Jump Start # 1834

2 Corinthians 10:10 “For they say, ‘His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.”

The critics were on the loose in Corinth. They were wagging their tongues and not thinking with their heads. Jab after jab, they were trying to discredit Paul. They were on him because he was not one of the “original” apostles. Our verse is yet another powerful punch to Paul’s reputation. The way he writes and the way he is in presence are not the same. To be blunt, he’s “unimpressive and his speech contemptible.” Other translations are more blunt. They say, “his speech amounts to nothing.” All of this was being said to claim that Paul was a coward. Far away, in a letter, he seems bold and confident, but face to face, he backs down and is yellow. All of this was being done to distort and take away from what Paul had written to the brethren. These critics were chipping away at the accomplishments that Paul had made among the brethren. The critics were jealous of Paul. Did this have an impact? It did. Much of 2 Corinthians becomes a defense of those attacks against him. Earlier in the book Paul admits that he was depressed.

Paul puts his life’s story up for all to see. He is ashamed of nothing as an apostle. His work speaks for itself. The critics have nothing to compare. His love for the Lord, his amazing work shows that these false brethren were wrong in what they were saying.

All of this brings us to a couple of important thoughts:

First, anyone can poke jabs at someone else. Just saying things doesn’t make it so. Even though these things were false, they hurt. Our words hurt. The old expression about sticks and stones and words never hurting is not true. Our words cut deeply. Some can be ruined by the words of others. It is said that the amazing singer, Karen Carpenter, who died from heart failure as a result of anorexia, was deeply bothered by a newspaper critic who claimed she was fat. That crushed her and stuck with her. Words hurt. We can say things in haste, in anger and without thinking that we really do not mean. We can hear just part of the story and assume we know everything. The words of a parent, a teacher, a mentor, a critic and even a fellow Christian can shape and change a person for the worse. This was exactly what these false brethren were doing in Corinth. They couldn’t touch Paul’s message, so they attacked the messenger. They ridiculed him. They made false claims about him. All of this was done so the Corinthian Christians would stop listening to Paul. The same still happens today. It may be a co-worker. It may come from a family member. They do not know enough about the Bible to counter your message. What you say may be so factual and right that there is no room for arguing, at least not with the message. So, instead, they start picking apart your life. They try to show that you are not what you claim to be. They look for inconsistencies in your life so they can add the hypocrite label on you. You are watched like a hawk. Every word, every action—just to show that you are “not such a great Christian.”

These things hurt. They always do. One must remain faithful to the Lord. One must not allow the critics to change you. In some settings, the atmosphere can become so toxic and hostile that you may have to leave. But with Paul as an example, we must remember that what we are doing is right and true. It’s easier for those who do not agree to attack the messenger than it is for them to change their lives. They may even know that you are right, but they won’t admit that nor will they do much about that.

We remember that the Lord suffered, leaving an example for us to follow. Peter reminds us that Jesus committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth. He uttered no threats. He did not revile in return. He kept entrusting Himself to God. That’s what we must do.

Second, what is impressive to critics is often shallow, showy and of little value. Naaman had this concept. He was expecting a grand show in his healing. He arrived at the prophets house with “horses and chariots.” He brought a lot of people. This was going to be impressive. Instead, the prophet didn’t even see him. A servant came. A servant. And the message the servant brought was to go down to the Jordan River and dip seven times. That’s not impressive. That’s rather embarrassing. Naaman was furious.

Folks get furious today. They go to church looking for a show. They want lights, sound, comedy, skits, food, and a whole lot of fun. Fill the house with this kind of show. But when a gospel preacher shows up, he preaches the word of God. It’s a sermon. It’s not impressive. There is no smoke. There is no lasers. The preacher wants the audience to think. They don’t want to think. He wants them to look at their lives. They don’t want to look at their lives. The preacher talks about Jesus and commitment. The audience doesn’t want that. So, they leave. They leave unimpressed. They leave and many will never come back.

I felt this way yesterday. I preached a funeral for one of our members. She was a dear lady. She was faithful to the core. Her family are not believers. Our folks came. It was great to see them. They are so encouraging and helpful. As I was trying to show what great faith this woman had, the thought came to me about our verse today. For her family, they didn’t know the difference between a prophet, priest or a Disney prince. It was probably the first time some of them ever heard Bible verses being read. The thought of your eternal destiny probably never entered their minds. I’m sure they walked away thinking, “this wasn’t very impressive.” I walked away wondering who will be called when it’s their funeral?

