Sunday, November 30, 2014
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Thankful for You
But we ought always to give thanks
to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the
firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the
truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:13
Beloved,
.jpg)
I grew up at All Saints Lutheran
Church in Palatine, IL. My family was faithful to attend church as long as I
can remember. When I was confirmed in 8th
grade, my parents gave me the choice of whether I wanted to continue to attend
church. I did not give it much thought,
but just continued to go to church. It
may have been my close relationship with my mother or it could have been innate
sense that I was just supposed to go to church. Regardless of the reason, I
have always enjoyed going to church even before I made a decision to follow
Jesus Christ. I have always loved the church.
I am thankful that God has always
instilled in me a love for the local church.
As I have grown in my Christian walk, my love for the church has only
deepened. The more I learn about the
church and the more I live in fellowship of the church, the more my love grows
for the local church. In my current role as a pastor, I meet a lot of people
who do not have the same love for the church. It seems that I have at least one
conversation a week trying to convince people of the value of the local church.
And the most surprising thing is that most of these conversations take place
with Christians.
Although the view of the church has
fallen on hard times, I am so thankful to be part of the faith family at Park
Baptist Church. We get a great reminder every week to express our thankfulness
by singing,
I'm
so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family,
The Family of God.
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family,
The Family of God.
I am so glad that I am a part of
the family of God at Park Baptist Church. The church is my family. The people
of Park are my spiritual brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers,
grandmothers and grandfathers. And as a
part of God’s family, we always have a reason to rejoice in thankfulness. Paul
writes, “We ought always to give thanks to God for you.”
Beloved, I am thankful for you. You
have been chosen for salvation, sanctified by the Spirit, and given faith to
believe by the grace of God. I pray this Thanksgiving you will be grateful for
the family of the Park Baptist Church.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Watch Sermons Online
If you want to watch our sermons online, please click the link below and subscribe to the Park Baptist Church YouTube Channel.
Park Baptist Church YouTube Channel
Park Baptist Church YouTube Channel
Questioning Authority- Luke 20:19-26
This
coming week is one of my favorite weeks of the year. Everything slows down and
people focus on food, family and football.
It is right after a long, busy fall and right before a crazy Christmas
season. It is week when things slow down
allowing us to stop and reflect on what we are thankful for in our lives. Gratitude can change your life. Gratefulness is the one of the keys to true
and lasting happiness. Gratitude helps us shift our focus off of what we don’t
have onto what we do have.
I’ll
never forget living in Washington, D.C. in our little two bedroom house. The
kitchen had two feet of counter space and only two cabinets with no dishwasher.
The house was in a bad neighborhood where our car was broken into several times
and the house itself was attempted to be robbed. The closets were so small that they could not
fit one person’s wardrobe, let alone two adults. The bathroom was so small that
when Ellen was pregnant she had to turn sideways and shuffle on her tip toes to
lift her stomach over the sink to get to toilet. The house had a lot of “charm.”
My
wife and I had our fair share of complaints about our little two-bedroom home
that was until we entered Reggie and Victor Acevedo’s house. Victor was one of my students in math class
and I knew their family was going through a tight financial season so I got
them a Thanksgiving Dinner Box that was being offered through a local
church. Ellen and I went to their
apartment to bring by the dinner and I will never forget what I saw. It was a one bedroom apartment that housed
ten people. Beds and blankets covered
the floor. At that moment, the Lord
convicted my heart of how much I had to be grateful for in my life. I had my own two bedroom house with my own
kitchen with two feet of counter space and two cabinets and a sink to wash my
own dishes. I had much to be grateful
for.
Gratitude helps us see how much we have rather
than how much we need. Gratitude truly
can change our lives. And one of the things we need to be more grateful for is
authority. Authority is a blessing and a gift.
Jesus came preaching and teaching to establish his authority on
earth. The leaders of the day challenged
Jesus authority. Luke 20:1-2
One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in
the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the
elders came up and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things,
or who it is that gave you this authority.” (Luke 20:1-2)
The
leaders came to Jesus and basically said, “What gives you the right to do what
you do?” They did not like his teaching so they challenged his authority.
It is important to see all of chapter
20 in light of these leaders challenging his authority. Last week, we look at
the parable of wicker tenants which was spoken against the leaders who
challenged his authority as verse 19 makes clear.
The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay
hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this
parable against them, but they feared the people. (Luke 20:19)
The
leaders sought to arrest and destroy Jesus because they did not want to submit
to Jesus’s authority. It is important to see that this concept of authority is
still a central idea for Luke throughout this chapter.
Who
is our authority is a central idea in all of Scripture. One could say that all
of the Bible is about restoring our ability to rightfully submit to God’s
authority. In the Garden of Eden, the serpent tempted Eve to challenge and
distrust God’s authority.
But the serpent
said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of
it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a
delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she
took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with
her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:4-6)
Satan tempted Eve to challenge
God’s authority and Eve sinned in believing him by distrusting God’s authority.
And ever since the Fall, (when God’s authority was first challenged and
disregarded by man) we have been tempted to follow Eve’s example. One of the ways we can overcome our
propensity to challenge God’s authority is to be grateful for it. So as we approach this coming week of
Thanksgiving, let me as your two questions about authority.
Are you Grateful for
Authority?
The
leaders continue their attack of Jesus’ authority by attempting to set a trap
for him by offering him a lose-lose question.
Luke 20:20-22,
So they watched
him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in
something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of
the governor. So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach
rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful
for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”
The goal of the question is stated
there in verse 20, “to deliver him up.” The Jews lived under Roman oppression
and did not have authority of the state to arrest. They wanted Jesus to speak against Caesar so
that he would be arrested and killed. In their minds, this was a no win
situation. He will either speak against Caesar and be arrested or speak for Caesar
and anger the Jewish people who hated paying tributes to him.
The spies approach Jesus with
flattery. They affirm his fairness and righteous teaching and how he teaches
the true way of God. And what they said
was true. Jesus did not show partiality and he taught what was right. There
words were true, but their hearts were insincere. (We can say all the right words and still
have our hearts far from God. Do not be impressed with people’s lofty words.)
These people would have appeared to being submitting to Jesus’ teaching, but submission
goes beyond mere verbal affirmation.
