Monday, March 12, 2012

Speaking of Faith: Spiritual Desire


Speaking of Faith: Spiritual Desire
Matthew 13: 44 – 46.

Introduction
“Religion is the opium of the people.”[1] 
This quote is famously attributed to the atheist philosopher Karl Marx.  It was the foundation of his belief that humans could create a better society by getting rid of religious belief and religious expression.  It led to the uniquely Twentieth Century phenomenon we call Communism and its ultimate expression in the Soviet Union.
Marx’ beliefs about religion were complex.  On one hand, he considered religion to be oppressive and dreamed of a society in which people were no longer held back by the teachings or authority of the organized church.  On the other hand, Marx labeled religion as an opiate—a drug which had the power to mask the pain of suffering or to induce dreams of a fantasy world.
Legendary psychologist Sigmund Freud held a similar view of religion as an opiate.  Freud claimed that religion was nothing more than wishful thinking that there was a God, who could accomplish all our unfulfilled father issues.  Since our earthly fathers are the ones who provide for us and give us protection when we are children, Freud suggests that we imagine that God is our Heavenly Father who does for us what our earthly fathers never could.
These two views of God are similar in the way they describe religion and belief in God as nothing more than a crutch for weak-minded people.  Faith is an illusion.  Religion is a crutch.  God is something we have created and not Someone who created us.
The biggest problem with this theory is the way it contradicts universal human experience.  We can illustrate this in two significant ways.
First, there is the historical evidence that religious belief has been widespread throughout human history.  People from many different cultures and historical eras have almost universally acknowledged that there is a God.  When I say “God,” I am referring to a supernatural Being who is worthy of reverence and worship.  This belief has taken on many different expressions—Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, nature worship, etc…  Not every culture has gotten this right, but every culture has entered into a search for meaning through a search for God.  This leaves us with an important choice.  Either, the vast majority of humanity in every culture and every historical era has been wrong to search for God.  Or, they haven’t.  The most rational choice is that they have not been wrong to search for God.  Therefore, the most rational choice is to believe that God exists, and we are correct to search for meaning by searching for God.
Second, we can argue that there is a natural and innate human desire to find God.  Of course, we know that every innate desire has some real object which can satisfy that desire.  For example, hunger is a desire for food—and food is real.  Being tired is a desire for sleep—and (believe it or not) sleep is real.  Thirst is a desire for water—and water is real.  Loneliness is a desire for companionship—and other people are real.
Someone might argue that they have desires which can never be satisfied.  Some people desire to drive a fancy sports car but realize they will never have enough money to buy a sports car.  Other people desire to fly through the air like Superman but realize none of us will ever have the ability to fly.  Some people even desire for the Baylor football team to win the national championship.  But these are not natural, innate or universal desires.  Not everyone wants to drive a sports car, fly like Superman or for Baylor to win a football championship.  These desires are conditioned by advertising, societal influences or where you went to school.  Desire for food, water and God are experienced universally.
I cannot say this better than C.S. Lewis:  “Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for these desires exists.  A baby feels hunger; well, there is such a thing as food.  A duckling wants to swim; well, there is such a thing as water.  Men feel sexual desire; well, there is such a thing as sex.  If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”[2]
There are really only two ways an atheist can argue with C.S. Lewis.  They might say something like, “But, I am perfectly happy and satisfied with the material things in life.”  Are they really happy and satisfied?  Universal human experience and the themes of classical literature suggest otherwise.  The search for meaning in life is uniquely human.  Plants do not search for meaning in life.  Dogs, horses and emus do not search for meaning.  To be human is to be unsatisfied with the material universe.
The other argument is to say something like, “I might not be happy and satisfied right now, but I will be happy if I could just have $10 Million, the biggest house in town and a new relationship.”  If you think this will bring you satisfaction, then you are in good company.  Billions of people are desperately searching for satisfaction like this right now.  They will be disappointed.  This is the only gamble in life guaranteed not to pay off.  It has been tried for centuries and has a proven 100% failure rate.
The good news is that people are beginning to realize that there is something else beyond the material world.  We have been taught by the brightest philosophers that the only real things in life are the things we can experience through our senses.  However, we are beginning to rebel against our philosophers.  TV personalities like Oprah Winfrey are teaching us about “spirituality.”  Bookstores are carrying books about mysticism, reincarnation, and (if you look hard enough) books about Jesus.
We can agree with the prayer of Saint Augustine of Hippo, who prayed, “Lord, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in you.”[3]

Matthew 13: 44 – 46.

44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.
46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
(NIV)



In this passage, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to two things…A Treasure Hidden in a Field…And a Pearl of Great Price…  It is a search for something that can satisfy our innate spiritual desire.




Verse 44: "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field."

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.



Verses 45 – 46:  "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it."

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 the TV show “American Pickers!”)
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…




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!

