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Devotion
(Prepared for a Sermon on Matthew 26:1-16)
Not too long ago our state had to pass a law which made it illegal to text while driving. Why? Because drivers were being distracted from their driving and causing accidents. The truth is that our minds are designed to focus on only one thing at at time. If we allow our minds to wander from the task we’re supposed to be working on, chances are we’ll make a mistake. We’ve all experienced this, not only with driving, but with the other routines of life. Many a cook has salted the soup twice or left the baking soda out of the cornbread because she was thinking about something else. How many times have we made a silly mistake at work because we weren’t devoting our entire attention to it?
The same thing can easily happen to us in spiritual things. Our hearts are designed to be devoted to only one thing. Unless we are fully devoted to Christ, we won’t be successful in living the righteous and holy lives God requires of us. Jesus told a parable which illustrates this. It’s the parable of the sower. When a farmer sowed seed in his field, some of it fell among thorns. Jesus explained, “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.” (Matthew 13:22 NIV) To put it another way, such a person has divided attention. Since he allows the worries and pleasures of the world to distract him from his relationship to Christ, he won’t see much change in himself. This is the type of person who says, “Yeah, I gave Christianity a try, but it just didn’t do anything for me.”
Jesus stated the problem even more bluntly in the “Sermon on the Mount,” “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24 NIV) We can’t have it both ways. If we want the benefits of following Jesus, we must be fully devoted to Him.
Do you think that is unreasonable? Well, look at it from the other side for a moment. Where would we be if Jesus hadn’t been fully devoted to God’s plan to provide salvation for us? If He hadn’t been devoted to it, He would never have gone to the cross. And if He hadn’t gone to the cross, our sins could not be forgiven. Thank God that Jesus was devoted. Though He knew that it meant going to a gruesome death, the Gospel of Luke records, “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51 NIV) Later on in the Garden of Gethsemane He prayed, “…My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” (Matthew 26:42 NIV) I, for one am very grateful that Jesus devoted Himself to doing the Father’s will and went through the torture of the cross.
Each week we gather to remember that sacrifice through which we have been given salvation. The bread we eat reminds us of Jesus’ body. The juice we drink reminds us of His blood. Today as we eat and drink let’s thank God for Jesus’ devotion, and let’s re-commit ourselves to be totally devoted to Him.
Obedience
(For a sermon on Matthew 21:18-32)
We have a saying that “The burned hand learns best.” What we mean by it is that sometimes, we have to actually experience pain or problems before we are willing to listen. We’ve all been through this as children. Our parents tried to explain certain dangers to us. They wanted to protect us from harm. They wanted to spare us pain. However, for whatever reason, we didn’t believe what they said or we thought that we were immune from what they tried to warn us about. As a result we ignored what they said; we disobeyed and found out the hard way that what they tried to tell us was true.
I’m sure that most of us have also experienced the frustration of having our own children do the same to us. Not long ago our daughter confessed to us that our telling her as a child not to touch the stove because it would burn her, only made her want to touch it. Knowing that our children have that tendency, sometimes we as parents deliberately keep quiet because we know that our kids have to learn something on their own. We don’t want our kids to be hurt; we don’t want them to suffer, but we know in this particular circumstance, to say anything will only make them want to disobey. They have to learn obedience the hard way.
Unfortunately, even when our children are compliant and want to obey, there are times when we have to let them experience pain and suffering in order to spare them from worse difficulties later. For example, I’m sure we all remember being the “meanies” who wouldn’t let our kids do something they really wanted to do until they finished their homework. No, we didn’t enjoy watching them suffer, but we knew that the pain was necessary in order to reap the reward of good grades.
No when we think of Jesus, we normally don’t think of Him having to learn anything. After all, He is God in the flesh. For example, Scripture says that, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word…” (Hebrews 1:3 NIV)
Because of this we consider it almost sacrilegious to suggest that Jesus was once less than perfect. The fact is that Jesus did have to learn something, and he was not able to perfectly fulfill the role of Savior until he had learned it. In Hebrews 5:7-9 it says, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him…” (NIV)
Yes, Jesus had to learn obedience. The difference between Him and us is that He never disobeyed. Unlike us in relation to our parents, He was always submissive to the will of the Heavenly Father. Yet, obedience did not come easy. There were times when His Father required Him to do what was hard and painful, in order to make a later reward possible.
Jesus learned obedience through what he suffered. It’s easy to be obedient when things are going the way we want them. But the real test comes when we are told to do something we don’t want to do. Jesus prayed that he would not have to die. The text says that he was heard. Ultimately Jesus was saved from death. He rose on the third day. But his prayer to be spared from having to die was answered with a “No!” It’s in those times when we are told, “no” that we learn to obey. It was his obedience which made Jesus perfect for the work of saving us.
