“Therefore He (Jesus) is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.”                                                                                                                    Hebrews 7:25

 I was sitting in a packed jetliner waiting for the last few passengers to board and find a too-small space to store their over-stuffed carry-ons and squeeze into their coach seats, when the flight attendant announced the obvious: “Our flight is completely full today.”  Completely full?  Is that more full than being regularly full?  Doesn’t the word full mean that there is no more extra room and therefore makes the adjective “completely” unnecessary? 

 That was my initial take in the verse above.  I had believed the phrase “Jesus Saves” says it all without using the word “completely.”  I thought salvation through Christ was complete without having to specify that fact.  Well, it is.  Rather than use the word “completely”, other translations adopt the phrase “to the uttermost” or “forever” to describe this salvation.  The Amplified version says that this means salvation through Jesus is “complete, perfect, final and for all time and eternity.” 

 Before Jesus’ atoning death, sins could only be forgiven temporarily, through sacrifices offered by a high priest, who also had to offer sacrifices for himself because of his own sinful nature.   Whereas the old system, or “covenant”, was based on faulty priests offering animal sacrifices-all of which was temporary, the new covenant is based on “A High Priest who meets our need-one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners and exalted above the heavens.” (Heb. 7:26)   In other words, God Himself – the perfect High Priest offering the perfect Sacrifice.

With Jesus as our High Priest and our sacrifice, our sins were dealt with once and for all eternally. There is no doubt thanks to what the Son of God did on our behalf.  Our salvation secures eternal communion with God.  Forever and ever.  Because of our High Priest Jesus, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence and great joy knowing that we are saved.  Completely!

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”                                                                                       2 Timothy 3:1-5

 Last Sunday we began Revelation chapter 6, which marks the beginning of the last days. In the passage above, Paul lists the characteristics of those living in the last days.  Kind of sounds like our world today, doesn’t it? 

 The message of the Bible, particularly 1 John, is that we are identified as Christians by our love.  Love of what?  Our world is full of love.  The problem is it isn’t the right kind of love.  Jesus said the two great commandments answer that question: the love of God and the love for others.  For every disciple of Jesus, love for God and love for others should crowd out other forms of love.  What are the other forms of love according to the passage above?

 The first is “lovers of themselves”.  It is appropriate that this is listed first because self love has become a predominate theme in our culture.    Self love is the antithesis of Jesus’ self sacrifice on the cross because of His love for God and His love for others. 

The second is “lovers of money”.  Jesus commanded His disciples to “Store up for yourselves treasure in heaven”  (as opposed to earth) because “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Being generous giving people keeps our focus heaven-ward.

 The third is “lovers of pleasure”.  1 Timothy 5:6 tells us, “But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.”   The pursuit of pleasure ultimately is the pursuit of death.  (Maybe this answers why there are so many suicides today.)

Unfortunately, these three false loves have infiltrated the church and affect each one of us more than we realize.  The antidote?  Paul states it plainly-to be “lovers of God.”   Jesus is our example. His whole life was to glorify the Father and bring Him pleasure.  As disciples being conformed into Jesus’ image, that is exactly what the Holy Spirit desires to do in you and me.  Our mission is to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” and not let the wrong “loves” get in the way.

 “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.  For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”                                                                                                                                           1 Corinthians 2:1-2

 John F. Kennedy was President when I was young, and I remember watching him on black and white television reciting his now-famous expression: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”  This quote comes to mind because many in the church today have the ill-advised focus of  what God can do for them.  While I believe that God is our benevolent Father who wants to pour His blessings upon His children,  our focus must be on who He is and what He has already done for us, not primarily on what He will provide.

 In the passage above, Paul states what his focus is: “Jesus Christ and him crucified.”  The Apostle’s focus was on Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross.  Everything we need both now and eternally was provided through Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection.  This is the foundation of Christianity.  In fact, later in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul goes on to say, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”  (1 Cor. 15:17)

 Early in the book of Acts (chapter 2) Peter is addressing the crowd who had accused the disciples of being drunk after the Holy Spirit fell upon them, and declares, “…You put him (Jesus) to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead…”  Later, in chapter 3, Peter is again speaking and says, “You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.”  Again, in chapter 4, Peter appears before the Sanhedrin and states, “Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead…”

 The death and resurrection of Jesus not only provided our eternal salvation,  but sealed the doom of Satan.  It provided everything we need for righteousness and holiness, for health and wholeness, for peace and joy and for victory over the flesh and the devil!   It provided everything we need!  That’s a good reason why our focus should be on what God has already done for us.

