What if we lived out what we say we believe?

Posted on February 9, 2012 Written by Mark McIntyre Leave a Comment

A woman beginning her ninth decade laughs when she is told that she will bear a son. Her husband is ten years her senior which adds to the seeming impossibility. In response to her laughter, God asks Abraham a question, “is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14)

Fast forward a couple of millennia. Two men are walking with a stranger who explains how the Scriptures pointed to Jesus as the Messiah of Israel. Before the stranger began his lecture he said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!” (Luke 24:25). The two men should have seen it coming, but their lack of faith prevented the insight.

Since we know how these stories turned out, since we know all the details before and after these events, it is too easy for us to think that we would have responded differently. It may be different for you but I don’t think I would have.

Why would I say this? Honesty dictates that I do.

A few nights ago, we watched the movie “Not a Fan” which makes a distinction between fans of Jesus and followers of Jesus. Fans fall away at the first sign of trouble. Followers stick it out even when it is difficult. This movie is a call to radical obedience to the commands and precepts of Scripture.

A favorite quote from G. K. Chesterton comes to mind: “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” Why has it been left untried? Because I am slow of heart to believe the promises of Scripture. Like Sarah, I do not appropriate the fact that nothing is too hard for God.

I’m not talking (writing) about head knowledge here. Sure I acknowledge the truth that God is fully in control, I say I believe this, but do I really live it out? Sadly, I do not.

What would my life look like if I lived in the full knowledge that God is in control, that he will take care of me and I only need to be radically obedient? What would my church look like if all of us did this? What would our world look like if the Church lived this out?

The question remains, “is anything too hard for the LORD?”

Absent From the Great Banquet

Posted on June 13, 2011 Written by Mark McIntyre 1 Comment

The Banquet Table is Set

Luke 14:16-24 records the parable of the Great Banquet. The main point of the story is that the invited guests gave lame excuses as to why they could not attend. In the place of the original invitees, the dregs of society are then persuaded to enter into the feast. Jesus concludes the parable by saying that “none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.”

The banquet is illustrative of a personal relationship. To sit down and have a meal with someone implies a bond of fellowship. Those invited were to dine with the house master and be in relationship.

The Pharisees clearly understood that the parable was intended to present the Pharisees as the ones with the lame excuses. It’s very hard to miss this point. I understood this even as a child when I read or heard this parable taught. The Pharisees missed out on relationship with God because of their limited understanding and hard hearts. They presented lame excuses as to why they would not enter into this relationship.

The connection that I didn’t make until recently is that not only were the Pharisees to enter into this relationship, they were to bring others in also. Isaiah 42:6 shows us that God intended Israel to be a light to the Gentiles. In Exodus 19:6, God tells the Israelites that they were to be a “kingdom of priests” to the world. The nation was to be an example of how and why one should be in relationship with the Creator God. They failed to accomplish this mission and were punished as a result.

Perfect Theology and a Hard Heart

It is very easy to heap condemnation on the Pharisees without making the effort to understand the root of their problem and take steps to avoid following their example.

This past weekend, I attended a block party in Philadelphia which was sponsored by a local church. The crowd was ethnically diverse and the social issues that challenge cities in America were on display. I found myself walking the length of the block party praying for the needs of the people. Interaction with some of the people was an encouragement to me. Some others clearly showed needs that I found overwhelming. Yet, how many years have these problems been going on and the church (myself included) has been largely absent, leaving the needs unmet.

The danger I see in the church is that like the Pharisees, we can dot every theological “i” and cross every doctrinal “t” and ignore the needs of the people in society around us. We can be so caught up in determining the correctness of the teaching that we miss opportunities to minister to those who are most open to the gospel. I know that I can get so caught up in being right that I miss the needs of the people around me.

I’m not saying that doctrine and correct theology are not important; they are. I am saying that we can use our quest for doctrinal integrity as an excuse to avoid the messy business of reaching out to those who most need the gospel. It is possible to have a perfect understanding of theology and have a hard heart. Our theology should drive us to the cross as we understand our own need of a savior. This should result in a passionate drive to bring others into relationship with Jesus. Correct theology should soften our hearts and make us, like Jesus, aware of the needs that God is calling us to meet.

You Have to Have It to Give It Away

Jesus, in Matthew 7:21-23 warns us that it is all about relationship and not about what we know and do. Yet having that relationship will drive us to be willing to be used by God to minister to all kinds of people. I’m reminded of a Muddy Waters lyric that says “you can’t spend what you ain’t got, you can’t loose what you ain’t never had.” In other words, you can’t bring people into relationship with someone you don’t even know.

The emphasis needs to be on relationship first and then on meeting the needs of the people. If we don’t deepen our own relationship with Jesus, we will struggle to give people what they most need. Yet, absence of the drive to minister to people may be an indication of problems with our own relationship with God. I am more like the Pharisees than I would like to acknowledge.

