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Julie and I built our home about 25 years ago. We contracted it ourselves and did a lot of the work ourselves (painting, finish carpentry, floors, etc.) We did a lot of the work ourselves because we couldn’t afford the things we liked unless we did the work ourselves (we were poor).
Over the years we have accumulated antiques and other nice things that suit our tastes. We still visit antique shops but only occasionally buy things if we think the items are worthy of replacing what we already have.
Consider, 2 Timothy 2:20-26…
“In a large house there are articles not only of silver and gold but also of wood and clay… if a man removes the wood and clay items (from his life) he will be an instrument for noble purposes… made holy, useful to the master and prepared to do any good work.”
Of course the author is using the figure of furnishing a house (by replacing things of lessor worth with things of greater worth) to furnishing a life with things of great worth to God.
Specifically, if there are things in your life like “evil desires of youth”, “engaging in stupid arguments” and “quarreling” those things need to be replaced with “kindness to everyone” and “not being a resentful person” and “gentle instruction”
I’m sure there are a host of other examples of things that need to be replaced but these are specifically mentioned in the text.
But look here… the purpose behind replacing these things is so that one can be made “useful to the master”. For a young evangelist like Timothy it would be so that he could lead folks to a knowledge of truth so that they will come to their senses and escape the trap that Satan has set for them.
Julie and I have furnished our home with things that we like because it brings us great pleasure especially when guests come into out home who appreciate the same things that we like.
Julie and I both attend a lot of estate sales and see all the accumulations of things that people have made being distributed and sold off. The other day at an estate sale Julie told me that it made her sad because one day that would be us… and she’s right about that.
It’s OK to have a nicely furnished home but it is so much better to have a nicely furnished life because with that life you are useful to the Lord and on earth folks can look at you and say things like… look there goes a real Christian.
And as we walk through the pearly gates of Heaven angels will be waiting to shake your hand and say… we’ve been looking for you… well done faithful servant!
Identify those ugly things in your life and replace them with beautiful things… you won’t be sorry.
The Apostle Paul instructed the young Evangelist Timothy to… preach the word and in that preaching to correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and instruction.
He warned Timothy that people will have a tendency to only want to listen to Preachers that they liked and that people have a tendency to listen to “myths” rather than the word of God.
I hear a lot of myths like… “God wants me to be happy and I’m not happy with this woman I’m married to so God wants me to find another woman.” Or this myth… “Thinking about God sitting on a mountain top is better than attending a man-made church.”
Those are webs that Satan (the great spider) has spun to catch people who won’t tolerate sound Gospel preaching.
Several years ago my son was looking at some old pictures of me and said… “Dad you’re losing muscle mass” those truthful words inspired me to go to the gym on a regular basis and start lifting weights.
However… the words I would have really liked to hear from my son (or anybody) is Dad you look great… but that would have been so much fluff. In retrospect I’m glad he was truthful with me.
There’s a lot of fluff in the world… look for people who will tell you the truth about yourself. Find a church that doesn’t just offer up spiritual cookies and cake. Find a church with a Preacher like Timothy that will offer up a balanced spiritual diet and who will tell you the truth about yourself… so you can be the soldier God wants you to be.
1 Peter 2:1-12 is a section of scripture that starts by urging Christians to rid themselves of various ungodly characteristics.
It continues by describing Christians as “Living stones” used to construct a “spiritual house” which God lives in. These “stones” are Christians who are living throughout the whole world. No matter their language or ethnicity or gender or age they are used to build this “spiritual house”.
This spiritual house doesn’t have the physical appearance of a house… it doesn’t have a front door or windows or chimneys, etc. but rather when it is viewed illustrates a people who have eliminated sin from their lives (vs. 1-3)… malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander and replaced sin with “spiritual sacrifices” which are “good deeds” (v.12)
This “spiritual house” is not invisible at all but is viewed by “pagans” (non-Christians) who are astute enough to draw the conclusion that God is active in the world and turn and also “glorify God” (v. 12)
Work hard to be part of that beautiful house and live in eternity with God.
