Let It Rain – Part Two

Matthew 7:24-27, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” In these verses we see descriptions of two people that are obviously different yet strangely similar. The differences: One built on the rock, the other built on the sand. The Rock = truth, standards, convictions and The Sand = relativism, subjectivism. The similarities are: – 1) they both were in a place where the Word was spoken. 2) they both had opportunity to make right decisions. 3) they both had disappointment, storm, trials, etc. 4) they both had some successes and accomplishments. We’re looking at this text and trying to see where the breakdown occurred in order for us to be able to stand when the rain comes. We need to educate ourselves on this because the reality of life is that it rains on all of us.

Notice first of all that they both were under the sound of God’s Word – V26, “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine…” Friend, you need to be under the sound of the teaching of God’s Word. I realize you can hear it on the radio and on your computer (and I’m so thankful for the technology we have today), but nothing replaces coming together with your brothers and sisters and opening God’s Word and hearing exegetical teaching and preaching. I wouldn’t miss coming to see what God was going to say to me through His Word, His Spirit or His Messenger. See, this is how we are able to withstand the storm – we HEAR HIS WORD and learn how to apply it – then we DO IT. This isn’t a tricky way to get you to come to church – this is what Jesus said was the deciding factor in success or failure in the lives of these guys in our text. Their success wasn’t determined by their possessions, position or prestige – it was this: The wise man is one that “Hears the Word of God and Does It.” The foolish man is one that “Hears the word of God and does nothing.” But did you also know you can be a Christian and not Hear or Do the Word? We’re not talking about hearing in the sense of “I hear what you’re saying” – no, this word means: ‘to listen, to take in, to absorb.’

Jesus said, “If you hear the word and do the word you’re like a wise man that built his house on the rock.” But notice this: even though you heard the word and did it, the rain still came, the floods still came rushing in and the wind still blew on your house! And it happens at the same magnitude and force as the unwise people! Just because you’ve built on the rock doesn’t mean nothing will happen. But praise the Lord, the person that hears the Word and does it has a foundation of Rock! The antithesis of this is if you hear the Word and NOT do it, your foundation is sand. But what is sand? Sand is defined as: ‘multiple, little fragments of rock.’ You’re trying to live on partial truths. Fragmented truth. Broken truths.

Here’s my point: the differences between the wise and the foolish is their ability to hear and do the Word of God. So you’re wise to be in a place where you are fed the Word of God. You’re wise to take advantage of opportunities to be fed and grow when they’re offered to you. Responses like: “I don’t have time now,” “I don’t need that right now,” or “I don’t feel like it” are not ‘wise’ responses. There’s a real good chance you’ll feel like it when the rains come, the flood rises and the winds blow.

Let It Rain – Part One

Matthew 7:24-29, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” 28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”

My personal mission in life has always been seek justice for all and to minister to the hurting people – the wounded, the outcast, the rejected and the misfits. Someone said to me very recently, “Aren’t you sick and tired of having your church full of people that are so messed up?” That confused me for a minute because I thought to myself, “If the backward, jacked up and outcast don’t have a place to come and worship, find grace, love and acceptance where will they go? How will they hear about this Jesus we speak of?” It may not build a giant church, but it impacts the Kingdom greatly. The reason I give my time, resources and energy to minister to hurting people is because I know life is hard sometimes and I know that even the ‘cool’ people are hurting, jacked up, confused and an absolute mess, they just can’t get past their image long enough to admit it. In fact, reality of life is that it rains sometimes. Sometimes you have to endure a storm – no…a hurricane. No matter how much you hear from the Lord, no matter how many visions you have or visitations from the lord – life still happens. And every ‘bad’ thing doesn’t mean the devil is attacking you – Our parents die because they get old. You’re going to get a runny nose now and again. And money gets tight. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. No matter how good you are and how many positions you hold – it’s gonna rain some time. But we always ask ourselves, “Why” – The answer is two fold: 1) Why not? And 2) Faith has no way to be tried when you’re comfortable. You must have a little rain in your life. Or as Jesus said in Matthew 7:25a, “and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house.”

