Christian teaching

Thoughts on the legalization of same sex marriage

June 28, 2015 by William Higgins

Well, it has been a busy political week. And before my actual sermon today, I want to share briefly a few thoughts on the Supreme Court’s legalization of same sex marriage.

1) As Christians we draw our understanding of marriage from the Scriptures (Genesis 2:18-25; Matthew 19:3-9), not what this country legislates. We realize that there are different conceptions of marriage in our society, whether secular or religious (Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, etc.). And now there is a same sex understanding that has been accepted as legal. But our understanding is a Christian one – between one man and one woman for life under God, and this won’t change, because the Scriptures haven’t changed.

2) The world will be the world. By definition the world doesn’t follow God’s will (1 John 2:15-17). And the approval of same sex marriage is just the latest example. But perhaps this example will help us to see that the world and the church really are different. I think we often get this confused in the United States. But the truth is that there is the kingdom of God and then there are the kingdoms of this world. And they are not compatible in terms of righteousness.

3) The world will be the world in not following God, but people, and this is my burden, let the church be the church! The world will be the world, but let the church be the church! God put us here to be his own distinctive kingdom community. So let’s be what God has called us to be – the church, which is his nation, his people, his light. Using laws to force others to live like we want them to is not the way of the kingdom. The way of the kingdom is to share the gospel, which is the power of God to transform lives (Romans 1:16). This is the task that Jesus has given us in the great commission and we must focus on it (Matthew 28:18-20).

4) We should not allow any of this to cause us to hate Gays or Lesbians. God loves all people just the same. And God desires that all be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). And it is kindness, not hatred that leads people to repentance (Romans 2:4).

5) Finally, there is no need to fear, sisters and brothers. The apostolic church thrived in the Roman empire even though it was full of sexual immorality and sin; even though it was worse than the United States. No matter what the world chooses to do, God can move through us to bring forth his kingdom. What’s called for is not fear, but faith; faith that God will act by his gospel to bring many to faith in Jesus and to be a part of his kingdom.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged same-sex marriage, the church | 1 Comment »

Christians and wealth. Luke 12:13-21

June 5, 2015 by William Higgins

Jesus has a lot to say about his disciples and wealth. In fact, besides the general theme of the kingdom of God, there’s nothing he talks about more. And what he has to say is quite radical, especially to us, who live in what is certainly the most wealthy country that has ever existed; and who live in a culture that glories in wealth – in the seeking of it and in the indulging of it. But Jesus teaches us another way – and this is our topic for today.

Our passage is found in –

Luke 12:13-21

13 Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” 16 Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” (NRSV)

I chose this text for two reasons. First, because it shows us how serious this topic is. God says, “You fool” to the man as an expression of judgment and condemnation. And we don’t want to be called fools by God or be condemned.

Second, because it gives us the closest thing to a definition of what it means to be wealthy that I can find from Jesus. There is an abundance beyond one’s needs (bigger barns), which you store up for yourself. It’s as simple as that. It’s not how much you make. It’s how much you keep for yourself. So if you’re here today and you have a large income Jesus isn’t necessarily talking to you. Maybe. Maybe not. And, if you’re here today and you have a small income Jesus may well be talking to you. Maybe. Maybe not. In both cases it all depends on what you do with what you have.

With this background in place, let me share with you three things that Jesus teaches regarding wealth. And the first is –

Don’t go on accumulating wealth

There are two obvious reasons to accumulate wealth beyond our needs, both of which will kill us spiritually:

1. We want wealth as our security, to rely on in an uncertain world. The farmer stored up his abundance in bigger barns to take care of his future. But this is not loving God with all our heart – the greatest commandment. This is idolatry, which is actually hatred of God, because we make wealth to be our true god. We trust in it to take care of us.

As Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

2. We want wealth in order to enjoy it. The farmer said to himself, “relax, eat, drink, be merry” (v. 19). But this is not loving our neighbor – the second greatest commandment. This is love self love and hatred of our neighbors. For even though there are many in the world who don’t have their basic needs met – including fellow believers – we want to keep our abundance for ourselves, for our fleshly desires and comforts.

So whether we accumulate wealth beyond our needs for the sake of idolatry – which is hatred of God, or indulgence – which is hatred of our neighbors, our lives with God will be destroyed. And so we should have nothing to do with it.

