MARK #3: HELP FROM ONE WHO KNOWS WHAT IT’S LIKE

On By Pastor TomIn Bible, Bible Teaching, Jesus, Mark, Podcast, Religion, Sermon, UncategorizedLeave a comment
Bearded robed man seated beneath a rocky overhang with a lion nearby

The temptation of Jesus shows us that temptation is not the same thing as sin. We also learn that sometimes, God himself leads us into times of difficult testing. Our circumstances are not a reliable guide to how God feels about us. He loved Jesus. He was pleased with Jesus. And he led him into a wilderness with no food where he was in danger from the devil and wild animals.

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Mark #3. Mark 1:9-13

We considered the baptism of Jesus last time. Mark uses it as the last of a three (or four) part claim that Jesus is the Messiah, Yahweh, the Son of God. Matthew, Mark and Luke all record that right after Jesus was baptized by John, a voice from heaven declared “This is my beloved son, with him I am well pleased.”

Now, we need to remember Jesus’ situation. He was eternally God, but two thousand years ago, he joined his God-nature to human nature. We Christians believe that the joining will last forever. In other words, going forward from his birth near Bethlehem, he is both God and man, at the same time, forever. Now, during his time on earth, Jesus did not “use” his  God-nature. He lived as a human being, relying on God the Father for all things. All of the miracles were done by  God the Father as Jesus relied upon him. This is the same way God still sometimes does miracles through people. Jesus basically allowed himself no resources that other human beings wouldn’t have.

Here’s how the author of Hebrews puts it:

14 Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death ​— ​that is, the devil ​— ​ 15 and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. 16 For it is clear that he does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring. 17 Therefore, he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in matters pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:14-18, CSB, bold formatting added for emphasis)

Therefore, when Jesus, restricting himself to human nature, heard the voice of the Father from heaven affirming and loving him, I have to believe that it was a wonderful, exhilarating moment for him. Jesus’ divine nature didn’t need that kind of affirmation. But as a human, Jesus wanted to know for certain that God loved him, the same as we all do. Because Jesus relied on the Father as a human being must do, his baptism would have been a big spiritual high.

I think this is important because of what comes next. Matthew Mark and Luke all agree that the next thing that happened, after this amazing spiritual high of God the Father telling Jesus that he was loved and accepted, was that the very same  God led Jesus into a desolate wilderness where he was attacked by Satan, and even physically threatened by hunger and wild animals.

As modern people, we might be prone to thinking of the wilderness, and wild animals, as wonderful, awe-inspiring things. These days, wilderness is rare and precious. Wild animals are often endangered, and they present very little danger to human beings with firearms. Most dangerous wild animals today live nowhere near humans, and when they do, they are terrified of humans.

About ten years ago, I spent eight days alone in a hunting cabin in Colorado. One day when I was out fishing, I came across a large, fresh, mountain lion track in the mud next to the stream I was exploring. I had a brief moment of wondering if I was being stupid for not getting out of there, but overall, my feeling was one of awe, wonder and joy.

But two thousand years ago, the situation was very different. Much of the world was still unsettled wilderness, and wild animals were more plentiful, and more aggressive toward people. In the wilderness near ancient Judea there were lions and bears, and perhaps hyenas. There were also venomous snakes and scorpions, and no one had yet invented antivenin, or any other way of treating venomous bites or stings. Humans had not yet developed effective ways of dealing with dangerous creatures, and those creatures had less fear of people.

So when Mark says that the Holy Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness, and he was with the wild beasts, his first readers understood that Jesus was taking a big risk; that he might lose his physical life. Even fifteen hundred years later, the world was still much the same, so commentator Matthew Henry, writing in the late sixteenth century, intuitively understood that the “wild beasts” were not a positive at all. He wrote:

Mark observes this circumstance of his being in the wilderness – that he was with the wild beasts. It was an instance of his Father’s care of him, that he was preserved from being torn in pieces by the wild beasts, which encouraged him the more that his Father would provide for him when he was hungry. Special protections are earnests of seasonable supplies. It was likewise an intimation to him of the inhumanity of the men of that generation, whom he was to live among – no better than wild beasts in the wilderness, nay abundantly worse. (Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible)

One thing that occurs to me here is that this shows me something about Jesus that I don’t normally think about. I love the wilderness, and before the pain came into my life, I used to hike, and canoe, and fish. I regularly went to wilderness areas. These days, the closest I get is watching a TV show called “Alone,” in which people go out into the wilderness to see how long they can survive. Participants are allowed to take a certain amount of equipment with them. But knowing what I do about the wilderness, I have a great deal of admiration for anyone who survives alone for as much as three weeks. But Jesus went alone into the wilderness with no modern equipment at all, and survived for forty days. I’ve never quite thought of it like this, but Jesus was a genuine wilderness survivor, a true “mountain man,” in my way of thinking.

So, the Holy Spirit led Jesus from a wonderful, amazing, spiritual high experience into a profoundly difficult and dangerous one. Jesus had to contend with the devil. Remember, he did not tap into the pure power he could have used as God. Instead, he confined himself to human resources, relying on the Father to help him. In addition to the devil, Jesus had to watch out for literal wild animals that were dangerous to human beings. So he was both spiritually and physically in danger, in addition to being without food.

The Father was pleased with Jesus. The Spirit was with him, leading him. And he was brought into a desert wasteland where he had no food and had to fight with the devil, and watch out for wild predators.

You don’t have to go very far in America to hear a Christian say something like this: “If you just follow God, he’ll take care of you. Your life will go better.” The Father was pleased with Jesus. The Spirit was leading him. However, his life did not get better, but harder. Following God is not a guarantee that everything will go well for you. That’s hard, but it’s the truth. When we follow God, his goal is to lead us to the place where we understand that this life on earth is not the main focus. His goal is for us to get in line with his purposes in the world, to be part of his showing his glory to the world. That doesn’t always involve making us more comfortable, or well off. God is telling a story about himself through our lives. Most really good stories involve danger, struggle and conflict. So we should not be surprised when our lives have elements of that as well.

There is something else that many people may need to hear today: Our circumstances do not necessarily reflect how God feels about us. Jesus had nothing to eat. He was assailed by the devil, and living in a desert wasteland, in danger from predators. And the Father was so pleased with him; the Spirit was with him. The Father had his reasons for allowing Jesus to go through that. But his reasons had nothing to do with  his delight in Jesus.

Sometimes, when I’m going through tough times, I think maybe God is mad at me, or perhaps I’ve done something that has caused him to teach me a lesson. Another thought I have sometimes is that I’m going through hard times because I’ve made the wrong choice, and not listened to the Holy Spirit. But that could not have been the case with Jesus. The Father was pleased with him. The Spirit was leading him. Even so, as I just said, he was in constant danger, and assailed by profound attacks from the devil.

I think this passage calls us to dare to look at our circumstances differently. Through Jesus, the Father is pleased with us, too. What we are going through is not necessarily a sign of how God feels about us. It’s true that, unlike Jesus, we sin. Sometimes we go astray and hard circumstances are a result of our bad choices. But Jesus shows us that you can follow the Spirit and still end up in a wasteland with no food and the devil attacking you constantly. Just because you are in a hard time does not mean that God is displeased with you. Trust his love and grace to you!

There’s something else for us here, as well. The author of Hebrews refers to it in the end of the quote above:

18 For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:18, CSB)

One of the reasons we have this passage is to encourage us when we face trials and temptations. Jesus was also tempted. Jesus also went through suffering and difficult times. He understands the difficulties, he knows what it is like.

This should encourage us in two ways. First this: temptation is not sin. Just because we are tempted to do or think something doesn’t mean that we are sinning. Temptation comes from the devil, the world and our sinful flesh, but it doesn’t come from within us, who are redeemed by God through Jesus Christ. These forces come to us and whisper to our minds: “You want to lust, don’t you?” Or, “You want to put that person in her place, don’t you? You want to say that mean thing, you want to cheat, just this once, you want to rage at your spouse, you want to prove you are better…” You get the idea. These thoughts are temptations, not sins. We think it is only ourselves thinking these thoughts, and so we think we have already sinned. But temptation cannot be sin, because Jesus himself was tempted, but never sinned.

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16, CSB)

So, the first thing is to remember that temptation is not sin. You have done nothing wrong by being tempted. Don’t let the devil trick you into going ahead and following through, in acting on the temptation because you think you have already failed. You haven’t.

The second thing is also found in the verses I just quoted. I’ll quote it again, because it is very important:

16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16, CSB)

That’s another reason Jesus went through temptation: to teach us to run to him in temptation, and even also to run to him if we have failed and sinned. Matthew Henry puts it like this:

Christ himself was tempted, not only to teach us, that it is no sin to be tempted, but to direct us whither to go for succour when we are tempted, even to him that suffered, being tempted; that he might experimentally sympathize with us when we are tempted. (Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible)

We can boldly come to Jesus when we are tempted, and find grace to help us in time of need. And if we have failed, we find that same grace forgiving us in time of need. Jesus is not sitting there with his arms folded across his chest, shaking his head at us. No. He knows what it is like to be a human being facing the devil. That is why he came—to defeat sin and the devil, and to offer us grace instead of condemnation. That grace leads us away from sin, but it is still there, even when we fail and fall into sin.

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this text today? Do you need to be reminded that sometimes following Jesus means going through hard things so that God can tell a glorious story through you? Do you need to know that difficult circumstances do not mean that God has abandoned you, or that you have done something wrong, but rather, it could be that you are facing difficulty, as Jesus did, because God is pleased with you?

Maybe you need to hear today that temptation is not sin. You’ve been tempted, and you’ve thought, “I’ve already failed! I hardly had time to realize it before I failed.” But maybe not. Maybe, you are facing temptation, which even Jesus did! Do not let the devil condemn you, when all that’s happened is that the devil himself is whispering to you. Rebuke him in the name of Jesus and send him away.

Of course, maybe you really did sin. Maybe you listened to the voices of the devil, the world, or your own flesh, and gave in and actually did the wrong thing. If so, repent! Turn away from sin, and turn to Jesus. You can be confident that you will find grace and mercy in Jesus when you need it.

MARK #2: YAHWEH CAME INTO THE WORLD

On By Pastor TomIn Bible, Bible Teaching, Mark, Podcast, Religion, Sermon, UncategorizedLeave a comment
Group of people gathered beside a river in a desert mountain landscape
A group gathers beside a desert river as sunset light illuminates the surrounding mountains.

The idea of Jesus as simply a good teacher is not an option given to us by Mark, or any of the other gospel writers. They clearly record that the eyewitnesses—those who personally knew Jesus—believed that he was God, who entered the world through human flesh. That may or may not be true, but this claim does not give us the option of thinking he was just a human being who was killed for being too nice.

