Look to Jesus

 

Jesus is completely unique in human history as the Divine Son of God. 

As the Son of God, Jesus reveals two important truths:

1. Jesus demonstrates what it means to be created in the image of God. To live as an image-bearer of God, we need to look to Jesus.
2. Jesus reveals God's character to us in a way that humans can understand. To know who God is, we must look to Jesus.

Elias Dantes' essay, The Incarnation of Christ and its Implications, in the book Christ the One and Only, emphasizes both these truths: "If you want to know what it means to be a human being and to stand for the humanity of man, look to Jesus Christ. If you want to know God, look to Jesus Christ."

The author of Hebrews also highlights these truths:

Hebrews 1:3 (CSB) "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high."

Hebrews 2:14-15 (CSB) "Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death."

John wrote about these realities as well:

1 John 2:6 (NLT) "Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did."

John 14:9 (NLT) "Jesus replied, 'Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don't know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you?'"

Jesus is not only our example for living but also reveals the truth about who God is. By looking at Jesus, we can understand God's character in terms our finite minds can grasp.

Since we are created in God's image to reflect His glory, it should come as no surprise that these two realities are connected in Jesus. We are meant to imitate Jesus in our lives, becoming more like him each day. As we grow in our understanding of who Jesus is, we grow in our understanding of who God is.

In a world that often confuses and confounds us, the simplicity of looking to Jesus to know who we are and to know who God is can be a great help. As we face the challenges of daily life, we can find wisdom, confidence, and hope in the example of Jesus. 

Through Jesus, we can be assured that the temptations and trials we face are not meant to bring us down but to strengthen us as warriors and athletes of God.

Let us then look to Jesus, who is not only our example but more importantly our King and Savior. We need to commit to living as he did, and in that way, grow in our knowledge of who God is.

The Foolishness of the Cross

 

Good Friday is the day when we remember the crucifixion of Christ Jesus. It is important that we take time to ponder how Jesus, in obedience to the Father, laid down his life to be the sacrifice of sin.

One of my concerns, especially for us who have been around church for most of our lives, is that we lose the foolishness of the cross. The cross, an instrument of execution, as a means to victory makes no sense.

It is foolishness to believe that life can emerge from death, or that winning can come from losing. The apostle Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 highlight this reality:

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved. For it is written,

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent.

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached. For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, 25 because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.(CSB)

Notice that Paul never said the cross is anything but folly or foolishness. We find power and transformation through the death and resurrection of Jesus, but we will not fully understand its significance.

The cross is a crucial part of God's plan to rescue creation from sin, decay, and death which means the crucifixion of Jesus is a product of God’s wisdom. Since God’s ways are far above our ways means that we will never be able to fully understand all that happened because of the cross. Systematic theologies have explained the cross in doctrines like justification, atonement, and sanctification, but we miss something vital if we do not find the cross a little bit odd.

While we may never grasp the full wisdom of God displayed in the cross, we can still find healing in its purpose. We may wonder how the death of one man saves all those who believe in him, but we can still put our faith in Jesus.

We do not need to understand the crucifixion in all of its complexities in order to take advantage of the gift of life, forgiveness, and mercy that is found in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Our salvation is not based on our understanding, but on our faith in the Jesus.

The power of the cross does not lie in our understanding but in God's love and grace. We may not understand the purpose of the cross, but we can trust the One who worked through. The point of Good Friday is not that we understand God's ways, but that we trust God's love.

Finding Freedom in Jesus

 Christ has come to set us free! 

Galatians 5:1 (CSB)

For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Freedom is what we all desire, and it is, at least for Americans, a right for all people. We want to see people live in freedom rather than in oppression. 

God, too, desires that we be free! God’s desire for our freedom is seen in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

The news that Jesus brings freedom to our lives is Good News.

We desire freedom, and God desires that we be free. So what is the problem?

The problem is our definition of freedom and God’s definition of freedom aren’t the same. 

Too often, we see freedom as the ability to decide how we want to live. 

