“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Luke 2:6-7
It is no secret that my favorite time of year is Christmas. When I was a little kid my heart brimmed over with anticipation, eagerly awaiting the arrival of that glorious day. As a child, I was captivated by the various sights and sounds of the season: Christmas Muzak would fill the air outside the shops downtown, the giant snowflakes would light up the town square, mom would make a various assortment of cookies, Santa’s Shed would sit nestled on the Courthouse lawn, my dad and I would haul the Christmas tree from the attic and my sister and I would fight over who put the star on top. However, the true meaning of Christmas was lost on me, until I came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. At that point the Christmas season took on a whole new wonder for me! It is the same “wonder” that captured the attention of the world 2000 years ago. The season that preceded Christ’s birth was marked by many wonderful attributes that characterized the times leading up to His coming. They are also reflective of the season that will precede the Lord’s return. So often when we think about the season of the Lord’s return, we choose to reference Matthew 24:6-8:
“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”
Similarly, the days preceding Christ’s first coming were ones of severe oppression, heavy taxation, and intense moral failure. Nevertheless, the season was also marked by some other wonderful characteristics that are just as pertinent today as they were then.
It is a season marked by God’s favor towards His people:
“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Luke 1:26-28
It is a season of encouragement:
“Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.”
Luke 1:29-30
The angel of the Lord encouraged Mary as he explained to her that the Messiah was going to come and God was going to use her in His divine plan.
It is a season of possibility:
“How will this be, “ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”
Luke 1:34-37
It is a season of leaping and rejoicing:
“At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!”
Luke 1:39-42
There was joy at the prospect of His coming!
It is a season of praise:
“And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me- holy is His name.”
Luke 1:46-49
Finally, It is a season of expectation:
“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.”
Luke 2:4-5
The season was not lost on Mary and Joseph, because they were expecting Him to come! As we enjoy the signs of the season I wonder how many of you, as we see that day approaching, are expecting His coming. May your Christmas be filled with God’s favor, encouragement, possibility, leaping/rejoicing, praise and expectation!
Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The Hard Truth
(Part 2)
“He said this while teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. On hearing it, many of his disciples said, ‘This is hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
John 6:59-60
Jesus’ method of weeding out the “insincere” and the “religious” takes a new direction as He turns to the crowd and begins to teach. The crowd squirms in their seats as Jesus declares that those who do not eat His flesh and drink His blood have no life in them. He declares that He is the bread from Heaven, and whoever feeds on this bread will live forever. All of a sudden the celebratory atmosphere evaporated as the crowd became increasingly uncomfortable with Christ’s teaching. They began to grumble among themselves to which Jesus responded:
“Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.”
John 6:61-64
Following Jesus is easy when the truth is convenient for us. However, once it becomes hard to swallow, the depth of our commitment is revealed. The problem is that not all the truth that God desires for us to obtain is easy to accept:
“From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.”
John 6:66
This unwillingness to accept “hard truth” is why many “believers” walk away from their faith or at the least fail to embrace God’s fullness. It is ultimately why many refuse to embrace the Holy Spirit:
“But when He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.”
John 16:13
The Holy Spirit’s job, like it or not, is to lead us into ALL truth. How we respond to that truth reveals and exposes the true motives of our heart. What “truth” are you unwilling to accept that is hindering your walk with God? Are you honestly willing to walk away from God because you don’t like what He has to say about forgiveness, bitterness, gossip, adultery, poor stewardship or marital issues? What truth will stop you from pursuing Him? Will you still stand firm, when everyone else walks away? As Jesus watched those who were unwilling to accept the “hard truth” walk away, He turned to the remaining disciples and said:
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
John 6:67
It response Peter declared:
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy one of God.”
John 6:68-69
True followers of Jesus Christ; do not abandon their faith when they don’t like what they hear! The truth may be hard to swallow sometimes, but they are the words of eternal life to all who will believe.
Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/
“He said this while teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. On hearing it, many of his disciples said, ‘This is hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
John 6:59-60
Jesus’ method of weeding out the “insincere” and the “religious” takes a new direction as He turns to the crowd and begins to teach. The crowd squirms in their seats as Jesus declares that those who do not eat His flesh and drink His blood have no life in them. He declares that He is the bread from Heaven, and whoever feeds on this bread will live forever. All of a sudden the celebratory atmosphere evaporated as the crowd became increasingly uncomfortable with Christ’s teaching. They began to grumble among themselves to which Jesus responded:
“Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.”
