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Planting Trees You’ll Never Sit Under

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Planting Trees You’ll Never Sit Under

Dr. Jim Denison

Matthew 13:1-23

Thesis: Your lasting success is defined by your spiritual effect on other lives

Charles Spurgeon admonished his people: write your name on hearts, not headstones. Write your epitaph on the lives of those you influence. And your influence will be eternal.

If you were to die today, how would you be remembered? What lasting impact has your life made on your world? Your legacy is in people. Your spiritual effect on other lives is the only permanent, enduring effect your life can leave. When your possessions are possessed by others and your life is done, the spiritual “fruit” you produce in the eternal souls of others will be your success.

Today Jesus will show us the hindrances to such a harvest, and the commitments which it requires. Then we will decide whether or not to pay the price of true success.

Listen to your Lord (vs. 1-3)

We will study this week one of the most important parables Jesus ever taught, in that it is foundational to the rest of his theology and ministry. Here he makes clear the definition of true success with God, and how it is to be achieved.

It may be that the other six parables of Matthew 13 are enlargements and commentaries upon this one. In this view, the parable of the wheat and tares explains the seed which falls by the wayside; the mustard seed and leave explain the seed on stony ground; the treasure and the pearl explain the seed among thorns; and the dragnet explains the good seed (Gardhardsson, cited in Hagner 363).

The text opens: “That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake” (v. 1). This has been a stressful day for our Lord. Jesus has already defended his disciples for eating grain from a field, and healed a man with a withered hand, incurring the wrath of the Pharisees. He has healed the sick and a demoniac, and been accused of being demon-possessed himself.

Now he “went out of the house,” most likely the home of Peter and Andrew in Capernaum and “sat by the lake,” the Sea of Galilee. But “large crowds gathered around him” (v. 2), so many that he could not see or speak to them all. And he cared for every person in this multitude, as he does today. Note that this is the only one of Matthew’s five teaching discourses which is addressed not to the “disciples” but to the “crowds” (Carson 300).

So he “got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore” (v. 2). This was most likely Peter’s fishing boat, close at hand. The Jewish rabbi typically sat down, while his students stood to hear his words and lecture (thus originating the “chair” at a university). There is a cove near Capernaum which would be especially suited for this scene, where Jesus’ voice would carry easily across the water to the crowds (Keener, IVPNTC 236). Spurgeon comments: “The ship became his pulpit, and the little space between it and the shore gave him breathing space, and enabled the more to hear him. The shelving beach and the blue sky would make a grand auditorium. . . . The teacher sat, and the people stood: we should have less sleeping in congregations if this arrangement still prevailed” (164).

Now Jesus began to teach: “he told them many things in parables” (v. 3). This is the first occurrence of the word “parable” in Matthew’s gospel (France 215), although he has already recorded seven parables in the Sermon on the Mount and two others following it. And it is the only parable which Jesus titles (v. 18).

Note that Jesus taught anyone who would listen to him. The parables recorded in Matthew 13 were given at the end of a particularly busy and stressful day (Robertson calls it the “Busy Day,” 1.100). Our Lord sat by the lake, presumably to rest. But when the crowds came, he had compassion on them and taught them the word of God (cf. Matthew9.36, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd”).

He will do the same for any of us who will listen to him. If you have not heard from the Lord lately, the fault is not his. If we will but make time to listen to him through Bible study and prayer, he will speak to our hearts and needs. What he did for the people in that first-century Galilean crowd, he waits to do for us today.

Sow in faith

Now the parable begins: “A farmer went out to sow his seed” (v. 3). The Greek original begins with the word “Behold!”, a term used to call attention to something important (Broadus 285). What follows is of the utmost urgency.

And it is delivered by a very common occurrence. Palestinian fields could be sowed in the fall or the spring. Sometimes the field was prepared by plowing, and sometimes the seed was first scattered and then plowed into the ground, as is the case here (Boring 303). And so “the” sower went out sowing (the definite article is present in the Greek). Jesus expects us to see the man as he steps forward to begin scattering his seed. Most likely a farmer in a nearby field alongside the Sea of Galilee began this actual work just as Jesus began teaching the crowds, and Jesus took him for his text (Barclay 2.57).

The farmer could put his bag of seed on the back of his donkey, cut a hole in it, and let the seed spill out as the donkey walked along. But more likely he was scattering the seed by hand (Keener, BBCNT 82), probably wheat or barley seed (Lenski 508).

We will soon learn that the “seed” being sown is the word of God (v. 20), making clear several spiritual implications. One: God constantly scatters his “seed” across the world. Jesus’ words are in the present tense, indicating that the sowing is a continuous action. He is always giving his word to us (Albright 166). Two: none of us will be able to claim ignorance of God as an excuse for disbelief or immorality. The seed has been scattered—the fault is not with the sower but with the soil (Davis 125).

And three: we who teach the word of God must give it to as many as possible, leaving the results to the Lord. We cannot know the condition of our hearers’ hearts before we speak, so we sow in faith (Keener, IVPNTC 237). Ecclesiastes offers sound advice: “Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening do not let your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well” (12.6). Speak in faith.

Pray before your preach

Now Jesus describes the soil which the seed finds. Farmers in the first century did not plant in tidy rows, but scattered the seed along the ground. The very results Jesus notes were common. In fact, all four conditions we find in our parable were typical of the same field, if it was of any size at all (France 218).

Some soil typifies the deceived heart: “some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up” (v. 4). The “path” would be both the footpath worn by years of farming, and the roads which passed through the farmland. The wind scattered the seed onto these rock-hard surfaces, where it sat exposed to the birds. Even today it is common in the East to see a large flock of birds following the farmer as he sows his seed, eagerly picking up every grain which has not sunk into the soil (Broadus 285).

This soil may have been valuable for farming at one time, but no longer. External forces have been at work against it. The pressure of farmers and their animals and wagons, the passing of traffic and first-century vehicles has made once-loose soil into concrete. And now the seed can find nowhere to dig its roots (Maclaren 203-4).

Jesus’ point is spiritual, as his interpretation shows: “When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path” (v. 19). This is a preventable tragedy. If our hearers understand the word we give to them, Satan cannot snatch this truth from them. But if we do not make plain the word and will of God, our enemy gains the victory.

As a Christian, you are engaged in a spiritual battle. Your enemy is a prowling lion (1 Peter 8) masquerading as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11.14). He wants nothing more than to deceive and confuse those you are called to teach. Only the Holy Spirit can defeat his strategies, for “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2.14).

Our battle is spiritual before it is intellectual. We must first ask the Spirit to open the minds and hearts of those we teach, and seek his protection from the enemy. We must pray for the souls of our people before we can teach their minds. Otherwise Satan will see to it that they do not understand what we teach, and steal the truth from them.

It has been my great privilege to preach in Cuba on three different mission trips. Each time I have prepared as fully as I could the best message I could preach. However, very few in the congregation could understand it. Abel, the education minister in the First Baptist Church of Camaguey and one of the best interpreters I’ve ever met, must translate my words into the language of his people. Only then can the truth impact their lives. The better a sermon I preach, the more he has to work with. But he must do his work well, or mine is immaterial.

So it is with all ministries. We prepare to share the word of God as effectively as we can. Then we must ask the Spirit to protect our hearers from the distractions of the enemy and translate our words into the language of the soul. Otherwise we may be sowing God’s word on rock-hard ground, to no good purpose at all. When last did you pray for the Spirit to make your words into soul truth?

Measure faith by faithfulness

Now Jesus describes a second agricultural problem: “Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root” (vs. 5-6). Thin soil is a persistent problem in Palestine, where so much of the ground is limestone covered with a layer of topsoil (Robertson 1.102, Lenski 508). Here our Lord shows us the wrong and right ways to measure the faith of our people.

One wrong way is by appearances. The seed in this rocky soil “sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.” A week into the agricultural season, this part of the field looked to be the most productive. The rocks just beneath the surface of the earth would heat the soil quickly, so that seeds planted here would germinate (Broadus 286). Water and fertilizers on the surface of the soil could penetrate quickly to the roots of the new plant. And so the sprout “shot up quickly,” to translate the Greek literally.

But the sun came up, as it always does. The sprout in shallow soil could not put down deep roots to trap the moisture of the ground (Hagner 369). And so the plant “withered” and died.

A second wrong way to judge faith is by emotions. In Jesus’ interpretation of the parable he says, “The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy” (v. 20). Unlike the heart hardened by deceptions and distractions from the enemy, this soul welcomes the word instantly. The “joy” which results is clear and early proof of the sincerity of this person’s faith. Or so we think.

But nowhere does the Bible say how it feels to become a Christian, or to walk with him. Our emotions are to be the caboose at the end of the train, not the engine driving it. Our emotions depend on the pizza we had for dinner, or the weather, or the stock market, or a million other variables. Do not judge faith by emotions. This sprout had joy, but not for long.

Judge faith by faithfulness. Jesus warns the person with quick but rootless faith: “since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away” (v. 21). “Trouble” translates the word for pressure, difficulty, stress. It was literally the word for the roller used by Romans to press wheat into flour (Robertson 1.106).

Such trouble is to be expected by Jesus’ followers: “We were under great pressure, far our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life” (2 Cor 1.8). Jesus warned us: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (Jn 16.33). (The italics translate the same Greek word as in Mt 13.21.)

And we will have “persecution.” This word speaks to the deliberate infliction of intentional pain, usually for religious reasons (France 219). Some of our struggles as Christians are the result of a fallen world. Others are the result of fallen people with fallen motives.

Whichever is the source of the struggle, the short-rooted hearer “quickly falls away” from the faith. The Greek uses the word “immediately.” “Falls away” translates the Greek word for “tripped up,” showing not a gradual loss of interest but a sudden collapse under pressure (France 219). The word of God does not collapse under such stress: “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40.8). But those who do not grow in their faith may soon prove that they do not possess it at all.

There is encouragement here regarding those who do not respond immediately to the word of God as we share it. It may well be that the seed is simply taking time to find deep roots in the soil of their soul. An immediate response may be worse rather than better. Judge faith by faithfulness.

Refuse the weeds of wealth

Some soil in the farmer’s field was too hard to receive the seed. Some was too shallow to give it roots. And some was too filled with weeds to let it live: “Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants” (v. 7). “Other” seed, of the same quality, sown by the same farmer. The difference is not in the message, but its recipients.

“Falling among thorns” was a common agricultural problem in Jesus’ day. Farmers had no access to chemicals which would destroy weeds and their root systems. So they had two remedies. They could plow the field under, which would tear up the growing weeds but do nothing to their roots. Or they could burn the field, with the same effect. Either way, the farmer could not see the weeds hiding in the soil where he sowed his seed.

But they were there, and they “grew up and choked the plants.” Luke used the same word translated “choked” for the hogs who rushed into the lake and “were choked” or drowned (Luke 8.33; cf. Robertson 1.103). What weeds choke us spiritually?

Jesus names two varieties which are especially deadly: the “worries of this life” and the “deceitfulness of wealth” (v. 22). “Worries of this life” translates the Greek “anxieties of this age,” meaning worldly concerns and interests (Rienecker 1.39). The “deceitfulness of wealth” translates “deceit of riches,” the “uncertainty or deceit inherent in wealth.” Sin is deceitful in its very nature (Hebrews 3.13), and sinful wealth especially so: “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6.9-10). Money is not evil, but pursuing it can be deceitful.

How do riches deceive us? We think we are better than those who do not have them, though Jesus and most of his apostles were poor. We believe we have earned and deserved what we possess, though our every ability, gift, and opportunity has come from God. We believe wealth will ensure happiness, though Jesus’ parable warns us that the opposite is more often the case. Some of us think that wealth proves God’s blessing and poverty his punishment, though Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus prove just the opposite (Luke 16.19-31).

Note that this problem is especially acute for those with the greatest capacity for good. This is good soil, with depth and richness of character. It is well able to support a bountiful crop, but the weeds which have infested it will kill its harvest. Likewise, those who are bearing fruit for God now must be especially on guard against worldly cares and the deception of riches, for they plague most those who are driven to achieve and succeed. Here the crop is the result of purpose, not ability.

At issue is not “worldly” possessions themselves. The God who made the material world pronounced it good. Jesus used Paul with his education, Joseph of Arimathea with his wealth, and Lydia with her business success. Job, Abraham, Joseph, and Moses were all men of enormous means.

Chrysostom (died AD 404), the archbishop of Constantinople and a man acquainted with prosperity, was right: “He said not ‘the world,’ but ‘the care of the world’; not ‘riches’ but ‘the deceitfulness of riches.’ Let us not, then, blame the things, but the corrupt mind. For it is possible to be rich and not to be deceived; and to be in the world, and not to be choked with its cares” (quoted in Broadus 294).

The issue is the priority we place on our possessions and activities. William Barclay: “It is characteristic of modern life that it becomes increasingly crowded and increasingly fast. A man becomes too busy to pray; he becomes so preoccupied with many things that he forgets to study the word of God; he can become so involved in committees and good works and charitable services that he leaves himself no time for him from whom all love and service come. His business can take such a grip of him that he is too tired to think of anything else. It is not the things which are obviously bad which are dangerous. It is the things which are good, for the ‘second best is always the worst enemy of the best.’ It is not even that a man deliberately banishes prayer and the Bible and the Church from his life; it can be that he often thinks of them and intends to make time for them, but somehow in his crowded life never gets round to it. We must be careful to see that Christ is not shouldered out of the topmost niche in life” (2.60-1).

Measure success by fruitfulness

At last we come to the good news: “Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (v. 8). This “good soil” is bereft of footpaths, rocks, or weeds. But the farmer cannot know this until the harvest is in. The success of the soil is not measured by its appearance or its early successes, but only by its fruitfulness.

