14

Jump Start # 1353

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Starts # 1353

Proverbs 24:32 “When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction.”

  Our verse today comes from a man who walked past a vineyard. The owner was lazy. The vineyard was overgrown with weeds. The stone wall around the vineyard was broken down. It was an absolute mess. It had gotten this way because of neglect. The owner is called a “sluggard,” and one “lacking sense.” In our times we see homes, and yards that are in a similar conditions. This vineyard would be the basis of a TV show today—”Fix it or leave it.”

 

Our thoughts are not upon the owner of the vineyard. We are not looking at laziness. Rather, the attention of the verse and our thoughts today are upon the man who walked past the vineyard. He saw the sad state of things. He “reflected.” He took it to heart. He gained insight. He learned some valuable lessons by just walking past, looking and thinking. This man will do well in life and with the Lord. His attention is upon doing right and doing better. He is learning lessons everywhere. These unspoken, silent lessons come from a heart that is spiritual and from a spirit that is humble and willing to learn.

 

This man shows us the key to being successful spiritually. This man stands far above most people, then and today. It’s that “reflecting and receiving instruction” from a broken down vineyard, or from a story that we call a parable, or from something someone says, or from just observing the birds, as Jesus said, that will mold and shape his heart into what is pleasing to the Lord.

 

If you and I could only learn to do the same. The vineyard spoke to this man but there were no words heard. There were great lessons learned, but there stood no teacher. A man simply walking by saw and reflected.

 

You wonder how many others walked by and complained about the mess, but didn’t receive any instruction. You wonder how many walked by and wanted to report the owner to the city and force him to clean it up, yet they never reflected internally.

 

It is amazing to me that people can sit through a funeral and learn nothing. No insights. No reflection. No instructions gained. It’s amazing to me that some people can go through a dark valley and nothing. They saw nothing, learned nothing and were not changed. The same can sit through a church service and nothing.

 

Reflection must be the key. It is taking lessons, everyday lessons, God’s lessons, and internalizing them and seeing yourself. It’s always having your radar on. When Jesus told the disciples to look upon the fields and see that they were ready for harvest, He was talking about reflection and insights.

 

It seems to me that some folks are very good at doing this. The man walking past the vineyard was good at this. Some are naturals. They see spiritual lessons everywhere. They are growing, thinking, learning and applying all the time. Others don’t see such insights. Once told, they can then see them. The way we read the Bible ought to be this way. Some can read it and nothing much is gained from it. Others see their name on every page. They apply things to their lives. They are constantly being shaped, molded and changed by the word of God.

 

This wonderful ability to reflect and gain instruction is the key to growing with the Lord. They see things, they think, they reflect and they become better. These lessons come from very simple things such as walking past a vineyard. Even then, this spiritual person was thinking, applying and reflecting.

 

I fear that far too many do not ever reflect. Their thinking is shallow and surrounded with superficial things. They conversations are about trivial things that do not matter. Pride has built a wall around them so that they never see themselves. They never give thought to self. They never reflect. Never. They never think about their attitude, their walk, they behavior. Never. A life time misses all these valuable lessons. Lessons that maybe even the Lord puts before us, but are missed because no insight ever takes place.

 

Now, what do you think the man walking past that overgrown vineyard might have learned from that? Somehow he knew the owner. He knew the owner was a sluggard. He didn’t think the field was abandon. He didn’t think the owner was deathly ill and unable to take care of it. No, he calls the owner a sluggard. He knew something.

 

  • Without effort and attention things grow worse not better. The vineyard illustrates that. The owner simply didn’t put any time into his fields and they were overgrown, the walls were broken down and the place was a mess. This vineyard would not be where one would found the best grapes. Children are like that. Left to themselves they will grow worse not better. They need love and attention. Parents too busy in their careers or who are too lazy will find broken down and overgrown kids. They will be a mess. Marriages are the same way. Effort and attention must be shared and expressed, otherwise the relationship suffers. Today, shepherding God’s people involves attention. Without that, the congregation grows worse not better.

 

As our Proverb man walks away from that field, his mind is busy. He’s seeing lessons. He is thinking, learning and making application.

 

  • Another lesson he might have seen in that vineyard was turning things around. It would take some work, but get in there and fix up those walls, and pull some of those weeds and tend to the vines and in time this could be a really decent vineyard. There was still hope. Now he could see that with relationships. Apply some forgiving and do some apologizing and what was broken down can be fixed. It’s not too late to fix that marriage. Today, it’s not too late to turn that congregation around. Our Proverb man is seeing lessons. He is thinking, learning and making application.

