wisdom

A Balanced Life

mikej2013 3 Comments

About 400 years ago Galileo conducted an experiment with remarkable results. According to the NASA website, the remarkable observation that all free falling objects fall with the same acceleration was first proposed by Galileo Galilei after he conducted experiments using a ball on an inclined plane to determine the relationship between the time and distance traveled. He found that the distance depended on the square of the time and that the velocity increased as the ball moved down the incline. The relationship was the same regardless of the mass of the ball used in the experiment. Simply stated, all free falling objects accelerate at the same rate. An object that falls in a vacuum is subject to only one force, gravity.

If a Christian makes a ball out of the major life categories, they end up with at least four balls to juggle. Mine would be family, work, community, and personal. As I juggle these four balls it is easy to see that some are larger and weigh more than others. The work ball is much larger and heavier than the community ball. I sometimes feel guilty having to spend much more effort and time keeping the work ball in the air than the rest. My guilt attempts to balance this juggling act. I attempt resizing the balls. It doesn’t work. The work ball is always the largest despite my best efforts. This frustrates me to the point of walking away from this juggling act until I realize that all the balls, despite their size and mass, are subject to one force; the Gospel.

If I believe the Bible, I must believe that all of life is all for the Gospel. If family, work, community, and personal time is accelerated by one force, namely the Gospel, then they are all in balance despite their size and weight. My life can never be balanced by resizing the balls. It can only be balanced by applying one single force toward all the balls…The Gospel.

One last thought…notice I don’t have a God ball in my juggling act. I don’t have one because there is no such thing if ALL of life is the Gospel. Besides, if there was a God ball it would be too large and too heavy to juggle.

Teaching Outline Week 30

mikej2013 1 Comment

The Joy in Responsibility

(An In-Depth Study of Hebrews)

Commentary

Faith that is Alive and at Work

Hebrews 11:7-12 

Outline

Last week through the examples of faith in the lives of Abel and Enoch we looked at what it meant to please God. Abel and Enoch reflected God in their faith. It is said that Enoch “walked with God” and we said that meant that he lived life that was “all in” for God; nether men where hypocrites. In every aspect of life, their actions reflected the same principles and standards. All of life was the Gospel…no walls, no borders.

This week we look at the examples of Noah, Abraham, and Sarah. This week’s text holds examples of how a life of saving faith trusts God and perseveres to the end. This week we reference verse 39 in chapter 10 to understand our authors intended meaning of this week’s examples. “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.” Let’s see what it means to know, trust, and love God by faith.

Main actions of our faithful examples:

Noah trusts God and builds an ark for the salvation of his household.

Abraham trusts God and leaves his homeland and family for an unknown land of promise.

Abraham trusts God and lives in tents without building a city with foundations.

Sarah trusts God and conceives when she is barren and past the age of childbearing.

Pattern of the life of faith: 

Noah, Abraham, and Sarah all:

  • Heard the Word of God (More than a philosophy, a CALLING)
  • Humbled in the presence of God (Inner reckoning)
  • Move toward the promise (Outward action as a result of inner reckoning)
  • Rejoice in a foretaste of the promise (Always looking forward to the next great blessing of God)

LIFE APPLICATION:

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the very Word of God (Objective Understanding)

Strong inner faith causes radical outward action

Saving faith always changes the way you live 

Faith tastes the blessings of God’s promises today and knows there is much more to come!

 

Studying the Life of Faith (Hebrews 11)

mikej2013 1 Comment

The goal of the book of Hebrews is that believers would draw near to God. (4:16; 7:19, 25; 10:22; 11:6) Drawing near to God has everything to do with faith. As the author of Hebrews points out, faith can never be viewed as only a point in the past. Yes, faith has a starting point. You must be born again! There must be regeneration. However, saving faith never drifts through life resting on the starting point. (2:1-4)

It’s no wonder after ten chapters of Christ exalting worship, encouragements, and warnings we come to rest on chapter 11. Chapter 11, the hall of faith chapter, cataloguing rock solid saving faith in the lives of Old Testament saints. They are presented as examples. But our author never intended for us to simply say, “wow, look at them!”

Their faith reflected God exactly the way our faith must reflect God if it is genuine. This Wednesday night we examine the lives of Noah, Abraham, and Sarah. There is a pattern to the faith relationship with their God that must be present in us today as well. I hope you’ll join us as we examine the fascinating study of the life of faith.

