Our Humble Example

Tonight (Wednesday) we spent our time together as believers focusing our attention specifically on the work of God the Son, Jesus Christ. There's no better mid-week boost to your faith than that! We looked at Christ's humiliation (birth, life and death) and His exaltation (resurrection, ascension, second coming, etc.).

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There's a spiritual "law" that is visible in Christ's humiliation and exaltation. It's found in 1 Peter 5:6 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you." Christ humbled Himself therefore God has highly exalted Him (Philippians 2:9). Likewise, those who will humble themselves here and now will be highly exalted by God on the Last Day. Following Christ is all about humility.

So how do I need to humble myself? Here's three things for starters:

1. Admit the wickedness of my sin and my desperate need for Christ. And do this daily!

2. Acknowledge that my ideas and opinions are marred by my sin, and turn to God's Word for answers.

3. Serve someone. Begin in your home (do the dishes, surrender the remote!). Then look for ways to serve your church family (visit a widow, keep the nursery). Then look around to those who do not know Christ and serve them (bake them cookies, fix their sink). Look for ways to put other's need before your own... just like Jesus did for you!
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"The meek shall inherit the earth." Matthew 5:5

"The first shall be last." Matthew 19:30

The humble will be exalted.

Is Jesus God?

We've been studying the Gospel of John, and I hope you're getting the point: Jesus is God!

John 1:1 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

John 1:18 - "No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known."

John 5:18 - "This is why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because... he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God."

John 20:28 - "My Lord and my God!"

Plus plenty of other verses...

Now if you were asked, "Is Jesus God?" you'd probably say, "Yea... of course." But if someone looked at your life would they be able to see that Jesus is God? Believing that Jesus is God means that you're living as though He is. For instance, if you believed your house was on fire you would try to get out, right? If you believed you had a terrible disease you would seek treatment, right? What we believe (really believe) changes how we live. And that's precisely the kind of believing spoken of in John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

So let me throw the question at you again: Is Jesus God?

Is He God of your attitude? Is He Lord of your thoughts/opinions? Is He Master of your finances? Is He Boss of your language? Is He Ruler of your relationships?

Despite what you might have been told in the past, this is what it means to be a real Christian. Jesus Christ is the boss of your thoughts, words, and deeds. Anything less than this isn't really believing.

And, by the way, embracing Jesus as Lord is in no way a restrictive kill-joy kind of thing. He is gracious, generous, loving, enjoyable, patient, truthful, powerful, purposeful! Who better to rule my life?! Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Live It!

One of the legendary excuses people give for not coming to church has to do with the number of hypocrites who attend church. A hypocrite (biblically speaking) is someone who claims to have a relationship with God, but does not live like it.

Know anyone like that? Yea... me, too.

That's why I agree with the folks who point out all the hypocrites at church. They're right. Sadly, Southern Baptist churches (I'll just speak for my own denomination) are filled with hypocrites. Men who are cruel to their wives and then teach Sunday School. Women who curse and slander others and then join the prayer chain. Business people who rip others off and then help count the offering. Young couples who party on Friday and 'worship' on Sunday. Preachers who neglect their families and then try to lead God's family. Gag!

Unbelievers hate hypocrites. I hate hypocrisy (especially when I see it in my own life). But that's nothing compared to how Jesus feels about it. He says, "Woe to you hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleaness. (Matt. 23:27)" You look good on the outside... you go through all the outward rituals, but nothing has changed in your heart!

Get it -- Real Christianity is Living Faith! It changes your life. It changes your business practices, changes your marriage, changes your work ethic, changes your attitude. Jesus says real faith/saving faith is a living faith. He won't have it any other way.

So, as a pastor, here's where I hope this blog can help. I cannot live my faith by myself. I need other Christians around encouraging, correcting, & shaping me. That's why Jesus put us together in local churches. And I want this blog, as a part of our local church, to exist in order to:

(1) Wake up "so-called Christians" (i.e. hypocrites) to see they are NOT okay. They need a life-chaning encounter with Jesus Christ.
(2) Encourage true Christians to live it out. Fight the good fight... don't back down... pursue Christ with everything you've got!
(3) Show non-Christians that Jesus is real. Jesus is alive. Jesus is forgiving & changing sinners like me. And He will do it for you, too!

Join me on this journey of Living Faith!