Introduction
Matthew Henry - "The example of our Lord Jesus Christ is set before us. We must resemble Him in His life, if we would have the benefit of his death."
How do we do this? - there has long been a debate about the relationship between the power of God and the responsibility of the believer in living the Christian life.
Is the Christian life a matter of passive trust in God or of active obedience?
As we look at these verses, I think we will see that it is both - it is God who does the ultimate work according to His purposes, but we are the instruments He uses and we have to get up off the couch and take action
However, we do not have in these verses an explanation of the perfect harmonization of the two - for we know there are some mysteries of our Father that are incomprehensible
Deut 29:29 - "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the revealed things belong to us and to our sons forever, so that we may do all the words of this law."
The Believer's Responsibility
How do we know that there is an action for us to take?
Paul begins v. 12 with a "therefore"
We know from last week that Christ became man, lived, suffered, and was resurrected for our sake. This "therefore" links what he said in last week's verses with the directive given this week.
Because He did these things for us, we must obey.
"And being perfected, He became the Author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him." (Hebrews 5:9)
There is no doubt that we are called to obey
But, more than just sheer obedience from duty, we ought to obey out of love, for He first loved us.
"For He received honor and glory from God the Father, when was borne to Him a voice from the excellent glory, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (2 Peter 1:17)
1. What does it look like to "obey"?
We are told in v. 12 that we must "work out our salvation"
MacArthur points out that the Greek word "work out" used here means to "continually work to bring something to fulfillment or completion"
MacArthur is careful to point out that this does NOT refer to "salvation by works"
"But now a righteousness of God has been revealed apart from Law, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets; 22 even the righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ, toward all and upon all those who believe. For there is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;" (Romans 3:21-24)
"For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
So what is being referred to here by "work out our salvation"?
The believer's responsibility to actively pursue obedience to Christ in the process of sanctification.
Do we stay healthy by sitting on the couch eating junk food and watching TV? - no, of course not! Our muscles go into atrophy and we will lose our strength.
In the same way, if we are not studying Scripture, worshipping, and engaging others for Christ, our faith will also go into atrophy.
"You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its savor, with what shall it be salted? It is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and to be trodden underfoot by men." (Matthew 5:13)
2. How do we "work" through this process of sanctification?
"with fear and trembling"; we are to have a "humble" (last week's directive) attitude in our pursuit - a healthy fear and reverence for God
Proverbs 9:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the holy is understanding."
"cultivate" your salvation (MKJV); Webster - "to prepare the land in order to raise crops"; "to develop or improve by education or training"; "to devote oneself to" (love the imagery in these definitions)
Matthew Henry - "We must be diligent in the use of all the means which lead to our salvation, persevering therein to the end."
We have to intentional in our faith; this is easier said than done, especially when life gets hectic and/or we are going through tribulations.
God at Work
Though we are responsible for working on our faith, we know that God is omnipotent; it is He who saves
John 17:9 "I pray for them. I do not pray for the world, but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours."
While we work, it is the Lord who actually produces good works in us
John 15:5 "I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
He works through us by the in dwelling of His Spirit
Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power, the Holy Spirit coming upon you. And you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Galatians 3:5 "Then He supplying the Spirit to you and working powerful works in you, is it by works of the law, or by hearing of faith?"
So, where do we get off track?
On the one hand, we can stress God's role in sanctification to the point of the exclusion of any human effort (like we said before, we are called to act - i.e., the Great Commission)
On the other hand, we can emphasize self-effort at the expense of reliance on God's power of saving grace
How do we reconcile the two? - through love.
Mark 12:30 "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."
When we approach life with Love in our heart for Christ and our fellow man, we can follow and obey Him while also realizing that He will accomplish His good works through us in His good timing
Conclusion
I love the story of Alvin York, a farmer from Fentress Co., TN
York was a heavy drinker and was a perpetual fighter, involved in multiple run ins with the law
On New Years Day, at age of 28, York became a Christian and dedicated his life to sobriety
In 1917, York was drafted into WWI and in 1918, the Battle for Argonne Forest began
York was part of a patrol sent to take out a German machine gun nest; York personally killed more than 20 Germans & took another 132 prisoner; York was heralded by General Pershing as the "greatest civilian soldier of the war."
The night after York's heroics at the Battle of Argonne, he wrote in his journal:
"So you can see here in this case of mine where God helped me out. I had bin living for God and working in the church some time before I came to the army. So I am witness to the fact that God did help me out of that hard battle; for the bushes were shot up all around me, and I never got a scratch."
York relied on God to work out His purposes, all while taking action. We are not all called to war, but we are in a spiritual battle that requires action on our part and reliance of God to accomplish His holy will.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
John MacArthur's commentary on Philippians - Lesson 5
Introduction
In this portion of the letter to the Philippians church, Paul discusses the incarnation of Christ as a man and our sharing in His ultimate glory in His life, His suffering, and His resurrection
Pre-incarnation & Ministry
Paul affirms that Jesus is and has been eternally God
MacArthur points out that Paul uses the word "form" which conotates the unchanging character of something
This ties into what we discussed a couple of weeks ago, being of one mind - that is - a faith in the Truth.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1)
Jesus is Messiah and Creator
Those present understood Jesus to be proclaiming blasphemy; do identify Himself as "I Am" is to declare Himself as Yaweh! Which He is.
1. "thought it not robbery"
A thing seized by robbery; embraced, prized, held onto
Though Christ had every reason to embrace and hold onto the honors of His deity, He was willing to leave it for a season
Would we give up a promotion, an award, a bonus for our fellow man? No - but our Lord gave up that much and infinitely more!
2. What does Jesus look like in His incarnation?
"made Himself of no reputation"; 2 Corinthians 8:9 "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, for your sakes He became poor, in order that you might be made rich through His poverty."
"took upon Himself the form of a servant"; Matthew 20:27 "And whoever desires to be chief among you, let him be your servant"
"made in the likeness of men"; Hebrews 2:16-17 "For truly He did not take the nature of angels, but He took hold of the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore in all things it behoved him to be made like His brothers, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of His people."
