THE IDEAL CHURCH?

Here it is . . . the church that many of you have been waiting for. The sign on the outside of this church In North Jersey reads, “COMING SOON – A CHURCH THAT IS NOT AFTER YOUR MONEY – NO OFFERING TAKEN – FEATURING: BASIC CHRISTIANITY, SINCERE WALK WITH GOD, HYMNS.”

Those of us who have had bad experiences with churches or pastors that were only focused on taking advantage of the congregation financially most certainly can leave us embittered against the church taking offerings. The congregation gets upset when the pastor, staff, and building are the priority rather than the people both inside the church and in the community. The congregation and even the community in which the church is located get upset when such a church demands a percentage of the members’ income, when it promises wealth in return for giving, and when the pastor is living extravagantly at the expense of its members and their sacrifice.

The Scriptures warn church leaders not to be greedy or to take advantage of the people in their care. An example of such a warning is found in 1 Peter 5:2-3 which reads, “Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers — not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” Among the qualifiers for church leaders is that they must not be a lover of money and greedy of filthy lucre (see 1 Tim 3:3,8 and Titus 1:7).

Does this warning mean that the noble and right thing to do is to no longer ask for the congregation under their care to support the church in which they are a part of? While to some it may seem noble to attempt to run a church without money, I doubt that have not really considered what a church like that would look like. Such a church would not have a meeting place. Even if the meeting place was donated, look at the picture of the building closer – it needs maintenance and paint – not just for aesthetics, but also to prevent the much greater expense of replacing rotted wood and siding. Such a church would have to sing hymns that are rights free and use the King James Version or similar rights free versions. This church would have zero evangelism and impact on the community in which it is located. This church would not have a children’s program because it couldn’t pay for even the most miniscule items such as paper and crayons, children’s Bibles, it wouldn’t be a place that children would want to attend. It wouldn’t pay its pastor or have any support staff. The pastor would have to work outside of the church fulltime as a result he would not offer pastoral care, he would always struggle with preparing sermons for Sunday services and never be have the time to equip others for works of service. Such a church wouldn’t have a phone or way for people to contact the church if there is a need. They would not be able to help the poor in their community. Perhaps they would have a few financial backers who would control the purse strings of the church thus telling everyone else what it could do or what doesn’t meet their approval. I could go on, but I am sure that if one would only think about what kind of church this would be they would realize they would not want to be a member of such a church.

This kind of church would not give to missions and the spread of the gospel, this church would be self-focused and become arrogant. This church could never teach financial responsibilities to its people. This church would be afraid of its members and only cater to what they want to hear and do. No, this church would not be a good church at all.

Most of all, this church would be a disobedient church. The Bible teaches the body of Christ to give to the needs of others saying, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:6-7). And, “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else” (2 Cor 9:10-13). The Lord will divide sheep and goats on the very issue of giving to those in need (see Mt 25:31-46).

Some may say, “There is no specific command to give towards a building or meeting place!” Okay, in the New Testament there is not such a command – but in the Old Testament there most certainly was. Question about this may arise from the passage where Peter is asked if Jesus paid the temple tax. Here is the passage:

After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?" "Yes, he does," he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes — from their own sons or from others?" "From others," Peter answered. "Then the sons are exempt," Jesus said to him. "But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours." (Matt 17:24-27).

Noteworthy first of all is that Jesus did pay the tax for himself and for Peter. The second thing is that Jesus’ main complaint seems to be that it was considered “duty or tax” imposed upon people. Lastly, it interpreted only in a couple of translations that this is the tax called for in Ex 30:13-16 and Neh 10:32-33 for maintenance of the temple. It seems more logical to me that when Jesus mentions the “kings of the earth” taking tribute he is not talking about the priests in the Temple. This maybe the event that was later misinterpreted by others who tried to trick Jesus into saying it was not right to pay taxes to Caesar (Mt 22:17). While it is true the early church often met in homes, it is also just as true that they continued to meet at the Temple till its destruction. Further, while it is true that during the persecution of the church the church also met in catacombs; once persecution subsided, the church did begin to build places of worship for the purpose of gathering, convenience, and evangelism.

Concerning the pastor the Bible teaches, “Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel” (1 Cor 9:13-14). Again, “Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk? Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn't the Law say the same thing? For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn't he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?” (1 Cor 9:7-12).

