Matthew 25:14-30 The Gifts of God: Use Them or Lose Them

Have you ever been afraid to use your gifts, talents or skills? Have you ever thought that your skills and talents were not appreciated by other people? If the answer to either one or both of these questions is “yes”, then you can probably sympathize with the third slave on the Parable of the Talents, which you will find in Matthew 25:14-30.

 

The word “talent” represents all of the opportunities God has given his people to serve him. Talents include wealth, abilities and learning. The parable teaches us to invest everything God gives us for his glory. If we want to be faithful servants of Christ, we must use what he gives us to spread the Good News. If we are faithful stewards in this life, we will be rewarded with even greater responsibility in the next life. The reward will be in proportion to the tasks we have accomplished.

Sometimes when we do God’s work, we will not feel appreciated. I’m speaking from experience. I’ve often felt that my ministry has not been appreciated in the community, but I was proven wrong at my recent anniversary service. When we feel that what we are doing for God is not appreciated here on earth, all we have to do is what I did-pray to God. When we please him, we are doing our daily job. The greatest reward God can give will go to godly people who have laboured faithfully without any earthly recognition.

We are encouraged to be better than average. We are encouraged to excel. So why don’t we excel? Why don’t we try?  The answer is fear. Fearful servants, are afraid of God. They see him as a harsh taskmaster. They do not see the meaning of the term, “fear God” as “total reverence.” They take the term “fear God” quite literally, and therefore they never multiply the gifts God gave them.

To know God, as the moral slave knew, is to be afraid. To really know God is to agree that he does indeed make his rain to fall upon the just and the unjust alike. To know God is to acknowledge, as the fearful slave acknowledged, that he's a tough man, playing by rules we can easily question and often find deplorable. Such knowledge would make almost any thinking person afraid, and thus it was that the unprofitable slave took up the shield of playing it safe in order to hold his fear at bay.  

God is both a generous rewarder and a strict judge. He evaluates our stewardship on the basis of how well we administer the responsibilities and talents he has given us. He evaluates our stewardship based on how well we have kept His priorities instead of our own.   If we use his gifts to spread the Good News, we will be rewarded. If we don’t, we will be punished by being separated from him for eternity.

We must master and receive the gifts God gives us, including the gift of time. No matter how old or how young we are, we can still use the gifts God gave us. Even when we are sick, God can still use us. If we master and use the gifts God gave us, we will have plenty of time to grow in faith and spread God’s Kingdom here on earth.

One of the most important gifts we have is our salvation. Sometimes we take it for granted, and sometimes we treat it like one of our most prized possessions. Sometimes we treat it with reverence and respect when we are first saved, but sometimes over time we take it for granted. That is the wrong attitude to have. The gift of salvation is a gift from God, and we are to use it just as we use all of the other gifts he has given us.

Another one of the gifts God has given us is the Gospel. He gave us that gift not so that our ability to spread it can be put to good use, but so that our inability is exposed and God is glorified. We can’t, but God can.

Christ demands faithfulness. If we are faithful we will produce results. If we do not use what God gave us, we will lose everything. We are to dedicate ourselves and all we have been given to Christ so that he can multiply those gifts.

Jesus seems to imply that there will be a long period of time between his first coming and his second coming, but the delay does not mean that he will not be coming. We are duty-bound to expand God’s kingdom in his absence regardless of how long we have to wait for him to return.

God sees everything from the beginning to the end, even if we can’t understand things. He sees our motives. He sees how we handle even the smallest of things, and our future depends on the little things. Contrary to what a popular saying says, we must “sweat the small stuff.” 

So how can we know what God wants us to do? It’s simple. We have to read the Bible. If we do, we will discover that God does not want us to play it safe. He wants us to take risks. No risk, no reward. We have to risk living the life Jesus taught us to lead instead of the life the world wants us to lead.

