Thought of the Month (July 2010)

Jesus is all I need... but is Jesus all I want?

Ponder the statement above... do you consider that your life could be better if you had something more?  A little more financial stability?  A better social life?  Better health?  Improved work circumstances?  A more holy spouse?  I would venture to say that I would be completely content and satisfied if Jesus was all I want.  He is that great.  However, my lack of contentment reflects my inward attitude and perspective.  Jesus is all I need, but He is not all I want.

5/9 CM Sermon Notes

Joy in Persecution
Matthew 5:11-12

            A couple of weeks ago, we discussed the concept of persecution for righteousness' sake.  We defined persecution as hostility stemming from hate.  The text highlighted the fact that receiving persecution is only Christian, biblical,  and blessed (leading to happiness) when it is for righteousness.  We are called to be righteous, to conduct ourselves properly before God and to do often can incur the wrath of others.  It's not enough just to be a good, nice person... we need to live in obedience.  We learned that if you live like Jesus did, you will be hated like Jesus is... and thus treated like Jesus was.  Today, we will expand on the topic of persecution and discover its different forms, identify the cause for persecution, and discover the cause for celebration when we encounter this kind of persecution.

Three Forms of Persecution

1. Verbal Insults - "Blessed are you when people insult you..."

            The Christian is blessed when insulted.  The word, insult, carries the idea of having hurtful words thrown at you.  To be insulted is to be blamed and mocked by others.  It's to literally be attacked by words spoken at you about you.  Jesus was the target of insult while He hung on the cross.  Mark 15:29-32 records the account –

"Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him (Jesus), wagging their heads, and saying, ‘Ha!  You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!’  In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, ‘He saved others; He cannot save Himself.  Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!’  Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting."  Jesus endured persecution

            The point is this… if you are really following Christ, you will be treated like Christ.  Matthew 10:24 – “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.”  To be persecuted is to be verbally insulted.

2. Physical Attacks - “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you”

            If you notice, all the other beatitudes prior to verse 10 had to do with the Christian’s internal qualities and attitudes.  As we expand on persecution, we are discussing strictly external things that happen to the believer.  Here the word used for persecute is diōkō (διώκω).   Back in those days, diōkō (translated persecution) carried the idea of being chased, pursued, and physically attacked with the intent to hurt… and often to kill.  It’s used in Luke 21:12

“But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake.” 

Jesus’ followers were literally, physically thrown in jail when they were persecuted.  Diōkō διώκω) referred to physical attack.  If you read further in that passage, we find out who was actually persecuting them.  Luke 21:16 “But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.”  It was the people closest to them… parents, brothers, relatives, and friends… who were putting them to death.  Persecution often began with physical attacks which led to death.  The same word (διώκω) is used in Acts 7:52 – “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?  They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One.”  Prophets experiencing persecution were killed.  God even asked Paul (pre-conversion) in Acts 9:4 – “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”  Prior to this in v1 of that same chapter, we learned that Saul was threatening and murdering disciples of the Lord.  Saul was chasing Christians down to throw them in prison.  Persecution can involve physical attacks.

3. False Accusations – “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you”

            Persecution can also come in the form of false accusations.  False accusations are lies that damage your reputation and these are different from verbal insults.  While verbal insults are hurtful things spoken directly to you… false accusations are lies spread behind your back.  These are more devious and harder to defend against because you often don’t even know about them.  False sayings can be spread and believed before one has a chance to do anything about the lies… and one’s reputation is damaged in the process.  When you become a Christian and live like a Christian… you can expect “all kinds of evil” being spoken against you.  The phrase all kinds of evil means every type/form of wicked, bad, painful, troublesome speech.  The false accusations spoken about a Christian are many (all kinds) and hurt your reputation (they’re evil).

Why will I be persecuted?
“… because of Me.”

            Why is persecution inevitable for the Christian?  What causes a Christian to be persecuted?  It’s because of Christ.  A Christian will be persecuted because he/she follows Christ.  Furthermore, there’s an identifying mark that sets apart the persecution talked about in this verse from any other kind… one is only truly blessed if you’re persecuted because of you follow Jesus.  This is what sets blessed persecution apart from pointless persecution… you know the comic hero spiderman?  What sets him apart from anyone else who puts on a spiderman costume?  What’s his identifying mark?  He can shoot out spiderwebs that are super strong… and he’s got superhuman strength.  Without those abilities, he’d be just like you and I right?  That’s how you know if you’ve got the right spiderman, if he can do those things.  In the same way, there’s an identifying mark that sets apart the persecution talked here from any other kind… it has to be persecution for Jesus.  Just as you know you’ve got the right spiderman if he has superhuman strength and spiderweb… you know you’re experiencing the right kind of persecution if it’s for your faith in Christ.  What am I to do when I experience this kind of persecution?

