Matthew Elton

Lessons From Jonah

I was honored to preach this sermon at Living Hope Community Church on June 25, 2023.

The Book of Jonah is located toward the back of the Old Testament, between Obadiah and Micah. That’s a part of the Bible called the Minor Prophets. Jonah is one of these minor prophets. He didn’t really want to be a prophet. But God still used him.

Most Christians are at least somewhat familiar with the story of Jonah. You may even recall the main moral of the story – something about running away from God? But there are actually multiple lessons we can learn from this story that are relevant to us today. It’s a lot more than a Veggie Tales episode.

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, “Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.”
Jonah 1:1-2

God is a God of love, mercy, and forgiveness. But he’s also a God of justice, so he hates injustice. He’s a God of peace, so he hates violence. He’s a God of holiness, so he hates evil.

There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that hurry to run to evil, a lying witness who testifies falsely, and one who sows discord in a family.
Proverbs 6:16-19

Because he’s a God of love, and because he’s a God of justice, he rescues the oppressed and he brings wrath against the wicked.

When God revealed himself to Moses, this is what God said about himself:

“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet by no means clearing the guilty, but visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”
Exodus 34:6-7

God is balanced. He runs to show mercy and love. But there comes a point where wickedness is so egregious, that God must, in his justice, bring judgement upon the wicked – whether that be an individual, or a nation.

God judges nations. Genesis 18:25 calls him “the judge of all the earth.” In the Old Testament, God brought judgement upon Babel, Sodom and Gomorrah, Egypt, Canaan, Edom, Israel, Judah, and Babylon, to name a few.

But God isn’t spiteful or vindictive. Destroying nations isn’t the goal. God wants to forgive. He wants nations to repent of their wickedness, and re-establish justice and peace in the land.

So, usually, God won’t destroy a nation without warning. He provides warning first, and he usually does this through prophets. Throughout the Old Testament, we see God send prophets to speak against wicked nations.

That’s exactly what God is doing here with Jonah. He’s sending the prophet Jonah to speak against Nineveh.

Ninevah is located in modern day Iraq. At the time, it was a great city of the Assyrian Empire.

At the top of this blog post is an artist’s rendering of what Ninevah may have looked like. It was a rapidly growing city, growing in both population and prestige. It would later become the capital of the Assyrian Empire, adorned with this ornate palace and massive stone gates.

At the time, it was a city of 120,000 people. That may not sound like many by today’s standards, but in the ancient world, that was absolutely massive. It meant that Ninevah was one of the largest cities in the world.

God is saying to Jonah: God and speak against this great city!

But Jonah doesn’t want to go.

But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid his fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.
Jonah 1:3

If you’re wondering where Tarshish is, you’re not alone. Few Israelites would know where it is, as it is far – very far – from Israel.

From his starting point in Joppa, Jonah needed to travel 550 miles northeast to go to Nineveh.

Instead, he set out to travel 2,550 miles to the west.

He set sail for Tarshish, in modern day Spain.

Now, Jonah didn’t know about North and South America, so from his perspective, Spain is literally the end of the world. After that, it’s just ocean.

God called him to go to Ninevah. He went as far he could possibly go, in the opposite direction!

At Living Hope Community Church, we recently just finished a series on outreach, witnessing, sharing the gospel. Perhaps, as we went through that series together, you felt inspired to share your faith with a friend, a coworker, or a stranger.

Has God ever inspired you to speak to someone?

I call this a “go to Ninevah” moment.

As some of you know, I am aspiring to learn Chinese as a second language. So, I went to a language learning meetup group here in Albany. I met a Chinese American guy who is fluent in English, Chinese, and Spanish. He’s a really cool guy, and right off the bat we had a great conversation about Chinese. So, we actually got together to hang out a few times, and he helped me a lot with my Chinese by teaching me idioms and things that they don’t teach you in class, that help you sound really authentic.

We became Facebook friends, and, as some of you know, on Facebook I don’t hide the fact that I’m a Christian. So, he probably knew I was a Christian, and I even sensed that he might be curious about it, but I didn’t say anything.

Then one day we’re sitting in a coffeeshop and he’s telling me about a trip he took to a city in China called Wuhan. Now, this is before the pandemic, so at the time, most Americans had never heard of Wuhan. But I had heard of Wuhan, because when I was learning Chinese in college, I had a pen pal in Wuhan who was herself a Christian, and she came to Christ when Americans who run a coffeeshop in Wuhan shared their faith with her.

Now, my Chinese American friend is telling me about his trip to Wuhan, and about a coffeeshop he went to that’s run by Americans. Now, Wuhan is a city of 12 million people. There are thousands of coffeeshops in Wuhan, and actually a lot of them are run by Americans. So, I don’t think too much of what he’s telling me at first. But then, he tells me that this particular coffeeshop is run by Christians who came to Wuhan hoping to share their faith with the Chinese, but they can’t just start a church or a home fellowship because missionary work is illegal in China. However, through the coffeeshop, they’ve been able to talk to some of their customers about Jesus.

When he tells me this, my jaw drops because I realize he’s talking about the same coffeeshop I know about. That seems pretty astounding because we’re talking about a city of 12 million people on the other side of the world yet somehow we both know about the same coffeeshop.

Also, he’s really interested in this. He’s like, “It’s wild to me that someone would literally move to other side of the world just to talk to somebody about Jesus. Like, they must really believe this stuff.”

This was a “go to Ninevah” moment.

This was perfectly set up for a faith conversation. We both shared a common connection. The topic of Jesus was naturally brought up – it wasn’t forced. And, he expressed interest. Bewilderment, perhaps, but that’s still a form of interest!

Just like God spoke to Jonah “GO TO NINEVAH” it was like God was screaming at me “TALK ABOUT JESUS“!

Just like Jonah sailed to Tarshish, I too took the conversation in a different direction than where God was telling me to take it.

I’m not proud of it. And I regret it. But I’m gonna be honest with you – I totally wimped out.

Can you relate?

See, Jonah gets a bad rap. Of all the prophets, he’s probably the one we make fun of the most.

But I think most of us – if we’re honest with ourselves – have had a Jonah moment.

Why did Jonah set sail to Tarshish?

The Bible doesn’t tell us, but it’s probably the same reason we don’t share our faith with others: fear.

Jonah may have had good reason to be afraid. The Assyrian Empire was a brutal culture. They laid waste to cities, slaughtering or enslaving their populations. Not long after the time of Jonah, the Assyrian Empire invaded Israel, taking ten out of the twelve tribes of Israel into captivity.

Here’s a quote from one of the kings of Assyria on his exploits:

Their men young and old I took prisoners. Of some I cut off their feet and hands; of others I cut off the ears noses and lips; of the young men’s ears I made a heap; of the old men’s heads I made a minaret. I exposed their heads as a trophy in front of their city. The male children and the female children I burned in flames; the city I destroyed, and consumed with fire.
Ashurnasirpal II

Now, we don’t know if Assyria in Jonah’s day was as violent as the Assyria that laid waste to Israel. But, if the Assyria of later generations is any indication, Jonah had good reason to be afraid.

This was an empire hostile to Israel. And Jonah, an Israelite, is going to show up and proclaim a message of doom? How do you think that’s going to be received? Probably not well. Jonah’s life could be in danger.

It’s completely understandable why he’d be afraid. Even though he’s being sent by the God of angel armies, who will be with him every step of the way. So, he should have faith and confidence in that. But, he gives into fear. And he sails to Tarshish.

The LORD hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up. Then the sailors were afraid, and each cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten it for them. Jonah, meanwhile, had gone down into the hold of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. The captain came and said to him, “What are you doing sound asleep? Get up; call on your god! Perhaps the god will spare us a thought so that we do not perish.”
Jonah 1:4-6

The sailors said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, so that we may know on whose account this calamity has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us why this calamity has come upon us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” “I am a Hebrew,” he replied. “I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were even more afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them so.
Jonah 1:7-10

Talk about an effective witness! Jonah shared his faith with these sailors, and they immediately believe!

He said: “I worship Yahweh, the God of heaven, who made the sea of the dry land.”

So let me get this straight: he’s the God of heaven, the sea, and the dry land?

That’s wild. In the ancient world, you had a god for each individual thing. So, you’d have a god of the sea, like Poseidon in the Greek tradition. Then you’d have a different god for the dry land.

But Jonah’s like, “No, my God is just the God of everything. Also, he made everything.”

So these sailors are just absolutely astounded by how powerful Jonah’s God is. And they’re like, “Let me get this straight… you thought you could run away from that God?”

You can’t run away from that God!

Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea was growing more and more tempestuous. He said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great storm has come upon you.” Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to bring the ship back to land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them. Then they cried out to the LORD, “Please, O LORD, we pray, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life. Do not make us guilty of innocent blood, for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you.” So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the LORD even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

Jonah 1:11-17

What I think is so funny about this story, is that Jonah is so wildly successful as a prophet and as a missionary, even though he’s trying so hard not to be. He’s literally running away from God, trying not to be God’s messenger, and he ends up converting a bunch of people to faith in the one true God, basically by accident. Amazing.

He tried to run from God, but God wouldn’t let him run. And he gets swallowed by a big fish.

But God is faithful. He saves Jonah’s life. Jonah gets spit out, and ends up on the shore. God gives him a second chance.

Now, in chapter 2 there’s an awesome prayer that Jonah prayed while he was in the big fish. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to read it, but I highly recommend that you bookmark this page and read it during the week. It’s really awesome.

But for now, turn to Jonah chapter 2 verse 10.

Then the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out onto the dry land.
Jonah 2:10

And now Jonah has learned his lesson. He obeys God. He goes to Ninevah.

So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk. Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”
Jonah 3:3-4

Ninevah was surrounded by a wall 33 feet high and 49 feet thick, which stone towers spaced every 59 feet.

This is probably the gate that Jonah walked through when he entered Ninevah. It was reconstructed based on an archaeological excavation of the original Assyrian wall. This gate was a major historical landmark and cultural artifact. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by ISIS in 2016 and no longer stands.

Imagine what Jonah felt when he passed through this absolutely massive stone gate representing the overwhelming power and might of Assyria.

He probably felt some fear!

But, he’s learned his lesson. He’s not gonna run away this time. He’s trusting in God. Yahweh is his confidence.

So he goes throughout the city and proclaims the message: “FORTY DAYS AND NINEVAH WILL BE OVERTHROWN!”

Normally, prophets are sent to the king. But in this case, God sent Jonah to just preach to ordinary people. So he’s just out on the street, proclaiming the message.

It was probably awkward!

He was probably afraid of how people would react!

How would people respond to this message?

Why would they listen to Jonah?

He’s just some random guy from a foreign country!

How would you respond if you were walking through the city of our local city of Albany, NY and you saw a random guy with a thick accent yelling: “FORTY DAYS AND ALBANY WILL BE OVERTHROWN!”

Would you believe him?

Probably not.

But guess what?

And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. Then he had a proclamation made in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: No human or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything. They shall not feed, nor shall they drink water. Humans and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands. Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.”
Jonah 3:5-10

It’s absolutely wild that the people of Ninevah repented when they heard Jonah’s message! It’s completely not what you’d expect to happen! It’s as crazy as seeing a cow in sackcloth!!

The people repented! They believed in Yahweh and cried out to him for mercy!

It’s nothing short of a miracle.

At one moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it,but if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will change my mind about the disaster that I intended to bring on it.
Jeremiah 18:7-8

God is a God of second chances. He’s not a bully out to get you. He loves to forgive. He loves to give another chance. All you need to do is turn to him. Turn from evil, and turn to him.

This next verse was written about Israel, but I think the story of Jonah proves that the same principle applies to all people who put their trust in God:

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14

That’s exactly what happened.

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them, and he did not do it.
Jonah 3:10

It’s a miracle.

While this is going on, Jonah is sitting outside the city, and he can’t wait for the city to be destroyed. Don’t forget, Ninevah is part of the Assyrian Empire. The Ninevites are enemies of Israel. Jonah hates the Ninevites!

He can’t wait for fire to fall down from heaven and destroy the city.

Get out the marshmallows! We’re having a fire tonight!

But to his great shock and disappointment – the city is NOT destroyed!

But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. He prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning, for I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from punishment. And now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” And the LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” Then the LORD said, “You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left and also many animals?”
Jonah 4:1-11

Here is Ninevah, a city the size of Albany, NY.

God is saying: “Dude, are you kidding me? you care more about a plant, than all the people in this city?”

120,000 people, not to mention all the cows walking around in sackcloth!

Jonah’s heart wasn’t God’s heart.

Jonah wanted Ninevah to be destroyed. But God’s heart was that the Ninevites – even though they were some of the most wicked people in the world – God’s heart was that they would repent and be saved.

“For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone,” says the Lord GOD. “Turn, then, and live.”
Ezekiel 18:32

God has a heart of compassion for the lost. Do we have that same heart?

Do we have compassion for the even the worst, most despicable people?

Or do we have grudges against them? Disgust? Bitterness? Unforgiveness?

Do we celebrate with heaven when a sinner repents?

Or do we respond with cynicism?

“I see so-and-so is back in church today. We’ll see how long that lasts.”

“So-and-so says he’s a Christian now. What a joke.”

Are these godly attitudes?

Are there people in your life who you don’t share your faith with, because, I mean, what’s the point?

When it comes to some people, you just know, they’re not gonna want to hear about Jesus. Don’t waste your time.

That’s prejudice. The reality is, you don’t know their hearts. God does.

The Book of Jonah really challenges us here to not allow your prejudices to get in the way of the gospel.

