Lamentations 1:1
"How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave."
Jeremiah describes the city of Jerusalem who in the past had been a booming city, spiritual, physical, and emotionally healthy because they were in right standing with God. However, what once was is no more. She had become an abomination to God, weak in the eyes of other nations, and feeble in their vitality.
How this describes the majority of churches today. With 80% of churches across denominational lines suffering decline or plateau, they sit there lonely and dreaming of the good ole days. Sadly, many of these church do not realize there is something terribly wrong. Those who have yet to produce a convert, baptisms, or new members in years, defend adamantly they are not dead. Understand this: healthy lives, organisms, organizations, and churches reproduce. Reproduction can be in the form of conversions, transformations, new members, and new churches being planted. Just because a church still has their doors open and is paying their mortgage and bills does not mean they are healthy. Truthfully death is knocking at their door.
What kills people? Immediately you might think old age, cancer, disease, car wreck, obesity, etc. These are means by which people die, but it is not what kills people. Their inherited nature of Sin kills. Man was created in the image of God. One attribute of imageo Dei is to live forever. The sin of man did not discontinue their eternality, but did inaugurate their earthly state of death. Therefore, from the sin of Adam and Eve everyone who would follow thereafter would die as result of sin. This sin would spread into every sect of society: home, civilization, culture, nation, people, and eventually the church.
Individual churches over the course of 2,000 years have experienced this life cycle where sin eventually kills them or renders them ineffective and unfruitful. Think about the seven churches of Revelation. They were second generational churches who Jesus had issues with. Jesus took issue with some more than others. Nevertheless, this tells us today, if we are not careful we can allow the church to become infected in areas which may spread to the overall health of the church. Eventually this infection can cause lukewarmness, unfruitfulness, and ineffectiveness to the point Jesus vomits. What Christian or Church in their right mind wants to make the Son of God, our Savior and Lord vomit? But, the reality is Jesus is constantly up-chucking due to the state of many of his local churches in the West, particularly in America.
What is needed? New life, new birth, resurrection, renewal, restart, and reproduction. The churches who have suffered sever decline, degeneration, and imminent death need to do something drastic and radical. Rather than smothering the gospel and it's mission because of their tradition, preferences, selfishness, hurt, bitterness, resentment, and sin, they need to allow the gospel to shine and give birth. In other words, they need to decrease and allow Jesus to increase. Jesus wants his church to be healthy, vibrant, and reproducing. In order for this to happen, churches must rekindle what it means to be Christo-centric, gospel-centered, and mission-centered rather than ecclesiastical-centered. When churches become ecclesiastical-centered they become stagnate, institutional, traditional, internal, self-centered, and maintenance driven.
If churches or people who gather under the banner of a church name fail to do this, they cease to behave and act like the church. The Church is the bride of Christ sent on his continuing mission. Therefore, we submit and surrender to our husband and what he would have us do. Failing to surrender and submit to our husband and be guided by him is a declaration of our independence from our husband. Churches who desire to return to their first love must repent and confess of their adultery. These actions of adultery can manifest itself in selfishness, perceiving the church belongs to them not Christ. Adultery can manifest itself through pride, arrogance, racism, and apathy.
My prayer is that more churches would recognize their unhealthiness, ineffectiveness, unfruitfulness, and their imminent death and would repent, and desire to replant.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Blasphemy or Truth?
Blasphemy or Truth?
Jesus, when placed on trial, was listening to false witnesses giving false testimonies. The high priest looked at Jesus and said, "tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." Responding, Jesus said, "You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest tore his robes and said, He has uttered blasphemy." Earlier in Matthew's gospel account, he describes the time when Peter was being questioned by Jesus regarding who Jesus was. Peter responds, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt 16:16).
There are two accounts, two people, two responses, and two confessions. One is from a high priests who utters the confession of blasphemy; the other from Peter, a disciple, uttering a confession of belief. Given who Jesus said He was, what He did, and what He calls man to do there are only two choices for people. One, people can choose to scream out blasphemy in response to Jesus' claim. Two, people can choose to accept His words as true and repent and confess Him as the Christ, the Son of the living God. There are no more choices. These are it.
Consequently, there are no in between answers. Pleading the fifth or ignoring the question or choice is not an option. Some might ask, "What about those who never have heard?" The bible teaches there are none without excuse, all people are guilty before God. Not hearing, is a non-confession, which results in eternal punishment. This fact should motivate believers to go to the uttermost parts of the world preaching the gospel of Christ, so that all people are given the opportunity to respond.
