Don't Judge Me

Introduction
In this sermon series, we are comparing the prevailing wisdom of the world to the way of Christ. So far, this has meant contrasting what Jesus said to what the world says. But in today’s message, we see that sometimes people misuse what Jesus said.

One of my pet-peeves is when people misquote someone on social media. Do you know what I mean? For instance, look at this meme of Abraham Lincoln that says, “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet just because there’s a picture with a quote next to it.” Now this humorous meme illustrates a point about something that happens all the time. It’s just too easy to see a sentiment you like that’s been attributed to some famous person and you share it. And because some famous person said it, it must be true. Right? Not really.  

A more insidious form of false information is “fake news” where false information presented as “fact” is spread so widely people accept it as truth.  We are overwhelmed with so much information, who has the time to check every source and verify all the information we receive?  And so fake news is passed along and goes viral until everyone believes it's true.

Recently, I was guilty of sharing false information myself. I saw a supposed quote from CS Lewis’ book The Screw Tape Letters that was turned into a meme that seemed so fitting for our times.  Fortunately, a couple of my friends (gently) alerted me that (though the sentiment is good) this quote is not an authentic CS Lewis quote.  After checking, I verified that is not in CS Lewis’ book. 

Many people misuse Jesus’ words.  I will never forget being a young pastor of a small church in Griffin when a lady stopped by seeking assistance with her rent.  She told me a story of how she was down on her luck and needed some help.  Well, we were a small church with a very small budget.  We didn’t have the funds to help her, but my church treasurer worked at the local Salvation Army.  I told the lady my church couldn’t help her, but I had a contact at the Salvation Army who could probably help her.  I was in the process of calling my member to get her to help when the lady I was trying to help flew off the handle and stormed out the door shouting, “Jesus said do not judge!” 

Well, I wasn’t judging her.  I was trying to help her and probably could have if she hadn’t stormed out of my church in a rage while misquoting Jesus.  Jesus did say, “Do not judge,” but it doesn’t mean what this lady thought it meant and it doesn’t mean what most people in our world think either.  So let’s take a look at two things Jesus said. 

Matthew 7:1 & 12:33
7:1 – “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.”

12:33 – “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad.”

In Matthew 7:1, Jesus is preaching against being judgmental. Being judgmental is rushing to judgment without reason. It describes someone who forms a lot of harsh, critical opinions about many people. It describes the Pharisees of Jesus’ day who tried so hard to follow the Torah perfectly and criticized anyone who didn’t live up to their standards. Their judgements revealed their lack of love and compassion for people. They saw themselves as better than everyone else.  Jesus preached: Don’t be like that. Don’t be judgmental. If you spend all your time pointing out everyone else’s problems, you won’t take a good hard look at yourself and see all your own flaws for which you desperately need forgiveness and healing.

We live in a world that holds two values in the highest esteem—freedom and tolerance. First of all, we value freedom. I mean, this is America, right? We can live however we want. Furthermore, this is the 21st century. Most people don’t want to confine themselves to what they consider outdated moral constructs of the past. We are modern people who live modern lives. We don’t want anyone telling us the way we live is wrong.  That's the prevailing attitude of our times.

Second, we value tolerance, because there are so many difference people living different ways by different moral standards.  Who is to say who is really right and wrong?  So, we must learn tolerance. We say, "I’ll let you be you and you let me be me."  Ironically, the people who preach tolerance the most can be some of the most intolerant people you will find. They preach tolerance of their own behavior when it offends moral standards they consider outdated, but they want to “cancel” anyone who doesn’t live up to their own “new” moral expectations.  Tolerance, in our times, is a one way street.  

So, people take Jesus’ command not to be judgmental and make it, “Don’t judge me!” That’s not what Jesus meant. Jesus never expected people give up on thinking critically about what is right and wrong. Furthermore, he even taught that we should look at the way people live and make informed judgments about whether it is good or bad.  Since Christians live together in community, we are supposed to hold one another accountable.  This important work requires us to use good judgment and even tell one another when we see behavior that is unhealthy.

In Matthew 12:33, Jesus teaches, “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad.” Now, Jesus is not really talking about fruit trees. He’s using an illustration. He’s saying, look at the results of a person’s life. Has their work produced good or bad results? Have they made the world a better place or is the fruit of their life all rotten?

I don't ever want to come to a place where we just accept as truth whatever "most" people say.  Let's always remember how to look deeper at the facts and evaluate and find the truth.

Use Good Judgment
Jesus expects you to use good judgment.  Don’t ever let someone bully you by throwing a misquote of Jesus up in your face.  Don’t ever feel guilty for using the brain God gave you to judge for yourself about a person or situation.  Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all you mind, and all your strength.  So use your mind.  And of course, you want to avoid a judgmental attitude where you think of yourself as better than someone else.  But you still need to make a good, informed decisions.

Don’t try to deny others the freedom to judge you either—especially when you know them to have your best interest at heart.  Isn’t it interesting, we usually want to throw around Jesus’ words “do not judge” when we ourselves are feeling judged?  Someone says something we perceive as judging us and we immediately want to retort back “Don’t judge me!”

