Jesus talked about being “rich with respect to God.” Intriguing phrase, but what did He mean? This is the final segment of a Thanksgiving message. If you missed them, you can find the first section posted HERE . The second section is HERE.
Before I go fix a leftover turkey sandwich, I thought I’d let you know I’m thankful for YOU and all the others who regularly read this blog. And I hope you had a great Thanksgiving Day.
What do many rich guys have in common with toddlers? You can find out in this continuation of the Thanksgiving message posted last time (See Happy + Thanks + Giving).
Have a great Thanksgiving Day tomorrow. I’ll post the conclusion to this message on Friday.
One of the candidates for president implied he would make a good president because he has made a lot of money. Is that really true? Rich guys might be shrewd, but are they wise? Not always. God thinks some of them are fools. Why? Jesus explained it in His parable about a rich fool. Here is a Thanksgiving message about that parable.
Here’s the first part:
Before you even get in the raft, the white water guide begins to establish his or her authority and control. In the early stages of the float trip they work hard to make sure everyone knows what to do, practicing the commands over and over. “Back-paddle!” “Right turn!” “Let’s do it again!” Why? White water! There’s rapids downstream and, when they get to them, it’s too late to begin figuring out what to do. The idea is for everyone to be alert, trained and ready to respond quickly, without panic. Even if the raft seems about to flip.
Jesus told the folks in His raft they would eventually confront dangerous rapids. When they asked how they could know the end of the age was approaching, He didn’t mince words. Instead, He prepared them (and us). You can read what He told them in the 24th Chapter of Matthew, but here are some excepts of what He said:
Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
In other words, “When things get dicey, make sure you listen to my commands and not anyone else.”
“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
In other words, “When you hear the roar of the rapids, don’t freak out; I have told you this trip winds up in white water so keep your heads.”
“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. – (Matthew 24:4–13 Excerpts – NIV84)
In other words, “Don’t be surprised at how violent the rapids will seem. You may even get tossed out of the raft. But remember to trust me. Do what I say and you will come through just fine.”
Human history is filled with failed attempts to make our world better as we strive for utopia. People even held the hope that World War I would serve to end all future wars. No matter how or what we try, we have not succeeded in eradicating evil. As we see the rise of ISIS, Russia’s alliances with wicked dictators and nations who pledge the destruction of Israel, it might seem discouraging and frightening.
But these kinds of events have been foretold in Scripture. Jesus never whitewashed the truth: wickedness will increase as the age continues toward the end. But He also said, “see to it you are not alarmed.” And, “don’t listen to others who will lead you astray.” And, “stand firm in your faith and you will be saved.”
Our hearts and tears go out for our sisters and brothers of Paris. We are shocked, dismayed by the wanton brutality. We pray for them, asking that they might find real peace in their hearts, healing from the terror, comfort in sorrow. And safety. I pray that many will hear and respond to these words of Jesus:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – (Matthew 11:28–30 NIV84)
“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. – (Jn 14:23b ESV)
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. – (John 14:27 NIV84)
Look it up: “Paper Towel Sniffer” is a paying job. Somebody has to check paper towels are odor-free before they leave the factory. You probably haven’t seen that job on a list of career choices. Or “Dog Surfing Instructor.” Lists of possible careers are not exhaustive; they can’t possibly include becoming a “Water Slide Tester.” The same principle applies to lists in Scripture of “spiritual gifts.” Perhaps you have been asked what your spiritual gift is and are confused. Some say there are only 7 gifts listed in the Bible, so yours must be one of those 7. Others count 12. But when you understand what a spiritual gift really is, it is misguided to limit the possibilities by those few examples.
Here is the clearest definition of spiritual gifts:
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7 (NIV84))
As the Holy Spirit’s life in a believer grows, He brings about basic changes in their attitude and character. Eventually, these changes are seen externally as “fruit of the Spirit” – love, joy, peace, patience, etc. (See “Recognizing the Holy Spirit in You”). As this process continues, the Spirit manifests or reveals His invisible presence in a more tangible and practical way. He “gifts” each believer with the ability to do something that will contribute to the common good of the community of believers. For example, the Spirit might empower a person to preach. Another person might discover a new aptitude for empathy and use it to counsel those who are hurting. Someone else might come alive with a newly found passion for generosity. I know a man who was gifted by the Spirit with a knack for knowing when a hinge needed oiling or a screw needed tightening.
