Render to Caesar

When Jesus was asked if it was lawful to render taxes to Caesar, Jesus responds by saying, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” This statement was so profound that it amazed those who heard it (Matt 22:22). I want to examine the profoundness of Jesus statement, for I believe that it has massive implications for us beyond "tithes and taxes".

"Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's"

What is it that belongs to Caesar? Jesus gives us a clue when the Pharisees first ask if "it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar". Jesus responds to their question by asking to see a piece of money. He proceeds to ask whose image is on the coin and whose signature is on the coin?

Jesus is asking who the coin belongs to. We know something belongs to us, because it bears our image. Just look at your car or your office, it has your image all over it. Not just in the pictures you hang on the wall, but in how it's decorated and organized.

Does painter paint a picture and leave it unsigned? No, he wants people to recognize that which belongs to him. Look at your lunch in your office refrigerator or the lunch a child takes to school. Their inscription is on it to show ownership.

Jesus is saying that all the money belongs to Caesar. That's right, all the money we work so hard for, spending countless days slaving away for a few coins that belong to someone else. And so when Caesar asks for what he owns back, we are not giving taxes, we are rendering back the property to the rightful owner.

So when God asks for what rightfully belongs to him, that which bears his image and his inscription, we are to render "to God the things that are God's". To render God our lives, which bear his image and mark, is not to do something extraordinary. You would never thank someone for giving you back something that belongs to you. To not render ourselves to God is nothing short of robbery.

Book Review: "The King Jesus Gospel" by Scot McKnight

Many people ask the question, "Did Jesus and Paul preach the same gospel?".  On occasion some people say "no", but more often than not, a student of the bible would answer with a resounding "yes".  But, in his book "The King Jesus Gospel", Scot McKnight uses this question to show how far the church has fallen from proclaiming the Gospel that Jesus, Peter, Paul and the rest of the disciples preached.

McKnight steps through the Bible to show that the Gospel is the completion of Israel's story (and therefore the world's story) in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  He shows that this is the message preached by Jesus and the apostles.

This Gospel, McKnight claims, has been overlooked in favor of the "plan of salvation" that most evangelicals proclaim.  Outside of the story of the Gospel, the plan of salvation seems like a work we do in order to be saved.  McKnight also says that "personalizing" the Gospel, makes salvation more about the person than the God who does the saving.

It took me quite a while to get through this small book.  It has a lot of good information and is not very long, but I think it probably could have been 75-100 pages shorter (it is only 175 pages in length).  It serves as a great reminder about what the true Gospel is.  Jesus truly was the messiah that we all have been waiting for.

Happiness and the Beatitudes (Sermon Audio)

Here is my sermon on the Beatitudes.  It comes from Matthew 5:1-13.
Click here to download or press play to stream

Hebrews 10:26

One passage in Scripture I have been asked about a lot is Hebrews 10:26; which says, "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins,". This verse has weighed down many people's consciences and played mind games. So, I would like to step through Hebrews 10:26-39 and see what this passage is saying in it's proper context. The actual text from scripture (WEB version) will be in bold. I do not use verse numbers at times because they can sometimes complicate things that are simple and straight forward.

After going to great lengths to explain the priesthood of Christ and how much better His sacrifice for sins was, being once for all, than the sacrifices for sin that had to be offered continually; the writer of Hebrews (starting in verse 19 of chapter 10), exhorts his readers to have confidence to go directly into the presence of God through the blood of Jesus Christ. He tells them that we can approach God with a clear conscience, because we have been cleansed by the blood of Christ. He further exhorts them, as in other parts of the book, to cling to this hope and encourage one another in this hope. Then comes the warning in verse 26:

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries.

What sin is being spoken of here? It is the sin that changes our hope into a fearful expectation. It's the sin that insults grace and turns Christ's blood into an unholy thing. The sin that the Israelites (and all of us) struggle with the most, the sin that Calvin calls the "very fountain of all sin", the author of Hebrews rails against in chapter 3 and equates it with disobedience: it is the sin of unbelief (Hebrews 3:19).

