4SpiritualSecrets

“…  Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)

At the starting gate of their relationship with Jesus, two sets of brothers who were professional fishermen entered into a covenant with Him.  Like all covenants that covenant was in two parts.  Jesus challenged them: “You follow Me – that’s your part.  I will make you – that’s My part.  You follow Me – that’s your business.  I will make you – that’s My business.”

When I was 18 years old a pastor shared the Gospel with me.  When I told him I couldn’t do what an authentic disciple of Jesus was required to do, he told me I didn’t have to do it by myself.  He told me about this covenant Jesus established with Peter and Andrew and James and John.  I then made the commitment to follow Jesus and I entered into that same covenant.  Next month I will be 80 years old and I have proven that if we will follow Jesus, He will make us.  In other words, if we will keep our part of that covenant we certainly can trust Him to keep His part.

I strongly encourage you to consider entering into that same covenant with Jesus.  You don’t have to do all the things involved in following Jesus.  Fact is you can’t follow Jesus in your own strength or resources.  Your part is to make the commitment to follow Him and then trust Him to do His part.  He won’t do your part and you can’t do His part.  But if you follow Him, He will make you whatever He is calling you to be. And if someone could show you what you will be doing in 20 years you won’t believe it!

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.” (Matthew 6: 22, 23)

Someone has said that 5% of people think, 10% think they think while 85% would rather die than think.  And the 10% who think they’re thinking are merely rearranging their prejudices!  In the teaching of Jesus quoted above He is telling us that the way we think can be the difference between a life that is filled with light or happiness and a life that is filled with darkness or depression and unhappiness.  In this teaching He is focusing a great question: “How do you see things?”

In this profound metaphor Jesus is challenging us to join the 5% who think, and He is emphatically teaching the critical importance of thinking correctly.  When He refers to the eye He means our outlook and our mindset.  In that sense He is saying that if our eye is good and healthy our life can be filled with happiness, but if our outlook and mindset are unhealthy our life can be filled with the opposite.

The context in which this metaphor was given by Jesus is the greatest discourse He gave to His disciples.  The most sound and healthy truth for living ever stated in this world is found in what we call The Sermon on the Mount which is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew chapters 5-7.

The best way to have a healthy mindset is to align what we think with the values Jesus taught and modeled in this great discourse and in all His other discourses, parables and metaphors.

“Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” (1Timothy4:16)

Although it seems to contradict the ethical teachings of the Old and the New Testament, the Apostle Paul is coaching Timothy to join what we might call a “Me First Club.”  While we’re trying to understand humility as it is taught in the Bible or while we’re learning to love God and our neighbor as ourselves, the very sound of a “Me First Club” seems to be a loud screeching discord.

However, if we will think about it there are places where we are instructed by our Lord to put ourselves first.  For example, in the opening verses of the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew Jesus teaches His disciples that when it comes to judging we should join a “Me First Club.” Showing a great sense of humor Jesus taught that we should not be looking for that tiny speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye when we have a log or a plank in our own eye.  His priority judgment was that we are to first get that log out of our own eye and then we will see clearly to help others with that tiny speck in their eye.

Paul is instructing Timothy that before he challenges others to apply the doctrine (which means the Word of God), to their lives that they might experience salvation, he is to first apply the Word of God to his own life and experience salvation himself. There are times and there are ways in which if we don’t save ourselves we can’t save anybody else.

In areas like salvation and judging are you willing to say “Me first?”

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2Corinthians 9:8 NIV)

Those who are wealthy enough to own a Rolls Royce automobile realize how secretive the manufacturer of those extraordinary automobiles can be.  One man sent a telegram to the manufacturer and asked “What is the horse power of my Silver Cloud Rolls Royce?  The return telegram in typical British fashion was just one word: “Adequate.”

When the Apostle Paul writes the words quoted above it is almost as if someone had asked the question “What is the measure of our grace as authentic disciples of Jesus Christ?” The response of the great apostle was more than the word “Adequate.”

