4 Soils and a New Format

So I decided that writing out the entire lesson is really laborious and it was not getting done, so I am going to take a more casual approach to my lessons from here on out. I am just going to blog about them and give the main points and stuff like that.

This past week I did a lesson on the Parable of the Four Soils, which I thought went really well! I just find it to be such an important issue because many of us know or have become the four soils for better or worse. Not everyone can receive the good news, or sometimes they do it just does not work out because their heart is not ready. So without further adieu, Lets look at what Matthew had to say about it...

Matthew 13:1-8, 18-23

I am not going to pay attention too much to 1-3, because it is not extremely relevant to what I am getting at. Verse four is when everything begins to become interesting since we are faced with the seed on the path. Jesus describes it as someone who does not understand the word, and it is snatched away. I asked the group what makes a person hard soil? We agreed that it had to do with hurt, abuse, and toxic faith. As we went along, we discussed ways in which we can identify and reach people with hard hearts, and how we can help ourselves. Hard Soil requires tilling. When we are trying to help ourselves, we have to consider who we associate with, what we allow in our lives, and allowing ourselves to be loved. Usually, hard hearted people are pretty distant, sometimes depressed, guarded, and often times brutally sarcastic. I am never one to preach at people, so I have always tried to love people unconditionally, be patient with them, and to share my life experiences and encourage them.

The next group we talked about is the Rocky Soil. When I brought out my pot of rocky soil, it was easy to see that the seed could not go down very far before hitting a rock. This showed how it is really shallow. Jesus describes this as the person who receives the word, often times with much zeal, only to fall away when persecution comes. It really makes you think about the depth of the person in question. Often times it is not their fault, but the good thing is that depth can be fixed! Removing the stones is crucial. This requires encouraging when they want to fade, educating to show different perspectives, and keeping them focused when stuff starts to fall apart. People with Shallow Hearts have a pretty distinct flavor to them. I tend to think of the disciples as prime examples. They were all about Jesus being a revolutionary who would oust the Roman authority, but when it came to him sacrificing himself, it was a different story. Also, when we think about how they would panic (Peter denying Jesus, Jesus calming the storm), they needed depth. The tend to be flighty, erratic, superficial, and insecure. But with time and stabilization, they can become healthy as the stones are removed and replaced with good soil.

The third soil is the thorny/weed filled soil. When we think about weeds, the words that come to mind are demanding, greedy, selfish, and aggressive. As I placed the seed in the pot, it was easy to see that the weeds were there to choke out the plant as it grew. Jesus explains these weeds as the wealth and worries of this life. Weeds, much like sin, does not like any other master, and tends to demand nutrients, light and other needs and has no problem taking it at the expense of the plants around them. This is why the thorny soil is symbolic of a selfish heart. When I find weeds coming up in my life, I ask myself questions... "Is this worth it?", "If it were to be destroyed tomorrow, how will I take it?", "how does this impact my ability to function?" In this case, we must be careful to refocus those around us so that they can see the effect that it is having on them, while using your strength to remove and alleviate the choking weed. Removing the weed from the root up is crucial! If the root stays, so does the weed. But with careful removal and refocusing, this soil can be weed free!

Finally, the good soil is a soil that is free of foreign substances. This person produces good fruit, whether it is from their actions or words. They not only hear and understand what is being said, but they APPLY it. They love themselves and give from the overflow of that love. These are the characteristics of a healthy heart.

To end with, I think it is important to be able to apply what we learn. Try to look at your own life and see what type of soil you have, and what actions you must take to clean it out need be. The second thing is to look at those around you and see if you can identify their hear, and see if there is a way to possibly help them out.

The True Vine

As I begin to think about some of the issues that concern our culture, I can not help but think about how busy people are. People are busy because of their demanding jobs. People are busy because they have to write papers and do homework. People are busy because they are trying to keep their family content. For whatever reason people are busy, they have a tendency to fall into that trap and become exhausted. They soon begin to forget to do their devotion time, they become too tired to pray, or they start putting in extra hours at work and stop going to Church. Whether they know it or not, they begin distancing themselves from Jesus.

Read John 15:1-8

This is the final of Jesus’ “I am” statements. Jesus makes the claim that he is the true vine. In the first eight verses of John 15, John retells a story in which Jesus explains who he is, how to obey his commands, what happens to those who obey and those who do not.

As in any Biblical story, it is important to understand the context of the verse. John frequently used metaphor to build his theology, and this verse is a prime example. The metaphor is covered in verses 1-8, and then verses 9-17 are spent explaining the metaphor and applying that story to form a theological truth. The vine is an important figure in both Jewish and Gnostic texts. The Jewish concept paints Israel as the vine and the grapes as the deeds of the people. The Gnostics used “The Vine of Life” as a popular image. It is evident that Jesus is the vine, so there is no mistaking this as a Jewish or Gnostic idea.

Since this sermon is focused on Jesus being the vine, the exposition and application will be mentioned from time to time, but not at great length. The main points that I hope that you take away today are how do we obey Jesus, what happens when we obey Jesus, what happens when we do not obey Jesus, and how do we apply this verse to real life.

To understand how we obey Jesus, we must understand WHO he is. The opening verse crystallizes this for us by saying “I am the true vine.” As 21 century Christians, some of us will probably have no idea what that means to be the vine. To Jesus’ peers, who were frequently from rural areas, this made complete sense to them. Jesus frequently referenced rural life to make his point known to his audience. As we go through this verse, I will continue to explain more of what it means to be the vine, the gardener and the branch.