The unleavened bread which symbolizes Christ’s broken body and the juice which symbolizes Christ’s blood, remind us each week of His obedience. More than that, the emblems are a personal reminder that we, too, are called to be obedient. Jesus told his disciples, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” (John 15:9-10 NIV)
As we look back over the last week, I’m sure we are all aware that our obedience hasn’t been perfect. We often fall short of what we should be. Learning the lesson of obedience is not easy. But let’s not be discouraged. These emblems not only remind us of the need for obedience, but of Jesus’ love. We have another chance. We can confess our failures and move on. Let’s use this opportunity to rededicate ourselves to learning the lesson of obedience and remaining in Christ’s love.
God’s Generous Gifts
(Written to go along with a sermon on Matthew 20:1-16)
When we think about positive character traits, one of the ones we value most is generosity. We might appreciate that someone is intelligent or witty, but still not like him very much. However, we are drawn to or attracted by someone who is generous. Think about it. If you walk through the cemetery and see the words, “He was intelligent” on a tombstone, you’ll probably conclude that the person who wrote them didn’t like the deceased very much. On the other hand, if you see the words, “He was generous” you’ll get the impression that the deceased was missed and mourned. In fact, there are only a few character traits, like love and kindness, which we value more than generosity. On the flip side, we are repelled and disgusted by selfishness. There is something within us which doesn’t even like ourselves when we are being selfish.
What is generosity, anyway? There are at least two forms of it. The first is the giving beyond what is necessary. We even have special words to express the concept like “lagniappe” and “baker’s dozen.” Who doesn’t appreciate it when the store owner slips a 13th doughnut or cupcake into the carton when you only ordered twelve? The Bible expresses this kind of generosity in these words: “One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. People curse the man who hoards grain, but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell.” (Proverbs 11:24-26 NIV)
A second form of generosity is treating someone better than they deserve. I’m sure many of us can think of times in our childhood when we disobeyed or didn’t listen to our parents’ instructions. We deserved punishment. There was no question we had it coming, but though our parents didn’t overlook what we did, they chose to lessen the consequences. They showed us generosity. Some kids learn the wrong lesson from not receiving the full penalty. It emboldens them to do further wrong. But for most of us, our parents’ display of generosity made us love them more and helped us to want to be more obedient. God is like that generous parent who treats us far better than we deserve. King David put it this way in Psalm 103, “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:8-14 NIV)
In spite of what David wrote, we sometimes find it hard to remember how generous God is. Let’s face it. Life isn’t fair. Sometimes things happen to us that are hard. People can be cruel. Sometimes people take advantage of us. They break promises. The innocent are hurt. It often seems like those who do wrong get away with it.
I think this is one of the reasons Jesus instituted the ritual we call the Lord’s Supper or Communion. Each week the bread and the juice remind us of God’s generosity. He gives us far more than He needs to. And, He is far more lenient to us than we deserve. Whenever we begin to feel ill-used, or like God doesn’t care, the Communion helps us regain the right perspective. The Apostle Paul writes, “…If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:31-34 NIV)
Just as Paul said, if God loves us so much that He gave us His own Son, how can we ever think that He isn’t going to supply the rest of what we need, and far more than we deserve? Today, as we eat the bread which reminds us of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf, and as we drink the juice which reminds us of Christ’s blood which spares us from receiving the penalty for our sin, let’s thank God for His generous gifts.
Preachers And Pay
A preacher friend and I were talking about church finance. He told me of an experience that left me shaking my head in wonder. The context is that this brother has faithfully served in the same congregation for well over 20 years. The church never has provided a living wage so he’s had to supplement his salary by driving bus. Among the congregations I’m familiar with, this is not unusual.
Where the story became surreal is when my friend told me about being invited to speak one Sunday at another congregation. The other congregation gave him a modest honorarium. This, in my opinion, is only good and right – particularly as travel was involved. After all, “the laborer is worthy of his hire.” Upon his return, someone in his home congregation objected. “You’re double-dipping!” he stated. “You’re already receiving a salary to speak and you should pay the church back for the Sunday you missed!”
Say what?! I couldn’t believe the gall of this guy. For over 20 years the salary you’ve paid your preacher was so paltry he couldn’t make ends meet and now you want him to refund part of it? When did he become your slave with no time off? Since when did it become any of your business what he does on a vacation day? As long as it doesn’t interfere with what he’s agreed to do for the local congregation, what difference does it make if he receives a little income from somewhere else? If what he makes is such a concern to you, why don’t you pay him a living wage? I wonder what this guy would think if his employer demanded a salary refund for any moonlighting he did.