Which one are you? How have your responded? Have you confessed Christ as the Son of the living God? Have you embraced that truth, not just with your lips, but with your life? Or have you considered what Jesus said and did as blasphemy? Have you just said that Jesus was a good teacher, a moral man, a good prophet. He cannot be a good teacher, a moral man, or a good prophet having done the things he did. He said He was the Messiah. He said He was God. If he was not, he is not good, because he is a liar. Jesus was either a lunatic and liar, or the God and the Savior. What is our confession of Christ? If we have confessed Him to be Christ, Messiah, Savior, and Lord, let us live in light of our confession. If you haven't made that confession, today you can! Simply cry out to God, confess the fact you are a sinner who has sinned against Him, and confess Christ as your Lord and Savior. Ask Christ to forgive you and save you from yourself and your sin. Also realize this confession is not a one time confession, and then go your own way. But it is a confession resulting in a constant posture. If you are one who has rejected Him, today you can confess His lordship and divinity.
Christ died so that we might live unto and for the glory of God. Let us pursue God's glory today through our confession and the posture of our life.
Jesus, when placed on trial, was listening to false witnesses giving false testimonies. The high priest looked at Jesus and said, "tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." Responding, Jesus said, "You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest tore his robes and said, He has uttered blasphemy." Earlier in Matthew's gospel account, he describes the time when Peter was being questioned by Jesus regarding who Jesus was. Peter responds, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt 16:16).
There are two accounts, two people, two responses, and two confessions. One is from a high priests who utters the confession of blasphemy; the other from Peter, a disciple, uttering a confession of belief. Given who Jesus said He was, what He did, and what He calls man to do there are only two choices for people. One, people can choose to scream out blasphemy in response to Jesus' claim. Two, people can choose to accept His words as true and repent and confess Him as the Christ, the Son of the living God. There are no more choices. These are it.
Consequently, there are no in between answers. Pleading the fifth or ignoring the question or choice is not an option. Some might ask, "What about those who never have heard?" The bible teaches there are none without excuse, all people are guilty before God. Not hearing, is a non-confession, which results in eternal punishment. This fact should motivate believers to go to the uttermost parts of the world preaching the gospel of Christ, so that all people are given the opportunity to respond.
Which one are you? How have your responded? Have you confessed Christ as the Son of the living God? Have you embraced that truth, not just with your lips, but with your life? Or have you considered what Jesus said and did as blasphemy? Have you just said that Jesus was a good teacher, a moral man, a good prophet. He cannot be a good teacher, a moral man, or a good prophet having done the things he did. He said He was the Messiah. He said He was God. If he was not, he is not good, because he is a liar. Jesus was either a lunatic and liar, or the God and the Savior. What is our confession of Christ? If we have confessed Him to be Christ, Messiah, Savior, and Lord, let us live in light of our confession. If you haven't made that confession, today you can! Simply cry out to God, confess the fact you are a sinner who has sinned against Him, and confess Christ as your Lord and Savior. Ask Christ to forgive you and save you from yourself and your sin. Also realize this confession is not a one time confession, and then go your own way. But it is a confession resulting in a constant posture. If you are one who has rejected Him, today you can confess His lordship and divinity.
Christ died so that we might live unto and for the glory of God. Let us pursue God's glory today through our confession and the posture of our life.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Begrudging Generosity: Matthew 20:1-16
Begrudging generosity:
Jesus tells us of a parable where a master hired servants throughout the day to work his field. At the end of the day, the master paid all who worked, whether all day or one hour, the same wage. Those who worked all day, were upset that the master had paid those working only one hour, the same wage. The master replies and says, "Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?"
How many times have we begrudged generosity, whether it be God's generosity towards others, or generosity generated by others? The servants who complained were focused on what the master had done for others, rather than focusing on what the master had done for them.They neglected to see the generosity of the master that had invited them to work in his field.
The truth of the matter is that people begrudge generosity when they begin to implement the fairness doctrine. From a human perspective, what may be fair to us, is injustice towards God. What may be fair to God, is injustice to us. And there is the issue of sin everyone has to encounter. Encountering someone else's sin may invoke unfairness to another. But, when God interacts with humanity, you can trust that he will be fair, for he is a just God. Therefore, we must submit to the providence and sovereignty of God because he is just. Will there be times where someone else's blessing can be misconstrued by us as being unfair? Yes. However, what we need to remember is the lesson of the servant who begrudged God's generosity. When that happens, let us remember the good, the blessings, the grace, and the mercy that God has shown us, rather than nitpicking God's grace, mercy, and blessings towards others. Let us be thankful for what God has done for us!
Jesus tells us of a parable where a master hired servants throughout the day to work his field. At the end of the day, the master paid all who worked, whether all day or one hour, the same wage. Those who worked all day, were upset that the master had paid those working only one hour, the same wage. The master replies and says, "Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?"
