Mercy, 17 November 2024, Jude

Mercy
Little Letters: Jude, part 2

Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
November 17, 2024
Jude 17-25
 
Series Big Idea: Little letters can contain big lessons.
 
Big Idea: Mercy begets mercy so we are to experience and share God’s mercy.
 
Scripture Reading: Jude 17-23
 
When I was a kid, we used to place this two-person game called Mercy. Essentially, you would try to torture the other person with your hands until they yell, “Mercy!”
 
Mercy is one of those words people use, but don’t always understand. Mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm. We all deserve God’s wrath, but praise the LORD Jesus came and died to offer forgiveness and mercy.
  
Today we conclude our series on Little Letters, finishing the short book of Jude, the second-to-last book of the Bible before Revelation. Last week we read the first part of this letter written by Jesus’ half-brother to the early church, likely Messianic Jews. He warned about false teachers and said some harsh things about their destructive actions. Now we pick up with verse 17.
 
A Call to Persevere
 
But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. (Jude 17-19)
 
Remember what the apostles—the true teachers—said (and forget the words of the false teachers who scoff, live ungodly lives, and divide.
 
We live in a divided culture, a divided country, a divided world. This is hardly news to any of us. It has been this way since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. What is harder for me to grasp is how divided the Church, the Bride of Christ, has become.
 
In the book of John chapter 17, Jesus prayed for unity, that we would be one—not divided. We can all find differences if we look hard enough, but we have more in common than not. We’re all united at the foot of the cross. Only pride and ego keep us from truly loving one another as Jesus commanded us to do.
 
Jude says these leaders “do not have the Spirit.” This is an important remark. There’s a big difference between gifting and anointing. It’s possible to have talents and abilities, but it’s another thing to be filled with the Holy Spirit, utilizing spiritual gifts for God’s glory.
 
I’m not here to impress or entertain you, but simply to point you to Jesus. I pray that the Holy Spirit would fill me every time I preach and that you hear from God, not me. I also pray that I would always practice what I preach. This was hardly the case with the false teachers Jude critiques.
 
But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. (Jude 20-21)
 
He says to build themselves up in the faith. Grow!
 
He says to pray in the Holy Spirit. Align your will and desires with God’s.
 
He says to remain in God’s love. Develop your relationship with Jesus.
 
He says to wait. Don’t you love waiting? Ugh! People have been waiting for two thousand years for Christ to return. Next month we’ll enter the season of Advent, which means coming or arrival, a season of anticipation. 
 
I’m sure there was an expectation then—as there is today—that Jesus’ return was close at hand. He’s coming back, family! Soon! Get ready! Get your friends and family ready! Followers of Jesus will experience mercy on Judgment Day, not getting what we deserve.
 
Be merciful to those who doubt; (Jude 22)
 
This is a beautiful phrase. One translation states, “Be compassionate to those mentally wavering.”
 
Doubt isn’t sin. I don’t think it’s even a lack of faith, depending upon your definition. It is a struggle, a wrestling. The Bible is filled with godly people who wrestled with God, with faith, with belief. They need compassion, support, and understanding…never condemnation.
 
This past week I read an article about a woman who struggled with doubt for two decades. Michelle DeRusha offered these four suggestions in the midst of doubt:
 
1.    Acknowledge it. One of my favorite prayers in the Bible is from a man whose son was possessed by a spirit. While seeking healing from Jesus, he exclaimed,
 
 “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24b)
 
We all have our moments of doubt. There’s no need for shame or embarrassment, but tragically many suffer in silence thinking they’re the only one. Family, we need to get real and share what’s really going on inside. Chances are, those around you are experiencing or have experienced the very same thing. When we hide, things can only get worse. I have questions. There are things about the Bible I don’t understand. In fact certainty can actually be an obstacle to faith rather than evidence of it. Jesus’ disciple Thomas was famous for doubting, yet God used him in powerful ways. Most likely his doubts tested and strengthened his faith over time.
 
2.    Connect with Your Community. Henri Nouwen wrote, “In times of doubt or unbelief, the community can ‘carry you along,’ so to speak…It can even offer on your behalf what you yourself overlook and can be the context in which you may recognize the Lord again.”
 
