Matthew 5:13-16

Matthew 5:13-16

“Walk Like Jesus Taught: Walk Like Jesus”

June 24, 2007

Part 2 of series on Sermon On The Mount

            Although Sally and I don’t have children, those of you who know us know how much we enjoy being around children.  We enjoy the times we can be around children – and truly appreciate those of you who “share your children with us.”  

            I enjoy watching other’s children grow and develop.  I really enjoy watching parents teaching their children how to walk.  The children and the parents are usually very proud of the accomplishment!

            I couldn’t help but smile a few weeks ago as I watched Marion and Mason. Marion was holding Mason’s hand – Mason was walking down the hallway – and even maneuvering the steps.  He was smiling and seemed to be so proud of himself as he learned to walk.

I think Marion was a little proud of him, also!

Yesterday at Mason’s first birthday party he again was the star of the show – seeming to know full well who everybody was gathered to see and celebrate with!  

            As I watched Marion with Mason a few weeks ago – and as I watched Mason yesterday – I continued thinking about how we all need to learn to walk. Maybe we don’t need to learn to walk like Mason is learning – most of us know how to physically walk – but we need to learn how to walk spiritually – how to walk in God’s ways – how to walk as God wants us to walk. 

The truth is that – just as parents teach their children to walk – Jesus can teach us how to walk in His ways.  Just as a parent holds the hand of a child and smiles proudly as the child learns to walk – Jesus can take us by the hand and teach us how to walk in His ways – and smiles as we do His will.  Like children learning to physically walk we aren’t going to walk in Jesus’ ways perfectly – we’ll stumble and fall – but just as a parent will pick up a child and help the child try again —  Jesus picks us up and helps us try again to walk in His ways.

Jesus has taught us how to walk in His ways.

We need to look at His words – His teachings – so we can walk as He taught us how to walk.

We need to learn to walk like Jesus taught.

We need to learn to walk like Jesus taught.

This summer we’re looking at one of the places where Jesus taught us how to walk in His ways.  We’re looking at what is called The Sermon On The Mount – Matthew chapters 5-7.  As we look at these chapters we’ll see how Jesus taught us to walk – so we can learn how to

Walk Like Jesus Taught

Walk Like Jesus Taught

Walk Like Jesus Taught – that’s going to be our theme for the summer.

We’ve already seen how the Sermon On The Mount is an important piece of scripture.  It’s the longest segment of scripture with just the teachings of Jesus – and it’s a piece of scripture where Jesus gives the guidelines for how His followers should live. Matthew places it at an important point in Jesus’ ministry.  As Matthew records the story of Jesus, Jesus has been born – raised in Nazareth – has been baptized by John – has been tempted by Satan in the wilderness – and has now began His ministry of teaching and healing.  He has begun to attract crowds of people — and has even called some to be disciples. 

But – the crowds – and especially the disciples – must have wondered how they were supposed to live – how they were supposed to act – what they were supposed to do.  The disciples had given up their old lifestyles to follow Jesus – and they were probably wondering how they were supposed to live now that they were following Jesus.

Well – they were about to find out.

As Jesus climbed that mountainside – He began to teach His disciples how He wanted them to live.

And the disciples began their attempt to walk like Jesus taught.

Walk Like Jesus Taught

Walk Like Jesus Taught

Two weeks ago we looked at the first 12 verses of Matthew 5 – what we call The Beattitudes – and saw how the first step to walking like Jesus taught is walking in  God’s blessings by surrendering yourself to God, giving Him control of your life, and serving others with a heart of compassion.

Walk Like Jesus Taught: Walk in God’s blessings.

That’s the first step. 

Today we’re going to continue learning to walk like Jesus taught as we look at Matthew 5: 13-16 – and see how we can walk like Jesus.

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus.

 Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus.

            Read Scripture

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

I shared with you in a sermon last fall a story about a trip Sally and I took with several friends a few years ago to Long Beach, NC.  It just so happened that  a Total Lunar Eclipse took place while we were there, so we went out on the beach to see the eclipse – thinking that it would be a great place to witness this wonder of nature. It was a great place to view it, but some of the streetlights from the road kept the night from being as dark as it could have been – thus keeping us from experiencing the full effect – the total darkness – of the eclipse.  When they realized that the streetlights were interfering with our experiencing the full effect of the eclipse, one of us made the statement:

“You know – it would be a lot darker if there weren’t so much light out here.”

Well, the rest of us laughed and teased them about making such an obvious statement. 

But you know what – the statement was really quite correct – even if it was obvious.  It would have been a lot darker if it had not been for the light.

Jesus said:

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

Jesus calls His followers “the light of the world” – shining His truth – His love – His will – into a world that would indeed be mighty dark if it were not for the Light of Christ.

Friends – if we are going to be the people God calls us to be – if we are going to be the people God intends for us to be, if we are going to be people who walk like Jesus taught — we are going to have to be committed to living our lives in the way Jesus lived His.  We are going to have to be committed to showing Christ to the world.  We are going to have to be committed to shining the light of Christ into the world.  We are going to have to be committed to letting the light of Christ shine through our words and actions.  We are going to have to be committed to living as Jesus lived – making a difference in the lives of those around us. 

We are going to have to be committed to living like Jesus lived – shining His light into the world. And yes – the world would be very dark if there were not the light of Christ in the world. ‘

We need to learn to walk like Jesus taught.

As we saw 2 weeks ago, this means we need to learn to walk in God’s blessings.  It also means we need to learn to walk like Jesus walked – shining His light into the world – because the world desperately needs the light of Christ.

We need to

 Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

You know – many of us have heard these words – Jesus’ call to us to be light for the world – to preserve His truth in the world – but too many times we might feel we are powerless to do anything about the evil – the darkness — we see in the world. We may feel the darkness is so great that we cannot overcome it.  We may feel that even Jesus cannot give us the light we need to overcome the darkness of the world – so we give up and do not even try to make a difference by shining the light of Christ into the world around us.

We don’t try to make a difference in the world. We don’t try to preserve the truth – or shine the light of Christ into the world. We don’t try to walk like Christ – and shine the light of Christ – into the world. We don’t try walk like Jesus taught – or live like Jesus calls us to live.  We don’t try to walk like Jesus walked – or live like Jesus lived – and the difference that Jesus can make in the world is not made.  The world is worse off for it. The world is indeed a dark place without the light of Christ.

 Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

To walk as Jesus wants us to live – to walk like Jesus taught – we have to live like Jesus lived – we have to walk like Jesus walked – we have to shine to light of Christ into the world and make a difference in the community and the world for the glory of God.  

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

But – the question is — how well do we do that?

How well do we work to preserve the truth?

How well do we shine the light of Christ into the world around us?  

How well do we exert influence in the world for Christ?

            How well do we walk like Jesus taught?

            How well do we walk like Jesus walked?

            Are we powerless – unable to make a change in the world and in the community for God’s glory?
            Is the world truly too dark for our efforts to shine the light of Christ to make any difference?
            Or – is it that we are just too lazy to truly walk like Jesus taught and like Jesus walked – and give up trying to make a difference in the community and in the world before we even start?

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

There is a great deal of pessimism around today that grips and even paralyzes people – even Christians.

