Thursday, April 21, 2011
What does it mean that Jesus rose from the dead
What does it mean that Jesus rose from the dead? Above all, it means that God has accepted the once-and-for-all suffering and death of His Son Jesus Christ. It means that the work of Jesus Christ is finished, just as he declared it was before his final breath. It means that as the Lamb of God without blemish, Jesus’ blood was sufficient for the payment of our sins. It means that the wrath of God was poured out at the cross upon Jesus, in our place, and was satisfied. It means that our debt of sin has been removed and we can now be reconciled to God. It means that our sins were placed upon Jesus and His righteousness was given to us. It means that we are forgiven and we are justified in the sight of a holy God. It means that our deepest stains can be cleansed. It means that there is new and abundant life in Jesus Christ and that by His grace, through the gift of faith, we can enter in. It means that God pledged by the cross to make Himself known to us and confirmed it by the empty tomb. It means that the power of sin and death is broken, forever. It means that one day there is going to be a resurrection of our mortal bodies and a new home, a new heaven and a new earth prepared for us. It means that Jesus is alive and that he has sent the Holy Spirit to indwell and empower us. It means that we are being transformed into the image of Jesus. It means that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead now powerfully works within our heart. It means that the unsearchable riches of God’s love promised to us in Jesus and secured by him alone, are now fulfilled in him and found in him alone. It means that today we have access into the very presence of God.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Learning - How the fool, the sluggard and the wise each respond to it
I work with teenagers a lot. As students, many times they feel that they exist to make school happen. Without them the teachers couldn’t survive and school itself would be pretty boring. Sometimes, Christians feel that they exist to make church relevant and that without them the church just wouldn’t be the same, and it certainly wouldn't accomplish much without them.
School exists for the student, to teach and prepare. The Church exists for the believer, to equip and to grow. In both instances, preparation and growth are the result of teaching and learning. Learning is not something that’s prized too highly these days, yet if we don’t learn we can’t pave the road to our future destinations. Turning a car on isn’t the same as going somewhere. Going to school isn’t the same as learning and going to church isn’t the same as growing and being equipped.
Are you a student? Are you a learner? We should always be students. We should always be learning. Whether at school, at work, at home, at church, etc. learning is essential to preparation, growth and maturity. Learning is a gift we either despise and waste or welcome and use.
We can approach learning in three different ways: The way of the fool, the way of the sluggard or the way of the wise.
It might look like this for each:
The Way of the Fool
The fool thinks he has sufficient knowledge. He knows enough. In reality though, the only thing awaiting his arrogance is disgrace. (Proverbs 3:35)
The fool believes he is self-sufficient, convinced that he needs no one’s advice. (Proverbs 12:15)
The fool trusts in his own knowledge, wisdom and understanding about the present and the future. Inevitably though, he will become the prisoner of foolishness, arrogance, and sorrow. He does not realize that he needs the experience and maturity of others. (Proverbs 28:26)
The Way of the Sluggard
The sluggard wants all the benefits of learning, but despises learning because it’s hard work (Proverbs 13:4)
The sluggard is lazy. As a door is made for hinges, a sluggard is made for a bed. A door only opens and closes and the sluggard only turns from one side of the bed to the next. A door creaks on it’s hinges, the sluggard groans when awoken. He’s too tired to learn and considers sleep (or watching more tv, playing more video games, checking facebook, etc) a better use of his time than learning. (Proverbs 26:14)
The sluggard is too lazy to feed himself; he wants to be fed! (Proverbs 19:24) Because he was too lazy to learn, he won’t get a good job. And if he gets a job, he’ll be too lazy to work hard. And because he won’t work hard for his food, he wants others to bring him food just like he wants others to do his job. Paul says a man who does not work should starve. (2 Thess. 3:10).
The Way of the Wise
The wise son and daughter brings joy to his parents, because they listen to instructions and learn how to follow them. Submission is an attitude of the heart. Learning is submitting to another. Similarly, a wise employee, student, or church member brings joy as they submit in learning what is taught and applying what they learned. (Proverbs 15:20)
The wise increase in learning. (Proverbs 1:5) The hope and expectation is that learning results in knowledge or growth. No one should stunt their own growth by ceasing to learn, but should continuously take joy in learning because they want to grow and mature.
The wise will inherit honor and favor because they are diligent and faithful students. Parents, teachers, employers, pastors and God all notice when someone is pursuing growth and making every effort to learn. This results in trust, honor and blessing towards the student. (Proverbs 3:35)
In which of the three ways do you approach learning?
