A Minute With The Master (Service)

Have You Been With Jesus?

      Acts 5:27-29 says, And when they had brought them, they set them before the council.  And the high priest questioned them, saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”  But Peter answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”

        It required extraordinary courage for Peter and the others to stand before the council and say the things they did. The Sanhedrin charged the apostles with disobeying their command to teach no more in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:18). The apostles said that it was right for them to disobey. The Sanhedrin accused the apostles of trying to bring the blood of Jesus Christ upon their heads. The apostles accused them of killing Jesus (Acts 5:30). The Sanhedrin denied that Jesus possessed divine authority. The apostles declared, “God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins” (Acts 5:31). By then much of the Sanhedrin was prepared to kill the apostles (Acts 5:33). Had they not heeded the advice of Gamaliel (Acts 5:34-39) they likely would have done so.

      What an awesome display of faith and courage. It is not difficult to begin imagining that they were a different breed of human, a group of first century “supermen” exempt from the discouragements and fears that often plague “the rest of us.” After all, what else could explain their ability to stand with straight backs and determined brows before an enraged Sanhedrin? 

      They were not supermen. In fact, they had not always been as bold as this. Even after this event Peter, the spokesmen for the group, would briefly turn hypocrite and lead others astray by his example (Galatians 2:11-13). God reveals their failings so that we will recognize that they were just like us, fraught with all the frailties and fears indigenous to humanity. Like us, they occasionally succumbed to temptation. Like us, they experienced illnesses and death. Like us, they sometimes needed a shoulder to cry on. Like us, they needed to be encouraged. Like us, they needed to be saved!

       So if they were not supermen, if they really were just like us, how did they manage to bravely stand before a hostile council and so thoroughly make their defense that the council could not begin to deal with the points they made? I believe we find all the answer we need in Acts 4:13, the first time two apostles were brought before the council.  Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” They had been with Jesus. They had traveled with Him, listened to Him, received their training from Him, and been saved by Him. They had been with Jesus.

     When ordinary people are filled with extraordinary faith that they have been with Jesus becomes apparent to all who are paying attention. Our ordinary daily lives should show us the truth of this. Why do faithful Christian spouses patiently work at their marriage when folks all around them with similar troubles and fears separate from one another? It is because they have been with Jesus. Why does the faithful Christian see the glory of God in the brilliant morning sunlight while other folks are grumbling about going to work in the morning? It is because they have been with Jesus. Why doesn’t the faithful Christian curse and throw out vulgar gestures when someone cuts them off while driving or shoves in front of them in the grocery line? It is because they have been with Jesus.

      Living hand in hand with Jesus does not reveal itself only when one’s life is on the line. It is something that shines through in daily life. Of course, it does require a mature, committed faith to hold its resolve in the face of personal danger. It is the type of faith all saints should work for. Christians often say that they do not know what they would do if faced with the same challenges of some of our earliest brethren, such as those faced by the apostles in Acts 4 and 5. I don’t believe that to be the correct attitude. All committed Christians should be prepared to not just have their faith tested, but to cling to it to the end, even if that end is death (Matthew 10:22). Such would certainly not be easy, but it would be expected by the One prepared to welcome them on the other side.

      Yes, we are ordinary people. None of us are masquerading as regular humans until we find the nearest phone booth. Yet we are all capable of extraordinary things through our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Living the faithful Christian life each day is as extraordinary as surviving the most trying moments with faith intact. Both are made possible because the saint has been with Jesus. 

A Few Thoughts On Fellowship

     Where many have concluded that fellowship is the thing Christians do over fried chicken, a cup of coffee, and conversation; the New Testament use of the word shows it to be spiritual in nature. We have fellowship with those who stand for the truth, worship God in the ways He said He wants to be worshipped, and live their lives making every effort to walk worthy of their calling. New Testament Christians take tremendous delight in laughing with one another over a meal and recognize such intimacy to be a product of the blessing of being in fellowship with God. They recognize this foundatinal truth: it always comes back to God!

     How is the fellowship God desires established? The answer is found in 1 John 1:5-7. This is the message we have heard and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkenss at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. To claim fellowship with God is to walk in the way He walked. Look at Jesus Christ and do what he did. Love truth as he loved it, walk according to the Father’s will as he did, and love souls the way he loved them. Those who are willing to do this will not hesitate to put him on in baptism and will, as a result, join with those who share the same faithful commitment. They will work and worship together, fellowshipping one another because they are in fellowship with God. Anyone can claim to love Christ, sit down over a hearty meal with other such claimers, have a grand old time, and call the whole thing fellowship. But if one wants to be part of the spiritual fellowship in which God delights 1 John 1:5-7 tells them how.

