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The Gospel

April 5th, 2009 Comments off


John 3:1-21 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.“
Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.“
Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.“

Everybody loves a great story. There are classics in literature that many people recognize as great writing. Sometimes it is because of the characters, people we get, we relate too, we are right there with them in the setting. Sometimes it is the action. The author has written a dense novel so there are no slow moments. Ever read a book and that you take it with you wherever you go because you can’t put it down. One danger of writing is having a saggy middle. A good start, and a bang up end; but the author has only one idea. To make a novel means they have to stretch that idea out over chapters; when they should have just written it as a short story. The characters have to be doing something more than just making toast. There are a lot of elements to stories that authors have to contend with, if they truly want to write a great book. One such story is Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, known as Palm Sunday. It is filled with characters and action; children and animals and greenery. Quite the thing! Most of us know the details and we also know it is part of a much bigger and grander and longer story that reaches back before time began.

There’s God – a big Creator, who makes man in His image. Unfortunately that image gets marred and so the relationship is broken between the Creator and His creation. That brokenness was a result of sin – anything that we have done that goes against the character of God. God has a plan, though, to restore that brokenness, for He created man to have a wonderful relationship with Himself. First, He raised a people from one man and woman. He made an agreement with them that though their offspring He would raise a people He would call His own, and out of those people, He would bless the whole world. He did wonderful things for these people, but they struggled to be true to Him. His plan led to His Son becoming one of them; and His name was Jesus. Jesus came so that through His death and resurrection we all could have that broken relationship with God, our Creator, restored. God did the work, all we have to do is accept that and follow Jesus. That is our choice: do we want to ask God to be our Leader and Forgiver?

That is the Gospel. That is the story of salvation in a nutshell, that is found in this book, which is the story of God’s redeeming love for us. There are four sermons in Acts, 2 by Peter and 2 by Paul. They are found in Acts 2, 3, 13, and 17. They contain this God story. They all use Scripture from the Old Testament and talk of God at work in the ancient times. They talk about how Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus. When it comes to Jesus, they reference His miracles, His death on a cross, and His resurrection. They application they have is a call to repentance, to turning away from sin.
I think too often we start with that last point, the fact that we are sinners. We need to balance that fact with the story of God’s grace, of God working down through the ages to provide a way for us to reconnect with Him. The Gospel is Good News. The Gospel is Grace. I want to suggest 4 things that explain this Grace. Then I want to refer to Jesus conversation with Nicodemus which we read earlier. Lastly, I want to leave some thoughts about what this means for you and I.

1) The Gospel begins with the story of creation. It talks of a God so immense He created all that we see, but most importantly He created you and me. He created you and me to have a relationship with Him. This is good news. Jesus said that He came so that we could have abundant life. This is a picture of a shepherd looking after his sheep. You are special – not just because I say so, not just because you may think so, but because the God who created all the wonders of this world and universe took the time to create you and He says so; and He knows you even now – whether you are close to Him or far away; whether you call Him friend or unknowable.

2) The Gospel becomes inaccessible with of the story of sin. Something happened a long time ago that broke that relationship. As a result, you are not strong enough to get to God. You cannot be good enough to get to God. You are not smart enough to get to God. There is nothing you can do to get to God in or of yourself. The reason is because you are marred. Because of sin, you are far away from God. Anything against the character of God is sin.

3) The Gospel becomes viable with the story of Jesus. Because you and I couldn’t do anything to fix what was broken between us and God, God took the initiative. He covered all the bases, paid all the debt owing, provided all the necessary things for our relationship with Him to be restored. He did it all. Through Jesus’ life, death on a cross, and resurrection we now have the opportunity to reconnect with our Creator. He has done it all – all the work is done.

4) The Gospel is your life. There is a decision you have to make. Though the Gospel is now viable and accessible, it isn’t yours until you make a decision. The decision is whether you are going to follow Jesus or not. When you follow someone you learn from them and become like them. It starts with a decision to accept the truth – the truth that you need to change. That change involves asking forgiveness for your sins, and then walking through life dropping the bad and taking on the good. To put it simply, it is loving God with all you got, and your neighbour as if he were you.

There are a lot of details that could be added, but those come with time, as we get to know God better. Paul said it is all about being “in Christ” or having “Jesus in us”. It is simple to say, but it will change your life to live those words.

I want to mention 3 things about this passage from John 3. First, this is part of an ongoing conversation. Jesus started off by saying, “You gotta change – You gotta be born again.” Though the terminology didn’t make sense to Nicodemus, he knew it was about faith and our relationship with God.
Secondly, the key verses are 16-18: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Jesus says here if you do nothing, you are under judgement. God is reaching out to you. If you ignore that, you have made your choice. Notice though, and thirdly, Jesus’ mission. Man is already judged – we don’t need to do that. Jesus came to save, to redeem, to restore. Our mission is the same. We are not called to judge, but to pursue Christ-likeness. This leads me to three closing thoughts about what Grace looks like:

1) Grace gives us the Freedom to ask questions because it is a dialogue. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Do I shy away from the hard stuff because I don’t know if God can handle it? What kind of God do I believe in if I don’t think He can handle the hard stuff? If I truly believe my faith is about a relationship with the Creator, I better be dialoguing with Him.
2) Grace gives us the freedom to grow because it is a journey. None of us have arrived, and we won’t until we see Jesus face to face. We are not here to judge, but to extend grace. We had a great discussion about legalism and the law at our small group on Thursday. My task is to extend grace to those people around me, not judgment. God is the one responsible for that, but while we have breath in our bodies grace is where we live.
3) Grace gives us the freedom to be ourselves because God loves us. Yes, following Jesus means our lives will change. We are bent to holiness if indeed we are pursuing Jesus. His Spirit is at work in us even if our bodies are dead because of sin. But Jesus died while we were yet sinners! Are you struggling with something? Ask me to pray for you, ask us all to pray for you. We all have struggles of one kind or another. We all are striving to live in obedience to the Spirit, and experience tells us that it usually doesn’t happen overnight. We are all on this same pilgrimage, this road leading to Christ-likeness. Lest us walk with each other.