 

  • Yet another lesson might be seen in a neighboring vineyard that was beautiful and productive. The carelessness of one does not have to set the tone for others. You can’t force the lazy to pull the weeds in his vineyard, but you can keep those weeds from coming into your vineyard. Oh, the lessons there. You can’t change people, but you don’t have to let them upset you, change you or become sour like they are.  Dr. Henry Cloud wrote a book called “Boundaries.” It’s about that very principle in relationships. Our man didn’t need a book. He saw it, learned from it and became better.

 

  • He might have thought that God had blessed the owner of the vineyard with land, rain and sunshine however God wasn’t going to till the land for him. Everyone has their own responsibilities. God blesses, but He wants us to work with Him. We partner with God. This is true in churches, families and evangelism. It’s easy to pray to God for the church to grow, but it’s through us that the process happens. Walking past a messy field would have taught one this lesson.

 

Reflecting. Insights. Seeing lessons. They are everywhere. It’s not hard to find them. Open your eyes and your heart. Dwell upon things. Think about things. See things. You’ll be a better person when you can do this. You’ll be ahead of the game if you can do this. You’ll find yourself walking closer to the Lord when you do this.

 

“I passed by the field…” What a simple thing. Out for a drive. Going for a walk in the neighborhood. I passed…I saw…I reflected…I learned.

 

Roger

 

13

Jump Start # 1352

Posted on May 13, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1352

1 Samuel 1:13-14 “As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. Then Eli said to her, ‘How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.”

  Last night I drove to hear my dear friend Rickie J. preach. He is so good. His lesson was about judging and the Lord’s reference to the beam in our eyes. Rickie referred to our passage today. I had not thought about it in a long while. The drive home made me think about this.

 

Hannah was the wife of Elkanah. He actually had two wives. His other wife had children, Hannah didn’t. There was some bitterness between the two women. Elkanah did what he could to make Hannah know that she was loved.

 

Our passage takes place as Hannah was praying. She was making a deep promise and vow to the Lord. If the Lord would only give her a son, she would give him to the Lord. How she wanted a son. She was praying. The prophet Eli was watching her. He saw her lips moving but he heard nothing. It seemed most strange to him. How can your lips move and you not say something. His conclusion was terrible. He thought the worst. He thought that Hannah was drunk. Worse, he verbally rebuked her for being drunk. He told her to stay away from the wine.

 

Eli was not even close in his assessment of Hannah. She was not drunk, she was praying. He was thinking the worst and she was doing the best. Without asking her, without finding out for sure, Eli made his conclusions and then charged in with both guns blazing. His conclusions were wrong. His accusations were wrong. What he did would damage most of us. In fact, the Elis today, and they are still at their posts, watching others and trying to keep everyone on the straight and narrow but too often pointing the judgmental finger and much too often, doing more damage than good.

 

Hannah was innocent. She was not drunk. I have done what Hannah did many times. I have moved my lips in prayer without saying anything. The prayer is coming from the heart as it should. The prayer was between Hannah and God and no one else.  My, we can be quick to destroy. My, we tend to think the worst of a person first. My, we can get all worked up and make a mountain out of a mole hill over nothing. The Elis today often would not have enough courage to go confront a Hannah. Instead, our modern Elis would tell others. They would tell others that Hannah is not the Christian that you think she is. They would say, ‘I saw Hannah drunk.’ Poor Hannah’s reputation and character would be tarnished, destroyed and ruined, often before she even knew it. People would start whispering about her. She would be excluded and avoided. Not knowing why people were treating her this way, she would finally ask someone, who by now has twisted the story into Hannah being a full fledged alcoholic. Shocked and stunned, Hannah today would deny it. The person would say, ‘You’ve been seen drunk.’ She would say, ‘Who? Who saw me drunk and when?’ Then the mystery game begins. ‘It doesn’t matter who saw you, you were drunk. You either need to confess it or you’ll be disciplined.’ Running in fear and not sure what to do, Hannah today, would stop attending. Her denials would not be heard. Her tears would be ignored. A good soul would be ruined because of the speculation and critical judging of the Elis today.

 

We ought to learn something from this.

 

First, don’t immediately think the worst about a fellow Christian. Try thinking the best.

Second, if it is something that you feel is wrong, go talk to them. Don’t do what Eli did. He didn’t ask Hannah what was going on. He told her to quit drinking. His mind was already made up. Find out. Get the facts.

