20

Jump Start # 980

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 980

 

Luke 15:4 “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?”

Luke 15 is the chapter of lost things. It begins with a shepherd who lost one of his sheep. Then it flows into a woman who lost one silver coin. Then it peaks with the man who lost his son. Luke shows us the picture of God in these parables. In many ways, these are not three independent parables but one thought with three points. The things lost had great value to the owners. The owners were desperate in seeking what was lost. Great rejoicing and celebrating took place after the lost was recovered. Salvation, grace and forgiveness are the running themes that connect these parables together.

 

Our verse today is about one lost sheep. In many ways it is better to have 99 safe and only lose one. Much worse would it have been to have lost 99 and have only one safe. The shepherd didn’t write off the one missing. He left the 99 and went on a search and find mission. His goal was to find that one sheep and bring him back. He doesn’t quit until he finds it.

 

Before we go much further with this, we must remember that this is a parable and it is very easy to read too much into the story and make it say things that Jesus never intended. Having said that, how would a shepherd find a lost sheep? I’m not a shepherd and had that been me out in the fields, there would have been 100 lost sheep and one lost shepherd.

 

It seems to me that the shepherd would begin where the sheep last were. Look around that area. Call the sheep by name. How does he know which one it is? He knows the sheep. Borrowing from John 10 and the good shepherd, he calls them and they hear his voice and follow. So the shepherd is looking, calling and searching. He knows sheep. He knows they tend to wander off and why they wander off. He looks for places a sheep might go for food. That drives the sheep more than anything else. Calling, looking and searching. This takes a while. And then, he stumbles upon the lost sheep. Most likely grazing and not even realizing that the flock moved on. The shepherd would tenderly pick the sheep up and carry it back to the rest of the flock. There is some peace that night knowing that everyone is right where they belong.

 

I’d expect that the shepherd would watch that sheep a little more closely. When it came time to move the flock again, the shepherd would make sure that the little lost one got the message, maybe, even standing with that sheep.

 

It sure seems like a lot of work for one lamb. Why not cut the losses and move on? Why the worry over the one? Because the shepherd was responsible. He was given the job to watch them and care for them. If he let that one go, what about the next one, and the one after that. The flock of 100 dwindles to a flock of 70 and then 50 and if he is fortunate, maybe he would show up with 45 sheep. The rest? They wandered off. Would you be happy with that as an owner of that flock? What would you think about the job of that shepherd? Would you hire him again for the next spring? From the owner’s perspective, lost sheep means lost revenue. The shepherd was hired to do a job. Losing sheep is not part of that job.

What does all of this mean to us? We are not out in the fields at night with sheep? I wonder how easily we give up the search for those who have wandered off? I wander if we expect them to find their way back to us? Are we out looking for those who have left? Do we know where to find them and how to reach them? Would they recognize our voice if we called them?

 

In many ways this parable was fulfilled in Jesus. We were the lost sheep. God didn’t stop and hope that we would catch up. He didn’t write us off. He sent Jesus. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. This parable answers the charge at the beginning of the chapter of why Jesus ate with sinners and received them. He did so because they were lost. He did so because He was trying to bring them back to the flock of God.

God has been looking. God has searched. God sent Jesus. The sheep must recognize the voice of God and come. Jesus calls, do we listen? Jesus is looking, are we hiding? Don’t expect a little voice in the night. Don’t think it will come by some grand and direct way. The call is through the Gospel message. The plea is there. God is calling. God is looking. Those who are seeking will find. Those who are asking, will receive an answer. The rest, who ignore the searching of God, may wander and wander for the rest of their lives. They may live in fear because they do not have a shepherd to protect them. They may go into dangerous places because they do not have a shepherd to guide them. Dirty, diseased, and distressed these wandering sheep never know or experience the wonderful relationship they could have with God. The lost sheep never leave God’s heart. He longs for them to return. After Jesus, God sent His apostles and preachers to call the lost. Even today, the message is ringing forth that God is looking for you. He hasn’t given up. He never will.

 

What a great God we have. He is looking for you, even today. He is calling. Won’t you listen to the Gospel message and come home. What stands in the way often times is God’s people. Sheep may wander off because of the mistreatment from other brethren. Shameful is what that is. God has never treated anyone that way. We serve God. We follow God. We listen to God. Come to God. Don’t let someone else be the reason that you are lost. God is ready to forgive you. God is ready for you to come home to Him.