Categories: grace, Jesus Words, John 3, the Gospel Tags:

Worship in Spirit – Jesus Words

February 15th, 2009 Comments off


John 4:20-26 “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

It is hard to pull together the barrage of media and news from around the world. This morning there could be a coup in Nigeria and we would hear about it by tonight. Hindus in Orissa attacked Christians, killing several and causing the rest to flee into the jungles. You can read Time magazine online and find out the top 25 people to blame for the America’s and the world’s financial crisis. You read about thousands laid off in countries all around the world. I spent time this week trying to help two brothers who hitch-hiked into town from Nova Scotia with nothing but the clothes on their back. It begs the question—”What are we doing here? Who am I in the midst of this?”

Place of Worship – in you
As God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, freeing them from bondage, He revealed to them that His dwelling place would be the tabernacle. On Wednesday I was doing an Outcome Inventory as part of my educational requirements for the District and I sat in an unused office in Rock of Ages Church. On a side counter there sat a little model about 2 feet long of the tabernacle. As a kid I had a Sunday school teacher who specialized in explaining how the elements contained in the tabernacle and temple were types or symbols that ultimately led to Jesus. The tabernacle was replaced by Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. Wrecked in the Babylonian invasion the Jews appreciated grudgingly the work Herod was doing in the time of Jesus on the new temple. It would be completed in 63 AD, and destroyed 7 years later when Rome overran Jerusalem. Because the Samaritans were considered impure and not true Jews, they could not worship in Jerusalem. So they set up their own rival temple on Mt Gerazim. Jesus, though, talked of a fundamental change. The grace of God through the death of Jesus was offered to all, both Jew and Gentile. The location was no longer physical, but spiritual.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:17; 6:19; and 2 Corinthians 6:16 that we are the temple of God, that God dwells within us. You are the repository of the Creator of the ends of the earth. We don’t need to put gold on our ceilings or marble on our floors. What we do need to do is use these bodies we have for God’s honour and glory. This is why we Nazarenes ask our members to be sober and stay away from entertainment practices that can lead us away from worshipping God with our minds and bodies. These things become idols all too easily. They take our eyes off Jesus, off the holiness of God. They draw us in pursuit of our own pleasure and quickly become a distraction from keeping in step with the Holy Spirit. In the middle of the book of Acts a church council sends a letter to all the churches saying, “Stay away from eating meat offered to idols.” A while later we see Paul in a letter saying it is okay to eat meat offered to idols. The fact is there are many things in life that just aren’t worth the effort it takes to do them. They are distracting to our faith, our families, our integrity. You have to live within the context of Christ in you. It doesn’t start with what you do. It starts with the fact that God is in you and goes from there. What does go from there? Well…

Method of Worship – in your heart
This is something that should be self-evident, but often is not. We come to church, or go to work or school or just sit in the privacy of our homes. We think we are alone, or at least, our thoughts and hearts are well guarded. Don’t fool yourself. It isn’t about clothes or location; it isn’t even about action to begin with, that comes later. Jesus said it is about worshiping in spirit. It is about intention, about agendas. God knows our inner thoughts. He knew in the Old Testament when the Priests would offer up sacrifices, but were robbing the people. He knew when Achan had in private stolen treasure when he was forbidden. He knows, as Jeremiah states, that our hearts are deceitful and wicked. He knows how often we fail and fall short. But you know what? His grace is bigger than our failures and He asks us to come back to Him. He knows when we don’t and just go through the motions. Jonathon Edwards preached a sermon in 1741 called “Sinners in the hands of an angry God”. He talked about the end result of living a life running against or away from God. He said it is only in Jesus that you can find peace and assurance of the future. So don’t get caught up in the sense that you are somehow escaping the notice of God. This is good news and bad news. Good if you are pursuing Jesus, bad if you are running your own life. There is probably 30 different reasons why we came here this morning. Most of us came to meet God. Rest in His love, in His grace. If you are far from Him, listen to Him calling to you.
When we worship in Spirit, we worship in intention. We purposely do things for God, because He leads us. The incarnation is a prime example of that. Jesus intentionally left heaven to accomplish the will of the Father. It was an act of service. One of the last things Jesus did for the disciples was to wash their feet. Remember that story? Peter said, “No- not me. That is a job for the servants.” When Jesus rebuked him Peter said then wash all of me because I want to be all I can be in you. Worshipping God in Spirit is intention played out in action. In Bible College I had a professor say that “service is the highest form of worship”. Almost everything you do can be worship when you do it in the attitude of service to God and one another. You can do the same thing and it could mean nothing because your intention was not for God, but for yourself. The challenge is live your life as an act of worship, moving from one thing to the next with the continuing sense of the presence of God in your life.

