Wisdom-Trek ©

Welcome to Day 2119 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

James – Wisdom is Faith in Action 1 – Who is James – Daily Wisdom

Putnam Church Message – 09/05/2021

As mentioned last week, we are beginning a new series today on the Proverbs of the New Testament, better known as the book of James. This letter is chockfull of practical wisdom on how to live the life of a radical disciple. Today I want to provide a background of who James is, and why he is so uniquely fit to author the first book written in the New Testament. Since most of the lesson today sets the stage for our study through James, which may take many weeks to complete, we will only cover one verse today, James 1:1. Thus, this lesson will be somewhat academic in nature before we explore the depths of the wisdom found in James.

James 1:1 (NIV)

James 1:1 (NLT)

We live in a world where politics rules the day. In this world, a person’s public reputation too often drowns out the private reality. Who you know usually trumps what you know. Name-dropping often gets you farther than talent or skill. These cynical sayings not only apply to the political realm, where quid pro quo is the status quo. Unfortunately, the “good ol’ boy” system also tends to corrupt most areas of business, academia, entertainment—and, yes, even the church.

This is why the opening words of the book of James are so refreshing. Like a cool spring breeze blowing through a musty room, the unassuming nature of these first few words drives out arrogance, ego, and presumption. Written by a man who could have dropped the Name Above All Names, this simple, straightforward greeting sets the tone for a letter that assaults our natural human tendencies toward sin and selfishness with a radical message of authenticity and humility. That begs the question, which is today’s message titled “Who is James?”

From the very first phrase, the name “James,” this short letter presents us with a problem: Which “James” wrote this letter? Unfortunately, his humble self-identification as “a bond-servant (or slave) of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:1) doesn’t get us far. So, unless we were among those first recipients of the letter, we are left to some old-fashioned sleuthing to determine which James penned these words.

If you run through the New Testament, you’ll come across four men with this name. It’s relatively easy to rule out a couple of these. First, James, the father of Judas (not Iscariot), never appears in the New Testament except in Luke 6:16. James, the son of Alphaeus, is probably the same as “James the Less.” Although he is one of the Twelve, he disappears from the biblical account after the upper room experience on Pentecost (Acts 1:13). So these two can be safely dismissed as unlikely candidates for authorship.

This leaves James, the son of Zebedee and brother of the apostle John, or James, the half-brother of Jesus. Though the first James, a “Son of Thunder,” played a significant leadership role in the infant church as one of Christ’s inner three (Peter, James, and John), he was the first of the Twelve to suffer martyrdom under Herod Agrippa I. That occurred around AD 44 in persecution that resulted in further scattered the Jewish Christians throughout the Roman world (Acts 12:2). Shortly after this persecution, Jesus’ half-brother James stepped in to lead the persecuted church in Jerusalem (Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21:18). This James, reared with Jesus in the home of Joseph and Mary, likely penned the letter that bears this name.

This identification of the author as the half-brother of Jesus goes back to the earliest centuries of Christian history. Most conservative New Testament scholars agree. Moreover, the tone and the letter’s content match the style one would expect from a well-known leader of the original Jewish Christian church.

Having identified the author as James, the brother of Jesus, what do we know about him that will help us as we read his letter? First, let’s reconstruct a meaningful picture of James’s life.

No second-born son or daughter can fathom what it must have been like to suffer second-child syndrome with an older brother who never sinned. But James did. Can you even imagine? Let me set a modern-day scenario. Jesus always came when His mother called Him for the first time. He always washed His hands properly before supper. He always did His chores quickly and with delight. He always obeyed. Then there was James…born with a sinful nature like the rest of us, living in the shadow of a big brother who was God in the flesh. Being far from perfect, younger brother James had a built-in problem right from the start.

I suppose James would have been happy to see Jesus leave home when He did. But then his already “strange” older brother returned to their home town claiming to be the long-awaited fulfillment of messianic promises (Luke 4:16-21). How do you think James felt toward his older brother then? We don’t have to wonder. John 7:5 says, “For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.” Mark 3:21 tells us that His siblings thought he was a lunatic. When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.

As a side note, the author Jude was also one of Jesus’s half-brothers. This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. So, throughout the Gospels, we see James in unbelief and skepticism over his older brother. But things didn’t stay that way. In 1 Corinthians 15:7, the apostle Paul gives this account. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.

I picture Jesus putting His arms around His younger brother, whispering words of encouragement and love in his ear—words he had longed to hear all his life. In any case, when Jesus’ disciples gathered in the upper room after their Lord’s ascension into heaven, James and all his brothers sat among them in Acts 1:14. They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary, the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.

He experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Acts 2) and the subsequent growth of the Jerusalem church amid persecution (Acts 3-9). James was undoubtedly active in the Jerusalem church when Stephen was arrested and later martyred for his faith (Acts 6:8—8:2). So James would have been aware that a young, zealous rabbinical student known as Saul of Tarsus supported the brutal death of Stephen and his further exploits found in Acts 8:3. But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.

After Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, the Jerusalem church accepted Barnabas’s testimony and received Saul (Paul) as a member of the Christian community, even welcoming him into the apostolic fellowship. It is noteworthy that Saul first sought out James in that gathering, Galatians 1:19. The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. Perhaps James recalled his stubborn refusal to accept Jesus as the Messiah, even though he had lived with Jesus all his life. But, like Saul of Tarsus, James had finally come around. God’s work of grace grabbed his heart and made him look at his brother Jesus in a new light. And so, about ten to fifteen years later, James wrote the first book of the New Testament, the short, practical wisdom manual of Christian living we call “James.”

Around AD 49, a dispute erupted in the church that threatened to break the unity between Jews and Gentiles. Acts 15:1 tells us, While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers: “Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.” Naturally, this addition of circumcision to the gospel troubled Paul and Barnabas, who had been preaching a simple message of salvation by grace alone through faith alone apart from works. Wanting to set the record straight, Paul and Barnabas immediately went to Jerusalem to consult with the apostles and elders, including Peter and James.

When Paul made his case to the leaders in Jerusalem, Peter concurred, reminding the council that God had saved the Gentiles strictly by faith when he preached the gospel to Cornelius and his household. So, after Paul and Barnabas reported on their miraculous ministry among the Gentiles, James supported Peter and Paul.

Acts15:12-15

James then goes on to quote passages from Amos and Isaiah. James’s wise and convincing words became the basis for the Jerusalem council’s decision to affirm Paul’s gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone. In agreement with Paul and Barnabas, the Jerusalem apostles and elders firmly rejected the addition of works to the gospel—and aren’t we grateful! However, to maintain unity between the Jewish and Gentile believers, the Jerusalem council asked Gentile converts to avoid practices that Jews would find offensive. Stated succinctly, James wanted to ensure that God-honoring works authenticated genuine faith.

James, a Jew living in Jerusalem and leading the Jewish believers, continued to keep the Law as a testimony to his fellow Jews. The last thing he wanted was for his genuine faith in Jesus as the Messiah to be tarnished because he and his people abruptly turned their backs on the Law of Moses. Though the Law was never a means of salvation, for James and many Jewish believers, it was a testimony to unbelieving Jews that their faith empowered them to do good works.

Nevertheless, James’s authentic faith eventually became the death of him. His steadfast faith in Christ—demonstrated through good works, strengthened through suffering, and seasoned with God-given wisdom—drew the ire of the increasingly zealous and jealous religious elite.

Nevertheless, his words and works attracted thousands of Jews to Christ, and the anti-Christian powers in Jerusalem eventually had enough of him. Josephus reports that James was stoned, but Eusebius recounts that he was thrown from the pinnacle of the temple and then beaten to death by a club. Whatever the details of his brutal and unjust execution, James, the brother of Jesus, was martyred for his faith in ad 62.

With that brief overview of the life of James, let’s preview a little of his letter, which we will delve into in subsequent weeks.

In light of James’s pedigree, position, kinship, and legacy, imagine how he could have started his letter:

“James, of the tribe of Judah, of the house of David, of the royal line of the kings of Judah…

or

“James, the eldest of the brothers of Jesus, the incarnate Son of God…

or

“James, pastor of the First Christian Church of the world…

or

“James, a long-time associate of Peter, James, John, Paul, and the rest of the apostles …

Yes, James could have dropped all kinds of names, pulled rank, and impressed his readers with ego-inflating titles. But, as we will see when we unpack his letter, he rails against that kind of pride. That may be the style of this me-first world, but that wasn’t the style of James. So instead, he began his epistle, “James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:1). James was a bond-servant (Doulos). This word means an indentured servant or slave who could be free, but chooses to remain. This is not a prized position in the class culture of the Roman world. But James did not regard his slavery to God and submission to Jesus Christ as a burden or curse, but a glorious honor.

After introducing himself, James addressed the letter to his audience, a typical letter from then. To whom, then, was this letter written? It was clear: I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad.

Although most of the twelve historical tribes of Israel had lost their distinct identities centuries earlier in the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities, the term “twelve tribes of Israel” continued to be used as a figure of speech referring to all children of Israel throughout the world. The phrase “scattered abroad” reinforces that James primarily addressed Jewish Christians, many of whom he had probably known in Jerusalem before they were scattered due to the church's persecution by the unbelieving Jewish authorities. James calls his readers “brothers” several times throughout the letter, indicating that he addresses fellow believers in Jesus, not merely all Jews spread throughout the Roman world.

So, James was a Jewish believer writing to other Jewish believers in the first century who were “scattered abroad” (diaspora), “scattered throughout” like seed sown throughout a field. When James wrote this letter, Jewish communities had already been established throughout the Roman world due to numerous exiles from the Holy Land. In addition, about this time, the Roman Emperor Claudius persecuted the Jews of Rome and drove them from the city. Jewish businesses were boycotted. Jewish children were mocked and thrown out of schools. Times were harsh, and life was grim. So Jewish Christians, like the people to whom James wrote his letter, seem to have lived in a double diaspora. Not only were they subject to Roman ire because of their Jewishness, but many had also been driven out of the Jewish communities because of their faith in the Messiah! More than others, Jewish believers lived without roots and traveled outside Judea looking for a place to call home. As a result, many of these men and women found themselves in social and religious limbo.

I believe suffering purifies and matures, but I also believe that relentless, extreme suffering can confuse and crush. Many of these Jewish believers had begun to grow weary, tempted either to turn their backs on their Jewish roots or to defect from their faith in Christ. Many claimed that they believed the truth of God concerning the Lord Jesus, but because of the pressures of the day, they began to live a lie.

In this context of suffering, confusion, and defection, it is unsurprising that James writes a strong appeal letter. Remember, this letter was not a doctrinal treatise, not a defense of the gospel regarding the person and work of Christ, not a retelling of the Christian story. This letter assumed his readers already knew all those things. Instead, James penned a letter about authentic faith lived out in a hostile world

The central theme of the book of James is that real faith produces genuine works. In other words, the person who has found the way genuinely walks. If you claim, “I have come to Jesus Christ; He is my Lord and Savior,” James answers, “Then let your life give evidence of that truth. Let your outward acts reflect the inward reality. Justify your faith before others by your good works.” Many individual sections and troublesome verses will become apparent when we realize this overarching theme.

In the first major section, James tells his readers that real faith produces genuine stability. When real faith is stretched, it doesn’t break but perseveres. James supports this claim with three examples, which we will explore over the next three weeks. First, he shows that trials and tribulations in life do not destroy faith but deepen it and cause it to grow (1:2-12). Second, James reminds us that we can face temptations through genuine faith (1:13-18). Third, he explains that true believers respond to God’s Word positively, changing their lives to conform to its truth (1:19-27).

The second major section begins at 2:1 and runs through 3:12. In this section, James argues that real faith produces genuine love. When true faith is pressed by various circumstances, social challenges, and personal struggles, it does not fail. Instead, it produces responses that put others first. Genuine faith takes a stand against prejudice (2:1-13), justifies itself through obedience and action (2:14-26), and bridles the beastly tongue (3:1-12). Genuine faith does not produce a passive, wimpy pushover, but a daring and durable force of love in action.

In the third section, James asserts that real faith produces genuine humility (3:13-5:6). He contrasts worldly ambition with heavenly wisdom; one results in envy and strife, the other in righteousness and peace (3:13-18). James also lends practical advice on overcoming worldly behavior in the church, including behavior that brings division (4:1-10). He then encourages his readers to overcome boasting with true humility before God (4:11 -17). Finally, he also warns the wealthy to live responsibly with their riches (5:1-6).

In the last section, James reaffirms that real faith produces genuine patience (5:7-20). Those Jewish Christians distressed by faith-challenging circumstances needed to hear that assurance repeatedly. James encourages his readers to be patient in suffering in light of the Lord’s coming (5:7-12). He encourages them to seek physical and spiritual wholeness (5:13-18). And he ends his profoundly practical letter with an admonition to steer erring believers back onto the right path (5:19-20).

