Hope of the Nations 130317

Romans 15:8-13, For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

In the passage just before this Paul says, "Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." "One another" represents the entire church of God, Jews and Gentiles altogether. We are able to do so because of the sacrifice of Christ. It is hard for us to recognize the suffering that Jesus went through on the cross. His sacrifice started long before that! Jesus, as part of the Godhead, existed eternally with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Then, in the fullness of time, he came into the world as a human being. He left the glory of heaven for the gloom of earth. He left unlimited Godhood to become human and exist forever after as the MAN, Christ Jesus. He did this with a particular purpose in mind: to bring salvation to all those who would respond in faith among the Jews as well as the nations of the world.

In order to do this…

He became a servant of the Jews!

He came to his own people. Listen while I read, John 1:11, He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

The first "his own"refers to property ownership. Jesus, as creator of the universe, came to his own possessions. Not just the land of Israel but the entire world belonged to him. He had the right to claim his property and expel the human race from it! However, that wasn't the plan.

The second "his own" refers to people, not property. So it is correctly translated in the ESV. His own people, descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, were not ready to receive him. In fact, they were looking for a Messiah but not one who came to serve and to save. They expected a Messiah who would lead them in victory over the Romans reestablishing David's earthly kingdom. However, that wasn't the plan!

From before the beginning of time God had a plan that involved all of the human race. God had the right, in the garden of Eden, to wipe out the human race before it began. As soon as Adam rebelled God had the right to end Adam's life, physical as well as spiritual. But he did not do that! Instead, in the fullness of time, he came to his own property knowing that his own people would reject him.

In line with that…

He limited his ministry. Listen to this story from Matthew 15:21-28, And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

This is a remarkable story! Picture the scene with me. Jesus and his disciples were walking along a road in the region of Tyre and Sidon. There obviously are many Jews there but the population must of been primarily Gentile, or Canaanite! As they were walking along a Canaanite woman came up to him, begging him to have mercy on her. Her daughter was oppressed by a demon. We're not told how this oppression was manifested in the daughter only that the woman described it as severe.

Jesus' answer seems rude in our culture. Instead of giving her help immediately he told her that he was only sent to the house of Israel and it would not be right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs! She was too concerned about her daughter to be offended. She immediately answered, in agreement with him, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table."

Jesus was so impressed with her great faith that he healed her daughter immediately. It was not her right to receive healing but it was a gift of grace based on her great faith.

He came to his own people…

In order to confirm the promises. Listen to what Paul wrote to the, Galatians 3:16, Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.

The promises were made to Abraham and his offspring. Offspring is singular and was not referring to many people, as in the Jewish nation. God's plan from the beginning was to bless those who trusted in Christ. God never intended that salvation be limited to one race of people or to one tribe on earth. Hebrews, Chapter 11, makes it very clear that faith is the basis of human relationship to God and always has been. This was a mystery that was not always understood until Jesus came into the world as the Messiah of the Jews and the Savior of the world. Paul was given insight into the mystery and spoke of it in his writings about 20 times. One of those references is…

Ephesians 3:6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

The mystery gives hope to the nations. It was not just that the Gentiles might be saved but also that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the same promise of the gospel of Jesus Christ. One of Paul's greatest battles was to convince the church that the Gentiles were equal to the Jews. As we have seen, earlier in Romans, the descendents of Abraham are not recognized in flesh but in faith. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. This belief occurred long before there was a Jewish nation and before Abraham did anything that can be considered a rule or a law to follow.

Over the centuries the concept of God having a relationship with anyone outside the Jewish nation was lost. By the time Jesus was born man had limited (or tried to limit) relationship with God to those who followed the law of Moses. In other words in order to know God one had to be, or become, a Jew. So Jesus limited himself, by and large, to a ministry to the Jews so that God's faithfulness could be understood. If God kept his promises to the descendents of Abraham he would keep his promises also to those who come to him by faith.