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Download Mark Part 2

MARK 1:1-11

Many people claim that Jesus was simply a good man and a brilliant teacher who was killed for his honesty and compassion. They would say that Jesus never claimed to be God, and that later Christians made up this claim later on. The gospel of Mark obliterates these ideas. Most scholars believe that Mark was killed for his faith in about 68 AD, so he must have written his gospel earlier than that. It couldn’t have been much more than thirty years after Jesus walked the earth, and there probably were at least a few hundred people still living who had heard him teach. In other words, there were people alive who could have said, “Mark was wrong. I was there, and this isn’t what Jesus said or did.” But there are no records of eye-witnesses disputing what Jesus said. Some of the hostile eye-witnesses, like the Jewish elite leaders, and the Romans, agreed that Jesus claimed to be God. They thought he was wrong, but they didn’t dispute that Jesus did in fact claim it.

Paul says, in about AD 56, that there were five hundred witnesses to the resurrected Jesus, most of whom were still alive at that point. So the gospel of Mark does not represent some later, altered Christian teaching. Most scholars agree that it was very early on. And the gospel begins with three clear statements of the God-nature of Jesus.

If you missed last time, the gospel of Mark is really a record of the teachings of the apostle Peter. So Mark and Peter begin their teaching with a clear statement:

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

In the very first sentence, Mark is claiming that Jesus is the Christ (which is the Greek word for Messiah), and that he is “the son of God.” In ancient times, a firstborn son was considered, for all legal and practical purposes, to represent the father. If you needed to talk to a ruler, and you were able to talk to the ruler’s son, rather than the ruler himself, you would take that conversation as if it were with the ruler himself. The firstborn son bore the family name, and acted on behalf of his father. A legal contract that the son entered into was treated as if the father himself had made the contract. In the culture of that time, the firstborn son and his father were counted as essentially the same. So when Mark calls Jesus the “son of God,” he is saying “this is God in essence. If you interact with Jesus, you are interacting with God. It’s the same thing.”

This is a huge, bold claim about Jesus. It sounds typical of Peter, doesn’t it? Go big or go home. Launch right into it. Mark captures Peter’s teaching very well.

But Peter and Mark aren’t done yet. The second way they claim Jesus was God starts in the next verse, with a quote from the book of Isaiah, chapter 40:

2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
3 A voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
Prepare the way for the Lord;
make his paths straight!
4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.
7 He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Mark makes it clear that John the baptizer was the one “preparing the way of the Lord.” But here again is a bold claim about Jesus. In the Hebrew Bible, whenever God’s personal name “Yahweh” appears, Jews replaced it with “the Lord,” because they were afraid of taking the name of the Lord—which is Yahweh—in  vain. So, in Isaiah 40:3 (which Mark quotes) it actually says, in Hebrew: “Prepare the way for Yahweh.” Mark is clearly saying that John the baptizer was preparing the way for Yahweh. Who was the human-flesh Yahweh that John prepared for? We know it was Jesus, because John said so. So, Mark is claiming here that Jesus is Yahweh, the God of the people of Israel, the creator of the world.

Finally, Mark shows the divinity of Jesus through his baptism.

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. 10 As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.” (Mark 1:1-11, CSB)

Peter, in his second letter writes this:

16 For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased! ” (2 Peter 1:16-17, CSB)

So, it seems likely to me that Peter was there, and heard the voice. There was a second occasion on which Peter heard a voice from heaven saying the same thing, and that was during the transfiguration, but I lean toward the idea that Peter was present at Jesus’ baptism, also. John (the apostle) records that Peter and a few others followed John the Baptist until John pointed them toward Jesus. Mark has heard Peter say it, and so he writes. It doesn’t get a lot clearer than that. John the Baptizer, and everyone else who was there at the time (including, probably, Peter), witnessed the voice from heaven telling everyone who Jesus is.

By the way, I like how Mark, probably quoting Peter exactly, says that the heavens were “torn open.” Again, this sounds like impulsive, action-oriented Peter. Matthew, Luke and John simply say that the heavens “opened,” but, to dramatic Peter, they were “torn open.”

So Mark says Jesus is the son of God. He says that John was preparing the way for Jesus, who is Yahweh himself. And then, he ends his opening with the testimony from Heaven that Jesus is indeed the beloved, righteous son of God. This bam-bam-bam opening reminds me of Peter’s style. Hit it hard and fast. Get to the point. Say the big thing right out loud.

In Jewish law, testimony had to be confirmed by more than one witness:

15 “One witness cannot establish any iniquity or sin against a person, whatever that person has done. A fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. (Deuteronomy 19:15, CSB)

The Jews amplified this not only to criminal cases, but to the law in general. A fact had to be established by two or three witnesses. Peter and Mark here give us three (or, perhaps, four) witnesses to establish that Jesus was the son of God, which is to say, God himself, in human flesh. First there is the bald statement in the very first sentence that Jesus is the son of God. That is Peter’s testimony as an apostle. Next, there is the statement of the scripture from Isaiah, combined with the statement of John the Baptizer (this could be considered one witness, or two). Finally, a voice from heaven, from God himself, tells us, once more, who Jesus is.

So, Mark’s first readers would have been confronted with the identity of Jesus as the son of God, of the same essence as God, right away. It’s a claim with witnesses that can’t be easily dismissed.

Sometimes, I think we in 21st Century America breeze over this too quickly. We know Jesus was supposed to be God in the flesh. But think about this. Mark is saying that in a particular point in time, at a particular place, God entered the world in human flesh. He is confronting us with that fact. Try to hear it as if for the first time.

We’ve heard it over and over again. We often sort of put it into the box of “beliefs that Christians have.” But Mark is not primarily trying to confront us with a doctrine. He is putting the focus, front and center, on a person: Jesus Christ.

I think many modern-day Christians in places like America think of Jesus as “an important part” of their lives. They have work, which takes up a bunch of time, and they have family, and maybe children’s sports, and a lot of other stuff going on. Jesus is important, but so are other things, and so, maybe, they make time for Jesus on Sunday mornings, and maybe Wednesday night, and possibly prayer a few days a week.

But if Jesus is who Peter and Mark say he is, he ought to be the One Thing. If he’s God, our entire lives should be oriented around him. We work because Jesus leads us to be responsible, and take care of ourselves and our loved ones. But even more, we work because Jesus wants us to be a witness to him in our work place. He wants to lead and bless others through us, where and when we work. So it should be with all of life. If we are involved with others in any way, it should be because we belong to Jesus, and he is leading us to that activity either to bless us, or to bless others through us, or both. If Jesus is God, and we trust him, that means that we belong not to ourselves, but to him.

19 Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, CSB)

If Jesus is who Mark and Peter claim he is, then we are not our own. We belong to him twice over: first, because he created all things, including us, and second, because he redeemed us through his death and resurrection.

The idea of Jesus as simply a good teacher is not an option given to us by Mark, or any of the other gospel writers. They clearly record that the eyewitnesses—those who personally knew Jesus—believed that he was God, who entered the world through human flesh. That may or may not be true, but this claim does not give us the option of thinking he was just a human being who was killed for being too nice.

Do you recognize that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, Yahweh himself come to earth? Do you live like that is true?

Let the Holy Spirit speak to you now.

MARK #1. SECOND CHANCES MAKE GREAT CHRISTIANS.

On By Pastor TomIn Bible, Christianity, Jesus, Mark, Podcast, Religion, Sermon, UncategorizedLeave a comment
Traveler walking toward a mountain village on a winding path at sunset

Mark and his cousin Barnabas are outstanding example for us of what it looks like to faithfully follow Jesus and encourage others to do the same.

To listen to the sermon, click the play button

:

You can also find us on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/show/6KKzSHPFT466aXfNT2r9OD (This will open to the latest sermon. You can search from there if you are looking for a previous one)

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Mark #1. Acts 12:12-17; 2 Timothy 4:11

Today we will begin a new sermon series on the Gospel of Mark. This message will largely be setting up the background.

Mark is my least favourite gospel. Now, that’s not as big of a deal as you might think. One of the four has to be my least favourite. So, it doesn’t mean I don’t like the book of Mark. But I do like the other three gospels better. For that reason, I’m excited about preaching through Mark, because I believe the Holy Spirit can, and will, help me to appreciate it more.

We know a certain amount about Mark, the writer. He is first mentioned in Acts chapter 12. The apostle Peter was put in prison by Herod, but an angel miraculously delivered Peter. Initially, Peter thought his deliverance was a dream. The first place Peter went when he realized he was actually free was a house belonging to a woman named Mary (almost certainly a widow at this point).

12 When Peter realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place. Acts 12:12-17

This passage tells us several things. Peter went to Mary’s house (there were a lot of women named Mary at that time and place). Mary was the mother of Mark. It shows that Mark (or John-Mark, as he was known when he was younger) and his mother were wealthy. They had at least one servant (the woman named Rhoda) and their house was large enough to host a number of people. They also had not just a door, but a gate, suggesting a large house or compound with a courtyard. Most importantly, this reads to me as if the group at Mary’s house is Peter’s regular house-church. Peter obviously had a ministry much larger than one house church, but all Christians, in addition to sometimes meeting in large groups in the temple courts, also belonged to smaller house churches. It makes sense to me that Peter would go first to his own community of believers. That means that Mark grew up learning from Peter in his house church. Peter was someone who knew Mark well, and vice versa.

We also know that Mark had an uncle, or possibly older cousin, who was also a leader in the early church in Jerusalem: Barnabas. After the apostle Paul was converted, it was Barnabas who vouched for him, and introduced him to the apostles in Jerusalem. Later he traveled to Paul’s hometown to bring him back and get him involved in ministry in the city of Antioch. After a return trip to Jerusalem, Barnabas also brought John-Mark back to Antioch with him.

A little bit later on, the Holy Spirit spoke to the elders at the church in Antioch, calling Barnabas and Paul to make a missionary journey to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. They brought John Mark along with them, to assist them. He remained with them during the first stage of their journey, on the Island of Cyprus. Some pretty cool things happened there (read Acts 13). After that, they sailed on to the coast of the province of Asia (which is modern day Turkey). But for some reason that is not given, John Mark did not go with them any further. He returned not to Antioch, but to his home in Jerusalem.

Paul and Barnabas completed their missionary journeys and returned to Antioch. Then, they participated in a regional church gathering in Jerusalem to talk about whether Gentiles could be disciples of Jesus without being fully Jewish. After that was settled, some time later, Paul and Barnabas decided to go back and revisit the churches they had helped to start. Barnabas wanted, once again, to take his relative, John-Mark, along. However, Paul vehemently opposed such a thing. He considered John Mark to be unreliable.

They couldn’t reconcile their disagreement about taking John-Mark, so Paul went to Asia minor, accompanied by a church leader named Silas, while Barnabas took Mark and revisited Cyprus. This is the last time Mark is mentioned in Acts, but something interesting seems to have happened. Up until this point, he was called “John, who was called Mark,” or John-Mark, or even just John. But in Acts 15:39, the last time he is mentioned, he is called only “Mark.” The “John” part of his name has been dropped. It might have been that as he grew into leadership in the church, it was confusing for him to go by the name “John,” because of the apostle John. To avoid confusion, then, perhaps people started to call him exclusively Mark. There is no way to no for sure what cause the change.

