A Famous “Do Over.”
John 21: 1 – 19.
I. Introduction.
When we were kids, we all knew what a “Do Over” was. A “Do Over” is when you ask your playmates for one more chance to get it right. Maybe you struck out while playing baseball and need a “Do Over” to hit the ball. Perhaps you tripped over the jump rope and need a “Do Over” to stay in rhythm with the song.
However, children aren’t the only ones who need a “Do Over.” I don’t want to admit how many times I have to hit more than one golf ball off the first tee.
Sometimes even the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court needs a “Do Over.”
Have you heard that there is a new President of the United States? On Tuesday, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. and Barack Obama stood on the steps of the United States Capital and stuttered and stammered through the oath of office.
On live television, most people did not really know what had happened. In fact, it was somewhat endearing to think that Obama was so excited about assuming the office of President that he might have gone through the oath too quickly. Yet, we learned after the fact that these two men—perhaps two of the smartest men in our nation—actually got confused. These two intelligent men got one word out of order.
The Presidential Oath of Office is only 35 words. But these 35 words are listed in the U.S. Constitution. They are important words. They are heavy, weighty words.
The oath is supposed to say: "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
But here is what came out: "I do solemnly swear that I will execute the office of President of the United States faithfully, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
I do not claim to be a Constitutional expert. But it sounds like this oath is close enough. All the words are there. It is just the order of the words that is in question.
Officially, the oath of office was administered at noon on Tuesday. But just to make sure there would be no challenges to the new President’s legitimacy, Chief Justice Roberts got a “Do Over.” On Wednesday night, Obama, Roberts and a small group of news reporters gathered in the Map Room of the White House to re-administer the oath of office. You will be glad to know, they got it right on the second try
(http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090122/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_oath_do_over;_ylt=AhsDwTU1JLhMdWi_7FNH18gDW7oF ).
On one hand, this is an interesting political story. I’m not sure if it reveals more about respect for the exact wording of the Constitution or fear of politically motivated lawsuits. On the other hand, this is a Gospel story. I believe every person has an inherent desire for a “Do Over.” We have regrets. We have broken relationships. We have guilt and shame over sin. We wish we could just ask for another chance.
The story of Obama’s oath of office will probably make it into the history books someday. It is a famous “Do Over.” But it reminds me of another famous “Do Over” recorded at the end of the Gospel of John.
Read John 21: 1 – 19.
According to John, this is the third time Jesus has appeared to his disciples after the Resurrection. The first appearance was in a locked room, where only ten of the twelve disciples had gathered with some of the other Jesus followers—including some women. There were only ten disciples present, because Judas had died, and Thomas was absent for some reason. A week later, Jesus appeared a second time…And Thomas was there.
These first two appearances happened in Jerusalem. This third appearance happened on the banks of the Lake of Galilee—approximately 65 miles North of Jerusalem.
We don’t know why the disciples chose to go to Galilee. We don’t know how long it took them to get there. Perhaps they left Jerusalem one week after the Resurrection. Perhaps they felt threatened in Jerusalem. After all, the Jewish religious leaders and the Roman politicians had killed Jesus in Jerusalem. The disciples could have been next on the list of “people to kill.”
All we know is that most of the disciples had originally grown up in the region of Galilee. So, seven of the twelve disciples went back to their homes. They went back to familiar surroundings—family, friends, comfortable surroundings, etc…
John doesn’t say this, but the Gospel of Mark gave the disciples specific instructions about what they should do after the Resurrection. The women who came to the empty tomb were given a message to deliver. The angel at the tomb said, “Tell the disciples and Peter, Jesus is going ahead of you into Galilee.”
I don’t think we should fault the disciples for going to Galilee. This is where Jesus wanted them to go. But, Jesus never told them what they should do in Galilee.
Old habits are hard to break. When Jesus first encountered the twelve disciples, many of them were fishermen. They worked in the family business. They left the family business to follow Jesus on a journey of faith. There might have been some family pressure for the disciples to go back to work. I can just hear Peter’s mother, “When are you going to help your father? He’s too old to have to do all the work by himself. He hasn’t been the same since you left. He always wanted you to take over the business. You were so good with your hands.”
Whatever their reasons, Peter was the first one to think about going fishing. In this example, Peter functioned as the leader of the disciples. On one hand, we expect that. He was a man of action with an infectious personality. He was a natural-born leader. We even expect it, because of our knowledge of early church history from the book of Acts. On the other hand, we don’t expect the other disciples to follow Peter. Only a few days earlier, Peter had broken his promise to Jesus and failed miserably. While warming himself around a fire outside the governor’s mansion, Peter had cursed and denied ever knowing Jesus.
Fishing was a natural choice for the disciples. They had grown up working in the industry and presumably had been successful. But not on this night. The disciples fished all night long and were coming back to shore empty-handed.
The disciples planned their fishing trip at night so they could bring their catch to shore in time to sell their fish in the market. When they returned to shore, they were met by a man whom they probably thought would be a good customer. But this was no customer. It was Jesus.
Jesus’ words to the disciples are significant for several reasons. First, he addressed them literally as “Children.” Second, he made them admit their failure by asking about their catch. Third, Jesus instructed them on how they could haul in a miraculous catch of 153 fish.
This might seem like a small, insignificant miracle. But there is some good theology here. No matter where the disciples might go or how they might have failed Jesus, he still addressed them as his “children.” When the disciples confessed their failure, Jesus came to their aid. And, when the disciples obeyed Jesus’ commands, they experienced a miracle. How many times do we miss out on a miracle because we fail to obey Jesus’ commands?