Focus of Worship – Christ in us
Jesus said to worship in spirit and in truth. The ultimate truth is reality. One can talk about homes and food and love, but if we lived in many, many places in the world it would not be reality. As we watched gas prices go up and down, as we watch the stock markets bottom out, we begin to ask what lasts? I read another article yesterday on how they need to look at climate change happening sooner than later because it can get into a self serving circle with the melting of the northern tundra and how that could release 3 times the amount of CO2 than we have released since the dawn of the industrial age in a matter of decades. What will the world look like for our children’s children? The only unchanging thing I know is the character of God. It is what He bases His promises in – His unchanging character of love and holiness. That is why the Old Testament has the rules it does. It reflects His holiness and the seriousness of sin. It also reflects His love and striving with us, His patience. Is it any wonder that these two things are what God calls us to? Love and holiness. Christianity isn’t rules for rules sake. It is about reflecting the life of Jesus in us.
One would think it would be easier to live by rules. It’s not. You would always be waiting for judgement, always wondering how far short you missed the mark, no assurance of God’s love; just Damacle’s sword of judgement hanging above us while we struggle and keep falling short. How much better it is to live in grace. Unmerited favour. Letting our behaviour flow out of who we are in Christ. And if we fall short, there is forgiveness and the grace to go on. There is assurance based on love and promises of salvation.

So go from today with a sense of the presence of God in your life, for you are the temple of God. Take the time throughout your week to keep short accounts. God is closer than a text message or a tweet. He is with you always. Just make the choice to live in His power and direction, and He will come and lead you on, in spirit and truth.

Categories: Jesus Words, John 4, worship Tags:

Witness in Samaria

February 8th, 2009 Comments off


John 4:4-15 “And He had to pass through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” She said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? “You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?”

Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.””

The Witness Skit was something I wrote with my buddies Dan, Larry and Paul back in high school. The skit was about the story of the Samaritan woman found in John 4. The disciples are talking and see a woman at the well, so they discuss the best way to go and tell her about Jesus. They have several false starts before they end up watching Jesus as He talks with her, learning from His example. I want to do that today as we continue talking about Jesus Words.

Witness did not happen with the disciples!

The disciples were following and learning from Jesus about what He was calling them to – to become more like Him. The disciples were drawn from ordinary men from across the strata of society. In this story, the disciples had no influence on the woman at the well. Why is that? Let me suggest a couple reasons:

They were too busy. Reading verse 8 and verse 33 of John 4 we see they went in to the city to buy food. They had a task on hand and seemed to focus on that. While they were gone they missed an opportunity. We don’t see any results from the city for them having gone there. I apparently have some issues when it comes to multi-tasking. What I always need to do, though, if have in the back of my mind who I am in Jesus.

They lost their focus. It is like having a program but forgetting why you are doing the program and so you begin to run it for its own sake. There is the story of the community that lived by the sea. There was no magic dragon but there were shipwrecks – many of them in fact. Over the years they helped many people along the dangerous coast survive. They would run training seminars on search and rescue and first aid. After time they decided it would help if they built a lighthouse, and so they organized and did just that. The light worked and saved many a ship. As such, they had some extra time and a reason to celebrate, so along with nightly lighthouse-keeping duties, they built a hall and celebrated and had many wonderful parties. Time went on and they struggled to keep up with the costs of running the lighthouse, especially when ships weren’t crashing any more. They eventually turned off the light and became a social club that met for parties. And so the ships began to once more run aground… Jesus talked about making them fishers of men, and here they were busy buying fish sticks. We do things for reasons beyond just the social here. We are connected through the Holy Spirit to encourage and model and to be involved in the body of Jesus, the church. It is not about the program, whether it be floor hockey or a small group or the Sunday Service – the program is just a tool, and tools can change and be sharpened.

They were too bound by culture. The disciples were surprised Jesus was talking to a woman, and a Samaritan woman at that. It went against generally accepted cultural norms. What we need to do, though, is get outside of those norms, and see everyone with the eyes of Jesus. Now, the disciples missed the boat, but Jesus didn’t. We see the story unfold from His perspective, so let’s talk about the example He left us here.

Witness happens in the midst of conversation!

Everywhere Jesus went we see Him in conversation. Society was different then, but that does not mean it was worse or better. The example we have is that Jesus engaged people in conversation. He found ways to chat. Maybe He started with the weather, but we do know He was thinking ahead. Do you know somebody who is really excited about something? What happened when the Riders were in the Grey Cup game? It was on everybody’s lips. Everyone was talking about it because they were excited. It was thrilling. How exiting and thrilling is Jesus and your relationship with Him. Maybe one of the reasons the Church in North America is declining is because many of us just aren’t that excited about Jesus, about salvation and holiness, about spiritual blessings. Jesus was excited about His Father and His kingdom. He talked about it all the time. Find ways to be excited, to have conversations that lead to how wonderful God is in your life. Take some time to consider all He has done for you. Use language that people can understand. Telling your neighbour who has only set his foot in church at a funeral that he is lost and needs to be holy and let Jesus into His heart may not go far for the simple reason he looks at you and says, “Huh???” He doesn’t get the meaning of any of those, because he knows where he is, he is fine without holes in his stuff, and how can someone get into his heart when it is in the middle of his chest? A tribe in South America accepts Jesus into their liver, because that is where the seat of life is for them in their culture.

Witness happens in the midst of vulnerability!

Jesus did not start His conversation with the lady by hitting her with the Torah saying “Repent, you are a sinner!” He said I have a need – “I am thirsty.” Sometimes we are too self-sufficient. I struggle with this. I plan my own way to do things and am more than happy to help someone or give them a ride, but there is a bit of pride in me that says, “I don’t need help myself!”

Witness happens in the midst of Grace!