Notice in our verses that we see here a couple of descriptions of two types of people in the form of a parable of people who built something – a house. I used to think this was referring to the saved and the lost, but Jesus isn’t talking about saved v. lost because they both built. Rather, He’s talking about two types of believers that are wise vs unwise. The difference between these two people is quite obvious – their foundations and the levels of wisdom they operate in. One built on the rock, the other built on the sand. The Rock = truth, standards, convictions – The Sand relativism, subjectivism. But the differences aren’t what caught my eye – it’s the similarities. I’ll ask you to read Matthew 7:24-29 again and notice the things they had in common. They are: – 1) they both were in a place where the Word was spoken. 2) they both had opportunity to make right decisions. 3) they both had disappointment, storm, trials, etc. 4) they both had some successes and accomplishments.

What I want us to consider for the next couple of weeks is the fact that we need to be ensuring that we are focusing on the main things in our walk with Jesus. And if we are; when the rain comes we’ll be found standing. We won’t be dividing ourselves by social classes, God will be dividing us by whether or not we were wise or foolish.

Pastor Jeff
pastorjeff@lwwconline

Retain…Release…Remember – Part Three

As we’re trying to get a good start on the new year, God has us using Colossians 3 as our text and I suggested we do a spiritual reorganization which I believe will cause us to discover some things we need to RETAIN, RELEASE and REMEMBER. Let’s look at our verses again: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above” (Col 3:1-2a).  We’ve looked at Paul’s admonishment to you and I to RETAIN our position in the Kingdom and our attention to our focus by encouraging us to “seek those things which are above.”  We also discovered in these verses that we should RELEASE the things of this earth and focus on heavenly, godly things. But then Paul moves into telling us there are some things we need to REMEMBER. In Colossians 3:3-4 he says, “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” These verses serve as reminders of some important spiritual truths we need to remember.

V3a, “For you died” – We are reminded again that we have died to sin and to the influence of this world. One of the surest ways for a Christ follower to enjoy spiritual victory is for them to understand that they are crucified with Christ – If we can get a grip on that truth we would grow deeper in the things of the Lord.

V3b, “and your life is hidden with Christ in God” – When we were saved, we were given new life in Jesus. This new life imparts to us the “divine nature” – 2 Peter 1:4, “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world.”

V4, “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” – Paul closes this paragraph by reminding us that this world is not the best there is. When Jesus comes, our faith in Him will be vindicated and we will be glorified with Him.

Right now, every believer reading this battles the world, the flesh and the devil. Each of these things do everything they can to hinder us and to cause us to fail. One day, the battles will be over! This flesh will be changed and remade in His image – We will leave this world with its sin, its evil and its problems and we will go to a place of perfection to live in the glory of our God forever.  Right now we can only dream of a day when we will go home to heaven, but one day that dream will become a reality! That is what we need to remember as we fight the good fight of faith! As we stand here on the cusp of a New Year, we need to take a good, hard look at our lives and at our walk with the Lord.  Are there some things in your life that need to be RETAINED? Does your focus need to be adjusted? Are there some things in your life that need to be RELEASED? Do you need to lay down some things? Are there some things in your life that need to be REMEMBERED? Do you need to take a trip down memory lane and nail a few things down today?  God has given us the resources to make 2010 the best year of our lives for the glory of God! Praise the Lord!

