Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

What are you passionate about? Do like football, basketball, or some other sport? What about shopping? Do you call everyone you know when you find a good sale? Is it easy to talk about these things with family, friends, or strangers?

Many times a complete stranger will start talking about the weather or a traffic jam, or just about anything. Most of us don’t have a problem talking about what we think is important. We will even fight over politics because that is what we are passionate about. But what about God?

¹¹ “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. ¹² Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

                                                                                             Matthew 5:11-12

³² “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. ³³ But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

                                                                                            Matthew 10:32

If someone asks if you are a Christian, do you tell them you are?  Are you ashamed to tell them? Are you afraid of what they might think or say? What if it could cost you your life? If others don’t ask if you are a Christian, can they tell by your actions that you are?  

This is not anything new. People denying Christ goes back to when Jesus dwelt among men in human flesh. Joseph of Arimathea was a closet disciple until Jesus death (John 19:38; Luke 23:50-53 ). Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, for fear of the Jews (John 3:1-21).

Probably the best known denial of Jesus was that of Simon Peter. When Jesus was arrested, Peter denied Jesus three times (Matthew 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72).

When I was a boy, I proudly professed my faith in Christ. I took a tongue lashing on numerous occasions for this. By the time I was in high school, I was selective of who I professed my faith to. At eighteen, when I joined the Marine Corps, I was embarrassed to reveal that I was a Christian. I had actually thought when I became a Marine I wouldn’t care what others thought of me. The problem was, this was a sickness in my spiritual life. I had to get my life right with Him before I would have the boldness to proclaim my Savior and not care what the world thought. Needless to say, satan was always there to plant seeds of doubt wherever possible. I would have thoughts about how little I knew of the Bible.

If someone asked me a question, I might not know the answer. Pride was my disease. It wasn’t until later, when I began to grow in my faith that I began to profess my faith no matter what anyone thought. Today I am proud to proclaim my faith, but it is not based on what others think, or if I know all the answers. It is based on my love for Him, because He loved, and saved a wretched sinner like me. He lives in my heart, and because of that, I seek to tell all others about Him. It is He that gives me the courage and the strength to share Him with others. Praise God He has done such a work in a hopeless sinner such as I. Like Paul, I am honored to suffer for His sake. Compared to the cross He bore for me, anything I suffer is nothing.  

 The hatred of the world:        John 15:18-27

Jesus warns of persecution:  John 16:1-3

“I have overcome the world:  John 16:25-33

If we deny Christ, can we be restored? The answer is a resounding “Yes!”

After Jesus rose from the grave and talked with the disciples, he asked Peter three times if he loved Him (John 21:15-19). I believe Jesus asked Peter for affirmation for each time Peter had denied Him in the temple. With Peter (as with all the disciples except John), this came with a cost. Peter would be killed, but he would never again deny his Lord.

Some of those who gladly proclaimed Jesus are:

John the Baptist; lived in the desert  (Luke 3:1-20)

Mary Magdalene; was there to see where Jesus was buried and came to    anoint Him on the third day (all four Gospels)

The Samaritan Woman; an adultress  (John 4:25-30)

The Demoniac; was possessed  (Luke 8:26-39)

A Prostitute  (Luke 7:36-39)

A Centurion; Roman military commander  (Luke 7:1-10)

A Blind Man  (John 9:1-38)

Lazarus, Mary, and Martha; Lazarus was raised from the dead  (John 11;1-46)

The Desciples; after Pentecost

The question today is, are you willing to suffer persecution, even death for the sake of Christ? What a little thing it is to suffer what others say about you, even if it costs you your life, for the reward that awaits you in heaven. 

How much do you want to hear “Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter in to the presence of thy Lord.”

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself Part 1

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

What does this mean?

Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.                                                                                      Matthew 7:12

³⁵ Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
³⁷ Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

The two greatest commandments: Love God and love your neighbor

                                                                                                            Matthew 22:35-40

Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, and Luke 10:27 all record this statement.

Jesus stated that the first and most important command was to love God. If we don’t love God above all else, we are incapable of following the second. The second command is to “love our neighbor as ourselves.”  If Jesus, who is God, says that this is the second most important command, then should we not take it seriously?

If we are in agreement on this, then let us look at some other passages that reflect who loves, or does not love their neighbor.

Who is my neighbor?

 ³⁰ Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹ Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. ³³ But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. ³⁴ So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ ³⁶ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
³⁷ And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

                                                                                                            Luke 10:30-37

The Jews hated the Samaritans. During the Babylonian captivity, the Jews who remained behind, married peoples outside of the Jewish race. God had forbidden this, and thus when the captives returned from Babylon and Persia, they rejected the Jews who had inter-married. This division was so great, the lawyer could not bring himself to answer the question using the word Samaritan. Instead, he says “He who showed mercy on him.”

