Category: 2016 Challenge

So evidently the 2 guys that were being considered to replace Judas as an apostle had been a part of Jesus’ entourage from the very beginning of his public ministry (vs.21-22). Already they had been passed over once to be a part of Jesus’ team of 12. But, nevertheless, they continued to demonstrate faithfulness and love for Jesus and ministry despite what we might would consider major rejection. It would have only been natural to ask questions like, “Why did Jesus pick him and not me?”, or “What’s wrong with me that I didn’t make the team?”

Fast forward 3 three years and now an opening on the team has come available. Matthias and Barsabbas have been nominated and after prayer and the casting of lots (which is a interesting way to determine God’s will) Matthias is chosen and again Barsabbas is not.

At this point nothing else is said in Scripture about either of these guys. So nothing definitive can be said about how they reacted and responded. But here’s what I suspect. I suspect that Matthias accepted his new role as an apostle with grace and humility and trust in the sovereignty of God. And I suspect that Barsabbas accepted not being chosen with grace and humility and trust in the sovereignty of God. Why do I suspect this? For two reasons: 1) They had been hanging around Jesus for the last 3 years and seen Him model grace and humility and trust in the sovereignty of God. 2) Their track record suggests this as well. Even when they were not chosen the first time they still followed closely and proved themselves to be not just tag alongs who wanted glory and recognition but disciples who were willing to “lose their lives” for the sake of the gospel.

There are several lessons to be learned here when we face rejection and disappointment.

1) Rejoice with those who rejoice – Human nature makes it difficult to celebrate other people’s successes when we experience defeat. The gospel however makes it possible for us to do so because of the Spirit of God dwelling within us. Not necessarily easy, because we are always fighting against our sin nature… but possible as we abide in Christ.

2) Remain faithful – It is a test of our character to remain faithful in the midst of defeat and disappointment. It has often been said that you can learn much more about a person’s character from the way they handle disappointment than from the way they handle success. Barsabbas was evidently a man of great character.

3) Grace, humility, and trust in the sovereignty of God are the fruit of those who are followers of Jesus.

We do not know much about either of these guys – but no doubt the reason that they were even considered was because for several years the other disciples had recognized that they both had what it takes to do the job of apostle. My guess is that even though Barsabbas was not chosen to be an official apostle that he did the work of an apostle without the title or recognition. That says a lot about the man!

In John 17 we see Jesus praying within hours of his arrest and subsequent journey to the cross. He knows that His death is imminent. This got me thinking. If I had my family gathered around me and I knew that I would soon die – and I had one last opportunity to pray for them – what would I pray? There are 5 things in this passage that Jesus prays both for His disciples and all believers that I think are very instructive in this regard. But I would not limit these prayers to death bed supplications. I would pray them regularly for those who are near and dear to us.

He prayed for protection from the evil one (v.11, 15) – Note that he was not just praying that they would be safe while traveling or protected from disease and dis-ease. Jesus knew they were in for the fight of their life – that a spiritual battle was being waged around them. One of my favorite quotes by John Piper goes like this: “You will never know what prayer is for until you know that life is war.” Protection from the evil one is a great prayer to pray.

He prayed that they would be filled with ever-increasing joy (v. 13) – Jesus was not praying that they would be happy. He was praying something much better. He knew that they would face much difficulty in the days ahead. He prayed that in the midst of the harshness of life that they would be filled and fueled with the joy of the Lord. And that this joy would then sustain them through everything that they would face. Joy in the Lord is a great prayer to pray.

He prayed that they would be sanctified by the Word of God (v.17) – To be sanctified means to be made holy. We were justified when God saved us and now He is in the process of sanctifying us – getting us ready for the day that we will be glorified upon death as we are escorted into the presence of the Lord – the Holy One! The Word of God is not only God’s primary instrument of salvation; it is also His primary instrument of sanctification. Jesus was praying that God would use His Word to daily make His disciples more and more holy. Sanctified by the Word is a great prayer to pray.

He prayed that they would enjoy unity as group (v.23) – There is nothing that turns unbelievers away from the church more than when they see believers who can’t get along with one another. Why would anyone want to be a follower of Jesus when Jesus’ followers don’t even like each other? So Jesus prayed that his followers would “be one as we are one.” There was a glorious unity among the persons of the Trinity that exemplified the unity believers are to have with one another. Unity is a great prayer to pray.