John 6:61-64
Following Jesus is easy when the truth is convenient for us. However, once it becomes hard to swallow, the depth of our commitment is revealed. The problem is that not all the truth that God desires for us to obtain is easy to accept:
“From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.”
John 6:66
This unwillingness to accept “hard truth” is why many “believers” walk away from their faith or at the least fail to embrace God’s fullness. It is ultimately why many refuse to embrace the Holy Spirit:
“But when He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.”
John 16:13
The Holy Spirit’s job, like it or not, is to lead us into ALL truth. How we respond to that truth reveals and exposes the true motives of our heart. What “truth” are you unwilling to accept that is hindering your walk with God? Are you honestly willing to walk away from God because you don’t like what He has to say about forgiveness, bitterness, gossip, adultery, poor stewardship or marital issues? What truth will stop you from pursuing Him? Will you still stand firm, when everyone else walks away? As Jesus watched those who were unwilling to accept the “hard truth” walk away, He turned to the remaining disciples and said:
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
John 6:67
It response Peter declared:
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy one of God.”
John 6:68-69
True followers of Jesus Christ; do not abandon their faith when they don’t like what they hear! The truth may be hard to swallow sometimes, but they are the words of eternal life to all who will believe.
Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The Hard Truth
Part 1
“Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the sea of Galilee (that is, the sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick.”
John 6:1-2
The gathering of the multitudes on the far shore of the sea of Galilee set the stage for one of the greatest miracles found in scripture- the feeding of the five thousand. Because of it’s miraculous nature, it is remembered as a highlight of Jesus’ ministry. Thousands sat captivated by His teaching and were fed by His disciples after He had blessed the two fish and five loaves. However, as often as we have study this passage, we fail to remember the controversy that followed within hours of this amazing event:
“From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed him.”
John 6:66
Within 24 hours of the last morsels of food being collected, Jesus went from having a “crowd” of followers to a “handful” of disciples. After His encounter with the multitudes Jesus returned to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Realizing He was gone the people went in search for Him. Upon finding Him in Capernaum, Jesus told them:
“I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.”
John 6:26
It is here that Jesus begins to expose and weed out those people who are following Him from wrong motives. The first group that He identifies are those who followed Him simply to have their needs met. There were those who came looking for Him who were not as concerned about “seeing God” as they were about getting their next meal. The spiritual component of what took place the day before was lost on them. They only hungered after Him because they had a need. He told them:
“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
John 6:27
After exposing the this crowd another group then emerges from among them. This group didn’t come seeking food, but rather they came in search of another miracle:
“Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’ So they asked him, ‘What miraculous sign will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?”
John 6:28-30
In other words, “If you don’t do anything ‘visible’ in my life, I won’t believe. I won’t follow you.” For these people, as long as God is answering their prayers, working supernaturally in their church services, and acknowledging their spiritual giftings…they are eager to follow. However, if that dries up, they are off to greener pastures. Jesus described them in John 4:48 this way:
“Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “ you will never believe.”
However, the most difficult group Jesus had yet to confront were those who appeared to be closest to Him. They were not there to be fed or to see another miracle, but would they still follow when the truth was no longer easy to swallow?
Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/
“Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the sea of Galilee (that is, the sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick.”
John 6:1-2
The gathering of the multitudes on the far shore of the sea of Galilee set the stage for one of the greatest miracles found in scripture- the feeding of the five thousand. Because of it’s miraculous nature, it is remembered as a highlight of Jesus’ ministry. Thousands sat captivated by His teaching and were fed by His disciples after He had blessed the two fish and five loaves. However, as often as we have study this passage, we fail to remember the controversy that followed within hours of this amazing event:
“From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed him.”
John 6:66
Within 24 hours of the last morsels of food being collected, Jesus went from having a “crowd” of followers to a “handful” of disciples. After His encounter with the multitudes Jesus returned to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Realizing He was gone the people went in search for Him. Upon finding Him in Capernaum, Jesus told them:
“I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.”