The miraculous catch of fish was all that John needed to recognize who was standing on the shore. “It is the Lord!” he called. And, Peter leapt into action.
Peter is the first disciple to make it to shore and encounter Jesus. Then Peter became the central character in the rest of the story. It seems that this Resurrection appearance was all about Peter and his relationship with Jesus.
The conversation began when Jesus addressed Peter as “Simon, son of John.” Notice that Jesus did NOT call him Peter. That is significant, because Jesus is the one who changed his name from Simon to Peter. Yet, at this point, Jesus refused to use the name he originally suggested.
I can think of three reasons why Jesus would address him as “Simon, son of John.” First, that’s his name. Second, the name “Peter” is a nickname which means “Rock.” And lately Peter has not been acting much like a “rock.” He failed his Lord, denied knowing Jesus, and abandoned Jesus in his time of need. Third, this is Jesus’ way of showing Peter that he is giving him a “Do Over.”
Keep in mind where we are right now. We are not in Jerusalem anymore. No. We are on the shore of the Lake of Galilee. This is a special place to Peter. It is his hometown, AND this is the place where he first met Jesus. This is the place where Jesus called Peter to follow Jesus, leave his fishing business and become a fisher for people. In other words, Jesus has just taken Peter back to the very beginning of their relationship. He has a chance for a “Do Over.”
The conversation between Jesus and Peter revolves around three questions, three answers and three commands. Actually, it’s one question, one answer and one command. It just happened three times. Jesus asked, “Do you love me?” Peter answered, “I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The Greek text of John 21 reveals a subtle play on words in the conversation between Jesus and Peter. In Greek, Jesus’ question reads, “Do you agape me?” And Peter’s answer reads, “I philo you.”
I suppose it is possible to build a sermon from the basic meanings of these two Greek words for love. Agape love is selfless and giving love, best defined by Jesus’ self-giving sacrifice on the cross. Phileo love is something akin to friendship.
This is a very attractive interpretation…except for a couple of problems. If Peter never used the word agape to describe his love for Jesus, then Jesus had to compromise his expectations for Peter. In fact, when we look at the commandments Jesus gave Peter, we would have to say that Jesus gave Peter a divine calling despite his inferior love for Jesus. The second problem is even more difficult to overcome. More than likely Jesus and Peter did not have this conversation in Greek. They probably spoke in Aramaic. And Aramaic only has one word for “love.” So, there must be another reason for the three questions.
Jesus asked for Peter’s love three times. Does that remind you of anything? Better yet, should the number three remind Peter of anything? Yes. It ought to remind him of the three times he had previously denied knowing Jesus. Remember in John 18, we read that Peter stood by a fire and denied Jesus three times. Now, in John 21, we watch as Peter and Jesus stand by another fire as Peter professes his love for Jesus three times. This is a “Do Over.”
Yes, Peter had failed. He had an opportunity to stand up for his Lord but refused. He denied knowing Jesus. No matter how badly you have failed, you too can have a “Do Over.” Jesus wants to give you another second chance. (I like the way that sounds, “Another Second Chance.” It’s not just a second chance. It’s another second chance!)
But notice how Jesus wanted Peter to use his second chance. Jesus said, “If you love me, feed my lambs; take care of my sheep; and feed my sheep.” Again we find a variety of words, which might lead us to interpret these commands as being separate commands. However, I think they are the same thing, repeated in three similar statements. In fact, Jesus’ commands to Peter only have one word in common: “my.”
Jesus did not hand over his sheep to Peter. The sheep still belong to Jesus. Peter simply has a responsibility to care for Jesus’ sheep.
You and I might not know much about sheep and how to take care of sheep. But Peter knew about sheep. Most every family in the ancient world had their own flock of sheep. The flock of sheep was their primary source of wool, milk, meat and religious sacrifices. Shepherding the flock was a responsibility of every family and was a position traditionally held by the youngest son. When he got older, he could go to work for his father in the family business. But every young man took responsibility for shepherding the flock.
We often talk about sheep as being dependent animals. They need a shepherd to look after them and to take care of their needs. But there is another thing about sheep that we sometimes forget. Sheep are a herd animal. They don’t do well on their own. They stick together. They need each other.
The Old Testament is full of references to sheep and shepherds. Many of these references describe the people of Israel as sheep. The New Testament adopts this same language to describe God’s people—the church—as sheep. So, I believe Jesus was commanding Peter to use his “Do Over” in the church.
You and I are like sheep. We are dependent on our shepherd—Jesus—to take care of our needs. AND, we need to flock together in the church. Christians NEVER do well on our own out in the world.
II. Conclusion.
Notice Jesus’ question in verse 15: “Simon, son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” We don’t really know what Jesus was asking Peter, because there is some debate about what “these” refers to. It could mean, “Do you love me more than the other disciples love me?” Or, “Do you love me more than you love the other disciples?” Or, “Do you love me more than you love your fishing boat and nets?”
Recently, I was listening to a sermon on the Internet by Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. He told a story about a woman in his church who was living with her boyfriend but attending church every week. She was a Christian, she knew she shouldn’t be living with her boyfriend, but she couldn’t move out. He told her very plainly, “You love your boyfriend more than you love Jesus.”
I saw this personally in a conversation over lunch a few weeks ago. Aubrey asked a guy, “Where do you go to church?” He answered, “I don’t go to church right now. I am coaching my daughter’s select softball team that plays on Sundays. So, my family reads the Bible and prays together. But we can’t go to church.” Which do you think he loves more? Softball? His daughter? Jesus?
