Facing Our Weakness

Posted on October 22, 2010 by Steve Foster

36Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”

37Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”

38Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times! (John 13:36-38)

You gotta love Peter. He is always the one to speak what everyone else is thinking. Bold, brash, self-confident but yet also sincere and authentic. I can’t wait to interact with him in heaven!

Jesus gives the disciples His new great command. Love one another as I have loved you. By this all men will know that you are My disciples by your love for one another. One of the centerpiece statements in the Lord’s final instructions to His disciples. The clarion call to love. The beacon of light to the world. And what is Peter thinking?

“That’s nice, Lord. But let’s go back to that little statement You made before that. The part about not being able to go where You are going” (13:33).

The word “can’t” is not a word in Peter’s vocabulary. If Jesus is going somewhere, Peter is bound and determined to go there with Him….especially if Jesus is fighting a battle, facing opposition, or setting up His kingdom. Peter wants to be there in the action.

But Peter is not as strong as he thinks he is. Jesus knows it. Peter doesn’t know it…yet.

It is interesting that all four gospels mention Peter’s denial. It is obviously an event that every disciple remembers. And it is perhaps the one most crucial event in the life, transformation, and growth of Peter. Peter had to be broken of his self-confidence (rooted in pride) in order to be given a God confidence (rooted in humility). Peter had to be made weak in order to be truly strong.

It is a process that is not fun but it is usually necessary.

Here is what Jesus says in Luke’s account (Luke 22):

31“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

33But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”

34Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

Satan was about to take Peter through the ringer. And Jesus was going to allow it. Why? Because Jesus knew that Peter needed to know that he was not as strong as he thought he was. Peter was not in control. And the battles that he would face in life were much bigger than him. Peter needed to get a full taste of his spiritual adversary so that he would recognize his absolute need to depend on the power of Christ.

Peter also needed to develop true compassion, the ability to suffer (passion) with (com) another person. Peter could not truly “strengthen his brothers” as long as he was convinced that he had it all together in life and they were all a bunch of spiritual wimps. Remember in Matthew and Mark’s accounts, Peter made it clear: “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” (Matthew 26:33, Mark 14:29)

So why does God often allow us to go through difficult times? To break our pride. To draw us to His side. To help us learn to rely on His power. And to give us a heart of humility, love, and compassion for others.

Lord, my pride so easily sprouts its head. I rely on myself. I struggle to let go. I criticize others. I become independent. I live a prayerless life. Help me to trust You even when the medicine is strong, even when the knife cuts deep. And may I truly love and strengthen my brothers with the love and strength that I receive from You.

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Washing Feet

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Steve Foster

1It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

2The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (John 13:1-5)

There is a lot to consider here. But try to catch the scene.

The disciples are gathered together for the Passover meal with Jesus. There is tension in the room because they all sense that the tide of public opinion is turning against Jesus. They are fearful of the future and uncertain when/if Jesus is ever going to display His power, rescue Israel, subjugate the Romans, and bring in the kingdom. In the midst of all this tension, they have entered the room with dirty feet. It was customary in that time to have a servant present to wash people’s feet as they entered for a meal. No servant was present and the disciples figured they would ignore this social custom. But Jesus sees it as an opportunity to show His love and teach His disciples another lesson on servanthood.

Men don’t like to be humbled. Like I said yesterday in the message, men value strength. So the thought of getting on your knees and washing the feet of other men was not something that would ever enter their minds. It was “below” them. To a group of men frequently arguing over who was the greatest, this would be the ultimate sign of weakness and humiliation. So Jesus gets up and washes their feet to say, in effect, that man’s fight for the top should be replaced by a humble pursuit for the bottom. Instead of wanting to be king with other people serving us, we should strive to be servants making others feel like kings.

“Whoa, whoa, wait a second.” That’s what Peter is thinking. “I am not going to allow You to lower Yourself to that level, Jesus. It’s embarrassing.” Notice that Peter doesn’t volunteer to wash everyone’s feet, he just wants to make sure that Jesus doesn’t do it.

This kind of servant spirit and action is not in our nature. There is only one way that we can come to it. Look again at verses 3-4. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.

Jesus could be a servant before men because He knew who He was before God. Only security in my identity before God can give me vulnerability in my identity before men. Our fight for man’s honor reveals our lack of trust in God’s honor.

So loving others really does begin with being fully loved by God. When I am filled with His love and secure in Him, then I can get on my knees and wash the feet of others without worrying about public opinion.

Lord, I have a long way to go. And when I think I’ve gotten a little farther down the road, simple incidents remind me that I still have a lot of pride and that I lack a servant’s heart. Remind me of Your love for me today. Help me to soak in Your grace. Stretch my mind to fathom Who You are. And then give me Your heart to care about people, Your eyes to see the needs around me, and Your hands to try to meet them.

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Spirit-Filled Families

Posted on October 15, 2010 by Steve Foster

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3“that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” 4Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:1-4)

In instructing households, Paul begins with husbands and wives (5:22-33). The marriage relationship forms the backbone of the family. The stability of the marriage bond will inevitably impact the stability of the family. As someone has said, “The best gift that parents can give their children is a good marriage between themselves.” And a good marriage is built when wives and husbands both subjugate their own wills to meet the deepest need of the other. Since a man’s heart desires to be respected, then the wife shows love to her husband by supporting him, cheering him on, and submitting to his leadership. And since a woman’s heart desires to be loved, then the husband shows love to his wife by cherishing her, honoring her, and demonstrating his willingness to lay down his life for her.

In Ephesians 6:1-4, Paul turns to the relationship of children and parents.

As a parent, I desire to be appreciated by my children. That to me is at the heart of honor. A grateful child will understand my heart, sense my love, trust me, and obey me. Obedience is better than disobedience. But we all know that children can obey on the outside and be angry on the inside (e.g., the older brother in the prodigal son story). The idea of honor is that the obedience comes from a heart of humility and gratitude. Even as adults, we can model this by showing honor to our own parents through appreciation and respect.

We can also help our children honor us by fulfilling our own responsibility toward them. Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Paul specifically addresses fathers since they are to take the lead in the home; however, I think Paul’s words apply to both fathers and mothers.

As parents, we are called to shepherd our children, to instruct them, to guide them, to give them life skills, to teach them about God, and to model godliness before them. And we must do this without “exasperating” them. The Greek word, parorgizo, means “to provoke to anger or to stir up bitterness or frustration.” How do we do that? My own observation is that we provoke our children when we speak harshly, attack, criticize, blame them for our bad moods, and demand more from them than we are willing to do in our own lives.

Bottom line, the family is the proving ground of our faith. A 19th century American pastor named T.D. Talmage once said, “Home is a mighty test of character. What you are at home you are everywhere, whether you demonstrate it or not.”

Whoa. We all need to do our own heart check, don’t we? The ironic thing about Paul’s words in Ephesians 5-6 is that we often focus more on the responsibilities of the other person than we do on our own. Wives complain that their husbands don’t love them. Husbands complain that their wives don’t respect them. Children complain that their parents are unfair. And parents complain that their children are ungrateful. Instead, Paul addresses each of us and says, “Focus on your own responsibility and leave the heart of the other person in God’s hands.”

Lord, help me to be faithful as a husband and as a father. May my wife know that she is #1 in my life and that my eyes and heart are focused on her. May my children know that I love the Lord, love their mom, and want the best for them. May they see it in my actions and hear it in the tone of my voice.

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Spirit-Filled Life

Posted on October 13, 2010 by Steve Foster

18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God. (Ephesians 5:18-21)

Ephesians 5 is all about action…about taking the things we know in Christ and putting them into daily practice. Paul tells us to “walk in love” (5:2), to “walk as children of light” (5:8), and to “walk” in wisdom (5:15). In other words, each day take specific action to show love to others, to avoid sin and live openly for Christ, and to make wise choices, taking advantage of the opportunities you have.

So how do you do all that…especially when you don’t feel like it? By being filled with the Spirit.

The Spirit is our source of power to live the Christian life. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you… (Acts 1:8a). He is the Energizer that helps keep us going and going and going. Yeah, I am thinking of the bunny commercial but it seems to apply here.

For me the next question is, “Well, then how do I get filled with the Spirit? How do I tap into His power?”

The simple answer is by yielding to God each day (and not to an addictive substance, Paul would add). By asking to be filled. By starting each day with the heartfelt prayer, “Lord, I give today to You. Give me Your strength to show love, to avoid sin, and to live wisely.”

But I think these verses also give us other actions to pursue in order to be filled with God’s Spirit. The participles that follow–speaking, singing, making melody, giving thanks, and submitting–can be seen as actions that result from being filled with the Spirit or as actions that accompany being filled with the Spirit. I take the latter view. In other words, our part is to pursue these actions and God’s part is to fill us with His Spirit as we do.

So how can I be filled with the Spirit today?

By starting to sing a praise song in my heart and then encouraging others with the truths of that song. Music and praise are tied to the Spirit. Just like David in the Psalms, sometimes we have to praise our way out of the pits of life (e.g., Psalm 13). And I shouldn’t stop at just singing in my heart but rather I should speak those songs out loud to others…or like David, write them out so that others can be encouraged.

By finding reasons to give thanks. Instead of focusing on the problems of life, I should focus on the power and provision of God. Like Peter walking on water, we can either focus on Jesus or on the stormy waves around us. Giving thanks trains my heart to remember that every breath is a gift from God, that I deserve nothing but death but God has given me life in Jesus Christ. One of our 5:16 verses reminds us of the importance of daily thanksgiving, 16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) One helpful exercise is to take the letters A-Z and write down one thing you can be thankful for beginning with each letter.

By submitting to others with an attitude of humility and love. Earlier in Ephesians, Paul said, Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (4:3). The Spirit is the One who unifies us. Thus, being filled with Spirit will always involve a change in our relationships. The Spirit will move us toward love, toward keeping the Great Commandment, toward submitting our will for the benefit of others, toward serving others.

Thus, as I begin to sing, give thanks, and love/serve others, the Spirit fills me and gives me power to keep doing more of the same. This is the Spirit-filled life.

Lord, fill me with Your Spirit! Put a song in my heart this morning. Remind me of my blessings. And give me power to step out in faith and encourage and serve others today.

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Worship in Spirit and in Truth

Posted on September 29, 2010 by Steve Foster

19“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

21Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:19-24)

The conversation with the Samaritan woman reaches a climax. Jesus has to cross several hurdles in order to finally impact this woman’s heart.

  • He crosses the cultural hurdle. Jews don’t talk to Samaritans…especially women.
  • He crosses the material hurdle. Jesus had to get her to think of living water for her soul versus some kind of super-duper, never-thirst physical water.
  • He crosses the moral hurdle. Jesus had to gently confront her sin of multiple sexual relationships as evidence of her desperate thirst for living water.

The final hurdle is often the most difficult. The religious hurdle. “Okay,” she asks, “You seem to know a lot of stuff. Tell me, which religion is correct? The Jews or the Samaritans? Where does real worship take place? In Jerusalem or in Samaria? At this temple or at that temple?”

That same question often gets asked today in different ways. “Which church is correct?” “Should I be Baptist or Presbyterian, Episcopalian or Catholic?” “Or should I go to a church, temple, synagogue, or mosque to find God?”

How does Jesus answer? To truly worship God, we absolutely must worship Him in spirit and in truth. It is not a matter of location or ethnicity or label. It is a matter of the heart and of the mind.

We must worship in spirit. It must be sincere. It must come from a heart gripped by one’s sin, aware of one’s own spiritual need and thirst, and calling out for God’s mercy and grace.

And we must worship in truth. It must be based on truth, on reality. We can’t invent God in our own image to match our own religious desires. We must know Him in truth. We must let the reality of His existence and the certainty of His character change our thinking and bend our will to His, not vice-versa.

Jesus makes it clear…”salvation is from the Jews.” In other words, God’s revelation to the Jews in the Old Testament and through Jesus Christ in the New Testament is the accurate revelation of Himself. The Bible is the objective definition of who God is. True worship must conform to the character of God as revealed in Scripture.

The Jews, as a whole, knew who God was (in truth) but they failed to worship Him from their hearts (in spirit). The Samaritans, as a whole, had a hunger for the Lord (in spirit) but failed to accurately grasp who God was (in truth) because they rejected much of the Old Testament in favor of their own formulations of God.

Both miss the boat. True worship must be in spirit and in truth. Both are essential. I must know who God is in my mind and I must yield to Him in my heart.

God is actively seeking these kind of worshipers. Which is why I must ask myself, “Am I worshiping God in spirit and in truth?” Am I letting His Word renew my mind, transform my thinking, conform my will to His? And am I truly yielding to His Spirit, allowing His grace to soften my heart, remove my pride and my idols, and fill me with His love? To ignore either one is to go through the motions of religion but to miss true relationship with God.

Lord, may You find me to be one of Your true worshipers today.

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