A sermon preached on Father’s Day, June 16, 2013, at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana by Pastor Joe Alain
It was a case of mistaken identity. Paul and Barnabas were sharing the Gospel, the message of Jesus and God was showing up and doing miraculous things, things like healing a crippled man. The people were so impressed by the healing of this man that they said, “The gods have come down upon us in human form” (Acts 14:11). They believed that the Greek gods Zeus and Hermes had visited them, Barnabas as Zeus and Paul as Hermes. In Greek mythology, Zeus is the “Father of Gods and men” who rules the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father rules the family. He is the god of sky and thunder. So he’s Superman and Thor all wrapped up in one! Hermes is the son of Zeus. He was the messenger of the gods, intercessor between mortals and the divine, and conductor of souls into the afterlife.
They thought that this miracle could only be attributed to “supermen,” but Barnabas and Paul, mere mortals, were quick to say, “We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them” (14:15).
The qualities that made these Greeks take note of Barnabas and Paul as “supermen” were actually qualities that God worked in their lives. It was Jesus alive and working in them. Today, men (especially Christian men), fathers, are expected to be supermen, men of steel, gods in human form. But we’re just men, we struggle as other men. And yet, God is developing our character, he desires to make us into men of steel, not in the sense of hardened men able to deflect bullets, cold or unfeeling, but men of steel, men of character.
Barnabas was that kind of man, he wasn’t Zeus or Superman, but he was a man with “God-like” qualities, he was a man of steel. His life was one of character, it was a life that was committed to God.
The first time we see Barnabas is in Acts 4:36-37 where Luke tells us of his generous gift to his fellow believers. Barnabas sold a field that he owned to help the poor believers in Jerusalem. There were no strings attached to his gift. He simply laid it at the apostle’s feet for them to use it anyway that they saw fit to help others in need. His name means “Son of Encouragement” and what an encouragement to the early church to have a man like Barnabas who had sympathy for the condition of others and gave generously. Barnabas was a man of sympathy and generosity. He could not stand by when others were in need and he had the power to help. That is a man of character. A man of action. A man of steel. He’s sympathetic to those in need and generous in meeting needs.
The next time we find Barnabas is in chapter 9:26-27. Saul has just been dramatically converted to Christ. And now Saul has begun preaching the Gospel with great power. After escaping Damascus by being let through an opening in the wall, Saul “tried to join the disciples” in Jerusalem (9:26). Problem is, Saul has a past and it’s not too godly or too friendly towards Christians. The disciples don’t want any part of Saul. “They were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple” (9:26).
That’s when Barnabas steps in (9:27). He befriends Saul, and he vouches for him before the disciples telling them of his conversion and bold preaching of the Gospel. Barnabas knows the hand of God is upon Saul and he introduces him to the disciples. He puts aside his fear and befriends Saul. Barnabas is open to accepting new believers, even believers who have a dark past. He’s willing to believe in grace, grace that makes it possible for a man to change, to do a 180 turn. That is a man of character. A man who can see what God sees in others. He believes in a big God, a God who can do anything. Barnabas is a man of great faith, great confidence in the ability of God. He’s a man of steel.
The next time we find Barnabas is in Acts 11:19-26 where we find him helping the new and growing church at Antioch. He was sent to Antioch by the Jerusalem church. At Antioch he (1) encouraged the believers to be true to the Lord, (2) he brought others to personal faith in Christ, and (3) he brought Paul to Antioch to help teach the new believers. Barnabas had an effective ministry at Antioch and Luke shows us a side to Barnabas that is very telling about his character. Barnabas was a man who knew who he was in Christ and he was not insecure in his ministry. He invited Paul to join him, to help him. A man of steel, a man of character understands that he’s really not a “superman” in the sense that it’s all on him, he has to do it all by himself. He knows that other men have gifts too that can be used by God to help others. Obviously, it was wise to get Paul to come and help. And Barnabas was a big enough man to see that and make it happen.
Finally, we find Barnabas in Acts 15:36-41 where he and Paul are discussing their trip of visiting the believers in the places that they had previously established churches. But there was a sharp disagreement concerning who would go on this mission trip. Barnabas wanted to take John Mark, but Paul did not think it was wise to do so because Mark had deserted them on a previous trip (15:38). Barnabas was willing to give Mark a second chance, Paul was not. So they parted company and Barnabas took Mark and Paul chose Silas to go with him. In that moment, Barnabas saw the possibilities in Mark that Paul did not. Barnabas mentored Mark, he came alongside him to get him back in the work, he restored him, and later on Paul himself would count Mark among his trusted friends and associates in the work of God (Col. 4:10).
Qualities that God Wants to Develop in Men
There’s much that I could focus on concerning the character of Barnabas, but I want to mention two “steely qualities” that he had that God wants to develop in men.
1. Generosity: In every area of his life, Barnabas was generous, not simply with his finances, but his time, his gifts. Barnabas invested himself in the work of Christ, to people in need, he invested his life into the believers at Antioch. He gave godly counsel. He taught God’s truths. He introduced others to Christ. He mentored and restored Mark. Barnabas generously invested in the lives of others with his finances, time, and gifts.
How will you be generous with your self? Will you love generously your family? Your wife (if married)? Your children need the investment of your time, your love, and your energy especially as they are growing in those formative years. And what about the work of Christ? Of sharing the Gospel? I’m thankful for the men who generously gave of themselves to help me spiritually. I’m grateful for godly men who counseled me, who taught me in words and actions the character of God, who mentored me, who prayed for me. What kind of investment are you making in the kingdom of God? Men, you have a lot to give but you have to learn to be generous. Because we find so much of our identity in our work, it’s easy to burn up all of our energy in our work and leave little for the people we love. You will have to be intentional with sharing yourself. Make sure you’re carving out time for your family. Discover what you’re passionate about in life and let that be used generously for God.
2. Grace-Filled: God’s grace overflowed in Barnabas’s life and allowed him to see the needs around him with sympathy. He saw firsthand the poor believers, he sympathized with them. And when God gets your heart, everything else becomes easier. Grace-filled people are people who know that they are forgiven and that God is big enough, sovereign enough to change anyone. There is nothing that God cannot do. Barnabas knew this and was able to befriend Paul when no one else would. Barnabas was not afraid of grace. His heart is wide open. He has a great faith because he knows God is a great God.
We also see his grace-filled sympathy at Antioch where there are many new believers and he knows that they need help, help that he can provide. As a result he’s willing to plant his life at Antioch for a time to teach the new believers. And we see his grace-filled life at work with the way that he takes in Mark and gives him a second chance. Barnabas is a friend to the friendless, but he’s also a friend to those who fall short, who have failed.
Barnabas looks a whole lot like Jesus! And no wonder, it is Jesus who has made him who he is, a man of steel, a man of godly character. It’s knowing Jesus and following Him that will make you a man of steel, a man of character. I’m grateful for the godly examples that we have of men in our own fellowship, men who are generous, men who are grace-filled, men of encouragement. That’s the kind of man that I want to be, a man of steel, a man of character. For God’s glory!
Monday, June 17, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
The Day After Easter
A sermon preached on Sunday, April 7, 2013 at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana by Pastor Joe Alain.
April 7, 2013, The Second Sunday of Easter
Scripture Readings: Acts 5:27-32; Revelation 1:4-8
What happened to Easter? Just last week, stores were stocked full of “Peeps,” “Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs,” and chocolate bunnies; Easter dresses were paraded in newspaper inserts, churches were full, and Charleston Heston made his annual appearance on TV, along with an assortment of specials on the life of Jesus. But now hardly a trace of Easter remains. And yet, Easter isn’t over, it’s just begun!
Easter is what gives us hope, it’s what keeps us going, it declares that we are forgiven, it’s what makes our new citizenship in God’s kingdom possible. What John says is true (Rev. 1:4-8). Easter means we’re loved, we’re freed from our sins, and God has made us a people, a kingdom, “priests to serve” our God and our Father (Rev. 1:5-6). Our world puts Easter in a nice colorful and comfortable box (somewhat like a box of chocolates), and views Easter in terms of nice friendly Easter bunnies and vibrant Spring flowers.
But Easter cannot be contained in a box, it’s not a weekend or even a season, Easter means Jesus is alive, the powers of death have been conquered, and God’s people are now empowered to share God’s story, they are His witnesses proclaiming the forgiveness of sins through repentance, turning to God. Easter means that we give witness of the reality of the one “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8).
However, if you take the day after Easter very seriously, you might get into some trouble as did the early disciples in our first reading from Acts 5:27-32. The disciples had previously been instructed (commanded is a better word) “not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (4:18). But to Peter’s credit, even then he wasn’t making any promises saying, “how can we not speak about what we have seen and heard!” (4:20).
Not deterred by this troubling development, the church set themselves to praying, and what did they pray about? For deliverance from persecution? For a more comfortable accommodating existence? No, they prayed that they would be able to speak God’s word with boldness (4:29). They prayed that when the time came, they would be courageous in the face of adversity. And empowered by God’s Spirit they did teach and preach in the name of Jesus and they turned the world upside down which was turning it right side up. The world takes notice of people who take Jesus seriously.
Now, before the Sanhedrin the “Lordship” test has begun, the apostles are being questioned about their illegal activities by the high priest (5:27). The Sanhedrin was attempting to silence the proclaiming of the name of Jesus, but how does one go about silencing the voice of God, the voice of truth? Can “the Almighty” really be silenced? It’s often been lamented that God has been removed from society and in certain cases and with certain groups, there is an aggressive attempt to remove all vestiges of Christianity from the public square. However, can God be removed from the world that He created? You can no more silence God than you can silence the conscience! The name of Jesus, the name that the Sanhedrin would not even mention (they depersonalized Jesus referring to him as “this name,” v.27), this name has been declared by the Father to be “the ruler of the kings of the earth . . . the Alpha and the Omega . . . the Almighty” (Rev. 1:5, 8). The heavens continually declare the glory of God (Ps. 19) and no man, no council can silence His voice!
The real problem that the Sanhedrin had with the apostle’s teaching was that their teaching about Jesus was true which put them squarely on the wrong side of history. John makes this clear when he says, “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him” (1:7). Ultimately, history has a way of revealing the “crucifiers,” then and now. Here’s my paraphrase of verse 28b. “You are making us feel bad about what happened and we want to ‘feel’ ok but you are making it hard to do that.” Strangely, the Gospel that heals the brokenhearted, cuts deeply the soul of the hardhearted. The Gospel that proclaims freedom to the captives, threatens the oppressors of this world. The Gospel that elevates the humble and downtrodden, destroys the haughty and self-righteous. The Gospel that feeds the hungry gives heartburn to the “full” of this world. The Gospel that brings comfort to the afflicted, afflicts the comfortable.
Human authorities and powers are quite comfortable with a human-only Jesus, a Jesus who loves with limitations, who heals the well-healed, who forgives the faithful. The world loves a Jesus who can be controlled on demand. But the world’s powers cannot accept the Jesus that loves without limits, who touches the untouchables, who forgives the unredeemable, the Jesus who holds all people accountable, personally and morally, the Jesus that calls all people to repentance, the Jesus that demands costly obedience to a higher authority, the authority of God Himself. No, the Sanhedrin was insistent, “You must not teach in this name! We will have none of ‘this man.’”
The early disciples are beginning to experience what Jesus foretold, “No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. . . They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me” (Jn. 15:20-21). The truth is, ministry is always going to be a struggle. It’s going to be struggle to live holy, to live godly, to do the right things in life. There will always be forces at work to restrain you from doing what’s right and godly.
You are prophets and “priests,” but there are forces at work that would restrain your voice and service, but you might be surprised where those restraining forces lie. In the case of the early disciples in our text, the restraining powers were human authorities, and in some settings there are still human authorities restraining the Gospel. In some places speaking truth may be considered “hate speech.” But more often the restraining forces at work are inward forces. Our ignorance of the Gospel, what it entails, and what it demands, restrains our mission. Our love of comfort, of ease, the pride of life, the giving in to our fears, restrains the giving of ourselves to God with all of our being. The fact that living out the Gospel requires costly obedience and change hinders our “priestly” efforts.
The apostles were able to face these internal and external restraining forces because of their prayers and the prayers of the saints. They stood because they first prayed! Remember, they were bold in their preaching and in their stand because they had prayed and the church had continually brought them before God. Obedience to God follows our prayer life. If you do not “feel” like obeying God, pray and pray some more! Radical obedience to God is never easy and can never be measured in terms of how you feel. “What you feel,” is never a fully adequate voice to heed because much of the time “what you feel” may be contrary to God’s kingdom.
What did the apostles do in the face of these outward threats and opposition? They could have done what would have been expedient, back down, give in, retreat and wait to fight another day. But to retreat from this stand would be to forfeit soul freedom and the essential Gospel profession of faith, “Jesus Is Lord!” And so faced with this dilemma, they said, “We must obey God rather than human beings!” (v.29). Likewise, for us to not exercise our priestly ministry of preaching and service is to forfeit the Gospel. We too must obey God rather than give in to the voice of reason, or the voice of our feelings, fears and excuses.
