JT Hutts

70 Portraits of Jesus in John’s Gospel

October 9, 2016October 9, 2016Posted in Bible, Jesus, study guidesTagged family worship guide, Gospel of John study guide, Jesus in John, john, portraits of Jesus, Portraits of Jesus in John's Gospel, study guide of John, study of John, study of john for the familyLeave a comment

John—the beloved disciple of Jesus—writes so that people may believe that Jesus is the Son of God (20:31). John is a Jesus lover. And Jesus loves John too. This mutual love is seen in the way that John writes about Jesus. It’s as if he paints beautiful and endearing portraits of Jesus each able to stand alone for us to marvel at.

As John reflects on Jesus, you are meant to also. Think of yourself at an art gallery. Stand back. Take it in. Get swept up into the scene. Think long and lovingly upon each portrait as John paints it. Jesus will marvel you. He will leave an impression upon you. Each time you look at Jesus you will walk away in awe.

Click Here to Download the “70 Portraits of Jesus in John’s Gospel” Study Guide

Galatians: In Defense of the Gospel

September 23, 2016September 23, 2016Posted in gospel, study guidesTagged defense of the gospel, galatian, galatians pdf, galatians study guide, gospel unser attack, knowing the gospel, outline of galatians, study galatians, study guideLeave a comment

Galatians is about the Gospel. It is about protecting the good news because it is constantly under attack. Paul was ahead of his time when he wrote this letter to Galatia because the same issues they faced centuries ago we face today. Learn from Paul and the early church how to defend the gospel from attacks from within or without. This isn’t a study for the faint of heart.

Click here to download the Galatians Study Guide

Jesus, the I AM, calls for your attention

June 30, 2016June 23, 2016Posted in Bible, Jesus, john, UncategorizedTagged 8 I am's of John, calling for your attention, I AM, i am statements of john, i am the bread of life, Jesus meets your need, Jesus use of metaphor, methaphors, over and over again, real miracle, repetitive statementsLeave a comment

To get my attention, my daughters will repeat a phrase over and over again, “Daddy, daddy, daddy! Come see this. Come see this. Come see this.” It can be a new ballet twirl to Sophia getting a boo-boo. It can be highly annoying, but it is often a good of getting my attention.

When a phrase is repeated over and over again in Scripture it a clue that is is immensely significance. It is calling for your attention.

Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus makes many I AM statements. There are eight specific statements that John writes about.

“I AM” [John 8:58]. Jesus makes a statement about his identity. He makes a direction correlation with himself and the covenant God [Exodus 3:13-14]. It is a statement of his the deity.
“I am the Bread of Life” [John 6:35]. This statement is a metaphor directly connected to the miracle of feeding the crowds.
“I am the Light of the world” [John 8:12]. This statement is a metaphor directly connected to the miracle of healing the blind man.
“I am the Door” [John 10:9]. This statement is a metaphor directly connected to the parable, in which Jesus is the Door that the sheep must enter.
“I am the Good Shepherd” [John 10:10]. This endearing statement is a metaphor directly connected to the parable, in which Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd that lays His life down for His sheep.
“I am the Resurrection and the Life” [John 11:25]. This statement is a metaphor directly connected to the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead.
“I am the Way the Truth and the Life” [John 14:6]. This statement is a metaphor directly connected to Jesus claim of equality with the Father and way to the Father.
“I am the True Vine” [John 15:1]. This statement is a metaphor directly connected to the parable of Jesus being the source of all spiritual fruit.

Each metaphor is jam-packed with theology. Each “I Am” statement of Jesus’ is incredibly vivid and practical for the salvation and Christian living. They are useful for counseling believers or aid as stepping-stones to help unbelievers cross the river of unbelief.

An “I am” statement that came alive to me this week was “I am the Bread of Life.” I met an Syrian refugee living in Chad, Africa. He was alone. No family except a niece who he was caring for indefinitely because her parents are missing. They were hungry and desperate. I was near a large religious center in the throngs of Ramadan, a time when alms giving is at its peak, but still these Syrians were without.

I had very little to give and very little to say. Frankly, I wish I was more prepared and more to give. In the moment, I was able help meet a physical need, but like Jesus I wanted to meet a greater need. John 6:35 came alive and I pray he will nourish this Syrian family inside out. He can. And he’s capable.

Jesus provides. Without him we are hopeless and hungry. Without him we are gospel-starved and faith-famished.

The real miracle wasn’t Jesus transforming a little boys lunch to feed thousands of people, but that he gives a glimpse that he is the Life that can transform the world.

That should arrest your attention today too! And that’s just what Jesus’ I AM statements are meant to do.

Jesus as the Bookends of John’s Gospel

June 22, 2016June 22, 2016Posted in Bible, john, UncategorizedTagged alpha and omega, bookends, Gospel of John, Jesus in John, Jesus is God, John begins and ends with Jesus, John on the son of GodLeave a comment

Bookends hold upright and support a row of books from end to end. Often times bookends are solid and sure. John’s Gospel has literary bookends that hold upright the content of his writing.

John begins his Gospel with this intended purpose: Jesus Christ has always been and He will always be. The Creator God is Jesus Christ. In contrast to the other gospels, John begins from eternity past by saying, “In the beginning was the WORD and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” [John 1:1]

John concludes the gospel with this intended purpose: Jesus is and will always be human’s means for eternal life. The gospel of John is through and through a call to believe that Jesus is who He says He is. For John says, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” [John 20:31]

All the content in-between the bookends of John 1:1 and 20:31 is proof that what John says about Jesus, the Son of God, is truth. There is no other source of writing in the Scripture that so clearly and effectively declares Jesus Christ as God than the Gospel of John. From beginning to end John helps us see the Jesus is God.

I am the door

June 11, 2016June 11, 2016Posted in Jesus, salvationTagged I am the door, Jesus is the door, John 101 Comment

Jesus is worth beholding He is like no other man. He is utterly unique. He’s fascinating. He causes us to wonder and be amazed. He said things that were both endearing and disturbing. He made audacious claims. Jesus isn’t like a presidential candidate that you can pick and choose what you like or don’t like about him. No other man made the claims he did and lived up to them. If I made his same claims you would laugh and say that I am a liar and lunatic.

In John’s Gospel Jesus makes many I AM statements. He said, “I am the Living Water,” “I am the Bread of Life,” “I am the Light of the World,” “I am the way, the truth and the life,” and “I am the resurrection.” Today we will look at Jesus’ claim in John 10, “I am the Door.”

What did Jesus mean when he said he was the Door? Why was that so important to the crowd he was speaking to? Why is that an important for you and me today?

To get the thrust of what Jesus is saying you need to start in John 8. There Jesus is talking with two groups of Jews. On one side there are Jews who believe and follow Jesus Christ, and on the other side are Jews who don’t believe and don’t follow Jesus Christ. Jesus says to the Jews who do follow him in John 8:31, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

This didn’t settle well with the other Jews who didn’t follow Jesus. They look at Jesus and say, “What do you mean the truth will set us free? We’re not held captive to anyone. We’re not in bondage to anyone. We’re Jews. We’re God’s chosen. Our Father is Abraham.” What Jesus says next is more even unsettling in John 8:42, “If God were your Father, you would love me… You are of your father the devil…” Jesus didn’t go the route of making friends, but he did influence people.

In John 9, there is a man born blind who had become a beggar. Jesus gives him sight. And the beggar who once followed the Pharisees, now becomes a believer in Jesus. The Pharisees are ticked. Jesus took one of theirs. They reacted by throwing the beggar out—culturally skinned him alive (ouch!)—and showed their hatred for Jesus by intending to kill him. So in John 10, Jesus continues to talk to the same crowd—his disciples, the Pharisees, the blind beggar, and the two groups of Jews. He tells them (and us) to behold something truly life-altering that gives insight into who he really is and who they really are.

Jesus is the doorkeeper and he offers you his protection (vs.1-2).

“Truly, truly (new, fresh word. “listen up” “behold this), I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.”

Jesus tells a story, a figure of speech. He paints a backdrop. In the story there is a sheepfold and a door. Also, there are characters. There are thieves and robbers. There is a gatekeeper. There are sheep. You could say the door is a character too. Let’s look more intently at the scene, which may be unfamiliar to us, but was quite familiar to Jesus’ audience.

What is the fold? Ancient Near East villages had an animal corral or pen in or near the village. The sheep would be out grazing in the fields during the day, then at night the shepherd would lead them into a walled fold where they would be watched and safe and protected together.

In Jesus’ story, the sheepfold is his audience—Israel. They knew this. God often called Israel his sheep. It wasn’t derogatory like you think. Sure sheep are stupid, but being called a sheep was endearing because God cared for them, he chose them for himself, and he valued them above all other nations.

The sheepfold wasn’t just Israel, but later in John 10:16, Jesus says, “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.” Here Jesus identifies himself as the one Shepherd. But another fold? Who’s that? It’s the Gentiles, it’s other nations of the world, it’s Jew and Gentile (cf. Ezek. 34:11ff). The fold is whatever holds temporarily the sheep that belong to God: Jew or Gentile.

