What’s the Catch?

The favored ones are...
Matthew 5:3

When you listen to someone preach or when you sit down to read the Bible, what are you expecting? I remember being taught as a child that the Bible was God’s ‘instruction book.’ So when I would read or listen, I would look for commands to obey - what should I do? How should I live? What are the habits I should develop so that life can be better?

Is that how you’re thinking about Jesus’ teaching now? It would be completely normal to expect a to-do list, complete with rewards and penalties. After all, we can clearly observe cause and effect in the universe. And most of us have a developed sense of justice - if I do right, good things should happen to me.

It would have been normal for Jesus’ disciples to expect this as well. Remember, when Jesus went up the mountain, he was sending the message that God was about to relate to people again, just like he did with Moses. And when Moses ascended the mountain to deliver God’s covenant, God began almost immediately with commands about how his people were to live.

Consider the way that Moses introduced God’s covenant: “And now, Israel, listen to the decrees and laws which I am teaching you, so that you’ll live and go in and take possession of the land...”(Deuteronomy 4:1). Listen and obey and you’ll be rewarded.

So the disciples probably expected an obedience/reward system, and to some degree we probably expect it. And we probably want it. We want to be told, at the end of the day, ‘Good job.’ We want to have the pride of getting something we earned. We want to be able to view ourselves, and have others view us, as doing what’s right. And we want to have control over making sure we can immediately get what we think will make us happy.

But we, and the disciples, would’ve been completely ignoring what Jesus had been doing before this sermon. Remember: God’s Kingdom was on the verge of arriving. And how did one enter it? By ‘repenting.’ And repenting includes the admission that I have broken God’s laws and deserve punishment, not reward. And to push it a little further, it includes the admission that, at the heart level, my desires are rebellious, and my inner-most soul needs to be transformed by God.

There’s one other reason that our expectations of an obedience/reward system would indicate we’ve not been paying attention to Jesus. Remember, Jesus started his ministry by giving out some of the gifts of the Kingdom of God - curing sickness and pain. He didn’t demand that people go live a completely good life out of pure devotion to God, and that then He’d pay them back by healing them. He just healed them, while commanding them to turn the course of their lives Godward.

Still, if we’re honest, we’re asking, “What’s the catch?” We still want to earn rewards. We’re still, like Jesus’ disciples, probably expecting to hear what we’ve got to do.

So when Jesus starts his sermon by saying, “The favored ones are...,” or “Blessed are...,” our world and our expectations get turned on their heads.

Jesus wasn’t giving a list of do’s and don’ts with rewards and penalties, which is what we’d expect. He was simply saying that, since God’s Kingdom via Christ was bursting on the scene, he was about to give gifts to certain people. He’s not saying ‘this is how to get rewarded’; rather, He’s declaring that particular people, particular sinners, are already favored by God.

Now, honestly, there is a catch. God doesn’t give favor to everyone; these gifts aren’t for every individual in the world. God is about to give descriptions of those who he has already chosen to favor.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, either. After all, God ended the first covenant by declaring Israel - and only Israel - as favored by God. “You are favored, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD!”(Deuteronomy 33:29). They were favored by God not because they’d done anything good, but simply because God chose to love those who didn’t care about him.

God had favored Israel - they got God’s word, and for a time, would get a homeland. But God’s first declaration of favor did not give them God’s Kingdom. It gave them a temporary picture of it.

Jesus’ declarations here are about something far greater: eternal, happy, relationship with God in his presence. And who are these ‘favored ones’? Jesus is about to describe what their lives will look like; but he’s already told us who they are: those who repent. Perhaps at this point, it would be helpful to define repentance. We’ll look at it from multiple angles to get a good picture of the whole.

Those who repent...
- admit that God exists, and that He determines, and has verbally defined in the Bible, what things are right and wrong. We don’t get to decide what right and wrong is.
- admit that we have broken God’s laws, and experience a sorrow that points us to cry out for the mercy that's only found in Christ.
- admit that our breaking of God’s laws deserves punishment, and that the only way out is God, graciously, not exercising justice against us, but against someone else - namely, Jesus, through the punishment he received.
- admit that not only does our record of sin need to be done away with, but that our hearts are wicked - and that we want God to change our very desires, regardless of how that will change our lives.
- commit themselves to learning what God has commanded us to think, feel, and do - and begin to, though imperfectly, pursue learning and keeping those commands... why because a part of the gift of salvation given to us is a new heart that has this overwhelming desire to love Him.