When I read this, I had to ask “What does he mean by ‘true vine?’” The significance of this word is often times lost in translation. What it means to be the “true vine” is that he is from “the true God.” The Greek word alhqenos is used in John 1:9, 6:32, and 17:3 to explain that the father is the true God. This correlation shows that it is because of the father’s love that Jesus has power, and that Jesus gets his power since he was sent by the father.

While we are discussing the father, it is important to know that Jesus has shows that he is at the mercy of the father. He explains that his father is the gardener. With that being said, it can be assumed that both Jesus and the Christians are at the mercy of the father. Later in the chapter, Jesus explains that it is only because of what he has learned from the father that he has been able to give to us.

This brings us back to the original question, is how do we obey Jesus? In this scripture, Jesus reminds the audience to remain in him (or the vine) five times. It is quite evident that he is serious about this command. If one stayed within the first eight verse, it would seem incomplete since the audience would not know what it meant to remain in him. Verse nine explains that if you obey his commands, you will remain in his love. The command that he gives twice after that is to love each other. This concept of loving others is very abstract to most people, and quite honestly most people do not do it well enough. “How do we love one another well?” you might ask. It is by pursuing the vine, who has learned from the gardener and is willing to share with those who are attached to the vine.

Before getting too far off course, I ask this question, what can we do as Christians to pursue the vine? The ideas that come to mind are to maintain devotion time, keep a vital prayer life, spend time journaling and doing other activities that keeps you well nourished by the vine.

What happens when we obey Jesus? The first idea that is mentioned is that the father will prune those who bear fruit. This is really counter-intuitive considering that much of what Christians have been told since they were young was that God rewards those who are obedient. The act of pruning involves cutting off part of the fruitful branch so that it will grow and become even more fruitful. This is really a blessing in disguise!

As I look back at the times that God was pruning me, at times I was determined to hang on to that specific object. I would not let it go. That is when I heard him talk, “Jason, let it go.” I would respond, “No!” I am sure that we know how that goes. Either God pries it out of our hands or we end up letting go. Yes, much of the time I was disappointed right away, but I would usually have enough sense to ask him for perspective. I would ask him for perspective, and he would give it to me. I would then see how that object was getting in my way of growth, and soon, I felt as if that pruning was allowing me to engage in His presence even stronger. Because of that, I have been able to have peace with the idea of him being the gardener and that he knows what is best for me.

One interesting detail between verse two and verse three is that the Greek word that is used for “prune,” which is kaqairw, is used for both “to prune” and “to cleanse.” This is interesting since verse three mentions the idea of being cleansed because of the word spoken to the audience. I find this fascinating since the two are considered the same function, so when God is pruning you, he is not just taking the excess off but he is cleansing you as well!

The next issue worth addressing how do we reconcile verse seven? John wrote that those who remain in the vine will be given whatever they wish. This proves to be a problem because often times people ask for some pretty crazy things. Others, who ask for legitimate concerns, do not get their wish granted and their faith becomes unstable because of this broken “promise” that they receive from leaders. This is especially important because this is a question that is frequently asked by believers and non-believers alike, and this can make or break someone’s faith.

I have found that the answer is not very well spelled out in this passage, but when one understands the context it becomes clear. This is why we must always understand the context! If Jesus obeys the father and receives his love, we must obey Jesus and receive his love. It becomes clear in this entire passage that there is a chain so to speak, that what comes from Jesus comes from the father. With that in mind, if Jesus has the same desires of the father and we seek to have the same desire of Jesus, then we ultimately have the desire of the Father. When our heart is conformed to be like Jesus, what we are asking for is the Father’s will. This is why when we remain in Jesus, we remain in the Father, and their desires become ours as well.

The final product of being one with the vine is bearing good fruit. This is a very well used analogy for the spiritual production of a person. As it is mentioned multiple times in this verse, if someone tries to bear fruit apart from the vine, it will not succeed. This is not just a matter of good deeds, since any person can do good deeds. It is also a matter of exhibiting a Godly lifestyle and the ability to be a healthy Christian.

It is also worth mentioning as we are transitioning between subjects to explain that there is a distinct difference between being part of the vine and bearing fruit. Often times it is assumed that if someone is on the vine that they are a productive branch on the vine. That is not always true. There are many Christians who for some reason or another are the type that create more trouble than good. According to Jesus, you do not want to be that branch.

When we look at the branches that are non-productive, the two words that John writes to describe them are withered and fruitless. These two words speak of two different states of being. Withered, which happens after they are cut off, brings to mind the feeling of being dry and malnourished. Fruitless, on the other hand, depicts that the person is just not living out their faith. It is crucial to understand that these branches do not apply to non-Christians, but they are Christians who are not being productive.

With that being understood, what does the fate for those who do not stay near to the vine? The description is not very good. In verse two, Jesus says that the Father will cut off those branches that do not bear fruit. In verse six, he is thrown away to wither, and then thrown into the fire to burn.

