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Forgiveness–The DNA of Perfect Unity = Part 1

6/29/2014

Program Note: Tune in to “Divine Calling with Stephanie Riggs” Monday July 14 at 2:00 pm Mountain (1 Pacific; 3 Central; 4 Eastern) on KRKS 94.7 FM in Denver or log on from anywhere at krks.com.

Will you join me in doing some homework for my guest appearance with Stephanie?

Here’s where the past two series have taken us at Streamside:

The Great Omission series concluded that perfect unity has been blocked by our failure to practice what we preach from the Great Commission in Matthew 28 – before teaching others to do what Jesus commands, we need to obey his commands ourselves first.
That caused us to study what Jesus really did command. We learned that the entire Bible is the command of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit who are joined in perfect unity. And we learned that the best way to gather this wisdom is by watching for the imperative verbs that tell us clearly what we are expected to do.

The opportunity to study forgiveness follows in amazing symmetry, with timing only God could lay out. Just yesterday, as I began my preparation for the radio program, I was reminded of the perfect summary of the commands of Jesus:

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?...But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed , and the ruin of that house was great.” (Luke 6:46, 49 - NASB)

Let me ask you: in the perspective of current world, national, and local events, is not the torrent bursting ever greater against the church of Jesus Christ? We can withstand any storm if our foundation is built on the Rock. Yet do we really do exactly what Jesus commands?

In reality, our foundation is built on the Rock, but we have allowed it to erode to a dangerous degree. And it can be proposed that this foundation is based on the unconditional love of God’s children, plus love’s perfect twin – forgiveness. Could our lack of unity and forgiveness bring about great ruin?

So what did Jesus command about forgiveness?

Hurry back for Part 2!

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The Imperative Commands of Jesus

6/22/2014

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Last time, I suggested that while Jesus gave us more commands that many of us had realized, in another sense he gave only one – the whole Word of God in the Bible. In this final installment of “The Commands of Jesus” we will see one more way of applying his commands to daily life.

Jesus is a very practical leader.

He uses a great number of imperative verbs, teaching us how we should behave.

Imperative verbs are just like commands – do this, or say that, or go there. They are what leaders use to teach and instruct.

I will list only a few here. Let’s start with a couple familiar ones:

“What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Mark 10:9, NASB) This is a command that means divorce must be an absolutely last resort.

“He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7, NASB) Even righteous anger is for God alone, since we all have sinned at least as badly as those we accuse.

But now consider a couple less familiar ones:

“I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.” (John 10:16, NASB)

“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” (John 17:22-23, NASB)

There are many others. For example, count the imperative commands in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 – 7) alone!

But now a question: given the direct commands of Jesus, the direct commands of God through Jesus, and the imperative commands of Jesus, is there any valid reason for no obeying them?

This is why Streamside was written. Are we one flock with one shepherd in one pen? Have we been perfected in unity? As a result, does the world know that God sent Jesus, who loves them every bit as much as God loves his son?

We have failed. But it is not too late.

Please join me in sincerely repenting for disobedience to the commands of Jesus and pray that we will turn toward each other at last.

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Direct Commands from God through Jesus

6/17/2014

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This grouping of the commands of Jesus caught me unexpectedly, and I will guess the same will be true for you. Buckle up – this is powerful.

So how many direct commands does Jesus give us through the words God spoke to him? The number may surprise you at the end of this post. But let’s start with two of them.

“’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment.’ The second is like it,’You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40, NASB, quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18)

In effect, when Jesus quotes the Old Testament, it all becomes one giant direct commandment from God through Jesus! Have you ever looked at it that way? I had not. And remember, Jesus said elsewhere that he came to fulfill every jot of the Law of the Old Testament, not to do away with it.

Jesus also said, “For I did not speak on my own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told me.” (John 12:49-50, NASB)

God’s primary command through Jesus to us is eternal life! So how do we obey that one?

By putting these two sections together and counting commandments the way God counts.

If the great and foremost commandment has a second like it, there must be at least two. But those two sum up the entire Old Testament, which makes it all one commandment. And if everything Jesus spoke was a commandment to obtain eternal life, then the entire Bible is a single commandment.

Those who dismiss sections of the Bible because they are not “accurate” are not reading with the common denominator of attaining eternal life as a commandment, and they do so at their peril.

How about you?

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The Direct Commands of Jesus

6/9/2014

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If Jesus literally commands us to do something, should we ignore it or obey?

Sounds like a dumb question, doesn’t it?

So what did Jesus command us directly?

“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44, NASB)

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)

“This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

“You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:14)

“This I command you, that you love one another.” (John 15:17)

None of these is a surprise. We have all seen them before.

But what strikes you about them?

I suggest two things:

First, what is the most common word Jesus uses? Love! Love for our enemies. Love for those who persecute us. Love for Jesus. Love for each other. And not just a nice cozy peck. Love even as Jesus has loved us. Spend a moment right now and think about how Jesus went about loving us.

Second, is there anything Jesus commanded us that did not involve intense, sacrificial love? This blew me away. When you think about the vast scope of Jesus’s ministry on earth – miracles, teaching, confrontations with stifling tradition, stunning parables – there was only one thing he directly commanded us.

To love, as Jesus loved us.

So in the Great Commission, when Jesus tells us to go and teach new disciples to obey all the Jesus commanded us, are we qualified to be leaders in any way if we do not first practice what we preach?

No, Jesus does not say “practice.” He orders us.

Will you repent with me today?

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Forgiveness–The DNA of Perfect Unity = Part 1

The Imperative Commands of Jesus

Direct Commands from God through Jesus

The Direct Commands of Jesus

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