“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8

Have you ever read these verses and asked, “So what’s the catch?” We have all asked for something we did not receive, so what must we do to gain understanding of this promise spoken by Jesus? Let’s go back to what Jesus said in his sermon right before he said this.

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33). Again in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks of righteous living, this time in the context of focusing on our own needs or focusing on the Kingdom of God. Jesus challenges His listeners to consider their focus and so I choose to take that challenge this morning as well. Am I serving God or myself? Am I working to advance the Kingdom of God or my own kingdom?

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Matthew 6:19-21).

What does my heart desire? Am I willing to let God fill my heart with what He desires and with what breaks His heart instead of letting my own desires for earthly gain grow? Am I serving God or myself? Am I seeking the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of me?

“Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!” – (Matt. 6:22-23)

Consider how much life would change if we were to lose our sight. Our eye is such a small part of the body and yet, without its ability to let light in, our life would be so different. Our focus in life influences our eyes – our heart determines our focus and our focus determines what our eyes see. So where am I focused? I am either seeing the light of Jesus or I am focused on the light of the world, which is really darkness disguised as light. It’s time for the challenge questions: Am I serving God or myself? Am I seeking the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of me?

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matt. 6:24).

We serve a jealous God. The first of the Ten Commandments is “You must not have any other god but me” (Exodus 20:3). “And you must love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, ALL your soul, and ALL your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today” (Deuteronomy 6:5-6). Am I serving God or money? This is essentially the same as asking if I am serving God or myself. Am I seeking the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of me?

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life – whether you have enough food or drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matt. 6:25-34).

Am I serving God or myself? Am I seeking the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of me? God calls me to give Him the desires of my heart and let Him replace them with the desires of His heart. God calls me to give Him my focus so that He can fill my eyes with His light so that I can see through His eyes, rather than seeing the light of this world, which is really darkness.

If my eyes are focused on God, if my heart is filled with His desires, if I am serving God and not myself, than these next verses will be true in my life:

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

“You parents – if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:7-11).

So, before I bring my requests to God, I need to get my eyes focused and I need to empty my heart of my own desires. Am I serving God or myself? Am I seeking the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of me? Now I am ready to pray.

“You like potato and I like potahto,
You like tomato and I like tomahto,
Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto!
Let’s call the whole thing off!”

People have been singing this song by Louis Armstrong to me my entire life. My maiden name is Fortado but has two different pronunciations. It is not as confusing as it sounds when you understand that the family name was pronounced one way back on Madeira Island (sounds like fur-tah-doe) and then “Americanized” when my great-grandfather landed on Ellis Island (sounds like for-ta-doe). So, you may have heard my name one way and then later heard it another.

In the next section of his sermon on the mount, Jesus did a similar play on words. Several times he starts out by saying, “You have heard…but I say…” He uses these contrasts to show his followers how his teaching fits with the Old Testament law. This is how he explains it before he gives several examples:

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. But I warn you – unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!” – Matthew 5:17-20

Then Jesus goes on to describe what this righteousness should look like by using “You have heard…but I say…”:

“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment!…

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you… (Matthew 5:21-43).

Jesus sums it up well later in his sermon in what we have come to know as the Golden Rule: “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets” (7:12).

Now here comes the icing on the cake. Jesus not only challenged his followers to let their righteousness surpass that of the religious teachers, he goes on set a new standard – perfection.

“But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect” (5:48). Be perfect, be mature, be whole, be completely consecrated to God. Be exactly who God created YOU to be! Be the kind of person who lives the golden rule of treating others the way you want to be treated. Go beyond the bare requirements of the law and live to the full potential of God’s purpose in your life. Don’t settle for anything less than the perfect life I designed you to live.

I love this message of holiness but I have to constantly remind myself that this is not a message of self-righteousness. I cannot do or be any of these things consistently based on who I am – I am just not that nice of a person on my own strength. I need God’s gift of righteousness through His son Jesus Christ in order to be the “perfect” child of God He has created me to be.

Romans 5:15-21: But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God’s grace and forgiveness does not give me permission to keep sinning, instead it makes it possible for me to stop sinning. God’s gift of righteousness allows us to live in triumph over sin and death through Jesus Christ. Today I can stand before God “perfect” by simply consecrating myself to God and submitting my own lack of righteousness to His gift of righteousness. “You have heard…but I say…” Today I can live by what He says instead of simply following the least measure of the law. Praise God!!!

