About a month ago I overlooked something really important to me. Because I fly every summer to Europa I had enough miles to have next ticket for free.
For free- under the condition I would keep my miles not expired by paying a small fee. But I ignored the email I got from my airlines thinking it was another advertisement and that way I missed my great opportunity for a special flight. I thought I was so close, if only I opened and read that information they sent me. If only I responded. But it was too late. Well, I realized there are more important things people will overlook in their lives.
I my situation it was just a free plane ticket. But what about overlooking ' time of grace', ' time of salvation' that is now and many will ignore it?
The consequences are much more dramatic than my 'lost' ticket to Europa.
I thought about people who will miss their important opportunity of responding to Jesus why they are still alive. Just the thought that there would be too late for them, because the message about salvation was ignored- is a hard feeling. They will miss their whole eternity with God! They will have to experience the second death and will be unaware of the great things God has in store for those who love Him.
As the note in the email about my mileage said; 'expired', so will end everybody's opportunity to come to Jesus. If in this life we don't want to have anything to do with God, we can't expect He would want anything to do with us after our time on earth is finished.
"Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven." Matthew 10;32-33
The Bible is filled with many warnings about missed opportunities of reconciliation with God, ignored message about salvation,vulnerability to believe lies if people won't hold on to the truth. It gives us warnings against being 'fake' believers, apparently christian-looking people. It commends us to be watchful so that we wouldn't be disappointed at Christ' second coming. There will be no excuse if somebody will be found without Christ as his/her Lord.
There is a specific situation we - as believers-are warned, too. It relates to turning back to sinful life and ignoring the relationship with the Lord
A 'Christian' who is not enduring in the relationship with the Lord to the end. Back to sinful life.
( Matthew 24;48-51)
"But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming, and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
We can notice that the person Jesus is talking about is somebody who knew Him as His master, he knew about His coming back. We would say today that this person should definitely be a Christian. This 'Christian' doesn't take his master's coming seriously so if Christ is not coming right away, he foolishly turns back to his sinful life. He looks like the one who never understood what it meant to be a follower of Christ. He doesn't understand that 'delayed coming' of His master means opportunities for others to still get saved. He is called 'evil servant', imposingly there is no good fruit in his life, which means there is no relationship with his master.
We have to understand that Christianity is the RELATIONSHIP with the Lord! It is not a -one time in life- prayer. It is not living in sin because 'I am saved' so I can do whatever I want to. If there is no communication with our Lord, you won't know Him, and He might say one day' He doesn't know you'. Let's read what Jesus once said;
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." John 10;27. Then He also said; "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish."
It is obeying the Lord, it is listening to His voice! Then you can be sure, you will never perish.
The question is why is the 'servant' in the parable (Matthew 24;48-51) rejected at the end? We can know based on John 10;27 that if he followed the Lord and listened to His voice, he should have a grantee of being saved. So definitely that was missing in his life. Just knowing who Christ is, doesn't make us true believers, it doesn't make us saved. The question is; Is He really your Lord, are you following Him?
A 'Christian' who does works in the name of the Lord but must have never been in relationship with Jesus.
(Matthew 7;22)
"On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
If Jesus would say to these people 'I never knew you', that means these people never belonged to Him although they made all impression that they did.They were never His!
He says; "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me." John 10;14
Jesus is warning us that there will be a number of people who look like Christians, who associate with Christians, and who even think they are Christians, who will be shocked to learn that they are not saved at the return of our Lord. What a sobering thought. This text is not seeking to create uncertainty and doubt in the heart of the Christian. It is not seeking to rob the Christian of his assurance. But it is seeking to warn those who have a false assurance, but not salvation. In the last days, just as in Jesus’ time and today, there will be those who appear to be Christians, but are not:
Warning about being a 'sleeping Christian' in the parable about ten virgins; not being watchful resulting in disappointment at Christ coming;
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of the virgins were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra olive oil with them. But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. When the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’ Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ ‘No,’ they replied. ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then the door was shut. Later, the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’ But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I do not know you!’ Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:1-13).
Even though the five virgins plead, “Lord, Lord … ,” they were sent away with the words, “I do not know you!”
We find it emphasized here that once our Lord returns, there is neither the time nor the opportunity for the five foolish virgins to 'fix' their relationship with the Lord. In our text, the five foolish virgins are not given the time to reverse their folly, once the groom has come. They had their opportunity, and they lost it. Now it is too late. Once again, we notice that the story refers to people who knew who the Lord was but weren't doing what He was saying. They weren't watchful, more- they surely weren't listening to His voice. They might have been people who once heard the gospel but then the worldly things took over so much that there was no time to listen to His voice and obeying Him. That way they 'overslept' their Lord's coming.