“Retain…Release….Remember – Part Three”As we’re trying to get a good start on the new year, God has us using Colossians 3 as our text and I suggested we do a spiritual reorganization which I believe will cause us to discover some things we need to RETAIN, RELEASE and REMEMBER. Let’s look at our verses again: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above” (Col 3:1-2a).  We’ve looked at Paul’s admonishment to you and I to RETAIN our position in the Kingdom and our attention to our focus by encouraging us to “seek those things which are above.”  We also discovered in these verses that we should RELEASE the things of this earth and focus on heavenly, godly things. But then Paul moves into telling us there are some things we need to REMEMBER. In Colossians 3:3-4 he says, “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” These verses serve as reminders of some important spiritual truths we need to remember.a) V3a, “For you died” – We are reminded again that we have died to sin and to the influence of this world. One of the surest ways for a Christ follower to enjoy spiritual victory is for them to understand that they are crucified with Christ – If we can get a grip on that truth we would grow deeper in the things of the Lord. b) V3b, “and your life is hidden with Christ in God” – When we were saved, we were given new life in Jesus. This new life imparts to us the “divine nature” – 2 Peter 1:4, “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world.” c) V4, “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” – Paul closes this paragraph by reminding us that this world is not the best there is. When Jesus comes, our faith in Him will be vindicated and we will be glorified with Him. Right now, every believer reading this battles the world, the flesh and the devil. Each of these things do everything they can to hinder us and to cause us to fail. One day, the battles will be over! This flesh will be changed and remade in His image – We will leave this world with its sin, its evil and its problems and we will go to a place of perfection to live in the glory of our God forever.  Right now we can only dream of a day when we will go home to heaven, but one day that dream will become a reality! That is what we need to remember as we fight the good fight of faith! As we stand here on the cusp of a New Year, we need to take a good, hard look at our lives and at our walk with the Lord.  Are there some things in your life that need to be RETAINED? Does your focus need to be adjusted? Are there some things in your life that need to be RELEASED? Do you need to lay down some things? Are there some things in your life that need to be REMEMBERED? Do you need to take a trip down memory lane and nail a few things down today?  God has given us the resources to make 2010 the best year of our lives for the glory of God! Praise the Lord!

Pastor Jeff Burke
pastorjeff@lwwconline.com

I suggested last week that as we begin this new year it would be a good time for us as God’s people to take inventory of our lives and evaluate our walk with the Lord. Using Colossians 3 as our text, I suggested we do a spiritual reorganization which I believe will cause us to discover some things we need to RETAIN, RELEASE and REMEMBER. Let’s look at our verses again: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above” (Col 3:1-2a). If you recall, I used the story of me experiencing the adventure that is moving my office from the basement to the 2nd floor of my house to explain that there were several items that were indispensable to me – things I felt like I “had to have.” Things that were necessary for my mental stability, productivity and overall good vibes. Such items as my comic books, my super-hero action figures, my collection of Johnny Cash records and my many pictures of John Wayne. However, in these verses, Paul is telling us that there are a few things we would do well to hang on to that would actually contribute to our spiritual health. One is a strong awareness of our position in the Kingdom – he tells us we are: “raised with Christ.” Then he shows us that we should also retain an attention to our focus by admonishing us to “seek those things which are above.” Continuing through these verses we see that he not only tells us to retain some things, he also instructs us that there are some things that must be RELEASED.

Let’s revisit V2 again and I draw your attention to the second half: “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” I think we’d all agree…some things have to go! There are some things that try to attach themselves to our lives that are just outright sin that we need to release. Other things aren’t necessarily sin, but simply don’t have a place in our lives and those things need to be let go as well. Paul tells us in V2 that we are to focus our thoughts on Heavenly things. While we do that, we are to avoid getting caught up in all the things in this world that would swamp our minds and hinder our walk. If we allowed the mind to focus on this world, it would have no time to give itself to the things of God. Here in Colossians, Paul mentions some dangerous distractions that would hinder our walk if they are not released, thrown out and destroyed! The first is: “False Doctrine” – Colossians 2:8 – “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” -– Paul warns these early believers about those who would trick them with false doctrinal beliefs. The word “cheat” means “to carry off the spoils; to carry someone off as a captive”. The enemy would love nothing better than for God’s people to get trapped in some false system of belief that takes the emphasis off Jesus, His atonement and resurrection. He tells us that the enemy does this through:

* Philosophies – This refers to wisdom of men – their ideas, ramblings and opinion. Man has invented some strange belief systems over the years and it is our responsibility to ensure what a person teaches is backed up by the Word of God.
* Empty (vain) Deceit – This phrase means “empty tricks” and it refers to those who deceive through a slick, convincing message.
* Traditions of Men – Believers are warned to be careful of long held beliefs. Just because people have believed something to be true and have been taught that something is true, does not make it true! We are not to base our faith and our walk on the traditions of men regardless of whether or not it worked in the past or if ‘this is the way we’ve always done it.’
* The Basic Principles (Rudiments) of the World – Again, believers are warned against falling away from a mature faith to accept a simplistic doctrine. We are to stay with the Bible and weigh every teaching against the clear Word of God.

