Three Postures of Leadership (Stewardship)

Matthew 25 describes in great detail 2 views of stewardship. They might even be called "postures of leadership". Jesus tells the story of a ruler who left his belongings to his 3 servants before he departed for a long journey.  The hope of the ruler was to find his belongings increased when he returned. However, upon returning from his journey he was filled with mixed emotions. 2 of the servants took what was entrusted to them and doubled their worth. However, one servant buried that which was entrusted to him and did nothing to increase its worth. The ruler was very displeased with this servant.

This story equates greatly with what we might find in leadership today. Every leader is held accountable for their responsibility as a leader. We have all been given gifts by which we must use for the purpose of building value.  The way we view our leadership might be called "posturing". In other words, how we "carry" ourselves as leaders.

The Mismanager

One posture of leadership might be called "mismanagement".  Mismanages are very easy to recognize. With their hands covering their face in disgust at their own mismanagement, they can't stand to even look at themselves. They've mismanaged their money, relationships, positions and their life.  No one wants to be known for being a "mismanager". 

The Manager

A manager, by definition, is someone who simply maintains... they manage. Their goal is to keep the machine going. Because of fear, their highest possible achievement is to simple NOT crash. In the manager's logic, success is simply "getting by", "being balanced" and "not muddying the waters". Because no one wants to be a "mismanager", they settle for just being a manager. The posture of a manager is that of a man who is "balancing" his way through life... just trying to get to the other side without falling.

The Motivator

God has called leaders to lead. He has not called us to manage anything. Leaders lead and managers manage. Leaders are leaders because they are going somewhere. The really great leaders are always reaching for more. They are motivated by their vision. Their desire is to be used of God as an implementer of all He has entrusted them with. Taking what God has given them and bringing out its potential and value.

Much can be said about "mismanagers" and "managers". Perhaps the greatest thing that can be said about them was said by Christ in this story. Verse 26 says, "His lord answered and said unto him, [Thou] wicked and slothful servant...” May we desire today to be leaders and not managers.

What is your stewardship posture? Are your hands covering your face in shame due to your mismanagement of what God has given you? Are you striving to simply be balanced in life, never testing the waters due to fear? Or are you expressing your leadership by reaching higher and higher for God and His Kingdom?

Are you struggling in prayer?

If you struggle at times in your prayer life, you stand in an extremely long line of Christians who find it difficult to pray at times.  I want to give you a few pointers that may help.




1. Schedule a regular time of prayer.

• I recommend that your prayer time be early. This is when Jesus chose to pray to His Father. Mark 1:35
• Make sure that your place of prayer is without distraction if possible.
• I like to have praise music playing softly in the background. I have music uploaded to my computer and just let it play randomly at a low volume.

 2. Use the Bible as a guide to your prayers.

• Reading a chapter of Psalms while you pray and using select verses as a guide to your prayer is a great way to involve the Word in your time of prayer. You can't go wrong with God's Word!

3. Look through your church directory.

• When I struggle in prayer, I like to look through my church directory and thank God for the people that love me in Christ. Gal. 6:10
• This also allows us to remember needs of others as we pray.

4. Pray through the church prayer request list.

• Bro. John Rice posts the church prayer request list at our church. He does this via email each month. He does a wonderful job with this. It's very detailed and gives me much to pray about.

5. Make prayer a dialogue not a monologue.

• In other words, allow the conversation be two sided. Why not ask God what it is that HE would like to talk about? 
• We all know of "conversation dominators". Most of us have the tendency to ignore people who talk too much. Trust me, I know this to be true in my own life (no jokes needed LOL). Literally ask God what it is that HE wants to talk about.
• It's been my experience that God wants to talk about 2 things: 

(1) God wants to talk about Himself. He created all things for Himself and to give Himself glory. 
(2) He wants to talk about why we can't talk about Him. In other words. If we CAN'T talk about Him, what is the reason? More often than not, it is a sin in our lives that needs to be repented of.

Note: remember that prayer is not our method of getting our wish list. Though we may utilize the time we have with God making requests, this is not the only reason we pray. Prayer should be our time to fellowship with the creator. Remember, if at the end of your prayer time, you receive nothing more than Jesus, you have been successful at reaching the throne of God. I hope these things help you in your prayer life. 

Press or Cut?