What is the door? It is where things go in or out. The door allows sheep in or out. As verse 2 says the shepherd enters, “by the door.” The shepherd is allowed to come in the door. He alone has the privilege, right, authority, and ownership to open the door and let the sheep in or out. Often the door wasn’t a door or gate, but the shepherd would lay down there. So the shepherd was both shepherd and also door. He is a character and a backdrop in the scene. His duty is to care for the sheep during the day when they are out in fields and protect the sheep at night in the fold from thieves and robbers.

Who are the thieves and robbers who climb in by another way? You get the idea they are enemies of the sheep. They have no authority, no rights, and no ownership. Their aim is to fleece the sheep for their wool or fillet the sheep for their meat taking the valuable stuff and leave the sheep for dead.

There Jesus stands, looking into the eyes of the Pharisees. The blind beggar is there, the disciples are there, other Jews are there. We are there. And we get the idea who the thieves and robbers are. It’s the Pharisees. They are the one who climbing in the fold by another way. Their way was religion. Pharisees prided themselves as the gatekeepers of Judaism and gatekeepers of righteousness. Yet they were fleecing their own and filleting their souls, robbing them of knowing the true God. Jesus nails them. He calls them what they are. But remember later these Pharisees are the ones who falsely nail Jesus.

False shepherds are everywhere. They disguise themselves as friends, helpers, even pastors or spiritual leaders. Yet their goal isn’t to help you, it is to use you, then dispose of you. In our day, their message may be different, but the effect is the same. Today, false shepherds tell you, “Sin is no big deal—what is a “sin,” anyway? There’s no judgment coming, and it really doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you believe it sincerely.” The message is easier to accept and less demanding, perhaps, but still just as deadly to those who follow it.

False shepherds entice you–like the serpent in the Garden–to climb in by another way. They entice you to want whats behind the door rather than the door itself. Like Monty Hall, the longtime host of Let’s Make a Deal, “PICK A DOOR ANY DOOR.” Life’s a Choose Your Own Adventure novel because our culture values choice. It is about what you do and what you choose. As in Jesus’ story the choice is religion. Religion is a common door. Religion says, “Do this good, but don’t do that bad and your in.” Another door is success, achievement, pleasure, knowledge, what makes sense, or what helps you sleep at night. For others the door is finishing school, getting that degree, establishing a career, enjoying retirement, or having a girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, husband, 2.7 children, house with a two car garage. While most of these doors are good and start well, they are not THE Door—the life-giving door.

Jesus helps us see that are only two types doors. 1) Door leading to life or 2) door leading to death. The door leading to death offers many promises: good life, hope, pleasure, knowledge, understanding, it speaks to a want. There is the expectation that if you walk through that door you will have it all, yet in the end it is a faux-door. It’s a door that leads to another door, which leads to another door, that leads to a trapdoor, which leads to a backdoor, that leads to destruction. As sheep we are prone to wander, keeping our head to the ground, wolf bait.

Jesus is very clear about who he is and what he offers. Jesus is the door and he offers you his protection. Jesus is no Pedro Sanchez. In the movie Napoleon Dynamite, Napoleon promises that if you “Vote for Pedro. He offers you his protection.” Jesus isn’t just protection from a bully trying to steal your lunch money. He is your protection from thieves and robber who intend to fleece and fillet your soul. Follow Jesus and you go in the unpopular door (not enticing, limits choice, a doorstopper). Jesus said, “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. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Mt. 7:13-14) Jesus is the only life-giving, forever protecting door, and few think they need it.

Just as their are two types of doors there are also two types of sheep: 1) There are sheep cared for by Christ or 2) There are sheep wandering in sin and unprotected darkness. You are one or the other. Sheep need help. Jesus is your help. He is the Door. He is the only way to protection and salvation. God—the gatekeeper—has given Jesus all authority in heaven and on earth. In His frame are grace, truth, mercy, forgiveness, hope, protection, provision, righteousness, and so much more. His frame is solid and sturdy and sure. What is your door: life or death? What kind of sheep are you?

Jesus is the door and his sheep know his voice (vs.3-6).

“To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

This is a beautiful picture. Sheep know their shepherd’s voice. Sheep know their shepherd’s voice because they hear it all the time. It’s familiar. Also, the shepherd knows each of his sheep. They are familiar to him. He knows each by name. And that’s not hard to understand. We name animals. You don’t have a dog without a name. You probably don’t even have a goldfish without a name. Sheep have names too. It might be “Gimpy,” “Lamb Chops,” “Shawn,” or “Blacky.” The shepherd always knew his own sheep because he examined them every day and he spent the whole waking day with them. He knew every mark on every one of them. He knew them from top to bottom, back to front.

If a common Jewish shepherd knew his sheep, how much more does the Good Shepherd also knows His sheep? He knows their name. Their names have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life since before the foundation of the world. He knows who they are. Isn’t that a beautiful and comforting thought? The true Shepherd came to call his people out of Judaism, to call Gentiles out of the folds of false religion from every corner of the world. He knows who they are. He calls them by name. They know His voice, and He leads them out. He goes before them.

The story that Jesus tells here is so profound. It starts as a simple story about sheep, but the more dig in and the deeper you go, the more profoundly theological the story becomes. It’s pretty serious theology—Divine sovereignty, irresistible grace, effectual calling, eternal security—this is all theological. The good Shepherd has already chosen His sheep. He knows who they are. He alone possesses the authority to come into Judaism and into the nations of the world to find His sheep. He knows them. He calls them by name. They recognize His voice. He leads them out. They follow Him. They will not follow a stranger. Without him we are left to wander in darkness. Without him they struggle to believe. Without him they resist repentance. Only Jesus can gives the sheep faith to believe, ears to hear, and will to follow.

Jesus is the door and his sheep know his voice. Sheep have selective hearing. Do you know his voice? Do you listen for it and recognize it among the thieves in our noisy culture? Jesus is the only way out. He is THE door. Through the door you have freedom and protection while you graze in the field of this world or culture. He promises to be with you. Guide you. Protect you. Comfort you. Even when you are among thieves and wolves and faux-sheep. You will know his voice. How? By being with Him. By becoming familiar with his words.

Interesting, the crowd did not understand what Jesus was saying, so he explains it again. The second time he makes it especially clear what the story is about.

Jesus is the door to life and invites you to good pasture (vs.7-10).

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly”

The pasture is the place of rest. A place of plenty. A place of abundance. The pasture is the Word. And Jesus is the Word in the flesh (John 1:14). Jesus is the good pasture. In him, we are satisfied and full and safe and most alive. As Jeremiah 15:16 says, “Your Word was found and that’s what became my food.” As the Spirit gives life to the Word, we follow the Word. We delight in the Word and love to graze in the pasture. Jesus is the the door to life and invites us to good pasture.

So Jesus is the Shepherd and the Shepherd is the door. He feeds us and sustains us with green pastures through our whole spiritual life. Jesus said, “I come that they may have life, and have it abundantly (over the top).” That’s why David in Psalm 23 tells us that “He makes [us] to lie down in green pastures, he leads [us] beside the still waters…though [we] walk through the valley…[we] will fear no evil. For You [the Shepherd] are with [us].” Wherever in the world you or, whatever marketplace you mingle, He is with you (Mt.28:19-20).

So to sum it up, the Messiah comes, the Savior comes, the Shepherd comes, He comes to the fold of Judaism and the fold of the Gentile world. He comes to your turf. His sheep know Him. He knows them. He knows their name. He enters the door because He has full authority and right to do so. Only he opens the door. He brings out his sheep. They follow. They know His voice. They go through Him, He alone being the door. They roam the world and enjoy his provision and protection. He leads them to the good pasture. This is salvation. This is your story. Or this can be your story. It’s God’s story.

Drawing from the Past: In the 10th plague of Egypt, God said he would execute all the male firstborns except for those with doorposts marked with Lambs blood (Ex. 12:21-28). After the Passover, Israel was able to journey to the good pasture of the Promised Land.

Applying to the Present: Jesus is our Passover Lamb. As John the Baptist pronounced, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” He sacrificed himself for the other sheep. So that by his blood so you and I could be free from the power of sin and the wrath of God.

Looking towards the Future: Jesus says, “Behold I stand at the door.” (Rev. 3:20) One day you will stand at the glorious gates, but Jesus will be the most glorious gate (Rev.21:22-27). The Lamb who was slain. He alone invites you to good pasture of Paradise.

Beholding the I AM is all about the Person of Jesus. There are two Doors: Life or Death. Which door do you enter by? Do you want what is behind the door or do you want the Door? There are two Sheep: Cared for or Consumed by. Which characterizes you? There are two Shepherds: True or False. Which shepherd’s voice do you hear? Which are you most like? May our words and deeds look like our Shepherd. May we invite others to know the Door too. Are you going into the fields among the other flocks telling others about the Door and unashamedly warning them that they is no other way?