Once again, knowing who Christ is doesn't make you saved. You have to make Him Lord of your life. Give your life to Him. It is not the knowledge about the Lord that gives you life but the relationship with Him. Listen and obey what He says. That's why Jesus said ;
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 7;21
So what is the will of the Father in heaven? To believe in the One He sent and obeying Him, listening to His voice, doing what He says.
We are warned against being only listeners but not doers!
"Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” Luke 6;46-49
Our faith without works is simply nothing. If there is no fruit in our life, no love expressed toward other people, if there is no prayer at all - our relationship with the Lord might be questionable.
James 1;22-24 says; "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. "
Christianity differs from all the worldly religions that it is a relationship with the living Lord. For a very important reason -there is so much teaching in the four gospels about who is a true follower of Christ. We can make a conclusion that the true Christian loves the Lord all the time, he keeps in communication with Him, and as the result he is producing good fruit, he shows the love towards others.
" By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13;35
Warning against ' having no heart' , lacking love toward others;
{ A parable in Matthew 25;31-46}
His story about the separation of goats and sheep must have unsettled his audience. The Day of Judgement will reveal who showed true compassion and mercy toward their neighbor. As much as we might like to judge the parables, the parables, nonetheless, judge us. Jesus teaches us a very important lesson about loving our neighbor and taking responsibility for others. God will judge us not only for the wrong we have done but also for what we have failed to do. Now is the time of God’s mercy for seeking his help and grace to turn away from sin and to walk in his way of love.
We can see that as the result of our relationship with the Lord , good fruit should be produced in our Christian life.We can't impress God with our good deeds on our own. We usually produce fruit by abiding in Jesus;
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15;5
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Friday, April 5, 2013
Wake up church!
Revelation 3;1-6 "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write:
He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars says this, I
know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive but you are
dead. Wake up and strengthen the things that remain which were about to
die, for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.
Remember therefore what you have received and heard and keep and repent.
If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a thief and you
will not know at what hour I will come upon you. But you have a few
people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments and they will walk
with Me in white for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall thus be
clothed in white garments and I will not erase his name from the Book of
Life and I will confess his name before My Father and before His
angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches."
Although the words are directed to the church in Sardis that was facing some problems, they are also relevant as a warning in our life. They would relate to the church where believers are in the state of 'spiritual sleep. What does it really mean to be in a spiritual sleep?
Some think that all we have to do is going to church sing a few songs, we might do once a while something extra contributing to the whole congregation by some kind of service like welcoming the guests, opening the door, sticking a leaflet about the church to a visitor's hand, and after the service we rush quickly home. It definitely should sound familiar. Sometimes we might actually do even more but still we would be considered in a state of 'sleep'. Jesus might refer to us with the same words like He confronted the church in Sardis; "You have a name you are alive, but you are dead."
One example of an alive person and being 'dead' at the same time is a person in coma. Although the body is alive, the main organs sustaining life are working but one is not. The part of the brain is not responding. There is no communication with the person speaking the the one in coma. The sleeping person won't respond to our words. The same is true with the 'sleeping ' believer. There is no communication with the Lord, there is no response to His words. The believer might be doing some works but they would be coming out of the wrong motivation. You might be singing in a church' choir but if there is no relationship with the Lord in your life, you are spiritually sleeping. You might be doing Sunday school but if you do not abide in relationship with the Lord,the work would be done by the obligation and you are considered spiritually 'asleep'.
A believer might be apparently 'active ' member of the church, but without walking with the Lord, he is definitely in a spiritual 'coma'. Many Christians have dozed off and they don’t even know it. They are in need of an abrupt wake-up call. We can decline into spiritual lethargy if we do not stay alert. We better watch our spiritual condition.
Jesus continues " I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God." We read that there might be some deeds, there might be some activity but something is missing. The deeds are not completed. They are not perfect. We know that we are not saved by works so why Jesus would be talking about the works that are not perfect? If we read carefully the chapter 3 of the book of Revelation, we notice that the works relate to the spiritual condition of believers' heart and mind.
He says; "Remember what you have received and heard and keep and repent."
" Wake up and strengthen the things that remain which were about to die."
