A Case for Secession...err...Cessationism

Last week, John MacArthur and Grace to You had a conference called, "Strange Fire" to address the problems in the "Charismatic Movement".

I'd thought about writing a short blog series addressing the Biblical issues involved, but after listening to one of the audio messages, I have a better option.

I haven't heard all the sessions yet, but in my opinion, Tom Pennington's session on the 7 Biblical Reasons for Cessationism is something all believers should hear. Those who believe the sign gifts still exist today are far more numerous in the world than Mormons (500 Million vs. 14 million, if I'm remembering the statistics right).

It is important that we know what the Bible teaches, particularly regarding gifts of Prophecy, Tongues, and Miracles. Are there still Christians today who are gifted with the ability to work these signs? I agree with Tom Pennington in affirming that the Bible does not support the Charismatics in any way.

Note. Saying we believe that the sign gifts have ceased does not mean that we believe God is not capable of acting miraculously anymore. As one pastor put it: The miraculous gifts of the New Testament's existence today would be equivalent to it snowing on the Sahara desert - obviously God could do it; but don't expect it.

The session is a few minutes over an hour, but it would time well spent.

http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/TM13-7/a-case-for-cessationism-tom-pennington

Other sessions if you have time and interest can be found here:

http://www.tmstrangefire.org/media#.UmrdbXBJNkk

9-15-13 - Two Messages for Drew...or anyone else who wants to hear them.

This last Sunday (9-15-13), Drew texted me, telling me he couldn't make it to church. As it happened, I was doing a presentation for Sunday School that morning, and he sounded so disappointed to be missing it that I had both that Sunday School message and the evening sermon from John 16:25-33 recorded. So here they are now, Drew, just for you...I don't usually post sermon audios online, so this is one of your few chances to listen (oddly enough, it is also one of your few chances to ignore the message, too...so, there's that).

Sunday School Presentation on the Canon of the New Testament

and

Evening message on John 16:25-33

Consider this a late Birthday present, Drew, since I neglected to get one for you this year. :)

The "Holy Father" Needs to Review the Holy Scriptures

As admirable as some aspects of Pope Francis I's example are - forgoing much of the pomp and and self-exaltation of the office he holds: washing feet, living a poor life like aesthetically prior to becoming pope, taking public transportation - he is still guilty of the rank heresy approved by the Roman Catholic Church. 

Even worse, Francis has recently demonstrated a lack of understanding on Scripture in relation to salvation. 

In a conversation with Eugenio Scalfari, founder of the newspaper, La Repubblica, Francis had this to say:

"“You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don’t believe and who don’t seek the faith. I start by saying – and this is the fundamental thing – that God’s mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart. The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience. Sin, even for those who have no faith, exists when people disobey their conscience.” (Emphasis mine).

He would do well to read the book of Hebrews again:

Hebrews 11:6: " 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."

Or,

John 14:6: "6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Story on Francis' quotes: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pope-francis-assures-atheists-you-dont-have-to-believe-in-god-to-go-to-heaven-8810062.html

Tim Tebow, Worldviews, and the Cult of Celebrity

I like Tim Tebow.

I rooted for the Gators when Tebow played there, despite having zero interest in Florida football before or after Tebow.

I rooted for Denver when Tebow played there, although, admittedly I had more ties to the Broncos than I did to Florida.

I've supported Tebow throughout his career, but recently things have turned up related to him and his football decisions that bother me. (No, this isn't a belated, 'Why did Tebow sign with the Patriots?' post).

Tim Tebow has long been an icon for Christians who like football. He unapologetically wears his faith on his sleeve. He works hard to be the best player he can be. These are all things to admire.

Here's what concerns me: Over the last few weeks, since Tebow signed with the Patriots, the question came up as to whether Tebow would switch positions and no longer play quarterback. That's understandable. Tom Brady is the quarterback in New England and there is even less chance that he gets benched for Tebow than there was in New York or Denver - basically, zero. With the Patriots losing Rob Gronkowski to injury for the first third of the season and Aaron Hernandez to prison for a long time (presumably), Tebow could theoretically slot in as a tight end. This did not happen, however, and Tebow was finally cut from the roster.

Following his departure from the Patriots, Tebow released a statement on twitter thanking the Patriots for the opportunity. Near the end of the of the statement, he wrote:

"I will remain in relentless pursuit of continuing my lifelong dream of being an NFL quarterback."

Since then (August 31), word has eked out that Tebow has received offers from NFL teams to join them as a potential roster player - but not as a quarterback. Honestly, I'm in no way an expert. I haven't a clue how well suited Tebow would be to other positions in football at the professional level that he has never played before.

Here's the thing, though: At least some people (allegedly) think he's got a shot of remaking his career at a new position. He has opportunities. But he's turning them down because he has a particular dream, and those alternate suggestions do not fit his dream.

Now, I'm not a pastor, and I don't know Tim, but if I was his pastor, there's some things I'd want to suggest to him.

1. It doesn't matter how hard you work, not all dreams are going to come true.

As one analyst said, Tebow was an incredible college football quarterback, but he's not a very good professional quarterback. This is not a knock on Tebow or an attack on his faith, it is simply a fact. The chances at this point in time are almost nil that he will become an NFL quarterback - and you know what? There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Psycho-quacks can blather all they want to about how you can be anything you want to be, but they are still wrong. There is a ceiling to everyone's ability in a given area, and Tebow has almost certainly hit his.

2. God's plan for your life is more important than your dream.

For believers, as Tim has repeatedly professed himself to be, our lives are not our own - we have been bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Our goal is to seek out God's will for our lives. With Tim, perhaps God is taking him away from professional football. Or perhaps God wants him to turn the page to something new...for the glory of God.

Honestly, Tebow might have been given this opportunity in order to glorify God in a new position, whether in football as a receiver or a rusher, or in ministry.

3. Be careful to avoid pride.

There is much that Tebow might reasonably be expected to feel pride in. He was an outstanding college football quarterback, and nobody can take that away from him. For however much credit is due to him, and opinions vary, he took the Broncos to the second round of the playoffs.

But those words he chose in his statement: Relentless pursuit; my lifelong dream - That smacks of pride and self-interest. To be fair, Tebow is young, and he's had to shoulder a lot of attention. And for what it's worth, he has overall done a remarkable job of it. I can't imagine I would do as well in the same position, and I admire how he has stayed strong in the face of difficulties, despite many rooting for him to fail.


Perhaps this is reading too much into a few reports and a brief statement on twitter - but the simple fact is that I'm reading the same thing everyone else is. And whether or not Tebow is demonstrating pride here, and whether or not we're holding him to too high of a standard, it remains: People are watching.

He is a role-model. And there are young people who will seek to emulate him, both in his strengths and in his shortcomings. Unfortunately, the latter represent a much easier target, and they represent a target that most might not even realize is wrong - because Tebow does it.

So if I had the opportunity to speak to Tim, I would tell him that as a role-model for countless young believers, he might want to consider showing humility by trying a different position. It would no more be giving up than Jesus gave up by washing his disciples' feet in John 13. And it would be a solid lesson to those watching that sometimes God has another plan for us than what we might have wanted.

The Sky is Falling - What Now?

Yesterday, for the first time, an active player in one of the four major sports in America has announced his homosexuality openly.


