Urban Legends: More than you can bear

1 Corinthians 10:6-13

Usually you hear this phrase uttered when someone recounts the troubles they have experienced. “Well, you know, God won’t put more on you than you can bear.” The problem is that it is quoted as if it is scripture.

Why include this one? This Urban Legend leads us to passive resignation in the face of life’s difficulties and makes us victims of the whims of a capricious God.

The Context
The verse is actually a misquotation of 1 Cor 10:13
In context this Paul is warning the Corinthians not to engage in idolatry or immorality. Some of the Corinthians had come to believe their participation in baptism and Holy Communion allowed them to dabble in sin and be free from any consequences. Paul reminds them to resist sin on every occasion. He draws a lesson from the history of the Exodus to demonstrate the problems with that assumption.

Does God put things on us?
Some say God does or allows everything that comes into our lives. However that does not take into account acts of free agents. It doesn’t take into account our decisions and actions, the decisions and actions of others or the decisions and actions of the enemy.
It also doesn’t take into account the normal method of Jesus as God in the flesh.

Jesus said:

[Jn 10:30 ESV ] I and the Father are one.”
[Jn 10:37 ESV ] If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me;
[Jn 14:9 ESV ] Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

Jesus is God made flesh, the perfect expression of God’s thought, character and will. God has defined himself in Jesus. Jesus fully expressed God’s desire for us in love and redemption. Many people attribute actions and attitudes to God that are no where revealed in the life of Jesus.

If Jesus were to correspond to some people’s image of God, he would go around condemning people, and putting all manner of sickness on people. But he doesn’t.

Notice the story in Luke 13:
In this story the normal thing to infer was that those killed were somehow guilty of grievous sin. Jesus disagrees, then reminds those present that a worse fate awaits those refuse to repent.

In effect Jesus says life happens. Because of all the variables involved in the situations of life it is impossible to reduce any incident down to a simple cause/effect relationship. Simple explanations betray a simple mind.

All people go through difficulties in life, As Paul says:

[1 Co 10:13 ESV ] No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

It is not some cosmic breakdown because you have problems in your life…everybody has problems! We have small problems and big problems. Even natural disasters are common, a common part of the world we live in. Some of our notions about this are really pre-Christian superstition.

God does sometimes intervene and keep tragedy from happening. But that intervention is by grace. Grace is unmerited favor, which means we can not earn it. Prayer doesn’t force God to do anything, prayer petitions God. God’s intervention can not be reduced to simple steps to get him to do our biding.

In this world where life happens, God promises to walk with us through it.

[Is 43:2 ESV ] When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

God grants us his grace and his grace comes in many forms: healing, wisdom, endurance, friends, financial blessing.

[2 Co 12:7-10 ESV ] So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Some people claim that difficulties in our lives are actually our cross to bear. But they are not. Our sick family members are not a cross to bear. The results of our bad decisions are not our cross to bear. The inconveniences of life are not our cross to bear — it is simply life!!!

Paul reminds us that we are to endure hardship:

[2 Ti 2:3 NCV ] Share in the troubles we have like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

Soldiers endure whatever comes for the sake of the mission. Our mission is to glorify God no matter what

[2 Co 6:3-10 ESV ] We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

And so we live life and endure the hardships that come for the sake of Jesus Christ. God is not the one who is always loading difficulties on our backs, he is the one who carries us through them.

So what do we with difficulties, how do we face burdens like a disciple?
1. Fix your eyes on Jesus – The one who ran this race before us and endured things we cannot begin to understand
2. Remember God is with you – Scripture reminds us that if we seek to live righteously we will suffer persecution. We are never alone even though no one else may understand
3. Yield to Redemptive Power – No matter what we are in or how we got there, God is working for our good.

[Ro 8:28 NCV ] We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him.

• In our experience we may doubt that, but we should never let our experience define God, let God define himself

4. Let go of the “Why” question – It is almost impossible to answer the question any way. It will keep you from drawing on God’s redemptive power

5. Live in hope, knowing it will all be worth it – Hope is the anchor of our soul in a world that often contradicts what we know about God

[Ro 5:2-5 ESV ] 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. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 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.