Reading through Matthew’s account of the famous Sermon on the Mount, we find two portions of the message that come across as complete opposites. Would Jesus contradict himself? No, He would not. This causes me to look closer to find the difference in what Jesus is saying and how our understanding of these two instructions can be seen as consistent with each other.

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

“You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:13-16).

Jesus describes the visibility of our lives. When we accept Him as our personal Savior, we become representatives of Him to all those around us. We bear His name when we are considered to be Christians, and with that comes responsibility. We are to be a light to those around us who are in darkness. Our presence in a room, job, our community, the world, is to make a difference – to add flavor.

In the same respect, if those around us know us to be Christians and we fail in representing Christ with holy lives, the influence of our lives loses its flavor. Can it be made salty again? We are not perfect and there may be times when we mess up. If so, how can we go back and regain our “salty” impact on those we know. Will they forever consider our testimony worthless or can we humbly admit our fault and try to regain what has been lost? Humility is the key ingredient in the world regaining their taste for our testimony.

May those around us see good deeds coming out of our walk with Christ so that our Heavenly Father can be praised! But wait. That sounds the opposite of what Jesus continues to say in this same sermon, which carries over to chapter six.

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do – blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity. I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you” (Matthew 6:1-4).

Again, it comes down to humility. Jesus is not contradicting himself here but instead looking for consistency of the heart. We are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world so that God can be glorified and receive the praise. We are not to call attention to our good deeds for the sake of human applause. We are to live out our lives before men, but only for the sake of God’s Kingdom being advanced, not for our own advancement.

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything will reward you.

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:5-15).

One more challenge. What if we take this last verse we looked at today and loop it around to the first verse. We are the salt of the earth, but is we refuse to forgive another person, whether we have just cause or not, how will the world taste Jesus? Unforgiveness in our lives will overpower the potential of the good flavors.

Think about this. If we create a delicious omelet full of meat, cheese and vegetables, but throw in even one rotten egg, the entire meal is spoiled. Let’s not spoil our impact today with a rotten attitude about anyone or anything. May our lives be consistent with our testimony, so that God will be glorified in every aspect of our day. After all, what good is salt if it has lost its flavor?

Do you remember “opposite day” in school? I feel like yesterday was opposite day. It was the 6th day of spring and we woke up to discover a blanket of snow across the yard. My girls are on spring break this week but the high yesterday was 34 degrees. We put up our volleyball net this week because spring is here and it is now covered in a thin layer of ice. Opposite Day!

After reading through Luke, I have decided that Jesus would have liked “opposite day”. In his sermon on the mount, Jesus teaches using several different “opposites”: Poor vs. rich, hungry vs. fat & prosperous, laughter vs. sorrow. He also surprised the crowd by telling them to love their enemies, to celebrate persecution, and to forgive rather than judge. He compared a tree that bears bad fruit with a tree that bears good fruit and he compared the house built on rock to the house built on sand.

As you read through this passage, look for the opposites or the stark contrasts Jesus describes. Then, as you go through your day, recognize the crazy opposite moments God puts before you – moments when you could have reacted to the rude woman at the cash register, but you chose kindness; moments when you could have been in a hurry but you chose to slow down and greet someone; moments when you chose to laugh instead of cry. God, prepare us for what may lie ahead of us today that requires us to declare “opposite day”!

Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said,
“God blesses you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours.
God blesses you who are hungry now,
for you will be satisfied.
God blesses you who weep now,
for in due time you will laugh.

“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?7 I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” – (Luke 6:20-49)

Now here is moment when Jesus was saying not to do the opposite. When we come to Him and listen to His teaching, He wants us to follow it. So why do we sometimes do the opposite of what we know we are supposed to do?

Father God, please forgive us for those moments when we do not act like we should. Forgive us for those moments when we do not follow your teaching but do what we feel like doing in the moment. Lord, fill us with your Spirit and strengthen us so that we can follow your lead in every moment of our day today, even if it seems like the crazy opposite of what we feel like doing. Amen.

Do you ever flip through the different radio frequencies to find a song you want to hear? You hear one song and you might listen to a little longer than others, but you are looking for a song that makes you want to listen until it is done. Especially in the summer, certain songs make me want to roll down my windows and sing at the top of my lungs?

