Thinking in 3’s - Matthew 3:17; 12:18; 17:5 - Well-Pleased

 It is easier for me to spot 3’s in a space of a few verses. This collection, however, ranges over a good portion of Matthew’s Gospel. I found it while working on a Sunday message from … Proverbs 8. Wisdom, in that passage, is daily the Lord’s delight. Here, in Matthew, it is the Son, Jesus, who, 3 times, is the Father’s delight, or, is well-pleasing to the Father.

The first of these occurs at the baptism of Jesus, at the start of His earthly  ministry. 

Matt. 3:17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

Jesus is identifying with His people, with His sinful people who need a Savior. Jesus is not joining an elite group. He is not “upping His game.” He is coming down to our level, to our need. And, it is well-pleasing to the Father.

The next occurrence comes after the death of John the Baptist, while opposition to Jesus from religious authorities is hardening against Him.

Matt. 12:18 “BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; 

MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED; 

I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, 

AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.

Jesus has, and will be extending His ministry beyond the existing borders of Israel, and beyond the Jewish population. He will go up to Sidon, and then across the Jordan River to Gentile territory. Matthew here quotes from Isaiah 42, where there are numerous prophecies about the mission of God extending beyond Israel. But this is by no means popular with the religious leaders who are inspecting Jesus’ ministry. Holiness, in their eyes, requires separation from the Gentiles, not ministry to them. But it is clear, both in Matthew and in Isaiah: God is well-pleased as His Son serves in this way.

And then we find God well-pleased in a setting where we would expect it: on the Mount of Transfiguration. 

Matt. 17:5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”

But what we should note is that the voice from heaven does not speak primarily for Jesus’ benefit or reassurance, but rather for Peter’s correction. He had placed Jesus on a level alongside Moses and Elijah, probably thinking that he was elevating Jesus. But God makes clear that he is in fact demoting Jesus to the level of two who were mere men, though they be Old Testament giants of the faith and on a special mission from heaven above. But this text makes clear, then, that with Jesus, and with Jesus alone, is God well-pleased in this particular sense.

Applications abound. Are you and I well-pleased with Jesus? Is He most excellent in our sight, and in our hearts, above all other things? Are we well-pleased when the ministry of Jesus extends to people not just like us, and are we ourselves, as followers of Jesus, willing to personally involved in that kind of ministry. Are we more-pleased when ministry is restricted to our own clan? Are we well-pleased that Jesus was willing to associate with sinners? Have we truly understand that we ourselves fall into that category, that we ourselves are stained sinners in need of a stain-cleansing Savior? 

It is as we embrace Jesus and the uncomfortable contours of His ministry that we can understand that God being well-pleased with Jesus stands in relation to Jesus fulfilling the very mission of God, to which we are also called.

Thinking in 3’s - Urgent Prayer

“Hear my prayer, O LORD! And let my cry for help come to You. … In the day when I call answer me quickly.” (Psalm 102:1–2 NAS95)

In the beginning of Psalm 102 - a psalm that bears the heading “A Prayer of the Afflicted when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord” - we have three words that describe the psalmist’s appeal to God. I would like to suggest that these three words should shape how we address the Lord for help as well.

“Hear my prayer, O LORD!” The first of our three words is what one would expect - generic prayer. And while this word is commonly used for prayer throughout the Old Testament, it is hardly generic. It is based on the verb for adjudication or arbitration. The pray-er is appealing to an authority to take up his/her case - to intercede for their benefit.

This idea contains an implication that we should not miss - we cannot remedy our situation by ourselves. We can’t change our condition, or the opposition. Only someone outside of ourselves can do that. Jesus mentions the woman who appeals to the judge in Luke 18. But let’s face it. For most of our concerns, we need someone much more powerful than a judge; one much more accessible than one hidden by judicial, bureaucratic processes. And it is the LORD, our covenant God, to whom we make our appeal. 

“Let my cry for help come to You.” This plea is urgent. This prayer is not the mere fulfilling of a duty. It is evocation promoted by provocation. It leaps from one’s lips instinctively, involuntarily. 

Here we need to pause and ask ourselves a question: Have we grown so self-sufficient, surrounded by such a range of helps and supports, that we have lost the instinct to “cry for help” to the Lord? There seems to be more “saying of prayers” than actual praying; more mumbling than crying out; more words with low expectation than cries of desperation. It makes us wonder if we still believe in a potent, powerful God, and if our contemporary prayers resemble much of the atmosphere of the Bible.