"humbled Himself"; 1 Peter 2:23-24 "who when He was reviled did not revile in return. When He suffered, He did not threaten, but gave Himself up to Him who judges righteously. 24 He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that dying to sins, we might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed."
"obedient even unto death"; Matthew 26:39 "And He went a little further and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will."
Two things that these attributes have in common
All of these things we are unwilling to do!
All of these things fall into the broad category of "humility"
What is the definition of humility? - "Modest opinion of one's own rank or importance" (Webster) - not bad for society, but doesn't go far enough to be a Christian standard; "putting or thinking of others above one's self"
Let's take a look at the word "humility" in Scripture; "humble appears 31 times, "humbled" appears 47 times, & "humbles" 7 times; next to the Cross, humility, in my opinion, is one of the central themes of Scripture - in fact, we see here in Philippians that humility is exactly what drove Christ to the cross; He thought of us first and Himself last!
Proverbs 15:33 "The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility."
1 Peter 5:5-7 "Likewise, younger ones, be subject to older ones, and all being subject to one another. Put on humility. For God resists proud ones, but He gives grace to the humble. 6 Therefore be humbled under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your anxiety onto Him, for He cares for you."
We see here in v. 8 that Christ humbled Himself into death, by giving Himself over to the Jews and Romans for Crucifixion in spite of His innocence and His ability to have legions of angels at His disposal.
Do we act humbly when persecuted?
Christ's Exultation and Our Promise of Glory
V. 9 has a "therefore"
According to MacArthur, this "therefore" links Christ's suffering and His exultation
Because He chose to humble Himself and suffer for us, He is ultimately exalted
2. We are told in the last verses (v. 10-11) that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Christ's holy name.
First, this is the purpose of the cross from the beginning of time - to display God's grace, His mercy, and ultimately His glory. And, we are participants in His glory because we are His children.
Second, we can take comfort when we are humble and being persecuted - Christ's name will ultimately be confessed by all. We have nothing to fear and no reason to become angry or defensive when we are wrongly persecuted, because we know that ultimately, those who persecute us will know the Truth.
Conclusion
Has anyone heard of a man named Wallace Hartley?
Wallace was the band leader on the Titanic who courageously led his band mates in playing continuously on the deck of the boat as it sank that fateful night (according to multiple eye witnesses)
Hartley was from the small town of Colne in Lancashire, England, and was raised in the Methodist church. His father was the choirmaster there and responsible for introducing the hymn ‘Nearer, My God, to Thee’ to the congregation, the song which was widely reported to have been played by Hartley and his band mates that night on the Titanic
By all accounts Hartley was a highly principled person and a devout Christian, who regularly attended church.
What's the point of the story?
Hartley approached his job and life from a position of humility. When it came down to a life-and-death decision, instead of running for the nearest lifeboat and finagling his way onto it in panic, he sacrificed himself to provide calm and ultimate hope to others in a desperate situation. He did this because he had hope in his ultimate exultation shared in Christ. May we live in this way everyday.
In this portion of the letter to the Philippians church, Paul discusses the incarnation of Christ as a man and our sharing in His ultimate glory in His life, His suffering, and His resurrection
Pre-incarnation & Ministry
Paul affirms that Jesus is and has been eternally God
MacArthur points out that Paul uses the word "form" which conotates the unchanging character of something
This ties into what we discussed a couple of weeks ago, being of one mind - that is - a faith in the Truth.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1)
Jesus is Messiah and Creator
Those present understood Jesus to be proclaiming blasphemy; do identify Himself as "I Am" is to declare Himself as Yaweh! Which He is.
1. "thought it not robbery"
A thing seized by robbery; embraced, prized, held onto
Though Christ had every reason to embrace and hold onto the honors of His deity, He was willing to leave it for a season
Would we give up a promotion, an award, a bonus for our fellow man? No - but our Lord gave up that much and infinitely more!
2. What does Jesus look like in His incarnation?
"made Himself of no reputation"; 2 Corinthians 8:9 "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, for your sakes He became poor, in order that you might be made rich through His poverty."
"took upon Himself the form of a servant"; Matthew 20:27 "And whoever desires to be chief among you, let him be your servant"
"made in the likeness of men"; Hebrews 2:16-17 "For truly He did not take the nature of angels, but He took hold of the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore in all things it behoved him to be made like His brothers, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of His people."
"humbled Himself"; 1 Peter 2:23-24 "who when He was reviled did not revile in return. When He suffered, He did not threaten, but gave Himself up to Him who judges righteously. 24 He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that dying to sins, we might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed."
"obedient even unto death"; Matthew 26:39 "And He went a little further and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will."
Two things that these attributes have in common
All of these things we are unwilling to do!
All of these things fall into the broad category of "humility"
What is the definition of humility? - "Modest opinion of one's own rank or importance" (Webster) - not bad for society, but doesn't go far enough to be a Christian standard; "putting or thinking of others above one's self"
Let's take a look at the word "humility" in Scripture; "humble appears 31 times, "humbled" appears 47 times, & "humbles" 7 times; next to the Cross, humility, in my opinion, is one of the central themes of Scripture - in fact, we see here in Philippians that humility is exactly what drove Christ to the cross; He thought of us first and Himself last!
Proverbs 15:33 "The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility."
1 Peter 5:5-7 "Likewise, younger ones, be subject to older ones, and all being subject to one another. Put on humility. For God resists proud ones, but He gives grace to the humble. 6 Therefore be humbled under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your anxiety onto Him, for He cares for you."
We see here in v. 8 that Christ humbled Himself into death, by giving Himself over to the Jews and Romans for Crucifixion in spite of His innocence and His ability to have legions of angels at His disposal.
Do we act humbly when persecuted?