Who would go to a church that didn’t receive offerings? Would not those that attend be selfish, personally greedy, and uncaring about the needs of others? Wouldn’t they be unconcerned about the spread of the gospel, reaching their community, and making sure their children have the gospel presented to them in a way that they would be understand it? Wouldn’t they most likely be unwilling to invest their time and talents to this church?

What at first glance may seem attractive and noble would end up proving to be dishonoring to God.

The Holy Trifecta

   Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (1 Cor 13:12-13).

   Trifecta is defined as a series of three things, factors, or influences. The Holy Influences the Bible lists are faith, hope, and love. While the greatest of these is love, the root is hope.

There is a story from Our Daily Bread, December 19, 1996, that reads:

   The English poet Alexander Pope wrote, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast: Man never is, but always to be blest.” But where does man turn when hope dries up?

   The director of a medical clinic told of a terminally ill young man who came in for his usual treatment. A new doctor who was on duty said to him casually and cruelly, “You know, don’t you, that you won’t live out the year?”

   As the young man left, he stopped by the director’s desk and wept. “That man took away my hope,” he blurted out.

   “I guess he did,” replied the director. “Maybe it’s time to find a new one.”

   What was this young man hoping in? . . . The treatment? . . . His body’s ability to heal? . . . The skill of the doctors? . . ., Perhaps the Clinic’s reputation? . . . 

   Commenting on this incident, Lewis Smedes (professor of theology and ethics for twenty-five years at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California) wrote, “Is there a hope when hope is taken away? Is there hope when the situation is hopeless? That question leads us to Christian hope, for in the Bible, HOPE IS NO LONGER A PASSION FOR THE POSSIBLE. It becomes a passion for the promise.”

  The fact is that man’s hope does not spring up eternally. There are all sorts of times that we lose hope or feel hopeless. That is why medication for depression is on the rise. That is why the number two reason teenagers die is suicide. There is a reason why:

OUR HOPE FOR THE FUTURE IS BASED UPON THE FAITH THAT WE HAVE NOW.

   Thomas Aquinas said, “Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand.” Restating this, hope deals with things in the future and faith is our beliefs in spite of our current circumstances. The Bible says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for (Heb 11:1). In other words, the substance of our hope is our faith or, what you believe is the tangible reason for whatever hope that you possess.

WE NEED AN ETERNAL HOPE

   Job rightly said, “If the only home I hope for is the grave … where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me?” (Job 17:13-15).

   Job had lost everything and he was extremely sick and in pain. He was saying that if we believe that this life is all there is then what kind of hope for the future is there for him? Do you see how what we believe now affects what hope we have for the future?

   Leo Tolstoy shares his testimony that when he was fifty years old, he found no purpose in life being a “fortuitous concatenation of atoms,” meaning an accidental compilation of matter. If one would think on this they would agree that life’s purpose needs to be more than living and dying.

   When you come to hear a sermon, I believe you come to find that there is hope for your life and your circumstances beyond what you would normally see. So it is my job to show you where that hope that springs eternal can be found.  

BIBLICAL FAITH IS THE ONLY PROPER BASIS FOR OUR HOPES

   Five different times in Psalms 119 David says, “I have put my hope in your word.” Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life (Ps 119:49-50).

  Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Rom 15:4). 

   A working definition of hope is - to desire with expectation of obtainment or to expect with confidence. The basis for our hope and expectations is found in God’s Word, the Bible. That is why the Bible teaches faith comes from the hope found in God’s Word:

So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ [the Messiah Himself] (Rom 10:17 AMP).

How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him (Hebrews 2:3).

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth (Colossians 1:3-6).

WHY, CAN WE HAVE HOPE?

Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure (Hebrews 6:17-19).

A faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, [i.e. cannot lie – most other translations] promised before the beginning of time (Titus 1:2).

   We take hold of the hope that is offered to us. In other words, we believe what God has said that that gives us hope. What can we hope for in this passage?

Since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants" (Hebrews 6:13-14)

He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit (Gal 3:14).

“I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David” (Acts 13:34).

NO LONGER A PASSION FOR THE POSSIBLE BUT PASSION FOR THE PROMISES

   You see; we can have great confidence for our hope when it is based upon God’s Word because He cannot lie and He has the power to bring about what He has promised. His Word is guaranteed. That is why God said:

Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matt 24:35).

My word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:11).

The LORD Almighty has sworn, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand” (Isa 14:24).

THE NATURAL CONSEQUENCE OF FALSE BELIEFS WILL BE FALSE HOPES.

