ALL – Psalm 79:1-13
ALL – Proverbs 24:30-34
OT – Jeremiah 12:1-14:10
NT – 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:8
Interesting passage for the day: We loved you dearly—so dearly that we gave you not only God’s message, but our own lives, too. – 1 Thess. 2:8, The Living Bible
Thought: That’s what ministry should look like. It should be about love. Love is the motive for telling people about Jesus—for giving them the bad news that they have rebelled sinfully against their King who created them, but also giving them the good news that this Creator King Jesus loved them so much that He Himself died for their sins so they wouldn’t have to pay their own penalty, rose to life, ascended to heaven, and invites them from heaven to become loyal to Him, to receive His Holy Spirit, and to look forward to eternally unblemished life with Him.
But love goes beyond delivering a message—whenever possible, love should cause us to give people ourselves, too.
Confession time: This is where I feel like I fall short, personally. I do pretty well at making sure that I deliver God’s message (in love, too!). I really want people to know Jesus. But giving myself is a lot harder. I feel like I have given people too little time with me—not that it would be a great privilege for them to spend time with me, but just that I want to be a more of a blessing to the people I’m around all the time than just the blessing I offer as a professional preacher. Am I clearly also a friend? Am I helpful? I pray that I will love well—not just well enough to “do my job,” but well enough to give myself to those around me.
Question: Where does your love fall shortest—in giving yourself to your neighbors, co-workers, families and friends, or in sharing God’s good news with them (or both)? Let’s cry to Jesus to make us people who love well in every possible way for the good of every person we meet.
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Showing posts with label King Jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label King Jesus. Show all posts
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Painful Ministry
ALL – Psalm 54:1-7
ALL – Proverbs 23:1-3
OT – Isaiah 6:1-7:25
NT – 1 Corinthians 11:16-33
Interesting passage for the day: I have lived with weariness and pain and sleepless nights. Often I have been hungry and thirsty and have gone without food; often I have shivered with cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. – 2 Corinthians 11:27, The Living Bible
Thought: Martyrdom. Persecution. Suffering. When I think of the Christians who have endured severe trials for Jesus and His kingdom, I am amazed by them. They seem so strong. What great perseverance! What incredible faith! What certain hope they must have had to walk through the difficulties they did.
And as I am amazed by them, I begin to daydream about if I were ever to go through the same things. I daydream about the powerful statements of faith that would fall from my lips as I stood trial before my persecutors, statements like Stephen’s, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them,” and Martin Luther’s, “Here I stand. I can do no other.” And in my daydreams, persecution and martyrdom almost begin to seem like glorious experiences.
They aren’t glorious. They’re dreadful. They’re overwhelming. They’re exhausting.
The verse above is just one verse in quite a lengthy list of sufferings that Paul endured as he proclaimed hope through Jesus Christ. And Paul didn’t write about them to display his strength. He wrote about them to demonstrate his weakness, His complete dependence on Jesus, and the genuine nature of His ministry to the Corinthians. He didn’t endure them because he was strong and glorious; Paul endured them in spite of his weakness because Jesus is worthy.
Question: Do you remember how worthy Jesus is? When Jesus asks you to do something hard, how do you respond? How should you respond?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 23:1-3
OT – Isaiah 6:1-7:25
NT – 1 Corinthians 11:16-33
Interesting passage for the day: I have lived with weariness and pain and sleepless nights. Often I have been hungry and thirsty and have gone without food; often I have shivered with cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. – 2 Corinthians 11:27, The Living Bible
Thought: Martyrdom. Persecution. Suffering. When I think of the Christians who have endured severe trials for Jesus and His kingdom, I am amazed by them. They seem so strong. What great perseverance! What incredible faith! What certain hope they must have had to walk through the difficulties they did.
And as I am amazed by them, I begin to daydream about if I were ever to go through the same things. I daydream about the powerful statements of faith that would fall from my lips as I stood trial before my persecutors, statements like Stephen’s, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them,” and Martin Luther’s, “Here I stand. I can do no other.” And in my daydreams, persecution and martyrdom almost begin to seem like glorious experiences.