For me, that song right now is HAPPY from the movie Despicable Me 2. It is fun song with a great beat. The song comes on the radio and immediately the volume goes up. It’s a song declaring that I’m happy and there is no limit to my happiness – it’s like a room without a roof! There’s no ceiling. My level of happiness is so high, nothing can bring it down. Bring the bad news, but it is not going to change the fact that I AM HAPPY!

This song is not a Christian song but I would challenge that the only way to have THAT kind of happiness is through Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus spoke at the beginning of his sermon on the mount of this kind of happiness, or about what it looks like to be this blessed. We call this portion of scripture The Beatitudes.

One day as the crowds were gathering, he went up the hillside with his disciples and sat down and taught them there.

“When you are reviled and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers—wonderful! Be HAPPY about it! Be very glad! For a tremendous reward awaits you up in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted too. – Matthew 5:1-12 (TLB)

Most of us know this passage from other translations that use the word “blessed”. Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are the peacemakers. And this is the one that catches most of us off guard – Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because GREAT is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” – Matthew 5:11-12 (NIV)

GREAT is your reward! SO great that there is no limit to the happiness you will experience, no ceiling to the joy! Nothing can bring you down – not insults, persecution or slander.

Now I must admit, I don’t experience that kind of joy 24-7. In fact, I have had a few rough moments even in this last week. After driving around to various churches in our area asking them to get involved in our upcoming Walk for Life, the word to describe my emotions was much closer to discouragement and defeat. Then a couple days later, the voice of the enemy tried to drown out the voice of God by telling me lies. I had to battle against doubt and hurt, declaring the promises of God to replace the lies of Satan. There are moments when I need to be reminded to rejoice and be glad. There are moments when I am reminded that great is my reward IN HEAVEN – not always so great here on earth.

But there is a joy that begins right here, right now, when we walk in relationship with Jesus – a joy that finds us in those moments when we need it most. A joy that comes from praising God and declaring His faithfulness when others fail us or the battle intensifies. I don’t have to conjure up joy. I don’t have to pretend to be happy. Just a whisper for help and the Spirit can produce in me fruit that is unexplainable, such as JOY in the middle of a difficult situation or PEACE in the midst of trials.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. – 1 Peter 1:3-9

I’m happy and there is no limit to my happiness – it’s like a room without a roof! There’s no ceiling. My level of happiness is so high, nothing can bring it down. Bring the bad news but it is not going to change the fact that I am happy! I am happy because I am blessed by a God who protects me by His power and tells me of a wonderful joy that is ahead for me. So I choose to embrace my God in the good and the bad. I choose to be truly glad…because I’m happy!

Yesterday was a big day in the life of our church. For years, the church has been dreaming and saving and planning for an addition to the building. For years they have carried out that vision by praying and working hard and giving. Yesterday was the BIG party to CELEBRATE all that God has done and to dedicate the building to Him – for His purposes and to accomplish His ministry. Many people were recognized and thanked in our celebration service but one man’s standing ovation touched my heart more than the rest. Why? Because of something I heard his son say.

Enoch Strange is a member of our congregation and led the work on the addition that more than doubled the size of our church. God had uniquely gifted and prepared Enoch for this great occasion and he answered God’s call obediently. Many people spoke into what the plan would look like, but Enoch is the man who held the plan in his hand and made it a reality. He was there long hours – working hard, leading teams and praying. That’s right. Enoch spent time praying with Pastor Brock and the team, praying for this new structure and for all God would accomplish inside of it. God built this building, but he did it through a team of people led by a man God himself was leading – Enoch Strange. But let me tell you what else this man is building.

I work with the youth group on Wednesday nights at Church (which, by the way, meets in this incredible new room built just for Revolution Student Ministries). Last Wednesday, Charlotte was leading us in a discussion of how God pursues us. She had each table group read the story of the prodigal son together, and each table leader asked their group some questions. Lance was leading the discussion at our table. He asked each student a different question. When he came to Enoch’s son, who shares his father’s name, Lance asked him, “So Enoch, do you ever want to say – Dad, give me my inheritance. I’m out of here!” Enoch’s response was immediate. He said, “Nah, I can’t get enough of that guy.”

Wow! I just about lost it right there. So when I stood yesterday to applaud for Enoch, it wasn’t just about the church Enoch built. I was applauding the young man of God that Enoch is still in the process of building. And he is doing it the same way he built the church – praying and taking time to get it right.