Have you noticed how easy it is, when facing some dilemma, to very quickly begin to think of what might be the easiest way to avoid the problem? For instance, when we are stretched thin on time we quickly begin to consider what we might cut from our agenda. While this isn't uncommon, and many times may ultimately be our only option, we are way too quick to assume that "easy" is best.  Another example can be found in church. We are often way too quick to "cut" instead of "press". Again, cutting may ultimately be our only option, but we must not be so quick to jump to that conclusion. In the 1600's an insightful individual coined the term, "...the path of least resistance." May that NOT be our anthem in 2012. Friend, instead of saying "I can't afford that", instead ask, "How can I afford that?"  Do you see how that "pressing" can be better than quitting. In 2012, stop saying "What would be easier." Instead, work hard to do hard things better.

"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Phil. 3:14

Pastor Mike

A Christlike Perspective to Tragedy

In Matthew's Gospel, the 16th chapter, Jesus offers both praise and rebuke to Peter within just a few verses. The reason for Christ's praise of Peter was due to his awareness of who Christ was. "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (verse 16).  Jesus’ response was iconic to the Bible. "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven" (verse 17).

It is at this point that Jesus begins telling the disciples what fate He must face if He is to be utterly obedient to His Father's will for Him. The death of the cross was no fitting end for such a Savior and King. However, Christ's obedience to the Father's will was more important than His legacy among men.

When hearing the words of Jesus, Peter began rebuking the Lord. Peter's love for Christ was never seen more clearly. Truly, Peter held great emotion to the life of His friend and mentor. The thought of Christ's death was unbearable for Peter.

Instead of Christ embracing the true passion of Peter, He compared the flamboyant disciple to that of Satan. What was it that caused Christ to say to Peter, "Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me..." (Verse 23)? The remainder of the verse answers that question, "...for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."

It was Peter's perspective of Christ's inevitable death that caused the Lord to rebuke him with such vigor. According to Jesus, Peter's vantage point was from that of the flesh and not of the Spirit. "...for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." Jesus rebuked Peter because of the way He viewed God's will.

Why was Jesus so intense about His rebuking of Peter? The text reveals it was because Peter was not consistent in his perspective of divinity. In verse 15 Jesus asked the disciples a hard question: "...whom say ye that I am?" Peter's response provoked great praise from Jesus. Jesus said, "...flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." Peter's perspective of God's will toward the life of Christ was spot on. It was easy for Peter to see the worth of God's Son as long as He was endowed with life.  

However, Peter's perspective of God's will toward the death of Christ was entirely different. In fact, it revealed a lacking of belief in God's will. Where Peter found it easy to locate God's will when it benefited him, he struggled to see God's will when it didn't.

How does this relate to our response to tragedy? Just as we see divinity in the good times, may we also see divinity in times of tragedy. To do this, we must maintain our focus on God's sovereignty. It's difficult to see God when things are less than positive. It's then that we must ultimately realize that nothing comes our way that isn't first filtered through God's grace. He never sleeps nor slumbers. He never takes a vacation or even a break. Regardless of our perspective, He is still God.


While our perspective of God doesn't change Him, it most certainly determines how we feel about Him!

Pastor Mike Carmody

Are church people stressing you out?

I've heard it said, "All churches are perfect... until you include people." I at least partly agree with that statement. It's true that church people can be very stressful. For the most part, everyone you work with are volunteers. Therefore, their time is precious and their service is precious as well. Also, because they may be voluteers, dealing with their particular quirks isn't as easy as with a paid staff member. Regardless, when it comes to working with those you worship with, Satan would love nothing more than to sever any good emotion you may have for them.


I love Proverbs 14:4, "Where no oxen [are], the crib [is] clean: but much increase [is] by the strength of the ox."  What great wisdom for working with people! It seems that the writer is offering a choice when working with church people. We can do away with our struggles completely by eliminating people or we can accomplish much for God... but deal with the stress of those around us.


The fact is, according to the verse, if you work with people, you will eventually have to deal with their... mess. Anyone who has ever worked with others will agree to this.  But don't let the stress that comes with  working with others be the demise of your ministry or church attendance.


