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The NFL has been in the midst of a labor dispute for months now. Just a couple of weeks ago, the owners locked out the players and the players union decertified in an effort to get a judge to overrule the lockout next month. The media has been covering both sides of this debate ad nauseam since the football season ended in early February. What I wanted to focus on though is the larger implications of this dispute from a Biblical perspective.
As I read the quotes from the owners and the players, I keep seeing the same phrase repeatedly over and over again, “This is a business.” This phrase usually comes on the heels of an owner or player asserting their case and then trying to apologize for sounding like a kid in a candy store by quicklly declaring, “this is just part of the business” as if that magic phrase makes their "me first" diatribe acceptable. What they are really saying is, “I want what is mine.” And this really is the heart of the issue as the heart of the matter is always the heart.
Jesus said all the issues of life spring up from the heart. Jeremiah 17:9 tell us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” The NFL labor situation is really just a microcosm of society. That is why people are always so quick to want to take sides. You have some people who look at the owners as filthy billionaires who are trying to cheat the players out of their money and then you have the other group of people who say the players should just keep quiet and be thankful that they make millions of dollars to play football.
God has something much different to say on the subject. He tells us to not put our trust in riches of this world for “riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven” (Proverbs 23:5).
For many years I worked in corporate America and was shocked and often saddened to see the type of deceit and cruel behavior that took place as companies scrambled to get their piece of the pie. What they failed to understand then and now is that the pie is not reality. The pie will be gone one day as we all stand before God and give an account for our lives. Only one thing will matter on that day, did we put our faith and trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. For those of us that have already trusted the Lord, the Bible tells us that our works will be tried by fire and we will be rewarded or lose reward accordingly (1 Corinthians 3:11-15).
I have also found in my own life that the riches of this world really do not bring the happiness and contentment that people expect. Just listen to some of the wealthiest people of their day:
- "The care of $200 million is enough to kill everyone. There is no pleasure in it." - W.H. Vanderbilt
- "I am the most miserable man on earth." - John Jacob Astor
- "I have made many millions, but they have brought me no happiness." - John D. Rockefeller
- "Millionaries seldom smile." - Andrew Carnegie
- "I was happier doing a mechanic's job." - Henry Ford
When our Savior preached the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5 many thought He was insane. The selfless principles he outlined that pictured the kingdom of God were too difficult for many to comprehend. It is easy to see why upon hearing this sermon, His listeners were shocked. Jesus begins each point by naming a group of people normally thought to be unblessed or unblessable and pronounces them blessed because of the presence and availability of the abundant life in God's kingdom to everyone, everywhere, regardless of status, circumstances, or condition.
In other words, Jesus’ sermon was the antithesis of the culture 2,000 years ago. Not much has changed today. I recently read how the market has been flooded with New England Patriot championship rings from the early part of this decade when the team won three championships in four years. Apparently, the hard economic times has forced many players to sell their rings to pawn shops for ten percent of what the ring is actually worth.
Jesus is offering something much more valuable today than a championship ring or an executive promotion or a new house. He is offering Himself and within that offer comes the abundant life. For you see the abundant life that everyone is pursuing on Wall Street and within corporate America and on the sports field is a mirage. It offers nothing lasting, nothing of eternal value in this life or the next. The true abundant life exists within the life, ministry, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is here at the cross of Calvary that you find what you have been looking for – unconditional love, forgiveness, and self-worth. It is Jesus Christ who is the key to all that fulfills and truly satisfies. If you do not know Him, I pray you come to know the Savior today, Romans 10:9-10.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
The Poor Rich Church
This past week I had spent some time contemplating suffering and its purpose. While the Scripture discusses at length why believers suffer and also speaks of suffering as part of God’s will, I found myself drawn to the Book of Revelation chapter two and the little church of Smyrna. If you not familiar with this church, you may recall that the second and third chapters of Revelation include the seven letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor. Smyrna is the second church that is mentioned and the following passage is all we know of this church and its relationship to the Lord:
“And to the angel, or the messenger, from the church in Smyrna write: the First and the Last who was dead and has come to life says this: I know your tribulation and your poverty but you are rich and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan, do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison that you may be tested and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches, he who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”
Only four sentences, but yet so deep in spiritual truth and application. It is important to remember that Smyrna, like the other six churches, is a literal place and these letters were given by the Lord Jesus Christ through the pen of the Apostle John on the isle of Patmos about 96 A.D. We can gather that life for this little church was dangerous for a number of reasons, not the least of which was if you failed to acknowledge Caesar as Lord, you could lose your life. They were also surrounded by pagan worship of many different kinds. But their main source of suffering came from the Jews who were persecuting them for their faith. Jesus actually calls these Jews, “the synagogue of Satan.” Pretty powerful statement. These Jews were persecuting the Christians much the same way the Apostle Paul was before his conversion on the Damascus road.
