Posted by David on July 26, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
Romans 14 dealt with a hard, tricky problem in the first century church-cultural differences. While cultural differences involve many things, may I point to just one familiar to most of us? The impact of culture on most people is this: culture frames the way we think. What we see and understand in the majority of situations is determined by what our culture teaches us to see and understand.
For example, one looks at a situation and sees spiritual danger. Another looks at the situation and sees nothing alarming. Another looks at the same situation and sees actual good. The first sees moral degradation. The second sees innocence. The third sees constructive fellowship. Which is correct? Possibly all are. Why does each see something different? Likely, their culture conditioned the way they looked at the situation.
That was the situation in Romans 14. One strong in the faith could eat anything (an expression of a Gentile culture). One weak in the faith was a vegetarian (Jewish culture feared the meat markets in Rome). One recognized some days as more significant than other days (Jewish culture emphasized the importance of days). Some understood that all days were of equal significance (an expression of some converted to Christ from both Jewish and Gentile perspectives).
Our approach would use a simple question: “Which position is right and which is wrong? What should a Christian eat? What should he/she not eat? Should some days be significant and some not be significant? If Christians should observe days, which ones should he/she observe?” To many of us, it is a simple question of right and wrong. If we decide and convince others of our “correctness,” we solve the problem. All we need to do is announce, “This is the correct behavior for all Christians in all nations.”
Interestingly, Paul the apostle (the Jewish man who was God’s apostle to non-Jews) did not give that solution. He did not issue an edict about what Christians should and should not eat or what days Christians should or should not observe. Instead, he wrote about Christians not condemning Christians, Christians not judging Christians, Christians understanding they were servants, and Christians knowing their only Lord was Jesus Christ. He even began his statement with this affirmation: “Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions” (Romans 14:1). He even wrote: “The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God” (Romans 14:22).
He also wrote: “So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). That was not written as a frightening statement intended to terrify. In fact, no Christian needed to be terrified by that statement unless he/she exploited the weak, judged the Lord’s servants, condemned the innocent, or tried to coerce other Christians. To those who disagree without being disagreeable, it is a comforting statement. “Whatever conclusion you draw, the Lord will listen to your motives.” We tend not to listen to each other, but the Lord will listen to our “whys.”
Posted by David on July 19, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
In my understanding, the core of “The Sermon on The Mount” is found in Matthew 5:20: “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
The verses 21-48 illustrate the difference between people passionate for God and people devoted to a religious process. Jesus’ illustrations centered on murder, adultery, deceitful vows, retaliation, and love. The basic distinction is this: there is a definite difference between passionate people who want to be God’s family and people who turn passion for God into a religious process.
Through generations, people with the scribes and Pharisees’ emphases turned God’s intent into a set of rules. The rules focused on “dotting i’s and crossing t’s” instead of understanding God’s intent. The result: They distorted God’s focus: concern for people.
Jesus came to restore God’s focus. God does not want His people to be angry enough to murder; to want to commit adultery; to deceive through vows; to seek retaliation; or to hate anyone. People passionate for God do not do those things! Those things are not a part of the lives of people who passionately want to be family to God!
It is not about rules and regulations! It is not about “How can I do evil and get away with evil acts.” It is about being family to God. It is about godly character.
That commitment takes a passion. It is not a passion focused on “how you live.” It is a passion focused on “how I live.” If “I” behave like people who worship idols who do not even know the living God, how am “I” different from godless people? This unique motivation comes from devotion to the living God. It cannot be reduced to a religious process that seeks to do evil in “correct” ways.
What Jesus said to his Jewish audience is relevant to all who passionately wish to be God’s family in our society. We are increasingly, rapidly becoming a pluralistic society that respects many gods and reacts with hostility to Christian values. In definite ways, Christians bear some responsibility for the transition. There are few godless behaviors (a) that Christians have not performed or (b) have not justified in self-interested concerns.
It is not that the living God is no longer attractive. It is not that His blessings are no longer valuable. It is that His people have changed the focus of His concern. It is that too few want passionately to be His family. For many, Christianity is a religious process that too often condones evil. Only by living in passionate devotion to God can we attract people to God again. We must be a godly people of godly character!
Posted by David on July 12, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
You may or may not agree with the characteristics I place in my emphasis on Christians having and maintaining holy manners. There may be things you would add or delete. If you would add, subtract, or both, fine (as long as we stay within scripture’s emphasis). The important things are (1) we stay within God’s emphasis, (2) we concern ourselves with the complete godly character, and (3) we are committed daily to exemplifying God’s teachings. We want to be God’s people. We also want to act like God’s people.
