Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires leaving stereotypes behind by inviting everyone and anyone to trust and follow Jesus...

This week we have been looking at an event from history that is recorded in a section of an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible called the gospel of Matthew. As Jesus finished traveling from the place where He had preached His famous sermon to arrive at the city of Capernaum, that Matthew gives us a front row seat to this event from history by explaining that a Roman Centurion came to Jesus. Matthew explained that this Roman Centurion came to Jesus imploring Him and saying "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented."

As the Centurion watched his closest assistant suffering at the hands of a terrifying and debilitating disease, the centurion recognized that, for all his authority; for all the might and resources that he had at his disposal, there was nothing that he was able to do to help his servant. Helpless to help his servant, this commanding officer of the conquering enemy who was very different from Jesus ethnically, came to Jesus and strongly pleaded with Jesus to do something for him that no one else was able to do.

Jesus response, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: “You want me, as a Jew, to come under your roof, since you are a Gentile? You want me as a Jew to come touch and heal your servant, who is a Gentile? If you are asking me to do that, I will do that, but are you sure you want to ask me to do that?” You see, under the Jewish Law and customs of the day, for Jewish person to enter the home of a Gentile would have been a cultural taboo. Jewish people believed that they would defile, or corrupt themselves, if they had such contact with a person who was not Jewish.

But now a military leader who was in a position of authority was strongly requesting Jesus to violate a cultural taboo of the day and come to heal his servant. Or so it seemed. Matthew explained that instead of having Jesus come to his house, which would violate the cultural morays of the Jewish culture of the day, this commanding officer of the conquering enemy stated “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof”.

The issue for the centurion was not about the social status of Jew vs. Gentile. The centurion recognized that under Jewish Law and customs, a Jew was not allowed to enter the house of a Gentile. So, instead of arguing and leveraging his social status, the centurion demonstrated a deep personal humility. The centurion recognized Jesus authority and that he was not worthy as a man, not just as a Gentile, to have Jesus enter into his home. And because of that reality, the centurion engaged Jesus and stated, “but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.”

The centurion believed and trusted that Jesus had the authority to teach, heal, cast out evil spirits, and therefore reasoned that Jesus could heal from a distance. And because of that reality, the centurion trusted that Jesus needed only to say the word, and his servant would be healed.

Jesus responded to the statement of the Centurion by marveling at the Centurion. And as a result of being so amazed and impressed, Jesus proclaimed to the crowds that were following Him, which were almost entirely Jewish ethnically and culturally, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.” Jesus proclaimed that this gentile, this commanding officer of the conquering enemy, had more faith than any of the Jewish people that He had encountered. Jesus proclaimed that this gentile, this commanding officer of the conquering enemy, understood who Jesus was and what Jesus was offering far better than any of the Jewish people that He had encountered. And because of humility and trust that Jesus witnessed in this commanding officer of the conquering enemy who was not Jewish ethnically, Jesus responded by challenging the crowds that were following Him in Matthew 8:11-12:

 "I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; ¹² but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Jesus proclaimed to the predominantly Jewish crowd that was following Him that many who were far from the Jewish people in terms of their nationality, ethnicity, or exposure to God would experience community with those who were Jewish ethnically and who demonstrated the faith to trust in Jesus for all eternity as part of the kingdom of Heaven. However, for those who were Jewish and who trusted and relied on their exposure to God that came as a result of their ethnic or national background would end up separated from God and experience eternal justice and judgment as a result of their wrongdoing and injustice that flowed from their selfish rebellion and rejection of God. 

Jesus painted a picture of the kingdom of Heaven as a place where individuals from every ethnic and national background would be present and welcomed as part of the kingdom. Now, it is hard to underestimate how shocking this statement would have been to a Jewish person in Jesus day. After all, those who were ethnically a Gentile were viewed as subhuman and were referred to as dogs. Especially despised were men such as this Roman Centurion, this commanding officer of the conquering enemy who no Jewish person would even consider entering into their home.

For even someone who was as respected as the Roman Centurion was by the Jewish people, Jesus statement would have left the mouths of the Jewish crowds hitting the floor in stunned disagreement and disbelief. After all, for someone to make such a shocking and stunning statement, that person would have to provide evidence of their authority to even make such a statement.  We see Jesus back His statement with the evidence of His authority to make such a statement in verse 13:

And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed that very moment.

Jesus responded to the centurion by commanding the centurion to "Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed." You see, for the centurion to demonstrate his belief and trust in Jesus and the authority that Jesus possessed would require him to act on that trust by returning home without Jesus. The centurion would have to place His trust in the word of Jesus and return home without the presence of Jesus, which is exactly what he did. Matthew tells us that upon returning home, the Centurion found his servant fully healed and restored to health.

And it is here that we discover a timeless truth when it comes to following the example of Jesus by inviting those who are far from Jesus to follow Jesus and live in relationship with Jesus. And that timeless truth is this: Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires leaving stereotypes behind by inviting everyone and anyone to trust and follow Jesus. In order to invite people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus, we must leave any stereotypes behind by inviting everyone and anyone to trust and follow Jesus.

Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we leave any stereotypes behind because every human being bears the image of God regardless of ethnicity or nationality. Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we leave any stereotypes behind because every human being deserves to be treated with dignity, regardless of ethnic, national, or religious background.  Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we leave any stereotypes behind because Jesus challenges our tendency to stereotype people who are different from us ethically, culturally, and nationally.

Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we leave any stereotypes behind because the message of Jesus is a message for all people, regardless of ethnicity or nationality. Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we leave any stereotypes behind because the message of Jesus is the only way that provides rescue from our selfish rebellion and God’s right and just response to our selfish rebellion.

So here is a question to consider. Are you willing to invite people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus by leaving any stereotypes behind so that we can invite everyone and anyone to trust and follow Jesus.? Are you willing to take the time to recognize the good qualities of those who do not know Jesus but who are being drawn by Jesus to Him regardless of their ethnicity, nationality, or religious views? Are you willing to invite people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus by leaving any stereotypes behind in order to treat everyone and anyone with dignity, regardless of ethnic, national, or religious background?

Because that is what it means to invite people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus…

What would cause Jesus to marvel?

This week we are looking at an event from history that is recorded in a section of an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible called the gospel of Matthew. As Jesus finished traveling from the place where He had preached His famous sermon to arrive at the city of Capernaum, that Matthew gives us a front row seat to this event from history by explaining that a Roman Centurion came to Jesus. This Roman Centurion was a military leader of a conquering army, of a different ethnicity, who had the responsibility for leading the 100 men in his unit.

As the Centurion watched his servant, his closest assistant suffering at the hands of a terrifying and debilitating disease, the centurion recognized that, for all his authority; for all the might and resources that he had at his disposal, there was nothing that he was able to do to help his servant. Helpless to help his servant, this commanding officer of the conquering enemy who was very different from Jesus ethnically, came to Jesus and strongly pleaded with Jesus to do something for him that no one else was able to do.

In Luke 7, we see Luke gives us some additional details about this event from history. And in those details, we discover that this Roman Centurion was not the stereotypical Roman Centurion. Unlike most military leaders of the conquering Roman Army, this centurion cared for those under his leadership and he cared deeply for his servant who was suffering terribly. In addition, this centurion also cared for the people who he was occupying as a conquering military leader.

This centurion was viewed by the Jewish people of Capernaum as a God-fearing Gentile. In other words, even though the centurion was not ethnically Jewish, Jewish people viewed him as a person who worshipped the One True God of the Jews. The centurion’s faith and worship of God was demonstrated by the reality that he gave of his own money to help build the synagogue that was located in the city of Capernaum.

However, under the Jewish Law and customs of the day, for Jewish person to enter the home of a Gentile would have been a cultural taboo. Jewish people believed that they would defile, or corrupt themselves, if they had such contact with a person who was not Jewish. Up to this point in the life of Jesus, Jesus had never entered into the home of a Gentile.

But now a military leader who was in a position of authority was strongly requesting Jesus to violate a cultural taboo of the day and come to heal his servant. Or so it seemed. Because as Matthew continues to give us a front row seat to this event from history, as Jesus demonstrated His willingness to meet the request by the centurion and violate a cultural taboo of the day, we see the centurion’s response in verse 8:

But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

Matthew explained that instead of having Jesus come to his house, which would violate the cultural morays of the Jewish culture of the day, this commanding officer of the conquering enemy stated “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof”. Now a natural question that could arise at this point is “Why would the Centurion make such a statement? Why would the Centurion state that he was not worthy to have Jesus come into his house?”

You see, the centurion did not view himself as not being worthy because of his social status. After all, he was the conquering commander of 100 well trained military men that represented the most powerful empire in the world. The centurion had the social status. The issue for the centurion was not about the social status of Jew vs. Gentile.

The centurion recognized that under Jewish Law and customs, a Jew was not allowed to enter the house of a Gentile. So, instead of arguing and leveraging his social status, the centurion demonstrated a deep personal humility. The centurion recognized Jesus authority and that he was not worthy as a man, not just as a Gentile, to have Jesus enter into his home. And because of that reality, the centurion engaged Jesus and stated, “but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.”

In other words, the centurion basically said to Jesus “Jesus just give the order, as being the one who is large and in charge, and my servant will be healed.” The centurion believed and trusted that Jesus had the authority to teach, heal, cast out evil spirits, and therefore reasoned that Jesus could heal from a distance. And because of that reality, the centurion trusted that Jesus needed only to say the word, and his servant would be healed. We see the centurion provide the evidence of this reality in verse 9:

 "For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it."

The centurion compared the authority that he possessed as the commanding officer of a conquering army with the authority that He believed and trusted that Jesus possessed. Just as those under his authority had to obey his orders, the centurion believed and trusted that the disease that left his servant paralyzed and in terrible suffering would have to obey Jesus orders. Matthew then recorded for us how Jesus responded to the statement by the centurion in verse 10:

Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.

Matthew explained that Jesus responded to the statement of the Centurion by marveling at the Centurion. Now this word marvel literally means to be extraordinarily impressed by someone or something. You see, Jesus was amazed and impressed by the centurion’s recognition of Jesus authority that resulted in his faith and trust in Him. Jesus was amazed and impressed in this conquering officer’s confident trust in the authority of Jesus to do what only God could do.

And as a result of being so amazed and impressed, Jesus proclaimed to the crowds that were following Him, which were almost entirely Jewish ethnically and culturally, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.” Jesus proclaimed that this gentile, this commanding officer of the conquering enemy, had more faith than any of the Jewish people that He had encountered. Jesus proclaimed that this gentile, this commanding officer of the conquering enemy, understood who Jesus was and what Jesus was offering far better than any of the Jewish people that He had encountered.

And because of humility and trust that Jesus witnessed in this commanding officer of the conquering enemy who was not Jewish ethnically, Jesus responded by challenging the Jewish crowds that were following Him. Friday we will look at that challenge together...

The powerlessness, in spite of power, that produces an urgent request...

At the church where I serve we are in the middle of a sermon series entitled “Invite”. During this series we are going to look at several events from history where Jesus engaged and invited those who were far from Him to follow Him and live in relationship with Him. During this series, we are going to discover what Jesus said to invite those who were far from Him to follow Him and live in relationship with Him. During this series, we are going to discover how Jesus said what He said to invite those who were far from Him to follow Him and live in relationship with Him.

And as we go through this series, our hope and prayer is that God would move by the power of the Holy Spirit in our heads, hearts, and hands in a way that equips and empowers us to follow the example of Jesus when it comes to inviting those who are far from Jesus to follow Jesus and live in relationship with Jesus.  Now maybe you do not buy the whole Jesus, Bible, church thing. Maybe you are not sure about whether or not there is a God, let alone whether you should follow Him or live for Him.

If I have just described you, I am so glad that you are reading this, because here’s the thing. What you will discover during this series is that there is a reason why followers of Jesus are commanded by Jesus to invite you to follow Jesus. And there is a way that followers of Jesus are supposed to invite you to follow Jesus. And my hope for you is that you would see what Jesus calls His followers to do when it comes to inviting you to follow Jesus so that you can see how Jesus feels about you and what He calls His followers to do, and what Jesus calls His followers not to do, when it comes to engaging you and inviting you to follow Jesus.

This week I would like for us to look at an event from history that is recorded in a section of an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible called the gospel of Matthew. And it is in a section of the gospel of Matthew that we see Matthew give us a front row seat to how Jesus engaged and invited someone who was far from Him to follow Him. So let’s take that front row seat together, beginning in Matthew 8:5-6:

And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, ⁶ and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented."

Now to fully understand what is happening in this event from history, we first need to understand the context in which this event from history took place. Just prior to this event from history, Jesus had just finished preaching perhaps His most famous sermon, which we know today as the Sermon on the Mount. After concluding His sermon, Jesus encountered a leper who asked Jesus to heal him of the disease that had plagued his body. Jesus responded to the leper’s request by miraculously healing the leper.

And it is in this context, as Jesus finished traveling from the place where He had preached His famous sermon to arrive at the city of Capernaum, that Matthew gives us a front row seat to this event from history by explaining that a Roman Centurion came to Jesus. Now a Roman Centurion was an officer in the Roman Army who commanded 100 men. At this time in history, the Roman Empire was the dominant military and political power in the known world and had conquered the Jewish people. And as a result of conquering the Jewish people, the Roman Empire had military forces that occupied the Jewish nation to ensure control of the nation. So this Roman Centurion was a military leader of a conquering army, of a different ethnicity, who had the responsibility for leading the 100 men in his unit.

Matthew explained that this Roman Centurion came to Jesus imploring Him and saying "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented." When the centurion used the word Lord, he was proclaiming that he viewed Jesus as one who had a position of authority. In other words, this centurion, who was in position of power and authority, wanted Jesus to understand that he recognized that Jesus was someone who had a higher authority than even he possessed. This conquering military leader, who was in a position of authority and in a position to give orders to anyone, instead pleaded with Jesus by making a strong request.

And the request that this Centurion made to Jesus was to help his servant, who was in a paralyzed condition at his home. Most likely, the servant was the centurion’s closest assistant or armor bearer. However, his close assistant found himself in severe distress as a result of a disease that left him paralyzed and in terrible suffering. And as the Centurion watched his closest assistant suffering at the hands of a terrifying and debilitating disease, the centurion recognized that, for all his authority; for all the might and resources that he had at his disposal, there was nothing that he was able to do to help his servant. Helpless to help his servant, this commanding officer of the conquering enemy who was very different from Jesus ethnically, came to Jesus and strongly pleaded with Jesus to do something for him that no one else was able to do.

Now a natural question that could arise here would be “Well how did this centurion even know about Jesus?” We discover the answer to that question in a section of another account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible, called the gospel of Luke. In Luke 7, we see Luke gives us some additional details about this event from history. And in those details, we discover that this Roman Centurion was not the stereotypical centurion of Jesus day. Unlike most military leaders of the conquering Roman Army, this centurion cared for those under his leadership and he cared deeply for his servant who was suffering terribly. In addition, this centurion also cared for the people who he was occupying as a conquering military leader.

As a matter of fact, this centurion was so well respected by the Jewish people of Capernaum that a group of Jewish religious leaders came to Jesus to plead that Jesus would help the centurion. This centurion was viewed by the Jewish people of Capernaum as a God-fearing Gentile. In other words, even though the centurion was not ethnically Jewish, Jewish people viewed him as a person who worshiped the One True God of the Jews. The centurion’s faith and worship of God was demonstrated by the reality that he gave of his own money to help build the synagogue that was located in the city of Capernaum.

As a Roman military leader responsible for keeping the peace, this centurion would have been responsible for knowing about any potential leaders that could threaten the peace and quiet of the region. And word on the street had most likely reached this centurion regarding Jesus and the large crowds that were beginning to follow Jesus and His recent activity of healing a man who suffered from leprosy. And now helpless to help his closest and most valuable servant, this commanding officer of the conquering enemy who was very different from Jesus ethnically, came to Jesus and strongly pleaded with Jesus to do something for him that no one else was able to do. Matthew records Jesus response to the Centurion’s request in verse 7:

 Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him."

Now what is so interesting about Jesus response here is that Jesus is just as much asking a question as He is making a statement. Jesus response, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: “You want me, as a Jew, to come under your roof, since you are a Gentile? You want me as a Jew to come touch and heal your servant, who is a Gentile? If you are asking me to do that, I will do that, but are you sure you want to ask me to do that?”

You see, under the Jewish Law and customs of the day, for Jewish person to enter the home of a Gentile would have been a cultural taboo. Jewish people believed that they would defile, or corrupt themselves, if they had such contact with a person who was not Jewish. Up to this point in the life of Jesus, Jesus had never entered into the home of a Gentile. But now a military leader who was in a position of authority was strongly requesting Jesus to violate a cultural taboo of the day and come to heal his servant.

Or so it seemed. Because as Matthew continues to give us a front row seat to this event from history, as Jesus demonstrated His willingness to meet the request by the centurion and violate a cultural taboo of the day, we see the centurion’s response in verse 8.

Tomorrow we will look at his response…  

Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we lovingly engage those who are far from Jesus and far from us...

This week we are looking at an event from history that is recorded in a section of an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible called the gospel of John. So far this week we looked on as Jesus engaged a Samaritan woman, who was an ostracized outsider, by asking her for a drink. Jesus responded to this ostracized outsider by being vulnerable and exposing a need that He had in His life. Jesus responded to this ostracized outsider in a way that gave her dignity and by inviting her to step into His life to meet a need that He had in His life.

John then gave us a glimpse into the ethnic and religious animosity between the Jews and Samaritans as the Samaritan woman basically said to Jesus “aren’t you Jewish people too good for us, so why are you even talking to me”. Instead of responding to the ethnic and religious animosity of the Samaritan woman by ignoring her, Jesus chose to engage her. Jesus intentionally chose to set aside the customs of the day and the Jewish Law of the day by asking her for a drink of water that would have come from a container that would have been viewed as “unclean”. Instead of bowing to the prevailing ethnic and religious animosity and hatred, Jesus treated the Samaritan woman as a social equal and with respect.

The Samaritan woman however was solely focused on meeting her immediate personal needs to maintain life. Jesus responded to the woman by basically saying to her “everyone who comes to drink this water will have to come back again later, because this water only maintains life. This water may temporarily reduce thirst, but this water never removes the thirst. However, the water I have, this water removes even the deepest thirst. The water that I have becomes a source of water that produces life”.

And once again, we see the Samaritan woman miss the point. Instead, the Samaritan woman responded by focusing on her pressing immediate needs. The Samaritan woman was focused on attempting to satisfy her deepest thirst from the wrong source. We see Jesus reveal this reality in the Samaritan woman’s life in John 4:16-18:

 He said to her, "Go, call your husband and come here." The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have correctly said, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly."

Instead of being frustrated at the Samaritan woman’s faulty focus, Jesus lovingly reveals her faulty focus. And it is here that we see why the Samaritan woman was at the well at high noon. Here we see why the Samaritan woman was an outsider who was far from God and far from others. You see, the Samaritan women had not been divorced one time. The Samaritan women had not been divorced two times. Instead, the Samaritan women had been divorced five times. And now, the Samaritan woman was living with a man who was not her husband.

You see, the Samaritan woman was focused on satisfying her deepest thirst from the well of  a relationship with a man. However, those repeated relationships were empty wells that held no water and could not satisfy that thirst. And now the Samaritan woman had a story. A story of being a home wrecker; a story of being an adulterer; a story that left her far from God and far from others, ostracized and isolated; a story that you might relate to. Maybe you have been trying to satisfy the deepest thirst in your life with position, power, or pleasure, only to find that you may reduce the thirst for a while, but the thirst only returns.

Now you might be thinking to yourself “well Dave that does not sound like Jesus is being very loving here. I mean it seems that Jesus just called her out as a sinner. How can you say that Jesus was loving here”? If those questions are running through your mind, I just want to let you know that they are great questions to be asking. And my response to those questions is this: The reason I can say that Jesus was loving here is based on how the Samaritan woman responded to what Jesus said. We see her response in verse 19-20:

 The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship."

You see, the Samaritan woman did not respond to Jesus by being offended and bailing on the conversation. Instead, the Samaritan woman did what we all tend to do when we find ourselves vulnerable after being exposed for who we truly are. The Samaritan woman attempted to change the subject. Exposed for attempting to satisfy her deepest thirst from the wrong well, the Samaritan woman changed the subject to a theological debate on worship.

The Samaritan woman basically says “You seem to be a man who knows God and God’s will, so I have a theological question for you: my ancestors believed that true worship occurred on that mountain over there, but you people burned down our temple and told us that Jerusalem is where true worship occurs. So who is right?”

Now imagine yourself as Jesus. Place yourselves in His shoes. How would you respond to this woman’s attempt to change the subject? Would you call her out: “hey don’t try to change the subject! Let’s talk about your life that’s off the rails. Let’s talk about your sin that has ostracized and isolated you from everyone else”. Would you let her change the subject or would you keep the spotlight focused on her? We see how Jesus responded in verse 21-24:

 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

Now Jesus response, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: That is a great question and what I am about to tell you is 100% true and worthy of trust. You see, a time is coming where location will not matter when it comes to worship. The reason that your worship is wrong is because you really do not know the object of your worship. Since you have rejected most of what the Old Testament says about God you really do not know who God is so that you can worship Him. Jewish people, on the other hand, know who the object of their worship is supposed to be, because they have accepted what the Old Testament say about God. And because the Jewish people have accepted all of the Old Testament, they know that God has promised a rescuer, a deliver, a Messiah, who God had promised would bring them back to God. But, here is the thing; the time has come where those who worship God will do so because the Spirit of God has awakened their spirit to the truth of who God is. Those are the worshipers that God truly seeks. God is Spirit; and those who truly worship Him must do so by the power of the Holy Spirit awakening their spirit to the truth of who He is”.

You see, instead of rebuking the Samaritan woman for attempting to change the subject, Jesus graciously and lovingly answered her question. Instead of rebuking the Samaritan woman for attempting to change the subject, Jesus engaged in a respectful conversation with her. You see, so often as followers of Jesus we unlovingly provide answers to questions that those who are far from God are not asking instead of lovingly answering the questions that those who are far from God are asking.

Throughout the accounts of Jesus life, we see Jesus be incredibly patient, gracious, and loving with those who were far from God. What Jesus did not have patience for and repeatedly confronted was the self-righteous religious people who did not see their need for forgiveness. I mean, do you think that the Samaritan woman did not know that her life was off the rails? Do you think that the Samaritan women needed to be repeatedly reminded of her past selfishness and rebellion? There seemed to be plenty of other people around her who were more than willing to do that. We see how the Samaritan woman responded to Jesus answer in verse 25:

The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us."

The Samaritan woman basically says to Jesus “Well one thing about theology that I do know is that God promised a rescuer and a deliverer and when He comes, He will be able to proclaim and teach us what the right answers are when it comes to the worship of God.  And when He comes, we will find out whether I am right or you are right”. What the Samaritan women was not prepared for, however is what happened next, which John records for us in verse 26:

  Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."

Now can you imagine what must have been running through the mind of the Samaritan woman at this point? Can you imagine the look on her face? After all, she had already acknowledged that there was something different about Jesus. Jesus seemed to know her life story, even though he had just met her. Jesus seemed to be a person that was inspired by God and knew a lot about God. And Jesus engaged her in a way that was so different than what she was used to by religious people, or irreligious people for that matter.

Jesus treated here as a social equal in spite of their ethnic and religious differences. Jesus treated her with dignity by being vulnerable and asking her to meet a need that she could meet in His life. Jesus graciously and respectfully engaged in a conversation regarding their differing religious beliefs in a way that answered her questions. And while Jesus called her on her sin, Jesus did not judge her. Instead Jesus seemed to be calling her to something else. Jesus was inviting her to follow Him and experience the forgiveness and the relationship with God that she was created for.        

And it is here that we discover a timeless truth when it comes to following the example of Jesus by inviting those who are far from Jesus to follow Jesus and live in relationship with Jesus. And that timeless truth is this: Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we lovingly engage those who are far from Jesus and far from us.

In order to invite people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus, we must lovingly engage those who are far from Jesus and far from us. Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we lovingly and intentionally engage those who are far from Jesus and may have hostility or animosity towards us. Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that that we lovingly and intentionally engage those who are far from God and may be ostracized outsiders in the eyes of others.

Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we intentionally overcome any ethnic barriers that get in our way, because every human being is created in the image of God and deserve to be treated with dignity, regardless of ethnic or religious background. Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we lovingly engage those who are far from Jesus by being vulnerable and receiving the good things from those who are far from Jesus may have for us.

Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we engage in respectful discussions that take other people’s theology seriously and respectfully by graciously and lovingly answering the questions that they are asking instead of unlovingly providing answers to questions that they are not asking. Inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we set aside the religious customs and rules that promote either legalism or license to instead live in the tension of faithfully and obediently following the message and teaching of Jesus while lovingly extending gentleness and grace to those who are far from Jesus and far from us. 

And inviting people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus requires that we lovingly and intentionally engage others who are far from God in a way that helps them see that Jesus is the only One who can satisfy their deepest hunger and thirst.

So here is a question to consider. Are you willing to invite people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus by lovingly engaging those who are far from Jesus and far from us?

Because that is what it means to invite people to follow Jesus in a way that follows the example of Jesus…

Adventures in missing the point...

This week we are looking at an event from history that is recorded in a section of an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible called the gospel of John. John explained that once Jesus knew that the Pharisee’s, who were the self righteous religious people, became aware that Jesus had become more popular than John the Baptizer, Jesus left Judea and went to Galilee.

John stated that Jesus had to pass through Samaria. At one time, Samaria was a part of the northern Kingdom of Israel. Then, in 722 B.C., the Assyrian Empire conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Over time, the Jewish people began to intermarry and adopt the religion and culture of the Assyrians. And over time a great deal of animosity built between the Jewish people who lived in southern Israel and the people who lived in Samaria.

The Jewish people came to view the Samaritans as “half breeds” and wanted nothing to do with them. So if a Jewish person had to make a trip from Judea to Galilee, they would often cross the Jordan River in Judea, travel north until they reached Galilee, and then cross back over the Jordan River to get into Galilee. Or they would travel west to the edge of the Mediterranean Sea and walk up a coastal road to the north.

However, Jesus had to pass through Samaria. John then tells us that Jesus arrived at the city of Sychar, which is located here on the map. Upon arriving in the city, Jesus, tired from the long trip, decided to rest at a well. John tells us that it was the sixth hour, which was noon. So, Jesus, wearied from His trip, is sitting by a well in the heat of the desert day. Now a natural question that arises here is “Why?” You see, Jesus was very intentional when it came to how He lived His life here on earth. Jesus was very intentional when it came to how he used His time and where He traveled. Jesus intentionally went to Samaria because there was an opportunity to invite someone to come to know and follow Him. Someone that John introduces us to in John 4:7-9:

 There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

John tells us that as the disciples headed to town to get lunch, as Jesus rested by the well, a Samaritan woman approached the well to get some water. Now, this morning, here is a question to consider: Why is the Samaritan woman getting water at the well at noon? Would that be the time that you would choose to go get water from a well if you lived in the middle of a dessert? Would you go get water at noon in the summer here in Bullhead City?

No, you wouldn’t. Instead you would do what most of us do, which is to go out to get water either early in the morning, or late in the day, when the sun is not at its highest and hottest point. You would only go to get water at noon if you did not want to see anyone else. You would only get water at noon if you wanted to avoid people. So what does that tell us about the Samaritan woman?

You see, the Samaritan woman was ostracized and isolated from the community that she lived in. The Samaritan woman was an outsider who was far from God and was far from others. Jesus, however, responded to this ostracized outsider by asking her for a drink. Jesus responded to this ostracized outsider by being vulnerable and exposing a need that He had in His life. Jesus responded to this ostracized outsider in a way that gave her dignity and by inviting her to step into His life to meet a need that He had in His life.

John then gives us a glimpse into the ethnic and religious animosity between the Jews and Samaritans by how the Samaritan woman responded to Jesus: "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?" You see, the ethnic and religious hatred between Jews and Samaritans was such that they did not even speak to one another, let alone offer to drink from one another’s cups.

The Samaritan woman basically says to Jesus “aren’t you Jewish people too good for us, so why are you even talking to me”. I wonder how many people who are far from God feel the same way about the Christians that they encounter in their day to day lives. Just something to think about. John then reveals Jesus response to us in verse 10-12:

 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." She said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? "You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle”?

Instead of responding to the ethnic and religious animosity of the Samaritan woman by ignoring her, Jesus chose to engage her. Jesus intentionally chose to set aside the customs of the day and the Jewish Law of the day by asking her for a drink of water that would have come from a container that would have been viewed as “unclean”. Instead of bowing to the prevailing ethnic and religious animosity and hatred, Jesus treated the Samaritan woman as a social equal and with respect.

To understand the nature of this engagement, we first need to understand something about water. In the first century, there was two ways by which one obtained water. Either you obtained water from a well or you obtained water from a river or stream. Now, water that is in a well does not flow but is stagnant. However, water from a flowing river or stream was viewed as being living or active. That water, as a general rule, was also better water to drink.

Now, with that in mind, Jesus explained to the Samaritan woman that if she knew about the free gift that God wanted to offer her, and if she really knew who she was talking to that was asking her for a drink, she would not be responding with animosity. Instead, if she really knew who she was talking to, she would be the one taking the initiative to engage him for the water that He would provide her. You see, while the water from the well that the Samaritan woman was pursuing could maintain life, the water from that well could not produce life. However, Jesus was offering the Samaritan women water that was living and active and could produce the life that she so desperately needed and was lacking.

The Samaritan woman however, was not focused on receiving the water that would produce life. Instead, she was solely focused on meeting her immediate personal needs to maintain life. The Samaritan woman basically says to Jesus “well who do you think you are? Are you saying that you are greater than our ancestor Jacob, because he gave us this well? I do not see any water in your hands and I do not see a river nearby. And anyways weren’t you just asking me for a drink a minute ago? So, who do you think you are and where do you think you are going to get this great water from, anyways?”  We see Jesus response in verse 13-15:

Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw."

Jesus basically says to the Samaritan woman “everyone who comes to drink this water will have to come back again later, because this water only maintains life. This water may temporarily reduce thirst, but this water never removes the thirst. However, the water I have, this water removes even the deepest thirst. The water that I have becomes a source of water that produces life”.

And once again, we see the Samaritan woman miss the point. Instead, the Samaritan woman responded by focusing on her pressing immediate needs. The Samaritan woman was focused on attempting to satisfy her deepest thirst from the wrong source.

Friday we will see Jesus reveal this reality in the Samaritan woman’s life...

Being intentional with the opportunity to invite someone to come to know and follow Jesus...

Last week at the church where I serve we concluded a sermon series entitled Invest. During that series, we discovered how investing our time in a community group, our talents on a ministry team, and our treasure in a way that reflects the generosity of Jesus results in us experiencing a growing and maturing relationship with Jesus as we engage in the kingdom mission we have been given by Jesus.

That kingdom mission, as stated in what is referred to in church mumbo jumbo talk as the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19 is to “go and make disciples.  In other words, as followers of Jesus, we are to strive to make disciples, or followers of Jesus, as we are living our day to day lives in the areas of influence that we have been given. And that first step in making disciples, or followers of Jesus, requires that followers of Jesus are engaging and inviting those who are not followers of Jesus to explore faith and follow Jesus.

Now a natural question that could arise at this point is “Well Dave that sounds great, but how exactly am I supposed to invite people to explore faith and follow Jesus? How do I tell others about Jesus? What am I supposed to say? And just as importantly how should I say what I am supposed to say? How should I engage and invite those who do not know Jesus to follow Jesus?”

If these questions are running through your mind, I want to let you know that you are asking great questions. And in the weeks leading up to Easter, we are going to spend our time together answering those question in a sermon series entitled “Invite”. During this series we are going to look at several events from history where Jesus engaged and invited those who were far from Him to follow Him and live in relationship with Him.

During this series, we are going to discover what Jesus said to invite those who were far from Him to follow Him and live in relationship with Him. During this series, we are going to discover how Jesus said what He said to invite those who were far from Him to follow Him and live in relationship with Him. And as we go through this series, our hope and prayer is that God would move by the power of the Holy Spirit in our heads, hearts, and hands in a way that equips and empowers us to follow the example of Jesus when it comes to inviting those who are far from Jesus to follow Jesus and live in relationship with Jesus.   

Now you might not buy the whole Jesus, Bible, church thing. You might not be sure about whether or not there is a God, let alone whether you should follow Him or live for Him. If I have just described you here’s the thing: What you will discover during this series is that there is a reason why followers of Jesus are commanded by Jesus to invite you to follow Jesus. And there is a way that followers of Jesus are supposed to invite you to follow Jesus. And my hope for you is that you would see what Jesus calls His followers to do when it comes to inviting you to follow Jesus so that you can see how Jesus feels about you and what He calls His followers to do, and what Jesus calls His followers not to do, when it comes to engaging you and inviting you to follow Jesus.

Now this week I would like for us to spend our time together looking at an event from history that is recorded in a section of an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible called the gospel of John. And it is in a section of the gospel of John that we see John give us a front row seat to how Jesus engaged and invited someone who was far from Him to follow Him. So let’s take that front row seat together, beginning in John 4:1-6:

Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John  (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), He left Judea and went away again into Galilee. And He had to pass through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; and Jacob's well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

John brings us to our front row seats for this encounter by providing for us the context in which this encounter would take place. John explains that once Jesus knew that the Pharisee’s, who were the self righteous religious people, became aware that Jesus had become more popular than John the Baptizer, Jesus left Judea and went to Galilee. You see, Jesus knew that His growing popularity would be viewed as a threat by the Pharisee’s to their position and power that they loved. And Jesus knew that the Pharisee’s would attempt to harass and attack Jesus, just like they had done to John the Baptizer. So, Jesus decided to leave Judea and the Pharisee’s animosity in order to continue the mission He had been given in Galilee.

John states that Jesus had to pass through Samaria. But what is so significant about Samaria that John would mention the fact that Jesus had to travel through there? To answer this question, we first need to understand a few things. The first things that we need to understand is where Samaria was located in relation to Judea and Galilee. You see, Judea was located in what is now southern Israel. Galilee, is located in what is now northern Israel. And in between Judea and Galilee was the region that John referred to as Samaria.

 Now this leads us to the second thing that we need to understand, which is the history of the people that lived in Samaria. You see, at one time, Samaria was a part of the northern Kingdom of Israel. Then, in 722 B.C., the Assyrian Empire conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel. In order to help control the regions that they conquered, the Assyrians developed a strategy that involved deporting large numbers of Jewish people and replacing them with large numbers of people from the nation of Assyria. The Assyrians who moved to Samaria worshipped false gods and simply added the worship of the One True God to their worship of their false gods.

Over time, the Jewish people began to intermarry and adopt the religion and culture of the Assyrians. These Samaritans rejected all of the Old Testament except the first five books and refused to worship at the temple in Jerusalem. Instead, the Samaritans built their own temple on Mt Gerizim in 400 B.C.

Now as you might imagine, the Jewish people did not respond well to what was happening in Samaria. And over time a great deal of animosity built between the Jewish people who lived in southern Israel and the people who lived in Samaria. The closest cultural comparison would be that the Samaritans were viewed in a similar way to how a black and white married couple would have been viewed in the southern United States in the 1950’s. The Jewish people came to view the Samaritans as “half breeds” and wanted nothing to do with them. The Jewish people would later burn down the temple in Samaria in 128 B.C.

So, if a Jewish person had to make a trip from Judea to Galilee, they would often cross the Jordan River in Judea, travel north until they reached Galilee, and then cross back over the Jordan River to get into Galilee. Or they would travel west to the edge of the Mediterranean Sea and walk up a coastal road to the north. That is how much the Jews hated the Samaritans. 

However, Jesus had to pass through Samaria. John then tells us that Jesus arrived at the city of Sychar, which is located here on the map. Upon arriving in the city, Jesus, tired from the long trip, decided to rest at a well. John tells us that it was the sixth hour, which was noon. So, Jesus, wearied from His trip, is sitting by a well in the heat of the desert day.

Now a natural question that arises here is “Why did Jesus have to go there?” You see, Jesus was very intentional when it came to how He lived His life here on earth. Jesus was very intentional when it came to how he used His time and where He traveled. Jesus intentionally went to Samaria because there was an opportunity to invite someone to come to know and follow Him.

Someone that John will introduce us to on Wednesday…

Investment of our treasure through regular and proportional giving exposes a heart of faithfulness that moves us toward a growing relationship with Jesus...

This week we are looking at the third of the three ways a person who is involved in a growing and maturing relationship with Jesus will invest their lives. We are discovering why consistently investing our treasure in a way that reveals and reflects the generosity of Jesus through regular and proportional giving results in a growing and maturing relationship with Jesus. To do that, we are looking at a section of an account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of Luke.

In Luke 16:10, Jesus, after telling a parable, explained that when it comes to how we handle the money possessions, and treasure we have been given, the issue is not about the amount of money, possessions, and treasure. Instead, the issue is faithfulness. Jesus point is that if we are unfaithful, we are unfaithful; whether it is with $10, $100, or $1,000,000.

After exposing the problem, Jesus revealed for us the reality that how we handle money, possessions, and treasure here on earth impacts the depth of our relationship with God and our spiritual maturity. Jesus used two rhetorical questions to hammer His point home. First, in verse 11, Jesus revealed that if we are unable to demonstrate faithfulness with the temporary treasure that we are given while on earth, then we will be unable to demonstrate faithfulness with the vastly greater spiritual treasure that flows out of a growing and maturing relationship with Him.

Then, Jesus asked a second rhetorical question in verse 12: “If you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?” Jesus point is that is we are unfaithful with someone else’s treasure, we prove to be unworthy of being given anything of our own. Jesus makes that point unmistakably clear as He concludes His explanation of this parable in verse 13:

"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."

Here we see Jesus expose the heart issue that lies beneath our faithfulness of unfaithfulness: no servant can serve two masters.  Now when Jesus uses the word serve here, He is referring to someone who acts in total allegiance and total commitment to someone or something. Jesus point is that you cannot be totally and faithfully committed to two differing options. Jesus is reminding His followers that we cannot serve God and money because we will only be faithful to what we are devoted to.

The timeless reality is that God, on the one hand, and money, possessions, and treasure, on the other hand, compete for our total devotion. We will either be totally devoted to God, or we will be totally devoted to money, possessions, and treasure. Jesus point is that how we manage the treasure that we have been given reveals who or what we place our faith and trust in. And the level of faithfulness that we demonstrate when it comes to managing the temporary treasure that we have while on earth serves to provide the proof and reveal the depth of our faith. Because the measure for how well we manage the money and possession we have received from God is faithfulness.

And in is here in this statement by Jesus, that we discover a timeless reason why investing our treasure in a way that reveals and reflects the generosity of Jesus through regular and proportional giving will result in a growing and maturing relationship with Jesus. And that timeless reason is this: Investment of our treasure through regular and proportional giving exposes a heart of faithfulness that moves us toward a growing relationship with Jesus.

The timeless reality that that individuals who are involved in a growing and maturing relationship with Jesus Christ consistently invest their treasure in a way that reveals and reflects the generosity of Jesus through regular and proportional giving. And because of this reality we have set as a goal that everyone who attends City Bible Church would be investing their treasure in a way that reveals and reflects the generosity of Jesus.

We feel strongly about this goal because we believe that transformational spiritual growth occurs when we are leveraging the treasure that we have been given to create environments where people can explore faith, grow in their faith, and experience genuine and authentic community. We feel strongly about this goal because we believe that Jesus teaches us that, as His followers, we are to be generous because He is generous. And when we reflect the generosity of Jesus by being open handed and generous with the money, possessions and treasure He has given us, we reveal and reflect Jesus to others.

However, to invest our treasure through regular and proportional giving in a way that exposes a heart of faithfulness that moves us toward a growing relationship with Jesus requires that we recognize two very important things. The first thing that a person who is engaged in a growing relationship with Jesus will recognize when it comes to money is that God owns everything. If you think you own anything, let me ask you a question: What happens to everything that you own after you die? You see, you do not own anything; you are only managing it while you are here on earth. The Psalmist best captures this reality in Psalm 50:12:

"If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains.

And because God owns everything, a person who is involved in a growing and maturing relationship with Jesus will make a shift in thinking when it comes to how they invest and handle their money and finances from “What am I going to do with all of my money” to “What does God want me to do with all of His money”?

The second thing that a person who is engaged in a growing relationship with Jesus will recognize when it comes to money is that God requires that we honor Him with our finances. A person who is involved in a growing and maturing relationship with Jesus will demonstrate that they treasure Jesus as their ultimate treasure by giving back a portion of the treasure that they have received from Jesus back to Jesus through regular and proportional giving so that treasure can be leveraged into the kingdom mission we have been given by Jesus.  

A person who is involved in a growing and maturing relationship with Jesus will give regularly and proportionally because they recognize that God is the owner of everything. A person who is involved in a growing and maturing relationship with Jesus will recognize all that God has given them and that He only asks for 10% of what He has given them and lets them use the remaining 90% of His money.

But not only will a person who is involved in a growing and maturing relationship with Jesus honor Him with their finances; a person who is involved in a growing and maturing relationship with Jesus will be faithful in whatever God gives them. God requires us to be faithful in 100% of God’s money, not just 10% of my money, because God is the owner. And the issue is faithfulness with whatever we are given. The standard is the same, whether you make $100 a year in allowance, $1,000 a year; $30,000 a year; or $100,000 a year.

Because the issue isn’t money or finances; the issue is faithfulness. You see, God uses money to reveal what is in our heart. God uses money to reveal what we are really devoted to. And God uses money to test and grow our faith. And the investment of our treasure through regular and proportional giving exposes a heart of faithfulness that moves us toward a growing relationship with Jesus.

So here is a question to consider: Are you being faithful with what you have been given? And what does how you handle the money, possessions, and treasure that you have been given reveal about where you are spiritually?

Because, as we have discovered, the investment of our treasure through regular and proportional giving exposes a heart of faithfulness that moves us toward a growing relationship with Jesus.