Do What I Say, Not What I Do

Matthew 23:1-12

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2023%3A1-12&version=NIV;NLT

  

“Do what I say, not what I do.” I think the first time I heard someone say that, it was a football coach, or it might have been a teacher. For sure, it wasn’t my Dad! He gave me rules to live by, held me accountable and lived them out in his own life.

 

In Matthew 23:1-12, Jesus is speaking to those who are his followers. Later in the chapter his words are directed at the Pharisees, the teachers of the law and the religious leaders in general. It’s a scathing indictment of how they live their life, not by the Law of Moses which they preach, but by their own set of hypocritical rules.

 

Jesus’ primary concern was for those whose faith was sincere; for those who were trying to follow the law; for those who were trying to live by faith.

 

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ² “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. ³ So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. ⁴ They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.          NLT

 

Here are a couple of stories that I believe illustrate what Jesus was teaching his followers:

 

Years ago, my wife and I opened our home to a young man that I had worked with while in full time ministry. He lived with us because he had nowhere else to go. I remember him making a statement once when I asked him about making a decision to follow Christ. He responded, “I could never be as good as you”.

 

Apparently, somehow I had given him the impression that to be a Christian required more than just belief and faith. It required living a certain lifestyle of

being “a good person”; of being “a nice guy”.

 

In Keith Miller’s book, The Taste of New Wine, he tells the story of meeting a young woman who was considering faith in Christ. During the course of their conversation he tells her that God loves her unconditionally, just as she is. Her response to him is, “So your church will love me just as I am? Because I live with my boyfriend.”

 

There may be people in your life that don’t follow Christ. Think about how your life impacts their decision for, or against, Christ? Do they feel like they can’t live up to your standards? Or do they see that Christ came to save broken people; that you are one of those broken people; and that he loves them just as they are.

 

For us, it all boils down to these words:

 

³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”     Matthew 22 NIV

 

 

 

Saved People, Serve People...Without Grumbling

The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. -1 Peter 4:7-11

This passage is hitting me right between the eyes today.  Has the word of God ever done that to you?   I found myself having to do something that I don't want to be doing today, and I have a very bad attitude about it, all the while I can feel God whispering to me, “This is what serving me is all about.”  So taking a break, I looked at my devotion text assigned to me...  Wham! Right between the eyes!

Our passage today says, “love others deeply... Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling... If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”

I think my problem is I don't see my everyday interactions with the people near me as opportunities to serve.  Serving others always seems to be something I plan for, but true service probably shows up in spontaneous, not planned for situations doesn't it.  That means my heart has to always be ready.  Ouch!

If you are like me and struggle with spontaneous service, it might help to remember a couple things.

1. Serving other starts with loving them.  See the person or people you are serving as ones needing love.
2. Remember how much you have been given and forgiven.  It’s always good to get a little perspective, remembering that God sees our needs and gives generously.
3. Ask God for help.  We are often put in situations beyond our ability, even our ability to love. Ask God to help give the strength and heart needed to serve.

So I am going to stop grumbling and rely on God’s strength so he can get the glory in Christ Jesus.

The Golden Rule

Matthew 7:7-12

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%207%3A7-12&version=NIV;NLT

 

“Do unto others as you would have them do onto you”.

 

Be nice to others; be generous; do good deeds; show mercy and grace. These are excellent guidelines for us to live by, but when it comes to the daily grind of living, they’re not so easy. In fact, the Golden Rule is easy to quote, but hard to live by. Take driving for instance.

 

I spend about an hour and a half each week day driving to and from work. And I’ve got to confess that it is virtually impossible for me to apply the Golden Rule to my driving. When we moved here in 1985, if you let another driver merge in front of you, they would wave to you to say thanks. Today, you’re lucky if they don’t flip you off.

 

I’m pretty sure Jesus didn’t have driving in mind when he preached about the Golden Rule.

 

What about work? What if you suffer some injustice at work? Maybe you get looked over

for a promotion, or a brand new inexperienced employee gets more salary and benefits than you. Maybe a coworker gets a higher bonus because they’re a guy and you’re a girl. Does the Golden Rule apply then?

 

Indeed, it is a hard rule to live by, but Jesus preached about it in his most famous sermon - “The Sermon on the Mount”. Plus he said that it “sums up the Law and the Prophets”. In a corollary statement, he said that “all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments”; to love God and love others as yourself.

 

How we treat others is paramount in our relationship with God. When we try to live by faith according to the Golden Rule; when we try to love God and love others as ourselves, we are seeking to show mercy and grace to others by approaching God’s throne of grace.

 

The opening verses of the passage today encourage us to not give up. “Keep on asking… keep on seeking… keep on knocking”. When you do, God will answer; you will find Him; and the door of opportunity will be opened.

 

 

 

Status Update

The world sure has changed over the past 30 years.  I was watching one of those holiday cartoons with my son the other night, you know the ones that come on once a year and it's tradition to sit in front of the TV and watch.

After playing it for probably the fourth time my son asks, “Did you watch this over and over when you were a kid?”  I had to laugh as I explained that we didn't have DVR when I was his age.  He was stunned.

My husband and I continued to explain that we didn't have a lot of things he has.  No cell phones, WiFi, internet. We didn't have Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or Twitter.

I was actually surprised myself to see how much things have changed in a short period of time.  While all of these additions to life can be fun and entertaining, I can't help but feel they also give too many people the stage to have influence in our lives.

Our scripture passage today comes from Proverbs 3: 5-10.  Verse 5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…”  We do the opposite of this most of the time, don't we.