Paul himself mentions Mark—in a positive light—at the end of three different letters (Colossians, 2 Timothy and Philemon). By that point in time, Paul has changed his attitude. He says to Timothy:

11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. (2 Timothy 4:11, ESV)

So, obviously, Paul and Mark reconciled, and Paul came to see him as a valuable minister in God’s kingdom. I wonder if Mark had some sort of change of heart that also led him to drop the “John,” like Paul had dropped “Saul.” In any case, at this later time Paul clearly appreciated and respected Mark.

And then finally, the apostle Peter indicates that Mark was with him when he wrote 1 Peter from Rome. Peter calls him, “Mark, my son” (1 Peter 5;13). This would have been not long before Peter was captured and murdered by the soldiers of emperor Nero. It would be natural for Peter to feel like a father to Mark, whose actual father probably died when Mark was young. Peter was there in Mark’s life when he was growing up in their house church in Jerusalem.

We also have early church writings that mention Mark the person, as well as Mark the gospel. According to these sources, Mark was assisting Peter in his ministry in Rome (which seems to be confirmed by 1 Peter 5:13, above). Peter would tell stories about Jesus, and also many of Jesus’ teachings. Mark urged Peter to put it all into an orderly account, and write it down for future generations. Peter replied, saying that he wouldn’t do that, but Mark was welcome to write down the things he, Peter, said, if he wanted to. This sounds like Peter, doesn’t it? All four gospels, and the book of Acts portray Peter as a man who is quick to speak and act. He was obviously more man of action than a book-writer. Even his first letter was dictated to Silvanus, who wrote it down for him.

So, at some point, Mark did indeed do what Peter suggested. But he had a great reverence for Peter and the other apostles, so Mark only wrote what he heard Peter say about Jesus. No doubt, growing up in the church, Mark heard many different things about Jesus. But, in writing his gospel, he felt that it was his duty to only pass on what Peter said about Jesus, and not add anything he, Mark, had learned anywhere else.

You can get a sense of this when you read the gospel of Mark. It sometimes seems very abrupt, with a kind of staccato feel to the story. This is one of the reasons it isn’t my favourite gospel. But now we know that this is because Mark did not add anything to what Peter said. Luke researched his own gospel extensively, and he felt free to add explanations, and offer transitions between scenes. But Mark didn’t do that, and it shows.

From the very earliest writings of Christians, dating to just after 100 A.D. it is clear that there were four gospels (and only four): Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Writers did not typically add their own names to the beginning of ancient documents, so early Christians must have added the names to identify them. There is no record of any other name being attached to the gospel of Mark (nor variations in any of the other gospel authors).

I say this because it should increase our confidence in the truth and reliability of the Bible. You see, if you wanted to make up a gospel and pass it off as genuine, you surely wouldn’t try to pretend that the author was such a minor person as Mark. You would pick someone more famous and influential.

In fact, about two hundred years after Jesus, people actually did write fake gospels, trying to pass them off as genuine. It’s not hard to spot the difference between the real ones and the fake ones, and the vast majority of Christians never did accept the fakes as genuine. But for my purposes here, the point is that all of the fakers tried to pass their forgeries off as the writings of the central figures around Jesus. So you have the fake gospels of Peter, Judas, Thomas and Mary. No one, in faking it, used the name of someone as obscure as Mark. You wouldn’t do that if you were making it up.

Many scholars are convinced that Mark was the first gospel to be written. They base this on the fact that it shares a lot of the exact same material with Matthew and Luke, but Mark is the shortest. I think they may be mistaken, for a number of reasons that would probably bore you. My own idea is that Matthew was the first, then Mark, then Luke and John. In fact, I think the early church preserved that order because that is the order in which they received them. I think Mark is the shortest because he restricted himself to Peter’s words. Although mine is a minority position, I’m not the only one who thinks that.

Let’s talk for a minute about Peter’s words, which are the substance of this gospel. From Jewish writings about a hundred years later, it is clear that when rabbis gathered disciples, those disciples were expected to either write down, or memorize, things that the rabbi did and said. Probably, there was a combination of writing and memorization among the disciples of Jesus. Mark’s gospel is the record of Peter’s memorization and writing. Luke and Matthew contain some stories and teachings that are worded more or less exactly the same as some of Mark. Most likely, that is because all of the apostles memorized certain core things word for word. Most of Mark is made up of these kinds of things, while Matthew and John also included more of their own memories, and Luke included the results of his research. But in many ways, we might say that Mark is “Peter’s gospel.”

We aren’t dealing with one specific scripture passage today, so I want to pause and consider the lives of Mark, and of his cousin, Barnabas. Without the encouragement and support of Barnabas, the apostle Paul might never have become the conduit for Jesus that he was. It was Barnabas who brought Paul to meet the apostles in Jerusalem. It was Barnabas who later, once more, found Paul, and brought him to Antioch. It was Barnabas who brought his cousin Mark to Antioch as well, and got him involved in full time service to Jesus. It was Barnabas who stood by Mark even after Mark had messed up, and the apostle Paul rejected him. It was Barnabas who turned out to be right about Mark, something which Paul eventually agreed with.

How many of you have given as much as a few minutes of thought to Barnabas? Yet without him, there might be no letters from the wise apostle Paul, and no gospel of Mark. By encouraging and supporting and being patient with Christians who were younger in the faith than he was, Barnabas had a tremendous impact on the development of Christianity. His ministry was very much behind the scenes, and yet the ministry of several, more famous, other people were built upon the foundation that Barnabas laid.

I’m not always a fan of medieval church festivals, but just for your information, the Roman Catholic church celebrates the life of Barnabas on June 11 each year. I might try and remember that next year. In the meantime, I thank the Lord for him, and for faithful Jesus followers like him. I wish I was more like Barnabas. I know a couple people like him, and I want to encourage them and thank them for being that way, as well.

And then there is Mark. He was one of the first generation of young people to be raised in a Christian home and Christian church. He had a deep personal relationship with the apostle Peter, for many years the leader of the entire Christian movement. He got to be around Barnabas and Paul for a few years too. He was primed to become a force among the next generation of Christian leaders. And then, on his first big endeavour, the first missionary journey of Barnabas and Paul, Mark crashed and burned.

What an embarrassment. He had every possible spiritual advantage (as well as the advantage of being in a wealthy family), and yet he failed. That could have been the end of Mark’s usefulness to Jesus. And yet Barnabas stood by him, and encouraged him, and in a couple years he was ready to try again. But Paul wouldn’t have him—another roadblock. But he and cousin Barnabas went to Cyprus anyway, and as far as we know, Mark didn’t turn back this time. Over time, Paul recognized that Mark had matured, and eventually, Paul was literally asking for his help. Mark helped Peter, too, and then finally wrote this precious gospel which we have.

Mark’s life is a reminder to me that with Jesus, we always get another chance. If Mark had given up after he failed the first time, the ministries of Paul and Peter and Barnabas would have been poorer for it. And the whole world would have been poorer for the lack of his gospel. Mark’s life can remind us that the Lord offers us more chances than we deserve, and there is always time to make a difference.

Let the Holy Spirit speak to you today, and prepare us all to study the gospel of Mark.

PHILIPPIANS #19: CONTENTMENT

On By Pastor TomIn apostle paul, Bible Teaching, Philippians, Podcast, Religion, Sermon, UncategorizedLeave a comment
Laughing child running barefoot along a rural village path
A laughing child runs barefoot along a sunlit village path surrounded by family and countryside.

Paul closes the letter to the Philippians by thanking them for their financial support. Through his thanks, he also reveals the secret to contentment: learning to rely on Christ’s strength whether in scarcity or abundance, since both extremes can tempt us to put our trust in money rather than God.

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A few weeks ago during a house church gathering, I made some kind of crack about how seldom I talked about money, or giving. But this time, I am going to talk about it, because the text for this time is about that topic. The text sets the topic, not me. This will also be our last sermon on the book of Philippians. So, here’s the text:

10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly because once again you renewed your care for me. You were, in fact, concerned about me but lacked the opportunity to show it. 11 I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. 12 I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content ​— ​whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. 13 I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me. 14 Still, you did well by partnering with me in my hardship.
15 And you Philippians know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone. 16 For even in Thessalonica you sent gifts for my need several times. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profit that is increasing to your account. 18 But I have received everything in full, and I have an abundance. I am fully supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you provided ​— ​a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you greetings. 22 All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Philippians 4:10-23

Paul’s main purpose with verses 10-19 is to thank the Philippians for their financial support. Along the way, the Holy Spirit inspired him to write some very encouraging and helpful things about money.

Paul begins by saying, not so much thank you to the Philippians, but rejoicing in the Lord, because of the gift sent by the Philippians. This sets up an important point that he will reinforce in verse 14, and verses 17-19.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Paul says he rejoices in the Lord for the gift, but that even so, he was not in some desperate need. Why not? Was someone else supporting Paul financially? That’s possible. But Paul’s real point is that he is not “in need,” because he learned to be content in any and all circumstances, whether he has “enough” or not. One of the most inspiring things here for me is this:

11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13, ESV)

I want to make sure we notice something here. This is almost the opposite of “If you follow God he will fulfill all our dreams,” or, “If you follow God he will always take care of you financially.” No, the concept here is that if you belong to Jesus Christ, you can be OK, even when you don’t have basic necessities.

Really, this section is a continuation of the verses just before it, where Paul talks about praying with thanksgiving, thinking on excellent qualities, and allowing the peace of God to reign in our hearts. This is more of the same. You can be at peace even if you don’t have what you feel like you need at the moment.

For those of you who see me on a regular basis, it’s obvious that it has been a long time since I have been in so much need that I’ve skipped a meal or two. But most weeks, at some point, I feel like I am not getting the relief from pain that I need. Maybe you aren’t getting the love from your spouse that you need. Maybe you feel a lack of opportunity for your future, or you need some kind of help or necessary thing that you aren’t getting. Paul did not take difficult circumstances to mean that something was wrong in his relationship with the Lord. No, instead, Paul found that he could lean on the Lord, and his heart could be at peace even when he didn’t get enough to eat that day. Being in need was not a warning sign, as if he didn’t have enough faith. Instead, being in need was an opportunity for his faith to lean on Jesus Christ even more fully. Paul describes some of the ways he’s been in need in 2 Corinthians 11:24-27:

24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. (2 Corinthians 11:24-27, ESV)

Paul says something else that I think is filled with wisdom from the Holy Spirit. He says that he knows not only how to be at peace when he is in need, but he also knows how to handle abundance and plenty. If we stop and think about it, I bet most people assume that of course they could handle abundance. That’s what everyone wants, right? What’s so hard about abundance? Proverbs 30:7-9 sheds some light on this:

7 O God, I beg two favors from you;
let me have them before I die.
8 First, help me never to tell a lie.
Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!
Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
9 For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?”
And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name. (Proverbs 30:7-9, NLT)

Have you ever prayed to the Lord that he would not make you wealthy? Why not? Jesus had some words about wealth, also:

19 “Don’t collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21, HCSB)
24 “No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money. Matthew 6:24, HCSB)

The more we have, the easier it is to become enslaved by money. We start to devote more and more energy to acquiring and saving money, and eventually we don’t own our wealth; instead our wealth owns us. Paul warned Timothy about this as well:

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. 8 If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:6-10, CSB)

And again:

Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good reserve for the age to come, so that they may take hold of life that is real. (1 Timothy 6:17-19, HCSB)

So, if we have a measure of wealth, it’s easy to start making decisions apart from Jesus. We can, to some extent, control our own destinies. When we have hardly anything, it is easy to start worrying about money. But the reverse is also true. When we have plenty of money, we begin to focus on that, to worry about losing it, to think that we need just a little more.

