Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Removing the Barriers - The Story Week SEVEN

Barriers the Believer needs to deal with.
What can we do about barriers that divide us as believers? Sometimes we think barriers cannot be overcome. They separate us into groups. These barriers cause people to reject each other merely because they are different or do not fit into our group. Some people say that some of the biological barriers cannot be overcome. Let me tell you about an example of such a barrier and the results. My son has an Australian shepherd he named Zoey. We take care of her sometimes. She spent seven months with us when he was stationed in Cuba with the U.S. Coast Guard. One day I took her out front with me. One second she was there and the next, well she saw a cat. Zoey has a weak spot when it comes to cats. I call it a mental barrier. It is a wall she has not dealt with. The cat took off across the street with Zoey close behind. I had shouted her name to try and get her to stop but she was in full pursuit mode. She crossed the street and luckily there were no cars coming. Then she hit the neighbor’s sidewalk. It was lined with solar night lights. Instead of going up the walk Zoey went through the solar lights. They were literally exploding as she ran through them. She took out the last light when she slammed into it as she disappeared into the hedges. Several minutes she came trotting down the middle of the street. Now she does not have a tail so she has learned how to smile. She was smiling and looked really proud of herself that is until she saw me. It was then her demeanor changed. She knows she is not to chase cats or go into the road. She dropped low and made a straight line for the front porch. I let her in, went inside and hid hoping the neighbors would not notice. NOT REALLY... I went across the street and rang the bell. I had never had to explain how a dog took out a row of solar light chasing a cat before. My neighbor just laughed and told me it was my lucky day. She opened the door wider and showed me eight new solar lights that were still in the boxes that she had bought the evening before. One day sooner and I would have bought new solar lights. One day later and I would have had to replaced new solar lights.

Now a lot of the barriers in life are the ones we just respond to. We learn them somewhere, and just like Zoey we often respond without thinking. They just set us off and wham we are off on a path of destruction. They can be very destructive in the church. I want to focus on two barriers in a person’s life. The first is the one that separates us from God and the second is the one that separates believers in the church. Both of these can be overcome. I want to focus on these barriers in the church that God has dealt with and we need to accept and grow into them as mature believers.

Jesus the REMOVER of WALLS Isaiah 11.1-11

Isaiah calls him the stump of Jesse. When you look at the family linage of Jesus in Matthew you see Jesse is there. Isaiah did not know that his name would be Jesus but he did know his line of heritage. Isaiah tells us that he will do two things in particular.

The first is how he will Judge. He will judge with justice, righteousness and will slay the wicked. When we think of justice we often are drawn to the modern concept of justice. The best lawyer can get even the guiltiest person off because of a technicality. This is not how God exercises justice. There are no technicalities that will get you off if you are guilty. The righteous will be found innocent and the guilty or wicked will be found guilty.  There are some who want us to believe that everyone gets into heaven and that the judgment and justice of God are just a technicality that will not leave anyone out. Isaiah says that "with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked." This is justice. Those who have not dealt with the barrier between them and God will NOT get a free pass. When a judge in a court room speaks to the guilty person his words carry justice and judgment. When Jesus speaks his breath or words will "slay the wicked."

The second thing that Jesus will do is to remove barriers. Isaiah says "the wolf will live with the lamb the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them." This is not about some future kingdom it is about how the church is supposed to be today. Before we become believers we are like a bunch of animals attacking and hurting each other. After we have experienced a new relationship with God we are changed. Those people who would never have gotten along before are now part of the same family and are part of the living church. They are like leopards living in the same place with lambs and no one getting harmed.

Jesus the "stump of Jesse" will JUDGE and REMOVE barriers.

The 3 R's to Removing the Barrier between you and God

The first is REDEMPTION. The word means to pay the full price. The price that is required for the sins of an individual is death. (Romans 6.23)  Jesus died and gave his blood to pay the full price. We are often told that this is the free gift of God. We get the gift but it cost Jesus his very life for us. This offer of being redeemed by the blood of Jesus only covers those who accept it on a personal level. It is not a gift that covers individuals that have not called upon the name of the Lord. (Romans 10.13) This gift of redemption through the blood of Jesus has no value unless it is cashed in. It is like the refund check I got for a computer program I got last week. I paid $49.95 and got a check for $50.00 in the mail. This refund check has an expiration date on it. In three months if it has not been cashed in it will expire and have no value. The redemptive blood of Jesus is offered to each person but it has a limit on it. You have to cash it in before you die. After you die you face the judgment. (Hebrews 9.27) When you are standing in front of the judge you cannot ask to have the blood of Jesus applied and be redeemed. Either you are or you are not redeemed when you stand in the judgment but you do not get to make any changes after you die.

