Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Do you have beautiful feet?
And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:15
Beloved,
When was the last time you told someone about Jesus? Sharing the gospel can be hard. Listen to the wise counsel of this seasoned pastor:
"I began this year with a desire to be a better personal evangelist. So, what’s happening with that desire? Well, I think I’m learning (again!) two vital lessons.
First, desiring something ain’t the same thing as doing something. Not by a long shot. And while I know that sounds like a rather obvious thing to say, in my case it needs saying. Desire has to be translated into specific plans and actions. I’m looking up nearly 30 days after expressing that desire and only once have I personally shared the gospel with someone. Aaaargh!!!
Second, I’m learning again that faithful evangelism requires putting to death the fear of man. Will I ever stop having that halting tightness in my chest? Will those hesitation-inducing thoughts of rejection and offense ever fade away? You know, probably not. I’m likely to always feel some hesitation and some fear of man when it comes to evangelism. But what am I going to do? Not share the greatest news the world has ever received? No. I’m going to remember Romans 1:16, Philemon 6, and Hebrews 10:38-39, and other such texts which encourage, admonish, promise, and guide.[1] "
It may always be hard to share the gospel. The fear of man may grip your heart, but we must share the greatest news the world has ever received. Be encouraged that you are not the only one who struggles with the fear of man. But also be encouraged to overcome that fear by doing what you desire for how beautiful are the feet that bring good news!!
In Christ,
Pastor Dave
“Prepare Yourself for the Messiah” Luke 3:1-20
Weddings have become big business in America. On average, American couples spent $25,000 on weddings. The wedding industry is booming and there is no shortage of advice. From shows like, Say Yes to the Dress, Bridezillas, My Fair Wedding, A Wedding Story, Amazing Wedding Cakes or Wedded to Perfection, there is a plethora of information about how to prepare for the big day. There are also a large variety of wedding magazine to choose from: Premier Bride, Wedding Style, Brides, Town & Country Weddings, or The Knot Magazine. It has become a booming industry to help people prepare for the big day. Weddings should be a big deal. It is very important day. It is very important day to prepare for it is a day that will alter your future. It is a day that unites two people into one flesh. I think more emphasis should be placed on the marriage over the wedding, but that is another conversation. But I think we can all agree that the bride should prepare to meet the bridegroom. All of us must prepare to meet the Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus. There is a day approaching when we will discover if we are prepared for Our Marriage, the marriage supper with the Lamb. Matthew 25:1-13:
25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
We must prepare ourselves for the Bridegroom, the Messiah. I want show you three truths from this morning text that I believe will help us prepare for the Messiah.
By Inwardly Repenting of Sin (v.1-6)
Luke announces John as a prophet from the Old Testament tradition. After placing him in a historical context, roughly 29 AD, He said, “the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.” Luke does not use the normal logos for the word of God. He uses the word rhema which is typically used to a specific word for a specific ministry. John had a very unique calling from God. Luke (along with the Mark and Matthew) make note the John came in the desert or wilderness. This is important as it connects John to the prophecy of Isaiah 40. The book of Isaiah can be separated in two sections; Chapters 1-39 which are more prophecies of judgment against Israel in the coming exile to Babylon and Chapters 40-66 which are prophecies of salvation from exile. Luke connects John’s ministry to that of the salvation that God will break to Israel while they are in the desert of exile. Verse 4 says, “As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.”
Luke wants the readers to see that God’s Word is still active. As God spoke Zechariah in the temple, he will continue to speak through his servant John. The mention of John’s location in the desert connects John to Isaiah 40 and shows that his ministry will be a crucial step in God’s plan of salvation. Isaiah 40 speaks about how God will bring a second exodus for his people modeling the first exodus. Most Jews believed that just as God led his people out of slavery in Egypt, he was going to lead his people out of bondage to Babylon. Luke is saying here that the salvation promised in Isaiah was not fulfilled in the return from the exile in Babylon, but will be fulfilled in the Anointed Lord, Jesus Christ. So, John’s specific calling to be the one the helps to prepare people for a complete and total salvation or a new exodus not from bondage to a foreign nation, but from sin and death. So how was this going to happen? What was John’s message? Verse 3 says, “He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”
John challenged people to prepare the way for the Lord by inwardly repenting of their sins. The concept of repentance is not only important to the ministry of John the Baptist, but it also important throughout Luke’s gospel.[1]The Old Testament idea for repentance is turning or to return. It is often viewed as one changing their point of view or perspective. John was challenging people to change their way of thinking. They needed to live differently and the way to live differently is to think differently. People needed to understand that they lived under responsibility before God. God was coming to bring salvation, but he was also coming in judgment. The salvation that God brings will remove every obstruction that stands in His way. It will be like a highway cleared through a mountain. His salvation will explode mountains and hills to dust so we may see his salvation. Similarly, listen to Isaiah 57:14, “And it shall be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people's way.” God will fill every valley, straighten every road, and smooth out the rough places so that all mankind can see His Salvation. But for one to experience that salvation, they must repent. They must change their mind in their relationship with God.
Beloved, we cannot experience salvation unless we repent of our sins. When we are confronted with our own sinfulness, we arrive at the proverbial fork in the road. We either are going to run from our sin or we are going to run from God; we will either hide our sin or hide in the shadow of the cross? My former pastor use to say, “the difference with a Christian and a Non-Christian is that when a Non-Christian is confronted with their sin they will side with themselves against God while the Christian will side with God against himself and his sin.” So beloved how do you respond when you are confronted in your sins? Do you try to justify yourself or do you understand that you are desperate for grace?
We know that John was coming with the Spirit of the Lord for he did everything against the dominate culture. Listen to verse 7, “John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” This is not typically how speakers are trained. Ruler #1 – Do not insult your audience. Isn’t that exactly what John did? You children of snakes. How far do you think John would have gotten in our American culture? The message of sin and our need for repentance is never popular in fleshly hearts. In our flesh we want to justify ourselves and minimize our need to change. Are we any different than John’s audience?
John assumes that certain people are going to attempt to justify themselves with God. Verse 8b, “And do not begin to say to yourselves (do not begin to justify your place with God), ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” The Jews took comfort in their heritage. They believed that because of their privileged place in God’s plan (and it was and is a privileged place) that they were exempt from this baptism of repentance. But John’s message was a continuation of the Old Testament Covenant. People were coming to be baptized into the promise of the coming Messiah. Remember at the start of John’s ministry, Jesus had not yet begun his public ministry. Jews were being baptized into the same hope of the coming of the Messiah. The baptism of John paved the way for the later baptism of Jesus. We will look at this more in a moment, but listen to Acts 19:4, “4 John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into[b] the name of the Lord Jesus.” So the Jews were being baptism into the same promise, but this baptism was more related to the proximity to the time when the promise was to be fulfilled. The time is now. John implies this with statement like “the coming wrath” and “the ax is already at the root of the trees.” The time of salvation and judgment is now.
Many Jews believed that their spiritual heritage was going to spare them from this judgment, but spiritual heritage does not justify us before God. We all are held individually accountable before God. We all must individual repent. Notice what John says, he says that God can raise up children for Abraham from stones. He can take that which is without life: stones and give them spiritual life so that they can be children of Abraham by faith. That is exactly what has happened to us!! He took our dead hearts and made them alive in Christ by faith so we are called children of Abraham. Romans 4:16-17:
16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”[c]He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
Our salvation is an act of God. Before we can come to life, we must first realize that we are dead. John insulted the sin in his audience not to condemn them, but to expose their need for grace. Beloved, prepare the way for the Messiah by inwardly repenting of your sins.
By Outwardly Producing Good Fruit (v.7-14)
Verse 7, “7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” The inward repentant heart will always produce good fruit. This is very common New Testament truth. You can judge a tree by its fruit. Good fruit equals a good tree. Bad fruit equals a bad tree. Apple trees do not produce orange. Orange trees do not produce apples. A heart that has truly repented will produce good fruit. Before we look at what good fruit is, we must first look at John’s motivation to produce this fruit.
Verse 9, “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” And again in verse 17, “His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” The Lord Jesus comes in judgment and in salvation. This world stands condemned because of their sin. Every human being desires to be cut down and thrown in the fire. This is why we must repent and confess our sins to God. And this is why Jesus came. He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. John’s motivation is very simple: Everyone who does not repent and bear good fruit will burn with an unquenchable fire. So John urges his readers, as I urge you: repent and bear good fruit.
You may be thinking like John’s hearers, verse 10:
“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.11 John answered, “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.”12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” 13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. 14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”
Three different groups are mentioned: the crowds (v.7), tax collectors (v.12) and soldiers (v. 14). You will notice that with all three groups John tells them to look away from themselves to serve others. To the crowds John says to share their clothing and their food with those who do not have any either. A mark of a repentant, believing heart is those who are generous to the poor with their possessions and their food. We do not look to hold what we have, but we give to those who are in need.
Tax collectors also came to be baptized, “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” Notice that they came with respect by calling John teacher. Tax collectors were not well liked in the community. They were responsible to collect taxes for the Roman government, but also were given the freedom to collect taxes to cover their own expenses. Many tax collectors took advantage of their fellow citizens by charging more than what was necessary to line their own pockets. John does not tell them to change jobs just do it with honor. Stop thinking about yourself and feeding your greed, but only collect what is required. Again you see that repentance has a “loving your neighbor” goal.
Soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” The word extort their literally means to shake figs which is where we get our terminology for shaking someone down. These soldiers must not shake people down for more money. Soldiers also would extort money by the use of fraud. John says stop abusing your position as a soldier and be content with your pay. Again, we see repentance has a benefit in blessing others.
Bearing fruit that is keeping with repentance means that we are generous with resources and our time for the sake of others. Notice how in all three of these cases repentance has something to do with money. Did you know that the average Christian gives less today than they did during the great depression? The average church member gives less than 2% of their income to the Lord. The New Testament never mentioned giving a 10% of your income for they assumed that was only the starting point. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Can I challenge you that if you are not currently giving your tithe to start? How your handle your checkbook is one indicator of whether you have truly repented? No man can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and money.” It is hard to let go of money, but should repentance be easy? It is very easy to say we have repented, but the ax is ready at the root of the trees and every tree that does not talk about good fruit will be cut down …wait…every tree that does not produce good fruit.
Have you repented? Are you producing fruit in keeping with repentance?
By Upwardly Pointing to Jesus (v.15-20)
John’s ministry created some buzz among the people. Verse 15 says, “The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ.” The people looked at John’s ministry and were amazed. It would have been easy for John to receive the credit for his ministry, but instead he upwardly pointed to the Lord Jesus. Listen to his response in verse 16:
John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the throngs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
John did what we should all do. When people come to us and our impressed with our lives, we should point to Jesus, the one who is more powerful than us. It is very easy to believe in your own hype and press releases. I have always loved John’s heart for the goal of his life was to make much of the Lord Jesus. He is so great and so powerful I am not even worthy to untie his sandals.
What makes Jesus so great? Three things, first Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit. While John’s baptism only pointed to the coming of the Messiah, the baptism of Jesus actually fulfills the promise by taking our heart of stone and giving us a heart of flesh. His baptism is greater because He sends the Holy Spirit into our hearts. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Cor. 5:17)” Secondly, Jesus is the Savior. Only Jesus saves. “His winnowing fork is in HIS hand to clear HIS threshing floor and to gather the wheat into HIS barn.” The only way to be gathered into his barn is to be baptized by the Holy Spirit or to be born again. We must be saved. We are saved when we repent and believe. Romans 10:9-10 9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. When we repent of our sins and trust in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation, He saves us and gives us a new nature; a nature that desires to please the Lord. This is why we must bear fruit that is keeping with our repentance. Our lives must match up with our new nature.
Thirdly, Jesus is the judge. Listen to Acts 17:30-31 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” When we are judged by God, we will be judged by the man Christ Jesus. In that day, our sin will be fully exposed and we will be compared to Jesus Christ and his holiness and we will not measure up.
Now look at Luke 3:18, “And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.” This is good news. But God has provided a way to save us!! We cannot stand in his judgment so God sent the man, Christ Jesus, to be judged on our behalf. Therefore, if anyone turns from their sin and believes in Jesus Christ, they will be saved. Jesus is more powerful than John because only Jesus overcame death in his resurrection from the dead. His resurrection is offered to us when we repent. John’s audience thought this was good news; do you? For not everyone believes the message of Christ is good news.
Verse 19, “But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife and all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.” Herod was a wicked man. John confronted him in his sin and he sided with his sin against God. Herod did not repent, but continue to do evil by locking John in prison. The unrepentant heart will always try to silence the Word of the Lord, because it wants to remain in their sin.
This is why I am consistently challenging people to make the church more of a priority. We do not want to silence the Word of the Lord, but rather we want to hear it, even if it speaks against us. For as Christians, we must always choose the side of the Lord. This is why historically Baptist churches have always made the Word the center of their services. We want to hear the Word of the Lord.
Where are you this morning? Are you more like Herod? Do you get angry when people point out your sins and try to silence the Lord’s voice? Or are you like the tax collectors and the soldiers that realized their sin was great before God? Their sins were many, but they were forgiven through their repentance and faith. Prepare yourself for the Messiah, repent of your sins, bear good fruit and give all the glory to the Lord Jesus. Let’s pray.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Christ as Lord in the midst American Intolerance (1 Peter 3:15)
Garrett Kell, pastor of Del Ray Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA, wrote this following our recent presidential elections:
A great tragedy unfolded less than one week ago on Tuesday, November 6, 2012.
The tragedy was not found in the celebrations of elected officials or the concessions of defeat. It was not colored red or blue, and it wasn't wrapped up in meaningless campaign promises.
The tragedy of the 2012 election is that in this land of the free and home of the brave, many people were not allowed to vote. Their voices were silenced. Their votes were not cast. Their opinions not expressed. Why?
Because they were dead.
The great tragedy of the 2012 election is that roughly 33 million would-be voters had been murdered. From 1973 to 1994, roughly 35 million babies were aborted. That's roughly 35 million 18- to 39-year-olds who could not vote from the grave.
This is an unspeakable tragedy. The numbers are shocking, but on average 7 babies are aborted every 3 minutes in America. But Pastor Kell goes on:
This is a tragedy that hits close to home. When I was 19, I chose to end the life of my first child through an abortion. My friend and I were in a scary place, we didn't plan to get married, and we had nowhere else to go. So we opted to end the life of our child.
That child would be 16 today. They'd be excited about driving a car and, in just a couple of years, they'd be excited about voting. But they won't be doing any of that. We won't be sitting down together as I explain how to think about policies and the candidates who represent them. I won't be able to tell them about freedom and justice for all. I took that freedom away with my injustice.
I cannot undo what I've done in the past. None of us can. Only Jesus, who shed his blood for sinners like me, can heal those wounds. Jesus gives us great hope in the midst of this tragedy, and all the other tragedies we face in this life.
When we start the discussion of abortion this Sanctity of Life Sunday, we must hold two core truths side by side. Abortion is an unspeakable tragedy and the shed blood of the Lord Jesus forgives that tragedy. Abortion is not the unforgiveable sin. There is no sin that cannot and will not be forgiven when people turn to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith.
If you or a friend or family member, have been impacted by abortion, can I encourage to firmly grasp on to that truth? 1 Timothy 1:15 “This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Jesus came to pay the penalty of sin, including the sin of abortion.
The Church is in a unique place in American History. The State is becoming more and more hostile to the Christian Faith. I believe Peter’s warning to the first century church is very applicable for us today. “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? (Like fighting for the unborn) But even if you should suffer for what is right you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.”
We will suffer so set apart Christ as Lord.
It is clear that the persecution that is happening against the church is only going to rise in the near future. We will suffer. We will suffer in our efforts to do good and honor the Lord and His Word. The recent healthcare law passed by Congress has approved the use of federal funds for abortions. As Christians, we cannot support such regulations. Christian Universities, Catholic Charities, and even secular businesses run by Christians are fighting this law. Most notably, Hobby Lobby, which has refused to honor this bill is being fined $1 million dollars per day for being eager to do what is good. Persecution and penalties are going to come so how do we stand against them. First, we set apart Christ as Lord. We have to make a decision that no matter what happens in our lives, we are going to serve Jesus Christ as Lord. As Joshua said, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Well beloved, “As for me and my church, we will serve the Lord.” We do not yet know how this aggressive secularism against the things of God will affect the church. But regardless of consequences or penalties, we must set apart Christ as Lord in our lives. So I pray this morning that I will offer some help in how we can set apart Christ as Lord in the midst of American Intolerance. The first way from the text,
Be Prepared with Gospel Reasoning
Look back on how Peter starts to encourage the church in verse 15, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who ask you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” We must be prepared with gospel reasoning. In order to be prepared we must think and study why we hold the position we do. Today as we look at the issue of abortion, I hope to provide reasons why we support the pro-life position from the scriptures and why we disagree with the pro-choice positions. (This will be posted on our church website later today, so if you miss anything you can find it there).
The reason that there is wide-spread disagreement even within churches is because there is no clear verse of Scripture that says, “Thou shall not have an abortion.” But that does not mean that Bible is not clear about abortion. The emphasis of the Scriptures is that life begins at conception and therefore, abortion would be murder, the taking of a life, which is explicitly forbidden in Scripture; (Exodus 20:13, “You shall not murder.”) Listen to the following verses:
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.
The foundation of the biblical argument is that every human being is created in the image of God and therefore every human being has dignity and a right to life. The crux of the entire debate is whether or not the fetus is a person and when that personhood is established. The Bible is clear that a fetus is a little man or woman created in the image of God and deserved the right to live.
Psalm 139:13-16
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
God is active while the child is in the womb; forming the child into a unique human being.
Isaiah 49:1
Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name.
Jeremiah 1:4-5
4 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
God knows us and calls us while we are still in the womb. We could spend hours dissecting other passages, but for the sake of time let me just say this: The weight of the biblical evidence is that life begins at conception. So positively our gospel reasoning is that the Bible is very pro-life.
But we also must be prepared with gospel reasoning to refute the arguments of the opposing side. My goal is not to provide exhaustive evidence against these positions, but merely to point out some flaws in their argument.
