Tag: JEsus

Free From Me

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(Galatians 5:1, 13-25)

All student loans have been cancelled. Any remaining car payments have been eliminated. All remaining criminal sentences have been commuted and records have been expunged. Great news! … that is, if any of those apply to us. But if none of them do, then it’s rather ho-hum news. Freedom only matters to those who need to be freed from something.

Paul talks a lot about freedom in the verses from Galatians 5. We know that we have freedom in Christ. But, what exactly is it we are free from? He mentions not being “burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (v.1). What exactly does Paul mean? The rest of Galatians makes it clear that the good news of the gospel means we have been freed from being enslaved by the law. In other words, we don’t get to heaven by keeping the rules. That means we aren’t bound to the unattainable standard of perfection in our lives. 

We want to make sure we know why that’s such a big deal. While the relationship we believers have with God’s law is always going to be conflicted, we need to know why. It’s easy and natural for us to find relief from knowing that our salvation isn’t found by keeping the law, because we all know that’s impossible. Very few of us stay up at night wondering if we’re good enough to get to heaven. We know keeping the law doesn’t save us; Jesus does. 

But we may not have the best understanding of why. See, it isn’t the law’s fault. We don’t find relief from salvation by works so appealing because the law itself is unbearable or problematic or too strict. God’s law is perfect. We have to understand that the real reason we naturally take issue with the law is on our end. It shows who we are. It shows that we – not the law itself – are the real problem. 

It’s like the insurance adjuster assessing the status of a car after it’s been in an accident. There’s the hope that the car can be fixed, that whatever damage was done can be replaced or repaired by a mechanic and we’re back up and running in no time and on the road again. But the law doesn’t reveal that about us. Instead, it shows that we’ve been written off as a total loss, just like that car that has been totaled and is beyond repair. No, our problem isn’t God’s law; our problem is that we’re broken beyond repair. We’re the problem.

We sometimes refer to our spiritual enemies as the “unholy trinity,” referring to the threats of Satan, the world, and our own sinful flesh. When Paul writes that we are free, he means we are free from being enslaved by these three enemies.

But of these three, which freedom do you appreciate the most? You might answer Satan. And indeed, he is a threat. But I wonder if that’s part of what makes him so effective. When our attention is on him, when we are concerned about the possible damage he can do to us, we let down our guard against the enemy inside us: our own sinful nature. And if we think of Satan, the world, and our own sinful flesh as allies coordinating attacks against us, they don’t really care who gets the credit – they just want to see us spiritually and eternally crash and burn.

For now, let’s give our attention to the very real threat of self, which the writer of Galatians is very well qualified to address, since he demonstrated a keen awareness of this struggle. He shared it in another of his letters to the Romans, where he wrote, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:15-19). 

Why is self such a sneaky sinful threat? Let’s consider an example from the outdoors. Think about all the different kinds of bugs there are outside. Think of the bee. When a bee does its thing, you know it right away. It stings. Or a mosquito. It itches. So when you see or hear a bee or a mosquito nearby, you’re on the lookout.

Then there’s the tick. Ticks aren’t like bees and mosquitos. They don’t announce their presence. Ticks can be such a pain because you don’t even know they’re there until you spot them, and that may not happen until days later as they swell and become big enough to be seen with the naked eye. 

That’s your sinful flesh. The other stuff is easier to watch out for. Satan’s temptations. The world’s allures. We know what to watch out for. And, to some extent, because they are external temptations, we can still disassociate a bit from them. Because, while we may have a sinful desire for those things, it’s still just the desire that is the problem – not us, we convince ourselves. We’re still able to differentiate between right and wrong, and able to identify those wrong desires that we shouldn’t have, all the while still thinking pretty highly of ourselves when we succeed.

But that is exactly what Paul is warning against in these verses. Don’t believe the lie that you are basically a pretty good person who just has to wrestle with some wrong desires here and there. The truth is, you as a person are what’s wrong, and the reality is that if you ever have even a single good, right, pure, thought, it’s only because by faith, the Spirit has worked that into you. When we admit this, when we quit trying to downplay it or balk at our sinful nature, it starts to make sense why we struggle the way we do. 

It’s why marriage is so tough. When I work with couples in their marriage, do you know what the problem is 9 times out of 10? It’s the spouse. The husband or the wife lays out for me everything that is wrong with their spouse. You know what almost never happens when I’m working with couples in marriage? I can’t think of the last time a spouse wanted to talk to me because they were struggling with being the reason their marriage wasn’t better. They knew they were the problem. They knew they were selfish. Isn’t that odd? It’s a wonder any marriage works when most every spouse is convinced that their partner is the problem!

Paul provides two examples in the verses from Galatians which demonstrate we’re the problem. He warned, “But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13-14). Have you ever wondered why the Bible directs us to love others as ourselves? Why would that be the metric, the standard? Why not, love your neighbor as your parents, or as your spouse? Because we are in love with ourselves, that’s why! We’re experts at loving ourselves! We think the world of ourselves! That’s what the sinful flesh does: it loves – and will fiercely defend and justify – self over everything and everyone else. 

It’s why we struggle so much even to serve others unselfishly. It isn’t about how much I do or how I serve someone else; rather, it’s how in my own mind I constantly keep tabs and am comparing all of the deposits that I have made in the relationship with how infrequently the other person has made any deposits and how often they seem to make withdrawals. See, I am not serving anyone else out of love for them, but out of love for me, and as I am constantly comparing, the other person always falls short. That’s what our sinful flesh does. That’s what is always at work within us. That’s the first example. 

To see Paul’s second example, take a focused look at the laundry list of sins Paul mentioned, starting in verse 19. “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (v.19-21).

By my count, the list mentions 15 different examples. But if we take away the external temptations that include sex and alcohol, do you notice anything about the remaining ten? Each one of them is 100% a “me” issue that is entirely my fault and no one else’s. Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealously, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy – there is no one to blame for each of those sins but me! In other words, while ultimately every sin we commit is our fault, two-thirds of Paul’s list is made up of sins that very directly expose my heart as the problem! You have no one to blame but yourself for the damage sin does in your life!

