Hearken, O’ Earth

Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face.
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.
By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And as for His generation, who considered
That He was cut off out of the land of the living
For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
His grave was assigned with wicked men,
Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

But the Lord was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.
As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities.
Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors.

The Supremacy of Suffering

“Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:10-13, NASB).

With the commitment to follow Christ faithfully, the Christian sets upon a markedly different path than the rest of the world. It is within the confines of undeserved suffering for the sake of the gospel that we see a natural division; evil men and impostors will not suffer (in innocence), but proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived by their contemporary deceivers. They belong to their father, Satan; the father of lies.

Yet the one who suffers for Christ’s sake will not only find growth in godliness, but deliverance by the Lord from trials. However, this deliverance does not always mean the avoidance of a painful death, as we see that Paul even knows he will inevitably meet this end (2 Tim. 4:6).

Instead though, we find from many today the desire to avoid pain and suffering at all costs. Many who claim Christ even fall headlong into believing the foolish worldview that all suffering is evil, leading some to call the crucifixion “cosmic child abuse” because a truly loving God would not allow such atrocities to fall upon His Son.

For the one who truly follows Christ, suffering for His sake is unavoidable (Matt. 10:22-23; John 15:20). If we do not suffer in the least for professing His name, we ought to ask if we have truly followed Him, and not sought to “put our hand to the plow, yet look back” (Luke 9:62).

For any who are left wondering if we are called to prosperity and health, I would simply look at the life of those who profess and teach it. Have they grown in godliness through suffering – or – have they grown in wickedness, licentiousness, backbiting, adultery, deception, and any other practices of those whom cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:8-10)?

I have heard many who look at such teachings and teachers only to say, “I will do what God tells me to do” in response to any criticism. While we do well to “do what God tells us to do,” if what we believe He is telling us is not found within His Word in it’s proper context, we may well find that we are impostors, unwilling to suffer for the name of Jesus and inherit our reward in heaven, yet willing to “name and claim” our reward in this life. This belief is contrary to the gospel.

Cherry picking the scriptures in order to tickle our own ears will only lead to us rejecting sound doctrine and turning aside to myths and fables (2 Tim. 4:3-4). The deceived therefore turn into deceivers, heaping gasoline upon the stubble and hay that is their foundation already on course to be consumed by fire (1 Cor. 3:12-13).

One of the many issues on doctrines such as these is that they propagate a false view of Jesus Christ. They breed theologies that picture Jesus saying, Come follow me for your Beemer. Come follow me for your secure job. Come follow me for perfect health. Come follow me for your paid bills, stocked fridge, comfy bed, and children. Come follow me to be rid of any and all suffering on earth.

Yet Jesus did not promise freedom from pain and suffering in this life. He promised only that we would have freedom from the bondage of sin, and that this freedom would bring glorious joy in Him. Joy so insurmountable that when your daughter gets cancer, you can still say, the Lord is faithful, sovereign, and Lord over all, including my daughter’s cancer; that when your husband dies in a car accident you can say, The lord giveth, the Lord taketh. Blessed be the name of the Lord; that when you can’t feed your children lunch today because you’re living paycheck to paycheck to survive, you may plead, Lord, give us this day our daily bread.

We have become so fat and happy in our friendship with this world that we have believed many of the blessings we receive are what comes with following Jesus. We lack in contentment, seeking a new job every other couple months because we find something newer and better, only so we can amass more toys or buy a new home. We have delighted in building treasure on earth where moth and rust destroy. Is it any wonder then that even though we say we despise the prosperity gospel that we tend to believe it just a little bit ourselves?

Yes, all good things come from the Lord, in whom there is no variance (James 1:17); yet is it not amazing that immediately before James pens this, he urges for persevering and rejoicing in the midst of our trials?

Where is our treasure? Wherever it is, there the desires of our heart are also (Matt. 6:21). Is it Jesus? We know the good Christian answer is “yes,” but is it really Jesus? If it is, then we will desire godliness, and for the sake of this, persecution.