I heard a pastor say, “What you know is not enough.” It is true of all of us. Learning is recognizing that someone else knows more than you. Some stop asking questions of their parents, teachers, older friends and pastors. We should not ever think that they can’t teach us anything. That attitude is not an honoring one, but a dis-honoring one. This will translate over to God. Receive the gift of learning and use it for God’s glory. It will bring you joy and good to others around you.
School exists for the student, to teach and prepare. The Church exists for the believer, to equip and to grow. In both instances, preparation and growth are the result of teaching and learning. Learning is not something that’s prized too highly these days, yet if we don’t learn we can’t pave the road to our future destinations. Turning a car on isn’t the same as going somewhere. Going to school isn’t the same as learning and going to church isn’t the same as growing and being equipped.
Are you a student? Are you a learner? We should always be students. We should always be learning. Whether at school, at work, at home, at church, etc. learning is essential to preparation, growth and maturity. Learning is a gift we either despise and waste or welcome and use.
We can approach learning in three different ways: The way of the fool, the way of the sluggard or the way of the wise.
It might look like this for each:
The Way of the Fool
The fool thinks he has sufficient knowledge. He knows enough. In reality though, the only thing awaiting his arrogance is disgrace. (Proverbs 3:35)
The fool believes he is self-sufficient, convinced that he needs no one’s advice. (Proverbs 12:15)
The fool trusts in his own knowledge, wisdom and understanding about the present and the future. Inevitably though, he will become the prisoner of foolishness, arrogance, and sorrow. He does not realize that he needs the experience and maturity of others. (Proverbs 28:26)
The Way of the Sluggard
The sluggard wants all the benefits of learning, but despises learning because it’s hard work (Proverbs 13:4)
The sluggard is lazy. As a door is made for hinges, a sluggard is made for a bed. A door only opens and closes and the sluggard only turns from one side of the bed to the next. A door creaks on it’s hinges, the sluggard groans when awoken. He’s too tired to learn and considers sleep (or watching more tv, playing more video games, checking facebook, etc) a better use of his time than learning. (Proverbs 26:14)
The sluggard is too lazy to feed himself; he wants to be fed! (Proverbs 19:24) Because he was too lazy to learn, he won’t get a good job. And if he gets a job, he’ll be too lazy to work hard. And because he won’t work hard for his food, he wants others to bring him food just like he wants others to do his job. Paul says a man who does not work should starve. (2 Thess. 3:10).
The Way of the Wise
The wise son and daughter brings joy to his parents, because they listen to instructions and learn how to follow them. Submission is an attitude of the heart. Learning is submitting to another. Similarly, a wise employee, student, or church member brings joy as they submit in learning what is taught and applying what they learned. (Proverbs 15:20)
The wise increase in learning. (Proverbs 1:5) The hope and expectation is that learning results in knowledge or growth. No one should stunt their own growth by ceasing to learn, but should continuously take joy in learning because they want to grow and mature.
The wise will inherit honor and favor because they are diligent and faithful students. Parents, teachers, employers, pastors and God all notice when someone is pursuing growth and making every effort to learn. This results in trust, honor and blessing towards the student. (Proverbs 3:35)
In which of the three ways do you approach learning?
I heard a pastor say, “What you know is not enough.” It is true of all of us. Learning is recognizing that someone else knows more than you. Some stop asking questions of their parents, teachers, older friends and pastors. We should not ever think that they can’t teach us anything. That attitude is not an honoring one, but a dis-honoring one. This will translate over to God. Receive the gift of learning and use it for God’s glory. It will bring you joy and good to others around you.
Friday, January 21, 2011
His promise is His intercession
About a year and half ago, my youngest son broke his leg. He was then only three and a half, and I remember, vividly, his cry for help. I remember that every time he cried, I cried. Every time he called for help, I called for help. And though my cry was simultaneous with his, there was nothing I could do for him.
In Luke 22:28-30, Jesus promises his disciples a place in His coming kingdom. He has promised them a place with him, forever. This is great news in the disciple’s ears! For Peter, though, the very next words are not so great. Or are they? Jesus tells the disciples that Satan is seeking to eclipse their faith. He wants to destroy their faith by sifting them or testing them. But Jesus turns to Peter and says, “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” (Luke 22:31-32) Peter turns to Jesus and proudly proclaims that he would die for him. (Luke 22:33) Shortly thereafter Peter would deny him. (Luke 22:61-62) So, here’s a question? If Peter failed, did Jesus‘ prayer for Peter fail? To answer, we must look again at what Jesus said. After telling Peter he had prayed for him, he says, “And when you have turned again strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:32) Jesus knew Peter was going to deny him, but Jesus also knew that Peter was going to turn back to him. How did He know? Because He had prayed for Peter. Jesus was certain his prayer had been heard and would be answered, and it was. So though Peter failed Jesus, we know Jesus did not fail Peter.