There are lots of lessons to be learned from the Parable of the Talents:

1.      Be good stewards of your abilities. Lose them or lose them.

2.      Don’t be afraid to try.

3.      Never say, “I have so little, my contribution won’t matter.” Every little bit helps.

4.      People may not be equal in talent but they can sure be equal in effort.

The faithful servants gambled with the master’s goods in pure blind faith that that was really what he meant for them to do. They yearned so completely, in other words, that they believed his intentions--his spirit, if you will--as they understood it, and they gambled themselves on fulfilling it. They loved the master with all their hearts and souls and minds, for this is the first and great commandment, and all the others are secondary unto it.  The only proper response to such stories as these is to pray that God may give each of us such grace and faithfulness in our times as he gave to those faithful servants in their storied ones.

We are getting closer to the end of the church year. In two week's time we will be starting the season of Advent. Advent is a time to remember Jesus’ birth in the stable in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. It is also a time to prepare for his Second Coming, and Matthew 25 talks about being prepared for the coming kingdom.  When God comes to judge us, will we be afraid that we will be cast into the fires of hell? Are we being too cautious when it comes to serving God?  Are we afraid of failure? Are we afraid of taking the chances that discipleship requires? The Parable of the Talents encourages us to take bold, risky action just like this church has taken action to help the older members by investing in this projector and screen.

The Parable of the Talents is about trust. God trusts us to use the gifts he has given us to spread his kingdom here on earth. He calls on us to return the favour by acting on the gifts he has given us out of trust. God has blessed us so much that we can’t lift our bushel baskets on our own. God only asks that we use, spend and grow our resources, including our talents. He only asks that we love him enough not to hoard or hide our resources. We can trust him. Can he trust us?

Winston Churchill once said that “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”  Albert Schweitzer said, “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.” On Judgment Day, we will be called on to give a personal report to God. That report will be based on the choices we make here and now. We can make any changes we want to here and now. It will be too late to make them when we stand before God.

Bibliography

1.      Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

2.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.

3.      Augsberger, M.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 29: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)

4.      Sheri Rose Shepherd, “His Perfect Gifts.” Retrieved from www.e.biblegateway.com

5.      Joni Eareckson Tada, “Rewards.” Retrieved from www.joniandfriends.org

6.      Joni Eareckson Tada, “The Legacy of Mary Rose.” Retrieved from www.joniandfriends.org

7.      Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “The Little Things.” Retrieved from www.leadingtheway.org

8.      T.M. Moore, “A Parable for Our Time.” Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org

9.      Dave Brannon, “Still Working.” Retrieved from www.rbc.org

10.  Joe Gibbs, “Who’s the Boss?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

11.  Dr. David Jeremiah, “Faithful over Few, Ruler over Many.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

12.  Richard Inness, “The Choices We Make Make Us.” Retrieved from www.actsweb.org

13.  James Howell, “Trojan Horse.” Retrieved from www.religion-online.org

14.  Phyllis Tickle, “The Story of Two Parables.” Retrieved from www.day1.org

15.  The Rev. Charles Hoffacker, “Trust, Not Fear.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

16.  The Rev. Dr. David E. Leninger, “The One in the Middle.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

17.  Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “What Are You Afraid Of?” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

18.  Exegesis for Matthew 25:14-30. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

19.  Fr. John Boll, O.P., “Volume 2: 33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Nov. 16, 2014” Retrieved from volume2@lists.opsouth.org

 

 

Ephesians 6:10-17 Spiritual Warfare and Real Warfare

Today-Nov. 11, 2014-is a special day in a special year. Today is the day when we pause to remember and give thanks for those who fought in wars past to preserve our freedom and those who still work to protect our freedoms today. This year we also remember three significant events in history: the 100^th anniversary of the start of WWI, the 75^th anniversary of the start of WWII and the 70^th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy during WWII.

Anniversaries are times of celebration and reflection. In particular, Remembrance Day is a time to reflect on wars past and present. We live in chaotic times, but the world has been in chaotic times since the beginning of time. We have been fighting wars since the beginning of time, and we are still fighting wars today. Since the end of World War II, there have been more than 250 wars worldwide.

In particular, we are fighting the war on terror, especially the group known as ISIS. We are fighting a hostile enemy in a hostile environment. This enemy will use every weapon at its disposal to try to gain victory-including kidnapping and murdering innocent civilians. This environment, like all environments of war, is hostile. In this environment, conflict is inevitable.

