Take Away - SOM Part 18

 I am still processing the Sermon on the Mount. I have gone through the 25 posts and edited them for clarity and to revisit them for myself. Now I want to look at the applications I should be making for myself.

SOM - Part 18

Jesus teaches us to not be anxious about life, etc. Ever try that? Ever try not to worry about something? Is that even something that can humanly be done? Jesus gives the birds as an example. They don't worry about where their next meal will come from. Flowers do not worry about what they will wear. So stop worrying. 

But I am not a bird or a flower. So how do I do this? Jesus gives some answers. One has to do with your focus. He speaks of the Gentiles and they pursue or focus on, What shall I eat today, or What shall I wear? In other words their focus feeds into their worry about these things. So Jesus says seek first the kingdom. In other words, change your focus to your Heavenly Father who cares for you, and you will be given what you need. What you need. Not whatever you want. What you need.

There are a lot of things we could worry about. World politics, inflation, the weather, our children, our jobs, the list goes on. Truth be told, I doubt we can ever completely remove ourselves from some level of concern regarding these types of things. 

Things changed for me when my parents died. As long as they were alive, I knew they had my back. Whatever situation I might find myself in, I knew that there was someone who would help me out if I needed it, I would not even have to ask. But when they were gone, it was now up to me. I felt the pressure. But what I finally realized was I have another advocate. My heavenly Father. He does care for me.

In the Psalms it says, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10) Be still could also be translated as "relax," so I see this verse as saying, "relax, know that I am God, and I don't fail. I got this. I will be exalted in all of the universe, so there is no need to be anxious"

Take Away: I don't know of anyone who can honestly say that they just stopped having anxiety. I know of some who struggle with issues that makes overcoming anxiety extremely difficult for them. I think we will all have some level of anxiety throughout life. The point being that to lessen anxiety we must increase trust. Again, it seems to boil down to our approach to our relationship with God. Are we working hard because we want to earn His favor, or is our response one of realizing He cares for us, and then responding to that knowledge with a life that is now guided by that realization. I hate to spoil what is coming, but isn't that the whole idea behind the wise and foolish builders?

Sermon on the Mount - Part 18

 Today I want to look at verses 25-34 of chapter 6, once again focusing on who Jesus was speaking to, and on the context of the entire message.

Matthew 6:25-34

(25)“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? (26) Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  (27)And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  (28)And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,  (29)yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  (30)But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  (31)Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  (32)For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  (33)But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

 (34)“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

I know people who suffer from anxiety and other issues, so this is a tough one. I know it is difficult for some to just deal with the idea of being able to just cast your anxieties away. Sometimes these feelings have been put in place by some very real, very traumatic events, and our brains are created to adapt to such circumstances and certain defenses come in to play that change the way that we deal with even simple events. I don't think that Jesus is speaking to these people in the sense that they can just stop these feelings on their own with little to no effort, but rather He is setting forth principles for dealing with God. The principle that He seems to be alluding to here is that of faith and trust. Do we really believe that God is in control, and that He cares for us? If so, we will travel our life journey in a much more relaxed manner. It's like being on an airplane. If we trust the pilot, mechanics, designers, builders, etc., we will have a much more pleasant flight than if we worry about each person who is responsible for the safety of that flight. Did I mention the flight controllers? Are you worried yet? 

It is a matter of priority. Seek the kingdom first, then deal about the rest. There is so much that we do not have control of. Worrying about sickness, such as cancer, will not keep it from happening although I have heard of studies that suggest that worry does make us more prone to health issues. So in a sense, while worrying might not prevent something from happening, it might actually help it happen.

I recently read a quote, not sure of the exact phrasing, but here is the idea. "Tomorrow it will snow. You can take joy in the snow or not, but either way, you still have just as much snow." I think this is a great approach to life. Seek the kingdom first, take joy in God and His grace and mercy. Paul says it this way,  "Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:11-13) Does that not sound like the words of a man who was first seeking the kingdom?

A note about Philippians 4:13. Notice that when Paul says these words, he is looking back, and stating how he was able to deal with the events, positive and negative, in his life. Perhaps another way of stating this could be, "I was able to endure all things because my faith in Christ gave me the strength to do it." This is not a forward looking promise that you will accomplish any endeavor you try because Jesus has got your back. But it is forward looking in the sense that whatever may come, your faith in Christ will help you endure it. 

Edited 2/11/2022

1 Thess 1:8-10

SCRIPTURE

For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

COMMENT

Would Paul, or anyone else for that matter, say that about me? That my faith was so evident, others need not say a word? That is repentance. That is turning from self toward Jesus. They had worshiped idols, so had I. Different ones, but idols none the less. But do I serve God? Is it obvious? Or am I just fooling myself? I ask myself that a lot. Still haven't come up with a good answer. All I can do is fall on His grace.