• Hope anchors our soul when we cannot see tomorrow

When we say God won’t put more on you that you can bear, we live paralyzed lives. We passively resign in the face of life’s difficulties becoming perpetual victims.
But when we embrace who Jesus is and understand the hope we have in Him we become victors no matter what comes at us in life.

Urban Legends: There are many ways to God

Acts 4:8-12
What are Urban Legends?
Urban Legend is the name given to some of the stories that get circulated, mostly on the Internet. Some of the stories are true, many are false and some are a mixture of true and false. Most people , however believe the stories are true. One of the current Urban Legends surrounds the minting of the new dollar coin. Early pictures showed a picture of George Washington on the obverse and the Statue of Liberty on the reverse. But no where on the face of the coin do you read the words, “In God We Trust.” Some people got mad and started an email campaign telling people about how the government was removing the national motto from our coins. If they had bothered to read the whole article they would have know that the National mottos, “In God We Trust,” and “E Pluribus Unum” along with the date were incised on the edge of the coin.

So in this series I want to explore some of the Urban Legends we as God’s people sometimes believe. The first is, There are many paths to God.

A listener responded to a religious radio talk show host with the following comment: “They may not believe in Jesus, but they love God and serve God with all of their hearts. They love God. You love God. How can you say one is wrong and the other is right?” We live in an age of religious pluralism.

Maybe you have seen the bumper sticker which spells out the word COEXIST with the symbols of several of the worlds religions. Each religion should work for the betterment of human kind. Each religion should cooperate in humanitarian concerns. But sometimes it means they are all equal paths to God and no one religion is more right than another. I can not agree with that and here is why.

The Nature of Truth
A proposition is true if and only if it corresponds to the way things are. For something to be true it must correspond to reality. The principle of non-contradiction says that a statement can not be true and false at the same time. It can not be true that all unmarried men are bachelors and that married men are bachelors. One of them can be true but not both of them. Contradictory claims can’t be simultaneously true.

If you believe that absolute truth exists, then if one thing is true the opposite can not equally be true. If we know the grass to be green, it cannot be red, yellow, black or blue.
With that in mind…

Many people believe that all religions teach the same things, it simply is not true. Oh there may be some similarity in surface aspects like the “Golden Rule” but there are major differences as well. For example:

• Christianity believes that Jesus is the Messiah and equal to God, Judaism does not. Both can be wrong, but both can not be right.
• Buddhism believes in reincarnation and the transmigration of the soul, Christianity does not.
• Hinduism is pantheistic, everything is part of God, Christianity teaches that God is separate from creation.
• Islam believes that God is strict, aloof unpredictable and responsible for both good and evil acts, Christianity teaches that God is good, merciful, faithful and not the author of evil.
• Hinduism teaches that the world is an illusion, Christianity teaches that the universe was created by God and the real habitation for all living things.
• New age practitioners believe that we are all god. Christianity believes that there in only one God.

To say that all religions are equally true you would have to either deny the existence of absolute truth or believe all truth is relative.

The most amazing thing about those that believe all truth is relative is that they claim to know a truth which trumps all truth — their’s, of course, is absolute.Each of these practitioners of the various religions believe theirs is true. And for their’s to be true ours must be wrong unless truth doesn’t really mean anything.

I have shared my faith with people who sometimes say things like this: “I know you mean well, but I just don’t see it like that. I think I live a pretty good life so I don’t really need to believe in God.”
This person in effect has said, “Look I don’t believe that a person has to believe in God.” That person is saying in effect, “I am the highest authority and the arbiter of all truth. I am my own god. Believing in God is just one of many options.”

What Jesus said
It is not Christians that are narrow minded, bigoted, and exclusive. Jesus is the one who made this thing exclusive.

[Jn 5:23 ESV ] that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

[Jn 5:26-27 ESV ] For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.

[Mt 24:4-5 ESV ] And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.

[Jn 10:30 ESV ] I and the Father are one.”