He did that in order…

That the Gentiles (Nations) might glorify God! He was to be…

A light for the nations. Listen to the prophecy of Isaiah, found in, Isaiah 60:1-3, Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. 2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. 3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

About 700 years before the birth of Jesus, Isaiah, the Prince of Prophets, heard the word of the Lord concerning the thick darkness that would cover the earth blinding the eyes of people to the truth of the good news of God's love. Isaiah heard God speak and preserved his words for us. More completely than any other prophet Isaiah understood that God would send salvation in the form of a man who would be the light of the world. He could see that that light would shine drawing people from all nations. John's gospel tells us that Jesus came into the world as the Word, and as Life. Then he said that The Life was the light of men. The light will shine in the darkness repeating the imagery of Isaiah.

This was done…

In order for salvation to reach the nations. Again we turn to Isaiah 49:6, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

We can see clearly in this passage that God always intended his salvation to reach out to all people. To Israel he says that it is "too light a thing" to bring back the preserved of Israel. Instead, Israel is to be a light for the nations. Remember this is about 700 years before Christ's birth. God's intention is not just to save a people but to make salvation available to the ends of the earth.

When Jesus was about to leave his disciples for the last time physically he told them that they would receive power from the Holy Spirit to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the end of the earth. God's plan is always been that the gospel go out to all nations.

This was the same message…

Preached by John the baptizer. Listen while I read, Luke 3:2-6, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, 6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

When John was questioned about his role in God's plan he stated that he was not the Messiah he was simply the voice of one crying in the wilderness. He was sent to prepare the way for Jesus. You may remember that after John was arrested he called his disciples to him and asked them to go to Jesus to ask if he was really the one they were waiting for. Jesus responded with, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard; the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them." Jesus came into the world to seek and to save that which is lost. Paul tells us that Christ became a servant to the Jews to prove God's truthfulness and faithfulness showing that the promises given to the fathers serve the purpose of bringing the Gentiles (Nations) to a place where they may glorify God and…

That we may be filled with joy and peace!

We have peace with rejoicing. Listen while I read from, Romans 5:1-2, Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Paul does not say we should have peace with God he says that, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have obtained access by faith in this grace in which we stand. The God of all hope fills us with joy and peace. Since we have such a relationship with the God of all hope we are able to abound in hope…

By the power of the Holy Spirit. Listen to the next three verses Romans 5:3-5, More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us! As a result we are able to rejoice in our sufferings not just the good things in life. Along the way to a realized hope — suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character. And the hope that we realize from that process does not disappoint us instead it puts us in a position to choose cooperation with the spirit of God in our life. Once the Spirit moves in our hearts and lives we are brought to a place where we can respond to God…

By our choice. I want you to look at three passages of Scripture first: Galatians 5:22-24; But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

When a person is saved the Holy Spirit comes to live in them. The Holy Spirit produces his fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. For many of us it is a real struggle to get out of the Spirit's way and allow him to produce his strength in our lives. We need to choose to be filled with rejoicing and peace. The next best of Scripture is…

Colossians 3:14-15, And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Paul has just listed several qualities that we need to choose to have in our lives. But above all these are to put on love. Remember, faith, hope and love remain but the greatest of these is love. Love doesn't just happen we need to apply ourselves to "put love on". And then we must LET the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. Do you see, the Holy Spirit bearing his fruit of love in our life, with our cooperation, brings the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts. We must choose to cooperate if we're going to enjoy the work of the Spirit in our life.

The third passage of Scripture is, Philippians 4:4-7, Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

If we will but choose to cooperate with God awesome changes will come into our lives. Rejoice always! The Lord is at hand! We have nothing to fear or be anxious about. We simply need to bring our needs before God in prayer and trust him to do what really needs to be done. Then, and only then, will the peace of God that is beyond human understanding guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

The Lord Jesus came into this world to seek and to save that which was lost. In order to do this, he became a servant to his own people — the Jewish nation. He knew when he came that his own people would reject him. But he came anyway because he had a greater purpose in mind. That great purpose was salvation for all those who would believe. While on earth, Jesus limited his ministry, with few notable exceptions, to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He did that to prove that God is faithful to his promises. But his greater promise was that all people who would believe might be saved. Have you accepted him as Lord and Savior? Will you turn to him now?