“In the day when I call, answer me quickly.” The third word is “call.” We are actually aroused by our helplessness and recognition of something terribly wrong to express a thought, form a word, and give voice to a call. We move from the interiority of feeling sorry for ourselves to the exteriority of calling out - even screaming? - to the Lord. No, I don’t think that our prayers should all be screaming. But then, if we find nothing wrong in us or around us worth screaming about, maybe we have no reason to pray a Biblical prayer.

Thinking in 3’s - Matthew 7:13-14 - Two Ways

Thinking in 3’s - Matthew 7:13-14 - Two Ways

Matt. 7:13   “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. ¹⁴ For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

These words of Jesus found in the Sermon on the Mount are easy to remember. We have two sets of three, and each entry in the first list is matched by its opposite in the second list: wide/narrow; easy/hard; leading to destruction/life. Jesus is drawing on a Biblical theme called “the two ways.” One is right. The other is wrong.

An Old Testament example of the doctrine of the two ways is found in Psalm 1: 1,2: 

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

These two descriptions are not parallel, but they are two different paths, or, two different sets of influences. We could look to Proverbs as well for the many contrasts between the wise and the foolish - people or individuals on two very different paths.

Again, for context and importance, Jesus identifies Himself as “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). The Gospel teaches us that believing in and following Jesus is one way; the other is to reject Jesus and go our own way. Again, two very different ways.

In our passage, Jesus is marking the contrast between the two ways. One is widely (get it, wide?) accepted by great numbers of people. It is intuitive to them and their mindsets. Most all religions in the world other than Christianity are “works” oriented - “How can I climb my way into heaven?” - and that makes sense to all sorts of people. It would denote the wide way, or gate. Many go down that path.

On the other hand, while the Gospel message itself is simple, it is narrow. “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Christianity is exclusive to faith in Jesus. The way is narrow, and it rubs against our sensibilities until we have been introduced to the wonder of who Jesus is and what He has done for us.

It makes sense that a wide entrance leads to an easy way. It leads naturally, according to one’s natural sensibilities. It almost would make sense that the easy way leads on a downhill slope. On the other hand, Jesus’ way is hard, because it leads upward. No, we don’t climb our way to heaven, and, as Jesus says, “the burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). But the way is hard because it goes against the current of the world. We must constantly work against our own intuitions and the world’s opinions.

The third contrast has to do with the two paths’ destinations. And since they are two very different paths, they have two very different destinations. One “leads to destruction;” the other “leads to life.” All the people on both paths seems to be alive, and they are, physically. But the destination refers to an eternity of spiritual death, or spiritual life; of eternal distance from God, or eternal fellowship with Him. The first will be stripped of every grace that God has ever given, both to “the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). The second will live in the favor of God forever. The difference can hardly be exaggerated.

You could argue that this passage is not really a case of “thinking in 3’s.” There are actually four descriptions and contrasts. And so maybe this passage will show up again in the collection on “4’s.” But these first three contrasts speak about the path. The last speaks about those who travel on the path: the many, and the few.

The majority does not get to determine the truth. Truth belongs to God, and whether there be many who take Him at His Word, or few, the truth does not change. You can read the story of the Bible and be consistently impressed at how the righteous are greatly outnumbered by the ungodly: Noah building the ark; Elijah vs. the prophets of Baal; the apostles against both Jewish and Gentile unbelievers. We should not be surprised if it is true in our day as well.

The Cookie on the Counter

I’m not sure why Jane makes cookies. It’s clear I don’t need them. I think she does it just to test me.

It usually starts out well. “I’m not touching a single one of those things,” as she mixes the batter and puts them in the oven. It’s not long before the smell of warm cookies wafts through the house. Time to leave. Take a walk. Clear my head.

I come home again and there they are, heaped on a plate. It doesn’t look like she has touched a single one. I won’t either. It smells good. And so I resist. But later, they are still there. Can cookies talk? Because I think they are calling my name.

Resisting is fine, as long as it lasts. Sometimes it’s longer. Sometimes it’s a laugher. And the thing is, once you take one, well, the game is already lost. So you might as well eat … ten?

We don’t get points for resisting temptation, temporarily. Points, by the way, is not the point. The point would rather be that I pick a direction and stick with it. If I deviate from the path, whether after a mile, or a foot, I’m still in the ditch.