The second is RECONCILIATION. When two people reconcile it means they mutually or both change. This is very different from compromise. When I am working with married couples who are having problems and come in for counseling my goal is to help them reconcile and not to compromise. The United Nations gets nations to compromise. This means they stop fighting for now, but it is not about solving the problems. Postponing the war is only allowing both sides to get better prepared for a bigger fight. When people reconcile it means they both have to make changes. This is true of people and it is true when we are reconciled to God. Without the blood of Jesus in our lives we are sinners and God is our judge. When we are reconciled to God everyone changes. God stops being the judge and become our heavenly father. We stop being the sinner and become a child of God. We have both change or have been reconciled. Married couples who reconcile are both willing to change. I would go so far as to say they both have to change if they are going to save a troubled marriage.

We can be reconciled to God because Jesus has paid the full price and has redeemed us, if we accept this free gift than we are reconciled to God. God is the father and we are his children.

The third is RIGHTEOUSNESS. After we apply the redemptive blood of Jesus to our lives and are reconciled to the father we are to live our lives in righteousness. That means we make the right decisions and avoid doing the wrong thing day after day. The person is to make godly choices a habit that they live by. It is about making the decisions that keep you right with God.

The barrier or wall that separates us and God is brought down. Sin, death and punishment are dealt with. The Stump of Jesse has made it possible for us to face God as our heavenly father after we die instead of a judge that will punish us. The righteous will life by faith. (Romans 1.17) This faith says we are ready to face God because of the blood of Jesus.

Jesus the REMOVER of Barriers (Galatians 3.26-29)

The first thing we need to know for sure is that this was written to Christian believers. The principles here are for the church and will not work in the world without the blood of Jesus.

Conditional Promise

The Bible is full of conditional promises. These use the words, "if" and “then." One thing depends upon another. It is clear that IF you are a child of God who has by faith been baptized and clothed in Christ, you belong to Christ. This is a promise to everyone who is a believer. Non-believers are not covered by this agreement. Those who are covered can know that THEN they are Abraham's seen and heirs according to the promise.

Several years ago my father who at the time was in his seventies came to visit. He was in his motor home and brought along some things he wanted to give to me. One of them was a white kitchen cupboard. It is not fancy or very large but is did belong to my grandmother. She got it from my grandfather when my father was a little boy. It was in every home my grandmother lived in after that. I remember if from her kitchen. My father carefully packed the glass so it would not break. The reason I got it was I am an heir. I am the oldest grandchild and my grandmother would want me to have it. My father wanted me to have it. I wanted it because it has become part of our family heritage. It is special and because of my place in the family I got it.

IF you are a child of God THEN you get everything promised to Abraham. You get to go to a city whose builder is God. You get to live forever with God. As an heir you get what has been passed on to you from the father of faith. You are blessed and special.

The Three Barriers

There are not supposed to be any barriers between believers, this is true of all believers in Jesus. Yet there are barriers that we need to be aware of and not allow to be part of our fellowship. These barriers or walls are not to be part of the church. These barriers come in three basic types.

First we need to know that there 'is neither Jew or Greek." You may be thinking that you know for sure that there are no Jews or Greeks in your church but that is not what it is telling us. The wall or barrier is about different BACKGROUNDS. They should not matter in the church. People are born different, different colors, different nationalities, different gifts and abilities. These should not matter in the church like they do in the world. People react to each other because of the color of their skin almost like Zoey reacted to that cat in the middle of the street. This should not be true in the church. Sadly it is far too often true. How many churches are limited to those who have the same color skin? God expects us to look past the different backgrounds as brothers and sisters in Christ. This truth applies to all believers and we should be setting the example for the world.

Second we need to know that there "is neither Slave or Free." In the church there are no barriers between the rich and the poor. Whether you live in a mansion, a trailer, or are homeless we are all one in Christ Jesus. There is no barrier of STATUS in the church. This was not true for the Church at Corinth. While the rich ate their meals the poor could only look on in hunger. (1 Corinthians 11.20-21) They allowed status to come into the church and divide them. We need to remember that you do not become a believer because of your status or how much you have. You become a believer because you are a poor sinner who has applied the redemptive blood of Jesus to your life. You have been reconciled to God and are supposed to be living a righteous life. This includes not allowing divisions or barriers to be part of the fellowship of believers.

Third we need to know that there "is neither male or female" in the church. There are no GENDER barriers in the church. Well there are supposed to be no gender barriers in the church. The gender barrier came into this world because of sin and it is to be removed in the fellowship of restored and forgiven believers. Eve was a helpmate to Adam and not his slave in any way. There are two genders. There are men and women. That is true no matter what the world is trying to say about it. Men and women are different physically, biologically, emotionally but within the church their gender is not supposed to matter.

It is vital for the church to regain these truths if it is ever going to be what God has intended it to be in this world. When background, status or gender are allowed to be barriers in the fellowship of the church we allow the worlds standards to stop the miracle of God's reconciling power to fully work. In the church we are changed and are different. We have been reconciled to God and are supposed to be reconciled to each other. That means we have all changed. We have not compromised be have really changed.