I fully agree that those who serve in the church should not regard their their work as they would secular employment. But where do churches get the idea that it’s okay to exploit those who serve them? As a personal example, a church some 4 hours away asked me to come and speak to them. It turns out there was some miscommunication on their end between the mission committee which invited me and the preacher. As a result, I ended up with a total of 5 minutes to speak during the morning service. No one asked us to lunch afterwards, so my wife and I were on our own. Then, a traffic accident added 2 hours to our return trip. Gas and a meal out of our pockets on top of 10 hours of driving for the privilege of speaking 5 minutes! And the church didn’t give us a thin dime for our trouble. To be fair, this particular congregation regularly supports the mission work I do, so maybe they thought that entitled them to a visit from me. But still! It sure didn’t make me feel very appreciated.
In contrast, how refreshing it was to encounter a church on the other end of the spectrum. I once held a seminar for a small congregation. Afterward I found out that when the men gathered to discuss what they should pay me, someone said, “Be generous. Knock his socks off with generosity.” They did, and it made me feel very appreciated. They’ve continued the tradition. Whenever they have me speak, they pay good money. In addition, at times someone in the church has paid for a hotel room so my wife and I could come down early and have a mini-vacation. They are also good about taking us out for meals. It’s meant so much to me that I try to copy their example at the congregation where I serve.
Unfortunately, it’s not only churches which have strange ideas about compensation. Preachers can be just as guilty. Perhaps one of the most benign self-delusions preachers have is that they don’t have to tithe their income from the church. They justify this attitude by claiming that their compensation from the church actually should be higher than it is. The difference between what they get and what they should get is their tithe. “After all,” they say, “if the church did pay me the higher amount I’d just have to pay taxes on it and why should the Lord’s money be taxed?”
That argument has just enough logic in it to seem half-way plausible. However, when you stop and think about it, it involves at least one lie. Preachers who do this are under-reporting their compensation to the Internal Revenue Service. If the church has not agreed to the higher salary, and to withhold it, then it isn’t compensation and the preacher can’t truthfully claim that it belongs to him but he merely didn’t collect it. Therefore he’s lying to himself and/or God. On the other hand, if the higher amount truly is compensation because the church has agreed to pay, yet withhold the amount, then the preacher is understating his income. Thus lying to the IRS.
At least this group of preachers acknowledges that they should pay tithes. There’s another group who claims that preachers and other church leaders are exempt altogether from returning a portion of their compensation to the Lord. They try to justify it by using the Old Testament priesthood as their example. Since the priests in the Old Testament collected tithes from everybody else, they protest, isn’t it self-evident that they didn’t pay tithes? This merely shows the ignorance of the protester. If they ever bothered to read the Law they’d find out that the priests were expected to pay a tithe of the tithes they collected (Numbers 18:26-28, Nehemiah 10:38-39).
But these irregularities pale beside the preachers who claim control over all the contributions made to the church. I know of preachers who pocket the entire offering, claiming it belongs to them. (I suppose people make out checks in the preacher’s name?) Then they dole out sums at their own discretion for expenses. More than likely, rather than dip into the funds they’ve already pocketed, they will ding the congregation to give even more to meet expenses. Personally, I find the practice repugnant. And, depending on the details, it may even be illegal. It certainly is not transparent and there is no accountability. It’s a practice which is ripe for abuse and leads to delusions of grandeur on the preacher’s part. Show me a preacher who claims all the offerings as his and I’ll also show you a man who refuses to let go of any power.
How, then, should church finances and preacher pay be handled? It might not always be possible – particularly when a congregation is small and just starting up – but my conviction is that a preacher should not have any power of the purse at all. He will probably need to know how much is donated but he should not know who donates what or how much. Two unrelated persons should count each offering. It goes without saying that their tally should match the deposit slip. The Deacons should prepare the church’s budget. Obviously, the budget should reflect the vision and the direction of the Elders and/or the preacher, assuming the congregation does not have Elders. The congregation should have the opportunity to approve the budget. It might be advantageous for the church to grant a preacher an expense account, but a preacher should not have signature authority on the bank account. The church administration should be totally transparent about where the money goes. Each month a copy of the church’s income statement and balance sheet should be posted where the congregation can see it.