Really?  Do you really want to deny others the permission to help you?  You know, sometimes people see things about you that you can’t see about yourself.  If you are a Christian, you have committed your life to follow Jesus—in community with other Christians who are there to help you and you are there to help them.  Part of the way we help each other is by seeing each other’s flaws and (not being judgmental, but) speaking the truth in love.  Are you open to letting someone else tell you a hard truth?  Are you able to prayerfully, carefully, and lovingly tell someone else the truth in a non-judgmental way?

Do you have the kind of close relationships with other Christians where sharing constructive criticism is even possible.  You know, you have to earn the right to share some things with people.  You don't just go up to a stranger on the street and start telling them all about their flaws.  You wouldn't want someone you don't know and trust to do that to you either.  So, you have to spend time getting to know people and tending the relationship ad building trust to the point that you can give and receive some deep accountability.  When you do, they may get mad at you for a day, but that will probably pass and they will receive what you share because of the relationship you have. And the same would be true if a true sister or brother in Christ came to you and told you something your didn't want to hear, but needed to hear.

Closing Meditation
As we close, I would like to lead you in a meditation to help you consider how you could let go of a judgmental attitude and be open to making the right kinds of judgments according to the Spirit of Christ.  So open your heart to God right now as you read.

Ask yourself, do you think you are better than someone else? What about the person who doesn't live the way you think they should live? What about the person who hurt you, betrayed you, or sinned against you?  Are you better than them?  Are you better than the younger generation (who just doesn't get it because they don't know how life works)? Do you think you are better than the older generation (who have lost touch with the modern world and still believe in outdated ideas)?  Are you better than someone else?  Who?

I invite you to repent of your feelings of superiority. You are no better than anyone else. We are all sinners in need of God’s grace. Take a moment to ask Jesus to forgive you and let go of your judgmental attitudes...

Now, ask God to help you have good judgment. Ask Him for wisdom to be a good judge of character—not as a way to feel superior, but—so you will know who to trust and who to avoid…

Now, ask God to give you humility so you may receive constructive that might help you grow as a person…

Finally, ask God to reveal any ways you may need to share constructive criticism with someone you love…

Closing Prayer
"Father God in Heaven, thank You for revealing Your truth for us today and for hearing our prayers.  Help us to follow the way of Christ that uses good judgment but avoids being judgmental.  Help us to have the kinds of deep personal relationships with others that enable us to hold and be held accountable and to grow to become more and more like Christ, Your perfect Son.  In His name we pray, amen."

Children of God

Introduction
In the early 2000, Kelly and I lived in an apartment in Lithia Springs, GA.  One of our neighbors was an man named Nadeem. Nadeem was from Iran and had a very different upbringing than me.  It was interesting to talk to him and learn about his culture.  Nadeem was also a Muslim, which was a very interesting because Nadeem was also an alcoholic.  Now, Muslim's in Iran are fairly stric and drinking alcohol is forbidden, so I don't know how that worked, but Nadeem could often be found sitting on a bench outside our apartment building, which is how I met him.  Nadeem was also married to as Catholic nun.  I know.  That doesn't make any sense either, but that is how Nadeem described her (I'm thinking she must have been a former nun because nuns are celibate and do not marry.)  

I had many good conversations with Nadeem and I always think of him when I cook rice because one time he invited me into his apartment to teach me the "proper" way to cook rice.  He would always add a little olive oil and salt.  Sometimes he would add other things like garbanzo beans.  His rice was always very good.

My conversations with Nadeem would often work around to religion.  I was interested to know more about Islam and he was curious about Christianity.  Of course, I also felt a burden to share about Jesus and how He changed my life.  Nadeem would often say, "You know Chris, Jesus is in the Koran too.  We believe in Jesus."  I would ask Nadeem what he believed about Jesus and he would say the Koran teaches Jesus is a great prophet.  "But do you believe Jesus is the Son of God," I would ask and we would go round and round about this.  Finaly, Nadeem would say, “Chris, Chris, we are all children of God.”

The subtle disagreement we had was over what it means to be a child of God.  The Christian Bible says Jesus is the only begotten Son of God.  The Greek word the New Testament uses for “only begotten” is monogenes and means “uniquely born” or “one-of-a-kind birth.” The conception and birth of Jesus was unique—nothing like it had ever happened before and will never happen again in the future. He was conceived in the womb of a virgin by the Holy Spirit and is the only one who has two natures—divine and human; all God and all man.”[i]  Though is some sense all people are children of God, we are not children of God the way Jesus is the only begotten Son of God.

I hope you will follow todays message, because it is very important.  It will takes some twists and turns along the way, but the destination is worth the drive; I hope you will stay with me.  The problem is we are dealing with some half-truths and partial truths of the world and comparing them to the Whole Truth of God.

Many people in our world like to say, “We are all children of God.”  Now, in a sense this is true.  The world (and even the Church) has emphasized this claim over the last century to make some important points to help us deal with the serious problems of racism, war, and division in our world.  The statement is true in the sense that God created us all. 

