KNOWING I AM A CHRISTIAN
#591 KNOWING I AM A CHRISTIAN
Scripture I John 5:1-15 NIV Orig. 10-29-72
Rewr. 11-4-86
Passage: Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God has overcome the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. We have the assurance in approaching God, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
Purpose: To help my people examine their relationship with God to the point of having assurance of faith.
Keywords: Doubt Revival Faith Word of God
Introduction
Having a guest in our home last week was a happy privilege. I have had occasion to think of such times when I was guest in pastor/family homes. One always stands out from all the rest. I arrived at my appointment at the prescribed time. The pastor took me to his home to settle in before the service that night. Entering the house, my friend explained that the teenage daughter had consented to relinquish her room for the week. She would be elsewhere in the house. I don’t know what negotiations went on before my arrival, but there I was, settling into a room that was decidedly not my style. It was sufficiently comfortable, but the decorations were nauseating. I spent the week under the watchful gaze of Bobby Sherman and Mickey Something-or-Other. And having to enter the room through a curtain made from aluminum can pop-tops left me a little fractious. There were two people praying for that revival that week. Both praying that it would pass quickly: her and me.
I am not the pin-up type. I wouldn’t even make room for Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus. Sam Sneed maybe! Jan Stevenson certainly!
I do hold on to certain pictures occasionally. A brochure came in the mail awhile back. From an evangelist. It was so different I tucked it away for possible future consideration. The front contained a double picture of said evangelist. On the left side under a seedy looking individual was the following: Police Department, Houston, TX 71770. “Just as I am without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me.”
Opposite was a current picture of the same individual, shaven, hair combed, neatly dressed. Beneath this picture, Evangelist—“The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen could ever tell.”
A question emerges, Does Christ make a difference in a person’s life? If so, how can I know that I am a Christian?
I. First, We Must Certify How One Becomes a Christian. V13 “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” One becomes a Christian by casting doubt aside, and believing. V11 “This is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.”
So there must be some analysis of doubt. Is it the doubt of ignorance? How often do we hear someone respond to questions of faith? John says in V13 “These things (are) written, that you may know fully.” Paul expressed his belief clearly that he knew which he had believed. He likewise instructed Timothy to “study to show himself approved unto God.” If doubt exists, and it is the doubt of ignorance, heed God’s word. Take seriously the witness of Christian friends who certify faith.
Perhaps your doubt is only the doubt of inexperience. Akin to that causing Abraham distress when he was directed from Ur to some unnamed land afar off. Dealing with doubt was in the going. Or that bothering the spies. Two exceptions were Joshua and Caleb. The spies saw the land and the enemy. They saw a land worth keeping, and men worthy of such keeping, and they were afraid. Victory, and disposal of doubt awaited going forth in battle. Jesus stood one day at the door of your life and knocked, waiting to be invited in. He has been there before, as He is now, and faith awaits disposal of doubt and asking.
It may also be that the doubt is the doubt of strangeness. Let the story of Balaam alone be a sufficient warning. In Numbers 22 Balaam, who had a kind of faith in God, was tempted to curse Israel. His stubbornness before God brought him to the brink of death. An angel of God blocked his path, and his donkey sensed the danger before he did. Faith in the face of stubborn doubt may not be easy, but surrender to God is required.
II. One Has Assurance that He is a Christian by Taking Hold of the Word of God. V10b “He who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given.” There are parallel verses from the pen of John. 1 John 5:13 “These things were written to those who believe that you may know that you have eternal life.” John 20:31 “…Written that you might come to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that believing you might have life.”
So the Word is there, available to us all. We must grasp the rightness of its message for us. Listen in as Elizabeth speaks to Mary. Luke 1:45 “…You believed that God would do what He said. That is why He has given you this wonderful blessing.” (LB) Hear what God said in the parable of the seed, Luke 8:15. “The good soil represents honest good-hearted people. They listen to God’s words, and cling to them and steadily spread them to others who also believe.” Do not be so quick to ignore a text of the early church, comparing Berea to Thessalonica. Acts 17:11 “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, or they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Jews as well as Gentiles.)
We are able to hold onto the Word of God because we trust the character of God. Luke 12:32 “Fear not little flock, for it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” What kind of father uses gifts to control his children? Not a good one. Not for long. The Heavenly Father does not give to get or to goad or to gauge. He gives because he is genuine and generous and good. He invites us to be of one stock, with Him.
III. Before We Conclude, a Brief Word of Counsel. Don’t let the circumstance of your daily life nurture doubt. Psalm 63:1 “My soul thirsteth for thee. My flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.” In poetry and song we equate sunshine with good fortune.
“O they tell me of a home far beyond the skies,
O they tell me of a home far away.
O they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.”
But we have seen those places marked by unending sunshine, where no clouds ever appear. It is a land through which course no streams, where no springs gurgle, and without tree or flower.
Assurance of faith is not determined by trouble-free life. It is determined by our desire to know and do the will of God. John 7:17 (Phillips) “If anyone wants to do God’s will, he will know whether my teaching is from God, or whether I merely speak on my own authority.”
Conclusion
We mentioned pin-ups earlier. What do you see in the picture gallery of your own life? Can you visualize a before and an after in relationship to God? Can you identify a time when the picture changes? What do you see that is different now? How was it before Christ came? If He has not, why do you detain Him? Why do you leave the door closed on such a One?
V12 “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
JOYFUL COMMUNION (DELIVERANCE FROM ONE’S FRIENDS)
#522 JOYFUL COMMUNION (DELIVERANCE FROM ONE’S FRIENDS)
Scripture: Psalm 4, NIV Orig. 12/13/61 (1/78)
Rewr. 4/14/87
Passage: Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer. How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false Gods? Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him. Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the Lord. Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?” Let the light of your face shine on us. Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, let me dwell in safety.
Purpose: Continuing series from Psalms, here sharing David’s prayer asserting God’s gracious presence in his life.
Keywords: Communion Prayer Deliverance
Timeline/Series: Psalms
Introduction
A Keene, TX, woman by the name of Marie Crawford tells about a most disconcerting experience a few years ago when she was traveling in the Appalachian Mountains. She became suddenly, and seriously ill, and knew that she must immediately seek medical assistance. She was in the small town of Banner Elk, NC. Because she was with a tour, it was necessary for her friends to continue without her.
Being thus alone, she discovered that she would have to have surgery, and that it would not be wise to wait until family arrived. Being assured that the surgery was not life-threatening, she gave her consent.
In her room, after the surgery, and as the sedative began to wear off, her first conscious thought was that someone was in her room. Not knowing what to think, or who it could be, she struggled to clear her mind. When finally managing to get her eyes opened, she was shocked to see two strange mountain women in her room. She had never seen them before. Had no idea who they were. They were sitting side-by-side in rocking chairs. Both wore bonnets, and rocked with their hands folded in their laps.