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you next time for more wisdom from God’s Word!

Welcome to Day 2118 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Becoming A Radical Disciple – Dependence and Death

My purpose in this series is to consider eight character traits of Christian discipleship that are often neglected and deserve to be taken seriously. In the past four weeks, we have explored Nonconformity, Christlikeness Maturity, Creation Care, and Living a Simple and Balanced Life. This week we look at the final two character traits of dependence and death. Let’s first explore the following:

I must admit that I continually struggle with one area of life: dependence on others. But I know in my heart that a radical disciple must depend on others to live a rich and satisfying life. As I reflect on the past 65 years of life, as an adult, there are four significant times when there was no choice but to depend on others.

The first significant time was when, after nearly 18 years of running a successful computer business that we had expanded to three locations and had over 50 employees, we were forced to close and lost most of our finances. I indeed take responsibility, and we made some unwise choices of growing too fast by acquiring two other computer businesses. We did not realize that the values and worldviews of the other owners were not as closely aligned with ours as we had thought. As a result, we did not do enough due diligence and did not have the financial strength required. The dot com boom of the day went bust shortly after those acquisitions, resulting in the financial markets drying up for technology businesses, and we went bust with the markets. During that time, we realized how valuable dependence on family, friends, and even Putnam church, allowing us to work with the youth provided the foundation to get back on our feet again. We had to work hard to overcome the failure, but I learned some valuable lessons.

The second time was when Hazel, one of our granddaughters, was diagnosed with Leukemia, and there was nothing we could do. But, again, dependence on God, family, and many friends, helped our family through those difficult days.

The third was when I made the unwise choice to combine a very large chain saw with an extension ladder. As a result, a not-so-huge branch snapped back and kicked me off onto the cement sidewalk below, fracturing my left femur right below the hip joint. It could have been so much worse, and I praise God that it was not. Right after the fall, depending on my nephew was required, who had to prop up my back, so I wouldn’t move my leg, which stuck out at an odd angle. Again, dependence on Paula, my brother, the ambulance, the entire medical staff, and the surgeon were all needed. I was once again reminded that we all are dependent on others.

The final story is more recent, and happened the same night I started speaking full-time at Putnam on May 16th. My Dad died that night, and the primary responsibility for all the funeral arrangements was mine, the oldest son living in Marietta. If it were not for my brother Jack, several other siblings, our kids, and, very importantly, our church family, there would have been no way to handle it. Being dependent on many people that week allowed us to have a beautiful church, graveside service, and family celebration afterward. It also allowed me time to prepare a message for the next day’s church service.

I have realized that God can use dependence on others during these experiences to bring about greater maturity in me. Through these situations, I am more sensitive to the financial plight of others. I am more sensitive to those who are going through terminal illnesses. I am much more willing to think through the consequences of my decisions, and realize that I am not invulnerable. I am also more willing to accept help from others.

While I will usually mask my feelings, and don’t often openly cry, my sensitive side is never too deep below the surface. At various times during the day, I find that even when I review my notes for these messages or listen to a hymn, it brings me to tears as the magnitude of God’s goodness penetrates my soul. I realize that I am entirely dependent on God, and by extension, on my family and my church family and friends.

Yes, the experiences where I made less than-wise choices caused personal humiliation. However, it did force me to be dependent on others. Humiliation, I have concluded, was the road to more humility. Without tasting humility and dependence, it would be impossible to climb the hill to place my confidence in God firmly. Humility also brings maturity.

So our dependence is grounded in our humility. Here are five takeaways focusing on becoming radical disciples through dependence.

Thank God, often and continually. Thank God, carefully and with wonder, for your continuing privileges. Thankfulness is soil in which pride does not quickly grow. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

Take care about the confession of your sins which is self-examination. 1 John 1:9 reads, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

Be ready to accept humiliation. They can hurt terribly, but they help you to be humble. There can be trivial humiliations. Accept them. There can be bigger humiliations, learn from them. All these can be many chances to be nearer to our humble and crucified Lord. James 4:10 encourages, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.”

Do not worry about status. There is only one status that God wants us to be concerned with, and that is the status of proximity to himself. James 4:8 reads, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”

Use your sense of humor. Laugh about things, laugh at the absurdities of life, laugh about yourself and your stupidity. Enjoy the life God has given to you. We are all infinitesimally small and preposterous creatures within God’s universe. You have to be serious sometimes, but never be solemn because if you are solemn about anything, you risk becoming solemn about yourself and everything. Ecclesiastes 5:18-20, says, “Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.”

So a refusal to depend on others is not a mark of maturity but immaturity. It is not a sign of humility but pride. I know I struggle with this as much as anyone does. I don’t want to burden others. However, I am discovering that we are all designed to be a burden to others as radical disciples. You are intended to be a burden to me, and I am intended to be a burden to you. The family's life, including the local church family, should be one of “mutual burdensomeness.” The Apostle Paul teaches us this in Galatians 6:2-3, “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.”

The eighth and final characteristic of the radical disciple is death. Let me explain. Christianity offers life, abundant life.

John 10:10

But it makes it plain that the road to life is death. It underlines this in at least six areas. Life through death is one of the profound paradoxes in both the Christian faith and the Christian life.

Both life and death have always fascinated human beings. There can be no doubt that we are alive and will die. Life and death are two indisputable facts with which we must come to terms. But they are also mysteries and hard to define.

The radical disciple’s biblical perspective sees death not as the termination of life but as the gateway to life. This perspective is so different from the assumptions of the secular mind, so novel, so revolutionary in its implications, that we need to see it illustrated in the six different situations in which it operates according to the New Testament.

Salvation

First, we see death and life in relation to our salvation. Salvation is often represented in terms of new life. Paul wrote that God’s gift is eternal life Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” John explained that those who have the Son have life in 1 John 5:12, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.”

Discipleship

The same principle of life through death operates in discipleship as in salvation. Jesus himself used this vivid symbolism in Mark 8:34-35, “Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.’”

This verse was the dramatic imagery Jesus used for self-denial. If we follow Jesus, there is only one place we can go, the place of death. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in The Cost of Discipleship, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Luke takes it a step further as we are to take up our cross every day in Luke 9:23, “Then he said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.’”

The Apostle Paul explains how we live each day through our new life in Galatians 2:20, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Mission (Vocation)

The third area in which the life-through-death principle operates is the mission or our vocation. If you remember back to the Sermon on the Mount, we who are now citizens of God’s kingdom recognize our occupations, what we do to earn a living, are a means to an end. It is to provide the resources needed to share the good news with others so that they will become citizens. We are to die to ourselves so we can become the salt of the earth and the world's light. John 12:23–25 says, “ Jesus replied, ‘Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.’”

Persecution

Physical persecution is the fourth area in which death is found to be the way to life. While we are so blessed to live in a country with little to no persecution and can worship freely, this has not been the case throughout history, nor is it in many other countries today.

Many Christ-followers, even today, can relate to Paul’s writings in 1 Corinthians 15:30-31, “And why should we ourselves risk our lives hour by hour? For I swear, dear brothers and sisters, that I face death daily. This is as certain as my pride in what Christ Jesus our Lord has done in you.”

The church in China and many African countries can relate to 2 Corinthians 4:10-11, “Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies.”

We need to be prepared if this type of persecution ever comes to the United States; we have taken on the character traits of a radical disciple to endure the persecution.

Martyrdom

In our consideration of “life through death,” I am separating martyrdom from persecution. I realize there could be an overlap, but there is a distinction between remaining loyal amid persecution and being willing to sacrifice your life to stay faithful to God. Unfortunately, in the past few years, Nigeria is experiencing the worst reports of Christians being killed. A recent report from the end of July by a Nigerian human-rights group states, “More than 3,400 Christians have been murdered by Nigerian jihadists in the past 200 days. This is an average of 17 Christians in Nigeria being killed every day this year.” Of all the interventions in other countries that the US and its allies have had over the years, I struggle with why we are not doing more to assist countries like Nigeria. I pray that something can be done. Despite this, the church in Nigeria is exploding in numbers and strength. Out of the 206 million people in Nigeria, 48.1% identify as Christian, which is good news.

Mortality

So far, we have considered five areas in which death is the way to life. Now, we will face mortality and the death of our physical bodies. Having experienced several deaths within families of the church this year, we all know too well that physical death will come to all unless Christ returns to finish setting up God’s kingdom on earth.

Death inspires terror in many people, and while we who remain are saddened, death holds no horrors for Christians. The dying process can be messy and undignified, and the decay that follows it is not pleasant. The Bible recognizes this by referring to death as the last enemy in 1 Corinthians 15:26, “And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.” Jesus Christ has personally conquered it by his resurrection, so it no longer has any authority over us. Consequently, we can confidently proclaim 1 Corinthians 15:54-58.

The defeat of death is one thing; the gift of new and abundant life today is another; the promise and hope of eternal life with God is finality.

We have considered eight character traits of those who desire to follow Jesus, forming my portrait of the radical disciple. I hope and pray for each of us to apply what we have learned and continue on our trek to become radical disciples.

One last reminder – this week, commit to memory our theme verse for this series.

Romans 12:2

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you next time for more wisdom from God’s Word!

Welcome to Day 2117 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Putnam Church Message – 08/22/2021

Becoming A Radical Disciple – Living A Simple and Balanced Life

My purpose in this series is to consider eight character traits of Christian discipleship that are often neglected and deserve to be taken seriously. In the past three weeks, we have explored Nonconformity, Christlikeness, Maturity, and Creation Care.

I suggest that the fifth characteristic of radical disciples is simplicity, especially regarding money and possessions. As Christians, citizens of God’s kingdom, we claim to have received a new life from Jesus Christ. What lifestyle, then, is appropriate for us? In particular, how are our lives to be distinguished from the lifestyle of those who make no Christian profession? How should our lifestyle reflect the challenges of the present-day world?

Much of the world is alienated from God. Most people, especially in affluent countries, view the earth’s resources differently, as if they own them. That is not the truth, for God has created the world for the enjoyment of all.

We live in a country where it is a dog-eat-dog world. We buy things we don’t need to show off to people we don’t like. The old saying goes, “we have to keep up with the Joneses.” So our garages or attics overflow with stuff we rarely use, and then we have to spend more on storage units for the overflow. Then, when we die, we leave it all to our children and grandchildren, so they have to sort through it all and give most of it away, or worse, have to throw it out because it is no longer useful, if it ever was.

All of us should be shocked by the poverty of millions and disturbed by the injustices. The country of Haiti is a perfect example, as are many emerging nations. Yet, most of the time, we feel somewhat helpless about how to help effectively. Yet few of us desire to give up anything substantial to help.

There is nothing wrong with, nor should we ever envy, a person who, as a believer, has abundant resources by God’s grace. It boils down to that familiar verse we also covered in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:19-21, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.  Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.  Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

As citizens of a kingdom, we have a higher calling. Those who live in affluent circumstances, including most Western cultures, must accept our responsibility to develop a more simplistic lifestyle and contribute generously to relief and evangelism.

Of course, living a simple life requires prayerful wisdom, insight, and understanding. God expects us to be prudent with the resources he has given us to manage. God permits a few people to be abundantly wealthy, but their treasures must be stored up in heaven so they can effectively help others in need.

Since we are only managers of all God has given us, our purpose today is to consider our responsibility in becoming a radical disciple and how that is connected to living a simple and balanced life. Of course, there are many advantages to living a simple life, but let’s look at some essential aspects.

First, it is less stressful, allowing us to slow down, smell the roses, and reflect on our lives. Second, it turns our focus to others who are in need, both spiritually and financially. Simple living provides a relationship between evangelism, relief, and justice.  It allows our perspective to change.

A simple life will help us reflect more and learn God’s Word. We will then be better equipped to share it with others personally, or through Biblically-based organizations. If we free ourselves from financial obligations that strangle us, we may have more opportunities to reach a suffering world. Many of God’s imagers worldwide have limited access to Biblical resources and live oppressed. These people crave the good news of salvation and the basic necessities of human life.

Here are some practical lessons to live more simply, which will help us have a Biblical worldview and significantly impact our world.

We must understand that God is the Creator of all things. Therefore, we should celebrate the goodness of his creation and all He has provided to us as caretakers.

1 Timothy 4:4

Sometimes, in our finite minds, we don’t understand why God’s abundant resources are not distributed equally. However, that is not important. Regardless of the material resources God has provided us, we need to learn to be content with what we are permitted to manage. Billionaire John D. Rockefeller was asked, “How much money is enough? He said, ‘just a little more than you currently have.’” Paul gave the Biblical answer for what great wealth is in 1 Timothy 6:6-7, “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.”