He prayed that they would experience God’s incredible love (v.26) – It is one thing to know that God love’s you. it is yet another thing to enjoy and experience the width and length and height and depth of the love of God – this love that surpasses all knowledge (Ephesians 3:18-19). This is what Jesus’ wanted for His followers. So he prayed for them diligently in this regard because He knew that they needed this as they prepared for the mission that they were about to embark on. Experiencing God’s love is a great prayer to pray.

5 great ways to pray for those we love and care for. So let’s do more than just know what we should pray for – let’s actually pray!

I have always loved the story of Lazarus. There is so much drama and humor and theology and practical faith lessons in this passage that it begs to be pondered again and again. But I often let my sanctified imagination run wild when I read this chapter and start thinking about “the rest of the story.”

Fast forward 30 years after this event takes place. Church tradition (not Scripture) tells us that Lazarus lived at least this long. I picture Lazarus and Martha and Mary at a family reunion with a bunch of their grandkids hanging around when the oldest grand youngun pipes up and says, “Grandpa Lazzie, tell us one your stories about when you and your sisters were hanging out with Jesus.” Lazarus leans back in his chair as his eyes start to sparkle and a smile creeps up on his face and says, “OK kids, tonight I’ll tell you my favorite story – and if it had not happened to me I probably wouldn’t even believe it myself.”

I was just a young man, this was before I was married, mind you, and I had gotten real sick. I knew that Martha and Mary were real worried about me when I heard that they had sent word for our friend Jesus to get here as soon as he could. I felt bad. As bad as I had ever felt in my life. And then I felt nothing at all. You see kids, I died that day. Really, honest to goodness, actually died. They tell me that everybody was crying and really sad that I had died so they started making preparations right away for my burial. They also tell me that Jesus did not get there before I died and that they were kind of mad at him about that. But I didn’t know any of that. I just heard about it after…. but wait, I’m getting ahead of myself.

So they got my dead body ready for burial before it started to decay. They put lots of ointments and spices on me and then wrapped me up tight like a mummy with what is known as burial cloths. Then they put me in our family tomb and rolled a big stone over the entrance. Evidently I lay there all wrapped up like that for about 4 days while the family continued to grieve.

And then Jesus showed up.

Now my last memory before I died was of how terrible I felt – of just wanting the pain to go away, and of hearing my sisters crying over me and telling me how much they loved me. My first memory after Jesus showed up was of how good I felt except for the fact that I couldn’t see or move my arms or my legs or turn my head or anything. And the first sound that I remember was this far away voice that sounded like a voice I recognized calling my name and saying, “Lazarus, come out.”

I lay there for a few minutes just getting my bearings and trying to figure out what was going on. Somehow I managed to wiggle and slide off the table that I was laying on. I managed to get up on my feet and I heard the voice again say, “Lazarus, come out.” So even though I couldn’t see a thing, I started following the sound of the voice. The best that I could do was hop and scoot a few inches at a time because I was so wrapped up. And it started to get brighter and brighter as I approached the entrance of the tomb and as the sunlight worked its way through the bandages wrapped around my face. I remember hearing a lot of clamor all around me. People were crying – but it was more of a happy cry then a sad cry and people were saying things like, “Who is this guy?” And instinctively I knew they were not talking about me.

Then I felt these arms wrapped around me and the bandages got looser and looser and before I knew it I was able to see again and move my arms again and walk around again. And standing right in front of me was my friend Jesus. And He had this big smile on His face, a smile that hinted of mystery, as if He knew something that nobody else knew.

So here I am 30 years later. Still just as alive as I was before I died. Able to enjoy being around you kids and watch you grow up. But I learned a lesson that day all those years ago that I don’t want you to ever forget. In fact it was something that Jesus had said to Martha before I was brought back to life…

He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die” And then he asked her the same question that I will ask each of you, “Do you believe this?”

Now, if any of you have a story that can top that one, then I want to hear it.

When I was in college I heard someone say something that changed the trajectory of my life: “There are only 2 things in this world that are eternal – people and God’s Word – therefore, we should invest our lives in these 2 things.” It was this statement that propelled me to switch from pursuing biomedical engineering, which was my major, to pursuing full time ministry.