Does that sound dramatic? Of course! But is the father going a little over board? Not at all. Since the father can see the vine in it’s entirety, he is able to decide what is helpful and what is destructive. Certain branches prove to be a problem since they are constantly getting in the way of other Christians. Have you met these people before? I have. These are the type of people that do not act out of love, and they just create distractions and trouble and often times stunt the growth of others. Do they know of Jesus and the father? Yes. They know of them because they are involved with the vine. But do they really know the father and do they really know Jesus? You have to wonder. You might ask, “Well if they are on the vine, they should know them.” But if they knew the true vine, and where it came from, they would want to obey him and remain in his love. This love that is known to the fruitful is not evident in this person. It becomes evident that the discipline that is found in pruning is not taking effect, and the branch becomes useless.

If you are anything like me, you begin to sense urgency in this message on two different levels. The first level is on a personal level. As I look at my life, I begin to reflect on my week and think about how I spent my time with God. For instance, one day I woke up late and had to run to a meeting instead of doing my devotion in the morning. I completely forgot about it and went about my business. Other days, I will read my devotion online, and it just does not change my heart. Instead of spending time trying to understand the truth, I move on saying, “that was a weak devotion.” I am saying this to show how easy it is to forget or disengage from the spirit. I am guilty of it, and most people do not want to admit it when they do it.

The second level of concern is knowing that there are people around us who are hurting because they are not engaged enough. When I think of people I know, most of us say, “I am not doing as well as I had hoped.” That’s quite alright, I think that is a healthy sense of trying to improve your time with God and trying to strive for perfection while not abusing yourself to be perfect. The people I am concerned about are those that become apathetic towards their God time.

These people are not always easy to pick out. But if someone is beginning to show a generally lack of interest in God, and begins to act uncharacteristically, I hope that you would take the time to come alongside them and encourage them.

This brings us to my final question: Now that we know that we are called to bear fruit and to love one another, how can we apply these verses that we learned today? The way is to LOOK AT YOURSELF! I have always made the habit of trying to see if I am well nourished or if I am beginning to become dry. It is difficult at times since we live in our own skin, but I found that when I take a look at my general attitude and look at where my time is allocated, I have a better idea of where I stand. Another great way to look at yourself is to see how those close to you react towards you. Do they mention the positive deeds that you do or the life that you give them, or do they only mention negativity that you bring to their lives. It sounds harsh, but listen to what they say about you. It is not always accurate, but let the Holy Spirit convict you of what is said.

Listening is the key to figuring out others as well. I am a firm believer in that from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. If you want to know what someone is feeling or thinking about, listen to what they are saying. This is difficult, especially since listening well is a trait that seems to be very rare. But listen well. If you can tell that the fruit of their soul is not good fruit, it might be time to encourage them. It does not have to be a big production, but it can be done in a number of ways. Often times, just living out the life of Christ and not even preaching at them is extremely successful. After reading this verse, I felt more motivated than ever to help bring back the wayward branches. It pains the vine to have to lose those branches, but I feel that we can make a difference.

In closing, I was an unfruitful branch once. During college, I became detached due to commitments. I was honestly too hurt to go to church anyway, and I was about ready to walk away. I lost hope since nothing made sense and Christianity became painful. Then one day, I decided to start putting a verse in my wallet every week. I started it to be conscious of my money, but found that it was helping me spiritually. I remained dry because I was cut off, and I did not have support. It was really hard. After a few hard experiences with church, I gave up and I wanted the truth. I took the hardest bible class at my school, it opened my eyes and changed my life. It became the catalyst for who I am today, and from then on I never wanted to be that dry again.

I am not saying this to mope about my life or tell you how great I am today, I am sharing this because I never want people to go through what I did. So my hope is that you take this seriously and seek Jesus, the true vine, with all your heart.

Barnabas

There was a man named Joseph, who lived in Jerusalem during the time that the disciples started their ministry. Their numbers were increasing greatly, and many were selling their land, possessions, and other goods and giving them to the disciples and joining their ranks. This man, Joseph, made the decision to sell one of his fields and join their ranks as well. This would be a decision that very well could have altered the landscape of the New Testament. He was better known as Barnabas, the Son of Encouragement.

Barnabas was a Cypriot, but lived in Jerusalem. Being a landowner, he possessed some level of affluence. He was also a Levite, which held authority since the Levite tribe was responsible for duties in the Temple. This should help people understand that he was walking away from a decent life to join the disciples, but also he was giving credibility to this rag tag religion. He would become an important member for multiple reasons, and the scriptures clarify that.

Acts 9:19-28: This is the story of Paul escaping Damascus and coming to Jerusalem. When Saul makes it to Jerusalem, he immediate contacts the believers. Barnabas is the one that recovers him, and brings him to the apostles. The apostles remember what he had done in the past, and become rather wary of him. Not ready to accept him, it took the likes of Barnabas to step in and vouch for Paul. That begs the question, if Barnabas would not have stepped in and helped him out, what would have happened to Paul? He might have felt that this whole Jesus thing was a phase, and went back to being a Jew. Or he could have went a completely different direction. None the less, if it was not for Barnabas, Paul as we know him might not have come to be.

Acts 11:19-24, 25-30: 19-24- Barnabas was sent to Antioch to encourage the church. What is interesting about this is that the importance of starting a church in Antioch was great since it was the third biggest Roman city, behind Rome and Alexandria. Port cities are always a great way to get a religious view out there, because people come and go and bring with them these ideas. As Barnabas was helping construct this church, it would turn into the hub for missionary activity as well. This shows that Barnabas had a crucial role as a missionary and apostle in one of the most important churches in history. This was, after all, where Christians were given their name. This section also shows more about Barnabas’ character.

