Fearless

Fearless

 

Luke 21: 10 – 28

Then he added, “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven.

12 “But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers. 13 But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me. 14 So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, 15 for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you! 16 Even those closest to you—your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends—will betray you. They will even kill some of you. 17 And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish! 19 By standing firm, you will win your souls. 20 “And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived. 21 Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. Those in Jerusalem must get out, and those out in the country should not return to the city. 22 For those will be days of God’s vengeance, and the prophetic words of the Scriptures will be fulfilled. 23 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. For there will be disaster in the land and great anger against this people. 24 They will be killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world. And Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end. 25 “And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth, the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. 26 People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. 28 So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”

 

 

North Korea, road rage, vehicles slamming into people, 1700 murdered in Chicago, cyber attacks everywhere banks, hospitals, every institution coming under attack. Opiod epidemic, a potentially nuclear equipped Iran global warming, cooling or Climate change fearful huh!!!

 

But if you realize the threat we have to our nation because of the division we do have some things to be concerned about

 

What happened to…

 

A few years ago it was anthrax, MRSA, AIDS, menacing hurricanes.

 

Before that the world was coming to a screeching halt in Y2K thank you Jim Quinn and all of the pundit conservative talk show host and crazy Christian commentators. I am not belittling the threats to our world and nation now just need us to realize there will always be something

 

How can we be fearless with all of this looming over our heads?

 

Where is your hope and what are your fears today? This room is filled with people battling all kinds of fears….future, sickness, financial ruin, what will happen to our children, others suffer from rejection of a marriage that has failed, job that has been lost, all of these fears are rooted in one thing…Intimacy

 

Bare with me as I explain how fearing the end of the world, economic collapse, war and my kids on drugs is rooted in intimacy.

 

Intimacy – is the deep desire to know someone and be known by them especially God and it alludes most of us because of our fear of rejection.

 

Henri Nouwen (famous catholic writer) – I deserve to be pushed aside, forgotten and rejected…self rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us His beloved that being the beloved transformed the core truth of our existence.

 

If you see yourself as the beloved everything else about you becomes transformed.

 

Luke 7: 36 – 50

 

36Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 37And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” 40And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.” 41“There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” 43Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” 44Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

 

Pharisees believed their adherence to the law would justify them to God.

 

Sinful woman (prostitute) Mary, Martha, and Lazarus’ sister

 

Recognizing our many sins

 

Accept forgiveness for our sins 47

 

  • focusing only on sins creates a sense of legalism and failure
  • Forgiveness frees us from legalism
  • She was forgiven for what she did
  • She was weeping tears of joy somewhere along the line she had had an encounter with Jesus “therefore” verse 47 suggest this

–     Be thankful for your forgiveness and relationship with Him

  • when you recognize that you are truly forgiven you have no weight of sin or burden of guilt

 

She recognized her great forgiveness don’t forget what He has done for you.

 

Beware of the Simon the Pharisee (the leper in Matthew and Mark) kind of attitude.

 

  • It is easy to forget where we came from and all that the Lord has done for us (Simon had to have been healed of his leprosy to be able to host such a dinner)
  • I am not asking you to rehash every sin, you are forgiven, I am asking you to remember how very much you are loved, the price that was paid and continue to have an attitude of gratitude
  • There is a place of security when we remember that we are loved so much that a price was paid for us.
  • There is nothing more contagious than being loved and nothing more deadly than a judgmental attitude this attitude by its nature causes rejection.

 

The woman went there knowing that she could be rejected or could have been stoned or could have been solicited for prostitution but she went anyway because she knows what it is to be loved much.

 

When we are secure in our love nothing can shake us. Isaiah’s fires and the flood came come our way, we can face death like Daniel in the lion’s den, or Shadrack, Meshach and Abed-nego and the furnace. We can face giants like David, Joshua, and Caleb and not be afraid. We can face all the trauma from Luke 21

 

Remember Luke 21:18,19 not a hair will be lost… by your standing firm possess your souls.

 

In other words be cool you know God is in control don’t freak worry or doubt He will take care of you as He has promised.

 

LET’S READ THE REST

 

Luke 7:48-50

48Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

 

 

Coming back to the woman verse 48 Jesus makes this statement “Your sins are forgiven”, she already knew her sins were forgiven, that is why she was weeping at his feet with joy but He made it known to all of those in that room that this woman was his family and one that he loved

 

She had accepted that love at some point and that gave her the security to face all that she would face in that room that day and for the rest of her life so she came she became fearless because now as Jesus wrapped up this conversation he says to her “your faith has saved you”

 

What about you today?

 

Where do your fears or insecurities lie is it a tangible fear about the economy, war, a divorce, kids on drugs, potential job loss or something else

 

Or is it intangible like basic insecurity, lack of self-confidence or worth, allowing rejection to control your life?

 

Or are you possibly like those who have forgotten that they too have been forgiven much and rather than loving much they sit in judgment because like Simon they have simply forgotten. When people lift their hands in worship or dance or show any sign of emotion they sit in judgment. When someone is broken and weeps they sit in judgment. They have forgotten to love much.

 

There is no security in judgment. There is no fearlessness in insecurity or low self worth or worry. Remember that you are loved much He holds your life and the world in his hands.

 

Simon became more in bondage and the woman left freer. What will you do today?

 

Do you realize how loved you are today?

Do you realize how much and how often you have been forgiven?

Do you realize when God looks at you He doesn’t see your sin, failures, warts, rejections but instead his beautiful child?

 

If you really do then you can be secure…you can become fearless!

 

Here is what Paul said to 1 Timothy 1:12 – 19

 

12I’m so grateful to Christ Jesus for making me adequate to do this work. He went out on a limb, you know, in trusting me with this ministry. 13The only credentials I brought to it were invective and witch hunts and arrogance. But I was treated mercifully because I didn’t know what I was doing—didn’t know Who I was doing it against! 14Grace mixed with faith and love poured over me and into me. And all because of Jesus. 15Here’s a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I’m proof—Public Sinner Number One— 16of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now he shows me off—evidence of his endless patience—to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever. 17Deep honor and bright glory to the King of All Time—One God, Immortal, Invisible, ever and always. Oh, yes!

18I’m passing this work on to you, my son Timothy. The prophetic word that was directed to you prepared us for this. All those prayers are coming together now so you will do this well, fearless in your struggle, 19keeping a firm grip on your faith and on yourself. After all, this is a fight we’re in.

