Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Responsibility Of A Husband

Ephesians 5:22,25 “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord... Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church...”

Many husbands know the verse 22 better than they know verse 25. They’re adamant about the respect and submission that their wives are always lacking. Unfortunately for them, verse 22 was only written to their wives, not to them. God never said, “Husbands, make sure your wife submits to you.” His command for submission and respect was to the wife, it has nothing to do with the husband! Guys, you’ll never have to answer for her lack of submission. You will have to answer for verse 25 though; how are you treating her?

Sure - she’s responsible for submitting to and respecting you. That’s God’s command to her as a wife. But that’s between God and her. It’s not your responsibility and it’s not what I’m writing about today.

You are called to love her, and there are no conditions attached to that! No matter how she acts, no matter what her attitude is like, whether you think she deserves it or not - your Lord and Savior commanded you to love her. That’s your responsibility, and it became your primary calling on the day of your wedding. You don’t get sick days, vacation time, or credible excuses. Your God commanded you to love her!

You’re called to love your wife in the same way that Jesus loves us.

Faithfully. Jesus is always faithful to us. He’s never left us, never failed us, and never cheated on us. His entire focus is on us. Romans 8:34 says that He ever-lives to pray for us. We are constantly on His mind! This is the way you’re called to love your wife. You must be so faithful to her, and focused on her, that there is no room in your heart or mind for anyone else.

Selflessly. Jesus’ love for us is selfless. When He came to this earth, He never once questioned His mission. He knew that He was going to the cross, but you never see Him say things like, “But what about me?” No, He gladly laid down His life out of love for us! John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” This kind of love is sacrificial. It’s not only about dying for someone, it’s about laying down your life for theirs. This type of love is evident when you abandon your desires for the sake of your wife. When you yield your hobbies, ambitions, and your interests to make your wife happy - you start showing Jesus’ kind of love.

Progressively. Jesus’ love for us makes us better. He always seeks our improvement, without ever condemning us for our weaknesses. You see, Jesus always sees who we could be in the future without ever  loving us less for who we are now. Too many husbands are critical of their wives’ weaknesses. This is wrong! True, our love and leadership should always be changing our wives. True, we may see things that our wives could improve on. But who are we to criticize? Don’t we have areas like that too? Aren’t you glad that Jesus doesn’t jump on us when we make mistakes the way some guys jump on their wives? We must help our wives grow while covering their weaknesses with love. You can be sure of this; if you love your wife unconditionally for who she is now, the growth (in both of your lives) will almost take care of itself.

Above all, your love for her must be unconditional. It should be an unchanging reflection of Jesus’ love for you.

Colossians 3:19 NLT “Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.”

Monday, June 25, 2012

Isn't Homosexuality An Abomination?

Leviticus 18:22 NKJV “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.”

Leviticus 18:22 NLT “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.”

No matter what side you’re on, everyone who’s been involved in the debate over homosexuality knows this verse. The world uses this verse to illustrate how backwards and intolerant the church is toward an oppressed minority. While many inside the church use this verse to lump certain people together into condemnation. Still others in the church say that this verse shows how outdated some parts of the Bible are. All of these arguments are completely wrong, and every one of them miss a major point - this verse condemns the act of homosexuality, but not those who practice it!

The reason this debate has become so heated is because we’ve used one particular sin to define a person. We call them them ‘homosexuals’ - as if what they do is who they are. But I’m telling you, there is a difference between a person’s behavior and their identity! Sure it’s a sin, sure God hates it, but that’s why Jesus came! He came to pay the penalty that our sin deserves - to bring forgiveness to the sinner! If we’re ever going to reach the world for Jesus, we need to learn how to separate what a sinner does from what their worth.

Which one of these sins do you think is worse?
Homosexuality
Pride
Lying
Murder
Gossip
If you’re like most Christians, even if you wouldn’t say it, homosexuality would be at the top of your list. After all, pride isn’t a ‘real sin.’ Lying and Gossip are wrong every time except when we do it. And murder can be repented of and then you’ll have a powerful testimony! (I’m describing our attitudes toward these sins, not the truth!) But homosexuality? It’s permanent! It’s a black mark on your eternal record! God calls it an abomination!

