What Wealth Can Do

It’s my privilege to speak to the students at our Christian school each Thursday morning. Yesterday, I talked about ‘treasures’ with them.  The topic is tough one for those of us who live in a consumer culture, who are accustomed to a life that includes internet, cars, cell phones, abundant food, and plenty of clean water!  So, when I asked them about their treasure, I got a variety of answers including the ‘Sunday School’ answer – Jesus!  Then, we read the story of a wealthy man who came to Jesus inquiring about gaining eternal life.  The core meaning of that story eluded those students as it does many of us. They thought Jesus was condemning his wealth and demanding poverty.  But, was He?

" A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’” “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” (Luke 18:18-27, NIV)

The one thing that stood between that earnest young man and God was not the wealth with which he was privileged. It was the self-sufficiency that the wealth created! 

This young man was accustomed to being in control and it showed in his first responses. When asked about his moral choices, he was able to point to a record of good. He never slept with his friend’s wife. He did not murder. That’s good, right?  And, he had done well with honesty and giving honor to his parents.  The fact that Jesus let his answer stand without challenge tells me that the young man was truthful about these things.  There was a major obstacle on the way to knowing God fully. It was not his morality, it was his need to control his own life. Jesus touched the nerve when He told that man, “Go sell everything, then come and follow me!”  That rich young man would not do it.  His wealth was his security.

Jesus made a comment worthy of our attention: How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Why? Does God hate wealth? Not at all. It is the byproduct of wealth – that illusion of control, the ability to manage and control so much of life when there is access to money, that creates a roadblock to knowing the Lord.  Wealth allows us to temporarily satisfy the soul hunger with fine things, with personal comfort, even with the admiration that so easily flows to those with greater resources. Jesus was uncompromising when He taught us that “No one can serve two masters … he will hate the one and love the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Luke 6:24)

So, Christian, where is YOUR treasure? 
What makes you secure, gives your life a sense of meaning? 
Is it the things you own, the position your stuff provides?  It is a tough question to answer given the amazing wealth in which we are privileged to live in here in America.  In spite of all the noise about falling wages and hardship, most of us enjoy a standard of life that is inaccessible to 90 percent of the rest of the world’s population.

The word from the Word is a familiar passage. Take a few moments to pray your way through it this morning, inviting the Holy Spirit to help you to see beyond the words, to grasp the eternal truth.

“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being."

 “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. … What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. " (Matthew 6: 19-21, 25,31-33, The Message)

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 Be Thou my visionO Lord of my heartNaught be all else to meSave that Thou artThou my best thoughtBy day or by nightWaking or sleepingThy presence my light

 Riches I heed notNor man's empty praiseThou mine inheritanceNow and alwaysThou and Thou onlyBe first in my heartHigh King of heavenMy treasure Thou art

 High King of heavenWhen vict'ry is wonMay I reach heaven's joysO bright heaven's SunHeart of my own heartWhatever befallStill be my visionO Ruler of all 

Be Thou My Vision
Eleanor Henrietta Hull | Mary Elizabeth Byrne © Words: Public Domain

Who do you think you are?

“This hurts me more than it hurts you,” my dad told me when I was being disciplined. I did not believe him at the time, but repeated the same line to my children when, as an adult, I realized how hard it was to ground a teenager or take away a privilege for the purpose of bringing about change in behavior. Now I watch those grown-up children doing the same things with their own families, in their best efforts to shape the character and values of their offspring.  I wince when I see one of my grandchildren tearfully protesting a correction, when I see the “pain” that they have to endure when their Dad takes away their phone or sends them to their room! The Grandpa in me wants to say, “Ah, just it go. It’s no big deal.”  But, I am so thankful for the discipline that is a love in action.

In the Church, discipline has become all but non-existent. For many reasons – shallow relationships, an inability to agree on standards of right and wrong, mistaken understanding of grace, cowardice – we tolerate sin in the lives of our brothers and sisters without saying a word about it. Ours is an unloving kindness!  We mistakenly think that our tolerance is an expression of ‘love.’  Actually our silence is a way of saying, “Go ahead and destroy yourself!” 

In the church at Corinth, the message of the Gospel’s grace had been taken to an extreme. Paul heard of sin in the congregation that nobody was talking about. Look at the correction he sent to them. "I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship. Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus. Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns. Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough?" (1 Corinthians 5:1-6, NLT)

“Remove him from fellowship … hand him over to Satan.”  Sounds harsh, doesn’t it?  Don’t offer this person the comfort of your fellowship, of fooling himself that he is in good standing with the Lord.  Let him taste the loneliness of being separated from the family of God and the table of Holy Communion, Paul told them.  When the Church does this today, and it does so rarely, the backlash is quick and strong. “How could they be so narrow-minded? How could they think they have a right to judge someone like that? They are so unloving.”  And, the person under that kind of discipline goes 2 miles down the road and is welcomed into another fellowship with open arms, in spite of his lack of repentance.