 

Paul recognized his own sin and the great love Christ has for him and passed it on to his disciple Timothy so that he might be fearless.

 

This is the perfect love that John talks about ridding us of all fear. All means all

 

What about you, will you become fearless today?

 

Please don’t ask me…“Why do you condemn homosexuality when God obviously made gays and lesbians and that He loves all people the same?” Part 2

Rania Sayegh – HOPE house of prayer and exploits June 30 arab Christian living in Israel prophetic insight into what the Lord is doing in the Middle East

 

Last week

 

We began and I asked a series of questions

 

Does God love everyone? Is there anyone God does not love? Did Jesus die on the cross for everyone?

 

Then I asked why He did this

 

Jesus bottom line was

Luke 19:10 “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

What compelled him to do this?

John 3:16,17

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

 

Last week we mainly dealt with our hearts

 

  • We must always affirm God’s love – Jesus was always touching the lepers, tax collectors, sinners, prostitutes, those in need of love and forgiveness

 

His love was always radical and extreme and he places this challenge on us

 

John 20:21

“As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”

Jesus sends us to do and be exactly like Him in all things. We must love just as radically and extreme…First

 

We also learned that we must extend grace especially when people don’t understand

 

-People need hope and they need love regardless of the nature of their sin

 

– we can’t look for people to be changed from the outside in but instead from the inside out

 

– we need to remember God’s great grace on our own lives

 

Romans 5:6

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”

 

We all came to Christ with our own bag of messes and Christ reached each of us when we too were helpless to do so

 

  • Jesus affirms God’s plan for human sexuality

 

Jesus knew the woman at the well was in sin but he started out loving her then explained to her that God’s plan for human sexuality is for one man and one woman

 

Genesis 2:24 “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”

 

That is the highlights from last week and this is where we begin today

 

Jesus approached a Samaritan woman and enemy of the Jews, asked for a drink, told her about the life she could have believing in the Messiah, that God had a plan for her life

 

Please don’t ask me…“Why do you condemn homosexuality when God obviously made gays and lesbians and that He loves all people the same?” Part 2

 

 

4) Telling the truth about God’s will

 

You may have noticed that I have not gone into the Biblical condemnation of gay life…there are two reasons for that first I wanted to establish that God’s idea of sexual relationships is established by Jesus that it is between one man and one woman any other form is wrong…I think it is important that we make the case for Biblical sexuality rather than simply against homosexual sex

 

Second, those who see this issue differently often try to explain away the texts that do seem to prohibit sex between members of the same gender. Therefore we risk getting embroiled in the particulars of interpreting those texts instead of putting the issue back into the broader context of God’s stated purpose for sex.

 

However, in the interest of completeness, we do need to look at some of these scriptures not in order to condemn homosexuality but to be faithful to God and His Word

 

While Jesus did not openly condemn homosexuality you can not make the argument because he did not condemn it that He thought it was OK otherwise the old testament standards against bestiality, pedophilia, polygamy, slavery, child trafficking, or even the new testament oppression of the Roman government you would need to presume he thought were OK.

 

Jesus held a strong standard for sexuality

 

The apostle Paul set the standard high speaking specifically about same-sex acts Romans 1:24-27

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way, the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

 

Paul also lovingly and clearly warns about same-sex relationships in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

 

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

 

The apostle Paul makes it clear that some in the church had practiced these things not just sexual sin but drunkards, slanders and so on but where all able to stop.

 

One of the arguments for homosexuality is as we see in the question that some are born this way…I don’t want to get into the argument but let’s suppose that they are right just for a moment…I am not saying I agree with it but I will for the sake of argument

 

If someone has a desire toward homosexual behavior it doesn’t mean that they need to follow up on it. Many people have desires for things for food if it is not curbed they can become a glutton and obese and it kills them. For recreation and they can become a hedonist and put all focus on pleasure over productive activity and they either become obsessed or lazy or both. Desires can be from God but they must be disciplined to function to be God honoring

 

Secondly, if someone says they were born this way

 

Then it should also be true that someone that is a pedophile or drunk, or who has uncontrollable anger, or a liar too are born this way. Someone may have a tendency to act this way but that does not mean they have to fulfill those tendencies.

 

This logic played out then justifies the homophobe as well because they could say they too were born that way and there should be no disgust with a person who hates homosexuals.

 

We all have tendencies to sin in one direction or another. We all have areas of weakness in out lives but God wants to strengthen us in those areas to cause us to overcome

 

We see in this last scripture even if we totally fail in these areas that Paul shows us we don’t need to stay that way we can choose to walk away.

 

When you recognize that anything in your life is a sin. It is hindering your relationship with the Lord and you must overcome it.

 

Last, temptation in itself is not sin

 

Some people may be more inclined to be tempted in the area of homosexuality but just because someone feels the temptation does not mean they need to surrender to it.

 

The Lord will give us the strength to overcome because he understands temptation Hebrews 4:15,16

 

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

 

Whatever we need to overcome any temptation he will give it to us if we cry out to him.

 

5) Grace is available to anyone who is willing to come to him

 

Jesus ends his discussion with the woman, with this… John 4:23-26

 

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” 25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

 

One of the absolutely most broken women in the Bible is one of the very few who Jesus reveals himself to why?

 

Because sometimes those who we would regard as not worthy, or those we would dislike the most are the ones most hurting and most willing to impact the world…he who is forgiven much loves much

 

If you hate homosexuals or lesbians you are violating Jesus’ heart but to allow them to continue in their sin is also to hate them because you are allowing them to go to hell.

 

If we are not intentional about loving all people despite their sin preferences then how will they see Jesus in us!

 

 

 

 

 

Please don’t ask me…“Why do you condemn homosexuality when God obviously made gays and lesbians and that He loves all people the same Part 1

 

Did Jesus die on the cross for every sinner?

 

Is there anyone Jesus did not die on the cross for?

 

Jesus told us to go into what or where and preach the Gospel? Wait for the answer

 

Does God love everyone?

 

Are we obligated by Christ to love everyone?

 

2 Peter 3:9 says

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

 

If all of this is clear to you let’s look at the title to today’s teaching

 

Please don’t ask me…“Why do you condemn homosexuality when God obviously made gays and lesbians and that He loves all people the same?” Part 1

 

Last week we verified that Jesus is God and that was very clear and as Christians, it is our call to be obedient to Him and do what He calls us to do

 

Let’s look at a particular encounter Jesus had and go from there.

