July 17, 2016

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion....." Colossians 3:12

Christ-followers are to clothe themselves in the virtues of Jesus. The more a Christ-follower resembles Christ, the better!

Jesus wore a robe and sandals, so obviously that is not what I am suggesting. This admonition was written well before the invention of Velcro, buttons or zippers so it is apparent we aren't talking about literal clothing.

Paul's message here is that Christ-followers in their attitudes, actions and demeanor should resemble the nature of Jesus. If you are around others regularly over a period of time, they should recognize you as a Christ-follower without you having to mention it.

One Christ-like virtue is compassion. In the Greek language in which this was written, compassion had the idea of "feeling it in your gut". The word literally is translated "bowels". You are to feel the sorrow or pain of another person deep in your "gut".

Isn't it true that when you are suddenly sorrowful that is where it hits you? Haven't you heard distressing news and felt it in the pit of your stomach?

What should a Christ-follower wear?

He should put on compassion!

But to put on a new article of "clothing" what must you do? You go into the fitting room and you take off the shirt you are wearing so you can try on the one you want to get.

In the same way, you cannot put on compassion until you take off what you are wearing. You can't be clothed with compassion if you are wearing a critical spirit. You can't put on compassion until you take off your prejudice. You can't be clothed with compassion if you are judgmental.

A Christ-follower takes off anything that keep him from putting on compassion for others.

Will you be clothed with the compassion of Christ today?

What must you put off in order to put on compassion?

July 16, 2016

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:12-14

When I played ball in high school and later in college, I was not allowed to wear whatever I wanted to wear to our ballgames. I was told what to wear by my coach and my school.

They provided uniforms for us to wear so our fans, the officials and even other team mates would know which team they belonged to.

When I was in high school we had a dress code for daily classes. The school did not tell us exactly what we had to wear but the told us what we couldn't wear.

What you wear is significant in that people identify you or even judge you based on what you wear. Your wardrobe can reveal who you are.

No wonder the Apostle Paul admonished the Christians at Colossi (and modern Christians by extension) to "clothe themselves"in a way that identifies you as a follower of Christ.

Since other teams identify themselves by how they're dressed, Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says they must be able to be readily identified as a Christ-follower by the attitudes and virtues that adorn their lives.

So, how should a Christ-follower dress? What should you put on so that everyone can recognize you as a Christ-follower without you having to say a word or quote a verse?

Paul identifies five attitudes that when tailored from the fabric of love will "clothe" you as a follower of Christ!

Over the next several I will give you more detail on each of these five "clothing characteristics" of a Christ follower. For now, I will list them.

Compassion is commanded of those who follow Christ. 

Are you a compassionate person? If not, keep following!

Kindness is commanded of those who follow Christ.

If kindness is not your nature, keep following Christ.

Humility is is a must for those who claim to follow Christ. If you struggle with humility keep following Christ!

Christ followers must be gentle people. If you are not always gentle or if you are afraid of being gentle, keep following Jesus!

Paul insists on patience for those who are followers of Christ. Do you struggle with patience?

If you struggle with patience keep following Jesus!

If you want to be clothed like Jesus stay close to Jesus!

Follow!

Lean Into Him

".....and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

Houdini, the magician, walked across a tight wire high above Niagara Falls. The high wire is stretched tight high above Niagara Falls, and Houdini asks the audience watching from the bleachers whether or not he can walk across that falls high on that high wire. Houdini calls to the people in the bleachers, “Do you believe that I can walk on the high wire across the falls.” The crowd chants back, “Yes, you can do it.” 

Houdini then loads a wheel barrow onto that high wire and calls to the crowds, “Do you believe that I can take that wheel barrow on the high wire across Niagara Falls?” “Yes,” they shout. “You can do it.” 

Then Houdini takes a wheel barrow and fills that wheel barrow with a sack of sand, weighing a hundred and fifty pounds.” Houdini calls to the crowds, “Can I take the wheelbarrow with the 150 pounds of sand across the high wire?” The crowd thunders at the top of their voices, “Yes, you can do it.” 

Then Houdini pauses and quietly asks for a volunteer to get into the wheel barrow and Houdini will take them on the high wire across Niagara Falls. No one volunteers. "No, no, no. We don't want to do that."

It is one thing to believe that the high wire walker could move 150 pounds across the wire, but it quite another thing to believe in him, to put your life in his hands, to get into the wheelbarrow and have him ferry you across to the other side of the falls. You have to REALLY believe IN him to do that. To trust your life fully in his hands.

Have you discovered that one of the things that makes it tough to fully trust God is trusting what He can go in you?

