Saturday, January 30, 2010

 

1 John 2 and Deut 13 Get it right! Antichrists are coming

 

1 John 2 18 Children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard, “Antichrist is coming,” even now many antichrists have come. We know from this that it is the last hour.
19 They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.
21 I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth.
22 Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Messiah? He is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.
23 No one who denies the Son can have the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well.

24 What you have heard from the beginning must remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father.
25 And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life.
26 I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
27 The anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie; just as it has taught you, remain in Him.

Why does false religion matter to God? Live and let live. Its ok to believe whatever you want. All religions are the same.

The publishing world sees very few books reach blockbuster status, but William Paul Young's The Shack has now exceeded even that. The book, originally self-published by Young and two friends, has now sold more than 10 million copies and has been translated into over thirty languages. It is now one of the best-selling paperback books of all time, and its readers are enthusiastic.

According to Young, the book was originally written for his own children. In essence, it is an attempt to answer the question of evil and the character of God by means of a story. In this story, the main character is grieving the brutal kidnapping and murder of his seven-year-old daughter when he receives what turns out to be a summons from God to meet him in the very shack where the man's daughter had been murdered.

In the shack, "Mack" meets the divine Trinity as "Papa," an African-American woman; Jesus, a Jewish carpenter; and "Sarayu," an Asian woman who is revealed to be the Holy Spirit. The book is mainly a series of dialogues between Mack, Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu. Those conversations reveal God to be very different than the God of the Bible. "Papa" is absolutely non-judgmental, and seems most determined to affirm that all humanity is already redeemed.

The theology of The Shack. The dialogues reveal a theology that is unconventional at best, and undoubtedly heretical in certain respects. The unconventional "trinity" of divine persons is itself sub-biblical and dangerous. "Papa" tells Mack of the time when the three persons of the Trinity "spoke ourself into human existence as the Son of God." Nowhere in the Bible is the Father or the Spirit described as taking on human existence. The Christology of the book is likewise confused. "Papa" tells Mack that, though Jesus is fully God, "he has never drawn upon his nature as God to do anything. He has only lived out of his relationship with me, living in the very same manner that I desire to be in relationship with every human being."

The Christian church has struggled for centuries to come to a faithful understanding of the Trinity in order to avoid just this kind of confusion -- understanding that the Christian faith is itself at stake. Jesus tells Mack that he is "the best way any human can relate to Papa or Sarayu." Not the only way, but merely the best way.

In another chapter, "Papa" corrects Mack's theology by asserting, "I don't need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It's not my purpose to punish it; it's my joy to cure it." Without doubt, God's joy is in the atonement accomplished by the Son. Nevertheless, the Bible consistently reveals God to be the holy and righteous Judge, who will indeed punish sinners. The idea that sin is merely "its own punishment" fits the Eastern concept of karma, but not the Christian Gospel.

Jesus tells Mack: "Papa is as much submitted to me as I am to him, or Sarayu to me, or Papa to her. Submission is not about authority and it is not obedience; it is all about relationships of love and respect. In fact, we are submitted to you in the same way." The essence of idolatry is self-worship, and this notion of the Trinity submitted (in any sense) to humanity is inescapably idolatrous.

The most controversial aspects of The Shack's message have revolved around questions of universalism, universal redemption, and ultimate reconciliation. Jesus tells Mack: "Those who love me come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans and many who don't vote or are not part of any Sunday morning or religious institutions." Jesus adds, "I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my brothers and sisters, my Beloved." Mack then asks the obvious question -- do all roads lead to Christ? Jesus responds, "Most roads don't lead anywhere. What it does mean is that I will travel any road to find you."

"Papa" chides Mack that he is now reconciled to the whole world. Mack retorts, "The whole world? You mean those who believe in you, right?" "Papa" responds, "The whole world, Mack."

James B. DeYoung of Western Theological Seminary, a New Testament scholar who has known William Young for years, documents Young's embrace of a form of "Christian universalism." The Shack, he concludes, "rests on the foundation of universal reconciliation."

How is it that so many evangelical Christians seem to be drawn not only to this story, but to the theology presented in the narrative -- a theology at so many points in conflict with evangelical convictions?

Writing at Books & Culture, Katherine Jeffrey concludes that The Shack "offers a postmodern, post-biblical theodicy." While her main concern is the book's place "in a Christian literary landscape," she cannot avoid dealing with its theological message. When it comes to The Shack, the really troubling fact is that so many readers are drawn to the theological message of the book, and fail to see how it conflicts with the Bible at so many crucial points. All this reveals a disastrous failure of evangelical discernment. It is hard not to conclude that theological discernment is now a lost art among evangelicals -- and this loss can only lead to theological catastrophe. The popularity of this book among evangelicals can only be explained by a lack of basic theological knowledge among us -- a failure even to understand the Gospel of Christ. The tragedy that evangelicals have lost the art of biblical discernment must be traced to a disastrous loss of biblical knowledge.

The whole period from Christ’s resurrection to now, running now well over 1900 years, is called here "the last days." Even in this letter the apostle has said the age to come has already dawned, the darkness is passing away. Twice he has reminded us that the world is passing away, the darkness of it is disappearing, the last days have already come, and we are moving toward the end of them. And as we move towards the end of the last days we can expect the Antichrist to arise. The antichrist: He will be a Gentile (v.1a). God allowed John the Apostle to see far into the future and told him to write down what he saw. Don’t let the strange metaphorical language intimidate you. John says he saw "a beast rising up out of the sea." In prophetic literature, the "sea" almost always refers to the Gentile nations or non-Jewish people. Rev.17:15 says, "The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues."

The antichrist He will be a World Dictator (v.1b). The world is ready for a man with all the answers. As we watch Obama present himself as the man who has the answers to our problems we should be concerned. In the time after the rapture and the chaos that ensues, the timing will be perfect for the rising of a "New Caesar" who will come with the answers for the world’s problems. In Dan.7 and Rev.17, we see a strange "beast" who had "seven heads and ten horns." We are seeing Europe unite now as never before. Not long ago we saw the rise of the Eurodollar, currency that can be used in many European nations.

But before he arises there will be a rise in Antichrists… those who would lead people astray from a true faith in Christ. And John wants us to get it right about the the true Christ, get it right about the gospel get it right about avoiding false teachings and get it right about abiding in Christ so we don’t lose our rewards at the end. 2 Timothy 3 says But know this: difficult times will come in the last days. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, 4 traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to the form of religion but denying its power. Avoid these people! Christ himself had predicted that the days before his return would be marked by false christs, false prophets, and false teachers who would teach heresies in the name of Jesus Christ. Matthew 24, Luke 17.

What will these false teachers teach? Well firstly they are called anti Christs: The term anti can have two meanings. It can mean “in opposition to” or “instead of.” So an antichrist is either one who stands in opposition to Christ or one who stands in the place of Christ. They really all boil down to the same thing in the end. But those who stand in the place of Christ, claiming to be Christ, are in this sense antichrists.

22: “Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.” (NAS) 23 No one who denies the Son can have the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well. 24 What you have heard from the beginning must remain in you.

It is all about Jesus. Its all about Who He is and what He came to do. Its all about your current relationship with Jesus. Is the One you are currently worshipping, currently knowing the real Jesus.. or a false one? In John’s time the anti Christs were happy to say that Jesus was God, or spiritual, but they weren’t happy to say He came in the flesh. They denied His incarnation. That He was the God manifest in the flesh.

1 John 4:1-3 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. In the same way today many will deny aspects of Jesus’ person and work.

Do they deny that Jesus is the Son, the second person of the trinity? If they deny this, like the Jehovah’s witnesses, then they are anti Christs. Do they deny that He lived a sinless perfect life and came to die on a cross to atone for our sins? Do they deny that Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice of atonement to take away our sins? Then they are antichrists. There are Baptist pastors that deny these very things, including a former principal of a Baptist Union of great Britain theological college. We must be ob guard for the gospel.