Christ's Exultation and Our Promise of Glory
V. 9 has a "therefore"
According to MacArthur, this "therefore" links Christ's suffering and His exultation
Because He chose to humble Himself and suffer for us, He is ultimately exalted
2. We are told in the last verses (v. 10-11) that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Christ's holy name.
First, this is the purpose of the cross from the beginning of time - to display God's grace, His mercy, and ultimately His glory. And, we are participants in His glory because we are His children.
Second, we can take comfort when we are humble and being persecuted - Christ's name will ultimately be confessed by all. We have nothing to fear and no reason to become angry or defensive when we are wrongly persecuted, because we know that ultimately, those who persecute us will know the Truth.
Conclusion
Has anyone heard of a man named Wallace Hartley?
Wallace was the band leader on the Titanic who courageously led his band mates in playing continuously on the deck of the boat as it sank that fateful night (according to multiple eye witnesses)
Hartley was from the small town of Colne in Lancashire, England, and was raised in the Methodist church. His father was the choirmaster there and responsible for introducing the hymn ‘Nearer, My God, to Thee’ to the congregation, the song which was widely reported to have been played by Hartley and his band mates that night on the Titanic
By all accounts Hartley was a highly principled person and a devout Christian, who regularly attended church.
What's the point of the story?
Hartley approached his job and life from a position of humility. When it came down to a life-and-death decision, instead of running for the nearest lifeboat and finagling his way onto it in panic, he sacrificed himself to provide calm and ultimate hope to others in a desperate situation. He did this because he had hope in his ultimate exultation shared in Christ. May we live in this way everyday.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
John Stott's Sermon on the Mount Study Ch. 12 - Making the Choice of a Lifetime
The Danger of a Merely Verbal Profession (Matt 7:21-23)
How do the people Jesus is referencing here address Him?
The doubling of the address - "Lord, Lord" - is an OT Hebraism meaning an address of intimacy!
These people are addressing Jesus in the final day of judgement thinking that they are true believers and have an intimate relationship with Him!
In the opinion of R.C. Sproul, these are some of the scariest verses in all of Scripture (Luke 13:24-28 are same); I happen to agree with him!
Here's the dilemma: according to Paul (Rom 10:9-10), we must have a verbal confession and the verbal confession Jesus describes here appears to admirable.
Stott says, "What these people stress as they speak to Christ on judgement day is the name in which they have ministered....And yet everything is wrong because it is talk without much truth, profession without reality."
Again, we come back to a heart issue. This is not about judging others - we saw that "good" trees bear "good" fruit. We don't need to worry about others. Their true natures will be revealed in time; as we said last week, fruit takes time to ripen and it takes time to become rotten.
What Jesus wants us to look at is our own hearts; so, what is it in these verses that these people claim to have done?
They have ministered by: 1) casting out demons, 2) prophesied, and 3) done many wonders
- We can be vigilant servants (In the community)
- We could be faithful servants in the church (standing up here teaching)
- We could be always visiting widows and tending to orphans
All of these things without a regenerated heart is rubbish!
I Corinthians 13:1 - "Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal."
Jesus tells us that these people who come to him will be "many;" this may very well mean that some of the people we know today in churches all across this city could be among this group
Even worse, these people think they have an intimate relationship with Christ and yet Jesus says He will tell them "I never knew you."
This is all the more reason to guard our hearts and humble ourselves in reliance on Christ and not on our works
Foundations and the Storms that Will Come (Matt 7:24-28)
What is the challenge Christ gives us as He wraps-up the SOM?
- Be Hearers - how do we do this?
Be in worship hearing the word; read and study the Word; be engaged in fellowship - hearing Christ at all times
- Be Doers - how do we do this?
Be humbled by the Word, by Christ's love for us, and Do what He has asked us to to; and what is that? - exactly what we talked about earlier: be servants in the community, be servants in the church, and love and help others.
So what's the difference - we do these things not to get credit, to be seen, or to gain favor among men; but out of love for what Christ has already done for us
We want to complain about our blessings, judge others when they receive Christ's blessings, instead of just being satisfied with the grace we have been given - He has already done all of the work for us - we cannot earn anything; our works should be the outpouring of our gracious heart, not to earn anything
Lastly, we are given the perfect contrast between those who are actual doers of what Jesus has taught in SOM and those who are not
We know that storms will come - we know this from what Scripture tells us, and...we know this from our experiences, don't we?
Jesus is telling us the storms will come, so how do we combat the storms?
He is the foundation; Scripture tells us in Ephesians 2:19-21 - "Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, 20 and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom every building having been fitly framed together, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord"
If our lives are built upon Christ, His truth, His grace we can and will weather any storm that comes!
We see at the end of verse 27, that the fall of the house of those without Christ is total and final
What a great promise we have in God's grace and what peace we ought to have that He is the foundation of all things and the calm during the storm
Conclusion
As we wrap up this wonderful study, we are reminded in the last 2 verses that the people were amazed at the teachings of Christ and at His authority
Do we lose that amazement from time-to-time? We ought not to and that's probably why the storms come - to remind us of our dependence on Him and His grace which is nothing short of amazing
Dietrich Bonhoffer - "For all my loneliness, I was quite pleased with myself. Then the Bible, and in particular the Sermon on the Mount, freed me from that. Since then everything has changed. I have felt this plainly, and so have other people about me. It was a great liberation. It became clear to me that the life of a servant of Jesus Christ must belong to the Church, and step by step it became plainer to me how far that must go."
The SOM is life changing and if we are indeed hearers and doers we will exhibit a Christian counter-culture. We have to live our lives in complete reliance on Christ and He will put us in the places, ministries, and touching the lives of the people He choses us to serve.
How do the people Jesus is referencing here address Him?
The doubling of the address - "Lord, Lord" - is an OT Hebraism meaning an address of intimacy!
These people are addressing Jesus in the final day of judgement thinking that they are true believers and have an intimate relationship with Him!
In the opinion of R.C. Sproul, these are some of the scariest verses in all of Scripture (Luke 13:24-28 are same); I happen to agree with him!
