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The Riches of His Grace

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……By Jeff Foerster

In this week’s sermon on the book of Ephesians, Brian Sharpe laid out for us three precepts for living as a redeemed people. They are as follows:

These are good; these are great. But there is a problem: me. I want to make these powerful guidelines simply checklist items to perform and then put away. I might even take out the list daily, but only to make sure I’ve “accomplished” each item. These three points are spot on; the problem is the depth of sin’s corruption in me. I am not as bad as I could be, but every area of my being has been tainted by sin.

Wow, how depressing, right? Stay with me for just a little longer—the solution is lovely.

The other day, while watching a Seahawks game on the tele, I heard a rapping at my door. What should appear before my eyes, but two messengers of slavery. I engaged them in conversation, during which one suggested as a precept that “We are all God’s children, right?” Uh, no—sorry dude. If all people begin as God’s children and then I am promised the right to become a child of God, the foundation of Scripture becomes a wee bit uninspiring, and Jesus’s sacrifice becomes merely symbolic nicety. In truth, we have a default position, judged guilty, and a default destination, everlasting separation from God in Hell.

Okay, I promised “lovely,” but I gave you “Hell”—not without purpose, however. Only the propitiation and expiation of the cross and the resurrection can establish right relationship with God, rescuing us from the penalty of sin. We receive this not by being born in the flesh, but by being born of the Spirit. Only in understanding the depth of our depravity, our foundation in darkness, can we truly appreciate what Christ has done for us in redeeming us from the grave, from death itself! From this perspective, we begin to desire to know of God and to know God, to spend time with this God who becomes our Father, not the One we deserve, but the One we need. We needed saving, and in His abundant generosity, He also gave us a home and a future.

From this position building into desire, longing, we can recognize that sin and Satan have no hold on us, the Bible teaching us that we are born again, into life, and not into the ways of death. When we “walk” by spending time with our God in silence and in speaking, in prayer and petition, while working and while planning, while driving and while shopping, we will have neither time nor inclination to go down the “path of the prostitute.” When in close relationship with our Father, the Lord of all glory, we will clearly see our sin for what it is, our hearts will be broken for it, and we will, in repentance, fall on His mercy and purpose to walk, nay, RUN in the other direction. Simply, success is found in an ongoing relationship with the living God.

I end with Brian’s question: How should knowing we have an inheritance affect the way we live? His answer: take your eyes off the present and place them on the future. Our future is Christ—FOREVER!

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Choosing God Over Money

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By Jeff Foerster

“Do you trust Me?”

Yes. Of course, Lord.

“How much do you trust Me?

This second question is trickier to answer than the first. It requires some level of self-examination and knowledge of what it means to trust. It also leads toward demonstration of that trust. I demonstrate trust in a pilot by becoming a passenger on the airplane. I demonstrate trust in a chef by eating the food prepared. To deny the ride or the food would betray a heart of distrust.

God reveals Himself to be our Father. This means He is our loving parent. He parents perfectly and has unlimited wisdom, patience untainted by sin, and the ability to renovate life’s difficulties and discouragement into triumphs and transformation as seen through eyes of faith.

You tell me, who is the better father: the one who gives toys to show he loves his children and just can’t bear to say no or the father who holds a child who cries with heartache, who provides boundaries and routines, who disciplines when it’s easier to give in, who carefully teaches the ways of the Lord by word and in action, and who plans and prioritizes for his child’s growth and good?

Our God is the latter kind of parent. Do you believe that? Do you trust that He is who He says He is? You may find glimpses or reflections of God in people here, but ultimately you’ll need to choose to exercise faith beyond what you can see with earthly eyes.

Don’t settle for a “Disneyland Dad” who requires little of you and lavishes sensual pleasures. Forget the prayer cloths being hocked on TV by Pastor Whosee Toosits. Give up the desire to be “loved” by being spoiled with everything working your way (not for your good, but for your way). It’s not about airline seat upgrades or being “blessed” by finding the shortest line in the supermarket. Yes, toddlers are impressed by these things for a moment—but try parenting on this platform and you’re going to see a lot of “What have you done for me lately?” attitude in place of appreciation and affection. Instead, desire and pursue intimacy with the God and Father who is your perfect provider. Lean on Him to provide all that you need to accomplish all His perfect plans in you.

Building a relationship with God is not about Him “proving” Himself by “parenting” Himself out of the picture. Don’t expect God to build large retirement accounts for you and trust funds (pun intended) for your children. Expect God to draw you near to Him through the changing of life’s circumstances. He commands us to take up our cross daily, not to take the path of least resistance (like spilled water, flowing toward the sea).

Ultimately trust, or faith, results in action, steps taken demonstrating the trust is genuine. Is faith in God just a nice idea, a transaction that you think you completed when you were “saved?” What step of faith with regard to money are you going to take next? What genuine faith resides in you?