I think Jesus is standing on the shore today offering us a “Do Over.” It doesn’t matter how badly you have failed. But he is asking us the same question he asked Peter, “Do you love me more than these?” Then, Jesus will give us his calling for our lives…Take care of the church.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009: Jesus Is Coming. Look Busy!
Jesus Is Coming, Look Busy!
Matthew 25: 1 – 13 and 2 Peter 3: 8 – 9.
I. Introduction.
One of Jesus’ most common methods of teaching was to tell parables…These were stories, based on ordinary occurrences, which illustrated a spiritual truth…usually something about the Kingdom of God.
At this point in Matthew, Jesus told 3 parables related to the End Times, or the Second Coming of Christ. Each parable has the same basic theme:
1) Parable of the Faithful Servant (Matthew 24: 45ff.)…The master left one servant in charge while on a journey. It was important for this servant to carry out masters orders because he did not know when he might return.
2) Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25: 14ff.)…The master went on a journey and divided assets among 3 servants. The 2 who put the master’s money to work and earned extra money were rewarded. The one who hid the master’s money and didn’t even earn interest was punished.
3) Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25: 1ff)…
The focus of this parable is same as in the others: Be Prepared. Be Ready for the coming of the Son of Man. Be in a constant state of readiness.
In other words, Jesus is coming, Look Busy!
Read Matthew 25: 1 – 13.
Within this parable there are several “obvious” symbols / allegories.
1) Bridegroom = Christ. . .cf. Mt 9:15 (only other occurrence in Matthew)
2) The coming of the bridegroom = delayed return of Christ.
3) Wise Virgins = Faithful People.
4) Foolish Virgins = Unfaithful People.
5) Wedding Feast = Final Judgment.
The story describes a common scene that would take place at a First Century Jewish “wedding feast.” After the legal proceedings had taken place, the bride would return to her parents’ home & the groom to his parents’. Both the bride & groom would be dressed as if they were prince & princess, complete with robes & crowns. Then the groom would travel to the bride’s house to get his new wife.
Then the bride & groom would proceed to their new home accompanied by all their family and friends. This processional was nothing short of what we think of as a parade…marching, costumes, music, dancing, and Shriners’ driving around in those little cars.
When the wedding parade arrived in the bride & groom’s new home, a wedding banquet was held in their honor.
Often, there would be some friends and family members who might not want to make the entire journey, but would want to participate in the feast and at least part of the parade. These friends would wait along the roadside until the wedding parade passed by. There, they would join the parade the rest of the way to the banquet. And that describes the parable that Jesus gave his disciples.
There are some translations that use the word “bridesmaid” instead of “virgin.” The Greek word used here is the word that is literally translated “virgin.” So, there is no reason to think that these ten young women were an official part of a wedding ceremony as we think of it today.
Ten young women were waiting on the roadside for the wedding parade. Five of these planned in advance and brought extra oil for their lamps. The other five only brought what oil was already in their lamps.
They weren’t sure what time to expect the parade…Perhaps it was a long journey…Or maybe the parade would make several stops along the way. Whatever the case, the young women had to wait for a return that they did not know the exact time.
As they waited, it got later and later. Eventually all the young women fell asleep. Fortunately, someone was awake to sound the alarm that the wedding parade was approaching. By this time it was midnight, and all their lamps were beginning to grow dim.
The wise women refilled their lamps with the extra oil they had brought. These women had actually anticipated a delay in the parade and wanted to be prepared. The foolish women, on the other hand couldn’t refill their lamps. They had to go to the markets and buy more oil at midnight. By the time they found a place to buy more oil, bought it and returned to the parade, they were too late to join the procession. In fact, they were too late to be included in the wedding banquet. All of this, because they were not prepared.
What can we learn from this parable? There are applications which are important to us even today as we wait on the eventual Second Coming of Christ. Let us learn from the example of the Wise Virgins. When Christ does return, let him find us Prepared and Waiting.
II. Prepared.
To be prepared for the Second Coming of Christ doesn’t mean filling your basement bunker with canned foods, bottled water & weapons. But if you do that, be sure to pack an old fashioned can opener. The electric ones do not work if there is no power.
To be prepared doesn’t mean that you should make a video describing the Rapture to your friends and family members who have been Left Behind.
To be prepared doesn’t even mean that you participate in activities that SUPPOSEDLY will speed up the Second Coming of Christ.
No, there is a preparation which is much more important. Jesus wanted his disciples (and us) to be SPIRITUALLY prepared.
Notice that the ten young women were described by two adjectives at the beginning of the parable…(Read v. 2)
Then, at the end of the parable, they were described differently…(Read vv. 10 – 11)
1) Wise…or Ready…these young women were welcomed into the wedding feast.
2) Foolish…or Others…these young women were excluded…they could not even get in the door.
Now, let’s take a closer look at what was going on in the scene at the door of the wedding feast…(Read vv. 11 – 12)
Does that sounds familiar? Does it sound like what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount (found in Matthew 7: 21 – 23)?
The same Greek word that is translated “sir” in Matthew 25 is translated “Lord” in Matthew 7. In both cases, the people who stood on the OUTSIDE of the door cried out, “Lord, Lord…” And, in both cases, the reply was, “I do not know you…”
Both of these passages teach the same lesson about the Kingdom of God. There is only one way that a person can be prepared. There is only one way a person can enter the Kingdom of God. It’s not by prophesying and preaching about Jesus…It’s not by performing miracles…It’s not by casting out demons…
All these things are good works, but good works can never prepare a person to enter Heaven. Not teaching Sunday School…Not by witnessing to hundreds and thousands of people…Not even by tithing…
The ONLY way to be prepared is to know the Bridegroom…The young women were not excluded because they ran out of oil. They were excluded because the Bridegroom did not know them!