Those are only a few of the arguments of the pro-choice position. If we want to set apart Christ as Lord, we must prepare ourselves with Gospel Reasoning. God has given us minds to think and reflect. One of the greatest successes in the pro-abortion movement is that they have convinced people (and some Christians) to be pro-choice. They may not personally believe in abortion for themselves, but do not feel it is their right to take the choice from someone else. If you are here and fall into the pro-choice side, can I challenge you to study the biblical evidence and work to protect life?
Beloved, we are going to suffer for the position we hold. One danger of a democratic society is the tyranny of the majority. As the majority of our culture, moves away from biblical truth, we are going to suffer more and more persecution. We are just beginning to experience tyranny of a Anti-God majority in our culture. Set Apart Christ as Lord by preparing yourself with Gospel Reasoning.
Be Equipped with Gospel Respect
Secondly, we must be equipped with Gospel Respect. Go back to verse 15, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. BUT do this (giving answers and reasons for our hope) with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God’s will to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” Christians are not always known for their gentleness and their respect. The public square often characterizes Christians who stand for Biblical truth as angry, arrogant and annoying. But our convictions come for a God that is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Peter gives three reasons why we should have gentleness and respect. The first is so our conscience may be clear. God has given us a conscience to help us determine to see what is right and wrong. The Holy Spirit speaks to our conscience to convict of sin and lead us to righteousness. It is important to have a clear conscience. Listen to 1 Tim 1.18-19, “ Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.” The “these” that the some have rejected are faith and a good conscience which leads to a shipwrecked faith meaning a false faith or no faith. We want to do things in keeping a good and clear conscience so we will protect our faith.” Peter wants you to act with gentleness and respect for the sake of your own faith.
Secondly, our gentleness and respect is meant to serve those who are attacking us. Peter says should be equipped with gospel respect so that, “those who speak maliciously against our good behavior will be ashamed of their slander.” We will always be held responsible how we carry ourselves when we are mistreated. We want those who slander and maliciously speak against us to come to repentance and the knowledge of the truth. We also have a goal of their restoration with Christ. I have learned this early in my ministry for as a pastor one of my jobs is to help people with sin, even when that sin is against me. So when people slander me and speak malicious of me (even those of you in this congregation) I must respond with gentleness and respect in hopes that God would grant you repentance.
Paul says this to Timothy:
24 And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” 2 Timothy 2:24-26
Beloved, we all need grace. We all need to grow. But those who disagree with Scripture, we must pray that God would change their mind and heart for the sinful or worldly mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law nor can it do so and those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God (Romans 8).
Thirdly, it better to suffer, if its God’s Will for doing good. Ultimately, we trust the sovereignty of God. And in his sovereign control, if we are persecuted, we call ourselves blessed. This is testimony of the early church. This is testimony of Jesus Christ when he said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they are persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:10-12).
This past week Pastor Louie Giglio was invited and then dis-invited for praying at the President 2nd Inauguration. He was asked to pray because of his work to combat human trafficking. Then later he was dis-invited because 15 years ago he made a comment that homosexuality was a sin and that people could be healed and can be forgiven in Jesus Christ. There is much could be said about this recent event. I believe it shows that people who continue to hold fast to biblical truth will continue to be persecuted, but I also believe that the response from Pastor Giglio is one we can emulate. He responded by saying:
I am honored to be invited by the President to give the benediction at the upcoming Inaugural on January 21. Though the President and I do not agree on every issue, we have fashioned a friendship around common goals and ideals, most notably, ending slavery in all its forms. Due to a message of mine that has surfaced from 15-20 years ago, it is likely that my participation, and the prayer I would offer, will be dwarfed by those seeking to make their agenda the focal point of the inauguration. Clearly, speaking on this issue has not been in the range of my priorities in the past fifteen years. Instead, my aim has been to call people to ultimate significance as we make much of Jesus Christ.
Neither I, nor our team, feel it best serves the core message and goals we are seeking to accomplish to be in a fight on an issue not of our choosing, thus I respectfully withdraw my acceptance of the President's invitation. I will continue to pray regularly for the President, and urge the nation to do so. I will most certainly pray for him on Inauguration Day.
Our nation is deeply divided and hurting, and more than ever need God's grace and mercy in our time of need.
He modeled gentleness and respect who those who opposed him. And end this is all we are called to do. We cannot change people’s mind; that is God’s job. Ours is to stand for the Lord with Gospel Reasoning and Gospel Respect. But also must be:
Be Grounded in Gospel Redeemer
Peter reminds us that we also need a Redeemer. It is so easy for us to forget, especially when dealing with the volatile issues of the day like abortion or homosexuality, that we are sinners in need of a Savior. Peter writes, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit.” Beloved, we must never ever forget our desperate need for God. We must always show the world that without God we would be destined for eternal death in hell for our sins. Sin separates us from God. We often comfort ourselves that our sin is not as bad as others (especially in the conversation of abortion), but listen to Jesus,
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother[b] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,[c]’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Jesus says that people are in danger of hell not because of murder, but the root of murder which is anger. The smallest of sins deserve the death penalty in the eyes of God. We all are unrighteous because we all have sinned against the righteousness of a Holy God. But listen to Peter’s words again, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” Once for all. For those who are in Christ Jesus, all sin is forgiven, even the ugliest of sins is forgiven for the righteous died for the unrighteous. Why? To Bring you to God. There is no hope for any of us outside of Jesus Christ.
So what are we to do in this era of American Intolerance against the church? We set Jesus Christ as the Lord of our life by embracing his forgiveness. And after we set apart Christ as Lord in our hearts, we speak. We speak with gospel respect and gospel reasoning, but beloved, we must speak. We must in any and every way we can speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.
We end where we began by hearing from Pastor Kell, one who participated in abortion, he writes,
I have on my wall a picture of a 3-year-old boy in cowboy boots. He nearly wasn't with us today because his mother was in a difficult place. She was unmarried, pregnant, and scared. But my wife met with her, prayed with her, and took her to a Christian doctor who showed her the baby in her womb through a sonogram. That young mother had the courage to keep her child.
That young boy's smile reminds me that God can save children, one at a time. He does this by using his people to come alongside the struggling to lovingly show them the Christ who can walk them through any terrifying situation---even an unplanned pregnancy.
I believe the only hope to turn the trend of this tragedy is for people to turn their hearts toward the God who made them through the way paved by his Son Jesus. Jesus changes hearts, and changed hearts can change a nation. May God give us grace as a country, and may God give us courage to stand up in the midst of this tragedy so that, if he tarries, many more will cast votes in 2030.
Lord Jesus, we need your help.
So like Pastor Kell and his wife, when you have the opportunity to stand up for the unborn whether in a conversation with a family member or a confused teenager or a voting both. Stand up. James 5:20, “Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
A great tragedy unfolded less than one week ago on Tuesday, November 6, 2012.
The tragedy was not found in the celebrations of elected officials or the concessions of defeat. It was not colored red or blue, and it wasn't wrapped up in meaningless campaign promises.
The tragedy of the 2012 election is that in this land of the free and home of the brave, many people were not allowed to vote. Their voices were silenced. Their votes were not cast. Their opinions not expressed. Why?
Because they were dead.
The great tragedy of the 2012 election is that roughly 33 million would-be voters had been murdered. From 1973 to 1994, roughly 35 million babies were aborted. That's roughly 35 million 18- to 39-year-olds who could not vote from the grave.
This is an unspeakable tragedy. The numbers are shocking, but on average 7 babies are aborted every 3 minutes in America. But Pastor Kell goes on:
This is a tragedy that hits close to home. When I was 19, I chose to end the life of my first child through an abortion. My friend and I were in a scary place, we didn't plan to get married, and we had nowhere else to go. So we opted to end the life of our child.
That child would be 16 today. They'd be excited about driving a car and, in just a couple of years, they'd be excited about voting. But they won't be doing any of that. We won't be sitting down together as I explain how to think about policies and the candidates who represent them. I won't be able to tell them about freedom and justice for all. I took that freedom away with my injustice.
I cannot undo what I've done in the past. None of us can. Only Jesus, who shed his blood for sinners like me, can heal those wounds. Jesus gives us great hope in the midst of this tragedy, and all the other tragedies we face in this life.
When we start the discussion of abortion this Sanctity of Life Sunday, we must hold two core truths side by side. Abortion is an unspeakable tragedy and the shed blood of the Lord Jesus forgives that tragedy. Abortion is not the unforgiveable sin. There is no sin that cannot and will not be forgiven when people turn to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith.
If you or a friend or family member, have been impacted by abortion, can I encourage to firmly grasp on to that truth? 1 Timothy 1:15 “This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Jesus came to pay the penalty of sin, including the sin of abortion.
The Church is in a unique place in American History. The State is becoming more and more hostile to the Christian Faith. I believe Peter’s warning to the first century church is very applicable for us today. “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? (Like fighting for the unborn) But even if you should suffer for what is right you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.”
We will suffer so set apart Christ as Lord.