It is hard to fully "lean into" Him when you are doubting His ability to use you. Doubting what God can do in you is in fact, doubting Him.

I know I struggled for years with surrendering to His calling on my life. My problem was that I have serious doubts whether I could do the job He was calling me to do. I told myself that I trusted Him I just didn't trust myself. I was leaning to my own understanding of what I though I was able to do.

My Youth Pastor set me straight when he challenged me with this admonition, "God's call is your enablement. Are you telling me that you can trust God to call you to ministry but you can't trust Him to enable you to accomplish the task?"

As I thought about it I had to admit that was EXACTLY what I was saying. Once I admitted it I had to confess it for the sin it was. Though I said I trusted Him I was unwilling to get into His wheelbarrow.

Confessing the sinful way I had been thinking, I began "leaning fully into Him" and "leaned away from my own understanding."

Now, more than 40 years later I can clearly see how His calling really has been my enablement!

Have you been "leaning into your own understanding" rather than trusting Him?

July 14, 2016

^"1Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion  blot out my transgressions. ² Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. ³ For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. ⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. ⁵ Surely I was sinful at birth,  sinful from the time my mother conceived me. ⁶ Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. ⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.  ⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;  let the bones you have crushed rejoice. ⁹ Hide your face from my sins  and blot out all my iniquity. ¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence  or take your Holy Spirit from me. ¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation  and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. ¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. ¹⁴ Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. ¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.¹⁸ In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem. ¹⁹ Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar."  Psalm 51

To fully grasp the importance of repentance you really need to understand the destructive nature of sin. I'm sure David had an intellectual comprehension of why he didn't want to sin. He certainly had a front row seat observing King Saul's spiritual self-destruction. And I'm sure his passionate desire to please God gave him a hatred for sin.

But, despite those extremely strong aversions to sin - he sinned - TERRIBLY! And once he had fallen SO far and SO hard, he had a first-hand knowledge of how awful sin is and specifically, his sins. NOW he felt the desperate for forgiveness and was ready for true repentance.

What is involved in true repentence?

RESPONSIBILITY, Vv. 1-4

For repentance to matter it must begin by taking full and complete personal responsibility for your sin against a personal and holy God!

Face it! As a human parent you feel better when your child owns up personally and voluntarily to something they have done wrong. How much more so a God Who actually KNOWS the thoughts and doesn't just hear the words?

If you desire true forgiveness then offer true repentance beginning by taking full responsibility for your sin.

REMORSE, Vv. 1-4

Sincere repentance is demonstrated through sincere remorse. David shows that deep remorse as he cries out to God.

Real remorse goes hand in hand with taking responsibility. If you can't admit that you were very wrong then you can feel really bad about what you have done.

David did! You must, too!

RECOGNITION, Vv. 5-7

Repentance requires a stated recognition that God is holy, just, righteous, gracious, merciful and you are not!

Recognizing that you have sinned because you are sinful is more than an excuse - it is a fact. It is agreeing with God about Who He is and Who He says you are!

I John 1:9 says that if we "confess" our sins God will forgive them and cleanse you. "Confess" means to "agree" with God about your sinfulness.

RESTORATION, Vv. 8-12

Once you have come clean with God and come into clarity of Who He is, then you must be prepared to receive all the mercy and grace He offers to pentitent children.

By faith, receive His forgiveness and His cleansing and His peace and His joy and His presence and His power, and His promises - in short - ALL THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE!

Like the Prodigal father restored his pentinent son in the familiar parable, God FULLY restores those who come come to Him in true repentance.

RECOMMIT, Vv. 13-14

One of the evidences of true repentance is jumping back into serving God. And who better to teach or witness about the grace and mercy of God than one who has experienced that grace and mercy?

REJOICE, V. 15

Another evidence of one who has truly repented in his joy! Joy is expressed in rejoicing!

There is a line from an old hymn that celebrates the fact that when all the saints of God are gathered in Heaven and are rejoicing over their redemption the angels will have to fold their wings because they don't know the joy our redemption brings.

Cetainly, this is not to say that you should sin just to know the joy of forgiveness - BUT, as sinners, we MUST repent in order to receive. And once received and restored, rejoicing comes natural!

RESTITUTION, V. 16

A third evidence of a true reptentant is restitution. Repentence involves making right those people you have wronged, returning what you have stolen, or fixing what you have broken.

When you have sinned against God there is no restitution you can do toward Him - other than repent.

But the good news is this - YOU DON'T HAVE MAKE RESTITUTION - Jesus did that on the cross!

Sin is awful! 

Salvation from sin is awesome!

Truth is...

