Looking For Unity In the Midst of a Self Culture

We’ve all heard the expression, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Honestly, all of us have felt that way before. It seems our fallen, human nature, works hard on us to never be satisfied with what we have, who we are, and how others perceive us. It is precisely this attitude that leads us all down the path of discontentment. It is what robs us of joy and makes true happiness seem nothing more than a pipe dream.

It is this attitude of discontent that fights against the truth of the scriptures. We don’t want what we have, we want what we don’t have, we want what God has said no to. The Bible develops this theme in the very beginning. It is the essence of the sin and the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Adam and Eve lived a place where there was no death, no sickness. They had everything they could ever desire. Even work was without trouble. The very name Eden is defined in the dictionary as “a state of perfect happiness or bliss” and as “paradise”. Who wouldn’t want to live in Eden? Who wouldn’t be content with that.

But then comes the “but” in the story. Genesis 2:16-17 tells us that “the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat.”

And there it is. Everything here is yours, you’re free to eat of it all, oh wait, except this one tree. Leave it alone, God tells them. He even warned them that eating of that one tree would cause death. Yet, there it is; discontentment. In spite of all the good things they had, they wanted the one thing they weren’t supposed to have. And rebellion was born in the heart of man. They had perfect bliss. But it wasn’t enough, they wanted more. They wanted what God said no to.

Nothing has changed since that time. God has blessed us with so much and yet it isn’t enough. It isn’t enough because God has also given us free will to choose and we still use that free will to choose what He has said not to choose. We want we God has told us will bring pain, sorrow, and even death.

God blessed us with life and made us, both male and female. Now we want to decide that we want to choose our sexual identity. God blessed us with sex, not only as a means to fill the earth with children, but He made it pleasurable and the source of beautiful intimacy. But He told us it is to be enjoyed in the context of marriage and to be performed only in the commitment of one man and one woman. But we want to have sex with other people. We want other men’s wives and we want it with anyone we choose, without the lifetime commitment of marriage. We want to be able to get married but if we tire of our spouse, make them disposable, just like everything else we consume. We want to have sex free of the responsibility that it may result in children, so we legalize abortion and murder our own off-spring. We want to have sex with our own sex. We want everything God has told us can’t have, we are not content with the beauty of what He has given us.

Recently, a prominent pastor/teacher, John MacArthur, has come under fire for condemning the idea of women being pastors. In the past week I have read the words of many who are commenting on this topic, and the church is certainly divided on this doctrine. Certainly Dr. MacArthur came across harsh in how he stated the error of allowing women to be pastors, but that is irrelevant to the truth that the church needs to stand firm on the scriptures in this, as it should do in all issues on which scripture speaks.

Maybe some of you interpret scripture differently and believe in your heart that women should be allowed to pastor churches. I would disagree and honestly, I have tried to consider the arguments I have seen in support of this issue for women pastors and I just cannot find that to be justified as I look at the entirety of scripture.

As I started out in this writing, I can’t help but wonder if this isn’t another case of the sinful nature we possess to have what God has said no to. It is hard to argue that God did not make men and women vastly different. And scripture seems to stress that men and women, even individuals within the binary gender creation that God has created us in, have different roles. But those roles are, in no way, to be seen as one being better than the other. Open up 1 Corinthians 12 and we see that the church is a body and that body is made of many parts. Not one single part is more important than the other. The body cannot function properly unless each part works in conjunction with each other. Yet, this also means that each part has a specific function and that part needs to operate within its own Biblical sphere.

So, I suggest that maybe women and men ought to find unity in the fact that there are certain roles God calls us to and if we rebel against that, we are hurting, not helping the body of Christ. We cannot interpret nor properly apply scripture from the tainted and sinful viewpoint of the human flesh, for it has, since the very creation of man, wanted what God has said no to. We have to seek desperately the teaching of the Holy Spirit as we develop our doctrine.

Ladies, you are important to God, to the church, to your family, and to the world. Vitally important. We men need you. Other women need you. God made you women for a reason and be careful that you don’t put your wants, above His.

This culture, by the feminist movement, has told you that being a wife, a mom, and all the other things women do that men really aren’t very good at, have little or no value. They have attacked your self-worth. And it has even permeated the church. We men, well we have failed you. We have failed to make you feel like the queens you are. But the value of women is beyond my ability to express. The Bible is filled with examples of how important women are to the church.

