Category: Discipleship Essentials

Roles and Responsibilities Given to Men: Part 3 – Don’t Skip This!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before moving forward in our study of men’s gender-based roles, it is vital that we don’t skip the most basic role every born again child of God has while here on planet earth – being a disciple! Jesus said:

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19 (NIV)

Being a disciple means we follow Christ the person (via the Spirit), his teachings (the Scripture), and we embrace his mission (the Great Commission). This role springs from our core identity, but it is not eternal; since, in heaven we will know as we are known. At the present, we are learners (disciples).

Jesus’ method of discipleship was part teaching and part doing. He modeled the behaviors and ministry skills he wanted his followers to develop.

True discipleship must include active ministry, or we only have a Greek-style school. Being a disciple is not so much about filling our heads with knowledge as it is about developing our relationship with God and putting our faith into practice in ways that will glorify God and impact the people around us.

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16 (NASB)

We shine as lights in the world by performing good deeds in Christ’s name and by sharing the Good News about the one true Light. Disciples model God’s love in order to help people get past their objections to the message of love, the gospel. Disciples learn to share the gospel effectively, minister in the power of God’s Spirit, and generally love on people. Disciples make a point of going to where lost and unchurched are, instead of expecting them to come to us. Disciples value and model Christian hospitality as a means to extend God’s kingdom. Disciples see their neighborhoods as their mission field and invest heavily in the people who live, work, and play around them. Fishers of men have many friends outside the church. How else will we reach them?

When Dads wholeheartedly devote themselves to the pursuit of God’s kingdom, they model for their children what it means to be a Christ follower. When Dad’s include their children in reaching out (fishing for men), it teaches them what is most most important.

I have observed that children of parents who are devoted to Christ in word and deed are more likely to adopt kingdom values and commitments than the children of nominal believers.

This is not rocket science. Kids notice what their parents love and serve, and, if there is love and respect, they will imitate them. What we do is more important than what we say, because kids see through shallowness and hypocrisy in adults. They will likely reject our words, if our lifestyle does not back them up.

We Dads cannot afford to be passive or lukewarm with regard to Christ, the gospel, discipleship, and mission. There is much more at stake than our own eternal reward. We must think generationally and realize that how we live will impact generations to come.

Most parents feel the tension between being on mission and raising a family. The solution is to include the family when you are on mission. Include them when you have friends and neighbors over. Take them when you go on any kind of outreach, including visiting neighbors. Children have a way of disarming people and opening their hearts.

Model what you hope to see develop in your kids.

Figure out ways to make routine family events and celebrations missional. Have people join you at family meals. Let your kids see you share the gospel and pray for people. Let them participate when you do acts of kindness for neighbors and friends.

Our children are our most important disciples. If we fail with them, our other successes will be rather hollow. We can only give away what we possess. We must give ourselves to being a disciple, if we hope to see the same in our children. Please don’t fail to prioritize this role or you may miss everything else.

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Embracing Our God-given Roles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
(Shakespeare,  As You Like It)

We enter the world as dependent babies and often exit as dependent old folks. In between we play many roles. Most of us, at least traditionally, become either husbands or wives and mothers or fathers. Some of us may become bosses at work. More will become employees. Some will become military leaders. Others, military followers. Some will become political leaders, maybe a president, governor, senator, or congressman or woman. Most of us will be citizens who have the privilege and responsibility of voting them in and out. All of us who live long enough will play the role of baby, child, student, teenager, young adult, and middle-aged adult. Many of us will eventually become seasoned citizens and grandparents, maybe even great grandparents!. Our roles in life come and go. They are all important, but none of them truly define us.

The only truly defining role in life, that not everyone gets to experience unfortunately, is “child of God.” From that we derive our core identity.

Born again believers are first and foremost and always God’s children. That will never change. (John 8:35) In fact, all followers of Christ can rightly claim to be “sons,” the whole lot of us – men, women, and children. This is because we find our true identity in Christ, and our relationship with Abba Father is Jesus’ relationship. He is the Son, and we are in Him; therefore, we are all sons, too. Everyone’s core identity is being God’s son.

See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children, and we really are! But the people who belong to this world don’t know God, so they don’t understand that we are his children. 1 John 3:1 (NLT)

Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”  Galatians 4:6 (NASB)

Building out from this core identity, God gives us various roles to play over a lifetime. We must be careful not to let any of these roles begin to define us in our thinking. They do not. They are temporary, yet very important. How we fulfill them will affect our eternal reward.

First and foremost our roles come from our gender. When a baby arrives in this world, or now when we get the ultrasound results, the key question is whether “it” is a boy or a girl. Then we can accurately label “it” a “he” or “she.”

We experience life through the filter of our gender.

No one can fully know what it is like to live as a member of the opposite sex, regardless of claims to the contrary. Infusions of sex hormones may alter some things, but our chromosomes cannot be changed. Gender is assigned by God and is a determining factor in our life experience.

The wise person embraces God’s gender choice for them.

Over a lifetime, we play many different roles, some which are gender-based and some which are not. We begin as children whose main responsibility is to obey our parents. Next we move into adolescence, when we begin to take on adult responsibilities and privileges, in addition to experiencing adult temptations. Adulthood provides us with many role options – husband, father, wife, mother, breadwinner, boss, employee, leader, follower, disciple, mentor, etc. None of these roles change our core identity.

Each role carries its own responsibilities and privileges. Each of us should attempt to excel at the roles God allows us to play in life. None are insignificant or unimportant to God.

One huge problem with role playing is when we start to think that our roles define us. When those “under” authority start thinking that those “over” them are superior to them, it strikes a blow at our identity. Unfortunately, those in authority often see themselves as actually being superior and communicate that directly or indirectly to those they oversee, thus denigrating and diminishing the perceived worth of those people. This is a serious violation of the authority role. Those in authority have the responsibility to serve and build up those under their care, as well as lead them.

Since I am a man, that is the focus of this series. Women cannot experience or partake of the roles God gives to men that are gender-based, just as women have roles that cannot be experienced by men.

Two unique male roles are being a husband and a father. Each of these roles has specific responsibilities and privileges, which is the theme of this series.

These roles, when properly played, constitute a very high calling, just as being a wife and mother do. I hope this series will help you to gain a greater appreciation for manhood and stir up us men with a determination to be faithful with what God has placed in our hands. Husband and fathers are given the role and responsibility of being the loving “head” of the wife and family, respectively. Wives and children are assigned the role of being under the benevolent headship or authority of the husband or father. It takes faith and humility to properly function in any of these roles.

As is obvious to most women, there may be nothing inherent in the man that makes him better qualified than the wife to be the head of the family. Sometimes wives have more wisdom, discerning, and leadership abilities than the husband God has placed over them. Unless the husband, in such a case, handles his headship with humility, wisdom, and grace, he may make it extremely difficult and unlikely that his wife will submit properly to him. Unless the wife understands her role and identity properly, she may find it next to impossible to follow the husband God has put in her life. We all must see that God is at work in all of these things and is bigger than we imagine.

