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“…In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome this world.” John 16:33 NIV A sign beside the door of an Army Chaplain’s office stated: “If you have troubles, come in and tell me about them. If you don’t have troubles, please come in and tell me how you do it.” A fitting sign for a Chaplain’s office, especially when one considers its location…an Army Post for Combat Training! This would be a great sign to hang outside each church pastor’s office, as well; especially, if the pastor reads it frequently.” Many would say their life has been nothing but trouble ever since they were born. Consider the little children, who are born in the war-torn geography of the Middle-East, and hope to live long enough to see their tenth birthday, or eventually, live in peace one day. In a news video, aired earlier this year, an adolescent girl, also the designated protector of her prepubescent sister and brother, could name the different types of shells being fired in the region surrounding her make shift home inside a bombed-out building. At such an early stage in life, already, she was a weapons expert and could tell which army was firing the shells, what type of shells they were as they whistled through the air, or how they exploded, and whether enemy or friendly. Imagine living like this day and night, every day, wondering when the bomb might land on their home. Watching this documentary, no doubt, viewers were both exceedingly amazed by the little girl as she told her story, but equally sad, when they considered the truth in what she said. Chaplains, missionaries, church pastors and/or church staff ministers hear and see many sad, sometimes even terrifying stories from people, on a daily basis; and often these stories have a traumatic end such as being permanently disabled or bedridden, and in many cases, death and departure from this earthly life. The Question to ponder becomes, “How does one handle the various types of difficult experiences in this life?” A question that is generally followed by, “How can ministers be so cold and hard-hearted when talking to people about their problems.” After a number years in the ministry, many ministers, especially, church pastors realize they do appear to have a cold and hard heart towards the daily realms of life that people experience, but only because they witness suffering, shame, despair, guilt, financial disaster, mental illness and other health issues, terminal illness, and even death on a large and frequent scale. One inquires, “Do they become bitter and callous as a result of that?” The answer might be, “Yes”, but many would say, “No”. Some might even try to sound overly strong and persuasively encouraging. Perhaps they were hoping to hear something similar to what the disciples finally said to Jesus: “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.” (John 16:29-30) Of course, Jesus responded: “Do you believe now?” (John 16:31) This world is full of troubles and people are affected either directly, or indirectly. Soldiers training for combat will constantly hear their Training Officers say: “A soldier is only as good as his training. A dead soldier is no good to his comrades or his army.” Those are harsh words, but a very true concept. Was Jesus being harsh or inconsiderate when he asked the disciples, “Do you believe now”? No, of course not, but all the time he was teaching the disciples, he was relying on them to equate their knowledge and understanding of the scriptures with the principles of his teachings. They had grown up under the Jewish Law and they had to learn the scriptures by rote memory so well they should have immediately referenced the scriptures with what Jesus taught them. During combat, soldiers are expected to utilize all their training to perform successfully. Jesus expected no less from his disciples. All too well, they knew the story of their fore fathers and ancestors held captive by the Egyptians and how Israel aimlessly wandered for forty years in the desert (Numbers 33:38). The disciples were with Christ on that stormy night when he calmed the raging sea and invited Peter to walk on the water with him (Mark 4:35-41; Matthew 14:23-33). They had watched as Christ fed five thousand people from a few fish and a couple loves of bread (Mark 6:30-44). Yet, when Christ used parables to teach them about the Kingdom of God, good students, the disciples were not! People find themselves constantly challenged with their experiences of life in this “real world” of the present day, the “world to come” and “eternal life” in God’s kingdom, about which Jesus spoke. Soldiers are simultaneously vexed by the reality of life in this “real” world and the “unreal” world filled with harsh evils and destruction of war. Like everyone else, they worry, wonder, search for refuge and desire peace that sometimes seems far out of reach. The Bible teaches that Satan is at war with God and as a result everyone in this world will be a victim of that battle (Revelation 12:7-12). Jesus wanted his disciples to know that even though everyone will know troubles in this present world, even though they might feel like soldiers fighting what seems to be an endless and futile war, they can still be of good cheer and a grateful heart because he has overcome the evil of this world (Psalm 23). Jesus is victorious over all that is at enmity with God, his father (Revelation 1:18; John 6:47). The reality of Jesus’ encouraging words are realized when one learns that this present world is the domain of Satan (Galatians 1:4), but this present world is merely ephemeral, when one accepts Jesus’ salvation and claim, because in that claim this world will pass away (I John 2:17) and the new earth and the new Jerusalem are eminent (Revelation 21:1-27 NIV). The people of the Old Testament had been taught to believe this truth (I Samuel 2:8); and the disciples had memorized this truth from their scriptures training, which began in the very early childhood and continued throughout their days. How does one handle the various types of difficult experiences in this life? Whether a soldier dealing with the awesomeness of combat, or just a person in this world, perhaps living according to one’s own chosen lifestyle, maybe wandering aimlessly without hope, or even a Christian looking forward to eternal life, how does one go into the Chaplain’s office and tell the chaplain he has no problems, but if he truly has no problems, then, how doe he, or she, accomplish a life free from problems? Just like David, the shepherd boy learned from slaying the giant in his world, like Peter, the New Testament disciple of Christ, and Saul of Tarsus, who persecuted and stoned Christians to death, had to learn not to live this life by the blade of the sword, or the honor and glory of all mankind, but simply by the word of God; so must everyone in his or her own particular realm of life. The answer sounds rather simple, but for the person, who is not a Christian, the challenge may be more than devastating. Unfortunately, the person, who does not believe God, refuses to believe in God, to trust Christ for their Lord and Savior, will not know the comfort, confidence, joy, and peace that only can be found in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. They may simply believe the world is as it is and once this life is complete, only death remains and that is all there is. How sad! What is one’s incentive to be good, live better, or even to attempt to accomplish anything worthy of a person’s existence? The Christian follower of Christ recognizes God, the Heavenly Father; Jesus Christ, God’s Son and Mankind’s Savior; and the Holy Spirit, as the great comforter, who indwells the believer, promised after Christ’s departure from earth. Like a soldier, Christians recognize who is in Command and the chain of commands through which he receives his instructions, he obeys those commands, he wears his uniform proudly and he serves with pride, he learns to prospers by the Code of Conduct taught him; and he is successful, even if he dies in the process. Better than any of the best soldiers, the Christian realizes that only God has the divine authority for judgment (Romans 8:33-34). The soldier acknowledges that all his instructions come from the highest of Commanders and he does not question the commands, but he is only to execute according to his knowledge, training and ability. The Christian knows to trust in the God and not lean on his or her own way of doing things, but in every way acknowledge God, who will direct the Christian’s pathways in life (Proverbs 3:5-6). The soldier knows to keep his uniform and equipment ready for warfare at all times, and to always be ready to show the world he is ready to fully and correctly represent his Army, Commander-in-Chief, and all his fellow soldiers to the world in the way he is trained and expected to perform. The Christian has learned to be ready for life in this world by reading the Bible, following the instructions for life, gaining wisdom from the scriptures, to be diligent and sober (I Peter 5:8), always renewing the mind and spirit (Romans 12:2), and to always live graciously, to stand fast and fashion oneself according to the image and likeness of God, after which all mankind has been created, and to live in hope and peace, until the end (I Peter 1:13-15). The good soldier strives to perform well and to receive accolades, awards, commendations, medals, respect and honor from his Commanders and fellow soldiers, whether received while alive, or posthumously. Many great soldiers are also Christians. Just like the Christian Soldier, all Christian should live a life of hope and desire to hear these simple, but truly the greatest words ever to be spoken to them: You have done well, my good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness! (Matthew 25:21). References and Suggested Readings: Dahger, Sam. “Life In the War-Torn Syrian City of Aleppo.” The Wall Street Journal: Page One. Video (WSJLive) April 25, 2014. September 24, 2014. Snodgrass, Klyne, Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus. Chicago: William B Eerdmans Publishing Company. 2008. Young, Rich, U.S. Army Chaplain. “Sign On Army Chaplain’s Door” (January, 2001). Schofield Barracks, Hawaii 96857. SermonCentral.com/contributors/rich-young-sermons-5088.asp. January 2001. September 24, 2014.