What we have received when we came to Jesus for the first time? Isn't it forgiveness of sin purchased with a high price by His blood? We`accepted it with a great joy, our hearts were filled with gratitude. We were eager in reading and abiding in God's word and excited about it but then we neglected it and our spiritual life 'froze'. We stopped applying God's word into our life. His words might be kept in our memory but if they are not in our heart, our dependence upon God is diminished. The works are not 'completed'.
If there is a little need for prayer, little reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit, where there is only confidence in human wisdom, human effort, we loose our dependance upon God. We need to be able to hear the Lord's voice. He is alive! We need to hear His call. He has a plan for every one of us! We need to cooperate by applying His word into our life!
We are reminded to strengthen what is about to die which is our relationship with the Lord.
The church might have a great reputation, seen as a group of very active believers but from God’s perspective, some deeds there might be as good as “dead.” We have to notice that the church in Sardis doesn’t appear dead. This church has a reputation for being alive. People are impressed. They have a name, but that is it!
We see that this church’s deadness is not man’s evaluation but God’s.
He knows the hearts and knows how close people are to Him. The fame of some church might be great but the hearts of the believers cold. God doesn't want the fame, He is looking for our obedience toward His word.
For many believers today God's word isn't alive and active in them anymore.They may remember what it says . They may even be able to quote some scriptures but they aren't really speaking to their hearts anymore. As a result, their faith weakens and starts to fail. They stop getting answers to their prayers. They don't move forward but they decline in their spiritual life. Their works are considered not 'completed'. They might think that God is not hearing them but the truth is, it is them who don't communicate with Him.
We are to bring fruit by abiding in the Lord. It is not on our own. Neglecting the close relationship with Jesus is what keeps us from bringing fruit. It keeps us from being useful in His work.
In John 15;4-5 Jesus said;
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. "
By bringing no fruit the Christian is unproductive. If the whole church is like that, it looses it's purpose. It becomes spiritually 'dead'. It is not doing what the Lord pleases.
Such church will focus only on it's rules, regulations and forms and will neglect the spiritual condition of it's members. It will mainly get involved with management rather than with ministry. It will be operating on its own, while the Lord Jesus will be only on the pages of the Bible!
What can be done about sleeping believer? How can he/she be revived? Jesus will answer these questions and more in Revelation 3:1-6.
What is needed, it is renewed commitment to Him. He says; “Wake up!” This is His reminder and we should respond to it. Be awake or else you will be apathetic.
The cure for this nearly dead church in Sardis was to keep in mind the way that they had first responded to the truth of God and to once again respond in the same way. Psalm 139, verses 23-24 are worth going through every day. This will ensure that you wake up well and are spiritually watchful.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”
God has called us to apply the truth of His Word. We don't just keep it on the pages of the book. We apply it into our life! Do others see the difference in your life without being told that you’re a Christian? Jesus still exhorts us to “walk in a manner worthy of our calling” (Eph 4:1). Don't allow yourself to fall into comfortable church pattern where you just sit and listen and do nothing else. James 1;23 says ;"Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror." You don't want to be like that, you can do much more by applying the word! If you don't hear His voice any more, you need to wake up. Pray and renew your relationship with the Lord.
We know God is compassionate and merciful but surely everybody can be pushed to his limits. So Jesus continues; " If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a thief and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you." The same words we hear in Revelation 16;15
"Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed"
You don't want to be shamefully exposed! You wouldn't want to hear the words like the five foolish virgins in the parable in Matthew 25;1-13;
"Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you!." v.12. And the verse 13 says ; "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."
A similar warning we find in Mark 13;33-37
"Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task,
and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
Although the words are directed to the church in Sardis that was facing some problems, they are also relevant as a warning in our life. They would relate to the church where believers are in the state of 'spiritual sleep. What does it really mean to be in a spiritual sleep?
Some think that all we have to do is going to church sing a few songs, we might do once a while something extra contributing to the whole congregation by some kind of service like welcoming the guests, opening the door, sticking a leaflet about the church to a visitor's hand, and after the service we rush quickly home. It definitely should sound familiar. Sometimes we might actually do even more but still we would be considered in a state of 'sleep'. Jesus might refer to us with the same words like He confronted the church in Sardis; "You have a name you are alive, but you are dead."
One example of an alive person and being 'dead' at the same time is a person in coma. Although the body is alive, the main organs sustaining life are working but one is not. The part of the brain is not responding. There is no communication with the person speaking the the one in coma. The sleeping person won't respond to our words. The same is true with the 'sleeping ' believer. There is no communication with the Lord, there is no response to His words. The believer might be doing some works but they would be coming out of the wrong motivation. You might be singing in a church' choir but if there is no relationship with the Lord in your life, you are spiritually sleeping. You might be doing Sunday school but if you do not abide in relationship with the Lord,the work would be done by the obligation and you are considered spiritually 'asleep'.
