Following Jesus By Focusing on the Kingdom

‌An Important Question

¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.” ²⁰ Then he gave the disciples orders to tell no one that he was the Messiah.

​Matthew 16:13–20 CSB

The question about Jesus’ identity, as seen by the disciples, was an important one. By this time, there were many opinions about who Jesus might be. Jesus had taught many times and performed many miracles by this time. His fame was growing greatly.

Verse 15 is the important verse in this section, though: “But you, who do you say that I am?” While there are many opinions about Jesus even today, the one that impacts our lives is who we see Jesus as.

Do you see Jesus as a good man… a wise teacher… a miracle worker… or do you see Him as He truly is: the one and only Son of God, the Savior of the world?

The answer to that question determines everything both in this life and the next. Seeing and trusting Jesus as Savior and Lord is the only thing that can bring forgiveness for our sins and a new life with God for all eternity.

In verse 17, Jesus shows that this truth comes to a person not because of great learning or education but by the work of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life. When you see Jesus as He truly is, you can be sure the Holy Spirit has revealed that to you and is inviting you to come and place your faith in Him.

This is where following Jesus starts. As the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of our hearts to the reality of who Jesus is and what He has done for us, He invites us to come and follow Him. It is a following that lasts for all eternity.

‌The Road Ahead

Some have called this life of following Christ a journey. I think that’s a good picture. It is a path that we walk with Him experiencing the new life He has for us. But the journey isn’t always easy.

In Matthew 16:21-23, Jesus begins to share plainly about what the road ahead looked like for Him.

²¹ From then on Jesus began to point out to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day. ²² Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “Oh no, Lord! This will never happen to you!” ²³ Jesus turned and told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns.”

​Matthew 16:21–23 CSB

As Jesus began talking about His impending betrayal and death, it brought about a reaction from Peter that seemed bold. As Jesus tells about how He will be betrayed, killed, and resurrected, Peter pulls Jesus aside and rebukes Him.

This course did not fit into what Peter thought should be. He had been raised hearing about how the Messiah would come and bring deliverance to God’s people. He wasn’t supposed to die, much less be murdered.

How many times do we do this though? We have a way that we think things should go only to find out the Lord has something completely different in mind. We get frustrated in those moments. We even get bold enough to say that the Lord wouldn’t do that. How quickly we can forget that the Lord is a sovereign God who can do whatever He pleases, however He pleases.

Jesus warns Peter sharply. He says that Peter is not listening to the Lord but to Satan. Satan’s plans are not too hard to figure out. They always aim to keep the Lord’s plan from happening.

In Matthew 16:24-26, Jesus also shares about the road ahead for anyone who would be His follower.

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. ²⁶ For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life?

​Matthew 16:24–26 CSB

Being a follower of Jesus is simple, but it is not easy. It is simple because all a person has to do is deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. It’s not easy because denying one’s self means that you no longer call the shots. Taking up a cross means that you will experience suffering in this life for your decision to follow Christ. Following Him means that you don’t get to choose the route or destination any longer. These are things we do not like to give up so easily.

‌The Focal Point

Jesus understood that the journey of following Him was not for the faint-hearted. There would be trials and tribulations for every person who chooses to follow Jesus in this life because of the sin that has cursed this world. As I’ve said before, Jesus did not want to have any “fine print” in the agreement. He wanted each person to know exactly what they would sign up for, but He didn’t just share the hardships that would come. He also shared the focus that would help anyone see the journey is worth it.

²⁷ For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each according to what he has done. ²⁸ Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

​Matthew 16:27–28 CSB

Jesus told those who were following Him about the coming Kingdom that He was setting up. What is interesting is that in Matthew 17, Jesus allows Peter, James, and John to see Him transfigured into a glorified state — what He would be like after the resurrection.

Jesus walked this earth as a man and knew the hardships that this life can throw at a person, but He also knew the end of the story. He knew that the Kingdom He was building would be worth any momentary trial a person might face here.

In His Kingdom, each person who follows Jesus experiences the reward of freedom from sin, freedom from shame, and an intimate relationship with the living God of the universe. What is better is that nothing can ever take that away.

³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

​Romans 8:38–39 CSB

‌Final Thoughts

With the Summer Olympics coming up this summer, I’m always intrigued by the track and field events, especially the hurdles. These athletes run at lightning speed jumping over obstacles that are set before them. Any good trainer will tell you that to win in this event, you have to focus not on the obstacles or what’s around you but the finish line.

