Have Faith in God and Hope in His Promise
Eternal life is the promise from God that we are saved from sin, death and separation from him. We can have hope in the promise because the one who made the promise is able to keep that promise.
This is the crux of Christianity, we can trust the one who has made us promises. Problems arise when you don't know what he's promised. Debates arise over what he actually has promised.
We know for sure that God has promised eternal life to all those who come to him in the name of Jesus Christ, by grace through faith. So we can rest assured that we can hope for (confidently expect) to live with God, in God, for all eternity in a perfect place, the restored Eden, Heaven.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ETERNAL LIFE?
YOU CAN CONFIDENTLY EXPECT GOD TO BE GOD FOR YOU
Eternal life is the promise from God that we are saved from sin, death and separation from him. We can have hope in the promise because the one who made the promise is able to keep that promise.
This is the crux of Christianity, we can trust the one who has made us promises. Problems arise when you don't know what he's promised. Debates arise over what he actually has promised.
We know for sure that God has promised eternal life to all those who come to him in the name of Jesus Christ, by grace through faith. So we can rest assured that we can hope for (confidently expect) to live with God, in God, for all eternity in a perfect place, the restored Eden, Heaven.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ETERNAL LIFE?
How many can you think of? No more pain, sickness or disease, for starters. How about no more lack, no more achy knees, no more confusion or depression. No more arguments about whose doctrine is right. No more war. No more injustice, false accusations or imprisonment.
Those are just the freedom from negatives, what about the capacity to see God face to face, hear the angels sing all day and chat with Jesus one on one by the River of Life. Wow! Any more like that? It's fun to imagine all the things eternal life holds for us.
I recently challenged my church to make a list of all the benefits of eternal life they can imagine, you may enjoy that exercise as well.
WHEN DO THE BENEFITS OF ETERNAL LIFE BEGIN?
Well some of them obviously don't begin until we die or the Resurrection takes place, but is it possible that some of them are available now? Do we have the right to expect any of the benefits of the hope of the Gospel now? Scripturally, the benefits of the promise of eternal life are the promises that God has made to those who are in Christ.
Here's a few of them
He will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory
He has delivered you from the power of darkness and translated you into the kingdom of Jesus
He who knew no sin was made to be sin so you could be righteous
He has placed his spirit in you
He has given you a new heart
He has made you great and precious promises so you'd be a partaker of his divine nature
There is no condemnation for you
The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is giving life to your physical body
I could go on for a very long time. When I say those things, I am not just quoting scripture. These are promises from God that I take personally. These are promises from him to me because I'm in him and I believe that he will and has kept those promises.
We can have hope (confidently expect) God's promises to be available for us when we need them because we have faith (persuaded) that God has made and will keep those promises.
These are not just promises for the well deserving, they are covenantal promises that are secured for us by the faithfulness of Jesus. Covenantal promises are different from regular old promises, covenantal promises are decrees from God that he has bound himself to and sworn to uphold for those in the covenant.
CONTINUING IN FAITH, NOT BEING REMOVED FROM THE HOPE OF THE GOSPEL
Let me walk you through some points from the sermon at the top of this page...
Colossians 1:21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel...
This is pretty much the only "IF" in the Gospel, if you continue believing you get to experience the benefits of salvation. So keep believing and don't walk away from the hope of the Gospel, eternal life and the redemption of our bodies.
Romans 8:22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Hoping in the fruition of the promise of the Gospel means hoping in unseen elements, like the redemption of our bodies, but also for those things that relate to this life. Here are a few examples we can learn from Hebrews 11.
By faith, we understand. Faith comes before understanding. Be willing to trust God, because he's trustworthy, then patiently wait for understanding, if you even need it.
1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Noah took action before the danger came because he trusted God was telling him the truth.
7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
Abraham followed God when he didn't know where he was going because he believed God was telling him the truth, he fully persuaded of what God said.
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
Sarah was too old and Abraham was so old he was as good as dead.
11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
Abraham said, "I don’t care if God has to raise my son from the dead, I know that he will keep his promise."
17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
Here's the conclusion
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Consider Jesus and keep your eyes fixed on him. Specifically his faithfulness and the promises that are for those who are in him, for you. You can confidently expect God's promises to you to be in your life because the one who made those promises will keep those promises.
Where Soul Meets Spirit, the Dwelling Place of the WORD of God
The word of God is not just the written word...AND it's not just the spoken word. The Greek word for "word" is logos. In Greek philosophy, Heracleitus, Plato and Aristotle agreed on the basic meaning of logos, which is; the divine reason implicit in the cosmos, ordering it and giving it form and meaning.