We see over and over again in the Book of Jonah, and indeed throughout the whole Bible, that the truth can set even the most unlikely person free.

The sailors on Jonah’s ship were pagans worshipping Poseidon, literally the last people you’d expect to make a sacrifice to the one true God. Yet when Jonah told them about Yahweh, they believed.

The people of Ninevah were so wicked that God had proclaimed his judgement against them and threatened to destroy their city. Literally the last people in the world you would expect to repent and believe in the one true God. But when they heard Jonah’s message, they repented.

You can’t write people off. No one is too far gone. No one is too lost that they can’t be reached.

Jesus Christ came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).

He didn’t come to pat the righteous on the back and tell them what a great job they’re doing.

He came to eat dinner with sinners and corrupt tax collectors.

He came to give forgiveness and undeserved mercy and grace to prostitutes and robbers.

He came to pursue murderous men like Saul of Tarsus and say to them, “I’m giving you another chance. I want you in my kingdom.”

That’s God’s heart.

The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9

Not wanting any to perish.

That’s God’s heart.

Is that your heart?

Jonah gets a bad rap – lots of people make fun of him, even call him a “failed prophet” because he ran from God, and when he finally obeyed God, he did it with the wrong heart.

But Jonah was just a human, no different than you or me. And if we’re honest with ourselves, we often have the same struggles Jonah had.

So the book of Jonah should be a wakeup call.

Let’s learn from Jonah, and not make the same mistakes.

When God calls you to do something, do it. Where is your Ninevah? It’s time to go there. You can pray about it and seek wise counsel, but don’t let anyone talk you out of doing something God called you to do. And don’t let fear stop you.

Respond to difficult people with compassion. Don’t hope that they “get what they deserve.” Hope that they repent and change and grow. Look for the best in people.

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July 18, 2023

Hold Onto God’s Promises When All Seems Lost

I was honored to preach this sermon at Living Hope Community Church on March 19, 2023.

Now a certain man was sick: Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. And it was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
John 11:1-2

If you’re reading through the gospel of John for the first time, you might not remember this event that John is referencing here, of Mary anointing Jesus with ointment, and wiping his feet with her hair. That’s because it hasn’t happened yet. It happens in the next chapter. So what is the point of John referencing it here? John is emphasizing the special relationship between Jesus and Mary and Mary’s family. This is not a random family of strangers. There is deep love between this family and Jesus.

So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not meant for death, but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” (Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister, and Lazarus.) So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.
John 11:3-6

Verse 6 is shocking. Verses 1-5 establish that Jesus loved Lazarus and that the sickness is not meant for death. The story is set up so that we expect to read: “so when he heard that he was sick, he immediately went and healed him.” But instead, we read: “so when he heard that he was sick, he then stayed two days longer in the place where he was.”

The key is v. 4: “This sickness is not meant for death” (another translation says “this sickness will not end in death”) “but it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”

Love is written all over this text. The affection with which Mary anointed Christ with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair – that’s love. Verse 3, “Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick.” Jesus loved Lazarus. Again, John tells us explicitly in verse 5, “Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.”

Jesus didn’t immediately heal Lazarus. Instead, Jesus stayed two days longer in the place where he was. But that doesn’t mean Jesus didn’t love Lazarus. Jesus did love Lazarus. He had to trust the revelation he had received from God, that this sickness would not end in death. For Jesus to stay two more days where he was, he had to trust God with such faith that he would believe that even if Lazarus died, it wouldn’t be the end – God could raise him from the dead. How much faith is that?

The love of God and the glory of God. The two are not opposed to each other.

There is no greater love than to help another person see the glory of God. That is the ultimate love, and that is what happens in this story as it unfolds.

John Piper once said: “Love is doing whatever you have to do to help people see the glory of God as their supreme joy… The aim of love is to bring people to the fullest knowledge and the fullest enjoyment of the glory of God. Love means giving us what we need most. And what we need most is… a full and endless experience of the glory of God. Love means giving us what will bring us the fullest and longest joy. And what is that? What will give you full and eternal joy? The answer of this text is clear: a revelation to your soul of the glory of God — seeing, admiring, and marveling at and savoring the glory of God in Jesus Christ. Love is the longing that labors and suffers to enthrall others with what is infinitely and eternally satisfying: the glory of God. God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in him.”

Right now, Martha, Mary, Lazarus, and even Jesus himself are about to go through some trials. Lazarus is sick, and as we will see, he’s about to die. So in this moment, it’s hard to see how God is working. At this point in the story, we don’t know what’s going to happen next. We don’t see the full picture yet, as God sees it. We see only the sickness and suffering of this moment. Every impulse within us says: “What are you doing, Jesus? You gotta go heal this guy right now! What are you waiting for?” But Jesus stayed where he was for two days.

Jesus said in John 5:30, “I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak as the Father taught Me.”

He said in John 5:19, “The Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in the same way.”

Jesus always did the Father’s will. He too probably felt the human impulse to immediately heal Lazarus. But he stayed for two days because he had faith in what God was revealing to him – that God, who can see the bigger picture, was working something greater here. Jesus had to have great faith in order to persevere through this trial. He had to believe the promise God revealed in verse 4: the sickness will not end in death, but in the end, God’s love and his glory will be revealed. We will see throughout this story, Jesus is about to face ridicule and anger. He’s about to shed tears. He’s about to go through suffering. But it’s not in vain. God is working something greater here. Jesus had to trust in God through this trial and believe that in the end, God’s love and glory will be revealed. He had to believe that in the core of his being.

Is it any different for you and me? When we go through trials, we too must trust the promise of God revealed in Romans 8:28, that God works all things together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose. Do you believe that? Do you believe that even when you suffer? Do you believe that even when it’s hard?

If we want to overcome like Jesus, we too must trust in the promises of God in the midst of suffering. His word is truth. His promises will come to pass. Nothing else in this world will give us the strength to stand.

In the story we’re about to read, we’re going to see some suffering. We’re going to see some pain. We’re going to see tears shed. We’re going to see some moments where it feels hopeless. But don’t lose hope. Don’t lose faith.

As we read through this story, hold onto the promise of verse 4. The sickness will not end in death. God’s love and his glory will be revealed. To overcome like Jesus, we must hold onto the promises of God.

Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let’s go to Judea again.” The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and yet You are going there again?” Jesus replied, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks during the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
John 11:7-10

Jesus faced danger going to Bethany because, as seen in the previous chapter, the Jews were seeking to stone him to death. Verses 9-10 are mysterious. I’m not going to claim to fully understand them, but they might have something to do with John 9:4, “We must carry out the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.”

Jesus knew what the prophets had foretold – that the Messiah would be pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. He knew that he was going to be crucified and die for the sins of the world. But he also knew that it had to happen at the time God had appointed. Jesus was crucified at the time of Passover. There was incredible symbolism here. Just as the blood of the original Passover lamb saved the Israelites from the angel of death at the exodus from Egypt, so the blood of Jesus the sinless lamb of God saves us from death. It had to happen at the appointed time. Jesus operated on a divine timetable set by God the Father. Throughout the book of John, he uses the phase “My hour has not yet come.”

The disciples are saying to Jesus: “You can’t go to Judea because if you go to Judea right now, they’ll kill you.”

But Jesus is saying: “No, they won’t, because my hour has not yet come. God has appointed a time of day and a time of night. The time of day is the time that I am in the world. The time of night is the time of my crucifixion. I will go to Judea with confidence because I trust that God won’t allow me to be killed until the proper time.”

This He said, and after this He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going so that I may awaken him from sleep.” The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will come out of it.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about actual sleep. So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus died, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let’s go to him.”
John 11:11-15

Jesus understood that death is sleep – that is, the dead are at rest until the resurrection of the dead when they will awake to face the final judgement. “Lazarus died, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe.” Isn’t this puzzling? Lazarus died, and I am glad I was not there? His dear friend whom he loves has died, and he’s glad? How does that make sense?

Look carefully here. He’s glad “for your sakes, that you may be believe.” Again, love is doing whatever needs to be done for someone to see and be satisfied with the glory of God. Despite the death, despite the grief of knowing his dearly beloved friend has died, Jesus can be glad in this moment because he knows beyond the shadow of a doubt that death is not the end of the story and that God’s glory is about to be revealed – and through that, the disciples will see and will believe. And that is something to be glad about, if we have enough faith to believe it!

See, even though Lazarus has died, Jesus is still holding onto the promise of verse 4: “this sickness will not end in death, but the glory of God is going to be revealed” That is the promise that Jesus received from God. And if it’s really true that the sickness won’t end in death, then it logically follows that even if Lazarus dies, well, God will need to raise him from the dead!

What kind of faith is that? I think if any of us had a friend who was sick, and we felt like God was speaking to us and promising us that they would be healed, and then they died, we would say, “Well, I guess I was wrong.” There is a finality to death that none of us dare to question.

But Jesus doesn’t go there. Jesus has received this word from God that the sickness won’t end in death. So even in the face of death, Jesus continues to believe the promise of God. He believes to the core of his being that God, who cannot lie, will always keep his promises, even if it means raising the dead.

You want to know how Jesus overcame? This is how Jesus overcame. With this kind of faith. Incredible faith. Unimaginable faith. Faith so strong that even in the face of death he could be glad because knew death wasn’t the end and God’s glory was imminent.

Therefore Thomas, who was called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s also go, so that we may die with Him!”
John 11:16

Jesus is facing danger going to Bethany because the Jews are seeking to stone him. He has confidence that God won’t allow him to be killed until the proper time. But the disciples don’t have this much faith. They are fearful of the Jews who are seeking to kill Jesus, and they see going to Bethany right now as a suicide mission. They don’t have as much faith as Jesus has, so they are afraid. Nevertheless, they still follow him.

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away; and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them about their brother.So then Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed in the house.Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise from the dead.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.”
John 11:17-24

Martha believed in the future resurrection of the dead. She correctly understood that the dead are asleep, waiting for the resurrection, and on the last day, when the Messiah comes to judge the world and make everything wrong with the world right, on that day the dead will rise. Those who trust in Christ will rise and meet him face to face, and be with him forever on a renewed and perfected earth where there is no more death, or sorrow, or tears, or war, or sin. This is the gospel that Jesus preached. The gospel of the kingdom of God. Everything wrong with the world will be made right. Martha understood! She gets it! She gets the gospel message!

But notice how Jesus responds here. I would expect him to commend her, to say, “Blessed are you, Martha, for you understand the kingdom of God! Isn’t this good news! Yes! Lazarus will rise again!”

But that’s not what Jesus says. Look at verses 25-26.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:25-26

Martha believed the gospel of the kingdom. She had faith in a future resurrection of the dead. But Jesus took it a step further. He said: “I AM that resurrection, and I showed up right here and right now!”

Christ is the resurrection. He is the king who will raise the dead. All power and authority have been given to him by God. God has put all things under his feet. As it says in Revelation 1:18, he holds the keys to death and the grave in his hand.

So notice how Jesus connects Lazarus’ resurrection to your resurrection. It would already be an extraordinary thing for Jesus to claim that he could raise Lazarus from the dead. But Jesus takes it one step further. Not only is Jesus able to raise Lazarus from the dead by the power and authority that God has given him – he is able to raise you from the dead by that same power. He is able to call Lazarus out of the grave by name, and he is able to call you out of the grave by name.

Whoever believes in him, even if he dies, he will live again. Jesus is telling Martha that if she believes, the same resurrection from the dead that can happen to Lazarus can also happen to her, and to all who believe.

She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have come to believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, and He who comes into the world.”

When she had said this, she left and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard this, she got up quickly and came to Him.

Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still at the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house and were consoling her, when they saw that Mary had gotten up quickly and left, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep there. So when Mary came to the place where Jesus was, she saw Him and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Therefore when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled,and He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” But some of them said, “Could this man, who opened the eyes of the man who was blind, not have also kept this man from dying?”
John 11:27-37

Jesus wept.

The shortest verse in the Bible, but one of the most profound.

In understanding why Jesus wept, commentators often say that even though he knew Lazarus would be raised from the dead, he was still overwhelmed by sadness because of Lazarus’ death. Perhaps that is true. But I think there is another, more obvious reason why Jesus wept.

“If you had been here, he wouldn’t have died.”

“Couldn’t this man have kept him from dying?”

Three times Jesus is unfairly blamed for Lazarus’ death – first by Martha, then by Mary, then by the Jews.

They’re essentially saying to him: “This is your fault, Jesus. You’re the reason he died.”

Have you ever been accused like that? Jesus has. He’s walked in your shoes. He’s felt the same feelings that you feel. He gets you.

Isaiah 53:3 says, “He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”

Jesus knew sadness.

John 11:35 is not the only time when Jesus wept.

In Luke 19, Jesus wept over Jerusalem because he understood the destruction that was going to come upon the city at the hands of the Romans.

This weeping was not just tearing up a little bit or shedding a tear. The Greek word translated “wept” in Luke 19 means “to wail loudly.”

Jesus knows what it is to feel overwhelming despair.

He offered up both prayers and pleas with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His devout behavior.Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.
Hebrews 5:7-8

Jesus wept.

The weeping here in John 11 is a different kind of sadness than in Luke 19. The Greek word translated “wept” in John 11:35 means “to cry silently.”