That’s why Paul’s struggle in Romans 7 was so frustrating for him; he knew he was the problem. And ultimately, that awareness led him to the only conclusion any of us can arrive at. Listen to the rest of his words from that section of Scripture: “So I find this law at work:  Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:21-24). There can only ever be one conclusion: thank you, Lord, for Jesus, and the deliverance he provides from myself!

And that is the freedom about which Paul is raving in these verses before us from Galatians. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free” (v.1,13). When Paul says that Christ has set us free for freedom, that freedom includes the freedom from your own selfish heart. On the cross, Jesus didn’t just pay for your sins; he introduced you to a world that is no longer governed by the dictatorship of your own selfish heart. That is true freedom – to be free from the deception of believing that my time, energy, and resources during my lifetime on earth are best utilized in service to self. That if I keep after it, eventually I will find utopia here on earth that finally has my perfectly designed life just the way I want it.

There is no such thing. It is a mirage, and the only reason I believe it is because I fall back to the lies of my own sinful flesh. Real freedom means I can stop chasing after that lie. Real freedom means so much more. 

When I understand the true freedom I have in Christ, then I also become aware that when I have an issue with serving someone, it is never truly about the other person, but about me. Because the other person has no bearing on the freedom I have in Christ. No matter how good or how horrible the other person is, my freedom allows me to find joy in the act of service.

That freedom craves the pursuit of Paul’s famous fruits of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (v.22-25).

Look, no one would dare to claim that the acts of the sinful flesh Paul listed earlier is desirable or noble. No one. But everyone here this morning absolutely agrees that everything listed as the fruits of the Spirit are not only noble and worthy of pursuit, but a blessing to everyone anytime they are put into practice.

Dear friends, You. Have. Freedom. You are free to pursue this good and worthy fruit. You are free to put it into practice in service to your neighbor and to Jesus, no matter what. At all times. No matter the circumstances. Let us give our undivided attention to putting this fruit into practice and loving Jesus and our neighbor, since the freedom we have in Christ, the freedom from our own sinful flesh, means we have a heart that is filled up to the brim when loving our neighbor as ourself. We know what it’s like to love ourselves. But more importantly, we know how much more fulfilling it is to love our neighbor even more than ourselves. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Students Preparing for Public Ministry

Holy Spirit,
Be with the many young people at the high school, college, and seminary level of education who are studying and training to serve in the public ministry as pastors and teachers. Thank you for the encouragement and support they received to lead them down this important path. When they are discouraged or frustrated by their workload or requirements, keep in front of them the future joys that accompany the splendid privilege of bringing Jesus to others. Provide them with a variety of positive ministry experiences to spur them on and to guide them in discovering their unique gifts and preferences for ministry. When they are feeling the burden of the cost of this path of education, use your church to meet their needs, and in doing so, endear them even more to ministry. Keep them faithful and focused in their studies, so that they take the same faithful focus with them into ministry.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

The Needed Privilege of the Public Ministry

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(Luke 10:1-12, 16-20)

You never seem to have enough. Of what? While the answers may differ, none of us would have too much trouble identifying something in our lives that seems to be lacking; some area where we don’t have enough. We don’t have enough hours in the day to get it all done. We don’t have enough time together. We don’t get enough sleep. We don’t have enough money. We don’t get scheduled for enough hours at work. We don’t have enough gas, enough time off, enough rain, enough… the list goes on. We know the feeling, whether our feeling that we don’t have enough is backed by data or merely based on our perception. As ironic as it is for us who live in the country with the world’s largest economy, we’re not strangers to the feeling of not having enough,

But maybe that shouldn’t surprise us. After all, doesn’t it seem like the Lord delights in dealing with perceived deficiencies, in our not having enough? We have two very clear commands in Scripture: to trust God to provide and to be content. Each of these is put to the test when under perceived deficiencies, when it seems there isn’t enough of something. In other words, it isn’t as difficult to trust that God will provide when I have more money than I know what to do with, right? And doesn’t contentment seem to be much easier to achieve when I have plenty and am more than satisfied in every area of life? 

Therefore, when it appears that we don’t have enough of something, does God allow that to happen so frequently in our lives because, well… we’re half right? Maybe there is something we need more of?

Yes… but it isn’t what we think; instead, what we need more of is trust and turning to God. So he allows us to go without so that we look less within and more to him. Then, when we do just that, he shows himself to be the trustworthy God he has always claimed to be, delivering on his promise to provide whatever we need.

Jesus pointed to something that was lacking during his ministry, something there wasn’t enough of. What is that “something,” or better “someone”? Workers. People dedicating their lives to the work of the church, which we refer to today as the public ministry. Jesus was saying that there weren’t enough church workers in his day.

Not much has changed in over 2,000 years, has it? It appears we’re still short of workers for the harvest. We currently have around 120 pastoral vacancies and about the same number of teacher vacancies in our church body (WELS). Now, not all of those represent a single congregation without a pastor or school without a teacher; some have multiple pastors and are functioning with fewer than are ideal, as are schools short on teachers. But regardless, they are not at the full capacity they feel they need to carry out their ministry.

More important than the actual number of how short our churches and schools are is the solution to the shortfall. How would Jesus have us address this shortfall? He gives two pretty clear directives: “Ask” and “Go!”  

When you ask someone for something, it demonstrates two things. First, it shows you have been giving thought to whatever the topic of your request is. When we ask the Lord to send out workers, it demonstrates our concern for the important work of his church, the need to flood the earth with the good news of the gospel. To ask for workers shows the Lord that he and his church are on our hearts and minds. Second, it shows that we know he is the One who can do something about it. We don’t have to come up with clever gimmicks or try to make ministry appeal to others with attraction marketing. The Lord sends the workers. He just wants us to ask him.

Then immediately after the invitation to ask for workers, what does Jesus do? He sends out the seventy-two, telling them, “Go!” So when we ask, as the Lord directs us to, we also have to be open to being an answer, as the seventy-two were. If all of God’s people only ask the Lord of the harvest for workers, while at the same time avoiding any consideration of the call into ministry, there would be no workers! There would be no answers to the asking. So be open to both the asking and the answering, the praying for the workers and potentially playing the part of a worker.

Recall in the last post in this series, we had the opportunity to see what it looks like when one answers the call to go. While we focused on how undivided attention means complete commitment, we saw what that looked like in the example of Elisha. I want to return back to that incident to highlight two aspects of Elisha’s behavior that reflected that his heart was in the right place for public ministry. 

