Matthew 25 is such an amazing text! You could bank your Christian life on the truths found in these 3 parables. Over the past year Matthew 25 has become a very real and living text for me. It is a text that I would cling to as I spent time in Africa. Also, this is a text my mind gravitates to when I pray for the Church and the vitality of it's members. The warning of lazy virgins and overly cautious servants has broken my heart for christians who are casual in their faith. So, Matthew 25 is very dear to me and I promise I will not be able to do it justice in this blog. But, by the grace of God I hope you will gleam a couple truths about Jesus's teaching on waiting for his return.
I will skip the parable of the virgins because we will talk about that in more detail at our upcoming retreat. What you need to know is that we are Christ's bride (Ephesians 5), that we are awaiting our Groom (Matthew 25), and that we should not be found in sweatpants when he comes to take us to the wedding banquet!?! Be ready! Washed in the word. (Eph. 5:26) Holy and blameless. (Eph 5:27) Prepared for his arrival. (Matthew 25:1-13)
The parable of the Talents is a plee to Christ's disciples to work diligently during this time. The servants of the master are entrusted with different talents according to their ability and left completely trusted while the master goes on his Journey. Two of the servants are wise and use the talents they have been entrusted with to obtain more for their Glorious Master. But, the third is timid and decides to hide his in a hole and save it for when the master returns. When the master returns he commends the two that put the talents to work, invested, labored, risked. But the one who hid the money he scolded, fired, and threw out. Let me point out only a couple things this morning. First, you are trusted. Christ has commissioned you. (Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:19) God has given you authority (Matthew 28:18) and made you a representative of Christ. You are the to be the picture of Christ to the world as his followers and we are each entrusted with gifts, responsibilities, experiences, abilities, and other "talents". God entrusted you. He trusts you. Secondly, he wants us to be courageous with our lives for His glory. If your aim as a christian is to live comfortably without working or risking or suffering for the cause of Christ then let the lazy servant forewarn you! How dreadful it will be for those that have failed to live courageously for their families, coworkers, friends, but instead have tried to pad their comfortable cozy lives. So, they never risk, never get uncomfortable, and never speak boldly about the Cross. "Throw that worthless servant outside." (vs 30) You were not saved to live comfortably. God has set you apart to be a spokesperson of His grace at the cost of your life. You are to lay down your life for this high calling. (Matthew 16:24) If we risk and work and labor intensely for the souls of those that are perishing then Jesus will say the words I most desire to hear... "Well done, good and faithful servant!" (vs 23) I promise you will not regret exhausting everything you have in you to snatch from the flames those that are perishing. (Jude 1:23) You will never stand before Jesus and wish you did less for His glory. Or wish you hadn't sacrificed so much to serve Him. Or wish you would have lived a mediocre mundane life instead of serving the King of Kings at the expense of everything! If anything this text teaches us the complete opposite. You will want everything in your life to be a reflection of Christ's goodness and his love and his saving power down to even the way you eat and drink! (1 Corinthians 10:31)
Sheep and goats is an intense parable that I want to be so ingrained in each of us. We should live to serve our Jesus. He tells us plainly that what ever we do or don't do for the least of these we have done to Him. When we serve the unfortunate, we serve Jesus. When we minister to "the least of these", we are ministering to Jesus ...Jesus is right down the road. If you take a left out of the Church parking lot and drive less than a mile you can find Jesus. There are hungry hurting children and people less than 1 mile from our church. There are families that lack clothing, food, medicine, and other necessities right down the road. If we ignore them, we ignore Jesus. If you knew Jesus was hungry or cold today, what would you do? Because He is. If we continue to live our lives without acknowledging Him we will be separated to his left. We can't afford that punishment. I will not allow myself to be calloused to the needs of people that are within a stones throw from my office at church. I recommend you don't either.
These things are so hard to live out! I am not writing this as one who is good at this stuff. Or in the words of the apostle Paul, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." (Philippians 3:12) By His grace I pray that we will be a church that walks out these teachings and loves the poor and anxiously awaits our Savior's arrival!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Matthew 24 -Stand Firm
Photo on right:
The Unknown Rebel - This famous photo, taken on 5 June 1989 by photographer Jeff Widener, depicts a lone protester who tried to stop the PLA's advancing tanks until he was pulled into the crowd by several onlookers.
The Unknown Rebel - This famous photo, taken on 5 June 1989 by photographer Jeff Widener, depicts a lone protester who tried to stop the PLA's advancing tanks until he was pulled into the crowd by several onlookers.
Matthew 24 and 25 is Jesus's comments and teachings on the end of the age. He is telling the disciples and us to be prepared. There are a ton of amazing things in these two chapters but I don't want to overwhelm you with too much info. So, we will look at a couple key texts that are jumping out at me this morning. First, let me premise this chapter and chapter 25 with the fact that we have to understand this teaching fully! Jesus is preparing his disciples for how to live when the bridegroom(Jesus) is no longer around. If you haven't noticed Jesus peaced out a lil' while ago. So we are in a waiting period for his return and this teaching is important for us to get.
