|
Messiah
Yeshua has been teaching the disciples about His
death and resurrection. The path of humility and
faithfulness while suffering, and the way of the
cross, is what the Messiah of the First Coming
will take. His disciples must be like Him, and
not seek for greatness like the world understands
greatness, or the kind of status that the world
seeks. Disciples of the First Coming Messiah are
not to strive for honor, power, status, prestige,
praise from men, but faithfulness to God, service
to the Messiah, obedience to the mission, endurance
to our calling.
The Son
of God told His disciples that they are to honor
every fellow human being who knows Him, because
if we welcome the simplest follower of Messiah,
we receive the Messiah that he serves. And in
receiving the Messiah, we receive God the Father
who sent His Son into this world. So, we can draw
closer to the Son of God, and God the Father,
and please the Lord, and no doubt receive blessing
and reward for doing so, whenever we honor a simple,
humble follower of Messiah.
Must we
honor followers of Messiah, even though they may
not be part of our group or denomination, who
may not be part of our specific authority structure?
Let’s find out. 9:38 John said to Him, "Rabbi,
we saw someone casting out demons in Your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he was not
following us." First, this man was doing the right
thing. He was casting out demons, which is a good
thing. There is no problem with his deeds.
Second,
he certainly appeared to be a follower of Yeshua.
He was casting out demons in Yeshua’s name. There
is no problem with his faith. But, there was a
question about his authority. He was not known
to the Lord’s emissaries, and wasn’t under their
authority. Therefore, they tried to stop him from
the good work that he was doing. Where they right
to do so?
But Yeshua
said, "Do not hinder him, for there is no one
who will perform a miracle in My name, and be
able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. For he
who is not against us is for us. Don’t prevent
a man who claims to know Messiah from doing good
deeds simply because he is not part of your group.
If he is doing good things, and saying the right
things, and believing the right things, he is
not an immediate threat. He is not fighting against
the cause of Messiah. In his own way, with his
own calling, in the way he is serving the Lord,
he is advancing our cause.
Don’t
be too narrow in your perspective. If he is a
brother (and you can generally tell if someone
is a fellow believer simply by talking to him
for a few minutes, and asking a few questions,
since deep calls to deep, and your spirit can
usually tell what is in his spirit), and if he
advancing the Kingdom of God and furthering the
cause of the Messiah, don’t stop him. Don’t hinder
him out of misplaced loyalty. He may not be under
your authority, but he is still under the authority
of God. Out of misplaced zeal, don’t prevent him
from serving God and doing good. In fact, rejoice,
and try to help him if you can.
Here’s
an example. I consider the members of Cross of
Christ Lutheran Church to be my brothers. I really
like the pastors here, and many of the other people
that I have met. We don’t agree on every doctrinal
point. We differ on infant baptism, and the nature
of the Lord’s Supper, and the issue of the Millennium,
but on the essentials - the Trinity, and the issue
of salvation by faith alone, and by grace alone,
and the importance of the Word of God alone, we
agree. The people at Cross of Christ are my brothers
and sisters. I rejoice when they prosper and grow.
Their growth is the growth of the Kingdom of God,
and the cause of Messiah.
Here’s
another example. Evangelicals, which are a subset
of Protestants, agree on the fundamentals of the
faith. We should generally be able to work together
at a certain level. Evangelical Mission agencies,
even though they may not agree on everything,
are often able to work together, planing strategies
in other countries and defining areas that each
will work in.
Even if
you don’t agree on every doctrinal point, if you
agree on the basics, and you know that they are
fellow citizens of the Kingdom of God, and part
of the Body of Messiah, try to be gracious toward
others, and help them fulfill their service to
the Lord. This is a meritorious thing. 9:41 For
whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because
of your name as followers of Messiah, truly I
say to you, he will not lose his reward. Encourage
other believers, and you will be rewarded. And
the opposite is true - whatever you do, don’t
discourage fellow believers from following the
Lord by your attitudes or your actions! 9:42 Whoever
causes one of these little ones who believe to
stumble, it would be better for him if, with a
heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been
cast into the sea.
How do
we cause a “little one” - a simple follower of
Messiah, to stumble, and harm his relationship
to God? By not honoring his service to the Lord,
even though he may not be part of our group; by
being too harsh with him in criticism or discipline;
by giving him ruinous spiritual advice, like Billy
Graham did and does. Decades ago he made a deal
with the Catholic Church, offering to send these
“little ones” back into that false religious system
when they come forward at his meetings to begin
serving God; finally, by being a hypocrite ourselves,
which drives others away from the Faith.
Our sins,
especially if we are leaders, can cause others
to stumble. Our sins can have a devastating impact
on others. Our hypocrisy can discourage others
from pursuing the Lord. Our bad deeds can help
ruin someone else’s spiritual life. The faith
of hundreds of thousands, probably millions, has
been decimated when their pastor, who is their
teacher, their leader, their role model and example,
has sin. Sin is really serious! Don’t endanger
the spiritual well-being of others by your actions
or words, especially if you are in a position
of spiritual authority!
And, whoever
you are, whether you are a leader in Messiah’s
Community of Believers or not, make sure that
you don’t ruin your own spiritual life! If necessary,
take radical action to avoid sin from getting
entrenched and ruining your own life. Messiah
continues: If your hand causes you to stumble,
cut it off; it is better for you to enter life
crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into
Hell, into the unquenchable fire, where their
worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
Really Lord? It’s better to cut off my hand, which
I need to work and live the kind of fully active
life that I want to live? Not, not literally cut
off our hand. That is self-mutilation, and not
what the Lord wants.