Here in Canada, we might think that we are immune to this. After all, the last time a war was fought on our soil was over 200 years ago during the War of 1812. Unfortunately, having this view is like looking at ourselves through rose-coloured glasses. The recent shootings at the National War Memorial and Parliament Hill and the recent hit-and-run death of a soldier in Quebec should serve as reminders that no one is immune from the forces of evil and terror. 

No one in his or her right mind wants war. The cost in terms of money, property damage, injuries and death is astronomical, and those of you who have been in battle know what I am talking about. We must love our enemies if at all possible, but sometimes we need to heed the words of an old Irish blessing that goes like this. “May God bless those who love us, and those who do not love us, may He turn their hearts. If he does not turn their hearts, May he turn their ankles so we may know them by their limping.”

Unfortunately, there are times when war is necessary. When I was preparing this message, I came across the message I delivered here on Remembrance Day in 2006. In that message, I mentioned that pacifists believe that if we prepare for war, we will get war. In their view, the only way to achieve peace is to eliminate the causes of war, but sometimes this means going to war.  Sometimes war is the only way to get rid of dictators and terrorists like Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Hussein, bin Laden and ISIS. The goal of pacifists is admirable and in fact we must try to avoid war if possible, but sometimes war is necessary and inevitable. Sooner or later war destroys those who resort to it, especially with nuclear weapons.

War is hell. It might be necessary at times, but it is not “good”. It is evil. We find strength not in our weapons, but in our faith in God. War is a tragic fact of life in our world. God prefers peace, but he often sends his people into war. He does so under three conditions:

1.      To liberate oppressed people.

2.      To punish evildoers

3.      To defend themselves.

True pacifists believe in fighting with the weapons of the Holy Spirit. The pacifist position has always been a respected minority position among Christians. Jesus was not a pacifist. Just look at what he did to the moneychangers in the temple! He even told his disciples to be armed with swords-not for fighting snakes, but for self-defence. That’s why Peter was able to cut off the soldier’s ear in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before Christ was crucified.  

Our spiritual battle plan is similar to a military battle plan. We have objectives, strategies and tactics. Satan and Jesus plan their attacks and direct their forces just like a military general does. We have to put on spiritual armour just like soldiers have to put on battle armor. Our armour is Christ himself. He fights Satan on our behalf just like armed forces fight battles on behalf of their political masters. The real battle in life is against Satan and evil in all of its forms. Our opponents bring evil into our lives just like enemy armies bring evil onto a physical battlefield.

Life is a battleground. Those of you who have fought in times of war know what it is like to be on a real battlefield. You were armed and ready for battle against the forces of evil just like each and every one of us has to be ready to fight the same battle. You had to be watchful, and so do we. We have to watch out for obstacles that will make us stumble on our walk of life, and our veterans had to deal with obstacles such as barriers, barbed wire and mines. Our struggle with evil will result in certain victory because of God’s promise to be with us in good times and in bad times.  Our veterans had to keep their minds on their duties in order to improve their odds of success and survival. We as Christians have to increase our chances of success in spiritual warfare by keeping our minds on God’s word. Our veterans had no guarantee that they would win their battles, but they didn’t give up. They persevered in spite of harsh conditions, and so can we because we are bold soldiers in God’s army.

Veterans fought to free people from the bondage of occupation by hostile forces. Spiritual warfare also involves freeing people from bondage-the bondage of sin and evil. There were many times when our veterans cried out in despair for God to protect them. After all, there is an old saying that “there are no atheists in foxholes.” Christian warriors are also encouraged to turn to God in faith. In both cases, evil in all of its forms is resisted. God helps us in our struggles. He will stand with us during the battles of life just like he stood with our veterans in wars past and just like he stands with the members of our armed forces today. He will give us the ammunition and the equipment we need to fight the battle.  

So how can we fight the enemies of today and win? The answer is simple. We have to use weapons that are similar in nature to weapons used by soldiers in times of war. These similar weapons were outlined by the apostle Paul in the reading from Ephesians 6:10-17, which we heard read a few moments ago. Each piece of this armour of God is an ethical quality which is derived from the character of Christ and which is ours through faith.