We live in a culture which believes it can find satisfaction in material things—money, property, relationships, popularity…the stuff of this world.  We think stuff can satisfy us even though we have been disappointed over and over.  There is a restlessness and dissatisfaction that is a part of human nature. 
Stuff cannot satisfy, because we have a homing instinct for God.  This is a clue which points us toward our true nature and destiny.  We have this homing instinct, because there is a home for us.  This world does not satisfy, because this world is not our home.
We were created for spiritual relationship with God…and nothing can satisfy that longing for God.  Nothing, except for God himself.
We were created for eternity…and nothing temporary can satisfy our longing for eternity.  Nothing, except for God himself.

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Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Speaking of Faith: Morality


Speaking of Faith: Morality
Matthew 7: 12

Introduction
“If there is no God, then everything is permissible.”[1] 
If there is no God, what is the foundation for moral values?  I would argue that without God, there is no foundation for morality.  Yet, it would be difficult for someone to argue that morality does not exist.
A popular point of view in Twenty-First Century American culture is to claim that everything is subjective.  There is no such thing as objective truth.  Reality is what I define it to be.  Reality for me is not necessarily reality for you.  Leave me alone.  You have no right or authority to tell me how to live my life.
There are several problems with the subjectivist point of view.  The main problem is that there is really no such thing as subjectivism.  On one hand, the people who promote subjective values are doing their very best to convert others to their point of view.  If truth is subjective, then you should allow me to believe whatever I want to believe.  On the other hand, there are Moral Values and Universal Evils that even people who claim to be subjectivists affirm and commit their lives to follow.
For example, we could open up a conversation between Christians and non-Christians in the United States and come up with a very good list of moral values that we could all agree on.  Individual Human Rights; Racial Equality; Respect for All People; Protection of Human Life; Protection of Property; Alleviating Suffering; Feeding the Hungry; and more.  These are positive values we all share.  We also share negative values—or, we might say we recognize universal evils which correspond to our universal values.  Murder; Dishonesty; Stealing; Sexual Immorality; and more.
The best way I know to illustrate this is to quote from the TV show “Judge Joe Brown.”  In one episode, a man was suing another man to recover the cost of stolen stereo equipment.  The defendant admitted that he had stolen the stereo equipment.  The problem was that he had already sold the equipment and no longer had the money.  Judge Joe Brown asked the defendant to hand over the keys to his house to the bailiff.  The defendant said, “Why do I have to give you my keys?”  The judge said, “I’m going to give them to the plaintiff so he can go take some of your stuff to cover the cost of what you stole from him.”  The defendant said, “That’s not fair!”
Protecting private property is a Moral Value.  Stealing is a Universal Evil.  No one—including a thief—wants someone to steal their personal property.
Where do these universal Moral Values come from?  How do we determine right from wrong?  What basis can we use to define murder, dishonesty, stealing and sexual immorality as evil?
 Perhaps Moral Values and Universal Evil are the products of the human conscience.  After all, everyone would agree that one should never willingly disobey their conscience.  But where does the human conscience come from?
There are four choices for the source of the human conscience: Something less than me, Me, Society, or Something greater than me.
I don’t believe the conscience comes from something less than me, because my dog doesn’t have a conscience.  Dogs do not value the property rights of others—especially when it comes to food.  Shauna and I had a dog one time that ate an entire pizza while we were in the other room watching a movie.  (We came back for a second slice, and the pizza was gone!)  I think we are all better (more moral) than my dog.
I don’t believe the conscience comes from me.  How could I ever believe that I am an absolute authority over other people, or even an authority over myself?  It is also problematic to think that I have made the rules I am required to follow.  If I locked myself in, I have the power to unlock the door and walk away.
I don’t believe the conscience comes from society.  What right (or authority) do other people have over me?  Also, we have discovered through racial inequality that millions of people can be wrong.  There may be strength in numbers, but strength does not guarantee that the majority opinion is necessarily the right choice.
This leaves us with only one good source for the human conscience.  It must come from something greater than me.  There must be an objective authority.  God, or something like God, must be the source of the human conscience that helps each of us to discern Moral Values and Universal Evil.
The Christian view of morality is based on the character of God.  This God has revealed himself to us in several ways.  First, he has revealed himself as Creator and has left us clues in the created universe which point us toward God’s goodness.  Second, he has revealed himself through Scripture which contains narratives about the way God continues to work in his creation as well as moral teachings about right and wrong.  Third, he has revealed himself through the life, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.  In the Person of Jesus, we can understand (perhaps only imperfectly) the mind of God and God’s desire to have a relationship with us, his special created beings.
There is a place in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount where we can find the entire moral teachings of Jesus summed up in one short verse.  We call this verse “The Golden Rule.”

Matthew 7: 12

12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
(NIV)

One view of Jesus’ Golden Rule is to say that Jesus promotes an entirely new morality over what we might find in the Old Testament.  Some people like to point out Old Testament references like Exodus 21: 23 – 25, “But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise (NIV).”

