10

Jump Start # 1391

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1391

Matthew 7:11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in Heaven give what is good to those who ask Him.”

Our verse today, coming from the Lord’s masterpiece sermon on the mount shows the goodness of God. The Lord knows what we need. The Lord knows how to give good gifts. Jesus contrasts this with dads. When a child is hungry, a dad doesn’t give the child a rock. That is a useless gift. It was not what the child wanted and it does not help the child in his current state. Nor, would a dad give his child a snake. Not only would that not be useful, it could be harmful. Evil dads know how to provide good gifts to their children. A good God will provide what is good for His children.

 

It is easy to view gifts from God as the tangible items that we hold in our hands or those things of value that increase our wealth. Many, many of God’s gifts are different than that. They are not the things that can be put on a shelf, sold on Ebay or held in your hands.

 

Here is a short list of a few of God’s gifts:

 

1. Life’s lessons. God puts us in places and passes experiences before us that can mold us, change us, help us and remind us. God ultimately is concerned with our spiritual wellbeing and salvation above all things. We may suffer hardships, endure tough times, struggle but if it leads to a heart that bows to God, those have been powerful gifts. We may not, and most times, do not view those hard journeys as gifts. We would rather that they move on down the road for us, but for the listening heart, the opened eyes, God’s presence, God’s hand, and God’s word teaches us things in the darkness that we will never learn in the sunshine of life.

 

Today, I go to bury a friend. He was 86 years old. He was a preacher at heart and a good man. Tomorrow, I go to celebrate my dad’s 90th birthday with family and friends. It will be a party. Tears today, laughter tomorrow. Life is like that. It’s rarely a flat road. It’s hills and valleys. It’s up and it’s down. Reflecting on the lives of two old men, soldiers of Christ, good, kind and helpful, brings not only precious memories, but life’s lessons.  I view the presence of these two men in my life as God’s gifts. God puts many people in our lives. Some are there to help us. Some we learn from. Others learn from us. We become God’s gifts to others. It is easy to overlook such wonderful people as gifts from God. Where would we be without some of these people. They have taught us, reminded us, helped us, and been there for us. Without them, we may not know the Lord. Without them, we may have stayed longer in the wilderness. God’s gifts, in the lives of others.

 

2. Life’s opportunities. Paul prayed for open doors to preach the Gospel. The church at Philadelphia was given an open door. When John saw the first vision in Heaven, he saw a door standing open. It wasn’t closed. It wasn’t locked. It was opened. Open doors that have led to jobs, education, improvement. Open doors that have allowed the word of God to be taught. Opportunities bring hope and hope brings life. It is the guy who has run out of hope that sees only closed doors before him. He feels stuck and trapped. He is miserable and without options. Often our prayers are little. Little prayers bring little results. Why not pray for open doors? Why not pray big prayers? Why not see that it is a big God that we serve.

 

3. Life’s connection. Jesus began this section in His sermon by saying, “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Those three words, ask, seek, and knock are found to be progressive in nature. In other words, keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. It’s not a one time event. It’s not done once and it’s over. And the one who gives, the one who answers, the one who opens, is God. It is God who knows how to give good gifts. God in our lives. God present every day in our hearts and minds. God with us. When David described the journey through the valley of the shadow of death, in Psalms 23, he included, “Thou art with me.” I am not alone. I am not sent through the valley by myself. God is with me. When a loud thunderstorm awakens and frightens a child at night, he often races to his parents bed. There nestled between his parents, he feels safe. The storm is still loud. The storm has not passed, but the assurance and presence of his parents makes everything better. It’s that way for us. God’s there. The storm still rages on, but God with us, changes everything.

 

What should we ask, seek and knock for? The shallow and unspiritual answer would be, “A million dollars.” That’s not wise, spiritual nor to be expected. With that, a person would spend it foolishly and find himself even further away from God. Should we ask for wisdom to know how to say and do the right things today? Should we ask to seek someone who we may help or who may help us learn of God more? Should we knock upon a heart that has been closed by a bad experience and see if they will open up and possibly give God another chance? Ask, seek, knock—God’s with you as you walk down the path He has for you.

 

God is generous. God is good. God is a giver. Those same characteristics ought to be found in God’s children. Bothered, turn to God. Hurting, turn to God. Feeling blessed, turn to God. Alone, turn to God. Ask, seek, knock. He knows how to give good gifts. He’s been doing that for a long, long time. Just look at what He did with Jesus, the greatest gift of all.