Just as it can be difficult to have little, having more than enough can start to corrupt us as well. Paul learned to not put his hope in money, either when he had nothing, or when he had much. I think one is just as hard as the other. I’ve known a few wealthy people, and they seem to worry about money as much, or even more, than anyone else.

Of course, you probably noticed verse 13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” That’s a very popular verse. But here we have it in context. What is Paul doing through Christ who strengthens him? Not worrying about how much or how little he has. This verse is not about “overcoming,” or being victorious, or anything like that. It is about trusting in God alone in every circumstance. It is about being content even when it is tempting to not be.

Paul has been talking about his own attitudes. Now he moves on to talk about the actions of the Philippians. He says:

14 Still, you did well by partnering with me in my hardship.15 And you Philippians know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone. (Philippians 4:14-15, CSB).

Here is something important. Paul sees financial giving to those in ministry as a very real partnership in that ministry. The word “partnering” and  “shared” in the verses above have the common Greek root word that we usually translate fellowship. The Philippians fellowshipped with Paul and his ministry, by sending him financial help. Though they were not there with him as he traveled and ministered, they were his ministry partners. Paul isn’t just trying to make them feel good. If the Philippians had not been generous, Paul might have had to spend a lot more time working to meet his needs. As it was, their partnership freed him up to teach the Word of God.

Now, some people might be scratching their heads at this point, because there are people who claim that the apostle Paul always worked to support himself, and never received money for doing ministry. That is obviously untrue, or this entire scripture passage we are studying right now would have to be thrown out. The Philippians gave Paul money. In fact, they did so several times, as he says in these verses, and the one that follows.

There were only two places where we know for sure that Paul worked to support himself with his own hands: Corinth, and Ephesus. When he said his final goodbyes to the leaders of the churches at Ephesus, he said this:

34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:34-35, ESV)

So, in Ephesus, (and Ephesus alone), Paul worked to support himself, even while he preached and taught. But it’s important to understand the reason Paul did it: to be an example to them of hard work, and of generosity. In other words, Paul was not teaching them that church leaders shouldn’t be paid. In fact, later on he wrote to Timothy, who was in Ephesus at the time:

17 Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” And in another place, “Those who work deserve their pay!” (1 Timothy 5:17-18, NLT)

In Corinth, when Paul first arrived, alone, without his companions, he worked as a leatherworker, a profession in which he was trained. But later, Timothy and Silas arrived from Macedonia, apparently bringing financial support from the churches there, and at that point, Paul devoted himself full time to teaching and preaching the word (Acts 18:1-5). Paul later confirms that point. He makes a big deal out of the fact that he never asked the Corinthians themselves for money, but the reason it was a big deal is that they should have given him support.

3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 Don’t we have the right to eat and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to be accompanied by a believing wife like the other apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas? 6 Or do only Barnabas and I have no right to refrain from working? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who shepherds a flock and does not drink the milk from the flock?
8 Am I saying this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the law also say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Do not muzzle an ox while it treads out grain. Is God really concerned about oxen? 10 Isn’t he really saying it for our sake? Yes, this is written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes should thresh in hope of sharing the crop. 11 If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? 12 If others have this right to receive benefits from you, don’t we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right; instead, we endure everything so that we will not hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 Don’t you know that those who perform the temple services eat the food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the offerings of the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel. (1 Corinthians 9:3-14, CSB)

In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul makes it even more clear that other churches (not the Corinthians) were supporting Paul, even though the Corinthians weren’t:

8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. (2 Corinthians 11:8-9, CSB)

And guess who was one of the Macedonian churches that supported Paul at that time? That’s right: the Philippians. In our text , Paul continues:

17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profit that is increasing to your account. 18 But I have received everything in full, and I have an abundance. I am fully supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you provided ​— ​a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

So, here again Paul is telling us something about giving: it not only blesses the one who receives, but it also blesses the ones who give. Paul says their gift is “profit that is increasing to your account.” He’s trying to make it clear that he’s not asking for anything more, but also wants to praise their giving, and make sure that they know that through giving, they are counted as his ministry partners, and that there is blessing for them. Paul ends the letter:

21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you greetings. 22 All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

So, what is the Lord saying to you right now? Do you need to be reminded of the dangers of wealth? Are you tempted by the thought that if you just had enough money then everything would be fine? Do you need to learn, with Paul, to be content whether you have little or much? Do you believe that you could learn that—to handle anything—through Christ who strengthens you?

Maybe you’ve been a faithful giver, giving as much as you feel you can afford. Perhaps you need to hear that you are partners in ministry with those to whom you give. You share in the good things that result from the ministries you support. Some of you support this ministry of ClearBible. I won’t promise you health and wealth for your gift of x amount, but I can promise that you have a part in making these messages happen, and sharing them with the world. The Lord knows your heart, and he knows the credit that is increasing to your account.

Maybe it’s just something from the very end that you need to hear: that the Lord will supply all your needs according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus. Or maybe you simply need to hear this: “The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”

Let the Holy Spirit speak to you right now.

THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS

On By Pastor TomIn Uncategorized3 Comments

I know that most of you come here for scriptural messages, so I won’t post a lot, but I thought that after last night I should at least thank you for your prayers, and let you know how Elise is doing.

I felt a bit calmer by the time I went to bed last night. We did not have to go to the ER in the middle of the night, which was one answer to prayer. Elise’s fever went down during the night, and by the time we got to the cancer clinic today, it was gone.

I’m writing from the clinic, where Elise is getting more fluids. We met with the doctor about 30 minutes ago, and she felt that for now, things are stable. She said that with Elise’s immune system temporarily knocked down, it has a hard time suppressing bacteria that are just normally and naturally in the body. We’re hoping that by next week her immune system has recovered more. In the meantime, she has another prescription for antibiotics. We’ll finish out the IV fluids, and then go home this afternoon.

Thank you again, so much, for your prayers, texts, comments and so on. It really helps to be able to reach out when we’re struggling.

ASKING FOR YOUR PRAYERS

On By Pastor TomIn Uncategorized3 Comments

Some of you may have noticed that it’s been a couple of weeks since my last post. My daughter Elise, who is battling cancer, has been doing poorly, and has been even worse today. I would deeply appreciate your prayers.

This journey with Elise and her cancer has been a marathon—a series of marathons, really. For most of the time, I’ve been OK taking it a step at time. Why worry about tomorrow before it comes? But tonight I have “breakthrough worry.”

Back in December, Elise’s first round of chemo resulted in an infection, and then sepsis, which, quite literally, almost killed her. Every time she has had those same chemo drugs again, it is clearly very hard on her body. She had them last week, after less recovery time than normal from her previous treatment. I had to take her back to the hospital the day after she came home, because she had a fever, and was doing poorly. She’s struggled her way through this week, but she has a fever again, and it has been climbing all day.

I am fully expecting to take her to ER sometime in the middle of the night to come. Since last Friday I’ve had a bag packed for this possibility. It’s hard to anticipate sitting in a utilitarian ER room on an uncomfortable chair for hours in the middle of the night.

But far, far worse, is watching my child suffer and being unable to stop it. It’s far worse knowing that her body is trying to recover from the drugs that almost killed her less than a year ago. It’s worse wondering if this the beginning of something truly awful.

Would you please pray with us tonight? Please ask the Father to end the infection, protect Elise’s body, and bring healing. Please ask him to show us his presence strongly tonight. Ask for peace for Elise, Kari and me, and the rest of the family.

Thank you!

PHILIPPIANS #18: LET’S THINK ABOUT THIS…

On By Pastor TomIn Philippians, Podcast, Religion, Sermon, UncategorizedLeave a comment
Mountain river flowing through pine forest with morning mist and snow-capped peaks
Sunrise casts a golden glow over a misty mountain river valley.

The bad news is that our brain tends to re-use the thoughts we frequently think. So, if we are prone to worry, it’s hard to think differently. But, the good news is that, through Jesus, our minds can be renewed into different patterns of thinking.

To listen to the sermon, click the play button:

You can also find us on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/show/6KKzSHPFT466aXfNT2r9OD (This will open to the latest sermon. You can search from there if you are looking for a previous one)

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Last time we considered the Holy Spirit’s invitation to peace and rest for our souls: worship, setting God in his rightful place in our hearts, then offer prayers and requests, everything permeated with thanksgiving. Worship undermines the basis of our anxieties. If we have a heart filled with gratitude, it is hard to remain anxious (though, no doubt, some people can be both thankful and anxious at the same time).

Now, Paul adds some additional instructions for rejoicing in the Lord and setting our hearts at rest:

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9, ESV)

Paul tells us to think about certain things. The word he uses for “think” could be translated “count up” or “add to the account,” or, “reckon” or, maybe, “calculate.” So, the way I like to think about this is as an additional layer to worshipping and giving thanks. Give thanks, and then also, to God’s account of praise, add whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Spend time on such things, focus your attention on them, rather than on your anxieties, or the things that make you angry and upset. Sometimes we dwell on things that bother us. We count them up: “The idiot at work is making life hard for me, and I’ve already got this health issue happening, and now on top of that, my family member is causing strife at home, and, on top of it all, the toilet quit working.” We add up, and in our minds, we go over and over such things. Paul is saying: “Try something different. Instead, count up and go over all of the wonderful things that God has blessed us with.”

We live in a culture that teaches us to do the opposite. Social media engagement literally depends upon anger, frustration and negativity in general. Seriously, if you didn’t know this, learn it now. Social media platforms figured out, more than ten years ago, that people engage more with negativity than they do with positive things. So, the algorithm that drives social media is one that amplifies disagreement, anger and negativity. You are more likely to see things that make you upset than things that make you happy, because it is designed that way.

Also, negative or not, the algorithms of today’s internet are built to capture and monopolize your attention. Even if you say, “well, I’m just watching funny cat videos,” you are still giving a great deal of your time, energy and attention to things that do not necessarily fall into the categories given to us by our text today.

The more we submit to the internet’s business model, the more our brains are molded in ways that make it hard to concentrate, and follow complex thoughts through to a well considered conclusion. We are training our brains to be mostly passive, mostly entertained, and to jump quickly away from one thought to the next.