Note three things in Paul’s statement in Ephesians 4:1-3. (1) The way we behave must be worthy of our calling in Christ. Obviously, there are ways to behave that misrepresent Christ. The Christian’s commitment must be (a) to understand the behaviors worthy of our calling (behaviors consistent with who our Savior is and what he is about) and (b) to practice those behaviors daily. (2) The worthy behaviors are based on love’s tolerance (forbearance of love-KJV, RSV, NEB; helpfulness of love-TEV; bearing with each other-NIV, JB). In our southern Christian culture, we put up with each others’ flaws because we love Jesus Christ. We do not confront, declare war, or have a blood-letting. Instead, we lovingly tolerate. It is not, as many say, “the principle of the matter.” It is the fact that we allow Jesus Christ to teach us how to love others. The only way to reflect well on a Savior who died for us and a Father who forgives us is to love others despite their imperfections. (3) Worthy behavior and tolerant love preserve the Spirit’s unity in peace.
Note that Christians preserve unity. They do not create unity. God brought unity into existence through Jesus Christ. We merely preserve what God made possible. See Acts 2:36, 38 combined with Galatians 3:26-28. God does the adding-Jew, gentile, men, women, slave, free, educated, uneducated, successful, failure, prosperous, poor (an unlikely group!). All of us are in Christ by God’s act. We preserve what He made possible. It takes tolerant love to preserve unity in this unlikely group!
Only by learning holy manners can we preserve! God placed each of us in His family. We must treat each other as one in Christ or as one who has potential of being in Christ.
We must never forget that God did not ask our permission to put someone in Christ! We are one because of what God did-not because we made ourselves one! Since it is God’s ambition to save all (see 2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4; John 3:16-18), the church always has been and will be an unusual group.
May we preserve what God does!
Posted by David on July 5, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
Paul to Timothy: “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” (1 Timothy 4:12)
Paul to Titus: “Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.” (Titus 2:6-8)
If we are committed to Jesus Christ, let us show others Jesus Christ in our lives by the way we act. If we are committed to godliness, let us show others godliness in the way we behave. If we are committed to being God’s people, let us show others what it means to be God’s people in the ways we talk and act.
Are we perfect? Never! Yet, may our love for each other be greater than the flaws we see in each other (Ephesians 4:32). That is the incredible love God has for each of us. Though He accurately knows the flaws in each of us, He loves enough to forgive. How can we be God’s children and do less than love each other-even if we disagree?
I was recently reminded of how incredibly easy it is to be misunderstood. All any of us can do is be sincere, honest, kind, and as consistent as humanly possible. None of us will ever know how often brothers and sisters are compelled to explain something we did or said. How can we repay such unknown but necessary kindness? By being kind enough to explain when others misunderstand someone in Christ. May we not doubt another’s Christian commitment to Christ because we disagree with his or her convictions! May he or she not reject us!
Every religious group I have known understands how to squabble! Most can squabble with genuine expertise! Rare is the group that has more expertise in kindness and forgiveness than it has in squabbling. The secret in eliminating squabbling is not found in controlling others-it is found in controlling yourself!
May we be a people wherever we are who know how to be kind and encouraging, but who refuse to squabble. If you wish to be a striking example who cannot be ignored, have the courage to be a kind person rather than a contentious person. Such will never be easy, but it will consistently represent God well by exhibiting godly manners!
When you deeply believe something, be consistent in your life with your faith, but act like a believer in your interaction with others. In the first century, Jewish and gentile Christians did that with gaps bigger than anything we face. May we learn to be as patient as God and as gentle as Jesus. May our patience and gentleness be reflected in our holy manners! May people consider what we say because they are impressed with our lives of consideration! Being in Christ results in our becoming a people of holy manners!
Posted by David on June 28, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
One of the most difficult yet one of the most essential Holy Manners to develop is humility. We hear much about boldness and courage. We hear little about humility. To us it seems that boldness and courage go well together, but humility goes with neither. Perhaps the human concepts of boldness and courage easily become self-centered expressions (we like self-dependence) and humility becomes a selfless expression (we are wary of dependence on anything other than self).
It takes enormous boldness and courage to yield to God so completely that you allow God to defend you and determine your behavior. On numerous occasions, Jesus tried to teach the twelve God’s admiration of humility (see Luke 9:46-48; 18:15-17; 22:24-30; Matthew 18:1-6; 20:20-28; Mark 9:33-37). Not until Jesus’ death and resurrection did they learn that lesson. Do not be deceived! The lesson is NOT learned easily! To think and behave righteously in the middle of an unrighteous onslaught is hard!
Even those who profess godliness mistake humility for cowardice! Yet, in a parable in Luke 18:9-14, the humble sinner was forgiven, not the man who “dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s.”