First, we have to put on our helmets. Just like a physical helmet protects soldiers in battle, a spiritual helmet protect Christian soldiers. A soldier on the battlefield has confidence that his helmet will protect his head, and a Christian soldier has confidence that nothing can separate him or her from the love of God. As Paul says in Romans 8:31-39, if God is for us, who can be against us?

Next, we are to arm ourselves with weapons. In the case of a soldier on the battlefield, these weapons include guns and grenades. On the spiritual battlefield, the weapon is the truth of the Word of God.

We are to wear a belt. A soldier’s belt allows him to carry his weapons. A spiritual warrior wears the belt of truth-truth about himself or herself, relationships, God and God’s love, our spouses and children and relatives. The belt of truth allows us to live truthfully and not to live a lie. The belt of truth is the best weapon to use for fighting evil.

We are also to arm ourselves with shields of protection. A soldier on the battlefield today or a police officer on duty wears a bulletproof vest and a helmet. Riot police are also equipped with face shields and full-length body shields. A Christian soldier has the resources of the greatest shield of all-Jesus Christ. He stands with us and fights with us and for us against Satan’s attacks.

A good soldier also needs good footwear. Soldiers wear boots that have to meet tough regulations. Christians are to wear the sandals of peace. Just like a soldier’s boots provide traction for every type of terrain, the good spiritual boot called the Gospel gives Christians the stability of sure footing when we face pain and fear. These spiritual boots will allow us to take the gospel anywhere and everywhere, just like a soldier’s boots will allow him to go anywhere and everywhere.

Even the best equipment does not offer a 100% guarantee of safety, survival and victory. Today we remember those who made the supreme sacrifice to ensure victory in wars past. We have heard the list of donations that have been made and wreaths that have been purchased. All of these wreaths and all of the donations are in memory of those who fought and died in battle. To many of us, these people are just names on a sheet of paper or on a cenotaph, but to those who made the donation or purchased the wreath, these people were husbands, fathers, sons and brothers, many of whom went off to war and never came home. They are still remembered and missed by those they left behind. They are remembered on the cenotaphs in communities throughout this country and on the rows of crosses at Normandy, Pusan and thousands of other cemeteries in this nation and around the world.  They were people who hated war but made the Supreme Sacrifice.  

As I mentioned at the beginning of this message, 2014 marks the 100^th anniversary of the start of WWI, the 75^th anniversary of the start of WWII and the 70^th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy during WWII. Have we as a society learned anything from these events? Have we as a society learned anything from war at all? The answer to both of these questions is both yes and no. Warfare has taught us that it is something to be avoided if at all possible. In the words of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “The past is prophetic in that it asserts loudly that wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows. One day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means. How much longer must we play at deadly war games before we heed the plaintive pleas of the unnumbered dead and maimed of past wars?”

One thing we as society have not learned from war is that we live in a world where the ambitions and greed of a few can cost the lives of thousands. Nazi Germany was a good example. Hitler’s greed for land and his ambition to get rid of the Jews cost millions of lives. Today we can look at ISIS and see how their goal to create an Islamic state is costing lives and the money that is needed by countries such as Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and others to fight this evil.

Is it even possible to live peaceably with others? In a recent newspaper column, Billy Graham was asked why nations can’t get along with each other. He was also asked if warfare could be eliminated if poverty was eliminated. He stated in his reply that “Even if all poverty were somehow eliminated we’d still have conflicts and wars. This is because our real problem us deeper than economic inequality, or other social or economic problem. Our real problem is within ourselves, within our own hearts and minds.”

As long as there is greed and evil in this world, there will be war. War will only cease when we live according to the way God wants us to live, and that will only happen when Christ returns. Until then, there will always be a Remembrance Day, because there will always be a need to remember the lessons of war as well as those who made the Supreme Sacrifice.