Furthermore, there is no one race that is superior to any other race.  We are all really one race. To speak of a black race or a white race or an Asian race is really technically wrong. The misguided idea that humanity is divided into different “races” began in the 15th century mostly as a way for Europeans to justify the conquest of other countries inhabited by Africans, Asians, and Native Americans (even the Irish).  Since they believed they were different races of people, the subjugation of different races was acceptable (or even inevitable). "Genetic studies in the late 20th century refuted the existence of biogenetically distinct races…”[ii] Genetically, we are all one race. When we say the word race, what we really mean is ethnicity, culture, or people groups.  There is no significant genetic difference between the different people groups of the world.  We are all part of one human race.

Furthermore, according to Genesis in the Bible, God created all people through Adam and Eve--the first human beings. So to say, “We are all God’s children” is true in a broad sense.  Christians who believe the Bible's account of creation accept that we all descended from the same ancestral parents. 

Usually when people say “We are all God’s children,” they are calling on everyone everywhere to live together in harmony. It’s a noble call. We certainly do need to set aside petty squabbles and see all human beings as being part of one human family. Let’s treat everyone fairly and be done forever with racism and discrimination. Let us, as Martin Luther King, Jr. so passionately preached, “Judge a man not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character.”

But in this series, we are comparing what the world says to what Jesus says. What did Jesus say?

John 8:42-44
⁴² Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. ⁴³ Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! ⁴⁴ For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.  

The Devil’s Children
Most people prefer to think of Jesus as a kind man gently holding a baby lamb. Quite often, that’s not the Jesus we see in the Bible. It’s not the Jesus we see in John 8. In John 8, Jesus is arguing with the Pharisees in Jerusalem and He’s telling the cold hard Truth. There are some people in this world who aren’t God’s children; they’re the Devil’s children.  

Now, this message is about to take curve in the road so brace yourself. Hold on.  Scripture teaches all people who have not repented of sin and turned to Jesus are children of the Devil.  According to Jesus own words, those who reject Him are children of the Devil. 

Most people think of a devil child as an especially “bad” kid.  Surely, it's the toddler who sneaks the chocolate syrup out of the fridge and smears it all over the kitchen who qualifies as a devil child.  Or maybe it's the person is is especially evil or does evil things that is a devil child.  

Surely it's not good people who are children of the Devil.  However, we need to asks a pertinent question.  Who among us is really good?  Isaiah 53:6 says, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.” 

Romans 3:10-18 is even harsher.  “No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.  Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.  Snake venom drips from their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.  They rush to commit murder.  Destruction and misery always follow them. They don’t know where to find peace They have no fear of God at all.”

Romans 3 might seem harsh, but understand holiness and righteousness are not measured by human standards.  They are measured by God’s perfect standard.  Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fall short of God's glorious standard."  When we compare human goodness to God’s perfection, human goodness doesn’t even compare.  Romans 3 describes you (and me).

Isaiah 64:6 puts it this way, “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.”

Jesus said to the Pharisees, “You are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does.”  Remember, the Pharisees were the holiest people where Jesus lived.  Everyone looked up to them as righteous dudes.  They memorized the Torah--which is the first five books of the Bible.  They sought to live good, holy lives that avoided all sin.  Furthermore, they refused to associate with anyone considered sinful, unclean, or ungodly.

“But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw [Jesus] eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?” (Mark 2:16) 

Back to Our Question
Are we all children of God? The answer, according to Jesus (and Scripture) is a resounding no. Those who reject Jesus (and thus reject God) are children of the Devil. And really, everyone has done this.

There is a little used, but sometimes used, legal processing in American whereby a child can "divorce" there parents.  It is called emancipation and it doesn't happen often.  If it is determined that a parent is not truly advocating for the best interest of their child, a child can be set free from the authority of their parent.  The parent then no longer has any guardianship rights over the child.  Now, in our fallen world where parents don't always do what they should, it may be necessary for a child to "divorce" their parents.

Here’s the thing. God created us and He is a perfect parent that always looks out for our best interest, but we have turned our backs on God because of sin and rejected God as our Father. We walked away. We divorced our Heavenly Father.  We have said, "I don't want to be beholden to You anymore.  I don't accept God's authority over my life.  I am walking away to go live my own life the way I want to live it."  

By our sin, every person who lives has rejected (or divorced) God. We have walked away from the relationship. It’s not just prostitutes and notorious sinners. Even the supposedly good, holy people have turn their backs on God through sin. God is no longer our Father.  Therefore, by default, we become “children of the Devil.”

It is only by the grace of God that we can return to a right relationship with God. Ephesians 1:5 says, “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” Why would God need to adopt us if we were already His children? Because people are not God's children before He adopts them through Christ.

The whole story of the Good News of God can be summed up in a single parable told by Jesus —the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32.  Jesus uses a powerful family story to analogize the relationship between people and God.  The Father in the story represents God. The younger son represents the notorious sinners of the world. The older son represents the “good” people of the world who generally follow the rules, but have defective attitudes and perspectives.  The story goes like this (I will add my comments in italics):

“A man had two sons. ¹² The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’

The younger son wants to divorce his father and go live his life his onw way.  He doesn't want to work on his father's estate anymore.  He doesn't want to be subject to his father's rules and authority.  He can't wait until his father dies and he can get his inheritance and leave.  So he just comes out and basically says, "I can't wait for you to die.  Give me my inheritance now so I can go ahead and leave."