This saying of Jesus would have been extremely offensive to any true blooded Jew. How better to show what Jesus meant by loving everyone. We are to love EVERYONE! Regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, or background, we are commanded to Love our neighbor. This does not mean we overlook or condone sinful behavior, but we must still love one another. When Jesus was dying on the cross, he said “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)  Jesus was not referring to His disciples here, but those who mocked and ridiculed Him; and you and me.

See Luke 6:27-38 (love your enemies)

Jonah and the Ninevites

¹ Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, ² “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” ³ But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

                                                                                                               Jonah 1:1-3

¹ But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. ² So he prayed to the LORD, and said, “Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. ³ Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”
⁴ Then the LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

                                                                                                            Jonah 4:1-4

The Lord had commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach about His coming judgment. Jonah, like all the Jews, hated Nineveh. The Ninevites were notoriously cruel and had oppressed Israel. Jonah wasn’t scared to go, but he knew God’s nature and that He would spare Nineveh if they repented. Jonah’s hatred was so great, that even though he heard God audibly, he still rebelled.

We all know the story of how Jonah was swallowed by the fish, so let’s now move forward to the post revival. The people of Nineveh did repent, and the King led his subjects to repent, even causing the people and animals (Jonah 3:6-9) to fast.

When Jonah saw this great city spared, he wanted to die. Imagine hating a group of people so bad, that you would rather die than to see them come to saving grace. Here, we clearly see that God wants us to love one another, and forgive.

Imagine a modern evangelist preaching a revival, and hoping the people don’t listen. Can we even imagine Billy Graham, after a crusade, seeing thousands come to the Lord, running off and wanting to die?   

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself Part 2

The Jews and the Gentiles

 
⁹ The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. ¹⁰ Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance ¹¹ and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. ¹² In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. ¹³ And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
¹⁴ But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”
¹⁵ And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” ¹⁶ This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

                                                                                                           Acts 10:9-16

From OT times, the Jews separated themselves from the Gentiles. They were forbidden to eat with, or associate themselves with gentiles. They were even forbidden to enter into the house of a gentile. Gentiles were allowed to worship God (if converts) at the temple, but were required to stay in the outer court with the women and children (The Apostle Paul was charged with bringing a gentile into the inner court of the temple which would defile the temple). 

The animals in this vision represented the Gentiles. Gentiles were considered unclean and Peter would never have gone with these men if God had not instructed him to do so in this vision.

See Galatians 2:11-14. Even after Peter boldly defended the gentile believers, here he gets caught up in the prejudices of some of the Jewish Christians.

The Prodigal Son; And The Angry Brother

²⁵ “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. ²⁷ And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’
²⁸ “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. ³⁰ But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
³¹ “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. ³² It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”

                                                                                                            Luke 15:25-32

We might ask ourselves how a brother could be bitter when his lost brother comes home, but how often do we get angry when a fellow believer who has strayed, comes back to the fold? Have you ever been angry when someone gets an appointment in the church (SS teacher, Deacon etc) and you feel they are not deserving or that you should have been called to serve in that capacity? Or what if you haven’t missed a Sunday in ten years and no one seems to notice, and then Joe and Carol walk in and everyone runs to welcome them. Jesus taught many parables about this (See Luke 15:3-7, the lost sheep and Luke 15:8-10, the lost coin).  God showed time and again His love for all. If we truly want to follow Christ, we must do likewise.

Love The Person, Hate The Sin

 ³ Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, ⁴ they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. ⁵ Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” ⁶ This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
⁷ So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” ⁸ And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. ⁹ Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. ¹⁰ When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” ¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” ¹² Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

                                                                                                            John 8:3-12

If Jesus can reconcile a sinner such as this to Himself, are we not obligated to do the same? We would do well to remember that until we received Christ as our Lord and Savior, we were just as condemned as this woman. 

^{Leave Your Gift At The Altar}

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ ²² But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. ²³ Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

                                                                                                           Luke 5:21-24

If we have not reconciled with our brother, then we can’t be reconciled to God.

I myself struggle to forgive certain people, but I am convicted in my heart to do so. Some say that if the person does not ask for forgiveness, we are not obligated to forgive. However, that is not what is stated here. You and I cannot please God if we disobey His commands. We must take seriously what He has commanded us.

Us and Them

In closing, if you are struggling with this, or you would like an accountability partner to help you, get with the pastor, Sunday School teacher, or a Godly person you trust to deal with this. But first and foremost, talk to God and confess your sin to Him. He will step in and help you. You cannot do this by your own strength. Pray and ask God to show you un-confessed sin in your life and He will.

This is not about us and them, it is about God and us. 

The Good Samaritan

Jonah and the Ninevites

The Jews and the Gentiles

The prodigal son; and the angry brother

Love the person, hate the sin

Leave your gift at the altar

Us and them

Follow Up Reading:

1 Corinthians 13  (This is a short chapter)        Romans 13:8-9                                Romans 4:26-27

Leviticus 19:18                                                       Galatians 5:14                                 Romans 4:29-32

Zechariah 8:17                                                        Luke 6:37-38   

Matthew 5:43                                                          James 2:8

Matthew 19:19                                                        Matthew 22:39