That is hard for even us Christians to swallow! The person who gave God 10% of everything, who was honest in his dealings with others, who was not controlled by sexual desires, and who fasted insulted God! The penitent man who unquestionably did wicked things was forgiven! Why? Because sinful behavior was unimportant? No! Because God exalts human humility and debases human arrogance!
Paul said if everything you believe about righteousness is true, make me completely happy. How? Do not be self-centered! Be ?others’ centered! Who was the example of that? None other than Jesus himself!
If I am your brother or sister in Christ because God placed us both there when we were baptized into Christ, Holy Manners demand I consider you and your needs as more important than mine. To arrogantly banish you is just plain rude!
How many problems would be instantly solved in our brotherhood and our congregations if humility reigned and arrogance vanished. Understanding the importance God attaches to humility certainly makes this statement sobering: “Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies” (1 Corinthians 8:1).
Posted by David on June 21, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
Our sincerity is a window that reveals our motives. In this culture, there are few things that irritate any of us more than having a person ?fake’ sincerity. Why are we offended so much by ?fake’ sincerity? One significant reason is this: When a person ?fakes’ his or her sincerity, he or she hides his or her motives.
Successful con-artists are masters at ?faking’ sincerity. Their primary motive is to scam you and thereby bring you harm. However, they are effective in making you feel that they care infinitely about your hurt and dilemma. Their real motive is to gain your money or your valuables. They make you think their real motive is compassion. Their ?fake’ sincerity hides their real motive.
Because we grasp the nature and importance of sincerity, Christians understand the need to be ?transparent.’ Because we are family in Christ, we want each other to know, “I am trustworthy. I neither seek to hurt you nor use you. Because my sincerity is real, you can see my motive. I do not seek to deceive you, but to encourage you.”
Sincerity requires compassion. One of the reasons for Christians being easy to deceive is found in their compassion. Christians are compassionate because they care about people. Their caring is genuine.
Sincerity within the Christian family can be difficult. Are we all the same? No! While we differ in personalities, we are all in Christ. I do not have to be “ditto marks” of you, and you do not have to be “ditto marks” of me for us to care about each other. Our sincerity with each other always declares, “We may differ, but you never have reason to fear me. I have your back, and I will never stab it!”
If people who refuse to turn to God do not learn good spiritual manners from the Christian family, can they learn good spiritual manners elsewhere? If they cannot see in us a sincerity that is trustworthy and caring, where will they observe it? Never forget that the way you treat others speaks more eloquently about your attitudes and motives than just about how you feel about that person.
Just as Jesus Christ is to us in our weaknesses and flaws, we are to others in Christ in what we regard to be their weaknesses and flaws. Physically, I love my family, flaws and all, and my family loves me, flaws and all. I do not love only those in my family who are just like me, and they do not love me because I am just like them. Is that not the way it is in your family? That is the way it needs to be in God’s family!
“We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.” (1 John 3:19, 20)
Posted by David on June 14, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
“Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” (Colossians 4:6)
The first noticeable change in the man or woman converted to Christ is seen in his or her speech. (Consider James 3:2-12.). The person who belongs to God does not use words, tones, or expressions as people who do not belong to God.
Years ago, I listened to a man explain why for years he never attended nor gave serious consideration to anyone who attended a congregation of the Church of Christ. He said a leader in the local congregation came into a place of business obviously upset. He expressed his displeasure with language and tones a godly person does not use. The man talking to me heard him, knew who he was, knew where he worshipped, and decided immediately he would never attend where a “member” spoke as the upset Christian did.
In the early 70’s in West Africa, I used an old story as I encouraged a group of local preachers. The story: a dying man called his sons to his bedside. He requested that they bring a small board, a nail, and a hammer. He told his oldest son to drive the nail into the board. He asked another son to pull the nail out of the board. He asked another son to pull out the hole. When the hole could not be removed, he gave this simple admonition: “Pay careful attention to your words. You will never remove the holes they leave.” Years later a man who heard the story that day said he never forgot the lesson.
All of us say things that cause us to shake our heads later (sometimes years later). We can (if fortunate) ask for forgiveness, but we know we can never remove the hole.
God uses words carefully. He speaks truth, but thankfully he always speaks with grace. God’s grace seasons the words God’s children use. God seeks our good even when we fail. God’s children seek the good of others. They let God’s patience teach them how to be patient. God’s patience affects what they say to anyone and how they say it. Holy manners demand we watch what we say everywhere. God always listens!
Jesus once said, “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:34-37)
Godly hearts speak godly words. Give attention to a godly heart! Speak godly words! We owe that to each other as fellow Christians-and to everyone else as we represent God. May what we say give people a good impression of God and His people!