Scripture tells us that much of our battle with the devil, and sin, and our own flesh takes place in the mind:

17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. (Ephesians 4:17-23, NLT, bold format added for emphasis).

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5, ESV, italic formatting added for emphasis)

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:2, NLT, italic formatting added for emphasis)

What we do with our minds is important. It is one of the pathways to becoming the people Jesus intends for us to be. And Paul is explaining that one way to help in the renewing of our minds is to focus on these qualities, because these things reflect the character of Jesus Christ.

Neuroscientists believe that we tend to develop habits of thought. The more we think in certain ways, the more those particular neural pathways in our brains become developed, and so it becomes easier and quicker to think in ways that we have often thought in the past. But science also shows that these pathways can be adapted and changed (roughly speaking, the fact that we can change our neural pathways is called “neuroplasticity”). Two thousand years before neuroscience, the Bible is telling us the same thing. The Holy Spirit is encouraging us to stop thinking in some of the old ways we have developed, and instead, develop new habits of thought. This requires a certain amount of discipline. We need to remember the things on which we should focus, and then focus on them. At first it is difficult. But the more we do it, the easier it becomes (remember, the neural pathways we use get easier and more habitual the more we use them).

So, I think our text today is a great antidote, not only to worry, but also to the modern assault on our attention and even our ability to think well. What shall we add to God’s account? What shall we meditate on, dwell on, that is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and praiseworthy?

Before we get to specifics, let’s make sure we are giving credit where credit is due. This truth, honor, justice, loveliness, excellence and so on is found in Jesus himself, to be sure. We will look at that aspect of these things a little bit further on. But the truth is, God has also scattered these excellent qualities throughout the world, and by his grace, whether they know it or not, many people demonstrate these things, even if they are not aware that they come from God. James writes:

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 1:16-18, ESV)

Every good and perfect gift comes from the Lord. It sometimes comes directly from him, and sometimes it comes through secondary means, like human beings, or a wild animal, or a domestic pet. Even the good things that come through human beings originate with God. This is true, even when some human beings don’t acknowledge it to be so. The great reformer, John Calvin, wrote:

Since the perfection of blessedness consists in the knowledge of God, he has been pleased, in order that none might be excluded from the means of obtaining felicity, not only to deposit in our minds that seed of religion of which we have already spoken, but so to manifest his perfections in the whole structure of the universe, and daily place himself in our view, that we cannot open our eyes without being compelled to behold him.(John Calvin, in Institutes of Christian Religion, as quoted by Jerram Barrs, Echoes of Eden, pg 15)

That’s a mouthful, given in a kind of English that we don’t often use anymore, so let me paraphrase:

The most perfect blessing is found in knowing God. Therefore, to make sure no one is prevented from that, he has first given all people a kind of seed of faith, the ability to comprehend spiritual truth. On top of that, he reveals his perfect character to us through the entire universe, so that any time are eyes are open we are literally seeing the works of God. More from Calvin:

And, first, wherever you turn your eyes, there is no portion of the world, however minute, that does not exhibit at least some sparks of beauty; while it is impossible to contemplate the vast and beautiful fabric as it extends around, without being overwhelmed by the immense weight of glory.

Even atheist biologists acknowledge that the world looks as if it was designed. Richard Dawkins, a champion of the “new atheists” says that we must constantly remember that although everything looks as if it was designed, it was not. In other words, “don’t believe the evidence of your own senses, and your own common sense.” But scripture tells us not only to believe the wonder and design that we see in the natural world, but also to dwell on it as one way God reveals his goodness to us.

John Calvin elsewhere taught about the concept of “common grace.” What he meant by that is that God showers his goodness and grace all over the world, onto all people, regardless of whether or not all people acknowledge him. We Christians can receive God’s grace even through people who aren’t Christian. It’s not an endorsement of their lack of faith, but rather, a recognition that God can use anyone to bless anyone, if he chooses.

Let’s look at it this way. When we drive a car that is functional, attractive and fun to drive, do we need to ascertain whether or not the designers and factory workers who built the car were Christians before we can appreciate the car? Of course not! Or, if we go to a restaurant, can we only be thankful to the Lord for the food if Christian hands prepared it? Obviously, that would be silly. The gift might come to us through people and processes that do not acknowledge  God. But since we do acknowledge God, we can give thanks to him as the originator of all good things. Some of my favourite cuisine was developed by Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims. Often I eat food prepared by people who follow those religions. I bet all of us have eaten and enjoyed food prepared by people who do not follow Jesus. But I give thanks to Jesus Christ for the deliciousness of the food he created, and the human creativity (which originated with Him) that resulted in such goodness.

So, let’s get specific. Think of whatever is true. I love reading books about the universe (cosmology) and learning how intricately and beautifully formed it is. I also love reading about very, very small things—molecular biology, and how wondrously made life is. Reading is one good way to train the mind to focus on things that have the good qualities Paul lists here. Above all, for truth, I love to read the Bible, and to experience those moments when the Holy Spirit shows me more of the truth in scripture.

What is honorable? One of my other intellectual hobbies is to learn more about the Second World War. In many ways, of course, it was one of the most awful times in human history. But I’ve learned that certain individuals rose to the challenge, and became worthy of honor precisely because of the adversity they faced. Two quick stories:

A Frenchwoman and her husband were part of the French Resistance, working in secret in Vichy France. The husband was captured by the authorities, but they didn’t realize his wife was also part of the Resistance. She was 8 months pregnant, and requested that her husband be moved to prison closer to where she lived. She then worked out the route that the prison truck would take, and organized a band of other Resistance members. She stood on the road with the others, and held up the truck with a submachine gun. She and her husband escaped, and the British brought them back by airplane, flying low to avoid German radar. She delivered the baby just as they touched down in England. That’s honorable!

Here’s another one. The Allies tried to fool the Germans into thinking they would not invade Sicily once they had secured North Africa. They tried a crazy idea, to put the Germans off the track, and incredibly, the ruse worked! The Germans kept many divisions in the Balkans, apparently thinking the invasion might be there, and so the invasion of Sicily was a success. Later on, the Allies tried to fool the Germans again, this time into believing that the invasion of the Normandy peninsula in France was only a diversion, while the main invasion was still  to come, elsewhere. Somehow, the Germans fell for it, and kept vitally important divisions far from the fighting until it was too late to throw the Allies off the beaches. It wasn’t until years later that it was discovered that the German Colonel in charge of Military Intelligence for the Western Theatre was a Christian, and secretly opposed Hitler. He was not fooled by the trickery of the Allies either time, but he pretended he was, and convinced the German High command he was right. He did so in order that the Allies would be successful, and the evil of Hitler ultimately stopped. He eventually fell under suspicion, and paid for it with his life, but he died full of faith in Jesus and the life to come. That’s honorable! Think on such things!

Whatever is just. I have to admit, this is one area of my own thought life where I need to grow. Injustice, maybe especially petty injustice, really bothers me, and I often don’t see where justice is being done. Maybe someone reading this can come up with a good example. The best example, which we’ll come to in a moment, is Jesus himself.

What is pure? An untouched mountain stream. A little baby. Sometimes a musical strain will strike me as deeply pure. Think on such things!

Lovely? Many people are lovely. Scenery can be lovely. A gift from a friend, or an afternoon with someone you love can be deeply lovely. Think on such things!

What is commendable? Another way to put it is “worthy of a good reputation.” Some of the examples I gave above from the second world war would qualify for this one as well. We all probably know at least one person who quietly lives life with integrity. That’s commendable. We know people who had every right to be angry, or take revenge—but they didn’t. That’s commendable. Think on such things.

In Greek, the last two are probably “umbrella terms” meant to cover everything Paul is talking about. The word “excellent” really means “morally excellent.” So, anything that falls under the umbrella of moral excellence, or anything that is worthy of praise—dwell on such things. Turn them over and over in your mind, and dwell on them. Develop a habit of thinking about such things.

Jesus himself is the ultimate expression of all of these qualities. Jesus is not only true, but he himself said he was the truth. He is honorable—he made the ultimate sacrifice, even though he didn’t have to. He obtained justice for our sins, while also remaining pure himself. He is lovely, commendable. All moral excellence, all praiseworthiness is to be found in Jesus. So, if you find yourself struggling to think on the wonderful things God scatters throughout the world, think about Jesus himself, and how he literally embodies all of these qualities.

Paul wraps up this section with the final exhortation:

9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9, ESV)

Remember, we talked about what it means to be a role model a few messages ago. Unlike basketball star, Charles Barkley, we are to live in such a way that others are encouraged by our example. Paul certainly lived that way, and he wasn’t shy about telling Christians who were younger in the faith to follow his example. What you have seen and heard about in other Christians that is morally excellent or praiseworthy—practice such things, even when the people you are imitating are not perfect. Remember also, that through the work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus wants to live his life through us. He wants to show the world what he is like through our own, specific lives.

So, above all, fix your mind on Jesus Christ. Let him be the center of your thoughts, and many wonderful and excellent things about him. Once again, when we practice this, we leave less room for anxiety and frustration. When we practice it, we make room for him to live out these wonderful qualities through us.

PHILIPPIANS #17: ELIMINATING ANXIETY

On By Pastor TomIn Philippians, Podcast, Religion, Sermon, UncategorizedLeave a comment
Person standing on a grassy hilltop looking at sunrise over foggy mountains
A hiker enjoys a breathtaking sunrise above a cloud-filled mountain valley.

Anxiety does not simply go away when we pray to God for our concerns. It goes when we worship God, thank him, and we allow him to be truly King of our lives, and of the Universe. When we worship and thank the Lord, we are undermining our reasons to be anxious. The bigger God is in our own hearts, the less room there is in our hearts for anxiety.

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When we have encountered other passages of scripture that teach the counter-cultural message that men and women are to have some unique roles in the family and in the church, I have not shied away from teaching and explaining it. There is an often repeated teaching that men are to serve their families and churches in spiritual leadership. Paul says, on more than one occasion “Man is the head of woman,” meaning spiritual head (as Christ is head of the church).

However, though fewer and fewer churches in the Western world are willing to keep teaching this, there are some who do, and among them, at times, they take it too far. It would be utterly wrong and unbiblical to suggest that women are somehow lesser in status, or less capable. Though, according to scripture, roles involving “spiritual headship” belong to men alone, from the very beginning of Christianity, women were vitally involved in all sorts of different important ministries and Christian service.

From within scripture we know that some women provided financial and practical support to Jesus and the disciples. Later, women opened their homes in hospitality to fellow believers, both for church services, and also as places where Christian ministers were welcome to stay. They prayed, both privately, and out loud during worship, and some were called by God to be prophetesses. Some women labored side by side with their husbands in discipling believers. Women taught and discipled other women, and children. Some women were considered deaconesses, which was a role that involved coordinating practical, and sometimes financial, matters for the church.. Some women served as messengers between Christians in various cities. A woman named Phoebe carried Paul’s letter to the Romans from Corinth to Rome.

