June 30, 2021

If It Is from God

History records that the early church faced intense pressure to obey man instead of obeying God. The religious leaders of the Jews were filled with indignation as the Apostles were preaching the message of repentance and forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name throughout all of Jerusalem. These leaders had the apostles threatened, beaten, and thrown into prison in an attempt to stop the spread of the gospel and of people becoming followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, the apostles boldly proclaimed to the religious leaders an essential component of Christian discipleship, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29; 4:19-20). For the sinner who repents, Jesus Christ is Lord and therefore He is to be obeyed in all areas of life. Obedience to Christ is synonymous with those who love Christ and (John 14:15, 23) it is the conclusion of the great commission (Matthew 28:19-20). As the Christian obeys Christ, he ought to expect persecution and resistance in this world.

In Acts 5:33-39, the Lord provides encouragement to His followers from a very unlikely source. Gamaliel, a member of the ruling class of the Jews, was part of the opposition. Gamaliel was a Pharisee who was on the council that commanded the Apostles to stop preaching in Jesus’ name. Although he was part of the opposition, he recognized a truth that ought to encourage every follower of Jesus Christ to obey God no matter the consequences. Gamaliel’s council began with two historical examples of Theudas and Judas of Galilee. These two men had disciples, who followed and obeyed them, but when they died, their disciples dispersed. He observed the truth that Theudas’ and Judas of Galilee’s “ministry” were of men and not of God and therefore came to nothing. Then he advised to leave the apostles alone (Acts 5:38), implying that time will tell whether their claimed supreme obedience to God was of man or of God. By this, he was inferring to the council that if the Apostle’s message was of men that it too would come to nothing. Then he shares, “But if it is of God, then you cannot overthrow it; lest you even be found to fight against God.” (Acts 5:39)

Nearly 2,000 years later in 2021, we recognize that the gospel message is of God and that no man, no matter how fierce his opposition, has been able to overthrow the church of Jesus Christ, because it is a work of God. These last 2,000 years of history affirms the words of Gamaliel and the reality that our Lord is worthy of our complete obedience and his gospel message must be proclaimed to all nations. Gamaliel’s council encourages us to obey God even when opposed by man, tempting us to obey man rather than to obey God. Gamaliel’s council also exposes the state of those who are opposing obedience to God through the preaching of the gospel message; they are actually fighting against God. Whenever one encourages obedience to man over obedience to God he is actually fighting against God. The true follower of Christ will want no part in fighting against God and will therefore go against the teachings of man that are contrary to obeying God.

As the message of repentance and forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name continues to be under attack today, and as efforts continue to grow to prevent Christians from proclaiming that message, be encouraged to obey God by preaching the truth, because “it is of God.”

July 7, 2020

The Family Tree of Mankind

Have you ever tried to write out your family tree? It is a noble exercise to learn the roots of your family’s history. Over the years, we have received many phone calls in the church office from people asking if we have records of their family members in our church records, as they seek to accurately recount their family tree. One person shared that she had traced her family tree all the way back to the 1600s!

There is a key truth found in the Bible that involves every human being’s family tree. This truth is vitally important today, as our country wrestles with racism. No matter the color of your skin (mine tends to be a shade of brown); no matter the color of your eyes (mine are blue); no matter the color or amount of your hair (mine is dirty-blond and receding); we, as human beings, all have the same starting point for our family tree. This truth declares, therefore, that all human beings are really one race. So what is this truth? Genesis 3:20 states, “And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.” In other words, if every human being was able to trace their family tree back not just to the 1600s, but all the way to their original parents, every human being would have Adam and Eve at the start of their family tree. We all have the same original parents: Adam and Eve!