Essentially, the Logos was the order and structure behind nature. Philosophers for thousands of years have looked at nature and recognized there's an order to things; a tree bears fruit, rainwater nourishes the plants, humans are sustained by the food that grows, etc...
What is The WORD of God?
Through the WORD of God, all things were made and continue to consist -
The WORD became flesh so it/he could empathize and become like humankind to set humankind free from sin and death - Hebrews 2:14-15
The WORD of God is alive and active in the innermost being of mankind -
A heart that is receptive to the WORD of God will be pruned, taught, transformed and brought to rest in Christ -
Based on all this, the WORD of God sure seems important, what is it exactly?
The word of God is not just the written word...AND it's not just the spoken word. The Greek word for "word" is logos. In Greek philosophy, Heracleitus, Plato and Aristotle agreed on the basic meaning of logos, which is; the divine reason implicit in the cosmos, ordering it and giving it form and meaning.
Essentially, the Logos was the order and structure behind nature. Philosophers for thousands of years have looked at nature and recognized there's an order to things; a tree bears fruit, rainwater nourishes the plants, humans are sustained by the food that grows, etc...
In some cultures, the logos is called "The Way." Taoism, an ancient Chinese monotheistic religion, looks at the "intelligence" behind the natural world and recognizes that there is order and even design. In fact, in the Chinese Bible, John 1 says, 'in the beginning was the Way."
In addition to being used to describe the order and design upholding nature, Logos is also defined as the logic, order, intent, character and reasoning behind that which is spoken or written. It refers to the character, logic and integrity of the person who has spoken or written those words.
Now let's use this understanding to gain a bigger picture of the WORD of God.
The Word of God became flesh, what does this mean? It means that God's integrity, character, a way of thinking and doing things, became a human. This human is Jesus. Jesus is the exact physical representation of what it looks like for God to be on this planet in human form. The way Jesus treats people is the way God would treat people, the way Jesus conducts himself with the natural elements of the earth are the way God would, the way Jesus teaches is the way God would, etc...
The Word of God was not contained alone in Jesus, it's bigger than him in a sense because it was still holding the universe together while Jesus was in human form. So the Word is in all things and upholds all things. This living essence of God is very similar to spirit in nature, in a sense it is spiritual. You could say spirit gives life to the word.
What does this mean for us?
What do we do with this word? It's obviously more than something that you read. The letters, poems and historical accounts of God's dealings with mankind are certainly an important part of the expression of the living word of God, but it must be more than that for us as humans. It must be a source of influence to which we yield to teach us how to be human, as God intended.
4:12 NLT For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
We know that God's goal for us is that we are conformed into the image of his dear son, Jesus. We now that God gave us his spirit to insure salvation and our eternal inheritance. We know that transformation happens through mind renewal. Given those things, in light of the Word exposing our innermost thoughts and desires, we can assume that it's for the purpose of transformation so we'll be more like the kind of human Jesus is.
Jesus gives us more insight as to how this Word works in us. He basically says that the receptiveness of your heart to this Word determines the degree to which it will bear fruit after its kind in your life. The Word bears kingdom of God fruit, spiritual fruit. If those things are not in your life, the word of God is not fruitful in your heart in those areas. It's pretty simple really, the seed isn't growing due to the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and the lust of other things.
When you want something in the world more than what the word of God can yield into your life, you will stop the growth of the Word into your life in pursuit of the worldly thing. This is the continuation of eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, we seek to establish our own will and desires rather than yield to the influence of God's logic and character within us, which will establish his will and bear the fruit that fulfills that desire in a way that's consistent with his logic, integrity, intention and character.
The Word Will Do Its Job
The only thing you can really do in harmony with the way God created the world to actually function is yield to it, tune yourself in your mind to it. Believe it, trust it, co-labor with it. But the paradox is the way you believe, trust and co-labor is to rest.
The author of Hebrews gives us insight to the intent of the word through a story about the Hebrews wandering in the desert for 40 years. We know God's intention for delivering the Israelites was so he could have a people group on this planet through which to reveal himself and bless the entire world. The Hebrews were the people God picked to establish his spiritual kingdom into this physical world.
Rather than just saying ok and letting him do that, they looked at what was in the world and questioned if God could really do those things. They looked at their present circumstances and questioned if he would do those things for them. This caused their hearts to be desensitized, hardened or untrusting toward him so they quit following/obeying him. Because they didn't just allow him to lead them they eventually came to a place in their minds and hearts where they simply could not receive his leading and therefore could not enter into the blessing that he wanted for all nations through them.