25-30- As Barnabas went to search for Saul, he put himself at great risk. Saul had returned to Tarsus, which was his home, because he was in great danger. The fact that Barnabas went to retrieve him says a great deal about his value of people. The other interesting detail is that the two times Barnabas and Saul are mentioned, Barnabas is always written first. If you understand how Greek writing works, the most important details are always toward the front. So the fact that Barnabas is mentioned first, it is an interesting indicator of how he is viewed. I mention this because many people place Saul before Barnabas, mainly due to the fact that he wrote more letters.

Acts 13:1-7- There are two parts to this section, the first is Barnabas and Saul being sent out with teachers and prophets as missionaries. Again, Barnabas is mentioned first. This scene also draws attention to the detail that they are considered prophets and teachers, probably the best of the best, and strangely enough Saul was on the back end of the paragraph. This was the beginning of the first missionary journey.

The second part discusses their trip to Cyprus. When at Cyprus, they encounter Bar-Jesus, who worked for the proconsul. The proconsul was an intelligent man, so guess who he called for? Barnabas and Saul. They came and helped clarify the situation, and exposed Bar-Jesus for false prophet. This is also, when Saul takes on the name “Paul” and starts being mentioned before Barnabas.

Acts 14:1-3, 11-13- Paul and Barnabas come to Iconium, where they spoke boldly and performed miracles. This ability to teach and do miracles enamored the locals so much that they believed that Barnabas was Zeus and Paul was Hermes. They actually went to the temple of Zeus and brought oxen and wreaths to sacrifice to them! The story behind this is that in Greek mythology, the city was destroyed by Zeus and Hermes because they went once and were not received hospitably by anyone, with exception to an older couple. They were blessed, and everyone else was killed. In an attempt not to repeat that story, the citizens went overboard and showered them with gifts!

What would have happened if Barnabas did not exist? The answer would be intriguing. As mentioned before, Paul might have went a completely different course. Antioch might not have looked the same, and the establishment of the early church would have looked different because of that. Also, the Gospel of Mark may not have come into fruition. Understanding that Barnabas was the one that reconciled John Mark, his cousin, after Paul lost faith in him after Mark fled from Paphos. Barnabas split with Mark, and in doing so, the group covered more ground by splitting up. As for the Gospel of Mark, it is considered the Gospel in which Luke and Matthew used for validating their own text. So if Mark never went through and wrote his Gospel, it might be a completely different text today.

Barnabas eventually met his end in Salamis, Cyprus. It is believed that he was stoned to death by jealous Jews. His body was buried, and later recovered and placed in a church. As the story goes, they figured out that it was him by finding an epistle written by him in his tomb. Tertullian believes that the book of Hebrews was written by Barnabas, though it is not confirmed.

Even though the last paragraphs have a lot of question marks behind its validity, one thing that we can learn from Barnabas is that being positive opens many doors. Barnabas carried many roles, and often times went overshadowed by his colleague, Paul. I have learned in my life that it is important to be positive, because you never know who is watching you. I have found that growing up, I was able to influence people and encourage them without even realizing it. But as I always say, people are either watching Christians to see them fail or to see them succeed and give hope. Just like the fact it is easier to attract flies with honey than it is vinegar, my hope is that you begin to give hope to everyone that you encounter.

Perspective in Adversity

One of the major life issues that I have had to deal with is trying to understand why God allows things to happen. I know that I am not the only one who has dealt with this question, so that’s why I feel comfortable talking about it with everyone. This devotional has two parts, and it includes perspective on people and events that happen to interfere with our lives.

The one, which is negative events, is a probably one of the more common issues that I have dealt with since I have committed myself to ministry. Mind you, I have not had much church ministry experience, but I have done a lot out in the field so to speak. So when people ask me “why did your God, who is supposed to be loving, allow this to happen?” The truth is, that often times we do not have sure answer all the time. But what I have been able to do is talk about my own life and talk about how this happens in the Bible.

In my own life, I have asked similar questions. Growing up with my situation was not easy for me, I had a hard time articulating thoughts, communicating, and I was not the smartest student. Because of that, I was discouraged from public speaking, discouraged from having high goals, and discouraged from anything that could expose my weakness instead of embracing it. Christians told me that I lack faith and that God should heal me and wants to heal me. Then one day it hit me, what if God is allowing this to happen because it glorifies him? To think that I have made it this far with my condition is a testament to God’s grace and my hard work. It proves that anyone can do what I have done with God’s grace and hard work. So in the big picture, the gains of me being who I am outweigh the cost, and until he is willing to take it from me, I will remain patient.

Another question that I often had was why it was so hard for me to get around in the church. I have had a horrible time trying to find a church the first 9 years of my walk, and have been accused of so much. Those that know me know the threats and accusations, but I don’t want to bog us down. The thrust is that if I did not experience persecution from the hands of Christians, I would probably have a much weaker resolve when it comes to being a leader. Now that I can see this, I have a much stronger sense of urgency when it comes to my faith.

Read 2 Corinthians 11:21-30

To give a quick reference to context, Paul is writing the Corinthians about true apostleship. There had been false leaders entering the church, and they were viewed as “super-apostles” and were leading Christians astray. Their speech and charisma attracted the masses, and began questioning the validity of Paul since he did not focus moving speech speech. They actually taught that they should be paid based on their performance when teaching. So instead of giving in to the extravagant life style and performances that the false teachers were portraying, Paul taught about the suffering he endured for being a true apostle. Which to him, was worth bragging about.