Celebrate over this kind of persecution
 “Rejoice and be glad”

            We’re to rejoice over this kind of persecution.  We’re to be exceedingly happy and filled with joy.  The word “rejoice” is in the present tense… which implies a continuous action.  To rejoice is to continue to be happy, to be rejoicing.  It’s not a one-time occurrence.  Furthermore, let me clarify further that this is not an invitation to celebrate over all kinds of persecution.  Jesus wasn’t calling His disciples to rejoice when they were hated, insulted, physically attacked, and falsely accused… Jesus was calling them to be happy when people insult, physically attack, and falsely accuse on account of Christ’s name.  Persecution because you’re a Christian and bear Christ’s name… that kind (and only that kind) of persecution is reason to celebrate!  If you’re hated because you follow Jesus, you have proof that you’ve been saved.  It’s a great thing to be persecuted because of Christ.  It says in 1 Peter 3:17 – “For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.”  Have you ever considered this?  It’s better to suffer as a Christian than to be happy as an unbeliever.  Persecution as a Christian is far better than temporary peace as an unbeliever.  Why?

Because there is a great reward
“for your reward in heaven is great”

            There is a great reward in store for those who suffer persecution.  Those who endure have a reward that is much better than anything this world has to offer.  That’s because all of earth’s riches can’t begin to compare to even a speck of heaven’s glory.  Heaven’s rewards are abundantly great (they exceed our imagination) and forever eternal (they never expire).  There is no comparison between heaven’s rewards and this world’s rewards.  Isaiah 40 depicts our present life as grass that withers and flowers that fade.  Our treasures in this world will not last.  And there’s the difference.  You are either persecuted now and receive lasting reward in heaven later… or you can enjoy the temporary, worldly stuff now and suffer the wrath of God later.  Persecution for the sake of Christ leads to great reward in heaven.  Here’s why you can rejoice, those who are persecuted for Jesus now get an eternal reward later.  Truly it is a blessing to suffer persecution on account of Jesus’ name because of the great reward that is in store.  There’s more to it though.

Because you’re among great company
“for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

            When you suffer persecution for Jesus, know that you’re in the midst of great company.  The prophets were imprisoned, beaten, stoned to death, and killed by the sword.  They were persecuted for their faith.  They were persecuted to death, but now they are with the Lord.  To be persecuted for your faith in Christ means that you’re living like one of the prophets… it means you’re obeying God and that is reason for celebration because you walk in the footsteps of the prophets who came before you and you will follow them to the same destination.  Have you ever been on a road trip to southern California?  You leave the bay area and take a rest stop at a gas station along the way.  It’s not very pleasant when you stop at the gas station because you’re probably exhausted and stiff, but is that where you’re ultimately trying to go?  Or is the gas stations imply along the way?  The gas station is a necessary part of the trip, but it’s not the destination… you’re trying to get to sunny southern California.  If you suffer persecution just as the prophets did before you, you’re taking the same trip that they did… and along the way, there’s persecution.  However, don’t forget that persecution is not the final destination, but it does show that you’re traveling the same path in life that the prophets did.  And if you’re going the same way they did (which is through persecution for their faith)… where will you end up?  At the same place they did… with the Lord, so rejoice and be glad.

4/18 CM sermon notes

Peace if Possible, Truth at All Costs (Part 2)
Matthew 5:10

Last week, we talked about the importance of being a Christian peacemaker.  Peacemakers first know peace (they have peace with God through the gospel), they share peace (they share the gospel so that others might have peace with God), and they maintain peace (they help people to have peace with each other).  However, there’s a big problem if you have peace with everyone around you.  That’s because as a Christian, sometimes peace is not possible.