What would bring these early believers to express such a depth of commitment? Jesus is alive! He is Lord and Savior! God has raised Him from the dead (5:30)! And they cannot help but speak His name for they are “witnesses” of marvelous things (vv.30-31). Here is the real insight into their power, their depth of commitment – personal experience, they are “witnesses” (v.32). In the reading from Revelation, John also highlights the personal experience of himself and all believers. Believers know that God “loves us and has freed us from our sins, . . . and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve” Him (1:6).
You do not place your life on the line for second hand truth. You don’t sacrifice comforts, prestige, lands, family, friends for beliefs of no consequence. No, you only lay your life on the line, you only lose your life for that which is all-consuming reality, for that which you hold to with every breath and fiber of your being, for something that you have personally experienced. They can only obey God because He alone is worthy of that ultimate obedience, for he has shown Himself to be “the Almighty!” Stop preaching, teaching, ministering in the name of Jesus? Try telling the sun not to shine, or God to cease being God. “We are witnesses,” (v.32) and can do nothing less than give our lives completely to telling His story and serving humanity in His name.
Today, we make our bold stand and we serve unashamed as “priests” to all people because history belongs to the people of Easter. Easter is not over, it’s just begun! “Look!”, John said, “He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him” (1:7). The powers that now restrain will ultimately be loosed when heaven is loosed. “To him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen” (1:6).
April 7, 2013, The Second Sunday of Easter
Scripture Readings: Acts 5:27-32; Revelation 1:4-8
What happened to Easter? Just last week, stores were stocked full of “Peeps,” “Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs,” and chocolate bunnies; Easter dresses were paraded in newspaper inserts, churches were full, and Charleston Heston made his annual appearance on TV, along with an assortment of specials on the life of Jesus. But now hardly a trace of Easter remains. And yet, Easter isn’t over, it’s just begun!
Easter is what gives us hope, it’s what keeps us going, it declares that we are forgiven, it’s what makes our new citizenship in God’s kingdom possible. What John says is true (Rev. 1:4-8). Easter means we’re loved, we’re freed from our sins, and God has made us a people, a kingdom, “priests to serve” our God and our Father (Rev. 1:5-6). Our world puts Easter in a nice colorful and comfortable box (somewhat like a box of chocolates), and views Easter in terms of nice friendly Easter bunnies and vibrant Spring flowers.
But Easter cannot be contained in a box, it’s not a weekend or even a season, Easter means Jesus is alive, the powers of death have been conquered, and God’s people are now empowered to share God’s story, they are His witnesses proclaiming the forgiveness of sins through repentance, turning to God. Easter means that we give witness of the reality of the one “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8).
However, if you take the day after Easter very seriously, you might get into some trouble as did the early disciples in our first reading from Acts 5:27-32. The disciples had previously been instructed (commanded is a better word) “not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (4:18). But to Peter’s credit, even then he wasn’t making any promises saying, “how can we not speak about what we have seen and heard!” (4:20).
Not deterred by this troubling development, the church set themselves to praying, and what did they pray about? For deliverance from persecution? For a more comfortable accommodating existence? No, they prayed that they would be able to speak God’s word with boldness (4:29). They prayed that when the time came, they would be courageous in the face of adversity. And empowered by God’s Spirit they did teach and preach in the name of Jesus and they turned the world upside down which was turning it right side up. The world takes notice of people who take Jesus seriously.
Now, before the Sanhedrin the “Lordship” test has begun, the apostles are being questioned about their illegal activities by the high priest (5:27). The Sanhedrin was attempting to silence the proclaiming of the name of Jesus, but how does one go about silencing the voice of God, the voice of truth? Can “the Almighty” really be silenced? It’s often been lamented that God has been removed from society and in certain cases and with certain groups, there is an aggressive attempt to remove all vestiges of Christianity from the public square. However, can God be removed from the world that He created? You can no more silence God than you can silence the conscience! The name of Jesus, the name that the Sanhedrin would not even mention (they depersonalized Jesus referring to him as “this name,” v.27), this name has been declared by the Father to be “the ruler of the kings of the earth . . . the Alpha and the Omega . . . the Almighty” (Rev. 1:5, 8). The heavens continually declare the glory of God (Ps. 19) and no man, no council can silence His voice!
The real problem that the Sanhedrin had with the apostle’s teaching was that their teaching about Jesus was true which put them squarely on the wrong side of history. John makes this clear when he says, “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him” (1:7). Ultimately, history has a way of revealing the “crucifiers,” then and now. Here’s my paraphrase of verse 28b. “You are making us feel bad about what happened and we want to ‘feel’ ok but you are making it hard to do that.” Strangely, the Gospel that heals the brokenhearted, cuts deeply the soul of the hardhearted. The Gospel that proclaims freedom to the captives, threatens the oppressors of this world. The Gospel that elevates the humble and downtrodden, destroys the haughty and self-righteous. The Gospel that feeds the hungry gives heartburn to the “full” of this world. The Gospel that brings comfort to the afflicted, afflicts the comfortable.
Human authorities and powers are quite comfortable with a human-only Jesus, a Jesus who loves with limitations, who heals the well-healed, who forgives the faithful. The world loves a Jesus who can be controlled on demand. But the world’s powers cannot accept the Jesus that loves without limits, who touches the untouchables, who forgives the unredeemable, the Jesus who holds all people accountable, personally and morally, the Jesus that calls all people to repentance, the Jesus that demands costly obedience to a higher authority, the authority of God Himself. No, the Sanhedrin was insistent, “You must not teach in this name! We will have none of ‘this man.’”
The early disciples are beginning to experience what Jesus foretold, “No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. . . They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me” (Jn. 15:20-21). The truth is, ministry is always going to be a struggle. It’s going to be struggle to live holy, to live godly, to do the right things in life. There will always be forces at work to restrain you from doing what’s right and godly.
You are prophets and “priests,” but there are forces at work that would restrain your voice and service, but you might be surprised where those restraining forces lie. In the case of the early disciples in our text, the restraining powers were human authorities, and in some settings there are still human authorities restraining the Gospel. In some places speaking truth may be considered “hate speech.” But more often the restraining forces at work are inward forces. Our ignorance of the Gospel, what it entails, and what it demands, restrains our mission. Our love of comfort, of ease, the pride of life, the giving in to our fears, restrains the giving of ourselves to God with all of our being. The fact that living out the Gospel requires costly obedience and change hinders our “priestly” efforts.
The apostles were able to face these internal and external restraining forces because of their prayers and the prayers of the saints. They stood because they first prayed! Remember, they were bold in their preaching and in their stand because they had prayed and the church had continually brought them before God. Obedience to God follows our prayer life. If you do not “feel” like obeying God, pray and pray some more! Radical obedience to God is never easy and can never be measured in terms of how you feel. “What you feel,” is never a fully adequate voice to heed because much of the time “what you feel” may be contrary to God’s kingdom.
What did the apostles do in the face of these outward threats and opposition? They could have done what would have been expedient, back down, give in, retreat and wait to fight another day. But to retreat from this stand would be to forfeit soul freedom and the essential Gospel profession of faith, “Jesus Is Lord!” And so faced with this dilemma, they said, “We must obey God rather than human beings!” (v.29). Likewise, for us to not exercise our priestly ministry of preaching and service is to forfeit the Gospel. We too must obey God rather than give in to the voice of reason, or the voice of our feelings, fears and excuses.
What would bring these early believers to express such a depth of commitment? Jesus is alive! He is Lord and Savior! God has raised Him from the dead (5:30)! And they cannot help but speak His name for they are “witnesses” of marvelous things (vv.30-31). Here is the real insight into their power, their depth of commitment – personal experience, they are “witnesses” (v.32). In the reading from Revelation, John also highlights the personal experience of himself and all believers. Believers know that God “loves us and has freed us from our sins, . . . and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve” Him (1:6).
You do not place your life on the line for second hand truth. You don’t sacrifice comforts, prestige, lands, family, friends for beliefs of no consequence. No, you only lay your life on the line, you only lose your life for that which is all-consuming reality, for that which you hold to with every breath and fiber of your being, for something that you have personally experienced. They can only obey God because He alone is worthy of that ultimate obedience, for he has shown Himself to be “the Almighty!” Stop preaching, teaching, ministering in the name of Jesus? Try telling the sun not to shine, or God to cease being God. “We are witnesses,” (v.32) and can do nothing less than give our lives completely to telling His story and serving humanity in His name.
Today, we make our bold stand and we serve unashamed as “priests” to all people because history belongs to the people of Easter. Easter is not over, it’s just begun! “Look!”, John said, “He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him” (1:7). The powers that now restrain will ultimately be loosed when heaven is loosed. “To him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen” (1:6).
Monday, March 11, 2013
Lessons from the Vine (John 15:1-8)
“Lessons
from the Vine”
“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in
him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.” John
15:5
Scripture Reading: John 15:1-8
A sermon preached on March 10, 2013 at Hebron Baptist
Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana by Pastor Joe Alain.
John 15:1-8 deals with the
intimate and living relationship that believers share with Christ. Believers as
God’s branches are vitally connected to Christ. As a result, we draw our life
from Christ. The promise of this text is that in an abiding relationship with
Jesus, we bear “much fruit” (v.8) which brings glory to our Father. However, without
Him (i.e., Christ) we “can do nothing.”
There are some powerful “lessons
from the vine” for disciples in this passage of Scripture.
1. Jesus is the true
source of life
Here we have another one of
the great “I am” statements made by Jesus in the Gospel of John that clearly
identifies Himself with God, the great “I am.” When Jesus used the symbolism of
the Vine, his listeners knew exactly what he meant. The vine had become the
symbol of the nation of Israel. It was the emblem on the coins of the
Maccabees. One of the great treasures and glories of the Temple was the great
golden vine upon the front of the Holy Place. When Jesus calls himself the
“true vine” (v.1), he is saying, “I am the vine of God and you must be branches
joined to me. It is not because you belong to Israel that you are saved, but it
is faith in Me as the true source of life.” The first lesson of the vine is
crystal clear, Jesus is the true source of life – He is God!
What is the significance of
this truth for us? Because Jesus is the true source of life,
2. Life results from being connected to Jesus
We draw our life from Christ
as Paul said, “‘For in him we live and move and have our being’” (Acts 17:28). Jesus
is the true source of life. Common sense tells us that oranges do not grow on
apple trees and strawberries are not produced from pear trees. Like begets
like. It is terribly frustrating, in fact it is impossible, to try to live the
Christian life if you are not one. The life you were created to live is impossible
to see realized without Jesus, the true source of life. Because Jesus is the
true source of life, it is imperative that I am connected by faith to Jesus
Christ, “the true vine” (v.1). Are you connected to God through Christ?
The fact that Jesus calls
Himself the “the true vine” implies that there are other ways that a person may
try or depend upon but that they are false sources of life rather than true. Many
of Jesus’ listeners believed that they were connected to God by being part of
Israel, the vine. But Jesus says we are God’s “children born not of natural
descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (Jn.
1:13). Some people think they are saved because they were born in America, or
because they joined a church, or because they do “good” deeds. But it’s faith
in Christ that connects us to Him. This results in the new birth, as Jesus described
it to Nicodemus in John chapter 3. “Any other way but God’s way in Christ will not
lead to spiritual growth and fruit. Jesus alone is the true source of life and
life results from being connected to Him.
Are you connected to God
through the Vine – Jesus? Here God’s promise to you. “Yet to all who received
him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of
God” (Jn. 1:12). God is calling you to receive Him, to believe in His name. When
you do that, new life results from being connected to Jesus, the Vine.
A third lesson from the vine
is that,
3. Remaining
in Christ produces change (fruit)
There is a relationship
between our remaining in Christ and our producing fruit. Jesus refers to the
importance of remaining in him at least six times in these eight verses (vv.4,
5, 6, 7). To remain in him is to see fruit produced in your life. To fail to
remain in him is to remove yourself from the source of life and wither and die!
This brings up several
questions. First, what does it mean for us to remain in him? Second, what kind
of fruit is produced in our lives when we do remain in him? First, to remain in
Jesus means that discipleship (your life in Christ) is not a passive process.
Your part in the process of seeing fruit produced is to remain or abide in
Christ. The language used in this word “Remain in me, and I will remain in you”
means to continue in a relationship that has already been established. Jesus is
talking to people who are “in Christ.” He reminds them in verse 3, “You are
already clean” signifying that they are already in a living relationship to God
the Father through Christ. Jesus is not saying, I want you to “keep on”
establishing a relationship with Me as if our relationship with Christ is “on
again” and “off again.”
God is saying continue in the
relationship that has already begun (It’s an aorist, active, imperative). For
example, if you are married and I say remain in that marriage, I’m not saying become
married, you’re already married. I’m saying continue in that state, develop
that relationship. That’s what Jesus is saying to us. Remain in me, continue
following Me, develop this relationship that has begun. Jesus says to us. If we
will do that, we will bear “much fruit”. Branches never “strive” to produce
fruit, they simply abide in the vine. Your job is to “remain” in the vine –
Jesus!