Now I don't want you to go off thinking that everyone must do exactly what this list says in order to experience true biblical repentance. These are principles based off of Scripture pertaining to those who experience godly sorrow that produces a repentance that leads to salvation... a salvation that's without regret of all that was lost upon receiving it.

Everyone who repents is favored by God, and is receiving His Kingdom - yes they're rewarded for good things done (Rev 19:7-9) - but all as a part of the Gift. He not only grants us the penalty paid for our sins but also grants us righteous deeds that are done through the Holy Spirit in us of which is summed up in the perfect work of Christ. The beauty of this is that we are treated as if we actually did the righteous deeds ourselves (even though we wouldn't and couldn't), and this is all simply based on God’s loving favor and His desire for relationship with us. He loves us, and He favors every sinner who repents. He has already given a particular people favor - it is not something we can earn.

Things you may want to pray about:
- Praise God for loving sinners!
- Praise God for the fact that he gives eternal life.
- If you are ‘repentant,’ praise God for giving repentance to you.
- Praise God for forgiving your sins and putting the judgment you deserve on Christ.

Think about people you know who are not repenting and places in the world where people are not repenting. Those people are not under God’s favor. Ask God to give them the gift of His Kingdom.
Consider things that you need to admit to God in which you’ve not obeyed Him. Ask Him for forgiveness and for help to obey Him. Thank Him that forgiveness and eternal life are gifts.
Consider the ways that you try to earn God’s favor. Or if you don’t try to get happiness in life by religious means, consider the ways that you try to get happiness and hope apart from God (i.e. entertainment, food, sex, friendship). Confess these strivings to earn rewards or joy as sins against God. Thank him for forgiveness. Ask Him to help you enjoy the fact that His Kingdom is truly, completely, an unearned gift that we don’t pay for, because He already did.

Onesimus & James Miles III

The God Who Introduces Himself

And because he saw the crowds, he went up a mountain. And after he sat down, his students came to him. Then, he opened his mouth and began to teach them, saying...
Matthew 5:1-2

What are you thinking about as you sit down to read this today? Maybe you’re thinking, “I really need to feel connected to God.” Maybe you’re thinking, “Well, here we go - I’m going to be disciplined and read some spiritual stuff now.” Maybe you’re a naturally disciplined person, and you’re doing this out of habit - a very good habit - but thinking about other things that you’ve got lined up for the day.

Whatever it is you’re thinking about, I think you’d agree that what we think about is a result of what we long for, and the action of longing comes from an underlying belief that if we get what we long for, we’ll be happier and avoid pain. And that’s normal. As people, we all are on a pursuit to find lasting happiness and avoid pain.

The people who heard and saw Jesus were no different. They heard the promises of a perfect, happy Kingdom which would be given as a gift to everyone who submitted to God’s commands. And they saw the preacher reverse the effects of sin in the world - stopping sickness, pain, and even death. Word spread, and people gathered. Like us, these people wanted to be happy. And this guy looked like a good candidate to give them what they wanted.

He went up the mountain...

Jesus responded to the gathered crowds by going up a mountain. Now, Matthew, who was one of Jesus’ students who was there, and who wrote this book, isn’t trying to be a good storyteller in telling us that Jesus went up a mountain. He’s not trying to simply give us a setting for this sermon; there are no other setting elements. Further, Jesus intentionally went up the mountain. He was sending a message by his actions along with his words that would shock the crowds (7:29).

This is why Jesus’ ascending the mountain would’ve been surprising. The most important prophet in Israel’s history was Moses. That’s because God established his relationship, technically ‘covenant,’ with Israel, through Moses. Moses was commanded to ascend a mountain to get the terms of the covenant from God to deliver them to the people. And when he did, God, accompanied by darkness, thunder and lightning, from the mountain, verbally announced his Law to the whole nation. They were, understandably, terrified. (See Exodus 19-20.)