If you don’t get it right you’ll offend God

There is only one true God.

He has declared how He must be worshiped.

He has declard that yo can only have a right relationship with Him through his Son the Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 2: 1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. 7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Kings are exhorted to accept it10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

If you don’t get it right you’ll lose eternal life. He alone gives eternal life.

There are many people doing the bidding of Satan in local churches all around the world. They are the agents of hell. They cause disruption, breed contention and destroy fellowship. Some are very aware of what they are doing. Some are witless pawns who have no idea of the damage they inflict. Wolves almost always attack the lambs. The "antichrists" who come into the church attach themselves to the spiritual babies. They promote the doctrine of wolves, what 1 Tim.4:1 calls "doctrines of demons." Babies don’t know doctrine.

Satan had agents in the first century church. He has his plants in our church. He even had a wolf in the original local church. His name was Judas, one of the original twelve disciples. No one knew Judas was a secret agent except Jesus. He blended perfectly with the other 11 disciples. They lived with him for three years and never got wise to him. When Jesus revealed that one of them would betray Him, the other 11 each asked, "Lord, is it I?" (Mt.26:22; cf. Mk.14:19).

If you don’t get it right you’ll offend against the Light you already have

If you don’t get it right you won’t remain in God We hold to Jesus by ABIDING in His Truth (vv.24-25). Abiding in truth is an individual, personal responsibility. No one else can do it for us. "You" is emphatic. In v.24 it is used 5 times. We remember that "abide" means "to live, to remain, to stay." Don’t let Satan or his "antichrists" steal your fellowship. You can come to church, sing the songs, pray the prayers, read the Scriptures and still not abide. Abiding means feeding on the Word for yourself. Abiding means a quiet time with God every day.

If you don’t get it right you’ll be deceived The Anti Christ will be a deceiver. So are the many antichrists that abound as we head towards the end of the age. He suggests that heretics adopt Christian terminology for their errors. That is, they begin within Christian circles and at first they sound truly Christian. You cannot tell what they are until they begin to break away. Their terminology is correct, but they substitute another meaning for the words. Take, for instance, the way the word "resurrection" is being widely used among so-called Christian leaders. They say, "We believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ; we believe in the resurrection of the believer." But what do they mean by that? They mean that the soul survives death some way, that the spirit of Jesus somehow survived the experience of death and his spirit is abroad today, though his body lies rotting in the grave. They do not believe what the New Testament states as the meaning of the resurrection -- the raising of the body of Jesus. It was his body which came from the grave.

You can get it right. 1 John 2:20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.

1 John 2:27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. 1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.


Friday, January 29, 2010

 

Matthew 19 The One Thing You May Lack

 

16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” 17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “ ‘ You shall not murder, ’ ‘ You shall not commit adultery, ’ ‘ You shall not steal, ’ ‘ You shall not bear false witness, ’ 19  ‘ Honor your father and your mother, ’ and, ‘ You shall love your neighbor as yourself .’ ” 20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24  “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” 28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29  “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. 30  “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

At the Melbourne Art Gallery is a painting by the late John Pettie, R.A. It is entitled 'Challenged', and it once adorned the walls of the Royal Academy in London. A young aristocrat has been called from his sumptuous couch in the early morning by a challenge to a duel. There he stands, attired in his blue dressing gown, holding the momentous document in his hand. His old serving-man, who has delivered the missive to his master, is vanishing through the distant door; a sword reposes suggestively upon a chair. But the whole artistry of the picture is concentrated in the face. It is the face of a thoughtless, shallow, self-indulgent young man-about-town suddenly startled to gravity and something like nobleness. By means of that face, the artist has skillfully portrayed the fact that life becomes smitten with sudden grandeur the moment it is challenged by stupendous issues. Life and death confront this young lord, and he becomes a new man as he realizes their stately significance. No person amounts to much until all their faculties have been challenged.

A young man has a meeting with Jesus. Once flamboyant, rich, wealthy and well to do, all that he is has been challenged and now he asks the momentous question.

What Good Thing Shall I Do? (v.16).

This was an Urgent Question. 17 As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, Mark 10:17

This was a Respectful Question. His posture was respectful. Mark says he "knelt" before Jesus.

This was a Vital Question. Again, he asked, "What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life." It was a question of eternal significance

Have you heard these proverbs?

For lack of a nail, a shoe was lost. For lack of a shoe, a horse was lost. For lack of a horse, a rider was lost. For lack of a rider, a battle was lost. For lack of a battle, the kingdom was lost. All for the want of a horseshoe nail." James Baldwin speaking of King Richard III

A miss is as good as a mile. something that you say which means that failing to do something when you almost succeeded is no better than failing very badly I've tried to reassure him that he only failed by three percent but the way he sees it, a miss is as good as a mile. A failure remains a failure, regardless of how close to success one has actually come. Almost doesn’t count.

Some of the people Jesus ministered to responded favourably and others went away without being changed positively. This is still the situation today! We rejoice over the ones who were changed, but we also can learn from the ones that were not!

You May Lack A Sense Of Your Sin

The rich young man asks about what is good and so Jesus obliges him by pointing to God's law. God's law is "good". And the Law is good. It reveals to us God’s standard for what goodness is. Its an unattainable standard, but it is the standard nonetheless.

It is the standard of goodness.

There is only one way anyone can get to heaven: Jesus said John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

There is a problem about sin that needs to be dealt with.

Jesus came to be the saviour. He came to save people from their sins. But people wont need a saviour unless they see how sinful they are.

Luke 19:10  For the  Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

Many people do not see their lostness, so they don’t let Jesus save them.

I remember once overhearing a discussion between a deacon and a deacon’s wife. Reg said “How do you think you get to heaven?”

She said “by keeping the commandments enough Reg!”

No one can keep the commandments enough. Its not that the commandments are faulty, its that we are faulty.

And that is what the Lord Jesus is making this young man aware of.

“Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “ ‘ You shall not murder, ’ ‘ You shall not commit adultery, ’ ‘ You shall not steal, ’ ‘ You shall not bear false witness, ’ 19  ‘ Honor your father and your mother, ’ and, ‘ You shall love your neighbor as yourself .’ ” 20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

Paul put it this way. Galatians 3:25 For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly be by the law. 22 But the Scripture has imprisoned everything under sin’s power, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 Before this faith came, we were confined under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith was revealed.

24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Like some old school master that puts kids through trial to bring them to the desired place of maturity, the Law was our schoolmaster to teach us that we could not save ourselves. We needed a Saviour. The Lord Jesus is that Saviour.

You can see it with this young man: He has a problem with sin, actually his sin particularly is covetousness. He loved his silver, more than he knew.

While he could say he kept all the commandments that Jesus mentioned, there was one that revealed his dark heart, "thou shalt not covet" and the fact that he leaves Jesus behind rather than give up his wealth indicated that indeed he did still covet!

Several years ago, archeologists were digging in the city of Pompeii. They found a little hole in the ground, so they poured some plaster of paris into it. They then dug out the shape of the person that had been there in 70 AD when Pompeii blew! They found the corpse of a woman who must have been fleeing from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius but was caught in the rain of hot ashes. The woman's hands clutched jewels, which were preserved in excellent condition. She had the jewels, but death had her. That's the bottom line in life. Worldly treasure is not a wise investment because you can't take it with you. Jim Elliot, a missionary who was martyred for his faith, understood this reality when he wrote in his journal, "A person is no fool to give up what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose." It's not foolish to give up what you cannot keep in order to gain what you cannot lose. –

‘ You shall love your neighbor as yourself .’ ” 20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

Not only did he love his silver more than he knew, he didn’t love people, particularly poor people, more than he knew. “sell what you have and give to the poor”. This is particularly a warning to him of his sin. The Lord showed him his sin clearly. And he had a choice. Would he love his sin and hide it, casting up a cloak of religion over an unloving heart, or would he confess his sin, and come to the Saviour?