First, he cared about people. Yes, he went back to say goodbye to his parents. But he didn’t stop there. He threw a big party with a steak dinner for everyone! He cared about others and serving them – sacrificing his own plowing equipment and oxen in the process – which leads to his second ideal attribute for ministry: he trusted the Lord to provide.

I don’t know about you, but if I was asked out of the blue to make a big life change like that, facing all kinds of uncertainties, one thing I would want to make sure of is that I had enough in my piggy bank to ride out the rough times. Couldn’t Elisha have sold the plowing equipment and oxen and at least had a little financial cushion in his pockets as he went on his way into the unknown? Instead, Elisha made a clean break from that chapter of his life and followed God’s call, completely trusting that God would provide for him. He cared for people and he trusted in God’s providence. 

It has been my own personal experience that God often uses the one to deliver on the other. It shouldn’t just be on anniversaries or special occasions that a pastor gets to express his gratitude, so I am grateful for the care my congregation provides for my family and me. We have been blessed through our congregation’s generosity our whole time serving at Shepherd of the Hills. A pastor gets to take care of God’s people, and God uses his people to take care of their pastor. It really is a beautiful thing, and it’s right in line with the words Jesus spoke this morning. 

That kind of care allows the called worker to keep the main thing the main thing. Jesus made sure the seventy-two didn’t lose sight of that upon their return. “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name’” (v.17). They were like the kid in the world of superheroes who just figured out his superpower – only this wasn’t made up; this was real power they had been given to even put demons in their place!

Jesus then validated their abilities, reminding them that demons were real, in service to the very real Satan whom Jesus himself had seen “fall like lightning from heaven” (v.18). Then, Jesus raised the bar and foreshadowed more of the amazing abilities he would give them as they served in his name, along with the promise of safekeeping. “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you” (v.19). 

Yet even in light of all this power and authority they would be wielding as they went out with the Word, none of it was to be the ultimate source of their joy. That ALWAYS must find its foundation elsewhere. Jesus made it clear where. “However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (v.20).

I can also relate to Jesus’ final words in these verses. Do you what I love about getting to be a pastor? My name is written in heaven. Is it written in heaven because I’m a pastor? Is God somehow especially pleased that I chose this path over any other? Of course not. He is no more pleased with this path than he is with the faithful gas station clerk. One is not better in his eyes.

But, every single day I get to spend time in the Word, and it reminds me that my name is written in heaven. And no, one doesn’t have to be a pastor to spend time in the Word every day to find that out. But it is just one of the many perks of the job that you take home a paycheck for reading the Bible, teaching the Bible, preaching the Bible, and studying the Bible with others. It’s a sweet gig!

I began this post by pointing out how often we don’t seem to have enough. But I have to conclude with the reminder that God also promises to provide more than we can even ask for. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21). Do you suppose this promise is limited to any one area of life, or could it be applied to workers for the harvest, too? Is God able to fill all of the current vacancies in our church body with pastors and teachers? Could he exceed that by providing even more than necessary?

Yes, in fact that was the case when I graduated from the Seminary. In contrast to not having enough pastors at that time, the concern was about not having enough spots for all the soon-to-be pastors. This need prompted the class ahead of me to come up with a plan for tent ministry, or bi-vocational ministry. While that class didn’t end up needing to utilize that plan, as all of the graduates were assigned to pastor congregations, my class did have an opportunity. And in fact, I was one of the two graduates assigned to a tent ministry mission field in Tucson, AZ. That is where I served for three years prior to arriving at Shepherd of the Hills.

So yes, God can provide more workers that we can imagine. Yet, rather than thinking in terms of shortages or surpluses, let’s simply be confident that the Lord will provide exactly what is needed. “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Rest assured, this applies to called workers, too.

In fact, that is exactly what Jesus promises regarding the plentiful harvest and few workers, when he invites us to pray, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Luke 10:2). From our vantage point, it appears we’re short on workers, we don’t appear to have enough of something. So what do we do? Turn to God in prayer. Ask. And, while asking, consider the ways we can also go and be an answer to that prayer. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Worship to Spur on Ministry

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. Use your Word and worship today to equip your people to carry out the mission of your church. Let worship serve to remind believers about the unique role the church serves in both growing and going. As we carry out our calling together, we use the same gospel to grow in our faith and to go bring others to faith. While your Holy Spirit does all the heavy lifting of converting souls and nurturing spiritual growth, he does that important work through us.

Since you send pastors and teachers to help prioritize that work and equip and train believers for it, lead many more to choose the path of public ministry so that our congregations and classrooms are not lacking in manpower. Raise up around them zealous disciples who are eager to work together in ministry and give focused attention to your mission of growing and going. Spur on your people all over the world to embrace the joyful privilege of ministry, to be faithful and diligent in carrying it out, and to fully trust in you for the results. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

Complete Commitment

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(1 Kings 19:19-21)

Recently I was listening to someone explain what a headache they had been enduring because of recent flooding inside their house. There’s a lot of different types of damage that flooding can cause! Certain personal belongings can be damaged beyond repair. The concern of mold is very real. The challenges of dealing with contractors’ availability and scheduling them to get the work done is a hassle.

But by far the biggest issue in this case was the matter of insurance. Unfortunately, as it turned out, they had been in their home for some time, but as the value of the home increased over the years, the level of their coverage had not increased along with it. So not only were they dealing with the flooding issues, but also the financial woes of being able to cover all of the expenses when their insurance wasn’t current and complete. Whether it’s home, auto, or life insurance, we want to make sure that whatever coverage we have is complete, so we that aren’t lacking anything if the need comes to utilize it. 

While I’m not writing to sell you insurance, I am writing to remind you that God is looking for something else that is not partial or lacking, but complete: complete commitment to him. The interaction Jesus had with several potential followers in Luke 9 showcased what incomplete commitment looked like. “As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God’” (Luke 9:57-62).

That is the opposite of this current series theme, “Undivided Attention.” That is what divided attention looks like. That is also what incomplete commitment looks like. It essentially says, “Yes, Lord, I am very interested in following you… as long as it’s OK that you are good with playing second fiddle, because honestly, it’s not always convenient, and I’m always going to have other things to do that will have to come first. But if that’s OK with you, then I’m on board with following you after I get all of the other stuff done.” That’s not complete commitment.