God’s covenant with Israel included laws, and it also included promises - promises that were ultimately for the forgiveness of sins and eternal joyful life in God’s presence. The God who had announced himself to all of Israel was certainly scary, but he was also certainly good and loving - and could be trusted. God had introduced himself to Israel way back then - and it was an act of favor to people who had no real, lasting hope.

So when Jesus, the herald of God’s coming Kingdom, went up a mountain he was sending a message. God was about to speak again. God was about to introduce himself. God was about to initiate relationship with man.

Humans were about to see the glory and hear the voice of the God who loves.

He sat down...

When Jesus sat down, he was taking the cultural posture of a preacher in that day. It was as if he was getting behind a pulpit. His students, or disciples, came to him. They were committed to his teaching before this point; but now their attention was really grabbed. And why wouldn’t it be? What experience would be more momentous than God relating to you?

He opened His mouth and taught...

Matthew then tells us that Jesus opened his mouth and taught. On a quick reading, one might pass over that phrase ‘opened his mouth’ as just a strange manner of speaking of ancient people. But it wasn’t. Matthew, reflecting back on this sermon years later, purposefully said ‘Jesus opened his mouth.’

The reason for this is that in the past God is said to have opened the prophets’ mouths - particularly Moses’. That’s an idiom for saying that he gave them the words to say. They were acting as prophets - speaking God’s words. Matthew wrote this to clue us in on this startling fact: Jesus was speaking about the eternal Kingdom of God based on his own authority over it. He opened his own mouth.

Matthew didn’t understand that at this point. But it would just be a short time after this that Jesus would be publicly and brutally murdered. Matthew and the others were scared out of their minds. For a couple days, anyway. Then Jesus rose from the dead and came back to his students. They went up the same mountain together, probably recalling the first time they’d ascended it; and then, Jesus told them clearly: “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me”(28:20).

In that sentence, Jesus claimed to have sovereignty over everything that exists. And when he did, the disciples probably thought back to the first time he ascended this mountain - and remembered with awe - they were not just hearing God’s words given to them by a prophet like Moses, though that would in itself be amazing. No - they sat in the presence of God himself, as God himself spoke to them, based on his own authority as creator of everything they could see, everything they couldn’t see, and every event that would ever take place in space and time.

They weren’t just hearing from a prophet of God. They were actually with God. Or, to be a little more precise, God had come down to be with them.

After rising from the dead, Jesus also told them to announce his teachings to every culture on earth, because he would grant some people entry into his Kingdom. And he promised that he would be with his students always, until the end of the world (28:19-20).

But how would he be with his disciples? Because it certainly doesn’t look or feel like he is here sometimes. Simple - the same way he had done so with the disciples before. By his word. By his teaching... as he governs and controls everything that exists.

Jesus’ disciples didn’t see a cloud of darkness and fire descend on a mountain, with thunder and lightning, and the terror-inducing voice of God like Moses and the ancient Israelites did. They saw a man who they liked, who was righteous, who did miracles - and they sat with him. And they would look back on that moment and be in awe: “We sat with God!”

But that God - Jesus - is still the one who is in charge of everything. And he still comes to relate to people by the words that Matthew and the other disciples recorded. When we come to these words of Jesus, we are coming to more than a religious document, a self-help manual, a list of rules, or a historical writing. We are coming to God himself, just as Jesus’ students were.

But unlike the disciples we can know it now. Jesus came and announced a new Kingdom. He announced the forgiveness of our apathy towards God and the breaking of his laws. He showed what that kingdom would be like by reversing suffering in the world. And he promised to be with us forever.

If you have turned to him as God, away from yourself, he is with you. When you sit down with his word, depending on him to hear from him, God himself, is sitting down with you, to talk to you. And one day, you will be in the physical presence of Jesus. You’ll actually hear his voice, and you’ll actually see his kindness as he listens to you.

Things you may want to pray about:

1. It’s very easy to forget that the greatest gift God gives to people is the experience of knowing him... so thank him for stooping down in love to us so that we could know him, because of Christ.