   If we have hope that is not based in God’s word when conflicting circumstances come to us we will fall into despair and lose hope.

Notice the story from Luke 24:13-27:

Now that same day two of them [referring to the disciples] were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things [what had happened that resurrection day] with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?" "What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."

Notice, because they believed the wrong thing their hope for the future was dashed.

He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! …And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

   Do you see their problem was a faith problem? The problem was they did not believe what the Scriptures had said. Without Biblical faith that comes from the Scriptures we will lose our hope.

   Some of us are only “hoping” for salvation because we have yet to find ourselves in the Bible. We have no security that way. The Bible says, all have sinned (Rom 3:23). That’s me and you; Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim 1:15). Since we are all sinners, Jesus came to save us! It is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast (Eph 2:8-9). We have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand (Rom 5:2).

   Some of us only hope for God to hear our prayers without understanding when God listens or why He refuses to do what we request.

The LORD said to me, "…, I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled" (Jeremiah 1:12).

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him (1 John 5:14-15).

The phrase “hope against hope” is often defined as – having hope when there is no basis for that hope. But that is NOT what the Bible teaches about the subject.

Romans 4:18-25 says: Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."   Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead — since he was about a hundred years old — and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness — for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

   Just as much as our faith is not baseless but there exist tangible reasons for what we believe so our hope is not baseless, it is based upon our faith in the promises of God. We have hope because God has given us hope in His Word.

WHAT COMPLETES THE TRIFECTA IS LOVE

We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. 3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3).

Since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet (1 Thessalonians 5:8).

LOVE MAKES OUR FAITH EFFECTIVE

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2-3).

You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love (Galatians 5:4-6).

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers (Ephesians 1:15-16).

The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith (1 Tim 1:5).

Let me challenge you today to find some substance for your hopes by searching the Scriptures for the basis for your faith that your hope is built upon. Let love prompt your faith to do good works because “faith without works is dead” (Jas 2:26).

FROM THE FAMILIAR INTO FAITH

Mark 6:45-54 - Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

47 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified.

Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus.

Eph 3:20-21 - Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen

The Fourth Watch: The Jewish night is divided into four watches. The fourth or final watch is that time just before dawn, in the darkest hours. It was during the fourth watch that Jesus came to the apostles as they struggled against the storm in their boat on the Sea of Galilee. It will be in those darkest hours when Jesus returns for His people. Matthew 24:29 says, "The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;" But, just when things are at their darkest, we know that "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky," (Matthew 24:30).Jesus will return. We do not know when, so we must keep watch (Matthew 24:42).

Romans 13:12 - The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

PETER WAS A FISHERMAN AND JESUS MADE HIM A FISHER OF MEN!

At least Peter took a step of faith, the rest of them were just Boat people!

Boat people just sit

Boat people just watch

Boat people just wait

Boat people just wonder

Why might people want to stay in the boat?

Fear – Storms are scary

Failure – this seems inevitable

Friends – Peer pressure; no one else is doing it

Fanaticism – Jesus told us to get into the boat originally

Familiarity – Even when things are not working often times we are more comfortable to stay where we are at then to step out in faith to do something new.

God calls us to leave the familiar – to the strange that He might use us for something great.

I can imagine the look in your eyes-that look caused by unimaginable pressure and grief; that look caused by helplessness and hopelessness; that look caused by incessantly rowing of a boat that isn't going anywhere. I see the look because I know the feeling.

Get out of the boat.

Granted, there is a sense of security in the boat. After all, it seems solid, gives at least some protection at times, and seems to be moving, even if only in a circle

But what I thought was security was actually an anchor pulling me to the depths, robbing me of confidence and beauty and love and health.

We may appear to be sinking at first, we get out of the boat and it seems like things are getting worse. What do you think was the reaction of those who stayed on the boat when they saw Peter begin to sink? I am glad that I stayed here. Peter, you misunderstood the voice of God. Peter, you are always so impetuous. The boat seems to always have naysayers.

Teddy Roosevelt said, “It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat.”

We are not told how far away Jesus was from the boat, but when Peter stepped out of the boat to walk to the Lord, even when he was sinking, he was closer to Jesus than the rest of them.

Neither are we told how deep the water is, but the fact is if you are already in over your head it does matter how much deeper the water is.