I make no appeal for cruel, harsh, or mean actions. There is no cause for seeking public humiliation of another person. Certainly church discipline cannot be practiced in an atmosphere of fear or favoritism. But, where there is deep love, the Church must be bold enough to say to another, “that is wrong and if you persist in your sin, you cannot fellowship here.”  Indeed, there are several steps in discipline that ought to be taken before excommunication!  Jesus says that when someone offends, we should seek a private meeting, speaking gently and loving to the errant one.  If that appeal fails, we should engage another mature Christian to join the conversation.  Only then do we take the hard step of breaking fellowship.

And always, the discipline is to be aimed at restoration, not destruction.  A father who lovingly disciplines his son does not abuse that child. If he does, he is wrong and steps are taken to correct him!  A parent aims at bringing about change for the better, basing the discipline in a loving relationship.  So it is in Christ’s church.  When we call a person to change with discipline our hope is to restore the relationship as soon as there is evidence of repentance.  In the Corinthian situation, we know that the discipline was effective, because in Paul’s second letter, he urges the church to restore the man who had sinned. "The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him." (2 Corinthians 2:6-9, NIV)

We must remember that ours is an imperfect world, filled with imperfect people, who live in less than ideal situations. Sometimes we have to face the facts that what is done cannot be undone. Our goal is not some rigid ideal of holy perfection.  We are invited to pursue Jesus, forgiven and forgiving.  Where there is an acknowledgment of sin, we come quickly alongside of the sinner and offer loving support that helps toward wholeness.

Here is a word from the Word. May the Spirit give us insight to understand the letter and the spirit of the command so that we will be the beautiful and holy Body of Christ before our world. "Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived. Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that.

Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life. Be very sure now, you who have been trained to a self-sufficient maturity, that you enter into a generous common life with those who have trained you, sharing all the good things that you have and experience.

Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!— harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life." (Galatians 6:1-8, The Message)

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Father, thank you for the amazing grace of Jesus
That reaches me in my worst moments.
May that grace make me graceful!

Teach me to live in love, a bold and engaged love for Your people.
Help me to love others enough to be truthful,
But never harsh, nor condemning.
Keep my mind always aware that I am prone to sin,
Holding tightly to Your hand lest I fall.

Make Your Church a holy and beautiful one,
Marked by love and redemption.
In Jesus’ Name.   Amen

Paint and Props?

If you visit the ‘set’ where a TV show is filmed you will see ‘rooms’ that appear amazing in the production, but that are actually anything but solid!  The eye of the camera can be fooled with props and paint. What looks so ‘real’ is an illusion.  

When I was a little boy, we visited “Frontiertown.”  Capitalizing on the craze for Westerns, the place was supposed to be a recreation of a town from the Old West.  Since we were guests of the owner, we were treated to a kind of back stage pass. Imagine my disappointment when I saw the things that looked so real from the ‘Main Street’ were mostly false fronts and props. The ‘cowboys’ turned out to be college kids with summer jobs.

Let’s get serious. Is your Christianity authentic, a thing of beauty and real value?
Or, is your faith a ‘set’ constructed for appearances only, largely without function in your daily life?

A tragic truth is that many settle for a kind of discipleship that only looks good. Superficially, they look just like a real follower of Jesus, but when life presses that person, when things turn inside out and upside down, their lack of substance is revealed. By contrast, the disciple who has ‘built his house on the rock’ becomes even more beautiful in the time of trial. The darkness of trial causes the beauty of Jesus to shine even more brightly. The pressure of pain releases God’s grace like the fragrance of a crushed rose fills the room with its sweetness.

The Word reminds us that even if we fool most of the people almost all of the time, God knows what we’re really made of. This passage ought to give us pause. "Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames." (1 Corinthians 3:10-15, NLT)

It is far easier to be content with merely looking good than it is to truly be good!  
That person who wants to know Christ deeply and authentically will have to wrestle with ‘the sinful nature.’  He will have to face unpleasant facts about himself and put Self to death. He will have to learn to trust in things he cannot see, shape his hope around promises yet to be fully possessed, and serve the will of Another.  Some Christians will judge this kind of disciple as having a lesser or faulty faith because he will admit to his flaws rather than concealing them behind spiritual make-up!

For whose eyes are you living, disciple?
Are you real, solid, and spending yourself to build a life that is full of treasures of grace?