Hear the words of Jesus from our passage in v. 15 – “be on your guard against all kinds of greed.” And hear the words of the apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 6:9 – “Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”

Love God, not your wealth

This has to do with getting our heart in the right place regarding our wealth.

1. Be content with God’s provision for you. Hebrews 13:5 says, “Keep your life free from love of money and be content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Give up seeking after more and more and more. Work hard, but be satisfied with God’s supply whether it’s much or little, because he’s with us and that’s our true treasure.

2. Give up your possessions. Jesus says in Luke 14:33, “So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up (or renounce) all your possessions.” (NRSV) Notice he isn’t talking about a certain percentage, say 10%. He’s talking about all our possessions, all we have.

We have to recognize that whatever God gives you is not your own, it’s God’s. And if he takes it all, or asks you to give it all away – that’s fine. But how many of us can say our hearts are committed to this? Do we own our possessions or do they own us? This is talked about in Acts 4:32 when it says about the early Christians, “and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own,” but they were willing to part with them.

So this is a call to dethrone your possessions, because without this we can’t follow Jesus. As he says, “none of you can become my disciple . . .” if you don’t do this.

Well, if we give up holding onto our abundance for our security and comforts, and if we have a right heart toward our possessions being content with God’s supply and renouncing what we do have – then we are ready to do with them what God wants us to do with them, which is to –

Love others with radical generosity

We are to act with our wealth to love our neighbor. Let me just highlight two basic patterns for doing this in the New Testament.

1. We give to the needy. Jesus says in Luke 12:33 – “Sell your possessions and give to the needy.” Jesus isn’t saying, “become needy” but rather get rid of your excess – sell it, give it to those in need. (And you can even give up what you need to help others, because giving sacrificially is encouraged, as we learn from the story of the widow who gave all she had in Luke 21:1-4.)

An example of this is seen in the early Jerusalem church in Acts 2 and 4. As there was need, those who had excess would sell and give to the needy among them – 2:45; 4:34-37.

2. We share what we have with others. Jesus said this in Luke 14:12-14 – “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers and sisters or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Use what you have for God’s kingdom. It’s God’s so share it.

An example of this is found in Romans 16:23 – “Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you.” Here was a well to do man who used his large house to host the church in Corinth (they had no building) and he hosted Paul as well.

A final word, wealth is dangerous. But only if you accumulate it for yourself. The other side of this is that wealth is a blessing of the Lord, as Psalm 112 says, but again, only if you are generous with it.

Wealth is a strange thing spiritually. It’s from God, but if you keep it for yourself, it’s like trying to store up God’s provision of manna – it spoils and becomes a bad thing. But if you’re generous with it, you can bless many in need and thus store up treasures for yourselves in heaven. Wealth can be a curse or a blessing and it’s your choice which it will be in your life.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Christians and wealth, discipleship, Jesus and wealth, money, the poor, wealth | Leave a Comment »

Camels in a tight spot. Or A summary of Jesus’ teaching on wealth

May 27, 2015 by William Higgins

According to Jesus it is hard for those who have more than they need to receive God’s Kingdom salvation. Indeed, it’s impossible, like trying to get a camel through the eye of a sewing needle (Luke 18:24-25). It’s impossible because what God demands is so hard for us to do. Here is what Jesus and his apostles teach about what God demands.

1. Give up greed

Jesus said, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15). Jesus warns us against every kind of greed. Wealth is so dangerous that we should not seek to have it (Mark 4:18-19; I Timothy 6:9). Why is this?

First, when we store up earthly treasures we are led to trust in them rather than God (Matthew 6:24).
And second, when we store up earthly treasures we are led to enjoy comforts while others suffer (Luke 16:19-31). In other words, seeking wealth leads us to hate God and our neighbor, the opposite of the two greatest commandments (Matthew 22:36-40).

Rather than this we are to trust God for our provision (Matthew 6:25-34). We are to be content with what we have (Hebrews 13:5), simply praying for our daily bread (Matthew 6:11). We know that “one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”

2. Give up all you possess

Jesus said, “none of you can be my disciple who does not give up all his own possessions” (Luke 14:33). Here are some things to note about this command:

It applies to all who have possessions.
“Give up” can be translated “renounce.”
This covers “all” our possessions, not some.
This command primarily has a vertical focus. It has to do with our possessions and God.
This command is interpreted by Luke in Acts 4:32, “not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own.”