Here the harvest was bountiful: “a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.” Some interpreters have seen this description as exaggeration, “typical oriental hyperbole” (Beare 291). Jeremias interprets this harvest as symbolic only of the spiritual results at the end of the age (p. 119). But Genesis 26.12 states that “Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him.”

And this was exceedingly fertile land. Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian, described the Galilean plains this way: “its nature is wonderful as well as its beauty; its soil is so fruitful that all sorts of trees can grow upon it. . . . One may call this place the ambition of nature, where it forces those plants that are naturally enemies to one another to agree together: it is a happy contention of the seasons, as if every one of them laid claim to this country; for it not only nourishes different sorts of autumnal fruit beyond men’s expectation, but preserves them a great while; it supplies men with the principal fruits, with grapes and figs continually, during ten months of the year, and the rest of the fruits as they become ripe together, through the whole year” (Wars 3.10.8).

The same God who created the earth can make it as fertile as he wishes. And our souls as well: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” (1 Corinthians 3.6-7). As he grows our souls into fruitfulness, he uses us to reproduce the harvest in our culture: “This is the method of Christ’s work, sowing the seeds of the Kingdom in the society and age in which we live. Jesus influences the age through the presence of the sons of the Kingdom” (Criswell 74-5).

And so we must commit ourselves to lives of fruitfulness. Keener is right: “The only conversions that count in the kingdom are those confirmed by a life of discipleship” (IVPNTC 239). We are to measure our lives and ministries today by this one standard of success: how many are following Jesus because of us? How many have I won to Christ? Discipled in the faith? Helped spiritually? Who is closer to Christ because of me? Who is more like Jesus because I am like him?

“Strain every nerve to belong to the best . . . and this will be all the more imperative, if you find that you are producing, not thirtyfold instead of sixty or a hundred, but nothing at all” (Plummer 191). What has been your harvest? What harvest would you pray for today?

In my study of this parable I was challenged to become more intentional in helping people follow Jesus through my life and work. And I was encouraged in that work by this comment from William Barclay. When you are discouraged in teaching the word of God, remember: “No farmer expects every single seed he sows to germinate and bring forth fruit. He knows quite well that some will be blown away by the wind, and some will fall in places where it cannot grow; but that does not stop him sowing. Nor does it make him give up hope of the harvest. The farmer sows in the confidence that, even if some of the seed is wasted, none the less the harvest will certainly come. . . .

“When a man sows the seed, he must not look for quick results. There is never any haste in nature’s growth. It takes a long, long time before an acorn becomes an oak; and it may take a long, long time before the seed germinates in the heart of a man. But often a word dropped into a man’s heart in his boyhood lies dormant until some day it awakens and saves him from some great temptation or even preserves his soul from death. We live in an age which looks for quick results, but in the sowing of the seed we must sow in patience and in hope, and sometimes must leave the harvest to the years” (2.62, 63).

Sow in faith. Pray for the souls of those you teach. Measure their faith not by appearances or emotion, material success or worldly gain, but faithfulness and fruitfulness. Measure yours the same way. And may the harvest of the ages be yours.

Playing Marbles with the World

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Playing Marbles with the World

John 9:1-7

Dr. Jim Denison

The alien movie Men In Black ends with the camera pulling back from Earth until our planet fades into the blackness of the universe. We fly back as the Solar System recedes, then the Milky Way. Then the universe itself becomes a black marble. Then two aliens play with that marble, flicking it back and forth. Is that the way it is? Or does God have a plan and a purpose for this fallen planet and our problems and pain?

In our series we have learned that Jesus will turn water into wine, heal a nobleman’s son, and feed 5,000 families. We have learned why we should take God at his word, and what happens when we do.

Now we must ask a hard question: why do we live in a world where such miracles are needed at all? Why does the wine run out in our lives? Why do our children get sick? Why do we get hungry?

As good as it is to know that Jesus can feed the hungry and heal the sick, wouldn’t it be better to live in a world where no families ever faced hunger and no eyes were ever born blind? Wouldn’t that be the better miracle?

The question brings our series to the place where most of us live. Maybe your grandfather lived to an elderly age; mine died as a young man because doctors mismatched his blood after an appendix operation. Maybe your father was healed miraculously of his heart disease; mine wasn’t. Maybe your son or daughter was protected from a tragic accident; I know several in our church family who still grieve for lost children. Maybe your job was preserved, or your financial needs miraculously met; I can name several friends whose families are hurting today.

Why do we live in a world where miracles are needed? Why does God permit people to be born blind? Why does he allow your blindness today? What does he want to do about it this morning?

Why some are born blind

“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?'” (vs. 1-2).

In the ancient world, illness was always a sign of divine judgment. If the man had incurred his blindness as an adult, there would be no question: the sin was his own. Since he was born with it, the disciples wondered whose sin had caused it. But it was a given that all suffering comes from sin. All pain is someone’s fault.

In a sense that’s true. In the Garden of Eden the man would have full eyesight; your children would be well; my father and grandfather would be alive. When mankind fell into sin, the world fell with us. Now we experience diseases and disasters which were not part of God’s created paradise.

And much of our present suffering is our personal fault as well. God gave us freedom of will so we could choose to worship him. When we misuse that freedom, the consequences are not God’s fault but ours. Haman was hanged on the gallows he intended for innocent Mordecai; the men who wanted Daniel thrown to the lions met them instead. Saddam Hussein obviously deserves the fate he has been sentenced to receive.

In the disciples’ theology, all pain is our fault and God is off the hook. Our question is answered. Why must God do miracles in our fallen world rather than make a world which doesn’t need them? Because of our sin.

Except that’s not how Jesus answered the question: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (v. 3). This happened so that God might do his work through this man’s life and suffering. How? In what way?

God works miracles for our greatest good. In this case, so the man could be healed by the divine power of a miracle-working God. His eyesight would always be more precious to him than mine is to me or yours is to you. He would be a character in the divine story of redemption. His life would be immeasurably more significant because he was born blind and healed than if he had never been born blind at all.

Scripture is clear: “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). God meets all our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). He longs to be gracious to us and rises to show us compassion (Isaiah 30:18). He is a Father, waiting to give us our daily bread. God works miracles for the present good of his children. We may not understand that fact at the time, but his word says that it’s so.

God works miracles for the eternal glory of his Kingdom. He turned the water into wine and “thus revealed his glory” (John 2:11). He fed 5,000 families so they would know that he was their Prophet and King. God’s word says that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). Scripture promises that “the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 40:5).

And God works miracles for our greatest growth. Jesus’ opened the man’s physical eyes so he could open the man’s spiritual eyes, with this result: “‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him” (v. 38).

He worked this miracle for the spiritual growth of those who observed it as well. The man became my favorite witness in Scripture: “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” (v. 25). And all who saw the miracle were confronted with an opportunity to trust the One who worked it.

God could have created a world in which we had freedom from suffering or freedom from choice, but not both.

All choice requires consequence, or it is not a true choice. If I order a chicken fried steak at lunch but the waiter brings me bran muffins, I will be protected from the indigestion and heart disease which would result from my dietary choice. But I would not be free to choose.

We live in a fallen world where disease and disaster are a consequence of Adam’s sin and our own, where drunk drivers and fanatical terrorists and alcohol abuse are a part of life.

But we also live in a creation which is being redeemed by its Creator. God’s holiness requires him to redeem all that he permits or causes, today and in eternity. He will redeem it for your greatest good, his greatest glory, and our greatest growth. Always.

When you are born blind

Now, how does this theological conversation help you when you’re the one born blind? When you’re the one dealing with a frustrating parent or a rebellious child? When your marriage is struggling or your job is being downsized or your friends are ungodly or your temptations are overwhelming? What do you do?

Jesus “spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes” (v. 6). This was accepted medical practice in the day. Now comes the crucial part: “‘Go,’ he told him, ‘wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing” (v. 7).

Jesus asked the man to trust him. Washing in the pool of Siloam was not part of any accepted medical practice. And it required sacrifice on the part of a blind man.

The pool of Siloam was one of the great landmarks in ancient Jerusalem. The reservoir is 53 feet long, 18 feet across, and 19 feet deep, with columns built into the side walls. The problem is that it was on the southern end of Jerusalem, while the Temple area where Jesus and this man were likely talking was on the northern end. Imagine him feeling his way along, at considerable bother and risk, all because a man told him to do so.

This blind man took Jesus at his word. He “went and washed”–the Greek word means not just that he splashed some water on his eyes, but that he bathed them in the pool. With this result: “the man went and washed, and came home seeing” (v. 7). Here we see the divine-human partnership at work. Jesus would heal the man’s eyes, but he would have to wash them first. He did what he could, and Jesus did what he could not.

Here’s my problem: I want to heal my eyes in my way. I want the Great Physician to use accepted medical procedure, to do things in a way I can understand and accept. I want him to meet my needs in my timing and according to my will. I want him to bless my decisions. I want to be God, and I want him to serve me.

Isn’t it hard for self-sufficient people to let Jesus put mud on our eyes? Isn’t it hard to surrender to his will before we know it? To write him a blank check before he fills in the amount? To let him guide us anywhere, before we know where? To go out not knowing? To step before we can see? To put him in charge and let him be God?

Yet that is the essential first step to the power of the Lord. He will not do for us what we try to do for ourselves. And he will not share his glory. When we sell out, surrendering all, giving everything, then he can move in power. He cannot drive the car unless he’s holding the steering wheel. He cannot fly the plane unless he’s the Pilot. He cannot be your Great Physician unless you’re willing to submit as his patient.

Where do you need to make such a surrender to him today? What is your blindness this morning? Where are you in need of Jesus’ mud and Siloam’s water? How do you need God’s help for your friendships, your dating relationships, your finances, your family, your future? Take Jesus at his word. Seek his plan for your life, his next step for your problem, his help for your hurt. Claim this promise in his word:

“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

Believe that he has a purpose for your problem, a plan to give you hope and a future. Call on him, come and pray to him, and know that he will listen to you. Seek him with all your heart, and you will find him this day.

Have you given him your problem in faith? Have you found his word for your need? His promise for your pain? Are you standing on that word?

His holiness requires him to redeem all that he permits or causes, now and in eternity. You may never understand fully on earth the ways he is using your pain for your good, his glory, and our growth. But you can know that he is, if you will take him at his word today.

Conclusion

I have prepared this message with some particular people in mind. A couple who lost a daughter recently, another who lost an infant boy some months ago, a mother and father whose teenage daughter was killed, another whose adult daughter died far too young. I’ve been thinking about them, wondering what this message would say to them.

I’m thinking today about those of you whose dating relationship is not going well; those who aren’t sure what to do for a friend with a problem; those wondering if you’ll ever be married, or married again. I don’t know all the ways God is using your pain for your good, his glory, and our growth. I don’t even know some of the ways he is doing that for you. But I’m taking him at his word today that he is. I invite you to do the same.

Albert Einstein made the famous statement, “God does not play dice with the universe.” We are not a marble he toys with. He loves you and me individually, personally, beyond description.

So today is the day to take him at his word. To submit to his Spirit, to yield to his purpose, to walk with him in prayer, to know that his holiness requires him to redeem all that he permits or causes. Today is the day to let Jesus put mud on our eyes, however he intends to do so, and wash in whatever pool of Siloam is his will for us.

“As Jesus went along, he saw a man blind from birth” (v. 1). Today that “man” is you. This is the promise of God.

Playing Theological Scrabble

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Playing Theological Scrabble

Acts 13:16-23

Dr. Jim Denison

I have an article written by someone with too much spare time. This person has played Scrabble in an unusual way: by rearranging the letters, “George Bush” becomes “He bugs Gore,” “dormitory” becomes “dirty room,” “the Morse code” spells “here come dots,” “slot machines” is “cash lost in me,” “eleven plus two” is “twelve plus one,” and closing with the worst on the list, “mother-in-law” becomes “woman Hitler.”

Today we’ll close our series with King David by playing theological Scrabble. There is only one way to arrange the letters of our days to make genuine meaning of them. Most of us want to write volumes with our lives and work. But there is only one sentence which will give us the harmony, peace, and joy God intends our lives and relationships to possess.

Refuse a divided heart

Today we’ll choose between David and Saul. Between two kings, two ways of life, two approaches to faith, two worldviews. Meet your first option.

Saul was the largest and mightiest man in his entire nation, a head taller than his contemporaries. When the Israelites wanted a king to protect them from their enemies, it only made sense that they would choose him. If the Mavericks could sign Shaquille O’Neal or me to play center, Mark Cuban wouldn’t have a hard decision to make.

And Saul’s early years were successful in the extreme. He led Israel to defeat the hated Philistines, to liberate the people from enslaved bondage, to procure a measure of freedom and security they had not known in generations.

But then came the test of Saul’s heart, the moment which revealed a destiny.

The Lord commanded the king to attack a people known as the Amalekites for their sins against Israel during the Exodus. Here was his clear word: “…destroy everything that belongs to them” (1 Samuel 15:3). But Saul kept “the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good” (v. 9).

The Lord responded thus: “Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: ‘I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions'” (v. 10-11a).

God gave Samuel this further word: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams” (v. 22).

With this conclusion: “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you” (v. 28). The point was not the lambs and calves, for the God of the universe has plenty. The point was partial or complete obedience.

Saul typifies the spirit of our day: serve God, but serve yourself as well. Give him what he asks, so long as you get what you want also. If we give him Sunday, we can have the rest of the week. If we give him some of our money, we can spend the rest as we wish. If we give him some of our time and abilities, we can use the rest as we please. Live in two worlds, serving two masters. This is the divided heart.

It is not a new worldview. Six centuries before Christ, a Greek singer and philosopher named Orpheus taught his followers that our souls are separate from our bodies, that in fact our bodies were created to punish and purify our souls. So the “spiritual” is good, while the “secular” is bad.

