Reading: Hebrews 12:1-11

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A woman, suffering from the loss of a family member, brushed past her pastor one Sunday morning.

“How are you doing?” he jovially asked.

“I’m hanging on,” she responded, overwhelmed by the weight of all that was going on.

“Hanging on?  We’re not supposed to be just hanging on,” he responded.  “We’re supposed to live victoriously!”

She approached another minister and asked.  “Is he right?  Am I supposed to be living victoriously?”

The pastor thought for a moment and then nodded.  “Yes, we are supposed to live victoriously.  But sometimes the victory is just hanging on.”

I love that story and the encouragement the second pastor gave to her.  I don’t know about you, but there have been times when I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders.  I’m sure you have as well.  It might be stress, grief, or pain, but sometimes the burdens we bear can almost seem like more than we can handle.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go on a ski trip to Colorado.  At one point, I was skiing down a run that was labeled “experts only.”  As I paused to catch my breath, I watched a father lead his daughter down the same intimidating run.  The mom followed close behind.  The young girl, probably no older than seven, whose name was Lexi, (judging by the parents’ constant encouragement), slowly carved her way with her skis following close behind her father.  Her crying from beneath her helmet and mask revealed a little girl, who was frightened by the intense angle of the mountain face.  As she skied behind her father, she cautiously followed the path that he had carved out of the snow.  Before long, Lexi was down the mountain, and my wife and I cheered for her, as Lexi sobbed in relief.

Sometimes we are like Lexi.  We feel more comfortable coasting through life, but sometimes our Heavenly Father gives us a challenge.  Sometimes that challenge appears frightening and overwhelming.  He might be challenging us in ministry.  He might be strengthening us through a trial.  Sometimes we can feel as unsteady as a seven year old on skis, a slip away from hurling down the mountain at break-neck speed.  But no matter where our Father leads us; He never leaves us alone.

“Follow me,” He says, just as Lexi’s dad said to her.  “You can do it.  Just don’t veer off my tracks.  I would never lead you to a place I didn’t think you could handle.  You can do this.  Just keep your eyes focused on me and where I’m leading.”   We may not ski down that mountain like an Olympic champ, but the victory sometimes is just following our Father – slow and steady in His groomed path – to the bottom of the run.

I’m reminded of the Hebrew word qavah, which means to hope or to wait.  It’s used in passages such as Isaiah 40:31 –  “Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”  Qavah not only means to wait or to hope, but it also means to braid or bind together.  The idea that we’re presented with is that when we stick together with the Lord, we will live victoriously.

The promise given to the Church at Philadelphia – a church who, though amazingly faithful, was barely hanging on, is that God will make the victorious a pillar in His temple.  Even though we seem feeble, we seem like we’re just holding on, God sees something different.  He sees us following Him – slow and steady.  Victory is not measured by what we accomplish or how fast we accomplish it.  It is measured on how we follow Jesus.  Without Him, our accomplishments are nothing if not reckless.  But those who keep their eyes on Jesus are the example in His Kingdom, a pillar of strength in His Temple.  As Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Reading: Colossians 4:2-6

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Missionaries often talk about countries in terms of open or closed.  If they are an open country, it means that the government doesn’t put prohibitions or heavy restrictions on missionaries to come and spread the Gospel.  If it is closed, it means that the missionary must disguise their work and take risks.

Many countries today are still closed to the Gospel and the work of missionaries – China, Turkey, Iran, Morocco, just to name a few.  Many incredible stories have been recorded by missionaries who smuggled in Bibles behind the Iron Curtain during the height of the USSR.  And when the Iron Curtain fell, missionaries jumped on the opportunity to freely enter into a formerly Gospel squelching land.

Natural disasters often provide the perfect open door for Christian organizations.  Because many Christian missions organizations do humanitarian aid (and secretly evangelize), the hurting country desperately welcomes these missionaries to help out homeless and injured citizens.

Philadelphia, in Asia Minor, was a city built for the work of spreading a doctrine.  No, not Christianity.  It was an establishment for spreading Hellenism – the Greek language, religion, and way of life.  A major road went through Philadelphia making it a city where Europe met the East and the various barbaric people beyond.