The church, like the culture, is at a crossroads. We need to repent, all of us, and get back to the place God calls us to be. We need to get back to putting God first, not our feelings or our desires, for they will take us into rebellion against God.

Again, I am not posting this to start a debate. I am posting it to beg all of us to look deeply into the heart of God and turn back to His way. Even if His way, is not what we want.

Let us at least join together in prayer for God to help us to be united, with one mind, His mind.

1 Corinthians 2:16

“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

God bless all of you.

Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 133

The message of Psalm 133 is a simple one, it is a call for unity amongst God’s people.

Psalm 133:1

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

Paul instructed us in Ephesians 4:1-3 to “…walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  Yes, there is a common unity we share as Paul states in Ephesians 4:4-5, “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—  one Lord, one faith, one baptism,” but the church today is splintered off into segments that cannot even agree on baptism and communion, which are meant to unify us under Christ. Serve in just about any ministry and you will see the dissension that often hinders our work. We need help. Jesus knew we would. The psalmist goes on to tell us what unity looks like.

Psalm 133:2
It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!

When Aaron was anointed high priest, oil was poured on his head. Oil in the Bible is symbol of the Holy Spirit and all believers have been anointed with the Oil of God’s Spirit. It is through the Holy Spirit by which we are empowered to humble ourselves and therefore we can dwell in unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is only our sinful pride that prevents us from walking in the Spirit and being the functional body of Christ we are called to be.

Psalm 133:3
It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

Just as oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit, dew symbolizes the Word of God. Dew refreshes the grass upon which it falls and God’s Word is the morning water we need each day.

Where is the “there” that this psalm says commands the blessing? For the psalmist, it spoke of Zion and Jerusalem, but for Christians it speaks of unity in the Body of Christ. And to dwell in unity we need the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Both come down from God, they are not things we can create within ourselves.

Yes, there is coming a day of perfect unity amongst Christians. When Christ returns and the New Heaven and the New Earth are in place, all will be right. But until that day, we have work to do. That work can be better accomplished through unity. Jesus tells us to die to ourselves and that is the key to living, working, and worshipping God in unity. It can be accomplished, but only if we devote ourselves to God’s Word and allow the Holy Spirit to be our guide and teacher.

I close with a great scripture reading to ponder today as we consider Psalm 133.

Hebrews 12:28-29
 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Without unity, our corporate worship falls short. So, let us worship Him with reverence and awe. Let us worship in unity.

How To Have Unity in the Church as Taught by Jesus

Have you ever pondered the idea of what heaven will be like? The picture we see so often on TV is one of clouds and people floating around with halos on their heads. I don’t know about the clouds but I do know that people don’t turn into angels when they die in spite of all those Facebook posts that suggest it. In Matthew chapter 18 we get a glimpse of the Kingdom of Heaven right from the mouth of Jesus.

Matthew 18:1-3
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Heaven will be filled with those who have become like children because unless we become like that Jesus says we will not be there.

Before we go on I must give the caveat so many need to hear. Jesus is in no way teaching that salvation is earned by our behavior. What Jesus is teaching is that those who have been given the free gift of salvation will be changed. An accurate understanding of our new birth in Christ includes the fact that we are being changed. There is a work going on in us that will one day culminate in us being like Christ. But it is like the old saying about “putting the cart before the horse”. We cannot change ourselves. But when we become saved God makes His abode with us through the Holy Spirit who takes up residence in our hearts. Thus we have the power to fight the new battle of the flesh against the spirit. Jesus is teaching us what that will look like in those who are truly His.

So what is going on in the beginning of Matthew 18 is that Jesus is rebuking the disciples for their attitudes of arrogance in which we see in scripture several times. The disciples are arguing over which one of them will be the greatest in heaven.

“What in the world is wrong with these guys” is the typical Christian reaction to this passage. How can they walk with Jesus and not see the folly in their own behavior? But in truth the church is no different. Jesus was not only trying to teach the disciples a lesson, He was teaching us one as well.

Sadly the church is no different. Oh we don’t usually verbalize the idea that we think we are worthy of the title of the greatest. No, we are much too humble for that. Right? Right. If that is true why is there so much dissension and bickering in the church?