Not all of us have been called to oversee a building project but we have all been called to oversee the spiritual growth of our children – to invest in them and spend time with them. We are called to spend time in prayer and teach our children to call upon the God who holds the plan for their life in His hands.

“So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors.

“Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the LORD your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him…” – Deuteronomy 11:18-22

Yesterday was a HUGE day in the life of our church. Former pastors came back to visit, families that have moved away made the trip back, and we all were able to celebrate what God is doing. But I would like to make a bold statement. I would like to ascertain that today is an even BIGGER day in the life of the church because today is the day our Family Devotions with God ministry will begin. Every Monday, the church will send out emails to equip families to spend time together in God’s word that week. Families will read God’s word together, they will have spiritual discussions with each other and they will pray together. Devotions have been prepared for families with children, families with teens, young adults, empty-nesters…adults of all ages. THIS is how the church is going to grow! Not just exponentially but spiritually. THIS is how God’s church will be built. Every family will now hold a plan in their hands and a call on their hearts.

God called Pekin First Church of the Nazarene to build space in order to do more ministry and do it more effectively. God also called Pekin First Church of the Nazarene to build families and build them more effectively. God is calling each one of us to the same thing – to build our family. And this does not end once our children leave the house and start their own home.

The Director of our Pregnancy Resource Center in Pekin recently retired to spend time investing in his grandchildren and helping his children. I hate to lose him but I applaud his decision to BUILD his family. God is calling all of us to build our families spiritually. The question is – Are we doing it? Are we intentionally building our family?

“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” – Luke 6:46-49

Jesus words to Simon Peter keep coming to my mind. “Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (Matthew 16:18). God builds His church through people. He has called each of us to build His church. Sometimes this is a brick and mortar project, but it is ALWAYS a people project. God is calling us to build His church by investing in others. Are you up for God’s call? Are you ready to let God use you in the life of someone else today?

“All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

“What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?” – John 2:19-20

This was the conversation that occurred between Jesus and the Jewish leaders when he chased the money-changers and vendors out of the Temple in Jerusalem. Passion for God’s house consumed Jesus and he took action to make a change. The Jewish leaders demanded an explanation – no, a miraculous sign – to prove Jesus had authority to do this. When he offered them one, they did not believe him and so they missed out on an opportunity. All they had to do was believe, but they chose unbelief instead.

Later, one of the Jewish leaders came after dark to speak with Jesus. Nicodemus had seen the miraculous signs Jesus was performing among the people and knew that Jesus was sent by God, but he still had questions.

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” – John 3:3-4

Jesus was speaking of spiritual rebirth but Nicodemus was stuck in the physical or literal explanation. He lacked an understanding of the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives and he lacked the faith he needed to take Jesus at his word.

Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. But if you don’t BELIEVE me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly BELIEVE if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who BELIEVES in him will have eternal life.

“There is no judgment against anyone who BELIEVES in him. But anyone who does not BELIEVE in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” –John 3:10-21

Day or night, light or dark, belief or unbelief. We have a choice to believe and walk into the light or not believe and stay in the dark. When we truly believe, we step into the light with a willingness to let our sins be exposed. Jesus meets us there, not to judge our sins but to save us from our sins and offer us eternal life – spiritual rebirth.

“…The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. And anyone who BELIEVES in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.” – John 3:35-36

These are the words of John the Baptist regarding Jesus. His disciples had come to him concerned that everybody was going to Jesus to be baptized instead of coming to John and his disciples. John, who believed that Jesus was the Messiah, spoke with confidence of God’s plan.

“It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.

“He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few BELIEVE what he tells them! Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit…” – John 3:29-34

Tonight a new movie opens across this nation. The movie God’s Not Dead will challenge people to either confirm that they BELIEVE in God or refuse to BELIEVE. Debates are already widespread across social media sites and the film doesn’t show for another two or three hours. Where will you land in this debate? Will you choose to stand strong in the light and declare “God’s not dead!” Or, instead, will you succumb to the pressure of our current society and compromise your faith, coming to Jesus only after dark when no one can see you? If someone told you to come to the front of the class and convince those around you of God’s existence, would you? Better yet, could you? It is necessary that we are equipped for the conversations God is going to place before us – each of them an opportunity to share why we BELIEVE what we BELIEVE.