There is a type of evangelism that is not accomplished through preaching or teaching and that is evangelism that is accomplished through living the right kind of life.
1 Peter 3:1-6 teaches that concept. Husbands can be converted to Christ purely by observing the behavior of their wives. Obviously Bible study enters in at some point but I think the Apostle Peter is teaching that wives don’t need to harangue their husbands constantly with Bible teaching, etc but should just live their lives according to God’s instructions and let God do the rest of the work.
Let’s look at the text. First of all wives need to be submissive to their husbands. That doesn’t mean to never render an opinion or never to give advice but to respect her husbands headship in the family.
I’ve said before that many wives are smarter than their husbands. Many wives are more emotionally stable than their husbands and many wives make better decisions than their husbands. However, the really smart wife will not self promote herself to her husband but will in humility help her husband develop in his role of being head of the family.
Additionally, according to the text, a husband needs to observe purity and reverence in their wives. A husband may want his wife to engage in sexually improper activities. The pure wife respects her husbands headship but refuses to do anything that would stain her purity and ultimately stain her husband’s purity because the two are… one flesh. What stains one also stains the other.
A wife needs to have a “gentle and quiet spirit”. Especially when dealing with an angry husband a “gentle and quiet spirit” is a great weapon. Too often when both parties become angry the anger escalates and improper things happen… words spoken that can never be forgotten and physical abuse. Whether you’re a man or a woman the smart person doesn’t get sucked into a vicious cycle of anger that is only inspired by Satan.
The text says that a woman with a “gentle and quiet spirit” has a true beauty that never fades or diminishes… rather it grows and becomes more beautiful and everyone can see it. Consider the opposite… a woman with a “contentious and angry spirit” just grows uglier and uglier.
Obviously this type of evangelism doesn’t have instant or quick results but is an investment in time and in God. This type of evangelism is practiced by men and women and I suppose women are primarily being addressed here to give them hope and assurance.
God doesn’t tell lies and this is a recipe that will work. Trust God.
A while back the Parkway men used to have a breakfast once a month at a local eatery. Breakfast isn’t really my thing and for me usually a cup of coffee suffices. I came in late for one of the breakfasts and of course the guys gave me a hard time about being late and that’s OK… I expect it because I distribute a lot of grief myself.
Anyway they were on me for being late and I told them that on the way in I saw a young woman with three kids broke down on the side of the road and stopped to help her. I prayed for them and wished them well and went merrily on my way. Of course that story was completely fictitious but it did shut them up (briefly).
Of course James 2:14 states… “What good is it brethren if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds. Can such a faith save him?”
The scripture talks in multiple places about the importance of prayer and how we should be praying continually. But there is a time for prayer and a time for action. Don’t be so involved in spiritual activities like prayer, Bible study, singing, etc. that you fail to act when action is required.
Of course if I had actually seen the young woman with three small children stranded on the side of the road the appropriate action would have been to stop and address her actual need… we could always have prayed after-wards.
Paul’s letters to Timothy are carefully crafted to craft Timothy into an effective Preacher/Evangelist.
One of the problems Paul knew Timothy would face were members who would “quarrel about words”. Keep in mind in those days there were no Bible dictionaries, concordances, wikipedia or any other kind of Bible reference resources. They just had the Old Covenant and letters written in their common language.
The same problem exists today. I’ve been in Bible classes that have taken three years to get through the letter to the Romans… blow by blow, verse by verse, examining every word ad nauseam… and perhaps missing the bigger message.
Sometimes members do argue and quarrel about words and relatively minor concepts. In my opinion, Bible classes are no place for arguing and quarreling which can create enmity. If you have a point make it and move on. If it needs any further discussion do it after class. Even after class don’t go too far with it. If your brother doesn’t agree with it arguing is not going to solve the problem. Sometimes ideas just need time to permeate our brains.