All scripture quotes from:The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Glorify God 130303

Romans 15:1-7, We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

The Apostle pauses now to summarize what he has gone into detail with in the previous chapter. The strong are under obligation to bear with the failings of the weak. While it is quite natural to desire to please ourselves that is not what the Christian life is all about. We are to follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ and to emphasize that point Paul quotes from Psalm 69. "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me". He then reminds us that the Old Testament was written for our instruction. It is not always easy to understand parts of the Old Testament but through endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures we have hope.

You see, our God is a God of endurance and encouragement and he will enable us to live at peace with each other. He does that not for our good only but also for the primary purpose of everything in God's creation — the glory of God! That we may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, we are obligated to be patient while encouraging and to live in harmony to the glory of God.

We are obligated.

To be patient while encouraging. Look at what Paul said to the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 5:14, And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

We do have a responsibility to admonish the idle. In fact, in the Apostle's second letter to the Thessalonians his "admonish the idle" becomes, "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat." Now there is a powerful encouragement to not be idle but instead to be willing to work for your own benefit and that of society. Admonish, encourage, help, but most of all be patient! The key to patience is not just, "toughing it out", or ignoring the way other people are acting. It is knowing who is in charge and trusting him to make the difference in our lives and those we're helping. Patience is a powerful tool given to us by God to be used for his glory. We will be patient when we act in love. We are commanded by Jesus…

To love one another. And John expanded on it. Listen while I read, 1 John 3:11-14, For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.

John tells us that this love command, which was heard from the beginning, is evidence that we have passed from death to life. Remember, love is not a feeling it is an act of the will. Love is how you act not how you feel. If we are going to have patience with others we are going to have to love them with God's kind of love and trust God to work in their life and in ours! If we trust God we are going to be able to patiently love one another. In fact, patience is worked out in love. We are taught that…

Love is patient. In Paul's great description of love he tells us, 1 Corinthians 13:1-7, If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Nothing in the way of sacrifice or giftedness has any meaning apart from love. There is nothing we can do that is more important than loving one another with patience and kindness. Love is not envious or arrogant. It is certainly not rude or self-centered. Love rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. Yes we are to be patient with each other and as a result we are obligated to…

Live in harmony. And…

Rejoice in peace. Back to Romans 15, Paul says that we are to live in such harmony with each other that we will glorify God by the lives we live. In 2 Corinthians 13:11, we find these words Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Restoration, comfort, agreement and peace. The consequence of such a life will be a manifestation of the God of love and peace within us. Restoration implies the healing of broken relationships. This is a great need in the world as well is in the church. At one time or another, everyone has the need of comfort even when they don't outwardly show evidence of the need. Agree with one another does not mean that we give up our own personal beliefs it means that we find a way to reconcile differences without degrading or devaluing another person. Sometimes we just have to let God work out the differences while continuing to love one another. If we do that we can rejoice. Now, how do we rejoice? By aiming for those conditions that result in peace. Remember in 1st Corinthians 13, we see that love is not self-centered. Therefore we are to…

Avoid self-centeredness. Listen while I read from Philippians 2:1-4, So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

The Christian church is to be represented by people who are not self-centered. One of the tragedies of the modern church is the self-centeredness of leaders from the local pastor to the denominational worker. We learn over the years, or should, that it is really "not about us"! The whole business of Christianity is to glorify God. We can do this if we will simply…

Follow good examples. Listen while I read from Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7, And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

Throughout the Bible men and women are held up as examples for us to follow. We need very much to pattern our lives after them. Hebrews Chapter 11 lists many of those names whose lives we should pattern ourselves after. We are obligated to live in harmony…

To the glory of God. You see…

Everything is to glorify God. Listen to what Peter had to say about it. 1 Peter 4:10-11, As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Every gift given by God is for the purpose of service to the body of Christ. A lot of Christians believe they have gifts that build them up individually. I find no evidence in Scripture for such a thing. Every good gift and every perfect gift comes from the God of heaven and are designed to give glory to him. Look at what Peter says and how he says it. First, each one has received a gift. No one can say that they are not gifted by God. Second, each one's gift is designed to be used in the service of other people. We do not receive gifts to glorify us. We receive gifts as a stewardship. And when we use them, third, we are to use them as though they come from God himself — because they do! If your gifts involve speaking you are speaking from God. If your gifts involve serving they are to be done in God's strength. All of this is true because in everything God is to be glorified because to him belong glory and dominion forever and ever, AMEN!