While tithing is no longer commanded, giving in proportion as a person prospers is the standard under the New Covenant (Deuteronomy 16:7, Acts 11:29, 2 Corinthians 8:11-12). Having said that, I tend to think that a tithe of income should be the beginning point for a church leader. A preacher or other leader should not play games by counting phantom income as his tithe. Instead, he should give a portion of whatever money he actually receives, whether it be much or little.
In regard to preacher compensation, there is no question that “a laborer is worthy of his hire.” A congregation does have an obligation to compensate those who labor among them, teaching and preaching the Word. If possible, a congregation should pay its leaders a living wage. If they are unable, then they should not begrudge leaders whatever funds they manage to come up with from other sources to meet their needs. For their part, leaders should not expect a congregation to support a lifestyle which is higher than that of the members.
My personal decision has been to follow the example of Paul and not burden the congregation I serve, by taking a salary. I am bi-vocational and don’t need compensation from the church. Not only does this free up money which the church can use for other purposes, part of my reason for not taking a salary is to set a good example for those I mentor. I don’t want anyone to fall into the trap of thinking of church work as a career or occupation rather than a calling, a vocation. However, I also do not wish to deprive the church of the grace of giving. So, if they offer an occasional honorarium, I receive it with thanks for the extra blessing it is.
Along with the idea of calling, if a church asks me to come and speak to them, or I’m asked to speak at a rally, I don’t set any terms or conditions. If the locale is further than I can easily drive to, I may ask to stay in someone’s home, but I do not ask what they will pay, or even if they will pay me for coming. When you go expecting nothing, then whatever you receive is a blessing, not a right.
As in all things, when both leaders and the congregations act in love with the goal of bringing glory to the Lord, the questions of finance and pay will resolve themselves. Let’s take our egos out of the equation and leave our compensation in Christ’s hands. He is more than capable of supplying our personal needs as well as those of the church!
Pastor, Pastor!
Have you ever had the experience of talking to someone without being able to communicate? Neither of you used any esoteric words or complex sentences yet, somehow, you seemed to be talking right past each other. There was no mutual understanding.
Sometimes when this occurs, it turns out that you are defining the meaning of words differently. What I mean by a particular word is very different that what you understand it to mean, and vice versa. It’s like that old saw about the British and Americans: “Two peoples divided by a common language.”
The vocabulary we use and the meaning we ascribe to words can cause a great deal of confusion not only in interpersonal relations, but also in the church and in regard to the faith. There is a particular word which is in common use in our church culture that, I believe, is the source of untold confusion. Rather, it’s the misuse and wrong definition of the word which is causing the confusion. People mean something very different by it than the Scriptures do. It’s that word, “Pastor.”
Now, I happen to be one of those critters and it jars me when I hear people – even though they do it in good faith – misuse the term. Let me give you an illustration of what I’m driving at. The other day I received an invitation to a conference for church leaders. One of the lines in the brochure reads, “…we’ll look at how to strengthen the relationships between Elders and Pastors.” My guess is that most church people would contemplate that phrase without batting an eye. They would see nothing amiss with it and would laud the intent of the conference sponsors.
To me, however, that use of the words “Elders” and “Pastors” shrieks of biblical illiteracy. Further, it is a symptom of a far deeper problem – that of a church polity which is far removed from what the Lord intended. Please do not misunderstand. I do not question the motives or the intent of people who mangle the terms in this way. But I can’t help wonder if even church leaders are so ignorant about what the Bible says in this area, how many other things are being misrepresented or twisted into something unrecognizable to the early church. No wonder our churches are struggling!
“What’s the big deal?” you ask. “Aren’t the terms as used in that brochure perfectly clear? The Pastor is the man who leads the church while the Elders are the elected officials who help oversee the implementation of the Pastor’s vision for the congregation. What’s so difficult to understand about that?”
The problem is that Biblically speaking, the division of church leaders into the two classes of Pastors and Elders is totally artificial and arbitrary. According to the New Testament, the terms Pastor and Elder refer to exactly the same person. They merely express different aspects of the role. For example, the Apostle Peter writes, “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” (1 Peter 5:1-4 NIV)
In this passage, Peter is speaking to Elders and he tells them to be shepherds. ‘Shepherd’ is simply another word for ‘Pastor.’ In other words, Peter regards Elders and Pastors as one and the same people. We see exactly the same thing when the Apostle Paul addresses the Elders from Ephesus in Acts 20:17, 28.