It requires tremendous faith to be the head of a family or other organization or group, but perhaps it takes even more faith to be a follower. Husbands and fathers, especially those who are aware of their own deficiencies, may be reluctant to lead, but they must do so nevertheless. Failing to lead betrays our calling and the grace supplied to us by God. So, whether we are gifted leaders or reluctant ones, it is vital that we humbly accept the roles God gives to us. Our humility as leaders and heads can make it possible for others to develop fully under our care.

Click here to access all articles in this series.

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Roles and Responsibilities Given to Men: Part 1 – Introduction

Introduction and Overview

We live in a time in which many minimize the God-given distinctions between men and women. Some even insist that gender is fluid and optional. The source of this dangerously flawed thinking is a deeply embedded rebellion and hatred against God.

Many people do not like how God made them and seek to overthrow his choice for them.

Without the change of heart and thinking that comes through Christ and because of our sin nature, people insist on governing their lives as they see fit, without reference to God or his ways. Even those of us who follow Christ must battle the destructive impulse to try to live independently from God. When we choose to submit to Christ’s lordship, the Holy Spirit begins to transform our thinking, which will result in a change in how we live.

The Spirit’s goal is to bring every area of our lives into alignment with God’s perfect order and will. Not only will this glorify God, but it will also maximize our fulfillment and happiness.

What does it mean to be a surrendered man? What are our unique privileges as men? What is the burden of our responsibility? This series will look at the two important roles God may give us – husband and father and the importance of leaving a positive legacy.

The New Resurrection Order

Christians live in a tension between that which was, already is, and that which is coming. Sometimes the lines blur between the last two, making life challenging to navigate.

When Jesus died on the cross, he put to death much of the old order of things and birthed a new resurrection reality.

Paul wrote:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 (NASB)

When Jesus died on the cross, the following aspects of the old order of things died with him.

  1. Racism – When Jesus the Jew died on the cross, God destroyed the inherent spiritual difference between the Jews and those outside the covenant promises. Jesus’ resurrection created “one new man” in Christ – the church. All forms of racism were dealt a death blow.  (Ephesians 2:15)
  2. Legalism – The Law’s power to point out our failures and condemn us was put to death on the cross. Jesus’ resurrection gave birth to a new age of living in the power of the Spirit. There is a fundamental difference between trying hard to please God and life in the Spirit.
  3. Religion and Ritual – Sacrifice, circumcision, Sabbath observance, and the Temple were rendered obsolete after the resurrection. Jesus fulfilled all of these shadows that pointed toward his life, crucifixion, resurrection, and lordship.
  4. Gender and Socio-Economic Distinctions – When Jesus rose from the dead, he put to death the old order of things which often focused on outward distinctions, such as race, gender, and social status. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.

In the new “resurrection reality,”  there is no longer male-female distinction in the Spirit.

A Dynamic Gender Tension

Jesus said that in heaven there will be no marriage because gender roles will be a thing of the past. (Matthew 22:30)

However, we now live in the dynamic tension between what is and what is to come. We live in bodies that are part of the old Adamic order of things, but we have born again spirits which are in union with God and the new resurrection reality. (1 Corinthians 6:17)

We are born into this world as either a male or a female. Our sexual identity affects us physically, emotionally, and in countless other ways. We are wired differently in our brains, have different muscular and skeletal structures, and have been given radically different functions in the reproductive process. To pretend that there are no essential differences is to be in willful denial. God separated Adam into male and female to illustrate that we need each other for completion. Together we are able more perfectly to reflect God’s image.

As Christians, we must navigate the challenging tension of the “already here – not yet” aspect of God’s kingdom. Spiritually there is no male or female, but naturally there is. How do we integrate the two?

Since God created us with the ability to interface with the natural and spiritual worlds, we are challenged to discover what aspects of each dimension have priority at the present time in a given situation.

In this natural world which we presently inhabit, we have God-given gender-specific roles. Only a man can be a father and a husband, despite the protests by the radical Left to the contrary.

To rebel against this creation order of things is to rebel against God himself.

However, to limit our understanding and application solely to the natural order of things is to miss out on some of the wonders of the resurrection and revert back to legalism.

God can take any aspect of the resurrection and apply it to our present natural reality any time he desires.

Before Christ’s resurrection, the only way to be included in God’s covenant with Abraham was to join the Jewish covenant community. This meant adhering to the Law with all its commandments and regulations. It also meant that every male had to be circumcised as an external sign of his covenant inclusion and commitment. Circumcision was uniquely male, of course, signifying that males had greater privilege and access to God. This was reinforced in the Law of Moses with regard to sanctuary access. Women were kept on the outside. Women were not regarded as reliable witnesses and not afforded the same educational opportunities as men. Their intrinsic worth was valued below men by the Law of Moses.

Jesus came to undo all these inequalities through his death and resurrection. The “one new man” created in him through his resurrection includes both male and female, slave and free, and Jew and Gentile. It blurs every distinction that formerly separated us. The church is the greatest of all melting pots.

At first, the early Christians assumed that the requirement of circumcision was still in effect. Why would it not be? It was clearly stated in the Scriptures. (Genesis 17:14)

It was shocking to Peter when he witnessed an uncircumcised Gentile named Cornelius begin to speak in tongues, proving that God filled him with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 11:15-18) Such an event demanded a revision of his practical theology. After all, our theology should be one that God follows!

Paul became the spokesman for this new theological understanding, which he clearly laid out in his Letter to the Romans. He explained that circumcision is no longer necessary under the new resurrection order of things called the New Covenant. Now what is required is faith in the finished work of Christ.

For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, it makes no difference to God whether we are circumcised or not circumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love. Galatians 5:6 (NLT)

Christ fulfilled the Law, thereby making it’s ritual aspects obsolete. True “circumcision” is now something spiritual that happens on the inside, in the heart, as a result of the new birth and the indwelling Spirit. (Philippians 3:3) For followers of Christ now to submit to outward circumcision as a means to obtain a right standing with God would be reverting to Old Covenant externals and legalism and would result in our “falling from grace.” (Galatians 5:1-4) New Covenant believers must stand on faith in Christ’s finished work or not stand at all.

What does this have to do with our topic? Not only is circumcision no longer critical in the resurrection reality that Christ introduced, but other things have changed as well. What about the distinction between men and women in God’s kingdom? Judaism offered women greater nobility and protection than other religions, but Jesus took things to a whole new level by including women in his band of disciples. He dignified women by first appearing to them after his resurrection, making them the very first to witness his resurrection glory. Women were also significant ministers in the early church.

How did Paul make the huge leap to go from including women in the band of disciples to saying there is “neither male nor female?” He saw the Spirit at work in women, just as he saw evidence of the Spirit’s work in the uncircumcised Cornelius. He also knew that there was an Old Testament antecedent. God raised up Deborah to lead Israel and command generals.

When we observe a present work of the Spirit that is corroborated by a biblical antecedent, we have the ability to declare a theology of resurrection reality. This is what Paul did regarding circumcision and regarding women.