Paul also instructs Timothy to “have nothing to do with foolish and stupid arguments”. Yes, stupidity exists in churches. It’s not hard to identify stupid people… minimize your contact with them… you probably can’t make them smart.
In short, the Bible and God’s message is not that hard to understand. The people in the first centuries could understand it and they didn’t come close to having the Bible resources we have today.
Remember love God with all your heart, soul and minds and your neighbor as yourself. Part of loving God is to discover everything you can know about him. There are no shortcuts… study your Bibles and personalize Paul’s instructions to Timothy like he was writing to you.
In Luke 15 Jesus tells three parables to illustrate to his listeners the value of saving “lost souls”.
There are three strains in this text. We commonly think about the lost things… the sheep, the coin and the son but there are also the three who are looking for the lost… the shepherd, the woman and the father.
The third strain are the things not lost… the 99 sheep, the 9 coins and the other son.
The lost sheep didn’t want to be lost and the other sheep in the flock community would have worried about the lost sheep. A lost sheep loses the security of the flock and is susceptible to all sorts of predation. If the sheep was not found it would quickly be killed. Therefore there was great rejoicing from the shepherd and the rest of the flock.
The lost coin and the other coins had no feelings about being lost. The only one in this scenario was the woman. She had lost 10% of her savings. Maybe she was a widow and every penny was valuable. For comparisons sake 10% of her earnings also represented what she owed God in the form of tithing. Her reaction of losing the coin was very understandable.
The audience (Pharisees and teachers of the law) would understand these plain truths but now Jesus has to make a connection with “lost people”.
Both the Shepherd and the woman searched and searched until they found what was lost. The father however did not search for what he had lost which was far more valuable than a sheep or a coin. He only had two sons and now one was gone and he probably already knew where his son was.
In a small country it’s not hard to keep up with the news especially when its bad news. At any time he could have found his lost son and grabbed him by the ear and drug him back home. But he knew if it was not his lost sons own decision that he was bound to lose him again. The only way to keep his son forever was for the lost son to truly reflect on his choices and come to the realization that he had made a serious error.
The lost son knew and felt that his actions were so despicable that his righteous father could never truly forgive him and only hoped that he could live under his fathers household as a servant… continually marked and branded as the “unfaithful son” who had messed up his own life.
The lost son made another mistake… he didn’t understand true love and didn’t really know his own father… the “Pharisees and Teachers of the Law” didn’t understand true love either and certainly did not know Jehovah God very well.
The big brother didn’t understand it either. He probably would have taken his kid brother back under certain conditions… certainly not full restoration and rejoicing.
Jesus told these parables to correct common human thinking and in that correction help them understand compassion, patience and godliness.
Never ever give up on the lost no matter how horribly they might have sinned. Be patient like the father was patient with his “lost son” and maybe… just maybe that lost person will turn and you will be watching for that change of heart so you too can demonstrate incredible love.
Luke 16:1-13 records the story of the “Unrighteous Steward”. Of course the steward is identified as being unrighteous in verse 8 however mammon or wealth is also identified in verse 11 as being “unrighteous”. Let me suggest that wealth is not inherently “unrighteous” and our understanding of how the steward was “unrighteous” also needs to be understood properly.
In those days and times, the rich entrusted vast sums of wealth to “Stewards” to invest. The Stewards had broad powers and were not closely monitored until a set date when an accounting had to be made.
The rich man heard that his Steward was “wasting” his goods and summoned the Steward and told him based upon this report that he could no longer continue as his Steward and to give an accounting of his Stewardship.
He was not fired yet or he could have just walked away. He had to go to all of his Master’s creditors and collect what was owed and turn it over to his Master. Once the accounting was complete then he was no longer Steward.
What did the Steward do? He went to all his Master’s creditors to get them to pay up and he heavily discounted what they owed. This was an entirely legal and ethical practice and in fact is practiced in our day and time.
For example, today on the radio I heard Dave Ramsey tell someone that after a period of time Credit Card companies will discount credit card debt by up to 75%. Why? Because the Credit Card Company has no hope of collecting the whole sum so they settle for a lessor amount… an entirely legal and ethical practice.