It is clear that the persecution that is happening against the church is only going to rise in the near future. We will suffer. We will suffer in our efforts to do good and honor the Lord and His Word. The recent healthcare law passed by Congress has approved the use of federal funds for abortions. As Christians, we cannot support such regulations. Christian Universities, Catholic Charities, and even secular businesses run by Christians are fighting this law. Most notably, Hobby Lobby, which has refused to honor this bill is being fined $1 million dollars per day for being eager to do what is good. Persecution and penalties are going to come so how do we stand against them. First, we set apart Christ as Lord. We have to make a decision that no matter what happens in our lives, we are going to serve Jesus Christ as Lord. As Joshua said, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Well beloved, “As for me and my church, we will serve the Lord.” We do not yet know how this aggressive secularism against the things of God will affect the church. But regardless of consequences or penalties, we must set apart Christ as Lord in our lives. So I pray this morning that I will offer some help in how we can set apart Christ as Lord in the midst of American Intolerance. The first way from the text,
Be Prepared with Gospel Reasoning
Look back on how Peter starts to encourage the church in verse 15, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who ask you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” We must be prepared with gospel reasoning. In order to be prepared we must think and study why we hold the position we do. Today as we look at the issue of abortion, I hope to provide reasons why we support the pro-life position from the scriptures and why we disagree with the pro-choice positions. (This will be posted on our church website later today, so if you miss anything you can find it there).
The reason that there is wide-spread disagreement even within churches is because there is no clear verse of Scripture that says, “Thou shall not have an abortion.” But that does not mean that Bible is not clear about abortion. The emphasis of the Scriptures is that life begins at conception and therefore, abortion would be murder, the taking of a life, which is explicitly forbidden in Scripture; (Exodus 20:13, “You shall not murder.”) Listen to the following verses:
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.
The foundation of the biblical argument is that every human being is created in the image of God and therefore every human being has dignity and a right to life. The crux of the entire debate is whether or not the fetus is a person and when that personhood is established. The Bible is clear that a fetus is a little man or woman created in the image of God and deserved the right to live.
Psalm 139:13-16
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
God is active while the child is in the womb; forming the child into a unique human being.
Isaiah 49:1
Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name.
Jeremiah 1:4-5
4 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
God knows us and calls us while we are still in the womb. We could spend hours dissecting other passages, but for the sake of time let me just say this: The weight of the biblical evidence is that life begins at conception. So positively our gospel reasoning is that the Bible is very pro-life.
But we also must be prepared with gospel reasoning to refute the arguments of the opposing side. My goal is not to provide exhaustive evidence against these positions, but merely to point out some flaws in their argument.
- A Woman has a right to her own body – Although there is a lot of truth to this claim, a woman does not have an absolute right to her body. For example, a woman cannot use her body as a battering ram to injure other people and she does not have the moral right to sell her body as a prostitute. So although a woman has a right to her body in some cases, it does not mean she has a right to her body in all cases. We should also note that this position assumes that the baby in the womb is a part of her body. Now the baby is in the woman’s body and is sustained by the woman’s body, but the baby also is uniquely different than the woman’s body. A genetic DNA mapping of the woman and the baby will show two unique individuals rather than two identical ones. So the fetus is essentially not a part of the woman’s body as the child has a unique genetic fingerprint.
- The decision is between a woman and her doctor – This is a common view held by those in the pro-choice camp. And this is one of the reasons, why men often are persuaded not to involve themselves in this matter. This, they say, is a woman’s rights issue. All I will say here is that the right to privacy does not trump the right to life. We see that in every other facet of society. What people do in their own homes is allowable unless it infringes on one’s rights to life. And men should be able to speak on the issue of life because we should care about life. Would the apostle Paul not be allowed to speak on the matter because he was male? Or Jesus Christ?
- If abortion is made illegal, then women will resort to back alley abortion that will potentially harm their lives. – If abortion is made illegal, there will be some women who resort to unlawful and harmful abortion practices that may injure their life. But if abortion was illegal, they would be breaking the law and the consequences would be by personal choice. It is not the government’s job to protect people who willfully place themselves in danger when they break the laws. This argument also implies that the lives lost of women who continue to pursue abortions are more important than the millions of children that would be saved if an abortion was illegal. We lose approximately 1.5 million children to abortion every year. In a simple comparison, the argument does not hold water.
Those are only a few of the arguments of the pro-choice position. If we want to set apart Christ as Lord, we must prepare ourselves with Gospel Reasoning. God has given us minds to think and reflect. One of the greatest successes in the pro-abortion movement is that they have convinced people (and some Christians) to be pro-choice. They may not personally believe in abortion for themselves, but do not feel it is their right to take the choice from someone else. If you are here and fall into the pro-choice side, can I challenge you to study the biblical evidence and work to protect life?
Beloved, we are going to suffer for the position we hold. One danger of a democratic society is the tyranny of the majority. As the majority of our culture, moves away from biblical truth, we are going to suffer more and more persecution. We are just beginning to experience tyranny of a Anti-God majority in our culture. Set Apart Christ as Lord by preparing yourself with Gospel Reasoning.
Be Equipped with Gospel Respect
Secondly, we must be equipped with Gospel Respect. Go back to verse 15, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. BUT do this (giving answers and reasons for our hope) with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God’s will to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” Christians are not always known for their gentleness and their respect. The public square often characterizes Christians who stand for Biblical truth as angry, arrogant and annoying. But our convictions come for a God that is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
We must portray a Christ-like demeanor and response when we suffer for what is right.
Peter gives three reasons why we should have gentleness and respect. The first is so our conscience may be clear. God has given us a conscience to help us determine to see what is right and wrong. The Holy Spirit speaks to our conscience to convict of sin and lead us to righteousness. It is important to have a clear conscience. Listen to 1 Tim 1.18-19, “ Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.” The “these” that the some have rejected are faith and a good conscience which leads to a shipwrecked faith meaning a false faith or no faith. We want to do things in keeping a good and clear conscience so we will protect our faith.” Peter wants you to act with gentleness and respect for the sake of your own faith.
Secondly, our gentleness and respect is meant to serve those who are attacking us. Peter says should be equipped with gospel respect so that, “those who speak maliciously against our good behavior will be ashamed of their slander.” We will always be held responsible how we carry ourselves when we are mistreated. We want those who slander and maliciously speak against us to come to repentance and the knowledge of the truth. We also have a goal of their restoration with Christ. I have learned this early in my ministry for as a pastor one of my jobs is to help people with sin, even when that sin is against me. So when people slander me and speak malicious of me (even those of you in this congregation) I must respond with gentleness and respect in hopes that God would grant you repentance.
Paul says this to Timothy:
24 And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” 2 Timothy 2:24-26
Beloved, we all need grace. We all need to grow. But those who disagree with Scripture, we must pray that God would change their mind and heart for the sinful or worldly mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law nor can it do so and those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God (Romans 8).
Thirdly, it better to suffer, if its God’s Will for doing good. Ultimately, we trust the sovereignty of God. And in his sovereign control, if we are persecuted, we call ourselves blessed. This is testimony of the early church. This is testimony of Jesus Christ when he said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they are persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:10-12).
This past week Pastor Louie Giglio was invited and then dis-invited for praying at the President 2nd Inauguration. He was asked to pray because of his work to combat human trafficking. Then later he was dis-invited because 15 years ago he made a comment that homosexuality was a sin and that people could be healed and can be forgiven in Jesus Christ. There is much could be said about this recent event. I believe it shows that people who continue to hold fast to biblical truth will continue to be persecuted, but I also believe that the response from Pastor Giglio is one we can emulate. He responded by saying:
I am honored to be invited by the President to give the benediction at the upcoming Inaugural on January 21. Though the President and I do not agree on every issue, we have fashioned a friendship around common goals and ideals, most notably, ending slavery in all its forms. Due to a message of mine that has surfaced from 15-20 years ago, it is likely that my participation, and the prayer I would offer, will be dwarfed by those seeking to make their agenda the focal point of the inauguration. Clearly, speaking on this issue has not been in the range of my priorities in the past fifteen years. Instead, my aim has been to call people to ultimate significance as we make much of Jesus Christ.
Neither I, nor our team, feel it best serves the core message and goals we are seeking to accomplish to be in a fight on an issue not of our choosing, thus I respectfully withdraw my acceptance of the President's invitation. I will continue to pray regularly for the President, and urge the nation to do so. I will most certainly pray for him on Inauguration Day.
Our nation is deeply divided and hurting, and more than ever need God's grace and mercy in our time of need.
He modeled gentleness and respect who those who opposed him. And end this is all we are called to do. We cannot change people’s mind; that is God’s job. Ours is to stand for the Lord with Gospel Reasoning and Gospel Respect. But also must be:
Be Grounded in Gospel Redeemer
Peter reminds us that we also need a Redeemer. It is so easy for us to forget, especially when dealing with the volatile issues of the day like abortion or homosexuality, that we are sinners in need of a Savior. Peter writes, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit.” Beloved, we must never ever forget our desperate need for God. We must always show the world that without God we would be destined for eternal death in hell for our sins. Sin separates us from God. We often comfort ourselves that our sin is not as bad as others (especially in the conversation of abortion), but listen to Jesus,
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother[b] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,[c]’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Jesus says that people are in danger of hell not because of murder, but the root of murder which is anger. The smallest of sins deserve the death penalty in the eyes of God. We all are unrighteous because we all have sinned against the righteousness of a Holy God. But listen to Peter’s words again, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” Once for all. For those who are in Christ Jesus, all sin is forgiven, even the ugliest of sins is forgiven for the righteous died for the unrighteous. Why? To Bring you to God. There is no hope for any of us outside of Jesus Christ.
