Pharisaism and Mercy

Wrapping up the lessons we’re taking from the Pharisees, we want to look at Matthew 9:10-13, where Jesus says to the Pharisees, after they question his association with tax collectors and sinners, “Go and learn what this means, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” He is quoting from Hosea 6:6 on this occasion, accusing the Pharisees of sacrificing mercy for the sake of their legalistic attitudes. The lesson for us is evident – we must defend the faith, must preserve the old ways, but we must not forsake mercy.

Mercy is kind action motivated by compassion. In learning what God means that He desires mercy more than sacrifice, we must understand it is more than an emotion. It is more than a feeling. We can feel compassion for someone and do nothing about it, but we are merciful when that compassion drives us to do something about it.

The Importance of Mercy
If we would be like our God, we must be merciful, for mercy is a characteristic of our God. Exodus 34:6 records God describing Himself as one merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in love. Psalm 145:8, Joel 2:12-13, Jonah 4:2 – these passages and more explain or demonstrate the mercy shown in our God’s dealings with man. If this is who He is, it is who we should be too.

Furthermore, mercy should be a part of our lives, for it is what we expect God to have for us. Luke 18:13 records a tax collector’s prayer: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” God’s mercy is requested some forty times in the psalms, and we entreat God’s mercy when we repent and lay our sins at His feet. Just as we expect mercy from Him, God expects mercy from us. Romans 12:8 calls on us to be gladly merciful. Luke 6:36 records Jesus saying we should “be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”

Hosea 6:6, which Jesus quotes, and Micah 6:6-8, both are in the midst of half-hearted repentance. There is no heart in their appeal for mercy. They face judgment in asking for the mercy they refuse to show, but James 2:13 teaches that mercy triumphs over judgment. Micah 7:18 tells us God’s anger is only for a time and that He pardons iniquity and delights in love. If we have been merciful, we have no fear of an unmerciful judgment. Like we are taught to be forgiving to be forgiven, so we should be merciful to receive mercy.

Our Need to Show Mercy
We need to better show mercy to the lost. Consider the numerous exchanges between the Pharisees and Jesus. Those religious leaders viewed the lost as enemies, as undesirables, as arguments to win, as opportunities to prove our own rightness. When we are not moved by compassion, we show no mercy. Sometimes we act as if the gospel is only for the righteous, and we fail to show mercy to those who need it most.

We also need to be more merciful to new converts. We often expect too much of those new to God’s family. We grow exasperated and impatient for their failure to understand and accept convictions we already hold after years of service. Instead of giving them time to mature, we are unmerciful and unkind. These are the ones who need to be lifted up, to be supported, whose paths need to be cleared.

Finally, we sometimes fail to show mercy to our own Christian family. We listen to gossip about other Christians, and we accept these third and fourth-hand reports as fact. We condemn the very appearance of something without the benefit of the doubt. We do not listen to learn; rather, we listen to ambush. Doing so, we violate Galatians 5:14-15, destroying our strength and hindering God’s work.

Jesus quotes Hosea once more in Matthew 12:7 when the Pharisees criticize Jesus’ disciples for picking grain to eat on the Sabbath. Like them, because we do not understand mercy, we criticize what we do not understand in others. We condemn the innocent. Instead of fighting the devil, we fight one another. If we are to walk uprightly and rightly divide God’s word, we must be a people of mercy.

Hebrews 8:10-12 describes God’s mercy toward our iniquities, and Hebrews 12:16 encourages us that we can receive His mercy by approaching the throne of grace. In doing so, we must also put on mercy, acting in humility, kindness, and loving kindness in all we say and do.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Pharisees and Good Intentions

Should we bring every area of our life into subjection under the law of God? Should we have a deep and profound respect for the law of God? Should we emphasize humility, deplore pride, and abhor hypocrisy? Should we emphasize love as the fulfillment of the law? If you agree with these principles, then you are in agreement with the foundation of the Pharisees. Upon these four concepts is built the entire philosophy of the sect of the Pharisees. This group was not one that was shallow or insincere in their devotion to God, and I think we sometimes callously dismiss them based solely on the picture of them we see in the gospels.

The question we have to ask ourselves – instead of why were the Pharisees so obstinate – is this: where did the Pharisees go wrong? Where did they come from, and how did they come to be so in conflict with the Lord? How did this group who stood so firmly against self-righteousness and hypocrisy become the epitome of those traits as we see them in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John?

The Intention of the Pharisees
“Pharisee” means “separated one,” and, not coincidentally, we apply a similar concept to ourselves in the church. We see ourselves as separate and apart from the world, resisting worldly influences and preserving the traditions of Christ and His apostles. Likewise, the Pharisees began as a sect that resisted the Hellenization of Judaism. They sought to preserve the ways of Moses. They wanted to remain separate and apart from compromise with the Greco-Roman world. They were trying to preserve the old paths in the face of secular modernism.

Again, these were the ones who saw love as the wholeness of the law, very much as Jesus summed it up in Matthew 22:34-40. These were the ones who emphasized humility above all else in personal conduct. These were those who deeply respected the oracles of God and who sought to bring their lives under complete subjection to that law. Unfortunately, while attempting to preserve and protect the old paths, they built up an oral traditions that came to serve as a hedge of sorts around God’s law. This oral tradition was eventually codified as the Mishnah, and it became viewed as authoritative as any of the writings of Moses. Atop these traditions came the Talmud, the commentaries upon the Mishnah that also became a standard by which the people measured themselves.

For example, carrying a tool of your trade on Friday evening was wrong, for fear of working on the Sabbath. There would be rules surrounding when you could rescue an animal or put out a fire. These examples and more became the hedge built around God’s commandment to avoid working on the Sabbath. They forgot that their traditions were human interpretations, and they would condemn any who broke that oral tradition, blurring the line between scripture and interpretation. “My interpretation is law; yours is opinion.” The implications for us are evident.

Hypocrisy and Self Righteousness
In Matthew 23, Jesus speaks to the multitudes and His disciples regarding the Pharisees, those responsible for handling and passing on the law. Jesus even exhorts His listeners to abide by the teachings of the Pharisees. It is their example He warns against, expecting more of others than themselves, having words and actions that do not agree, seeking praise from men for their position. Jesus explains, in verses 13-26, that their hypocrisy was rooted in holding onto traditions surrounding the law more than the law itself – some of which circumvented those very laws they were intended to protect.