Both stories illustrate the importance of having a real relationship with God through faith in Jesus. Those who are foolish and not prepared—Those who do not have that relationship with the Bridegroom—will be excluded just as the other young women were excluded.
III. Waiting.
This parable carries the same theme as the other parables Jesus told at this time, with only one exception. All parables focused on the importance of being prepared on the day that Jesus returns. Most of these parables focused on the importance of being prepared in case Jesus returns earlier than we expect. However, the parable of the 10 virgins teaches us that we need to be prepared. Prepared for what? Prepared to wait! Even if Christ’s return takes longer than we at first expected.
That is an important part of Christian life…Waiting on Christ…Yet waiting does NOT mean we are supposed to fold our hands and do nothing! Waiting means we are to be faithful & obedient until Christ returns…To persevere in our faith.
There are two sides of waiting for Christ that are important.
1. We need to be prepared for a delay. Jesus may not come as soon as we think he ought to come. Just as Jesus prepared his disciples for a wait that might be longer than they expected, so he is preparing us even today. In Matthew 24, Jesus told his disciples that even the Son of Man—even Jesus himself—does not know the day or the hour of his return to this earth. So, if Jesus himself does not know the day or the hour of his return, then we have no reason to think any differently today.
2. We need to be ACTIVE as we wait. We need to busy ourselves with the things Jesus told us to do. Just like the faithful servant in Matthew 24 and the two faithful servants in Matthew 25, we need to do things our master wants us to do…even if he is delayed a long time.
Whenever there is war in the Middle East, there seems to be a fascination with the End of the World, the Battle of Armageddon, and the Second Coming of Christ. This was especially true when the Left Behind book series was popular. People sometimes ask questions like, “If a world-wide persecution of Christians takes place, will you be willing to give your life for Christ?” “If your life were required of you today, right now could you give it to God?” “If you were given a choice between renouncing your faith or dying because of your faith, which would you choose?”
There is an inherent problem with these questions. The problem is that these questions tend to depict a kind of decision that is different from what most of us will have to face. There is a better way of looking at this.
Sometimes we think that giving our lives for Christ is like taking a $1000 bill and plunking it down on the table…“Here’s my life. I am giving it all to you Lord.”
But the problem is, we don’t have one $1000 bill. We have $1000 in pennies…400,000 pennies. For most of us, God will not ask us to lay down one $1000 bill in obedience to him. Rather, we will be held accountable for the way we used all 400,000 of those pennies. Have you given all of your pennies for Christ?
This is what the Parable of the Ten Virgins teaches us. There may not be a time when all of your life is required of you at one time. But for all of us, God requires us to be FAITHFUL…To be Prepared by having a personal relationship with Jesus as Lord and Savior…To Wait ACTIVELY—fully engaged in the work Jesus commanded us to do…
What is the work Jesus wants us to do until he returns?
At this point, we could turn in our Bibles to Matthew 28 and read the last words Jesus gave to his disciples: “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.”
Or we could turn to another place in Scripture—2 Peter 3: 8 – 9, “But do not forget this one thing friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
IV. Conclusion.
Today is a special day in the life of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Our executive director has set the goal for our churches to share the Gospel with every person in the state of Texas by Easter Sunday 2010—Texas Hope 2010. Today is the day churches have been asked to commit to be a part of this evangelistic effort.
One way we can participate in this evangelistic effort is to distribute Scripture to every household in Angelina County. We can purchase CD-ROM’s for $1.00 that contain three things: an audio reading of John 3; a visual presentation of the Gospel; and a link to download the entire New Testament from the Internet in one of 300 languages.
Our Missions and Evangelism Team has recommended that we raise $30,000 to purchase these CD’s for our entire county. Then, we will work with other churches in Angelina County to help us distribute to every household. We want to do our part to share the Gospel and give everyone an opportunity to “come to repentance.”
When John F. Kennedy was campaigning for President, he often concluded his campaign speeches with this story…
May 19, 1780. . .Hartford, Connecticut.
At Noon the sun was covered by clouds. . .the sky turned from gray to black during the afternoon.
People began to fear that the world was coming to an end that day.
The Connecticut House of Representatives was in session. . .got to a point that they could no longer see. . .also began to fear the end of the world.
Until one of the representatives silenced the crowd with these words. . .
“The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. I wish, therefore, that candles may be brought.”
The Parable of the Ten Wise Young Women teaches us much the same lesson. Either Christ is returning soon, or he is not. If he is not, then we should not stop our mission. If he is, then I choose that Jesus would find me faithfully obeying the Christian mission.
Matthew 25: 1 – 13 and 2 Peter 3: 8 – 9.
I. Introduction.
One of Jesus’ most common methods of teaching was to tell parables…These were stories, based on ordinary occurrences, which illustrated a spiritual truth…usually something about the Kingdom of God.
At this point in Matthew, Jesus told 3 parables related to the End Times, or the Second Coming of Christ. Each parable has the same basic theme:
1) Parable of the Faithful Servant (Matthew 24: 45ff.)…The master left one servant in charge while on a journey. It was important for this servant to carry out masters orders because he did not know when he might return.
2) Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25: 14ff.)…The master went on a journey and divided assets among 3 servants. The 2 who put the master’s money to work and earned extra money were rewarded. The one who hid the master’s money and didn’t even earn interest was punished.
3) Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25: 1ff)…
The focus of this parable is same as in the others: Be Prepared. Be Ready for the coming of the Son of Man. Be in a constant state of readiness.
In other words, Jesus is coming, Look Busy!
Read Matthew 25: 1 – 13.
Within this parable there are several “obvious” symbols / allegories.
1) Bridegroom = Christ. . .cf. Mt 9:15 (only other occurrence in Matthew)
2) The coming of the bridegroom = delayed return of Christ.
3) Wise Virgins = Faithful People.
4) Foolish Virgins = Unfaithful People.
5) Wedding Feast = Final Judgment.
The story describes a common scene that would take place at a First Century Jewish “wedding feast.” After the legal proceedings had taken place, the bride would return to her parents’ home & the groom to his parents’. Both the bride & groom would be dressed as if they were prince & princess, complete with robes & crowns. Then the groom would travel to the bride’s house to get his new wife.
Then the bride & groom would proceed to their new home accompanied by all their family and friends. This processional was nothing short of what we think of as a parade…marching, costumes, music, dancing, and Shriners’ driving around in those little cars.
When the wedding parade arrived in the bride & groom’s new home, a wedding banquet was held in their honor.
Often, there would be some friends and family members who might not want to make the entire journey, but would want to participate in the feast and at least part of the parade. These friends would wait along the roadside until the wedding parade passed by. There, they would join the parade the rest of the way to the banquet. And that describes the parable that Jesus gave his disciples.
There are some translations that use the word “bridesmaid” instead of “virgin.” The Greek word used here is the word that is literally translated “virgin.” So, there is no reason to think that these ten young women were an official part of a wedding ceremony as we think of it today.
Ten young women were waiting on the roadside for the wedding parade. Five of these planned in advance and brought extra oil for their lamps. The other five only brought what oil was already in their lamps.
They weren’t sure what time to expect the parade…Perhaps it was a long journey…Or maybe the parade would make several stops along the way. Whatever the case, the young women had to wait for a return that they did not know the exact time.
As they waited, it got later and later. Eventually all the young women fell asleep. Fortunately, someone was awake to sound the alarm that the wedding parade was approaching. By this time it was midnight, and all their lamps were beginning to grow dim.
The wise women refilled their lamps with the extra oil they had brought. These women had actually anticipated a delay in the parade and wanted to be prepared. The foolish women, on the other hand couldn’t refill their lamps. They had to go to the markets and buy more oil at midnight. By the time they found a place to buy more oil, bought it and returned to the parade, they were too late to join the procession. In fact, they were too late to be included in the wedding banquet. All of this, because they were not prepared.
What can we learn from this parable? There are applications which are important to us even today as we wait on the eventual Second Coming of Christ. Let us learn from the example of the Wise Virgins. When Christ does return, let him find us Prepared and Waiting.
II. Prepared.
To be prepared for the Second Coming of Christ doesn’t mean filling your basement bunker with canned foods, bottled water & weapons. But if you do that, be sure to pack an old fashioned can opener. The electric ones do not work if there is no power.
To be prepared doesn’t mean that you should make a video describing the Rapture to your friends and family members who have been Left Behind.
To be prepared doesn’t even mean that you participate in activities that SUPPOSEDLY will speed up the Second Coming of Christ.
No, there is a preparation which is much more important. Jesus wanted his disciples (and us) to be SPIRITUALLY prepared.
Notice that the ten young women were described by two adjectives at the beginning of the parable…(Read v. 2)
Then, at the end of the parable, they were described differently…(Read vv. 10 – 11)
1) Wise…or Ready…these young women were welcomed into the wedding feast.
2) Foolish…or Others…these young women were excluded…they could not even get in the door.
Now, let’s take a closer look at what was going on in the scene at the door of the wedding feast…(Read vv. 11 – 12)
Does that sounds familiar? Does it sound like what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount (found in Matthew 7: 21 – 23)?
The same Greek word that is translated “sir” in Matthew 25 is translated “Lord” in Matthew 7. In both cases, the people who stood on the OUTSIDE of the door cried out, “Lord, Lord…” And, in both cases, the reply was, “I do not know you…”
Both of these passages teach the same lesson about the Kingdom of God. There is only one way that a person can be prepared. There is only one way a person can enter the Kingdom of God. It’s not by prophesying and preaching about Jesus…It’s not by performing miracles…It’s not by casting out demons…
All these things are good works, but good works can never prepare a person to enter Heaven. Not teaching Sunday School…Not by witnessing to hundreds and thousands of people…Not even by tithing…
The ONLY way to be prepared is to know the Bridegroom…The young women were not excluded because they ran out of oil. They were excluded because the Bridegroom did not know them!
Both stories illustrate the importance of having a real relationship with God through faith in Jesus. Those who are foolish and not prepared—Those who do not have that relationship with the Bridegroom—will be excluded just as the other young women were excluded.
III. Waiting.
This parable carries the same theme as the other parables Jesus told at this time, with only one exception. All parables focused on the importance of being prepared on the day that Jesus returns. Most of these parables focused on the importance of being prepared in case Jesus returns earlier than we expect. However, the parable of the 10 virgins teaches us that we need to be prepared. Prepared for what? Prepared to wait! Even if Christ’s return takes longer than we at first expected.
That is an important part of Christian life…Waiting on Christ…Yet waiting does NOT mean we are supposed to fold our hands and do nothing! Waiting means we are to be faithful & obedient until Christ returns…To persevere in our faith.
There are two sides of waiting for Christ that are important.
