A Political Zealot and a Failed Revival

Let's take a look at the revival experienced by a zealot for this world's political solutions who found the real solution to world problems, and the tragic end of a man who seemed to start out on the road to revival, but instead chose the world.

1) Simon the Zealot’s Revival

Can a zealot for human political solutions to the problems of this world, come to understand that the true answers lie in Jesus?

Called Simon the Zealot (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13) and Simon the Canaanite (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18). Perhaps Jesus chose Simon, a tax-hating, Roman-despising former violent zealot to balance Matthew the tax collector. To history, that remains a mystery. Balance must be maintained in examining the history of the Apostles from sources outside the Bible, but such history indicates that he possibly spread the Gospel in Egypt and Persia. Matthew and Simon both learned about true revival in Jesus rather than involvement in worldly politics, as Jesus taught, “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36 KJV)

Zealots still exist even in the church today. Insisting on this or that political solution, even Christians can forget Jesus’ admonition, “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting” (John 18:36 ESV). On trusting the politics of this world more than God, many are led astray. Worldly solutions cannot change human hearts, which are the real cause of spiritual problems like greed and corruption. Solutions cannot be found in China’s one party system, America’s two party system, or Europe’s multi-party systems. Eventually, we must realize that the only solutions that work are not found in any human political systems, but a heaven-led change in human hearts. Learn that secret and we come a long way down the road to placing our hope in the kingdom of heaven.

Rejoice, lovers of God, that revival beginning now in individual hearts will eventually culminate in the return of the King of kings, who will bring real answers to the problems of our world.

2) Judas Iscariot’s Failed Revival

What caused a man who spent three years learning from the best teacher the world has ever known, to end up betraying him?

Judas started out right as an apostle (Luke 6:12-16), healing the sick, and preaching the gospel (Mark 6:7). Turned out, he also had a weakness with money (John 12:4-6). Against what the others thought, his secret was hidden until the end (John 13:27-30). Jesus knew, but it was Judas who turned an evil thought into action (John 13:2). Double crossing Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-16), was a massive mistake, forever labeling Judas as the “betrayer” (Matthew 26:46, 48; 27:3). Jesus would have forgiven him as He did the others, but alas Judas chose suicide (Matthew 27:5). For Judas Iscariot, suicide instead of true repentance, was his answer. Dirty also were all those who ran away or denied Jesus, but they found forgiveness as Jesus blessed them with “Peace” after His resurrection. (John 20:19, 26) Money is always a temptation and modern day pastors are wise to entrust it to others and church treasurers are wise to always have witnesses.

Rejoice, lovers of God, that this warns us it is not how we start, “But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13 NASB)

One man started out zealous for this world and experienced a revival from heaven. The other started on the road to heaven's revival, but reversed direction and headed back into the world. One ended up in glory, the other had a tragic end. Which direction do we choose?

Why Love Your Enemies

Why should Christians love their enemies? What does love for an enemy mean? Do we have to like them too? Let’s examine what Jesus says in Luke 6:27-38.

How Love Enemies

Luke 6:27-28 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” We may not LIKE them, but we must LOVE our enemies. How? Doing good, blessing and praying for them.

“Never pay back evil for evil to anyone… Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. ‘But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:17, 19-21)

We are not to take personal vengeance, but must leave that to God’s judgment. He may not think the person did wrong, but that WE were wrong, so it’s always best to leave it to His judgment. The opposite of vengeance is, giving food and drink to a needy enemy.

In the Hebrew Scriptures we read, “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him.” (Exodus 23:4) “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink” (Proverbs 25:21).

How do we pray for those who mistreat us? On the cross, Jesus prayed for His murderers. “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) Do we pray for drivers on the road, illegal immigrants, scam callers, difficult family members and corrupt politicians?

Luke 6:29-30 “Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.”

How literal is this? “When He had said this, one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus, saying, ‘Is that the way You answer the high priest?’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?’” (John 18:22-23)

“Then Paul said to him, ‘God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?’” (Acts 23:3) Jesus emphasized suffering over vengeance, because a vengeful spirit only destroys us.

