In the first four verses of today’s reading Paul sends out a warning all of us should take heed to. Paul in these verses is basically saying those that depend on others or in this case more directly those that led them to Jesus rather than actually Jesus Himself are but still immature Christians. We have a problem with this in our modern day world, how many would fall if some of the great luminaries of the church fell? How many would be so discouraged by the tragedy of another humans stumbling that they themselves would stumble. Paul tells the church in Corinth, you’re not ready to really eat “solid” spiritual food because you are still dependent on Paul or Apollos.
A few years ago I wrote a blog about what I perceived to be the dangers of the ONE Project and GYC conferences. Many took great offense to this blog post and because it came so near to the time of one of those events happening I didn’t want it to be perceived as being biased for or against one or the other. But I feel I should restate the danger I perceive here. My question and concern was, are these the best use of our resources to create what I have heard Rick Warren refer to as “conference Christians” people that attend a Christian conference, have a great experience, get all excited and then basically live off of that ’till the next conference, but there is no real long term change in their lives. The backlash I received from this blog actually affirmed I think my point and also what Paul wrote to the Corinthians about. Many private messaged me and some did so publicly as well saying, “I know people that live for the one project, that without this event they would feel spiritually lost.” Or Iike one young person said, “Every year I go to GYC so it can get me excited again.” I believe both such sentiments are what Paul is speaking of in regards to himself and Apollos. If we need events or people to to sustain us then we are still drinking spiritual milk, not solid spiritual food. And that is my concern with events such as the above I listed, or we could throw in Catalyst or Exponential, not that anything is wrong in and of themselves, but they may be a facilitator of the very thing Paul is speaking against, creating immature man dependent Christians.
With that in mind Paul points out that the work of him or Apollos or we could say the events I listed above or any of us individuals as Pastors or Spiritual leaders whether we have truly built upon Jesus, or our own personalities, or the entertainment and flair of an event will eventually be revealed,
“Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” 1 Cor. 3:12-15
Without intent or purpose I am sure that I have “lead” some to Jesus but maybe it was at times more about me and I’ve been more of their foundation than Jesus, therefore I love that after such a scripture as that above that The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to extend a word of grace at the end of it,
“If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
I don’t think, maybe I am just to idealistic but I don’t believe the majority of us in ministry ever try to make it about us, but I know we can. The “yet as through fire” I believe will be the realization some have been lost because of what we did or did not do and I know even now the thought of that breaks my heart. Some that I have loved that have passed away and I wonder what more I could have done to reach them with Jesus’ love, and this thought eats at me…
I think of HMS Richards who related the story of a lady he visited in one of his first evangelistic campaigns, she had company over so he didn’t stay and he said he also didn’t pray with her, that night she killed herself. He said he’s never failed to pray with an interest again, and even though it was 50 years later that he was relating this story you could still hear the pain and regret in his voice.
Again I thank Jesus for grace!
So those are my thoughts for today’s reading. I have a few more, but maybe you’ll hear them in a sermon some day down the road 🙂
Have a great preparation day and a wonderful Sabbath tomorrow!
Tomorrow’s Reading: Genesis 36-39
In today’s devotional reading there was so much great stuff I am going to list the verses that caught my attention and some quick thoughts I wrote down related to these verses.
Matthew 23:1-3–There are many in the world today that use faulty Christians as a reason for denying truth or not obeying God. I think one of the greatest areas this occurs is with regards to the attendance of church. Ever since I started to appreciate church and wonder why others didn’t appreciate it much I’ve heard, “I don’t go there because the people are so…” “cold” “unfriendly” “fake” “hypocrites.” Etc! Jesus clearly within these verses acknowledges the hypocrisy of some claiming to be followers of God, but He does not then let off those who observe this hypocrisy,
“The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe.” -Mt. 23:2, 3a
Matthew 23:15–This verse struck me because I remember the old adage that a mentor of mine once shared, “The way you bring them in is often the way they stay and even more so.” His point was that if you bring someone in through a system of legalism, rules, control, that is often who they will stay only more so. But if you bring someone in with love, grace, heart transformation, then that is who they will be. I believe this text affirms that adage.
Matthew 23:23–Too many are embracing justice, mercy, and faithfulness as Jesus instructed but forgetting the other point He made in this text, “the are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.” What are “the others” some things that folk in our modern world would see as the more legalistic aspects of religion…like obedience to certain rules, dictates, etc.
Matthew 23:14–We are preaching for the salvation of others, but also for the fulfillment of end-time prophecy.
Matthew 24:20–I’ve never understood how folk who fully acknowledge these scriptures are about the end of times…or even if they don’t they at least acknowledge they reference the time of the destruction of Jerusalem which took place 40 years after Jesus’ death, why they would give no credence to Jesus saying pray you don’t have to flee on the Sabbath? If Jesus got rid of the Sabbath at His death, why would He care if the people flee on the Sabbath? Jesus knew the Sabbath would be just as holy 40 years after His death or even thousands of years after His death, thus the encouragement for prayer. By the way also on this text why would Jesus say pray it is not at winter or on the Sabbath? Doesn’t Jesus know when it will be? Answer,
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” -Mt. 24:36
Matthew 24:22–No life would have been saved? I am assuming this is talking about physical life, yet it seems to maybe also be referencing Spiritual life.
Matthew 24:33, 42–We can’t know the day or the hour, but the general time period will not be a surprise…
Matthew 24:44–of course then we counter balance that with, “the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you DO NOT THINK HE WILL.”