Prayer: Thank You, Father for calling us your sheep. Thank you for sending us the Good Shepherd, the true shepherd. Thank you for calling us and inviting us to enter by the Door and find good pasture in him. Thank you that you offer us protection from sin. Give us ears to hear Your voice. To listen well. To follow whole heartedly, even when it is hard and noisy. Even when other voices and doors call for my attention. Oh, to delight in the Word and You alone. In Jesus name, Amen.

overwhelmed

May 10, 2016May 10, 2016Posted in attributes of God, God, grace, missions, servingTagged 1 timothy 1, 1 timothy 1:12-17, i am a great sin but Christ is a great Savior, i am thankful for you, John Newton, mercy of God, overwhelmed, overwhelmed by God, thankful, thankful list, unthankful, unthankful list2 Comments

There are days that are downright hard, ugly, and overwhelming. Sometimes there are seasons of life when all I see is what overwhelms me most.

There are so many things that can overwhelm us that leave us feeling like we are sinking and can barely breath. Many of things that overwhelm can begin as good things, but become hard and ugly like a struggling marriage, a wayward child, a strained relationship, or a load of expectations or responsibilities from work or home.

Do you ever have days or seasons like that? Do you sometime have a difficulty seeing the good in grim situations? Do you dread the idea that God sometimes places you in really hard places or situations to help you to realize just how desperate you are and how delightful He is?

Today I will look into the heart of a man who is overwhelmed. He is overwhelmed in a unique way. Yet he has the help of a good friend with new eyes to help him see the good in the overwhelming.

Paul is the friend who wrote two personal letters to Timothy; a young man. Timothy was a leader in the church at Ephesus, which Paul planted a decade earlier. He wasn’t passionate and radical like Paul, rather he was timid and tender. Paul, as a spiritual father and mentor, writes Timothy a critical juncture to encourage him through heavy challenges he was facing because certain persons were taking cracks at his youthfulness and in the same breath undermining the doctrine of Christ. Timothy was overwhelmed.

What Paul models for Timothy is that while ministry is difficult and problems with people are real and overwhelming, it is possible to be overwhelmed by the realities of God’s promises and see His purposes in all situations. Paul helps us to see an alternative in a biblical pattern toward becoming overwhelmed by God, even when my day or season in life is hard or ugly or overwhelming.

1. OVERWHELMED WITH THANKS (vs.12-14)

“I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”

Thankfulness is where becoming overwhelmed with God begins. As we look under the lid of Paul’s heart we see a man overwhelmed with thanks. He cannot help but thank God. He saw the deep crimson stains of his sin, yet saw the grace of God being deeper still.

Before Jesus, Paul was a religious terrorist. He was the Jewish equivalent to ISIS. He was radically devoted to his religious system and aimed to stop anyone who differed or threaten it. When God intersected with Paul on the Damascus Road (see Acts 9), God miraculously altered Paul’s faith and future. Only God could have altered Paul’s route.

Do you remember who were you before Jesus? Similar to Paul, you could say, “Though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent—though formerly I was an enemy of God, doubter, skeptic, agnostic, cheater, liar, thief, addict, adulterer, womanizer, slanderer, sloth, fool—But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”

Aren’t you grateful for that “but”? That little conjunction brings hope in the most hopeless situation.

Paul reflects on his unglamorous past and what the glorious gospel has made him to be. The gospel takes him back, like when you’re driving in the car and “your song” comes on the radio taking you back to a certain time and place. Thinking of the gospel had that affect on Paul. He is so thankful. Does it have that affect on you?

‘Thank you’ is one of the highest forms of praise. When someone says, “I am thankful for you,” it can be one of the most precious and powerful things said. When is the last time you said those words to God?

My first year of life in North Africa was the hardest. I had created a list. Not a written list, but a mental list of all the things I was unthankful for; all the things that overwhelmed me most. This is the part of the message that you should not take home nor replicate, but I want you to see under the hood of my heart because maybe you can relate.

My Unthankful List: It’s hot (again). I have heat rash (again). I am so tired and exhausted. Someone is knocking at the gate and it’s 5:00am? I feel so used. Do people only come to visit to get ice, charge their cellphones, and ask for ride to the next town? If another person comes to visit and I am expected to be hospitable, I think I will snap. Are those boys throwing rocks at the tin roof again? The man who I thought was really interested in hearing about my faith is now forcing his faith on me. I cannot understand the language or be understood. They are laughing at me (again). I am trying so hard. Today my chores took me all day and I’m still not finished. Why am I here? I am sick again. This has to be my 43 day in a row with diarrhea. Sophia has lost a quarter of her body weight is she going to be okay? What I wouldn’t give to have a burrito right now. I am so fellowship starved. What I wouldn’t give to be in a church right now surrounded by my brothers and sisters. I feel like my faith is mimicking this dry thirsty land.

Maybe you can relate. Although we might live in different places, we are still so easily overwhelmed.

That was until a friend recommended that I go take a walk and pray. So I did. I began prayer walks a few times a week. It took a few walks to stop thinking about all that overwhelmed me and to see what God was doing in me. Out of these walks came a new list. A list that I wrote down. A list that I am proud to share and recommend that you would take home and replicate.

My Thankful List: I am not alone. God, you have surrounded me with a family, a team, and a cloud of witnesses. I am seeing You answer prayers from the front lines. God, you are providing for all my daily needs (again and again). When I am tired You are my strength. You are my protection. You have helped me make new Chadian friends; many who are hearing the good news for the very first time. Little by little You help me to communicate (and laugh at myself) and be hospitable. People are knocking on my gate to visit me. You are giving me a love for those I’ve had a hard time loving. God you are changing things. You are changing me! Thank you!!

A thankful heart is the remedy to one overwhelmed by a myriad of things towards becoming overwhelmed by God. Thankfulness helps us to see hard and ugly situation through new eyes. Ask God for a thankful spirit.

2. OVERWHELMED BY SALVATION (v.15)

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”

Paul is overwhelmed by his salvation. He is overwhelmed that God would redeem a sinner like him. He knew who he was and would be without Jesus. Paul had the right scale on which to measure himself. Often I don’t. More often I compared myself with another person thinking I look pretty good in comparison, but compared to Jesus there is no comparison.

This realization can change your life—I am the worst sinner I know. Like Paul, I am Public Sinner Number One. I am the worst sinner I know because only God and I know the depth of my sin. But thanks be to God that he stepped into my shoes, lived sinlessly, died in my place to clear my debt, championed the grave, all so that God could save me from God’s wrath and my own destruction.

The next time you find yourself thinking, “I’m not that bad! I teach Sunday School. I listen to Christian radio.” Remind yourself just how bad you are by looking at the cross. Remember the price paid for your sin. Remember the red blood shed for your sin. Remember how ugly and horrible cross of Jesus was. That’s how ugly your sin is. Doesn’t that overwhelm you in a good way? You got to see your utter depravity before you can see Jesus’ glory.

John Newton was a captain of slave ships for the British Royal Navy and in his own words said he was a ruthless businessman and unfeeling observer. Despite a regrettable past God intersected with him en route and saved him. Like Paul, as he looked back on his past he said, “I am a great sinner but Christ is a great Savior.” Later he wrote a song which we sing still today, “Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound), That sav’d a wretch like me!” Many would say that is “my song.”

Verse 15 is a beautiful missions verse, “that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” That is the gospel in a nutshell. That alone gives me the motivation to wake up everyday and share Jesus with others because if it weren’t for Jesus I would not love my neighbor or stay in Africa. That alone is enough motivation for you to do the same wherever God has placed you, even if it is hard and ugly. That is a verse to rehearse to yourself everyday.

Why evangelize those around you? Why go to the ends of the earth? If God can save Paul. He can save anyone. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” He can save your boss, your father, your child, your crazy uncle, your annoying neighbor, the abuser, the prostitute, the terrorist, even you. It happens when God gives faith to a person to believe that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

To be overwhelmed by God is to be overwhelmed that God would save a sinner like you. Or that God would even use a sinner like you, which leads us to the next thing.

3. OVERWHELMED BY MERCY (v.16)

But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.

Have you ever heard the words, “You’ve changed”? Those can be words you either love or hate to hear. But God changes people. It’s his job and joy to change you. He himself never changes. But he loves to keep changing you more into his image. People who do not want to change are either perfect or disobedient. Which are you?

Paul is overwhelmed by mercy. To him God’s mercy is a river wide that keeps flowing and never runs dry, it is flooding over its banks, and Paul’s is drowning in it. And one who is given mercy, gives mercy to others. Mercy multiplies mercy. God’s design in saving Paul is to make him the poster child parading God’s mercy. God’s shows off Paul as if to say, “Here is what I can do. See for yourself.”

God had you in mind when he saved Paul. That is what the verse says. That is an awesome thought. God saved Paul for your sake. So that you would see God’s “overflowing grace”, divine “mercy” and “perfect patience” and take courage and hope for your own salvation and the salvation of others.