This is where we have to check our own hearts. Are we truly submitting to Jesus authority in
our lives or merely giving the outward impression that we are?
The
outward appearance of honoring God was the problem of the Pharisees. Listen to the hard words of Jesus in Matthew
23,
“Woe to you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which
outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all
uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you
are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matthew 23:27-28)
God wants more than the mere
outward appearance of gratefulness for His authority, but wants a heart the
delights in His authority.
And this is why
God sent Jesus Christ. In the beginning,
man had a pure heart that delighted in God’s authority. They lived in the
Garden of Eden under his loving rule, but when Adam and Eve ate the fruit they
rejected God’s authority bringing sin into the world. So now, every human is born with a natural
heart that is set against God’s authority.
We do not acknowledge God’s authority in our lives or give thanks to
Him, but instead we have become futile in our thinking and our foolish hearts
are darkened. We claim to be wise, but we all have become fools living outside
of God’s authority. Titus 3:3 says,
For we ourselves
were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and
pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one
another. (Titus 3:3)
Paul and the rest of the apostles
looked at themselves as once foolish and disobedient, in bondage to sin, but
notice that is not what they are. They were foolish, but now they
have changed. What happened? Titus
3:4-8,
But when the
goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not
because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy,
by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured
out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by
his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
God sent Jesus Christ to be our
Savior. He saved us according to his own mercy by dying on the cross to pay the
penalty for our foolishness. We could not be righteous so God gave us the
righteousness of another, Jesus Christ. After
Jesus Christ died, God raised him from the dead giving us the hope of eternal
life. All we have to do is receive eternal life is repent of sin and believe
Jesus Christ. Repentance is acknowledge and giving thanks to God’s authority in
our life. Are you grateful for God’s Authority?
We show our gratefulness through repentance and faith. And our
gratefulness is expressed through real concrete actions given to God.
Are you Giving unto
Authority?
.jpg)
Jesus shifts the
focus off of the question of taxes and broadens the issue to one of authority.
Luke 20:22-26
Is it lawful for
us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” But he perceived their craftiness, and
said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it
have?” They said, “Caesar's.” He said
to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the
things that are God's.” And they were not able in the presence of the people to
catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.
They attempted to trap Jesus with
their question, but Jesus sees right through their schemes and flips the
question back at them. With his responds, Jesus reveals two sovereign
authorities over their lives (and ours).
First, Jesus affirms the authority of the state. We live in a world in which God has given the
state authority to provide for its needs by collecting taxes.
No
one enjoys paying taxes. One of the
reasons that so many people are moving to South Carolina is because it is more
favorable in its taxes. We may not enjoy paying taxes, but they are necessary
for the state to exercise its authority. One of the most important texts
regarding the authority of the state is Romans 13. Paul writes, “Let every
person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority
except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (Romans 13:1).
The state exists because God allows it to exist. And one of the purposes of the
state is seen in 1 Peter 2:13 which says that government should, “punish those
who do evil and to praise those who do good.” The only way the state can
fulfill its purpose to exercise authority in maintaining justice is to have
people do the work of justice.
As much as I do
not like paying taxes, I am grateful for the men and women of our police
department who protect and serve our community to maintain peace and order. I
am grateful for our firemen who protect and serve our community to keep us
safe. We may not love paying taxes, but
we should be grateful for what our taxes provide. This does not mean that every tax and/or roll
exercised by our government is morally right, but Jesus affirms that we have an
obligation to serve the state.
There will be
things that our government endorses that we must protest because it goes
against God, but we do so with gentleness following the example of Jesus
Christ. 1 Peter 2:18-24,
Servants, be
subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but
also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one
endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you
sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for
it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you
have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example,
so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit
found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he
suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who
judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might
die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
How we submit to our earthly
authority is one way we display our faith in the gospel of Christ? Our
submission helps us become like Jesus Christ.
Secondly,
after affirming the authority of the state, Jesus establishes God as the higher
sovereign authority over our lives. Jesus asks for a denarius and said, “Whose
likeness and inscription does it have?” They of course said Caesar. Then Jesus
makes the application that the people should give to Caesar that which is in his
likeness, but also the people should give to God that which is in His
likeness. What is made in the likeness of God? Who is made in the image
of God? We are. Therefore, we are to
offer to God that which was made in His image: ourselves. We are to give
ourselves unto God. Romans 12:1-2,
I appeal to you
therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not
be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and
acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2)
Everything we have and everything
we do belongs to God. So, are you giving yourselves unto God?
I
do not want to make this passage formulaic and thus minimize the depth and
comprehensiveness of Jesus’ statement.
In many ways the full application of this command is fulfilled in the
greatest two commandments. Jesus said in Mark 12:29-31,
“The
most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind and with
all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor
as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
We give ourselves unto God’s
authority by loving Him and loving others.
Although I do not
want make this formulaic, I do think it would be helpful to look at three
specific ways we can give to God the things that are God’s: your Time, Talent,
and Treasure.
Time: Every day we make choices that
display what we value. We spent time on
things we value. What does the use of
your time communicate about your values? We are called in the Scriptures to
make the best use of our time because the days are evil (Eph 5:15-16; Col
4:5-6). Ask people who are close to you how about your use of time.
Talent: God has given us all various
gifts and talents primarily to be used for the building up of the body of
Christ. God has placed you in this community to use your gifts to help others
become more like Jesus Christ. Are you
using your talents to build up others in the faith? Do not squander the gifts
that God has given to this church by not using your talents for the good of
others.
Treasure: All your money does not
belong to you, but to God. Are you
giving your treasure unto God? We are
trained by our society to increase our standard of living as our income
increases, but God may increase our income so we can increase the blessing we
can be to others rather than our own comfort.
How you handle your treasure reveals the values of your heart!!!
Jesus wants us to give ourselves
unto God. The challenge for us now is the application of that command.
And
as we reflect and think through how we can give ourselves to God this coming
week, let us remember that Jesus is not asking us to do anything that He has
not already done. Jesus Christ gave himself for us. He offered his body as a
living sacrifice unto to death that we may live. And because of His obedience, He was exalted
to the highest place and was given the name that is above every name. Beloved, God asks you to give yourselves to
Him and He promises you that it will be worth it.