Try this: try seeing them for who they CAN be instead of who they ARE. Right now, they are bringing you down and causing you much stress. However, believe it or not, they are an answer to prayer. Remember, you were the one who prayed that God would send laborours into the harvest (Matt. 9:38). That person is an answer to prayer. God saved them and is changing them for his glory. He has purpose for them... just as He has purpose for you.


So, before you begin to complain about the added stress, see them for their potential and try adding value to them. Remember, you can have everything your way if you want... but you may have everything all to yourself!


Pastor Mike Carmody

When Questions are Louder Than Answers

On any given day, and at any given time, news may come our way that will raise seemingly unanswerable questions. Interestingly, had the situation not occurred, the answers seem innumerable. But in the days following tragedy, the questions are often louder than the answers. When tragedy occurs, it's as if our ear holes are in the shape of a heart... and the answers are in the shape of a dagger. The hurting person simply can't hear the help that is being offered, regardless how true it may be. Few words seem to help bring resolve. So how do we help those who can't seem to find God in their darkest times?
When Lazarus died in John 11, Jesus brought comfort to his friends Martha and Mary. While we can not raise the dead, we can follow Christ's example of comfort in dark times. 
Jesus, on the scene
First we see that Jesus showed up to the scene of heartache. How important it is for us to be there for others in their darkest hours. Many times, our greatest comfort to others comes simply by being there for them. They may never forget when you came to their home or waiting room. When words wont do, holding the hand of the broken hearted goes a long, long way.
Jesus, the Listener
Long before hope is verbally offered, we need to be a people with listening ears. Martha was no different than we are. She very quickly began to make accusation toward God. Verse 21 says, "Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." Jesus did not rebuke her, but rather, He listened. Imagine that; God listened to this hurting woman. How much more should we listen to those who speak words of pain in times of heartache?
Jesus, the Hope Giver
When Martha approached Jesus as He came on the scene of death, He offered her hope. Verse 23 says, "Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again".  In a time of tragedy, everyone wants to know that this is not the end. Saying something like, "WE are going to get through this together... I am not leaving you... I will help you get through this" gives some reassurance that there is light at the end of their dark tunnel.
Jesus, the Refocuser 
In our story, Jesus asked a great question of Martha which diverted her attention from death to life. Verse 26 says,  "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" If the hurting person will even remotely listen, ask them questions about the faith. Making God real and big is important. It also allows them to see life instead of death.
Jesus the Sympathizer
Our story of Lazarus' death allows us an opportunity to see a side of Jesus that was never before, and never again, seen. Verse 35 says, "Jesus wept." How important it is for the hurting to see how we are affected by their loss. Strength does not have to come in words or deeds. Sometimes strength comes through our tears. Feel free to share how their loss means to you as well.
Jesus, the Prayerer
In verses 40 and 41, Jesus lifts His voice to heaven and begins to pray. Offering regular audible prayers helps to give comfort to the hurting. Holding some one's hand and asking, "May I pray for you" shows that God is not distant, but very, very near. In your prayer, confess that you lack the necessary answers at this time but have faith that God will reveal His purpose in time. 
For such a time as this, you have been called to be a person of comfort. When questions are louder than answers, your presence gives more comfort than you may know. Holding their hand, hugging their neck, listening to their questions and weeping with them will make the answers more tolerable in time. And they will never forget how you loved them in their darkest hours.


Pastor Mike Carmody

Please God While Ticking-Off Man

Often, as God's people, we feel that we can not please God without making someone angry. We read verses like Galatians 1:10 "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." and feel that we have only 2 options: please man or please God. Certainly, there are many times when pleaseing God will upset the hearts of men. Conversely, the same can be said about our pleasing man. However, this is not always the case.


Proverbs 16:7 says, "When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him".  I believe our objective is not to tick off those around us in hopes of pleasing God, but rather to please God first, regardless of how it affects man. In other words, our chief concern is to please God first. We do this by seeking first God's kingdom and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33). Our hope is to do this while, at the same time, meet the needs of those around us in a way that will please our God.


Obviously, as it pertains to the sins of man, we can not condone or permit the wrongful actions of others. We must speak boldly about sin and its dangers. This is done by declairing the truth of God as it pertains to sin. And how do we do this in a way that it may glorify God? By not stopping short at simply declairing sin to be wrong, but also by declairing righteousness to be right. This can only be done by offering Christ as freedom from sin.  How easy it is to point out the failures of others without meekly offering the solution.


