What will it take for us to work together as Christians?

When the British and French were fighting in Canada in Octorber of 1690, Sir William Phips of Massachusetts, commander of the British fleet, was to anchor outside Quebec. He was to wait for the British land forces to arrive, and then support them when they attacked the city. Contrary to the plan Phipps’ navy arrived early. As Phips waited, he became annoyed by the statues of the saints that adorned the towers of a nearby cathedral, so he commanded his men to shoot at them with the ships’ cannons. No one knows how many rounds were fired or how many statues were knocked out, but when the land forces arrived and the signal was given to attack, the fleet was of no help. They had used up most of the ammunition shooting at the "saints." (Daily Bread, October 6).

Are we ever guilty of “shooting the saints?” Do become critical when another Christian church or group outside of ours expresses the truth we are teaching about Jesus in a different fashion, with a different style of music, or form of worship, or style of preaching or teaching, or a different emphasis in the community?

In my last two posts I looked at Luke 9:49-50 to see what it teaches us about people who serve Jesus who are not a part of my group. The passage reads:

49  Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."

50  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

So what is the point of Jesus’ lesson here? Jesus has a variety of servants. Those who are living and working in the name of Christ (by His authority) are not to be forbidden, even if they are unknown to us.

The twelve were not the only faithful disciples of Jesus! In addition to the apostles, many who heard Him were receptive, noble listeners.  "The multitudes pressed about Him to hear the word of God," and in the response of some to Him, Jesus "saw their faith," (Luke 5:1,20). "And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John," (Luke 7:29). The notion that the apostles were the only faithful disciples is not only assumption; it is error. Those "with'' Him were not the only faithful disciples. This unidentified man, based on every indication we have, was a faithful disciple of Christ, though he was not in the company of the apostles.

It’s so easy for us to criticize or minimize other Christians because they are “not one of us.” We can be guilty of the same spiritual bigotry that infected John.

When we look at v. 50 and its parallels, it brings up an interesting dilemma. Compare the following verses:

    *    “For who is not against us, is for us” (Mk 9:40 NASB)

    *    "Do not hinder him; for he who is not against you is for you." (Lk 9:50 NASB)

    *    "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.” (Lk 11:23a)

    *    "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.” (Mt 12:30a)

Which is it? Are they for us or against us? These statements of Jesus almost seem to contradict one another don’t they? I believe the resolution is to notice that the first two are concerned with "us," or “you,” while the second two are concerned with "me," in other words, Jesus himself. The conclusion I draw is this: Being with or against Jesus is not always the same as being with or against us. Just because another Christian is different from me does not mean that they do not belong to Jesus.

The key to this lesson is that John pointed out this stranger was casting out demons in the name of Jesus.

I realize some people and groups use the name of Jesus in a way that is not legitimate. Not everyone who claims the name of Jesus really honors who Jesus is. What a group believes about Jesus is absolutely essential for us to cooperate and fellowship with them, that’s what it means to honor the name of Jesus. I’m not advocating some kind of universalism that says any religion is okay. There is only one way to God and that is through Jesus—and Jesus alone. Jesus is not just one of the ways to God. He is not even the best way to God: He is the only way!

But within those parameters we need to be inclusive. We need to realize those who don’t do it the way we do it are our friends, if they honor the same Jesus we honor. In fact they are more than our friends—they are our brothers and sisters!

Did you know in heaven, God is not going to corral us into different areas? St. Peter is not going to have a loudspeaker saying, “Okay, let’s have all the Catholics over here, Baptists in this area, Methodists over here, Church of God folks in this corral, Church of Christ folks, to that side … ”

Did you notice how these this lesson is connected to Jesus’ lesson about greatness and welcoming the child in His name (Luke 9:46-48)? When you become like a humble little child, you will be less exclusive of others. Long before blacks and whites started getting together in the South as friends, little black kids and little white kids played together without any qualms. It was only as they grew up they learned blacks and whites didn’t socialize. I think they had it right as children, don’t you?

Think about the attitudes of little children. They get out on the playground and have such fun with each other. They don’t ask each other which country club their parents belong to. They don’t inquire about where their parents graduated from college, or where they work, or how much money they have. They don’t ask what denomination they are. They just play together. That’s the kind of childlike spirit Jesus was talking about.

What will it take for us to work together as Christians?

How do I tell if someone is truly acting Jesus name?

In my last post I looked at Luke 9:49-50 to see what it teaches us about people who serve Jesus who are not a part of my group. The passage reads:

49  Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."

50  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

From this I concluded that Jesus has a variety of servants and many of them do not belong to my group. In the scripture story John’s complaint against this unknown exorcist is that "he does not follow with us." They knew the man was acting in Jesus' name. In fact John says to Jesus, “we saw someone casting out demons in Your name.” The problem was that he didn't belong to their group. He’s not in the “in-crowd” so he is an “outsider,” not one of the gang. We don’t know him, he isn’t one of us.