Quite frankly, this was inevitable, and it is simply the first. There will be more.

That said, for Christians this isn't really a story. Jason Collins is still unsaved, regardless of whether his homosexual lifestyle is publicly known or not. The Bible makes it clear that those who practice homosexuality are headed for hell.

          "9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
          neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor
          thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
          11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name
          of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Cor. 6:9-11, ESV).

I don't watch basketball much (more of a baseball/hockey guy), so I don't know anything about Jason Collins as a person. I assume he's a nice enough guy. However nice he may be, though, Jason Collins is also a sinner, just like you and me. The *only* thing that separates him from you or me is the grace of God and the blood of Jesus Christ. Not my natural ability to take hold of God's grace; not my churchgoing or preaching or anything else.

But the real story is not that Jason Collins is a practicing homosexual. The real story is how the culture at large is responding to Jason Collins' revelation. Far too many folks are treating this as the newest branch of the civil rights movement (a misnomer - rights according to our constitution are given by our Creator and cannot be lost; regardless of how you frame the debate there are no rights being lost here). This is absurd for many reasons. First, what right do homosexuals lack that all other citizens possess?

African Americans, for instance were treated by their fellow citizens as unequal. They were segregated away from those with whiter skin because they were apparently lesser citizens. Black men and women were restricted from a number of things that would have been taken for granted by the average white man.

Homosexuals are not segregated to different bathrooms. Homosexuals are not denied the right to sit on a bus. Homosexuals are not restricted from playing in sports on any level. Homosexuals are not restricted from the practice of sin that is defined by their name - that is ultimately between them and God; restricting it does not change their heart (although as Christians we would desire to keep their actions as private as possible to prevent others following their example and turning away from God). And regardless of what is erroneously argued, homosexuals are not restricted from marriage except from the same ways that heterosexuals are: No one is allowed under the law to marry a person already married, a close relative, a child, an animal, or someone of the same sex (I am aware that some states do perform a ceremony that they refer to as marriage in this last one).

Regarding the restriction against marrying someone of the same gender: Homosexuals argue that by restricting them from 'marrying' someone of their own gender, while we may allow them to act in whatever they wish to do, we legally bar them from uniting in marriage with the person they desire to be with. While this is a patently poor argument - I could just as easily argue that if I was married and desired to marry somebody else without divorcing my current spouse, the law was unfair for not letting me do as I desired. This could be adapted to any of the other restricted classes listed above - at the same time, any rational debate is useless against those who advocate homosexual 'rights'. They have already decided that marriage to someone of the same gender is a right and any arguments to the contrary, no matter how valid, are framed as 'homophobic'/'ignorant' - And discussions such as these are usually won based on how the debate has been framed to the culture at large. Hence, why the positive view of homosexuality is gaining steam in culture, particularly among young people: No one likes to think of themselves as a bigot, or as ignorant, or irrationally uncomfortable over the issue; and too many, even among professing believers are more knowledgable about culture than they are about God and the bible, making the direction they will lean a foregone conclusion.

Ultimately though, regardless of how much those who argue for these so-called rights invoke the name of Jesus and attempt to tie his name to 'tolerance', what we are seeing in our culture is no less than a concentrated assault on the law of God - which is a reflection of his very person and nature. This is the playbook of Satan - while mankind has little problem (given the natural depravity of our hearts) in sinning, the devil is fully aware of God's existence and character. And although mankind as a whole is at enmity with God, the devil hates him with a burning hatred. Subsequently, the forces of darkness are at work to pervert God's creation.

Everything that God made, he made for the purpose of demonstrating his glory. Marriage, the family: there are many elements in this relational unit that glorify God. The marriage relationship between a man and a woman is shown clearly in Ephesians 5:22-33 to be a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church. Calling a same-sex relationship marriage is not tolerance or even progressiveness (if we view progress in a positive sense), except in progress towards more abominable displays of sin and perversion of God's established order. In fact, this is not merely a cultural issue, it is a spiritual one. When those in the world around us press us to deny what we believe the Bible teaches about homosexuality, they are pressing us to deny the Bible itself and the God who authored it.

Sadly, regardless of what happens in the courts with Prop 8 in California, or the Defense Of Marriage Act, the homosexual agenda is advancing. Making new laws will not halt the spreading of radical depravity in culture or the human heart. Unfortunately, we didn't just wake up one morning to find ourselves in the situation we are currently in. The responsiblity for the spiraling degenerance of sexuality, particular in America, must in part be laid at the feet of the church. Certainly it is true that unregenerate sinners will always exist until the final judgment, but if the church had not failed so miserably over the last hundred or more years, we would not have decayed so far in so short a time.

There have been a couple of basic problems in the church. One branch of evangelicalism has been essentially faithful in knowing the Word and denouncing sin. Their problem is not that they have been too lax, but they have have much too broad a focus in their denunciation of sin, causing many to refuse to take them seriously. Debates over lesser issues with a lack or love or charity has caused their influence to be marginalized outside the select few who still actually listen. The broader problem, though, has been in the opposite direction. Divorce is rampant even in the church. Sex outside of marriage has gone from restricted, to frowned upon, to no big deal. The church has done an abysmally poor job of standing up and condemning these things among professing believers. And if even those who name the name of Christ are acting this way, should we be surprised when unbelievers see no problem with these sins?

This generation and the last have failed not merely because they have not been doers of the Word, but because too many of them weren't even truly hearers of the Word.

If there is to be a reformation in this country, it must start with the church. We must be faithful to know the Word of God and what it teaches. We must be faithful to understand it and pass on its truth when given the opportunity. We must be careful not to damage our own credibility by excessively debating issues of lesser importance like music, bible versions, political activism, etc. (all important things that deserve their place in discussions at the appropriate time, but rarely issues to draw a line in the sand over). We must always be guided by God's Word and not swayed by our emotions that can easily be led astray by remnants of our former sin nature that have not fully been expelled from our heart and mind.

Their is now an openly homosexual professional athlete. The question is not, 'How did we get here?' The question is, 'What now?' How can we as individuals do our part to forge a new reformation in the church in America that, if God allows, will be the foundation of a new revival in America? That is the question.

ICYMI - "What Does a Christian Look Like?" Sunday Afternoon, 4-7-13

Originally preached at Carmel Village on Sunday afternoon, about a week and a half ago. Dedicated to Kyle since he was unable to make it. This is the final message in a loose series that Kevin, Kyle and I were preaching through Philippians. The text is essentially Philippians 4:10-20, although it runs back through most of the rest of the book as a kind of light refresher on the contents of Philippians. If you feel like skimming through it, hope you enjoy.

-------

What does it mean to be ‘filled with the fruit of righteousness’? A tree bears fruit based on the seed that planted it. The fruit of an apple tree would be apples, etc. The fruit of righteousness in one’s life would be how our heart, and subsequently our whole person – the inward thoughts and the outward actions – how that looks when the seed of righteousness, so to speak, is planted in our heart.


That is what happens, after all, with believers. God promised in Ezekiel 36 that he would put his Spirit in us, remove the heart of stone from inside us and replace it with a heart of flesh, and write his law on our heart.

Our hearts did not become sinful because you and I sinned – rather, we sinned because our hearts are sinful. That’s what David testified in Psalm 51:5,

          “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Ever since the original sin of Adam in the Garden of Eden that we read about in Genesis 3, mankind has from generation to generation been sinners at heart.

