Readying Ourselves for Action: When He Comes, Will You Be Ready? (Luke 12:35-48)

29 12 2009

(This sermon was preached at Boone’s Creek Baptist Church, Lexington, KY on Sunday, December 27, 2009.  To listen to this sermon, go to the side bar of this blog and click on the link.)

1. Live with alertness (Luke 12:35-40)

35 "Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

Two Saturdays ago, some of us had the privilege of seeing Eric Masters and Sarah Wasson married off. We Americans have our own traditions of how the wedding preparations and ceremonies go. The bride and groom are not to see each other on the day of the wedding prior to the ceremony. You have the giving of the bride by the father to the new man in her life. You have the exchanging of vows and rings. You have the cutting of the cake, the obtaining of the garter, the throwing of the bouquet, the throwing of rice (or for those more conscience of how birds react, birdseed), then the honeymoon! There are other rituals that people involve.

Yet, most of our weddings (with the exception of Ron and Darlene who were married at sunrise at our park) take place in the afternoon or early evening. So in order for us to understand what Jesus is saying in this passage, we need to understand a few customs about Jewish weddings. For one, the festivities could last well into the night. It was a cause for unabashed celebrating, which included feasting and dancing the night away. Who knows when the party would end? The only thing that was for certain was that it would eventually end.

Another custom is that the groom would return with his bride back to the house. Would his servants be ready? Servants who loved their benevolent master would be. They would stay “dressed for action and keep [their] lamps burning.” In the original (and I believe the King James Version maintains this ), it read, “Let your loins stay girded.” In other words, they would tuck the end of their robes into their belt, leaving the legs free to move around. Kent Hughes imagines the welcome their master received:

Warm light streamed from the windows, breathless, smiling, eager servants bearing shining lamps gathered at the door, and no doubt there was a choice nocturnal snack on the table.[1]

I’m reminded of when Cindy and I went on our honeymoon to the Sandals resort in Jamaica. After we arrived at that resort, I remember bringing my bags and setting them in the designated area. Upon entry to the resort, I was ready to grab my bags when the host told me, “Oh, no, no, no, sir. You are on vacation! We will take care of that.” That’s the type of service I see here.

But notice how everything turns. The master arrives, thrilled at their faithfulness, then turns around to serve them! It is this part that really catches the listener by surprise! Masters in that culture did not “gird their loins” for service. But Jesus is telling them that this is what happens in the Kingdom culture. So when Paul wrote that Jesus came, taking the “form of a servant,” this is what that entails. Phil Ryken notes that “He had come to serve his people, and by serving them, to set them free.”[2] He came as a servant, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross so that, “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He serves us by giving of Himself, the Living Water (John 4), the Bread of Life (John 6:35).

2. Live wisely (Luke 12:41-48).

When Jesus told parables, usually these parables were for those who did not believe, followed by a clear explanation to his disciples. Yet, Peter here wanted to be clear: who is this parable for? Jesus answers… with a parable!

41Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?" 42And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 45But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

In examining verse 42, there are two ways to look at this:

First, that this parable applies to everyone. Warren Wiersbe notes, “Each of us has some work to do in this world, assigned to us by the Lord. Our responsibility is to be faithful when he comes. We may not appear successful in our own eyes, or in the eyes of others; but that is not important. The thing God wants is faithfulness (1 Cor 4:2).”[3] Community of believers (our churches) are called to tend over the Temple of the people of God. First Peter 2:4-5 says:

4As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

In commenting on this, Edmund Clowney notes:

Many medieval churches in Europe have crypts where kings, queens and nobles are entombed. Effigies of the dead may be seen in the dim light, silent figures carved in stone on the lids of coffins. Not so are Christians made part of God’s temple. They are living stone, and they are part of a growing house. God’s architecture is biological.[4]

Since we are living stones, which Christ serving as our chief cornerstone to keep those stones in line and the structure steady, each of us are to take care of each other. After all, there is a reason there are 30 “one another” passages in the Scriptures.