John 6:26
It is here that Jesus begins to expose and weed out those people who are following Him from wrong motives. The first group that He identifies are those who followed Him simply to have their needs met. There were those who came looking for Him who were not as concerned about “seeing God” as they were about getting their next meal. The spiritual component of what took place the day before was lost on them. They only hungered after Him because they had a need. He told them:
“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
John 6:27
After exposing the this crowd another group then emerges from among them. This group didn’t come seeking food, but rather they came in search of another miracle:
“Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’ So they asked him, ‘What miraculous sign will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?”
John 6:28-30
In other words, “If you don’t do anything ‘visible’ in my life, I won’t believe. I won’t follow you.” For these people, as long as God is answering their prayers, working supernaturally in their church services, and acknowledging their spiritual giftings…they are eager to follow. However, if that dries up, they are off to greener pastures. Jesus described them in John 4:48 this way:
“Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “ you will never believe.”
However, the most difficult group Jesus had yet to confront were those who appeared to be closest to Him. They were not there to be fed or to see another miracle, but would they still follow when the truth was no longer easy to swallow?
Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
My Cup Overflows
Part 1
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
Psalm 23:5
Psalm 23 is a picture of a life submitted to God and to His care. David uses the imagery of a cup overflowing to describe a life brimming over with spiritual fullness. When I hear this passage I am reminded of the wonderful song written by Richard Blanshard entitled “Fill My Cup, Lord”:
Chorus
Fill my cup Lord,
I lift it up, Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;
Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!
But what exactly does God desire to fill our cup with? And is “fullness” really the objective? It made me begin to contemplate if we should be happy being full or if we should be striving to be overflowing? Having a “full” cup is a wonderful thing. Many people, however, feel limited on how much they can receive due to boundaries placed on them by the size of their container. They rationalize that in order to receive more from God they have to enlarge their capacity to receive, by acquiring a larger glass. Eventually, however, we are still limited in what we can receive because we are nonetheless confined to the boundaries placed on us by our new container. An example of such thinking is found in Luke 12: 16-19:
“The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and goods. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’
He had barns filled with grain and other commodities! But once He was full, his ability to receive was limited by the boundaries placed on him by his containers. So he decided to tear them down and build bigger barns in order to enlarge his capacity to receive. This displeased God:
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich towards God.”
Luke 12:20-21
Enlarging our “capacity” to receive was never God’s intention! God’s desire for us is to live a life of “overflow.”
Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
Psalm 23:5
Psalm 23 is a picture of a life submitted to God and to His care. David uses the imagery of a cup overflowing to describe a life brimming over with spiritual fullness. When I hear this passage I am reminded of the wonderful song written by Richard Blanshard entitled “Fill My Cup, Lord”:
Chorus
Fill my cup Lord,
I lift it up, Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;
Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!
But what exactly does God desire to fill our cup with? And is “fullness” really the objective? It made me begin to contemplate if we should be happy being full or if we should be striving to be overflowing? Having a “full” cup is a wonderful thing. Many people, however, feel limited on how much they can receive due to boundaries placed on them by the size of their container. They rationalize that in order to receive more from God they have to enlarge their capacity to receive, by acquiring a larger glass. Eventually, however, we are still limited in what we can receive because we are nonetheless confined to the boundaries placed on us by our new container. An example of such thinking is found in Luke 12: 16-19:
“The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and goods. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’
He had barns filled with grain and other commodities! But once He was full, his ability to receive was limited by the boundaries placed on him by his containers. So he decided to tear them down and build bigger barns in order to enlarge his capacity to receive. This displeased God:
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich towards God.”
Luke 12:20-21
Enlarging our “capacity” to receive was never God’s intention! God’s desire for us is to live a life of “overflow.”
Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Heal the Wound, Leave the Scar
(Part 2)
“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord.”
Jeremiah 30:17
In the culture that we live in, we don’t see scars as a sign of triumph over adversity. Instead, they are seen as marks of imperfection. We are embarrassed by them and try everything to cover them up. We see them as reminders of the wound. A wound we very much want to forget. For this reason, many people never really heal. In a roundabout way, they believe that if they don’t heal, they won’t scar. We want God to heal the wound without leaving any evidence that we were ever injured. If we cannot heal without a scar then many choose to live with an open wound.