So what does complete commitment look like? There is quite a remarkable incident recorded for us in 1 Kings 19. Outside of the writings of other notable prophets in the Old Testament, Elijah’s ministry and miracles make him the most prominent prophet. In fact, many of those amazing miracles are recorded in the verses and chapters preceding these verses from 1 Kings. They tell of the widow at Zarapheth and raising her son from the dead. We ascend Mt. Carmel with Elijah, where God utterly embarrassed the prophets of Baal in an unforgettably epic showdown. And we see God using one of the creatures of his creation to feed Elijah in an unprecedented way. From there, God directed Elijah to appoint his successor, Elisha, to begin mentoring him for his own prophetic ministry. 

The manner in which he did it seemed rather… ordinary. Elisha was out farming the fields, when suddenly “Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him” (1 Kings 19:19c). That was the equivalent of our practice or ordaining a seminary graduate into the pastoral ministry. At that service, the pastor-elect is installed and, for the first time, receives his stole, the colorful strip of fabric around a pastor’s neck, which is symbolic of being yoked to Jesus and his words in his ministry. In Elijah’s day, instead of a stole, his cloak was a symbol of the Spirit’s power being on him, and he was now designating Elisha to receive that power and privilege.

What happens next sounds an awful lot like what I referenced in Luke 9 earlier in this post. “Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?” (v.20). Wait a minute. Why wasn’t Elisha’s request met with the same sort of rebuke Jesus issued to his potential followers? We might expect almost an identical response to what Jesus gave: “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (Luke 9: 62). Not only was Elisha making the exact same request to say goodbye to his family, but it was even more appropriate, given that Elisha was literally driving a plow! So why no rebuke?

Because of what happened next.

“So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant” (1 Kings 19:21). Elisha wasn’t distracted; he was determined. His attentions weren’t divided; he was devoted. And he showed it by cutting ties with family, friends, and his soon-to-be former farming way of life. His commitment was complete. 

That kind of response from Elijah to God’s calling may lead you to think of another well-known decision in history. In 1519, Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortez eventually landed in Mexico. Once he and his crew had disembarked, he famously directed them to burn all of the ships in their fleet. At that point, there was no going back; there was no returning. They were committed to their commission to explore and find wealth, glory, and fame. Regardless of how questionable the actions of Cortez were from that point after, no one could question his commitment. It was complete. 

Is yours? When it comes to your calling for complete commitment to Christ, does your commitment measure up? I’ll answer for you, because I know that everyone, including myself, can only respond to that question in one way: absolutely not. Our commitment to Christ is far from complete. It ranges anywhere from curious investigator to actively engaged church member, but no matter where we fall in that range, it’s all a far cry from complete commitment. 

How do we know? You be the judge: what kind of criteria would you expect of a Christian who claims to be committed? Is a believer who only once in a blue moon brings up Jesus in conversations outside of church committed? Is a follower of Jesus whose words and actions in daily life rarely reflect the words and actions of Jesus committed? Is a Christian who hasn’t supported the gospel ministry of Jesus’ church with so much as a dime for years committed? Is the child of God who hasn’t been in the house of God for over twelve months committed? Is the one quick to claim the title of Christian who never has time for Christ really committed?

When these questions are raised, they may cause us to dig in our heels and quickly point out that only God can judge hearts, not us. That is 100% true! But sadly, we don’t have to judge hearts when a person’s words and actions plainly reveal so much… or so little. It isn’t difficult to see when a believer’s fruits are so spoiled or sorely lacking.

There is another reason that God is concerned about our commitment to him. He knows that a lack of commitment to him is not just a lack of commitment to him; it’s also a deeper, increasing commitment to whatever it is we think is more worthy of our time than Christ. And what do you think happens over time as our indifference toward Christ coincides with more time, energy, and resources going toward whatever it is that is keeping us from him? That thing, that person, that priority WILL eventually be treasured more in our heart. And if nothing changes, it WILL completely crowd out Christ. Then we will finally have what we’re after: complete commitment – to unbelief and its final destination: hell.

Do you understand how much Jesus doesn’t want that for anyone? Do you have any idea? Can you comprehend the level of commitment he showed, sacrificing not just himself on the cross – for this we know so well and too quickly gloss over – but also the lifestyle sacrifices he made. Jesus didn’t have his own bed or place to live during his ministry, so there were no visions of dream homes or remodels that he had to busy himself with. He didn’t care about having the nicest ride on the block, whatever that might have been. He didn’t throw himself tirelessly into chasing friendships or looking for that special someone. He wasn’t interested in keeping up with the Joneses or making sure he didn’t miss the latest show everyone’s talking about. He didn’t concern himself with where he was going to go out to eat each night. He didn’t have kids to idolize.

Instead, Jesus, “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted” (Hebrews 12:2-3). Jesus’ attention was undivided. Jesus’ commitment was complete. He was singularly focused on carrying out every last detail of our salvation. Why? Because he knew the price that had to be paid for uncommitted followers to ever have a place in heaven. He didn’t just know the price; he paid it. Completely. 

So be at peace, for our incomplete commitment is overshadowed by our Savior’s perfectly complete commitment in every single detail and nuance of his entire life. And not just in words and actions, but even in his thoughts and emotions! His commitment to his Father and to holy obedience to his calling provides everything that is lacking in each of us individually. And his commitment to us fans into flame our desire to level up our commitment to him. What does that look like? 

Here’s a question for you to wrestle with: is your level of commitment not where it should be because of other distractions in your life that get in the way, or do the other distractions get in the way because your level of commitment is not where it should be? Get to the bottom of that question, while embracing your Savior’s complete commitment to you, and you’ll be on the right path toward a deeper commitment to Christ. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Future Leaders

Faithful Father,
Throughout history you have raised up strong leaders to guide and direct your people. While there are certainly natural gifts and abilities that you grant people in those roles, you ultimately are responsible for developing and equipping remarkable leaders. Continue to bless your church with reliable, trustworthy, and faithful leaders. Keep them also humble in their work.