God is looking…

 

NOTE: This may not be a typical Jump Start that you are used to reading. Most of our readers have a connection with God. Is there someone in your heart that you could share this with? Copy and email this to someone. Let them know that you have not forgotten them, nor have you written them off. You love them and want them to come home to God. One more attempt. One more search. One more try. Isn’t it worth it?

 

Roger

 

 

19

Jump Start # 979

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 979

Matthew 5:39 “But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”

 

Our passage today comes from Jesus’ sermon on the mount—the greatest sermon preached by the greatest preacher of all time. These are not nice words. They are radical. They cut against the grain of Jewish teaching and they are counter to human nature. Our verse is in a mini section that deals with enemies. It a perfect world we would never have enemies. This world is not perfect. I have heard brethren proudly say, ‘I have no enemies.’ That’s nothing to be boastful nor proud about. If you follow Christ, you have enemies. They will hate you because they hate Him.

This mini section in the sermon on the mount deals with resistance to the enemy. What is our response when the enemies strike. We are not the offense but the defense here. The common thought is to fight back. The Jewish teaching was “eye for an eye,” which came from the Law. Jesus was changing all of that. His followers would walk by a higher way and a deeper concern, even for enemies.

Jesus said:

  • Do not resist an evil person (39)
  • If slapped on the right cheek, turn the other to him (39)
  • If sued for your shirt, let them have your coat also (40)
  • If compelled to go one mile, go two (41)
  • When asked, give (42)
  • Do not refuse someone who wants to borrow (42)

 

These words are hard to apply. It seems like the follower of Jesus is being taken advantage of and abused. It seems like our feelings and rights are being tossed out the window.

 

Recently in a parenting class that I am teaching we began discussing bullying. That subject is in the news a lot. We hear of some kids who hurt others or worse, they hurt themselves because they were bullied. We are seeing that some NFL teams are having to deal with this subject. This is nothing new. There has always been bullies. There is a clinical definition for a bully and often much of what people  throw into that term is not bullying.

 

There is something wrong with a person that bullies someone else. Often, especially with adults, a person abuses their position and makes life terrible for someone under them. This happens at work. Bullies are aggressive and love to have a crowd watch them ridicule someone to the point of tears. Making others terrified of them is fun for a bully. There are even bullies in the church. They misuse the Bible to scare people and threaten them. They love to be superior and dominate others. Bullies in the leadership is a disaster.

What are we to do? Human nature tells us to stand up. There is a fire within us that wants to pop the bully right in the nose. There is an episode of Mayberry where Opie had to stand up to a bully. There is a scene in the Christmas Movie where a bully is knocked flat. Are we to think that violence is the only answer to a bully? Must we toss out the window the Lord’s words here when it comes to bullies?

 

Turning the cheek…letting someone have your coat as well…going the second mile—hurt. There is a sense in which you feel vulnerable and taken advantage of. Fear is what bullies want. They love the reaction. Jesus is not giving the bully or the enemy that satisfaction. You want my shirt, here, take the coat also. You slap me once, I’ll not slap back. I’ll not stoop to your level. Slapping is a form of aggressive violence. Legally, it could be classified as assault.

Later in this section Jesus tells the disciples to “love your enemies” (44) and to “pray for those that persecute you” (44). Smacking them back doesn’t seem to fit in with those statements.

Is there a time when a person draws the line? Absolutely. No one should be physically hurt. A slap on the cheek is not the same as being beat up. A person often slaps when they are offended or they have heard something that they do not like. Here, in the context, they don’t like Jesus. They don’t like disciples who like Jesus. They don’t like the message of Jesus. They are not trying to kill you, they have slapped you. They have not drawn swords, they have slapped.

Physical violence, sexual intimidation are not the same as a slap on the cheek. In those cases, run. In those cases, call the authorities. In extreme situations, defend yourself. But even in persecution that for those early Christians resulted in death, they did not resist. If someone is hurting you just because he is a jerk and doesn’t like you, that is different than someone who is hurting you because of your faith.

Jesus, Stephen, James, Antipas—those early persecuted ones, did not resist. That powerful Revelation passage, “Be thou faithful even unto death” is not about remaining a Christian until you die at the age of 90. It’s about being faithful when Rome sticks a sword to your throat and tells you to deny Jesus.

I do not read occasions of God’s people resisting when they suffer because of their faith. Jesus told Peter to put the sword away when he tried to defend Jesus in the garden. The Rambo mentality, especially among many males must be held in check and we must realize that there is a greater calling that we follow that surpasses even our safety and survival. Fear not the one who can kill the body and do no more. Taking life is the most anyone can do to us. God can do even more. There are things much worse than death. Our example is the Lord, who as Peter reminds us, “while being reviled, He did not revile in return, while suffering He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.” If that’s the steps of our Savior, shouldn’t we do the same?