So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

¹³ “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. ¹⁴ About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. ¹⁵ He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. ¹⁶ The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸ I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, ¹⁹ and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

²⁰ “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. ²¹ His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’

²² “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. ²³ And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, ²⁴ for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. 

This is an amazing story of grace.  The Father loves his son, despite the terrible, hateful way the son left.  Now that the son has come home, the Father adopts His son back into the family.  The gifts of a robe and ring and sandals are symbols that the has not a servant, but a son.

²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, ²⁶ and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

²⁸ “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, ²⁹ but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. ³⁰ Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

The older son was angry.  He thinks he is better than his younger brother.  He thinks his Father (who remember is God) owes him a reward for being good.  Do you think God owes you something for being good?  

³¹ “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. ³² We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

Conclusion

I want you to notice something important in this story.  Jesus doesn’t tell us whether or not the older son ever went in to join the party.  He did that on purpose.  You know why?  He left us hanging because most of us are the older son.  We the ones standing out in the cold while all the prostitutes, gangsters, and despised sinners of the world are inside partying with Jesus because they already knew they were sinners who needed Jesus to forgive them.  Meanwhile, so many times, we think God owes us something (especially if we are generally good people).  That attitude is a great sin in and of itself.  God doesn’t owe you anything.  However, He still graciously invites you to receive His grace and come in to the feast. You are the one who decides how the story ends.  You can choose to stay outside with your arms folded and pouting lips or you can let go of your pride, recognize your own sin, seek forgiveness just like everyone else, and go in and join the party.  Are you going to come in and join the party?

Jesus left His church with a very special meal to celebrate what He did for us on the cross and to foreshadow the everlasting feast awaiting those who enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  On the night He was arrested, Jesus sat down to a special meal with His disciples.  At the meal, Jesus broke the bread and gave it to His disciples and said, "This is my body that is given for you. Take and eat."  Likewise, after the meal, he took the cup and raised it to heaven and ask God to bless it and said, "This is my blood of the New Covenant poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.  Drink it, and as often as you do, do it in remembrance of me."  Ever since that night, this memorial meal has been shared by Christians as a way to remember Christ's death on the cross--a sacrifice that atones for our sins and makes salvation and a right relationship with God possible.

I invite you to come in and enjoy the Father's feast.  Don't stay outside as a child of Satan.  Come Home and be a child of God once more.

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[i] https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.cloversites.com/fc/fcdcda31-90dd-4d9e-8256-2b8bc499f91b/documents/Only_Begotten_Son.pdf

[ii] https://www.oprahmag.com/life/a28787295/race-vs-ethnicity-difference/

What Happens in Vegas

Introduction
In February of 2003, an ad campaign began that USA Today named the most effective of the year.[i]  “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”  Since then, the slogan has become a mainstay pop culture, inspiring two Hollywood movies, a song by Usher, and even First Lady, Laura Bush got in on the action, using the tagline in a discussion with Jay Leno on The Tonight Show in 2005. 

“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”  I guess that’s a good thing.  Vegas has made a name for itself as an immensely popular getaway destination.  You can eat, party, gamble, see the sights, see the lights (and see some things you shouldn’t see!).  There are concerts, magic shows, and entertainment of all sort—both of the wholesome and unwholesome kind.  All this entertainment draws nearly 50 million people to “Sin City” every year.  People come from all over to forget about the worries of life for a little while, let their hair down, and have a good time. 

Vegas also hosts around 20,000 meetings and conventions annually.  It was just such a convention that attracted my wife and I to Vegas a few years ago.  Kelly attended a Neonatal nursing convention and we decided to extend the trip a few days and make it a nice getaway.  However, we were much more interested in the sights outside of Los Vegas in the surrounding dessert.  We went hiking in Red Rock Canyon.  We drove over to see the Grand Canyon.  While Kelly was attending her conference, I drove out and saw the Valley of Fire State Park and also part of Death Valley (one of the hottest places on earth that is 282 feet below sea level).  We did walk around the city together one night.  It was interesting to see the neon lights, the crowds, the architecture, the water fountains.  But to be honest, Kelly and I are not huge fans crowded cities.  We like peace and quiet. 

Well, the slogan “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” is quite popular.  People like to have a place where they can do whatever they want without anyone else know about it.  And who hasn’t done something at one time or another they would prefer to keep secret?   

The truth is you don’t have to go to Vegas to live out a secret life.  In the internet age, all you need is a few clicks and you can find almost anything you want and no one has to know about it. Maybe we should change the slogan to: “What happens on the internet, stays on the internet.” 

The internet is the default place now where people go to live a secret life.  You don’t have to get on a plane and fly to Vegas.  You don’t have to spring for an expensive hotel room.  All you need is Google.  Stats from my Google search this morning revealed 35% of off all downloads from the internet are pornographic.  Who knew?  “What happens in Vegas (or on the internet) stays in Vegas.” 

In this series, we take what the world says and compare it to what Jesus said.  So, what did Jesus say?

Luke 12:2
The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all.

