Biddeford Church of Christ

In the last couple of lessons, I have mentioned one of the central aspects of a Christian’s walk; that is, to “deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow” Jesus (Luke 9:23).  I find myself draw back to this text in light of what we read in Lamentations that speaks of how God’s people of old, who became more focused on what they wanted, rather than what their God wanted.  The consequence was devastating.  Of her, Jeremiah writes, “She did not consider her destiny” (Lamentations 1:9).  I find comfort in God’s steadfast love, His endless mercy and compassionate faithfulness.  Yet, I also realize, that like the Jerusalem of old, faithful followers can get distracted by the world around us.  The objective of “denying self” is slowly replaced by the daily pursuits of this life, obscuring our ability to understand the will of God, or in some cases, denying to do His will.  The fact of the matter is this, what “will” I do is at the core of our walk with Christ.

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My will,

but the will of Him who sent Me.

                                                                     John 6:38

The context of the above verse focuses on the redemptive work of Christ and all that it would entail, including the abuse He would face, the rejection He would encounter and the cross he would hang upon.  For the Father’s will to be accomplished through Jesus, Jesus would have to deny self on daily basis.  With the cross looming, and in great anguish, the challenge of denying self to do another’s will is seen in our Savior’s prayer, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be dome” (Luke 22:42).  I wonder sometimes that my struggle with knowing and doing the will of God is because I am reluctant to do just that, deny self.  Help me Lord to willingly deny myself daily so that your will can be evidenced in my life.  What other things can influence what “will” I do?

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,

that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

                                                                                                                        Romans 12:2

I could be accused of coming to this verse rather frequently, but I do so with good reason.  In my own life over the years, I have often found myself struggle with understanding what God’s will is, because I lack the desire to learn it; it is just that simple.  I realize the battle for the mind is where Satan works the most, with subtle changes that sound reasonable, but pave the way to depravity.  As disciples (i.e., learners), our willingness to “deny self-daily” sets the stage for God to transform our minds; which in turn, opens up the opportunity to come to understand His will more perfectly.  I want to know what His will is for me…for us as His church.

Okay, with that said, I am painfully aware that such an endeavor is riddled with problems, of which, I am one of them.  And although I will never get it all down perfectly, I don’t want those imperfections to be used as an excuse to not grow in my understanding of His will.  So today, this day, I have an objective.  I ask God to strengthen me in my efforts to deny self so I can focus on His will.  With that, I apply myself, to the best of my ability, to allow God to transform me through the renewing of my mind.  All, so I can more clearly understand His will and thus, have the opportunity to bring glory to His name.  Lord, may your will be done in our lives this day.

Dennis

Today, many in the world, religious or not, are celebrating the holiday called Easter which is also called Pascha.  The focus of this festivity centers on the resurrection of Christ, our Lord and Savior.  In 2017 a survey was conducted in Great Britain concerning the story of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.  Of those calling themselves Christians, a staggering 25% did not believe in Christ’s resurrection.  In the United States, in a 2015 poll, some 75% said they were Christians, while another poll reveals that only 64% believe in the resurrection.  These numbers are sobering, but not surprising at all as our culture becomes more and more secular.

The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders

and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

                                                                                                                                    Luke 9:22

You may remember in last week’s lesson I mentioned again this idea of our need to “deny” self and “take up our [his] cross daily” (Luke 9:23).  This spiritual exhortation was on the heels of Jesus mentioning His own physical death on a cross and subsequent resurrection as noted in the verse above.  The fact of the matter is simple, there is no hope in Christianity outside of the resurrection of Christ…none!  Paul, as he sought to encourage the church in Corinth, said, “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” going on to say, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable” (1^st Corinthians 15:17, 19).  The resurrection is at the core of our hope!

I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me,

though he may die, he shall live.