She managed to get her wits together enough to speak. “I’m sorry, ladies, you must be in the wrong room,” she said.
The younger of the two women turned to Mrs. Crawford and replied, “Now, don’t you fret honey. We ain’t going to bother you one bit. Poor Papa died in this room, right in that bed, one year ago today. Me and Mama jus’ want to set here a spell and rock, and think about Papa.”
David is in need of a time and a place where he can feast on the Father’s presence. Thus, he speaks his heart.
I. We Must First Compare with the Prior Chapter. Both are called Psalms of David. Both bear the imprint of a man at prayer. There is a noteworthy difference in the object of his prayer. There may be a heading: Psalms 3, a Morning Prayer, and Psalms 4, an evening prayer. Chapter 3 you remember was a prayer seeking deliverance from his enemies. V5 “I laid down and slept; I awakened; for the Lord sustained me.” Chapter 4, however, is a prayer seeking deliverance from his friends. V8 “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety.”
Clearly, Psalm 4 is a Prayer Psalm. V1 “hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness.” It is a prayer of David, called so in the title. Neginoth means “stringed instruments.” Note Psalm 5—Nehiloth—flutes. The anxiety of a man on the run penetrates the 3rd Psalm. Adversity surrounds him as Absalom seeks the throne. Here is the prayer of a man pressed in, not by his enemies, but by his friends. Counselors may mis-advise him. Special interests may seek favors from him. He must be a man alert to God’s leading.
II. We Also Understand the Ground Upon which David Prays. He prays because God has dealt justly with him. V1 “thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress.” “Have mercy, hear, as you have before.” He comes to God without any claim to merit. During the time of Saul’s jealous rage with David (I Sam 18:14) “David behaved himself wisely and the Lord was with him.” He comes, because he is wise, asking to be heard, because God is merciful. V3 “The Lord will hear when I call unto him.”
III. As We have Learned the Ground of His Prayer, We Know Also the Subject of His Prayer. His so-called friends have confronted him with wrong choices. V2 “O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame?” Rom. 1:21f “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” They were men of prominent station. David points them to the One who is his keeper. “The Lord will hear” (v3), and who insists upon their recognition “stand in awe, commune, offer the sacrifices,” is his very good advice to them.
It defines a “set-apartness” that we must not overlook. The Christian shares this separateness.
II Corinthians 6:17 “Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord.” The conditions of relationship are not changed: wrong to capitulate to the world, wrong also to avoid contact, wrong to reflect haughtiness/
arrogance.
David points his friends to a conditional trust. The condition is that they stand in “awe” of God. RSV: “Be angry and sin not.” KJV “Stand in awe and sin not.” GNV “Tremble with fear and stop sinning.” Find a place where worldly thoughts will not distract from God’s presence: “upon your bed”/“still.” Alone with one’s own thoughts, at a place of their own choosing, where distractions are minimal.
IV. Having Found Such a Place, Offer the “Necessary Sacrifices to the Lord.” Ps. 27:6 “therefore will I offer in his tabernacle, sacrifices of joy.” Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite spirit.” Isaiah 1:11 “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices.” Hosea 6:6 “for I desire mercy and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” Micah 6:8 “What doth the Lord require?”
His prayer is that they may know as he knows. Doubt, skepticism abound. V6 “There be many that say, Who will show us any good?” Such negativism abounds today. What better do we have to reflect God’s presence than the joy of relationship? V6 “Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us”—not to see us but to see God within blessing. What David has is of far greater value than the best of what they have. V7 “Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.”
David had to share what those around him needed. V
8 “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.” Psalm 3:5 “I laid me down and slept; I awakened for the Lord sustained me.” Odee Parker’s “What do I pray for?” “Peace!”
Conclusion
Listen to a final admonition from Habakkuk: 3:17-18 “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
THE MAN NAMED JOHN
#501 THE MAN NAMED JOHN
Luke 1:5-15a NIV Orig. 12/14/1990
In the time of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly family of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years. Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
Purpose: Continuing a series for Sunday evenings on New Testament characters, here presenting John the Baptist as a man striving to please God.
Keywords: Biography John the Baptist’s History
Timeline/Series: Sequential/New Testament Characters
Introduction
As noted last week, we are indebted to Luke for much that we know about John’s roots. All of chapter one, remember, is unique. In that lengthy chapter, VV 5-25 and 57-80 tell us about the birth of John, and the near-miraculous nature of his conception.
Zechariah was a priest, married to Elizabeth who was also of the priestly line. They were godly people, of advanced age, who had struggled somewhat with the barrenness of Elizabeth.
The estimates for the time suggest that there may have been as many as 18,000 priests divided into the 24 courses. All would be in Jerusalem for the major festivals (Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles). Otherwise, each course would serve one 8 day stint every six months in Jerusalem, from Sabbath to Sabbath (BI F88 p49).
One day Zechariah was chosen by lot to burn incense in the temple. (Exodus 30/I Kings 11). This happened morning and evening each day, however in the morning four were involved, in the evening only one. It is likely that this honor would fall to a man only once in his lifetime.
He entered the Holy Place, took incense from a bowl, and put it on burning coals atop the altar of incense, and then prostrated himself for a short period of prayer.
I. In This Setting, Then, the Angel Gabriel Made His Appearance, Gave His Message of the Birth of a Special Son. (Luke 1:14-16). Because of his disbelief, Zechariah would become mute, which, with recovery of speech at John’s birth, would be an enabler of many people recognizing this birth as a step, or a fore-work of the coming of the Messiah (V 76-79) “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Conclusions that we can reach about this man named John are drawn from v 13 “Thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.” Repeating what is already established, the parents were elderly, childless; they were both of priestly lineage (of the division of Abijah: I Chron 24). There is a familial link between John/Jesus. Mary and Elizabeth were kin (v 1:36 “Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.”) Their babies enjoyed unusual, even miraculous, births. Both would bear names given them by the angel Gabriel: John—Yahweh gives grace, and Jesus—Yahweh is salvation.
Of the boyhood of John, we can only surmise. He was to be reared a Nazirite V 1:15. The Nazirite vow is described in Numbers 6, and Samson and Samuel are examples. Who takes over to rear a child born in the twilight of life? No family is left to assume responsibility. One thing is known: v 80 “And the child was in the wilderness till the day of his manifestation to Israel.” One strong tradition suggests that John was reared by the Essenes, who were known to take orphaned boys and to live by strict rules of abstinence. What this does not address is the fact of John’s priestly lineage. It would be expected of him. One writer (BI W82 p36) suggests he kept this covenant, but broke with them discovering what many had become. We might well divide them today between liberal and conservative.