Share 0 Derek Leman, a messianic rabbi from Atlanta, GA in this guest post for Jewish Studies for Christians deals with an issue of whether or not Jews and Gentiles are bound by the same commandments. While there are other well-argued opinions, I am happy to present his post to you for your careful consideration and engagement. Whose commandments are they? That is, for whom were they laid down as stipulations? Does that still matter or did something change, such as God issuing a new covenant that made the original commandments a law for everyone? Or did a new people come to God who were then transformed in some way, made to have the same relationship to God as this first people, the Jewish people? The logic of “one law” or of the divine obligation of all people of faith in Messiah to the same laws as those given to Israel is usually based on one of a handful of arguments. Aren’t non-Jews grafted into the Jewish tree through Messiah and if so, doesn’t this eliminate the Jewish-Gentile differentiation? If a commandment is holy, then isn’t it unholy not to follow it? Since the Torah is the only ordered list of God’s requirements, it has to be for everyone, because God nowhere gives a “law for the Gentiles,” right? People often base their opinion about the commandments on their experience and not on the Bible. I am not against the importance of our personal experience with God. It’s just that experience can be misinterpreted. It seems to be far better if we interpret our experiences with reference to the great ideas that are in the Bible and find answers which bring together Bible and experience. So, for example, a Christian may experience a deep awakening upon discovering the joys of Passover and Sabbath and the rhythm of the Torah calendar. Likewise, eating a restricted diet can feel like intensifying holiness. And the whole experience of becoming a Torah-observer may feel like getting very close to God. Then, when encountering Jewish beliefs about Torah — that Torah is a covenant between Israel and God, not between the nations and God — such a person might feel as if they are being denied membership in an exclusive club. I would like to explain why, in simple terms, God’s way is not one law for everyone, and suggest a middle path for non-Jews who want to have a closer relationship with Israel’s Torah. First, it would be helpful if people would go back to the giving of the Torah from Sinai in Exodus 19. Would Jewish people be asking too much if we say, “Please keep in mind the importance of this event as something special between us and God?” When you read Exodus 19, can you not see God is making a covenant with the Jewish people? Yes, there are clever work-arounds such as “Gentiles were there too in the form of the mixed multitude.” But those tortured arguments look like a way to deny the simple truth: Torah was given as a covenant to Israel. The commandments are the stipulations of the covenant. Second, what is in the Torah? Do people who want to read it as “one law for everyone” actually take into account what is actually contained in it? Many things in Torah no longer apply to anyone today, Jewish or non-Jewish. Do you need laws about how to treat your slave? Have you seriously entertained the idea of taking a war-bride after giving her a month to mourn her father? Were you considering stoning your rebellious teenager? Reading the Torah calls for some maturity in reading, some willingness to learn history, to see the difference between the ideal in Torah and the time-bound social and civil legislation it contained for an ancient nation in a barbaric world. Third, when people talk about how they are “Torah-observant” or say that they “keep the commandments,” they mean only a handful of them. What they are really talking about is the observances given to Israel which the church has not made part of its practice: Sabbath, dietary law, circumcision on the eighth day, tassels on one’s garment, and festivals. There is no Temple anymore, so the laws about offerings and giving the tithe to the priests cannot really apply. But these few commandments that differentiate Israel from the nations — which can be referred to as the sign commandments, since they are signs of Israel’s uniqueness — are a cause for controversy. It may help (or maybe not) to point out that the Sabbath is specifically said to be such a sign: “Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations” (Exod 31:13). When God said this, it is clear the “you” was Israel, and Israel’s generations are still very much alive today. Fourth, it is possible — and I try to get people to see this — that what is holy and required for one person is not holy and required of all people. One person — a priest in Israel — may not be able to attend a burial or walk in a graveyard. If the whole world follows the “one law” principle, none of our dead will ever be buried. One person — someone under a Nazirite vow — must avoid wine and even grapes and raisins. If the all-commandments-apply-universally notion is followed, well, we will all miss out on some great Cabernet and the joy of raisins in our oatmeal. Likewise, it is possible that Sabbath is a holy sign of Jewishness (just like Exodus says) and that it is not holy for Gentiles. It may be that Israel’s diet was restricted and this marked them as a different people in the ancient world, but that there is no reason why pork is inherently unclean — just as Genesis 9:3 suggests. Fifth, it is fairly easy to see — but clever and specious arguments are used to avoid seeing what is obvious — that the apostles believed Jews in Messiah should keep all the commandments but that the Gentiles did not need to “keep the law of Moses.” They did not mean by this that Gentiles in Messiah were free to steal and murder. “Law of Moses” means the covenant stipulations from Sinai as a total system. It is clear in reading Paul that he taught his Gentile adherents they were not bound by diets and days and the use of flint knives to remove a foreskin. To many people, this makes Paul seem problematic, anti-Torah. Did it occur to anyone he was being a good Jew and interpreting Torah according to its true sense? Sixth, it is also fairly easy to see that the church went too far in distancing itself from Torah and the Jewish people. Christian theologians regularly write about this and recovering the Jewishness of Christianity is standard form today in many circles. Yes, plenty of Christians remain oblivious to what the theologians and historians within Christianity are saying about Jewish roots, but the church has definitely turned a corner. It is possible now to argue that Christians practice a form of Judaism and to point this out entirely from Christian thinkers and scholars. Seventh, it is often overlooked that Christians keep most of what is in Torah, at least what I call the ideals of Torah. Love God and neighbor is the ideal center of Torah. It is expressed in ways we treat the powerless, honor one another, serve those in need, form community, and repair the world. Christians have always been very involved in love and service and good works. Eighth and finally, there is a middle way for people who want to keep some of Israel’s Torah without those same people denying Israel’s unique relationship to God. It is not necessary to say, “I am grafted into Israel’s tree and so I am virtually an Israelite now.” It is not necessary to say, “All the commandments are holy for everyone and there are no distinctions.” It is possible instead to adopt the philosophy of one of the earliest writings of the Yeshua-movement, the Didache (pronounced deed-ah-KHAY). The Didache came out of the first century Messianic Jewish movement and a few decades after Paul died, the Didache argued that Gentiles could keep Torah. It is possible to see that in Paul’s time this could have been dangerous, it could have rendered Messiah null and void. But after many Gentiles came in, it was possible some of them would want to live close to Jewish communities and worship with them. So in the Didache, Gentiles were encouraged to “keep as much Torah as they are able” and to live in fellowship with Jewish disciples. The audience of the Didache, then, were Messianic Gentiles — as we often call people today who are in Messianic congregations or, even if not members of a Messianic congregation, live a Messianic Jewish lifestyle and maintain friendships with Messianic Jews. And the Didache does not encourage these Gentiles to simply act as if they are Jewish. Some distinctions remain. So, for example, in Messianic Judaism today, Gentiles have a welcome place. The best practices of Torah will include making distinctions without discrimination. It is possible to distinguish and not discriminate. And it is not necessary that Gentiles who choose this middle way should claim that all Christians must do the same. Living as a “Messianic Gentile” (or just as a “Messianic”) does not make a person holier. It is one way and God has many ways for people. The most important commandments are not Sabbath and dietary law anyway. To over-exalt these is to practice a form of cheap self-righteousness. Jewishness is not a privilege. It is a responsibility. Jewishness is not a status of higher blessing. It is a calling to be a distinguishable people and to pass on that identity to children and children’s children forever. Gentiles who love the Torah should not try to erase Jewish distinction, to render Jewishness inert, to say all Messiah-followers are essentially Jews. It does matter whose commandments they are. And the ideals of Torah apply to everyone even if some of the specifics are about Israel’s peoplehood. One law for everyone fails to read Torah according to its own distinctions. Being grafted in is a way of explaining how Gentiles come into the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant, one given long before Sinai and which included Gentiles from the beginning (Gen 12:1-3). God did not ever say, “I now take the commandments given to Israel and make them apply to all of Messiah’s people.” But Paul did show his Gentile adherents how they could derive from the Torah what was required of them. And like Abraham (Gen 26:5), it is possible to keep all of God’s statutes without having a specific law-code. The Torah is not one law for everyone. But neither do we have to forbid people from keeping it. There is a middle way. What do you think? Used by permission of www.eteacherbiblical.com.

More often than not, we’re pretty good with beginnings. However, a lot of times we seem to hate endings. In stating that, I need to clarify there are a whole lot of things that we just can’t wait to wash our hands of. We all have those nagging situations that we desperately wish would give us blessed relief by vanishing altogether. Sometimes we can’t wait for the day to end, or for that looming deadline to pass, or for a particular event to be mercifully over. There are some endings that we gladly welcome with open arms, and by the time they arrive we find ourselves ecstatic that whatever’s done is finally done. Nonetheless, there are many times when we tend to hate endings. Endings can be incapacitating and painful for a variety of reasons, most of which we never identify because we’re too caught up in the loss to see anything but the loss. We don’t really identify what we’re actually doing with whatever the ending is, or what the ending is actually doing to us because we’re too lost in the loss to even begin to consider any of that. And so, the fact that something is ending becomes entirely consuming to the point that the ending is all that we can see. And because it’s all that we can see, the ending becomes an end in itself when directly ahead of us new beginnings are being forged and fresh byways are being laid out from the very ending that we’re caught up in. Because this tends to occur, we’re left with the inability to see within the loss the seeds of a new beginning. We’re not able to comprehend that an end is always a beginning. We can’t even remotely fathom that whatever is ending for us is always more than an ending. An ending robs us of the vision to understand that things are escorted out of our lives so that better things have room to be escorted in. We lose the understanding that death always begets life of some sort, and that life is always an opportunist, persistently standing ready to build something out of the smoldering ashes and raise something up out of the tangled carnage. We lose the precious sense that an end is only a beginning in disguise. And so, how do we learn to see a beginning being formed in the ashes of whatever end we’ve experienced? We might do that better by getting some obstructive thinking out of the way: First, We Don’t Want to Lose Something Quite simply, we tend to hate endings because many of our endings involve things that we don’t want to lose. Sure, there are many things that we’re glad to get rid of, but many times some ‘thing,’ or some person, or some life-phase played such a role in our lives that we can’t imagine going on without it. Or we feel that its end has come far too soon and we are bereft of everything we could have gotten out of it, or it out of us. Whatever the case, we’ve been cheated or short-changed or short-sheeted in some manner that elicits a sense of loss intermingled with a sense of anger. What we end up doing is seeing the loss within the agenda that we had created for that thing, or that person, or that life-phase, and we’ve not recognized a larger agenda that’s simply playing itself out so it can play other things in. Second, We Fear That Whatever We’ve Lost Can Never Be Replaced Then there’s the fear that what we’ve lost can never be replaced. There’s an immediate sense that losing something demands that it be replaced. There’s that sense where we don’t want to disturb the continuity of our lives and the rhythm that we’ve created. Things have been disrupted, sometimes dramatically so, and we want to stop the disruption by immediately replacing whatever it was that we lost. But then we’re caught up in the ever-accelerating fear that maybe it can’t be replaced. Maybe there is no substitution. Maybe there’s nothing to swap it out with, and we will therefore have to settle with the disruption of a “new normal” that we have absolutely no interest in. What we tend to miss is that replacement only serves to perpetuate the repetition of the past, where creating space for something new creates space for something fresh. And it is out of something fresh that this journey of ours is so often refreshed. Third, Glorifying the End But because we have to tolerate endings, we want them to be good and even glorious. We want an end to have some meaning to it, that whatever is ending was meaningful and possibly spectacular while it was around. If something’s going to end and we can’t stop it, we want to send it off with some sort of recognition or appreciation or final ‘hurrah.’ If it’s going to be an ending, we want it to be one that will be such an ending that it will never be forgotten. We can’t hold on to that which we’re losing, but we can make the end grand and glorious to the point that the memory of it all will always stay with us. There’s nothing inherently wrong about bringing something to a close in a manner that’s respectful and celebratory, unless this becomes our one and total focus. Fourth, We Fear That an Ending Might Be a Failure What if the ending is really a failure? What if whatever it is that ended wasn’t really supposed to end, but it did because somebody screwed up somewhere? What if this really wasn’t the time? What if this loss really was grossly premature and achingly unnecessary? What if this loss was due to my stupidity or poor timing or lack of insight or lackluster commitment? What if this loss was the product of someone’s blatant failure? Sometimes losses are so unexplainable and seemingly irrational that we think this way. And it may well be that the loss did not have to happen, and maybe should not have happened at all. Yet, life is big enough and has ample room to take the most tragic mistakes and weave them into the most wonderful of opportunities if we let it do so. An ending is only a failure if we choose not to tease out the manifold lessons in the ending. Fifth, We Fear That There Will Be No New Beginning So what if this is an end and nothing more than an end? What if nothing emerges from whatever it is that we’ve lost? What if life doesn’t go on, or there are no opportunities beyond this, or it all dies here? Could an end be irrevocably an end where a beginning of any kind simply does not exist? Is there a place where life stops because there is absolutely nothing else ahead? Could this be that dreaded chasm where this is no other side from which to pick up the journey? And it is this very fear that makes most of our endings so terribly frightening. We often wonder will the road run out, will an irrevocable end eventually come, and will there be no place to go because the future simply won’t exist and the past is forever gone. Yet, it is looking at the nature and fabric of life, and in the looking realize that things always find a way to go forward because there is always a place to go forward to. An End as a Beginning in Disguise As we approach spring and Easter, we are incessantly reminded of new beginnings. Life is a relentless perpetuation of things arising out of things that have passed. There is the coming and the going. The emptying out and the filling up. The uprooting and the planting. There is an unrelenting exchange that makes things unrelentingly new. The coming of spring heralds a titanic resurgence arising out of the debris and decay of fall. It is a message woven into the most intimate fabric of creation where nothing ends because an end is only a beginning in disguise. It’s living with the understanding that loss is real, and that loss can be utterly devastating. But loss is only a precursor to something that we will soon gain. It might be different, it could take us in an entirely new direction, it may well be unfamiliar, but it is the next step picking up where the previous step left off. And whatever the nature this new step might be, life is such that it opens new horizons, paints new vistas, and calls us to perpetual adventure if we’re willing to heed the call. An ending is only a beginning in disguise. © 2014 Craig Lounsbrough, M.Div., Licensed Professional Counselor

Psalm 46 is a poem that brings us great confidence and faith. It is the inspiration for my songs and my life. Read the psalm with me first. PSALM 46 For the director of music. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song. 1.God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2.Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3.though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. 4.There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5.God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at daybreak. 6.Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. 7.The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. 8.Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. 9.He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10.”Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 11.The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. This Psalm is again addressed to the chief musician… and I love that the Word of God puts value on the highly skilled in the areas of music and arts… In 1st Chronicles, we read that Zechariah, Eliab and Benaiah were to praise the Lord with Psalteries on Alamoth. As far as I can understand, this may mean to, not through habit, fall into the trap of singing in only one key, but with intelligence, we are to craft praises to appropriately express the fullness of the occasion. This explanation may not be completely accurate as the info available is scarce… but one thing I am confident of, is that these ancient descriptions show that care, time and skill should be used when being part of any song to honour our King. How great is that! The first two words in this Psalm again bring so much confidence… GOD IS… our refuge, our strength, our VERY present help… GOD IS… Do you actually believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that God IS all He says He is? I truly believe that if we grasped this revelation of who God Is, our lives would look extremely different. God alone is our All in All, all other strength is weakness, and a very present help. You know, yesterday, I watched on the screens at church for a few minutes as Macca led worship at a funeral for one of the dear brothers in our church. Yes, it was sad, yes there was grief and heartache… but I had an overwhelming sense of His VERY present help. Very… more than your closest friend or relative, and even more present than the trouble itself. I’ll never forget just after my Dad died, that sense of sadness was way too much to bear. I was at the clothesline crying out to God… when I literally felt the arm of God rest around my shoulder to comfort me… VERY present, coming at just the right time. So, with this truth in mind…WE WILL NOT FEAR! Though many trials will try to come and defeat us, we will stand knowing our God is near. Even when heaven and earth pass away… EVEN THEN, GOD IS! Listen to this, ‘Evil may ferment, wrath may boil, and pride may foam, but the brave heart of Holy confidence trembles not’… (Charles Spurgeon of course!) We then find a Selah… pause, be calm, think for a moment… The music set to this psalm must have been quite colourful if you truly take in the words, I think after such a musical interpretation, the psalmist needed a breath to bring calm, and to reflect a moment. This pause is not a fruit of dismay or doubt, but merely time to re-tune, set your instrument for deliberate music of victory in the midst of a storm. We’ve talked about this before… get ready for the music of the overcomers. Now we are at the river… whose streams make glad the city of God…The City of God, Zion, whose streams are not intermittent, but ever flowing with grace and favour, rivers of life and joy, supplying all of our needs, bringing life and refreshing. The church is like the city of God. His design, His glory, His purpose, His people, His message, His provision… streams of life running from it. Dedicated to His praise and glorified by His presence. The City of God has always caused the enemy to rage, so it should be of no surprise that the word says the heathen get angry about the streams of life… How did this happen??? They continually ask, their angry cries tend to swell in volume and intensity… and beautifully, the Lord utters His voice, and the earth melts!!! GOD IS!! Come and see is what the Psalmist declares. Come and see what God did to overthrow our enemies… our strength and shield, our ever-present help… He was faithful yet again to His Word and His character. There is talk of all that the powerful voice of the Lord achieves… peace to war, end to strife, He crushes even the greatest of enemies until they cannot wreak havoc ever again… ONE word from God is all it takes to still the storm. That’s why you need to have the word of God IN YOU. Then, the words we all know and so value… BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.The great I am, says remember, I AM.He will be exalted among the heathen AND exalted on the earth…. Why then, do we hesitate to trust in our God… the great I AM. You truly trust, you’ve got to let go of trying to work everything out yourself…Trust is something that people put confidence or reliance in. Learn to let go, and trust God. I found this song by the great Reformer Martin Luther… this is from a book written in 1866 entitled, ‘Hymn Writers and Their Hymns’ by S.W Christophers. ‘A sure Stronghold our God is He, A timely shield and weapon; Our help He’ll be and set us free From every ill can happen. And were the world with devils filled, All eager to devour us, Our souls to fear shall little yield, They cannot overpower us.’ Luther’s explanation of Psalm 46 was… ‘We sing this Psalm to the praise of God, because God is with us, and powerfully and miraculously preserves and defends His church and His word, against all fanatical spirits, against the gates of hell, against the implacable hatred of the devil, and against all the assaults of the world, the flesh and sin.’ So I leave you with that thought…’ GOD IS’ What IS GOD to you?? I pray He’s your source, your life, your anchor, your breath, your reason, your song, your healer, your deliverer, your friend, your Lord, and many other things I could list. Be confident in His ability to hold your life in His hands. For you, are His greatest pleasure…

Who has influenced you over the course of your life? If you think back to your childhood, there are all kinds of influences there. Maybe your parents, your friends, maybe bullies at school … any number of people may have influenced you at school. I know as a kid, for me, one of my big influences was the garbage collector. I wanted to be a trash guy. I would stand by my window and wait for the garbage truck to come by. Every time the garbage truck came back I was so fired up that I played with garbage truck toys. It was a big deal. Then I wanted to be Superman. How many of you ever wanted to be Superman in your life? I remember running on these 8-foot stacks of wood out beside our house. I really thought I would fly when I jumped off of it. I had just watched Superman and I knew I could do it. If he could do it I could do it. I ran and jumped and BAM! I hit the ground hard! I can still remember the ground right before my face hit it. My Superman phase ended. Well, as I’ve thought about my life, I think I’ve spent too much of my life being influenced by others rather than influencing them. I think if I was honest with you today I’ve spent too much of my life being negatively influenced by other people rather We all influence others. We can either do it for good or bad. Jesus challenges us to use our influence for good. Stop going with the flow. Stop trying to be like everyone else. Stop worrying what everyone thinks of us as much as to start worrying about what God thinks of us and obeying who he is calling us to be. Studies show that the average introvert will influence 10,000 people in his or her lifetime. That’s the average introvert. Extraverts can influence over a million people. So who has God put in your life that you can influence? How are you influencing them? Look at what Jesus says. In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ talks about the blessed life. That word “blessed” could be translated as “divine favor.” It could even be translated as “happiness”. He’s laid out 7 different characteristics for how we can experience happiness and joy in our lives. Jesus teaches in verse 13: “You are the salt of the earth.” Here is what Jesus says, “What good is salt if it has lost its flavor?” What good is it if it no longer flavors? He says, “Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled under foot as worthless. You are the light of the world. Like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” Like a city on a hilltop – you can’t hide a city on hilltop. In fact, just FYI, do you know the first visible sign of life on earth from space is the Las Vegas Strip? Astronauts say it’s the very first sign of life on earth. That’s kind of scary when you really think about it, isn’t it? I’m not sure that’s the best endorsement for planet earth that we can have. Jesus is saying that you can’t hide light like that. You can’t hide it. It’s visible. He says “no one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. In stead a lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way let your good deed shine out for all to see so that everyone will praise you Heavenly Father.” Jesus says that you are the salt of the earth. Salt in the ancient world was very important. It wasn’t just something that they put on their food that raised their blood pressure. It was more than that. The Romans called salt “theon” which is the word for “divine.” In fact, in Roman culture the second most important thing was salt. There was the sun and there was salt. Why was salt so important? Because salt was the primary way you would preserve your meat and food. They couldn’t throw it in the freezer. What they would do was take salt and rub it into the meat. Once they rubbed it thoroughly into the meet it would preserve it and keep it longer so they could take it with them and eat it on the road. Roman soldiers would often be paid in salt. This is how they got the phrase – true story – he’s not worth his salt. He’s not worth his pay. He’s not worth what we gave him. Salt had two primary functions. One, it would season. The second, it would preserve. So friends, we’re called to be seasoning in our world and to be a preservative to our world. We’re to season the world by bringing the goodness of God and the joy that he has put into our lives into the world. When you do that and season the world then you cause other people to be thirsty. Have you ever noticed if you eat something really salty you get thirsty? Christ is also challenging us to preserve the world. To literally rub into our culture and be a preservative in our culture for God and for good. You see, as we come into the world and we interact with people we’ll either increase their joy and level of happiness or we can decrease it and take it away. The decision and the choice is up to us. William Hart who wrote a book called The 100 Most Influential People in Human History. When you pick the book up you think immediately that Jesus will be first. I mean, who has been more influential in all of human history than Jesus Christ? From just a historical point of view you’d be pretty hard pressed to name someone else. But do you know what William Hart did? He put Jesus third. He said first was Mohammad. Second was Sir Isaac Newton. Third was Jesus. He said the reason he put Jesus as the third most influential people was not because of his own account. On his own account Jesus would be the most influential person. Hart said it was Jesus’ followers that have done a relatively poor job of living out his message. If you look at the history there are seasons when many people have done amazing things for the good of the world and the glory of God and then you look at other seasons and you see where Christians have done some pretty horrible things rather than being salt. I think sometimes we underestimate our influence. I don’t know that our friends are really concerned or care about what we say. I think they are a lot more concerned about what we do. I’m not sure how concerned they are about how we preach to them and what we say to them. I think they are a lot more concerned about how we live our lives and if we are truly authentic. Who is it in your sphere that God is calling you to touch? Who is in your sphere that God is calling you to reach out to? To encourage, to cheerlead, to make a little time for … who is in your sphere? Even introverts influence 10,000 people in their lifetime. Don’t underestimate your impact.