But the
hand is a symbol of our actions, our deeds, and
we must destroy, rip away all evil deeds that
we are doing, because these sinning actions can
ruin our relationship to God. Our lawlessness
can show that we never really knew the Lord. Our
continued rebellion may declare to God that we
have not receive His Spirit, who helps us to put
to death the deeds of the flesh.
Are you
are thinking of divorce but you don’t have Biblical
grounds? Do something radical. Go to a marriage
counselor! Endure your marriage. Keep your vows
- for better or for worse. God hates divorce.
Don’t sin. Do your utmost not to do wrong to your
marriage. Don’t divorce.
You have
a temptation to steal? Get out of that situation
immediately. Take extravagant measures if necessary.
The Messiah
continues, giving more emphasis to the danger
of allowing sin in our life. If your foot causes
you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you
to enter life lame, than, having your two feet,
to be cast into Hell, where their worm does not
die, and the fire is not quenched. The Lord does
not meant that we should literally cut off our
foot, so that we can’t walk well or run. But we
are to take radical action to get rid of the things
that will prevent us from walking with God, living
a life that is pleasing to God.
You are
tempted by thoughts of adultery, or homosexuality,
or sex before or outside of marriage? Don’t give
into them. Go to exorbitant lengths not to sin.
The Messiah
adds more, driving home the point that we are
to take extreme measures so that sin will not
dominate our lives. If your eye causes you to
stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to
enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having
two eyes, to be cast into Hell, where their worm
does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
It’s better
to take out an eye, which is so useful for life
in this world, enabling us to see clearly, and
experience beauty, and function well, rather than
allow the sin that can so easily entangle us from
ruining our lives, from harming our relationship
with the Creator, from alienating us from the
God of our Redemption.
If you
eyes are focused on the wrong things, and therefore
you are allowing wrong thoughts, and sinful attitudes
to develop, turn your eyes away from the source
of that evil. If you are involved with pornography
- stop watching it! Cancel your membership in
that video store. Eliminate your access to the
Internet. If you are watching bad TV or movies,
or reading degrading materials, stop it! Take
radical action to get rid of the source of that
sin.
Take extreme
measure not to sin! Sin is any violation of the
nature of God, any rejection of the character
of God. Sin is any rebellion against the will
of God, the wants of God, the wisdom of God or
the Word of God. Sin is any rebellion against
the commands of God, any disregard of the laws
of God. Sin is any defiance of the plans of God.
I don’t
think we understand how bad sin really is, how
much it really offends the holy God, how it alienates
us from us, how it puts distance between us and
widens the gaps between us.
I don’t
think we understand how dangerous sin really it.
We don’t take seriously enough Messiah’s warning
that sin, if continued in, and unrepented of,
can lead to Hell - which is a very real place.
Sin is
like filth and dirt - it defiles us and makes
us dirty.
Sin is
like noise - it drown out the voice of God speaking
to us.
Sin is
like blindness, causing us to not be able to see
God clearly.
Sin is
like poison - it will kill us.
Sin is
like sickness, weakening us.
Sin, if
we don’t take radical action, is able to get a
hold of us, and so easily entangle us. Sin leads
to other sins. It makes us insensitive to others
sins, worse sins. The path of sin is like an downward
spiral. It is like an ever increasing vortex leading
to the center of the black hole of Hell.
Sin, if
we are not fighting against it by the presence
of Messiah and the power of the Holy Spirit, is
like a deadly wound that is killing us.
Sin, if
not turned away from, is like leprosy - eating
away, corrupting and destroying us.
Sin, if
ignored, is like a lion crouching at the door,
lion ready to devour our lives.
Sin, if
let unattended, is like leaven - it quickly spreads
throughout our entire being.
Sin caused
the glorious Son of God to take radical actions!
Because of sin, He left the glories of Heaven.
Because of sin, the Messiah suffered on Earth.
Because of sin, the Son of God died on a cross!
I am
not eloquent enough to communicate how bad sin
is, how loathsome, abominable, detestable and
dangerous sin is, and how much we need to hate
it, and avoid it, and take radical action to eliminate
it from our lives, from our actions, thoughts,
words, deeds, faith.
For everyone
will be salted with fire. Everyone will experience
the fiery, salty judgment of God. Everyone, and
all of their deeds, will be carefully examined.
Everyone, and all of their attitudes, will be
judged. Everyone, and all of their words, will
be weighed by a holy God. And then they will be
rewarded or punished. So, don’t wait for that
day to eliminate the sin from your life! Judge
yourself now! Make absolutely sure now that your
words, your deeds, your thoughts, your life, will
be acceptable to Him on that awesome day! Don’t
go into that day not knowing that you and your
life are right in His estimation.
Salt is
good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what
will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves,
and be at peace with one another. You, follower
of Messiah, no matter who you are, are to be salt
- something good that accompanies the sacrifices,
something that preserves, something that cleanses,
something that adds good taste and flavor to food.
Be salty now. Make yourself salty. Be righteous.
Be holy. Be pure. Be a purifying and cleansing
force in this world. Be a pure force for good,
for God, for Messiah. Judge yourself. Purify yourself.
Get the sin out of your life. It is far far better
to do this now, willingly, rather than be forced
to experience the salty, fiery judgment of God
on that day.
Don’t
be proud, arrogant, self-seeking, quick to dishonor
others, but instead be humble, gracious and be
at peace with one another. Help the little ones
around you.
|