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is often interpreted as the basis for a barbaric society…But that is not the case at all…Believe it or not, this is actually GRACE…
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth actually limits the punishment that can be carried out when someone commits a crime against you.  For example, if someone knocks your tooth out, the law allows you to knock his tooth out…Nothing more…The punishment cannot exceed the crime.
Also, notice the high value placed on the human life.  A human being has intrinsic value as one who was created in the image of God, and there is no compensation sufficient to repay for a lost human life.  If a man is guilty of murder, then an eye, a tooth, even a hand cannot repay for the loss of another human life.  Of course, the opposite of that is also true—Human life is too high a price to pay for the loss of an eye or a tooth.  Imagine how barbaric the ancient world would have been without these kinds of limits…
Another view of Jesus’ Golden Rule is to say that it really wasn’t original to Jesus.  Some people say Jesus took a familiar proverbial saying and used it in his Sermon on the Mount.  Over time, we forgot about the familiar proverb and attributed it to Jesus as an original quote.
The closest we can get to the Golden Rule before Jesus, comes from a story about the rivalry between two Jewish rabbis, Rabbi Shammai and Rabbi Hillel.
One day a certain heathen approached Rabbi Shammai while he was working and inquired about becoming a Jew.  He said, “Make me a Proselyte, on condition that you teach me the whole Torah (Law) while I stand on one foot.”  Rabbi Shammai chased the heathen away with the ruler he had in his hand.
The same heathen made the same proposal to Rabbi Hillel.  The gracious Rabbi responded by saying, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor: that is the whole Torah (Law), while the rest is commentary thereon; go and learn it.”
Many scholars have noticed that Rabbi Hillel’s Rule sounds very similar to Jesus’ Golden Rule.  It is close, but not quite what Jesus said.  Rabbi Hillel’s Rule is often referred to as The Silver Rule. 
It is Silver, because it is Negative—Do Not Do Hateful Things…
It is Silver, because it can be kept by doing virtually nothing.  If you do nothing toward your neighbor, you are sure not to do anything hateful.
By contrast, the Golden Rule is a positive command—Do unto others as you would want them to do to you.  And, the Golden Rule cannot be kept by doing nothing.  It is wrong to withhold the good from other people you hope they will extend to you.
It is interesting to me how Jesus lays the groundwork for his Golden Rule.  Jesus does not offer us this teaching on morality by itself.  It appears in a context.  In fact, Jesus gives us three reasons to believe the Golden Rule is a good way to live our lives.

Jesus’ Golden Rule Can Be Proven from Human Experience.
One foundation for the Golden Rule is the way many of us have already experienced the Golden Rule at work in our lives.  The Golden Rule fits with our experience of good and evil in day to day living.
Jesus tells us to think of the way parents have a natural desire to bless our children.  Parents do not normally want to cause harm to their children.  Parents want to do what is best for their children.
Jesus gives us two examples of hungry children.  One child asks her parent for bread.  The other child asks his parent for a fish.  When children ask for bread, parents do not give them rocks.  When children ask for fish, parents do not give them snakes.  Bread and fish are good gifts to hungry children.  Rocks and snakes are evil gifts which can cause harm to a child.  No one thinks it is OK to harm a child.
We know the difference between good and evil.  We know to expect good from other people, and not evil.  And we know how to treat other people in the way we want to be treated.

Jesus’ Golden Rule Can Be Proven from Old Testament Law and Prophets.
Another foundation for the Golden Rule can be found in the Old Testament.  Jesus indicates this at the end of Matthew 7: 12 when he says this sums up the Law and the Prophets.  More than likely, Jesus’ phrase “the Law and the Prophets” is a reference to the entire Old Testament.
Jewish people divide their Bible into three sections: the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings.  The Law contains the first five books of the Old Testament—the books that have traditionally been attributed to Moses.  The Prophets contains the prophetic writings which span from the Book of Isaiah to the end of the Old Testament.  The Writings contains the poetic writings, the Proverbs, the history, and other books no one knew what to do with.
In the books of the Law, we read the Ten Commandments and the entire book of Leviticus.  There are direct commandments from God about how to conduct worship and practical laws about getting along with other people in society.  There are even some stories with examples of how God’s commandments are to be lived out.
In the Prophets, we read the sermons that were preached and lived out by prophetic spokesmen like Isaiah.  They spoke God’s word to God’s people.  In many cases, the prophets called God’s people to repentance.  God’s people abandoned the teachings of the Law and were chasing after false gods—or even trying to live as if there was no God.
And, Jesus says everything we read in the Law and Prophets is summed up in the Golden Rule.  If you don’t want to be murdered, then don’t murder others.  If you don’t want your spouse committing adultery, don’t commit adultery.  If you don’t want people stealing from you, don’t steal from others.  If you don’t want people to lie to you, don’t lie to them.  If you don’t want people coveting your possessions, don’t covet what other people have.
Wait, that’s not the Golden Rule.  That’s the Silver Rule.  The Golden Rule teaches us to value the lives of all people.  Give respect and dignity to all people.  Make your marriage and your spouse your priority.  Value honesty in all relationships.  Be content with your own possessions and recognize that everything you have is a gift from God.  This sums up the entire Old Testament.