Matthew’s description of John lead us to close the door on the Essenes. His raiment was camel’s hair; he wore a leather girdle; his diet was of locusts and honey; and he had a message as austere as his dress. His message was as austere as his dress. V 3:8 “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”
II. Our Next Concern, Therefore, Must be Message. Luke 3:3 “he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” The gospel writers all affirm a prophet. Luke (1:15) brings in the Holy Spirit, the Source of the divine message.
The message proclaimed is repentance. For us: a change of mind as consequence of sin. New Testament Greek: a change of mind from evil to good, worse to better. The Old Testament word for repentance: shuv is more often translated “return again.” Remorse, regret, humiliation, grief because of sins against God mean much more than tears. I Kings 21:27: “When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly. Hebrews 12:17: Esau “found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.”
That repentance was to show in their lives. Their deeds were to give evidence. “Fruits meet worthy”—from the Greek axiom. Our “axiom” means self-evident truth.
Additionally, John was to be the one who would introduce the Messiah. It was a call to preparation. “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.” Matthew 3:3/Luke 3:4. There is no need even to comment on his expectation of a particular person. How well did he and Jesus know each other? The link of their mothers does not guarantee any relationship. John recognized Jesus as the appointed one. Did he, however, recognize Jesus as the son of his mother’s kinswoman?
III. Finally, What Stands Out of John’s Example? V16 “And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.”
His ministry began as a prophetic ministry of preaching and baptism. Luke 3:3 “preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sin.” Some say the unnamed disciple of John the Baptist (1:35f) was the other John. John the Baptist offered the example of prayer. Luke 1:11 “Lord, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples.” Certain aspects can be taught. We know it more caught than taught.
He taught them to fast (abstain from food). Matthew 9:14 “Then came to him the disciples of John saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?” Pharisees: practiced legalism which Jesus rebuked. Religious disciples from his Spartan days with the Essenes. Jesus’ answer to them (Matthew 9:15) was that “the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
Conclusion
We still have much to learn from John in the exercise of commitment. What they learned from him they practiced. They were jealous for him. In John 3:25 they argue with the Jews, and question John about Jesus’ early success. John’s disciples are still at work long after his death. In Ephesus (Acts 19:1f, c. 65A.D.) “disciples” of John the Baptist are ministered unto by Paul, subsequently baptized “in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
Though, as this indicates, some were slow to follow, John the Baptist pointed people to Jesus. His whole ministry was predicated on forecasting the Messiah. Four Gospels: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.” The “way” is the very word used by Jesus of Himself. John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” He exercises a humility in relation to Jesus that most of us have yet to learn. John 1:27, 30: “He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie….This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’” John 3:30: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
COMPLACENT CROWD OR COMMISSIONED CHURCH
#498 COMPLACENT CROWD OR COMMISSIONED CHURCH
Scripture Luke 14:16-24, NIV Orig. 5-26-68
Rewr. 7-18-91
Passage: 16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ 21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ 22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ 23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
Purpose: Addressing my people on the need for the followers of Christ to confirm in daily living all things vital in showing ourselves committed followers of Jesus.
Keywords: Christ Lord Commitment Complacency
Timeline/Series: Luke
Introduction
The article stared back at me from the daily paper (Town Talk, 5-24-67). The dateline, San Francisco, should have given it away at once. Weirdness seems to regularly first test its mettle there.
I read on anyway. “A well-proportioned brunette tiptoed through a hushed room decorated with a stuffed rat, two crows, and a skull. She took off her clothes and lay down on a leopard skin covering a mantle. All was ready for the baptism of a child.
“Anton Szandor Lavey,” continued the article, “who calls himself a sorcerer and the high priest of the First Church of Satan, baptized his gum-chewing three year old daughter Tuesday night as a hooded organist played ‘The Hymn to Satan.’”
We read such things with measured disgust, and tense up trying to pat ourselves on the back: “I thank God that I am not as other men.”
Do you suppose there is a difference in the mind of God? Think you that He sees this Satanism ploy any differently than He sees people in a Baptist, Methodist, etc., church, whose only telling influence is that they are gathered around an altar?
Here we are in our Sunday best. Some of us. Seated here in our comfortable, contemporary, even conservative pews. Add to that our disdain for what Lavey and his crowd conjure up. Is that enough to earn for us the favor of God? Or does it take personal response, commitment even, to be a follower of Christ?
I. The Signs of Complacency are Clearly About. V18 “And they all with one consent began to make excuse.” Actually, the three major concerns of life figure into this parable. One addresses his occupation, another his fascination, the last his adoration. So we examine one’s vocational life, the avocational life, the invocational life. See it as job, as fun, as church.
Remember, this is a parable, and therefore, contains teaching meant for our ears, too. Jesus was out touching lives: down-and-outers. He was at a feast in the home of a prominent Pharisee. It all started with a pontification. One of the guests said, V15 “Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God.” He was inspired, perhaps convicted. Now he would inspire others. Jesus’ response was to direct his teaching to their complacency. Excuse, job-related: this piece of land has to be put to proper use. Excuse, avocation: pull-off involving five yoke of oxen, a tractor-pull. Excuse, religious devotion: “I have married a wife.”
Deuteronomy 24:5 tells us, “When a man hath taken a new wife he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business, but he shall be free at home . . . to cheer up his wife.”
So, in the parable, these guys have been honored by one more honorable than they. It was to be a festive occasion. They wanted, expected, to be invited, and would be insulted not to. The corollary, I would remind you, is our invitation to the faith feast honoring God’s Son. “I want, expect, to be invited,” you say, “but it must be convenient.”
We could spend a lot of time here talking about excuses. We could lose our jobs. We have let pleasure take us where it would; in the tractor/taffy pull, “Go for the gold!” We even use our religion as an excuse.
II. The Expectation Here is Commission. V16 “A certain man made a great supper and bade many.” V21 “Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither.” The oriental feast had a special dimension. The invitation was for an appointed day. It was understood that the hour awaited preparation. They were to stay ready. They were to come when called. As they had accepted the invitation, they were to keep themselves available.
The wealth of talent in the contemporary church is extraordinary: People capable of turning the wheels of industry; professionals, teachers, gifted laborers. Imagine, all those talents dedicated.
Hey, I have an idea. Let’s dedicate our avocations to the Lord also. Did you see that delightful piece about Darryl Strawberry? He became a Christian, and he doesn’t play out of anger anymore. But how many athletes, musicians, entertainers, entrepreneurs, have a new mountain to climb? Christ is the Lord of what they are doing.
Very little of what it takes to be a Christian takes place here from 11 to 1. Does it bring you back at 7pm? What is your prayer life like? The worst excuse of all is blaming the pulpit.
Friendliness is an avocation: earnestness, enthusiasm. When you are out of your place, you have left a void that cannot be filled.