Discussion Question

What do you do to maintain awareness of the needs around you and sharpen the focus on bringing people into relationship with Jesus Christ?

Moses as Leader – Do the right thing even when it’s not appreciated

Posted on May 22, 2011 Written by Mark McIntyre 4 Comments

Moses as Leader – The Story

Moses is up on the mountain receiving the law from God. Meanwhile, down in the valley, the people of Israel have built and are

worshiping a golden idol. Before they have even received the law, the people have broken the first two commandments.

In response to this, Exodus 32:7-10 records that God proposed a plan to wipe out the nation of Israel and start over with Moses as the patriarch of a new nation. Warren Wiersbe, in his book, Becoming a Servant of God, points out the significance of this offer. From a

human perspective, it doesn’t get any better than becoming the father of a whole nation. By anyone’s standard, this would be a significant honor and achievement.

But look at how Moses responds. Instead of taking God up on the offer, he begins pleading for the nation of Israel. He intercedes on their behalf, even while the nation is still in party mode and not ready to acknowledge their error.

Moses as Leader – The Principle

As the title of this post indicates, the principle is that leaders do the best thing for their people even when the people do not know or appreciate what is being done.

From a human perspective, what did Moses get from this transaction? He got 40 more years of whining and aggravation from the people, he got his leadership challenged, he got overworked and died in the wilderness without a permanent home.

From an eternal perspective, Moses deepened his relationship with God, secured a significant place in God’s program and died knowing that he had done the right thing for the people that God called him to lead and to serve.

At the foundation of Moses’ ability to serve his people was his relationship with God. It was this relationship that provided the understanding that God is the source of the responsibility and the privilege of leading the people. When things got tough, Moses took his cues from his Heavenly Father.

Moses as Leader – The Application

In our society, examples abound of leaders who abuse the privilege of their position. Decisions are made which provide wealth and security of the leader and those in his social circle. We can find examples in commercial enterprises and politics.

Our society is crying out for leaders who will lead for the benefit of the people below them on the organization chart. Thankfully, there are some leaders who do this, but not enough.

We see CEO’s making millions of dollars while laying off significant numbers of people. We see politicians leveraging future generations by spending money that they don’t have. Read the news headlines on any giving morning and you will find at least one example of the abuse of power.

Sadly, the visible church is not exempt from this behavior. We have seen decisions made in church organizations that are contrary to clear Scriptural teaching, all because of pressure from the outside or an attempt to swell the numbers in the auditorium.

To church leaders I offer this encouragement. If you are first-and-foremost tuned into God through prayer and Scripture reading, you will lead well and for the benefit of those you lead. Your people need you to have this relationship because like the people of Israel, the greatest need is to hear from God. We have the advantage of the written word, so read the word, live the word and preach the word.

As to those days when you are frustrated by the people you lead I offer this. God sees and he will be your refuge and strength.

Stand firm in that knowledge.

The Antidote for Fear, Grumbling and Myopia

Posted on March 29, 2011 Written by Mark McIntyre 3 Comments

The Bible presents life as it really is. Scripture stories are about people who do the same stupid things that I find myself doing. I am encouraged by this.

In Exodus 17 we have the Nation of Israel in the desert and in need of water. This is a real need, especially in an arid climate. The need is not the problem. How the people went about getting that need met became an issue.

These are the same people who had witnessed the plagues that bought their freedom. These are the same people who saw the water of the Red Sea parted so that they could cross. These are the same people who followed the cloud which gave them shade in the day. These are the same people who camped near the pillar which would provide warmth and light through cold desert nights. The point is that the God that they followed had a track record of meeting their needs in a spectacular way.

Like us (perhaps I should only speak for myself, but I don’t think I’m alone in this) Israel gave in to fear and started grumbling against Moses and against God. Their fear caused them to forget the past provision and the promise that God would see them through to the promised land. They even went so far as to declare that they would have been better off in slavery!

There was a choice made, conscious or not, to see only the immediate problem. They were near sighted and could not see beyond their circumstances. Sound familiar? It does for me. They should have had a bigger view, but they were too much like us. Spiritual myopia is not a new problem.

The great news is that God did provide for their need of water in a miraculous way, in spite of their grumbling and rebellion. He will do the same for us.

So then, what is the antidote to fear, grumbling and myopia?

The antidote to fear is trust. I need to trust in the God who has been found faithful. He has made promises to me that he will fulfill.
The antidote to grumbling is thankfulness. I need to thank God for his provision and learn to be content in that provision.
The antidote to spiritual myopia is Scripture. The Bible allows me to focus on a bigger perspective I need to see God at work in me and in my world.

In Matthew 6, we are promised that our needs (not our wants) will be met. In some of his last words from Earth, Jesus tells us that he will always be with us in Matthew 28:20. These are two promises out of many where God declares his good intent toward us who believe.

I do not need to manipulate God or others to get my needs met. I do need to bring my needs to my Heavenly Father and trust that he will meet them in his time and in his way. He can handle it.

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