[Jn 14:6 ESV ] Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

So the question everyone must deal with is “What will you do with Jesus?”
C.S. Lewis has put forth the classic statement on Jesus
You can not say that Jesus is a great moral teacher. Either he is a liar (he knew he was wrong) a lunatic (he did not know he was wrong) or he is Lord.

No Other Name
The text for this sermon reminds us of something very important. The only way to be saved is through the name of Jesus. It is obvious that unbelievers try to find salvation in other names, but there are even some Christians who do the same. Salvation is defined as deliverance, reconciliation, healing, wholeness, atonement.

Many are seeking these things in other names:
Entertainment, wealth, pornography, material goods, status, fantasy, power, sports, relationships, alcohol, over-eating, shopping, sex, doing good deeds, drugs, church.
How do you know if you have fallen into these? Here is a good test.
When you feel the pain of your life, when you are at you lowest and feel lost and alone, frustrated, empty, what do you turn to in those times? That is what you consider your savior.

But, Acts 4:12 says, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

The only way of salvation starts with repentance: confessing that you have sought deliverance, reconciliation, healing, wholeness, atonement in other names.

It continues with faith: trusting that Jesus is the only way of salvation and relying on him.

The evidence of faith is: obedience, prayer
worship, sharing, growing, serving, giving, connecting, living

The essence of the Gospel is this: you cannot save yourself, God has to do it, that’s why he sent Jesus

Fully Devoted Followers Live Their Faith at Home and Work

Colossians 3:18-4:1

We spend the majority of our time at home or at work, so it is those two places where our discipleship is lived out more than anywhere else.
If we can not live as fully devoted followers at home or at work, we won’t be able to do it at church or on the mission field. If we can not be fully devoted around people who know and support us, how can we do in a hostile world?

Background
In order to properly understand this passage there are a couple of things you need to know about the culture to which Paul was writing.

1. Roman fathers had absolute authority in the home. He had control of every aspect of live for his wife, children and slaves – in fact they all had about the same status. Wives were valued for their ability to bear children, and handle the domestic chores. Children were valued for their contributions to the family’s livelihood. The father determined who lived and died, who they married and whether they married. He exerted tremendous control even over adult sons. The normal father ruled with a iron fist.
Slaves were little more than living tools, livestock to be used or disposed of as the master saw fit

2. Christianity as a foreign religion was under a great deal of suspicion. What the historian Tacitus said about Jews was also believed about Christians:

…the earliest lessons they receive is to despise the gods, disown their country and to regard their parents, children and brothers of little account.

In this household code Paul seeks to affirm what he can from Roman culture and transform as much as he could. The important thing to remember is that Paul is trying to show that when we are devoted to Christ, that devotion changes the quality and character of all our relationships.
Paul even does the unthinkable Normally only husbands father and master are addressed in household codes, in these verses, however, he addresses the”weaker” first and assumes they can make moral choices, that was unheard of. Then he addresses the husbands, fathers and masters.

I. Wives and Husbands

The issue is not who gets to dominated whom.

• Paul tells Roman husband and wives how to live out their devotion to Christ in their culture without giving offense to the gospel.
• For us it means that Husbands and wives are to first of all submit themselves to Christ and then carry out their responsibilities to each other in the Lord
• Husbands are not to dominate and lord it over their wives
• Wives are not supposed to do that either. Wives should not seek to subtle manipulate and undercut their husband’s place in the home.
• In fact husband are to cultivate Christian virtues in their relationship with each other.

What are these virtues?

[Col 3:12-14 ESV ] Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, 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.

The fundamental presumption is that the family is the primary place where Christian virtues are lives out.

II. Children and Parents
Children
Christian children have an obligation to obey their parents, in the Lord.
As long as parents are not asking them to do anything immoral or sinful they are to comply.

Fathers / Parents
In Paul’s day fathers had absolute control over their children and determined whether they lived or died. The normal pattern was to maintain strict discipline so that the children would not get out of line. That disciple sometimes included severe beatings.
Paul answers the question, “How should a father submitted to Christ treat his children?”
Paul’s answer is simple what ever you do be careful not to provoke or irritate them to the point of discouragement to be disheartened, dispirited, broken in spirit, and lose heart. That is not proper behavior for a Christian parent.