 

John 4:3-6

He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. 4 But He needed to go through Samaria. 5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

 

Jesus bottom line was

 

Luke 19:10 “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

 

What compelled him to do this?

 

John 3:16,17

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

 

 

John 4:7-9

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

 

I believe Jesus would fully affirm the last part of that question…God loves all people the same

 

1) We must affirm God’s love

 

As Christians we can’t afford to allow hate in our vocabulary we must love people through their prejudice, despite their sin, lifestyle, or whatever classification we want to place on them.

 

1 Timothy 2:3,4

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

 

.John 20:21 “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”

 

Nothing cleanses us of prejudice faster than building a friendship with a type of person with whom we have prejudice

 

John 4:10, 13-15

Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” 15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”

 

 

2) We must extend grace to people especially when they do not understand

 

People need hope, they need love, regardless of the nature of their sin.

 

Jesus is explaining to her that there is love, hope, and a way out before he even brings up the idea of her sin.

 

What would be your approach when you see or meet a homosexual or lesbian?

 

Romans 5:6

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”

Romans 4:5 ….God who justifies the ungodly,…

We all came to Christ with our own bag of messes and Christ reached each of us when we too were helpless to do so

Now Jesus moves from grace to truth

 

3) Jesus affirms God’s plan for human sexuality

 

John 4: 16-19

He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.

 

Genesis 2:24 “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”

Paul also reaffirms this in 1 Corinthians 6: 15-20

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

 

It is easy to conclude that sex that doesn’t express this “one fleshness” between one man and one woman in marriage is wrong.

 

Please don’t ask me…“Everyone knows that Jesus was a good man and a wise teacher—but why try to make him into the Son of God?

 

  • Many people believe this is what happened: Jesus was given a “divine promotion” by his later followers. In other words, today Christians have an exalted view of Jesus that he never claimed for himself.

 

This is kind of summed up in the movie, based on Dan Brown’s book the Davinci Code (DaVinci Code book)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAzZm1fuw0M DaVinci Code attack on Jesus deity

 

Thomas Jefferson, (Thomas Jefferson) one of our founding Father’s believed this he even created his own Bible where he cut out most of the miracles and kept what he thought was really the truth about this great moralist Jesus

 

See if Jesus was only a good teacher, or great moralist than what he had to say was good food for thought but not divine mandate, wisdom and purpose so it is all negotiable but if Jesus is God then what He says is truth and needs to be adhered to

But history argues with that theory

 

  • History shows, contrary to that belief, that there was an early devotion to Jesus as the divine Son of God—an explosion that points back to him and his teachings as its source.

 

All the New Testament books were written between 50 and 100 AD roughly 17 – 67 years after the death of Christ. The council of Nicea was 300 years after the death of Christ and all they did at that council was merely recognize what was already acknowledged by the church.

 

In fact this is what Paul wrote to us that was already in creed form when he wrote it

 

1 Corinthians 15:3-8

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

 

Paul repeated a creed that had been know from Jesus resurrection that Jesus died for our sins (only God can do that) he rose again and he is writing this letter know that there are at least 500 witness that will verify what he is saying.

 

Every New Testament writer refers to Jesus as the “Christ,” or Messiah (e.g., see Matt. 1:1; Mark 1:1; Luke 9:20; John 4:25-26; Rom. 1:4; Heb. 6:1; James 1:1; 1 Pet. 1:1; Jude 1:1).

 

As you probably know, “Christ” is not Jesus’ last name. The word Messiah derives from the Hebrew title meaning “Anointed One”; Christ derives from the Greek translation of that title. The title appears over five hundred times and in all but one book of the New Testament (3 John, the shortest book).

 

The New Testament writers, in proclaiming that Jesus was the Christ, were saying that he was the preeminent Priest-King whom God had sent to fulfill his promises

 

The earliest and the latest New Testament authors alike use the most exalted titles for Jesus—ones that clearly indicate in their contexts that Jesus is divine. Both Paul (generally considered the earliest author) and John (usually regarded as the latest) speak of Jesus as:

 

– the Son of God (Gal. 4:4-6; John 20:30-31)

– the Savior (see Phil. 3:20; John 4:42)

– the Lord (see Rom. 10:9-13; John 9:38), and even

– God (see Rom. 9:5; Titus 2:13; John 1:1; 20:28).

 

The writings of Luke and Peter also use all these titles for Jesus (see Luke 2:11; 9:20; 10:1-2; 22:70; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 1:1; 3:15; 2 Pet. 1:1, 17; 3:18). All the New Testament authors use the title Lord in ways that, given the context, equate Jesus with deity (see Matt. 7:21-22; Mark 5:19;

 

  • Jesus affirmed this understanding by repeatedly referring to himself as the Son of Man, which was a clear allusion to the divine figure in the Old Testament book of Daniel, chapter 7.

 

Jesus’ habit in the Gospels of referring to himself as “the Son of Man.” This title occurs eighty-two times in the sayings of Jesus throughout the four Gospels, making it by far the most-often used title for him in the Gospels (even more than “Christ”).

 

What did Jesus mean by calling himself the Son of Man?

 

Many modern readers assume that the title simply indicates his humanity. But that’s because they didn’t live in the first century and understand that he was referring to a visionary prophecy in the Old Testament book of Daniel, in which

 

“I saw someone like the son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.

 

Daniel 7:13-14,

 

That’s what Jesus thought of himself! This figure in Daniel has sovereign power and is worshiped by “all the peoples, nations and men of every language”—and only God can legitimately be worshiped.

 

Before His crucifixion, Jesus was on trial before the Jewish council and he referred to this scripture

 

Mark 14: 61-64

Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 Jesus said, “I AM. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”63 Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Why do we need other witnesses? 64 You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?”

 

The “I Am” claim was bad enough (God’s name Yahweh means I Am) we will talk more about this later. But he referred to himself as the coming Messiah/Priest/King prophesied in Daniel 7

 

  • Jesus taught with authority like no other human, expected loyalty and devotion to himself (along with the Father), and predicted that he would ultimately judge every person based on what they did with his teachings.

 

The standard way of teaching was that one Rabbi would quote another Rabbi then the third Rabbi would give his opinion on those two…Jesus went beyond that..

 

Matthew 5:21,22

“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment!

 

Many times throughout the Gospels Jesus would say “but I say” setting the point that it was his opinion but was irrefutable truth

 

Jesus places himself at the head of the judgment of all mankind wrapping part of it up this way in Matthew 7:23

“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

 

He is telling everyone there is coming a judgment and I am the judge of all mankind

 

What would we do to someone today who made such a claim?