Would it surprise you that each of these sins are called an abomination to God? It’s right here in Proverbs 6:16-19: “These six things the Lord hates; yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.” There you have it, seven sins that are as detestable to God as homosexuality!

What’s my point here? Well, do you believe that lying is unforgivable? Do you believe that a liar can never change? Do you think that slander and discord is so deep-rooted into a gossip’s character that they can never change? Of course not! If we don’t look at these other abominations that way, then why do we condemn sinners who are caught in homosexuality to a worse fate?

This whole debate of accepting or condemning homosexuals completely misses the point! One side claims that homosexuals are born this way, so they should just be accepted. The other side says that homosexuals are an abomination and cuts them off. But the point is this: no behavior makes a person less valuable to God! Of course it’s sin, what would you expect from a sinner? But, in God’s eyes, one sinner isn’t better or worse than another! And the beauty of it all is that God wants to separate us from our sin!

We know that God doesn’t see sinners as unchangeable. God is in the business of separating people from their sin! Aren’t you glad that God didn’t condemn you for what you were doing? When we were sinners, when we were trapped by our behavior, Jesus still saw our worth! He died to sever sin’s hold on us. Don’t you think that wonderful freedom should be offered to everyone? Or are there some sins that are just too ‘gross’ to be redeemed from?

There were sinners in Jesus’ day that were looked at like this. The religious leaders condemned them because of the things they did. They were rejected, shunned and ridiculed. But whenever Jesus encountered them, He embraced them! The Pharisees were shocked! They asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?

Do you see it? The Pharisees condemned the person with the behavior. But Jesus separated them! Even though He never accepted or endorsed the sin, He loved the sinner. And it was His love that changed their lives! Zaccheus repented of his sin when Jesus ate dinner in his home. The adulteress changed her life when Jesus defended her from her own actions.

This is my point: being sweet to someone who is involved in immorality doesn’t mean you’re endorsing that immorality. We’re called to show the same love that God showed us. I’m so glad that God loved me in spite of my sin - aren’t you?

Romans 2:4 “The goodness of God leads you to repentance

Monday, June 18, 2012

...But Is It What God Wants?

James 4:13-16 “Look here, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.’ Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.

Up until yesterday, I read this passage of scripture as if it were telling us not to plan ahead, because we don’t know if we’ll still be alive to do what we’ve planned. That’s probably why I didn’t pay very much attention to it, since I knew that Proverbs 21:5 specifically tells us to make diligent plans for the future - “The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty.” So what is it? Should we make plans or not?

I think asking this question is beside the point. Of course we need to make plans for our life! In two different passages in Proverbs (6:6 and 30:25), the lowly ant is considered wise because it stores food in the summer to eat during the winter. Isn’t that planning ahead? Should the ant give up its preparation because it doesn’t know if it’s going to be stepped on today? And what is our Christian walk if it’s not a plan for the future? I don’t know about you, but my plans extend 1,000 years into the future and beyond!

The issue in this passage isn’t the planning itself. The issue here is, who’s responsible for the decisions in your life - you or God? You see, when you made Jesus your Lord - you made Him your owner, your ruler, your boss. You no longer have the right to direct your own life anymore. Didn’t you know this already? 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Your life belongs to God now! That means, whatever He says you do!

Psalm 37:23 shows what this kind of life looks like, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD.” Romans 8:14 echoes this, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” When you truly give your life to Jesus, you’re surrendering the control of every decision you make!

Sadly, this couldn’t be any more different from the modern American ‘gospel.’ We’re being told that God’s grace allows us to add God’s forgiveness to whatever lifestyle we want. We’ve told Jesus to be our Savior and never really made Him Lord. The motto of this gospel is, “Jesus died so we could live (any way we want)!”

