Month: May 2010

“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” (Matthew 7:6)

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have Jesus visit your house, to sit down with Him at the dinner table and have a frank conversation about His view of what is going on in the world today? I am afraid the conversation would go quite differently than most people expect. The world has constructed a picture of Jesus that is much different than the one given in the Bible. This is quite odd since the only source we have of Jesus’ teachings is what has been preserved in the pages of Holy Scripture. If I handed you the only book in existence that recorded George Washington’s opinion of the American government, would you have any credibility if you changed his words to make them agree with your opinions? Certainly no serious historian would attempt to do so. And yet when it comes to the historical record of Jesus, no one seems to have a problem changing what He said.

One of the most common misconceptions about Jesus is that He was a very tolerant person. There was never an individual He wouldn’t embrace; there was never a lifestyle He wouldn’t accept; there was never a religious viewpoint that was not equally valid with His own. All we need do is read the real accounts to find out otherwise. Matthew 7:6 is one of many incidents in which Jesus rejected people. He had favorite words for some, among which were “dogs,” “swine,” “vipers,” “children of hell,” “hypocrites,” and the like.

He was no fan of sinful lifestyles. He called on people to repent of their sins or else they would perish. To the woman who was found to be adulterous He said, “Go and sin no more.” After healing an impotent man, He told the man to stop sinning or else something worse would happen to him. Neither was He tolerant of every religion. He said, “I am the way the truth and the life: no one comes to the Father but by me.” Jesus was very narrow and He even stated this as well. “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

If you were able to sit down for a talk with Jesus, how much of what you do would He approve? How many of your friends would He be willing to chat with on Facebook? Would you be ashamed to have him read some of the things you have written? A little face time with Jesus would certainly alter the opinions of many people. Too bad many of them would claim to be Christians.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. (Galatians 6:1)

The extraordinary depth of Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount is exemplified in no greater way than to see the numbers of times the apostles give further exposition of the principles He taught. In Matthew 7, Jesus taught against hypocritical judgment by saying “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” The background for Jesus’ statement was the hateful, self righteous attitude of the scribes and Pharisees that could easily see the minor faults of others but could never see the glaring inconsistencies in their own lives. It may be true that another person has faults, but hypocritical judgment will never help them. Does this mean there is no allowance to approach another person to help them when they have entered into sin?

This is where the apostles’ expansion of Sermon on the Mount themes is so important. It is possible to speak to others about their sins in order to help them, but not before some very strict guidelines have been observed. Jesus touches on this when he says “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” Paul states the same premise in another way, “Ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” The guideline for approaching others is meekness and humility understanding that if not for the grace of God you could be guilty of the same sin.

Another important aspect to consider is the real purpose for your approach. There is a key word in Galatians 6:1 that should not be overlooked. Paul says “restore such an one.” The word “restore” originally meant to “set a broken bone.” The object of our approach should never be to heap condemnation on the one who has offended, but to gently and lovingly nurture the person back to spiritual health. When a bone is broken in the arm, the first option is not to cut off the arm. As carefully and precisely as possible the doctor will set the bone so it heals properly. This should be the attitude at all times when we approach someone about their sin. Our purpose is not to be harsh and sever them from fellowship, but to mend them spiritually so they return to the place of God’s blessing. With this in mind, criticism is constructive rather than destructive.

Far from teaching there are no circumstances under which we are allowed to confront sin in the church, the combination of Jesus’ statements in the Sermon on the Mount and those of Paul to the Galatians, are encouragement for all of us to weigh the quality of our devotion to the Lord before we are qualified to address the sins of others. If you are careful to do this and you approach others in the spirit of meekness, the help is more likely to be appreciatively received.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