Jesus does not fail us either. Because of His death, resurrection and ascension, Jesus intercedes for us right now before the throne of God. While we know that darkness will come and we will stumble and fall, our faith will not be eclipsed nor destroyed, but be made brighter and stronger. This is an amazing truth! We rightly say that we pray to God. But do we believe that God himself intercedes for us through Jesus Christ? Furthermore, that Jesus Christ does not come before the Father as a poor beggar, but rather as an enthroned king? We are not alone in our faith! So many understand that God gives us grace, but so few understand the glorious reality that He does so because Jesus intercedes on our behalf. This is meant to give us unshakeable assurance, since the Father always says yes to the Son. “Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34) While I was unable to help my son, Jesus is more than able to help me. I cry to the Father by the Holy Spirit, "Give me strength!" and Jesus simultaneously intercedes on my behalf to the Father, "Give him strength!"
As Peter was weeping because he had denied Jesus (Luke 22:61-62), and as his faith was being sifted, Jesus’ words, “I have prayed for you that your faith would not fail”, were being fulfilled. Maybe Peter held on to these words as he wept bitterly. He would be strengthened and established in his faith. He would turn again. He would strengthen the faith of the other disciples and go on to preach the good news of Jesus Christ until his death. It was then that he entered a heavenly kingdom. His faith had not failed. Why? Because Jesus had been praying for him. This same Jesus, is our Savior. This same Jesus, intercedes for us, praying that our faith would not fail. So take courage and find hope. A heavenly kingdom awaits. His promise is His intercession until that day.
In Luke 22:28-30, Jesus promises his disciples a place in His coming kingdom. He has promised them a place with him, forever. This is great news in the disciple’s ears! For Peter, though, the very next words are not so great. Or are they? Jesus tells the disciples that Satan is seeking to eclipse their faith. He wants to destroy their faith by sifting them or testing them. But Jesus turns to Peter and says, “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” (Luke 22:31-32) Peter turns to Jesus and proudly proclaims that he would die for him. (Luke 22:33) Shortly thereafter Peter would deny him. (Luke 22:61-62) So, here’s a question? If Peter failed, did Jesus‘ prayer for Peter fail? To answer, we must look again at what Jesus said. After telling Peter he had prayed for him, he says, “And when you have turned again strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:32) Jesus knew Peter was going to deny him, but Jesus also knew that Peter was going to turn back to him. How did He know? Because He had prayed for Peter. Jesus was certain his prayer had been heard and would be answered, and it was. So though Peter failed Jesus, we know Jesus did not fail Peter.
Jesus does not fail us either. Because of His death, resurrection and ascension, Jesus intercedes for us right now before the throne of God. While we know that darkness will come and we will stumble and fall, our faith will not be eclipsed nor destroyed, but be made brighter and stronger. This is an amazing truth! We rightly say that we pray to God. But do we believe that God himself intercedes for us through Jesus Christ? Furthermore, that Jesus Christ does not come before the Father as a poor beggar, but rather as an enthroned king? We are not alone in our faith! So many understand that God gives us grace, but so few understand the glorious reality that He does so because Jesus intercedes on our behalf. This is meant to give us unshakeable assurance, since the Father always says yes to the Son. “Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34) While I was unable to help my son, Jesus is more than able to help me. I cry to the Father by the Holy Spirit, "Give me strength!" and Jesus simultaneously intercedes on my behalf to the Father, "Give him strength!"
As Peter was weeping because he had denied Jesus (Luke 22:61-62), and as his faith was being sifted, Jesus’ words, “I have prayed for you that your faith would not fail”, were being fulfilled. Maybe Peter held on to these words as he wept bitterly. He would be strengthened and established in his faith. He would turn again. He would strengthen the faith of the other disciples and go on to preach the good news of Jesus Christ until his death. It was then that he entered a heavenly kingdom. His faith had not failed. Why? Because Jesus had been praying for him. This same Jesus, is our Savior. This same Jesus, intercedes for us, praying that our faith would not fail. So take courage and find hope. A heavenly kingdom awaits. His promise is His intercession until that day.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Be a servant in your work, not to your work
Too often, we’re overwhelmed by all the things we feel that we need to be doing for God. There’s marriage and family, work and rest, church and community, Bible and prayer, evangelism and serving, faithfulness and stewardship, studying and learning, etc. The list goes on and on, and with it our frustrations grow bigger and louder! The tendency is to feel that we're either not doing enough or that what we have done was not good enough. Because of this tendency, God has needed to remind me countless times that I am a servant IN my work for Him and not a servant TO my work for Him.