How many times have we begrudged generosity, whether it be God's generosity towards others, or generosity generated by others? The servants who complained were focused on what the master had done for others, rather than focusing on what the master had done for them.They neglected to see the generosity of the master that had invited them to work in his field.
The truth of the matter is that people begrudge generosity when they begin to implement the fairness doctrine. From a human perspective, what may be fair to us, is injustice towards God. What may be fair to God, is injustice to us. And there is the issue of sin everyone has to encounter. Encountering someone else's sin may invoke unfairness to another. But, when God interacts with humanity, you can trust that he will be fair, for he is a just God. Therefore, we must submit to the providence and sovereignty of God because he is just. Will there be times where someone else's blessing can be misconstrued by us as being unfair? Yes. However, what we need to remember is the lesson of the servant who begrudged God's generosity. When that happens, let us remember the good, the blessings, the grace, and the mercy that God has shown us, rather than nitpicking God's grace, mercy, and blessings towards others. Let us be thankful for what God has done for us!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Radical or Nominal?
Radical vs. Nominal
I want us to really ponder this morning on the battle between Radical Christianity and Nominal Christianity this morning. Radical denotes those who are above ordinary and are transformative or revolutionary in their living. Nominalism consists of those who float through life waving a banner, yet not living for or representing that banner. Radicals are in the game making plays; nominals are on the sidelines drinking gatorade and talking about cheerleaders. While there are a large number of Christians who fit into this nominal camp, this is not what Christ desires nor is it what we desire out of people, businesses, government and favorite teams (in our culture).
When is the last time we raved about a product that didn't last? For instance, there are times when we buy the cheaper product, only to find ourselves frustrated when that product fails to last. A perfect example is toys from Dollar Tree. I love $1 toys. It makes our trip to the store less expensive when we buy our children toys from the Dollar store. Yet, those toys do not make it past the first day!Don't get me wrong, there are cheap products that do last, that are just as good as the more expensive items.
When is the last time we raved about a favorite sports team who finished under 500? Sure, we might live out a glory win against a more favored opponent, but that's about all we can do. The truth is, if they finished under 500 then they failed to be great and noticeable. Many times we become frustrated with are sub-par team. Frustration leads to the blame game and Monday morning quarterbacking of what the coach or organization needs to do.
When is the last time we raved about a struggling government who fail to unite together to truly help this country? Do we really like the fact that unemployment continues to linger between 9%-10%? Do we really like the fact that we continue to spend only to see tax in some form go up to pay for this increased spending? Do we really like watching the news and seeing the blame game both sides like to play? Do we really like hearing "It is not as bad as the previous government"?
When is the last time an investor raved that he made no money or even lost money in the stock market because of a par business?
Our conversations are spent talking about radicals. It could be radicals who were radically positive or radically negative. Like the latest celebrity in the latest movie. Or Like the boss who has done something we didn't like. Maybe it was the best play from the football or basketball game the night before. It could be the latest restaurant outing that left us spell-bound. Or the latest product that has revolutionized a part of your life. Is it the amazing or disheartening customer service you received at a previous visit to a local business.
Do we get the picture? We do not talk about the nominal, ordinary, or plain. We talk about the radical, the extraordinary, the revolutionary. Status quo, ordinary, plain, ok does not get our attention, our business, our cheers, or our investment. What does get our business, cheers, or investment is those entities which are above par, revolutionary, extraordinary, and radical.
Jesus desires for his followers to be radical. He does not want them to blend in to the normal everyday cultural followers; but, Jesus desires for his followers to stand out and be in many ways counter-cultural. The truth is, and it is a sad one, many believers are nominal, ordinary, status quo, cultural followers. These
usually are the ones talking about the radicals, whether it be positive or negative. A pet peeve of mine is for rumors in the church to originate and be spread from attendees who have been: recently intoxicated, sporadic in their church attendance, and null in their impact for the kingdom. My pet peeve is not necessarily centered on them, but also on the people who lend their ear to such nominal, narcissistic, venomous, negative, and fruitless people.
If we are a follower of Christ let us desire and pursue the radical life and posture! Let us live as Christ would have us live! Results will include people talking, which could be positive or negative. Nevertheless, as Paul says, we are not seeking their approval, but the approval of the one who sent us.
So, are we part of churches who desire to be radical? You would not believe how many people I have heard in the first two years of Life Point say "I love the smallness and intimacy of this church" "I got lost in 'so and so' church, because it was so big". What they fail to realize is that big church was radical in some shape, form, or fashion to the point they grew. What these people are saying is that they want a small church which is, convenient for them, comfortable for them, and conducive for them. They do not want to be challenged or exhorted to live, give, and serve radically for Jesus. They fail to realize that to take a small church to a large church, requires many people to embrace a radical and sacrificial posture, which obviously they were not willing to give.