This single idea influenced Pythagoras, who influenced Plato, who influenced Augustine, who influenced Luther. It has come to permeate all of Western civilization, so that it is in the very air we breathe today. There is the spiritual and the secular, the church and the “real world,” Sunday and Monday. Give God what he wants, but only so long as we get what we want as well.

The divided heart affects us in every way. Here are some hard questions. They are intended kindly, but they reveal the way we are all tempted by this worldview.

This week, did you meet God every morning for an extended time of prayer, Bible study, and worship? If not, why not? Is it that you didn’t have the time? Or is it that you didn’t want to give the time? Would such a commitment require a lifestyle adjustment you don’t want to make? Would it cost you sleep, or leisure, or work you don’t want to give? Are you trying to serve God and self at the same time?

This week, did you make your faith public? Did you share the gospel with a lost friend or colleague or relative? If not, why not? Is it that you didn’t know how? Or is it that you didn’t want to take the chance? Would such a commitment require a risk you don’t want to take? Would it cost you socially? Are you trying to serve God and self?

Today, did you give the tithe, ten percent of your income, to God? If not, why not? Is it your belief that you cannot afford to do so? Is it true that you actually cannot afford to give ten percent of your income to the One who gave everything to you, or is it that such a commitment would cost you more than you want to pay? Would it require a lifestyle adjustment you don’t want to make? Are you trying to serve God and self?

A recent poll revealed that three-quarters of college students surveyed said their professors taught them there is no clear standard of right and wrong. In 2001, almost 30 million Americans said they had no religion—more than double the number from 1990. George Gallup recently reported that 20 percent of self-described born-again Christians believe in reincarnation, 26 percent in astrology, and 16 percent have visited a fortuneteller. 30 percent say that cohabitation, gay sex, and watching pornography is morally acceptable. We want to live for God, but for ourselves as well.

Dante spoke of “the dismal company whose lives knew neither praise nor infamy; who against God rebelled not, nor to Him were faithful, but to self alone were true.” Living for God but for ourselves as well, the life of the divided heart—does it tempt you today?

Choose a single heart

Now let’s contrast Saul with David. Here’s the first reference to the boy who would become Israel’s greatest king: Samuel told Saul, “…the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command” (1 Samuel 13:14). A “man after his own heart.”

What does this phrase mean? Paul explains it in our text: “I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do” (Acts 13:22).

He will—this is not a hope or possibility, but an absolute fact.

Do—not just believe, but put his doctrinal beliefs into practical action. The word is in the present tense—a continual lifestyle, not just an occasional religious observance.

Everything—no exceptions. No matter how hard or easy, no matter the cost to him. In every area of his life—his money, time, relationships, leadership.

I want him to do—literally “everything I wish,” the divine will.

How did he know what God wanted him to do? His psalms answer our question.

He studied the Scriptures for himself: “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect” (Psalm 18:30-32).

He listened to God through his people, as when Nathan revealed to him his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah.

He prayed for divine guidance: “Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation” (Psalm 5:1-3).

He waited for divine direction: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes” (Psalm 37:7). He knew that “The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him” (vs. 39-40). But a “refuge” helps us only when we get inside its protection.

David summarized his “heart” this way: “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple” (Psalm 27:4). David possessed a single heart, a single passion: to know and do the will of God. He did not separate life into secular and sacred, church and state, God and himself. His only question in every situation was: What is God’s will? His only desire was to do it.

Of course there were times when he failed his heart. His catastrophic sin with Bathsheba and Uriah will be known to all of history. But his heart was made clear by his response to Nathan’s rebuke, his genuine repentance, confession, and sorrow. To have God’s heart sadly does not exempt us from our fallen natures. Rather, it means that we choose his will over ours. And that we confess our sin when we do not. Our desire, however far we fall short, is to do everything God wants us to do.

Conclusion

The single heart is the key to a life of purpose and joy. Listen to theologian Donald Baillie: “Jesus lived in his life in complete dependence upon God, as we all ought to live our lives. But such dependence does not destroy human personality. Man is never so fully and so truly personal as when he is living in complete dependence upon God. This is how personality comes into its own. This is humanity at its most personal.”

Do you think constantly about the will of God? Do you expose your mind constantly to the word of God? Do you meet him first each morning for worship, prayer, and Scripture? Do you turn to his word first with your decisions, problems, and opportunities? Do you seek his will for each moment? Or do you live in two worlds—God and yours? Do you serve God and self? Are you Saul, or are you David?

The Catholic priest and theologian Henri Nouwen was one of the spiritual mentors of this generation. Not long before he died in 1996, he described the kind of faith we are considering today. He had become good friends with some trapeze artists, who explained to him the very special relationship between the flyer and the catcher. That’s a relationship the flyer would want to be very good, I would think.

As the flyer is swinging high above the crowd, the moment must come when he releases the trapeze and arcs out into the air. He is suspended in nothingness. He cannot reach back for the trapeze. There is no going back. But it is too soon to be grasped by the one who will catch him. He cannot accelerate the catch. In that moment, it is his job to be as still and motionless as he can.

“The flyer must never try to catch the catcher,” the trapeze artist told Nouwen. “He must wait in absolute trust. The catcher will catch him. But he must wait. His job is not to flail about in anxiety. In fact, if he does, it could kill him. His job is to be still. to wait.” To trust that he will catch you.

God can only catch that which you trust to him, the life which is lived for his will alone. Is yours such a life? Do you have a single heart, God’s own heart, today? Will you tomorrow?

Pledging Allegiance On Our Knees

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Pledging Allegiance on Our Knees

1 Peter 2:13-17

Dr. Jim Denison

“If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” I learned the truth of that maxim in a new way this week.

I wrote the sermon for this weekend earlier in the week, continuing our series on knowing that we know him. Then I was part of our prayer group which meets each week at 6 a.m. on Thursday; you are all invited, and would be blessed by being part of this special time together.

I asked our group to pray for America in light of the imminent elections, and happened to turn to today’s text as part of my request. As we were praying together, I sensed the Holy Spirit speaking to me. I was to set aside the sermon I had prepared, and write another one. One which would teach us the word of God specifically regarding the circumstances of these days.

So our publications ministry called the printer, changed the sermon title and text, and here we are.

I would introduce our conversation in this way. The “Pledge of Allegiance” has been much in the news since an atheist named Michael Newdow brought a suit in 2002 seeking to remove the words “under God.” We’ll not honor his request today. With the phrase preserved, there are two ways to say the Pledge—one with a comma between “one nation” and “under God,” the other without it. Let’s say it both ways.

First, with the comma: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands—one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” This way separates our unity and our spiritual lives.

Now let’s say the Pledge again, removing that comma: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands—one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” I checked—this is the official way to recite the Pledge. Let’s learn to say “one nation under God” and mean it. How can we make the pledge true in our country and in our lives? And why does the issue matter so very much?

Match verbs and nouns

There is much more in our text than we have time to examine in detail this morning. So let’s drill down into those parts which relate especially to us and our country on this momentous and historic weekend.

“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake” (v. 13a).

“Submit”—place yourself under the authority of another.

This is an imperative in the Greek—a command, not an option.

The command is in the present tense, an ongoing commitment

Do this “for the Lord’s sake”—not because the authorities in question deserve your loyalty, but because God requires it. Not because you like or don’t like the administration, or the person elected this Tuesday, or the government. But because you love the Lord.

“To every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors” (vs. 13b-14).

“Every authority”—again, no exceptions or qualifications; whether you voted for them or not.

The “king” would be Caesar to Peter, the president to us.

“Governors” would be their regional authorities, exercising the power of the Empire; they would be local and state officials to us.

“Show proper respect to everyone” (v. 17a).

Again, a present tense imperative—a daily command to obey.

“Respect to everyone”—allegiance, positive encouragement; not slander but support wherever you can. If Peter could do this with Nero, Americans can do this with our president and our leaders.

How? “Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king” (v. 17b).

Love each other—don’t fear one another.

Honor the king—don’t fear him; and you don’t have to love him.

Fear God—reverence him alone.

Now, how do we do all three? How do we love America, honor our leaders, and fear our Lord?

We vote. We exercise the right eight million Cubans do not have, just 90 miles south of our country. We exercise the freedom more than a thousand Americans have died to give those in Iraq and Afghanistan. Let me be blunt: there can be no excuse for every American of voting age not to vote. Long lines are no excuse—I cannot stand them, but I stood in one. Whether you are especially attracted to one candidate or the other is no excuse. Believing that your vote is not needed is wrong—if the 2000 election taught us anything, it is that 537 votes can elect a president. And it is irrelevant—it is your responsibility to vote.

So we vote, and we pray. We pray because we love Americans, because we honor our leaders, and because we fear God. Now, how can we pray best? How can we pray so that God can bless America?

Pray for America to be “one nation”

If the polls are to be believed, Americans are more divided in this election than in any in recent memory.

538 electoral votes are in question; Mr. Bush or Mr. Kerry must win 270 votes to achieve the presidency. Commentators are now discussing options never mentioned in my lifetime.

What happens if the vote is tied, 269-269? The states each get one vote in the House of Representatives, with 30 of the 50 aligned with the Republican Party. What if no candidate achieves a majority of electoral college votes? The newly-elected House of Representatives chooses the next president.

What happens if the election is contested legally? Both sides are preparing extensive legal teams in case the election results mirror those of 2000. That’s how divided the country appears to be.

We’re divided, and distrustful. Concerns about possible voter fraud are mounting.

As many as 58,000 absentee ballots mailed in Florida may never have reached the voters who requested them.

Colorado is investigating the fact that 3,700 have registered to vote in more than one county this year.

A lawsuit has been filed by two servicemen in Iraq and Kuwait to allow them more time to vote.

“Voter suppression” is the effort being made by both parties to discourage people from voting if they don’t support their candidate. And major questions remain unanswered regarding electronic balloting, hanging chads, and other voting issues.

Rhetoric is extreme. President Bush and Senator Kerry are being castigated and caricatured in ways more destructive and slanderous than I can remember ever seeing in America. I won’t repeat some of the slander I’ve heard, but I know you’ve heard it, too.

But Jesus was clear: “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand” (Mark 3:25). When cracks appear in the foundation, the entire structure is in danger of collapse.

So we must pray for the unity of our nation. Specifically, we must pray:

That the election process will be completed without fraud or disunity.

That the results will be determinative enough to help the nation move forward.

That our people will support whoever is elected, whatever the outcome.

That we will find ways to move forward as “one nation.”

Pray for Americans to be “under God”

How can such unity be achieved? By removing the comma and joining the phrases: “one nation under God.” By praying for Americans to be “under God.” The closer we get to him, the closer we get to each other.

Our founders knew that we need a vertical dimension to make the horizontal work; that we need the spiritual to achieve the relational.

George Washington added the pledge, “So help me God” to his inaugural oath, and later said, “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”

William Penn, founder and governor of the Pennsylvania colony, said, “If we will not be governed by God, we will be ruled by tyrants.”

Benjamin Franklin, by no means a believing Christian, said, “A nation of well-informed men who have been taught to know the price of the rights which God has given them, cannot be enslaved.”

And Thomas Jefferson, a deist who did not accept the miraculous or the divinity of Jesus Christ, said, “The Bible is the cornerstone of liberty; therefore students’ perusal of the sacred volume will make us better citizens, better fathers, and better husbands.”

Am I suggesting that America is or should be a “Christian” nation? Absolutely not. There is not one reference to God in the Constitution. We should not become a Christian nation any more than we should become a Muslim nation. We cannot compel any person to faith in Jesus Christ, or vote our Lord into office. That’s the Taliban’s vision for a country, not the biblical worldview.

We are not to pray that our nation become Christian, but that our people become Christians.

We are to pray that we be the light of the world Jesus called us to be (Matthew 5:14-16), reflecting Jesus to our dark world. We are the Moon to the Son. The Moon produces no light of its own; “moonlight” is simply sunlight reflected. The lunar eclipse of Wednesday night happened because the Earth got between the Moon and the Sun. We are to pray that nothing eclipse our witness in reflecting the Son to our nation and world.

We are to pray during this unified missions emphasis that our money, our witness, our work, and our prayers help expand the Kingdom of God on earth. That our church helps people follow Jesus; that we know that we know him.

We are to pray that our motto, “In God We Trust,” becomes real for our families, friends, neighbors, and fellow Americans. And then we are to do all we can to answer that prayer.

Conclusion

To the degree that we are “one nation under God,” with no comma between, to that degree we will be “indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” So let us pray, today and this week. Many of us will fast and pray for America—I invite you to join us. Take some time Tuesday specifically to kneel and pray. Pray for Americans to be “one nation,” to be united no matter the outcome of this election. A house divided cannot stand. And pray for us to be one nation “under God,” surrendered to his word and his will in our souls and our lives.

As you pray, answer your prayer personally.

Are you “one nation” with your fellow Americans today? Have you been slandering a candidate or a fellow citizen? Has your attitude been godly? Is there a relationship you must restore?

Are you “under God” today? Is your life fully surrendered to Jesus as Lord? Can he use your time, talents, and treasure as he wishes? Do you belong to him?

The London Times asked G. K. Chesterton and other well-known writers to submit essays on the topic, “what’s wrong with the world.” Chesterton’s essay: “Dear Sirs, I am.”

Are you?

Power from Heaven!

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God’s Power for God’s Purpose

Power from Heaven!

Dr. Jim Denison

Acts 2, Ephesians 5:18

Robert Louis Stevenson, then a child of six or seven years, was standing at his window one night watching a lamplighter at work. One by one, the man would light the streetlamps as he walked down the road. Young Stevenson watched with fascination. His nurse asked what he was doing. The little boy answered, “I am watching a man making holes in the darkness.”