_____
image credit (http://www.organicauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/gratitude-facebook-cafegratitude.jpg)
image credit (http://izquotes.com/quotes-pictures/quote-let-there-be-no-reservation-give-yourselves-up-fully-and-wholly-to-him-whose-you-are-and-whom-you-james-hudson-taylor-271610.jpg)
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Once and For All
For Christ also suffered once
for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. 1
Peter 3:18
Beloved,
.jpg)
My
first home was a fixer upper. It needed
a lot of work and I needed a lot of help with that work. My father-in-law came up to help one
weekend. I was very excited because
being trained as an engineer, my father-in-law, was extremely gifted with
construction and I was positive that we were going to get a lot of work done on
the house. Although my father-in-law is gifted with his hands, he is also
incredibly detailed with his work which takes projects longer to complete. I
may have been frustration with the amount of work completed that weekend, but
the work that was completed only needed to be done once.
Paul
writes that God made, “known to us the mystery of his will, according to his
purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to
unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” (Ephesians
1:9-10) God’s plan was very detailed. He gradually revealed the progress of
redemption throughout the Old Testament, but when the fullness of time had
come, God sent forth his Son (Gal. 4:4). Jesus Christ suffered for sins once
and for all. His sacrifice accomplished
everything we need for salvation. His
once and for all sacrifice has brought the unrighteous through faith in his sacrifice to God. His righteousness is extended to us through faith.
The
Lord’s Supper is a time of celebrating that once and for all death on our
behalf. Partaking in that sacred meal
does not add anything to our salvation, but strengthens our faith and creates a
deeper communion with God and his people.
As we approach the Lord’s Table, let us remind our hearts that Jesus
Christ has brought us to God. He suffered once and for all, the righteous for
the unrighteous.
As
we gather around our tables this Thanksgiving, let us be thankful that we
cannot add anything to the finished work of Christ, but get to eat a spiritual
meal of remembrance to encourage our faith and to give us a foretaste of the
feast to come.
____
image credit (http://m9.i.pbase.com/o3/14/92314/1/133505979.Zbrn3KjW.Smallercop_YRIGHT.jpg)
Sunday, November 16, 2014
The Grace of Redemption Luke 20:9-18
.jpg)
Former pastor
John Piper says, “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may
be aware of three of them.”[1] We
are limited in knowledge. Since the fall, our minds have been distorted by sin,
and we do not see the world clearly. God
is moving in so many profound ways, but we cannot comprehend all that He is
doing. One of the reasons I love the Word of God is that it helps us interpret
our world. Our interpretation of history
may be flawed, but God’s interpretation is always perfect.
Through our text
this morning, God provides us a parable so that we can understand the grand
story of redemption. The passage is an allegory based on Israel’s history.
Jesus shares this parable about the vineyard which seems to have been drawn
from Isaiah 5:1-7. As I read that passage, listen for how much God did for
Israel in preparing the vineyard and how much God did to Israel because of
their bad fruit. Isaiah 5:1-7,
Let me sing for
my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a
very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with
choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine
vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.
And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my
vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in
it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? And now
I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it
shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I
will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns
shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of
Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold,
bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!
It is important as we work through
this parable to keep this prophecy in our minds. As we trace God’s story of
redemption, I want to frame it in light of God’s grace.
The Gracious Planting
Jesus shares this
parable in response the chief priests and the scribes’ rejection of his
authority. Luke 20:9,
And he began to
tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to
tenants and went into another country for a long while.
In the Old Testament, Israel was
often referred to as the vineyard, but here the vineyard is the promise of
blessing to the nation. In this parable, Israel is the tenants who are allowed
to live in the vineyard under God’s blessing.
Jesus provides an overview of the history of Israel in that one
sentence.
God
gave the promise of blessing to the nation of Israel to Abraham in Genesis
12:1-3. This was partially realized when Israel entered the Promised Land led
by Joshua. The phrase “for a long while” opens the door to the rest of the
parable and Israel’s response to God’s servants as we will see, but first
notice that vineyard was planted. God gave his promise of blessing. The entire
story of redemption begins with a word of grace. God speaks a word of grace to
a rebellious and sinful people.
Paul
Tripp gives a wonderful illustration of the promise of blessing in his book,
“Shepherding a Child’s Heart.” He tells
parents to explain to their children the circle of blessing by drawing a circle
on a piece of paper and writing the word “blessing” in the middle of the
circle. On the outside of the circle, he
asks parents to write the word “danger”.
The promise of blessing is given to those who obey the Lord, but if you
disobey the Lord you start to move out of the circle into danger. If we take that illustration and apply it to
Israel, God has given the Israelites a circle of blessing. If they obey his words then they will be
blessed, but if they disobey his words they will be removed from the circle of
blessing. From the very beginning, God
establishes the boundaries of blessing for his people. He lays out the expectations so that no one
will be surprised at the outcome.
The
vineyard was graciously planted, or the promise was graciously given, so that
the people would produce fruit. The
people were going to be held accountable by the fruit they produced in the
vineyard.
The Gracious Prophets
Luke 20:10-12,
When the time
came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the
fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and
sent him away empty-handed. And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded
and cast out.
Instead of obeying the Lord, the
people of Israel fell into sin. Israel’s history is one of defiance and
disobedience. God did not treat them as their sins deserved, but graciously
called out to them for repentance.
Each servant came
to gather fruit from the vineyard, but each servant went away
empty-handed. The tenants were not
producing good fruit and had nothing to show from the vineyard. The tenants in
the parable continued to display their lack of fruitfulness by abusing the
servants and messenger and sending them away with nothing. The servants are a picture of the prophets
that God sent again and again to warn his people of their disobedience. The prophets came with hard words, but they
were designed to stir the people up to repentance.
It
is hard to receive rebukes and criticism.
People do not typically respond well to correction. Although we may not like correction, it is an
absolute blessing to our soul. A few
years ago, I was having problems with my leaf blower. The leaf blower was
oozing smoke every time I used it. so I asked a man in my neighborhood that had
a lawn care business if he could look at it for me. I brought the leaf blower
over to his house and in passing in asked me, “You are using gasoline mixed
with oil, right?” I had a blank stare on my face, implying that I had no idea
what he was talking about. He explained
to me that I was using the wrong gasoline which would eventually cause the leaf
blower to die.