To be free from the expectations of authorities, families, and other social restraints. 

To have the financial freedom to go and do what we want to do. 

For us freedom is defined by having complete control of our lives.

According to the Bible, God’s definition is different. In fact, the writers of the New Testament, who experienced the freedom Jesus gives, described themselves in an interesting way. 

In Romans, the Apostle Paul writes, "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God…" (Romans 1:1, CSB).

James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote, "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." (James 1:1, CSB). 

And the Apostle Peter wrote, "Simeon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:1; CSB).

In each of these cases, we would understand the type of servant Paul, James, and Peter called  themselves to be a slave.

It is obvious that these men did not equate autonomous control of their lives to the freedom found in Jesus. They believed they were free, but that freedom led them to surrender to the authority of  King Jesus. 

In our thinking, being under the authority of someone else is not freedom. But these men, who said they were slaves of King Jesus, lived with a greater freedom than what we can understand.

Now I have this question to ask you: Is your life better or more complicated since you have been in control of making the choices on how to live? 

In this country and in this period of time, we have had great freedom to choose the direction of our lives. 

We have the freedom to choose our careers, the freedom to choose our spouses, the freedom to choose friends and other relationships, the freedom to do what we want with the money we make, and the freedom to believe what seems true to us.

Even with all this freedom, many of us feel trapped and enslaved. 

We feel trapped in a job that we hate. We feel trapped in a marriage that we no longer want. We feel enslaved by the expectations and whims of our friends. We feel enslaved to the massive amount of debt that we have accumulated. We feel trapped and enslaved by the empty promises of humanistic philosophies. 

When we are free to decide how we want to live, we often end up being trapped and enslaved by the choices we made.

Thankfully Jesus brings freedom to us trapped in prisons made up of our own decisions. He offers a life free from the curse and condemnation of the Law. He offers a life free from the addictions of sin. He offers a life free to live in the spontaneity of love for God and people. 

Jesus’s freedom allows us to be free to use our money to help people in need, to be free to use our blessings to be a blessing to our neighbors, to be free to hope in the midst of hopelessness, and to be free to give our lives away to God and His Kingdom.

Are you living a free life  or are you enslaved to your addictions? 

Are you living free life or are you enslaved to the expectations of other people? 

The only way to truly experience freedom is to give your life to Jesus. He guides us out of the chains of bad choices and the enslavement to addictions and into his Kingdom of freedom.

The path towards freedom that Jesus offers is the path of surrendering your life to him. Freedom is found in stepping off the throne of your life and making Jesus King in your place.

Hebrews: Greater than the Angels

 

Understanding the identity of Jesus is fundamental to being a Christian. Jesus is not just a good teacher, a prophet, a miracle worker, or an angel. Jesus is the unique Son of God who is responsible for creating and saving the world.

The author of Hebrews is making it clear that you can’t reduce Jesus to anything less than God and still be a Christian. 

Hebrews 1:5-14 (CSB)

For to which of the angels did he ever say,

You are my Son; today I have become your Father,

or again,

I will be his Father, and he will be my Son?

Again, when he brings his firstborn into the world, he says,

And let all God’s angels worship him.

And about the angels he says:

He makes his angels winds, and his servants a fiery flame,

but to the Son:

Your throne, God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice.

You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; this is why God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy beyond your companions.

And:

In the beginning, Lord, you established the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands;

they will perish, but you remain. 

They will all wear out like clothing; you will roll them up like a cloak,

and they will be changed like clothing.

But you are the same, and your years will never end.

Now to which of the angels has he ever said:

Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool?

Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve those who are going to inherit salvation?