They aren’t glorious. They’re dreadful. They’re overwhelming. They’re exhausting.
The verse above is just one verse in quite a lengthy list of sufferings that Paul endured as he proclaimed hope through Jesus Christ. And Paul didn’t write about them to display his strength. He wrote about them to demonstrate his weakness, His complete dependence on Jesus, and the genuine nature of His ministry to the Corinthians. He didn’t endure them because he was strong and glorious; Paul endured them in spite of his weakness because Jesus is worthy.
Question: Do you remember how worthy Jesus is? When Jesus asks you to do something hard, how do you respond? How should you respond?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Monday, August 30, 2010
No Airbrushed Jesus
ALL – Psalm 44:1-7
ALL – Proverbs 22:10-12
OT – Job 34:1-36:33
NT – 2 Corinthians 4:1-12
Interesting passage for the day: We do not try to trick people into believing—we are not interested in fooling anyone. We never try to get anyone to believe that the Bible teaches what it doesn’t. All such shameful methods we forego. We stand in the presence of God as we speak and so we tell the truth, as all who know us will agree. – 2 Corinthians 4:2, The Living Bible
Thought: What would be the goal of tricking people into believing? What would be the benefit of fooling people into doing what we say? I can’t think of any positive reason to deceive people into agreeing with me.
I’m not saying that I can’t see any reason why tricking people could be fun, exciting, and even fulfilling. When people agree with me, it helps me feel better about my own perspectives. When people trust me so much that they don’t even question my thoughts, there could be a bit of a rush at the realization that I have the ability to lead them just about anywhere—at least for a while. And the more people who believe me and follow my lead, the more I would be able to pat myself on the back for being such a magnetic and charismatic leader. The experience of this kind of success might be like an ongoing shot of adrenaline. So there are reasons that tricking people into believing us could be an amazing experience.
But none of those reasons is positive. Especially not when we’re talking about Jesus Christ. Getting tons of people to follow me, thinking that I had led them to Jesus even though I had really just giving them pep talks with Jesus’ name liberally sprinkled throughout my inspiring speeches (perhaps a case of using Jesus’ name in vain?), would be useless for everyone involved. The people would not have actually come to know Jesus. I would have “gained the whole world and lost my soul.” And Jesus would look at me from His throne and ask, “How did you possibly think this would end well—stealing My glory for yourself?”
No, when we talk about Jesus, we want to be as straightforward and honest as possible. Sometimes—perhaps even often—we’ll draw smaller crowds. But our goal is to draw together worshipers for our great King Jesus, men and women who worship in spirit and truth. This kind of worship only happens when people really know who Jesus is. Let’s introduce Him honestly.
Question: What do you not like to tell people about Jesus and His Word? Let’s encourage one another to lovingly and honestly introduce people to Jesus Christ as He is.
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 22:10-12
OT – Job 34:1-36:33
NT – 2 Corinthians 4:1-12
Interesting passage for the day: We do not try to trick people into believing—we are not interested in fooling anyone. We never try to get anyone to believe that the Bible teaches what it doesn’t. All such shameful methods we forego. We stand in the presence of God as we speak and so we tell the truth, as all who know us will agree. – 2 Corinthians 4:2, The Living Bible
Thought: What would be the goal of tricking people into believing? What would be the benefit of fooling people into doing what we say? I can’t think of any positive reason to deceive people into agreeing with me.
I’m not saying that I can’t see any reason why tricking people could be fun, exciting, and even fulfilling. When people agree with me, it helps me feel better about my own perspectives. When people trust me so much that they don’t even question my thoughts, there could be a bit of a rush at the realization that I have the ability to lead them just about anywhere—at least for a while. And the more people who believe me and follow my lead, the more I would be able to pat myself on the back for being such a magnetic and charismatic leader. The experience of this kind of success might be like an ongoing shot of adrenaline. So there are reasons that tricking people into believing us could be an amazing experience.