3.    Lean into Your Practice. Spiritual rhythms or habits can keep us going even when we don’t “feel” like it. Prayer, Bible study, small group, and Sunday mornings are just a few ways to feed your faith. Sometimes it feels like you’re just going through the motions, but don’t give up. Author Kathleen Norris writes, “It is in acts of repetition that seem senseless to the rational mind that belief comes, doubts are put to rest, religious conversion takes hold and feels at home in a community of faith.” One of the best spiritual practices is to serve others, getting the focus off of yourself.
 
4.    Live the Questions. Catholic priests during Eucharist say, “Let us proclaim the mystery of faith.” If we fully understood God, we would be God! Paul wrote to a church in Greece:
 
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)
 
We need to embrace our limitations, the questions, the doubt, and take them to the LORD. He can handle anything we throw at Him. Anything!
 
I want to declare today this is a safe community where questions are welcome. I love questions, and while I don’t claim to have all the answers, I want to do whatever I can to help you on your journey. Doubt is a ladder to climb, says writer Brad East, not a home. Questions and discussions and prayer can deepen our faith and trust in God.
 
Returning to our text in Jude,
 
Be merciful to those who doubt; (Jude 22)
 
You may be tempted to judge, condemn, teach, shame, or preach to doubters, but they need prayer, a listening ear, an encouraging friend, and empathy. Jesus himself said,
 
“Be merciful, even as your heavenly Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)
 
I hope this is always a safe place to doubt, to ask questions, to wrestle with faith. Let’s give one another “the benefit of the doubt.”
 
23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. (Jude 23)
 
There’s another likely reference to hell which we mentioned last Sunday. We need to redirect people from harmful behaviors which will burn them, but do it lovingly and wisely. No one is beyond God’s mercy and forgiveness, yet fear because the teaching of false teachers is contagious and corrupt.
 
Jude closes with a doxology.
 
To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 24-25)
 
This is a beautiful expression of praise to God. He is able to keep us from being deceived by false teachers. He can lead us away from the lies of our culture. He is our firm foundation. He is merciful. We don’t get what we deserve, which is great news! He forgives all our sins, heals our diseases, and loves us unconditionally. Because of Jesus, we can stand before the Father “without fault and with great joy.” That’s amazing!
 
He has all glory, majesty, power, and authority. I love that this declaration is timeless, too, reaching all the way to 2024! Our God is awesome and worthy of praise! Hallelujah!
 
So What?
 
Mercy is more than a painful game played with friends. It’s a gift from God we are to receive, experience, and share with others. The merciful are slow to judge. They give others the benefit of the doubt. They relieve the burdens of others, serving, often out of the limelight.
 
Our community is filled with desperate people in need of mercy. While some gloat about the election results, others are scared about the future. We have dozens of unhoused people in our city, albeit some by choice. Hunger is real for some of our neighbors. My wife was hospitalized for a day last week and I was reminded of the sick around us. One writer (Johnathan K. Dodson) defined mercy as “expressing God’s kindness to someone with a name.”
 
Can you do that? Can we do that? To whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48). 
 
“Be merciful, even as your heavenly Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)
 
To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 24-25)

False Teachers, 10 November 2024, Jude 1-16

False Teachers
Little Letters: Jude, part 1
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
November 10, 2024
Jude 1-16
 
Series Big Idea: Little letters can contain big lessons.
 
Big Idea: False teachers and religions and cults are real, so we need to know and follow the truth.
 
Scripture Reading: Jude 3-6
 
Do you know what you believe? Do you know why you believe? Humans tend to be trusting, which means we can be deceived if we aren’t careful. Today is week one of a two-part series on the little letter of Jude, the second-to-last book of the Bible. The theme: false teachers.
  
Today there are millions of people involved in cults in the United States alone. These groups—often started by a charismatic leader—may present what sounds like the truth…with variances, some rather small but significant. There are those who deny the deity of Christ and those who deny his humanity. Some people believe Jesus never died and some that he never resurrected from the dead. Others preach a prosperity gospel driven by greed. Some promote cheap grace: do what you want and ask God for forgiveness. It’s very sobering to say this as a faith leader, but not all faith leaders are godly. Many are corrupt. This little letter offers important warnings for then—and now.
 
The author of this letter, Jude, is one of Jesus’ four brothers, or actually half-brother to be technical! These men did not believe in Jesus, at first, but they became disciples after the resurrection. I suppose if I saw my dead sibling walking, I might consider something supernatural was involved! This letter is likely written to Messianic Jews, Jews who recognized Jesus as the Messiah.
 