You May Lack A Significance Of The Saviour

Well that is the other thing that this young man lacked. Because he was all hung up on who he was and what he would do, he didn’t realize who he was really speaking to.

Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher,..”

The Lord was a really good teacher, but He was the Messiah, the Christ, who had come in to the world to save us from our sins. Now this young man thought he was pretty good.

The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”

He had kept all the commandments spotlessly from his youth? Well he is made of different stuff to every other person I know! He never had told a lie. He never had disobeyed his parents or been rebellious in any way ever? He had never thought a lustful thought?

One of artist Andy Warhol's great pictures is his "Last Supper" in which he superimposes the General Electric logo and the wrapper from a bar of Dove soap over a dim drawing of Leonardo da Vinci's famous work. Warhol meant no irreverence. He was rather making a statement that few will deny. Spiritual values are often overshadowed or hidden by materialism.

You May Lack A Separation From Sin

It was a 99-degree September day in San Antonio, when a 10 month-old baby girl was accidentally locked inside a parked car by her aunt. Frantically the mother and aunt ran around the auto in near hysteria, while a neighbor attempted to unlock the car with a clothes hanger. Soon the infant was turning purple and had foam on her mouth. It had become a life-or-death situation when Fred Arriola, a wrecker driver, arrived on the scene. He grabbed a hammer and smashed the back window of the car to set her free. Was he heralded a hero? He said, "The lady was mad at me because I broke the window. I just thought, What's more important--the baby or the window?"

You May Lack A Standing With The Saviour

Peter said “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” 28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29  “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. 30  “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Embrace The Saviour “come, follow Me.”

How many times did the Lord Jesus call people to follow Him? Matthew 4 19 And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

Matthew 8:19 And a scribe came up and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."

22 And Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead."

Matthew 9:9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him.

Matthew 10:38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Matthew 19: 21 Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

John 1:43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me."

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

John 12:26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him

1 Peter 2: 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

Obey His Precepts “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven;” I don’t know what the Lord will tell you to leave to follow Him. For some it may be comforts. For others it may be something that you have put in a higher place than the Lord. But one thing is clear, the Lord wants to have a real relationship with you not one that is just religious.

Imitate His Example.

23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24  “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

In Jules Verne's novel The Mysterious Island, he tells of five men who escape a Civil War prison camp by hijacking a hot air balloon. As they rise into the air, they realize the wind is carrying them over the ocean. Watching their homeland disappear on the horizon, they wonder how much longer the balloon can stay aloft. As the hours pass and the surface of the ocean draws closer, the men decide they must cast overboard some of the weight, for they had no way to heat the air in the balloon. Shoes, overcoats, and weapons are reluctantly discarded, and the uncomfortable aviators feel their balloon rise. But only temporarily. Soon they find themselves dangerously close to the waves again, so they toss their food. Better to be high and hungry than drown on a full belly! Unfortunately, this, too, is only a temporary solution, and the craft again threatens to lower the men into the sea. One man has an idea: they can tie the ropes that hold the passenger car and sit on those ropes. Then they can cut away the basket beneath them. As they sever the very thing they had been standing on, it drops into the ocean, and the balloon rises. Not a minute too soon, they spot land. Eager to stand on terra firma again, the five jump into the water and swim to the island. They live, spared because they were able to discern the difference between what really was needed and what was not. The "necessities" they once thought they couldn't live without were the very weights that almost cost them their lives.

Could the necessities be keeping you from Jesus. Have ypou discovered that the one thing you really need is He as your Saviour and Lord? Then come to Him today. He is ready to receive you. Let Him be your Saviour and Lord today.

You May Lack A Secured Salvation

28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29  “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.

One thing thou lackest:

Mark 10: 21 Then, looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

1 thing or 5 things?

Well it’s the one thing…. That results in loosing these other 5 things. He lacked a sense of sin which would send him to the Saviour for a secure salvation that would separate him from sin.

Bottom line.. he didn’t follow Jesus. The one thing he lacked was Jesus.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Is it so with you?

22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

I do not believe that that is the end of the story.

There are some elements of the story in Mark’s gospel that describe the intensity of this meeting in a more fascinating way than described in Matthew or Luke’s account: For one thing, it is from Mark we learn he ran to Jesus. For another that he was a rich young man. That he kneeled before Jesus to ask the question concerning eternal life.

I think there is good reason to consider that the young man was actually the author of Mark’s gospel. It is possible that the Upper room was actually in Mark’s own house, and that his parents, his mother had opened the house to the Lord for the last Supper. Mark also records that a young man was in the Garden of Gethsemane with the Saviour on the night of his betrayal and Mark 14: 51 And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: “ he fled naked… perhaps somewhat symbolic of Mark’s decision to leave it all and follow the Lord Jesus.

Well, the Lord calls you to allow Him first place in your life. Will you follow Him?


Tuesday, January 26, 2010

 

“Divorce According to God” Matt.19:4-12

 

When Jesus had finished this instruction, He departed from Galilee and went to the region of Judea across the Jordan.
2 Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.
3 Some Pharisees approached Him to test Him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife on any grounds?”
4 “Haven’t you read,” He replied, “that He who created them in the beginning made them male and female,
5 and He also said: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh?
6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate.”
7 “Why then,” they asked Him, “did Moses command [us]to give divorce papers and to send her away?”
8 He told them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of the hardness of your hearts. But it was not like that from the beginning.
9 And I tell you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”
10 His disciples said to Him, “If the relationship of a man with his wife is like this, it’s better not to marry!”
11 But He told them, “Not everyone can accept this saying, but only those it has been given to.
12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb, there are eunuchs who were made by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves that way because of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”

As we love folks we discover we are all the more imperfect.

Yet, as we grow closer together as a church we love each other inspite of our failures and inspite of the difficulties that folks have experienced. It’s a preventative message.

God forgives the past but it doesn’t change the past. And the past can hurt a lot.

This passage is a difficult passage which will draw up some difficult emotions for many here today. Know I love you as we read this passage. Know that inspite of the difficulties that the passage presents, we are to have deep compassion for those who have experienced the deep heart break of divorce.

Marriage today seems to be for better for worse but not for long.

Two main causes for divorce, men and women.

Malachi.. I hate divorce! But He does not hate the divorcee, He hates what it does to families and His plan.

I often feel like the man who told his wife about an elderly woman he passed on the side of the road. She was desperately trying to change a flat tyre in the pouring rain.

He said, “I couldn’t believe how many people drove right on by.” Then he said, “I would have stopped myself if I hadn’t been on my way to work. After all I couldn’t be late.” Frankly, there’s not a lot of room in our world for compassion. One old cynic said recently, “Don’t bother telling people your troubles. Half of them don’t care and the other half figures you probably had it coming to you.”

Folks, that attitude is prevalent everywhere we turn. That’s one of the reasons why real compassion is so compelling. And it’s one of the reasons God has so much to say about it in the Bible. Eg. Henry Ward Beecher said, “Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation.”

A tidal wave of pain. A compassionate attitude towards others. We need to warn people th bridge is out. I t is those who have been divorced who would tell you avoid it. Its painful It hurts.

If you are married don’t hurry to end it and if you are not married don’t hurry to get married.

The Lord Jesus was being put into a trap.

2 Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.
3 Some Pharisees approached Him to test Him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife on any grounds?”

 

1. God's original pattern – Matthew 19:4-6 “Haven’t you read,” He replied, “that He who createdthem in the beginning made them male and female, and He also said: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate.”

God made man Genesis 1:27 - "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

We are more than material we are more than animal we are more than stuff.

