Month: November 2010

Read Matthew 12.1-8

“But if you had known what this means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.” (Matthew 12.7)

GOING THE EXTRA MILE IN THE WRONG WAY

He told us it was against his religion to go bowling and he couldn‘t play football either. Wow, what a stretch! How do you go from following Jesus to no sports? It sounds like the making of a Pharisee doesn‘t it? This is an age-old mistake of going the extra mile in the wrong way. Legalism is the art of taking God‘s commands and adding additional requirements for the sake of personal piety and then inflicting these “addendums” on others. This is usually the result of a gross misunderstanding of God‘s intent of a particular command. We need to obey His commands but also be very careful not to burden ourselves or others beyond God‘s original intent.

Are there spiritual traditions you practice that you have unwittingly turned in to a “command of God?”

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Read Matthew 11.28-30

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11.29)

THE RIGHT CO-WORKER

I’ve worked with a lot of people over the years. It’s interesting how a co-worker can affect your attitude and productivity. Inevitably, you’ll find folks that make work both invigorating and fruitful. That’s a great combination! Jesus promises such a combination. He asks us to come to Him for rest by taking on His yoke. A yoke is an instrument where two animals are put together for the purpose of labor. It’s hard to combine rest and work unless you understand Who you are being yoked with. It’s Jesus! We become co-laborers with God! Imagine the power and joy we have if we‘re properly teamed with Him! Even the hardest tasks are made simple. Rest isn’t found in inactivity. Rest is found in working with the right person in the right way.

Are you co-laboring with Jesus?

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Read Matthew 11.20-27

Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. (Matthew 11.20)

If you force it, you break it

I ran my own chop shop for bicycles when I was a kid (another confession). That’s where I learned all my mechanical skills. Taking apart bikes and mixing and matching the parts to form “new” bikes. And one of the no no’s in mechanics is forcing things to fit. You’ll strip threads, snap off bolts, and ruin parts. Jesus didn’t force anyone to believe and repent. They saw His miracles, heard His messages but in the end many still didn’t believe. But for some, the message just fit. They received His message like a greased bracket spindle. So as you are sharing the gospel, don’t try to force it. You may have to work a bit but if you start using a hammer, it’s probably not going to fit. By the way, when I started following Jesus, I quit stealing bikes.

Where can you find people eager to hear the gospel?

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Read Matthew 11.7-19

“Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist!” (Matthew 11.11)

TRUSTWORTHY MESSENGER

They told me I had just won a million dollars, but the only emotion I was feeling was anger! Why? Because the message came in the subject line of an e-mail and I hate spam. If a guy with balloons, flowers, and an oversized check showed up at my front door, then I would get a little excited. Believing the message really depends on who is delivering the message and how it’s delivered, isn’t it? Jesus affirms John the Baptist in both his message and as a messenger. Jesus said, up to that point, there was no one greater! John was a reliable source of information from God. We have been sent into the world with the same message. (John 17.18) Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. Follow the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world! (Matthew 3.1-2, John 1.29,35-37)

Are you a trustworthy messenger in word and deed?

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Read Matthew 11.1-6

“Go and report to John what you hear and see“ (Matthew 11.4)

THE REAL DEAL

The roundhouse kick came within six inches of my nose. He was teaching and then, in the blink of an eye, demonstrated that he knew exactly what he was talking about. We had all heard the rumors that our friend and coworker was a master in the art of Kung Fu. But he was a quiet guy who never bragged or drew attention to himself. When he was asked to teach us the martial arts, he delivered. All the rumors were obviously true. He was the real deal. Jesus said, “You will know a tree by its fruit.” When asked by John‘s disciples if He was the “Expected One“, He applied the same standard to Himself. Once again we can follow Christ‘s example: an example of authenticity. Jesus is the real deal.

How well are your deeds matching your words? Do people know you are a follower of Christ by your actions?

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Read Matthew 10.2-42

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master” (Matthew 10.24-25)

NO SUBSTITUTE FOR PRACTICE

“Here’s the diapers and the wipes. I usually take them to Mc Donald’s at 3 o’clock, then to bed by 8…” Deb was rattling off instructions like a proficient battlefield commander. She was the supermom who was about to entrust her cubs to the rookie. Fortunately, I’d watched her do those things a million times. I got this! Or so I thought. After the two–day “Mom’s get away” the boys were still alive. But the house was a wreck and Mr. Mom was nearly incapacitated. The next time I sent her away for a Mom Vacation, I was better prepared and things went a little smoother. I had received instructions and seen it modeled, but there‘s no substitute for practice. Jesus has sent us on a mission and given us our marching orders. He has shown us how it’s done. Now it’s time to get after it. We learn ministry by doing ministry.

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Read Matthew 9.35-10.1

“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” (Matthew 9.37)

ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES AND MODEL

I was staring at the pile of 1,200 bricks it would take to pave my patio. I knew the job was too big for one person, but started anyway. After a while I asked my sons for help. I showed them how to lay the bricks in place and they got to work. While we were making progress, some guys in our ministry dropped by the house. I enlisted their help and showed them how to lay the bricks. At first the task looked overwhelming, but between the five of us, the patio was finished in a couple of days instead of a couple of weeks. This is how Jesus multiplied His ministry. He asked the Father for a few men to help Him and modeled how to help people. Once He showed them how to minister to others, He put them to work.

How many workers do we need to reach the world for Jesus? Are you praying and working? Are you modeling?

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Read Matthew 9.18-34

“Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” (Matthew 9.22)

THE JESUS PRESCRIPTION

My oldest son, Chuck, deployed to Afghanistan as a Infantry platoon leader. I could be wringing my hands and fretting every minute. But I have decided to take a dose of faith in Christ daily. I know that Jesus loves my son more than I ever could and that He has his best interest at heart. And through that faith, I have been healed of a plague that can be one the major contributing factors in heart disease and mental illness. It’s called anxiety. It’s more common than the common cold and is killing people every day. And when you think about it, it only makes sense to turn it over to Jesus and trust Him. I can’t be with my son – but He can. I can’t help my son – but He can. I have been healed of the disease called anxiety. (Philippians 4.6-7)

What is the scourge in your life? Have you brought it to Jesus in faith and asked Him to heal you?

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Read Matthew 9.14-17

“…but they put new wine into fresh wineskins…” (Matthew 9.17)

COUNTER PRODUCTIVE

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Don’t spit into the wind. You can’t push a rope. And the list goes on. Jesus sums up these sayings with two of His own; “you can’t put a new patch on an old garment and you don’t put new wine in old wineskins.” All of these sayings are warning to the hearer that if you do these things they are potentially counter productive. It’s not saying it’s impossible but generally speaking, you’re wasting your time. I have another saying when it comes to discipleship; “Feed based on appetite.” It’s very difficult to teach someone how to follow Jesus when they don’t want to. Pray and look for spiritually hungry people to feed.

Are you hungry for spiritual food? Are you investing in the hungry or are you force-feeding?

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Read Matthew 9.1-13

“…I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9.13)

HANGIN’ WITH SINNERS

After Bible study, we spilled into a nearby restaurant. As this committed group of disciples talked about Jesus, out of the corner of my eye I saw a guy eavesdropping. He was sitting on the edge of his seat and leaning into the conversation. I asked him to join us and he enthusiastically accepted. This simple invitation led to the next, which led to the next. He was practically hanging out with us every day. Our little community of Jesus followers thoroughly embraced him. Three weeks later, he had become a fellow disciple of Jesus. There was no pitch and no canned prayer. We just talked about Jesus and loved him into the Kingdom.

Are sinners hanging out with your band of believers? Does your band of believers hang out with sinners?

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