Many Christians wring their hands in a holy kind of dismay. “Society is rotten to the core” , they say. “Everything is hopeless”, they say. “There is no hope but the return of Jesus Christ”, they say. Some have suggested that people are rubbish – and we can do nothing to save them – we can do nothing to shine the light of Christ into such a dark world – we can do nothing to preserve the truth in the world.  “Trying to walk like Jesus walked – trying to make a difference in the community and the world – is a futile effort”, they say. 

But – Jesus still says – Jesus still teaches —              

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

God still wants us to:

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

Regardless of how many people may feel – regardless of the ideas that the world is beyond help and that it is fruitless to try to preserve any truth and shine the light of Christ into the world – regardless of the idea of many that people are rubbish – regardless of the idea that it’s foolish to try to walk like Jesus taught and like Jesus walked — the truth of the Gospel is that people are not rubbish – there is hope – and if we will walk like Jesus taught God can make a difference through us. The truth is that people are men and women made in the image of God. Yes — we are fallen – yes we are sinners — but the image of God has not been destroyed. We not capable of doing any good – incapable of making a difference – we just are – many times – too lazy to use the power God gives us to make a difference for His glory in the community and the world. 

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

The doctrine of total depravity, which means that every part of our human being has been tainted by sin, does not mean that we’re incapable of doing any good.

Jesus himself said that although you are evil you are able to do good things and give good gifts to your children.

Of course we believe in sin.

Of course we believe that when Jesus Christ comes again He is going to put things right.

But — if we develop a Christian mindset, if we truly learn to walk like Jesus taught and walk like Jesus walked – we can’t concentrate exclusively on the sinfulness of man and the return of Christ. We can’t think only about how bad things are and how there is no hope for the world. We also have to think about the creation and about the redemption through Jesus Christ. We also have to think about how God is redeeming the world through Jesus Christ – and calling us to – even in the midst of this fallen and sinful world – work to preserve His truth and shine His light. We have to remember that Jesus is calling us to:

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world. 

Jesus lived His life on earth teaching about the love of God and the forgiveness and new life God offers.  Jesus lived His life in a way that made a difference in the world. Jesus calls His followers “the light of the world” – shining His truth – His love – His will – into a world that would indeed be mighty dark if it were not for the Light of Christ. 

If we are going to walk as Jesus taught – and walk as Jesus walked — we are going to have to be committed to shining the light of Christ into the world. We are going to have to be committed to letting the light shine.  We are going to have to live – walk – talk – in ways that show God’s love to the world. 

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

If think that we are incapable of doing anything to help change the world – incapable of making a difference in the world and the community – not able to walk like Jesus taught and like Jesus walked — then we are wrong!

It’s ludicrous to say Christians can have no influence in society.

It’s biblically and historically mistaken.

Christian churches have had an enormous influence on society down its long and checkered history. Christians throughout the centuries have chosen to walk like Jesus taught – walked like Jesus walked – lived like Jesus lived – and have made a difference in the world!

Kenneth Latourette in his work on the history of the expansion of Christianity has written:

“No life ever lived on this planet has been so influential in the affairs of men like the life of Jesus Christ. From that brief life and its apparent frustration has flowed a more powerful force for the triumphant waging of man’s long battle than any other ever known by the human race. By it millions have been lifted from illiteracy and ignorance and have been placed upon the road of growing intellectual freedom and control over the physical environment. It has done more to allay the physical ills of disease and famine than any other impulse known to man. It’s emancipated millions from chattel slavery and millions of others from addiction to vice. It’s been the most fruitful source of movement to lessen the horrors of war and to put the relations of men and nations on the basis of justice and of peace. Christ and his church have had an enormous influence. And if only we were out and out for Jesus Christ in the fullness of our commitment, then we would have far more influence than we do.”

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

We need to put away the pessimism that says the world is too bad – things too grim – and there is nothing we can do to make a difference in the world in Jesus’ name!

We are not powerless.

I’m afraid that what we are, rather, is often lazy and unbelieving and disobedient to the commission of Jesus.

Jesus says that we are not powerless – but – He says:

 You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

In both these metaphors of the salt and the light, Jesus teaches about the responsibility of Christians in society.  He is teaching us our responsibility in our community and in the world. The world, Jesus says, can be compared to rotting meat — but Christians are to be the world’s salt.  The world, Jesus says, is like a dark night — but Christians are to be the world’s light.

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

Like salt in putrefying meat, Christians are to hinder social decay.  Like light in the prevailing darkness, Christians are to illumine society and show it a better way.  It’s very important to understand that we as Christians have something to offer the world – we have the truth that can preserve the world and the light that can shine in the world’s darkness. It’s also very important to see the need to offer the truth that can preserve the world and shine the light of Christ in the world.     Too many Christians understand that we have something to offer the world – but fail to offer it! But we have to offer it.

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

We are not just called to be different from our environment. We are called to have a powerful influence on our environment. Salt has to be rubbed into the meat in order to stop the rot. Light has to shine into the darkness to dispel the darkness.

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

So – here’s the question we have to answer –

How can we walk like Jesus taught – even walk like Jesus walked – and be salt for the world and light for the world?

How can we be salt and light for the world?

Jesus gives us power to do this – if we will use it.

First of all – we must use the power of prayer

The power of prayer.

There are some Christians who are so involved in social activism that they never stop to pray. I believe they are wrong. Prayer is an indispensable part of the Christian’s life and of the church’s life. And the church’s first duty toward society and its leaders is to pray for them. If you feel there is – in the world and in the community — more violence than peace, more indecency than modesty, more oppression than justice, more secularism than godliness, then you have to commit yourself – to praying about these things.

If we are going to walk like Jesus taught – walk like Jesus walked – live like Jesus lived – and be the salt and light for the world Jesus calls us to be – then we are going to have to be committed to prayer.

 Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

Be committed to the power of prayer.

A second power we must use is the power of truth.

All of us believe in the power of the truth of the gospel. We love to quote the Apostle Paul who wrote in Romans 1:16:

“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes,”

 We are convinced of the power of the gospel – convinced that it brings salvation and redemption to those who respond and believe in Jesus. But it isn’t only the gospel that is powerful — all God’s truth is powerful. God’s truth is much more powerful than the devil’s lies.

Do you believe that?

Or — do you think the devil is stronger than God? Do you think lies are stronger than the truth?

As Christians we have to believe that truth is stronger than lies and the power of God is stronger than the power of the devil.

As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 13:8:

“We cannot do anything against the truth but only for the truth.”

As John said in his prologue to his Gospel:

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.”

Of course the darkness cannot overcome it — it’s the truth of God. If anybody should believe that it is Christians.

It’s true. God’s truth is much more powerful than bombs and tanks and weapons. That’s the power of the truth.

Remember – we have the truth – they don’t.

If we are going to walk like Jesus taught – walk like Jesus walked – live like Jesus lived – and be the salt and light for the world Jesus calls us to be – then we are going to have to be committed to prayer and to the truth of God. .

 Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

Be committed to the power of prayer.

Be committed to the truth of God.

 Third — we are going to have to be committed to the power of example.

Truth is powerful when it’s argued – but it’s more powerful when it’s exhibited. That’s the power of example. One Christian nurse in a hospital, one Christian teacher in a school, one Christian in a shop or in a factory or office.

Christians are marked people.  The world is watching. And God’s major way of changing the world is to implant within it his people with their different values and different standards and different joys and different goals; so that, people see and are attracted.