A life of following Jesus is much like the hurdles in track. You are on a path and there are many obstacles in the way. Some of those obstacles look too big to conquer in the moment. Some of us may have more obstacles than others. But one thing is the same: the finish line. Standing there at the finish line is the One who made the path and welcomes you into His glory.

When you focus on the Kingdom that He has called you to be part of, it is easier to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him.

Read More

Follow Jesus By Valuing What's Most Important

What do you find yourself taking the most pride in? Form some, it may be their families. For others, it is their accomplishments (work/hobbies). I remember when I was in 4th grade or so, our school gathered a bunch of items that we thought were so important and put them into a time capsule. This time capsule was buried in front of the school, and the plan was to dig it up in 50 years to show a new generation what we thought was so important.

Some of us have boxes in the attic or basement of our houses that hold things from our past that we value greatly. If we were to take them out, the first glance at some of those things would bring back sweet memories from our pasts.

‌Precious Philippi

The New Testament letter we call Philippians is a letter written to the church at Philippi by the apostle Paul while he was in prison (most likely in Rome around A.D. 62).

The Philippian church was very special to the apostle Paul. It was the first Christian church Paul planted in Europe. Throughout this letter, Paul uses language that shows how dear this church was to his heart.

Paul wrote to this church to encourage them in the faith as they faced pressure from the culture around them. The Church at Philippi found itself in the midst of a thriving city that experienced many freedoms and luxuries. Sadly, many things in Philippi also sought to move people’s hearts from the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

‌Paul’s Warning

¹ In addition, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write to you again about this is no trouble for me and is a safeguard for you. ² Watch out for the dogs, watch out for the evil workers, watch out for those who mutilate the flesh.

​Philippians 3:1–2 CSB

A group of people known as Judaizers had come into Philippi with false teachings that were leading some away from the truth of the gospel. These Judaizers had impressive credentials among the Jewish people, and because of this, some were listening to what they were saying.

We can see this type of thing happen in our lives today. We see someone who has a bunch of titles or letters before or after their name, and we think, “They must know what they are talking about.” The truth is just because a person has a lot of degrees or titles doesn’t mean they are worth listening to. What is most important is the message that is being shared and if it is truth.

‌Paul’s Accolades

⁴ although I have reasons for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ regarding zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law, blameless.

​Philippians 3:4–6 CSB

Paul does not discount there are things of which we could be proud. In verses 4-6, Paul shares things in his own life that many had looked to him as being something worth taking great pride in.

• Circumcised on the 8th day — This was a quality of true Jewish males. Those who converted to Judaism would go through this as adults. This was a strict observance of what the Law of Moses commanded God’s people to do.

• Of the nation of Israel — This phrase was to show that Paul was not one converted from another religion, but that he was Jewish from birth. He was a true descendant of Jacob who would have his name changed to Israel by God.

• Of the tribe of Benjamin — This was to show that Paul was from the prestigious tribe of Israel. It was this tribe that gave Israel its first king. Benjamin was the only son of Israel that was born in the Promised Land.

• A Hebrew born of Hebrews — This was to show that both of Paul’s parents were Hebrew people. This is also a reference to those who held on to speaking the Hebrew language even when they were scattered among other nations and languages.

• Regarding the Law, a Pharisee — one who devoted their whole life to the study of God’s Law and keeping it to the smallest detail.

• Regarding zeal, persecuting the church — Paul shares that in his old way of life, he had made eradicating the followers of Jesus his life mission.
  
• Regarding the righteousness in the Law, blameless — Paul pointed out that if anyone were to put him to the test outwardly, he would pass with flying colors. He had never been accused of breaking any law.

Paul had many accolades in his life up to this point. Many in the Jewish world thought at one time Paul was the epitome of being a good Jew. As he lists his “qualifications,” he doesn’t see them all as bad. He took great pride in being an Israelite. He was thankful for the study of God’s Law that he had the opportunity to do.

We may have certain things in our lives that people look at as blessings. It may be the family you were born into, the degrees you have earned from countless hours of studying, or recognition from a job well done at work, school, or in the community. These are not bad things. They are just not the most important thing.

‌A Changed Goal

What we see in verse 7 is Paul had at one time considered all these things “a gain” to him. There was a time when they were the main thing in his life, but something happened.

⁷ But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. ⁸ More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith. ¹⁰ My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, ¹¹ assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.