Here's the dilemma: according to Paul (Rom 10:9-10), we must have a verbal confession and the verbal confession Jesus describes here appears to admirable.
Stott says, "What these people stress as they speak to Christ on judgement day is the name in which they have ministered....And yet everything is wrong because it is talk without much truth, profession without reality."
Again, we come back to a heart issue. This is not about judging others - we saw that "good" trees bear "good" fruit. We don't need to worry about others. Their true natures will be revealed in time; as we said last week, fruit takes time to ripen and it takes time to become rotten.
What Jesus wants us to look at is our own hearts; so, what is it in these verses that these people claim to have done?
They have ministered by: 1) casting out demons, 2) prophesied, and 3) done many wonders
- We can be vigilant servants (In the community)
- We could be faithful servants in the church (standing up here teaching)
- We could be always visiting widows and tending to orphans
All of these things without a regenerated heart is rubbish!
I Corinthians 13:1 - "Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal."
Jesus tells us that these people who come to him will be "many;" this may very well mean that some of the people we know today in churches all across this city could be among this group
Even worse, these people think they have an intimate relationship with Christ and yet Jesus says He will tell them "I never knew you."
This is all the more reason to guard our hearts and humble ourselves in reliance on Christ and not on our works
Foundations and the Storms that Will Come (Matt 7:24-28)
What is the challenge Christ gives us as He wraps-up the SOM?
- Be Hearers - how do we do this?
Be in worship hearing the word; read and study the Word; be engaged in fellowship - hearing Christ at all times
- Be Doers - how do we do this?
Be humbled by the Word, by Christ's love for us, and Do what He has asked us to to; and what is that? - exactly what we talked about earlier: be servants in the community, be servants in the church, and love and help others.
So what's the difference - we do these things not to get credit, to be seen, or to gain favor among men; but out of love for what Christ has already done for us
We want to complain about our blessings, judge others when they receive Christ's blessings, instead of just being satisfied with the grace we have been given - He has already done all of the work for us - we cannot earn anything; our works should be the outpouring of our gracious heart, not to earn anything
Lastly, we are given the perfect contrast between those who are actual doers of what Jesus has taught in SOM and those who are not
We know that storms will come - we know this from what Scripture tells us, and...we know this from our experiences, don't we?
Jesus is telling us the storms will come, so how do we combat the storms?
He is the foundation; Scripture tells us in Ephesians 2:19-21 - "Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, 20 and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom every building having been fitly framed together, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord"
If our lives are built upon Christ, His truth, His grace we can and will weather any storm that comes!
We see at the end of verse 27, that the fall of the house of those without Christ is total and final
What a great promise we have in God's grace and what peace we ought to have that He is the foundation of all things and the calm during the storm
Conclusion
As we wrap up this wonderful study, we are reminded in the last 2 verses that the people were amazed at the teachings of Christ and at His authority
Do we lose that amazement from time-to-time? We ought not to and that's probably why the storms come - to remind us of our dependence on Him and His grace which is nothing short of amazing
Dietrich Bonhoffer - "For all my loneliness, I was quite pleased with myself. Then the Bible, and in particular the Sermon on the Mount, freed me from that. Since then everything has changed. I have felt this plainly, and so have other people about me. It was a great liberation. It became clear to me that the life of a servant of Jesus Christ must belong to the Church, and step by step it became plainer to me how far that must go."
The SOM is life changing and if we are indeed hearers and doers we will exhibit a Christian counter-culture. We have to live our lives in complete reliance on Christ and He will put us in the places, ministries, and touching the lives of the people He choses us to serve.
John Stott's Sermon on the Mount Study Ch. 11 - Detecting the Lise of Our World
John Stott: Sermon on the Mount Ch. 11 - Detecting the Lies of Our World
The Lie of the Mountain of Faith (Matt 7:13-14)
Jesus uses two metaphors here – Narrow Gate & Broad Way
It has been estimated that there are over 3,000 organized religions in the world; Philip Ryken quoted this twice during the CLC: Jim Carey - "I'm a Buddist, I'm a Muslim, I'm a Christian. I'm whatever you want me to be. It all comes down to the same thing."
Stott says, "In our consumer-oriented society, people would like the opportunity to combine elements of several religions or even to design one of their own, but Jesus will not allow us this comfortable option."
What Stott is describing here is termed "syncretism" (“Syncretism is the process by which elements of one religion are assimilated into another religion resulting in a change in the fundamental tenets or nature of those religions. It is the union of two or more opposite beliefs, so that the synthesized form is a new thing. It is not always a total fusion, but may be a combination of separate segments that remain identifiable compartments.”)
Recent survey that 25% of Americans who identify themselves as "Born-Again Christians" also believe it doesn't matter what faith a person has because all religions basically teach the same thing. This would be the Broad Way.
- Take away God's control
- Provide an easier route
- Allow for more to enter heaven
- Pride - "I'm in control of my destiny"
In what sense is the gate of Christianity small and the road narrow?
- There is but one way - Christ
- There is but one truth - not as appealing or easy
Ironic - recent study showed that of those polled who should be the next president, between Obama, Republican candidate, or Tim Tebow, Tebow was the clear winner.
Why? I think it's because the world, while it hates the narrow way and those who adopt it, the world recognizes the need for truth, integrity, and honor. They see these things in Tebow more so than the politicians running for the highest office!
Romans 8:22-23 "And we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruit of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, awaiting adoption, the redemption of our body."
Matthew Henry: "There are two ways...the way to heaven and the way to hell...there is no middle place."
False Prophets (Matt 7:15-16)
Why does Jesus warn us about false prophets at this particular point?
One of the major characteristics of false prophets in OT "amoral optimism" - insisting that God's way was really the broad way; they denied that God was a God of judgment as well as a God of love/mercy.
False prophets lull people to sleep in their sins...