Impressive—we must be careful that we do not judge a sermon based upon the “Wow” factor. Earlier this week, I got to hear one of my heroes preach. He’s old. He’s well in his 80’s. He stumbled a couple of times in his thoughts and speech, but what he said was so amazing. He made the sermon on the mount come alive. He just stood there through his sermon. No powerpoint. No flashy stuff. For the world, how boring and how dull. The world would not be impressed. But to those of faith, this was the master craftsman who truly understood the Lord. It was amazing. It was impressive. It filled hearts. It gave hope.

We must be careful about what draws us and impresses us spiritually. There are just a few occasions when Jesus marveled. A few people really caused Jesus to pause and notice. And each time it was the same thing. It was faith. Jesus was impressed with faith. A Gentile woman who only asked for the crumbs of miracles to help her demon possessed daughter. A Roman soldier who felt unworthy for Jesus to come to his house, wanted the Lord to heal his crippled servant. Faith. Impressive faith.

The critics of Corinth were not impressed with Paul. God was. We must not fall for Satan’s attempt for us to only look at the outside of the package, while dismissing the inside. Impressed with what is said. Impressed with faithfulness. Impressed with God. The critics of Corinth were so fixed on Paul that they failed to see Christ in his life and in his message. The critics are the ones’ who stand unimpressed by Heaven.

There are lessons to be learned in this.

Roger

Jump Start #1831

1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

The background to our verse today involves eating meats that were sacrificed to idols. It’s hard for us in this country to understand, relate or see what the big deal is with all of this. It was for those early Christians. It wasn’t the meat that was the issue, it was what all it represented. If you ate meat that had been sacrificed to an idol, are you condoning, endorsing and even approving of idol worship? This was a concern in the book of Romans. It is the basis of two different chapters in Corinthians.

In the context of our verse, Paul gives some specific guidelines about what to do and what not to do. The issue wasn’t digesting idol meat, but what all of this would do to one’s conscience. Would this kill your influence? Would this create guilt within your heart? Would you be ashamed if others knew about this? So many layers of issues and questions.

There are a few thoughts that come from this for us:

First, Paul dealt with the practical aspect of living our faith. He didn’t teach theories and ideas, but how to live faithfully every day. Simple things, such as how to buy your meat or what to ask or not ask when eating at someone’s home, are what we find here. This is a lesson for us preachers. We can be so generic that people do not see any practical value of what we are saying. They need to be shown how to live every day. How easy it would be to assume that these Corinthians were adults, they don’t need to be told. The Holy Spirit felt otherwise. Nor, did the Spirit conclude, they have faith, they will figure it out. Our issues are not eating meats, but modesty, social drinking, honesty, ethics, being a servant. Make it plain and simple, preacher. Years ago, preachers were referred to as “sky pilots.” I was called that in my early days of preaching. I have no idea why or where that came from. But on this point, we need to come out of the clouds and make God’s word useful, practical, and livable.

Second, so often, we ask the wrong question. What we ask is, “What’s wrong with this?” We assume that someone has to prove that it is wrong before we will stop doing what we are doing. Show me that it’s a sin. Or, more bluntly, “Will I go to Hell, if I do this?” Our verse today says “do all to the glory of God.” What we ought to ask instead is, “What’s right with it?” Or, “Will I go to Heaven if I do this?” There are some things that may not be “wrong,” but there certainly isn’t much “right” about them either. Do all to the glory of God. Glory carries the idea of honor or praise. Do what God would want. Do what shines goodness upon God. Doing all to the glory of God is not the same thing as, “I like to do it,” or, “It makes me happy.” Self is not in the equation here. It’s about God. Asking, “Is it right,” carries the idea of thinking about God. Goodness, not shame and guilt, are found in glorifying God. What this meant for the Corinthians was eating meats was not a matter of preference but something to consider in relationship with God. Glorify God was the heart of the matter.

If we asked that more often, it would help us with our walk with the Lord.