The writer now explains why your hope is turned to fear through unbelief:

A man who disregards Moses’ law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think he will be judged worthy of who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

Here the writer calls unbelief an insult to the grace of God.

This is a perfect example of the difference between a believer who has hope and an unbeliever who has an expectation of fear:

For we know him who said, “Vengeance belongs to me,” says the Lord, “I will repay.” Again, “The Lord will judge his people.”

The writer quotes from Deuteronomy 32:35-36. This further strengths the writers argument against unbelief. In the Deuteronomy passage, vengeance is promised against those who hate him and rely on themselves, where vindication (judgment) and compassion are promised to his people, those who have no strength in themselves (Deu 32:35-36).

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

For those who don't know about his tender mercy.

But remember the former days, in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings; partly, being exposed to both reproaches and oppressions; and partly, becoming partakers with those who were treated so. For you both had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an enduring one in the heavens.

The writer reminds the reader of times in which the struggled, but God was faithful and their faith was strengthened by the experience.

Since the people had seen the faithfulness of God, the writer urges them:

Therefore don’t throw away your boldness, which has a great reward. For you need endurance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

“In a very little while,

he who comes will come, and will not wait.

But the righteous will live by faith.

If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the saving of the soul.

We can have full confidence before God because of Christ.  Our sin, even the ones we do on purpose, has been covered by the blood of Christ.  No other sacrifice can give you such eternal confidence.

Why are you eating garbage?

Whenever the pure message of God's love and acceptance is taught, enviably someone objects saying, "You are giving people a license to sin". I always laugh, because people sin just fine without a license. But, anyway this objection to the message of God's grace is not new. Actually, Paul asked and answered this objection in Romans. "What shall we say then? Shall we continue is sin that grace may abound?... Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?" (Romans 6:1, 15). Paul's answer to both was "Of course not!".

It's a ridiculous question when you understand the love and grace of God and the fact that Jesus Christ lives in you. Let me give an example:

There was an owner of a buffet who was going out back to throw away some trash, when he saw a homeless man digging through the dumpster eating the scraps that had been thrown in there. The owner tells the bum, "Hey, why are you eating garbage? Come in to the restaurant and eat the buffet."
"I ain't got no money" says the bum and continues rifling through the trash.
The owner replies, "Don't worry about it, you can eat at my restaurant everyday for free, come on lets go."

They go inside and there are mountains of fruits, veggies, fish, steak, rice, and cakes. The owner turns to the homeless man and says, "Eat all you want"

the homeless man says, "I can really have anything"

"Anything and everything free of charge"

"Can I go back and eat more garbage?"

Can you believe that? Faced with a beautiful spread of food, the homeless man asked if he could go and eat garbage. How ridiculous!

Jesus laid down His life to take away our sins and make us free from the bondage of sin and death. He was also raised from the dead and gave us His life so that we could live life with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness and self control.

We have missed the whole thing. Jesus offers us the smörgåsbord and we are asking about eating crap. Jesus says that He came "so that we may have life and have it abundantly" , and all we can do is ask, "Does that mean I can sin more". How ridiculous!

We are obsessed with sin. Most preaching is telling people to stop sinning, instead of directing them toward Jesus. It's like yelling at the homeless guy to stay out of the trash instead of telling him to "Come and eat". 1 Corinthians says "The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law". Just like the rotting food in the garbage can, sin looks pretty good when all you hear people say is "Don't sin... Quit sinning... It may look good, sooooo goood, but take it from me it's horrible... blah... blah".

Luckily Jesus did not come so that we would quit sinning. He came that we could "have life, and have it more abundantly". Garbage loses it's appeal to a hungry person once he starts experiencing the food from the restaurant. Just like sin loses it appeal once a person begins to experience the reality of knowing Christ and walking with Him in a vibrant relationship.

The grace of God should never be thought of as a license to sin, but as an emancipation proclamation from the bondage of sin and death. This freedom allows us to experience the abundant life in Christ.