This verse is the most superlative verse in the New Testament on the subject of the grace that is available to us as we follow Jesus Christ.  Mercy is God withholding from us what we deserve while grace is God lavishing on us all kinds of wonderful blessings we do not deserve.  We’re saved by grace but we are also given grace that makes it possible for us to live a life that glorifies God, exalts the risen, living Christ and holds forth the Word of God to people who desperately need it.

As you read this verse, realize that he is talking about all grace, all things, at all times, all that you need, abounding in every good work – and twice he writes that it is for you.  Has God oversold the product in this verse or do we have a flawed access into this grace?

“… For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34)

According to the Bible there is a time to remember and a time to forget.  In the Old Testament God frequently instructs His chosen people to erect a monument and then remember some great miracle He did by which He proved Himself to them.

In the New Testament Paul writes a letter to the Church at Ephesus.  Since he had taught them more thoroughly and longer than any church he had founded, in his letter to them he frequently exhorted them to remember what he had taught them.  When he wrote to the Church in Philippi he exhorted them to forget the things that are behind and reach forward to the things that shall be.

This principle of remembering and forgetting is nowhere more important than when we apply it to our sins.  God clearly wants us to remember that we are sinners.  Then when God forgives our sins, He also forgets them and He wants us to do the same.  Regarding our sins, we therefore need to remember what God remembers and forget what God forgets.

As a pastor for more than 50 years I have been amazed in my own life and in the lives of those who have called me pastor at how prone we are as believers to forget that we are sinners.  That’s at least one reason why we sin again and again.  It has also amazed me to realize how often we confess our sins and believe God has forgiven us and then carry our guilt baggage with us for the better part of a lifetime.

One way to win the battle against sin is to remember what God remembers and forget what God forgets.

“I am the vine, you are the branches.” (John 15:5)

We have seen that hours before His crucifixion Jesus held a retreat with the men He had apprenticed 24/7 for three years.  If they would be one with the Holy Spirit His ministry on earth would be done through them.

Having taught that in an upper room, Jesus took them into a garden. He pulled down a vine that had many branches just loaded with fruit. Essentially He told them, “This is what I have been telling you in the upper room.  I am the Vine and you are the branches. If you will be joined to Me in my Holy Spirit risen form, the way these branches are joined to this vine you will bear much fruit for Me. If you are not joined to Me in this way you will be able to do nothing!”

There are four parts to this metaphor: There is a Vine, there are branches, there is fruit and there is a Gardener or Vinedresser. Jesus is the Vine. They are the branches. Fruit is His work being done through them and His Father is the Vinedresser.

By application, Jesus is making two statements through this metaphor. He is clearly stating that without Him we can do nothing. He is also declaring that without us He has chosen to do nothing.  In this context He teaches that when a disciple is fruitful His Father performs a cut back to improve the quality and the quantity of the fruit that life is producing for Him.

Is it possible that what may look like a setback in your life is actually the cutback of a loving Vinedresser Who wants to improve the quality and quantity of the fruit He is growing in your life?

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” (John 15: 16)

In another hard saying of Jesus (as quoted above), Jesus told the apostles when they understood that He chose them to be fruitful God would answer their prayers!  Jesus told them they did not choose Him to be part of their plans.  He chose them to be part of His plans and when they got that God would answer their prayers.

The three years Jesus had been with them were like a seminary.  These four chapters (13-16), of the Gospel of John record His commencement address to them.  In Chapter 15 He gave them at least six reasons why they must be fruitful. Those reasons were:

They must be fruitful because there is no such thing as a disciple of His who is not fruitful.  This is how they show they are His disciples.  They must be fruitful because this is how they glorify God.  They must be fruitful that their joy might be full.  They must be fruitful because He chose them to be fruitful.  Finally, they must be fruitful because He is the Vine and they are the branches.  That is, He has no other way to accomplish His work in this world.