But please do not assume at this point that I am throwing all teaching on male headship out the window. I am not. In this present male-female oriented natural world, we still have gender specific roles to play. Some of these roles are non-transferable. Others are more malleable. Hopefully this series of articles will help to shed some light on these things and help us to better understand and fulfill our gender specific roles in life.

Click here to access all articles in this series.

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The Shape of Modern Idolatry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you been wondering, “What is wrong with people these days?” If so, you’re not alone. The world has gone crazy, literally. An old Greek saying says: “Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.” There is a lot of truth to this. Paul wrote in his letter to the church in Rome that God gives idolatrous people over to a “reprobate” mind to fully embrace and applaud evil. Sin creates a temporary insanity. Giving oneself over to sin makes the condition potentially permanent. Many in this nation have become so warped and confused that they applaud and embrace the culture of death (abortion) and defend those who wish to put them to death (radical Islamists). When people go “mad,” they basically kill themselves because they have no discernment or proper judgment. This is what destroyed Hitler. His blind ambition to defeat Russia prompted him to make horrific military blunders. Evil people may be cunning, but they have no wisdom. God cannot be mocked. We do indeed reap what we sow, and the wages of sin is death.

Judging God, Rejecting Truth

Paul warned his protege, Timothy:

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4  They will reject the truth and chase after myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NLT)

The myth and lie chasing (fake news, false religions, and much of modern education) we see in these last days is nothing new. It began a long time ago in the garden of Eden, where Satan, in the form of a crafty serpent, introduced something brand new into Adam’s and Eve’s previously protected environment – a doubt of God’s integrity and character and a denial of the truth of his spoken words. When Adam and Eve took the bait, hook line and sinker, they took their seat as God’s judge and imagined that they were the arbiters of truth, thus bringing upon themselves a just condemnation. Satan enticed them into the same sin of which he was guilty – gross insubordination birthed in pride. Their sinful desire to be equal with God opened the floodgates of sin, death, and confusion on the world. Evil has escalated since then as each succeeding generation has participated in rebellion and sin against God and other people.

Today some who call themselves Christians are taking it upon themselves to make judgments about who God is or is not and whether God really means what he says. They reject the authority of the Bible and repulse attempts by others to correct them.

This is the shape of modern idolatry. People are attempting to make God conform to their own image and preferences, instead of worshiping the one true God, as revealed in the Bible.

Trading the Great I AM for a Lesser god

When God appeared to Moses at the burning bush, he revealed himself as the “I AM.” He is the “I am who I am,” not the “I am who you want me to be.”

Our big issue with God is usually that he is not who we want him to be.

The “I AM” who met Moses in the wilderness called Israel out of bondage into a land of promise, but the people rebelled because God did not do things the way they wanted or expected. God required his people to maintain an attitude of faith and obedience while suffering hardship. He wanted them to trust him, despite how things looked on the surface. God called Moses to the top of Mt. Sinai and kept him there 40 days. This did not suit the people, who demanded that Aaron make them another god who would take them back to Egypt and bondage.

The gods we make for ourselves are designed to grant us comfort and security at the expense of our faithful obedience to God and ultimate reward.

After Aaron fashioned the idol, the people immediately fell into drunken revelry and immorality.

When we make gods in our own image, they always allow us to do very ungodly things. Every determination we make to live against God’s revealed will demands that we make ourselves an idol which will say it is okay to disobey. We adopt a theology to match our morality. We fashion idols who wink at our sin.

Jesus was rejected as Israel’s Messiah King because he was not who the people wanted him to be – a military and political savior.

People still reject Jesus because he does not conform to the image they want in a Lord and Savior.

To the contrary, Jesus came to deliver people from their sinful idolatry of self and worship of false gods. The Gospel demands that we surrender utterly to Jesus, the absolute Lord, and receive his free gift of life, which became available in a most unlikely and, to many, a most offensive way. He died on a cross as a sacrifice for our sins, to satisfy God the Father’s just wrath against sin and sinners.

The very idea of a blood sacrifice to appease a wrathful God offends the sensibilities of those who want to tell God how it should have been done.

Haven’t we become more enlightened than those ancient people? Aren’t we more sophisticated now? Don’t we realize that blood was not really needed? If that is what you think, you are serving a false god. The true God says that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. (Hebrews 9:22)

Afterward Jesus rose again from the dead, which offends the logical minds of those who elevate reason above revelation.

Jesus, the I AM who became a human, requires us to lay down the lesser gods of rationalism, materialism, intellectualism, and sometimes what many call “common sense,” in order to fully follow him.

He did not come to make us comfortable or to satisfy our itching ears and intellects. He came to transform us completely, which requires us to make a radical break with everything that stands in the way of a full surrender to him. This is called repentance.

When we lay down every objection and embrace the God revealed in the Bible and his Son, Jesus the Messiah, we are ready to begin the discipleship journey in earnest.

Examples of Modern Idolatry

When we cast away the true God and make new gods for ourselves, we begin a downward slide that ends up where the United States is right now.

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Romans 1:21 (NLT)

Usually in the past when I have thought of what kind of people would act this way, I would think of pagans, like the ancient Romans, but today many who call themselves Christians have fallen into idolatrous deception, too. Today’s idolatry is often very subtle, which makes it even more deadly. Let’s look at some examples.

Probably one of the more popular falsehoods about God is that he never judges people.

This false god is the divine smiley face who wants everyone to have a good day. Where did this kind of thinking come from? Certainly not from the Bible and not from Jesus’ teachings. Jesus warned us:

“Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. 5  But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear. Luke 12:4-5 (NLT)

Does God kill people? Yes. Does God cast people into hell? Yes. Does he judge righteously and without showing favoritism? Yes. The God of Bible does all these things, as well as love people beyond their comprehension. This is the God who is, not who some people want him to be.

We don’t want God to judge anyone because we don’t want to be judged. We want God to accept everyone, because we want him to accept us. If we think this way it proves two things: we do not know our own sinfulness and we do not understand why Jesus had to die.

God has to judge sinful people because he hates sin. Jesus chose to die in order to endure God’s just punishment for our sin, making it possible for us to be reconciled to God and experience his mercy. If God does not care about sin and judgment, then Jesus died for nothing and the Gospel is meaningless.

Another false god we sometimes create is the one who not only winks at our immorality, but actually approves, and maybe even applauds, it.

Paul wrote:

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29  Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30  They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31  They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32  They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. Romans 1:28-32 (NLT)

Those who engage in sex outside of marriage often adopt a theology that says that God is fine with what they are doing. They may say that they still feel the presence of God’s Spirit and still know they are loved by him. Therefore, their behavior must be okay with God. Such logic denies God’s character and his words.

This idolatrous thinking reveals that we do not understand the difference between God’s love for us and his approval of our actions. It shows that we do not grasp the difference between God’s patience and his discipline.