Verse 23 speaks to paying attention to the tiniest of details in the law while neglecting the intent and the attitudes behind those laws. Yes, those details are important, but they wanted to be so doctrinally pure they created problems for themselves. Not only would they expel sinners from their presence, but they would also not associate with those who disagreed with their traditions and private interpretations. They became their own standards of righteousness. In fact, Pharisaic tradition specifically named publicans as individuals to avoid in fellowship. Is it then so curious that we see publican after publican shown in a good light in the gospels? It is a contrast of how the Pharisees viewed others versus how God views them.

Jesus and the Pharisees
In their attempts to be righteous, the Pharisees had grown to be unloving, unmerciful, and contentious. Matthew 9:10 records the Pharisees wondering at Jesus taking the time to associate with those they would consider worthless, and Jesus rebukes them, reminding them of God’s desire for mercy and forgiveness. Also, Matthew 12:1-8 has Pharisees criticizing Jesus’ apostles for plucking grain to eat on the Sabbath, yet Jesus answers with their unwillingness to criticize one like David for breaking the Sabbath while being quick to condemn others. Again, Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6, bringing to mind the state of Israel and Judah in the days leading up to captivity. That prophet called the people’s love a fleeting thing, and Jesus was giving the same warning to the Pharisees. Rather than dismissing the word, though, the Pharisees had come to a point where they put themselves in the place of God.

Indeed, we must preserve the old paths. We must set ourselves apart form the world. We must respect God’s word above all else. We cannot, however, become unmerciful, unloving, and contentious in doing these. We must not set our traditions and our interpretations on equal footing with the word of God. If we had existed 2,000 years ago, we would have found ourselves closely aligned with the Pharisees’ ideals and goals. Let us be careful to avoid becoming what they became while clinging to God’s law.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Looking Upon the Cross

What do we see when we look at the cross? Do we see the sadness of the cross? Do we see the joy beyond the sadness? Do we see a definition of true sacrifice? Do we see the graphic nature of the violence of sin? It seems we never run out of material when speaking about Christ’s sacrifice or about the memorial of that event. Understanding the cross is more than seeing only the death, burial, and resurrection; for we see many things in that event. So too did the people witnessing that great event.

Those At the Cross
Matthew 27:36 records, in context of the guards dividing Jesus garments, that they “sat down and watched him.” What did those soldiers see? Did they see enjoyable violence that fed the thirst for cruelty embedded into them by a Roman military upbringing? These were trained torturers and killers; these were conditioned in the power trip that comes with inflicted violence. What did the crucifixion mean to them?

What of the rulers who time and again plotted against Jesus and had been anticipating an opportunity to rid themselves of this rabble-rouser? Did they see victory over an enemy? Did they see a culmination of plans and conspiracies? Did they see the elimination of an annoyance and a threat to their comfortable statuses? Did they take joy in His suffering and death?

How did Jesus’ fellow convicts see His death? One of those, a thief, saw a miscarriage of justice in Luke 23:39. This one recognized the justice in his own punishment but saw the injustice in that of Jesus. That single thief then makes a plea for Jesus to remember him to the father. This one saw his own worthy condemnation while recognizing Jesus’ blamelessness.

What did the apostles see? Did they see hopes and dreams dashed to pieces? Did they see the end of their movement? In Luke 24:17, two ask a resurrected Jesus if He is ignorant of the events surrounding Jesus of Nazereth, saying, “We hoped he would be the one…” They had pinned their hopes upon Him, but now He was gone, and they saw little hope.

What Do We See?
What do people see today? Do we see the entertainment value of the violence of the occasion? Do we see the crucifixion as an excuse for racial hatred? Do we see no more than an interesting historical note – one of the better documentations of Roman crucifixion? Do we simply see a man willing to die for his ideologies? We must be careful when looking at the cross, for we should be seeing much, much more than this.

When we look at the cross, we should see our sin and our need. In Acts 2:22-23, Peter lays the death of Christ at the feet of his audience while proclaiming God’s exultation of the same Jesus. Verse 37 records that the crowd was cut to their hearts. Likewise, we should see ourselves and our culpability in Jesus’ death. We should see our own helplessness. We should see our own sin putting Him on that tree. We too should be cut to our hearts when we look upon the cross.

We should also see and be grateful for the sufficiency of the New Testament over the Old. Hebrews 10:1 begins a detailed overview of the inadequacy of the ancient sacrificial system, how those sacrifices could never truly clean us of sin; but Jesus’ death can and does. Through the cross, God provides us a better and more complete way for us to reach salvation.

We should see separation from God in Jesus’ cry, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” Isaiah 59:1-2 reminds us all that Jehovah’s hand is not so short that He is unable to save, but that our own sins block us from Him. My sin and my iniquity separates me from God, but Christ became cut off for my sake. God is just, holy, and upright, and sin cannot exist in His presence. The cross removes that barrier and allows us to draw to Him so we may be with Him.

Finally, we should see the majesty of the cross. Romans 3:23-24 reminds us that all have fallen short of God’s law, but Christ has been raised up as our propitiation – as our Mercy Seat – being both just and the justifier of those who have faith Him. In this is contained the extent of His love and His graciousness. Remember Romans 5; while we were unworthy, while we were set at enmity with Him, while we were yet sinners, Christ died on our behalf.

Conclusion
When we put all of these things together, we see not only the agony of the cross, but we truly come to an understanding of the agony of true conversion. Romans 6 speaks of conversion in terms of death. We have talked about the torture and violence of crucifixion, and Paul says we approach Him in the likeness of that death, our former selves crucified and our new selves dead to sin. These parallels are no accident. True conversion, a true changing of the heart, is difficult; it is heart-wrenching; it is life-altering.

To die to sin, to change who we are, to crucify self – these are challenges that will cause pain and agony before we reach the joy that comes afterward. When we look at the cross, we should see so much more than the surface details. We should see the seriousness of sin and the weight of our separation from God, and we should see the effort it takes for us to come to God. We should see ourselves, not only responsible for the cross, but hanging on that cross – dead to the world and alive to Christ.

lesson by Tim Smelser

A Faithful Hope

The Bible is full of individuals who stand up and declare the word of the Lord in the face of public and political opposition. People like Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, and more – these face threats, persecutions, and ridicule for delivering a message that the people do not necessarily wish to hear. Among these great messengers is a man named Jeremiah, commonly known as the weeping prophet for the bitterness of his message to the prophet.

