Anxious & Deceived Christianity

Wealth of
Deception

What happens in the thorns that causes the word of God to be choked (Matthew 13:7, 22)? How do the angst of this world and delusion of wealth suffocate the Gospel? Such people receive the same word of God, and it even grows for a time, but circumstances soon strangle it. What is it about anxiety and wealth that choke God’s word? Like thorns, worldly cares and affluence suck the life out of spiritual growth. We are constantly enticed to waste time and effort on materialistic pursuits. Our pursuit of worldly success becomes all-consuming. Something must suffer, like family life and the things of God. The result is that our lives become spiritually dead. On such a treadmill, we have less time to even think about the word of the kingdom. Let’s escape the stress and seduction of wealth.

Superficial Christianity

Authenticity

What happens on the path that causes the word of God to be taken away so quickly (Matthew 13:4, 19)? When we leave the message of the kingdom on the surface of our lives it can be easily taken away again. So it is when the Gospel lands on a life but does not find any depth of understanding. Such a life may even call itself Christian, but it is a label only, without substance. It is a counterfeit that lacks insight and discernment. Let us not naively follow those who to tell us to stop using our minds and blindly accept superficial fads and traditions. Such things are only an outward show and not the depths that Jesus taught. There is no substitute for the word of God. Let the word of the kingdom sink into our understanding.

Shallow Christianity

Deep Ministry in
a Shallow World

What happens on rocky soil that causes the seed of  the word of God to die so quickly (Matthew 13:5-6, 20)? The seed that fell on the path took no root at all. It was surface Christianity. The seed that fell on the rocks did take root, but it was shallow Christianity. What is the difference? Shallow Christianity lasts a little longer than surface Christianity, but it too dies. The reasons that it dies are different: suffering or persecution. Shallow Christianity focuses on God’s material blessings, but not his spiritual blessings. And so health and wealth are a focus of shallow Christianity. Suffering and persecution are rarely or never preached in shallow Christian circles. The Bible teaches blessed are those who suffer and are persecuted for righteousness. Shallow Christianity cannot survive trouble and oppression. But deep-rooted Christianity lives on.

Fruit-Filled Christianity

The Fruit of the Spirit

What happens in good soil that causes the seed of the word of God to grow so well (Matthew 13:8, 23)? After describing superficial, shallow and worry-filled counterfeits of Christianity, Jesus briefly described a genuine, fruit-filled Christianity. How many of us in the Church are more like the first three examples than the good soil which produces much fruit? What makes the difference? Jesus’ conclusion indicated the important difference to be understanding. The Greek word originates in “put together” as in the God-given ability to synthesize the word of the kingdom into a whole picture. This perceptive ability to put spiritual ideas together produces a fruit-filled Christianity. John the Baptist also understood this when he chided the Pharisees about repentance. A genuine change of heart is seen by its fruits. So too does authentic Christianity produce a fruit-filled life.

The Freedom of a Christian

Political freedom is good, but there is a greater freedom described by Martin Luther as The Freedom of a Christian. Paul said, “I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all” (1 Corinthians 9:19). Unlike the freedom that this world can offer, Jesus claims that if he makes us free, we are free indeed (John 8:34). What is this freedom? It is liberation from the yoke that sin creates in our world. The ultimate result of sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like is death. Yet, in Jesus we are freed from that bondage to live in the Spirit (Galatians 5), free to live in love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Freedom & Ceasar

“We have no king but Caesar” was what the chief priests cried when Pilate asked if he should crucify their king. “We have no king but Jesus” may have been a battle cry during the American Revolution, according to some sources, echoing a similar saying from the English Civil Wars a hundred years earlier. The tendency to see the solution to our problems in human governments was not the chief priests’ alone. Christians concerned for morality see salvation in the Republican Party and Christians concerned for the poor see salvation in the Democratic Party. Ronald Reagan said, “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem.” Jesus said something different, that sin is the real problem and that only holding to the truth that he taught would set us free (John 8:34).

What are we Slaves to?

If we are honest we are all slaves to something. What about television? My Dad used to call it the “idiot box.” Instead of using our minds, do we engage in mindless slavery to meaningless entertainment? What about our degenerate western diet? We have the best availability of food in the world, but have we been hood-winked, deceived and enslaved by the food industry to eat addictive disease-causing garbage? What about our jobs? Most people hate their jobs but are we enslaved to them by sheer economic necessity? Worst of all, Jesus says that we are enslaved to sin (John 8:31-39), doing and thinking things which only harm us and others. How can we be set free? Jesus claims that the Son can set us free by holding to what he teaches. Living that truth will set us free.

Slavery & Freedom

In John 8:34-35 Jesus addresses slavery, not the slavery of African American history, not the slavery of the Roman history and not even the slavery of Israel in ancient Egypt. He addresses the slavery to sin. At its roots, slavery is a bondage to a stronger power. In many ways we are still slaves today to things like addictions, debt, corrupt business and government overreach. But Jesus was not even talking about that alone. He said that we are slaves to sin, and that reaches everywhere, even into our own hearts. What is the solution to sin in government, business and our own lives? Could holding to Jesus’ teaching be a beginning? Could it just be that the answer begins as disciples of Jesus? Could it be that then we would begin learning truths that would set us free?

Faith & Tyrants

Freedom is a Christian value (John 8:31-39). But, did the American War of Independence violate Christian faith? Do we submit to government even when we would disobey God (Romans 13)? King George III had violated both Divine and British law. Jonathan Mayhew preached, “Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.” Hebrews 11 praises heroes of faith. Some engaged in civil disobedience or overthrew oppressive governments. 1 Peter 2:13 says to “Submit … for the Lord's sake,” but not to obey evil laws. The Apostles (Acts 4-5) disobeyed tyrants to preach the Gospel. Scottish theologian Samuel Rutherford wrote Lex Rex, that the law is above the king. The Americans saw the war as defensive. They did not fire the first shot. The British fired first in the Boston Massacre, bombed Boston, burned Charlestown, and attacked Williamsburg, Concord, and Lexington.

When will we know Truth?

Jesus makes a remarkable statement (John 8:31-39) claiming that if we hold to his teaching we will know the truth. Why is this omitted when people say that the truth will set you free? In Greek the word for truth also means reality. Could it be like Winston Churchill is reputed to have said, that people occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened? Do we feel a little uncomfortable with absolutes like truth? Do we prefer to live a lie, whether it be political, religious, scientific or societal? For example, sometimes an enemy speaks uncomfortable truths about us. If our enemy speaks, do we listen objectively, or do we not all tend to shut our ears? Is the truth still the truth when it is uncomfortable?