A Typical Friday Night

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Kingdom Equality / Ridin' the Pine

Kingdom Equality
We are going through the Gospel of Matthew in our Sunday School at a rapid pace--11 weeks and we're already at the "triumphal entry", the week of Jesus' death. This Sunday, we're focusing on chapter 20, verses 1-16. In this section, Jesus tells the parable of a landowner that hired many laborers to work in his vineyard. He hired some early in the morning, some at midday, and still some only an hour before the workday ended. At the end of the day, he had the foreman pay the workers, beginning with those hired last...and the astonishing thing was: HE PAID THEM ALL THE SAME WAGE! Whether they worked a full 12-hour day or one hour, each man received the same pay.

The workers that had put in a full day didn't think this was fair.

"These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day." But [the landowner] answered and said to one of them, "Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous ?"

We're like the all-day workers sometimes. We get it in our heads that because we've been serving in the church longer or have been a Christian longer than others, somehow God owes us more. We forget that God doesn't think or operate the way we think He should (Isaiah 55:8). We fail to remember that EVERY person who comes to faith in Jesus Christ recieves the same salvation. An individual's "tenure" is irrelevant for receiving God's grace/salvation. John MacArthur put it this way:

Believing tax collectors, prostitutes, criminals and social outcasts will have the same heavenly residence as Paul, Augustine, Luther and Wesley. There are no servants quarters or lower class neighborhoods in heaven. Everyone will have a room in the Father's house, specially prepared for him by the Son. (MacArthur Commentary, Pg 215)

Some things to remember (from MacArthur's Commentary):

• God and God alone accomplishes salvation. He does the seeking after the laborers.
• Salvation is on God's terms. The laborers don't negotiate their wage.
• God continues to call men to His kingdom (labor).
• God redeems everyone who is willing...even those who come late.
• Everyone who came to the vineyard worked.
• All who wanted to work were hired and at the end of the day, there was no shortage of funds to pay each one the full amount. (God's resources never run out).
• God always gives more than is deserved.

Ridin' the Pine
My youngest son mows his grandparents yard on Saturdays. Most weekends, I'll get up and drive him to their home (they still live in the town where my wife and I grew up--about 8 miles from where we now live). I drop him off and go on about my Saturday; my oldest son or my wife picks him up when he is finished. Today was the last mowing day, so I dropped him off--and having nothing else to do--I drove around town taking pictures.

I ended up at the City Park, in particular, the ballfield where I played Little League baseball. A lot has changed in 40+ years. They've rebuilt the dugouts, put concrete where there used to be grass behind the backstop and replaced the old wooden bleachers with metal ones. But it's the same field.

I wasn't that good, but I loved the game; I loved wearing the uniform; I loved the smell of the freshly mowed outfield and the raked dirt infield. I sat on the bench (rode the pine) more than I played, but I loved being part of the team. I loved it when we won and we'd pile in the back of one of the dad's pickups (that was before bike helmets, shin guards, knee pads, child seats, etc.) and we'd chant--all the way to the "Cardinal Dairy Dip"--at the TOP of our lungs: "We won by golly, we won!!!"

You can't beat the memory of Little League baseball.

Beatitudes and Friday Photo

Sometimes I don't enjoy being a Sunday School teacher. The past couple of weeks has been one of those "sometimes."

Things at work have been a struggle lately; there are so many personality conflicts, people jockeying for position, too much "sucking up" (I don't like that term, but it's the only one I can think of at the moment) to the boss(es), back stabbing, gossip, anger, distrust, manipulation, deception, and downright meanness ...whew!... that it's been an effort some days to make myself show up. And sad to say, I'm not just talking about the people I work with-- in some cases I'm talking about myself!

Now, what does my work situation have to do with Sunday School and/or being a teacher. Well, we've been working our way through the Beatitudes portion of the Sermon on the Mount and frankly, I just feel so, so...unworthy, cruddy, [fill in frustrated mental/emotional state here], especially when I come to:

Blessed are the meek (gentle), for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

That's a TOUGH list--particularly of late. Take a look at it. Meekness. A hunger and thirst for God (righteousness). Pure in heart. Peacemaker. It's near impossible--no, it IS impossible to be those things when you're gritchin' and gripin' all the time or joining in on the lastest round of "man, I can't stand THAT guy," or...well, you get the picture. All of those attributes are/should be visible in the lives of people that belong to the Kingdom and it's hard to teach that when you're not doing it yourself!

Ah, but there's light at the end (actually the beginning) of the tunnel. Take a look at verses 3 and 4 of Matthew 5, the first two Beatitudes:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

The Beatitudes build on each other and it all starts with recognizing just how "poor in spirit" we are. We don't deserve ANYTHING other than death, but God shows us mercy. Recognizing our depraved spiritual condition and then mouring or confessing our sin are the first steps toward becoming gentle, merciful, hungering and thirsting seekers of God's righteousness, who are pure in their hearts (motives), always seeking to live in peace with others...because we have been saved by THE Prince of Peace.