The author of Hebrews admonishes the believers of his time to not be like the Hebrews. Don't look at the condition of your lives and the world to determine what you think God can and will do. In fact, he gave you a tradition in the Sabbath to ready your mind to receive the real Sabbath he wanted for you, which is to cease from your labors for righteousness and blessing from God.
This part of the letter of Hebrews applies directly to us. We too should not look at our lives and circumstances in the world to determine what God can and will do. The reason is beautifully constructed in the first 4 chapters, bringing us to the conclusion that God, who made everything and upholds everything, because human, to empathize with us and set us free from this limiting physical world so he could bring us to a place of rest in Him and so his people would be the conduit through which he blesses all nations. He still wants that.
That is Logos, God's desire and intention to live through us and give life to all creation. When we reject that we will not and cannot participate in that life, on this planet and in the afterlife. You have to let God's logic, integrity, wisdom, character, power and understanding live in the innermost part of your being so he can establish his will in you. His will for you is life, peace and blessing in his grace all the days of your life and all throughout eternity.
Reading the Bible
So when you read the Bible, it should testify of God's power and intention. Yes, there is doctrine to understand and instruction to apply but there is a bigger picture. There is a stream of consciousness to engage with, there is a wisdom that is born of the ancient of days that you can walk within, there is a level of character and integrity that you can be empowered by to display to the created world what it looks like for a human to yield to God.
The Word of God is alive and powerful, able to sustain and transform you into the vessel he always wanted humans to be. Don't allow a temporary, fallen world system determine how you'll think about God. Lift up your minds higher than that, set your eyes on Jesus and allow that logic to infiltrate everything you understand. Think on what's eternally true and bring that level of consciousness into this realm.
Trust God and allow him to glorify himself through you!!
Learn to Live from Your True Eternal Self
You live on when you die because you have an eternal tent, house, body; i.e. a spirit. The real you is already eternal, your temporary body will become dust and fade away but your true self will live on. When that body fades away, so will sickness, pain, lack and all the things that limit us on this planet. The amazing news about your true eternal identity is that you can live from it now.
I want to exhort you a little bit today rather than lay out a teaching. Be encouraged and know that God's spirit is within you as a promise of eternal life and an inheritance that you can enjoy now!!
2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
You live on when you die because you have an eternal tent, house, body; i.e. a spirit. The real you is already eternal, your temporary body will become dust and fade away but your true self will live on. When that body fades away, so will sickness, pain, lack and all the things that limit us on this planet. The amazing news about your true eternal identity is that you can live from it now.
2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
The power of eternal life is in you now! That power/spirit is supplying life to you daily, moment by moment. God is not waiting for you to die to give you eternal life, God is trying to help you renew your mind so you'll live in abundance now, in fact he's promised it to you.
Ephesians 1:14 NLT The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
God wants you to be confident in what he's placed within you. He wants you to be secure in your salvation and trust in his promise, he is glorified from doing so, so let him bring glory to himself by letting his spirit work in you.
2 Corinthians 1:21 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.
Standing firm in Christ is not something you do, it actually recognizing what you are. Standing firm in Christ is another way of saying to "put on the new man." You're already in Christ, what God's spirit is seeking to do is help you know your identity in Christ, in which you already stand.
Why is this important? Because you probably feel like something is missing based on the circumstances of your life. You can stand on God's promise of provision because Christ is in you. You may feel like God is far away when he actually promised that he would never leave you. You may feel like you're not good enough because of your behavior while the truth is, he's already given you righteousness when he put his spirit in you. Do you see how that works? Because his spirit is in you, he can supply your inheritance.
God Spirit Is His Delivery Service
God's spirit in you is like a port through which you receive what he has for you. It's not far away, you can't earn it, you don't have to get to a certain place to gain it...all of his blessings for you are currently being supplied to you because his method of delivery is within you, his spirit.
So how do you interact with that delivery method? In your mind and heart.
Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Here's the final thought, put it into practice. But what do you actually put into practice? While you can take away several practical things to put into practice, I suggest that you practice acting on inspiration.
When you do take the time to pray from peace, think about what's true, think about what's pure, etc... there's a funny thing that happens, you feel like doing those true and pure things. Those moments of inspiration can pass quickly if you don't put them into practice.
To explain a little further, the next time you've thought like Philippians 4 suggests, pay attention to what you are inspired to do, and ACT ON IT! Act when you're inspired to walk away from sin, act when you're inspired to be patient, act when you're inspired to walk in self-control, act on it when you're inspired to be gentle with someone...do you see the picture? Act on it when you're compelled by compassion to pray for someone.
Because you have been made new, because God has made you promises and placed his spirit in you to establish those promises in your life, you can think on that same frequency so he can establish his will in your life
ACT ON IT!!