In Lamentation 1, we see Jeremiah writing a song of mourning, told from the perspective of the city as it is being besieged. He calls the city a widow. He writes of Jerusalem’s enemies mocking the city and taking joy in her demise. Jerusalem mourns her lost children. Then, in chapter 3, the prophet begins to insert his own voice, bemoaning the tragedies he is forced to witness. It is a book of sorrow and pain over the destruction of God’s holy city.

A Glimmer of Hope
In the midst of this, in Jeremiah 3:21-25, the prophet remembers hope:

But this I call to mind,and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
The LORD is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him.
The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

In the middle of sorrow and despair, Jeremiah remembers God’s mercy and the renewal available in Him. He remembers hope in God’s faithfulness. All of us face failure in our lives. We face difficulties, sorrow, and ridicule. Like Jeremiah, we can remember the portion we have in Jehovah.

Hope in God’s Faithfulness, Mercy, and Renewal
Jeremiah calls God’s mercies unending. Psalm 136 repeats again and again that God’s steadfast love endures forever. His mercies, His compassion, His love is faithful and enduring. In Luke 1:76-79, Zechariah praises God for the endurance of His tender mercies, and Romans 15:1-9 exults God for His mercy and calls the Lord a God of hope, of endurance, and of comfort. Ephesians 1:1-7 says God makes us alive in Christ because of His mercy and love. We know the God’s mercy does not fail, and we can trust in those mercies to deliver us.

Jeremiah also speaks of having hope in his God. In Psalm 130 calls on God’s people to hope in Him, in His love and His mercies. Psalm 31:24 and Psalm 38:15 both express hope in God’s deliverance and His mercy. I Thessalonians 5, Paul contrasts hope with hopelessness, and he writes that we should wear hope of salvation like a helmet in verse 8. Romans 8:24 simply states that our salvation is based upon hope, and Paul goes on to make the case that hope sustains us in the face of every trial this world can throw at us. Finally, Hebrews 6:17-20 speaks of our hope anchoring our souls. In the middle of this world’s tragedies and difficulties, this is the hope we can have.

We hope for renewal in God, and II Corinthians 5:17 calls those who live in Christ new creatures. Chapter 4:16-18 of the same book tells us we look away from our former physical concerns to spiritual hopes. We are renewed in the image of our Creator and Savior, and Romans 6 tells us we raise to walk in newness of life after our conversion to Christ. Ephesians 4:17-24 calls on us to clothe ourselves in newness and renewal, discarding our former selves and replacing that with a new creation. We all want a fresh start, and God promises we can be renewed in Christ when we sacrifice self and allow Him to transform our lives.

We can hope these things because God is faithful, and, if He is faithful to us, we should be as faithful to Him. I Corinthians 1:9 begins a very difficult letter with the assurance that God is indeed faithful. Hebrews 10:22-23 calls on us to hold onto our hope in a faithful God, and I John 1:9 assures us God’s forgiveness is faithful. If we place our hope in Him, if we trust His mercy, if we are faithful – then we can trust His faithfulness to us.

Conclusion
Jeremiah 3:21-25 stands as a testament of faith in a faithful God. God is good to the soul that seeks Him and waits on Him. Our renewal is found in Him alone, and our responsibility then is to seek Him and come to Him on His terms. He is available to us. The Jerusalem of Jeremiah’s time never turns to embrace God’s mercy and deliverance. They fall into captivity because of their slavery to sin. We, however, do not have to share that fate. We can take hold of the hope we have in God. We can trust His mercies and find renewal in Him. He can be our hope if we faithfully trust in Him.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Forgiven But Unforgotten

II Samuel 13-14 provides some difficult material concerning Absalom, Tamar, and Amnon. Amnon attempts to court Tamar and ends up sexually assaulting her. David does nothing about this for two years until Absalom (Tamar’s brother and Amnon’s half-broter) kills Amnon for his crime against Tamar. Abaslom is indeed guilty of murder, but some of the blame falls on David. Remember, according to II Samuel 13:23, David neglected justice for two entire years.

Absalom flees to Geshur, and David desires to destroy Absalom for Amnon’s death according to verse 39. (The Hebrew word translated as “go out to” in most English translations, more literally means “to consume.”) In chapter 14, however, Joab sees this preoccupation growing in David, and he puts a plan into action to restore David’s family. He hires a wise woman of Tekoa who relates a story very similar to the events of his own life, begging for mercy for her son’s life. David acquiesces to mercy, and, in II Samuel 14:12, she begins to lead David into making application of her story to himself and Absalom. In verse 14, she reminds Him that God shows mercy and does not always require life for life. David should be so merciful.

Forgiving Without Forgetting

This message applies to David on multiple levels. Not only does it apply to his current conflict with Absalom, but David himself is worthy of death for his sin with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah. He sees God’s mercy in his own life, recognizes his life being spared, and decides to do likewise with Absalom. The story, unfortunately, does not end here, though.

In chapter 14:24, David orders Absalom to come back, but David keeps him in a state of household exile for another two years. His punishment is not physical exile, but he treats him as such. From the point of Absalom fleeing until he sees David again, five entire years pass. Is it any wonder Absalom begins to conspire against his father? Do you think David’s actions do not weigh on Absalom’s heart?

Mercy, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation

These chapters are really about mercy, forgiveness, and reconciliation. David had been forgiven by and reconciled to God in His mercy. David does not do the same for Absalom. This chain of events begins because David ignores Amnon’s wrongdoing, prodding Absalom into taking matters into his own hands. We cannot let our own past sins prevent us from addressing wrong as David’s history with Bathsheba clouds his judgment with Amnon.

Finally, we should be as merciful with others as we hope God would be with us. We cannot “forgive” and continue to punish after repentance. Remember the adulterous relationship Paul condemns in I Corinthians. Once the issue is resolved, Paul writes in II Corinthians 2:7 that the repentant sinner’s brothers and sisters should comfort him and confirm their love for him. David’s perpetual punishment makes room in Absalom’s heart for sin. Paul says we should never allow that opening to form. We cannot continue to punish after we forgive. DOing so is detrimental to our relationships and our souls, and it is not how we would want God to treat us.

When we repent, God shows mercy, forgiving us and reconciling us to Him. We should be so merciful when those close to us repent of their sins.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Seeing Ourselves in Job's Friends

In the book of Job, three friends approach him in whom we might find ourselves. It is a book about an individual who is referenced by God, along with Noah and Daniel, in Ezekiel 14:13-14 as righteous. James 5:10-11 refers to the patience of Job alongside that of God’s prophets. We know him to be an exemplary individual who undergoes tremendous trials, never once defiling God with his lips. His friends, though, do not see him as such. When they come to him, he has lost everything – his children, his possessions, even his health.