Blessed are those who are hated

The Christian is a peacemaker who is persecuted.  Persecution can be clearly defined as hostility from hate.  It’s the desire to hurt someone because you hate them.  It’s being opposed to someone because you hate them.  Yet the Bible says those who experience hostility from hate, those who are persecuted are blessed.  Now there are some who can take a passage like this and go the wrong way.  They may go off and say we need to get people to hate us so that they would persecute us.  The Bible says “blessed are those who are persecuted” so let’s go out there and bother some people, get in their faces and tell them they’re going to hell… and when they try to get away, follow them around telling them how bad they are

Does that sound right to you?  There’s a problem with that… do you see the problem?  The problem is that Jesus is not saying that at all, that’s not what the verse means.  There’s an important lesson… when you read the Bible, read it in its context and its entirety.  If all you read is, blessed are those who are persecuted… you’ve ignored some of the words and lost all of the meaning.  You may have gotten the first 7 words correct, but in ignoring the last 5… God’s Word is completely changed.  Revelations 22:18 comes to mind, if anyone adds to the words in the Bible, God will add to them plagues and if anyone takes away words, God will take away their eternal life.

Persecuted for what?

So what are the other five words?  What are the other five words that make all the difference in how you understand the Christian?  "For the sake of righteousness."  Here’s the point, when people persecute you, when they are hostile towards you because of hate… it has to be hate because of righteousness.  Righteousness is simply proper conduct before God.  In other words, it’s good to experience hostility, it’s good to be hated, it’s good that people want to hurt you… if it’s because you are living properly before God.  Genuine righteousness comes by faith in Jesus (Philippians 3:9).  It is not just an abstract righteousness, but one that is tangibly evident in one’s life.  When God saves someone and gives them faith, they will become righteous.

Being Righteous vs. Being Good

Let me make a distinction here.  Being righteous is different from being good.  Here’s the thing, everyone likes a good person.  A good person is the kind of person who is nice and noble.  A good person is selfless and splendid, dignified and decent.  It’s the person who gives to charity, who helps the homeless, protects the weak… that’s what a good person is like.  Though everyone applauds a good person, few people approve of a righteous person.  A righteous person also helps those in need, but proper living before God involves much more than that.  To be righteous is to live by faith in Jesus.  It’s to live as Jesus lived.  It’s to live in God’s presence because it’s proper conduct before God.  It’s not just simply do things that seem good to others, it’s honoring God before others by doing what pleases the Lord.

For example, I think that God designed marriage for a husband and wife.  We see it in how we’re designed physically.  It’s also clear in God’s Word.  Gen 2:24 – “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.”  Never does the Bible talk about men joining with men and women joining with women, except in referencing it as sinful.  That can be found in Rom 1, it’s natural for opposite genders to marry each other… and to do otherwise is to reject God’s design.  However, the fact that I hold to this point of view and live this point of view out makes many people angry.

Another example, I believe that God created the world in 6 days.  Read Genesis 1 and you can’t come to any other conclusion; it’s what the Bible says.  The world is heavily opposed to Christians who believe that God created the world because most believe in evolution.  A righteous person does not compromise and continues to believe in God’s revealed truth about creation… and rejects evolution… but persecution follows.  If I were a teacher in a public school, I would get fired for teaching that God created the world; there’s hostility there, there’s persecution for the one who lives righteously.  That’s why it says in Romans 5:7 – “For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.”  The righteous are not well received in today’s world.

Live like Jesus, Treated like Jesus

When you are blessed with salvation and become a disciple of Jesus Christ, you will experience persecution for righteousness’ sake… people are going to hate you because they hate Jesus.  Faith in Jesus leads to a life like Jesus.  If you live like Jesus did, you will be treated like Jesus was.  How was Jesus treated?  

Matthew 26:67 – “they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him… [they mocked Him] and said, ‘Prophecy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?’”

Matthew 27:29 – “after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand… they spat on Him… took the reed and began to beat Him on the head.”

They persecuted Jesus, they hated Him, they drove the nails into His hands, nailed Him to a piece of wood and pierced His side with a spear (John 19:34).  If you follow Jesus, you can expect persecution because He was persecuted.

What is most valuable to you?

To be a Christian in today’s world is to be hated by the world.  You have to determine something right now.  Please ask yourself this question.  What is most valuable to you?  Is it your own well-being, your own life?  Or is Jesus more valuable than your life?  Christians in China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba, Libya, Algeria, Malaysia, Pakistan, and other countries have to make that decision before they call themselves Christians… because if they claim faith in Jesus Christ, it is an open invitation to be persecuted.  For them, it’s truth at all costs.  They gladly give their lives that the truth of Jesus Christ would be made known to the world.  And many have died.  They gladly proclaim their faith in the Son of God, and they gladly die that His name would be heard.