III. Employees and Employers
Now, contrary to what you may think there is not a direct correspondence between masters and slaves and employers and employees. But we can gain some important perspectives.

Employees

• Work diligently as if you were working for the Lord and do it whether or not your boss is a Christian
• Put your heart in it and give it your best. As a Christian you should be the most punctual, reliable and responsible person in the place

Employers

• Treat people fairly, expect people to give their best, and your give your best as well.
• Care about those who work for you

Conclusion
In reality this series has been about living as a Christian, a person fully devoted to Christ.
I received an email two weeks ago I want to share with you, because this person gets it.

I want to challenge you today to live as a fully devoted follower of Christ Husbands and wives, parents and children, employers and employees.

Work on developing these virtues in all your relationships: Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness and love.
In reality you can not develop these on your own…you must depend on the Holy Spirit, and you must yield to him.

And then determine today to become fully devoted
Worship God, Share your faith, Grow in Christ, Serve others, Give of your resources, Connect with other Christian and live your faith at home and work.

Fully Devoted Followers Connect With Other Christians

1 John 1:1-4

In the New Testament koinonia is the word translated “fellowship.” It means to share in something, a partnership, to be a partaker or participant. It refers to the things that people share in common. It also refers to the living bond between us and Christ.

Our Common Connection
Jesus Christ is the common connection all Christians enjoy. Jesus is the only Son of God. he came lived and died and rose from the dead. Because we trust in the work of God through Jesus we are connected with Jesus through all time.

[Eph 4:3-6 ESV ] [Be] eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Because of our connection to Jesus we share in aspects of his life: his life, sufferings, death, resurrection, inheritance and reign.

The Bible gives us several images of our connection to Christ:

• Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)
• Household, family, brothers and sisters, bride of Christ, first-born (Eph 2:19; Rom 8:29; Heb 2:11; Eph 5:22ff;
• Vine and branches (John 15:5)
• Temple or building (Eph 2:19ff)

Each of these images demonstrates a different aspect of our connection with Jesus. But they also highlight our connection with other Christians There is an interconnection between us and every other Christian.

This is one of the meanings of the phrase in the Apostles’ Creed “the communion of saints.” Among all of the doctrinal statements of faith in the Creed is one about our connection with each other. Like all the other statements of doctrine, this one is meaningless if it is not lived out in our lives.

Created for Community
The Trinity exists in complete community. In the beginning when the man was first created, for the first time God said “It is not good.” God, then, went about establishing community.

As humans we were created in the image of God. If we are created in the image of God, and God exists in community, then I am created for community. If community is going to be authentic, I must see you as created in the image of God as well. The fruit of the Spirit, and Spiritual gifts are meaningless outside of community.

Fellowship includes the following

Care for one another

Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples. John 13:35 (LB)

Share our lives with one another

Share each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 (NLT)

Hold each other accountable

Speaking the truth with love, we will grow up in every way into Christ, who is the head. Eph 4:15 (NCV)

Protect one another

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Eph 4:3 (NIV)

These are all in the context of relationship. The quality of the relationship determines the depth of each aspect of fellowship

We are connected to Christ Jesus in a very real way and because of that connection we are connected to every follower of Christ. One of the ways, the primary way live out our connection to Christ is through our connection with others.
It is easy to criticize others for not caring about us, but we do not have the luxury of that self-indulgence. We will not be held accountable for what others did or did not do, but only for what we do or do not do.

Fully Devoted Followers Give of Their Resources

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Giving is a touchy subject with many people. In today’s world we have almost become identified with the things we possess. So if someone, messes with our stuff or our money they are messing with us.

Paul wrote 2 Corinthians while on his third missionary journey. Among other things he was reminding the churches of Corinth about the offering they were to collect for the poor of Judea. His reminder is contained in Chapter’s 8 & 9. In those chapters he tells us some important things about giving.