We are not told that Jesus carried Peter back to the boat. I believe that once Peter got himself righted, with the storm still raging, he and Jesus walked back together. We all have to walk to Jesus before we can walk with Jesus.

The rest were content to sit in the boat and wait for Him to get there. In v. 32 we read that the wind ceased once Jesus and Peter got into the boat, but what they missed out on was the opportunity to experience divine. Walking with Jesus allows us to do things that we could never accomplish on our own.

We need not fear because His arm is not too short that it cannot save us.

Isaiah 41:10 – So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

He holds us by our hand

Here is what God does - even in the midst of a storm:

Ps 94:13 MSG - Providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil,

Ps 94:13 AMP - That You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity.

Are you a risk taker or a comfort seeker?

Do you have any unopened gifts?

Goethe said, “Hell begins the day God grants you the vision to see all that you could have done, should have done, and would have done, but did not do.”

Unless someone gets out of the boat we will never get out of the storm. If everyone stayed in the boat they would have died because Jesus would have passed them according to the Scripture.

When God bids us to come into a place that is not in our comfort zone, He is already in that place. He would not tell us to go to a place that he is not present. In fact He is present everywhere but he bids us to get out of our comfort zones so that He can reveal Himself to us. He not only reveals Himself to us but He reveals what is in our hearts. Many of us have hidden fears that God wants to replace with faith.

Many might say that God does not take us to stormy places but that is not true, for Jesus himself was led into the wilderness by the Spirit of God to be tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1; Mark 1:12-13). It was a place of revelation for Jesus, for he was tempted to replace his trust in God in order to ease his flesh. In other words he was tempted to take the easy way out, but he stood firm on the word of God. He stood firm on what he knew about God. Luke 4:1 tells us that Jesus was full of the Spirit but from that place Jesus left with POWER of the Holy Spirit.

Do we fixate on sins of commission? Things that we do that we are not supposed to do. Do we never really consider sins of omission? Things that we should have done.

In the Seinfeld show finale, Jerry and the gang have to make an emergency plane landing in the small, fictional town of Latham, Massachusetts. While killing time in Latham, waiting for the plane to be repaired, they witness an overweight man getting carjacked at gunpoint. Instead of helping him, they crack jokes about his size while Kramer films it all on his camcorder, then they proceed to walk away. The victim notices this, and tells the reporting officer. The four main characters are then taken into custody for violating the Good Samaritan law that requires bystanders to help out in such a situation. Good Samaritan laws describe a legal requirement for citizens to assist people in distress, unless doing so would put themselves in harm's way. Citizens are often required to, at minimum, call the local emergency number, unless doing so would be harmful, in which case, the authorities should be contacted when the harmful situation has been removed. Almost a portent of the future judgment, they are all cast into jail.

I am convinced that the greatest regrets in life will come from regrets of inaction.

Cornell sociologists named Tom Gilovich and Vicki Medvec. Their research found that time is a key factor in what we regret. Over the short term, we tend to regret our actions. But over the long haul, we tend to regret inactions. They did a study and found that over the course of an average week, action regrets outnumber inaction regrets 53% to 47%. But when people look at their lives as a whole, inaction regrets outnumber action regrets 84% to 16%.

We need to be able to discern between faith and foolishness. Here is the easiest way: You can say I am going to step out in faith and do this or that which is foolishness, but faith is doing what Jesus has given you permission to do.

Gen 12:1 - Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee:

Mark 6:4 KJV - A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

God asked Abram to remove himself from the things that would prevent him from fully following after God. We will have to be willing to do the same. Jesus said, "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matt 10:37-39

Against Limited Atonement

I recently had a lengthy conversation with a man about Calvinism. In our conversation he made the following statement, “’Just looking at John 3:16 for example, where just recently I posted a Greek study on my (fb) wall on the word “world,” that showed that the word “world,” doesn’t refer to the “whole world.”’ Vine’s Greek dictionary disagrees with his interpretation. So while I know this post is quite long, I think that it provides a strong scriptural teaching that one can copy and use against this error.

Calvinists teach that Christ’s atoning sacrifice was limited to just an elect chosen group. In their teaching this must be true because God couldn’t love the “whole world” because it is clear that some reject Christ and in their belief if Jesus died for someone’s sins those sins must be eradicated as a result, or the only other option is universal salvation.

