September 14, 2016

"But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”  Luke 13:4-5

Repentance hasn’t gone out of style but it seems that talking about it has. Have you noticed that or is it just me?

John the Baptist talked a lot about it. Jesus did, too.

Why do you suppose people aren’t talking about it much today?

I can’t say for sure, but I can offer some ideas.

Maybe it has to do with a misunderstanding of grace. There are those who are of the opinion that since Jesus died for our sins all we have to do is believe in Him and He forgives us just as we are. Repentance doesn’t fit in that scenario.

Perhaps some think calling people to repentance is too confrontational and may offend people. Political correctness can lead to theological incorrectness and that can be deadly.

To repent is an admission that God is right and you are wrong. That is something the sinful nature doesn't want to do.

I fear, however, the real reason that people have lost the sense of urgency over repentance is because they have lost a sense of urgency about sin. Repentance isn’t that big of a deal if sin isn’t that big of a deal.

In the verse above Jesus mentions two times that if you don’t repent you will perish. I don’t know but that sounds serious to me! Especially when you understand that perish means more than just dying – it means eternal death or spiritual death.

According to Jesus it comes down to two clear choices: either you choose to repent of your sin OR you choose to perish in your sin. Either of those is a big deal! Repenting of your sins and finding eternal life is a big deal. Failing to repent and perishing in your sins is also a big deal.

Repentance is having a godly sorrow over sin and turning away from it. Repentance is turning your back on sin and seeking God's Face. Acts 3:19 says, ^"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,"

I think we ought to talk more about repentance. And we ought to do it! It’s a big deal!

September 13, 2016

”Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Luke 13:1-5

REPENT is an inclusive word

"All" need to repent.

What Jesus teaches, then, is that all of us are extremely sinful. There are no innocent human beings. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "There is none righteous, no not one" (Romans 3:10). What should amaze us in our sin is not that some are taken in calamity, but that we are spared and given another day to repent. The really amazing thing in this universe is not that guilty sinners perish, but that God is so slow to anger that you and I can sit here this morning and have another chance to repent.

There is no escape from it

Repent or perish; all must face it. Acts 17:30 informs us that God "commandeth all men every where to repent." The desire of God is for all men to come to repentance (II Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise....").

God does not give us an option in the matter of repentance, He commands all men to repent.

Repentance is not arbitrary, it is absolute.

It is an either / or - either repent or perish.

There is no excuse from it

Either you repent or perish. It is that simple.

Unless you repent you will PERISH.

The clerk will perish if she does not repent. Your children will perish, you parents will perish, your neighbors will perish, your colleagues will perish if they do not repent.

REPENT OR PERISH! Face it now or regret it later.

There is no escape for perishing except through repentance.

Perish is something more than simply die a physical death. Jesus is referring to something beyond death. Those Galileans were taken unawares and experienced a horrible end; however, unless you repent, you too will be taken unawares and experience a horrible end—the judgment of God beyond the grave.

The word perish often refers to this terrible judgment in the New Testament. For example in John 3:16 perishing is seen as the alternative to having everlasting life. The same thing turns up in John 10:28.

It is significant that Jesus taught repeatedly about Hell. To portray it He often drew upon the horrors of the Vale of Hinnom, the garbage dump of Jerusalem. Into it were thrown the filth of the city along with the bodies of dead animals and the unclaimed bodies of executed criminals. Maggots infested the nauseous mass, consuming fires burned constantly, and wild dogs howled and gnashed their teeth over edible portions of the garbage. Jesus said that this was a symbol of hell, and the reality is always greater that the symbol.

It is in the word “repent” that your hope lies to escape Hell.

Without repenting and fleeing to Christ there is fire in your future.

September 12, 2016

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!"  Philippians 1:20-22

One final thought on the 9-11 commemoration that is worth noting and has challenged me.

It doesn't take a lot of people to change the world but it does take committed people.

There were just 19 young men who were so committed to their beliefs that they were willing to die for them who brought down those towers and changed life in American for generations. Were they misguided? Certainly. Did they do evil? Absolutely!

One reason Islam is spreading and Christianity is losing influence is tragically illustrated by these terrorist. While many Christians won't get out of bed to show up for church or are afraid to risk ridicule for taking a stand on their principles, these guys gave up their lives. They were dead wrong but they loved their faith more than their lives.

If you have one faith that is more committed than another which do you think will win? Which one will gain more influence?