Jesus’ Golden Rule Can Be Proven from the Character of God.
A third foundation for the Golden Rule can be found in the character of God himself.
There are several things we can say about the character of God.  We can use the “omni” words to describe God.  God is Omnipotent—all powerful.  God is Omniscient—all knowing.  God is Omnipresent—all places at all times.  Or, we can talk about God in even more basic terms.  God is Love.  God is Good.
The overarching story of the Bible is the story of God’s Love for his creation, specifically his Love for all humanity.  God created humanity and called us good.  God pursued humanity to be in relationship with himself.  He called Abraham to be a blessing to all nations.  He chose Israel to be the instrument God used to show his Love to all the world.  Ultimately, God expressed his Love through the life, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth—God’s “only begotten Son.”
Throughout the Bible we observe God as the source of all good gifts.  God sends the good sunshine and the good rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous.  God is never the source of evil.  Evil is present in our world, but God never causes evil.  Instead, God provides us the resources we need to overcome evil.  The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus have defeated evil once and for all—sin, death and Satan still rage against us, but they have already been defeated.  The Holy Spirit provides us with the presence of God in our lives to walk with us, even as we walk “through the valley of the shadow of death.”
Jesus tells us that we can know the goodness of God by observing the ways we are capable of doing good deeds ourselves.  We are sinful.  We don’t always do what we know to be the right things.  But, we have moments of brightness.  Even an evil and sinful person like me can give good gifts.  If I can give good gifts, how much more can God do?  After all, God is not sinful, not evil, and not motivated by selfish ambitions.

Conclusion
For the past four weeks, I have been emphasizing the fact that Jesus expects all of his disciples to be on mission to share the Gospel with others.  Now, I am giving you some examples of ways you can speak about your faith.  Morality is one way to engage in spiritual conversations.  No one is completely subjective in their view of morality.  There are absolute Moral Values and absolute Universal Evils.  You were created by a Good God.  And you were created to know and discover the objective values God placed in his creation.
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Sunday, February 26, 2012

Demands of Discipleship


Demands of Discipleship

Matthew 10: 34 – 42.



Introduction.
It should come as no real surprise to hear me say the word “disciple” is the most popular word in the New Testament to refer to the followers of Jesus.  The Greek word for “disciple” appears 262 times in the Gospels and Acts.  It sometimes refers to the original twelve disciples of Jesus.  But, it is also used to refer to other men and women who became “disciples” after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
Interestingly, Jesus used a verb-form of the Greek word for “disciple” in his last words of instruction to his remaining eleven disciples.  We refer to Jesus’ last instructions as the Great Commission, “Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28: 18 – 20 NIV).”
The fact that the Greek word for “disciple” is used both in Jesus’ last instructions and in the Book of Acts to refer to men and women who never encountered Jesus in the flesh leads me to believe that “discipleship” should not be limited as a reference to the original twelve disciples.  This is a universal term, which applies just as much to Twenty-First Century men and women like us as it did to the First Century disciples of Jesus.
Therefore, we need to read Jesus’ instructions about discipleship as universal instructions.  What Jesus told his original twelve disciples applies to their lives in the First Century AND applies to our lives in the Twenty-First Century.  There is no difference.  Jesus’ words have not changed.
Of course, that raises an important question for us today.  What did Jesus tell us about discipleship?
There is no simplistic answer to this question.  Jesus taught his original disciples about discipleship through his teachings and by modeling the lifestyle they (and we) should adopt.  Jesus even gave an extended sermon about discipleship in Matthew 5, 6, and 7—The Sermon on the Mount.  The only way to discover what Jesus wants us to understand about discipleship is to look at the entire life of Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Our Scripture for today is one of Jesus’ teachings about discipleship.  It does not give us a full picture of discipleship.  But, it does give us three principles (or three demands) Jesus expected of his original disciples and that he expects of us today.
Love Jesus above all others…
Deny yourself…
Join Jesus’ mission to the world…
(I will stand behind the “three-point-line” this morning as I preach a three-point sermon.)

Matthew 10: 34 – 42.

34 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35 For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--
36 a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'
37 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
40 "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.
41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward.
42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."
(NIV)

The Gospel of Matthew contains five sections that represent five extended sermons.  This Scripture falls in the second sermon.  We might refer to this as the Sermon on Mission, since Matthew places this sermon in the context of Jesus’ commissioning his disciples to become apostles.  The men who had spent their lives learning from Jesus and imitating his lifestyle now become “apostles,” who are sent out to engage the world in the same way Jesus did.  Jesus gave them authority to cast out evil (or unclean) spirits, to heal all sorts of diseases, and to preach the message of the Gospel—the Kingdom of God is coming.
Before Jesus sent out the twelve disciples as the twelve apostles, he gave them some words of instruction and words of warning.  They were instructed to go only to “the lost sheep of Israel.”  They were warned that not everyone would accept their message.  In fact, the apostles could expect the world to treat them in the same way it first treated Jesus.  People who accepted Jesus would also accept the apostles.  People who were hostile to Jesus would be hostile to the apostles. 