Radical or Nominal? Which one are you? If not radical, become radical. Which one is your church? If not radical, either stay and lead it to be radical or leave and join one that is radical.
I want us to really ponder this morning on the battle between Radical Christianity and Nominal Christianity this morning. Radical denotes those who are above ordinary and are transformative or revolutionary in their living. Nominalism consists of those who float through life waving a banner, yet not living for or representing that banner. Radicals are in the game making plays; nominals are on the sidelines drinking gatorade and talking about cheerleaders. While there are a large number of Christians who fit into this nominal camp, this is not what Christ desires nor is it what we desire out of people, businesses, government and favorite teams (in our culture).
When is the last time we raved about a product that didn't last? For instance, there are times when we buy the cheaper product, only to find ourselves frustrated when that product fails to last. A perfect example is toys from Dollar Tree. I love $1 toys. It makes our trip to the store less expensive when we buy our children toys from the Dollar store. Yet, those toys do not make it past the first day!Don't get me wrong, there are cheap products that do last, that are just as good as the more expensive items.
When is the last time we raved about a favorite sports team who finished under 500? Sure, we might live out a glory win against a more favored opponent, but that's about all we can do. The truth is, if they finished under 500 then they failed to be great and noticeable. Many times we become frustrated with are sub-par team. Frustration leads to the blame game and Monday morning quarterbacking of what the coach or organization needs to do.
When is the last time we raved about a struggling government who fail to unite together to truly help this country? Do we really like the fact that unemployment continues to linger between 9%-10%? Do we really like the fact that we continue to spend only to see tax in some form go up to pay for this increased spending? Do we really like watching the news and seeing the blame game both sides like to play? Do we really like hearing "It is not as bad as the previous government"?
When is the last time an investor raved that he made no money or even lost money in the stock market because of a par business?
Our conversations are spent talking about radicals. It could be radicals who were radically positive or radically negative. Like the latest celebrity in the latest movie. Or Like the boss who has done something we didn't like. Maybe it was the best play from the football or basketball game the night before. It could be the latest restaurant outing that left us spell-bound. Or the latest product that has revolutionized a part of your life. Is it the amazing or disheartening customer service you received at a previous visit to a local business.
Do we get the picture? We do not talk about the nominal, ordinary, or plain. We talk about the radical, the extraordinary, the revolutionary. Status quo, ordinary, plain, ok does not get our attention, our business, our cheers, or our investment. What does get our business, cheers, or investment is those entities which are above par, revolutionary, extraordinary, and radical.
Jesus desires for his followers to be radical. He does not want them to blend in to the normal everyday cultural followers; but, Jesus desires for his followers to stand out and be in many ways counter-cultural. The truth is, and it is a sad one, many believers are nominal, ordinary, status quo, cultural followers. These
usually are the ones talking about the radicals, whether it be positive or negative. A pet peeve of mine is for rumors in the church to originate and be spread from attendees who have been: recently intoxicated, sporadic in their church attendance, and null in their impact for the kingdom. My pet peeve is not necessarily centered on them, but also on the people who lend their ear to such nominal, narcissistic, venomous, negative, and fruitless people.
If we are a follower of Christ let us desire and pursue the radical life and posture! Let us live as Christ would have us live! Results will include people talking, which could be positive or negative. Nevertheless, as Paul says, we are not seeking their approval, but the approval of the one who sent us.
So, are we part of churches who desire to be radical? You would not believe how many people I have heard in the first two years of Life Point say "I love the smallness and intimacy of this church" "I got lost in 'so and so' church, because it was so big". What they fail to realize is that big church was radical in some shape, form, or fashion to the point they grew. What these people are saying is that they want a small church which is, convenient for them, comfortable for them, and conducive for them. They do not want to be challenged or exhorted to live, give, and serve radically for Jesus. They fail to realize that to take a small church to a large church, requires many people to embrace a radical and sacrificial posture, which obviously they were not willing to give.
Radical or Nominal? Which one are you? If not radical, become radical. Which one is your church? If not radical, either stay and lead it to be radical or leave and join one that is radical.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
What a Chump! Matthew 18:21-35
Matthew 18:21-35
Peter approached Jesus and wanted to know how many times he should forgive someone who wronged him. Jesus' answer of 144 times probably surprised Peter greatly. But, Jesus goes on to share a parable with him, which illustrates his point. A master approached a servant who owed him 10,000 talents. Keep in mind a talent was equal to about twenty years worth of wages. Prior to be taken away and being sold (him and his family) into slavery, the man begged for his and his family's life. The master, out of pity for him, forgave the debt and released the servant and his family.