Whatever we do should glorify God. Listen while I read, 1 Corinthians 10:31-33, So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

I think, for most of us, we have no trouble glorifying God when everything is going our way. Paul is saying here that "whatever we do" is to be for the glory of God. But what if everything isn't going our way? What if we were born healthy and whole only to have the incompetence of a doctor cause the loss of eyesight at the age of six weeks? Would we live out our life in bitter rejection? Or, would we see blindness as a gift from God and determine to bring glory to him even in that? Well, that's what happened to a little girl by the name of Fannie Crosby. She was born in Putnam County, NY, in 1820 and was blind soon afterwards. It may well be that she was the most prolific hymn writer in history. During her lifetime she wrote over 8000 hymns to the glory of God. About her blindness, she said: "It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me." At another point she said that she was glad to have been blind all her life because the first face she would see would be that of her Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

In 1875 she penned these words: This is hymn number 31 in our hymn book.

To God be the glory, great things He hath done; so loved He the world that He gave us His Son, who yielded His life an atonement for sin, and opened the lifegate that all may go in.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, to every believer the promise of God; the vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done.

Everything is to glorify God! Whatever we do, in word or action, is to glorify God in order that…

That others may know him. Listen to Paul's words a little earlier in 1st Corinthians as he talked about his desire for others to be saved. 1 Corinthians 9:22-23, To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

Jesus said he came into the world to seek and to save that which is lost! John 3:16 tells us that, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

We are obligated to live in harmony to the glory of God that the world we live in may have hope of eternal life. Jesus loved the lost enough to come to earth, live among men, be despised and rejected and die on a cross that the world through him might be saved! Paul said that he had such a desire that his people be saved that he would give up his own salvation, if he could, to achieve their salvation. He was willing to become all things to all men that by all means he might win some.

We must remember that God called us out of darkness into light. He did not choose us because we were good in fact the Bible says that Christ died for the ungodly. Before we came to know Christ that's who we were. None were better than the other and none were worse than the other we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We all faced the penalty of sin — death and hell! So having been delivered from our sins and brought into the kingdom of God we have an obligation to live in harmony with one another for the glory of God. John Piper's take on the old confession says, "The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying him forever." We don't have the choice of glorifying God or enjoying him forever. We are to enjoy God and thereby bring glory to him. As we do this we will see others desire to come to know him.

All scripture quotes from:The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Faith at Work 130217

Romans 14:20-23, Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Paul sums up this section with, “Don't destroy the work of God for anything so commonplace as food.” A brother or sister in Christ is “the work of God” and, as such, should be treated with respect. We have a responsibility to live our lives close to the Lord and out of that we can love others. It is so easy for Christians to form opinions loosely based on the Bible and somebody's sermon. It is equally easy to let those opinions determine how we treat other people. Paul was seeing firsthand in Corinth, and by report, from Rome that Christians were condemning one another based on a strict adherence to avoiding meat sacrificed to idols and honoring certain days as holy. This was causing division that was unnecessary. Sometimes division cannot be avoided but usually division is based on personal preferences and petty ideas.

All of this really boils down to what we place our faith in and how we work our faith out on a day-to-day basis. The church needs to focus on our relationship to God and out of that should grow our relationship to other people. We need to remember that we are…

Bound by love.

Christ's command. We have the command of Jesus found in John 13:34-35, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

This new commandment Jesus gives is a variation on loving one's neighbor which is part of the Old Testament law. However Jesus goes further than this. It is not just a matter of "loving one another". Jesus gives us not only the concept of love but the quantity and quality of love as well.

We are to love as he loved us meaning we are to die for one another. I have often wondered how easy it would be to give up life as a martyr. That would certainly separate the men from the boys so to speak. However, the kind of death we can do every day is a death to personal ambition or desires. To put the other person first when we really want to do something for ourselves is a kind of death. Jesus loved us enough to leave heaven's glory for earth's gloom! He loved us enough to become a man and live among us. It's amazing to think that the glorious Creator of the universe was born in a human manner and went through infancy and childhood only to be rejected, condemned and crucified. He walked on this earth as a man and limited himself to human experience. He once said that foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. He was so poor that when he died they had to roll dice for his garments.