Daddy Beyond Doctrine

Jesus' heart broke.  His little child was crying.  He certainly knew the facts, He was God, of course He knew the facts.  And Martha had come out to make ABSOLUTELY sure Jesus knew that her brother, Lazarus, had died.  She was always ready to serve and always ready to "tell it like it is".  Oh and she told Jesus alright!   

We all know at least one Martha.  The faithful servant, always ready to tell you her list of good deeds.  Her faith really works, and you always feel as if maybe she might ask why yours doesn't.  You seem led into a fake show piety when in Martha's presence.

    

Jesus gave Martha what she needed, a reminder:  "Your brother will rise again".   She thinks she has Jesus all figured out.  She knew this doctrine, maybe a little to well.  Christ knew what she was hinting at, but decided to remind her of a greater hope.  Before letting the words of Jesus sink into her soul, Martha stuffed the infinite God in to a box of her own making.  "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.", she says, almost rolling her eyes.  We can almost hear her think, there Jesus goes again, being all spiritual, he had the power to save my brother and didn't, know he's hiding behind eternal hope again.  Why can't Jesus be more practical!  Jesus could feel her frustration and gives her what she needs (but doesn't want): a theology lesson.  

"I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who

lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?".  This is one of the most profound theological statements in the Bible.  Jesus is telling Martha that He is the embodiment of the doctrine of the resurrection that she knows so well.  And what does she come back with?  The "right" answer: "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world."   Now that Martha has said her peace, she tells Mary that "The Teacher is here and is calling for you."  Isn't that something that is just like a Martha to do... She couldn't talk any sense into Jesus, maybe her sister could.

Mary comes out to Jesus, falls before him and weeps. The Bible tells us that Jesus "groaned in the Spirit", which means, Jesus felt empathy.  The Almighty God feels our pain.  Remembering that when I am going through a hurtful time in my life, always seems to help.  

Mary didn't need doctrine, she needed Daddy (Abba).  Mary comes out and repeats exactly what her sister said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." And bursts into tears.  All the the slogans we say to try to take away the pain meant nothing, all the doctrine in the world didn't matter, she was hurting and she needed her Daddy.  His child was broken, that broke His heart.  "Where have you laid him?"

Too many times we come to Jesus with a Martha attitude.  We come, in almost an accusatory fashion, looking for answers.  Nine times out of ten, proper doctrine will answer those questions, but bring no relief.  Proper doctrine is needed, but when we are hurting, we need to cry out to our Daddy who transcends doctrine. 

Mother's Prayer of Rejoicing

Scripture used: 1 Samuel 2:1-10  
Notes: After giving over her precious son to the Lord and entrusting him to His care, Hannah prays this prayer of joy...

My heart exults in the LORD!
    My horn is exalted in the LORD.
My mouth is enlarged over my enemies,
    because I rejoice in your salvation.
There is no one as holy as the LORD,
    For there is no one besides you,
    nor is there any rock like our God.

Don’t keep talking so exceedingly proudly.
    Don’t let arrogance come out of your mouth,
    For the LORD is a God of knowledge.
    By him actions are weighed.

The bows of the mighty men are broken.
    Those who stumbled are armed with strength.
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread.
    Those who were hungry are satisfied.
Yes, the barren has borne seven.
    She who has many children languishes.

The LORD kills, and makes alive.
    He brings down to Sheol, and brings up.
The LORD makes poor, and makes rich.
    He brings low, he also lifts up.
He raises up the poor out of the dust.
    He lifts up the needy from the dunghill,
    To make them sit with princes,
    and inherit the throne of glory.
For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s.
    He has set the world on them.
He will keep the feet of his holy ones,
    but the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness;
    for no man shall prevail by strength.
Those who strive with the LORD shall be broken to pieces.
    He will thunder against them in the sky.

The LORD will judge the ends of the earth.
    He will give strength to his king,
    and exalt the horn of his anointed.