The Journey: Part 6 – “Telling Others About God”

     It is difficult to talk about God because too often Christians are only answering one question, while most the world is asking four. This is largely due to the idea that talking about God used to be a presentation. It worked for a while, but those days are long gone and the presentation has been replaced by a conversation. It’s a conversation that many are not equipped to have because they don’t understand the questions that form the conversation.

     I believe that most people live life feeling like they have begun watching a moving half way through. They have no idea how they have arrived at their present, nor what is good or bad about their present, and have no idea where the movie is going or how it will conclude. Most are simply floating around trying to do the best they can with what they make of the situation. 

     Perhaps talking about God means allowing those around you to push the pause button and ask you what in the world is going on. Can you tell them how the story began? Can you tell them how the characters have arrived at their present state? Can you explain what is good and bad about the character’s situation. Can you provide insight to where the story is headed? I think this is why telling others about God is a conversation requires a conversation.  

     The conversation must be told from the perspective of a witnesses. Examples of this are found in the gospel accounts. These examples include those who have been healed (Luke 8:38-39), and those who recognize Jesus based upon how He fulfills his role (John1:40-41). In both these cases the witness tell others about Jesus based upon their personal experience in line with the teachings of Scripture. This type of conversation is to include and transfer of the teachings of Jesus as commanded in Matthew 28:18-20 where Jesus states, “18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been  given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age".

     As you may have already concluded, telling takes prior preparation. A familiar text in our church makes this point clear. We are challenged in 1 Peter 3:15 to, “honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect”. Based upon this and other texts, I suggest the following strategy. Pray, study, live as an example, serve, and prepare to answer questions. I believe this strategy to be what is needed to present yourself as one desiring to be used by God.

     Finally, with the example of Paul the Apostle, we are to tell the simple things of Gospel in a culturally aware manner.  Examine how Paul does this in Acts 17:17, 20:20. Here we read, “17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace, every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean        and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, "What does this babbler wish to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities"--because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean."

     Paul’s message was strange because its focus was on the death and resurrection of Jesus. This same focus is strange in our day as well. Two aspects of our culture that make it strange begin with secularization. Secularization defines our culture as one that no longer depends on religious institutions as sources of truth. Alongside secularization is pluralism. Pluralism defines our culture as one with no dominate worldview. This also causes many to define the Christian message as religious babble.

     This brings us back to our main thought. Telling others about God is not a script, but a conversation. This conversation needs to answer the four worldview shaping questions of our day. Christianity must be communicated with the context of questions of origin, meaning,       morality, and destiny. May your life speak into the conversation in such a way that offers the hope of the Gospel.

The Journey: Part 5 "Sharing with God"

     Introducing this study, Chic Shaver states, “If I really believe in something, I am going to support it 100 percent. And God, I believe in You know, like I never did before! So, I want to please You and serve you, and share all I have with You.” This is in line with what the Apostle Paul, teaches in his letter the Corinthians when he writes “So whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God’ (1 Corinthians 10:31). My personal thoughts include these and a few others. Here I will share that believing in God and doing all things for His glory include sharing and partnering with Him as He fills us with Himself. I wish to explain how we can share with God by giving to each other.

     Giving begins with how we choose to love. In Matthew 22:36-40 we see Jesus answering a question that was intended to trick Him. However, as usual Jesus answers wisely. The text states, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." Applying Jesus’ answers teaches us that loving God requires that we love with all that makes us who and what we are.

     Along the lines of this topic we can also apply the idea of obedience to God is the best measurement of our love for one another. Consider the words found in 1 John 5:1-3 1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. These words prompt a question. Why do so many wish to diminish the importance of obedience which leads to an abuse of grace? Answers are many and varied but perhaps we should consider that love, not fear of punishment or attempts to manipulate for benefit, is the motivator of obedience. In this case, we may strive to love less to love more. In John 12:24-26 Jesus states, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”.  

     Finishing on a very practical note, please consider that the ability to share is the by-product of work. Paul the Apostle makes this point very clear in Ephesians 4:28 where he writes, “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need”. This may be the practical way to be fully committed to God and His work and make our work personally fulfilling. Therefore I challenge each of us to do something specific this week that obeys God for the sake of loving another and having something to share.  

The Journey Part 4 – “Talking with God”

 

            To introduce this message, we once again turn to Chic Shaver. He states, “to maintain any relationship, you have to communicate. It’s no different in your relationship with God. And since you are dealing with the Creator of the universe, it is not too much to expect that you would some time each day. Whatever the time, and private place, you can talk to Him and He speaks to you. The writer of the book of Psalms said it this way: ‘In the morning, O Lord, you will hear my voice; in the morning, I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation’ Psalm 5:3.” With Shaver’s words in mind we can turn our attention to the main point of this message. The remainder of this post will describe prayers that receive answers.

            To address this issue, we can look the Scriptures to learn when God answers prayer. God answers prayer when we have the right attitude. We may wish to disagree with this statement because of all the prayers we read in Scripture that seem to be from a disrespectful heart. We may need to be reminded that asking questions from a place of pain is not a negative attitude. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 helps us learn what attitude is required as we pray. Here Paul states, "Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”.

            God also answers prayer when we pray per his will. In 1 John 5:14 we read, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything per his will he hears us. Do not get caught up with the words “ask anything” because this will cause you to pray selfishly and be disappointed with prayer in general. The focus is the will of God. Opening your heart and mind to the will of God will birth answerable prayers and unity with God.

            If God’s will is the focus of our prayers, it will lead to avoiding the cherishing of sin. David teaches us that God answers prayer when we are not cherishing sin in our hearts. Psalm 66:18 reads, “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” If you feel that your prayers are not being answered, ask God to search your heart for treasured sin. Perhaps this would be a good time to confess those sins that may be at the front of your mind as you read this.   

            One sin that is specifically pointed out as having a negative effect on our prayers is husbands poor treatment of their wives. In 1 Peter 3:7 we read that God answers prayer for husbands that are properly caring for their wives. Here Peter writes, “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.” Being that this text was written in a male dominated culture, I would like to believe that the same could be said for wives in relation to their husbands. Though this may be true, I do believe that the husband has a particular requirement as the leader of the home.

            Moving from this specific issue, we conclude this point by stating God answers prayer when we are not being selfish. James 4:3 brings understanding to this point when James writes, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. This may be one of the most difficult aspects of this message because selfishness comes natural to all of us. It is usually the at the center of most of our problems that we are bringing the Lord in prayer. Maybe we should inspect our own heart prior to or at least at the beginning of our time of prayer.

            Knowing when God answers prayer naturally leads to a need to understand what the Bible specifically calls for us to pray. A brief look into the New Testament displays many things that are meant to be brought before the Lord. Beginning with Jesus, we are called to pray for the sending of laborers into the harvest. Jesus states, “therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. (Matthew 9:38)" Love is also an important subject of prayer as Paul calls the Philippians to pray that love would abound with knowledge and discernment (Philippians 1:9). Paul instructs Timothy to pray for All people and leaders when he states, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way (1 Timothy 2:1-2). All these and many more are to be lived out as God answers our prayer for wisdom. We learn this from James as he reveals, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him (James 1:5).

            To close this message with a challenge, I invite you to pray as Jesus taught us to pray. The model prayer is found in Matthew 6:9-13. If we follow this model in all our prayers, we will grow in our communication with God. This growth will produce a more fruitful prayer life. Notice the breakdown of the model prayer.

           

Praise

 9 Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.      

Position

10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Provision

11 Give us this day our daily bread, 

Pardon          

12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Protection

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.