A Principled Mind
Paul reminds us that the one who sows sparingly will also read sparing. (V. 6) He recognizes a spiritual principle involved in giving. The principle comes from the long wisdom tradition of the Hebrew Scriptures:

[Pr 11:24-25 ESV ] One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

Paul tells us that giving is like a farmer sowing seed in his field. The harvest you receive will be in proportion to what you give. Some have taken this to the extreme and taught that God is obligated to multiply your monetary gift. But the harvest is not always monetary, it comes in different ways:

• Satisfaction being an instrument of God
• Destroy the grip of greed and materialism
• We get to be partners with God in blessing others
• We are investing in something beyond ourselves
• We help strengthen families
• People come to know Christ
• People are given hope

v. 10 reminds us that we can be generous because God is the one who has given us the seed we sow. God gives us the seed for our benefit, and gives us seed to give to others, so we should give it. God provides it all!

The Principle is this: When I give, I am enriched in more ways than I can comprehend. When I give I am not diminished in any way I am enriched. The Principled giver knows that.

A Joyful Heart
God loves a cheerful giver.
God loves it when the giver delights in the giving. (MSG)

Cheerful translates the Greek word “hilaros” hilarious, cheerful, joyful, merry; this is the only place this word is used in the New Testament. It is the opposite of being a grudgingly or reluctantly giver; someone who is glad to do so.

“Laughter is an instant vacation. Giving is a two-week cruise with pay.”

— Bob Hope, entertainer; source: Hoyt Hilsman, Hemispheres (December 1999), p.50

The joy of giving comes from knowing the results of our giving. 2 Cor 8:7 calls giving a grace that we excel in just like of gifts of God’s grace, spiritual gifts.

It results in thankfulness. The saints will glorify and thank God because of their generosity. Our giving can increase the thanks which flows to God. Whenever we give others are helped and they give thanks to God. Our giving increases the thanks that flows to God.

A Dedicated Will
Give as you have made up your mind (v. 7)
Our giving is not to be based entirely on emotion, but a reasoned, sacrificial gift. Think about it, think about what you give and then give it. This is not to say our heart should not be involved, but once we have determined what we will give we give it!

When we make a decision and follow through with it, we demonstrate the validity of the gospel

[2 Co 9:13b ] …they will glorify God because of your submission flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ….

When we decide to be givers to help alleviate the hardships of others we demonstrate the truth of the gospel, we live as Jesus did. Jesus left everything to come and give his all for us. And now we give of our resources to help others.

[Jn 3:16 ESV ] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

God is a giver. He gave us the universe, the earth, our lives, our strength, our intelligence, our skill, our last breath. Giving brings pleasure to God. We are never more like God that when we give. When we give it will bring us pleasure.
What can you give today?

Fully Devoted Followers Serve Others

Mark 10:35-45

We all like being served. As matter of fact we like it so much our economy has given birth to the service economy. There is a whole economic system that is based on serving others.

John and James
John and James surmised “Somebody is going to be in charge, it might as well be us. And why not? They had met all the demands Jesus placed on them as disciples. They left everything to follow Jesus. They had endured many hardships. In their mind they had earned the right to a promotion.

Jesus asked them a question, “Are you ready to suffer?” “Sure,” they said, “why not?” Jesus then reminded them that they would indeed suffer for the kingdom, the positions they wanted were not Jesus’ to grant.

Do you want to be great?
Jesus had to remind them about how the kingdom works. It doesn’t work according to the standards of the world we live in. Greatness is not about power and position. It is amazing that Jesus does not condemn the idea of greatness, he condemns going about it the wrong way.

Jesus wants us to be great. The word traslated “great” in this passage is “mega.” Jesus wants us to be mega Christians, Mega Men, Mega Women, Mega Kids – He wants us to be great, but great by his definition. His definition of greatness is service. The path of greatness is the path of service

The Greatness of Serving
The greatness of serving is not found it a focus on our serving, it is found in putting a focus on the one we serve. To be sure we serve God ultimately, but we serve God by serving others. The focus of serving must be placed not on us but on the people we serve. The path to greatness is serving other people in the name of Jesus

Conclusion
In Holy Communion we celebrate the greatest act of serving in the history of the world, the day when the Almighty God of the universe came to serve a sinful human race by giving his life on the cross. He came as a servant to seek and save that which was lost.
In Jesus’ life, death and resurrection he gave us the pattern of service. We come and offer ourselves as a living sacrifice not just in surrender to God, but in service to others.