What kind of fruit can we
expect to see when we remain in Christ? This is important because Jesus said in
verse 8, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing
yourselves to be my disciples” (v.8). It’s equally important because God’s kind
of fruit makes a difference in our daily lives. If bearing fruit pleases God, I
need to know what this fruit is. It is true that like begets like, meaning
Christians beget other Christians, so in one sense the fruit produced through
us is other Christians. But fruit is not limited to reproducing other
Christians. The NT says much about the kind of spiritual fruit that results
from our relationship with Christ. This spiritual fruit is most clearly
described in Galatians 5:22-23, although it’s not limited to what Paul
mentions.
This list of nine qualities
is merely representative of the “kind” of fruit that is produced through the
believer’s relationship with Christ. A fuller picture of the fruit of the
Spirit is found in simply observing the life of Jesus. He is not only our
substitute (to many people stop there), he’s our great example. The logical
question for me to ask is, “is my life exhibiting the fruit of Christ?” Am I
becoming “more” loving? Patient? Kind? Merciful? Gracious? Compassionate? At
peace? Jesus demonstrated these and more in His life. This is the measure of
our lives!
There’s another important aspect
to this remaining in Christ. To be connected and remain in Christ is to be
connected to other believers. In Christ we are connected to one another “for
better or for worse.” You cannot remain in Christ and be disconnected from
other believers any more than you can be married and never relate to your
spouse. Why is this important to know? Because we learn to bear fruit in the
context of human relationships. How else are we able to learn how to love
others, how to have patience, how to serve, etc. unless we do so in the context
of living in connection with others?
Jesus said what you do to
others, you are doing to him! And it’s also true that what you do to others, you’re
doing to yourself, for we are all members together in the body of Christ. Now
if you are a branch, if you are connected to Christ the vine, you’re connected
to all of Christ’s followers. So when you love others, you are loving yourself,
when you are gracious to others, you are being gracious to yourself. However, when
you criticize your brother or sister, when you tear them down, or speak evil of
them, you are in effect “hacking” away at your own limb. You’re committing
spiritual suicide. Remember, when you point one finger forward, there are three
pointing back to you.
Remaining in Christ produces
fruit, and fruit is the proof of our discipleship. There is a fourth lesson
from the vine and it may be the most difficult for us to grasp.
4. God prunes
us in order to conform us to
His character
The vine cannot produce the
crop which it is capable of producing without occasional pruning. Fruitful branches
are pruned, not to kill the branch, but to produce even more fruit. While our
part in the process of discipleship is to remain in Christ, God’s part is the
pruning away in our life of all that does not look like Jesus. God prunes us to
conform us into the character of Christ.
Spiritual fruit is produced
and maximized in your life over time through the process of spiritual pruning
(v.2). Here is something that from a logical standpoint does not make sense.
“Every branch that “does” bear fruit he trims clean so that it will be even
more fruitful” (v.2). You would think if a branch is bearing any fruit, leave
it alone, that’s great. But God is not content for us to bear a “little” fruit,
he wants you bear “much fruit.”
Spiritual pruning is for your
benefit. It will bring more fruitfulness in your life. The word here translated
“clean” or “prune” (v.2) is related to the verb “katharizo,” – to cleanse as in
the cleansing of a disease or making one pure. This word is used in the
following ways: Matthew 8:3; Luke 17:14, 17 – lepers who are declared cleansed
(Aorist, passive, indicative). Hebrews 9:14, 22 – of the blood of Christ that
cleanses us (Future & Present act. ind.) 2 Corinthians 7:1 – Out of
reverence for God, we are to purify ourselves from all contamination (Aorist,
active, subjunctive).
If cleaning (spiritual
pruning) means removing that which is diseased and harmful to your spiritual
growth, is that not a good thing? When the surgeon cuts out the cancerous
tissue from your body, is that not a good thing? Of course it’s good! So it is
with spiritual pruning. In pruning, God is removing the diseased and dead wood
from your life. It’s all for His glory so that you will be able to produce more
fruit.
God is one determined
gardener and He is committed to do the pruning in your life and mine. Anger,
bitterness, impatience, unmerciful, unloving, critical judging spirit, all dead
branches that ruin my relationships and have to go in my life, but all for my
good! And if you’re willing to learn from the Lord, you will grow through the
pruning process. But if you don’t let God work in your life and respond to his
judgment (which spiritual pruning is a form of), you’re going back around the
track again. How long God? God says, “until you get it!” Israel wandered for 40
years, going around that same old track. Don’t be like a mule that has dug in
and won’t budge, or the horse that has to have a heavy bridle placed upon him
(Ps. 32:8-9). Let God do a work in your heart and life!
If a branch bears no fruit
there is nothing else you can do except remove the branch. There’s no hope for
a dead branch (Jn. 15:6). The only branches that can be improved are the
branches that are producing fruit. So if you are being spiritually pruned,
that’s good news. That means God is at work in your life removing all that does
not look like Jesus. But if you’re not going through some occasional spiritual
pruning, you’re already kindling (v.6)! No pruning means no life!
In our backyard we have tree
that to me looks completely dead. I almost pulled it up the other day, but
Rhonda peeled back a little of the bark and said, “It’s still green it’s just
dormant, give it a little bit more time.” Maybe there’s not much fruit in your
life, but there’s still a little bit of life left somewhere underneath, you’re
not dead yet, but your spiritual life is dormant. Jesus says to you, it’s time
to get back to remaining in me, you can still be fruitful, I’m not through with
you. There’s really only two possibilities, remain in Jesus and produce fruit,
or become kindling for the fire. Which will it be? “The one who remains in me .
. . produces much fruit” (Jn. 15:5).
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Monday, March 4, 2013
The Door That Leads to Life (John 10:9)
“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.” John 10:9
A sermon preached at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana on March 3, 2013 by Pastor Joe Alain.
Scripture Reading: John 10:1-10 (Focal Verse, 10:9)
One of the most common occurrences of our daily life is going in and out of various doors. Just think of how many doors we go through in a day and we really don’t give much thought to it. Just today you probably went through a bedroom door, a bathroom door, maybe a closet door, your front door, or garage door, then your car door. And that’s just before you left the house. Then when you arrived at church you exited your car through the car door, you entered the church through the foyer door, you walked through the sanctuary door and here you are. And when you leave you will go through all of those doors again.
Doors come in all shapes and sizes. There are wooden doors and glass doors, there are elaborate cathedral doors and colorful doors. Some doors are locked while other doors are opened. Some doors even take you to special places. In John 10:9 (also in verse 7), Jesus said that He was “the door.” He obviously meant a different kind of door than a literal door. Furthermore, he said, “If anyone enters by Me [i.e., this door], he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.” This verse has to do with Jesus being “the door,” but what do doors have to do with shepherds and pastures, which we also find in this larger passage (vv.1-10?
Sheep and shepherds were very important in Israel. Sheep were mainly used for wool rather than food in Israel. This explains why the shepherd would name his sheep. It’s not a good idea to name animals you plan on eating. But animals that are going to be around for awhile you name. The special relationship between the shepherd and his sheep explains how the sheep would also know the voice of their shepherd and would not follow a stranger. Sheep would be startled by a stranger’s voice and run off. Every once in a while the shepherd would call his sheep just to let them know that he was nearby. God our Shepherd does that for us! He let’s us know by the Holy Spirit that He is near.
The shepherd’s job required constant vigilance, fearless courage, and patient love for his flock. He had to always be on guard against wild animals, especially against wolves, and there were always thieves and robbers ready to steal the sheep. And the shepherd was always seeking to lead his sheep in those “grassy pastures” and besides “still waters.”
In the OT God is often pictured as a shepherd. “The Lord is my shepherd,” David says (Ps. 23:1). Psalm 77:20 says that God leads his people like a flock. And Psalm 80:1 calls God the “Shepherd of Israel.” Believers are called “the sheep of his pasture” and in Psalm 95:7 the people of God express praise to Him, “For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care” (see also Ps. 100:3).
In the NT Jesus is the Good Shepherd (Jn. 10:11) who will risk his life to seek and to save the one straying sheep (Matt. 18:12; Lk. 15:4). As the Good Shepherd, Jesus sees people as sheep without a shepherd (Matt. 9:36). Jesus is the shepherd of the souls of men (1 Pet. 2:25) and in Hebrews 13:20 he is the “great Shepherd of the sheep.” His disciples are his “little flock” (Lk.12:32) and when the Shepherd is struck down, the sheep will scatter (Mk. 14:27).
Because the shepherd and the sheep spent many nights out in the fields, a sheep pen would be built where the sheep and the shepherd would spend the night. These hillside sheep folds were just open spaces enclosed by a rock wall. There was an opening for the sheep to come in and go out but there was no door of any kind. At night the shepherd himself lay down across the opening and no sheep could get out or in except over his body. Likewise, no hungry wolf could get in either without first meeting the shepherd (see Jn. 10:27-29)! In the most literal sense the shepherd was the door. This is what Jesus meant when he said that he was the door. Through him and him alone people find access to God! And through Him and Him alone we as His sheep find protection.
“For through him [i.e., Jesus],” Paul said, “we have access to the Father” (Eph. 2:18). And in Ephesians 3:12, “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” Romans 5:2 says, “Through whom [i.e., Christ] we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” Hebrews 10:20 describes Jesus as the “new and living way” into the presence of God. Jesus and him alone makes God accessible for He is “the Door,” He is the point of access.
“If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved.” What a promise! And a promise made to “anyone”! I am glad that I am an “anyone,” and a “whosoever” too! If you will come in simple faith, simple trust in Jesus the Son of God, you will be saved. To enter through the door is to trust in Jesus. To be saved is to be reconciled to God the Father. It is to trust Jesus who became your substitute (2 Cor. 5:21). To do this is to be saved forever secure in Him! Have you come to Jesus? Is He “your Shepherd”?
The wonder of God’s salvation is highlighted in the next phrase, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” We come in one way (a sinner), and we go out changed by God’s grace! This phrase describes a life that is absolutely safe and secure and full and meaningful. We use the expression sometimes that we have the freedom to “come and go as we please.” What we mean is that we are totally free! The person who comes to Jesus, “the Door” is totally free! They are able to “come in and go out and find pasture” which speaks of a changed life and God’s full and meaningful life.
The saved person experiences the promise of Deuteronomy 28:6, which says that we are blessed when we come in and we are blessed when we go out. This is the “abundant life” that Jesus said that he came to bring (10:10). The phrase “abundant life” means to have a superabundance of a thing. To be a follower of Jesus is to have a superabundance of life, it is to truly be alive! To know Jesus is to experience superabundant love, joy, and peace. The story is told of a Roman soldier who came to Julius Caesar with a request for permission to commit suicide. This was an unusual request but it had to do with preserving honor. The man was known as a miserable kind of person, a wretched man with little vitality. Caesar said to him, “Were you ever really alive?” The question could be posed to us, “are we really alive?” Or “are we just existing”? There’s a big difference. When you live your own life, life is dull, lacking in vitality. But when you walk with Jesus, when you go through “the Door,” life becomes superabundant. In fact, it is only when you live with Christ that life becomes really worth living and you begin to live in the real sense of the word. If Christ is not the center of your life, you’re just marking time.
To go any other way is to only lead farther and farther away from God. The thieves and robbers that Jesus refers to specifically were the men who continually rose up in Israel promising salvation another way, usually through blood and war. Jesus is saying there have been men who claimed that they were leaders sent to you by God, but their way only leads for ever farther and farther away from God.
All ways that fall short of trusting in Jesus as Lord are doomed to fail. They will not lead you to God. Only Jesus is “the Door.” This abundant life is conditional in that Jesus said, “If anyone enters by Me.” Life is a choice, you must exercise your freedom to choose to enter into true life through Jesus, a choice that “anyone” can make, but still has to be personally made. In the once popular game show, Let’s Make a Deal, contestants that won the preliminary rounds were able to play for larger prizes. Three doors were presented and the contestant had to pick one of the three, but only one door contained the real prize!
This abundant life (salvation) is only experienced when you chose to enter the right door – Jesus. At Walmart and other stores too, invariably you can see people continually going through the wrong entrance or exit. The doors will open on both sides, although it does annoy people like myself. But if you are going to be saved, you will have to go through the right door, and that door is clearly marked. Jesus said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.” John 10:9
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
A sermon preached at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana on March 3, 2013 by Pastor Joe Alain.
Scripture Reading: John 10:1-10 (Focal Verse, 10:9)
One of the most common occurrences of our daily life is going in and out of various doors. Just think of how many doors we go through in a day and we really don’t give much thought to it. Just today you probably went through a bedroom door, a bathroom door, maybe a closet door, your front door, or garage door, then your car door. And that’s just before you left the house. Then when you arrived at church you exited your car through the car door, you entered the church through the foyer door, you walked through the sanctuary door and here you are. And when you leave you will go through all of those doors again.