It means that we accept that our possessions are no longer ours. We renounce them. We give them up to God. They are God’s now. Jesus tells us why we must renounce our possessions. “No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth” (Matthew 6:24).

3. Give to the needy

Jesus said, “sell your possessions and give to the needy” (Luke 12:33). Here are some things to note about this command:

It is addressed to all who are not themselves needy. (But sacrificial giving on the part of the needy is highly commended – Luke 21:1-4; 2 Corinthians 8:3).
This command has primarily a horizontal focus, giving our resources to the needy.
This has to do with our excess possessions, including our accumulated money, not necessarily all our possessions and money. In Luke 12 the context of this command is the farmer’s surplus crop. Jesus is not saying here “become needy” (2 Corinthians 8:13-14).
All such giving is to be done voluntarily and freely (2 Corinthians 9:7). Ananias could have kept what he pretended to give (Acts 5:4).
Sometimes an initial dispersion of wealth happened at conversion. Zacchaeus gave half of his possessions to the needy (Luke 19:8).
This giving is to be continuous, however. As Paul said, “each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn” for the purpose of meeting needs (I Corinthians 16:2). As long as there are needs we are to keep giving what we can.
This command is interpreted by Luke in Acts 2:44-45 and 4:34-35. When there was a need in the community of believers, those who had would give to those who had need.
The giving can be done one on one, or it can be given to the common fund of the church to be distributed to the needy (Matthew 6:2; Acts 4:35; 6:1-4).

4. Who are the needy?

There are three categories of the needy:

1) Those who are needy because of God – evangelists, missionaries, pastors and those who are persecuted. These have sold all they have (Luke 18:22), or left it behind (Luke 18:28-30), or have given up earning money (Luke 10:7; I Timothy 5:17-18) or have had their possessions taken from them (Hebrews 10:32-34) – all for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

2) Those who are needy among the people of God – the sick, the oppressed, widows, and orphans (James 1:27; Galatians 6:10). If we are not needy, our salvation depends upon giving to these two groups of the needy (Luke 16:19-31; 6:24). For we cannot love God and ignore a needy brother or sister (I John 3:16-17). When we do give, they will welcome us into the Kingdom of God (Luke 16:9).

3) We are also to give to those who are needy among the unbelievers (Luke 10:30-37; Galatians 6:10; Luke 6:33-36).

We are not to give to the idle, those who choose not to work. Rather we are to teach these to work hard, earn their own living and help others in need (2 Thessalonians 3:6-12; I Thessalonians 4:11-12).

5. How much should we give?

There is no set requirement of how much we are to give; no percentage is given. Those who give much, however, like Barnabas, are honored (Acts 4:36-37).

Love for God and our neighbor should control our giving. Those who give out of love are willing to give sacrificially for others in genuine need. They are not concerned about percentages, but helping the needy. Paul said, “each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). But remember this, “the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully (2 Corinthians 9:6). How much treasure do we want in heaven (Luke 12:33)?

6. Caring for family

None of this giving to the needy excludes us from our responsibilities to care for our family. It is evil to neglect this (Mark 7:8-13; I Timothy 5:3-8). Caring for family can involve storing up resources for our parents in old age (Mark 7:9-13), and for our children’s needs (2 Corinthians 12:14). Caring for family, however, should not be used as a pretext for greed so that we can live in indulgence.

7. Sharing all that we possess

Jesus said, “When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind” (Luke 14:13). Whatever is not used to support family needs and to give to the needy is still God’s and must be used for God’s purposes. This means being hospitable and sharing what we own.This means blessing the needy with our resources. Philemon had a room for Paul to stay in when he traveled through his area (Philemon 1:22). Gaius allowed his large home to be the meeting place for the church in Corinth (Romans 16:23).

8. Doing the impossible

What God demands of us is impossible because we are evil. We store up treasures for ourselves because we do not believe that God will take care of us. We store up treasures for ourselves so that we can live in comfort while others suffer; because we think it’s alright if others suffer lack as long as we don’t.

But there is hope for us. Jesus tells us that with God all things are possible (Luke18:27). If we truly desire it, God can change our evil hearts. God can enable us to give up all our possessions and be generous with all that we have.