So the work of God gets shut down. Jesus, who has been breaking boundaries all over the place so that people could be free, now confronts His closest disciples who are, instead of following Jesus’ example and breaking down boundaries, are actually putting up new boundaries; finding new ways to keep people out, and restrict the Kingdom of God.

Now we do need to be careful in this area because not everyone who uses the name of Jesus has Jesus’ authority or His Spirit. There are a lot of things that have been done in Jesus’ name that He has nothing to do with. Think about the abuses of Jim Jones, David Koresh...and many others who have used the name of Jesus to lead people astray.

Also think of some of the actions of churches and church people. Not all church splits, policies, attitudes, or spirits glorify God. In these cases Jesus’ name is used, but He is not authorizing or empowering what they are doing.

Take for instance the interesting account of the seven sons of Sceva in Acts 19. They were going around trying to invoke the name of Jesus over those who were demon possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." (Acts 19:13 NIV). One day these guys tried this, “And the evil spirit answered and said, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?’” (Acts 19:15 NKJV). And Luke tells us the result of that encounter was, “Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” (Acts 19:16).

Another reason to be careful about how we apply these words of Jesus is that in our day many have made an idol out of tolerance. If we as Christians or as a church dare to confront false teaching or immorality in our midst we can be accused of being “intolerant.”

Here's the kind of argument you might hear: "The Lord said: 'Do not forbid him.' therefore, even though someone may not be with us; even if they happen to be teaching some things that are wrong; even though they approve of immoral practices, so long as they are not against us, and so long as they ascribe the name of Christ to their work, we should not forbid or criticize them.” This is the "practical lesson" some have derived from this text.

But John didn't say this man was guilty of some wrong. He didn't say the unidentified man was teaching false doctrine. The only thing John said was, "he does not follow with us!"

And consider what Jesus says about the man. Jesus said of this man, he is "not against us." In Mark's account, Jesus said of this man, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me," (Mark 9:39). It is clear, this man was not a false teacher! Had this he been a false teacher, what do you think Jesus would have said about him? Likely, as Jesus did with the scribes and Pharisees, He probably would have called him a "ravenous wolf," and compared him to a bad tree that bears bad fruit; a tree worthy of being "cut down and thrown into the fire," (see Matt. 7:15-20).

So, whatever this passage means, we can be certain it doesn't mean we must refrain from exposing false teachers and immoral practices. The text affords no ground for that whatever. Gospel preachers are to charge false teachers ''that they teach no other doctrine," (1 Tim. 1:3). Our duty is to "rebuke" and "exhort," (2 Tim. 4:2). Jesus never endorsed tolerance of anything morally or doctrinally wrong.

In my next post I will discuss more how to tell if someone is truly acting in Jesus’ name.

What other dangers do you see from people who claim to be doing things in Jesus’ name?

How do I interact with followers of Jesus who are not like me?

How do I interact with followers of Jesus who are not like me? What if they being to a different group? What if their worship style is different than ours? What if they spread the gospel using a different method than my church? What if they have a different emphasis in the community?

Here is a truth I learned from Luke 9:49-50: Jesus has many servants and most do not look like me.

49  Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."

50  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

What is Jesus teaching us here? The context is always important. What had been going on before John made this statement? Did he just make this remark "out of the blue?" No. John's statement is connected to what had been just going on. John and the other disciples had been fussing among themselves about who was the greatest (see: Luke 9:46-48 and Mark 9:33-37). John says this in answer to what Jesus had just said in verse 48: "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great."

Don’t you see two great ironies in this statement of John? First, Jesus had just told His disciples about receiving, or welcoming, the child in His name and that by welcoming someone in Jesus’ name they would be welcoming Jesus and His Father. Now the disciples are doing the opposite of that. Instead of receiving and welcoming, they are forbidding and excluding.

Another irony is that this unnamed man is casting out demons in Jesus' name -- something that earlier in this chapter, the disciples were unable to do. This man was not part of their group, but he was out there doing ministry, casting out demons, apparently successfully. So John tells Jesus, “we forbade him because he does not follow with us.”

One day a lady criticized D. L. Moody for his methods of evangelism in attempting to win people to the Lord. Moody's reply was "I agree with you. I don't like the way I do it either. Tell me, how do you do it?" The lady replied, "I don't do it." Moody retorted, "Then I like my way of doing it better than your way of not doing it."

John probably expected Jesus to commend him for his action, but instead, Jesus uses it to teach a lesson. Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.” It’s like Jesus is saying, “I like the way he’s doing it better than how you’re not doing it.”