Human nature hasn’t changed much in 2,000 years.  In Jesus day, the Pharisees were the most popular, well-respected religious/political groups in Israel.  Pharisees were known for their religious devotion.  They believed in God and taught people to follow God with extreme devotion.  They tried to lead by example.  They studied the Bible “religiously”—many having memorized the first five books of the Bible by age 12![ii]  Can you imagine?  (And that includes Leviticus and Deuteronomy, what many consider two of the dullest books in the Bible!) 

Pharisees believed the way to earned God’s blessing and inherit eternal life was to live the Torah perfectly--only then did a person deserve the right to be called God’s chosen.  So, the Pharisees tried to live holy lives.  They tried hard.  By outward appearances, the Pharisees it appeared to many they were perfect. 

Romans 3:23
Unfortunately, there is a dark truth about human nature that no one can escape.  Romans 3:23 spells it out in the New Testament.  “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” 

It doesn’t matter how hard we try to live a perfect life, we all fail.  You fail.  I fail.  Even the pope fails.  (And that’s if we are really, really trying!  A lot of people aren’t even trying to be good!)  The Pharisees did try.  They tried really hard, but even the Pharisees failed.  However, they had an image to uphold.  Their reputation ensured they stayed in power.  Even thought they knew themselves well enough to know they were not perfect, they had to keep up appearances to maintain their position in society. 

So, Pharisees did a lot of things to support the image of being religious and devout.  They would gather a crowd on a street corner and pray long, religious prayers for everyone to see.  They would go through town and ring a bell as they handed out money to the poor.  They would wear long, flowing religious robes that made them stand out as holy. They sat in the places of highest honor in the synagogues and at religious festivals.  All these things Jesus pointed out and condemned because they were only for show—to make people think the Pharisees were more perfect than they were. 

Of course, a lot of people already knew the Pharisees weren’t so perfect.  No one can maintain a façade of perfection.  There’s always someone, somewhere who knows the truth.  And ultimately, God knows the truth.  Nothing is kept hidden from Him—even what you do in Vegas. 

The Pharisees couldn’t fool God and neither can you.  One day, Jesus said, everything “that is secret will be made known to all.”  What you did in Vegas, what you did on the internet, even your deepest secret thoughts that no one else knows about will be revealed. 

Closing
But there is Good News.  You don’t have to be perfect in order to earn God’s love, forgiveness, and salvation.  God already loves you!  God loves you so much, He came down to our broken world and laid down His own life for us on the cross.  This proves that God doesn’t want to condemn us, but to save us.  For while we were still sinners, Christ came and died for us. (Romans 5:8)

And as 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

And so, God says to us all, “Come now, let’s settle this. Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.”   (Isaiah 1:18) 

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) 

Won’t you turn from your sins and turn to God today and let Him wash you clean.  What happened in Vegas (or whatever) doesn’t have to stay in Vegas.  It can be forgiven and washed away completely, forever! 

So “throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.”  Live for God from this day forward.  Leave the past behind and press on toward the future God has for you, and the eternal life that is the hope and reward of all who follow Christ as Lord.

  

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[i] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Happens_Here,_Stays_Here#:~:text=When%20the%20%22What%20Happens%20Here,phenomenon%22%20according%20to%20Advertising%20Age.

[ii] https://deurpost.wordpress.com/2010/02/11/consider-this/

The Road to Heaven

Introduction
One of the best purchases I made as a young man in my early 20s, was a home video camera.  In the spring of 1998, Kelly and I were expecting our first child and I wanted to be able to document is all in pictures videos.  In today’s world, anyone can capture pictures and videos right on the phone, which they almost always have with them.  But that was not the case back in 1998.  So, we bought a camcorder and began capturing video footage of our life together in our early twenties and all the way up to the present day. 

Recently, we went back and had all the old camcorder tapes converted to DVDs—somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 hours of footage.  We’ve been watching it in our spare time.  So far, there’s a lot of really bad, shaky camera work (this all unedited, amateur video footage).  It’s also hilarious, touching, nostalgic, and fascinating (at least to us) because it captures some of our dearest memories. 

So much has changed in my lifetime.  (I can’t imagine what’s been like for those who are even older than me!)  And I know there is yet a lot more change to come.  America is growing more and more diverse.  But one thing that doesn’t change is God and His love.  God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amen?  The world and it’s ideas and values are always changing, but God never changes.

Jon Lin’s Idea
When I was 20, I worked in a testing lab for a textile chemical company.  One of my co-workers was an intern from Taiwan named Jon Lin.  Now, obviously, Jon grew up in a culture very different from my own and I was fascinated to learn from Jon.  Jon was gracious and liked to share about his culture.  He invited me to a couple parties with his Asian friends and even took Kelly and I out to eat at a few authentic Asian restaurants.  He taught me a lot about his culture.  

Jon also said something that reflects a growing sentiment in our world—and especially America.  In speaking about religion, Jon said, “Chris, I believe all religions lead us to heaven.  So maybe you believe in Jesus and so that is the road that leads you to heaven.  But, I have a different religion that leads me to heaven by a different road.  Ultimately, we all end up in heaven together, we just get there by different roads.” 