But this passage also applied to the leaders of God’s “temple”—the pastors, elders, and deacons of His people. In verse 42, see where he asks, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?” We give the food of the Word of God and of oversight of the church. This is why we spend so much time looking at the character of incoming pastors and potential deacons who are to be “above reproach” (1 Tim 3:2).

We see too what happens to those who are commissioned to take care of God’s household, yet becomes an unfaithful steward? “The master of that servant will come on a day when he does no expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful” (v. 46). He goes on:

47 And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

What do we think of this? Severe? Harsh? Or, knowing that God is holy, is this a cause for us to examine ourselves? Again, listen to Ryken:

Do I believe that Jesus is coming soon, or do I live as if he has been delayed? Am I using my possessions for the good of others and the glory of God, or am I careless in my stewardship, using things mainly for myself? Am I teaching others the grace of God, or am I silent about my faith? These are good tests of our readiness for Christ’s return. Here is another good test, to use throughout the day: Am I a faithful servant, or would I be embarrassed if Jesus returned right now and found me doing what I am doing? Always act, said Spurgeon, “just as you would wish to be acting if he were to come.”[5]

[1]R. Kent Hughes, Luke: That You May Know the Truth, 2 vols., Preaching the Word (Wheathon, IL: Crossway Books, 1998), 2:61.

[2]Philip Graham Ryken, Luke, 2 vols., Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2008), 1:684.

[3]Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, 2 vols. (Paris, Ontario: Victor Books, 1989), 1:222.

[4]Edmund Clowney, The Message of 1 Peter, The Bible Speaks Today (Downers Grove: IVP, 1988), 87.

[5]Ryken, Luke, 1:690.


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Categories : sermons

Seeing the Preeminence of Christ at Christmas (Sermon)

17 12 2009

(This sermon was preached on Sunday, December 13, 2009 at Boone’s Creek Baptist Church, Lexington, Kentucky.  To listen to it via mp3, click here.)

Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, wrote a book entitled Death by Love: Letters from the Cross. In this book, Driscoll includes a collection of letters in which he applies specific biblical and theological truths to their particular situation.

In the third chapter, he sets up the letter by mentioning Luke and his new wife who were new Christians. They were very eager to learn about their faith and to learn the Word. They wanted a Christ-centered life. Just weeks before the birth of their first child, Luke’s wife confessed to him her darkest and most shameful secret—she had slept with one of his good friends—much of the sin occurred in their own house and in their own bed. Filled with rage, panic and humiliation that he didn’t even notice what was going on right under his nose, he felt trapped in a marriage where his wife was seen as the enemy, plus with a child on the way.

The wife was deeply broken as she confessed her sin to Mark and another pastor. The Holy Spirit had brought deep conviction, and she was panicked that her husband may leave her. Only through a full confession could there be healing. Yet, when Mark met with Luke, he was the most furious a man as he’d ever seen. Driscoll asked Luke, “What do you want?” The answer: “I want blood.” To which Mark answered, “You deserve it—they both should die.” But notice Mark’s answer as well: “And you got blood—at the cross of Jesus.”[1]

As we read the passage of Scripture from Colossians 1:15-23, you may recall the portion from verse 20, which says, “through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of the cross.” We must understand that Jesus, the church, the cross, and the gospel are not and cannot be separated from “real life.”

1. Christ is the Master of the Universe—Is He the Master of Yours? (Colossians 1:15-17).

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

When we understand this Christmas season where Jesus is going, we must understand where he originally came from. Verse 15 is packed: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” The word ‘image’ comes from the Greek (eikon) which means, yes, image but also means representation. “The English word image may suggest a copy that is less than perfect; the Greek original , which is a term of revelation, does not imply this. Jesus, who is perfectly like the Father, reveals who he is in all his goodness. If a person wants to know what God is like, then he or she should turn to the Scriptures and find out all about Jesus, for he shows us perfectly what the Father is like.”[2]

Hebrews 1:3: “3He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”  In John 1:18: “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”

The firstborn of all creation (prototokos) is understood from Psalm 89:27 in this helpful parallelism:  “And I will make him the firstborn/ the highest of the kings of the earth” (Psalm 89:27).  The firstborn belonged to God. Gets the lion’s share of the inheritance.  Therefore, the Son of God will receive as a love gift all that the Father has. 