The fact is, Jesus didn’t die so we could live our own life. He died so we could die to our own life! 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 says this: “If One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” When Jesus died for us, He gave us the power to die to our will and live in His will.

No more of this American religion! No more calling Jesus ‘Lord’ and ignoring what He tells us! No more hearing and never doing! Listen to how your Lord ended His most famous sermon:

Matthew 7:24-27 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.”
“But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

The first type of man represents the people who hear (and read) God’s Word and do it! Even though it’s tough, even though everyone says there’s an easier way, even when it takes longer to get what they want - they build their life God’s way. This kind of life, built on obedience to God’s Word, stands up to the storm.

The second type of man represents the people who hear God’s Word and go about their own way. They know they should spend time in the Bible, but they’ve got a busy life. They know that God loves cheerful givers, but money’s tight at the moment. They know that the Bible tells parents to discipline their kids, but they want their kids to like them! So, instead of doing things God’s way - they decide that God will understand if they do it their own way. After all - “God knows my heart!” So they call Him ‘Lord’ and then act like they’re living their own life. This is a life built on sand, my friend! Let a few raindrops fall, and everything collapses!

I know God’s way isn’t always easy - but it is always right! It’s time for a true altar call this morning. It’s time, once and for all, to lay down your life as a living sacrifice. It’s time to finally make Jesus your Lord and Savior. Stop pretending like you can still do things your own way!

Luke 6:46 “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Pre-Ordained Breakup

To the uninformed, it appears as if we're breaking up. Churches are being emptied. People are running out the door in droves. Offense is running rampant throughout local congregations. It looks like we’re falling apart   – but there's something much deeper going on.

This is a little more reading than I normally put in my posts, but get over it - you can never go wrong with reading God's Word, right? I want you to see that this concept is straight from God's Word  - not my opinion! I don't have to interpret this story, Jesus did that for us! 

In Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus tells this story to His disciples: “Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

A little while later, in verse 36, His disciples asked Him to explain the story. So Jesus responds with the application to the church in verses 37-43:“He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

It would be a true statement to say that this is the story of the rapture of the church – but it's also true to say that this is the story of what happens in the time before we leave. Now that we've found the key to this story in the second passage, let's go back and use it in the first.

Verse 24 -  The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;
The man is Jesus. The good seed are those of us who “sons of the kingdom” or who understand Jesus absolute authority over us as King. We were planted by Jesus Christ and have been been growing for about 2,000 years now.

Verse 25 - but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.
It's not surprising who the enemy is, he's been the enemy of everything godly since the beginning. What is surprising to some people, is the tares. These are people who were planted by the devil “among the wheat!” Did you realize that the devil has plants (or “moles” to use a spy movie term) inside God's church? Verse 41 describes them as people “that offend, and those who practice lawlessness.” While God's leaders were sleeping, these people were slipped into our ranks.

I know that we have always defined offense as getting our feelings hurt. But the real meaning of “offend” in this passage is “to cause to fall away.” These are the people who cause others to leave God's kingdom. These are the people who spread strife and division in churches, destroying their reputations. These are the people who will split a church in two, carry weak believers out the doors with them, and then abandon them to the world. These tares are the people who are damaging the church by their rebellion and lawlessness.

Verse 26 - But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.
Tares in the church are nothing new. The early church had to deal with them too. Both seeds were planted around the same time, but as we get closer to the end, the tares have gotten stronger and much more noticeable.

Verse 27 - So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’
According to verse 39, we know that the reaper are angels. But this is another group called “servants.” Who could it be, having a conversation with Jesus and asking Him where these “tare” people came from? These are the local church leaders. These are the men and women that God holds responsible for local congregations. And as the tares get more and more obvious, I'm sure that there's been more than a few pastors who have had this conversation with God!

Verse 28 - He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’
As soon as these local pastors learn about where the tares in their church come from, their immediate, and very understandable response is, “Do You want me to kick them out, God?” No pastor wants tares in their church; ruining the good seed!