Notice the focus was not on whom the person was – a Samaritan woman who was living a promiscuous life. It wasn’t about how many wrong things she was doing. It wasn’t about her faith and where she was wrong in that. It was about how much God loved her, and that she needed to hear the Good News that Jesus had to offer. You will never be effectively used by God to bring people to Himself if you don’t believe they are worth it. Did Jesus really die for them like He died for me? Absolutely! The homeless person needs Jesus as much if not more than us who have a warm place to lay our head. Jesus said He didn’t come to heal those who were well, but the sick. His grace transforms people. We have this conference coming up in March about God creating each of us in His image with wonderful gifts and how we can use those things to make significant changes in our lives. Some people don’t need to come because they don’t need or want any changes, but I do know we all need to be reminded about how strong and how wonderful God has created each of us.

Don’t be too busy, too caught up in living life that you miss the opportunities all around you. Pray every morning, “Lord, give me a chance to talk about how happy I am to be your child to someone today. Maybe you need to help me be happier or show my happiness better, but Father, I truly am. Don’t let me miss an opportunity. Lead me on.”

Categories: Jesus Words, John 4, witness Tags:

SOTM – Peacemakers

September 7th, 2008 Comments off

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God”
Luke 2:7-14 “7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”” (NASB)
At the start of Genesis we see a chaotic emptiness. Out of that God creates order and peace. But that peace is shattered with sin. And so from the Garden of Eden on God was at work redeeming His people. He gave them the law, a glimpse of who He was, of His holiness. He gave us prophets so that we might understand Him better and keep the Law. In time, in the fullness of time, He gave us Love. Not the Law, but the Word. And this Word brought about the ability of peace again. No longer would we be hiding from God because we would never be good enough. Love reached down and offered us an eternal gift of peace between us and God, between us and each other. A new Law, the Law of Love was manifested to us.
The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achieving world peace. The UN was founded in 1945 after World War II to replace the League of Nations, to stop wars between countries and to provide a platform for dialogue.
There are currently 192 member states, including nearly every recognized independent state in the world. From its headquarters on international territory in New York City, the UN and its specialized agencies decide on substantive and administrative issues in regular meetings held throughout the year.
The Words:
Peacemakers – There are 2 things we need to consider with this word. The first is that peace is derived from God, from His reign. Regardless of what worldly government you have, from left wing to right, from socialist to dictator, you will always find corruption and the grasp for power. Mankind has never gone a generation or 2 without issues. Look at how the First nations have been treated in Canada, and the continuing conflict that occurs between English and French. Look at the USA, founded upon personal rights where corruption and lobbying are the ways to get what you want. Money buys votes and power. Then look overseas at dictators and the like. Man is incapable of bringing lasting peace to this world. God, the originator of peace, who brought order and peace out of chaos at creation, can shed a peace in your heart so big and so lasting that it is beyond comprehension. Peace comes from God and our relationship with Him.
The second thing is the modifier. Notice it says “peacemaker”, not peacekeeper. The difference here is one of initiative. The UN sends its soldiers out to keep the peace once a certain level has been established. We are ambassadors of God Himself, taking the peace of God and sharing it with those who have no peace. We are called to love and quietness, focusing on God as the Author and Finisher of our faith. God initiated peace with us through the incarnation. He brought in peace when all the Law could do was condemn and provide conflict. God initiated peace, and we need to follow His example and go out to make peace in the circles of life and influence that God has given us.
Called Sons (of God) – This phrase refers to our actions being a confirmation of our standing. It doesn’t say we will “become” the sons of God, it says we shall be “called” the sons of God. We already are the sons of God. We have a moment by moment relationship with the everlasting God, the Lord God of Creation, as we confess our sins to Him and yield our will to His. But in living out that truth, we become peacemakers and so prove that God is at work in our lives.
The Paradox:
The paradox is this: being a peacemaker is the culmination of the Beatitudes. Notice that this really is the last attitude, and that it is reflected in action. What follows in “Blessed are those who are Persecuted…” is not something we have any control over. We do not go out and be obnoxious with the Gospel of Peace just so someone will persecute us. No! This peacemaking is the summation of all that has been said before. And this beatitude is the one that people of power who are Christians, miss the most. How did the Crusades of a thousand years ago to deliver the Holy Land from Islam live out this verse? How does the turning away of needy and badly dressed people who don’t fit our church culture satisfy this verse?
Take It Home:
Emotional Peace: Fulfillment of the Great Commandment – Matthew 22:36-40 “36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40 “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Part of our job is to share love with everyone around us. We have a ministry of reconciliation. We have been reconciled to God, and know God is calling us to be used of Him so He can reconcile others to Himself. We live this out in our day to day actions. People all around us are hungry for love. We ourselves need it, and often feel on the edge of community. We have to take the initiative.
Spiritual Peace: Fulfillment of the Great Commission – Matthew 28:19-20 “19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Part of our job is to share Jesus with everyone around us. Sharing Jesus means we are to share Him with those who don’t know Him, as well as encourage those who do to grow up in Him. Look around – we are all part of this church, this community. We all have a sense of responsibility with each other. We dedicate children and commit them to this group, recognizing that the whole community raises the child. It doesn’t stop with the children, though. We need to pursuer deeper relationships with one another, praying fro one another, taking about spiritual things. When was the last time someone asked you, “How are things going, spiritually?” When was the last time you asked someone else that same question. Be a peacemaker, take the initiative.
Personal Peace: It is all about spiritual and personal integrity – Do you have peace with God? Are you and God not just on speaking terms, but on “I surrender all” terms? Do you have peace with family and friends? Are you able to take the initiative and go to a brother or sister and say, “Listen! We need to talk.” For Dr Larry Dahl he will come and say, “I have a stone in my shoe.” He means that something is bothering him and he wants to deal with it. This week, today even, take the initiative and pursue peace. Be a peacemaker.
Categories: Beatitudes, Jesus Words, peacemakers, Sermon On The Mount Tags:

Sermon On The Mount – Introduction

July 6th, 2008 Comments off

Let me encourage you to read this passage through several times this summer. Take time to just read it without stopping to analyze. Read it through and listen for common phrases and try to get a broader sense of the themes Jesus is talking about. Do take time to also look at specific verses or words as well.
This sermon starts off with the beatitudes. I remember memorizing these as a kid in Sunday School. They set the standard for following Jesus. They have a sense of “this is what is important!” It is almost as if you have an index in the beatitudes, and then Jesus begins to walk through the rest of the sermon expounding what they mean and refer to. I want to give you some foundational thoughts to consider as we go through the beatitudes and this sermon of Jesus. Look for these themes that we find in Matthew 5:13-20 which follows immediately after the beatitudes.