William S. Higgins – 2003

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged alms, generosity, giving, greed, Jesus, Jesus on wealth, Jesus' teaching, Luke 12:33, Luke 14:33, the needy, wealth | Leave a Comment »

Getting in tune with God

April 28, 2015 by William Higgins

Last week we looked at Being in tune with God. I tried to cast a vision of the Christian life as one in which we can hear God and do his will in any situation we find ourselves in. So we don’t just know God’s will in general, for instance, sharing the good news with people. We can also hear what God might want us to say or do in a specific situation, sharing with a particular person.

God is working all the time all around us. And so our goal is to be in synch with whatever God is up to in a given situation, so that we can be on board and be used by God to accomplish his will. So we need to tune in to God; we need to be listening, listening all the time; we need to be paying attention – so that we can be a part of what God is doing.

Jesus is our example of this in John 5:1-16. He healed the disabled man on the Sabbath because God specifically told him to, and so that’s exactly what he did. As he said, “My Father is working until now, and I am working” – John 5:17. And even though we don’t have the same level of relationship with the Father that Jesus has, we do have the Spirit and so we can also be led and guided by God in specific ways.

Well, if being in tune with God is the goal, how do we get there? This brings us to today’s topic, Getting in tune with God. And to begin with you need to –

Prepare yourself

If you get yourself tuned in, in general, then you will be ready to hear God when he wants to guide you in a very particular way. And right at the top of the list is to 1. Fully yield your heart to God.

I can say with great confidence that there is no way that you can be in tune with God if your heart is in rebellion against God; if you don’t submit to God fully; if you don’t even want to do God’s will.

You have to submit first. This means not only that you get rid of known, willful sin in your life, positively it means that you are committed to choose to do what God wants, even if it’s not what you want. Are you willing to do whatever God might say to you?

Once again, Jesus is our example. He was fully yielded to God. As he said in John 5:30 – “I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.” Jesus didn’t act on his own; he acted in accord with God’s will. This is the way Jesus was always, and so he was ready when the Father told him to heal the disabled man on that particular day.

Well, we are to be fully yielded to God as well, so that our “will is to do God’s will,” as Jesus says in John 7:17. This is what we are supposed to be like. And when we are fully yielded we put ourselves in a place spiritually where we can be led by God to do his will; where God can specifically guide us if he needs to.

2. Get to know God by immersing yourself in the Scriptures. God has revealed himself to us in the Scriptures. So know the Scriptures inside and out, and then you will know the general framework of what God’s will is in all things.

And what an opportunity this is! But do we take advantage of this? Do you spend time in the Word? Are you hungry to know more about God? Some Christians feel like after a while they know the basics and that’s enough. But there is so much more – it is so deep, and it gives life. In the Scriptures we come to know who God is and what God is like and how God works, and what God’s will is.

Again, Jesus is our example. In John 5:1-16 Jesus knew that as the Messiah he was to have a healing ministry because Isaiah 35:5-6 prophesied this. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” And he also knew that the forbidding of healing or receiving God’s salvation on the Sabbath was a human rule, not something Scripture forbade. So he knew the general framework of God’s will.

Well, we are to “have God’s word abiding in” us as well, as Jesus said in John 5:38, in the context of talking about the Old Testament. (He says this to the Jewish leaders, that they don’t have this, but they should have and we should as well.) And we are to have Jesus’ “words abiding” in us, as he says in John 15:7. So both the Old and New Testaments are covered here.

This prepares us to hear from God because we know who God is and what his will is in general. And our heart and mind become tuned in to this.

3. Get to know God by spending time in God’s presence. The Spirit of God lives within us and this is how God speaks to us and guides us more specifically.

And what a great privilege we have to be able to spend time in God’s presence by the Spirit! But do we take advantage of it? Do we spend time with God, not just praying but worshipping. And also listening to what God wants to say to us?

Jesus is our example. He had “the Spirit without measure” – John 3:34. And we see the fruit of his time spent with the Father in John 5:20. “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing.” He and the Father were in the closest of relationships. And so in any given situation he was ready to hear and act on what God said to him, just as when he healed the disabled man.

Well, we also receive the Spirit. As Jesus said the Spirit is our “helper” – John 14:16. And the Spirit “guides” us – John 16:13. So we need to spend time in God’s presence and allow God to also speak to us by the Spirit. And as we become sensitive to this, and through much practice, we grow in our ability to hear God; to be tuned in to the Spirit’s guidance and how this all works.