Jesus places a high opinion upon our needing to imitate his love. In fact, our love for one another is the evidence the world needs that we are his disciples. No wonder the world has so little respect for the church! The lack of love among Christians is a disgrace. The love he had for us needs to be imitated by the church today. That kind of love has a quality that holds us together rather than pushing us apart. In fact love is…

God's glue. Listen while I read, Colossians 3:12-14, Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

"Put on" is an interesting way of saying how we should act. We are to put on compassionate hearts! We are to put on kindness! We are to put on humility! We are to put on meekness and patience! We are to bear with one another and when someone has a complaint — forgive as the Lord has forgiven us. That's quite a list and should cause us to stop and consider, how do we do this? And then the apostle adds, "above all these" put on love it causes everything to be bound together in perfect harmony. What else could we ask for? "Perfect harmony" should be a common goal for every believer. In fact, that was…

Jesus' prayer. Did you know that Jesus prayed for you? If you're a believer, he certainly did. Listen while I read, John 17:20-23, I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

In the presence of his disciples Jesus prayed for those who would believe in him through their word – and folks, that's us! He prayed that we would be one as completely as he and the Father are one. Again he says that his desire is that the world know that he and the Father completely loved us. I rejoice in the love of God. About 100 years ago Frederick Lehman penned these words and wrote this tune:

The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell;

it goes beyond the highest star, and reaches to the lowest hell;

the guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave his son to win;

his erring child he reconciled, and pardoned from his sin.

O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure the saints' and angels' song!

When years of time shall pass away and earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,

When men who here refuse to pray, on rocks and hills and mountains call,

God's love so sure shall still endure, all measureless and strong;

redeeming grace to Adam's race the saints' and the angels' song.

O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure the saints' and angels' song!

The words of the song certainly speak to the love that God has for us. Jesus' love for us caused him to come to earth and die for the sins of those who would come to him in faith. His love is shared by the Godhead in every way. Father, Son and Spirit share a mutual love that flows out to those who put their faith in God through Jesus Christ. That love is the glue that holds us together and gives us compassion like Jesus had when he walked on earth. That compassion will encourage us to…

Avoid hurting others. We need to be careful how we use the freedom we have. Because…

Our freedom can harm others. Listen while I read what Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, 1 Corinthians 8:7-13, However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

It is easy to take the position that Christ makes all things pure and we are free to participate in matters that are questionable. Now there is not a modern problem of eating food that has been sacrificed to an Idol. At least not most places I know of! Such a problem might exist in some primitive cultures. We can have a problem in the matter of consuming alcohol. I do not believe the Bible teaches total abstinence but some people do. If Paul would forgo eating meat so as to avoid making his brother stumble I believe we can an equally avoid consuming alcohol for the same reason. Our freedom should not be allowed to hurt a weaker brother or sister in the Lord. I don't speak this as a command but as sound counsel from the word of God. We are to avoid hurting others and part of that process is to…

Avoid controversy. Listen to what Paul wrote to Timothy, 2 Timothy 2:22-26, So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Timothy was Paul's son in the faith. Paul had been his mentor, pastor and friend. Timothy was serving as a minister under Paul's appointment. Paul is giving wise counsel to Timothy. He could see that youthful passions could lead to all kind of controversy. So he encouraged Timothy to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace. He encouraged Timothy to associate with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. We need to take these encouragements seriously in today's church. It's so easy to get caught up in foolish, ignorant controversies. The Lord's servant needs to be gentle and patient. He is to be able to teach and that's a gift from God! He is to patiently endure evil and be gentle when he corrects. You see, we are not to just win the argument we are to win our opponent to a correct understanding of Scripture and to a correct faith in Christ. I discovered many years ago that I could win arguments but lose friends and I decided that friends are more important than arguments. So I just determined to let others be wrong if they insist on doing so and turned them over to the Lord in prayer. After all, he is their master not me. We are to…

Be gentle. Even when someone is caught in the wrong we need to be gentle with them. Listen while I read, Galatians 6:1, Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

Anytime we set out to correct another person there are traps and snares along the way that are easy to fall into. Spiritual pride is a tremendous danger for those who set out to correct others. Satan loves to see Christians decide that they are more righteous than others and have been appointed "keeper of the rules" for those who just haven't "got it" yet. We need to be careful not to correct others in such a way that we damage their relationship to the Lord.