So how was the Steward “unrighteous”? Certainly he may have given bigger discounts than he should have but the big way he was “unrighteous” was in his attitude and motivation… he was all about self-preservation and that’s always unrighteous. He certainly was canny and shrewd and his Master and Jesus recognized that.
So how is wealth “unrighteous”? Wealth in and of itself is not “unrighteous”. It becomes “unrighteous” when it is used selfishly.
Wealth used “righteously”… “Righteous Wealth” is used unselfishly for the benefit of others.
Jesus concludes… you cannot serve two masters… you cannot serve God and the pursuit of wealth.
Choose to serve God and he will grant you eternal wealth.
Romans 12:15 states a principle… rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.
Let me suggest that the Bible does not give an instruction unless there is a problem. The problem was that Christians were ignoring each other’s emotions.
It’s a problem because the church and the relationships among her members are the primary evidence to the world of the deity of Jesus Christ.
Imagine two congregations one whose members ignore each other and are in a hurry to get home and another whose members are talking and visiting and planning activities with each other. Which one is emulating Christ’s love?
Of course you can’t respond to someone with laughter or tears unless you know what’s going on in someone’s life and half of that responsibility is on you.
You have to find a fellow Christian and ask a question and I’ll give you the question… “What did you do today?” That’s a better question than “How are you doing?” because when you ask “How are you doing”, most of the time they will just say “fine” or “fine how are you?” and that ends the conversation.
Here’s an example. The other day Dwayne asked me what I had done the day before. I said everything that could go wrong did go wrong… one tractor had a flat tire and the other tractor had a hydraulic problem and I didn’t get much done.
You see what happened? I was important enough to warrant a question from which a conversation developed and a sharing of empathy. Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Develop relationships by asking the right questions. Be naturally curious about people. Find the most aloof person you know and slowly erode the barriers they have put up. You will become a better person for it and God is glorified.
Imagine if the US Marine Corp. decided to let their recruits train themselves. They gave them all the tools they needed and a set of instructions and said “Good luck boys… there’s a great battle coming you have all you need to be great soldiers” How do you think that army would perform?
Ephesians 6:13-17 describes the Christian as a fully outfitted and prepared for war Roman soldier. Of course soldiers can fight individually but usually fight as an army. The Christian’s army is the collectivity of Christians otherwise known as the church.
Some think they can fight alone and not be a part of a church but that would be foolishness. Satan’s army can easily surround and pick off a lone soldier.
The only offensive weapon (besides prayer) described is the Roman soldiers sword which is identified for the Christian as the “Sword of the Spirit” and the “Word of God”
It would be a mistake to think that Satan can be killed with this sword. I think the imagery of the sword is to describe a close personal fight. The sword is not a long distance weapon like a spear or a bow and arrow. Meaning the fight is not a long distance fight… it’s up close and personal.
The sword can also be a defensive weapon. Satan sees the well-equipped Christian whose faith is mature by reason of use. He sees that the Christian soldier has a large sharp sword (He knows God’s word frontwards and backwards) and like a cowardly lion Satan looks for easier prey. Perhaps a Christian soldier who left his helmet at home or whose sword is hollow and fragile. Or whose sword has been hanging over the fireplace mantle and has a layer of dust and cobwebs on it.
The purpose of Paul’s comparison of the Christian soldier with the Roman Soldier is to motivate his audience to prepare themselves. Some may think that they can just sit around and read the Bible every once in a while and when the need comes pray them-selves out of trouble. Big mistake… huge mistake… a fantastic mistake… truly monumental.
The US Marine Corps knows that they can’t train an effective fighting force by letting recruits train themselves. The recruits need structure, physical fitness, comradery, rigid practice… and they need a tough drill sergeant… So too the Lord’s army.
Join the Lord’s army and prepare yourself for a fight which you… cannot lose… if you are fully prepared. Semper Fi