Scripture doesn’t tell us exactly what Jesus wept, and I don’t want to read into it, but I think the text implies that it was more than mere sadness that Lazarus had died. Remember, Jesus clung to the promise of verse 4: the sickness won’t end in death, but the glory of God is going to be revealed. He also knew, before he went to Bethany, that Lazarus was already dead. It’s not like he showed up and was shocked to discover that Lazarus was dead. He knew he was already dead, but he still believed it won’t end in death. So clearly, Jesus had to hold onto the promise of verse 4 and believe that God could raise the dead, otherwise, he wouldn’t have even come.

But the people don’t share his faith. They lack faith in this moment. They are filled with grief and anger. They are looking for someone to blame.

Verse 33 says Jesus “was deeply moved in spirit.” This translation is pretty tame. The Greek word here means “to be moved with anger, to admonish sternly, to snort with rage like an angry horse.”

Verse 33 also says that Jesus “was troubled.” Again, this is a very tame translation. The Greek word means “to be restless, stirred up, agitated.” It’s the same word used in John 5:7 to describe the waters of the pool of Bethesda being stirred up.

I don’t think it’s reading into the text, to say that Jesus felt something here beyond just sadness.

He is being blamed for Lazarus’ death. The people have no faith in his ability to rectify this situation.

He is facing the full force of their rage, criticism, and insult.

Jesus wept.

Jesus wasn’t a stoic. Jesus felt his emotions. Jesus wrestled with his emotions and worked through them. He wasn’t controlled by them, but he didn’t suppress them either. He felt them and expressed them to God.

So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
John 11:38-40

Remember the promise of verse 4: “This sickness is not meant for death, but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”

So they removed the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. But I knew that You always hear Me; nevertheless, because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”
John 11:41-42

Jesus always gave God the glory. He had total confidence that God would hear him. Nevertheless, he thanked God for hearing him, and he thanked God out loud in the presence of other people, in order to publicly glorify God and give God the credit for the miracle that was about to be performed.

There are seven miracles that Jesus performs in the gospel of John before his passion. This is the seventh and the greatest. He wants to make sure that God gets all the credit for it. Jesus always gave God the glory.

And when He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” Out came the man who had died, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
John 11:43-44

The promise of verse 4 has come to pass.

The sickness did not end in death.

God’s glory was revealed.

Death defeated. Wrong made right. Doubt turned to faith. Hopelessness to hope. Mourning to joy.

This is a foretaste of the kingdom of God. It’s not just something that happened. It’s a picture of what’s to come – for you and for me.

Just as Jesus called Lazarus out of the grave, if you believe, he’ll call you out of the grave.

One day, Jesus will return to rule the world, to bring peace and justice to the earth, and make everything wrong with the world right.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
Revelation 21:3-4

Lazarus was in the grave for four days. Between the time that he died and the time that he rose, his family mourned. They felt devastated, hopeless, even angry. They criticized Jesus for not coming sooner. It was impossible for them, during those four days, to see how God was working, why God would allow this, how God could possibly work this out for their good and for his glory.

We go through similar experiences in life.

In life, there are times when we can’t see how God is working.

We have such limited perspective. We don’t see the end from the beginning, like God does.

The Apostle Paul said that right now, we see through a mirror dimly, but then we will see face to face; right now we know only in part, but then we will know fully.

But be encouraged by this truth: The word of God is true, even when we can’t see it.

The promises of God are true, even when we can’t imagine how they’re possibly going to come to pass.

Do you have faith to say, “God, I don’t know how you’re possibly going to work this out for my good and for your glory, but I’m still believing that you are because it’s written in your word in Romans 8:28 and your word never fails. God who cannot lie has spoken it and your promises never fail. So I believe that you’re working even when I can’t see it.”

Do you have that kind of faith this morning?

If you do, you can overcome anything.

To overcome like Jesus, we need to hold onto the promises of God.

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March 20, 2023

The God of the Weak and Lowly

I was honored to deliver this Christmas sermon at Living Hope Community Church on December 18, 2022.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.
Luke 2:1-7

What was this event, which Luke records with such simplicity?

A woman of humble means, wrapping her child in simple bands of cloth, laying him in a feeding trough for animals, because there was no guest room available.

There was no fanfare. There was no royal pageantry. There was no pomp and circumstance.

An estimated 385,000 babies are born every day.

This event – the birth of a single baby, in a seemingly insignificant region of the world, laid to rest in the humblest of circumstances – would, from a human perspective, have no obvious significance, and would not be expected to change the world or the course of history.

And yet, from God’s perspective, this was the most important day. And for those who believe, this day changed the universe, and has the power to change our lives forever.

It was, first and foremost, a real day. Unlike some religious figures such as the Buddha – whose births are unclear exactly when or, even if, they happened – this day is authenticated in history. A day attested to by historians – Christian, Jewish, and Roman. A real day, at a real time in history, when Caesar Augustus was Emperor of Rome and when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

A real place – Bethlehem. Here, Luke refers to Bethlehem by its traditional title “city of David” because of its historical ties to the ancient Jewish king. However, at this time in history, this “city” was only a small village. According to biblical scholar William Barclay, at the time of the birth of Jesus, the population of Bethlehem may have been as few as 200-300 people. John, in his gospel, uses the Greek word “ko-may” to refer to Bethlehem, a word meaning a small hamlet or village.

Bethlehem in 1698. Sketch by Cornelis de Bruijn.

And what of Nazareth, the town from which Mary and Joseph travelled, and in which their child would grow up? Nazareth was not much larger – perhaps 500 people according to some estimates. It was, so to speak, “in the boonies” – so much so that the people of that day asked, as recorded in John 1:46, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

And the region of Galilee, such a backwater that the people of that day asked, as recorded in John chapter 7, “How can the Christ come from Galilee? No prophet comes out of Galilee.”

From a human perspective, this was a seemingly insignificant day, a seemingly insignificant place, a seemingly insignificant event.

And yet, this was precisely the day, precisely the place, precisely the event that God chose to change our lives, to change history, to change the world, to change the cosmos and the entire created order.

It was a day the prophets had spoken of for thousands of years.

It was a day that Abraham envisioned and rejoiced to see.

It was a day foretold since the Garden of Eden.

The rise and fall of empires, the decrees of governors, and even the appearance of the stars in the sky were all guided by the hand of God, so that this day would come.

Moses told the people of Israel:

The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet
Deuteronomy 18:15

Likewise the prophets:

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
Micah 5:2

For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Great will be his authority, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 9:6-7

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge for the poor and decide with equity for the oppressed of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
Isaiah 11:1-5

These are just a few of the many prophecies of Christ found in the Old Testament. In fact, every book of the Old Testament points to Christ in some way. The Jews looked with eager expectation for a Messiah who would liberate their kingdom from oppression. A man who would be both priest, prophet, and king. One who would finally establish peace, justice, and righteousness on the earth.

How did the people expect this great Messiah to come?

Surely, he would be a powerful warrior. Surely, he would come on a mighty war horse, commanding enormous armies.

Yet God, in his subversive gentleness, chose to undermine empire and defeat the powers of evil through the meekness of a tiny baby laid in a manger.

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or lift up his voice or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth, and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
Isaiah 42:1-4

God could have brought his Son into the world any way he wanted.

How great is our God, that of all the ways he could have done it, he chose to work through a humble, ordinary woman named Mary?

Can you imagine the awe that Mary must have experienced when the angel told her that from her would come the Messiah, the one who would be priest, prophet, and king – the one who would save people from their sins?

Can you imagine her awe when she realized that of all the people who ever lived and ever will live, she was the one would bring the Son of God into the world?

Why Mary?

It was not because there was anything extraordinary about her – she was an ordinary woman!

But, she had extraordinary faith and obedience to God’s word.

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be bornwill be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.“
Luke 1:26-38

According to some scholars, Mary was as young as 13 years old when this happened. She was a young, unmarried, ordinary woman.

There was nothing particularly extraordinary about Mary, except that she had the simple faith to say, “God, let it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)

Do you have that faith this morning?

Do you have that faith to say to God, “Let it be done to me according to your word?”

God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.

He doesn’t choose people who are good enough, strong enough, or wise enough.

God chooses people who are not good enough, who are not strong enough, and who are not wise enough.

He chooses the weak in the world to shame the strong.

He chooses the foolish in the world to shame the wise.

If you feel weak, if you feel foolish, if you don’t know how God can use you, if you don’t know where God is calling you to go next, I’m here to tell you, you don’t need to know. You don’t need to have all the answers. You don’t need to be strong enough, or wise enough, or good enough.

You only need to have the simple, humble faith, to say to God, as Isaiah said, “Here I am, Lord, send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)

Do you have that simple, childlike faith this morning?

If you do, God can use you, to accomplish more than you could ever imagine.

As John Piper once said, “He’s a big God for little people”

Mary and Joseph had each received a promise from an angel that Mary’s child would be the Messiah.

But let’s not forget that they had 9 months of anticipation leading up this moment. And this time had not been easy for them. They had to suffer the shame of having a child out of wedlock – I mean, how are you gonna explain that to your family?

And then, unable to even secure a guest room, they had to lay the child in a manger – a feeding trough for animals.

At this point, they’re probably wondering, “Is this really happening?” The promise had come 9 months ago – that’s a long time! The memories of the angelic visitations are fading in their minds. The reality of laying a child down in a feeding trough is before them. They need to receive some comfort, some reassurance.

That’s what I love about this next part of the story. Picking it up in Luke 2 verse 8:

Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.
Luke 2:8-20

Can you imagine the comfort and reassurance that Mary and Joseph must have felt when these shepherds showed up just gave them that confirmation: yes, this is really happening. No, you’re not crazy. We saw the angels too! We know that this baby truly is the Messiah.

What overwhelming joy Mary and Joseph must have felt when these shepherds showed up!

Of all the people to be the first to see the Messiah, how great is our God that he would choose shepherds?

Shepherds. Some of the poorest individuals in the ancient world. They were outcasts who lived at the margins of society. Yet, it was these humble shepherds who were the first to see the Christ.

How great is our God? He doesn’t choose the mighty. He doesn’t choose the powerful. He chooses the humble. He chooses the meek.

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of the proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews ask for signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to abolish things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God.In contrast, God is why you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:18-31

I want to close with a poem – the lyrics to a song by Audrey Assad called “Winter Snow”

As you hear these words, consider all of the ways that God could have brought his Son in the world. God could have done it so many different ways. He didn’t need to work through ordinary people like Mary and Joseph. He didn’t need to call shepherds to rejoice.

But consider how much love God has for simple, weak, ordinary, people, that he would choose to work through them.

You could have come like a mighty storm
with all the strength of a hurricane
You could have come like a forest fire
with the power of heaven in your flame

You could have swept in like a tidal wave
or an ocean to ravish our hearts
You could have come through like a roaring flood
to wipe away the things we’ve scarred

But your voice wasn’t in a bush burning
Your voice wasn’t in a rushing wind

It was still, it was small, it was hidden

You came like a winter snow
So quiet
So soft
So slow

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December 25, 2022

The Struggles and Blessings of Singleness

I was honored to preach at Living Hope recently on the topic of singleness and how to serve God as an unmarried person – a topic rarely discussed in the Christian church. Many Christians have an attitude toward singleness that is shaped more by culture than by scripture. An incorrect view of singleness can make a single believer feel inferior, judged by other believers, jealous of those who are married, and doubting their ability to be used by God. But scripture presents a totally different view of singleness: balancing the struggles and benefits that are unique to marriage with the struggles and benefits that are unique to singleness, and showing how God uses both the married believer and the unmarried believer in equally valuable – though often different – ways.

If you’re married, you probably don’t think much about singleness. But it’s a topic that is very relevant. In the United States, singleness is one of the biggest demographic changes confronting the church. There are more single adults in the U.S. than there are married adults. There are more single adults today than at any time in history. This isn’t just because people are marrying less. It’s also because people are marrying later in life. From 1950 to the present, the average age at which people get married has steadily increased. New York has the highest average age of marriage, at slightly over 30 years old.

My generation – the millennials – is notorious for getting married much later than previous generations. There are many reasons for this. Obviously, many cultural, technological, and economic changes have occurred across the generations. Right when we were graduating college, the Great Recession hit my generation hard, setting us back economically and leaving many feeling like they were not financially stable enough to sustain a marriage. Millennials have also had to move around a lot more, and change jobs a lot more frequently than previous generations, in order to become financially stable. This makes it harder to develop long-term relationships.

The high divorce rate of previous generations also had a huge impact on my generation. The divorce rate in the United States reached an all-time high in the early 80s and remained high into the 90s. Today divorce is in decline and the divorce rate is actually much lower, which is good news. However, the damage caused by divorces decades ago continue to ripple through the generations. Personally, I am blessed to have two parents who have been faithfully married for many years, and have given me and my brother an awesome example of what a godly marriage looks like. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for many of my peers. Many people of my generation grew up with parents who were divorced. I believe this has contributed to a general apprehension toward marriage in people of my generation, resulting in fewer marriages, and people marrying later in life.

But regardless of why these trends are happening, the fact is that singleness is a reality. It’s more common now than ever, and it’s more important than ever for Christians to have a biblical perspective on what it means to serve God as a single person. Our understanding of what it means to serve God as a single person must come first and foremost from scripture – not from culture, not even from “Christian culture”, but from scripture.

The Bible presents a counter-cultural view of marriage and singleness. Singleness as a Christian is totally different than singleness in the world. In the world, singleness is great because you can have sex with whoever you want without needing worry about the commitment of marriage. But as Christians, we believe that God designed sex for the marriage relationship only. Jesus said in Matthew 15:19, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts – murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” The word translated “sexual immorality” is the Greek word pornea from which we get the word “pronography”. It refers to any sexual activity outside of marriage. Biblically, extra-marital sex and pre-marital sex are both sin. For the Christian, the single life is, by definition, a celibate life. Therefore, single Christians have unique struggles that single people in the world may not have. These include sexual temptation, feeling judged by other Christians, worry about finding a spouse, jealousy toward those who are married, and doubt about their ability to be used by God.