But none of those reasons is positive. Especially not when we’re talking about Jesus Christ. Getting tons of people to follow me, thinking that I had led them to Jesus even though I had really just giving them pep talks with Jesus’ name liberally sprinkled throughout my inspiring speeches (perhaps a case of using Jesus’ name in vain?), would be useless for everyone involved. The people would not have actually come to know Jesus. I would have “gained the whole world and lost my soul.” And Jesus would look at me from His throne and ask, “How did you possibly think this would end well—stealing My glory for yourself?”
No, when we talk about Jesus, we want to be as straightforward and honest as possible. Sometimes—perhaps even often—we’ll draw smaller crowds. But our goal is to draw together worshipers for our great King Jesus, men and women who worship in spirit and truth. This kind of worship only happens when people really know who Jesus is. Let’s introduce Him honestly.
Question: What do you not like to tell people about Jesus and His Word? Let’s encourage one another to lovingly and honestly introduce people to Jesus Christ as He is.
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
A Panel Discussion Between Moses, Elijah and Jesus
ALL – Psalm 73:1-28
ALL – Proverbs 12:10
OT – Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20
NT – Luke 9:28-50
You’ve seen it at leadership conferences, weight-loss retreats, church planting networks, universities, and Fortune-500 companies. When experts get together, people pay attention. After all, what’s better than one expert? How about a whole panel of them? If you want to learn, you turn to the experts, and panel discussions are wonderful opportunities for learning because experts sharpen one another and spur on one another’s best thinking.
If you want to know God, you ought to listen to the experts. Peter, James and John had that opportunity one day. They went up a mountain with Jesus, and while they were there they saw Moses and Elijah appear with them on the mountain. Not only that, but Jesus was gloriously transfigured before them. These three men represent all the wisdom God has revealed; Moses represents God’s Law (part of the Old Testament), Elijah represents God’s Prophets (another part of the OT), and Jesus is the center of our entire New Testament. What greater experts could you find to point the way to God? In this panel discussion of the ages, what did they talk about?
They were splendid in appearance, glorious to see; and they were speaking of his death at Jerusalem, to be carried out in accordance with God’s plan. – Luke 9:31, The Living Bible
They were talking about the culmination of Jesus’ ministry! The cross! The resurrection! Perhaps even His ascension (other translations say they were talking about “his departure”)! Moses (the Law), Elijah (the Prophets) and Jesus all agree: Jesus’ cross is our way to God!
Let’s pay attention to this panel discussion.
But let’s notice one thing more: our hope is not in the panel. Our hope is in the Expert of experts, the Servant of servants, the Guide of guides, the Lord of lords and King of kings—Jesus Christ. As Peter and the other two disciples began to realize what was going on, they responded with awe and wanted to set up camp right there, to hold on to all three of these wonderful people. But God intervened:
And a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him.” Then, as the voice died away, Jesus was there alone with his disciples. – Luke 9:35-36, The Living Bible
Moses and Elijah never expected to receive the glory and honor and attention we give to Jesus. They came to lead us to Jesus. They came to introduce us to our God, the King, the eternal Son, the one who would one day die for our sins, conquering sin—only to rise from the dead three days later, conquering death, too.
Are you listening to Him?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 12:10
OT – Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20
NT – Luke 9:28-50
You’ve seen it at leadership conferences, weight-loss retreats, church planting networks, universities, and Fortune-500 companies. When experts get together, people pay attention. After all, what’s better than one expert? How about a whole panel of them? If you want to learn, you turn to the experts, and panel discussions are wonderful opportunities for learning because experts sharpen one another and spur on one another’s best thinking.
If you want to know God, you ought to listen to the experts. Peter, James and John had that opportunity one day. They went up a mountain with Jesus, and while they were there they saw Moses and Elijah appear with them on the mountain. Not only that, but Jesus was gloriously transfigured before them. These three men represent all the wisdom God has revealed; Moses represents God’s Law (part of the Old Testament), Elijah represents God’s Prophets (another part of the OT), and Jesus is the center of our entire New Testament. What greater experts could you find to point the way to God? In this panel discussion of the ages, what did they talk about?