     Not long ago a brother declared, “We cannot have fellowship with someone God does not fellowship.” If by “cannot” he means it should never happen then he is absolutey right. If by “cannot” he means it couldn’t actually happen…Well, that’s a different story. Let’s consider Scripture.

     We read the following from 3 John 9-10. I have written something to the church, but Diotrophes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknoweldge our authority. So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church. Diotrophes refused to fellowship a group of traveling preachers (5-8). What’s more, he raised his fist against his brothers and sisters in the congregation who did welcome them, casting these faithful Christians out of the church. Further, he refused to recognize the authority of the apostle John. Thus, Diotrophes refused fellowship to faithful traveling preachers, faithful brothers and sisters within the congregation of which he was part, and an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. Note this well, beloved: God fellowshipped while Diotrophes didn’t. Severing fellowship with a brother or sister in Christ is never something to be done without prayerful study and meditation. Neither should it ever be the result of an emotional reaction. Man’s emotions lead him wrong. A lot. When fellowship is severed it must only ever be for a single reason: a Christian or group of Christians has chosen to no longer walk in the light. That conclusion should only ever be reached after calm and prayerful consideration of God’s Word. Otherwise, one may disfellowship where God has not. What a frightening proposition!

     Turning to 1 Corinthians 5:1-2 we find a different, though equally disturbing, situation. It is actually reported that there is sexaul immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rathe to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.” These brethren had among them one walking in darkness. He was living in sin without remorese or repentance. They were aware of it and yet took no action to remove him from their midst. His wicked influence (leaven, v. 6) was left unchecked and could easily have ravaged that church had not Paul stepped it to get it sorted. Note this well, beloved: God did not fellowship while the Corinthian brethren did. When calm and prayerful study reveals that fellowship must be severed faithful saints had better have the courage and conviction to follow through. It is no better to extend fellowship where God does not than to sever fellowship where God extends it.

     What determines biblical fellowship? What are its boundries? What is to occur when those boundries are reached? Man has had much to say about this throughout the centuries and has left folks more confused than ever. So stop listening to man. Let us resolve to simply hear God. We know with certainty that He will never lead us wrong.   

The Majority Appeal

     In Exodus 23:2 God cautioned against something that has been a problem for man almost from the very beginning. He said, You shall not fall in with the many to do evil. Centuries later Jesus made a couple of very informative statements along these lines. Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Matthew 7:13-14).    Yet even with these warnings the appeal of the majority remains incredibly strong.

     It is quite common for those in the minority on issues to be mocked and pressured to join the majority. I can only assume that Noah and his family must have seemed like a crazy (and tiny) group of religious extremists as they built the ark (Genesis 6-7). Righteous Lot infuriated the men of Sodom as he refused to take part in their deeds, clearly judging them wicked and ungodly. They would have killed him for it had he not been rescued (Genesis 19:5-9). Joshua and Caleb offered their minority report, rocked the boat every which way, and nearly received a stoning for going against the majority opinion (Numbers 13:25-14:10). Students of the Scripture know that in each of these cases (and many more could be added) the majority was wrong. If we can determine why the majority is nearly always wrong in spiritual matters we can equip ourselves to stand correctly and remove the appeal of “majorityism” (if that’s not a real word it should be!) altogether.

    Let’s understand this first: no majority is ever wrong simply because it’s a majority. Right and wrong are not determined by numbers, either great or small. Some take a peculiar delight in holding a minority opinion on just about everything. Where many believe the expression “might makes right”, these just as heartily accept the proposition “if believed by few it must be true.” That’s silly. A small group can be just as wrong as a large group. Nothing is true because either a majority or minority accepts it as such. Let God be true though every one were a liar. (Romans 3:4)

     So why is the majority usually wrong on spiritual matters? Well, how do the majority of people respond to divine truth and authority? You don’t need to do any research into this besides considering your own relationships. Set aside your brethren for a moment and answer the question by simply considering all other acquaintances in your life. It doesn’t take much thought to see that people, as a whole, lack faith in God (at least as God Himself would define it). Every day we see the majority of people substituting human plans and purposes for divine. Practically speaking this means that there is very little chance for sound conclusions in spiritual matters from the majority.

     Neither is it a surprise that most people seek out a majority. Without faith in God and the strength to stand alone, most people seek security in numbers. When a majority forms, regardless of the morality or appropriateness of the position they advocate, they convince themselves that “everyone can’t be wrong” and continue to “go alone to get along.” Their numbers grow and the broad way remains heavily traversed.