These lessons are hard, but so is the world that we live in.

Roger

 

18

Jump Start # 978

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 978

1 Peter 1:18-19 “Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”

The cost of redemption was expensive. It involved blood, and not just any blood, but the pure blood of Christ. There was no blood like His. I got to thinking about this recently. My wife and I cleaned up the Lord’s Supper after a morning worship. It’s been a long, long time since I have done that. We have a wonderful team of people who help in so many areas. But on this occasion, we filled in for them. I was emptying the cups from the Lord’s supper. For health reasons, we dumped all that were in the trays. In India, they pour everything, even what is left from what people have drunk, back into a large container for use the following week. It’s not a pretty sight in India. But as I was dumping out the juice from the cups, there were some that were not used. That’s the thought that really stuck with me. This juice represented our Lord’s blood. This juice was to remind us of that great sacrifice and the incredible freedom we have in Christ. There was some juice that was untouched. There was some that was poured down the drain. In some ways it seemed the blood was wasted.

 

The blood of Jesus is wasted by those who do not believe. Jesus died for all, yet not all believe. Not all even want to believe. There are some who like their life without Jesus. They like to live free from restraints and free from people telling them what to do. They like to do as they please and be accountable to no one but self. It sounds like a good life on the surface, but those that live that way are following Satan and they do not realize it. He has fooled them into thinking that they are free when they are not. They belong to him. What’s worse, is that someday that life will come to a crashing end. Thrown into eternity without God is the most horrific experience anyone can have. Wasted blood.

 

The blood of Jesus is wasted by those who once made a commitment to Jesus but can’t seem to keep it. They obeyed Jesus and at one time worshipped Him and followed Him. But time passes. The newness wears off. They begin chasing other things. Worship drops off. Their hearts become filled with other things. Work, shopping, sleeping all take a higher priority than Jesus. They become what Jesus talked about in the parable of the sower. The seedling is crowded out by weeds. The word doesn’t grow in the heart as it should. Christianity has had little impact in this person’s life. They have failed as a Christian. They will have excuses, such as they were too tired or no one paid attention to them, or they couldn’t connect with the sermons, but the reality is, something else became more important to them than Jesus. Wasted blood.

I expect those surrounding the cross, the blood of Jesus didn’t look any different than other blood. It was red like other blood. It poured out like other blood. But the blood of Jesus was different. It was Heaven’s sacrifice for our sins. It’s was God’s great reach down to earth to save us. It is the only thing that could change our past. We can’t go back and undo what we have done. It’s impossible for me to go back to my high school and walk the hallways as a senior and undo the dumb and wrong things I have done. Can’t do it. The blood of Jesus changes that past. Those wrongs are gone because of that blood and my faith. There is nothing else that can do that for us. The blood of Jesus changes our past, it affects our present and it gives us great hope for the future.

It is so easy for us to get used to the Lord’s supper that we go through the motions without thinking about it. Some have decided to serve the Lord’s supper less often in order to make it more special. They do that without Biblical evidence or authority. It also misses the point. No parent says, ‘I’m only going to hug my child once a month because if I hug him every day, it may not be special.’ Really? No couple says, ‘We are only going to kiss four times a year, because we want it to be special.’ Really? It’s not the frequency that’s the problem. It’s what is running through our minds.

Precious blood—there was nothing else like it. We need the blood of Jesus. We need to grasp how important that blood is. This is more than just a ‘Sunday thing.’ It’s something that changes and affects my Monday as well.

Roger

 

15

Jump Start # 977

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 977

 

Proverbs 27:23 “Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds”

 

I love this verse. It speaks volumes to those who are given the responsibility of leading others. The following verse states, “For riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations.” For the true shepherd in ancient Israel, the health and wellbeing of the flocks changed year after year. One year things might go pretty well for the shepherd. The following year, he is fighting a disease that has taken hold of many sheep. The shepherd could not set back on auto pilot and follow the same plan year after year. Each season presented new challenges, new enemies and the constant watching and care of the shepherd.

Sheep and people are a lot alike. God knows that better than we do. Of all the animals on the planet, God compared people to sheep. We need leadership because we tend to wander off. We need someone watching us because we do not pay attention to what is going on. We frighten easily. We don’t do well with tension or strife among us. Emotional bugs can bother us just as much as the real bugs bothered sheep.

