Playbook For Christian Living - Christ First

Play One: Putting Christ First

10.25.15

Football season is one of my favorite times of year. It is one of the most popular sports in the world. Every week mountain size men fling themselves at each other in hope of moving a small pigskin down a patch of grass and across a predetermined line. But these men do not do so haphazardly. They scheme and plan each move to maximize their objective. Like us watching the gladiators of the gridiron, Paul witnessed the games in the Roman Empire and had this to say: "Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable." - 1 Corinthians 9:26. As Christians we are to be mindful that we are not all about the physical world, but the spiritual one instead. In our Playbook For Christian Living, our first play is to Put Christ First. Jesus told it to his disciples this way in Matthew 6:33 - "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Let's look at this verse closer. 

1. Seek First

David writes in Psalms 37:3-5 "Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act." If we delight in the Lord, the desires of our heart will align with His will. Like a complex LEGO set on Christmas morning, you have to start with step one before you proceed or else the whole plan will be in frustration. Every down of football begins with lining up with the ball on what is called the line of scrimmage. Failure to take this first step will result in a penalty and you will not be able to finish the play you intended to execute. 

2. The Kingdom of God

I will point out two verses which demonstrates that the Kingdom of God is not of this world. It is not of the things we can buy or build. It is not about the temporary, but it is about the eternal. 

1 Corinthians 15:50 - "I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable." 

Romans 14:17 - "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

Since the Kingdom of God is not a physical place, it cannot be reached by physical means. There is no train or plane to take you there. It is by faith alone that allows us interest into the spiritual Kingdom of God. 

Matthew 6:33 obviously is a verse which follows earlier verses and statements by Christ. Verses 25 to 32 of this same chapter describes the "all these" things which Jesus is speaking of. They can be categorized as a) Food and clothing b)Security c)Time and d)Blessings. Who in this world does not seek these things too often for themselves at the expense of relationships, health, and even their soul. They are the forces which drive manufacturers and marketers to develop products and advertising to manipulate our base desires. Just watch a late night infomercial on t.v. promoting the latest kitchen gadget that you MUST have so that you can prepare your meal faster and therefore give you healthy food, slimmer waists, and more free time. All in one product! Wow! 

Our heavenly Father already knows that we need these things, and he is happy to share them, but we must have our priorities straight! A person who is incapable of handling limited resources and blessings, will certainly fail to manage lots of resources and blessings. Consider the number of Lotto winners who later file for bankruptcy. Lack or abundance of resources is not the core issue. 

4. We Already Have Everything

In Ephesians 3:16-19, Paul is praying for the Ephesians. He is asking for a blessing from God for the church. He prays: 

"According to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

God's riches is his glory! Is is far greater than we can imagine! He is wanting to share it all with us, so that we reach the fullness of God. 

5. Content In The Situation

When we are filled with God in our life, and reach towards the fullness of Him, then we will be like Paul who wrote in Philippians 4:11-13 - "Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

Seek Him first, and His Kingdom and right ways, and then all the things of our hearts will come into alignment with his and he will fulfill our desires because they will become like his. We must learn in the game of Christian Living, we must approach our line of scrimmage and line up properly, putting Christ first in our life! 

Small But Mighty - Seven Letters To Seven Churches

8.16.15
"To The Church Of Sardis - Revelation 3:1-6"

Identity of Jesus

(v.1) He who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

In Isaiah 11:2 we read where there are six characteristics to the spirit of God: wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, and fear or awe for the LORD. We learn the seventh trait of the Spirit of God in Acts 9:31 - comfort. Jesus is revealing to this church that is so self sufficient that it is He which gives these things that are so important to life. Who among us would not want more wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, and comfort? Jesus is offering himself and these traits to the church of Sardis and to us today.

Commendation

None. One of two churches that nothing good is said for them.

Complaint

(v.2) I know your deed - you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

Jesus had a similar complaint of the Jewish leaders while he was teaching in the temple one day he commented  that they were "like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside were full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean." (Matthew 23:27) It is easy in today's culture to look at churches with growing numbers, big campuses and believe they are alive. Many are! But we must be careful to think of activity as life. Many people and many churches are all about good works, but fail to be doing Godly ones. Spiritual maturity is the goal. Jesus warns in John 15 that God the Father will prune his vineyard of dead branches. We must be connected to our sustainer Jesus if we are to be found alive!

You may know (or may be) a person who is active. Always on the go. I knew a man like that once. I asked him to mentor me because I believed he was doing great things in his life and in the church. After awhile, I realized he was constantly busy, starting new things, but never seeing them to fruition. In the end, I concluded that he had the appearance of fruit, but in the end was just showing the blooms with no harvest. Kinda like the fig tree Jesus cursed in Mark 11.

Consequences and Comments

(v.3) Remember what you have received and heard - obey it and repent! Wake up!

The people of Sardis had received the message and teachings of Jesus. Jesus told his followers in John 6:63 that "the Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you - they are full of Spirit and life." The church of Sardis and we today have the words of Christ which gives life! This treasure is sufficient for us to obey and know what is good and beneficial.

Jesus also Admonishes the people of Sardis to "wake up!" We need to be alert, not ignoring the details of our walk. Too many people are asleep spiritually. They are walking through life with their eyes shut to spiritual matters. I believe Jesus is asking us to "Rise and shine" and see the world around us through his eyes.

Promise

(vs.4-5) Some have not soiled their clothes, he who walks like them will be dressed in white and Jesus will not blot their name from the Book of Life, but acknowledge their name before all of heaven.

Throughout the Old and New Testament the image of white clothes represents the righteousness of that person. Jesus is telling telling the church that if we walk with Jesus - not soiling our clothes - we will be seen as white with righteousness. If we are faithful and overcome we will be sure to have our name recorded forever in the Book of Life. IT is important to note that Revelation 20:15 tells us that if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, they will be thrown into the Lake of Fire along with Death, Satan, and Hell. There in the Lake they will be eternally punished. Jesus is offering to those who do not corrupt themselves and remain righteous to have their names in the Book.

Takeaway

God has given us the Spirit which brings all that is needed for life. We can face the trials and tribulations of this world and remain white with righteousness through the blood of the Lamb and our testimony (Revelation 12:11). The blood of the Lamb allows us to be forgiven, which is the greatest testimony! In fact, it is the ONLY testimony we have.