Well, these same three things that prepare us to hear from God, also help us to –

Discern God’s leading

– when we hear God in everyday life situations. 1. A yielded heart can hear God more clearly. If you have ever tried to quiet your heart and mind; to unplug and sit in silence to hear God, you know it can be difficult. There are often many voices floating around in our minds. There is the flesh with its wrong desires, fears, or pride. There is our inner sense of of what we are working on, our “to do” list. And there is Satan, who seeks to lead us astray and can try to mimic God’s voice. How in all this can we discern God’s voice?

Well in the same verse that Jesus tells us about how our hearts are to be such that our “will is to do God’s will” he says, “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether (something) is from God” or not (John 7:17). In this case the point is whether what Jesus teaches is of God or not.

But the general point here is that if your heart is yielded, that is, you want to do God’s will – you “will know.” When your heart is in the right place you will better be able to discern God’s voice in the midst of other competing voices.

2. Test everything against the Scriptures. If we know the Scriptures inside and out, then we know the general framework of God’s will. And so if we hear something that goes against the Scriptures we know it is not of God. As Jesus said in John 10:35 – “Scripture cannot be broken.” This is a great help in discerning God’s voice.

3. Test everything against what you know God sounds like. From your own times alone with God you get to know what God’s voice and leading is like; how God’s voice is different than your own or any other voice; how God’s voice is crystal clear, strong and pure and comes from outside of yourself.

This experience helps you to know in the moment whether what you are hearing is from God, or not. You know, when someone calls you on the phone that you don’t talk to often, it can be hard to tell who it is. But if you talk on the phone all the time, you know exactly what their voice sounds like and don’t have to wonder at all.

And then finally,

Do what God tells you to do!

As we learned last week, we are not to just be doing things on our own. We are to be listening to what God might say to us in our various life situations. Well, once we hear God then we are to do exactly what God wants us to do. Just as Jesus did in John 5 when he healed the man on the Sabbath.

Two stories of this at work in my life . . ..

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged discerning God's leading, fully yielded to God, hearing God, John 5, Scripture, spending time with God | 4 Comments »

Being in tune with God

April 21, 2015 by William Higgins

John 5:19-20; 30

We went through John chapter 5 in some detail last Summer. But I want to go back to it today, or to a few verses from it, to look at a particular topic – being in tune with God so that we do his will.

I think we all know in general what God’s will is for our lives from the Scriptures. For instance we are to share the good news of Jesus, and we are to love our neighbors. But I want to cast a vision for you of being so in synch with God that we not only know the general framework of God’s will, but we can also be guided by God in very specific ways in specific situations.

So God opens a door for you to share the gospel, and you know how to do this, but you are also listening for what God might want you to say to this specific person. Or you stop to help someone with a flat tire because you are loving your neighbor. But not only do you help you also listen for what else God might want you to say or do in this situation.

The goal is to always be tuned in to God and paying attention; listening so that if he has something specific for us to say or do, we can hear it and act appropriately. We want to know what God is up to in the situation and be able to respond accordingly so he can do his will through us.

Let’s begin with –

An example of Jesus being in tune with God

If you will remember with me, in the first part of John 5, Jesus healed a man who had not been able to walk for 38 years. It was an astounding miracle. But there was a problem. Jesus did this on the Sabbath, and according to the traditions of the Elders you are not supposed to heal on the Sabbath, unless the person’s life is in danger.

So Jesus’ healing action began a debate with the Jewish leaders, it’s really a trial scene, where they are accusing him of various wrongs. And Jesus’ defense against these charges is that he only did exactly what the Father wanted him to do.

Now let’s see what Jesus teaches about being in tune with God in his defense to the Jewish leaders, because –

Jesus was perfectly in tune with the Father

1. Jesus did nothing on his own. In v. 19 he said, “Truly, truly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord . . ..” In v. 30 he said, “I can do nothing on my own.” And also in v. 30 – “I seek not my own will.”

So he is telling them that he didn’t decide to heal this man, God did. Now that’s not to say that Jesus couldn’t have healed him or others on that day if he had wanted to. It is just to say that that’s not how Jesus operated. He didn’t act on his own or independently of the Father.