They were splendid in appearance, glorious to see; and they were speaking of his death at Jerusalem, to be carried out in accordance with God’s plan. – Luke 9:31, The Living Bible
They were talking about the culmination of Jesus’ ministry! The cross! The resurrection! Perhaps even His ascension (other translations say they were talking about “his departure”)! Moses (the Law), Elijah (the Prophets) and Jesus all agree: Jesus’ cross is our way to God!
Let’s pay attention to this panel discussion.
But let’s notice one thing more: our hope is not in the panel. Our hope is in the Expert of experts, the Servant of servants, the Guide of guides, the Lord of lords and King of kings—Jesus Christ. As Peter and the other two disciples began to realize what was going on, they responded with awe and wanted to set up camp right there, to hold on to all three of these wonderful people. But God intervened:
And a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him.” Then, as the voice died away, Jesus was there alone with his disciples. – Luke 9:35-36, The Living Bible
Moses and Elijah never expected to receive the glory and honor and attention we give to Jesus. They came to lead us to Jesus. They came to introduce us to our God, the King, the eternal Son, the one who would one day die for our sins, conquering sin—only to rise from the dead three days later, conquering death, too.
Are you listening to Him?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
A Servant Who’s Not Serving
ALL – Psalm 31:1-8
ALL – Proverbs 8:1-11
OT – Exodus 26:1-27:21
NT – Matthew 25:1-30
You remember that line from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast song, “Be Our Guest”? “Life is so unnerving for a servant who’s not serving…” It’s a good line, except that Lumiere painted poor Cogsworth as the unfaithful servant, when he was actually the one seeking to obey their master, the Beast. Servants are not just meant to serve everyone; they’re supposed to serve their own masters.
Jesus told a parable about the Kingdom of Heaven in which a man went away to another country, leaving three servants and giving each of them some money to invest for him while he was away. Now this was a really good master. He knew his servants well, and he did not give any of them more than they could handle.
Two of the servants did as their master told them. They invested the money and gained a return. They served him. For their faithful service, the master rewarded each of them with greater privileges and responsibilities.
But one of them did not obey. He did not invest the money at all, not even in an interest-paying bank account. He was too scared about what his master might think or do (Matthew 25:24-25).
The NIV concludes, “For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him” (Matthew 25:29).
This verse seems confusing. All three servants still had money to give to their master, even if the third one had only the original money. What does a person need to “have” to be given more? What is it that will make a person lose everything if he “doesn’t have” it?
The answer isn’t “money,” though you might possibly argue that at least “a gain” is necessary. But how do you measure gain in the spiritual realm of the Kingdom of Heaven? Not with money!
What did the first two servants have that the third servant didn’t have? They had faithful, responsible service. The monetary gain simply showed that they had been hard at work, serving as their master commanded them to do. Servants are meant to serve. And since this parable says that the master gave each servant a task that fit his abilities, we can assume that faithful service to our King Jesus will result in the kind of gain He desires. Jesus knows our capabilities and entrusts us with service we can do. It’s not up to us to compare our abilities to others. It’s not up to us to worry about whether our service will give Jesus the return He’s looking for. It’s up to us to serve. If we don’t…?
For the man who uses well what he is given shall be given more, and he shall have an abundance. But from the man who is unfaithful, even what little responsibility he has shall be taken from him. – Matthew 25:29, The Living Bible
Jesus’ faithful servants receive a reward. Servants who don’t serve lose everything. What’s holding you back?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 8:1-11
OT – Exodus 26:1-27:21
NT – Matthew 25:1-30
You remember that line from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast song, “Be Our Guest”? “Life is so unnerving for a servant who’s not serving…” It’s a good line, except that Lumiere painted poor Cogsworth as the unfaithful servant, when he was actually the one seeking to obey their master, the Beast. Servants are not just meant to serve everyone; they’re supposed to serve their own masters.
Jesus told a parable about the Kingdom of Heaven in which a man went away to another country, leaving three servants and giving each of them some money to invest for him while he was away. Now this was a really good master. He knew his servants well, and he did not give any of them more than they could handle.
