Jesus on Denominations

One day, John came up to Jesus and said, "We saw this guy on the street feeding the homeless.  He had a big sign that said, 'If you do this to the least of these, you do it to Me.'  We thought he might be a part of our denomination.  After talking to him, we found out not only is he not one of us, but he doesn't even go to a church!  We told him to stop using your name for his so-called 'ministry.'"

Jesus replied, "Why did you stop him?  No one who does a good work in my name will say anything evil about us later.  Although he might not think well about your denomination, now.  Whoever is not against us is for us.  Let the people doing good in my name keep doing it, even if they may not agree with you theologically.  Every good work done in my name is holy. Even if a person gives you a cup of ice water because you use my name, that one will get reward from God-- no matter what their creed, no matter what their petty sins."


Based on Mark 9:38-41

Loving Your Enemies Like Jesus

Jesus’ Life

Matthew 15:21-28

There is only one ethnic group that is held in complete prejudice in the Bible, and that is the Canaanites.  The Canaanites were cursed from their father on (Genesis 9:25), and it is the one group that Scripture says is to be completely judged (Deuteronomy 20:17-18).  Nothing should be given to them, for they shouldn’t even exist (Deuteronomy 7:1-2).  But a Canaanite woman was asking Jesus for the promise of God to God’s children.  Jesus refused at first, but when he saw that she had complete devotion to Yahweh, even to the extent of being insulted, he changed his mind and made her a child of God by giving her what belonged to children.  He loved her fully, even though she was an enemy, because of her faith.

Luke 23:33-34; 39-43

Jesus was crucified and killed.  And even through the agony and shame of what he was experiencing, he cried out to God on behalf of his enemies—asking that God would not immediately destroy them for their actions against him.  Even so, there were two men on crosses who had cursed Jesus (Matthew 27:44).  But one of them realized his evil and stopped the other from cursing Jesus and confessed his sin.  For this, Jesus said that he would enter paradise after his death.  Even in the agony of his cross, Jesus was concerned for his enemies and offered them forgiveness.

Our Lives

Matthew 5:43-48

Our “enemies” here is defined as those who have done evil to us, who hate us in action as well as in attitude.  In turn, we are to do good to them.  We are to pray for them who curse us, and do good to those who do evil to us.  We do this, first, because this is how God treats his enemies—with care and compassion instead of hatred, giving them what they need.  And second, we do it because it shows that our righteousness isn’t only for show, but it goes against our natural instincts.

Luke 10:25-37

The man asking Jesus the questions was attempting to show that he did not need to love everyone, only particular persons.  The Samaritan proved to be the true neighbor, and even as he showed compassion and love, then he too should be shown love and compassion, even though he was considered a heretic by his “neighbors”.  Thus, Jesus shows, we are to love those who are our religious enemies.

Acts 9:1-27

Saul hated Christians and wanted them all to go to jail.  He was in the process of succeeding in this when Jesus met him on the road and turned his life upside-down.  Jesus accused Saul of persecuting Him—which was true—but he still loved Saul enough to convert him rather than destroy him.  Ananais feared Saul, for he knew his reputation, but he loved Saul enough to obey his Lord and lay hands on him for healing and to baptize him.  The apostles in Jerusalem feared Saul, but Barnabas made sure that Saul was fully accepted by all of those in the church.  Fear can drive people away, but former enemies who repent must be forgiven by the church.

Romans 12:19-21

Paul summarizes the whole teaching.  We are not to do anything that harms those who harm us.  We are not to harm or destroy them.  Rather, he says we are to do good.  We are to feed those who do evil to us and give them something to drink.  In this way, they might feel guilty for their evil actions and possibly repent.  But even if they don’t, we prove our righteousness by doing good.

Examples

Although they killed her husband, Elizabeth Elliot still worked and taught the Acua Indians in Ecuador.  She gave the gospel of Jesus, while living the gospel of loving her enemies.  She surrendered a large portion of her life, without a husband, to those who took her husband from her.  All for the love of them through the love of Jesus.

Dirk Willems was a preacher for the gospel and he went to a town in Germany where his gospel of baptism and love for all was not accepted.  He was found there by the magistrates of the town, and a man was hired to capture him and to bring him to trial, where he would be sentenced to death.  Dirk fled from his persecutor, upon a river which had frozen over that winter.  Dirk passed over safely, but his pursuer fell through the ice, and because he did not know how to swim, proceeded to drown.  Dirk saw his plight and ran back to his persecutor and pulled him out of the river, until he was safe.  The mayor of the town saw this and so yelled at his hired policeman to capture Dirk.  The man was in a perdiciment, for he did not want to persecute the one who had saved his life, but because of his promise he captured Dirk anyway.  Dirk was tried and sentenced to death by burning in 1569.

Living It Out

Do no harm to your enemies—whether personal, societal or national.

