“I Will Treasure Church Membership as a Gift” (Luke 19:1-10) - I AM A CHURCH MEMBER VI –

Palm Sunday and Zacchaeus? 
Today we celebrate Palm Sunday. It is the day that we remember and commemorate the day Jesus entered into Jerusalem as Savior and King. So typically, on this day we read the Bible verses about Jesus’ triumphal entry, wave palm branches, and shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” But today for a reason I chose a little bit different scripture passage, that is, a story of Zacchaeus. If we read the passage of the triumphal entry of Jesus, right after that passage we find that Jesus is weeping over Jerusalem (19:41-44). It’s a little bit weird, isn’t it? All the people in Jerusalem – men and women, young and old – came out, greeted him with palm branches and welcomed him with enthusiasm. But for some reason, Jesus is weeping as he watches the crowd. Why? Because they honor Jesus with their lips, but their hearts are far from him. They honor him with their lip service, “Jesus, you are our King!” But deep in their hearts they say, “Jesus, I don’t want you. I don’t need your help. I think I am ok. I am not lost.” Knowing their hearts, Jesus says, “The day will come… Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize the time when God came to help you.” (v. 44, NLT) But there were few who did recognize Jesus, receive him joyfully, and honor him with their life. Zacchaeus was one of them. So this old conversion story of Zacchaeus teaches us the true meaning of what it means to receive Jesus Christ as King and Savior as we celebrate Palm Sunday.

Who Is Zacchaeus? 
So then, who is Zacchaeus? The Bible says, “He was a chief tax collector and was rich” (2). In Jesus’ time tax collectors were considered as the scum of the earth. For personal gain they served Rome, taking unfair advantage of their own countrymen. They were despised among the Jews. Zacchaeus was not only a tax collector, but a chief tax collector, which made people despise him all the more. And as a result of an unrighteous gain he got rich. The Bible says, “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (18:24). So in many ways Zacchaeus was a most unlikely candidate for salvation. But today’s story proves that there is no one is beyond the power of God’s grace to reach. God is able to save. If Zacchaeus was saved, there is hope to everyone, even to the worst of sinners. Let us be encouraged and comforted. Let us never give up praying for our souls and for our beloved ones who need salvation. Our God is able.

God Seeking Us 
Our God is not only able to save, but also he is passionately seeking us, before we seek him. On the surface, it seems that Zacchaeus sought Jesus and found him. He was curious about Jesus. He climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him. And he invited Jesus to his house. But the truth is the opposite. It was Jesus who was passionately seeking Zacchaeus before Zacchaeus even heard about the name of Jesus. Jesus always seeks the lost by taking the initiative. Verse 1 says, “Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.” Why? Jesus was coming to seek the lost, particularly a man named Zacchaeus. He was directly walking toward the tree to see Zacchaeus. And he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” Here we find at least two reasons why we can say it was Jesus who took the initiative. First, Jesus called Zacchaeus by name. Zacchaeus must have been surprised, “How should he know my name? I never saw him before.” But Jesus already knew not only his name but also his heart. Just as Jesus said to Nathanael, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you (John 1:48),” now Jesus is saying, “Zacchaeus, I have heard your cry. I know all about your pain. And now I have come to help you.” Second, Jesus used the verb “must” – I must stay at your house today. In the same way, John 4:4 says, “Now it was necessary for him [Jesus] to go through Samaria (ISV). Why? Because he had to meet a Samaritan woman who was lost. And now it is necessary for him to go through Jericho. Why? Because he has to meet Zacchaeus and to abide at his house. That is why he came. In verse 10 Jesus says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

I love a story of D. L. Moody because it tells us how passionately Jesus is seeking us. On one occasion Moody saw a little girl standing on the street with a pail in her hand and invited her to his Sunday School. She promised to go the following Sunday, but she didn’t do so. Moody watched for her for weeks, and then one day he saw her on the street again from a distance. But when she saw him and started to run away. Moody followed her. Down she went one street, Moody after her; up she went another street, Moody after her; out on another street, Moody still following; then she dashed into a saloon and Moody dashed after her. She ran out the back door and up a flight of stairs, Moody still following; she dashed into a room, Moody following; she threw herself under the bed and Moody reached under the bed and pulled her out by the foot, and led her to Christ. That day Moody also led the widow mother and all the family to Christ.[1] 

The Bible says, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" The answer is, no one and nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord! (cf. Rom 8:35-39) We may have withdrawn from God, but God never withdraws from us. God never gives up on us. Instead, he gently, graciously, passionately seeks us and calls us by name. Have you had that experience? Have you heard Jesus call your name? Even now Jesus is seeking you, calling you personally and individually by name.