 

Have you asked Him? Maybe it’s time.

 

Roger

 

09

Jump Start # 1390

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1390

Mark 5:22 “One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and on seeing Him, fell at His feet and implored Him earnestly, saying, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.’”

  Our thoughts today center around the powerful Mark five—the chapter that is packed with action, emotion and miracles. The chapter begins with the encounter with the demon possessed man. Naked, screaming and running at Jesus, it’s enough to frightened most of us. The demons are cast into a herd of hogs that rush off a cliff and 2,000 are drowned in the sea. The townspeople ask Jesus to leave and the former possessed man asks to join Jesus. The Lord tells him to go report to your people what great things the Lord has done. Back into the boat and now on the other side, another intense event. This is a 911 moment. A little girl is dying. Before all the things unfold, there will be yet another miracle, a woman with the issue of blood, touches Jesus. As that layer of lessons unfolds, the little girl dies. All hope it seems is lost. The word is don’t bother Jesus any more, she’s gone. Even they believe that there is a ceiling and a limit to what Jesus can do. The Lord would go and resurrect the girl.

 

These stories are loaded with emotion, urgency, compassion, power and eventually all point toward Jesus, being the Son of God. If I was given only one chapter in the Bible to preach for the rest of my life, this would be my choice. The lessons are mighty. Today, I want to share yet another great lesson. It’s found at the front end of things, just as the story unfolds and begins.

 

Jairus is the name of the synagogue official who comes to Jesus. More importantly than being that important official, Jairus is dad to a twelve year old girl. His name is given in contrast to the unknown and unnamed woman with the issue of blood who touches Jesus. His name is given as a form of Biblical footnote. Jairus may well have still been alive when Mark wrote this gospel. Readers may have known Jairus. He may well have become a follower and a believer. His name, this story, helps those early readers to verify the truthfulness. The readers could ask Jairus and maybe even his daughter about these things.

 

I expect there were many events that led up to our verse today. Most twelve year olds are not out playing and then become literally deathly ill instantly. What usually happens is that one day a person doesn’t feel well. This is when moms do their thing. Moms shine at these moments. Dads often don’t think too much of these things but moms notice. Our daughter, years ago, playing softball for the company team, was catching when a guy tried to score from second base. He ran right through her. She was done. We took her home, battered, beat up and in tears. We went to the emergency room and they couldn’t find anything. Home to bed and there she stayed. She continued to stay there. My words of wisdom? “Walk it off, it’ll get better.” I actually said that. The kids won’t let me forget that I said that. Mom took her back to the hospital and more tests found that she had injured her spine. Moms know.

 

Common medicines would have been used on this girl. Nothing. She was getting worse. Doctors would have been called in. Back then, doctors came to the home. More advice. More medicines. Dad, being a synagogue official, would have been praying, both at home and in services for his daughter. Those prayers were not answered as he thought they should have been. She got worse. Now panic sets in. Do something. Do anything. Those would have been the words of mom. Jairus seems to know something about Jesus. In his approach, he comes and fell at the feet of Jesus. He recognized Jesus from the twelve apostles. Thirteen men and he knew which one was Jesus. It wasn’t because of halos, Jesus didn’t have that. It wasn’t because His face glowed. That didn’t happen. In his plea, Jairus says, ‘Come and lay your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.’ Interesting. Why come? Why lay hands on her? Jairus didn’t take the Naaman approach who thought the man of God would come and wave his arms and say all kinds of things. Jairus seemed to know what Jesus would do. He has heard of Jesus. He has heard of the healings. Word spreads from village to village.

 

And now the powerful lesson. Being a Jewish leader, a synagogue official, Jairus comes face to face with what he knows and what he doesn’t want to admit. When Jesus healed the man with the withered hand, it took place in a synagogue. That official blasted Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. When the bent over woman was healed in the synagogue, that official was very upset with what Jesus had done. Most synagogue officials were not happy with Jesus. He was healing on the Sabbath, turning tables over in the Temple and had an answer for every hypothetical thrown at Him. The upper crest of the Jewish system was buzzing about what to do with Jesus. Jairus would have been right in all of that. He had heard. He knew what others were saying. But now, his little girl was so ill, it looked like she wasn’t going to make it. Now, the situation made dad rise up and overcome what he may have thought and felt and what others would say and he goes to Jesus. Before a large crowd, where others would be shocked to see him approaching and bowing to Jesus, and then inviting Jesus to his home, all of this is thrown out, because his daughter was dying. Desperation, fear and the urgency to do something, will cause a person to overcome prejudice, pride and the fear of what others might think to do what is right and necessary.