Faithful in Business and All of Life

mikej2013 1 Comment

Bad guys are almost OK in my book as long as they live like bad guys. I never had a problem watching my favorite super heroes battle it out with their arch enemies. I knew just what to expect from the villain. The Joker would calmly explain to Batman and Robin just how his evil plan would unfold. The plan almost always called for the death of the dynamic duo, and the overthrow of law abiding, moral, social structure. In short, those bad guys wanted to rule the world and they let everyone know it. I don’t consider them hypocrites, they are simply evil.

Dealing with the Pharisees and Scribes, Jesus used the term hypocrites over a dozen times as recorded in the Gospels. A modern day definition of a hypocrite is as follows:

a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs. 

In order to be accused of hypocrisy one must live a double life. Jesus gave a devastating example in Mark 12:38-40. The Scribe in Jesus’ example is the perfect saint in all his religious circles, but when it comes to business he crushes the helpless.  Somehow the Scribe in the story found a way to create a wall or border that, when crossed, allowed him to be governed by very different principles.

A life of faith receiving a commendation from God appears never to have such walls or borders. Genesis 5:24 states that Enoch “walked with God”. The author of Hebrews records how Enoch pleased God by his life of faith and received a wonderful reward. The main idea here is Enoch didn’t have walls or borders that allowed him to live a double life. Enoch walked continually with God.

God was tickled pink with Enoch; Jesus was as displeased with the Pharisees and Scribes as he could be. Enoch’s life was all for God; the Scribe’s life was segmented partly for God and partly for the real world. If the American business owner finds they climb over a religious wall to attend church on Sunday and back across the wall to go to work on Monday, they can never live like Enoch and create the potential of living like the Scribe.

Teaching Outline Week 29

mikej2013 Leave a comment

The Joy in Responsibility

(An In-Depth Study of Hebrews)

Commentary

The Faith of Abel and Enoch

Hebrews 11:4-6 

Outline 

Through example, we will explore the meaning of verse 6; “without faith it is impossible to please God.” We will answer the question, “What is it to please God?” We begin to see the role of faith in the life of every believer. We are saved by faith… we are justified, sanctified, and glorified by and through faith. If God is pleased, it is our faith at work. No wonder faith is a gift from God.

Example One: Abel’s sacrifice

            Abel’s sacrifice was accepted and commended by God through faith:

  • God and Abel communed by faith
  • His life of faith still speaks 

What verse 4 says about Abel:

  • Life that testifies of faith
  • Righteous before God

Verse 4 points to Abel’s faith not the physical sacrifice offered. It is common to think that Abel’s sacrifice pleased God only because it was a blood sacrifice. Remember though, God required a blood sacrifice years later of the Levitical priesthood under the Law. The focus of our author is faith!

Example Two: Enoch’s translation

God allowed Enoch passage from the earthly to the heavenly realm by faith:

  • God and Enoch communed by faith
  • His life of faith still speaks

What verse 5 says about Enoch:

  • Life that was rewarded
  • Life that pleased God 

Genesis states Enoch “walked with God”. Our author now makes clear that walking with God is a life of faith. Enoch through faith believed God, loved God, and wanted to be with God. This is a heart attitude that pleases God.

Definition of Faith (Vs 6) –

  • Believe that God exists
  • Believe that God rewards those who draw near (by faith)

LIFE APPLICATION:

Only in faith can our obedience please God.

Our faith reflects who God is.

The better I know God, the deeper my faith becomes.

What is it to please God? Draw near to God. Know your God… like Enoch walk with your God. Your faith will reflect God’s excellence. Your faith will proclaim God’s greatness. God’s rewards will be yours, and this pleases God!

Teaching Outline Week 28

mikej2013 1 Comment

The Joy in Responsibility

(An In-Depth Study of Hebrews)

Commentary

One Life to Live

Hebrews 11:1-3 

Outline 

It is now obvious that the author of Hebrews desires that we all live a life that loves without being discouraged about the cost.

Americans watch the world from a comfortable seat in an amusement park. Comfort and Love are opposites in the mind of our author. Hebrews 10:34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. 

Faith (vs 1) 

What is faith?

–          Assurance of things hoped for

–          Conviction of things not seen 

People of Faith (vs 2) 

What does faith look like?

–          Faith has action

–          Faith receives commendation 

Life of Faith (vs 3) 

Do I have faith?

–          Molds my world view

–          Evidence points to God 

Life Application 

Faith only comes from a personal encounter with God

–          Scriptures

–          Prayer

–          Service

Faith is the objective grounds upon which subjective confidence may be based. Such faith springs from a personal encounter with God. This kind of faith enables one to venture into the future “supported only by the word of God.” Such faith “has the capacity to unveil the future so that the solid reality of events as yet unseen can be grasped by the believer.”[1]

 

 

[1] David L. Allen, Hebrews, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2010), 543.