John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the WORLD that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The word used in the Greek is the word “kosmos” from which we get the English word, “cosmos.” Having studied Greek, I know that there is nothing in the Greek that infers that kosmos doesn’t refer to the whole world. Their teaching consists of what they believe has to be the context of the word in light of their belief that atonement is limited to those whom God has elected out of the world. Yet this contradicts 1 John 2:2 which says, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the WHOLE world.” His response was that WHOLE WORLD didn’t really mean “the entire world.” Yet if you would do a word study on the Greek word “holos” which was translated “whole,” you would quickly see there is no other possible meaning to the word. For example: Matt 5:29 says, "It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your “whole”(the Gk word “holos”) body to be thrown into hell."

His response was to send me links to a couple of commentaries yet even in the commentaries they made statements like, “The writer believes,” “It is the writer's position,” and “it is this writer's conclusion.” That means they are exercising their opinion in view of their bias. The Bible says in a very popular verse, “ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” ( 2 Tim 3:16-17 NKJV). Why can the man of God be completely equipped in regard to instruction in righteousness? It is because who better to tell us what they meant then the author’s themselves. Not all commentaries are reliable.

So I will give you some scriptures that prove that “kosmos” DOES refer to the every person in the world and NOT as some commentaries teach that it means the elect out of the Gentiles and that I am not merely relying upon 1 John 2:2 as a solo proof text for unlimited atonement. 1 Timothy 2:1-6 - I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for EVERYONE— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants ALL men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for ALL men — the testimony given in its proper time.

Heb 2:9: We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for EVERYONE. 2 Cor 5:14-15: For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for ALL, then were ALL dead: And that he died for ALL, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. This last verse is significant because the assumption that one died for all is the basis for proving that “all were dead.” The proof that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God is that Christ died for all according to this passage.

The following is a list of the passages that tell us that Christ Jesus sacrifice was once for ALL:

Rom 6:10: The death he died, he died to sin once for ALL; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

Heb 7:27: Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for ALL when he offered himself.

Heb 9:12: He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for ALL by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.

Heb 9:25-26: Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for ALL at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Heb 10:9-10: He said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for ALL.

1 Peter 3:18: For Christ died for sins once for ALL, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, Christ’s atoning death was NOT limited to just an “elect” group but for ALL. Notice in the following passages that the Cross cleansed all things:

Eph 1:9-10: He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

Col 1:19-20: For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

The significance of these two verses is that through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross ALL things whether in heaven or on earth were reconciled and brought together under one head. Again the point is that God does love all because Christ’s sacrifice was made for all and it is appropriated to all who believe.

Remember the story in the book of Acts where God in a vision to Peter let down a sheet full of all sorts of unclean animals? Peter refused to eat because he had never eaten anything impure or unclean. Then the voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean" (Acts 10:15). Was this merely a change in diet that God was making? No, notice what Peter said that he learned from this event, “God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean” (Acts 10:28). In other words, just as God cleansed all meats so God cleansed all men. Men are no longer condemned on the basis of their disobedience to God’s Law, but rather because they refuse to place their faith in Christ’s sacrifice for their sins. Jesus taught about the Holy Spirit: “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me (John 16:8-9).

The only basis in which men (mankind) are rejected is because of their unbelief. The scriptures that I have quoted here are very plain as to their meaning, on the other side of the debate, there are no passages that say that Christ wasn’t the atoning sacrifice for everyone. There are no scriptures that say God ordained some to heaven and others he ordained to hell. They must depart from scripture or else apply an interpretation to passages that are not clearly stated.

One of the passages that is used by Calvinists is that of John chapter 10 and I will include the focal verses emphasized and then an explanation:

(v. 11) "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

(v.v. 14-16) "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

(v.v. 24-28) "If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."

It is taught from this passage that Jesus is therefore only laying down his life for the sheep and not for all. The discerning factor of whether or not these were His sheep was either their acceptance or rejection of Christ’s word. Remember this passage follows the statement made by Jesus at the end of chapter 9:

John 9:35-41 - Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man (God - some versions)?" 36 "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him." 37 Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, HE IS THE ONE SPEAKING WITH YOU." 38 Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." 40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?" 41 Jesus said, "IF YOU WERE BLIND, YOU WOULD NOT BE GUILTY OF SIN; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

The Pharisees were present when Jesus openly revealed himself as the Christ the special “Son of Man” or the “Son of God” as some versions like the KJV state. The Pharisees refused to believed Jesus’ word – as they also rejected the rest of the scriptures. The Biblical pattern is faith follows hearing the word (e.g., Acts, Rom 10:14-17; Eph 1:13, and many more too numerous to list). That the revelation of who Jesus was at one time hid from the majority of the Jewish leaders but later revealed through the preaching of the gospel is taught in the following verses:

"Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, (Acts 3:17-19). None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Cor 2:8). Their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away (2 Cor 3:14; 16-17).

The mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus (Eph 3:3-6).

Jesus had taught, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you THINK that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to COME TO ME to have life (John 5:39-40). God’s word is supposed to lead us to faith in Christ (Rom 10:17) we are not merely to believe a set of doctrines. Jesus saves us and not a particular teaching.

Isa 8:20 warns us to, “Look to God's instructions and teachings! People who contradict His Word are completely in the dark.” We must take heed that no one deceives us and the only way that will happen is if we have a love for the truth. May I encourage you today to make sure that what you believe is exactly what the Bible teaches.

Offended

I recently watched the YouTube video of the pastor of an AME church get slapped and attempt to slap back a member of his church. The report mentions that there were long standing problems between this pastor, who was appointed by his denomination’s leadership. One member is quoted as saying that the pastor had poor people skills – this became obvious as he swung back at the woman who slapped him.

In dismay I watched a Hispanic video of an infant baptism where a relative becomes upset with the priest. In response the priest actually publically calls her an idiot! She throws her purse at the priest and he retaliates by attempting to punch the woman out!

Jesus said, “Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” (Matt 18:7 NKJV). The word that is used in the Greek that is translated, “offences” pictures a snare made from a bent branch. This shows the deception behind an offence; it is a trap set for unsuspecting victims. Once a person is caught by a trap, they cannot get themselves out, especially without much difficulty. That is the power of offence, it so embitters people that they cannot be released from their animosity towards that other person.

I believe that Satan is behind trapping men and women in offences. The only way to avoid being taken in such a snare is to always be aware that traps have been set and we must deliberately keep our eyes open and be cautious to not be taken. The Bible teaches, “If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven — if there was anything to forgive — I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Cor 2:10-11 NIV). Sadly, I think many Christians are completely unaware of Satan’s schemes and snares.

The videos are extreme examples of this. They are a total shame and contradiction to what Christ taught which is that if we do not forgive we ourselves will not be forgiven; that we are to always act in love – even to our enemies; that if someone slaps us on one cheek we should turn to them the other. We are never taught to return evil for evil, insult for insult, rather we are to entrust all things to God who alone is the Judge and Lawgiver.

There is the story of a man who was trapped on an uncharted island. When he was finally found, it was noticed that there were three hand-made huts on the island. When the man was questioned about the purpose of each of the huts he responded, “Well, the first hut was the one I made for my home. The second hut is my church.” “What about the third hut?” they inquired. “Well that was the church I used to attend!” he said.

Some people seem to be looking for a reason to be offended and to break fellowship with others. There was obviously a recognized need for unity in the Church otherwise Jesus would not have felt it necessary to pray for our unity before he was taken to be crucified for our sins. Here is how Jesus said it, “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:22-23). It is no wonder that the world struggles to believe that God so loved the world that He sent His Son when we are not in complete unity and are constantly being offended with each other.

We must “bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Col 3:13). If we do not love those we see, how can we say we love God? Because God commanded us to love and forgive each other. I beseech you in Christ’s name if you are offended with someone, especially in the Church, go to them and be reconciled.

Needing Help?

Recently I was sledding with my niece, nephew, my wife and another family from our church. We were sledding down a short but steep hill. At one point in the hill, you couldn’t help but scream or hold your breath because you were no longer able to maintain control. You had no other choice than to ride it out. Sometimes you crashed and other times you slid gracefully till you came to a stop. My last time down the hill I decided to ride down with my wife, I was in back and my feet hung out the front of the plastic sled. Ideally, I was supposed to keep my legs up but the steepness of the hill caused first my left foot to catch into the snow and pulled the hamstring in my left leg. My right foot caught and twisted my knee, which I heard snap. Needless to say, that hurt!

I couldn’t walk anymore in my own strength. My right knee could no longer support me and whenever it gave out I was in extreme pain. The hamstring muscle in my left leg made moving it almost impossible. I needed help. I could no longer rely upon my own will and determination to make it back up the hill and eventually to our car.