This is an important distinction to make. If we feel that we cannot do enough for God or that it’s not all being done in a particular way, then things are reversed. Take a step back and recognize that you serve him with the time that you have, not the time that you don't. You serve him in the things that you can do, not the things that you can't. There isn't any guilt for the time we don't have or the things we can't do. Be faithful today with what He's given you. It may mean only one good conversation with your wife, a hug good night for your kids, and one chapter in your Bible or that book. Let your heart serve Him in those small ways and not despise those small ways because they're not enough.
As it pertains to families, we need to be extra careful that we not begin to feel that our spouse and/or children are "stealing" our time away from God, our Bible, and other spiritual things. We should not get frustrated when we have to stop doing something for God because we need to go serve the people God has given to us.
Be a servant IN your work for God and not a servant TO your work for God.
This is an important distinction to make. If we feel that we cannot do enough for God or that it’s not all being done in a particular way, then things are reversed. Take a step back and recognize that you serve him with the time that you have, not the time that you don't. You serve him in the things that you can do, not the things that you can't. There isn't any guilt for the time we don't have or the things we can't do. Be faithful today with what He's given you. It may mean only one good conversation with your wife, a hug good night for your kids, and one chapter in your Bible or that book. Let your heart serve Him in those small ways and not despise those small ways because they're not enough.
As it pertains to families, we need to be extra careful that we not begin to feel that our spouse and/or children are "stealing" our time away from God, our Bible, and other spiritual things. We should not get frustrated when we have to stop doing something for God because we need to go serve the people God has given to us.
Be a servant IN your work for God and not a servant TO your work for God.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
An ambition for God's glory in 2011 (and beyond)
“Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.” (John 12:42-43)
Many of us are probably looking back on the year 2010 as a great year. For some, how successful a year was is determined by how many great things they did or how many great things happened to them. We can all look back, then, and list the top three things that we loved about 2010. But what if I asked you to look back and list the top three things that were most difficult? In addition to the times that were great, I believe that we should also measure how successful a year was by the times we were humbled by God. I will go further and venture to say that, as Christians, if we cannot think back and remember even one time when we were humbled by God, where He brought something to the forefront of our mind or showed us something deep within our hearts, than we probably have not grown spiritually in the last year. So, my prayer is that for this coming year God would give us an ambition for His glory.
In the verses above, we find that many of the people in Jesus day believed in Him, but for FEAR of the pharisees they did not confess their belief in Jesus. (Vs. 42) This was because they would have been put out of the synagogue. Their religious reputation would have been sunk. This certainly would have affected their work, family and other relationships. This was a big deal. Before Jesus came along, life was good. After Jesus came along, things began to change. I want you to notice that while John writes that many people because of their FEAR of people did not confess Jesus, he writes in the next verse (Vs. 43) that the reason they did not want to be put out of the synagogue was because they LOVED the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. In other words, at the root it was not FEAR of losing what they had that kept them from following Jesus, but LOVE for what they had that kept them from following Jesus. The same can be said of us. At the root, it’s not FEAR of losing what we have that keeps us from following Jesus, but LOVE for what we have that keeps us from following Him. We feel great and successful when people notice us, accept us and praise us. We love our glory! But really we cannot follow Jesus unless we are willing to not be noticed, not accepted and not praised by others. In order for Jesus to draw our hearts away from ourselves and our glory, and near to Him and His glory, our hearts go through constant change. Because knowing Jesus is the greatest definition of success and joy, God lovingly comes to convict us, break us, mold us, to create a new heart within us and transform our desires, so that we can let go of everything we’ve loved to take hold of Jesus Christ.
Jesus is God's glory. To live for God's glory is to live for Jesus, to recognize and value Him as the heaviest and weightiest object of worth. Living for God’s glory means dying to my glory. I cannot live for Jesus and live for myself. Therefore, I must die to myself to bring glory to Jesus. This is good news since Jesus also says that those who seek His glory will be honored by the heavenly Father. (John 12:26) Such honor cannot compare with any other honor. May God give us an ambition for His glory in this new year and beyond.
Many of us are probably looking back on the year 2010 as a great year. For some, how successful a year was is determined by how many great things they did or how many great things happened to them. We can all look back, then, and list the top three things that we loved about 2010. But what if I asked you to look back and list the top three things that were most difficult? In addition to the times that were great, I believe that we should also measure how successful a year was by the times we were humbled by God. I will go further and venture to say that, as Christians, if we cannot think back and remember even one time when we were humbled by God, where He brought something to the forefront of our mind or showed us something deep within our hearts, than we probably have not grown spiritually in the last year. So, my prayer is that for this coming year God would give us an ambition for His glory.