Seeking the God Who Is Seeking Us 
Zacchaeus heard Jesus call his name. And he came down quickly and received Jesus joyfully. God’s grace is so amazing, so powerful! God’s grace prepared Zacchaeus’ heart, made him thirsty and curious about who Jesus was (v. 3; “prevenient grace”). God’s grace empowered him to say “yes” to Jesus’ invitation and to receive him joyfully (v. 6; “justifying grace”). Furthermore, God’s grace transformed his heart, changed his worldview, gave him a new desire to love God and to love his neighbor (v. 8; “sanctifying grace”). By God’s grace, Zacchaeus is now seeking the God who is seeking him. He does not avoid people anymore; instead, he does stand right beside Jesus and say, "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!" Zacchaeus is saved not because he gives away his possessions to the poor. He is not saved by his works. But his good works prove his changed heart and the love for God expressed in love for others. He is saved by grace through faith. Here Zacchaeus is saying, "Come in, come in, Lord Jesus! From now on I own nothing. You own everything. Jesus, you are my Master and King!" That is Zacchaeus’ confession of faith. And Jesus says to him, “Today salvation has come to his house!”

Zacchaeus was an “outsider,” but now he has become an “insider” by God’s grace. Jesus says to the people grumbling, “He also is a son of Abraham!” Zacchaeus is now a true son of Abraham, son of Noah, son of Adam, and son of God. In Ephesians 2:19 Paul proclaims this truth as follows: "So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family" (NLT), that is, the church. In other words, the moment when we become a Christian, follower of Christ, we naturally also become a church member. So church membership is a gift, honor, and privilege.

The church consists of people – “lost and found” people. We have all different versions of the story. But they are all the same story: “I once was lost, but now I am found.”

Invite Others In 
God’s house is big enough to adopt all the lost. God’s table is large enough for all of us. Perhaps you know some of “Zacchaeuses” who are still seeking truth, seeking an answer, seeking to see who Jesus is. Let us remember: Jesus is passionately seeking them, before they seek him. Let us invite at least one of these individuals to church this Easter. Perhaps they have some hindrances, and you may wonder, “What if?” But, was not Zacchaeus a chief tax collector? Was not Zacchaeus rich? Was not Zacchaeus small in stature? But God’s grace made him more than conqueror over all these hindrances. All things are possible to Jesus Christ. Nothing is too hard for him. He is the Lord almighty!

Perhaps today you yourself are seeking to see who Jesus is. Now Jesus is calling you personally and individually by name, saying, “My son, my daughter, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today!” So like Zacchaeus, let us come down quickly and receive him joyfully, saying:

Into my heart, into my heart 
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus 

Come in today, come in to stay
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus! 

--------

[1] R. A. Torrey, Why God Used D.L. Moody (Moody Press, 1973) 42-43.

“I Will Pray for My Church Leaders” (Eph 6:10-20) - I AM A CHURCH MEMBER IV -

Spurgeon and Intercessory Prayer 

Charles Spurgeon was an English preacher in the 19th century. He is still influential among many Christians and known as the “Prince of Preachers.” For me personally, I still remember when I was a freshman in college, I had a chance to read Spurgeon’s book, Lectures to My Students, written for seminarians at his school. It had a profound impact on me. I still have that book and read it. During his life time, many people visited Spurgeon’s church and asked him the secret of his fruitful ministry. Then, he would take them to the basement prayer-room where people were always on their knees interceding. And Spurgeon would declare, “Here is the powerhouse of this church.” He always acknowledged his success as the direct result of his congregation's faithful prayers. There were even prayer team members who were interceding while he preached. Spurgeon wrote, "When I have preached my very heart out. I could not say any more than I have said. … your prayers will accomplish that which my preaching fails to do? Oh dear friends! Let us agonize in prayer."[1]

Real Enemy, Real Battleground 

In today’s passage Paul says, “Our struggle is not with human beings (“flesh and blood”), but with evil spiritual forces.” Paul describes evil as “real beings” – personal spiritual beings seeking to disrupt life as God intends it. We read and hear terrible news every day. We hear people say, “I was not myself when I did that.” The evil one (16) approaches personally, attacks powerfully, seeks to control persistently. But through the Bible we know the evil one may be real and powerful, but he does not determine life. The devil rules to the extent people let him rule. H. Schlier rightly said, “Christ has left the devil only what power unbelief allows him.”[2]

