Pandemic Tip #4

March 22, 2020

There are a lot of things to do at home during this time of self-imposed isolation. There are plenty of books being offered for free. [BTW, if you can find anything by C. S. Johnson grab it. She writes “young adult” type books along the “urban fantasy” and “space opera” genres.] Want to learn to play the guitar? Look around, someone is offering free lessons on-line. Art classes are being made available for no charge. Chess lessons are being offered for free. There is always YouTube; where it’s been said anyone can learn anything. You name it, it’s probably available. Go ahead and learn something new or brush up on an old skill. The extension of good will is impressive.

The real human need is contact with others. If they are family, friends, and neighbors; the bottom line is humans are social creatures that need to interact with one another. It’s the way we are designed by our Creator. However, at this point we are being told to practice “social distancing” (which some would argue is NOT enough). Which means we are going to feel a deep sense of isolation, even if we find distraction.

Technology has given us several ways to stay connected. To steal a phrase from an old TV show, “phone a friend.” Some of us still have “phones with tails.” (The ones that plug into the wall and have a curly cord between the handset and the rest of the contraption.) Others are carrying incredible computers in our pockets that can even show us live pictures of the people we are chatting with… or maybe write a short note.  Sure it’s not the physical proximity and contact that we crave and need, but it is contact.

Calling someone is a way to find out if some is in need or if help is required. It's also a great time to share stories and maybe laugh together. You never know what you might learn.

Speaking of calling someone, maybe one of the best calls we could make is to God.  In Psalm 86:7 David admits, “In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You, For You will answer me.” [KJV] David's life was not easy, it should have been but his disobedience and criminal activity cost him dearly. Through it all David maintained his prayer life and experienced mercy and grace.

My suspicion is what we need most is a meaningful, authentic, and right relationship with God. Go ahead, give Him a call. You might be surprised to find that He’s listening and cares more about you than you could possibly imagine. You might just find the mercy and grace you desperately need in this life, and in eternity.

Passionate Change

Matthew 21:12 – 17

PASSIONATE CHANGE

Mat 21:12  And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.

Mat 21:13  He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers."

Mat 21:14  And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

Mat 21:15  But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant,

Mat 21:16  and they said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, "'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise'?"

     

Mat 21:17  And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

I.          Jesus’ Authority

            A.         What is happening?

           

                        1.          Jesus drives out those who bought and sold AND money-changers.

                        2.         Two doves might have cost 5 cents…. In the temple as much as $4.

                        3.         Functional: travelers could not bring their own animals to sacrifice.

                        4.         Purity: The court of the Gentiles… unclean… buffer to the holy.

              5.       The court of the Gentiles (and those who were physically imperfect) was full… people had difficult time entering the Temple…

(Imagine entering the Temple: It’s crowded, it’s loud, it smells bad, you have to watch where you step, and it’s a swirl of everything except praise and prayer….)

B.         What is Jesus doing?

                                1.            Jesus is clearing space for people to enter the Temple.

                                                a.            The religious leaders where “gatekeeping” (deciding who could enter                                                                    and who could not.)

                                                b.            The religious leaders where distracting from the worship of God.

                                                c.             The people were being taken advantage of…

                                2.            Jesus is claiming ownership: “My house.” [John 2:16]

                                                a.            When Jesus was asked for a sign: “Jesus answered them, "Destroy                                                  this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” [John 2:19]

                                    b.         We are the temple of God: “Do you not know that you are God's                                                             temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?” [1 Corinthians 3:16]

                        3.         Jesus is challenge the authority of the religious leaders. 

                                    a.         Religion is self-serving.

                                     b.        Jesus is self-sacrificing.

II.        Our Power

            A.         “House of prayer”

                        1.          Isaiah 56:7 “these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful                                     in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be                                accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all                        peoples."

                                    a.         Notice the key words: holy, joyful, accepted, prayer (FOR ALL                                              PEOPLES)

                                    b.         The worship of God is an invitation FOR ALL.

And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. [Ezekiel 22:30]

                        2.         It is a place for REPENTANCE (“sacrifices”)

                                   

                                    a.         “Holy” means separate (clean)

                                   

                                    b.         The bringing of sacrifices was generally in repentance,                                                          acknowledgment of sin and the penalty.

                                   

                                    c.         PRAYER: our direct communication with God.

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.’ [Hebrews 4:16]

III.       Our Pitfall

            A.         “Den of robbers.”

“Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, [10]  and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, 'We are delivered!'—only to go on doing all these abominations? [11] Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD.”  [Jeremiah 7:9 – 11]

                        1.          A place where sin is safe.

           

                                    a.         A place were sinners are not disturbed… comfortable, unjudged

                                    b..        A place were saints are not motivated… comfortable, lukewarm.

                        2.         A place to cover-up and protect.

                                    a.         No need to repent, admit sin, or deal with sin.

                       

                                    b.         There is an unspoken “fellowship” that creates “comfort.”