Doors come in all shapes and sizes. There are wooden doors and glass doors, there are elaborate cathedral doors and colorful doors. Some doors are locked while other doors are opened. Some doors even take you to special places. In John 10:9 (also in verse 7), Jesus said that He was “the door.” He obviously meant a different kind of door than a literal door. Furthermore, he said, “If anyone enters by Me [i.e., this door], he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.” This verse has to do with Jesus being “the door,” but what do doors have to do with shepherds and pastures, which we also find in this larger passage (vv.1-10?
Sheep and shepherds were very important in Israel. Sheep were mainly used for wool rather than food in Israel. This explains why the shepherd would name his sheep. It’s not a good idea to name animals you plan on eating. But animals that are going to be around for awhile you name. The special relationship between the shepherd and his sheep explains how the sheep would also know the voice of their shepherd and would not follow a stranger. Sheep would be startled by a stranger’s voice and run off. Every once in a while the shepherd would call his sheep just to let them know that he was nearby. God our Shepherd does that for us! He let’s us know by the Holy Spirit that He is near.
The shepherd’s job required constant vigilance, fearless courage, and patient love for his flock. He had to always be on guard against wild animals, especially against wolves, and there were always thieves and robbers ready to steal the sheep. And the shepherd was always seeking to lead his sheep in those “grassy pastures” and besides “still waters.”
In the OT God is often pictured as a shepherd. “The Lord is my shepherd,” David says (Ps. 23:1). Psalm 77:20 says that God leads his people like a flock. And Psalm 80:1 calls God the “Shepherd of Israel.” Believers are called “the sheep of his pasture” and in Psalm 95:7 the people of God express praise to Him, “For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care” (see also Ps. 100:3).
In the NT Jesus is the Good Shepherd (Jn. 10:11) who will risk his life to seek and to save the one straying sheep (Matt. 18:12; Lk. 15:4). As the Good Shepherd, Jesus sees people as sheep without a shepherd (Matt. 9:36). Jesus is the shepherd of the souls of men (1 Pet. 2:25) and in Hebrews 13:20 he is the “great Shepherd of the sheep.” His disciples are his “little flock” (Lk.12:32) and when the Shepherd is struck down, the sheep will scatter (Mk. 14:27).
Because the shepherd and the sheep spent many nights out in the fields, a sheep pen would be built where the sheep and the shepherd would spend the night. These hillside sheep folds were just open spaces enclosed by a rock wall. There was an opening for the sheep to come in and go out but there was no door of any kind. At night the shepherd himself lay down across the opening and no sheep could get out or in except over his body. Likewise, no hungry wolf could get in either without first meeting the shepherd (see Jn. 10:27-29)! In the most literal sense the shepherd was the door. This is what Jesus meant when he said that he was the door. Through him and him alone people find access to God! And through Him and Him alone we as His sheep find protection.
“For through him [i.e., Jesus],” Paul said, “we have access to the Father” (Eph. 2:18). And in Ephesians 3:12, “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” Romans 5:2 says, “Through whom [i.e., Christ] we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” Hebrews 10:20 describes Jesus as the “new and living way” into the presence of God. Jesus and him alone makes God accessible for He is “the Door,” He is the point of access.
“If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved.” What a promise! And a promise made to “anyone”! I am glad that I am an “anyone,” and a “whosoever” too! If you will come in simple faith, simple trust in Jesus the Son of God, you will be saved. To enter through the door is to trust in Jesus. To be saved is to be reconciled to God the Father. It is to trust Jesus who became your substitute (2 Cor. 5:21). To do this is to be saved forever secure in Him! Have you come to Jesus? Is He “your Shepherd”?
The wonder of God’s salvation is highlighted in the next phrase, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” We come in one way (a sinner), and we go out changed by God’s grace! This phrase describes a life that is absolutely safe and secure and full and meaningful. We use the expression sometimes that we have the freedom to “come and go as we please.” What we mean is that we are totally free! The person who comes to Jesus, “the Door” is totally free! They are able to “come in and go out and find pasture” which speaks of a changed life and God’s full and meaningful life.
The saved person experiences the promise of Deuteronomy 28:6, which says that we are blessed when we come in and we are blessed when we go out. This is the “abundant life” that Jesus said that he came to bring (10:10). The phrase “abundant life” means to have a superabundance of a thing. To be a follower of Jesus is to have a superabundance of life, it is to truly be alive! To know Jesus is to experience superabundant love, joy, and peace. The story is told of a Roman soldier who came to Julius Caesar with a request for permission to commit suicide. This was an unusual request but it had to do with preserving honor. The man was known as a miserable kind of person, a wretched man with little vitality. Caesar said to him, “Were you ever really alive?” The question could be posed to us, “are we really alive?” Or “are we just existing”? There’s a big difference. When you live your own life, life is dull, lacking in vitality. But when you walk with Jesus, when you go through “the Door,” life becomes superabundant. In fact, it is only when you live with Christ that life becomes really worth living and you begin to live in the real sense of the word. If Christ is not the center of your life, you’re just marking time.
To go any other way is to only lead farther and farther away from God. The thieves and robbers that Jesus refers to specifically were the men who continually rose up in Israel promising salvation another way, usually through blood and war. Jesus is saying there have been men who claimed that they were leaders sent to you by God, but their way only leads for ever farther and farther away from God.
All ways that fall short of trusting in Jesus as Lord are doomed to fail. They will not lead you to God. Only Jesus is “the Door.” This abundant life is conditional in that Jesus said, “If anyone enters by Me.” Life is a choice, you must exercise your freedom to choose to enter into true life through Jesus, a choice that “anyone” can make, but still has to be personally made. In the once popular game show, Let’s Make a Deal, contestants that won the preliminary rounds were able to play for larger prizes. Three doors were presented and the contestant had to pick one of the three, but only one door contained the real prize!
This abundant life (salvation) is only experienced when you chose to enter the right door – Jesus. At Walmart and other stores too, invariably you can see people continually going through the wrong entrance or exit. The doors will open on both sides, although it does annoy people like myself. But if you are going to be saved, you will have to go through the right door, and that door is clearly marked. Jesus said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.” John 10:9
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Step Into The Light (John 8:12)
Second in a series of sermons on selected “I am” statements from the
Gospel of John. This sermon was preached at Hebron Baptist Church on
February 24, 2013 by Pastor Joe Alain.
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” John 8:12
Opening/Introduction
What do the Fangtooth Fish, Pacific Viper Fish, Vampire Squid, and Giant Tube Worms all have in common? They spend their entire lives at ocean depths that would crush us (some over 2 miles), they live out their entire lives in total darkness. Maybe that’s why they don’t look very happy! Deep sea creatures are designed to live in these harsh and dark conditions, human beings are not! We need light to live! The darkness is an alien world to us. We were made by “the Light” to live in the light.
Even when we desire to be in the dark, it’s so we can better appreciate the light. So we sit in a darkened movie theater to better appreciate the dazzling lights and effects of the film. Or on dark nights we gaze into the night sky and we are able to behold the spectacle of light in the sky. The darkness accents the light, helps us to see it better.
We were made by “the Light” to live in the light. Early on in life many of us exhibited tendencies to be afraid of the dark. I can remember as a child sleeping on a bunk bed afraid of the dark shadows cast by the tree in my window. I was thankful for a night light. Light comforts us. Even today, a well-lit parking lot puts us at ease, while we become a little edgy in dimly lit parking lot.
1. The Claim
“I am the light of the world.” In John 8:12, Jesus makes another astounding claim, here he claims to be “the light [not “a” light] of the world.” That Jesus made this statement when and where he did again was no coincidence. The time was the Festival of Tabernacles (see Jn. 7:2). This was one of the three great Jewish feasts, the other two being Passover and Pentecost. The Feast of Tabernacles (Hebrew, “Sukkot”) is called The Feast of Booths and commemorates the time that Israel lived in booths in the wilderness during their forty years of wandering. The feast occurs in late September to early October and lasts for seven days.
Jesus’ brothers had wanted him to make a grand entrance at the feast, but Jesus refused to go (7:3-4). Later Jesus went secretly (7:10). We’re told that the Jews were expecting that he would come and they were looking for him (7:11). Jesus was the topic of discussion among the pilgrims attending the feast (7:12-13). They would all see him soon enough.
The setting was the temple treasury. Clearly the Temple Treasury would be a busy place, with a constant flow of worshipers coming and going. On the evening of the first day of this feast, there was a ceremony called The Illumination of the Temple. William Barclay offers the following description:
“It took place in the Court of the Women. The court was surrounded with deep galleries, erected to hold spectators. In the centre four great candelabra [Menorah] were prepared. When the dark came the four great candelabra were lit and, it was said, they sent such a blaze of light throughout Jerusalem that every courtyard was lit up with their brilliance. Then all night long, until cock-crow the next morning, the greatest and the wisest and the holies men in Israel danced before the Lord and sang psalms of joy and praise while the people watched. Jesus is saying: “You have seen the blaze of the Temple illuminations piercing the darkness of the night. I am the Light of the World, and, for the man who follows me there will be light, not only for one exciting night, but for all the pathway of his life. The light in the Temple is a brilliant light, but in the end it flickers and dies. I am the Light which lasts for ever.”
The phrase “light of life” can mean either the light which issues from the source of life or the light which gives life. When Jesus claimed to be “the light of the world,” he meant both. He meant that . . .
(1) He is the very light of God come among men. He is the . . .
God who the Psalmist describes, “He wraps himself in light” (Ps. 104:2).
God who John describes, “God is light; in him there is no darkness” (1 Jn. 1:5).
God who Paul says, “Who lives in unapproachable light.” (1 Tim. 6:16).
Jesus is God! He is the source of life!
Because Jesus is God, He is the one who gives men life.
(2) He is the light which gives men life. He is the one . . .
John speaks of in John 1:4, “In him [i.e., Jesus] was life, and that life was the light of men.”
Paul speaks of in 2 Cor. 4:6, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
So the claim Jesus makes is the claim to be the source of life – God Himself and the God who gives life. And He is God from the very beginning (see Jn. 1:1-3).
The claim of Jesus is followed by . . .
2. The Invitation
“Whoever follows me.” If the claim is true, then the invitation makes sense, for the invitation is to “follow” Jesus with one’s whole life, and only God is worthy of that kind of allegiance. To be a follower of Christ is to give oneself body, soul and spirit into the obedience of the Master; and to enter upon that following is to walk in the light!
When we walk alone we are bound to stumble and fall because we are walking in the dark. We are prone to go in the wrong direction because we cannot see clearly the path. But when we follow Jesus the “light,” we find that he is a sure guide for he alone possesses the map to life. Only Jesus has the eternally updated GPS coordinates for your life! To follow him is to walk in safety through life and afterwards to enter into glory.
Have you ever tried to find your way in a dark place, on a dark path? Maybe you didn’t have a flashlight but someone with you did. So they took the lead with the flashlight and you walked alongside them, or just a little behind them. You were close enough to the light that you could see the path. If you lingered back to far the light would have been too distant to help you, the path would have immediately become dark again. People who follow Jesus, who stay close to Him, they are the ones who stay on the lighted path. If the path you are walking on is too dark, then you’re too far from Jesus for He is the light to your path. It’s time to step into the light. And you remain in the light as you follow Jesus.
The invitation is followed with . . .
3. The Promise
“Will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Darkness is hard to understand. There are different types of darkness. Sin is a type of darkness in the Bible. Our fallen sin nature is attracted to that darkness. This explains our love of the darkness even when it’s the darkness of sin that is seeking to destroy us. “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (Jn. 3:19-20). When we follow Jesus (“the light”) we will have power over sin that keeps us off the lighted path.
The light of Christ drives out the darkness. We were made by “the Light” to live in the light. To followers of Jesus, Paul says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” (Eph. 5:8). “You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled” (1 Thess. 5:5-6). And 1 Peter 2:9 reminds us us that we have been “called” out of “darkness into his wonderful light.”
There is another type of darkness that is overcome by the light. The spiritual battles that we endure are a type of darkness. Anxiety, fear, persecutions, struggling relationships, depression, spiritual attacks, these bring a heaviness, a darkness to our soul. And sometimes the darkness seems to win. Country star Mindy McCready, after a decade of reckless relationships, arrests, and addictions, tragically took her own life this past week leaving two sons, a 10 month and a 6 year old. Her boyfriend, David Wilson took his life about a month before on the same porch in Heber, Arkansas. These events sadden us even when we do not know the people personally because we see how the darkness overcomes and destroys people’s lives. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (Jn. 10:10). We will never know what goes through the mind of a person in these kinds of situations, but we know there is a great darkness and a sadness of the soul that is very real and present.
Following Jesus is no guarantee that the path will always be sunny and easy, that there won’t be any spiritual battles, that we won’t stumble and wander in the dark sometimes. The path of Jesus, “The light of the world” was one of suffering and led ultimately to a cross of darkness. But when we do follow Christ the light the darkness does not seem as overwhelming, we know with all the assurance of God that the darkness will not overcome us. If it’s sunny outside it doesn’t seem as cold. And the faintest light is able to drive out the darkness. Following Jesus keeps the darkness at bay, for we are walking in “the light of life.” When we follow Jesus we experience God’s promise, the promise that David in the Old Testament came to realize after a period of darkness. He said in 2 Sam. 22:29, “You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light.” (See also Ps.18:28). Stay close to the light and the darkness will not overtake you for the Lord will turn your darkness into light.