Wealth is not how much you have, but how willing you are to share it with others. If God allows us to prosper financially and have material resources, we need to heed 1 Timothy 6:17-19, “Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.” These verses sound similar to what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount.

As citizens of God’s kingdom, God intends the earth’s resources to be taken care of by us and shared for the benefit of all nations. Therefore, we must denounce illegal wars that exploit resources, environmental destruction, wastefulness, and hoarding worldwide.

Just like wealth is not distributed equally to everyone, neither is poverty. God’s chosen people were set apart from the surrounding nations with mandates for caring for the poor and vulnerable.  For most people living in poverty, it is involuntary poverty, and poverty is an offense against the goodness of God. Poverty in the Bible is related to powerlessness, for the poor cannot protect themselves. Even today, God’s call to rulers of all nations is to use their power to defend the poor, not exploit them. Therefore, the church must stand with God and the poor against injustice. We need to suffer with them, and call on government and church leaders to fulfill their God-appointed roles.

The kingdom of God is a free gift offered to all, but it is excellent news for the poor because they benefit most from the changes it brings. Jesus calls all his followers to free themselves from the seduction of riches and to sacrificial generosity. We should resolve to get to know poor and oppressed people, learn issues of injustice from them, seek to relieve their suffering, and include them regularly in our prayers.

Christ calls us to be the world’s salt and light to hinder its social decay and illuminate its darkness. But our light must shine, and our salt must retain its saltiness. When the church is distinct from the world – in its values, standards, and lifestyle – it presents the world with a radically attractive alternative and significant influence for Christ.

Jesus, our Lord, calls us to holiness, humility, simplicity, and contentment. He also promises us his rest. Unfortunately, most of us have often allowed unholy desires for material resources to disturb our inner tranquility. Therefore, the constant renewal of Christ’s peace in our hearts with an emphasis on simple living will help us keep in focus. While I am not condemning the mega-churches of today, nor the elegant edifices of churches of the past, in my heart, I have difficulty reconciling investing millions in infrastructure when the needs are so great in our country and around the world.

Simple living by Christians generally would release considerable resources, finance, and personnel for evangelism and development. So, while I would say that most of us here already live simplistically, we should consider a recommitment to a simple lifestyle, and commit ourselves wholeheartedly to world evangelization.

What do I mean by living a balanced life? I doubt if there is any New Testament text which gives a more varied and balanced account of what becoming a radical disciple means than 1 Peter 2:1-17 – Peter breaks it down into six metaphors for living a balanced life.  I will read parts of this passage throughout today’s message, but I would encourage you to read the entire passage.

We can learn from the past, but we can do very little to correct or change the past, so we need to begin today and move forward, as is explained in verses 1-3:

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness. (God doesn’t provide us with skimmed milk, but instead, heavy whipping cream.)

The first metaphor from Peter is proper nutrition. Just as a child’s healthy growth is a good diet, daily disciplined feeding from God’s Word is crucial for spiritual growth. There is a great need for daily discipline in our Christian life. For example, if we desire to become physically strong and healthy, we must exercise regularly, preferably daily. Likewise, we must drink deeply from God’s Word if we are to become spiritually strong. Our desire to become strong in the faith, radical disciples, is to help others become radical disciples.

The second metaphor which Peter develops is that of living stones (verses 4–5).

Peter turns from the world of biology (birth and growth) to the world of architecture (stones and buildings). Since the stones in the spiritual temple are people, Peter calls them “living stones.”

What is the implication of all this? It means we belong to one another. If babies need milk to grow, bricks need mortar to stick to one another, and this is our love and fellowship. Look at this example. Each brick is cemented in with other bricks, and so is part of the building. No stone is suspended in mid-air. Every stone belongs to the building and cannot be dislodged from it. We need to recapture a vision of the church as a place for fellowship, as living stones in the building of God. Moreover, there is a great need for better-quality mortar.

In Peter's third metaphor, he likens us to holy priests with the duty to worship God. This metaphor may come as a surprise to some believers. God has made us, “a holy priest” (verse 5), and Peter drills down even more in verse 9, “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” Do you see your priestly role? It is to show others the goodness of God.

What does Peter mean in this verse? In the Old Testament times, the Israelite priests enjoyed two exclusive privileges. First, they enjoyed access to God. Only the priests were allowed in the temple, and only the high priest could enter the holy of holies or inner sanctuary, and then only on the Day of Atonement. Access to God was restricted to the priesthood and denied to the lay people.

The second privilege enjoyed by the priests was the offering of sacrifices to God. Again, the laypeople brought their sacrifices, but only the priests were allowed to kill the sacrifices, perform the ritual and sprinkle the blood.

But now, through Jesus Christ, this distinction between priests and people has been abolished. We all share the privileges previously limited to the priests, for we all are priests. The whole church is a priesthood. Through Christ, all of us enjoy access to God (we have the boldness to enter into the holy presence of God, Hebrews 10:19–22). Through Christ, we all offer God the spiritual sacrifices of our worship.

Peter develops the fourth metaphor:  But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.

Here the apostle likens the church to a nation or people, in fact, to God’s people or possession. The Church worldwide is now God’s chosen people, his holy nation of priests, citizens of God’s kingdom.

But why did God choose Israel? And why has he chosen us? The answer is not out of favoritism but to be his witnesses. We do not have a monopoly on the gospel.

Peter continues, “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”

Peter introduces his fifth metaphor, dual citizenship, in verse 11, “Dear friends, I warn you as ‘temporary residents and foreigners’ to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.” Although many Jews were considered citizens of Rome, the Greek words indicate people who have no rights and no home.

The Jews of the first century were citizens of two countries, Rome and Israel. We are citizens of the United States, but our primary citizenship is that of God’s kingdom, a worldwide kingdom.

Peter’s sixth metaphor shows disciples as conscientious servants of God (verses 12–17). Peter urges his readers, “Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.

We must understand that even though our primary citizenship is in God’s kingdom, we have dual citizenship. Because of this, we do have these earthly duties, as listed in verses 13-17.

As a citizen of the US, we are to

Be conscientious citizens,

submitting to authorities

silencing criticism

doing good

respecting everybody

As citizens of God’s kingdom:

We still belong first to heaven!

We are aliens and exiles on earth.

We are pilgrims traveling home to God.

This fact (our heavenly citizenship) profoundly challenges our attitudes: to money and possessions, as we see life as a pilgrimage between two moments of nakedness; to tragedy and suffering, as we see them in the perspective of eternity; and especially our attitude to temptation and sin.

To summarize, living a balanced life should now become clear. We have followed Peter in the six metaphors that make up the portrait he paints of the disciple. Here they are again:

as newborn babies, we are called to growth,

as living stones to fellowship,

as holy priests to worship,

as God’s people to witness,

as aliens and strangers to holiness,

as servants of God to citizenship.

We have a beautiful, comprehensive, balanced portrait that dove-tails into a simple and balanced life.

We are called to individual discipleship and corporate fellowship

We are called to worship and work

We are called to pilgrimage and citizenship

During this series on becoming a radical disciple, take time each week to read our anchor verses.

Romans 12:2

Next week we will consider the traits of dependence and death.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you next time for more wisdom from God’s Word!

Welcome to Day 2116 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Putnam Church Message – 08/15/2021

Becoming A Radical Disciple – Maturity and Creation Care

My purpose in this series is to consider eight character traits of Christian discipleship that are often neglected and deserve to be taken seriously. In the past two weeks, we have explored Nonconformity and Christlikeness. Today our focus will be on Maturity and Creation Care.

What would be your answer if I were to ask you to summarize the Christian scene in the world today? While it is somewhat difficult to know with certainty, I would sum it up in just three words, namely “growth without depth.”

There is no doubt of the church’s phenomenal growth in many parts of the world, including the western cultures. The statistics of church growth are tremendous. Unfortunately, the news media, even many Christian ministries, focus on the negative aspects.

“Explosion” is not too dramatic a word to describe it. It is an exciting time to be alive as a citizen of God’s kingdom. For example, the church in China and India has grown at least one hundredfold since the middle of the twentieth century. More Christian believers now worship God every Sunday in China than in all the churches of Western Europe. Many churches have been forced underground, but persecution has grown and strengthened God’s kingdom throughout the ages.

Bible.com and Biblegateway.com have experienced tremendous growth as more people are connected online. Never before have there been so many Biblical resources available today, especially on the internet, where many are either free or very inexpensive. For many years, the top category for podcasts worldwide has been Religion and Spirituality, with Christianity being the majority. A 2021 American Bible Society survey showed that 71% of Americans read the Bible regularly. To make a long story short, the kingdom of God is expanding rapidly, and when Christ returns a second time, it will be to establish His kingdom in a worldwide Eden. With all the negative news out today, this is the Good News that we can rally behind.

While this is good news, we have to keep in perspective this is not an indication that many of these people desire to become radical disciples, for it is numeric growth without depth. Therefore, the third character trait of a radical disciple is maturity. A lack of maturity is an issue in western culture and the church worldwide. Church leaders throughout the world indicate that this is an issue.

There are superficial disciples everywhere; as we see, there is a massive problem with a lack of godliness and integrity. The church universal lacks a solid biblical or theological foundation of its own. This rapid growth results in an increasing number of immature disciples because few mature, knowledgeable shepherds are available to train the sheep. This fact is one of our calls to radical discipleship.

The lack of radical discipleship is not new; the church’s rapid growth fuels it. We can say this because the apostles whose letters we find in the New Testament rebuke their readers for their immaturity and urge them to grow up. Consider, for example, Paul’s critique of the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, “Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ.  I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?”

Because the church had many immature believers, Paul knew he had to teach them how to mature in their faith. Paul had to teach them (and us) how to become radical disciples.

Colossians 1:28–29

When Paul indicates that he wanted to present the Colossian believers as perfect before God, the word perfect is from the Greek adjective teleios which occurs nineteen times in the New Testament, and whether it is translated “perfect” or “mature” depends mainly on its context. It rarely, if ever, means “perfect” in an absolute sense. Instead, the teleios (person) is contrasted with the child or infant. In this sense “mature”, I think it best to understand the meaning of teleios.

Now to grasp the full significance of any biblical text, it is often a good thing to put it in the witness box and ply it with probing questions. So this is what I propose to do with Colossians 1:28–29.

The first and essential question to ask concerns the nature of maturity. What is Christian maturity? The fact is that maturity is rather hard to pin down. Most of us suffer from lingering immaturity. Even in the grown adult, the little child is still hiding somewhere. In some people, it is more prominent.

The author of Hebrews 5:11-14 explains it this way: There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.  For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right.  Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

Besides, there are different types of maturity. There is physical maturity, having a healthy, well-developed body. There is intellectual maturity, a trained mind, and a coherent worldview. Moral maturity refers to people who have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil, as described in Hebrews 5:14. Emotional maturity means having a balanced personality and being able to establish relationships and assume responsibilities. Above all, there is spiritual maturity. What is that? The apostle calls it maturity “in Christ,” that is, having a mature relationship with Christ.

Paul’s most common way of defining Christians is to say that they are men and women “in Christ,” meaning not inside Christ as when our clothes are in a wardrobe and when tools are inside a chest, but rather as the branches are “in” the vine and our limbs are “in” the body, that is, united to Christ. So then, to be “in Christ” is to be personally, vitally, and organically related to him. In this sense, to be mature is to have a mature relationship with Christ in which we worship, trust, love, and obey him.

The next question to ask is how do Christians become mature? Our text gives us a plain answer. Consider the basic skeleton of verse 28, “So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us.”

To be mature is to have a mature relationship with Christ in which we worship, trust, love, and obey him. The clearer our vision of Christ, the more convinced we become that he is worthy of our commitment.

So, to develop true Christian maturity, we need a fresh and authentic vision of who Christ is. One of the most distinct passages of Christ in the whole New Testament is found in Colossians 1:15-20. To be a radical disciple, you must mature in an understanding of Jesus Christ. So let me read that passage.

He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

for through him God created everything

in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see

and the things we can’t see—

such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.

Everything was created through him and for him.

He existed before anything else,

and he holds all creation together.

Christ is also the head of the church,

which is his body.

He is the beginning,

supreme over all who rise from the dead.

So he is first in everything.

For God in all his fullness

was pleased to live in Christ,

and through him God reconciled

everything to himself.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

We see in this passage that Jesus Christ has double supremacy. He is the head of the universe and the head of the church. He is the lord of both creations. Considering this, we see a dual responsibility for becoming radical disciples: maturity in Christ is the goal for both ourselves and our ministry to others. So then may God give us such a full, clear vision of Jesus Christ, first that we may grow into maturity ourselves, and second that, by our faithful proclamation of Christ in his fullness to others, we may present others mature as well.

When considering the character traits of becoming a radical disciple, we must not suppose that these are limited to personal and individual spheres. We should also be concerned with the broader perspective of our duties to God and our neighbors. We cannot neglect the care of our created environment.