God wants you to see the most unlikely people can believe and do believe. God can change people and is changing people. God’s mercy and power are not limited to people who have been set up for Christianity by a good family or live near a church or have a clean moral track record. The chief of sinners was saved. And that means hope in evangelism and in your own underwhelming walk with the Lord.

Don’t belittle the mercy of God by saying, “I can’t be changed” or “I’m just the way I am!” The message of God’s mercy is that what is evil and undesirable in your life can be changed. A critical spirit can be changed. Alcoholism can be changed. Irritability can be changed. Ingratitude can be changed. Laziness and overeating and lust can be changed. The habits of not tithing and excessive TV watching and gambling can be changed. Lack of hospitality can be changed. Self-righteousness can be changed. Fear of telling others about Jesus can be changed. It’s God’s joy and job to change you.

In what ways are you parading the mercy of God to those around you? Everyday you are displaying God’s perfect patience and as an example to who are to believe in Jesus for eternal life. This is a reason to run to God not from God unashamed because of his mercy.

In Africa, sometimes it’s too hot inside that we sleep outside. Our night light are the bright stars in the sky. Why are the stars so bright and beautiful? It is because the sky is so dark. In the same way, you live in a dark world tainted by sin, but God in his mercy uses you as his lights to shine for all to see what God can do in a person or a community overwhelmed by him.

4. OVERWHELMED WITH PRAISE (v.17)

Paul ends his personal thoughts with a bang. He does this from time to time. Its as if he gets caught up in the thought and his pen explodes into doxology on the page. God’s goodness becomes his anthem. He is overwhelmed with praise.

To the King of the ages (past, present, and future), immortal (who never naps, takes a break, or dies), invisible, the only God (who doesn’t have a living comparison), be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (For more see Revelation 5)

Enough said.

When comprehending God saving power over your past, when you see yourself against the cross, when you acknowledge the mercy of God saving a sinner like you, it is natural to be overwhelmed, overcome, overjoyed, and overflowing with gratitude and worship to God. A person overwhelmed by God sees his troubles or trials through news eyes. He sees people problems through new eyes. He sees whatever is hard and ugly and overwhelming through new eyes. For all that you lack is supplied for you in Christ. All that ruined you was renewed in Christ.

May God give you new eyes to see the beauty of what he is doing in you and those around you, even when it is hard and ugly.

May we be around the worst sinners looking for gospel opportunities.

May your complaint turn to thanks and praise. May you be refreshed by the joy of your salvation and that God would use a sinner like you. May God overwhelm you and your church.

Application

What areas of your life do you struggle with thankfulness? How does thankfulness change the way you see your circumstances, even difficult ones? Spend some time in prayer thanking God.

What do you remember about your salvation story? What does it look like to rehearse the gospel to yourself everyday? Why is it important to be reminded of the gospel so often?

What is the mercy of God? How have you experienced the mercy of God? In what ways are you parading the mercy of God as an example for others to see?

Read Revelation 5. How is Revelation 5 a bigger picture of 1 Timothy 1:17? How is John’s vision of Jesus overwhelming with praise? Why is it helpful to have this future picture of Jesus?

When was a time when you were overwhelmed by God? What about God’s working in your past, present, or future marvel you?

a reluctant prayer

May 4, 2016May 4, 2016Posted in prayer, prioritiesTagged answers to prayer, Ed Chesley, fear of the answer, God's intentions, hard things, prayer, real prayer, reluctant prayerLeave a comment

Have there been prayers you’ve been reluctant to pray because you don’t know exactly how God will answer?

I know I have. Today, I share a prayer from a ol’ prof of mine from college. In the past year he has lost his best friend and soul mate. In many ways he’s living out the answers to his prayer with a fitting title. Before reading the prayer, it may help to have the back story from the author himself,

Was looking for a mailing envelope this morning to send a copy of Donna’s death certificate as part of what I hope is the last annuity transfer. Every time I do something like this, as I have said before, it is like erasing her a little at a time. Her name comes off the annuity, and now it’s just my name. All by itself. Looks very wrong, somehow, for it’s always been “Ed and Donna Chesley.” Simply “Ed Chesley” looks to be incomplete–and lonely. At any rate, in the course of looking for that envelope, I ended up looking through some of Donna’s teaching files. These files contained outlines and other material she used in speaking engagements and ladies’ group devotions. Shed quite a few tears, but I was impressed all over again at her spiritual wisdom and insight, presented clearly and simply. She used Chris and myself in one or two of them. She loved to teach kids and share with ladies but never felt she could do a good job or had anything of substance to offer. In that, she was very wrong. Donna was indeed a Proverbs 31 wife and a great servant of Her Lord. I was proud of her then; I am doubly proud now as I read through these notes. I also found in her files a prayer I had written years ago. It is not dated, but according to the material with which it was filed, I wrote it in 1995 or 1996. She must have used it in at least one of her speaking opportunities. Given my present circumstance, I thought I might be bold enough to share this with you. File it under the category “God may take you at your word.”

A Reluctant Prayer

Lord, I want you to be my Lord.

I want you to have all that I think is mine, but what, in fact, belongs to You.

If you need to break my heart by taking whatever I love but should not . . . then break it.

If you need to turn that at which I think I should succeed into failure . . . then make me a failure.

If you need to frustrate me by withholding the one thing I want most in this life . . . then disappoint me. But please forgive my bitter tears!

If you need to take all the time I have and give it to others . . . then take my time.

If what you need is my foolishness rather than the wisdom of which I am so proud . . . then make me a fool.

If you want in my life the thing I fear most . . . then frighten me. But please hold my hand!

If you know that I need trouble in my life more than comfort . . . then trouble me.

If you want my attention, then take those things that so easily distract me . . . and replace them with Yourself.

Lord, I do not ask for these things because I am noble . . . Oh, no! I will not insult you by saying how much I want these things. You know me better than that–better than anyone, for You know my heart. You know how reluctantly I pray this prayer.

But I know that what you want for me is best . . .so help me to trust you, please!

All I ask is that none of your faithful ones be shamed by me and that you give me the sustaining grace to accept whatever You give or take.

Thank You, Lord, for Your good and perfect intentions toward me.

Amen.

–eac

Used with permission from the author. Image source.

what God asks of you

April 7, 2016April 8, 2016Posted in God, priorities, sin, sufferingTagged command, encourage one another, go and tell, hide, Isaiah, Isaiah 6, light, light of the world, not easy, shine, what God asksLeave a comment

A good friend recently asked me, “If someone becomes a Christian can he hide it?” That is a good question. How would you answer that?

I paused for a long moment before answering. At first I responded by answering, “Yeah, he can hide, but not for long if he really is a Christian.” Then I followed up by sharing some of Christ’s words about shining the Light within a dark dark world,

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

Jesus said many interesting and hard things, especially to those who followed him (see Luke 14:25-33; 9:57-62). He knew if his followers really would follow him it won’t be easy. In fact, he said if you follow me you will still face temptation and inevitably you will face fierce suffering. For the light shines into hidden places that most people would rather fight to remain hidden.

The idea of a light shining in darkness is a theme in Scripture. Israel was chosen to be a light to the nations. God chose them from among all the nations of the world to show all people his purposes. He just asked Israel to trust him, to walk with him, and not mingle with the gods of other nations. It wasn’t easy for Israel. And their story isn’t secret. It’s recorded for you and I to read today.

When Isaiah was called to be prophet of Israel, they were already on a downward spiral away from God. They forgot everything God had done for them. They already adopted the gods of other nations and prided themselves on what they could do with their own hands and minds. Their light was dimming. And Isaiah’s task was to bring Israel back to God. That was no easy task.

Are you starting to catch a theme here? What God asks of us is not easy. In the final verses of Isaiah 6, God gives Isaiah both a command (what he is to say) and a consequence (what will happen if the hearers don’t listen). If you were in Isaiah’s shoes would you do what was asked of you?

The Command: “Go and Tell”

“And [God] said, “Go, and say to this people:
“‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
keep on seeing, but do not perceive. ’
Make the heart of this people dull,
and their ears heavy,
and blind their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:9-10)

Within God’s command he gives three imperatives that will characterize the Israelites: they 1) do not perceive, 2) do not understand, and 3) render hearts insensitive. In other words, God says, “Tell my people that they will be just like the idols they love: blind, deaf and dumb.”

G.K. Beale in his book, A Biblical Theology of Idolatry says, “What you revere you resemble for your ruin or restoration.” It’s true, you become like what you worship. As kids you learn to mimic parents, actors, singers, or whoever we idol. Children see. Children Do. From Simon says to being a Copy Cat. The question is what do you imitate and resemble?

In high school, I really wanted to have a Volkswagen Jetta. It was the hottest car for college students. So I took one out for a test drive. The sound system was thumping and the accelerator had some get up and go. I not only wanted one, but the car dealer convinced me that I needed to have one. I couldn’t afford one as a poor college student, but my desire to have a Jetta lingered. That was until a family member offered to sell me their 10-year Jetta. It was within my budget so I bought it. As I drove away I though I was hot stuff. But you know what? In a matter of months the luster wore off, I had maintenance bills, and newer models of the Jetta rolled off the line. My desire to drive a Jetta wasn’t sinful, but my identity tied to a Jetta was. I became the Jetta guy.