We need holes in the darkness today, don’t we? Terrorist threats continue; airline flights are changed or cancelled as a result of homeland security issues; presidential campaigns always bring a certain level of uncertainty to the future. Many are still in need of employment; hurting hearts and homes are on every side. Where do you most need a touch from God today? Where do your class members most need to feel his grace?

The light we need is available to us. In fact, every believer already possesses all the power and help of God. What the Holy Spirit did for the first Christians, he is waiting to do for us. Let’s learn to make your class and each heart the Upper Room this week.

Receive God’s Spirit (vs. 1-4)

Here’s the situation. Jesus’ followers number around 120, in a hostile world of more than 25 million. The very people who executed Jesus are now the enemies of his followers. What they did to him, they stand ready to do to them. Yet Jesus has charged them with reaching that hostile world in its entirety—all 25 million. One third of our world claims to follow Jesus. .0006% of their world did.

If we were in their shoes, we’d be doing something. We’d organize strategies, start ministries, plan programs, do all we could. They knew better.

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all in one place” (v. 1). Pentecost was the 50th day after the Passover Sabbath. Jews from around the world were crowded into Jerusalem for the religious holiday.

Meanwhile, Jesus’ church was crowded into a single room. Where and why? Earlier Jesus had assured them that when he left, his Father would send another Counselor to them, the Holy Spirit (John 16:7). Then he promised them, “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). Before his ascension, their Master told them one last time to wait in Jerusalem for the “gift” of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4).

And so they risked their lives to meet in an upper room of a Jerusalem house. First-century houses were often constructed with a large second-floor room which was used for meals and guests. It was cooler than the first floor, with windows open to the sky, and could accommodate a large number of people. Perhaps twenty were gathered in this setting (cf. Acts 1:13-15).

Here they prayed constantly for God’s protection and his Spirit’s power. For one long week, after Jesus’ ascension until the day of Pentecost came. Despite their differences, and the persecution which threatened their very lives, they prayed with one heart and spirit.

And God kept his word. “Suddenly” (immediately, without warning, unexpectedly) a sound like the blowing of a “violent” (turbulent, stormy, threatening) wind came from heaven (v. 2). It filled the entire house where they were meeting together. Jesus had earlier likened the Spirit to the wind (John 3:8). Both are more powerful than human strength, able to overwhelm us instantly. Both are unseen but very real. Neither can be produced or predicted. And both are essential to life.

Next “what seemed to be tongues of fire” came from heaven, then “separated and came to rest on each of them” (v. 3). Fire is a consistent metaphor for the holiness and presence of God (“Our God is a consuming fire,” Hebrews 12:29, quoting Deuteronomy 4:24). John the Baptist had predicted that Jesus “would baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matthew 3:11). The prophet Joel had earlier predicted such an event (2:28-29), a promise Peter would soon quote (Ac. 2:16ff).

These “tongues of fire” were emblematic of the anointing and empowering of God. And they came to rest “on each of them” (Ac. 2:3b), showing that each believer would be equally and similarly empowered. No clergy/laity distinction here!

Here was the result: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (v. 4). “Filled” means to be influenced by, to be controlled. It does not refer to quantifiable experience, but to a yielded and submitted life. We will meet this word again today.

Note that “all of them” had this experience. Again, each believer was empowered by the same Holy Spirit. Now each of them “began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” This is not a reference to the “gift of tongues” or ecstatic prayer language described by Paul (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:28-30; 14:1-19). A comparison of the two experiences makes their differences clear:

At Pentecost, all experienced these “tongues”; at Corinth, not all did (Paul’s question is literally translated, “All do not speak in tongues, do they?” 1 Cor 12:30).

At Pentecost, no interpreters were necessary (“we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Acts 2:11); at Corinth, tongues were not to be used in public without an interpreter (1 Corinthians 14:27-28).

At Pentecost, the people recognized the “tongues” of the disciples as their own languages (Acts 2:11); at Corinth, the “tongues” used were not capable of human understanding (1 Corinthians 14:2).

In short, the Holy Spirit enabled the Pentecost believers to witness to their faith in the languages of those who had gathered in Jerusalem for the feast. It is no more true to say that we must speak in “unknown” tongues to have the Spirit than it is true to say that we must each witness immediately to our neighbors when the Spirit enters our lives.

The point of the passage is not the disciples’ witnessing in languages they had not previously learned, but the Spirit who enabled such ministry. The Pentecost gift was not their language, but the Holy Spirit. Previously, the Spirit would come “on” individuals for specific acts and times of service (cf. Samson’s experience, Judges 14:19). Now, after Jesus’ atoning death and resurrection, the Spirit is able to dwell “in” us. He came into the lives of God’s people at Pentecost, and dwells in us eternally.

As a result, we are the temple of God’s Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16-17); the Spirit enters us at salvation and never leaves (Romans 8:9). If you have made Christ your Lord, you have his Spirit. Does his Spirit have you?

Yield to the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He can still do in our lives all that he did in his earthly ministry and his first church. If you and your class have not experienced his power recently in life-changing ways, perhaps the explanation is that you have not done what his word asks of us. Ephesians 5:18 is our key: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” Before we continue exploring the Pentecost experience, let’s learn how to make it our own.

First, receive the Holy Spirit in salvation. Be sure that your class members have invited Christ to be their personal Savior and Lord. You will give them no greater gift than the assurance of their eternal salvation.

Second, admit that you need the Spirit’s power. Not just his salvation, but his power. A carpenter knows that his drill needs power. Do you know that your church and your life needs God’s power as well? The Lord’s word is clear: “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty” (Zechariah 4:6). Paul adds, “The Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power” (1 Corinthians 4:20). We cannot change lives without the power of the Spirit at work through us. We can do nothing eternal or significant unless he does it. And God will not do for us that which we try to do for ourselves. Self-reliance is the cardinal sin against spiritual power.

Third, be cleansed from all that hinders the Spirit. A carpenter can connect his drill to a socket and still have no power, if the plug is corroded. The plug must be clean for the power to flow.

In the same way, we are seeking the power of the Holy Spirit, and he cannot fill and control a dirty vessel. He cannot give his power with a dirty plug. We must be clean first. 2 Chronicles 7.14 is clear: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” If we confess, God will forgive. If we are clean, God will move in power.

Are you willing to be cleansed from everything which hinders the Holy Spirit in your life? Then take a moment for a moral inventory. Write on a sheet of paper anything which is hindering the Spirit in your life. If you’re not sure, ask him and he’ll show you. Confess these sins specifically to God, and claim his cleansing. Cleanse the “plug” and you will know the power.

Last, ask the Spirit to control and empower your life. A carpenter’s drill doesn’t have to do this, for it has no will. But we do. And we must ask the Spirit to control and empower us, before he will.

Will you do this, right now? In prayer, simply ask the Spirit to take control of your life, your mind, your time, your abilities. Surrender your will to him. Promise to obey him wherever he leads you.

And believe that he has. Nowhere does the Bible describe how it “feels” to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Some will feel something unusual; others will not. I seldom do. The proof is in the results, not the feeling. So step out in faith, believing that the Spirit has empowered you, for he has.

And do this daily. The literal Greek is, “Be continually being filled.” Whenever sin corrodes your relationship with him, confess it and claim cleansing. Then reconnect with the Spirit. Stay in communion with him all through the day—stay “plugged in.”

As you do, remember that God empowers us according to his purpose for us. The Holy Spirit never empowered a Christian in the Book of Acts except to make him or her a more effective witness. If we are not willing to share Christ, we will not have the power of the Spirit. If we are, we will. Make this your daily experience. No disciple is as crucial to spiritual success as this.

Conclusion

Dwight Moody preached to over one hundred million souls in his ministry. He founded what became Moody Bible College, and was widely considered one of the godliest men in America. His prayers have been recorded and published; his passion for the lost was legendary. And yet Moody often said of his own soul, “I am a leaky bucket, and I need to be refilled daily.” If he needed this, so do I. Do you?

Does God still move? Can we see “Book of Acts miracles” today? Can some of us be the next Paul, Barnabas, Peter, Lydia? Can we make holes in the darkness today? The answer is up to us, isn’t it?

Power from Heaven! (Part 2)

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God’s Power for God’s Purpose

Power From Heaven! (Part 2)

Dr. Jim Denison

Acts 2

In late 1966, Herb Kelleher, John Parker, and Rollin King met at San Antonio’s St. Anthony Club to talk about the need for an air carrier in Texas. Their idea was simple: to connect Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. The result is the most profitable airline in aviation history. But their cause was their real genius: to make air travel affordable for people who could not otherwise fly. That cause is the reason Southwest Airlines is still the leading low fare airline, and that cause is their passion and purpose for being. From the chief executive to baggage handlers, their cause is their corporation. They do nothing which does not fulfill this objective and purpose.

God’s people should be even more passionate about fulfilling his purpose for our lives and our church. But we are distracted by every other priority the world can manufacture. The members of your class are tempted by every definition of success imaginable. It is the typical pattern of fallen human beings to seek God’s help with our agendas, our dreams and goals. But he will honor and empower only that which accomplishes his will. No loving father could encourage his children to do that which is to their harm.

Our Father wants his will for our lives, because that will is for our best and his glory.

The first Christians learned at Pentecost that God’s power is intended to fulfill God’s purpose and no other. Let’s learn how to experience that same power as we fulfill that same purpose.

Seize the opportunity at hand (vs. 5-12)

Immediately upon experiencing the empowering of the Holy Spirit, the first Christians found themselves in one of the most exciting ministry opportunities described anywhere in Scripture. Jews from all over the Empire gathered each year in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost; the universal Roman roads and peace made such travel especially plausible in the first century of the Christian movement.

And so the disciples found themselves face to face with people groups from fifteen different countries or locales. The peoples listed in vs. 8-11 spanned the known world, from Rome to the west to the Parthian Empire and Arabia to the east. The first Christians would have spent years in travel to speak to the same people who were now gathered at their doorstep (v. 5).

Making things even easier, the crowd “came together” because they heard the sound of the Spirit’s movement upon the disciples (v. 6a), and “each one heard them speaking in his own language” (v. 6b). The work of the Spirit created an event through which the Spirit could work. Charles Finney, the 19th century revivalist, was right: “When the church is on fire, people will come from miles around to watch it burn.”

The gathering crowds were shocked. They knew the disciples to be Galileans (v. 7), people with their own distinct language and dialect. But now these “country folk,” never known for educational interest, had somehow learned the native dialects of each of the people gathered from across the world. The crowds’ astonishment knew no bounds: “we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (v. 11). And so they wondered to each other, “What does this mean?” (v. 12).

The language miracle of Pentecost was perhaps not primarily one which enabled the crowds to understand the speech of the disciples. Each of the groups listed would know the Aramaic which was native to Palestine; Greek was a common language understood across the world as well. Nowhere else do we find Paul or other missionaries unable to communicate God’s word because of language barriers, for the Aramaic and Greek they spoke was universally useful.

Rather, this was a work of the Spirit which made clear the miraculous nature of the Christian faith. The disciples could suddenly speak in the native dialects of the people, endearing themselves instantly to their audiences. They could build immediate emotional bridges and connections to the hearts of those they sought to win. And they could demonstrate an ability beyond the human, showing the divine nature of their message. Imagine that a bilingual American whose native language was Russian were to attend your class, and suddenly you could speak to her in her first language. This miracle would not be necessary to communicate the truth of Scripture so much as to demonstrate its divine nature through you.

The Spirit-filled disciples began to fulfill Acts 1:8 in the part of Jerusalem where they found themselves. You and I will always know someone who needs to know Jesus. There is a neighbor, colleague, or family member who represents our first mission field. Baptists have historically defined missions as crossing a cultural, language, or geographic barrier to share the gospel. But we are learning better: missions begins with the next lost person you meet.

Charles Spurgeon, the greatest of all Baptist preachers, was once speaking on personal evangelism. A fireman afterwards told Spurgeon that he didn’t know where to begin such ministry. Spurgeon asked the man if his captain was a believer; the fireman thought he probably was not. So Spurgeon concluded, “Begin today, with him.” Seize the opportunity at hand. Where will you begin this day? This week?

Anticipate reactions (vs. 12-41)

Human nature does not change, making the word of God perennially relevant. This fact also enables us to predict typical responses to that word. The first crowds to hear the gospel from Christian disciples demonstrated exactly the same reactions you and I can expect from those with whom we share the good news today.

Some will be confused (v. 12). The gospel will not be “good news” but “new news.” Only 2% of Americans are afraid they might go to hell; the vast majority thinks a Christian is a good person who believes in God. I do not know a single individual who has understood fully the Christian gospel and chosen to reject it. Typically our friends and neighbors refuse a pseudo-gospel, a message which convinces them that Christianity is about joining a church and practicing a religion. When we share the actual definition of a Christian, many will be confused and need help with understanding.

Others will be critical: “Some, however, made fun of them and said, ‘They have had too much wine'” (v. 13). The festival of Pentecost often involved feasting and wine (though Jews would not break their religious fast until 10:00 that morning). And so some critics assumed that the strange speech they heard from these Galileans was the result of intoxication of spirits rather than the Spirit. People will always be down on whatever they’re not up on. You and I can expect some to criticize our faith and message.

Some will be convicted: “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?'” (v. 37). The Spirit alone can bring conviction of sin and transformation of heart. When we speak as he directs us, he will always use our words in the hearts which are open to his truth. You may or may not see such a response immediately, but it is always real in someone’s soul.

And some will be converted: “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (v. 41). Of those who are convicted of their sins, many will take the next step to accept the truth we share. And then the Holy Spirit who uses us will bring them into our faith family, and they will join us in the work of the Kingdom.