The devil seeks to blind unbelievers from this knowledge.  In 2 Corinthians 4:4, Paul wrote: “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Edmund Clowney notes:

Jesus, the eternal Son of the Father, claims exclusive knowledge of God. There is a sense in which any son knows his father in a unique way; this human relation provides a faint analogy of what is true of the divine Trinity. Apart from the revelation of the Son, who is the eternal Image of the Father, there can be no knowledge of Him.[3]

2. This Master of the Universe is the Head of the Church—Is He the Head of This Church (Colossians 1:18-20)?

So not only was Jesus the agent of the creation of the universe, He is also the head of another creation of his: the church.

18And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Do we recognize that the church was not a creation of men, but of Christ? When Christ came as “Immanuel” which means, God with us, He sought to establish His body here on earth after His resurrection and ascension to the Father. Though we do not see his person, we see His body—led by Christ who is the head.

So many writers and others seem to be teeing off on the church. Sure, some say that the church has been corrupted. Some say the church has become too organized and institutionalized. Joshua Harris even mentions how people “date the church” without committing to it. They have a “me-centered” attitude, only looking at what the church can do for them. They are independent, knowing they need to go to church but are careful not to invest too much for fear of getting hurt or having accountability. Many are critical of the church, “short on allegiance and quick to find fault. . . a consumer mentality.”[4]

But we follow Christ’s orders to preach His Word, to assemble together, to have overseers, elders, and deacons, to study the Word, to evangelize, to disciple—Christ is our head, and He gives orders. In the head is vision—and we are to see with Christ’s eyes. In the head is hearing, and we are to be sensitive with our ears to the Word and to the world around us that we may minister that word. In the head is the mouth—and we speak the Word of Christ, which is where faith comes (Romans 10:17). With our sense of taste we can “taste and see that the Lord is good.”

Christ is not only the head of the body, but he is the head and lead of all who would come after in faith. Notice verse 18: “He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” See, Christ gave His body, his life for the church. In 1 Corinthians 15:20, the apostle Paul said, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead—the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” You see, Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6)—and because of this he could pave the true way that leads to life.

Christ is glorious, and he is also victorious! How so? Look at verses 19-20: “19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” Christ is the Master of the Universe and also Head of the Church—as head, the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. Think of that: with Christ as our head as applied by the Spirit, we have the fullness of God dwelling with us! And think on this verse in Ephesians 3:10 in showing that the church is “the manifold wisdom of God [that] might now be made known to rulers and authorities in heavenly places.”

Think on that: of all the ways that God’s manifold, multi-faceted wisdom, he chose to make that wisdom known through his church made up of weak, poor, lowly, foolish, imperfect people so that no one would boast before Him and He would get all the glory!

3. … reconciled through the gospel of the cross (Colossians 1:21-23).

Friends, now it gets personal. Look with me at Colossians 1:20-23.

20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Recall how Christ is the ruler over all thrones and dominions and rulers and authorities. There is a warfare in the heavenlies over the souls of men that first manifested itself at the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3. Satan planted the seed of doubt in the women, making her to question the perfect Word of God. “Did God really say…?” And those rulers and authorities are working hard now to have us question the power, purpose, and blessing of God’s perfect Word even now—even the Word made flesh who dwelt among us (John 1:14).

One day, all will be reconciled to him. He gained victory over those dominions when he broke the power of sin at the cross and death by the resurrection. Through the blood of the cross, we have peace because Christ took our sin and our guilt upon him.