It
was humbling to show my ineptitude (yet again) in my lack of knowledge of the
simplest things in lawn maintenance, but it was only in being corrected that I
was able to save my leaf blower. Correction and warning is an act of
grace. If we are not producing fruit,
then we are not going to be able to be in the vineyard. We may be able to last for a while, but
eventually we are going to have to answer for our lack of fruitfulness.
.jpg)
For
the last several years, I have written numerous letters and made countless
phone calls to members of the church who have not attended here in years. I have attempted to communicate with a
gracious and loving spirit, but there have been several folks who have been
offended by the letters that I have sent out including one lady who called it a
“nasty” letter. If people do not respond
well to criticism and correction, why risk it?
We risk it because there is danger in a lack of fruitfulness. The prophets were beaten and sent away
empty-handed, but they were doing the will of their master who sent him. Beloved, many of us are going to be
shamefully treated when we speak words of correction to our family and friends,
but know that when we speak the truth in love we are doing the will of our
master who has sent us.
The Gracious Prince
The owner of the
vineyard could have given up on the tenants.
He could have just washed his hands of them and moved on, but he still
chose to graciously pursue them so we see the parable takes a glorious, yet
tragic turn in verse 13,
Then the owner of
the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they
will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This
is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ And they
threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the
vineyard do to them? (Luke 20:13-15)
The owner of the vineyard is still
motivated by love for the people. He sent his beloved son, the heir to the
vineyard. The tenants responded by
plotting to kill the son so that they would have the inheritance.
It is clear the
son in the parable is a reference to Jesus, but notice the gracious warning. At the end of Luke 19,
And he was
teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the
principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him. (Luke 19:47)
The chief priests and the scribes
were seeking to destroy Jesus and they knew that this parable was against them.
Luke 20:19,
The scribes and
the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they
perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the
people.
The leaders perceived that the
parable was against them, but were not able to hear the gracious warning Jesus
offered. Jesus was against them, but he
was only against the sin in them. He was
again drawing the circle, giving them an opportunity to see the circle of
blessing.
The
casting out and the killing to Son was the limit to owner’s kindness. They have rejected the servants and now
rejected and killed the son so the question is asked at the end of verse 15,
“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?”
The Gracious Punishment
Jesus immediately
gives the answer of what is going to happen to the tenants in the next verses,
16-18,
He will come and
destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they
said, “Surely not!” But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this
that is written: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the
cornerstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and
when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.
God’s kindness had run out. He gave them grace after grace after grace,
but the tenants continued to rebel, so finally the owner had to act. This is the same picture that we see in
Isaiah 5 when God said he was going to come and destroy the vineyard. God is
always gracious even in bringing punishment.
God is gracious
to always keep his word. He warned and
warned, but eventually had to follow through on his words. Notice the shock of the people in verse 16,
“When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” The people could not believe
that God would punish his people for their sin. People do not want to believe
in punishment, but God has to punish sin. Many today respond the same way in
regards to punishment with a shocked disbelief, “Surely not!” People who speak
of punishment for sin and rebellion may be looked at as being mean and nasty,
but punishment will come.
My college
roommate was hit hard during a football game. There was nothing unusual about
the hit, but he was still feeling sore after about a week and a half so he went
to the doctor. After seeing two
different doctors, he was referred to a specialist. We went to the hospital and got off the
elevator on the Oncology floor. My 21
year old friend was diagnosed with cancer.
By God’s grace, the cancer was caught earlier because of the pain he
experienced during a football game. If he was not hit during that game, he
would not have been diagnosed with cancer and may have died. His temporary pain saved him from something
far worse.
Beloved, see the
promised punishment of destruction to those who stay in rebellion and turn to
Christ and be saved.
The Gracious Present
As I quoting at
the outset, “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life and you may be
aware of three of them.” The parable showed that the unfaithful tenants of the
vineyard were going to be destroyed, but through their rejection others would
be saved. Jesus said that the vineyard
(or the promise of blessing) was going to be given to others. The Jews rejection
of Jesus Christ opened up the door for the gospel to go to the Gentiles. Romans 9:22-24,
What if God,
desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much
patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the
riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for
glory—even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the
Gentiles?
The Jews could only see the
punishment, but could not see how God was going to use it to bring more into
the kingdom. The apostle John writes in the beginning of his gospel,
The true light,
which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world,
and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to
his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive
him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who
were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man,
but of God. (John 1:9-13)
God has opened the door to
salvation for all who would receive Jesus as King.
The gift of
salvation is now offered to all because Jesus Christ was rejected and died for
the sins of the people. It was absurd
for the tenants to think that in killing the Son they would have received his
inheritance, but we all have lived with the same insane logic. We all are
accountable to our Creator, but have lived as if we are accountable to only
ourselves. We all have rejected God’s
loving rule and exchanged it for our own rule.
We all deserve punishment, but God in his grace sent Jesus Christ to be
rejected and killed on our behalf. He died in our place to bring us to God, the
righteous for the unrighteous. It is
only in the death and resurrection of Christ that God could bring salvation to
the whole world for God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that
whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
The Gracious Plea
Beloved, I want to
end this sermon with a plea to trust in Christ.
Israel received grace upon grace, but still rejected the Lord. I pray
that today is the day of salvation for you. I pray that today is the day of
repentance and faith for you. Jesus solemnly warns in verse 18,
Everyone who falls
on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will
crush him.
No one can stand against the
Lord. God is offering you salvation
through Jesus Christ, the cornerstone. He died so you could live. The offer is given, but will you accept it?
Jesus is nearing
his death. He will be humiliated, beaten and crucified. He will look weak and
powerless, but He will be the exalted powerful stone who no man can stand
against. Everyone is faced with one of two options: fall before the Cornerstone
in worship, or have the Cornerstone fall upon you in judgment. Two options lay
before you, which will you chose?