Help congregations to consider how they identify, train, and equip individuals for leadership. Give them men and women willing to take others under their wings and invest the time to necessary to mentor and model for them. Provide outlets for potential future leaders to serve so that they come to realize that they may have certain gifts that are well-suited for leadership. When they do, increase in them a godly desire to spend more time with Jesus in his Word, so that they shadow him and imitate his life and ministry. Fill them with encouragement and support as they grow into leadership positions, and help them to embrace their shared role in continuing to develop leaders for the future. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

Fathers, Take Your Lead from the Son

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(John 16:12-15)

A father and his son each pull up a chair at the kitchen table. “I’ve always appreciated your wisdom and counsel, so I’m hoping you can help me work through a few things. I’ve been struggling a bit, and I’m looking for some advice and guidance. You’ve always said I can come to you with anything, no matter what, so I’m hoping that is still the case.” “Of course it is, dad,” the son responded, “I’ll always be here for you and will help you in any way I can. Tell me, dad, what’s on your mind?”

That’s not how you expected the conversation the kitchen table to continue, is it? We would assume that in a scenario like that – a father and son sitting down at the kitchen table to talk – the son would be the one seeking advice from the father, not the other way around. Dads are the ones with the knowledge and experience, so it’s natural for a son to look to his father for guidance and direction.

But God wants fathers – and really all of us – to see how important it is that we take our lead from the Son. Jesus had much more than just three years’ worth of guidance for his disciples – there was plenty of instruction and guidance they still needed. He made that clear with his words, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear” (v.12). 

How well does Jesus know his own! Even as he was preparing his disciples for his departure, he cares enough to continue shepherding his sheep, knowing full well that they – and we – will always be in need of instruction and guidance. No follower of Jesus has or ever will come close to achieving a PhD in discipleship. No believer can possibly achieve expert status in knowing and living according God’s will through God’s Word. There will always be more that he has to say to us. Pray that we are always willing to listen!

Jesus also showed how aware he is of how and when to unfold important spiritual truths in our lives. What was going on in the disciples’ lives that they couldn’t at that moment possibly bear whatever else Jesus had to tell them? Jesus had been starting to prepare them for when he would no longer be with them in person, and had just shared some pretty heavy things with them.

For example, he warned them that the world would hate them because of him (15:19), and that the time was quickly approaching when those who put believers to death would actually think they are serving God (16:2). Jesus knew that was a lot for them to process as they counted the cost of being his disciples. So he deliberately spread out his instruction, spacing it so that he would give them a little bit now, and more later through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on and after Pentecost. 

Notice also two things in these words of Jesus. First, he speaks with authority. When Jesus provides the details regarding his sending of the Spirit, he explains, “[The Holy Spirit] will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you” (v.14). The Holy Spirit wasn’t going to be a free spirit, revealing and proclaiming whatever he wanted to on a whim; rather, he was being sent specifically to communicate the ongoing truths and teaching of Jesus.

And from where did Jesus receive that authority? From the Father. “All that belongs to the Father is mine” (v.15a). The Father had entrusted all things to the Son for the purpose of carrying out his plan of salvation, and then making that salvation known to the ends of the earth through the work of the Spirit. Jesus had been given that authority from the Father. 

Secondly, while Jesus speaks with authority, he doesn’t speak as an authoritarian. Jesus was not a dictator. He was not the power-hungry boss who relishes reminding those beneath him that he’s in charge. No, with these words, Jesus gives a glimpse into the wonders of the Trinity – a three-in-one God dedicated to working in beautiful, perfect harmony for the salvation of all.

God hasn’t revealed himself as the triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – to confuse or confound us, but to comfort us. There is a certain confidence that comes from realizing that my inability to comprehend this mystery is indicative of a God who is absolutely out of my league in terms of my simple understanding. I will never grasp the mystery of three persons, yet one God. But by faith I find supreme comfort in knowing that this out-of-my-league God is not interested in keeping me confused and in the dark, but rather in enlightening me to the certainty of salvation that he alone has secured for me. 

When I preached on these same verses from John 16 years ago, I referred to the three persons of the Trinity as the Giver, the Grunt, and the Guide. The Father, as the Giver, ultimately provides for our every need, including both physical and spiritual needs. It is together in perfect harmony with the Son and Spirit, that he delivers our spiritual needs. Without the Son carrying out the grunt work of our salvation through his perfect life and sacrificial, substitutionary death, there would be no spiritual goods for the Father to give. Finally, without the Guide, the Holy Spirit, who opens our eyes to see and believe the salvation secured for us through the Son, the Son’s work would have been in vain. So we stand in awe of the divine synergy that exists within the Holy Trinity, all for the focused purpose of soul-saving. 

Fathers, do you know what that means? It means that what God calls you to do and be in your home and family, he does not call you to do and be by yourself. “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). You have the Triune God at your disposal as you carry out this high calling! God doesn’t leave you hanging in your role as father and spiritual head of your home. Everything he calls you to, he also equips you for. And fathers, the best way you can carry out your role is by taking your lead from the Son. 

What does that look like? You can’t take your lead from the Son if you don’t first spend time with the Son yourself.

Dads, let me ask you, how well do you know your children? While answers will vary, can we agree that the solution is the same for any dad who wants to know his children better? What has to happen? You have to spend time with them. There is simply no substitute for spending time together. Sure, mom can often provide a wealth of information about a child’s. A teacher can speak to their learning abilities. A coach can share their successes and struggles.

But that mere passing along of information alone isn’t sufficient to develop a deeper relationship with your child. You have to spend time with them.

So then, if we are going to follow God’s direction, fathers, and bring up our children in the training and instruction of the Lord, then it’s absolutely necessary that we first spend time with the Lord.

Most of us know the hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” But maybe we should consider if “What a Familiarity We Have with Jesus” might be a more accurate title. We know who Jesus is. We know what the Bible tells us about him. We know what others have told us about him. But can we honestly say he’s our friend… if we don’t spend time with him? Friendship requires time together, so if we don’t spend time regularly with Jesus, can we really call him our friend?

That actually leads into the most important reason to spend time with him. Because, unlike other friends who will eventually move along to other friendships if you don’t have the time for them, Jesus never will. His friendship is founded on forgiveness. His friendship is grounded in grace. He won’t ever allow your friendship with him to sour on his end, but he’s always waiting for you to deepen it on your end.