Now it gets personal! He says, “And you. . . .” Who is the ‘you’? Yes, we could say the ‘you’ is the Colossian church. But the ‘you’ stretches farther than that. The ‘you’ applies to all of us in one way or another.

The key phrase is “who once were alienated and hostile in mind.” At one time, all of us who are Christians were in this camp! But now, we have been “reconciled in his body of flesh by his death.” What is reconciling?

transitive verb 1 a : to restore to friendship or harmony <reconciled the factions> b : settle, resolve <reconcile differences>
2 : to make consistent or congruous <reconcile an ideal with reality>
3 : to cause to submit to or accept something unpleasant <was reconciled to hardship>
4 a : to check (a financial account) against another for accuracy b : to account forintransitive verb : to become reconciled[5]

Restoration. Resolution. Harmony. Reconciling an idea with reality. Making sure our accounts are accurate. The result? Christ will present you holy and blameless before Him! But don’t forget verse 23: “if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.” Is God saying that our salvation is conditional upon our obedience? No—he is saying your stability and steadfastness is evidence that God has sealed your hearts for salvation. In John’s first epistle, he wrote, “They went out from us, because they were not one of us.”

So we examine our own hearts, yes? In light of the cross and resurrection, what possible reason could we have for not desiring to be reconciled to God?   Timmy Brister tweeted recently, “When offended, unbelievers take matters into their own hands for vindication; believers take it into their own hands for reconciliation.”[6]

[1]Mark Driscoll and Gerry Beshears, Death By Love: Letters from the Cross (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008), 73-74.

[2]The New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, eds. G.J. Wenham, J.A. Motyer, D.A. Carson, R.T. France (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, first published 1953—latest printing 2003), 1266.

[3]Edmund P. Clowney, The Unfolding Mystery

[4]Joshua Harris, Stop Dating the Church: Fall in Love with the Family of God (Colorado Springs: Multnomah, 2004), 16-17.

[5]"reconciling." Merriam-Webster Online. 12 December 2009
<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reconciling>

[6]Timmy Brister on Twitter. Accessed 12 December 2009; available at http://www.twitter.com/timmybrister [on-line]; Internet.


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Categories : Christ, Christmas, sermons

What is the Biggest Theological Battle Coming?

1 12 2009

R.C. Sproul answers this—and you may be surprised at what he says.


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Categories : Theology, church, culture

“The Design of the Law was to Lead People to Christ”

28 11 2009

Christ is the end of the law for righteousness. The design of the law was to lead people to Christ. The moral law was but for the searching of the wound, the ceremonial law for the shadowing forth of the remedy; but Christ is the end of both. See 2 Co. 3:7, and compare Gal. 3:23, 24. The use of the law was to direct people for righteousness to Christ.

(1.) Christ is the end of the ceremonial law; he is the period of it, because he is the perfection of it. When the substance comes, the shadow is gone. The sacrifices, and offerings, and purifications appointed under the Old Testament, prefigured Christ, and pointed at him; and their inability to take away sin discovered the necessity of a sacrifice that should, by being once offered, take away sin.

(2.) Christ is the end of the moral law in that he did what the law could not do (ch. 8:3), and secured the great end of it. The end of the law was to bring men to perfect obedience, and so to obtain justification. This is now become impossible, by reason of the power of sin and the corruption of nature; but Christ is the end of the law. The law is not destroyed, nor the intention of the lawgiver frustrated, but, full satisfaction being made by the death of Christ for our breach of the law, the end is attained, and we are put in another way of justification. Christ is thus the end of the law for righteousness, that is, for justification; but it is only to every one that believeth. Upon our believing, that is, our humble consent to the terms of the gospel, we become interested in Christ’s satisfaction, and so are justified through the redemption that is in Jesus.