In fact, that is the Gospel: That man is lost in sin – separated from God and under condemnation. But God sent his Son to become a man and live a life in full accordance with the law. By so doing, Jesus Christ, God’s Son, could take the penalty due to unbelievers and allow them to be received by God through his righteousness that is applied to our account. He took our punishment – we go free.

Now that sounds an awful lot like the conclusion of a sermon. In fact, when I preach the unbelievers, that’s the bulk of my message. Today, it is just the introduction. We’re going to go beyond that.

The guilty record is gone – there is no longer any condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus, it says in Romans 5:1. The Holy Spirit renewed our hearts, causing us to be born again – born from above. Subsequently, we no longer live the way we did before. This is what Peter is saying in 1 Peter 4.

          “1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for
          he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his
          time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For we have spent enough of our
          past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness,
          revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.” (1 Peter 4:1-5, NKJV).

So let’s return now to where we started: Philippians 1. Paul is telling these believers his prayer for them. In verse 11, he prays that they may be,

          “...filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise
          of God.”

In basic terms this is what Philippians as a book is about: We have believed the Gospel, we’ve repented of our sins – how do we live now? What does a Christian – a follower of Jesus Christ – look like?

Our text is in Philippians 4:10-20. Back in verses 2-3, Paul gave a negative example – What Christians are not to do. Then in verses 10-16, he gives a positive example.

In verses 2-3, Paul points out these two prominent ladies in the church at Philippi who are at odds. He does not take sides; he does not say that either or both of these ladies are not saved; he simply points out the problem, urges them to be at unity, and gives practical instruction on how they can individually resolve the situation in verses 4-9. He tells them to rejoice (v.4); be known by all as reasonable by your habit (v.5); scuttle anxieties by giving them to God in prayer (v.6-7); and meditate on good things – and he gives examples in verses 8-9.

These things all lead to the humbling of self and the return to the Godly imperative of the Old Testament: Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus said that all the law and prophets hang on those two principles.

To rejoice in the Lord is to delight yourself in God; enjoy him; appreciate what he provides instead of puffing ourselves up with all we suppose that we have done.

Be reasonable – but he doesn’t stop there; I mean, everyone thinks they’re reasonable – Go beyond that: be someone who is recognized by all as reasonable. Basically, don’t be recognized as a difficult person to be with – although it is not an excuse for us to behave badly because someone else is: Our standard is God, not those around us.

Get rid of anxieties: This is what happens when we start looking to ourselves to solve problems rather than God. The response that someone makes who is led by the Holy Spirit is that when things that would cause anxiety happen, we recognize that they have come from God to help us grow more like him. That’s what James is talking about in the first chapter of his book: Don’t get upset about difficulties, but embrace them as God-sent for our benefit. We might almost describe it like spiritual fitness. Certainly Paul uses imagery like that in his epistles.

Fourth, our actions are the result of our thoughts. We generally don’t act contrary to the inclinations of our heart. Thus, Paul’s solution is to meditate on things that are ‘true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, things worthy of praise’ (v.8).

Finally, Paul says: The things ‘you have learned and received and heard and seen in me’ – what I’ve taught you and what you’ve seen me do – ‘practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.’ (Phil. 4:9, ESV). Their problem was that they weren’t at peace – Do these things, Paul says, and the God of peace will be with you.

That is the negative example from Philippi with Paul's antidote. That is also the introduction. So what is the positive example?

We’ll look over two different main headings on this section: Paul’s analysis and Paul’s directive. What he observed, and, based on that, what he instructed them.

          “10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You
          were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being
          in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought
          low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of
          facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who
          strengthens me.

          14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the
          beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in
          giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs
          once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 I
          have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the
          gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will
          supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and
          Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Philippians 4:10-19, ESV).


          1. Paul’s Analysis

Chapter 4 is really what the whole letter has been building toward. Paul’s purpose in writing the letter was to help settle this feud in v.2-3, and to express appreciation for financial support that the Philippian church had sent him. The rest of the book is preparing the ground for Paul’s teaching about these two issues in their church.

He begins by sharing with them the joy that their gift brought him in v.10.

          “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You
          were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.”

Now at length, or at last, you have helped support me again, Paul says. Less charitable readers might imply from this some acrimony on Paul’s part: 'It’s about time you sent me some money to support me'. But that is not Paul’s point at all. That’s why he stresses that, although it has been several years since they last sent him financial support to help provide for him in his mission work, this does not indicate a lack of concern for him, rather, there was just not an opportunity for them to give.

But why is Paul rejoicing in the Lord over their gift?


          a. Their work is good, not because of need

If it was me, I can imagine thinking: ‘Wow, I was really running low on savings to provide for myself. This gift came just at the right time to fill some pressing needs.’ But that’s not what Paul says.

          “11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be
          content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every
          circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”
          (Phil. 4:11-12, ESV).

Paul caps this point off with perhaps the most famous verse of this book,

          “I can do all things through him [Christ] who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:11, ESV).

Now, this verse isn’t actually meant as a sort of Christian version of the American dream: ‘I can do anything I want to do…with God’s help!’ No, what Paul is saying is that, regardless of whether he is eating three meals a day and sleeping in a warm bed, or whether he is cold at night and unsure where his next meal is coming from, God provides for him. In either case, God cares for him.

That’s why Paul says his joy over their gift was not because of his need. I suspect Paul probably did not have an abundance of food and clothing or any other perks.

Here’s the thing, though, Paul does not want them to be full of themselves or think of themselves particularly highly as Christians because of this; he wants to put it in perspective. That’s why he says in verse 19,

          “And my God will supply every need…”

It is the same way in evangelism. Like the sower of seeds in Jesus’ parable in Matthew 13: We are the sower. The seed is God’s Word. Some seed falls on good ground and grows and flourishes. Some seed falls on bad ground and never makes it to maturity. The growth of the seed – its life – comes from God. As Paul put it: I planted, another watered, but God gives the increase.

We have a tendency to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. God is all-powerful and all knowing. He has ordained all that will take place. God knows his own sheep. They will hear his voice, as it says in John 10. If we fail to share the Gospel with someone that God has told us to, that does not limit God’s ability to save them. But our failure does mean that we will not be involved in their salvation in any way.

Now, the fact that God does not need you or me to do any work – he can work without our help - that doesn’t mean that we should be indolent and unconcerned. God has commanded us to help others, particularly other believers, because they are our spiritual brothers and sisters. We are family members in Christ, and thus ought to care for each other. God has also commanded us to evangelize. Therefore, we must do so.

What we must not do is have a puffed up idea of our own importance. Perspective is needed so that we recognize that all we do is subordinate to what God does.

But if God could just magically create a pile of gold right next to Paul, and, for that matter, if God could simply save everyone on earth at that time, why does he want us to give and to evangelize? Why are these things important if God could simply do them himself?


          b. Their work is good because of what it shows.

          “14 Yet it was kind of your to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that
          in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with
          me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my
          needs once and again.” (Phil. 4:14-16, ESV).