The Bible tells us that in creation, God established for human beings three fundamental relationships: first to himself, for he made them (us) as his imagers. Second, to each other, the human race was plural from the beginning. Third, to all physical creation, the earth and its creatures over which he set them.

Moreover, all three relationships were skewed by the fall. First, Adam and Eve were banished from the presence of the Lord God in the garden. Second, Adam and Eve blamed each other for what had happened. Finally, God’s physical creation, the good earth, was cursed because of their disobedience.

Therefore, it stands to reason that God’s restoration plan includes our reconciliation to God and each other and the liberation of the groaning creation. We can undoubtedly affirm that one day there will be a new heaven and earth. While many Biblical scholars interpret this to mean that the present heaven and earth will be destroyed, passages such as 2 Peter 3:13 and Revelation 21:1 can also be interpreted as being restored to their original state. The earth will be restored to the original Eden, but worldwide instead of just a garden on the earth. Although no one knows for sure, I lean towards this second interpretation because this is what God had intended for Adam and Eve during creation.

Either way, this is an essential part of our hope for the perfect future that awaits us at the end of time. It also makes sense as we read the implications found in Romans 8:18–23, “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.  For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.”

What, then, should be our attitude to the earth? The Bible points the way by making two fundamental affirmations:

Psalm 24:1

Psalm 115:16

The assertions that “the earth is the Lord’s” and that “he has given the earth to all humanity” complement rather than contradict each other. For the earth belongs to God by creation and to us by delegation. This does not mean that he has handed it over to us in such a way as to give up his rights over it, but rather that he has given us the responsibility to preserve and develop the earth on his behalf.

Genesis 2:14

How, then, should we relate to the earth? If we remember its creation by God and its delegation to us, we will avoid two opposite extremes and instead develop a third and better relationship with nature.

First, we will avoid the deification of nature. We are to worship the Creator, not his creation. All such confusions are insulting to the Creator. The Christian realization that nature is his creation, but not the Creator, is an indispensable prelude to the scientific enterprise and is essential to developing the earth’s resources today. We respect nature because God made it; we do not reverence nature as if it were God.

Secondly, we must avoid the opposite extreme, the exploitation of nature. In Genesis 1:28, God said, “Then God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.’” But it would be absurd to imagine that he who created the earth then handed it over to us to be destroyed. No, the dominion God has given us should be seen as responsible stewardship, not destructive domination.

The third and correct relationship between humans and nature is cooperation with God. To be sure, we are a part of creation, just as dependent on the Creator as all his creatures. But at the same time, he has deliberately humbled himself to make a divine-human partnership necessary. He created the earth but then told us to govern it. God planted the garden, putting Adam and Eve in it “to tend and watch over it” (Genesis 2:15). This command is often called the cultural mandate. For what God has given us is nature, whereas what we do with it is culture. We are not only to conserve the environment but also to develop its resources for the common good.

It is a noble calling to cooperate with God to fulfill His purposes and to transform the created order for the pleasure and profit of all. Our work expresses our worship since our care of the creation will reflect our love for the Creator.

What can the radical disciple do to care for the creation? First, as we have become aware of it, Christians have been concerned about significant and urgent issues in every generation. These have included the evils of disease, ignorance, slavery, and many other forms of brutality and exploitation. Accordingly, Christians have taken up the cause of widows, orphans, refugees, prisoners, and the hungry, eliminating poverty worldwide.

It is hard for me to understand that some Christians claim to love and worship God, be disciples of Jesus, and yet have no concern for the earth that bears his ownership stamp. They do not care about the abuse of the earth, and indeed, by their wasteful and over-consumptive lifestyles, they collude in it.

God intends our care of the creation to reflect our love for the Creator.

As Deuteronomy 10:14 tells us, “Look, the highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belongs to the Lord your God.”

Some Christian circles may say that God will destroy the world and make it new, so we don’t have to be concerned. What if he restores the world into a global Eden when he establishes His Kingdom on earth?  Do we want to stand before our Creator and answer to Him for the destruction of His creation?

Today we have investigated becoming a radical disciples through maturity and caring for God’s creation in which he gave us responsibility. What will you do this week to put these into practice?

During this series on becoming a radical disciple, take time each week to read our anchor verses.

Romans 12:2

Next week we will consider the traits of simplicity and balance.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you next time for more wisdom from God’s Word!

Welcome to Day 2115 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Putnam Church Message – 08/08/2021

Becoming A Radical Disciple – Christlikeness

As mentioned last week, my purpose in this series is to consider eight character traits of Christian discipleship that are often neglected and deserve to be taken seriously. In addition, last week, we considered four major secular trends threatening to engulf the Christian community. In the face of these, we are all called, not to feeble-minded conformity, but to radical nonconformity.

As we face the challenge of pluralism, we are to be a community of truth, standing up for the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. As we face the challenge of materialism, we are to be a community of simplicity and pilgrimage. As we face the challenge of relativism, we must be a community of obedience to God’s precepts. Finally, as we face the challenge of narcissism, we must be a community of love.

Today we will consider Christlikeness.

Throughout our lives, we ask ourselves, what is our purpose during our pilgrimage while we remain here on earth? It is this: God created us to be his imagers, and as such, God wants his people to become like Christ, who is the perfect imager. For Christlikeness is the will of God for the people of God. Therefore, as citizens of God’s kingdom and imagers of God, we should imitate the only perfect imager, which is Christ.

In today’s message, we will consider three steps in our process to Christlikeness. First, to lay down the biblical foundation for the call to Christlikeness; second, to give some New Testament examples; and third, to draw some practical conclusions.

This foundation is not a single text, for the foundation is more substantial than can be summed up in one text. Instead, the foundation consists of three texts connecting us from the past to the present and giving us a glimpse of the future: Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 3:18, and 1 John 3:2.

The first text is Romans 8:29, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

The second text is 2 Corinthians 3:18, “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”

Before I read the third text, we need to understand that the perspective has changed from the past to the present, from God’s eternal foreknowledge to his present transformation of us by the Holy Spirit. From God’s eternal purpose to make us like Christ, to his historical work by his Spirit to transform us into an imager like Christ.

The third text is 1 John 3:2, “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.” Since God is working to this end, it is no wonder he calls us to cooperate with him. “Follow me,” he says. “Imitate me.”

So, returning now to 1 John 3:2, we don’t know in any detail what we shall be, but we know that we will be like Christ. Therefore, there’s no need for us to know any more. We are content with the glorious truth that we will be with Christ and like Christ.

Here then, are three perspectives (past, present, and future) which are all pointing in the same direction: God’s eternal purpose (for God knew in advance who would have believing loyalty); God’s historical purpose (we are being changed daily, transformed by the Holy Spirit); and God’s final eschatological (future) purpose (we will be like Christ...). These all combine towards the same end of Christlikeness. Christlikeness is the purpose of God for the people of God.

If we claim to be Christian, we must be like Christ if we are becoming radical disciples.  This is our foundation.

Having established the biblical foundation, that Christlikeness is the purpose of God for the people of God, I want now to move on to illustrate this truth with several New Testament examples. But first, a general statement from 1 John 2:6, “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” Therefore, if we claim to be Christian (little Christ), we must be like Christ. Let’s explore five New Testament examples of how we are to be like Christ. 

We are to be like Christ in his incarnation (God in the flesh)

Some may immediately recoil with horror from such an idea. “Surely,” you may say, “the incarnation was an altogether unique event and cannot be imitated?”

The answer is yes and no. It is “yes” because the Son of God took our humanity to himself in Jesus of Nazareth. This was a one-time occurrence for all, never to be repeated. It is also “no” in the sense that we are all called to follow the example of his great humility. So Paul could write in Philippians 2:5–8.

he did not think of equality with God

as something to cling to.

Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;

he took the humble position of a slave

and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form,

he humbled himself in obedience to God

and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

We are to be like Christ in his service

We move on now from his incarnation to his life of service. So come with me to the upper room where he spent his last evening with his disciples. During supper, he took off his outer garments, tied a towel around him, poured water into a basin, and washed his disciples’ feet. Then, when he had finished, he resumed his place and said in John 13:14-15, “And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.  I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.”

Are we to wash each other’s feet, like the church where my brother-in-law is the pastor? Some Christian churches take Jesus’ command literally and occasionally have a foot-washing ceremony as part of the Lord’s Supper. I see nothing wrong with this remembrance, if churches choose to do so. However, most also transpose his command culturally. Just as Jesus performed what in his culture was the work of an enslaved person, we in our cultures must regard no task as too menial or degrading to undertake.  The closest practice in modern civilization would be cleaning and polishing shoes.

We are to be like Christ in his love

As Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:2, “Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” “Live a life filled with love” is a command that all our behavior should be characterized by love, but “He offered himself as a sacrifice for us” is a clear reference to the cross. So Paul urges us to be like Christ in his death, to love with Calvary love.

Do you see what is happening so far in our Christlikeness? Paul urges us to be like the Christ of the incarnation, the Christ of the foot-washing, and the Christ of the cross. These events in the life of Christ indicate what Christlikeness means in practice. Here is a practical example, found in the same chapter, Ephesians 5:25, Paul urges, >“For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her.” 

We are to be like Christ in his patient endurance

In this next example, we consider the teaching, not of Paul but of Peter. Every chapter of Peter’s first letter contains an allusion to suffering for Christ, for the letter’s background is the beginnings of persecution.

In 1 Peter 2:18, in particular, Peter urges enslaved Christians, “You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel.” We have been called to this because Christ also suffered, leaving us an example so that we may follow in his steps 1 Peter 2:21, “For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.” This call to Christlikeness in suffering, even if unjust, may become increasingly relevant as persecution increases in many cultures today.

We are to be like Christ in his mission

Having looked at the teaching of Paul and Peter, we come now to the teaching of Jesus, as recorded by John.

In prayer, Jesus said to his Father in John 17:18, “Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.” In commissioning, he said in John 20:21, “Again he said, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.’” These words are immensely significant.

These statements from Jesus are not just the version of the great commission recorded in John’s Gospel; it is also an instruction that their mission in the world was to resemble Christ’s. In what respect? The keywords are “sent me into the world.” As Christ had to enter our world, we are to enter other people’s worlds.

We display and practice our faith when we place ourselves inside the doubts of the doubters, the questions of the questioners, and the loneliness of those who have lost their way. When God entered our world as a human, it was called the incarnation, which means embodiment.

Entering other people’s worlds is what we mean by an incarnational mission, and all genuine missions are incarnational. We are to be like Christ in his mission.

As a review, here are the five ways we are to be Christlike: we are to be like Christ in his incarnation, in his service, in his love, in his endurance, and his mission.

The five ways to be Christlike conclude with three practical consequences of the basis and examples for Christlikeness that we have considered.

 

Of course, suffering is a vast subject in itself, and Christians try to understand it in many ways. But one stands out: suffering is part of God’s process of making us like Christ. So whether it is disappointment or frustration, we need to try to see it in the light of Romans 8:28-29, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.  For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

According to these verses, God is always working for the good purpose of his people, and this good purpose is to make us like Christ, not necessarily to keep us from suffering.

Why is it that our evangelistic efforts don’t appear to produce results? Several reasons may be given, and I must not oversimplify, but one main reason is that we don’t look like the Christ we proclaim.  In other words, are we the salt and light we should be?

The most effective preaching does not come from the pulpit but from those who embody what the Bible says. We, individually and corporately, are the message the world needs to hear. Radical disciples need to look and live like they are citizens of God’s kingdom. When we live authentically the life we claim as disciples, we will impact those who cross our path of life. A moment of insincerity can cast doubt on all we have communicated. The world craves authentic disciples who earnestly show Christ love.

Today our focus is the second character trait of becoming a radical disciple, which is Christlikeness. The question is, how is it possible for us? It is impossible in our strength, but God has given us his Holy Spirit to enable us to fulfill his purpose.

And if the Spirit of Jesus can come and live in me, I can live a life like his. So God’s purpose is to make us like Christ, and God’s way is to fill us with his Holy Spirit. Shortly before his coming crucifixion and subsequent resurrection, Jesus informed his disciples that the Holy Spirit would help them to live like Him.

Our response to this promise is found in the letter the Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20.

 

During this series on becoming a radical disciple, take time each week to read our anchor verses.

Romans 12:2

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you next time for more wisdom from God’s Word!

Welcome to Day 2114 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Putnam Church Message – 08/01/2021

Over the past couple of weeks, we moved from radical choices, to a radical teacher, and now the title of this new series Becoming a Radical Disciple. Thinking of yourself as radical may make you uncomfortable. For others, it may be empowering. So let’s say I have a radical element in me, but I suspect that most of you also do in some area of life.

First, why am I using the term “Disciple” instead of “Christian”?  It surprises many people to discover that the followers of Jesus Christ are called “Christian” only three times in the New Testament.