So, why do you BELIEVE what you BELIEVE?

[for more information about this movie, go to http://godsnotdeadthemovie.com/]

One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names:

Simon (whom he called Peter),
Andrew (Peter’s brother),
James,
John,
Philip,
Bartholomew,
Matthew,
Thomas,
James (Son of Alphaeus),
Simon (who was called the zealot)
Judas (son of James),
Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him). – Luke 5:12-16

After spending an extended amount of time in God’s presence and in prayer, Jesus called all of his followers together and distinguished between those who would be disciples and those who would be the twelve apostles. Don’t miss that he made this decision AFTER going to the Father in prayer.

We often use these terms “disciples” and “apostles” interchangeably so I thought I would look to see what the difference is. According to the NLT Study Bible I am using, disciples were students and followers while apostles were specially commissioned representatives. I would argue that today we are all both disciples and apostles.

To be a disciple of Christ is to be a student or a follower. God has called us all to be students of the Word, to sit at His feet regularly and learn from Him. We spend time reading the Bible and we walk away with new understanding. His word is living and active and we cannot help but be changed by studying the Scriptures. We have so much to learn and we have a Great Teacher who loves His students.

We also learn by listening to other students of the Word or disciples. What a great investment of our time to read a book written by another follower of Christ or to listen to the preaching of another! We listen and call on the Spirit to discern the truth of the message, allowing our hearts to grow and be transformed through the words God is giving those He has called. When I question something I am reading or hearing, God’s word is the foundation of truth that I go back to each time.

Even pastors and preachers benefit from spending time listening to others and reading. With that comes a humility that God calls all of us to. We have not already arrived. We do not know all there is to know. We desperately need to keep learning, to continue increasing our understanding of God’s ways.

So we are all disciples but I would argue that we are also all apostles. If the definition of apostle is a person who is specially commissioned to represent something or someone then that is absolutely what we are. God has chosen every one of us for a specific purpose today. He has a plan and we have a choice. We can walk into that plan with the willingness to represent Jesus and fulfill His purpose for our day or we can focus on our own desires and plans.

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” – Matthew 9:35-39

Lord, this morning I pray that you would open up my heart and show me your purpose today. Confirm in my heart what you have called me to do. Remind me who I have been specially commissioned to represent. God I open up my life with a willingness today to be used by you, whether in small ways or large. Today is about you and your plan. Teach me. Show me. Use me. Guide me. Amen.

Show me the right path, O LORD;
point out the road for me to follow.
Lead me by your truth and teach me,
for you are the God who saves me.
All day long I put my hope in you (Psalm25:4-5).

It was not about the WHEN, but the WHO.
It was not about the PHYSICAL, but about the SPIRITUAL.
It was not about HEALING, but about CHANGE.
It was not about the BODY, but about the HEART.
It was not about the TIMING, but about the SOURCE.
It was not just about a MOMENT, but about a LIFE.

Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people – blind, lame, or paralyzed – lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for 38 years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him (John 5:1-15).

Crowds of sick people all around and Jesus approached one man, knowing this man had been ill for a very long time. He knew this man, knew his situation and his need – not only for PHYSICAL healing but for SPIRITUAL healing. Jesus’ desire was for this man’s life to change. For 38 years he had been sick but Jesus had more than just physical healing in mind to change this man’s situation. Jesus wanted to give this man life – eternal life!

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life – John 3:16. This was the miracle of life that Jesus was offering. The physical touch was for the purpose of this man believing in Jesus and choosing obedience. Jesus told this man to do two things: “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” and “stop sinning”. The first required a MOMENT of faith and obedience. He had been sick for such a long time. He had to believe in Jesus enough to stand up. The second required a LIFE of faith and obedience, a healing of the heart that would change the way this man lived the rest of his life – holy and set apart for the One who had healed him.

The Jewish leaders tried to make this next miracle about timing but Jesus corrected them, letting them know this was not about “when” but about “who” – not about the physical healing but about spiritual healing. While the Jewish leaders focused in on the TIMING of the miracle, Jesus tried to point out to them the SOURCE of the miracle. Jesus had come to bring life and they were missing out on this miracle that was available for them also because they were too caught up in the legalism of when the miracle had taken place. What it is that has us so distracted that we are missing out on the miracle of life that God is offering?

For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants (5:21).

I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death to life. And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice – the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son (5:24-26).