As I look at what Paul had to endure in 2 Cor 11:21-30, I blush at the thought that I might have been persecuted. My list, though it is a lot to some, does not stack up well against Paul’s. But the way it works is that if we try to live a life for Christ, we will receive opposition. Paul was being stretched in ways that most of us cannot understand, but it was also a testament to God needing him since he survived all of those hardships. So when you go through trouble, I would encourage you to look at it as “how is God forming me or what is God teaching me by allowing this to happen?” Keep an eye on the big picture.

The second part is dealing with people who oppose you.

One day I was reading in the book of 1 Samuel, and I tripped over the story of David and Goliath. Something registered, and I looked at Goliath and the Philistines in a new light. You begin to wonder what these well-trained men were doing threatening and tormenting the Israelites, who from what I understand, weren’t even well equipped. So Goliath strolled around bullying them for days, but never attacking them. David comes onto the scene, remembering how he had slain lions and bears, and claiming that Goliath is no different. The rest is all history, but I want to focus on the different groups in 1 Sam 17. You have Saul, who is armed and well built to be a warrior, and he is busy posting rewards for anyone who goes and fights Goliath! If you are one of his country men, what do you think of this? Then you find David, who wants to do God’s will and is out to fight. He goes in confidently and is mocked by the Israelites and his family for his willingness. He fights Goliath, who is extremely over confident and very condescending. Some studies I have read have mentioned that due to some of his comments, he might have had a hint of jealous due to the comments about being ruddy and handsome and despising him (v 42). Kind of makes you wonder about Goliath. After he is slain, what do the Philistines do? They run off! They are fully armed, trained and ready to destroy this peasant army, and they run off. Not so tough, eh?

So this illustration just shows you a little bit about what people are really like. I have had a lot of people attack me in my life, and it is always strange to me. I am one of those people who is happy when everything is smooth. So it always confused me that people just hated me for no reason at all. Then one day, this idea popped in my head. I started looking at the people in my life who disliked me, and I was suddenly having pity for them. Whether they were coworkers, former friends/girlfriends, I started seeing them for who they are. Like instead of seeing my boss as a perfectionist tyrant like everyone else did, I saw a weak man who thrived on picking on the low men, who feared failure and rejection and spent long hours at work because that’s all he had and he was just lonely. I started sizing everyone up with that idea that David used, and realized that they can’t and won’t hurt me.

So I say this today not to brag or say how wise I am or anything like that. I say this so that you can get the word out and teach those in your about what I have learned so you can create confident people.

Perspective in Adversity

One of the major life issues that I have had to deal with is trying to understand why God allows things to happen. I know that I am not the only one who has dealt with this question, so that’s why I feel comfortable talking about it with everyone. This devotional has two parts, and it includes perspective on people and events that happen to interfere with our lives.

The one, which is negative events, is a probably one of the more common issues that I have dealt with since I have committed myself to ministry. Mind you, I have not had much church ministry experience, but I have done a lot out in the field so to speak. So when people ask me “why did your God, who is supposed to be loving, allow this to happen?” The truth is, that often times we do not have sure answer all the time. But what I have been able to do is talk about my own life and talk about how this happens in the Bible.

In my own life, I have asked similar questions. Growing up with my situation was not easy for me, I had a hard time articulating thoughts, communicating, and I was not the smartest student. Because of that, I was discouraged from public speaking, discouraged from having high goals, and discouraged from anything that could expose my weakness instead of embracing it. Christians told me that I lack faith and that God should heal me and wants to heal me. Then one day it hit me, what if God is allowing this to happen because it glorifies him? To think that I have made it this far with my condition is a testament to God’s grace and my hard work. It proves that anyone can do what I have done with God’s grace and hard work. So in the big picture, the gains of me being who I am outweigh the cost, and until he is willing to take it from me, I will remain patient.

Another question that I often had was why it was so hard for me to get around in the church. I have had a horrible time trying to find a church the first 9 years of my walk, and have been accused of so much. Those that know me know the threats and accusations, but I don’t want to bog us down. The thrust is that if I did not experience persecution from the hands of Christians, I would probably have a much weaker resolve when it comes to being a leader. Now that I can see this, I have a much stronger sense of urgency when it comes to my faith.

Read 2 Corinthians 11:21-30

To give a quick reference to context, Paul is writing the Corinthians about true apostleship. There had been false leaders entering the church, and they were viewed as “super-apostles” and were leading Christians astray. Their speech and charisma attracted the masses, and began questioning the validity of Paul since he did not focus moving speech speech. They actually taught that they should be paid based on their performance when teaching. So instead of giving in to the extravagant life style and performances that the false teachers were portraying, Paul taught about the suffering he endured for being a true apostle. Which to him, was worth bragging about.

As I look at what Paul had to endure in 2 Cor 11:21-30, I blush at the thought that I might have been persecuted. My list, though it is a lot to some, does not stack up well against Paul’s. But the way it works is that if we try to live a life for Christ, we will receive opposition. Paul was being stretched in ways that most of us cannot understand, but it was also a testament to God needing him since he survived all of those hardships. So when you go through trouble, I would encourage you to look at it as “how is God forming me or what is God teaching me by allowing this to happen?” Keep an eye on the big picture.

The second part is dealing with people who oppose you.