Luke’s comment in Acts 11:26 was that it was in the Syrian Antioch church where Jesus’ disciples were first called “Christians.”  This is significant because Antioch was known to be an international community. Consequently, its church was an international community too. Therefore, it was appropriate that its members were called “Christians” to indicate that their common allegiance to Christ overcame their ethnic differences. However, as a matter of trivia, the term Christian means “Little Christ” and was used by outsiders in more of a derogative manner.

The other two occurrences of the word “Christian” prove that it was beginning to be more commonly used. When Paul was on trial before King Agrippa and challenged him directly in Acts 26:27, “Agrippa interrupted him. ‘Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?’”

Then the apostle Peter, whose first letter was written against the background of growing persecution, found it necessary to distinguish between those who suffered “as a criminal” and those who suffered “as a Christian” in 1 Peter 4:16, “But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!”

Both words (Christian and disciple) imply a relationship with Jesus, although perhaps “disciple” is the stronger of the two because it inevitably means the relationship of the pupil to teacher. During his three years of public ministry, the Twelve were disciples before they were apostles. As disciples, they were under the direct instruction of their teacher and lord.

In some ways, it would be better if the word “disciple” had continued into the following centuries so that Christians were self-consciously disciples of Jesus and took seriously their responsibility to be “under discipline,” which means continuing to learn.

My concern is that we who claim to be disciples are not serious enough in our commitment to the Lord Jesus, which will provoke him to say again, “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). For genuine discipleship is passionate discipleship; this is where my next word comes in.

So, secondly, why “radical”? Since this is the adjective I am using to describe our discipleship, it is crucial to indicate the sense in which I am using it.  The English word “radical” is derived from the Latin root word radix. Initially, it seems to have been applied as a political label to people with liberal and reformist views. Then, it was used generally to those whose opinions went to the roots and were unrelenting in their commitment.

We are now ready to put the noun and the adjective together and ask our third question: Why “radical disciple”? The answer is obvious. There are different levels of commitment in the Christian community. Jesus illustrated this in what happened to the seeds he describes in the Parable of the Sower. The difference between the seeds is in the kind of soil which received them. Of the seed sown on rocky soil, Jesus said, “It had no root.”

Our standard way of avoiding radical discipleship is to be selective, choosing those areas in which commitment suits us and staying away from those in which it will be costly. But because Jesus is Lord, we have no right to pick and choose the areas in which we will submit to his authority.

So my purpose in this series titled Becoming a Radical Disciple is to consider eight character traits of Christian discipleship that are often neglected yet deserve to be taken seriously. We will explore at least one character trait each week, and this week it is:

The first character trait of the radical disciple I bring before you is “nonconformity.” Let me explain why.

The church has a double responsibility in relation to the world around us. On the one hand, we are to live, serve, and witness in the world. Our occupation as citizens of God’s kingdom is salt and light. But, on the other hand, we are to avoid becoming contaminated by the world, which causes us to lose our saltiness and hide our light. Thus, there is a two-sided paradox. We should not attempt to escape from the world to preserve our holiness, and we are not to sacrifice our righteousness (right living) by conforming to the world.

This concept is one of the major themes of the whole Bible, namely that God calls out a people for himself and summons us to be different from everybody else. 1 Peter 1:15-16 tells us, “But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.  For the Scriptures say, ‘You must be holy because I am holy.’” When we think of holiness, piety, and purity often come to mind. This description may give an incorrect concept of the word. The word holy only means to be set apart and used by God.

This foundational theme of holiness recurs in all four of the main sections of Scripture: the law, the prophets, the teaching of Jesus, and the apostles’ teaching. Let me give you an example from each.

First, the law. God said to his people through Moses in Leviticus 18:3-4, “So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life.  You must obey all my regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the Lord your God.”

Second, God’s criticism of his people through the prophet Ezekiel 11:12, “For you have refused to obey my decrees and regulations; instead, you have copied the standards of the nations around you.”

Third, in the New Testament in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke of the hypocrites and the pagans in Matthew 6:8, “Do not be like them.”

Fourth, my theme verse for this series, the apostle Paul, wrote in Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Here is God’s call to radical discipleship, to a radical nonconformity to the surrounding culture. It is a call to develop a Christian counterculture as citizens of God’s kingdom and engage with the culture without compromise.

At least four modern-day trends threaten to swallow us up, which we must resist by becoming radical disciples.

First is the challenge of pluralism. While diversity is good in some areas of life, this concept of diversity that rejects the Christian’s claim to the finality and uniqueness of Christ condemns as sheer arrogance the attempt to transform anybody (let alone everybody) into what the secular culture sees as merely our opinions.

When dealing with pluralism, we must proceed with great humility and with no hint of personal superiority. But we must continue to affirm the uniqueness and finality of Jesus Christ.

John 14:6

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

For he is unique in his incarnation (the only God-man), unique in his atonement (only he has died for the sins of the world), and unique in his resurrection (only he has conquered death). Therefore, Jesus is uniquely competent to save sinners. Nobody else possesses his qualifications because nobody likes him, and he has no rival or successor.

A second widespread secular trend that Christian disciples have to resist is that of materialism. Materialism is not simply an acceptance of the reality of the material world. If that were the case, all Christians would be materialists, since we believe God created the material world and made its blessings available to us. Christianity is the most material of all religions. But it is not materialistic.

Materialism is a preoccupation with material things, which can smother our spiritual life. But Jesus told us not to store up treasure on earth and warned us against covetousness. So did the apostle Paul, urging us instead to develop a lifestyle of simplicity, generosity, and contentment, drawing on his own experience in Philippians 4:11, “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.”

Paul added in 1 Timothy 6:6, “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.” In other words, life on earth is a brief pilgrimage between two moments of nakedness. So we would be wise to travel light. We shall take nothing with us.

The third trend which threatens is ethical relativism. This means that ethics change based on the current societal concepts of morality. All around us, moral standards are slipping. This fact seems to be even more prominent in the Western world. People are confused as to whether there are any absolutes left. As a result, relativism has permeated the culture and is seeping into the church. Is it any surprise that we live in a confused culture with no sanctity of human life?  A culture where God’s design for marriage between a man and a woman is ignored to the point where some people cannot even figure out whether they are men or women. There is no ambiguity in God’s Word on this subject, nor is there any question scientifically.

Over against these trends, Jesus Christ calls his disciples to obey and conform to his standards. Some people claim that Jesus did not speak about these things. But he did. From the beginning of Scripture, it was clear in Genesis 1:27, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God, he created them; male and female, he created them.” Jesus also taught the same lesson in Matthew 19:5-6, “And he said, ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’  Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”

When confronted with relativism, we, as radical Christian disciples, must disagree with the prevailing thought of modern culture. Let me be clear, though, we are not to be completely rigid in our ethical decision-making, but seek sensitively to apply biblical principles in each situation.  We must remove the plank from our eyes before helping those who ask us to help remove the speck in their eye. This subject of relativism hits close to home for Paula and me since we have family members who have made life choices that we cannot agree with Biblically.

Nevertheless, as radical disciples, we must love and accept each person, even if we cannot agree with their choices.  You and I will not stand before God for the choices others make. In the end, God will ultimately judge the decisions that each of us makes personally.  Central to Christian behavior is the lordship of Jesus Christ. “Jesus is Lord” remains the basis of our life.

So the essential question as disciples and together as the church is, who is Lord? Is the church the Lord of Jesus Christ, so we can edit and manipulate, accept what we like, and reject what we dislike? Or is Jesus Christ our Teacher and our Lord, so that we believe and obey his teaching?

Let me repeat Luke 6:46, Jesus still says to us, “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?” To confess Jesus as Lord but not obey him is to build our lives on a foundation of sand. Also, in John 14:21, “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

Here, then, are two cultures, value systems, standards, and lifestyles. On the one side are the choices of the world around us; on the other is God’s revealed, good and pleasing will. Radical disciples should have little difficulty in making their choice.

We now come to a fourth contemporary trend: the challenge of narcissism.  Narcissus (in Greek mythology) was a handsome young man who caught sight of his reflection in a pond, fell in love with his image, toppled into the water, and drowned. So “narcissism” is excessive love for oneself, an unbounded admiration of “self.”

Today’s modern culture calls us to look inside ourselves, to explore ourselves, for the solution to our problems is within. We do not need a savior to come to us from somewhere else; we can be our own savior. But, unfortunately, this concept has led to an increasing segment of our culture being completely self-absorbed.

As imagers of God, we should have a level of love for ourselves and how God created us, but not in a selfish manner.  We are to love God and others in the same way we desire to be loved.  We have to understand this love in order to love one another appropriately.  This type of love is a selfless agape love which is the sacrifice of oneself in the service of others. What, then, should our attitude be toward ourselves? It is a combination of self-affirmation and self-denial. Affirming as is written in Psalm 139:14, “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” Everything in us comes to us from our creator and redeemer, but realizing that our weaknesses can be traced to the fall and personal choices.

It is a great relief to turn away from an unhealthy preoccupation with oneself to the healthy commandments of God.  To love God with our whole being and to love our neighbor as ourselves. God intends his church to be a community of love, worshipping, and serving.

Everybody knows that love is the greatest thing in the world, and Christians know why. It is because God is love.  A person who loves not, lives not, for living is loving, and without love, the human personality disintegrates. That is why everybody is looking for authentic relationships of love.

We have just considered four major secular trends threatening to engulf the Christian community. In the face of these, we are all called, not to feeble-minded conformity, but to radical nonconformity.

As we face the challenge of pluralism, we are to be a community of truth, standing up for the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. As we face the challenge of materialism, we are to be a community of simplicity and pilgrimage. As we face the challenge of relativism, we must be a community of obedience to God’s precepts. Finally, as we face the challenge of narcissism, we must be a community of love.

We are not to be like reeds shaken by the wind, bowing down before gusts of public opinion, but as immovable as rocks in a mountain stream. We should not be like fish floating with the stream, for only dead fish swim with the current. Instead, we should swim against the stream, even against the cultural mainstream. We are not to be like chameleons, lizards that change their color according to their surroundings, but stand out visibly against our surroundings.

What, then, are Christians to be like if we are not to be like reeds, dead fish, or chameleons? Is God’s word entirely negative, simply telling us to avoid being molded into the shape of those in the world around us? No. It is positive. We are to be like Christ.  Next week’s message will cover the next character trait of a radical disciple: Christlikeness. As Paul wrote in Romans 8:29, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

During this series on becoming a radical disciple, take time each week to read our anchor verse.

Romans 12:2

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you next time for more wisdom from God’s Word!

Welcome to Day 2113 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Putnam Church Message – 07/25/2021

Sermon on the Mount – A Christian’s Amazement: Who is This Radical Teacher?

Many secular and religious people are prepared to accept the Sermon on the Mount as containing self-evident truth. They know it includes such sayings as “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy; Love your enemies; No one can serve two masters; Do not judge others, and you will not be judged; and Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.” They say, in these passages, Jesus of Nazareth is the moral teacher at his most straightforward and best.

As we have learned these past 11 weeks, Matthew 5-7 is much more than that. It is the Manifesto of Christ to the citizens of God’s kingdom. It is our marching orders. His teachings and sketch of the Christian counter-culture are his commands for radical discipleship. What remains for us now is to consider the uniqueness of the teacher himself.

We shall find it impossible to drive a wedge between the Jesus of the Sermon on the Mount and the Jesus of the rest of the New Testament. Instead, the teacher of the Sermon on the Mount is the same supernatural, dogmatic, divine Jesus to be found everywhere else. So the main question the Sermon forces upon us is not so much, “What do you make of this teaching?” as “Who on earth is this radical teacher?” The reaction of those who heard the Sermon is they were amazed at the authority of his teaching.

The teacher's great authority struck the first hearers of the Sermon (the crowds, as well as his disciples, 5:1). He did not hem and haw, or hesitate as I do when I speak. He was neither tentative nor apologetic. Nor again, on the other hand, was he ever bombastic or flamboyant. Instead, with quiet and unassuming assurance, he laid down the manifesto for the citizens of God’s kingdom. By the end of Jesus’s teaching, the crowds were amazed, for the Greek verb is strong; it means “dumbfounded.” You know, the look of someone who is dumbfounded. In fact, I look that way quite often. Mouth open, glazed look in the eyes because it is difficult to take it all in.

Let us analyze this authority of Jesus, as exposed in the Sermon. On what was it grounded? What was Jesus’s self-awareness which led him to speak in this way? What clues does the Sermon itself give of how he understood his identity and mission? We do not have far to seek to find answers to these questions.  Today we will explore the seven attributes of this radical teacher.

