Tag: Jesus

In What Do You Find Your Identity?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals3 Comments

Identity

In what do you find your identity?  Your answer is important because your answer will inform your actions.

The Pharisees and Jesus

In Matthew 22, the Pharisees send their disciples along with the Herodians to trick Jesus. Approaching Jesus the group says,

“Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.” (Matt. 22:16b)

If you can’t tell, their flattering is false. Yet, there is some truth to it. Truth they are hoping to use against Jesus. Jesus is, as they say, unconcerned with the opinions of others. Jesus isn’t a politician who makes calculated political maneuvers or who holds back because of what other might think.

Jesus doesn’t do those things because Jesus doesn’t find His identity in the acceptance of others but in His relationship with the Father. As a result, He says and stands for the truth.

What We Should Do

Just like Jesus, we shouldn’t find our identity in the acceptance of others either. We shouldn’t be wrapped up in what others think about us. All that’s going to result in is us being let down.

Think about it. Our peers opinions changes as quickly as the weather. If we want their acceptance, we have to constantly win it by doing things of which they approve. That, however, is no way to live, especially if we are Christians.

You see, if we are constantly worried about the approval of others, we are more likely to equivocate on God’s Word – to act contrary to God’s will, and to cave when we should stand for the truth. So instead of trying to win the approval of our peers, the public, or even our own families, we should seek God’s acceptance.

The Sureness of God’s Acceptance

God’s acceptance is something we don’t ever have to be anxious about because it never changes. God’s acceptance never changes because it’s not based on our work, but on Jesus’ work.

You see, when we believe in Jesus as our Savior and repent of our sins to follow Him, Jesus’ work is attributed to us, so that when God looks down on us, He sees Jesus. He doesn’t see all the mistakes we have and will make. He doesn’t see our sin. Instead, He sees Jesus and the life He lived.

Conclusion

So instead of finding our identity in others, we should be like Jesus and find our identity in God. If we do, we will be more likely to stand for the truth.

Question for Reflection

  1. Do you see a correlation between identity, acceptance, and standing for the truth?

Resources

Post adapted from my sermon: How should we think of authority?

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What is Jesus’ Mission and How Does it Affect Us?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn PracticalLeave a comment

Mission

What is Jesus’ mission? How does it affect us? A good summary of Jesus’ mission and how it affects us is found in Ephesians chapter 1. In verses 3-10 we learn three things:

(1) Jesus’ mission was given and prepared before the world was created (3-4; 9-10a)

Everything that has happened in this world is no mystery to God. He knew Adam and Eve would eat the fruit in the garden, that they would rebel against Him. He knew the world would turn out the way it is today.

God was prepared. He had a plan to save His people, so they could experience life with Him. His plan involved Jesus, His Son.

Ephesians 1:3-4 says,

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” (Eph 1:3–4)

And Ephesians 1:9-10a says,

“making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time,” (Eph 1:9–10a)

So Jesus’ mission was God given. It was a plan that He and the Father came up with before this world was even created.

(2) Jesus’ mission was to take our punishment for us (7)

As sinners we are separated from God and we deserve His punishment, but Jesus came to die in our place, to take God’s wrath on Himself.

Ephesians 1:7 says,

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,” (Eph 1:7)

The way we experience redemption is by Jesus shedding His blood. The way Jesus shed His blood was by being nailed to a cross. While He hung on that cross, the Father’s wrath was poured out on Him. The wrath that we deserve was poured out on Jesus as He hung in our place.

So Jesus’ mission was to take our punishment for us.

(3) Jesus’ mission was to unite us to God for all eternity (10b)

We know this because the second half of Ephesians 10 tells us the plan that was revealed in the fullness of time was,

“to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” (Eph 1:10b)

So Jesus’ mission then is designed to restore all creation back to God. To restore shalom or peace first between us and the Father. Second between us and each other. Third between the Father and creation. Fourth between us and creation.

So Jesus came to unite us to God for all eternity through His shed blood on the cross and this was a mission that started before time even existed.

The Good News

The good news is that all those who would repent of their sin, who would turn from living how they want, admit Jesus is their Savior – that He came to die in their place, and follow Jesus will experience salvation.

So have you done that? Have you turned from your sins to follow Jesus? Have you given your life over to Him? Do you recognize Jesus’ mission was to come and die in your place so that your relationship with the Father could restored?