​Philippians 3:7–11 CSB

While Paul had spent much of his adult life persecuting the Church, he met Jesus on the Damascus Road and was forever changed. At that moment, he realized that much of what he treasured (while it was not necessarily bad) was insufficient to bring about the peace, hope, and joy he so desperately desired.

How many of us find ourselves running from one accomplishment to the next looking for fulfillment? We think that maybe one more title… one more degree… one more promotion… one more of whatever will make us feel like we are valuable and worth something. That path is never-ending and can never be completely satisfied.

Like Paul, what we need is an encounter with the One who created us for His glory. We need an encounter with the One who gave His life to redeem us from our sin. When we come to the place where we meet Jesus, we realize that all of the accolades this world can offer can be considered rubbish in comparison to knowing Jesus and experiencing what He can do in a person’s life.

Are we looking to outward things to make us closer to God? Are we looking to our good works? Are we looking to who we are or what we can accomplish? If so, then we are going to be let down every time. It is only through Jesus Christ will we find what we are truly looking for.

‌Final Thoughts

Paul had found this great truth (only through Jesus Christ will we find what we are looking for), and he wanted to share it with all who would listen to him. In these verses, you can almost hear him pleading, “Don’t depend on what you can do… don’t worry so much with the accolades… don’t lean so much on your family name, reputation, or accomplishments. Know Jesus, and in Him, you will find what you’re looking for.”

Paul ended this section by stating the goal of his life had become to know Jesus — the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. He realized the truth of Psalm 34:8.

⁸ Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him!

‌Psalm 34:8 CSB

That may just be the message you need to hear today. You have been bouncing among so many things — relationship to relationship, job to job, achievement to achievement — and you still feel lacking. Could it be that you have been missing the single thing you need most — Jesus?

These other things may be gifts or tools the Lord has blessed you with but don’t settle for the blessing. Look to the One who gives you those blessings. He will show you how each of them are to play in your life. He will also show you that He is the One you need to value above all else.

Read More

Four Significant Costs of Following Jesus

As we look around at various things in our lives, we can easily be reminded of the old saying, “Nothing in this life is free.” We look around and begin to realize that just about everything has a cost. With inflation at times, we see those costs go up more than we would like.

Many have talked about the gracious gift of salvation the Lord offers to all who come to Him by faith as being free, but I’m not sure that is entirely true. While we can never do enough or earn that gift, the gift of salvation cost Jesus greatly — He left heaven to come and dwell among us; He was mocked and ridiculed by many while on earth; He paid for our forgiveness not with money but with His own life.

Some have also said that following Jesus doesn’t cost anything. While it is true that there are no monetary fees to becoming a follower of Jesus Christ, there are still some costs. Some would say that we shouldn’t say things like that because it would cause some to not want to follow Jesus. My thoughts on this topic are: Why don’t we just see what Jesus Himself had to say about it?

In Luke 14, Jesus explains plainly that in order to be a follower of His, there are four significant costs that need to be considered. Let’s look at those at this time.

‌The Cost of Priority

²⁵ Now great crowds were traveling with him. So he turned and said to them, ²⁶ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.

​Luke 14:25–26 CSB

Luke records that “great crowds” were following Jesus as He would go from place to place. These were people who had seen Jesus do miracles or heard Him teach the truths of God’s Word. They were interested in what was going on, but not all of them were true followers at this time. There is a difference between being “in the crowd” and being part of what is going on.

Jesus takes this moment to explain the difference between a fan and a follower. A fan is one who will hop on the bandwagon and enjoy the ride while things are good. A true follower is one who receives what is being shared and allows it to direct them. Jack Nicholson could be called a follower of the Los Angeles Lakers. He has had court-side season tickets to all their home games since 1970.

Jesus didn’t mind the crowds of people containing those who were at different commitment levels, but He knew that if they did not fully receive and follow Him, they would miss out on what He wanted to give them.

Jesus shares with the crowd the cost of priority with His words in verse 26. This statement has caused some to get a little squeamish because it just doesn’t quite sound right. Are we really supposed to “hate” someone? This is an example of how we may come across something in the Bible that seems to contradict itself. If we look at the whole teaching of the Bible, we realize that those who are followers of Jesus are not called to hate in the sense that many of us think about hate.

The term Jesus uses here is a term of comparison. It is metaphorical in nature and relates to our priorities. Jesus is not saying that we should hate our families or even ourselves; He is saying that when a person compares our love for Jesus to anything else, it would seem like hatred.