 

Bibliography

 

1.      Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

2.      Franklin Graham, “Standing Strong in Battle.” Retrieved from www.bgea.org

3.      Stephen Davey, “Dressed for War.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

4.      Dr. David Jeremiah, “The Armor of Righteousness.” Retrieved from www.davidjeremiah.org

5.      Dr. David Jeremiah, “Christ our Armor.” Retrieved from www.davidjeremiah.org

6.      Pastor Rick Renner, “Spiritual Warfare is real.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

7.      Dr. Neil Anderson, “Choosing Truth.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

8.      Sheri Rose Shepherd, “Stand.” Retrieved from Biblegateway@e.biblegateway.com

9.      Pastor Rick Renner, “Are You Dressed in the Whole Armor of God?” retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

10.  Bruce Epperly, “Justice for Veterans and the Vulnerable: A Veterans’ Day Reflection.” Retrieved from www.patheous.com

11.  Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 31: Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)

12.  Craig Condon, “We Will Remember.” Retrieved from the author’s personal sermon library

13.  Billy Graham, “Why Can’t Nations Get Along?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew 25:1-13 Be Prepared

It’s not hard to tell that we are getting closer to the end of the church year. In fact, three weeks from today we will be celebrating the First Sunday in Advent. The Gospel readings for these last few weeks of the Season of Pentecost talk about what God’s judgement will be like. They talk about the separating of the faithful from the unfaithful. Today’s reading from Matthew 25:1-13, which is known as the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Bridesmaids, emphasizes the important of being prepared for Christ’s return.

Jesus described preparations for a wedding.  Weddings provided much needed relief from the humdrum and hard work of daily life.  Usually women took care of children and performed household chores.  They looked forward to any small distraction, such as their daily visit to the village well where they could visit with other village women. 

But, occasionally, their tedium was broken by the great events of village life––weddings, births, and bar mitzvahs––even funerals.  Of these, weddings involved the greatest celebration.  At a wedding, the couple was the center of village life for days on end.  After the marriage ceremony, there was feasting, dancing, and revelry, which could last for several days.  For the couple, it was "the gladdest week in all their lives".  It was a glad week for their friends as well––an event not to be missed!

An important part of the wedding ceremony was the procession from the home of the bride's parents to the couple's new home.  As the bridegroom escorted his bride to their new home, their pathway was lit by wedding guests holding aloft flaming torches, probably sticks wrapped with oily rags. 

A wedding was a great joy for all the members of the community, but especially so for the young women invited to serve as the bride's attendants.  It was an honor to be asked to participate, and those who agreed were expected to do so enthusiastically and responsibly. The young women were expected to be ready, because the bridegroom's coming signaled the beginning of a great and joyous festival––something that promised to be one of the highlights of these young women's lives.  

Many of you know what it is like to be prepared for something. If you lived on a farm, you prepared for the winter months. If you have ever gone on a trip, you had to prepare first. Some of you even prepared for the day when you would be here in this nursing home. The most important thing we can do is to prepare for Christ’s return.

Matthew wrote his Gospel a half-century after the resurrection. He struggled with the issue of the delayed Second Coming.  Many first-generation Christians believed that Jesus would return in their lifetimes, but by the time Matthew wrote his Gospel, many years had passed since the Resurrection, and many Christians were beginning to wonder how long it would take for Jesus to return. In this series of parables, Matthew encouraged the church to maintain its vigil, even though the people were weary of maintaining an "alert status." 

In this parable, the oil represents the Holy Spirit. The foolish virgins are those who have not truly been saved. Believers can’t just impart the Holy Spirit (i.e. share the oil) to unbelievers. Each person must receive salvation for himself or herself before it’s too late. God’s judgment is unequivocal and irreversible. We can’t know Christian assurance without the Holy Spirit.

The bride in this parable is the church. In fact, the church is referred to in Scripture as “the bride of Christ.” Just like a bride and groom have to be ready for the wedding, the church as the bride of Christ has to be ready for him when he comes. As Christians we are part of the church, so we have to be ready for his return. We have to keep our lamps fed with the oil of the Holy Spirit. We must see that we are continually growing in the love of God and service to others. 