(Matthew Henry, from his Commentary on Romans 10)


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Categories : Theology

Driscoll on Oprah/Tolle Pantheism/Panentheism

16 11 2009

Pastor Mark Driscoll examines Luke 2, where an angel announces the birth of Jesus, Christ the Lord, to shepherds in a field. The angel reveals how we are to see Jesus. We are not to insert him into a false ideology (e.g., atheism, deism, pantheism/panentheism, or theism) that offers no hope, no good news, no savior. Rather, we are to praise Jesus like the angels, Mary, and the shepherds did.


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Categories : Cults, Oprah, culture

That's a "When" When It Comes To Giving (Matthew 6:1-4)

14 09 2008

When I was young, I would watch or be familiar with shows on TV that had some pretty interesting characters. Mike Brady from the Brady Bunch, Gilligan from Gilligan’s Island, Archie Bunker from All in the Family, Hawkeye Pierce from MASH. As a kid, I could never separate the actor from the person in real life. And often times, these actors were quite different from the characters they portrayed.

While this may throw us a bit, what is even more concerning is when someone who portrays a believer and a follower of Christ is nothing like the character he or she portrays.

As we get into Matthew 6, we find Jesus addressing three particular areas of our Christian devotional life: giving to the needy (Matthew 6:2-4), praying (Matthew 6:5-15), and fasting (Matthew 6:16-18). But all of these issues come from what Jesus says in Matthew 6:1, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” While some versions say for us to beware of giving alms, the oldest and best manuscripts state that Jesus is merely speaking in general of appearing righteous before men in order to receive praise from men.

Matthew 5 dealt with the inner moral requirements found in the heart. Chapter six is now dealing with the outward religious requirements and the motives behind those religious works. We find ourselves wanting the approval of those who are just like us. Jesus moves back to Matthew 5:19-20:

Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. [20] For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

And now we are getting to the nuts and bolts of our religious rituals. Are we doing them to help and grow, or are we doing them so we can be seen helping, giving, and fasting? Dan Doriani in his commentary asks the appropriate question: are we desiring to be holy, or are we driving toward hypocrisy?

Let’s look at Matthew 6:2-4:

1. When you give, what reason do you have?

As we mentioned last week, there are numerous places to give: humanitarian efforts, missions work, charities, churches, television ministries, campus ministries, churches—there is no end. Each of these makes often legitimate cases for your giving. What makes you give to them?

Sadly, many give for what they can get out of it. When I worked in college at a local grocer, I would find myself witnessing to a lot of guys I went to high school with. One told me that he was up late at night going through some particular issue, when a TV minister put his hand toward the TV and said, “I sense someone is out there with a ______________ problem. Send $100 to our ministry and I will send you an anointed prayer towel. Just pray with this in hand, and God will hear and answer.” Sometimes we give thinking that by giving, God will materially bless us.

Yet, some of us are moved by pictures of needy children all over the world and give to these organizations. That’s a good sign. Jesus said, “When you give to the needy.” The operative word is needy. In fact, when the early church began, this area of giving and helping those in need was a very distinguishing mark for Christians. James Montgomery Boice noted

Before Christ’s time there were no homes for the sick or poor, no orphanages. There was a world of toil and poverty, of the exposure of unwanted children, of slavery, of great hunger side by side with great affluence, and appalling indifference. After Christ came there was an instant and sacrifical love of the believers for each other. This was followed by care for the poor, hospitals, reform laws in the status of women, the establishing of change in labor laws, the abolition of slavery, and other things.

Understand that giving is not optional, but it is a sign of obedience—especially if it is for the right reason.

What kind of heart do we have when we give? Part of being God’s covenant people is that we give to the needy. As Eric read earlier from Deuteronomy 15, God commanded and expected his people to help their poor and needy brother. Why? Remember that Deuteronomy is all about Moses giving his last marching orders to the people of Israel before they entered into the Promised Land. But where did they come from? From being enslaved and mistreated in Egypt. God delivered them from their slavery and would always remind them of their former condition.