My friend, Jon, was expressing an idea that a great number of people believe today:  All the major world religions have the same goals and ultimately lead people to heaven—just by different methods.  IE, all roads lead to heaven.  Many people, like my friend Jon, believe the Christian gets to heaven through faith in Jesus.  The Buddhist gets to heaven through Buddha.  The Muslim through Muhammad.  The Jew through the Torah.  The Hindu through their own pantheon of gods. 

Since this “All Roads Lead to Heaven” belief says everyone ultimately is going to the same Heaven, we can just live and let live.  There’s no need to try and convert anyone else to our religion.  In fact, to do so would be disrespectful.  And because we all need to get along in an incredibly diverse society with many differing religious beliefs, we need to just keep our religious beliefs private and let everyone else do the same. 

Well, the “All Roads Lead to Heaven” concept may make it easier for people of varying religious beliefs to live together in harmony, but is it true? 

What did Jesus say?
In this series, we compare what the world says to what Jesus says.  So what did Jesus say?

John 14:6 – Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 

No one can come to the Father (that’s God in heaven) except through Jesus.  So Jesus believed and taught that there was only one way, one road, and Jesus is that road. (The early Christians didn't call themselves Christians; they were members of "the way"--Jesus' way.) 

One time, my friend Jon asked me what I believed about religion—did I believe that all roads led to Heaven?  It was a very hard thing to say, but I didn’t know what else I could say.  I told Jon, “My belief is what Jesus said.  Jesus said there is only one way to the Father in heaven and that’s through Jesus.”  Jon said, “Oh Chris.  I don’t know if we can be friends anymore.”  Thankfully, we did remain friends.  I don’t know if it’s a credit to Jon’s patience or if he respected that I didn’t withhold the truth from him, even if it was a hard and difficult truth.  At any rate, we stayed friends until Jon moved back to Taiwan and we lost touch with one another.  (I guess it is still possible to love and respect people who believe differently than you even if you admit you believe differently.) 

Who is Really Right?
But is Jesus really right? Is Jesus the only way to Heaven or can you get to heaven through one of the other major world religions (or you own personal ideas about God)?  Well, ultimately, I don’t know if there’s a definitive way to prove one religion right and another wrong.  (If there is, I’m not skilled enough to do it in this short blog.)  However, there is one thing I can say and that I will share. 

All the major world religions can’t lead to the same place because they don’t even teach the same thing about God or the destination of a faithful life. Christianity teaches there is only One God and to worship any god but the one true God is a grave sin.  Hinduism teaches there are many, many gods and Hindus have thousands of shrines to all their various gods and they worship them all.  Some would argue that Hindu's are expressing the infinite nature of God by and infinite number of deities, each representing a different aspect of God's nature.  That is a good thought, but that is not what the Hindu religion teaches.  They actually believe each deity is a separate god and these separate gods are not in union and don't even all get along.  The two different beliefs about God represented by Christianity and Hinduism are in absolute contradiction to each other.  They can’t both be right any more than 2+2 can equal 10. 

Another world religion, Buddhism, teaches there is no personal god at all.  The Christian idea of praying to God and knowing that He hears and answers makes absolutely no sense in the Buddhist religion, because they don't believe God exist as a person who could hear you.  Furthermore, Buddhists “don’t believe in heaven or hell as most people typically understand them.”[i]  Jesus taught those who repent and put their faith in Him are forgiven made perfect and spend eternity with God their creator in a place where there is no more suffering or sickness or death.  Jesus also taught that some who do not repent would be punished for eternity in hell.  Jesus and Buddha can’t both be right. 

The Muslim concept of Heaven, what they call Paradise, is different from Heaven as described in biblical Christian faith.  Muslims believe they earn the right to go to Paradise by living a righteous life, whereas Christianity explicitly teaches “Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done…” (Ephesian 2:9).  Jesus and Muhammed can’t both be right. 

Christians believe you live one life on earth and then pass into eternity, either in heaven or hell based on whether you trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  Buddhists and Hindus believe in re-incarnation—the idea that you are reborn as either a higher or lower life form based on the way you lived in this life.  So if you are a good person, you will earn the right to be reborn into a higher class in your next life.  If you were a bad person, you might be reborn as a rat in the next life.  The hope is that you will eventually work your way up the spiritual ladder until you reach enlightenment.  Incarnation is in absolutely conflict with the Christian teaching of justification by faith alone.  Both cannot be true at the same time. 

Which Will You Choose?
So, as appealing as it might be to believe “all roads lead to heaven, just by different means”, it just can’t logically be true.  The only way to accept this teaching is to change the various world religions themselves until they are not authentic at all.  It is to water them down to nothing more than fairy tales.  I believe it actual insults the religions themselves.  It rejects the devout religious beliefs billions of people have held for thousands of years in the various world religions simply to make living together more polite for people today without any regard for what might actually be true.

Many in our world—who do not believe in God or religion—are ok with turning religions into fairy tales (or just throwing them out altogether).  There are many who would just assume get rid of God.  Let life be only about what makes human beings happy (humanism).  Many would encourage all these different religious people to view their religions as optional, as something fun and nice and maybe interesting; part of their heritage and culture, but not something that they should take too seriously.  