Jesus says that in order to be a follower of His, a person must make Him their first priority. Jesus is not one to be put on the shelf of our hearts alongside others. He will not share His throne with anyone or anything. When we do give Jesus first place over everything and everyone else in our lives, we come to find out that He enables us to love them as we could not without Him having priority in our lives.

³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

​Matthew 6:33 CSB

As we look at our lives, would others realize that we love Jesus above everything else?

‌The Cost of Suffering

²⁷ Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

​Luke 14:27 CSB

While the cross is a cherished symbol today by many, it was anything but cherished during the time Jesus spoke these words. Remember, when Jesus said this, He had not yet gone to the cross. Still, the people who heard Jesus say this knew exactly what He meant. The cross was used as an extremely brutal form of execution. The Romans would use crucifixion like billboards are used today. They would execute criminals against the Roman Empire along roads to show all travelers that you don’t mess with Rome.‌

When Jesus said that anyone who wanted to be His follower would have to “bear his own cross,” it was a sobering statement. To bear one’s cross would be burdensome and disgraceful at times. You would not be getting popularity points by bearing a cross. At times, it would be extremely painful. It would drain your strength from you.

Alongside that, it would be shameful. Many times, the Romans would make those sentenced to crucifixion carry their cross through town to the place where they would be executed. We see Jesus going through this in John 19.

Not every follower of Jesus will have to carry a literal cross, but there will be some type of cross they will have to carry. It will not be easy. It will be painful at times. It will cause others to look at you with disgust at times because they don’t understand.

Jesus didn’t want anyone to be taken by surprise here. He wanted them to know about this cost.

‌The Cost of Consideration

²⁸ “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? ²⁹ Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to ridicule him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ ³¹ “Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

​Luke 14:28–32 CSB

Jesus uses two examples to share this cost of consideration. First, He shares about a person building a tower but not taking the time to make sure they had what was needed to finish it. A tower was a tool of defense. It would be built high up along a border to see trouble coming and act. Towers are good things, but a tower that is half-built is no good to anyone.

The second example Jesus shares is about a king going to war making sure the troops he has is sufficient. Think about what would happen if you showed up in battle only to be outnumbered 3-to-1. The morale of your troops would plummet. You would probably end up losing many people if not your own life. All of it could be avoided if you simply took the time to consider what you were doing.

Jesus calls each person who desires to be His follower to consider the cost. He doesn’t want there to be any fine print where things are often hidden and then brought up against you later. He lays the entire deal on the table for full consideration. The Lord created each of us with a brain and desires us to use it. When people do not understand that following Jesus will not be popular at times, they tend to stray away when those times come. Jesus encourages everyone to take the time to consider what following Him really means.

‌The Cost of Ownership

³³ In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.

​Luke 14:33 CSB

When Jesus says that His followers must renounce their possessions, He is not talking about giving away everything. Yes, Jesus will tell the rich young ruler that he needed to in Luke 18, but that young man’s possessions were his god that was keeping his heart from the Lord. What Jesus talks about here in Luke 14 is yielding ownership of every aspect of one’s life to Jesus. There is a recognition that everything we have comes from His hand and ultimately belongs to Him. We no longer see our possessions as “our property” to do whatever we wish. They are things and people the Lord has entrusted to us to handle as He desires. Do we hold on to these things as if we own them, or do we recognize they have been entrusted to us by the Lord?

‌Conclusion

For a person to follow Jesus, it is much more than saying a prayer one time. It may start with a prayer, but it also calls for us to do what Jesus said in Luke 9:23.

²³ Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.

​Luke 9:23 CSB

While there is no way to earn or pay for a relationship with the Lord, there is a cost. This is no different from any other relationship in our lives. When a husband or wife commits to their spouse, the cost is forsaking all others to commit to their spouse. When parents are blessed with a child, the cost will be some free time and only looking out for your own interests.

While the cost to follow Jesus deals with priorities, suffering, consideration, and ownership, we come to realize that Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28-30 are true.

²⁸ “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

​Matthew 11:28–30 CSB

I would encourage you to listen to the words of Jesus today. Take time to count the cost of following Him. As you do, you will quickly realize the cost of following Jesus is minute compared to what He does for us.

Read More

Follow Jesus By Wholeheartedly

How do you do with directions? It has been said that there are three types of people when it comes to directions:

• Those who do well with directions
• Those who are okay with directions
• Those who the GPS asks them, “Where in the world are you going???”

