Blog

1 Timothy 1:15-17

15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

        Why did God save me? Why does God save anybody? The answer to these questions is not found in our goodness. Nor is the answer to these questions to be found in the right decisions we would or would not make. As we told our group when studying 2 Timothy 1:9-10 last night, God saved us for the sake of his own name, for his own purpose, for his own glory.

        Here in 1 Timothy, the same truth echoes. Paul says that God saved him, the chief of sinners. Why? God did so in order that “Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.” God saves sinners because he wants his perfect patience to be on display. God saves people so that he can show the world how wonderful he is. God saves sinners so that he will be glorified. This is why, immediately after Paul points out the reason God saved him, he breaks forth in celebration of the glory of our God.

        Have you ever wondered why you were saved? You were saved, if you are saved, in order to give glory to the God who saved you. This changes how you think, how you live, how you act with boldness, how you turn from sin. If God saved me for his glory, the only way for me to be happy is to glorify him. Let us learn to give God the glory for which he saved us.

        Lord, I acknowledge that I brought nothing to the table but my sin. You are the source of my salvation. I needed your mercy. I needed you to grant me life. I thank you that you did so. I know that you did so for the sake of your glory. I pray that you will bring glory to your own name through my life.

Luke 12:25-26 (ESV)

25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?

            Last night, I shared with our Wednesday evening group a strange encouragement toward gospel courage. The idea came from 2 Timothy 1:8, where Paul, in the midst of telling Timothy to fan into flame his own gospel courage, orders Timothy to join in suffering for the gospel. The logic goes something like this:

·        We are tempted to hide and cower when we feel we can avoid suffering.

·        We often strengthen our resolve and stand strong when we realize that suffering is unavoidable.

·        Therefore, Christians should expect suffering and not hide or cower, but stand strong with gospel courage.

            It is fascinating, then, that today’s passage follows the same kind of logic regarding the issue of worry. Jesus tells his followers that worrying will not add a single moment to their lives. So, if worry does not add to our lives, we may as well give up worry and live our lives with boldness and trust in the Lord.

            So, what about you? Are you living with gospel courage? Are you living with Christian boldness? Have you understood that you cannot avoid suffering or hardship, so you might as well be strong and courageous? Have you given up the concept of a simple and easy life that you can control and opted for the more godly mindset that you are not in control?

            Lord, I recognize that I am not in control of my life or my safety. You are my King. You are my Lord. You are the One who will decide how long I live and how comfortably I live. I trust you. I pray that you will no longer allow me to attempt to make my life comfortable by hiding from obeying your word. Help me instead to stand firm, trust you, and fan into flame the gospel courage that will give glory to your name.

Luke 11:27-28

27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

            As Jesus taught a crowd, a woman expressed a natural sentiment: How blessed must be the mother of such a great teacher as the Lord Jesus. This woman assumed that Mary (whether she knew her name or not is irrelevant) was a woman to be revered above all other women.

            Jesus’ response to this woman’s outburst and even praise would have caught the woman by surprise. At the same time, the response of our Lord is very hopeful to us all. Jesus does not say that Mary is especially blessed because she is his earthly mother. Instead, Jesus says those are blessed who hear and keep or obey the word of God.

            So, would you like a blessing that is greater than the blessing Mary receives for being the mother of Christ? Look at Jesus’ words. He says that the blessing of God is upon those who hear and obey the word of God. Of course Jesus is not putting Mary down. Mary received a sweet blessing of God by being allowed to participate in his glorious plan. But the greater blessing is for any person who will observe and obey the Scripture.

            What can you do to be blessed by God? Love his word. Do you love his word? Do you read it faithfully? Do you obey its commands? Do you make it a priority to hear it faithfully preached? Do you study it with small groups of other believers who also love the Lord?

            Father, I thank you for the blessing you promise to those who hear and obey your word. Help me to treasure your word rightly. Help me to hear. Help me to obey. I desire your blessing for your glory and my joy.

Luke 10:40a

But Martha was distracted with much serving.

            Most Christians are familiar with the story of Mary and Martha. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet. Martha was, as the Scripture says, distracted with her duties as a hostess. Martha served so much that, for a time, she forgot to just love Jesus.

            Can this be a danger in the modern church? O dear me yes. In almost any modern local church or association, we are bombarded with opportunities to serve. You can be on committees, plan mission trips, clean the building, take the gospel to the community, feed the hungry, visit shut-ins, decorate the sanctuary, greet people at the doors, teach a class, change dirty diapers, count the offering, and do much more. Let me also say that any of those actions can be a worshipful and loving thing for a Christian to do as he or she glorifies Christ. However, if we are not careful, we will serve so much that we forget whom we serve. If we are not careful, we will serve for the sake of service or for the sake of the organization without remembering the Savior that the church represents.