Here are Jesus’ words about life construction. God, make us truly beautiful. “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. “But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.”  (Matthew 7:24-27, The Message)

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Cornerstone

 My hope is built on nothing lessThan Jesus' blood and righteousness.I dare not trust the sweetest frameBut wholly trust in Jesus' Name.

 Christ alone, cornerstone.Weak made strong in the Savior's loveThrough the storm He is Lord, Lord of all.

 When darkness seems to hide His face,I rest on His unchanging grace.In every high and stormy galeMy anchor holds within the veil.My anchor holds within the veil.

 He is Lord, Lord of all!

 When He shall come with trumpet sound,Oh, may I then in Him be found.Dressed in His righteousness aloneFaultless stand before the throne.

Edward Mote | Eric Liljero | Jonas Myrin | Reuben Morgan | William Batchelder Bradbury
© 2011 Hillsong Music Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) 

Do you 'get it?'

In a conversation I was having on Sunday, I switched topics mid-talk. As I spoke I saw the other person’s face grow puzzled. She understood my words but they made no sense because she could not see into my mind and realize that I was now onto another subject. I stopped and, after we laughed at the confusion, I explained the shift in my thinking and apologized for not telling her where I was going.  Only then did we find understanding. “Let’s try to get on the same page,” we say to someone who is in a different place, coming from another perspective. We know that our words and thoughts find meaning in their context. That is why it is important to frame what we say.

Do you have the ‘mind of Christ?’  Is God able to speak you and find that you have understanding, or are you unable to discern His ways because your thought processes lack the context of the Spirit’s wisdom? This is not about being clever, having superior intelligence, or even about eloquence! This is about living in the Presence of God, having a mind that is shaped by the Word of God.

Paul explains to us why those who are without the Spirit will not understand what we say or why we make choices that we make in life. They lack ‘context’ that gives the words meaning.  "When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. . .   We speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing . . . we speak of God’s secret wisdom  . . . as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit . . . This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 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. . .  “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2:1-17, NIV)

The passage is not about arrogance, nor is it an expression of pride! It is an appeal to think like Jesus thinks, to learn from the Spirit, so that we may live wisely and reflect God’s will and purpose in our world. The Christian, for example, ‘sees’ the reality of eternity. His choice is not just formed around what is best for today. He lives to gain a heavenly reward. Those without the Spirit will wonder about that. Why would someone sacrifice happiness today if Heaven is just an idea, a ‘could be’ thought.  They may understand the words in Jesus’ direction to “seek first the Kingdom, to lay up treasures in Heaven,” but they will not have the same kind of conviction that a Spirit-filled disciple has.

So, how do we learn to think like Jesus?

1. We must be converted, born of the Spirit, alive to God!

A learned religious leader came to Jesus with questions.  Jesus told Nicodemus that he had to be ‘born again,’ in order to understand God’s ways. “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.  Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.”  (John 3:5-6)  The ‘natural’ mind cannot grasp what is spiritually discerned.

2. We must walk in obedience.

If we are self-willed, obstinate people, our understanding of God and His ways will be dimmed. The people of Israel left Egypt, guided by the Presence of God.  But, over time, they became tired and angry, full of complaint. Their hearts hardened and they missed His will. When they arrived at the entry to the Promised Land, they trusted natural wisdom rather than spiritual wisdom. As a result they refused to go and possess the land. That entire generation died in the wilderness after wandering for 40 years!  Obedience is basic to knowing the voice of the Lord. "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25, NIV)

3. We must pray!

Prayer is not just the time we spend on our knees in some secret place, nor is only the flow of words addressed to God. Prayer is an attitude, a constant state of mind. “Pray continually,” the Word teaches. Yes, be attentive to the voice of the Lord. The Psalm paints a picture of this kind of focus: "I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven. We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal." (Psalm 123:1-2, NLT)  Lord, keep us prayerfully focused, with a heart that eagerly anticipates Your direction.

Let’s live as people of the Spirit, with context and understanding of God’s wisdom, so that our lives will shine with His goodness.  Here is a word from the Word. "People who are ruled by their desires think only of themselves. Everyone who is ruled by the Holy Spirit thinks about spiritual things. If our minds are ruled by our desires, we will die. But if our minds are ruled by the Spirit, we will have life and peace. Our desires fight against God, because they do not and cannot obey God’s laws. If we follow our desires, we cannot please God. You are no longer ruled by your desires, but by God’s Spirit, who lives in you. People who don’t have the Spirit of Christ in them don’t belong to him. But Christ lives in you. So you are alive because God has accepted you, even though your bodies must die because of your sins. Yet God raised Jesus to life! God’s Spirit now lives in you, and he will raise you to life by his Spirit." (Romans 8:5-11, CEV)

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Spirit Of God Descend Upon My Heart

Spirit of God, descend upon my heart,Wean it from earth, thro' all its pulses move.Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou artAnd make me love Thee as I ought to love.