According to John MacArthur, the Jews had many reasons to inflict punishment on the Christians, “they slandered them for cannibalism, saying they eat flesh and drink blood. They slandered them for lust and immorality because they greeted one another with a holy kiss and held love feasts. They slandered them for home wrecking because one member of a home became a Christian and it brought a sword into the household. They slandered them for atheism because they rejected the worship of emperors and the deities of Rome. They slandered them for rebellion and political disloyalty because they said this is tantamount to mutiny. And the Jews wanting to destroy Christian faith went to the Romans to report the Christians, that they might lose their lives.”
So here you have this picture of a church that is being attacked from all sides by the government and the religious groups around them but the Lord has such precious words for them, doesn’t He? He tells them that He knows them. He knows them! And he sees their tribulation and although they are poor and have been ravaged by these Jewish persecutors, he calls them rich. Why? Because they are so rich spiritually. They have not lost their first love like the church at Ephesus; they are not lukewarm like the Laodiceans. They are the poor rich church because they have what is most important – a right relationship to Christ in the midst of such intense suffering. They had holiness, they had love, they had unity, they had peace and most of all they had a sympathetic Savior telling them that He has seen their suffering and their response and He is ready to reward them with the crown of life.
So what does he tell them after all this? They will suffer more. My first reaction after reading this is why? Haven’t they suffered enough? But Satan is always trying to destroy saving faith. And God is always proving to him and to us that saving faith cannot be destroyed. For whatever reason as a race of people, we seem to listen best and trust the most when we are suffering. I think God often says you will suffer so you can see the power of the One that you have trusted in.
This begs the question, are we overcomers? What is our response to suffering? What is our true relationship to our Lord and Savior? The answers to these questions have eternal consequences.
“And to the angel, or the messenger, from the church in Smyrna write: the First and the Last who was dead and has come to life says this: I know your tribulation and your poverty but you are rich and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan, do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison that you may be tested and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches, he who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”
Only four sentences, but yet so deep in spiritual truth and application. It is important to remember that Smyrna, like the other six churches, is a literal place and these letters were given by the Lord Jesus Christ through the pen of the Apostle John on the isle of Patmos about 96 A.D. We can gather that life for this little church was dangerous for a number of reasons, not the least of which was if you failed to acknowledge Caesar as Lord, you could lose your life. They were also surrounded by pagan worship of many different kinds. But their main source of suffering came from the Jews who were persecuting them for their faith. Jesus actually calls these Jews, “the synagogue of Satan.” Pretty powerful statement. These Jews were persecuting the Christians much the same way the Apostle Paul was before his conversion on the Damascus road.
According to John MacArthur, the Jews had many reasons to inflict punishment on the Christians, “they slandered them for cannibalism, saying they eat flesh and drink blood. They slandered them for lust and immorality because they greeted one another with a holy kiss and held love feasts. They slandered them for home wrecking because one member of a home became a Christian and it brought a sword into the household. They slandered them for atheism because they rejected the worship of emperors and the deities of Rome. They slandered them for rebellion and political disloyalty because they said this is tantamount to mutiny. And the Jews wanting to destroy Christian faith went to the Romans to report the Christians, that they might lose their lives.”
So here you have this picture of a church that is being attacked from all sides by the government and the religious groups around them but the Lord has such precious words for them, doesn’t He? He tells them that He knows them. He knows them! And he sees their tribulation and although they are poor and have been ravaged by these Jewish persecutors, he calls them rich. Why? Because they are so rich spiritually. They have not lost their first love like the church at Ephesus; they are not lukewarm like the Laodiceans. They are the poor rich church because they have what is most important – a right relationship to Christ in the midst of such intense suffering. They had holiness, they had love, they had unity, they had peace and most of all they had a sympathetic Savior telling them that He has seen their suffering and their response and He is ready to reward them with the crown of life.
So what does he tell them after all this? They will suffer more. My first reaction after reading this is why? Haven’t they suffered enough? But Satan is always trying to destroy saving faith. And God is always proving to him and to us that saving faith cannot be destroyed. For whatever reason as a race of people, we seem to listen best and trust the most when we are suffering. I think God often says you will suffer so you can see the power of the One that you have trusted in.