Love Jesus above All.
Hostility is a little easier to accept when it comes from perfect strangers.  Hostility is very difficult to accept when it comes from the people who have been the closest to us relationally.  And this is what Jesus is warning us about.  The Gospel of Jesus and the message of the Kingdom of God will not bring peace.  It will bring hostility in every relationship, including the father-son relationship, the mother-daughter relationship, and the people who live in the same household.
More than likely, Jesus’ disciples had an underlying expectation that the Messiah would bring a time of peace on earth.  This was the hope of the ancient Jews.  One day the Messiah would come and establish peace on earth.  However, even their expectation of peace was understood to come after a time of intense conflict.  There would be political conflict as the Messiah had to displace the illegitimate king of Israel to assume his role as the true Son of David to rule over God’s people.  There would be military conflict as the Messiah led the united Israel to defeat all of her enemies—specifically the Roman Empire.  Peace would come, but it would not be immediate.
In some ways, Jesus is affirming this point of view.  Yes, the Kingdom of God does promise peace on earth.  But, this peace would not be an immediate peace.  The peace of the Kingdom of God would follow a time of persecution and hostility.  The world would not immediately recognize Jesus as the Messiah.  And, until the world does recognize Jesus as the Messiah, people will do everything in their power to oppose Jesus and the people who preach Jesus’ message about the Kingdom.
In other ways, Jesus is contradicting the disciples’ previous understanding of the Messiah.  Jesus did not lead a political revolt.  Jesus did not assume the role of a revolutionary warrior.  Instead, Jesus preached about individual repentance and faith.  We see this in Jesus’ description of human relationships and his use of “sword” as a metaphor.
There are at least two ways to understand “sword” as a metaphor.  In some cases, “sword” is used to refer to war and violence.  Jesus used “sword” this way in Matthew 26: 52:

"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword (Matthew 26: 52 NIV).”

Violence begets more violence.  A violent person is likely to die a violent death.  In other cases, “sword” is used to refer to division.  We see this in Hebrews 4: 12 – 13:

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4: 12 – 13 NIV).”

Just as a sword can be used to divide flesh from bones, the Word of God can be used to divide our motives from our actions.
This is what I think Jesus is saying in Matthew 10.  He is not commanding us to start a war against our families or our family members.  Instead, he is describing the result of what happens when we put Jesus first in our lives.
As disciples of Jesus, we are to be committed to Jesus above all other relationships.  We are to love Jesus more than we love anyone else in our lives.  No relationship is to stand in the way of our relationship with Jesus.  (Notice, however, that Jesus never tells us to break off all contact with the people in our households.  Jesus does not tell us to abandon our parents, our children, or even our spouses.  Instead, Jesus tells us to expect to experience conflict in our relationships as a result of our relationship with Jesus.  In fact, we can learn a lot by following Jesus’ own example at this point.  Jesus’ earthly family did not accept him during his lifetime.  But Jesus never abandoned them.  He lovingly provided for his family at his death by asking one of his disciples to take care of his mother.)