                                                                                                                                    John 11:25

Okay, it is time to be honest about something.  As time passes, and life happens, the story of the resurrection can at times seem…difficult to grasp.  Our world has for years gone through the cycle of life and death, but few had witnessed a resurrection.  The bold statement of Jesus mentioned above is found in the story of Lazarus, something most are familiar with.  Jesus comes on the scene after Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days (John 11:17).  The mourning process was well on its way as people grieved together with Martha and Mary.  Martha, hearing that Jesus was on His way, went out to meet Him, expressing her wish that He had come sooner so that her brother would not have died.  But listen to what she says next, “But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You” (John 11:22).  Faith…right?  Well, as the story goes further, we find Jesus, along with Martha and Mary and those grieving with them at the tomb of Lazarus.  Jesus said, “Take away the stone” (John 11:39).  Martha’s response is understandable but appears to lack the faith of just moments ago, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days” (John 11:39).  Sometimes circumstances cause us to question what we believe.  Well, you know how the story ends, Lazarus is resurrected.

Fast forward to the events of the cross and the resurrection of Christ.  Even after being told of the empty tomb, some disciples thought it was “like idle tales” (Luke 24:11).  After showing Himself to His disciples, they shared it with Thomas who spoke these words, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe” (John 20:25).  Believing in the resurrection of Christ took faith then, as well as now.  Believing He can and will resurrect us as well, also takes faith.  It is in the reality of His resurrection that we have hope of our own resurrection.  He truly is the resurrection and the life, because He is RISEN!  Do you believe?

Dennis

I hope that you have noticed lately, that I have been spending a great deal of time in my lessons talking about God’s marvelous grace.  Do you remember what Paul wrote to Titus?  “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit…” (Titus 3:4-5)  It is so important that this be understood so we can safely transition to what God so desperately wants us to pursue in life; that is, His will through transformation.  If you recall from last week’s lesson, one of the reasons Paul expresses the previous words, was in order to inspire God’s people on how they should conduct themselves, which is part of God’s will.  Although God has “done the heavy lifting” when it comes to salvation, there is still work to be done or as Paul told Titus, “those who believed in God should be careful; to maintain good works” (Titus 3:8)..  God made a committed to do all He could to save sinful man and has followed it through with the giving of His Son, so what will be our response?

Now it happened as they Journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him,

“Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”

                                                                                                                                    Luke 9:57

Recently, while watching the television, a commercial came on for Planet Fitness.  Remember, the intent of advertising is to attract people to your product.  The emphasis of the commercial was “NO COMMITMENT MEMBERSHIP.”  I can say with certainty; I have never achieved any objective without commitment…ever!  Well, Jesus didn’t mix words with those who wished to follow Him during His ministry on earth, a ministry that lasted only three shorts years.  First, He lets them know that the road ahead is not easy, saying, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Luke 9:58).  He is not discouraging someone from following Him, He is simply being honest about the journey ahead.  Then, Jesus encourages another to follow Him, but that person expresses, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father” (Luke 9:59).  Reasonable request it would seem, right?  But Jesus knew His death was soon and there was no time for delay in preaching “the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:60).  Then, another expresses the willingness to follow Him, but first wants to “go and bid them farewell who are at my house” (Luke 9:61).  Jesus responds to him with these very sobering words, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).

If you recall, in last week’s lesson I spoke of our need as disciples of Christ to “deny ourselves (himself), and take up our (his) cross, and follow Me”; that is, Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:24).  As I reflect on this time in Jesus’s ministry, as He challenged those who wished to follow Him, I am reminded of the need for commitment.  So many want the benefits with as little commitment as possible, both then and now.  Jesus knows that such an attitude will not benefit the cause of the gospel.  As one person put it, “As a farmer could not plow straight furrows with his head back over his shoulder, so no one could really follow Jesus with less than full resolution.”

I am thankful for God’s continued mercy as we journey homeward, for I am in need of His forgiveness, because I at times, look back and become distracted.  It is during these moments that I must recommit myself to Him, knowing what He has already committed to me through His Son Jesus Christ.  So, with hand on the plow, let’s work the field together!