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James,
 
To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: (Jude 1)
 
Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. (Jude 2)
 
I pray that mercy, peace, and love would be abundant in your life, church family.
 
Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. (Jude 3)
 
This is arguably the key verse in this book. Contend for the faith. The original Greek word means to struggle for the faith. Wake up!
 
For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. (Jude 4)
 
A 2022 study by Arizona Christian University concluded 37% of Christan pastors in the US have a biblical worldview. These are the people leading churches today. That means almost 2/3 of pastors don’t have a biblical worldview! How is this even a thing?!
 
I know it’s old school to say this, but in a world of gray there are some things that are black and white, right and wrong. The motivation must never be to judge or condemn, but rather to point people to Jesus. He perfectly modeled what it means to be human. Only Jesus died for you. Only Jesus conquered death and rose from the dead and lives today. Only Jesus declared himself to be the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
 
Paul warned Timothy,
 
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
 
I want to tell you it’s ok to do whatever makes you feel good, but it won’t be good for you. I want to tell you it’s all about you, but it’s not! I want to encourage, affirm, and tolerate everything you do so you will like me, but it will destroy you. As I used to tell my kids in moments of discipline, “I love you too much to let you do” whatever it is that is ungodly.
 
Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. (Jude 5)
 
These are sobering words, and there’s more.
 
And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. (Jude 6)
 
Wow! Angels are real. Fallen angels—demons—are real and will be judged someday.
 
In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. (Jude 7)
 
Family, it’s unpopular to say, but judgment day is coming. Hell is real. I don’t want you there! Sodom and Gomorrah were just a foretaste of what is to come for the unrighteous, those who are not followers of Jesus.
 
In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. (Jude 8)
 
God can speak through dreams, but they are never more important than God’s word.
 
But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”  10 Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them. (Jude 9-10)
 
Their pride overestimates their own power, taking matters into their own hands.
 
Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion. (Jude 11)
 
Three biblical stories are mentioned in one verse that involve envy, greed, and rebellion. For further reading, visit Genesis 4 (Cain), Numbers 22 (Balaam), and Numbers 16 (Korah).
 
These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. (Jude 12-13)
 
Jude is not happy with these false teachers! What a list…six dark metaphors!
 
Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”  16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. (Jude 14-16)
 
Five more phrases! I’m glad we’re stopping here because this is getting intense!
 
So What?
 
False teachers and religions and cults are real, so we need to know and follow the truth. Eternity is at stake. Heaven is real. Hell is real. My simple definitions (get ready!) are
 
Heaven is where God is present.
Hell is where God is absent.
 
I can’t guarantee that heaven is up. How would that impact people in Australia?! I’m not sure we’ll wear halos and play harps on clouds all day.
 
There are moments when heaven kisses earth, where God’s Kingdom comes and His will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Heaven is where God is present, and if you can imagine heaven without God, you might have already created hell.
 
Hell is where God is absent. There are debates about whether the fire is literal and if people will be tormented for eternity or eventually are annihilated. It will be worse than anything you can imagine. Although God is omnipresent—everywhere at once—I believe hell is the exception, the one place God is absent.
 
Over the years people have sung about being on a “highway to hell” and said, “See you in hell, my friend,” but it’s no joking matter.
 
If this subject has you concerned, you’re probably ok. God is not out to get you. Quite the opposite.
 
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
 
God doesn’t “send people to hell” so much as he gives us the choice to follow Him now and forever or reject Him now and forever.
 
“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that are in Hell, choose it.” – C.S. Lewis
 
Apart from Jesus, none of us stand a chance on Judgment Day, but praise God He sent His son to die for us, that whoever follows Christ will not perish but have eternal life…with God.
 
False teachers and religions and cults are real, so we need to know and follow the truth, contending for the faith, speaking the truth in love. Judgment Day is coming. Are you ready?

One More Thing
 
Don’t be a false teacher, but rather proclaim truth…in word and deed. Judgment Day is coming. Are your friends and family ready?

Hospitality, 3 November 2024, 3 John

Hospitality
Little Letters: 3 John
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
November 3, 2024
 
Series Big Idea: Little letters can contain big lessons.
 
Big Idea: Welcome the stranger, extend hospitality, do good, and avoid evil.
  
When is the last time you were socially in a new place? Maybe it was a restaurant, a new country, the first day of class, or starting a new job. How did it feel to be a stranger?
 