Two of the servants did as their master told them. They invested the money and gained a return. They served him. For their faithful service, the master rewarded each of them with greater privileges and responsibilities.
But one of them did not obey. He did not invest the money at all, not even in an interest-paying bank account. He was too scared about what his master might think or do (Matthew 25:24-25).
The NIV concludes, “For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him” (Matthew 25:29).
This verse seems confusing. All three servants still had money to give to their master, even if the third one had only the original money. What does a person need to “have” to be given more? What is it that will make a person lose everything if he “doesn’t have” it?
The answer isn’t “money,” though you might possibly argue that at least “a gain” is necessary. But how do you measure gain in the spiritual realm of the Kingdom of Heaven? Not with money!
What did the first two servants have that the third servant didn’t have? They had faithful, responsible service. The monetary gain simply showed that they had been hard at work, serving as their master commanded them to do. Servants are meant to serve. And since this parable says that the master gave each servant a task that fit his abilities, we can assume that faithful service to our King Jesus will result in the kind of gain He desires. Jesus knows our capabilities and entrusts us with service we can do. It’s not up to us to compare our abilities to others. It’s not up to us to worry about whether our service will give Jesus the return He’s looking for. It’s up to us to serve. If we don’t…?
For the man who uses well what he is given shall be given more, and he shall have an abundance. But from the man who is unfaithful, even what little responsibility he has shall be taken from him. – Matthew 25:29, The Living Bible
Jesus’ faithful servants receive a reward. Servants who don’t serve lose everything. What’s holding you back?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Wanting Jesus to Fit Our Box
ALL – Psalm 14:1-7
ALL – Proverbs 3:19-20
OT – Genesis 32:13-34:31
NT – Matthew 11:7-30
What shall I say about this nation? These people are like children playing, who say to their little friends, “We played wedding and you weren’t happy, so we played funeral but you weren’t sad.” – Matthew 11:16-17, The Living Bible
That’s what we’re like. We're childish. We want Jesus to do as we do. But Jesus sets the pace. We’re supposed to do as He does. We join Him; Jesus leads us. Not the other way around.
Where does Jesus not seem to be the way you might want, and what effect would it have on your life if you conformed to Him?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 3:19-20
OT – Genesis 32:13-34:31
NT – Matthew 11:7-30
What shall I say about this nation? These people are like children playing, who say to their little friends, “We played wedding and you weren’t happy, so we played funeral but you weren’t sad.” – Matthew 11:16-17, The Living Bible
That’s what we’re like. We're childish. We want Jesus to do as we do. But Jesus sets the pace. We’re supposed to do as He does. We join Him; Jesus leads us. Not the other way around.
Where does Jesus not seem to be the way you might want, and what effect would it have on your life if you conformed to Him?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
“Fruit” Means Obedience, Not Exploits
ALL – Psalm 9:1-12
ALL – Proverbs 2:16-22
OT – Genesis 20:1-22:24
NT – Matthew 7:15-29
Some of the most frightening passages in the Scriptures are those where Jesus describes the kind of people who will NOT be allowed into the kingdom of heaven. Why? Because Jesus talks about people who have an appearance of righteousness—and I have to agree, they appear to be righteous. They appear to be on Jesus’ team. And then it’s easy to begin to wonder, “How can I tell the difference between those who appear to be on Jesus’ team and those who actually are?” And the next question is, “How can I tell whether I merely appear to be on Jesus’ team or whether I actually am?” Scary thoughts. The questions are sobering, frightening and disconcerting because we, so often, judge merely by appearances. We’ve lost the ability to discern between those who are truly Jesus’ followers and those who merely appear to be.
But Jesus tried to help us. He gave us instructions designed to lead us into understanding. And He told us, By their fruit you will recognize them (Matthew 7:16, NIV).
So what fruit are we looking for?
Not ministry exploits, that’s for sure:
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ – Matthew 7:21-23, NIV
Never assume that anyone—no matter how respected, no matter how much of a leader, no matter how famous, no matter how great a Bible teacher, no matter how successful he is in ministry exploits—is a follower of Jesus Christ. Ministry exploits are not the fruit Jesus is after.
