Posts

Posted on

Is the New Testament a Pious Fraud?

“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and  training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

“But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10).

“For prophecy never had its origin in the  will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1 :21).

Some who want to dismiss the claims that are made about Jesus in the gospels try to do so by dismissing the gospels themselves. They say that the stories about what Jesus said and did were inventions of the Christian community in the second and third centuries, and not based on historical fact.

This is an important question. The Christian message is the good news of eternal salvation. It is not merely a set of philosophical precepts, invented by human thinkers. It is a supernatural message communicated in a supernatural way. The truth-claims of the Christian message are bound up in the truthfulness of the New Testament.

From the writings of the Old Testament prophets who thundered “Thus says the Lord” to the epistles of the New Testament which claimed the same divine authority, the entire Bible claims to be the revealed word of God.

Thus it is the Christian belief that the Spirit of God inspired the writing of the Old and New Testaments. The Holy Spirit also controlled the preservation, selection, and collection of the books of the Bible. Jesus laid the foundation for this belief when he told his disciples, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you” (John 16:13-15).

These words may be taken to illustrate the point I am making.

The Spirit of truth is the One Jesus called the “counselor,” or “comforter,” or “helper.” In John 14:16 the Lord foretold the future coming of the Spirit upon the disciples. He said that the Spirit would remain in them and never leave. Jesus said that when the Spirit came to live in them, he would be the very Spirit of Christ: “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:17-18).

The phrase “he will guide you” takes us back to John 15:26-27 where Jesus had said that he would send the Holy Spirit from the Father to “testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.” Our Lord further told his apostles that as they bore witness, the Spirit would guide them into all truth. This refers to the special inspiration of the apostles which enabled the composition of the New Testament.

“All truth”  is the completed revelation of doctrine that had not yet been given. The Lord had explicitly told the disciples that there were truths that he had not revealed to them as yet because they were not ready to receive them (John 16:12). At this point the disciples did not fully understand the meaning of Christ’s death and resurrection. But when the Holy Spirit enlightened them, they would be given the insight and wisdom to  write God’s revealed word in their epistles. This teaches us the sufficiency of holy scripture. We should expect no further revelation than that which has been given for our learning in the New Testament. This brings to completion the truth Jesus wanted his followers in every generation to believe.

“He will bring glory to me.” This is the Spirit’s purpose and mission in the world. It is not the Spirit’s purpose to call attention to himself. He proceeds from the Father in heaven to magnify the Son of God (John 15:26). He did this, in part, through the writing of the four gospels and their accounts of Jesus’ words, ministry, death, and resurrection. Since the words and works of Jesus were the words and works of God (John 16:15), the Spirit, through Christ, reveals God to us.

Finally, Jesus alludes to the unfolding of the future, the doctrine of last things. The phrase, “He will tell you what is yet to come,” is a reminder that the Holy Spirit also inspired the writing of the last book of the New Testament. It contains prophecies about future events surrounding the return of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the central theme of the book of Revelation. The message of the book was given to John the author as he was “in the  Spirit” (Revelation 1:9-10, 4:2).

I believe that it stretches credulity to ask us to believe that such a collection of writings as we have in the New Testament, the epistles, the gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the book of Revelation could have been composed and collected by liars and forgers, no matter how pious their intentions. The New Testament bears the marks of divine authority and authenticity. It must have been inspired by the Holy Spirit. It points us to Jesus as savior and calls us to believe in him.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

Posted on

Heaven is a Real Place

Polls consistently show that the majority of Americans believe in the existence of heaven. Admittedly, some of this belief may be wishful thinking or based on made up stories, or accounts of near death experiences in books and movies.

The best source of information is the Bible and the word of Jesus. He said, “I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven — the Son of Man” (John 3: 12-13).

“I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38).

“I have come here from God. I have not come on my own. God sent me” (John 8: 42).

Jesus taught that heaven is a definite, specific place. It is not a state of mind, a fantasy, or an illusion. Jesus said to his disciples, “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:3). He called heaven a “place.” The word in Greek is topos, which gives us the English word topography, a word used by  surveyors, civil engineers, and explorers.