Jesus the REMOVER of ALL Walls and Barriers

Jesus is the stump of Jesse. His coming was predicted. That he would judge the world and remove the barriers was always part of the plan God had for his life. The redeeming power of his blood is a vital part of this plan to bring down barriers. He paid the full price to bring us to be reconciled to God and then to be reconciled to each other. We mutually change to become what God always intended us to be, living a life of righteousness day after day. This righteousness means we refuse the barriers of the sinful world. We need to reject background, status and gender as barriers and see each other as God does. We are different than the world and it needs to show in the church. We in the church are one in Christ Jesus without walls or barriers.


Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Why So DOWNCAST - The Story Week SIX

Do You Talk to Yourself?
Do you talk to yourself? When I ask this question most people say yes. Then I want to know, do you answer yourself? People are a little slower to answer, but most people admit to answering themselves. Now I did not ask if you hear voices, that is very different and if you do you may need to seek professional help. Talking to yourself is nothing new. In fact the psalmist in chapter 42 of the book of Psalms talks to himself and answers.

 He asks himself, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?" Sounds like this is not what you would call a good day. Things aren't going right and it has gotten to the core of his being, to his very soul. But he does not allow it to overcome or dominate who he is. He answers himself with a challenge. "Put your hope in god, for I will yet praise him, my savior and my God." He is down, but not out. He knows where to turn his focus if he is going to make it through his current problems.

Always Downcast, Always Disturbed
The Hebrews following Moses seemed to maintain constant attitudes in their lives. They were always downcast and disturbed. It did not matter what was happening. 

“The whole community grumbled.... Egypt is where we sat around pots of meat and ate all we wanted." God was right in front of them every day. He showed himself as a pillar of smoke during the day and a pillar of fire at night. But they did not see God and what he was doing they just grumbled and complained. So what does God do? "I will rain down bread from heaven." They grumbled and God gave them quail to eat. They ate from the miraculous provision given them by God for 40 years and they always did the same thing the moment things did not go their way, they grumbled. (see Exodus 16-1-36)

On several occasions they were in dry places where there did not appear to be any water. So what did the people do? They quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses wanted to know why they were turning on him and God. The people were not through they continued their attack on Moses by asking him, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?" They were always negative, downcast, everything disturbed them. God has Moses strike the rock and water gushes out. The people drink, and not one word of thanks, or praise or anything positive. It was if they were thinking, ‘well it's about time.’ (see Exodus 17.1-6)

"The people grumbled against Moses..." (Exodus 15.24) It got so bad that "In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses..." (Exodus 16.2) When they had nothing else to do "The people... grumbled against Moses." (Exodus 17.3) Poor Moses, he led them, protected them from God, helped get them out of Egypt, pleaded for water, food and their lives and what did he get for it? In the end he grows into an angry old man who ends up slamming his staff against the rock twice instead of following directions. (Numbers 20.8, 11) They help cost him the promise land. Downcast and tired he crossed the line and lost the promise land he had been headed for, for forty years. 

WHY? WHY? WHY? (Deuteronomy 8.1-5)
Why did it take the Hebrews so long to get across the wilderness? The obvious answer is they did a poor job of spying and God punished them one year for each day they spied and did not trust God to give them the victory. Yet there is more. God wanted those forty years to help prepare them and to change them from negative downcast people into a people ready to conquer their enemies with his help. Moses has lost the promise land and is making final preparations to hand over the leadership. As he does this he gives directions to the Hebrews. He wants to be sure they are on the right path, especially since he will not be there to watch out for them. He starts by telling them to "Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today." Following directions was never their strong point. They had trouble seeing past the next meal or cup of water. Like spoiled children they throw a fit at the first hint of anything that did not go their way. To counter that Moses wanted them to "remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years." Moses was pointing at all the positives God had done for them. He wanted them to remember the miracles in Egypt, the great escape through the sea, water, manna, quail, victories over enemies, clothes that did not wear out and even feet that did not swell. God had purpose in the forty years of wandering in the desert.
  • God wanted to HUMBLE them. This meant following directions. This meant an attitude different than the one they started with. A humble person makes mistakes and learns from them. While a proud person will not admit their mistakes and will blame others like leaders (Moses) and even say it is God's fault. Sounds like the Hebrews to me.
  • God wanted to TEST them. God did not want they to fail, he wanted them to see what he would do for them. A test is designed to show a person how much they have learned. The Hebrews seemed to fail most of their test. When they needed water a second time they did not turn to Moses and God but instead they turned against Moses and God. Every time God gave them a test to show how much they had learned they showed how poor they were.
  • God wanted to TEACH them. They were so focused on the physical they never got to the spiritual. "Man does not leave on bread alone" should have been a hint that there was more but they did not see they needed to focus "on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."
  • God wanted to DISCIPLINE them. This is not about punishment but about love. "As a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you." God wants to be like a father to us. Jesus taught us to pray to him this way. "Our father in heaven..." This is about having a personal relationship with God.
They had now been under the direct leadership of Moses and care of God for forty years and it was now time to see if they were ready to take the promise land. God had worked to humble them. He had tested them to get them ready for the real battles that were coming. He had worked to teach them to depend on him and his promises. He had disciplined them so that they would not be spoiled children but adults with faith in a living heavenly father.