What does it mean for us to keep our lamps fed? Being prepared––having oil––means working faithfully for the Lord. It means practicing good stewardship––good ecological practices––careful management of time and money––generosity to those in need––proclamation of the Word––the possibilities go on and on. Being prepared––having oil––means generosity to those in need. Jesus makes it clear that he has expectations regarding our behavior––standards that we must take seriously––obedience to which we must aspire.  In this parable, he also makes it clear that there is a time for repentance and a time when repentance will be too late. 

We are called to be faithful to God and obey him. Being faithful is the meaning of waiting for the Lord to come. There will be no second chances when Christ returns. The Lord of the household-aka God-is not being rude when he denies entrance to the foolish virgins. He assumes those who really want to join in the festivities will come prepared. We must always be prepared for the Lord to return, because he could return at any time. We do not know the exact date and time when he will return, but we do know that Christ has promised great joy to those who are prepared for his return and grave consequences for those who are not prepared.

Bibliography

1.      Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

2.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible Software package.

3.      Augsberger, M.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 23: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)

4.      Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2010)

5.      Exegesis for Matthew 25:1-13. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

6.      Pastor Dave Risendal, “Five of Them were Foolish, and Five Were Wise.” Retrieved from donotreply@wordpress.com

Ezra 8:21-36 Fasting plus Prayer plus Faith Equals God Being With Us

In the reading from Ezra 8:21-36, Ezra and the Jews are returning to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon, just like the Jews travelled to the Promised Land under the leadership of Moses and Joshua. They decided to trust in God for protection instead of relying on an armed escort provided by the king of Babylon. The native peoples who prowled through the desert in Old Testament times were as dangerous as they are today. Travellers usually had an armed escort, but Ezra spoke so much to the king of God’s providence that it would have been foolish for him to ask for armed guards.

There is not one battle in the Old Testament that was won by man-made means. Each battle was won by men who knew God. Ezra is another person who knew God.  Ezra decided that the exiles should commit themselves to God’s protection by fasting and prayer. God is not a set of timeless principles such as the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount. He has and is a divine will who has specific goals:

1.      To claim what is rightly his, namely us.

2.      To bless those who trust him and enter into his covenant relationship.

3.      To judge those who reject him

Knowing God means acknowledging him, pursuing him, experiencing him, responding to his initiatives of grace, submitting to his claims, entering into his covenants and living in his power. Ezra met all of these conditions, and we must ask ourselves if we meet these conditions as well. 

Knowing God involves three things:

1.      Head. You read, study and understand God’s Word. You listen to preaching and teaching. You see God revealed in creation. You study his nature and actions. You listen to testimonies about God’s faithfulness. Ezra met all of these qualifications, but head knowledge is not enough.

2.      Heart. You experience the presence and power of God in a real and vital relationship in your life. His love constrains us to love him in return. You receive what your head absorbs about God and you humble yourselves in his presence. You allow conviction to grip your heart and life until it leads to repentance that leads to life. You allow sorrow to produce hatred of sin. You experience the joy of the Lord. You live a life of brokenness before him and long to be in his presence. Ezra met all of these qualifications, but heart knowledge alone is a dangerous thing because it is vulnerable to manmade desires.

3.      Legs. You obey and live a relationship with Jesus and do what he commands. Ezra met all of these qualifications, but if all we do is the doing, we can burn out quickly.

All three of these have to be put together in order for us to know God. We have to renew our minds with godly things. We have to be melted and softened by his touch. We have to run to obey his word and commands.  

When you consider the dangers of their journey, their faith was great, and it was rewarded by divine protection. This had to have been one of the most astonishing events in history. As they travelled, they carried orders from the king. These orders were shown to the governors of the areas where the exiles travelled. As a result of these orders, the governors supported the exiles.

The commission from the king Ezra included orders to carry over 25 tons of silver and gold from the Babylonians to the temple of Jerusalem. Ezra gave twelve priests and twelve Levites the responsibility and accountability for carrying this treasure. Ezra carefully distributed all of the offerings for the temple. This ensured that everything would arrive intact, especially since the offerings would be weighed in Jerusalem to confirm the safe passage of the offerings.