So what’s Jesus after? What fruit does he want us to discern?
The simple, humble fruit of daily obedience:
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. – Matthew 7:24, NIV
This talk about fruit came at the end of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. He’d urged men and women to accept pain and persecution for His sake (Matt. 5:3-12), to do good deeds for the Father’s praise (5:13-16), to practice and teach God’s commands (5:17-20), to make peace rather than to be angry (5:21-26), to avoid lust (5:27-30) and divorce (5:31-32), to live a life of truth (5:33-37), to focus on doing good even above getting justice (5:38-42), to love enemies as friends (5:43-48), to give and pray and forgive and fast with the Father in mind (6:1-18), to serve God rather than money (6:19-24), to trust God with earthly needs (6:25-34), to judge themselves instead of others (7:1-6), to ask God for good gifts (7:7-12), and to find and follow the narrow road (7:13-14). Only after all these commands and directions did Jesus begin to describe how to discern between good fruit and bad, good teachers and bad.
How many of the commands Jesus gave in His Sermon on the Mount are commands that cannot be faithfully pursued by every single disciple? How many of them are exclusive to ministers and professionals?
Jesus did not condemn teachers who called Him ‘Lord.” He did not condemn men and women who prophesy, drive out demons and perform miracles in His name. These are all aspects of valid ministry.
But great ministry exploits are not the marks of great teachers and ministers. False teachers may well do great ministry exploits. The fruit of a good minister is the same as the fruit of any other disciple of Jesus Christ: the simple, humble, enduring fruit of daily obedience.
Father, may I and all your people produce this fruit in abundance!
Can anyone share an example of such a fruitful, faithful man or woman of God? Someone whose life may or may not have been filled with great ministry exploits, but whose life was certainly filled with consistent and faithful obedience to Jesus Christ?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 2:16-22
OT – Genesis 20:1-22:24
NT – Matthew 7:15-29
Some of the most frightening passages in the Scriptures are those where Jesus describes the kind of people who will NOT be allowed into the kingdom of heaven. Why? Because Jesus talks about people who have an appearance of righteousness—and I have to agree, they appear to be righteous. They appear to be on Jesus’ team. And then it’s easy to begin to wonder, “How can I tell the difference between those who appear to be on Jesus’ team and those who actually are?” And the next question is, “How can I tell whether I merely appear to be on Jesus’ team or whether I actually am?” Scary thoughts. The questions are sobering, frightening and disconcerting because we, so often, judge merely by appearances. We’ve lost the ability to discern between those who are truly Jesus’ followers and those who merely appear to be.
But Jesus tried to help us. He gave us instructions designed to lead us into understanding. And He told us, By their fruit you will recognize them (Matthew 7:16, NIV).
So what fruit are we looking for?
Not ministry exploits, that’s for sure:
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ – Matthew 7:21-23, NIV
Never assume that anyone—no matter how respected, no matter how much of a leader, no matter how famous, no matter how great a Bible teacher, no matter how successful he is in ministry exploits—is a follower of Jesus Christ. Ministry exploits are not the fruit Jesus is after.
So what’s Jesus after? What fruit does he want us to discern?
The simple, humble fruit of daily obedience:
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. – Matthew 7:24, NIV
This talk about fruit came at the end of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. He’d urged men and women to accept pain and persecution for His sake (Matt. 5:3-12), to do good deeds for the Father’s praise (5:13-16), to practice and teach God’s commands (5:17-20), to make peace rather than to be angry (5:21-26), to avoid lust (5:27-30) and divorce (5:31-32), to live a life of truth (5:33-37), to focus on doing good even above getting justice (5:38-42), to love enemies as friends (5:43-48), to give and pray and forgive and fast with the Father in mind (6:1-18), to serve God rather than money (6:19-24), to trust God with earthly needs (6:25-34), to judge themselves instead of others (7:1-6), to ask God for good gifts (7:7-12), and to find and follow the narrow road (7:13-14). Only after all these commands and directions did Jesus begin to describe how to discern between good fruit and bad, good teachers and bad.