In the verses above, we find that many of the people in Jesus day believed in Him, but for FEAR of the pharisees they did not confess their belief in Jesus. (Vs. 42) This was because they would have been put out of the synagogue. Their religious reputation would have been sunk. This certainly would have affected their work, family and other relationships. This was a big deal. Before Jesus came along, life was good. After Jesus came along, things began to change. I want you to notice that while John writes that many people because of their FEAR of people did not confess Jesus, he writes in the next verse (Vs. 43) that the reason they did not want to be put out of the synagogue was because they LOVED the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. In other words, at the root it was not FEAR of losing what they had that kept them from following Jesus, but LOVE for what they had that kept them from following Jesus. The same can be said of us. At the root, it’s not FEAR of losing what we have that keeps us from following Jesus, but LOVE for what we have that keeps us from following Him. We feel great and successful when people notice us, accept us and praise us. We love our glory! But really we cannot follow Jesus unless we are willing to not be noticed, not accepted and not praised by others. In order for Jesus to draw our hearts away from ourselves and our glory, and near to Him and His glory, our hearts go through constant change. Because knowing Jesus is the greatest definition of success and joy, God lovingly comes to convict us, break us, mold us, to create a new heart within us and transform our desires, so that we can let go of everything we’ve loved to take hold of Jesus Christ.
Jesus is God's glory. To live for God's glory is to live for Jesus, to recognize and value Him as the heaviest and weightiest object of worth. Living for God’s glory means dying to my glory. I cannot live for Jesus and live for myself. Therefore, I must die to myself to bring glory to Jesus. This is good news since Jesus also says that those who seek His glory will be honored by the heavenly Father. (John 12:26) Such honor cannot compare with any other honor. May God give us an ambition for His glory in this new year and beyond.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The wave and the break wall
What would you think if a husband said to his wife, “I will love you in this house. As long as I am here, and you are here, I will love you.”? We might say that he doesn’t love her at all. Why? Because his love for her only exists in one place and not in all places. Now, what would God think if you and I said to Him, “God, I will love you in church. As long as I am here, and you show up, I will love you.” He would think that our love for Him is limited to a place.
In James 1:5-6 we read that the person asking for wisdom to live for God must be convinced that they want to live for God. This may seem obvious, but the reality is that many times our desire for God only exists in one place, but doesn't carry over into others. We ask of Him and seek Him with half our heart, but the other half seeks something else just as much. For example, there are occasions when I’ll look at a menu and make a decision on what I want to eat only to then notice another dish on the other side of the menu and choose that instead. I am uncertain and undecided, probably because I’m so hungry! In a similar way, we desire God, but then just as quickly desire something else. We are not satisfied with God alone. James describes this type of person that is unstable or uncertain in their pursuit of God as being like a wave picked up by the wind and then driven by the wind in any direction. This is not duplicity or hypocrisy, but a fluctuating of commitments, a transferring of allegiance back and forth between two masters, i.e. one day we want to serve God and the next we want to serve something or someone else. We are not faking it in church, but we are not faking it anywhere else either. James goes on to say that in this condition, God will not answer our prayers (James 1:7).
In the end, the divided heart will be conquered.
So what is God looking for? He is looking for a heart fully surrendered to Him. God desires for you and I to seek Him with our whole heart. This means we should always be aware of our sinful passions and we should pray before we go into places or circumstances where we know such desires will arise. But in addition to being aware of our own hearts, we should always be asking God to give us a united heart toward Him. This doesn't mean that we won't desire other things, but it does mean that our desire to please God outweighs and outlasts any desire for any thing else. This type of person becomes like a break wall. Being a break wall doesn’t mean that the waves won’t crash in around us or that the wind won’t blow against us, but it does mean that after it all subsides we remain by the grace and wisdom of God. In every place our desire should be to love Him, to seek Him, to serve Him, and to follow Him. Therefore, James says, God will answer our prayers (James 1:5-6).
In the end, the united heart will stand.
We are either a break wall of certainty in our pursuit of God or a wave of uncertainty in our pursuit of God. Which one am I? Which one are you?
In James 1:5-6 we read that the person asking for wisdom to live for God must be convinced that they want to live for God. This may seem obvious, but the reality is that many times our desire for God only exists in one place, but doesn't carry over into others. We ask of Him and seek Him with half our heart, but the other half seeks something else just as much. For example, there are occasions when I’ll look at a menu and make a decision on what I want to eat only to then notice another dish on the other side of the menu and choose that instead. I am uncertain and undecided, probably because I’m so hungry! In a similar way, we desire God, but then just as quickly desire something else. We are not satisfied with God alone. James describes this type of person that is unstable or uncertain in their pursuit of God as being like a wave picked up by the wind and then driven by the wind in any direction. This is not duplicity or hypocrisy, but a fluctuating of commitments, a transferring of allegiance back and forth between two masters, i.e. one day we want to serve God and the next we want to serve something or someone else. We are not faking it in church, but we are not faking it anywhere else either. James goes on to say that in this condition, God will not answer our prayers (James 1:7).