Jesus has a variety of servants and most do not serve in the same way as me.

What To Do When You Can’t Sleep

I don’t sleep as soundly or as long as I used to. I am not really sure why. Maybe it’s just another one of those annoying things that happen as we grow older—like the hair that grows everywhere except the top of my head; or the furrows in my forehead that appear to have been pulled by a deep eight-bottom plow; or my inability to tolerate loud music anymore.

So when I wake up now—at midnight, at two, at four—and toss and turn for a while before finally drifting back to sleep, what do I do in those times? Here I learn another lesson from Psalm 119.

God is My Greatest Joy (Psalm 119:62-64)

62  At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, Because of Your righteous judgments.

63  I am a companion of all who fear You, And of those who keep Your precepts.

64  The earth, O LORD, is full of Your mercy; Teach me Your statutes.

When something is greatly on my mind, I sometimes think of it when I wake up in the middle of the night. This week I have a funeral to preach on Saturday. Last night I found myself thinking about the man who had passed, his family, and what words I should bring to them.

Where does your mind go when you awake at night? For the writer of this psalm, his mind was so greatly fixed on God and His word, his heart was so full with gratefulness and thankfulness, that he just naturally prays and praises God in such times. He says, “I will rise.” Apparently he even makes plans to get up to praise at midnight!

Wow! Talk about a grateful heart! He rose up at midnight to talk to his merciful Father in Heaven—to tell the Lord how much he loved Him; how much he appreciated Him; how grateful he was for God’s love and for His leading his life. He talked over his day with the Lord, talked with Him about his burdens and friends.

As he reviews the previous day and the circumstances of his life, he sees God active there. Everywhere he looks he sees the signs of God’s commitment in mercy. “The earth, O LORD, is full of Your mercy.” He was seeing that which only redeemed eyes could see. Proofs of God’s goodness are everywhere. They are great to think about, and thank God for in those still, dark hours in the middle of the night.

Thou art my portion, Lord; Thy words I ever heed;

With all my heart, Thy grace I seek, Thy promises I plead.

I thought upon my ways, Thy testimonies learned;

With earnest haste, and waiting not,

To Thy commands I turned.

While snares beset my path, Thy law I keep in view;

At midnight I will give Thee praise For all Thy judgments true.

All those who fear Thy Name Shall my companions be;

Thy mercy fills the earth, O Lord; Thy statutes teach Thou me.

How do you spend those sleepless nights?

Say Okay and Do It Right Away

“Say okay and do it right away.” I have heard my wife say that little rhyme to our kids many times over the years. I was reminded of it again as I studied Psalm 119 this week.

Psalm 119:57-64 is really a prayer to the all sufficient God. God is sufficient as my portion—He is what I really need and want. In these next verses I see God is sufficient as my Lord and Master.

(Psalm 119:59-61)

59  I thought about my ways, And turned my feet to Your testimonies.

60  I made haste, and did not delay To keep Your commandments.

61  The cords of the wicked have bound me, But I have not forgotten Your law.

2. God Is My Master.

Obedience is the expression of our love for God. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments,” (John 14:15). Loving obedience was the condition for God’s blessing for the nation of Israel. If the people kept God’s covenant with them God would bless them and their land. If they turned from Him to idols He would chasten them in the land. John Philips points out Four Aspects of Obedience in Ps 119:59 (John Philips, Exploring Psalms, 2:315-16):

·        Deliberation: “I considered . . .” — Stop and think.

·        Destination: “I considered my ways” — Where am I headed?

·        Determination: “And turned my feet . . .” — Deciding to obey God.

·        Discrimination: “And turned my feet to Your testimonies.” — I am going to follow God’s ways rather than mine or another person’s.

I am learning more and more what it means to say that God is my Lord and Master. In ancient days, no servant could say, “No,” or postpone doing the master’s will, or say, “I forgot.” The psalmist is not complacent in his walk; he hastens to God’s Word. He knows there is danger in delay. There almost seems to be the mindset of a soldier here:

v. 59a “I considered” – i.e., ATTENTION. STOP!

v. 59b “and turned my feet” - ABOUT FACE!

v. 60 “I hastened and did not delay” – FORWARD MARCH, DOUBLE TIME!

When Jesus called His disciples to follow Him, it was “drop everything and follow me now. Leave your boats and nets – today you become fishers of men.” And immediately they responded to the Lord’s call. I am learning not to hesitate or equivocate when God calls. I am not to pause to look back on my old life with longing like Lot’s wife.

Delayed obedience is a form of disobedience. Telling God I will obey Him tomorrow often means I am disobeying Him today. “Today if you hear God’s voice, do not harden your heart,” (Heb. 3:15).

How about you? Are you quick to respond to the Lord and His word?

What Is Your Portion?