            B.         Prevent those in need from entering:

                        1.          Matthew 21:14 à blind and lame are healed!

                        2.         Matthew 21:15 à Children shouting praise!          

                        3.         The religious? “Indignant” (angry)

IV.       An honest “moral inventory.”

                A.            Lack of prayer….

                                1.            Means judgmental gatekeeping.

                                2.            Means sin running us. (Regular need for confession and repentance.)

                                3.            Means a brutal but comfortable separation from God.

                                4.            Means an utter lack of power… settled pointlessness.

                B.            God’s house: place to worship, the church, and our life.

                                1.            Can you imagine the change that would happen if we committed ourselves to                                                   prayer…?

                                2.            Can you imagine what would happen if we actually spent time with God?

                                3.            Imagine the freedom from sin, the ability to say no to things that weigh us                                                          down, and the answers we would have to prayer…

Matthew 6:7-13 “Teach Us to Pray”

Matthew 6:7-13

“Teach Us to Pray”

I.             Prayer starts with desire.

                A.            Luke 11:1, “When Jesus had finished praying, one of his disciples said to                                          him,  “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his followers to pray.”

                                1.            This is the only time in the Gospels the disciples asked Jesus to teach     them                                                         anything.

                                2.            If you study Jesus’ prayer life you will be amazed. Many of us to not think about                                                               how dependent Jesus was on prayer.

                B.            Apparently at least one of his disciples, most likely John, asks Jesus specifically to                                         teach them how to pray.

                                1.            We must want to learn to pray.

                                2.            We must be willing to have Jesus teach us.

I I.           Prayer distinguishes the believer.

                A.            “When you pray, don’t pour out a flood of empty words, as the Gentiles do. They think                                               that by saying many words they’ll be heard.” [7]

                                1.            The idea of a flood of empty words is translated “do not keep on babbling like                                                   pagans” in the NIV. The King James Version says “use not vain repetitions.”

                                2.            This goes back to the pagan practice which believes that saying prayers over and                                              over will win the favor of the gods.

                B.            “Don’t be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask.” [8]

                                1.            Jesus expects his followers to be different.

                                2.            Christian prayer is different. It is based on relationship to God and his                                                                    knowledge and power.

                                                a.            The concept of God as “Father” is a major change in how we view God.

                                                b.            God as “Father” is a very intimate relationship that is unknown in other                                                                                 religions.

I I I.         Prayer develops deeper relationship with God.

                A.            “Pray like this: Our Father who is in heaven, uphold the holiness of your name.” [9]

                                1.            Some people understand this as worship.

                                2.            Holiness is a main concept about God. We are constantly told by God that he is                                                 holy and because of that we are to be holy.

                B.            Jesus continues, “Bringing in your kingdom so that your will is done on earth as it is                                    done in heaven.” [10]

                                1.            The reason Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will be done on earth like it is                                                        done in heaven is because God’s will is not always done on earth.

                                2.            The reality is humans have the ability to resist God’s will. The effect of this                                                          rebellion means that God’s will is not necessarily done on earth.

I V.         Prayer establishes dependency on God.

                A.            “Give us the bread we need for today. Forgive us for the ways we have wronged you,                                   just as we also forgive those who wronged us. And don’t lead us into temptation, but                                  rescue us from the evil one.” [11-13]

                                1.            Jesus taught us to pray for our physical needs.

                                2.            Jesus taught us to pray for our forgiveness.        

                                3.            Jesus taught us to pray for spiritual protection.

                B.            There are several realities that we have to understand in this section.

                                1.            We are dependent on God for our daily food. In a land of plenty this may be                                                      hard for us to understand but it is a reality for much of the world.            

                                2.            When our theology tries to teach us that we are “sinless,” this idea can be                                                           difficult for us to understand.

               

“If we claim, “we don’t have any sin,” we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from everything we’ve done wrong. If we claim,” we have never sinned,” we make him a liar and his word is not in us.” [1 John 1:8-10]

*****In other words what the Bible is telling us is that no one can claim to be without individual acts of sin. We can however confess those sins. When we do confess them God is both faithful to us and his justice because Jesus has died on the cross to save us from our sins.*****

                                3.            The reality is there is a personal “evil one” that is aggressively seeking to destroy                                              us. Only God can effectively protect us.

                                                a.            It is important for us to understand that God does not lead us into                                                                           temptation.

                                                b.            One idea here is that the word quote temptation unquote is not an                                                                        accurate translation. The Greek term is quote “peirasmos” can mean                                                                     “test of character.”

                                                                1.)           This may be a plea to avoid unpleasant testing. This is different                                                                                 than Judaism of its day that prayed for testing.

                                                                2.)           This may also be a plea to avoid the final end times. The term                                                                                     temptation is connected to the last judgment.

                                                                3.)           Since Jesus did not speak Greek, the Aramaic word most likely                                                                                  used here would have meant “cause us not to enter.” In other                                                                                  words, God is protecting us.

ü  So we begin with desire to pray by learning from Jesus.

ü  We are distinguished from those who do not know God the way we pray.

ü  We develop closer relationship with our Heavenly Father.

ü  And we learn dependence for things that we might not give much thought to such as food, forgiveness, and fighting spiritual forces of darkness.