Leave some room for commitment invocationally, also. The chairs at the feast are going to be filled, not by the most worthy citizen, but by the most enthusiastic, the most responsive.
III. Finally, Do Not Overlook Intent. V24 “None of those men that were bidden shall taste of my supper.” Make no mistake, we are dealing with the purview of God here. The invitation went out clear to all in nature. Romans 1:20 “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, . . . so that they are without excuse." Jeremiah 31:31 “Behold days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.”
But God’s invitation came yet again. Romans 8:1 “There is now therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ.” Here the meaning came clearly. The second invitation came, the clearest of directives. The feast is prepared, you must decide. Romans 8:31 “What shall we then say to these things, if God be for us, who can be against us?”
To ignore the summons, to be complacent about the invitation is to court disaster. V24 as above—“none that were bidden shall taste of my supper.” Romans 10:1f “My heart’s desire . . . for Israel is, that they might be saved. . . For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness. . . , and going about to establish their own righteousness. . . , have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.”
The message then of the parable is fourfold. It tells of the provision of the feast. It tells us of the people invited to the feast who think themselves worthy, who know themselves unworthy. It tells us of the prospect of complacency. It tells us of punishment awaiting negligence. So it is a promise of provision through faith.
Conclusion
A young man is said to have approached a holy man of India standing by the Ganges River. “How may I find God?” he speculated. The holy man seized him and thrust him violently under the water. “Why did you do that?” he sputtered. “When you long for God as you longed for air, you will find.”
ANCIENT LANDMARKS REVISITED
#495 ANCIENT LANDMARKS REVISITED
Scripture Proverbs 22:28 NIV Orig. 5-12-1968
Rewr. 5-11-1989
Passage: Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your ancestors.
Purpose: On Mother’s Day, to share with my people some of the more noble concepts of a society based on God’s word.
Keywords: Church Christian Education Family Mother’s Day Special Day Worship
Timeline: Mother’s Day
Introduction
Finding a different text for Mother’s Day is never difficult. One can start anywhere except with Adam and Eve, and relate one’s life to one’s mother. In every other instance there is one. There are some negative examples, of course, but there are many positive ones.
I have used some of the classic passages in celebration of prior Mother’s Days. What more fitting example could there be than the mother of Jesus? An Old Testament illustration of the highest echelon of motherhood was seen in Samuel’s mother, Hannah. And surely, every one of us has heard at least two sermons taken from Proverbs, chapter 31,
“Who can find a virtuous woman? For
Her price is far above rubies.”
While this passage, also from Proverbs, seems to have nothing at all to do with motherhood, I want to claim it today as a text to speak to us about the more noble of society’s concepts. There are deep spiritual truths perceived here, and who has a greater interest in truth than a mother has for the child that she has born and nourished.
Rudyard Kipling wrote about his own mother:
“If I were hanged on the highest hill,
“I know whose love would follow me still.”
He recognized, as we certainly must, that the fountainhead of society, the stabilizing force for godliness and righteousness, has been “neither school nor church nor hall of justice,” but the concern of a godly mother for her children. May I share these four “landmarks” that are the keystones upon which any pertinent society must be built?
I. The First is that of Home and Family Dedicated to God. The home remains God’s focal point for the redeeming message. Genesis 1:28. “And God blessed them and said, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion.” It is a promise of blessing. It is a pronouncement of bearing. It is a profession of birthright.
At the level of family relationship, it anticipates spiritual dominion. Proverbs 22:6. ”Train up a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” That is not the language of force. It does not suggest that the child becomes what the parent chooses. It says to give him consistent spiritual example. Pray regularly for them, and challenge them to be the best they can be.
Recognize that home and family begin with two people committed to each other and to an endearing principle. Marriage is not theatrics. It is not exemplified by one single example on TV. It is not fun, games, and clever repartee; it is not a perverted relationship. The safest marriage is to a person who is one’s spiritual equal. Years ago safety meant a reasonable guarantee of happiness. Today it carries somber, physically debilitating overtones.
II. The Second Landmark is that of Corporate Worship. Psalms 55:14 “We took sweet counsel together and walked to the house of God in company.” Of course, where there is spiritual mutuality, this is assumed. Our friends Herman and Lois Smith in New Orleans are a fond example. The fact of worship is a constant in nearly every human life. By meaning, worship is “a willingness to serve or make sacrifices for someone or something.” Our lives, then, are molded, not by what we profess, but by what we worship. Jesus had this in mind when he admonished his hearers as “hypocrites.” They claimed to worship God. In fact, it is power, privilege, prestige. It is so today as well.
Christ is the only valid instrument to lead us to worship. I Peter 2:5 “Ye . . . are built up a spiritual house . . . to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” He is the redeemer of all who will come to him. In a Bridgeport, CT, cemetery there are two recognizable names. P.T. Barnum (“a sucker born every minute”) lies beneath an expensive, ornate stone. A simple stone marks the grave of “Aunt Fanny”—Fanny Crosby (“I am Thine O Lord,” “Blessed Assurance,” “Jesus is Calling”).
He supplies the answer to any of life’s enigmas. World Book 1968, p. 205, Kenyapithicus Africanus “The finding also destroyed the popular textbook theory that man evolved from an apelike, tree-dwelling primate.” He holds the key to order in a disordered world. He alone offers a meaningful climax to history: No more Lebanons. No more Noriegas for Panama.
III. There is the Landmark of Christian Education. 2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed.” Education has clearly taken a downturn. It may be administrative laxity, the lack of teacher dedication, a breakdown of family expectation. The signs of the times clearly indicate a problem: drugs, pregnancies, dropout. Let me define what I mean by Christian Education. It is not the expectation of Christian education in the public schools. It is the home and the church working furiously to involve all we can to the glory of God. It is education geared to the student’s need and capability from a Christian perspective.
At its heart, Christian education is a parental responsibility. It should involve both parents. Don McNeill’s Breakfast Club radio guests were asked to express views on mothers. “See that their children are sent to Sunday School and Church. Make sure the children respect their fathers.” Every Christian should be eager to assist in such efforts.
VBS planning has begun. Are you ready to offer assistance?
See that we do not get out of reach of our pulpits. In the language of the sea, there was a sailor sent to the foredeck, called the “pulpit rider.” On the foremost point of deck he rode the wave, took the shock, but warned the wheelhouse of imminent danger.
The purpose of Christian Education is not to make people religious, but to give them freedom to make wise choices. Candles of faith cannot be lighted in unbelieving hearts if there is not a bright, warm glow in our own hearts.
IV. If Opportunity Permitted, There Would be One Other Landmark, that of Civil Disobedience.
Conclusion
A major yachting event was underway. The race from Cape Town, South Africa, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was won by a 43’ ketch captained by Kees Bruynzeel. He was 72, and had a serious heart problem. He hoisted anchor in Cape Town, with a nurse, a complete Cardiac Care unit, and a weighted bag for burial at sea if he did not make it.