No matter which category you fall into, driving in an unfamiliar place—especially while it’s dark—can be difficult. If you’re not careful, you can wind up in some places that you do not want to be.

1 Corinthians is a letter that Paul wrote to Christians in a city called Corinth during the first century. This letter shows us that this church had many issues. In the passage we will look at today, Paul shares four important things that we would do well to hear and apply in our own lives as we seek to follow Jesus wholeheartedly.

‌The Command

¹⁴ So then, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. ¹⁵ I am speaking as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I am saying.

​1 Corinthians 10:14–15 CSB

As Paul begins this section of the letter, he speaks to them out of his care for them. He calls them “dear friends” — some translations say, “beloved.” What Paul is about to share is going to be pointed because he will address something that was happening in the lives of the Corinthian believers that didn’t need to happen. Sometimes the greatest way to show someone you really care about them is to confront them when they are doing wrong.

The command we are looking at is found in verse 14: flee from idolatry.

‌What is idolatry?

Idolatry is the act of a person giving his or her worship/devotion to something other than the one true God. We call these things idols. We may be tempted to think about statues made from wood or precious materials. The truth is just about anything can become an idol in a person’s life — cell phones, video games, hobbies, other people’s opinions about us, etc. The list of potential idols in our lives seems to go on like a young child’s Christmas list.

“The human heart is a perpetual idol factory.”

John Calvin

Each human being has been created by God with a desire to worship something. Sadly, since the fall of humans in the Garden of Eden, we have looked to many things to satisfy that desire other than the one true God.

There is something within each of us that is drawn to idolatry. In 1 Corinthians 10:14, Paul strongly urges believers to flee from idolatry. Notice he didn’t say flirt with idolatry but flee from it. Too many times, we would rather flirt with things that we should flee from. We look to see how close we can get to the edge without it being “sin.” This reveals to us that our hearts still need work.

If we are going to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, we cannot flirt with things that seek to steal the worship/devotion that is due Him.

‌The Argument

The second important thing Paul discusses in this passage is his argument for obeying the command. When it comes to people’s reactions, some things do not change over time. When Paul tells the Corinthian believers to stop doing something, there will be those who ask, “Why?”

In verses 16-20, Paul lays out an argument for why we should be quick to flee from idolatry in our lives. The main point of Paul’s argument is the truth that when you associate with something, it is taken by those around you as you affirming and being part of it as well.

Paul uses three examples in his argument:

‌1. The Lord’s Table

¹⁶ The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, since all of us share the one bread.

​1 Corinthians 10:16–17 CSB

The cup and the bread Paul mentions in these verses point to the Lord’s table. The Lord’s Supper holds a special place in the heart of a Christian. Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper as a way for His followers to be reminded of His sacrifice for them. It is not to be taken lightly. Paul reminds his readers that when they drink the cup at the Lord’s Supper, they are doing so in a way that shares in the blood that Jesus shed for their forgiveness. Paul also says that when a person eats the bread, they are sharing in the body of Christ.

When we partake in the Lord’s Supper, we don’t do it because it is a certain day or because “we’re supposed to.” We are to do it intentionally with full engagement, remembering what Jesus has done on our behalf. His body was broken so that our brokenness could be mended. His blood was shed so that our sins could be forgiven. Without either of those, we are left hopeless.

‌2. Israel’s Old Testament Sacrifice

¹⁸ Consider the people of Israel. Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?

​1 Corinthians 10:18 CSB

Paul reminds his readers about the sacrifices the Jewish people would do in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament book of Leviticus, one can see a number of sacrifices the Jewish people were commanded to offer to the Lord. Each of these sacrifices pointed to the sacrifice God would make through His Son, Jesus, on the cross. With many of these sacrifices, the one bringing the sacrifice would be given a portion of it to eat. There was a participation the presenter had with the sacrifice. They were not just bystanders and observers of the sacrifice. They were part of the sacrifice.

Paul uses this illustration to point to the fact that worship is involved, you do not sit by and watch… you have a part in it.

‌3. The Table of Idols

In verses 19-20, Paul gets to the main issue he is addressing: the Table of Idols.

¹⁹ What am I saying then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? ²⁰ No, but I do say that what they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons!

​1 Corinthians 10:19–20 CSB

In Corinth, worship was popular. There was the Temple of Aphrodite, the Isthmus Games – dedicated to the Greek god, Poseidon, and it was the regional capital of the Roman Empire. It seemed like just about everywhere you looked, worship of something was going on.