Know well the condition of your flocks. Consider some applications to this.

  • The family. Dad’s are put in charge of leading the family. The Biblically word is, “head.” Sometimes this word “head” has literally gone to some guys head and they see it as control, bossing and getting their way. Wrong. It’s about leadership. It’s about getting the family to Heaven. It’s about making choices that is best for the family, which may not be his personal favorite choice. Know well the condition of your flocks. How is the family doing? Do you know dad? Are the little ones bothered by kids at school? Are the teenagers discouraged and floundering? Do you know the condition emotionally? How are they doing spiritually? It’s more than just driving the car to the church building on Sunday. Do they believe? Do they get it spiritually? How would a shepherd in ancient Israel know the condition of his flock? He had to walk among them, look at them, touch them and spend time with them. How does dad know the condition of the family? He has to spend time with them, one on one. He has to develop a relationship of trust and communication. In too many homes, teenagers are playing around with drugs and the parents are clueless. Know well the condition of your flocks. Long before the drugs begin, there were issues with rules, choice of friends and things like that. The failures at home are connected to someone not knowing the condition of the flock.
  • The finances. I’ve preached several sermons recently about money. Some are uncomfortable with that topic in a church setting. They fail to understand that Jesus talked more about money than He did Heaven. The subject of money is found in 16 of Jesus’ parables. Our finances affect our marriage, our wellbeing, our ability to help others, our privilege of supporting the kingdom of God. Money is a Bible topic. Know well the condition of your flocks. It is not uncommon in a marriage that one pays the bills and the other has no idea of what is going on. One is trying to keep the family afloat and the other is out spending like Congress. Know well the condition of your flock, or here, finances. Do you have a plan? Do you follow that plan? Do you plan to work until you are 95? Do you think you will be able to work until you are 95? Money habits developed young in life will affect you the rest of your life. It is the responsibility of the home to teach stewardship and proper attitudes and ways of handling money. If mom and dad do not know the condition of their flock, how will the kids ever learn? Some couples do not like to talk about money. It bothers them. It makes them nervous. An argument always takes place. So, instead of knowing the condition of your flocks, they just ignore it and too often live pay check to pay check, with no hope of anything changing in their life. Know well. Study the subject. Read up on this. Talk to some wise brethren about this. Realize that there are always famines. The prodigal ran into a famine and he had no money. Joseph ran into a famine but he had prepared Egypt for it. College payments, flat tires, sick dogs, and holidays all seem to happen about the same time. Disaster if you do not know the condition of your flocks.
  • The condition of the church. This phrase, ‘know well the condition of your flocks,’ is especially true to those who lead God’s people. They need to know the condition. Too many don’t. Too many do not realize, just like a literal flock of sheep, the condition changes from year to year. Some years, things are going well. Other years, it seems everyone is in a funk. Wise shepherds realize this. They understand ‘one size fits all’ is not always the best method in teaching. Special classes addressed for special needs are a premium. Making adjustments in schedules, paying attention to specific areas can strengthen the flock of God. A new member and one who has been around for 25 years do not have the same needs. Do shepherds realize that? A single mom has different concerns than a widow. A college student is facing unique challenges that a 45 year old man may not understand. The moving away of a family affects the spirit of the flock. The death of a favorite member affects the flock. Know well the condition.

 

Throughout this land, elderships are waking up and realizing that they have spent far too much time dealing with administration decisions and they haven’t been shepherding the flocks. Too many know about the budget but not the condition of the flock. Changes are taking place. God’s shepherds are realizing that too many have fallen away under their watch. Too many are struggling and are discouraged and unless some special attention is given, they too will soon be lost. People business is the work of elders. Corporate decisions made behind closed doors is not the concept we get from the Bible. It is more of a shepherd walking among the sheep and looking at them with tender care and trying to help the sheep to be healthy and strong. That is the work of God’s leaders. Know the condition of your flocks!

 

  • Your heart. The greatest area that needs to be looked at is our own heart. Know well the condition of your flocks applies here. How are you doing spiritually? Are you connecting with the Lord? Do you have a relationship of trust and love? Do you long for Heaven? Are you growing? Too often, we base our faith upon how things are doing down at the church house. We live our faith through the church. It shouldn’t be that way. We ought to have a strong and powerful faith, no matter what happens down at the church building. But it’s not that way. Too often, when the church is struggling, our faith is struggling. When the church is at peace, we are at peace. Our faith is independent of the church. It is not lived through the church. Our faith is in the Lord. So, how are you doing? Do you know? Are you honest with yourself? A shepherd who ignored a diseased sheep, would one day find that sheep lying dead. Problems do not fix themselves, nor do they just go away. A leaky roof doesn’t fix itself. Cancer doesn’t fix itself. Problems and issues need to be looked at and addressed. At stake is your soul. You ought to know the condition of your heart.