Notice these words from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:

If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That’s a new definition of greatness.

…by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of relativity to serve. You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant.

— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “The Drum Major Instinct”

Fully Devoted Followers Grow in Christian Maturity

2 Peter 3:17-18

You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

The trajectory of every biblical text assumes growth. But growth is not automatic. No one drifts into spiritual maturity. 2 Peter 3:18 says that we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, but what does that mean?

Grow in grace
Grace is God’s unmerited favor, it is God’s undeserved love mercy and compassion freely given to us. It is also the power God gives us to do what we should. To grow in Grace is to discover new dimensions of God’s love and acceptance of us as God’s children.
We can grow

We grow in our awareness of God’s grace in our lives

We also grow in our exercise of God’s grace in our lives

We also grow in our ability to offer grace to others

Grow in knowledge
The knowledge here is not just facts, it is intimate relational knowledge as well. We are to have a deepening experience of Jesus and an understanding of the truth of Christ. This knowledge should be ever increasing until Jesus comes. We grow in our knowledge of the implications of Jesus’ life, ministry, death and resurrection for our lives.

Why should we grow?

2 Peter offers at least three reason for why we should grow.
1. Because there are many false teachers

There are many influences in our lives. Many of them influence us to live for ourselves rather that for God. The influence comes from family, teachers, books, media and entertainment to name just a few.

2. Because we stand accountable to God

We will all stand before God one day and give an account of our lives. Can you imagine someone saying, “Well God, I just really wanted to get in heaven, I didn’t really care anything about living a better life or knowing you any better.”

3. Because we are called to live uprightly

We can not live uprightly if we resist God’s grace and refuse to know him more. We cannot be upright by ourselves, we need God’s grace. We don’t even know what an upright life is with God’s help. Life on our own terms is not an upright life.

4. The world needs godly people as a credible witness to the truth of Christ
Living a godly life is not boring or stale, it is living life in that adventure of God. It is being freed of all those things that make life rich and full and meaningful.

5. Living uprightly exposes error

When we live uprightly in this world a difference is seen between us and that will hopefully cause curiosity. We are then able to give a reason for the hope in us.

Growth happens when we simply grow in our knowledge and experience of God and act on it. The best way to do that is through Life Groups or Bible Studies. At the very least spend some time each day in God’s word and put into practice what you discover.

In the Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian The four children find themselves back in Narnia. Although only a few years have passed for them, over a hundred years have passed in Narnia. As they continue their adventure, Lucy sees Aslan for the first time in this adventure.

“Aslan,” said Lucy “Your bigger.”
“That is because you are older Little one,” answered he.
“Not because you are?”
“I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”
– Prince Caspian p. 148
As we grow Jesus becomes bigger. How big is Jesus in your life?

The Romans Road

From time to time people ask if there is a simple way to lead some to Christ. There are many helpful ways to do that. Let me first of all refer you to the blog entry Fully Devoted Followers Share their Faith with Others, for some back ground. I personally use the Roman Road. I like it because it is simple and the passages are easy to remember because they are all in one book of the Bible.

[Rom 3:23 ESV] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

This passage reminds us that all of us fall short of what God desire of us. We have all missed the mark of what it means to be O.K. in God’s eyes.

[Rom 6:23 ESV] For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Here we are told that the result of our falling short is death. This death refers to spiritual death. Spiritual death is being separated from God. It is being cut off from God in this life and in the life to come. But the verse goes on to say that God offers a remedy for death and that is eternal life. This life is both a quality of life and a length of life. It is a gift that God graciously offers us. It can not be earned in any way.

[Rom 5:8 ESV] but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

This passage shows the extent of God’s love for each of us. God did not wait for us to get our life together. He sent Jesus to take the full penalty of our sin so that we could be reconciled to God.