Zeal is Not Enough! (Romans 10:1-4)

SCRIPTURE

Romans 10:1-4
Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge (recognition, full discernment, acknowledgement). For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

COMMENT

Paul's heart is for Israel, and he desires that all Israel to be saved. He knows that they have a zeal for God, but he also knows that zeal is not enough. Is that not a frightening statement? But their zeal was misplaced, it was not based on a knowledge of God. He's not talking about some secret, gnostic heresy, he's talking about the truth one finds when God opens their heart to reveal Himself to them. Their zeal was based on what they could earn from God through obedience to the law. Paul has just spent the previous chapters trying to explain that salvation is not through obedience, but through faith. They, Israel, had sought righteousness through obedience, which makes it their own righteousness. God's righteousness comes through Christ, and the byproduct of that faith leads to obedience. There is such a huge difference in God's eyes.

Much like Paul, I think about the church, and how I wish that all could be saved. But my fear is that many in the church have the same issue as the Israelites, that they have a zeal, but not according to knowledge. They may have a different set of laws, but they still are trying to establish their own righteousness rather than submit to God's righteousness.

For some, perhaps the zeal is a result of wanting to be saved rather than wanting to be with God. But salvation is so much more than just not wanting to go to hell.

Christ is the end of the law. He is the end of trying to please God through our own efforts.  The result of trying to establish our own righteousness is anxiety, fear, mistrust, manipulation. Jesus said His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. (Matthew 11:30) Relax, trust, then obedience is a natural result, then the relationship will be a genuine relationship.

False Brothers (Galatians 2:4-10)

SCRIPTURE

Galatians 2:4-10

Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

LANGUAGE

Vs 4 False brother - pretend associate

Vs 4 Secretly - to come alongside stealthily

COMMENT

False brothers. That is a tough term. Those who come in and act as your friends, but have an agenda. The agenda in this case was to spy on their freedom. Humans tend to be a jealous lot. When someone has something, we think we should too. Just look at the socialist agenda that so many are chasing. It is not fair that the rich have more than us, they should be made to not only pay their share, but more so since they have more. The rich on the other hand, do all they can to hold on to what they have, looking for loopholes in tax laws or other ways to take advantage of the system. So when these Jews saw that the followers of Jesus were no longer being bound by the Jewish laws, they were jealous. Since they had to follow the laws, so should everyone. Since everyone who seeks to follow the law is slave to the law, they wanted to "bring us into slavery" (Vs 4) with them. 

The law enslaves. It tells us what to do.Grace sets us free. Free to do what we want to do. Which for the Christian, looks insanely different than it does for the rest of the world. The rest of the world sees freedom as an invitation to do whatever it wants, whatever feels good. And the world wants joy, power, security. It finds those things in sex, alcohol, possessions, control. The Christian wants joy, power, and security too, those truly converted just find it in a different place, they find it in Jesus. Our joy is now found in serving Him. Our power is not the power of controlling others but in following Jesus and seeking to serve Him by how we treat others. Our security is found in His love for us, starting with how he loved us while we were sinners and continuing in our childlike efforts to love Him still. 

John Piper has a term he calls "Christian Hedonism." I am sure a lot of Christians don't like that term because they see hedonism as the selfish pursuit of pleasure. But isn't hedonism the pursuit of joy at all costs? Isn't that what the lover of God is pursuing when no matter the circumstance, they can praise God because through it all, God's love is greater than our circumstance? Why did Paul and Silas sing praises while in chains? It was not because they loved torture. It was because they had been counted worthy of suffering for the sake of Christ. Joy like that does not disappear when the money runs out.

Are You Sure? (Galatians 1:6-10)

SCRIPTURE

Galatians 1:6-10
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

DEFINITION

Vs 7 Trouble - ταράσσω tarassō: to stir or agitate (roil water): — trouble.
to agitate, trouble (a thing, by the movement of its parts to and fro)to cause one inward commotion, take away his calmness of mind, to disquiet, make restless, to stir up, to trouble, to strike one's spirit with fear and dread, to render anxious or distressed, to perplex the mind of one by suggesting scruples or doubts

Vs 9 Accursed - ἀνάθεμα anathema: a (religious) ban or (concretely) excommunicated (thing or person)
a thing set up or laid by in order to be kept specifically, an offering resulting from a vow, which after being consecrated to a god was hung upon the walls or columns of the temple, or put in some other conspicuous place, a thing devoted to God without hope of being redeemed, and if an animal, to be slain; therefore a person or thing doomed to destruction, a curse, a man accursed, devoted to the direst of woes

COMMENT

One of the thoughts that has often occurred to me is this, If only 20 to 40 years after the death of Christ, there were already those who were needing to be corrected in their doctrine, why is it that so many people, with so many different thoughts, all think they are correct over 2,000 years later?