The Most Challenging (and potentially offensive) Sermon You'll Ever Hear
Several folks have told me this is my best sermon ever! Personally, I also see this sermon as potentially the most offensive sermon ever. Why? Because I answer the question, “why isn’t it working for me?” Over and over in the ministry of Jesus we see him hold people responsible. Jesus holds people responsible for not being able to get healed and he holds his disciples responsible for not being able to heal people. This is not an article about healing per se, it’s an article about why we don’t receive or walk in the power Jesus gave us. Click to read the full article.
In my last article I talked about the miracle of the loaves, here’s a recap...
In Mark 6 we see this progression...
Jesus gives his disciples the power to heal people and cast out devils (he later gave that same power to the 72 other disciples)
They come back to Jesus to report that it was working
Because it’s working, thousands of people gather as they’re meeting
Jesus preaches to them
After he preaches, his disciples tell him to send the people away so they can go buy food
Jesus says “you feed them"
They say, "it'll take 6 months to make enough money to feed this many people."
So Jesus feeds 5000 men with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread
That same night the disciples get caught in a storm and are afraid for their lives
Jesus sees them struggling and takes a walk ON the lake they’re afraid of
We’re told he intended to pass by them (why? listen to last week’s message)
They cry out to him, so he gets in their boat and calms the storm
We're told they are afraid and their hearts are hard because they didn't understand the miracle of the loaves
What were they supposed to understand from the miracle of the loaves? I asked myself that question, here's what I came up with.
Jesus can control the physical world, it responds to him.
(He multiplied food and calmed a storm)He is Lord over all creation
He expected his disciples to do the same (you feed them)
In similar circumstances, when they couldn’t, he rebuked them for they unbelief
When we can't do what he empowered us to do and expects us to do, he holds us responsible and he calls it unbelief
Examples of the Power of Unbelief
When Jesus went to his home town to preach and minister to people, he was amazed at their level of unbelief.
Mark 6:5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith (unbelief).
The Phrase "could not do" in verse 5 is the Greek word dunami, which means; "to be able to do something."
The Young's Literal Translation says, "he was not able to do any mighty work there."
"Hey Jesus, why didn’t you heal those people?" "I couldn’t, they didn’t believe.”
Ouch...
Here's another example of the power of unbelief.
Matthew 17: 14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” 17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” (speaking to his disciples) Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 He replied, “Because of your unbelief. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
“Hey Jesus, why couldn’t we heal the boy?" "Because of your unbelief.”
Double ouch...
That kind of scenario happens over and over, people are afraid or don’t operate in the power Jesus gave them and he holds them responsible due to their unbelief.
So what do we with that?
Side note; Some translations add "this kind comes out only by prayer and fasting even though most original manuscripts do not. Some charismatic folks have interpreted that to mean prayer and fasting gains you power of stronger demons. It's dangerous to base a doctrine on a contested passage but there is also no precedent anywhere in Jesus' teaching to suggest as much. There are, however, many places where Jesus holds people responsible for not having faith or belief. Belief is simply confidence in Jesus, it's his faith working in you, it's a reliance you have in his power in you rather than something you need to get more of.
Jesus puts the responsibility on the person being prayed for when they don't receive. Jesus also puts the responsibility on his followers when they can't heal a boy. That sounds like a contradiction but the truth is, they're both matters of unbelief.
So what do we do?
Jesus starts talking about a mustard seed when addressing the issue of unbelief in Matthew 17. The disciples should have some insight already because Jesus had recently taught on the mustard seed. I'm so glad Matthew wrote these things down so we can look at Jesus' responses and build a foundation to stand on, thank you Matthew.
Matthew 13:31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” 33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
His point? It's basically the parable of the sower, plant the word in your heart and let it grow. The receptiveness of your heart to God's logic determines the yield.
So what is the mustard seed or yeast you mix into your heart? Is it a particular passage? What is it that you pray? What is it that you are supposed to understand from the miracle of the loaves?
The answer is in this last passage we’ll read today, see if you can catch it.
Mark 8:1 During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2 “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”
It's not a particular doctrine or formula, it's understanding the heart of Jesus toward people. Jesus is concerned for the people's well being. Read Mark 8:1-2 again. Can't you just feel the compassion oozing from Jesus toward the people? This is what we must understand from the miracle of the loaves, Jesus loves people and wants to provide for them.
He wants to provide food, he wants to provide wisdom, he wants to provide healing, he wants to provide freedom from sin, he wants to provide salvation, he wants to provide eternal life!!
