Best Without Trumpet

The Law governed external behaviour, but God looks upon the motives of our hearts.  It is not only what we do but the reasons why we do it which is of great interest to Him.  Jesus said in Matthew 6:1, "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven."  Notice Jesus did not say it was wrong to be seen by others doing charitable deeds, but to ensure our motive for doing so is not personal recognition.  If the reason we serve, invite homeless people to a party, or give money is to benefit our public image, the praises of men will the be extent of our reward.  A pat on the back ends after a second or two, and those praises die out quick.

I believe it is a great thing when athletes or celebrities visit fans in hospital, feed those in need, or provide gifts to kids in schools.  It is a blessing for people to give back to their communities and gladly meet the needs of people around them.  But if those musicians, celebrities, or volunteers aren't willing to do the same without the cameras rolling, the news coverage, oversized checks, and the photo ops, such should not expect a reward from God for it.  This is like a hypocrite sounding a trumpet to draw attention to their worship for credit from men as Jesus spoke in Matthew 6:2, "Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward."  Increased ticket sales, improved public relations, or a more generous or down-to-earth image might be all people hope for, but I would prefer to receive an eternal reward from God which will endure.  Pastors and Christians can also serve to be seen or recognised and thus deny themselves of blessings God delights to give.

Jesus continued in Matthew 6:3-4:  "But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly."  I cannot speak for others and their motivation for offering their time and money, but God knows precisely why we give, help, serve, or do good deeds.  The secret motives of all the hearts of men are laid bare before the mighty God.  If you feel slighted by serving or giving without recognition or praise from men, it may be that is your primary reason for doing good deeds in the first place.  We should be doing charitable deeds, for Jesus said "when you do a charitable deed," not "if."  Don't do it to post on social media, to boost views or likes, or to gain a following:  do it in secret unto the LORD for His glory.  Take great delight in only the LORD knowing, glad to give a special gift for Him from which others benefited.  Resist the urge to sound the trumpet and our Father who sees in secret will reward openly.

Created to Believe

I find Ephesians 2:8-10 to be most encouraging concerning God's grace.  Paul wrote, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹  not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."  No one could deserve or earn salvation, but God grants forgiveness, redemption, and purpose for all who trust in Christ.  We are not approved by works, but being God's workmanship He has prepared works for us to do which glorify Him.  Salvation, as well as the privileges of serving God and others, are God's gifts to us.

In our own strength and wisdom we are incapable of doing anything for God, yet indwelt by the Holy Spirit we are helped to both will and do what God has ordained.  The crazy thing is God did not just make works for us to do, feeding us like raw materials into a machine to churn out a product, but He has especially created us to fulfil a particular role as a part of His Body, the church.  The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah presents a worthy example.  God devised a job for Jeremiah to do, but He also created Jeremiah with to do the particular job He had in mind - like a customised machine or tools are engineered to perform specialised tasks.  When I tried to fix the clutch on my truck, I found the flywheel very hard to remove until I borrowed a Snap-On flywheel wrench.  Having the right tool and the right person called by God for a job is key to accomplishing the tasks God intends.  Crazy He would include us, right?

Jeremiah 1:4-10 reveals the ability of God to create people fit to do a role accomplished only by His grace:  "Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: ⁵ "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." ⁶ Then said I: "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth." ⁷ But the LORD said to me: "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. ⁸ Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you," says the LORD. ⁹ Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. ¹⁰ See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant."  The revelation of God's specific plan and calling of Jeremiah was a shock to him.  As a child of God are you blown away to realise before you were born God knew, sanctified, and ordained you for His purposes?  I cannot say exactly what this will entail, and despite our protests has a plan He will see worked out in and through us according to His grace.

God will be with those who fear and trust Him, even as He was with Jeremiah and Paul.  He might not have set us over nations and kingdoms, but Jesus our Saviour is KING OF KINGS.  Many times we do not even know what to say, but He has put His Word into our hearts, minds, and mouths.  We do not need to be afraid because God is with us and will empower us to fulfil the purpose for which we were created, that He may be glorified and praised forever.  All the work God's calls us to is far beyond our ability and comprehension because it is God's work.  If we think ourselves sufficient for the labour and able to endure by our strength, we will falter and fail.  Yet when we look to Jesus Christ we will find our strength renewed, for our life is in Him.  There are many good works God has created us to do, and the first is to believe and trust Him.