Jesus’ authority as the teacher

The crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with absolute authority. Yes, Jesus presented himself first and foremost as a teacher, and he amazed his listeners with the substance, the quality, and the manner of his instruction. But, of course, there had been thousands of other teachers throughout the area and in the temple. Many were his contemporaries. What, then, was so special about Jesus?

He somehow assumed the right to teach absolute truth. He was a Jew, but his message was not Jewish. He was interpreting Moses’ law, but in such a way as to show that it was God’s law. What he had to say was not limited to a particular people (Jews) or a particular place (Palestine). Being absolute, it was universal. So he spoke as one who knew what he was talking about. He knew who would be great in God’s kingdom and who least, who was “blessed” in God’s sight and who was not, which way led to life and which to destruction. With complete self-confidence, he declared who would inherit the kingdom of heaven, who would inherit the earth, who would obtain mercy, see God and be fit to be called God’s children. How could he be so sure?

His hearers naturally compared and contrasted him with the many other teachers they were familiar with, especially the scribes. What struck them most was that he taught with absolute authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law. The scribes claimed no authority of their own. Instead, they conceived their duty in terms of faithfulness to the tradition they had received. So they researched commentaries, searching for examples, claiming the support of famous names among the rabbis. Their only authority lay in the sources they were constantly quoting.

On the other hand, Jesus had not received a scribal education. He outraged the establishment by sweeping away the traditions of the elders. He had no particular reverence for social traditions and spoke with a freshness of his own which captivated some and infuriated others.

If he did not teach like the scribes, he did not teach like the Old Testament prophets either. Instead, Jesus insisted that his words were God’s words. Yet, there was a difference. The prophets introduced their oracles with a phrase like: “Listen to what God says.” Jesus never used this phrase, but instead, he would begin emphatically, “I tell you the truth” or “But I say to you,” thus daring to speak in his name and with his authority, which he knew to be identical with the Father’s.  Not that he was contradicting Moses, as we have seen, but rather the scribal corruptions of Moses. Yet, in doing this, Jesus challenged the centuries’ inherited tradition and claimed to replace it with his accurate and authoritative interpretation of God’s law.

Jesus’ authority as the Christ

There is evidence in the Sermon on the Mount, as in many other parts of his teaching, that Jesus knew he had come into the world on a mission.

Matthew 5:17

The claim sounds innocent enough until one reflects on its implications. Jesus asserts that all predictions of both law and prophets found their fulfillment in him. Jesus did not think of himself as another prophet or even the greatest of the prophets, but rather as the fulfillment of all prophecy. This belief that the days of expectation were now over and that he had ushered in the time of completion was deeply embedded in the consciousness of Jesus.  The Sermon on the Mount has five direct references to God’s kingdom.  They imply that Jesus had inaugurated the kingdom of God.  It was the beginning of the restoration of Eden, not just a garden, but the entire world. The culmination of this will happen when Christ returns a second time. Jesus knew himself to be Christ, God’s Messiah of Old Testament expectation.

Jesus’ authority as the Lord

The flexibility of the Greek word “Lord” must be recognized: not every instance of its use implies a consciousness of divine authority. Not everyone who addressed Jesus as Lord chose this name as the equivalent of deity; it could, as a polite form of address, mean little more than our “sir.”’

Only the context can help us judge how much dominion and deity may rightly be included in the word “Lord.” For example, the section in the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus referred to people who addressed him as “Lord, Lord.” He was not complaining that they chose this title, for he accepted it as appropriate. Instead, his point was that they were using it glibly and were not investing it in its true meaning. He was not just “Sir” to be respected; he was “Lord” to be obeyed. Thus Jesus saw himself as more than a teacher, advising that people might or might not heed at their discretion; he was their master, issuing commandments, expecting obedience, and warning them that their eternal welfare was at stake. Clearly, in all this, Jesus was no ordinary rabbi. His expectation was not just that they would absorb his teaching; it was that they would be devoted to him personally. The acceptance of this devotion, no doubt, is why he was not content with the title “Rabbi” on its own, for he was their “Teacher and Lord.”

Jesus’ authority as the Savior

It is plain in the Sermon that Jesus knew the way of salvation and taught it. He was able to declare who was blessed and who was not. Jesus could point to the narrow gate which led to the hard way, which ended in life. He was clear about which kind of house would survive the storms of judgment, and which would be destroyed.

But if we penetrate more deeply into his message, we find that he not only taught salvation; he granted it. Thus, even in the beatitudes, he appears as one who distributes blessedness and gives the kingdom.

Jesus considered his hearers, that little group of peasants, “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world.” How could they possibly have a restraining and enlightening influence on the world? Only because they followed Jesus.

Jesus’ authority as the Judge

The whole Sermon on the Mount was preached against the subdued background of the coming Day of Judgment. Nevertheless, Jesus knew it was a reality and desired it to be a reality in the minds and lives of his followers. So he declared the conditions of salvation and warned of the causes of destruction, especially in his graphic portrayal of the two ways and their destinations.

Jesus claimed that he would be the Judge. He used the personal pronouns “I”’ and “me” three times. First, he would be the Judge, hearing the evidence and passing the sentence. Matthew 7:23, “But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’” Second, he will be the criterion of the judgment. People will bring their use of his name in their ministry as evidence, but this will be inadmissible as evidence. I never knew you. The destiny of human beings will depend not on their knowledge and use of his name, but on their knowledge of him personally. Not service for Christ, but a relationship with Christ will be the issue. Third, the sentence he pronounces will also concern him: “Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.” He implied that no worse fate could be envisaged than eternal separation from himself. Jesus is the only person qualified to be the prosecutor, judge, and jury.

Jesus’ authority as the Son of God

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives us a comprehensive doctrine of God. He is the Creator, the living God of the natural order, who gives sunshine and rain and supplies birds with food, flowers with clothing, and human beings with life necessities. Jesus is also the King, whose righteous and saving rule has permeated into human lives through Jesus. But above all—again through Jesus— we have access to our Father.

In all these sayings, Jesus called God “your Father.” Then once, he referred to “the will of my Father.” He gave his followers the privilege of addressing God by the same intimate title he used “Abba, Father.” This concept he was later to express in a saying in Matthew 11:27.

The authority of Jesus as God

Whenever we attempt to understand the divine nature of Jesus as God, it is more than we can comprehend.  Jesus knew God as “my Father” clearly, and he knew his Sonship to be unique. But now we can take a further hesitating step. There is evidence that he thought of himself as being on a level with God, even one with God. It is not that he ever said this in so many words in the Sermon, but his claim to exercise divine prerogatives and his ways of speaking of himself imply it. Three examples may be given.

The first example is the final beatitude. It will be remembered that the eight beatitudes are generalizations in the third person. In contrast, the ninth changes to the second person as Jesus addresses his disciples in Matthew 5:11-12, “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.” It is this analogy with the prophets which is arresting. If Jesus compares his disciples to God’s prophets, he is comparing himself to God.

Second, since Jesus regarded obeying him as Lord and doing the Father’s will as equivalents, he was putting himself on a level with God.

Third, it comes in the verses about the Day of Judgment and have already been mentioned. Everybody knew that God was the judge. So did Jesus. He knew that people would appeal to him on the last day and that he would be responsible for passing sentences on them. In saying so, he again equated himself with God.

Here is the radical teacher, for he taught with absolute authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law. He teaches with the authority of God and lays down the law of God. He expects people to build the house of their lives on his words, and adds that only those who do so are wise and safe. He says he has come to fulfill the law and the prophets. He is the Lord to be obeyed and the Savior to bestow blessing. He casts himself in the central role of the judgment-day drama. He speaks of God as his Father uniquely and finally implies that what he does, God does, and what people do to him, they are doing to God.

We cannot escape the implication of all this. The claims of Jesus were put forward so naturally, modestly, and indirectly that many people never even noticed them. But they are there; we cannot ignore them and still retain our integrity.

The only alternative is to take Jesus at his word, and his claims at face value. In this case, we must respond to his Sermon on the Mount with deadly seriousness. For here is his picture of God’s alternative society. These are the standards, values, and priorities of the kingdom of God. When we, as citizens of God’s kingdom, are almost indistinguishable from the world, we have lost our saltiness, and our light is extinguished. Instead, we need to be evidence that God’s new society is already tasting the joys and powers of the age to come. Only when the Christian community lives by Christ’s manifesto will the world be attracted and God be glorified. So when Jesus calls us to himself, it is to this that he calls us, for Jesus is the Lord of the Christian counter-culture.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you next time for more wisdom from God’s Word!

Welcome to Day 2112 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Putnam Church Message – 07/18/2021

Sermon on the Mount – A Christian’s Commitment: The Radical Choices

The Narrow and Wide Gates

True and False Prophets

True and False Disciples

The Wise and Foolish Builders

As mentioned last week, Matthew 7 consists of several self-contained paragraphs. However loosely, the connecting thread which runs through chapter 7 is that of relationships. It would seem quite logical that having described a Christian’s character, influence, righteousness, holiness, and ambition, Jesus should concentrate finally on our relationships.  Today we will explore how those relationships are tied to our commitments as Christ-followers.  As citizens of God’s kingdom, will we support that kingdom and build it up, or will we destroy it from within by making wrong choices? All choices have consequences, and our choices can be seen in the analogy of those citizens of our great country who take advantage of the benefits of a free society but then destroy the very foundation on which these benefits are built. Ponder this analogy today as we explore the truths discovered in the last half of Matthew chapter 7.

 

Christ emphasizes here even more strongly than before the necessity of choice. We have learned about the two kinds of ‘right living,’ the two treasures, the two masters, and the two ambitions.  Now the time for radical decision-making has come. This is where the rubber meets the road. The choice is to be a citizen of Satan's domain or a citizens of God's kingdom. The choice to adopt the prevailing culture or the Christian counter-culture. Jesus continues with his presentation of the alternative as he describes our choices.  The two ways (broad and narrow), the two teachers (false and true), the two pleas (words and deeds), and finally, the two foundations (sand and rock).

The inescapable choice (13-14) (Slide #1)

What is immediately striking about these verses is the absolute nature of choice. Of course, we would all prefer to be given many more options. Yet, Jesus insists that there is only one choice because there are only two possibilities to choose from.  There are four aspects of these two choices.

 

First, there are two ways. One way is easy and wide. Although this was written over 2000 years ago, the catchphrases are as applicable today.  There is plenty of room on this highway for diverse opinions and laxity of morals. It is the road of tolerance and permissiveness. It has no curbs, guardrails, or boundaries of either thought or conduct. Travelers on this road follow their own inclinations: the desires of the human heart in its fallenness.  No effort is required to practice them. Whatever is right in your own eyes is why the broad road is easy.  You go along, to get along.  That is unless you are living according to God’s precepts.  Then you are censored, or our modern term for it is canceled.

 

The other way is narrow and difficult. Its boundaries are marked. Its narrowness is due to ‘divine revelation,’ which restricts pilgrims to the confines of what God has revealed in Scripture to be true and good. Thus, we have Christ as our trail guide on the difficult path to help carry our backpacks.   Matthew 11:30  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

 

Secondly, there are two gates. The gate leading to the easy way is wide, for it is simple to get onto the easy road. There is no limit to the baggage we can take with us. We leave nothing behind, not our sins, self-righteousness, and pride. On the other hand, the gate leading to the hard way is narrow. One has to desire it and look to find it. To enter the gateway to life, we must leave everything behind—sin, selfish ambition, covetousness, and even if necessary, family and friends. No one can follow Christ, who has not first denied himself. The entry is also a turnstile gate: it has to be entered one by one. How can we find this gate? It is Jesus Christ himself. John 14:6  Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

 

Thirdly, there are two destinations. The NLT describes the wide path: “The highway to hell is broad.” It leads to eternal death.  By contrast, the narrow gate leads to eternal life by becoming citizens of God’s Kingdom.

 

Fourthly, there are two crowds. Entering by the wide gate, many choose that way.  The broad and easy road is a busy thoroughfare, thronged by people of every kind striving to set up their kingdoms.  However, the narrow and hard way that leads to life seems comparatively deserted, and only a few ever find it.

 

Beware of false teachers (15–20) (Slide #2)

Assumptions

In telling people to beware of false prophets or teachers, Jesus assumed that there were such. Unfortunately, I fear there are still many in today’s church. In telling us to beware of false prophets, Jesus made another assumption: there is such a thing as an objective standard of truth from which falsehood is to be distinguished. Thus, Jesus held that truth and falsehood excluded one another, and that those who propagate lies in God’s name are false prophets or teachers, of whom his followers must beware.

 

Warnings

Verse 15 - “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.”  We learn from this metaphor that false prophets are both dangerous and deceptive.  Their danger is that, in reality, they are wolves. In first-century Palestine, the wolf was the natural enemy of sheep, which were entirely defenseless against it. As Jesus was to teach later, a good shepherd was always looking for wolves to protect his sheep. In contrast, the hired laborer (who, not the sheep owner, did not care about them) would abandon them at the sight of a wolf and run away, leaving it to attack and scatter the flock.