 ”Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?                                                               Isaiah 43:18-19

Our goal as disciples of Jesus is to become more and more like Him.  In order for that to become a reality, the Holy Spirit is actively at work molding, conforming and transforming us into the image of Jesus. In other words, He is working in us to change us so that we become deeper worshippers of Him, greater reflectors of His love for one another, more dedicated in service to His kingdom and brighter lights to share His love to the world.

 The problem with change is that it goes against our nature.  It is uncomfortable.  But, it is necessary.   God is relentless when it comes to working change in His disciples.  We become like one of those construction projects that says, “Sorry for the mess.  We are currently under construction. Thank you for your patience.”   

 God loves us so much He puts us into situations and relationships where change can be worked in us.  That includes church!  “But church is supposed to be safe!”  Safe, yes. Comfortable, no.  We hear messages that rub us.  We have to learn how to love those that may be difficult to love.  We have had to get used to not only a new paint color in the sanctuary, but now a new seating arrangement?!   

 In Matt. 18:3, Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”   Those are pretty strong words, wouldn’t you say?  It sounds like the process of change is not optional within the kingdom of God.  It is an inner transforming work that begins at salvation and never ends! 

 We live in relationship with God, who loves us and is changing us.  He does not want us to get too comfortable or settled.  He desires to do a new thing in each of us so that we reflect His image for us to accomplish His work on earth.  Ask God to continue to change you by the power of the Spirit living within you.  Paul said it well in 2 Cor. 3:18,  “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

Last Sunday, we discussed the importance of being about the Father’s business as we anticipate the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus in these last days.  What does it mean to be about the Father’s business?  I believe it boils down to four things: Worshipping God, loving one another, serving others and sharing God’s love.  That is what we are to be about as “the church”.

Acts recounts the beginning of the church 2,000 years ago.  Following the baptism of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, the church begins to function the way God designed.  Notice how the four elements of being about the Father’s business are found within this passage, Acts 2:44-47:

 “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. (Serving others)  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. (Worshipping God)  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. (Loving one another)  And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Sharing God’s love).

 Our methods of doing church have changed over the centuries, but the basic elements of “being” the church has not!  When we lose any these attributes, we lose something of what God intended the church to be.  God’s plan is for His church to be those who worship, love, serve and share!  That’s what made the church the dynamic force that changed the world.

 Jesus doesn’t need to prepare for His return.  He is ready whenever the Father says “it is time.”  However, Jesus is preparing His bride for His second coming by encouraging us to be ready because “our redemption draws near.”  The way we do that is to return to our roots and “be” the church by being about the Father’s business.  Jesus is coming soon for His bride!  May He find us living like the first century church, concerned with worshipping Him, loving one another, serving the body and sharing His love.  Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

In John 4, Jesus has an encounter with a Samaritan woman who had come to draw water from the well.  When asked about her husband, she admits she isn’t married.  Jesus tells her that she has had five husbands and the man she was with currently was not her husband.  Jesus concludes their conversation by declaring to her that He is the Messiah. This woman then goes back into town to testify of her divine encounter and what Jesus had spoken to her.

 John then records this:  Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”  So when the Samaritans came to Him, they urged Him to stay with them, and He stayed two days.  And because of His words many more became believers. They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”     (John 4:39-42)

 This woman, whose life was changed through this encounter, is a wonderful example of the “lighthouses” God has called us to be.   In his gospel, Matthew exhorts us, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”  (5:16)   God is not calling most of us to stand on a street corner and preach the gospel.  His evangelism plan is to let the “Light of the world” shine through us to the extent that people see the impact of our individual encounters with Jesus, and are drawn to Him. 

 Then, as we encourage people to pursue an encounter with Jesus themselves, He will reveal Himself to them and they will say, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”    

Revival came to Sychar because of the testimony of a woman who encountered  Jesus and was not afraid to share the good news of her discovery with anyone who would listen.   Too many of us feel we are not qualified or gifted enough to share the gospel with others.  Based on the story of this woman, it is not about ability but availability and a desire to share our encounters with Jesus with any who will listen.  The “Light of the world” can’t help to emanate from us as we open our hearts and allow the testimony of Jesus to shine forth to those in darkness.