This you MUST DO! Deuteronomy 8.6-9
Moses wanted the people to succeed even though he was not going to be there for them. He knew what it would take and even though he had come up short he was a lot closer to God than they were. "Observe the commands of the LORD your God." Moses knew that obedience is the first step toward a lasting relationship with God, "Walking in His ways." It is more than a momentary obedience it is a daily lifestyle that bring a person close to God. They were to "revere Him." The word revere can also be translated fear and has a deep hidden meaning within scripture. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Yet is we are going to revere God or to fear Him it does not mean we cower worried about his anger or might. "To fear God is to hate evil." (Proverbs 8.13) This means we love God so much we turn from evil. We cannot stand to have evil as part of our lives. If someone wants to be close to God they cannot have evil thoughts or actions as part of their lives. Moses was imploring the Hebrews to draw close to God with their whole hearts.

Then Moses turned to help the people see that following God was the way to their greatest desires and needs. They had complained about lack of water for forty years yet in a short while they would enter a "land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills." The wilderness was not a punishment it was a way to get them to where He wanted them to be. It was a way to a place where no one would ever be thirsty again. They had complained, grumbled and quarreled about the lack of food, meat and bread. They had remembered the onions, garlic, watermelons and fish they ate in Egypt. (Numbers 11.5) Just reading that list is a prescription of an upset stomach. God had prepared a "land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; where bread will not be scarce and you will lack for nothing." What a contrast to Egypt and the daily acid indigestion. The promise land would make the wilderness worth the trip. Everything they wanted was in the plans of God. Yet they had to wait because of their grumbling downcast spirits. They had missed God in their presence day in and day out.

Getting Your Spiritual Focus (Psalm 42)
They complained about the lack of water. The Psalmist knew thirst and he knew why God allowed it. "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." A spiritual thirst is part of God's plan for our lives. Three days is the limit of the human body without water and our spiritual souls are not designed to be any length of time without drinking with God.
They complained about the lack of meat. The psalmist knew what it was to eat at the table of God and what was needed to fill the soul. "My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?"" The world does not know or see God so they ask where he is or if he even exists. The believer knows God and knows that as he or she bows in earnest prayer bringing needs and request to God, He hears and answers our tearful request. We are fed and strengthened by our relationship with God.
They complained about the leadership. The psalmist knew who he was following and why. "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." Here is the psalmist talking to himself again. He has caught himself looking down and allowing life to get to him. He is showing his human side. Then he remembers who he is following. It is not the human leadership he needs to focus on. They will always fail him. He needs to first focus on his Savior, this deliverer of his soul, the one who has removed the barrier between him and the throne of God. The Hebrews wanted Moses to talk to God for them. (Exodus 20.19) They did not want to have personal contact. Yet the psalmist knew it was this contact with God, the ultimate leader, which was vital in the toughest of times.

A spiritual thirst drives us panting to God. A spiritual hunger will bring us in tears to our knees before God. A spiritual person will follow the Savior who is his God. This is the God who humbles us, tests us, teaches us and who disciplines us as part of His own family. We need to focus on Him and reject evil if we are going to receiver all He has prepared for us.

Spiritual Food and Drink John 6.30-35
Those who gathered around Jesus were not much different than those who gathered around Moses. The reminded Jesus that Moses "gave them bread from heaven to eat." They wanted Jesus to do a miracle and give them something to eat. Jesus refuted their belief system. “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Jesus knew that real life came not from having temporary physical needs taken care of but from a deep and lasting relationship with God. The people around him were focused on physical hunger but Jesus was redirecting them toward spiritual hunger. Now the people wanted this new bread. “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread." They were ready, right where he wanted them to be. Now he would teach them one of the greatest lessons they could ever learn. “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." This is the lesson that they never learned in the wilderness. They focused on the physical and missed the spiritual. They were always thirsty and hungry. They gathered manna, bread, for forty years and never saw the correlation with God. They were always looking down, and missed the God of love that was watching over them day and night. They could have used a lesson from the Psalmist who talked to himself. Why so downcast, hey I will look up and see my savior.  Now those around Jesus would have to make the decision. Jesus told them, "I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me." (John 6.38) 

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!
When you are thirsty remember the Samaritan woman and the living water that is Christ Jesus. Remember that He has promised that those "who believes in me will never be thirsty." This points us to Jesus.
When you are hungry remember that Jesus is "the bread of life." That anyone who "comes to [him] will never go hungry." This points us to Jesus.
When you want to know who to follow remember Jesus told his disciples "I am the way and the truth and the life." Again and again we read that he called those he met to "follow me." Peter, James, John, Matthew and many more have done that and found the direction for their life waiting for them. They are never lost or alone. There was the one who heard the call of Jesus to "follow me" who turned away and did not follow. He was too attached to the world and could not let go. "He went away sad." (Matthew 19.22) The one to follow is Jesus.