Now it’s not a sin to eat a cookie. I don’t think it is. Unless I promised God that I wouldn’t. Which I didn’t. I just promised myself, and I’m not God. Is that ok? I don’t know. I just feel a little sick from eating, you know, ten cookies.

But the point that I would like to make is this: none of us who give in to temptation know the difficulty of truly resisting so long as we give in, whenever it is that we give in. If we resist a particular temptation, and then give in, and then resume resisting again, we still don’t really know what it’s like to resist temptation. And so we cannot fully appreciate Jesus. How so? Because of this verse:

“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15 NAS95)

How long did Jesus resist temptation? For the whole course. He never once gave in. He always resisted. And it didn’t have to do with just one area, or some silly thing, like cookies. It had to do with every area of life - every single temptation. And the significance of this? He understands all our dilemmas, since his temptations were more difficult than ours, because He never gave in. Not once.

Thinking in 3’s - Acts 19:8 - Speak Boldly

Acts 19:8   And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 

Paul’s visit to Ephesus on his 2nd missionary journey was pretty wild. He faced opposition everywhere he went. He woke up expecting it every single day. Now, as he entered this great city, he would be immersed in a pagan culture that could hardly conceive of what he would tell them. Distracting from his message would be men driven by evil spirits, “naked and wounded.” Those who came to faith in Christ would burn their superstitious tool boxes worth ridiculous sums of money. The silversmith union would rise up in opposition against him, and the riot brought the whole city to a halt.

And what was Paul’s role in this? He taught daily in the synagogue. He “spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.” When Jewish opposition increased, he moved from the synagogue to the hall of Tyrannus, where he continued reasoning with his hearers for another two years. He did not incite mobs. He did not resort to the spectacular. He relied on, and proclaimed, the Word of God. He spoke boldly. He reasoned. He persuaded. It’s what we need to do, whatever the venue; whatever the crowd size; whenever we get the chance, and wherever we can find the opportunity.

To “speak boldly” is to speak openly. This is not a secret. My Bible program dictionary offers these phrases: “to speak openly about something and with complete confidence;” ‘“to speak regardless of who is listening;” “to speak without fearing;” “to speak without worrying.” If I could add to this, it seems that a person who speaks boldly is also a person who speaks clearly. He will not want to be misunderstood. Those who oppose will misquote and take statements out of context in any case. But its the hearers - those who have ears to hear - that you want to reach.

And so our verb, “speak boldly,” is followed by two participles that flesh out what this means. The first of these is “reasoning.” Paul’s task is to present a reality that stands in distinct contrast with the current, pagan worldview. Instead of many gods, Paul spoke of one. Instead of works intended to appease these gods, he spoke of God’s grace that was able to redeem. Instead of sensuality, he was compelled to relate a Biblical view of spirituality. And these people had never heard such things before. And so he had to support his claims with the story of Scripture, how this God created and designed; how this God was personally involved in human events; how this God loved and cared and sent and sacrificed. This was unheard of to these busy, prosperous people.

But Paul did not merely want to talk about ideas. He wanted Jesus to become so real, so compelling, so personal, that they could not but help to give themselves to him. And so Paul “persuaded.” He would lay out the argument in such a way that there really was no decision to make, since God in Christ had decided for them in this work of atonement. It is as though they were in “the Way” of a camel stampede, and there was no place to step aside from the onslaught of the salvation that was proffered by God through the preaching of this apostle.

And many believed. They found their new home in Christ. Their lives were changed. And many rejected. They rejected Paul’s words. They rejected Paul. They rejected God. But Paul did his job. I have to ask myself, and you. Have we done ours?

In Good Faith

“fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.” (1 Timothy 1:18–19 NAS95)

“In good faith” means that you make a promise with every intent to fulfill your word. Conversely, “in bad faith” means that you enter into an agreement with little intention that you will follow through. Political discourse if full of bad faith. This is one reason we must keep our faith free from the political realm - because “good faith” means that we will “keep faith and a good conscience.”

When Paul tells Timothy to “fight the good fight,” he is not talking about training for a triathlon. He is not mentoring Timothy in the pursuit of making a million dollars. He is not prodding him to join the “get out the vote” effort. No, there is something far more important in his mind. This has to do with his integrity. It has to do with aligning his heart and words. It has to do with his trustworthiness in leading the flock of believers to which he is assigned. “Fight the good fight” is having a good faith.