1. We need to be prepared for a delay. Jesus may not come as soon as we think he ought to come. Just as Jesus prepared his disciples for a wait that might be longer than they expected, so he is preparing us even today. In Matthew 24, Jesus told his disciples that even the Son of Man—even Jesus himself—does not know the day or the hour of his return to this earth. So, if Jesus himself does not know the day or the hour of his return, then we have no reason to think any differently today.
2. We need to be ACTIVE as we wait. We need to busy ourselves with the things Jesus told us to do. Just like the faithful servant in Matthew 24 and the two faithful servants in Matthew 25, we need to do things our master wants us to do…even if he is delayed a long time.
Whenever there is war in the Middle East, there seems to be a fascination with the End of the World, the Battle of Armageddon, and the Second Coming of Christ. This was especially true when the Left Behind book series was popular. People sometimes ask questions like, “If a world-wide persecution of Christians takes place, will you be willing to give your life for Christ?” “If your life were required of you today, right now could you give it to God?” “If you were given a choice between renouncing your faith or dying because of your faith, which would you choose?”
There is an inherent problem with these questions. The problem is that these questions tend to depict a kind of decision that is different from what most of us will have to face. There is a better way of looking at this.
Sometimes we think that giving our lives for Christ is like taking a $1000 bill and plunking it down on the table…“Here’s my life. I am giving it all to you Lord.”
But the problem is, we don’t have one $1000 bill. We have $1000 in pennies…400,000 pennies. For most of us, God will not ask us to lay down one $1000 bill in obedience to him. Rather, we will be held accountable for the way we used all 400,000 of those pennies. Have you given all of your pennies for Christ?
This is what the Parable of the Ten Virgins teaches us. There may not be a time when all of your life is required of you at one time. But for all of us, God requires us to be FAITHFUL…To be Prepared by having a personal relationship with Jesus as Lord and Savior…To Wait ACTIVELY—fully engaged in the work Jesus commanded us to do…
What is the work Jesus wants us to do until he returns?
At this point, we could turn in our Bibles to Matthew 28 and read the last words Jesus gave to his disciples: “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.”
Or we could turn to another place in Scripture—2 Peter 3: 8 – 9, “But do not forget this one thing friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
IV. Conclusion.
Today is a special day in the life of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Our executive director has set the goal for our churches to share the Gospel with every person in the state of Texas by Easter Sunday 2010—Texas Hope 2010. Today is the day churches have been asked to commit to be a part of this evangelistic effort.
One way we can participate in this evangelistic effort is to distribute Scripture to every household in Angelina County. We can purchase CD-ROM’s for $1.00 that contain three things: an audio reading of John 3; a visual presentation of the Gospel; and a link to download the entire New Testament from the Internet in one of 300 languages.
Our Missions and Evangelism Team has recommended that we raise $30,000 to purchase these CD’s for our entire county. Then, we will work with other churches in Angelina County to help us distribute to every household. We want to do our part to share the Gospel and give everyone an opportunity to “come to repentance.”
When John F. Kennedy was campaigning for President, he often concluded his campaign speeches with this story…
May 19, 1780. . .Hartford, Connecticut.
At Noon the sun was covered by clouds. . .the sky turned from gray to black during the afternoon.
People began to fear that the world was coming to an end that day.
The Connecticut House of Representatives was in session. . .got to a point that they could no longer see. . .also began to fear the end of the world.
Until one of the representatives silenced the crowd with these words. . .
“The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. I wish, therefore, that candles may be brought.”
The Parable of the Ten Wise Young Women teaches us much the same lesson. Either Christ is returning soon, or he is not. If he is not, then we should not stop our mission. If he is, then I choose that Jesus would find me faithfully obeying the Christian mission.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009: Priceless.
Priceless.
Matthew 13: 44 – 46.
I. Introduction.
I read a story in Reader’s Digest several months ago about a boy who was visiting at a friend’s house. He called his mother to tell her that he had accidentally broken a vase while he and his friend were playing. He quickly told his mother, “Don’t worry about trying to replace the vase. Johnnie’s mother said it was irreplaceable.”
There are some things that we can discard and replace with very little difficulty. We can just buy another one just like it at the corner store. And then there are some things that can never be replaced because they have value all their own…A value that goes far beyond monetary value…
This makes me think of the popular Master Card advertising. One of my favorites is one of the first ones to come out. A father and son attend a Major League Baseball game together. It quotes the incredibly high price of Baseball tickets…Overpriced Hotdogs and Programs…Then it states that the time spent as father and son together is “Priceless”…
The commercial is right…There ARE some things money cannot buy. Because they are worth much more than money. They may be Priceless…But they are certainly not cheap…Or even free…
Read Matthew 13: 44 – 46.
Matthew 13 shows Jesus as teaching in parables…It gives at least two different reasons why Jesus taught in parables…
1. Verses 10 – 11…Jesus told his disciples that they know the secrets of the Kingdom while the crowds do not know the secret…Parables both reveal and conceal…cf. the prophecy of Isaiah in vv. 14ff…
2. Verses 33 – 34…Matthew told the readers that Jesus spoke in parables in order to fulfill the words of the Psalmist…
It is interesting that in all four Gospels most of Jesus’ parables deal with the Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven. What is the difference between the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God? No difference between Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God! We believe Matthew was the most Jewish of all the Gospel authors…Therefore, he was afraid to use the name “God” carelessly.
In this passage, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to two things…A Treasure Hidden in a Field…And a Pearl of Great Price…
II. Verse 44.
One day a man went to work in the field just as he had done the day before and the week before that. He worked for the standard wage of the day—one denarius per day—and had virtually no hope of ever getting a raise or of ever reaching the point where he was self-sufficient. He would always work for someone else and be thankful for whatever pay they were willing to give him.