May we seek to please God today by revealing the truth of His love for all man kind.

In Love? Really?

I recently overheard a conversation between two love-birds. I wasn't listening on purpose... really, I wasn't. But the emotion of their dialogue was comically enticing. While their ramblings made me snicker, I found it somewhat relieving to know that two people could feel so open to express themselves with such vulnerability. It was obvious that this young couple were in love.

Later, their emotional jargon reunited with my pondering logic. In other words... it got me to thinking. Is there a difference between loving someone or something and being "in" love with someone or something? I mean, is it possible to have varying degrees of emotion for a person or thing?  We've all heard someone say something like, "I love them... but I'm not 'in' love with them."  The love that they have for the person has somehow faded to a lesser quality.

It seems to me that love is the most interesting of all human emotions. Our state of mind can dictate our level of love to someone or something... and can change without notice.  Therefore, if being "in" love is a desirable condition of the heart, it seems worth protecting. It can slip away without warning.

The word "in" is the complicated mechanism of this thought of love.  You see, the emotion of love is simple as long as it doesn't have varying degrees. But once the word "in" is introduced... love becomes a difficult thing.  In other words, the word "love" can be used to describe our emotion to many things in our lives. In the same breath a person can say, "I love my spouse" and "I love tacos."  While both may be true, surely there is a difference between the way we love our spouse and fast food.  So, what is the difference?

The difference between "love" and "In-love" is the position that the object of our love puts us in. You see, the word "in" describes a position or placement. In other words, when I express love to my wife I am expressing her position or placement within my heart. So, when I am "in" love with someone or something, they become the focus of the word love. When I think of love, I think of them. When I hear others speak of love, I think of them. This is being "in" love.

So, you may be asking, "How do I know if I love or am 'in' love?" The answer is fairly simple: do you love to love that person? In other words, is it hard work to love that person... or does it come natural? Being "in" love is a position of ease. It's not difficult to love the one your are "in" love with. In fact, you love to love that person.

If loving a person or thing is difficult, you might want to check their placement in your heart. Pray and seek counsel. If the state of your love for them doesn't change, you could find yourself "out" of love completely.

Pastor Mike Carmody

Why do we do the things we do?

It seems that nothing surprises us any more, does it?  The local and national news is now watched more for entertainment than information. "What was done today that might top yesterday?" we say.  Of course, in much self-righteousness we can never see ourselves doing those same things.  Because of this, it is natural for us to ask, "Why do people do such things?"  The answer is simple, and yet alarming to our souls: we do not truly know God and His Son Jesus Christ.

As Jesus addressed His disciples in John's 16th Gospel chapter, He begins by warning them of the things that are certain to come.  In verse 2 He tells them that they will shunned from the synagogues and even killed for the stand they take in Christ.  Amazingly, when Jesus spoke these things, He did so with flippant certainty... as if there is really no other response from sinners to our life in Christ.  This type of Christianity is unheard of in our lives today.

Verse 3 reveals the truth behind the actions of those who would do such evil: "And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me."  This says so much about why we do the things we do.  Our actions are evidence of our knowledge of God and His Son.  Something mysterious happens as we gain knowledge of God and His Son.  All the more reason we should spend quality time in His Word and around His teachings.

It needs to be understood that this truth is not for the unbelieving only.  In fact, our hearts as believing Christians is evidence to our knowledge of God.  Christians are prone to the same acts of evil as we retard our growth in Him.  As our speech gives evidence to the content of our heart, so our actions reveal the level of knowledge that we have of God.

So, the next time you discover the evil actions of others in your world, of both believers and unbelievers, be cognizant  of the source of such evil.  They are lacking knowledge of God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Pastor Mike Carmody

Oops, I did it again, without the help of the Holy Spirit!

The obvious theme of John’s 16th Gospel chapter is the soon coming of the Holy Spirit into the life of the believer.  So much is learned about the Holy Spirit in these few verses.  We learn that the Holy Spirit is a “he” and not an “it.”  We learn that he has roles and a meaningful purpose to exist in the heart of the believer. In other words, he is more than a simple companion or an adequate “filler” of the void that Jesus’ absence would create.  The Holy Spirit is meant for so much in our life that seemingly is not tapped into today.