Verse 29 - But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.
God's response to these pastors is right on! A lot of times, when a Pastor confronts and tries to uproot a person who is a tare, their roots in that church pull out a lot of good seed.
But this next verse is my favorite part of this story!

Verse 30 - Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”
The two types of people, represented by the good seed and the tares, share the same churches until the “time of the harvest.” This harvest has two parts:

The first part of the harvest is when God sends His angelic reapers into His kingdom to gather out the tares “into bundles”. That means some people are going to leave. This is directly opposite to the church growth principles we’ve used in our churches! These divisive people are going to leave church, escorted out by angels! They may think they’re bored. They may think they’re offended. They may think they have a valid reason. But the reality is, God’s angels are removing the tares from the wheat. They're going to be gathered together into bundles – groups of these people gathering together! Can you imagine what that must be like? A group of divisive, disgruntled, and generally unhappy church people getting together every week – not my idea of a good time!

But here's the best part! After God uproots the tares out of His kingdom, “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father!” We're gonna start seeing church – the way it was always intended to be! What will it look like to see groups of believers gathering together with no offense and no lawlessness? We're finally going to see God do what He wants done in His church!

And then, the second part of the Harvest happens...”gather the wheat into My barn.” When we finally become a “glorious church, without spot or blemish” - we'll be ready to leave!

Monday, June 11, 2012

Rewarded - Part 3

Isaiah 40:10 “Behold, the Lord Yahweh shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.”

2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

There will be a day when every believer will stand before the throne of Jesus to be judged for what they have done after their salvation. This is not a judgement to decide Heaven or Hell - that was already decided in the moment you gave your life to Him. No, this judgement is to determine our eternal rewards.

Last time, we discovered five things that the Bible specifically says bring rewards. But there’s even more! You see, God is a very rewarding God! I believe He’s given us opportunity after opportunity to earn (that’s right, I said earn!) rewards! Salvation is free by grace, but that same grace will push us to do “good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

So here are a few more things I’ve in God’s Word that bring a reward. Again, this list is by no means exhaustive...and if you find any more, let me know! Remember, these acts bring rewards to the believer - but you cannot earn salvation by them! Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone!

#1 - When you do an act of love in secret and without recognition
Matthew 6:3-4 “But when you do a charitable deed (loving act), do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”
If, after you’ve spent a lot of time and energy helping someone, you get upset because no one recognized your effort - you may want to examine your priorities! When you do a “charitable deed” without getting the credit, your reward is far greater than anything you could receive here on earth!

#2 - A sincere and diligent prayer life
Matthew 6:6 “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
The day’s coming when we’ll know who really had a healthy prayer life and who didn’t!

#3 - True fasting
Matthew 6:17-18 “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
The kind of fasting that brings a reward doesn’t announce itself. It doesn’t play the “rules game” - that is, “Can I drink broth? Can I eat soup? Can I keep a hard candy in my mouth? Should I only drink water?”
According to Jesus’ own words - if other people know you’re fasting, you’re doing something wrong. Don’t complain about how hungry you are. Don’t engage in theatrics when someone invites you out to lunch. Keep your fast between you and God, and you’ll get the reward from it!

#4 - Accepting a prophet (or any other minister of the Gospel) for the sake of their office, regardless of their personality
Matthew 10:41 “He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
I believe Jesus was showing us how to receive from a preacher, even when his personality doesn’t “click” with our own. He said, “When you receive a prophet because he’s a prophet (not because you like his style) you’ll receive the same reward as he does!”
Don’t get caught up in styles and personalities in ministry. Your focus should be on Jesus Christ and His calling. When you’re sitting in a church service that’s less than exciting, refuse to let your emotions steal what’s being ministered! You don’t have to be bored - you can choose to listen to what is being said, in spite of how it’s being said.