In Job 2:11, his friends come – Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They come to comfort him, but they do not even recognize him when they arrive. They mourn him as if dead, and words fail them. They sit with Job for seven days without speaking. They see his grief and comfort him with no more than their presence. Unfortunately, their predispositions eventually lead them into error.

Seeking Truth Versus Proving Assumptions

Can we see ourselves in these individuals? These friends are believers in God. They know God’s attitude toward and judgement of sin. We would call them religious, and, when they speak, they touch on some truths. Zophar, in Job 11:7-9, demonstrates a good perception of God. However, he and his friends ultimately draw the wrong conclusions regarding Job. In contrast, Job’s attitude and perception changes as the book progresses. He seeks truth where his friends seek to prove their theological positions, unchanging to a fault.

These friends believe that faithfulness results in wealth. They are preaching an ancient gospel of prosperity, and they are unwilling to challenge their own assumptions in the face of the evidence before them. They also believe that illness results from sin. In Luke 13 and John 9, Jesus rebukes those who believe tragedy necessitates sin. In Job 42:7-9, God rebukes the friends for their steadfast misconceptions and tells them to ask His servant Job to sacrifice on behalf of their sins. Again, the distinction is that Job has been seeking truth where Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar have been trying to prove a point.

In Job 4:7, Eliphaz is basically saying Job is getting what he deserves, and Job 5:8 records this friend saying Job needs to seek God and accept His chastening. In verses 17-19, he calls on Job to repent, assuming sin in Job’s life, defending his position based on a dream. Bildad, in Job 8:1, offers the same theory: Job must repent and be pure to remove his troubles, appealing to their forefathers for justification. Zophar, in Job 11:1-6, goes as far as saying that God hasn’t made Job suffer enough. Again, these comforters have begun heatedly attacking Job. Because they feel the need to prove their points, they attack the one they came to comfort.

Miserable Comforters

In Job 6:14 records Job saying one that withholds kindness forsakes the Almighty, and, in Job 12:4-5, he expresses how easy it is to look down on those less fortunate. We fail to appreciate the difficulties of others. In Job 16:1-6, Job calls his friends miserable comforters, and he draws a contrast between them and himself. When we see others suffering, do we catch ourselves saying things like, “It’s their own fault?” “They got what they deserved?” “They have no one to blame but themselves?”

In Matthew 9:36, Jesus is moved with compassion when he is faces with the multitudes. Matthew 20:24 sees sickness and disease, healing those who come to Him. We should be more like Jesus’ and less like Job’s friends. We should be sympathetic to those around us. We should look on misfortune in kindness as Job encourages in chapter 6:14 of his book. Like Job’s friends, we can get the facts right while failing to bring others closer to God. We can be better friends, better comforters, and better representatives of God if we can remember to show kindness to those around us.

lesson by Jim Smelser

Certain Unalienable Rights

The preamble of the United States Declaration of Independence contains one of the most famous phrases in modern political philosophy:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

By calling these rights unalienable, the authors of the Declaration – primarily Thomas Jefferson – are saying these are rights inherit in the nature of our species. They are not contingent upon any societal codes, customs, or beliefs. This concept of natural rights is largely derived from, though not exclusive to, the political philosophies of John Locke who, in Two Treatises of Government, writes: "no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions." In the Declaration, the concept of personal property as a right is changed to the pursuit of happiness – Jefferson knowing well that the fledgling government might have to seize property in upcoming battles.

Using the concept of deity to stir the masses, Jefferson (whose beliefs excluded any notion of a God that would intervene in human affairs) writes that these rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are given by our Creator, and it’s so ingrained into our cultural doctrine that it is assumed to be true, but I want to take some time in this lesson to examine what the scriptures have to say regarding our rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Certain Unalienable Rights

View more documents from simplyrobert.

The Right to Life
There is a lot of discussion around the concept of one’s right to life and what that expression means, but, historically, our nation’s leaders have applied it to the preservation of one’s own life at all costs – that our lives our completely and wholly our own. In Matthew 16:24, however, Jesus encourages us to take up our crosses to follow Him – that is to put self and self-interest to death. He goes on to warn that those who are unwilling to make that sacrifice jeopardize their own souls. In fact, Paul says we are purchased by God in Ephesians 1:13-14. We are no longer our own. God holds all rights of ownership over us. Reinforcing that point, Galatians 2:20 has Paul saying he has given himself up, and now Christ lives in him.

Coming to God on His terms involves sacrificing self, giving up that unalienable right of self, and turning our lives over to Him. Our lives are then no longer a right, but they become an opportunity to share God’s grace with others. We give up self-interest to put God and others before ourselves. We no longer look at our lives as our right, as our own possessions to do with as we will. We count our lives as loss so may may lay hold of the eternal life spoken of in I Timothy 6:12.

The Right to Liberty
The Christians of the First Century lived under very oppressive conditions, but the New Testament writers seldom address these conditions. In I Timothy 6:1-2, Paul instructs Christian bondservants (read: slaves) to honor their masters. He even goes on to describe conduct if a Christian owns another Christian. Romans 13:1-7 encourages Christians to submit to their government and pay their taxes, and remember this in the context of Roman rule – a dictatorship with oppressive tax codes and wicked leaders. Even those who would be undergoing persecution in Revelation 3:10 are encouraged to simply endure.

The liberty of the Bible has nothing to do with equal representation, freedom of speech, or taxation. God is concerned with our spiritual liberty. Romans 6:6 calls us slaves to sin without the redeeming blood of Jesus, but verse 7 says those who have died with Christ – that is, submitted to baptism in Him – have been freed from the bondage of sin. Sin and death rule over us no more than over our Messiah, and we obtain this liberty, not through revolution or protests, but by looking into and following the perfect law of liberty according to James 1:25. II Corinthians 3:17 simply states that, where the Lord is, there is liberty. Our spiritual liberty is not a right. Rather it is a gift we obtain through God’s mercy.

The Pursuit of Happiness
When we seek the joys of this life, we are seeking the temporary. We are seeking that which will pass away. I John 2:15-17 warns us against loving the things of this world, and Matthew 6:19 advises against laying up treasures here on this world. Verse 24 states we cannot serve God and our riches simultaneously, and Jesus goes on in the next several verses to say we should let go of the worries surrounding our earthly possessions. While I do believe God allows us to be happy in this life, He does not promise happiness, nor does He encourage us to seek worldly happiness. After all, such endeavors did not get Solomon very far.