Satan would like nothing better than for people to go down that road.  The Enemy loves when people think life is all about them and their happiness and that God is only a fun fantasy.   

As for me, I take my faith in Jesus very seriously.  I believe it is the most important thing in life.  We were created by God to be in an eternal relationship with Him.  And we either will, or we won’t.  If we are, that is the definition of Heaven.  And if we are eternally not in a relationship with God, that is the definition of Hell itself.

And So, God, in His infinite love and mercy, came and lived among us as Jesus.  He show us the way to live and invited us to repent of our sin and turn back to God and receive His mercy and salvation.  And then Jesus paid the price for our sin by dying on the cross.  He rose on the third day in victory of sin and death.  And all who choose to follow Christ, who put their faith in His forgiveness and healing power, will spend eternity with Him in everlasting life.  

Which will you choose?  A real relationship with God or something else?

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[i] https://www.joincake.com/blog/buddhist-afterlife/#:~:text=Buddhists%20do%20believe%20in%20a,whether%20they're%20a%20sinner

Follow Your Heart?

Introduction
I hope you had a happy Valentines day.  I think I am the luckiest guy in the world to be blessed with my wife, Kelly, as my sweet valentine.  We started dating when I was 18 and she was 16, but I first noticed Kelly when I was only 13 or 14 years old.  I okayed in a rock and roll band with her dad.  We used to rehearse at his house and I would see Kelly's picture on the wall.  I though, "Man, she's pretty!"  Sometimes, she would come in through the front door and walk through the house passed where the band rehearsed and I would think, "Man, she sure is pretty!"  She never seemed to notice me.

I had my very first girlfriend when I was  in pre-K.  How does a kid have a girlfriend in Pre-K?  I don't know.  All I know is my parents and older siblings used to tease me because, apparently, I had befriended a girl in my pre-K class and they thought it was cute.  I don't even remember her; all I knew was that the important people in my life were thrilled I had a "girlfriend".  Their interest in my "love life" was re-enforced throughout my childhood as they would often ask, "So, who's your girlfriend?"  When we would take trips to see my grandparents or aunts and uncles, they also would ask, "Got any girlfriends?"  

Now, these older people loved me and probably just thought it was a nice thing to ask and it was cute to think of a young boy with a girlfriend.  What was impressed upon my young mind from a very early age was that having a girlfriend was very important, maybe the most important thing.  It came to be one of the most important goals in my life.  Every new school year, the exciting question in my mind was, "What girls will be in my class?  Will one of them be my girlfriend?"  

Be careful how you talk to kids about girlfriends/boyfriends.  You may just think it's cute and harmless.  But what message are you subconsciously sending  with your interest?

Well, when I was 17, I did find a girlfriend and we got pretty serious.  We spent so much time together, I neglected my other friendships.  Then, when our relationship ended in a breakup--as most high school romances end--I was lonely with a broken heart and fewer friends.  Thankfully, God used that time in my life to help me re-prioritize my life and start seeking the Lord.

After I turned 18, I was no longer that interested in romance.  I knew I was about to graduate high school and go away to college.  Why start a relationship only to have to break it off when I left town to pursue an education?  But my sister was interested in Diego, one of my friends.  We had a rule that we didn't date each other's friends.  My sister came to me and said, "How about we set that rule aside so I can date Diego and I have a friend you can date?"  

She told me her friend was Kelly Hendrick.  She was the girl I used to see while our band rehearsed (and I remembered how pretty she was!)  I wasn't really interested in a serious relationship right before I graduated, but I thought it might be fun to have someone to hang out with for a few months (and did I mention, she was really pretty?).

Well, it's funny how God works.  When I finally stopped worrying so much about finding "the one", God sent "the one" for me.  Kelly and I hit it off well and soon fell deeply in love.  We dated for 2 and a half years and then we married when she finished high school.  We've been together ever since and we're very happy.

The world has its way of doing things.  The world constantly bombards us with its “wisdom” through TV, music, movies, commercials.  One of the messages the world impresses on us is the paramount importance of finding true love.  Whether it is through music, television, or movies (or even the well-meaning people in your life), the idea is passed on that one of the ultimate goals in life is to find a mate.  We usually accept this and many other worldly ideas without much thought.  It seems like everyone believes these things and so we do too--that is, until Jesus comes along and challenges our way of thinking.

“Follow Your Heart”
For instance: The world says: “Follow your heart.”  The call to “follow your heart” is a warning not to overthink your decision.  The idea is that your heart (or your emotions or your inner voice) knows what you really need to do.  And so, many people believe you should “just follow your heart and it will lead you the right way.”  Many have made this their life motto and even tattooed on their body. 

Is "just follow your heart" really advice?  Is it really a bad thing to use your brain to intelligently weigh your decisions and your path in life?  Should you really “just let your heart lead you?”  

Well, if we pause for just a moment to think about it, it doesn’t take much intelligence to realize, “just follow your heart” is really bad advice—even though so much of the world believes this maxim.  (I suppose, though, if we “just follow our heart” our heart might tell us to “just follow our heart”, but can we really trust our heart when it says this?) 

