Tag Archives: servant

SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS…AUTHORITY -7b

Bible Study, ,

We have explored the evidence of Jesus’ authority in the gospels. Now let’s examine the implications of His authority for us, who believe in Him and claim to be His disciples. Why should His authority be important to us in our daily lives?

  1. Our first and most important question to answer is…

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Only when we are convinced that Jesus is Lord can we commit to absolute obedience to Him. 

  1. Obedience to Jesus must flow from our love for Him. 

Jesus can only trust us with a commission if we love Him above everything else. After Peter’s denial, he had to settle the issue…

“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

‭‭John‬ ‭21‬:‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.””

John‬ ‭14‬:‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ exaltation as Lord, giving Him supreme authority over heaven and earth, demands absolute obedience. 

Jesus asked an unanswerable question…

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭46‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The implication of our confession must be a commitment to obedience to Jesus as Lord. 

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Outside of our declaration and commitment to obedience to Jesus as Lord, our claim to be His followers is hollow and empty. 

  1. Jesus exercises His authority by His word

…over the universe…

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…and in our lives…

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.””

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭31‬-‭32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  1. By His words, Jesus will exercise His authority to judge. 

““If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.”

‭‭John‬ ‭12‬:‭47‬-‭48‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Now we come to a significant link between Jesus’ authority, faith,  and prayer. 

  1. Faith is intimately connected with Jesus’ authority. 

For faith to be legitimate, it must have a legitimate object. Nothing will happen if we trust in something or someone who has no authority to act. 

Now let’s examine an incident that perfectly illustrates the connection between faith, prayer, and authority. 

“When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭5‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The centurion understood the importance of authority, recognised Jesus’ authority, and based his faith in the authority of Jesus’ spoken word. .  

These aspects of Jesus’ authority underlie the authority he delegates to His followers…

To be continued…

THE GOSPEL IN HEBREWS – 5

Bible Study,

Hebrews 3:1-3, 5-6 NLT
[1] “And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest. [2] For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house. [3] But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself…
[5] Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. [6] But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.”

Jesus or Moses? Which one do we trust? Which one is greater? Which one should have precedence over the other?

This was an issue for Jewish believers. They were taught from early childhood to revere Moses and obey what he instructed. Children learned to recite his writings from memory and apply them by tying them to their heads and hands.

Then, there were people who told them that someone greater than Moses had come to fulfill and overwrite Moses’ laws by new commandments. Who were they to follow?

Some followed Jesus but suffered serious consequences. They became part of the hated and persecuted people of “the Way”. Others followed for a while but the cost was too great, so they contemplated retreating back into Judaism, not realising the consequences of the backward step they were choosing to take.

What, then is the real issue? Is there a fair contest between Moses and Jesus?

Our writer lays out the contrast. Moses was a servant in God’s house.

Hebrews 3:5 NLT
[5] “Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later.”

He served the Lord and His people faithfully as the prophet and mediator between God and Israel. God instructed Moses, and Moses, in turn, instructed the people. God gave Moses the terms of the covenant and the plan of the tabernacle and its worship, and Moses related every detail to the people. The people failed God, and Moses stood in the gap to plead for mercy on their behalf. Moses lost his temper because of their stubborn unbelief, and he took the rap for his failure because of them.

Jesus was not a servant but a son.

Hebrews 3:6 NLT
[6] “But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.”

In the house of Israel, God (the Lord, Jesus) was in charge. Moses was the servant. In the God’s house, His church, (His people expanded to include all people of all nations), again, Jesus is in charge. Which one is greater, servant or son?

Now, the real problem for those who had retreated into Judaism was that they did not understand that they had not only stepped back under Moses’ leadership but they had also gone back into a system that never worked for Israel and…by going back, they had burnt their bridges behind them.

Going back meant that they would lose their salvation from sin, the righteousness of Jesus imputed to them, the everlasting life promised to them through Jesus’ death and resurrection, and all the present and future benefits of life in God’s forever family in fellowship with the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and all God’s redeemed people.

Was it worth it?

To be continued…

GUARD YOUR OWN HEART

Bible Study, ,

GUARD YOUR OWN HEART

“Accept one another whose faith is weak without quarrelling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows him to eat anything but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge another man’s servant? To their own master servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.” Romans 14:1-4.