Paul addresses an important point in these verses. He states that idols or false gods hold no true weight in the grand scheme of things. They aren’t real. But the sacrifices or worship that takes place towards them is very real, and it is actually being done to demons. Demons are fallen angels who sided with Satan when he tried to overthrow God. Their job is to do the bidding of Satan and steal worship from the one true God.

Paul points out that, while the Corinthian believers knew these false gods and idols weren’t real, they would still participate in certain festivals and events because they enjoyed them. They thought, “I don’t believe in this junk, but the events are fun,” or “I’m just hanging with my friends who believe this stuff, but I don’t believe in any of it.”

Paul reminds his readers that participation is often seen as acceptance and even approval. He urges them not to participate in the work of demons even when it seems harmless.

‌The Conclusion

As Paul lays out his reasons for telling them to flee from idolatry, he brings it to a conclusion with a sharp point in verse 21.

²¹ You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot share in the Lord’s table and the table of demons.

​1 Corinthians 10:21 CSB

Paul states that a person cannot share in both the Table of the Lord and the Table of Idols. It is a divided allegiance. Jesus would say something similar in Matthew 6:24.

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

​Matthew 6:24 CSB

A person cannot dine at two different tables. Jesus knew this. Paul knew this. We would do well to learn this as well. When you participate in anything, you give the impression that you are condoning whatever it is. As much as we would like to say, “I don’t believe any of this stuff. I’m just here to enjoy the scene and people,” the message we give says something completely different.

If we are going to be followers of Jesus, it will call for following Him in every aspect of our lives. We cannot compartmentalize our lives so as to give Jesus some parts, but others will be given to something else. Jesus desires for us to follow Him wholeheartedly. He died so that our entire lives could be redeemed, not just parts.

‌The Warning

Paul concludes this section of his letter with a warning in verse 22.

²² Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

​1 Corinthians 10:22 CSB

Sometimes, we find ourselves in situations out of ignorance—we don’t know any better. We wander about in the dark for a while, and then someone shines a light on the situation, and we realize why there have been so many temptations in our lives—we have allowed ourselves to go to a place we shouldn’t be.

What Paul addresses in verse 22 is another thing. Could it be that some of the Corinthian believers were intentionally provoking the Lord? Some people fall into the trap that Adam and Eve did — we know better than God in this situation. We dig our heels in the ground and say, “God isn’t going to boss me around.”

Paul warns his readers—then and today—that this is dangerous ground. Do we really think that we are stronger than the Lord? Do we really think that we have a better outlook on what is around us? He is all-knowing, ever-present, and all-powerful. Purposefully testing God’s grace reveals to us that we do not understand His grace very much.

‌Final Thoughts

In our lives, we will find ourselves sitting at the table of something. We will pull up a seat and partake in what is going on. As we do that, we also show those around us who we are allowing to lead our lives.

The same Holy Spirit that caused Paul to urge the Corinthians to flee from idolatry and follow Jesus wholeheartedly is the same Holy Spirit that is speaking that word to us today. I would encourage you to examine the tables that you are partaking. Are they tables that reflect your new life in Christ, or are they the tables of idols that seek to steal your worship and devotion from Jesus? A person cannot partake in two different tables at the same time. What table are you partaking?

The Lord has invited us to come and partake of His table. It is a table filled with grace and mercy. It is a table set by Him to meet our every need. What need do we have to pull up a chair at any other table? Has the Lord proven insufficient at any time?

‌

Read More

Follow Jesus Through Genuine Communion

We are going through a series examining different aspects of Jesus’ invitation to each person He calls to come and be His disciple. We can see through the New Testament that Jesus gave one clear and pointed invitation to any who would trust Him: Follow Me. Jesus continues to extend this invitation to people today.

The part of this invitation we want to look at today is following Jesus through genuine communion. When it comes to following Jesus, it is much more than just saying a prayer. This invitation from Jesus is a call to come and have a genuine relationship with the God of the universe. This relationship operates much like any other relationship that we have in our lives. It takes time to get to know one another and trust each other more and more.

The Bible is filled with stories of people to whom the Lord extended this invitation. Their stories show how each would come to know and trust the Lord more. One person’s life that is mentioned throughout the Scriptures is a man we know as David. David was the overlooked shepherd boy whom the Lord raised up to be king over Israel. In the Bible, we do not just have others recording what happened in David’s life, but we also have David himself sharing his heart at various times.