In a 2017 survey of 7,000 Christian singles:

76% reported that they often or constantly think about marriage.
53% worry about finding a spouse.
42% feel defined by the lack of a spouse.
34% feel frustrated with God.
58% feel discouraged.
50% say they are tempted to idolize marriage.

Those who say they think about marriage often or constantly are:

3 times more likely to say they feel discouraged
5 times more likely to say they feel defined by the lack of a spouse
2 times more likely to say they feel unable to do what God wants them to do
3 times more likely to say they feel frustrated with God
5 times more likely to say they feel worried about finding a spouse
5 times more likely to say they are tempted to idolize marriage

Singleness is a big deal. It affects many people, and it’s more important than ever for the church to take a serious, biblical look at this topic.

Who should care about singleness?

Single people. This includes people of all ages. Not just those who are not yet married, but also those who are called by God to a life of singleness – and there is a strong biblical basis for that.
Divorced people. Those who didn’t expect to be single again, but unfortunately, they now find themselves single. They now have to grapple with the reality of living in unexpected singleness.
Widows. The Bible has a lot to say about widows, much more than we will have time to cover this morning. But it’s important to recognize that singleness is not just for young people! Rarely do 2 spouses die at the same time. If you are married, it is very likely you will eventually become single again. How to live as a single person later in life, and how the church treats widows, are important topics.
The entire church because we are created for and called to community.

Many assume the Bible has nothing to say about singleness. But both the Apostle Paul and Jesus Christ himself (both single) directly addressed the topic of singleness in their teachings.

Matthew 19:3-12 “Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?’And He answered and said, ‘Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.’ They said to Him, ‘Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?’He said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.’ The disciples said to Him, ‘If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.’But He said to them, ‘Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given. For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.'”

The disciples found Jesus’ teaching on marriage and divorce difficult. The marriage commitment that Jesus requires is so such a serious commitment, that the disciples said “if that’s really the case, it’s better not to marry!” But Jesus provides an alternative to marriage: celibacy. According to Jesus, marriage is “to whom it is given” (v. 11) but there are also some who choose celibacy “for the sake of the kingdom of heaven” (v. 12).

In his book Redeeming Singleness: How the Storyline of Scripture Affirms the Single Life, Barry Danylak writes:

“In using the term eunuch, Jesus meant more than someone simply not marrying but rather one’s setting aside the right of marriage and procreation. Jesus is suggesting that there are some who will willingly give up the blessings of both marriage and offspring for the sake of the kingdom of God…. The eunuch is an illustration of this. The eunuch was a model of devoted service because he was without the distractions of marriage and family. No personal family matters competed for his allegiances. He could afford complete, unhindered loyalty to his king and his king’s concerns… The historical figure of the eunuch was a model for what undivided loyalty to the king looked like in the ancient world.”

In his book 7 Myths About Singleness, Sam Allberry writes:

“In saying ‘If such is the case of a man and his wife, it is better not to marry’ (v. 10) the disciples complain that the marriage commitment sounds too hard. Jesus doesn’t contradict that. Marriage (as he presents it) is not easy. It is hard. It will not be the best path for everyone. That is why some choose to be like the eunuchs. Our starting point today is often the opposite. Celibacy sounds too hard, so we should make marriage more readily accessible, even redefining marriage so more people can enter into it. But Jesus’s thinking seems to go in the opposite direction. Marriage can be too hard for some, so he commands celibacy…. Jesus was a sexual human being, as we all are. But he lived a celibate lifestyle. He never married. He never even entered a romantic relationship. He never had sex. Jesus was not calling others to a standard he was not willing to embrace himself. He wasn’t calling singles to sexual abstinence while knowing nothing of it himself. He lived that very standard. But there’s more too it than that. Jesus is the example of a perfect man. He is the most complete and fully human person who ever lived. So his not being married is not incidental. It shows us that none of these things – marriage, romantic fulfilment, sexual experience – is intrinsic to being a full human being. The moment we say otherwise – the moment we claim a life of celibacy to be dehumanizing, we are implying that Jesus himself is only subhuman.”

One of the biggest myths about singleness is that the single life is inferior to the married life. But some of the greatest people of faith who ever lived – including the Apostle Paul and Jesus Christ himself – chose to give up marriage for the sake of the kingdom of God. Such a decision is certainly not inferior to those who choose to marry. Marriage is a wonderful gift from God, given to us for this present age. But marriage itself is not the end-all-be-all. Contrary to popular belief, the Bible teaches that marriage is not forever!

Jesus said in Matthew 22:30, “At the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.” There will be no marriage in the age to come. Our culture looks at marriage as a “happily-ever-after” and a solution to all our problems. Such a view is common even within “Christian culture”. However, this is not a biblical view of marriage. To expect your spouse to fulfill all your hopes and dreams is to place a burden upon them that they cannot bear. It is idolatry because we are expecting from a spouse what only God can provide.

Marriage is an incredible gift and part of God’s beautiful and perfect design for family and the continuation of the human species. And it should be honored. But it’s not the end-all-be-all. We need to see through marriage to the greater truth it illustrates: the relationship between Christ and the church. The only marriage that is forever is the marriage between Christ and the church. All other marriages are temporary. Wonderful, purposeful, beautiful, but temporary.

The good news for singles is that, while marriage is very good, you don’t need to be married to find contentment. Contentment, joy, fulfilmnet, purpose – these things are available right now and they are only found in Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 6:35, “Whoever comes to me will never be hungry. Whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Paul addressed the topic of singleness in 1 Corinthians 7. Paul himself was never married. He devoted his life to serving the Lord. He is an example of one who chose a life of singleness for the sake of the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 7:7-9 “Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that. But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”

1 Corinthians 7:25-28 “Now concerning virgins I have no command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy. I think then that this is good in view of the present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you.”

Paul’s attitude toward marriage is surprising – even shocking – for many believers. The advice Paul gives to single believers is almost the total opposite of much advice found in Christian literature today.

As Christians, we naturally want to affirm the goodness of marriage – especially if we feel that marriage is being attacked in our culture. However, it is possible to place so much value on marriage that it can become an idol. Idolizing marriage is a trap that single Christians easily fall into. After all, the single life can be lonely and difficult. It’s easy for single people to think that all their problems will be solved when they finally get married. We long for that “happily ever after”.

However, Paul presents a totally different view of marriage. According to Paul, “you will have trouble in this life” if you marry! (v. 28)

Now, it must be stated here that in no way is Paul anti-marriage! In other passages of scripture, Paul affirms the beauty of marriage, and even uses marriage as an illustration of Christ and the church. Paul is not against marriage. But Paul is realistic about marriage.

Christian culture today often embraces an unrealistic view of marriage – exaggerating its blessings to young singles while not preparing them for its struggles and challenges. If our expectations for marriage are unrealistically high, we may find ourselves woefully unprepared for the hard work that marriage requires.

In contrast to culture, the biblical view of marriage is sober and serious. According to both Paul and Jesus, the marriage commitment is a very serious commitment that is difficult for people to accept.

Many Christians have a negative attitude toward singleness, viewing it like a disease to be cured or a problem to be solved. The way singleness is defined – being “not married” – is inherently negative, yet rarely would define marriage as being “not single” although that is equally true! Many Christians view singleness as a bad thing, and marriage as a good thing. But Paul views both marriage and singleness as a “gift” (v. 7).

Some have interpreted the word “gift” in this verse to mean a unique power that God gives to only a few people, so they can withstand the struggle of being single, but nobody else can. But this kind of thinking is very dangerous. Single people who struggle with loneliness and a desire for marriage could easily conclude “I guess God just didn’t give me the ‘gift’ of singleness!” This thinking leads to sinful feelings of jealousy and envy toward married people, bitterness toward God, and it can even lead to sexual sin. A single person who is unhappy with their singleness may be tempted to engage in premarital sex, or marry someone who is not a believer or not a healthy partner.

When single people have a negative view of singleness, they may feel tempted to rush into a marriage that they know is not God’s will, just so they don’t have to be single anymore. An incorrect view of singleness can be extremely damaging to a person. It can even cause a watering down of the marriage commitment.

Feeling bad about being single is not a good enough reason to marry someone. A desire to have sex is not a good enough reason to marry someone. Marriage is a serious commitment and both partners must be sure the Lord is calling them to make this commitment.

The Book of Common Prayer puts it this way:

“[Marriage] is not by any to be enterprised, nor taken in hand, unadvisedly, lightly, or wantonly (to satisfy men’s carnal lusts and appetites, like brute beasts who have no understanding); but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God.”

The gift of singleness is not a calling for the select few. This may be shocking, but the truth is that ALL people are called to be single – at least for a season.

We are all called to be single until we are able to make the marriage commitment according to God’s will. For those who are not yet married, the reality is that until God calls you into marriage, you are called to be single!

You are going to be single in this season, whether you like it or not. But you have a choice in how you receive your singleness. You can choose to receive your singleness with feelings of inadequacy, bitterness, and jealousy – which are unhealthy feelings that lead to sin… OR you can choose to receive your singleness as a gift from God, and use it for God’s glory!

In his book The Meaning of Marriage Timothy Keller writes:

“Paul always uses the word ‘gift’ to mean an ability God gives to build others up… not some kind of elusive, stress free state. The ‘gift’ of being single for Paul lay in the freedom it gave him to concentrate on ministry in ways that a married man could not. Paul may have experienced what we today would call an ‘emotional struggle’ with singleness. He might have wanted to be married. He not only found an ability to live a life of service to God and others in that situation, he discovered (and capitalized on) the unique features of the single life (such as time and flexibility) to minister with very great effectiveness.”

There are many Christian books, articles, and teachings on singleness, and the vast majority of them focus on helping single people find a spouse. While there’s nothing wrong with that, it misses the point of what scripture is saying. There is so much focus on “finding a spouse” in Christianity today, that it can leave single people feeling inadequate, discouraged, feeling like they can’t be used by God until they find a spouse.

Paul writes to single people beginning in 1 Corinthians 7:25. If Paul wrote like many Christian writers today, you might expect him to write “To the unmarried I say, find a spouse as soon as possible!”

Shockingly, Paul doesn’t do this! He doesn’t encourage the single people to focus on finding a spouse. In fact, he almost does the exact opposite. Paul encourages the single person to focusing on serving God as a single person.

Obviously, there is nothing wrong with finding a spouse – Paul says in verse 28 that it’s not a sin to marry. But finding a spouse is not the focus of Paul’s advice. The focus is serving God in whatever state you’re in! If you’re married, serve God as a married person. If you’re single, serve God as a single person. The single life is not inferior to the married life.

In fact, single people have certain advantages that married people don’t have!

1 Corinthians 7:32-25 “But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.”

Paul is not saying that marriage is bad or that marriage is not spiritual. In many other passages, Paul affirms the goodness and spirituality of marriage, and uses it as an illustration of Christ and the church. Paul’s point is that singleness is simpler than marriage. Marriage has many blessings that singleness doesn’t have. But marriage is also much more complex than singleness, and has many struggles that singleness doesn’t have.

When Paul says that married people are concerned with “worldly” things, he doesn’t mean that in a bad sense. He is simply saying that they have a responsibility for the physical needs of their spouse and family. This is a good thing! However, it also adds a whole new level of complexity to the life of the believer. Paul’s point is not that marriage is bad and singleness is good – he sees them as equally valuable. Rather, Paul is contrasting the complexity of marriage with the simplicity of singleness. The simplicity of singleness empowers the single believer toward “undistracted devotion to the Lord” (v. 25).

As he penned these words, Paul probably thought of his own life as a single person. He had the freedom to travel the world, preaching the gospel in many different places, enduring shipwrecks and imprisonment for the sake of the gospel. If Paul were married it would have been much harder – probably impossible – to do those things.

Paul is trying to shift our perspective – rather than viewing singleness as something bad and as a problem to be solved, we should view singleness as an opportunity for greater devotion to the Lord!

There is no question that single people have great freedom. The question is: how are we using that freedom? One of the greatest opportunities of the single Christian is also one of the greatest potential struggles: staying devoted to the Lord.

Single people have more freedom to go where they want to go and do what they want to do. But with this freedom comes the temptation to live self-centered lives. Christian community is key here. Paul writes in Romans 12:5, “So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

Christian community is not optional. If you’re a Christian, you are created for and called to community with other believers. The Apostle Paul describes the Christian church with the language of family, using the term “the household of God” for the church, and terms like “brother”, “sister”, “father”, “mother”, and “children” to refer to different members of the church. He never married and never had children, yet he called Titus “my true child” in Titus 1:4 and he called Timothy “my true child” in 1 Timothy 1:2.

The church is a family, so we ought to act like it. The church ought to look more like a large family unit, not merely a collection of individual family units that keep to themselves.

While all believers are called to Christian community, I would argue that single people have the greatest need to be included and to feel included in the church family. Young people who are not yet married desperately need to see examples of what godly marriage looks like. I was blessed to grow up with two parents who have been faithfully married for many years and have given my brother and I an amazing example of what a godly marriage looks like. Unfortunately, many young people today have never really seen what a healthy Christian marriage looks like. How are they going to be ready for marriage if they don’t have an accurate picture of it?