It is important to understand these gifts are not simply natural talents. The energy and ability involved in using these gifts is derived from the Spirit. Sometimes the Spirit will manifest Himself in a way that enhances an existing natural talent – say, playing the piano – filling this talent with new power and purpose. Other times, His manifestation will enable a person in a completely new way. But the end result is not personally beneficial, but rather, building up the gathered body of believers.
Also notice, from the definition above, the Holy Spirit manifests Himself in “each one.” That means every follower of Jesus eventually is empowered to bless the others. Each gift is essential for the body of a church, no matter how insignificant it may seem to be, just as is true for a human body. If your ankle itches in the night, you really need the giftedness of your toenail, eh? There is no such thing as an unimportant spiritual gift.
If you have trusted Jesus, you have, or will receive, a spiritual gift. What is it? Look for an ability that seems to be powered up beyond your own personal resources, one that is consistent with the character and commands of God, and which contributes to the common good of your church. See if it energizes you and blesses the rest of your church. If so, likely it is your spiritual gift.
Late one night, at the Apple warehouse, a box of new iPhones were engaged in a casual competition to see which one of them was the best. Unexpectedly, one of the phones was connected to a cell phone signal and then to the WiFi. The other phones sensed something was amiss and asked him, “What’s that goofy look on your face; what’s going on?” “I don’t know how to explain what I’m experiencing, but it is almost as though I came to life for the first time.” The other phones considered him weird and ostracized him.
Okay, maybe that didn’t really happen, but it illustrates the problem of answering the question we posed last time (See: Who is in Control?): “How do I know when I have received the Holy Spirit?” If you have received Him, you probably agree it’s pretty hard to find words to describe the experience. But a pretty good start is to say it feels a bit like coming to life in a new way and for the first time.
Some will tell you that receiving the Holy Spirit is always accompanied by speaking in unknown languages, or by falling down and twitching, by hysterical laughter or even barking like a dog. Perhaps all of these things have occurred to some as they received this mysterious and powerful new life, but it is nonsense to insist that everyone will respond in the same way. Paul made that point in an extended argument you can read in 1 Corinthians 12 through 14.
Let me suggest a couple of telltale signs of new life in God’s Spirit. The first one is that you will begin to notice basic changes in how you think, what you see, what kinds of things are most important, etc. You may think to yourself, “Well, that wasn’t like me…” One of the changes I noticed pretty quickly was a desire to read the Bible, when I formerly had found it incredibly dull. That wasn’t like me. The changes might be very subtle, and even more noticeable to others. The night I crossed the line of faith and received the Spirit, when I walked in the front door, my wife looked up and said, “Something is different about you; what’s going on?” I don’t know what she saw or sensed.
Secondly, these changes will not fade over time but, instead, will grow. They are not simply temporary emotional responses, such as what you might experience if you get a promotion, but living and growing changes, as you gradually become more attuned to the life of God’s Spirit within you.
Eventually, the life of the Holy Spirit will produce fruit. Jesus spoke of the difference between a superficial religious experience and one that was genuine. He said, those who genuinely come to new life in Him don’t wither away when trouble comes but continue to grow and produce fruit (see: Matthew 13:1-23). What does this fruit look like? Paul says it looks like this:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…” – Galatians 5:22–23 (NIV84)
And you think, “Whoa… that’s not like me!” Notice that these “fruit” changes are external, they impact others around us. The changes and then the fruit grow as the Spirit changes our character and attitudes to more closely resemble God’s.
Eventually, the Spirit gives us new aptitudes and abilities – gifts of the Spirit. And we’ll take that up next time.
P.S. – If you are concerned about your situation and need to run some questions past someone, I strongly encourage you to seek out a local pastor, one who is comfortable with the concept of what it means to be born again.
We pesky humans try to control things. Even things that are way beyond our control. You thought I was going to go off on global warming, right? Nope, I’m thinking about coming to faith in Jesus. We can’t control that, especially when it concerns others coming to faith. Nevertheless, we try.