 

In other words, a false teacher does not announce and advertise himself as a purveyor of lies; on the contrary, he claims to be a teacher of the truth.  So, ‘Beware!’ Jesus warns. We must be on our guard, pray for discernment, use our critical faculties and never relax our vigilance. We must not be dazzled by a person’s outward clothing—his charm, learning, doctorates, and ecclesiastical honors. We must not be so naive as to suppose that they must be true just because they have some certificate of higher learning.  Instead, we must look beneath the appearance to reality. What lives under the fleece: a sheep or a wolf?

 

Tests

Having noted the assumptions Jesus made and the warnings he gave, we are now ready to look at the tests he told us to apply. First, Jesus changed his metaphor from sheep and wolves to trees and their fruit, from the sheep’s clothing that a wolf may wear to the fruit that a tree must bear. In so doing, he moved from the risk of non-recognition to the means of recognition. Although you may sometimes mistake a wolf for a sheep, he seems to say you cannot make the same mistake with a tree. No tree can hide its identity for long. Sooner or later, it betrays itself—by its fruit. A wolf may disguise itself; a tree cannot. Noxious weeds like thorns and thistles cannot produce edible fruit like apples, grapes, and figs. The tree’s condition determines the fruit’s character and if there is any evidence of fruit. Thus, in verse 17, A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.  Indeed, in verse 18, A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. The day of judgment will finalize the difference in verse 19,  So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, the conclusion that Jesus emphasizes twice in verses 16 and 20,   Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

 

What are these fruits?  Character and conduct are the first kinds of ‘fruit’ by which false prophets reveal their true identity. In Jesus’ allegory of the vine, fruitfulness means Christlikeness. The best listing of what we should look for in a true prophet and teacher is in Galatians 5:22-23, But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

 

If a prophet, preacher, or teacher does not display these qualities but the opposite, we are justified in suspecting that they are an impostor, regardless of the pretentious claims of sincere teaching.  A prophet’s ‘fruits’ are their character and manner of life, both in the church and, more importantly, outside the church.  In a parallel passage, we read in Luke 6:45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

 

Sound teaching, by contrast, produces faith, love, and godliness. Therefore, to determine a good prophet or teacher from a false one, there should be an analysis of what they teach. It should also include a close and critical scrutiny of their character, conduct, message, motives, and influence in all areas of life.

 

At the end of verse 20, Jesus concludes his delineation of a Christian’s relationships. We see how rich and varied they are as we look back and bring them together.

So Jesus confronts us with himself, sets the radical choice between obedience and disobedience, and calls us to an unconditional commitment of mind, will, and life to his teaching. Throughout this series, we have referred to Christians as citizens of God’s kingdom.  In these verses, let’s use the analogy that a group of people are from China or Russia, and they have legally applied to be citizens of the United States.  They all have studied hard and have passed all their test.  At the final moment, it was discovered that part of the group were secret agents for their original country.  This scenario is the setting for verses 21-23.

The danger of a mere verbal profession (21–23)

The people Jesus describes here rely for salvation or citizenship on a credal affirmation, on what they ‘say’ to or about Christ.  “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.

 

As in our analogy, everyone aced their citizenship exam and recited the constitution and all laws by heart. The litmus test is that only those who pledge their allegiance to the US and then do what they promised will become citizens and be allowed to enter.

 

The reason for their rejection by Jesus is that their profession was verbal, not internal. It concerned their lips only and not their life. They called Jesus ‘Lord, Lord’ but never submitted to his lordship, or obeyed the will of his heavenly Father.  Jesus expands on this section of being a true citizen of His Kingdom in verses 22-23. On judgment day, many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

 

Christ the Judge will banish them from his kingdom because they are evildoers. They may claim to do mighty works in their ministry, but in their everyday behavior, the works they do are not good, but evil.   It would be the same as those who desired to be citizens, but were found out to be spies.

 

 

The danger of mere intellectual knowledge (24–27) (Slide #4)

This following parable from Jesus is familiar, and we know the children’s song about building on rock and sand.  Jesus illustrates the contrast between his obedient and disobedient hearers in his well-known parable of the two builders.  The wise builder who ‘dug deep’ and constructed his house on the rock. The foolish builder could not be bothered with foundations and was content to build on sand.

 

As both got on with their building, a casual observer may not have noticed any difference between them. The difference was in the foundations, and foundations are not seen. Only when a storm hit, and battered both houses with great fierceness was the fundamental and fatal difference revealed. The house on the rock withstood the storm, while the house on the sand collapsed in irreparable ruin.

 

In the same way, professing Christians (both the genuine and the imitation) often look alike. You cannot easily tell which is which. Both appear to be building Christian lives.  Jesus is not contrasting professing Christians with non-Christians who make no profession. On the contrary, what is familiar to both spiritual housebuilders is that they hear these words of Jesus. So both are members of the visible Christian community. Both read the Bible, attend church, listen to sermons, and buy Christian literature. You often cannot tell the difference between them because the deep foundations of their lives are hidden from view. The real question is not whether they hear Christ’s teaching (nor even whether they respect or believe it), but whether they do what they hear. Only a storm will reveal the truth. Sometimes a storm of crisis or calamity betrays what manner of person we are, for ‘true devotion is not fully distinguished from its counterfeit till it comes to the trial.’  The storm of the day of judgment will undoubtedly do so.

 

Therefore the Sermon ends on the same note of radical choice of which we have been aware. Jesus does not set before his followers a string of easy ethical rules, so much as a set of values and ideals that is entirely distinctive from the way of the world. Jesus calls us to renounce the prevailing secular culture in favor of the Christian counter-culture. Repeatedly during our study, we have heard his call to his citizens to be different from everybody else. In Jesus’s manifesto, he commissioned us to be both ‘the salt of the earth’ and ‘the light of the world.’ These metaphors set the Christian and non-Christian communities against each other as recognizable and fundamentally distinct. The world is like rotting food, full of the bacteria which cause its disintegration; Jesus’ followers are to be its salt, arresting its decay. The world can be dark and dismal, lacking sunshine and living in shadow; Jesus’ followers are to be its light, dispelling its darkness and gloom.

 

The overriding purpose of the Sermon on the Mount is to present us with the indispensable necessity of choice.

 

Next week we will review and conclude the Sermon on the Mount.  Today’s content is appropriate, as Jesus sketches the two ways (narrow and broad) and the two buildings (on rock and sand). It would be impossible to exaggerate the importance of choice between paths since one way leads to life while the other ends in destruction. Or the two buildings, one building is secure while the other is overwhelmed with disaster. However, the choice about life itself is far more consequential than the choice of occupation or life partner. Which road are we going to travel? On which foundation are we going to build?

Welcome to Day 2111 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Putnam Church Message – 07/11/2021

Sermon on the Mount – A Christian’s Relationships: Judging Others and Effective Prayer

Matthew 7 consists of several self-contained paragraphs. Their link with each other is not apparent. Nor does the chapter as a whole follow on from the previous chapter with any precise sequence of thought. However, the connecting thread which runs through chapter 7, however loosely, is that of relationships. It would seem quite logical that having described a Christian’s character, influence, righteousness, holiness, and ambition, Jesus should concentrate finally on our relationships. The Christian counter-culture is not individualistic but a community event. Relations within the community between the citizens of God’s kingdom and those who are not yet citizens are of overriding importance. Matthew 7 deals with the network of 7 relationships into which we are drawn as the followers of Jesus. We will focus on the first four this week, and the remainder over the next week or two. The seven relationships include:

To our fellow citizens of God’s Kingdom (1–5).

To a group startlingly designated ‘dogs’ and ‘pigs.’ (6)

To our heavenly Father (7–11).

To everybody in general: the Golden Rule (12).

To our fellow citizens of God’s kingdom (13, 14).

To false prophets (15–20).

To Jesus our Lord (21–27).

Our attitude to our fellow citizens of God’s kingdom (verse 1–5)

Jesus does not anticipate that the Christian community will be perfect.

The Christian is not to be a judge (verses 1-2)

Jesus’ words, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged,” are well-known but often misunderstood.  Judgment within a court of law is not the focus here. In our personal lives, our Lord’s injunction, “Do not judge others,” cannot be understood as a refusal to discern between truth and error, goodness and evil. How can we be sure that Jesus was not referring to these things? Partly because it would not be honest but hypocritical to behave like this. This and other passages tell us about God’s love of integrity and hatred of hypocrisy. Humans are created to be imagers of God, including the ability to make value judgments.

Christ’s teaching in the Sermon on the Mount is based on the assumption that we will (indeed should) use critical thinking to determine how to live right. We are to develop righteousness that exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees. Our right living should exceed the world's standard of love we adopt. We are not to be like the hypocrites in our right living or the heathen in our ambition. How can we possibly obey all this teaching unless we first evaluate the performance of others and then ensure that ours is different from and higher than theirs?

If, then, Jesus was neither abolishing law courts nor forbidding critical thinking, what did he mean by “Judge not”?  The follower of Jesus can use their powers of discernment, but they are not a “judge” in the sense of being overcritical. Blindly judging others is a compound sin consisting of several unpleasant ingredients. The appeal in this passage is not to be a fault-finder who is negative and destructive towards other people and enjoys actively seeking out their failings. We are not to be someone who gleefully hunts out faults in others while completely ignoring our faults.

Worse than that, to be a fault-finder is to set oneself up as superior or judge and claim the competence and authority to sit in judgment of other Christ-followers. In doing so, you usurp the prerogative of the divine Judge, and you are taking on a role reserved for God. Not only are we not the judge, but we are among the judged, and shall be judged with greater strictness ourselves if we dare to judge others. We are to be critical thinkers without being overly critical. The plea to be generous when dealing with others.

The Christian is not to be a hypocrite (verses 3-4)

Jesus now tells his famous little parable about “foreign bodies” in people’s eyes, specks of sawdust on the one hand and logs or planks on the other. So here is another reason we are unfit to be judges: not only because we are fallible humans (and not God), but also because we are fallen humans. The fall has made all of us sinners. So we are in no position to stand in judgment on our fellow sinners; we are disqualified from the bench.

The picture of somebody struggling with the delicate operation of removing a speck of dirt from a friend’s eye, while a vast plank in his eye entirely obscures his vision, is ludicrous in the extreme.

The Christian is instead to be a friend (verses 5)

Our Christian duty is not to see the speck in our friend’s eye while, at the same time, we do not notice the log in our own. The standard of Jesus for relationships in the Christian counter-culture is high and healthy. In our attitudes and behavior towards others, we play neither the judge (becoming harsh, judgmental, and condemning) nor the hypocrite (blaming others while excusing ourselves). Instead, we are to be a friend, caring for others so much that we first blame and correct ourselves and then seek to be constructive in the help we give them.

Our attitude to “dogs” and “pigs” (verse 6)

At first sight and hearing, this is startling language from the lips of Jesus, especially in the Sermon on the Mount, and immediately after his appeal for constructive behavior with friends. Nevertheless, the context provides a healthy balance. If we are not to “judge” others, finding fault with them in a judgmental, condemning, or hypocritical way, we cannot ignore their faults and pretend that everybody is the same. Both extremes are to be avoided. The saints are not judges, but “saints are not simpletons” either. If we first remove the log from our eye and thus see clearly to take a speck from our friend’s eye, they will appreciate our kindness. But not everyone is grateful for criticism and correction. According to the book of Proverbs, this is one of the apparent distinctions between a wise person and a fool.

Proverbs 9:8

Who, then, are these “dogs” and “pigs”? By giving them these names, Jesus is indicating that they are more animals than humans and that they are animals with dirty habits. The dogs he had in mind were not the well-behaved lapdogs of an elegant home but the wild pariah dogs, vagabonds, and mongrels, which scavenged in the city’s rubbish dumps. And pigs were unclean animals to the Jews, not to mention their love for mud. So the NLT clarifies it a bit…

 So then the “dogs” and “pigs” with whom we are forbidden to share the gospel pearl are not just unbelievers. They must instead be those who have had ample opportunity to hear and receive the good news, but have decisively—even defiantly—rejected it.  They have made their choice. Of course, there is always hope that those who have rejected God will turn to Him. Our teaching here is we are to focus our energies on those who are receptive to the teachings of Christ. This teaching of Jesus is for exceptional situations only; our standard Christian duty is to be patient and persevere with others, as God has patiently persevered with us. 

Our attitude to our heavenly Father (verses 7–11)

It seems natural that Jesus should move on from our relationship with our fellow Christ-followers to our relationship with our heavenly Father and His divine grace with us.

The promises Jesus makes

This passage is not the first instruction on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has warned us against pharisaic hypocrisy and pagan formalism, and has given us his model prayer. Now, however, he actively encourages us to pray by giving us some very gracious promises.