I look at my own life and realize just how filthy (Isaiah 64:6) I am and I'm driven to my knees to cry out as the tax-collector: "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13). That's encouraging to me, because I see my recognition of sin (my poorness of spirit) and my turning to God (mourning over sin) as the Holy Spirit working in my life to move me toward being the person God wants me to be. I am ashamed to admit that I fall into those times of anger and resentment. In doing so, I am in a sense, doubting God's love and provision for me, and yet, I know that God will not abandon me and that he will not ask me to do anything that He hasn't already equipped me to do.

It is a struggle some days, but there is hope. First John 1:9 says--"if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive and cleanse us..." People that aren't "in the kingdom" don't acknowledge their sin or grieve over it. I am grateful to see those attributes in my life. It spurs me on to know that God is working, molding, and correcting me for His glory.

Yep. Some days I don't like being a Sunday School teacher. But most days, I thank God for the awesome privilege He gives me each week to share things He has taught me throughout the week.

Friday Photo

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A Different Way

We began a study of the Gospel of Matthew in our Sunday School class yesterday, starting with the story of Jesus' birth, which was kinda weird since it's not "Christmas time." But, I think not being caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season actually allowed us to step back and see some things we might have missed.

We went through the genealogy, noting that three of the four women mentioned (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth) were Gentiles; Bathseba, who is not mentioned by name in some translations, may have been an Israelite (cf. 1 Chr 3:5). We also noted some interesting things such as:

• Matthew's genealogy is ascending from Abraham to Jesus.
• Luke's genealog is descending from Jesus to Adam.
• Matthew's genealogy traces Jesus' "legal" heritage, i.e. His legal right to the throne of David via Joseph's lineage.
• Lukes's genealogy traces Jesus' "royal" heritage, i.e. the bloodline through David via Mary's lineage. (The "Eli" mentioned is believed to be Mary's father.)
• Beyond Zerubbabel to Joseph, we know nothing of the descendants listed.

We spent some time looking at the Magi. These guys (and we don't know that there were only three of them) show up, looking for "He who has been born King of the Jews...for we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." (Matt 2:2) Just a little side note here: the idea of three "wise men" or Magi comes from the three gifts--gold, frankincense and myrrh that are given to Jesus. According to Wikipedia, the bones of the "three"--named Melchior, Balthazar and Casper--are said to be in the Shrine of the Three Wise Men in Cologne, Germany. Personally, I'm not buying it, but I digress.

A couple of things in Matthew's Gospel stood out to me:

The purpose of their visit was "to worship." The Magi can be traced back to the time of Daniel when he was made ruler over the wise men of Babylon (Daniel 2:48). It's not a stretch to believe Daniel would have spoken to them about the coming Messiah, maybe even pointed them to this prophecy: "...A star shall come forth from Jacob, And a scepter shall rise from Israel..." (Numbers 24:17). This could explain their comment of seeing "His star."

So here it is, some 500+ years later, and these men are looking for sign of a new king that they know very little about. They DO know that something significant is connected with the "star" they have seen in Israel and because they believe this to be the king Daniel spoke of so long ago, they have come to see for themselves...and to worship.

They met Jesus and were changed.Matthew tells us that the Magi fell down and worship Jesus. When they got ready to leave, God spoke to them and warned them about Herod's evil intentions, so they "left for their own country by another way.

I think there's a little more there. I think they not only took a different route, but they returned home DIFFERENT--a "different way." They had encountered the Christ, and they would never be the same. Isn't that the right response? Notice how the priests and scribes responded when Herod asked, "Do you know what these guys are talking about?" They KNEW the prophecies concerning the Messiah. They knew exactly where the Messiah would be born (just a couple of miles down the road!!) and yet they didn't even bother to check things out.

I would have LOVED to have been in the Magi's caravan as they made their way home. They had traveled so far. They had arrived not knowing for sure what they would find--and they ended up meeting the Son of God, the Promised Messiah...and they were going home "different."

Quiz

You scored as Reformed Evangelical, You are a Reformed Evangelical. You take the Bible very seriously because it is God's Word. You most likely hold to TULIP and are sceptical about the possibilities of universal atonement or resistible grace. The most important thing the Church can do is make sure people hear how they can go to heaven when they die. Reformed Evangelical 93% Fundamentalist 82% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 68% Neo orthodox 68% Emergent/Postmodern 32% Classical Liberal 29% Charismatic/Pentecostal 25% Modern Liberal 11% Roman Catholic 7% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

As if there was any doubt?

Gracious Words

The LORD answered the angel who was speaking with me with gracious words, comforting words. So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "Proclaim, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion...Therefore thus says the LORD, I will return to Jerusalem with compassion; My house will be built in it,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem.' Again, proclaim, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.'" --Zechariah 1:13-17 (NASB)

There are days that just seem impossible; nothing goes right; the best laid plans fall apart. One minute you're on top of the world and the next, your whole world comes crashing down. Sometimes, those days cannot be explained. "That's just the way things are," some will say. Sometimes though, "those kinds of days" are the result of our actions. We don't pay attention; we don't follow directions; and just maybe, some of those days are the result of our disobedience to God.