While the Jews of Jesus’ time did give, it was more of a ritual and very external. Yet, we must realize that giving must not be a ritual, but a matter of a relationship. You see, when we give, we really give unto the Lord. Remember Malachi 3:6-10:

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. [7] From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ [8] Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. [9] You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. [10] Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

Remember this: when we do not give, we are robbing Him. Yes, we are giving to the needy, but remember there is a spiritual need as well, and God expects his people to give to the storehouse of the local church to which they belong so that physical and spiritual needs may be met.

2. When you give, what reward do you seek?

Rewards. Many people have this conversation about rewards. Will Billy Graham have more rewards in heaven than a regular Christian? Some ask these with their main concern being what kind of ‘stuff’ will we have in heaven.

Yet, I believe this is the wrong angle to take. Heaven is not earth. Beulah Land is not America. Getting to heaven is not the equivalent of obtaining the American Dream where we have everything we want and more. We think about our life and what blessings God can give us both now and in the by-and-by.

Yet, Jesus comes along and in a span of six verses mentions the word ‘reward’ four times. Go back and look at Matthew 5:46-47:

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? [47] And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

Notice in Matthew 6:2

“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

Both of these verses deal with a false desire for a false reward. The great snare for many was to give for the praise of men. Those in Jesus’ times were particularly snared because the model being presented by the religious leaders was one of drawing great attention to oneself. When the trumpet sounded from the Temple for a time of giving, the Pharisee would drop what he is doing and rush toward the Temple, giving a great sign to everyone that he was spiritual—he’s going to the Temple to give! But it went even further.

The scribes and the Pharisees even believed that the more one gave, the more sin was forgiven. In one of their writings, we read, “As water will quench a flaming fire, so charity will atone for sin” (The Wisdom of Sirach 3:30). The Pharisees, in a way, felt they could buy their way to heaven with the amount of money they gave to the needy. But ultimately, what they wanted was recognition from men. And since that’s what they desired, that is just the reward they received—but no more!

The word Jesus uses is the word ‘hypocrites’ – as the hypocrites do in the synagogue and in the streets. A hypocrite is someone who pretends to be something he is not, much like the actor in a play.

Do we do this? Ask yourselves these questions:

• Will we only give to the needy if someone is around to see us give it?
• Will we give to the church, but only if our name is on a plaque by a window or a nameplate in book or Bible?
• Do you find yourselves “accidentally” bringing up how much you give?
• Do you give, but only if there is no monetary sacrifice, but if there is, you find excuses not to give? In other words, will you only give when you are “financially settled?”
• Sometimes we just give with the expectation of gratitude to the one to whom we give.
• Sometimes, people will only give if things are going well at church, but will withhold their giving if things are not—using it as leverage for implementing change they want to see.

What reward do we seek? The question is, at this point, what reward should we seek? Jesus answers this in Matthew 6:3-4:

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

This is an interesting picture. Jesus here is saying, “Be discreet—very discreet.” MacArthur says, “The most satisfying giving, and the giving that God blesses, is that which is done and forgotten.” When our right hand gives, we should be discreet even from our left hand, not to mention other people.

So are we to give in secret? Does this mean that every good work we do should be done in secret so no one else knows about it? What about what Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” So is Jesus saying in one place that people need to “see your good works” and in other place do like your Christian life and duty out in secret? No, the similarity still stands: what is the end result of your good works, to receive praise from men or from God? Wherever you seek praise from, from that same place your reward will come as well.


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Why God Gave Us Marriage, Part III: A Portrait of Christ and His Church

3 07 2008

In Ephes. 5:31-32, the Apostle Paul

“’Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.”

We must realize that marriage gives us a portrait of Christ and his bride, the Church. Paul calls it a “mystery,” but not the type that you try to keep a secret for as long as you can, but one that you reveal at just the right time.

Again, you see why God takes this seriously. So what do we see as far as this portrait that a marriage should look like? Well, as we go through these, I pray you will not only reflect on your own personal marriage, but also look to Christ who is the perfect Husband to his bride and rejoice and praise Him for who He is and all He has accomplished.