Jesus lived out and taught “love your enemies,” no matter what kind of “enemy” that person is.  We are to love particular members of enemy nations, we are to love enemies against us personally, and we are to love those who do evil against our society—even as Jesus did all three.  Let us not try to exclude anyone by playing the guessing game of “Who is really my enemy?”

Give your enemies what they need

If the person who bugs you needs food—give it to them.  If the person you hate needs clothing—give it to them.  If the person who has slandered you needs the gospel—give it to them. 

Listen to your enemies’ perspective

One of the things we all need is a listening ear—someone who will hear and understand our perspective.  Many times we have an enemy because they are prevented from being heard.  Allow your enemy to express themselves, even if you disagree.  You can always disagree with them after they have been heard.

Pray for your enemies

Pray for God’s blessing on your enemies.  If your enemy is in sin, pray to God that he would grant them the grace of repentance.  If your enemy is ignorant, pray that God would teach them his Truth.  If your enemy is poor, pray that God would provide his needs.

Give opportunity for your enemies to repent

Don’t write your enemies off, no matter what harm they have done to you, no matter how bad they seem.  If they come to you humbly, then give them an opportunity to say that they have repented and that they want to reconcile.  But if they come to persecute you, flee.

Forgive your enemies if they repent

If your enemy is trying to repent and reconcile, then make peace with them.  Accept them as your friend, and try to have them join a community of followers of Jesus. 

Note: Jesus didn't show us or give us an example of allowing our enemies to abuse us unless they have authority over us, or unless God tells you to.  Fleeing is acceptable.  But, no matter what, we must not harm them in return.

Clothes and Buildings (Mark 7)

Jesus was attending church in a local fellowship and some of the members noticed that his students were dressed in filthy clothes, and that some of them smelled.  (It is a tradition in many churches to dress up to worship and there are in some fellowships even an unspoken competition between people as to who could look the sharpest for Sunday worship.)  So the members asked Jesus, "Why do your students dress in such a lowly way?  It is disrespectful to God to not dress our best."

Jesus replied, "Isaiah truly spoke of you: 'This people respects me with their lips, but their desire is distant from me. Their worship of me is pointless and they hold human tradition to be doctrine." You have so many of your own rules, but you ignore the command of God.

"How often you avoid doing God's will for the sake of your traditions. The command of God is: 'Sell your possessions and give to the poor.'  Yet you tell your people that they must increase their giving to build your new buildings and to increase your staff's salaries.  Their wealth is dedicated to 'God's work' and thus God's people suffer. You erase God's word by your tradition, always putting your desires ahead of Gods'.

-Mark 7:1-13

Sacrificing for Others Like Jesus

Jesus’ Life

Mark 10:35-45

 Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant;

and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.

 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." 

Jesus’ was heading for the cross.  But he was not doing it for himself.  He was doing it out of obedience to God for the sake of the many who would be able to enter the kingdom of God because of his death.  Because so many were in sin and he needed to deliver them out of judgment.  He was paying the ultimate price—his life, his reputation—for the sake of others’ who could never relate to God without his sacrifice.

Luke 9:57-58

Someone said to Him, "I will follow You wherever You go."

And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." 

During Jesus’ life, he had to give the gospel to as many people as he could, in as many towns and villages as he could (Mark 1:38).  He did this so they could hear God’s truth and be able to be free from their sin.  But to do this, Jesus had to give up comforts and a “normal” life.  He was homeless much of the time and at other times he was in other’s homes, dependant on them.  He never made a salary, never had the security of an occupation that would provide for him, and he often didn’t know where his next meal would come from.  Nevertheless, it was a small price to pay so he could give people the life they needed.

Our Lives

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Jesus loved us—he desires our benefit.  And he gave himself for us—he died so that we might live.  Even so, we are to be Christ, and our lives are to be the life of Jesus.  In this way, we are to love others and give ourselves up for others’.  We are no longer to live for ourselves or our purposes—rather, we are to live for others’.

Philippians 2:3-8

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;

 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus..."

Jesus’ gave up his power, his reputation and his life for our sakes.  He did not promote himself, but sacrificed himself for others’.  Even so, we are to be like Jesus—we are to live our lives, not for our own sakes, but for the sakes of others’.  We are to act as if we are slaves to others’, acting in their benefit, even when it hurts us.

Colossians 1:24

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions. 

Paul says here that Jesus’ work on the cross isn’t finished.  It isn’t complete, but it is waiting to be completed by his people.  There are still people who are suffering, still people who are living in their sin, still people who are separated from God.  And even as Jesus sacrificed himself for them, even so Jesus’ people are to sacrifice themselves for those who need to be released from sin and bondage.