• A marriage grows sour. Neither person in the marriage are happy anymore. They act like roommates in a college dorm, who tolerate each other but can’t wait for the semester to end so they can get away from each other. The thoughts that dance through their minds and the words that they are told by co-workers is that you need to be happy. Staying married isn’t accomplishing that. Divorce—that fills the mind. Instead of working on the marriage, now the thoughts turn to working out the details of being alone. Find a new place. Split the furniture. More and more this sounds good. More and more there is an eagerness for this. Never once, in all of this, does the thought, will our divorce glorify God? Will it honor Him? Will He be proud of what we are doing? Those thoughts never enter the picture. It’s all about self. What will this do to the church? What will this do to our influence? Where is God in all of this? Are we asking the right questions?

• A person is discouraged with how things are going down at the church. He is tired of the type of preaching that is done. He doesn’t like the class topics that are taught. His spirit becomes stale and sour. He begins to see problems and faults everywhere. He picks at petty things. The members get on his nerve. He starts pulling away—from people and from attending. He finds some radical websites that appeal to his sour mood. He feeds on wrong information. He gets excited about doing things differently. Soon, he’s reaching out to others that he feels are like him. They make plans to leave and start their own church. It will be different. It will not have any old traditionalists among them. Young rebels. Young, free-thinkers. Those who are not afraid to push the outer limits and even pass through those outer limits. Why, not? And so, they meet one Sunday in one of their homes. It’s exciting. No elders. No one fussing about the rules. Doing things that they were never allowed to do before. Word catches on. Others join them. And, in all of this, no one thinks about doing all for the glory of God. Their thoughts are religious freedom. Breaking away. Doing what we always wanted. Just like the divorce story above, self dominates their actions. It’s not about pleasing God. It’s not about doing what God wants. It’s not about unity, being one mind and one heart as God desires. Is God glorified by division? Is God honored by those who want to ignore His teaching? Are the right questions being asked?

The Corinthian meat eating issue wouldn’t be pretty today. There would be some who would shout, “You can’t tell me what to eat.” Paul did. Others would say, “I have a right to eat anything that I feel like.” Paul didn’t agree with that. Some would even be so bold as to proclaim, “If you don’t like it, you can just go somewhere else.” No God in any of that. No glorifying. No honor. Nothing but selfishness.

Do all to the glory of God puts God at the forefront of our decisions. Will God like this? Will God be honored? Will God be made to look good before others?

Paul ended the eighth chapter of Corinthians by declaring that if eating meats caused another to stumble, he would never eat meat again. Could you do that? Would you do that, for someone else? Or, would you say, “It’s their problem, not mine.” Paul had God in his eyes. How could he glorify God by walking on the feelings and the heart of another Christian?

God first. God always. Even before the things that I want. That spirit would certainly change things in many congregations today. It starts with each of us. Don’t wait for others. Glorify God. Do it now. Do it with your choices today.

Roger

Jump Start #1830

1 Corinthians 2:11 “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.”

Our passage today touches upon the revelation of God. Paul is showing that the message that he preached came from revelation of God. No one knows what God is like, how God thinks outside of how God has revealed Himself.

God is different than we are. Couples that have been married for decades can pretty much know how each other feels about things. I was at a marriage retreat years ago, and one of the exercises that we had to do was the men had to pick out lunch for the wives and the wives had to pick out lunch for the men. That wasn’t very hard for me. I’ve eaten thousands of meals with my wife. From the menu, I pretty much knew what she would do. When we go out to eat, she always orders water to drink. After enough times, I know that is what she wants. I know what kind of movies she likes. If there is a lot of guns, car chases and shooting, she will pass on those. I know what she likes.

Parents are the same way with their children. When the children are young, the parents can choose what the child will eat. For birthdays and Christmas, the parents shop knowing what their child will like. They know their child.

God is not like that. His thoughts and His ways are so much higher than ours. Bible history reveals man trying to guess what God would like and failing. Cain offered a sacrifice of vegetables, unlike the animal sacrifice that his brother offered. I doubt Cain really thought, “I’m going to do this and I just know that God will hate this and be upset with me.” No, he must have thought that God would accept it. He didn’t. Aaron’s sons are another example. As priests, they presented a fire that was unauthorized. Not only did God reject that, He used that very fire to consume and destroy them. Why did they do this? They must have thought that God would like this. They messed up trying to figure out how God thinks.