You were made by “the Light” to live in the light. You were not meant to live in the crushing depths of the cold darkness, you were made for the light. Are you living in the light? Jesus made a statement in John 12:35 that still applies today. “Then Jesus told them, ‘You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before the darkness overtakes you.” The darkness doesn’t have to overcome you, but you do have to step into the light, and live in that light! You can begin that journey today by making a step of faith. Let “the Light” shine in your hearts, to bring you the knowledge of salvation. You were made by “the Light” to live in the light.
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” John 8:12
Opening/Introduction
What do the Fangtooth Fish, Pacific Viper Fish, Vampire Squid, and Giant Tube Worms all have in common? They spend their entire lives at ocean depths that would crush us (some over 2 miles), they live out their entire lives in total darkness. Maybe that’s why they don’t look very happy! Deep sea creatures are designed to live in these harsh and dark conditions, human beings are not! We need light to live! The darkness is an alien world to us. We were made by “the Light” to live in the light.
Even when we desire to be in the dark, it’s so we can better appreciate the light. So we sit in a darkened movie theater to better appreciate the dazzling lights and effects of the film. Or on dark nights we gaze into the night sky and we are able to behold the spectacle of light in the sky. The darkness accents the light, helps us to see it better.
We were made by “the Light” to live in the light. Early on in life many of us exhibited tendencies to be afraid of the dark. I can remember as a child sleeping on a bunk bed afraid of the dark shadows cast by the tree in my window. I was thankful for a night light. Light comforts us. Even today, a well-lit parking lot puts us at ease, while we become a little edgy in dimly lit parking lot.
1. The Claim
“I am the light of the world.” In John 8:12, Jesus makes another astounding claim, here he claims to be “the light [not “a” light] of the world.” That Jesus made this statement when and where he did again was no coincidence. The time was the Festival of Tabernacles (see Jn. 7:2). This was one of the three great Jewish feasts, the other two being Passover and Pentecost. The Feast of Tabernacles (Hebrew, “Sukkot”) is called The Feast of Booths and commemorates the time that Israel lived in booths in the wilderness during their forty years of wandering. The feast occurs in late September to early October and lasts for seven days.
Jesus’ brothers had wanted him to make a grand entrance at the feast, but Jesus refused to go (7:3-4). Later Jesus went secretly (7:10). We’re told that the Jews were expecting that he would come and they were looking for him (7:11). Jesus was the topic of discussion among the pilgrims attending the feast (7:12-13). They would all see him soon enough.
The setting was the temple treasury. Clearly the Temple Treasury would be a busy place, with a constant flow of worshipers coming and going. On the evening of the first day of this feast, there was a ceremony called The Illumination of the Temple. William Barclay offers the following description:
“It took place in the Court of the Women. The court was surrounded with deep galleries, erected to hold spectators. In the centre four great candelabra [Menorah] were prepared. When the dark came the four great candelabra were lit and, it was said, they sent such a blaze of light throughout Jerusalem that every courtyard was lit up with their brilliance. Then all night long, until cock-crow the next morning, the greatest and the wisest and the holies men in Israel danced before the Lord and sang psalms of joy and praise while the people watched. Jesus is saying: “You have seen the blaze of the Temple illuminations piercing the darkness of the night. I am the Light of the World, and, for the man who follows me there will be light, not only for one exciting night, but for all the pathway of his life. The light in the Temple is a brilliant light, but in the end it flickers and dies. I am the Light which lasts for ever.”
The phrase “light of life” can mean either the light which issues from the source of life or the light which gives life. When Jesus claimed to be “the light of the world,” he meant both. He meant that . . .
(1) He is the very light of God come among men. He is the . . .
God who the Psalmist describes, “He wraps himself in light” (Ps. 104:2).
God who John describes, “God is light; in him there is no darkness” (1 Jn. 1:5).
God who Paul says, “Who lives in unapproachable light.” (1 Tim. 6:16).
Jesus is God! He is the source of life!
Because Jesus is God, He is the one who gives men life.
(2) He is the light which gives men life. He is the one . . .
John speaks of in John 1:4, “In him [i.e., Jesus] was life, and that life was the light of men.”
Paul speaks of in 2 Cor. 4:6, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
So the claim Jesus makes is the claim to be the source of life – God Himself and the God who gives life. And He is God from the very beginning (see Jn. 1:1-3).
The claim of Jesus is followed by . . .
2. The Invitation
“Whoever follows me.” If the claim is true, then the invitation makes sense, for the invitation is to “follow” Jesus with one’s whole life, and only God is worthy of that kind of allegiance. To be a follower of Christ is to give oneself body, soul and spirit into the obedience of the Master; and to enter upon that following is to walk in the light!
When we walk alone we are bound to stumble and fall because we are walking in the dark. We are prone to go in the wrong direction because we cannot see clearly the path. But when we follow Jesus the “light,” we find that he is a sure guide for he alone possesses the map to life. Only Jesus has the eternally updated GPS coordinates for your life! To follow him is to walk in safety through life and afterwards to enter into glory.
Have you ever tried to find your way in a dark place, on a dark path? Maybe you didn’t have a flashlight but someone with you did. So they took the lead with the flashlight and you walked alongside them, or just a little behind them. You were close enough to the light that you could see the path. If you lingered back to far the light would have been too distant to help you, the path would have immediately become dark again. People who follow Jesus, who stay close to Him, they are the ones who stay on the lighted path. If the path you are walking on is too dark, then you’re too far from Jesus for He is the light to your path. It’s time to step into the light. And you remain in the light as you follow Jesus.
The invitation is followed with . . .
3. The Promise
“Will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Darkness is hard to understand. There are different types of darkness. Sin is a type of darkness in the Bible. Our fallen sin nature is attracted to that darkness. This explains our love of the darkness even when it’s the darkness of sin that is seeking to destroy us. “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (Jn. 3:19-20). When we follow Jesus (“the light”) we will have power over sin that keeps us off the lighted path.
The light of Christ drives out the darkness. We were made by “the Light” to live in the light. To followers of Jesus, Paul says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” (Eph. 5:8). “You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled” (1 Thess. 5:5-6). And 1 Peter 2:9 reminds us us that we have been “called” out of “darkness into his wonderful light.”
There is another type of darkness that is overcome by the light. The spiritual battles that we endure are a type of darkness. Anxiety, fear, persecutions, struggling relationships, depression, spiritual attacks, these bring a heaviness, a darkness to our soul. And sometimes the darkness seems to win. Country star Mindy McCready, after a decade of reckless relationships, arrests, and addictions, tragically took her own life this past week leaving two sons, a 10 month and a 6 year old. Her boyfriend, David Wilson took his life about a month before on the same porch in Heber, Arkansas. These events sadden us even when we do not know the people personally because we see how the darkness overcomes and destroys people’s lives. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (Jn. 10:10). We will never know what goes through the mind of a person in these kinds of situations, but we know there is a great darkness and a sadness of the soul that is very real and present.
Following Jesus is no guarantee that the path will always be sunny and easy, that there won’t be any spiritual battles, that we won’t stumble and wander in the dark sometimes. The path of Jesus, “The light of the world” was one of suffering and led ultimately to a cross of darkness. But when we do follow Christ the light the darkness does not seem as overwhelming, we know with all the assurance of God that the darkness will not overcome us. If it’s sunny outside it doesn’t seem as cold. And the faintest light is able to drive out the darkness. Following Jesus keeps the darkness at bay, for we are walking in “the light of life.” When we follow Jesus we experience God’s promise, the promise that David in the Old Testament came to realize after a period of darkness. He said in 2 Sam. 22:29, “You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light.” (See also Ps.18:28). Stay close to the light and the darkness will not overtake you for the Lord will turn your darkness into light.
You were made by “the Light” to live in the light. You were not meant to live in the crushing depths of the cold darkness, you were made for the light. Are you living in the light? Jesus made a statement in John 12:35 that still applies today. “Then Jesus told them, ‘You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before the darkness overtakes you.” The darkness doesn’t have to overcome you, but you do have to step into the light, and live in that light! You can begin that journey today by making a step of faith. Let “the Light” shine in your hearts, to bring you the knowledge of salvation. You were made by “the Light” to live in the light.
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Monday, February 18, 2013
Only You Satisfy (John 6:35)
A sermon preached on Sunday, February 17, 2013 at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, LA
Scripture Reading: John 6:25-59 (Focal Verse, John 6:35)
“‘I am the bread of life,’ Jesus told them. ‘No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again.’”
Introduction:
It’s an obvious fact that we must eat to live. Hunger, like the lighted gas pump icon in your car is your body telling you it’s time to stop and refuel. And regardless of how full and satisfied you are after a meal, it won’t be very long before you have to eat again. In South Louisiana we take our eating pretty seriously. Many of our neighbors are celebrating Lent (which began last Wednesday). Lent is a time of prayer, reflection, and fasting, but only in Louisiana could we take that solemn celebration and make it about food! So during the season of fasting, we’ll eat twice as much seafood!
But there is another kind of hunger that we also instinctively have, it’s a spiritual hunger. We are created in “the image of God,” (Gen. 1:26) we are spiritual beings. God has set eternity in our hearts (Eccl. 3:11).Our spirit must feed to live and there is no physical food that can satisfy that need. Evidence of this spiritual hunger is present in every human being. We have a longing to know our purpose in life, why we are here. Where did we come from? Where are we going? We long for internal harmony and peace, we long to be accepted, to be loved, to be forgiven, to relate to people in healthy ways, to belong, to be fulfilled in life. These intangibles, things you cannot acquire in the physical world are real needs that we have. And they are real needs that can only be met by Jesus who is the bread of life.
Life Application: To believe in Jesus (“the bread of life”) is to experience a full and meaningful life on earth and to be with God forever.
(Read John 6:35). This is quite an amazing statement at face value. Jesus claims to be “the bread of life.” People familiar with the Bible will immediately see a connection with this statement with other similar “I am” statements in the Bible. The first occurrence of this “I am” statement is found in Exodus 3:14. Moses was being sent by God to deliver the Israelites from Egypt but he was worried that they would not receive him. He wanted to know who was sending him, on what authority was he coming to them with a plan of deliverance? “God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God disclosed His name to Moses as “I am,” meaning “I will be what I will be,” a designation of deity.
So when Jesus used the expression “I am,” it was no coincidence and it was not without a specific purpose. Jesus claimed that He was the LORD! That Jesus claimed to be God is an issue in the Bible that you just cannot get around. Everything hinges upon the truthfulness of His statement. Only God is worthy of worship, only God can forgive sins, only God can change a life, only God is worth committing your life to. So Jesus claiming to be God is no small matter. That the people he first spoke this to understood what Jesus meant is clear from the context because later in the conversation they said, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can He now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” (v.42). The argument made by C.S. Lewis, Josh McDowell, Lee Strobel and others is appropriate in this text. Jesus is either the Lord, a Liar, or a Lunatic! Jesus Himself gives us no other way of viewing Him, there are no other options.
Equally astounding is Jesus’ claim to be “the bread of life.” He and He alone is able to satisfy the hunger and thirst of the soul. “Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4; Deut. 8:3). The account that precedes our passage was the feeding of the 5,000, the miracle of the loaves and fishes. This feeding met their immediate physical need, but what about the spiritual needs? Jesus said the people “looked” to him (notice it doesn’t say they believed) because they “ate the loaves and were filled” (v.26). To them Jesus was some sort of “food-pantry Messiah,” able to meet their physical needs, but to most that was the extent of it.
But now after satisfying their stomachs, Jesus turns their thinking towards their spirits. “Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you” (v.27). That they did not understand this is obvious for they said, “What can we do to perform the works of God?” (v.28). Man is always looking for a way to save himself, to “do” something. Because this spiritual hunger is a part of our human nature, we naturally seek to have this need met in nature, what we can touch, see, experience. So in this quest for meaning, for this hunger to be met, we fill our life with earthly substitutes.
Substitutes that Will Not Satisfy: Materialism (1 Jn. 2:15-16), relationships (Matt. 10:37), the love of money (Matt. 6:24), a career, job, work, self (Lk. 9:23-24), success, even religion (Matt. 15:8-9). But these “idols of the heart” (Ezek. 14:3-6) will not quench the hunger and thirst for God. They cannot satisfy. They still leave us empty.
In the movie, The Pirates of The Caribbean, Captain Barbossa and his crew have found the chest of Cortez containing 882 pieces of Aztec Gold, but now they are cursed men, they are the undead. Explaining the curse Barbossa describes finding the gold and coming to grips with the curse he and his men were under. “We took them all [i.e., the gold pieces]! Spent ‘em, traded ‘em and fritted ‘em away, for drink and food and pleasurable company. But the more we gave them away, the more we came to realize. The drink would not satisfy, food turned to ash in our mouths, nor the company in the world would harm or slake our lust. We are cursed men . . . compelled by greed, we were. But now, we are consumed by it.” “For too long I’ve been parched of thirst and unable to quench it. Too long I’ve been starving to death and haven’t died. I feel nothing. Not the wind on my face nor the spray of the sea.” “We are cursed men.” Earthly substitutes for God will not satisfy.