Paul ties together faith and conscience. He says that “keeping faith” is linked to having a “good conscience.” The two go together. Let’s take the second one first.

The “Gospel” sense of conscience is that we know and believe that we are cleansed by the blood of Christ. I can have a “good conscience” before God, not because I am perfect, but because I know my sins are covered and forgiven. It means that I can forsake the utterly useless schemes of covering up and pretending to be something that I am not, because I now find my identity in Christ. I am a sinner saved by grace, “accepted in the Beloved.” 

Good conscience also has an ethical element. That is, in light of my identity in Christ, I live gratefully and graciously. I seek to express the sweetness and savor of the Lord Jesus in my words and actions. Good conscience means that I live an examined life, confessing failures daily, and picking up the “good fight” again.

Good conscience is tied to keeping faith. Keeping faith means that we embrace sound doctrine. It means that we use as our guide the Holy Scriptures, and the character of Christ, and the leading of the Holy Spirit. These are not three separate guides, but one guide, that is at the same time theological, spiritual, and personal. Keeping faith means that we “study to show ourselves approved unto God, .. rightly dividing the word of truth.” 

The Church, and its expression as local churches, needs those who live “in good faith.” Our world also has need of such people.

Kingdom Prayer

You can pretty much pray about anything. Far be it from me to try to tell you what you can talk to your Heavenly Father about. He cares about the things you care about. The point of “Kingdom Prayer,” though, is that we also ought to pray for the things that He most cares about.

We are free to pray about presidents and patriotism. Our world is all aflurry about such things right now. I want to make sure we know the difference when I say that we should pray about the King and God’s Kingdom. Kingdom prayer. They are not the same thing.

What is kingdom prayer? It’s a big question. Here is a small part of the answer. We start with what is known as “the Lord’s Prayer,” perhaps better called the “pattern prayer” that Jesus gave to the disciples. 

“Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9–10 NAS95)

This is the first half of that prayer, and it occupies itself with God, His name, His kingdom, and His will (much as do the 1st 4 commandments of the 10 commandments). Regardless of country or kin, we want God and His name to be hallowed. The event that is most highly anticipated is not an election, but the coming of the King. He can put into place God’s will in a way that no president of any party can ever do, and we pray for that day. We want God’s will to be done, even if it is some measure clashes with our own.

So certainly kingdom prayer occupies itself with the kingdom. But kingdom prayer also focuses on readiness for the kingdom. It causes us to examine our own lives, seeking to apply Scripture to areas that have been glossed over, as in this Sundays text, and the one that immediately follows (James 4:13-17, and 5:1-6). Politics will never solve these problems of the human heart. Only God’s Spirit can do so, as we listen and repent.

And because Christians love their neighbors, we also pray for our neighbors and their readiness for the kingdom. We pray that they would hear the Gospel and come to recognize Jesus as Savior and Lord. We seek to live and share that Gospel, to be seen and heard by those who are not now prepared, and need to be. 

Let’s enter into Kingdom Prayer.

Thinking in 3’s - 1 Samuel 22:2 - Christian Team-Building

Several years ago we had talked about developing teams within the congregation, each team led by Deacons. There was discussion how to formulate these teams, and someone mentioned a lottery system, seemingly in order to be able to pick the best first. I’m really not sure if he was joking or being sarcastic. Probably not his best moment.

But what strikes me is how David assembles his “team” when he was on the run for Saul. Now granted, he may not have had a lot to choose from. And yet, it seems that at least a portion of these men stuck with David for the long haul, - and there were definitely difficult days - and they were eventually known as “David’s mighty men.” Let’s hear how they were described:

1 Samuel 22:2 Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him.

The perfect traits for team-building: distressed, indebted, and discontented. It might remind one of Jesus calling His motley crew of disciples. It also might remind one of the make-up of the church. These have never been exercises in cherry-picking. Or at least, it’s not supposed to be.

We had a gentleman years ago who pray for people to come to our church - a certain kind of people - people who were ready and equipped to serve. I get what he was saying. But it still doesn’t square with what I see here in 1 Samuel, or in the Gospels, or in the Epistles. Sinners come, “Just As I Am, without one plea,” and then the job of the church is to disciple - to make disciples. And so there is hard work to do. We do not start with finished products - and every mature Christian knows that he himself/she herself is no finished product.