As a pastor, people often come to me looking for help with all kinds of problems--relationship problems, marital problems, financial and spiritual problems.  What I have observed through many years of pastoral experience in actual real life situations is that when people “follow their heart” it usually leads them into a big ole mess! I've lost count of how many people I've known who married the wrong person because they were “following their heart…”  How many have gotten divorced because they followed their heart?  Hw many have cheated on their spouse, chosen the wrong career, parented their kids badly, made a bad financial investment, or wasted their money on a bad purchase simply because they were "following their heart"?

The evidence I have seen through many years of observation is that “follow your heart” is very bad advice.

What did Jesus Say?
If we want some truly trustworthy advice, we should turn to Jesus.  He was with God when God created the world, and Jesus is God (see John 1).  Jesus created us, and he knows the inner workings of our heart and our whole being.  What advice does Jesus give about “following your heart?” 

In Matthew 15:19, Jesus said, “For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.”

And Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.  Who really knows how bad it is?” 

That's pretty strong language!  Is the heart really all that bad? Yes, I believe it is. I believe it is because Jesus said it.  But I also believe it because I have a heart and I've seen how dark my own heart can be at times.  Don't get me wrong. I have a good heart.  It's compassionate. It cares about people.  It's generous. I have a giving heart. I have a good heart—that is, until it's not a good heart.  And then you better watch out! I also realize, my heart is a tricky heart. When it wants something, my heart is very persuasive. It can figure out how to make almost anything seem right. 

And it's not just my heart. It's your heart too. You may think you have a good heart.  Maybe you do, that is, until it's not a good heart.  Then you have a wicked heart, just like the Word of God says.  And if you don't think so, it's probably because you're still under your deceptive heart's spell. You better watch out! You better to listen to Jesus! You better listen to the Word of God!  “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.  Who really knows how bad it is?”  “For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.”

The heart is not an organ that can be trusted to lead you to make good and right decisions. 

That’s why God said in Ezekiel 36:26-27, “I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.  And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”

God knows how deceitful is the human heart.  That’s why Jesus came and died on the cross to atone for our sins.  Not only did Christ’s sacrifice pay for our sins, it also makes it possible for God to give us a new heart.  When we trust in Jesus, God begins healing our broken, deceitful hearts.  And as we wait for our new and perfect heart to be fully restored (a process that will take the rest o four life on earth), God sends His Holy Spirit to live inside us and guide us.  However, we have to listen to the Holy Spirit (and not our old broken hearts). 

How Do You Listen to the Spirit?
We have to learn how to follow the Holy Spirit and not our heart.  It can be confusing, because both require us to use a similar, intangible intuition that is a lot like "feeing our way through".  Many people, thinking they are following the Holy Spirit, are really just following their hearts (or their emotions).  So how do you tell the difference?  Let me give you a little guidance that will help. 

Look to the Bible.  The clearest instruction from God comes to us in His Holy Word, the Bible.  The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the foundation for everything we believe and do as Christians.  If you think the Holy Spirit is telling you to do something that goes against  what the Bible clearly says, you better check yourself.  It’s probably not the Holy Spirit.  More likely, it’s your heart trying to deceive you.  Why would God’s Holy Spirit lead you to disobey what He already said in His Holy Word in the Bible? 

Ask the Church.  The Christian faith is not a private matter and a private fait is not really faith in Jesus at all.  Look, even Jesus’ religion when he walked this earth was not lived privately.  He called together 12 disciples to live out his religion with him in community.  And Jesus always meant for his way of living to be lived with other people.  The Church is the gathering of Jesus’ people.  And we are called to help each other and depend on each other.  We need each other.  And when we are trying to discern what the Holy Spirit is saying—especially if it is a very important decision—we need to check in with the community of faith.  You need a few trustworthy Christian friends you can talk with about your decisions.  As you listen for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, you listen with Your Christian brothers and sisters.  Your heart may try to deceive you, but a good Christian friend will tell you the truth.  They will help you tell the difference between your emotions and the true leading of God’s Holy Spirit.  You are called to do this for your Christian friends as well.

Develop a Life of Prayer. Last, but certainly not least, develop a life of prayer.  Don't just pray; develop a life a prayer.  Most people pray every now and then--especially when they are faced with a big problem and they need God's help.  However, if you want to develop your ability to sense how the Holy Spirit is guiding you, you need to pray constantly.  Develop the habit of praying every day.  Pray every hour.  In fact, pray throughout the day.  It doesn't have to be long, drawn out prayers.  Simply talk to God throughout your day.  His Holy Spirit is walking beside you anyway; don't give Him the silent treatment.  Talk to Him.  Include Him in everything you are doing throughout your day.  As you do this, you will become more sensitive to how the Holy Spirit is trying to lead you.  Now, follow.

Closing
I want to invite you today to receive a new heart from the Lord.  You’re old one is broken.  It doesn’t really care about you.  It just wants to satisfy itself and it doesn’t really care if you get hurt along the way.  But God loves your deeply and unconditionally.  He really does want what’s best for you.  He will always look after your best interests, even if it means withholding something you think you really want if it’s not really good for you.  Ultimately, God wants to spend eternity wit you.  Won’t you surrender your heart to Him today so He can give you a new and better one--a heart that will last for all eternity?