We’re in a pre-holiday series called Little Letters. Last week we examined the book of 2 John and today we’re looking at another letter attributed to John the Apostle…3 John. Let’s dive in!
 
The elder,
 
To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth. (3 John 1)
 
If you were here last week, there were two words John used repeatedly—love and truth. You’ll see them in this letter, too.
 
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. (3 John 2)
 
This is a common prayer, even today. Notice John is not only concerned with the spiritual condition of his friend, Gaius, but also his physical body. Jesus set a great example of this by feeding large crowds while teaching them spiritual truths. Our bodies matter. They are God’s temple. Caring for our bodies is important since we can’t do much without them!
 
It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. (3 John 3-4)
 
There he goes again, talking about truth…twice. John’s speaking of spiritual children, not necessarily biological sons and daughters. As a dad and papa, I can tell you there really is no greater joy than seeing my kids and g-kids doing well, in every sense of the word. Many of you can relate…and others of you will someday!
 
Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters,  even though they are strangers to you. (3 John 5)
 
This is the definition of hospitality: welcoming the stranger. Gaius is being commended for loving these strangers, missionaries who were traveling through, delivering the good news of the gospel about Jesus. Gaius is a good, faithful friend serving strangers for God’s glory. This is arguably the key verse in this little letter.
 
They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God. (3 John 6)
 
Gaius is filled with love, the hallmark of the Christian, the follower of Jesus, especially toward traveling missionaries.
 
As the gospel was spreading from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8), it required men and women to travel to unreached places with the good news, the message of Jesus Christ. Back then, you couldn’t check into an Airbnb, VRBO, or Holiday Inn! You relied on the help from others.
 
It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. (3 John 7)
 
The Name…Jesus. Even today, some Jews refer to God as Ha-Shem, “The Name.” These missionaries would travel to tell people about Jesus. Their audience was not helping them, obviously, so they needed fellow Christians to provide encouragement, food, money, lodging, prayer…hospitality.
 
We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth. (3 John 8)
 
In the previous letter, John says don’t welcome wicked deceivers. In contrast, here he encourages hospitality to those proclaiming the truth.
 
Go back to my question. How did it feel to be a stranger in a new place? Maybe it was your first Sunday at College First. Perhaps you recently checked into a hotel or visited a new restaurant. Hospitality is a lost art in our culture today. Have you noticed? There’s one big exception, and it’s going to get me in trouble because it’s the one business that should never mentioned on a Sunday…Chick Fil-A. I’m sorry! Many of you have Chick Fil-A stories. Here’s mine.
 
On March 22, 2016, Heather and I wanted to throw an engagement party for our daughter, Rachel, and her fiancée Mark. After discovering Mark had never been to Chick Fil-A, we decided it was in our budget to throw them an engagement party—just the four of us—at a Chick Fil-A in Toledo.
 
Mark enjoyed the food very much, but about midway through the meal, Heather was about to get another order of fries. An employee came by and insisted he get them for her, during which we explained this was not only Mark’s first time at Chick Fil-A, but also their engagement party to which he said, “free milkshakes on the house. What flavor do you want?”
 
Mark’s jaw nearly hit the ground. Free fries with delivery to our table was one thing, but a round of milkshakes, too? He couldn’t believe the service, the generosity, the love. That’s hospitality…welcoming the stranger.
 
Family, that’s how Gaius was treating traveling missionaries, and it’s how we are to treat the stranger.
 
Hospitality is a big deal in the Bible. It is a requirement for church leaders according to 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:8. Peter wrote,
 
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (1 Peter 4:9)
 
In one of the most fascinating verses in the Bible, we’re told,
 
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:2)
 
Wow! I wonder…!!!
 
This is a letter from John to the hospitable Gaius, but there’s two other characters to meet.
 
I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. (3 John 9)
 
How would you like to be remembered forever as one who loves to be first and the one who fails at hospitality? Perhaps you’ve heard Jesus’ take on this. Matthew records three such references.
 
But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. (Matthew 19:30)
 
“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matthew 20:16)
 
and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— (Matthew 20:27)
 
Other gospel writers record similar quotes from Jesus. Suffice it to say, Diotrephes is not a good dude!
 
So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church. (3 John 10)
 
He’s the opposite of love, hospitality, welcoming the stranger. He’s evil.
 
Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. (3 John 11)
 
These are strong words, but so true. Can we pause for a moment and meditate on that verse? It would be a good one to memorize.
 