So when these men filtered in to David’s camp, he did not say to them, “No, you can’t stay. You’re too stressed.” Or “Only those who have passed the Dave Ramsay test are allowed.” Or, “If you weren’t content in your last church, then why would we want you in this one?” He took these men, such as they were, and somehow, the character of the captain rubbed off on them over time. I do not doubt that there were rough spots; discipline issues; hard talks; perhaps even ejections. But there must have been a lot of positive things that take place.

And just to be clear, in the church, it is not the character of the pastor that is supposed to rub off. No, many people come to church not having had ample opportunity to be in the presence of Christ and His people - and it is the character of Christ that needs to be infectious.

This all requires a lot of love and patience. These are gifts to us from God. We do not have sufficient supply in and of ourselves. Let’s ask God to help us accept hurting people, and then to pray diligently for them, and work hard to help them, in God’s timing, to have less of the 3 “d’s” and more of the big “C” - Christ.

Thinking in 3’s: Joseph of Arimathea (Luke 23:50-1)

Luke chapter 23 contains that dramatic story of the sentencing and crucifixion of Jesus. There is much here that should capture our attention, but I will only note briefly three phrases about this figure, Joseph of Arimathea, who appears between the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus; who places Jesus in a tomb.

Luke 23:50Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, ⁵¹ who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God.

Luke makes three statements about Joseph. First, he was “a good and righteous man.” This does not mean that Joseph was man who constructed his own goodness or established his own righteousness. Rather, he was a godly man who looked to God and not the world around him to define what was good and righteous. He would have kept the commandments, even as he was painfully aware of ways in which he failed to do so. He strove to do what was right (righteous), choosing the narrow way, though he may have faltered at times. 

Luke also says that he “had not consented to their decision and action.” That decision and action would have been that of “the council,” or the Sanhedrin, of which he was a member. He would have been one of the very few who did not go along with the railroad job of rushing Jesus to an undeserved sentence of death. 

We all know that it is difficult to stand against the crowd, to be one of the only ones for vote “no.” The majority may rule, but they most certainly are not always right. Joseph must have been mortified at their actions. But what good would his negative vote do? Yet, Scripture attests, he did not consent. We also, if we would be faithful followers of Christ, must object at certain times and say no.

Thirdly, Joseph was “looking for the kingdom of God.” He was looking for something better than the present order, even if that order could be marginally improved. He was looking for the fulfillment of the promises of God. He was looking for the in-breaking of God in this world, interrupting the normal flow; disrupting the way things work.

Little did Joseph know that, having placed Jesus’ body in the tomb, God’s in-breaking would occur that very Sunday, in that very place.

On what do you rest this trust of yours?

The history of the world records the lives of many great people. Many of these have been great sinners. And we have the record of many of their sinful sayings.

One of these is Rabshakeh. His story is found in Isaiah 36. He is a trusted representative of Sennacharib, the fearsome king of the Assyrians. Rabshakeh skillfully advances arguments for the surrender of Jerusalem as the Assyrian army approaches. He is confident, bold, and loud. 

The opening question is important. He does not ask, “In whom do you trust?”, but rather, “On what do you rest this trust of yours?” That is, “I know you trust your God and your king, but what supports that trust?” Christians have at least two primary grounds undergirding our trust: God’s Word, including his “great and precious promises;” and our King, Jesus, who died for us, and was raised from the dead, and is now at the right hand of God.

But let’s take another step. In our Rabshakeh story, he turns his attention to the people’s regard for their king. As you can see, this story fits in to our summer series, “The Things Sinners Say,” and also ties in to a blog series, “Thinking in 3’s.” Among the arguments that Rabshakeh makes, is this 3-fold challenge to trust in Hezekiah, king of Judah: 

        “Do not let Hezekiah deceive you” (v. 14)

“Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord” (v.15)

“Do not listen to Hezekiah” (v.16)

Hezekiah, one of the good kings of Judah, is not our king. Jesus is our King. Yet Great Sinners today still seek to dissuade us from trusting King  Jesus, just as Rabshakeh did regarding Hezekiah. 

Now, having two primary grounds undergirding our faith in God - the written Word of God, and our living Lord - which of these is primary? Is one more important than the other?

I think the answer to this question is that both are absolutely necessary. Without the Word of God, we could not properly understand the person of Jesus, whose coming Scripture predicts, and then His life and death and resurrection is recorded as well. Without Christ, the written Word would have no focus, and contain no climax. They go together, and we need to cling to both as the Rabshakeh’s of the world do their thing. But we listen to God’s Word, and follow our King, Jesus. Both undergird our faith.