You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life (5:39-40).

The miracle of life is what Jesus was offering at the pool of Bethesda and it is what He is still offering us today. This miracle comes from the love of a God who would send His one and only Son to die for our sins so that we might believe and experience eternal life. This miracle of life is available to all of us – it requires a MOMENT of faith and obedience, as well as a LIFE of continued faith and obedience. The purpose of all of these miracles performed by Jesus were to prove that He was sent by God so that we might truly believe and experience eternal life (5:36).

Lord, focus our attention where You want it to be. Give us eyes to see what today is about – not what we want to make it but about Your purpose. Give us patience to focus on the source instead of the timing, the spiritual instead of the physical. Amen.

Questioning Jesus’ authority to forgive sins was only the beginning of the many questions that would come at Jesus, questioning why he did something or why he failed to do something else. Things have not changed much today. We continue to question Jesus on the things we do not fully understand, or perhaps the things we understand but disagree with. God is Almighty and we say we trust Him, yet we find ourselves challenging him. We like to think of ourselves as nothing like the teachers of the law and Pharisees in the Bible, yet if we were honest, we would probably have to admit that we have moments that are much more similar than we wish to admit.

“Why do you eat and drink with such scum?” – Luke 5:30b

This was the question asked of Jesus when he attended a banquet that Matthew or Levi held in his home in Jesus’ honor. The guest list included Matthew’s coworkers and colleagues – tax collectors and other guests. Scripture says the Pharisees and teachers of the religious law complained BITTERLY that Jesus was spending time with people who were considered unrighteous. In the ancient world, meals were rituals of social status and Jesus’ act of dining with Matthew and his friends was seen as Jesus socially accepting them regardless of their lifestyle.

Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do. I have come not to call those who THINK they are righteous, but those who KNOW they are sinners and need to repent” (Luke 5:31-32).

I wish today’s Church could not be accused of questioning the acceptance of sinners into our fellowship, but sadly this happens often in our congregations. Investing in sinners by spending time with them and inviting them into our fellowship is not accepting their sin, as some would accuse; it is accepting anyone who needs Jesus and loving them as they come to recognize their sin and understand what it means to repent – to admit they have sinned and come to a point of change.

“John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?” – (Luke 5:33)

Why can’t you be more like your cousin?!! Okay, this isn’t exactly what they were saying but it did remind me of the tendency for people to compare one follower of Christ with another. It also reminds me of our own tendency to compare ourselves with others and worry about how we measure up with someone else or how someone else measures up with us. God has made each one of us unique and He has a plan for each of our lives that is different from anyone else’s. It is not God’s plan for us to criticize our brothers and sisters in Christ, but to lift them up in prayer and support their obedience to God. Jesus’ response came to the heart of this question.

Jesus responded, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.” Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins. But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say” (Luke 5:34-39).

Sometimes the old is not compatible with the new. If I buy the newest available software and then try to load it on a computer I have had for ten years, the two are not going to be compatible. Would I build a brand new house and then fill it with old furniture? (Okay, I might but most people would not ) Sometimes we hold so tightly to the old that we miss out on the new thing that God is doing.

“Why are you breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?” – Luke 6:2

The Pharisees watched Jesus closely, especially on the Sabbath. They wanted to catch him breaking the Jewish traditions and laws so as to have grounds to accuse him and shut down his ministry. They had the activities of his disciples under surveillance and then watched to see if Jesus would heal on the Sabbath.

“The Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath.”… Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” So the man came forward. Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?”

He looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! – Luke 6:5,8-10

Wouldn’t you have loved to have been there in that moment as Jesus took the time to make eye contact with each and every one of his accusers? Jesus knew their thoughts and he knew their motives. He looks at the heart of each and every one of us, individually. He knows when we use the Sabbath as an excuse to make the day about ourselves when His intention has always been that the Sabbath would be about Him. The Sabbath is not a day for us to focus on our own needs for rest but to slow down the busyness of our lives and focus our attention fully on Him.

If in that moment, when we are fully focused on God and we feel His eye contact on us, God moves on our hearts to do something for Him, our response should be one of obedience. The Sabbath is a great day to worship God and a great day to hear from Him. Isn’t it also a great day to respond in obedience, no matter what He is asking us to do? “The Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath.”

“Hold out your hand.” Let’s reach out and allow God to use our hands HOWEVER and WHENEVER He asks.