2. Jesus was in the closest possible relationship with the Father. In v. 19 he talks about “what he sees the Father doing.” So he knows what God is up to and he talks about it in terms of seeing this. In v. 20 he says, “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing.” And in v. 30 he says, “As I hear . . .” from the Father.

Jesus had constant and perfect fellowship with the Father and so he both saw and heard all that the Father was up to; all that God wanted in each situation. There was no confusion on his part. It was clear.

And then finally, 3. Jesus did exactly what the Father wanted him to do. v. 19 – He “only does what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” And in v. 30 he said, “I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.”

Whatever God specifically told him, that’s what Jesus did. He was in complete submission to God.

To sum up, Jesus knew in general what God’s will was for him. For instance a part of his ministry was to heal people. But he not only knew this, he knew specifically who to heal and when, in this case on the Sabbath.

One way to summarize all this is the language Jesus uses in John 10:30, when he says, “I and the Father are one.” In context, this is talking about being united in purpose and action. Whatever the Father wanted, that is what Jesus did. They were in perfect synch.

Our relationship with the Father

Now, we are not the Son of God, and so we don’t have that unique relationship that Jesus had with the Father from before time. And we are not called to be the Messiah so that the Father would need to show us “all” that he was up to as v. 20 says. Our every step doesn’t need to be specifically told to us. Much of what we do is simply operating in the general framework of God’s will.

But through Jesus we can also be in tune with God. There will be times when we should expect that God wants to lead us more specifically and so we need to be listening, we need to be tuned in so that God can accomplish his will through us.

In the gospel of John, Jesus talks about our relationship with the Father in two different ways that help us understand this:

We are given the Spirit to lead us. In John 14:16, 26 Jesus said, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever . . . (and) he will teach you all things . . .” He also said in John 16:13, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

Because of Jesus, we are given the Holy Spirit to live in us and to lead and guide us. We don’t have the relationship with the Father that Jesus had, but through him we do have a relationship with God.

Also we can be one with God through Jesus. In John 17:11 Jesus prays to the Father that Christians “may be one, even as we are one.” How were the Father and Jesus one? As we saw, they were one in purpose and action.

John 17:23 speaks to Jesus’ role in this, “I in them (by the Spirit) and you (Father) in me, that they may become perfectly one . . .” One with who? John 17:21 tells us, “that they may also be in us,” or one with us, like the Father and Son are one. So this is not talking about us being organizationally one. But rather how each one of us can be one in purpose and action with God through Jesus. But of course, when this vertical unity happens then we can have horizontal or organizational unity. Once we are all in sych with God it makes it much easier to be in sych with each other.

So although we are not going to be in tune with the Father, like Jesus was –

Being in tune with God is the goal of our Christian lives

And Jesus is our example. 1. So like Jesus, we are to do nothing on our own. We have God’s general will for us – sharing our faith and loving our neighbors. But we are to be careful to listen to God to guide us so that we are not just taking the initiative and following our own agenda as we do these things.

What if there is something more specific that God wants us to say or do? If we don’t listen we won’t know and we will end up acting on our own. We are not to act independently of God, but in concert with God and what God is up to in a given situation.

2. Like Jesus, we are to be in close relationship with God. We won’t have the same level of relationship with God that Jesus had. But the Spirit does dwell within us and we are to be led by the Spirit. And so we can have a sense of what God wants in particular situations.

We won’t be one with the Father like Jesus was, but we can also be united in purpose and action with God so that if he tells us we know what he is up to in a given situation.

3. Like Jesus, we are to do exactly what God wants us to do. Once we hear God giving us very specific instructions – that is exactly what we do. We are to be in complete submission to God.

What do you think of this? That a central goal of the Christian life is to be in tune with God? Do you experience this?

Let me also say that this doesn’t just apply to individuals. As a congregation we need to be able to hear God and discern more specifically what God wants us to do – beyond just sharing our faith or loving our neighbors in general. What is God calling us to do where we are with the people that he has given us? We need to discern this as a group. And we will be working at this in the next few months.

Next time, the plan is to talk about how to get in tune with God.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged being one with God, discernment, God's will, Jesus and the Father, John 5, listening to God, obeying God, that they may be one | 5 Comments »

A story of faithfulness: Blandina

April 14, 2015 by William Higgins

I have now told you several stories of Christians who lived after the time of the New Testament and who were faithful in their Christian lives and who also faithfully endured persecution.

