I don’t usually start my messages on a somber note, but I will today because that somber note moves us into the theme of today’s focus.
I titled this message: 2020 Vision – Looking at Evangelism and our text is from 1 Corinthians 9:19-22. I am quoting here from The Living Bible Translation because I like how it opens the text for me.
“. . . . I have freely and happily become a servant of any and all so that I can win them to Christ. When I am with the Jews I [am] as [a Jew] so that they will listen to the Gospel and I can win them to Christ. When I am with Gentiles who follow Jewish customs and ceremonies I don’t argue, even though I don’t agree, because I want to help them. When with the [unbelievers] I agree with them as much as I can, except of course that I must always do what is right as a Christian. And so, by agreeing, I can win their confidence and help them too. When I am with those whose consciences bother them easily, I don’t act as though I know it all and don’t say they are foolish; the result is that they are willing to let me help them. Yes, whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so that he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him.”
What was foremost in the apostle Paul’s heart? Clearly, it was the salvation of souls. Why? Because through revelation of Jesus Christ, Paul was convinced in his heart of hearts that Jesus is, and forever will be, the way, the truth, and the life. Many of you recognize His words in John 14:6. To which the Lord ALSO warned, “No one comes to the Father except by Me” (John 14:6)
Paul – the former anti-Christian terrorist – understood that eternal life is possible ONLY in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. But the Lord’s crystal-clear statement in John 14 has, throughout history, even to this present day, been so often ignored and rationalized away that you’d think Jesus never said it.
We are 2,020 years since the birth of our Lord Jesus – whom the Father sent to earth to rescue humanity from the devastating siren-call of Satan’s lies and seductions. And for what purpose does Satan seduce and lie to unwitting and spiritually blind men and women – but to bring them into the lake of fire with him.
His deceptions began in the Garden with our first mother. Moses tells us, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Did you catch that? The devil suggested to Eve that God was lying to her. And don’t think for a moment that Satan has changed his tactics. He hasn’t’ His lies continue. For example, only a few days ago I read this report regarding a world-known religious leader. This is part of what he said:
True disciples of Jesus do not proselytize. A Christian should never try to convince others of the truth of Christianity, but should simply give a testimony of consistency and wait for others to ask about the faith.
“The last thing I should do” he said, “is to try to convince an unbeliever. Never,” he said. “If someone says he is a disciple of Jesus and comes to you with proselytism, he is not a disciple of Jesus.”
As the devil lied to our first mother and told her God could not be trusted, Satan now deceives those in the Church to believe Jesus was not being honest when He said, “No one comes to the Father except by Me.”
But what exemplifies Church history, dating back to the apostles – what exemplifies Church history if not proselytism? Jesus COMMANDED His disciples to evangelize, to proselytize, to urge others to convert to the only faith that can save them from an eternal lake of fire.
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:19-20)
It is a popular lie of the devil to deny that Christianity is the only means by which humanity can receive forgiveness of sins – forgiveness which is available ONLY through the blood of Jesus.
The Lord Jesus said again and again: “Blessed are those who hear with their ears and see with their eyes!” No wonder He warned the lukewarm church at Laodicea – and the lukewarm churches of today –many of which belong to the World Council of Churches – ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.” (Revelation 3:15ff)
This world-known religious leader is also quoted as saying, “All good people are God’s children” – which is another demonic lie.
Jesus said to some of the religious
men in His day: “You are of your father the devil.” (John 8:44). And the apostle John identifies the
children of Satan this way: “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are
obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God . . . .” (1 John
3:10).
John further tells us in the first chapter of his gospel: “[Jesus] . . . came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:10-13)
Listen! Not all good people are children of God. The ONLY people who have the right to be called God’s children are those adopted into His family through their faith and obedience to His Son. THAT is why Jesus Himself said, “No one comes to the Father except by Me.”
Regardless of the obfuscations and the rationalizations of some religious teachers, all those with whom we interact each day – if they do not love the Lord Jesus, if they are not continually seeking the Lord Jesus, then they are all in grave danger of never seeing the Lord Jesus after they die.
I’ve gotten into the routine each year of asking us how many of our number at Ashwood have died in the past year. That number is always for me a sobering number. But – and this is the point – how many of them died without loving the Lord Jesus, without even caring to know the Lord Jesus?
Please hear me. If that is how they took their last breath, then scripture tells us they are right now as we sit here – suffering in agony. And according to the infallible and unalterable word of God, their suffering will continue forever.