A very short time elapsed when the servant saw someone on the streets who owned him money. The debt owed the servant totaled to be around a 100 denarii (about a day's wage). Ok. Now you see the extremity and the polarization of the two debts. The servant did not forgive this man who owed him 100 denarii as well as had him thrown into prison, where he should have been. When other servants caught wind this had happened, they ran and told the master who had forgiven this servant's massive amount of debt.
The bible says that the master summoned this wicked ungrateful servant and said, "You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?" In the end the master threw this wicked servant in prison until he could pay all his debt. Keep in mind, that this debt owed the master would have been impossible to pay back.
In reading this story, obviously we see what a chump and a hypocrite this servant was. But in reality we, including myself, find ourselves doing the same.
The major thrust of this passage is: We need to be extremely careful not to succumb in failing to show the mercy and grace to others, which God has bountifully shown to us. As believers we need to constantly remind ourselves how gracious and merciful God has been to us. Therefore, we need to make sure we extend that same grace and mercy to others around us, even if we feel they do not deserve it. Today and the rest of this week, let us go out of our way to extend grace and mercy to those around us, even those that may not necessarily deserve it. This is the way of the Master!
Peter approached Jesus and wanted to know how many times he should forgive someone who wronged him. Jesus' answer of 144 times probably surprised Peter greatly. But, Jesus goes on to share a parable with him, which illustrates his point. A master approached a servant who owed him 10,000 talents. Keep in mind a talent was equal to about twenty years worth of wages. Prior to be taken away and being sold (him and his family) into slavery, the man begged for his and his family's life. The master, out of pity for him, forgave the debt and released the servant and his family.
A very short time elapsed when the servant saw someone on the streets who owned him money. The debt owed the servant totaled to be around a 100 denarii (about a day's wage). Ok. Now you see the extremity and the polarization of the two debts. The servant did not forgive this man who owed him 100 denarii as well as had him thrown into prison, where he should have been. When other servants caught wind this had happened, they ran and told the master who had forgiven this servant's massive amount of debt.
The bible says that the master summoned this wicked ungrateful servant and said, "You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?" In the end the master threw this wicked servant in prison until he could pay all his debt. Keep in mind, that this debt owed the master would have been impossible to pay back.
In reading this story, obviously we see what a chump and a hypocrite this servant was. But in reality we, including myself, find ourselves doing the same.
The major thrust of this passage is: We need to be extremely careful not to succumb in failing to show the mercy and grace to others, which God has bountifully shown to us. As believers we need to constantly remind ourselves how gracious and merciful God has been to us. Therefore, we need to make sure we extend that same grace and mercy to others around us, even if we feel they do not deserve it. Today and the rest of this week, let us go out of our way to extend grace and mercy to those around us, even those that may not necessarily deserve it. This is the way of the Master!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Cashing in on the Mother Load: Matthew 13:44
Matt 13:44 Cashing in on the Mother Load
Matthew highlights some of Jesus' teaching on the kingdom of heaven, which is synonymous with the kingdom of God. Growing up I did not hear much teaching about the kingdom of heaven. I heard much about the church and how individuals are to live out their faith. Until recently I never put the two together. The church is not the kingdom of heaven or God, but the church is part of or a sign of the kingdom of God. With this said, Matthew 13:44 provides for its readers what Jesus taught about the value of the kingdom. Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys the field." There are couple of inferences we can make regarding this one verse regarding the kingdom of heaven.
First, the kingdom of heaven, as of now, is much in obscurity to people. This man found what no one else had found, a treasure hidden in a field. We do not know if this man went on a treasure hunt. We do not know if this man found some secret map outlining where a valuable treasure lay hidden. All we know is this treasure was obscure, that this man happened to find. Is that not the truth today. We live in a day in which people are spiritual, yet in their own right. The church, especially in America, mostly act independent of themselves as well as much of their membership. Therefore, by their actions they do not see themselves as part of this valuable kingdom. The kingdom is obscure to people. Is it obscure to you? To me?
Second inference we can make regarding this parable on the kingdom, is this man understood he had just uncovered the mother load. In other words, this man understood the value of this treasure. So much so, he covered it back so he could make arrangements to purchase it. When people do find the kingdom of God today, do they really understand what they have found. Do they really understand what they possess. Or is it like a buying a new car, where they are happy and joyful at first, but the older it gets and the more miles it piles on, they grow detached? For this man who found the treasure, this treasure was the treasure of all treasures. This was to him, what the Templar's Treasure was to Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage in National Treasure). How valuable is the kingdom and being part of the kingdom to us?