If you’re married, your marriage could be that example in the life of a single person. Reach out to the single people in your church. Invite them over for dinner with your family. Include them in the church community.

Single people like myself don’t have the intimacy and friendship that comes from a spouse, so it’s easy to feel lonely and isolated. However, being single doesn’t mean that you are doomed to feel lonely all the time. I’m going to let you in on a little secret: There is a way for single people to experience friendship and even intimacy with other people, without falling into sin. It’s called Christian community!

When single people have meaningful, healthy friendships with other believers, they are much less likely to seek out that intimacy in unhealthy relationships or sexual sin. Married believers: be intentional about welcoming single Christians into the church community and into your family. Single believers: seek after community, get connected with a church, and maximize your singleness!

It may not feel like it, but the time that you have as a single person is precious. It’s a gift. It’s an awesome opportunity! One day, if God calls you to marriage, your life will no longer have the freedom and simplicity that it has now. The precious time that you have right now – you will never have it back again. Will you have used it for God’s glory, or wasted it on selfish desires?

Don’t wait until marriage to start serving God. Serve God now. Serve God as a single person. The two greatest commandments are “Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you’re not sure how to serve God, start with these commandments.

One thing that the Lord has called me to do is volunteer with an organization called the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). We work with refugees in the Albany area. These are folks who had to flee from their countries because of war or persecution. Many of them are from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, or the Congo. Some of them are Muslims. Many of them are Christians who suffered horrible persecution in their home countries. USCRI works with refugees who came through the legal immigration system and were given legal status by the U.S. government to start a new life in the U.S., and they came to settle in the Albany area. These refugees face many challenges and USCRI helps them to learn English, find housing, find jobs, and navigate the culture, the transportation system, and the healthcare system. My role is a patient navigator, meaning I provide transportation to take refugees to doctor’s appointments and I help them to understand and navigate the healthcare system. It’s hard enough for us as Americans to understand the healthcare system – now imagine if you just arrived in the country and you don’t speak English. The work I’m doing with USCRI has been extremely rewarding and I’ve seen the Lord use me to show the love of Christ to people who, as Jesus said in Matthew 25, are truly “whatever you did to the least of these, you did to me.”

But I definitely wouldn’t have the time to do this, if I had a wife and family. Of all the people who volunteer at the USCRI, the vast majority of them are single people. There is a reason for that!

To all the single people out there: Make use of this time while you have it! Don’t let it go to waste! Pray for God to give you opportunities, and to make known to you his unique calling for your life. There are many ways to love God and love others. For example:

You could serve in the church – with the video team, as an usher or greeter, in the children’s fellowship.
You could serve the homeless at a city mission or soup kitchen.
You could build houses with Habitat for Humanity.
You could go on a missions trip and preach the gospel around the world or around the country.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “I just graduated college, I’m working over 40 hours a week at an entry level job making almost no money, plus I have tons of college debt, and you’re talking to me about volunteering? Ain’t nobody got time for that!”

You may not think you have time. But you do have time. If you don’t think you have time now, wait until you’re married! Then wait until you have kids!

God often puts an act of service on our hearts, but we ignore it because we “don’t have time”. We feel busy and stressed constantly, but what are we actually doing? If we take an honest look at our lives, we might find that we spend a large percentage of our time pursuing entertainment and the things of this world. Rather than just assuming we “don’t have time” to serve God and love other people, maybe we need to re-evaluate how we spend our time. The Bible talks about “redeeming the time, for the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). How could we re-arrange our lives to prioritize more time for serving God? This is an exercise all believers should do. But single Christians – being unencumbered by the responsibilities of a spouse and family – have the greatest opportunity to free up time for God.

When it comes to serving God, get creative. Think outside the box. For example, the next time a hurricane hits Louisiana, you could literally take one week off work, drive down there, rebuild people’s houses, make a huge impact on the lives of hurting people, and then come back. We often shrug these ideas off as “unrealistic” and “impossible”. However, there are many Christian organizations that want to help you do exactly these kinds of things. One I recommend is Samaritan’s Purse – you can volunteer with them and they handle all of the organization. They do incredible work to help rebuild people’s lives after disasters. And they are a Christian organization and they are outspoken about doing the work “in Jesus name”!

Could a married person do these things? Absolutely! But it’s a lot more complicated, especially if kids are involved. The beauty of singleness is the simplicity of singleness. Singleness opens up an incredible opportunity for single-minded devotion to the Lord!

In his book Not Yet Married: The Pursuit of Joy in Singleness and Dating, Marshall Segal writes:

“Marriage murders spontaneity – not entirely, but massively. One of your greatest spiritual gifts as a single person is your ‘yes’. Yes to a random phone conversation. Yes to coffee. Yes to help with the move. Yes to stepping in when someone’s sick… You have the unbelievable freedom to say ‘yes’ when married people can’t even ask the question. When the spouse doesn’t exist yet, you cannot hurt him or her with the selfless, impulsive decisions you make to serve others. If you get married, you will not always have the same freedom. Be willing to say ‘yes’ and be a blessing to others.”

The devil is always whispering in the ear of the single person, saying: “You are a failure. You will never be happy and you will never have fulfilment in life until you get a spouse.” That is a lie.

True fulfilment in life doesn’t come from a spouse. It comes from serving God and loving others.Don’t wait for a spouse to start serving God. Serve God now!

If you’re not yet married, I believe this is the time in your life when you need to develop your relationship with God the most. Too many people go into marriage with a weak relationship with God, hoping their spouse’s faith will somehow compensate for that. The truth is, your relationship with God must be strong now while you are still single, or you won’t be ready for the challenges of marriage to begin with. Your spouse cannot be a replacement for your relationship with God.

We are tempted to think “Once I get married, I’ll feel fulfilled.” But our spouse cannot be perfect and will always fall short. So then the temptation is to look to children for fulfilment, and think “Once I have kids, then I’ll feel fulfilled.” But once you have kids, you’ll say, “Okay, once the kids are grown and I don’t have to deal with them anymore, then I can finally relax and feel fulfilled!” We keep kicking the can down the road, looking for something in the future to bring us fulfillment. But we don’t need to do that. Fulfillment in life is available right now and it’s found only in Jesus Christ.

Throughout scripture we see story after story of individuals who found God satisfied them more than anything this world has to offer could possibly satisfy them! As Blaise Pascal once said, every person has a God-shaped hole inside of themselves, which only God can fill. As Augustine once said, we are restless until we find out rest in God.

Looking unto God with simple, single-minded devotion, the anthem of every believer should be: “All I want to do is serve God!”

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March 31, 2019

Simple Living is Great Gain

One of the most overlooked teachings in the New Testament is Christ’s command in Matthew 6:19, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth” and his warning in Luke 12:15, “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”

The Old Testament also contains many warnings to the rich, such as “Turn my heart to your decrees, not to selfish gain” (Psalm 119:36) and “Those who trust in their riches will wither” (Proverbs 11:28).

Throughout scripture, we see a repeated call for God’s people to live simply, not worry about material possessions, and “seek first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33) understanding that “all that is in the world – the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches – comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:16). The writer of Hebrews offers this sober warning accompanied by an encouraging promise:

Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.'”

Many believers today turn a blind eye to this command, buying into the cultural pressures of materialism and consumerism instead of following the counter-cultural example of Jesus.

In total contrast to “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth”, many believers today are inundated with an overwhelming clutter of possessions and are still seeking after more!

Many like the idea of simple living, but the actual practice of it seems almost impossible.

Many would like to be more charitable and use their resources in ways that help the needy, but fears about the future and an unbiblical view of money as security hinder them from putting charity into practice.

The root of these problems is an incorrect view of simple living – a view of simplicity shaped more by culture than by the Bible. Even among believers, the idea of simple living is often viewed as loss, poverty, asceticism, or laziness. However, scripture presents a totally different view of simplicity: one of great gain, great opportunity, great joy, and hard work!

“Simplicity” is defined as “the quality of being plain, natural, and easy to understand”, “freedom from complexity, intricacy, or division into parts”, and “absence of luxury, pretentiousness, ornament, etc.”

This is in contrast to “duplicity”, an antonym of simplicity defined as “Deceitfulness in speech or conduct, as by speaking or acting in two different ways to different people concerning the same matter; double-dealing.”

The heart of simplicity is single-minded devotion to God. Scripture presents a stark contrast between single-minded devotion to God, and divided loyalty between God and money. The former brings peace and joy, but the latter causes anxiety and instability.

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for a slave will hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

James 1:8 “Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.”

One of the biggest TV shows of 2019 is the Netflix original series Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, in which Marie Kondo – the Japanese organizing consultant and creator of the so-called “KonMari method” of household organization – helps overly cluttered families clean up their homes. Since its launch on January 1, 2019, the show has become an instant cultural phenomenon and origin of countless memes bearing the words “Does it spark joy?”

While tidying up your house can definitely help with simple living, the biblical concept of “simplicity” goes far deeper. From a biblical perspective, “simplicity” isn’t just about the outward appearance of things – e.g. how clean your house is. Rather, simplicity is an inward reality of single-minded devotion to God, which then manifests itself outwardly in the way we live, how we handle finances, our attitude toward material possessions, and how we structure our lives.

Simplicity is a state of mind and a heart condition. Trying to enforce “simple living” without first changing our hearts, is legalism.

Simplicity starts with finding our purpose, joy, and peace in God alone.

The reason we don’t live simply is because our hearts are not right. We are double-minded in our devotion. We want to serve both God, but we also want to serve wealth. This is duplicity, not simplicity.

Paul addresses simplicity most directly in his letter to the young disciple Timothy:

1 Timothy 6:6-10 “Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.”

One of the biggest barriers to simplicity is fear. We lack faith in God’s provision, so we look to wealth for security. Wealth promises to keep us safe through the storms of life, but it doesn’t deliver. The more our wealth increases, the more we become afraid of losing it. Wealth and possessions demand our time and attention and we must constantly focus on how to maintain them. We focus less on God and we feel more anxiety. This causes us to seek more wealth for security, and the cycle continues. As the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) once said, “Riches and abundance come hypocritically clad in sheep’s clothing pretending to be security against anxieties, but then they become the object of anxiety… they secure a man against anxieties just about as well as the wolf, which is put to tending the sheep, secures them against the wolf!”

Another barrier to simplicity is lust. We lose our joy in what God has given us when we see other things that promise to be “better” if only we can get our hands on them. This lust for material things is often fueled by jealousy of other people who have “more” or “better” things than we do.

Like fear, lust promises a lot but doesn’t deliver. It promises us joy if only we can get that one thing we really want. But as soon as we get it, our pleasure with it quickly fades and we lust after something else. Lust enslaves us into the bondage of seeking ever greater possessions without ever arriving at any lasting satisfaction. Simplicity liberates us from bondage to desire, setting us free to experience joy no matter life’s circumstances.

Because the topic of simple living is so rarely discussed in modern Christian culture, many believers don’t even realize that their attitude toward possessions is more influenced by fear and lust than by faith in God and seeking his kingdom.

Our attitude toward simple living can easily be shaped more by culture than scripture. Here are five common misconceptions about simple living, contrasted with biblical truths:

• Culture says that simple living is loss. Scripture says that simple living is “great gain”. Simplicity liberates us from the bondage of greed – what we gain from that is far greater than what we lose.

• Culture says that simple living is poverty. Scripture assures us that God will meet our physical needs – we can trust him instead of trusting in wealth for security. Simplicity deepens our appreciation for God’s provision.

• Culture says that simple living is asceticism (denial of pleasure). Scripture says that God desires to bless us, to “provide all things for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17). Simplicity empowers us to take greater pleasure in whatever gifts God provides, instead of lusting after what we don’t have.

• Culture says that simple living is laziness. Scripture commands us to work hard, but the goal of our work is representing God’s kingdom through compassion for the needy (Ephesians 4:28), not the accumulation of possessions.

• Culture says that simple living is miserable. Scripture describes simple living as joyful – a gift that makes us more available to be used by God.

Simplicity starts by shifting our mindset away from culture and toward scripture. We must repent of incorrect attitudes toward simple living. If we view it as a difficult sacrifice, we will fail. If we view it as an opportunity, we will succeed.

Simplicity is an opportunity to be used by God more fully by removing earthly encumbrances that distract us from his will. The world views simple living as poverty, but actually, simplicity doesn’t destroy our resources – it merely frees up our resources and time for kingdom work.

When we live simply, we find we have more resources and more time available for ministry!

We experience new opportunities to be used by God when we make our time and our resources available to God.

It may seem counter-intuitive, but living with less actually empowers us to live with much more. When we surrender our possessions for godly and charitable purposes, we experience a new kind of abundance. We become “rich in good works” (1 Timothy 6:18)! We experience a wealth of joy, purpose, and fulfillment in life that no material thing could ever provide. This is what Jesus called “treasure in heaven” (Matthew 19:21). By living with less, we become richer, not poorer. Simplicity is not loss – it is truly great gain!

1 Timothy 6:17-18 “Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always ready to share with others.”

Matthew 19:21 “Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’”

1 John 3:17 NLT “If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion – how can God’s love be in that person?”

The early church practiced simplicity by selling possessions and giving the proceeds to those in need:

Acts 2:44-45 “All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need”

Most of us have an abundance of possessions that we could give away to benefit those in need. Most of us also make more income than we need for survival (Paul wrote “if we have food and clothing we should be content”). What if we intentionally allocated excess income for kingdom work?

Most Christians say they would like to be more charitable, but they don’t feel like they have the means to do so. However, most of us really do have the means, but when we don’t live simply, we make the resources God entrusted us with unavailable for his work.

