Gideon- First step for when sin entangles

Gideon- First step for when sin entangles

Posted on by Matthew Laker

Series: Gideon- Embracing faith leaving fear.

Read Judges 6:1-5

The story of Gideon begins after 40 years of peace followed by 7 years of hardship. One could make an argument that the people worked or walked themselves into this hardship. They took their eyes off of God. Perhaps it was a slow process. They began to look at the peace they had believing it was there by their hand. However, it was God who brought peace to the land. They took their eyes off of God and forgot who they were as a people and as individuals. They took their eyes off God and sin began to ensnare their life.

 

fox_thumb.jpgWe are just the same at times. When we forget God– forget who we are– sins entangles us.

 

The people become lost in a way and chase after everything except God. They look to the mountains to provide their safety and security and they lived in the caves. They were not meant to be hiding in caves and leaving in fear. In a way, so many of us live in our own caves, hiding and living in fear.

 

The people had good reason to live there. There was a security it brought.

 

However,God, in revealing himself to the people, also shared who they were to be. They were not to be a people living in fear. They had forgotten who brought them out of Egypt and provided for them. They had forgotten the one who revealed himself to them and showed them how they should live. God showed them the road to wholeness and it was with him. Yet they rejected him. Sin entangled its way into their life and they were not able to fully embrace the promise land that God promised them.

 

We read these activities and think that could not happen to me. Yet so many followers of Jesus are being choked by the weeds and distractions of life.

 

In the book of Judges we see the cycle of people fixing their eyes on God and following him, then walking away and putting their trust in other things. There were consequences in their life because of that. Now we are not under the Old Covenant. We are under Jesus and what the bible calls the New Covenant. The cycle seen in Judges can be experienced in our life as well. This is not meant to be. We fix our eyes on Jesus and know our need for him only to look to sin and move our eyes off Jesus and become entangled with sin.

 

When the letter of Hebrews was written, in the New Testament, I think the author saw this struggle in the church as well In chapter 10 we read, in light of all that Jesus has done; in light of who God is and all that he has done; we have a new way of living. Then in Chapter 12 the author calls us to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so entangles us and run the race with perseverance. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.

 

At the beginning of the story of Gideon (Judges 6:1-5), God is about to call Gideon in order to answer the prayers of God’s people and call his people back to him. It is when they are in a relationship with him wholeness is found. It is in relationships with Jesus that we have wholeness and freedom and security and peace.

 

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:22-23).

 

Perhaps you are caught in such a cycle or find yourself entangled with sin. The first step is to fix your eyes on Jesus; remember who God is. In a way we see this in Judges 6:6 as the people call out to God. They see they are impoverished without God and cry out to him.  They need him in order to live as they were created to be.

 

God is waiting for you.

The Apostle Peter, us and fear

Posted on by Matthew Laker

Series Walking with Peter part 4

In Matthew 8:14-17;23-27 we find Peter, and the rest of the apostles, in a boat and full of fear.

The disciples have been listening to Jesus share about faith and trusting him. Peter and the disciples watched as Jesus healed Peter’s mother in law. Now they are in a boat and a great storm comes. In this moment they will learn more of who Jesus is and who they are.

The storm is fearful and scary and Jesus looks at them and says “Why are you so afraid?”

It is a question we really need to ask ourselves.

Why are you so afraid to follow Jesus?

Do we believe that Jesus is powerful enough?

If we do believe that, how does that change how we view ourselves and how we live? In the boat the disciples were afraid and doubted. I can be just like them at times. I know that God is leading my life and yet I get into situations and wonder and struggle with fear. Yet like the disciples I have seen God at work.

Where have you seen God at work in your life?

When we are in our storms what do you think the characteristic of Jesus will be? Will God hold back his grace and mercy? Will he leave you alone? Will Jesus use the storm for his glory and to shape you?

Peter learns about Jesus’ sovereignty, grace and mercy.

Many followers of Jesus are inclined to look to the uncertainty of the storm and not the certainty of Jesus.

To follow Jesus is to put our trust in him; that he is good enough and great enough. So when we fear, we assess it in light of who Jesus is. We respect what our fear tells us, but we see it through the lens of Christ.

When Jesus asked Peter and the disciples his question, he was revealing the unbelief that was still in their hearts. He was revealing to them and to us that fear does not have to become a driving force in our life. He was revealing that death is not our end as followers of Jesus.