Third, this man was ready to sell all he had in order to acquire or obtain this treasure. Jesus in describing how this man went about selling all he had, said he had 'joy' in his going. Jesus tells his listeners, and Matthew communicates to his readers, that this man had joy when he went to sell all he had. We are not privy to what he sold. But, he probably sold his land, his dwelling place, his animals, maybe his inheritance, and whatever else he possessed in order to purchase this field. He had joy in selling what was once dear to him, so that he could obtain this treasure. What this man teaches us, is once we find the kingdom of God, we will be willing to sell all and give all in order to be in possession of this kingdom. And in our selling and giving we will have joy, because we know what we are getting in return. For those of us who are believers, children of God, citizens of the kingdom, do we know what we have? Do we know what we are part of? If we do, we will be willing to sell and give all we have for the kingdom! For those who are not believers, children of God, citizens of the kingdom of heaven, do you know what you are missing?
Looking at this parable we see the kingdom of heaven is obscure, valuable, and worthy of sacrifice. Do we see this? Have we cashed in for the mother load?
Matthew highlights some of Jesus' teaching on the kingdom of heaven, which is synonymous with the kingdom of God. Growing up I did not hear much teaching about the kingdom of heaven. I heard much about the church and how individuals are to live out their faith. Until recently I never put the two together. The church is not the kingdom of heaven or God, but the church is part of or a sign of the kingdom of God. With this said, Matthew 13:44 provides for its readers what Jesus taught about the value of the kingdom. Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys the field." There are couple of inferences we can make regarding this one verse regarding the kingdom of heaven.
First, the kingdom of heaven, as of now, is much in obscurity to people. This man found what no one else had found, a treasure hidden in a field. We do not know if this man went on a treasure hunt. We do not know if this man found some secret map outlining where a valuable treasure lay hidden. All we know is this treasure was obscure, that this man happened to find. Is that not the truth today. We live in a day in which people are spiritual, yet in their own right. The church, especially in America, mostly act independent of themselves as well as much of their membership. Therefore, by their actions they do not see themselves as part of this valuable kingdom. The kingdom is obscure to people. Is it obscure to you? To me?
Second inference we can make regarding this parable on the kingdom, is this man understood he had just uncovered the mother load. In other words, this man understood the value of this treasure. So much so, he covered it back so he could make arrangements to purchase it. When people do find the kingdom of God today, do they really understand what they have found. Do they really understand what they possess. Or is it like a buying a new car, where they are happy and joyful at first, but the older it gets and the more miles it piles on, they grow detached? For this man who found the treasure, this treasure was the treasure of all treasures. This was to him, what the Templar's Treasure was to Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage in National Treasure). How valuable is the kingdom and being part of the kingdom to us?
Third, this man was ready to sell all he had in order to acquire or obtain this treasure. Jesus in describing how this man went about selling all he had, said he had 'joy' in his going. Jesus tells his listeners, and Matthew communicates to his readers, that this man had joy when he went to sell all he had. We are not privy to what he sold. But, he probably sold his land, his dwelling place, his animals, maybe his inheritance, and whatever else he possessed in order to purchase this field. He had joy in selling what was once dear to him, so that he could obtain this treasure. What this man teaches us, is once we find the kingdom of God, we will be willing to sell all and give all in order to be in possession of this kingdom. And in our selling and giving we will have joy, because we know what we are getting in return. For those of us who are believers, children of God, citizens of the kingdom, do we know what we have? Do we know what we are part of? If we do, we will be willing to sell and give all we have for the kingdom! For those who are not believers, children of God, citizens of the kingdom of heaven, do you know what you are missing?
Looking at this parable we see the kingdom of heaven is obscure, valuable, and worthy of sacrifice. Do we see this? Have we cashed in for the mother load?
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The Enemy who Sowed some Weedies
Matthew 13:24-30:36-43 :The Enemy who Sowed Weedies
There are a couple of different angles to view the parable of the weeds, just as there are in the parable of the soils. This morning I would like to share some initial thoughts regarding the enemy in this parable. First, the enemy trespasses on property that is not his. The property did not belong to the enemy, but to the man who sowed good seed. There is obviously some animosity the enemy has with this man to even want to trespass. Who knows, maybe the enemy was tired of seeing this man's field reap so much good harvest that he became jealous. Maybe he was jealous that this man's field was much bigger than his. Or maybe he was jealous that this man had a field and he did not. Nonetheless, the enemy trespasses onto a field that did not belong to him.
Second, the enemy trespassed at a time he would not be seen nor heard. He came at night while the hired hands were fast asleep from a hard days work. This speaks to the enemies desire to be sneaky, conniving, and even cowardly. He clearly wants to avoid confrontation. He may want to avoid confrontation because he knows he cannot overcome the hired hands or more importantly the owner of the field.