Theme 1: What is important? Why are the beatitudes key? Matthew 5:13-16
We have two pictures in these verses. The first is salt, the second is light. The beatitudes are key because they describe a life that reflects the character of God. They describe a life that allows people to see the truth of who God is. That is the real question, isn’t it? A Buddhist comes up to you and asks how you know God is the “Christian” God and not the one who revealed himself through Buddha? Or Allah, the god of Islam, or on of the thousands of gods of Hindu. Who is God the Creator of the ends of the earth? The beatitudes tell us, and over the next several weeks we will be looking at each trait listed. And as we study them, as we live them out through the power of God – God will reveal Himself through you to those around you.
Salt is a preserver and a symbol of friendship to which the Arabs still regard it today. If we, the church, the followers of Jesus lose our saltiness, our holiness, what good are we? Are we no different than the one who does not follow Jesus? – That is an impossibility!
Light is meant to be seen. The light of Jesus is to be seen in us. It is to be seen so people will come to see Jesus for who He is. Does the church just keep the light here in a building like this? Is not that similar to hiding it under a bushel? It is to be out there, in the world, where all may see it. The beatitudes are important because they reveal the standard to which we strive.

Theme 2: The Law is fulfilled in the Beatitudes! Matthew 5:17-19
The firefighter runs into a burning building. He grabs the fallen boy, throws him over his shoulder, and carries him out. There is only one way to be saved from that fire, you have to get out of the building. The boy couldn’t save himself because of the smoke and fear, but the firefighter did for the boy what the boy could not do, and saved him. Jesus is saying the Law is valid until the end of time. You have to keep the Law if you want to see God… but read the fine print. Often the fine print puts the limits and boundaries and boxes around all the good stuff, the contract. The fine print here is that Jesus fulfilled the Law, and if we give our lives to Him, we fulfill the Law through Him.

Theme 3: The Beatitudes lead to a righteousness beyond the Law! Matthew 5:20
The Scribes and Pharisees had the job of knowing the Law inside and out. They were like lawyers, though here they were expected to follow the law as completely as they could. Up to this point no one was able to fulfill the law. Romans 3:23 says that everyone was found wanting, for if you blew it even just once, you were guilty of the whole thing. But look at the following phrases:
“You have heard it was said…” vs. 21, 27, 31, 33, 38, and 43
“But I say to you…” vs. 22, 28, 32, 34, 39, and 44
Jesus spells out not just the letter of the Law, but the spirit as well. Jesus is telling us it isn’t just about doing the right thing, it is about being the right person. Following Jesus is about love and mercy and grace. It is like those 3-d images that on the surface is just a bunch of shapes and colours. As you stare at it and go slightly cross-eyed, though a 3-d picture pops out of the background. You have to look through the Law to see the truth of it.

So the challenge is this: What are you doing with and for Jesus Christ today? This sermon of Jesus closes with a parable of two foundations. One man built on a rock, the other on the sand. The only difference is not that one prayed a prayer of confession to God. The difference was not some deep thinking and pious thoughts. It was not based on church attendance, or the condition of the building they met in. It was that one of them acted on Jesus’ words, and the other did nothing. Following Jesus is about walking step in step with His Spirit.

Categories: Beatitudes, Jesus Words, Sermon On The Mount Tags:

The Lord’s Prayer – Part 5

June 29th, 2008 Comments off


James 1:2-5, 12-17 “2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.
14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

The new president of CSB Canada, John Launstein, runs an out tripping company that takes people fly fishing near Pincher creek, Alberta. He would love to sit down with you in a spare moment and talk trout, rods and reels, and flies. The whole concept of going out in the wild and sticking a man-made lure or a hook with a piece of nature on it in a river is to entice the fish to take the bait. The successful fishermen know what lures to use according to the fish you are after, the weather, the temperature, and a few other variables. They know you have to give the fish something they think they want.

And so we spend a few minutes on the phrase from the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6:13 “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” There are some key words we will look at, and then talk a bit about how to deal with temptation. Before we go there I want to make a couple general comments.