Many of us approach ministry and evangelism as though we are on trial; the person to whom we speak is the prosecutor, and we are trying to defend ourselves against his criticism and antagonism. In fact, the Lord Jesus is on trial. The Holy Spirit is the defense attorney; Satan is the prosecutor; the person to whom you speak is the jury. A witness is a person called to the stand to share what he or she has experienced personally.

The verdict is not up to you. You may be the last witness in the courtroom, and learn how the jury decided. You may be the first witness called, and never hear how the trial ended. You may be somewhere in between. But no matter—your job is simply to tell what you know. The healed blind man is my favorite witness in Scripture: “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” (John 9:25).

Build a bridge to Christ (vs. 16-36)

In the power of the Spirit, it is your job and mine simple to share what we know of Christ with those we meet and know. Where do we begin? With what they already know. Jesus met the woman at the well, so he asked for water. He found a man born blind, so he healed his eyes. He fed the crowds because they were hungry.

Paul quoted the Greek philosophers when he spoke to Greek philosophers (Acts 17); he quoted the Old Testament when he spoke to Jewish synagogues. Start with common ground. Find a place where you share a belief or experience, and begin there.

In this case, Peter knew that his crowd was composed of observant Jews, passionate enough about their faith to travel great distances to take part in Pentecost. And so he began with the Scriptures they would all know and accept. He got their attention, and rebutted the charge of drunkenness (vs. 14-15). Then he quoted Joel’s great promise that when the Messiah came and the “last days” began, the Spirit would fall on “all people” (Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:17-21).

The Jews divided time into the “former days” before the Messiah’s advent, and the “latter days” after his coming. And so this Pentecost coming of the Spirit was proof that Jesus of Nazareth really was the Messiah of God. Joel’s prediction legitimized the personal ministry of Jesus’ disciples, and made clear its divine origin.

Now Peter turned from the promise to its fulfillment, explaining clearly what Jesus had accomplished with his life, death, and resurrection (vs. 22-23). He staked everything on the resurrection, for it alone proved Jesus’ divinity (v. 24). And he used David’s psalms with their predictions of such a resurrection as proof that Easter fulfilled the word of the Lord (vs. 25-35). With this conclusion: “let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and God” (v. 36).

Peter’s method can be reproduced by any of us who are willing:

Find a spiritual truth you share in common with the person you are seeking to win to Christ. Perhaps it is a mutual appreciation for the beauty of nature and grandeur of the cosmos, or shared frustration with the sinful nature of our culture and society. Perhaps you have felt the same kind of hurt this person is now facing. Find a place where you and this person share similar beliefs or experiences.

Explain how Jesus has touched this need or experience in your life. If you’re speaking with a person in grief, share how Jesus helped you through a time of loss. If you’re hiking in the woods with a friend, show how the order of creation demonstrates an ordered Creator, and share a way Jesus has brought order to your life. People may disagree with your beliefs, but they will be interested in your story.

Present the essential facts of Jesus’ life and work. Most Americans do not understand what he did, or why he did it.

Use the resurrection to demonstrate his uniqueness and divinity. New Testament writers and ancient Roman and Jewish historians are agreed: Jesus of Nazareth was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and buried in a tomb. On the third day, that tomb was empty; the first Christians believed Jesus to be raised from the dead. We know these facts without opening a New Testament. And there is no explanation for the empty tomb except Easter.

Invite the person to meet this risen Lord personally.

Encourage to personal faith (vs. 37-41)

Some will always respond to God’s word as it is made clear by God’s Spirit at work through us. When they do, we must call them to repentance and faith (v. 38).

Peter’s words have confused many and led some to the conviction that baptism is essential to salvation: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” But the phrase “for the forgiveness of your sins” is better translated in this context, “because your sins have been forgiven.” We are not baptized to become Christians, but because we already are.

Nowhere does the Bible teach that baptism (or any other work) is essential to salvation. Rather, our salvation comes only by God’s grace through our faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). A typical American response to the gospel is to trade faith for works. If we are good people and believe in God, such works must be enough. Or, if we have been baptized and attend church, we must be Christians.

I often explain that going to church doesn’t make us Christians any more than going to weddings makes us married or going to funerals makes us deceased. A person becomes married by entering into a personal commitment with another person. So it is with our personal faith in the living and true God.

Peter made clear that God’s grace is for us all, unconditionally (v. 39). Some believe we are good enough for God; others of us believe we can never be. We must encourage both types of people to come to the same grace offered by the same Father.

The apostle’s commitment to this ministry was personal and passionate, as he pled with the crowds to come to Christ (v. 40). John Claypool is right: only that which happens to us can happen through us. When others see what Jesus means to us, they will consider our faith as their own. We must share our love for Christ and others with personal commitment and passionate devotion. Such passion connects heart to heart, and moves the soul to faith.

The results of Peter’s ministry and the disciples’ personal evangelism were stunning and historic: some 3,000 came into the faith that day. And the most powerful spiritual movement in human history had begun.

Invite others to join the family (vs. 42-47)

The gospel is not only for the person—it is for all of humanity. Every image of the Christian faith found in Scripture is a collective picture: a body with many members, a vine with many branches. We can no more live the Christian life alone than we can play football by ourselves. The Spirit’s work made lost souls into children of God, then led them to live as family.

Their priorities should be ours: Bible study, fellowship, worship (“the breaking of bread,” an image for the Lord’s Supper and the worship it inspires), and prayer (v. 42). Out of these priorities came a community of faith which would stand every persecution across twenty centuries. Christians then and now experience God’s miraculous power through our prayerful ministries (v. 43); we share life and needs together (vs. 44-45); we worship together with “glad and sincere hearts” (v. 46); and God continues to add to our number those who are being saved (v. 47).

You and I live in a world of increasing fragmentation. “Cocooning” is a word used by sociologists to describe the way we pull into our own isolated lives. The vast majority of Americans cannot name the people who live on either side of their homes or apartments. The advent of cable and satellite television, movie subscription services, and the Internet has made isolation even more common.

But God made our hearts to need each other. We cannot be happy alone. The church provides the one value our Internet culture cannot: a genuine family. Not just words on the screen, but a caring heart and hand. When we invite others to join our family, they will want to know our Father.

Conclusion

Phillips Brooks, the great Episcopal pastor and preacher, was once asked what he would do if he were sent to a declining church. His answer was simple: “I’d gather together as many people as I could, preach the finest sermon on missions I could, then take the largest offering for missions I could. When we have a mission, we have a church.”

God’s mission for his people is clear. He will empower us to the degree that we will fulfill his mission. How fully do you sense the Spirit at work in your life today?

Power When You’re Powerless

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Power When You’re Powerless

Romans 8:9-11

James C. Denison

When I enrolled in college as a freshman, music was my second major. I was told that I needed to take a voice class. You may have heard about the farmer who got his pig singing lessons–all they did was cost the farmer money and made the pig mad. Well, I was that pig.

They put me in a tenor class. I have no tenor range whatsoever. They made me learn Italian arias. I worked as hard as I’ve ever worked at anything. I learned the Italian songs so well that I remember their words still today: “La cha te me morire . . .; Danza, danza, fanchula . . .” I never missed a class or lesson. I prepared for my vocal jury for weeks. I made an F in the class. All A’s my first semester, and an F. The scars are still with me today.

Have you ever felt powerless? Do you know what it is to fight a battle you can’t win, to face a problem you cannot solve?

Some of you are struggling with a problem at work which your supervisors won’t admit or solve. Or you’re watching the housing market fall and wondering what it’s doing to your house’s value. Or you’ve seen the stock market gyrations and wonder about your retirement. McDonald’s reported that December was its worst financial month in five years; you’re worried about a possible recession but don’t know what you can do about it. Or you’re struggling with problems in your health or family, with no end in sight.

The most debilitating kind of stress is the stress which comes from feeling powerless, from fighting a battle you don’t think you can win. We’ve all been there; we’ll all be there; and some of us are there today.

So far in Romans 8 we’ve learned that we are not condemned by God but “free from the law of sin and death” (v. 2). We can live according to the Spirit (vs. 3-4) when we give our mind to God (vs. 5-8). Now we learn that when we live according to the Spirit, we are empowered by the God of the universe. Where do you feel powerless and need the power of God? Let’s learn how to find his help wherever you need it most.

Do you have the Spirit?

One of my favorite illustrations about the power of God’s Spirit has to do with a father and his two small girls. He came home from work one day, and they ran from the house to greet him. The five-year-old got there first, just as he was standing on the sidewalk between two hedges, threw her arms around his legs and hugged him.

Her three-year-old little sister arrived, but couldn’t get to her father. Her sister was in front, hedges on either side. Tears welled up in her eyes as her sister taunted her, “I’ve got all of Daddy there is.” Her wise father, seeing the situation, reached down and picked up his little girl and held her in his arms. She looked down at her sister and said, “Daddy’s got all of me there is.”

Do you have all of God there is? Does he have all of you there is?

Take the questions in order. First: do you have the Spirit? You must be possessed by the Spirit of God to be a Christian. Believing in God is not enough. Going to church is not enough. You must ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and failures, and turn your life over to his Lordship. You must ask him to come and dwell in your life by faith. When you do, his Holy Spirit takes up residence in your life and makes you the child of God.

God’s word is clear on this reality. Our text begins: “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ” (v. 9).

Paul asked the Corinthian Christians, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

We sometimes say that we “ask Jesus to come into our heart,” but it’s actually the Holy Spirit who moves into us and transforms us. If we don’t have the Spirit, we don’t have God. When we have the Spirit, we have God.

There is no proof that this happens–it is an experience we receive and trust by faith.

Speaking in tongues is not necessary. Miracles and signs are not necessary or necessarily proof. Nowhere does the Bible say how it feels to become a Christian, to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit. It takes just as much faith to believe that the Spirit lives in your life as it did to invite him to come in. Faith in a relationship; like all relationships, it cannot be proven, only experienced.

Do you remember the time you asked Jesus to forgive your mistakes and become your Lord? That was when you received the Spirit. If you haven’t made that decision, your next step is to do so today. If you have, you have the Spirit. If you haven’t, you don’t.

Does the Spirit have you?

Now we come to our second question: does the Spirit have you? The Bible says that you can be controlled by the Holy Spirit. You can decide to be “filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18), to yield control of every part of your life to him. You can begin the day by submitting it to his leadership. You can give every temptation and worry to him. You can ask him to direct your steps and guide your life. You can be controlled by the Spirit. Why should you? For three reasons.

First, when you are controlled by the Spirit, you have his power over sin.

You “are not controlled by the sinful nature, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you” (v. 9). You can choose to sin, but you don’t have to sin. You are not controlled by the sinful nature. There is no sin you must commit. And when the Spirit is controlling you, there is no sin you will commit.

The Bible says that “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus was tempted in every way you and I are tempted today. In fact, his temptations were worse than ours. The longer you hold out against Satan, the harder he tries to defeat you. The more subtle his temptations become. If I can get you to sell your car for $5,000, I won’t offer you $10,000.

Jesus faced every kind of temptation Satan could devise, without ever yielding once. The difference was the Spirit. The Bible says that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). We cannot defeat spiritual enemies with human tools.

The good news is that we don’t have to. When we are controlled by the Spirit, we have the power of God over sin. Is this the place where you need his power today? Are you struggling with a repetitive temptation and sin in your life? Do you feel powerless over an area of weakness? Give it to God’s Spirit, and do what he says. If he directs you to a Christian counselor, go. If he directs you to tell and trust a friend, do so. Give it to him and submit to his leadership. By his strength you will be set free. By his power you will have victory.

This will be a process. Satan will not leave you alone. The Bible says that when Jesus defeated him in the wilderness he left the Lord “until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13). This will be a battle, but you are more than a conqueror through him who loves you. You have the power of God, when the Spirit has you.

Second, when you are controlled by the Spirit, you have his power to be godly. Paul says, “if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness” (v. 10).

The Greek means that “your spirit is alive because God has made you righteous” or “as a consequence of the righteousness God has imputed to you.” God has made you righteous, holy, justified in his sight. By the power of his Spirit, you can be a man or woman of God because of the power of the Spirit of God in your life today.

Now the “fruit of the Spirit” can be manifest in your life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Is this where you need the power of God in your life this morning? Are you struggling to love someone who is unlovely right now? To have joy in your circumstances? To have peace in challenging times? To have patience when you’re tested, or kindness toward those who have hurt you? Do you need goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in the face of temptation?

Don’t try harder to have these things. Submit to the Spirit and he will produce them in your life. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). When you are controlled by the Spirit, you have the power to be godly, no matter how hard and harsh your circumstances might be.

Third, when you are controlled by the Spirit, you have his power to face the future: “if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through the Spirit, who lives in you” (v. 11).

Your body is dying this very moment. You are one hour closer to death than you were when this worship service began. But the fact of Jesus’ resurrection proves your own. The Holy Spirit raised him from the grave, and will do the same for you. Jesus promised that “whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:26). When you close your eyes here, you open them there. When you take your last breath here, you take your first breath there. You step from death to life, from this fallen world into his glorious paradise. You are immortal.

What about the future worries you in the present? Is this the place where you need the power of God today? Do you feel powerless over your fears and worries about tomorrow? Give them to the Spirit of God. If he redeems death, he can redeem anything he permits. The Bible says that your present sufferings cannot compare to the glory to be revealed (Romans 8:18). Your God is working through all things for your good (v. 28).

You are more than a conqueror through him who loves you. When you are controlled by the Spirit, you have his power to face the future, whatever it may bring.

Conclusion

So, do you have the Spirit? Have you asked Jesus to forgive your sin and be your Lord and give you his Spirit? Does the Spirit have you? When was the last time you submitted and surrendered yourself to him? Do you give him your temptations and ask for his power over sin? Do you give him your challenges and ask for his power to be godly? Do you give him your fears and ask for his power and victory?

