God's Purpose in Christmas

Jesus said, "For this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name." - John 12:27-28

Christmas time conjures up so many sentimental images and memories in our minds. A large family meal, red and green sweaters with little white snowflakes on them, and the family gathered in the living room to hear the Christmas story in Scripture. We hear of angels filling the sky singing to God’s glory. God is glorified in sending His Son Jesus into our world as an infant in humble settings on earth.

Jesus came to earth as an infant for God’s glorious purpose. Jesus explains in John 12 that His coming suffering and execution makes God look great: “Father, glorify Your name.” God is glorified in Jesus obeying God’s purpose in sending His Son into the world.

For what purpose did God send Jesus to suffer and die? How did this make God look great?

The Apostle Paul knew our heavenly Father’s purpose to send His Son: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” God is glorified, as the hymn “To God be the Glory” says, in Jesus saving “even the vilest offender.”

Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior, glorified God. Jesus was born for the purpose of the hour of His suffering and death to save sinners. God displays His greatness in saving sinners through Jesus, and by faith in Jesus we receive His peace on earth and goodwill; divine joy forevermore as children in God’s family.

So, as we gather with our families this Christmas, let us remember the purpose of Jesus’ birth: to glorify God by His suffering and death to save sinners that we receive the fullness of joy in God’s family, and life everlasting as Jesus defeated death by His resurrection. Just as the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!”

Heavenly Father, we thank you for sending Jesus into our world, to bear our guilt and sin to the cross, to die our death. What glorious purpose, and what joy we receive in Your salvation! Glorify Your name in us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The kind of negativity you need in your life

Our culture promotes selfish pride to the point that any confrontation of error or wrongdoing is immediately thrown into the category of the unloving, rude, and judgmental. Even non-believers quote, "Judge not, lest ye be judged."

Little do people realize that in Matthew 7, as Jesus is ending His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is teaching His disciples how to judge! Not as hypocrites, but in repentance. "Remove the log in your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of other people's eyes."

This goes with what Paul taught in Galatians. "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently." Jesus and Paul taught that Christians confront one another in our sins, both in repenting from sin ourselves AND with the heart of reconciliation, restoring people in error or wrongdoing gently.

When Jesus confronts me in my feeble attempts to manipulate others so I can maintain a sin, He does so out of love. He won't let me get away with living in the comfort of my own make-believe world when He has true happiness in His mercy for me. Sure, my flesh feels the pain and misery of it, but Jesus confronts me for His glorious purpose.

When Jesus sends others to confront me in my error or wrongdoing, I need to remember that I am a sinner, that I don't know everything nor do I have everything figured out, and that Jesus confronts my sin because He loves me.

Why would Jesus and His followers confront me in my error and wrongdoing?

1) That I may have happiness in being conformed to His image.
You will never be satisfied and happy having things your way. You will always want more and more.

True happiness is not found where I naturally look for it: pursuing the endless cravings of my flesh, looking in dark corners for love, peace, and happiness. True happiness is found resting in my Savior, surrendering my all to Him and trusting His steadfast love, peace, and joy.

Being more like Jesus means God confronts our error and wrongdoing so that we turn away from our sin and having things our own way, trusting that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

2) That I may have discernment to see splinters in other sinners' lives; not as a judge, but as a wretch who loves the gospel, the gospel of Jesus who came into the world to save sinners, whom I am the foremost.

The local church is a gospel community to display the love of God as Spirit-filled people. Christian maturity is not a road where it is just me and my Bible. I am confronted by Jesus and His church in my error and wrongdoing, not only for myself, but that I may make mature disciples of others who in turn will also make other mature disciples.

The local church is a family of sinners saved by grace. Jesus made us to need Him and to need one another for encouragement and the building up of one another as mature followers of Jesus.

3) To avoid the negativity of continuing on in sin without repentance, mistaking my comfort for being in God's favor. We find ourselves comfortable away from God's presence when hiding sin, living in a make-believe world we have created for ourselves that tells us that independent strength and words of empowerment is a sign of spiritual maturity. In reality, this isn't strength but a lie.