If Adam and Eve were the original parents and every human being descended from them, then where did Adam and Eve come from? The Bible declares that God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. But when He created Adam and Eve, we read that they were not only created by God but they also were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Therefore, since Eve is the mother of all living, all human beings are created in the image of God! Being created in the image of God is the distinguishing characteristic of mankind. All mankind was created in the image of God. The gene pool which determines our skin color, eye color, and hair color all come from Adam and Eve! It is, at best, arbitrary to classify people by skin color. One could classify people by eye color or hair color, but again that would be at best arbitrary. God’s Word classifies one race that was created in the image of God.

Sadly, the Biblical view of mankind is often rejected and our true family tree is replaced with what is called an evolutionary tree. Charles Darwin wrote a book that popularized the evolutionary model of the origins of mankind. The book is commonly called, “On the Origins of Species.” This book has been a major influence on our education system in America. Public schools and colleges now proclaim that mankind has evolved by time and chance over billions of years from lesser life forms. They say that mankind is not made in the image of God, but rather man is an ever evolving being that has been fit enough to survive. Sadly, beliefs affect behavior. And this false view of the origin of man, which does not recognize that all humans are created equal and in the holy image of God, has led to all forms of racism and the devaluing of human life. Charles Darwin did have something right about his evolutionary view: he correctly observed the consequences of adopting an evolutionary tree of mankind! The full title of his book is “On the Origin of Species by Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life.” The family tree rooted in God’s Word doesn’t allow for “favored races,” rather for one race created in the holy image of God!

July 10, 2018

A Great Summer

“I hope you have a great summer!” the man said as he was leaving. I began to think, “What does it mean to have a great summer?” I quickly came to the conclusion that there are probably as many answers to that question as there are people. Here is a quick list of possible answers that might cross people’s minds: 70 degree weather with no humidity, plenty of days at the beach, a successful baseball or soccer team, a profitable summer in business, vacation days, trips, amusement parks, hikes, and an endless number of other options. Since there are so many options for what a great
summer might look like, I went to the Scriptures to see if there were any objective criteria for determining what a great summer might look like.

I found an objective quality for greatness! The quality doesn’t necessarily describe the summer, but the person who is trying to have a great summer. Matthew 20:26 declares, “Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.” One of the interesting points in that passage is the world and even followers of Jesus have different definitions of greatness compared to God’s definition. From the world’s perspective greatness is when you get to be the boss and call the shots, when you are able to exercise your authority, and when you do what you want to do. But from God’s perspective, greatness is becoming like Christ who, even though he was God, didn’t come into this world to be served but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.

I have a suspicion that many people view a great summer through the lens of a vacation mentality. The vacation mindset says, “I get to do what I want to do when I want to do it.” But Matthew 20 suggests there is a better mindset, one of a servant; one who is not consumed with his or her own selfish desires, but rather desiring to give and to serve other people. If you want to have a great summer from God’s perspective, you ought to become a great servant, as you give yourself for the benefit of others.

Pursuing hospitality (Romans 12:13) is one example of how to have a great summer. Hospitality demands us to get our focus and attention off of ourselves and onto others. It also demands action that reaches out to other people. With the weather being a little nicer, and the daylight hours extending a little longer, take time to invite someone over to your house for a meal, to reach out to someone on the trip you are taking, or to invest in a believer’s life following a church service.

Another example of serving this summer is to practice helping! Instead of asking, “How can I do what I want to do?” ask, “How can I serve others by doing something that would be of benefit to them?” There are plenty of needs and opportunities whether with the saints, with the church buildings, with various ministries, or with the community to serve and to give yourself.

This leads to a final way to have a great summer: proclaim healing! By this I mean to proclaim the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to others. Jesus came to give His life a ransom as He died on the cross for our sins. Whoever gives His life for Christ’s sake and the gospel will find it. The Apostle Paul speaks about the great joy he had when those he invested in trusted Christ, just like Jesus speaks about the great joy in heaven over the sinner who repents (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20; Luke 15:7). Perhaps the greatest summer for a believer would be to see another person come to
Christ after investing in their lives by being hospitable, helpful and by proclaiming to them healing from their sins that is found in Jesus Christ.