As we read the words of Christ in this 16th chapter, we can’t help but believe that Jesus saw a great significance in the Holy Spirit’s coming.  Much emphasis is made of his coming into and guiding of our life. Verse 7 says, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”

The word “expedient” is an interesting one, isn’t it?  The word here gives thought to “better for your sakes”. In other words, it’s not simply “important” or “necessary” that the Holy Spirit come, but it is both important and necessary that he come because it is “better for your sakes” that he come into your life.  It’s as if Jesus is telling them that the things that will take place in their life after His ascension into Heaven are so great that they will require the Holy Spirit’s presence to overcome.

But this isn’t what we are seeing in our lives today. Yes, the things that we are facing today do in fact require the Holy Spirit’s presence, but it doesn’t seem that we are relying on his presence today.  In fact, I’m finding great difficulty seeing any difference at all in the life of the Christian and the non-Christian when facing the battles of our day.  Think about it- would the Holy Spirit, if utilized by today’s Christian, lead us into senseless divorce, bankruptcy and hatred for one another?  I think not!

I recently sat for lunch with a man who spilled his life’s guts out to me as he justified his many bad decisions based on the lack of options that were given to him.  I asked him, “How often do you pray to God and research the scriptures before making these decisions?”  He replied, “never”, with his head bowed low.  This man is a Christian leader in our community.  I’m afraid we have underutilized the gift of the Holy Spirit in our life.

Let me close with a final Scripture reading from Romans 8:8-11, “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ [be] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

Do more today than tap into the Holy Spirit… let him tap into you. Let him guide your ever move and thought of mind.  Let him take up his abode in your life… and may it be evident that something is different in your life.

Pastor Mike Carmody

The Art of Speech Temperance

Of course, Jesus is our all sufficient source for ultimate wisdom and guidance in any and all areas of life. But have you ever considered following His example of speech?  No, I don't mean to suggest that we should speak "King Jimmy" to those who might be willing to listen.  I'm speaking more to the "whens" and "hows" of our saying all that we say.  

Let me explain; take for example Christ's explanation of His LACK of speech to His disciples in John 16:12. He says, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now."  Take in consideration that Jesus knows that His death is eminent, and yet He sees no need to "speed teach" His disciples.  In fact, He tells them that what He would like to teach them, He can not because of their lack of spiritual maturity.

Now, it would make since that He would see the need to expedite their understanding by cramming a 3 1/2 year college degree into a few days... but He doesn't.  He recognizes where they are and teaches them on their level, and nothing more.  He had spent the last 3+ years with these men and He knew them well.  He even knew where they were intellectually.  They were not ready to hear all that He had to say... so He didn't say it.

We, on the other hand, have the tendency to say all that comes to our mind, whether anyone is ready to hear it or not.  We often feel the need to "speed teach" those who might want to learn from us.  We do this based on our false sense of urgency.  We have the "now or never" mentality; when the fact is, whether we have 5 minutes left on this earth or 5 years... each is equivalent to 100% of the rest of our life.  Christ understood this.

He also understood that the Holy Spirit would do more (by length of time) than He would do in His brief time here on earth.  One possible theme of this chapter is the assuredness of the Holy Spirit's indwelling in the life of each true believer.  While the disciples did not understand this, Jesus did, and He was not about to wonder into the Holy Spirit's territory.  If Christ was not willing to do this, who are we to do so?

Where does this patience come in handy?  Raising our children, fostering care for others who are placed in our realm of responsibility, discipling 1 or a group of new converts.  Regardless, speaking to to others on their level will cause them to want to follow you to the next level.Now, with all that said, we must also know that while Jesus was tempered in His ability to "hold back" needed information based on the disciples ability to comprehend, He was also careful to not speak beneath them either.  He challenged their thinking regularly. In response, many chose to no longer follow Him (John 6:66).  In other words, while He was careful to teach on their level, He did not refrain from telling them the truth. He simply told them the truth that they needed to hear, and no more.

Jesus said in Matt 12:34, "...out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." If your heart is to truly educate, you must be willing to temper your gift of teaching with quality observation of those to whom you offer your teaching, whether your children or "mega-church" following.  Speaking, simply because you have something to say, will cost you more time in reiteration than if you were to speak once- as the listener is ready to hear; and often as is needed.