By saying, “Give to everyone who asks of you,” Jesus emphasizes giving over stinginess. Notice Jesus said, give to everyONE; He did not say, give everyTHING. Giving everyTHING will often only perpetuate the curse of dependency, and the most important giving may be encouragement to stand on one’s own feet.

Luke 6:31-32 “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.” Another way of saying this golden rule is “you would like men to love you, therefore love them whether they love you or not.” [W. Robertson Nicoll. The Expositor's Greek Testament. D. D. Mead and Co. 1897.]

Luke 6:33 “If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.” Macedonian Bishop Theophylact asked, “If you only love them that love you, you are only like the sinners and heathen; but if you love those who do evil to you, you are like to God; which therefore will you choose, to be like sinners or like God?” [Joseph Benson. Benson's Commentary - The New Testament. New-York: T. Mason & G. Lane. 1839.]

Why Love Enemies

Luke 6:34-35 “If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.”

Ancient Israel was required to lend to nationals without interest. They could, however, ask for interest from foreigners. Here Jesus goes beyond lending with interest or usury, to lending without even expecting the principle to be returned. How? Because we lend mercifully, fully prepared that circumstances may prevent a return.

Luke 6:36-37 “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.”

When tempted to lack mercy on the road, judge others for their sins, condemn others for corruption, and have a long list of things that we deem to be unpardonable, let us remember that, how we mete out mercy, judgment, condemnation and pardon is how we’ll be judged by God.

Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

In the parable of the debtors (Matthew 18:23-35) we read, “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” Even the familiar Lord’s Prayer says, “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

Why should Christians love their enemies? Because God loved us when we were still enemies. So what does love for an enemy mean? It may not mean liking them in their sins, but it does mean doing good for them, because God does good by providing for us every day.

Luke 6:27-38; Romans 12:17, 19-21; Exodus 23:4; Proverbs 25:21; Luke 23:34; John 18:22-23; Acts 23:3; Matthew 18:23-35

New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Sermon on the Plain

Have you noticed that Jesus often says the exact opposite of popular ideas? Christianity is for thinking people. Jesus did not establish a Church where people just check their brains at the entry door and blindly follow men. We worship God also with our minds. Jesus challenges us to think.

Perhaps after He gave the Sermon on the Mount, after praying all night on the Mount of Olives, Jesus then came down to give the Sermon on the Plain. It contains some similar puzzles for us to contemplate. Let’s look at the first part of it in Luke 6:17-26.

A Level Place

Luke 6:17-19 “Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured. And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all.”

This seems to be a different time to the Sermon on the Mount. It may be a similar sermon given the next morning. Just as modern day preachers may give similar sermons in two or more places, the lessons are familiar, but now Jesus is standing on a level place.

This Sermon on the Plain included a multitude that was very mixed, disciples, people, Jews and perhaps even Gentiles from the coastal cities. They had come to receive healing from Jesus. And Jesus did so indiscriminately with an abundant display of His miraculous power.

Blessed

Luke 6:20-21 “And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.”

Contrasted with the Sermon on the Mount which says “blessed are the poor in spirit,” this Sermon on the Plain says, “blessed are the [destitute].” In Greek society, the rich were “the blessed.” As usual, Jesus says the opposite. The poor realize their lack, and are ready to hear God.

“Kingdom of God” is really an incomplete translation in modern English, especially among nations where many may not relate to a monarchy. It is better rendered “reign of God.” It is consistently used to describe the rule of Christ in the hearts of the faithful, who obey His reign now.

Blessed are you who hunger now uses fewer words than in the Sermon on the Mount, “hunger and thirst after righteousness.” Perhaps fewer words also say more. Like riches tend to dull the desire for higher things of God, so does a full stomach dull the hunger of the soul.

Blessed are you who weep. Crying is part of life and certainly includes the Christian experience. We mourn for our own sins and the sins of the world. A result of sin is crying tears. Here is the only place in the entire New Testament where laughter refers to joy.

Luke 6:22-23 “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.”

The first Christians were excommunicated from the synagogue. Later some were excommunicated from churches because they dared to follow Jesus instead of vain traditions. Yet, Jesus asked more questions than He answered. He wants us to think. When we are hated for Jesus’ sake, not our sins, we are blessed.