One day I was reading in the book of 1 Samuel, and I tripped over the story of David and Goliath. Something registered, and I looked at Goliath and the Philistines in a new light. You begin to wonder what these well-trained men were doing threatening and tormenting the Israelites, who from what I understand, weren’t even well equipped. So Goliath strolled around bullying them for days, but never attacking them. David comes onto the scene, remembering how he had slain lions and bears, and claiming that Goliath is no different. The rest is all history, but I want to focus on the different groups in 1 Sam 17. You have Saul, who is armed and well built to be a warrior, and he is busy posting rewards for anyone who goes and fights Goliath! If you are one of his country men, what do you think of this? Then you find David, who wants to do God’s will and is out to fight. He goes in confidently and is mocked by the Israelites and his family for his willingness. He fights Goliath, who is extremely over confident and very condescending. Some studies I have read have mentioned that due to some of his comments, he might have had a hint of jealous due to the comments about being ruddy and handsome and despising him (v 42). Kind of makes you wonder about Goliath. After he is slain, what do the Philistines do? They run off! They are fully armed, trained and ready to destroy this peasant army, and they run off. Not so tough, eh?

So this illustration just shows you a little bit about what people are really like. I have had a lot of people attack me in my life, and it is always strange to me. I am one of those people who is happy when everything is smooth. So it always confused me that people just hated me for no reason at all. Then one day, this idea popped in my head. I started looking at the people in my life who disliked me, and I was suddenly having pity for them. Whether they were coworkers, former friends/girlfriends, I started seeing them for who they are. Like instead of seeing my boss as a perfectionist tyrant like everyone else did, I saw a weak man who thrived on picking on the low men, who feared failure and rejection and spent long hours at work because that’s all he had and he was just lonely. I started sizing everyone up with that idea that David used, and realized that they can’t and won’t hurt me.

So I say this today not to brag or say how wise I am or anything like that. I say this so that you can get the word out and teach those in your about what I have learned so you can create confident people.

Unpacking Spiritual Gifts

What I would like to talk with you about today is something that seems to be a pretty huge ambiguous subject in the church today. What I have found is that a majority of churches preach on this subject regularly, but very few of them actually take the subject as a whole and apply it to our everyday lives. This is going to be a bit cursory rather than in depth, but I still feel that it is important for us to know, whether it is as leaders or training others to eventually lead. What I have generally found is that churches tend to lock into one gift category, and do not look at the others. For instance, the church I attend back home is locked into the 5 discussed in Ephesians. My experience with another church has shown me that they favor the Romans verse, but have referenced 1 Corinthians as well. What I find the most interesting is that people tend to group all of them together, which I find particularly dangerous due to the fact that they are used in different contexts. What I have found is that I think it is important to know that we can operate in all three categories, since they all have different purposes.

To start out with, I am going to give you three gifts. We will open one at a time, and then discuss what is in the box, why it is problematic and then how we apply it. Hands out the boxes and then opens the first one

Okay, so the first box is a box of Legos. The Legos are obviously there to form something, however, it is rather difficult to figure out what exactly it is forming since there are no instructions. The problem with the charismata are that we hear in church over and over again “use your spiritual gifts” but it is rarely ever explained or instructed. This is the case in Romans. Read Romans 12:3-8

To provide context, Paul is writing this message to the Romans because he is instructing them and telling them that they all need each other. As many of us know, the Roman culture was very individualistic, and many people did what they could to be recognized as individuals. This was done through self-glorifying acts that would draw attention to how great they are.

This is why the message of Paul is so counter-cultural. Instead of trying to succeed as individuals, Paul is telling them to succeed as a group. Instead of competing against one another, they should be celebrating their differences and working together towards a common good. This idea of being a living sacrifice would be completely foreign to them, thus, requiring instruction.

That’s where the Legos come in. When you look at the Legos, you need someone to come along side and explain where all the pieces come together. Without that instruction, it is just a pile of blocks that serves no purpose. When you begin to understand that Paul was trying to guide them, the verse makes more sense. What Paul did was he referenced virtues and commendable actions of Roman culture to form the spiritual gifts. These gifts are inherent to people and they are what motivates people to live out the Holy Spirit (to reference Discover your God-Given Gifts). Prophecy, serving, teaching, exhorting, giving, leading and compassion are the seven virtues that Paul shares. This was palatable to his audience and easy to understand, which is how they were able to apply what they learned.

This correlates to us today because often times we do not know where to start or know where we fall on the scale. Being that this was meant for a group of people 2,000 years ago, it can be difficult to digest. But the application that can be made is that we all possess at least one of these gifts, because that is what makes us want to do something for Christ.

Open the Second Gift

The second gift that we are looking at is a note that claims that a gift is on its way… when we consider this gift we find that it is not so reliable. The question we often ask is “when I really need it, will it actually be there?” Needless to say, it is rather anti-climatic and kind of confusing. When it actually arrives, it might be amazing, but you really have to put a lot of trust into it EVENTUALLY coming.

Read 1 Corinthians 12:7-11

When we consider this passage in 1 Corinthians, you will see that the list of gifts have a distinct nature to them. What we find is that they are sort of unpredictable, and they tend to be actions rather than the character traits that you see in Romans 12:3-8. Any guess why?