 Hast Thou not bid us love Thee, God and King,All Thine own soul heart and strength and mind?I see Thy cross, there teach my heart to cling.O let me seek Thee and O let me find.

 Teach me to feel that Thou art always nigh.Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear,To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh.Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.

 Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love;One holy passion filling all my frame.The baptism of the heav'n descended Dove,My heart an altar and Thy love the flame.

Frederick Cook Atkinson | George Croly © Words: Public Domain

Like One Possessed?

Several years ago, I briefly met a man on the bus that carried me from the airport terminal to the parking lot.  His attitude was infectious! He was wearing a big smile, so I asked him what he was up to.  He is a welder who is dispatched around the country to fix the machinery built by the company which employs him.   He was dressed just like he'd come from the shop, with well worn work boots and his hat on backwards; his hands still showing signs of wrestling machinery and grease.  

He proudly told me that he was 'the number one welder' for the company, just returning from a trip to Tennessee where he had fixed some machine with 'gears this big,' he held his arms wide.   The man loves life!   "Been at this for 28 years, and I know what I'm doing!" he declared with a hearty laugh, holding up his hands with as much pride as if he had just won a national award for discovering the cure for cancer.  He brought so much enthusiasm to that bus that soon the weary travelers on that bus were chatting about their travels and work.  

That word ‘enthusiasm’ is transliterated from ancient Greek. The word  ‘enthousiazein’ meant:  to be inspired by a god. Those who were full of excitement, who created joy in the world where they lived, were said to be full of God!  Christian, that is literally true of us. God’s Spirit lives in us. Are we so full of the Spirit that we change the world we live with a quality of life that is seen to be inspired?  Do we love radically, stay steady when storms come, keep our word, hope for the best, and forgive quickly?  If God fills us, then the answer will be ‘yes!’

Start a new habit that carves some extra time into your morning when you invite the Holy Spirit to fill you with His Presence. Instead of dragging yourself out of bed, pouring a cup of coffee down your throat, and grumbling your way to work; change your pattern to give Him some time to do His work in you.  Yes, it will demand real intention. You may have to get up earlier than your kids to find 15 minutes of quiet with Him. You might have to leave a little earlier to have some time alone with the Lord in the car before you walk into the shop or office. You may have to wean yourself from that daily dose of news and noise that usually fills up your home.  Focus on being ‘full of God,’ enthused!

Enthusiasm is not just an attitude. It is an overflow. Do you know what that word implies?  Passion! Enthusiastic people invest effort doing what they do like nobody else could do it.  Imagine what the world would be like if everyone did what they do with that kind of effort. Spirit-filled people take God's creative power, His joy in making this world, as their model for life and they inhale His presence. "Come on, Jerry" some of you are thinking.  "Get real.  If I did that where I work, people would think I'd lost my mind.  My job is grind.  I am unappreciated.  I am invisible."    If you are thinking that, I think you have a challenge to change the situation!  Don't wait for someone else; take the initiative, for God's sake!  

Consider this - a delivery person has a fairly invisible job, right? The UPS man who brings our packages to the church office always makes our day better. John has taken time to learn our names, to greet us, and to do the best job possible, without complaint.    He is enthusiastic about delivering our office supplies!   Not only are we blessed with great service, he benefits too.   His day is brightened by the human warmth that returns to him because of his attitude.  

Christian, you honor the Lord when you do what you do without complaint, with joy, to the best of your abilities - as though you were working directly for Jesus Christ Himself.  I propose an experiment...   Try to live in this way consistently for the next couple of weeks.   Pray all the way to work - for a Spirit-filled heart and mind, for an attitude of joy, for creativity, for humility that says, "I'll do whatever it takes, no matter what others do."  See what happens as you are enthused - full of God!

Here is the word from the Word -"Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light." (Colossians 1:10-12, NLT)

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There's nothing worth more, that will ever come close; 
No thing can compare, 
You're our living hope,Your Presence, Lord.

 I've tasted and seen of the sweetest of loves 
Where my heart becomes free and my shame is undone
 In Your Presence Lord.

Holy Spirit, You are welcome here!
 Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere!
 Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for,
 To be overcome by Your Presence Lord.

 Let us become more aware of Your Presence.
 Let us experience the glory of Your goodness (Lord).

Holy Spirit
 Bryan Torwalt | Katie Torwalt © 2011 Capitol CMG Genesis (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Jesus Culture Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

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