 

He is so much more than a man and knew He was the Son of God and no man gave him that title.

 

  • Jesus made multiple claims to equality with the Father, and he never sought to change the perceptions of his listeners to that end, even when they were hostile and threatening to kill him.

 

Because of time allow me to give you three passage of scripture that prove this.

 

John 5:16-18

 

For this reason, the Jews persecuted Jesus and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”

18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

 

John 8:56-59

Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” 57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” 59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

 

Why would they want to stone him except that his “I am” claim was making him God?

 

John 10:30-33

I and My Father are one.”31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?” 33 The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because of You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

 

These are Jesus’ on words. I think no one needed to make Him God, He knew He was.

 

 

  • Jesus predicted that all his claims would be proven true by his impending death and resurrection—and then both of these events actually happened

 

One of the best ways to answer the question about Jesus is to ask another…what made Jesus followers believe he was the son of God, the Messiah, anointed one?

 

Ironically it is his death

 

John Dominic Crossan, (John Dominic Crossan) cofounder of the notorious Jesus Seminar, a group of scholars who promote highly skeptical views about Jesus, agrees: “Jesus’ death by execution under Pontius Pilate is as sure as anything historical can be.”

 

Jesus horrible death on a cross should have been significant to His first followers that he was not the Messiah because scripture is very clear about crucifixion

 

Deuteronomy 21:23 “he who is hanged is accursed of God.”

 

They would have seen this death as not victory but a sign that he was not the Son of God. Most of what they believed about Jesus prior to his death was that he was going to set them free from their Roman oppressors.

 

What changed their point of view? The resurrection! Within a few days some of his closest friends and relatives said they saw him alive.

 

Unlike other faiths, Christianity did not begin by a group of followers trying to remember Jesus teachings after he had died. The knew a vindicated risen savior.

 

To believe that Jesus was only a good teacher would be a mistake; a story about Jesus being the son of God would have never developed the disciples would not have been able to sustain a lie

 

Jesus placed his divinity at stake with the idea of the resurrection.

 

John 2:19-22

Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

 

Matthew 12:39,40

But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

 

In both cases Jesus was referring to his death and resurrection…but how do we know the resurrection took place?

 

Historic facts from even non-Christian authors bear the fact that Jesus was crucified…despite wild theories that it was not Jesus on the cross or that he did not really die Josephus a Jewish historian, Thallus, and Tacitus Roman historians give the account of Jesus crucifixion. Pliny the younger a Roman governor and the Jewish Talmud all give reports that Jesus was indeed crucified to death…so we know for sure that He died.

 

  • all four Gospels report Jesus body was placed in a tomb by a member of the group that had him crucified…not a fact that would make sense if it were not true.
  • All four Gospels report that women were the first to encounter the risen Christ. This is a male dominated culture where the testimony of a woman was worth less than ½ that of a man. This would not have been the way to promote His resurrection
  • If the tomb were not empty it would have been easy to show the body or to find the dead body of Christ and reveal the whole resurrection thing as a hoax.

 

Paul’s conversion experience is especially troubling to those who believe that Jesus was only a good man…a persecutor who had a dramatic experience and became a believer

 

If your friends are asking you… “Everyone knows that Jesus was a good man and a wise teacher—but why try to make him into the Son of God?

 

I hope that today you see that it wasn’t something that was developed by Christians centuries after his death it was a plain understanding that the first-century disciples believed and Jesus himself made clear.

 

He is, was and always will be God and as the writer of Hebrews states

 

Hebrews 13:8

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Thanksgiving in July

What I want to talk about is a complaining heart or an ungrateful attitude.

dictionary.com
Complain,
to express dissatisfaction, pain, uneasiness, censure, resentment, or grief; find fault:

is It ever okay to complain?

We certainly need to sometimes express concerns.

We have to be real
Life Happens

But if we are always focused on the negative aspects of life, we are more likely to see them, which creates a vicious cycle of more and more complaining.

Let’s look at the last part of that definition.
Finding fault..

focusing on the bad rather than the good

What is the fruit of a complaining heart?

it poisons those around us
it’s emotionally draining to us and those around us
it fuels the sin of gossip and rumors
it can divide families
it can divide churches

I can allow myself to be agitated with the simplest things sometimes.

I can’t let things like this steal my joy or control my emotions and thoughts.

This is what happens when I allow my eyes and heart to be fixed on me.

What does the Bible say about complaining?
Philippians 2:12-15 (NLT)
12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

How does God view complaining?

Let’s look at The Story of a man named Job

Job 1:1-3 (NLT) 1 There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters. 3 He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He also had many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area.

2 points
#1    He was blameless—a man of complete integrity
#2    He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area.
Job 1:13-19 (NLT) 13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting at the oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger arrived at Job’s home with this news: “Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 when the Sabeans raided us. They stole all the animals and killed all the farmhands. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
16 While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
17 While he was still speaking, a third messenger arrived with this news: “Three bands of Chaldean raiders have stolen your camels and killed your servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
18 While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother’s home. 19 Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children are dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

In a moment of time, Everything was Gone!

Job 1:20-22 (NLT) 20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. 21 He said,
“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!”
22 In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.

The Man knew who he was
and he knew who his God was

Job 2:4-8 (NLT) 4 Satan replied to the Lord, “Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life. 5 But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!”
6 “All right, do with him as you please,” the Lord said to Satan. “But spare his life.” 7 So Satan left the Lord’s presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot.
8 Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes.

Now the emotional pain turned to physical pain

Job 2:9-10 (NLT) 9 His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”
10 But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.

28 chapters later, after Job has been influenced by his three friends his outlook has changed.

Job 30:15-23 (NLT) 15 I live in terror now.
My honor has blown away in the wind,
and my prosperity has vanished like a cloud.
16 “And now my life seeps away.
Depression haunts my days.
17 At night my bones are filled with pain,
which gnaws at me relentlessly.
18 With a strong hand, God grabs my shirt.
He grips me by the collar of my coat.
19 He has thrown me into the mud.
I’m nothing more than dust and ashes.
20 “I cry to you, O God, but you don’t answer.
I stand before you, but you don’t even look.
21 You have become cruel toward me.
You use your power to persecute me.
22 You throw me into the whirlwind
and destroy me in the storm.
23 And I know you are sending me to my death—
the destination of all who live.