The answer to the question is always going to be Jesus. You may want to know what Question I am talking about. It is the question the psalmist asks himself.  "Why are you downcast, O my soul?" The answer was and always will be, Jesus. "Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." 


Monday, February 13, 2012

Removing the Veil - The Story Week FIVE

Have you ever read God's disclaimer? There are some really good ones written by lawyers in our time. A child's Batman costume that carried the disclaimer, "Wearing of this garment does not enable wearer to fly." The clothes iron that has a warning disclaimer, "Warning, never use iron clothes while wearing them." The slushy cup that warns, "Ice may be cold." There is the 500 piece puzzle box that says, "Some assemble required." The night time sleep aid that says, "Use of this product may cause drowsiness." These may seem obvious but they are there to cover the bases from the most outrageous lawsuits.

God puts disclaimers or Conditional Promises through his word. He put one in the book of Exodus. The people of Israel had been delivered from the Egyptians and were about to receive directions from God on how to live their lives, but before that he gave them a disclaimer. "Now IF you obey me fully and keep my covenant, THEN out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priest and a holy nation." Exodus 19.5-6 The Story page 59

We need to know that every promise of God is CONDITIONAL. IF is about our actions and attitudes. Those attitudes and actions must be in line with the concept of OBEY ME FULLY.  This is not based upon what we what to do but on what God has told us to do. It is based on the condition that it is fully done or completed. We do not get to choose or change the directions. We do not get to set the conditions they are directions given to us by God. People who think that they can vote to change the rules set up by God are only temporally fooling themselves. When they stand before God they will not get to argue that they had the majority vote in their favor. God's vote is the only one that will ultimately matter.

We also need to know that every promise of God is GUARANTEED. IF we do our part and meet the conditions set up by God THEN we can take God's promises to the bank. It is not that God does not want to do what he has promised it is that we more often than not refuse to do our part. That is when the disclaimer kicks in. It says IF you do, THEN God will. The opposite is also true, IF you don't THEN he won't. Expecting God to reward disobedience is foolishness to the max.

The OLD Standards or Rules
God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on stone tablets. Remember that God gave his disclaimer to the Hebrews before he gave them the 10 commandments. This was not an afterthought or an 'Oh by the way,' on God's part. The Ten Commandments were not suggestions to the Hebrews. The problem with them is that they are only about external actions and easily corrupt the person who thinks by following them makes a person right with God. That was not never God's intent or purpose for them. (I will explain this shortly.)

The NEW Higher Standards
When interpreting scripture we need to remember three simple rules. 1. Scripture interprets scripture  2. The easy interprets the difficult  3. Nothing taken out of context and 4. Jesus is Boss! The last one is important to us here. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is God. When he spoke it was the final authoritative word on any matter. Jesus even spoke about upgrading the Ten Commandments to a higher standard. Don't remember reading that, well you may not have been paying attention because it is there. In Matthew the 5th chapter Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment." Matthew 5.21-22 He quotes one of the Ten Commandments as something they may have heard about and then he used one of the most powerful words in the whole world. He said 'but.' Anything that comes after the ‘but’ in a sentence is the most important part of the sentence. A husband says he loves his wife's cooking and then says but, well she will be paying more attention to what comes next. Jesus says, "but I tell you." What is really important is next. Jesus is about to raise the standards. Murder is an outward action but Jesus says if you get angry with you brother you are subject to judgment. This is about the inner person. It is about thoughts and attitude. At least five more times in this chapter Jesus raised the standards above those of the Old Testament.

The Veil Exodus 34.33-35
Moses speaks to God and his face glows. Then he comes out and talks to the Hebrew people and they can see that his face is glowing. Then Moses put on a full face veil so they cannot see his face anymore. The glow of Moses' face is about external holiness. It represents the old standards and rules. These change you on the outside but they do not change you on the inside. Jesus knew that was true. He knew that was what was wrong with the Pharisees that he had to deal with everyday. He even confronted them about it.  “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the OUTSIDE of the cup and dish, but INSIDE they are full of greed and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee! First clean the INSIDE of the cup and dish, and then the OUTSIDE also will be clean." Matthew 23.25.26 The Pharisees were masters at following the Old Testament law. They worked to be perfect on the outside but inside it was just the opposite. Jesus called them on it when he said,  “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the OUTSIDE but on the INSIDE are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the OUTSIDE you appear to people as righteous but on the INSIDE you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." Matthew 25.27-28 No one has ever been set free by meeting all the conditions of the old standards. That is why Jesus knew it was necessary to raise the standards. We know that "through the law we become conscious of sin." Romans 3.20 The law does not make you right with God. The law is about external standards. By following the law the Pharisees were clean or proper on the outside but on the inside they were dirty, dead and sinful. The Pharisees were mad at Jesus. The old standards were the foundation of their life and Jesus was saying it was not enough.