Susan Butcher (Iditarod winner 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1990), flew one of her lead dogs to Anchorage to the vet, and slept on the floor of the kennel for ten days until the dog was well enough to return home and resume training.
What kind of dedication do we bring to our faith?
CHRIST THE JUDGE
#491 CHRIST THE JUDGE
Scripture Acts 17:31, NIV Orig. 4-28-68
Rewr. 2-20-91
Passage: For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.
Purpose: Continuing a series for Easter on Jesus’ nature, here seeing Him as the One in whom ultimate judgment must rest.
Keywords: Christ Judge Judgment Revival Nature of Christ
Timeline/Series: Easter/Other
Introduction
Most of us, because of inoculations administered when we were children, have little fear of such diseases as small pox and diphtheria. However, contagious diseases are still a great concern. We are reading about the cholera epidemic in Peru. The Centers for Disease Control reports on other problem areas in the world. Here in our own country, HIV is a terrible risk. Deviant sexual behavior is not its only source. Every winter, millions of people regularly take flu shots in a sometime fruitless attempt not to catch the flu during the peak-susceptibility cold weather months. We want to think of ourselves as invulnerable to disease.
Thankfully, some things have been brought under control. Others are as death-dealing as ever they have been. We must be sensible in our approach to health. We must generate a healthy lifestyle. Even with one, we are not completely invulnerable.
One of the myths of the ancients was that of a man named Achilles. He was the son of Peleus and Thetis. His father was noted for bravery during the Trojan Wars. Because his mother perceived that he would follow in his father’s steps and would thus face danger, she feared for his vulnerability. While a baby, she dipped Achilles in the River Styx, presumably to thus cover him with a shield of protection. He was thus submerged over the entirety of his body except the one spot on his heel where she held him. The myth informs us that it was in that heel years later that Achilles was mortally wounded.
In our day, even, an Achilles heel is a personal weakness for which there seems to be no solution. We can protect ourselves and our families from a few of life’s dangers, but not all. We may spend a fortune in the process and yet be vulnerable.
The question raised by all of this is, “What good is an almost invulnerability?” Why would people work with such determination to protect themselves from the vicissitudes of life, and pay no mind to the facing of the judgment of God? It is this judgment that we seek to address this morning as a part of the nature of Christ.
I. It is a Judgment of Appointed Time. “He hath appointed a day.” There are places in the world where time means little. People live in routine existence. Sameness controls their lives.
For most of us, everything is by appointment. We work appointed schedules. Our children practice ball, music, art, taekwondo, by appointment. We even meet our friends by appointment.
A four-year-old told her parents, just after her fourth birthday, that she wanted a baby brother for her next birthday. As if by appointment, on her fifth, he was born. Her mother was barely home from the hospital when the girl said she wanted a sister for the next one. On that very day a little girl was born. The little girl came breathlessly into the room, but was interrupted by her mother asking, “Susie, how would you like a puppy for your birthday, next year?”
The judgment of God will be by decree. John 5:28f “The hour cometh in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, to the resurrection of life; they that have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.”
II. It is Likewise a Judgment of Universal Scope. “He will judge the world.” Every evil scheme will fall under the searching eye of God. Paul had been brought out of Berea by his friends because of dangers. They came here to Athens. Doubtless, the same message that drove him from Berea, he preaches here. Remember, these are the philosophers, scholars, learned men. Architecture, art, philosophy know no equal. There are no advantaged people before God. The message is the same to all.
Read the message preached in Acts. The life of Jesus, the death, forgiveness. Why would Jesus go through the struggle of the cross if it meant nothing? What it means is forgiveness. What it means is deliverance from the resurrection of judgment.
III. It is a Judgment Administered in Righteousness. “He will judge the world in righteousness.” There is much injustice in our world. History alludes to its presence in every time, clime, and culture. Hitler is a prime example. Russia represses the Baltic States.
There are evident Biblical examples. Psalmist: 73:6-8 “Therefore pride is their necklace; The garment of violence covers them. Their eye bulges from fatness; the imaginations of their heart run riot. They mock, and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high.” In v16 he continues: “it was too painful for me, until,” he said, “I remembered what is in store or them.”
How many times the man on the street has no idea what really happens in the halls of Congress, in the state house, among the military tribunals, in our private enclaves. –But God knows, and justice will be done.
IV. It is Judgment Administered by a Chosen Agent. “He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained.” Christ is this specially chosen vessel on the basis of his character, because His talk and His walk have been without sin. His knowledge is flawlessly accurate. An Anglican burial service contains the words: “holy and merciful Saviour, thou most worthy Judge eternal.”
The 19th century Scottish preacher Alexander Whyte wrote “The righteousness of God is that righteousness which His righteousness requires Him to require.” How does this measure against John 8:15 “I judge no man”? He meant “to divide,” “to separate.” John 8:15, again. “You judge after the flesh. I do not.”
It is human to issue rewards on the basis of favoritism. But Deuteronomy 1:17 reads “You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.”
V. It is a Judgment Consummated in Hope. “Whereof He hath given assurance to all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead.” Paul speaks of what they now have experienced. It was not so clear before. Job: “If a man die, shall he live again?” David: “I can go to him, but he cannot return to me.”
But it is clear now. Jesus, who was dead, lived again. Herein, the Christian witness is different from all others. For the Hindu, reincarnation offers only a proposed re-birth to a higher caste, or as a bug. Communism has a dead saviour whose coffin was a shrine.
The New Testament, however, declares that the resurrection brings the believer into a state of grace. Philippians 3:8f “. . . I count all things but loss, . . . that I may win Christ, . . . That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection.” Acts 17:18 “He preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection.” John 11:25f “I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” I Peter 1:3 “His abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
Conclusion
Donald Barnhouse tells of an encounter on the Celebes Island with a boy and a small monkey. The boy was selling the animal that he had trapped with a handful of rice placed in a gourd. The monkey placed its small hand into the opening for the rice, but once clutching the object of its desire, he could not pull the hand free through the small opening, and was thus captured. Sin is the object of our desire. Jesus enables us to be set free.
ORDINANCES FOR THE NINETIES
#483 ORDINANCES FOR THE NINETIES
Scripture Acts 8:35-39, I Corinthians 11:23-29 NIV Orig. 9-29-63
Rewr. 1-11-90
Passage: Acts 8:35-39
35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” [37] [a Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.
1 Corinthians 11:23-29
23 For I received from the Lord(A) what I also passed on to you:(B) The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body,(C) which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant(D) in my blood;(E) do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.(F) 27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.(G) 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves(H) before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.
Purpose: Remind my people that the message and meaning of the Lord’s Supper have not changed.