Ezra did not build a physical structure. He re-established the true worship in obedience to the Law of Moses. When Ezra and the exiles prayed to God, their focus changed from the immediate to the eternal. They had a hunger for God. Their focus changed from their earthly journey to their eternal journey. They trusted God. God’s oversight of history forms the background for the Book of Ezra.

Ezra was more than a Biblical scholar. He had a burning desire to teach God’s law to the people and to practice it as it was written and intended. He was burdened that the Jews were not following God’s law correctly and was committed to showing then their errors. Ezra had the goal of leading the Jews back to proper worship and practice. For example, while in Babylon, the exiles mixed with foreigners. Ezra asked God to forgive them. They deserved everything that happened to them because they disobeyed God by mixing with the foreigners, but God remained faithful to them. The exiles had to repent and change, which meant that there could be no more marriages with non-believers.

Ezra was not the type of person who could be content with half-hearted or faulty service. He could not allow God’s people to remain ignorant of God’s Law. He obeyed God’s Law perfectly and expected the people to obey the Law as well. He knew that what the people were doing was the opposite of what they should be doing. 

Ezra set a good example for us to follow. He inspires us to do the right thing, even if it means that more time will be needed. Ezra and the exiles prayed to God for guidance, and God was with them. God is also with us to guide us regardless of our circumstances. God made faith a key ingredient in our faith journey so that we would be 100% dependent on him. Reason tells us to stay where we are, but faith encourages us to step out. Ezra’s example encourages us to consider our lifestyles and our activities honestly and to seek the Lord for wisdom and guidance.

Ezra was able to be a successful minister to those in need because of his lifelong study of the Scriptures. God wants his name to be spread throughout the world. He equips his followers to cross cultures and touch hearts. If we are in Christ, God will speak to others through us. God will tear down our shells or walls and then we can discover what our ministry passion is-i.e. teenagers, the elderly or drug addicts. God calls on us to minister to those in need, and that means all of us, because we are all in need. We need God’s saving power and grace.

 Bibliography

1.      Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

2.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.

3.      Jamieson, R.: Fawcett, A.R. & Brown, D: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Oak Harbour, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.; 1997)

4.      Roberts, M. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 11: Ezra/Nehemiah/Esther (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1993)

5.      Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2010)

6.      Alec Rowlands, “Knowing the God of Ezra.” Retrieved from http://sermons.logos.com

 

 

 

 

 

Revelation 7 verses 9-17 A Look into our Heavenly Home

Have you ever wondered what it will be like in heaven?

Revelation 7:9-17 is a priceless picture of the blessed dead. It has comforted many people in the face of suffering and death. Some ministers believe that the multitude in this reading consists of those who have been saved during the Great Tribulation. They argue that these people are the harvest of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses. The ones who will be saved during the Great Tribulation will not be individuals who had a chance to be saved during their lifetimes. They will be those who heard and received the gospel message for the first time during the seven year period and who were martyred for their faith. The tribulation will be a time of unexpected affliction and unprecedented grace.

The church is seated below the throne, but this group is standing and wearing robes that have been washed in the blood of the Lamb of God. Their outer garments are worn with dignity, beauty and distinction. Palms were a part of the celebration of the Feast of the Tabernacles. The Jewish people sat on booths and waved palm branches to recall the joy of God’s complete deliverance from slavery in Egypt.

The practice of falling before the throne in worship is customary for the multitudes in heaven.  By saying “Amen!” the angels agree with the praise of the multitudes and then add their own anthem of praise. 

In God’s temple, the way to the presence of God is open to everyone, as opposed to the Old Testament temple. In that temple, God resided in the section called the Holy of Holies. The only other person who could enter the Holy of Holies was the high priest, and even then he could only enter on the Jewish Day of Atonement. The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the temple by a curtain. This was the same curtain that was torn in two when Jesus died on the cross. When Jesus died, he torn down the barrier between us and God. People could have direct access to God through Jesus Christ.