The word ‘Elder’ refers to the leader’s spiritual maturity and/or his age, while the term ‘Pastor’ refers to the leader’s responsibility to tend to the ‘flock,’ that is a local congregation of the church. Both Peter and Paul also say that the Elders are to ‘oversee’ the ‘flock.’ That is, Elders/Pastors are to give direction to the congregation and to protect it. Along with directing the church, preaching and teaching also are among the responsibilities of Elders (1 Timothy 5:17). It’s also worth noting that according to the examples we have in the New Testament, each congregation should have more than one Pastor. Christ did not intend the churches to become “one-man-bands” but, rather, be led, governed, administered and fed by several co-equal Elders/Pastors.
How the mighty have fallen! In the church of today there are many congregations which are led by one man who claims the title of ‘Pastor’ yet does not meet the qualifications of Pastors in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:6-9 and 1 Peter 5:1-5. If the congregations have Elders at all, they are all too often little more than business managers who sort of fall in line with the head honcho’s vision. Many of them could not teach or preach if their lives depended on it. Is it any wonder that churches are weak and ineffective? The very people whom Christ intended to guide, nurture and protect the church have abdicated their responsibilities.
It is my conviction that we will never become the church Christ wants us to be until we start using the terminology as the New Testament does and, even more importantly, organizing our congregations as Christ intended. Let’s start appointing men to leadership who truly meet the qualifications of Elder/Pastors. Let’s recognize that each congregation needs several Pastors. Let’s end the division between Pastors and Elders!
Misplaced Guilt
Jeremiah is one of my favorite prophets. One reason is that I can relate to his reluctance when God called him. Jeremiah’s response was, “I do not know how to speak; I’m only a child.”
Like Jeremiah I, too, felt unqualified to speak. I am a shy introvert who prefers to stay in the background. It took me a long time to realize that I have a gift for teaching. Even so, I would shake from stage-fright before facing a class. As for speaking or preaching to the church, I ran from it as hard as I could. If someone had told the young me that one day I would come to enjoy speaking from the pulpit, I would have called him crazy.
Age also factored into my views of my un-fittedness for public ministry. What could I possibly have to say to the “gray-heads” of the church? I was somewhat in awe of my father and others of his generation who, seemingly evangelized without effort, started churches, had a pulpit presence and could reel off Scripture at the drop of a hat. Was it not my place to look up to and learn from them? It was something of a shock to realize that I had insights which others didn’t. As time passed it was even more of an adjustment to realize that I had become one of the “gray-heads” who had been in the church longer than many others. It was startling to realize that people were starting to look up to and defer to me.
But there is another reason I feel affinity for Jeremiah. There are times when I look at my ministry and ask the question, “Have I really accomplished anything?” Jeremiah’s ministry was fraught with disappointment and heartache. People not only rejected his message, they rejected him – to the point that, more than once, they tried to take his life. I, too, know something of rejection. Nobody has tried to physically scrag me but, more than once, people have tried to “kill the messenger” by slandering me, speaking against my character and falsely accusing me. People have turned against me because they rejected the message I tried to bring them.
I sense that Jeremiah was a profoundly lonely man. Not only because the Lord denied him marriage but because he was an outsider. He belonged to a priestly clan which was an historical rival to those in power in the Temple. Even when Hilkiah found the Book of the Law and King Josiah sent people to inquire of the Lord about it, they consulted the prophetess Huldah instead of Jeremiah. The message Jeremiah proclaimed about the future of the kingdom, Babylon and regarding the exiles taken to Babylon proved extremely unpopular. He was labeled a traitor, imprisoned, thrown into a cistern and threatened with execution. Jeremiah was so unpopular that King Zedekiah had to consult him in secret. Even then, the king rejected his advice. King Jehoiakim burned the scroll on which Jeremiah transcribed the messages God sent him.
There have been times when I, too, have felt the pain of isolation. My views regarding the church and the reforms which are needed have not always been well received. I’ve been labeled a troublemaker for challenging the status-quo and expressing the principles I see in Scripture. Even those who said they agreed with me have hesitated to stand with me when the crunch came. I’ve wondered whether I was the only one to see what needs to be done and had the courage to act on my convictions.
The thing which stands out to me most about Jeremiah’s ministry is that, from a human point of view, it was a total failure. After over 23 years of proclaiming God’s word, he had possibly two converts – Baruch the scribe and Ebed-melech the Cushite. Jeremiah himself wondered what the point of his ministry was when God had him buy a field during the siege of Jerusalem. It made no earthly sense – particularly since Jeremiah had no descendants to pass it down to. Then, the crowning indignity came when the survivors of the Babylonian invasion asked Jeremiah to consult the Lord for them. They not only disobeyed the divine instructions Jeremiah passed on to them not to migrate to Egypt, they forced Jeremiah to go with them! Yes, no matter how you slice it, Jeremiah’s ministry looked like a complete failure.