"Your mind will be framed by those things it is exposed to." - Sandy Wilson
2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, 12 so that all those who do not believe the truth, but delight in unrighteousness, might be condemned."
Matthew Henry on I John 4:1 - "false teachers speak of the world according to its maxims and tastes, so as not to offend carnal men."
If we are not constantly immersed in the Word, growing in Worship, and flourishing in Fellowship, we will easily be lulled away from repentance and slowly believe our own actions or fame can save us
Jesus describes the false prophets as coming in "sheep's clothing."
False prophets blur the issue of salvation; they distort the Gospel, contradict Jesus, and assert that the "broad road" does not lead to destruction
Sound familiar? - Genesis 3:2-5 "And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. And the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
Is it any wonder Jesus likens false prophets to "ferocious wolves"? They are responsible for leading people to the very destruction which they say does not exist - just like the first lie by the father of lies in the Garden of Eden.
2 Corinthians 11:14 "Did not even Satan marvelously transform himself into an angel of light?"
1 Peter 5:8-9 "Be sensible and vigilant, because your adversary the Devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking someone he may devour..."
"By their fruits you will know them" - what does Jesus mean? What kind of fruit does Jesus have in mind?
Stott says this is Not only character, but manner of life
Matt 12:33-35 - "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks."
Stott also states that "fruit" takes time to grow; by the same token, it may take time to see the "fruit" of the false prophets in order to identify them as such
Good tree, Good fruit (Matt 7:11-20)
How do we know if a tree is good and is bearing good fruit?
Stott suggests that the "fruit" test is a complicated one; As we have stated, fruit takes time to grow and ripen; we as Christians do not always exhibit good "fruit" all the time do we?
According to Stott, we need to examine it closely, as fruit might look tasty from a distance, until we get closer and realize it is actually rotten. Another analogy from Stott, "Even at close quarters we may at first miss the symptoms of disease in the tree or the presence of maggot in the fruit."
The Pharisees thought that they could manage behavior and thus good fruit would result; again, it's about the heart.
Jesus is telling us here that whatever is going on INSIDE the tree determines what kind of fruit it produces.
Romans 8:5 "For they who are according to the flesh mind the things of flesh, but they who are according to the Spirit the things of the Spirit."
Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Conclusion
So - how do we exhibit good fruit and avoid the false prophets?
What do we say is our purpose in life - "Glorify God and enjoy Him forever."
But, how do we accomplish this?
R. C. Sproul loves to quote Martin Luther that the chief end of man is to live "Coram Deo (write on the board)," which means "before the face of God"
Instead of living to appease our boss, our friends, those whom we want to impress, what we need to be doing is living as if we are standing in the presence of God at all times.
This is how we glorify God because we will be living to please Him and honor Him instead of feeding our own egos or those whom we seek to impress.
There has to be a change of heart - we must be pure in our worship, in our immersion into the Scriptures, and in our love for one another.
John 13:34-35 "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. As I have loved you, you should also love one another. By this all shall know that you are My disciples, if you have love toward one another."
The Lie of the Mountain of Faith (Matt 7:13-14)
Jesus uses two metaphors here – Narrow Gate & Broad Way
It has been estimated that there are over 3,000 organized religions in the world; Philip Ryken quoted this twice during the CLC: Jim Carey - "I'm a Buddist, I'm a Muslim, I'm a Christian. I'm whatever you want me to be. It all comes down to the same thing."
Stott says, "In our consumer-oriented society, people would like the opportunity to combine elements of several religions or even to design one of their own, but Jesus will not allow us this comfortable option."
What Stott is describing here is termed "syncretism" (“Syncretism is the process by which elements of one religion are assimilated into another religion resulting in a change in the fundamental tenets or nature of those religions. It is the union of two or more opposite beliefs, so that the synthesized form is a new thing. It is not always a total fusion, but may be a combination of separate segments that remain identifiable compartments.”)
Recent survey that 25% of Americans who identify themselves as "Born-Again Christians" also believe it doesn't matter what faith a person has because all religions basically teach the same thing. This would be the Broad Way.
- Take away God's control
- Provide an easier route
- Allow for more to enter heaven
- Pride - "I'm in control of my destiny"
In what sense is the gate of Christianity small and the road narrow?
- There is but one way - Christ
- There is but one truth - not as appealing or easy
Ironic - recent study showed that of those polled who should be the next president, between Obama, Republican candidate, or Tim Tebow, Tebow was the clear winner.
Why? I think it's because the world, while it hates the narrow way and those who adopt it, the world recognizes the need for truth, integrity, and honor. They see these things in Tebow more so than the politicians running for the highest office!
Romans 8:22-23 "And we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruit of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, awaiting adoption, the redemption of our body."
Matthew Henry: "There are two ways...the way to heaven and the way to hell...there is no middle place."
False Prophets (Matt 7:15-16)
Why does Jesus warn us about false prophets at this particular point?
One of the major characteristics of false prophets in OT "amoral optimism" - insisting that God's way was really the broad way; they denied that God was a God of judgment as well as a God of love/mercy.
False prophets lull people to sleep in their sins...
"Your mind will be framed by those things it is exposed to." - Sandy Wilson
2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, 12 so that all those who do not believe the truth, but delight in unrighteousness, might be condemned."
Matthew Henry on I John 4:1 - "false teachers speak of the world according to its maxims and tastes, so as not to offend carnal men."
If we are not constantly immersed in the Word, growing in Worship, and flourishing in Fellowship, we will easily be lulled away from repentance and slowly believe our own actions or fame can save us
Jesus describes the false prophets as coming in "sheep's clothing."
False prophets blur the issue of salvation; they distort the Gospel, contradict Jesus, and assert that the "broad road" does not lead to destruction
Sound familiar? - Genesis 3:2-5 "And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. And the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
Is it any wonder Jesus likens false prophets to "ferocious wolves"? They are responsible for leading people to the very destruction which they say does not exist - just like the first lie by the father of lies in the Garden of Eden.