So what are we to do in this era of American Intolerance against the church? We set Jesus Christ as the Lord of our life by embracing his forgiveness. And after we set apart Christ as Lord in our hearts, we speak. We speak with gospel respect and gospel reasoning, but beloved, we must speak. We must in any and every way we can speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.
We end where we began by hearing from Pastor Kell, one who participated in abortion, he writes,
I have on my wall a picture of a 3-year-old boy in cowboy boots. He nearly wasn't with us today because his mother was in a difficult place. She was unmarried, pregnant, and scared. But my wife met with her, prayed with her, and took her to a Christian doctor who showed her the baby in her womb through a sonogram. That young mother had the courage to keep her child.
That young boy's smile reminds me that God can save children, one at a time. He does this by using his people to come alongside the struggling to lovingly show them the Christ who can walk them through any terrifying situation---even an unplanned pregnancy.
I believe the only hope to turn the trend of this tragedy is for people to turn their hearts toward the God who made them through the way paved by his Son Jesus. Jesus changes hearts, and changed hearts can change a nation. May God give us grace as a country, and may God give us courage to stand up in the midst of this tragedy so that, if he tarries, many more will cast votes in 2030.
Lord Jesus, we need your help.
So like Pastor Kell and his wife, when you have the opportunity to stand up for the unborn whether in a conversation with a family member or a confused teenager or a voting both. Stand up. James 5:20, “Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
“Understanding Jesus” Luke 2:40-52
My major in college was Intellectual History. When I tell people they usually give me a blank stare or question how Intellectual History is any different than regular history. But Intellectual history is the study of thought over time. It is looking at how major ideas or books changed the course of History. For centuries, most scholars believed that standard for intellectual thought was Aristotle. Aristotle’s treatise on logic and syllogism, Organon, was the standard of logic for centuries. In 1620, an English Philosopher, Francis Bacon, wrote the Novum Organum. This book challenged Aristotelian thought and proposed a new way. You can trace the beginnings of the Enlightenment to this book. I loved to see how ideas or books changed the course of history. The same premise is true for individuals. There are different events or ideas that have altered people’s personal history. I love hearing people’s stories and how they came to think and be where they are in life. Today, we get to see a key story in the life of Jesus which helps us understand who he is and his purpose for coming.
We must learn For Ourselves
There comes a time in everyone’s life when they must move out from their parent’s protection and shadow. They move from being a child of so and so to being their name. So I moved from being a son of Doug and Joann to being Dave. We are entering the end of the prologue in Luke’s gospel and we see an interesting change in this section. Verse 40 and verse 52 act like bookends to this section of Scripture. Listen to verse 40, “And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him.” And now listen to verse 52, “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Do you hear the change? At the beginning of this section, Luke says the child grew and became strong and it ends with Jesus grew in wisdom and stature. Something happens in this scene which Luke wants us to see that this child of Mary and Joseph will now be known as Jesus. Let’s go back and look at what is happening in this scene. Luke 2:41:
41 Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. 43 After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.
Now this is the only information that the Gospels give us about Jesus as a child and Luke is the only one that records it. As discussed last week, Luke points out again about the faithfulness and pious character of Mary and Joseph. Verse 41 reads, “Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.” Jesus grew up in a home than honored the Word of the Lord. It was not even a requirement for women to go so the fact that we see Mary also in attendance continues to show this family’s piety. Verse 42 gives us a detail that is important it says that, “when he was twelve years old.” The age of Jesus is important because age thirteen Jewish boys were responsible before God. Modern Judaism celebrates this 13th year with the party known as Bar Mitzvah (Son of the Law) which celebrates the boy’s move into adult responsibility before God. This is important because Jesus is going to move from under his parents’ identification to being identified individually before God.
This is instructive to us. Parents your children must learn who Jesus is for themselves. You can instruct them and teach them the Scripture, but one day they will be held responsible before God themselves. Children, this is very important for you to listen too. This story is helping to show you that you need to make your own personal decision with the Lord Jesus Christ. There is going to come a day when you are going to be held responsible before God and will have to make a decision for yourself if you are going to follow Jesus Christ as your Lord and your Savior. This is one of the reasons why we want you in the service. We want you to be here and listen to God’s Word because we want you to choose to follow God’s word yourself for this is exactly what Jesus Christ did in this passage.
But before we get to the purpose of the passage let’s look at how this story unfolds. Verse 43, “After the feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.” Notice this is no longer the child, but the boy. We start to see the progression. “Thinking he was in their company, they traveled for a day.” As one pastor points out, Mary and Joseph are not negligent parents. They traveled in a large group and trusted their son. In their minds, there was no need for them to assure that Jesus was where he was supposed to be, because they trusted. Remember Jesus never sinned so one can imagine that Mary and Joseph did not have any discipline problems with Jesus. They just assumed that he would be among the traveling party. It was common for families to travel with relatives and acquaintances both for safety and for companionship. Children usually walked far ahead of the adults they paced the group with their shorter legs. And remember they did this every year, there was no reason for Mary and Joseph to assume that this year was any different than previous years. They began looking for him among their relatives and friends and when they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him.
There is debate among scholars if the three days of searching happened all in Jerusalem or that included the travel time. (So one day to travel away from Jerusalem and one day back and one day searching which would be three days). The exact number of days is not crucial to the story line for you know how what was going on in the hearts of these parents. PANIC. Shear tear. You know that feeling when you are in public place and you turn around and you do not see your young child anywhere. A couple of years ago Ellen and I took the kids to Myrtle Beach. We were in Eagles and we turned and could not see Elizabeth. It was a very long store and we could not find her for a couple of minutes. Your thoughts immediately go to the worse thing imaginable. She was kidnapped and taken out of the store and I will never see her again. For those few minutes (which seemed like hours), my heart was gripped with fear. Now imagine if that were three days.
Verse 46 says, “After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at this understanding and his answers. When is parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
We must learn By Effort
Now before we get to the point of this passage, let us make an application from this young boy Jesus. Focus back on verse 46, “they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” This verse helps us understand more of verse 40 and 52. Listen to 52, “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” These verses are to show how Jesus was fully man. He had to grow and develop as a normal child would. He had to learn and grow in knowledge. It is hard for our minds to grasp how Jesus was fully God and fully man, but I believe that this passage reveals something about what Jesus emptied himself of in his incarnation. In some way, he limited his omniscience or his ability to know everything when he became a human being.
Matthew 24:36, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
So we see that Jesus had to learn and grow. Now this may be hard to comprehend, but listen how one pastor explains this:
But it is not easy to imagine how Christ can be God and not be omniscient. Evidently the incarnate Christ was able somehow to bracket or limit the actual exercise of his divine powers so that he had the personality of God (basically, the motives and will of God), but the powers of knowing all and the infinite strength of God he somehow restrained. They were his potentially, and thus he was God; but he surrendered their use absolutely, and so he was man.[1]
But beloved, let’s not miss the obvious within the complex: Jesus went into the temple courts and sat among teachers listening and asking questions. Jesus took initiative to learn about the things of God. He went to the teachers of the things of God. He asked questions of the things of God. He answered questions of the things of God. If Jesus Christ, the son of God, took initiative to learn about the things of God, do you not think that his people should do the same? If you are not hungry to learn about the things of God, you must ask yourself why? Is it a time issue, a priority issue or a fear issue? God is big and his ways can be hard to understand so we must seek out teachers to help us understand God’s ways. Seek out a teacher and ask questions. Utilize Sunday School. Sunday School is there for you to go deeper in the Bible and develop relationships with people that could help you go deeper in the Word. (If there is a reason that you do attend Sunday School, please let us know. Let’s meet each other half way. We can create the opportunity for you, but you have to be willing to walk through it.) Jesus sought out a teacher to learn and asked questions to learn about the things of God, you must do the same.
We must learn His Purpose
Look back at verse 48, “When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s House?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them.” Throughout this gospel, Luke uses the idea of understanding and hearing and receiving the words of Jesus to show when something is particularly important. This is important. Remember this is the only scene of Jesus’ childhood recorded in the gospels so it must have particular importance to the character of Jesus.
This scene is showing Jesus’ unique relationship to God, the Father. “Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Jesus did not get his main identity from his earthly parents, but from his Heavenly Father. The literal translation means, “I had to be in the…of my Father.” Most translate this verse in my Father’s house. The KJV translates it, “I must be about my Father’s business?” Both are possible translations. Regardless, Jesus now knew his purpose and he would never forgot it. He came to do the will of His Father. He was about his Father’s business. Jesus was making a statement (on the eve of entering manhood and soon to be responsible before God) that he was here for a particular purpose. He was here to do the will of His Father.
The Greek word dei translated “must” is usually used to point out something very specific and important. It is a word that is used to show Jesus specific purpose in his mission from the Father. It is used elsewhere in Luke’s gospel in 9:22:
And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
Notice in this verse Jesus’ unique identity, the SON of Man, is mentioned. When Jesus explains his purpose and his identity it always in relation to who he is as the Son of the Father. Jesus is the eternal Son for He has ever-lived as the Son and to do the will of his Father. And the will of Father is that he must suffer be killed and be raised to life. Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus Christ came to do His Father’s business, the business of saving a lost and broken world.