Keywords: Christ Ordinance Lord’s Supper Ordinance Baptism Communion
Introduction
There is a beautiful passage from John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress (250C77p123), that is most applicable in the context of the Lord’s Supper.
Then said Christian to the porter, Sir, what house is this? The porter answered, This house was built by the Lord of the Hill, and he built it for the relief and security of Pilgrims. . . . Now I saw in my Dream that thus they sat talking together until supper was ready. So when they had made ready, they sat down to meat. Now the table was furnished with fat things, and with Wine that was well refined: and all their talk at the table was about the Lord of the Hill; as namely, about what He had done, and wherefore He did what He did, and why He had builded that House. . . . Thus they discoursed together till late at night; and after they had committed themselves to their Lord for protection, they took themselves to rest. The Pilgrim they laid in a large upper chamber, whose window opened towards the Sun rising: the name of the chamber was Peace, where he slept till break of day, and then he awoke and sang,
Where am I now? Is this the love and care of Jesus, for the men that Pilgrims are Thus to provide? That I should be forgiven! And dwell already the next door to Heaven!
The potential thus in the Lord’s Supper is for us to dwell “next door to heaven.”
I. First, a Brief Word about Determining Our Beliefs about Ordinances. We must encounter the teaching of Jesus. His early ministry was similar to that of John. Acts 13:24 “. . . who preached . . . the baptism of repentance.” Similarly, He instructed the disciples. Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, . . . baptizing . . . in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” Likewise He left His imprint upon the observance of the supper. So He led the disciples. So He instructed them to continue. Luke 22:19 “This do in remembrance of me.”
The early church left a relatively clear PICTURE of its practice. Denominationalism has altered it. Individual teachers have abused it. We have the early church with which to compare ourselves. The third determinant has to do with the message of the ordinance. We will deal with this shortly in describing our present beliefs. It is noteworthy, that foot washing, exemplified by Jesus, did not pass into general use. He didn’t advise its continuance, and we are hard pressed to find a celebrant. We ought to learn the humility thus pictured.
II. Next, a Brief Discussion about Our Beliefs. Baptism: Acts 3:36 “Here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?” Scriptural baptism is immersion. A.H. Strong writes that every place where the New Testament uses the concept of baptism either requires or mandates a meaning based on immersion. It is the immersion of a believer (Acts 8:37); there is no efficacy in a dunking in water not based on faith. Repeated immersions are a sacrilege because they espouse untruth. Baptism demonstrates a belief in who Jesus is, repentance and confession, and desire for discipleship. It is an act of obedience. Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptized, every one of you . . . unto remission of sin.” It is a three-fold symbol of the Saviour’s life: Death--Romans 6:5 “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, so shall we be in the likeness of His resurrection;” Burial and Resurrection—Colossians 2:12 “Buried with Him in baptism . . . risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God.”
It is a testimony of the believer’s faith in Christ and in His gospel. It is the prerequisite to the privileges of church membership.
The Lord’s Supper: It memorializes the death of Christ. Its elements are twofold: unleavened bread and available fruit of the vine. It is the appropriation of the sacrifice of another for ourselves. Matthew 26:28 “This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” It is the forecasting of His return. We are able to come to grips with this world as it is. We know that the ultimate change will happen only upon His return.
It is one thing more, it is an expression of obedience celebrated by the assembled church, according to Christ, the place of the supreme Lord, displaying a momentary picture of heaven.
Conclusion
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the great British preacher, left a poem describing the supper.
Amidst us our beloved stands,
And bids us view his pierced hands;
Points to the wounded feet and side,
Blest emblems of the crucified.
What food luxurious loads the board
When, at his table, sits the Lord!
The wine how rich, the bread how sweet
When Jesus deigns his guests to meet!
If now, with eyes defiled and dim,
We see the signs, but see not him;
O, may his love the scales displace,
And bid us see him face to face!
Thou glorious Bridegroom of our hearts,
Thy present smile a heaven imparts!
O, lift the veil, if veil there be,
Let every saint thy glory see!
(250C77p169)
FAITH IN THE FACE OF FIRE
#480 FAITH IN THE FACE OF FIRE
Scripture I Samuel 17:26, 31-37 NIV Orig. 3-31-68
Rewr. 5-19-89
Passage: 26 David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 31 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him. 32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” 33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
Purpose: To share a message in which we may compare our own faith with that of a young shepherd boy out of the hills of Judea. It is typical, isn’t it? When trouble is recognized, all of us look for a near-point of escape. But we want this text to help us to examine the courage of our faith. “FAITH IN THE FACE OF FIRE” is our theme.
Keywords: Faith Vision Courage
Timeline/Series: Biographical
Introduction
We cannot be absolutely sure that David fully understands the danger that he is taking upon himself. There were stronger men in the Hebrew army who had declined the Goliathan offer. There were brave men on the field of battle who agreed that a fight between two representative soldiers would be better for the two nations than the onslaught of blood-letting that awaited them. But Israel had no representative soldier who was the equal of Goliath.
David, in his youthful vigor, offers to go out in battle against this loud-mouthed Philistine. If that is all it is, youthful vigor, then he and his king and people are in serious trouble.
But when the showdown came, David went out “in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel.” V40 “He went out with a staff, a slingshot, a bag of five stones, and faith.
Years ago, American soldiers were among those of a United Nations peace-keeping mission sent to the Congo to quell an uprising. These young soldiers were not sure what awaited them. To say they were anxious is an understatement.
Readers Digest, in its “Humor in Uniform” section, reported a dialogue that took place on the plane as it was preparing to land. An African American soldier turned to his white seatmate and said, “Ray, you are in more trouble than you have ever been in.” Ray, of course, wanted to know why. “Because,” said his friend, “if those Congolese soldiers come running toward this plane when we get off, I'm going to jump on your back and yell, ‘I got ‘im! I got ‘im!’
We don’t want to compare our courage with a young soldier, or even David. We do want to get a measure of our faith as compared with that evidence here.
I. The First Measure of His Faith is that it is Courageous Faith. V32 “Let no man’s heart fail because of him, thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” It does us well, from time to time, to remember that young soldiers are still being called to battle. We hear too little about their bravery. We hear more of the philosophical issues. A liberal press is often more interested in failure than in fortitude under fire. More of these brave young people have been sent to Panama.
Something like this happens on the spiritual level as well. Not only is the church under fire. The very character and integrity of Jesus is put to the test. “God is dead,” they say. “Morality is going out of style.” We Christians have a chance as never before, to stand by our faith. The enemies out there are Goliathan in proportion, but they are not invincible. As a soldier represents his battalion and a shepherd lad his people, we are to know where the power is in the confrontation with evil.
David, though young and without practical experience, had faith in God. For forty days Goliath had taunted Israel. David would stand in the gap.