Pain

Luke 6:24-26 “But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.”

The Greek word “ouai” is similar to our English “ouch” and means pain. Why the rich? They already have all they are going to get. Why the fed? They will hunger. Why the laughing? They will mourn and weep. Why the popular? They are in danger of being false prophets.

Have you noticed that Jesus often says the exact opposite of popular ideas? Christianity is for thinking people. Jesus did not establish a Church where people just check their brains at the entry door and blindly follow men. We worship God also with our minds. Jesus challenges us to think.

New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

Blessings and Sorrows

Intro

We should take several different baths each week. The obvious one is a bath for the outer body. A not so obvious bath is one for the inner body, by drinking an appropriate amount of clean water, rather than polluting our bodies with too much junk. Another not so obvious bath is for the mind, by focusing on good thinking and creative ideas instead of dullness of mind. And that brings me to the most important bath of all.

Goal

Let’s learn that focusing on God’s thoughts which are far above ours, good instead of evil, things above instead of things below, is like a bath for the soul. The best bath of all is bathing in the words of Jesus.

Sermon Plan

Let’s discuss four blessings and four sorrows from Luke 6:20-31.

Luke 6:20 Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said, “God blesses you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours. 21 God blesses you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now, for in due time you will laugh. 22 What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. 23 When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.

24 “What sorrow awaits you who are rich, for you have your only happiness now. 25 What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now, for a time of awful hunger awaits you. What sorrow awaits you who laugh now, for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow. 26 What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets.

27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. 30 Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. 31 Do to others as you would like them to do to you.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Happiness and Sorrow

Happiness awaits the poor. Sorrow awaits the rich. Happiness awaits the hungry. Sorrow awaits the prosperous. Happiness awaits the weeping. Sorrow awaits the laughing. Happiness awaits the hated who follow Jesus. Sorrow awaits the praised. There are two kinds of laughter, hardhearted and heavenly. Even the weeping of the callous and uncaring can bring true happiness through their own suffering.

1. Blessings of poverty

Why are the poor blessed? They appreciate small blessings, are more environmentally friendly, empathize with suffering, more generous, more moral, know they need a Savior, depend on God, have no exaggerated sense of self-importance, cooperate rather than compete, know necessities from luxuries, learn patience, can survive great suffering, recognize the good news and respond unafraid because they have nothing to lose.

2. Blessings of hunger

Hunger is caused by selfish politics and greed. Why are the hungry blessed? Fasting makes food taste better. The rich man may be dying due to poverty of diet, the unhealthy ingredients of a rich diet, something even the ancients knew (Daniel 1:1-16). Even good food does not satisfy. There is a hunger that only Jesus can truly satisfy.

3. Blessing of weeping

Why is weeping a blessing? According to some medical experts, crying aloud is not only good physically in that it cleanses the body of certain toxins produced by stress, it also helps us bring negative emotions to the fore so that they can be addressed. Mourning is good. When expressed through tears it produces longer lasting positive benefits, including true happiness.

4. Blessing of being hated

We all experience hatred at times. Today, politicians are hated. Why would anyone want to be a politician? Jesus encouraged those expelled from the Jewish community, because of him. Christianity was once a Jewish religion. Christians are still excluded, insulted and rejected. Yet, they are in the good company of the ancient prophets and will be greatly rewarded in heaven.

Saint Who?

Saint means special to God, and that includes millions of people who are poor, hungry, weeping or hated. Being rich, fat, funny or popular does not automatically make people saints. Some of the greatest saints are unknown. So next time you see a poor, hungry, crying or hated person take a second look. You may be speaking to a saint.

1. Woe of wealth

Why does worldly wealth caused woe? It is a great temptation to be selfish and callous. Jesus chose poverty. Most rich people would not choose poverty. Wealth hardens hearts. Why do the wealthy oppose government programs to help the poor and demand budget cuts in welfare and oppose increases in taxes on the rich? Surely selfishness is a strong reason.