When I was a kid, my church baptized infants, declaring them saved – at least temporarily. Then as we approached puberty, they decided we needed a booster shot of salvation. They called it “confirmation.” We snored our way through classes, learned how to say the Apostles’ Creed, and we all stood together in church to say “I do” to Jesus. Bingo, we were saved, they said. To prove it, they gave us a certificate and allowed us to take communion. It was not until I was 38 that I discovered that all that carefully planned procedure and ritual hadn’t changed anything in my soul.
On the other side of things are those who encourage others to “walk the aisle” or “pray the sinner’s prayer.” They have the prayer conveniently laid out in a numbered sequence in the back of their tract. Good intentions, good motives, but again, a futile attempt to regulate what really is in the control of the Holy Spirit.
Don’t get me wrong! I am sure that many people have genuinely crossed the line of faith during confirmation classes or by praying the sinner’s prayer. I know the Holy Spirit can use even those experiences. And I am not denying that part of the process depends upon our own genuine faith and surrender. My point is this: we cannot make spiritual transformation happen with our little tricks and rituals.
Peter discovered that early on, as he was telling a group of people about Jesus at the home of a Roman Centurion.
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. – (Acts 10:44 NIV)
I picture Peter thinking, “Rats! I didn’t get a chance to give them the invitation or ask them to come down front. They haven’t said the prayer or repeated the creed.” Of course, he didn’t think those things. Instead he had his mind blown as he witnessed the people receiving the Holy Spirit. Which is the mark of genuine spiritual change. Jesus called it being born again and said:
Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. (John 3:6 New Living Translation)
Paul wrote to his friends, saying:
For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. … – (Thessalonians 1:4–5a (NIV84)
God uses believers to tell others about Jesus but the work of making them new is in His control.
Perhaps you are wondering how you can know if you have received the Holy Spirit. Chew on this and we’ll take that up in a couple of days…
The water bubbles up continuously, constantly filling and refreshing the pool and then flows out through a hand-crafted, wooden trough, dropping onto a water wheel. The wheel powers the steady turn of an antique flour mill at the Heritage Homestead in Waco, 
Texas.
On a recent visit, I was struck by this nearly silent, steady source of power and reminded of Jesus’ words:
“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. (Jn 7:37b–39a).
When a person recognizes the Identity of Jesus, the Son of God, and responds in surrender and complete trust, an amazing transformation occurs as His Holy Spirit is given to live forever in his or her soul. That Spirit becomes a Spring of “living water” flowing up from within. He refreshes and cleanses, informs and guides us. He restores our living connection with Almighty God. But this Flow of living water also empowers us to do what we are intended to do. He does so in a silent, steady way. It may not seem like much at first – no screaming machinery or belching smoke – but we can learn to rely on this Source of power, day by day.
“No wait! Please don’t sit there!” The guest was unaware that, since their son, Jim, had been deployed to the Middle East, they set a special place for him at their dinner table. No one sat there. They made that rule to honor his service and act out their yearning for his return. The end slice from the roast was Jimmy’s, too. “We don’t eat that, not until Jimmy comes home.”
Which, one day, he did, along with a buddy from his unit. When that friend unknowingly sat in the special chair, no one said a word. It no longer mattered because their son was home.
Many dietary restrictions and rituals of the Old Testament were established to prepare people for the coming of God’s Son as Messiah. But the purpose of those practices was fulfilled with the arrival of Jesus. That is why followers of Jesus no longer practice much of Jewish rituals. It is not that they were meaningless or wrong but that their purpose has been fulfilled in Christ. Even the most solemn Day of Atonement has been fulfilled by the atoning sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus said,
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. – (Matthew 5:17)
Speaking of those ritualistic practices and restrictions, Paul wrote:
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. – (Colossians 2:16-17)
If the fictional family above had continued to insist no one sit in the special chair or eat the end slice, thinking that somehow that would serve as a way they could participate in or pay for Jim’s service, it would resemble the illogical actions of those who turn the old rituals into a kind of discipline or means of penance. But that, too, misses the point:
… 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. – (Colossians 2:23)
There’s no point in doing that stuff and you don’t score any points, either.
FRESH BREAD OF LIFE 