Isn’t that how idols work? They disguise themselves as needs, but when you have it they become yesterdays news, even nuisances. You love idols, but thy never love you back.

John Calvin was in tune with the problem of idols. He said,

“Man’s nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols. Man’s mind, full as it is of pride and boldness, dares to imagine a god according to its own capacity; as it sluggishly plods, indeed is overwhelmed with the crassest ignorance, it conceives an unreality and an empty appearance as God.” Institutes, 1.11.8

The heart longs for what only God can completely fill (e.g. approval, control, success, pleasure, security, knowledge, relationship, comfort, entertainment, etc.). Idolatry is whatever your heart clings to and relies upon, other than God. Often idols are really good things, but they take the place of the greatest thing. They seem tangible, when God is invisible. Yet they rob us of a heart reserved for God. In fact, they make us blind to God, deaf to God, and dumb to God.

Think about the command to go and tell. God tells Isaiah to go to his people–his family, friends, neighbors, tribe–and tell them about their hearts that are like factories pumping out idols. On top of that God let’s Isaiah know ahead of time that nobody will listen or respond. Sure, they will recognize Isaiah as prophet from God, but for 40+ years Isaiah would preach without a response. Talk about difficult and discouraging ministry. Yet it isn’t that much different than the world you and I live in? Isn’t the command God gave us to make disciples of all nations just as difficult and at times discouraging when people don’t see a need for God because they think that they are fine on their own?

Isaiah is no Debbie Downer. Yes, his message is grim; if the Israel won’t turn back to God their judgment will be to become just like the idols they worship.

Many get in a huff when God dishes out judgment, but one must consider God’s character. All his characteristics are balanced and he never ditches one to feed the other. In Hebrews 6:1-3, it teaches how God’s grace and justice are in balance. God is both gracious (slow to anger) and just (character demands consequences for sinfulness). God never makes snap judgements. He doesn’t go through middle school mood swings. Rather he is slow to anger and patient. However, Isaiah’s generation broke the last straw and His patience finally ran out.

Isaiah 1:29-31 “Surely you will be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, And you will be embarrassed at the gardens which you have chosen. For you will be like an oak whose leaf fades away or as a garden that has no water. The strong man will become tinder, His work also a spark. Thus they shall both burn together And there will be none to quench them.”
Isaiah 2:12, 17-18 “For the Lord of hosts will have a day of reckoning Against everyone who is proud and lofty And against everyone who is lifted up, That he may be abased….The pride of man will be humbled And the loftiness of men will be abased; And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day, But the idols will completely vanish.”
Isaiah 3:8-9 “Jerusalem is about to fall. And so is Judah. They say and do things against the Lord. They dare to disobey Him to His very face. The look on their faces is a witness against them. They show off their sin, just as the people of Sodom did. They don’t even try to hide it. How terrible it will be for them! They have brought trouble on themselves.”
Isaiah 5:13 “Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge.”
Isaiah 43:8, 10 “Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, And the deaf, even though they have ears… “You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me.”
Isaiah 42:18-20 “Hear, you deaf! And look, you blind, that you may see. Who is blind but My servant, Or so deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is so blind as he that is at peace with Me, Or so blind as the servant of the Lord? You have seen many things, but you do not observe them; Your ears are open, but none hears.“
Psalm 135:14-18 (cf. 115:3-8) “For the Lord will judge His people And will have compassion on His servants. The idols of the nations are but silver and gold, The work of man’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; They have eyes, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear, Nor is there any breath at all in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, Yes, everyone who trusts in them.”

When it comes to the the first and second commandments, God is serious: Don’t worship other gods or make imitations or substitutions of him. If so, you will become just like them: deaf, dumb, and blind. This is the message God commands Isaiah to go and tell Israel and if they don’t turn back to God there will be a consequence.

You might be thinking, “Wow, Isaiah doesn’t have an easy task.” Yeah! You’re right! It would be as if you are a manager and you are given the task of turning around a failing company, but the company is bound for bankruptcy anyway. Or you are a teenager and you given the task to stand against the flow of peer pressures even though you will be outcast. Or you are a carpenter and you are given the task of fix a fixer upper, but the house is doomed for foreclosure. Who wants a job like that? What reward is there in that? What is in it for Isaiah? The benefit is that he is doing exactly what God asks of him and he does it willingly because he has seen who God is and he has come to know how sweet his forgiveness tastes. Faithfulness to the command is what God asks of you, even when it is hard and no one around responds and everyone things you’re nuts.

The Consequence: Become “Stumps”

Isaiah thinks for a moment about what God is asking him to say to the people and he asks an honest question, “How Long?” (v.11a) Could he be wondering if this is a short-term job assignment or a career? How will he know when the job is done? God’s response is grave, “until there is complete devastation.” (v.11b) He goes onto say that Israel—His chosen people—will be like stumps.

What comes to your mind when you think of a stump? Can you think of a so-called follower of God who is now stumps? Why would God call them stumps? Isn’t that a little harsh? A stump is a memory of a tree. It shows you where a tree once stood, but now it’s gone.. In essence what God is saying it that Israel will be an illustration to all nations of a ruined life because idolatry is wasted worship and God is jealous for his children to worship him.

Did you catch the glimmer of hope in the midst of the smoke from the chainsaw. With God there is always hope. There is hope of a remnant (v.13). Although God judges, burns, purges, prunes, chops; the stump will sprout again. God promises restoration. In the chaos there is always Cosmos. God is a Restorer. He is a Redeemer. See the glimmers of hope God gives Isaiah,

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel [God with us].”
Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 11:1-2 “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.”
Isaiah 53:5 “But the servant was pierced because we had sinned. He was crushed because we had done what was evil. He was punished to make us whole again. His wounds have healed us.”
Isaiah 53:8 “He was arrested and sentenced to death. Then He was taken away. He was cut off from this life. He was punished for the sins of my people.”

Remember, as G.K. Beale said, “What you revere you resemble for your ruin or restoration.” Idols ruin, but God restores. Idols blind, deafen, and dumb, but God heals. Idols enslave, God forgives. Idols stump, but God sprouts growth.

The stump would sprout. That young sprout would be none other than Jesus Christ. He displays for the world what it looks like to be loyal to God. He models what it looks like to love God and have no other God’s but God Himself. He even came to heal the blind, deaf, and dumb and free you from the idols of our hearts.

Isaiah is a warning to us all: don’t become a stump, run to the sprout.

Today the same truth rings true. While God may not send a prophet to warn you, you do have a community called the church. Just as Israel was asked to be a light to the nations, God also asks you to shine the light and encourage one another to shine through the church,

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest. ’” Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:7-13)

God is seeking followers to send into a dark world on a difficult task. He doesn’t promise it will be easy. But he does promise to go with you. Will you go? Will go and tell the nations to turn back to God?

Going back to my friends question, “If someone becomes a Christian can he hide?” Yes, but not for long if you you follow the Light of the world.” Stand in the light. Shine the light. Go and tell about the Light. Warn others the darkness. Encourage one another to be in the Light. This is what God asks of you.

Previously in this series: God is and what is your response to who God is?

DOWNLOAD QUESTIONS:

What did God ask Isaiah to say or do? How did God say the people will respond? Would you be up for this task if you were Isaiah? How does Jesus ask Christians to do a similar task?

What is an idol? How is the heart an idol factory? How do people become like what they worship? What examples of this have you seen?

As you read verses 8-13, how does it describe the spiritual climate of the people? How is this same spiritual climate often seen in your community or church? What hope is there to overcome this spiritual state? How can you encourage or help your fellow brothers and sisters?

Cover photo from: http://signafire.com/

What is your response to who God is?

April 5, 2016April 6, 2016Posted in change, counseling, forgiveness, free, God, hope, sinTagged fear, forgiveness, get going, guilt, Isaiah, Isaiah 6, new, responding to God, roll up your sleeves, shame, stop drop roll, washing mouth1 Comment

Those who have seen God are never the same. The children of Israel asked to see the Lord of Moses, but when they saw the Lord they were afraid and ask Moses never to allow them to see God like that again [see Daniel 10:7-10, Luke 2:10, Acts 9:3-4]. In Revelation 1:9-18, John saw the awesomeness of Christ and fell as a dead man. People who see God are left with an awesome, fearful, and unforgettable impression of who God is.

A response to seeing God is similar to one who is on fire. What is the normal trained response or actions for someone who is on fire? Stop, Drop and Roll. Just as that is a memorable way to deal with being on fire it is also a great way to respond to God.

STOP to take a long look at who you are and who God is.