Deny Self.
Verse 38 is one of several places where Jesus told his disciples to “take up” a cross.  On one hand, this is a kind of surprise.  The other times Jesus tells his disciples to “take up” a cross fall in the context of Jesus’ predictions of his own crucifixion.  He told his followers that he was headed toward a literal cross and demanded they be willing to take up their own symbolic crosses.  On the other hand, we don’t have to be surprised.  Jewish men and women of the First Century were very familiar with the sight of a criminal carrying his own cross to his own crucifixion.
Crucifixion was a popular form of execution for the Romans for a couple of reasons.  First, it was an effective way to execute a criminal.  No one was coming down from the cross until he was actually dead.  When the criminal was dead, he posed no more threat to the Empire.  Second, crucifixion was an effective way to deter other criminals.  It was a public form of humiliation and death.  People who witnessed crucifixions were “encouraged” to live under the Roman law so that they would not face the same kind of humiliation and death.
“Take up your cross” is one of those biblical expressions that has lost its “shock value” over the past 2,000 years.  There wasn’t a single person in this sanctuary who was surprised when you heard Jesus say “take up your cross.”  That would not have been the case in the original, First Century setting.  First Century people would have immediately remembered the gruesome scene of lifeless criminals hanging on crosses on the side of the “interstate highway.”  Perhaps they would even remember watching condemned men agonizing under the weight of a cross-beam, walking through the city streets.
It was a typical practice for Roman executioners to force criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of execution.  It was a part of the shame of crucifixion.  Everyone could watch.  Everyone could ridicule.  Everyone could experience the terror of the Romans.  Yet, Jesus said this shame and humiliation is a part of being a disciple.
We can interpret this in two ways.  I think both of these interpretations are correct.  First, Jesus’ life was headed toward a literal Roman cross.  And we know now that most of Jesus’ original disciples faced extreme suffering and humiliation just because they were followers of Jesus.  This tells us that we will not have an easy life just because we are Christians.  We can expect to face the same kind of life that Jesus and his disciples faced.  We will face the sufferings of the human life, and we will suffer for our faith.  Jesus never promised us an easy life.  Jesus didn’t pull a switcheroo on us by telling us life would be wonderful and letting us discover otherwise on our own.  No.  Jesus promised us up front that the way of discipleship involves taking up a cross.
Second, we can build on the image of a condemned criminal carrying his own cross.  As the criminal was marched through the busy city streets, everyone who saw him knew that he was headed to his own death.  He was a “dead man walking.”  That is what it means to be a Christian.  Your life is over.  You can no longer live for your own desires.  You belong to Jesus.  Your past is over, and your future is in God’s hands.
If there are two different ways to interpret “take up your cross,” then there must be two ways to apply this as well.  Think of your life in monetary terms.  For the sake of argument, let’s assume your life is worth $100.  There are many different ways to pay $100—one $100 bill; two $50 bills; five $20 bills; one hundred $1 bills; or a jar full of loose change.
Many of Jesus’ original disciples were killed for their faith in Jesus.  There was a time when they paid all they had.  They gave one $100 bill at the end of their lives.
Most Christians will not be killed for their faith in Jesus.  For most of us, life is like a jar of loose change.  We give a little here and a little there.  We make small sacrifices for our faith every day.  But, at the end of life, we have paid all we have.
The only way to “find” true life is to give your life away for Jesus.  The person who tries to protect life will realize one day there is nothing to protect.  The person who gives away life as a sacrifice for Jesus will find life—abundant life and eternal life.  Eternal life is the resurrected life with Jesus.  Abundant life is a life filled with meaning…a life filled with purpose…and a life filled with mission.

Join Jesus’ Mission.
Jesus has not called us to a life of maintenance.  Jesus has called us to a life of mission.  And, there is a big difference between maintenance and mission.
The person who is focused on maintenance does everything in his or her power to preserve the life they have.  They avoid conflict.  They agree with whatever they hear other people saying.  They get along with others by fitting in—they want to avoid any perceived differences between themselves and others.  At the end of life, they discover there is nothing left worth protecting.
The person who is focused on mission has one driving objective in their mind—to complete the assignment they have been given.  They don’t worry about conflict or fitting in with the crowd.  They simply want to be faithful in doing their job.  At the end of life, they discover they have given everything away only to gain something much more valuable—abundant life and eternal life.

Conclusion.
Of course, we can say the same thing about churches.  Churches focused on maintenance avoid conflict and do everything to make sure everyone is happy.  They go along with whatever their members want to do and refuse to do things to make the members uncomfortable.  In the end, they discover there is nothing left worth preserving.  But, the churches who focus on mission give everything away and discover they have gained something even more valuable.  They hear the voice of Jesus saying, “Well done, my good and faithful servants.”
Jesus warned us that not everyone will accept our message.  But Jesus also gave us words of encouragement…Not everyone will reject our message.  If we will be faithful to do the work Jesus has given us, we will find success.  The people who receive us also receive Jesus.  The messengers are an important part of God’s plan.  If there are no messengers, the message cannot spread around the world.
What kind of disciple has Jesus called you to be?  In all reality, Jesus only calls one kind of disciple.  Jesus calls us to love him above all other relationships.  Jesus calls us to deny ourselves by giving our lives away.  Jesus calls us to join him in his mission to the world.  If we are not doing these things, we are not living up to Jesus’ demands for discipleship.
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Sunday, February 19, 2012

Identify with Jesus


Identify with Jesus
Matthew 10: 24 – 33

Introduction
A couple of years ago, I was with Dr. Jim Denison in a retreat setting.  The retreat was for Texas Baptist pastors, and Jim Denison was our speaker.  He gave several presentations about the beliefs of what he calls “Radical Islam” and the ways Islam is growing in the United States.
It is remarkable that Islam is growing in the United States faster than Christianity is growing.  But, that is not the case in the rest of the world.  Outside the United States, there is a Christian Awakening taking place.  Denison cites statistics from David Barrett’s World Christian Encyclopedia to tell us approximately 82,000 people become Christians every day around the world.  However, only 6,000 of those decisions take place in North America and Europe COMBINED.[1]
We even see a growth of Christianity among the Muslim nations, even in places like Iran.  Some groups estimate there are as many as 350,000 Christians worshipping illegally in Iran.  The Iranian government spies on Christians through their cell phones.  When the government finds a place of Christian worship, they break in and confiscate their Bibles.  Individual Christian men and women are harassed and persecuted by their government.  Yet, the Christian church continues to grow.[2]
While Christianity is exploding around the world, the fastest growing religious group in the United States is the group that claims to be “unaffiliated,” or “spiritual but not religious.”[3]
The Christian church in the United States is getting left behind.  And, it makes me wonder why.  I suspect one of the biggest problems we face as Christians in the United States is the fact that it is completely “safe” to be a Christian in our country.  On one hand, history shows us that Christianity has grown the fastest when Christians faced hostility and persecution for their beliefs.  When Christians are not persecuted for their beliefs, the church usually becomes complacent and outright lazy about sharing the Gospel with others.  On the other hand, our experience of Christian faith in the United States does not exactly match what Jesus told his original followers they could expect to experience.