Third, the enemy sought to disrupt, corrupt, and damaged the owner's field, his crop, and those who benefited from his crop. In any field there would be weeds that grew. However, there is undoubtedly a vast number of weeds that begin to sprout up, which grabbed the attention of the hired hands. There was so many weeds, the hired hands went to the owner and said, "We thought you sowed seeds, not weeds." The enemy did not just sow a few weeds, he sowed a myriad of weeds. He sowed so many weeds if the hired hands tried to pluck them out, they would have ruined the good crops. This is why the owner tells them to wait until harvest to pick everything, given the wheat would be harvestable then.
Also, one scholar noted regarding the weeds, that they were fungus, if eaten by man or animal could be poisonous. It is indubitably apparent the enemy desired to harm those associated or who benefits from the crop of the owner. Undeniably the enemy sought to sabotage the owner, his field, and his crop.
Who is this enemy? He is the evil one, the devil, the serpent of old. The enemy hates God, hates what he represents, and hates the glory God receives. Therefore, he is the one who trespasses onto God's property, the world (his creation). His trespassing is very sneaky and conniving. The bible enlightens us about the devil in that he prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet 5:8). Also, he wants to steal nutrients from the wheat (God's children) by sowing weeds alongside of them. Therefore, God's children must be on guard, must be vigilant and aware of the schemes of the devil. We must be careful that we do not become contaminated by the guiles of the devil. What Jesus' parable does is expose us to the essence of the evil one. And his nature is to come as a thief in the night to steal, kill, and destroy God's work! Let us be diligent today not to allow him to ruin or contaminate God's good work in us.
There are a couple of different angles to view the parable of the weeds, just as there are in the parable of the soils. This morning I would like to share some initial thoughts regarding the enemy in this parable. First, the enemy trespasses on property that is not his. The property did not belong to the enemy, but to the man who sowed good seed. There is obviously some animosity the enemy has with this man to even want to trespass. Who knows, maybe the enemy was tired of seeing this man's field reap so much good harvest that he became jealous. Maybe he was jealous that this man's field was much bigger than his. Or maybe he was jealous that this man had a field and he did not. Nonetheless, the enemy trespasses onto a field that did not belong to him.
Second, the enemy trespassed at a time he would not be seen nor heard. He came at night while the hired hands were fast asleep from a hard days work. This speaks to the enemies desire to be sneaky, conniving, and even cowardly. He clearly wants to avoid confrontation. He may want to avoid confrontation because he knows he cannot overcome the hired hands or more importantly the owner of the field.
Third, the enemy sought to disrupt, corrupt, and damaged the owner's field, his crop, and those who benefited from his crop. In any field there would be weeds that grew. However, there is undoubtedly a vast number of weeds that begin to sprout up, which grabbed the attention of the hired hands. There was so many weeds, the hired hands went to the owner and said, "We thought you sowed seeds, not weeds." The enemy did not just sow a few weeds, he sowed a myriad of weeds. He sowed so many weeds if the hired hands tried to pluck them out, they would have ruined the good crops. This is why the owner tells them to wait until harvest to pick everything, given the wheat would be harvestable then.
Also, one scholar noted regarding the weeds, that they were fungus, if eaten by man or animal could be poisonous. It is indubitably apparent the enemy desired to harm those associated or who benefits from the crop of the owner. Undeniably the enemy sought to sabotage the owner, his field, and his crop.
Who is this enemy? He is the evil one, the devil, the serpent of old. The enemy hates God, hates what he represents, and hates the glory God receives. Therefore, he is the one who trespasses onto God's property, the world (his creation). His trespassing is very sneaky and conniving. The bible enlightens us about the devil in that he prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet 5:8). Also, he wants to steal nutrients from the wheat (God's children) by sowing weeds alongside of them. Therefore, God's children must be on guard, must be vigilant and aware of the schemes of the devil. We must be careful that we do not become contaminated by the guiles of the devil. What Jesus' parable does is expose us to the essence of the evil one. And his nature is to come as a thief in the night to steal, kill, and destroy God's work! Let us be diligent today not to allow him to ruin or contaminate God's good work in us.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Fertile Soil: Fertile Soul (Matthew 13:1-23
Matthew 13: 1-23 The Seeds of the sower and the Fertileness of the Ground
The parable of the sower or seeds has been one of the infamous parables of Jesus. The debate has raged throughout the years regarding which of the different soils are saved? I would like to attempt explaining which ones were saved. More specifically, in my estimation, there was only one particular soil which represents a redeemed person. Obviously the redeemed soil is the one where the seed fell on "good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."
Here in America, people talk themselves in a frenzy as well as talk themselves to a calm. Talking into a calm is where people justify things in order to make themselves feel better. This is usually what happens in the spiritual realm of people lives. People tell themselves or hear from others, what they want to hear. Hearing what they want to hear is music to ears, which calms uneasiness.