On Wednesday night we studied Jonah. Because he went to Nineveh, the Northern Kingdom survived 50-75 years longer. It is also interesting to consider Daniel in light of the decree of Darius and Cyrus (Daniel 6:10f).
II. Next Measure David’s as a Confident Faith. V37 “The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.”
Faith always draws on prior experience. One does not have to travel far to see much and feel deeply. What enemies he had encountered had been summarily dispatched. Why not this taunter of God as well?
There were betrayers of such confidence. He took the form of David’s elder brother, Eliab. I wonder why we are not surprised, because we have been older brothers, or known them, or had them. Eliab accused David of “pride,” of a “naughty spirit,” of “neglect” of his sheep. Perhaps Eliab saw himself in his younger brother. What does it take to betray your confidence in your faith?
III. Then I See David’s Faith as a Charted Faith. V39b “And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these: for I have not proved them. . . And he took his staff, . . . and chose five smooth stones.” We must respond to the enemies around us with our strengths and not our weaknesses. That doesn’t reflect any inability to attempt the untried. But it early recognizes all that is to its hurt. It is one thing not to be in the House of the Lord regularly, including Sunday evening. It is something else when we choose things that dishonor Christ instead.
Faith faces openly the things that strengthen it: dealing regularly with the word; knowing that there is no substitute for prayer; acknowledging that evil is exorcized by confronting it. Such faith is the link-up of believers that we know as the church. Someone makes a grievous point: “Five out of every six churches in America could be dismantled without damage to the Christian mission.” That was something said not by a critic, but a friend. Now is not the time to think of other. If everyone in your church were like you are would it be of the five, or of the one?
IV. It is Next Visualized as a Conquering Faith. V50 “So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone.” We know, don’t we, that it was not the weapon. V50 “There was no sword in the hand of David.” Neither was it experience or the lack of it. Strength did not win this battle, though perhaps weakness played a part.
Did you see the Dexter Manley article (MMS 5/19/89 NFL/SB/PB)? A pro football defensive end, at 27 he enrolled in the Washington Lab School to learn to read. “I had to humble myself. I had to walk into the Lab School and not pretend.”
Every success in the faith venture brings a greater capacity for faith. Faith in the face of fire is not the kind to avoid. It is the kind to cherish. It is the kind to nourish. There will always be negative influences. Armor was Saul’s attempt to control. There was Eliab’s disdainful rebuke. Too many of us would have been effectively out of action. Satan would have won the battle.
V. Before Leaving David, We Must Assess His Faith as a Contagious Faith. V52 “And the men of Israel and of Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines.” What did they see, these Hebrew men? Eliab saw an excitable boy. V55 Saul saw a “stripling.” V44 Goliath saw “buzzard meat.” David saw himself as v34 “shepherd,” v58 “son of Jesse,” v45 “servant of God.”
What they saw was sufficient to lift them out of their fears to face the fire of their own faith.
Conclusion
B.T. Bradley’s poem says enough with which to conclude.
Lord, when I am weary with toiling,
And burdensome seem thy commands,
If my load should lead to complaining,
Lord, show me thy hands, Thy nail-pierced hands, Thy cross-torn hands,
My Saviour show me Thy hands.
Christ, if ever my footsteps should falter,
And I be prepared to retreat,
If desert or thorn cause lamenting,
Lord show me Thy feet, Thy bleeding feet, Thy nail-scarred feet,
My Jesus, show me Thy feet.
O God, dare I show thee MY hands and MY feet
BIBLE STUDY
#477 BIBLE STUDY
Scripture Luke 14:1-24 NIV Orig. 3/13/68
Rewr. 3/1971, 12/1974
Passage: One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 2 There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” 4 But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way. 5 Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child[a] or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” 6 And they had nothing to say. 7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” 15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” 16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ 21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ 22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ 23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
Keywords: Banquet Disenfranchised
Timeline/Series: Bible study
Introduction
Luke records four of the seven occasions of Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath. (1) In Chapter 4, the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law; (2) in Chapter 6, the man with the withered hand; (3) in Chapter 13, the woman with an 18-year infirmity; and (4) here, a man with dropsy—an excess of body fluids, known today as edema.
It would seem that anyone so intent on upgrading man’s physical and spiritual condition would have drawn the immediate acceptance of the people. Jesus, however, was hated by many.
Jesus’ Attitude at the Supper. 14:1 Jesus never refused any man’s invitation to hospitality. He went into the house of one of the Chief Pharisees on the Sabbath day to eat bread. They watched Him: Jesus never lost patience with men even in times of stress.
Jesus’ Action at the Supper. 14:2-6 His first responsibility is the alleviation of human suffering. V4 And He took him and healed him and let him go. Attention is called to the Pharisees’ lack of value judgment. “Which of you will not remove your beast from a pit on the Sabbath day?”
Jesus’ Analogy About a Supper. 14:7-11 His teaching is always relevant. V7 He marked how they chose out the chief rooms. His teaching here is in regard to humility. V9 When you are bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room. Humility is retained by examination and by comparison.
Jesus’ Advice to His Host at the Supper. 14:12-14 His advice is to examine our motives. V12 Do not invite your friends, your brethren, your kinsmen, thy rich neighbours, lest perhaps they also invite you. Their motives would be, perhaps, a sense of duty, self-interest, vanity, or an effort to befriend. The result will be blessing from God rather than men. V14 And thou shalt be blessed, for they cannot recompense thee.
Apposition: Jesus Was Rebuffed By a Guest at the Supper. 14:15 The guest who said “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God,” was perhaps incensed at Jesus’ word to the host. What right had He, through healing, to contradict the Law? What right to instruct the spiritual leaders? What right to advise the Chief Pharisee? The guest might have said, “What do you know about blessing? He is blessed who is of the spiritual heritage of Israel.”
Application: Jesus Rebuked False Claims of the Jews at the Supper. 14:16-24 Even a word spoken to a cynic is spoken in kindness.
But those to whom the kingdom was offered, rejected it: Because of vocation, and so immersed in work that there is no time for fellowship—“I have bought a piece of ground”; because of avocation, so taken with some novelty—“I have bought five yoke of oxen” (Did you know that 80,000 people a week see the Saints play football?!); because of invocation, in that the Mosaic Law says a man with a new wife will not go to war or be charged with business for one year—“I have married a wife.”
Closing
There are those to whom the Christian life is a melancholy and a dread. Swinburne, the poet, wrote, “Thou hast conquered, O pale Galilean, The world has grown gray from thy breath.” John Ruskin, an English author, told of a jumping jack given to him as a child, taken away by a pious aunt with the remark that toys were not things for a Christian child. It’s little wonder that his brilliant mind turned to socialism and nature. Wesley founded a school where the rule was no play, “because he who plays as a child plays as a man.”
Jesus, however, pictured His Kingdom in terms of a feast.