Matthew 10: 24 – 33.

24 "A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.
25 It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!
26 "So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.
28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.
30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32 "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.
33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
(NIV)




Jesus spoke these words to his twelve disciples right before he sent them out on their mission to the “lost sheep of Israel.”  Jesus gathered his diverse group of disciples—some were fishermen, one was a tax collector, one was a Zealot, and one was a traitor.  He gave them authority to cast out evil (or unclean) spirits, to heal all sorts of illnesses, and to preach a short sermon—“The Kingdom of Heaven is near.”  But, they were only to do this mission work inside the boundaries of Israel.  Their mission to the Gentiles had to wait until after the crucifixion and resurrection.  Then, they were to “make disciples of all nations.”


Student and Teacher
Verse 24 contains a rather obvious truth.  Students cannot learn more than their teachers are capable of teaching.  But, there are a couple of surprises in Jesus’ parable.
First, the word translated “student” in the New International Version is actually the Greek word for “disciple.”  Since Jesus addressed these words to his original twelve disciples, we ought to recognize this as a personal instruction.  The disciples would never exceed Jesus.  The very best they could hope for is to imitate Jesus and to become like Jesus in his relationship with and understanding of God the Father.
Second, Jesus surprises us by not talking about a traditional understanding of discipleship.  It is true that we as disciples will never be better than Jesus in our ethics or our relationship with God.  It is also true that we should not expect to be treated better by the world than Jesus was treated by the world.
Of course, at this point in the Gospel, Jesus has not yet experienced physical suffering.  He has been despised and rejected by the Jewish religious leaders.  But, Jesus has not been arrested and beaten and crucified.  The disciples will have to learn that as it plays out in real time.  But, we know what lies ahead.
According to Jesus, discipleship brings unavoidable suffering.  The world will be just as hostile to the Gospel of Jesus as it was to Jesus himself.  The people who accepted Jesus will accept the preaching of the Gospel.  The people who opposed Jesus will also oppose the preaching of the Gospel.
It is important to read Jesus’ words about suffering in context of what Jesus has said previously.  Jesus never told his followers to seek out persecution.  In fact, it is just the opposite.  

In Matthew 10: 23, Jesus told his disciples, “When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another…”  

In Matthew 10: 16, Jesus commanded his followers to be “as shrewd (or wise) as snakes and as innocent as doves.”

We are to be wise enough to avoid suffering.  However, we are to be courageous enough to endure suffering which is unavoidable.  We will have the strength to endure, because Jesus has already been through the same kind of suffering and promises to give us his presence to sustain us.


Comforting Words
If persecution were the only thing Jesus promised his disciples, we probably would not be here today.  Peter, James and John would not have given their lives for the Gospel and preached the Kingdom of God to all nations without a hope of something better than persecution.  And, Jesus gave them two reasons to hope.
First, Jesus told them not to fear people.  People can hurt you physically and emotionally; but people cannot hurt you spiritually.  Only God has power over your soul.  Jesus’ message to his original disciples and to us today is that we should fear God more than we fear people.  It is true that other people can kill you, but that is all they can do.  Once you are dead, they are through.  But, God is not through after death.
It is natural and normal to fear death.  Death is the worst thing that can happen to your body.  But, life is more than your body.  There is something that happens to every person after death.  After death, we face the judgment of God.  And, God cannot be persuaded by our words or bribed with our money.
Second, Jesus promised that God is concerned about our sufferings.  Of course, God is more than simply concerned.  God also promises to be present with us, no matter how difficult life may be.
This is the meaning of Jesus’ words about sparrows.  The sparrow was the cheapest source of food in the ancient world.  A person could purchase two sparrows for one penny.  On one hand, God is concerned with the life of the sparrow.  On the other hand, God thinks you are more valuable than many sparrows.