For some Jews angels were highly regarded as messengers of God. Apparently some Christians were trying argue that Jesus was not God, but an angel who God appointed as His first born Son and Messiah. Hebrews 1:5-14 explains why Jesus is greater than the angels. The author of Hebrews provides several reasons why Jesus is greater than the angels in this passage:

1. Jesus is the Son of God - The author of Hebrews begins by quoting Psalm 2:7, which says, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father." This highlights the fact that Jesus is not just an angel or a messenger of God, but he is the Son of God. He has a unique relationship with God the Father that is superior to that of any angel.
2. Jesus is worshiped by the angels - The author of Hebrews also quotes Psalm 97:7, which says, "Let all God's angels worship him." This shows that even the angels are called to worship Jesus, which is a clear indication of his superiority over them.
3. Jesus is the Creator of the universe - The author of Hebrews says that God created the universe through his Son, Jesus. This means that Jesus was involved in the act of creation, which is a remarkable feat that no angel could achieve.
4. Jesus is eternal - The author of Hebrews says that God calls Jesus "Lord" and "God" and that he will remain forever. This shows that Jesus is not just a temporary figure, but he is eternal, which is another trait that sets him apart from the angels.
5. Jesus is seated at the right hand of God - The author of Hebrews says that Jesus has been exalted to the highest place and is seated at the right hand of God. This is a position of honor and authority that no angel has ever held.

The superiority of Jesus to angels is demonstrated by seven Old Testament quotations that show that he is God’s Son, that he is worshiped by angels, that he is the creator of the universe, that he is eternal, and that he is at the right hand of God. This also teaches that Jesus, though he is God, is distinguished from the Father.

What we believe about Jesus matters. He is greater to all created beings, including the other spiritual beings such as the angels. This means He is worthy of our worship and faith.

Hebrews: Jesus is Superior to the Angels

 

STOP — Hebrews 1:5-14

Summary

The author of Hebrews provides a contrast between Jesus and the angels to demonstrate that Jesus is superior to the angels. God has declared that Jesus is His Son and to the angels God has commanded that the angels worship him. To Jesus God gave the Kingdom, but to the angels God made them servants.

Truth

Jesus is the King of the Kingdom and angels are his servants.

Observations

1. Jesus is greater than the angels because God has treated them differently. God declared that Jesus is the Son and that angels are to worship him.

2. God made the angels servants, but He made Jesus the King of the Kingdom.

3. Jesus was at the beginning and was responsible for creation. He is ruler over it.

4. Angels are servants of the Kingdom. They have the responsibility of serving God’s people in our task of working for the Kingdom.

Prayer

Thank You for Jesus. He is the creator and savior of all things and I join the angels in worshipping Him.

Hebrews: Jesus is Supreme

 Who is Jesus?

The book of Hebrews answers this question. Apparently, in an attempt to make Christianity more appealing, people were downplaying the identity of Jesus. The author of this book/sermon wanted to correct people’s incorrect theology about Jesus.

This is why the Hebrews begins with an argument for the supremacy of Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

Hebrews 1:1-4 (CSB)

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. So he became superior to the angels, just as the name he inherited is more excellent than theirs.

The author of Hebrews started by stating that in the past, God spoke to his people through the prophets. But in these last days, he has spoken to us through his Son. This alone tells us that

Jesus is not just another prophet, but he is the Son of God, sent to us to reveal God's plan for creation.

The author then goes on to describe Jesus as "the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being." In other words, Jesus is the perfect image of God the Father. He is not just a messenger, but he is the embodiment of God's love and grace for us. Through Jesus, we can see the very nature of God, his character, and his will for us.

Furthermore, the author of Hebrews emphasizes that Jesus is the one who sustains all things by his powerful word. It is through Jesus that everything was created, and he holds everything together. This means that Jesus is not only the revelation of God, but he is also the one who upholds the universe and keeps everything in order.

Finally, the author tells us that Jesus has become superior to the angels, who were also messengers of God in the Old Testament. This is because Jesus is not just a messenger, but he is the Son of God, and he has been given a name that is above all names. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

So, what does this mean for us? It means that we have a Savior who is not only powerful but also personal. He is not only the Creator of the universe but also the Redeemer of our souls. Through him, we can experience the forgiveness of our sins, the healing of our brokenness, and the restoration of our relationship with God.