God’s son is a lamb and a shepherd. The statement “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” is very exact. The tears are not just wiped away, they are wiped completely from the eyes so that nothing is left but joy and abundant life in Christ. What a comforting and hopeful statement! It provides hope not only for those in heaven but for those who suffer and mourn here on earth. No matter how hard things are for us here on earth, we can be comforted by Christ’s love for us.  

This passage leads to a discussion of heaven. It’s like window shopping. In this passage we are looking through a window and are seeing a small picture of what heaven will be like. We see a group of people who are no longer tainted by our evil, sin-filled world. People of every race, colour, creed and religion are together and can understand each other. There are no divisions or groups. They do not suffer from fear, want, hunger or hurt any more. God will guard and protect them just like he guards and protects us.

Scripture teaches us that there is a personal, once only resurrection to eternal life. Believers have the sure knowledge that death is not the end but the beginning in a new life in heaven. The only answer to death and its power in this world is Jesus. He died and rose again to defeat the power that sin and death have over us. He has promised that all who believe in him, trust him, and put their confidence in him will have eternal life.

This scene is impressive. A huge crowd of people has gathered before the throne of God. Angels and other heavenly creatures are also in the crowd. The people in the crowd are wearing robes that have been washed in Christ’s blood. In other words, Christ gave his life for them and for us.  There is power in the death of Christ to do what no one else can do. The white robes do not make anyone pure. They represent the purity and personal holiness that comes only from the death and resurrection of Christ. In the Book of Revelation, white is a symbol of holiness.

John has given us a glimpse of heaven. We see that the healing that will go on in heaven is broader than that of our own personal lives and the lives of our loved ones. Heaven is a place where all of life’s injustices of this world will be made right, where the lowly will be lifted up and the mighty will be brought low. It is a place where God’s vision of a community of justice, peace, and equality will finally hold sway.

As wars rage on and as diseases and disasters continue to exist and as the global economy continues to struggle, we may know more than we think about the “great ordeals” and blood-stained robes that John identifies. Amid all of this chaos, there is hope. When war, famine and disease have done their worst, salvation belongs to the God above and not to worldly Gods.  

Today we are celebrating All Saints Day. Today is a day to remember those who have died-those who have been made clean by the blood of Christ and are now celebrating with the crowd gathered around the throne of God. That thought gives us comfort. It’s hard to be sad for them when they are in a place where there is no more suffering, sorrow or pain. The only sadness is for those of us who aren’t there yet, but at the same time we have hope that when we die we will join them in front of that great white throne. This gives us something to look forward to. On that day, we will get a complete picture of heaven instead of the glimpses we get in the Bible. We will go back to the one who created us-Jesus.

Our souls, which were once condemned to spend eternity in hell, have been given new value. Jesus paid the price with his life so that we could be washed from our sins. The old self is gone and we become new people. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, we can be assured that nothing in our past and nothing anyone else says or does can change the value God has given us. We have become priceless to God. God wants us to come to the knowledge of the truth of hope, help and eternal life in Jesus.

Today you might be reminded of your loved ones who have died. Today is a day to remember them with thanks for what they have meant to you. Today is a day to praise God for their faith and the peace they are now experiencing. We can be assured that the Lord who walks with us each and every day of our lives is the same Lord who will be waiting for us in heaven.

 Bibliography

1.      Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Nashville, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

2.      Pastor Vince Gerhardy, “A Glimpse of Heaven.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

3.      Pastor Vince Gerhardy, “A Great Crowd.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

4.      The Rev. Dr. Nora Tubbs Tisdale, “Glimpsing Heaven in Thin Places.” Retrieved from www.day1.org

5.      Pastor Ken Klaus, “A New Value.” Retrieved from www.lhm.org

6.      Palmer, E.F. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 35: 1,2&3 John/Revelation (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.: 1982)

7.      Austin B. Tucker, “White Robes and Palm Branches.” Retrieved from www.preaching.com

8.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch10 Bible software package.

9.      Pastor Gregory Seltz, “Today is the Day for God’s Grace for All.” Retrieved from www.lhm.org

10.  The Rev. Marshall A. Jolly, “The Saints beside You.” Retrieved from www.episcopaldigitalnetwork.com