In the end, the divided heart will be conquered.
So what is God looking for? He is looking for a heart fully surrendered to Him. God desires for you and I to seek Him with our whole heart. This means we should always be aware of our sinful passions and we should pray before we go into places or circumstances where we know such desires will arise. But in addition to being aware of our own hearts, we should always be asking God to give us a united heart toward Him. This doesn't mean that we won't desire other things, but it does mean that our desire to please God outweighs and outlasts any desire for any thing else. This type of person becomes like a break wall. Being a break wall doesn’t mean that the waves won’t crash in around us or that the wind won’t blow against us, but it does mean that after it all subsides we remain by the grace and wisdom of God. In every place our desire should be to love Him, to seek Him, to serve Him, and to follow Him. Therefore, James says, God will answer our prayers (James 1:5-6).
In the end, the united heart will stand.
We are either a break wall of certainty in our pursuit of God or a wave of uncertainty in our pursuit of God. Which one am I? Which one are you?
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Forgetting hell
ROBERT MURRAY M’CHEYNE once said: “As I was walking in the fields, the thought came over me with almost overwhelming power, that every one of my flock must soon be in heaven or hell.” Every one. That includes all and excludes none. All who are born will also die. And all who die will also live for eternity. We can talk about this all day if we’re talking about heaven. But if we start to talk about hell, we stop. We don’t usually talk about hell. But I don’t think we talk about it enough. In fact, many churches and christians simply don’t talk about it as much as Jesus did.
In Matthew 10:26-33 Jesus teaches that there is one thing above all that we should fear. But first He gives us three things that we should not fear, which incidentally are three things that many people consider to be their greatest problems.
1. We should not fear those who persecute us for His sake. This is to be expected Jesus said. (Matthew 10:25) We need to recognize that being a Christian will inevitably lead to some type of and some length of persecution. So, our greatest problem is not the person who does not like us.
2. We should not fear death (Matthew 10:28). For the Christian, as Paul taught, death is gain. (Philippians 1:21) It may not be desirable for many of us, yet it is not something that we should fear, because Jesus awaits us. And somehow, in a way we cannot fathom nor comprehend now, He is better than anything we have here on earth or anything we possess. When we see Him He will become our all-encompassing and ever-increasing joy. So, our greatest problem is not death.
3. We should not fear a lack of care or provision (Matthew 10:30). God knows everything about us and is aware of everything we need. Many people today are extremely anxious, though, because they don't have everything they want or think they need. Yet, our greatest problem is not a lack of things.
No. The greatest thing we should fear, Jesus says, is God. God is humanity’s biggest problem. Why? Because He is who can destroy both the soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)
God is holy, infinitely holy. God is just, infinitely just. God is righteous, infinitely righteous. He is perfect in all His attributes, meaning there is no imperfection or incompleteness in God. Therefore, in order to please God and be right with God you and I have to perfectly and completely obey His law. But this is impossible. The Bible teaches that no man or woman ever born has perfectly fulfilled God’s law. (Psalm 143:2) And no one ever will. Therefore, in the courtroom of heaven everyone stands as a convicted criminal before God, the Holy and Righteous Judge.
Where do criminals go? To prison. And depending on the gravity of the crime will be the duration of their stay. God is of infinite worth to whom we owe infinite obligation and obedience. The gravity, then, of any sin committed against a God who is infinitely good, holy, just and righteous demands an infinite punishment: hell.
Hell is eternal (Matthew 25:41, 46; Jude 7, 13; Revelation 14:10-11; 20:10).
Hell is punishment. (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10; Revelation 20:10-15).
Hell is destruction and death (Matthew 7:13-14; 2 Thessalonians 1:9).
Hell is banishment (Matthew 7:23; 25:41; Revelation 22:15).
The Bible often depicts hell using the following images:
FIRE
Suffering that is unbearable and inescapable:
-A fiery furnace, Matthew. 13:42, 50;
-Unquenchable fire, Mark 3:12; 9:43
-God’s judgment is “a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries”, Hebrews 10:27
-Those in hell “drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of His anger” and are “tormented with fire and sulfur”, Revelation 14:10
-They are “thrown into the lake of fire”, Revelation 20:15
DARKNESS (Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30) or Blackest darkness (Jude 13).
- There will be utter desolation.
