A Spectacle to The World

“For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.” (1 Corinthians 4:9-13 ESV)

What was it about the New Testament apostles that led people to treat them the way that they did? It was that they exemplified what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to surrender their lives to the Lord to do his will. They demonstrated to us what it means to give our lives up to follow Jesus Christ, to deny self, to die to sin daily, and to walk in obedience to our Lord in holy living. They were not absolutely perfect in every way but their hearts and minds and actions were committed to obedience to Christ to do his will.

And it was that they followed the example of Christ that he provided for them in how we ought to live, and in how we are to treat other people, and of the importance of getting out to the people the true message of the gospel of our salvation, and in how we need to be those who refute the lies of the enemy and who expose the fruitless deeds of darkness for what they are. For all this is for the salvation of human lives so that other people can know Jesus in truth and have salvation from sin and eternal life with God.

Therefore, just like Jesus was hated and persecuted and harassed and had people trying to trick him and to trip him up with his words, who were also falsely accusing him of wrong he did not commit, and who regularly criticized his ministry, the apostles experienced the same. And if we follow Jesus with our lives in the same respect, we will be treated likewise. We will be treated by some, even by people in positions of prominence in the gatherings of what are called “churches,” as though we are the scum of the world.

And that is because we live in a culture and a generation of people who are being taught that belief in Jesus Christ is a one-time decision they make in their lives to trust in Jesus to forgive them their sins so that when they die they get to go to heaven and not hell. And they are being taught that this secures heaven for them, and that it can’t be taken away from them, but regardless of how they live. For they are being taught that how they live does not matter for their salvation and for eternal life with God.

But that is not what Jesus taught. And it is not what his NT apostles taught, and that is why they were hated by the people. It is why they were persecuted and mistreated and falsely accused and abandoned and some (or many) of them were killed for their faith in Jesus Christ. For they taught that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. They taught, too, that if sin is what we practice, and not righteousness, and not obedience to the Lord, that we would not be saved. We would not have eternal life.

And that is not a popular message. And it isn’t what most people want to hear. For it appears that the majority like hearing that they can profess faith in Jesus Christ once in their lives and now salvation and eternal life with God are theirs for eternity regardless of how they live. And many are being taught that God requires nothing of them other than a profession of faith, and that they don’t have to repent of (turn from) their sins, and that they don’t have to obey God, for they call that “works salvation.”

But Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience (paraphrased). For if we hold on to our old lives of living for self and in sin, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and walk (in conduct, in practice) in obedience to our Lord in holy living, then we have the hope of eternal life with God. For he said that not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God.

[Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; Romans 6:1-23; 1 John 3:4-10]

And if we are true followers of Christ who emulate him and who do and say the kinds of things he did and said, then we will be treated like he was. We will be treated like his NT apostles were treated, like we are the scum of the earth for people to just trample on. We will be treated as though what we do is not important or as though we are just wasting our time or as though we are some kind of religious fanatics who are to be ignored and avoided at all cost. And we will be treated as though we are the enemy.

But when we are mistreated, we are to do good to those who mistreat us. We are to pray for them and show them love, in return. We are not to retaliate. We are not to get even by doing evil back to them. But we are to forgive them. And we are to endure unjust treatment and suffering for the sake of the name of Jesus and for the sake of his gospel and for the sake of the genuine salvation of human souls from bondage to sin so that they can now live for Jesus and to do his will. And we are never to give up hope!

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; Jn 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Jn 17:14; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Eph 6:10-20; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

Here is Your God!  

An Original Work / July 18, 2012

Based off Isaiah 40:9-31 NIV

You who bring good tidings to Zion,

Lift up your voice; raise with a shout,

And do not be afraid of the people.

Say, “Here is your God!”

See how the Lord God comes now with power.

His arm rules for Him; His reward with Him.

He tends His flock just like a shepherd,

His lambs in His arms.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? 

Has it not been told you from beginning?

Our Lord sits enthroned above all things.

None to Him compare.

Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens.

Who made all of these? Who calls them by name?

Because of His great power and strength,

All accounted for.

Why do you say, “My way is hidden

From the Lord, and my cause forgotten”?

Do you not know? Have you not heard?

The Lord, He is your God.

He will not weary. He gives us power.

Those who trust in Him will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings just like eagles;

Walk and do faint not.

https://vimeo.com/125488095