Spend time with him. Quit boring others with your lame excuses about not having the time. Prioritize getting to know Jesus more. I always say that if it matters to us, we’ll find a way; if it doesn’t, we’ll find an excuse. Don’t complicate it. Jesus invites us to know him personally as we follow his words and wonders recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Befriend him through his Word.

When that happens, you change. He changes you. Jesus changes you – for the better. And then you’ve got something to share with your children.

Without friendship with Jesus, what training and instruction would you be qualified to pass along as a father? We’re not just talking teaching your kid who to change the oil or hammer a nail – we’re talking about the divine truths and treasures that will serve them far more effectively both for this life and for eternal life. The training and instruction you’re then able to give them involves introducing them to your best friend, Jesus, and starting to encourage them to build their own friendship with him.

But one more thing has to happen. Just as you prioritize time with the Son, so you also have to prioritize time with your children. We’re all busy, and often it is with work, working as hard as we do to provide for our family. Yet how many children have ever looked back on their childhood and said they wished their dad had worked more? None.

What if I told you that you don’t need more hours in the day? Chances are, you’re already coaching them, shuttling them to practice, or watching their games. You already take them outdoors and on fishing trips. You watch their dance recitals. Take those moments you already have together and use them to bring Jesus into the conversation. For starters, don’t worry about adding additional planned spiritual interactions into an already packed calendar; rather, utilize the time you already spend together to serve as openings for talking about Jesus.

Also, bring them to church. Especially you, dads. The statistics are overwhelmingly obvious that your presence in church has a far greater impact and influence on your children’s spiritual formation than if they come by themselves or even with just mom. Spend time with your children in your Friend’s house every Sunday. Don’t settle for anything else. In a society that has embraced and even encourages lowering the bar across all areas of life, refuse to do so in this area. Set the bar high. Make worship together a non-negotiable every week. That’s where your best Friend is every Sunday. 

And that best Friend, the Savior Jesus, promises that together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, he will equip fathers with everything they need to bring up their children in the training and instruction of the Lord. Fathers, keep looking to the Son to be the father you want to be, and the father God calls you to be.

Ascending & Sending, Part 2: The Means

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(Acts 2:1-21)

“Turn around. Your sins have been let go.” That’s how we boiled down the message of our mission in part one. It was how we captured what Jesus meant when he told his disciples that “repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations” (Lk. 24:47) and reminded them that they were witnesses, both having seen Jesus carry out the work he was sent to do, and now testifying to it as the mission is carried out. We tell others, “Turn around. Your sins have been let go.” 

It was ten days prior to the events in Acts 2 when Jesus ascended while blessing the disciples. It was at that time that he also sent the disciples on their mission. But he was not done sending. He wasn’t just sending them; there was another gift Jesus promised to send. “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” (Lk. 24:49). Now, on the day we call Pentecost (not some deeply significant theological designation, but which means “50”, as in fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection), Jesus was sending the very gift he promised: the Holy Spirit. 

If you had to guess where some monumental event in church history might take place, where might you guess? Church, right? Or, in their day, the temple, which is where Luke said the disciples stayed continually to praise God. That would make sense. But that’s not where the Spirit was sent on this very special occasion.

Instead, we’re told they were together in a house. Now, without stretching the significance of this too far, it may nonetheless serve as a good reminder for us that the work of the Spirit and the work of his Church is not by any means limited to the church as a building. Sure, the physical location, along with Christian churches wherever the gospel is preached and the sacraments are rightly administered and received, is essential to our mission. But it isn’t exclusive, by any means. Essential, yes. Exclusive, no. 

Why? Because the Holy Spirit can and does work anywhere. He has worked in foreign lands, as he did through Moses in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon. He can show up in a burning bush. He can speak through a donkey. He can communicate through the powerful visual of a valley of dry bones. 

And, he can work as he did here among the believers on Pentecost. His work was visual, audible, and intelligible. Ultimately, it was just the means needed to carry out the mission: communicate to the ends of the earth the message, “Turn around. Your sins have been let go.” Tongues that were tangled and tied at Babel became loosed and unleashed.

When we strip away the Spirit’s special effects, what did it all come down to? Communicating in a language everyone could understand by the simplest means possible: spoken words. There was speaking and there was hearing. It was that simple. Was there any better gift that could be given to spread the message than removing the barrier of foreign language? Jesus said “all nations,” and he had now made that possible. They had the means by which to carry out the mission.

You know, don’t you, that we still have the means to carry out the mission today? Recently in our congregation, three youth confirmands were joined by two adults in professing their faith in Jesus. That same Sunday, as well as the Sunday prior, each included a baptism. Then, on the Sunday that followed, those confirmands received the Lord’s Supper together with their church family for the first time. What is behind all of this? What do all of these things have in common? 

Well, if you ask someone without the Spirit, they’re all just silly church rituals. They’re far-fetched foolishness and a waste of time.

But if you ask a believer, a child of God, one who has read, studied, and believes what the Word says about all of these things, they all point to one thing in common: the work of the Holy Spirit. Guess what that means? The Holy Spirit’s shift didn’t end after the Day of Pentecost. He didn’t clock out for the last time and decide to retire. Ever since that day, the Spirit has been building up and strengthening the Church, and he will continue to do so until Jesus returns. 

But how do we tap into that power? What does it take to unlock the same jaw-dropping effects of Pentecost? Surely that sort of thing must be relegated to the spiritual cream of the crop. It must be limited to the spiritually trained professionals and the deeply dedicated, the most devoted among us. It must be reserved for the explosive churches and ministries having a world-wide impact, who have clearly discovered something the rest of us have not. 

I think you know better, don’t you? But if we do, then why don’t our words and actions more often show it? When is the last time you got excited to get involved in something at church, not just for the sake of spending time with friends at church – but excited by the potential behind it to reach someone new with the gospel? When is the last time you started getting giddy as you realized a conversation with a non-believer was an open door to point them to their Savior? When is the last time you took the time to even look into any sort of mission work being done by your congregation or church body?

As much as we enjoy functions that bring us together to enjoy each other as we are blessed to do, Lord forgive us if our meeting together overshadows our mission together. Lord forgive us if everything we do together more or less effectively cuts our mission of Seeking the Lost and Serving the Found in half, chopping off the “Seeking the Lost”, leaving only Serving the Found (this is the mission of Shepherd of the Hills).