Here are 8 tips for living simply:

1. Buy things for usefulness, not status. Living simply doesn’t mean you never buy anything. It means you buy what you need, for the vocation God has called you to. If God calls you to study and write, buy a computer. But buy one that will do the job, not one that’s far more expensive than you need, so you can impress your friends. If God calls you to travel the country, buy a car. But buy one that is decent enough to take you where you need to go, not one that will make you look rich or high-status. There is nothing wrong with buying something that you put to good use… but what is your motivation for buying it?

2. Give stuff away. If you are still holding onto something that’s not being used, you are depriving yourself of the joy of putting it to good use in the life of another! It can sometimes be hard to figure out who to give things to, so they can be put to good use. But if we’re intentional about it, and we actively look for opportunities like that every day, and we pray about it, God will give us those opportunities. Pay attention to what God is doing in the lives of believers around you. Chances are God is calling them to do something that requires material things they don’t have, that you might already have. For example, you could give an old laptop to a college student in your church who needs one. Or if you have a musical instrument that you gave up learning, you could give it to a person in the church who has a heart for worship. These are opportunities for incredible joy and bonding between believers but we miss them because we aren’t looking for them!

3. Resist propaganda. Our economy runs on people throwing away perfectly good products and buying supposedly “better” ones. But newer is not always better! Older products often work fine and don’t actually need to be replaced, despite what society tells us. Are you upgrading your phone because you actually need the new features, or is it because you’re afraid people think you look stupid for still using an iPhone 5? There is nothing wrong with old technology. There is also nothing wrong with new technology. The question is: What is your motivation?

4. Experience the joy of not owning things. Thanks to the internet and the sharing economy, it is easier than ever to legally use things without owning them. Some things are more cost-effective to own. However, many things that you only use once in awhile can now be rented or borrowed without the necessity of owning them. This should be especially true for Christians because we are supposed to live in community. If you need a particular thing for a particular task, chances are there is someone in the church who can let you borrow it. Furthermore, we can make our own possessions available for others to borrow.

5. Stop participating in systems of oppression. Many products are made by workers who are paid poverty wages so others can take all of the profits from their labor. This is an evil system of oppression, but the only reason it continues is because consumers keep giving money to it with their purchases. By living simply and buying fair trade and locally sourced products, we can stop enabling systems of oppression.

6. Give to ministry and charity. In 2 Corinthians 9:7, the Apostle Paul wrote “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” Every time I bring up the topic of giving to the church, someone will always jump in and say “Hold up! Tithing is Old Testament! We’re not under the Law of Moses anymore! We don’t need to tithe!” They may think they are making an intelligent, biblically sound argument. But what they are saying really says more about their heart condition, than about their knowledge of scripture. While it’s absolutely true that we are not under the Law of Moses and we don’t “need” to tithe, that kind of misses the whole point of what giving to the church is about. Giving isn’t about need. It’s about opportunity. That’s the whole point of what Paul is saying in 2 Corinthians 9:7. We don’t give out of pressure or necessity. Instead, we are supposed to give out of willingness and with a cheerful attitude. If you don’t have that kind of attitude about giving to your church, pray for the Lord to change your heart. I can tell you from experience that giving to ministry and charity is one of the most rewarding things we can do in life. The joy that you experience when you see the fruit of what your gift helped make possible is one of the greatest feelings you will experience in this lifetime. If you don’t give, you are the one losing out because you are depriving yourself of an opportunity to be used by God. For me personally, I give 10% of all my income to the church because that’s what the Lord has told me to do. On top of that, I give additional money to charity. For you, the amount you give might be different. The point isn’t how much we give, but the heart with which we give. Most Christians really do want to give, but feel like they don’t have enough. That is a lie! We all have enough to give – the widow in Mark 12 only gave 2 pennies, and she gave more than anyone else. The reason we don’t give is usually because of fear. We don’t actually trust God to provide for our needs. We don’t actually trust God to use the finances better than we could. So we don’t give. But I can tell you from my own experience – and from the experience of many believers I know – that when we break through this fear and give what God is calling us to give, God has a way of providing. For example, the pastor of a church I served in for 4 years once told a story about his father. His father currently owns a very successful manufacturing company, but earlier in life he was on the brink of bankruptcy and financial ruin. At church that Sunday, he felt like he should give 10% of his last paycheck, but the devil whispered in his ear and said “you can’t afford to give that much!” He chose to resist the devil and give anyway, even though it made no sense financially. The very next day, God miraculously provided him with the first machine that he used to start the manufacturing company he has now. Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy. Resist the devil, and he will flee (James 4:7). Surrender and trust God.

7. Be intentional about allocating your resources for kingdom work. Budget NOW for radical acts of generosity so you have the ability to do them when God blesses you with the opportunities. Rather than just giving to ministry and charity when you happen to have extra money available, prayerfully consider allocating a percentage of your income for these purposes. As Christians, generosity should be a priority in our lives, not an afterthought we get around to if we feel like it or if we happen to have money left over after we spend it all on ourselves. Making it a priority requires intentionality. Put it in the budget! Prayerfully consider allocating a percentage of your income specifically for personal acts of generosity – directly meeting the needs of real people in your life. For me personally, these have been some of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences of my life. I have been able to fund missions trips, help pay people’s medical bills, and buy laptops for believers who desperately needed them for school or for missions work. I make less money than the average American, but I had the ability to do this because I made it a priority ahead of time! Stuff like this is what makes me want to go to work in the morning. I can’t wait to see the impact that my finances will have on someone else’s life. In my opinion, a great place to start is allocating 5% or 10% of your income specifically for the purpose of blessing people around you who have serious needs. When those opportunities come up, you will have the ability to instantly meet those needs and be a huge blessing to that person – because you already budgeted for it! It won’t be a huge financial burden for you! Rather, it will be something you’re already prepared for. You can even go further with this, if you choose to. For example, in his book Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream, David Platt suggests capping your income. Determine how much money you need to live comfortably, then give away everything you make beyond that amount.

8. Start immediately. There is a temptation to put off simplicity until we reach a more secure stage of life, when we feel like we can safely “afford” to give away possessions, be more generous, and live with less. For example, young unmarried people working entry-level jobs and burdened with student debt naturally want to hold onto whatever wealth they have. The temptation is “once I get older and I’m at a more stable place in life with a higher paying job and less debt, then I can focus on simplicity.” The problem is life only gets more complicated as we get older! Marriage, children, home ownership, and the inevitable accumulation of possessions all present challenges for simplicity. Paul makes this point in 1 Corinthians 7:32-34, “An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. His interests are divided.” Simplicity will not be easier when you are older. Start now!

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March 13, 2019

The Kingdom of God

Matthew 6:31-33 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

What is the kingdom of God? Jesus talked about the kingdom of God more than anything else. Surprisingly, he never specifically defined it.

His mostly Jewish audience would have understood the kingdom of God from the Old Testament. Unfortunately, many Christians today do not understand the kingdom of God even though it is the central theme of Christ’s teaching. If we are to seek it first, we must understand what it is, using scripture as our guide.

The Importance of the Kingdom

Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

From the day he began his ministry until he ascended into heaven, Jesus preached this message everywhere: “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” Jesus highly valued the kingdom of God and compared it to a treasure in a field or a pearl of great value that a person would sacrifice everything to obtain (Matthew 13).

Christ’s view of the kingdom of God was deeply eschatological in nature. In places like Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13, Jesus went into detail about the end of the present age and the beginning of a new, messianic age in which the messiah (meaning “anointed king”) would overthrow the governments of the world and rule as the king over the entire world forever. Almost all of Christ’s parables deal directly with this vision a final judgement that is coming soon to the earth (see Matthew 25:1-13, Matthew 22:1-14, Matthew 25:14-30, Matthew 20:1-16).

The Prophets Envisioned the Kingdom

Daniel 7:13-14 “I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.”

Identifying himself as the messiah whom Daniel had prophesied about, Jesus took upon himself the title “Son of Man.” In a verse often quoted at Christmas, Isaiah also prophesied about the messiah receiving a kingdom and power:

Isaiah 9:6 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders”

The prophets foresaw a coming messianic age in which the messiah would rule over the whole world and establish peace on the earth.

Isaiah 2:4 “And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war”

Isaiah 60:18 Violence will not be heard again in your land, nor devastation or destruction within your borders; but you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise.

In this messianic age, there will even be peace in the animal kingdom.

Isaiah 11:6 “And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them”

Knowledge of God will fill the earth.

Jeremiah 31:34 “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

Rather than the sun, God himself will be the light of the world.

Isaiah 60:19 “No longer will you have the sun for light by day, nor for brightness will the moon give you light; but you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, and your God for your glory.

Everything Wrong Made Right

Revelation 21:3-4 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.'”

Revelation 22:1-5 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.

We see all of the Old Testament prophesies about the kingdom of God beautifully fulfilled in Revelation 21-22, which is a vision of the age to come when the messiah rules the world. Comparing Revelation 21-22 (the very end of the Bible) to Genesis 1-2 (the very beginning of the Bible), the parallels are amazing. What God originally intended the beginning is what he gets in the end!

In the beginning, God created the earth “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Prior to sin, there was no death, disease, crying, or pain. God dwelled on the earth with man, walking and talking with man in the garden (Genesis 3:8). It was only after they sinned that Adam and Eve hid from God and felt ashamed. Sin caused a separation between God and man. Because of sin, the earth was cursed (Genesis 3:18). This curse affected the whole world and brought about thorns and thistles infesting the ground, disease infecting the world, and unrest in the animal kingdom.

But there’s good news: God has not given up on the earth! He is a God of restoration who has a plan to make what is wrong right. We see in Revelation 21-22 that in the end, God will get what he wanted in the beginning. Sin will be no more, and man’s relationship with God will be fully restored. God will once again dwell on the earth with man – “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them” (Revelation 21:3b).

The tree of life will be restored (Revelation 22:2) and “there will no longer be any curse” (Revelation 22:3a). In fact, there will be “there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4b).

The kingdom of God can be summed up in this one simple sentence: Everything wrong with the world made right!

God’s Covenants with Abraham and Isaac

Genesis 12:1-3 “Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

The story of the kingdom of God begins with Abraham. God called Abraham (originally named Abram) to leave the land in which he was living and travel to the land of Canaan, which God promised to give to Abraham and his descendants forever. From Abraham would come a kingdom that would last forever.

Genesis 13:14-15 “The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, ‘Raise your eyes now, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.'”

God later extended the territory to include all the land of Cannan.

Genesis 17:8 “And I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are now an alien, all the land of Canaan, for a perpetual holding; and I will be their God.”

God’s covenant with Abraham was renewed with Isaac, the son whom God had promised to miraculously give to Abraham in his old age.

Genesis 26:2-5 “The LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.”

God’s Covenant With Moses

Isaac’s son Jacob (later renamed Israel) became the father of twelve sons from whom came the twelve tribes of Israel and the “Israelites”. But there were some bumps in the road. The rest of Genesis explains how the Israelites ended up in Egypt rather than Canaan, the land that had been promised to them. In the next book, Exodus, God calls Moses to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and lead them to the promised land.

God made a covenant with Moses. If the Israelites kept the commandments, they would possess the land forever and be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation:

Exodus 19:5-6a “Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

God’s Covenant With David

The Israelites entered the land and took possession of it. Their first king, Saul, eventually turned away from God. But their next king, David, was “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). God made a covenant with King David in which he promised that one of David’s descendants would reign as the king over the whole world for all eternity!

2 Samuel 7:12-13 “I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”

In Jeremiah 33, God tied this promise to the sun and the moon – as long as the sun and moon continue to rise, this promise can never be broken.

Jeremiah 33:25-26 “Thus says the LORD, ‘If My covenant for day and night stand not, and the fixed patterns of heaven and earth I have not established, then I would reject the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, not taking from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.’”

Bumps in the Road

The Israelites eagerly awaited the promised king who would rule forever. But once again, there were bumps in the road. Israel became divided into a northern kingdom (Israel) and a southern kingdom (Judah). Then, the divided Israel faced serious threats from foreign nations.

First, the Assyrians invaded and conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, which accounted for ten out of the twelve tribes. Then, the Babylonians invaded Judah and took the remaining two tribes into exile in Babylon. At this point, the Temple lay in ruins and the Israelites no longer possessed any of the land.

But God was faithful. In a verse frequently quoted out of context, God promised that the Babylonian captivity would only last for 70 years, and after that, the Israelites would return to the land:

Jeremiah 29:10-11 “For thus says the LORD, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’”

Sure enough, the Persians conquered Babylon and allowed the Israelites to return to the land of Canaan. But it was a still a rocky road. Under Alexander the Great, the Greek Empire conquered Israel and occupied the land. Under the leadership of Judas Maccabeus, Israel was briefly re-established during the Maccabean Revolt, which is commemorated every year in the celebration of Hanukah. But it didn’t last, and the land eventually fell to the Roman Empire.

The Messiah They Didn’t Expect

At the time of Christ, the land of Israel was under military occupation by the Romans. The Romans were polytheists with no respect for the one true God. Roman soldiers could force Jews into slavery by making them to carry gear for up to one mile.

It is in this historical context – a context of oppression and despair – that the Christmas story takes place. The Jews eagerly awaited the fulfillment of God’s promise to David – the soon coming king who would overthrow the Roman Empire and rule the world forever. This is why Matthew and Luke both open their gospels with long genealogies. They may seem boring to us, but they are actually incredibly exciting because they prove that Jesus is both a descendant of Abraham and a descendant of David, and therefore eligible to fulfill the prophecies.