Paul wants us to know who is the real enemy, where is the real battleground. According to Paul, the real enemy is not human beings; it is the devil. The real battleground is not an outwardly visible world; it is an invisible spiritual world. It is our hearts and minds. So how can we win such a battle? The answer is “prayer.” In Exodus 17 the Israelites fight with the Amalekites. Joshua leads the army in battle, while Moses prays on the top of the hill. It turns out whenever Moses raises his hands, Israel is winning, but whenever he lowers his hands, Amalek is winning. But the thing is Moses’ hands grow weary. He couldn’t prevail by himself. So Aaron and Hur hold up Moses’ hands, one on each side. So his hands hold steady until Israel defeats Amalek. From this story we learn this important truth: the pastor (church leaders) must pray for his people; the pastor must be prayed for.

Your Pastor Is a Target 

It is only a common sense when we have a battle, our highest priority is to take down the enemy commander. Then, we win the battle. In the same way, the devil’s highest priority is to take the pastor down and take him out. The Bible says, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” (Mark 14:27) In verse 11 Paul uses the word “scheme” – the schemes of the devil. In other words, the enemy has intentional, well-planned, crafty strategies to bring the pastor down. He has set a trap for the pastor to enter into temptation where his reputation will be harmed. We often hear about a pastor’s moral failure. The enemy uses all kinds of schemes – greed, success, gossip, slander, adultery, addiction (to pornography, to internet gambling, etc.) – to harm the pastor’s reputation and as a result, to stop the work of God’s kingdom.

Hudson Taylor, a missionary to China, once wrote a letter to his mother in the midst of trials. He wrote, “… The need for your prayer has never been greater than at present. Envied by some, despised by many, hated by others, often blamed for things I never heard of or had nothing to do with, an innovator on what have become established rules of missionary practice, an opponent of mighty systems of heathen error and superstition, working without precedent in many respects and with few experienced helpers, often sick in body as well as perplexed in mind and embarrassed by circumstances… If the Lord had not been specially gracious to me, I must have fainted or broken down.”[3] Perhaps Hudson Taylor’s ministry setting would be different from ours today. But then and now, the essence is the same: the pastor (and the church leaders) is a primary target for the enemy. The pastor must be prayed for.

How to Pray for Your Pastor 

Then, how can we pray for the pastor? In today’s passage Paul commends us to pray for at least three specific areas. First, we should pray for protection – protection from the attacks of Satan. We should pray that the pastor would put on the full of God each and every day (14-18). Satan constantly throws “all the flaming darts” at the pastor. He loves to whisper all kinds of accusations and the words of discouragement in his ear, so that the pastor would be discouraged and stop the work. So we must pray, “Lord God, strengthen the hands of our pastor! Give him strength!” (cf. Neh 6:9) Second, we should pray for anointing. Paul asks the saints’ prayers, “Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel” (19, NRSV). The gospel is revelation. The word of God is unknown, it is mystery until it is revealed by God. The pastor cannot manufacture the message. The message ought to be given to the pastor. So God’s anointing is necessary. Without the anointing, the pastor might still deliver an impressive and eloquent message with his natural talents. But its message cannot penetrate the souls of the people and lead them to repentance and transformation. We need to pray for the pastor to experience the mighty anointing of the Holy Spirit daily. Third, we should pray for meaningful friendships. Since discouragement and challenge are a regular companion of the pastor, he needs strong support system. He needs community. Most of the time, in Paul’s final greetings, he mentions about his co-workers. In Ephesians he introduces Tychicus as his beloved brother and faithful minister (21). In Colossians, Paul introduces Aristarchus as his fellow prisoner (4:10). In Romans, Paul introduces Priscilla and Aquila as his fellow workers, who risked their lives for him (16:3-4). Paul always had traveling companions who encouraged him, suffered with him, and held him accountable. By nature, pastoral ministry can be very lonely and isolated. We need to pray for meaningful friendships and community for the pastor.

What a Preacher, What a Savior 

Charles Spurgeon once said, “No man can do me a truer kindness in this world than to pray for me.” So please do your pastor a true kindness today. Please pray for me to run with endurance the race marked out for me to the end.