We broken sinners have the amazing ability to deceive ourselves into comfort with sin. We make-believe that it is strength that we can handle our sin in private, away from God's means of grace in His gospel community of a local church. We hear the echoes of demonic advice from the world: "You don't need that kind of negativity in your life."

We hide our sin, thinking we don't need to learn anything from God nor do we need to be exposed as broken as we truly are. When the prophet Isaiah was confronted by God's awesome presence in Isaiah 6, he immediately yelled out, "I am a man of unclean lips!" When Peter realized that Jesus is the Messiah of God, he cried out, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"

We don't want that kind of negativity in our lives! We have enough stress than to be concerned with the holiness of God. We exhaust ourselves by trying to find things in this world to empower us to continue on in life without Jesus, but in the end we are ruined and leave a wake of ruined relationships behind us, including our relationship with God.

Truth is, you do need that kind of negativity in your life. Jesus' exposure of our sin and brokenness is not out of cold rudeness and a strange delight in embarrassing us, but as holy light to reveal who we truly are. Jesus has grace to heal what He exposes in us, with a commitment to love us even though we are unworthy and ugly.

How should we as followers of Jesus handle being confronted in error or wrongdoing?

1) Don't get angry and outraged at the people confronting your sin. Rather, get angry and outraged at sin. In our make-believe world where we have strength and don't need others, we will label the goodness and love of God in a faithful, healthy church that teaches us God's Word which confronts our pride and hidden sin as "church hurt."

I do know "church hurt" is real. Pastors who teach false doctrine, unchallenged sin in churches that feud, gossip, and actively splitting people into groups. People get hurt from such churches. That's not the type of "church hurt" I'm referring to here.

If a Christian gently but firmly tells you the truth of God's Word with a desire to restore you to God and calling for you to turn from your sin, that's love not "church hurt." When our make-believe world gets surrounded by God, we feel threatened and want to get angry and outraged at others in order to justify our sinful life. We don't want God to invade the fortress we have built around our hearts, lest we be exposed as broken and sinful.

Fight for joy by being angry and outraged by your own sin. Be thankful to God for the light of His Word that reveals the dark spots of error and wrongdoing in your heart. Turn from those things to find true happiness in the Lord Jesus.

2) Be teachable. This requires the humility of being a good listener. You don't know everything about God, about holiness, about your own life and what's best for you. God does, and He sends folks in His gospel community to help us for our good and His glory.

Pride is such the evil that in our make-believe world we do not need to be taught or confronted about anything. Our culture says nothing is wrong, so no wisdom is needed and no sin is left to be confronted. Wrongdoing and the lack of wisdom is what other people need.

The follower of Jesus has the humility to realize we lack wisdom and need to be taught God's truth.

3) Remember grace. With new eyes of faith, we see clearly the fierce chaos of life. We must remember that all of life, including our faith in Jesus becoming more and more mature, is in the merciful, sovereign hand of God. Remember His faithfulness when you feel the sorrow and guilt of your faithlessness. Remember His steadfast love when your love is cold and failing.

Dear reader, my prayer is that your heart is pierced by God's Word, not simply for pain, but for the joy of true healing in the good news message of Jesus our Lord. You must be a committed part of the fellowship of a healthy local church, a gospel community. The teaching of God's Word, reminder of His grace and faith to His promises, and yes gently confronting of error and wrongdoing in each others' lives is exactly the kind of negativity you need in your life.

The Church Gathers to be Sent

“I have given them Your Word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” –John 17:14

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time with evangelist David Burton. I love evangelists! They are gifts of the Holy Spirit to the church. David’s passion and intentional mindset to tell the world of the good news message of Jesus is contagious.

I need to hear what evangelists say to encourage me to do the work of an evangelist (IITimothy 4:5). As a local church pastor, I can easily get swept up into the flow of the river of routine, keeping my mind busy on things internal to the church. I need the constant reminder that we the church, the body of Christ, gather to be sent.