To give you some background on 1 Corinthians, one of the big issues that Paul had with them is that they were getting caught up in the gifts. Because of this, they were creating factions among themselves and they were being arrogant towards those who did not have that specific gift. This was a well-engrained idea in their society as it was because any individual could easily climb the social latter through money or intelligence. This idea was applied to spiritual gifts, and soon the Corinthian church was forming hierarchies. This is shown in 1 Cor 12:7&21 in which groups would isolate themselves.

In the fervor to have certain gifts, main doctrinal issues became marginalized in favor of ideas that are more self-glorifying. Tongues is an example of this being that this gift was viewed as being more angelic, so those that possessed the gift began excusing sins such as prostitution since it was bodily sin that they felt did not apply to them.

So how does Paul correct them? He explains to them that there are many gifts that manifest themselves in people. They are all important, and that they all have their place in the body of Christ. Interestingly enough, he mentions tongues as the last gift on the list. The significance to that is that in Greek writing, the last item on a list is considered the least important. This demonstrates the desire to have diversity in the gifts, and not be so focused on the one gift.

To conclude this section, it is worth establishing that these gifts are by no means permanent, such as the motivational gifts. These gifts come and go at the will of the Holy Spirit when a certain need is to be met, so that is why Paul mentions that the truly gifted members of the church are those that Love well and do not seek self glorification. For if you love consistently, then you will use your gifts to help others.

Open the Third Gift

The final gift that we opened is a guitar tuner, it is very one dimensional. It does not serve a huge purpose outside of itself. The limitations are so that if you do not have a guitar to tune, it is pretty much useless. This is what some people see as a problem with the third category of gifts.

Read Ephesians 4:11-13

This verse can be pretty confusing to a lot of people because it seems that they are very distinct and they deal specifically with the church. The initial thought that comes to mind is “what if I am not called to full time ministry?” Because much like that tuner, the gift becomes useless because there is no outlet to do use it. The truth is that it does not always have to be full time ministry, and that you can effectively use your gift in a lay setting or out in the world. Just because it says “pastor” does not mean that you have to be an official pastor. Pastoring is the act of shepherding people and taking care of them. Because you might come up as an “evangelist”, it does not mean that you need to be Bible thumping people on the street corner, now that I think of it, I hope that you never do that! But these are all ideas that can be used in every day life as well.

So you are probably asking, “why does Paul write so exclusively?” Paul is writing this to the church in Ephesus, which was a hotbed for the Imperial Cult. Ephesus was the home of the Temple of Artemis, which was one of the wonders of the ancient world, and was strongly influenced by the Romans. With this in mind, it made sense that Paul would write to the church in a way to help maintain a church and to remind them of their mission.

To do this, Paul wrote about the five gifts listed (four, in some circles) so that people would be able to focus on the main components of starting a church. The two categories that they can be broken up are internal and external. Pastors and teachers are considered the internal grouping, and this can be established by the way in which they are separated from the other three. Apostles, prophets and evangelists are considered heralds of the church and are outwardly focused. The intent is to equip and build up the church, which is run by a theocracy in which God is the head and is carried out by the Holy Spirit.

Finally, it was anticipated that the next group of believers needed to know how to run a church effectively. Being that the original apostles were beginning to die or get executed, Paul felt it was important to instruct them now before it was too late. What makes these gifts different than the other three is that they focus on the people, not personality traits or actions being done. These gifts are given “office names” so to speak. But the interesting thing is that even though these are offices, you do not need the title to be able to use the gifts.

Now that we have covered the three categories, I would like to return to the initial problem. If all of these gifts exist, why does Paul mention certain gifts in certain lists and leaves them out in other lists? It can be very confusing, but the fact of the matter is that they all function differently.

I am telling you this because often times people will claim that you can only have certain gifts, or my favorite is that you need to have a specific gift to prove that you are a Christian. Instead, I would like to give you the same encouragement that Paul gave to the churches, and that is that it takes many parts of the body to operate it properly. Also, I hope that you would not just look at one category and say “I have this!” and then limit yourself to that. I am not saying this as doctrine, but I firmly believe that we can operate in all three categories as the holy spirit prompts us.

For instance, I have been told that I am an exhorter and teacher from Romans, I get told a lot that I demonstrate the wisdom mentioned in 1 Corinthians, and I have received comments about being a teacher and an evangelist in the Ephesians verses. We all have our unique mix of gifts that the spirit gives us, and I would hope that you would be interested in learning about yours and that you spend time seeking the Lord in how you may properly use them. If you do not know where you stand, I have quite a few books (I have referenced Discover Your God-Given Gifts quite a bit) that will help you on your journey

So you are probably wondering how we know what we are good at. There are a few different answers that you can have. Can you think of any? You will want to talk with people that you trust so that you can figure out what you are good at. Sometimes we take for granted things that we do regularly, and it really means something to someone else. For instance, I never really knew that I made sound decisions and gave wise counsel until someone told me so. The reason is that I just always operated that way, and no one really told me until I was in my early 20’s. The second way that we could find out what we are good at is trying out new things. For instance, if you have felt compelled to pray for people, then you might have a gift that could be used on the prayer team. I found that I had a strength with evangelism because I put myself in situations where I could share my faith and share the love of Christ with others. This is not simply giving a tract or saying “God Bless” at the end of a greeting, this is talking with someone and trying to meet their need and trying to share the good things that are happening in my life. I found this because I decided that I was not going to shy away from people who did not believe what I believe. Another way to find out is to take a quiz or read a book and see what stands out to you. There are dozens of Spiritual Gifts Quizzes out there, so you might as well google search for some and see what comes out the most. Plurality is key here, because some are not as reliable as others. Reading scripture is the final way to see your strengths. Look at the different characters and see what you admire about them, or see what verses/books stand out to you. In my case, I found that Proverbs and James are my favorite books. This appeals to my interest in wisdom literature.