Chapter 31 is all about Job protesting his innocence and him bragging about all the good he has done.

Job 38:1-13 (NLT) The Lord Challenges Job
1 Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:
2 “Who is this that questions my wisdom
with such ignorant words?
3 Brace yourself like a man,
because I have some questions for you,
and you must answer them.
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell me, if you know so much.
5 Who determined its dimensions
and stretched out the surveying line?
6 What supports its foundations,
and who laid its cornerstone
7 as the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?
8 “Who kept the sea inside its boundaries
as it burst from the womb,
9 and as I clothed it with clouds
and wrapped it in thick darkness?
10 For I locked it behind barred gates,
limiting its shores.
11 I said, ‘This far and no farther will you come.
Here your proud waves must stop!’
12 “Have you ever commanded the morning to appear
and caused the dawn to rise in the east?
13 Have you made daylight spread to the ends of the earth,
to bring an end to the night’s wickedness?

This Conversation between God and Job goes on through chapter 41.

At The end of the book of Job, Job fully repents and God restores his life to him.
Now, lets take a look at the Israelites in the desert

Numbers 11:1-2 (NLT) 1 Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the Lord heard everything they said.

What does God think about complaining?

Then the Lord’s anger blazed against them, and he sent a fire to rage among them, and he destroyed some of the people in the outskirts of the camp.

Why does a complaining  heart so anger God?

Complaining is a symptom of;
Selfishness
Faithlessness
Pride
And it says to God, you’re not good enough.

2 Then the people screamed to Moses for help, and when he prayed to the Lord, the fire stopped.

Moses was able to calm God’s wrath because he had God’s heart.   Moses only wanted what God wanted!

Numbers 11:4-6 (NLT) 4 Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. 5 “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. 6 But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!”
The people forgot how bad it was when they were slaves in Egypt
They forgot how God was good to them and rescued them.
They took their eyes off the Lord and onto their circumstances.
Just like them, we are a forgetful people.

Who are we to express our concerns and opinions?

Chain of command, Gripes go up.

Now, it is Moses’s turn to gripe.

Numbers 11:11-15 (NLT) 11 And Moses said to the Lord, “Why are you treating me, your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people?

Look at who he is talking to. He is talking directly to the Lord in prayer.

12 Did I give birth to them? Did I bring them into the world? Why did you tell me to carry them in my arms like a mother carries a nursing baby? How can I carry them to the land you swore to give their ancestors?

13 Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people? They keep whining to me, saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ 14 I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! 15 If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!”
What is the difference here between Moses’s complaining and people complaining?
#1  God measures attitude of the heart.
The people want more things.     Moses wants his people to trust the Lord.

#2  Moses is griping to the one who can make a difference, not to people around     him

Psalms 142:1-3 (NLT)
1 I cry out to the Lord;
I plead for the Lord’s mercy.
2 I pour out my complaints before him
and tell him all my troubles.
3 When I am overwhelmed,
you alone know the way I should turn.

Give it all to the Lord. He cannot only handle it, but he can do something about it.

So, practically, how do we do this?

Romans 12:2
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Paul says that we must be transformed by changing the way we think.”

The mind is the key to our Christian life.

The gospel is a call for each one of us to repent of our sin and embrace Christ by faith.

Our thinking must be changed (transformed) from old, ungodly ways of thinking into new, godly ways of thinking.

What we know in our minds to be true
forms a conviction in our hearts of that truth,
and that conviction in our hearts translates into action.

So, we must first renew our minds.

The only way to replace the error of the world’s way of thinking
is to replace it with God’s truth,
and the only infallible source of God’s truth is His revealed Word, the Bible.

Transformation through renewed minds
comes as we expose ourselves to God’s Word
through the church,
personal, and group Bible study.

We need to get into our Bibles.

Church alone is not enough

We must fill our minds with God’s Word.

In John 17:17 Jesus prayed to the Father,
17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.

Romans 10:17 (NLT)
17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.

When we are reading it, we are hearing it.

What do we have to be thankful for?

#1 Salvation

Ephesians 2:8-10
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Please don’t ask me…Why are so many Christians, hypocrites?

Please don’t ask me…why are so many Christians, hypocrites?

We see it all around us from the Catholic priests who abused all those children. To the rip off artist who seem to be all about money rather than Christ to the scam artist hocking their wares in the name of Christ. Those are the blatant ones

To some of our friends who are trying to find a faith to follow, these types of things can derail them from faith in Christ.

This is a serious subject that hits close to home for many of us and knowing how to answer it is a scary thing.

Every one of us if we will honestly look at our lives can see our own hypocrisy. You have heard me say time and time again we are a church full of hypocrites, sinners, and broken people. Every time I do not act like Christ I am being a hypocrite.

However, there is a difference between someone who is falling short of God’s glory as they are growing in Christ and a blatant hypocrite.

Sometimes our hypocrisy is a sign of immaturity.

The Father who tells his children not to use drugs but doesn’t see a problem with having a beer every night. Or the one who tells his daughter to dress appropriately or is over protective but then in secret goes on to porn sites

The Mother who challenges her children to act like Christ but is always gossiping and backbiting others.

The church-going boss who preaches truth and grace, but cheats on his taxes and sales figures.

The employee who spends time on their break reading their Bible and quoting scriptures but steals from their boss

The Bible-quoting neighbor who talks as if every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before but they live in fear, anger, jealousy and/or resentment

Hypocrisy is “claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform; pretense.”

The label comes from an ancient Greek word that was a technical term for a stage actor. Hypocrites are mask wearers, acting without ever acknowledging that is what they’re doing.

The problem is not their sin or failure it is that they pretend that they don’t. They are inauthentic and refuse to admit it. They are frauds and imposters.

You can try a little experiment…ask your non-Christian friends if they have ever encountered a hypocritical Christian. I am sure they can give you a few examples granted some of them may be unfair but they will know what you mean.

David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons, authors of unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity, (UnChristian) have done research that shows there isn’t much measurable difference between people who claim to be born-again Christians and the rest of the world.

“Born-agains were distinct on some religious variables, most notably owning more Bibles, going to church more often, and donating money to religious nonprofits (especially a church). However, when it came to non-religious factors—the substance of people’s daily choices, actions, and attitudes—there were few meaningful gaps between born-again Christians and non-born agains. . . . In virtually every study we conduct, representing thousands of interviews every year, born-again Christians fail to display much attitudinal or behavioral evidence of transformed lives.”