Oh, Holy Spirit, give us 2020 spiritual vision that
will inform our hearts and our spirits to pray for our friends and loved ones –
to pray that the "God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of glory, may give them a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the
knowledge of Him. May we pray that the
eyes of their heart may be enlightened, so that they will know what is the hope
of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the
saints, and what is the surpassing
greatness of His power toward everyone who believes." (see Ephesians 1:17-19)
God help us prove to be living testimonies to others, sharing with
all who need to hear the dire message that only faith and obedience to Jesus
will gain for us eternal life. God help us remember the Holy
Spirit’s words to the Christians at Rome – and to the Christians everywhere, “How then will they call on Him in whom
they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?
And how will they hear without a preacher? How will
they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How
beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” (Romans 10:14-15)
6 comments:
"It takes more than faith--it takes knowledge. You start with faith, but you must convert it to knowledge. You must test it out, and then you know it. In order to really understand, we must experience the knowledge. When you experience, it is no longer intellectual." Lester Levenson, Keys to the Ultimate Freedom (1993) p. 19.
Thanks for the comment, Diana. I'm just unsure what is your point with regard to the theme of my post. I talked primarily about the necessity of proselytism (aka, evangelism), and to live our Christian faith before others.
I also don't completely understand the quote. Can you paraphrase it for me?
Dear Rich,
In your post you said, "Jesus COMMANDED His disciples to evangelize, to proselytize, to urge others to convert to the only faith that can save them from an eternal lake of fire." Some points need to be clarified about this.
Jesus chose his disciples carefully, finding that they were the most capable of coming to know God and therefore of teaching others the way to God. Jesus was an observant Jew, a member of the Nazarene sect. This is important, because from what little we know about Jewish mystics such as the Essenes and the Pharisees, they were ascetics, they fasted and meditated, and upon reaching a high spiritual state they were able to heal people. But that wasn't their goal: their goal was to know God. This the only thing Jesus ever taught. Sometimes he called God the One, and sometimes he called God the Father. The state of knowing God he called the kingdom of heaven.
Therefore, when you say that Jesus commanded his disciples to convert people to "the faith," it isn't clear what faith you are talking about. Although Jesus was a Jew, he never commanded his disciples to convert people to Judaism--he only instructed Jews to obey Jewish Law, i.e., the Torah. On the other hand, he would heal anyone who needed to be healed in order to demonstrate that there was no difference between high and low, Jew and Roman soldier, etc., and this is in conformity with his other teachings, "Judge not" and "Love your enemies."
With respect to the quote by Lester Levenson, it is about the purpose of faith in coming to know God. One must start with faith in the right doctrine, because having faith in a stone image or faith in a God who is limited or dwells in a certain place is the wrong way to go. When you have chosen the right teaching to have faith in and engaged in the right practices, your faith should be replaced by a direct knowing of the thing you had faith in. This is what Lester meant by testing it out.
On the other hand, if you have applied yourself for any length of time without directly experiencing God (and experiencing God is 24 hours a day--you feel it with your whole being), it's time to re-evaluate your choice of faith. Maybe that wasn't the path for you. Maybe you need to try something different. Because as you point out, Rich, the time given to you on earth is limited. You can't waste a single moment. As Lin-chi said, "This life is like a house on fire. This is no place for you to linger."
Good morning, Diana. This is part one of two (blogger cut me off)
Yes, the Lord chose His disciples carefully. But remember, one of them being Judas. But I don’t think it necessarily follows that He chose them because “they were the most capable of coming to know God and therefore of teaching others the way to God.” Neither do the gospels or the epistles tell us that.
We might gain some insight as to WHY Jesus chose them by looking at St. Paul’s comment to the Christians at Corinth: 26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God. 30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.” (1 Corinthians 1:26ff)
Likewise, we can gain some insight into God’s choice of Israel. He tells us why He chose them, and it was not because they were the smartest or the most capable:
“The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.” (Dt 7:7)
36 Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire. 37 Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them. And He personally brought you from Egypt by His great power, 38 driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in and to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is today. (Dt 4:36-37)
Further, Jesus was a NAZARENE, as you stated. BUT, that word is not to be confused with the word NAZARITE. Jesus was called a Nazarene because He was from Nazareth. and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene.” (Matthew 2:23) NAZARITES, on the other hand, were a special sect within Judaism. We first hear of Nazarites (or Nazirites) in Numbers 6:
"Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to dedicate himself to the LORD, 3 he shall abstain from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar, whether made from wine or strong drink, nor shall he drink any grape juice nor eat fresh or dried grapes. 4 All the days of his separation he shall not eat anything that is produced by the grape vine, from the seeds even to the skin. 5 ‘All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall pass over his head. He shall be holy until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD; he shall let the locks of hair on his head grow long. 6 ‘All the days of his separation to the LORD he shall not go near to a dead person. 7 He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother, for his brother or for his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head. 8 All the days of his separation he is holy to the LORD.” (Numbers 6 continues with the discussion of a person who has taken a Nazirite vow).