I Corinthians 9:11-19

If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

Paul gave up much—a livelihood, being his own person, comfort, education and an exalted position—so he could give the gospel to others without any block, anything to hinder it.  He made himself a slave to others, working and serving so that he can give.  He suffered much persecution and hardship, all so that others might live. 

Examples

John Wycliffe was a theology professor at Oxford, but he was convinced that God wanted the common person to know and be able to speak about the Bible—in English, not in Latin.  Although he faced the disapproval of his school, he began to teach the common people in their own language.  Eventually, because of this, he was not allowed to teach and his books were burned.

William Tyndale was a scholar in Greek and Hebrew and determined that the common person needed to read the Bible in their own language.  He had to leave his country and hide from house to house until his translation was done.  After it was published, the king of England caught him and killed him as a rebel for his translation work.

Jim Elliot believed firmly that the Acua Indians needed to hear the gospel of Jesus.  The fact that these Indians were cold-blooded killers, didn’t cause him to hesitate—that just meant that they needed the gospel more.  He reached out to them in love, and they killed him.  A couple years later, his wife, Elizabeth, successfully was able to present the gospel to the tribe and many of them accepted Jesus as their Lord.

Living It Out

Caring for others

We need to see people’s need—their need for the truth, their need for food, clothing and warmth, their need to be released from oppression—and act in accordance with those needs.  If we do not have compassion for others’ we will never be like Jesus.

Laying down our lives for others

It is not enough that we feel for others’ needs and even give toward them.  We must do so as slaves to them, working for them, even to our own detriment.  We will not have our needs, at times, in order that others’ may have what they need. 

Giving up comfort so others can live

The first thing we will need to give up for others is our comfort.  There are things we don’t need, but are nice for us to have—many of these we will have to give up in order that other’s might live.  We surrender what we do not need so others’ may live. 

Teaching those who won’t listen

If we know the truth of Jesus, we must give it to others’ even if we receive a poor reception.  We do what we can to make sure that others’ will listen, but often we will be rejected anyway.  Even so, we cannot judge ahead of time who will listen and who will not and we must give everyone the opportunity.

Praying for the needy

So that others can receive from God, we spend time doing the hard work of prayer.  The work is hard because we must pray according to God’s will and we must pray in accordance with others’ need.  To find this balance is the difficult but necessary work of mediation.

Connecting with those who won’t contact us

Most people don’t want to have anything to do with us.  It doesn’t matter who we are, or how nice we are, most people don’t care about us and will want to just ignore us.  But if we have something to say to them that will mean life or death to them, we will need to go out of our way to contact them.  This may mean phoning those who won’t phone us.  Going to people who won’t come to us.  And talking to people who won’t talk to us.

Giving up regular means of income

Although many complain about it, there is an ease and security in having a job.  It is depending on an employer to provide you what you need.  Having a government check is the same—it is security, reliance on the government to give you what you need.  For the sake of the gospel, we may be asked to give some of that up, to surrender some of our regular income so that we might give to others’ what they really need.  With every regular means of income, there are requirements of time, energy and certain rules you must follow—such as not speaking about the Lord to others.  At times, we must surrender what we have in order to obey the Lord and do what shows our love for others.

Putting ourselves as lower than others

We cannot give the gospel as one who is greater than the one we are giving to.  We need to be lower than those we give to, we need to be a slave to them. 

Working for others we cannot see

When Jesus died, he knew that there were many he was dying for that he could not see.  Even so, often we will suffer and work for people we cannot see.  The work we do now is not only for those we see and know, but also for those whom we cannot see and perhaps will never know.  The Lord will use our lives to the limit and we will effect people we know nothing about today.

Accepting the Cross Like Jesus

Jesus’ life (and our lives)

Mark 8:31-38

 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 

After accepting the position of “Messiah” by his disciples, Jesus had to explain what that meant.  It meant rejection by the Jewish leaders, shame, suffering and death on a cross.  The disciples couldn’t accept this, for that path was the opposite of being the Messiah for Jesus.  But Jesus declared that God’s way was the way of the cross.  Then he declared that anyone who wanted to follow Jesus would have to accept rejection, shame, suffering and death.  That was the way of Jesus. That is the only way to gain true life.  Jesus not only accepted it, he insisted on it for himself and everyone who followed him.

Mark 14:35-36

He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will." 

Jesus did not have an easy time accepting the cross.  It was a hard trial to accept.  No one wants to face rejection, shame, suffering and death on their own.  Jesus didn’t want it.  But he accepted it because it was God’s will.  He struggled all through that night, but he endured and passed the test.

Hebrews 5:7-8

In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.

Jesus cried and begged to be released from death.  But in the end, he accepted it, because it was the proof that Jesus was obedient to the Father.  And because of this, his cries were heard and he was delivered from death after he had passed through it.

Our Lives

Acts 5:40-41

After calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them  So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.