Jesus identified himself as the Son of Man whom Daniel had prophesied about, but his approach to establishing the kingdom of God was totally opposite of what most people expected. The Jewish zealots were expecting a military leader like Judas Maccabeus who would liberate Israel by military force. Jesus, on the other hand, taught nonviolence: “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Rather than fighting the Roman soldier who could force you to carry his gear for a mile, Jesus said to carry it for two miles (Matthew 5:41) and if a soldier slaps you on the cheek, “turn the other to him also!” (Matthew 5:39).

The Jews expected the kingdom to be established by military force, but Jesus said: “do not resist an evil person” (Matthew 5:39) and “all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52).

Most shockingly of all, Jesus was crucified. To the Jews of that day, it seemed totally unimaginable that the promised king who was supposed to rule the world forever would be executed on a stake. But this had all been prophesied (e.g. Isaiah 53) and was part of God’s plan. Understandably, it was a hard truth to accept. Thus, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:23, “we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews”.

Sin had to be atoned for so that all people – including non-Jews – could enter the covenant promises that God made to Abraham, Moses, and David. Paul declares in Romans 9-11 that, like wild branches grafted onto an olive tree, we too are now counted as descendants of Abraham through our faith in Jesus Christ. This means that all of the promises God made about the kingdom now apply to us! The kingdom promises are received not through ancestry or ritual (e.g. circumcision) but through faith and love.

Galatians 5:6 ESV “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.”

The Kingdom Lifestyle

Luke 6:20-26 “And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.“

The ethics of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7, see also Luke 6) make absolutely no sense, unless you view them in light of the kingdom of God as a soon coming reality.

For Jesus, it was okay to suffer injustice in this present age because he foresaw a soon coming kingdom in which everything about the present world would be flipped upside down. “The last shall be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:16).

In the present world, it is the rich, the powerful, the popular, and the happy who everyone considers blessed. But in the coming kingdom, the poor, the lowly, the despised, the weeping and mourning, the humble, those hungering and thirsting for justice – these are the ones who are blessed (Matthew 5, Luke 6)!

Jesus began his public teaching with the radical words: “Blessed are the poor… blessed are those who weep… blessed are you when men hate you” (Luke 6:21-22). He foresaw a coming kingdom in which the poor, hungry, and persecuted would receive blessing, but the rich would be “sent away empty” (Luke 1:53).

The ethics of Jesus are directly tied to this vision of the kingdom of God. He will judge his followers on whether they helped the poor and needy: “to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me” (see Matthew 25:31-46).

For Jesus, the kingdom of God flips the world upside down.

Mark 9:35b “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all”

Mark 10:44 “Whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all”

Count the Cost: The Good News of a Challenging Gospel

The kingdom of God is everything wrong with the world made right. It is good news, but it is also incredibly challenging. It’s good news because there will be no more death, pain, sin, or evil when the kingdom comes. It’s challenging because seeking the kingdom means denying one’s self, taking up one’s cross, and following Christ. This is not a decision to be taken lightly. Jesus warned us to count the cost before we even begin to follow him.

Luke 14:27-33 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.”

There are many false gospels in the world. We must always stay focused on the true gospel that Jesus preached: “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Jesus was not introducing a new idea when he preached the gospel. Actually, he preached the same gospel that the Old Testament prophets preached when they foretold of an everlasting Kingdom that will be established on the earth with justice, peace, and righteousness forever.

In a world filled with war and terrorism, we have the hope that a king is coming who will establish peace on the earth forever (Isaiah 2:4). In a world filled with death and sorrow, we have the hope that a king is coming who will throw death into the lake of fire and destroy death and sorrow forever (Revelation 20). We share this message with others through words that tell them about the kingdom of God, and through actions that show people what the kingdom will be like by meeting real needs in the world with the love of Christ. “Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action” (1 John 3:18b).

As ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20) and citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20) we represent the kingdom to the world by being peacemakers and demonstrating the radically sacrificial love that Jesus demonstrated – we love enemies, turn the other cheek, and forgive the unforgivable (Matthew 5-7). This kind of lifestyle is considered radical in the present day world, but it will be commonplace when the kingdom of God comes. By living it out, we represent the kingdom on the earth until it is fully established in the future and all evil is eliminated.

The kingdom message is both good news, and a serious challenge. It is good news because it promises everything wrong with the world will be made right. It is challenging because it demands repentance and obedience to Christ. In the same way that Jesus warned people to repent before the kingdom comes (Matthew 4:17), we should also preach repentance, “speaking the truth in love” (Epehsians 4:15).

The kingdom message is the gospel. The word “gospel” means “good news”. The gospel message is the message that the kingdom of God is coming, that Jesus – the king of the kingdom – is coming back to rule the world. It’s the hope that anchors our souls (Hebrews 6:19) so we can endure the challenges of this present evil age and shine as lights in a dark world (Philippians 2:15).

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December 29, 2016

Inner Peace: Where Does it Come From?

Philosopher, scientist, and Christian apologist Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) observed that “all of man’s miseries come from him not being able to sit still in a quiet room alone.”

Give a dog a bone to chew on and a warm fireplace to curl up beside, and it’ll be perfectly content. Give a cat a scratching post and a sunny windowsill, and it’ll be perfectly at peace. But give a man everything he could ever want, and he will eventually grow restless.

Unlike animals, humans desire meaning and purpose in life. We realize that we will soon die, and we long for our lives to somehow have lasting value. We have countless physical, mental, and emotional needs that need to be met. We want to leave a lasting legacy and have peace knowing that we somehow actually mattered in the grand scheme of the universe.

The World’s Way

The world constantly takes advantage of our restlessness. Every day, hundreds of advertisements tell us that if we only bought this product, if we only took this class, if we only made more money, if we only looked more attractive, etc., then we would find peace and fulfillment in life.

Too many people buy into this consumerism, spending their whole lives pursuing money and material possessions. Many people work multiple jobs in an effort to make more money, even if it means sacrificing quality time with their spouse or children. Exhausted, stressed out, and burdened down with many possessions, their health deteriorates. Finally, having achieved the “American dream,” they retire, thinking, “finally, I will have some peace in these last few years of my life.” But, never having invested in anything of lasting value, never having spent enough time with their children, and not knowing what to do with all the money they made, they only find emptiness.

This is not a new phenomenon. In the Book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon tried it all (there is nothing new under the sun!). Searching for meaning and fulfillment in life, he pursued every pleasure, amassing great wealth for himself, building huge gardens and parks, and marrying 700 wives. To this day, the Pools of Solomon – an impressive collection of ancient swimming pools believed to have been built by the king himself – stand three miles southwest of Bethlehem. Solomon had it all – wealth, women, and political power. But nothing ultimately satisfied his desire for meaning in life. He was “chasing after the wind.” In the end, his inevitable conclusion was: “Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!”

The Dalai Lama put it this way: “Man sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices his money to recuperate his health. He is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present. He lives as if he is never going to die, and then he dies, having never really lived!”

The world’s way is a lie. The things of this world never ultimately satisfy. That’s why many of the world’s wealthiest individuals are also the most depressed.

It Is Well With My Soul

Horatio Spafford (1828-1888) was a devout Christian and father of five. In 1870, his only son died of pneumonia at the age of four. In 1871, he lost all of his investments in real estate when the Great Chicago Fire decimated the city.

Crushed by financial hardship, he planned to take his whole family to England to visit Christian evangelist D.L. Moody. But delayed by a business meeting, he had to send his wife and four daughters ahead of him. He received a telegram informing him that their ship had collided with another vessel in the middle of the Atlantic, killing 226 passengers including all four of his daughters.

Travelling to England alone, he asked for the ship to stop momentarily over the very spot where his daughters had drowned. At that moment, he wrote down these words

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll,

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control:

That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

In the midst of such incredible tragedy, how could Spafford say, “It is well with my soul?” Compared to the world’s way, Spafford had a radically different, countercultural mindset. He had taken up the yoke of Christ and surrendered everything into God’s hands.

My Yoke is Easy

In contrast to the world’s way, Jesus tells us to lay down the burdens of this world and take up his yoke. He says in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

The world laughs at this. The world asks, “How could the yoke of Jesus be easy when Christianity is filled with so many rules?” Many people walk away from Jesus for this very reason. “I don’t want to be a Christian,” they say, “because if I were a Christian, I couldn’t have sex outside of marriage, I couldn’t look at pornography, I couldn’t get drunk, I couldn’t do this, that, and the other thing.”

But none of these things ultimately satisfy! In fact, in the long run these things only add to our feelings of emptiness, meaninglessness, and worthlessness.

Being yoked to the world is like being attached to an ox that is pulling you backwards in the wrong direction. Although you can see inner peace and contentment on the horizon, you can never quite get there no matter how hard you struggle, because the ox next you is constantly pulling you back.

In contrast, being yoked to Christ is like being attached to a strong ox that keeps you moving in the right direction even when you are too weak to carry on. His yoke is easy!

The God-Shaped Hole

C.S. Lewis wrote that every man has within him a “God-shaped hole.” We try to fill it with so many other things, but only God can fill that void.

Once we believe that “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28) we can finally have inner peace because we learn to rest in the sovereign God of the universe. We can have peace in the good times, and we can have peace in the bad times, because we know that in both good times and bad times God is working to bring about his purposes.

Our own desires, plans, and purposes have little lasting meaning in the grand scheme of the universe, but HIS purposes have eternal value. HIS purposes are far better than anything we could ever ask for or even imagine (Ephesians 3:20), and HE is working out HIS purposes through us! When we surrender everything to HIM, we finally have peace inside, knowing that everything is in God’s hands, and God will ultimately work everything out for good.

In the words of Augustine, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.”

True inner peace can only be found in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

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November 18, 2014

Rethinking Church: Division vs. Unity

People, Not Buildings

In John 17, Jesus prayed that his church would be one in the same way that he and the Father are one. So why is there more competition between Christian denominations than there is in the Superbowl playoffs?

I believe the problem is a failure to understand what church is, stemming from an emphasis on buildings, institutions, and doctrines rather than people. Many people believe church buildings are special, holy places, and whenever they walk into a church building they immediately feel closer to God. Some people even think that they can only communicate with God inside of a particular building. And yet the same God who feels so present to us in church on Sunday morning is equally present with us on Monday morning. The same God who feels so present in a cathedral is equally present in a landfill. He never leaves us or forsakes us, but we so easily take our focus off of him.

For many, church is only a building. If they don’t like one, they can go to another. Church becomes a fad, even a form of entertainment. They can “shop” for various churches without ever becoming committed or building relationships with any specific group of believers. This church-shopping mentality fuels competition between congregations rather than uniting them in the common purpose of Christ.

In the Bible, the word “church” is translated from the Greek word ekklēsia (Strong’s 1577), literally “called out” as in a community of people called by God. In the Bible, church is not a building, but a group of people who make up the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:15-16; 1 Corinthians 12) by doing the work of Christ in the world.

The people are the church, not the building. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, church is not a place you go to once a week, but a commitment to follow Christ that you live out each and every day. You are the church!

One Body

There are many manmade “denominations” in the world, but there is only one body of Christ. Every individual who follows Jesus as Lord is a member of the body of Christ, regardless of their denomination, location, age, race, gender, nationality, language, or culture. Jesus is building up a Kingdom of people from “every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9). He is doing away with all ethnic, linguistic, and cultural barriers by uniting his followers into one body. And yet we still allow the smallest things to divide us.

I can only imagine how much it grieves the Lord Jesus Christ when petty arguments over theology cause division in his church, and when minor disagreements cause believers to cut off relationships with one another, and even hate one another.

Part of Paul’s message in 1 Corinthians 12 is that every member of the body is important. He writes, “The eye can never say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you.’ The head can’t say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you.’” Every member of the body is vitally important. And yet, the global body of Christ currently lies fractured in a million pieces over theological quibbles.

With ten fingers, I can accomplish a difficult task.

If I’m missing even one finger, I will struggle.

If I’m missing several fingers, it may be almost impossible.

Just as I need all ten fingers in order to work most effectively, so the body of Christ needs all of its members in order to carry out the work of Christ most effectively. It is vitally important for all members of the body to work together in unity. And when Paul talks about unity in the body, he isn’t just talking about unity among individual believers, but also, in a broader sense, unity between different church congregations. Even the first century believers had differences and disagreements over theology. And yet, they recognized that the core gospel message they held in common was far more important than any minor difference in theory or practice.

Iron Sharpens Iron

Certainly, correct doctrine is important, and we should openly discuss biblical and theological matters in a spirit of good fellowship, “as iron sharpens iron.” And yet, how many denominations have split over the most trivial issues? Doctrinal disagreements divide the body of Christ, often inhibiting or even destroying the work of Christ in the process. Our focus should be on the core truths we hold in common, not the less important issues we might disagree about.

I once heard a true story about a group of Christian missionaries who traveled to a third world country together on a missions trip. They came from very different denominations, and during the plane ride they got into a major theological argument. This argument was so bad that they felt certain they would not be able to work together once the plane landed.

But when the plane landed, they discovered the situation on the ground was much worse than they had anticipated. There had been a major flood and many people had lost their homes. The missionaries immediately jumped in and began working together to help build shelter for the homeless, provide food for the hungry, and get medical attention for the injured.

As soon as they got busy doing the work of Christ, their theological differences no longer seemed to matter.

We cannot allow our faith to be merely theoretical, based on only on endless study and debate of theological ideas, but with no accompanying action. It took a catastrophe of epic proportions to wake these missionaries up to the reality that in a world with billions of people in desperate need, action is what really matters.