Most of us have a sense of place. My wife’s is her small hometown in the Virginia Highlands. We love going back there year after year. It feels like home. We possess an oil painting of the house in which I grew up in Tennessee. It is a reminder of the place where my brothers and I were reared.

Last year Connie and I moved from our pleasant home place in Oklahoma City after 32 years there. We now live in Valdosta, Georgia, to be near our daughter Carrie and her family. Last week we moved into a new house in a new neighborhood. Again we are adjusting to a new place.

Heaven is the place where God is. King Solomon dedicated the temple in Jerusalem with these words, “Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place, Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive” (1 Kings 8:30).

The apostle John spoke of heaven as the New Jerusalem, the dwelling place of God and redeemed humanity when he wrote, “Look, God’s dwelling place is now among the people and he will dwell with them. They will be his people , and God himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3).

Jesus promised the dying criminal on the cross next to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). The man was promised a place in heaven because he trusted in Jesus and asked for salvation. You and I may have the same assurance of heaven if our faith is the Savior who came from heaven to take us there.

Heaven is a real place populated by real people. I hope to see you there.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

Posted on

David’s Mighty Men

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” (Michael Jordan)

“For day by day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army like the army of God” (1 Chronicles 12:22).

King David could not have accomplished all that he did if it were not for the men who came to help him. They joined him when he was exiled during the reign of King Saul. They remained with him through many difficulties and battles. They drew inspiration from David’s devotion to the Lord. It was clear to them that the Lord was with David (1 Chronicles 11:9). They all played a major role in his rise  and the establishment of his kingship at Jerusalem.

Some of them are famous, such as “the three,” who risked their lives to bring their king a drink of water from the well at Bethlehem, his hometown. David was so moved by their action that he poured out the water as a libation to the Lord (1 Chronicles 11:17-19). They were Jashobeam, Eleazar, and Shammah (2 Samuel 23:11).

Benaiah is renowned as a valiant man “who killed a lion inside a pit on a snowy day” (1 Chronicles 11:22). Wouldn’t you like to know more of that story?

Amasai stands out as an inspired poet who wrote a beautiful ode to David: “We are yours, O David,/ And with you, O son of Jesse!/ Peace, Peace to you, and peace to him who helps you;/ Indeed, Your God helps you!” (1 Chronicles 12:18).

Men joined David’s army from the tribe of Issachar. The Bible says that “they understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do” (1 Chronicles 12:32). They knew that David was the rightful king and they followed him rather than Saul.

Men from the tribe of Zebulon were well-organized. They were men “who could draw up in battle formation with all kinds of weapons of war” (1 Chronicles 12:33). They “helped David with an undivided heart.” They had loyalty and integrity.

These chapters in 1 Chronicles contain a rather long list of names of biblical heroes from the various tribes of Israel who are remembered for their bravery, initiative, determination, versatility, sound judgment, and devotion to God.

As I read these chapters recently I was reminded of a few key principles.

1. Individuals are important. Sometimes we wonder why the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, records long lists of names. This teaches us that these names represent persons who are to be remembered. They are significant. Their lives contributed to the flow of biblical history and the outworking of God’s purposes in his world. The next time you read through a boring list of genealogies, or tribal names in the Bible, tell yourself, “people are important to God. I am important to God, too.”

2. Collaboration is important. The thousands of warriors who joined David’s army could not have been victorious if they had not been organized into clans, ranks, and troops. They were well led by Joab and other officers. They were united in their efforts and loyal to their king. The same should be true in the life of the church. Our loyalty must be to Christ, and with mutual respect we must serve him without pride or a craving for power over others. Mother Teresa has been quoted as saying, “None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.”

Moses had his elders in Israel who were appointed to help him in the administration of the nation. The apostles in Jerusalem sought the help of spiritually mature men who joined them in the leadership of the early church. Paul and Barnabus appointed elders to provide leadership for the local churches they established in their missionary work. And King David relied upon the help of his mighty men.