After living life to its fullest, the wise ruler of Israel concludes, in Ecclesiastes 12:13, that true fulfillment is found in submitting to God. Returning to the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says to seek God’s kingdom first, before all other pursuits in Matthew 6:33, and He calls on us to place our hopes and our hearts in heaven back in verses 20-21. In Colossians 3:1-3, Paul says we have died to the things of this world. We should then be seeking things above.

Conclusion
As hard as it might be for us to hear, God does not guarantee our lives, our liberties, or our happiness as rights in this world. These things are not self-evident, but what is self-evident is that we have a Savior who died on the cross so we may have something better than this life has to offer. With our eyes on that cross, we count this life as loss so we may have eternal life with our Father. We seek liberty from sin, obtainable regardless of the state of our personal liberties. We forsake pursuing the things of this world so we may pursue things above. In this, we gain more than any worldly government can provide according to Philippians 3:20-21. We become citizens of God’s heavenly kingdom, conformed in His perfect image.

lesson by Robert Smelser

Observing the Cross

In our service, are we participants or spectators? We don’t typically say, “We saw a good service this morning?” We can understand and apply the lessons of the Bible if we actively engage in our service, but in this lesson, we’re going to look at some individuals who did not engage with Jesus. They merely spectated.

Matthew 27:35-36 records some who, in the midst of the crucifixion, sat down, cast lots for Jesus’ garments, and simply watched Him. We read of the crowds surrounding the crucifixion, the leaders involved in the trial and accusations, the women gathering around the cross, the scattering apostles, and the soldiers attacking Jesus. What do these people see in Jesus? What do we see?

What Did They See?

What do the soldiers see? Matthew 27:27-31 describes some of the cruelties Jesus endured prior to His execution. What do those soldiers see during these indignities? They see a spectacle they enjoyed. These cruelties were not unique to Jesus. To them, He is just another prisoner, and they took joy in their job. They care nothing for Jesus’ identity, His claims, or the charges surrounding Him. They are merely caught up in their jobs.

What do the religious and governmental leaders see? We know Jesus had some supporters among the leaders, but even those often held their peace, for the majority of their peers are set against the Christ. Most of those religious and political leaders see victory in Jesus’ death. They continuously plotted His death while He was teaching and preaching, seeing Jesus as a threat to their positions and their way of life.

What do the criminals see? One sees a miscarriage of justice while one sees a figure to mock. In Luke 23:39, one figure hanging on the crosses joins in the jeers against Him. He takes up the chant persisted by the crowds. “Save yourself.” In contrast, the other recognizes that they will die alongside Him – them deserving, Him undeserving. This second thief started out mocking Jesus, but, while they are on those crosses, this thief sees Christ as something different.

What do the apostles see? Matthew 26:55 tells how the disciples flee. Some observe from a distance. Some hide behind locked doors. What do they see? They see their hopes crumble. In Luke 24:18, we see how despondent two of Jesus’ disciples are in their conversation. For them, their work for the past three years has become pointless. All of their work is for nothing.

What do the women see? Matthew 27:55 describes those women who had received kindness from Jesus, and they, in turn, had shown hospitality to Him. They had helped feed Him and His disciples, giving them room and board. When Jesus dies, these women see the death of a friend.

What do We See?

What do we see in the death of Jesus? Do we focus on the violence? Do we see it as an excuse for racial hatred – showing no interest in emulating Christ but rather feeding a grudge? Do we simply see an interesting point of Roman history? Do we see a mere man who dies for His principles? What do we see when we are faced with Jesus and the cross?

• We should see the wickedness of man. Acts 2:22-23 describes how hatred and sin put Jesus on the cross, and our animosity, rebellion, and sin did just as much to crucify Him as those shouting, “Crucify Him!”
• We should see the inadequacy of the Old Law. Hebrews 10:1-4 describes the impossibility of animal sacrifices truly atoning for sin. It took a perfect sacrifice to fulfill the requirements of sin.
• We should see the seriousness of sin. Isaiah 59:1-2 describes the separation sin creates between us and God. It creates a rift the took Jesus’ sacrifice to bridge.
• We should see the majesty of God’s justice. Romans 3:23 describes that all fall short of God’s glory, but the point comes in verses 24-26, showing that God through Christ justifies us in mercy. He pays the penalty for sin.
• We should see the extent of God’s love. John 3:16, I John 4:8-10, Romans 5:10 – these verses and more describe the love God has in His sacrifice for us and the love that should be reflected in our lives.
• We should see the trauma of conversion. In Romans 6:6, Paul describes our life-changing conversion as a crucifixion. We put our sinful self to death the same way Christ was put to death. We should see more than in Christ’s death than an act that occurred to someone else.

Those baptized to Christ are baptized into His death, being raised to walk in newness of life. When we look at the cross, we should see the dedication and commitment it takes to be a follower of Christ. It is more than a name we wear on Sundays. It is more than a label. It is a transformation to a new being, set apart and sanctified by the sacrifice of Jesus on that cross.

lesson by Tim Smelser

God in the Old & New Testaments

Is there a difference between God of the Old Testament and God of the New Testament? In many minds, there seems to be a large contrast between God’s character between these two covenants. The God of the New seems loving and kind while the God of the Old is vengeful and wrathful. We draw a line between His character on each side of the cross when, in truth, we serve the same God as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Grace and Mercy in the Old and New Testaments
God of the Old Testament is just as rich in grace, mercy, and love. Take the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4:3 for example. Abel brings a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, and Cain’s soul is threatened by his jealousy and anger. In loving-kindness, God takes the time to address Cain. He reasons with Cain regarding his conduct and encourages the brother to turn his mind away from sin and toward his Lord. He expresses confidence that Cain can overcome this temporary setback. He demonstrates is grace, mercy, and love in his interaction with Cain.

Time and again, during Israel’s journey to the Promised Land, God shows kindness to His rebellious people. Even at Sinai, when God sets out to destroy the Israelites, Moses appeals to His mercy, and God relents. Even when the people falter outside the borders of Canaan, God sets out to cleanse His people rather than annihilate them. Time and again, He remains merciful. Psalm 78:37-38 illustrates all God has done for His people despite their unfaithfulness. He forgives their iniquity. He turns away His anger. Psalm 86:15, 103:7, and 145:8 all record David praising God’s grace, mercy, and patience toward His people.

