1 Corinthians 3: 1 - 3
"Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly?" (NIV).
Human appetite is an interesting thing. There are certain things that I like to eat that I think I could eat every single day... forever. I even made the mistake once of saying to my wife and others: "I could probably live on beef jerky and diet coke for the rest of my life." Nothing says "I appreciate all the time and effort you put into making me meals" quite like "I could live on beef jerky and diet coke." My poor wife. I am so lucky she is gracious to me.
The truth is, we can often become satisfied with the way things are and never move on. Paul was yelling at the Corinthian church in these verses because they refused to put worldly things behind them and become mature in their faith. The problem with comfort is that it really does hold back necessary development. There is a process for maturing and each step is necessary. With humans we start on milk, and then there's the gross mashed up food, and ultimately... beef jerky and diet coke. If you have a new baby and jump strait to solid food bad things will happen. The same is true for Christians, there is a process to our growth.
What would happen if you tried to put a third grader in a college level psychology class? You're right, they would pay better attention - but they also wouldn't know what was going on. Now imagine the opposite - what if you're 21 and instead of going to economics at the community college you were still trying to pass your finger painting class? You wouldn't be content with where you are - and we shouldn't be content with where we are on our discipleship journey either. We need to be constantly making steps and growing and not stopping when we are satisfied with where things are.
My challenge for you is to make some practical step towards growth. Set bible study goals (notice I said study - check previous post), make prayer a priority at different times of your day, join a new bible study or small group - just do something to make sure that you aren't trying to coast your way up the narrow road. When we as God's children decide that we are no longer satisfied on our milk diet great things will happen. Don't be fooled by the hilarious commercials with milk mustaches (italics are the sarcasm of the type-written word), milk is only good for babies.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
What if Christians actually lived ready?
Matthew 24:44 "You also must be ready all the time. For the Son of Man will come when least expected."(NLT, emphasis added)
It's popular now-a-days to try to avoid "cliche"church things like saying "what would Jesus do" or "live every day like Jesus is coming" - but if we don't ask these questions or do these things we are ignoring what Jesus himself commands us to to in His word. Living a "ready" life is something that is often talked about an encouraged in church, but is hard to understand practically. I am, generally, never fully prepared for anything. I am a procrastinator. When you regularly struggle to be prepared for trash day, it's really hard to imagine being prepared for the second coming of the Messiah.
So how do we do live like Jesus is coming back today? Well, we have a choice. I think many people, if they were honest with themselves, would probably just do whatever they wanted if they knew Jesus was coming back today: call family, spend a crazy amount of money at restaurants, listen to some of Pastor Dave's past sermons online... If it were me, I would probably want to take my wife and daughter somewhere awesome and spend as much time showing them my love as I can - because that's what I love doing. However, I don't think I would allow myself to do only that - and I hope you wouldn't either. I love my family more than anything in this world, but if this is the last day I have on this earth I pray that I live it trying to get as many people as possible to see God's love and know His Son. I hope I would be like Isaiah who said: "Here I am, send me (Isa. 6:8)."
For the record - I in no way agree with those who neglect their families for their ministry - that isn't what God wants either, however if the Son of man is coming when we least expect it, we all need to make sure that as many people are ready as is possible.
My question to you is - did you live ready today? When you go about your day, from place to place, are you looking for opportunities or do you hope no interrupts you so you can do what you went there to do?
My challenge for you this week is to pull out that w.w.j.d bracelet that has been hiding in your sock drawer and realize that it's better to be cliche than to miss what God wants to do through you. (Then if you're like me, you will put the bracelet right back in the drawer.)
It's popular now-a-days to try to avoid "cliche"church things like saying "what would Jesus do" or "live every day like Jesus is coming" - but if we don't ask these questions or do these things we are ignoring what Jesus himself commands us to to in His word. Living a "ready" life is something that is often talked about an encouraged in church, but is hard to understand practically. I am, generally, never fully prepared for anything. I am a procrastinator. When you regularly struggle to be prepared for trash day, it's really hard to imagine being prepared for the second coming of the Messiah.