 

In this, we find our lesson. Many dads have walked in Jairus’ shoes. No, their daughters may not have been dying from some illness, but maybe their daughters were dying from discouragement, or, from hanging with the wrong crowd, or, a lack of spiritual peers that could help them. Dads see this. It becomes a battle to get them to come to services each week. Their dress becomes more immodest. Their attitudes more sour. Things are getting worse. Mom was the first to notice. They do. Maybe we need to switch congregations. That thought is discussed. For some, that’s hard, but not too hard. They may live in an area where there are several options. But what will we tell people? Fear. Pride. What will others think? We have friends here. Dad, put yourself in the shoes of Jairus. For others, this is a huge decision. It may mean having to travel miles and miles to find a congregation where love reigns, shepherds actually shepherd and deacons dec and preachers preach. A place where classes are challenging, encouraging and helpful. A place where Christ is making a difference in their lives. Gossip is frowned upon. A place where support, fellowship and faith are the norm. I have talked to so many modern Jairus’ today. Their families are dying spiritually. Nothing is being done. Nothing is being done at home and nothing is being done in the congregation. Instead of stepping it up and having some home devotions. Instead of packing the family up and finding a better option to worship, they each go to their own rooms and watch TV or get their electronic gadgets and nothing is done. As the kids grow and move out, they do not worship any more. They date and marry people who do not believe. A new generation comes and they are not told anything about the Lord. A death has taken place and too often, it was not even noticed until it was too late.

 

Not in Jairus’ home. The day came, he went looking for Jesus. He found Jesus. He bowed before a large crowd. He pleaded for the Lord to come. He did what he had to in order to save his daughter. Dads, are you willing to do that to save your family? Maybe it’s time you got to services dad. Maybe it’s time we ate a meal without a phone being present. Maybe it’s time we opened the Book and really talked. Maybe it’s time we looked into the eyes of our dear children and realized what their spiritual health really is.

 

There is no price too great to pay for Heaven. If it means quitting your job, which is tough in this economy, a person would do that to save their soul. If it meant moving, as hard as that may be financially, a person would do that for Heaven. If it meant switching congregations, inviting some folks over to help have a Bible study, there is no price, there is no cost, that is too great for Heaven. A few weeks ago I was in Houston, taking part in some amazing lectures. I met a family, mom, dad and kids. They had taken a week vacation to come to the lectures. Two sermons in the morning and two sermons in the evening. Lots and lots of singing. Tons of fellow believers. It is an amazing event. It ought to be on everyone’s spiritual bucket list. But a family took their vacation time to do that. Instead of doing Disney. Instead of going to the beach, they came to a church building twice a day for a week. That dad understood Jairus. That dad knew the value of doing what you have to do to save your family. I talked to some of the kids. Kind, respectful and loving the week. They weren’t bored. They didn’t hate it. They were benefitting from it. What a great dad!

 

It’s time to be Jairus. Do whatever you have to do to save your soul and your family. Forget miles. Forget costs. Forget what others think. Forget pride. Find Jesus and invite Him home with you. I, for way too long, have heard folks complaining and complaining about sorry worship services, dead sermons, lifeless classes and having no plans at home to help them spiritually. Yet, these same folks that complain, do nothing. They are not the Jairus I read about. When bothered, I do things. I have walked out of movies before. I have looked at menus in a restaurant and left. We’ll send our kids across the country if a college will give them a scholarship, but we will do nothing at home while the family dies spiritually. The solutions are not in the church. That plays a role, but the real solution lies in what is done at home. I expect Mrs. Jairus had some say in her husband finding Jesus.

 

Don’t you think it’s time for you to go find Jesus? Don’t you think it’s time to save your children? Do you recognize that they may be dying spiritually? Are you just going to sit back and let them die? What can I do, you might think. Do what Jairus did. Find Jesus. Invite Him home with you.