#5 - Preaching/Spreading the Gospel
1 Corinthians 9:16-17 NIrV “But when I preach the good news, I can't brag. I have to preach it. How terrible it will be for me if I do not preach the good news! If I preach because I want to, I get a reward. If I preach because I have to, I'm only doing my duty.”
Firstly, you have to open your mouth and preach the Gospel. You can’t stay silent! Your friends, your family, your coworkers may die today...where would they go? If they end up in Hell, would it be because they’ve never heard the good news of Jesus Christ?
Secondly, you have to preach the Gospel willingly. Don’t keep putting it off and putting it off until you finally feel so guilty and convicted that you have to tell them about Jesus. That may be good for them (they finally get to hear the message of Jesus!), but what’s the reward in that? That’s only doing your duty.
Instead, you should be excited to tell others about Jesus! And why wouldn’t you be? This is the greatest thing the world has ever known, and anyone can get in on it! So let’s do this because we want to, not because we have to!

Friday, June 8, 2012

Rewarded - Part 2

I left you last time with the words from Jesus out of Revelation 22:12 - “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” While I was writing, I started to think: Are we left in the dark concerning what these rewards are for? Does the Bible show us what exactly will be rewarded at the judgement seat of Christ? I began to look through the different passages where the Bible promises a reward and began to discover some things.

To review, we’ve already found out that we will stand before Jesus one day to account for the things we’ve done. We learned that, for a believer, this isn’t about destination - it’s about rewards. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 makes this clear: “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

What I’ve found in my study is that there are two types of rewards for godly behavior:

There are certain passages that speak of rewards in this life. For example, “Honor your father and mother...that it may go well with you and that you’ll live long on the earth.” This is clearly a reward for here on earth - not necessarily before the throne of Jesus. “Give and it will be given to you, pressed down, shaken together, and running over; it will be poured into your lap.” Again, this is a reward that’s received in this life. This isn’t to say that honoring your parents and being generous won’t be rewarded in eternity, just that those specific rewards (i.e. life going well for you, people giving back to you) are given out on this side of eternity.

The other type of rewards are eternal. We’re not told what they are exactly, but we are told what kind of actions they will be given out for. This isn’t an exhaustive list  - there are probably others that you could find (if you do find some, please tell me in the comments!), but here are some of the things I’ve discovered that carry eternal rewards.

#1 - Clinging to, holding tightly, and treasuring God’s Word
Psalm 19:7-11 “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.
God’s law, testimony, statutes, commandments, and judgements are all contained in one place - His Word! Keeping God’s Word means so much more than obeying it! To keep it means to guard it, to treasure it, to give it a greater place in your life than anything else. There is a real reward that will be given to those who honor the Bible. I’m not talking about reading it once in awhile. I’m not talking about taking it to church with you. I’m not even talking about saying how much you honor it! There is a reward given to those who treasure every page of this book.

#2 - Living a righteous lifestyle
Proverbs 11:18 “The wicked man does deceptive work, but he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.”
Psalm 58:11 “So that men will say, ‘Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely He is God who judges in the earth.’”
We know that we have been made righteous by Jesus’ death and resurrection. Now we stand before God blameless - righteous in position. But that is only the beginning! The more a believer grows, the more they should become righteous in behavior. This is where the reward lies.
Being made righteous is its own reward - in this life and in eternity. But a righteous lifestyle will bring other rewards when you’re standing before Jesus’ throne.

#3 - Being persecuted for the name of Jesus
Matthew 5:11-12 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Luke 6:23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.”
You shouldn’t get so upset when people pick on you, lie about you, and treat you wrongfully because you’re a believer. They’re actually doing a good thing for you - you’re going to be rewarded in heaven for what they’re doing! No wonder Acts 5:41 says that the apostles were “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name”!

#4 - How you treat your enemies
Proverbs 25:21-22 “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”
Luke 6:35 “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.”
We no longer have the luxury of nursing grudges. When we see our enemy (those who hate us, those who make our lives harder) in need, our response can’t be, “they deserved it.” When we’re humble enough to repay good to those who are evil toward us, it brings a reward! Sadly, this is one reward that many don’t want to pay the price for...