As psalm 27:1 shares, “Whom shall we fear.”

I am not there yet. But Jesus is revealing a radical way of living that he is slowly calling Peter to.

The truth, however, is it is not just Peter he is calling to this life, but us as well.

The Second Coming in 3 Parts – Do not Fear the Circumstances

Posted on by Matthew Laker

Series: Matthew 24 – part 3
Text: Matthew 24:6-32

This is part 3 of a series of posts (part 1, part 2, part 3) that are looking at the Second Coming of Jesus.  To help narrow the conversation for better reflection, this series of posts will be based on Jesus’ conversation in Matthew 24.

“False labour contractions are unpredictable. They come at irregular intervals and vary in length and intensity. Although true labour contractions may be irregular at first, over time they start coming at regular and shorter intervals, and become increasingly more intense, and last longer.”

In Matthew 24:8, Jesus says, “All these [signs] are the beginning of birth pains.”  As one read Matthew 24, there is a feeling of the building of contractions getting greater and the intervals closer.  Jesus starts with a short list of the beginning signs of his return in verses 6-7.

  • We will hear of wars and rumours of wars.
  • Nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom.
  • famines
  • earthquakes

The challenge of this list is that realistically  we have always had such things.  How do we know if what we see today is part of a regular cycle or the first stage of birth pains? We do know that there are physical changes taking place in our world, which one could argue are leading to stronger storms.   What is important to remember is the storms are not signs that the end is here, but it is coming.  I would suggest that they are signs of our need for Jesus.  The talk of rumours of war, and nations against nations, is hard because war is a part of our world.  There is always one group going up against another.  

Jesus continues with more signs

  • v. 9 – You will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death

It should be noted that Jesus is talking about believers. In the build up to his Second Coming persecution will be part of the journey for followers of Jesus.  It will continue as the birth pain increase, and it does not end till near the end (see v. 31).  We also have the tension here that persecution is an experience of many believers today.

  • v. 10-11 – There is a rise of falling away and many false prophets appearing.

Each generation will have its falling away and false prophets.  But there seems to be an increase above the norm.  The challenge is,“What is the norm?” and  so becomes very hard to measure.    The church needs to be careful in saying one generation is more evil than another. We need to be reminded that as long as we follow Jesus, there will be temptations, and a battle to pull us away.

  • v. 14 -The gospel will be preached in the whole world.

What this will look like we simply do not know.  Many have shared this means a church or at least missionary in every people group of the world.    Tracking that may be hard, but we have the promise of the message going out even in the midst of challenging circumstance.

It is at this point we see an intensity of the birth pains taking place and perhaps closer together.  In verse 15-22 there is talk about a third temple that has been built.  It should be noted that as of 2014 this has not happened.  There is more that can be said about this section that space does not allow for.  You will have to look for future posts. These verses contain some big events. During this time there is a great desolation that takes place.   Not much is shared what that will look like, but I expect one should pray they are not around during that time. 

Like birth pains coming on quicker, this moment will not last as long.  There is a quick transition into the 3rd stage of signs.  This next phase of the birth pains comes in verse 28-31.  This is the final stage as the birth takes place.   During this final phase we see events take place in space, among the sun and moon with stars going out.  Then the crowning of the head begins in the birthing.  The sign of Jesus will appear in the sky.

We do not know what this sign is, but I expect we will know it when it comes.  Then we will see Jesus.

Then in Verse 31, God will gather his followers.  

There are two important thoughts Jesus wants us to take away from this conversation. These two things are related to the signs, but the signs are not the main point.  The first point is that:


1. God is sovereign

God is a God involved in history.  In the midst of the choices of people and the power of sin in our world, God is at work to bring about his will.  “Heaven and earth will pass away, but his words will never pass away”

The second thing we need to take away is:

2. Be not alarmed.

In the midst of all these signs Jesus has shared, this is not even what he wants us to understand.  Like the anxious husband, waiting for his wife to go into labour, wondering if it is time, so we too run the risk of doing the very same thing in our life.  Jesus on the other hand, shares in verse 8 and 13 what he is concerned about.

Be not alarmed. 

This does not mean we have to understand the time line of everything.  It does mean that we do not have to fear the circumstance and events taking place around us.

Stand firm in God and do not be alarmed.