As Jesus said, “They see your good works, and they give glory to your Father in heaven.”

If we are going to walk like Jesus taught – walk like Jesus walked – live like Jesus lived – and be the salt and light for the world Jesus calls us to be – then we are going to have to be committed to prayer – – to the truth of God – and to being an example in the community.

 Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

Be committed to the power of prayer.

Be committed to the truth of God.

Be committed to being an example.

Fourth, we are going to have to be committed to the power of the group.

The power of a dedicated minority.

It has been said:

“We should not underestimate the significance of the small group of people who have a vision of a just and gentle world. The quality of a whole culture may be changed when two percent of its people have a new vision.”

That was the way of Jesus. He began of a small group of only 12 dedicated people. Within a few years, Roman officials complained they were turning the world upside down. There is a great need for dedicated Christian groups committed to one another, committed to the vision, committed to Christ, who will pray together, think together, formulate policies together, get to work together in the community.

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

Be committed to the power of prayer.

Be committed to the truth of God.

Be committed to being an example.

Be committed to the power of the group.

 Jesus calls His followers “the light of the world” – shining His truth – His love – His will – into a world that would indeed be mighty dark if it were not for the Light of Christ. If we are going to be the people God intends for us to be, walking as Jesus taught – walking as Jesus walked — we are going to have to be committed to living as Jesus lived – and being the salt and light for the world Jesus calls us to be. 

We are going to have to be committed to shining the light of Christ into the world.

We are going to have to be committed to letting the light shine through the way we live – the things we say – the things we do. We are going to have to be committed to shining the light of Christ into the world – the world that would be mighty dark without the light of Christ. 

 We are going to have to be committed to the power of prayer.

We are going to have to be committed to the power of the truth.

We are going to have to be committed to the power of example.

We are going to have to be committed to the power of the group.

We are going to have to be committed to using these powers Jesus gives us for His glory.

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

Yes – the world can be dark and sinful.  But – in that darkness and sin – we can shine the light of Christ. Through our prayers, our commitment to showing God’s truth in the way we live, our commitment to being an example for others, and our commitment to working together as a group of Christians empowered by God to make a difference in the world, we can shine the light of Christ in the world.

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

The first step in walking like Jesus taught is walking in  God’s blessings by surrendering yourself to God, giving Him control of your life, and serving others with a heart of compassion.  That’s walking in God’s blessings.

The second step is walking like Jesus walked – living like Jesus lived – being the salt that hinders social decay and light showing people a better way to live.

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

Walk Like Jesus Taught – Walk Like Jesus Walked

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

Let’s commit ourselves to walking like Jesus taught – so we can indeed be the people God calls us to be and make the difference God wants us to make in the world. Amen.

Psalms 128

Psalm 128

“Faithful Fathers”

June 17, 2007 – Father’s Day

Well — today is Father’s Day – a day when we honor those men who help give us life and nurture, teach, and train us.  But – for some reason – Father’s Day is not celebrated in the same way or with the same amount of enthusiasm as is Mother’s Day.

There’s a differences between the way Father’s Day and Mother’s Day are celebrated.   On Mother’s Day we call our mothers or go see them.  Many families gather for Mother’s Day. For Father’s Day, we might call our fathers – but statistics show that more collect calls are made on Father’s Day than almost any other day of the year!

A small boy said, “Father’s Day is just like Mother’s Day, only you don’t spend as much on the gift”

Some fathers would respond: “what gift?”
            Even in Church — on Mother’s Day some preachers will  get up and praise all the mothers, placing them high upon pedestals, and attributing to them no wrong, which is fine, they deserve it. But on Father’s Day, the same preachers might get up and tell all the fathers that they need to be better fathers, and then proceed to point out all the ways they fall short.

Some fathers may feel like they can understand the old Rodney Dangerfield line: “I get no respect!”

I read of a man who went to the doctor — and the doctor told him:

“You are in terrible shape and you have got to do something about it. First tell your wife to cook more nutritious meals. Then tell her that you’re going to make a budget and she has to stick to it. And tell her to keep the kids off your back so you can relax. Finally, you need to stop working like a dog. Unless there are some changes in your life, you’ll probably be dead in a month.”
             The man told the doctor:

 “This would sound more official if it came from you. Could you please call my wife and give her those instructions?”

The doctor agreed that he would call her. When he got home that day, he asked his wife if the doctor had called. She responded:

“Yes – and I guess we better make sure your life insurance is paid up.  He says your only have a moth to live.”

Well, today is Father’s Day – and while I realize that I am not a father, I also realize that God blessed me with a wonderful example of what it means to be a faithful, devoted, Christian man – a faithful, devoted, Christian husband and father.  Dad was a great example for me and my sisters of what it means to be a Christian husband, a Christian father, and a Christian leader in the Church and the community. I also know that I see in many of you examples of what it means to be Christian fathers, husbands, and leaders in the Church and the community.

Yea —  I may not be a father – but in my Dad I had a great example of what it means to be a Christian man – and I still have great examples around me of what it means to be a Christian man.

So — as we honor our fathers today, I want us to look at the qualities that might be needed for a Christian man – an example of what it means to be a Christian father, husband, and leader in the Church and the community. 

Now – ladies – don’t just turn me off here – because I believe that, when we look at these qualities, we’ll see what it can mean to be a Christian woman also. 

As we look at these qualities, we might see what it means to be faithful Christians – whether we are men or women – boys or girls.

What qualities does God expect of Christian men?

One place in scripture that addresses this is Psalm 128.

Listen to God’s word:  Read scripture

What qualities does God expect of Christian fathers?

What qualities does God expect of Christian men?

You know — you can be born a male, but it takes maturity to become a man.                                    Somebody has well said, “You’re only young once, but immaturity can last forever.” How does a male become a real man – a man who – like Joshua of old – is willing to stand up and say: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
           Someone was visiting a little village, and they said to someone who had lived there all their life, “Have you had any famous men born here?” They said, “No, only babies.” Great men aren’t born; great men are made. It’s a process!
            Well, when you buy a refrigerator, you get a book of instructions that tells you how to operate the refrigerator. If you buy a stereo, you get a book that tells you how to maintain your stereo. If you buy a car, you get a book that tells you how to maintain it properly.  If you want to know what a real man is and how to become a real man, then you need to look at the book – that is, the Bible. I hate to tell some of you this: you’re not going to learn how to be a real man from TV. The way to learn how to be a real man is to see what God has to say in his Word.

            Psalm 128 has much to tell us about how to be a Christian husband, a Christian father, and a Christian leader in the Church and the community.

            The first thing we see is:  A real man is faithful in his walk.

Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
     who walk in his ways.

the Psalmist writes. 
          “Blessed”
          We saw that word last week when we looked at the Beattitudes.
          To be blessed is to be truly happy, regardless of circumstances.

So – what man is blessed – truly happy – regardless of their circumsanes?
The one who fears the Lord.

            To be blessed, you have to change your perception of happiness. We all know people who are killing themselves to get ahead in life, to find happiness—but  never find it. To be a faithful, Godly father – or a faithful, Godly man – or woman — you have to change your perception. It’s more than a change in external things — it is truly a change of perception!
        A wise person once said: “We see life, not as it is, but as we are.” It’s a matter of perception, which means that some people will never be happy, no matter what. We see clearly when we see life from God’s perspective. When we look with spiritual eyes, we learn what’s really important in life. True happiness is not something external but it is within, and for good. Happiness isn’t a matter of luck; there are no tricks involved. We simply become Christians and begin the life of faith. We learn to be content with what we have when we base our joy on what Jesus has done and is and is going to do for us.