"Jesus … He is all we need and all we want. We are shipwrecked on God and stranded on omnipotence!" — Vance Havner

Psalm 119:57-64 is really a prayer to the all sufficient God. The writer of Psalm 119 has already said that he loves God’s Word, longs for the Word, aches for a deeper desire, and he desperately prays for more eye-opening, treasure-discovering, soul-satisfying delight in the Word of God, and ultimately in the God of the Word.

What has the psalmist experienced from God and His word that has satisfied him completely? He has experienced that:

1. God Is Our Portion (Psalm 119:57-58).

In verse 57, when he writes “The LORD is my portion,” he not only means he is content with what God has provided, he says it is in God Himself that he finds all contentment and satisfaction.

The word, “portion” is an important word. Originally, portion referred to that part of the Promised Land that was given to each Israelite tribe. This portion was their inheritance. It was passed from generation to generation. The inherited land actually belonged to the Lord (Lev. 25:23) and He cared for it (Deut. 11:8-17).

The priests and Levites were given no inheritance or portion of the land. There was a good reason for that. See if you can spot the reason why the tribe of Levi had no portion or inheritance of land:

Deut. 10:8,9 – “At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister to Him and to bless in His name, to this day. Therefore Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, just as the LORD your God promised him.)”

I’m sure you caught it. Instead of land, the Lord himself was to be their portion and their inheritance. Portion refers to something that someone lays claim to. The Psalmist is thrilled to call the Lord his own. Think of it! To be able to lay claim to the Creator of the universe as my own, that is something! This meant that the Levites (priests) were to look directly to God for present sustenance and future security. Having the Lord as my portion is not only greater than the best this life can offer, it is far greater. It is not only of superior value, but of surpassing value, matchless worth. To possess a relationship with God is truly to have everything.

As believers in Jesus Christ today we have a rich spiritual inheritance because we are in the Lord. If we have Jesus, we have everything. See if these scriptures don’t just WOW you:

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,    (Eph 1:11 NKJV)

…giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.    (Col 1:12 NKJV)

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.    (Col 3:23,24 NKJV)

And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.    (Heb 9:15 NKJV)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,    (1 Pet 1:3,4 NKJV)

Wow! All our portion, our inheritance is wrapped-up in Jesus Christ. He is our portion; He is our life (Col. 3:4); He is our all-in-all (Col. 3:11). Because we are in Christ we have everything we need for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3).

Those who believe the truth of verse 57 will pray like verse 58. “I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; Be merciful to me according to Your word.”

Though God is All-sufficient, I am not. “Our sufficiency is from God” (2 Cor. 3:5). So I pray wholeheartedly for God’s favor, not half-heartedly with one hand behind my back clutching my sin. The prayer “be gracious to me” is the prayer of an empty-handed spiritually-bankrupt, sinner. It’s the prayer of the repentant tax collector Jesus spoke of who would not even lift up his head but in lowliness simply beat his chest while pleading for God’s favor and graciousness, praying very much like this verse: “Lord be merciful to me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13).

Say it with me, “My God is all-sufficient. I am not. He is my portion. I need nothing else.”

All I Need Is ____________

Psalm 119

57  You are my portion, O LORD; I have said that I would keep Your words.

58  I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; Be merciful to me according to Your word.

59  I thought about my ways, And turned my feet to Your testimonies.

60  I made haste, and did not delay To keep Your commandments.

61  The cords of the wicked have bound me, But I have not forgotten Your law.

62  At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, Because of Your righteous judgments.

63  I am a companion of all who fear You, And of those who keep Your precepts.

64  The earth, O LORD, is full of Your mercy; Teach me Your statutes.

This section of Psalm 119 got me to thinking about what I really need in life and what I really want. It caused me ask myself questions like:

-          From where am I seeking my satisfaction?

-          Am I a content person, satisfied with the portion in life God has given me?

-          Would those around me describe me as a content person, a thankful and joyful man?

The first verse of this passage really sets the tone of the whole with the opening line: “The LORD is my portion,” or some translations make it a direct address: “You are my portion, O LORD.” The TEV paraphrase says “You are all I want O LORD.”

The statement of this psalm is that God is all I need. When “the LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). I will need nothing outside of God and His provision. My God supplies all my needs. God is all-sufficient and all-satisfying. John Piper puts it this way, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”

What has the psalmist experienced from God and His word that has satisfied him completely and has shown him that God is all-sufficient? As I studied this section of Psalm 119 I see that he has experienced these truths:

1. God Is My Portion (Psalm 119:57-58).

2. God is My Master (Psalm 119:59-61).

3. God is My Greatest Joy (Psalm 119:62-64).

In the next three posts I will expand on those thoughts. Would you consider asking yourself those same questions I am asking myself this week?