If this is our condition, where do we find satisfaction for our spiritual hunger and thirst? “Jesus tells us, ‘This is the work of God – that you believe in the One He has sent” (v.29). Instead of “doing” something to meet the need we have, Jesus said God is the one who does the “doing,” He is the one who meets our need.
God does the work of salvation, we are to “believe in the One He has sent” (v.29). And who might this “One” be? Jesus, who is “the bread of life” (v.35).
Three Tremendous Truths about Salvation
1. Salvation is God’s work and gift to man (6:27-29)
But man fails to grasp this because the world despises grace. Man wants to naturally contribute to his salvation, but Grace means I come to Jesus just as I am, I humbly bow before God a sinner in need of a savior. It’s easy to see why the Jewish leaders were offended by what Jesus said and who he claimed to be.
The cross offends my pride, it’s a stumbling block, it shows me my true self (See 1 Cor. 1:22-24). It’s not surprising that people have always been attracted to a pseudo-Christianity where you are encouraged to pick and chose what you like, and set aside troubling things like the cross. It’s not surprising that people still want to make Jesus a good man, and dress his teaching up with some positive self help principles. The real Jesus is too demanding!
Jesus’ audience still wants to see a sign “so we may believe You” (v.30). Had they not just seen “The Sign” of all signs in the miracle of the loaves? Had they not seen evidence multiplied over ten times that Jesus was the “One”? But what about you? Have you not seen enough of God’s grace and mercy and goodness in your life to save you ten times over? Has God not brought to you the truth repeatedly? Are there not countless reminders everyday of the reality of God? No amount of signs and wonders or human reason will convince people whose hearts are hard and prideful. Jesus has just told these knuckleheads what to do, to “believe in the One He has sent” (v.29), but what are they doing? They are still looking for another way, a way of escape. But there is no escape! “How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” (Heb. 2:3).
In an attempt to escape, they employed the tactic of “let’s get him sidetracked on some religious controversy.” So they bring up the history of their “fathers” (v.31). The manna that rained down from heaven in the wilderness was bread miraculously provided by God for the Israelites (Ex. 16:4; Ps. 78:24). But Jesus turned the discussion of bread to the giver of “real bread from heaven,” the bread that satisfies the soul. This “bread of God is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (v.33). Jesus says that this “bread of God” is a person, “the One.” And who could that be but Jesus, the one who is telling them these words.
Salvation has never been in a religion, or a ceremony, or in something that you do, but it’s always been in a person.
2. Salvation is in the person of Jesus Christ (6:33-35)
In the Old Testament people were saved looking forward. Today we are saved looking backwards. But on both sides salvation has been provided by “the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world (Rev. 13:8). Still thinking only of earthly bread, they said, “Sir [not Lord], give us this bread always!” (v.34). It’s at this point Jesus makes the astounding claim of our text, “I am the bread of life” (v.35).
Jesus is “the bread of life,” our salvation. His hearers could have experienced this amazing promise of salvation but Jesus explains why they did not. “You’ve seen [some Mss omit “Me”], and yet you do not believe” (v.36). What did they see? They saw God in the flesh at work in the world, they saw God’s miracles, they listened to God’s Word, they have had many opportunities to believe but they have refused to do so. Their problem is not a knowledge problem, it’s a heart problem. It is not that they cannot believe, they are unwilling to believe.
To those who have come and who will come in the future, there is a tremendous promise of security in verse 37. Jesus “will never cast [us] out.” God will never forsake His children. God’s desire, His plan is to have a family, and He desires us to be with Him forever. God in Christ will “lose none” but will “raise them up on the last day” (v.40). Instead of this being glorious good news, “the Jews started complaining about Him because He said: I am the bread that came down from heaven” (v.41). The Jews could accept a teacher, a Rabbi (v.25). They could accept even a prophet, a miracle worker, but they could not accept Jesus as God, as Lord.
3. Salvation is available to all who will believe in Jesus (6:44-51)
We come to Christ when “the Father . . . draws” us. But the question is, how does God draw people? The same word for “draw” is used at John 12:32-33. “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself. He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.” There is a magnetism in the cross of Jesus. The cross exposes our sinful condition but we are drawn by the cross because Jesus points us to reconciliation with God the Father. In Jesus all souls become clean, forgiven.
The people Jesus was speaking to were drawn (v.44) but they were not saved. Jesus said that they had “the prophets,” they were “all taught by God” (v.45). Their problem was not knowledge, they did not believe God’s Word. They had the truth but they refused to even be open to the possibility that Jesus could have been God, and as a result of their obstinance they did not come to Jesus to be saved. Jesus said, “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt. 22:14, ESV). They were not saved because they “could not” come (they were “called”), it was because they “would not” come (thus, they did not believe and become “chosen”). Salvation is available to all who will believe in Jesus.
Bread is good for one thing, to be eaten (v.51). Bread is not for display, it is food for life. Jesus reminds the Jews that their fathers ate the bread (the manna) in the wilderness but that they still died (v.49). The bread that he is speaking of is bread given “so that anyone may eat of it and not die” (v.50). But they said, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” (v.52). Jesus did not soften His demand but pressed even more deeply. “I assure you: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life in yourselves” (v.53). The question is, “Is Jesus serious here?” “Is He advocating canibalims?” “How does one ‘feed’ on Jesus (v.57)?”
Clearly, Jesus is saying that we partake of the body of Christ, his flesh and blood by faith, by believing in Him, the major theme of this entire passage repeated at least six (6) times (vv.29, 35, 40, 47). To believe in Jesus is “to accept as true, genuine, or real” that Jesus is who He claimed to be – the bread of life – God! To believe in Jesus is “to have a firm conviction” in His ability to save, to reconcile me with the Father, to raise me on that last day.
What is the result of belief in Jesus? “No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again.” Impossible? No, it’s good news and it’s available to all who will come in faith to Jesus Christ. It’s not enough to know about Jesus, to sing about Him, to admire Him. But do you know Him? Have you believed in Him? “‘I am the bread of life,’ Jesus told them. ‘No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again.’” To believe in Jesus (“the bread of life”) is to experience a full and meaningful life on earth and to be with God forever. Only Christ satisfies! Are you satisfied?
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Scripture Reading: John 6:25-59 (Focal Verse, John 6:35)
“‘I am the bread of life,’ Jesus told them. ‘No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again.’”
Introduction:
It’s an obvious fact that we must eat to live. Hunger, like the lighted gas pump icon in your car is your body telling you it’s time to stop and refuel. And regardless of how full and satisfied you are after a meal, it won’t be very long before you have to eat again. In South Louisiana we take our eating pretty seriously. Many of our neighbors are celebrating Lent (which began last Wednesday). Lent is a time of prayer, reflection, and fasting, but only in Louisiana could we take that solemn celebration and make it about food! So during the season of fasting, we’ll eat twice as much seafood!
But there is another kind of hunger that we also instinctively have, it’s a spiritual hunger. We are created in “the image of God,” (Gen. 1:26) we are spiritual beings. God has set eternity in our hearts (Eccl. 3:11).Our spirit must feed to live and there is no physical food that can satisfy that need. Evidence of this spiritual hunger is present in every human being. We have a longing to know our purpose in life, why we are here. Where did we come from? Where are we going? We long for internal harmony and peace, we long to be accepted, to be loved, to be forgiven, to relate to people in healthy ways, to belong, to be fulfilled in life. These intangibles, things you cannot acquire in the physical world are real needs that we have. And they are real needs that can only be met by Jesus who is the bread of life.
Life Application: To believe in Jesus (“the bread of life”) is to experience a full and meaningful life on earth and to be with God forever.
(Read John 6:35). This is quite an amazing statement at face value. Jesus claims to be “the bread of life.” People familiar with the Bible will immediately see a connection with this statement with other similar “I am” statements in the Bible. The first occurrence of this “I am” statement is found in Exodus 3:14. Moses was being sent by God to deliver the Israelites from Egypt but he was worried that they would not receive him. He wanted to know who was sending him, on what authority was he coming to them with a plan of deliverance? “God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God disclosed His name to Moses as “I am,” meaning “I will be what I will be,” a designation of deity.
So when Jesus used the expression “I am,” it was no coincidence and it was not without a specific purpose. Jesus claimed that He was the LORD! That Jesus claimed to be God is an issue in the Bible that you just cannot get around. Everything hinges upon the truthfulness of His statement. Only God is worthy of worship, only God can forgive sins, only God can change a life, only God is worth committing your life to. So Jesus claiming to be God is no small matter. That the people he first spoke this to understood what Jesus meant is clear from the context because later in the conversation they said, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can He now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” (v.42). The argument made by C.S. Lewis, Josh McDowell, Lee Strobel and others is appropriate in this text. Jesus is either the Lord, a Liar, or a Lunatic! Jesus Himself gives us no other way of viewing Him, there are no other options.
Equally astounding is Jesus’ claim to be “the bread of life.” He and He alone is able to satisfy the hunger and thirst of the soul. “Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4; Deut. 8:3). The account that precedes our passage was the feeding of the 5,000, the miracle of the loaves and fishes. This feeding met their immediate physical need, but what about the spiritual needs? Jesus said the people “looked” to him (notice it doesn’t say they believed) because they “ate the loaves and were filled” (v.26). To them Jesus was some sort of “food-pantry Messiah,” able to meet their physical needs, but to most that was the extent of it.
But now after satisfying their stomachs, Jesus turns their thinking towards their spirits. “Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you” (v.27). That they did not understand this is obvious for they said, “What can we do to perform the works of God?” (v.28). Man is always looking for a way to save himself, to “do” something. Because this spiritual hunger is a part of our human nature, we naturally seek to have this need met in nature, what we can touch, see, experience. So in this quest for meaning, for this hunger to be met, we fill our life with earthly substitutes.
Substitutes that Will Not Satisfy: Materialism (1 Jn. 2:15-16), relationships (Matt. 10:37), the love of money (Matt. 6:24), a career, job, work, self (Lk. 9:23-24), success, even religion (Matt. 15:8-9). But these “idols of the heart” (Ezek. 14:3-6) will not quench the hunger and thirst for God. They cannot satisfy. They still leave us empty.
In the movie, The Pirates of The Caribbean, Captain Barbossa and his crew have found the chest of Cortez containing 882 pieces of Aztec Gold, but now they are cursed men, they are the undead. Explaining the curse Barbossa describes finding the gold and coming to grips with the curse he and his men were under. “We took them all [i.e., the gold pieces]! Spent ‘em, traded ‘em and fritted ‘em away, for drink and food and pleasurable company. But the more we gave them away, the more we came to realize. The drink would not satisfy, food turned to ash in our mouths, nor the company in the world would harm or slake our lust. We are cursed men . . . compelled by greed, we were. But now, we are consumed by it.” “For too long I’ve been parched of thirst and unable to quench it. Too long I’ve been starving to death and haven’t died. I feel nothing. Not the wind on my face nor the spray of the sea.” “We are cursed men.” Earthly substitutes for God will not satisfy.
If this is our condition, where do we find satisfaction for our spiritual hunger and thirst? “Jesus tells us, ‘This is the work of God – that you believe in the One He has sent” (v.29). Instead of “doing” something to meet the need we have, Jesus said God is the one who does the “doing,” He is the one who meets our need.
God does the work of salvation, we are to “believe in the One He has sent” (v.29). And who might this “One” be? Jesus, who is “the bread of life” (v.35).
Three Tremendous Truths about Salvation
1. Salvation is God’s work and gift to man (6:27-29)
But man fails to grasp this because the world despises grace. Man wants to naturally contribute to his salvation, but Grace means I come to Jesus just as I am, I humbly bow before God a sinner in need of a savior. It’s easy to see why the Jewish leaders were offended by what Jesus said and who he claimed to be.
The cross offends my pride, it’s a stumbling block, it shows me my true self (See 1 Cor. 1:22-24). It’s not surprising that people have always been attracted to a pseudo-Christianity where you are encouraged to pick and chose what you like, and set aside troubling things like the cross. It’s not surprising that people still want to make Jesus a good man, and dress his teaching up with some positive self help principles. The real Jesus is too demanding!
Jesus’ audience still wants to see a sign “so we may believe You” (v.30). Had they not just seen “The Sign” of all signs in the miracle of the loaves? Had they not seen evidence multiplied over ten times that Jesus was the “One”? But what about you? Have you not seen enough of God’s grace and mercy and goodness in your life to save you ten times over? Has God not brought to you the truth repeatedly? Are there not countless reminders everyday of the reality of God? No amount of signs and wonders or human reason will convince people whose hearts are hard and prideful. Jesus has just told these knuckleheads what to do, to “believe in the One He has sent” (v.29), but what are they doing? They are still looking for another way, a way of escape. But there is no escape! “How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” (Heb. 2:3).