Evil is real. People are not the enemy, but our enemy uses people, deceives people, and the sin of people is arguably the source of all of the problems in our world. It’s not God’s fault that people drive drunk, abuse children, lie, steal, and all the rest. Satan is real. Demons are real. But God is greater! Now here’s the other guy.
 
Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true. (3 John 12)
 
How would you like to be forever remembered in the Bible for this? What an honor, Demetrius!
 
I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
 
This is similar to what he wrote in 2 John. Face to face is, indeed, better than a letter.
 
Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name. (3 John 13-14)
 
So What?
 
Welcome the stranger, extend hospitality, do good, and avoid evil. It’s simple, but not always easy. Can I offer two simple applications?
 
First, we can assist missionaries by praying for them, supporting them financially, welcoming them into our homes when they are here on furlough or home assignment, writing them letters of encouragement, or even taking a trip to serve alongside them in their community. Our church website has a page devoted to our local and global partners.
 
Second, let’s welcome the strangers around us. This might be an international student, a family from Haiti, a new neighbor, or simply someone looking for the bathroom in the lobby! One of my dreams for College First is we would be more welcoming then Chick Fil-A. People have told me we’re a friendly church—and they like the donuts!—but people aren’t looking for a friendly church. They’re looking for friends. I urge you to go out of your way today—and every day—and smile, say hello, and make everyone feel like they’re home…because they are!

Truth, 27 October 2024, 2 John

Truth
Little Letters: 2 John
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
October 27, 2024
 
Series Big Idea: Little letters can contain big lessons.
 
Big Idea: In a world where truth is often based upon feelings, Jesus is the truth.
  
When is the last time you sat down and wrote a
letter…with paper…and pen? For decades now I’ve been using electronic mail most every day, but occasionally I’ll search for a pen and stationery and handwrite a note or letter. I must confess my penmanship has declined from lack of use!
 
We’re spending the next four weeks leading up to the holidays looking at three little letters, small books contained within the library we call the Bible. They are often overlooked in favor of larger works such as the gospels, Romans, or Hebrews, but they are obviously important or they wouldn’t be included in what is known as the canon of scripture.
 
The book of 1 John is longer and may be examined next year, so we’re beginning with 2 John. All of these letters are at the back of your Bible, right before the book of Revelation.
  
This is a common first-century letter, probably written on a single piece of papyrus with one main theme, in this case truth.
 
What is truth? Pilate asked this question during a conversation with Jesus in John 18:38 and I think it’s brilliant! Like many words, truth has multiple meanings. It’s a complex idea that has been debated for generations. The Enlightenment in the late 17th and 18th centuries was the Age of Reason, emphasizing science and rational thought. Modernism followed in the 19th century with ideas of universal narratives and objective truth. Postmodernism philosophy challenged such ideas in the 20th century questioning truth itself leading to relativism.
 
I always liked the postmodern declaration, “There’s no such thing as absolute truth.” Is that true?!
 
Today it seems many define truth as whatever I feel, which is more than a little disturbing. People talk about “my truth” and “your truth,” but is everything truly subjective? What if I feel differently tomorrow? Is it any wonder our society is so broken and confused? We can’t seem to agree on anything because we’re drowning in lies, opinions, and emotions.
 
Before we look at today’s letter, I want to share with you my favorite definition of truth from the lips of Jesus.
 
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
 
Truth is not a bunch of propositional statements but ultimately it’s a person, Jesus! He’s the one we worship. He’s our authority. He’s the reason we’re here, not me, not College First, not the Churches of God, General Conference. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
 
The little letter of second John begins…
 
The elder,
 
To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth— 2 because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever: (2 John 1-2)
 
The elder is likely John the Apostle. The “lady” is likely a house church or the female leader of a house church, with “her children” being its members or a daughter church. Notice the three mentions of the truth in these two verses.
 
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love. (2 John 3)
 
The original Greek word for truth, aletheia, appears yet again, this time alongside his favorite theme of love. John is obviously offering words of introduction and blessing.
 
It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. (2 John 4)
 
There it is again…truth. John says only “some” of the church members are walking in the truth. Are you? The question is not do you know truthful things. It’s not can you win a Bible trivia contest. We’re not speaking of even intellectual assurance of the reality of Jesus. Even demons believe in Jesus. They used to work for him!
 
The question is are you walking in the truth? Are you following Jesus? Does your lifestyle resemble his?
 
