we've already believed, we have humbled ourselves, and have
accepted God's gift in Christ for our sins.
And we must humble ourselves
everyday
But
following Jesus is a decision we make everyday when we wake up. Let
us have the same mind that Jesus
look at other people's needs
– Let
us look to other people's needs, we are to count them as important,
and even more important than our own. Humility is one of those things
that can never be reached when you look for it. It happens through
service!
Serve, slow to anger, quick to
listen
The
more you serve others, the more you invest in other people's lives,
the lease you think about yourself, and the more you realize that
it's not about you but about God. When we stop thinking we are at the
center of the universe, in changes our while perspective on things,
Psalm 37 spoke about being slow to anger! When we live for God, we no
longer get angry at the little things that don't go our way, because
it's not about us! We are all about God. And God is Sovereign over
everything. When we care for others, we are more interested in
listening to them, than monopolizing the conversation, because we
genuinely care, and value the other person's opinion! (James 1 – be
quick to listen and slow to speak). Let us do this together. How else
are we to know how we can help our brothers and sisters, if don't
listen to them, and gain their trust, for them to trully share what
they need.
Imitate Christ
We
serve like Jesus, we love sacrificially like Jesus, we live to share
the good news, that more people could come to the knowledge of God's
saving grace, may properly place their confidence in God, and no
longer in themselves, and partake in the inexplicable joy, of knowing
that the good news about Jesus Christ is not that if you do good
things you go to heaven after you die, but because he has died for
you today you can have eternal life!
Conclusion
Beatitudes
Blessed
are the poor in Spirit – like the Tax Collector – they are aware
of their uncleanness when they realize how Holy God is.
It
causes them to mourn. This Godly sorrow leads them to Repentance.
Humbling
– asking forgiveness for that self-centeredness, which is what
separated Adam and Eve from God, and Separates all those who have yet
to be reconciled to God!
Blessed
are the Meek for they shall inherit the earth, they are part of the
body of Christ, the church today,, and will be part of the Kingdom
when Christ Returns.
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