I read the strangest story this week: red tape is keeping a man in Poland from returning from the dead. Piotr Kucy is a 38-year-old living in southwest Poland. He was wrongfully identified by authorities last August as a drowned man, only to show up a few days after his own funeral. He has pointed out the fact that he is alive to government officials, but still remains dead in official records. He cannot work, but he also cannot pay taxes. I’m not sure either is a bad deal.

Did you know that his story is your story?

When the Spirit of God entered your life, the person you were before Christ died and the person you are now was raised from the dead. You don’t have to live in the old ways. You can start over. You have a new life. You don’t have to be powerless any more. You are more than a conqueror through him who loves you.

Or you can go back to the person you were. You can fight your problems in your ability. You can agree with the cultural lie that any problem can be solved if you try hard enough. You can opt for the self-reliance which is spiritual suicide. You can refuse the power of the Spirit who made the universe, the Spirit who raised Jesus from the grave, the Spirit who now lives in you. It’s your choice.

Do you have the Spirit? Does the Spirit have you?

Preach the Gospel, Then Use Words

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Preach the Gospel, Then Use Words

Matthew 5:14-16

Dr. Jim Denison

Last weekend, on the Saturday before Valentine’s Day, I bought Janet a red rose in a bud vase, along with some other things. Clinging to the vase was this cute little red bear. I was in a hurry, so I bought it without a second look and smuggled it all home.

The next morning was Valentine’s Day, so I handed Janet the rose with its cute little bear. She started to laugh and said, “You gave me a little devil?” I had no idea what she meant, then looked closer. The “bear” I bought was actually a stuffed red devil, with horns and a tail. If I’d known that I would never have bought the thing, but in my haste the day before I didn’t even look. It boils down to this: your pastor gave the pastor’s wife a Satan doll for Valentine’s Day, as an expression of his love.

Janet was very nice about it all, but she did make one comment: “If you want to appear thoughtful, it’s best to be thoughtful.” Our lives must back up our words.

Last week we focused on the need for close proximity with lost people. Today we’ll look at the kind of “high potency” faith required for maximum impact in their lives. Why? Because we all want our lives to back up our words. None of us wants to be a hypocrite. But most of us are afraid that if we start telling more people about Christ, they’ll look at our lives and be turned off. We think our lives are not good enough to share Christ.

So, what is required to be “high potency” Christians? The answer may surprise you.

Who is the “light of the world?”

When Jesus said, “You are the light of the world,” believe it or not, he was speaking of us. Now, this is a great compliment. The Bible says that “God is light” (1 John 1:5), and Jesus repeatedly called himself “the light of the world” (John 8:12; 9:5; 12:35; 1 John 1:7ff.). And the Jews typically called themselves the “light of the nations” as well.

But now Jesus says that you and I are the light of the world. Not the Jewish people; not Buddha, Confucius, Mohammed, Gandhi, the New Age enlightened; not the good and moral people we know; not politicians in Washington, Austin, or Dallas. You and I, sitting in this sanctuary today, are the light of the world.

This compliment is his grace gift to us. Remember that the first hearers had only followed Jesus a few days. They had virtually no training, experience, or contribution to make. They were the “light of the world” solely because they were related to him. The same is true of you and me. “You” is plural, referring to all of us. No matter our mistakes or failures. By his grace, every Christian here today is the light of the world.

Why? A lamp cannot light itself. What is the source of our light? Ephesians 5:8 is clear: “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” Because we are children of God, we now have the light of God in our lives, shining to others.

II Corinthians 4:6 says that God “made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” Our “light” comes from Christ in our lives. And so ours is a reflected light. Think of the moon and the sun. The moon has no light of its own—it merely reflects the sun, which it can “see,” but we cannot. In the very same way, Christ has returned to his Father and we cannot see him now, but his light is reflected in the lives of his people, Christians.

Here’s the point: if you are a Christian you are already “the light of the world.” Believe it or not.

What can our light accomplish?

Now, what can this light in your life actually accomplish? Isn’t “high potency” Christianity really reserved for the Billy Graham’s and Mother Teresa’s of the world? For the missionaries and the monks, those few who are really “sold out” to God? If I knew your problems, your mistakes, or what’s in your mind right now, I wouldn’t call you the light of the world, right? But God does.

And he says that your light can defeat the darkness of your fallen world. Right now, you already have within you all the light you need to be a “high potency” believer.

“A city on a hill cannot be hidden,” according to Jesus. Their houses were made of very white limestone, and reflected the sun’s rays even from a great distance away. They were built on the hills around Galilee, so that you could see them at a distance. And at night, the city lights were visible from even farther away. Just as you cannot hide Dallas as you’re driving toward the city, so we cannot hide the light of Christ in our lives, unless we want to.

Jesus continues: “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house” (v. 15). Their “lamps” were small clay pots, with a tiny wick floating on olive oil. They were hard to light, so people didn’t extinguish them at night. Instead, they put a bushel basket over them so the flame could get air while hiding the light.

But you don’t light a lamp to hide its flame. You put it on its “stand,” a rock or ledge built into the wall of the home. Then, because theirs were one-room houses, one oil lamp would give light to “everyone in the house.”

The point is obvious: Christianity was never meant to be lived in secret. The purpose of a lamp is to give light. The point is not what the lamp looks like, how big it is, how much oil it possesses, what kind of wick it uses, or how much it costs. The point, the purpose is not the lamp but the light. And if the lamp does its job, its light will always defeat the darkness.

Listen to I Peter 2.12: “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” Flip a light switch, light a candle, turn on a flashlight. What happens? The light wins over the dark. Every time.

The choice is ours (v. 16)

Now we have a choice to make. There is no option as to whether or not we are the light of the world—Jesus established that fact. The question is, will you and I let his light shine in us so that others can see it (v. 16)? Will we be “high potency” believers? The choice is ours. How do we make the best decision?

Ryan’s science experiment this year used magnifying glasses to convert sunlight to heat. So he and I learned some facts about light. Let me share them with you.

First, find the right light source. The magnifying glasses worked well with sunlight, but not at all with sun lamps or heat lamps. Without the right source, the light doesn’t make any difference. Listen to I Peter 2:9: you are “a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (emphasis added). We’re not here to impress people with us, or our church, but with Christ. No other source will make an eternal difference in the lives of the people we know.

Make sure Jesus is your Savior and Lord. Then decide to reflect him to other people through your life.

Second, stay turned to the light. Ryan and I had to keep focusing the magnifying glasses, because the sun kept moving, or so it seemed. Actually, the earth moved, not the sun. We must stay turned to Christ, centered on him, walking with him, relating to him, or he cannot reflect his light in our lives. We do this daily through his word: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Ps. 119:105). We spend the day communing with God, walking with him.

Then with Job we can speak of “the days when God watched over me, when his lamp shone upon my head and by his light I walked through darkness” (Job 29:2-3).

Third, keep the lens clean. Ryan and I had to keep the glass clean, or dirt would distort the light. We had to stay out of shadows, and wait for the clouds to pass. The lens must have a clear path to the sun. So with our lives: “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So, let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature” (Romans. 13:12-14).

So with other people: “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble” (I John 2:9-10). If your lens is dirty, confess your sins and claim God’s promise to forgive you and to “cleanse you from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). Keep the lens clean.

Last, stay focused on the object. . Ryan and I found that it was hard to burn anything with a quick flash of light—it took time, and we had to be patient. The light would have its effect, but we had to stay focused on the object. So, focus on the people you know who don’t know Jesus Christ. Start with your family and close friends, for “the light that shines farthest, shines brightest at home.”

Shine the light of God’s love on those in need, for God promises that “if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday” (Isaiah 58:10).

We must have both “close proximity” and “high potency” if we are to achieve maximum impact in the lives and souls of others. Choose people upon whom you will focus the light of God’s love, and do it this week.

Conclusion

“High potency” Christianity is really very simple. We decide we will walk so close to Jesus, in his light, that others see that light in us and want it in their lives. Francis of Assisi said it well: “Preach the gospel at all times—if necessary use words.” I’ve adapted his motto for my title today: “Preach the gospel, then use words.” I can testify personally that this strategy still works today.

I became a Christian because of the joy and love I saw in other Christians. I didn’t understand the sermons or the hymns. I just knew that I wanted what these people had. And so on September 9, 1973, I asked my Sunday school teacher how I could have what they had, and she led me to faith in Christ.

Then when God called me to ministry, he used other “high potency” Christians to encourage me. One in particular stands out, Dr. A. O. Collins, a Christianity professor at Houston Baptist University. When I was a confused and discouraged freshman, he reached out to me. He encouraged me when no one else did. He became a father in the faith to me.

And he showed me Christ’s love in his own, over and over. One example: while I was pastor at New Hope Baptist Church in Mansfield, one year the church decided to have a “This Is Your Life” party for my birthday. A terrible idea. They got my brother to videotape my teachers in Houston from elementary school up, and everyone had a great time but me. Then Mark stepped out of the closet in the back of the fellowship hall to tell some more horrible stories.

More partying went on, then 45 minutes into the program, another voice emerged from that broom closet. It was Dr. Collins. He preached that morning in Waco, drove that afternoon to Mansfield, sat in a broom closet for 45 minutes, came out and talked to the church, stayed until 10 that night, then drove back to Waco to get his wife, so he could drive home to Houston and teach his 8 o’clock class the next morning.

I’ll never forget such love. I want to be a “high potency” Christian like that. Don’t you?

Prospering in All We Do

Written by

Prospering in all we do:

How to start the day with God’s word

Dr. Jim Denison

Psalm 1

My first Bible was a red New Testament distributed by the Gideons at James Butler Bonham Elementary in Houston, Texas on March 27, 1969. I know because I wrote that information in its flyleaf. When I received it, I began carrying it in the hip pocket of my jeans, accounting for its tattered condition today.

While I was pleased to have my own Bible, I couldn’t do much with it. Like most first-time Bible students, I opened to the first page. And found the “begats.” After three or four, I gave up. Clearly I didn’t know enough to understand this book, I thought.

I was both right and wrong. There are principles and practices which guide all effective Bible study. But these tools are intended for every person who wants to meet God in his word. Even a fifth-grader in blue jeans.

As we begin our study of a specific passage, first we will ask important background questions. Then we will read the text in question, preferably in several translations. Note what seems to be the major idea of the passage, and its relation to the author’s intended purpose for the book.

Now ask basic questions of the text:

Who is speaking, writing, and/or acting?

What is the subject of the text?

Where is it happening?

Why and/or how?

With this information in mind, we are ready to proceed. We will follow the “four-fold” approach to Bible study:

Grammar: what do the words mean?

History: what are the circumstances behind the text?

Theology: what spiritual and theological truth does the text intend to communicate?

Practical: what applications does the text intend to make in my life?

Grammatical principles

Word study (“lexicography”)

Begin with the words themselves. We want to know that the author intended them to say, not just what they seem to say to us today. Word which survive long in any language acquire added meanings and implications. We want to know that meaning which the author intended.

For instance, Jesus told us of a man who entrusted his servants with “talents” (Matthew 25:14-30). Today the word refers to gifts or abilities. In Jesus’ day it was a measure of money (worth more than a thousand dollars in our currency). We misinterpret the parable if we think it relates to our God-given abilities and spiritual gifts.

The King James Version tells us that Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus “and could not for the press, because he was little of stature” (Luke 19:3). We picture this short man trying to see around the reporters who are interviewing Jesus on his way into Jericho. Of course, “press” in the 17th century means “crowd”. Luke is not condemning the media.

How do we do a word study? Ask these five questions.

First, how was the word defined? With the help of a Bible dictionary, look up all unclear words in the passage. Be careful to confine your work to the definition of the word as it was intended by its original author.

Second, what is the context of the word? Often the sentences surrounding the term will explain its meaning. For example, Jesus referred to the Kingdom of God in the Model Prayer (Mt 6:10). What was this “kingdom”? Our Lord defined it himself: “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus used parallelism, a kind of Hebrew expression where the second line repeats or defines the first. The “kingdom” is where God’s will is done. The context defines the term.

Third, what is the history of the word? A dictionary or encyclopedia will provide its background and root meanings. But again, be careful to confine your interpretation to the intended meaning of the author. And work with the word in its original languages, as the commentaries enable such study.

Note that the history of the translated word may have little to do with the author’s intended meaning. Consider “blessed,” the word with which Jesus begins each of his Beatitudes. The English word may come from the Old English “bliss,” meaning “joy.” It could come from “blod,” referencing “blood sacrifice”–someone is “blessed” if they have been atoned for by sacrifice. It may come from “benedicere,” a Latin word meaning “to wish well.” When I first preached on the Beatitudes as a college student, I used each of these definitions in my explanation of the word.

Only later did I realize that Jesus did not use our English word “blessed,” but the Greek word makarios. And it has none of this background in its history. “Makarios” describes a happiness which transcends circumstances, a joy beyond words or the world. By importing definitions from the English translation, I missed the meaning of the original word. Don’t do that.

Fourth, what are other biblical uses of the word? A concordance or dictionary will help here. Since Scripture interprets Scripture, other passages can often help clarify the meaning of the words of the text.

For instance, remember that Jesus warns us that one who calls someone a “fool” is in danger of the “fire of hell” (Matthew 5:22). Why? Because “fool” in the Bible describes a person of the worst moral deficiency, someone who rejects God for a life of terrible corruption. This is the person who “says in his heart, ‘There is no God'” (Psalm 14:1). To call someone a “fool” was to malign their character and value, the worst form of insult. Other texts make clear Jesus’ intention.

Fifth, what is the cultural background behind the word? What practices current in the author’s day affect his use of the term?

Jesus told us, “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two” (Matthew 5:41). Was he talking about joggers out for a run, or bikers on a trail?