 

Roger

 

08

Jump Start # 1389

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1389

2 Corinthians 10:5 “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ”

  The setting of our passage is combative. The verses leading up to this well illustrate this. The apostle states, “we do not war according to the flesh,” (3); “the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh” (4). This language is sprinkled throughout the N.T. Timothy was told to “fight the good fight of faith.”

 

Some thoughts from our passage today:

 

First, Christians travel through enemy territory. The culture, the world, society is not friendly toward God’s people. There is a strong leaning toward the wrong side of things. This was true in the first century and it remains true today. I hate snakes. I hate all snakes. I don’t go to the reptile parts of the zoo because they have snakes. Some of our readers will tell me that certain snakes are good. Not in my book. The word “good” and snakes only belong in the same sentence if the snake is GOOD and dead. The other day I discovered a snake skin by my air conditioner. That means one has been there. Every time I go by there, I’m looking. He may be there somewhere. I hate snakes. As a Christian, we must realize that we are journeying through hostile land. It’s dangerous to our faith. Satan has many, many missiles in his arsenal. He’ll use fleshly temptation. He’ll disguise error as pretty looking truth. He’ll use friends and family to pull us from Christ. He’ll try to scare us, chase us and corner us until we give up. The voices of wrong are loud and everywhere today. We must be watching. We must be careful.

 

Second, Christians are on the offense. That’s the tone of our passage. We are destroying…we are taking every thought captive. We are on the move. We are not hiding in bed with a blanket over our heads. We are not looking for a white flag to wave. We are taking charge of the situation. We wear our spiritual armor. We are marching under the banner of Christ. We know the outcome, Christ wins. The Lord said do not fear the one who can kill the body and do no more. Satan is limited in what he can do.

 

Third, Christians are winning. The tone of the passage illustrates that. We are destroying, we are taking captive. Ground is being won by Christians. We are not being destroyed, rather, we are destroying what the enemy holds. Now, we might question that in these times. Rainbow flags are flying as a mockery to what God says about marriage. Courts are allowing same sex marriages and ordering courthouses to remove Ten Commandment monuments. God is out and sin is in. Modern churches are afraid and are caving in to the loud demands of a few hell-bent and hell-bound radicals. The media has caved in. Corporate America is caving in. The modern church has caved in. Politicians have caved in. Yet, across this land, there are, as in Elijah’s days, thousands that have not bowed their knees to Baal. There remains thousands who take their orders not from the White House, but from Heaven’s house. They continue to preach, teach and walk with the Lord. Folks living on Main Street are shocked, sickened and tired of liberal agendas. They do not work. It has proven to be a failed and flawed system. Folks are tired of churches being everything but a church. Shallow preaching, empty worship services, lifeless classes are not helping nor answering the problems that families are facing today. Christ remains the answer. He always has. And one by one, folks are turning to Christ. Across this land, nearly every day, someone is being converted to Christ. Sins are washed away, hope is restored, and another person says “No,” to the world and takes up their cross to follow the Lord.

 

Fourth, the battle is engaged on the spiritual arena. There is no physical pushing, fighting or tearing down of things. This is a spiritual battle. As Revelation shows the battle between Christ and Satan, so is our battle. The greatest tool is the word of God. The greatest defense is knowledge of that word. When some want to get physically aggressive, walk away. That’s not our battle. We do not come with swords, but rather, with the word of the Lord. Shouting matches do little good. Pointing fingers and accusing doesn’t change things. What works is getting into discussions. Prove your point. Who gives you the right to define marriage? Start there. Who makes the rules? How do you know there is no God? It’s the spiritual engagement that wins the battle. Prove your point. Prove all things.

 

Fifth, these battles involve Christians defending Christ. These charges and attacks were raised up against Christ. It is not against us personally, but against Christ that we defend. We are in this for the Lord. He is our God and our Savior.

 

There is a hymn that begins, “Troublesome times are here.” Yes, they are. They have been here since Christ left. The Lord told us that men would love darkness rather than the light. He said that men would be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. He said that we would be hated because of Him. Indeed, it’s troublesome. However, we know the outcome and we know what is expected of us.

 

Onward we march. When we hear things that are wrong and offensive to the Lord, we bring them captive to the obedience of Christ. We don’t go along. We don’t try to build bridges that take us the wrong way. We continue on with the Lord.