So this story is very important because at age 12 we know that Jesus understood his mission. We do not know the exact time he understood his purpose, but we know here at age 12 that Jesus was aware of his divinity and unique relationship with the Father. Jesus would live with this knowledge for the next 18 years before he began his public ministry. He would live as a Son responsible to God under the law so that he would be able to redeem those under the law. Galatians 4:4-5:
4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.
So at age 12, Jesus says, “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Jesus knew his purpose, but Mary and Joseph did not understand.
The lack of understanding of who Jesus is was not a problem just for Mary and Joseph, but it was also a problem for Luke’s readers. They did not understand the purpose and work of Jesus Christ. But it is not just them, it is also us? We must know His purpose for knowing His purpose will help us know our purpose. So our last point:
We must learn Our Purpose
It is important to have purpose. We need to know why we are here. Why do we exist? We exist for the glory of Jesus Christ and to spread his fame throughout the world. Colossians 1:15-18:
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
We exist for Jesus Christ because he is the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything. We are not our own, but belong body and soul, in life and death to God and to our Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the key that unlocks who were are and how we are to live. Without Jesus, we do not and indeed cannot understand the purpose of life. Everything is centered around him so that he might have the supremacy.
Let me read again the verse from Galatians that I just mentioned, Galatians 4:4 and following:
4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, [a] Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
Understanding Jesus’ unique relationship as God’s Son helps us see that God wants us also to be his sons and his daughters. Jesus is not only our Savior, but our elder brother who came to redeem us from under law that we might receive the full rights of sons. And because Jesus was obedient to the will of the Father, God the Father sent the Spirit of Christ into our hearts, and through the Spirit we cry, “Abba, Father.” Our purpose is to live like the True Son as we live as sons and daughters of God, his children. We must learn that our purpose is to become children of God. John 1:11-12:
11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent,[c] nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
Jesus came to give us a purpose. His purpose was to live to do the will of the Father. Listen to Matthew 12:46-50:
46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”[g]
48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Our purpose is to do the will of the Father. Isn’t interesting how God has made the family the center of society? The foundation of every society is the family. It is no surprise then that the foundation of the kingdom is a family; a family that has purchased through the blood of Christ.
Now let’s take a step back. If our purpose is to do the will of the Father, isn’t it important to know about the Father? We must learn. We must learn by effort. We must study the Bible. We must seek out teachers and ask questions so can do the will of the father. This is no small matter. This life and death, listen to John 6:40:
40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Beloved, we need to look to the Son and believe in him so we will be raised up by him in the last day.
Jesus said, “I must be in my Father’s house.” That imagery was literally speaking of the Temple, but the Bible uses the idea of a house also to refer to the church. 1 Peter 2:4-5:
As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
The church is the Father’s spiritual house being built with living stones; believers that put their faith in the Son.
I more and more convinced that as much as Jesus Christ is the key that unlocks the purpose of life, the church is the key that unlocks how we live out that purpose. The church gives us a place to express our gifts to build up others. The church is where we live out our new relationship as children of God doing the will of the father with our brothers and sisters. The church is where we find teachers to learn about the will of the Father. The church gives us a community where we can declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Without the church, I believe it is almost impossible to live out our purpose as Christians in this world. The church makes life practical. It is easy to live in the hypothetical or ideas, but the church is real. The church is full of real people, real problems, and real sin. But it is a place where the gospel is displayed; sinners redeemed by grace living as sons and daughters in a new family. If you are not a member of a church, can I just encourage you to be like Jesus? He said I must be in my Father’s house, I pray you follow his example.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Hearts are Revealed: Luke 2:21-40
I love questions. It is easy to assume one’s motives or think you know someone’s thought. That is why I love questions. The best ways to get to know people is to ask questions and then listen. Another reason I love questions, because it forces us to think and to reflect. A good question will help to expose the thoughts of hearts. So I am going to ask you 5 questions from our text this morning and my prayer is that the questions will force you to think, reflect and Lord willing, will help to expose your hearts. So let’s dig in. First question, are you obedient?
Are you Obedient? (v. 21-24)
One of the early complaints against Christianity was that it was a religion that bread dissension and disobedience against the government. It is important to remember who Luke has addressed this gospel to: the most excellent Theophilus, most likely a Roman ruler. You see throughout this gospel how Luke goes out of his way to show how Christianity does not create disorder and dissension, but order and honor.
The Jews looked to the Roman government to squash this religion by painting as a religion that would destroy the government. The Jews mischaracterized Christianity so that the Jews would be the ones to gain favor from the government while Christianity would be persecuted.
Look with me at verse 21 through 24:
“21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. 22 When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
And verse 27,
“Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,"
And verse 39,
39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth
Luke shows 6 times in this section of how pious and obedient Mary and Joseph were to the Word of the Lord. Like, Zechariah and Elizabeth, they were obedient to Word of the Lord given through the angel and named the baby Jesus meaning “the Lord saves.” Truly, this baby would live up to his name, Praise God. In verse 22 says, “When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.” Leviticus 12 explains the purification ritual that must occur after the birth of the child. Luke is showing how Mary and Joseph were obeying the Law of Moses. They were going up to Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice to fulfill the Law. The offering was supposed to be a lamb, unless they could not afford one, then two doves or young pigeons would be acceptable. Luke points out that Mary and Joseph were of humble means as they could not afford the lamb, but instead offered a pair of doves or pigeons instead. Take note of how God came to those of humble means. The Lord regularly visits those of humble means. We often lament of our humble circumstances while the Lord meets us in the midst of them just like he did with Mary and Joseph.
Mary and Joseph not only fulfilled the rite of purification from Leviticus 12, but also that of Exodus 13:2 “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.” Consecrated to the Lord means to be set apart unto God as holy. We will see as this narrative unfolds just how holy this child Jesus will be.
Mary and Joseph are obedient to the Law of the Lord. The start of Christianity did not come from dissenters or the rebellious, but rather the obedient. The attempt of first century Jews to discredit Christianity should not surprise us for they did the same to our Lord Jesus Christ as they painted him as subversive to Roman rule.
Luke 23
Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ,[a] a king.”3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”5 But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea[b] by his teaching.
I want you to see that this is a common scheme of the evil one. The Lord Jesus Christ and his followers are often portrayed against the government and order in society. Think about it? How are Christians perceived in our day? We stand up for marriage and we are looked at as intolerant and guilty of bigotry. Look no further than the backlash against Chick-fil-a after the founder Truett Cathy spoke up for traditional marriage. Several big-city mayors, Washington D.C.'s Vincent Gray, Chicago's Rahm Emanuel, and San Francisco's Edwin Lee, said that they would prevent Chick-fil-A outlets from opening in their cities since they did not want to encourage any business characterized by such intolerance.[1] Christians portrayed as subversive to societal order. Nothing is new under the sun.
But here is the question “Is your life able to stand against the criticism of our world?” All Luke had to do was to point out the truth that Mary and Joseph were obedient and pious Jews. They were not out to overthrow the government, but simple to obey the Lord. Can that be said about you? Beloved, if we are going to win this world, our lives have to be able to stand against the intolerant tolerance of our day that portrays Christians as harsh and unloving. We must let our light shine before men so that they may see our good deeds and praise our father in heaven. We must be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us to give the reason for the hope we have, but we must do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
Are you Waiting? (v. 25-26)
Now, we turn to look at two older saints and their waiting for the Messiah. Let’s first look at Verse 25,
“25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”
Again we see a righteous and devout man shown special favor from the Lord. Simeon was waiting for the consolation of Israel. The consolation of Israel was referring to the hope of deliverance of the nation. This longing was very common in Jewish thought and this deliverance was going to come in the Messiah. It was revealed through the Holy Spirit that Simeon would see the Christ before his death meaning that he would see the beginning consolation or deliverance of Israel. Simeon lived in the hope that God’s promise of hope spoken through OT prophets would be fulfilled.[2]
Luke also draws attention that the Holy Spirit was upon Simeon. Simeon experienced revelation by the Holy Spirit was led by the Holy Spirit and he praised God in the Holy Spirit. Even before Pentecost when the Holy Spirit ushered in the age of the church, saints were led and guided by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has always been active. There is more continuity than discontinuity with the way the Spirit moved under the Old Covenant and the New. Besides that, Luke wants to show that God is one that is behind this whole scene.
Simeon reminds me of many of you. I am so thankful to be here at Park Baptist Church. I have learned so much from many of our senior saints since I came here. One of the most difficult things for a young man is to have a proper perspective of life. We are often so focused on our present needs and future worries that we can miss what really matters in life. As one enters the autumn of life, it is easier to gain proper perspective. I thank God for you senior saints in how you have helped me grow in my perspective as I wait for the hope of God’s promised being fulfilled in Jesus Christ. I pray that God would continue to use the senior saints in this church to help us learn how to wait on the precious promises of our Lord!! Simeon waited for the God’s promise to be fulfilled, are you waiting?
Are you Ready? (v.27-33)
It is one thing to wait, but it is another to be ready when what you are waiting for comes. Verse 27,
27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss[d] your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him.
God promised Simeon that he would see the Christ before he died. When Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms the promised had been fulfilled. Can you imagine the joy that gripped Simeon? All his hope and expectations were realized. Like a mother holding her new born child after nine months or like the sick declared cancer free, Simeon was struck with joy. He could not help praise God saying: Sovereign Lord, the one in complete control. You Oh Lord have done what you have promised; now dismiss your servant in peace.