An open wound is a wound that we experience the pain of everyday. It must be agitated daily as the wound is packed and dressed. The healing is hindered as the wound is forced to stay open. However, a wound that stays open too long becomes susceptible to infection. Spiritually speaking, an open wound that does not heal is vulnerable to unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred and depression. That is why Jesus declared in Luke 4 these words from the Prophet Isaiah:
“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted.”
Jesus declared that He was sent not just to comfort us in our time of need, but to heal our wounds…to bind us up. Many of you have been wounded or have been left with some pretty ugly scars. You may feel like Jesus, in that your “visage”- your reputation, dreams, and aspirations have been marred. You think, how can God use me now? Will anyone every trust me again? Will anyone ever accept me again? Will anyone ever love me again? The answer is….Yes!
There is a beautiful song by the group Point of Grace entitled “Heal the Wound”. The lyrics of the chorus of the song are this:
Heal the wound but leave the scar
A reminder of how merciful you are
I am broken, torn apart
Take the pieces of this heart
And heal the wound but leave the scar
Scars are a sign of God’s mercy and goodness towards us. How He walked with us through some of the most difficult times of our lives. Let’s face it, the more battles we face the greater the potential to be wounded. Even so, we can take comfort in these words recorded for us in Isaiah 53:5:
“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by His wounds we are healed.”
Lord, heal the wound, but leave the scar.
Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/
“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord.”
Jeremiah 30:17
In the culture that we live in, we don’t see scars as a sign of triumph over adversity. Instead, they are seen as marks of imperfection. We are embarrassed by them and try everything to cover them up. We see them as reminders of the wound. A wound we very much want to forget. For this reason, many people never really heal. In a roundabout way, they believe that if they don’t heal, they won’t scar. We want God to heal the wound without leaving any evidence that we were ever injured. If we cannot heal without a scar then many choose to live with an open wound.
An open wound is a wound that we experience the pain of everyday. It must be agitated daily as the wound is packed and dressed. The healing is hindered as the wound is forced to stay open. However, a wound that stays open too long becomes susceptible to infection. Spiritually speaking, an open wound that does not heal is vulnerable to unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred and depression. That is why Jesus declared in Luke 4 these words from the Prophet Isaiah:
“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted.”
Jesus declared that He was sent not just to comfort us in our time of need, but to heal our wounds…to bind us up. Many of you have been wounded or have been left with some pretty ugly scars. You may feel like Jesus, in that your “visage”- your reputation, dreams, and aspirations have been marred. You think, how can God use me now? Will anyone every trust me again? Will anyone ever accept me again? Will anyone ever love me again? The answer is….Yes!
There is a beautiful song by the group Point of Grace entitled “Heal the Wound”. The lyrics of the chorus of the song are this:
Heal the wound but leave the scar
A reminder of how merciful you are
I am broken, torn apart
Take the pieces of this heart
And heal the wound but leave the scar
Scars are a sign of God’s mercy and goodness towards us. How He walked with us through some of the most difficult times of our lives. Let’s face it, the more battles we face the greater the potential to be wounded. Even so, we can take comfort in these words recorded for us in Isaiah 53:5:
“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by His wounds we are healed.”
Lord, heal the wound, but leave the scar.
Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Heal the Wound, Leave the Scar
(Part 1)
“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.”
John 20:19-20
Many words could be used to describe Jesus’ disciples as they huddled together, behind closed doors, after Christ’s crucifixion…words like hurting, distressed, disillusioned, discouraged and wounded. The man that they had put their hope, trust and future in had been nailed to a cross. They were helpless to do anything but watch as the Roman soldiers pierce His side, sealing His fate, as the blood and water flowed. He was later removed from the cross and placed in a borrowed tomb…along with their dreams, hopes and aspirations.
Of course, the good news is that He didn’t stay there! After three days God quickened Him by the Holy Spirit and Jesus rose from the grave. He then came to those who were hurting, distressed, disillusioned, discouraged and wounded and spoke peace to them. The shepherd had returned to the sheep and the sheep knew His voice. However, Jesus did not stop there. He moved into the midst of them and showed them His hands and side.