 

This is why Bible classes and worship can be such an oasis and relief for the child of God. They are a rest park for our souls as we continue on our journey. It is at worship that we see others. We are not alone. It is at worship that we get refreshed, reminded and taught. It is at worship that our hearts learn of our loving Lord and the battle that others have made through the act of faith. Fellowship is not about hotdogs, basketball and gyms, but rather, encouragement, hope building and souls being strengthened. Fellowship is about prayers and hymns sung and the word being preached. It is about connecting with one another on a level that the world will never understand. It’s sharing tears and hope and realizing the good that is being done. It is about compassion and kindness.

 

Those that come to worship just now and then have a hard time understanding all of this. They have one foot in the world and they don’t see all the fuss with things that are wrong. They are missing. They are weak. They will not last long in a spiritual battle. They are more likely to drop the word and run. Be strong were the apostle’s words. Act like men. Be immoveable. Be like Christ.

 

Our homes and our worship times ought to be safe houses for us. It is in these places that we can find rest for our souls and strength to go on. We need spiritual homes. We need spiritual hours of worship. In every battle, some soldiers fall. In this battle, it’s those who do not recognize the enemy nor understand what is at  stake.

 

We are at war, but someday, this will be over. Live as if one foot is already in Heaven.

 

Roger

 

07

Jump Start # 1388

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1388

Revelation 14:13 “And I heard a voice from Heaven, saying, ‘Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.”

  His name was Richard, but I always knew him simply as Dick. He was a friend and a good man. He passed from this life last Sunday morning. He was born on a Sunday and he died on a Sunday. I really like that. He died on the one year anniversary of another dear friend’s death, Billy.

I had only known Dick for about seven years, but the time was stacked full of memories. We had golfed together. I cooked steaks on his charcoal grill in his back porch and then enjoyed a wonderful meal with him and his sweet wife, Billie. He had eaten in my home more than once. We loved to talk about N.B. Hardeman, one of his teachers in college. But more than all of those things, Dick was a preacher. He loved to tell folks that he taught school to support his preaching habit. The places he preached were small. The work that he did was grand. There is a special bond among preachers. We tend to understand each other, and although there was a generation difference, we had that bond. He taught the Gospel of John that was very rich and thorough. When we met, we both shared a common expression, “How ya’ doin’, preacher?” He was witty, sharp, and loved music. He was gifted in that area. We had some plans that just didn’t pan out. He was going to write some class material and more than that, we were working on having Dick read some of our Jump Starts so folks could listen to them as well as read them. He had a rich and easy listening voice. But sickness took over and finally took his life.

 

There are two special things I will always remember about Dick. He was always so kind to me and saw things that few others did. He would take me aside and ask me, “How is it that you can pull so much out of a verse?” Or, “How do you see all those things in a passage?” I even shared a few books with him that had helped me open my eyes and to look deeper. In his eighties, Dick wanted to learn to see and pull from Scriptures what I had learned. He was a student at heart. I hope I can be like that until God is finished with me.

 

The other thing I will always remember about Dick is that he was a true fan of our Jump Starts. He read them diligently and talked about them often. He was interested in how many readers we had and how far they were spreading. I shared some of your emails that have been written to me with Dick. I wish you could have seen the twinkle in his eyes as he read them. Being the teacher that Dick always was, he’d call me and say, “You didn’t study English in college did you?” I knew where he was going. I’d say, “No, I was a science major, mostly Biology. What did I do today in the Jump Start?” Then in his kind way, he’d instruct me, ‘you can’t go from past tense to future tense to present tense in the same sentence. Also, you mix the singular with the plural.” There would be a long pause. I’d say, “did I do that?” He’d laugh and say, “Boy, did you.”

 

I learned from this sweet man that a person needs to be kind when they correct others. He was that way with me. I saw in him the joy of the Scriptures. He loved to talk about passages. It came so easy to him. Dick probably didn’t realize it, but he was laboring and helping me, even to the end. And now, according to our passage, there is a sweet rest awaiting him.

 

Recently, someone asked, “Why are all the good ones leaving us?” I believe the technical answer would be that they have finished the journey that God had planned for them. But it may just be that they were ready. Maybe God is giving the rest of us more time. More time to be ready. More time to help others.