They got busy doing the work that Jesus will one day judge us on when he returns to divide the sheep (those obedient to doing the work of Christ) from the goats (those disobedient to Christ).

Matthew 25:37-40: “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’”

We have the luxury of spending a lot of time in theological discussions. Most Christians in the world do not have this luxury. We have the luxury of spending a lot of time studying the Word of God, which is a good thing, but we too easily forget that many Christians around the world still lack access to the Bible, or do not know how to read.

Your average Christian lives in Africa or Asia. Many live in dire poverty and suffer persecution. While we have the luxury of “armchair theology,” Christians in many parts of the world must do “theology on the run.” They don’t have time to worry about minor theological issues when they are too busy ministering to those in desperate need.

Is it any surprise that most miracles happen in third world countries, and not in the West where we have become comfortable with “church as usual”? If we spent less time in endless theological debate and more time actively doing the work of Christ, what miracles would we see?

Surely there is great urgency in the times in which we live. The world is changing faster and faster, and new technology allows us to reach the ends of the earth in ways previously unimaginable. This is the moment in which the body of Christ will either make disciples of all nations, or fail because the body is not working together

Satan’s strategy to defeat the church is “divide and conquer.”

We cannot afford to let petty disagreements divide the Body. The church around the world must unite for the common purpose of continuing Christ’s work in the world. I pray we see the day when our different church congregations and denominations are actively working together, hand in hand, in a united effort to reach our communities and the world for Christ.

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November 7, 2014

Rethinking Church: Your vs. You’re

If you asked 100 random people on the street what they thought of when they heard the word “church,” what do you think they would say? Some people would have positive thoughts about church, others negative. A lot of people would probably think of buildings with steeples, crosses, and stained glass windows.

How many people would say, “When I hear the word church, I think of me”?

Though it may sound strange, this should be the correct answer for anyone who calls Jesus Lord.

When Jesus walked the earth, his hands healed the sick, and his feet carried the good news of the Kingdom of God everywhere he went. His mouth spoke God’s truth, and his heart felt compassion for the poor. He worked many miracles, casting out demons, restoring sight to the blind, and even raising the dead.

And yet, as a human being, Jesus could only be in one place at a time. While he ministered to the multitudes of people who gathered around him, countless other multitudes in other locations longed to see him but could not.

Today, Jesus Christ is much more present in the world than he was when he walked the earth. Today, Jesus Christ lives in the hearts of every believer through the Holy Spirit (Colossians 1:27). While previously he only had one pair of hands and one pair of feet, today he is working in the world through the lives of millions of believers who follow him as Lord.

Having ascended into heaven to take his place at the right hand of God, Jesus Christ is no longer physically present in the world. And yet, he is physically present in the world through us! Jesus calls his disciples to be his hands and feet in the world today, promising, “anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.” (John 14:12).

In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul describes the Body of Christ as being composed of many members, each with different functions, yet all vitally important. In Ephesians 1:22-23, Paul writes that God made Jesus Christ “head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.”

The Greek word translated “church” is ekklēsia (Strong’s 1577), meaning a community of people who have been called by God. Church is not a building, an institution, or an organization. Church is the body of Christ – a collection of individual believers in all parts of the world – gathering together in fellowship and community to follow Jesus Christ as Lord.

The first century church described in Acts 2 did not have elaborate church buildings – or any church buildings! They met in homes, gave up everything they had, and shared all things in common. They were totally sold out and committed to Jesus Christ and they were able to work incredible miracles.

Why is it that in the two thousand years that followed, the concept of “church” has become so mundane, religious, even boring?

Why are so many Christians gathering to worship God on Sundays but living only for themselves on Monday through Saturday?

Why are millions of dollars spent on enormous “megachurch” buildings, but on average less than 2% of church finances go toward foreign missions?

Why is much time and energy devoted to church “programs” while little time and energy is spent building relationships with people?

Why are some believers going hungry while others store up riches?

Why do we rarely see the kind of miracles that the early church experienced?

In the words of Casting Crowns:

If we are the Body,

Why aren’t His arms reaching?

Why aren’t His hands healing?

Why aren’t His words teaching?

And if we are the Body,

Why aren’t His feet going?

Why is His love not showing them there is a way?

I believe the answer to all of these questions lies in the fact that many Christians have an incorrect understanding of what church is.

Church is not a building we go to, or an activity we do once a week.

Church is who we are.

“Your vs. You’re”

How many times has someone asked you where your church is? How many times has someone asked you what church you’re a part of?

While these questions may sound identical, this seemingly insignificant difference in grammar reflects a huge difference in thinking.

For many Christians, church is something we possess – “I have a church.” And yet, if we are truly members of the body of Christ, church is not something we own but something we ourselves are a part of – something we are. If you’re a believer, it’s not your church. Rather, you are the church!

As Christians, we are called to be the church, not only on Sundays, but every day, and everywhere. The way we be the church is through radical obedience to the commands of Jesus Christ in all areas of life.

Being the body of Christ means total commitment to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). It means continuing the exact same work that Jesus did when he walked the earth. It means radical forgiveness, loving enemies, preaching the gospel, being a peacemaker, healing the sick, casting out demons, visiting those in prison, and caring for the poor.

If we’re not doing these things, what are we doing?

Although we typically think of Sunday worship when we think about what church is, in reality, the way we live our lives Sunday through Saturday defines what the church (the body of Christ) is. The world judges Christianity not on the quality of our Sunday worship experiences, but on the integrity with which individual Christians live their lives each and every day.

Sunday worship experiences are an awesome thing and an extremely important tool for preaching the gospel and edifying the believer. But our faith can’t stop there. It must be lived out.

Matthew 25:31-46 is very clear. When Jesus returns he won’t be judging us on whether we sat in a certain building at a certain time each week.

What ultimately matters is obedience to him in daily life.

Where we go to church is not nearly as important as whether or not we are the church.

Church is not a location. Church is a lifestyle.

Church is not four walls. Church is a billion people.

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November 1, 2014

The Command to Baptize

Baptism is more than just a tradition or ritual. It is part of the Great Commission, the last command that Jesus gave before ascending into heaven.

Matthew 28:18-20: Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

What is Baptism?

Baptism is a sacrament, meaning a physical manifestation of a spiritual truth. The other sacrament commanded in scripture is communion. Understanding communion is helpful for understanding how baptism works. Without faith, communion is nothing more than bread and wine. But with faith, communion becomes a profound reflection upon the sufferings of Jesus Christ. The spiritual truth that Jesus died on the cross for our sins really hits home when it is manifested in the physical realm through the bread and the wine which represent his physical body and blood. The physical nature of communion makes the spiritual truth come alive.

Similarly, baptism without faith is nothing more than a quick bath. But with faith, baptism is a profound experience of being born again. Just as Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again, so baptism symbolizes our own death, burial, and resurrection. The believer is submerged in water, symbolizing the death and burial of the old carnal self and its sinful nature. The believer is then raised out of the water, symbolizing new life in Christ.

Romans 6:4: For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

2 Corinthians 5:17: This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Baptism is a commitment. It is usually done when a person first becomes a believer and is willing to make a commitment to follow Jesus as Lord. Through baptism, the new believer is essentially saying, “I am making a commitment to follow Christ. I am confessing my faith in Jesus in the presence of witnesses. I am repenting of my sins by putting to death my old sinful nature, and being being raised up to newness of life in Christ.” Baptism should be performed in the presence of witnesses who can hold the new believer accountable to the faith.

Because baptism is a commitment, only an adult can make the decision to be baptized. So-called “infant baptism” does not count as real baptism because an infant is too young to understand the significance of baptism and make a true faith commitment. There are no examples of infant baptism in the Bible. Believers must make their own faith commitments, and no one else can make it for them. This is why baptism requires maturity and the presence of witnesses. Baptism should always involve immersion in water. Scripture says that Jesus “came up out of the water” (Matthew 3:16) when he was baptized, proving that he was fully immersed under water. So-called “sprinkling” is a dumbed-down version of baptism that is not biblical.

Where Did Baptism Come From?

John the Baptist is the first person in scripture to baptize. Under divine inspiration from God, John baptized people “for repentance” to prepare the coming of Christ. Although the significance of baptism as a symbol of Christ’s death and resurrection had not yet been revealed, baptism was still a powerful symbol of repentance – a public profession of the decision to put to death one’s sinful ways.

In John 3, John the Baptist is informed that someone else has begun baptizing, and is baptizing even more people than him! This new baptizer, who baptized more people than John, is Jesus of Nazareth.

John 4:2 clarifies that Jesus did not baptize believers personally, but sent his disciples out to baptize on his behalf. Nevertheless, baptism was clearly a major part of Christ’s ministry from its earliest days. When John the Baptist heard that Jesus was baptizing more disciples than he was, he replied, “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” (John 3:30).

Just before his ascension into heaven, Jesus sent his disciples out with the Great Commission, commanding them to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 28:19).

Baptism continued in the early church, with many baptisms recorded in the Book of Acts. At the Day of Pentecost, 3,000 people were baptized!

Acts 2:38-41: Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.

In Acts 8, an angel sends Philip into the wilderness to witness to an Ethiopian who is trying to understand the scroll of Isaiah.

Acts 8:35-38: So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus. As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

The Apostle Paul was also baptized in Acts 9:18. Previously called Saul, he had been struck blind when he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. Then Ananias visited Saul, placed his hands on him, and Saul received his sight. Immediately after receiving his sight, Paul believed and was baptized. In fact, this baptism marked the moment when Saul became Paul – the death of the old man, and the resurrection of the new man in Christ. See Acts 9 for the complete record.

Baptism continues in Acts 10 (three chapters of baptisms in a row!) with the first recorded gentile baptisms:

Acts 10:45-48: The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked, “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.

In Acts 16:15, a woman named Lydia was baptized after she responded in faith to Paul’s message. Later in that chapter, Paul and Silas even baptize the jailer who was holding them in prison (Acts 16:33) after sharing the gospel with him in jail!

Even in a jail cell, Paul and Silas did not pass up the opportunity to carry out the Great Commission through teaching and baptizing!

Acts 18:8 records that many of the Corinthians who heard Paul speak were baptized.

Baptism is a biblical tradition that stretches from the first century to the twenty-first century in a single unbroken chain. Throughout all of Christian history, from the earliest days to the present, Christians have always baptized.

Is Baptism Necessary For Salvation?

Is following Jesus necessary for salvation? Consider the words of Jesus in Luke 6:46: “Why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?” Jesus commanded baptism, and as we have seen in the Book of Acts, the early church took his command to baptize seriously, baptizing literally thousands of individuals.

Throughout the New Testament, baptism is connected with salvation. In Mark 16:16, Jesus said, “Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.”

1 Peter 3:21 compares baptism to the flood of Noah, claiming that just as the ark saved Noah, so baptism “now saves you”:

1 Peter 3:21: And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

However, these verses must be balanced by the fact that we are saved by grace, through faith, “not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (Ephesians 2:9). We must remember that baptism is an outward act of an inward faith, and a physical manifestation of a spiritual truth. Without faith, baptism is nothing more than a quick bath, and it won’t save anyone. With faith, one can be saved by grace even without baptism.

Consider, for example, the thief on the cross. He was almost certainly never baptized, yet Jesus said to him, “you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). The saving grace of God extends to all who believe, even if they are not baptized.

Nevertheless, the plan of salvation laid out in scripture is for a person to believe and be baptized. The Lord Jesus Christ clearly commanded this in the Great Commission. Those saved without baptism are the exception, not the rule.

Did the Coming of the Holy Spirit Make Baptism Obsolete?

Just before his ascension, Jesus gave his disciples the Great Commission, in which he commanded them to baptize (Matthew 28:19). Jesus gave this command 50 days before the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost. Why would Jesus command his disciples to baptize if he knew baptism would be obsolete just 50 days later?

Clearly, Jesus intended for baptism to be practiced even after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit – and it was!

As we have seen, many individuals were baptized in the Book of Acts. Baptism was often immediately followed by an individual receiving the Holy Spirit as manifested by speaking in tongues. The two go hand in hand. Baptism and the receiving of the Holy Spirit are both essential parts of our Christian walk. But one does not replace the other.

I’ve Been a Christian for Years But I’ve Never Been Baptized… Why Be Baptized Now?

Although baptism usually takes place when a new believer first makes a faith commitment, it is never too late to be baptized. The important thing is to be baptized with the right mindset. Do not be baptized if your reason for baptism is guilt that you were never baptized or fear that you won’t be saved without it. Baptism is not meant to be a burden, but a gift!

Consider the Sabbath day. If your only reason for observing the Sabbath day is fear that you won’t be saved if you don’t, or guilt that you failed to observe it in the past, then the Sabbath day becomes a burden. But if you view the Sabbath day as a gift from God, it becomes a great blessing, which is what it was intended to be. It was the legalistic Pharisees who twisted the meaning of the Sabbath in order to oppress people. We must never do that with baptism.

Baptism is not meant to be a burden or something we are forced to do even though we don’t want to. On the contrary, baptism is a gift from God. It’s a holy opportunity to share in the mystery of the death and resurrection of Christ, to make a faith commitment in the presence of witnesses, and to be raised to newness of life in Christ.

Baptism is a profound and memorable experience that gives us strength in our Christian walk. Faced with trials and temptations, we can always look back to the moment of our baptism and draw strength from knowing that we have put to death our old, sinful self, and have been raised up with Christ into a new creation.

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October 25, 2014

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