This begs the question, are we overcomers? What is our response to suffering? What is our true relationship to our Lord and Savior? The answers to these questions have eternal consequences.
Friday, March 4, 2011
The Safety of the Faithful
This past week I have been studying Psalm 4. It was written by David and it speaks of the reality of finding such peace in God’s presence that even when torn by physical and emotional pain, a person may still have restful sleep.
As I pondered this concept, I was reminded of a statement that Kay Arthur wrote in one of her books that dealt with the topic of why Christians suffer. She had said that Christians would do well to have the word “eternity” stamped on the inside of their eyelids in order to keep the proper perspective of life and all of its trials and tribulations. In reading Psalm 4, David sees past the temporal, past his enemies, past those that love only the good the world has to offer, and he rests in His God who makes him dwell in safety. What a marvelous spiritual truth to allow to captivate our lives and thoughts.
It is also worth pointing out that throughout the Psalm David repeatedly refers to the righteousness and holiness of God. In verse 3 he states, “But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The Lord will hear when I call to Him.” Many people call out to God for help, especially during difficult trials but notice that God hears those that are righteousness. This calls to mind James 5:16, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
God hears those that have made a decision to follow Him and forsake sin. And this really gets to the heart of the issue. God is first and foremost concerned with our sin not our circumstances. On the cross, Jesus defeated sin and its power to have dominion in our lives. God expects His people before they even call out to Him, to be leading lives separate from the world. This does not mean we are perfect by any means, but as John MacArthur likes to say, “It is the direction of our lives not the perfection.” If our lives show a pattern of worldliness in thought, deed, and action than how can God work His goodness and blessing into our lives?
David was able to pillow his head at night and say, “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” because in his life he was “offering sacrifices of righteousness to the Lord.” In fact, it was David in Psalm 51 who said about God, “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart - These, O God, You will not despise.”
I think often as Christians, we can come to God with our requests and expect Him to fulfill them based on our terms. I try to remind myself that every time when I begin to pray to first confess sin and asked to be cleansed because if we are not seeking to be holy first than all else really does not matter. We serve a holy and just God who tells us in Matthew 5:48 that He is perfect and His desire is for His people to be perfect.
God wants us saved, sanctified, and filled with His Spirit. The circumstances of life are a distant second to this objective. This is not to say that God is not interested in our day-to-day lives and struggles. On the contrary, He tells us to bring our requests to Him, but if we are not seeking to become like Him than why would we expect Him to hear us?
"For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Romans 8:6)
As I pondered this concept, I was reminded of a statement that Kay Arthur wrote in one of her books that dealt with the topic of why Christians suffer. She had said that Christians would do well to have the word “eternity” stamped on the inside of their eyelids in order to keep the proper perspective of life and all of its trials and tribulations. In reading Psalm 4, David sees past the temporal, past his enemies, past those that love only the good the world has to offer, and he rests in His God who makes him dwell in safety. What a marvelous spiritual truth to allow to captivate our lives and thoughts.
It is also worth pointing out that throughout the Psalm David repeatedly refers to the righteousness and holiness of God. In verse 3 he states, “But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The Lord will hear when I call to Him.” Many people call out to God for help, especially during difficult trials but notice that God hears those that are righteousness. This calls to mind James 5:16, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
God hears those that have made a decision to follow Him and forsake sin. And this really gets to the heart of the issue. God is first and foremost concerned with our sin not our circumstances. On the cross, Jesus defeated sin and its power to have dominion in our lives. God expects His people before they even call out to Him, to be leading lives separate from the world. This does not mean we are perfect by any means, but as John MacArthur likes to say, “It is the direction of our lives not the perfection.” If our lives show a pattern of worldliness in thought, deed, and action than how can God work His goodness and blessing into our lives?
David was able to pillow his head at night and say, “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” because in his life he was “offering sacrifices of righteousness to the Lord.” In fact, it was David in Psalm 51 who said about God, “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart - These, O God, You will not despise.”
I think often as Christians, we can come to God with our requests and expect Him to fulfill them based on our terms. I try to remind myself that every time when I begin to pray to first confess sin and asked to be cleansed because if we are not seeking to be holy first than all else really does not matter. We serve a holy and just God who tells us in Matthew 5:48 that He is perfect and His desire is for His people to be perfect.
God wants us saved, sanctified, and filled with His Spirit. The circumstances of life are a distant second to this objective. This is not to say that God is not interested in our day-to-day lives and struggles. On the contrary, He tells us to bring our requests to Him, but if we are not seeking to become like Him than why would we expect Him to hear us?
"For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Romans 8:6)
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