In Psalm 27, we see David’s song and prayer. It has been said that the book of Psalms is the songbook of the Bible. In this psalm, David shares how he had come to know and trust the Lord in a deeper way.

With our time today, I’d like to look at this psalm and let the Holy Spirit use it to show us how we can follow Jesus well through genuine communion.

‌Our Confidence

In Psalm 27:1-3, David begins this psalm sharing about our confidence. When we talk about confidence, we talk about something or someone with whom we have put great trust. This is something or someone who has proven to be worthy of our trust. We put our confidence in various things and people at times. We have confidence that our car will start in the morning (most of the time). Athletes put their confidence in their coaches and teammates if they want to succeed. We put our confidence in the mirror each morning to show us what we look like before going out into the world.

While we may place varying degrees of confidence in different things or people, there is only One in whom we can fully trust to care for us unconditionally and always be there. His name is Jesus Christ.

In these verses, David reveals that every follower of Jesus’ confidence should be in the Lord. Why?

‌He is our light

At different times, the Lord is described as light. This description points to His holiness and ability to provide guidance for this journey called life. When we find ourselves in darkness, what do we do? We usually find a light to reveal what is around us and what way we should go. For every follower of Jesus, He is their light.

‌He is our salvation

When we hear the word “salvation,” especially in church, many of us immediately go to the ultimate salvation from sin, death, and judgment. That is one aspect of this word. What is interesting about this word in verse 1 is that, in Hebrew, this term means “deliverance.” Many scholars believe David wrote this psalm at a time when he was facing a battle. More than likely, eternal salvation was not the immediate thought of this verse. This verse pointed to a more immediate deliverance — maybe from hardships or enemies he was facing.

Salvation means the same thing for us. It does speak to our ultimate deliverance from sin and judgment when we place our faith in Jesus Christ, but it also speaks about the deliverance we need in everyday situations. What is interesting is that through the cross of Jesus, He provides deliverance both for the present situations but also for eternity.

‌He is our stronghold

The word “stronghold” refers to a place of protection. David said the Lord is the stronghold of his life. Where do you run to when life gets hard? What is that safe place where you know you will find comfort and protection from anything that wishes to do you harm? For the follower of Jesus, that stronghold is the Lord.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are protected.

​Proverbs 18:10 CSB

“The Lord is my light, to guide me; my salvation to deliver me; and the stronghold of my life, in whom I take refuge.”

John Stott

For us to follow Jesus properly, we have to come to know that He is worthy of our confidence in every part of our lives. Have you come to find the Lord to be your light, salvation, and stronghold?

‌Our Desire

David continues in Psalm 27 by sharing his deepest desire. We all have different desires in life. That’s not a bad thing. The question that we should all address is:

‌What is our deepest desire?

What is the one thing that we cannot truly live without? For David (and followers of Jesus), this deepest desire was to be near the Lord.

⁴ I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking him in his temple. ⁵ For he will conceal me in his shelter in the day of adversity; he will hide me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock. ⁶ Then my head will be high above my enemies around me; I will offer sacrifices in his tent with shouts of joy. I will sing and make music to the Lord.

​Psalm 27:4–6 CSB

If you could ask for only one thing from the Lord, what would it be? Wealth? Good Health? Someone to spend the rest of your life with? The perfect job?

The deepest desire for a follower of Jesus is to be in His presence. The reason for this is because you will come to find out that in His presence is found everything you need.

David wanted, above everything else, to be in the presence of the Lord. In the Lord’s presence, there is peace, love, joy, comfort, and more. David mentioned gazing upon the beauty of the Lord. When was the last time you were in awe because of the beauty of the Lord? Sadly, we can get so busy that we blow right past it and don’t take the time to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.

Note where David stated was a prime place to seek the Lord — His temple. This is talking about the house of worship where other followers of Jesus gather in unity of heart to worship Him. There is something special about the gathering together with other people in worship. Yes, you can meet with the Lord by yourself, but there are some things you will not experience outside the gathering of His people.

‌Our Prayer

When we come to verse 7, we can see a shift in this psalm. You can note David moving from talking about the Lord to talking to the Lord. Verses 7-12 serve as a prayer that David offers to the Lord.