Fortunately, I’ve been blessed with more visible success than Jeremiah. Along with the rejection there have been some people who have listened. I have been able to introduce some reforms. I have been able to mentor a few men who have caught the vision. I’m seeing spiritual growth in the congregation I lead. However, I also have to say that for much of my ministry I’ve carried a sense of guilt. The guilt results from those who have not responded. I’ve taken the blame on myself. “If I had just been a little more persuasive! If I had only phrased things differently! If only I had approached the problem from a different angle! If only…”
However, pondering on Jeremiah has helped me understand that my sense of guilt is misplaced. Jeremiah was not a failure! Why? Because he obeyed what God told him to do and that is all God requires. God does not hold us responsible for the decisions and actions of other people. The only question is whether or not we have obeyed. We are not responsible for results! That realization has been incredibly freeing for me. Thank you Jeremiah!
Is It Possible To Be Too Truthful?
It was Winston Churchill who said, “In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.” There is an unfortunate tendency in the culture in which I grew up, to treat truth that way not only in wartime, but all the time. Another cultural tendency is to tell people what you think they want to hear.
This makes for some interesting situations. For example, if you go the train station and ask someone, “Is this the train that goes to city A?”, more than likely he’ll say, “Yes.” So you get on the train and find out, after it’s already left the station, that you are headed in the opposite direction, to city Z. You have to learn to ask the right question, like, “Which train goes to city A?”
Growing up surrounded around this kind of thing, I started to pick up those kind of values. One day when I was a teenager, my father asked me a question. I don’t remember what it was, nor do I remember what I answered. I just know that instead of getting right to the point and answering the question, I danced all around it. Dad stopped me cold and said, “You have become altogether too devious. You need to correct that or it’s going to cause you a lot of trouble later on in life.” And he gave me a look of disgust, turned on his heel and walked away. I was left standing there with my mouth hanging open.
In the years since then, I have made a conscious effort to be transparent. I’ve tried to be truthful even when it’s painful to tell the truth. It’s not always easy. Every once in a while I’m still tempted, or prompted by fear, to beat around the bush or to shade the facts.
But sometimes the effort to be transparent and tell the unvarnished truth leads to other problems. In the culture in which I grew up there is a tendency to think that you must always look beneath the surface to discover what someone really means or what he’s really after. “What you see is what you get,” is a foreign concept. It comes as a shock to people that there is no hidden agenda. At times people have become angry with me because I must have meant something other than what I said. After all, if they were the ones saying it, they would have meant something else!
This leads to a second problem with being totally candid. More than once I’ve been told that I’m too blunt. I can really relate to the protagonist, Wallace Wallace, in the young-adult book “No More Dead Dogs” by Gordon Korman. In it he gets suspended from the football team for being upfront in a book review. For example, in response to the question, “Who was your favorite character?” he answered that he hated them all equally. He went on to criticize the plot unfavorably. Unfortunately for him, the book happened to be one of his teacher’s favorites. Personally, I found Wallace Wallace’s candor refreshing. He had the guts and conviction to say what I often wanted to say to my teachers when I was in school. I have to admit, though, that I don’t necessarily appreciate that level of candor when it is directed at me!
This raises a question. Is it possible to be too honest? Is it ever permissible to shade the truth to avoid trouble or to spare someone’s sensibilities?
The answer to this conundrum is in Ephesians chapter 4. The overall theme of Ephesians 4, is living a life “worthy of the calling you have received” (4:1), unity (4:3), spiritual maturity (4:14) and building the body, that is, the church (4:16). How do we attain to maturity? In 4:15, Paul writes, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” (NIV)
Yes, we must not hesitate to speak the truth. Later, in verse 25 Paul tells us to put off falsehood and speak truthfully. But the piece which is often missing is speaking the truth in love. It’s an area where I still have room for growth.
What does it mean to speak the truth in love? Unfortunately, the NIV translation obscures an important concept in verse 29 when it says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” The ESV puts it this way, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” In this verse Paul is contrasting talk which is unwholesome or which corrupts with talk which gives grace.
If you study it out, it appears that the word “grace” refers to the blessings we receive when we are in covenant. Putting it all together, what Paul is saying is that the way we speak should help others to keep covenant with God and with each other. It is perfectly possible to speak the truth, yet it still be “unwholesome” because it weakens the bond of covenant. Therefore it is “corrupt” even though it is true. In contrast, “wholesome” speech is not only true, it also encourages others to remain committed to their covenants. To rephrase, speaking the truth without love is unwholesome and corrupting, while speaking the truth in love builds up, is fitting and strengthens covenant ties.