2. Woe of full bellies

In Europe and America we are well fed, but sick in body and spirit. Poor countries cannot afford to pollute their food with all the junk that we do. Jesus said woe to the full. Those who eat well now may end up empty on judgment day, because of the callous hearts that go along with wealth and full bellies.

3. Woe of laughter

Why did Jesus say woe to those who laugh now? Notice he said laugh “now.” Greed is a fashion statement. Laughter can reveal an attitude of not caring about the suffering. Being thrilled about the things of this world, fashions, popularity, money and partying can reveal a calloused heart. Jesus warned about the fate of those with hard, uncaring hearts.

4. Woe of popularity

Flattery can be a deadly trap. Pastors often joke that if everyone likes us we must be doing something wrong. Jesus made people angry. Elijah was not very popular. The priests of Ba’al (1 Kings 18) were far more popular. A lonely Elijah confronted 450 priests of Ba’al. On judgment day only one reputation will matter, being popular with God.

Outro/Take Home

God’s thoughts are so far above ours and the culture which permeates our daily thoughts. Let us take a cleansing bath for our souls and learn to view the world as God does.

Blessings and woes

Intro

How different are our thought than God’s? Today we will look at blessings and woes and I think that we will be shocked as to how different God looks at many things.

Goal

I want us to learn that God’s thoughts are much different than popular ideas in our culture.

Sermon Plan

We will discuss poverty, hunger, weeping and being hated. We will also discuss wealth, full bellies, laughter and popularity. We will be shocked to see which one is blessed and which is not.

Two kinds of laughter

How can a poor person laugh genuinely and a rich person’s laugh be empty (Luke 6:20-31)? How can a hungry person laugh with joy and a person with a full belly cry? How can those who cry now laugh joyfully and those who laugh now weep and mourn? How can the hated and rejected be filled with happiness and those who are flattered and well spoken of be filled with sorrows? Such are the paradoxes of Jesus’ teachings. There are two kinds of laughter. One is that of hardhearted laughing insults. Another is joyous laughter from heaven. Yet, even for coldhearted people there may be hope. The weeping of the callous and uncaring suggests that many of them will eventually find the path to true happiness, not in their wealth and abundance of food, but through their own suffering.

Blessings of poverty

Poverty is a blight and a road to suffering but Jesus clearly said in Luke 6:20-31 that the poor are also blessed. Unlike the saying in Matthew where Jesus described the poor in spirit, Luke wrote that Jesus also emphasized the poor in fact. So, what are the blessings of the poor? Jesus said they are blessed because the kingdom is theirs. Why? The poor appreciate small blessings, are more environmentally friendly, are more empathetic to suffering, are more generous and more moral, know they need a Savior, depend on God, have no exaggerated sense of self-importance, are less into competition than cooperation, know the difference between necessities and luxuries, learn patience, know how to survive great suffering, know the Gospel is good news and respond to the gospel unafraid of losing anything because they have nothing to lose.

Blessings of hunger

Hunger is a worldwide scourge not caused by lack of food but selfish politics and greed. Jesus strangely said that the hungry are also blessed (Luke 6:20-31). What could he have meant? Those who have fasted for a time either due to circumstances or choice know how good the food that breaks that fast tastes. Somehow the cleansing of poisons from our bodies during a fast makes all food taste so much better. The poor may long to eat crumbs from the rich man’s table (Luke 16:19-21) but the rich man may be dying due to poverty of diet, the unhealthy ingredients of a bad western diet, something even the ancients knew (Daniel 1:1-16). But even healthy food only satisfies for a few hours. There is a hunger in every soul that only Jesus can truly satisfy.

Blessing of weeping

There is one blessing in Luke’s summary of the beatitudes that cuts across all classes and circumstances, the blessing of weeping (Luke 6:20-31). How can it be a blessing to cry, to mourn out loud? Loss and pain are common to all human beings, rich or poor, famous or unknown, loved or hated. According to some medical experts, crying aloud is not only good physically in that it cleanses the body of certain toxins produced by stress, it also helps us bring negative emotions to the fore so that they can be addressed. Mourning is good it produces a change of heart about bad habits and produces change. Mourning may be all the more genuine and produce longer lasting positive benefits when it is expressed through tears. Such a changed heart is a blessing bringing true joy and laughter.