That's what happened to Judah--they disobeyed God and He punished them by allowing the Babylonians to take them into captivity. They had followed other gods, and desecrated the temple. They even became so bold as to say: "God won't punish us!" (Zephaniah 1:12) But God DID punish. The Babylonians destroyed all of Jerusalem, including the Temple--the symbol of God's prescence among His people. For 70 years, the the city and temple lay in ruins...but then...God spoke with gracious words, comforting words.

You see, God punishes, but He also loves. He loves His children and His ultimate desire is to bring them into fellowship with Him, to care for them, to protect and to bless them. That's what He did for Judah, because of the prophetic words spoken to them, they acknowledged their sin and repented. They "returned" to God, and He "returned" to them. He retuned to them with the promises that He would rebuild Jerusalem, that He would return to her with compassion/blessing. God would bless them beyond what they could imagine and the city would overflow with His goodness.

Those are "gracious words" for us as well. If we will obey God, repent, and return to Him, He will return to us. Gracious words..."amazing grace, how sweet the sound."

Haggai

We're studying the Old Testament book of Haggai this morning in Sunday School. In a nutshell, God sent Haggai to confront the Jewsish leaders (and people) who had returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile to rebuild the temple. They started the project, but when they encountered opposition from surrounding nations/groups, they abondoned the temple, focused on their on "home remodeling projects" and basically became content with their own lives.

Life for the returning exiles very quickly took a turn for the worse:

Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways! "You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes." -- (Haggai 1:5-6)

No matter how hard they tried, their crops failed, they never had enough to eat, they couldn't stay warm, or save money. Even their futile activities -- drinking -- failed to bring them pleasure/success. Why? "...declares the LORD of hosts, 'Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house.'" (Haggai 1:9)

You see, the exiles had been given a job to to: to rebuild the temple. Solomon's temple had been utterly destroyed during the final Babylonian envasion (586 BC). Now, God in His providence had caused Cyrus to issue a decree that the people should go back and rebuild the temple and the Holy City. But instead of returning and doing the job they had been called to, they spent their time fixing up their own houses! While they were ignoring the temple and focusing on themselves, things were going badly for them. They had disobeyed God and now, they were reaping the consequences of that disobedience.

It happens in my own life; God gives me a task and I don't complete it. Then I wonder why things aren't going my way. And just as it was with the exiles, the solution is simple: obey. Notice what happened when they were confronted with their sin, they repented and returned to the work they had been given:

Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people showed reverence for the LORD. Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke by the commission of the LORD to the people saying, " 'I am with you,' declares the LORD." (Haggai 1:12-13 )

God not only forgives, He gives me the ability to accomplish the task. He never gives me more to do than I can accomplish. The important thing to remember is that it is HIM working in me that finishes/completes the task. I can't do anything on my own. Just like the exiles, when I don't obey God and trust in Him to supply all I need (Philippians 4:13), "the labor of my hands" (Haggai 1:11) is in vain.

Has God given you a job that you've not completed? Obey. He will be with you. He will help you complete it.

I'm No Better Than They Are

We've been studying the OT books of Ezra and Nehemiah in Sunday School the past two months; tomorrow is our last study before moving on to the book of Esther. I was talking with one of our pastors last night about something I found very intersting.

Ezra came to Jerusalem around 458 BC and upon arriving, discovered that the Jews there had taken foreign wives from among the nations living around them. This was in direct violation of God's Law given to them through Moses. (cf Deuteronomy 23:3-6) Calling the Jewish leaders together, Ezra pointed out the violation and encouraged them to "make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and their children" (Ezra 10:3) according to the Law--which they did.

This was not a racially motivated decision; the Moabites and Ammonites were not worshipers of the One, True God. Consequently, because of the intermarrying, many of the Israelites had been led astray in their worship of Jehovah, the God of Israel. The "fix" was a complete seperation from these people, which it appears the Israelites did.

Fast-forward approximately 25 years. Nehemiah has returned to Jerusalem after serving as governor for 12 years, then returning to Bablyon. Upon arrival, Nehemiah discovers several "lapses in obedience" to the Law, one of which is the intermarrying with foreigners (again)! Ezra's response years before had been one of great distress: When I heard about this matter, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard, and sat down appalled (Ezra 9:3). Nehemiah, however, responds a little more physically:

I contended with them and cursed them and struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, "You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. (emphasis mine) --Nehemiah 13:25

In discussing these passages with my pastor, I expressed how I just didn't understand how the Jews could fall right back into sin so quickly. He asked me: "Are there some areas in your life that you have allowed disobedience back in -- just like the Israelites?" I hate to admit it, but I have to answer "yes."