Jesus simply wants the best for people, he doesn't want you struggling to feed yourself, he doesn't want you sick, he is concerned that life may become too much for you along your journey and he wants to help you.
Jesus is the bread of life and he wants to feed you, he's concerned that when you go back to live your life that you might collapse. Jesus cares for you and wants to provide for you in every way imaginable, it's just who he is!
This is what the disciples were supposed to understand from the miracle of the loaves, Jesus loves people and wants to help them. It's so simple it gets lost in our pursuit of doctrine and power. It gets lost by life's circumstances. It gets lost in the endless number of denominational differences within his body. While it should be plain and simple, Jesus cares for you and he wants to take care of you. You can have great faith in that!
I want to encourage you to watch the full sermon above for a more complete picture of God's heart toward you.
Feeling Stuck in Your Faith? IT MIGHT BE BECAUSE YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE "MIRACLE OF THE LOAVES."
Remember when Jesus told his disciples their hearts were hard? Was it because they were evil? Was it because they kept sinning? Nope. I'm going to take you through Mark 6 to show you the answer. The progression we see the disciples go through in Mark 6 is insightful, see if it applies to your life.
Remember when Jesus told his disciples their hearts were hard? Was it because they were evil? Was it because they kept sinning? Nope. I'm going to take you through Mark 6 to show you the answer. The progression we see the disciples go through in Mark 6 is insightful, see if it applies to your life.
Jesus gives his disciples the power to heal people and cast out devils
They come back to Jesus all excited and tell him it's working
They get in a boat and go preach to thousands of people
After they preach Jesus tells his disciples to feed all those people
They respond with, "it'll take 6 months to make enough money."
Jesus then feeds probably 20,000 people with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread
That same night the disciples get caught in a storm and are afraid for their lives
Jesus goes and saves them and tell them not to be afraid
We're told their hearts were hard because they didn't understand the miracle of the loaves
All of this happened within a matter of days. The same guys who were just healing people and saw one of the most profound miracles in history are described as having hard hearts the very next day. More on that in a minute...
I love this part...
The disciples said "send the people away so they can go eat." Jesus said, "you feed them." The disciples said, "it'll take 6months to make enough money to feed this many people." So Jesus fed them all. paraphrase of Mark 6:36-37
Jesus asked his disciples to do something they thought was impossible. I take a valuable lesson away from this story, if God calls you to do something, he'll provide, every time. It's as simple as that.
The story picks up a little later that same night. Jesus' disciples were in the middle of a lake on a boat and a huge storm came up that made them think they were going to die. Jesus comes walking by on the water and they cry out to him, so he hops in the boat, calms the storm then promptly rebukes them for having hard hearts. The reason their hearts were hard and afraid was that they didn't understand the miracle of the loaves. FASCINATING!
Do You Understand?
The word "understand" is the Greek word syniēmi which is pronounced soo-nee’-uh-mē. It means to set or join together in the mind. They had not joined together in their mind the storm they were facing and the miracle they had just seen. Apparently, Jesus expected the miracle to teach them a lesson.
What do you think that lesson should have been? What would you have learned from watching Jesus feed nearly 20,000 people with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread? How does that miracle apply to your life today?
If we look a little deeper into the word "afraid" we gain more insight. The definition of afraid is to be seized with alarm. The word seized means to be stuck or jammed. The word alarm is an anxious awareness of danger. The disciples were stuck due to their anxious awareness of danger. Does that ever happen to you? You feel like you're stuck, afraid and confused, not knowing your next decision? According to Jesus, you should have learned something from the miracle of the loaves that is greater than the fear.
Mark 6:47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
A lack of understanding results in a hard and fearful heart.
What didn't they understand?
They didn't understand who Jesus is.
They didn't understand that Jesus desires to provide for and protect them.
They didn't understand that Jesus was willing to be their shelter.
They didn't understand that Jesus had power over the elements of this earth.
They were more aware of their circumstance than the character and willingness of God to be God for them at that moment.
Does any of that relate to what you're facing in life? God gave us great and precious promises so we would partake of his divine nature. He gave us his life essence, he washed us clean and promised the gift of eternal life...those are the things we must understand about God.
Jesus Is Powerful Over Creation
The last point I believe the disciples didn't understand about the miracle of the loaves was the supremacy of Jesus over creation. His pupils had just watched Jesus multiply food and calm a storm, the greatest lesson to learn and point to understand is that Jesus is Lord over creation, it obeys him, it responds to him. It doesn't mean he's controlling everything that happens but it does mean that he can give the created realm instructions and it will respond to his will.
What's even more profound is that every time Jesus displays this kind of supremacy over life and creation, it's for the benefit of mankind.