Thinking in 3’s - Jude 22,23 - Have Mercy

Thinking in 3’s - Jude 22,23 - Have Mercy

Typically, when we hear the phrase “Have mercy,” it sounds like the petition of a poor believer to God for help and relief. That is an appropriate prayer. But that is not what we have here. Here at the end of this letter letter called Jude, we are twice told in a list of three that we ourselves are to “have (show) mercy” toward others.

Jude ²² And have mercy on those who doubt; ²³ save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

We do not live in a merciful time. We live in a time of accusation and condemnation. The rules are changing almost daily about what one is allowed to say and not to say. People are becoming supposed experts at defining the motives of others, though they could not possibly know for sure.

And yet the Bible says what it says. Christians are to be different from the world. And one of the ways that we are to be different is to show mercy.

“Have mercy on those who doubt.” We might wonder why people can’t be more settled in their faith. Why can’t they just take God at His Word? We can go on and ascribe spiritual weakness and immaturity to such people. Well, perhaps they are weak and immature. And that is exactly the kind of people to whom God instructs us to have mercy. That is how family works. That is how the church family works. We are not to be a community of condemnation. Sure, we want to help weak Christians grow stronger and become more mature. But we do not do it by scolding and condemning. Rather, we feed, we build, we encourage - and we show patience. We have mercy. 

The second phrase says that we are to “save others by snatching them out of the fire.” We do not ordinarily think of ourselves as saviors, since Jesus is the only Savior. So I would take this reference to be to seek to extract a person from an immediate peril, probably a moral peril, into which they have fallen, or over which they are teetering. Pull them out of the pit, or drag them back from the edge. You have not saved their soul. But you may have assisted in giving them an opportunity to get things straightened out in their lives. Sometimes people don’t need a slap in the back of the head. They just need some time, one more opportunity to do the right thing rather than the wrong thing.

And then, thirdly, we come back to mercy. “Show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.” This seems to have two parts to it. First, don’t isolate yourself from the “stained” person. That would be easy to do. Just keep separating yourself from sin, and from obvious sinners. But that is not what God says to do. To show mercy means to get involved with people who have sin-problems. But with regard to the second point, do so with fear. I believe this entails fear for your own self, for your own purity, that you not get caught in the temptation which dragged down the person you are trying to help. Galatians 6:1 seems to make this same point: 

Gal. 6:1   Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

Thinking in 3’s - Isaiah 30:9-11 - Melting the Message

Thinking in 3’s - Isaiah 30:9-11 - Melting the Message

In our Summer Sermon Series, we have been examining just a few of the many instances in the Bible where we are presented with “the things that sinners say.” Isaiah 30:10 is one of them. “(They) say to the seers, ‘Do not see,’ and to the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy to us what is right.’” Surrounding these quotes, we have two grouping of 3’s: a description of those who make these demands (v.9); and the instructions that they give to their preachers (v.11).

“For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the LORD;  

who say to the seers, “Do not see,”

and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right;

speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, 

leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.”” (Isaiah 30:9–11 ESV)

We can safely say that the human population has been in some stage or intensity of rebellion ever since the first sin. Once the serpent tempted Eve to follow its own sin in wanting to be in the place of God, we all have wanted that same thing. Of course we don’t want to be in charge of everything. Just things that pertain to our own concerns, according to our own wills. If I could link this phrase or characteristic with the first element of the 2nd set of 3, a rebellious person would want for his/her pastor/teacher to leave the way, that is, stop following the ancient paths, but rather, take a new tack; get with the times; try to be more relevant.

The rebellious people are also called lying children. They tell lies because they have believed lies. Further, they want their lies that they have been told and that they are telling, to be confirmed by those who are charged with delivering the truth to them. They want their pastors and teachers to parrot the lies that they themselves have attached themselves to. And so, we see in the 2nd set of 3 that they preach to the preachers that they should turn aside from the path. Don’t keep doing what you have been doing. Do not challenge my point of view. Don’t disagree with me. Join me in this new line of thinking.

The rebellious people, also called lying children, are also designated as children unwilling to hear. These three all go together, and form a difficult combination of characteristics. They, in their persons, have constructed a solid defense against Biblical truth. They are “set” against God. This is not to say that every pastor/teacher is always right. But the Bible is - “This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true;” (Psalm 18:30 ESV). And though we do make mistakes of interpretation or application, the Bible is abundantly clear if we would be humble and patient, and if we would seek the mind of the Lord, which entails setting aside for a moment the things that our own minds tend to scream at us. In the end, these people just come out and say it: “Let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.” They have closed their ears, and thus are now turning their backs, not just to the pastor/teacher, but to the Lord.