The Touch of Jesus

"And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed."  Immediately the leprosy left him."

Luke 5:12-13

Leprosy was a death sentence which ostracised and disfigured its victims without any hope of cure.  This man who is described as being "full of leprosy" sounds to be an advanced case.  Though he was an outcast and unclean under Law, Jesus was willing to touch and heal the leper who placed his faith in Him.  Jesus responded to the man's request and instantly he was made whole.

It is amazing how at the touch of Jesus "immediately the leprosy left him."  The disease instantly departed, similar to demons Jesus cast out of those afflicted.  Who would have believed such a thing was possible?  At least two people:  Jesus and the man full of leprosy.  I wonder if we - and I mean Christians - believe in the power of Jesus to heal, deliver, and make whole like this man did.  Oh, we know Jesus can heal, but we are not convinced He is willing so we do not ask.  We may not be willing, as this man did, fall on his face before the LORD and publicly proclaim his need.  He could have remained resigned to his hopeless condition, yet he looked to Jesus in faith.

How often we can tolerate or endure what Jesus came to deliver us from:  our sinful desires, selfishness, pride, worry, and fear.  I do not believe Jesus came to remove every affliction from us (seeing He has left us in a body of flesh in a world of sin), but He brings hope of a new life.  Afflictions move us to realise our need for divine aid.  He was righteous and in many ways afflicted, and a servant is not above his master.  May God renew our faith in the power and love of Jesus Christ!  He is willing to do more than strengthen us to manage but to overcome.  We might be laid low with physical or mental illness, yet Jesus stands ready to touch and revive us.  He delights to do so even when we doubt and forget He is our Saviour.

Jesus is willing, but are we willing to come to seek Him?  That is the question we must honestly answer.  When we lack the strength to come to Him, know He has already come.  He stands at the door and knocks, imploring we open to Him.  All day long Jesus opened His arms to the nation Israel so they might be gathered to Him, for they were as sheep without a shepherd.  They were not willing:  what makes us think we are any different?  Maybe it took this man being full of leprosy so he might humble himself before his Maker, and God allows many trials and difficulties which seem evil and painful to accomplish His good purposes.  Let us rejoice in our God who is willing to touch sinners so we might be made whole.

No Condemnation in Christ

This week at Calvary Chapel Sydney the Sunday message was focused on the interaction with Jesus and the woman brought to Him who was caught in adultery.  The Pharisees brought the woman before Jesus to find an opportunity to accuse Jesus of wrongdoing, but Jesus unexpectedly shifted the focus to the conscience of the accusers:  suddenly they were the ones on trial.  They wanted to know if Jesus agreed with Moses that the woman should be stoned to death, yet Jesus told them the one without sin should be the first to throw a stone.  One by one the accusers departed and the woman was left alone with Jesus.

John 8:10-11 says, "When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" ¹¹ She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."  The woman who was under condemnation of the Law and self-righteous men stood without condemnation before Jesus Christ whom she called "Lord" or master, supreme in authority.  Jesus had every right to pick up a stone being sinless, yet He could see her heart.  It was by no means a good heart, being naturally wicked and sinful like all other people.  This woman was provided by God's grace an opportunity to repent and place her trust in Jesus, and in doing so would not only receive salvation and forgiveness by faith, but power to walk righteously.

I do not believe the words of Jesus had the harsh or threatening tone some read into them coupled with a scowl:  "Don't you dare do that again - or else!"  He said, "Go and sin no more."  The good observation was made in the message delivered this morning that this was not merely a command.  At face value it is a command, but it was also empowering because it was the very word of God.  Having placed her faith in Jesus Christ as LORD, through the power of the Holy Spirit the woman was divinely enabled to obey the divine mandate joyfully - despite being harshly judged or made a social outcast.  She had love and acceptance in Jesus she had sought in an adulterous relationship, and Jesus gave her the real thing which transcended sex or earthly relationships.

The Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  The Law could only condemn, having no power to save, but Jesus came to seek and save the lost.  He brought a way to righteousness apart from Law through faith in Him.  Romans 8:1-4 teaches us, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."  Jesus wasn't "soft on sin" or allowed the woman off easy, but granted her an opportunity by God's grace to cease walking according to the flesh and instead live according to the Holy Spirit.  Like the woman in adultery all of us are condemned already because of our sin, but Jesus does not condemn us:  He offers life and new beginnings to those who trust in Him.