Jesus wants us to know that things will not be easy... as you read through chapter 24 there is very little comforting that Jesus is doing. He simply says, "You will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated because of me.... many will decieve people... there will be false teaching... there will be earthquakes and famines... how dreadful it will be for pregnant women and nursing mothers, pray that it doesn't take place in the winter." When I read all that, I don't look forward to dealing with the end of the age. But, Jesus is preparing us for the difficulties so we don't "[act] surpised at the painful trials we are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you." (1 Peter 4:12) He is telling us that in the last days we can expect hell on earth. Christians being persecuted, false teachers leading many astray, natural disasters, wars and rumors of wars, increase of wickedness, and the love of most will grow cold. "But he who stands firm to the end will be saved." (vs 13) This is the picture that God is painting for us: STAND FIRM! Like the man in Tiananmen Square!(pictured at the top right) As true followers of Christ we are to stand firm in the faith even when the armies of the world are mounted against us and we are facing persecution and impending death! We are soldiers of the Most High and our treasure is in heaven giving us the freedom to live couragiously showing our families and friends that God is our everything and our allegiance is to Him alone and no matter what opposition comes our way we will endure to the end. Recieving our reward from the One who has all authority and power. That is the couragious lifestyle we are to live for the Kingdom and Jesus goes on to tell us in verses 36 and following. No one knows when the Lord will come so you better be ready. Don't settle in. Don't be found sitting on your hands or swinging your feet, like a child on a tall chair. "Be ready! because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." (vs. 44) You should be like the good servant who is found working when the master returns. And then you will be placed in charge of all the masters possesions. But, you better not be the lazy servant who thinks the master is never coming!? Jesus is letting us know that he is coming! He is Close! He is in Charge! And you better be ready to answer to him when he arrives! Verse 32 says that his sign will appear in the sky announcing his arrival and ALL nations will mourn. I think the idea is of deep regret. All nations, many people will feel the pains of realizing they have lived wasted lives. When you stand in the Glory of Son of Man and all his angels I pray that you have a bitter sweet feeling. One of deep regret for all those who didn't come to know him but also one of greatest Joy because you know that you are called and confirmed in the faith and you will spend eternity with Him! So friends, STAND FIRM! Live your lives passionately for the King! Prepare for his return. Work diligently at the tasks he has placed before you because you will be accountable! We serve a Mighty God!
Jesus wants us to know that things will not be easy... as you read through chapter 24 there is very little comforting that Jesus is doing. He simply says, "You will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated because of me.... many will decieve people... there will be false teaching... there will be earthquakes and famines... how dreadful it will be for pregnant women and nursing mothers, pray that it doesn't take place in the winter." When I read all that, I don't look forward to dealing with the end of the age. But, Jesus is preparing us for the difficulties so we don't "[act] surpised at the painful trials we are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you." (1 Peter 4:12) He is telling us that in the last days we can expect hell on earth. Christians being persecuted, false teachers leading many astray, natural disasters, wars and rumors of wars, increase of wickedness, and the love of most will grow cold. "But he who stands firm to the end will be saved." (vs 13) This is the picture that God is painting for us: STAND FIRM! Like the man in Tiananmen Square!(pictured at the top right) As true followers of Christ we are to stand firm in the faith even when the armies of the world are mounted against us and we are facing persecution and impending death! We are soldiers of the Most High and our treasure is in heaven giving us the freedom to live couragiously showing our families and friends that God is our everything and our allegiance is to Him alone and no matter what opposition comes our way we will endure to the end. Recieving our reward from the One who has all authority and power. That is the couragious lifestyle we are to live for the Kingdom and Jesus goes on to tell us in verses 36 and following. No one knows when the Lord will come so you better be ready. Don't settle in. Don't be found sitting on your hands or swinging your feet, like a child on a tall chair. "Be ready! because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." (vs. 44) You should be like the good servant who is found working when the master returns. And then you will be placed in charge of all the masters possesions. But, you better not be the lazy servant who thinks the master is never coming!? Jesus is letting us know that he is coming! He is Close! He is in Charge! And you better be ready to answer to him when he arrives! Verse 32 says that his sign will appear in the sky announcing his arrival and ALL nations will mourn. I think the idea is of deep regret. All nations, many people will feel the pains of realizing they have lived wasted lives. When you stand in the Glory of Son of Man and all his angels I pray that you have a bitter sweet feeling. One of deep regret for all those who didn't come to know him but also one of greatest Joy because you know that you are called and confirmed in the faith and you will spend eternity with Him! So friends, STAND FIRM! Live your lives passionately for the King! Prepare for his return. Work diligently at the tasks he has placed before you because you will be accountable! We serve a Mighty God!
Welcome to the Digital Age!
So our leadership team has just began studying the Word together and I wanted an avenue to comment on the text. I am super excited about the fact that we all will be looking at the same text and we will be able to ask questions and get feedback from each other as we continue to pursue Jesus. This is basically a digital bible study!?! WEIRD!?! But we won't always focus on the text sometimes we will just post random thoughts or even when meetings or events are. So check back often and read much. We love you guys and hope that this helps you in your pursuit of the Almighty.
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