So how do we do live like Jesus is coming back today? Well, we have a choice. I think many people, if they were honest with themselves, would probably just do whatever they wanted if they knew Jesus was coming back today: call family, spend a crazy amount of money at restaurants, listen to some of Pastor Dave's past sermons online... If it were me, I would probably want to take my wife and daughter somewhere awesome and spend as much time showing them my love as I can - because that's what I love doing. However, I don't think I would allow myself to do only that - and I hope you wouldn't either. I love my family more than anything in this world, but if this is the last day I have on this earth I pray that I live it trying to get as many people as possible to see God's love and know His Son. I hope I would be like Isaiah who said: "Here I am, send me (Isa. 6:8)."
For the record - I in no way agree with those who neglect their families for their ministry - that isn't what God wants either, however if the Son of man is coming when we least expect it, we all need to make sure that as many people are ready as is possible.
My question to you is - did you live ready today? When you go about your day, from place to place, are you looking for opportunities or do you hope no interrupts you so you can do what you went there to do?
My challenge for you this week is to pull out that w.w.j.d bracelet that has been hiding in your sock drawer and realize that it's better to be cliche than to miss what God wants to do through you. (Then if you're like me, you will put the bracelet right back in the drawer.)
Thursday, September 16, 2010
What if Christians actually followed Jesus?
In the bible when Jesus said "Follow me" (Mt. 4:19, Mk 1:17, etc.) the people literally left what they were doing and physically followed Him. They didn't continue to fish with promises to act more like Jesus - they made the choice to ACTUALLY follow Jesus where He wanted to lead them.
I understand that you may think that this is impossible today. You might say: "Jesus is up in heaven sitting on his La -Z - Boy throne (do you think the King of Kings is sitting on an uncomfortable chair?) praying for us. How can I follow Him physically?" Well I'm glad you asked. You can ask Him where to go. You can ask Him what you should be doing. If you are doing the same things the same way you did them before Jesus came into your life - how are you following Him? Maybe you're just observing Him; maybe you are following Him in more of a "twitter sense." You occasionally check in to read His thoughts or see what He's up to. We can make Jesus more of a celebrity to be observed than a Master who we need to obey and follow. If we aren't intentionally following Jesus it's hard to stay on the narrow road, that we are told leads to life. If we do things the way we think we should and hope it lines up with God's purpose for us I think we'll be unpleasantly surprised. I think we'll be more like the people in the crowd who instead of really listening to Jesus, were just waiting to see Him do a miracle or ask Him to do something for us. We need to really follow Him.
This week you should make an effort to pray and study God's word and seek out where God may be leading you. Also re-read prov. 3:5,6 - an important reminder that we need to follow Jesus.
I understand that you may think that this is impossible today. You might say: "Jesus is up in heaven sitting on his La -Z - Boy throne (do you think the King of Kings is sitting on an uncomfortable chair?) praying for us. How can I follow Him physically?" Well I'm glad you asked. You can ask Him where to go. You can ask Him what you should be doing. If you are doing the same things the same way you did them before Jesus came into your life - how are you following Him? Maybe you're just observing Him; maybe you are following Him in more of a "twitter sense." You occasionally check in to read His thoughts or see what He's up to. We can make Jesus more of a celebrity to be observed than a Master who we need to obey and follow. If we aren't intentionally following Jesus it's hard to stay on the narrow road, that we are told leads to life. If we do things the way we think we should and hope it lines up with God's purpose for us I think we'll be unpleasantly surprised. I think we'll be more like the people in the crowd who instead of really listening to Jesus, were just waiting to see Him do a miracle or ask Him to do something for us. We need to really follow Him.
This week you should make an effort to pray and study God's word and seek out where God may be leading you. Also re-read prov. 3:5,6 - an important reminder that we need to follow Jesus.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
What if Christians actually studied instead of skimming the cliff notes.
The other day I was on a website that had a brightly colored blinking banner that said something like "YOU'RE OUR 1,000,000 VISITOR, CLICK ON THIS TO COLLECT YOUR SWEET PRIZE." I of course, being the realist that I am, immediately clicked on the link and followed all of the directions to receive this prize. I'm not sure what happened - but for some reason I couldn't find out how to collect my prize. So I spend the next 5 hours on hold with customer service asking for money, and have sent at least 5 emails... it seems like more of a long shot now but I have high hopes.
These types of scams are nothing new, even before the Internet was a thing I can remember my parents and grandparents getting mail saying that they were contenders for $10,000. When we see things like this we know it's too good to be true; that there must be some catch. However, I know way to many Christians who read the Bible and believe things that may seem a little to good be true, without reading any of the fine print. "Give me all of the blessings with none of the consequences please!" Let me give you an example of two parallel verses from the gospels.