Now do not mistake that I mean we will outright seek to be flogged and beaten, but simply that to desire godliness is to desire persecution, for we know from Paul implication to young Timothy that they will go hand in hand. Christ even told us that if we follow Him, we will suffer as well. To desire to follow Christ is to desire to pick up the means of our execution and carry it to the place of our execution (Matt. 6:24). It is that radical.

Notice how closely in context here that we see Christ speaking about the desires of our hearts only to go on and say that if we desire Him, we will be willing to die to self – for He is the utmost treasure of our hearts. It is complete sacrifice. It is becoming the least of all men so that Christ may be made the greatest in the sight of those who look upon us. It is being willing to endure through all kinds of suffering and malevolent treatment for the sake of the gospel so that we may rejoice in it, counting every second as beautiful because the gospel has been evidenced and Christ has been exalted.

 

“God had one son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering” – Augustine

The Church Needs Solid Teachers

The church needs solid teachers. The statement in and of itself is one that most Christians would heartily agree with, yet if we were to take a closer look at the church, more specifically the American church, we would see it replete with massive errors in theology. We see long running heresies, and I mean long running heresies in every extent of that phrase, that dominate the church.

In one corner a man preaches that if you would have enough faith – you can be free of weakness and disease and death; that YOU have power and victory over such silly things as these. What do you tell the family of a faithful elder who just died of cancer? He didn’t have enough faith? He didn’t believe in the power that he has been given over death in Christ? Did all of the apostles not have enough faith because they were martyred for the sake of Christ? Then again, did Christ not have enough faith as the Son of God because He wasn’t free from suffering and died upon the cross rather than claiming dominion over it?

In another sector, you have a man like Joel Osteen preaching that you can have your best life now. I wonder what he does when he glosses over such verses like Matthew 16:24, 1 Peter 2:21, Acts 14:22, and Philippians 1:29? What does he teach when a person comes to him and says, “I want to be a godly man – how can I do this?” Does he once mention a verse such as 2 Timothy 3:12 that overtly states that all who desire to become godly will suffer? Does the preacher who is not a blatant heretic like Osteen even tell his flock this bit of information? I wonder in this, what reason would anyone have to look forward to heaven if they are able to have their best life now?

And yet again, you see a man like Benny Hinn who flagrantly and unabashedly condones literal hysterics for spirituality. How about we look at an example of a preacher who may not even take in the flailing, wild convulsions and simply endorses that we have a secret prayer language in the tongues of angels. At first glance, it seems a little odd, but it isn’t crazy right? They aren’t having people flop around on the ground wildly or crying out hysterically. Sure, they even are following things in an orderly manner and doing it in private to their own edification. But can they say that even one noise they have muttered is intelligible (1 Cor. 14:6-25)? Are they even utilizing this gift of the Spirit as they should be, scripturally speaking? I see no strong evidence for cessation, but I also do not see a prescription for babbling in an unknown language. Perhaps Paul is simply using hyperbolic speech when he says, If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” Perhaps it also isn’t prescriptive because Paul is rebuking the Corinthians for their lack of understanding the gift of tongues. Perhaps he is also showing them that what they lack is not speaking in tongues, but abiding in love.

And then there are women who become pastors over men. They explain away any verses like 1 Timothy 2:12 and their surrounding context by saying things like, “He was talking specifically to those people in that time period” or “It isn’t an imperative command” or “The Greek actually doesn’t say that.” Well, first, do you even know what you’re talking about?

Even atheists who haven’t a care in the world about God will look at examples like these and see how inept they are at explaining what scripture really says. If there is one thing you can commend an atheist for, it’s their brutal honesty about how they just don’t like what the text says. The sad thing is, these are just a few examples about horribly wrong theology. There are others that are far across the board that people just aren’t willing to deal with and accept; yet they will claim the name of Christ and declare that they are His followers.