[Rom 10:9-10 ESV] because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

This passage tells us how we can be saved, put right with God. It happens when we do two things:

1. Confess Jesus as Lord. This means that we agree with God that Jesus is the only Lord and that for all of our lives we have tried to be God. We now step off the throne of our lives as ask Jesus to take his rightful place and our Lord and Master. From now on we will follow his direction.

2. Believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead. We must trust what God did in and through the cross of Christ. We trust that when God says he accepts the sacrifice of Christ, he means what he says.

When we do those things we have God’s promise:

[Rom 10:13 ESV] For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

For another way of presenting the gospel click here

Fully devoted followers share their faith with others

John 4:7-10 (11-38)

We have been looking at what means to be a fully devoted follower of Christ.Today we will talk about sharing our faith with others.

This passage tell the story of Jesus’ encounter with a woman from Samaria. This one encounter led to many Samaritans in the town believing in Jesus.
Samaritans had the reputation of being unscrupulous half-breeds. Although they had a mixed ancestry prejudice fueled much of the hatred. Many Jews would not even go through the region. But as the Scripture says, Jesus “had to pass through Samaria.”

Jesus’ actions can help us know how to be ready to share our faith

Jesus was ready to respond
Jesus had traveled about 30 miles by foot from Jerusalem to Sychar. He was tired from travel, teaching stopped to rest. As he rested he didn’t forget his mission
Who would have ever thought a well on the outskirts of town would become the starting place for a great revival?
He had been living his message, so now was no exception.

If we are going to be ready we must imitate Jesus.
• We must be aware of the true spiritual state of people far from God. Without Christ they are lost. We can not simply say, “Well they believe in God” or “he’s a good person.” Thoughts like that will discourage us from sharing our faith with others.
• We must know what God has done for us and be able to tell others.
• We must realize that opportunities to share may come at any time.
• Sharing our faith is the natural outgrowth of living our faith

Jesus noticed a person in need
We don’t know exactly what prompted Jesus to talk to the woman. It may have been the situation, a woman at the well at mid-day, or something in her face.
but whatever it was he noticed her and engaged her in conversation in a non-threatening way.
We must learn to be aware of the people around us. It is so easy to be preoccupied and not notice people. Engage them in non-threatening ways that demonstrate true human compassion. Cultivate genuine friendships with unchurched people. Don’t push, just give a gentle witness, offer them Christ

Jesus reached across boundaries

[Jn 4:9 ESV] The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

Jews normally did not have anything to do with Samaritans. It was considered inappropriate for a man to speak with a woman who was not his wife, let alone a Samaritan woman

We will also have to reach across boundaries, racial, economic, political, occupational, social and ethnic boundaries. Crossing those boundaries demonstrates that the love of Christ is real. We reach across not as superiors but as brothers and sisters, fellow pilgrims.

“Christianity is one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread.” – D.T. NILES, New York Times, May 11, 1986

Jesus related to her as a person
He respected her and did not judge her. He listened to her and responded appropriately. He was not following a rehearsed program or speech. He only went as far as she would allow and adapted the message to fit her needs.
We must not treat people as souls with ears. They are not a project or a target, they are a person. You may have memorized a program or strategy, but relate to them as a person. In the Conversation, discover their needs and apply the gospel to them.

[John 4:35] …Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.

Here is a very touching story that illustrates the power of simple faith sharingIn the fall of 2005, my 9-year-old son, Austin, had his tonsils removed. Before the surgery, an anesthesiologist came in to start an IV. He was wearing a cool surgical cap covered in colorful frogs. Austin loved that “frog hat.” When the doctor started to leave, Austin called out, “Hey, wait.”

The doctor turned. “Yeah, buddy, what do you need?”

“Do you go to church?”

“No,” the doctor admitted. “I know I probably should, but I don’t.”

Austin then asked, “Well, are you saved?”

Chuckling nervously, the doctor said: “Nope. But after talking to you, maybe it’s something I should consider.”

Pleased with his response, Austin answered, “Well you should, ’cause Jesus is great!”

“I’m sure he is, little guy,” the doctor said, and quickly made his exit.