Paul tells us that this church as a pattern of acting in this way – of supporting him in the ministry; providing financially for him. There were churches in which Paul refused to ask for money, in order that they not think of him as a traveling confidence man. But this is a church that Paul was close to. They knew that he was not using their money to enrich himself. On the contrary, the money was used to further the gospel.

As we saw in verse 10, Paul is rejoicing over their gift. This is a good thing they are doing – a godly thing. But he wants them to have perspective on why it is a good thing. We saw in v.11-13 that his joy is not merely because he needed their help. After all, God provides for him, Paul noted.

On the contrary, the reason he is rejoicing over their gift is in the next verse:

          “17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.”

Now, remember back to chapter 1, verse 11. Paul prayed that they would, as a church, be

          “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

The purpose of God in creation was to create man in his image so that they could be in relationship with each other – God with man. God would show his power and glory and man would be blessed by God’s gifts and revel in God’s majesty.

Because of sin and the need for salvation, man is now in a different state. That’s what we were talking about at the beginning. What does a Christian look like? Our guilty record is gone because Jesus died for our sins - if we have repented of them and trusted him for salvation. Thus, we are no longer under condemnation for sin. But habitually, we still sin. That is why the Holy Spirit now indwells us: To conform us back into the image of God; to make us like Jesus Christ.

So that is why Paul is excited and rejoicing over their gift: It demonstrates that God is working in them. This is the not attitude of a non-believer. While those who are not Christians do sometimes help others, it is rare that they will be willing to give up much for someone else, particularly if it is not someone close to them.

The unbeliever who is separated from God is characterized by selfishness – putting himself first and others second. The believer, the one who has been reborn from above and has the Holy Spirit at work in his heart, is characterized by selflessness. We begin to see fruit in his life: He is beginning to love God and others more, and himself less.

Self-love and self-satisfaction are the enemies of God. Understand: We are not basically good people. We are by nature sinners who have been separated from God by our sin. It is only by God’s grace that there is any good in us at all. It is a lie from Satan that we are basically good. He doesn’t want us to see where we fall short and fail. The devil does not want us to see how dirty and sinful we really are. The closer we get to God, the more we will recognize just how sinful we are.

In order to emphasize the double-standard that we have, consider this statement from years back: “I can keep a secret just fine; it’s that person I told it to who can’t keep a secret.” We become annoyed at other people for making the same mistakes that we, if we’re honest about ourselves, are guilty of.

Now, this selfless behavior has been a theme of the whole book, really. Paul’s main point throughout Philippians has been: What does a follower of Jesus look like?

In chapter 1, he gave his own example: Paul is in prison, and other people were preaching the gospel out of spite: While they weren’t sincere, they were trying to ‘afflict him in his imprisonment’ (1:17). Paul’s response? He does not complain or whine. He rejoices that the gospel is being preached.

Does he complain in the same chapter about being in prison or the fact that might be executed (as does eventually take place)? No. He says that his imprisonment has actually made it clear to the imperial guard in Rome that he is imprisoned for Christ. And Paul’s life on earth, he tells us, is not important to him. In fact, Paul says in 1:23, I’d just as soon be gone and with Christ now, but I recognize that I can still be of help to you in my teaching. In any case, Paul is willing to leave those details up to Christ. He truly has learned, as he said in chapter 4, verse 11, to be content in every situation.

But then in chapter 2, Paul tells us to have the same attitude as Christ.

          “1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the
          Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same
          love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in
          humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own
          interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in
          Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to
          be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of
          men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of
          death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the
          name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven
          and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
          glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:1-11, ESV).

That’s what Peter was saying earlier in 1 Peter 4:

          "1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for
          whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the
          flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” (1 Peter 4:1-2, ESV).

And finally in Philippians 3, Paul notes practically his own example. His desire is,

          “10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings,
          becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from
          the dead.12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it
          my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made
          it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
         14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
         (Phil. 3:10-14, ESV).

In view of that, Paul exhorts,

          “15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God
          will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.” (Phil. 3:15-16, ESV).

That leads us into the second (and much briefer) point,


          2. Paul’s Directive

Paul said in chapter 4, verse 17,

          “Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.”

Basically, this is the kind of attitude they should have: This generous, selfless, giving attitude. And I don’t think this was just their spare change from a penny jar. Paul describes their gift in verse 18 as,

          “…a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.”

This imagery looks back to sacrifices of the Old Testament, and to an extent, even pagan sacrifices. The smell of this offering is pleasing to God. The idea behind those sacrifices was that it cost them deeply. In the book of Malachi, that is what God is angered over. The people were offering blind animals and tainted crops as sacrifices to God. The Lord said, ‘If you offered that to the governor, would he accept it?’ On the contrary, this gift was pleasing to the Lord. It showed selflessness and generosity.

We are to cultivate this kind of behavior.

As we noted earlier, we’re being transformed by the Holy Spirit into the image of Christ. That’s why how we act is so important. God no longer walks on the earth as Jesus did. People can’t just look at him. He is veiled in his creation. The world sees God through believers, and our purpose is to glorify him: To demonstrate his glory in changing us from sinners to saints.

But if we still act just like everyone else – self-centered and greedy, what kind of message do we send about God? It ought to be obvious that we are different.

In closing, there are two things we need to do. First, examine ourselves carefully, not being afraid to uncover sin inside us or to be changed if necessary. That’s a necessity if we are truly saved by Christ. If you don’t bear the cross, you can’t wear the crown.

Second, pray for the Holy Spirit’s help. We cannot do it on our own. Trying to rely on ourselves to change will make no result. We need to first pray for God’s help and seek to demonstrate Christ’s example to those around us as best we can, recognizing that we will still fail often. One key to changing is to look back at Paul’s advice in Philippians 4:4-9. These are marvelous keys to cultivating Godliness within ourselves.

ICYMI - "Psalm 38" 3-27-13 Wed PM

Well, this does seem to be a bit late. Still, most of you who read this blog were not there when I spoke on this and probably didn't know I even spoke on it, so it's no huge loss. But if you feel like doing a skim over it looking for errors, or if you just like reading sermon notes: Enjoy.

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Hindsight is twenty-twenty.

It seems as though the best troubles are the ones that we see in the rearview mirror. They’re gone; ancient history.

But what about the difficulties that are still there? As long as they exist – in fact, the longer that they exist – the more difficult they seem. And when we pray, and they’re still there, with no end in sight, what do we do?

Depending on what it is, we may easily wonder why it doesn’t cease. In some cases, difficulty is God’s refining fire to purify us. It is part of his work to transform us more perfectly into his image.

Other times, we suffer difficulty to glorify God – we can think of Job, or the man blind from birth that Jesus healed in John 9. That God may be glorified through taking them away, or through our trust in him throughout it. In both cases, God’s glory is seen.

But there is a third reason for troubles, whether they be sickness, circumstances, or people that are simply a thorn in our side – sometimes God brings these things into our life because of our sin.

We see this in the life of David when he committed adultery with Bathsheba: The first child born of that union became sick and died. And throughout the rest of his life, David experienced much trouble because of this sin.

At first, it was because he lived unrepentant in that sin for a year after the initial wrongdoing. But second, it was God’s punishment on him. David was hand picked by God to rule over Israel. However, David abused that power and privilege to sin in the face of God. As David had used his God-given position to satisfy his own selfish desires, God punished him in that same position and caused strife and trouble throughout many of the following years of David’s reign.