Paul starts this section by stating that those who have turned to this different gospel have deserted Christ. That is a powerful statement. As I understand what Paul is addressing here, it is the thought that in addition to the sacrifice that Jesus gave on our behalf, obedience to certain laws was also necessary. (1:15-21, so more on that later.) To hold to such a belief is to believe that the sacrifice of Christ alone was not sufficient for salvation. I believe that this, at least in part, preys upon the the feeling that there must be something we have to do in order to deserve salvation. It is hard to believe that God would freely give such a wonderful gift.  Paul says that those who think this way have deserted Christ. He goes on to give a reason why these men would teach such a thing: to trouble us and to distort the gospel. Let's take a look at the word trouble, because it carries a lot of meaning here. The word means "to stir or agitate. The picture given is calm water that is disturbed such as by throwing a rock in it. That rock removes the calmness of the entire body of water. It agitates it. Think about our spirit when it gets agitated. It fears, it gets short, it can cause doubt and a number of other issues. This goal is accomplished when we give in to the idea that in addition to what Jesus has done to save us, we also must do something to save our soul. That in addition to our faith, we must (fill in the blank with any number of things that could apply, not limited to drinking alcohol, Bible study, prayer, communion, baptism, cursing, etc. etc. etc.)

He then ups the consequence even more by saying that if anyone, including himself or even an angel, should preach a gospel contrary to the one they first received, they should be accursed. This word carries with it some dire meaning: Excommunication, no hope of redemption. So this is not just Paul acting like a witch, throwing out a spell on an individual, it is Paul saying that a person such as this stands condemned before God! Let me state that more clearly: If someone requires external obedience as a requirement for salvation other than faith, they stand condemned.

Paul knew that these words would be offensive, and he did not care! (Think Ricky Gervaise at the last Golden Globes.) He could not care, for if he did he would not be preaching the truth and would himself be in danger of damnation. Verse 10 shows that he is not saying this with the goal of seeking to please men, for if that were his goal, he would not be a servant of Christ.

Watch the video below. Then look at the questions and comments that follow.

• She "grew up in the church," and believes that the people in the audience are getting frustrated with the speaker. But shouldn't this be the case? Doesn't 1 Cor 1:23 tell us that Christ crucified is a stumbling block? Phil 3:18, that many walk as enemies of the cross? Should the level of audience frustration determine our message?
• She states that "You're not portraying the kind of God that people need." Which is to say, it is not about God, but it is about a god that will be acceptable to these people, a god whom they will embrace because it satisfies them, and not because He is the holy God of the universe. Is she asking the preacher to tell them what they want to hear to gain their acceptance? (see 1 Timothy 4:3)
• She states that she thinks the speaker and her believe the same thing, but I don't think so. Do you?
• She states that she evangelizes the way that Jesus did it. But I wonder if this is not a matter of her own perception or desire rather than a matter of truth. If all Jesus ever did was live a good life and try not to offend people, why did they crucify him? 
• In response to his comment that we are commanded to preach the gospel, she adds, "And live it." Is this true? And if so, what does it look like? In light of what is taught in Galatians, is this not an addition to the gospel? 
• She wants to make his his conversion rate an issue. Should it be? (See 1 Cor 3:7,8)
• She states that "This doesn't make people want to accept the gospel." If this is correct, and I would agree that it often is, can we change the message in order to get people to accept it? If we do, what are some of the consequences?

This woman is sincere. So are a lot of other people. I appreciate her sincerity and passion. But is she right, is she dealing in truth? Emotions do not determine right. If they did, we wouldn't need Scripture, would we?

When Confusion Reigns (Matthew 26:47-56)

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 26:47-56

COMMENT

The disciples thought they knew what was going on. They had seemingly resigned themselves to going with Jesus, even if it meant death. All except for Judas, of course. So after falling asleep while Jesus prayed, Jesus comes to wake them, telling them he is about to be betrayed. Enter Judas and a crowd with clubs and swords. Judas approaches Jesus and kisses him, a sign to the others who is the one they are after. They approach and seize Jesus. Here is where it gets awkward.

One of the men with Jesus pulls out a sword and cuts off the ear of the High Priest's servant. The battle is on, and it is a fight to the death. But wait, for Jesus tells him to put the sword away. What!?! Not only that, but according to Luke's version, he even healed the man's ear. How are you going to win a battle when Jesus keeps healing the enemy! How confused they must have been. So when the soldiers lead Jesus away, they flee.