So, is it possible to be too truthful? In a sense, yes! Truth without love tears down and destroys. Does that mean that we should shade the truth or lead people to believe things that inaccurate? Can we lie in the name of love? No! As Paul writes in another place, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” (1 Corinthians 13:6 NIV) To put it another way, if it isn’t truthful, it isn’t love either!
I think one of the reasons we (or at least I!) have trouble in this area is that we put too much emphasis on words – that is, what we say – without paying enough attention to what prompts our speech. When you get right down to it, speaking truth in love is not merely something we should do. It is something which reflects our inner character. Jesus put it this way in Luke 6:43-45, “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” (NIV)
When I am a truthful person, speaking truth will come naturally. When I am a loving person, it will be natural for love to temper the truth I tell. May the Lord grant me the ability to “be” so that the doing is a natural extension of my inner being!
Faith
(Prepared for a sermon on Matthew 17:14-25)
Most of the time when we hear the word “faith” we associate it with religion. So and so belongs to that religion and he really believes. However, when you stop and think about it, what distinguishes a religious person from someone who is not, is not their faith but what they believe in. The truth is that everyone believes in something. I’ll even go further and say that all of us – even atheists – live most of our lives on faith.
How can I possibly say that? Isn’t saying that an atheist lives his life by faith a contradiction in terms? Doesn’t it also contradict Scripture which over and over declares that most people don’t have faith? It is true that many people do not believe in God. It is true that most people have not put their faith in Christ. It is true that most people are outside what the New Testament calls “The Faith.” Having acknowledged that, it is also true that everyone has a core set of assumptions and beliefs by which they live their lives. It’s not that they don’t believe, but rather that they believe in the wrong things.
What is faith, anyway? The Bible defines it this way: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV) Everyone is sure of a lot of things they can’t prove so, by that definition, they have faith. For example, we can’t see gravity or electricity, but we sure believe in them because we can see how they affect us. We believe but very few people can give a rational explanation of them. Even those who can give reasonable explanations often disagree with one another about what gravity and electricity really are. We do not know, but we are certain. We accept the testimony of experience, the few aspects of these phenomena we can measure and the word of those who have studied more than we. Further, we do not consider it strange for people to believe and to act on their belief in electricity and gravity even though they can’t actually see or describe these things.
Why then, do people look down on us because we believe that Christ is the Son of God and that He rose from the dead? These days it’s fashionable to sneer at Christians by saying, “I believe in science!” (As though Christianity and science are incompatible.) Most of the people making that claim are more ignorant of science than we are of the nature of God. They blindly accept what they’ve been taught while dismissing the Scriptures which are based on eye-witness testimony. The Apostle John wrote, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” (1 John 1:1 NIV)
But even though our faith in Christ is a reasonable faith, which we have learned from those who actually saw Jesus in the flesh, it is very easy to forget. It’s easy to allow the teaching and the philosophies of the world distort or contradict the spiritual truths we know. It’s easy to lose heart when we hear the mockery of those who follow a different god. The Apostle Paul wrote this to the Christians at Colosse, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:6-14 NIV)
In this passage Paul gives us several keys to remaining strong in our faith. Among them are:
Applying what Jesus taught to daily life.
Being thankful.
Evaluating worldly philosophy for what it really is.
Remembering that we were dead and Christ gave us new life.
And, remembering Jesus’ sacrifice which made our new life possible.
That’s one of the reasons we gather each Sunday – to remember what Jesus did. The Communion anchors us. It reminds us of reality. It shows us the emptiness of what the world has to offer. We renew our faith when we eat the bread and drink the cup.
Let’s pray.
Everything We Need
(Prepared to go along with a sermon on Matthew 14:13-36)
Have you ever felt that you needed something and you had no idea how you were going to get it or how it would be supplied? I can remember a time, early in our marriage, when I wondered how I was going to provide for my wife and pay off the debt I had entangled myself in. No matter how I ran the numbers, I couldn’t see a way out.
How do we wind up in situations where we feel that our needs aren’t being met? In my case it was a result of some very unwise decisions and I was reaping the consequences of my own choices.
In other cases, we haven’t learned the difference between needs and wants. We think that happiness comes from things, or we become jealous of what someone else has. We think we need what they have instead of learning to be content with what God has already given us. The Apostle Paul expressed it this way, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Philippians 4:12 NIV)
There is also another reason we might feel need. Whenever we begin to think that we lack what we need, we should regard the situation like a warning light on the dashboard of our car. The lights are there to make us aware of a particular condition in the car that we should investigate. In the same way, when we feel that we lack something we need, it’s an indication that something in our spiritual life needs looking into.
