Wednesday, April 22,
2015, 11:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “To Be Like Him.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Acts 17 (selected vv. ESV).
Full of Idols
Nearly everywhere Paul went he had both those who received
the message of salvation with joy, who then came to believe in Jesus, and those
who rejected the gospel message and thus persecuted him. When he was in
Thessalonica, and he proclaimed Jesus Christ in the Jewish synagogue there, some
of the Jews there believed in Jesus. Yet, some of the Jews were jealous of Paul
and of his influence among the Jewish people in leading many to faith in Jesus
Christ, so they stirred up persecution against the brothers there. Paul and
Silas were thus sent by the brothers to Berea. Yet, when the Jews from
Thessalonica learned the apostles were preaching Jesus in Berea, they went
there, too, and agitated and stirred up the crowds against the apostles. So,
the brothers then sent Paul to Athens. Silas and Timothy were then instructed
to join Paul as soon as possible.
Now
while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him
as he saw that the city was full of idols. 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. ~ vv. 16-17
I wonder what this would look like in our world today, in
particular here in America. If Paul were alive today, and he came to America,
what would he see, and what would trouble him in his spirit the most? What if
he came into our homes first? What would he see that might trouble him, if he
could observe what goes on in our homes when we think no one else is looking?
What idols might he observe? – TV’s, video games, movies, sports, the internet,
pornographic images, social media sites, and/ or private messaging with others
with whom we are not married, which might be considered flirtatious, romantic
or sexual in nature? What types of TV shows or movies might he observe in our
homes? Would they possibly contain sexual situations or innuendos, or extra-marital
romantic or sexual relationships? Would he observe habitual gossiping or
overeating (gluttony)? Or are our idols more along the lines of our
possessions, i.e. our cars, houses, furniture, or recreational vehicles, or our
stocks and bonds, or whatever else might take the place of God in our hearts?
Paul was in the habit of visiting the Jewish synagogues
wherever he went, where he also had the opportunity to share Jesus Christ with
all who would listen. What if he visited our institutional churches here in
America? What idols might he observe there? Would he see the body of Christ
under the power of the Holy Spirit ministering to, encouraging and building
each other up in the faith? Would he observe the body at work with all the
parts functioning as the Spirit assigned them to do? Would he see people under
conviction of the Holy Spirit, confessing and repenting of sin, humbled before
God, with revival breaking out, and people coming to true faith in Jesus Christ
by large numbers? Or, would he see a church under the control and influence of
human beings who are following humanistic philosophy and marketing schemes,
with man, not Christ, as the head, the Spirit not welcome, and sensuality and
the flesh of man front and center for the purpose of entertaining the world? Would
he, too, observe a diluted gospel for the purpose of making the message of
salvation more comfortable, acceptable and pleasing to human flesh, the idol
being the flesh of man?
When Paul was in Athens, he also visited the public
marketplace. What might he observe in the way of idols if he would go out in
public here in America, or in the US government? Have you ever noticed how many
of our government buildings and national symbols are based off Roman, Greek and
Egyptian gods and goddesses? What’s up with that? I thought we were supposedly founded
as a Christian nation and with godly principles, or perhaps not. If we study
the founding fathers and we study the layout, buildings and symbols in
Washington, D.C. and in our government structures, we will learn that our
government has been syncretistic (a union of different or opposing beliefs) from
the very beginnings of our nation. And, I believe this would trouble Paul, not
only that America has presented itself as one united nation under the one true
God, and as a Christian nation, when clearly it is not, but that it has
convinced the institutional church here to join with it in its hypocrisy.
Very Religious
So Paul, standing in the midst of the
Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very
religious. ~ v. 22
Probably 80% (+/-) of Americans claim some type of religious
affiliation, and the vast majority claim Christianity as their religion. Would
you then say that America is a religious nation? What did Paul mean when he
said they were “religious”? Paul said that because they worshiped so many
different gods. So, one could say that America is “religious,” too, not because
we all follow the one true God, and not because we are all disciples of Jesus
Christ, but because we are an idolatrous nation which is eclectic in our
religions and idols of choice.