Internet Pornography: A Ministry Leader’s Handbook —This free e-book, written by pastors and counselors, helps ministers who struggle with pornography understand the importance of confession and accountability. It addresses why pastors are particularly vulnerable to pornographic temptations and what should be done to bring this truth into the light. 10 Stories of Pastors in the Struggle — Read, watch, and listen to the stories of pastors who have struggled deeply with porn and sex addiction and how God set them free. PornToPurity.com — Jeff and Marsha Fisher were church planters until Jeff’s porn addiction came to light. After he was removed from church leadership and found help in overcoming his sin, he started PornToPurity.com, a website for anyone trapped in sexual temptations. Surfing for God: Discovering the Divine Desire Beneath Sexual Struggle , by Michael John Cusick — Michael was sexually abused and exposed to pornography as a child. Later in life, serving as both a youth pastor and a counselor at a Christian university, his sexual struggles only became more acute with porn and prostitutes. This book talks about what he learned in the midst of recovery Ashamed No More: A Pastor’s Journey Through Sex Addiction, by T.C. Ryan — Pastor Ryan had a lifelong struggle with sexual addiction and secrecy. This book shares his story of learning to let the gospel of Christ transform him into a man who can be open, honest, and unashamed before God and his Christian family. Breaking the Silence: A Pastor Goes Public About His Battle with Pornography , by Bernie Anderson — Bernie Anderson battled behind closed doors with pornography for years. In this book, Anderson tells his personal story of struggle and how God changed his life, giving practical tips to protect yourself and your family. My Struggle, Your Struggle, by David Erik Jones — Pastor Jones struggled with porn as a pastor. This book is his personal story of porn addiction that lasted 20 years and how he found freedom while serving in the ministry. Beyond Ordinary: When a Good Marriage Just Isn’t Good Enough, by Justin and Trisha Davis — Justin didn’t just struggle with porn. As a pastor, he also began an affair with another church staff member. This book shares Justin and Trisha’s story and how their marriage recovered. The Pornography Trap , by Dr. Mark Laaser and Ralph Earl, Jr. — This book addresses what should be done when ministry leaders (pastors, deacons, choir directors, Sunday school teachers, etc.) struggle with Internet pornography. The authors share the core issues related to sexual sin and how to develop a biblical view of healthy sexuality. Restoring the Soul of a Church, edited by Dr. Mark Laaser — This book from the The Interfaith Sexual Trauma Institute describes the devastation that can happen to a church congregation when a pastor sexually sins and is removed from the church. It gives insight about the neglected secondary victims of abuse: the congregation, the wider community, other clergy, the wider church, the offender’s family, and the pastor who takes over. Stone Gate Resources — Dr. Harry Schaumburg has been counseling Christian men and women about sexual and relational brokenness for years—with a special emphasis on caring for pastors and ministry leaders caught in sexual sin. His intensive counseling is known around the world as one of the best for sexual addiction. ThrivingPastor.org — This is a ministry of Focus on the Family for pastors, including a pastoral care line for ministers who need to speak with a trained counselor. 8 Resources for Ministry Leaders Who Want to Equip Their Church Porn-Free Church: Raising up gospel communities to destroy secret sins — This free e-book is for church leaders who want to create a safe community where taboo sins can be confessed and people can find healing. False Love and True Betrayal — This video series by Summit Church is designed for small groups or recovery groups focused on the pain caused by sexual sin. False Love walks men and women who struggle with sexual sin through a step-by-step process of repentance and restoration. True Betrayal walks spouses of sexual strugglers through the same process as they overcome the pain of sexual betrayal. Pornography Statistics: Annual Report — This conglomeration of more than 250 stats, quotes, and facts about pornography can help any pastor preparing to teach others about this subject. A Bird’s Eye View of Lust and Pornography — This free sermon series can give pastors a place to start for talking with their congregations about pornography in a way that is biblically sound and practically helpful. Fight Porn in Your Church: What works and why it matters — This free white paper from Covenant Eyes looks at how real churches are addressing the issue of pornography and gives practical ideas for programs churches can implement today. Confessing Sin: How Matt Chandler preaches a culture of grace — Matt Chandler of Village Church understand that church leader set the pace when it comes to being open about sin. In this sermon clip , Chandler talks about not being afraid to be honest about sin and being vigilant to fight it. The Quick Reference Guide to Sexuality & Relationship Counseling, by Dr. Mark Laaser and Dr. Tim Clinton — This book gives pastors, counselors, and everyday believers the information they need to help congregants, clients, and friends with their most intimate sexual and relational issues. Join1MillionMen.org — This movement, spearheaded by Pastor Jay Dennis, is equipping church leaders nationwide to bring the issue of pornography into the light where church members can find help and healing. Reprinted from Covenant Eyes. Luke Gilkerson. Used by permission.