Lest we forget, given where we live, let me remind you that persecution of Christians continues to this day. The World Evangelical Alliance estimates that currently 200 million Christians across the world suffer some form of persecution. (persecution.org) Indeed there is more persecution today than there has ever been in Christian history. Certainly you have read or heard about the many Christians that are dying for their faith, especially in areas where Muslim fundamentalists have control.

So as we read a story about Blandina today may we be challenged to greater faithfulness. But also remember to pray for those who are suffering right now and the families of those who have been left behind to grieve and are trying to survive.

Background to our story

Blandina lived many centuries ago, in the Roman empire. The persecution that engulfed her and many others took place in 177 AD under Marcus Aurelius’ reign, although as usual it was the local authorities who enacted it. It took place in ancient France, which was called Gaul, in two cities – Lyon and Vienne. Churches had been established in these cities for a time and it appears that they were doing well and growing.

The account of the persecution of these two churches was written by witnesses and sent to the churches in Asia minor. I will be using this account.(Eusebius’ Church History, chapter 5.)

The persecution

It all began when the residents of these towns began to exclude Christians from public places, including the markets. In fact, they were forbidden “to be seen in any place whatever.” (5.5) Then they endured mob actions against them – being shouted down, hit and robbed. People threw stones at them and some were put in prison. (5.7)

Those in prison were publicly examined by the city authorities. They confessed their faith in Jesus and were put back into prison until the governor could come to deal with them.

When he came he was quite harsh. You have to understand that this was not just a new, strange faith. There were accusations that the Christians were doing terrible things in their meetings. Some of this came about because a few of their unbelieving servants, fearful for their own lives, testified against the Christians. They said that they practiced cannibalism, incest and as the report says, “deeds which are not only unlawful for us (as Christians) to speak of or to think, but which we cannot believe were ever done by (people).” (5.14)

The report goes on, “When these accusations were reported, all the people raged like wild beasts against us, so that even if any had before been moderate on account of friendship, they were now exceedingly furious and gnashed their teeth against us.” (5:15) Most believers stayed true, but some also renounced Christ. But more and more faithful Christians were rounded up to fill up their number.

Then the torture began. This is a portion of the amphitheater in Lyon where the Christians were persecuted, providing entertainment to the crowds. The post in the middle is a tribute to Blandina. We will get to this.

The authorities were not just trying to get people to fear becoming Christians. They were trying to discredit the faith by getting the believers to say that the false accusations were true.

Many faithful Christians died cruel and terrible deaths, but we will focus on –

Blandina’s faithfulness

– even as the original report also gives her special attention.

She was a young woman and a slave. The writers said, “through Blandina Christ showed that things which appear (lowly) and obscure and despicable to (people) are with God of great glory . . .” (5.17). For “though small and weak and despised” (5.42) as the witnesses said, God used here greatly in all this.

She was both brave and tough. While others were afraid they would not be able to hold up under torture, including her own female master, the witnesses said that “Blandina was filled with such power as to be delivered and raised above those who were torturing her by turns from morning till evening in every manner, so that they acknowledged that they were conquered, and could do nothing more to her.” She wore them out. “And they were astonished at her endurance, as her entire body was mangled and broken; and they testified that one of these forms of torture was sufficient to destroy life, not to speak of so many and so great sufferings.” (5.18)

But she “renewed her strength in her confession; and her comfort and recreation and relief from the pain of her sufferings was in exclaiming, ‘I am a Christian, and there is nothing vile done by us.’” (5.19)

The kinds of torture used on her and the others included confinement in the darkest parts of the prison, being beaten, being cut and stabbed with various instruments of torture. They were whipped, stretched on the rack and had to run a gauntlet. They were forced to sit on a red hot iron seat that roasted their bodies and they had to fight with wild animals who were trying to eat them.

On another day, along with some others, Blandina was led to the amphitheater to be exposed to these wild beasts.

