THE ASSUMPTION OF HEAVEN

 Matthew 7:21 (NIV)

“Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

               America has been blessed to have been shaped from its beginnings by Christianity. Although it is obvious that not everyone who has lived in America is a genuine believer, it is still true that our culture, in the main, has been shaped by Christian beliefs. As we have become more and more secularized many of these Christian beliefs have been watered down or abandoned. But there are still vestiges of Christianity that linger. One of those is the belief in heaven. Nearly ¾ of all American adults still believe in heaven. Their understanding of heaven is by no means consistent or universal, but it is foundational for many people.

               One of the aspects of belief in heaven that stands out is the idea that most people will go to heaven when they die. Only the really bad people will miss out and go to hell. If a person has lived a relatively good and moral life, then they expect that heaven is their destination. This attitude was confirmed for me the other night as I was watching a TV show. At one point, one of the main characters asked the other if he believed in heaven. She expressed her utter confidence that she would go to heaven when she died and that she would see her loved one again.

               For many people, the idea of heaven or a positive afterlife has been divorced from religion or from specific faith in Jesus Christ. As long as a person has a vague idea of God and has lived a “good” life, then they expect heaven to be their reward. For most people, heaven is about seeing loved ones who have died. It has very little, if anything, to do with being united with Jesus. It is true that the Bible promises us that we will be united with those who have gone before us, but that is secondary to knowing Christ and entering into His glory.

               The people of Israel had an idea of heaven based on the Law. If they were faithful to the Law all of their life, they would be rewarded with a place in God’s heavenly Kingdom. They felt that anyone outside of the Law was excluded from the Kingdom of God. This same concept is true in Islam. Only true Muslims will go to heaven. Everyone else is fodder for the fires of hell. In both cases the assumption is that if I am in the “right” group then I’m in.

               Jesus had a different take on the issue. Jesus is very clear that outwardly claiming our place in heaven is not enough. In Matthew 7, Jesus clearly states the criteria for entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 7:15-23 (NIV)
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

               Bottomline for Jesus is not how religious a person has been, or how good, or how well they kept the Law, but whether they had a relationship with Him. A person who has a genuine relationship with Jesus will show that through the fruit they produce. Their position before God is not based on bearing good fruit. Bearing good fruit is the outcome of having a relationship with Jesus. Jesus is clearly saying that it is not enough to go through the motions of faith outwardly. There needs to be an inner commitment and transformation that has taken place.

               There was an animated film back in 1987 called All Dogs Go to Heaven. The idea is that because dogs are loyal to their masters they all go to heaven. There is a loose idea that love, friendship, and loyalty are the keys to entrance in heaven. In many ways, that is how so many people see it. If I am generally loving and loyal to my family and friends then I will get a free pass to heaven. Unfortunately, that is not reality.

               If we have placed our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, then we can be assured of our place in heaven. But we should not presume upon this. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 13:5; Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test? We do not have to live in fear, but we do need to be sure that we are genuinely in a relationship with Jesus. Having a relationship with Jesus is not a moment in time, but a life-long adventure of following Him. It is the greatest adventure in the world for those who truly embrace it.

               No one earns a place in heaven by living a good life. Heaven is a gift from God to all those who have placed their faith in Jesus. Everyone who enters into heaven has been invited there personally by Jesus and will be welcomed in with open arms.

John 14:1-6 (NIV)
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

 

 

WHEN SATAN ATTACKS

 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV)

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

               Murphy’s Law says this: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time." There is truth imbedded in that statement, especially when it comes to our spiritual journey. Satan is a master at throwing a monkey wrench into our plans at just the wrong time. Not every mishap is a direct act of Satan, but he knows how to use our missteps against us. There are times though when Satan definitely orchestrates things to cause the most damage to us as we seek to walk faithfully with the Lord.

               In the early 2000’s our church was on the rise. We were regularly topping 400 in average attendance in three Sunday worship services. Our Easter and Christmas service attendance was well over 500. We knew that it was time to make some strategic changes in order to break through the 400 barrier and move to the next level of ministry impact.

               With that in mind, we brought in an expert in church growth who met with our leaders and our congregation for a weekend of strategic planning. Two issues rose to the top that were keeping us from making further progress. We needed more space and we needed to expand our staff. The church embraced these recommendations and quickly moved forward. We started a building program to expand our facilities and we hired more staff. Then the bottom dropped out. The 2007-2008 financial crisis hit and derailed our plans.

               The global financial crisis was not directly related to our decisions, but Satan used it to attack our church. By that time there was nothing we could do about the building project; it was a done deal. As our income took a major hit, we found ourselves with a financial dilemma. As the crisis lingered our situation got worse. In the end we had to let one of our staff go. The outcome of that was that we lost people in the process, which only made the situation worse.

               In addition to the external issues, some internal issues arose that further destabilized our church. The result of those issues caused further exodus of people and staff. When the dust finally settled, we had dropped back to a church of about 250. People were discouraged and disoriented, including the senior pastor, me. It took several years to begin to rebuild a sense of direction and purpose.

               I share this now because the church I am currently serving is in the process of selecting a new senior pastor. Over the past 1 ½ years we have worked hard to heal wounds and to seek God’s direction for the church. Many good and encouraging things have happened during that time. We believe that God has brought us to the place where we can confidently move forward. Now is the time that we need to be on our guard. Satan would like nothing better than to sabotage the process. He wants to rekindle old hurts and open wounds that we have worked so hard to heal.

               Peter warned us that Satan is like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Satan is always looking for a weak spot from which to attack. He wants to use circumstances and people to not just muddy the waters, but to stop positive progress. Now is the time to put on the full armor of God. We cannot afford to be complacent. We need to actively resist Satan.