There on His hands and side were the scars that identified Him as the one who was nailed to the cross and was pierced in His side. Although He had been healed and resurrected, He still bore in His body the scars of His affliction. Scars are caused by traumatic events. Isaiah the prophet described the brutality of Christ’s crucifixion this way:
“Just as there were many who were appalled at him, his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form (visage) marred beyond human likeness.”
Isaiah 52:14
It is these scars that Jesus chose to use to identify Himself to His disciples. He could have chosen to walk on water, cast out a demon, heal a blind man, raise the dead, or even still the wind and waves. Instead He identified Himself to them by showing them His scars. These scars were not pretty. They did not bring back pleasant memories for Jesus. They were, in fact, evidence that a traumatic event had taken place in His life. They were also evidence that His wounds did not kill him.
You see, there is a difference between a wound and a scar. According to Webster’s Dictionary a wound is defined as: “an injury involving breaking or cutting of bodily tissue. An injury or hurt to feelings or reputation.” Hurt, distress, pain and discouragement are often associated with it. A scar, however, is defined as: “a mark left after the injured tissue is healed.” It is a mark that expresses to others that you survived a traumatic event. A sign that you overcame your affliction. Scars mean that our wounds did not kill us, because scars don’t form unless the wound is healed.
Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/
“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.”
John 20:19-20
Many words could be used to describe Jesus’ disciples as they huddled together, behind closed doors, after Christ’s crucifixion…words like hurting, distressed, disillusioned, discouraged and wounded. The man that they had put their hope, trust and future in had been nailed to a cross. They were helpless to do anything but watch as the Roman soldiers pierce His side, sealing His fate, as the blood and water flowed. He was later removed from the cross and placed in a borrowed tomb…along with their dreams, hopes and aspirations.
Of course, the good news is that He didn’t stay there! After three days God quickened Him by the Holy Spirit and Jesus rose from the grave. He then came to those who were hurting, distressed, disillusioned, discouraged and wounded and spoke peace to them. The shepherd had returned to the sheep and the sheep knew His voice. However, Jesus did not stop there. He moved into the midst of them and showed them His hands and side.
There on His hands and side were the scars that identified Him as the one who was nailed to the cross and was pierced in His side. Although He had been healed and resurrected, He still bore in His body the scars of His affliction. Scars are caused by traumatic events. Isaiah the prophet described the brutality of Christ’s crucifixion this way:
“Just as there were many who were appalled at him, his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form (visage) marred beyond human likeness.”
Isaiah 52:14
It is these scars that Jesus chose to use to identify Himself to His disciples. He could have chosen to walk on water, cast out a demon, heal a blind man, raise the dead, or even still the wind and waves. Instead He identified Himself to them by showing them His scars. These scars were not pretty. They did not bring back pleasant memories for Jesus. They were, in fact, evidence that a traumatic event had taken place in His life. They were also evidence that His wounds did not kill him.
You see, there is a difference between a wound and a scar. According to Webster’s Dictionary a wound is defined as: “an injury involving breaking or cutting of bodily tissue. An injury or hurt to feelings or reputation.” Hurt, distress, pain and discouragement are often associated with it. A scar, however, is defined as: “a mark left after the injured tissue is healed.” It is a mark that expresses to others that you survived a traumatic event. A sign that you overcame your affliction. Scars mean that our wounds did not kill us, because scars don’t form unless the wound is healed.
Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Whitewashed Tombs
“When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. But the Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first wash before the meal, was surprised.”
Luke 11:37-38
Probably one of the most frequently heard objections, held by unbelievers, about going to church is that “the church is full of hypocrites.” Unbelievers, from my experience, perceive a hypocrite as being someone who tells you that the lifestyle or things you do are sinful, while struggling with the same things themselves. If that is what it means to be a hypocrite, then the church truly is full of hypocrites!
However, Jesus’ perceived hypocrisy through different lenses:
“Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.”
Luke 11:39
Many people view hypocrisy as pretending to be something that we are not. When in all actuality it is more about concealing something that we are. Jesus uses a parallel passage to drive this point home in Matthew 23:27-28:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every unclean thing. In the same way you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
Hypocrisy is an attempt to conceal that which is dead inside by making the exterior more attractive. Unfortunately, the beauty of the exterior does not change the absence of life on the inside. A hypocritical spirit develops when we are more concerned about how people see us than we are about the fact that we are full of death and wickedness. Hypocrisy is projecting on the outside to have something that we “know” not to have on the inside. This is not pretending. This is deception!