Samson was a Nazarite (see Judges 13:5-7 and 16:17). Finally, the last place we find the word and the vow is in Amos 2.
(Part two of this response in a moment)
Diana, here is part two of my response. Part three comes in a moment. Blogger has a character limit)
------
So, since Jesus was NOT a Nazirite, the rest of your comments about Jesus being a mystic and ‘reached a high spiritual state that they were able to heal people” falls with the false foundation.
Jesus healed people, not because of His “high spiritual state” but because not only is He God Almighty in the flesh, but also that while in the flesh, His closeness to the Father enabled the Holy Spirit to work through Him to effect healing (e.g. John 8:28) “So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.”
Closeness to the Father is the same reason the apostles were able to bring healing to others (see, for example, Acts 3:11ff “While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement. 12 But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.”
Further, it is only by our obedience to Christ and His word that any of His children born only through faith in the blood of Jesus can be fruitful for Him (e.g. John 15:1ff).
You also wrote in part: But that wasn't their goal: their goal was to know God. This the only thing Jesus ever taught.
I kind of agree with you. But Jesus taught us that the way to know God was to know HIM (Jesus). For example (only one of many): 8 Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus *said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.” (John 14:8-10)
And how do we know Jesus? Only through His word. That’s one reason the apostle Paul wrote to the Romans 10:9-15: 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” 14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!”
(The capital letters are not MY caps, but I copy and pasted the text from Biblegateway.com).
Part three is next
Finally, here is part three:
-----
You also wrote in part: “Therefore, when you say that Jesus commanded his disciples to convert people to "the faith," it isn't clear what faith you are talking about. Although Jesus was a Jew, he never commanded his disciples to convert people to Judaism--he only instructed Jews to obey Jewish Law, i.e., the Torah.”
If we only take the gospels (especially the synoptics of Matthew, Mark, and Luke) as our primary source, then I can understand a person believing what you wrote. However, that text in Matthew 28 must be taken in context with the whole of the NT (and OT) – including the gospel of John and the many epistles – all of which clarify the synoptics and Matthew 28 as meaning the ONLY FAITH that can save us is faith in Jesus, our propitiary sacrifice – our substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. John’s gospel even by itself makes that abundantly clear, as I am sure you know, and can cite numerous passages from that gospel, such as John 1:1-12, John 3:16ff, John 14-17, and so forth. Paul’s epistles to the churches at Galatian, Ephesus, and Colossians also come to mind.
You also wrote in part: “With respect to the quote by Lester Levenson, it is about the purpose of faith in coming to know God. One must start with faith in the right doctrine, because having faith in a stone image or faith in a God who is limited or dwells in a certain place is the wrong way to go. When you have chosen the right teaching to have faith in and engaged in the right practices, your faith should be replaced by a direct knowing of the thing you had faith in. This is what Lester meant by testing it out.”
I agree with Levenson’s comment about faith in the right doctrine – to a point. Our faith must be God-directed, not doctrine-directed, but I think I understand his point. But we must be careful that the doctrine in which we place our faith is the correct doctrine as taught in Scripture AND the historic teaching of the Christian church. This is critical, as I am sure you are aware. There are any number of false teachers, even in the pulpits of many so-called Christian churches that teach a perversion of the original doctrine of faith as taught (specifically) by the apostles in the NT.
As Paul wrote this warning to Timothy, so the Holy Spirit warns us today in 2 Timothy 4: I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
And finally, about your comment about feelings and faith – we must be careful to not put feelings ahead of faith, or even use it as faith’s foundation. As Jeremiah said in chapter 17: “The heart is deceitful above all else, and is desperately wicked.” To let our emotions dictate whether or not we are on the right path can be very, very deadly. That is why I choose to trust the Scriptures. God is omnipotent enough to ensure what we have in our Bibles today is precisely what He wants us to know in order to spend eternity with Him.
Thank you, Diana, for commenting again. I so much enjoy this kind of discussion.
May God draw us all closer to Him in 2020.
Rich
Post a Comment