Simeon is telling the Lord that I am now ready to die. Now we say things like that a lot, don’t we? After eating a delicious piece of cake, we rub our bellies and say, “If I died now, I would be a happy man.” Or after experiencing a great moment in life, “Now I can die.” Simeon was not just saying a platitude; he truly was ready to die. Why?
Verse 30, “For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory of your people Israel.” When he looked down at that baby in his arms, he said I have seen the salvation of the Lord. It is important to note here that this is the first place in Luke’s gospel that there is the explicit reference to Jesus’ mission to the Gentiles. This is a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah
Isaiah 42:6-8
“I am the Lord; I have called you[b] in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations; to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.8 I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.
And Isaiah 49:6
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
Salvation has come. God has come to be a light for the nations to reveal salvation to the world. Simeon was ready, but sadly I do not know if we are ready. Listen to what Luke 10:23-24 says of this salvation:
23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
And 1 Peter 1:10-12:
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care,11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
We live in a very privileged position. We live in the fullness of time when the message of salvation has been revealed. Do you take that for granted?
Grandparents are often quoted saying, “You are lucky because when I grew up I was to have to…. Walk ten miles to school every day…barefoot…in the snow…through the woods…with no jacket…carrying my sister….and her dog on my back. You are lucky.” Well we may not be lucky, but we sure are blessed. We live in a day with incredible convenience from cars to cell phones to modern medicine, but we often take for granted what we have. Beloved, let us not take for granted this salvation. Let us not forsake our blessed place. Let us look intently into this salvation for which angels, kings, and prophets longed to look.
Are you Falling or Rising? (v.34-35)
So how do we not take this salvation for granted? We look to Jesus. Mary and Joseph were amazed at what was said about Jesus. Now think about this, they knew Jesus was virgin born and both of them had seen a vision from an angel and yet, they still marveled at what was said about him. The more you look at Jesus the more amazed we should be. But Simeon explains that Jesus will not be a blessing to everyone. Verse 34
34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
Jesus did not come only as salvation, but also would cause division. He is said to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel. It is clear throughout Jesus’ life that not every Israelite would accept Jesus Christ. Luke points that this rejection was foreseen early in his life. One of the images of the Messiah was that of a stone, a stone that would divide Israel. Isaiah prophesied this in 8:14 and 28:16-17. Peter picks this theme up in his first epistle. 1 Peter 2:4-8:
As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”[a] 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious.
But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,[b]”[c]8 and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”[d]They stumble because they disobey the message.
According to Peter, if you believe Jesus, than you are rising, but if you do not believe in Jesus than he becomes a rock that makes men fall. Disbelief causes men to stumble because they disobey the message. So are you falling or rising? Do you believe in Jesus Christ? The incarnate deity born of a virgin who lived a perfect life only to die a sinner’s death and that God raised from the dead to eternal glory. If you are here and you do not believe in Jesus as Lord, consider what it means to fall. What are the consequences of rejecting Jesus as Lord? You may think Jesus has some good things to say and even like him, but what are the consequences of rejecting him as your God? The Bible regards the fall not like tripping of a stone in a field, but falling off a 1,000 cliff onto a boulder. The consequences of rejecting Jesus are severe.
Now, this division has a purpose for in verse 35 it says, “so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.” God wants to expose the thoughts of our hearts. We can fake it for a long time, but God always knows what is in our hearts. Beloved, we should want our hearts exposed. We should want our sin exposed for it is only in the exposure of our sin when we realize that we truly need a Savior. Stop and think about this for a minute. God wants your sin exposed not so that he can point at you and say, “See. Hypocrite. Look at what you did.” God exposes your sin so he can point to the Jesus on the cross and say, “See. I love you. I did not spare my own Son, but I sent him to save you. Jesus came to die for you. Stop running, stop hiding. Come to me!! Come to me. I want you to experience salvation.” We do not want anyone to know about our sin, but the one who knows of our sin wants to expose it so that the thoughts of our heart will be exposed to force us to stop running.
During college, one of my roommates and fellow football player, Brian, was hit hard during a kickoff during one of our football games. The hit hurt. He was still hurting late the following week. Brian went to see the doctor and they found cancer. He was 20 years old. The painful hit he experienced in a football game exposed his cancer. That hit ended up saving his life. The exposure of sin may cause pain, but it may end up saving your life. Are you falling or rising? Do not fall on this precious stone, but fall before him in worship for he who humbles himself will rise.
Are you Sharing? (v.36-40)
Briefly, lets look at how Luke closes this section with the prophetess Anna. Verse 36:
There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
Anna was a widow. She was a widow for a long time and yet she continued to stay faithful to God. She was in the temple day and night, fasting and praying. But notice what she did after seeing Jesus. She spoke about the child to all who were looking. Something happens when we encounter Jesus Christ that makes us want to share him. Are you sharing about Jesus? If not, why not?
[1] Carson, Don. Themelios Volume 37. Issue 3. More examples of Intolerant Tolerance.
[2] Bock, Darell. BECNT. 238-239.
Rejoice in the Savior: Luke 2:1-21
I recently came across some news that I thought would be interesting to you. According to geneticist, there is a 50% chance of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s baby, the royal baby, will be a red head. Now this is big news. Currently bookies are taking bets on the hair color of this royal baby with 8 to 1 odds that this child will be blessed beyond measure with the glory of having red hair. Redheads have a history of prominence in the English Monarchy with three of the greatest monarchs, Elizabeth I, Henry II, and Richard the Lionheart all being blessed beyond measure with the glory of having red hair. It is true that I am partial to redheads. I married a redhead and have two redhead children. But when Ellen was pregnant with Elizabeth, there was no bookies taking bets on the hair color of the Kiehn baby. My daughter was not a royal baby. She was born to two very typical people without much fanfare.
But that is not how things work with royalty, is it? There has been much discussion about William and Kate’s baby. What will the name be? What will the baby look like? Will the baby be the future king or queen? I imagine in the days ahead, as the baby grows, the world will become infatuated with this royal child much like they were infatuated with the royal wedding. The birth of a future king is big news and it should demand the world’s attention. But not every birth of a future king has captivated the world’s attention. The birth of the King of kings happened in obscurity among animals in a stable to a virgin teenage girl in the little town of Bethlehem. The birth of the Lord Jesus is strikingly opposite to the birth of the royalty of our world. He was the born in humility as the King above all kings. Although, he did not receive worldly acclaim in the first century (no one was taking bets on his hair color), Jesus’s humble birth gives us much to rejoice over. My prayer this morning is that you will rejoice in the birth of Royalty, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. First, Rejoice in a Humble Anointed.
I. Rejoice in a Humble Anointed
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
It is interesting how uneventful this story is. The birth narrative of John the Baptist actually takes up more space in Luke than the birth of Jesus. It is interesting considering everything from Genesis 3 to Luke is about how God is going to rescue humanity after they fell into sin. Right here is the unfolding of that great plan. God came to rescue man by becoming a man being born as a baby.
Luke actually pays more attention to how the birthplace of Jesus and the lineage of his parents fit into God’s rescue plan. Caesar Augustus issued a decree that just so happened to coincide with the birth of the Messiah. The decree caused everyone to come back to the town of their heritage. Joseph was of the line of David and since David was born in Bethlehem, he had to return to that city. This decree caused the prophecy to be fulfilled for Micah 5:2 says:
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans[b]of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins[c] are from of old, from ancient times…He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.”
The Messiah will be born in Bethlehem and his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. Luke again is showing the most excellent Theophilus how God’s Word can be trusted. Luke is just explaining the facts (Matthew 2 actually makes this connection explicit), that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The great Anointed One who is going to shepherd the flock in the strength of the Lord and in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God is going to be born in a humble place in a humble little town. Verse 6, “While they were there, (in Bethlehem) the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn (as in she had more), a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him a manager, because there was no room for them in the inn.” This is a great reason to rejoice. Do not miss it!! God was born in humility to be humiliated so that you could be saved. Philippians 2:5-8:
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!
If Jesus came as the King that he is, we would not have been saved. We would have been crushed and destroyed. A traitor convicted of high treason against the King. Listen to the description of when Jesus will come not in humility, but all his Glory. Revelation 19:11-16
11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.
We rejoice that he did not first in all his glory. We would not have survived. But Jesus came in humility becoming like us in every way so that through his death, he might save us. God came to bring salvation, but salvation always comes with judgment. He came to save sinners by being judged as a sinner. This humble birth is how we will eventually be exalted. Without this humble birth in a humble town, we would have no hope. Do you have hope this morning?
Isn’t always interesting when you get a new car? By new I mean and newer used car. You hardly ever noticed seeing any cars that look like your new car until you got your new car. It is like something happens in our brain that gives us the ability to recognize things like our new car. We now have a category for it. But after a few years, we still notice may notice cars like ours, but we rarely give it a second thought. This is the danger we face during Christmas. When we first became Christians, the idea of God being born as a baby was breathtaking. But with familiarity and routine, we hear about Jesus’ birth, and rarely give it a second thought. Think of new ways to see this Christmas story so it can take your breath away like it did at first. For example, every time you see the Chic-fil-a cow, remind yourself of this humble birth. Beloved, the Creator of the Universe was born as a baby to a teenage girl in a stable and placed in a feeding trough (for an animal like a cow) so you could be saved. Shouldn’t that take your breath away?