Dennis

So often in the Christian walk, the task at hand for us: that is, to “be holy, for I am holy” (1^st Peter 1:16) by being “imitators of God” (Ephesians 5:1), can get lost in the do’s and don’ts of life.  Just recently in bible class, the idea of a “check list” came up it our discussion as we sought to reason through our commitment to Christ in this world.  The fact of the matter is this, what God calls us to do in this world as His followers, is intimately woven into our awareness of what He has already done for us.  What He has done is provided an inexhaustible amount of mercy towards sinful man.

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey,

to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to

be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.

                                                                                                                                   Titus 3:1-2

The evangelist Titus was given a task to remind God’s people of how to conduct themselves, and in this case, it seems to be focusing on behavior towards those outside of Christ.  The words chosen by the Holy Spirit speak directly to the Christian’s battle with dying to self; be subject, obey, peaceable, humility.  What can help to empower us though, is the truth which follows this exhortation.  We read, “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another” (Titus 3:3).  Our calling to be Christlike in this lost and dying world can be overwhelming at times.  It can so easily be twisted into an “us” and “them” sort of attitude.  Although there is a difference between the two, we should never lose sight of the fact that we were once “them.”  Entangled in the workings of this sinful world, caught up in the allurement of selfish desires.  The message we are to bring them, is the message we ourselves needed, and still need to this day.

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward

man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we

have done, but according to His mercy he saved us…

                                                                                                                         Titus 3:5

Mercy; that is, God not giving us that which we deserve.  No amount of service!  No amount of transformation!  No amount of righteousness on our part could save us from what we deserve.  Paul said it concisely, “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23).  I believe it is this awareness that helps to empower us to live for Christ, realizing that we have “been justified by His grace” (Titus 3:7) “abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:6).  That same mercy which has been so graciously extended to us should be evidenced through us in our day to day interactions with others.  We do it because of mercy!

Dennis

Did you know that humans can survive for 45-61 days without eating?  Wow!  Mahatma Gandi, at one time, went for 21 days without food, only taking sips of water the whole time.  Survival dramatically changes, though, when we talk about water, for humans can only survive for about seven days without it.  The simple fact is, for the physical person to live and be productive in life, they need to nourish the body.

It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by

every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

                                                                          Matthew 4:4

I shared this verse with someone just the other day and it has been on my mind ever since.  You may remember, Jesus quotes this verse as He was being tempted by Satan after fasting in the wilderness for “forty days and forty nights” (Matthew 4:2).  Because of His humanity, Jesus was very hungry and so, Satan said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread” (Matthew 4:3).  It is at this time that Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 8:3 to fight against the temptation. If you recall, in a lesson just a couple weeks ago, while speaking of how God will use adversity (tribulations, trials) to help us to grow and develop hope, I spoke of this text and would like once again to revisit it.  Listen to what Jesus quoted from.

So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed

you with manna which you did not know nor did your

fathers know, that He might make you know that man

shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every

word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.

                                                                               Deuteronomy 8:3

There are a number of maladies attributed to the malnutrition of the human body: changes that seek to inform us that something is wrong, that someone is in need of sustenance.  This caused me to think about the spiritual man and his or her need for spiritual nourishment.  Jesus said of Himself, “I am the bread of life.  He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).  As we saw above in Matthew 4:4, there is also the awareness that God’s word plays a vital role in our spiritual nourishment.   So, here is a question to consider, “What signs occur in your life that say you are spiritually malnourished?”  Less time reading the word?  Less time in prayer?  Less time involved in spiritual transformation?  I suspect the list could go on.  The point is simple, spiritual malnutrition can be very hazardous.

The solution is simple in words, stay close to the source that can feed you spiritually.  Stay close to Jesus through prayer, study and fellowship.  Stay close to Jesus through service in His church, the kingdom.  If we do so, He will always make sure we are nourished.  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 6:6).