Looking at this list, do you identify anything in your life that needs to be released and set out to the spiritual curb to be carried away and destroyed? Go ahead….start the cleaning out process…you’ll be so glad you did.

Pastor Jeff Burke
pastorjeff@lwwconline.com

A couple of months ago I started moving my home office from the basement to a room upstairs.  And by ‘office’ I mean a room that also doubles as a studio, prayer closet and man cave. In the process of my cleanup operation, I uncovered a few things that caused me to take a walk down memory lane while other things caused me to scratch my head and wonder 1) where did I get it and 2) why do I still have it? As I went through the organizing I realized there were some things that needed to be retained, some other things that needed to be released and some things that were just to be remembered.  As we begin this new year, I think it’s a good time for God’s people to take inventory of our lives and evaluate our walk with the Lord. We should take a very close look at where we are in our relationship with God. We need to examine ourselves and see where we have been, where we are and where the Lord wants us to be.  When we do this spiritual reorganization, I believe we’ll find some things we need to retain, release and remember.

Consider Colossians 3:1-2a, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above.”  When I was moving my stuff from the basement to the new office, there were several items that were indispensable to me – things I felt like I had to have. In these verses, Paul is telling us that there are a few things we would do well to hang on to. One is a strong awareness of our position in the Kingdom. He tells us that we are “raised with Christ.” In this verse Paul uses the phrase “If then you were raised with Christ…” and at the risk of sounding like I’m correcting the great Apostle Paul, the actual translation of this phrase should really read, “Since you were raised with Christ.”  Paul is describing our spiritual position! When Jesus died on the cross, every person who would ever place their faith in Him also died that day as well.  Galatians 2:20 says it like this: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”  But not only are we dead to our sin, we are raised again with Jesus. We must never forget that we are dead to sin and alive to a new life in Jesus! This knowledge will help us live holy lives for the glory of God.  But something else in these verses jump out at me – we should also retain an attention to our focus.

Since we are raised with Christ, we should “seek those things which are above.” V2 builds on that thought by telling us to “set our minds on things above, not on things on the earth”.  This has to do with our focus.  We are told here to focus our thoughts on heavenly things not earthly things. We are to set our minds on the things of God and on the things that bring glory to Him. A quick look at some of the verses following this verse give a little insight into what Paul is talking about here. We are to focus on: A deeper knowledge of Jesus – 3:10; A holy life – 3:5-9; Godly virtues – 3:12-17; And holiness in our domestic and social life – 3:18-4:1…to name a few.   We are challenged here to live out our lives with spiritual values and not the values of the world. As we give our attention to these heavenly things, we are enabled to live a holy, God-honoring life in this world – this should be our focus! God’s people are called upon to become heavenly minded. These are some things that must be retained in 2010 if we are to be successful in the Kingdom: an awareness of our spiritual position and attention to what we are focusing on. It is so easy to be distracted with the cares of this world and lose sight of what is really important. As you look ahead to this new year full of new changes and new opportunities, I ask you, what are you retaining? What are you holding on to? Is your life reflecting your spiritual position with Christ? Are you focused on the things of God or the things of the world?

Pastor Jeff
pastorjeff@lwwconline.com

Everyone loves the ‘after Christmas”’ sales and events that happen at stores and malls in our neighborhood. It’s almost as if we enjoy what happens after Christmas as much as before and during!  As I was thinking about this recently, I began to think about what happened ‘after Christmas’ in the Bible.  I mean, we hear sermons and read stories about the events that lead up to that amazing Christmas night when Jesus was born, but then we never hear about what took place immediately following that first Christmas. In Luke 2:16-18 we read about the Shepherds and how they responded to the Nativity story: “So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”

Think about this thought – On that first Christmas day over two thousand years ago peace and joy came after Christmas. We tend to put lock, stock and barrel into Christmas day and after all the gifts have been opened and there’s nothing under the tree… well it’s kind of anticlimactic, to say the least. Christmas is over for another year. Oh I know we enjoy our gifts for a while, but let’s face it, we begin to think about packing up Christmas and all its cheer for another year and about having to go back to work and school and everything else that is fairly normal to us. Christmas was a little different for these guys! God wrapped up His gift, His Son, and laid Him in a manger and then He told a bunch of ragged shepherds to come check Him out, and they in turn went out to announce all they had heard and seen!  After Christmas the Shepherds began telling everyone because they had been radically changed after being in the presence of this Christ child! But think about it….how could they not tell?  They had just had a pretty incredible experience that included an angel visitation and traveling on a long journey to find of all things “a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Yeah, that’s right – - a manger.  Not a bed. Not a crib. Not a hospital – - an animal feeding trough.  I think I might have had a hard time keeping quiet myself!  They talked about it because it changed them. It was literally a life-changing adventure when they were face-to-face with the Messiah.