The Apostle Paul here states that he is willing to die for his faith. In fact, as he penned these words, dying looked as good as continuing to live under the constant persecution he faced. But, whether he lived or whether he died he was absolutely committed to live what he believed. He understood that anything not worth dying for is not worth living for. Christ is!

On young man Who died 2,000 years ago changed the world eternally. He believed you were worth dying for. All of the apostles died for their faith and knew it was worth it!

It won't take a lot of people to turn our world back to Christ, but it will take completely committed people!  The 9-11 commemoration was a reminded that evil is dead serious about ruling the world. Christians cannot be causal and win the day.

Are you willing to die for Christ? 

Then demonstrate it by living for Him today.

September 11, 2016

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." Luke 15:20

One of the enduring memories from 9-11  fifteen years ago was the sight of the police, paramedics, and firemen rushing into a burning building while everyone else who could was running out. Too many of them lost their lives trying to save the lives of others. Many lives were saved by them.

What is it that compels a person to rush into danger when most are fleeing from it? What motivates a person to risk his life to save the life of a total stranger?

Thank God there are still people who have a rescue mindset! Thank God there are those who value human life so highly that they will risk their own life to save others! As you pray today and as you meditate on the significance of this day take time to pray for the police, the firefighters, and the EMT's of your community. Take time to thank God for them.

Actually, I think those heroic acts of self-sacrifice on that fateful day eight years ago capture the very essence of the truth Jesus is teaching in Luke 15. Jesus is telling us that God has a rescue mindset. God is committed to rushing in to life threatening crises when others are running out. Jesus is the proof of God's commitment to rescue people trapped in the rubble of sin. He came from the splendor and security of Heaven in order to offer his life in order to save others.

So, how do we respond to that sort of mindset? How do we show our appreciation for such a great sacrifice?

I think Jesus answers those questions in Luke 15. I hear Him telling us that to prove our gratitude to God for His great love in two ways: (1) By loving Him and; (2) By loving what He loves - other people. I hear God calling us to have a rescue mindset and to rush into rescue situations when everyone else is running out.

Will you take a moment to ask God to give you a rescue mindset? Will you ask Him to fill you with His love for lost people? Will you praise God for being a Father who runs to meet lost people? Think about this, our faith is the only faith in the world that serves a God Who actively seeks us. Christianity is the unique faith that worships comes to us rather than expect us to somehow try to placate Him.

Seek God today and serve Him by seeking others who need to know Him.

September 10, 2016

"So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." Luke 15:20

The other day I got a new insight on what it means to be lost. Being lost means being unable to receive God's love.

God's love is a constant. God can't love you more than He already loves you. He cannot do anything more than He has already done to show His love. But love is a gift and as a gift must be received.

God IS love. In order to receive His love we must receive Him. You can't have love and not have God. But you can't have God when you are living sinfully. And when you can't have God - you are lost.

That is all the more reason why those who do know the love of God, should feel compelled to help their friends find the love of God, too. How can you know the love of God and not want people you love to also come to know His love?

In Luke 15, there are at least three examples of people who are lost because they weren't able to receive the love of God.

The religious leaders were unable to receive the love of God. They had trapped themselves in a joyless routine of religious rules and rituals. Somehow they had managed to create a religious system where love wasn't even required. They were lost in their own self-righteousness.

How were they lost? They were lost in the pride trap. As long as they kept their rules and maintained their rituals and lived by their laws, what's love got to do with it?

Love is hard and demanding. I have to love back. That's risky!

Pride is easy and rules are predictable. Plus, we make the rules! So, if they get too hard to keep we can just change them! And, if I honor all the laws and commands and do all the rituals God will have to love me!

Pride trumps love every time - and is proud of it!

God couldn't reach them with His love. Jesus couldn't put a dent in them.

Are there still lost people like that today? Uh, uh.

Where do I find someone like that?

Maybe in the mirror? 

Are there any hints of self-righteousness? 

Any private sin you are harboring? 

Any questionable behavior you're excusing? 

Any impure thinking that you are allowing? 

Any unhealthy attitude you are tolerating?

Take a hard look.

September 9, 2016

"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!" Luke 15:17

Parables are very effective in giving the big picture concepts but can break down a bit in the details. These three stories do a great job of illustrating God's heart for lost people, but one important truth that is lost in the details is this - we don't GET lost, we are BORN lost. By lost, I mean we are sinful, separated from God, morally bankrupt, corrupt in our thinking and deceived in out mind.