A believer might be apparently 'active ' member of the church, but without walking with the Lord, he is definitely in a spiritual 'coma'. Many Christians have dozed off and they don’t even know it. They are in need of an abrupt wake-up call. We can decline into spiritual lethargy if we do not stay alert. We better watch our spiritual condition.
Jesus continues " I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God." We read that there might be some deeds, there might be some activity but something is missing. The deeds are not completed. They are not perfect. We know that we are not saved by works so why Jesus would be talking about the works that are not perfect? If we read carefully the chapter 3 of the book of Revelation, we notice that the works relate to the spiritual condition of believers' heart and mind.
He says; "Remember what you have received and heard and keep and repent."
" Wake up and strengthen the things that remain which were about to die."
What we have received when we came to Jesus for the first time? Isn't it forgiveness of sin purchased with a high price by His blood? We`accepted it with a great joy, our hearts were filled with gratitude. We were eager in reading and abiding in God's word and excited about it but then we neglected it and our spiritual life 'froze'. We stopped applying God's word into our life. His words might be kept in our memory but if they are not in our heart, our dependence upon God is diminished. The works are not 'completed'.
If there is a little need for prayer, little reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit, where there is only confidence in human wisdom, human effort, we loose our dependance upon God. We need to be able to hear the Lord's voice. He is alive! We need to hear His call. He has a plan for every one of us! We need to cooperate by applying His word into our life!
We are reminded to strengthen what is about to die which is our relationship with the Lord.
The church might have a great reputation, seen as a group of very active believers but from God’s perspective, some deeds there might be as good as “dead.” We have to notice that the church in Sardis doesn’t appear dead. This church has a reputation for being alive. People are impressed. They have a name, but that is it!
We see that this church’s deadness is not man’s evaluation but God’s.
He knows the hearts and knows how close people are to Him. The fame of some church might be great but the hearts of the believers cold. God doesn't want the fame, He is looking for our obedience toward His word.
For many believers today God's word isn't alive and active in them anymore.They may remember what it says . They may even be able to quote some scriptures but they aren't really speaking to their hearts anymore. As a result, their faith weakens and starts to fail. They stop getting answers to their prayers. They don't move forward but they decline in their spiritual life. Their works are considered not 'completed'. They might think that God is not hearing them but the truth is, it is them who don't communicate with Him.
We are to bring fruit by abiding in the Lord. It is not on our own. Neglecting the close relationship with Jesus is what keeps us from bringing fruit. It keeps us from being useful in His work.
In John 15;4-5 Jesus said;
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. "
By bringing no fruit the Christian is unproductive. If the whole church is like that, it looses it's purpose. It becomes spiritually 'dead'. It is not doing what the Lord pleases.
Such church will focus only on it's rules, regulations and forms and will neglect the spiritual condition of it's members. It will mainly get involved with management rather than with ministry. It will be operating on its own, while the Lord Jesus will be only on the pages of the Bible!
What can be done about sleeping believer? How can he/she be revived? Jesus will answer these questions and more in Revelation 3:1-6.
What is needed, it is renewed commitment to Him. He says; “Wake up!” This is His reminder and we should respond to it. Be awake or else you will be apathetic.
The cure for this nearly dead church in Sardis was to keep in mind the way that they had first responded to the truth of God and to once again respond in the same way. Psalm 139, verses 23-24 are worth going through every day. This will ensure that you wake up well and are spiritually watchful.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”
God has called us to apply the truth of His Word. We don't just keep it on the pages of the book. We apply it into our life! Do others see the difference in your life without being told that you’re a Christian? Jesus still exhorts us to “walk in a manner worthy of our calling” (Eph 4:1). Don't allow yourself to fall into comfortable church pattern where you just sit and listen and do nothing else. James 1;23 says ;"Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror." You don't want to be like that, you can do much more by applying the word! If you don't hear His voice any more, you need to wake up. Pray and renew your relationship with the Lord.
We know God is compassionate and merciful but surely everybody can be pushed to his limits. So Jesus continues; " If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a thief and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you." The same words we hear in Revelation 16;15
"Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed"
You don't want to be shamefully exposed! You wouldn't want to hear the words like the five foolish virgins in the parable in Matthew 25;1-13;
"Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you!." v.12. And the verse 13 says ; "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."
A similar warning we find in Mark 13;33-37
"Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task,
and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
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