     Beloved, there is nothing appealing about condemnation and if Jesus meant what he said in Matthew 7:13-14 (he did) the majority is marching steadily toward destruction even with its flowing banners of “might”, “popular opinion”, and “wisdom”. How many fathers have asked the child who foolishly followed his friends into some mischief, “If your friends jumped off a bridge would you?” The Father above asks, “If the majority chooses condemnation will you?” Don’t say “no” and live “yes”. Find God’s truth in Scripture and let it guide your steps. It will set you on an awfully narrow road and for long stretches you may not see another traveler upon it, yet it ends at the very gates of Heaven. The majority won’t be there, but God will. No majority is so appealing as that!

Think On These Things

It is good to be tolerant in matters of no consequence. Where the rights of men are equal, where God has not legislated, let each man make his own determinations. However, to be tolerant of sins against God's Law is to usurp the right to "judge" God's Law (James 4:9-12). Perhaps there are times where "tolerance" is a mask for lack of conviction and concern.

Think On These Things (Excerpts From The Preacher's Journal)

     "I am convinced that most Christians have tremendous stores of talent and skill buried beneath a pile of distraction, insecurity, and fear. We find excuses that seem reasonable to us, that don't arouse an offended conscience, and we trot them out whenever obligation comes calling." (Jim Jonas)
     Interesting thoughts from Mr. Jonas. The next time obligation and opportunity come calling, how will we answer?

National Security?

     Nahum prophesied about Assyria and specifically Assyria’s capital city, Nineveh. The book is a sort of “sequel” to Jonah. About a hundred years before Nahum Nineveh had repented through the reluctant preaching of Jonah. By the time Nahum arrived on the scene things in Nineveh had gotten so bad that God had determined it was time for them to suffer one of the terrible “days of the Lord.”

     A wicked nation suffering God’s vengeful judgment (Nahum 1:2) is certainly not unique to Nahum. We can read of the prophets delivering God’s message of judgment to Edom, Philistia, Moab, Babylon, Egypt, and many others. In the case of Nahum’s prophesy, God seems to take special care to point out that it was when Assyria was as her strongest that He would see her humbled. Nahum 1:12-13 says, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Though they are at full strength and many, they will be cut down and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more. And now I will break his yoke from off you and will burst your bonds apart.”

     Truly Assyria was as strong as they were only because God permitted it. Though Assyria had destroyed Israel and provided a constant threat to Judah, God wanted His people to know that He was using the wicked Assyrian’s as a chastening rod. When Assyrian iniquity became complete God broke Assyria’s yoke from off Judah’s neck and burst their bonds apart. The point I want us to get is this: there was nothing Assyria could do about it.

    Take a moment to read Nahum 2 (only 13 verses). Did you see listed all that Nineveh trusted in? Their walls were strong, their soldiers were mighty, their chariots were many, their officers were skilled, and their wealth was immense. They were described as lions! Yet verse 13 makes the one statement that rendered all of Assyria’s assets useless—“Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts.”

     Friends, when God is against a nation there is no such thing as national security. Nineveh’s wall could have stood a mile high, all of her soldiers could have stood as tall as Goliath, gold and precious metals could have filled the streets for lack of space to store them, all of her allies could have stood at the gates, her chariots could have numbered in the millions with the most skillful soldiers to man them, all of her horses could have been of the finest stock, and every nation could have trembled in terror beholding her. Yet the simple fact that she made God her enemy doomed her and all she trusted in for her security was as useless as a miniscule whisper of wind against a mighty oak. Because Nineveh’s security was not based upon God Nineveh was not secure at all.

     “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stay awake in vain” (Psalm 127:1). Friends, where is your security? Upon what do you base your trust? Jehovah prompted Nineveh to keep her trust where it had been and see the result. In Nahum 3:14 He says, “Draw water for the siege; strengthen your forts; go into the clay; tread the mortar; take hold of the brick mold!”  She had always trusted in her provisions and the strength of her city. Jehovah urged her to keep it up. Grab some water, gather the material to make bricks, and just keep strengthening that wall. Surely no one could them, right? Verse 15 says, “There will the fire devour you; the sword will cut you off. It will devour you like the locust.” 

     Nineveh’s national security was an illusion, nothing more. She rejected true security and was destroyed because of it. Her destruction was so thorough, so complete, that the location of that once majestic city was not discovered until 1842. Such is the “security” of those who reject God.