Now it wasn’t that I didn’t have to exert some effort, in fact it took quite a bit of effort on my part but I now had to rely on the support of those around me. Thank God they came to my aid, with their help and support I was able to lean upon them and make it up the hill and to our car. At home I had a knee brace and crutches waiting. We don’t have insurance so I could not go to a doctor.

My wife’s grandmother recently had a heart attack that caused her to go into a hospital and she is now in a rehabilitation facility. When asked how long she expected to be in the facility, she said, “about a week.” She is a strong-willed woman who doesn’t like to rely on others to take care of her. She is 89 and her husband has a similar character trait.

This past week, I listened to the family’s banter about her unwillingness to look to others for help, but I understand. It is difficult to believe that others are really willing to help. Many of our cries for help seem to fall on deaf ears. It seems like people only help because they have to help and so it is easier to just continue to carry the burden alone. It seems that we always respect those that “pull themselves up by their own bootstraps,” maybe that is because it doesn’t cost us any time, energy or expense when someone does.

Which is right? To only tell your burdens to God and pray that He alone will move heaven and earth to provide help, or is it better to let your needs be made known and appear weak? People say that fending for yourself is a pride thing, but then we immortalize great men of silent faith like George Mueller who never told anyone a need but only prayed to God to meet the need. Hudson Taylor, a contemporary to Mueller, believed that his needs and needs of China should be made known. Who was right? Even then it was a controversy.

Personally, I dislike asking for help. Personally, I am a bit wounded by the concept that the modern day church really cares. I have seen very little caring for the needs of others in the modern church. I have grown to believe that people, even in the church, only want to be blessed – not to be a blessing. While I could teach a Bible study as to why this is wrong, I have to admit that I have often let the focus on my own needs distract me from being a blessing to others. This is wrong and it is my determined goal for the upcoming year to change this about myself. I sincerely believe that God didn’t call us merely to be blessed but to be a blessing.

I have come to believe that I will always be in need, so maybe my life can be an example for others. God help us as the church to be who He has called us to be. "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Gal 6:10). Are you needing help? Let me know and I will do all I can till your need is met.

Phil 2:4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Who Speaks For God?

Did you ever wonder how some people speak like God tells them what to do in almost every situation; while you struggle to understand His voice and His will? As a pastor, I have heard far too many times, “God is telling me that I need to _____” (fill in the blank with some ridiculous statement that you KNOW is just what THEY want and not really what God wants).

I call this “pulling the God-card.” When people pull the “God-card” it is meant to trump anything that anyone (especially the pastor) might say to them to give advice in opposition. After all, who can speak against God? I have heard of individuals who so believed that everything they did was a result of a direct pipeline from heaven that they could no longer be spoken to about their attitude, the needs of the congregation, the wisdom and leading of the Sr. Pastor, or if what they did was actually in truth of God.

What is the real problem behind letting every whim of your heart have God’s divine stamp of approval? Is it not essentially the same when prophets speak out in the church? Don’t they merely follow the promptings of their heart and add, “Thus says the Lord?” Indeed the greatest problem from those who say that God tells them to _____; comes from those who speak for God in the church. Out of order, they use their “gift” to trump what the pastor says, what the person who has irked them has done, or to get others to do their bidding-whatever it may be.

What is at the heart of the problem? I would say it is that these people have grown too familiar with God. We teach and sing so much, “I am a friend of God,” and that we have bold access to the throne of grace, that we are no longer afraid to touch the ark of God to give Him a “helping hand.”

This is polar opposite of Isaiah’s reaction when he entered God’s presence. “Yo, yo. G-man waaaaasssup?” didn’t dare be uttered in the presence of the Holy King (who by the way was Jesus according to John 12:41). No, the more common reaction of those who were God’s prophets was that of fear (e.g., Moses, Daniel, Ezekiel, Habakkuk, John, etc.).

There should be a fear of attaching God’s name falsely to our own plans. In the Old Testament, false prophets were to be killed and God spoke very harshly when His people allowed them to speak without rebuke. Here are some examples: The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way (Jer 5:31). Then the Lord said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds (Jer 14:14). This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord (Jer 23:16).

Jesus, our friend, tells us that men will be judged for every careless word spoken (Mt 12:36), and that there will be some who prophesied in His name, to whom He will say, “Depart from me, I never knew you (Mt 7:22-23).” My advice as a pastor and one who has heard God speak; don’t be so quick to say, “God told me…,” without fear of what our Holy God would actually say to you in response.