 

It is only fitting that I pull a famous passage of our Lord from the Gospel of John, the book that Dick cherished and understood so well. At the death of Lazarus, the Lord’s friend, Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” He will live even if he dies. That’s Dick. That’s the Lord’s promise. That awaits all of us who believe. Death isn’t the end. There is no “The End” to our story. The journey ends with God, not the cemetery. He lives even if he dies.

 

We can get so caught up being busy with things that simply do not matter. Our time here is precious. We can fuss and get folks all upset about things that really do not matter. Holding to faith, walking with the Lord, loving God’s people, and doing whatever we can to make things better, especially spiritually, are the labors that we ought to pursue and be engaged in. How tragic for a person to be given decades of life, only to say that he went to work, had a family and that’s about it. That’s it? We have before us each day the opportunity to shed light, be kind, show Jesus and improve the hope we have in Christ. I fear that when this time here is over and the Lord asks us what we have done, the only answer some will have is that they went to church. That’s it. That’s all. Isn’t there more that we can all do to help others? Remember the section, “I was hungry and you fed me…naked and you clothed me…” We could stretch this to, I was discouraged and you helped me, I didn’t understand and you taught me, I was afraid and you comforted me, I was mourning and you came to be with me, I was new and you included me, I was old and you helped me, I was young and you didn’t over look me. I was a preacher and you were kind to me.

 

The resting from our labors that our passage mentions, has nothing to do with working at an office for forty years. It does, however, have everything to do with our walk with the Lord. Those early brethren labored to keep the faith. They were chased, hunted down, abused and killed in the name of Christ. Yet their voices were not stilled nor quiet. The kingdom grew. The kingdom became strong. It was hard. They labored. This is the rest that they will enjoy. This is the work that we must do. Our jobs are not going to the office each day, our jobs is the kingdom work. Like my friend, Dick, we work to support our habit of building the kingdom.

 

Even this morning, I can see Dick saying to me, “Hello, my friend.” My friend. What a special, special person he was. My last words to him were, “I love you,” of which, he quickly fired back, in a soft, weakened voice,  “I love you, too.”

We are marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion. Let us be busy in the kingdom, until the Lord stops us. I am blessed to have known so well this sweet, sweet man. I am thankful that the Lord allowed our paths to cross. The memories are rich. The stories are many. The time was much too short. However, his memory will not be forgotten.

Thank you, Dick Dewhirst. You were and remain a friend.

Thank you, Lord.

Do you believe?

Roger

06

Jump Start # 1387

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1387

Galatians 2:4-5 “But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the Gospel would remain with you.”

  Our passage today sounds like a suspenseful movie. There were false brethren, spying, people sneaking in, attempts to capture. This however, wasn’t a movie. This actually took place. The Jewish set was determined to disrupt and destroy the leaders of Christianity. They had some success. Stephen had been killed. James was killed. Peter and John were in and out of jail. The disciples had scattered. Yet, in all of this, Christianity grew. It continued to grow. It was larger than one person. It did not need one location to keep it going. Then, a leading persecutor, Saul, flipped over and became one of the disciples. The Jews turned on him and were set to destroy him.

 

There are several interesting expressions and words we ought to look at from our verse today.

 

First, there were false brethren. They were not true. They were not true to Christ. They were false because of the what they were doing. True brethren unite. True brethren seek to build up and grow. False brethren strive to divide. False brethren try to alienate, separate and destroy. The false brethren are not after good. The expression “false brethren” is concerning to us. Who and what were they? Had they been immersed as the true brethren had? Were they worshipping with the saints on a regular basis as true brethren were? Could these folks be the wolves in sheep clothing that Jesus referred to? We have a lot of questions and not a lot of information from the text. They were mainly false because they were not following Christ. They had a different agenda. Was it always that way with them or had they been bought out by the Jews?

 

A greater question, are there such things as false brethren today? Maybe not to the extent of these Jewish radicals, but a person who becomes a Christian for reasons other than salvation, their soul and Christ, may fall into this listing. A person may become a Christian because that is the only way to be allowed to marry someone that they have been dating. Their conversion, faith and walk with Christ is shallow and driven by the desire to get married. Once the “I dos” are said, they drop out and are rarely seen. They have not been converted. Someone else may do a similar thing just to grab attention. He sees others getting hugs and a lot of attention after baptism, and they hunger for that. So they get baptized, but they have not been converted. Still others, may see a great circle of clients to sell things to. Becoming one of them is just an attempt to gain confidence so as to make profit off of them. Using the brethren for ulterior motives. The heart of those that do such things is not changed and their sins have not been forgiven because they have not sought Christ, nor have they made Christ their Lord. What they have done was not an act of faith, but a selfish attempt to get what they want.