3 Comments:
The first is to consider the context of this verse. It comes at the end of the Lord’s Prayer. The prayer started with praise and the recognition of relationship… “Our father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name…” There is recognition that God is our provider. Don’t try to win the fight with temptation without first putting yourself in place before God. Understand that it is God who gives you and I the power to overcome; it doesn’t rise from within our will. Take comfort that “greater is He (God) who is in you than he (Satan) who is in the world!”
The second is a comment about total depravity. You and I are bent to sin. It is in our nature that we were born with. There is a salvation that leads to forgiveness of the acts of sin, but there is still a root of sin deep down. We are called a holiness church because we believe the power of God is greater than that root, and that He has made available to us everything we need to overcome sin. We call this entire sanctification, or perfect love. I think it is best described as complete surrender. The only way to deal with sin is in a moment by moment ongoing obedience to the will of God as the Spirit works in your heart. Complete surrender doesn’t mean you can’t ever sin again; it means that as you walk in step with the Spirit you can make all the right choices that is holiness, but it is a moment by moment thing that is a life of surrender lived by faith. If you are not at that point of your relationship with God you are still bent to sin. It is like walking on a road that is inclined to the side. You will gravitate down the slope because the road is bent that way.
The third comment is about the need to ask God to lead us not into temptation, as if we didn’t ask it would mean He would lead us there. A better rendering of this sentence would be “help us not be drawn into the occasion of sin, and if we are, deliver us from the consequences of that sin.” Note the passage we read from James 1:13-15 “13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” Most temptation comes from within us. It is when our natural desires get pulled out of proportion, out of context. Take food for example. You need it for health and life, but if it takes over, it becomes gluttony and leads not only to physical complications but spiritual ones as well. We are asking God to save us from ourselves.

4 Words:
The first is the word “lead”. This is the fishing word. The Greek word has connotations of being drawn into something. C.S. Lewis in the Screwtape Letters has a senior demon corresponding with his nephew, Wormwood, a junior tempter, about how to get their charge, known as the Patient, secured for damnation. Through 31 letters, Screwtape gives Wormwood detailed advice on various methods of undermining faith and promoting sin in his Patient, interspersed with observations on human nature and Christian doctrine. These situations are all around us. They are highlighted when we are tired. They are highlighted when we are distracted. They are highlighted when we haven’t got full control of all our faculties. I grieve as I read and see the results of people throwing their life away in senseless acts. An 18 year old, out drinking with friends before graduation in Regina, trespasses on a golf course. He climbs 3 fences, one with razor wire at the top, and then tries to steal an ATV and drive it through the fence. He dies in the attempt. His 3 friends with him call 911 but there is nothing to do. A few hours earlier these guys were caught by police in a group of 20 on the same property and escorted off. How willingly do we run to these circumstances? It may not be alcohol, but invariably we all have weaknesses so that when we dabble with them, we get burned. So we pray, asking God to save us from ourselves.
The second word is “temptation”. This word refers to both trials as well as opportunities to sin. Note the prayer is for us to not be there. It is about the future, about avoiding the wrong place at the wrong time. You watch some of these mobs and riots on the news. You see people running to catch up, to get involved. In every sense of the word I would be running the other way. No good comes from that kind of confrontation, and then people weep because people are hurt and killed. Part of this issue is lack of control. We were living in Kitchener, Ontario a number of years ago. It was a bad snowstorm , preceded by freezing rain. As we looked out our living room window we watched a car approach a stop sign too fast. He went right through. A short while later there is a cautious driver. He manages to stop where he was supposed to, and then this yahoo at obviously too fast a speed. He hits the brakes and the car begins to turns sideways aiming right for the back end of the stopped car. Just before he smacks it he steps on the gas and the car somehow manages to go around the car without touching it. Ever been on a slippery slope? It is easy to get there before you even realize the ice is there – then things are out of control. Temptation and trials are like that. But look at the promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”
The third word is “deliver”. It is echoed in 1 Thessalonians 1:10 “and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” It is about being saved out of a situation. It is a plot in most movies and books, where the hero comes at the last minute to rescue the person in distress. God is about salvation – He is about helping and healing. He is God, The Lord God, Creator of the ends of the earth. Isn’t He someone you would like on your side? In a discussion about heroes people were saying they need a hero with a flaw; a hero they can relate to. I am thankful that Jesus has no flaws. And the flaws we have He came to save us from.
The last word is “evil”. This word is about destruction. It is related to labour and toil. Think of the fall of man. Here Adam and Eve were in paradise, the hardest part coming up with names. But sin and evil came in, and the result was expulsion from the garden and a life of work and toil, and separation from God. My wife wrote the following that is quite applicable:

Several years ago, I took a theology class at a small bible college in Southern
Ontario. I found I had an affinity for the subject, and delved in with great
delight and interest. I was often in the midst of classroom discussions, and
took joy in sharing ideas about God’s word.
One day, the lecture was on the
doctrine of sin. The focus was on the first chapters of Genesis and the fall of
humanity. Of course, as a long time Christian, I had heard and read these
passages many times. But this time, it was different. As I listened, I allowed
my imagination to wander into the garden, and walk where Adam and Eve had trod,
hear what their ears had heard. A feeling soon overtook me. I sensed God was
showing me something; guiding my imagination.
The awe I had felt soon
turned to deep sorrow. Unable to withstand the moment, I put my head on my desk
and cried. I was about to dash for the door when I heard the professor call my
name. “Are you crying?”
I swallowed my embarrassment, and looked up.
“Yes.”
He looked at me, mystified. “What’s wrong?”
Forty sets
of eyes turned to gaze at me.
“I’m crying,” I stammered. “Because of
all we’ve lost. We once knew the company of God. He walked with us as a friend.
We loved Him purely, without fear or obstacle.” I glanced at my professor. “I’m
grieving all I lost in the fall. I’m grieving Eden.”