So, what do we think of when we hear the term “religious”? We
should think of the Pharisees and Sadducees who were self-righteous and who
were clean on the outside, and who followed all the right external forms of
religion, but were full of wickedness inside. We should think of those who
worship God in vain because their religion is man-made, which not only includes
those who practice legalism, but includes all modern churches which are
following the teachings and marketing schemes of human beings for how to live
their lives and grow their churches and reach the world with worldly means for
a worldly church. We should also think of those who honor God with their lips
but their hearts are far from God.
The sad reality in much of today’s church, though, is that
the term “religious,” which is considered a negative term, is often attributed
to those who follow the teachings of Christ, who obey the commandments of God, who
hold to the testimony of Jesus and to the teachings of the apostles, who teach
the unadulterated word of God, and who teach that we must repent of (turn from)
our sins if we want to see heaven and have eternal life. We are often tagged as
legalistic. And, those who are living for the flesh and who are partners with
the world are often considered those who are truly liberated and those who are
the friends of Jesus. Those who want to water down the gospel to make it more
palatable to the flesh of humans have thus taken the story of the Pharisees and
of Jesus and have so twisted it to make it look like serious followers of
Christ are to be equated with Pharisees while those Christians still walking in
the flesh are equated with Jesus’ best friends and companions.
We Ought Not to Think
For as I passed along and observed the
objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the
unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and
earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands,
as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and
breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live
on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the
boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel
their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of
us, for
“‘In him we live and move and have our
being’;
as even some of your own poets have said,
“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
Being then God's offspring, we ought not to
think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by
the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now
he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on
which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed;
and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” ~
vv. 23-31
When we are merely “religious,” it is when we go through
forms of religion, or when we follow after a man-made gospel, or when we
pattern our lives and grow our churches according to human marketing schemes
and humanistic philosophies, but Christ Jesus is not the head of our lives and we
are not walking according to the Holy Spirit, but we are still walking after
the ways of the flesh. Yet, God is not interested in our false worship of him or
in our human-based efforts to try to grow his church. The buildings we often
call “church” are not the church. They are just buildings, built by human
hands, and God does not dwell within them. When we enter a church building, we
are not in God’s house, and we are not entering into God’s holy presence. That
teaching is based off the Old Testament and the Jewish temple. The
organizations called “church” are also not the church. They are man-made
organizations and corporations, which are often run just like any other
business.
The true church (temple) of God is not made with human
hands, nor is it built (developed) using human marketing schemes and church
growth strategies. It is a living organism comprised only of those who have
been washed in the blood of the Lamb, i.e. of those who have been crucified with
Christ to their old lives of living for sin and self, have been transformed of
the Spirit in heart and mind, and who have been given new lives in Christ, “created
to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See: Eph. 4:17-24; Ro.
6-8). Jesus Christ is the only Head, not humans, and not the US government. The
Holy Spirit is the one who chooses humans for service and who assigns them
their areas of responsibility within the body of Christ, and He is the one who gifts
them for service. So, we should stop thinking of the church in the way so many
do, and we should stop looking to humanistic teachings for how we should live
our lives and for how to build God’s church. And, we should let God be God, and
Christ be the Head, and the Spirit be our inspiration.
To
Be Like Him / An Original Work
March 16, 2014 / Based off Scripture
Crucified you are with Jesus.
To be like Him, oh, you’ll be,
Because He died at Calv’ry,
So from sin you’d be free.
Oh, what joy He brings into your life,
Giving life with Him endlessly.
Oh, what plans He has for your life.
Share the gospel faithfully.
Show the people He loves them.
Now His witness you’ll be.
Tell the world of sin about Jesus,
How He died for them on a tree.
Purifying hearts, He saves them,
Who believe on Christ, God’s Son.
Turning now from their idols,
New lives they have begun.
Jesus saves from sin; we’re forgiven.
Over sin, the vict’ry He won!
When He comes again to take us
To be with Him evermore,
There will be no more crying.
Gladness will be in store.
Heavens joys will now overtake us:
We’ll be with our Lord evermore.
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