The Power of the New Standards 2 Corinthians 3.12-18
Paul wrote to the church at Corinth about the choice between the Old and the New standards. He focused on helping them understand the benefits or superior position of those who accepted Jesus' higher standards. "Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold." Paul was sure that believers in Christ as their personal savior could know that when they approached God it was not a beggars but as His children. The problem with the old standards and the law is that it causes you to live by external standards that fade or do not last. He wanted the believer to know that "We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away." The problem with those who remain under the old law standards is "their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read." This is the veil that separates them from God. They have no way of getting through to God. For them the veil "has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away" and they have not accepted Jesus who could and would remove it. The only way to really deal with the OUTSIDE is to get Jesus on the INSIDE. "Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts." The law does not set them free is only shows them how far from God they really are. The veil separates people from God, just like the veil in the tabernacle separated God and the people. There is good news. "Whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." They have direct contact with God. They now have unveiled faces because of this direct communication and the Spirit being part of their lives. "Now the Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." This means a person has been changed on the INSIDE and that it will show on the OUTSIDE. In the end all believers are different because "we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is Spirit." The change comes from the INSIDE and shows on the OUTSIDE.

New Disclaimer New Covenant John 14.5-6
Thomas was having a discussion with Jesus. In the discussion Jesus wants them to take comfort in knowing who he is and what he is about to do for them. Thomas is confused about where Jesus is going and wants to know why this is all happening. Jesus comforts him by saying "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one come to the Father except through me." Now the disclaimer words are not written down but they are here just the same. IF you accept Jesus as the WAY....  IF you accept Jesus as the TRUTH... IF you accept Jesus as the LIFE...  THEN you can make direct contact with the FATHER. The opposite is also true IF you do NOT accept Jesus as the WAY...  IF you do NOT accept Jesus as the TRUTH....   IF you do NOT accept Jesus as the LIFE... THEN you CANNOT make contact with the FATHER.  The NEW STANDARDS set by Jesus are not without conditional clauses. IF you do your part or meet the conditions THEN God will do his part that is GUARANTEED.

Removing the Veil Matthew 27.50-51, John 19.30
The curtain that was erected in the tabernacle that separated God from everyone else was not how he wanted it to be. It was necessary because of the sins of humanity. As Jesus was dying on the cross he cried out and declared "It is finished!" Most people miss the significance of this. They just see Jesus dying as the sacrifice for our sins. It was much more than that. Jesus died and "at that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom." This veil or curtain had grown from a thin layer to over two feet thick. It showed that God and humanity had been growing further and further apart. This veil was forty feet high and twenty feet wide. At the moment of Jesus death the veil that symbolized how far apart we were from God was removed. It is as if God reached down into the temple, grabbed this veil and ripped it apart. Jesus declared that the separation between God and humanity was finished, and to show it God torn the curtain apart. Now for those who would accept Jesus and his disclaimer or his conditional clause it was now possible to have full communion with God. No one or nothing including a veil between you and God.

The Temple of God 1 Corinthians 6.19-20
It was never God's plan to be separated from humanity. When he entered the tabernacle behind the veil it was a temporary arrangement until he could take care of the sin problem. God moved from the tent tabernacle to the stone temple but that is not how he wanted it to remain. The death of Jesus was God moving from the stone temple to a new temple. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor god with your body."  God moved from tent to temple to you. That is if you meet the conditions that he has guaranteed to follow.

 "We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory" takes on a whole new meaning when you realize that it is the Spirit of God living in you as his temple that the world is seeing. No longer is God hidden behind a veil but he is showing his presence to the world through his followers. You are the temple of God and his spirit shines through you.


Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Remember Me? - The Story Week Four