Pastor Mike Carmody

Abiding In Christ part 2

In John 15 we read about the “husbandman” who makes this great practice of going about His vineyard both pruning and plucking.  Masterfully He makes His way along the vine in divine inspectory.  Amazingly this Master Gardener has never made a single mistake as He cuts His way along the vine with great precision. He has never pruned a branch that needed plucking nor has He ever plucked a branch that was to be pruned.

What is it that He is doing exactly?  What purpose does He have in this process of pruning and plucking?  John 15 tells us that He is preparing the vine for future growth.  He is making preparations for mass quantities of heavy fruit that will soon cause these newly wounded branches to bow down low to the ground- as if to worship the husbandman as He makes His way through the garden.

In the process of all this holy gardening, some branches rejoice that they have been wounded, knowing that the gardener has sovereign right to His vineyard and will do to His vineyard anything He chooses, as His good pleasure requires.  While other branches reject the care of the husbandman for His vineyard and protest His craft in fruitless disapproval.  However, their protesting comes with a great price.  According to verse 6 “…men gather them, and cast [them] into the fire, and they are burned.” 

The question must be asked, “What’s the difference between pruning and plucking?” In all actuality, the process is very much the same: in justice to the vineyard and in love to the Vine, the Gardener cuts back the foliage of all the branches. In other words, no branch is left uncut.  However, in response to the cutting by the husbandman, some branches bear even more fruit than before having been cut.  However, by the same cutting, some branches respond by bearing no fruit at all.  In short, all the branches will be cut by the Gardener… that’s what gardeners do.  The evidence of His love for the Vine is that He cuts the branches.  And the evidence of the branches love for the Gardener is their bearing of much fruit in the Vine.

Another question must be asked: How will you respond to the Gardener’s love for His Vine?  Will you rejoice or will you reject? Those who rejoice the cutting of themselves by the Gardener will do so by producing much fruit for His Vineyard.  And those who reject will do so by protesting both the vineyard and the Vine.  

Abiding in Christ part 1

We will be taking a hard look this week at John’s 15^th Gospel chapter. Some of the most powerful words ever spoken from the mouth of God in the flesh were spoken in this chapter.  What is understood from His teaching here could mean the difference between heaven and hell.

There are many themes in this chapter:

1)   God’s sovereignty is an awesome theme displayed in verse 1 “…my father is the husbandman.”

2)   “Abiding” in Christ is another great theme.  The word is mentioned no less than 6 times in this chapter alone.

3)   The believer’s producing of fruit is another great theme.  Fruit is in fact the evidence of our value to the vine.

But, perhaps the greatest theme in this chapter is the sum total of all three.  In this we find the theme of “our resemblance to Jesus Christ.”  This should be our greatest theme… that we look like Jesus Christ.  You see, bearing much fruit is the natural response of any branch that is abiding in Christ because they look like Jesus Christ.  And as we see in this chapter, any fruit that is born from any branch is a sovereign work of God (vs 5). 

So, in this we see that our being Christ like is the yielding ourselves to God for the purpose looking like His Son, and the means of doing so is abiding in Him and the evidence of that abiding is the production of fruit. 

May we thank God today that He has prepared for us a vine by which to abide… and the evidence of that abiding is the production of much fruit.  And why do we hope to produce fruit?  Verse 8 says, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”  So, we bear much fruit that God would be glorified by the branches.

I want to spend this week learning what it is to look like Jesus for the glory of God.  My hope is that you will take just a few moments each day to examine this text in preparation of our Sunday morning gathering.

Worry part 2

Fear demands our worry while faith demands our worship. Never do the two coincide.

Why is worry a sin? Because it replaces the hole left behind when faith has vacated the premises of our heart.  The very foundation of the heart of every born again Christian is faith.  Faith is what everything else is built upon: peace, joy, discipleship, spiritual growth, knowledge, patience, strength, hope, etc… Fear is NEVER the bi-product of faith.  Therefore, when worry is present, we know it to be the response of a faithless heart.

In other words, fear is to be considered a barometer of our faith.  We can measure our faith based on the level of fear that exists in our heart.  You might ask, “Isn’t fear natural?”  The answer might be, “Yes, when we are living a life of faithlessness.”