Everything we do should be based on faith. Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. Everything that we do should be done to the glory of God. We must…

Act from faith.

Faith is evidence. The book of Hebrews has a whole chapter dedicated to faith and those who practiced it. Listen while I read, Hebrews 11:1-3, Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

& Verse 6, And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Words like "assurance" and "conviction" place faith at a higher level than most people do today. Generally speaking, faith is considered a position we hold that we cannot prove. And that may be true among many religions. I believe that interpretation of faith could be applied to the Mormons. By faith they believe that North America was once populated by many cities filled with descendents of escaped Israelites. Nothing could be further from the truth! But this is not the place to go into detail on that subject.

Christian faith assures us of what we hope for and grows out of a conviction of the reality of the unseen world. Again and again archaeology has proven the Bible is true. The things we study are evidenced again and again in written material as well as the ruins of ancient cities. Our faith is based on real physical evidence. Faith, like love, is not a feeling. Christian faith has survived the test of time and is…

Not a leap in the dark. Listen while I read from, 2 Peter 1:16-21, For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Here we have the eyewitness testimony of a person who was present at the time. There are enough items in the New Testament, as well as the old, that are verifiable by looking at contemporary documents to prove that what is recorded there is accurate.

The Bible is not just the opinion of some men in the past it is an accurate record of God's movement in history and can be relied on in every way concerning anything it speaks of. The Bible doesn't tell us everything that can be known but it does tell us everything we need to know about our faith relationship to God.

Faith is personal commitment. Listen while I read, John 6:37, All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. & Galatians 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

The strongest evidence, in my opinion, for the accuracy of the Bible, and its reliability in building our faith, is the record throughout history of changed lives in those who have come into contact with the Bible and the God of the Bible. From the thief on the cross to the last person who ever lives by faith they all were changed by their encounter with Jesus Christ. They were not made perfect but, instead, are being perfected day by day by the challenges they face.

Without faith it is impossible to please God. With faith we can do all things through Christ who gives us the strength.

When a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ he or she may not know much. In fact, the new believer is often like the man who was born blind recorded in John's Gospel. When he was challenged by the religious authorities he said, "One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." Later he learned more about who this Jesus was and put his faith completely in him. We are intended to grow in grace and the knowledge of the Lord. We are to add to our faith day by day through study of the word of God and prayer. We're all born separated from God and must come to him through faith. I pray that you have done so. If not, do so now! If you desire to come to him he will not turn you away.

All scripture quotes from:The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Righteousness, Peace and Joy 130210

Romans 14:13-19, Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

During the latter days of his ministry Jesus was asked a question, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a child to himself and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." Now Paul tells us that we should decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I believe Paul's teaching grew out of Jesus' illustration.

To be like a little child is to be trusting and accepting rather than doubtful and rejecting. Sadly, we live in a world that causes children to no longer be childlike. Between the abuse of some parents, TV and movie plots, and violent video games, children are often brought up with a twisted view of what the world is like. Or rather, what their world should be like!

Paul calls on the church in Rome, and us, to not be judgmental but rather to be trusting and accepting. Obviously there are times when we have to make a judgment call but it should be a serious matter not a matter of personal preference. We need to remember who the Master is and that nothing is unclean of itself.

We are to…

Never pass judgment.