As many of you are aware, I have had the privilege through the years of taking several short-term missionary trips to numerous foreign countries.  Each one of these experiences has been absolutely inspiring and enlightening.  In the process, I have made many observations, developed enduring friendships and witnessed the power and love of God in the lives of many people including the missionaries themselves.  At least two missionaries I have had the honor to meet have expressed the thought:  “Sometimes we feel totally abandoned by our church and believers in our homeland.”   Of course they are thankful for the financial support they do receive, but many have expressed the feeling that many believers seem to think that by depositing a couple of dollars in the offering now and then will fulfill our obligation to honor the Great Commission – the spreading the Gospel to all nations (Matt. 28: 18-20 ).   While it is true that the great work of the spreading of the Gospel needs financial support from all of us, there is so much more we can do to encourage this work and the individuals who do it.  Let’s look at some of the ways we can edify our missionaries and the important work they do in the name of the Lord

1. Write to them.  With the advent of email and the internet, it is incredibly easier to dash off a note of concern and encouragement.
2. Invite them to your church while they are on furlough.
3. Visit them.  Not all of us have the funds, but those who do can show our concern and support by taking direct interest in the work and by even participating by sharing our talents and/or testimony.  The personal connection is so important.
4. Give – increase your giving to missions and be consistent in regular donations.
5. Send “Care Packages”.  Shipping costs can be prohibitive, but in some instances you can send them through the Mission Board or Sponsoring Church to minimize the cost.
6. Pray for them – their own family life; their physical and spiritual health; their safety; their successful evangelism; their relationships with the people; and their perseverance (“I do not cease to pray for you…that you might be strengthened…unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” –Col.1:9-11).

May each of us make every effort to enhance the spread of the Gospel by deepening our relationships with the Lord and with the missionaries we are honored to support.

Gary Moline

“But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42)

A few years ago, Dr. John MacArthur wrote a book entitled “Twelve Ordinary Men,” in which he gives a brief biographical sketch of the twelve men Jesus chose to be His apostles. The book is a very interesting read as MacArthur scours the scriptures looking for every detail he can find about their lives. The book saw such success that MacArthur was approached with the idea of writing another book in which he would choose twelve women from scripture and write how their lives were an important part of Bible history. This book has the title “Twelve Extraordinary Women.”

This year I settled on a theme for Mother’s Day in which I would examine the story of Mary and Martha found in Luke chapter 10. I did a lot of research into the subject reading from several different authors including Dr. MacArthur’s book. Since this is a very familiar Bible passage, you would expect many of the authors would have the same perspective on the story. This is often the case in reading commentary and we would expect it to be so since everything in the Bible has been preached over and over for centuries. However, MacArthur’s book has a little different flavor because it is meant to be biographical rather than straightforward exposition.

In the message today, I want to speak mostly on two areas that MacArthur emphasizes: the relationship between work and worship, and the need to focus intently upon Jesus. In the process, we will look at the personalities of Martha and Mary and how Jesus related to these two women that He regarded as close personal friends.

I am especially struck by Jesus comment in Luke 10:42 in which He says, “But one thing is needful…” There are various interpretations of this statement. Some take it to refer to the meal that Martha was preparing. Jesus says that He and his disciples do not need elaborate meals, but one course is good enough. I find this interpretation far beneath the profound implications of the passage. Others say the one thing needful is Christian piety. Still others say it is religion. I believe Jesus is speaking of His own words. The “one thing needful” is to listen to the teachings of Jesus. All else is secondary. There is nothing we should take more care to do than to listen to the words of Holy Scripture.

Remember, the context of this passage is an event that happened in the home of two women. This was not in a church building; this was not a Bible conference, or a women’s retreat. This was the home. In this home, listening to Jesus was more important than any work that needed to be done. We don’t expect Jesus to come physically to our homes, but this does not mean He doesn’t speak to us. He speaks through the pages of the Bible. The scriptures are God’s words to us and they are still “the one thing needful.”

How much is the Bible a part of your home? Are you too busy to listen to Jesus? Keeping a nice clean home, cooking meals, doing laundry, taking care of the children—all of this is important but none of it ranks higher than listening to Jesus. I encourage you to make the Bible central in your home. Then like Mary, you have chosen the good part that will never be taken away.

Pastor V. Mark Smith