Actually, he referred to a Persian custom taken over by the Romans, by which a subject could be forced to carry a soldier’s pack for one mile. This was done not to help the soldier so much as to remind the subject that he serves the Empire. Jesus is saying, If someone humiliates you, allow him to humiliate you even further. Don’t return slander for slander, insult for insult. Treat even your enemies with humble service. The cultural background clarifies the intention of the phrase.

To summarize, begin your study of the biblical text with the words. Define and clarify their meaning, with the help of a dictionary, concordance, encyclopedia, and/or commentary. We must know the meaning of the words of God if we would interpret the word of God.

Sentence structure

Often the grammar of the Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek text will affect its translated meaning for us. Here the sentence structure employed by the author is vital. A good commentary will help in this regard.

For an example of the importance of Hebrew sentence structure, consider Genesis 3:12: “The man said, ‘The woman you put here with me–she gave me some of the fruit from the tree, and I ate it.'” Who is Adam blaming for his sin–the woman or the One who made her? The grammar answers the question.

The Hebrew words translate literally, “the woman / the man / and he said / with me / you gave / whom / the tree from / to me she gave / she / and I / ate.” The use of “she” in the Hebrew subjective case before the verb places focus on the one performing the action. Adam is directly and emphatically blaming Eve for his sin. Don’t be concerned–you don’t need to know Hebrew to understand such a point. But you should consult a commentary written by someone who does.

An example of the significance of sentence structure in the Greek New Testament is 1 John 3:9. The King James Version translates the verse, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” This rendering has caused many people to question their salvation when they sin. If we are “born of God,” we “cannot sin.” Or so the text seems to say.

Here’s good news for all of us who are God’s children but still disappoint our Father. The Greek verbs are in the “imperfect tense,” which mean continued action. Thus the NIV translates, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.” The syntax makes the intended meaning clear.

Literary type

It is crucial that we know the kind of literature used in the book we’re studying. And the specific text must also be considered in the same way. For instance, Matthew’s Gospel contains symbols, teaching discourses, and apocalyptic sections. We will interpret a parable differently than we will an historical narrative.

“Figures of speech” are an important topic within the subject of literary type. One is the “metaphor,” an illustration using a direct comparison which is not intended to be understood literally. For instance, when Jesus calls himself the “true vine” (Jn 15:1) he is clearly using metaphor.

Another figure of speech is the “simile,” a comparison which employs “like” or “as.” For example, “the sight of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire” (Ex 24:17, KJV) is a simile.

A third figure is the “hyperbole,” a statement which uses exaggeration to make a point. Like the metaphor and simile, it is not intended to be interpreted literally. When we read Jesus’ admonition, “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away” (Mt 5:29), it is vital that we interpret the text as Jesus intends!

Context

As we consider the grammatical dimensions of the passage we’re studying, we want to study the larger context of the text. Ask three questions.

What is the general idea of the larger passage where the text is found?

How does the text contribute to the flow of the author’s thought and intention?

Is this passage teaching “prescriptive” or “descriptive” truth? This is a crucial issue in biblical hermeneutics.

Prescriptive statements are intended as commands for the reader. When Jesus warns us, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1), he prescribes behavior for all believers. On the other hand, descriptive statements simply disclose the event, without endorsing it as proper behavior. 1 Kings 11:3 states that Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. The description does not prescribe such behavior for us.

Many of the wrong ideas which have been blamed on Scripture have originated in this area. Polygamists claim that “the Bible says Solomon had 700 wives,” so why can’t we have several? The Bible also says that the crowd wanted Jesus to be crucified, that Ananias and Sapphira tried to cheat the church, and that the town of Lystra stoned Paul and left him for dead. None of this behavior is prescribed for us today. Much of what we find in Scripture is there to warn us of what not to do.

As you study the text itself, think in contextual circles. Move from the text in question, to its chapter, to its section in the biblical book, to the book, to the Testament, to the rest of Scripture. As you understand the words in their intended meaning, you have made the most important single step to effective Bible study.

Historical principles

The second major part of our “four-fold” approach concerns the historical background and context of the text. You will have already learned some of the history behind the text when you studied the individual words and their circumstances. Now you’ll ask questions about the larger context and culture in which the text is found.

Geography

Locate the biblical event in its proper geographic circumstances. The more you know about the land where the event took place, the more you’ll understand its text. It’s a good investment of time to familiarize yourself with the basic layout of the Bible lands. A good atlas or map at the back of your Bible is all you need.

In addition, you’ll need to know the geography behind any specific text you are studying. Two examples are often cited by hermeneutics textbooks in this regard.

Jeremiah 13:1-5: “This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a linen belt and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water.” So I bought a belt, as the Lord directed, and put it around my waist. Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time: “Take the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist, and go now to Perath and hide it there ina crevice in the rocks.” So I went and hid it at Perath, as the Lord told me.”

This seems a rather routine narrative, until we discover that Perath lay 430 miles from where Jeremiah received this command. The long, arduous trip described points up the sacrifice often necessary to obedience. The setting and intention of the text would not be clear unless we understood the geography as well as those who first read the passage.

Luke 2:4: “Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David.”

This was a journey of some 90 miles, made on a donkey’s back by a woman who was great with child. Fulfilling God’s promise that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) required great sacrifice for his mother. The geography of the text makes it alive and relevant.

In addition, Judea was “up” in elevation from Galilee, explaining the reference in the text. We typically think of “up” as north and “down” as south, and are puzzled to learn that Joseph and Mary went “up” but “south.” The geographic context explains the text.

Social context

Knowing the customs or general historical situation often illuminates the biblical text. First, consider material objects.

In Matthew 27:34 we read, “There [on the cross] they offered [Jesus] wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.” However John 19:28-30 describes Jesus’ requesting and drinking wine on the cross. Do the accounts contradict each other?

Not at all. The drink to which Matthew refers was a kind of narcotic often given to crucifixion victims to dull their senses. Jesus refused this anesthetic, choosing to be fully awake and alert. John’s reference occurred six hours later, when Jesus needed a mild vinegar-wine to moisten his lips and make possible his final words from the cross. Knowing the objects in question clears up the confusion.

Second, study social customs. Rites or practices which society observed in biblical times can be crucial to understanding the biblical text.

For example, Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at Sychar shocked even her. She said, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (John 4:9). Her question makes sense when we learn that Jews hated Samaritans, and that Jewish rabbis would typically refuse to speak to any woman in public during the day, even their own wives.

Jesus broke with this popular prejudice in winning the woman to himself. Often we must do the same today.

Third, investigate historical facts. Basic facts of everyday life are often presupposed by the writer but unknown to readers today.

For example, Jesus’ parable in Luke 11 describes a man whose friend awakens him at midnight to ask bread for a guest who has just come. The man is frustrated: “Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything” (v. 7).

Every detail of the story made sense to Jesus’ hearers. Typical homes in his culture were one room. The back one-third was an elevated wooden platform where the family slept. The front two-thirds was a dirt floor where the animals were kept for the night. The door was locked only when the residents were asleep and wished not to be disturbed. The man without bread has committed a major social mistake, as keeping bread for hospitality was a sacred responsibility in their culture.

Now he makes his problem his neighbor’s. His pounding on the locked door will awaken the family and animals, ensuring that none slept again that night. Nonetheless, the man got up and gave his neighbor the bread he needed. Here is Jesus’ point: if the man would answer such a request, how much more will God answer our prayers. Knowing the historical culture makes the parable live again.

As you investigate historical context, be especially alert to changes between the first century and ours.

For instance, calling someone a “Good Samaritan” today is a compliment. In Jesus’ day, the term was an oxymoron. For a Samaritan to help a wounded Jew after his priest and Levite had refused him would be akin to a black man in the 1960s helping an injured white man after his pastor and deacon chairman left him for dead.

When we understand and communicate the historical situation behind the text, its meaning is still as relevant as when the biblical writers first recorded it.

Once you are familiar with the author’s purpose for his book and the particular text you’re studying, you know the meaning of his words and phrases, and you understand the historical and social background of the passage, you are ready to interpret the text theologically and practically. You have laid an excellent foundation for the application of God’s word to your life today.

Theological principles

Scripture interprets Scripture

Now that you have developed the grammatical/historical meaning of the text, relate this meaning to the rest of God’s word. Use a topical Bible or concordance to find other passages on the subject. But be careful–never take any other passage out of its context to make it fit your study. Only relate those texts which are intended by their author for this application.

Last year at Men’s Bible Study we were discussing James 3 and the warning against sins of speech. One of the men asked, “Which kinds of speech does he mean?” James doesn’t specify. But I had looked for other scriptures on the subject, and listed them in my notes: lies (Exodus 20:16), false appearances (Psalm 62:4), withholding the truth (Leviticus 5:1), and slander (Ephesians 4:31; Titus 3:1-2; 1 Peter 2:1). God’s word was its own best commentary, and made the passage in James more specific and relevant.

General theological concepts

Now you are ready to look for intended theological principles within the passage and larger word of God. See what the text has to say about:

God

Humanity

Creation and the world

Sin

Salvation

Missions

The future

What other theological significance is found within the text? What key theological contributions does the passage make to our lives today?

Let’s say you’re studying Romans 12:1-2:

“Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

What is “therefore” there for? It takes us back to the mercies of God for which Paul expresses gratitude in Romans 11:33-36. In light of all he has done for us, this is what we are to do in response: “offer your bodies as living sacrifices.” In the Greek culture of the first century, the body and the spirit were separated. The spiritual is good, the physical demeaning. The point of life is to free the soul from its physical prison.

Now Paul wants us to offer our “bodies” to God, our entire lives. Not just Sunday but Monday. Not just our salvation but our service. Not just our religion but the rest of our lives, money, abilities, and opportunities. Knowing the theological context of Paul’s statement helps us understand its application to our lives.

And asking theological questions brings the text into relevance. What does Paul say about God? That he loves and wants us. About ourselves? We can and should give ourselves fully to him. About this world? That we must refuse its pattern and priorities. About spiritual growth? That we must be transformed daily as we make our minds new in God’s presence. About his will? That it is good, pleasing, and perfect, but available most fully to those who are most fully his.

The theological principles discovered in a biblical text are especially important to the passage’s relevance today. However, these principles must be grounded in the author’s intended meaning, as discovered by grammatical-historical study. That is why our “four-fold” method builds theological application upon textual investigation. We should never reverse the order.

Practical principles

The last area in our “four-fold” approach deals with practical applications of the text. Since human nature does not change, the Bible is always relevant and applies personally and practically to our lives.

The Scriptures were given to us to help us find and follow Jesus. If we do not seek the practical applications of the text, we have not completed its study and interpretation. Our objective should be to reproduce the original meaning of the text in today’s culture.

There are five steps to take in applying the Bible practically.

Write out the intended meaning of the text. On the basis of your grammatical-historical study, define the meaning and purpose of the passage for its author and original readers.

Note differences in setting and context. In your historical investigation, you will have observed changes in culture and context from the text to our day, some of which will significantly affect its contemporary application.

Make direct applications where intended by the author. Where the writer’s intended meaning and purpose transfers directly to our culture and needs, make this application as practically as possible. For instance, Paul’s call to “offer your bodies as living sacrifices” calls us to complete surrender and obedience. Is there a part of your life not on the altar? Make this practical and personal application of the passage.

Seek principles within the passage when the text does not apply directly to our day. Sometimes we will study an Old Testament passage not renewed in the New Testament (such as a dietary code), or a historical event which does not prescribe a specific application (such as the Battle of Jericho).

In this case, do not apply the text as directly as if it were prescriptive. Otherwise, all Christians would be required to obey kosher dietary laws and warfare would be reduced to marching around enemy walls.

Instead, seek principles within the text which might apply to today’s situation and needs, keeping these principles consistent with the author’s intended meaning. Dietary laws reveal the practical principle that God cares deeply about our bodies and health. The Battle of Jericho shows us that God’s will, when obeyed, always leads to the victory which is his will and intention for our lives. Find such general principles within the author’s intended purpose, and apply them practically.

The use of principles is often the best way to approach culture-bound biblical statements. For example, “Greet one another with a holy kiss” is a common command in Paul’s letters (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26). The meaning of the words and grammar are just as Paul indicates.

But in Paul’s society, unlike ours, people often greeted each other publicly with a kiss. In our context, these verses suggest the principle that Christians should greet one another with great kindness and love, whether this is by word, hand, or other physical expression. We are commanded to obey the principle of the text.

In the same way, commands to individuals in Scripture are not always commands to us today. Abraham was commanded to offer Isaac on the altar (Genesis 22); this prescription is not incumbent on fathers today. We need to apply the principle of the text–as a father, even my sons must be dedicated to God and his will.

When we discover practical principles within the author’s intended meaning, we find that every passage in the Bible possesses personal relevance today.

Define at least one action which the text suggests today. When you have finished your study of the text, you should be able to describe at least one practical action you will take as a result of the author’s intended purpose. Then you can determine ways to communicate this application to others.

Mark Twain speaks for most of us: “When I read the Bible, the parts that trouble the most are not the ones I don’t understand, but the ones I do understand.” We should have a sense of conviction and direction every time we interpret God’s word.

Psalm 1

Grammatical/historical

Theological

Practical

Conclusion

The principles we have discussed this week apply to every part of God’s word. As we use them, we discover the meaning and application of Scripture in a way which brings its truth to life. Then we can say with the writer of Hebrews, “the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

We don’t break the word of God–we break ourselves on it. When last did the truth of Scripture change your life?

Proving That You Love God

Written by

Proving That You Love God

Dr. Jim Denison

Luke 10:25-37

Thesis: We extend the Kingdom of God when we show his compassion

to our hurting neighbor

The first microwave oven was sold in America in 1952. It has changed our lives so much that sociologists now call us the “microwave society.”