Matthew 24:48–Jesus refers to those who say, “Jesus is not coming for a long time” as evil. Strong language and scary since I’ve heard others and yes I believe even I have said it in my life, “I don’t Jesus is coming for a long time.” Even if that were true to believe such a thing breeds a lackadaisical life. And the truth is Jesus’ coming is always near because I only have these 70-90 years of my life to live which every day is seeming shorter and shorter and once my life is complete I’ll sleep and then just like that boom Jesus is here! Let us not be evil believing or speaking such an evil lie of satan!
Matthew 25:14-30–To me this is a parable about those who had access to truth, to relationship, to connection to the body of Christ and did nothing with it. In this sense I believe this parable is for those born into Christian homes but they do nothing with that “advantage” or people that have received a Christian education, but do nothing with that “advantage.”
Lots of good stuff in these chapters. I am sure even more than what I stated here. What moved on your heart?
See y’all tomorrow with our reading of 1st Corinthians 3 & 4.
My apologies for being a day late on this post. I’ll be posting today’s reading on Matthew 23-25 later this evening.
The text that resonated with me and that I will write on today, because it has been bouncing around in my mind and heart for several weeks now is,
“And now says the Lord, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,
To bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him
(For I am honored in the sight of the Lord,
And My God is My strength),
6 He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also make You a light of the nations
So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” -Isaiah 49:5, 6
Isaiah’s mission was to bring the people of Israel back from their wanderings away from God. Part of Isaiah’s mission was then to remind the people of their mission,
“It is too small a thing that you should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make you a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
Israel had too small of vision. They thought they were only to be for their “own kind” but God reminds them that is too small, you are a nation for the purpose of the salvation of all other nations.
I have been thinking much about this and I’ve been wondering how many churches are satisfied with only reaching their own? Or reaching other Adventists. How many of our churches are growing, not based on actual growth in the truth and the love of Jesus, but simply through the transfer of other Adventists? I ask this question because if you look at the church I currently pastor over the last 10 years we would be considered a growing and strong church…
But…
I researched the numbers for my recent State of the Church address and while over the last 10 years our membership has grown by more than 300 members roughly a 2.10% growth rate (still below average in the North American Division), if we took out the transfers of other Adventists to our church then our growth rate would be -1.0% (just in case you didn’t see that line preceding the 1 that is a NEGATIVE 1 percent). We’re a church primarily for Adventists.
“It is too small a thing that you should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Adventists and to restore the preserved ones of Adventism; I will also make you a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
How many other churches are in our same situation?
Jesus give us hearts (make us churches) to be witnesses to the nations that we may play a role in reaching to the ends of the earth!
Oh how I wish I could pretend to be profound, but truly I am not. I am out of understanding within some of these chapters of the book of Job. I am grateful to know I am not the only that has struggled through them though. My wife, Christina, was reading through the Bible not long ago and she said Job was a struggle to get through.
It is scripture. It is God-breathed (inspired) but where I am at right now I do not find an opening.
So here is what I want to share with you. Since this is more than just an exercise in discipline, these are truly my daily devotionals and time with God, when I can’t get anything out of what I am reading, say I am in Job then I go to another place in the Bible. I don’t want to leave the Word without getting a word for my heart so to speak. I would encourage you to do the same. Don’t get frustrated or worn out, today I went back to what we read yesterday, Psalm 25 and agin it blessed me…it is truly one of those psalms that can be a daily blessing. There will be chapters in Chronicles & Numbers that we will read in the future…the genealogies…I know on those days I am going to have to go to another place in scripture to have the Lord speak to me. That is okay. And we should do that rather just again treating this as a dry exercise “we have to get through.”
Job 17 & 18 didn’t speak to me today, so I went somewhere else in the Word to allow God to still reach me. What about you? Did Job minister to you, or did you go elsewhere also?
Tomorrow’s Reading: Isaiah 45-50
All three Psalms today were wonderful, but the 25th Psalm especially ministered to my heart!
We may at times forget when we read the Psalms that they were in fact songs. I was reminded of this when I read Psalm 25 tonight. As I read I suddenly realized this Psalm began to minister to me when I was just a little kid and my dad would put on our soft Friday night Sabbath music, which often included the Maranatha Singers.
So rather than me writing today let us be blessed with the song of Psalm 25 and may the music help you commit it to memory that it may be a continual prayer of your life!
The final line of the book of Judges tells us all we need to know to understand the disturbing stories found throughout the book of Judges, but especially in these last 5 chapters,
“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” -Judges 21:25
The truth about humanity is also revealed in this last verse of Judges, if we choose to do “what is right in our own eyes” not in God’s eyes, but in our own we will end-up in absolute moral decay.
Even in the first two chapters in the story of Micah with his idols, the Levite Priest, then the Danites that people can even say they are doing things in the name of the Lord, there can be religious trappings, or the semblance of worshiping God but that just because this is the case does not mean that God is truly being honored. In fact in verse 6 of chapter 17 we see the exact same sentence as we see at the end of the book of Judges,
“every man did what was right in his own eyes.”
Even as supposed worship of God is going on with a true “Levite” really it is that which goes according to man’s will and not according to God’s.
In the last days this will take place once again. There will be worship, supposedly even true worship (Revelation13), but ultimately it will be humanity,
“doing what is right in their own eyes.”
Judges gives us a glimpse of what truly happens when we do what is right in our own eyes.
May we each one surrender our wills to Jesus right now…today…so that we will not be fooled by the false worship in the last days and so that we will not be fooled into worshiping our ways and what humanity says is right.
Tomorrow’s Reading: Psalm 24-26