Gen 2:7Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being. You are a body and a spirit and a soul and you are of tremendous value. When your wife calls you a dirt bag, she has a good point.

God made marriage Genesis 2:24a – "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife… "

God made it Primary. Your Primary relationship is married. First relationship is with parents, but primary relationship is marriage. If there is any opinion that carries more weight in your life than your mate’s then it is wrong and you are out of sorts with God.

God made it Permanent Genesis 2:24b – "and they shall become one flesh. Superglue. Molecular bonding.

United as one unique person. Joined as one person, whenever you say I do.

Also Malachi 2:14-15Yet you ask, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have acted treacherously against her, though she was your marriage partner and your wife by covenant. 15 Didn’t the one [God]make [us]with a remnant of His life-breath? And what does the One seek? A godly offspring. So watch yourselves carefully, and do not act treacherously against the wife of your youth.

Most divorces world wide happen in Australia. We are doing wrong. We even build divorce into many marriage ceremonies, “until death do us part” no “Until our love dies.” “We shall not part as long as love shall last”

God’s Attitude Regarding Divorce “‘I hate divorcé,’ says the LORD God of Israel.” Mal. 2:16

VERY IMPORTANT: God hates divorce, God DOES NOT hate divorced people!

 

2. Man's continual problem – Matthew 19:3,7

Some Pharisees approached Him to test Him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife on any grounds?” “Why then,” they asked Him, “did Moses command [us]to give divorce papers and to send her away?” It started wit Lamech taking a second wife

His mind is clouded – verse 4 “Haven’t you read,” He replied, He hasn't read

2 schools of thought.. Shemmei school died 40 years before Jesus. Hard liner never divorce.

Hillell around In Jesus’ time.. any time you want you can get divorced. Whatever reason you can find trade them in for a new model.

We do the same we go ask people like Dr. Phil, who has been divorced… and we get the advice we want. Jesus

Jesus swept it all side, both sides and went right back to the beginning.

His heart is hard – verse 8 He told them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of the hardness of your hearts.

He hasn't understood - Deuteronomy 24:1-5  “If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds something improper about her, he may write her a divorce certificate, hand it to her, and send her away from his house. 2 If after leaving his house she goes and becomes another man’s wife,
3 and the second man hates her, writes her a divorce certificate, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house or if he dies, 4 the first husband who sent her away may not marry her again after she has been defiled, because that would be detestable to the Lord. You must not bring guilt on the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. 5 “When a man takes a bride, he must not go out with the army or be liable for any duty. He is free [to stay]at home for one year, so that he can bring joy to the wife he has married.

Remedy for adultery execution. This bit of paper was for the woman so she didn’t have to go out and be a street walker.

Comedian W.C Fields reading bible looking for a loophole. They are corrupt. He looks for loopholes

 

3. God's gracious provision – Matthew 19:8-9

He told them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of the hardness of your hearts. But it was not like that from the beginning. 9 And I tell you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”

Divorce is not just dismissal it is like death – Deuteronomy 22:22  “If a man is discovered having sexual relations with [another]man’s wife, both the man who had sex with the woman and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

Only one time the death sentences enacted. When it was done flagrantly as a hit in the face of God.

Hopes die. Children’s hopes die. Unity dies. Fellowship with God dies.

Divorce is not the first option it is the last resort – verse 8 (it is permitted not commanded)

Divorce is not the best option (Remember King David and King Solomon). David committed adultery. Solomon a serial adulterer.. God is gracious. Divorce is a gracious option.

Divorce is not for any reason but only one reason – Matthew 19:9And I tell you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”

Mark 10:11 And He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 12 Also, if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Luke 16:18“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and everyone who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

“If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house….” Dt. 24:1

· Concession not Commandment

· Permitted not Preferred

 

4. God's precious purpose – Matthew 19:13-15

Then children were brought to Him so He might put His hands on them and pray. But the disciples rebuked them. 14 Then Jesus said, “Leave the children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to Me, because the kingdom of heaven is made up of people like this.” 15 After putting His hands on them, He went on from there.

Families that get divorced have children who get divorced have children who get divorced etc.

Will your child or grand child have faith if you do this?

“‘Haven’t you read,’ He replied, ‘that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.’” Mt. 19:4-6

· Jesus Emphasized the Intention of Marriage

· Jesus Emphasized the Intimacy of Marriage

· Jesus Emphasized the Permanence of Marriage

· Jesus Emphasized the Exception Clause for Marriage

“I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.” Mt. 19

What about children? What about God's plan?

Malachi 2:15 – "But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth."

Remember: God's Grace – "where sin abounded grace abounded much more"!


 

1John 2:12-17 Your Destination And Your Detours

 

12      I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. 13      I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father.

14      I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one. 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

As Christians, one of the amazing things we can discover, is how to be true men and women.

At the creation Gen 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female.

But the Image of God was destroyed when mankind sinned. When mankind chose the Thou art the One who saw Him fall… and began each erring one to call.

I discovered a way to become a man. That is the really tremendous thing. that is what God is after -- men and women. The goal is not sainthood, but manhood and womanhood, as God intended them to be.

There are three stages given in these verses. 1. Spiritual Infancy. 2. Spiritual Adolescence. 3. Spiritual Maturity. Where are you today? At what stage are you in your growth as a believer?

Your Destination 12-14

Mature Through Forgiveness

"whose sins are forgiven." That is the most elementary thing you can say about a Christian, his sins are forgiven. Well, why forgiven? Now he makes it clear. "Because you know the Father." That is why sins are forgiven. They have joined the family of God and come to know the Father. They have come to God through the only way any one can come to know the Father. Remember that the Lord Jesus himself said so. "No one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him," {cf, Matt 11:27, Luke 10:22}. Or, as he puts it in that oft-quoted passage in John 14, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me," {John 14:6 RSV}.

The Lord makes clear, we are in the hands of a Father,

A Father who knows us and loves us, who has an intense concern for our development,

A Father who has numbered the very hairs of our head, and without whom not even a sparrow falls to the ground;

A Father who is aware of our deepest needs and is abundantly able to provide them.

That is the one we have come to. "I write to you, little children, because you know the Father." What a glorious thing it is to see the birth of a new life in Jesus Christ, and to watch the joy of a babe with his Father, and the Father with the babe. But even that joy soon turns to sorrow if the baby remains forever an infant.

Mature Through Fighting

I’ve had many tears and sorrows I’ve had questions for tomorrow,

There’ve been times I didn’t know right from wrong; But in ev’ry situation

God gave blessed consolation That my trials come only to make me strong.

Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus,

I’ve learned to trust in God Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.

"you are strong, and the word of God abides in you." He put that last because here is revealed the secret of growth. What makes a child, spiritually, become a young man, spiritually? Why, the Word of God abiding in him! What makes a young man become a father? The Word of God abiding in him! That is the secret of growth. That is what will move him from one stage to another until at last he becomes a father, able to reproduce himself in others. It is by the Word of God, abiding.

Here, then, is the divinely designed instrument of growth, the Word of God. It is absolutely impossible to grow up as a Christian, or as a real man or woman, unless the Word of God abides in you. This is why the devil fights this whole matter of Bible study, the building of your life around the centrality of the Scriptures and the authority of the Scriptures, and why there is loosed a constant barrage of attack at this level. It is the supremely important thing to move us into maturity. Though the devil cannot stop us from being Christians, he can certainly keep us from becoming strong Christians, and this is exactly the way he does it.

The Psalmist testifies,

“Thy word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against Thee.” (Psalms 119:11 NAS)

And says of God’s man, “The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip.” (Psalms 37:31 NAS)

While Paul exhorts, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16 NAS)

Mature Through Faithful Fellowship

Two times in these verses he says the same thing to the fathers. Look at v. 13, “I write unto you, fathers...” He’s talking about spiritual fathers. Look at what he says, v. 13, “I write unto you, fathers, because you have known him that is from the beginning.” He says it again in v. 14, “I have written unto you, fathers, because you have known him that is from the beginning.”