2 Corinthians 11:14 "Did not even Satan marvelously transform himself into an angel of light?"
1 Peter 5:8-9 "Be sensible and vigilant, because your adversary the Devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking someone he may devour..."
"By their fruits you will know them" - what does Jesus mean? What kind of fruit does Jesus have in mind?
Stott says this is Not only character, but manner of life
Matt 12:33-35 - "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks."
Stott also states that "fruit" takes time to grow; by the same token, it may take time to see the "fruit" of the false prophets in order to identify them as such
Good tree, Good fruit (Matt 7:11-20)
How do we know if a tree is good and is bearing good fruit?
Stott suggests that the "fruit" test is a complicated one; As we have stated, fruit takes time to grow and ripen; we as Christians do not always exhibit good "fruit" all the time do we?
According to Stott, we need to examine it closely, as fruit might look tasty from a distance, until we get closer and realize it is actually rotten. Another analogy from Stott, "Even at close quarters we may at first miss the symptoms of disease in the tree or the presence of maggot in the fruit."
The Pharisees thought that they could manage behavior and thus good fruit would result; again, it's about the heart.
Jesus is telling us here that whatever is going on INSIDE the tree determines what kind of fruit it produces.
Romans 8:5 "For they who are according to the flesh mind the things of flesh, but they who are according to the Spirit the things of the Spirit."
Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Conclusion
So - how do we exhibit good fruit and avoid the false prophets?
What do we say is our purpose in life - "Glorify God and enjoy Him forever."
But, how do we accomplish this?
R. C. Sproul loves to quote Martin Luther that the chief end of man is to live "Coram Deo (write on the board)," which means "before the face of God"
Instead of living to appease our boss, our friends, those whom we want to impress, what we need to be doing is living as if we are standing in the presence of God at all times.
This is how we glorify God because we will be living to please Him and honor Him instead of feeding our own egos or those whom we seek to impress.
There has to be a change of heart - we must be pure in our worship, in our immersion into the Scriptures, and in our love for one another.
John 13:34-35 "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. As I have loved you, you should also love one another. By this all shall know that you are My disciples, if you have love toward one another."
Sunday, November 20, 2011
John Stott's "Sermon on the Mount" - Lesson 2 (Matt 5:13-16)
I. Introduction
a) Last week we established a few things for the start of this new study
o First, we established what the Sermon on the Mount is?
§ “Manifesto” for all Christians
§ These are the foundations of what ought to motivate us in everything we do
o Stott in fact argues that what is meant in the Beatitudes and verses that follow are meant to bring about a Christian “counter-culture”
§ If we keep the SOM in our hearts, we will look different from the prevailing culture and will indeed have a Christian “counter-culture”
o Lastly, we talked about the key elements of the Christian Life; the 1st of those is Christian Character – the eight principles in the Beatitudes
o What possible influence can the people described in the Beatitudes effect in this world??? – meek, poor, merciful, peacemakers, those who are persecuted.
o Stott asks, “Are not such people too feeble to achieve anything, especially if they are a small minority in the world?”
o Answer: No
§ First, nothing is impossible for God – He is the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent maker of all things.
§ Second, the Gospel is the truth that we all try to suppress – though the truth will set some free, it will convict others and push others further away; But, the Gospel is the essence of all truth.
§ Third, God uses us as his instruments through which the Gospel is spread – Matt 17:20 “for assuredly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”
§ We need to keep these three things in mind when discussing our influence in the world.
II. Salt & Light
a) Before we get into how we are to exemplify Christian Influence, would someone please read Matt 5:13-16?
o Jesus uses two domestic metaphors – Salt & Light
§ Why? – 1. Every household, no matter how poor used & still uses these two domestic items; 2. These two items were indispensable household commodities
§ This is ingenious since Jesus knew this would easily translate to his audiences – then & now
b) Christians as Salt
o Used as both a condiment and as a preservative – essential component of our diet (can you imagine French Fries w/out salt?!)
o Job 6:6 – “Can flavorless food be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?”
o Salt preserves meat and keeps it from decaying
o God has created several entities which keep society from falling into total decay and anarchy – the state (to enforce laws) and the home (to promote marriage and family); these exert a wholesome effect on the community
o However, God intends the most powerful restraints on society’s decay to be His redeemed, righteous people!
o R. V. G. Tasker: God’s disciples are “to be a moral disinfectant in a world where moral standards are low, constantly changing, or non-existent.”
o If you look at the chemical compound of salt, technically it can never lose its saltiness; it’s a very stable chemical; however it can be contaminated by mixture with impurities and it becomes useless
§ What a great analogy!
§ Salt cannot technically lose its saltiness – we have assurance from God that we will persevere by His good grace; II Tim 4:18 – “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His Heavenly kingdom.”
§ Salt can be contaminated by mixture with impurities – we have a warning to maintain our Christian character (integrity) in both word and deed or we can become contaminated by the world around us.
o Dr. Lloyd-Jones: “The glory of the Gospel is that when the Church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. It is then that the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first.”
§ One of the first martyrs of the church – Justin Martyr (103-165 AD) – challenged Rome to look at the lives of Christians as proof of their faith.
§ Who would make that challenge today? The church has nearly the same divorce rate as non-Christians; almost as much corruption in the church as outside it; Catholic church has had nearly as much issues with sexual molestation of young men as has, apparently, Penn State!
§ It is no wonder the need for a Christian “counter-culture” is as much a need today as it was when Christ preached the Sermon on the Mount!
§ As Stott says, “We might as well be discarded like saltless salt” if we as Christians are indistinguishable from non-Christians.
c) Christians as Light
o To start with, we, by derivation, are to be light in this world as Christ was. For He stated, “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12, John 9:5)
o We get a glimpse of the light of Christ in the Transfiguration and in Heaven.
§ Matt 17:2 – “His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as light.”