[1]
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/every-moment-in-2013-god-will-be-doing-10-000-things-in-your-life
accessed on 11.15.2014
image credit
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
I AM WITH YOU
“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you,
that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he
had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do
this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper,
saying, “This cup is the new covenant of my blood. Do this, as often as you
drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink
this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Beloved,
.jpg)
There have been several times in my
marriage when I was tasked with making a big decision for our family. My wife
and I had talked through the situation, but after all the discussion the
decision was still unclear. In those moments my wife has looked at me and said,
“Whatever you decide I am with you.” There are no more encouraging words for a
husband to hear than, “I am with you.”
Leading a family or organization is
difficult, but there are no sweeter words than to hear that the people you are
leading are behind you. Jesus Christ is the head of the church. He is our
leader. He is our Immanuel, our “God
with us.” The most encouraging words that Jesus gives to His people is that “He
is with us.” He will never leave us nor forsake us. And yet, Jesus wanted to do more than just
leave us His words, but wanted to give us an experience symbolizing His
ever-present communion with His people. The Lord’s Supper, also known as
Communion, is an ordinance where Jesus says, “I am with you and I want you to
be with me.” The Lord’s Supper is an invitation to commune with God and to
commune with God’s people.
As God’s people are participating
in communion, we are declaring that we are with Jesus Christ and He is with
us. We are proclaiming that we are with
His Words, we trust His gospel, and that we are waiting eagerly for Him to appear
to finally bring us into His eternal presence.
Communion is an act of faith declaring to the watching world that we are
for Jesus Christ. We communicate our
faith through our Communion.
As we communicate our faith by
participating in Communion, others communicate their lack of faith by
neglecting Communion. As baptism
declares we are entering into the kingdom of God, communion declares we are
remaining or abiding in the kingdom of God. Communion is our way to say to our leader, “We
are with you.”
Last year a young father came to me
after celebrating communion together and said, “It meant so much to my family
to have the opportunity to participate in communion together with our church.” His
family had been looking for a church for a number of years, and had not had the
opportunity to receive communion. There was a deep longing for His family to
say to God, “We are with you.” Christians long to say to God and to the world,
“I am with Jesus Christ. He is my leader.”
Beloved, communion should be one of
the most sacred Sundays we have as a church family. We come together and declare publicly that we
are with God together. Do not neglect
the Lord’s Supper, but rejoice in the invitation to commune with Jesus Christ
and to express your commitment to your King that you are with Him.
___________________
image credit (http://sheribertolini.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/I-AM-with-you-rod.jpg)
Sunday, November 9, 2014
The Authority of the Gospel of Christ (Luke 20:1-8)
During
my junior year in High School, my football coach wanted to be the first team in
the state of Illinois to have football practice. We were allowed to start
practice with full contact on August 8th so we set practice for
12:00 am in our high school gymnasium. It was a great kick off to the football
season. Following practice, I drove a
few of my teammates to Denny’s for an early/late breakfast. After our meal, I was driving a few of my
friends home when one of my friends yelled, “Kiehn, the cops are following
you.” As a new driver, it was never a
comfortable feeling to know that a police car was following, and since I was
only 16, we were out past mandatory curfew for young drivers. As I turned my head over my right shoulder,
my left hand went in the opposite direction causing me to swerve the car. Of course, the police officer pulled me over.
This was my first experience being pulled over by the police and I was
terrified.
The
officer came to my door and asked for my license, but I handed him my whole
wallet instead. He politely said, “Can
you take the license out for me?” He could tell that I was a bit nervous. I explained about the midnight football
practice and grabbing breakfast afterward.
He graciously gave me a warning, but he did not have to. Police officers have the full authority to
enforce the laws of the state. Our
society is a better place because of the hard working men and women who enforce
our laws.
Authority
is essential for a well-ordered society. We will be celebrating Veteran’s Day
in a few days, and our armed service men and women understand the importance of
authority. Everyone in the United
States Military knows that in signing up for service, they are submitting to
the authority of their commanding officers.
My former boss and mentor, Barry Spofford, was a career naval
officer. He told me at one point in his
career he was responsible for all deployments in the entire Navy. He said that
many young men would come and plead with him about their upcoming deployment
saying that their wives were going to leave them if they were deployed. My friend would look them in the eye and say,
“You are in the Navy. You have to
go.” There is no debate on following
orders in the military.
Our
society has an aversion to authority. We
may not like the decisions of those in authority, but there are authoritative
relationships that most people do not question. Parents have authority over
their children. The government has
authority over their citizens. Commanding officers have authority over those
below them. Our society understands the
authority of certain systems, but what about the church? What authority does
the church have over someone’s life?
In
a recent study conducted by Lifeway Research, they asked a group of
self-identified evangelicals the question, “Does my local church have authority
to declare that I am not a Christian?” In the study, 9 out of 10 evangelicals
claimed that the church has no authority to claim someone is or is not a
Christian. How would you answer
that? Does your local church have
authority over your profession of faith?
If you start to live consistently contrary to the gospel of Jesus
Christ, does the church have authority to question your confession?
The
question of authority is nothing new.
Jesus faced people who questioned his authority during his
ministry. I pray that through this text
you will see the value of authority and correct your own view of those who have
authority over you.
Preaching with
the Authority of the Gospel of Christ
Jesus is getting
close to his death on the cross. He came
into the temple and called out the unrighteous practices of the worship of
God. His action in correcting the temple
worship was clearly an act of the Messiah where Jesus was establishing his
authority. He continues to establish his
authority, but through the preaching and teaching of the gospel, Luke 20:1,
One day, as Jesus
was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests
and the scribes with the elders came up.
If you read the Gospels closely,
you see that Jesus was constantly teaching and preaching the gospel to the
people. Jesus even states that as his
purpose, Luke 4:42-44,
And when it was
day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and
came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, “I
must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for
I was sent for this purpose.” And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Jesus established his authority
through his teaching ministry.
At the end of the
Sermon the Mount, Jesus’ most famous sermon, this was the response of the crowd
in Matthew 7:28-29,
And when Jesus
finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was
teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
The authority of Jesus teaching was
why the people were hanging on every word at the end of Luke 19. The authority of Jesus’ ministry was built
upon his teaching and preaching. And the
authority of the Jesus is still built upon on teaching and preaching. Right before the Great Commission, Jesus
says,
And Jesus came
and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always,
to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
So Paul says in view of this same
authority in 2 Timothy 4:1-2,
I charge you in
the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the
dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season
and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and
teaching. (2 Timothy 4:1-2)
The authority of Jesus Christ is
established through the preaching and teaching of God’s Word.
