Last Sunday marked two years...
Last Sunday marked our 2 year journey as a church through the book of Matthew. We are now in chapter 26 and walking in the trial scene. I am continuing to learn so much as we slow down and look at each event that Matthew records for us. This Sunday will be no different with the background material about Jewish trials of the time and how this one did not follow suit.
It got me to the point of anger at those who were twisting the law for their benefit and still standing up looking righteous. For the followers of Christ, Jesus' actions and words expose the wrong over and over but it doesn't seem penetrate their hearts except for two that are not mentioned until later, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. So there were 71 on the council that "tried" Jesus but only 2 had hearts for Him. It takes me back to the wide road and narrow road and the four soils and the one leper coming back to say thanks out of the 10. The numbers are always smaller than we want them to be.
In our world where the focus is always bigger is better, that thought has spilled over into the church, we have sacrificed "the truth" for what is "true for me." I just finished going through the New City Catechism, the 52 questions of the faith to teach adults and children biblical foundations of the Christian faith. Oh how we have missed this. We have situations in our churches that are there because we have not taught and lived out these foundations on the many levels. Our children are walking out into a world that has a lot of different answers about life and we haven't given them something to measure them against. It is almost like they are starting new and every thought is on equal ground and there are some very persuasive people and thoughts out there.
A young lady asked me a question this week about Buddha or the religion of Buddha and how to respond to someone who is questioning when he was alive and when Jesus was alive. Since Buddha was physically alive 500 years before Jesus was alive than that made his claims of truth just as valid was the thought. It was taking this young Christian back to the truth that Jesus is eternal and Jesus was before and Jesus came out of that to show us God. He lived and died and rose again to ascend to the right hand of God for His second coming. Buddha was just a man who lived and died. Jesus was God and said He was God and through Him all things were made, even Buddha. Which came from the chicken or the egg? If you follow that the chicken did because God created the animals and then to reproduce then Jesus is the chicken and Buddha is the egg. It was through this process that I saw how the simple truths of the Bible were the answer to the question. It also showed me how in the world's view Jesus is on the same level as any other moral teacher out there. What I am seeing is that our children and even those in the pews think the same way or don't know how to explain the difference.
I realize that I need to make sure to emphasize those truths through the teaching and preaching opportunities that I have. I need to help the few to realize the "Rock" they have to stand upon in this world. Maybe this is my New Year's Resolution or revelation of what I need to focus on this year.
Adam
It got me to the point of anger at those who were twisting the law for their benefit and still standing up looking righteous. For the followers of Christ, Jesus' actions and words expose the wrong over and over but it doesn't seem penetrate their hearts except for two that are not mentioned until later, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. So there were 71 on the council that "tried" Jesus but only 2 had hearts for Him. It takes me back to the wide road and narrow road and the four soils and the one leper coming back to say thanks out of the 10. The numbers are always smaller than we want them to be.
In our world where the focus is always bigger is better, that thought has spilled over into the church, we have sacrificed "the truth" for what is "true for me." I just finished going through the New City Catechism, the 52 questions of the faith to teach adults and children biblical foundations of the Christian faith. Oh how we have missed this. We have situations in our churches that are there because we have not taught and lived out these foundations on the many levels. Our children are walking out into a world that has a lot of different answers about life and we haven't given them something to measure them against. It is almost like they are starting new and every thought is on equal ground and there are some very persuasive people and thoughts out there.
A young lady asked me a question this week about Buddha or the religion of Buddha and how to respond to someone who is questioning when he was alive and when Jesus was alive. Since Buddha was physically alive 500 years before Jesus was alive than that made his claims of truth just as valid was the thought. It was taking this young Christian back to the truth that Jesus is eternal and Jesus was before and Jesus came out of that to show us God. He lived and died and rose again to ascend to the right hand of God for His second coming. Buddha was just a man who lived and died. Jesus was God and said He was God and through Him all things were made, even Buddha. Which came from the chicken or the egg? If you follow that the chicken did because God created the animals and then to reproduce then Jesus is the chicken and Buddha is the egg. It was through this process that I saw how the simple truths of the Bible were the answer to the question. It also showed me how in the world's view Jesus is on the same level as any other moral teacher out there. What I am seeing is that our children and even those in the pews think the same way or don't know how to explain the difference.
I realize that I need to make sure to emphasize those truths through the teaching and preaching opportunities that I have. I need to help the few to realize the "Rock" they have to stand upon in this world. Maybe this is my New Year's Resolution or revelation of what I need to focus on this year.
Adam
Comments
Post a Comment