1 Corinthians 6 - Skip Heitzig Calvary Church is dedicated to doctrine, and we want you to experience the life change that comes from knowing God's word and applying it to your life. So we explain the Bible verse by verse, every chapter, every book. This is Expound. You're my folks. I tell you this so often. I hope you have one of these. Did you bring one of these? It could be that you don't have one or you didn't bring one. I hope you do have one. If you don't, I think it's good to actually get a real Bible that has real pages and real words written on it. You'll never lose it in the cloud. You may lose it-- like, you might leave it somewhere, but somebody will find it and read it. But it's good to have it, because unlike an electronic Bible-- though, they're fine. And if you have one, it's fine. But when you have a Bible that you carry with you, you're able to visually remember where certain things are on certain pages, right. You know what that's like? I know it's on the left hand column right around there, and you have it marked. And it's like studying a map over time. You become very familiar with it, and it's important to know the Bible well enough that you can turn to it when you need to pull out certain truths to remind others of or to remind ourselves of. So if you don't have a Bible, we'd be happy to help out with that in some capacity. We have them in our bookstore next door, a good selection of Bibles. If there's a Bible close to you tonight, you could just maybe take your friends and just see if they're a good Christian and take it from them and see what they do. Or better yet, there's one probably in the seat in front of you. You could borrow that and follow along. We're in the book of 1 Corinthians, and we're in chapter 6. And as we begin, I'm mindful that we are still in a very uncertain period in the world, a world filled with chaos, a world filled with mental distress, people facing all sorts of uncertainty in their own future with their jobs, with their health, et cetera. It's a good time to remember those that we love, those in the church in our prayers as we begin tonight. Father, we come before you and present ourselves before you as living sacrifices. That's how Paul told us to do it. And so Father we give you us. We give you our bodies. We pray that as we live out our sacrifice for you in this world that you would use us for your purpose and your glory. And we pray that you will minister to us tonight giving us answers, helping us to get a grasp of this letter that Paul wrote not only to the Corinthian church but that the Holy Spirit has given to this church. And so Father, it is for us. It is very contemporary, and I pray that we would learn its lessons. Father, we want to pray for those that are loved of us, relatives or friends that are struggling in their health. They may be a part of our own family. They may be a part of our local church community. They may be outside this city and in various states or around the world, but we are remembering them just now before you're throne. And we pray that you will touch, and we pray that you will restore health. We pray that you will strengthen their physical body. We pray that you will speak to them in their very heart of hearts assuring them of your care and your love for them, reminding them of your great promise, promises in your word to keep them and to enact your plan perfectly in their lives. I pray you give them that confidence. And as we begin, not only remember them and pray for them, but we also say we trust you. That you are good and that no matter what we are seeing or feeling around us, you never change. And as we approach your word tonight, I pray that we would have that confidence, and that confidence would be bolstered. We ask in Jesus's name, amen. In chapter 6 of 1 Corinthians, in the first verse it begins with the question. Paul writes to his beloved believers in Corinth saying dare any of you having a matter against another go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints. Now I want to give you a little bit of context to what we're reading in case you weren't with us the last few weeks or you haven't been a part of this book. Even if you have, it's good to sort of get a running start into these texts. The book, the letter of 1 Corinthians is addressing various issues, problems that the church of Corinth was facing. It happens to be a favorite book of mine, because it was a church filled with problems. I don't say that because I like problem churches. I just know that every church is indeed a problem church. Every congregation has its own issues, and I am glad that-- and I've said this before many times that the New Testament portrays accurately just how lacking the New Testament church was. So when people say we need to get back to the New Testament church, I'm always wondering which one are you thinking of. Because Corinth was a New Testament church, and it's very contemporary and applicational to us. Chapters 1 and chapters 2, chapter 1 and 2 of 1 Corinthians is about congregational disunity. They were breaking up into various groups. They were playing favorites, one with another or one against another, some saying I'm of the group that loves the teachings of Paul or I'm of the group that loves the teachings of Apollos or I'm of the group that loves Cephas, Peter. And so they were-- there was disunity among this one congregation preferring certain emphases of Bible teachers, one against the other. That's chapter 1 and 2, organizational disunity. Chapters 2 and 3 addresses spiritual immaturity. They thought they were so wise being Corinthians, being of Greek origin. They had the Greek writers as part of their heritage. Paul says that they were immature. They were carnal. They were fleshly. And he talked about the difference between the spiritual man and the fleshly person, and he says that you are carnal. So that's chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4. Chapters 5 and 6-- and we looked at chapter 5 last week, thought we would make it a chapter 6. We didn't, so we will tonight-- is about sexual impurity. So we have organizational disunity, we have spiritual immaturity, and now we have sexual impurity. And it wasn't that they were just struggling with what every human being struggles with as they are living in a world that is very loose in their morality. They were dealing with an issue that they actually prided themselves in their toleration of, and that is a case of incest in the Church of Corinth. Chapter 5, verse 1 addresses this it is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you and such immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles that a man has his father's wife. So there is a man coming to church married to probably his stepmother and the church priding themselves and the fact that they were so filled with grace and love that they would just accept this person, no matter what his proclivity is or propensity might be or personal choice. Oh, he's so brave to make that personal choice and come to church. And Paul said, well, I'm not even there, and I can tell you what you should do. Next time you get together, kick him out. I gave-- he said, I'll give you that ruling from the Lord that you deliver him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his Spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. He's telling them to use some sanctified authority. Now with that in mind, we get into chapter 6, because he is continuing on this theme that the church needs to take its authority and make certain kinds of judgment calls. Because they were having a problem in trusting themselves as a local group, a body of Christ to make good judgments, they weren't even judging sin within the church when they should be judging sin within the church. Chapter 5, verse 12 says what have I to do with judging those who are outside. Do you not judge those who are inside? So we looked at that last week, and we noted that the church has a responsibility, indeed a mandate to make certain discriminations against character by those who claim to be of Christ, who name the name of Christ. That's just what a body does. A body, a human body, your body is marvelous. It's amazing, amazing how it responds to problems that it encounters. So if you get infected, you have blood cells that will surround the germ, sort of, just like mounting an attack against them, to glom onto them, to isolate the problem. If you cut yourself, red blood cells rush to an area and deposit a certain kind of a substance that will provide a sticky ability for new skin to grow on top of it later on. And then once the wound is fully developed, it will begin to shrink. It's just you're fearfully and wonderfully made. The body is created to purge itself of problems. God did that. The body of Christ should have the same ability. We are the body of Christ. When God wants to do something on the Earth, when Jesus wants to do something on the Earth, he does it through us. We are his hands. We're his feet. We're his mouthpieces. If he's going to work a work on the Earth, he does it through his body. Well, his body can sometimes get infected. The church can get infected. And the church at Corinth was infected with-- well, we noted three things it was infected with. And Paul said, you need to come in and do something about that. You need to extra extricate that person who calls himself a brother, put him into Satan's domain that he may learn not to sin the way he's sending so flagrantly. Do that. That's what the body of Christ should do. Now continuing with that thought, he now moves from immorality-- though, he's going to get back to it in chapter 6-- but he includes now legality, the courtroom scene. We just sang a minute ago a beautiful statement of faith, and I know you believe it, because I just heard you singing it. You said-- the words we all sang is I have the authority. Jesus has given me. Well, in Corinth, it's like they didn't believe they had as the church the authority that Jesus had given them. You see one of the problems in the Greek culture was litigation. The Greeks were a very litigious culture, by and large. In fact, they even made fun of themselves. There was a saying going on just 60 miles to the Northeast over in Athens that every Athenian is a lawyer, that everybody just-- and people loved law cases, lawsuits back then. They loved to follow legal proceedings. In fact, people wanted to be called for jury duty, very different than today. We do everything we can to get out of it even though it is a civic duty that we should all perform. But back in those days, people loved it. I mean, they were into Judge Judy before there was ever Judge Judy. It was like entertainment to them. And the juries in those days were enormous, sometimes over 100 people on a single jury. So in that culture if there was a problem, you would usually go to an arbiter, somebody who would arbitrate the case, who wouldn't be taken to court. You tried to settle that dispute through a private arbiter and then another private arbiter. They would try to get together and settle the deal. If you couldn't settle it, you would take it into the public Greek courts that had a typical jury of 40 people. Now the typical jury today is 12 people in our country, in those days, 40 people. Good luck trying to come up with a good outcome in that. And if by the time you reach 60 years of age, you had to give yourself to a period of time to be on a jury. And so you had to have maturity. You had to have lived a while. So in your 60th year, you would then sign up for jury duty. And people were just-- I don't know if they just had time on their hands but, they love to do it. Some juries were over 1,000, according to the ancient records. So they loved this. And here's the problem with the church. Instead of believing I have the authority-- we as the church have the authority to settle disputes between ourselves, they were taking the disputes of the church into the civic law courts before unbelievers to make an adjudication or a judgment. So in chapter-- chapter 6, verse 1, dare any of you or how dare that you do this as God's people. Having a matter against another-- and this is, in particular, a Christian brother against another Christian brother, because he'll go on to say in the following verses brother against brother. So we know it's talking about some internal dispute in the church between brothers and sisters or one party and another who are all part of that Christian group. Dare any of you having a matter against another go to law before the unrighteous and not before the Saints. Now Paul has two concerns. Concern number one, you are not respecting the ability of the church and the authority given you by Christ himself to settle a matter of dispute from one Christian and another Christian. That's one concern. The other concern is by going to the unbelievers law courts, taking this out into the secular courts, you are airing the dirty laundry of the church before unbelievers. You are providing a terrible testimony to the unbelieving world. You're showing them just how bad it is. You're telling them that they should get saved and come to Christ and all of hope and peace and joy and all these great things, and they're seeing you take your brother to court going I don't need to be a part of that. There's no difference between them and us. So that is a concern of Paul. What are you doing taking this dispute into the law courts? Verse 2, do you not know that the saints will judge the world? Now I just want that to fall on your hearts. This is your future we're talking about. Do you know that one day you, all of you, all of us as the Saints of God, as the children of God are going to judge the world? I just want you to hear that, because, again, like we said last week, some people say, the Bible says don't judge. Really? Do you know that one day we're going to actually judge the world. Now I'm going to describe what that means as we go on. And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge in the smallest matters? OK, Jesus left this Earth. He went away, and he said if I go I am coming to you again. Ever since he said that, we're waiting for Jesus to come again. When Jesus comes again, Revelation chapter 19, the Saints are going to come with him at that second coming. After that judgment at the second coming, Jesus is going to set up a kingdom on the Earth that will last 1,000 years, according to the book of Revelation. It is called also the Millennium or the kingdom age. It is a glorious international ruling and reigning of Jesus Christ on planet Earth for 1,000 years called the Kingdom age. Jesus in Matthew 19 said to his 12 disciples even, he said you know, fellas, you guys are going to sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. Now he said that speaking yet future. You're going to sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. So the apostles have an adjudicating position coming up. Also you and I, I think are going to help them. Don't you know that the Saints are going to judge the world. In Revelation chapter 2, Jesus addresses the church, one of the churches there, and he says