The Bible is written for our instruction. 1 Corinthians 10:11 reminds us that “…these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” I love the warning that comes right after that verse. 1 Corinthians 10:12, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.”

In Matthew 18 Jesus gives us three essentials that the church (by the way we are the church you and me) needs to follow so that unity and harmony can exist amongst us. Humility, honesty, and forgiveness are three attributes each and every one of us should seek to instill into our own lives.

When Jesus stated that in order to be like children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven He was speaking of a humility that is like a young child who is completely dependent on someone else for its very survival. We must be like that towards God and if we are then we will take no pride in self. This type of humility transcends self. It puts Jesus first, then others, which leaves only last as the position for self.

Jesus goes on in Matthew 18:15-20 to teach us about how to deal with those who sin against us in the church. Never should we teach this practice of dealing with others unless we have first taught the lesson of humility Christ spoke of here. If you cannot humble yourself before taking the steps set forth in this section then you will not handle things Biblically.

There are four steps Jesus gives to take when we are offended against by a brother or sister in Christ. First is to go privately to them. Do this in humility with truth in love and most times you can resolve the issue.

If not take a brother or two with you to try again. Don’t just take your best friend who might ignore the truth in his loyalty to you. Maybe you are the real problem and the second opinion might reveal how it wasn’t them who needed correction. If they agree that the other person was wrong then with prayer and love the issue might get resolved. But if not there will be another witness to the situation as you take the next step.

If the first two steps don’t accomplish the mission of reconciliation then you should go to the church for help. You see the goal isn’t for you to win the case but it is that you will win back your brother. The disciplinary procedure Jesus set forth here is most often misunderstood. The third step means that the entire church is unified in both the accuracy of determining the offense and in seeing that unity is maintained throughout the church. This doesn’t really speak about the pastor or the elders taking someone into their office and rebuking them, it means the whole church is appraised of the situation. Sadly few churches follow this procedure and even sadder most are not spiritually mature enough to do so. This isn’t about gossip and punishment; it’s about truth being spoken in love through humility, which will help bring restoration.

At the end of all this if the person refuses to hear the truth then the instruction is to remove the person from your own fellowship. But this isn’t about giving up on them. Pray for them daily. Love them even in this process. Through love things change. Proverbs 10:12 says, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.” 1 Peter 4:8 tells us “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

Jesus finished up with His lesson on how to restore a brother by reminding us about the power of prayer. Matthew 18:19-20, “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Prayer is the key to the Christian life. Restoration is always possible. Pray for it.

Jesus finishes up this lesson with the most important of the three attributes He is teaching us about; forgiveness. It is no coincidence that it follows the other two. He shares a parable in Matthew 18:21-34. I won’t share it here but I suggest we all look at it carefully for the last thing Jesus says in this section is a stern warning.

The parable is the story of a man whose debt, a debt that could never be repaid, as it was too much, was completely forgiven by the king. But then the forgiven man refused to forgive a much smaller debt to another man just like him. When the king heard the man refused to forgive as he had been forgiven the king cast the man into prison with the stipulation that he must only get out when he paid his debt. In other words never as his debt was impossible to repay. Listen to the words of Jesus as He gives the warning.

Matthew 18:34-35
“And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.  So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

People Jesus is serious about forgiveness. So serious that here we find Him actually suggesting that our refusal to forgive will keep us from eternal life with Him. Again let me remind you, Jesus is not preaching salvation by works. The full counsel of scripture is clear that we are saved by grace alone. But what is a fact of the Gospel is that there is a way to test it. Not to be the pessimist here but the truth is some of us think we are saved when we are not. Again listen to Jesus as He states this.

Matthew 7:17-20
“So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”

Jesus follows this up with a very sobering statement.

Matthew 7:21

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. “

The Church is the Bride of Christ and He loves it very much. We are the Church. We need to find harmony and peace with our brothers and sisters. Matthew 18 is about just that. How we can accomplish this is by doing the things He put forth in this chapter and the only way to do that is by walking in the Spirit.

So read Matthew Chapter 18 again. Pray for the Holy Spirit to be your teacher and for the power in your life to do what Jesus says. Then we can stay on the mission of the church instead of wasting our time with disputes and arguments.