We regularly gather to worship Jesus (Hebrews 10:25), we gather to pray (I Timothy 2:8), gather to encourage one another and build one another up (I Thessalonians 5:11), gather to sing, teach, and be taught God’s Word (Colossians3:16), and gather to display the love of God in us in our love for one another (I John 4:7). Yet, we followers of Jesus gather to be sent into the world, not to be sheltered from the world.

Jesus prays in John 17 that the Father sent Jesus into the world, though He was not of the world. He prays that we, His church which is also not of this world, be sent into the world by the Father the same way. Jesus prays that all of His followers are sent into the world. We who identify with Jesus by denying ourselves, picking up our cross daily, and following Him gather in worship and discipleship to be sent into the world as disciple-makers. We have been rescued from darkness by the Light to take this Light back into the darkness to rescue others.

Having given us God’s Word, we are hated in this world for being born again (John 17:14). This can be discouraging, and we could get swept into the current of our routine, turning discipleship solely into an internal thing in our local church rather than gathering to be sent.

We gather and learn Christ’s teachings together that our joy may be full (John 15:11), and by His rich mercies, sends us with His peace the same way the Father sent our Savior (John 20:21), a peace not of this world that we are not discouraged in heart (John 14:27). We gather to learn the Word that our joy may increase, and we are sent with divine peace. Jesus is with us in our being sent into the world, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

Let us remember our mission to make disciples of all people to the glory of God. Let us remember each time we gather to worship that we gather to be sent. Let the nations be glad! Christ our Redeemer has rescued us and He now reigns upon the throne! Jesus saves. Jesus still saves.

Heavenly Father, as our Lord prayed we too pray, that You would not take us out of the world, but send us into the world with the Word that set us apart as lights into the darkness. Give us Your joy, peace, and wisdom as You send us Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Grumpiness

“Love is not rude. Love does not insist on its own way. Love is not irritable.” – I Corinthians 13:5

Grumpiness. I hate the feeling. I hate how being grumpy hurts my wife’s feelings. I hate how being grumpy makes me sharp towards others. I hate how being grumpy makes the day seem longer. It seems that on days I am grumpy my memory of the bed I wake from is all I look forward to. Grumpy days are days I want to just end.

The word for “irritable” in this verse means to be provoked. Meaning, love does not respond to provocation with grumpiness, rudeness, and demanding our own way. God is love (I John 4:8), and the desire of the follower of Jesus is to be like God. God is long-suffering; His fuse is long. Not mine. My fuse is short. I get grumpy because I insist on my own way, and I harbor prideful rudeness in my heart when I don’t get my way. When I get tired, or feeling bad, or I’m in a hurry, or I’d rather be doing something else, and I don’t get my way, I get grumpy and rude. 

To fight for joy, we must first be reminded that rudeness and grumpiness is unlovingness that is rooted in prideful sin. Confess your bitter attitude and grumpiness as pride, insisting your own way, as a sin before God. We must ask ourselves what is “our own way” that we are demanding that is making us rude, negative, and grumpy, even if we must stop in the middle of a sentence and take a breather to do it. We must ask what is the way of love found in the Bible? We must repent and walk in the Spirit and bear fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). Do I trust that God has the power to deliver me from being grumpy and rude and more like Jesus?

God will finish the good work He began in us (Philippians 1:6), and He is at work in those days when we are grumpy and demand our own way. We must lay aside that selfishness and be a people known by God’s love, a love that is not rude, insisting our own way, and grumpy. Seek the Savior to deliver you from these bonds, knowing the gradual but glorious work to lay aside grumpiness for love is a fight for joy.