What is it that we should investigate when we feel that we need something we don’t have? The Apostle Peter writes, “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” (2 Peter 1:2-4 NIV)
If I understand this passage correctly, it is through our knowledge of Him and of Christ that God provides us with everything we need for life and godliness. Therefore, if we are lacking something, it means that we don’t know Christ as we ought. We need know Him better. And, as our knowledge of Christ increases, we will find that God will supply our needs.
I saw this work in the situation I mentioned above. Even though God was under no obligation to rescue me from the results of my own stupidity, He did it. I vividly remember how, one night after I’d spent hours going over the situation without finding any solutions, I re-dedicated myself to serving God. Even though I still couldn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel, I went to bed with a peace of mind I hadn’t known for a long time. Then, the miracles started. God pulled things off I couldn’t imagine. As a result of putting Him and the Kingdom first; by striving to know Christ better, God provided everything I needed for life. It almost became a game. Whenever an unexpected bill would come in, I would say, “I wonder how God is going to take care of this one?” As long as I kept trying to keep close to Him and to know Christ better, He always did. It was a living demonstration of God’s promise, “…Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5 NIV)
Even after all these years it still surprises me sometimes how God supplies needs. I guess it indicates that I still lack the kind of faith I ought to have or that I still need to know Christ better. But when I stop and think about it, why should it surprise me that someone who gave His life for me has my best interests in mind? The Apostle Paul expresses it this way, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39 NIV)
I think this one reason Jesus asked us to remember Him by partaking of the Communion. The bread we eat and the juice we drink remind us of His wonderful love. They remind us that now matter how bleak our situation looks, if we honestly seek to know Him better, He will provide what we need.
Let’s pray.
From Empty To Full
(Prepared for a sermon on Matthew 12:43-45)
We have a saying that, “Nature abhors a vacuum.” What we mean by it is that empty spaces usually don’t stay empty very long. We’ve all seen it happen in social settings. A group of friends gets together. They decide to go somewhere or do something. Although the gathering doesn’t have a formal leader, someone will start organizing the outing or the project. Nobody planned to take charge – it just happens.
The same thing happens in the physical world. Let’s say you dig a hole in back yard. Unless you take special precautions to prevent it from happening, it won’t be long before the hole fills with water or dirt that falls back in. People who dig ditches often have to shore up the sides so they don’t collapse. A lot of people have been killed in cave-ins because they didn’t protect themselves from natures tendency to fill voids.
Here’s another example of the principle that all of us can relate to. Empty surfaces collect stuff. We have to work at it to keep our dining-room tables de-cluttered. The same thing when it comes to kitchen counters and coffee tables. The less said about my desk, the better.
The same principle holds true in spiritual things. There is something within us which longs to be filled. As Solomon wrote, “I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 NIV) To put it another way, there is something within us which recognizes that there is more to this life. There is more than the material universe we see, and we long for it. Because we long for eternity and in our own wisdom cannot fathom what God has done, we try to fill our yearning for eternity with all kinds of things.
Solomon tried it all. He writes, “I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly – my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well – the delights of the heart of man. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 2:3-11 NIV)
Unfortunately, instead of learning from Solomon, people still pursue the same things he did while trying to fill the emptiness within. Like him they find that career, the arts, riches and possessions, sex and physical pleasure don’t fill the void. There may be some temporary satisfaction from achievements; there may be momentary pleasure, but things and self-indulgence can never meet our spiritual longings. Solomon had far more opportunity to experiment than we do, but his conclusion was that it was all meaningless.
If that is the case, then where can we find meaning? How can we fill that emptiness within us? It follows that a spiritual emptiness can only be filled by spiritual means rather than the physical solutions we try. The Apostle Paul writes, “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:15-18 NIV)
Be filled with the Spirit. How is that even possible? It is Jesus Christ who made it possible for us to be filled. The Apostle Peter says this, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Peter 1:14-21)
Yes, it is because of Christ’s sacrifice that we can escape the emptiness of the life the world tries to tempt us with. Whenever we’re tempted to try to fill our eternal longings with things or with pleasure, it’s good to remind ourselves that Christ died so that we can find real meaning. It’s because of Christ’s sacrifice that we can be filled with the Spirit. Today as we eat the bread in memory of Christ’s body, and as we drink the juice in memory of His blood, let’s give thanks that in Him we have purpose. In Him our longings are fulfilled.
Let’s pray.