Your Detours

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

The World..

not the world of creation Genesis 1:31 God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.

1 Tim 4: 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing should be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,

Not the World of people John 3:16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave His • One and Only Son

The World System Operated by Satan 1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one.

Ephesians 2: 1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously • walked according to this worldly age, according to the ruler of the atmospheric domain, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and by nature we were children under wrath, as the others were also.

Eph 6:12 For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

The World System Opposed To Christ.

James 4:4 Adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy

2 Cor 4:4 Regarding them: the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Tim 4:10 for Demas has deserted me, because he loved this present world, and has gone to Thessalonica.

Recognise The Passing Nature Of This World

2 Peter 3:10  But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that [day]the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed.
11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, [it is clear]what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness
12 as you wait for and earnestly desire the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be on fire and be dissolved, and the elements will melt with the heat.

Recognise The Permanent Nature Of The Will Of God

Recognise The Purifying Nature Of The Word Of God

Cyprian, the Bishop of Carthage (and eventually a martyr), wrote to his friend Donatus: “This is a cheerful world as I see it from my garden under the shadows of my vines. But If I were to ascend some high mountain and look over the wide lands, you know very well what I would see: brigands on the highways, pirates on the sea, armies fighting, cities burning; in the amphitheaters men murdered to please the applauding crowds; selfishness and cruelty and misery and despair under all roofs. It is a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people, Donatus, are the Christians — and I am one of them.”


Saturday, January 09, 2010

 

Matthew 18 The Lord and The Child

 

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,

3 and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

6 "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

7 Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

8 "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.

9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.

10 "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

12 "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?

13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

If you've ever been through a job search, you know that people use a bit of creativity when they put their resumes together. Here's what they say and what they mean:

I seek a job that will draw upon my strong communication & organizational skills: = I talk too much and like to tell other people what to do.

I take pride in my work: = I blame others for my mistakes.

I'm willing to relocate: = As I leave Cessnock Prison, anywhere's better.

I am adaptable: = I've changed jobs a lot.

I am on the go: = I'm never at my desk.

I'm highly motivated to succeed: = The minute I find a better job, I'm out of here.

If God was taking resumes, what would you put on yours? In other words, what makes a good Christian? What would really impress them when you arrive in heaven? Experience, qualifications, references, character traits.

The reason I asked is because followers of Jesus Christ have sometimes asked these questions. Matthew 18:1: "At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?'"

2. Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,

Jesus took a child. There is a tradition that the child grew to be Ignatius of Antioch, who in later days became a great servant of the Church, a great writer, and finally a martyr for Christ. Ignatius was surnamed Theophoros, which means God--carried, and the tradition grew up that he had received that name because Jesus carried him on his knee. It may be so. Maybe it is more likely that it was Peter who asked the question, and that it was Peter's little boy whom Jesus took and set in the midst.

1. Do You Have The Call To Conversion?

"Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Gutzik How the disciples' faces must have fallen when Jesus said this! They knew that in that day, children were regarded more as property than individuals. It was understood that they were to be seen and not heard. Jesus said we have to take this kind of humble place to enter the kingdom, much less be the greatest in the kingdom.

The term “converted” here means just that. Turning from our sin and turning to Him. Converted from going our way to going His. The Greek word for “converted” may also be translated “turn”

(AMP) And said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving], you can never enter the kingdom of heaven [at all].

(ESV) and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

(HCSB) "I assure you," He said, "unless you are converted and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

(RSV) and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Interestingly, in its context, the conversion called for by the disciples was a second conversion. It was turning from their selfish ambitions and turning to Christ again. The disciples were headed in the wrong direction with their selfish ambition. “Who gets to run the show whenever you are gone Jesus? Which of us will be in control of the assembly?” Robertson’s Word Pictures: “His tone at this time is markedly severe, as much as when He denounces the Pharisaism in the bud He had to deal with” (Bruce). The strong double negative means that they will otherwise not get into the kingdom of heaven at all, let alone have big places in it.” The issue of power in a church setting is an issue that annoys the Lord. I must admit, little power groups are annoying to me too.

HAVE YOU CHANGED DIRECTION? That is what conversion means. It means turning. Last Tuesday night Steve Munro and I were talking about how important it is that repentance be understood as part of the gospel. Repentance is turning back from going our own way and turning to the Lord and going His way. It’s no longer living our lives our way without reference to Him. It’s humbling ourselves and walking His way from now on.

That repentance and conversion experience is to be a continual one. When the Lord points out our ambitions for power and control over our own lives, or over others’ lives, we are to turn away from them.

HAVE YOU CHANGED DISPOSITIONS? Jesus called a child and placed this him in the middle of the group. Jesus used a multi-media approach to speaking before there was even a word for it. He wanted to make a visual impact upon the whole group. They had been looking at one of themselves as candidates for power positions in the Kingdom, but Jesus forced them to look on the least likely candidate in the place -- a child. Then, while He had their attention He said, "unless you change and become as little children." In contrast to the self aggrandizing attitudes which were all too common even among the twelve, Jesus said, "You must become as a little child." In another place Jesus said, "If you want to be first, you must be last." He said, "If you want to find your life, you have to lose it." He said, "If you want to be great, you have to become a servant."

If you claim to be a Jesus-follower, but there’s no Jesus-fruit in your life...you’re probably religious but lost; “By their fruit you will recognize them.” You don’t have to be a botanist to know the reason you can’t pick grapes from thornbushes is that a plant only produces fruit after its own nature. An apple hangs on a tree because that tree has an inner apple nature. And Jesus said it doesn’t matter what a person says, you must examine their fruit—their lifestyle—to determine their true nature. Galatians 5:22, “The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

Somebody sent me a funny Far Side cartoon not long ago. It was a picture of a scientist who had invented a machine to translate what dogs were really saying when they barked. As he wore the machine everywhere he went he understood what dogs were really saying. It was really simple. The dogs were actually saying, “Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!” A dog can’t talk like a person (except in the movies) because it doesn’t have a person nature. A person in religilostity can’t produce Jesus fruit for the same reason—they don’t have a Jesus nature. You’ve probably heard the expression, “Actions speak louder than words.” That’s true, but when it comes to being a Jesus-follower, fruit speaks louder than words.

2. Do You Have The Care For Children

5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. 6 "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! 8 "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.10 "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

Jesus loved children. On several occasions in the gospels, we see Him gently holding children in His lap, laying His hands on them and blessing them. In Mark 10 we read specifically of how parents brought their little ones to Jesus "that He might touch them" but the disciples "rebuked" and tried to send them away. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God" (Mk.10:14).

To Jesus, no one was unimportant. Some might say, “It’s only a child, don’t let him bother you.” Jesus would never say that. No one was ever a nuisance to Jesus. He was never too tired, never too busy to give all of himself to anyone who needed it. The way to his presence was open to the humblest person and to the youngest child.

All of this was true about Jesus. How much of it is true about us? Go back to chapter 18, verse 5. Jesus says:

“Whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.”

How to know if you’re from Tamworth.

1) You might be from Tamworth if you ever cut your grass and found a car.

2) You might be from Tamworth if you think the stock market has a fence around it.

3) You might be from Tamworth if there are more than five old McDonald’s bags in your car.

4) You might be from Tamworth if you had to remove a toothpick for your wedding pictures!

We tend to laugh at the more simple minded. But they are more valuable in the Kingdom of God than you or I are. Children are precious to the Lord. They should be precious to us too.

Have you ever noticed how quick young children are to receive each other? Children quickly receive other children. If we are like a "little child" in our humility, we will quickly receive others.

To delight in the humble, unassuming and lowly of this world is to delight in Christ. If we joyfully serve children and people of modest stature and other believers we joyfully serve Jesus.