And I said:“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5)

Isaiah sees that his spirit is on fire. Hot! Isaiah is deeply impacted by seeing God. As he glimpses God’s holiness and glory he says, “Woe is me.” This is not “whoa!” but “woe!” In ancient times “Woe” was a pronouncement of judgment on those who dare disobey God’s Word (cf. 5:18-23). It was a shot to the heart, a punch in the kisser, and a kick to the spiritual stomach.

As Isaiah gets a glimpse of God and he’s devastated. He got a peak behind the curtain of the holy of holies and is found out. He’s caught. He’s ashamed. He’s afraid. He speaks a judgment upon himself as if to say, “I’m toast!” It’s not an understatement—Isaiah’s freaking out. He is no longer shocked by the sins of the king or Israel but by his own sin. Before he pointed one finger at Israel but now points three back at himself. He sees no ones sin but his own in the presence of God. Isaiah thinks he’s toast. He knows he deserves to be. That he is still alive is a wonderful thing.

This is a good thing for us to see. We are good at pointing of the sins in others, but bad dealing with our own. We play the comparison game with other Christians and pride ourselves on not being as sinful as the other Christian. Jesus said to the religious leaders who were shocked at the lifestyle of the prostitute, “Whoever is sinless throws the first stone.”

We are a people of “compare-ers.” We compare our actions to those of others to see whether we are acting right. And, quite honestly, compared to all the people in the world, Isaiah was probably one of the best people there was. But when he saw the glory of God there was no comparison. Although Isaiah was better than most people, he knew that he was filthy compared to God’s pure holiness. Isaiah admitted that he was a sinner. He had no excuses for his sinfulness. He had no one to blame. He had no where to run and hide.

I believe there is a great need to reintroduce the word “woe” to our devotional vocabulary. When you finally take a moment to look at who you really are and who God really is. Our “Woe!” can lead to “Whoa!” which leads us to the next response.

DROP to your knees and receive God’s forgiveness.

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said:“Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” (Isaiah 6:6-7)

There is something very interesting and weird going on here that is being illustrated. In Isaiah’s day, their was a pagan practice called the “washing of the mouth.” Similar to washing ones mouth out with soap it was a ritual that took an inanimate idol and made it inhabited by a god. The image would be purified and cleansed to be ready for a god to dwell in it. The cleansing ceremony Isaiah experiences is quite similar, but ironically God chooses Isaiah to cleanse and be His spokesmen to the pagan idolaters.

So what could Isaiah do about his sinful condition? Absolutely nothing! What did God do? Everything. God’s messenger flew to Isaiah, took a burning coal from the altar, and touched his lips. Fire is used in the Bible to purify things (Malachi 3:2-3). This burning coal from God’s altar was a symbol that God was the One who made Isaiah pure. Only God can save someone from his sins (Revelation 7:10). God did not just cover up Isaiah’s sin. God took Isaiah’s sins away! Isaiah’s sins would not be remembered or talked about ever again because God took them away!

I am so glad the story doesn’t end in verse 5. Isaiah is not left feeling the heat of his sin. He feels the forgiveness and restoration of God. He is not left feeling afraid, guilty or shameful. He feels true freedom.

When Adam sinned in the garden there were three consequences of sin that happened. First, guilt. He broke one of God’s rules. Second, shame. He want to hide from God and cover his nakedness. Third, fear. Adam was afraid for his life as death was introduced into the world.

You might know firsthand the the affects of shame, guilt and fear. Maybe shame seeped into your life because of a hidden or naughty habit, a relationship crossed certain boundaries, or a detail about you if uncover you would haunt you forever. Maybe guilt got the upper hand because you felt like you’d never measure up to the standards of someone or you just can’t quite quit that nagging guilty pleasure. And guilt manifest itself in depression, self harm, eating disorder, or blame shifting. Maybe fear trapped you because of various unknowns, via threats breathed down upon you, or someone holding dirt on you that if leaked could tarnish your reputation and future.

We often look at guilt, shame, and fear as bad, which they are if used as tools against someone or yourself. However, God uses them for good as a tool to motivate you not to go there again and to seek rest in God’s forgiveness.

Notice how God’s pursues forgiveness in Isaiah. He he does this with you too. He pursues you through the work of Christ on the cross that shed His blood as your substitute so that you might be forgiven and free. Have you known the forgiveness of God?

Just as God took away all of Isaiah’s sins, God wants to take away your sin also. He sent His Son, Jesus, to become the holy sacrifice that takes away your sin. Just look at what the Bible says God does with your sin.

God purifies your sins by the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7).
God takes your sins from you as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).
Your sins can never be found (Jeremiah 50:20).
God forgives you of your sin and cleans you from all wickedness (I John 1:9).
God will trample on your sins under His foot. Just imagine God stomping His foot on your sin! And God throws all your sins into the deepest part of the sea (Micah 7:19).
“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:6-9)

If you have not done so, it is time to drop your shame, guilt, and fear at the feet of Jesus who will forgive you today and forever.

ROLL up your sleeves and get going.

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” And he said, “Go…” (Isaiah 6:8)

Again, the verses do not end after 6-7. Isaiah is not immobilized or handicapped. He is not out of commission and sidelined because he has blown it or because he is a sinner. Interesting, after God took away Isaiah’s sin, he hears God speak! So often he is silent because our sin is like putting in earplugs.

What does God say? After God cleanses Isaiah He commissions him: see to it that My people know I am forgiving too. It is no irony that Isaiah’s commission is similar to Jesus commission to his followers in Matthew 28:19-20.

Commonly, commissioning follows cleansing. Cleaning is God’s path to making you ready, useful, and humble for the task he has you to do. One who is forgiven is forgiving and goes and tells of God’s great forgiveness. That’s the goodness—the gospel—in a nutshell.

God was looking for the person who would be His messenger. Isaiah didn’t hesitate. He wanted to be the one used by God. Isaiah sees who God is. He is wowed. He says WOE! And God wipes away the fear, guilt, and shame of his sin. Isaiah is pure and clean in God’s eyes. He is ready to be used by God.

Likewise, Jesus came into this world to rub shoulders with people harboring loads of shame, guilt, and fear. He came to free you from it. He died for the sinner so that the sin would no longer have any power. So that you could know the greater power of forgiveness and be used by God as an example of what God does through Jesus.

“So Jesus also suffered outside the gate (where atonement was made) in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured… Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” (Hebrews 13:12-16)

Today you stand at the altar. Will you stop and humble yourself before God and see him as he is? Will you drop to your knees and enjoy his forgiveness? Will you roll up your sleeves and let others know who God is? How will you respond? Let God touch your lips that you might taste his goodness and sweet forgiveness.

Coming up next: the result of responding to God in obedience

Previously in this series: God is

DOWNLOAD QUESTIONS:

In Isaiah 6:5. Isaiah responds to his vision of God. What does Isaiah immediately become aware of? In other words, when you see the holiness of God, what do you see in yourselves? Have you every experienced that before?

Why is it important to learn about who God is? Why is it important to see God not as you want to see Him, but as He truly is?

What does it mean to you STOP, DROP and ROLL as Isaiah explains it? Why is this important to remember as a follower of God?

God is…

April 3, 2016April 5, 2016Posted in attributes of God, God, worshipTagged God is, God is alive, God is glorious, God is holy, God is in control, God is incomparable, God is majestic, God is revered, holy holy holy, Isaiah, Isaiah 6, Isaiah sees God, Queen Elizabeth, worship, wowed, wowed by God2 Comments

We live in a culture—as others before—that are not easily wowed. We pack arena’s chanting our favorite songs from our favorite band. We wait in line to see the next biggest summer blockbuster. We swarm sports stadiums to cheer our beloved team.

A few years ago, I had a bucket list item come true. I went to my first ever Packers game at Lambeau Field. Growing up in Wisconsin only a 50 miles from the Frozen Tundra is was my dream to see the Cheeseheads play live. Before the game began I almost teared up as I walked from the concourse into the stadium seats. It was cold and loud and the Packers blew out the Vikings. I was wowed by the experience.

What are you wowed by? Chances are what wows you is what you worship.

It is not easy to define worship in a culture that readily worships anyone or anything. Yet worship is about what you live for. Every day, all day, everywhere you go, you worship. It’s what you do. It’s who you are. You can’t stop it nor live without it. Worship is a way of life. It is a whole-life response. You are a worshiper before you are a sister, brother, father, mother, student, employee or boss. Worship is simply about value. Worship is your response to what you value—what wows you most.

Isaiah was wowed.

“In the year that King Uzziah died” (Isaiah 6:1)

Uzziah is different than Isaiah. Isaiah is Israel’s prophet, but Uzziah was Israel’s king. He was revered because he brought peace and stability to his nation. 52 years he reigned, which is longer than most Israelites in his day lived (think Queen Elizabeth II; 63 years). Imagine your entire lifetime one man was president or king, everything’s running smoothly, then you hear the news “the king is dead.” Although he was king, he was still human. Note the reason for his death (2 Chronicles 26:15-21; 27:2). Uzziah grew proud in his old age. He thought of himself as superhuman. And God has a way of humbling monarchs with a god-complex. God struck Uzziah with leprosy and he died. And just days after his death the nation of Israel began to unravel.