            My counsel here is not for you to stop serving. In fact, we need more and more people to serve all the time. My counsel is for you to consider how you serve. My counsel is for you to remember the Savior you serve. My counsel is for you to look at each act of service you provide and ask yourself if, as you serve, you are remembering to also love the Savior.

            Lord, there are so many good things that we can do as part of a local church. Would you help me to remember that the primary purpose of all that I do is to bring glory and honor to your name? Would you help me to remember to stop, rest, and love my Savior? Would you help me to love Jesus more and more with every passing moment and with every act of service? Help me to organize events, love people, plan activities, and meet needs with an eye to your glory. Would you help me to never forget your grace? Would you help me to also take time just to sit at your feet and learn from you? Lord, I need your wisdom and your Spirit to love you rightly.

Luke 10:29

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

            The verse above is the question that led to Jesus’ telling of the parable of the Good Samaritan. What strikes me this morning is not the parable, but the motivation of the lawyer who asked the question. The man asked Jesus who his neighbor was, not for informational purposes, but with a desire for self-justification.

            Often we do the same thing, though we do not want to admit it. When we look at the commands of God with an eye toward making ourselves look good, we have a problem. When we look for loopholes in the word of God that should allow us to feel good about ourselves, we look like this man. When we find ways to apply the black and white of the text to our actual actions while ignoring the spirit of the law and the state of our hearts, we attempt to justify ourselves.

            The problem is, none of us can justify ourselves. We are not compared to a basic standard of goodness that we sometimes meet and sometimes don’t. We are not compared to the righteousness of other men. We are not in a legal courtroom where we might get out of trouble based on technicalities. No, when we are judged, we stand before an infinitely perfect and infinitely holy God. We do not compare. We have no hope of self-justification. All our acts, even our righteous ones, are as filthy rags in the sight of God if not sanctified by the blood of Christ (cf. Isaiah 64:6).

            So, let us not think for a moment to justify ourselves. Let us never try to get out from under the righteous commands of God by finding technical loopholes. Instead, let us accept the righteousness of God and our own guilt. Let us rest in the shed blood of Jesus as our substitutionary atonement. Let us realize that Jesus is our only righteousness who took our deserved punishment. Then let us obey and love our God in gratitude for the work of the Savior and out of a desire for the joy of seeing the glory of our Lord.

            Father, I reject any notion that I can justify myself, my thoughts, or my actions by my own standards. I know that, left to myself, I am guilty before you and deserve your punishment. I thank you for Jesus. I know that he died to pay the price for my sin and rose from the grave to finish my justification. My only hope is Christ. I have no righteousness that belongs to myself alone. I ask that you will help me to love you and serve you well, not for my justification, but out of a desire to know you more, to see your glory, and to honor your name.

Psalm 138:2

I bow down toward your holy temple

and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,

for you have exalted above all things

your name and your word.

            If I were to ask the average believer what God has exalted above all things, what do you think that believer might say? Would it be evangelism? Would it be helping the poor? Would it be unity among Christians? Would it be something else?

            God tells us in Psalm 138 2 what he has exalted above all things. The answer to the question is, “His name and his word.” God says that, above all things in the universe, what is utmost is the name of God and the word of God.

            If it is true that God has exalted these two things above all else, how do we as believers respond? We too should exalt above all things his name and his word. We should be given to lifting high the name of God above all things. This becomes our motive for evangelism, for unity, for care for the poor, and for all we do as believers. If we get it right, we will do what we do for the sake of the honoring and exalting of the name of God. IF anything we do fails to be for the sake of the honoring and exalting of the name of God, it lacks.

            Similarly, we are to exalt above all things God’s word. We value Scripture above every opinion of men because it is exalted above them. We value Scripture above church councils, above human reason, above scientific inquiry, and above all other sources of truth because God has exalted his word above all. We must be committed to learning, rightly interpreting, and rightly proclaiming his word.

            Father, I acknowledge this morning that your name and your word are above all. There is no name greater than yours. There is no person worth more than you. The motivating factor in all right things is for the sake of the honor of your name. I pray that you will help me to honor your name.

            I also acknowledge that your word is above all. My opinions, my understanding, my feelings, and all the opinions, understanding, and feelings of others are secondary to your word. Your word is right and pure. Your word is perfect in every way. May I trust and treasure your word for your glory.

1 Thessalonians 2:8 (ESV)

So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

            When Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, he shared with the people how greatly he desired their salvation and their good. That church had become dear to Paul, and so he was eager to share with the people his very life.

            When I read this tonight, I thought of our own sweet church where I serve. Over the past year, the people here have become dear to me and to my family. We have, by God’s grace, become eager to share with the church, not only our time, but our own selves. I hurt when our church hurts. I rejoice when our people rejoice. I thank God for this church family.

            How about you? Do you have a church family with whom you share your life? Are you pouring more into your church than a little time and occasional attendance? God has something better for his children than an occasional meeting and brief socialization. God wants us to give our lives to one another. He wants us to work together as a family. He wants us to show the world that we are his disciples by loving each other (cf. John 13:34-35).