Matthew 7: 7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Luke 11: 9"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
11"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
When you look at these two verses, which both give an account of a particular teaching of Jesus, you notice that one says that God will give goods gifts, while the other says that He will give the Holy Spirit. Did one of these men write it down wrong? No. They both say the same thing, just differently. If Luke says the Holy Spirit, and Matthew says good gifts, isn't it possible that the good gifts Matthew mentions are in fact the gifts of the Holy Spirit? I think they are. Some people like to think the Matthew version gives them license to ask for nice things, I don't. Don't get me wrong, God does want to and has blessed us, me in particular - this doesn't mean I should be praying for a nicer house or golf clubs.
Whether or not you disagree with me about this particular example is not the point; the point is that we shouldn't just be reading (or listening to) the Bible, we should be studying, and actually trying to understand it's truth.
Maybe if we all really studied the Word of God, we could live our lives without the disspointment that comes when we feel like God has failed us. After all haven't we read somewhere that God can't fail?
These types of scams are nothing new, even before the Internet was a thing I can remember my parents and grandparents getting mail saying that they were contenders for $10,000. When we see things like this we know it's too good to be true; that there must be some catch. However, I know way to many Christians who read the Bible and believe things that may seem a little to good be true, without reading any of the fine print. "Give me all of the blessings with none of the consequences please!" Let me give you an example of two parallel verses from the gospels.
Matthew 7: 7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Luke 11: 9"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
11"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
When you look at these two verses, which both give an account of a particular teaching of Jesus, you notice that one says that God will give goods gifts, while the other says that He will give the Holy Spirit. Did one of these men write it down wrong? No. They both say the same thing, just differently. If Luke says the Holy Spirit, and Matthew says good gifts, isn't it possible that the good gifts Matthew mentions are in fact the gifts of the Holy Spirit? I think they are. Some people like to think the Matthew version gives them license to ask for nice things, I don't. Don't get me wrong, God does want to and has blessed us, me in particular - this doesn't mean I should be praying for a nicer house or golf clubs.
Whether or not you disagree with me about this particular example is not the point; the point is that we shouldn't just be reading (or listening to) the Bible, we should be studying, and actually trying to understand it's truth.
Maybe if we all really studied the Word of God, we could live our lives without the disspointment that comes when we feel like God has failed us. After all haven't we read somewhere that God can't fail?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
What if Christians actually let there little light shine?
Some of you have probably heard the philosophical question: "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, did it make a noise?" Although there are varying view points on this particular question it brings a completely different question to my mind. If the Children of God are called to be the light of the world, (See Matthew 5:14-16)but their light is hidden, are they really the light?
In my experience a flashlight doesn't do any good in a cave, basement, or any other dark place unless you pull it out of your pocket and turn it on. When I was younger I learned that the definition of darkness wasn't blackness - it's the absence of light. How do we get rid of darkness - light. So many people in the church spend so much time worrying about or complaining about the darkness: the evil in it, the fear it causes. When really, they are already equipped with what it takes to combat it.
This is true not only in the battle of good of evil in our world, but also in our own lives. What in your life are you keeping hidden in darkness? What are you hiding from the light? Sin is a poison that will eventually kill us. That's why the bible tells us to confess our sins to God and one another. Bring it into the light to recieve God's forgiveness and recieve the accountablity from other believers needed to keep the dark places out of your life. Even a little light can eliminate darkness. The question is will we pull it out of hiding.
In my experience a flashlight doesn't do any good in a cave, basement, or any other dark place unless you pull it out of your pocket and turn it on. When I was younger I learned that the definition of darkness wasn't blackness - it's the absence of light. How do we get rid of darkness - light. So many people in the church spend so much time worrying about or complaining about the darkness: the evil in it, the fear it causes. When really, they are already equipped with what it takes to combat it.
This is true not only in the battle of good of evil in our world, but also in our own lives. What in your life are you keeping hidden in darkness? What are you hiding from the light? Sin is a poison that will eventually kill us. That's why the bible tells us to confess our sins to God and one another. Bring it into the light to recieve God's forgiveness and recieve the accountablity from other believers needed to keep the dark places out of your life. Even a little light can eliminate darkness. The question is will we pull it out of hiding.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
What if Christians actually considered others better than themselves?