Those examples show us that we can’t predict, anticipate or even “figure” God out on our own. For a person to say, “I just know that God will like this,” is very dangerous and such thinking will backfire. What we do know about God is revealed in Scriptures. Guessing what God thinks, likes, or approves is something that we cannot know.

I mentioned in a sermon yesterday concerning a point that Jesus was made like us, that He was in Mary’s womb for nine months. On the surface that seems fine. We too, were in our mother’s womb for about nine months. The difference is that we were not fully developed, especially in mind. We can’t remember our first year. We may have heard our parents telling us things. We may look at pictures and videos but we really don’t remember being six months old. We don’t remember our first birthday party. Most of us do not remember much about our second year. Jesus was God in Mary’s womb. What was He doing for 9 months? The Bible says that God removes kings and appoints kings. During those early years as an infant, was Jesus aware of what the Father and the Holy Spirit were doing in the world? Was He kept in the loop of world events? Did He still participate? Was the Godhead reduced to basically two parts until Jesus was thirty years old? Guess. Guess. Guess. Speculate. We don’t know. We will probably never know. What we know is what has been revealed.

This is more than just a pivotal point that shows God is different than we are, this has huge doctrinal ramifications. If I build a faith around an idea rather than around Scripture, mostly likely my faith system will be flawed and I may be standing right along side of Cain, who disappointed God with his sacrifice. The modern thought is that anything in the name of Jesus, God likes. So, in the field of “music,” you’ll find everything under the category of “Christian Music.” There are contemporary songs, country songs, rap songs, heavy metal songs, pop songs—all filling stages and singing their hearts out to God. Is this what God wants and likes? Sure, people will say. How can it be wrong if it glorifies God? Remember Cain?

Then we look at the activities of churches today. You’ll find everything. Churches have bookstores, coffee shops, gyms, they offer classes on all kinds of subjects, they are a school, a daycare, a Friday night hang out for teens. There are camping trips, oversea trips to build homes. There are food kitchens. I even heard of a place that was inviting the public to bring their dogs to church. The dogs were going to receive a blessing and a treat. I’d hate to be the guy who had to clean up after that event! Do dogs have souls? Do dogs need blessings? Are the proclaimers of God’s word now into the dog business? Did the apostles ever do such things? Maybe Peter blessed an elephant? How could that be wrong? It’s innocent fun. It brings families and pets together. Where do folks get these ideas? Not from the Bible. You can’t put a finger on a verse that leads to the conclusion that we need to bring our pets to worship services for a blessing. All of this came from the thoughts of man. Someone came up with this wild idea. He presented it to others and they went along with it. And under all of this was the idea that God will like this. No one does things with the intention that I know we’ll get in trouble for doing this from God. I know God will be mad. No. That’s not the thought. We tend to think that we know what God wants. We tend to think that we know how God thinks. We don’t. We can’t. That’s the point of our passage today.

It’s time for us to get back to simply following the Bible. It is here that God tells us what to do. The problem lies not with God but with us. We want things beyond the simple. We want originality. We want to be different. We want cutting edge. We want to push the envelopes. We want to be out there. And, we think God is just like that. Instead of following God, we want to blaze new trails. The problem lies with us, not God. We get bored with worship the way God designed it. We want the church to do more than prepare people for Heaven. We want God to think the way we do. He doesn’t. Our thoughts have gotten us into trouble. That’s why Jesus had to come. Our thoughts need changing. Going on our thoughts, is not a good thing to do. We do not have a history of doing well here with God.

It is as simple as Cain and Able. There are those who assume that Cain’s sacrifice was fine with God, it was his attitude that was wrong. That conclusion is not based upon Biblical evidence, but more guessing. Hebrews tells us that “by faith Able offered to God a better sacrifice”. Faith comes from what God has revealed. John tells us that Cain’s deeds were evil. Jude links Cain to rebellion. To think that all Cain needed was a better attitude and God would have been happy with a vegetable sacrifice is not true. Cain offered what he thought God would accept. He didn’t know God. He was wrong.

No one knows the thoughts of God expect the Spirit that has revealed them. Stay with the Scriptures and you will please the Lord. Start trying to figure God out, and you’ll be in a mess very quickly.

Let God speak for Himself.

Roger