⁷ Lord, hear my voice when I call; be gracious to me and answer me. ⁸ My heart says this about you: “Seek his face.” Lord, I will seek your face. ⁹ Do not hide your face from me; do not turn your servant away in anger. You have been my helper; do not leave me or abandon me, God of my salvation. ¹⁰ Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord cares for me. ¹¹ Because of my adversaries, show me your way, Lord, and lead me on a level path. ¹² Do not give me over to the will of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing violence.

​Psalm 27:7–12 CSB

He also shows us how followers of Jesus are to relate to Him — as a parent. I’ve noticed four things David mentions in these verses that we seek from the Lord.

‌To be heard

In verse 7, David says, “Lord, hear my voice when I call; be gracious to me and answer me.” There are fewer things more frustrating than not being heard. When someone doesn’t take the time to listen to us, it comes across as they do not care about us. There are times when we don’t necessarily need advice but just to be heard.

The wonderful thing about the Lord is He is never too busy to listen when we speak to Him.

‌Acceptance

In verses 9-10, David shows how the Lord accepts us in rather than abandoning us. We experience rejection from so many people in this world — parents, children, spouses, bosses, friends, and others.

David knows that while many others may reject him, the Lord has always been faithful to welcome him into His presence.

‌Guidance

In verse 11, David asks the Lord to show him the Lord’s way. We don’t always know what to do in certain situations. Have you ever stood at a fork in the road and not sure about which direction to take? That can be a very frustrating situation. David reminds us the Lord is One who is all-knowing and cares for us deeply. He knows the path that will bring us the most good. It may not always be the easiest path. When we come to those points where we need guidance, the Lord is there, ready and willing to guide us in the correct way.

‌Protection

In verse 12, David tells the reader about the adversaries surrounding him. There were those looking to do harm and see his downfall. Sadly, we face many adversaries in our lives as well. Like a good parent, the Lord desires to protect His children. He will stand and fight for them if necessary.

As with any relationship that we have in life, we come to understand more about how the Lord cares for us by hearing, accepting, guiding, and even protecting us by the time spent with Him. Experience is a great teacher. We want to know that we can trust the Lord fully, but that trust is often built over time.

‌Our Trust

David concludes this psalm with a declaration of trust.

¹³ I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. ¹⁴ Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord.

​Psalm 27:13–14 CSB

David speaks about seeing the Lord’s goodness as if it’s already happened. He also mentions that it will be noticed in “the land of the living.” He is not talking about heaven here; He is talking about the present. The wonderful eternal life God gives to each person who puts their faith in Jesus starts at that moment of trust and goes through eternity.

Verse 14 might be one the greatest demonstrations of trust ever seen. David encourages those who would read and sing this psalm to “wait for the Lord.” The truth is many times we will not get everything that we are asking for all at once. The Lord knows what we need, but He also knows what we can handle in the moment. This is why Agur said in Proverbs…

⁸ Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor wealth; feed me with the food I need. ⁹ Otherwise, I might have too much and deny you, saying, “Who is the Lord?” or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of my God.

​Proverbs 30:8–9 CSB

We can trust the Lord in all things, even in His timing. When we wait upon the Lord’s timing, we come to find out it is as perfect as He is.

‌Conclusion

What David gives to us in Psalm 27 is a song/prayer on how to know the Lord in a deeper way. This is the genuine communion one must have to truly follow Jesus. There will be times when we do not get it completely right — just ask David, who wrote Psalm 27, but that doesn’t mean that we just give it up. We come to know the Lord in deeper ways by spending time with Him and allowing Him to build trust in our hearts for Him.

What would you say your relationship with Jesus is like? Some of you might say it is really good, and you feel much like David in this psalm. I would encourage you to stay the course. Others of you might say that your relationship with the Lord is there but hanging by a thread. It hasn’t gotten much deeper than the surface. Some of these things we’ve talked about seem out of reach. I want you to know they are not out of reach, but just like any other relationship, it won’t “just happen.” You will have to open your heart to trust, but as you do, you will find that Jesus is everything He claimed.

There may even be some of you who would say there is no real relationship between you and Jesus. There’s good news for you today: you can start that relationship today by putting your faith in Jesus. You do that by coming to Jesus, realizing that your sin has separated you from Him, believing that He died on the cross to pay for your sins, and asking Him to come into your life to forgive you of your sin and make you a new person. We would love the opportunity to show you how this can happen during our time of response.

Jesus is still calling out to people, saying, “Follow Me!” The path to following Jesus involves a genuine communion with Him.

‌

Read More