How many of the commands Jesus gave in His Sermon on the Mount are commands that cannot be faithfully pursued by every single disciple? How many of them are exclusive to ministers and professionals?
Jesus did not condemn teachers who called Him ‘Lord.” He did not condemn men and women who prophesy, drive out demons and perform miracles in His name. These are all aspects of valid ministry.
But great ministry exploits are not the marks of great teachers and ministers. False teachers may well do great ministry exploits. The fruit of a good minister is the same as the fruit of any other disciple of Jesus Christ: the simple, humble, enduring fruit of daily obedience.
Father, may I and all your people produce this fruit in abundance!
Can anyone share an example of such a fruitful, faithful man or woman of God? Someone whose life may or may not have been filled with great ministry exploits, but whose life was certainly filled with consistent and faithful obedience to Jesus Christ?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Weekly Sermons in Swanton: The Coming of the Christ
The message covered Acts 2:14-39, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. Once the Jews understood what Peter was telling them about the Holy Spirit’s coming, they “were struck to the heart.” Why? Because the Holy Spirit’s arrival proved that Jesus is the Christ and that He’s waiting for His enemies to be made a footstool for His feet. Yet there is hope. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
One King to Rule Them All…
Zechariah 14; Psalm 148; Proverbs 31:8-9
I know some people who think they ought to be in charge of the whole world. And I’m not just talking about the Brain from “Pinky and the Brain”. People who think they should be kings or queens over the universe, even. But most images of such a dominant ruler are like the Dark Lord Sauron in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy – destructive and evil.
Only one ruler can rule all and do so righteously.
The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. – Zechariah 14:9
It’s good to know His reign is on its way!
What do you most look forward to about Jesus’ coming reign?
I know some people who think they ought to be in charge of the whole world. And I’m not just talking about the Brain from “Pinky and the Brain”. People who think they should be kings or queens over the universe, even. But most images of such a dominant ruler are like the Dark Lord Sauron in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy – destructive and evil.
Only one ruler can rule all and do so righteously.
The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. – Zechariah 14:9
It’s good to know His reign is on its way!
What do you most look forward to about Jesus’ coming reign?
Saturday, December 26, 2009
His Arrow Will Flash Like Lightning
Zechariah 9-10; Psalm 145; Proverbs 30:32
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
and the war-horses from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth. – Zechariah 9:9-10
What a picture of peace! That’s what we’re looking for, you know? A righteous, saving, peaceful king whose rule extends everywhere. We know that king to be Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ (Matt. 21:1-11).
But Jesus Himself didn’t always seem to be so peaceful, even immediately after fulfilling the words of Zechariah’s prophecy (Matt. 21:12-13). Why not? Because Jesus’ peace is only for His people, to His kingdom. Yes, anyone may become a part of His kingdom and find peace with Jesus, so in that sense His peace is for everyone. But there are those who reject the Christ’s offer of peace, instead preparing for battle. The problem’s simple: you can’t defeat Jesus, no matter who you are.
I will bend Judah as I bend my bow
and fill it with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, O Zion,
against your sons, O Greece,
and make you like a warrior's sword.
Then the LORD will appear over them;
his arrow will flash like lightning.
The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet;
he will march in the storms of the south,
and the LORD Almighty will shield them.
They will destroy
and overcome with slingstones.
They will drink and roar as with wine;
they will be full like a bowl
used for sprinkling the corners of the altar. – Zechariah 9:13-15
This same Christ who brings peace to His people is the LORD who sounds the trumpet and marches into battle against those who reject His offer of peace. No picture of Jesus is complete that denies that He is the LORD whose “arrow will flash like lightning.”
Have you accepted His offer of peace?
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
and the war-horses from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth. – Zechariah 9:9-10
What a picture of peace! That’s what we’re looking for, you know? A righteous, saving, peaceful king whose rule extends everywhere. We know that king to be Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ (Matt. 21:1-11).