I mentioned earlier about Charles Spurgeon. His fame was so extensive. So those who lived in and around London made hearing him preach a “must-do” event. And at that time, there was another famous preacher in London. Many people loved to hear him preach as well. After hearing his message, they said, “What a preacher! He is awesome!” The following week, the same people went to Spurgeon’s church. And after the message, they said, “What a Savior! What a wonderful Savior!” Even Herbert Spencer, the prominent sociologist and infamous agnostic, was invited to Spurgeon’s church by his secretary. Following the sermon, Spencer’s assistant asked him, “Well? What did you think of him?” Spencer responded, “About whom?” “About the preacher, Charles Spurgeon,” his assistant replied. Then, Spencer answered, “Oh, Spurgeon! I haven’t been thinking about him. I’ve been occupied thinking about Spurgeon’s Jesus!”[4] The sermon I am preaching today is my 165th message in our church. I don’t know how many more messages I would preach in the future. But my prayer is that the Lord may protect me against my own sinful heart, self-exalting heart, and that I may faithfully minister God’s word to his people with all my heart, so that Christ will be proclaimed, exalted, glorified. This is my prayer. This is our prayer. Amen.

-------
[1] “Worship Intercessors,” http://www.prayertoday.org/2007/PDF/Worship-Warriors-Guide2007.pdf
[2] Klyne Snodgrass, Ephesians, The NIV Application Commentary Book 10 (Zondervan, 1996), 341.
[3] Dr. Howard and Geraldine Taylor, Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret (Moody Publishers, 2009), 154.
[4] “Worship Intercessors”

“I Will Not Let My Church Be about Me” (Phil 2:5-11) - I AM A CHURCH MEMBER III –

“My First Christian Convert” 

I like the story of Eugene Peterson, who wrote The Message paraphrase of the Bible, how he made his friend (or enemy?) convert to Christianity for the first time. When Eugene started first grade, a second-grade bully named Garrison Johns picked him out to be his victim. Most afternoons after school, Garrison would catch Eugene and beat him up. He also found out Eugene was a Christian and taunted him with “Jesus-sissy.” Eugene arrived home most days bruised and humiliated. One day Garrison caught up with Eugene and started jabbing him. That’s when it happened. Peterson wrote: “For a moment, the Bible verses disappeared from my consciousness, and I grabbed Garrison. To my surprise and his, I was stronger than he was. I wrestled him to the ground, sat on his chest, pinned his arms to the ground with my knees, and he was helpless at my mercy. It was too good to be true. I hit him in the face with my fists. It felt good, and I hit him again. Blood spurted from his nose, a lovely crimson in the snow… Then my Christian training reasserted itself. I said, “Say, ‘I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.’” He wouldn’t say it. I hit him again. More blood. I tried again. “Say, ‘I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior,’” and he said it. Garrison Johns was my first Christian convert.”[1]

A Survey That Said a Lot 

When we were a child, we often fought with our siblings because we wanted it “my way.” Christians can sometimes act just like those demanding children. Thom Rainer, author of I Am a Church Member, and his research team recently conducted a survey of churches identified as self-serving and inwardly focused. They found 10 dominant behavior patterns of members in these churches. The following are some of these:[2]

• Worship wars: Church members clash over music styles, instrumentation, and order of service. 
• Facility focus: The church places a high priority on protecting rooms and furniture. 
• Attitudes of entitlement: Church members act as if they deserve special treatment. 
• Greater concern about change than the gospel: Church members get fired up if you move their classroom, but they don’t care much about participating in the work of the gospel. 
• Evangelistic apathy: Members care more about their own needs than the greater eternal needs of the world and community around them. 

From My Way to Jesus’ Way 

In these patterns we can find one thing in common, that is, “my way.” I want the music my way. I want the building my way. I want the ministry program my way. I don’t want to change anything in my church. It is about “me,” “myself,” “my way”. But Paul, in today’s passage, gently invites us to see church membership with a whole different perfective. From a biblical perspective, church membership is about serving, giving, putting others first. Paul commends us, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” (5). So what did Jesus do? He was God, but he didn’t think so much of himself. But instead, he emptied himself by becoming human. Not only that, but also he humbled himself by becoming obedient to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Here Jesus shows us the perfect example to follow. He tells us what it means to be a member of his body. We are called to serve. We are called to obey. We are called to put others first and be humble. 