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

3 things:
First, live life in the Present. Get focussed on today, on now, on where you are at with Jesus right now. There’s a guy that gets his car in the shop regularly for oil changes and tune-ups and everything else. He is focussed on the future in a sense. It is good preventative stuff, about what may or may not happen down the road. Unfortunately he is a lousy driver and his car never makes it to tomorrow because he rolled it while on a cell phone. He was good at spending time for future things, but he left the door open to for something to get him today. And sometimes it isn’t even our fault. This other guy – true story – goes fishing with a buddy south of Calgary. They wrap up after midnight. His buddy goes east towards Medicine Hat, and he heads west to home. He is cruising along in the dark and glances down at the speedometer. He realizes he is only going 70. He looks back up and sees the airbag and cows, in that order. He finally comes to a stop, after killing 4 cows and injuring several others. His SUV is banged up. He had a hole in his back window that his cell phone created. Long story short, we don’t know what’s coming around the bend. Live life in today. Make your plans, but understand tomorrow may not turn out like you think.
Second, know and live in your strengths. Use your strengths to overcome weak areas. A church gets their people to survey their commitments and behaviours. The object is to find where you are weak, and then to work on those areas. Imagine how frustrating that is. The analogy they give is one of a barrel with staves, and some are broken. You can only fill the barrel as full as the lowest stave, so fix the lowest ones… the problem is I don’t want to be a barrel. I may be looking like one more and more, but I prefer to think of myself in terms of strengths. It’s about usefulness. I would want to be a lion. I would be big and strong, near the top of the food chain – always a bonus. I would be fast, have big teeth, and would scare people silly. Others would look at the lion and say,” But you can’t eat watermelon, or swim underwater like a beaver, or fly like a raven. There’s a lot of downsides to being a lion!”I wouldn’t need to fly if I was a lion, or swim like a fish. I would understand that I was created a certain way and revel in the purpose of my creation. To constantly focus on my weak areas is self defeating, and takes away from my ability to live purposely. Looking at whom I’m not, makes me lose sight of whom I am. That is why I am excited about Bonnie’s book on strengths, as well as a shift in the church to looking at people’s strengths. Know yourself in Christ and you can overcome the temptations and weaknesses in your life. Bonnie did this strength based smoking cessation program. She met a lady who had a strong addiction to cigarettes. Bonnie helped the lady to discover her strengths and within 3 months she had not only cut down significantly her smoking, but she changed her peer group to people who were supporting her rather than dragging her down, she began to work on her marriage, she got a job, and all because she found out how strong she was.
Lastly, cling to Jesus. It is the power of Christ in you. Cling to Jesus.

Categories: Jesus Words, salvation, temptation, The Lord's Prayer Tags:

Jesus Words – Born Again John 3

March 7th, 2008 Comments off

It used to be said of many older teens that they were trying to find themselves. They would try drugs or sex or travel to Europe. Today, especially in the trouble filled world we want to find that answer to the age old question of, “Why?” Why do I exist? Is it somebody’s idea of a bad joke? I was going through a rough period in my life at one time and I sat down and wrote about a captain on an old ship that still had the wheel. A storm comes up and the seas rage, and the captain wonders if he will find a way through the storm. Sometimes in life the feelings are like falling. There is nothing around you to give bearings, nothing to grab on to. You search and search for the end but there seems to be no end, no way out.

Context: Proverbs 8:17 – “…And those who diligently seek me will find me.”

Nicodemus: member of Sanhedrin. He represents the aristocratic, well-intentioned, but unenlightened of the change happening in Judaism. He is drawn by Jesus’ miracles (verse 2). He had a searching heart.
Nicodemus’s eyes/mind were clouded by trappings of his church. This is one of the reasons why we are doing this series!

Conversation: Romans 8: 14 “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

Verse 3: Jesus talks about the Kingdom (not heaven) as the focus. nb. 3:16 “eternal life” (not the same as heaven). He emphasized Grace over judgement. A kingdom is where a king rules, so the Kingdom of God consists of all those people who come under His rule (not the ones who said a “salvation” prayer and then go and do their own thing. Salvation means your life will be changed.
Verse 5: The Kingdom is spiritual in nature (esp. verse 8)
Verse 14-15: Salvation starts as a simple act of faith that Jesus did it all (3:16). Moses lifting up the serpent (context, lack of trust. They asked Moses to get God to remove the serpents. God didn’t instead He provided a way of healing if they got bit. Death (via the serpents) was the penalty of their sin. God didn’t remove the penalty (of sin), but provided a way so that in spite of the penalty, people were saved (lived). This is what God did for us. The penalty of sin is death. God provided a way to live!)

Calling

Become a follower of Jesus. Nicodemus did (7:50-51, 19:39).
That choice is lived out in everyday life (1 John 1:6-2:2).

6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

Deeds reveal heart. James 2:26 “…so also faith without works is dead.”
Worry more about the doing, not the “not doing”
Focus not on where you are failing, but where you are succeeding

Categories: born again, Jesus Words, salvation Tags:

Jesus Words – Follow Me

February 16th, 2008 Comments off

John 1:37-42

If you read Return of the Jedi from the Star Wars series you find the hero Luke Skywalker being challenged by his father to follow him, to join him in his quest to rule the galaxy. His father claimed it was Luke’s destiny! As we look at the world around us we see a lot of people and companies asking us to follow them. Politicians want your support based on their social platforms. Companies want the loyalty of your business for your dollars. Organizations want your volunteer hours to help them with their cause.

We as a church do not want you to follow us. I don’t want you to follow me. I want you to follow the One whom I am following. Jesus has called us into community. He has gifted you and me, and in the context of this community He calls us all to follow Him. My role as pastor is not in isolation of the rest of you. I have the same challenge to reach the people in my life with the gospel as you do. I am to grow closer to Jesus just as your are—it’s our destiny! Let’s look a bit closer at this calling in our lives together.

Context – The buzz is out!

John recognizes who Jesus is and proclaims it. Look at the names of Jesus in this chapter: Word (1), Creator (3), Light (7), only begotten God (18), lamb of God (29, 36), Son of God (34, 49), Messiah (41), King of Israel (49), Son of Man (51)

Two of his disciples hear him, and then start following Jesus. They stayed with Him that day. One of these 2 was Andrew – Peter’s brother. Andrew goes and gets Peter.
Then Philip gets called. Philip goes to find Nathanael and tell him the news.