When we are veering off in that direction, let us run, not walk, to the last verse of our section from Acts 2 this morning: “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (v.21). Believe it. you are saved, not because you are on fire with the Holy Spirit. You are saved, not because your spiritual fervor surpasses that of the disciples in the early Christian Church. You are saved because of one reason and one reason only: Jesus.

To call on his name is to cling to his forgiveness, embracing his grace, and savoring the salvation your Savior won for you. Lost your mission zeal? Never had it in the first place? It’s not counted against those who call on his name! We have been saved – but also saved with purpose!

Therefore, I am going to give you both an invitation and a challenge. First, the invitation. Please, use your pastor as a resource. Please, tell others you have a pastor that you can talk to anytime about anything and he’ll do his best to listen, answer questions, and provide guidance. Please, give him referrals. Please, send people his way. Please, share resources with others. Please, speak highly and frequently of your church. Please, tell others what they’re missing if their kids aren’t in your school (if you have one). Please, invite others to anything and everything you do at church – it’s for them, too!)

And here’s the challenge: push yourself to get more confident and more comfortable in carrying out the mission directly yourself. Because… you’re never really by yourself. The Spirit Jesus promised to send after his ascension is still at your side when you communicate the message. You’re never really by yourself.

So speak up. Talk Jesus. Normalize him in your conversations. Look for openings to bring him up whenever you can. Do it until you become so comfortable that it actually feels uncomfortable when you don’t! Go back and read that last sentence again!

If Peter can do it, you can do it. Through the power of the Spirit, Peter, the one who needed his mind opened at Ascension, was the one opening minds on Pentecost, explaining what was happening! Peter, who at one point was determined to keep Jesus from dying, was now connecting the Scriptures for those listening. Peter, who was so confident in his own allegiance to Jesus that he refused to believe he could ever turn on him or deny him, was now appealing not to his own authority, but to God’s authority through his prophets. Jesus had given him the mission; now, in this special outpouring, he was also giving him the means: the Holy Spirit. 

You have the mission and the means. There is no reason the Spirit cannot do through you the sort of things that he did through Peter and so many others. No disrespect to Peter, but there was nothing special about him. The same could be said for many of the men and women in Scripture – there was nothing special about them.

We easily forget that, because of course their names are written in Scripture, and so we automatically elevate them to some superstar spiritual status. But their names aren’t in there because there was something exceptional about them; rather, their names are recorded because they allowed God to use them so that he could do something exceptional through them. Don’t think so little of God that he cannot do the exceptional and extraordinary for his kingdom through ordinary you or me.

In fact, rather than putting all the extra pressure on ourselves, let’s start with ordinary – and let God turn it into extraordinary if he so chooses. Is he able to? Look at Pentecost!

Suppose you find yourself wandering, lost in the woods in the cold chill of winter, desperately seeking warmth. You come across a beautiful cabin that is vacant, and the front door is unlocked. As you enter, the first thing that grabs your attention is the stunning oversized fireplace. The stonework around it is exceptional, the fireplace itself is obviously well-made, and there is even a huge stack of wood inside it, carefully positioned to light up and burn for hours. The only thing missing is the fire itself.

That was the church prior to Pentecost. Everything had been completed and made ready. Jesus had trained and equipped his disciples during his three-year ministry. Jesus had risen from the dead. Jesus had ascended and promised the outpouring of a special gift from on high. The only thing missing was the fire itself.

Then, like a lit match in that cabin fireplace, a blazing fire roared to life, throwing light and heat and beauty throughout the whole cabin. When the Spirit came on Pentecost, the whole church also roared to life and began to throw the light and heat and beauty of the gospel to the ends of the earth. Everything was ready; it just needed the Spirit’s spark.

Everything is ready. But the church will not roar to life in its mission if it doesn’t also have the means. It will always be the Spirit driving it. And the Spirit will always drive it through the means of grace – Word and Sacrament. Let’s keep stoking that fire so that the Spirit stirs us to roar to life in carrying out our mission together! 

Ascending & Sending, Part 1: The Mission

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(Luke 24:44-53)

Sometimes it’s simple, sometimes it’s complex. A classroom assignment or work project can involve many steps and different layers, or it can consist of one straight-forward requirement that can be carried out and completed with relative ease. The task may be for each student or employee individually, or it may be for a group that is assigned to work together. The more complex the project and the more people involved, the more necessary it is to provide clarity on what the finished project is supposed to look like.

Before Jesus ascended, he reiterated for his disciples what their assignment, their mission, was. As you reflect on the words Jesus spoke to them, would you describe the mission Jesus was sending them to carry out as simple or complex? He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (v.46-47).

Admittedly, it might sound pretty complex. The promised Messiah, the Savior about whom God had prophesied throughout history, first had to suffer, die, and then rise from the dead. We’re already multiple steps into it – sounds pretty complex!

However, when we remember it is the risen Lord himself speaking these words to them, we realize that the heavy lifting in the assignment has already been done! The suffering, dying, and rising from the dead which had to take place had obviously been carried out. The impossible part of the mission had been made possible by Jesus. What was left was not so complex at all.

Repentance and forgiveness of sins would be preached everywhere. That’s what was left. We should probably understand those two terms if we’re going to figure out this mission. So let’s strip them of their churchiness and make sure we know what we’re talking about.

That’s important because sometimes we throw around words and phrases in the church and forget that not everyone actually grasps their meaning yet. So we just keep using the same words, assuming everyone knows what we’re talking about, only they don’t. But, since they also don’t want to look foolish, don’t ask about them and just nod in agreement to go along with the crowd.

If repentance is going to be preached everywhere, we absolutely must know what it means. Simply put, it’s alerting people to turn around. Turn around. It’s caring enough about other people to let them know they’re going the wrong way. Turn around. It’s warning them about the danger ahead that is waiting for them if they keep on their current path. Turn around.

Picture the police car you first spot as a speck in your rearview mirror, appearing out of nowhere. Then, before you can blink, the view of his vehicle has completely filled your mirror because he sped right up to your bumper. The nervousness kicks in. Then, he pulls out of that lane right alongside you and slows to your exact speed. He looks over at you, makes eye contact, and then makes the dreaded gesture, pointing for you to pull over. Your heart sinks and your mind is racing to try to figure out what you did wrong. When he walks up to your window, you’re fully expecting him to drop the hammer on you.