Third, put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Maybe there is a problem. Maybe they are weak. Maybe you can help them. Try to restore, not destroy. Maybe there is something that you do not know. Maybe Hannah is praying and not drinking as you thought.

Fourth, don’t tell others, even if it is true. Gossip never is the avenue that helps people.

 

You and I can be so quick to judge. We love to be the Lord’s watchdog with our radar gun pointed at others. We notice who comes in late. We notice how many times someone leaves the auditorium for the bathroom. We notice who was sleeping. It’s a wonder how we get any worship in with all this watching and maybe that’s a problem right there. We can be so busy watching others that we fail to watch ourselves and we fail to worship.

 

We can also nit-pic each other to death. Never satisfied we expect more. Parents can be this way. Good grades aren’t enough, should have been Honor Roll. Then, Honor Roll isn’t good enough, should have had straight A’s. Never happy. Never enough. Pick and pick and pick. Some are like that. It wears others out. It makes being with them tense. You just know something negative is going to be said. Something wasn’t right. It’s interesting in the parable of the talents, the master was very happy and very satisfied with the results of the two talent and the five talent person. The Lord was pleased. I think sometimes the Lord is pleased but the brethren aren’t.

 

One other thought here, God knew about Hannah. He heard her prayer. He knew she wasn’t drunk. He knew that she was pouring her heart out to Him. That’s what we must do when we are walking in Hannah’s shoes. An Eli in our life may be on the sidelines pointing his finger at us, telling us how wrong we are and how we need to change. God knows. It is God that we must please.

 

Years ago I was preaching somewhere and used a story from a famous author. The author was controversial and many mistrusted him. Great writer. Love his books. So I told the story and never mentioned the book or the author. An Eli came out and blasted me for using the story of a false teacher. He said his piece, pointed his finger, beat me up and went home content that he had straightened out that young preacher. I was smashed. Then I thought, how did he know who the author was? I never referenced that. Then it dawned on me that he must have read that book as well. I couldn’t use the book, but he could? Oh, the Elis today. We must be careful with our finger pointing, our unfounded judgments, our jumping to conclusions and hurting one another. Poor Hannah. Poor Hannah today. I wonder how many have been crushed for things that they never did.

 

We ought to learn some things from this. It ought to make us slow down and get the full story. It ought to make us be helpful and not hurtful. It ought to make us stand in their shoes for a moment. It ought to make us ask God to forgive us and to be more compassionate like He is.

 

Thanks, Rickie. Great sermon. It always does my heart well to spend a few moments with you!

 

Roger

 

12

Jump Start # 1351

Posted on May 12, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1351

Ephesians 6:4 “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

  Teaching our children about the Lord is a priority that belongs in the home. This ought to be a must among moms and dads. Children learn about God and are impressed about the kingdom by the attitudes, decisions and engagement of parents. This starts early and it starts with the basics. As children grow, so must the lessons and the applications. God should never be far from their lives. Parents are that reminder. Saying things such as, “Have you prayed about that,” helps to keep God before them.

 

This godly shaping will have major impacts upon a child as they grow and decide which major to pursue in college. Chasing after high paying jobs isn’t always the best decision. The life of theatre, pro sports, or professional acting can take a huge hit on one’s faith. It can be done, but it isn’t easy. So often, one’s faith becomes the causality in the pursuit of the career. This is a huge disappointment to God and it ought to be for parents.

 

I’m seeing more and more that it’s not. I hear of parents bragging about their child off to an Ivy league school, or chasing the sports dream and when asked where that child attends church, there is silence. He doesn’t have much time for that or, he hasn’t found a congregation, or he’ll get back to that once he’s settled down. Really? The child’s faith has died and parents don’t even see it. And worse, they don’t seem to be bothered by that.

 

Then it continues with the child dating and getting married. Faith doesn’t enter the picture. A person will share the same bed, and sometimes even the same toothbrush, but they don’t share the same faith? The parents are happy that their child has found someone who is sweet, or has a good job, or comes from a good family, but nothing is said about faith. The person you marry has the biggest impact upon you going to Heaven or not. Has the parents advised their child carefully along this line? What happens when the young couple has children? Will they be raised as our verse instructs? Or, will they simply know how to change a tire, balance the checkbook but know nothing about the Lord?