And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. (2 John 5)
 
Love one another (Mark 12:28-31; John 15:17; Romans 13:10; 1 John 2:7-11). This is so simple yet challenging, at times. It’s easy to love the loveable. It’s not hard to love someone who agrees with you. Jesus said plainly,
 
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
 
It’s no secret that Christians in our nation have not done this well, especially in the midst of cancel culture. For some, this political season is a real test. Democrats, can you love Republicans? They’re in the room! Republicans, can you love Democrats? They’re in the room, too. Let me declare emphatically both parties are deeply flawed, as are their representatives. I have preferences and opinions like everyone else, but contrary to what some have said, there is no perfect, godly party. We need to worship the Lion and the Lamb, Jesus Christ, not an elephant or donkey.
 
I encourage you to take advantage of the privilege of voting, not only for president but also other candidates and issues. Study carefully, which is challenging given the lack of truth in our media and candidates. It’s important to vote, but far more important to love, especially within the Church. This includes social media!!!
 
And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. (2 John 6)
 
I believe obedience is Jesus’ love language, and that obedience is first and foremost to love. In one conversation,
 
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. (John 14:23-24)
 
How did we get so distracted, so easily offended, so divisive and judgmental?
 
Now after talking about truth and walking in love, the purpose of the letter is announced.
 
I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. (2 John 7)
 
Jesus is fully God and fully human, something of a mystery, but clear from scripture. Throughout history some have said Jesus is God but not human, while others believed Jesus was human but not God. He is both!
 
Wake up, Church! There were deceivers then. Many! There are deceivers now. This is why we need to study the scriptures. We need to know what it says…and what it doesn’t say. I want to establish trust with you, but always fact check my words with scripture. The Bible is our final authority, not me. I’m human, sinful, and capable of error, though I have committed to preaching the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God!
 
Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. (2 John 8)
 
Watch out! I must confess throughout my life I’ve been trusting…to a fault. I’ve been naïve, believing everyone has pure motives, good intentions, and speaks the truth. I have grown in this area, praise God, but I still have growing to do. I need to be vigilant, think critically, examine the fruits, and protect the flock that God has entrusted to my care and that of the Elders (that’s you!).
 
Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. (2 John 9)
 
It’s sad this has to even be said, but this is how cults have been started.
 
If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. 11 Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work. (2 John 10-11)
 
We want to promote hospitality (more next week!). We want to welcome anyone who is seeking after God, but deceivers who deny the scriptures are not welcome here, especially if they have an agenda to influence others. False teaching is contagious!
 
I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. (2 John 12)
 
This little letter is meant to tide them over until they can be together in person.
 
The children of your sister, who is chosen by God, send their greetings. (2 John 13)
 
Sister might refer to a woman or likely a sister-church.
 
So What?
 
In a world where truth is often based upon feelings, Jesus is the truth.
 
Know Jesus, know truth.
No Jesus, no truth.

Honesty & Contentment, 6 October 2024

Honesty & Contentment—Commandments 9-10
Words of Life: Jesus on God’s Top 10
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
October 6, 2024
Exodus 20:16-17
 
Series Big Idea: Jesus had much to say about God’s Top Ten list.
 
Big Idea: Contentment and honesty honor God and bring us satisfaction and peace.
  
If the legend is true, the first billionaire in the USA, John D. Rockefeller, was once asked, “How much is enough?” to which he replied, “Just a little bit more.” 
  
Today we’re concluding our five-week series on the Ten Commandments through the eyes of Jesus. Throughout history, many have tried to obey God’s Top Ten List perfectly, though only Jesus has been successful. They contain four commandments—not suggestions—relating to loving God:
 
No other gods
No idols
Don’t misuse the name in word or deed
Delight in sabbath rest
 
The final six related to loving others, which can sometimes be more challenging than loving the LORD.
 
Honor parents
No murder
No adultery
No theft
 
and todays two
 
no lying
no coveting
 
or put another way, honesty and contentment.
 
I want to take them in reverse order so we will start with contentment.
 