That self-righteousness that caused the religious leaders to be lost in their faith? That is a manifestation of their spiritual lostness. It didn't get them lost but it caused them to remain in their lostness and prevented them from reaching other lost people.

The self-indulgence that led the sheep away from the flock and away from the shepherd. That was the evidence of his selfish nature, his sinful heart that motivated him to be more interested in his appetite than his safety. It cut him off from fellowship and put him at serious risk.

Her loss of focus due to self-satisfaction, that is what caused the carelessness that led to a lost coin. Again, that is a result of a fatal self-absorption that IS our sin nature. The lost coin happened because she was lost! She lost her focus on the coin because she was so focused on her own comfort and well being. It is how sin is oriented.

And the self-interest that prompted the son to dishonor his father, shame his family and put Himself into bondage. That is because of the sin nature he was born with - we are born with. He got lost because he was lost.

So, the big truth in these three riveting stories is that we get more lost because we are lost. We remain lost until we are found. BUT - JESUS CAME TO "SEEK and SAVE THAT WHICH IS LOST".

The only thing that prevents us from being found is understanding and admitting that we are lost. Only as we get honest about our lostness can we develop a desire to be found. That is what happened to the lost son! That was his turning point. "He came to his senses". There always comes a point where your sin does you in. Ultimately pain pushes the change button in your mind. Every sinful play day brings a painful payday. The price of your sin will always exceed the pleasure. That is where this son was. He was confronted with the ugly truth about who he was and what he had done. He had dishonored his father. He had shamed his family and wasted their wealth. He had sold himself into bondage.

Thankfully, because God wants us to be found, He wired us with a conscience - a spiritual GPS to direct us back to Him. It is always operational. When programmed by the Spirit of God, it keeps us locked into to path of holiness pursuing God. But when it is ignored or programmed by the sinful nature, it leads to the path of destruction.

Jesus points to that crucial moment that everyone of needs to have in order to get from "lostness" to "foundness". We must "come to our senses" and listen to the voice of truth. We must honestly admit we are lost and confess a desire to be found. That was the turning point for the lost son. It was for me and it will be for you.

By this one act of humbly acknowledging the truth and heading home to the father, was the beginning of an amazing transformation. He went from starvation to celebration! He went from the pigpen to the palace! He went from loneliness and lostness to lavish love!

The bottom-line - sin is senseless! Come to your senses and live in celebration, plenty, and lavish love! Have you "come to your senses"? Are you ready for a change? Will you let today be your turning point?

September 8, 2016

"Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming to hear him. But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Luke 15:1-2

Do you find it intriguing that irreligious people (AKA - tax collectors and sinners) were running away from the "Pharisees and experts in the law" and running to hear Jesus?

They ("Pharisees and experts in the law") seemed to be clueless about it was happening but it sure bothered them.

I would love FredWes to be a place where irreligious people feel drawn to come investigate faith! That would be a dream come true!

So, what's the key?

The answer is found in each of the parables Jesus told as recorded in Luke 15. Each of these parables place a high value on relationships.

The shepherd had a relationship with the owner of his sheep and didn't want to lose one. The woman had a marriage relationship she wanted to honor so she couldn't lose the coin. And the father had a beloved son he didn't want to lose.

Let me ask you a question, "When you go to church are you going there to get religious or are you going to enjoy relationships?"

I think you get my point.

Jesus came to introduce people into a relationship with God not to promote or preserve a religion. He was relational in His teaching style and in His ministry among the people. He would later pay the ultimate price to make that relationship possible and these religious leaders would do their part to help it happen.

The Pharisees and religious leaders call people to a system of rules (632 of them) and rituals and regulations. Their approach to religion was designed to make themselves feel justified and self-righteous and everyone else feel unworthy and unwanted.

Mission accomplished!

People fled from that approach to God by the scores. It was like a frenzied stampede away from what they were offering.

On the contrary, Jesus offered relationship with Himself and with God! He moved among the people healing some, counseling some and helping others with overwhelming needs they had.

His only rule was "Love God with all your heart and love others as yourself!" When your relationship with Jesus is right good things happen!

It was that love which drew people to Jesus and it is that love of Jesus that will draw lost people to FredWes. Loving Jesus will also send us searching for those lost people He loves.

Relationship is the key and the key relationship is your relationship with Jesus!