But here’s where the really important stuff comes in; here’s where the rubber meets the road, so to speak:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” (Matthew 10:1-5)

His sheep not only recognize His voice, but also actively flee from the voice of a stranger. In fact, they cannot be His sheep unless they are the ones whom the Father has given Him, and they know His voice. But lets camp on the notion of those who actually hear His voice actively fleeing from the voice of a stranger. In other words, they won’t even come remotely close to the stranger because they know that he is not the One who holds the Words of life.

So what does this mean for those who do not accept the truth of scripture? It means that they love the voice of the stranger; they love false teaching. In fact, they can’t get enough of it, so they heap up teachers who will tickle their ears and they will not tolerate sound doctrine. Paul warned Timothy of this very thing, saying that a time would come when all this would take place (2 Timothy 4:1-4). All throughout church history, this is something that is not foreign or even unsuspected. This is why the church needs solid teachers. The church needs faithful men who are not afraid of proclaiming truth, week in and week out, regardless of how anyone feels about what they have to say – because they are convinced that this is the very Word of God and it is Truth. They are convinced that no matter how it is received, the people gathering inside the church to listen to them preach need to hear it. They can’t help but preach it because they know it and recognize it, and they can’t help but to flee from the one who is a stranger.

Prepare Your Hearts

There is much simplistic splendor in the act of taking communion; we take two very common elements of every day life and we ingest them. Yea, it is but a mere morsel of bread and bit of wine – yet there is profound meaning to it. It is in this task that we have been charged to recollect what the good Lord, Jesus Christ, has done upon the cross. In what would otherwise be a mundane and meaningless task, we partake in a physical reminder of the entirety of the truth of God’s Word in but a few short minutes. We take in the reminder of the Immaculate Conception, Christ’s life and death, His resurrection, and all prophecy concerning past and future events.

How this is so much more than just a piece of bread and drip of wine! It is the proclamation of the gospel in its entirety! There is no grand significance to the elements, for they only represent the grand significance in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The bread, if uneaten, will mold and the fermented drink shall turn to bitter vinegar if not consumed. How then shall one make so great an idol out of such trifles as these? The significance resides therein the blessing, which comes from communion; indeed, this is no measure of special grace or merit; it does not endow the member will copious amounts of faith; it does not provide love. The act in and of itself performs nothing.

It is simple, yet profound; common, yet elegant and precious; plain, yet comely and not to be taken lightly. Why then is such a thing treasured if it remains common in its elemental form? The truth is that the bread and drink are common, yet communion with the saints is not.

It remains an intimate way in which we can proclaim our faith remains solely and steadfastly in the risen Christ. It proclaims that we have been bought with an incredible price. It proclaims that we remain in dedication to walk in humility before the Lord, obey the scriptures, walk in harmony with our brothers and sisters, give exceeding grace and mercy to every man, and proclaim the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ through the utmost clarity of deliverance in speech and deed.

This is why communion is so special: it brings reminder to our soul that we were but sinners in the hands of an angry God who delightedly brought Himself glory through the means of salvation in Jesus Christ. If partaking in such a deed does not bring meditation upon how a just and holy God could forgive wretched men by taking unmerciful vengeance upon His only begotten Son, let us re-examine our faith carefully.

Let not the seemingly mundane act become meaningless or trite; let not the insignificance of the food and drink lure you to a point of dullness. Rejoice in the spectacular notion that Christ willingly paid the penalty of mankind’s sin – and in this, it was well pleasing to the Father. Justice was meted in a wholly acceptable sacrifice that would end all sacrifices.

Yet take appraisal of your heart, lest one of you would become as the Corinthians whom Paul rebukes for their rampant carnality. Do not be as the man whom John warns us about, who commits a sin that leads to death. Do not take communion without seeking resolution with your brother.  Certainly, do not approach communion in an unworthy manner, leading to serious illness or death.

Take heed, lest your heart is hardened in the years that come to pass, if the Lord wills you live to see many more years. Take heed this moment rather, that you do not turn such a wondrous thing into nothing more than the task of eating and drinking. Remember well your sins, recalling also that you have escaped the wrath of God in everlasting anguish, having now come to the privilege of delighting in and glorifying Him eternally through Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

 

“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom’” (Matthew 26: 26-29).