In Psalm 38, David confesses an unnamed sin or sins before God and pleads for mercy. He describes the sorrows he has experienced as a result of his sin. How it ends may surprise you. I think in some ways, though, it is prescient in its reminder to us of what we see in our spiritual walk at times.

There are three points to this message.

          - David’s Confession of sin

          - David’s Confusion in trouble

          - David’s Commitment to God


          1. David’s Confession of Sin

          "A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.

          1 O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath! 2 For your arrows have
          sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me. 3 There is no soundness in my flesh because
          of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. 4 For my iniquities have
          gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. 5 My wounds stink and fester
          because of my foolishness, 6 I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about
          mourning. 7 For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. 8 I am
          feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart. 9 O Lord, all my longing is before
          you; my sighing is not hidden from you. 10 My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light
          of my eyes—it also has gone from me. 11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague,
          and my nearest kin stand far off. 12 Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my
          hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long. 13 But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear,
          like a mute man who does not open his mouth. 14 I have become like a man who does not hear,
          and in whose mouth are no rebukes. 15 But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God,
          who will answer. 16 For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my
          foot slips!” 17 For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me. 18 I confess my iniquity; I am
          sorry for my sin. 19 But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me
          wrongfully. 20 Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good. 21 Do
          not forsake me, O Lord! O my God, be not far from me! 22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my
          salvation!" (Psalm 38:1-22, ESV).

While there is a superscription over this Psalm, it is difficult to understand the meaning of it. “For the Memorial Offering” suggests that this is a public prayer for the nation, but with even the barest glance at the chapter we see that it is obviously the prayer of an individual. It may be that it was a prayer of David that was recorded and later used by others at the Memorial Offering. Beyond that, I have no insight into the title.
Clearly, David is struggling over sin. I am generally hesitant to identify particular problems or sicknesses as directly caused by sin, because people tend to abuse it – too often, dire circumstances or debilitating illnesses are instantly viewed as judgment by God for sin. Subsequently, the sufferer begins to systematically pore through their memory for every possible sin, no matter how slight, before proceeding to get in touch with everyone we might have wronged, whether they were aware of it or not.

I don’t mean that confession to God or those we have wronged is a bad thing. But my concern is that we are sometimes too quick to identify sin as our problem. In this case: David is absolutely certain that his sin is the issue – what the sin is, we are not told – but it is clear that David knows exactly why God has allowed the ills described here to happen to him. I think that if God is judging us for sin, he will not leave us in the dark over it: We will know exactly what the sin is in that case – we will not be left to guess about it.

In the first two verses, David describes God’s anger with him and the weight of God’s wrath that has leveled him to the ground.

          “1 O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath! 2 For your arrows
          have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me.”

Again in verse 3:

          “3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my
          bones because of my sin.”

There is sickness in David, and it is because God is angry with him. But not merely that: David’s sin is also the culprit. Whether through the great guilt on his conscience or through the natural ill effects on the body caused by sin, David is weakened and sick because of his disobedience of God’s law.

Verse 4 describes in vivid detail what this sin is like:

          “4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.”

It is like a weighty burden in his arms, or perhaps like in Pilgrim’s Progress, on his back. And, like Christian in the Slough of Despond, David is sinking under the burden of his iniquity.

Truly, nothing weighs more on a Christian than unconfessed sin. If even the reprobate feel the stirrings of conscience, how much more do we who have been adopted by God feel the pain of loss without his nearness?

And as much as we may know this, we must always be reminded: It is not God who leaves us. True, God cannot allow sin in his presence, because he is holy. But at the same time, when we turn aside to sin, it is we who leave the path of God. When we confess our sins, we do not beg him to return to us – as though he went somewhere – but we beg him to restore us to his presence; to draw us back to his side, from which we have strayed. It is not the shepherd who leaves the flock; it is the sheep that leaves the shepherd.

I think we also fail to appreciate too often how much God initiates even our restoration. When David sinned with Bathsheba, it was not David who came to himself, it was God who sent Nathan to uncover the sin and command David to repent.

Just as God seeks and saves we who were lost, he also seeks us to sanctify us when we turn again to old paths we ought to have avoided.

When we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. But he does not always remove our difficulties from us immediately. In the process of this confession, David describes the difficulties caused by his sin.


          2. Confusion in troubles

There are two kinds of troubles here: Physical troubles and spiritual ones.

          a. Physical troubles

Verses 5-8 describe some sort of illness.

          “5 My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, 6 I am utterly bowed down and
          prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. 7 For my sides are filled with burning, and there
          is no soundness in my flesh. 8 I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my
          heart.”

He is wounded; his body is laid low; he is emotionally troubled; there is burning in his sides; he is weak; his heart is not at peace.

In verse 9, David breaks off to beseech the Lord – reminding him that God can see how downcast and sorrowful David is.

          “9 O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you.”

Verse 10 returns to the former story:

          “10 My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from
          me.”

David’s body is weak, so much so that the light of his eyes has weakened.

We are never told what this sin is that caused his trouble. For that matter, the history of David’s life in Samuel, Kings and Chronicles never really describes this kind of sickness that David is suffering under. That said, in those days sickness was undoubtedly more common. It may be related to the Bathsheba affair; it might also be related to David’s sinful call for a census later on. Of course it may simply be another event that God chose not to record for us. Certainly we don’t know about all the events in David’s life.

I’m not sure I’ve ever suffered physically because of sin. I think if I had, God would reveal the reason to me. But I’m sure we’ve all felt the weight of guilt when we do wrong before God. I think at least some of this is related to that, especially when we look back to verses 3-4 where David describes the iniquity being a heavy burden.

But the problems in this chapter are not merely physical. Verses 11-12 show that David’s relationships are also affected by this sickness.

          “11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off.
          12 Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate
          treachery all day long.”

First, his friends and companions stand away from him; even his relatives are keeping their distance. While it’s certainly understandable why someone would not want to get too close to sickness, it still hurts David on a personal level. This aloofness demonstrates self-interest over and against concern for David, and that hurts.

Further, verse 12 describes how David’s enemies take advantage of his present impotence. They try to trap him, they speak out again him, and they conspire among themselves how to wreak even more havoc against him.

In spite of all this, though, David refuses to take personal vengeance.


          b. Spiritual troubles

In verses 13-14, David declines to act against them.

          “13 But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. 14 I
          have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes.”

In fact, he uses that as part of his plea in verse 15.

          "15 But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.”

And as he calls upon God, his pleas seem to fall on deaf ears. David reminds God in verse 16 that he had pleaded with God that his enemies not triumph.

          “16 For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!””

Finally, in 17-18, David confesses that he is nearing the breaking point.

          “17 For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me. 18 I confess my iniquity; I am sorry
          for my sin.”

Again, he repeats his confession and reiterates the sorrow he feels over his sin. But, David notices in verse 19, his foes are not being brought low; in fact they are mightier than ever.

          “19 But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully.”

Worst of all, David points out in verse 20, the motive of these wicked men in their accusations against me is that I follow good.

          “20 Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good.”

That is a curious statement to make in a chapter in which David is repenting of sin. On one hand he confesses his iniquity, on the other he declares that his enemies hate him because he is good.

