Causing The Holy Spirit To Sin

I was awoken yesterday morning - very early in the morning - with a thought about what it means to "sin against" the Holy Spirit. The same thought came to me early this morning, so I thought I better write it down. 

When we know The Truth given to us in God's Word - the difference between right and wrong, obedience and sin, good and evil - and when we have committed ourselves to Jesus - to follow His ways and allow Him to be our Lord - we are filled with His Spirit - The Holy Spirit. (2 Corinthians 6:16-18).

Likewise, God cannot remain in fellowship with us if we choose to sin (1 John 1:5-7). Therefore, as those who have accepted Jesus and as temples of The Holy Spirit, when we choose to sin we are actually bringing The Holy Spirit of God with us in our sinfulness and evil. 

We are attempting to cause The Holy Spirit of God to sin! We are sinning against The Holy Spirit and there is a serious discipline - punishment - for this.

The Apostle Paul writes it this way in Hebrews 10:26-27; If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

So, as a temple of The Most High God - those who have the knowledge of The Truth and have committed our ways to Jesus and have called Him our Lord - let us continue to follow His commands for our lives. Let us be committed and faithful to Him today and always!

Backstage Fan

This past week my wife and I went to yet another the Tom Petty concert. This was my eleventh Tom Petty concert and my wife's twelfth. Although we purchased the cheapest seats available at the concert, through a series of actions and conversations we ended up sitting just off of the side of stage.

Although we have been to several of these concerts, this was by far the closest we have ever sat. We were essentially sitting backstage! We were able to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers walking on and off of stage, we were able to see all of the technicians and stagehands preparing and making changes between sets and between songs. Likewise, we found out things about Tom Petty and the rest of the group that we never knew before - such as Tom's guitar changes and smoking preference between the various songs.

As I wrote, we have been to several of these concerts and we have called ourselves "fans" for many, many years, yet there was so much we saw on Thursday that struck us as new and very interesting.

I couldn't help but think about a book I recently read; "Not A Fan" by Kyle Idleman. One of the points that Idleman makes is that being a fan of Jesus is far different than being a follower of Jesus. Idleman writes how many people know about Jesus but they don't actually know Jesus.

And he asks the question, are you a fan - or are you more.

Arrogant or Ignorant

I've met a lot of arrogant people. I'm sure you have as well. Arrogance is a horrible trait - and it is the trait that probably bugs me the most. As a pastor I've also seen a lot of ignorant people - people who are uninformed or misinformed.

And, although arrogance and ignorance are not be desired by anyone, I would much prefer to be ignorant. And, I would prefer to teach and shepherd people who are ignorant rather than arrogant. 

See, ignorance is the product of a lack if knowledge, and an ignorant person can be taught. But, arrogance is the product of pride and years of boasting, and an arrogant person must be broken before they can be taught. 

When we read the Gospels and we read the people that Jesus encountered we see that He met both the ignorant and the arrogant. With the ignorant we see that Jesus had patience - taking time to talk with and teach them. Yet with the arrogant - the teachers of the law and the Pharisees - we see that Jesus was very stern and direct in His correction.

So, think are you ignorant or arrogant? Neithrr are to be desired. Yet one is far better!

To be a follower of Jesus'...

John 13:1-3 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;

Understanding what “Jesus knew” is essential to understanding what Jesus did!

Jesus knew:

• The time of His Father had come (vs. 1)
• He would “leave” the world (vs. 1)
• He would return to His Father (vs. 1)
• His Father had put all things under His power (vs. 3)
• He came from God (vs. 3)
• He was returning to God (vs. 3)

John 13:4-5 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

Jesus' activity:

• He got up (vs. 4)
• He took off His outer clothes (vs. 4)
• He wrapped a towel around His waist (vs. 4)
• He washed their feet (vs. 5)

As followers of Jesus, we too must:

• Get up
  • Get up from our place of honor
  • Get up from our attitudes of pride
  • Get rid of our illusion that this is in any way about us
• Take off the bib
  • We've had enough to eat
  • We've been fed long enough – most of us
• Put on an apron
  • This is going to be dirty – perhaps humiliating
  • This is going to be time consuming
  • This is going to require something from you
• Wash feet
  • It's time to lend a hand and serve
  • It's time to use the gifts God has given you
  • It's time follow the example set by Jesus
  • It's time to be a true follower – a disciple – of Jesus'

To be a follower of Jesus you must become a servant.

Picture it, Jesus is down on His knees before His disciples;

• Creator of the universe wiping away the mud that He created
• Living Water poured out on the feet of the people
• King of Kings lowered to the floor
• The God of glory serving a sinful people

It is important to note that Jesus even washed the feet of Judas – who He knew would betray Him.