He never creates storms, he calms them.
He never causes sickness, he heals.
He never takes away a provision, he supplies more than enough.
He never incites fear, he instructs to not be afraid.
He never causes confusion, he says don't worry.
So you have a choice, will you understand the miracle of the loaves? What does that understanding mean to your life? Do you know who Jesus is in the midst of your storm? WIll you let go of fear, become unstuck and allow Jesus to get in your boat and be God for you?
Being Filled with the Spirit
When you believe in Jesus and his finished work, you receive his spirit. From then on it's your choice to be filled with the spirit. Being filled with the spirit is when you allow the Holy Spirit to come upon you to bear fruit and empower all the gifts. That's the bottom line, but let's look a little closer.
After Jesus' resurrection, he appeared to over 500 people over a period of 40 days. One appearance was to His closest disciples where he gave them His spirit. "And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." (John 20:22) Then he tells those same people to wait on the spirit to come upon them so they will be endued with power.
When you believe in Jesus and His finished work, you receive his spirit. From then on it's your choice to be filled with the spirit. Being filled with the Spirit is when you allow the Holy Spirit to come upon you to bear fruit and empower all the gifts. That's the bottom line, but let's look a little closer.
After Jesus' resurrection, He appeared to over 500 people over a period of 40 days. One appearance was to His closest disciples where he gave them His spirit. "And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." (John 20:22) Then he tells those same people to wait on the spirit to come upon them so they will be endued with power.
Acts 1:8 But you (same people he breathed on) will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
If they received His Spirit when He breathed on them, did they have His Spirit?
YES! So what did being "filled" with the Spirit mean?
Ephesians 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit
From this context, you see that being filled with the Spirit is like being under the influence of alcohol, you have to choose to drink the alcohol just like you have to choose to yield to the Spirit. God will not violate your will or your authority as a human. Being filled with the Spirit of God is not when you get the Spirit in you, He's already in you giving you life if you believe in Jesus, being filled with the Spirit is when you choose to yield to His influence from within.
What about the new believers in Acts? Inevitably when you speak about the baptism of the spirit people bring up these passages.
Acts 8:14 NIV When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive (lay hold of or take) the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
There is a slight confusion because verse 17 uses the word received but in verse 16 we see that the Holy Spirit had not yet come ON them. The word receive means to "take" or "lay hold of". These new believers were born again, they had the Spirit IN them but they had not yet "taken hold" of the Spirit in their heart to allow him to come UPON them. Or they had not yet been FILLED with the spirit. The first disciples knew the importance of being empowered by the Spirit that dwelt within them, that's where the power to minister comes from.
Here's how Paul prayed believers would yield to or be filled with the spirit.
Ephesians 3:16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
The Apostle Paul is talking to believers, he prays that they strengthened in their inner man so Christ will dwell in their hearts that they will be filled with God. That's being filled with the Spirit even they already had the Spirit.
This is our problem, we don't make a regular practice of being filled with the Spirit. We're waiting for God to send something rather than step forward and take what he's already given. The strength to change any behavior is already within us, yield to or be filled with His Spirit and take the power. The wisdom you need for that next decision is already within you, yield to his spirit willingly and take hold of the answer. The power to work miracles is in you, get under His influence and let that power flow through you.
Stop waiting on God, you already have within you everything he will ever give you in this life, his Spirit. Cultivate his Spirit so that your heart can allow fruit and gifts to grow and flow.
Mind Renewal Exercise
Get quiet and still for a few moments. Begin to think about God's life essence being in you. What does it look like? What does it feel like?
Now become thankful for His spirit within you. Also think about this Spirit as love within you, flowing all through you. Notice if any scriptures come to mind.
Now see that spirit/essence/love/wisdom/power flowing out of you into your body or onto your life's circumstances. Watch what it does to that area.
In this moment open your heart to receive wisdom.
Write down any revelation you experience. Now decide how you'll put it into practice.
The Baptism of the Spirit is Our Adoption Process
Most of us think of power when we think about the baptism of/in the spirit. We immediately think of praying in tongues and power to do miracles. While this is a byproduct of being baptized in the spirit there is another reason for the baptism. The main reason God immerses you in his spirit is to purify, cleanse and sanctify you so he can live in you and make you his eternal child. The baptism of the spirit is the adoption process we go through to be changed into righteous and eternal children of God.
Most of us think of power when we think about the baptism of/in the spirit. We immediately think of praying in tongues and power to do miracles. While this is a byproduct of being baptized in the spirit there is another reason for the baptism. The main reason God immerses you in his spirit is to purify, cleanse and sanctify you so he can live in you and make you his eternal child. The baptism of the spirit is the adoption process we go through to be changed into righteous and eternal children of God.