After King David sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba and murdering her husband, God affirmed his ongoing love for David while at the same time he pronounced a terrible sentence upon him and his family, which ended in the death of family members and thousands of others. David suffered immensely for his sin, despite the fact that God forgave him and had mercy on him. God’s people always will reap the ugly consequences of sin, despite and because of how much God loves us. The author of Hebrews states that God disciplines those he loves. (Hebrews 12:6) One of God’s chief aims in this life is conform us to Christ’s image in order to bring glory to himself. God does not wink at our sin. He is committed to set us free from its grasp.

A third form of idolatry believes that God makes mistakes in how he created us, which we can “fix” by rejecting his created order.

Many people reject some aspect of themselves. We might not like our looks, our hair, our intelligence level, our personality, etc. Some reject their gender, thinking that they are a colossal mistake, and opt for an operation to rectify things. No operation can change us at the cellular level, where our DNA has permanently stamped us as either male or female.

Rejection of our sexual identity and function is rebellion against the Creator.

It is just one more idol we raise against the true knowledge of God. Sin has indeed brought confusion and chaos into the world, even at the sexual identity level, but true freedom will never come at the expense of God’s truth. His truth sets us free. (John 8:31-32) Only by embracing God and surrendering our confused selves to him can we experience genuine freedom. Only God has the power to restore what sin has broken.

The Way Back to the One True God

  • Repent. Repentance means we change how we think. Instead of idolizing our opinions and preferences, we choose to agree with what God says. We call out sin for what it is. We stop making excuses and idols. We accept God’s judgment of sin. We accept that we are sinners in desperate need of a Savior. (Revelation 3:3)
  • Believe. Faith is based on our conviction that God has integrity and love for us and that his words are true and trustworthy. The Gospel is the greatest good news ever! It states that we can indeed escape God’s judgment by placing our trust in the One who already bore it – Jesus, the Lamb of God. Faith always results in action. Those who believe in Jesus will surrender their lives to him and begin the discipleship journey, devoting the remainder of their lives to his service. (Hebrews 11:6)
  • Follow Christ. The choice to make the Bible our supreme authority in life (under the direction of the Holy Spirit) is one of the most important and profound steps any follower of Christ will make. Until you start down this road, you will always be susceptible to elevating your own opinions, desires, and preferences above God’s revealed truth and his will. (John 17:17)
  • Rely on the Holy Spirit. He will lead us into all truth (John 16:13) and give us the ability to live the Christ life. Greater is he who is within us than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4) The secret of Christianity is that God lives his life through us.
  • Join a local church. A church is a group of people who are taking the same faith journey. We need each other’s encouragement, correction, and assistance. No person can successfully go it alone. Find a church that preaches the gospel, loves people, and encourages you to be a disciple. (Hebrews 10:23-25)
  • Stand strong against temptations. Life is full of opportunities for us to abandon truth and obedience to God in the pursuit of what seems to be in my best self-interest. Jesus told his disciples that they must die to any and everything that might get between them and utter devotion to Christ. This is where the rubber meets the road. This where many of us falter. This is where we must pick ourselves back up and press forward. (James 4:7)
  • Make disciples. Once we become a follower of Christ, God wants us to become part of his mighty army of disciple makers. This means we teach others to follow Christ as we do.

Prayer

Lord, I realize now that in some areas I have made and served a false image of you. Please forgive me. I want to know who you really are. Holy Spirit, teach me and lead me into all truth, that I might know God and obey him more fully. I commit myself to serve you alone, O Lord. Amen.

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John 5:21 (ESV)

 

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Is it okay for a follower of Christ to be a Mason?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I were to ask you if it is acceptable for a Christian to be a Satanist, you would laugh at my woeful lack of understanding. Surprisingly, many people who profess Christ are members of a satanically inspired group called the Masons.

It is just as outlandish for a follower of Christ to be a Mason as it would be to be a Satanist.

Let me explain.

The devil seldom appears as he truly is. Deception is his main game. The Apostle Paul wrote that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light in order to deceive the naive. (2 Corinthians 11:14) In the Garden of Eden, the devil appeared as a talking serpent in order to convince Eve that God was not to be trusted. (Genesis 3:4-5) Satan always tries to reverse the truth, presenting himself as good and the true God as evil. This is exactly the position of the Masons.

Albert Pike wrote quite a bit of material on the Masons and is regarded as an authority on the subject by the Masons. Wikipedia claims the following.

Pike first joined the fraternal Independent Order of Odd Fellows in 1840. He next joined a Masonic Lodge, where he became extremely active in the affairs of the organization. In 1859 he was elected Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite’s Southern Jurisdiction.[10] He remained Sovereign Grand Commander for the remainder of his life (a total of thirty-two years), devoting a large amount of his time to developing the rituals of the order.[18] Notably, he published a book called Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in 1871, of which there were several subsequent editions. This helped the order grow during the nineteenth century. He also researched and wrote the seminal treatise Indo-Aryan Deities and Worship as Contained in the Rig-Veda. In America, Pike is still considered an eminent[19] and influential[20] Freemason, primarily in the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction.[21]

Here are some relevant quotes from Pike’s works.

Lucifer, the Light-Bearer! Strange and mysterious name to give to the Spirit of Darkness! Lucifer, the Son of the Morning! Is it he who bears the light, and with its splendors intolerable blinds feeble, sensual or selfish Souls? Doubt it not! [Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Prepared for the Supreme Council of the Thirty-Third Degree, for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States, and Published by Its Authority (Richmond, Virginia: L.H. Jenkins, 1871, Reprinted 1944): 321.]

The true name of Satan, the Kabalists say, is Yahweh (GOD) reversed; for Satan is not a black god, but a negation of God…the Kabala imagined Him to be a “most occult light.” [Ibid: 102, 704.]

That which we must say to a crowd is—We worship a God, but it is the God that one adores without superstition. To you, Sovereign Grand Inspectors General, we say this, that you may repeat it to the Brethren of the 32nd, 31st, and 30th degrees—The Masonic Religion should be, by all of us initates of the high degrees, maintained in the purity of the Luciferian Doctrine. If Lucifer were not God, would Adonay whose deeds prove his cruelty, perdify and hatred of man, barbarism and repulsion for science, would Adonay and his priests, calumniate him? Yes, Lucifer is God, and unfortunately Adonay is also god. For the eternal law is that there is no light without shade, no beauty without ugliness, no white without black, for the absolute can only exist as two gods: darkness being necessary to the statue, and the brake to the locomotive. Thus, the doctrine of Satanism is a heresy; and the true and pure philosophical religion is the belief in Lucifer, the equal of Adonay; but Lucifer, God of Light and God of Good, is struggling for humanity against Adonay, the God of Darkness and Evil. [Albert Pike, “Instructions to the 23 Supreme Councils of the World” (July 14, 1889), as recorded by Abel Clarin de La Rive, La Femme et l’Enfant dans la Franc-maçonnerie Universelle (1894): 588.]

Freemasonry is a secret society. This is because they have something to hide. They force members to swear self-maledictory oaths that pledge their secrecy. Why? Jesus did everything in the open. Christians should not swear oaths, should not swear self-malediction, and should never be part of any group that calls the devil good and the true God bad. Freemasonry deceives its own members.