As we reflect on these words from Hebrews, let us be reminded of the greatness of our God and the depth of his love for us. Let us also be encouraged to put our faith in Jesus, who is the only way to the Father. May we surrender our lives to him, and may we live every day in the light of his grace and truth.

The Chosen: Mocking God?

 

At Bethlehem we have been watching The Chosen on Wednesday evenings. Last night we finished season  3.

There is no doubt that the show is well done. It is able to grab and hold your attention, which is a must for any show or movie. The additional story lines they have added to it are compelling enough to keep, even us who are very familiar with the Gospels, engaged and wondering what will happen next.

I think the main benefit of The Chosen is that it helps people to engage their imaginations as they consider what it would have been like to have walked along side of Jesus. For instance, watching Jesus perform miracles has given me a greater sense of awe and wonder as I think about what those events would have been like then simply reading the text. In this way The Chosen enhances my reading of the Gospels.

On the flip side is the reality that the show is the interpretation and harmonization of the events recorded in the Gospels by  a small group of people, if not just one guy. There are certainly things about the show I would argue about. I think the sending out of the 12 on their mission work happened too early. I also think the disruption in the Decapolis is implausible, since it is in Gentile territory I am not sure the disciples would have gone there on their mission trip. Jesus’ return to Nazareth just seemed odd to me, like  having Lazarus grow up with Jesus (having Jesus declare that he is the Law of Moses was a good touch, even though that was one of the most controversial things heading into season 3).

To be honest, when it comes to The Chosen, I am rather indifferent about it. I have enjoyed watching it, but I don’t feel compelled to keep watching it either.

I know some people who are big fans of the show. Which I think is good because there needs to be support of well done media that is influenced by and supports Christian faith.

I also know that the show has its critics. For example this critique that I saw on Twitter.

What? The Chosen is mocking God?

The Chosen is a TV show, it is not a commentary on Scripture and it is not adding to Scripture. It is attempting to tell a story, helping people engage their imaginations (which is an under utilized tool in discipleship).  Hopefully, this will help them arrive at a greater appreciate of the text the next time they hear it or read it.

I am positive that if you asked Dallas Jenkins if he thought the Gospels were lacking or were in some way imperfect he would say no. He has a desire to tell the story of Jesus in a way that grabs people’s attention, and hopefully feel compelled to read the Bible to discover the whole story.

Here Mr. Jolly made assumptions about the thoughts and motivations behind the show. Rather than being charitable with his assessment, he assigned evil motivations to the people creating it. Because he has a high view of Scripture (notice he is holding a Bible in his profile picture), he felt the need to protect the integrity and sufficiency of the Bible.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love the Bible and that I totally believe that the Bible is the word of God that He wants His people to have. The Bible reveals God’s wisdom and will to us. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, it renews our minds and transforms our lives. 

This is what I believe, yet, every week as I prepare sermons and lessons I think about how to communicate this wonderful book to people in a way that captures their attention and helps them on their discipleship journey. This work requires using illustrations, metaphors, and analogies to help  make the text understandable and applicable to the lives of those listening.

When a preacher or teacher of the Bible uses an illustration, does that mean he or she is judging the Bible to be lacking or boring? 

Of course not! 

It does show that the preacher or teacher understands that the Bible was written for us but not to us. In other words, the Bible was written to people in a different time and in a different culture, and what would have been understandable to them is not necessarily understandable to us. Therefore we need to do the hard work to understand it and explain it. The work God has called a preacher or teacher to do is to explain His word to people in a way that is understandable to them.

I believe that is similar to what Dallas Jenkins is doing with The Chosen. 

Is he doing perfectly? 

No, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t helping people understand a little bit better what it might have been like to follow Jesus 2,000 years ago.

The Bible is a wonderful book and the story of Jesus is a beautiful story. 

These realities should motivate us to make it as understandable as we can, whether creating a show about the life of Jesus, teaching about the parables, or preaching about the resurrection. 