William Barclay told the story of an old man on his deathbed who was distraught in confessing a prank he had played as a child. He had reversed a sign at a crossroads. He said, "I’ve never ceased to wonder how many people were sent in the wrong direction by what we did." How many times have we led others down the wrong paths either by a bad example or by absence of a good example.

3. Do You Recognise The Care Of Jesus For Lost Children?

“Few things in life are more tragic and heartbreaking than the death of a baby or small child. For parents, the grief can be overwhelming. For the minister, to stand over a small, white casket and provide comfort and support seems to ask for more than he can deliver.
Many console themselves with the thought that at least the child is now in a better place. Some believe small children who die become angels. They are certain these precious little ones are in heaven with God.
However, it is important for us both to ask and answer some important questions if we can. Do those who die in infancy go to heaven? How do we know? What evidence is there to support such a conclusion? Sentimentalism and emotional hopes and wants are not sufficient for those who live under the authority of the Word of God. We must, if possible, find out what God has said.
It is interesting to discover that the Church has not been of one mind on this issue. In fact, the early and medieval Church was anything but united. Some Church Fathers remained silent on the issue. Ambrose said unbaptized infants were not admitted to heaven, but have immunity from the pains of hell. Augustine basically affirmed the damnation of all unbaptized infants, but taught they would receive the mildest punishment of all. Gregory of Nyssa offered that infants who die immediately mature and are given the opportunity to trust Christ. Calvin affirmed the certain election of some infants to salvation and was open to the possibility that all infants who die are saved. He said, “Christ receives not only those who, moved by holy desire and faith, freely approach unto Him, but those who are not yet of age to know how much they need His grace.” Zwingli, B.B. Warfield and Charles Hodge all taught that God saves all who die in infancy. This perspective has basically become the dominant view of the Church in the 20th century.
Yet, a popular evangelical theologian chided Billy Graham when at the Oklahoma City memorial service he said, “Someday there will be a glorious reunion with those who have died and gone to heaven before us, and that includes all those innocent children that are lost. They’re not lost from God because any child that young is automatically in heaven and in God’s arms.” The theologian scolded Dr. Graham for offering what he called “. . . a new gospel: justification by youth alone.”
It is our conviction that there are good reasons biblically and theologically for believing that God saves all who die who do not reach a stage of moral understanding and accountability. It is readily admitted that Scripture does not speak to this issue directly, yet there is evidence that can be gleaned that would lead us to affirm on biblical grounds that God receives into heaven all who have died in infancy. Some evidence is stronger than others, but cumulatively they marshall strong support for infant salvation. We will note six of them.
First, the grace, goodness and mercy of God would support the position that God saves all infants who die. This is the strongest argument and perhaps the decisive one. God is love (1 John 4:8) and desires that all be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). God is love and His concern for children is evident in Matthew 18:14 where Jesus says, “Your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” People go to hell because they choose in willful rebellion and unbelief to reject God and His grace. Children are incapable of this kind of conscious rejection of God. Where such rebellion and willful disobedience is absent, God is gracious to receive.
Second, when the baby boy who was born to David and Bathsheba died (2 Samuel 12:15-18), David did two significant things: 1) He confessed his confidence that he would see the child again and, 2) he comforted his wife Bathsheba (vs. 23-24). David could have done those two things only if he was confident that his little son was with God. Any other explanation does not do justice to the text.
Third, in James 4:17, the Bible says, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” The Bible is clear that we are all born with a sin nature as a result of being in Adam (Roman 5:12). This is what is called the doctrine of original sin. However, the Scriptures make a distinction between original sin and actual sins. While all are guilty of original sin, moral responsibility and understanding is necessary for our being accountable for actual sins (Isaiah 7:16 For before the boy knows to reject what is bad and choose what is good, the land of the two kings you dread will be abandoned.). It is to the one who knows to do right and does not do it that sin is reckoned. Infants are incapable of such decisions.
Fourth, Jesus affirmed that the kingdom of God belonged to little children (Luke 18:15-17). In the passage he is stating that saving faith is a childlike faith, but He also seems to be affirming the reality of children populating heaven.  “See that you don’t look down on one of these little ones, because I tell you that in heaven their angels continually view the face of My Father in heaven.Mathew18:10

Fifth, Scripture affirms that the number of saved souls is very great (Revelation 7:9). Since most of the world has been and is still non-Christian, might it be the untold multitude who have died prematurely or in infancy comprise a majority of those in heaven? Such a possibility ought not to be dismissed too quickly. In this context Charles Spurgeon said, “I rejoice to know that the souls of all infants, as soon as they die, speed their way to paradise. Think what a multitude there is of them.”
Sixth, some in Scripture are said to be chosen or sanctified from the womb (1 Samuel 1:8-2:21; Jeremiah 1:5; Luke 1:15). This certainly affirms the salvation of some infants and repudiates the view that only baptized babies are assured of heaven. Neither Samuel, Jeremiah or John the Baptist was baptized.
After surveying these arguments, it is important for us to remember that anyone who is saved is saved because of the grace of God, the saving work of Jesus Christ and the undeserved and unmerited regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Like all who have ever lived, except for Jesus, infants need to be saved. Only Jesus can take away their sin, and if they are saved it is because of His sovereign grace and abounding mercy. Abraham said, “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25). We can confidently say, “Yes, He will.” When it comes to those incapable of volitional, willful acts of sin, we can rest assured God will, indeed, do right. Precious little ones are the objects of His saving mercy and grace.
On September 29, 1861, the great Baptist pastor, Charles Spurgeon, preached a message entitled “Infant Salvation.” In that message he chastened some critics who had “. . . wickedly, lyingly, and slanderously said of Calvinists that we believe that some little children perish.” Spurgeon affirmed that God saved little ones without limitation and without exception. He, then, as was his manner, turned to conclude the message with an evangelistic appeal to parents who might be lost. Listen to his plea:
“Many of you are parents who have children in heaven. Is it not a desirable thing that you should go there too? And yet, have I not in these galleries and in this area some, perhaps many, who have no hope hereafter? . . . . Mother, unconverted mother, from the battlements of heaven your child beckons you to Paradise. Father, ungodly, impenitent father, the little eyes that once looked joyously on you, look down upon you now and the lips which had scarcely learned to call you “Father” ere they were sealed by the silence of death, may be heard as with a still, small voice, saying to you this morning, “Father, must we be forever divided by the great gulf which no man can pass?” If you wilt, think of these matters, perhaps the heart will begin to move, and the eyes may begin to flow and then may the Holy Spirit put before thine eyes the cross of the Savior . . . if thou wilt turn thine eye to Him, thou shalt live . . .”
Little ones are precious in God’s sight. If they die, they go to heaven. Parents, who have trusted Jesus, who have lost a little one, if they have trusted Jesus, can be confident of a wonderful reunion someday. Are you hopeful of seeing again that little treasure God entrusted to you for such a short time? Jesus has made a way. Come to Him now and someday you will see them again."  * from “WHY WE BELIEVE CHILDREN WHO DIE GO TO HEAVEN” by  R. Albert Mohler, Jr. and Daniel L. Akin

Well what do we know? Do You Have The Call To Conversion? Do You Care for Children? Do you Recognise The Care Of Jesus For Lost Children? There is something you can do about this. You can seek to lead to children to the Lord. But you must take care of your own conversion first. One of my favorite writers was Vance Havner, and in one of his books he told a story about a husband who came home from work one afternoon to find that his wife was visibly upset. He said, “Honey, what’s wrong?” She said, “This afternoon a man came to our front door and rang the doorbell. I didn’t recognize him, but he was well-dressed so I opened the door. He said, ‘Good afternoon, ma’am. Could I ask you a question? Do you know Jesus Christ?’ When he asked me that I was so flustered that I shut the door in his face, and I’ve been thinking about his question all afternoon.” Her husband got upset and said, “Honey, why didn’t you just tell him that you and I are charter members of our church, that you’ve been teaching a ladies Sunday School for 20 years, and you sing in our choir every Sunday? Why didn’t you tell him that?” She thought for a moment and said to her husband, “That’s not what he asked; he asked if I knew Jesus.” May I ask you the same question? “Do you know Jesus Christ?” It’s a yes or no question. Somebody asked me if I knew Bob Taylor . It was simple yes or no question. I didn’t say, “I’m not sure.” Or “I think so.” I said, “Yes, Bob is my friend. I talk to him on a regular basis.” My friend, you can be just as sure of whether or not you know Jesus.