Have you made that decision yet?  The decision about what is most valuable?  Is it your life or is it Jesus?  If you haven’t made that decision yet, you will be forced to make that decision eventually.  There’s no being in the middle; you’re either serving the Lord, or you’re opposed to the Lord (Matthew 12:30, Luke 11:23).  There’s two paths… temporary peace now with eternal suffering to follow… or temporary suffering with eternal peace in the kingdom of heaven.  If all is peaceful now, you're either not saved or not faithful.

Final Proof

And if you have found yourself persecuted for righteousness’ sake, if you have found that you live for truth at all costs… if people hate you not because you’re a mean person, or you’re rude, or because you talk too much… but if you are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, if people hate you because you follow Jesus… in a sense, you have the final proof that you are a Christian and will be welcomed into His kingdom.  This is the final beatitude, and it is the final proof that you are the Lord’s and He is yours.  And know that your suffering is temporary, that yours is the kingdom of heaven.  That your suffering is not in vain and that you will reap the reward of an eternity in the presence of Christ, the One who was punished on your behalf and in your place.  Oh, how sweet it will be for the one who endures persecution till the end!

Sin is Never Okay

I recently read an article on a man, Scott Roeder, who had shot an abortion doctor, George Tiller, dead because Tiller was murdering babies. You can read that article here. First off, I do completely agree that abortion is murder and you can read more about it on my wife's blog post. There is no justification for such a crime. However, you do NOT address murder by murdering. That is ridiculous logic and there is NEVER justification for sin. We are told in Scripture that the Lord is the avenger in all things (1 Thessalonians 4:6). We don't take matters into our own hands and trust in ourselves... we trust in the Lord. "Let your behavior be excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation." (1 Peter 2:12) Think about that next time before you go on a religious crusade and mar the name of Christ (if you call yourself a Christian) by your lack of reverence for God and His sovereignty. Furthermore, be afraid for Romans 2:1-11 makes it clear that we who judge others are simply storing up wrath for ourselves. Let's not be so concerned with the sin of others that we overlook our own personal sins (Matthew 7:3-5) which ought to be more far more familiar, far more numerous, and far more ugly. We must point out sin and declare the truths of God's will... but we must do so with excellent behavior, with humility, and most certainly without sin. "How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" (Romans 6:2)

You cannot claim to be a born-again Christian Mr. Roeder and be okay with what you did. You did it out of self-righteousness which is despicable before God (Isaiah 64:6)... genuine righteousness never results in sin. Let that be a reminder to all of us professing Christians, sin is never okay.

Faith in Christ leads to Life in Christ

Matthew 7:13-14 - Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

How do you know that you believe? That's an important question to ask for every professing believer because there often is no doubt about how we're saved... but rather if we're saved. How do you know that the faith you claim will see you to eternal life? How do you know that you really believe that Jesus is your Savior and Lord? In this passage, we are confronted with two gates leading to two paths.

The narrow gate leads to salvation... it's narrow because it says Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6) and that there is no other way to be saved (Acts 4:12). To enter the narrow gate is to have faith in Jesus alone. The wide gate leads to destruction... it's wide because it says any way will do. There are no rules, no restrictions, and it makes no claim on your life. To enter the wide gate is to have faith in whatever you want and certainly not in Jesus alone.

How do you know what kind of faith you have? How do you know that you really believe in Jesus alone? How do you know which gate you've entered? You have to look at which path you're on. The wide gate leads to a wide way while the narrow gate leads to a narrow way. To walk on a certain way (you can translate this as "path") is to live life a certain way. The narrow path is a life marked by obedience to God's Word, you live your life to abide by His revealed will. The broad path is a life marked by rebellion against God's Word, you live your life apart from His revealed will.

How do you know if YOU believe? Here's the test... you need to examine your life and see if it is marked by obedience to God's Word. The point is this... faith in Christ always leads to life in Christ.

Oh to see that day

Acts 7:55-56 - But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.

Matthew 5:8 - Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Our present, partial glimpse of God in all things does not even begin to compare with the future, full unveiling of God in all His splendor and majesty... oh to see that day when sin is done away! Look forward to that day Christian... when we will be with the Father, pure in heart... undivided in devotion... perfect in holiness... seeing Him face to face!

Shepherds' Conference =)

I'll be at the Shepherds' Conference for the next couple of days... see you in a couple of days!