Posted by David on June 7, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
Spiritually, an honest heart is critical to a fruitful life. An honest heart grasps, receives, understands, and lives on the basis of God’s teaching.
One of Jesus’ earliest teachings according to Matthew was Jesus’ sermon on the mount. The people who heard Jesus were quite religious, but they missed the point of belonging to God. Their failure hinged on their confidence that God could be pleased and people be deceived at the same time. Their spiritual problem was dishonesty. Consider Matthew 5:21-48. May we let their problems make us shudder as we consider our lives!
(1) They would not dare take a physical life, but they would destroy with their words. In anger they would speak with contempt. They said things that would make them liable in their courts or liable before God eternally.
(2) They would not dare commit adultery, but they would lust without restraint.
(3) They deliberately deceived through their vows by declaring their vow was not binding. Thus they lied while appearing to tell the truth.
(4) They sought vengeance by excusing themselves from being compassionate.
(5) By tweaking their religious rules, they behaved like people who did not even know God. Jesus said God and God only was their standard.
These people were very religious by being consistent with what they heard. They believed how one did something was more important than what he or she did. They thought doing things the right way was what was important to God. Jesus told them the outcome of what they did was as important as the way they did it.
If we follow Jesus Christ, we need to be trustworthy. I need to know I can depend on you, and you need to know you can depend on me. We cherish each other and our relationship because we both understand something bigger than us is involved-people’s view of Jesus Christ and God.
Posted by David on May 31, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.” (Colossians 3:12, 13)
“The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:24-26)
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:22-24)
“Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-8)
The New Testament includes so much emphasis on the spiritual importance of kindness, it is overwhelming. Kindness (1) is a characteristic of God (Romans 2:4); (2) a characteristic of Christian love (1 Corinthians 13:4); (3) a characteristic of a servant (2 Timothy 2:24); in the Spirit’s fruit (Galatians 5:22); a part of the Christian graces (2 Peter 1:7); and a part of Christian behavior (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:12, 13). Many in the first century were not kind prior to conversion. Jesus Christ taught them to be kind after conversion. Their kindness toward people and each other made them distinctive.
The American Restoration movement began as a unity movement crying, “Not the only Christians, but Christians only.” In time, it confronted those not in the movement. In more time, it confronted those in the movement. In still more time, it decided faith should be affirmed by attacking baptized believers. It declared that unity should be preserved by division.
In this migration, kindness was abandoned, rarely taught, and regarded by some to be a spiritual weakness rather than a godly strength. Why do Christians abandon gossip, hypocrisy, mean spirits, judgmental attitudes, hurtful motives, etc.? If we say because of commands, something is lacking. What is lacking? The Holy Manner of kindness. Kindness is not what others show us, but what we show others.
Posted by David on May 24, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. (John 13:12-17)
If I belong to God, I should respect you. Why? God created me in His image, and God created you in His image (Genesis 1:27). If I respect God, I must respect you.
If you are in Christ, I have two reasons to respect you. Not only did God create us in His image, but God also recreated us in Christ (Ephesians 4:20-24; Colossians 3:9-11). Everything we are physically and spiritually we owe to God.
What does it mean for a person in Christ to respect another person in Christ? (1) It means I will never give you reason to distrust me. I will always hold you in honor. I will value your reputation as much as I value my own. I will be as sensitive about your person as I am about mine. I will be as devoted to your spiritual success as I am devoted to my own spiritual success. I look at you as a trust given to me by God. Because we belong to Christ, we belong to the same family. That means family relationship in Christ is bigger than any sibling rivalry or dispute.
(2) It means I do not deceive you. I will be honest with you and about you. What I say to you will be consistent with what I say to others about you. Your integrity is important to me. I will handle your integrity as carefully as I would want you to handle my integrity.
Being a Christian no more gives me the right to seek your destruction than it gives me the right to ask God to destroy you. Being a Christian no more gives me the right to seek to harm you than it gives me the right to ask God to harm you. By God’s act, we were both forgiven. By God’s act, we both continue among the saved. By God’s act, we are part of His family. Neither of us have what we have in Christ by our own goodness. Both of us are what we are in Christ because of God’s goodness.
So I honor you as a brother or sister. My honor is genuine, not pretended (Romans 12:10-16). I honor you because we are together in Christ. When we disagree, I still honor you. When you succeed, I honor you. When you fall, I pick you up. I do for you what God does for me. You do for me what God does for you.
My honor for you causes others to honor the Christ who made you and me. We expose all to Christ’s kindness by showing holy manners to each other. When people fail to see holy manners in society, we Christians show them such manners by the way we treat each other.