Blessing of being hated

We all experience being hated at times even if only from an impatient motorist on the road. Even the most famous receive negative reviews and hateful criticism. Those in some jobs, like politicians, experience hatred almost constantly yet there are always people waiting in line to fill their shoes. Is there a secret that the rest of us don’t know? Could there be something in what Jesus said about being blessed when people hate us (Luke 6:20-31)? In context, Jesus was encouraging people expelled from the Jewish community, because of him. Christianity was once a part of the Jewish religion. Today, Christians are excluded, insulted and rejected as if evil by many people from various situations. Yet, they are in the best of all company, the good company of the ancient prophets and will receive great reward in heaven.

Woe of wealth

Jesus is not against wealth per se. After all, although he lived in voluntary poverty while on earth, he still is the wealthiest person in the Universe, owning everything there is. So what is it about worldly wealth that caused Jesus to declare woe on the rich (Luke 6:20-31)? The issue is that wealth is a great temptation to live in selfish and callous comfort. Jesus overcame that temptation when he chose to be born in a stable, but most rich people find it almost impossible to overcome. Wealth tends to harden people’s hearts. Witness is the loud voices of those wealthy who oppose public programs to help the poor or demand budget cuts in welfare programs and yet oppose increases in taxes on the rich. They call it entitlement, but surely selfish entitlement is strongest among the rich.

Woe of full bellies

I once knew a man from rural Ghana who grew up wearing no shoes but never knew even the common cold until he moved to the capital city Accra. Then he moved to the west and began to experience our western diseases. In Europe and America we are well fed, but have diseases not common in many poorer countries, because they cannot afford to pollute their food with all the toxic junk that we do. So, when I read how Jesus said woe to the full (Luke 6:20-31) I think of our awfully bad but filling western diets. Even with junk food, our full bellies tend to make us forget those who are starving. Those who eat well now may end up empty on judgment day, because of the callous hearts that go along with wealth and full bellies.

Woe of laughter

Some Christians get the wrong idea about Christianity. They think that it ought to be a life filled with money, good food and laughter. Jesus said just the opposite in Luke 6:20-31. He said woe to those who laugh now. What is Jesus, a party pooper? Notice he said laugh “now.” There is a time to laugh, but in the midst of a world where greed is a fashion statement, laughter may not always be appropriate. In fact it can even be from an attitude of not caring about those who are suffering. Being thrilled about the things of this world, fashions, popularity, money and partying can all come from a calloused heart that does not care about the distress of others at our own gates. Jesus warned a lot about the fate of those with hard, uncaring hearts.

Woe of popularity

We all like a kind word, encouragement and even a little flattery feels good, but it can be a deadly trap. In Luke 6:20-31 Jesus spoke of the woe we face when everyone speaks well of us. Among pastors we often joke that if everyone likes us we must be doing something wrong, and there is a large measure of truth to that. Elijah the prophet was labeled a troublemaker by his nation’s leader Ahab. He was not very popular. More popular was a pagan god called Ba’al (1 Kings 18), the principal god of a place or “lord”. So eventually there was a confrontation between a lonely Elijah and 450 priests of Ba’al. Which was more important, being flattered and popular or being right? In the great judgment day only one reputation will matter, being popular with God.

The unknown saint

Saints are special people to God. Right? That is true, but there are more saints than those few canonized by mere human, church authority. In fact a saint is someone that heaven makes holy even though they are not perfect. The Greek word translated as saint in the Bible more fully means different from the world and therefore special to God, and that includes millions of people who have lived in poor circumstances. Because they have a special blessing from heaven, whether they are poor, hungry, weeping or hated they are still blessed (Luke 6:20-31). Being rich, fat, funny or popular does not make someone a saint. Some of the greatest saints may be virtually unknown. So next time you see a poor, hungry, crying or hated person take a second look. You may be speaking to a saint.

Outro/Take Home

God’s thoughts are so far above ours and the culture which permeates our daily thoughts. Let us learn to think like God does.