So in the same year a human king dies, Isaiah gets a vision of the Great King who lives. While Uzziah isn’t, God is. And this is what Isaiah sees of God—the God who is. What unveils are some spectacular truths about who God is. Get ready, put your seat belt on, and be wowed (vs.1-4) by God as Isaiah sees him.

God is alive.

“I saw the Lord”

Uzziah may be dead, but God still lives. It’s as David said, “From everlasting to everlasting, You are God” [Ps. 90:2]. God isn’t dead. Isaiah sees him. God doesn’t have to prove it, but he often does. He was alive when the universe began. He was alive when the Buddha and Muhammad walked the earth. He was alive in 1492 when Columbus sailed the ocean blue. He is alive today. And He will be alive ten trillion ages from now when all the puny powers of the earth like the Kardashian’s and Donald Trump are long forgotten. God always has been and always will be alive, even right now, He lives.

God is in control.

“I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne.”

You will never see a vision of God taking a nap or out of the office for vacation or scrambling to figure out what he’s going to do tomorrow or stressed out by all the work he has to do. He sits. And he sits on a throne. He is in control and never out of control. Heaven and earth are not falling apart. He holds it together. He keeps the rules and writes the rules. Whether you like it or not. Whether you allow him to or not. He is sovereign. Who are you and I to question his authority? Uzziah is peanuts compared to God. He’s a pawn in God’s hand. It’s a humbling yet hopeful truth to know that God is in control.

God is incomparable.

“I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up.”

God’s throne highest, biggest, and better next to any other earthly throne. God’s throne stands above all other thrones. Other thrones are not even in the same stratosphere. God is the supreme and he exercises supreme authority. What God purposes, He accomplishes. Later God says to Isaiah, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose” [Isaiah 46:10]. Many have tried, but no opposing authority or earthly king or powerful person can nullify the decrees of God.

God is majestic and most important.

“I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and his robe [train] filled the temple.”

Why do kings adorn themselves in robes and crowns and extravagant clothing? It is because they want to separate themselves from the subjects they rule over. It’s to stand out or to appear majestic and important.

When Queen Elizabeth II had her coronation at Westminster Abbey the train of her robe was carried by a dozen ladies in waiting, but God’s robe made the queen’s robe look like a baby blanket. It’s like a bride on her wedding day dressed to impressed and her gown covers the aisle, the steps, the platform, the chairs, the lights and all. That God’s robe fills every inch of the heavenly temple is to show us that his beauty and majesty and importance are incomparable. God loves to wow us. Just look at the stars, mountains, patterns of nature, and intricate details of the human body. If the world God created is so majestic, then he—the Creator—is so much more so.

God is revered.

“Above him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.”

What earthly king or mortal man has these kinds of servants? Say it? “No one!” No one knows what these strange six-winged creatures are (certainly not some chubby winged angel babies) nor do they appear again in the Bible. When one of these angels speaks the foundations of the temple tremble (v.4). If you caught a glimpse of these angels you’d be wowed, but notice, God wows them. They cannot look at God. They feel unworthy to be in his presence. They revered God. How much more so should we?

God is holy.

“And one called to another, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!”

God is in a separate category. He is in a class by Himself. No one is like him. Nothing compares to him. We would say, God is awesome, unbelievable, or unfathomable. He is beyond words. We are speechless trying to come up with a word to pin him down. That is the essence of holiness.

“Alas, sinful nation, People weighed down with iniquity, Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the Lord, They have despised the Holy One of Israel (27x in Isaiah), They have turned away from Him.” (Isaiah 1:4)
“To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One.” (Isaiah 40:25) “There is none holy like the Lord, there is none besides You.” (1 Samuel 2:2)
“I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst.” (Hosea 11:9)
“The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him” (Habakkuk 2:20)

God is glorious.

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Glory is God’s holiness visualized. One cannot put words on what holiness means, but you can put eyes on it. God’s holiness goes public in His glory. When God shows himself to be holy, what you see is His glory. In Leviticus 10:3 God says, “I will show Myself holy among those who are near Me, and before all the people I will be glorified.”

If you want to know was God’s glory looks like with skin on just look at Jesus. “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature.” (Hebrews 1:3) Jesus never turned down people worshiping or praising him, yet he often deflected glory to his Father.

The greatest barrier to being wowed by God is me. I want to wow others. I seek glory from my fellow man. One day God will blow away and chase away every competing glory—the other things that wow you more than God. The truth is as you live wowed by God you too reflect his holiness and glory to the world around you.

Like Isaiah, maybe you have been wowed by him. But for many of you maybe you still need more glimpses of God. Draw near to God. Look upon him. Be in awe of him. Let him wow you. When you spend time with Him, He will point it out to you (Exodus 33:18-19). And when you do God’s will, you show God’s glory to others (John 17:4, 1 Peter 2:12). And God promises, “You will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me (go hard after me) with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:12–13).

Coming up next: Isaiah’s response to God and the result of obeying God.

DOWNLOAD QUESTIONS:

Before Isaiah’s vision, who died? Why was that a big deal? What emotions do you think Isaiah was feeling before the vision?

How did the vision refocus Isaiah? How might the vision of God had calmed Isaiah’s fears or worries? What does fear and worry usually show our hearts are trusting in?

Why is knowing about God so important? How does knowing God help you when making decisions? When facing temptations? Which truth about God in Isaiah 6:1-3 wows you most?

Image from the Science Blog.

what wows you?

February 24, 2016February 24, 2016Posted in attributes of God, Bible, God, worship2 Comments

I got a question for you. What wow’s you? I mean, what really wow’s you? Is it being in the outdoors like the Teton Mountains, or being with 80,000 fans at a stadium, seeing an amazing magic trick, looking at art or listening music, or a friend giving you a surprise gift. There’s got to be something that really wow’s you and leaves you awed or speechless.

What if God just showed up in your bedroom and said, “Hey, wake up, you ready to see something amazing?” And there you were in the throne room of God. What would you be thinking? That’s kind of what happened to Isaiah the prophet. Would you roll over in your bed and say, “Hm. That’s cool. But I am not crazy impressed.”

“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings:with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said:“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” – Isaiah 6:1ff

Although none of us would say that to God, we often do when we read the Bible. Wouldn’t it be amazing to just see God? To be wowed by him? Did you know that you can? Every time you open the Bible you get a glimpse of God. Does that wow you? Often we become passionless in our walk and faith because we become Godless. Passion for God comes from knowing God.

Would you take up a challenge to read Isaiah? There might be a lot in Isaiah that can be confusing or cause you scratch your head. That’s okay. I am still digging and discovering new and wonderful things about God there. As you read (any Scripture for that matter) ask one question, “God, teach me about you?” I promise, you will be wowed.

25 Days of Christmas Advent Catechism Calendar

December 18, 2015December 18, 2015Posted in christmas, family, JesusTagged 25 days of Christmas, advent calendar, catechism, christmas catechism, Christmas questions for kids, nt fulfulment of Jesus, ot prophecies of Jesus, Questions about christmas for children2 Comments

I was looking for a catechism for my daughters this Christmas that took Old Testament Prophecies about Jesus and compared them to a New Testament fulfillment. I couldn’t find anything, so Sarah and I whipped up something to help our girls understand and remember the reason for Christmas the 25 days leading up to Christmas.

If you are interested in seeing it or using it, check it out here:

5. bold and brave image-bearers

December 3, 2015November 20, 2015Posted in manhood, UncategorizedTagged biblical manhood, biblical masculinity, Genesis 1, image, image bearer, image of God, manhood, masculinityLeave a comment

Men are designed to be IMAGE-BEARERS.

The final aspect of masculinity is seen in the fact that men are the glory of God. “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” (Gen. 1:26) Here we come full circle. To be made in God’s image is to be a dominioneer or lord like him over the earth.

As an image-bearer we are representative of God, responsible to God, and reflect God to the world around us, namely our closes relationships. “For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man.” (1 Cor. 11:7; cf. v.3; Eph. 5:23-24)

What is the significance of a man leaving his head uncovered before God represent? Just as the woman covers her head to respect man, the man uncovers his head to show there is nothing between him and God. Man uncovered respects God position and authority. An uncovered head is a symbolic gesture that takes the hat or crown from man’s head and honoring the hat or crown upon the King of kings.

It is the image of God that man bears and no other.

Us men are prone to bear many images. We sport jersey with our favorite team, we wear polo’s with our company name, we represent our roles as parents or grandparents with special t-shirts. Yet the most important image we bear is God’s. It’s an image you can’t wear. It’s what you are. You are a walking, talking billboard of God’s glory.

Putting this all together, we should have a good idea of where we are going or where we are to go. Throughout the remainder of Genesis we see Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph struggling to adhere and apply these aspects. Men are lords—lovingly conquering and subduing, husbandmen—patient and hardworking, saviors—hating and fighting evil, sages—learning from the wise, and image-bearers—worship with our heads uncovered. Together those aspects show us what biblical masculinity looks like. I want to look like that. You too must want to look like that. With God’s power we can.