In a matter of personal preference. Listen while I read 1 Corinthians 8:8-13, Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

The example Paul uses for the Corinthian church is more detailed than his statement to Rome. Christians were surrounded by a pagan world represented by idols and idol worship. Possibly the best meat to be found in that day was meat from a sacrifice to an idol. It may also be some of the best meal prices could be found in the idol's temple. I don't know because I don't have available to me a menu with prices from either Rome or Corinth. A believer who had become convinced that the idol was meaningless because the god did not exist might feel free to go into the idol's temple and take advantage of good meat at a good price and, by the way, maybe this would be an opportunity to witness to people in the idol' s temple. I recall a college student many years ago who told me about her experience of going out partying with friends. I was amazed when I heard her justify her actions by saying that she would be able to witness at the bar but only if she participated. I assured her that we are not to be in the world's parties and then try to witness. We must not be like the world even though we are in the world. The Christian lifestyle should reflect a higher quality of life. We're not to pass judgment in matters of personal preference but we are to take a stand that will clearly point out who our Master really is. And all of our life we are to…

Remember who the Master is. Look at what Paul had said a little earlier in Romans 14:1-4, As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

While we are not to pass judgment in matters of personal preference we are to remember that we do have a Lord and Master, the Lord Jesus Christ! We are to accept those who are weak in the faith. We are not to despise another person because they disagree with us as to what we should eat. We have a responsibility to love one another and gently deal with any matters of disagreement. The head of the church is Jesus Christ not the pastor, nor the leadership, nor any self-appointed individual or group. The one who eats does so to the glory of God. The one who abstains the does so to the glory of God. Fellow Christians can only be judged by God through Jesus Christ. Let's be sure that our disagreements do not lead to division because…

Nothing is unclean of itself. Listen to what Paul wrote to Timothy 1 Timothy 4:4-5, For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

Everything created by God is good. Everything serves a purpose for God in our lives. Why do we give thanks when we eat? Or, do we give thanks when we eat? We recognize that God is the provider of all things and we glorify him by expressing our appreciation before we eat. It is so easy for a church or individual members of the church to get caught up in some kind of rulemaking. Whether it's about meat versus vegetables or honoring one day about another or how we dress when we come to church the same rule should apply. Whatever we do we should do it for the glory of God and in relation to one another we should…

Walk in love.

We must be open to all. After having dealt with the divisiveness caused by honoring one person over another or eating meat sacrificed idols Paul came to the heart of the issue with regard to how we treat others. Listen while I read 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

What was Paul's goal? Was it that more people will agree with him with regard to matters of eating or honoring a day? No! Paul's goal was the same as Jesus' goal when he said that he had come to seek and to save that which was lost. Paul said that he became all things to all people, that by all means he might save some. He lived his life for the sake of the gospel.

When I first came into this area I set out to find all the closed church buildings and try to determine what had happened to them. There were a lot of different stories and they were all sad. One in particular sticks in my mind. I was told about a farm family who decided they would begin to attend church. The church nearby was on its last legs and could have been blessed by this family's attendance. Certainly the family could have been blessed by hearing the gospel and coming to faith in Christ. The family it had no experience with church and I suspect the church had little experience with new people showing up. This particular farm family were not noted for cleanliness and in order to be at church on time they had to rush through their morning chores then they arrived in church smelling of the barn. Now I don't advocate coming to church dirty but I do advocate coming to church. To make a long story short, they were soon made to understand that they were not welcome.

In the early days of this church we had a fairly well attended Sunday evening service. A young lady came to know the Lord and became a part of our congregation. She was part of a group who met at the gym on Sunday afternoon and wanted to attend church as well. So, she showed up at church in her shorts and halter top. I wanted her to be at church and I also did not want her to be offended. Not knowing what else to do I simply said to those who ask, "Pray for her and see what God does." Very quickly she changed her way of dressing as she observed those around her. We could have offended her and ran her off while feeling pretty good about ourselves but we would have been wrong. The goal of our instruction must be love from a pure heart and a desire that everyone have the opportunity to come to faith in Christ. In order to do that…

The strong must support the weak. Listen while I read Galatians 6:1-2, Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

There are several things to watch for in dealing with disagreement, or transgressions. The "spiritual" person is the one who sees the transgression in another. And many times, because they think of themselves as being better than the other, they exhort the offender sternly rather than seeking to restore gently. When we think of someone else as less than us we need to guard ourselves that we don't fall in the same trap as the other has. Gentle caution will allow us to encourage and strengthen others. We need to bear one another's burdens not through condemnation and judgment but instead in obedience to the law of Christ. We are to…

Fulfill the law of Christ. Remember the words of the Lord Jesus found in John 13:34-35, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