 

Second, these false brethren were sneaking in and spying on the brethren, and Paul particularly. It seems that these false brethren were flunkies doing the dirty work for someone higher up. They would get the dirt needed and then tell who ever sent them and then the curtain would fall on Paul. The problem with all of this mastermind plan was that Paul was above board. He wasn’t doing anything wrong. There was nothing to catch Paul doing that he would be ashamed of nor found guilty of. Paul was true to Christ and running on his convictions. He wasn’t like these Jewish spies who broke the law for their own convenience.

 

Among brethren today, there is no need for secrets. Available financial sheets, open communication ought to be the norm among brethren. It is when things are hush hush or only a select few are in the loop that suspicion arises. Trust, love and faith in Christ and one another eliminates all those things. Spying on one another is rather sick thinking.

 

Third, Paul wouldn’t give these false brethren any time. The expression is, “we did not yield to them in subjection, for even an hour.” Paul knew. He knew that these spies were spies. He knew the false brethren were false. They pretended to be genuine, but they were fakes. Paul recognized. One’s true colors show after a while. He would not give them a platform. He would not give them his ear. He would not listen to them. They were false and their agenda was to hurt and destroy and they were not allowed to have any influence upon the brethren.

 

Some folks shouldn’t be given the platform to speak. Most often today, it’s done from a pew during a Bible class. Someone has some gripes that they want to air. Someone has an agenda that he wants to parade before others. Someone wants to use the occasion to take some pot shots at the leaders or the church in general. They dominate time and express their agendas, often upsetting those who listen to their rant and little good is done. The purpose of the class is to study the Bible, instead, it becomes a time for rebels, radicals and those not committed to the kingdom to throw stones. I’ve seen it happen. It’s not pretty, nice, wise nor what God would approve of.

 

From our passage, Paul would not allow the false brethren even an hour. They are false. Their motives are not pure. They are not set for the kingdom of Christ. So hush up. Put your hand down. You will not be allowed to speak, give a talk nor address the congregation. Shepherds today must protect God’s people. There are times when these very actions must take place. Until someone can demonstrate and prove that they are wanting to encourage, help and strengthen souls, then they should not be given an moment of time. The church is not a democracy—the will of the people. It is a theocracy—the will of God. No, not everyone has the right to speak out. No, not everyone has the right to say what they want. If what being said, disrupts, distorts, hurts and is counter productive to the kingdom, then no, you don’t get to speak. It’s easy to cast stones, point fingers, accuse and then do nothing about it. It’s easy to upset, splinter and divide a group. This often happens by allowing anyone to say anything.

 

 

Paul wouldn’t put up with it. Not even for an hour. We stand with Christ. We hold to the one faith of the Gospel. If someone isn’t true to that, then change or hit the road. Years of good can go out the window in a few moments through the stirring things up by radicals. Years ago, I had a close encounter with such a spirit. He wanted to preach. He wanted to dominate class time. He thrived on controversy. He was upsetting folks. He didn’t want to talk in private. There was no one on one that he was interested in. It was the group that he was after. He loved to see folks stirred up and upset. His heart wasn’t right. I got with him finally, one on one. Just me and him. His tone was hostile and mean. He had little good to say about anything we were doing. He accused, pointed fingers and was extremely negative. I told him that every church building that I had ever been in, from little country churches, to big, large city churches, all of them had a front door. I told him if he wasn’t happy with us, leave. Go. Find another church. He was stunned. He’d never heard a preacher asking someone to leave. He tried to turn that against me. I read our verses today from Galatians. I told him that I had given him more time than Paul would have. He finally left. He bounced around unhappily for a few years. Worshipped in his house by himself for a while. The last I heard, he fell off the map and stopped his journey with the Lord.

 

Be like Jesus. Treat others like Jesus would. Live by faith, hope, compassion. Seek to do good as Jesus did. Build up. Strengthen others. Leave this place in a better condition than when you came. If you can’t do that and if you insist on being sour and troublesome, maybe it’s time to start looking for the door.

 

God treasures His word and His people. Be right with both.

 

Not even for an hour, would Paul put up with them.

 

Roger