So – who does the Psalmist say it blessed?
“Blessed is every one who fears the Lord.”

           Well — what does it mean to “the fear the Lord “
            The correct interpretation of the fear of the Lord is not being “afraid” of God, but rather, showing Him due respect. We reverence Him. We take God seriously. We recognize that He is holy. Therefore, He must be at the center of everything we are, think, and aspire to do. He must be our starting point for every endeavor. If we reverence God, we will not make plans, then pray as an after-thought; we will begin making plans by praying to God.

         “Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, Who walks in His ways.”

         Fear the Lord.

          That’s really the first quality God expects of Christian fathers.   

The next is: Walk in God’s ways.

Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
     who walk in his ways.

         We need to travel God’s way by thinking and behaving biblically. Happiness is the by-product of a life that is lived in the will of God. Obedience to God is the natural outcome of regarding God with reverence and respect. The backbone of being a real man – a real woman – a real father – a real mother – a Christian father, husband, and leader in the Church and the community is obedience.
        Our beliefs determine our behavior. To think secularly is to operate within a frame of reference restricted by the limits of our world.

         Is your thinking earth-bound or heavenly-minded?

          Fear the Lord

          Walk in His ways

2 qualities God expects of Christian fathers.

The Psalmist is talking about a man who is to be a worshipping father. He’s talking about a man who is happy because he knows how to walk with God he knows how to worship God. 

Men – fathers — if you think you can just give your kids things and you’ve met your obligation as a father, then you’re wrong. If you think providing for your family is providing a nice home and you’ve done all that God expects you to do, then you’re wrong. When the Bible says you’re to be the provider, it means far more than just the material things. It’s talking about the spiritual things of life.

So we now have:

Fearing God.

Walking in God’s ways.

Providing for the family – spiritually.

3 qualities God expects of a man who is a Christian father, husband, and leader in the Church and the community
         When we walk with God we can expect Him to bless our work.

The Psalmist writes in Psalm 128:2:

You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours

We may not perceive the blessing; we may wonder how God is working at times, but we can trust His plan to produce the intended results. God calls all of us to our vocations in life. He opens and closes doors of opportunity, and helps us to succeed in our goals. We need to keep in mind that in the Christian life prosperity and success aren’t measured by the standards of the world. In our striving for success, we may achieve our goal and live to regret it. In whatever we do, without God we will either fail miserably or succeed miserably. Happiness comes from doing things God’s way.

When you obey God, He will reward your labor!

When you fear God and walk in God’s ways, God will reward you! 

If you fear God – walk in His ways – and strive to provide for the physical and spiritual needs of your family – the Psalmist says that:

 blessings and prosperity will be yours

           You will be happy and it will be well with you. You’ll have security in Jesus Christ. You will be satisfied.  You’ll have a clear conscience because you’ll have a right standing with God. A healthy self-image and security will be yours. The Psalmist even tells us our relationships in our families and with others will be blessed.

          Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
      within your house;

      Many men want their wife to submit to them — but don’t see that they have to prove to them that they have the qualities God expects them to have – fearing God, waling in God’s ways, and being the spiritual provider of the family.  
        Wives are called “fruitful vines”. Grapevines are Jewish symbols of prosperity, of abundant life. Not just a spreading vine which serves for an ornament, but as a fruitful vine which is for profit, and with the fruit. The vine is a weak and tender plant, and needs to be supported and cherished — but it is a very valuable plant.
       A vine has to have something to support it. Guess who that support is in families?   

        The Psalmist is talking about a man who can be as strong as the wall of a house and yet be supportive and tender so that wife can be a fruitful vine. A quality God expects of Christian men – fathers – husbands – is being a man who is to be sensitive and loving and supportive.

   Fearing God.

     Walking in God’s ways.

    Providing for the family – spiritually

           Being sensitive – loving – supportive. 

4 qualities God expects of Christian fathers.
              And this doesn’t stop with how a Christian  man – husband – or father relates to his wife – it also affects how he relates to his children.   The Psalmist says your children are to be like olive plants. In the holy land, a person who owned olive plants and olive trees owned something of great value. Olive plants and olive trees could provide fruit and income for twenty to thirty generations. The Psalmist is talking about a man who is loving – sensitive – and caring to his children.
         A  father’s greatest work is not building a business or providing financially for his family – but being  a dad who loves God and a dad who passes on to his  children the values and the heritage God would have them to have.

   Fearing God.

     Walking in God’s ways.

    Providing for the family – spiritually

                Sensitive – loving – supportive. 
               Josh McDowell once said, “Rules without relationship bring rebellion.”
               You can’t raise children who will love God by setting up the rules for them and coming home once in awhile and enforcing those rules. You have to bring them up with the respect and love God shows us. God has rules for us, but God loves and forgives us – even when we break the rules. If you just have rules, you will provoke your children; you will exasperate your children; you’ll frustrate your children. So the way to bring them up like the tender olive plant is to do it in love, forgiveness, and respect.  

            I read that the average father spends seven and one-half minutes a week with their teenager. The world has your child 7 days a week. The school system has your
child 5 days a week, six hours a day. The average father spends seven and a half minutes a week with their teenage child. Then we wonder why they do not have a walk with God.

   Fearing God.

     Walking in God’s ways.

    Providing for the family – spiritually

           Being sensitive – loving – supportive. 

4 qualities God expects of Christian fathers.

These qualities are important to be a Christian husband, a Christian father, and a Christian leader in the Church and the community.

These qualities in a husband – in a father – can help build a home in the way God would have it be built.  The husband is to represent the leadership of God in his home. The wife is to represent the bride of Christ, the church. The Bible says husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it. The reason that a man must live a godly life is that they are to model before their family the love, character, and care of God himself. But – this is much different from the idea that some fathers have that it’s the wife’s responsibility to teach religion and spirituality to the children. I believe that the husband and father is the  spiritual leader of the home; the husband and father is to be the spiritual example in the home. The spirituality of the home is primarily the husband’s and father’s responsibility. The husband and father are to represent God in their home.

   Fearing God.

     Walking in God’s ways.

    Providing for the family – spiritually

           Being sensitive – loving – supportive. 

4 qualities God expects of Christian fathers. 

You know — the chief characteristic of God is faithfulness.

God is always consistent; God is always faithful; God is always loving; He’s always kind; God is always present; God is always there.
             Christian fathers can be patterns for their families that represents the faithfulness of God. I believe that one of the problems in the world is faithless fathers – and therefore therefore failing fathers. One-third of America’s children are not living with their natural fathers.

            Many fathers and husbands need to learn faithfulness – how to stand by their promises.

           They need to learn how to never, never let go no matter what.

           They need to learn how to stick with a marriage. 

           They need to learn how to stick with parenting. 

           They need to learn how to not let the pressures of their jobs overwhelm them.

They need to learn how to stick with and be faithful to their church.                                                                 They need to learn how to pick their children up – even if their children at times might let them down.

They need to learn how to be a Christian man.

They need to learn how to be faithful.

             The Bible says if you want to be a faithful father and have a faithful walk with God, then keep on keeping on and be faithful to your promises no matter what.