Or do you deny Jesus’ mission? Do you refuse to repent? Do you refuse to recognize Jesus as the Messiah? The Savior? Do you try to come against Jesus and destroy Him?

Questions for Reflection

  1. What do you believe?
  2. What have you done?
  3. Where are you at?

Resources

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Post developed from my sermon: Those who Come Against Jesus Don’t Win in the End

The Uneasiness of Change

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals2 Comments

Change

Change, it is not easy. It is not something we usually want. It, however, is necessary. It was necessary for those in Jesus’ day, and it is necessary for us today.

The Day Jesus Changed Things in Jerusalem

In Matthew 21, Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey with a procession essentially shouting He is the Messiah. Given the commotion, the shouts of the people, it is clear this man is claiming some sort of Jewish kingship. Rome ruled the Jews at this time. Rome wouldn’t take this man’s claim lightly. They didn’t in the past. If you remember, in Matthew 2 when the Wise Men came into the city asking for the king, Herod had all the first born babies killed.

The people are worried. They don’t know what is going to happen. They don’t know how Rome would react. Threatened by this man’s presence, they want to know who He is. At the end of verse 10, they ask just that. They ask:

“Who is this?” (Mt. 21:10b)

The crowd responds by telling them:

“This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Mt. 21:11)

While there is debate over this point, I believe they mean He is the prophet like Moses prophesied about in Deuteronomy 18. There the text says,

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers – it is him you shall listen -…And whoever will not listen to my words that He shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.” (Deut. 18:15, 19).

So the crowd, observing all that Jesus has done and said, determines He is the prophet like Moses that God has sent. He is the One who has come to lead God’s people. With that pronouncement Jesus is not only set against Rome but also against the religious leaders of the day.

Hearing the crowds answer, the citizens of Jerusalem knew their comfortable peaceful life was being disrupted. Their life as they knew it was being threatened.

Jesus Disrupts Our Life

Isn’t that what Jesus does? He comes into our life and shakes things up. If we are honest with ourselves, most of us don’t want Jesus messing with things in our life. Disrupting what we have going for us.

We don’t want Jesus to change things because we like our sin. We like being in control. We like what’s comfortable. We don’t want anything to change. Jesus, however, wants things to change in our life. He not only wants things to change, He changes things. He comes into our life and changes things just like He did in Jerusalem.

Jesus Doesn’t Change Things To Hurt Us

Instead, He changes things because that is what is best for us. He does it to set things right in our life so we will live according to God’s will, which is what we were created to do. So Jesus doesn’t change things to hurt us, He changes things because it is what is best for us. He changes things so that we will better accomplish our God given purpose.

Question for Reflection

  1. What is Jesus changing in your life right now?

Resources

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Temple Cleansing and Leadership Failure

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Leadership, PastoralLeave a comment

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In Mathew 21, Jesus enters Jerusalem, sees the temple is being defiled by money changers, animal salesmen and their customers, and He drives them out. He cleanses the temple. While He explicitly confronted these three groups, He is also confronting a fourth group – The religious leaders in Jerusalem.

The Leaders Failure

You see, the money changers and animal salesmen were only in the temple because the leaders allowed it. So through His actions, Jesus is both revealing and confronting the leaders failure to lead the people properly.

Instead of shepherding the Israelites, they let them do whatever they desire. Instead of leading them to honor and glorify God, they allowed them to dishonor Him and seek their own glory.

What Does This Have To Do With Us?

While their actions are negative, they reveal to us what godly leaders should do, and that is lead those in their care to honor and glorify God.

This goes for any form of leadership. From Pastors, to Husbands and Fathers, to Mothers, we are all to lead those under our care.

PASTORS

It’s the Pastors responsibility to lead His people to honor God, just as it is the husbands responsibility to lead their wives to do the same.

HUSBANDS

As husbands, we have been given this role by God. We are to wash and sanctify our wives, so that they honor and glorify God. This involves ministering to them in times of need. As well as encouraging and counsel them from God’s Word. If you don’t know God’s Word well enough to accomplish your God given task, then you better get started learning it.

PARENTS

Parents, just like Pastors and Husbands are to do the same. They are to lead their kids to honor and glorify God.