However, Christianity grew in Philadelphia, and soon Philadelphia became a prominent place not for the spread of Hellenism but of the Gospel of Jesus.  In Revelation 3, Jesus tells them to see the open door he had placed before them that no one could shut.  Perhaps, what Jesus is referring to is an opportunity to spread the Gospel.

Keep in mind that from the mid first century until the early fourth century, Christians faced intense persecution from ten particular Roman emperors, beginning with Nero and ending with Diocletian.  Under those emperors, the Roman Empire was very much closed.  However, despite their best efforts, despite the hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of Christians they slaughtered, the Gospel continued to flourish.

Philadelphia was a beautiful and rich city; however, it experienced a number of devastating earthquakes which brought ruin onto its many buildings and temples.  Just like in the world today, this probably provided the perfect opportunity for Christians to share the love of Jesus.

Like Paul said in today’s reading, we must always pray for an open door.  We must pray for the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of individuals to be receptive to the Word of Truth.  And we must pray for the wisdom and courage to see and take hold of such an opportunity when it arises.  Sometimes, just like the crumbling of walls in an earthquake, when a person is facing personal crisis, their heart is softened, and they are open to listening.  What an opportunity to be an instrument that radiates the love and care of our Heavenly Father.

Reading: Matthew 7:13-23

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Today’s passage assures us that there will be surprises on judgment day.  Some, who think they are going to heaven, indeed will not.  But before you get anxious about your own salvation, let’s take a look at the context.  Jesus is warning the crowd about false prophets and teachers, and when He says, “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven,” He’s referring to false disciples.  But the part I want to draw our attention to is the last phrase of today’s reading – the part where Jesus says, “I never knew you.”

In 1 Corinthians 8:3, Paul writes, “Whoever loves God is known by God.”  Known by God?  Doesn’t God know everybody?  The Greek word used in both of these passages is ginosko.  While it can mean knowledge, it can also mean an intimate relationship between a man and a woman.  For example, Adam knew Eve.  The idea isn’t that God knows about us but that He has an intimate relationship with us.  There is a connection between us and God.

After Adam and Eve’s sin, Genesis tells us the premier couple went and hid, which prompted God to ask, “Where are you?”  Sounds like something the Omniscient should not need to ask, doesn’t it?  But God wasn’t wondering where Adam and Eve were physically; he was calling into account their spiritual state.  You see, a terrible travesty happened that day.  The second they chose to not follow God, they relinquished the opportunity to have an intimate relationship with Him.

Paul would later write to the church at Corinth, “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17).  A weight of glory?  What does that mean?

In C.S. Lewis’ book “The Weight of Glory,” he writes:

In the end that Face which is the delight or the terror of the universe must be turned upon each of us either with one expression or with the other, either conferring glory inexpressible or inflicting shame that can never be cured or disguised… The promise of glory is the promise, almost incredible and only possible by the work of Christ, that some of us, that any of us who really chooses, shall actually survive that examination, shall find approval, shall please God. To please God…to be a real ingredient in the divine happiness…to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son—it seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain. But so it is.

So what does it mean to be known by God?  It means not merely to have a relationship with Him but to be delighted by Him.  So often we focus on how we respond to Jesus.  These three passages are reflecting on how Jesus responds to us.

In the promise to the Church at Sardis in Revelation 3, Jesus says, “[To him] who overcomes, I will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.”

Have you ever been in a social situation where there was a prominent individual, and just as you were wondering if they would know who you were, they came up and shook your hand and called you by your first name?  Have you ever been in a meeting or a dinner, and you were acknowledged in front of everyone for some accomplishment you did, even though you weren’t sure anyone noticed?  It feels good doesn’t it.  You feel valued and appreciated.

The weight of glory is that we are known by God.  In some cultures, the Parable of the Prodigal Son is actually called the Parable of the Running Father.  For them, what stands out isn’t the returning son, but the father who runs out to embrace his repentant son.  Think of the Parable of the Talents where the first two employees were congratulated for their work and rewarded with more responsibility.

I’ve often wondered why it is that God entrusts so much of His Kingdom work to us.  Why not make sure it’s done perfectly and do it Himself?  Perhaps it is because He delights in us.  He delights in watching His creation discover Him, love Him, and embrace His work.  Then He delights in rewarding us.  It truly is an eternal weight of glory.