              Children look to dads for consistency and for faithfulness. Fathers need to give them that.

Fearing God.

   Walking in God’s ways.

Providing for the family – spiritually

         Being sensitive – loving – supportive.

          Being faithful.

         5 qualities God expects of Christian fathers. 

         What a tremendous responsibility fathers have!

         It may seem that the responsibilities of being a father and the qualities God might expect of fathers might be overwhelming. They would be – except for the fact that God is faithful and can strengthen you to be the father He calls you to be – and can give you the qualities He wants you to have.  God wants to bless you to be the Christian father He wants you to be.  

         As I said earlier, I might be going out on a limb here – talking about the qualities God expects of a father – since I am not actually a father.  But – as I said before — I know what it’s like being raised by a faithful, committed Christian father – so I know it can be done. And – I see it being done by many of you.  My challenge to you is to continue to be fathers who fear God – walk in God’s ways – provide spiritually for your family —  are sensitive loving and supportive – and are faithful. 

         But – you know what?

         We all can be people who fear God who fear God – walk in God’s ways – provide spiritually for our families — are sensitive loving and supportive – and are faithful.  These qualities are qualities God wills for all of us – men and women – boys and girls.  We all can be faithful people – faithful to God – faithful to the Church – faithful to each other.  These are the qualities God wills for all of us.

 

I read something the other day I want to share with you.  It took the word “FATHER” and gave a meaning to each of the words:

 

F stands for faith. If a father has faith in God and His word and in everything seeks to obey Him. His children will most likely put their confidence in God when they are older.
A stands for acceptance. Accept your children for who they are and speak positive words into their lives.
T stands for time. The best gift that fathers can give to their children is time.
H stands for help. The Lord is the greatest helper that any person can have and He will help our children through us if we let Him do it. We can help by sharing God’s wisdom with them or simply by pointing them in the right direction.
E stands for encouragement. Each father needs to be the greatest cheerleader that his children will ever have. Encouraging them to set good goals for their lives and rejoicing in every achievement.
R stands for rock and reverent example. A father has to be a source of strengh to his family and a defense in times of struggle. A father should teach his children reverence for God and others.

So – on this Father’s Day – I offer 5 qualities God expects:

Fearing God.

   Walking in God’s ways.

Providing for the family – spiritually

         Being sensitive – loving – supportive.

          Being faithful

         And I say: Thanks, Dads, for all you are doing.

         Amen.

.

 

 

 

 

        

                    

        

Matthew 5:1-12

Matthew 5:1-12

“Walk Like Jesus Taught: Walking In God’s Blessings”

June 10, 2007

Part 1 of series on Sermon On The Mount

            Having no children of my own, I enjoy watching other’s children grow and develop.  I really enjoy watching parents teaching their children how to walk.  The children and the parents are usually very proud of the accomplishment!

            I couldn’t help but smile as I watched Marion and Mason last Sunday. Marion was holding Mason’s hand – Mason was walking down the hallway – and even maneuvering the steps.  He was smiling and seemed to be so proud of himself as he learned to walk.  I think Marion was a little proud of him, also!

            As I watched Marion with Mason I began to think about how we all need to learn to walk. Maybe we don’t need to learn to walk like Mason is learning – most of us know how to physically walk – but I believe we need to learn how to walk spiritually – how to walk in God’s ways – how to walk as God wants us to walk. 

The truth is that – just as parents teach their children to walk – Jesus can teach us how to walk in His ways.  Just as a parent holds the hand of a child and smiles proudly as the child learns to walk – Jesus can take us by the hand and teach us how to walk in His ways – and smiles as we do His will.  Like children learning to physically walk we aren’t going to walk in Jesus’ ways perfectly – we’ll stumble and fall – but just as a parent will pick up a child and help the child try again —  Jesus picks us up and helps us try again to walk in His ways.

Jesus has taught us how to walk in His ways.

We need to look at His words – His teachings – so we can walk as He taught us how to walk.

We need to learn to walk like Jesus taught.

We need to learn to walk like Jesus taught.

This summer we’re going to look at one of the places where Jesus taught us how to walk in His ways.  We’re going to be looking at what is called The Sermon On The Mount – Matthew chapters 5-7.  As we look at these chapters we’ll see how Jesus taught us to walk – so we can learn how to

Walk Like Jesus Taught

Walk Like Jesus Taught

Walk Like Jesus Taught – that’s going to be our theme for the summer.

The Sermon On The Mount is an important piece of scripture.  It’s the longest segment of scripture with just the teachings of Jesus – and it’s a piece of scripture where Jesus gives the guidelines for how His followers should live. If you think about it, the Sermon On The Mount occurs at an important point in Jesus’ ministry.  As Matthew records the story of Jesus, Jesus has been born – raised in Nazareth – has been baptized by John – has been tempted by Satan in the wilderness – and has now began His ministry of teaching and healing.  He has begun to attract crowds of people — and has even called some to be disciples. 

But – the crowds – and especially the disciples – must have wondered how they were supposed to live – how they were supposed to act – what they were supposed to do.  The disciples had given up their old lifestyles to follow Jesus – and they were probably wondering how they were supposed to live now that they were following Jesus.

Well – they were about to find out.

As Jesus climbed that mountainside – He began to teach His disciples how He wanted them to live.

And the disciples began their attempt to walk like Jesus taught.

Walk Like Jesus Taught

Walk Like Jesus Taught

Today we’re going to begin our look at how we can walk like Jesus taught. Listen to how Jesus began teaching the disciples – and teaching us – in Matthew 5:1-12 as He taught them how to walk in God’s blessings.

Read Scripture

Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings
            Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings

Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount by telling us that we can live a life of victory…a life of fulfillment…a life of significance – a life of blessings. That’s the kind of existence God has designed for us,.  More specifically, that’s the kind of existence God has designed for you. It’s not God’s will that His children live defeated, miserable lives. When many of us came to Him we were living miserable, defeated lives.  Maybe when you came to Jesus you were living a miserable, defeated life — but we don’t have to stay that way – you don’t have to stay that way. You  can live a victorious life – a joyful life.

The fact is, thought, that many Christians miss out on the abundant life that God promises simply because they settle for less than He is willing to give. They cheat themselves out of God’s promises by settling for something less.  Don’t cheat yourself out of God’s promises for you by settling for something less. Here’s one way people cheat themselves out of what God has promised them: When trouble comes their way, they say, “Oh woe is me! ” instead of, saying “How blessed I am!” (which, as we’ll see in a few minutes, is the proper response). When troubles come up in your life – how do you respond?

Maybe we all need to learn how to:

Walk Like Jesus Taught – and Walk In God’s Blessings
            Walk Like Jesus Taught – and Walk In God’s Blessings

The truth is that — no matter what your situation is — you can experience the abundance…the blessings – God wants you to have.  You can be poor or rich, educated or not, married or single, young or old, hip or square—no matter what your situation is in life, the abundant blessings Jesus wills for all His followers apply to you.

Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings
            Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings

In Matthew 5:1-12 there are three truths about blessed living that I want you to notice. Here they are:

1. God promises you true happiness (and then some). Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount by saying:

(v. 3-5) Blessed are the poor in spirit…blessed are those who mourn…blessed are the meek…  

…and so on. Before we look at each of these blessings, we need to look at the word blessed. In the English language, it is the ultimate religious word, isn’t it? You never hear this word in a non-religious context, do you? In fact, when most people say this word, they don’t pronounced it as it should be pronounced according to the rules of the English language. They don’t say “Blest”. They make it even more religious sounding by saying (in a stained-glass voice) “Bless-ed”. We don’t do that with any other word. We don’t say “My hair is mess-ed up today because I didn’t have enough time to get dress-ed.” But we do say “Bless-ed.”

In English it is a religious sounding word, but remember, Jesus didn’t speak English, and Matthew didn’t write his Gospel in English. The word that is used in Matthew is not a religious term at all. It was a normal part of their everyday vocabulary. The Greek word  we translate “blessed” is makarios.  There really isn’t a word in the English language that is equivalent to this word – but “blessed” probably comes closer than any other, which is why we use it. The word makarios is also translated “happy” in many versions of the Bible. “Happy” comes close to capturing the meaning—but makarios means much more than happiness.  There is also a sense in which this word implies “Congratulations!” or “Way to Go!” or “Good for you!”, as if Jesus were saying:

“Congratulations, poor in spirit! Way to go, you who mourn! Good for you, people who are meek!”

In the Greek language, makarios communicates the idea of contentment, fulfillment, satisfaction, completion. The word was used to describe the island of Cyprus—it was called He Makaria — which sounds suspiciously close to the name of that dance song, but there’s no connection. He Makaria means “The Happy Island”, and it was called that because Cyprus was so rich, so beautiful, so fertile, that one didn’t have to go beyond it’s coastline to find perfect and complete happiness—Cyprus contained within itself all of the elements of a fulfilling life. So, when Jesus said:

 “Blessed are the poor in spirit…Blessed are those who mourn,”

and so on, He was saying:

 “Here are the ingredients that result in absolute contentment, fulfillment and happiness in life.”

 He was saying:

“You can be happy in this life, you can be content, you can be fulfilled, you can blessed.”

This is the kind of life He wants for you. As a follower of Jesus Christ, it is possible for you to wake up every day and say:

 “Wow! Isn’t life great? Can it possibly get any better than this?”

That’s the kind of life He promises you: contentment, and then some; fulfillment, and then some; happiness and then some. It is a blessed life. So, when we use the word “blessed”, we keep in mind that it is a powerful word that promises a life of God’s goodness. He promises us more than happiness.

Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings
            Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings

The second thing I want you to notice is that:

2. True happiness comes in unexpected ways.

Jesus’ method of happiness is different than what is taught by popular culture. Our culture would teach these principles this way:

Blessed are the self-made men, for they are their master of their destinies.

Blessed are those who never mourn, for their life will be a bed of roses.

Blessed are the aggressive, for they’ll get whatever they want.

Blessed are those who make up their own rules, for they’ll answer to no one but themselves.

Blessed are those who show no mercy, for their enemies will fear them.

Blessed are those with hearts of stone, for they’ll never be hurt.

Blessed are those who win the battle, for their enemies will become their slaves.

Blessed are those who compromise their convictions, for they’ll never offend anyone.

Blessed are those who are recognized for their greatness and elevated to the status of celebrity, for they will be worshipped by many.

That is our society’s prescription for happiness.

Jesus’ method is the exact opposite. Let’s take a look at it.

Jesus says:

(v. 3) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.

What does “poor in spirit” mean? Jesus is not talking about financial  poverty here. Jesus did have much to say throughout His ministry about materialism—and he was very much against it—but that doesn’t mean he was for poverty. In fact, later in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus tells us that you are to help the poor financially, and the only way you can do that is if you’re not poor yourself. “Poor in spirit” doesn’t refer to your pocketbook, it refers to your heart. The word translated “poor” means absolute, abject poverty—the poverty of a beggar on the street. And just as a beggar is dependant on the generosity of others, we are to be dependant on God. “Poor in spirit” describes the attitude with which we approach God. It is not an attitude that says, “I’m better than most people and God is lucky to have me on his team.” It’s an attitude that says, “God, without you I am absolutely nothing!” Jesus says that if that is your attitude, you are blessed, and the kingdom of heaven is yours.

Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings
            Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings

Jesus also said…

(v. 4) Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Jesus is saying, “Happy are the sad.” It sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? The kind of mourning Jesus is referring to is the mourning that results from being poor in spirit. Those who recognize that they are completely helpless without God, and that they have no good in themselves, cannot help but feel sorrow for their own sinfulness. That kind of sorrow is good, because it leads us to repentance.

This is exactly what Paul taught…

For God can use sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek salvation. We will never regret that kind of sorrow. (2 Corinthians 7:10)

It’s also a fact of life that surviving sadness gives us a greater appreciation for happiness.  Overcoming a few defeats in life makes winning that much sweeter. Ask John Elway. He lost three Super Bowls early in his career, but he ended his career with two consecutive Super Bowl wins. He would quickly tell you that those early losses helped him savor the later wins that much more.

Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings
            Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings

Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn,” because he knows mourning leads to spiritual growth.

Robert Browning Hamilton wrote a poem that goes:

I walked with a mile with pleasure — She chattered all the way — But left me none the wiser For all she had to say  — I walked a mile with sorrow  — And never a word said she — But, oh, the things I learned from her, — When sorrow walked with me.

Events that cause sorrow and mourning can be a blessed event in your life, because when you surrender it to Jesus, they lead to joy.

Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings
            Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings

Jesus also said,

(v. 5) Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

I have a friend in North Carolina who raises horses.  He shared with me about the job of cleaning out the stables. The older horses were used to having someone come in and out of the stall, and they would ignore him. However, he remembered one young colt who became frightened as he crashed the buckets and shovels. He ignored the horse while he went about his business, but the horse didn’t ignore him. While he was stooped over, scooping things up with his shovel, the horse kicked him in the shoulder. He was able to get out of the stall quickly, but was thankful the  horse didn’t kick him in the head. He couldn’t believe such a gentle looking creature was capable of such power.  Within two years this colt became a champion show horse. He was bigger and far more powerful than he was when he kicked my nephew, and yet, the colt’s rider—a 16-year-old girl—would gently tug the reins, and he would do whatever she guided him to do. This horse was a powerful animal, but the power was under control. Well, the Greek word for “meek” is the same word that the Greeks used to describe a horse who had been trained by his master.  Meekness doesn’t mean weakness; it means “power under control.” Someone who is meek is strong enough to be gentle, strong enough to be tender, and yet, strong enough to be forceful when necessary.

Aristotle described meekness as the balance between two extremes — a person who is angry at the right time, but never angry at the wrong time; a person who pushes forward when he needs to push forward, and who pulls back when he needs to pull back. But like the trained horse, that person doesn’t do this on his own—he does it as he is guided by his master. Moses, Joshua, David, Deborah, Ruth, Mary, Jesus, and Paul: these characters had strong personalities—but their strength was used for God’s glory because it was under His control. There are three kinds of people: victims, victimizers, and the meek. The meek are too strong to become victims, and they’re too compassionate to be victimizers. Instead, they become heroes, defenders, protectors. They stand up for the weak and the oppressed. They’re able to do this because they have surrendered their strength to the Lordship of Christ, and He uses it for His glory. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek.” It means, “Blessed are those who don’t let their power go to their head, but who instead surrender it to God, for God to use as He sees fit.” Those who do that, he said, will inherit the earth.

Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings
            Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings

Jesus also said…

(v. 6) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Jesus is saying;

 “If you really want to be good, you’ll become good. If you crave holiness and righteousness like a starving man craves food, you’ll be filled.”

The Greek word for “hunger” refers to the hunger a starving man experiences, the Greek word for “filled” is translated elsewhere as “gorged”. [Revelation 19:21]  When it comes to righteousness and holiness, Jesus says the more you want, the more you’ll get.

Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings
            Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings

Jesus also said,

(v. 7) Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

 Do you want to be more than happy? Be willing to give others a break. You may be right and they may be wrong, but keep this in mind: When you show mercy to others, you heap mercy upon yourself.

Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings
            Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings

Jesus also said,

(v. 8) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

The Greek word for pure is kathoros, from which we get the English word “cathartic”. Both mean to cleanse or purge or purify. Kathoros was used in Greek to describe an army that had been “cleansed” of all its cowardly, disgruntled, inefficient soldiers; it was considered a “clean” or “pure” army.

So when Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart,” He’s not referring to those whose hearts have always been pure and good; that would eliminate all of us. Instead, he’s referring to those who hearts have been cleansed. Your heart may have been filled with hatred and selfishness and greed at one time — it may even be that way now—but it can be cleansed. It can be made pure. You see – blessings don’t come from being a jaded, self-serving cynic; it comes having a clean heart. When your heart is pure, you will see God.

Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings
            Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings

Jesus also said:

(v. 9) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.

Some people thrive on conflict. The common characteristic all of these people have is a visible lack of happiness. They aren’t happy and they do all that they can to make sure no one else is. But some people seem to have the capacity for bringing people together. They know how to nip conflict in the bud, and they can make the worst of enemies into the best of friends. The question is — which of these shoes fits your foot? If you are a peacemaker — if you dedicate your life to making things calm instead of stirring things up — you will be called one of the “sons of God.” When you play the part of peacemaker, you are being like your Heavenly Father. That’s why Solomon said,

It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel. (Proverbs 20:3)

If you want to be more than blessed, learn to be a peacemaker.

Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings
            Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings

Jesus also said,

(v. 10-12) “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

 Jesus said there will be times when you are mistreated simply because you belong to him. This puts you in good company, because it happened to the prophets of God in the Old Testament, and after Jesus’ death and resurrection, it happened to the Apostles and many leaders of the Christian church, and it has continued to happen to God’s people throughout history. Some people have been jailed and tortured because of their allegiance to Christ, others have been mocked and ridiculed. Persecution against followers of Christ is taking place throughout the world today. It doesn’t happen very often in America, but it does happen. We think of the valedictorians of Oroville High School in California who were forbidden to make valedictory speeches because they contained references of gratitude to Jesus We think of those who have been passed up for a promotion or who have been excluded from the “inner circle” at work because they’re too “religious.” To whatever extent a follower of Christ experiences persecution, he or she can take joy in the fact that their persecution puts them in an elite group who have done far more to change the world for the better than their persecutors have.  Jesus says if you want to be blessed,  stay faithful to him even when you’re being mistreated.

Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings
Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings
Your life can be happy, fulfilling, meaningful, and blessed. God has promised to shower you with blessings. But here we see that happiness comes through surrendering yourself to God, giving Him control of your life, and serving others with a heart of compassion. If you try to find happiness in any other way, you are cheating yourself out of the blessings God has in store for you.  The only way you can have blessings in your life is by alking in the way Jesus taught – the way of  surrendering yourself to God, giving Him control of your life, and serving others with a heart of compassion.

Do you feel God’s blessings in your life?

If not, maybe you aren’t waling as Jesus taught. 

Maybe your path of life is not the path of surrendering yourself to God, giving Him control of your life, and serving others with a heart of compassion.

Surrendering yourself to God — giving Him control of your life — serving others with a heart of compassion – these are the ways to true blessings.

As  we go through the Sermon On The Mount this summer, we’ll discover other ways Jesus taught us to walk – but the first step is surrendering yourself to God, giving Him control of your life, and serving others with a heart of compassion – the step that leads to blessings.

I pray that you will learn how to better:

 Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings
            Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings

Let’s all learn how to:

Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings
            Walk Like Jesus Taught — Walk In God’s Blessings

Amen.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

             

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

Isaiah 6:1-8, Romans 8:12-17, John 3:1-17

Isaiah 6:1-8, Romans 8:12-17, John 3:1-17

“What’s The Difference?”

June 3, 2007 (Trinity Sunday)

Read Passages

GLORY BE TO THE FATHER

AND TO THE SON

AND TO THE HOLY GHOST

AS IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING

IS NOW AND EVER SHALL BE

WORLD WITHOUT END

AMEN. AMEN.

            The beautiful words of The Gloria Patri that we sing every Sunday are not only beautiful — they are filled with praise — and are filled with power. 

These words are filled with the power of God as we sing our praises to God –

one God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

            Today is Trinity Sunday – the day when the Church celebrates God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  We actually celebrate this every Sunday as we sing The Doxology  — but today is a time to stop and think about what it is we profess as we sing these words — what it really means that we worship one God — who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

            What does the doctrine of the Trinity mean?

            The doctrine of the Trinity is vital –  – not because it is something to merely know and accept –  – even if we do not understand it — but the doctrine of the Trinity is vital for us because of what it can tell us about God.

              When we look at the doctrine of the Trinity, we begin to learn some things about God.

            But is it all that important?

            What’s the difference?

            What  difference does the doctrine of the Trinity make in how we think about God – or more importantly how we experience God?

What’s the difference between God the Father – God the Son – and God the Holy Spirit?

            Does the Trinity matter?

Does it matter that God is Father – Son – and Holy Spirit –

and if so – what does it mean that God is Father – Son – and Holy Spirit?

What’s the difference?

Well — figuring out the real difference between, say, the radio broadcasts of Amplitude Modulation (AM) and Frequency Modulation (FM) might requires a little research.

Defining the Trinity may require a whole new dictionary!

So – let’s consider 2 situations and see if we can tell the difference in the terms of each:

1. A mosquito lands on your arm and, feeling it alight, you slap it with your hand and kill it.   

Have you committed murder or manslaughter (or, I guess, in this case, bug-slaughter)?

2. You’re traveling in your car on a back road listening your radio.  There’s a lot of static – but you can tell the song playing prominently features stringed instruments played with a bow.

Are you listening to AM or FM radio – is the instrument called a fiddle or a violin — and is the music called bluegrass or country?
Subtle differences, you say?

Six in one —  half-dozen in the other?

No real difference?

Well — not so fast. Let’s see how well you did.
As far as the difference between murder or manslaughter –

If you premeditated your attack on the mosquito, grabbing a fly swatter as a weapon, sneaking up on it before you killed it — you committed murder.

If you just reactively slapped it out of momentary panic – you committed manslaughter.

You see –- there is a difference. And if you had done that to a person instead of an insect, the difference would be more pronounced and would be part of your defense in court. 

            And as far as the type of radio station you are listening to in the second situation, the name of the instrument playing the music, and the type of music being played:

If you hear static, it’s probably an AM radio station.

The instrument is the same instrument at a symphony or a hoedown, but if it’s playing “The Orange Blossom Special” — it’s called a fiddle  — and if it’s playing one of Mozart’s “Brandenburg Concertos”  it’s called a violin.