§ Mark 9:3 – “His clothes became shining, exceedingly white like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.” (I used to work at a cleaners when I was working my way through school; the chemicals that are used are so strong that there are multiple EPA guidelines on how to use them; think about that – no matter how much bleach, detergent, chemicals are used we could not get clothes as white as Christ’s at the Trans.)
§ Most scholars agree that the Transfiguration was a revelation of Christ’s deity; the light that shone was the glory intrinsic to Christ as the divine Son.
§ In heaven, Rev 21:23 tells us – “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.”
o What does this mean for us?
§ Clearly we are not deity and we are not perfect nor holy, but as Christians we bear witness to Christ and we share in His holiness
§ As the verse states, this “light” for us is our good works.
§ Light is a common biblical symbol of “truth”
§ Luther stated that the SOM is describing, “…the distinctly Christian work of teaching correctly, of stressing faith, and of showing how to strengthen and preserve it; this is how we testify that we really are Christians.”
§ Stott says it this way: “Good works are works of love as well as of faith. They express not only our loyalty to God, but our care for our fellows as well.”
§ If we openly live the life described in the Beatitudes, and not conceal the truth (i.e., willing for our Christianity to be visible for all), then the world cannot help but to see God’s glory.
§ Stott concludes his description of “light” in this way: “Even those who revile us may not be able to help glorifying God for the very righteousness on account of which they persecute us.” (v.16 – read)
III. Lessons to Learn
a) First, there is a fundamental difference between Christians & non-Christians; between the church and the world
· Write on the board:
Christians (church)
|
Non-christians (world)
|
Light
|
Darkness
|
Salt
|
Decay
|
· Stott: “Probably the greatest tragedy of the church, throughout its long and checkered history, has been its constant tendency to conform to the prevailing culture instead of developing a Christian ‘counter-culture.’”
· How do we avoid this??? Keep our focus on God!
· G.K. Beale: “What we revere is what we resemble, either for ruin or restoration.”
· If we revere our Savior, we will resemble Him. If we revere the world, we will resemble this prevailing culture.
b) Secondly, we must accept the responsibility which this distinction puts on us
· This call to assume our Christian responsibility because of who God is, what He has done for us, and where He has placed us is not an easy burden.
· Often, we see the problems of humanity as so great and ourselves as small, feeble, and ineffective.
· Luther stated: “With His Word, I can be more defiant and more boastful than they with all their power, swords, and guns.”
· This is the kind of faith that I fail to exhibit – I get bogged down in the who, what, and where of my situation and I get stuck in a vacuum instead of keeping my focus on Christ and realizing that (Rom 8:28) all things will work for His glory and our ultimate good.
Lastly, we must see our Christian responsibility as two-fold
· Salt & Light have one thing in common – they give and expend themselves, which is the opposite the type of self-centered religiosity of the Pharisees
· While the two have commonalities, they still have differences – Salt has a negative function (it prevents decay) while Light has a positive function (it illumines darkness)
· Paul paints a grim picture at the end of the first chapter of Romans of what happens to society when it suppresses the truth of the Gospel for evil – the standards of society steadily decline until the Lord gives them over to their evil desires
· We as “salt” are not to remain on the proverbial spice rack; Stott warns us, “we Christians tend to throw up our hands in pious horror and reproach the non-Christian world.”
· Have you ever seen spices that have set in your spice rack for a long time? What usually happens if you haven’t used them in a while? Answer: they cake up; when you shake them, they won’t come out of the dispenser. We are the same – we tend to go through periods where we do not disagree with those to mock God, we don’t speak the truth, nor do we refrain for the same behaviors of the culture, so we lose our saltiness.
· Stott tells us that we as “light” in the world have to be more courageous, more outspoken. Stott tells us that we are to be “light” whether it’s in our neighborhood, profession, even in our own family.
· Sir Frederick Catherwood: “To try to improve society is not worldliness, but love. To wash your hands of society is not love, but worldliness.”
IV. Conclusion
a) It may be helpful, as a conclusion, to look at the incentives to righteousness which Jesus gives us
· First, we ourselves will be blessed – true blessedness is found in goodness and nowhere else; we’ve already seen in Rom 8:28 that the blessings will come according to God’s good purposes.
· Second, the salt and light we exhibit in this world is how the world will be served best – as we saw earlier, when we exhibit righteousness, the world will see God’s glory, and some will be brought to salvation.
· Thirdly, God will be glorified – John 15:8, “By this may Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.”
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
John Stott's "Sermon on the Mount" - Lesson 1 (Matt 5:1-12)
I. Introduction
a) Stott argues that the Sermon on the Mount is one of the best-known of Christ’s major teachings; he also argues that it’s the least understood – even worse, the least followed (Matthew 5:1-12)
· What is the Sermon on the Mount?
o Stott says that it is a “manifesto”
o Manifesto (Websters): a public declaration of intentions, objectives, or motivations
o If Stott is right, and the SOM is a declaration of motivations, who then is the SOM’s intended audience?
o Answer: Christians
o Stott: “Jesus spoke the Sermon to those who were already His disciples and thereby also the citizens of God’s kingdom and the children of God’s family.”
o These are the foundations of what ought to motivate us in everything we do
· The other thing that the SOM accomplishes, as with all of Scripture, is to help us to realize we can’t perfectly uphold the teachings of the SOM, which forces us back to Christ and relying on his acts of righteousness and His mercy in our justification
o Stott in fact argues that what is meant in the Beatitudes and verses that follow are meant to bring about a Christian “counter-culture”
§ Lev 18:1-4 – “You shall not do as they do in Egypt or in Canaan…you shall do My ordinances and keep My statutes…”
§ If we adhere to the Law (knowing we won’t do it perfectly), motivated by the teachings in the SOM, then we will look different from the prevailing culture and will indeed have a Christian “counter-culture”
§ What sort of state are we in when others look at the church and do not see anything different about us???