It is condemning others for refuting the truth, while concealing the fact that we are actively rejecting it in our own lives. However, I am not a hypocrite because I struggle with sin. Let’s say that someone tells you a lie. You confront them about it and explain to them that lying is not the way God intended us to live. Immediately, they say, “Don’t be so hypocritical. Are you going to tell me that you have never lied?” At this point you have done nothing hypocritical. I have simply proclaimed a truth about God and the way He desires us to live. However, if we go on to deny that we have ever lied and work to conceal that fact that we have lied in the past; we will find ourselves moving beyond the truth into hypocrisy. It is not hypocritical to say, “I wanted to talk to you about the lie you told. It isn’t the way that God intended us to live. I know because I struggle with that at times myself.” The fact that I struggle against sin, does not negate the truthfulness of God’s Word. The fact that I don’t always live up to the standards of God’s Word, does not negate the truthfulness of it. Truth is hard to swallow whether is comes from a righteous man or a hypocrite. You may be very transparent with people and they may still reject the truth, but they will likely not reject you, giving you the opportunity to continue to live out your witness before them. Conversely, if you attempt to conceal the fact that you struggle against sin and continue to project a life free from wrongdoing, people will not only reject the truth you bring, but you as well. To them you are nothing but a whitewashed tomb. Yes, you look good from the outside, but you are full of dead men’s bones. Are you in sin? You must take time to deal with it. The shiniest tomb in the graveyard still holds dead men’s bones. Let us confess our sins to God and He promises to cleanse us from all unrighteousness-from the inside out!
Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/
Luke 11:37-38
Probably one of the most frequently heard objections, held by unbelievers, about going to church is that “the church is full of hypocrites.” Unbelievers, from my experience, perceive a hypocrite as being someone who tells you that the lifestyle or things you do are sinful, while struggling with the same things themselves. If that is what it means to be a hypocrite, then the church truly is full of hypocrites!
However, Jesus’ perceived hypocrisy through different lenses:
“Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.”
Luke 11:39
Many people view hypocrisy as pretending to be something that we are not. When in all actuality it is more about concealing something that we are. Jesus uses a parallel passage to drive this point home in Matthew 23:27-28:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every unclean thing. In the same way you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
Hypocrisy is an attempt to conceal that which is dead inside by making the exterior more attractive. Unfortunately, the beauty of the exterior does not change the absence of life on the inside. A hypocritical spirit develops when we are more concerned about how people see us than we are about the fact that we are full of death and wickedness. Hypocrisy is projecting on the outside to have something that we “know” not to have on the inside. This is not pretending. This is deception!
It is condemning others for refuting the truth, while concealing the fact that we are actively rejecting it in our own lives. However, I am not a hypocrite because I struggle with sin. Let’s say that someone tells you a lie. You confront them about it and explain to them that lying is not the way God intended us to live. Immediately, they say, “Don’t be so hypocritical. Are you going to tell me that you have never lied?” At this point you have done nothing hypocritical. I have simply proclaimed a truth about God and the way He desires us to live. However, if we go on to deny that we have ever lied and work to conceal that fact that we have lied in the past; we will find ourselves moving beyond the truth into hypocrisy. It is not hypocritical to say, “I wanted to talk to you about the lie you told. It isn’t the way that God intended us to live. I know because I struggle with that at times myself.” The fact that I struggle against sin, does not negate the truthfulness of God’s Word. The fact that I don’t always live up to the standards of God’s Word, does not negate the truthfulness of it. Truth is hard to swallow whether is comes from a righteous man or a hypocrite. You may be very transparent with people and they may still reject the truth, but they will likely not reject you, giving you the opportunity to continue to live out your witness before them. Conversely, if you attempt to conceal the fact that you struggle against sin and continue to project a life free from wrongdoing, people will not only reject the truth you bring, but you as well. To them you are nothing but a whitewashed tomb. Yes, you look good from the outside, but you are full of dead men’s bones. Are you in sin? You must take time to deal with it. The shiniest tomb in the graveyard still holds dead men’s bones. Let us confess our sins to God and He promises to cleanse us from all unrighteousness-from the inside out!
Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/
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