The God of Great Things

“The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’” 

Why did Jesus come to this earth? God coming into the world was the most important event since creation. Because of this, the Bible speaks with unmistakable clarity about why Christ came to the earth: “The son of man came to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). “This saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim 1:15). “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him, shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the gentiles might glorify him for his mercy” (Rom 15:8-9).

Then to show us that this has been God’s purpose from the beginning, Paul quotes from 2^nd Samuel, Deuteronomy, the Psalms, and Isaiah, all to remind us what Christ Jesus came for. Why is this so important? It may even seem elementary to you. It’s important to know and constantly be reminded of because, although the word of the cross is finished, the mission is not. 

Do you want to know what your purpose is? your mission? Jesus declared in Matthew 28, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus also would pray for us in this way, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one…As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them” (John 17:15,18). 

Here is the point. The man above was delivered and saved from his sin. The first thing he wants to do is be comfortable. Think about it. He once was a terrible man, who used to hang out with some pretty terrible people. He had a different life now. One that was sane, and filled with peace. This man wanted to continue to be comfortable in a “holy huddle.” But Jesus responds, “No, go tell your friends and family of the great things God has done for you.” In other words, your purpose is to reach out to the lost. 

Our mission is the same as Jesus’ mission. We are to declare the great things God has done for us to a lost world full of sinners. That simply does not happen by inviting people to church. We are to go. That’s what Jesus did. That’s what he commanded us to do. 

What are the great things God has done for us? The eternal triune God chose to ultimately reveal himself to his creation through the person and work of Jesus Christ. He, being perfect and without sin, willingly exchanged places with imperfect sinful people. He fulfilled the wrath of God, and reconciles to the Father sinners who call on his name in faith for the forgiveness of sins. He then fills and empowers his people with the Holy Spirit to be engaged to fulfill the great commission. All to make known the riches of His mercy to the lost, for the glory of the Father! 

So give thanks for the great things God has done for you. But above all, don’t keep it to yourself. And don’t just talk about it to Christian people! It’s not for them, but for the lost! If you know Jesus, continually remember why he came. It will clarify why you are here! Glory be to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for He has done great things!

Take Heed How You Hear

“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.”  -Jesus

There has been a great perversion within the confines of Christendom. It was birthed from the rise of western individualism – to be completely independent and self-reliant. The great problem is, that this attitude has worked itself into our views of scripture, the church, and evangelism. In other words, often times people view their walk with Jesus Christ as a personal walk in the sense that it is for them, and that we need not feel compelled to share that “personal” faith with anyone else. Jesus in speaking above lays waste to that self-centered, hellish idea. In the context of taking heed how you hear, Jesus explicitly says that those who really hear the Gospel, who are confronted by their sinfulness, and turn to Jesus Christ in faith, are those who become lights to those around them. To put it another way, “By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” 

1 John 2:5b-6

The fact is, everywhere Jesus walked he revealed the character, nature, and intentions of the Father. By doing so, those around him were bathed in light that revealed the true nature of our condition; utter depravity, sinful rebellion, and a desperate need to be redeemed from the terrible marring that came from sin. Our faith is not just personal. It is meant to be shouted from rooftops, to be shared with our friends, family, and neighbors across the street! “Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” Ephesians 2:12  

Someone rightly said, “The highest form of selfishness is to be content to go to heaven alone.” 

Lord help us have ears to hear the wondrous nature of Gospel of Jesus Christ, and help us walk in the same way you walked, to be a light in the darkness, for the glory and praise of the Father amen! 

Faith that Pleases God

“For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things he marveled at him….  Luke 7:8-9a

What kind of faith pleases God? I look at the above verse, and can’t but help be filled with hope and joy, and a sense of incredible awe at the wondrous nature of Jesus Christ. Why do I feel that way? First, the centurion’s faith is terribly imperfect. The centurion is one who, because of his relationship to the emperor, was one who in and of himself had no authority. He only had authority because of his standing with the emperor. What this centurion is saying is, “Jesus, your like me. You don’t have any authority in and of yourself. But I perceive that you have a great relationship with someone of higher authority. So say the word.” The point is; this man’s faith does not rise to Nicene Creed level faith and understanding on exactly who Jesus is. His faith is imperfect. His faith as rather weak as it were. Why should this bring a sense of hope, joy, and wonder to our hearts? Consider this: Is it the strength of this man’s faith that saves him and his servant? No. Was the reason Jesus commends his faith because of his perfect understanding? No.

It was not the strength of his faith, or the perfect nature of his faith that got Jesus’ attention - it was the OBJECT of his faith. In other words, he simply had enough faith to come to Jesus in the first place. 

What kind of faith pleases God? The faith that pleases God is a faith that is placed solely and totally on Jesus. This should bring radical joy to your heart! To realize that our standing with God is not based upon a perfect faith, or a strong faith, but rather the object that our faith is in - Jesus, should cause us to praise! That in the face of my often imperfect faith, my weak faith at times, I know that Jesus still moves on the behalf of those who have enough faith to simply come to Him!

The Great Reversal

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and spurn your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.”    - Jesus

Whether you realize it or not, you are a citizen of one of two kingdoms. Each kingdom, has a set of values, power, and products. Paul would say in Colossians 1:13 that, “He has delivered us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”  

You see, the kingdom of darkness has a set of values that it holds in high esteem. It holds power, comfort, success, and acclaim as values to esteem and treasure (Luke 6:24-26). The power that drives these sets of values is the self will of fallen humanity that seeks to be the center of attention. Over and above is Jesus’ kingdom (Luke 6:20-23). As Jesus comes on the scene, He ushers in what many have called, “The Great Reversal.” He proclaims what his kingdom holds in high esteem: Weakness, sacrifice, grief, and exclusion. As Jesus comes off the mountain healing, and teaching, and performing miracles; it is the writing on the wall that declares an end to the self-centered life that the old kingdom exalts, and instead ushers in new way of living in humility by the power of God that produces not an eternally destroyed life, but a eternally joyful existence in communion with God. Someone said it this way, “In the life of God’s people, it will be seen first of all a remarkable reversal of values. The people of God will prize what the world calls pitiable, and suspect what the world thinks desirable.”

So often we find ourselves living for the values of the old kingdom. So what are we to do? We humbly repent, and rely upon the One who the greatest reversal fell upon. Jesus. He reversed his glory, and became our shame. He reversed His life, and received our death. He gave us his righteousness, and took upon Himself our reproach. See Jesus. See how he IS the great reversal for you. If we do that, it will be by His power that we begin to hold in high esteem the values of the kingdom we belong to by His grace.