II. Rejoice in a Humble Audience
Now notice who got the first call of the birth. It was not the Roman Ruler or Chief Priest, but to a humble audience, average working people. Luke 2:8, “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
We will look at the announcement in a moment, but let us focus on the audience. The shepherds were working. They were watching the sheep to protect them from robbers and wild animals. Many scholars believe that shepherds were despised by the people and were often characterized as representing the downtrodden and despised of society.[1] If they were a hated group, then the first announcement would have come to a group of sinners. The Bible used shepherd imagery often. Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” In John 10, Jesus refers to himself as the good shepherd. Although there is good evidence to support that shepherds were known for dishonesty and unclean in regards to the Jewish law, I believe that the shepherds are representing a people that were humble. Luke 1:52, “He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.” God came to the humble, to the average, and to the poor. Look at how the Angel personalizes the message to this humble audience: He says this Savior is for all the people (i.e. for the shepherds and in verse 11 he says born to you (the shepherds).” One writer notes one of Luke’s themes “is the divine visitation to the poor and humble of Israel. God’s visitation of salvation come to the humble (1:48, 52) and the hungry (1:53), not the proud and rich. Thus those present at the birth of God’s son were not this world’s rulers or its religious leaders. Rather the angelic invitation was extended to shepherds on the fringe of society, and they were present to see the birth of the Lord.”[2]
If we want to be imitators of God, then we should follow his example. We should go to the humble, the average, and the poor with the good news of the gospel. But our culture is impressed with money and power, with beauty and charm, and sadly I believe the church has fallen under the trance of our culture. Let me ask you a question, “Who would you rather have join our church: a city councilman or a former drug dealer? A senator or a single mother? Your answer will reveal your heart. Truthfully, we should want them both, but we should want them both the same. Beloved, we live in a community full of “shepherds.” God came to a humble audience, therefore we should rejoice in a humble audience. I pray that God would increase the number of “shepherds” in our fold for the glory of our Good Shepherd born in stable.
III. Rejoice in a Holy Announcement
Verse 10, “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you his is Christ the Lord.” This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manager. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
Jesus may have had a humble birth on earth, but there was rejoicing going on the heavenly realms. The times had reached their fulfillment and the Christ was born. And this joy was coming down to heaven. Joy and the gospel are often connected in Luke. If you believe in the gospel, then you should be a person of joy. Are you? For the reason Luke gives to rejoice is that the Messianic Savior is born.
After the Angel confirms the prophecy of the Messiah being born in Bethlehem, the city of David, he refers to Jesus in three ways: Savior, Christ, the Lord. The first is important for all of us because we are all in need of a Savior because we all have sin. During my road test to get my driver’s license, we started in my high school’s parking lot. There was a stop sign near the back of the parking lot and during my road test I ran right through it. My driver’s instructor looked at me and said, “Did you see that stop sign?” I replied, “Yes, but its ok. No one ever pays attention to that stop sign.” Even though I didn’t think it mattered, my instructor marked off points keeping me from getting a perfect score. Even though I wasn’t perfect, I passed my test and got my license. We may pass worldly tests without a perfect score, but none of us will pass God’s test without a perfect score. If we break one aspect of the law, we are guilty of breaking the entire law. Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” We have missed the mark and fallen short of God’s glory; therefore we all need a Savior. This is why we rejoice in the Angel’s announcement. A Savior is born for you!!
The Angel also gives Jesus the title of Christ which means he is the Davidic Messiah, the Anointed One. He is the one that will fulfill all the prophecies written from centuries past. Then the Angel calls Jesus Lord. This is one of Luke’s favorite titles of Jesus. Jesus is given a title equal to God showing his readers that this baby born in Bethlehem is Immanuel, God with us. When you read the gospels, pay attention to how they explain who Jesus is. The most important thing in all of life is to think and to believe rightly about Jesus. For Luke gives us a small window of how the heavens react to Jesus with a great company of the heavenly host praising God saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” We want to praise Jesus on Earth as it is in Heaven. Heaven praises God because of the salvation that comes in Jesus and Earth experiences peace.
Many of you are probably familiar with the King James Version of this verse which reads, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” The King James Version is good translation, but here can become confusing for does peace come to all men? Look at how the NIV translates it, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men whom his favor rests.” Or the ESV, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Jesus did not come to bring peace to everyone, but only those on whom his favor rests or those with whom he is pleased. This is very important to us because in order to receive this peace that the Angels declare we must respond rightly. Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” In order to have peace with God, we must have faith.
After we hear the Holy Announcement, we must respond with a Holy Acknowledgement.
IV. Rejoice in a Holy Acknowledgement
And this is exactly what the humble shepherds did!! Verse 15:
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
The shepherds respond in faith. After the Angels left, the shepherds said, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” The shepherds knew that they had heard from the Lord and respond in faith. They did not wait after hearing a word from the Lord, but they obeyed. One writer says, “Depth of spiritual commitment is determined by the quality of one’s fidelity after the majestic voice is no longer heard.”[3] They did not wait after hearing a word from the Lord, but they obeyed.
This should be our response when we hear from the Lord, but too often we are distracted with other things. I believe that there are many people who will miss God’s peace, because they do not respond to the Word of the Lord. And I do not think it is because they do not want too, but rather because they just do not make time for it. They live in the “I am going…” but never actually do. Beloved, let us learn from the shepherds and respond in faith quickly after hearing from the Lord. And there is something else we can learn from the shepherds, Verse 17, “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them … (v.20) The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”
The shepherds became the first evangelists. We know that there were others with Mary and Joseph, we do not know who they are, but we do know that they heard the word from the shepherds. The shepherds shared what they had seen and heard. Evangelism is sometimes as simple as that: sharing what you have seen and heard. The church has often complicated evangelism by trying to turn it into a program. Now, I am not saying that visitation programs or corporate evangelism outreaches are bad, but they should not be primary. The primary evangelism in a local church is when we share what we have seen and heard. God revealed his Word to humble shepherds and they in turn share it with the people they encounter. God’s plan for reaching the world is simple: share what you have seen and heard. Has Jesus Christ changed your life? Tell people about it. Are you a sinner that has been saved by grace? Tell people about it. Have you found peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ? Tell people about it.
In 1967, a story came out called the Gospel Blimp. The story is about George and Ethel and how they are concerned about the salvation of their next-door neighbors, but don't know how to reach them with the good news of Jesus Christ. During an evening get-together of George and Ethel's Christian friends, everyone is captivated by the sight of a blimp flying overhead. Then Herm gets a bright idea: why not use a blimp to proclaim the Christian message to the unchurched citizens of Middletown? The group incorporates (International Gospel Blimps Incorporated), buys a used blimp, hires a pilot, then commences to evangelize their hometown by towing Bible-verse banners, 'firebombing' folks below with gospel tracts, and broadcasting Christian music and programs over loudspeakers.[4] Needless to say, their strategies do not work and whole sorts of problems develop with plan. They start to question whether their personal and financial sacrifices are worth the minimal results they are seeing. Eventually, their neighbors come to Christ, but not because of the Gospel Blimp. They come to Christ because eventually some shares them what they had seen and heard in the gospel.
Let’s not overcomplicate matters. Simple follow the example of the shepherds: share what you have seen and heard. But what if I do not have an answer for their question? Say, I do not know, but what I do know is that I was lost and now I am found, I was blind, but know I see. Christmas is about mission. Christmas is about God’s mission to come and rescue the world through Jesus Christ. He wants to bring people peace through the good news of great joy that a Savior has been born to take away people’s sins and to give them hope for eternity. Jesus says in high priestly prayer in John 17:18 speaking to God the Father, “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.” God sent Jesus as a baby to save the world and Jesus sends us with a message about this baby for the same reason.
So the shepherds responded rightly to the majestic voice and so did Mary. Verse 19 says, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Mary heard what was said of her child and treasured up all these things. She thought deeply about what the birth of this baby meant. The idea of pondered them in her heart is similar to our English saying of mulling things over. She was thinking about who Jesus was and what Jesus was going to do. She did not let the words spoken about Jesus just pass over her, she stopped and mulled over God’s Word from the shepherds. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”
When I was a teacher in Washington, D.C., I would take my students to the National Holocaust Museum every year. It was always a sobering trip because of the graphic details and images seen throughout the exhibits. At the end of the museum, there is a big room called the Hall of Remembrance. Visitors are encouraged to take a few moments to sit and reflect on what they just witnessed. The truth seen throughout the museum takes time to process and mull over. All deep truth, whether good or bad, needs time to sink into our hearts. I have seen many Christmas’s come and go where I have been overtaken by the busyness of the season. Let me encourage you to find time this season to slow down and treasure up these things in your heart. Let your hearts be overwhelmed that we have good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Let us pray.
Father, we thank you for sending Jesus Christ born into humility for a humble people that we may have good news of great joy. Father, we pray that we treasure these things in our hearts and that we are able to share what we have seen and heard about the Lord Jesus. He is our Savior. He is Christ the Lord. In His Name we pray.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)