Dennis

Last week I spoke of the hope we should all have in Christ because of His redemptive work and how that hope is developed through times of tribulations.  Throughout time, God has been involved in the transformation of His people.  Consider these words that speak of Israel’s wanderings in the desert for forty years, “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not” (Deuteronomy 8:2).  This past week, I was reading through the gospel of Mark and came across the story of Jesus and the rich young ruler.  The young ruler asks, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17).   Confident in his obedience to the law of Moses, he is challenged by Jesus, “Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor…take up the cross, and follow Me” (Mark 10:21).  It is not that wealth was wrong; but rather, it was hindering him from being fully committed.  The young man left sorrowful.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…

1^st Peter 1:3

What God has blessed us with through Christ is beyond words at times.  Jesus Christ, our hope, has provided “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven” (1^st Peter 1:4) for us!  This joy of what we have in Christ, although real, does not and should not blind us with the fact that “now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials” (1^st Peter 1:6).  Much like the early church, we find ourselves challenged because of our convictions about Christ and His teachings.  More and more in our world today, believing Christ to be the only way, truth and life (John 14:6) is nothing short of ignorance and bigotry.  Words like “intolerant” echo through the airwaves of social media.  What is going on?

…you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith…may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ…

1^st Peter 1:7

It will only be after the “revelation of Jesus Christ” (i.e. judgment) that tribulations, trials and adversities come to an end.  Until then, the reality is, we live in a sinful world of which we were at one time, very much a part of (Titus 3:3).  The Lord is patient “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2^nd Peter 3:9).  So, we faithfully wait for His return.  Until then, we will encounter “various trials” (1^st Peter 1:7; James 1:2), which one could call the proving ground of our faith.  Opportunities for us to grow in our hope in Him, as we learned from Romans 5:1-5.  In a lost and dying world, there is truly only one hope, his name is Jesus!

As the tone towards Christianity changes and we find ourselves awkwardly faced with a culture that opposes us, what will we do?  Know this, God is involved, and He is working in your life.  He is using the world to refine us, proving our faith.  So, let us rejoice in Christ and sing, “Stand up, stand for Jesus ye soldiers of the cross. Lift high His royal banner.  It must not suffer loss.”  God, make me into the person You would have me to be, Amen.

Dennis

It is said that an optimist believes we live in the best of all possible worlds and the pessimist fears this is true.  As Jeremiah looked around at his world, he truly did not see “the best of all possible worlds.”  He also didn’t have disabling fear that this was as good as it can get.  He was able, through faith, to pen these extraordinary words while faced with immense adversity, “’The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’” (Lamentations 3:24)  His hope was not defined by his circumstances; instead, it was anchored in the reality of God and his steadfast love.

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation

produces perseverance, and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

                                                                                                                                    Romans 5:3-4

For those of us who are in Christ, we should say with certainty that our hope is in Him, our Lord and Savior.  We sing the song, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”  In Romans 5:1-2, Paul makes it clear that “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” enabling us to “rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”  But did you know that one’s hope can be refined?  But how you might ask?  One way is through tribulations.  Paul and Barnabas, as they worked with the early church, said, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).  As difficult as tribulations can be at times, it is to our benefit as Christians to see such events as opportunities for God to work in our lives.  The word produces means to do that from which something results.  In this case, it appears to be a sort of domino effect.  First, it effects perseverance or patience (NIV) which means steadfastness, constancy, endurance.  This sets the stage for the building of character or as the KJV translates this word, experience.  The word simply means approvedness, tried character.   The Psalmist writes, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way of everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).  The genuineness of one’s conviction is often revealed in the midst of adversity.  And when circumstances take all sense of earthly hope away, what is left is the only real hope for mankind.

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out

in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

                                                                                                                          Romans 5:5

As Jeremiah witnessed the devastation around him, he was overwhelmed with what was taking place.  Still, in the midst of such adversity, his anchor was unmoved: His hope was in the Lord!  For us today, as we place our hope in the redemptive work of Christ, we can face adversity with similar conviction.  The conviction that God is working in our lives and that this work will further develop, our understanding of real hope.  A hope that is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and His righteousness.  Therefore, I will have hope

Dennis