 

There are fewer things that hurt more than realizing your grown child no longer walks with the Lord. This is happening all over the country. Parents are at a loss as to why this is. They claim that they have taken him to church since the child was a baby. And today, that child never darkens the door of the church house. He has an amazing job. He lives in a fine house. His life is good. And for many families, this seems to be enough. It is never talked about. It is never studied, discussed or brought up. Choices were made a long, long time ago that led to where the child is today.

 

Do we take to heart passages such as:

 

  • Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior (2 Pet. 3:18)
  • Be strong in the Lord (Eph 6:10)
  • Act like men (1 Cor 16:13)
  • Always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Cor 15:58)
  • Love the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul (Mt 22:37)

 

Why is there such a leadership crisis in the kingdom today? Men are put in position to be leaders who do not understand what they are supposed to do, so they run the church like a business. Other congregations have no one who can or will step up to lead. Why is there such a void of gifted male teachers in the kingdom today? Why is there so many that fill the pews but do not engage themselves in the work of the kingdom? Fingers are usually pointed to the congregation. Poor preaching. Lack of classes that are meaningful. Stale. Boring. Dull. So, what if it is? What’s going on at home can be so much different. It’s the home where the Bible comes alive. It’s the home where the TV is turned off and real and relevant discussions that place. It’s before that child leaves elementary school that discussions about dating and what you want to be when you grow up have taken place. During those middle school years those lessons are focused even more. During high school years, those choices are beginning to take shape. Who is your child dating? Who they date is who they marry? If the number one reason is that the person looks good, then that becomes the foundation of the marriage. Those marriages don’t seem to last very long. Looks change. Someone better looking comes along. The purpose and reason for the marriage soon falls apart. If the lesson taught has been find someone who makes you happy, what happens when they are not happy? Off they go and the marriage ends. If the lesson has been, make someone else happy, what if they are not happy, the same thing happens again. But if God has been taught and God is the foundation and God is the reason and the glory of God is what becomes the purpose, then the marriage takes on a different meaning. It will be a special relationship because God has been invited and has been asked to remain in that relationship.

 

If your goal as a parent is to simply get them out of the house, then that will be done, but you will have missed your greatest opportunity to show them Jesus. If the goal is a great job, then school and grades become the number one emphasis in the home. If it’s sports, then practices and games becomes the most important thing. But if it is discipleship and Heaven, then that shapes the choices, the decisions that parents make. I’ve known parents that have not signed the little ones up for summer sports because the games will conflict with church services. They have decided that church services are much more important. Other parents don’t think that way. Their child grows up thinking that you go to church unless there is something more important. Some days, sleeping in bed seems more important and down the road they travel of a compromising and weak faith. And later in life, their parents wonder why their grown child no longer is interested in spiritual things? Really?

 

Parents, it starts early. It starts at home. It starts with God. Your goal is a follower of Christ. You want your child to be a disciple of Jesus. You want your child to live for Jesus, no matter what they do. That’s what it’s all about. To miss this, is to miss everything.

 

Evangelism begins at home.

 

Roger

 

11

Jump Start # 1350

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1350

Proverbs 23:25 Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.

  Yesterday was Mother’s Day. The restaurants were packed. The sermons were reminders about the importance of mothers. There were phones calls from grown kids to their moms. There will sweet attempts to give mom breakfast in bed and gifts that she would enjoy.

 

Moms sure deserve at least one day off and most didn’t even get that. Raising children just wears a person out. My wife spent a day babysitting our little granddaughter. She’s learned to crawl and she just takes off across the floor and record breaking speed. My wife came home that evening declaring that God knew what He was doing by giving young people children. She was tired. The spills, the messes, the fusses that mom must be involved in only gets harder and deeper as the children age. Spilled milk is nothing compared to the disappointment of not making the team or a broken heart. Moms say a lot of prayers. The early prayers are for the joys that come with little babies. Then the prayers shift to their safety, especially as they go off to school and start driving. Then the prayers shift to their spiritual wellbeing. One thing I’ve noticed is that the mom button is never turned off. No matter how old the mom gets and how independent the grown children become, mom is always mom.

 

My mom has been gone for twenty years now. She’s missed many adventures, births, weddings in our family. I wonder what she would think about all this now. She would be a great grandmother today.