John 13:11 For he knew who was going to betray him

What does this tell us about our call to serve as followers of Jesus'?

To be a follower of Jesus you must become a servant.

Families Serve Together

I don't see my parents as much as I'd like to and I don't call them as much as I need to. My parents live a couple hours away and although I don't live at their house, my parents have some expectations when I go to their home. One of which is that I lend a hand – that I help out.

Imagine going to your parents house and sitting down at the table; 

• “Bring me the cereal, Mom!”
• “Dad, get me a bowl!”
• “I can't eat this without some milk!”
• “Grab me a spoon while you're up too!”

What would happen if you walked into a family member's house and sat down in the living room and stated “I need a glass of ice water”? In most cases I imagine they would point you to the kitchen to GET IT YOURSELF! And why is that? Because you're family! And family members work together.

Easter was the last time we were at my parents house. We walked in, received a warm greeting and, soon after, a job that needed to be done in preparation for the meal. 

• There was a ham to be sliced
• A table that needed to be set
• Several chairs that had to be moved
• And so much more

Picture me walking over to the couch and laying down for a nap. “Just wake me up when lunch is ready.” That wouldn't fly!

But, this is the way many folks act in The Church. And they don't feel like they fit in or belong. In most cases it is because they aren't taking an active roll in serving

• See, Families serve together
• And, God's family is called to serve together too

In my parent's house – if I were to lay down on the couch and demand dinner brought to me when it's ready I would be met with a stern wake up call from my dad. Yet many people in the church have gotten away with not serving because no one has given you that stern wake up call that they need.   

Saying YES to Jesus means...

Some thoughts on being a follower of Jesus from Luke 9:25-30;

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:  

Many would consider this as the mark of success in ministry, large crowds - great multitudes - of people traveling with them, hanging on every word that they spoke. Yet Jesus did not consider this success. At the moments that large crowds are traveling with Him, Jesus stops and begins to tell them of the many demands He has of them if they intend to be followers of His. 

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 

The word hate is used figuratively by Jesus to better illustrate the priority of the relationship. As a follower of Jesus, there can be no rival relationships. 

Saying "YES" to Jesus means saying "NO" to other relationships!

And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

The Roman cross had one purpose, it was a place to go and to die. As a follower of Jesus, a person must be willing to die to their selfish desires.

Saying "YES" to Jesus means saying "NO to yourself!

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ 

“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 

Jesus pauses and tells two parables to bring up two distinct points about the same issue, being a follower of His. The first account of the unfinished tower tells the potential follower;

Consider the costs of your commitment to Jesus.

The second account of the king facing a potential war tells the potential follower; 

Consider the costs of opposing Jesus.  

In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

Being a follower of Jesus comes with great demands - on our time, on our resources, on our finances, on our families, and on us. As a follower of Jesus, a person must be willing to give up anything Jesus demands.

Saying "YES" to Jesus means saying "NO" to everything else!

Being a follower of Jesus requires total commitment.

So, here are a few questions to consider:

What relationships in your life come before Jesus?

What demands are too much for you to carry?

What costs are you not willing to pay?

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ

No one comes before You, Jesus.

Nothing comes before You, Jesus.

I am Your disciple.

You are my Master.

You are my Savior.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

No Bicycles On Sidewalk

At a restaurant near our house there hangs a sign; "No Bicycles On Sidewalk". On its own this sign is fairly blunt and simple. But it is the bike rack that sits on the sidewalk just below this sign that adds humor and confusion.

How are you to park a bike in the rack if a bike is not allowed on the sidewalk? The restaurant and the stores surrounding it have the desire for folks to park in this bike rack, yet they have posted a rule essentially prohibiting it.

It seems like this type of logic is used in many churches today. The church has been established in the name of Jesus, who came to seek and save the lost, who claimed "it is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick". Yet, rules are been made, and sometimes even posted, to keep the lost and unhealthy out of the church.

"No Skateboards Allowed"
"No Ripped Jeans"
"No Residential Parking"
"No Hats Allowed"
"Members Only"
"No Smoking"
"No Loud Music"
"No Food or Drink"
"No Sinners"

How is a person suppose to meet Jesus if they are not allowed to and even welcomed to come to Him while they are still breaking some rules? The church's desire is that folks would be introduced to Jesus and come to know Him as their Savior.

Let us break down some of the rules, and obstacles that we have set - both written and unwritten. And, let us welcome all despite their actions and attitudes.