We know from the writings of early Christians that some women had ministries visiting the sick, and prisoners, and helping to see to their needs. Women brought communion from church services to give to those who couldn’t be there, for whatever reason. They ministered to orphans and widows. Though such things aren’t often mentioned, no doubt some women ministered through music, and others through art, and others through particular skills they had, like weaving or sewing.

Jesus, and his teachings through the apostles, elevated the status of women and marriage, and women responded by trusting and serving him whole-heartedly.

So, it should not surprise us to see that Paul testifies that these two women, Euodia and Syntyche, have labored for the gospel side by side with Paul. Whatever Paul’s own teaching about male spiritual headship means, it does not mean that women cannot have important roles in ministry, or the church. Clearly, Paul expected women to be deeply involved in the mission of Christ, just as he also expected that of men.

Unfortunately the two women who are the subject of verse 2 were not getting along with each other. There has been a lot of speculation about what the problem might have been, but no firm evidence. Paul’s exhortation is for them to put aside their differences and agree in the Lord.

Next, Paul says another thing that has caused a great deal of speculation.

Yes, I also ask you, true partner, to help these women

It stands out in the text. He has been speaking in the plural to the Philippians, and now suddenly he speaks to a single individual, whom he calls “my true partner.” More literally, the Greek is something like, “My legitimate yoke-partner.” The idea of a yoke partner comes from agriculture. Often two oxen would be selected for similar size and strength, and complementary temperaments. The oxen would be harnessed to each other with a wooden yoke, and with the yoke, they would work together to pull things. See the picture below. Speaking of people, it means that they are linked together in some way for a common purpose.

So who was this “legitimate yoke-partner?”

One fascinating possibility is that it could be Paul’s wife. It is clear that Paul was not married when he wrote 1 Corinthians (read 1 Corinthians 7:8). But that was almost ten years before he wrote this letter to the Philippians. He could have gotten married in the interim. The term “legitimate yoke-partner” does evoke thoughts of marriage. Clement of Alexandria, writing about a hundred years later, thinks that this might be the case. It would also add a new layer to the way Paul was reassuring them at the beginning of the letter that things would probably turn out well for him. It would also make sense that he is asking his wife to help sort out a dispute between two women.

But if Paul was married by this time, it seems strange that his wife would not be mentioned at all in the book of Acts, which followed Paul all the way up to the time he was imprisoned in Rome (from where he is writing this letter). There are reasons I could think of why she wouldn’t be mentioned, but I’m not sure they are more likely than the fact that he actually remained single his whole life.

Some commentators think that Paul is writing directly to Epaphroditus, but that seems strange, since Epaphroditus was carrying the letter. Paul could have spoken to him face to face about the matter. Others suggest Timothy, but the same thing applies to him.

One possibility, that I think is more likely, is that he is speaking to Luke. Luke spent at least 8 years in Philippi, and he might have actually been from there originally. I suspect anyway that Luke returned to Philippi, after he saw Paul brought safely to Rome (which Luke writes about at the end of Acts.)

One other possibility is that it is Lydia, who hosted the first house church in Philippi. I don’t really have reason to think it is her, other than that she lived there, and was one of the first Christians, and opened her home to Paul and his companions. It also makes sense, as I mentioned above, to ask a woman to intervene between two women. However, if it is Lydia, Paul’s language of “legitimate yoke-partner” again raises the question of whether he had married her.

I think the most likely thing is actually very mundane and a bit of a let down. The term “yoke-partner” is one word in Greek : Syzygos. It could be simply someone’s name. So, Paul is saying, “I ask you, faithful Syzygos, to help these women…” Now, it’s true, there is no record in any other ancient Greek literature of Syzygos as a name. But we don’t actually have a way to know every single name that was used in antiquity. And it might even be a nickname.

One reason I think it’s a name is because Paul is making a point about names. He names the two women, then (in my opinion) Syzygos, and then Clement, and then: “the rest of my coworkers whose names are in the book of life.”

That’s the big deal here: their names are written in the book of life. That should be far more important than any dispute.  That should help to mitigate any issue between the two women. So, the message goes sort of like this: “Think about your dispute with the perspective that both of your names are written in the book of life, along with these others. Surely, in light of that, you can find a way to resolve things.”

Paul continues with more truth that far outshines any disputes:

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7, CSB

We have already talked about what it means to rejoice in the Lord, so I won’t repeat that here. If you missed it, go back and read, or listen to, Philippians #11. So we come to one of the most quoted verses in the Bible, verses 6-7, above.

I’ve been a pastor  long enough to know that some people read verses 6-7, and say, “Yeah. Right. Just ‘don’t worry.’ Like that’s ever going to happen. I do pray, but I don’t have this amazing peace.”

I think sometimes we rush this process. We are anxious about something, and so we say something like “Lord, please fix this. Please, please, fix this the way I want you to fix this. Amen.” When our prayers do not result in the unusual peace of God, I think it is because we are ignoring a lot of what it actually says here. I want to dig into the Greek briefly, and then make this practical.

As you may have noticed, depending on which translation you have, there appear to be three words for prayer here. The CSB, quoted above has: prayer, supplication (thanksgiving) and requests. But actually, I think these words have slightly different meanings. Here is my own rough, literal-ish translation:

“Do not, in even one thing, be anxious, but in all things, through worship, in prayer, permeated with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.”

The word often translated “prayer” is actually closer to “worship.” I’m talking about the Greek word: “proseuche.” In our modern way of talking sometimes “worship” means an entire worship service, including singing, prayer, fellowship, communion and hearing a sermon. At other times, when people use the same word—worship—they mean only the singing part of a church service. So, in the same way, sometimes the Greek word proseuche means specifically and only prayer, and at other times it encompasses all that might be included in “worship.”

I think, given that Paul uses two other words for types of praying, that Paul is using the word proseuche (“prayer” in the CSB) he means not only prayer, but worship in general. This is why: When we experience anxiety, the first line of defense is not asking God for stuff, but, rather, worship. When we worship God, we admit that he is God, and we are not. We remind ourselves of who he is. Among other things, he is the Creator and Master of the universe, infinitely more wonderful, wise, holy and good than we can ever comprehend. You can see, when you think about it, that when we worship, we are undermining our reasons for anxiety. God is so much bigger than our troubles. His goodness so far outweighs our sufferings that our sufferings are hardly worth mentioning. When we worship the Lord, we are resetting our perspective, reminding ourselves of God’s infinite goodness and his wonderful, eternal plans for us. When God is big in our hearts, there is very little room left over for anxiety.

I think this concept is also found in the Lord’s Prayer, as taught by Jesus. We start our prayer (or worship) by praising God as our Father, and then praising and seeking his holiness and goodness to be revealed in our lives, and the lives of others. We want him glorified. Next, we ask for his kingdom—his rule and his purposes—to be manifested in this world. Then we ask for his will to be done in all things, including our own hearts, minds and lives. Then, and only then, after we have set our perspective in terms of God’s greatness, love, holiness and purposes on earth, can we turn to our specific requests for our “daily bread.”

As Jesus taught about praying for daily bread, Paul says here that there is also a place to unburden ourselves to the Lord (“supplication”). We are to cast our cares on him, trusting that he does care for us (1 Peter 5:7). It is good and right to express our fears and failings and needs to the Lord. He is ready to hear, and he remembers that we struggle. We don’t need to hold back. When we bring our supplications to God after we have worshipped, we will already be on the path away from worry.

But, if we really want to let go of anxiety and experience God’s peace, even when we pray, we do so by permeating our prayer and worship with thanksgiving.

When we thank God, we are taking a concrete step of trust. Thanking him is one of the big ways in which we actually “take hold of” his promises. Thanking him opens a two-way portal by which we transfer our troubles to the Lord, and leave them there with him, and he, for his part, returns peace to us.

Many people have discovered that thankfulness can absolutely transform your life. So, for example, say you have a job that you really hate. But, if you start each day by thanking God for the things you don’t hate, you find that it balances out the negatives in your life, or at least, it does to some degree. I often start my thanksgiving with something small, like hot water as I take a morning shower, and towels, and coffee. The more I thank the Lord, the more I think of other things I can thank him for. Soon, it’s not just that I have thanked God for many specific things, but I find my heart being drawn into an entire attitude of thanksgiving. And it is very hard to be both extremely grateful and extremely anxious at the same time. Many, many people have found this sort of thing to be very helpful in maintaining a peaceful heart and positive attitude.

I want to challenge us to push the envelope on giving thanks. I speak from personal experience when I say that I have learned to thank God even for things that I really, really don’t like. To do so, is an act of trust. When I thank God for something that I wish he would change, I am acknowledging that He is in control, and I am not. I am reorienting myself around the truth that he knows better than I do. I am agreeing with his Word, that:

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

This can be tremendously freeing. It can create a vast reservoir of peace and joy in your life. I know this to be true, because I have experienced it. In my struggle with chronic pain, I began to find real peace and joy when I started to thank God not, in spite of the pain, but for the pain. At the same time I began to thank him for all of the other stupid stuff that was going on in my life that I wished was different.

When I started doing this, it was a pure act of will. I didn’t feel grateful for my pain, or any of the other stuff. I said, “I think I need to do this Lord. So, I don’t feel thankful, but even so, as an act of will, or intent, I am thanking you for this pain.” I went on and thanked him for financial hardship, and several other things. One of the first times I did this, Kari and I did it together. I won’t say we ended by feeling truly thankful, but we did start to feel a little bit more peace.

I have been living with kidney-stone-level-intense pain for almost eleven years. I’m in pain right now, as I write this. I spend hours out of every day just trying to cope with the pain. How could I have peace about such a thing? By remembering that God is God, and I am not. By thanking God that he works all things (even this pain) for my good. And by and large, though many days are just plain physically difficult to deal with, I do have peace about my pain.

My daughter has cancer, and this week has been a difficult one. I am not yet to the point of thanking God for the cancer. I don’t think he sent it to her. But I am at least thanking him for how well my daughter has handled the pain, humiliation and difficulty of this disease. I thank him that she is still with us in this mortal life. I thank him for how the beauty of her character shines as she rests in the Lord for all things. This is a beauty that no one might see, unless she had cancer.

I don’t think anyone gives thanks with 100% purity of heart, 100% of the time. We have grace to fail. But if you are struggling with anxiety, if you are not experiencing God’s peace, I know of no better way to begin to change that other than by developing a habit of thankfulness to God. And if you are not interested in learning to give thanks in all things, I think you should not expect to find peace, or to be free of anxiety. Presenting your requests without worship and without thankfulness is not a Biblical pathway to the peace of God that passes understanding.

If this is difficult for you, I have one final suggestion: ask God for help in becoming more grateful, and when you do, thank him for hearing your prayer. I’m completely serious. We can do nothing useful on a spiritual level without the work of the Holy Spirit in us. So ask for the Holy Spirit to give you an attitude of thankfulness.

And then, as much as possible try to put this into effect. Don’t just ask God for stuff, or pray about what bothers you. Worship him, remind yourself that He is God, and he is a good Father, and he is holy, and all of life was created for his purposes, and to bring him glory. Then, when your heart is settled in the fact that God is God, and you are not, go ahead and unburden yourself to him. Finally, leave those burdens with him by thanking him.