The
church must always teach and preach God’s Word so that the authority Jesus
Christ is established in people’s lives. Churches that do not preach the gospel
and teach God’s Word do not establish the authority of Jesus Christ in people’s
lives. Churches are never about establishing their own authority, but the
authority of Jesus Christ. Does the church have authority? Yes, but it is to
establish God’s authority in people’s lives. So if Christians do not follow
God’s Word, it is the obligation of churches to enforce God’s authority.
Protesting the
Authority of the Gospel of Christ
The scribes and
the chief priest did not like Jesus’ teaching, because they did not want to
submit to His authority. Luke 20:1-2,
One day, as Jesus
was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief
priests and the scribes with the elders came up and said to him, “Tell us by
what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.”
(Luke 20:1-2)
The leaders come to Jesus
questioning his authority, “Who do you think you are? And why give you the
right to do what you are doing?” The
leaders could have been referring to Jesus overturning the tables in the
temple, but the reference to his teaching broadens the complaint. The leaders’ reaction was in stark contrast
to the reaction of the people. The
people were hanging on every word and submitting to the teaching, while the
leaders were protested Jesus authority. How do you respond to Jesus teaching?
Are you more like the leaders or the people?
Are you protesting against Jesus or submitting to his Word?
For
most Christians the answers to the above questions are easy to answer. Of
course we say that we trust God’s Word and listen to his teaching. Of course we
say that we do not question Jesus’ authority. But is that true? Mark
Lierderbach, Professor of Theology, Ethics, and Culture at Southeastern Baptist
Theological Seminary shared a formula with me of how we know our real
beliefs. Our stated belief minus our
actual practice equals our real belief.
For example, a stated belief is that water is the best drink for your
body, minus my actual practice of only drinking soda and sweet tea, equals the
real belief of water is that it actually is not the best drink for my body. Or
maybe we can use the church. A stated
belief of the church is that the gathering of the church should be a priority
of one’s life, minus the actual practice of regularly missing church gatherings
for sports activities and sleep, equals the real belief that the church is
really not a priority in one’s life.
.jpg)
We
do not want to pay lip-service to Jesus in regards to his authority. Jesus wants your stated belief and your
actual practices based on your beliefs to be very similar. For if you do not live by the Word, then
Jesus says to us, as he does to others in Luke 6:46-49,
“Why do you call
me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears
my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man
building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a
flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it,
because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is
like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream
broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
(Luke 6:46-49)
In what areas in your life are you
not listening to Jesus? Where do your stated beliefs not match up to your
actual practice?
One of the most
consistent ways people protest against Jesus’ authority is to protest against
the church’s authority. In Matthew 16, Jesus asked them what the people were
saying about him and then he turned to them and said,
He said to them,
“But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the
Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon
Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who
is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my
church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the
keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew
16:15-19)
Peter’s confession is
representative of the church. Jesus will build His church on people’s
confession of the gospel. A biblical
confession of the gospel is not merely stating words, but confessing with your
mouth and believing in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and rose from
the dead. Simply, a biblical confession
is repenting of your sins and living by faith in the Jesus Christ.
Have
you made a biblical confession? Have you
repented of your sins and put your faith in Jesus Christ? As Christians, we do not believe that our
good works save us. We all are sinners.
And when we were dead in our trespasses and sin, God sent Jesus to die for us.
Jesus died in the place of sinners and three days later rose from the dead
offering living hope of eternal life to anyone who repents of their sins and
puts their faith in Him. Christ. He is the Sovereign Lord and the King of kings
Repentance is changing your mind about the identity of Jesus Christ. Repentance
is living in that reality.
One sign of
repentance is the submission to a local church.
The church has been given the keys of the kingdom of heaven in binding
and loosing. The concept of binding and
loosing is one that makes judgments on people’s faith and repentance. This binding and loosing of a church is
expressed through the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is
the visible sign of entering into Christ’s kingdom. Baptism is church’s visibly and publicly
binding of someone to Christ (i.e. opening the door with the keys of the
kingdom). The Lord’s Supper is the visible sign of continuing in Christ’s
Kingdom.
Remember that earlier question, “Does my local
church have authority to declare that I am not a Christian?” Listen how Dr.
Jonathan Leeman, the author of Church Membership and Church Disciplines answers
this question,
“Church
membership, made visible through the ordinances, is a public affirmation of
someone’s profession of faith. Church discipline is the removal of that
affirmation. The latter is not a denial that someone is a Christian; it’s the
statement that the church is no longer willing to affirm someone’s profession[1].”
The church does not make people
Christians, only God gives salvation.
The church’s role is to exercise the authority of Jesus based on their
stated beliefs and their actual practices.
If people are not abiding or trusting in Christ, then the Church, based
on the authority vested in her by Jesus Christ, removes their public
affirmation of faith. The church is not
fully denying that someone is a Christian, but they are saying that there is
good reason to doubt it.
This
may sound strange to our 21st century post-modern ears, but this is
how the church has functioned for generations. Our culture is very quick to
throw history under the bus, thinking that our modern minds know better. Our culture is arrogant and prideful in ignoring
our rich Christian heritage. Let us not follow the cultural protest of the
authority of Jesus Christ, but trust His Word and His church, who He has given
authority to bind and loose things on earth as they are in heaven.
Passing Over the
Authority of the Gospel of Christ
Jesus answers his
critics with a question to help expose their lack of trust in his authority.
What you will see is that they are not really concerned with the true
authority, but in protecting their own authority. Luke 20:3-8,
He answered them,
“I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, was the baptism of John from
heaven or from man?” And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we
say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ But if we say,
‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that
John was a prophet.” So they answered that they did not know where it came
from. And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do
these things.” (Luke 20:3-8)
Jesus asked them a question
regarding the authority of John the Baptist which provides only two responses:
his authority is either from heaven or from man.
 |
The
scribes and the Pharisees attempted to trap Jesus, but instead were trapped by
Jesus. Jesus backed them into the corner
and said choose. They all huddled up and
talked over the options and decided not to choose, but just to say they didn’t
know. They had to choose if Jesus had
the authority of God or of man, but tried a third way. However, their decision
not to choose was a choice. They passed
on submitting to the authority of God because they did not want to submit. Protesting against God’s authority will
eventually lead to passing on his authority.