2 Timothy 2:2 “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

Conversation – The Son of Man calls out to us, “Follow Me!”


Right at the beginning of His ministry, before anything else has gone on, Jesus is proclaimed the Messiah, the Christ (anointed One). This is all about fulfilling the Old Testament.
Jesus called people to follow Him. To spend time with Him, walk with Him, eat with Him. With Peter He affirms his name and then promptly renames him, foreshadowing his conversation with Peter in Matthew 16. With Nathanael He starts with a character trait “in whom there is no guile.” When Jesus meets these people He interacts with them on an individual level loaded with discernment.

Jesus calls us as individuals. He wants you to bring all that you are and aren’t, as you are. He didn’t come to save the found, but the lost. It is only those who come with authentic faith, with all their imperfections that receive His gifts of grace. In that calling is relationship, and in that relationship is life change.

1 John 2:6 “the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”

Calling – Focus on what He has called us to, not what He hasn’t called us to.


Jesus calls you to the Good News. The message of salvation is that eternal life is found in Jesus. I met with a group of men on Friday. Three of them were district superintendents, and 2 were pastors, all representing different denominations. We met to talk about Saskatchewan, and how to help one another connect enough to share this mission. The fact is we are all trying to help people get to know Jesus, and to become more like Him in their life. The Pentecostals, the Baptists, the salvation army… we are all doing the same thing, we are all part of the same church. If I have a chance to lead somebody to Christ, I will do it whether they end up in our church or the one down the road. I am not here to build the kingdom of the Nazarenes, but the kingdom of God. He calls all of us to share the Good News.

Jesus calls you by name. We are called to follow Him, individually. He calls you as you are, knowing His Spirit in you will turn you into a revelation of Himself. He speaks to your life, your character. He calls you to a task that is fit for you. He equips you and uses you in your strengths, and where you are weak, His strength abounds. You have a place in this world, and Jesus is calling you today to it.

Jesus calls you in your relationships. Did you notice Andrew? He hears John talk of Jesus, and goes and finds his brother once he knows where Jesus lives. Philip went and got Nathanael. The reality of Jesus in your life should drive you to talk to those around you. If you don’t, you need to go see where Jesus lives yourself. You need to draw close to Him, to understand He is the Savior. When you really get a hold of that, you’ll want to share it. Don’t try to get better before you follow Him, just start following Him with all your heart, and soul, and mind, and He has promised that He will refine you into something priceless. As you step out and follow Him, who can you go and tell about your encounter with Jesus?
Categories: following Jesus, Jesus Words Tags:

Jesus Words – Temptation Matthew 4:1-11

February 10th, 2008 4 comments

I am talking about temptation. I mention this to Bonnie and I say there are 3 things you have to watch out for. She immediately lists 3 things: the devil, a man with blue eyes named Steve, and her mother. Now, they weren’t the 3 things I was thinking of, but 2 of those 3 spell danger- I’ll leave that decision up to you…

Context: temptation is especially (found) effective in the low places of life

Jesus is in a place of need – hungry and thirsty, defenses are low. There is a strategy here by Satan. He adds layer upon layer of stress. There is a principle in wrestling: Get on top, and stay on top. Let the guy on the bottom do all the work. Satan comes alongside and tries 3 times to get Jesus to sin when He is tired and hungry and worn down. Let me digress a minute.

My brother Dan loves to fish in New Brunswick. He is very good at it. He can pull in 8 good size smallmouth bass while I am still working on my first one. Same boat. Same side of the boat. Same lure.

James 1:13-15 “13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”
Temptation here is pictured as a fisherman and the lure, or the hunter and the decoys; drawing the prey away from their place of safety. Temptation is the start of something that will end in sin if we are not careful.

There is also a pattern here: Desire (lust) – sinful desire – sinful action = death (Romans 6:23)
Hunger – wanting more than you need – gluttony
Money – wanting more, pulled out of proportion – greed

Conversation: Found in the temptations

There are three main area of life we are tempted in according to 1 John. It is interesting to note that they match up with what was said in the Garden of Eden, and with what jesus experienced in His encounter with Satan. They also line up with 3 things in the world today! They are listed below.

Gen 3:6, “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 desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.”
1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”

1) verse 4: Lust of the flesh: stones to bread/the tree was good for food/money
2) verse 7: Lust of the eyes: Kingdoms of the world/delight to the eyes/sex
3) verse 10: Pride of Life: Fall from the temple/desirable to make one wise/power

Adam and Eve disobeyed the revealed will of God, believed the lie of Satan, and placed their wills above God’s.

Calling: Found in Jesus’ responses – How do we deal with temptation?

Get connected. Temptation is much stronger when we are distracted, out of routine, out of support. A study done of pastors who have had a moral failure found that almost every one of those people surveyed did not have anyone they were responsible to personally. You can’t do it alone, get connected. Many churches provide small groups for this purpose, to at least give you an option of plugging into a place where you can connect regularly.

Matthew 4:4: Know the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” 2 Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;”
Study it, memorize it, and meditate on it.

Matthew 4:7 Walk in the Spirit. Romans 8:14 – “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
Pray without ceasing. Always have in the back of your mind that you are a son or daughter of God. That’s who you are.

Matthew 4:10 One focus. Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”
It’s all about Jesus. It’s all about pursuing why He created us. We all have a “purpose”.
Categories: Jesus Words, Matthew 4, temptation, trials Tags: