May 4th 2014
You Have Nothing To Offer That God Needs!
John 10:14-16 (NIV)
I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
When Jesus said this, we were some of those, “other sheep that are not of this sheep pen.” Recently a man asked me when the Christian religion started, and I fumbled around with an answer, and finally said about two thousand years ago. This answer is not incorrect, but it lacks the depth of what really encompasses the timeframe of how long the time span is of the development of the faith to follow Jesus Christ, as our Lord and Savior! The timeframe could be traced back to when Adam took the forbidden fruit, and took a bite, which is about six thousand years ago! Of course, a better answer may be that there was never a time when Jesus did not exist, thus the timetable for following Jesus Christ is actually eternal!
Before the Creation there was no need for time, as the Triune God had no need for keeping time, as everything created was immortal. Time was created for mankind during the Creation week, as not all of the creatures created have immortal souls, and therefore, would only live for a measurable timeframe. When Adam sinned by violating God’s command, then we too started to need a timeframe to measure our lifetime. So when we die to this life, unlike the animals God created, our soul will continue to live somewhere other than the earth. We have an opportunity to select where our immortal soul will continue to live, either with Our Heavenly Father in heaven, or with Satan in hell.
The word Christian did not get started until those early followers of Jesus Christ were labeled as Christians. The word Christian is found only twice in the NIV translation of the Bible. One of those times is when Paul is trying to evangelize King Agrippa and is recorded in the book of Acts. Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" (Acts 26:28) The second time Christian is written is by Peter, when he is saying you may have to suffer for being known as a Christian. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. (1Peter 4:16) Peter in this case highlights a significant way someone calls you a Christian, and it is not meant in a positive way!
In the selected verses, Jesus is referring to His followers and He says that all of them are included as the sheep that will listen to His voice, and then, choose to follow Him. Jesus then says that everyone who hears His voice will follow Him, and there will only be one flock. Jesus said, “They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” However, today we find there are many different groups or denominations, whose followers claim to be Christians, but they disagree with each other, and at times even seem to hate or at least distrust each other. Each of these flocks is actually following a human being, which is not Jesus!
The verses immediately following the ones selected as the verse(s) of the week state another truth that Jesus proclaimed. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life— only to take it up again. No-one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father. (John 10:17-18) We are still so close to the Easter celebration, it seems important to include such verses in this commentary too. It seems we the people who call themselves Christians today are not all listening to the voice on one Shepard, but to other voices of some other mere human being instead of a total focus on Jesus the Christ! In these commentaries that is why I seldom refer to Christians, but usually use the term followers of Jesus!
It seems we have made the Christian religion too complicated, and thus, it is more difficult to really hear the voice of Jesus Christ, and to follow Him and only Him as our Lord and Savior! Jesus even sensed this in His days of walking this earth, and hearing from the religious leaders of His day. A statement Jesus made for us, and recorded for us by Mark for this commentary, may state it rather well. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. (Mark10:15) Unless we can hear what Jesus says, and we accept it as being from our Savior, because we are completely open to it and receive it as the absolute authority of the Word of God, as a child would, we may never really be followers of Jesus.
Are you a Christian who follows Joel or Glen or ______ (you can fill-in the name), or do you really follow Jesus and Him only? Paul wrote a letter to the people of Ephesus to tell them why they must follow Jesus to obtain redemption of their sins! In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. (Ephesians 1:7-8) We are saved through grace; there is nothing we can do in order that our immortal soul will be saved. There is no other way by which we can be saved.
Grace may sometimes seem to be unfair to us. Jesus told us that following Him is the only way to obtain God’s grace. Do you know the way to find Jesus? Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:5-6) Please do not believe the Oprah’s of the world, there are NOT many paths to God there is only one way, which is through Jesus! There is only one God, and God has a Son, who is named Jesus! Another situation that may make grace seem unfair, is when some human being who has done terrible things is seemingly saved, some Christians may think that is not fair to them.
If you have been a follower of Jesus for a long time, and your life has been improved because of the grace you have been granted, you may feel like the brother of the prodigal son, who thought the Father should not have been happy on the return of this bad son! Or you may feel like you should get more, because you have been a follower for a long time, like the grape pickers in the parable of workers in the vineyard! In such cases God the Father was forgiving to the max! Do not miss the point though that none of us got what we deserved, and that would be to go to hell, because we are not perfect. Without grace we would all go to hell
You have nothing to offer that Jesus needs! Jesus wants you to be saved, and because He loved you and died in your place, there is grace sufficient for all our needs and for everyone else too!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
John 10:14-16 (NIV)
I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
When Jesus said this, we were some of those, “other sheep that are not of this sheep pen.” Recently a man asked me when the Christian religion started, and I fumbled around with an answer, and finally said about two thousand years ago. This answer is not incorrect, but it lacks the depth of what really encompasses the timeframe of how long the time span is of the development of the faith to follow Jesus Christ, as our Lord and Savior! The timeframe could be traced back to when Adam took the forbidden fruit, and took a bite, which is about six thousand years ago! Of course, a better answer may be that there was never a time when Jesus did not exist, thus the timetable for following Jesus Christ is actually eternal!
Before the Creation there was no need for time, as the Triune God had no need for keeping time, as everything created was immortal. Time was created for mankind during the Creation week, as not all of the creatures created have immortal souls, and therefore, would only live for a measurable timeframe. When Adam sinned by violating God’s command, then we too started to need a timeframe to measure our lifetime. So when we die to this life, unlike the animals God created, our soul will continue to live somewhere other than the earth. We have an opportunity to select where our immortal soul will continue to live, either with Our Heavenly Father in heaven, or with Satan in hell.
The word Christian did not get started until those early followers of Jesus Christ were labeled as Christians. The word Christian is found only twice in the NIV translation of the Bible. One of those times is when Paul is trying to evangelize King Agrippa and is recorded in the book of Acts. Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" (Acts 26:28) The second time Christian is written is by Peter, when he is saying you may have to suffer for being known as a Christian. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. (1Peter 4:16) Peter in this case highlights a significant way someone calls you a Christian, and it is not meant in a positive way!
In the selected verses, Jesus is referring to His followers and He says that all of them are included as the sheep that will listen to His voice, and then, choose to follow Him. Jesus then says that everyone who hears His voice will follow Him, and there will only be one flock. Jesus said, “They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” However, today we find there are many different groups or denominations, whose followers claim to be Christians, but they disagree with each other, and at times even seem to hate or at least distrust each other. Each of these flocks is actually following a human being, which is not Jesus!
The verses immediately following the ones selected as the verse(s) of the week state another truth that Jesus proclaimed. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life— only to take it up again. No-one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father. (John 10:17-18) We are still so close to the Easter celebration, it seems important to include such verses in this commentary too. It seems we the people who call themselves Christians today are not all listening to the voice on one Shepard, but to other voices of some other mere human being instead of a total focus on Jesus the Christ! In these commentaries that is why I seldom refer to Christians, but usually use the term followers of Jesus!
It seems we have made the Christian religion too complicated, and thus, it is more difficult to really hear the voice of Jesus Christ, and to follow Him and only Him as our Lord and Savior! Jesus even sensed this in His days of walking this earth, and hearing from the religious leaders of His day. A statement Jesus made for us, and recorded for us by Mark for this commentary, may state it rather well. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. (Mark10:15) Unless we can hear what Jesus says, and we accept it as being from our Savior, because we are completely open to it and receive it as the absolute authority of the Word of God, as a child would, we may never really be followers of Jesus.
Are you a Christian who follows Joel or Glen or ______ (you can fill-in the name), or do you really follow Jesus and Him only? Paul wrote a letter to the people of Ephesus to tell them why they must follow Jesus to obtain redemption of their sins! In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. (Ephesians 1:7-8) We are saved through grace; there is nothing we can do in order that our immortal soul will be saved. There is no other way by which we can be saved.
Grace may sometimes seem to be unfair to us. Jesus told us that following Him is the only way to obtain God’s grace. Do you know the way to find Jesus? Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:5-6) Please do not believe the Oprah’s of the world, there are NOT many paths to God there is only one way, which is through Jesus! There is only one God, and God has a Son, who is named Jesus! Another situation that may make grace seem unfair, is when some human being who has done terrible things is seemingly saved, some Christians may think that is not fair to them.
If you have been a follower of Jesus for a long time, and your life has been improved because of the grace you have been granted, you may feel like the brother of the prodigal son, who thought the Father should not have been happy on the return of this bad son! Or you may feel like you should get more, because you have been a follower for a long time, like the grape pickers in the parable of workers in the vineyard! In such cases God the Father was forgiving to the max! Do not miss the point though that none of us got what we deserved, and that would be to go to hell, because we are not perfect. Without grace we would all go to hell
You have nothing to offer that Jesus needs! Jesus wants you to be saved, and because He loved you and died in your place, there is grace sufficient for all our needs and for everyone else too!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
|
|
|