Going back to Ephesians 5:23, we see that Christ is the head of the church. He is the spiritual authority of his people and we as his bride submit to him. He is perfectly capable of leading his church. As Christ is the head of his house, so Christ must be the head of our house — with each member submitting to him in all things.

Next, Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25). This really caught me. Sometimes, the church does not seem all that lovable. All too often, we find ourselves very sporadic in our devotion to God, in our attendance, in actively engaging in our times of worship, or rarely spending time with him. But for whatever reason that I will never fully understand, he loves us. Not only does he love us but He gave himself for us. This was not just a feeling of love, but a sacrificial love that put self aside for his beloved. This is a connection we see all through Scripture: Christ loves, Christ gives (see John 3:16 among others).

Christ also nurtures the church. Verse 26 says that he wishes to sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor without sport or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” Christ takes it upon himself to love his bride whom he purchased with his own blood. Verse 29 talks of how he “nourishes and cherishes” the church.

Christ leads, loves, sacrifices, and nurtures his church. In return, the church submits to this— willingly! Dear Christian, does this describe your marriage? Does it describe mine? Do we realize that our marriages, good or bad, are a portrait of Christ and his church? May God continue to open this truth up in our hearts so that our marriages would line up with His will, not with the shifting sands of the culture.


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Happy Are The Persecuted, For a Kingdom Awaits

30 04 2008

Matthew 5:10-12 says:

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus now shows what will happen to the “peacemakers” who try to bring others to Christ: persecution. And notice that Jesus doesn’t spend just one verse on this topic, but three. Why? Because of what Paul says in 2 Tim. 3:12, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” If you live for Jesus, opposition will come.

Some feel they are being persecuted at work, at home, etc. But there is a difference between getting persecuted and being persecuted for righteousness sake or, as it says in Matthew 5:11, on his account. He is speaking of persecution as a result of radically living for Christ. The world may persecute, but the church may as well because many may feel threatened and guilty seeing you live a life of mercy and purity and sharing your faith. Some just can’t handle it, so they try to drag that person down to their level rather than imploring God help them rise up to a level of sacrificial obedience.

Jesus is saying there are many ways to be persecuted. Some said it was just torture, but even spoken words of evil, insults, ridicule, mockery and shameful behavior may come our way as well. Jesus was not just persecuted by those who jammed the crown of thorns on his head or drove the nails in his hands. He was persecuted by Peter who denied him and Judas who betrayed him and by his disciples who abandoned him.

The truth is, we as Christians do our best to avoid persecution. We cannot stand having anyone say anything against us for any reason. My question to you is this: are you being persecuted and ridiculed and mocked and insulted for your faith? If you are, Jesus says, rejoice and be glad. See how contrary the Kingdom of God is to the kingdom of this world? Why rejoice? Because the reward you have in heaven is great! You are identifying with the prophets.

You see, being merciful, being pure and holy, being a peacemaker has a price. And however much you are willing to sacrifice in your life in Christ will be in direct proportion to how much you treasure Jesus Christ. So we must examine ourselves and test ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5) and ask, Is the life I’m living so given over to Christ that the world takes umbrage? Do we give people a reason to persecute us for the sake of Christ?

May God shine the white hot light of His Spirit on us to see if we are living as a child of the King!


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Saturday Spurgeon: "Truth Comes Before Unity"

29 09 2007

“To remain divided is sinful! Did not our Lord pray, that they may be one, even as we are one”? (John 17:22). A chorus of ecumenical voices keep harping the unity tune. What they are saying is, “Christians of all doctrinal shades and beliefs must come together in one visible organization, regardless… Unite, unite!”  Such teaching is false, reckless and dangerous. Truth alone must determine our alignments. Truth comes before unity.  Unity without truth is hazardous. Our Lord’s prayer in John 17 must be read in its full context. Look at verse 17: “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.” Only those sanctified through the Word can be one in Christ. To teach otherwise is to betray the Gospel.

(From The Essence of Separation)


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