And if you do not align yourselves with God, you are aligning yourself
up against Him.
Jesus is no longer
physically present with us, but has left his authority with us in His Word. Last year I was at the South Carolina Baptist
Convention and there was a resolution on the floor about the authoritative
preaching of God’s Word. A young pastor went to the mic and asked for the word “authority”
to be removed from the resolution because he did not believe that we are called
to preach with authority. As he was
speaking the end of Titus 2 came to my head which says,
For the grace of
God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce
ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and
godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of
the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to
redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own
possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:8-14)
It is a beautiful presentation of
the gospel how Jesus Christ gave himself for us to redeem us, but then he adds
these words for pastors:
Declare
these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. (Titus
2:15)
This is the calling of the church:
to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with all authority.
The church is left
with one question today: “Is the Bible from heaven or from man?” If it is from
heaven, we preach it with authority, but if it is from man, it is merely a
suggestion. Let us not disregard the authority of the gospel of Jesus Christ,
but know His Word has come from heaven. Let us preach it with authority and
receive it as our authority.
[1]
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/november/does-my-local-church-have-authority-to-declare-that-i-am-no.html
image credit (http://www.popularmechanics.com/cm/popularmechanics/images/da/2009-Dodge-Charger-police_car_500_0410.jpg)
image credit (http://blogs.blueletterbible.org/blb/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2013/09/20130925_authorityjesus.jpg)
Friday, November 7, 2014
Can Your "Opinions" be Wrong? (A study of the prophet Malachi)
As
I was sitting in the emergency room at George Washington hospital, I remember thinking
how foolish I was to think that only my opinions mattered. When I went back stitched up, I struck up a
conversation about God with my nurse.
She told me that she did not like to talk about issues of faith, because
she believed it was a personal matter.
Yet the interesting thing was after she made the disclaimer that faith
was personal, she started to talk about her own views of faith. Her faith could not have been characterized
by any one recognizable faith, but rather it was the common view of spirituality
where it was impossible to disagree.
Many
individuals hold a view of personal faith which they believe can never be
challenged. They say, “It’s just my
opinion.” Personal autonomy has become
the spirit of our age where everyone’s individual opinions cannot be
challenged. In a January 2, 2012 article
Mike Gershon says,
"Everyone is
entitled to their opinion" – a refrain commonly heard in our society. We
value free speech and the rights of the individual. The private preferences we
keep, as long as they do not interfere with the rights and freedoms of others,
are ours to do with as we wish. Children learn this central tenet early on and
soon become adept at deploying it to suit their own purposes. The phrase
"well it's just my opinion" can act as a get-out clause which avoids
further questioning or the need to give an explanation. A student, when faced
with the prospect of concerted thinking, may well prefer to put up a brick wall
and so dodge the difficult task of providing a justification for their
perspective. They know the sacred position freedom of speech holds for all of
us; they know how to confound a questioner by calling this keystone to their defense;
and they know the taboo around challenging the opinions of others when they do
not impact adversely on anyone else.[1]”
People no longer have to be
thoughtful and consider the various arguments relating to an issue, but simply
have to spout, “It’s just my opinion,” for no politically correct sane 21st
century mind would dare say their opinion was wrong.
Can
opinions be wrong? Does the simple fact that individuals can make statements
mean that they are true? Another
possible way to formulate the question is to say, “Is there truth?” If opinions can be wrong, they have to be
wrong on the basis of that which is right.
In an effort to be accepting of everyone’s opinion, we have lost the
ability to articulate our justification for our opinions. Americans do not like to create complex
arguments justifying our opinions, but rather love to simply state, “It’s just
my opinion,” so then no one has the right to judge them. But what if opinions
could be wrong?
We
hope to answer that question through the last book in the Old Testament,
Malachi. Malachi prophesied after the return from Babylon and after the temple
had been completed under the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah. Several years following Zechariah, the
devotion to God started to wane so God spoke to His people through Malachi,
which simply means “messenger.” God spoke through Malachi to show the people
that their opinions were wrong. God
helped expose and correct the people’s wrong opinions about the world. I pray that as we study God’s Word spoken
through Malachi, our wrong opinions would be exposed and corrected.
A Wrong Opinion of God
Malachi
begins his prophecy exposing the faulty thinking that the people have in
regards to God. Malachi 1:2-5,
“I have loved
you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob's
brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated. I
have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the
desert.” If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the
LORD of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be
called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the LORD is angry
forever.’” Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD
beyond the border of Israel!”
The people did not see the Lord’s
love for them. The Lord declared that He
has loved them, but they are saying, “How have you loved us?” The Lord uses
questions like these to show how their opinions were wrong. Just because the people were saying that the
Lord had not demonstrated His love, did not make their words true. The Lord clearly had loved them, but tells
them that in the future they shall see with their own eyes and say, “Great is
the Lord beyond the border of Israel!”
The
Bible believes in truth. God is the
arbiter of what is true and what is false.
One’s opinion of God is only true if it is proven in God’s Word. As
Israel was corrected with a false view of God, we also should help challenge
people to justify their opinions. As
much as we hate to admit it, human beings are not the center of the universe. There is only One who is truly Great and
always true. Romans 3:4,
Let God be true
though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in
your words, and prevail when you are judged.”
God is right and will be justified
with His words. A wrong opinion of God
will lead people to wrong opinions of a host of other issues.
A Wrong Opinion of Worship
As
the nation did not understand God’s gracious and merciful love, they did not
value the appropriate worship of God.
The people were bringing sick and lame animals for the sacrifices. Instead of bringing their best animals, pure
and unblemished, they were bringing the leftovers to God’s House. Malachi 1:6-8,
“A son honors his
father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And
if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests,
who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ By offering
polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying
that the LORD's table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in
sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is
that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you
favor? says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 1:6-8)
No one would enter the president’s
house with a half-eaten snickers bar as a gift. When one enters a house of an
honored and respected leader, one brings their best. The people were not bringing their best
showing their lack of honor and respect for God. They showed that they did not
value Him.