Only he doesn’t.

That’s because he was pulling you over to let you know that you drove right past a warning sign that the road ahead was closed. He informs you that just ahead, around a particularly dangerous curve, a rock slide has left the road impassible. The reason he pulled you over was to warn you of the danger before it was too late. He’s telling you to turn around for your own safety.

That’s repentance. Out of care and concern for others, we’re lovingly warning them about the danger ahead if they don’t turn around. 

But there’s more to the mission Jesus shared with his disciples. He also said that forgiveness will be preached.

While this may be – and certainly ought to be – among one of the most frequently spoken and heard words in the church, do we really get what it means? The word “forgive” here literally means to release or let go, to send away.

So when Jesus says our mission is to follow up our “Turn around” warning of repentance with the news that a person’s sin has been let go or sent away, we are giving people everything they need for salvation! Repentance and forgiveness are like a one-two punch. When we call others to turn around, we have something substantial to follow it up with!

That’s it. There’s the mission. The church’s mission. Your mission. My mission. “Turn around. Your sins have been let go.” 

It’s also important that we don’t wrongly extend the mission. That is, when we have made that message known to others, we sometimes extend the mission to take on the responsibility of the person hearing it. We imagine that it is our job to convince them to believe it. And if they don’t, we conclude that we must have failed at the mission Jesus gave us.

But the response others have to our words is not a part of our mission. Jesus didn’t add the responsibility of convincing others to believe to our mission. That’s his work, as we’ll see more in part two of this post.

Think back to the officer warning the driver about the impassible road ahead. If the driver had disregarded the officer’s warning and sped on ahead, screeched around the corner, and smashed into the huge boulders that had spilled across the road, that wouldn’t mean the officer failed to do his job. The officer wouldn’t be at fault for the driver who disregarded his clear warning at his own risk.

So we aren’t at fault when others refuse to believe and act on our warning: “Turn around. Your sins have been let go.” Our mission is simply to proclaim it.

So how are we doing with that mission? If we’re lagging, there might be a reason.

Take note of another detail Luke shares in this account. It’s an important one. After Jesus explained that everything written about him in the Bible has to be fulfilled, something remarkable happened: “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (v.45). He made it make sense! That’s what Jesus does – he makes the Bible make sense, and he does the same thing today when we read the Bible. The more we read it, the more our minds are opened and the more it makes sense. While we’ll talk more in part two about the special Gift Jesus promised to help make that happen, for our purposes here, it’s enough to see that Jesus makes this make sense when we read it.

But if we don’t read the Scriptures, then it won’t make as much sense. And neither will our mission.

Very recently a comment made by a fellow believer reminded me of how important this was. He referred to himself as a Bible-reading Christian. At first I didn’t think anything of it, but it stuck with me later while working on this message.

His comment implied a distinction between two types of Christians: the general Christian and the Bible-reading Christian. Yes, it almost sounds absurd because we’d assume there is only one kind of Christian – the Bible-reading Christian. Yet, it’s true! There are some Christians who rarely, if ever, crack open their Bibles. Yes, it can still be said that they have saving faith – they believe Jesus is their Savior, and assuming that doesn’t change, they will end up in heaven. But… not before missing out on a huge reason why God makes us Christians in the first place: to carry out his mission!

So if his mission isn’t on your radar, or is unimportant to you, or isn’t something you can scrounge up the time to carry out, might it have something to do with the fact that you fall into that other category – the Christian who doesn’t read the Bible? If so, and if that doesn’t change, then I can guarantee that one of two things – or both of them! – is going to happen. Best-case scenario? You fritter away your precious time here on earth chasing after meaninglessness, but still squeeze into heaven because God’s grace is even big enough to drag your fizzling faith through the pearly gates. 

The other possibility is that your neglect of the Word, at being a Bible-reading believer, ends up leaving your faith completely malnourished. It then starves and you die, not just physically, but spiritually. Worst-case scenario? Both of those things happen. Your life is filled with meaninglessness and vain pursuits, which is then followed by spiritual death for eternity. 

But the message – our mission – is that no one has to experience either of those! Let Jesus make it make sense and open your mind through the Scriptures. Look what happened when the disciples had their minds opened! “Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God” (v.52-53). Joy! Praise! Where did it come from? Their minds had been opened and they knew their mission!

Do you think there is room for more joy and praise in your life? Do you think it might result from being more engaged in the mission Jesus gave his church? Let me give you two reasons why I think it will. 

First, you get to experience the awesome feeling of God working through you to possibly change someone else’s eternity. No, not everyone will hear and believe your message. But some will. And when God allows you to be a part of that process and uses you to bring someone into his kingdom, it’s at the same time one of the most humbling and exhilarating feelings you could ever experience. You’ll feel a joy and praise that you’ve never felt before.

The second reason you’ll experience more joy and praise in your life? Every time you are fulfilling our mission to proclaim this message to others, who else is hearing that message over and over again? You are!

The very message of repentance and forgiveness is reinforced and you are reassured each time you proclaim it to others. Don’t expect some logical explanation for that – it’s simply the promised power of the gospel. It works supernaturally, but it is the power that God uses in us, too, to build us up and strengthen us in our faith. So every time you carry out our mission, you also benefit from that same mission. 

Still not convinced? Still not sure you’ve got what it takes to carry out the mission Jesus gave you? Read on to part two, which covers the remarkable Ascension followup known as Pentecost, where we continue celebrating Jesus’ important work of ascending and sending, and our mission – as well as the means to carry it out.

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Those Being Confirmed in Christ

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. This time of year, many young people who have been instructed in the teachings of the Christian faith are being confirmed. Bless them as they confess their faith in Jesus and make their promises to you and to their congregations to remain in their faith and grow in it. Keep them from taking their vows lightly and lead them to a clear understanding of how important they are. Instill in each class of confirmands a camaraderie and sense of spiritual responsibility for each other, so they can encourage each other and hold each other accountable. Guide parents to faithfully carry out their roles of modeling the faith in the home. Lead congregations to embrace their responsibility of continuing to shepherd these young people and prioritize their spiritual health. Draw all confirmands continually closer to their Savior and keep them faithful to the end, so that each may receive the crown of life Christ won for them. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.