I have no doubt in my mind that when Paul referred to "the law of Christ" he was talking about these words that Jesus had given his disciples towards the end of his ministry. He gave it as "A new commandment" when in reality at first glance it appears to be the "old commandment" from Leviticus, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." What's new about it? Simply this, we are not just to love our neighbor as ourself we are to love one another as Christ has loved us. How much did he love us? He loved us enough to leave heaven's glory and come to earth's gloom. He loved us enough to walk on earth as a man. Think of it! The creator of the universe became a man and experienced hunger, thirst, tiredness, rejection, abuse, and above all else — he who knew no sin became sin for us so that we could become the righteousness of God in him.

Edward Mote wrote these words nearly 200 years ago:

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness; I do not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

On Christ, the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils his lovely face, I rest on his unchanging grace; in every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil. On Christ, the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.

Jesus became our righteousness. All our personal righteousness is as filthy rags. He became our righteousness in order that we might be righteous in him. Self-righteousness is judgmental, harsh and angry! His righteousness is gentle, compassionate and willing to die for those he loves. That is the kind of love we are to have for one another. Love that bears burdens, avoids judgment and goes the second mile in order that another person might come to faith in Christ.

We are to never pass judgment. We are to walk in love and in so doing fulfill the law of Christ. You see,…

The kingdom of God is…

Righteousness. Remember what Paul wrote the Corinthians? 2 Corinthians 5:21, For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Miss Bertha Smith, a lady missionary that I came to admire greatly, used to say that this verse was the "dirtiest" verse in her Bible. During her long career as a missionary in China she had come to follow the Chinese pattern of running your finger along the passage you are reading. As she did this the oil and dust on her finger transferred to the paper. She simply meant that this was the most read verse in her Bible. We have no righteousness of our own that has any value at all in the spiritual realm. But Jesus is the righteousness of God expressed in human flesh. He became sin for us so we could become righteousness in him. So the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. And he is our…

Peace. Listen while I read Philippians 4:5-7, Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

We live in an increasingly unsettled, violent time. Division is on every hand and people are driven increasingly by hatred and anger. Church, it is not supposed to be that way with us we are to be known to be reasonable by everyone around us. We are not to be anxious about anything. In the sermon on the Mount Jesus said the same words and gave us a reason: our Heavenly Father takes care of us. We use the example of God feeding the birds so we should not worry about what to eat. He gave the example of the beautiful flowers that God clothes so we should not worry about what to wear. Instead, we should seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things would be added unto us. Paul gives us a way of accepting this peace that comes from God. By prayer and supplication with thanksgiving we are to let our requests be made known to God. Then, and only then, the peace of God that passes all understanding will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. The kingdom of God's righteousness, peace and…

Joy. Righteousness is a gift from God not from our good works and peace and joy are part of the fruit of the Spirit. Listen while I read Galatians 5:22-23, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Joy in the Holy Spirit is something we have because we belong to him. It's not a happiness based on our feelings it is instead a confidence based on our relationship to the living God. The fruit of the Spirit is manifested in the life of the believer. And yet we still need to appropriate what we have. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and we have the peace of God indwelling us. Now we need to rest in him. Listen while I read Romans 15:13, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

The Christian believer has the presence of the Holy Spirit in their life. Part of the fruit of joy and peace in our life is the presence of the Holy Spirit allowing us to abound in hope. Because, you see, it is the God of hope that fills us with all joy and peace in believing. We must remember that the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. We must walk in love in our day-to-day life. We must be open to all that by all means some may be won. We must support and encourage the weak and fulfill the law of Christ. We must never pass judgment because others answer to God not to us. Remember, there is another who passes judgment.

The Accuser, Satan, is a roaring lion roaming the earth looking for those people he can devour. He is the accuser of Christians and he usually uses other Christians to do the accusing. We need to remember that we have been chosen by God for his reasons not ours. None of us lives to himself and none of us dies to himself. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, remember, Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord of the dead and the living.

Is he your Lord? If not, if you feel any desire to be saved from your sins, call on the Lord while he's near. If he is your Lord, make a new commitment today to never put a stumbling block before another believer.

All scripture quotes from:The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.