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Cherish Your Spouse

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by Jeff Foerster

Cherish your spouse, read the Bible, pray before meals, pick up the socks, vacuum the house, mow the lawn, pay the bills, and cook the dinner—check, check, check. Does cherishing your spouse sound like another task to accomplish? Does the idea grab your attention today, but get lost in the busyness of life? You may pay special attention to your spouse and find just the right gift or the right words written on the perfect card, or plan time spent together, or complete tasks, each kindness crafted according to their love language. These generosities may blossom from a desire for good.

You’ve engaged in those activities, you’ve understood that “loving” means more than words, that it is followed up by actions, and still something feels like it’s missing. Doing these things does not complete your relationship or satisfy your desire for connection. If this description rings true, questions must be asked, questions that must be answered.

Are both I and my spouse engaged in the desire to cherish each other?

Do I know my husband’s/wife’s “love language”?

What action will I take this week to communicate love to my spouse?

The list of questions could be longer, and you may be able to affirmatively answer each, but still, something is lacking. Maybe that something is depth of relationship . . . but not with your spouse.

Walk with me on a theological path for a moment. When God made man, man was made in the image of God; he is a reflection of the Creator. When God created us male and female, He made us different, equal in worth and honor to one another. This created relationship, an intimacy of fellowship that is a reflection of the fellowship that God has in the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Among mankind, nowhere is this intimacy greater than in the marriage relationship, a reflection of the coming marriage between the Lamb, Jesus Christ, and His Church, the body of believers made holy by Him.

Our earthly relationships are to reflect heavenly ones. Earthly relationships are images of heavenly relationships, shadows, not the substance themselves. As such, marital relationships were never meant to take the place of relationship with our Father in Heaven. Our spouse cannot satisfy our deepest longings. As Martin stated on Sunday, we are to pursue growing deeply in understanding who I am and Whose I am. This perspective forms a framework for my soul, a passion for life, growing in my true identity.

The Scriptures tell us that out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. So, too, out of the overflow of the individual’s relationship with God, the spouse is blessed, the spouse is cherished. Trusting God’s love and embracing Him fixes our eyes on Jesus and builds us to be people who carry God’s love to others. The love brought to us and placed upon us through Jesus is a cup that when shared does not grow empty.

David’s exaltation of God in Psalm 19 fits well here. In it he proclaims relationship with the LORD as life-giving, restoring the soul. David also acknowledges he has “hidden faults.” Bringing these to light is the work of God, accomplished in relationship with Him. Ask God to show you your “hidden faults” as they pertain to relationship with others, most notably your spouse.

Developing this relationship with God is essential to cherishing your spouse. Attempting to love your spouse well on your own will exhaust you—but our Lord Jesus, by His power and might and fellowship, will strengthen you. Draw near to God, my dearly beloved, and He will draw near to you.

 

 

 

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If Loving You Was Easy . . .

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by Jeff Foerster

Jesus said, “‘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.’”

There it is: Love God. Love your neighbor. And implied in the second commandment, love yourself. Yeah. Okay. Wait. What?

If you were at the Men’s retreat a few weeks ago, you heard these three pieces of counsel. The first two commands are citations of Deuteronomy and Leviticus that Jesus spoke to the Pharisees. The third, love yourself, may sound weird and even liable to be abused, given our sinful condition, but it is necessary to be healthy. So how exactly does one love oneself well?

True love embraces truth. The truth is that each of us is a dirty, rotten sinner. If you like theological terms, think total depravity. If not, understand that each aspect of our being, our heart, our soul, and our mind has been corrupted by sin. As they say, I am not as bad as I could be, and I may not be the worst rascal out there, but there is no part of me that is untainted or untouched by sin.

I don’t sound very lovable as the truth sheds light on my condition. And I don’t feel much like loving others, or God for that matter, when I just want to run and hide—Adam and Eve, anyone? But for God. God comes near, and because He loved me first, I can love Him and my neighbor. My standing has been changed; I have been redeemed and remade—no longer a sinner, now a saint.

From this position I can love myself well. From this perspective and by the power of the Holy Spirit living through me, I can love myself well.

Nuts and bolts. Brass tacks. What’s it all about, man?! I am not about to create a picture of chowing down on bonbons, leisure days at the spa, or week long retreats to hot springs near Icelandic villas frequented by hipsters trying to “find themselves” or “lose themselves” or find their “lost selves.” Instead, if I am to love myself well, I will take the long view of things, the eternal view. Instead of indulgence, I will choose sacrifice, and I will like it. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain which he cannot lose.” Jim Elliot, a Christian missionary, gave us that quote to consider. He speaks of salvation, but also for consideration are the eternal rewards for faithful and faith-filled living here and now.

Three pragmatic points to ponder:

Self-Control

The Scriptures lay out that acting in harmony (love) with the Spirit will produce self-control. In practical terms, it means not getting drunk or high, spending or eating excessively, or engaging in any number of other sins. Loving oneself is not indulgence—it’s sacrifice, for our own good (not to mention the positive effects which others around us experience).

Temple

All who are born-again Christians are dwelling places of God. Care for our bodies and minds is important. Our temples are to be well kept, prepared for purpose, but not as an end in themselves. We are not to run ourselves ragged out of a misguided sense of “sacrifice.” Not caring for my body’s need for rest, healthy food, or mental downtime is abuse, not a measure of my efficiency or a cause for admiration from others.

Focus

Loving myself means having life’s priorities clear. Jesus comes first. First in time, first in hope, first in authority, etc. This helps me weather life’s storms and simply helps me experience life in the way I was created to live it. It means setting aside the remote, the keypad, the phone and spending time with the God I say I love.

So, I invite you: love yourself, but love yourself well. Give yourself the very best. Your relationship with God will blossom, and as you sacrifice those second-rate indulgences, those around you will be blessed.

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Hospitality 101

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by Jeff Foerster

Biblical hospitality is a posture and practice of being with people, friends and strangers, in ways where they feel welcomed, included, accepted, and cared for.

I like the idea of hospitality; I really do. I get a picture in my mind’s eye of my role as host, welcoming guests and providing food, activity, or both. I see conversation, smiles, maybe laughter, and generally an overall enjoyable time. I want to be seen as a good host—to be liked, respected.

But hospitality is more than an activity to serve my purposes; it emanates from the character of God Himself. When we engage in hospitality toward others, we make known a taste of the character of God Almighty. In it we offer cool water to parched lips, shade from scorching sun, relationship in a world of increasing isolation.

There is a desire within each of us to be known and, at that moment of intimacy, to be accepted, valued. Hospitality is an invitation and an opportunity to usher others into the presence of God through our demonstrated interest and kindness. We act as representatives of our Father, by His design.

I hope the following questions incite curiosity and continued conversation:

Have I been able to experience the hospitality of God?

What is the heart of hospitality?

What is it that prevents me from exhibiting hospitality? From desiring hospitality?

Where does one begin practicing hospitality?

What am I willing to sacrifice in order to make hospitality a priority?

More than anything else, I want to leave you with one nugget of understanding. Hospitality originates not in asking, “What would Jesus DO?” Rather, we ask, “How would Jesus BE?” This is not another task to pile onto an overcrowded plate. It begins with an attitude of submission to God and a heart developing to see the depth of need for others to be known and the depth of desire Jesus had, facing the cross, to bridge the gap between His Father and a hurting world.

May we pick up that torch that burned in His heart, putting to death the desires of the flesh, and may we take risks and make sacrifices to know others and make Him known!

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Jesus Doesn’t Want Your Tithe

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by Jeff Foerster

Jesus doesn’t want your tithe … He wants your heart. “Great!” you say, “I think money is unspiritual anyhow, so obviously God, who is spirit, has no use for it. And I am relieved that I get to keep more of my hard-earned pay.”

God owns the cattle on a thousand hills and the Cadillacs in a thousand driveways. Everything in existence is His, not by right of possession only (it does exist inside His universe), but also by right of creation. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being (John 1:3). If Jesus wants something, he certainly could create it—like the fish and bread given to thousands. Obviously God has no need for my stash o’ cash.

Well, not so fast. God wants your heart, but that means more than sending “positive thoughts” His way; it means action. The tithe is not what God is seeking, but it is a vehicle that ushers in a submissive heart before Him.

We engage with money when filling our tank with gasoline, buying a hot latte, paying electric bills, buying foodstuffs, determining tips for waitstaff, supporting government through taxes, working for ourselves or for others, budgeting and stewarding resources, investing for future gains, and so much more. You see, money is an inextricable part of our human experience. We use it, with the danger of it using us. A contemporary philosopher has been quoted as saying, “I got my mind on my money, and my money on my mind.” Our thoughts linger on dreams of multimillion-dollar windfalls from lucky numbers on the next lotto go-round. What comes from this? Thoughts of new cars, vacation homes, luxury travel, a greater dependence upon God? Okay, the last one seems out of place, doesn’t it?

Because of money’s prominent role in our lives, it has power. Seductive power. “Follow me and I will give you whatever you desire! A little more, a little better, a little newer—you deserve nice things! Life will be more satisfying when you’re able to savor all the good gifts I can bring you. Did you think of me today, how we could spend just a little bit more time … together?” The siren song of money has led many to their destruction. Yet, money is simply a tool, wielded by the hand but directed by the heart.

God in His infinite wisdom and magnificent grace has set before us a pathway with sure footing. He knows us; He knows our weaknesses. He knows that money makes either an obedient servant or a tyrannical master. His generous commandment to you to give 10 percent of your income back to Him, off the top, before any expenses, declares your allegiance. It places money in subservience and clears the way for deepening relationship with the Almighty.

Do you honor Him from whom ALL blessings flow? Do you trust Him … with ALL things?

 

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