“The Blue Degrees are but the outer court or portico of the Temple. Part of the symbols are displayed there to the Initiate, but he is intentionally misled by false interpretations. It is not intended that he shall understand them; but it is intended that he shall imagine he understands them. Their true explication is reserved for the Adepts, the Princes of Masonry.” (Morals and Dogma, p.819) Albert Pike, [1871 Morals and Dogma: Council of Kadosh: XXX. Knight Kadosh.

Freemasonry is essentially a cleaned up paganism, which places a Bible front and center to deceive the naive.

According to accredited Masonic historians, the lodge claims to be a revival of the ancient philosophy of Egypt, Phoenicia and other pagan nations. These all practiced a secret worship in honor of a sun god (Lucifer). While pagan societies sponsored public worship directed toward idols, the priests, rulers and philosophers always maintained a different, secret worship centered around a sun god. This latter was designated as the “Mysteries.” These “Mysteries” were revived by the “Masonic fathers” at the beginning of the eighteenth century.

In other words what formerly constituted the mysteries of freemasonry. In every feature they are identical. Dr. Mackey, Masonic authority, states they are the “same in substance, being derived from one source and celebrated in honor of the same dieites.” Pierson says plainly “…we readily recognize in Hiram Abiff the Osiris of the Egyptians, the Mithras of the Persians, the Bacchus of the Greeks, the Dionysiius of the Fraternity of the Artificers, the Atys of the Phrygians, whose passion, death and resurrection were celebrated by these people.” [http://www.jesusdelivers.com/the-demonic-roots-of-freemasonry]

Freemasonry incorporates parts of various pagan religions while pretending to be above and inclusive of all religion. As such it is explicitly anti-Christ. Jesus said that he alone is the way to the Father. (John 14:6) He is not one of many ways to God. He is the only way. Freemasonry asserts that its members can come to God using any religious pathway.

Below is a great summary of why Christianity and Masonry are completely incompatible. It is found in GotQuestions.org. (https://www.gotquestions.org/free-masonry.html)

Salvation from Sin:

The Bible’s View: Jesus became the sinner’s sacrifice before God when He shed His blood and died as the propitiation (payment) for the sins of all those who would ever believe (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:8, John 3:16).

Mason’s View: The very process of joining the Lodge requires Christians to ignore the exclusivity of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. According to Freemasonry, a person will be saved and go to heaven as a result of his good works and personal self-improvement.

The View of the Bible:

The Bible’s View: The supernatural and plenary inspiration of the Scriptures—that they are inerrant and that their teachings and authority are absolute, supreme, and final. The Bible is the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16, 1 Thessalonians 2:13).

Mason’s View: The Bible is only one of several “Volume(s) of Sacred Law,” all of which are deemed to be equally important in Freemasonry. The Bible is an important book, only as far as those members who claim to be Christians are concerned, just as the Koran is important to Muslims. The Bible is not considered to be the exclusive Word of God, nor is it considered to be God’s sole revelation of himself to humankind; but only one of many religious sourcebooks. It is a good guide for morality. The Bible is used primarily as a symbol of God’s will, which can also be captured in other sacred texts, like the Koran or Rig Vedas.

The Doctrine of God:

The Bible’s View: There is one God. The various names of God refer to the God of Israel and reveal certain attributes of God. To worship other gods or to call upon other deities is idolatry (Exodus 20:3). Paul spoke of idolatry as a heinous sin (1 Corinthians 10:14) and John said that idolaters will perish in hell (Revelation 21:8).

Mason’s View: All members must believe in a deity. Different religions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, etc.) acknowledge the same God, only call Him different names. Freemasonry invites people of all faiths, even if they use different names for the ‘Nameless One of a hundred names,’ they are yet praying to the one God and Father of all.

The Doctrine of Jesus and the Trinity:

The Bible’s View: Jesus was God in human form (Matthew 1:18-24, John 1:1). Jesus is the second person of the trinity (Matthew 28:19, Mark 1:9-11). While on earth, He was fully human (Mark 4:38, Matthew 4:2) and fully divine (John 20:28, John 1:1-2, Acts 4:10-12). Christians should pray in Jesus’ name and proclaim Him before others, regardless of offense to non-Christians (John 14:13-14, 1 John 2:23, Acts 4:18-20).

Mason’s View: There is no exclusivity in Jesus Christ or the Triune God who is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; therefore there is no doctrine of the deity of Jesus Christ. It is deemed to be un-Masonic to invoke the name of Jesus when praying, or mention His name in the Lodge. Suggesting that Jesus is the only way to God contradicts the principle of tolerance. The name of Jesus has been omitted from biblical verses that are used in Masonic rituals. Jesus is on the same level as other religious leaders.

Human Nature and Sin:

The Bible’s View: All humans are born with a sinful nature, are totally depraved, and need a Savior from sin (Romans 3:23, Romans 5:12, Psalm 51:5, Ephesians 2:1). The Bible denies that because of the Fall, humanity has within itself the capacity for moral perfection (1 John 1:8-10, Romans 1:18-25).

Mason’s View: Through symbols and emblems, Masons teach that man is not sinful, just “rude and imperfect by nature”. Human beings are able to improve their character and behavior in various ways, including acts of charity, moral living, and voluntary performance of civic duty. Humanity possesses the ability of moving from imperfection toward total perfection. Moral and spiritual perfection lies within men and women.

When a Christian takes the oath of Freemasonry, he is swearing to the following doctrines that God has pronounced false and sinful:

1. That salvation can be gained by man’s good works.
2. That Jesus is just one of many equally revered prophets.
3. That they will remain silent in the Lodge and not talk of Christ.
4. That they are approaching the Lodge in spiritual darkness and ignorance, when the Bible says Christians are already in the light, children of the light, and are indwelt by the Light of the World—Jesus Christ.
5. By demanding that Christians take the Masonic oath, Masonry leads Christians into blasphemy and taking the name of the Lord in vain.
6. Masonry teaches that its G.A.O.T.U. [Great Architect of the Universe], whom Masonry believes is the true God of the universe, is representative of all gods in all religions.
7. Masonry makes Christians take a universalist approach in their prayers, demanding a “generic” name be used so as not to offend non-believers who are Masonic “brothers”.
8. By swearing the Masonic oath and participating in the doctrines of the Lodge, Christians are perpetuating a false gospel to other Lodge members, who look only to Masonry’s plan of salvation to get to heaven. By their very membership in such a syncretistic type organization, they have severely compromised their witnessing as Christians.
9. By taking the Masonic obligation, the Christian is agreeing to allow the pollution of his mind, spirit, and body by those who serve false gods and believe false doctrines.

As you can see, Masonry denies and contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture on numerous issues. Masonry also requires people to engage in activities which the Bible condemns. As a result, a Christian should not be a member of any secret society or organization that has any connection with Freemasonry.
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Part 11: Mending Nets, Rebuilding Walls

 

 

 

 

 

Mending Nets

Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a net used to catch fish. A large net has to be kept in good repair; so, mending the holes that inevitably appear is a primary responsibility of fishermen.