The apostles were happy that they had been beaten.  Not because they were masochists, but because it proved that they were worthy of Jesus.  If they had not been worthy, they never would have endured through the beatings.  But because of the beatings, they proved that they were righteous.

Acts 14:22

"Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." 

If we wish to enter the kingdom of God, we must endure through tribulations and difficulties and trials.  We need to accept these trials for the sake of us entering God’s kingdom.

Romans 5:3-5

We exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;

and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts  

The sufferings we have in Christ are to be acceptable to us—not only acceptable, but we are to be glad when we have them!  If we didn’t have the sufferings, we couldn’t prove our righteousness through enduring through them.  If we couldn’t prove our righteousness, then we would have no confidence that we will be raised from the dead.  But if we stand with God through our trials, then we know that we will be raised, even as Jesus was.  So let us be glad when we suffer for Jesus and endure!

Examples

Jim Elliot wrote years before he became a missionary and endured any kind of suffering, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Later, in presenting the gospel to murderous tribesmen, he died.  He did not die in vain, though, for God kept his life preserved for the kingdom of heaven.

The early Anabaptists and Waldensians were considered heretics by all those around them, even though all they were doing was preaching the word of God.  But wherever they preached the word, they were arrested and maligned and tortured and executed.  They had their tongues chopped off, their backs whipped, their families taken from them and their wives and children slaughtered before them.  They were drowned, hung, beheaded and burned.  All for being faithful to Jesus’ word.

Living It Out

q Do not return evil for evil

(Romans 12:17)

q Submit to evil authorities, even to their oppressive punishments

(I Peter 2:18-20)

q Disobey authorities when they tell you to disobey God

(Acts 4:18-20)

q Tell people the truth of Jesus, even if they hate you for it.

(Matthew 10:27-28)

q Do good to everyone, especially those whom society tells you to hate

(Galatians 6:10; Luke 15:1-10)

q Find good to do to those who hate you.

(Romans 12:17; Luke 6:35)

q Don’t talk back to people’s scorn and hating remarks.

(Romans 12:17-18)

q Recognize that such trials will come

(II Timothy 3:12)

q Rejoice in trials, for you will gain God’s approval and maturity through them.

(James 1:2-4)

What Does It Cost To Follow Jesus?

Jesus was at a party and he gave a speech.  Hearing him, one of those listening announced, “How wonderful it will be for those who are at the party of God!”  Jesus replied with a story: “There was a man planning a party and he sent invitations out.  As a reminder, he sent one of his employees out at the time of the party to all those invited.  But they—every one—offered excuses instead.  One said, ‘Oh, I just bought some real estate and I need to go look at it.  So sorry, but I’m just too busy to come.’   Another said, ‘I just bought five work trucks and I need to test them out.  I’m really sorry, but I’m too busy to come.’  Another said, ‘I just got married, and, well, we’re just too busy.  Sorry, can’t come.’  So the employees returned to their CEO and explained all this to him.  He fumed and he told his employees, ‘OK, fine.  Then go downtown and invite every beggar—the bums, cripples, winos and indigent.’  After a bit, the employees reported back to him, ‘We did as you requested, sir, but the hall still looks pretty empty.’  So the CEO said, ‘Then go out of the city and collect the passers through, all the immigrants looking for work and other foreigners.  Convince them to come in until the banquet hall is completely full.  But I swear to you, not a single one who was invited will have even a bite of my feast.’”

Jesus noticed that a crowd had gathered, outside the party, listening, so he said to them, “Many of you want to follow me, and be a part of my school.  You can learn to do miracles, to be holy, to obtain God’s kingdom.  But listen carefully—you can’t be a student in my school until you hate your father, hate your mother, hate your wife, hate your children and brothers and sisters.  You can’t be part of my school until you hate your very life.  To be a part of my school, you’ve got to be ready to be branded a rebel and killed as a traitor.  Look, if you are going to paint your house, you want to know how much it will cost ahead of time, don’t you?  Because otherwise, you get halfway done and run out of money to buy more paint and anyone passing by laughs at you and says, ‘Look, this guy started something but he couldn’t finish it.’ 

"Suppose two countries were at war.  The presidents of the countries would certainly sit down and make sure that their army was large enough to defeat the other.  But suppose that one found that his army was only half the size of the other.  Wouldn't he begin working out a negotiation of peace, surrendering everything he had to prevent this war?  Even so, God is coming, and you aren't ready for him.  If you want to be in my school, and so be ready, you must surrender all of your possessions, just like that king.

"You may think that you are different, the salt of the earth, the stuff of which the church will really make a difference.  But if salt has no flavor—if it’s just the same as everything else—then how can you make it useful again?  It is pointless—not of any use for food or anything else.  So we just throw it out.  What do you think God will do with “salt” that is the same as dirt?  If you’ve got a half a brain, then understand this."


Translation of Luke 14

Blind