 

Gandhi  once said “I like your Christ I just don’t like your Christians”

 

Mark Twain said,  “If Christ were here I am sure of one thing he would not be, a Christian”

 

Sad commentaries

 

So how do we halt hypocrisy? Many of our friends will at times simply through up their hands and say, “Why are so many Christians, hypocrites?”

 

Our friends are not alone in their harsh judgment of hypocrisy. Jesus had no room for it either…

 

Matthew 23:1-5, 13-16, 25-28,33

“The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. 3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. 4 They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. 5 “Everything they do is for show….“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either 15 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are! 16 “Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! Teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! 26 You blind Pharisee! First, wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too. 27 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. 28 Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness. Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?

This gives you a taste of how Jesus felt about hypocrisy!

He hated it enough—but also loved the people it affected enough—to hit them hard with the unvarnished truth about themselves, their attitudes and actions, and the detrimental impact they were having on others.

 

This leads us to our first point!

 

1) When our friends talk about hating hypocrisy, Jesus did too!

 

Many people will use hypocrisy to blame God or to stay away from the church but at least in a broad sense Jesus agrees with them.

 

When you look at the scripture we just read and/or have your friends read it they can easily see how Jesus hated hypocrisy. You will find that their problem isn’t really with God as much as it is with some of his people and their sin and their unwillingness to own up to it.

 

If you are able to share this scripture and others like it with your friend that will be able to see that they and Jesus agree on the same thing and that they both hate hypocrisy. They will begin to see that hypocritical behavior is unacceptable as a Christian.

 

2) Jesus is the only perfect example and the only one who will not disappoint us with their sin.

 

This is not an excuse for inauthentic Christians to keep acting this way but it is the truth.

 

The Bible says moral perfection is only for one human being..Jesus

 

Hebrews 4:15

This High Priest of ours (Jesus) understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

 

At Jesus boldly asked his accusers to come up with an accusation John 8:46

“Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me?”

 

Can you try this one at home or in the office or at school…you might get an ear-full about your sin.

Jesus could give this challenge because he was free of sin.

When on trial Jesus’ detractors had to get liars and unscrupulous people to testify against him because there was no evidence of sin in his life.

As people of faith or seeking faith that is another reason to

Hebrews 12:2

“looking unto Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith,”

 

So let’s look at the question again. Why are so many Christians, hypocrites?

When talking to a young college student from India, Pashi, Ruth Bell Graham (Ruth Bell Graham) the late wife of Dr. Billy Graham relates this story

“We of India would like to believe in Christ. But we have never seen a Christian who was like Christ.” Ruth Graham said that when she consulted Dr. Akbar Abdul-Haqq about what might be the best response to Pashi’s challenge, he answered decisively: “That is quite simple. I would tell Pashi, I am not offering you Christians. I am offering you, Christ”

WE need to talk to our friends and encourage them to ultimately put their faith in Christ not the frailty of Christians

We are to strive to grow and mature, by grace become more like Jesus every day and not settle for a life of falling short

 

3) Many hypocrites are only pretending to be God’s people.

 

Remember the people we just read about that Jesus called hypocrites, snakes, and vipers.

 

Some people are only playing a religious game but are not real people of faith. It is all for show and there is no substance

 

Titus 1:16

They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

 

When we understand that some who claim the name of Christ are not real Christians at all it helps us and can help our friends understand the difference between a real Christian and one who is not. It helps others stop blaming the faith for what faithless people do.

 

No one would every blame the medical community for something a witch doctor might claim even though they both have the name doctor neither should Christianity be blamed for people claiming the name but are not truly Christians

 

It is hard to tell sometimes who is pretending versus those who are merely falling short.

 

Jesus said Matthew 24: 24,25

“For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.”

 

And Matthew 7:15-18

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

 

The greatest intentions of an individual can fail but if you look at a life long term and you see good fruit you know they are merely a Christian who has fallen short rather than a pretender

 

4) Hypocrisy comes in degrees and we may struggle with it even as authentic Christians

 

we live in a fallen world…just watch the news for a few minutes and that will be verified and Romans 3:23 tells that all have fallen short of God’s glory

WE are not to use that as an excuse or hypocrisy but we recognize our failures and rely on God’s grace and forgiveness.

Transparency in our own lives will often help our friends who see only the hypocrisy of faith.

Recognizing we do fail but that is not who we are and that we strive walk out our calling as God would have us to

Colossians 3:12,13

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.

 

It is a mistake to assume because a person is a Christian that they are perfect and not in the process of maturity. When we fail, admit it and choose to live open and honest and do not accept your immaturity as something you can’t grow beyond.

 

So why are so many Christians, hypocrites?

 

  • Jesus hates hypocrisy – so your friend is in good company to hate it as well
  • Jesus is the only one who is and whoever will be perfect but is our example to grow to become
  • Many hypocrites are not really Christians but only pretenders
  • Hypocrisy comes in degrees watch a person’s life long term not a moment of failure to see if they growing and living a transparent life daily maturing through their failures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making the Connection

Making the Connection

As I look at the New Testament church – I am grateful for so many things that we have that they did not.

 

– We have protection and freedom to worship

– We have all the Gospels, Epistles, and Revelation as well as the Old Testament

– We have the modern conveniences of electronic media and mediums to enhance our faith experience

– We have deep studies into what everything meant and an understanding of the culture

– We have the advantage of hindsight

 

However, in the busy-ness of our culture with sports, other kids events and non-stop work we are missing the connection.

Here is the report of the early church from Acts 2:42-47

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

The early church grew because of

 

  • Teaching
  • Prayers
  • Fellowship in the breaking of bread.

 

Let’s look closer at what fellowship was to the early church Acts 2:46

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and singleness of heart,

“breaking of bread” was a common term like “going to dinner”

The phrase “they ate” comes from a Greek word that means they “fully were partaking”

The phrase “gladness and singleness of heart” is very telling. It is here that the Greek means

– they would leave the complications of life outside

– enjoy generous amounts of time celebrating together, eating and talking together,

– enjoying each others company.

 

What was the result? Acts 2:47

praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

 

Jesus put it this way John 13:35

“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

 

 

 

Please don’t ask me.. Why I can’t make my own choices for my own body? Why do Christians think abortion is wrong?

January 1—On the very day of conception, all forty-six chromosomes are present, so a human life has already begun. This is a unique human being, with a unique genetic makeup, who can never be reproduced or replaced.