Jonah is another example of God’s mercy and love. Here we have a profit rebelling against God and attempting to deny God’s grace to those he despises. When he finally arrives in Nineveh, Job’s message is reluctant at best, but the people repent in Jonah 3:5. God demonstrates mercy to the Assyrians where Jonah craves destruction, and God is merciful toward His reluctant servant in saving the prophet time and again despite his disobedience.

Luke 1:49 has Miriam praising God for His mercy and grace. Later in the chapter, her husband praises God for the birth of John in the tender mercy of God’s plan. Both of these recognize their place in God’s plan of mercy. Finally, II Peter 3:9 tells of God’s desire that all His creation come to repentance. He is patient, allowing as many as possible to come to Him. His grace and mercy is visible from cover to cover of our Bibles.

Judgment in the Old and New Testaments
What about God’s punishments? Adam and Eve are immediately punished beginning in Genesis 3:16. They are cursed and driven from the garden due to their disobedience. Leviticus 10 records the destruction of Nadab and Abihu when they worship God improperly. In II Samuel 6:6-7, Uzzah is immediately killed when he lays his hand upon the Ark despite Uzzah’s apparent intentions. These acts are how we characterize the God of the Old Testament. These judgments are swift and decisive.

In Acts 5, we have a couple named Ananias and Sapphira. Both of these fall dead in their attempts to lie to the apostles. Here in the New Testament, there is a punishment very similar to what we see in Leviticus 10. He demonstrates consistency from the Old into the New.

Serving a Loving and Vengeful God
God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Hebrews 3:7 and 3:15, the author calls on his audience to obey God’s word today. He repeats this warning in chapter 4:7. He quotes a Psalm of David who was referring to an event that had happened centuries prior to his reign. It was as applicable to God’s people in A.D. 60 as it was to His people in 1,500 B.C., and it still applies to us today. Psalms 103:7 calls God’s mercy from everlasting to everlasting, and James 5:10-11 uses the Old Testament prophets to illustrate God’s mercy and kindness.

How then does God’s punishment fit into this pattern of a merciful God. In each of these cases, the victim was judged based on outright disobedience. None of these simply made understandable mistakes. In Leviticus 10:3, Moses reminds Aaron of the need to honor God when worshipping Him, and Aaron hold his peace. Nadab and Abihu dishonor God. Uzzah may have been in his circumstance due to someone else’s plan, but he and his companions were transporting the Ark in a way that was not part of God’s plan. Finally, Ananias and Sapphira attempt to manipulate their apparent godliness for their own glory and honor.

In these events, God tells us that we should never “play church.” He demonstrates that our approach to Him is on His term rather than ours, and He teaches us to value our religion and our relationship to Him. The lesson to us is to honor and respect the mercy and kindness God has shown us. He is full of grace and mercy to those who approach Him in humility and obedience, but He rejects those who reject Him. In Isaiah 9, the prophets speaks of God’s anger at His people’s disobedience, but His hand remains outstretched. He is willing to forgive, but we have to make the determination today that we will take His love seriously and treat it as something valuable to us.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Assurance in Grace

Last week, we considered the all-sufficiency of God’s grace in supplying our needs to do His work and in delivering us from sin. The challenge in talking about grace is that of extremes – either we view ourselves as saved by grace without condition or effort on our part; or we view any mention of God’s grace as softness or an attempt to absolve ourselves of responsibility. It is a simple topic that carries great difficulty. It’s hard to wrap our minds around all that God has done for us, and we sometimes downplay the grace God has demonstrated toward us.

In A.D. 50, Rome captured the isle of Britain and subjugated its ruler. While standing before Claudius Caesar, he calls on the Caesar to spare him as a symbol of his clemency. Claudius agrees. Back in Psalm 51, David implores God for grace after his sins involving Bathsheba and her deceased husband Uriah. Likewise, he calls on God’s mercy as a symbol of His clemency. Too often, we don’t allow God’s grace to be that symbol in our lives that demonstrates God’s mercy to others.

Grace and Justification
In Romans 5:6, Paul begins a discourse on God’s salvation coming despite our undeserving state. His point is that we are justified by the blood of Jesus, but He opens his argument by stating we are justified by faith. In Romans 3:28, he again states our faith justifies us. James 2:24 argues that obedient works have to be coupled with that faith by which we are justified, and Paul, in Romans 3:23-24, asserts that grace has a role in this justification. There is a balance. All of these are involved in our justification, but God’s grace is what makes all of this possible.

We sometimes put so much emphasis on the ritual, that we assume our justification comes purely through completing the steps. The idea of grace is one of royalty bestowing a blessing upon an undeserving servant. Deity stoops down to grant kindness upon us when we are undeserving and unable to earn that favor.

What God Owes Us
In Romans 4:1, Paul asks about the works of Abraham. What justified Abraham, faith or works? He concludes that Abraham’s favor cannot be based solely on works. Otherwise, God is in debt to Abraham. As great as that man was, as often as he obeyed God’s commands, he has no basis upon which he could pray to God. We cannot fall into the trap of the Pharisee who prays to God as if God should feel lucky to have us.

We gather to glorify God, but our Creator is not indebted to us because of our praise. Instead, we should be like the humble publican who returns to his house justified. Without grace, nothing would merit our standing before God. Look again at Romans 5:8. “While we were yet sinners…” Royalty bends down and bestows grace upon us.

Grace and Salvation
In Mark 2:13, religious leaders of Israel condemn Jesus for associating with sinners, but Jesus rebukes them for not recognizing the need to reach out to those who need salvation. Like we don’t save doctors visits until we are well, the message of salvation is not for those who are already in His fold. However, we are often reluctant to share the gospel message with those we find unappealing. Look at the example of Jesus. The physician goes to those who are in need.

With all of Paul’s works and sacrifices, with all his efforts to spread the word, he recognizes that he cannot attain salvation alone. Philippians 3:12 records his knowledge that he must always press forward on the grace of Jesus. He expresses assurance in God’s ability to save him. He is not arrogant like the Pharisee of Jesus’ parable, but he does have confidence in the power of his God to save him. In verse 8, he counts all things as worthless when compared to gaining Christ, not trusting himself but trusting his Savior.