So what is the seer or prophet, the pastor or teacher, to do? Well, do what you were called to do. The seer is to see the things of God, and pronounce them to the people. The prophet is to receive the words of God and speak them to the people. Don’t give up just because some happen to fit this description. God has an amazing way of turning stubborn people to Himself. You and I can’t do it, but He can. So let’s do our part, and we will let God do His.

In the Last Days . . .

What a weird world we live in. Many churches announced early in the year that 2020 was going to be the year of vision (get it?, 2020?) But God seems to have a sense of humor. We don’t have a clue about what comes next. We were planning a missions trip to Costa Rica this summer. Now we aren’t sure if we are allowed to travel to Ohio. School was let out, and we don’t know if students will be let back in. 

This summer I have been preaching about living in a world full of lies. We are to be people of the truth, and yet we are surrounded by lies. On some subjects we aren’t sure what is a lie and what is the truth.

And, in these last days, the rules keep changing. We have found that you can be held accountable for something you may have said 40 years ago. CEO’s and journalists are resigning their positions because someone found their high school yearbook. A person can be fired from a corporation, not because they did anything illegal, or even unethical. They can be fired because something they believe, and have admitted to believing, is found to be offensive to some aspect of the consumer marketplace. Oh, it wasn’t offensive two weeks ago, but someone decided that it is offensive now. 

So what does this mean for Christians? It means that, if we talk openly about what we believe, we will soon be accused of all manner of hatefulness and bigotry. Let’s just review a few of things that Bible-believing Christians (is there any other kind of Christian?) believe.

• Jesus is the only Door and Shepherd to heaven (John 10). “Neither is there salvation in any other” (Acts 4:12).
• After death, there is judgment, and we will assigned to eternal life, or eternal death; to heaven, or to hell (Dan 12:2; Matt 25:46)
• God is the Creator and Designer of heaven and earth. He created humans as male and female (Gen 1:27). He designed marriage as a relationship between a husband and wife, to be lived out “so long as you both shall live” (Matt 19:4-6).

Let’s remember, we are God’s ambassadors, commissioned to speak the Gospel of grace that we have heard from Him, and we are not responsible if the world approves of our (His) message.

Thinking in 3’s - Jude 19 - Don’t Be Destructive

Thinking in 3’s - Jude 19 - Don’t Be Destructive

We like positive and encouraging descriptions, but the Bible is also quite direct and honest with us about the wrongs to avoid. This list of three in Jude 19 is one of those collections: three phrases that help us understand what to avoid, and point us then in the direction that we ought to go.

¹⁹ It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 

Although the word in the text, translated “cause divisions,” is used only here in the Bible, the idea is quite common. You would know that, because the practice of causing divisions is common in our world today, and we know that it is not new. The serpent sowed seeds of division between Adam and Eve, on the one hand, and God, on the other. Cain, clearly, caused a division between himself and his brother, Abel. Murder tends to do that. And you can continue to read through the pages of the Bible and see it again and again, as when one of Jesus’ own disciples, Judas, sells him out and betrays him.

The Bible word that stands in contrast to “cause divisions” is “edification.” It is not a word that we use often, but it means “building up.” It is being constructive rather than destructive. Now admittedly, there is a stage of clearing, of destruction, that often precedes a building project. Perhaps and old edifice needs to be torn down and taken away before something new is built. But the goal is generally known. This is a building project.

But in relationships, and sometimes in churches, we can meet people whose sole purposes is clearly to do damage. Whatever the motives, and there could be many, they want to bring others down. The Bible says it is wrong.

The second element says that they are “worldly people.” And division is one of the things that the world does well. Someone has said that the world eats its own. It will use you up and spit you out. And, if you are worldly, you will treat others that way as well. As we have noted before, to be worldly means that you are not godly. That is, a godly person sees God as central to all of life, while a worldly person sees God as peripheral or absent to most of life, probably because one’s own self has occupied the central spot.