Jesus said something similar in John 6:27, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life…” But note the context in which He says this. Jesus has very recently fed 5000+ people on the side of a mountain near the Sea of Galilee. He has very recently healed a bunch of sick people in a public way. The crowds are clamoring to be around Jesus not just to see what He will do next but they are asking themselves, “I wonder what Jesus can do for me?”

In 6:25-71, Jesus makes it clear that this is the wrong motivation for following Him. He begins to say some things that sound that the talk of a crazy man… “Eat my flesh, drink my blood.” He is very intentional in what He is doing. It is not His goal to get a huge crowd of people to follow Him. If He wanted to do this He would say things that made people feel good about themselves and try to gather as big a crowd as possible. Instead He deliberately tries to get those people who are following for the wrong reasons to stop following after Him.

Those who are true disciples of Jesus follow Him not because of what He can do for them but because of who He is! Note the conversation that Jesus and Peter have at the end of chapter 6…

⁶⁶ From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.

⁶⁷ “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹ We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Peter and his buddies were following Jesus because of who He was. This was not always the case for them, but they had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah of God and not just someone who could do things for them and make them feel good about themselves. They were learning what it means to count the cost of following Jesus – because life was getting ready to get harder for them, not easier.

A few weeks ago when I preached I made the statement that, “If following Jesus does not cost you something you may not be a disciple.” I’m still learning what it means to count the cost. And I hope that you are too.

Here are my modern day versions of the stories of Nicodemus (Nick) in John 3 and the Samaritan woman (Sam) in John 4. Perhaps you will recognize people that you know in these descriptions. Then go back and read John 3 and 4 again to see how Jesus engaged these very different people with the gospel.

Nick had grown up in the church. He was one of those guys whose parents had him there whenever the doors were open. He loved going to church. He loved the people he saw at church. He loved the traditions of the church. They helped him to feel grounded. But even though Nick considered himself to be very religious, there was still a hunger in his heart that had never been satisfied. He would later in his life describe it as an emptiness – an emptiness that could not be filled by going to church, or by being a good person, or even by being recognized as a leader in the congregation. The bottom line was that Nick knew a lot about Christ but had never really met Christ. He was a very spiritual man but he was spiritually dead. When he finally recognized that being religious wasn’t the same as being a Christian he became a fierce seeker after truth.

His quest ended (or began, depending on how you look at it) one night when his desperation became so great, when the hunger pains in his soul grew so intense, that he risked his entire reputation – both professional and church – by initiating a relationship with Jesus.

And it turned his life upside down.

Life had always been tough for Sam. Sam was a nickname her dad had given when she was a little girl – largely because he was disappointed that she wasn’t a little boy. Consequently, he never got close to her. And while Sam craved the attention  of her dad, it was always withheld from her. As early as a young teenager she began filling this void in her life in ways that she knew was wrong. She was a very pretty girl and found that there were always young men who were willing to show her not only attention but also physical affection. She made a lot of bad choices concerning men as a young woman and developed the kind of reputation that no girl wants to have. Among the men she was known as “Wam bam thank you Sam”, Among the women she was just known as a “ho.” Though she gave her body away hoping to find the love she so desperately wanted, she never felt loved. She just felt used. By the time she was 25 she felt tired and worn out and worthless.

And then one day , on a day that started out like every other day, she met a man. A man who was not interested in her body but was interested in her soul. His name was Jesus.

And it turned her life upside down.

The Sermon on the Mount is one of the great sections of the New Testament. It records what Jesus has to say about a lot of different things. Some things that Jesus said I really like. Others things , not so much. For instance…

Things I’m Glad Jesus Said

• 5:4 – Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.
• 5:6 – Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.
• 5:13/14 – You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world.
• 6:6 – When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
• 7:7 – Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find.

Things I Wish Jesus Had Not Said

• 5:11 – Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you.
• 5:29 – If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away.
• 5:39 – If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
• 5:44 – Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
• 6:15 – If you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive you.
• 6:19 – Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth.
• 7:14 – But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

You will note that I like the things Jesus said that have to do with me being blessed and getting rewarded. And I don’t like things He said that put limits on my selfishness. Like most people, I like to think that it is all about me, what God can do for me, what others can do for me. But that’s not the point of the sermon. And that’s not the point of Jesus.

Because in fact, it is all about Him! And the sooner I understand this and take to heart the message of this message the better off I will be. Which is really what I want anyway.