We will run to Facebook articles, news interviews, and our friends opinions before we turn to God.  But he want us to trust him with ALL of our heart and NOT lean on our own understanding.  

This passage is not telling us to turn off our brains.  It is telling us to use our brains and seek the ONLY one who has the answers we need.  Why? Proverbs continues saying, “He will direct our path”.

God will give us the direction we need.  Some versions of this passage say, “He will make our path straight.”  Isn't that what we are looking for when week seek out all this information?  God, the one who created us and who loves us says he will show us which way to go if we would trust him.

Now that's news worthy of posting.

Read today's passage Proverbs 3:5-10

Love God, Love Others

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  -Matthew 22:36-39

Love God, Love Others.  Sounds simple doesn’t it. It actually is, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Why?  Why is it so hard for us to love God the way Jesus tells us to in Matthew?  I think it’s because it says to love him with ALL of our heart, ALL of our soul and ALL of our mind.  If we can do that then the next would come easy, to love our neighbor as ourselves.

If I think about my own journey to love God with ALL of those areas, it means getting myself out of the way. A popular meme going around Facebook reads, “Thinking more of others doesn’t mean thinking less of yourself, it just means thinking of yourself less.”  I think that fits here. 

When we get up in the morning, we typically think about ourselves first. What we are going to eat, what we are going to wear, and what we are going to do that day.  If we have kids, we think of them but usually even then we are thinking about how they are going to make us late.

Perhaps we should start the day thinking about God.  It sounds so simple it almost seems cliché, but the reality is, spending time in prayer asking him what we should do, and reading our Bible seeking his wisdom takes the focus off of ourselves and puts it on him.  

Then we are more prepared to think of our neighbor and notice where they may need grace or mercy extended.  Simply put-- Love God, Love Others. 

Laundry and Letters

Life on Mission: Grow

Deuteronomy 5:32-33, 6:4-9

 

 

Before I left for college my Mom showed me how to do my laundry. My Dad told me that he expected me to write a letter to them every week. I guess their expectations had been laid out for me: keep my clothes clean and write home often.

 

In today’s passage Moses laid out the Lord’s expectations for the Israelites. Israel had been wondering through the wilderness for forty years in preparation to go into the Promised Land. The time had finally arrived, only Moses would not be the one leading them. Therefore, he was giving them their final instructions; their final marching orders before they crossed the Jordan River.

 

Although these expectations came in the form of commandments, they were based in love, faith and grace. They were intended for the wellbeing of the Israelites. In fact, they were intended to help the people of Israel grow in their faith in the Lord.

 

^“Therefore you shall pay attention and be careful to do just as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left [deviating from My commandments]. You shall walk [that is, live each and every day] in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long in the land which you will possess.”          5:32-33 AMP

 

^“Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night.”   6:6-8 MSG

 

These same words could be repeated to us each and every day before we go out the door

as we face the pressures and stress of work; the temptations of the Internet; a world system that rewards selfish behavior; unresolved anger and resentment; and any other character defects that we may struggle with.

 

On that day when I left for college the first time, I knew that I was expected to keep my clothes clean and write my parents every week. Those expectations had been clearly communicated to me.

 

God has clearly communicated to you and to me through Moses. In fact, with a slightly different application, it’s not all that different than my parent’s expectations. The Lord has told us to keep our “hearts clean and to communicate with Him often”.

 

In other words, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%205%3A32-33%2C%206%3A4-9&version=NIV;MSG

https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Deut.5.32-Deut.5.33

 

 

 

 

 

All We Need Is Love, Matthew 22:34-40

I went to the memorial service of a friend from church today, Kurt Jones, whose situation mirrored my father’s in many ways. Both men were sixty-three years old, both just recently found out they had stage four cancer, both died within a week of each other, and most importantly both love Jesus Christ and as they were dying they were able to tell those around them that loving God was all that mattered.

Our scripture text today is one of many where the religious leaders are trying to trap Jesus. “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.”

Jesus understood what was important and we expect him to since he was God’s son and he was close to the father. I love it though when we experience moments when those around us, who are suffering, teach us about what is really important. Instead of complaining or cursing God, my father and Kurt reminded us what it’s all about, God

Perhaps it was because they were so close to seeing the father that everything came into focus for them and the pain didn’t matter. Everything they had believed and studied over the years finally came full circle and they knew all that mattered was God and his glory.

Jesus words are for all of us. So let’s learn from these men and others in our lives that have followed Jesus teachings and spend our days loving God.

Read today’s passage at Biblegateway Matthew 22: 34-40

Samuel Anoints David - 1 Samuel 16:8-13

What happened when God rejected Saul as king of Israel? God sent Samuel to Jesse’s house. He was to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king. Which one would it be? Seven of Jesse’s sons passed in front of Samuel. None of them were chosen by God.

Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” (v 11)

Because David was only a shepherd boy, his father didn’t consider him fit to be a king. He didn’t even come to the meeting! Jesse had to send for him. When Samuel saw David, God told him David was the chosen one.

Samuel anointed David. God’s Spirit powerfully came on David. In time he became king of Israel.

Today’s scripture reminds us what is important to God. God sees us in a different way than people do. What matters to God the most is whether we have hearts that love Him. God chose David because David had a heart that knew Him and loved Him.

How do we know if we have hearts that love God? The Bible tells us how God wants us to live. If we have a heart that loves Him, we will want to live His way.

What if our lives aren’t completely in step with God? The good news is that God will forgive us if we ask Him. God will give us a new heart that loves Him.

Refresh your heart in a devotional time of prayer and Bible reading each day. Feel His peace, joy, hope, and love enter your heart as you read His Words.

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