John the Baptist said "...after me comes one who is more powerful than I...He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." Fire is the Greek word "pyr" which means to purify. The idea is this, when you place your faith in the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ as your righteousness, God then does a work in you. God, by his spirit, cleanses (sanctifies) you, changes you into a new kind of being that is eternal and then joins himself to you to live through you. This is the process of becoming born again.
Being baptized in the spirit is not a separate event. Experiencing the gifts, fruits and power of the spirit may manifest through you at a later time than when you actually received the spirit but receiving the spirit is not a separate event.
You don't remain the same kind of being you were, you actually become something different, a new creation. This new creation has been fully changed in spirit by this immersion or baptism in God's spirit. That baptism also has some residual effects, God's power can now flow through you since you have been changed. That power manifests as the fruits of the spirit, it manifests as the gifts/graces of the spirit and it manifests as whatever God wants to do through you to bring glory to his name.
I want to show you a few passages that all describe the same process of adoption through God's spirit.
Colossians 2:11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Being buried with him in baptism is the baptism of the spirit.
1 John 2:27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
You received this anointing that abides in you when you first believed and were born again.
Ephesians 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Being sealed with God's spirit is the baptism of the spirit, it's when you first believe and his spirit performs a circumcision of the old dead man of sin from you and gives you a new heart/nature. You are forever changed with a promise from God of eternal life. Not a chance at eternal life but a promise from God that you can now live forever with him in perfection.
I make these points to demystify the baptism of the spirit. It has been used to judge each other in the body of Christ rather than to affirm our unified identity as a family. Some people in the body believe they have the baptism but others don't because they don't pray in tongues. Some teach that it's demonic. Some that desire to pray in tongues and walk in miracles feel like they're missing something because it hasn't happened to them yet. It's time for the division to stop and the body of Christ to walk in its identity and in power to show the world the character and will of God.
I will discuss tongues as well as discuss the difference between being baptized in the spirit and being filled with the spirit in my next sermon and article.
Life Group Discussion
1. What did you get out of this message?
2. What does it mean to you to have been purified with God's fire/spirit?
3. How does this understanding change your view of being baptized in the spirit?
4. What does this do for your relationship with God and your identity as a child.
Put Yourself in Their Shoes
We go through our days relating to people through our biases and filters without taking the time to get to know people. Often times it's because there is not enough time to get to know everyone but that doesn't absolve us from general compassion toward all of mankind. We are to be clothed with compassion. When someone looks at you do they see compassion just a clearly as they see the shirt you're wearing? It's time for the body of Christ to lead with love and not be so easily offended.
We go through our days relating to people through our biases and filters without taking the time to get to know people. Often times it's because there is not enough time to get to know everyone but that doesn't absolve us from general compassion toward all of mankind. We are to be clothed with compassion. When someone looks at you do they see compassion just a clearly as they see the shirt you're wearing? It's time for the body of Christ to lead with love and not be so easily offended.
When someone wrongs or offends you, can you put yourself in their shoes?
Seeking to understand people when we're hurting is close to impossible but incredibly freeing if successful. Finding forgiveness and even compassion for those who hurt and disappoint us leaves us in a place of unshakable peace beyond the circumstance.
Putting yourself in someone else's shoes comes with some rules. For starters, it doesn't mean you're excusing or approving of their behavior. Secondly, you don't get to judge the person. And you must establish healthy boundaries as you move forward.
FORGIVENESS
I've sat with people in counseling that refuse to forgive others because to them it feels like the person that hurt them is getting away with something. If you allow people's actions from the past to continue to cause you pain, the only thing you're allowing is the other person to still cause you pain. You have a choice. Forgiveness is simply the process of choosing to let go of the issue, no matter how painful, and make a decision to not hold on to it any longer. Essentially you send it far away from you, never to return to your emotional inner world.
JUDGMENT
This can be a tricky one. We want to empathize with people and understand them but we cannot judge them. Judgment is when we determine people's motives without communication. Putting yourself in someone else's shoes doesn't mean you say "this is what I would do if I were them" or "if that were me and I did that it would be because of this." You don't know their motives, you don't know what's driving their behavior, the only way to find out is to ask questions...communicate.
If you cannot communicate with the person for whatever reason, you can only forgive and move on, you may not get the closure you're seeking. But if you can communicate, ask questions and be honest about your feelings without assuming why they did what they did.