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19  And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20  Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21  And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22  Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Matthew 4:18-22 (ESV)

The English word “mending” is a translation of the Greek word katartidzos, which can mean to mend, restore, equip, or to prepare. These fishermen were mending and preparing their nets to bring in a huge catch. It was how they earned a living for their families.

Paul the apostle used this same word in his letter to the church at Ephesus.

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12  to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13  until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, Ephesians 4:11-13 (ESV)

In this passage the Greek word is translated “equip.” It is the same idea as preparing, with the  implication that people need to be restored, taught, and equipped in order to properly function as a giant net which the Holy Spirit can use bring a great multitude of people into God’s eternal family.

Jesus told those fishermen who became his first disciples that he would make them into “fishers of men,” if they would follow him. He would call, equip, mend,  prepare, and send them out to fish for people, gather people into God’s kingdom through the gospel, and teach them to replicate themselves in others, which is discipleship. The Lord will do that for anyone who makes Jesus and his kingdom his or her first priority.

Jesus is fashioning his people into a mighty net to gather in his end time harvest.

Rebuilding Walls

Switching metaphors, in the Old Testament, Nehemiah returned to Israel to rebuild Jerusalem, which the Babylonians had demolished and whose walls were still in ruins. Rebuilding walls is not as disconnected from mending nets as one might think. In those days, city walls offered the residents a measure of security from hostile forces. Our neighborhoods can be viewed as a type of city. Our spiritual enemy, the devil, wants to run roughshod over people. Our disobedience to God and lack of community has effectually removed our protection from the devil’s activity. Many in our neighborhoods are experiencing oppression under Satan’s thumb because they have no advocate or Savior, no one to love them and show them the way to safety through faith in Christ.

Nehemiah organized the Jews to contribute to the rebuilding effort by asking them to commit to labor on a particular portion of the wall, quite often right next to their own house. (Nehemiah 3:28) This is a good strategy for us today. Just as Nehemiah took personal responsibility for restoring Jerusalem and asked the people to “own” rebuilding the part of the wall close to them, I believe Jesus asks each of his disciples to look upon his or her own neighborhood with a heart of compassion, realizing that if we do not rise to the occasion, many in our own community will spend eternity away from God’s presence.

He wants us to build the kingdom of God right next to our own home.

Application

Jesus told his followers to pray to the Lord of harvest to send forth laborers into the masses of harassed and helpless people all around them. (Matthew 9:35-38) In context, Jesus spoke about people needing shepherds, which can be understood as those who care about other people enough to watch out for them, provide for them, go after them, and protect them.

Any follower of Christ who cares about people can be used by God in his or her neighborhood to be a fisher of men and a restorer of the wall.

Our neighborhoods should be better places to live because of us. This will happen when we take responsibility and start being what Jesus called “salt” and “light.”

How will this happen? We can pray in secret for our neighbors, pray for them personally and publicly when they share some need with us, visit them, have them over, and do loving acts of service for them.

God wants us to learn to be a good neighbor as a lifestyle, not something we occasionally check off on our “to do” list.

We often earn the right and privilege to share Jesus with people by first loving them and building a genuine relationship with them. Our ultimate goal is to introduce people to a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus. That is the most loving thing imaginable!

The world is weary of people who only tell them about Jesus, but otherwise seem to have no real interest in people. Jesus was quickly able to convey an enormous amount of love for those he met. It generally takes us a while to make a breakthrough into people’s lives.

The old saying that people don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care is true.

Let’s make it our goal to destroy the commonly held assumption that Christians are judgmental know-it-alls, who don’t really care about people. Instead, let’s be menders of nets, re-builders of community, lovers of people, and proper representatives of the kingdom of God.

Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes. Isaiah 58:12 (NLT)
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Part 10: How graciously do we engage people?

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus said that his followers would be known by their love. Why is it that many times Christians are associated with judgment instead? Maybe it is because we have foolishly forgotten how desperately we need mercy and forgiveness ourselves. When most of us first became followers of Christ, we clearly understood how far we were from living up to God’s holy and righteous standards. We jumped at the gospel’s amazingly gracious offer of complete forgiveness and reconciliation to God. But over time, we often lose sight of our own need for mercy and begin to think more highly of ourselves than we should (Romans 12:3). How does this happen?

One possibility is that when we place our faith and loyalty in Christ, he sends the Holy Spirit to live inside us and change us from the inside out. When we experience this grace, we start thinking, speaking, and acting in a more God-like manner, tempting us to look down on those who have not yet experienced such grace. We start thinking of ourselves in a self-righteous way, instead of humbly appreciating God’s work in us and wishing the same for others. Instead of graciously sharing the good news of forgiveness, reconciliation, and life with those who need it, we stand off to the side and judge them. This goes against God’s heart, undermines our own grace standing with God (Romans 5:1-2), and misrepresents the gospel.

Judgmental people do not make good fishers of men because we lose our ability to make a heart connection.

People intuitively know whether we love them, merely tolerate them, or actively judge them. They will be drawn to love but repelled by self-righteous religious smugness. Those who want to be good fishers of men must extend the same love and mercy toward those who are humbly seeking God that God has extended to us.

When Jesus encountered the Samaritan woman at the well in John Chapter 4, he was able to discuss their doctrinal differences, which were major, but he first established that he cared about her and was interested in talking to her. Jesus accomplished this by breaking through a wall that self-righteous Jews refused to cross. He engaged in conversation with a Samaritan, and a woman to boot, quite probably one who was despised even by her own community! His loving engagement opened the door for her to safely ask her doctrinal questions. There is something crucial for us to learn here. Jesus could have despised and rejected her because of her erroneous beliefs and immoral lifestyle, but instead he drew her to himself and transformed her into the evangelist who brought an entire village to faith!

I have watched Christian friends of mine exhibit the exact opposite, and I am sure I have as well. Once we were engaging some men in conversation about God and the gospel, when one of them said plainly that he did not believe the gospel or even accept that the Bible is trustworthy. Instead of patiently engaging this person as a concerned friend, they showed righteous indignation. Why do we do this? Do we imagine that we are superior to the person who honesty confessed unbelief? Do we think it’s our job to defend God’s honor? Are we the doctrine police? Do we not remember when we were just like them? Maybe not, if we were saved during childhood, but those of us who came to Christ as adults should be able to recall. A wise person who witnessed what happened later commented that we Christians need to learn how to argue better. We owe it to ourselves, the Lord, the people we are trying to reach, and to the gospel to learn how to engage dissenters without putting up walls, showing irritation, or saying unkind things.

A large part of our problem is that we have limited our conversations to church people who think as we do. We tend to “hole up” in our “fortress” churches instead of getting out into our communities where dissenters live.

This is very unlike how Jesus did things. How can we turn the tables on this sad state of affairs? Here are some suggestions.