2. Think of people in your life: friends, family, people in your church, people around the world. Think of places in the world where God isn’t known. Ask God to make himself known to those people and in those places so that they can know him.

3. Think about the things on earth that you trust in to make you happy that aren’t God. Tell God you’re sorry for turning to those things instead of trusting him for joy. Ask him for help.

4. Ask God to deepen your knowledge of him and your love for him. He’ll do this by showing you more and more of his own glory.

Grace and Peace,

Onesimus

Tornados are God's kindness

If you've been following the news, you saw the massive destruction that a tornado wrought in southern Indiana.

Now, I admit it. I wrote the title of this article to get your attention. Tornados aren't perfectly kind; they're, in fact, partially God judging the world.

That said, there are at least two reasons why tornados are in fact, God's being kind to the world.

1) We deserve, for our treason against our Holy Creator, the eternal hell of torment. Anything less is kind. I don't plan on defending that here, but if that's an issue for you, write, and we will address it.

2) Natural disasters are a reminder that the end of the world is near. Jesus and his apostles taught that the end of the world would be preceded by natural disasters, financial ruin, and other calamities. It is kind for God to remind us that Jesus is returning to judge the world. That's an event for which we should be prepared.

As I worshiped God this morning, I read this verse: The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. (1 Peter 4:7)

The phrase 'the end of all things is at hand' should jar us. Everything we know is about to come to an end. The next major event in human history doesn't involve politics or nations or teachers or people who will be made popular in the media. The next major event in human history is the revelation of Jesus Christ in all of the glory that he has possessed since eternity past.

At that time, he will judge, destroy, and re-create the world. At that time those who have obeyed him will enter into his new world in joy! And those who have not obeyed him will begin to be tormented for their rebellion.

That is the next major event in human history. As a result, God instructs us to be self-controlled and sober-minded. Those are very 'spiritual' words. People usually don't use them unless they're citing Scripture.

Self-controlled means that we're to do everything we do in life with purpose. We are never to do things by default. We are to make decisions about our activities based on the fact that the world, and everything and everyone we know and love, is coming to an end very, very soon.

Sober-minded means that we are to think in terms of reality. Reality means that the most important things aren't what we're having for dinner. Or what kind of education your kids will have. Or what promotion you're shooting for at work. Or what friends you'll spend time with tonight. Those things aren't bad - but they are of no importance unless they are seen in light of the return of God incarnate to his world. In other words, 'sober-minded' means "Wake up, and snap out of stupid!" It is stupid to be mentally involved in things without a serious eye to why everything exists and towards what end it is careening.

So, as a result of the end being very soon, we're to be self-controlled and sober-minded. God tells us that there's a particular purpose that he wants us thinking seriously, though. That is, our prayers.

This is probably inclusive of both prayers as a local church body, gathered, and prayers as individuals on their own. We are to pray in light of the end of all things. And indeed, it's sort of intuitive that if our mind is towards the end, we will pray!

Let me end with a few application questions.

1) How much do you pray?
2) What practically can you do to increase both your private and public practices of prayer?
3) What do you pray about? Do your prayers reflect the fact that the end is near?
4) Can you make a list of things you ought to pray about and discipline yourself to pray for regularly?
5) What do you spend time thinking about? What practices would be helpful for you to keep 'sober-minded' and to remember that 'the end is at hand'?

Onesimus

Is what you believe consistent with itself?

A 'worldview' is pretty much the lenses through which a person interprets reality. It's the big 'grand story' that explains everything in reality.

Christianity is a worldview.
Naturalism is a worldview. It says that everything that exists and that happens can be explained through observable, natural causes. It thus denies the existence of anything immaterial or spiritual.
Postmodernism is a worldview. It says that truth cannot be known, and therefore to judge anyone's worldview as false is impossible.
Nihilism is a worldview. It says that there's no meaning in anything. It's atheistic. It says that morality doesn't exist. It leads to despair, for beauty, meaning, morality are all subjective and ultimately pointless.

There are only two worldviews that are consistent with themsleves. Christianity and Nihilism.