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17)
 
This is clearly a heart issue, but that’s how sin starts. Temptation is not sin, but sinful deeds begin with sinful desire. I like Rob Lacey’s rendition in The Street Bible:
 
No. 10: You won't drool over your mate's wife, his house, garden, staff, equipment, gadgets or anything he has and you don't.' (Exodus 20:17, The Street Bible)
 
On average, USAmericans encounter between 4000 and 10,000 advertisements every day, including tv, billboards, online, and product placements. That’s a lot of marketing! Is it any wonder our brains are filled with impulses to buy more? I have a degree in marketing, and I’ve discovered many commercials are designed to make us discontent! How’s that for messaging? Add to that the highlight reels people post on social media and it’s no wonder some of us feel like we need “just a little bit more.”
 
Obviously, this isn’t a new struggle since the commandments were written thousands of years ago.
 
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (Matthew 6:25-27)
 
Do you worry? I do! I’ve struggled my entire adult life with a scarcity mentality, yet God has provided. Heather had to put a sign in our bathroom that said, “Pray about everything. Worry about nothing” from Philippians 4:6.
 
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:28-33)
 
Jesus doesn’t say we’ll get everything we want, but if we seek first his kingdom and righteousness, He will provide for our needs. Another time he said,
 
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:15)
 
Do you have possessions or do your possessions possess you? Paul wrote to friends and said,
 
I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:10-13)
 
This was written in prison! If you can be content in prison…and the secret was Jesus. Christ gave him strength. God was his provider, his source, his life.
 
Maybe the greatest solution to discontent is to count your blessings. What do you have? Don’t wait until next month to give thanks.
 
Greed is not good. It can lead to theft. It violates the tenth commandment. Don’t covet. It can even lead us to lie.
 
The 9th commandment says,
 
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. (Exodus 20:16)
 
The specific context seems to indicate a trial during which someone testifies. In the culture, you were guilty until proven innocent, you could be convicted on the testimony of one witness—except among the people of Israel—and the death penalty was in play.  
  
Since 1989, there have been over 3000 exonerations of wrongfully convicted individuals in the U.S. and according to the outstanding movie Just Mercy, for every 9 people who have been executed in the U.S., one person on death row has been proven innocent and released, a shocking rate of error. False testimony is a factor in around 60% of exoneration cases.
 
False witnesses were brought into Jesus’ trial!
 
But the command is not limited to a courtroom where we are to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. In place of the Hebrew word for “false testimony” found here, “shaqar,” Hosea used a word, kachash, which applies to any lie when we listed several of the commandments in Hosea 4:2. Your lie might not result in the wrongful death of someone, but it can do tremendous harm…to you and/or others.
 
Nobody likes to be lied to, but more than the momentary tension it creates between two people, trust is shattered, something that can take years to build and seconds to destroy. To make matters worse, lies often compound. It sometimes takes a lie to cover a lie to cover a lie to…who can keep track of all the lies?!
 
Why do people lie? I submit to you that they want something and see deceit as the path…toward something they want, whether it’s a person (adultery), a product (stealing), the absence of a person (murder), or simply wanting to save face.
 
I believe there is only one time I lied to my wife in more than 34 years of marriage. She asked me not to reveal some confidential information which I shared with a friend. I denied revealing it before fessing up. I felt terrible…more for the lie than spilling the beans.
 
It has been said that honesty is the best policy, and the 9th commandment would agree. Is there ever a time to lie? The subject has been debated, but there’s nothing like the truth…even when someone can’t handle the truth!
 
Maybe you’re thinking, “I never lie.” Is that true or is it a contradiction?!
 
Do you gossip? Do you listen to gossip? Have you ever told a “little white lie?” There’s no such thing! People lie on resumes, nearly 50% of the time according to a survey of nearly 3 million job applicants. They lie on their tax returns. I even heard a rumor that presidential candidates are capable of false statements!!!
 
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)
 
Jesus always spoke the truth, but he even claimed to be the truth.
 
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
 
Truth is not only the absence of lies, it is more than statements of fact, it is a person!
 
So What?
 
Contentment and honesty honor God and bring us satisfaction and peace. This is what happens when we play by the rules, when we obey the LORD, when we focus on others rather than ourselves, when we have an attitude of gratitude, and when we follow the Golden Rule. Perhaps the final six commandments can be summarized in Jesus’ vision for his followers.
 
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
 
The Ten Commandments were difficult for the Israelites to follow, yet Jesus raised the bar and made them virtually impossible to follow, reminding us of our need for a Savior. How has Jesus loved us? He gave us everything, even his own life. He died in our place to offer us reconciliation with the Father, forgiveness of sins, freedom of peace, hope for the future, and the joy that comes from being clean and right with our Creator.
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