Allow me to put a little pressure on your Christianity by asking you a challenging question: do you believe in God?  In particular, do you believe that Jesus is God? In John 14, Jesus makes a challenging statement. In verse 1 He says, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”  Notice that He begins with a valuable word of comfort, “Let not your heart be troubled”, and then He tells us how that is possible, “ye believe in God, believe also in me.”  Here we see God’s method of removing worry from our life: the belief that Jesus is God.  Friend, something supernatural takes place when the believer of God makes the connection that God and Jesus are one!

Now, David said in Psalm 14:1, “The fool hath said in his heart, [There is] no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, [there is] none that doeth good.”  The point I hope to make is this: David isn’t speaking here merely to the atheist who has no single belief in any god, but rather, those who say they have belief in God but do not place their trust in Him.  He is saying that we are fools for claiming the name of God but allowing worry to fill the void of a faithless heart.  Also, notice that David declares worry to be an abominable work and that this is not good.

It needs to be understood that when we exercise worry and not faith, we aren’t eliminating the worship of a god, but rather, we are eliminating the worship of the true and living God; and in particular, Jesus Christ.  In other words, whatever it is that we are worrying about becomes our god and worry becomes the tool by which we worship that god. 

Think of it this way: when we worry, we are openly placing a value upon the ability of God to perform. In other words, fear becomes more valuable than our faith in God.  In our heart, we are telling God to step aside while we handle this matter with fear instead of faith. May we seek today to place all our trust in the true and living God who considers anything less than complete faith an abomination.  

So why should a Christian never worry?

1. Our Residence in Glory Is Constructed
2. Our Redeemer and God is Coming
3. Our Reservation by Grace is Confirmed
4. Our Reunion is Guaranteed with Christ 

Worry part 1

To worry, about anything, is to give evidence to the condition of your heart.  We must stop using our great care for this world as justification for our lack of faith in an all-sufficient God.

The way John 13 ends and the way chapter 14 begins seems odd to me. To end John 13 at verse 38 is like ending the life of a caterpillar before seeing what it can do with wings. At the end of chapter 13, Jesus was prophesying the great denying by Peter in the hours to come.  Why the translators of the Bible chose to break the chapters at this point is a mystery.  Had there been no separation between the two chapters, we might have a totally different perspective of chapter 14.

As we enter chapter 14, and the caterpillar grows its wings and becomes a butterfly, we see that all is not lost when we find ourselves in our lowest state.  In one breath, Jesus both foretells His soon betrayal by Peter and then tells him that his betrayal will not be the end.  How comforting this is to disciples like myself who find ourselves repenting regularly of our lack of faith in God, only to struggle soon thereafter.  All is not lost!

Verse 1 of chapter 14 reads like this: “Let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God, believe also in me.”  How beautiful this one verse is! Again, in one verse Jesus is foretelling possibly the greatest sin known to any Christian, the denying of our Lord; and in the next verse He is telling them that this denying is made possible by the condition of their heart.

We must understand that worry (a troubled heart) is a form of Christ denial.  In other words, worry is a sin because it shows evidence that we have denied the Lord in our heart.  Actually, the sin of worry is to be considered a great sin because, by default, worry is the absence of faith in God and His all-sufficient grace.  This should be alarming to Christians!

It needs to be understood that worry doesn’t remove faith, but rather worry is the evidence of faith already removed.  In other words, worry isn’t the bartering of faith for something else, but rather, worry is present because of the lack of faith.  Without exception, when the heart is absent of faith, worry will soon fill its void.

So do you see how that our worrying is an insult to an all-sufficient Savior?  If not, allow me to make a proposition to you quickly: If someone were to offer you abundant life on earth, with the promise of continual care till death, help in times of persecution, support in times of struggle, a comfort in times of need and a home in heaven when you die… would that be something you might be interested in?  If you are a Christian, that is exactly what you received when you came to know Christ as Savior.  Trust Him completely. Anything less is an insult to the cross of Calvary!

So why should a Christian never worry?

1. Our Residence in Glory Is Constructed
2. Our Redeemer and God is Coming
3. Our Reservation by Grace is Confirmed
4. Our Reunion is Guaranteed with Christ 

Basin and Towel part 4

What we know about a situation before entering into it will almost always dictate how we handle that situation.  If we enter into a room of people knowing that an old enemy is in the room, how we conduct ourselves may be different than if they were not there. In fact, if that person leaves the room, we feel a certain relief that they are gone. A freedom to conduct ourselves as normal. How did Jesus handle this kind of situation?

