Refuge Audio Podcast

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God…” (Mark 1:1) As 21st Century Gentiles, it's difficult for us to grasp just how dangerous, subversive & controversial it would be to write these important words. But when you consider the backstory of the man God used to write them, you can see why he had the courage, the passion & the urgency to publish something so revolutionary. 

The birth story of Jesus in the Gospel of John isn’t easy to find. There’s no list of names like in Matthew. There’s no heavenly host addressing shepherds as in Luke. But it’s still there! Because John highlighted how Jesus is God, we need to rethink what a birth story for God would look like.

The world has a common saying: “I’ll believe it when I see it.” But is this always the best way to see? Must we always insist on seeing something before we’re willing to believe it has happened? Or is there a better way? Jesus met a man of faith who believed without needing to see. This man exemplified faith, love, and trust. He understood authority and the power of God. But he wasn’t a religious professional—he was a gentile, a Roman Centurion who caused Jesus to marvel.

As Jesus descended from the mountain where He delivered His sermon, He interacted with a leper. In the parallel passage in Luke 5, we read of another interaction Jesus had with a different man named Peter. While the leper struggled with his external condition, Peter struggled with his internal condition. However, there are similarities in their struggle—and there are similarities in the answer to their struggle. His name is Jesus.

Jesus wasn’t just a self-help guru sharing practical advice on how to get through life. Those who heard Jesus sensed the Holy Spirit stirring up their spirits as the ministry of the word happened. Something significant and important occurs when the Spirit of God works through the Word of God in the hearts of the People of God.

Jesus ended His Sermon on the Mount with three warnings and this past Sunday, we considered Jesus’ third warning about faulty foundations. It’s a warning about merely listening to His words without actually doing what He said. Listening to Jesus can’t save you. Hearing sermons (in a building or on a mountain) can’t save you. You have to do what Jesus says. You have to put down your excuses and take the leap of faith. You must get up and go to Him.

You can’t just declare yourself a Christian. You must be born again. If you have been truly born again, there will be a transformation—you will become a new creation. There will be evidence of a genuine conversion that Jesus calls ‘fruit.’ In last week’s study, we considered Simon in Acts 8. Whether Simon was a genuine believer has been debated for centuries. Some see Simon as a new believer struggling with sin. Others view him as a false prophet who made a false profession of faith. And yet, it’s an opportunity for us to reflect on. Do you really want the genuine of your conversion to be debatable? 

Near the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives His disciples three dire warnings concerning false prophets, false professions, and faulty foundations. In our last study, we thoughtfully considered those who present themselves as sheep but are inwardly ravenous wolves. We see an example of a false prophet and a false profession in Simon the magician in Acts 8. 

Jesus warned His disciples about false prophets who would look like them but were not His. They are not sheep but ravenous wolves. Jesus wasn’t using poetic language to make a point. There are some who look like Christians, talk like Christians, and walk like Christians, but are not Christians and intentionally prey upon Christians. So how do we know who these ravenous wolves are? Thankfully Jesus tells us—“by their fruits you will know them.”

Being a dedicated disciple of Jesus is impossible in our strength and with our resources. Even with all of the effort and human willpower we can muster, we will find ourselves lacking what’s required to do what God calls us to do. That’s why we need to cry out to God for His help continually. We must continually ask. We must continually seek. And we must continually knock, knowing that He is a good Father who knows how to give good gifts.