Is this really a problem today? Who cares what another believer eats or wears or even drives or lives in?

In the Apostle Paul’s day, it was an issue for both Jew and Gentile believers – Jews because their conscience was shaped by the dietary laws of their religion and culture, and Gentiles because they bought their meat from the market after it had been offered to idols.

There were two matters of conscience that had to be dealt with: What effect did the food they ate have on their spirits, and did meat offered to idols in a pagan temple have any power to influence them? But, for Paul there was another and more subtle problem – that of judging.

From God’s perspective, judging was more serious than what a person ate. Remember what Jesus said about food? Since it goes into the stomach and passes out of the body, it does not have any power over a person’s heart. It is from the heart, not from what one eats, that wickedness in all its forms originates, and what one eats cannot change the heart, for good or evil. On the other hand, judging another person is a subtle form of idolatry because the one who judges sets himself above the other person.

What about eating meat that had been offered to idols? Does that meat not have the power to influence the eater for evil? Was there not some sort of demonic transfer that took place when the meat was offered to the idol? It all depends on what a person believes.

Never forget that the devil is a liar and that the only language he speaks is the language of lies. Speaking to the Pharisees, Jesus said,

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

The devil’s most powerful weapon is deception. He holds people captive to fear only if they believe that he still has power over them. Jesus exposed and utterly defeated him at the cross but he tries to hold people captive by suggesting that he has power over them.

It is up to every believer to decide who his master is? How tragic that many Christians still fear the devil although they say that they trust in Jesus. In the everyday, practical issues of life, we have to ask the question, “Did the cross work?” According to Jesus, when He cried out, “It is finished!” on the cross, He completed everything necessary to reverse what Adam did in the Garden of Eden. He made a public spectacle of the devil, unmasked and defeated him and took away his power to deceive and destroy.

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:13-15.

What kind of food we eat and where we got it from should never be an issue because it has no power to influence our hearts except the power we give it when we act out of fear and not faith. However, when we judge someone who has no problem with what he eats because our faith is weak, we usurp the role of master and set ourselves up as the standard of judgment.

“Let it go,” said Paul. “He has a Master who will take care of him. It’s not your problem.” When we try to control someone else, we subtly expose our own insecurity. When we judge another, we expose our own guilt. Our mouths are the mirror of our hearts. By focussing on someone else’s supposed weakness or guilt, we deflect attention from ourselves in case we are exposed.

What is the solution? Rest in Jesus and take care of your own conscience. Trust God. You are not responsible for your brother’s conscience.

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – UPSIDE DOWN KINGDOM

Bible Study, ,

UPSIDE DOWN KINGDOM

“Within minutes they were bickering over who of them would end up the greatest. But Jesus intervened. ‘Kings like to throw their weight around and people in authority like to give themselves fancy titles. It’s not going to be that way with you. Let the senior among you become like the junior; let the leader act the part of the servant.'” Luke 22:24-26.

Would they ever learn? Three years with Jesus, watching, listening and even imitating Him had not yet convinced them that He had no intention of overthrowing Roman occupation and setting up a renewed Davidic kingdom. What more did He need to do to get the message past their misplaced expectations.

Vying for position in His kingdom was an old story. It cropped up regularly and now that it was becoming clear to them that this new kingdom was just around the corner, it became even more urgent that they sort out who would occupy the most important positions in Jesus’ “cabinet” – or so they thought.

How patient Jesus was! Once again He had to explain to non-comprehending, thick-skulled, ambitious, so-called “disciples” that His kingdom was not just another earthly system to control and regulate people, not even one as glorious as the kingdoms of David and Solomon. He was operating in a realm which functioned deep within the inner workings of human beings, exposing the source of the unseen power that influenced them to be who they were.

He had come to take back the authority and power to return His estranged people to fellowship with the God who had created them and designed them to be mirror images of Him. Satan had derailed God’s plan by deception but, by giving His own life as a payment for man’s going astray, Jesus was on the brink of restoring man to God and putting him back on course to compete the Father’s plan.

This was the kingdom He was talking about, but this kingdom’s values were the opposite of the values subscribed to by the world’s systems. At His trial, Pilate asked Jesus, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ and Jesus replied, ‘My kingdom is not of this world.’ John 18:33, 36 (NIV).

So what does God’s kingdom look like?