Living in Assurance
II Timothy 4:7 again expresses the assurance Paul has in Christ. He recognizes the imperfections in his life, but he anticipates a crown of righteousness through God’s grace. God’s grace makes us heirs of His despite our imperfections and our flaws. I John 1:6-7 calls on us to choose the walk of our lives. Walking in the light, conforming our lives to His will, gains us cleansing through grace.

Finally, in II Timothy 1:7, Paul says that God has granted us a spirit of love and power in self-discipline. We can know God’s power and His love when we give ourselves over to Him. His grace is open to us despite our undeserving state. We have but to obediently submit to His conditions of accepting that grace.

lesson by Tim Smelser

God's Sufficient Grace

When we think of grace or gracefulness, we might think of a performer, a dancer, or a well-spoken orator. We might consider these people graceful. God’s grace, though, is more than appearance. It is more than what we perceive. God’s grace is often coupled with patience, longsuffering, and mercy. It is less about how God handles or presents Himself than it is about how He interacts with us.

II Corinthians 12:7-10 records Paul’s pleading with God regarding a physical affliction – a thorn of his flesh. God answers that His grace is sufficient for Paul regardless of his physical suffering. Like Paul, God’s grace is also sufficient for us. While suffering comes from the devil, grace is from God.

All Sufficient Grace
God’s grace is self-sufficient. I Corinthians 2:1-5 and chapter 3:6-15 tell of Paul’s efforts spreading God’s word in Corinth. Paul attributes any success from his work to God, and Paul speaks of a foundation built according to God’s grace. He preaches only what God reveals to him. We have sufficient grace in God’s word, and we need turn to no other for the grace of His message.

Grace is sufficient to open opportunities to us. II Peter 3:9 tells of God’s desire for all to turn to Him. He provides opportunities for His people to reach out to the lost. Numerous time in Acts, unlikely opportunities present themselves to God’s followers. These serve as examples of how God’s grace opens doors. He has given His word to all mankind, and we recognize the grace of that word when we reach out to share it with others.

In His grace, God looks over our needs so we can focus on His work. Philippians 4:10-20 records Paul expressing gratitude to those Christians who helped meet his needs as he traveled in his ministry. He also demonstrates gratitude to God who will continue to support them in their generosity. God finds ways to let us do His work.

All Saving Grace
God’s grace is sufficient to save anyone. Ephesians 2:8-10 speaks of our salvation through grace and our inability to earn that salvation without God’s intervention. Paul calls us God’s workmanship prepared to do His works. He wants us to come to Him, and nothing we have done can keep us separated from Him. His grace can span the gulf of our sins. All He asks is for our faith and obedience. When we submit ourselves to his will, we open ourselves to His grace – grace sufficient to cover our sins, ease our sufferings, and open doors of opportunity to do the work of our Lord.

lesson by Alan Miller

Issumagijoujungnainermik

Matthew 18:21 is a passage we often turn to when considering forgiveness. Despite Jesus’ teachings on forgiveness, however, we want to add our own conditions. “I’ll forgive if they ask for it.” “I’ll forgive up to a certain point.” “I’ll forgive if I feel like it.” This lesson, we’re going to look at some scriptures that govern forgiveness, and these scriptures will require us to adjust our attitudes and actions regarding forgiveness.

Gaining a Brother
In Matthew 18:21, Peter asks how often he should forgive if a brother sins against him. He uses an expression that infers a serious violation or trespass, and he places the burden of forgiveness on himself. In response, and he tells a parable of a servant in terrible debt to his master. This servant seeks forgiveness while is unwilling to forgive another in debt to him. Jesus makes a point that we are to be forgiving as we want our Father to be forgiving.

The goal, in Matthew 18:15, is to gain a brother. Prior to Peter’s question, Jesus is encouraging His followers to entreat one another when wronged. This is not regarding a disagreement or hurt feelings. This is nothing minor. This is a serious trespass, and Jesus does not instruct us to be passive. There is no waiting for our brother or sister to come to us. We approach him or her, and we engage in forgiveness.

Forgiving as God Forgives
Matthew 18:33 cites mercy as the basis of our forgiveness. We are merciful because we have been shown mercy. Verse 35 warns that God will not forgive those unwilling to forgive. Matthew 6:12 echoes this sentiment when Jesus models prayer for His disciples. Luke 6:35-37 says God is kind and merciful toward the undeserving, and Jesus encourages us to demonstrate mercy. The strict conditions we put on forgiveness will be put upon us by God. Finally, Mark 11:25 warns us to forgive others in our prayers before asking for our own forgiveness. We need to forgive so we may be forgiven.

What attitude do we hold in forgiveness? How do we act? Are we like children who are forced to apologize by our parents? Jesus is forgiving. He is compassionate. He is merciful. God granted us mercy forgiveness before we asked for it and while we are undeserving. If we are to be holy as God is holy, if we are to be sons of our Father. Think of Esau forgiving Jacob and Joseph forgiving his brothers. Think of David forgiving Saul. Are we as compassionate and merciful?

Issumagijoujungnainermik
Leviticus 19:18 is cited by Jesus as one of the great commandments, and the first part of this verse warns God’s people against grudges or seeking vengeance. Grudges come all too easy, and God takes pains to turn His people from this habit. In Mark 6:19, Herod has John beheaded because of a grudge Herodias bore. Grudges wrap us up and consume us. It takes time, work, and energy to maintain these harsh feelings, and this is time, work, and energy we should be giving to the Lord instead. We need to be able to let our grudges go and move on. They causes us to hurt, to grow angry, to grow bitter. They draw us away from God.

Issumagijoujungnainermik is a compound Eskimo word that roughly means “unable to think about it anymore.” It is a word missionaries used to describe God’s forgiveness to the Eskimos, and it is a fitting description of how we should forgive. Our forgiveness should be compassionate and merciful. Love should take the place of grudges, allowing us to be in a right relationship with our fellow Christians and with our God.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Taste & See That the Lord is Good

In the first part of Psalm 34, the psalmist calls upon us to taste and see that the Lord is good in verse 8, an odd expression to us. This is while David is fleeing from Saul for his life, and he ends up among the Philistines in I Samuel 21:10-12. He goes from one bad situation to another, and he realizes that he must turn to God if he is to survive to be king. During this time, he writes Psalm 34.

David calls for deliverance in the first four verses, and the later part of the chapter is focused on those who would come to his aid. David calls himself a poor man when the Lord helps him, and this verse leads into verse 8. In this analogy, how does our relationship with God relate to our tastes?

The Taste of God’s Goodness.