            Lord, I am so grateful to you for the church where you have placed my family. I know that we are by no means perfect in our actions or attitudes; we need work. I know that We have much to do to honor you more. Yet, I cannot imagine wanting to be somewhere else. I also know that the affection that I feel for our church is a gift from you, and so I give you all the glory here. I pray that you will help me to love you by loving the church. Help my family to give you glory in the body where you have placed us. Help our church family to love you and serve you well.

Luke 8:38-39

38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

            What does God call you to do in order to rightly serve him? What kind of missions is God calling you to? Is he calling you to take the gospel overseas? Maybe. Is he calling you to go to a hard-to-reach people group in your country? Maybe. Is he calling you to the inner city? Maybe.

            But do not forget that God’s call on your life might be very similar to the man above. You remember the story, don’t you, of the demoniac that Jesus drove the “legion” of demons out of? Those demons went into the pigs on a nearby hillside and caused a massive bacon famine [borrowed Joke]. The demoniac, for his part, was thrilled that Jesus had done this. He asked to get in the boat with Jesus and travel across the sea of Galilee with him. But Jesus did not let that man leave his hometown. Instead, Jesus sent him back to his home, to his family, to his neighbors. He told this man to just tell people what God had done for him.

            There is no doubt that you are called to share the gospel and make disciples. The Great Commission is a command that applies to us all. But maybe your main calling is to fulfill the Great Commission at home. Maybe you are supposed to see to it that the people in your town have heard the gospel. Maybe you are to see to it that the people from other nations who live near you know about Jesus. Maybe you are to share the gospel with friends and neighbors as God gives you the opportunity. Maybe you are supposed to raise children to value Christ more than local sports accolades or even scholastic achievement.

            Today, maybe you should put on your own life the command that Jesus gave the newly saved man. Today, tell somebody you know and love about how much God has done for you. Today, help someone around you to know that Jesus is real. Today, look for a window in a conversation that you can open to spiritual truth. Today, show Jesus’ love and kindness.

            Lord, would you make me a faithful missionary at home? Would you help me to live the gospel in front of friends and family. Yes, I will happily go to the nations when you let me. However, if you keep me in my own town, would you help me simply tell the truth of Jesus to someone this day?

1 Chronicles 13:9-10

9 And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his hand to take hold of the ark, for the oxen stumbled. 10 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark, and he died there before God.

            When do you tremble as you think about God? If the answer is, “Never,” you might want to take a moment to revisit the concept of holiness. I know, we New Testament believers feel very comfortable with our understanding of God’s mercy and grace; and we should. However, if we miss the ferocity of his holiness, we lose the center of how great is his grace.

            Take a step back and remember what happened in the brief account of Uzzah. This man had basically good intentions. He and those around him were not transporting the ark of God in the proper manner, but this may not even have been by Uzzah’s design. When it looked like this sacred object was about to fall off the cart and crash to the ground, Uzzah tried to do what he could to keep the ark safe. But the moment Uzzah touched the ark, he died. Why? Holiness.

            The fact that God is holy is a powerful truth. God’s holiness includes both is perfection and his distance from our imperfection. God is above us, set apart from us, better than us in such a way that he is utterly beyond us. As R. C. Sproul tells us, the fact that God is holy means that God is a cut above the rest. (This separateness of God from us has nothing to do with physical distance or aloofness. God is near us and loves his children greatly.)

            What happens when the sinful flesh of man touches the holy? Well, what happens when something contaminated falls into a clean liquid? One of two things may occur. Either the liquid becomes slightly contaminated, or the contaminant is completely and utterly destroyed. God cannot be contaminated. What happens when Uzzah’s sinful flesh touches the holy? Uzzah dies.

            If we were to be placed in the presence, the express fullness, of God and his holiness, in our sinful state and if we had nothing to shield us, we would die. As Isaiah felt himself to be undone in the presence of God (cf. Isaiah 6), so we would shatter into nothingness were the full force of God’s holiness to be unleashed upon us. Why? We are sinful. Holiness cannot tolerate and excuse sin.

            Thanks be to God! He sent Jesus Christ, the holy God in flesh, to earth to be our propitiation. Jesus died to pay for our guilt, to cover and remove our sin, and to make us able to stand in God’s holy presence without being destroyed. Jesus is our one and only hope. Because of Jesus, we can long for the day when we see our Lord. This grace is amazing. But, it is only amazing to us when we remember the holiness of God that makes us tremble in our very souls.

            Lord, you are holy. Your perfection is above and beyond me. I deserve to be judged by you. Thank you for the grace of Jesus Christ. Thank you for cleansing me and making me your child. Please help me to remember the consuming power of your holiness so that I will always properly be grateful for your grace. Help me to share your glory and perfection with the world around me so that they too can be in awe of your holiness and run to Jesus for your mercy.