 

I believe one of the greatest blessings for moms or dads is to see their children grown, spiritual, connected and engaged in the things that make a difference in life. All parents want to see their children happy. All parents like to see them doing well financially. Getting the kids off the payroll and independent and then to see them making wonderful financial decisions on their own is such a blessing. But the greatest is knowing that they walk with the Lord. To know on any given Sunday, your children will be in the house of the Lord worshipping God is such a deep satisfaction. It began long ago with moms singing those sweet songs, such as “Jesus loves me, this I know.” It continued with naming the books of the Bible as the family rode together in the car. It included prayers before dinner and working on Bible lessons. It involved many discussions and sometimes battles with the kids when they became teens. There was the modesty lessons. Then the dating lessons. Then the ‘remember who you are’ talks. Parents often got sighs, rolled eyes and the look from their teens. But that wouldn’t stop good ole’ mom. She hung in there and fought for her little cubs, just like a mamma bear. She wouldn’t put up with any lame excuses. She expected to be obeyed, the rooms clean and definitely no attitude. Those little chicks of hers grew. Then there were weddings and mama cried. She was so happy for her child. And today, she sees her children raising their own children. They are repeating the same songs. They are doing the same things that were done to them. Mom sees her little grandbabies growing up and learning about Jesus and what is right. Mom smiles. This is what it is all about. All those battles. All those messes. All those sleepless nights. Another generation doing right. Another generation that has placed a stake in the ground for the Lord. Another generation that is going to make a difference.

 

That is the best gift any parent can have. Most kids have moments when they are prodigals. The worry, tears and prayers are intense during those periods. But when those prodigals get it and come back to where they belong, what a powerful and wonderful moment that is. Many of us today are preaching, shepherding, serving as deacons, Bible class teachers and engaged in kingdom work where we are. We have done well because of our parents. Where I worship, I see two and three generations of families worshipping together. What a great feeling and satisfaction that must be for those parents.

 

For the moms that have made us say our prayers, apologize and do right, “Thank you.” For the moms that are right in the middle of all of this, hang in there and keep going. Don’t quit. Don’t get discouraged. Those little ones need you.

 

Yesterday, I preached and two of my sons preached in two other states. My daughter taught her first Bible class in another city. We were spread out yesterday, but what a joy it was to hear and learn of the great things that all of them were doing for the Lord. Children doing well and doing right, this is the best present any parent can received.

 

God bless you moms. Now, get busy, you’ve got little ones and big ones to see after. Moms don’t resign. Moms don’t quit. This mom business is tough, but God wired you so you can handle it. What a blessing it is that someone calls you, “Mom.”

 

Roger

 

08

Jump Start # 1349

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1349

Luke 16:31 “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.”

  We conclude our week long look at the powerful story of the rich man and Lazarus. It is a look into the next world. It lifts the curtain and allows us to see what happens after death. There are several things we notice.

 

  • Both men were alive after they died. It is not just the righteous that live after death
  • Father Abraham knew about both men and how they did in life
  • The text uses the expression “no” several times to the rich man. No water would be given. No Lazarus would be sent back. No special warnings to his brothers. There was no crossing over allowed.
  • After death there was a sense of identity, memory, feelings and desire.
  • The rich man was in torment with no hope of it ending nor any relief on the horizon
  • The rich man no longer could boss his way around others. He was at the mercy of God

 

There are layers and layers of lessons for us in this text. This is a passage that applies to all,  for unless the Lord comes, all of us will pass through the doorway of death. There are two final thoughts that I want to share with you today.

 

First, in many ways, both of these men were already judged. They were not in a neutral holding place awaiting the final judgment. The rich man was being punished and the poor man was being comforted. In Hades, there was no crossing over. A great gulf or chasm separated the comfort from the torment and Abraham declared that ‘those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.” There was no changing their positions. From that I gather that the rich man couldn’t suddenly become righteous and then change his status nor could poor Lazarus mess up and be sent to torment. There was no crossing over.

 

Now two questions come from this. I’m not sure if I have the answers but will give it a try. First, if they are already “judged” then why is there going to be a final judgment? It seems that it has already taken place. In some ways that is true. However, both the rich man and Lazarus have yet to stand before God. That hasn’t happened yet. The books were not opened and they were not judged from the books. Also, there will be some who never died when Jesus comes. There will be some who have never been to Hades. The judgment will be the gathering of all people of all time. It is then that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess. That has never happened. It has never happened because first of all, not all creation has ever been alive at the same time. Second, until the judgment, our free will has allowed us to deny Christ instead of confess Him. That will change. There will be no doubters, deniers or scoffers at the judgment. Every knee, every tongue. Also, at the judgment, the final sentence will be given out. Criminals are often found guilty by the court system and they have to return for sentencing. They know they are guilty. They return to find out their punishment. Likewise, track runners and marathon runners know when they cross the finish line and they break through the ribbon that they have won. Often there is a ceremony later where they are given a trophy or a medal. They know that they are going to get it, they came in first. In a similar way, this is what the judgment will be. The guilty will hear their sentence. The righteous will hear their reward. It is then that the wicked and the righteous part for the final time.