• Often, when we want food, we want it soon. I John 4:13-17 encourages that God wants us to lean on Him, to rely on Him. He is there any time we need Him.
• Additionally, we desire fresh food when we hunger. I Corinthians 4:16-18 gives us a refreshing message of the hope in God. Eternity waits for us in Him.
• We want food that fills us. John 6:35 records Jesus calling Himself the bread of life, giving a message of spiritual and eternal fulfillment, a quenching of our hunger and thirst.
• We sometimes fear trying something new. We have to give up some control when we submit ourselves to a new experience, Proverbs 3:1-12 encourages us to give spiritual control to God. It can be scary, but He assures that He provides for us.
• The best meals in life are often free. Romans 6:20-23 calls us free from sin, receiving fruits of sanctification. His gift to us is free if we but submit to Him and give Him control.

Sometimes we like to smell our food before taking a bite. It may guard us from risking something we don’t like, but Psalm 34:8 blesses the one who simply trusts in God. He praises the man who partakes of God’s goodness freely and without hesitation.


Confidence in God
Consider Psalm 18, which Paul writes later in his life. Can we call God our refuge or our rock? Can we face death and destruction with God at our sides? Do we call to Him in our distress? God hears us. He knows when our hearts need Him the most. In this chapter, David trusts the strength of the Lord, the forgiveness of the Lord, and the security of the Lord. Can we express this same confidence? David says he will praise God before the nations for the salvation he gains in Him.

How are we experiencing God’s goodness? Are we just smelling, just sampling, or are we completely giving ourselves over to that hope? God invites us to experience all He has to offer, but, in doing so, we must completely give ourselves over to Him.

lesson by Donn Koonce

Grace and Good Works

Titus 3 deals with many topics we can focus on and from which we can make application. He encourages his readers to do good works in verses 3-8 as well as stimulating one another to good works. In this passage, our good works are coupled with grace. Paul states plainly that God did not save us because of any good works we may be able to demonstrate. Instead of works, mercy and grace saves us, but he calls upon us to devote ourself to good works as a direct result of that grace. Such actions are a natural reaction to His impact on our lives.

Reacting to Grace
Ephesians 2:8-10 again reinforces the role of grace in our salvation, but again, grace and faith motivate good deeds. However, according to verse 9, such works are not for credit or boasting. Compared to what God has already done for us, anything we do pales in comparison. We do not rely on ourselves with a checklist mentality. Rather, we rely fully on God, and our reliance on God informs everything we do. God has created us for the purpose of good works, our reaction to our faith in His mercy.

In chapter 2 of James, the author associates faith with works. One example he gives is in James 2:15-16 where we can simply help someone meet a need. You or I might might be the only ones who know of the need, but we can help. Hebrews 10:24-25 talks about stimulating one another to love and good deeds. In this, we should be working together and assembling to build each other up, to encourage one another to do good works.

People have many motivations for their actions. We might follow God to have our sins washed, to be closer to God, out of fear. In Hebrews 10, Paul discusses one motivation for our good works – our encouragement of one another whenever we are together as Christians, reminding each other of the many things God has done for us. James 4:5-6 reminds us He also wants to continue to give us grace as we humble ourselves before Him.

The Ultimate Example of Grace
Christ’s sacrifice is a free gift for us to accept. Through Him, we gain access to our Father’s grace and mercy. As His children, our response should be to give of ourselves as graciously. If you haven’t yet, accept His grace, and dedicate yourself to a life of good works – not for personal glory or credit but to the glory of our Heavenly Father.

sermon by Ben Lanius

The Other Commissions

A couple of lessons ago, we drew a contrast between defending our faith and sharing our faith. We are usually prepared to go one the defensive regarding our faith and practices, but we sometimes fall short on being able to simply share our faith. This lesson will expound on this concept some more as we continue to grow in our ability to reach out to others with God’s word.

Our evangelic efforts are mostly rooted in Matthew 28:18-20 – a directive given to go out and bring people to Christ. Evangelism is one of our main tasks, but, in this lesson, we are going to examine four other directives we are given by our Savior.

The Other Directives
Matthew 9:9-13. Go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” We cannot afford to believe that we have it all figured out and be quick to point out the ills in everyone else’s life. Our ministry needs to be characterized by mercy and compassion.

He is quoting from Hosea 6:6. In this context, God is discussing true religion and true repentance. The people seem to believe that lip-service will appease Jehovah and that God will deliver them from captivity because that is His job. God recognizes this repentance is superficial, and this is when God states that He desires something deeper than ritual sacrifices.

The people who were criticizing Jesus’ appearance of character were the one’s who were most intimately acquainted with God’s word, but they had not learned the deeper meanings within it. (Mark 7:6-8)

Mark 5:15-20. "Tell others how the Lord has had mercy on you." Again, we like to start out by telling others how they are wrong. We turn God’s “good news” into “bad news,” and we turn others away by a message of self-righteousness. I Peter 3:15. Our evangelism focuses on our hope, and it is typified by meekness and humility. I have hope because of what God has done for me, not because of what I do or have done.

Romans 1:15-16; II Timothy 2:2. God’s good news has the power to positively impact people on an individual basis. On a secular level, we share things we like and enjoy with others, and this should be no different when it comes to spiritual matters.

Luke 10:29-37. “Go and do likewise.” The parable of the good Samaritan illustrates an application of how we are to treat others. Again, the concept of mercy is heavily emphasized here. Just showing compassion and kindness is a significant portion of my Christianity, without which any teaching I might do will be potentially ineffective.

John 8:2-11. “Go and sin no more.” Jesus does not excuse her sin in this instance, but He demonstrates mercy – He gives her a new lease on life – and He tells her to correct her life. We can easily point out others’ faults, or we measure ourselves by standards based on what others do, but this does not excuse faults in our own lives. I John 2:1. We are given God’s word so we can make ourselves more complete in His sight. Our goal is to be Christ-like, and Christ lived a sinless life. That is our goal, and, by the blood of Jesus, we have the power to achieve that goal.

Romans 6:1-11. When we are baptized, sin loses its power over us. We can overcome.

Conclusion
Going and making disciples is an important task, but if that is all we are focused on, we are being narrow-sighted, and our Christianity will be incomplete. We must broaden our focus and learn to fill our lives with God’s word. If we do so, we will have little time for finding fault in others, hating our neighbor, or quibbling with a brother or sister, and our efforts in evangelism will become more effective.

sermon by Tim Smelser