These are just ideas to jump start your interest if you are questioning what you are good at. So in conclusion, do you know what you are good at?

Jealous Bananas

One day last winter, I forgot to eat my lunch before work and I went to my job without eating. Consequently, I became very hungry in the middle of my shift. I had packed a dinner before leaving the house, and packed all of my basic foods such as sandwich, fruit and chips. Being that it was Girl Scout cookie season, I had a bag of them in my brown bag. As was on the showroom floor, my stomach grumbled and I remembered the girl scout cookies that I had packed away in my lunch. So when the coast was clear, I snuck back to the refrigerator and grabbed the cookies. I stuck them in my pocket and went back on to the floor. After a while, the Samoas became nice and warm in my pocket, which makes them all the better! So I pulled one out of my pocket, and I took a bite. What was meant to be a euphoric moment of coconut, chocolate and caramel came crashing down when I tasted banana!

I was quite sad about the banana taste, but I ate them anyway since they are Samoas and they only come around once a year. When it came time for lunch, I bit into my sandwich and tasted banana. I ate my chips, that tasted like banana. My apple was the only item not tainted by banana, so I ate it. I pushed my banana to the edge of the table and just glared at it. I was thinking “how dare you taint my lunch!”

Then it dawned on me, that we as people are so much like my bagged lunch. Everything that I was pulling out of the bag was directly affected by what was in the bag. In Matthew, Jesus reprimands the Pharisees for their lifestyles.

Read Matthew 12:33-37

To quickly put this verse in context, the Pharisees were condemning Jesus for casting out demons. It was not the act of casting out demons that raised questions, it was that he did that without using incantations, rings, spells or potions. Instead, he would send them away. This was strange to them, so they decided that he was Beelzebub, which is another name for Satan.

When we read this, it sounds peculiar. We would ask, why would they be so quick to drastically call him Satan? The primary reason is that Jesus was exposing them for what they were, and that was as hypocrites. Jesus calls them hypocrites, snakes, and other insulting names because they were self-centered people who held positions that were supposed to be selfless. Not all Pharisees were painted evil in scripture (see Nicodemus), but quite a few of them had there own agenda and tended to feel threatened by Jesus because he was out-doing them at their own game that was ultimately rigged so that they could win.

One idea that really stands out to me is that Jesus said that from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. What I started to realize is that sometimes we place bananas in our bags that taint the flavor of our souls. In my life, I had a few of those that I began to notice.

When I look back at my life, I find that I was not always the most positive person in the world. I generally try to be positive, but it is easy for me to get run down when I am around negative people. I am not saying that everyone has to be positive all the time, but when people you are hanging around are cutting you down, trying to pressure you into changing who you are, or anything else that is not life giving, you have to wonder why you are around them. I began to see that in my life, that at one point I was not in a healthy church, my friends were not encouraging me, and I had some messy relationships.

Another category that I will share is the idea of what I was hearing. When I was in the Navy, I found that I was listening to people who talked condescendingly constantly. Not just that, but many people had such a negative outlook on life. What I began to find is that over time, the negativity was wearing on me. I found that when I stubbed my toe or got frustrated, there was a word that I did not like ready to jump out of my mouth.

But the good thing is that we are not stuck in that rut and there are ways to go about fixing the problem. Another way that I found to combat the negatives is to try and listen to positive music, messages, and be more committed to devotions and prayer. It helps me keep a positive outlook on life and the events in my life. My pastor once said that if you spend time reading the Bible regularly and read well written books, your thought process will conform to that way of thinking. Meanwhile, if you read comics and never read anything else, you will begin to think and talk like one. So that’s what I began to do, I am not always the best, but I am working on cleaning that part of my life. I started looking at my social life in a similar way as a sports team, in that I had to pick a system and find people that fit that system. It sounds weird, but when I started removing negative influences, my quality of life began to increase.

When we start talking about the outcome of positive nature, we start to understand what Jesus meant when he said that a tree is recognized by its fruit. If you water a plant, give it ample sunlight, and take care of it, it grows strong and it bears fruit that is attractive. When we begin to understand that words that come from our mouth are much like the fruit on the tree, why would anyone want fruit that is rotten? That is why we must take great care to make sure that our fruit is healthy and nourishing.

Another idea that really jumped out to me that I felt was worth mentioning is that Jesus claims in verse 36-37 that we are accountable for every careless word we say. With the analogy of fruit still on our minds, what would life look like if words were like fruit? Lets say that I gave you a spoiled apple and you got sick off of it. Would you be less likely to take fruit from my tree next time? If it was that blatantly obvious, do you feel that we would be more careful about the words that we give to one another?

I write this today not to put anyone down or to preach at anyone, but I am sharing this so that you might be able to have a good illustration of how what we allow to be in us directly affects us. Since change comes from the inside and goes out, my hope is that you continue to influence everyone around you by the positive force that comes from within. So I am going to close by asking you, what are the bananas doing in your bag? Is the smell repulsing others, or are the fruits of the spirit attracting people?