 

A second question that comes from these thoughts, “Is it possible for one in torments to still make it to Heaven and is it possible for one in Abraham’s bosom to eventually be cast into Hell?” Fair questions. It leads to worry and concern though. Although Lazarus never speaks in this text, I do not see that the comfort he received was somewhat tarnished because he may still end up in Hell. The text doesn’t lend itself to that conclusion. We all must stand before the righteous God, who is our judge. How merciful and forgiving He will be is up to Him. Much of what we have done to others will be how God treats us. If we do not forgive, God will not forgive us. We can’t be right with God and wrong with one another. There will be no mercy for the one who has shown no mercy. James tells us that. So is it possible that we can flip flop our destiny from where we are in Hades? We know that there is nothing after death that will change us. No prayers. No baptisms. No burning candles. None of those things will change the dead. I would like to think and hope that those, like the rich man, can find mercy from God. The rich man did not receive any mercy from Abraham. No one should wish that anyone should be lost forever. We should never use the expression, “Go to Hell.” That is the right of God alone. Jesus wanted all to repent. Jesus did not want any to perish. That should be our wish as well. To answer the question, I see nothing other than the righteousness of God that makes me think that our position can change from what it is in Hades. I expect that the rich man would be sent to Hell. I would expect to see Lazarus in Heaven. I tend to think that Hades is a prelude to the eternal. As nice as Paradise is, it’s not Heaven. As terrible as torment is, it is not Hell. There is nothing to hang our hats upon that would lead us to a conclusion that after we die we can always change things. That isn’t supported by the text. The rich man certainly tried. He wanted water. Not happening. There was no changing that was taking place.

 

Second, from our verse today, some people refuse to be persuaded. The rich man’s five brothers were that way. They ignored the Bible, as the rich man had. Abraham declares that if someone would be resurrected from the dead, they still would not be persuaded. Persuaded to what? Persuaded to change. Persuaded to commit to God. Persuaded to follow Christ. And someone did rise from the dead. There was another Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha and the friend of Jesus. He was raised in John 11. In the next chapter, the Jews sought to kill both Jesus and Lazarus. They were not persuaded. And, of course, the greatest resurrection was Jesus. When Paul preached about the resurrection, some sneered. The resurrected Christ was preached throughout the world. Are people persuaded? No. It wasn’t for a lack of evidence, but rather stubborn hearts that refused to change. People want to be allowed to do what they feel like. Let us marry multiple times without consequences. Let us marry people of the same sex. Let us party. Let us have fun. Let us worship self. Let us bow to the god of happiness. No rules. No commitment. No responsibilities. Let us drink until we pass out. Let us do drugs until we are addicted. Let us be selfish, immoral and irresponsible. Let us neglect our children. Let us ignore the Bible. Then, when we die, take us to Heaven.

 

People want to live like the rich man and go to Paradise like Lazarus. Live like a sinner and die like a saint. Doesn’t work that way. Live like a sinner and you’ll be sitting next to the rich man in agony. Live like Lazarus and you’ll be embraced by Abraham.

 

Those final words of our verse today were prophetic in many ways. When Jesus said, “even if someone rises from the dead,” He must have thought about His own coming death and resurrection. Some of those very Pharisees He was telling this story to, would be the very ones who would not be persuaded when the news spread about the risen Savior. They would deny. They would cry ‘blasphemy.’ They would remain indifferent and unchanged.

 

And, now we come to you and I. Are we walking with the rich man or with Lazarus? Each day, every choice, every decision puts us closer to one or the other. Another day without God. Another Sunday without worship. Another selfish decision. Closer and closer to the rich man we move. Or, another day with prayer. Another opportunity to help others. Another day to walk by faith. You look up and there are the footprints of Lazarus. It’s not about the rich man or Lazarus, it’s about Jesus. Am I moving closer to the Lord or staying at a distance? Do I have a heart that can be persuaded? Have these articles and these verses moved me? Am I fighting God?

 

One day, one day sooner than most of us would like to think, we will be on the other side. One day.

 

Each day is one day closer to Heaven. I hope this series has been helpful.

 

Roger