She “was suspended on a stake, and exposed to be devoured by the wild beasts who should attack her. And because she appeared as if hanging on a cross, and because of her earnest prayers, she inspired the (others) with great zeal. For they looked on her in her conflict, and beheld with their outward eyes, in the form of their sister, him who was crucified for them” and they were greatly encouraged. (5.41) Since “none of the wild beasts at that time touched her, she was taken down from the stake, and cast again into prison.” (5.42)

On the last day, she was brought out again. She went through another round of torture and all the while they were trying to get her to swear by an idol, that is to renounce her faith. But she endured all the suffering. (5.53)

She was now the last Christian alive of all those arrested. “After the scourging, after the wild beasts, after the roasting seat, she was finally enclosed in a net, and thrown before a bull. And having been tossed about by the animal” she died. (5.56)

Those present confessed, “never among them had a woman endured so many and such terrible tortures.”

And as if all of this were not enough, they gave the bodies of those who died in prison to be eaten by dogs. And they gathered up the other leftover body parts and refused to bury them, but kept guard over them for six days. Then they burned what was left to ashes and put them in a nearby river, thinking that this would make it impossible to be raised from the dead, as they had confessed as a part of their faith.

Now let’s look at –

Several characteristics of faithfulness

– that stand out in Blandina’s life and death.

1. She endured slander and was faithful anyway. She was killed in large part because of rumors and false accusations. Those who killed her thought they were doing what was right. It is just as Jesus said, “Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.” John 16:2

Even though this surrounded her suffering and death, she endured faithful to Christ, knowing the truth. As she said, “I am a Christian, and there is nothing vile done by us.”

Would you remain faithful to Christ if it meant losing your reputation; your honor? It’s one thing to die a noble death and to have everyone understand this, but to die under the cloud of public slander and terrible false accusations. In a situation like this would you still choose to be faithful?

2. She depended on the Spirit for strength. As the account goes, “the grace of God . . . delivered the weak and set them as firm pillars, able through patience to endure the wrath of the evil one.” (5.6) And this grace came by the power of the Spirit. Even as Jesus said, as he faced the cross, “the flesh is weak” but “the Spirit is willing.” Mark 14:38. She received what can only be described as superhuman strength from the Spirit to endure all she endured.

Do you rely on the Spirit to strengthen you in your times of testing? Times of testing that I believe we would all agree are much less intense than what she experienced? Can we not confess with confidence that If the Spirit could strengthen her to endure in her situation, that God can help us to endure in ours as well?

3. She lived out her belief that this world is not all there is. This is why she could give up her life. And this is why she could suffer such cruel and horrible things. Real, true life is the one yet to come when Jesus returns.

As Paul said, “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Romans 8:18. She knew that what was to come would more than make up for the pain and suffering she was going through.

Are you focused on this life and what it gives, pursuing its comforts and delights? Or are you focused on the life to come so that you are willing to give up anything to gain it – to go through any difficulty, any loss, any suffering knowing that it is worth it?

Let me end by paraphrasing Jesus from Luke 9:24 – If you cling to your life in this world chasing after all that it can offer, you will lose your life. But if you give up your life in this world and the things of this world, you will save your life and you will live on into eternity.

And if you think that you can go on living it up and going along with the world and then suddenly be faithful if persecution comes you are sadly wrong. It is those who are now each day denying themselves and sacrificing of this life that will be ready to deny themselves and sacrifice in that day.
And if you think that you can go on living it up and going along with the world and then suddenly be faithful when Jesus returns you are sadly wrong. It is those who are now each day denying themselves and sacrificing of this life that will be ready on that day.

Don’t let the great comfort and ease that is all around us blind you to these truths. Be ready by continually giving up your life in this world.

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The God of new beginnings

April 7, 2015 by William Higgins

The message today is very simple. God is a God of life and a God of blessing. And even though we so often fail and sin and mess things up so that there seems to be no hope, in grace, God offers us a new beginning.

Let’s start off with –

Some examples of new beginnings

– that God has given in the Scriptures.

1. Think of Adam and Eve. God made them and blessed them, and everything was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). But they sinned and rebelled against God and were judged and exiled from the garden.

But God in his mercy offered them a new beginning. For through their son Seth came a new start. As Genesis 4:26 says, “at that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.”

Things seemed truly hopeless, but . . . (say it all together) “God made a new beginning.”

2. Think of the time of Noah. Genesis 6:5 says, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.” (NRSV)

But God offered a new beginning through Noah and his family. They survived the judgment of the flood on callous evildoers. And God told Noah and his family, repeating the original commission to Adam and Eve, “be fruitful and multiply on the earth” (Genesis 8:17). Humanity began again.