Heavenly Father, we confess our pride, wanting our way rather than Your way, wanting our way rather than to love. Forgive us, and through Jesus reconcile us to Yourself and to others we may have harmed in our selfish rudeness and grumpiness. We are clay in the Potter’s hands. Mold us. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Some Thoughts After a Long Week

Last week was a long, tough week. I lost a good friend in Paul Mullinix, grieved with his wife and family, and enjoyed a bittersweet day remembering and honoring him with gratitude toward our God at his funeral service. Then, Sunday morning I preached a challenging charge. That night I traveled to Kentucky to preach my little brother’s pastor ordination service. Physically and emotionally, I was exhausted. I took Monday and Tuesday off to be with my family. I had time and quiet to reflect on what Jesus wants of the people He placed me as under-shepherd. I want to share with you a few of those thoughts.

We must be a people devoted to prayer. There are many reasons to be a people devoted to prayer, but one thought that struck me this week was how I am not depending on God as I should. I Corinthians1:29-31 reads,

That no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

We are dependent upon God in our thinking, feeling, and doing. Our belief in this is displayed in our prayer life. We must recover a passionate devotion to prayer together and for one another.

We must be a people devoted to evangelism. Statisticians from LifeWay Research and Barna tell us that Christians simply do not tell unbelievers about Jesus. Ed Stetzor put it this way: “The fact is, we seem to have lost our passion for evangelism. Baptists love evangelism as long as somebody else is doing it.” We must recover a heartsickness for those blind to His glory and the trajectory of their eternity. We must recover our passion to tell those who do not worship our glorious Christ all about His saving grace, forgiveness, mercy, and steadfast love. I’m growing tired of seeing our baptistery bone dry. Let’s be determined to proclaim to the world the bad news of sin and the good news of Jesus.

Above all, we must be a people devoted to loving Jesus. We must guard against what Jesus revealed to the church in Ephesus, that they lost their first love (Revelation 2:4). Doing church biblically is right and good, but it must be founded on loving Jesus (Ephesians 3:17–19) with the aim of our ministry being love (I Timothy 1:5).

Together, let’s encourage one another to be a people devoted to prayer, evangelism, and loving Jesus. Let us obey Jesus’ commands with joy as worship to the glory of God.

Heavenly Father, grant us a bold faith to pray, evangelize, and love Jesus. Give us Your sweet mercy to see our weakness and call upon You in faith to worship and obey You. Strengthen our homes and our church to glorify You. Amen.

I Missed You at Church Sunday

“Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together…” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

“I missed you at church Sunday.” I know the warmth of the love in these words spoken by Christians to those who skipped worship services. The sweetness is genuine concern for others. We want to stir you to love. We want to stir you to obey God. We want to encourage you.

There are blessings the Lord gives you in the church assembled that you cannot have alone. Skipping church starves your heart and mind from the cravings the Lord has given your new heart and renewing mind. We need our love stirred by other followers of Jesus. We need our hearts stirred to obey the Lord. We need Godly interaction for spiritual growth and delight in the Lord. The command of grace to love one another is tasted and seen as good when we regularly meet together.

God commands us to regularly meet together with the focus on how to meet: to stir our love and good works, to serve one another and bear one another’s burdens. Often, our brokenness inclines our hearts to want to skip church. But a genuine church is genuine people gathering because of Christ’s redeeming work. Can we meet regularly and be authentically broken together?

It is unhealthy for you to miss the worship gathering, but we too miss out on a blessing. You see, we love you personally. If we do not know you yet, we desire to love you personally. We want the real you, to encourage your walk following Jesus. As a church, we are blessed when we obey Jesus’ command to love His disciples. 

Whether you have wandered or are going through a trial or rough season, come to worship services. Your spiritual starvation is a yearning to grow in His grace with us. The gloom of our dense spiritual fog is lifted in the warm communion of the saints gathered to adore Christ together.

Heavenly Father, Your holy Word commands us to love one another. We love with Your love. Fill our hearts with the love of the Father that first loved us, the love that sent our Savior while we were yet sinners. May our genuine fellowship in Your rich mercies stir the hearts of Your people to Your glory. In the precious Name of Christ. Amen.