Phillipians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
What if we thought the needs of others were more important than our own? These verses say that we should put selfishness aside and look to others interets as well. Personally, my needs are all met; I have shelter, food, love, and all the other needs I've been told that I have. And now that I have all my needs met, I can move on to my interests - the things I want: the things I put in my shelter, and the kinds of food I eat. The problem is that some of these other people, the ones that I am supposed to consider better than myself, don't have everything they need. Is it right that I keep pursueing my own interests when others don't have enough to survive? I'm not saying that we should never do things to make life more enjoyable, I am also not saying that I am the example that anyone should look to in this area. If you want that example keep reading in Phillipians - He's there. What we need to do is make steps toward this. The bible even give's suggestions.
- In Luke 14 it says that we shouldn't only invite friends, family, and rich neighbors to dinner but to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.
My brother could certainly stand to miss a dinner or two.
- In Hebrews 13 it says: "Do not forget to entertain strangers" and "remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners."
If we were honest, we would probably admit that there are people we don't want to talk to, places we don't want to go to, and situations that we would rather ignore. It's time we humble ourselves and start washing some feet. If I considered others better than myself it wouldn't be a problem.
What if we thought the needs of others were more important than our own? These verses say that we should put selfishness aside and look to others interets as well. Personally, my needs are all met; I have shelter, food, love, and all the other needs I've been told that I have. And now that I have all my needs met, I can move on to my interests - the things I want: the things I put in my shelter, and the kinds of food I eat. The problem is that some of these other people, the ones that I am supposed to consider better than myself, don't have everything they need. Is it right that I keep pursueing my own interests when others don't have enough to survive? I'm not saying that we should never do things to make life more enjoyable, I am also not saying that I am the example that anyone should look to in this area. If you want that example keep reading in Phillipians - He's there. What we need to do is make steps toward this. The bible even give's suggestions.
- In Luke 14 it says that we shouldn't only invite friends, family, and rich neighbors to dinner but to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.
My brother could certainly stand to miss a dinner or two.
- In Hebrews 13 it says: "Do not forget to entertain strangers" and "remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners."
If we were honest, we would probably admit that there are people we don't want to talk to, places we don't want to go to, and situations that we would rather ignore. It's time we humble ourselves and start washing some feet. If I considered others better than myself it wouldn't be a problem.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
What if Christians actually worked together.
I like to think about heaven sometimes. Through my life I have developed the habit of thinking up questions that I will ask God when I get to heaven. "It was a whale right, why does everyone make such a big deal out of this?" A few years ago I wondered what would happen up there when all of us could, once and for all, find out how God really wanted the church to operate. Which doctrines were right and which were wrong? Then I realized something, in heaven, no one will care. We will be so caught up in the presence of God that we won't be able to do anything but to worship. All of the petty reasons that church's don't worship together or work together on earth will be gone when we worship together in front of our Father.
What if we were able to do that now? In heaven there won't be a Lutheran section, and a Presbyterian section, and a non-denominational fellowship section: we will finally become THE church. I understand that having doctrines and theological stances are necessary for the church to operate, and that your beliefs should help you decide what church to attend. I think some church doctrines are over the top and some are extremely unimportant, but others are necessary. However, I also believe strongly in what God tried to tell The church in Romans 14 where it says: "Accept him... without passing judgement on disputable matters." Later it adds: "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification." What if we stopped fighting each other over whether or not our wives need to wear hats in church. What if when a need was recognized in our town all of the church's combined to help meet it. What if instead of struggling to solve problems on our own, we worked together on what God thinks is important.
p.s. it isn't hats
What if we were able to do that now? In heaven there won't be a Lutheran section, and a Presbyterian section, and a non-denominational fellowship section: we will finally become THE church. I understand that having doctrines and theological stances are necessary for the church to operate, and that your beliefs should help you decide what church to attend. I think some church doctrines are over the top and some are extremely unimportant, but others are necessary. However, I also believe strongly in what God tried to tell The church in Romans 14 where it says: "Accept him... without passing judgement on disputable matters." Later it adds: "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification." What if we stopped fighting each other over whether or not our wives need to wear hats in church. What if when a need was recognized in our town all of the church's combined to help meet it. What if instead of struggling to solve problems on our own, we worked together on what God thinks is important.
p.s. it isn't hats
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