That all changed one afternoon as he was working in his boss’ field. This field hand made a discovery that would forever change his life for the better. He discovered a large treasure buried in the field that no one else knew about.
This seems a little strange to you and me as we compare this parable to our modern day banking system. We would NEVER bury treasure in a coffee can in the backyard. But in the ancient world, this was very common. Since enemies often invaded the land and took over property from the landowners, it became common for people to bury their valuables in jars. The invading enemies would not find treasure in the house, and the rightful owners could sneak back later and regain their treasure by digging it up in the cover of darkness.
Treasure hidden in a field…This begins like the American dream…You have just won (found) a Million dollars!…Something for nothing! What are you going to do about that Million dollars? Are you going to tell anyone? Of course not! That is your money…That is your treasure…You found it fair and square!
A man found it and hid it again…This is kind of sneaky…The man hid the treasure so that he could have it all to himself…He also hid it so that he could get a good price on the purchase of the land…Land owner would raise the price if he knew how valuable the land really was…
Then in his joy…Imagine how joyful you might be if you won (found) a Million dollars…But wait a minute…Jesus was not really talking about money or treasure…Jesus was talking about the Kingdom of God.
Imagine how joyful you might be if you inherited an Eternal Relationship with God…Imagine how excited you might be if God gave himself to you, that you might have forgiveness of all your sins…
You might just act like you did the last time your team or college won the championship…
The story may have started out as the American Dream—Something for Nothing—but that is not how it continued. No, this parable is not about Something for Nothing. This parable is about Something that Costs Everything!
He goes and sells all that he has and buys that field…This seems a little selfish to us…We like to think of the Kingdom of God as something to be shared with other people…Nobody ever teaches us about taking the Kingdom for ourselves…But think about what this man just did…He got rid of everything else in his life so that he could have just one field that everyone else seems to have overlooked. Why? Because this field was worth more than all his other possessions combined.
This field was the only thing in all the world that would truly satisfy all the desires of his heart.
III. Verses 45 – 46.
Like a merchant seeking fine pearls…These parables have several things in common…They both describe the Kingdom of God as an incredible treasure…They both involve the discovery of something overlooked by other people…And they both stress that the Kingdom of God costs everything…
But here is one big difference…In the first parable the discovery is made by accident…A common day laborer, working out in the field, just “happened” to find treasure…But notice that the second parable is about a merchant who was an expert. He knew exactly what he was looking for and went out and found it… (He was like the antique dealers and experts on Antique Roadshow!)
The first parable was about an unexpected surprise…The second parable was about an expected discovery…Both were Once-In-A-Lifetime opportunities…
And upon finding one pearl of great value…How many pearls was he looking for? (Many) How many pearls did he find? (One)
Did you ever think you could be satisfied with just one thing? It is interesting how this relates to the problems of our modern world…Nothing really satisfies us…No matter how much we are able to accumulate, it is NEVER enough…How much will be enough?…Just one more…
How much money will it take to adequately compensate you for your daily work? How much fame and notoriety will satisfy your ego? How much stuff (toys, houses, cars, boats, clothes, etc…) will be enough? Just one more. Just one more Million dollars. Just one more house. Just one more car.
That is not the case with the Kingdom of God…You are satisfied with just one…The Kingdom of God is enough!…And it promises to satisfy…
He went and sold all that he had and bought it…How much did it cost him?…Just money?…Just property?…What about relationships?
Jesus did not describe exactly what he meant, and we could make a case that he was only referring to money and wealth…But the Kingdom of God does not just cost us money and wealth…It costs us everything we have…Money, Possessions, Property, Family, Friends, Jobs, Security, and on and on and on…
IV. Conclusion.
Why did the first man buy the land?
Why did the second man buy the pearl of great price?
You and I are so Americanized that I don’t think we could ever understand what Jesus is trying to teach us…Because we think in terms of investment…The man bought the land so he could turn around and resell it for more money…The man bought the pearl so he could turn around and sell it for more money…
That is NOT what Jesus was teaching… We think that was the meaning of the parable, because we think money can satisfy.
The first man bought the field so he could have the field…The second man bought the pearl so he could have the pearl…
The first man bought the field and kept it for himself and then what did he do?…He SAT in his field…
The second man bought the pearl and kept it for himself and then what did he do?…He SAT and looked at his pearl…
Why?…Because he was satisfied! He had discovered that his treasure was enough! He didn’t need anything else!
These two parables illustrate what Jesus taught us earlier in Matthew 6: 33… But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you…
Matthew 13: 44 – 46.
I. Introduction.
I read a story in Reader’s Digest several months ago about a boy who was visiting at a friend’s house. He called his mother to tell her that he had accidentally broken a vase while he and his friend were playing. He quickly told his mother, “Don’t worry about trying to replace the vase. Johnnie’s mother said it was irreplaceable.”
There are some things that we can discard and replace with very little difficulty. We can just buy another one just like it at the corner store. And then there are some things that can never be replaced because they have value all their own…A value that goes far beyond monetary value…
This makes me think of the popular Master Card advertising. One of my favorites is one of the first ones to come out. A father and son attend a Major League Baseball game together. It quotes the incredibly high price of Baseball tickets…Overpriced Hotdogs and Programs…Then it states that the time spent as father and son together is “Priceless”…
The commercial is right…There ARE some things money cannot buy. Because they are worth much more than money. They may be Priceless…But they are certainly not cheap…Or even free…
Read Matthew 13: 44 – 46.