Hebrews: The Nature of the Son

 

STOP - Hebrews 1:1-4

Summarize

God speaks to His people. In the past God spoke through prophets, but now He has spoken through His Son. The Son represents God perfectly and He sustains all things and made possible the purification for sin. In this He has proven to be greater than the angels.

Truth

Jesus is the perfect representation of God. To know Jesus is to know God.

Observations

1. God speaks to His people. He has communicated His word and will to them. In the past this mostly done through other people: Prophets.

2. At the right time, when there was a people who were familiar with God’s word, Jesus came as the perfect representation of God.

3. Jesus is the Creator and Heir of the universe. It belongs to Him.

4. Jesus continues to work at sustaining the universe and He made purification sin possible.

5. Jesus reigns with God in Heaven. 

6. All these things prove that Jesus is greater than the angels. He is not just another heavenly spiritual being.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for Jesus. I may not understand everything about the incarnation, I do trust that Jesus is the Eternal Son who secured forgiveness of sins for your people.

Philippians: Have the Attitude of Jesus

 

STOP — Philippians 2:5-11

Summarize

For unity to exist there must be humility. The example for humility the Philippians are to follow is that of Jesus. Jesus is God, but when it came time to rescue the world for evil and destruction, Jesus didn’t think he needed to hold on to his rights as God, but he freely gave them up so he could become a servant, a great act of humility, so he could do what was best for his creation. His humility lead to the humiliation of death on the cross. Even though Jesus freely gave up his rights as God, God, because of Jesus’s humility, exalted Jesus above everything else in all of creation. This reveals God’s loving and gracious character and will lead all of creation to worship Him.

Truth

The humility of Jesus shows us that we will not miss out on blessing if we humble ourselves and let others go first.

Observations

1. This connects back to Paul’s teaching that we should consider others better than ourselves and to think about their interests as well as our own interests. Paul wants us to know that this call to humility is us following the example of Jesus.
2. Paul taught that Jesus is God. We may not understand all the mechanics of things, but what can understand is that Jesus voluntarily gave up rights due to him as God to rescue his creations from sin and evil.
3. Jesus’s humility led him to the humiliation of the cross and death. Our humility will, most likely, be a lot less costly.
4. “For this reason...” God exalts Jesus back to his status, gives him all authority, because he put the interests of others ahead of his own rights. God’s promise is that our sacrifice will not be in vain, that he will restore to us, and expand, all that was lost.
5. The humble obedience of Jesus, along with our humble obedience, leads to God receiving the worship that He deserves.

Prayer

Lord God, give me the wisdom, faith, and love that I need to follow the humble example of Jesus.

Tomorrow: Philippians 2:12-18

Who Is Your King?

 {Judges 17:6; ESV}

In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. 

The book of Judges is the account of the nation of Israel between the death of Joshua and the establishment of the monarchy with Saul and David. The recurring problem this young nation dealt with was the lack of leadership. As long as God provided them with a leader: Moses, Joshua, and the various Judges the people seemed to do what was right, but once these leaders were gone the people seemed to always follow the religious practices of the kingdoms around them.

Rather than being God’s covenant people, guided by the Law, Israel desired to be another Canaanite nation, adopting the practices of their neighbors.

Israel’s unwillingness to accept God’s rule led to the invasion of foreign kings. No Israelite king ruled Israel, but there were kings who ruled Israel. These kings were cruel and their actions devastated the nation and kept the Israelites in bondage. 

Because of Israel’s choice not to accept God’s invitation to be their King, God allowed the invasions of foreign kings to occur.

The Old Testament often gives us a picture of what historically happened as a metaphor to the spiritual reality of life. Just as Israel needed to surrender to God lordship, we too need to surrender to God's rule.

We may think we don’t need a king in our lives because we have the wisdom and the freedom to do what we think is best, but the reality is that we are bound by the chains of a tyrant. Many of us are chained and enslaved. 