PHILIPPIANS #16. PEOPLE OF THE CROSS

On By Pastor TomIn Bible, Bible Teaching, Philippians, Podcast, Religion, Sermon, UncategorizedLeave a comment
Wooden cross on grassy mountain ridge with sunrise and clouds in background
A wooden cross stands atop a mountain ridge overlooking a foggy valley at sunrise.

The cross of Christ calls us to humility, and to look beyond this world to our eternal joy in fellowship with Christ. This is just plain weird to most of the world. We need the examples of other Christians to help us live this way, and at the same time, we should be willing to be that example for someone else. Above all, we focus on the promises of God for eternal life in the New Creation.

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PHILIPPIANS #16. Philippians 3:16—4:1.

16 In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained. 17 Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us. 18 For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things. 20 Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.
​1 So then, my dearly loved and longed for brothers and sisters, my joy and crown, in this manner stand firm in the Lord, dear friends. (Philippians 3:16 – 4:1, CSB)

In 1993, basketball star Charles Barkley declared in a Nike advertisement: “I am not a role model. I am not paid to be a role model. I’m paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court. Parents should be role models. Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.”

It’s important to know that at the time, Barkley had a “bad boy” image, and had been criticized for some of his off-court words and actions. I remember the cultural moment pretty clearly, The ad made it seem like he was encouraging kids to look to their parents, and there’s  a great deal of truth to that. But that ad was kind of a sanitized version of what was really going on in that cultural moment. There were other interviews and comments, and overall, the main thing Barkley seemed to be saying is that he felt that he didn’t have a responsibility to live in a way that others could constructively imitate. He suggested that he should be allowed to live his own life however he wanted, and he didn’t owe anything to the public. Marvel comics is famous for the line: “With great power comes great responsibility.” Barkley, at that time, seemed to be flatly contradicting this. He didn’t say it this way, but he gave the impression that in his view, with great power comes the right to do whatever the heck he pleases. He rejected any responsibility he had to others. He declared himself free from obligation, free to please only himself.

Two thousand years earlier, the apostle Paul vehemently disagreed with Charles Barkley’s perspective. We have a responsibility to live the kinds of lives that others can imitate. You might think you aren’t very far along as a Christian, and that might possibly be true in some cases, but, says Paul, you have the responsibility to live up to what you do know, so far. We don’t get to be like Charles Barkley, and live to please ourselves, and not care who might need us to be an example.

Now, I want to make something clear: this is not about our salvation, or about how God views us. Paul has made it abundantly clear already that we don’t put any confidence in our flesh—good, or bad—to make a difference in God’s love for us. So, being an example for others to imitate is not about earning points with God. Instead, it is about letting God use us to bless others.

One amazing gift that we have is that we have thousands of generations of Christians to look toward for examples to imitate. I can be inspired by the examples of my Dad, or of some of the missionaries I knew growing up. I can also look to C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Martin Luther, Irenaeus, and the apostle Paul himself. What a gift to have such a wealth of people I can learn from!

A second important point: no one except Jesus is a perfect example, not even Paul. I think about whether I could say to others: “Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us.” I think there are ways in which I could say that. But there are other areas in my life that I don’t think would be a good example to imitate. Thankfully, this isn’t about perfection. But it is about stepping up (unlike Charles Barkley) and letting your life be lived for something other than your own preferences.

Paul’s next sentence flows on naturally from this one:

“For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things.”

Who is Paul talking about? I think he’s talking about people who claim to be Christians. At the time that Paul wrote there were probably fewer than 10,000 Christians in the entire world. Most people had not even heard of Christ in the first place, so it would be strange for Paul to think of them and be brought to tears that they were “enemies of the cross of Christ.” It makes far more sense that Paul is talking about some people who claim to be Christians, but still live as “enemies of the cross of Christ.”

Next question: What does it mean to live as an enemy of the cross of Christ, especially if such a person is claiming to be a Christian? One place to start is to understand the meaning of “the cross of Christ.” In the first place, Jesus called all who want to follow him:

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 16:24-25, ESV)

Taking up our cross means dying to our flesh. It means being identified with the humble death of Jesus. It means that we are no longer are own people, but we belong to Jesus, even (maybe “especially”) when it feels like a part of us has to die as we follow him. Paul described his own experience like this:

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20, ESV)

Bible commentator Matthew Henry puts it like this:

Christ came by his cross to crucify the world to us and us to the world; and those who mind earthly things act directly contrary to the cross of Christ, and this great design of it.

Now, when Paul is talking about “enemies of the cross” I do NOT think he is referring to ordinary Christians who sometimes struggle to surrender everything to Jesus. I think he has in mind people who deny, in heart and mind and action, the call of Christ to surrender to him, to be humble, and even to lose all things in order to gain Christ.

In our present Christian culture I can think of at least one group of people who call themselves Christians, but deny the cross: Those who follow the “Prosperity Gospel” in its various forms. The heart of the prosperity gospel is that if we follow God, he will fulfill our dreams. If you do right, you will be blessed, and if you aren’t blessed in obvious, worldly ways (like financially, or having obedient children, or a great marriage, or a big influence, etc.) then it is your fault for not doing it well enough, or, God is testing you (but only temporarily). Such folks maintain that if you do and say the right things, eventually, in this life, God must bless you (according to your view of “blessing”).

However, the way of the cross is completely foreign here. The idea that you might have to actually give up your non-sinful dreams is considered a lie of the devil. Christ calls us to die to ourselves, and that sometimes means dying to things that are not necessarily wrong or sinful. The gospel of Prosperity calls us to cultivate our own desires, and use God as a means to get them. The cross, however, calls everything else rubbish, as Paul said earlier in the chapter. Prosperity says suffering is an aberration, it’s wrong, it shouldn’t happen. To the way of Prosperity, suffering means we have done something wrong. We must try to avoid suffering by thinking and speaking the right ways, so that we don’t bring hardship upon ourselves. But the way of the cross says:

I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, (Philippians 3:10, NLT)

Just to be sure we understand about the enemies of the cross, Paul describes them a bit more:

19 They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. (Philippians 3:19, NLT)

We see here the similarities with modern prosperity preaching. Their focus is on what they desire in this present life. They brag about promotions, and riches, and larger houses and a “bigger life.” They do often “give glory to God” for it, but that always strikes me as a kind of formulaic lip service thing they do to “make the system work.” And they are “giving glory” not to a God who calls us to trust beyond what we understand, but rather, to a god who gives us what we want.

I know this might be a bit strange, but I think one of the best illustrations of this attitude is Peter Gabriel’s song, Big Time. Give it a listen, if possible (but wait until you’re done with the sermon!) with headphones, or a system that has plenty of bass. It’s fun, but it’s also sad, when we remember there are so many people like that.

Here’s another contrast between enemies of the cross and followers of Jesus (the way of the cross): enemies of the cross are looking for approval and acceptance from the people of this world, while followers of Jesus die to their desires to be accepted by those who don’t love Jesus.

For example, I find this is a temptation for me with regard to my intellect. I am an intellectual. I’m tempted to be proud about it, which leads me to want the respect and recognition of other intellectuals. But, I’ve had to face the fact that it is not intellectually respectable to insist that God made the world—not even when I have good intellectual arguments for saying so. Above all, it is not intellectually respectable to claim that a human body was fully dead, and then was raised again to life. Again, I think I have rational reasons for believing the resurrection, but even so, following Jesus usually means dying to my desire to be considered “respectable” by my fellow intellectuals. In fact, many people would reject my self-designation as an intellectual, precisely because I do trust Jesus and believe the Bible.

Some corporate environments are all about “getting ahead,” chasing the next promotion, gaining more influence, and so on. The humble path of the cross is not a respectable alternative in such places. If you really follow Jesus, you might stand out in your workplace as kind of weird. Sometimes, you might even be called out for not being a team player (which means, in this context, not fully engaging in the corporate culture).

Another important part of “the cross” is humility. People today wear crosses around their necks, or get cross tattoos. It’s considered a cool symbol. But in New Testament times, when Paul was writing, the cross was seen primarily as the worst thing that could happen to a person. It was humiliating. It’s like the electric chair to us, or lethal injection. To accept the cross of Christ is to be identified with humility. So one mark of enemies of the cross is that they are not humble.

I think it is striking that Paul’s final word on these “enemies of the cross” is that they are focused on this (mortal) life. They are after what they can get, here and now.

In contrast, Paul says that we are citizens of heaven, and our hearts are looking toward that eternal home, and the appearance, at last, of our savior, Jesus. That doesn’t mean that we should not find joy or happiness here and now, in this life. It doesn’t mean that we can’t work hard to buy a needed vehicle, or look forward to a vacation, or enjoy sweet moments with our loved ones. But I do think it means we limit how much time and energy we spend on trying to make this life as comfortable as possible. Above all it means that our focus, energy and desire is mainly aimed at the life to come. C.S. Lewis said many useful things about this:

If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next…

It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you’ll get earth “thrown in”: aim at earth and you’ll get neither.” C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

So, focusing on the coming New Creation doesn’t lead us to neglect this world. It leads us to neglect our own earthly goals and desires for those of our savior, Jesus. And that often turns out to benefit this present world.

I think sometimes we forget how weird Christians ought to look to those who do not walk with Jesus. What Paul is saying is that we do not value what they value. We don’t pursue what they pursue, or worry about what they worry about. We are “not from around here.” We are citizens of a country that we haven’t yet been to, and it’s a country about which the world knows nothing. In fact the values of our heavenly country are strange to this world. If we are imitators of Jesus, and Paul and other mature believers, we are going to look strange, humble and unimportant to many others.

Paul adds:

He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.

We should trust that there will come a time when our humility is lifted up by God.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, (1 Peter 5:6, CSB)

We will share in the glorious joy of the Lord. If we entrust our needs to the Lord now, someday we will find that the sufferings of this present life are not worth mentioning compared to the glory that is revealed to us (Romans 8:18). We can be OK with a life here and now that is far less than perfect, because we will have infinitely longer to enjoy a life that is more than we could ever ask or imagine, in the New Creation.

Paul closes this section with this exhortation:

So then, my dearly loved and longed for brothers and sisters, my joy and crown, in this manner stand firm in the Lord, dear friends.

How do we stand firm? By

  • 1) living up to what we know;
  • 2) Imitating other believers who are, in some ways, more mature than us, while at the same time being willing to be role models ourselves;
  • 3) Recognizing that the way of the cross is completely different from the ways of the world;
  • 4)Looking forward to our eternal future with Jesus in the New Creation.

PHILIPPIANS #15: RUNNING THE RACE IN GRACE

On By Pastor TomIn apostle paul, Bible, Philippians, Podcast, Religion, Sermon, UncategorizedLeave a comment
Person running on a mountain trail at sunset with a scenic mountainous landscape
A trail runner enjoys an evening run along a mountain ridge with a vibrant sunset.