II. Key Elements of SOM
a) Stott lays out what he calls the key elements of the Christian Life, which we will encounter during our study
1. Christian Character (Ch. 5) – the Beatitudes; our conduct to God & men
2. Christian Influence (Ch. 5) – salt & light; what influence will we exert in our community
3. Christian Righteousness (Ch. 5) – greater than the Scribes & Pharisees
4. Christian Piety (Ch. 6) – sincerity of God’s children living in His presence
5. Christian Ambition (Ch. 6) – our supreme ambition being the glory of God
6. Christian Relationships (Ch. 7) – new relationships will be created and old ones will change – sometimes not for the better (Christianity in a sense is divisive)
7. Christian Commitment (Ch. 7) – “make your yes mean yes and your no mean no”
III. The Beatitudes: Three general questions
a) Who are the people being described?
· The Beatitudes describe the balanced character of Christian people
· This is not an elite set of disciples; as we know, the 12 disciples were flawed in every way (before and after the cross)
· Stott: “The Beatitudes are Christ’s own specification of what every Christian ought to be. There is no escape from our responsibility to covet them all.”
· Luther: “Christ is saying nothing in this Sermon about how we become Christians, but only about the works and fruit that no one can do unless he already is a Christian and in a state of Grace.”
b) What are the qualities commended?
· Jesus spiritualized what were traditionally material concerns – poverty, hunger, mourning; suffering isn’t just physical
· We are to put our faith and hope in God instead of focusing solely on worldly concerns
c) What are the blessings promised?
· Just as the material concerns were spiritualized by Christ, so are the blessings
· A popular concept going around is the Gospel of “Health & Wealth;” it is propagated by those such as Joel Osteen
· Osteen would say the blessings described in the Beatitudes are worldly blessings as a result of living a “right” life
· That’s not to say that there won’t be some blessings derived from living the Christian life; but we are not promised earthly blessings, in fact, we’ll see in the latter verses of the Beatitudes, we are promised grief
· Stott: “The eight qualities together constitute the responsibilities, and the eight blessings the privileges, of being a citizen of God’s kingdom. “
IV. The Beatitudes
a) One more thing before we look a the eight qualities/blessings:
· First, there is a natural division – the first four Beatitudes describe the Christian’s relationship to God; the last four describe the Christian’s relation and duty to men
· Second, there appears to be a progression in the qualities and ramifications of those qualities as well as the blessings
· Stott: “each step leads to the next and presupposes the one that has gone before”
b) Poor in spirit
· Scripture often speaks of the “poor man” (Ps. 34:6, Is 41:17)
· The spiritually poor man is one who is afflicted and unable o save himself; his reliance on God for salvation leads to the blessing of the kingdom of heaven
· C.H. Spurgeon: “The way to rise in the kingdom is to sink in ourselves.”
c) Those who mourn
· It is one thing to be spiritually poor & acknowledge it; it’s another to grieve and mourn over it
· Jesus wept over the sin of others; we have our own sins to weep over
· Eph 4:30 – “And grieve not the Holy Spirit…”; the HS grieves over our sins
· Those who mourn their sins will be comforted by the only relief – the grace and forgiveness of God
d) The meek
· The Greek word used here – praus – means “gentle, humble, courteous” (in other words, exhibits self-control)
· Jesus described himself gentle, using the word praus
· Stott mentions that Jesus may have been quoting Ps. 37:11 "But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”
· The new heavens and the new earth will be inherited by the meek
e) Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
· According to Stott, righteousness in Scripture has three aspects – legal, moral, and social
· Legal righteousness – justification; right relationship with God
· Moral righteousness – right character; conduct which pleases God
· Social righteousness – seeking man’s liberation from oppression
· Hunger and thirst are perpetual; the disciples showed us that even in the midst of Christ
· Stott gives us a warning – beware of those who claim to have quenched their thirst and who look to past experience rather than to future development
f) The merciful
· Mercy is compassion for people in need
· Our God is a merciful God and He shows mercy continuously; the citizens of His kingdom must show mercy
· Another way to say it is, compassion for others is to show compassion for sinners, as Christ did for us
g) The pure in heart
· Our most clear example of purity is Christ – He was obviously pure in heart as He was guiltless
· We can see him now with the eye of faith and will see His full glory in heaven
h) The peacemakers
· God is the author of peace and reconciliation
· We are to seek peace in the community and in the church
· We should not seek conflict, however, if we follow Christ and put Him first, we will inevitably be in conflict with the world around us
· Peace and appeasement are not synonymous
· The peace of God is not peace at any cost
i) Those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake
· No matter how hard we try to make peace with some people, they may refuse to live at peace with us
· The world often finds distasteful the righteousness we hunger and thirst for
· How ought we to respond?
· (v. 12) Rejoice and be glad
· When we are persecuted, Stott says: “We are not to retaliate like and unbeliever, nor to sulk like a child, nor to lick our wounds in self-pity, nor just grin and bear it like a Stoic, still less are we to pretend we enjoy it like a masochist.”
· We may lose everything here on earth, but we shall inherit everything in heaven
V. Back to the Beginning
a) We started by talking about a Christian “counter-culture”
b) The values and standards taught in the SOM stand in stark contrast to the accepted values or “norms” of this world; if we follow Christ, we become a “counter-culture”
· World judges the rich blessed, not the poor
· World promotes the happy-go-lucky, not those who mourn over evil
· World upholds the strong, not the meek
· World tells us to take what you can, even if by devious means – not refuse to compromise and show integrity
· World would have you be secure and popular, not suffer persecution for righteousness’ sake
· The following poem helps us understand the difference between worldly blessing and heavenly blessings
Treasures
One by one He took them from me,
All the things I valued most,
Until I was empty-handed;
Every glittering toy was lost.
And I walked earth's highways, grieving.
In my rags and poverty.
Till I heard His voice inviting,
"Lift your empty hands to Me!"
So I held my hands toward heaven,
And He filled them with a store
Of His own transcendent riches,
Till they could contain no more.
And at last I comprehended
With my stupid mind and dull,
That God COULD not pour His riches
Into hands already full!
- Martha Snell Nicholson
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