The habits you cannot break are not the result of your weakness, but are chains given to us by a cruel master. The lust, selfishness, and greed of your heart are the chains in which you have been bound. “I am free,” we yell as we fall back into whatever addictions we have developed to cope with life.

The reason why we self medicate with sex, alcohol, Netflix, Amazon shopping, exercise, or food is because that is how we have learned to cope with life. This self medication can easily turn into addiction and slavery.

Peter wrote:

For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb. — 1 Peter 1:18-19 (CSB)

We inherited a way of life from the world. It is all that we know and it seems like wisdom because it is how everyone else is living, but that way of life is really oppression. We need to be rescued from it.

Jesus is the King who came to rescue us. The foundation of the Gospel is that God’s good Kingdom is being brought into the world through Jesus. This was Jesus’s summary of his message:

From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near.” — 

Matthew 4:17 (CSB)

To repent, in this context of Kingdom, means to change our loyalties. I like to say that to repent is to defect from the kingdom of darkness and declare our allegiance to Jesus and his Kingdom.

We have a choice to make. Who will be our King?

Will we accept Jesus’s offer to be our King by repenting and following him or will we choose to be our own king too weak to stand against the oppressing forces the world sends our way?

The Bible teaches that Jesus is offering the opportunity to accept His Kingship to all people, but there will be a day when this invitation will cease. Jesus is preparing to return and on that day no one will be able to stand against Him. Everyone will bow before him, either in absolute terror or in absolute love, and worship the King of kings. 

Today is the day for you to defect from the kingdom of this world and become part of the Kingdom of Heaven. The day is coming when there will only be one King left standing, and on that day I want to be on his side.

Be Different

It is hard to be different and to stand out from those around you. 

I find it easy to go with the flow and to allow myself to be influenced by the very same things that influence the rest of the world. It takes intention and work to go against the current of the culture.

This is exactly what we need to do.

It is essential for people who follow Jesus to live differently from the world. 

The apostle Paul wrote:

Don’t participate in the things these people do. For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true (Ephesians 5:7-9; NLT).

Christians are a changed people. We no longer participate in the same activities that the world does. These are activities that continue bring corruption and sin into God’s good creation. This is why it is crucial for us to live lives of faith.

 How do we do this? 

How do we prevent ourselves from being influenced by the culture in which we live? 

I believe the writer of Hebrews have provided us with some answers to these questions:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God’s throne in heaven (Hebrews 12:1-2; NLT).

In these two verses we find four actions we must do if we are going to live differently from the world.

First we must remember the witnesses. 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith...

Hebrews 11 is filled with great examples of faith, men and women who trusted God through the ups and downs of life. The writer of Hebrews wanted people be encouraged by these examples. Abraham, Moses, Ruth, David, Esther, Daniel, and the Apostles give us encouragement as we attempt to live faithfully in our culture. Remember, there is a reason God preserved their lives on the pages of Scripture so lets learn from them.

It is also important to remember that through the past two thousand years more and more people have been added to this great cloud of witnesses. On the pages of history and through the years of our lives are more men and women who are examples of what it means to live faithful lives in a culture not aligned with God’s will.

The second action we need to do is remove the hindrances. 

...let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress.

Change is difficult. 

One reason it is difficult is because it means that we are wrong in the way we live. If we were living right then a change wouldn’t need to happen. 

A second reason why change is hard is because of our habits. It is hard to break a habit, no matter how much we may want to be rid of it. Habits are ingrained in the way we do life.

We all have junk in our our lives that needs to be removed. We have self-image issues that rob us of confidence. We have relationship issues that cause problems with those that we are closest with. We have emotional problems (depression, anxiety, perfectionism, guilt, etc.) that need to be addressed. 

All these things hinder us from being the people God created us to be, and so we need to face these issues and deal with them. That might even mean going to a professional for help.

The universal weight people carry is sin. 

 

Yes, the weight of sin is different for each of us, but it is still there weighing us down. For us to get rid of it requires that we attack it, struggle with it, confess it to God, and continually look for ways to uproot it form our hearts. We cannot go with God and allow sin to remain in our lives unchecked. If we are not struggling to rid our lives of sin then we are not living a life of faith.