This is what happens in this passage. Some people make the other soils conducive to there own knowledge and lives. So, when they read about the soil that sprang up, but had no depth, they want to argue that at least it produced something. It doesn't matter that it sprang up and then died. Also, some want to argue that the thorny soil produced something albeit the thorns choked it as it began to grow.
Simply hermeneutics (which is the study of Scripture) will show the major focus is on the last soil, which produced fruit. The other soils did not produce fruit of the seed that was sown. What does Jesus want from his followers? Fruit! People cannot justify their actions so that they accommodate their feelings of guilt and emotions. Preachers and teachers of the word should not patronize people who might fall into the categories of soil #2 and #3. The aim is to be soil #4, the good soil that produces a harvest of fruit. This doesn't mean people will be perfect and never struggle with sin. But, what it does mean they will live whole-heartily unto the Lord rather than living for themselves and others. It does mean they will pursue God and the things of God; his word, his church, his mission, and his actions.
Therefore, those who fail to endure tribulation and persecution on the account of Jesus and his word, and those who fail to cast away the cares of this world and the entanglements of this kingdom are not redeemed. Although they may show early signs of being regenerate, they in the end fail to produce any fruit.
What should we take away from this parable? Which soil are we? Has the devil snatched the joy and life of the word from our lives, just as a bird snatched the seed from the soil? Have we allowed the difficulty of the Christian life to deter us from living for Christ? Do we care more about the things of this world, our life, our desires, our dreams, our wishes than we do about the kingdom of God and his mission? Or do we desire, commit to, embrace, and love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength that we produce fruit of righteousness, holiness, purity, conversion?
This is the goal of Jesus for our lives. He did not come to live, die, and rise again for soil that is rocky and thorny to live rocky and thorny lives for him. He came to live, die, and rise again in order to gather a people together for his own glory and purpose, so that they live lives that produce fruit; some a hundred fold, some sixty fold, and some thirty.
So today, stop justifying spiritual mediocrity. Quit manipulating the unadulterated truth of Scripture to accommodate actions. Jesus wants fruit! Are we producing?
The parable of the sower or seeds has been one of the infamous parables of Jesus. The debate has raged throughout the years regarding which of the different soils are saved? I would like to attempt explaining which ones were saved. More specifically, in my estimation, there was only one particular soil which represents a redeemed person. Obviously the redeemed soil is the one where the seed fell on "good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."
Here in America, people talk themselves in a frenzy as well as talk themselves to a calm. Talking into a calm is where people justify things in order to make themselves feel better. This is usually what happens in the spiritual realm of people lives. People tell themselves or hear from others, what they want to hear. Hearing what they want to hear is music to ears, which calms uneasiness.
This is what happens in this passage. Some people make the other soils conducive to there own knowledge and lives. So, when they read about the soil that sprang up, but had no depth, they want to argue that at least it produced something. It doesn't matter that it sprang up and then died. Also, some want to argue that the thorny soil produced something albeit the thorns choked it as it began to grow.
Simply hermeneutics (which is the study of Scripture) will show the major focus is on the last soil, which produced fruit. The other soils did not produce fruit of the seed that was sown. What does Jesus want from his followers? Fruit! People cannot justify their actions so that they accommodate their feelings of guilt and emotions. Preachers and teachers of the word should not patronize people who might fall into the categories of soil #2 and #3. The aim is to be soil #4, the good soil that produces a harvest of fruit. This doesn't mean people will be perfect and never struggle with sin. But, what it does mean they will live whole-heartily unto the Lord rather than living for themselves and others. It does mean they will pursue God and the things of God; his word, his church, his mission, and his actions.
Therefore, those who fail to endure tribulation and persecution on the account of Jesus and his word, and those who fail to cast away the cares of this world and the entanglements of this kingdom are not redeemed. Although they may show early signs of being regenerate, they in the end fail to produce any fruit.
What should we take away from this parable? Which soil are we? Has the devil snatched the joy and life of the word from our lives, just as a bird snatched the seed from the soil? Have we allowed the difficulty of the Christian life to deter us from living for Christ? Do we care more about the things of this world, our life, our desires, our dreams, our wishes than we do about the kingdom of God and his mission? Or do we desire, commit to, embrace, and love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength that we produce fruit of righteousness, holiness, purity, conversion?
This is the goal of Jesus for our lives. He did not come to live, die, and rise again for soil that is rocky and thorny to live rocky and thorny lives for him. He came to live, die, and rise again in order to gather a people together for his own glory and purpose, so that they live lives that produce fruit; some a hundred fold, some sixty fold, and some thirty.
So today, stop justifying spiritual mediocrity. Quit manipulating the unadulterated truth of Scripture to accommodate actions. Jesus wants fruit! Are we producing?
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