Here’s a little snack: John 13 tells the story of Jesus washing the feet of His 12 disciples. It’s a humble example of how we are to treat both our friends and our enemies.  The fact that Jesus knew that His time of departure from this world was nearing and that His leaving would be painful and tragic is without debate. Jesus was in fact God and knew His inevitable fate.  Perhaps Christ’s knowing fully His surroundings is what makes this story so remarkable.  Not only was He in the presence of His betrayer (Judas), but He knew it!

In fact, notice the number of times in this text that we are made aware of Christ’s full knowledge of His surroundings:

• Verse 1 says, “…Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father…” 
• Verse 3 says, “Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;”
• Verse 11 says, “For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.”
• Verse 18 says, “I know whom I have chosen:”

At least 2 other times in this story we are made aware of Christ’s full knowledge of the situation. He knew that Judas would dip His bread after Him.  He also knew that the Peter would deny Him 3 times before the cock would crow.  It is this knowledge that makes this story so beautifully amazing.  For it is presence of such knowledge that Christ embarked upon such humility.

How many times have you said (or heard someone say), “Had I known that they were going to do that…” or “If I had known that they weren’t going to appreciate my gift…”?  You see, our knowing or not knowing the hearts of others will generally dictate how we deal with them.  Christ was no different.  He knew fully the hearts of all men and what their heart would lead them to do… and yet “…he loved them unto the end.” (verse 1)

This is why Jesus could tell them in verses 34 and 35, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”  Notice that there are no stipulations on this commandment.  He did not say, “Love one another…unless you know that they are going to harm you” or “Love one another… unless you the walk all over you.” 

When we consider the length that Jesus would go to love those who he knew would betray him, we then see the Love that Jesus had for His Father.  He loved the Father so much that loved us despite our affections for Him.  May we express this kind of love to one another.

Basin and Towel part 3

Perhaps the aspect of our relationship with Christ that is least appreciated is our fellowship with Him.  And for this reason do we live this life in constant pursuit of someone or something to satisfy that which Christ gave Himself.

Here’s a little snack:  In John 13, the Passover was at hand.  It was a fellowship of sorts that set the stage for the meal that Jesus would partake of with His disciples.  To further illustrate the level of importance of Christ’s fellowship with man, Jesus stripped Himself of His outer garments and wrapped around Him a rag meant for cleaning.  What a lovely symbolism of the length that Jesus would go to have fellowship with man.

Jesus then began to wash each disciple’s feet in perhaps the most humble act of service that could be offered by a king.  One by one, Jesus crawled around the room, washing dirty feet, dragging the basin of water from one disciple to the next.  When He came to Peter, in typical Peter-like character, he had something to say.  Surprised that Jesus would serve him, Peter put up a fuss.  “Thou shalt never wash my feet.” (verse 8)  This conversation between Peter and our Lord would serve as a dynamic focal point in Christianity… and yet so often overlooked.

“Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.” (verse 8b)  Jesus here was speaking of fellowship that can only be had through humble service.  Peter, however, thought that Jesus was speaking of eternal salvation. We know this because of his next words, “Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also [my] hands and [my] head.” Jesus was quick to uncover this mystery for Him. “Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash [his] feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.”

In other words, “Peter, you are eternally saved; and my washing your feet is a symbol of my service to you as your example to serve others… even those who are not in the Kingdom.”  I believe it was then that Jesus washed Judas’ feet.

It’s hard to imagine a king stooping to wash the feet of the one who would betray Him. Oh how he desired sweet fellowship with His people.  The washing of feet was symbolic of the fellowship of service. But the service of Calvary would be for the purpose of eternal fellowship.

Jesus’ washing the feet of Judas did not secure his fellowship with the Lord.  In fact, Judas thought little of his time in fellowship with Jesus.  It angered him that Jesus would do this thing to him.  It was then that he determined that he would sell Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. 

How precious is your fellowship with Jesus?  It’s amazing how little we think of fellowshipping with Him.  Sleep, the quick taking of offense, lack of interest… the list goes on.  Every excuse we use to not fellowship with Jesus is the value that we place on His fellowship.  What excuse do you use to fellowship with Jesus?