Firstly, it a system that rules by choice, not force, by obedience, not coercion and by truth, not deception. We are in it because we chose to believe the truth and God responded by supernaturally setting us free from our slavery to the devil and relocating us to His kingdom which He rules by truth and love. Every time we choose to obey God, His Holy Spirit enables us to do what we have chosen to do.

Secondly, the values of God’s kingdom reflect His nature and are opposite to the world’s ways. As Jesus had painstakingly taught them, true greatness lies, not in lording it over people but in serving them. He showed them how by giving His life for them. Our needs are met when we meet the needs of others; we receive by giving; we live by dying; we are happy when we make others happy; we find life by losing it; we lead by following. It all becomes real when we “just do it”.

The disciples did not get it until after Jesus’ death and resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit, who did exactly what Jesus promised He would do. When He took up residence inside them, He brought into sharp focus everything Jesus had taught them. All the seeds of His word which had lain dormant in their hearts sprang to life and began to grow and bear fruit.

As believers, we have to swim against the current of world systems where power lies in force. The power of God works within in us, changing us as we believe and respond to His truth and choose to follow and obey Jesus. Eternal life is a dynamic partnership between ourselves and God, drawing us into union with Jesus and teaching us how to be sons of God.

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – THEY WILL RESPECT MY SON!

Bible Study, , ,

THEY WILL RESPECT MY SON!

“Jesus told another story to the people. ‘A man planted a vineyard. He handed it over to farmhands and went on a trip….In time he sent a servant back to the farmhands to collect the profits, but they beat him and sent him off empty-handed….’

“Then the owner of the vineyard said,’…I’ll send my beloved son. They are bound to respect my son.’

“But when the farmhands saw him coming, they quickly put their heads together.’…This is the heir! Let’s kill him and have it all to ourselves.’ They killed him and threw him over the fence…

‘What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? Right. He’ll come and clean house. Then he’ll assign the care of the vineyard to others…’“.’” Luke 20:9-16a.

What a daring story! Although Jesus was not afraid of outright exposure, which He sometimes used to strip off the masks of the religious frauds who tried to make out that they had impeccable religious performance records, a story like this one did the job just as well. Since parables were a rabbinical device to be heard or read for identification, they would have had to get the point, which did nothing to endear Jesus to them!

There is both symbolism and character portrayal in this parable. The vine was often used in the Old Testament as a symbol of Israel. “I will sing for the one I love a song about His vineyard: My loved one has a vineyard on a fertile hill…” Isaiah 5:1 (NIV).

“Israel was a spreading vine; he brought forth fruit for himself. As his fruit increased, he built more altars; as his land prospered, he adorned his sacred stones.” Hosea 10:1 (NIV).

Both Isaiah and Hosea saw Israel as God’s vineyard, planted in their own land and tenderly cared for but treacherously unfaithful to their Creator.

In this story, the focus is on the leaders of God’s ‘vineyard’. The owner entrusted his vineyard to caretakers while he was away. He expected the farmhands to care for it faithfully and to give him the profits which rightfully belonged to him. Instead, the farmhands treated the property as though it were theirs and drove off any attempt to retrieve what was his.

What an exposure of the attitude of Israel’s spiritual leaders! They treated the people, not as a trust, but as their possession, teaching them falsehood and leading them astray so that they could maintain power over them. They resented Jesus’ intrusion because His passion was to show His people what God was really like and to set them free from these unscrupulous overlords.

They respected neither the prophets who were sent to challenge their power and their false teaching, nor the Son Himself who came from the Father to set the record straight and to restore His people to the Father. They had only one intent – to kill the Son so that they could retain the power to dominate His people.

Spiritual leadership is a sacred trust from God and those who are appointed to lead are both responsible and accountable to God because the people are His. What happens to them is the outcome of who leads and how they lead. Leaders and people are bonded together for one purpose – to be a reward for the sacrifice Jesus made to rescue us from the clutches of the devil and to reconcile and restore us to the Father.

“Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account…” Hebrews 13:17a (NIV).

Israel’s religious leaders forgot their sacred trust and were treated accordingly. To those of us who lead comes the reminder that we do not own the people. Our task is to be faithful imitators of our Rabbi so that we can attach them to Him, not to ourselves, for the eternal reward is His, not ours.

Our reward will be to hear His words, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant…”