 

Articles | The Apprentice’s Miracle | Phillip Jensen

Articles | The Apprentice’s Miracle | Phillip Jensen

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Tuesday, January 05, 2010

 

2010 New Year’s Message For Newcastle Baptist Tabernacle

Faith’s Power Matthew 17.

Mat 17:14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him,

15 said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.

16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him."

17 And Jesus answered, "O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me."

18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"

20 He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."

21 (OMITTED TEXT) And then the Authorized version adds, "Howbeit this kind goeth not out except by prayer and fasting?"

22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men,

23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day." And they were greatly distressed.

24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the half-shekel tax went up to Peter and said, "Does your teacher not pay the tax?"

25 He said, "Yes." And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?"

26 And when he said, "From others," Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free.

27 However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself."

Faith can move mountains, that's the essence of it in verse 20. If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, Move from here to yonder place and it shall move and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Now faith moves mountains. Faith accomplishes great things. That's obvious. I think we've heard that many, many times. But I wonder if we really understand what it means. Let me give you just a little background. It was faith in God's power that caused Caleb the Jewish spy to look at the land of Canaan with its giants and say this in Numbers 13:30, "Let us go up at once and possess it for we are well able to overcome it." That was faith in God's power.

It was faith in God's care that enabled Job to say in the midst of personal disaster, "Thou He slay me, yet will I trust Him," Job 13:15. It was faith in God's protection that enabled Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to stand on the edge of the fiery furnace and say, "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king," Daniel 3:17.

It was also faith in God's Word that enabled Daniel to survive the lion's den, as it says in the sixth chapter, "So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no manner of hurt was found upon him because he believed in his God." It was faith that saved the sinful woman who washed Jesus feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head, as it tells us in Luke chapter 7 verse 50.

And as you look at the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, that great chapter of faith, the Bible tells us it was faith that enabled Abel to offer a better sacrifice. It was faith that caused Enoch to be translated to heaven without death. It was faith that allowed Noah to build a great ark and preach righteousness. It was faith that caused Abraham to follow the call of God. It was faith that caused Sarah to have a child. It was faith that caused Isaac to bless his sons, that caused Jacob to bless his sons, that caused Joseph to hope in the future. It was faith that called Moses to reject the pleasures of sin for the reproach of Christ. It was faith that caused Rahab to receive the spies. And it was faith that came in the time of crisis to Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jetha and David and Samuel and the prophets and many, many others. The power of faith.

And so you have throughout holy Scripture, the testimony to the life of faith, to the power of faith. Now in our text, and we can look at our text more closely now, Jesus makes one of the great statements in all of the Bible relative to faith when He says that faith moves mountains and that it makes nothing impossible. The point of the whole passage in many ways is a summary of the whole testimony of the people of God through all of history that God moves powerfully when we believe the power of faith.

1. Faith’s Problem

Peter, James and John had just seen the most fantastic sight of their lives. They had seen Jesus in His glory and majesty flanked by Moses and Elijah. Now after this mountain top vision of God’s power, they descended into the valley to learn the lesson of their own lack of power. Below the mountain, perhaps in Caesarea Philippi or some other nearby village, they met a "multitude," a large crowd of people encircling the other 9 disciples. In a parallel account, Mark 9:14 says, "And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them." It seems the scribes were arguing with the remaining 9. It seems that these 9 had tried to cast a demon out of a boy could not. I imagine the "scribes" taunting them for their inability, calling them charlatans and phonies.

A Possessed Derelict The crowd was probably so engrossed in this heated argument that they didn’t notice Jesus walking up. One man, the father of the demon-possessed son, did see Him. He came to Jesus "kneeling down." Mark 9:15 adds, "Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him." I imagine them saying, "Jesus! You are here! We were just talking about You!" Obviously, this grieved father had some sense of faith and respect for Jesus because he addresses Him as "Lord." He pleads, "Have mercy on my son." First, the father describes his son as "an epileptic." The KJV uses the word "lunatic" which is a good translation. Literally it means "moonstruck." Ancient people believed the cycles of the moon caused madness. The idea is that the boy had what we would describe as epileptic seizures. Second, the father says that his son "suffers severely." This suggests that his condition was unusually serious and perhaps growing worse all the time. Third, the father says his son "often falls into the fire." Open fires were common. In his seizures the boy had "often" been burned and carried hideous scars. Fourth, the father says his boy also "often" falls "into the water." He fell in open wells or cisterns. Because he was in constant danger of being burned or drowning, someone had to stay near him at all times. Fifth, Mark 9:17 adds that the father says the boy had "a mute spirit" so that he could not speak. Another parallel passing in Luke 9:39 adds this graphic description, "And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him."

Not everyone with epilepsy is demon-possessed. However, there was no doubt to anyone present that a demon was causing this boy’s sufferings.

Powerless Disciples Imagine this father’s desperate condition. Like any good parent, he would do anything to help his child. He had no doubt spent much money and time seeking someone who could help his poor son. He hears about Jesus and His disciples. He knows they have power to heal the sick and cast out demons so with great anticipation he brings his son to them. When he finds the disciples, Jesus is not with them. The disciples tell him not to worry they can help him. They probably say, "Jesus isn’t here, but we can certainly handle this problem. We’ve done it before." The desperate father admits to Jesus, "I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."

In 10:6-8, Jesus commissioned and empowered His disciples. Mark 6:13 says, "And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them." They were experienced. This wasn’t their first case. So with great confidence, the 9 tried to exorcise the demon, but nothing happened. They were probably surprised. Imagine how the taunts of the scribes infuriated them. What was the problem? They had cast out demons before without Jesus’ presence. They were trying to operate in their own power, not the power of Jesus.

We are unable to do anything without Jesus.

Like the disciples, we can believe so strongly in our traditions, our past successes, our present programs that we forget that any changing power comes from Jesus. We can become so divided by petty divisions and strife that we are like a bucket with holes, we can’t hold God’s power for ministry. Look again at this verse. Here was a genuine need that they should have met but "they could not." How many needs have we not met because of our lack of faith, our trusting in our resources rather than Jesus?

Notice those four words in verse 20: ". . . Because of your unbelief . . .

SOME REFUSE TO STEP OUT IN FAITH BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF MONEY.

Our money need is never a barrier to faith, if God has given the vision of what He wants us to do. Our financial need often becomes the focus of our faith. Remember, "Where God guides, He always provides."

SOME HESITATE BECAUSE OF LACK OF TRAINING OR EDUCATION.

While training and education are very important, God's anointing will make up for much that is lacking.

OTHERS ARE STYMIED IN GOD'S WORK BECAUSE OF LACK OF RESOURCES AND/OR FACILITIES.

Nowhere in the Bible does God ever tell us we need buildings or facilities to do His work. The only temple God needs today is the temple of our bodies. When the Lord rules the temple of our bodies, God does His work best. But of course we need a roof over our heads, heat/air conditioning, and chairs or pews to sit on. Lack of facilities is not a barrier to faith it's an opportunity for God to demonstrate what He can do.

2. Faith’s Power

Now Jesus grieved alongside the father. We can hear in His words His own grief at the lack of faith (v.17).