In His metaphor about the Vine and the branches the fruit does not grow on the Vine.  This means the risen Christ has limited Himself to faithful branches.  Although we may not have done it that way it is the plan of the risen Christ to use His power in His disciples to accomplish His work and speak His word in this world.    

“I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit..”     .. (John 15:16)

When we study the hard demand of Jesus that all those who claim to be His disciples must be fruitful, we must understand what it means to be fruitful. My favorite definition is found somewhat buried in the longest recorded discourse of Jesus (John 13-16).  It is known as the Upper Room Discourse because it began in an upper room where Jesus spent the last hours with His apostles before His arrest and crucifixion.

They had been fascinated with the words they heard Him speak and the works they saw Him do.  He told them that the dynamic source of His words and works was His relationship with His Father.  He and His Father were one and the result of that oneness was that the words of His Father and the works of His Father were spoken and done on earth through Him.

He shared the exciting truth with them that He was about to leave but He was sending them the Holy Spirit.  If they would be at one with the Holy Spirit, as modeled by His oneness with the Father, the words and works of Jesus would be spoken and done on earth through them.  To be at one with the Holy Spirit of the risen living Christ, doing His works and speaking His words is what it means to be fruitful.

The ignition that makes this possible is being related to the Holy Spirit of Christ as a branch is joined to a vine.  Christ is a Vine looking for branches today.  Are you willing to be one of His branches and be a fruitful disciple?

“Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?” (Luke 13: 7)

Many disciples of Jesus are not aware of the hard sayings of Jesus that fill the four Gospels.  The Scripture excerpt quoted above is an example.  In this short parable Jesus was emphasizing His demand that His disciples must be fruitful.

Jesus was the master of teaching by parable.  At one point in His ministry He taught exclusively by parables.  In the Greek language this word “parable” is a combination of two words: the word “para” which means “alongside of” and the word “ballo” which means “to throw.” (That’s why the pigskin the quarterback throws during football season is called a “ball.”) As Jesus used parables He would take the truth He was teaching and throw a story alongside that teaching so people could understand what He was teaching them.  No one ever did that as perfectly as Jesus.  When you study the parables of Jesus, try to determine the truth His story was illustrating.

Hours before Jesus was crucified He held a retreat with His apostles.  Among other things He gave them six reasons why they must be fruitful.  That is the truth He is teaching in this hard teaching of this short parable.  According to Jesus, the tree that was not producing fruit had no right to be using up the ground.

By application, that means we have no right to be taking up space in His church if we’re not being fruitful.  There are times when I am teaching the teachings of Jesus I feel compelled to say “I didn’t say that.  He said that.” This is one of those occasions.

The hard challenge is  –  are you, and am I, a fruitful disciple of Jesus Christ?

“And a great windstorm arose…but He said to them, ‘How is it that you have no faith?’…and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4: 35-40)

If you read the story recorded in the verses referenced above you will see that Jesus directed the apostles to get into their boat and cross over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  On this sea crossing a great storm fell upon them.  They woke Him with the question, “Don’t you even care that we (including Him) are all going to drown?” After turning the great storm into a great calm He asked them the great question “How is it that you have no faith?”

Jesus had been teaching them that He was the King of the Kingdom of God and they were subjects in that Kingdom.  Did they really think all of this was going to come to an end at the bottom of the Sea of Galilee?  One translation renders His great question “Do you not even yet believe in me?” Another puts it “When are you going to get some faith?”

Before we are too hard on the apostles, let’s apply the essential truth of this story personally.  Jesus has promised us that He will take us to the other side of this life to the next dimension called heaven.  While we are on that journey, if a great storm falls upon us do we believe that storm declares all His promises to be null and void?  Or do we have a quality of faith that can turn that great storm into a great calm?

This story teaches us that storms in our life are a classroom in which God wants to strengthen, grow and authenticate our faith.