What is the real meaning behind Communion? 
Christianity grew out of the Jewish religion. To understand the Christian beliefs you have to know their Jewish and Old Testament foundations. In Christian churches we celebrate communion by using a small cup of grape juice and a cracker like wafer. Communion has evolved to this within the church but it is far from the Passover Seder meal that Jesus took part in the night before he died. To understand the meal that Jesus was taking part in you need to go back further to Moses and the Hebrew People living as slaves in Egypt.
God had sent Moses to lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt after 430 years. They had gone from honored guest, when Joseph was second in command to Pharaoh, to slaves struggling to survive. Moses confronted Pharaoh and with the directions from God brought the first nine plagues upon Egypt. These included the waters of Egypt being turned into blood, a plague of frogs, gnats, flies, livestock dying, boils, locust, and then darkness over the whole land. Still Pharaoh was unwilling to let the Hebrews leave. God set up one last plague. The first born of each family and the first born of all the livestock were to die when the death angel passed over Egypt during the night. The only way to avoid this was given to the Hebrew families. They were given a fourfold directive to follow.
  1. They were to obtain a one year old lamb without spot or blemish. This lamb was to be killed. The lamb was to be cooked and would be eaten at the proper time as part of a special meal. Exodus 12.5
  2. The blood of the sacrificial lamb was to be put on the doorpost with a hyssop branch as a marker to the death angel to pass over that home and not to kill anyone in that house. “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. Exodus 12.12-13
  3. They were to eat a special meal. This included the lamb, bitter herbs and unleavened bread or cracker wafers. Exodus 12.8-9
  4. They were to be dress and prepared to leave as soon as the command came that Pharaoh had let them go. Exodus 12.11
 They killed the lamb, put the blood on the doorpost, ate the meal and left rapidly when they got the word to leave. God gave them directions to celebrate this leaving as a festival of remembrance every year. This is done today by Jewish families around the world. The festival of Passover is an eight day festival that commemorates the Hebrews being released by Pharaoh from Egypt. The focal point of the festival is the eating of the Seder meal. This meal is also about the future and the promise of the coming messiah for the Jewish people. There are four elements used in the meal which we will look at one at a time an put them in their place within the meal.
  1. The unleavened bread or Matzah. There are three pieces of unleavened bread or crackers on the table. The father takes the center cracker, breaks it into two pieces. One piece he sets aside for the end of the meal and the other part he wraps or hides it in a napkin and sets it aside for later in the meal just before the third cup of wine. The family has prepared for this during the preceding two weeks by removing all yeast products from their home.
  2. There are bitter herbs that are prepared to be eaten as part of the meal. These are eaten to remind them of the bitterness of the slavery and all the suffering under the Egyptians.
  3. They will drink four cups of wine during the meal. Wine is consider a royal drink and is symbolic of their freedom from slavery. Each cup has a special meaning. (These will be covered shortly.)
  4. The reciting of the Haggadah or the telling of the exodus story in detail. This story is told every year so that the Hebrew (Jewish) people do not forget of God's deliverance. This meal is also about the promise of a coming messiah. The Jewish people believe that Elijah will come before the messiah comes to set them completely free. Malachi 3:1 and 4:5-6 Jesus spoke about this in reference to John the Baptist. Matthew 11.12-14 The Jewish people do not accept this as having happened and still wait for the coming of Elijah. Each year at the end of the meal they send the youngest child that can open the door to check and see if Elijah has come. When the child returns and says that Elijah was not there then the father says, "Next year in Jerusalem," and everyone replies "Next year in Jerusalem." Their hope is that by next year Elijah will have come and the messiah will be ruling in Jerusalem.
These four parts or elements of the meal have been the same throughout history. As it is today is basically as it was in the time of Jesus. It is how the early church celebrated communion. Well it is how they were supposed to celebrate communion. The church at Corinth was a church full of problems. Ten of them are listed in the book of 1st Corinthians. They 1. ought over their favorite pastor, 2. allowed sexual immoral people to remain in the church (a man was living with his father's wife.) 3. they were suing each other in court 4. they were confused whether Christians should get married or stay single 5. what foods they could eat or not eat 6. did not want to pay their pastor for his services to the church (now that one hits close to home for me) 7. were confused about the place of women in the church (When we take Paul's directions out of context we make a bigger mess of it than they did.) 8. communion was an embarrassing display of hedonistic selflessness 9. they could not agree on what language to hold their services in so they all spoke in their own language even if others did not understand 10. they thought if a person died before Jesus returned they would not go to heaven. They though when the body died the soul died too.

Their approach to communion or the Seder meal was not anything like the Jews did or what Jesus took part in. Paul describes what happened when they came together for the Passover or Seder meal in 1st Corinthians 11.17-22.  Here is a church that Paul describes as “full of divisions.” I would have said they had CDS or church dysfunctional syndrome (this may exist in some churches even to this day). The families would arrive at the church with their Seder meals; their cooked lamb, bitter herbs and bottles of wine. Well, the better off families would show up with these. The poor families would just come with nothing to eat or drink. They called it the Lords' Supper in remembrance of the meaning that Jesus had given it but Paul said it was not. The rich families would set down and start eating their meals right in front of the poor families who had nothing. They would not share with them. So here were the poor members of the church standing around the walls watching the rich people eat this meal. Then to make matter worse some of them were drinking a lot more than the four cups of wine. Paul says some of the church members were getting drunk at the meal in the church. Paul said they were humiliating those who had nothing. I cannot imagine how they even functioned or called themselves a church. Yet from the description Paul gave of them we can determine seven qualities that a church should have by seeing what they were doing wrong.