  • Make our first priority to connect with people outside of our church “comfort zone.” 
  • Secondly, determine to love people and get to know them personally. This requires us to actually be interested in people.
  • Thirdly, look for opportunities to inject something spiritual into the conversation. Asking to pray for any obvious needs that come up during conversation is a great way to overcome barriers. Listen to the Holy Spirit and go with whatever he tells you. Sometimes we can only start to get to know a person on a first encounter. Other times we may actually have an opportunity to share the gospel with them. Each person and situation is different.

The only rule is to love people and listen to the Spirit.

  • Fourthly, we should try to continue to love and engage those who disagree with us or initially reject our message. Who knows? They might change their minds.
  • Know when enough is enough. Sometimes we may have to walk away from a relationship that is bearing no fruit. That’s a hard call.
Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 6  Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. Colossians 4:5-6 (NLT)

That’s how Jesus fished for people. We can, too.

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Part 9: Surprised…again!

 

 

 

 

 

If you were tasked with planting a new church, which of these groups of people would you target – the affluent or the poor? The well-connected or the marginalized? “Beautiful people” or the ones Jesus called the “least of these?”

Surprisingly, Jesus instructed his disciples to go after the least likely people.

He called them “the least of these my brothers.” It is not that those who are “better off” regarding worldly affluence are unimportant. Rather, their affluence often works against them, making them feel important, self-satisfied, in control, and without appetite for God and his blessings. It is the hungry who search for and find God.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.Matthew 5:6 (NASB) 

And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24  "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:23-24 (NASB)

The “least of these,” as Jesus called them, are those on the margins of society who do not inwardly feel that they have earned the right to be blessed. Jesus called them the “poor in spirit,” which means they are spiritual beggars who are well aware of their need for God. (Matthew 5:3) They include the hungry, (who are usually poor), the stranger (which may include newcomers, aliens, the homeless, the lonely, the abandoned, and anyone who does not really “fit in”), those lacking proper clothing, sick people, and prisoners. They may have gotten to their state by choice or by happenstance. Regardless, they are the prime “ground” in which the gospel seed can grow.

Usually these people are overlooked because they do not seem to promise any return on the investment we may make in them, but this is where we get it all wrong.

Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. 13  Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14  Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.” Luke 14:12-14 (NLT)

The key to understanding why it is vital to invest in the least likely is because Jesus promised eternal reward to those who do.

If all we are looking for is what kind of immediate return on investment we can get here on earth, it makes no sense to spend time and resources on the “least of these;” but, if we care about eternal reward (and we should), it makes perfect sense. This is completely contrary to how most people in the world and many in the church think. The kingdom of God is often akin to looking at a photo “negative,” in which dark areas are light and light areas, dark.

The kingdom of God is many times a complete reverse of what the world thinks and values.

And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God. Luke 16:15 (NASB)

The “poor in spirit” are people who have humility, who are open to being taught, who have sorrow for their sins and a purity of heart, and who respond to the gospel and choose to follow Jesus. Quite often these people come from the edges of society, but sometimes wealthy, well-connected people are among the poor in spirit, too. Take for example, Nicodemus, a wealthy and well-connected Pharisee who became a disciple of our Lord.

No matter where we find them, God is building his kingdom with humble people who are hungry for him. Every time such a person emerges, it is a surprising work of the Spirit. Such people are not “normal” as the world goes.

Finding the “Poor in Spirit” and the “Least of These”

Once we settle on the kind of people Jesus wants to use to build his church, we must depend on the Spirit to guide us to them.

Jesus surprised the religious world when he chose rugged fishermen to become his disciples instead of gathering people from the religious elite. He surprised his own disciples when he chose a hated tax collector to join his band. He surprised them again when he included women, especially a despised Samaritan woman, who became his chief evangelist to bring an entire village to faith. I suppose many were surprised when he chose each of us, too. Would you consider yourself to be a likely or an unlikely candidate?

Would it surprise you to discover that every person who comes to Christ is unlikely? It is only by God’s grace that any of us make it.

How surprised were his disciples when the Lord commanded them to lower their nets into the deep, resulting in a tremendous catch? Do we depend on God to show us where to fish?

It is possible that the Holy Spirit may send us to what we might consider an unlikely fishing hole.

The elderly are not usually prime targets for evangelism, but I have discovered that the Spirit is working in the lives of older people, too. God has not given up on them, and neither should we. It’s never too late as long as we are breathing. My ninety-three year old father in law put his faith in Christ a week before he died! What a surprising gift of grace!

Assisted living centers are filled with neglected people who are often on the very edge of eternity. Would the Spirit of God send us to such as those? Perhaps God would lead us to work with the poor, those with felonies, actual prisoners, sick people, or children without a functional family support structure. The list of possibilities is enormous.

The important thing for us to realize is that God will guide us to the people in whom he is working and drawing toward Christ, if we ask him. Seek and you will find…

Once we find them, we can simply start loving them and see how God leads us from there. The pay for such labor is not much, but the benefits are heavenly.

The question is are we willing to be led by the Spirit to find those he has set his heart upon, or are we going to settle for using the world’s methods of marketing and promotion?

Are we willing to be surprised again and again by the Holy Spirit?

Prayer

Dear Lord, I want to be surprised every day as you lead me by your Spirit to seek out those you are calling to yourself, no matter where I may find them. Holy Spirit, lead me to those you want me to love and serve on your behalf. I trust you to develop compassion and faith in me to make a difference in their lives. Help me to be bold to share the gospel with them. Surprise me, Lord, again and again. Amen.

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Part 8: Surprise!

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t you say, ‘There are four more months and then comes the harvest?’ I tell you, look up and see that the fields are already white for harvest! John 4:35 (NET1)

The story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well in Chapter Four of John’s Gospel teaches us to keep our eyes, ears, and hearts open, because God is working in unexpected ways in what may seem to be unlikely people. Everything in this account shouts, “Surprise!”

Jesus led his disciples on a less traveled road (by Jews, anyway) right through Samaria, instead of taking the usual longer route that skirted where “those people” lived. The Jews despised Samaritans and tried to avoid contact with them. Jesus amazed his followers by leading them into Samaria and engaging the inhabitants.

Our Lord also shocked the Samaritan woman who came to fill her jar at the town well. Having sent his disciples on an errand to purchase food, he was tired from the journey and sitting alone at the well when she arrived to fill her jar. Amazingly he asked her to give him a drink. “Good” Jews would never talk to a Samaritan woman or drink from her “unclean” jar. Unexpectedly this is how Jesus began his interaction with this intriguingly important woman. The surprise element immediately got her full attention, as you might imagine.

The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” John 4:9 (NLT)

Her curiosity set the stage for what came next – a strangely cryptic answer.

Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” John 4:10 (NLT)

Have you ever conversed with someone you knew held religious convictions that were completely opposite your own? How did that go? Did you walk on egg shells? Did you feel the tension? Did you skirt the subject altogether, or did you get right into an argument? Jesus, instead of answering her question, made a surprising statement about himself, which absorbed her attention. Of course, in our cases, we would not make such a statement about ourselves, but about the Lord. If we were there as present day followers of Christ, we might say something like the following.