But Jesus Himself didn’t always seem to be so peaceful, even immediately after fulfilling the words of Zechariah’s prophecy (Matt. 21:12-13). Why not? Because Jesus’ peace is only for His people, to His kingdom. Yes, anyone may become a part of His kingdom and find peace with Jesus, so in that sense His peace is for everyone. But there are those who reject the Christ’s offer of peace, instead preparing for battle. The problem’s simple: you can’t defeat Jesus, no matter who you are.
I will bend Judah as I bend my bow
and fill it with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, O Zion,
against your sons, O Greece,
and make you like a warrior's sword.
Then the LORD will appear over them;
his arrow will flash like lightning.
The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet;
he will march in the storms of the south,
and the LORD Almighty will shield them.
They will destroy
and overcome with slingstones.
They will drink and roar as with wine;
they will be full like a bowl
used for sprinkling the corners of the altar. – Zechariah 9:13-15
This same Christ who brings peace to His people is the LORD who sounds the trumpet and marches into battle against those who reject His offer of peace. No picture of Jesus is complete that denies that He is the LORD whose “arrow will flash like lightning.”
Have you accepted His offer of peace?
Friday, December 11, 2009
Weekly Sermons in Swanton: The Advent and Hope
The message covered Matthew 12:15-24, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. In several hope-giving ways, Jesus fulfills the prophecies of Isaiah as He comes to Israel during His first advent. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.
Friday, August 24, 2007
King Jesus
Mark 11:1-11
We can certainly debate whether Jesus just knew that the colt would be there or whether He had planned this event in advance with certain men from the village to which Jesus sent His disciples. Regardless, we already know that Jesus is God. We don't have to have this passage in order to prove His omniscience. His omniscience won't fall if we allow the arguments and questions about His foreknowledge in the circumstances of this passage to be set aside.
What is important is that Jesus clearly intended to communicate a message. It looks as though He and His disciples spent the whole day communicating it, for when He gets to the temple in Jerusalem, it is already evening, and He simply turns around and goes back to Bethany. No, this was not just another mode of transportation into Jerusalem. This donkey on which Jesus rode into Jerusalem was more than a physical vehicle; it was a vehicle of communication. And it seems that the people got the message.
This action was intended to communicate the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9:
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king¹ comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Jesus is the King, the Messiah! And He knows it! Zechariah tells us that we should be excited to see our King. How excited am I to know Jesus as my King? I have the most wonderful King in the world, a King overflowing with righteousness, goodness, love, gentleness! And yet I sometimes resent His call to service. How can that be? How lazy am I? How little do I recognize true greatness when I see it? True goodness? Real, genuine truth, beauty, glory? How great do I consider myself to be, that I am too prideful to bend my knees, spread my clothes on the road, and give all for the glory of King Jesus?
We can certainly debate whether Jesus just knew that the colt would be there or whether He had planned this event in advance with certain men from the village to which Jesus sent His disciples. Regardless, we already know that Jesus is God. We don't have to have this passage in order to prove His omniscience. His omniscience won't fall if we allow the arguments and questions about His foreknowledge in the circumstances of this passage to be set aside.
What is important is that Jesus clearly intended to communicate a message. It looks as though He and His disciples spent the whole day communicating it, for when He gets to the temple in Jerusalem, it is already evening, and He simply turns around and goes back to Bethany. No, this was not just another mode of transportation into Jerusalem. This donkey on which Jesus rode into Jerusalem was more than a physical vehicle; it was a vehicle of communication. And it seems that the people got the message.
This action was intended to communicate the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9:
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king¹ comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Jesus is the King, the Messiah! And He knows it! Zechariah tells us that we should be excited to see our King. How excited am I to know Jesus as my King? I have the most wonderful King in the world, a King overflowing with righteousness, goodness, love, gentleness! And yet I sometimes resent His call to service. How can that be? How lazy am I? How little do I recognize true greatness when I see it? True goodness? Real, genuine truth, beauty, glory? How great do I consider myself to be, that I am too prideful to bend my knees, spread my clothes on the road, and give all for the glory of King Jesus?
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