In particular, humility is so important in Christian life. Chrysostom, the early church father, said, “Humility is the foundation of Christianity.” St. Augustine said, “If you should ask me what are the ways of God, I would tell you that the first is humility, the second is humility, and the third is humility. Not that there are no other precepts to give, but if humility does not precede all that we do, our efforts our meaningless.” According to Philippians 2, true humility means to put self (“my way”) to death and to put God and others first.

Jesus was so concerned for his disciples to embrace this humility. So when he had the last supper with his disciples before returning to the Father, the very last thing he did was this: the washing of his disciples’ feet. He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him (John 13:4-5). Jesus has set an example for us. But some of the church traditions interpret his teaching too literally. For instance, still today Mennonites teach that feet-washing is a necessary ordinance in addition to baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Seventh Day Adventists observe it quarterly as ‘the ordinance of humility.’ But in this matter Calvin rightly said, “Christ does not enjoin an annual ceremony here, but tells us to be ready, all through our life, to wash the feet of our brethren.” [3]

Washing the Feet of Others 

In Jesus’ time when people entered a house, the washing of feet was practiced whether by oneself or by somebody else. But we live in a different world, different context. What does it mean to wash the feet of others? It doesn’t mean to wash them literally (although we practice a foot-washing ceremony in certain circumstances), but it does mean to live a life of love. It means to live a life of humble and sacrificial service all through our life. Then, what does it look like to live this humble and sacrificial life in our daily living? I like the way Fred Craddock uses a “25-cents love” analogy, saying, “To give my life for Christ appears glorious. To pour myself out for others…to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom—I’ll do it. I’m ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory. We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $1,000 bill and laying it on the table—here’s my life, Lord. I’m giving it all. But the reality for most of us is that He sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $1,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. Listen to the neighbor kid’s troubles instead of saying, ‘Get lost.’ Go to a committee meeting. Give up a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home. Usually giving our life to Christ isn’t glorious. It’s done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it’s harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul.”[4] What do you think?

For me personally, to wash the feet of others means to live with a 100% mindset, not a 50:50 mindset. You see there is what you can call an “if” love, and there is a “though” love. And the permanent, the lasting love, the unconditional love is the “though” love. Now the “if” love says, “I’ll submit when she submits” or “I’ll sacrifice after he sacrifices.” That’s the “if” love. But the “though” love says, “Though she is kind of mean to me; though he is not supportive of me; nevertheless! I will love her anyway! I will attend the committee meeting anyway. I will support; I will give; I will serve; I will sacrifice; I will visit anyway!” That’s the “though” love. That’s the same mind, same attitude that was also in Christ Jesus!

“Not My Will, But Yours, Be Done!” 

Church unity comes through humility. Church unity comes when we lay aside our ways, our rights, our preferences and put Christ and others first. The question is whether we have an “if-love” mindset, or whether we/x?sda have a “though-love” mindset. So let us examine and ask ourselves: “Am I sticking to certain worship/music style because it gives me comfort, or am I willing to adapt myself to change to reach out new and unchurched people?” “Am I doing this ministry mainly because I like it or because of the church’s needs?” “Am I seeking unity or am I seeking my own way?” Again humility means to put my way aside and to put others and Christ first.

Jesus said, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). Christ humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death on a cross, because of love for you and me. He endured the cross for the joy, for knowing that you and I would draw near to him through his death on the cross. And God exalted Jesus on high! And now we all confess, “Jesus is Lord!” So today, because of his great love, we humble ourselves out of our love for Christ and others. The Bible promises, as we humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, he will exalt us at the right time (1 Peter 5:6). That reminds me of the beautiful heavenly worship in Revelation 4. God gives his saints the crowns of life, but then they cast their crowns back before the throne, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power!” (11) Let us join their unending hymn and say, “Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory!” (Ps 115:1) Amen.

-------
[1] John Ortberg, Who Is This Man?: The Unpredictable Impact of the Inescapable Jesus (Zondervan, 2012), 134-135.
[2] Thom Rainer, I Am a Church Member (B&H Publishing Group, 2013), 36-38.
[3] John Stott, The Incomparable Christ (InterVarsity Press, 2001), Kindle Locations 2469-2472 of 4606.
[4] Keith Krell, “Work Your Way Down the Ladder” (Philippians 2:5-11), https://bible.org/seriespage/6-work-your-way-down-ladder-philippians-25-11