Know well…

Roger

 

14

Jump Start # 976

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 976

2 Timothy 3:6-7 “For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

The older I get the more I realize that I simply do not understand some people. This is true even of some Christians. A well known Biblical writer who many are acclaiming to be the most brilliant scholar of this generation is winning over too many folks with his clever writings and new insights. His many books are being read and he is on the lecture circuit in many places. I hear many drooling over the things they have discovered because of his books. I don’t get it. I’ve read several of his books. He is not Biblically accurate, on many things, such as: inspiration, salvation, worship, marriage, second coming, Hell. These are not little things. These are core foundation stones. How can someone say, “I don’t agree with everything he says,” when there is so many things to disagree with. I simply do not understand the fascination some have with things like this.

Some folks are tired of old ways and are quick to jump on something that looks new and different. I think that is the basis of our verse today. Long ago, false teachers were busy. Earlier this passage described them as “holding a form of godliness, although they have denied its power.” They are busy spreading their twisted Gospel, their new insights, among those who are not spiritually stable.

Look how Paul defined those who were being captivated by this erroneous poison: weak women; weighed down with sins; led by various impulses. These were the ones who were being held spellbound by the false teachers. The most damaging statement is: “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” The knowledge of the truth will make you free. That’s what Jesus promised. That knowledge will lead you out of the land of error. It will bring you to a rich and wonderful relationship with God. That knowledge will drive away fears and doubts. It will bring you spiritual confidence as you walk closer to God each day. Studying the Bible is incredible and the bridge to this knowledge. However, if what is taught in these Bible studies is inaccurate, then the learning will not lead to this true knowledge of God’s word. That was the problem. They were learning, but not growing. What they were learning was not God’s word but a corrupted form that the false teachers were spewing.

Three thoughts here:

First, Why women weighed down with various sins? Why did the false teachers pick that audience? Why not the leaders of the church? Why not the preachers and the shepherds? Do you think possibly they knew they would be exposed as false if someone stable, solid and with a knowledge confronted them? Do you think that this was an easy audience because there was a lack of Biblical knowledge? Do you think that these false teachers were more interested in a following than what they were saying? The gullible are easy targets. Truth never suffers under investigation. Ask questions. Investigate. Look into things. Think. Compare. Most of us would never put ourselves in the category of these weak women, as Paul called them. Yet, error is finding a place among God’s people. Could it be that too much time is spent reading blogs, listening to what others say, reading other books than God’s word? Makes you wonder doesn’t it.

 

Second, false teachers are always busy. They are never satisfied and they never go away. The shepherds of God’s people must be keen about this. They must know the condition of their flocks. They ought to know what their sheep are reading. They ought to recognize which sheep would be described as “weak…weighed down by sins…led by various impulses.” The various impulses is an interesting way of describing someone who is wishy-washy, unstable spiritually, and changes their beliefs and mind often. We are to be led by God’s word. We are to be led by the Spirit. Various impulses is what gets most of us in trouble. We become worried and off we go. We doubt and off we go. We get discouraged and off we go. Impulses leading us to where ever they take us. No direction. No guidance. Drifting about without an anchor. False teachers recognize this. They didn’t stumble upon weak women by accident. They knew. They knew exactly who to go to and they knew exactly what to say. False teachers are sharp. I wonder if they are sharper than the shepherds who are supposed to be watching the sheep. Maybe the shepherds do not want to admit that some are weak and led by impulses. Maybe they don’t want to deal with those kind of things. False teachers don’t mind. They will visit homes, as our passage describes, just for that very purpose.

 

Thirdly, God’s word is the answer through all of this. Brethren need to know God’s word. We need spiritually strong Christians. Error doesn’t stand a chance against truth. A twisted statement is caught early and swiftly by those who know. Those who are weak are hurting others. They are prone to spiritual trouble. The solution? Teach God’s word. Get to know the Bible. Quit being weak. Stop being weighed down by sins. No longer be led by impulses. That is the solution. Error has to leave when that happens. It will look for another house.

 

We should take away from this study the thought that Satan never quits trying to get God’s people. He will use every avenue, including books, sermons and even other Christians to trip us. The battle is on going. Our outcome is based upon how much of God’s book is in us.

I hope this helps.

Roger