 And as far as if it’s country music or bluegrass you’re listening to — if you hear more mandolin, fiddle and banjo than guitar, bass, and drums, you can call it bluegrass.

Again – subtle differences – but important ones. 
Knowing these subtle-yet-important differences is important in some             cases.

Knowing the difference between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is important, also. 

Words like Trinity can evoke some serious head-scratching. 

Ask the question, “What is the difference between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit?” and you’re likely to get some blank stares.
             And why should it matter?

Well — we describe ourselves as monotheistic — which means that we believe in one God. But we also affirm the deity of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit “God the Father.”
              It sounds like three Gods, not one God – doesn’t it?

But if it is one God, then it would seem that we have — truly — an awesome God at work in the world today who invites us to join Him in the proclamation of the good news: through Jesus, we have been reconciled to God.
            Many have tried over the centuries to explain this concept that the Bible itself doesn’t lay out with clear delineations and definitions (the word trinity doesn’t even appear in the Bible ).

Many children learn in Sunday school that the Trinity is like water — which can be a gas, a solid or a liquid but is still and always is water at a molecular level –  

or the egg with its yolk, white and shell –

or the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government –

St. Patrick’s cloverleaf metaphor is also one that is used.

You can probably think of a lot more of these “object lessons” — all trying to explain the concept of being one-in-three and three-in-one.
             The mathematical approach is also attractive, the equilateral triangle being the most popular math symbol for the Trinity.

And as one person noted, while 1 + 1 + 1 = 3 doesn’t work to explain the Trinity, 1 x 1 x 1 = 1 works much better.
           All these metaphors and explanations, though, fall short and we’re left with poor explanations. Despite our best efforts at explaining the Trinity, a full understanding seems to elude even those of us who’ve been lifelong churchgoers. Church history itself reveals an eclectic and often violent debate over the metaphysics of the whole thing.
           But here’s a thought:

           In our desire to define all the terms correctly, maybe we’ve missed the whole idea altogether.

          Trying to use definitive terms to describe God is a bit like nailing Jell-O to a tree — eventually the whole thing falls apart.

         Human language has limits in trying to define the divine. So rather than quarreling about the nature of Father, Son and Holy Spirit , maybe we should be focusing on the real essence of the Trinity —

The power of relationships.

In our Old Testament passage from Isaiah 6, the Prophet does not try to give a concrete description of God – but a vision of God’s majesty and power.

In John 3 Jesus talks about the Spirit of God in beautiful terms
that touch the heart – even if our heads, like Nicodemus’, might be left a bit confused.

In Romans 8, Paul doesn’t try to line out a systematic theology of how God works. He uses trinitarian terms interchangeably — the Spirit, Father, Christ — but doesn’t try to make it a treatise on theology. Rather, Paul sees God at work in a uniquely relational way.  After admonishing his Roman readers in verses 12-13 to discern the difference between living in the flesh (focusing on the self-oriented life) and the Spirit (focusing on the God-oriented life), Paul then shifts the language to relationships —

those who live by the Spirit are adopted by the Father as children of God and co-heirs with Christ, whose glory is realized through suffering (8:14-17).

Whatever the Trinity is in being, the purpose of God, the three-in-one/one-in-three, is to bring humans back into relationship with God, rescuing us from having to try to define ourselves through self-destructive pursuits.

You can approach this passage and others that seem to reference the Trinity in two ways:

1.      You can try to figure out which Person of God is coming and going and doing what and when, like trying to determine a train schedule.

2.      You can simply focus on the fact that God’s very nature, God’s being, God’s focus, is internally and externally relational.

Our connection with the Trinity is not to be a head trip where we simply meditate and think about the nature of God, but a heartfelt relationship that is made real through the Spirit of God/Spirit of Christ/Holy Spirit

“bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (8:16).
That’s a view of God that you can not get from a chart or a theological explanation. 

Do you remember the Robin Williams movie “Dead Pots Society”? You may remember the scene where Mr. Keating, an English instructor played by Robin Williams at an elite preparatory school, asks his students to rip out the “Introduction to Poetry” essay from their literature textbooks. The essayist had instructed students in a method of grading poems on a sliding scale, complete with the use of a grid, thus reducing art for the heart into arithmetic for the head. The students looked around at each other in confusion as their teacher dismissed the essay as rubbish and ordered them to rip these pages from their books. And at their teacher’s loud prodding, the students began to rip. Mr. Keating paces the aisle with a trash can and reminded the students that poetry is not algebra, not songs on American Bandstand that can be rated on a scale from 1 to 10, but rather pieces of art that plunge the depths of the heart to stir vigor in men and woo women.

You know — too much of our time is spent trying to chart God on a grid — to understand instead of experience God – or to argue about this or that idea about God — and too little is spent allowing our hearts to feel awe – and experience God. By reducing Christian spirituality to formulas, we deprive our hearts of wonder.

When I think about the complexity of the Trinity, the three-in-one God, my mind cannot understand it — but my heart feels wonder and awe  and praise. It is as though my heart, in the midst of its euphoria, is saying to my mind: “There are things you cannot understand, and you must learn to live with this. Not only must you learn to live with this, you must learn to enjoy this.”

 Perhaps we’ve made too much of the distinctive shape of the Trinity, which we see most often depicted as a triangle with three hard sides.   

The thing is that triangles are not that common in the natural order of God’s creation.

Think about it — where do you see such hard edges naturally occurring?

 Rocky mountains jutting upward — maybe some leaf shapes … but not too many other places.

You could make the case, then, that triangles are, more often than not, human constructs and that our triangular, pyramid-based diagrams and explanations about God’s nature are just that — human attempts to define the divine. 
            So — what about a different shape — an alternative description, a subtle shift of perception?

Well, John of Damascus, one of the early church fathers who lived during the late seventh and early eighth centuries, changed the normal definitions and calculated reasoning about the Trinity and came up with a wholly different term for the oneness and threeness of God —

He came up with the term perichoresis, which loosely translated from Greek means “circle dance.”
              In other words, the Trinity is not primarily defined by the distinctiveness or unity or “substance” of the persons involved, but rather as a circle — a dynamic community defined by love. To see one is to see all — to dance with one is to dance with all — being invited into the circle and into a love relationship where we see God face to face, as children holding hands and dancing with loving parents.
           Circles are natural, appearing everywhere in nature from the sun and moon to the earth itself. It makes sense then, that we should be thinking of a circle as the dominant shape to  our understanding of God’s creative and relational nature.

You can’t define a circle by its points.

You can only define it as a whole.

The truth is that we’ll probably never understand the Trinity by trying to define it. Even Paul, one of the most prolific writers and theologians of his day, runs around the idea. The only way we’ll really “get” the Trinity is to join the circle and live into that relationship – to drop the attempt to understand God and begin trying to experience God – to drop the attempts at differentiating between the parts of the Trinity and begin experiencing the parts of the Trinity – experiencing the love of God as God is revealed as – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – for ourselves.

Wow!

What a difference that would make!

Indeed –

GLORY BE TO THE FATHER

AND TO THE SON

AND TO THE HOLY GHOST

AS IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING

IS NOW AND EVER SHALL BE

WORLD WITHOUT END

AMEN. AMEN.

Amen.