Here is the answer: While David’s immediate troubles are a result of his sin, his life is ultimately characterized by a seeking after God. I think we can all relate to that. Since we have been redeemed and reborn from above, the greatest desire of our heart is to serve God, but that does not preempt our persistent return to old habits and sins.

David’s point is that while he may be under God’s just wrath for a time, his life on the whole is identified even by the wicked as one that seeks after God and pleases him.

In the final two verses, David makes clear that he has not departed from God like Saul, but he continues to trust God – regardless of his failures or God’s apparent separation for him – in spite of that, David is committed to the Lord.


          3. Commitment to God

I think the most significant thing about this chapter is that it ends with seemingly no resolution. David is still crying out in prayer for God’s help. Verses 21-22,

          “21 Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me! 22 Make haste to help me,
          O Lord, my salvation!”

We’re at the end and there is no resolution. How can that be? It would be like reading the story of the Three Little Pigs: The two brother pigs, whose houses of straw and twigs have been blown down by the wolf, run to the brother who built the brick house. And we see the wolf come and start to huff and puff on the third house…and then the story ends. In some ways, that’s what this feels like. Spoiler alert: the wolf loses.

That said, I think there is great value in seeing the story end here. We really don’t know how long David suffered under these things. But the truth is that in our Christian lives, there will frequently be difficult things beyond our control that seem as though they will never end.

How often have we prayed for something – the salvation of a close friend or relative, or a situation that just won’t resolve (/Fill in the blank here)?

In John 9, the blind man had been without sight from birth. Job lost everything. Or we could think of the example of the apostle Paul. He was in prison without cause. Yet where do we find complaints about his imprisonment? Where does he even ask for prayer that he will be released? On the contrary, in Colossians 4, he asks that a door will be opened to preach the word. It doesn’t matter to him if that is inside prison bars or not. Does he complain in Philippians 1 when others are preaching the Gospel with wrong motives in order to try to take advantage of his suffering? No, he praises God that the Gospel is preached.

In fact, he says in Philippians 1:12-13,

          “12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to
          advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard
          and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.”

Paul is a great one to read if you’re perspective is mired in world-centeredness. He always redirects us to God’s perspective, and helps us to see where we’re looking at it wrong.

William Cowper was a close friend of John Newton. Cowper struggled deeply with depression, so much so that he was unable to be assured of his own salvation. Yet, by God’s grace, he wrote (among others) one of the most beautiful lyrics in all of Christian hymnody: There is a Fountain Filled with Blood.

          “There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins.
          And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

          The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day.
          And there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away.

          When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave,
          Then in a nobler, sweeter song I’ll sing thy power to save.

          Dear dying lamb, your precious blood shall never lose its power,
          Till all the ransomed church of God be saved to sin no more.”

The key to all these situations is this: However bad or discouraging these situations were, there was always a confidence that God was neither dead or powerless; rather, these men of faith recognized that God would act, unless it served his glory or their sanctification to allow them to continue through it.

That is what must not be missed in the close of this passage: David’s confidence that God will help, despite the fact that help had not yet come when this Psalm was completed. David is certain that God can help – he is not without the power to do so – and that he will help – he has not rejected David; on the contrary, he cares for David.

The final words of verse 22: 'My salvation': Probably more accurately, ‘my deliverer’. This speaks to the kind of commitment born from years of trusting God and seeing his faithfulness each day.

David had to learn to trust God from an early age: As a shepherd guarding his father’s sheep. He had to trust the protection of the sheep and his own life to the Father’s hand. In the Valley of Elah, he had to trust the Lord to give him victory over the giant, Goliath.

Following that, he served for years in Saul’s army, and God protected him. Then Saul began to seek David’s life. Facing an enemy he could not kill, David was forced to trust God to deliver him from the hand of Saul. Trusting God had been the story of David’s life.

What causes me to trust in God? Knowing that he has saved me my sins. While David may not have been able to conceive of sin and the death of Jesus on the cross with the same level of understanding that we have, he did recognize the core elements of that atonement: That God loved him and daily cared for him and would never abandon him.

Romans 8:31-32 demonstrates the principle for us.

          “31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He
          who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him
          graciously give us all things?”

If God through Christ loved us so much that he died on the cross for our sins, even when we were dead in our sins and at enmity with him, can we have any doubts that he will cast us off now that we are his ransomed people?

Trusting in God, particularly in dire circumstances, is not always easy. One writer put it this way:

          "If we could see beyond today as God can see,
          If all the clouds should roll away, the shadows flee.
          O'er present griefs we would not fret,
          Each sorrow we would soon forget,
          For many joys are waiting yet, for you and me.

          If we could know beyond today as God doth know,
          Why dearest treasures pass away and tears must flow.
          And why the darkness leads to light,
          Why dreary days will soon grow bright,
          Some day life's wrongs will be made right, faith tells us so.

          If we could see, if we could know, we often say,
          But God in love a veil doth throw across our way.
          We cannot see what lies before,
          And so we cling to Him the more,
          He leads us till this life is o'er, trust and obey.”

Trust in God. Are we suffering? Christ suffered more. Are we concerned about a lost friend or family member? Christ loves them more than we do and is even more hurt by their hardened heart. We are called to follow his example - always remembering that no matter what happens, he cares for us; and he never forsakes his own. He will call us some day to his heaven above where we shall dwell by his glorious throne.

ICYMI - "5 Truths About Jesus' Mission and Message" 3-24-31 Sunday Evening

I really did mean to get this up sooner. So if this was the one week you were there and had something - a verse; a thought - that you wanted to remember and didn't write it down because you assumed it would be on here, apologies. Or, if you weren't there and you thought to yourself last Monday morning: 'Hey, I have some time this morning, I'll take a quick look at Justin's sermon notes', only to find that they were not there, more apologies. Was working hard studying Psalm 38 for Wednesday night (will probably put that up in a day or so).

This text, John 12:19-36, follows close on the heels of the triumphal entry in John 12:10-18, in which some Greeks come to see Jesus, and he announces that his hour has come.

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          19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has
          gone after him.”

          20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip,
          who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told
          Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for
          the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth
          and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and
          whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow
          me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

          27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this
          purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I
          have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it
          had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for
          your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.
          32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by
          what kind of death he was going to die. 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that
          the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of
          Man?" 35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have
          the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.
          36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” (John 12:18-36, ESV).

Last week, if you were paying close attention, you might have noticed that I never mentioned verse 19 again after quoting the passage, and simply finished the message when we reached verse 18. I had forgotten at the time what I had learned while studying for last week’s sermon. That is that verse 19 seemed like more of a setup verse for verses 20 and following.

          “19 So, the Pharisees said to one another, ‘You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world
          has gone after him.’”

Though probably said hyperbolically, John sees the same significant irony here as he does in John 11:49-50 when the high priest, Caiaphas, prophesies that Jesus will die for the people. In neither case is the full meaning of what they were saying grasped by those who spoke. It is not insignificant that verse 20, immediately after this reference to the whole world going after Jesus, that the Lord is approached by these Greek men.

          “20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to
          Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’”

John does not tell us much about them, simply that they came to worship at the feast. Perhaps they were Gentile proselytes who have adopted the beliefs of Judaism. Perhaps they were simply Gentiles who feared God like Cornelius in Acts 10.