Jesus seeks to imprint his promises on our minds and memory through the hammer blows of repetition. First, his promises are attached to direct commands. The NLT shares the heart of verse 7, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” Secondly, the promises are expressed in universal statements in verse 8, “For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Thirdly, Jesus illustrates his promises with a simple and easy-to-understand parable in verses 9–11, “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!  So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”

So the force of the parable lies in contrast rather than in a comparison between God and parents. But, nevertheless, there is no doubt that our prayers are transformed when we remember that the God we are coming to is “Abba, Father,” and infinitely good and kind.

If we belong to Christ, God is our Father, we are his children, and prayer is coming to him with our requests. The trouble is that it seems too simple, even simplistic, for many of us. In our sophistication, we say we cannot believe it; in any case, it does not altogether agree with our experience. So we turn from Christ’s prayer promises to our prayer problems.

The problems humans raise

Confronted by the straightforward promises of Jesus, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. We then raise several objections which we need now to consider.

Prayer is unseemly. Jesus said earlier that our heavenly Father knows what we need and cares for us anyway. Besides, he indeed cannot be bothered with our petty affairs. The question is not whether he is ready to give, but whether we are prepared to receive. So in prayer, we do not coerce God, but rather learn to submit to God.

Prayer is unnecessary. This second objection arises more from experience than from theology. Thoughtful Christians look around them and see many people getting on fine without prayer. Indeed they seem to receive without prayer the very same things that we receive with it. They get what they need by working for it, not praying for it. We may be tempted to say, “This proves that prayer doesn’t make an ounce of difference; it’s so much wasted breath.”

God gives to all life and breath. He sends rain from heaven and fruitful seasons to all. He makes his sun rise on the evil and the good alike. None of these gifts depends on whether people acknowledge their Creator or pray to him. But God’s gift of redemption is different. God does not grant salvation to all alike but to all who call on him.

Romans 10:13

The same applies to post-salvation blessings, the “good things” that Jesus says the Father gives his children. It is not material blessings that he is referring to here, but spiritual blessings. These blessings include daily forgiveness, deliverance from evil, peace, increased faith, hope, and love. Most important is the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit as the comprehensive blessing of God.

John 15:26

Prayer is unproductive. I prayed to be healed of an illness, and it got worse. I prayed for peace, but the world is filled with the noise of war. So prayer doesn’t work! This is the familiar problem of unanswered prayer.

Perhaps we could put the matter this way: being good, our heavenly Father gives only good gifts to his children; being wise also, he knows which gifts are good and which are not. So then, if we ask for good things, he grants them; if we ask for things that are not good for us, he denies them, and only he knows the difference.

The lessons we learn

Before we ask, we must know what to ask for and whether it accords with God’s will; we must believe God can grant it and genuinely want to receive it. Then the gracious promises of Jesus will come true.

Our attitude to all – The Golden Rule (verse 12)

We see that verse twelve is the best-known example of the supposed parallelism between the Jewish Talmud (Law) and the Sermon on the Mount. Verse 12 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” Compare verse 12 to Galatians 5:14, “For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself.”

This command is a high standard because self-love is a powerful force in our lives. In nearly every situation, self-advantage often guides us in our affairs; now, we must also let it guide us in our behavior toward others. All we have to do is use our imagination, put ourselves in the other person’s shoes, and ask, ‘How would I like to be treated in that situation?’

I mentioned at the beginning that the Christian counter-culture is not just an individual value system and lifestyle, but a community affair. It involves relationships. And the Christian community is, in essence, God’s family.

So in Matthew 7:1–12, Jesus has introduced us to these fundamental relationships. At their center is our heavenly Father, God to whom we come, who we depend, and who never gives his children other than good gifts. Next, there are our fellow believers.  If our fellow Christians are indeed citizens of God’s kingdom, it is inconceivable that we shall be anything other than caring and constructive in our attitude toward them.

As we wrap up for today, let me leave you with this thought:

Let us put ourselves sensitively into the other person’s place and desire for them what we would choose for ourselves. If we can do that, we will never be mean, always generous, never harsh, always understanding, never cruel, and always kind.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you next time for more wisdom from God’s Word!

Welcome to Day 2110 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Sermon on the Mount – A Christian’s Ambition: Biblical Priorities Result in Freedom From Worry

In the first half of Matthew 6 (1–18), Jesus describes the Christian’s private life “in the secret place” (giving, praying, fasting); in the second half (19–34), he is concerned with our public business in the world (questions of money, possessions, food, drink, clothing and ambition). The same contrast could be expressed regarding our “religious” and “secular” responsibilities. This distinction is false, because we cannot separate these into water-tight compartments. Indeed, the separation of the sacred from the secular in church history has been disastrous. If we are Christians, citizens of God’s kingdom, then everything we do is holy because it is done in God’s presence and according to God’s will. In this chapter, Jesus's emphases are precisely on this point: God is equally concerned with both areas of our life—private and public, religious and secular. There is no difference between the two.

Christ's manifesto, The Sermon on the Mount, is for us to be different from the hypocrisy of the religious (1–18) and now different from the secular’s materialism (19–34).

But how shall we make our choice? Worldly ambition has an intense fascination for us. The spell of materialism is hard to break. So in this section, Jesus helps us to choose well. He points out the folly of the wrong way and the wisdom of the right.  Within the passage we are covering today, there are four fundamental questions that we have to settle in our minds.

A question of treasure (verses 19–21)

Here the point to which Jesus directs our attention is the comparative durability of the two treasures. It is essential to face squarely and honestly the question: what was Jesus prohibiting when he told us, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth?” It may help if we begin by listing what he was (and is) not forbidding. First, there is no ban on possessions themselves; Scripture nowhere forbids private property. Secondly, “saving for a rainy day” is not forbidden to Christians; for that matter, a life insurance policy, especially for young couples, is prudent. Scripture even praises the ant in Proverbs 6:6-8, “Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.”

The believer who makes no provision for his family is worse than an unbeliever. Thirdly, we are not to despise, but rather enjoy, the good things our Creator has given us richly to enjoy. So neither having possessions, making provision for the future, nor enjoying the gifts of a good Creator are included in the ban on hoarding earthly treasures.

What then? What Jesus forbids his followers is the selfish accumulation of goods, extravagant and luxurious living, the abundance of possessions, and the materialism which tethers our hearts to the earth. If God grants us the ability to gain wealth on earth, our vocation, as citizens of his kingdom, mandates that it is used to build his kingdom.  Sharing of treasures will include assisting people and organizations in need.

The Sermon on the Mount repeatedly refers to the heart. Here, Jesus declares that our heart always follows our treasure, whether down to earth or up to heaven.

Everything that we hoard here on earth could be gone in an instant.  The world’s economy could collapse overnight, leaving us with nothing of value.  When you die, you take nothing with you.  The only treasure we can take with us is the impact on lives that our lives have enriched.  Our lives should be living legacies that will impact eternity through our kids, grandkids, and countless others we have influenced for God’s kingdom. These are the treasures stored up in heaven.  Anything we accumulate here on earth is just stuff. Over the years, understanding this concept became real when we realized that our home, considered our family’s ancestral home, Paula and I, are just caretakers of it as long as we live. So it is with everything we own. It is the same for all that you think you own. We are only caretakers while we are alive.

A question of vision (verses 22, 23)

Jesus turns from physical treasures to what we treasure with our eyes. These two are tied together.  What we allow our eyes to gaze on becomes that which we desire.  Our eyes direct our whole body, so what we fix our eyes on by default is tied to our hearts and affects our entire lives.  If we focus our eyes (that is, our lives) on what God desires for us to build his kingdom, then our bodies and actions should be filled with light.   If we focus our eyes on what we desire to build our kingdom, we will be filled with spiritual darkness. Getting our eyes and minds off what is eternally significant is easy as we get bogged down in building our kingdom.  We may delude ourselves into thinking it is for something good and thinks it is light instead of darkness. When that happens, how deep is that darkness?

A question of worth (verse 24)

Jesus now explains that behind the choice between two treasures (where we lay them up) and two visions (where we fix our eyes), there lies the still more basic choice between two masters (whom we are going to serve). It is a choice between God and money. Money here refers to material “things.” As citizens of God’s kingdom, it boils down to whether we will work to build God’s kingdom or our kingdom. Are we going to serve God or ourselves? You cannot build both kingdoms at the same time. It is not about whether you have wealth or not. It is about your heart's attitude toward that wealth.  We are but caretakers of what God has provided to us.  This concept will revolutionize your outlook on life, our next topic.

A question of ambition (verses 25–34)

Unfortunately, verses 25-34 are often read and preached on as a separate subject and isolated from what has gone before. Jesus tells us, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life.” What he taught us in verses 19-24 is the groundwork for the remainder of this chapter.  We worry about everyday life because we focus on building our kingdom, not God’s.  We don’t understand what it means to be citizens of God’s kingdom.  If we understood this in our hearts and minds, we would not worry about anything because God, as the great and wise king, will care for our needs as his loved children.  How can we think for an instant that the Creator of the universe will not provide us with food, drink, and clothing?

It probably stems from the fact that God did create us with free will to make choices. So with this ability, we think in our mind the saying, “If it’s to be, then it’s up to me.” To a point, we are responsible for providing for ourselves and our families. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, “Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: ‘Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.’”

Unfortunately, as with many areas of life, when we get our eyes off building God’s kingdom to build our own, we begin to worry if we will have enough. It may be that our kingdom is a bit too big for the available resources, and we want to control it.  I am glad that Jesus breaks it down for a simple person like me.

Come with me, and let’s imagine we are sitting outside on the mount listening to Jesus’s teaching, and we hear the birds singing all around us. Jesus points to the right and says…Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

We then see and feel the gentle breezes wafting past us, and Jesus points to the left and says…And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.  And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

Now please understand this. Jesus Christ neither denies nor despises the needs of the body. He knows we need both food and clothing. He created our bodies and allowed us to care for them. In his model prayer, Jesus just taught us in the lesson last week that we are to ask, “Give us today the food we need.” Since we are to ask him, we should be willing to have enough faith to know that he will also provide.  Worrying about what we just asked for is unproductive and unnecessary.   Instead of worry, we should then get up and hold up our part of the bargain and do what is needed to make sure we allow God to provide through our God-given abilities. The birds have to build their nest, and care for and feed their young, but God does provide what they need.  You may have heard this poem before:

Said the robin to the sparrow:

‘I should really like to know

Why these anxious human beings

Rush about and worry so.’

Said the sparrow to the robin:

‘Friend, I think that it must be

That they have no heavenly Father,

Such as cares for you and me.’

A preoccupation with food, drink, and clothing is an outward manifestation in which we have taken our eyes off building God’s kingdom and redirected them to our kingdom.  Human life is more significant than food, clothing, and shelter.  Jesus tells us that these things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers.  Unbelievers are preoccupied with building their kingdoms, so they are consumed with the stuff of the earth.

Worry is incompatible with the Christian faith.  Faith is not just sitting around doing nothing and thinking that God will provide.  Faith is belief in action. Worry is also incompatible with common sense.  We do have obligations in life. So, first, believers are not exempt from earning their living.  Secondly, believers are not exempt from responsibility for others.  Thirdly, believers are not exempt from experiencing trouble. These three principles are part of our lives as citizens of God’s kingdom.

We do not have to worry because God will provide. However, there is a prerequisite for God’s provisions. We are instructed in verse 33, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Therefore, seeking first to do God’s will within his kingdom and practicing right living are the steps we need to take.

Finally, we turn to the fact that worrying accomplishes nothing beneficial. Worry is like a rocking chair.  It gives you something to do but doesn’t get you anywhere. Worrying about tomorrow won’t stop the bad stuff from happening; it just prevents you from enjoying the good today.

When you think about it, all worry is about tomorrow, whether about food, clothing, or anything else; but all worry is experienced today. Whenever we are anxious, we are upset in the present about some event that may happen in the future. However, our fears about tomorrow, which we feel so acutely today, may not be fulfilled.

 

So then worry is a waste, - a waste of time, thought, and nervous energy. We need to learn to live a day at a time. We should plan for the future, of course, but not worry about the future.  Christ finishes this part of his teaching with the words, “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Let us focus on God’s kingdom daily by being the earth's salt and the world's light.  That is our mandate.   As citizens of God’s kingdom, we should be eager to develop our gifts, widen our opportunities, extend our influence, and live rightly in a world desperately seeking the savory salt and brilliant light we possess.  We are not here to boost our ego or build our kingdom, but rather to glorify God through everything we do. Therefore to the greatest of all ends, namely God’s glory and Supreme Good, let us seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you next time for more wisdom from God’s Word!

Join us next week as we learn about judging others and effective prayer.