Matthew 10: 29 – 31, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.  And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

I have heard some people use this passage to defend their belief that God causes everything to happen—including the death of something as insignificant as a sparrow.  However, that does not seem to fit what Jesus is saying.  If that is the point, then we have to say God is the source of our suffering—even when we suffer as a result of preaching the Gospel.  God kills sparrows.  Therefore, God kills faithful Christians.
The words “the will of” do not appear in the Greek text of Matthew 10: 29.  The New American Standard Bible claims to be a literal translation of the Greek and does not have these words.  Rather, it translates, “Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.”  This translation seems to refer to God’s care and God’s concern—perhaps even God’s presence.
That fits better with what Jesus says about the hairs on our heads.  God cares about every little concern in your life.  He even knows how many hairs you have.  If God cares for sparrows, and God cares enough to count the hairs on your head, then God is concerned with the suffering and pain you experience in your life.  But, even more than concern, God promises to be with you—in whatever circumstances you face.


Heavenly Implications
If God is concerned about our earthly lives, we need to realize that the way we live today has eternal implications.  Your present life on earth affects your future life in Heaven.  Jesus explains this by giving us a promise and a warning.  If you acknowledge Jesus on earth, Jesus will acknowledge you in Heaven.  If you deny Jesus on earth, Jesus will deny you in Heaven.
To acknowledge Jesus is to believe the message of the Gospel.  In the Person of Jesus, God was fulfilling his promises to Israel.  Jesus is the promised Messiah—the son of Abraham, the son of David, the Son of God.  Jesus gave his life as the perfect and final sacrifice for our sins.  Jesus rose again to promise us that life does not end in a grave.  All who believe in Jesus will live a new life—abundant life on earth and eternal life in Heaven.
To acknowledge Jesus is to become a disciple of Jesus.  A disciple is a student who learns from a master-teacher.  Disciples will never exceed the knowledge of their masters, but disciples will do everything in their power to imitate the ethics and lifestyle of their master.
To acknowledge Jesus is to answer the call Jesus gave to his original disciples.  In Matthew 4: 19, Jesus encountered four fishermen on the Lake of Galilee.  Jesus said, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  Discipleship involves more than simply learning about Jesus.  Discipleship requires each of us to join Jesus in his mission to share the message of the Kingdom of God with all people.
This is where we make our biggest mistake as American Christians.  We believe Jesus has called us to GO TO CHURCH.
That’s the extent of what it means to be a Christian in the United States.  We go to church.  Some of us go to church for one hour on Sunday mornings.  Some of us are twice as spiritual, because we go to church for two hours on Sunday mornings (Sunday School and worship).  There are even some hyper-spiritual people who go to night church on Sunday nights and Wednesday nights.  But that is the extent of our faith.  We are proud to be Americans, because we have the freedom to go to church as much or as little as we want.
Remarkably, this is not what Jesus says about being his disciple.  Jesus calls us to learn about Jesus and to imitate Jesus’ ethical life and spiritual relationship with God.  AND, Jesus calls us to join him in his mission to the world.
If we acknowledge Jesus on earth, Jesus will acknowledge us in Heaven.  If we deny Jesus on earth, Jesus will deny us in Heaven.  There is no middle ground.  If you think going to church is the extent of what it means to be a Christian, you are searching for a middle ground.  You are looking for the smallest amount of commitment required to get Jesus to acknowledge you in Heaven.
Jesus requires unwavering loyalty and faith and mission from all his followers.  Remember, these words were not spoken to a group of ordained ministers.  These words were spoken to fishermen, tax collectors, Zealots and even a traitor.  Perhaps some of these men became ordained ministers.  But, most of them lived the rest of their lives faithful to Jesus their Lord and committed to spreading the love of Jesus and the message of Jesus’ Kingdom.

Conclusion
I think the reason the Christian church is losing ground in the United States is because we are complacent, we are lazy, and we have not taken Jesus’ call to mission seriously.  Jesus did not give us a political challenge which could be won at the ballot box.  Jesus did not give us an economic challenge which can be won by picketing and boycotts.  Jesus gave us a Gospel challenge which can only be won as individual men and women take seriously the call to share their faith with others.

Imagine that you are the only Christian person remaining on earth.  Now imagine that you share your faith with me, and I become a Christian.  There are now two Christians in the world.  If you and I both witness to another person tomorrow, we can have four Christians tomorrow.  If each Christian wins one person every day…How long will it take to win the entire world to Christ?  34 days!  (There are approximately 7,000,000,000 people in the world.  If the number of Christians doubled every day, there would be 8.5 Billion Christians in 34 days.)

I know what you are thinking.  “We can’t do that every day!”  What about every year?  We could evangelize the entire world in 34 years! 

We could evangelize the United States in 29 years (307,006,550 population)! 

We could evangelize the state of Texas in 25 years (24,782,302 population)! 

We could evangelize Lufkin in 17 years (35,067 population)!

This is God’s plan for evangelism.  God’s people are to join Jesus in carrying out his mission to the world.  He didn’t leave it to the preachers and pastors.  He left it to the fishermen, the tax collectors, the students, the teachers, the doctors, the nurses, the businessmen, the businesswomen.  He left it to us.
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