Reading: Luke 18:18-30

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Charles Templeton was an outspoken Christian leader during the mid 1900s.  Following his conversion to Christianity in 1936, he founded Avenue Road Church of the Nazarene in Toronto.  In 1946, he helped start Youth for Christ International, which then hired Billy Graham as their first full-time evangelist.  During the early 1950s, he hosted a CBS religious show called “Look Up and Live.”  But in 1957, that all changed.  After struggling with doubt, he declared himself an agnostic.  He went on to pursue politics and eventually journalism.  In 1995, he wrote the book “Farewell to God: my reasons for rejecting the Christian faith.”  Charles Templeton died in 2001.

So, here’s what we all want to know: is Charles Templeton, a man who was once an outspoken leader for the cause of Jesus, saved and going to heaven?

Some, who believe that we can never lose our salvation, might offer an answer like maybe Charles was never saved to begin with.  But that seems difficult to understand when this man seemed to exhibit such a Christian walk.  Some, who do not hold onto the doctrine of eternal security, might simply say that Charles lost his salvation the moment he rejected Jesus.  Some might say that he is saved, even though towards the latter half of his life, he probably didn’t want to be.  They might say that though he will be punished for his rejection of Jesus, he will still be saved by Jesus’ grace.  Some might offer hope – maybe while he was on his death bed, he repented.

I’m not going to speculate on Charles Templeton’s (or anyone else’s) eternal state.  I can offer you my view of what the Bible says, and why I believe that once we’re saved we’re always saved, but instead, I want to challenge you to think about this a little differently.

Like I’ve mentioned before, we like to talk in terms of saved or not saved, heaven and hell.  And in reality, does anyone really want to go to Hell?  Let’s pretend that I’m going to offer you two trips.  One trip is to a beautiful 5-star, luxurious resort in Hawaii.  All expenses paid, and no expense spared.  Enjoy everything this lush environment has to offer.  Or, I can give you a free trip to Death Valley.  I’ll drive you out into the middle of the desert and drop you off.  Oh by the way, water and sunscreen are prohibited.  Are you even going to hesitate on which to choose?

We might offer someone the solution to their desire to go to heaven this way: ask Jesus into your heart, and then you’ll be saved.  “Really?” that person might ask.  “All I have to do is say this prayer and that’s it?  I’m in?”

But is that really it?  Is that all that they need to do.  You might respond saying, “We’re saved by grace through faith, not a works-based salvation.”  That is absolutely true.  But if we teach people that all you need to do is say a prayer, is that faith or lip service?  And if it’s just lip service, aren’t we teaching them that they are indeed saved by the work of saying some words?

Consider again the story in Luke 18 where a rich man asks Jesus what he must do in order to be saved.  There’s a dialogue that takes place, but the bottom line is Jesus invites the man to follow Him.  It might be helpful to think of Jesus’ instruction this way.  “Follow me.  Oh but by the way, you’ve got some things that might inhibit you from following me.  You have all this stuff – stuff you’re not going to need for the journey.  So why don’t you go ahead and sell it all and give the money to the poor and then come and follow me.”  The rich man walked away.

The truth is everyone wants to go to heaven, but very few want to follow Jesus.  I appreciate Jesus’ honesty here.  He doesn’t sugar coat anything.  He offers the man salvation.  More than that, He offers Him abundant life – in this life and the next.  You see, we are often great at trying to get people in the door of heaven, but often very poor at helping them live out their journey with Jesus on this earth.  It is the difference between lip service and genuine discipleship.

And so when you think about an individual like Charles Templeton who has turned their back on the Lord, don’t just think in terms of what will happen to them after they die.  Think of them in terms of what is or isn’t happening to them here and now.  The bottom line, whether they are going to heaven by the grace of God (just like the rest of us) or going to hell (just like what the rest of us deserve), they aren’t experiencing abundant life right now.  That, along with their eternal security, should make us troubled enough to share our concern through exhibiting the love of Jesus.

Jesus’ statement to the victorious in Sardis in Revelation 3:5 can seem confusing – “I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life.”  Combine that with passages like Exodus 32:32-33 and Psalm 69:28 where it talks about blotting out people’s names out of the Book of Life, and you can see why some object to the doctrine of eternal security. So how should we interpret these passages along with Philippians 2:12 that tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling?

The answer is to resist complacency.  That was Sardis’ problem.  They were complacent.  There were probably individuals who thought, “I’m saved.  I can do whatever I want.”  By telling them that they’re dead earlier on in the letter, Jesus had already called their life into question.  I don’t believe that Revelation 3 is telling us that Jesus erases people’s names from the Book of Life.  I don’t believe it’s either God’s desire or healthy for us to always be questioning whether or not we’re saved.  The best way to act like a child of God is to realize first that we are one and be assured of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

If you have questions about yours or another’s eternal state, let me encourage you not to ask yourself or them, “Am I” or “are you saved?”  The answer to that question is likely, “Yes, because I did x, y, or z at some point in my life.”  The rich man in Luke 18 responded to Jesus in that sort of way.  You could ask, “Are you living for the Lord?”  However, that’s a question of perfection.  Even I would answer, “I try, but I fail.”  By the way, the rich man boasted in his ability to follow the rules.  So maybe a better question we can ask is “Are you a disciple of Jesus?”  You see, disciples aren’t perfect, we mess up, we stumble along the way, and sometimes we even take a selfish detour and get sidetracked.  But one thing is sure, we know that we’re on a journey following our Lord Jesus.  And in Luke 18, that’s exactly what Jesus tells those disciples who started wondering who could be saved.  As disciples, we not only get excited about the destination, but we crave the journey with our Rabbi.  Abundant life now and in the life to come.

Reading: Ephesians 6:10-20

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Those serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq will tell you that “complacency kills.”  In fact, it is the GI mantra that’s posted in every office, mess hall, and briefing room in U.S. military buildings in Iraq.  There’s no escaping the message.

We can easily become comfortable once we’ve settled into our surroundings, and that’s exactly what military commanders do not want to happen with their soldiers.  As anyone who has served in Iraq or Afghanistan or another combat zone will tell you, when you get complacent in a hostile environment, you let your guard down.  When you let your guard down, you become an easy target.

It’s interesting to read the letter to Sardis in light of the city’s history.  Above lower Sardis (the main part of the city), towers Mount Tmolus, which provided a well naturally fortified refuge for the people of Sardis.  This elevated part of the city is known as the acropolis.  In 547 BC, Croesus – the King of the region of Lydia (where Sardis is located) retreated to the acropolis to avoid an onslaught by Cyrus and the Persians.  Tradition has it that because the mountain face leading to the acropolis was so steep and difficult to climb, the citizens didn’t have much military personnel or additional fortification.  They relied mainly on the natural fortification to protect them from an invasion.

When Cyrus reached the base of Mount Tmolus, he wasn’t sure how to attack the acropolis.  He told his soldiers that he would provide a handsome reward to anyone who figured out how to climb the mountain and attack the city.

One day, one of Cyrus’ soldiers watched as a helmet fell from the acropolis down the mountain.  He then watched a Sardisian soldier climb down the mountain and then scale back up.  The naive soldier had let his guard down and given Cyrus’ army the secret to attacking the city.  Within a short time, Cyrus had led his army on a siege and easily captured Sardis.

The state of the Church at Sardis was one of complacency.  In the first four letters, we’re told of churches who fought against false doctrine, stood firm against immorality, or faced intense persecution.  But in Sardis, there’s no mention of any of that.  In a very wealthy city, the Christians may have preferred the luxuries of life rather than risk their possessions and standards of living in order to be counter-cultural.

Complacency is such a temptation for Believers and churches.  It’s so easy to be blinded by the normal every day routine of our culture, that we become naive and spiritual complacent.  For example, many people take jobs where the company expects them to act immorally, unethically, or unhealthily.  It’s so difficult for those individuals to say “no” to that job because of the money they need to provide for themselves and their families.  It’s easy to justify it by saying, “It’s just a job.”

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6, that when we sign up to follow Jesus, we sign up for battle.  Make no mistake; there is always spiritual warfare, whether we choose to see it or choose to take sides.  But when we follow Jesus, we can ensure that Satan is going to do whatever it takes to defeat us.  Sometimes the way Satan defeats us is by getting us to forget that there’s even a spiritual war to begin with.

Some people are very much frightened by talks of the demonic world.  The Gospel examples where Jesus casts out demons can seem downright haunting.  But here’s the best way that we can fight Satan: cling to Jesus.  Wake up every morning relishing the knowledge of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling and power within you.  Bathe in the lavishing love of God.  Clothe yourself in Christ.  When you do those things, you may not realize it, but you are arming yourself for the spiritual battles that will come your way.

Reading: 2 Kings 9:6-10, 30-37

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Perhaps there’s no character in Scripture that is more synonymous with evil than Jezebel.  While she was the wife of Ahab, a king of Israel who did more evil than all of the kings before him, it’s clear that Jezebel was really the one running the kingdom.  Under their leadership, they slaughtered God’s prophets, hunted Elijah, practiced all sorts of malice and falsehood, had their own citizens killed for selfish gain, and the list goes on and on.

While Ahab died in battle, Jezebel doesn’t receive her justice until King Jehu comes to power. In 2 Kings 9, we read of Jezebel’s demise, and look what she does.  As she hears about Jehu coming into the city, she puts on eye makeup and does her hair.  Maybe she knew Jehu was coming to get her, and she was going to try seduce him to spare her life.  Maybe she thought that she could once again become a queen if she could only seduce for herself a new king.

Fortunately, Jehu resists.  He throws her out the window and rids Israel of her, once and for all.

The Church at Thyatira had a Queen Jezebel in their midst.  She had taken a position of authority in the church, and she was leading others into all sorts of physical pleasures, and in turn, she was becoming stronger and stronger.  Just like Queen Jezebel,  her position of authority was gained at others’ expenses.  Perhaps her longevity as a so-called prophetess within the church had numbed the sensitivities of others, or she was like a cancer – a tumor who had grown and latched on to other parts of the body, so that it was nearly impossible to remove her.

Clearly there are two groups at Thyatira.  There are ones who are resisting and ones who have been seduced and are unwilling to repent.

Though this Jezebel is probably a reference to a real person in Thyatira, I can’t help but also think of a figurative Jezebel in this story.  While our church may not struggle with a real Jezebel, we definitely wrestle with another type of Jezebel in our homes – sexual purity.  My heart goes out to my children, who will grow up more exposed to sexual immorality than my generation.  It’s everywhere – television, the internet, and it is generally becoming part of our culture.  Like a cancer, it has spread its tentacles in all areas of our society, and it is difficult to go a day without hearing a sexually explicit joke or seeing a lewd image.  It is difficult not to become desensitized to it.

Make no mistake; sexual impurity, whether it’s pornography or sex outside of marriage will destroy the hearts of individuals who succumb to its fleeting seduction.  As difficult as it is, we must resist it and not give it a place in our hearts.  Because when we give it a place in our personal hearts, we are giving it authority in our homes and in our church.

Notice what Jehu does when he captures Jezebel.  First, he never enters the house where she is staying.  Two eunuchs, men who were celibate and less susceptible to Jezebel’s scheming, throw her out the window.  Jehu must have known Jezebel’s reputation and took proper precautions.  Secondly, he doesn’t even reason with her.  “Just toss her out the window!” he said.

We can learn how to deal with the temptation of sexual impurity from Jehu’s example.  Maybe Jehu knew that he could fall prey to the seduction attempts of a beautiful woman, or maybe he wanted to protect himself so that it could never “accidentally” happen.  You know yourself.  You know what will lead you into temptation.  Stay away from it!  Don’t go near.  Don’t put yourself in that compromising position.

If you are a parent, make a proactive plan for your family.  Our children will be bombarded with messages of impurity.  According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2007, nearly half of U.S. high school students reported having had sexual intercourse.  Maryland law requires sex education to begin at age 12, and I guarantee that abstinence isn’t the prevailing message from the teacher.  So, how will we combat it?  Will we address it only after the fact, or will we be proactive in teaching against it?  Make your home a safe refuge of purity.  If our children are to resist Jezebel, then not only do we need to model purity, but we must make a safe place of refuge away from her influence.

I imagine that there are some reading or listening to this message, who are currently wrestling with a Jezebel.  Maybe you really have a difficult time resisting her ploys of lust and immorality.  Let me assure you there’s hope.  The God of forgiveness is calling you to repentance.  Jesus is calling you to walk out of that house where she is staying.  If you are a child of the Most High, then you are no slave to Jezebel.  He has anointed you to break her stronghold.  He has given you authority over her.  Don’t let her seductions steal your joy.  Remember who you are in Christ, and then remind the Devil of your privileged position in the Kingdom of the Most Holy.