I’m old enough to remember when popping popcorn meant getting out the popper, putting in the oil, stirring in the seeds, and waiting five or ten minutes. Then the world discovered “Jiffy-Pop,” popcorn and oil inside foil, ready to shake over a stove. When was the last time you saw “Jiffy-Pop”? It takes too long. Today popcorn comes in microwave bags—and we get impatient that it takes two minutes to cook.

The greatest threat to our relationships and society today is the microwave. Not the one in our kitchen—the one in our hearts.

Restaurants have entire rooms for cell-phone users, so people can eat and work and thus save time. “Sink Eaters Anonymous” is an actual support group for people who are so busy they eat their meals standing over the kitchen sink. John P. Robinson, director of the Americans’ Use of Time project at the University of Maryland, says that the value of time has clearly surpassed the value of money in our society.

As we continue learning about the Kingdom of God from the parables of Jesus, today we come squarely against the issue of time, priorities, and values. Which comes first: people or projects? Relationships or responsibilities? Souls or success?

Seeking life

The most famous story in all of literature begins with the central question of ancient Judaism: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10.25). On this occasion, however, the question said more about the man who asked it than the one who would answer it.

Jesus is six months from the cross. His enemies are gathering strength and conviction in their strategies against him. And so “an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus” (v. 25). This “expert” would be a Jewish scribe, a professional religious scholar. Luke used the term “lawyer,” which would be more intelligible to his Gentile audience (Gilmore 192).

Perhaps the setting was a synagogue, where scholars were sitting together in discussion of the Scriptures (Bruce 542). This was not a typical teaching situation, in which the rabbi sat as his listeners stood (cf. Matthew 5.1); here the scribe “stood up” to ask a question, gaining the hearing of those in the circle.

The scribe asked his question to “test” Jesus. The word meant to expose weakness or heresy. Jesus used this word against Satan: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (Luke 4.12). This man asked Jesus his question “probably in the hope of showing his own superiority, and possibly with the expectation of trapping him in his reply” (Bliss 187).

His question revealed his heart: “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The aorist tense of the Greek text indicates that the lawyer thought there is something which can be done once and for all to guarantee inheritance in heaven (Geldenhuys 313). “Do” here is emphatic: “By having done what shall I inherit?” (Bliss 187).

Jews in Jesus’ day thought they could observe the law, keep the commandments, do the rituals, and thus deserve a place in God’s Kingdom. Most Americans agree. Only 2% in our country are afraid they might go to hell. Most of us think that so long as we live “good” lives and believe in God, we will go to heaven. We see church and morality as things to “do” to earn a place in paradise. We’re wrong.

Jesus exposed the man’s heart. He replied to his question with his own: “What is written in the Law?” (v. 26). He would show the man that neither he nor anyone else could keep the Law sufficiently to inherit eternal life. And he would begin with whatever part of the Law the lawyer affirmed first.

So he then asked, “How do you read it?” This was a technical question in a rabbinic discussion; we would paraphrase it, “May I hear your authorities with exposition?” (Rienecker 170). Jesus knew what was written in the phylactery on the man’s wrist (Barclay 140). He expected him to recite the verses contained in that tiny box of Scripture. And he was right.

The lawyer quoted Deuteronomy 6.5: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Then he added Leviticus 19.18: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus commended his answer: “Do this and you shall live” (v. 28). But the problem is, we can’t do it. We cannot keep these commandments; “to slip once is to fail” (Robertson 152).

Somehow the scholar knew he could not meet this standard. So, “wanting to justify himself,” he asked Jesus a second question (v. 29). The man wanted to “declare himself righteous,” as a lawyer would vindicate himself legally (Rienecker 170). He knew he could not love God with all his heart, soul, and strength. So he seized on the second of his commandments: “And who is my neighbor?”

Pity this man. He has devoted his entire life to studying the Scriptures, hoping to do enough to earn eternal life. He wants the right thing—eternity in heaven. Unlike most Americans, he knows he cannot assume that he will inherit it. He wants desperately to do enough to go there. He is seeking eternal life. So should we all.

Keeping life

All available evidence indicates that ancient Jewish religious leaders regarded only their fellow countrymen as their neighbors (Geldenhuys 313). The Jews hated Gentiles, so much so that some considered it illegal to help a Gentile woman in childbirth, for this would merely bring another Gentile into the world (Barclay 140). Undoubtedly our scribe has been seeking to love his Jewish neighbors. Now Jesus shows him that he has only begun to love all his neighbors.

You have heard Jesus’ story all your life. I’ll add a few historical details, so we can hear it as Jesus’ first audience did. A “man” was “going down” from Jerusalem to Jericho. Jesus doesn’t specify that he was a Jew, though the fact he was leaving Jerusalem leads us to assume that he was. The road went “down” quickly—Jerusalem is 2,500 feet above sea level, while Jericho sits 770 feet below it. The road drops 3,300 feet in just 18 miles (Nolland 593; Fitsmyer 886).

On the road he was assaulted by robbers who took his possessions and clothes, beat him, and left him. Such was a common experience on this road. Its many turns, crags, and rocky shadows make it an ideal place for bandits to hide. Herod the Great dismissed 40,000 men who had been employed in building the Temple in Jerusalem (Josephus, Antiquities 15.7); many turned to highway robbery, and many of them to this very highway.

Jerome said that the road was still called the “Red, or Bloody Way” in the fifth century after Christ (Barclay 139). Even in the medieval era it was a dangerous road, so that the famous Order of Knights Templar was created to guard those who traveled it (Bliss 189). I’ve traveled it twice, in a tour bus during the day. Both times, our tour guides were relieved to do so successfully. We stopped at the ruins of one of the medieval inns created by the Knights Templar on the road, and shopped at a tourist stop along the way.

It was no surprise to Jesus’ audience that robbers would assault a man on this road. But those who would help him, and those who would not, would be a surprise indeed.

First came a priest. Jericho was preeminently a city of priests (Geldenhuys), home to no less than 12,000 priests and Levites (Barnes 68). About half of the priestly orders in Israel lived in Jericho (Ellis 161). This man was on his way to his religious responsibilities in Jerusalem, or returning from them (Jesus didn’t specify which way the man was traveling).

The priest saw the injured man but “passed by on the other side” (v. 31). He literally “stepped over to the opposite side of the road” (Robertson 153). Why did he not stop to help?

He may have had a religious motive. Numbers 19.11 specifies, “Whoever touches the dead body of anyone will be unclean for seven days.” If this priest were on his way to his Temple responsibilities, and touched this apparently dead person, he could not do his duty. Robertson calls this “a vivid and powerful picture of the vice of Jewish ceremonial cleanliness at the cost of moral principle and duty” (153).

And he likely had a personal motive as well. Robbers would often make one of their number lie alongside the road as though injured; when a traveler stopped to help, the other robbers would attack him. This could be a ploy, and a sign that other robbers are in the immediate area. Whether from religious or personal motives, the practical consequence was that the dying man is left to die.

But all was not lost: a Levite came along next. Levites were non-Aaronic descendants of the tribe of Levi, Joseph’s third son by Leah. By Jesus’ day they had assumed secondary roles in the worship and life of the Jewish people (Nolland 594). This man “saw him,” perhaps indicating that he drew even closer than did the priest. But with the same result: he “passed by on the other side” (v. 32).

We easily condemn these men for their lack of compassion. But are we so different? Do we put the needs of people ahead of our own? What will we risk to serve? I read years ago about an interesting experiment. An ethics professor at Princeton Seminary asked for volunteers for an extra assignment. At 2:00 PM, fifteen students gathered at Speer Library. The professor divided the students into three groups of five each, and gave each group an envelope.

The first group’s instructions said to proceed immediately across the campus to Stewart Hall, and gave the students fifteen minutes to arrive; if they were late, their grade would be affected. The second group was given 45 minutes to complete the task. The third was given three hours.

Unknown to the students, the professor had arranged three students from the drama department to meet the ethics students along the way, acting as people in need. One would be covering his head with his hands, moaning in great pain. The second lay on the steps of the chapel as though unconscious. The third, on the steps of Stewart Hall, acted out a seizure.

How many ethics students stopped to help? Of the first group, not one. Of the second, only two. Of the third, all five.

In which group are you? Do you see your friend, colleague, or family member lost without Jesus, dying spiritually? Assaulted by life, laying on the side of the road to Jericho, needing your help and heart? When was the last time you gave time you didn’t have? Helped a person you didn’t hurt? Stopped to care at a great cost?

Sharing life

Now comes our hero, the “Good Samaritan.” No one in Jesus’ day would have called any person by this oxymoron. It was ironic that a foreigner, a man not included in the Jewish legal definition of a neighbor, would show himself neighbor to this hurting man (Rienecker 171). And it was even more ironic that the foreigner was a Samaritan.

When Assyria captured the ten northern tribes of Israel in 722 B.C., they left some Israelites behind in the land. Some of those who were left intermarried with Gentiles, making a race of “half breeds” in Jewish eyes. They settled in the area of Samaria, between Galilee to the north and Judah to the south. When the southern kingdom of Judah returned from their Babylonian captivity (ca. 586-522 B.C.), they refused Samaritan help in rebuilding their temple.

The result was bitter enmity of the worst kind. One rabbi said, “He that eats the bread of the Samaritans is like one that eats the flesh of swine” (m. Sab. 8.10, quoted in Nolland 594). When Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well she was surprised, because “Jews do not associate with Samaritans” (John 9.4).

No Jew traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho would expect help from this cursed person. When he “came where the man was” (v. 32), Jesus’ audience assumed he would finish the job started by the bandits. But no: “he took pity on him.” The Greek says that he was “filled with pity,” the compassion which “causes us so to identify with another’s situation such that we are prepared to act for his or her benefit” (Nolland 594). Perhaps the priest or Levite felt similar pity, but the injured man never knew it. The hurting are not helped by our attitude, only by our actions.

So the Samaritan “went to him,” risking injury to himself. Perhaps the robbers were still in the area. He “bandaged his wounds,” risking religious uncleanness. The Samaritan Pentateuch contained the same regulations regarding defilement from contact with a dead body (Fitzmyer 884). He literally “bound up” his wounds, a technical medical term (Liefeld 544) for wrapping a physical injury (Rienecker 171). He probably had to use his own clothing to make these bandages, as the injured man was stripped naked by the robbers and the Samaritan would have no reason to bring bandages on his journey.

The Samaritan “poured on” (a technical medical term for treating the injury; Bruce 544, Rienecker 171) oil and wine. The oil softened the wound (cf. Isaiah 1.6), while the wine acted as an antiseptic (Nolland 595). This was typical medical treatment; Hippocrates made just such a prescription for ulcers: “Bind with soft wool, and sprinkle with wine and oil” (Robertson 153).

Then he placed the man on his own donkey, exposing himself further to assault by bandits. He brought him to an “inn,” a large place for receiving travelers on this busy road (Bruce 544, Rienecker 171). He “took care of him” personally (v. 34). The next day he gave the innkeeper “two silver coins” (v. 35), two denarii. Food and lodging was 1/32 of a denarius per day; the Samaritan paid for two months’ lodging and care for this man (Lenski 607). And he promised to pay any further debts the man incurred (indicating that the innkeeper knew and trusted him).

Now came the question to which Jesus had been leading his audience all along: “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” (v. 36). Which of these three “loved his neighbor as himself”? Which did enough to “inherit eternal life”? The lawyer could not bring himself to say that it was a Samaritan (Bruce 544): “The one who had mercy on him” (v. 37).

Now we find Jesus’ twin commandments: “Go and do likewise.” Go—don’t wait for hurting souls to find you. Do—care for them. Prove your faith by your works. Prove you love God by loving your neighbor. Only if you do this perfectly can you “inherit eternal life.”

No one can, of course. Romans 3.20 is plain: “No one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.” So on one level Jesus’ famous story serves to discourage us: we cannot do enough to inherit eternal life. We cannot be good neighbor to enough hurting people. We cannot help and care perfectly enough to warrant inclusion in God’s perfect heaven. We must appeal to the grace of the one who helps our hurting souls, for we can never earn his mercy. Eternal life must be given, or it will never be received.

But on another level, Jesus’ story challenges us. Once we have received the grace of God, we must give it. To grow in faith, we must share the faith. We must breathe out to breathe in. We must empty our hands to fill them.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan does not tell us how to enter the Kingdom—it was not meant to. Rather, it tells us how to live once we’re there, when we have received our “adoption as sons” and are now the children of God (Galatians 3.36-39). The parable teaches us how to help people follow Jesus—the purpose for which our church exists. It shows us not how to earn grace, but how to share it. G. Campbell Morgan’s father was right: “The difference between Law and Grace is this: the Law says, ‘Do this, and live.’ Grace says, ‘Live and do this'” (201).

In the Kingdom of God, people come first. Only they will live eternally. Only in serving people do we serve a purpose which is significant. Only by loving our neighbor can we fully love our Father.

Robert McFarlane was President Reagan’s National Security Advisor, a twenty-year veteran of the Marine Corp., and an architect of the Iran-Contra plan. When his plan failed, Mr. McFarlane resigned his position and later attempted suicide.

I heard him speak a few years ago at a National Prayer Breakfast. He described the incredible power he had achieved, the ladder to success he had climbed. But then Bud McFarlane told us with tears in his eyes that it was nothing. He got to the top, but there was nothing there. Only after he fell off that ladder did he discover that it was leaning against the wrong wall—that life consists of loving God and loving people. Nothing else.

Have you made this discovery yet? You cannot get to heaven by helping people. But if you are going there, you must help others join you. This is the only proof that we love Jesus: when we love each other (John 13.35). Only when we love our neighbor do we truly love our Lord.

On your road to Jericho today, you’ll meet someone who has been robbed and beaten by life. You’ll have many reasons to pass by on the other side. And only one to stop.

Choose wisely.