to the over comers of the church, the true believers, he said, I have given you authority over all the nations. And you will rule with a rod of iron. Now we know that Jesus will have an iron rod rule in the Millennium. He will rule and reign with absolute authority for 1,000 years. It will be the only time there will be a perfect government on the Earth. Don't care who you voted for, you'll never get it on this Earth. We certainly don't have it now. It's far from perfect. But you say, oh, yeah, but if so-and-so runs, still not going to be perfect. Be better than what we have but still not going to be perfect, perhaps, perhaps not. Never know. One never knows. But one day when Jesus returns, he will set up his kingdom upon the Earth and give authority to the twelve apostles and to the saints, the body of Christ, God's people to rule and reign with him to have some kind of co-rulership with him in the kingdom. He has given us authority over the nations to rule with him with a rod of iron. That Is something that was talked about even in the Old Testament. It is alluded to many times and spoken about in the New Testament, but way back in the Old Testament in chapter 7 of Daniel, Daniel has a vision of the Son of Man. And the Son of Man is given a kingdom, and it says in that chapter I was watching in the night visions and, behold, one like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He came to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. Then to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom. This is all on the Earth that all peoples, nations, and languages, all that context is earthly in scope should serve him. His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion, which shall not pass away, his kingdom the one which will not be destroyed. Same chapter, it says then the kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people, the saints of the most high. And his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. So in the future, there's some big stuff ahead for you. In the future in some role, you're going to help in the kingdom age with Jesus Christ as he rules and reigns. He's going to let you help him adjudicate that perfect government with a rod of iron. A lot could be said in describing that. Someday I'll preach a series just on the kingdom age. It would be a fun thing to study. But we're going to have some kind of rulership. So here's Paul's thinking, because he is thinking eschatological when he writes this in the ends times, don't you know you're going to judge the world. So if you're going to have that kind of a role in the future, if God is going to allow you to be on his Supreme Court in the kingdom age, why do you think you're unqualified to deal with issues between brother and brother in the church that you have to take it to a secular court to handle it? And he's writing that to their shame. They should be qualified. Now hear me out. When a Christian takes another Christian to court, nobody wins except the devil. You are saying, number one, I don't trust that this can be handled by God's people. It's a statement of faith against the church. And number two, it is allowing dirty laundry to be erred before the unbelieving world. Paul makes that point. Do you think you're unworthy to judge in the smallest matters? Verse 3 continues, chapter 6 1 Corinthians, do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more the things that pertain to this life? Now if I'm an angel and I look at that, I'm not stoked. I say wait, wait, wait, wait. Hold up, God. They're going to judge us, those guys, right. Remember the Angels are looking into things pertaining to salvation, Peter said. They marvel at the fact that God could extend such grace and love to us. They're blown away at God's grace toward mankind. And yet God says, yeah, my people, my Saints, the ones that aren't getting along there on the Earth, they're going to judge the Angels. Now what does that mean exactly? Well, I don't think it means that you're going to find your guardian angel when you get to heaven to go, hey, I have a couple of questions for you. Remember that time I got in a car crash, where were you? What's up with that? I don't think that's the idea. I don't think we're going to be judging good angels. I think we're going to have some kind of role in judging evil angels. You remember both in the book of 2 Peter and in the book of Jude, both of them right almost the identical truth that God did not spare the Angels that sinned but cast them into hell and has them in everlasting chains of darkness awaiting judgment. Some kind of judgment call will be made that you and I are going to help administrate. That's what I believe it's a reference to, not the good angels, but the evil angels, the fallen angels. He's going to let us help in some kind of a capacity. So again, if you're going to judge the world and if you're going to judge angels to some degree in the future, you can't handle a squabble between brother and sister in the church? Here's Paul's point. The most untrained believer, the least, the most untrained believer in legal matters but who believes and knows the word of God and is filled with the Holy Spirit is much better at handling a case like that than the most trained Harvard Law student or professor who doesn't have the word of God or the Spirit of God. So Greeks put that in your pipe and smoke it. Verse 4, if you then have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? I say this to your shame. See he's getting-- he's getting very pointed here. It's like he's saying to the Corinthians, shame on you Corinthians. You should know better. I say this to your shame. Is it so that there is not a wise man among you, not even one who will be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goes to law against brother and that before unbelievers. Now, therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you should go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be defrauded? No, you yourselves do wrong and defraud, and you do these things to your brethren. The whole idea here is an idea of love. So you know that Jesus said you're to love one another. You're to love each other. You're to even love your enemies. Paul the apostle will say to the Corinthians, if you have great gifts but you don't have love, you're like a noisy gong. You're like a clanging symbol-- that the expression, especially brother to brother, sister to sister, brother and sister in the body of Christ. The chief expression ought to be the expression of love. So what do you do if somebody wrongs you? Well, that was the question Peter had for Jesus. He said, hey, Jesus, you talk a lot about forgiveness. So how many times am I supposed to forgive my brother? Like, I don't know, seven times? Because that'd be a lot. If somebody messed with Peter, like, seven times, for me to forgive him-- that's huge. So I'm going to go big here, God-- seven times? Jesus said, nope, not seven times-- 70 times 7. So we talked about that kind of love, that kind of forgiveness, that kind of willingness to be defrauded-- and even be wronged-- by people. Just forgive. Just move on. Don't hold a grudge. But in that same chapter, Jesus gives a context. He says this-- if your brother sins against you, go to him personally, privately. That's how you handle it-- one on one. Try to work it out. Go charge him with the wrong. And say, you know what? What you said was offensive to me. That really hurt. I took that as an offense. Oh, I'm so sorry. I'll never do it again-- or they say, I didn't do anything wrong. You know, you're the idiot. So if you go and your brother that has sinned against you will not receive your admonition, your rebuke, your reconciliation, Jesus said, then you take with you two or three others-- that by the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word would be established. Now you have arbitration. Now you have some impartial witnesses who can give their wisdom and help you settle the issue. Jesus said, if that doesn't work-- do you remember what He said? He said, tell it to the church. Tell it to the church. Bring it within the context of church, the church environment, and the authority of the body of Christ. And let the church make that decision. It seems that Paul has this in mind when he writes that. Take it to the church. Isn't there one wise person among you who can make this decision and help you out on these matters instead of going to the secular courts? Now, here's a question. Because we're sharing this tonight. Maybe right now, you're in the midst of a lawsuit. And you go, man, I didn't know that verse was in there. But now I've got a lawsuit against a-- well, once it's in the courts, you have to let it-- usually, you have to ride it out. Although when you hire a lawyer-- I've given this counsel before. And I won't get into the detail. But the guy said, what do I do? I've already hired the lawyer. I said, well, that's it. You hired the lawyer. You can fire the lawyer. You just call them up and say, I don't need your services anymore. Bill me for whatever you've done. And then call it quits. Handle it a different way. But if it's in the courts already, you have to ride it out. If it's not in the courts already, number one-- go to your brother. Try to handle it. Number two, bring people with you. If they don't want to listen, then bring it to the leadership of the church. And get elders and deacons and leaders involved in that. You know, fortunately, we live in a city that has seen great success with biblical reconciliation. In fact, a national group was started in New Mexico by Christian lawyers some years ago, all for the purpose of fulfilling this passage as a biblical mandate-- keeping things outside the courts, getting people who are skilled in law-- but more than that, Spirit-filled believers, people who believe the word of God, to settle the issues, to settle the disputes outside of the secular courts in the context of the church. And because of their work, now around the country, the idea of independent arbitration or reconciliation before it goes to a judge is widely accepted because, largely, of the work that was done with that Christian group in town some years ago. He says in verse 7-- "Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be defrauded?" That's a novel concept. What am I going to do-- like, let them walk all over me? Well? Well? Well, what did Jesus say? Jesus said, turn the other cheek. If somebody slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other cheek. Instead of, "Yeah, what am I supposed to do, let him slap my cheek?" No, both cheeks. And He says, if he sues you to take away your tunic, give him your cloak also. What, well, just let them take my cloak? He has no right. Go buy another cloak. Let yourself be defrauded. Because yeah, you can go to court. And you can win the case and lose your brother and lose your testimony. It's not worth it. He says, "No, you yourselves do wrong and defraud. And you do these things to your brothers, your brethren. Do you not know--" verse 9-- "do you not know that the unrighteous--" see, you're bringing this before the unrighteous, the unbelieving world. You're settling these court cases instead of playing the role of the judge, the arbiter, making adjudications, making discriminations when people have these behaviors, whether it's for incest or whether it's for legal cases. He's kind of tying these things together. If you're willing to take it before the unrighteous-- but He says, "Don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God?" You're bringing kingdom matters before unrighteous judges. Don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? "Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators--" fornication is sexual sin. Usually, it is a sin described in the Bible before marriage, when a person is single. "Nor idolaters--" worshipping false gods, false religious systems-- "nor adulterers--" usually a sin talked about as once a person is married-- "nor homosexuals, nor sodomites--" it's an unfortunate translation. Because you don't really get the force of the Greek language. Those two words, that homosexuals are sodomites, the Greek language is much more precise. And incidentally, the old King James version happens to be a more accurate translation than the New King James, or for that matter, most of the other translations of this particular verse. The old King James translates those last two sins by saying this way-- "Nor the effeminate, nor the abusers of themselves with mankind." The effeminate-- that word translated here, homosexuals-- usually refers to in a homosexual relationship the person who takes the passive role. In a male homosexual relationship, it would be who would take the female role, the softer role. And then the second word, sodomites-- or abusers of themselves with mankind, in the King James-- is, in a homosexual relational context, somebody who takes the more dominant, aggressive role. And he's bringing that up because he's speaking to Greeks. And highborn Greeks saw homosexuality, a couple thousand years ago, as the purest form of all love. Well, William Barclay says that Socrates was a homosexual-- as was Plato. In fact, Plato's writings-- that famous writing, The Symposium of love was Plato writing about homosexual lovers. And in those days, it was an adult with an underaged male child. And that was accepted in that culture. I think I mentioned last week that 14 of the first 15 Roman emperors were also homosexuals. So it was very, very common in those days. And in those days, the older male usually took the aggressive, dominant role. And the young boy in that culture took the passive role. That's the reference of the word. Sorry to be so explicit. But I figured you should know that's what he's writing about. So He says, "Do you not know that fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, nor sodomites--" whichever role they take-- "nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the Kingdom of God." Now I know. You read that. Some of you go, man, that messes with me. It's not my problem. It doesn't mess with me. Well, that really bothers me. It's not my problem. My only duty is to declare to you what God has said through His word. And you either accept it or you don't. So in the book of Romans, chapter 1-- which we already covered. I'll just remind you of this. Paul writes about the gentile flow of sin throughout ancient culture-- throughout, actually, all time. "Therefore, God gave them up to uncleanness in the lusts of their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worshipped and serve the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever-- amen. For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions, for even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature"-- against nature. "Likewise, also, the men leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men, committing what is shameful and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due." Now you might say, well, you know, that was back then in that culture. But in today's culture, things are different. And you can't say those