The third action we must do is run the race. 

And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.

God has created us to do good. 

Doing good is more than just being moral people. Doing good requires that we love and serve our neighbors. I like to say that we have been blessed so that we can be a blessing. 

Running the race that God has given to us is about doing the good works that He planned for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). So when we use the blessings God has given us to bring good into this world, we are running the race of faith.

The final action is to reflect on Jesus. 

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.

Jesus is our ultimate example on how we are to live. He showed us how to love, how to serve, and how to forgive. We must model our lives after his life.

Jesus’s sacrifice is the ultimate encouragement we need to live a life of faith. Knowing that Jesus went through brutal times, to save us from sin, offers us courage when we go through dark times of life and motivates us to remain faithful.

We can only keep our eyes on Jesus by reflecting on his life through reading and studying the Bible. 

I think one of the reasons we fail is because we create an image of Jesus that appeals to us rather than doing the hard work of discovering who Jesus really is. We cannot neglect the study, reading, and discussion that gives us a better understanding of Jesus.

Christians are called to be different from the world. 

It is easy to participate in the activities that help us blend right into our culture. This is why we must fight the hard fight to be different. 

Are you willing to do what it takes to change your life and be different?

Seek to Discover Jesus

Reading through the book of John it becomes evident that there were great disagreements about Jesus' identity.  This is even seen in the Pharisees. Here is a group that we generally talk about opposing Jesus, but the reality was that there was a disagreement about Jesus among them (John 9:16).

In John 10:19 we again see that people had a disagreement about Jesus: When he said these things, the people were again divided in their opinions about him (NLT). 

 

There was this disagreement, or division, because Jesus provided a paradox for them. 

On the one hand Jesus taught with great authority and insight. 

On the other hand Jesus did not obey the culture expectations of the day. He was not always a "good" Jew.

All these centuries later, people still have disagreements about who Jesus is. 

• Some want to classify him as a good teacher who was able to give profound spiritual insight. 
• Some may elevate him to the position of prophet, a man of God giving people a word from God. 
• Some label Jesus as a liar who led people astray. 
• Some call him a myth who never existed. 

People are still divided about who Jesus is.

Since I claim to follow Jesus, it is important that I understand who Jesus is to the best of my ability. 

Now, I admit, it is easy, even by looking at the biblical account, to create Jesus in my image. To make a Jesus I am comfortable with, who will support my agendas, and promote my worldview. 

 

Even within the Church there are many different ideas of who Jesus is, how he lived, and what he taught.

This means we need make an effort to discover who Jesus is. 

• We need understand the culture in which Jesus lived which provide much needed context to his teaching. 
• We need to seek to hear his teaching through the ears of his intended audience.
• We need to learn why see his miracles and ministry through these first century eyes.

 It is easier to engage the Gospels, as well as the whole of Scripture, at just the surface level, as we look for those eternal truths to apply to our lives. But, I have come to believe that we miss much of the truth God has for us by not digging deeper into the text. 

People will always be divided over who Jesus is, but that shouldn’t keep us from the responsibility of doing what we can to discover the Jesus of history. 

I believe that when we commit ourselves to such a study we will be blessed with the gift of getting to know who Jesus is and all that he has done for us.

After Thoughts Ep. 2: A Clearer Picture of Jesus

Who is Jesus?

One of the challenges for Christians is to have an accurate picture of Jesus. We tend to create Jesus in our own image, rather than allowing Jesus to mold us into his image.

In this episode I expand on my sermon, A Clearer Picture, as he looks a three portraits of Jesus found in Revelation.

Music is Eyes of Time by Danosongs


 

A Clearer Picture

Here is the sermon I preached on June 28,2020 at Bethlehem Church in Austin, MN. 

I looked at three "portraits" of Jesus found in Revelation so we can have a clearer and a more complete picture of who Jesus truly is.