And, thirdly, this person who causes divisions and is worldly-minded is also devoid of the Spirit. Which means, they are not Christians. They may participate with Christians, and they may engage in any number of religious activities, but they are not Christians. Why? Because we know that when a person trusts in Jesus as his/her only hope of salvation, they are saved; they become Christians. And, they immediately receive the Holy Spirit who will communicate and facilitate this new, abiding relationship with Jesus to the new believer. Faith in Jesus and the presence of the Spirit go together, and they cannot be separated. Oh yes, a believer can depart from walking according to the Spirit, and walk instead according to the flesh, but a true believer is never devoid of the Spirit.

And so, having looked at these three negatives, what should we do? Well, the opposite. 

• We should build, not destroy. 
• We should occupy ourselves with God and His Word and will, not seek to live independently and autonomously from Him. 
• We should “pray in the Spirit” as it says in the next verse, which means to pray in the faith of Jesus, seeking the assistance of the Spirit, as has been promised to believers. That is, we should pray and live as those who are not seeking to do their own thing, advancing their own self-centered agendas, but to look for the Spirit’s leading in how we do the things that we do, both the planned and the unplanned.

The Basis of Unity

The basis for unity is obviously a common agreement of what is the truth. If people would just believe the Bible, there would be unity.

Others might say that the obvious basis for unity is love - just love one another. If you do that well enough, then the differences will disappear.

In churches like ours, we have typically opted more for option #1 than #2 - truth matters, and so does love. But we lead with truth. According to John 17, I’m not sure that that is right. Oh, I’m not saying that the truth takes a back seat. Jesus says, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” But He also desires that “the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them” (v.26). 

Think of it in terms of your own kids. You love them, but you are not always on the same page. You are concerned about healthy/unhealthy habits; or levels of (ir)responsibility; or how they are conducting relationships. But you love them. So you don’t say anything, right? Well, that might be the wise course of action in some cases, but if you really want what is best for your child, then there needs to be some tough conversations, even disagreements, that may even threaten unity. Why? Because you love them, and you want what is best for them. 

This is a big subject, too big for a one-pager. We cannot live our lives for one another, or take away the responsibility of making choices from our children. But love, which at times keeps silent, cannot always keep silent. Otherwise, you don’t have unity, just a false peace with many sleepless, worry-filled nights.

Now the trouble with leading with truth and then love is that Biblical agreement is never 100%. That’s why we have so many denominations. Some of that difference is due to sin, and things like ego and pride. Some of it is honest disagreement about what the Bible teaches. In the latter case, love acts as a healing balm, a restorative lubricant that allows people to worship and serve together in unity even when there is not total agreement.

So how should we say it? Truth and love? Or, love and truth. In light of John 17, as Jesus prays for His disciples - as He prays for us - He wants us to experience a kind of unity that befits God’s children, walking in truth, but bathed in love.

Thinking in 3’s” Two States Contrasted

Thinking in 3’s” Two States Contrasted

Last Sunday I used North and South Carolina to illustrate the link and difference between the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel. Those are not the states that I’m referring to here.

The two states from Jude 4 are radically different from one another. To move from one state to another requires a change of heart that can only be accomplished by the power and grace of God. That is, we cannot change ourselves so completely. We can perhaps achieve some cosmetic of stylistic changes - but here we are considering a true restoration into the image of Christ, the Head of God’s new, redeemed humanity. 

Jude writes to warn believers of “certain people (who) have crept in unnoticed. Here is his description of them: “ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (v.4)

“Ungodly” is the opposite of “godly.” To be godly is to have one’s life oriented around God, with God at the center. The opposite of “godly” is “worldly.” To be worldly is to have pushed God to the periphery of one’s life, so much so that He does not (seem to) matter. So, to be “ungodly” means to be “worldly.”

“Ungodliness” or “worldliness are not on a continuum with “godliness.” It’s not like “partly cloudy” or “mostly sunny.” In its pure form, these two states are radically divergent. They will have different views of self, of life, of meaning, and of destiny.

Jude also says that these people “pervert the grace of God.” Rather than living in gratitude for the life-changing difference wherein a person is transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, these people do whatever things they do, even in the realm of religion, for the sake of their own senses, or sensuality. They are not driven by God’s Spirit, but by their own senses.

Jude also says that they “deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” To use “Master” and “Lord” together is rare in the Bible. It seems that Jude is intent here on showing that this Jesus is to be the authority of a believer’s life. And these “creepers” have specifically rejected that authority. They may use religious words, but they really only care about what they care about, since they are the the sole authority of their own lives, or so they think. Jude makes clear that this will not last.