Imagine the agonizing hours and then days of confusion that must have followed. We thought we were supposed to fight and even die with Him if necessary, but He stopped us and went willingly, talking about how this had to happen so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

Ever get confused like that? You think that God has one thing in mind in a situation, but it takes a whole different path. Does that mean that God is not in control? Of course not, it just means that our expectations were not in line with His. But that is hard to accept, because we were so sure of the path things would ultimately take. Reminds me of Garth Brooks song, "Unanswered Prayers."

I think it has a lot to do with expectations and faith. Not the prosperity gospel idea that God did not give us the answer we wanted because we did not have enough faith, but the idea that God is in control and we knows where He wants things to go. I recall a trip I made with my did many years ago. As we got in the car, I asked where we were going. He responded, "You'll find out when we get there." You know what? He was right.

This.Is.A.Tough.One - Mattew 6:25-33

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 6:25-34

LANGUAGE

Vs. 25 anxious - take thought of
Vs 33 seek - worship God (good sense) plot against (bad sense)

COMMENT

I know that many people deal with heavy loads of anxiety, some even needing counseling, medication, or both to deal with the effects. So to say, "Just don't do it." seems a bit harsh. How do you stop an emotion? How do soldiers or others with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome) just stop being anxious? Outside of a direct intervention from God, I do not think it possible.

So how do I interpret this verse? First, I draw distinctions between emotions and choices. Anxiety is an emotional response. But we have some control over our thoughts, or what we take thought of. A parent hears that their child has been in an accident. They cannot help but worry about the condition of their child. But they can choose to believe that God is in control, and regardless of the outcome, they can trust in Him.

So now, rather than felling guilty because something has caused me to feel anxious, I can recognize the emotion and "take every thought captive" instead of letting those thoughts captivate me. (1 Cor. 10:5) Jesus then gives examples to show this idea. Worried about life? Look at the birds. See how God cares for them and recognize He cares much more for you. Look at the flowers. They don't work or toil, yet their beauty abound. If God cares over the flowers, how much more will be provide for you? What good does your worrying do? Does it add to your life at all? No! I believe Jesus says these things to show us how to respond to anxiety rather than to guilt us because of feeling anxiety.

He wraps it up showing us what is important, and that is to seek God's kingdom and His righteousness first. Go back to the beginning of the sermon. Think of the beatitudes, which I believe are the foundation for each of the subsequent teachings. Being humble, mourning, poor in spirit, meek, pure in heart. These can be summed up in the idea of worship, with worship being the idea that we cannot achieve salvation of any kind on our own, therefore God must be first. God does not command our worship because He needs it, He does it because we need it. Do you want to have all things added to you? Then worship God. No, not necessarily health and wealth, but peace and joy. Don't worry about tomorrow, let tomorrow worry about itself. And that can only happen when we stop trying to control every outcome, and worship the one who can control every outcome.

Discontentment

I am currently reading the book, Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges.

This chapter (9) deals with discontentment. 

I find it interesting that he feels there is a place for discontentment in the life of the Christian, but not fear or anxiety. Yet all of these are God given emotions or reactions to situations that God has placed in our lives.

I agree that discontentment can lead to sin, but I struggle with the idea that discontentment in itself is sin. Discontentment should lead to a critical evaluation of our situation. Wallowing in discontentment is not a good or appropriate response. 

I think that sometimes we think that God wants us to blindly accept whatever He lays before us with a smile painted on our faces. I disagree. I think God is okay with our questions. I think He enjoys it when we lay our burdens before Him. Not in a sadistic way, but because He loves us and wants us to interact honestly with Him. The author mentions Job. Job was a man who had it all and lost it all. What a short book it would be if Job had just painted on a smile and accepted it. But Job struggled, even argued with God. And Job grew through that process. 

Anxiety and Frustration

I am currently reading the book, Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges.

Not sure I agree with the labeling of anxiety and frustration as sin, but maybe that is due to a lack of understanding on my part. (Chapter 8)

I feel anxiety, frustration, fear, happiness, sadness, and many other emotions at times. I don't believe I am in control of the initial feelings, but what I am in control of is the response to those feelings. " Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger." (Eph. 4:26 ESV) It is not anger that is sin, but how I handle it. Emotions, in my opinion, are a gift from God. Does not fear protect us? Is not the beginning of wisdom fear? I believe it is good for us to recognize and identify our feelings, and to not let our emotions get the best of us. 

Bridges asks toward the end of the chapter, Can you picture Jesus ever being anxious or frustrated? My answer is yes, I think so. What about in the temple with the selling of animals for sacrifice? What about in the garden when he was in agony and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground? I believe that the sin is not in the emotion itself, but rather can be found in inappropriate reaction to those emotions. I think we would both agree that our response to feelings and emotions always needs to focus on God rather than ourselves.