“If you only knew the gift God has for you and the Jesus I know, you would ask him to give you living water.”

She quite naturally asked him where he would get this water. She was thinking on the physical level, not realizing that he was leading her into spiritual realities.

Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14  But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” 15  “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.” John 4:13-15 (NLT)

To me it is unclear from the text whether she was being genuinely interested or a little sarcastic. You had to be there to know for sure. Regardless, what came next changed the dynamic of the conversation. Jesus shattered her guarded religiosity by providing her with a bit of personal information via the Holy Spirit, which some people call a “word of knowledge.” This is something a prophetic insight into a person can do.

“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. 17  “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— 18  for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!” John 4:16-18 (NLT)

Now it was Jesus’ turn to be a little sarcastic, but I am sure it was in a loving way. The surprise element contained in this prophetic insight, coupled with Jesus’ loving demeanor, opened her heart completely. From then on, she was “all ears.” Astonishingly, before the conversation ended, he also informed her that he was the Messiah, the one for whom she and her people were waiting. That was the very first time he told anyone so forthrightly. What an unexpected honor he extended to this Samaritan woman who was living with a man to whom she was not married! We must learn to see people through God’s eyes. If we can do that, we will be part of any number of God surprises!

Next God allowed this nameless woman, who was perhaps one of the village’s most despised inhabitants, to bring the entire village to faith in Christ. What a shock that God would do that! His disciples wondered that Jesus would even talk with a woman because that is something Jewish rabbis did not do. What a total shock that an entire Samaritan village would acknowledge Jesus’ messianic claims, something no Jewish village had ever done!

As we go through our day, are we looking for unexpected God opportunities to speak to people?

Do we see ourselves as God’s representatives, who are capable of ministering God’s life to others with the Spirit’s help? Are we seeking to be loving, intriguing, and surprisingly compelling to those around us? Are we sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s promptings and willing for his gifts to flow through us? Are we ready to share the gospel when we get the opportunity?

John 4:35 promises us that there are people all around us who are ready to respond to the gospel, thanks to the unseen work of the Holy Spirit going on in the background. The harvest is ready because God is always at work. The question is whether he can find co-laborers to join him.

If not us, then who? Let’s ask the Lord to open our eyes to see the harvest and give us divine appointments with those whose hearts are open to God. Who knows what may happen? We may experience our own version of “Surprise!”

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Part 7: Come and See

 

 

 

 

 

Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” John 1:46 (ESV)

A common misconception is that discipleship is only for people who already believe, acknowledge, and follow Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Jesus called people to embark on a discipleship journey before they were true believers, much less committed followers. The call to follow Jesus is a call to discipleship. In the verse above Philip invited an unbeliever to explore the possibility that Jesus is the Messiah. It was an invitation to meet and personally experience Jesus’ ministry and words.

“Come and See” is an invitation to come alongside those who already believe to see if Jesus is the real deal, in an environment where it is okay to ask questions and wrestle with doubts.

Philip’s plan was to bring Nathanael into a personal encounter with Jesus, trusting that our Lord could and would handle it from there. Is there a way that we can do the same thing today?

This is how Jesus brought me into his band of disciples. My girlfriend at the time, now my wife of forty-eight years, boldly told me that she had come to know Jesus in a personal way and become his follower. After recovering from the initial shock and after spending time with her and some other followers of Christ, I decided that I wanted to know for myself if this Jesus were indeed still alive and who the Bible says he is, the resurrected Lord. I did what seemed reasonable to me to do. I asked this Jesus, if he were real, to come into my life and somehow reveal himself to me. I cannot remember if anyone suggested that I do this, or if it was my own idea. Regardless, it was the first big step I took in coming to believe.

After spending time my girlfriend Jesus follower, I was convinced that something significant had happened to her that I could not explain. I invited Jesus to show me that he is who the Bible says.

When I prayed for our Lord to reveal himself to me, I was serious. I did not believe yet that he really rose from the dead; so, I could not fake faith. I would not pretend to be a believer. I suppose that some people do, but at least I had that much integrity. If I were to become a believer, something had to happen to move me from unbelief to faith. I had no idea if or how that could happen. I just prayed the prayer and left it at that.

Almost immediately I changed on the inside. I did not connect the dots at first, but I remember realizing that I was different – happier and more considerate and willing to serve others. To be honest, I thought it was because I was meditating better. I was exploring Zen Buddhism at the time in my search for truth. A couple of weeks later, after spending more time with my beloved Jesus follower, my mind was engaged in thinking about Jesus again. While meditating on these things late at night while all alone, I suddenly remembered the prayer I made earlier. Yes, I had forgotten. I really was not trying hard to become a believer. I was not struggling over these things, but at that moment I was engaged. When I recollected the prayer, the little room where I stood all alone seemed to fill up with God’s presence. Don’t ask me how I knew it was God. I just knew.

Suddenly deep inside I was convinced that Jesus is real and who the Bible says he is. I have no explanation for how I became a fully convinced believer in a flash, except that Jesus came to me by his Spirit and opened up the eyes of my heart.

Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” 16  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17  Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Matthew 16:15-17 (NLT)

This all started by my spending time with other believers, one in particular, which resulted in my making the decision to invite Jesus to reveal himself to me. I came and saw, and have never been the same since that Jesus encounter!

“Come and See” is not primarily an invitation to come hear a preacher or visit a church service. Instead, it is an invitation to spend time with people who already believe who can lead us to a personal encounter with Christ.

This requires us believers to live in such a way that will be inspiring and welcoming. This means our devotion and faith should be evident and easily rub off on others. It means that how we live should draw people to Christ, not because we are perfect, but because we are in love with God. God wants us to present ourselves as humble followers of Jesus who still have much to learn, rather than as know-it-alls, whose arrogant smugness repels people. Philip was committed to Jesus. His zeal inspired Nathanael to give it a shot, and Jesus took it from there.

The opposite is also true unfortunately. Some churchgoers live in such a way that detracts from the gospel and repels potential seekers, who see the obvious hypocrisy.

We are either magnets who draw people toward Christ or we are pushing them away.

If we are passionless churchgoers, that in itself is an advertisement against Christ. This is something we followers of Christ need to take very seriously.

Coming to faith in Jesus is sometimes more of a journey than a momentary burst of revelation. It was for most of his first disciples. They did not have a clue about the Lord’s real identity at first, but something drew them to Jesus. It was only after his resurrection that things became clearer. When exactly did Peter know that Jesus was the Messiah? We don’t know, but somehow he came to believe. Many people cannot point to an exact moment, as I can, when they became a believer, but they definitely believe in Christ and follow him.

Inviting people to walk with us as we follow Jesus is one way to fish for people.

God wants us to invest in the lives of those around us to give them the opportunity to behold Christ’s life in us and hear his words from us. He wants us to spend time with people, so they can ask questions and we can offer answers. He wants us to fall in love with people so that we truly care for them and want the very best for them. Let’s not be in a hurry and rush the discipleship journey. Let’s invite people to “Come and See.”

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