God has taken hold of us. We are safe. We now have a righteousness that has nothing to do with us—with our good deeds, or our failures, or bad deeds. This is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. While holding that to be true, the apostle Paul tells us that it is also true that we should pursue Jesus Christ with all our being.

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PHILIPPIANS #15. Philippians 3:7-15

We’re going to finally move forward past Philippians 3:1-11, but I do want to catch verses 7-11 on the way out, because they form background to the main point that Paul is making in verses 12-16.

We talked about what Paul meant when he said he considered all things as rubbish, and loss, for the sake of Christ (verse 7-8). We also talked a little bit about verse 9 – that our righteousness does not depend upon us, but upon Christ. We covered this a bit when we talked about not having confidence in the flesh. The actions of our flesh, whether good, or bad, are irrelevant, in Jesus Christ. We gain good standing with God (righteousness) through faith, but we should not be concerned about the relative strength of our faith. We depend not upon faith, but upon Christ. Faith is just exactly that—depending upon Christ. Our faith may feel like it wavers sometimes, but Jesus Christ does not waver. So, even if we feel like we are wavering, or struggling, we can be at peace, because our lives, our eternal future, depend on Christ, not us.

Imagine two men traveling on a bus to San Diego. They end up sitting together. One of them looks very relaxed, and the other nervous.

Stu looks at his seatmate, a man named Rex. “Do you think that guy is a good Driver?”

“I’m sure he is,” says Rex.

“Well, I’m not,” says Stu.

The bus gets underway. Rex slips on some headphones, and picks up a book. Stu can’t believe how trusting he is. When they go through traffic, Stu gets stressed and angry. When a thunderstorm hits, and there is wild wind and a huge amount of spray, Rex perks up, and even seems to enjoy the storm, but Stu is only more worried.

Stu stresses about the route they take, wondering if the Driver really knows the way to San Diego. There are unscheduled stops, and sometimes it seems like they are even backtracking. At times, the engine appears to make a strange noise, and this too, bothers Stu. Rex remains unruffled. He seems to trust the Driver, and the Bus.

At last they pull into their destination in San Diego.

Now: here’s a question: which one of these two men made it to San Diego?

Both, of course! Rex had faith in the Driver and enjoyed the journey. Stu had enough faith to stay on the bus, but his faith waxed and waned, and he had great doubts, and moments of fear and anger. Even so, he arrived at the same destination as Rex, and at the same time. You see, once they had enough faith to stay on the bus, it wasn’t their faith that carried them to their destination—it was the Driver and the Bus that did that.

So, in the same way, we aren’t carried to the New Creation by our faith. We are carried there by Jesus Christ. Our faith is about “getting on the bus,” and “staying on the bus.” Our faith relies upon Jesus Christ. But our faith doesn’t save us—Jesus Christ saves us.

However, back to our analogy, the relative strength or weakness of their faith did make a difference in this one way: The journey was much more relaxing, enjoyable and peaceful for Rex. Rex’s stronger faith did not carry him farther, or faster. Rex was on the same journey as Stu. He went through the same storm, took the same detours, heard the same grinding noise in the engine of the Bus. But Rex’s trust in the Driver and the Bus made his experience of the journey better. But in the end, they both arrived safely. So we have a righteousness that is not our own. It comes by faith, and it is Jesus, not our faith, that carries us to our eternal home.

Paul carries on:

10 My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, 11 assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.

Paul trusts in Christ, not in his own strength of faith. But Paul here, and in the following verses, makes it clear that he is not content to arrive after having been worried and stressed out the whole time. He wants to know Christ more, to experience the fullness of Christ’s life in and through his own life. He doesn’t want to arrive without pursuing all that it means to have Jesus in this life.

By the way, verse 11, where he says: “that by any means possible, I may attain the resurrection of the dead,” Paul doesn’t mean there is doubt about whether or not he will experience resurrection. What he doesn’t know is the particular journey he will take to the resurrection. Will he be martyred? Killed by robbers on a journey? Will he die of old age, surrounded by friends? Will he still be alive when Jesus returns? Whatever pathway leads there (that is, “by any means possible”), he will, through Jesus, be raised from the dead.

12 Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, 14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.

I’ve said before that there are many truths that Christians hold in tension. For example: Jesus was fully God. And, also, he was fully human. God is three persons. And, there is only one God. This is one of the somewhat unique characteristics of Christianity, compared with other religions.

When it comes to practical Christian living, another way to express it, is that we are on a road, with a ditch on either side. These verses here express that well. On the one side, we might fall into the ditch of thinking that someone our salvation depends upon us, even if just for us to have “enough” faith, or the right kind of faith. On the other side, there is the ditch of thinking, since it is all up to Christ, and not to us, we might as well wander off and live however we want to, and just meet up with Jesus after we die.

Paul has just addressed the first ditch. Just in case we missed it, he says:

I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

So, we rest secure in knowing that Christ is the one who has hold of us. This is not about us having to work to gain our salvation, or to earn God’s favor. Christ has already taken hold of us.

With that understanding, that Christ has hold of us, we, now, have the wonderful privilege and joy of also taking hold of Christ. Just to cement this idea, let me give you an illustration.

I love my little granddaughter. She’s just over a year old. I pick her up, and carry her, or hold her on my lap while we read books, or I take her outside to see the goats and the birds and the trees. These are sweet times with her as a baby, and I’ve been doing these things with her since before she could even really interact with me.

Now, of course, she is old enough to interact with me. The last time I was with her, she began trying to say “Grandpoppa,” which is my “name” with her. It melted my heart, and thrilled me all at once. She actually said something like “PupPop,” but what she was trying to do was clear.

These days, she also loves to crawl up to me and then hold out her hands for me to pick her up. Again, it melts my heart. Sometimes, when she’s having trouble getting to sleep for a nap, I lay down with her, and she cuddles up to me with a stuffed animal in her arms, and a pacifier in her mouth, and falls asleep.

Now, do I hold her because she just said “PupPop?” Of course not. I hold her because she is my grandchild, and I love her. I held her long before she could respond to me. Every once in a while, when we are babysitting her, she has a hard time getting to sleep, and she resists it, and gets upset and cries a lot. Does that make me love her less? If you are a parent or grandparent, you know that is an utterly ridiculous question.

The times that she interacts with me are a wonderful joy to me. I crave more of it. But her actions (or lack of actions) are not the basis for our relationship. I do hope that as she grows she will respond to my love with hugs and words of her own, but I loved her before she could do such things, and I will love her, regardless of what she does or doesn’t do.

Even so, my expectation is that she will grow and mature in the ways that she should, so that as time goes on, we will interact more and more with each other, and with greater understanding, and at deeper levels. I would be concerned if she was a teenager and she could only say “PupPop!” and she still lifted up her arms for me to carry her. I wouldn’t love her less, but I would know that something has gone wrong.

This is our situation with the Lord. He has taken hold of us. He did so before we had done anything at all to please him. We are safe in his love. Our actions do not change his love for us. As the apostle John wrote:

10 This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins. (1 John 4:10, GW)

Now Paul tells us a second truth, and warns us of the second ditch:

13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, 14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.

We are secure in his love. But, says Paul, there is much more to come, so he strains forward, pursuing God’s heavenly call as a prize to be won. This is not an isolated thought. Look at these other verses about the same thing:

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, ESV)

4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. (2 Timothy 2:4-7, ESV)

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8, ESV)

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who 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.
3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted (Hebrews 12:1-3, ESV)

The idea that “getting saved” is just a ticket to heaven that you keep until you die is not a Biblical one. The Bible shows us that we are utterly secure in Christ. It also shows us that the normal path for those who belong to Christ is to pursue more and more of Christ, above all other things in our lives. When I die, and someone asks, “What was Tom Hilpert’s life all about? How would you sum it up?” I want the answer to be something like “He was all about Jesus,” or “He kept learning to love Jesus more and more.”

And here’s the thing: every single Christian should want that to be true of them as well. That is the normal pattern for those who follow Jesus. Paul puts it like this in our text today:

Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you.

We’ve had discussions in our house churches about whether or not there are rewards in heaven, beyond the reward of “just being there.” Many people don’t seem to like the idea, and seem to think it’s best to have the attitude that they are just glad to be there at all. They don’t need anything extra. But that’s not the attitude that Paul is showing us here today. Paul wants it all—everything he can possibly get in and through Jesus Christ. He pursues like a runner, fights for it like a soldier or boxer. And he tells us that if we are mature, we will pursue Christ in the same way. Maybe one way to think about it is this: regardless of what the Bible means when it talks about rewards in heaven, we should pursue Jesus as if doing so will win us some kind of prize. We should go all out for Jesus, like a runner who doesn’t look back. Again Paul says that all who are mature should think this way.

Here’s part of what is going on here: the love of God, given to us in Jesus Christ is the only thing that is safe for us to desire without limit. You all have heard far too much about how I really love eggnog. Sometimes, I wish I could just sit and guzzle eggnog for hour after hour. I want eggnog without limit. But eggnog without limit will literally kill me. The truth is anything without limit will kill us. Even drinking too much water can kill human beings (it takes a LOT, but it can happen!).

The only thing it is safe to desire without limit is Jesus himself. And so, Paul says, “Let’s go for it! Let’s desire and pursue the one thing that is safe to desire and pursue without limit.”

Now, it’s easy to think, “OK, I guess I have to quit my job and go join a monastery, or go on the mission field, or something.”

It may be that the Lord is calling you to something like that. But I think it’s more likely that he is calling you to make him the main thing in your life as it is right now. If you are a drug dealer, or something like that, then probably you should make immediate changes. But for most people, it starts by pursuing Jesus in the midst of everyday life, where they are right now.

Here’s a small example. Our doorframe recently shifted, and I decided that the best option (for now) is to plane off the vertical side of the door until it fits better. I didn’t have a plane, so I went to a home-improvement store to get one. I asked a store employee to help me find one, and he did. He also turned out to be a talkative individual. Now, normally, this is the kind of situation I hate. But I felt like the Holy Spirit nudged me, and let me know that this man just needed to talk for a bit. So I stood there for far longer than I ordinarily would. Why? Because my life belongs to Jesus, and he made it clear that my mission, before planing the door, was to spend some time with this guy. I am trying always to be Jesus’ man, not my own. As it turned out, after listening for a while, I got to go fix my door as well. But I stopped to listen to the man because I’m living for Jesus, not myself.

I want to hasten to add, like Paul, that I haven’t achieved this perfectly, not by a long shot.

So, I think for most people, you keep on living life more or less as you have been doing, but within that framework, you are pursuing Jesus, and trying to let him use you, and remembering that your life is about him, not you.

Like Paul, as I just said, we will not do this perfectly. But Paul also says,

Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, 14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.

Forgetting what is behind means, at least in part, forgetting about the ways we have failed in the past. No, we don’t do it perfectly, but God has already taken hold of us, so we are secure. We leave the past to Jesus, and move forward, toward him.