BOUNDARIES
Don't be a doormat, don't close yourself off and by all means don't enable codependency. Even if you find forgiveness in your heart toward someone it doesn't mean you have to stay close to them, it may be best to create distance. If you're the kind of person that wants to help everyone you must be wise to not let your compassion override wisdom.
Regarding enabling codependency...oh boy, this is a big one. Healthy boundaries are paradoxical. There is a point where helping someone too much begins to hurt them. Be careful not to do for others what the can and should do for themselves. You should be the one who knows where that line is but often times we're the last people to see that line. Our genuine compassion for someone may turn into fear if they don't change their lives.
A TEST FOR CODEPENDENCY
Here's a good test for yourself to help you know where the healthy boundary is when helping someone. If you're continuing to help someone because you're afraid of what they may do if you stop helping them, you're probably too close to the situation. When you help them, do they continue the harmful behavior? They probably don't really want to get better, they're just using you to get their needs met and you're actually enabling the behavior. Stop paying for people to misbehave!
Our mandate as Jesus followers is to lay our lives down to show love toward people, even to the point of death. However, we lay our lives down to bring them to Jesus, once you bring them to Jesus, trust the Holy Spirit from there. If they don't walk the path with Jesus for themselves, you can't walk it for them.
CONCLUSION
Above all...love, it's how we'll reach the world. I pray that the body of Christ becomes the safest and most honest place on the planet. I pray that we are able to help people but challenge them to engage in transformation. I pray that our love inspires action within people, action toward God and a more healthy life for themselves and their loved ones. I pray that a compassion rises up in God's people to walk in kindness and mercy toward the world but can unashamedly call people up into righteousness and wisdom. I pray we, as believers, glorify God by allowing Christ live and love through us.
Life Group Discussion Questions
What did you get out of this message
What can you immediately apply
Does this cause fear in you for any of your relationships (regarding the people you're corrently helping). If so, how will you process that fear?
Are you willing to put yourself in other people's shoes that may have hurt you, to understand how they may be hurting?
Is life one step forward, two steps back for you?
Why is it that when you try to move forward it seems like you are pulled backward? Have you experienced this? Maybe you've decided to improve your health or financial situation only to face a challenge that makes it worse. Or you have decided to overcome a repetitive sin habit only to continue to give in. WHY?
Why is it that when you try to move forward it seems like you are pulled backward? Have you experienced this? Maybe you've decided to improve your health or financial situation only to face a challenge that makes it worse. Or you have decided to overcome a repetitive sin habit only to continue to give in.
Why?
It's most likely a heart belief. There is no global conspiracy to sabotage your life. There is no one waiting around the corner to cause you to fail. You can't even really blame the devil because all he can do is lie to you and present short cuts. There is only what you allow yourself to believe and the decisions you make.
Look at what happened to Jesus when he started his ministry.
“Luke 3:21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” 23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, ….”
When it was time for Jesus to begin his ministry, which was to be the Messiah and establish a new covenant through his death, burial and resurrection, the enemy challenged his identity.
“Luke 4:1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ “ 5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” 8 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ “ 9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,’ 11 “and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ “ 12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ “ 13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.”
The same thing will happen to you. The truth is it doesn't matter if it's the devil or your own heart, your identity will be challenged when you step into a new area of life.
When you are inspired and begin to move forward, you are going to stretch out of your normal routines and increase the capacity of your heart. Your heart will need to increase in capacity because you're going to need grace to accomplish something you've never done or sustain something you've tried in the past.
“Enlarge the place of your tent (heart), stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.”
Your hopes and dreams to influence people with the Gospel are an invitation from God to walk in something that's bigger than yourself. Your passion and love for people is the very heart of God desiring to love people through you and bring them into a deeper relationship with him. The burdens you feel for those less fortunate or suffering around you are God's spirit crying out from your inner man to increase His kingdom and set people free from sin and death. Like Jesus, when you step out, you will be challenged.
But it's OK. God is with you, he will confirm His Word and he will strengthen you as you go. Commit to a transformative process that's rooted in establishing your heart in your identity in Christ and expect God to do amazing things through you!
LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION
In the past weeks I've been teaching on the idea of your calling being defined by your love for people. It's now time to overcome the inertia and move forward in your calling. By now you should have identified "WHO YOU LOVE." Now you get to answer the questions, how will I love them and what do I need to love them?
In fulfilling your calling, the WHO determines the WHAT and HOW
Discussion Questions
Do you feel like you take one step forward and two steps back when you're trying to move beyond your everyday responsibilities?
Do you recognize any patterns when you feel like you're going backward? (such as an old sin arises, you get sick or your car breaks down, etc...)
What will be your strategy to affirm your identiy in Christ when you feel like you're losing ground after making a decision to move forward?