 

January 22—Only about three weeks after conception, the child’s heart begins to beat, pumping her own blood, which is often a different blood type from the mother’s.

 

February 4—In the fifth week, which is around the time many mothers confirm that they are pregnant, the child’s eyes, legs, and hands begin to develop.

 

February 14—By Valentine’s Day, which is merely the sixth week after conception, the child’s brain waves, which have already been active for some time, are now detectable.

 

Mid February—Only the seventh week from conception, the baby starts kicking and swimming.

 

Late February—Just under two months into the pregnancy, every organ in the child’s body is in place, the bones are taking shape, and fingerprints have already begun to form.

 

Mid-March—Teeth begin to form, fingernails develop, the baby can turn her head, and she can even frown.

 

Late March (11 – 12 weeks)—The baby can grasp objects placed in her hand.

 

Late April (14 – 16 weeks)—The baby can start having dreams during REM sleep.

 

As the world famous French geneticist Jerome Lejeune put it years ago when he testified at the United States congressional hearings,

“To accept the fact that after fertilization has taken place a new human has come into being is no longer a matter of taste or opinion. . . . The human nature of the human being from conception to old age is not a metaphysical contention, it is plain experimental evidence.”

 

Let me share with you a couple of people

 

James Gill was born at 21 weeks 5 days You may think well today’s technology has made the difference….he is now 30 and fine

 

Amelia Taylor was born at 21 weeks 6 days

 

2400/day

 

58 million since 1973 Roe v Wade

 

are on the decrease about 100,000 less 2016, 665000 than 2010 765,000

 

abortions due to either rape or incest are less than 1% as well less than 1/10 of 1% of abortions are

 

 

For Abby Johnson, former director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in southeast Texas,

 

“I could see the whole profile of the baby of thirteen weeks head to foot. I could see the whole side profile. I could see the probe. I could see the baby try to move away from the probe.” Johnson later explained that this experience changed her forever. “I just thought, What am I doing?” she said. “And then I thought, Never again.”

 

Biblical Answers

The easiest place to go is Exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder.

God knows us in the womb

Psalm 139: 13-16

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born

 

Some would say…the Bible says nothing specific about abortion so if it is silent why should we be concerned

 

  • abortion would have been such an abhorrent thing that it would not have even been considered in this culture

 

Psalm 127:3 puts it this way Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.

Exodus 21:22-25

“Now suppose two men are fighting, and in the process they accidentally strike a pregnant woman so she gives birth prematurely. If no further injury results, the man who struck the woman must pay the amount of compensation the woman’s husband demands and the judges approve. 23 But if there is further injury, the punishment must match the injury: a life for a life, 24 an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, 25 a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise.

 

Proverbs 31:8

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.

 

In Matthew 25:42-46 Jesus reinforces the idea when He tells us to care for the least of these..obviously not mentioned the unborn but the hungry, thirsty, those who depend upon others to care for them..which defines an unborn child…the least of these.

 

God speaks of Jeremiah as a full person before birth 1:5

I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

 

Paul talks of himself in the same way, Galatians 1:15

But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace.

95 – 98% of all abortions are convenience abortions these babies are just not wanted and abortion is a form of birth control

We speak the truth in love…there isn’t anything God won’t forgive, many people make this choice because our culture, their friends, or their leadership tell them it is all right and normal.

John 3:16 is true..abortion is NOT the unpardonable sin

Explain that science shows us this is not about a woman’s body but a unique individual formed inside.

Don’t put up walls tear them down.

God changes opinions by first changing hearts! Romans 12:21

Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

 

 

 

 

Please don’t ask me…How do you know God exist especially since we can’t see, hear or touch Him?

I want you to think about this question for a moment…how would you answer it? We can’t see a tangible presence, we can’t touch him, weigh him or measure him in any way with our senses but we believe in Him, why?

 

There are plenty of things we can’t measure this way but we still believe exist chief among them love. Tell me what love taste like, what it looks like, what it sounds like even what it feels like we know the results of love but love itself does not really exist to our senses but we believe in it.

As Christians, we know that God is Spirit (John 4:24) so we should not be surprised that unlike our dog, house, car i-phone we can not sense Him in the same way, usually because He is spiritual and all of the things I just described are not.

Personal connection

If you are like me, you have a testimony of how the Lord drew you to himself and some way a feeling came over you that all of a sudden you knew you had a relationship with the living God

You may have had a time where you “felt” his presence, “knew” his leading, understood His heart for a certain situation. All of these things are evidence to you that God exists and we pray it will be enough evidence for others but some will say, “that is just emotion or wishing, there is no proof”

Many can argue that a belief system is not correct and some will be persuaded that their belief system is wrong but for the person with a testimony no one can dissuade them from the truth they live in.

Paul used this type of argument often as we see in Acts 26:12-16

One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests. 13 About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. 14 We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.’ 15 “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16 Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future.

He used this to try to convince King Agrippa to faith

Once again that is still not proof for some so let’s point to some evidence that may help.

  1. The Existence of the Universe  In 1915 Einstein came up with the theory of general relativity this theory in summary impacts cosmology this way.

Einstein’s equations can be used to describe the universe as a whole. On the basis of general relativity, physicists, mathematicians and astronomers have developed the so-called big bang models. They describe how our universe evolved from an extremely hot and dense early phase to its present state.

A key property of these models is that the universe has to change over time. Einstein’s equation simply do not allow for a stable, eternally unchanging cosmos. (Big Bang) According to the big bang models, any universe has to either expand or collapse. Our own universe is expanding, with characteristic consequences for astronomical observation.

If this is true Science’s own Albert Einstein proves the existence of God, How you might ask?

If there was a beginning of the universe how did nothing and nothing come together to create something?

Here is the way science would put it everything with a beginning must have a cause.

The universe by definition is time, space, matter and physical energy and the cause must be outside of these elements which sounds like God.

The argument to this is OK if this is true then that everything needs a cause who caused God. The problem with this question is that the only things that need a cause are, as I mentioned earlier, things with a beginning. When Moses asked God who should I say has sent me this was God’s reply

Exodus 3:14

God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.”

The Hebrew is saying God is, always was, and always will be without beginning or end.

Psalm 90:2 and 1 Timothy 1:17 verifies this

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.