#5 - Ministering to kids
Matthew 10:42 NIrV “Suppose someone gives even a cup of cold water to a little one who follows me. What I'm about to tell you is true. That one will certainly be rewarded.”
As a kids pastor, this one is near to my heart. Over the course of many years I’ve seen people come and go from the kids ministry - a few have been faithful to stay, you know who you are! One thing I’ve always heard through the years is, “I don’t want to miss what’s going on in the main service.” If they really thought about it, they would understand: there isn’t one service going on in the sanctuary and another going on in the classroom! Those kids are part of the church of Jesus Christ!
So...to all you who have been faithful and persevering in your class, even when you’re the only one
To everyone who feels forgotten in an ocean of dirty diapers and loud lungs
To every volunteer who prepares for class in their personal time
To every minister who has bought juice and cookies from their own wallet
Don’t give up! Keep being faithful! God’s Word promises you this - there is a special reward that’s given to someone who cares for a child in Jesus’ name!

I had six or seven more to go...but this post is getting too long! To be continued...

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Rewarded

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

We’ve been saved by grace - aren’t you glad! When we came to Jesus for salvation, He didn’t tell us that we were too far in sin and needed to clean up first! Salvation was the last thing we deserved, but it was the only thing that was in God’s plan for us! When we were saved, it was a free gift of grace!

I am a grace man. I love the freedom we have in grace. I do everything I can to live out Ephesians 5:1 - “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” I know that my salvation was, and continues to be, a free gift of grace. I’m not striving for grace, I’m not trying to earn grace, and I refuse to forget that this grace cost God everything He had.

Having said that...I wonder sometimes why people don’t finish Paul’s thought in Ephesians 2:8 and 9. Let’s read the whole context: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Too many believers have the mindset that grace has made obedience unnecessary. What we need to realize is that we weren’t saved by works, but we were saved for works. Jesus saved us for a reason, He had things for us to do “prepared beforehand.” So, even though your salvation is absolutely free, you can’t expect to live your own life and let grace cover it. That’s not what grace is about!

Do you realize that every believer is going to stand before Jesus’ judgement seat one day? It’s true! 2 Corinthians 5:10 makes this very clear: “For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” Don’t be confused, this isn’t the white throne judgement of Revelation 20. That’s a judgment to decide eternal destination - that’s already decided for us! The judgement seat of Christ is to decide eternal rewards.

Pay attention to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15: “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Jesus Christ is the author of our salvation. Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection secured our place with Him in eternity. This salvation is the foundation of our new lives. But a foundation isn’t the finished project, is it? Salvation is the start, but now we must build on it. And we can see from this passage, rewards will be given based on what we do after we’re saved. I do not want to be one of those who “makes it in” to Heaven but still suffers the loss of any reward. I want my life to be worth something for the Kingdom of Heaven!

Thankfully God didn’t leave us by ourselves, to try to be obedient on our own. The very same grace that brought us into God’s kingdom also causes us to live “soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.” (Titus 2:12) We don’t have to obey God by our own strength. Paul told Timothy where his strength came from in 2 Timothy 2:1 - “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” Hebrews 12:28 echoes this thought, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”

Why do we serve God with fear? Let’s read 2 Corinthians 5:10 again, this time including verse 11 - “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.” The fear of the Lord comes when we realize this, everything we do in this life will be seen on our judgement day and rewarded!

Remember these words from Jesus out of Revelation 22:12. This is from the closing chapter of the Bible, one of the last things Jesus had to say in His Word. “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” I don’t know about you, but I want all of Jesus’ reward that I can get!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Preaching Tonight!


I’m so grateful for a senior pastor that trusts me enough to let me stand in his pulpit!
If you wanna watch, here’s the link:
Service starts with praise and worship @ 7pm - then an offering message by the great Pastor Bill Ellenwood II - then I’m going to be teaching on the fruit of faithfulness!
You don’t wanna miss it! (unless you have your own church service tonight - in that case, you better miss it!)