"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." I Corinthians 13:6

The problem with sin is that it complicates life. It complicates life because it confuses your understanding of truth. When the line gets blurred between truth and lies, life gets tough in a hurry.

That is exactly what happened with Adam and Eve and it has become the story of humanity. It is essentially the story of history.

So, fast forward to your marriage and our truth for the day reminds us that love is directly and intricately connected with truth. The question then becomes, "What is truth?"

Truth is a Person!

Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by me." When Jesus made that statement He was not saying He is a concept or a system of beliefs, He IS TRUTH! Truth starts and ends in HIM! If you want to know truth you must know Him! Nothing is true apart from Him! So, when this verse says that love rejoices in truth it makes a lot of sense when you understand that truth is not a thing it is a Person! Isn't it much easier to love a person? Especially when that Person is Jesus! Want love in your marriage? Get Jesus! Want truth in your marriage? Get Jesus!

Truth is Purity!

Because truth is a Person and that Person is Jesus, you need to get Jesus. In order to get Jesus you must repent of sin and renounce it in your life. You must cleanse your heart and mind of moral impurity. I John 1:8-9 affirms this: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." That's what I am talking about! Get rid of the impurity of sin and receive the purity of His righteousness. And righteousness is "rightness". Also, back up a couple of verses to I John 1:7 and it sheds more truth on truth: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." "Walk in the light". What is light but truth? As you walk in truth you walk in purity!

Truth Is Power!

When you have Jesus you have purity. When you have Jesus and purity you will have power. The power of truth! The power of holiness! The power of rightness!

Love rejoices in truth!

Make that "truth" with a capital "T"!

July 12, 2016

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”  Proverbs 3:5-6

Wise people trust God. The wisest people trust Him completely.

The word for trust means to “lean into”. When you trust God you “lean into Him” with all your weight.

Heed the wise instruction given in these verses, “You don’t have to fully understand God in order to fully trust Him.”

Often, one of the biggest obstacles to trusting God is the notion that we have to understand Him in order to trust Him.

As Solomon reminds us in this Proverb, not only is that untrue it is absurd!

I put my trust in a lot of things I don’t understand. I have rested all my weight in a jetliner and flown 35,000 feet across the Atlantic Ocean with little understanding of that aircraft.

I have a very limited understanding of how my Toyota Camry works but I trust it to carry me wherever I need to go.

I lean heavily on this laptop for my writing and sermon preparation and research and emails every day of every week. I don’t really understand how it works.

Here’s some wisdom to help you trust Him.

Wise people trust God by leaning completely into His trustworthiness and leaning away from their understanding of Him.

Is your need to understanding Him making it difficult to trust Him?

Wise up!

Lean away from your need to understand Him and lean fully into what you DO understand about Him – HE IS TRUSTWORTHY!

By the way, an amazing thing happens as you lean fully into His trustworthiness – you gain a better understanding of Him as well!

How are you leaning today?

Standard of Loyalty

“The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.”  Psalm 27:1-3

What is God worth to you?

How would you estimate His value in your life?

How would you express that to Him?

The word "worship" comes from two old English words "worth"  and "ship".  It literally means giving worth to God or expressing His worth.

So, the purpose of worship is to express to God how much you realize He is worth to you. Now when that happens, several other good things begin to happen. As you realize how much He is worth to you you also get a fresh sense of how much you are worth to Him! Also, you begin to understand how valuable others are to Him - and you grasp how much others need Him. As you worship Him you catch a fresh glimpse of His holiness and your unworthiness. That humbles you and causes you to call upon Him more. Calling upon Him fills you with more of His presence and restores your hope - and so it goes! Worship is the life-blood of your Christian commitment!

Think about this:

I wonder what would happen if we applied the same standards of loyalty to our Christian activities that we expect from other areas of our lives? 

If your car starts once every three tries, is it reliable? If the postman skipped delivery every Monday and Thursday, is he trustworthy? If you don’t go to work once or twice a month, are you a reliable employee? If your fridge stops working for a day or two every now and then, do you say, “Oh well, it work most of the time.”? If your water heater provides an icy cold shower every now and then, is it dependable? If you skipped a couple of electricity bill payments do you think Dominion Power would mind? If you fail to worship God one or two Sundays a month, would you expect to be called a faithful Christian? We expect loyalty and reliability from things and other people - isn’t it reasonable then that God just might expect the same from us.

Is God worth one Sunday a month to you?

Is He worth two Sundays a month?

Even if you worship every Sunday, is that enough?

If worship helps you understand and express His worth more effectively, how much worship is enough? How much of God is enough?

Check out Romans 12:1-2 as you prayerfully meditate on these thoughts.