               In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us that if we are going to be able to take our stand against Satan’s attacks, we need to be fully equipped.

Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

               We need to be fully aware of who our real enemy is, and it is not the culture or the people around us. We also need to be intentional about equipping ourselves with the resources that God has made available to us. In addition to this, we need to be confident in the power of God at work in us. As James says, Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:7-8a (NIV)

               Satan wants to distract us and discourage us. He does that by getting our eyes off of Jesus and onto the things going on around us. Like Peter, walking on the water, when we take our eyes off of Jesus we begin to sink. But when we stay focused on Jesus, we can resist the attacks of Satan. Remember, You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 (NIV)

Hebrews 12:2-3 (NIV)
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

 

 

 

HIGH EXPECTATIONS, EXTRAVAGANT GRACE

 Matthew 5:48 (NIV)

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

               I just finished the first half of a woodworking project. It is a corner cupboard. It turned out okay, but it is not perfect. There are a few things that did not come out the way I wanted them to do. I have been doing woodworking for many years now, but I am still trying to perfect my workmanship. I expect perfection, but I have to give myself grace.

               The same is true in our walk with Christ. We should all have high expectations. In fact, Jesus set the bar very high. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus set an almost impossible standard for his followers. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20 (NIV) Jesus was making the point that righteousness is far more than a person’s outward actions. It also includes what’s going on inside of a person. At the end of that chapter, Jesus says that his followers must be perfect. WOW!

               Striving for perfection as a follower of Jesus is a real challenge. The reality is that we often fall far short of that goal. We are not alone in this. Paul struggled with not living up to such a high standard.

Romans 7:14-20 (NIV)
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

               There are those who say that Paul was describing his life before he became a believer, but I don’t agree. Paul was expressing the struggle we all safe, if we are honest with ourselves. In our heart, we really do want to live a righteous life, but our actions do not always match up. We would like to be perfect, but we fall far short of the goal. That is where grace comes in.

               John addresses this in his first letter. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. 1 John 1:8-10 (NIV)

               Jesus set a high standard knowing that we would not measure up. He gave us a way to bridge the gap. When we admit our failure and turn toward Him, He applies His righteousness to our account. He cleanses us from our sin and brings us back on track.

               We have a part to play in this. It is not automatic. Jesus expects us to put in the effort, to strive toward the goal of perfection. But He is there to help us move in the right direction. I think that is what Paul was getting at when he wrote these words. Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)

               I know what it is to beat myself up over my failure to be perfect. That is not where Jesus wants me or you to live. Instead, He calls us to bring our imperfection to Him. "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 (NIV)

               We should have high expectations of ourselves as we stive to be like Jesus. But we also need to tap into God’s extravagant grace. Jesus is not wringing His hands over our failures. He knows all about us, and He continues to extend His arms of love and grace in our direction.

Psalms 103:13-18 (NIV)
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-- with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

CHILDISH OR CHILD-LIKE

 1 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV)

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

               Birthdays are often a time for reflection. As we mark another year of life, we stop to think about where we have been and where we are headed. Today is that day for me.

               There have been many thoughts going through my mind the past week or so. As I can see the end of my current ministry as an interim pastor fast approaching, I have given much thought to what is next. I have also taken stock of my life up to this point. I am pleased with some of the things that are on my personal resume, and not pleased with some others. Above all, I have thought about where I am on my faith journey.

               When Jesus was teaching His disciples about what it means to be a follower of His, He told them that they needed to become like little children. On one occasion the disciples were discussing who was going to be the greatest in the coming kingdom. Jesus responded to them by introducing a radical idea to about what it means to be great.

Matthew 18:1-4 (NIV)
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

               Jesus’ words contrast to the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:1. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Jesus said that we are to be like little children and Paul tells us to put away childish things. This seems to be a contradiction, but it is not. There is difference a between being childish and child-like.

               One of the things I have come to grips with is that I still have some childish ideas rolling around in my head. A person who is childish is self-focused. They think more about themselves than about others. They tend to be demanding and impatient. Their focus tends to be on what makes them happy. As I look in the mirror, I can still see the vestiges of these things in my life. Although I have matured in years, there are times when I still think childish things and act in childish ways.

               On the other hand, to be child-like is very different. A person who is child-like is willing to trust others. He or she is humble, knowing that they can learn from those around them. A child-like person doesn’t over-think things. They tend to take each circumstance or each day as it comes.     

               Children are naturally spontaneous and creative. They use their imaginations. Children naturally want to learn, although not always in the way we want to teach them. Children love to explore and experience new things. As a person grows up something happens to these qualities in the majority of us. We become less spontaneous and more calculated. We become less creative and confine ourselves to coloring within the lines. We become less imaginative and start to conform to the current norm. We stop exploring and settle for the status quo.

               As we mature, some of us discover these child-like qualities all over again, but in a new way. We stop worrying about what others think and start expanding our world again. We stop feeling like we must conform and begin exploring life in new ways. I think this is what Jesus was talking about in a way.

               When we become followers of Jesus, our eyes are opened and we begin to experience life in new ways. We stop conforming to the world as the Holy Spirit begins to transform us from the inside out. That is what Paul was getting at in Romans 12:1-3.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

               Moving from being childish to being child-like doesn’t just happen automatically. It takes intentional effort on our part. As Paul said, we need to put away childish things. All of us have some childish things in our lives, vestiges of our old life. Part of maturing is recognizing these things and then taking steps to put them aside. We never want to lose a child-like spirit, but we do want to jettison childishness from our lives.

Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV)
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.