Evangelism is not something I am good at. Quite an admission for someone who has been a pastor for over 30 years. But I readily admit that it is not my spiritual strongpoint. But I find it interesting as I read the Newer Testament all the different ways  that Jesus goes about doing evangelism. Here in John 1 we see a very effective method that we can easily emulate if we want to do a better job of introducing people to Jesus. I call it the “Come and See” approach.

Jesus uses this approach in 1:39 when a few guys were tagging along with Jesus and asked Him a simple question. “Rabbi, where are you staying?” He tells them to “come and see.”

Philip picked up on this approach when he was chatting with his very skeptic friend Nathanael:

Philip: We have found the one that Moses wrote about in the Law… Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

Nathanael: Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?

Philip: Come and see!

The idea is simple and brilliant. Just use the power of an invitation to give people an opportunity to encounter Jesus.

In one of his podcasts,  called Keystone Habits, Andy Stanley discusses some cues that believers can listen for to trigger a very simple invitation:

If someone you are talking to says something like: “Things are not going very well…” You say, “Why don’t you come to church with me.”

If someone you are talking to says something like: “I’m just not prepared for…” You say, “Why don’t you come to church with me.”

If someone you are talking to says something like: “I’m not from around here…” You say, “Why don’t you come to church with me.”

A simple invitation. I don’t have to know a bunch of Bible verses or steps to tell people to get into heaven. Just invite.

I can do that. It’s what Philip did  and it changed Nathanael’s life.

Just to give you some background, here is what Chuck Swindoll says about Malachi…

The people of Judah began to be exiled from the Promised Land in 605 BC, returning from Babylon seventy years later. By the time of Malachi, they had been back in the land for more than a hundred years and were looking for the blessings they expected to receive when they returned. Though the temple had been rebuilt, the fervor of those early returning Israelites gave way to a thorough apathy for the things of God. This led to rampant corruption among the priesthood and a spiritual lethargy among the people.

Malachi came along at a time when the people were struggling to believe that God loved them (Malachi 1:2). The people focused on their unfortunate circumstances and refused to account for their own sinful deeds. So God pointed the finger back at them, and through Malachi, God told the people where they had fallen short of their covenant with Him. If they hoped to see changes, they needed to take responsibility for their own actions and serve God faithfully according to the promise their fathers had made to God on Mount Sinai all those years before.

The verse that most caught my attention this week was Malachi 3:16, “Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His name.” 

As I use my sanctified imagination I have pondered what it was that those who feared the Lord talked about together. I have no doubt that they were appalled by the way others around them were talking about God (3:13-15). I have no doubt that they were appalled by the way that their fellow Jews were “robbing God” (3:8-12). I Have no doubt that they were appalled at the behavior of the priests of God (2:1-9). They were not gossiping together but expressing righteous indignation concerning the way that the Lord was being blasphemed – not by those who were not Jews but by those who were Jews, the people of God’s own choosing.

Whatever they talked about was pleasing to God because He “listened and heard.”

May our conversations be such that they capture the attention of God and cause Him to perk up His ears so to speak. May we be appalled by the lackluster way that even those who call themselves Christian behave in the name of God. And may God create within us a righteous fervor that demonstrates tangibly that we are among those who “fear the Lord.”

The last part of Nehemiah 8:10 says this, “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” This has been one of my favorite verses in Scripture for a long time. Perhaps you have even noticed that it is on the banner picture of this blog. As I read it again this week in its context of Nehemiah 8 I began pondering this question: Where does this joy come from that gives us the kind of strength we need to deal with all that life throws at us?

2 passages that help with the answer. The first is Nehemiah 8:7-10…

7 The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there.

8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

12Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.

 

There is a verse here in Ezra that carries great weight:

“Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel…”  (Ezra 9:4)

I am reminded also of what the Lord says in Isaiah 66:2, “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”

As I ponder this little phrase several questions come to mind:

• Where are the “everyones” in our world who “tremble at God’s Word”?
• Why do we NOT tremble at the Word of God?
• What would the church look like if the saints of God trembled at God’s Word?

I’ll just leave those questions hanging out there this week for you and I to think about. I do know this – Ezra was a man who trembled at God’s Word and it made all the difference in his life. I’m not sure that I know many people that I can say this about. Including myself. Much to ponder.