***THE REMAINDER OF THIS BIBLE STUDY HAS BEEN LOST***
NO MORE CHANCES
#463 NO MORE CHANCES
Scripture Luke 13:6-9 NIV Orig. 2-16-68
Rewr. 10-26-81
Passage: Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’”
Purpose: Continuing the series on the parables to remind my people of the teaching of Jesus relative to our responsibility to use our opportunities.
Keywords: Grace Judgment Providence Revival Uselessness
Series: Parables
Introduction
As Jesus continued his teaching, one of his Judean listeners raised a question. There was no great love lost between the Judeans and the Galileans, and a report had been recently circulated that Pilate had stormed out against their rebellious character by having his guards strike some of them down even while they were offering sacrifices. The one who raised the question was implying that they probably got what they deserved. If there is any place that a right-thinking person ought to be safe it is at the appointment of sacrifice. If, therefore, harm fell to them there, it simply means that they are guilty as charged and got their just deserts.
Jesus then answers directly. Do you think that those Galileans were the chief sinners among Galileans because that happened to them?” Jesus then laid the burden of sin right at their feet. “No!” he said, “They were not necessarily the chiefest of sinners just because they were killed.” Then, addressing their own disdain of God’s purpose for them, he continued. “Unless you repent, you will also perish.”
Then he brought up the case of a recent natural disaster. The tower of Siloam in Jerusalem had fallen causing the death of 18 people. He implies that if such as this can happen in Jerusalem, then the people must think that these victims were somehow deserving what happened to them. Again Jesus addresses their own sin problem. “That is not the case.” He says, but unless you repent of your sin, then you will ultimately perish just as violently as they did.
He does not deny that these Galileans and these workmen in Jerusalem were sinners. There is just not anything that he can do for dead sinners. His concern is for the living and for their errant rationale that allowed them self-justification. They were not safe from judgment simply because they were Jews. They were not to be excused from the necessity of repentance simply because of the chance of their birth to a Hebrew mother. Thus he shared with them the parable of the barren fig tree.
I. The Parable Addresses Opportunity: The fig tree owned a special providence. V6 “He came seeking fruit thereon.” Perhaps the significance of a parable needs to be restated. It is a story with a hidden meaning. The significance of such a story is never in what is obvious. It is not about a fig tree, but what the tree represents. It must somehow relate to productivity.
If this is just about trees, then there are many factors to be considered: size, fertility, climate, etc. If about trees, it can produce only what it is. But if its meaning is about people then we startlingly discover that a person can do much more than just produce another being like unto himself. Not only can he improve upon what nature has given, he can do more. He can produce a thought, an idea, a word, and a deed which, by the way, may be good or evil.
It is a consuming thought to come to realize that the master of the orchard is conscious of every plant. He expects no more that the plant, or that which it symbolizes, is capable to produce. Of a fig tree, he would expect a fig. But of one created to produce more and better things, he would expect that also. The master of the orchard knows the opportunity of each of us and expects that of which we are capable.
II. The Parable Addresses Obstructions to Opportunity. The fig tree reminds us that uselessness invites disaster. V7 “Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none.” Some would like to apply the parable to Jesus’ hearers, thus the Jewish nation. It is true that Isaiah foresaw such an eventuality. He describes the beloved’s vineyard “on a fruitful hill” and marks its destruction. Isaiah 5:1-7 “I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard. My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. That more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it. The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness but heard cries of distress.”
We dare see not see it, however, as relating to other than ourselves. Judging a tree we examine its leaves—right size and of good texture; its roots deep and strong; its fiber soft, pliable, moist; but if it bears no fruit, cut it down.
III. The Parable Asserts Offensiveness. The fig tree will understand that nothing which only takes and does not give can survive. V7 “Cut it down, why doth it cumber the ground?” The literal meaning is why does this plant allow the ground to be reduced to inactivity? Not only is the tree useless, the soil beneath it is rendered useless. An interesting parallel exists with other parables: Prodigal—“Lost,” loss of wellbeing; Strait Gate—“Destruction,” loss of wellbeing; Fig tree—“cumber,” loss of wellbeing; Fig tree—“cut it down,” loss of wellbeing.
The message is a twofold one, for empires and for individuals. We must never passively keep someone else from achieving their spiritual best, and we must anchor our lives to a bold, assertive spiritual activity.
IV. The Parable Speaks of Obligation. By the grace of the keeper of the orchard, a second chance is extended. V8f “Let it alone for one year more. I shall dig about it, and if it bear fruit, well.”
We are not directed to do something about our past, for we cannot; Thomas Hardy wrote in The Ghost of the Past, “We two kept house, the past and I.” We are not to be dazzled by the future, for we cannot grasp what it may hold; Longfellow wrote in A Psalm of Life, “Trust no future howe’er pleasant! Let the dead past bury its dead! Act, act in the living Present! Heart within, and God o’erhead.”
Be sure only of this, that God in Christ gives to each of us, to all, a second chance. Christ, on the cross, prayed “Father, forgive.” The foundling church offered to Israel a second chance to believe. Acts 13:46, First to Israel, “But seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” The nation, the denomination, the individual church, the believer, likewise understand that our very being (wellbeing) is “second chance.” The mind of the Father and the Son is the same that repentance spurned. The soil must be cleared for one who will repent.
V. Finally, the Parable Acknowledges Oblivion. The fig tree testifies that there is coming a last chance. V9 “If it does not bear fruit after this year, then, cut it down.” The judgment made by the gardener is based on its fruitlessness. It is not the fault of the gardener. It is not the fault of the soil. The fault rests only upon the agency judged. Understand this, please, of the judgment of God: It will always be upon spiritual potential denied. He will not judge any person for something they were incapable of doing. What one is capable of, and what one “wills” to do with that capability is, sadly, too often, two different things.
We, who have been favored to live in a part of the world graced by the finer things of life must accept a responsibility to do with these things to the glory of God. Who then must face a more severe judgment? The Russian who grew up being taught that God was a capitalist plot? The remote tribesman whose only notion of God is the predictability or unpredictability of nature? The third world refugee who knows nothing so completely as he knows hunger? Or the polished citizen of a western culture who has the best of all things, but who ignores the clear warnings of sin, and judgment, and last chances?
Make no mistake, we are accountable. The divine gardener pleads “spare.” It is he who finally declares “cut it down!” Recall please the message of John the Baptist, the forerunner. He admonished Israel to repent, and then warned, “and even now is the axe laid unto the root of the trees: Every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.”
Conclusion
We are called therefore to believe. That belief requires repentance, for we have sinned, and in spite of our sin the second chance has been given. Finally, acknowledging that second chance means that we choose to live in such a way that others understanding our commitment to life in our Lord Jesus Christ will begin to reckon their own lives in relation to Him.