John doesn’t tell us what exactly they wanted, simply that they wanted to see Jesus. Although John doesn’t record the event, the synoptic Gospels tell us that shortly after the triumphal entry, Jesus entered the temple and threw out those who sold merchandise and overturned their money tables. Matthew 21 records Jesus quoting from Isaiah 56:7:

          “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples,”

Jesus concludes by observing that rather than that being the case, they have made it a den of thieves. Particularly what angered him was that this business was being done in the court of the Gentiles – the one place in the whole temple that non-Jews could come to worship. God had commanded this place be made for them, but by their sin, the Jewish leaders had effectively made any worship impossible in that area – thereby shutting out all Gentiles from worshipping God.

Perhaps these Greeks had heard what Jesus had said. They may have even been there. Or they may simply have been aware of prophecies in the Old Testament that foretold the inclusion of Gentiles in the future and wanted to ask Jesus, considered to be a wise teacher, about these things.

John doesn’t tell us why they came to Philip instead of to Jesus himself. Perhaps Jesus was occupied or was in another part of the temple that the Greeks could not enter. Although it is interesting that John makes a point of saying that they came to Philip, and then says, ‘he was from Bethsaida in Galilee’, in verse 21. Now, if Philip’s hometown was important, it might be that these Greeks were from the Decapolis just north of Israel, to which Bethsaida is not geographically far from. Also, given that his name was Greek, and he may have also spoken Greek well given where he lived in Israel, this might explain why he was approached particularly. In any case, Philip seems to have been similarly reluctant to approach Jesus and takes the request to Andrew. Andrew and Philip then deliver the message to Jesus together.

And at this point, the Greeks are never mentioned again: Completely absent from here on. Whether Jesus spoke to them or whether they were listening as he speaks here, we are not told. And, I might point out, as far as John’s point is concerned, it does not matter: That they came to Jesus is what matters, not what he might have said to them. It is their coming that causes Jesus to say in verse 23,

          “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”

If you’ve been paying attention at all throughout John, you will know that this is not the first time that Jesus’ hour has been referred to. In John 2, Jesus’ mother came to him about the problem with the wine and he told that his hour had not yet come. In chapter 7, John tells us that they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him because his hour had not yet come. Again in chapter 8, we are told that no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

So finally in chapter 12, at some point between Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem and Thursday night when he and his disciples gathered together for the last supper, Jesus is approached by some Greeks, and this is the sign to him that his hour has arrived.

He doesn’t mean a literal hour – that is, that he will be killed within the next sixty minutes. But he means the time when his mission will be completed and his message fulfilled has now arrived.

Why now? What does the coming of these Gentiles have to do with his mission? In the time we have left, I want you to see 5 Truths About Jesus’ Mission and Message – There is a great deal of overlap between the mission and the message, so I have decided to connect them for the purposes of our study tonight. There were originally more than five, but I found it too difficult to keep some of them separate, so I have condensed those into other points.

We have just seen that the hour has arrived: When the Gentiles came, God revealed to Jesus that this is the sign that paves the way for his ultimate purpose in coming to earth. All his teaching and the signs that he has performed cannot be truly understood prior to, and apart from, the culmination of his mission when he dies on the cross.


          1. It costs everything

Jesus says,

          “24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone;
          but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

An agricultural example: Basically, the seed’s whole purpose in existing is to reproduce. As a seed, it is worthless if it stays unchanged. But when it falls to the ground and ceases to exist in its current form, it becomes extremely useful, and subsequently bears much fruit. Yet, in order for that process to be completed, the seed must cease to exist in its current state.

          “25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for
          eternal life.”

While it is true that with God all things are possible, that doesn’t mean that this road is without pain for Jesus.
          “27 Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour?”

Just as in Gethsemane, Jesus will pray: Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. But not what I will, but what you will. As he recognizes that the time of his death is drawing near, and all that comes with it, he is troubled, and who can blame him? Jesus knew better than anyone what awaited him, and it was fraught by pain and sorrow. He would be spat upon and tortured by his own people whom he created, and even forsaken by God his Father.

In verse 32, he alludes to his death,

          “32 I [will be] lifted up from the earth.”

Verse 33 tells us that this is a reference to the kind of death he would die – on the cross. The most painful and humiliating death imaginable. It was reserved for rebels and traitors. And the cross was only the end – before that, Jesus would be scourged.

Scourging was a form of whipping in which bits of steal and bone were attached to the whip and it deeply into the body of the victim. In fact, scourging occasionally led to death from shock. If the victim lived, their body would be a wreck, and they would be covered by scars for however long after that they lived. There were actually three forms of scourging – a lighter form for miscreants, intended to teach them a lesson, and two more extreme forms.

From a comparison of the Gospel accounts, it appears that Jesus was first given the lighter form of flogging before sentencing – an attempt by Pilate to appease the crowd – and then the most severe after sentencing, before he carried the cross up the hill.

And this does not even consider the spiritual torment of the weight of sin that he carried for us – leading to the Father turning his face away from him. We say that God never learns new things because he knows everything. But I can tell you this: Jesus did not know what it felt like to carry the guilt and condemnation of sin upon him, because he had never sinned; and he did not know what it felt like to be separated in any sense from the Father.

What he endured for us is beyond our ability to comprehend, even if we were so inclined to spend all eternity trying to understand. Even then, it would be beyond our grasp. And God be thanked for that.

And yet, we are not left entirely off the hook.


          2. It provides an example for us

Although this message is first meant to explain his own work, Jesus clearly intends for us to recognize that we must be prepared to do the same.

          “25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal
          life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If
          anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”

God created man in his image. He created us to have dominion over all creation. Adam was called to rule over the birds and beasts and to care for the trees and plants. He named them, and he ruled as God’s steward over them.

Now, in the work of redemption, we who have been transformed by the Gospel – who have repented of our sins and committed our souls to Christ in salvation – are now called to be his emissaries in a fallen world; we are to proclaim his message to those who have not yet accepted it. Both through the message of his life, death on the cross, resurrection, and through the message of our lives that have been transformed through the renewing of his Holy Spirit, we are to carry on the work.

So as we are to represent him, that requires that we follow his example. As he was willing to lose his life and give everything for us, so we are to be willing to do the same for others.

          “9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession,
          that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
          10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but
          now you have received mercy...

          ...20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good
          and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been
          called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his
          steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did
          not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who
          judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to
          righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now
          returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:9-10, 20-25, ESV).

We are like that grain of wheat. In our natural state we reject our created purpose because we reject God and his plan. Also, it is not the easiest path. But if we submit to God’s plan for us and fall into the earth like the wheat we will bear much fruit – we will be made like him and draw others to him as well.

But the purpose of this plan is not to make everything cozy for us. If it was, God is certainly powerful enough to do so. In fact, from the beginning, the life of man was without such pain in it – but our sin necessitated this. That said, Christ suffered far more than we ever could. The purpose of God’s plan for us is the same as the purpose of his plan for Jesus: His glory.


          3. Its purpose is God’s glory

          “‘27 Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? But for this
          purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven: ‘I
         have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’”

Many of our problems with serving God come down to the fact that until our salvation, our life was self-based, not God-based. That is, we lived to serve ourselves. And even though we are saved now, our past habits of selfishness do not simply disappear.