I cannot help but remember the strong leaders, men and women, who assisted me in the ministries of the churches I pastored. I thank God for their wisdom, humility, prayers, and guidance. At this time in my life I often think of fellow pastors, elders, and deacons with great affection and appreciation.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

Posted on

My Children’s Mother

One reason my children are great parents is the good example of their mother. Connie Thompson Faulkner is the living quintessence of the ideal wife and mother described in Proverbs 31. For that reason, this week, “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her” (Proverbs 31:28).

When Connie and I married almost 55 years ago, I was out of my mind with romantic love. I loved her truly and well then, and I still do, but I had no idea what a treasure she would prove to be as life unfolded. We became parents early and often. It did not take me long to recognize that she was born to be a mother. An only child herself, she said she always wanted to have lots of children.

She knew what she was doing. By that I mean she always seemed to know the right thing to do in every parenting situation. She loved nurturing her babies. As they passed through the stages of childhood she taught them, prayed and played with them, encouraged and guided them.

When they entered adolescence, she understood how to adapt her parenting style without sacrificing her standards. She gave them gifts of emotional security, confidence, healthy independence, and the expectation of excellence. Above all, she gave them a good example.

She was the first piano teacher for our eldest son who is now a professional church musician. She coached our daughter to a win in a state-wide scholarship pageant. She knew what she was doing because she had won a few of those herself. She loved being a wedding planner. That was a good thing because our first three children were married the same year! Later she was a supportive presence when grandchildren came along.

After twenty-five years as a  stay-at-home mom, Connie went back to the profession she was trained for. She excelled as a teacher. I told her more than once that she should write a book on classroom management and it should be titled, “The Happy Classroom.” Her income helped pay for college tuition for our two youngest children.

Words are inadequate as I try to describe what it meant to me to have such a partner in the service of the church. She loves the Lord and she loves people. The people of the churches felt that love as she, in different seasons through the years, mentored younger women, taught Sunday School, sang in adult choirs, and directed children’s and youth choirs. She did it all in a way that seemed effortless. She gave of herself freely.

She has the gift of hospitality and she has always been ready to open our home for groups and individuals in connection with our ministry to people. The meals she prepared and the desserts she baked added joy to every gathering. As far as I know, she never caused our children to feel neglected. She found ways to include them in what we were trying to do in ministry. This contributed to their emotional intelligence and their understanding of service.

Second only to life in Christ, I consider Connie to be the best gift God ever gave me. I could not ask for a more loyal, loving wife. She is strong in character, good sense, and compassion. I am sure that this weekend her children, Jay, Carrie, Mary, Anna, and Michael, will join me in praising her with these words from Proverbs 31: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (vv. 29-30).

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

Posted on

Go and Tell

Not long ago I was in a worship service in a large church in my hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Connie and I were in town to enjoy a visit with my brothers who live there. After an opening welcome the pastor made a few brief announcements. One of them caught my attention. 

It went something like this, “If any of you are shy about sharing your faith and want to learn how to talk with others about Jesus, we will be offering evangelism training classes this Saturday. Lunch will be provided.” I thought to myself, “That’s exactly right! If I were a member here I would attend those classes and encourage others to do the same.”

Christian witness should not be construed as salesmanship. Evangelism should not be distorted as manipulation or coercion. It is not imposing our beliefs on reluctant victims of our enthusiasm. It is, as James Kennedy put it, “One beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.” It is simply sharing good news, or “gospeling,” an expression coined by Nepalese Christians.

I suspect that pastor wanted to see members of his congregation “gospeling” all over Chattanooga, sharing the good news of eternal life with neighbors and friends. I believe he was correct in this for several reasons.

First, the pastor’s job, according to scripture, is to “prepare God’s people for works of service” (Ephesians 4:12). One of those works of service is evangelism. Yes, the pastor should preach the gospel on Sundays, but he cannot go everywhere his people can go or have the relationships his people have. They are the ones the Lord is sending into the community as his ambassadors, speaking to others “with gentleness and respect” ( 1 Peter 3:15).

For too long American churches have relied upon the excuse that evangelism is the pastor’s job. After all, he is the specialist with all the training. But it wasn’t that way in the early church. Acts 8:4 says, “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.” The word translated “preached” means “conversed.” It is a word for informal conversation in day-to-day situations. The point I am making is that these were ordinary Christians, not church leaders. We know this because Acts 8:1 says that because of the persecution “all except the apostles were scattered.” And those who were scattered engaged in gospel conversations.

That pastor in Chattanooga preached the gospel the Sunday I heard him. But he also expressed the concern that the members of the congregation be equipped for their own ministry of “talking with people about Jesus.”

Another reason is that the Holy Spirit is given to all believers. One of the ministries of the Spirit in the lives of God’s people is empowerment for witness. Jesus promised his disciples that when he went away, the Holy Spirit would come to take his place. He said that Spirit would testify about him, and “you also must testify” (John 15:26-27).

This is reflected in one of the great promises of scripture, that believers would receive power from the Holy Spirit to be witnesses about Jesus “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). It is not all up to us. It is the Holy Spirit in us who is the best evangelist of all.

I was pleased to hear the pastor’s announcement for a third reason. It told me that witness and compassionate concern for others were central to the life of that church. Evangelism was not unusual or exceptional. It was being thought of as a normal aspect of healthy church life.

There is an outstanding example of this in the New Testament. The  church in Antioch of Syria was founded through the witness of those Jews from Jerusalem whom I mentioned earlier. They had been scattered by persecution. It came into existence when they shared the message of Jesus with non-Jews (Gentiles) many of whom believed (Acts 11:20-21). As a result, the church took on the multicultural character of the city of Antioch. The assembly at Antioch became identified as Christian and influenced many more of their neighbors to turn to the Lord (Acts 11:24). Sharing the gospel was part of that church’s DNA from its very beginning.

Jesus and his disciples went across the lake of Galilee to the region of Gadara. There they encountered a man who was demonized, living in tragic solitude among the tombs, chained hand and foot. Jesus healed the man and gave him his sanity and dignity. When it was time for Jesus to leave, the man wanted to join Jesus’ team and follow him.

“But Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return home and tell how much God has done for you.’ So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him” (Luke 8:38-39). That is what the Lord is reminding us to do. That is evangelism.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

 

Posted on

Reliable Testimony

We have gotten used to deception. We brace ourselves when advertisers push misleading claims about their products. We roll our eyes when politicians make campaign promises. Teachers learn to sniff out plagiarism in students’ written work. We hear about job seekers who submit inaccurate professional resumes. Justice is undermined when courtroom witnesses commit perjury. We are angered by social media and news networks that promote unfounded conspiracy theories and outright lies.

Jesus’ detractors in the religious community accused him of deception. They were so offended by his astounding claims that they wanted to have him killed. They said that “he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God” (John 5:18).

Jesus did not deny this. In fact, he bluntly stated that he was doing the works of God (John 5:16-17). He said that God had entrusted all ultimate judgment to him (John 5:22, 27). He claimed equal honor with God (John 5:23). He even claimed to have the power of God to raise the dead (John 5:25-26). There is no way around it. Jesus claimed to be the divine Son of God.

Was Jesus lying? Was he a religious con man preying on the gullibility of simple people? Was he a self-deceived, crazy man who thought he had come from God to save the world? Or was he who he said he was? Jesus faced those who accosted him and offered them three trustworthy witnesses to support his claim to deity. Their testimony is reliable.

John the forerunner

In this debate, Jesus had every right to defend himself against his accusers, But since they had already shown that they did not accept his word, he accommodated himself to them and said, “If you won’t listen to me, listen to John the Baptizer.” He was the prophet sent from God to prepare the nation Israel for the coming of the Messiah.

John was like a notary public who certified Jesus’ ministry to the people. “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth” (John 5:33). In the beginning of Jesus’ ministry John was the one who bore witness to the true light so that all people might believe (John 1:7). He was not the light, but was a “light bearer” to project the light that was Jesus (John 1:8, 5:35).

Jesus knew the people were impressed by the ministry of John. His testimony about Jesus was reliable.

Jesus’ miracles

Jesus said that the works that he had been sent to earth to do, including his miraculous signs, were even “weightier” testimony than that of John (John 5:36). The fourth gospel records seven special miracles of Jesus which were selected to confirm the faith of those who would read about them and be led to believe on Jesus as Savior. Each miracle reveals his divine authority and supernatural power.

His miracles were exceptional events outside the normal laws of nature. They could not be ignored. Jesus exhibited these miraculous signs over and over again. They pose a challenge. His works require us to make a decision about him. Was Jesus a religious charlatan, deliberately deceiving the people? Was he like a witch doctor performing miracles by the power of the devil? Or was he who he claimed to be? A response is called for.

“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you my have life in his name” (John 20:30-31).

The testimony of God: the Scriptures

“The Father who has sent me has testified concerning me,” Jesus said (John 5:37). When was that? You may recall that there was a voice from heaven that spoke when Jesus was baptized: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). In addition to that single event, there is the more permanent witness of the scriptures, the written Word of God.

The people with Jesus in John chapter 5 had not witnessed his baptism or heard the voice from heaven. But they had heard the scriptures read in their synagogues every Sabbath day. The religious scholars had studied the scriptures meticulously all their lives. Yet they failed to recognize and acknowledge that the Scriptures testify about Jesus. “These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life” (John 5:37-40).

The Scriptures are God’s book. He inspired their writing by his Holy Spirit. When we read the Bible God is speaking. The Bible is a truthful and trustworthy report concerning Jesus.

Our world is awash in deception. We are not always sure whom to believe. So here are three witnesses about Jesus, all of them reliable: John, the Lord’s miracles, and the written word of God himself. Jesus calls our attention to them to strengthen our faith in him.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

Posted on

Water for a Thirsty Soul

I remember a time when I was seriously thirsty. I was exhausted after a long day’s hike on the Appalachian Trail. I had camped near what my map said was a reliable water source. The spring was dry. The story is longer but it ends well. The Lord mercifully took care of me by sending some fellow hikers along who shared their supply of water and Gatorade. What a relief!

Jesus was tired and thirsty when he and his disciples stopped near a town in Samaria. The disciples went to buy food and Jesus waited beside Jacob’s well, the village water supply.

Presently, a woman came to draw water from the well. Jesus crossed two cultural barriers and asked her if she would give him a drink. She was a woman and she was a Samaritan. John 4:9 makes clear that traditionally, Jews did not associate with Samaritans. So Jesus defied custom when he, as a Jewish man, asked her, a Samaritan woman, for a drink.

She was puzzled and asked Jesus, “How can you ask me for a drink?” He answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10). “Living water” refers to a flowing spring, a never-ending, abundant supply.

Then the Lord went further and said that anyone who drinks from the water that he gives “will never thirst” (John 4:13). It will be a spring that wells up to eternal life. To “drink” is to believe in Jesus. As he said on another occasion,
“If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, streams of living water shall flow from within him” (John 7:37).

A conversation ensued which resulted in Jesus telling her that he is the Messiah, the Christ of God. He is the Savior who has the divine authority to promise eternal life. As a result of this conversation, she and many others put their faith in Jesus as “the Savior of the world” (John 4:39-42).

The famous British journalist Malcomb Muggeridge described his conversion to faith in Christ in terms of receiving this living water. Formerly a Marxist, a cynic and a skeptic he achieved worldwide notoriety for his pungent critiques of Western civilization. His faith in Jesus Christ transformed him into a Christian apologist and outspoken witness. Later in his life he wrote:

“I may, I suppose, regard myself, or pass for being a relatively successful man. People occasionally stare at me on the streets — that’s fame. I can fairly easily earn enough to qualify for admission to the higher slopes of the Inland Revenue — that’s success. Furnished with money and a little fame even the elderly, if they care to, may partake of trendy diversions — that’s pleasure. It may happen once in a while that something I said or wrote was sufficiently heeded for me to persuade myself that it represented a serious impact upon our time — that’s fulfillment. Yet I say to you, and I beg you to believe me, multiply these tiny triumphs by a million, add them all together, and they are nothing — less than nothing, a positive impediment — measured against one draught of that living water Christ offers to the spiritually thirsty, irrespective of who or what they are.”

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

Posted on

The Lamb of God

The recent celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus has me thinking of the reason for it all. It is found in the words of John the Baptizer as Jesus began his ministry. He pointed to Jesus and declared, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:28).

What was John thinking? Possibly he was recalling the time when Abraham and Isaac traveled to Mount Moriah to make a sacrifice to God. The story has recently been re-told in a film, “His Only Son,” released by Angel Studios. The movie depicts Isaac’s question, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham’s answer was, “God himself will provide the lamb for the offering, my son” (Genesis 22:7-8).

The film captured the ambivalence, the pathos, and the emotional anguish in the heart of Father Abraham. This was because God was testing his faith by asking him to do the unthinkable and sacrifice his own son. Against all human instinct and logic, Abraham was about to carry out this strange command of God. But then God intervened and did indeed provide a suitable sacrifice, a young ram caught in a thicket, to take the place of Isaac.

Abraham spoke more prophecy than he knew when he uttered the words, “God himself will provide the lamb.” Was John thinking of this story we he called Jesus the Lamb of God?

Or was John thinking of the Exodus of the Hebrew people from their captivity in Egypt? This was commemorated every springtime by the Jews in the Festival of Passover. Every Jewish family was to observe the feast with the sacrifice of a yearling lamb without physical defect. Every year the Jewish father would explain the story of the nation’s deliverance and protection when God judged Egypt for their oppression of his chosen people.

The Hebrews were to smear the blood of the lamb on the lintel and the doorposts of their dwellings. Through Moses the prophet God had told them, “When I see the blood I will pass over you.” No plague, no destruction, “will touch you when I strike Egypt” (Exodus 12:13). It was the blood of those sacrificial lambs that shielded the Israelites from death and judgment.

Undoubtedly, John was thinking of the prophet Isaiah’s words, referring to Messiah, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). No Jew living at that time would have doubted that these words, and all of Isaiah 53, referred to Messiah, upon whom the Lord would lay “the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

John the Baptizer said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” His words are as relevant today as they were when they were spoken. This is because He takes away sin. Sin is anything that stands between us and a holy God. Sin is failure to do and be what God requires. Sin is doing what God forbids. The Lamb, Jesus, is able to take our sins away, to remove them, to expunge them, to cancel them, to forgive them,

This is a really happy promise. It involves the gift of eternal life, a clear conscience and peace of mind. How is this possible? How can one man, Jesus of Nazareth, take away our sin? The answer lies in his worth or value. He was perfect in the sight of God, without sin. Quoting Isaiah 53, the apostle Peter said of Jesus, “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:22). Peter said that Jesus was “a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:19).

He could take away sins because as the Lamb of God he was sacrificed for sinners. That is the message of Good Friday and Easter. This sacrifice has infinite value because he himself has infinite value as the Son of God. Like John the Baptizer, I invite you to “look” trustingly to him, to Jesus.

I do not ask you to join, or to pay, or to perform, but only to believe in Him. Look only to Him, not to a preacher, or to a church, or to yourself. Look nowhere else, to no one else, and to nothing else. Only He can take away our sin and make us right with God.

Isaac Watts wrote the following words over 300 years ago:

“Not all the blood of beasts on Jewish altars slain/ could give the guilty conscience peace or wash away our stain./ But Christ, the heavenly Lamb, takes all our sins away,/ a sacrifice of nobler name, and richer blood than they.”

Pastor Randy Faulkner

Posted on

God’s Love on Display

On this Good Friday, I invite you to think with me about how Jesus, the Son of God, gave his life to rescue sinners and reconcile them to God. This was God’s love on display. “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6).

“Powerless” means helpless. After the terrorist bombing in Oklahoma City in 1995, scores of injured people lay amid the rubble of concrete slabs, steel rebar and rising water. Helpless. Awaiting rescue. Romans 5 says that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was for those who were helpless to save themselves.

Paul’s text is an unflattering description of humanity. “Ungodly” means irreverent, people without serious thoughts of God. “Sinners” are those who by nature and by choice violate God’s law. “Enemies” means that Jesus died for those who were alienated and rebellious against God’s rule in their lives. According to the New Testament, that is us, all of us.

How did God respond? He responded with love. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God put his love on display on Good Friday. As you read in the gospels the gory descriptions of the Lord’s sufferings: the mock trial, the false accusations, the beatings, the thorns, the nails, the spear, remember that it was love that carried him through it.

The message of Holy Week is not just a sentimental story. It tells us how we may experience God’s love. Romans 5:9-10 expresses this in three weighty theological words. Through faith in Christ we may be (1) “justified by his blood.” That means to be declared right with God, and secure in that position.

(2) Then, believers are declared to be “reconciled to God through the death of his Son.” This assures a peaceful, harmonious relationship with God.

(3) The third word is “saved.” It means to be rescued, delivered from the wrath of God’s final judgment. “While we were still sinners Christ died for us.” He died so that we could be justified before God, reconciled to God, and saved from the wrath of God.

If you are asking, “How may I know it was for me that he died?” I can tell you. If you are willing to admit that you are helpless before God, indifferent toward God, alienated from God, and in God’s eyes, a sinner, then I have good news. It was for people just like you that Christ died.

This may be hard to admit to yourself and to God, but it is a necessary first step. Confess your sin to God and express your faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Ask him to be your savior and begin to follow him as your Lord. Then Romans 5:1 will be true of you: “Therefore since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Good Friday was God’s love on display.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

 

Posted on

A King’s Reception

On Sunday Christians will begin the observance of the final week before Jesus’ death and resurrection. Palm Sunday recalls his formal entry into the city of Jerusalem as Messiah. All four of the gospels say that crowds welcomed Jesus with worship, singing psalms of praise in his honor.

Thousands of pilgrims were entering the city for the festival of Passover. Many of them recognized Jesus as the miracle worker of Galilee. Others had heard how he had raised Lazarus from death. Their hopes were centered on the promised kingdom, and they praised Jesus as Messiah, the Son of David.

Jesus was riding a young donkey, not a war horse or chariot, a sign of humility and peace. This was Jesus’ deliberate choice in order to fulfill a prophecy of scripture (Zechariah 9:9). Some of the people spread their cloaks on the ground before him and waved palm branches, shouting “Hosanna!” quoting Psalm 118:25-26.

This commotion did not seem to arouse the interest of the Roman officials. They apparently thought this activity was just another part of the Jews’ Passover celebration.

The national leaders of Israel had already been conspiring to have Jesus killed. “If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation” (John 11:48). The Pharisees told Jesus to make the people stop their shouting and singing. Jesus’ reply was that if he silenced the crowd the stones would cry out in his praise! He seemed to be deliberately provoking the hostility that would lead to his death.

Jesus knew that the time had come for him to die. That is why he was now allowing the people to publicly praise him as Messiah. Heretofore he had suppressed talk of his kingship. He knew the people then did not understand the spiritual nature of his kingdom.

But now he is hurrying toward the cross and this public display would only hasten his death and resurrection. Not many days later the crowds would be shouting, “Crucify him!”

His disciples did not yet understand the significance of these events. It was not until the Lord’s resurrection  had occurred and the Holy Spirit had descended that they were able to discern the meaning of the prophesies. Then they understood that his death and resurrection were necessary as a sacrifice for sinners.

They would come to understand and accept as their mission to proclaim this message. Their attitude would be meekness, the fruit of the Spirit. Their method would be loving persuasion, not military conquest. Their Master was the One who fulfilled the prophecy: “See your king comes to you righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding upon a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).

Pastor Randy Faulkner