Matthew 13 shows Jesus as teaching in parables…It gives at least two different reasons why Jesus taught in parables…
1. Verses 10 – 11…Jesus told his disciples that they know the secrets of the Kingdom while the crowds do not know the secret…Parables both reveal and conceal…cf. the prophecy of Isaiah in vv. 14ff…
2. Verses 33 – 34…Matthew told the readers that Jesus spoke in parables in order to fulfill the words of the Psalmist…
It is interesting that in all four Gospels most of Jesus’ parables deal with the Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven. What is the difference between the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God? No difference between Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God! We believe Matthew was the most Jewish of all the Gospel authors…Therefore, he was afraid to use the name “God” carelessly.
In this passage, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to two things…A Treasure Hidden in a Field…And a Pearl of Great Price…
II. Verse 44.
One day a man went to work in the field just as he had done the day before and the week before that. He worked for the standard wage of the day—one denarius per day—and had virtually no hope of ever getting a raise or of ever reaching the point where he was self-sufficient. He would always work for someone else and be thankful for whatever pay they were willing to give him.
That all changed one afternoon as he was working in his boss’ field. This field hand made a discovery that would forever change his life for the better. He discovered a large treasure buried in the field that no one else knew about.
This seems a little strange to you and me as we compare this parable to our modern day banking system. We would NEVER bury treasure in a coffee can in the backyard. But in the ancient world, this was very common. Since enemies often invaded the land and took over property from the landowners, it became common for people to bury their valuables in jars. The invading enemies would not find treasure in the house, and the rightful owners could sneak back later and regain their treasure by digging it up in the cover of darkness.
Treasure hidden in a field…This begins like the American dream…You have just won (found) a Million dollars!…Something for nothing! What are you going to do about that Million dollars? Are you going to tell anyone? Of course not! That is your money…That is your treasure…You found it fair and square!
A man found it and hid it again…This is kind of sneaky…The man hid the treasure so that he could have it all to himself…He also hid it so that he could get a good price on the purchase of the land…Land owner would raise the price if he knew how valuable the land really was…
Then in his joy…Imagine how joyful you might be if you won (found) a Million dollars…But wait a minute…Jesus was not really talking about money or treasure…Jesus was talking about the Kingdom of God.
Imagine how joyful you might be if you inherited an Eternal Relationship with God…Imagine how excited you might be if God gave himself to you, that you might have forgiveness of all your sins…
You might just act like you did the last time your team or college won the championship…
The story may have started out as the American Dream—Something for Nothing—but that is not how it continued. No, this parable is not about Something for Nothing. This parable is about Something that Costs Everything!
He goes and sells all that he has and buys that field…This seems a little selfish to us…We like to think of the Kingdom of God as something to be shared with other people…Nobody ever teaches us about taking the Kingdom for ourselves…But think about what this man just did…He got rid of everything else in his life so that he could have just one field that everyone else seems to have overlooked. Why? Because this field was worth more than all his other possessions combined.
This field was the only thing in all the world that would truly satisfy all the desires of his heart.
III. Verses 45 – 46.
Like a merchant seeking fine pearls…These parables have several things in common…They both describe the Kingdom of God as an incredible treasure…They both involve the discovery of something overlooked by other people…And they both stress that the Kingdom of God costs everything…
But here is one big difference…In the first parable the discovery is made by accident…A common day laborer, working out in the field, just “happened” to find treasure…But notice that the second parable is about a merchant who was an expert. He knew exactly what he was looking for and went out and found it… (He was like the antique dealers and experts on Antique Roadshow!)
The first parable was about an unexpected surprise…The second parable was about an expected discovery…Both were Once-In-A-Lifetime opportunities…
And upon finding one pearl of great value…How many pearls was he looking for? (Many) How many pearls did he find? (One)
Did you ever think you could be satisfied with just one thing? It is interesting how this relates to the problems of our modern world…Nothing really satisfies us…No matter how much we are able to accumulate, it is NEVER enough…How much will be enough?…Just one more…
How much money will it take to adequately compensate you for your daily work? How much fame and notoriety will satisfy your ego? How much stuff (toys, houses, cars, boats, clothes, etc…) will be enough? Just one more. Just one more Million dollars. Just one more house. Just one more car.
That is not the case with the Kingdom of God…You are satisfied with just one…The Kingdom of God is enough!…And it promises to satisfy…
He went and sold all that he had and bought it…How much did it cost him?…Just money?…Just property?…What about relationships?
Jesus did not describe exactly what he meant, and we could make a case that he was only referring to money and wealth…But the Kingdom of God does not just cost us money and wealth…It costs us everything we have…Money, Possessions, Property, Family, Friends, Jobs, Security, and on and on and on…
IV. Conclusion.
Why did the first man buy the land?
Why did the second man buy the pearl of great price?
You and I are so Americanized that I don’t think we could ever understand what Jesus is trying to teach us…Because we think in terms of investment…The man bought the land so he could turn around and resell it for more money…The man bought the pearl so he could turn around and sell it for more money…
That is NOT what Jesus was teaching… We think that was the meaning of the parable, because we think money can satisfy.
The first man bought the field so he could have the field…The second man bought the pearl so he could have the pearl…
The first man bought the field and kept it for himself and then what did he do?…He SAT in his field…
The second man bought the pearl and kept it for himself and then what did he do?…He SAT and looked at his pearl…
Why?…Because he was satisfied! He had discovered that his treasure was enough! He didn’t need anything else!
These two parables illustrate what Jesus taught us earlier in Matthew 6: 33… But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you…
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