We
do not have to worry about bringing God our best animals for the sacrifice, but
we should still be bringing God our best. We should make God and God’s people
our number one priority. It is amazing
how easy it is to make an excuse to miss the gathering of the church. This past Sunday at church I was speaking
with a young man’s mother about the church.
And his mother was talking about an upcoming trip that should require an
overnight visit, but the young man said that he was not planning on spending
the night so that he would not miss being with his church. It did my heart good to see the sacrifice a
young man was willing to make to bring God his best.
In my time at my
church, I have seen countless examples of extreme sacrifice not to miss the
gathering of the Lord. There will always
be those who are quick to miss, but I pray that we would be like those who make
God and the gathering of God’s people the number one priority in our life. Do not have the wrong opinion about worship.
Bring God the best for His Name is Great, Malachi 1:11, 14,
For from the
rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and
in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my
name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. Cursed be the cheat who has a male in
his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I
am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the
nations.
The Lord is not pleased with those
who make great vows, yet sacrifice little.
The Lord is the great King and deserves nothing, but the best. Are you giving God and His people your best?
Now ask, “Would God agree with your opinion of the last question?”
A Wrong Opinion of the Clergy
The
Lord established the tribe of Levi to bring true instruction to the people
regarding God’s law so that they would stand in fear and reverence before the
Lord. God sent His condemnation on the
clergy for they were not doing as they ought. Malachi 2:7-9,
For the lips of a
priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his
mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But you have turned aside
from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have
corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, and so I make you
despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways
but show partiality in your instruction.”
The priests were not standing
strong before the Lord, but started to shift to give the people instruction
that corrupted God’s Word.
Let
me encourage you always to pray for your pastor to stand boldly behind God’s
Word. And one of the best ways you can
do that is to humbly receive His counsel.
If pastors consistently face criticism, they will be tempted to bend the
word to meet people’s desires. Paul
warns Timothy,
For
the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having
itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own
passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into
myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
People need the pure word of God,
but they often desire teachers who suit their own passions. I try to make the
main message of the text, the main message of my sermon. And it is interesting
because I can almost pinpoint which people are going to respond favorably to
the message based on the text. It is not
that they do not want to endure sound teaching, but that they love when their
passions are addressed. Pray for your pastor to cherish and love God’s Word
more than the praise of men. Discover
your passions and make sure they do not lead you away from the truth.
A Wrong Opinion of Giving
The
Lord does not only address the leaders of the people, but He addresses the
people themselves. They were not
faithful to the Lord in their giving,
“For I the LORD do
not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days
of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them.
Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say,
‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say,
‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with
a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the
storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test,
says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and
pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. (Malachi 3:6-10)
It is a very interesting way to
look at giving. If you do not give what God asks of you, you are stealing from
Him. And in not giving, you are showing you
do not trust God to provide for you. You
cannot serve both God and Money.
Do
you have the wrong opinion of your money? Do you view your money as yours or as
God’s? Are you giving what God requires? Do you trust God’s provision? Do you
trust God’s Word that it is more blessed to give than to receive? If we have
the wrong opinion about money, we may be thieves. Not many people would break into someone’s
house to take their things, but in withholding your money you are entering
God’s house as a thief.
A Wrong Opinion of Marriage
Malachi
continues to display how the people are living with the wrong opinions. He then
attacks their handling of their marriages, Malachi 2:14b-16,
The LORD was
witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been
faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not
make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the
one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let
none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. “For the man who does not
love his wife but divorces her, says the LORD, the God of Israel, covers his
garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your
spirit, and do not be faithless.”
Godly offspring is a direct result
of a godly marriage. The people were not guarding their spouses in faithfulness
and thus they were not protecting their legacy with godliness. Marriage is very important in the eyes of
God. Even Jesus say,
But from the
beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall
leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become
one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined
together, let not man separate.” (Mark 10:6-9)
There is nothing new under the
sun. Marriage is important. Do you have the right or the wrong opinions
on marriage? Guard yourself in your
spirit, so that none of you are faithless towards your spouse.
A Wrong Opinion of Justice
People were seeing
the wicked prosper and therefore questioned God’s justice. They were lying and giving the wrong opinions
of reality. Malachi 2:17,
You have wearied
the LORD with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying,
“Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in
them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”
People were seeing the wicked
prosper and therefore questioned God’s justice.
They were lying and giving the wrong opinions of reality. They were seeing wickedness rewarded and
therefore interpreted that God was pleased with their actions. They were wrongly interpreting inaction as no
action. The Lord was going to bring his
justice, Malachi 3:1-2,
“Behold, I send my
messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek
will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you
delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the
day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a
refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. (Malachi 3:1-2)
God was preparing to bring justice.
We need to always remember that we can only rightly interpret current events in
light of future events promised by God’s Word.
Malachi
ends his prophecy with a promise. The
great and awesome day of the Lord is going to come, but before it does God is
going to give people a chance to return to Him. Malachi 4:5-6,
“Behold, I will
send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.
And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of
children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter
destruction.” (Malachi 4:5-6)
And with those words the Old
Testament ends. The Old Testament does
not end in despair, but hope. We know from Jesus that the one who came like
Elijah was John the Baptist (Matthew 17:10-12). John the Baptist came to
prepare the way for the Messiah calling people to repentance. His ministry was so powerful in turning the
hearts of the people back to God that some thought he could have been the
Messiah,
As the people were
in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John,
whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you
with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals
I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
(Luke 3:15-16)
Jesus came and baptized people with
the Holy Spirit and fire, yet only after He was baptized into death and was
raised.
I love this
hopeful end to the Old Testament, but I love even more the words of God telling
us the reason for the Messiah to come.
Malachi 3:17-18,
Then those who
feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them,
and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD
and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day
when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares
his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between
the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not
serve him. (Malachi 3:16-18)
The ones who esteem the name of the
Lord and have the right opinion about Him, God says that we will make up His
treasured possession and we shall be His.
He will be our God and we will be His people.
image credit (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcReLxW_i139l7wt5y9Wx9uNYlnWUZo37LN7w7usZXQJKF8-VuSUJzpZVVcb)
image credit (http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/54/ac/9d/54ac9df4b173bdcc88712fd0ed93bbc5.jpg)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)