- People will feel totally abandoned, disoriented, fearful and lost.
- People will be fully aware of the total absence of divine blessing and the consciousness of never being the object of divine mercy, but rather of divine wrath.
GEHENNA: A valley southwest of Jerusalem
-In the Old Testament it was where children were sacrificed to the God Molech. (2 Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 7:31; 32:35)
-Jeremiah prophesied it would one day be known as the “Valley of Slaughter” (Jeremiah 7:32; 19:5-6).
-In time it became a place where people burned garbage and refuse with fire and sulfur.
-This is a place that is cursed, a smoky, evil- smelling, incineration dump.
-A place “where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched”. (Mark 9:48)
With this particular image in mind, we all feel great compassion when we see pictures of families living in a garbage dump. The reason we feel compassion is because they’re not supposed to be there. How much more compassion should Christians feel when they consider the reality that is hell. But the Christian witness today has a major obstacle: A low view of hell. If I announced I was preaching on hell, many would not think twice about inviting a friend. They might say, “That would turn them off. . .They would be offended by that. . .God is a God of love....” Yes, He is a God of love. But God does not love me in that He is willing to overlook my sin. He does love me in that He is willing to give me a Savior precisely because He is unwilling to overlook my sin. The Cross is God's willingness to forgive sin. Hell is God's unwillingness to forgive sin.
The Church is the pillar of truth (1 Timothy 3:15), meaning, we must proclaim and protect the truth delivered to us once and for all in the Word of God. This Truth includes the reality of eternal punishment and hell. Hell is real precisely because man is a sinner without hope, a convicted criminal in the courtroom of heaven, sentenced to prison. The world does not recognize or realize this danger. Therefore, the greatest danger, the greatest thing to be feared by all of humanity is a danger that only Christians can warn about. We are sent to preach the good news of Christ crucified to a world in need of rescuing from the greatest threat it has faced, is facing and will ever face. No organization or government can do this. Only the Church can do this.
The offensive thing about this Gospel includes the reality that we all deserve to go to hell. Hell is part of the Gospel, but not because it is good news. Rather, because the good news is that we can be rescued from it!
We cannot forget about hell.
The blood of the Lamb saves us from the wrath of the Lamb. (Revelation 6:16)
We cannot forget about hell.
God is compassionate and loving, but he also “will by no means clear the guilty”. (Exodus 34:7)
We cannot forget about hell.
Because righteousness and justice are the foundation of God’s throne, (Psalm 89:14) He cannot simply set aside justice and sweep sin under a big rug.
We cannot forget about hell.
If there were no hell, the cross would not be necessary.
We cannot forget about hell.
If we minimize hell, we minimize the glory of Jesus on the Cross. We cannot brush aside what Jesus ultimately came to save us from.
AT THE FINAL HOUR, ON THE FINAL DAY, Jesus Christ will appear as “the Savior of the righteous and the Righteous Judge of sinners”. To one He will appear glorious, to the other dreadful. To the one there will be no reason to fear everlasting judgement, but instead to rejoice for everlasting life. But to the other there will be no reason to rejoice for everlasting life, only to fear everlasting judgement.
We must not forget about hell. In remembering, we glorify Jesus as the eternal hope of our salvation, the everlasting refuge of our souls and the endless joy of our reward.
In Matthew 10:26-33 Jesus teaches that there is one thing above all that we should fear. But first He gives us three things that we should not fear, which incidentally are three things that many people consider to be their greatest problems.
1. We should not fear those who persecute us for His sake. This is to be expected Jesus said. (Matthew 10:25) We need to recognize that being a Christian will inevitably lead to some type of and some length of persecution. So, our greatest problem is not the person who does not like us.
2. We should not fear death (Matthew 10:28). For the Christian, as Paul taught, death is gain. (Philippians 1:21) It may not be desirable for many of us, yet it is not something that we should fear, because Jesus awaits us. And somehow, in a way we cannot fathom nor comprehend now, He is better than anything we have here on earth or anything we possess. When we see Him He will become our all-encompassing and ever-increasing joy. So, our greatest problem is not death.
3. We should not fear a lack of care or provision (Matthew 10:30). God knows everything about us and is aware of everything we need. Many people today are extremely anxious, though, because they don't have everything they want or think they need. Yet, our greatest problem is not a lack of things.
No. The greatest thing we should fear, Jesus says, is God. God is humanity’s biggest problem. Why? Because He is who can destroy both the soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)
God is holy, infinitely holy. God is just, infinitely just. God is righteous, infinitely righteous. He is perfect in all His attributes, meaning there is no imperfection or incompleteness in God. Therefore, in order to please God and be right with God you and I have to perfectly and completely obey His law. But this is impossible. The Bible teaches that no man or woman ever born has perfectly fulfilled God’s law. (Psalm 143:2) And no one ever will. Therefore, in the courtroom of heaven everyone stands as a convicted criminal before God, the Holy and Righteous Judge.