When Austin’s surgery was finished, the anesthesiologist came into the waiting room to talk to me. He told me the surgery went well, then said, “Mrs. Blessit, I don’t usually come down and talk to the parents after a surgery, but I just had to tell you what your son did.”

Oh boy, I thought. What did that little rascal do now? The doctor explained that he’d just put the mask on Austin when my son signaled that he needed to say something. When the doctor removed the mask, Austin blurted, “Wait a minute, we have to pray!” The doctor told him to go ahead, and Austin prayed: “Dear Lord, please let all the doctors and nurses have a good day. And Jesus, please let the doctor with the frog hat get saved and start going to church. Amen.”

The doctor admitted that this had touched him. “I was so sure he would pray that his surgery went well,” he explained. “He didn’t even mention his surgery. He prayed for me! Mrs. Blessit, I had to come down and let you know what a great little guy you have.”

A few minutes later, a nurse came to take me to post-op. She had a big smile on her face as we walked to the elevator. “There’s something you should know,” she said. “Some of the other nurses and I have been witnessing to and praying for that doctor for a long time. After your son’s surgery, he tracked a few of us down to tell us about Austin’s prayer. He said, ‘Well girls, you got me. If that little boy could pray for me when he was about to have surgery, then I think maybe I need his Jesus, too.’”
Tina Blessit, “A Prayer Before Surgery,” Today’s Christian Woman (July/August 2006), p. 27

Fully Devoted Followers Worship God

Romans 12:1-2

I started this series talking about the attitudes of a fully devoted follower of Christ.
Now we want to move on to the actions and today we look at Worship.

Worship carries many different meanings for people it could mean:

• The formal liturgy of the church
  Praise songs
  Quietly meditating on the Psalms
  Gospel songs and testimonies
  Raucous high energy music with dancing
  Drums and chants

Worship comes from an old English word which means to attribute worth or respect to someone.

Fully devoted followers of Christ worship God with their lives. Worship is more than what we do here, it includes all of our life.

Casting Crowns sings a song which helps us get a handle on this kind of worship

LifeSong
Empty hands held high, Such small sacrifice
If not joined with my life, I sing in vain tonight

May the words I say, And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing, Bring a smile to You

What is it we do to worship God fully? How do we know when out worship is empty hands held high, and when it is pleasing to God? How do we know when we are just honoring God with our lips and not with our lives?

Romans 12:1-2 can help us understand what that kind of worship looks like.

Therefore…
In light of all God has done…
1. Reached out to a rebellious, self-centered people

2. God made a way to be reconciled, by his sheer mercy, by grace through faith

3. Gave us a way to be victorious over sin and evil

When we approach worship, the “why” is bound up in all that God has done for us through Christ. That is reason enough for us to worship him and serve him the rest of our days.
In other words worship is not doing God a favor, it is expressing our gratitude for All God has done for us.

Living Sacrifice
Those who first heard this epistle were well aware of the concept of sacrifice. This time they were not only to offer a sacrifice, but be the sacrifice. Sacrifice is an offering, not just giving something up. A living sacrifice is an offering of your whole self; the whole of who your are. At its essence our obedience is the sacrifice we offer, our daily lives become the sacrifice.

LifeSong
Lord I give my life, a living sacrifice
To reach a world in need, to be Your hands and feet
May the words I say, And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing, Bring a smile to You

Spiritual Worship
The words translated “spiritual worship” can also be rendered “reasonable service.” It means an intelligent and deliberate act of worship in light of all God has done for you. The most reasonable thing you can do. It is spiritual in the sense that it is real and genuine. The word translated “worship” alludes to the work or service of the priests in the temple.

How do we become a living sacrfice?
1. We renew our minds. Allow God’s word to be the lens through which you view all of life. See all of life from God’s perspective: yourself, others, situations, relationships, hopes, life

2. Use the gifts you have been given in service to God
[Rom 12:6 ESV] Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them….

Worship, real authentic worship ascribing worth to God with our lives — all of our lives.

Is your work, study, home life, relationships, financial life, recreational life, social life, worthy of God.

It can be…start where ever you are and seek to honor God. Notice how the text is paraphrased in the Message

[Ro 12:1-2 The Message ] So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.