DISCUSS:

How does man reflect the image of God and woman the image of man?
What does it mean for a man to worship God with his head uncovered, but for a woman to worship God with her head covered?

REVIEW: 5 Aspects of Biblical Masculinity

4. sages seeking wisdom

November 30, 2015November 20, 2015Posted in manhood, UncategorizedTagged biblical masculinity, Genesis 3, manhood, sage, sages, seeking wisdom, wisdomLeave a comment

Men are expected to grow in wisdom, becoming SAGES.

Wisdom is something men and women want from day one. We just go to find her in the wrong place or we listen to the wrong voice, “But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate” (Gen. 3:4-6)

Chad has a respect for elders, authority, and wisdom passed down from men. This is something absent from Western society. In fact, authority and trusting the previous generation is forsaken. When making decisions in Chadian culture or whenever I enter a new town I will consult with the sage. He is usually the oldest, wisest, and must trusted person in the village. This man typically has white whiskers, sits on a mat most of the day, and is resolves disputes or gives out advice to a myriad of situations.

Wisdom in Scripture is personified as a Lady. Boys and men are called to listen to her. As you read Proverbs, particularly the first nine chapters you see that wisdom is a woman who disciplines boys. When a man has grown up under Lady Wisdom and trusts her words he becomes a sage.

Proverbs is written for men and boys. There are two things King Solomon emphasizes over and over to his son that are often struggles and for men. First, be teachable (Prov. 1:7-8; 2:1; 3:1-2, 20; 4:1-3, 10, 20; 5:1; 6:20-21; 7:1-3). Men are called to be students of many things: students of their wives (1 Pt. 3:7); students of their children (Eph. 6:4); students of God (1 Peter 4:1-5; 2 Tim 3:16-17; Psalm 119:9ff). Second, be a good listener (13:1; 19:27). Selective hearing starts as a boy, but men grow into it too. Third, be thoughtful (e.g. instruction on women, folly, discipline, work, companionship, etc.).

A Christian man thinks. He seeks lady wisdom. He is to be a sage that other come from a far to hear.

DISCUSS:

What does wisdom look like?
Why is wisdom an aspiration seldom achieved?
At what age do men often become unteachable?
In what domains to men need to be better learners, listeners and thinkers?
What can you do to grow in those areas?

REVIEW: 5 Aspects of Biblical Masculinity

lords of the earth
tillers tending the earth
saviors delivering from evil
sages seeking wisdom
bold and brave image-bearers

3. saviors delivering from evil

November 27, 2015November 20, 2015Posted in manhood, UncategorizedTagged activist, delivering from evil, fight evil, Genesis 3, manhood, masculinity, pacifist, saviors2 Comments

Men are equipped to be SAVIORS, delivering from evil.

Men have a deep desire to deliver and save. Men have a deep desire to defend something; to represent someone in battle. That is why we are drawn to the examples of William Wallace and Maximus.

Jesus is the great example of a Savior. His deliverance was promised from the beginning of creation, “The Lord God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he (Jesus) shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:14-15)

The serpent—dragon—was the tempter and deceiver that tricked Adam and Eve to sin. God promised here a curse on the serpent, and in that curse we see the salvation of the world.

Men who follow Jesus follow the dragon slayer. Jesus has promised to you he is defeated and he has promised you all the weapons you need to defend the serpent until Jesus delivers his final blow.

The Christians man is not a pacifist. The battle is not over. There is a Chadian proverb that says, “The camel is running and you bring luggage?” Which means, do not speak about reconstruction if the war is not over. The Christian man is an activist for the kingdom of Christ to reign in this world, in his life, marriage, and family. The Chadian also say, “You cannot collect fruit, sitting in a shade.” Meaning: You need to suffer in order to enjoy the fruit of your work or fight. In other words, “No pain no gain”. The peace that our Prince promises was fought for by his blood. Jesus sacrificed himself in the war. He laid down his life as an example for you to continue in his armor.

I have seen this battle through new eyes living in Chad. The challenges and transitions of living in a new place were like adding miracle grow on my sin. I didn’t realize how angry, impatient, and self-serving I was. Same struggles in new skin. I was on enemy turf and the dragon doesn’t go down easily.

In the Scripture, God calls us to fight evil on two fronts. First, God charges us to fight tolerated sin or open sin. It is the sin which we know we often do but confess we don’t want to do. Second, God charges us to fight secret sin. Why fight secret sin? Because God is omniscient and omnipresent and holy. Secret sin is built on a false theology of God. He sees all and knows all (Num. 32:23; Heb. 4:13; Lk. 12:1-3). God is invasive and he hates sin. Secret sin is only temporary secret sin. Tolerating a little secret sin is like being a little bit pregnant (2 Sam. 11:3-4, 14-15). You can’t tolerate too much before it is seen. Sin breeds sin. Hidden sin breeds more hidden sins. Until it becomes too big to handle or manage. Hidden sin grows and as it grows it becomes a form less pleasant than the sin originally was. In other words, the initial sin commits other sins it didn’t intend to commit. If not stopped it will destroy.

Proverbs 28:13 “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” The principle is this: What I cover, God uncovers, but what I uncover, God covers with his mercy.

I have learned a lot about saviors and warriors living among the northern Chadians. I have heard many stories about bravery in battle. The people are a warrior people group. They pride themselves on their toughness. They train their children to defend themselves from a young age. They enjoy find strength through testing, challenges and competitions of strength and endurance. The way to their heart is stories about courage, victory and doing what is needed.

What is needed for Christian men is to band together with other men. The I-can-do-this-on-my-own mentality is a quick way to die. That is to drink diesel fuel. Men need other men. Jesus is the only hero who can do it alone. He made us to need community. When sin is wounding you fight with you Band of Brothers,

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)

“Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:12-13)

DISCUSS:

What are the characteristics of a savior? (strong, sacrificial, courageous, good)
What do you learn about being a savior from Jesus?
Why must men never keep their guard down from sin?
How is having a wartime mentality necessary for men?
What are common tolerated sins for men?
Why is their healing in confessing your sins to God AND other men?

REVIEW: 5 Aspects of Biblical Masculinity

lords of the earth
tillers tending the earth
saviors delivering from evil
sages seeking wisdom
bold and brave image-bearers

born to forgive

November 24, 2015November 24, 2015Posted in attributes of God, christmas, forgiveness, Jesus, salvation, sinTagged born to forgive, forgive, forgiveness, Jesus forgives, Jesus talks to Simon the Pharisee, Luke 7:36-50, Psalm 130, washed with her tears, woman washes Jesus feetLeave a comment

Sunday at church I heard a great message about forgiveness from a familiar passage (Luke 7:36-50). However, I fall in the trap of hearing a lot about forgiveness, but practicing it superficially.

Jesus was born to forgive. His life teaches us three things about about forgiveness: 1) It takes compassion , 2) It is costly, 3) It involves continuity.

One of the most celebrated encounters Jesus has in the Gospels is when a sinful woman washes His feet with her tears and her hair. Those around Jesus were shocked that He would allow Himself to be so intimate with someone so sinful.

People would expect Jesus to shun the woman who washed his feet at dinner because of her past; the Pharisees were shocked that Jesus would let himself be touched by her, but Jesus accepted what she brought to him with love. Not only did He accept her, he defended her. Jesus forgave her, fully aware of what her sin was, and Jesus honored her sacrifice and the enormity of what she brought to him. She didn’t even need to speak during the entire story – she needed no defense. It was not because of her arguments that Jesus bestowed His forgiveness.

We need to recognize our need for forgiveness before we can accept it. However, it is not because of our effort that we receive it – it is freely given. And when something is that freely given, we cannot keep it to ourselves. We often put ourselves into the position of the Pharisees. Who would the people be today that we would shun? Whose sins would we say cannot be forgiven? How might Jesus be asking us to both extend and receive forgiveness?

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Jesus is the doorkeeper and he offers you his protection (vs.1-2).

Jesus is the door and his sheep know his voice (vs.3-6).

Jesus is the door to life and invites you to good pasture (vs.7-10).

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1. OVERWHELMED WITH THANKS (vs.12-14)

2. OVERWHELMED BY SALVATION (v.15)

3. OVERWHELMED BY MERCY (v.16)

4. OVERWHELMED WITH PRAISE (v.17)

Application

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A Reluctant Prayer

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The Command: “Go and Tell”

The Consequence: Become “Stumps”

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STOP to take a long look at who you are and who God is.

DROP to your knees and receive God’s forgiveness.

ROLL up your sleeves and get going.

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God is alive.

God is in control.

God is incomparable.

God is majestic and most important.

God is revered.

God is holy.

God is glorious.

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Men are designed to be IMAGE-BEARERS.

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Men are expected to grow in wisdom, becoming SAGES.

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Men are equipped to be SAVIORS, delivering from evil.

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