things. Because in this culture, that kind of stuff is acceptable. It was more acceptable in that culture. The reason it's becoming now acceptable after a long period of time is because of the rich Judeo-Christian heritage this country has had for so long to abate and stem the tide of that kind of stuff in modern history. It was the injection of Christianity in the world that put an end to that. Now you're seeing a resurgence back to an ancient culture. So understand when Paul wrote these things, it was like-- when people read this, like-- because if 14 of the 15 first Roman emperors were homosexuals and Paul is, like, talking smack pretty up-front, you know he got blowback for it. So here's what I want you to see. Paul says in Romans 1-- these things, they happen. They have happened. But it's against nature. And the word there in Greek is , And it means, "against God's natural created order"-- God's natural created order. God has set a created order from the beginning. And He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. God does not change. And His word does not change. So if you tell me, well, God made me this way, I'm going to say, no, he did not. You may be a product of your environment. You may be a product of some social conditioning. You may be a product of a lot of different messaging that is going on. You might even be the victim of some feelings that every human being has toward his or her own sexuality. But there is God's , and then there are those things that are against , against the natural creative order. And Paul says, "Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites." But let's not just stop with a few sins. Because you-- oh, yeah, that's right. Preach it, man. Well, keep going. "Nor thieves--" how are you doing on your income tax reporting? How are you doing with taking things home from the office that really don't belong to you? "Nor covetous--" that's just wanting something that you don't have and doing things you can to get what you don't have. "Nor drunkards nor revilers--" people who are in your face and talk negative, talk smack about other people-- "nor extortioners will inherit the Kingdom of God." See, those are part of that same list. So none of us can say, well, that sin is really bad. But these sins are OK. Why? Well, because I do them. Now look at verse 11. This is key. "And such were some of you." Notice it's past tense, not "and such are some of you." Such were some of you. Hey, Corinthians, some of you were extortioners. Some of you were sodomites. Some of you were revilers. Some of you were adulterers. But that's in your past. That's in your rear view mirror. You may struggle with those things. You may even fall into those things. But you don't live in them. You hate them. You want to move on from them. You want to serve Christ. That's your past tense. And if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5 says, "All things are passed away. All things become brand new." God is in the business of fixing people, fixing broken things, adding the glue of His grace to fix the sin in our lives. "Such were some of you. But you were washed, cleansed by the blood. You were sanctified, set apart. You belong to God. You are justified." God declared you forgiven. God declared you His son, His daughter in the name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God. "All things are lawful for me. But all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me. But I will not be brought under the power of any-- foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods. But God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." It seems that Paul is using two slogans that were very popular around Corinth in those days, spoken by Corinthians or Corinthian Christians. Slogan number one-- "All things are lawful for me." In other words, I have complete liberty and freedom. Because I'm a Christian. I've been set free. I'm not under the law. "The law was the schoolmaster to lead me to Christ," Galatians says. Now that I belong to Christ, I'm not under that law any longer. I'm free. Paul said, "Indeed, all things are lawful for you." That seems to be a slogan that they used, that the Corinthians loved. Now it is true. You are not under the law. But it doesn't mean that you can act any way that you please. Because Paul then corrects that. And he says, "All things are lawful for me. But not all things are helpful." So if I do certain activities, if I drink certain things or smoke certain things, sure, I can do that. That's not the issue. Are they helpful? Do they benefit? Are they expedient? That's the old King James-- "expedient." Do they expedite me? Do they push me along my path, my journey, help me reach my goal? All things are lawful. But not everything's helpful. So keep that in mind. Look at the next. "All things are lawful for me. But I will not be brought under the power of any." Now I want you to keep a marker here. Turn a few pages to the right. Go to chapter 10. Because he writes something very similar. And I want to put all these together, all these three. 1 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 23-- "All things are lawful for me. But all things are not helpful"-- same thing he wrote back in chapter 6. But now he adds to that and changes something. "All things are lawful for me. But not all things edify." All things do not edify. So there's three principles. I want you to grab a hold of them tonight. If you are ever wondering what to do when it comes to the gray areas where the Bible is not very explicit about certain behavioral-- should I do this, can I do this, is it permissible for a Christian to do this or that-- apply these three principles. Number one-- is it helpful? If I do this, if I drink this, if I smoke this, if I get involved in this activity, if I go visit this person or do this thing, will it help me? Will it expedite me? Is it good for me spiritually? That's the first thing to sift it through. Second, all things are lawful for me. But I will not be brought under the power of any. So if I get involved in this right now, will later on it make me addicted to it? Will it bring me under its power? Oh, I have the power. I can do anything I want to now. But will I come to a point where I can't make that choice any longer? Right now I can. But if I keep drinking this, or smoking this, or doing that, maybe I'm going to be brought under its power. And I'll become a slave to it. Now it's not helpful, certainly. And now I've become a slave to it. Number three-- all things are lawful for me. But not all things edify. So if I do this thing, what will it-- what message will it say to other believers? Maybe it'll stumble a Christian. Maybe a Christian will look at that and go, uh, well what's he doing drinking that stuff? Or what are they doing smoking that? Well, I have the freedom. I have liberty. I'm a Christian. Right. Is it helpful? Could it become addictive, bring you under its power? Does it edify the body of Christ, others who are watching? That's the law of love-- love for yourself, the temple of the Holy Spirit, love for others, love for God, ultimately. So those three things are important. So they were-- that was slogan number one. All things are lawful. But Paul said they're not helpful. And those things may bring you under its power. And then later on, is it edifying? Second slogan-- verse 13. "Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods." Now that seems to have been a slogan that was popular in Corinth in general-- sort of like, no, I don't eat to live. I live to eat. I'm a foodie, man. It's all about the taste, the cuisine. So foods for the body and the body for foods was a common way of saying sort of the same thing. The body was meant to enjoy the pleasures of cuisine that is around me. Paul corrects that by saying, "But God will destroy both it and them." So your body is temporary. One day you'll die. But notice this. "Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." So just like they were saying the body for food and food for the body, they were saying, sex for the body and the body for sex-- just like I eat a meal. And that's just simply a physiological choice that I make to grab that cheeseburger and eat it-- no big deal. You got to eat, you got to eat. They were looking at sexuality the same way. Look at it. It's a natural proclivity. It's a natural desire that we all have. And Christians were saying, God gave that to us. So this is how I seek to fulfill that. Paul corrects that and says, "The body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not." Remember, there was that temple outside of Corinth-- temple of Aphrodite. They were prostitutes, priestesses who were coming down into town at night. Men were indulging themselves. That was very common practice. Maybe some in the church thought they had the ability to do that. So foods for the body, body for foods-- he's equating that with sexuality and that, no, Jesus died for you. You belong to him. He'll say He bought you with the price. So glorify God in your body. Sex is God given. It's a gift. It's a good idea. It's a great idea God gave us. But because it is God given, it must be God governed. Everything that is God given must also be God governed. God gives us things. But then He governs the use of those things. He didn't say, just have at it, man. You decide. No. God says, I've decided. And this is how I've made you. And this is how I've made them. And this is what I want. And this is my , my order. And you do it for the Lord, especially as members of the body of Christ. I remember having this conversation with a man who was struggling against my Christianity. He was a Cambridge graduate in advanced science. And I lived with him on a kibbutz in Israel. And I was sharing the gospel with him. And he goes, Skip, I will not become a Christian because of the sexual negatives that the New Testament pronounces. I mean, he was just up-front-- if I do that, I can't have all the fun that I'm used to having. And I remember him saying, you know, I don't know why God is so negative. I said, Tony, if you saw a sign that said "Keep Out," what would you do? He said, I'd open the door and go in. I said, but keep reading the sign. What if the sign said, "Keep Out-- Danger-- Explosives"? Oh, well, that's a different thing. Exactly. So when God says keep out, He does it because He doesn't want you to blow yourself to smithereens-- sexually, morally, relationally. The negative command has a positive rationale attached to the negative command. Just like the sign that says, "Keep Out-- Danger-- Explosives," all God's commandments that are in the negative have a positive rationale. It's because God loves you. And He made you. And that which has God given must be God governed. He goes, well, I never thought of it that way. And about six months later, he gave me a call. He had read a book that I had given him. And he was very humble on the other end of the phone. He said, I just want you to know I've given my life to Christ. And it's the best decision I've ever made. "Do you not know--" verse 15-- "your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not. Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For--" notice the quote from the Old Testament. "The two," he says, "shall become one flesh. But he who is joined with the Lord is one spirit with Him." What is he doing? He's quoting Genesis. He's going back to the creation account, when God put man and woman on the Earth. And He said, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother, be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." So God established separation, permanence, unity, and then intimacy. "The man and his wife were naked. And they were not ashamed." That's what he's quoting from. He's going all the way back to that. And he's saying, look, when two people get involved sexually, they are actually becoming one with each other. And when a person goes out and is loose with somebody other than his permanent mate, he is giving a piece of his soul away to others. He's diminishing himself. He's not gaining anything by it. So he says, verse 18-- "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man commits is outside the body. But he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you?" By the way, if you're wondering, there's only one reason that the New Testament allows for divorce. And that is adultery. Because of this truth, the oneness bond is broken when a person has sexual relations with somebody other than husband or wife. When that happens, the oneness bond that was intended to be permanent is now broken. That person becomes one flesh with another person. And for that reason, that's such a profound disruption that that becomes the only allowable biblical rationale for divorce. "Do you not know--" verse 19-- "your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own." Here it is. "You were bought at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are God's." Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The priestesses were from the temple of Aphrodite. They were coming down into town. Paul says, you join yourself to a harlot, you're becoming one with that person. Don't you know your body is a temple? And a temple is meant for worship. A temple is meant for the presentation of sacrifices. Romans 12:1-- "Present your body a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable under God"-- which is your reasonable service. You have a guest living inside of you. I hope He feels at home in your heart. It talks about God dwelling in us, settling down, and making Himself feel at home in our hearts. I hope He does. I hope He's in your life and not going, man, I don't-- I'm in this person. But boy, the trash this person looks at, and listens to, and gets involved in. You have a guest living inside of your body. You belong to Him. "Therefore, glorify God in your body and your spirit." How do you do that? By presenting yourself. By yielding yourself-- Romans chapter 12, Romans chapter 6. We are to yield ourselves minute by minute to the Lord. Lord, I'm yours. Use me. Lord, I don't belong to myself. You purchased me. Help me to glorify You. Father, as we bring this chapter to a close and we consider this wide variety of truth that Paul the apostle addressed with his church, I pray that we who live in the age in which we live in-- the things that we shared tonight seem so narrow, and so negative, and so old-fashioned and non-progressive to outsiders. We're here, Lord, at the end of this message to say, we don't care what they think. We really care what You think. We want to honor You. We give You our bodies, our minds. We pray, Lord, that we would serve You and worship You in integrity, in purity. And Lord, then even in those other activities that we could get involved in, I pray that Your Spirit will bring this little grid back to our remembrance. Is it helpful, expedient, beneficial? Is it something that will get me in its grip, under its power? Could I become addicted to it? And is it something that builds other people up or tears them down? I pray, Father, that we will live to glorify You since You bought us in Jesus' name.