Seven questions every church should ask to see if they are on the right track:
  1. What benefit comes from being together? Paul said that their "meetings do more harm than good." We should not be selfish or self-centered when we meet as a church but the results of our coming together should be positive and not negative.
  2. Is the church united or divided? At Corinth Paul said "I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you." The church will and should be made up of a variety of people but they should be united in the Lord and serving Him together. Look at the list of the problems in this church and you see that they were badly divided going so far as to sue each other in the local courts. 
  3. Are there both believers and non-believers in the church? Paul knew that "there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval." Paul was trying to tell them that they were outside of God's approval with the way they were living yet we need to know that a church is made up of both believers and non-believes. The believers should be setting an example of the right way to live. That would include sharing meals and not getting drunk at church or anywhere else.
  4. Are you there for the Lord? At the church at Corinth they would eat "without waiting on anyone else." They were flaunting what they had in front of those who had nothing. They were showing off. This was not about fellowship or brothers and sisters in the Lord coming together. It was about every person or family for themselves.
  5. Is there compassion and caring? How could they eat knowing that even "one remains hungry?" The church needs to be a place where people are cared for and needs are taken care of. (This is not about a social gospel that forgets Jesus or gives without considering the receiver. see Matthew 7.6)
  6. Are lives being changed? At Corinth that does not seem to be what was happening. They were getting "drunk" during the Lord's Supper or Seder meal. Nothing had changed except instead of getting drunk at home now they could get drunk at the church too. The church and a relationship with Jesus should change a person's life. They should not be the same. Sinners or non-believers should not feel so comfortable in the church that they openly sin without feeling it is wrong. Getting drunk and living with your father's wife should not be the norm for believers in any age.
  7. Is there respect for God's Church? Paul ask what had to be a rhetorical question, "Do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!" Your actions as a believer reflect upon the local church you attend and also reflect on God. If you are living as the Corinthians church was it cannot reflect the grace and forgiveness of God. They were one messed up bunch of people.
The right way to do communion 1st Corinthians 11.23-26

Then Paul reminds the church at Corinth the right reason for communion. It was "the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed." These directions are not from thousands of years in the past or from a rabbi they were given by Jesus himself.  It is Jesus who breaks the bread, or the center cracker of the Seder meal. It is Jesus who at the right time retrieves the hidden piece wrapped in a napkin and says, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” This is not a meal to fill the stomachs as much as it is a meal to remember the body of Jesus stripped and pierced for our sins. Then Jesus reaches for the third cup of wine that has been poured and says, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” The third cup of wine is forever changed or clarified in its meaning. Then Paul reminds the Corinthians the two things we are always to remember when we share in communion or the Passover meal. This meal "proclaims the Lord's death." It is a reminder of what he has done for us. It is to be done "until he comes." This meal is a reminder that Jesus will return and gather all living believers to join those who have already died and ascended to live with him. This coming return is to be as much of our lives as his death for our sins.

REMEMBER ME!
The Seder meal that Jesus was at was about Him. He is the sacrificial lamb without blemish or sin, who shed his blood that God would pass over our sins and forgive us. He is the center piece of bread who was pierced and whipped or stripped in our place. He is the center piece of bread who died between two sinners. He was hidden in the grave as the bread is hidden in the napkin to be discovered and to bring life to us by the sacrifice of his body. He is to be shared even as the center piece of bread is shared and eaten. He is the third cup of wine. It is through his death the old covenant of laws and ceremonial regulations are replaced with the New Covenant of grace and forgiveness.

Four Cups of Wine
At the beginning of the Seder meal the first cup of wine is the cup of Sanctification. It is based on the statement, "I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians." The word sanctification means to set apart or to free for use. God freed the Hebrews to serve him without the cruel Egyptians. Today through the sacrifice of Jesus we are freed from the power and will of Satan so we can serve God openly and without conflict.
The second cup of wine at the Seder meal is the cup of Deliverance. It is based on the statement, "I will deliver you from slavery to them."  They were set free from being slaves and taking orders from the Egyptians. We are set free from the sinful habits that have controlled and held us captive.
The third cup of wine at the Seder meal is the cup of Redemption. It is based on the statement, "I will redeem you with an outstretched arm." God completely set them free from Pharaoh. The word redeem means to 'pay the full price.' Jesus paid the full price for our sins. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6.23 This gift is only possible because Jesus died for us. Nothing else is possible of acceptable.
The fourth cup of wine at the Seder meal is the cup of Praise. It is based on the statement, "I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God." This is the new covenant in his blood. It is why we rejoice and what we have to look forward to. We wait Jesus' return, but even if we die before he comes back we will live with him forever. This is something the church at Corinth did not understand. 
 
It is when we become the body of Christ that the church comes alive. It is when those people covered by the blood live their lives as his followers, servants, disciples. It is when they become Christ like in their lives. “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” Acts 11.26 Someone saw how they were living their lives and they said they were just like Jesus, they were Christ like, they were Christians. That others could look at any of us and say they are just like Jesus, they are Christ like, they are Christians should be our goal as followers of our Lord. Either we will be the church at Corinth, divided, despised and doomed or we strive to be like the church at Antioch and be Christ like Christians following our Lord, waiting for his return.
When we share communion we need to Remember Him and set our lives in order.  Corinth or Antioch which church shall we be? 

Finally as we take communion we can ask ourselves which cup we need to drink, the cup of Sanctification showing us the way out of an evil life? The cup of Deliverance, freeing us from our habits and sins? The cup of Redemption, accepting the price Jesus has paid for sins? The cup of Praise, declaring personal commitment and excitement about his immanent return? The next time you share in communion remember he is the center piece of bread. It is his blood we commemorate. He is the Lamb of God without blemish that sets us free. We wait for his return as the Church.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)