Jesus’ life was lived with that purpose in mind. Interestingly enough, for about the first thirty years of his life, he was apparently unknown and basically worked as a carpenter.

Living every day to the glory of God does not mean you will necessarily be called to live in a hovel in the South Seas for the rest of your life. It seems that Jesus glorified God in those first thirty years by being faithful in the position that God placed him in.

We glorify God by demonstrating that his Spirit is living within us, changing us into his image. Old desires begin to pass away and new ones from God take precedence. In some cases, God uses people through a particular gift he has given them.

Johann Sebastian Bach lived in Germany following the Protestant Reformation. He loved the theology of Luther and Calvin and was committed to the biblical teachings that they preached. The music he wrote was intended to glorify God. In fact, it is said that at the bottom of the page in his musical compositions, he would write next to his name, SDG – abbreviated for Soli Deo Gloria – To God alone be the glory. Bach recognized that genius God had given him to compose was to glorify God, not Bach.

Eric Liddell is famous for being featured in the movie Chariots of Fire. In that film, the character of Liddell memorably says, “God made me fast. When I run, I feel his pleasure.” He used his ability as a platform to proclaim the glory of God. Less famously, God called him from there to the anonymous work of serving on the mission field in China where he dedicated the rest of his short life to working among the Chinese until his death during World War 2 (I believe in a prisoner camp).

As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 12, we all have a particular role in the body, no more or less important before God: Because he assigned our roles to each of us.

One warning I’ve had to remind myself, and I think especially needs to be remembered in America today is this: Be careful that we don’t try to find some way to justify what we want to do by saying that it glorifies God. You glorify God by fulfilling his plan for your life. If you are not doing what he appointed you to do, you are sinning.

If what you are doing costs you nothing for Christ, be wary of it. The difficulty is part of the refining process to make you more like our Lord. Christ suffered to leave us an example, not to give us a cushy time in this life. The end of pain and sorrow is not to be found here. If that’s what you, or I am looking for, this is the wrong church and the wrong God.


          4. It provides freedom from judgment for all peoples

In verse 28, when Jesus prayed to the Father to glorify his name, an audible voice comes from heaven. Then,

          “30 Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this
          world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will
          draw all peoples to myself.”

The initial judgment of the world came in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve, as representatives of all their descendants, rebelled against God and broke his commandment. That day, they died spiritually, by separating themselves from God. And all mankind is judged through them – not that we would have done any different.

The second judgment came at the coming of Christ. He came to his own people, and they did not receive him. Just as Adam and Eve rejected God in the Garden of Eden, in the same way, the nation of Israel – whom God had chosen as his own special nation, and set them apart from all nations of the world – rejected his Son, Jesus Christ. And thus, by rejecting the Son, they rejected the Father also, and condemned themselves. The final judgment will come at Christ’s return at the end of days.

But if the world is being judged now, Jesus tells us that he will draw all people to himself. Now, this is tricky – some readers love to be lazy with words and simply take ‘all people’ as an all-inclusive statement. But Jesus is not a Universalist. He clearly says the world will be judged. But in particular, Jesus came to his people: Israel. And even as they reject him, he calls all peoples to himself. Both Jew and Gentile. That is why the coming of the Greeks was so significant in verse 20. Their coming signaled to Jesus that the judgment of Israel was about to begin.

But in this drawing all people to himself, what does he mean?

In the verses leading up to Isaiah 53 and Israel’s confession that they have rejected God’s servant, their Messiah, we read in Isaiah 52:13,

          “13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.”

The servant is exalted – Jesus uses the same language in our passage. So what else do we see of this servant?

          “10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an
          offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall
          prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge
          shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their  
          iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:10-11, ESV).

Earlier, in John 8:28, Jesus said,

          “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on
          my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.”

The purpose of his ministry can only be understood with the background of the cross. His signs and his teaching were worthless without the cross. Without the shedding of blood, there can be no remission of sins. That is what he has done for us.

But Jesus came not merely to save Israel alone, but to open the way for people of all nations to be reconciled to God. Even his name for himself makes that clear: The Son of Man. That title was used in Daniel 7 to describe this vision:

          “13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man,
          and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion
          and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an
          everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

In John 12:34, it seems as though the people have grasped the connection between the Christ and the Son of Man, but their unwillingness to accept Jesus’ message clouds their understanding. Apparently, ignoring the context of a passage was just as popular in Jesus’ time as it is today. Truly, there is nothing new under the sun.

Daniel is very clear:

          “14 To him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, [all] nations, and [all]
          languages should serve him;” (Daniel 7:14, ESV - Words in parenthesis added for emphasis).

The term ‘all’ in regards to people may not always refer to everyone who ever lived - the context determines the qualification of the word - but the term ‘all peoples’ certainly does not mean ‘one people’ – that is, Israel.

The people listening to Jesus, we see in verse 34, have questions. But while they’ve latched onto the part about his dominion being an everlasting dominion – they say, ‘We have heard…that the Christ remains forever’ – at the same time, they missed the universal nature of the message: That the Christ came into the world so that whoever believes in him, whether Jew or Gentile, will be saved.


          5. It provides a warning

The last truth regarding Jesus’ mission and message is that a warning comes with it.

          “35 Jesus said to them, ‘the light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the
          light lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is
          going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.’”

Jesus’ basic point is this: The truth is here now. You’ve heard it, but the expiration date on this truth always comes sooner than you expect it.

When one goes out to evangelize, the apathy among unbelievers is so disheartening to see. So many people just refuse to take it seriously. They’re in the dark, and they’ve deluded themselves into thinking that they’re the smart ones - We’re the fools. It breaks your heart to see that kind of hard-heartedness.

When I was reading these last verses, it made me think of some who have been in church, both whom I have known in this church during my life, and those who’ve been in other churches – while they are here, in fellowship with believers and in the hearing of the Word, they look like us; they look sincere in their faith. But when they go out and either stop regularly attending church or they attend a church that does not preach the Gospel faithfully, they begin to show that their faith was not genuine.

While we ourselves are not the light, there is a sense in which, while people are in the church, the reflected light of God is on them. That is, they’re in church, hearing the truth: The light of the Word is near them. When they go out and no longer have that, they demonstrate that they never truly came to the light; never truly became children of light and walked in the light.

When we look back to the call to commitment that Jesus demands in verses 24-26, it’s a good litmus test to determine whether we are walking in the light. How willing are we to lose our life for his sake? That doesn’t even necessarily mean we have to die like Jesus did. It may be tougher than if we did that: It may mean we have to live like Isaiah or Jeremiah, ministering for years in a difficult situation with no end in sight. That’s where the glory of the Lord comes in: We’re not working to ‘save more souls than the next guy’ or serve in a flashier way than someone else.

George Muller once said that in seeking God’s will he did his level best to eliminate having a personal opinion. He didn’t want to have a personal will in the matter, but simply to have God’s will be his will. Now, there are limits to how well we can do that, but that is the attitude we are to have: To make God’s will our will. If our will is not God’s will, it is a sinful will.

As we close, I want to look at Galatians 3 and reflect on the glorious gift of God seen in this passage. It is one we tend to take for granted because we lived in the post-Christ age, not the pre-Christ one.

          “13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed
          is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come
          to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:13-14. ESV).