Where do criminals go? To prison. And depending on the gravity of the crime will be the duration of their stay. God is of infinite worth to whom we owe infinite obligation and obedience. The gravity, then, of any sin committed against a God who is infinitely good, holy, just and righteous demands an infinite punishment: hell.
Hell is eternal (Matthew 25:41, 46; Jude 7, 13; Revelation 14:10-11; 20:10).
Hell is punishment. (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10; Revelation 20:10-15).
Hell is destruction and death (Matthew 7:13-14; 2 Thessalonians 1:9).
Hell is banishment (Matthew 7:23; 25:41; Revelation 22:15).
The Bible often depicts hell using the following images:
FIRE
Suffering that is unbearable and inescapable:
-A fiery furnace, Matthew. 13:42, 50;
-Unquenchable fire, Mark 3:12; 9:43
-God’s judgment is “a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries”, Hebrews 10:27
-Those in hell “drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of His anger” and are “tormented with fire and sulfur”, Revelation 14:10
-They are “thrown into the lake of fire”, Revelation 20:15
DARKNESS (Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30) or Blackest darkness (Jude 13).
- There will be utter desolation.
- People will feel totally abandoned, disoriented, fearful and lost.
- People will be fully aware of the total absence of divine blessing and the consciousness of never being the object of divine mercy, but rather of divine wrath.
GEHENNA: A valley southwest of Jerusalem
-In the Old Testament it was where children were sacrificed to the God Molech. (2 Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 7:31; 32:35)
-Jeremiah prophesied it would one day be known as the “Valley of Slaughter” (Jeremiah 7:32; 19:5-6).
-In time it became a place where people burned garbage and refuse with fire and sulfur.
-This is a place that is cursed, a smoky, evil- smelling, incineration dump.
-A place “where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched”. (Mark 9:48)
With this particular image in mind, we all feel great compassion when we see pictures of families living in a garbage dump. The reason we feel compassion is because they’re not supposed to be there. How much more compassion should Christians feel when they consider the reality that is hell. But the Christian witness today has a major obstacle: A low view of hell. If I announced I was preaching on hell, many would not think twice about inviting a friend. They might say, “That would turn them off. . .They would be offended by that. . .God is a God of love....” Yes, He is a God of love. But God does not love me in that He is willing to overlook my sin. He does love me in that He is willing to give me a Savior precisely because He is unwilling to overlook my sin. The Cross is God's willingness to forgive sin. Hell is God's unwillingness to forgive sin.
The Church is the pillar of truth (1 Timothy 3:15), meaning, we must proclaim and protect the truth delivered to us once and for all in the Word of God. This Truth includes the reality of eternal punishment and hell. Hell is real precisely because man is a sinner without hope, a convicted criminal in the courtroom of heaven, sentenced to prison. The world does not recognize or realize this danger. Therefore, the greatest danger, the greatest thing to be feared by all of humanity is a danger that only Christians can warn about. We are sent to preach the good news of Christ crucified to a world in need of rescuing from the greatest threat it has faced, is facing and will ever face. No organization or government can do this. Only the Church can do this.
The offensive thing about this Gospel includes the reality that we all deserve to go to hell. Hell is part of the Gospel, but not because it is good news. Rather, because the good news is that we can be rescued from it!
We cannot forget about hell.
The blood of the Lamb saves us from the wrath of the Lamb. (Revelation 6:16)
We cannot forget about hell.
God is compassionate and loving, but he also “will by no means clear the guilty”. (Exodus 34:7)
We cannot forget about hell.
Because righteousness and justice are the foundation of God’s throne, (Psalm 89:14) He cannot simply set aside justice and sweep sin under a big rug.
We cannot forget about hell.
If there were no hell, the cross would not be necessary.
We cannot forget about hell.
If we minimize hell, we minimize the glory of Jesus on the Cross. We cannot brush aside what Jesus ultimately came to save us from.
AT THE FINAL HOUR, ON THE FINAL DAY, Jesus Christ will appear as “the Savior of the righteous and the Righteous Judge of sinners”. To one He will appear glorious, to the other dreadful. To the one there will be no reason to fear everlasting judgement, but instead to rejoice for everlasting life. But to the other there will be no reason to rejoice for everlasting life, only to fear everlasting judgement.
We must not forget about hell. In remembering, we glorify Jesus as the eternal hope of our salvation, the everlasting refuge of our souls and the endless joy of our reward.
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