Last Sunday, we discussed our calling as a church to be a “lighthouse”, and our individual responsibility to be God’s “proclaimer of light” to those who don’t know His love.  We ended with Jesus’ admonition in Matthew 9 that “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.”  The very next day, Monday, I received from Foursquare an email article titled, “Laborers for the Harvest.”  Talking about a confirmation of what God is saying to us!  Here’s an excerpt:

 Imagine putting a huge sign in front of your church that reads:
   “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
    The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,    I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Imagine if a multitude of people took you up on the offer and came in! Think of the needs, the workers necessary, the Kingdom inconveniences, the challenges; the smile on God’s face!

You are probably aware, but the above quote is an excerpt of Emma Lazarus’ poem “The New Colossus.” As a nation, we put this on “our sign,” the Statue of Liberty and most of the nations of the world have taken us up on the offer! They’re coming! …There are people waiting for Bible studies, for prayer, for healing, for Jesus’ touch…Likewise, in Matthew 9, Jesus saw the crowds and had compassion on them. He saw that they were harassed and in need. He wanted to bless them all. The compassionate charge to His disciples: “Pray for laborers!”

 Isaiah records this: Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”  And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”  Could it be that as we pray for laborers for the harvest, the Lord would ask us the same question? “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”  Will we respond as Isaiah did with an enthusiastic request that God would send us?

 Don’t give into the lie that you are not qualified!  If you have the Holy Spirit, you have the “light of the world”, Jesus, within you!  God is looking for those through whom He can shine His light.  Remember, it is His light, not ours!  God is looking for laborers because the harvest is plentiful.  Whom shall He send and who will go?

We know our enemy, the devil, comes to steal, kill and destroy.  He will do this in the physical realm, as Job experienced, and he will do this in the spiritual realm through guilt, doubt and unbelief.  These will rob you of spiritual vitality and effectiveness in the Kingdom of God.  In Luke 8, Jesus tells the Parable of the Four Soils.  Then, He goes on to reveal the meaning behind the four soils (path, rocks, thorns, good soil).  Notice how the first three soils tie into guilt, doubt and unbelief:

 “The seed is the word of God.  Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.”   This is unbelief.  The enemy works to rob you from believing and trusting in what God’s word says.

 “Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.”

God allows times of testing to strengthen your faith.  But, the devil is quick to question why God would allow you to suffer.  Satan’s goal is to destroy your faith through doubt.

 “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.”    The devil will use your struggles with life’s worries, riches and pleasures to kill your faith through an overwhelming sense of guilt.  “How can you be a Christian and worry so much?” or  “A true Christian is not someone like you who is so pleasure-minded.”

 We know that all of the devils accusations are meant to steal our faith with unbelief, to destroy our faith through doubting God’s faithfulness, and to kill our faith through guilt.

But, Jesus tells us that trusting in God and His word, holding onto His faithfulness and receiving His forgiveness will cause us to be those who “by persevering produce a crop.”

 Don’t let the enemy steal, kill or destroy your faith through guilt, doubt or unbelief.  Through standing firm on the truth revealed in God’s word, we will reject these deceptions and reap the abundance of God’s faithfulness in our lives.

“Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’” (Mark 10:21)

This portion of scripture begins with an exchange between Jesus and the “rich young ruler”, as many versions refer to him. This wealthy young man asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” After instructing him to follow the commandments, Jesus tells him above to sell his possessions, give the proceeds to the poor and “come, follow me.” The disciples were listening to this exchange and didn’t hesitate to remind Jesus, “We have left everything to follow you!”

Our last two Sundays have focused on the importance of Jesus’ words in the 21st chapter of John, when He urged Peter, “Follow me”. Here we see this call of Jesus again. What caught my eye was what follows the disciples self-proclaimed sacrifice of leaving everything: “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30)

The theme of this year is “Increase and Intimacy.” This passage puts these two together beautifully. Jesus is promising us, His disciples, an incredible “return” on our spiritual investment. The more we pour ourselves into following Jesus, seeking Him and desiring to be more like Him, the greater the harvest of righteousness we will reap. Just as we can’t out-give God financially, the more we devote ourselves to Him spiritually, the greater the transforming power of the Holy Spirit will be worked in us.

Whatever satisfaction of our flesh we give up for the purposes of pursuing Jesus, the promise is that the satisfaction of our spirits will be a hundred times greater! God wants a greater intimacy with He promises that we will be blessed beyond measure as we pursue Him! How amazing is that?

The Lord confirmed this through the prophet Isaiah: Isa 40:31 “…but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isa. 40:31) Don’t pass up the opportunity to spend more time with Jesus. You will be strengthened and encouraged as you do so.