This is a glimpse into the thought life of Jesus. We see the compassion of the Son of God but also the exasperation of the Son of Man. Jesus was grieved, no exasperated, because of that "faithless [unbelieving] and perverse generation." He was grieved by the unbelieving "multitude" representative of national Israel that had no faith to recognize Him as their long-awaited Anointed One, the Messiah. He was exasperated, because these disciples should have learnt to trust in Him, instead they were getting all hung up on their own position and pre-eminence, rather than getting along with the work of God.

I admit I get exasperated sometimes when I hear why we can’t as a church do evangelism. It won’t work! People aren’t interested! How would they know? How will we survive as a church if we don’t reach out?

It will cost too much (we have $xxxxxx in the bank). We don’t want their kind coming to our church (who is their kind? What on earth are we really talking about?)

What grieved Jesus even more was the weak faith of His disciples. Instead of dropping to their knees in fervent prayer when they encountered an obstacle, they became embroiled in a religious debate with the "scribes." We get embroiled in debates over what sort of coffee the coffee machine should have! We get embroiled in debates as to whether or not there is enough work to do when the Southern Baptists want to assist us with a youth worker!

In effect, the Saviour was asking, "What more do you need but to rely on Me?" We love to quote Phil.4:13, I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me. but how often do we practice its truth?

Saviour’s Presence

But His frustration did not hinder His compassion. He said, "Bring him here to Me." Mark tells us that Jesus said to the father, "If you can believe all things are possible to him who believes." The father responded with an honest prayer that should be on all our lips, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" When you are unsure, admit it! As Jesus "rebuked the demon" the evil spirit made one last assault on his victim. Mark 9:26 records, "Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, ‘He is dead.’" V.18 also says, "the child was cured from that very hour." There would be no more seizures, no more foaming at the mouth, no more falling into fires or wells. Luke 9:43 says of the crowd, "And they were all amazed at the majesty of God." Sufficient faith comes only when we surrender only when we confess our lack of belief and lack of ability. We have to empty ourselves before we become full of Jesus.

3. Faith’s Principles

After this event, "the disciples came to Jesus privately." Mark tells us they were in a house. Perhaps they were enjoying the hospitality of the family of the boy that Jesus healed.

They ask, "Why could we not cast it out?" Again, they asked this question in privacy. No doubt their egos were a bit bruised by their inability. They had already cast out many demons. Certainly that gave them a sense of power and authority. Why had they failed so miserably and Jesus succeeded so easily? I find it interesting that the normally boisterous Peter seems to be silent. He had been on the mountain with Jesus. He had seen the glory.

Jesus answer was short, simple and difficult for them to hear, "Because of your unbelief" or "because of your lack of faith." They had saving faith, sanctifying faith but had not invoked sufficient faith for this problem.

When Jesus stilled the storm He asked, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" (Mat 8:26). Later when Peter began to sink, He asked "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

It seems a little contradictory that Jesus spoke of their "little faith" but then speaks of "faith as a mustard seed." Mustard seed faith represents faith that starts out very small but grows. A mustard seed is a very small seed that grows into a large plant. Jesus means that a growing faith is a powerful faith!

Jesus tells the disciples that if they had "faith as a mustard seed" or a growing faith "you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move." Further He adds, "Nothing will be impossible for you."

We know that Jesus was not literally speaking of moving a literal mountain. "Able to move mountains" was a common figure of speech in that time which meant the ability to overcome great obstacles.

When we face mountain-sized difficulties in life as the disciples had just done with the demonized boy, we are to remember that faith is the key. Instead of worrying, arguing or whining we should drop to our knees and fully surrender to God.

4. Faith’s Partner Prayer and Fasting

Jesus adds that "this kind" of demon "does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

"Fasting" is an important technique, a spiritual discipline that focuses us on prayer. Prayer is the key. When we don’t know what to do, we are to pray, Pray, PRAY!!!

Folks, in many ways we are just like the disciples. We know the traditions. We have programs for every conceivable type of ministry. We understand the need for prayer. What we need is to just do it. We need to surrender ourselves to God and let Him use us.

The purpose of fasting, and it's always combined with prayer, in God's Word has always been humility before God. Fasting is to seek to know God in a deeper experience. Fasting is to show sorrow over sin, and issues itself to confession and repentance. Fasting calls us to dependence on God for strength and renewal. Fasting prepares us to receive God's leadership, His guidance, His message for our day. Fasting, true fasting is a bowing down of the soul, submission to God that leads to moral action. But like anything we do, it is worthless if it does not come from a sincere heart. Fasting is not a way to manipulate God or to fulfill selfish desires. Fasting is not to draw attention to yourself. Fasting is improper while you continue in sin or harbor ungodly attitudes.

Ha. I remember once at another church a deacon wanted to stop us planting a church across the river. We had 4 couples at that place, and it was a 20 minute drive to church. There was no Baptist church in that region. He said “We haven’t prayed about it!” I said “That is your problem of your own lack of godliness! For my part I have prayed about it for 3 years and now is the time to go ahead!”

5. Faith’s Practise 24-27

It was after they had "come to Capernaum" in Galilee that "those who received the temple tax" approached Peter about Jesus’ payment. Perhaps they asked this question as the disciples entered the city.

Why did they come to Peter? First, Peter was a resident of Capernaum. He had lived there and ran his fishing business there before he met the Master. Second, Peter was known as a leader among the disciples. Third, it is probable that Jesus was staying in Peter’s house.

What was the "temple tax" or the "tribute money?" The Greek word is didrachmon, which means "two drachmas" or the equivalent of about two day’s wages.It was a tax levied by the Jews with the permission of Rome for the operation of the temple in Jerusalem. It was a religious payment that had its origins the OT law but had been enlarged by tradition. Turn back to Ex.30:11-16. Originally the "double drachma" or the "half-shekel tribute" was paid for each person on the years they were counted. This was not a tax levied every year. Those who thought themselves pious insisted on paying the tax even during the years when it was unrequired. Slowly the "temple tax" came to be expected of devout Jews even if the law did not require it. No self-respecting Jew would fail to pay the tax. He would also pay it in such a way that others knew he paid it.

(v.25a). Peter quickly answered "Yes." He had no doubt that Jesus paid His taxes for He had always done so.

Sitting inside probably Peter’s house down towards the water of the village of Capernaum, Jesus anticipates Peter’s question: Over and over in the gospels we read that Jesus had the eerie habit speaking to a person’s thoughts. In His omniscience, Jesus knew the conversation with the tax collectors and He spoke to Peter about it before Peter could bring the subject up. Jesus asks, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?"

A man vacationing heard a woman screaming on the beach while she knelt in front of a child. The child had swallowed a coin. He held the boy by the heels, gave him a few shakes, and the coin dropped to the footpath. "Oh, thank you sir!" cried the woman. "You knew just how to get the money out of him. Are you a doctor?" "No, ma'am," replied the man. "I'm with the Taxation Department."

Jesus told Peter to "go to the sea. cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, " Remember that they are in Capernaum on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. "And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money." How did that money get into the fish’s mouth? Did God cause it accidentally fall into the water and the fish swallowed it and jumped on Peter’s hook? Did God just cause a coin to materialize in the fish’s mouth before he got on the hook? It doesn’t matter how the money got there, it was there at just the right time. Like the widow of Zarephath whose oil and flour were not used up, God provides. "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Phil.4:19). When Peter opened the fish’s mouth, the "piece of money" that he found was not a didrachmon, the "temple tax" it was a stater, a coin worth two didrachmons, the exact price of the "temple tax" for two, both Jesus and Peter.

What do you think Peter learnt about faith?

Rich man at Kiama… never learnt to trust God for needs. Oh unbelieving and perverse generation! O faithless and twisted generation! How will you be known to God NBT? A people of faith? Or a faithless and twisted generation?


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