Dear Roger, I don’t believe soldiers are respected for the sacrifices they make to protect and defend our country. What can you tell me about them? Sincerely, John Dear John, I was unable to serve in the military because of health issues, but I believe the Bible has much to say about this topic. My friend, Mark Marikos, is the guest author for this post: Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2) In an Air Force ROTC management class, we learned there are two types of power. “Power of Position” comes from holding a position of authority – be it by consent of those governed or by force. This includes dictators, presidents, bosses and other leaders. I have “Power of Influence” when I am trusted by someone in a position of power. One example given in the class was then Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger. Though he held limited authority, he was held in high regard by President Nixon, and thus was in a position to influence the decisions that Nixon made. Most of us will have limited chances to be in positions of authority over more than a small realm, but we all have the potential of being an influence in the life of someone in authority over us. As believers, we are not generally called to be in positions of power. But we are all called to respectfully submit to those in authority over us, not because they are somehow more important than we, but because God has put them in positions of authority. It does not mean their role is any more significant than ours, just different. In fact, their roles are often more difficult. Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17) Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13) In several Bible stories, God used those in “lesser” positions to greatly influence the course of history by the advice given to those in positions of power. Examples include Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Esther, Mordecai, and Joseph. All of these were slaves or “conquered” people whom God used to “turn the hearts of kings.” Wise leaders choose trusted advisors very carefully. They look for those that demonstrate wisdom, loyalty and respect. Wisdom, by itself, will not guarantee a hearing unless the leader first trusts the person with wisdom. Loyalty, by itself, may be misguided, and prompt one to do unwise things that look like a good idea, but in the end may undermine the leader’s authority or power. When I show respect for a leader, it communicates my recognition of his or her position of authority and my desire to see him or her succeed. It communicates intentionality, on my part, to commit to that success. It does not mean I will always agree with every decision made, but that I am committed to advising with wisdom, even as I defer to the leader’s ultimate judgment. As a believer, respect implies an additional responsibility – that I will lovingly intercede on the leader’s behalf, that God will protect, shower mercy and grace upon, and grant wisdom to the leader. Those desires arise from my love for the leader, not just as my leader, but as a valued friend. I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. (1 Timothy 2:1-2) Some leaders are easier to respect than others, and some of us more easily show respect than others. But the Bible commands us to submit (respect, serve honestly, and pray for) our leaders and rulers, so that they can improve the conditions under which we, and others live. I so appreciate the example of Billy Graham as he has won such a place of deep influence even in the lives of presidents that often stood diametrically opposed to the message he preached. He gained that influence because he lovingly respected them and prayed earnestly for them. In at least one case a former president finally came to Christ. Only in heaven will we know the full extent of his influence on these men and the world events they presided over. Like the Centurion in Luke, Chapter 7, I need to recognize that “I myself am a man under authority …”, because all of us are ultimately under authority, whether we acknowledge it or not. But how does respect live itself out in my life? Biblical servanthood was modeled for us by the most powerful person in the Universe. Jesus said he did not come to be served, but to serve. … and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:27b-28) He admonished His disciples to be like-minded. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:12-17, underline added) and we are reminded by Paul in Philippians 2:5-7 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,… Even more attention to respect is expected of us when dealing with other believers as our authorities. We should, in no way, show less respect (desire to see them succeed), because their success reflects well on Christ. All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers, and dear to them. (1 Timothy 6:1-2a) Respect is not required only of those under authority, but of all, in all circumstances – just as Christ modeled. We are commanded Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21) That pretty much covers all of our relationships, vertical and horizontal. We are commanded to respect those under our authority as well. While wives are commanded to respect their husbands (Ephesians 5:22-24,33b; I Peter 3:1-6), husbands are commanded Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, … (Ephesians 5:25-33a) Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. (1 Peter 3:7 emphasis added) While children are admonished to obey and honor their parents (Ephesians 6:1-3), fathers are told … do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4) If we treat our children with respect, we will not exasperate them. They will feel valued, even as we correct their errors and disciple them into the service of Christ. Even masters (bosses) are told … treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him. (Ephesians 6:9) after Paul tells slaves to … obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. (Ephesians 6:5-7) As far as lateral relationships we are commanded Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. (Titus 3:1-2) But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (1 Peter 3:15-16) When I demonstrate respect for someone, I increase the influence I have in their lives. This is an important concept that can improve the quality of every relationship I own. Besides the obvious effect my respect will have upon my superiors’ (bosses, church leaders, civic leaders) attitude towards my advice, it will increase my influence in the lives of all to whom it is shown. A wife who demonstrates respect for her husband will find him generally more willing to listen to her concerns and ideas, and will increase his desire for her. As she looks to making him successful (not just in the workplace but in the home, the church and the community), she will find him more enthusiastic about his protective role as a husband. She will find him more demonstrative in his affection towards her and more inclined to seek time with her over other pursuits. We men are like that. We prefer to spend ourselves where we feel most successful. Nothing builds up a man and brings out the best in him than when he hears of his wife’s respect for him – be it from her mouth or from the mouths of others. Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. (1 Peter 3:1-2) Likewise, when a man demonstrates respectful love towards his wife, he will find her more willing to give herself to him in every way. He will find her more willing to communicate respect towards him at home and abroad. He will empower her to become a “Proverbs 31 woman”, who is successful in all spheres of life, and she will enrich his life and the life of her family. 11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. … 23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. … 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. 26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: … 31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. Looking at these verses from Proverbs 31, it becomes obvious that her success is directly related to the respect and praise she is afforded by her husband. And because she is successful, he will prosper on all fronts. If it is his mouth praising her in the city gates his stature will rise with hers. And as a husband and wife demonstrate love and respect towards each other, they will be drawn closer together by their very actions. As they each communicate love and respect, their feelings will follow. They will find themselves drawn deeper in love with each other. Loving respect will render a marriage invulnerable to the temptations of unfaithfulness. But it will do far more than that. It will turn the home into a safe haven, a place of peace and rest, a recharging station that counters the weariness of life. Likewise, children who show respect for their parents will likely find them more willing to trust them with responsibilities and privileges. They will find their parents more interested in their lives and concerns and more eager to enter into their world. Every parent seeks to build lasting influence into the lives of their children. Children who feel respected by their parents, will welcome that influence because they feel valued and significant. They too want to feel successful, and if they feel respect at home, they are more likely to look to their parents for advice, consolation and leadership (by example). Every relationship in which I exercise respect, will be improved by that. If I desire greater cooperation and camaraderie among my co-workers, my respect will communicate that I value them and wish to see them succeed. Like me, they will be drawn to relationships in which they feel successful. If I want to win over the crabby neighbor next-door, respect will draw him or her into relationship as they feel valued and invested in. I will find my success in evangelism directly proportional to the respect I demonstrate towards those I seek to bring into the kingdom. By respect, I demonstrate my concern for them and my desire to see them ultimately successful in life. I show them that I value them because they are children of God and as they feel valued by me, they may begin to feel valued by God. My respect will earn their trust, so that my words, especially God’s truth, spoken in respectful love will be heard and taken deep into their hearts where it can grow, blossom and bear fruit. Lastly, in order to show proper respect, I need to be a respectable person. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. (Romans 13:7) Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12) Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, … In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, (1 Timothy 3:8,11 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. (1 Peter 2:16-17) As my respectability rises, so will the value of my respect in the lives of others. As others feel my respect, they will invite my influence in their lives, and I will be drawn deeper into an ever-growing fellowship, in numbers and depth. If we, as the church, would practice this kind of loving respect towards each other and others, the world would sit up and take notice. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35) And we would see the church become the powerful influence it was in the first days. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:46-47)