In an attempt to escape, they employed the tactic of “let’s get him sidetracked on some religious controversy.” So they bring up the history of their “fathers” (v.31). The manna that rained down from heaven in the wilderness was bread miraculously provided by God for the Israelites (Ex. 16:4; Ps. 78:24). But Jesus turned the discussion of bread to the giver of “real bread from heaven,” the bread that satisfies the soul. This “bread of God is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (v.33). Jesus says that this “bread of God” is a person, “the One.” And who could that be but Jesus, the one who is telling them these words.
Salvation has never been in a religion, or a ceremony, or in something that you do, but it’s always been in a person.
2. Salvation is in the person of Jesus Christ (6:33-35)
In the Old Testament people were saved looking forward. Today we are saved looking backwards. But on both sides salvation has been provided by “the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world (Rev. 13:8). Still thinking only of earthly bread, they said, “Sir [not Lord], give us this bread always!” (v.34). It’s at this point Jesus makes the astounding claim of our text, “I am the bread of life” (v.35).
Jesus is “the bread of life,” our salvation. His hearers could have experienced this amazing promise of salvation but Jesus explains why they did not. “You’ve seen [some Mss omit “Me”], and yet you do not believe” (v.36). What did they see? They saw God in the flesh at work in the world, they saw God’s miracles, they listened to God’s Word, they have had many opportunities to believe but they have refused to do so. Their problem is not a knowledge problem, it’s a heart problem. It is not that they cannot believe, they are unwilling to believe.
To those who have come and who will come in the future, there is a tremendous promise of security in verse 37. Jesus “will never cast [us] out.” God will never forsake His children. God’s desire, His plan is to have a family, and He desires us to be with Him forever. God in Christ will “lose none” but will “raise them up on the last day” (v.40). Instead of this being glorious good news, “the Jews started complaining about Him because He said: I am the bread that came down from heaven” (v.41). The Jews could accept a teacher, a Rabbi (v.25). They could accept even a prophet, a miracle worker, but they could not accept Jesus as God, as Lord.
3. Salvation is available to all who will believe in Jesus (6:44-51)
We come to Christ when “the Father . . . draws” us. But the question is, how does God draw people? The same word for “draw” is used at John 12:32-33. “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself. He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.” There is a magnetism in the cross of Jesus. The cross exposes our sinful condition but we are drawn by the cross because Jesus points us to reconciliation with God the Father. In Jesus all souls become clean, forgiven.
The people Jesus was speaking to were drawn (v.44) but they were not saved. Jesus said that they had “the prophets,” they were “all taught by God” (v.45). Their problem was not knowledge, they did not believe God’s Word. They had the truth but they refused to even be open to the possibility that Jesus could have been God, and as a result of their obstinance they did not come to Jesus to be saved. Jesus said, “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt. 22:14, ESV). They were not saved because they “could not” come (they were “called”), it was because they “would not” come (thus, they did not believe and become “chosen”). Salvation is available to all who will believe in Jesus.
Bread is good for one thing, to be eaten (v.51). Bread is not for display, it is food for life. Jesus reminds the Jews that their fathers ate the bread (the manna) in the wilderness but that they still died (v.49). The bread that he is speaking of is bread given “so that anyone may eat of it and not die” (v.50). But they said, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” (v.52). Jesus did not soften His demand but pressed even more deeply. “I assure you: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life in yourselves” (v.53). The question is, “Is Jesus serious here?” “Is He advocating canibalims?” “How does one ‘feed’ on Jesus (v.57)?”
Clearly, Jesus is saying that we partake of the body of Christ, his flesh and blood by faith, by believing in Him, the major theme of this entire passage repeated at least six (6) times (vv.29, 35, 40, 47). To believe in Jesus is “to accept as true, genuine, or real” that Jesus is who He claimed to be – the bread of life – God! To believe in Jesus is “to have a firm conviction” in His ability to save, to reconcile me with the Father, to raise me on that last day.
What is the result of belief in Jesus? “No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again.” Impossible? No, it’s good news and it’s available to all who will come in faith to Jesus Christ. It’s not enough to know about Jesus, to sing about Him, to admire Him. But do you know Him? Have you believed in Him? “‘I am the bread of life,’ Jesus told them. ‘No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again.’” To believe in Jesus (“the bread of life”) is to experience a full and meaningful life on earth and to be with God forever. Only Christ satisfies! Are you satisfied?
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
Monday, February 4, 2013
Living the Lord's Prayer (Part II)
A sermon preached at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana on February 3, 2013 by Pastor Joe Alain.
Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:9-13
That the disciples had a great desire to learn how to pray (see Lk. 11:1), tells us (1) that they realized just how dependent they were on the strength and wisdom of the Lord. (2) and how they were also encouraged to learn how to pray because Jesus’ prayer life was so dynamic and effective. Jesus was a man of prayer and consequently a man of purpose and peace. The disciples saw Jesus’ example and were saying, “Lord, we want what you have, but more importantly, we need what you have!”
Last Sunday we began to explore what we call “The Lord’s Prayer” or “The Disciple’s Prayer,” since Jesus is teaching the disciples how to pray in response to their request (Lk. 11:1). Following is a review of what I shared in last week’s message on the nature of prayer.
1. Prayer is a relationship. Believers know God as “Our Father in heaven.”
2. Prayer is an expression of faith. In prayer we acknowledge God’s reality, that we are trusting in Him, and that we receive from “Our Father” in prayer.
3. Prayer is an ongoing dialogue. Prayer is a conversation with God.
4. Prayer is learned. We’re all beginners in prayer, we’re children. However, prayer is a spiritual discipline that can be cultivated. This is why Jesus provides a “How to” model for praying.
We also identified two models of prayer that Jesus said to avoid.
1. The Hypocrite’s Prayer (6:5)
2. The Heathen’s Prayer (6:7)
Both of these models lack authenticity, they are not based on a personal relationship with God. In prayer we are to be real, genuine, honest. Relationships are built on honesty, not deception. So it is with our relationship with God.
After teaching us how not to pray, Jesus then gives us the specifics of how to pray. What does Jesus say about how to pray?
“This is how you should pray:”
1. Pray that God’s name is honored (6:9b)
The word “hallowed” means “to make holy” or “to treat as holy.” God is holy, he is pure, he is separate from sin, he is glorious and mighty. This very hour in heaven the angels are singing to the Father with joy singing “Holy, holy, holy,” praising the One who is worthy of all praise and adoration. The Father is holy and his name is holy. The “name” has to do with character. God’s names reveal His being, His character. So to hallow God’s name is to honor or praise His character, His attributes, His person, who He is. Prayer begins with an acknowledgment of God, an honoring of God for who He is.
How can we hallow, honor God’s name? How do we bring glory to God’s name? To honor God’s name means we will . . .
(1) Take God seriously (Ex. 20:7). The third commandment tells us to not take God’s name in vain (i.e., lightly) (Ex. 20:7). To honor God’s name means we are taking God seriously, we are not taking Him for granted, we are not living our lives as if He did not exist.
(2) Trust in His name (Jn. 1:12; Acts 4:12). This means we will have faith in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(3) Grow in our understanding of His name (2 Pet. 3:18). As we grow in our understanding of God, our prayer life/relationship will deepen.
(4) Praise His name (Ps. 8:1; 9:1-2; 34:1-3; Heb. 13:15).
It is good to begin our times of prayer with praise for some aspect of God’s character represented in His names. For example, He is . . .
Jehovah Jireh . . . “The Lord will provide” (Gen. 22:14)
Emmanuel . . . God with us! (Isa. 7:14)
Jesus . . . God come to save us from our sins! (Matt. 1:21)
(5) Live a life that honors His name (Matt. 5:13-ff.; 1 Pet. 1:15-16). Praying that God’s name is honored means we will seek to live our lives in such a way that we bring honor to His name. As children of God we bear “Our Father’s” name, we bear the name “Christian.”
Our enjoyment in prayer, our effectiveness in praying, our relationship with God in prayer is all connected with how we live our lives. “My living effects my praying, and my praying effects my living.” As Jesus described him, the hypocrite can pray eloquently, impressively, and not give it any thought to being real and living holy, because the hypocrite is not talking to God, he’s talking to himself and others. The pagan, the person without Christ can pray long formulas mumbling repeatedly for days on end, not concerned about living holy before God because there is no connection with the living God. The line is dead. But Jesus says “When you pray,” it will be different because you have knowledge of the “Father in heaven” through Me. Your living does effect your praying, but your praying also effects your living.
2. Pray that God’s kingdom will come on earth (6:10)
The kingdom of God is “His rule.” The coming of our Father’s kingdom will bring about the full reign of God when it is ultimately consummated at the end of time. To ask for God’s kingdom to come on earth implies that it is not fully here yet. So we are praying, longing for that final establishment of God’s rule over all His creation.
We as followers of Jesus live in the tension of the kingdom being present in the ministry of Jesus and among us who call Him our King. Where there are followers of Jesus, there is the kingdom in part. But it’s not fully hear yet, so we are to pray for it to be fully realized. This is pretty radical when you consider what we’re praying for. We’re praying for God’s kingdom and will to be done not only among us, but in all the earth, among every people group, in every nation!
The question is, “how does God’s kingdom come?” The second phrase of verse 10 tells us. God’s kingdom comes when and wherever His “will” is done “on earth as it is in heaven.” Where you find God’s will being done, you will find the kingdom. When a Dad and Mom love one another, treat each other with respect and show the fruit of the Sprit in their home, there is the kingdom. When parents love their children by teaching them the things of God so they will come to know the Lord and love Him, there is the kingdom. When an employer treats his employees the way that he would seek to be treated, with honesty, integrity, there is the kingdom. When nations deal with their problems at the negotiating table, choosing to be peace makers rather than the battle field, there is the kingdom. When a community has concern for the least among us and seeks to minister God’s love in tangible ways, there is the kingdom. When and wherever you see God’s will being done, there is the kingdom.
We live on planet earth (well most of us do), but the problem from our perspective of being in Christ is that we see much in our world that does not look like God’s kingdom. We see heartbreak, families in disarray, strife, works of the flesh – the effects of sin. So we pray for God’s will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” But implied in praying for this is our willingness to carry out God’s will on earth.
Are we satisfied with all of the “heaven” on earth that we see? In our family? In our community? Are we satisfied that young people are killing one another, that people wander in sin without direction and without any hope, that our society is moving farther away from God, that fewer people fear God, that Christians make such little impact in our culture, that injustice and wickedness is increasing? If not, then we must pray for God’s kingdom to come on earth, that His will be done, and let it begin in me! If we do long for God’s kingdom, we will pray, “Lord, Your holy will be done in my life, my family, my home, church, community, country, world.” If God’s kingdom is going to come on earth as it is in heaven, if God’s will is to be done on earth as it is in heaven, it will begin with those who hallow, who honor His name.
Have you noticed that all of what Jesus has said about prayer so far is God-centered. Prayer is first directed vertically, to “our Father in heaven” (6:9). Only then does prayer move in the direction of making personal requests. Prayer is so much more than reciting to God our grocery list of needs. God-honoring prayer will begin with honoring Him as holy in all of my life and praying for His kingdom to come and His will to be done in my life first, then the world.
There is no question that we need help from God. “Our Father” understands that and He has given us permission to ask Him to meet every possible need we will ever have.
3. Pray about our daily needs (6:11)
Your Father knows that you have needs. He knows that you need food on the table, clothes on your back, shoes for your feet. He knows you need a roof over your head, a car that runs, and a job to sustain all of these needs. Most people do not consider daily needs very spiritual. They see nothing particularly spiritual about paying the mortgage or rent, washing dishes, or fixing a leaky toilet. But for the Christian, these daily routine matters provide ongoing evidence that God is at work in our lives and He cares deeply about every detail of our lives.
Aside from the fact that God does meet our needs, the immediate “take away” from praying about our daily needs, is that we are released from worry. Jesus refers to anxiety or worry five times in the short passage that follows closely after the Lord’s prayer (Matt. 6:25-34). As children do not worry about what they will eat, or where they will sleep (unless we as adults project our anxiety upon them), so we can live a worry-free child-like existence. This doesn’t mean that we will live a “trouble free” existence, but we can live a “worry free” one. This is the kind of relationship that God invites us to experience when we pray about our daily needs. What are you anxious about? What keeps you up at night? What pressing daily need do you have? Bring it before your “Father in heaven” and experience His peace that surpasses all human understanding.
The other side of this request is that praying for our needs makes us keenly aware that God is the source of our blessings. This in turn makes us grateful to God for His blessings. People that pray about their needs are grateful people. In prayer we realize that God has been faithful, he has provided our needs and we are reminded that every thing we have is a gift from God. People that pray much, give thanks much.
4. Pray for forgiveness (6:12)
Debt is a concept we all understand. We worry about debt, we work hard to get out of it, sometimes it keeps us up at night. But when is the last time your sin kept you up at night because you realized that you were in debt to God? Sin is always serious and it drives a wedge between us and our “Father. Clinging to sin and seeking His kingdom cannot happen at the same time.