But what I find equally as intriguing is that after they heard the angels, traveled to see baby Jesus then told all they had seen, the Bible says they ‘returned’. Notice again in Luke 2:20 “Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.” It would be great to think the shepherds were asked by the Bethlehem Christian Organization to go on a speaking tour, and to eventually write a book about what really happened at Christmas. But, here is the truth – The shepherds just went back to their everyday life – back to their flocks and fields.  But they went back different. They were changed by the presence of Jesus. The verse said they returned “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen..”  They were Shepherds turned Preachers! They went back with hearts full of the glory of Christ and their tongues filled with praises.  We should return to our ordinary lives, jobs, schools, churches – with a changed heart.  How will you be different this year after Christmas?   Have you been changed after your experience with Jesus this year?   How can we keep quiet after being with Jesus?

Pastor Jeff
pastorjeff@lwwconline.com

Continuing our story of some key players in the Christmas story that are com- monly misunderstood, let’s look again at Matthew 2:1-2 where we’re introduced to the Magi: “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” And Matthew 2:9-11 “After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.” When I read this story I always get the image of the three gentlemen that played the ‘wise men’ in our annual Christmas play at the church I attended with my parents when I was a kid. I never knew who these mysterious ‘magi’ really were or what role they actually played in the nativity story. But as I’ve gotten older and studied the Bible with more fervor, I’ve discovered I STILL don’t know very much about these guys! This is why I started on a quest to find out what lessons they can teach me now as I endeavor to learn how the story of Christmas in the Bible is relevant to me now as a father, grandfather, husband and Christ follower. See, I believe that if we don’t discover what these characters represent and what life-lessons we can glean from them in today’s culture, I think we’ve kind of missed the whole point. So what can we learn from the these mysterious Magi? We’ve already learned that the Magi reveal to us that Christmas is a journey. In Matthew 2:1b we read: “… Magi from the east came to Jerusalem.” Some debate where they really came from, but there is no debate that Christmas requires each of us to journey in order to find its true meaning. But I also see that the Magi teach us that Christ- mas is for the asking: Matthew 2:2a, “And asked, “Where is the One who has been born king of the Jews?” The Magi arrived “asking” the whereabouts of the new born King, revealing the intents of their hearts – to worship! ??And I think their question is pertinent for us today: “Where is the whereabouts of this One who came to be the Savior of our lives?” See, I believe the greatest question you can ask this year is not, “What do you want for Christmas?” Rather, it should be, “Where is the King of Christmas???” There’s always a temptation to make this time of year about “ME” and it can be easy to take the focus off of the King of kings and Lord of lords. But the true meaning of Christmas can be found with the answer to one question: “Where is the One who has been born king of the Jews?” Have you found Him? No, really…..have you?

And the answer to this question leads to the third lesson we’re taught by thee truly wise men – Christmas is about worship: Matthew 2:11, “On coming to the house they saw the Child with His mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.” Worship is an expression of where the heart really is. In bowing down, the Magi placed the worth of Jesus higher than them- selves. The truth is, worship is not about songs and sermons (though they can be useful to bring each of us to a point of placing greater worth on Christ). Worship is about Him – Jesus Christ, God’s Son our Savior. And in their worship, they gave of themselves. The Magi opened up and gave all they had to the new born King, Jesus. Did the Magi do magic? No, but they did journey, ask for and worship the little baby that happened to be King and Savior of the world, Jesus. I pray this year that we all journey beyond our own selfishness and find ourselves asking for Christ so that when we find Him, we might worship Him. O come let us adore Him … O come let us adore Him … O come let us adore Him … Christ the Lord!

Pastor Jeff Burke
pastorjeff@lwwconline.com