Challenge

So through the negative example of the Jerusalem leaders, we learn how we are to function as leaders. May we take our role seriously and do what God calls us to do. May we lead those whom God has placed under our care to honor and glorify Him.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Godly leaders are supposed to lead their church, family, and children to honor, glorify, and obey God. How can each group practically do that?
  2. How are you doing at leading the flock God has put you over?

Resources

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A Right View of God’s Grace

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

Wash

Are we able to clean ourselves up enough so that God would say,

“I see you have put some effort in. You have cleaned yourself up a bit. Since you have worked so hard, I will now extend my grace and mercy to you.”

The Crowd and the Blind Men

In Matthew 20:29-34, Jesus is walking by two blind men, who call out for healing. The crowd, not thinking they were deserving, tells them to be quiet, to quit calling out to Jesus. They did this because they wrongly understood God’s grace and mercy.

What They Thought

They thought God only extended His grace and mercy to those who were deserving. Since they saw these two men as unholy sinners who were being punished by God, they didn’t think they deserved God’s grace or mercy.

Many Think That Way Today

Many people today think they they have to clean themselves up before they come to Jesus. Or they believe they don’t deserve God’s grace and mercy because of who they are or what they have done in the past. That, however, is simply not true.

No One is Deserving

According to the Bible no one is deserving. No one deserves God’s mercy and grace. Paul tells us in Romans 3:23:

“We all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.”

So according to Paul, no one is worthy of God’s mercy. No one deserves His grace, which is why it is called grace – it is a gift God gives to us. Since God’s grace is a gift, it is something we don’t earn or deserve.

A Gift Open To All People’s

Even more, it is a gift open to all peoples. It doesn’t matter what you have done in the past, or who you are right now. God’s grace is open to you.

A Return To Our Initial Question

Returning to our initial question, the answer is that we can’t clean ourselves up enough for God to extend His mercy and grace to us. No, God’s grace and mercy is extended while we are still unholy sinners deserving of His wrath. So then, it is God who cleans us up, not the other way around.

Question for Reflection

  1. Why do people often think they have to make themselves presentable to God?

Resources

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Post adapted from my most recent sermon: How should we think about and act toward the disabled?

Can Work and Wealth Provide the Life We Desire?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Practical2 Comments

Building and Bridge in Downtown Savannah

Do you sense something is missing in your life? Do you feel like there is more for your to do, but you can’t seem to do enough to fill the void? The Rich Young Ruler in Matthew 19 felt the same way. The void in his life drove him to ask Jesus what He must do to gain eternal life.

Jesus’ Response

Jesus answers, but not in the way the man was expecting. Jesus asks him to give it all away and follow Him. Jesus says,

“If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Mt 19:21)

When Jesus tells the man to give it all away, he wasn’t giving him another work to do. He was doing much more. He was exposing the man’s heart and teaching us salvation isn’t gained through our works.

Our Other gods

To the Rich Young Ruler, his possessions and accomplishments were his salvation, his comfort and protection, his identity – they were what made him.

Jesus tells him that if he wants salvation, if he wants eternal life, he has to repent. He has to quit using work and wealth as a means of salvation. He has to recognize that there is only One God and Savior.

You see, we can’t have two masters. We can’t have: Jesus and wealth, or Jesus and accomplishments, or Jesus and sex, or Jesus and power, or Jesus and success. No, we can’t divide our loyalty. It is has to be all Jesus. Our heart has to be all His.

So when Jesus tells the Rich Young Ruler to give it all away, He is telling him to give up his other gods. Give up the idea that your work and wealth provide salvation. Trust in God alone. Rely on God alone. If you do that, you will have eternal life. You will have treasure in heaven. You will have the life you desire.

The Same Goes For Us

The only way we will find eternal life is if we put away our other gods and follow Jesus. Find our identity in Jesus. Fully trust in and depend on Jesus.

No matter how hard we try, our work and wealth can’t provide the life we desire.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Can Christianity and wealth co-exist? In other words, can Christians be wealthy? Or should we sell everything and give it to the poor? Why or why not?
  2. If we are able to remain wealthy as Christians, how should we view our wealth? How can we use it for the kingdom?
  3. How can we deal with the idolatry of wealth? In other words, how can we keep ourselves from chasing after wealth?

Resources

Post adapted from my sermon: Can Work and Wealth Provide the Life We Desire?