We can summarize the cosmological evidence this way

  1. Whatever begins to exist must have a cause for its existence.
  2. The universe began to exist.
  3. Therefore, the universe must have a cause for its existence.
  4. The attributes of the cause of the universe (being timeless, existing outside of space, and so on) are the attributes of God.
  5. Therefore, the cause of the universe must be God. This is precisely what Christians have always believed. The very first words of the Bible, in the book of Genesis, declare, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

2) A world exactly created for life

When we take time to look at creation and “witness” how perfectly designed it is…the flowers, the trees, the way our lungs work to pump oxygen our hearts to pump blood. The perfect mix of gases in our atmosphere to sustain life

Psalm 19:1 says this

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.

The perfect system of nature should prove God’s existence—the laws and physical constants that govern all the matter in the universe—appear to be precisely balanced and finely tuned for life to occur and flourish.

Some of the perfection and fine tuning

if the neutron were not exactly as it is—about 1.001 times the mass of the proton—then all protons would have decayed into neutrons or all neutrons would have decayed into protons, and life would not be possible.

If the force of gravity, for example, were to change by one part in ten thousand billion, billion, billion, relative to the total range of the strengths of the four forces in nature (gravity, electromagnetism, strong, and weak), conscious life would be virtually impossible anywhere in the universe.

Scientist have discovered 50 of these fine tuned parameters that if they were not exactly so, then life would not be able to be sustained. What makes it more interesting is that each of these parameters is dependent on the others to maintain what they are, that sounds like design to me.

Paul Davies, one of the leading physicists and cosmologists of our day, makes this audacious claim: “I cannot believe that our existence in this universe is a mere quirk of fate. . . . We are truly meant to be here.”* That’s quite a statement for one who doesn’t even claim to believe in a personal God!  *Paul Davies “The mind of God”

3) Basic morality of the universe –

We talked last week about the evil and suffering in the world but we also talked about an objective morality

Except for some mentality disturbed people, the majority of the world has a basic understanding of good and evil

Why is murder, rape, violence toward children generally determined to be morally wrong?

There is nothing in the DNA or in the process of evolution that would cause a conscience to be developed. Morality is not based on DNA or any biological factor it is something that is felt and believed as simply being right.

No one believes that morals have developed out of a quagmire of ooze but if not, where did they come from?

I quoted part of this last week from John Steinrucken’s article “Secularisms on going debt to Christianity”

“An orderly society is dependent on a generally accepted morality. There can be no such morality without religion. Has there ever been a more perfect and concise moral code than the one Moses brought down from the mountain? Those who doubt the effect of religion on morality should seriously ask the question: just what are the immutable moral laws of secularism?”

For atheist it is called the problem of good because there is simply no way from their point of view to explain an objective morality

So where did this intrinsic morality come from…God is the answer! Goodness flows from the very nature of God and even those who do not know God, recognize the basics of right and wrong because of it. Paul puts it this way

Romans 2:15

They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.

We can put this evidence in the form of a simple argument:

  1. If God does not exist, then objective moral values do not exist.
  2. But we know that objective moral values do exist.
  3. Therefore, God does exist.

I’m not saying that atheists cannot recognize moral values or live generally moral lives. I’m certain they can. But recognizing something and even living by it does not mean that one has a real basis for it. The “moral” atheist is simply left hanging in midair on this issue, without any solid footing

Review

– there are some things we believe in like love that we can see the effects of but not see love so we already have a basis to believe in things we can’t see, or touch

– we can know God is real and active because of our own testimony

– the universe has a beginning so therefore it has a cause and that cause most come from outside time, space, matter, and physical energy… therefore God

– our universe is fine tuned to such an exact measure that to assume it happened by chance is a greater gamble than to believe in God

– apart from an objective morality there is no good. There can be no objective morality without God yet there is objective morality so there must be a God.

 

 

 

 

Please don’t ask me….If God is so good why is there so much suffering and evil? Part 2

1 John 3:18,19

My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.

 

The problem of evil

 Our basic problem with evil is struggling with three things

– If God is good – then why is there evil shouldn’t a good God do the good thing and wipe out evil

– If God is all-powerful – why does he allow evil to exist can’t he simply wipe evil out

– That fact that evil exist at all with an all-powerful all-good God

 

There are several solutions to this problem

Deny God exist and with it the reality of evil

 “Their right is just as right as our right”

If it were not for a loving God that gives us a standard of right and wrong there would be no understanding that anything is evil.

 

Solution #2

Make evil part of God

 if everything is part of god rather than the personal God we believe in, then evil and suffering are part of that god too

 

Solution #3

Diminish God’s power

 Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

 

Solution #4

 Diminish God’s goodness

In other words, we believe God is powerful and he sees all the evil in the world but just doesn’t want to do anything about it, He lacks the goodness to take action against evil

So those were the understandings people must have if they are going to judge God on his character but what do we say to friends to give them hope in their time of need

 

Point of light #1

The world is as Jesus said that it was

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

 

Point of light #2

Evil was not caused or created by God

Actually, it is quite the opposite

1 John 4:8

“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

 

Point of light #3

At the root of most of the evil and suffering are humans

Roughly 90% of the suffering in the world comes through human causes: wars, genocide, human trafficking, murders, torture, racial discrimination, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, rape, and the list goes on.

God will stop all of this one day but the time is not now

 

Point of light #4

We live in a fallen world

In Genesis 3 we see because of man’s sin that not only was man cursed but so was the ground.

For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope Romans 8:19,20

 

Point of light #5

God will judge evil

Once again many say if God is good and great why doesn’t he get rid of evil…He will but His love constrains Him.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

 

Last point of light

God can cause good to come out of evil

We quote this scripture often Romans 8:28

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them”

This is not a verse to use as a cliché but instead use it wisely if the person can understand it

– Beyond this we know according to God will use difficulty in our lives to strengthen our character

– He can use intended evil to give us an eternal perspective

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

– Evil and suffering can even lead us to the Father

Summarize

 

  • If the question is being asked chances are the person is hurting. Don’t worry about answering the question but love them through to heal the hurt.
  • Don’t freak out if your friends in their hurt say things about God or even your faith, pain tends to speak quite loudly they need you to show them, Jesus not just talk to them about Him
  • Prayer is almost always an appropriate response to a friend in pain, prayer for them and pray for wisdom for you
  • It is hard to explain to someone with no faith or fading faith that God is good and great and allows evil to exist but if you have been touched by similar pain share it is a way of showing you understand and are living proof God can get you through it
  • Don’t underestimate the power of love and encouragement. When you share with them these things they will hear it from you if they have felt that coming from you…Be Jesus to them