For us to honor His name, we desperately need the freedom of a clear conscience. One of the sweetest blessings in life is to live with a clear conscience. You say, “how is this possible?” God has provided a way for us to be forgiven, to be released from guilt. And this promise is for all wh will pray for forgiveness. However, our confession of sin needs to be specific (1 Jn. 1:8-9). “Anything less than full disclosure always brings less than full release.” A wise man once told me when I was a young Christian, “Be sure to keep a low ‘Sin Account.’” What he meant was that I needed to make sure that I did not let sins accumulate in my life. Instead, I needed to keep a “0" balance by seeking God’s forgiveness and cleansing immediately and daily. I discovered that in Jesus not only am I “sin debt” free, I can free because of God’s provision in Christ!
In asking God for forgiveness, it is assumed that we will forgive others, “as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Does this mean that forgiveness is conditional? Those who are willing to forgive (release) others show that they have been truly forgiven (see Matt. 18:21-35). A true experience of grace makes us gracious toward others who have wronged us. When we refuse to forgive, we are the ones held captive.
5. Pray for protection from evil (6:13)
Ken Hemphill says, “The quickest way to make this request a reality . . . is to realize that we can make no headway in holiness without God’s constant provision. Not only are we no match for our adversary the Devil, but we cannot even trust ourselves for help in keeping our lives clean.”
Temptation is the pull of our own lust, which leads us to sin. When we pray for protection from temptation, we are asking God to protect us from situations that would test our vulnerability. As you start your day, ask God to keep you far away from compromising situations as possible. These situations might included the gossip at the office, ungodly internet sites, or situations that would compromise your integrity.
You know the sins that cause you the most trouble. You know the warning lights when you’re in the wrong place with the wrong people. Pray to be kept from these situations and you will find strength from the Lord to avoid these situations. When Jesus was tempted He quoted Scripture (Matt. 4:1-11). What Scripture could you quote when dealing with specific temptations? Whatever your weakness is, there’s an “ap” for that (i.e., God has provided a Word from Scripture to help you).
Our living effects our praying, and our praying effects our living. Do you need freedom from worry about our needs? Do you need a clear conscience? Do you need strength in temptations? Then pray and keep on praying to your “Father in heaven.”
Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:9-13
That the disciples had a great desire to learn how to pray (see Lk. 11:1), tells us (1) that they realized just how dependent they were on the strength and wisdom of the Lord. (2) and how they were also encouraged to learn how to pray because Jesus’ prayer life was so dynamic and effective. Jesus was a man of prayer and consequently a man of purpose and peace. The disciples saw Jesus’ example and were saying, “Lord, we want what you have, but more importantly, we need what you have!”
Last Sunday we began to explore what we call “The Lord’s Prayer” or “The Disciple’s Prayer,” since Jesus is teaching the disciples how to pray in response to their request (Lk. 11:1). Following is a review of what I shared in last week’s message on the nature of prayer.
1. Prayer is a relationship. Believers know God as “Our Father in heaven.”
2. Prayer is an expression of faith. In prayer we acknowledge God’s reality, that we are trusting in Him, and that we receive from “Our Father” in prayer.
3. Prayer is an ongoing dialogue. Prayer is a conversation with God.
4. Prayer is learned. We’re all beginners in prayer, we’re children. However, prayer is a spiritual discipline that can be cultivated. This is why Jesus provides a “How to” model for praying.
We also identified two models of prayer that Jesus said to avoid.
1. The Hypocrite’s Prayer (6:5)
2. The Heathen’s Prayer (6:7)
Both of these models lack authenticity, they are not based on a personal relationship with God. In prayer we are to be real, genuine, honest. Relationships are built on honesty, not deception. So it is with our relationship with God.
After teaching us how not to pray, Jesus then gives us the specifics of how to pray. What does Jesus say about how to pray?
“This is how you should pray:”
1. Pray that God’s name is honored (6:9b)
The word “hallowed” means “to make holy” or “to treat as holy.” God is holy, he is pure, he is separate from sin, he is glorious and mighty. This very hour in heaven the angels are singing to the Father with joy singing “Holy, holy, holy,” praising the One who is worthy of all praise and adoration. The Father is holy and his name is holy. The “name” has to do with character. God’s names reveal His being, His character. So to hallow God’s name is to honor or praise His character, His attributes, His person, who He is. Prayer begins with an acknowledgment of God, an honoring of God for who He is.
How can we hallow, honor God’s name? How do we bring glory to God’s name? To honor God’s name means we will . . .
(1) Take God seriously (Ex. 20:7). The third commandment tells us to not take God’s name in vain (i.e., lightly) (Ex. 20:7). To honor God’s name means we are taking God seriously, we are not taking Him for granted, we are not living our lives as if He did not exist.
(2) Trust in His name (Jn. 1:12; Acts 4:12). This means we will have faith in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(3) Grow in our understanding of His name (2 Pet. 3:18). As we grow in our understanding of God, our prayer life/relationship will deepen.
(4) Praise His name (Ps. 8:1; 9:1-2; 34:1-3; Heb. 13:15).
It is good to begin our times of prayer with praise for some aspect of God’s character represented in His names. For example, He is . . .
Jehovah Jireh . . . “The Lord will provide” (Gen. 22:14)
Emmanuel . . . God with us! (Isa. 7:14)
Jesus . . . God come to save us from our sins! (Matt. 1:21)
(5) Live a life that honors His name (Matt. 5:13-ff.; 1 Pet. 1:15-16). Praying that God’s name is honored means we will seek to live our lives in such a way that we bring honor to His name. As children of God we bear “Our Father’s” name, we bear the name “Christian.”
Our enjoyment in prayer, our effectiveness in praying, our relationship with God in prayer is all connected with how we live our lives. “My living effects my praying, and my praying effects my living.” As Jesus described him, the hypocrite can pray eloquently, impressively, and not give it any thought to being real and living holy, because the hypocrite is not talking to God, he’s talking to himself and others. The pagan, the person without Christ can pray long formulas mumbling repeatedly for days on end, not concerned about living holy before God because there is no connection with the living God. The line is dead. But Jesus says “When you pray,” it will be different because you have knowledge of the “Father in heaven” through Me. Your living does effect your praying, but your praying also effects your living.
2. Pray that God’s kingdom will come on earth (6:10)
The kingdom of God is “His rule.” The coming of our Father’s kingdom will bring about the full reign of God when it is ultimately consummated at the end of time. To ask for God’s kingdom to come on earth implies that it is not fully here yet. So we are praying, longing for that final establishment of God’s rule over all His creation.
We as followers of Jesus live in the tension of the kingdom being present in the ministry of Jesus and among us who call Him our King. Where there are followers of Jesus, there is the kingdom in part. But it’s not fully hear yet, so we are to pray for it to be fully realized. This is pretty radical when you consider what we’re praying for. We’re praying for God’s kingdom and will to be done not only among us, but in all the earth, among every people group, in every nation!
The question is, “how does God’s kingdom come?” The second phrase of verse 10 tells us. God’s kingdom comes when and wherever His “will” is done “on earth as it is in heaven.” Where you find God’s will being done, you will find the kingdom. When a Dad and Mom love one another, treat each other with respect and show the fruit of the Sprit in their home, there is the kingdom. When parents love their children by teaching them the things of God so they will come to know the Lord and love Him, there is the kingdom. When an employer treats his employees the way that he would seek to be treated, with honesty, integrity, there is the kingdom. When nations deal with their problems at the negotiating table, choosing to be peace makers rather than the battle field, there is the kingdom. When a community has concern for the least among us and seeks to minister God’s love in tangible ways, there is the kingdom. When and wherever you see God’s will being done, there is the kingdom.
We live on planet earth (well most of us do), but the problem from our perspective of being in Christ is that we see much in our world that does not look like God’s kingdom. We see heartbreak, families in disarray, strife, works of the flesh – the effects of sin. So we pray for God’s will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” But implied in praying for this is our willingness to carry out God’s will on earth.
Are we satisfied with all of the “heaven” on earth that we see? In our family? In our community? Are we satisfied that young people are killing one another, that people wander in sin without direction and without any hope, that our society is moving farther away from God, that fewer people fear God, that Christians make such little impact in our culture, that injustice and wickedness is increasing? If not, then we must pray for God’s kingdom to come on earth, that His will be done, and let it begin in me! If we do long for God’s kingdom, we will pray, “Lord, Your holy will be done in my life, my family, my home, church, community, country, world.” If God’s kingdom is going to come on earth as it is in heaven, if God’s will is to be done on earth as it is in heaven, it will begin with those who hallow, who honor His name.
Have you noticed that all of what Jesus has said about prayer so far is God-centered. Prayer is first directed vertically, to “our Father in heaven” (6:9). Only then does prayer move in the direction of making personal requests. Prayer is so much more than reciting to God our grocery list of needs. God-honoring prayer will begin with honoring Him as holy in all of my life and praying for His kingdom to come and His will to be done in my life first, then the world.
There is no question that we need help from God. “Our Father” understands that and He has given us permission to ask Him to meet every possible need we will ever have.
3. Pray about our daily needs (6:11)
Your Father knows that you have needs. He knows that you need food on the table, clothes on your back, shoes for your feet. He knows you need a roof over your head, a car that runs, and a job to sustain all of these needs. Most people do not consider daily needs very spiritual. They see nothing particularly spiritual about paying the mortgage or rent, washing dishes, or fixing a leaky toilet. But for the Christian, these daily routine matters provide ongoing evidence that God is at work in our lives and He cares deeply about every detail of our lives.
Aside from the fact that God does meet our needs, the immediate “take away” from praying about our daily needs, is that we are released from worry. Jesus refers to anxiety or worry five times in the short passage that follows closely after the Lord’s prayer (Matt. 6:25-34). As children do not worry about what they will eat, or where they will sleep (unless we as adults project our anxiety upon them), so we can live a worry-free child-like existence. This doesn’t mean that we will live a “trouble free” existence, but we can live a “worry free” one. This is the kind of relationship that God invites us to experience when we pray about our daily needs. What are you anxious about? What keeps you up at night? What pressing daily need do you have? Bring it before your “Father in heaven” and experience His peace that surpasses all human understanding.
The other side of this request is that praying for our needs makes us keenly aware that God is the source of our blessings. This in turn makes us grateful to God for His blessings. People that pray about their needs are grateful people. In prayer we realize that God has been faithful, he has provided our needs and we are reminded that every thing we have is a gift from God. People that pray much, give thanks much.
4. Pray for forgiveness (6:12)
Debt is a concept we all understand. We worry about debt, we work hard to get out of it, sometimes it keeps us up at night. But when is the last time your sin kept you up at night because you realized that you were in debt to God? Sin is always serious and it drives a wedge between us and our “Father. Clinging to sin and seeking His kingdom cannot happen at the same time.
For us to honor His name, we desperately need the freedom of a clear conscience. One of the sweetest blessings in life is to live with a clear conscience. You say, “how is this possible?” God has provided a way for us to be forgiven, to be released from guilt. And this promise is for all wh will pray for forgiveness. However, our confession of sin needs to be specific (1 Jn. 1:8-9). “Anything less than full disclosure always brings less than full release.” A wise man once told me when I was a young Christian, “Be sure to keep a low ‘Sin Account.’” What he meant was that I needed to make sure that I did not let sins accumulate in my life. Instead, I needed to keep a “0" balance by seeking God’s forgiveness and cleansing immediately and daily. I discovered that in Jesus not only am I “sin debt” free, I can free because of God’s provision in Christ!
In asking God for forgiveness, it is assumed that we will forgive others, “as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Does this mean that forgiveness is conditional? Those who are willing to forgive (release) others show that they have been truly forgiven (see Matt. 18:21-35). A true experience of grace makes us gracious toward others who have wronged us. When we refuse to forgive, we are the ones held captive.
5. Pray for protection from evil (6:13)
Ken Hemphill says, “The quickest way to make this request a reality . . . is to realize that we can make no headway in holiness without God’s constant provision. Not only are we no match for our adversary the Devil, but we cannot even trust ourselves for help in keeping our lives clean.”
Temptation is the pull of our own lust, which leads us to sin. When we pray for protection from temptation, we are asking God to protect us from situations that would test our vulnerability. As you start your day, ask God to keep you far away from compromising situations as possible. These situations might included the gossip at the office, ungodly internet sites, or situations that would compromise your integrity.
You know the sins that cause you the most trouble. You know the warning lights when you’re in the wrong place with the wrong people. Pray to be kept from these situations and you will find strength from the Lord to avoid these situations. When Jesus was tempted He quoted Scripture (Matt. 4:1-11). What Scripture could you quote when dealing with specific temptations? Whatever your weakness is, there’s an “ap” for that (i.e., God has provided a Word from Scripture to help you).
Our living effects our praying, and our praying effects our living. Do you need freedom from worry about our needs? Do you need a clear conscience? Do you need strength in temptations? Then pray and keep on praying to your “Father in heaven.”
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