by David Brenneman
"But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him,“ ‘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.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:34-40.
Before any start of the game clock a huddle happens on the field of play in football. Get your players together to know how the plan of attack is wanting to be like. This is what we see happening here after Jesus silenced the Sadducees.
Not only did Jesus respond with their answer, He went further to show that they're missing the rest of the story and have missed it for a very long time.
His next response after this answer shut down both the Pharisees and Sadducees...they wouldn't dare ask Him anything more.
Do you see the depths of sadness in that? The Creator of all that is was right there and their pride kept them from talking with Jesus about anything more. They certainly did love the approval of man over God.
There's times where our prayers might be considered a huddle and in it we do bring up various valid valuable things. But then our own shortsightedness gets in the way and God's answers are more than we are considering.
It's an illustration that I have used in the past, but, before we limit God remember that He's working all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose...on a chessboard with over 8 billion people.
We pray, getting into the huddle, and sometimes miss the calls that are ours to be doing.
Ok that's close to everything that I know about football.
We are not bench warmers in the spiritual battles that we are in the midst of. We are going to have something to be doing for Jesus.
The Great Commission is not just for those with Biblically given titles. It's for everyone who comes to Christ for salvation. You've come from death to life. You're given a new self to put on after you discard the old. You have been given the whole armor of God to be wearing. You are in the field of battle.
The next key thing is that the only one calling the shots is Jesus...through the Spirit.
Our lives are not our own, we were bought with a price, the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Our relationship is also our responsibility to live a life pleasing to God.
Read what Paul says to Timothy. This charge is not just for him.
"I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." 2 Timothy 4:1-5.
I see a lot in that passage. Do you?
It's really for all who are in Christ. That one, remember who's you are.
Two, remember that you have a job that is for you to be doing. Three, be careful because there's going to be opposition. Four, stand your ground. The temptation is going to be there to compromise.
What we see in the world today is a whole lot of compromise that's gone on for centuries. People groups that display the same fears of the Pharisees and Sadducees. People groups who love the approval of mankind more than of God.
You my Dear Reader are going to face the choice to follow Jesus today or to do your own thing. Yes you probably do have a physical job to be doing. Are you doing it as unto the Lord or as unto your career or your employer's wishes?
Those at home...are you keeping house as unto the Lord or for some other reason?
Scripture says that we are to do what we do, wherever we go, as unto the Lord. We represent Jesus everyday, everywhere. The Disciples represented Jesus every day, everywhere. They weren't allowed to sit on the sidelines while following Jesus.
Is there something you're missing?
Something that you have kept a part of your life for so long that really doesn't belong?
Notice that in football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and in the military...nobody carries around what isn't needed for what they are there to be doing.
Jesus didn't have their version of U-Haul following them around wherever they were going.
"Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.” Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life." Mark 10:28-30.
Did you notice that Jesus covered everything that people think is important?
Huddle up properly. Suit up appropriately. Find out what it is that God has prepared for you to be doing...even if it seems unreasonable...and do it. We aren't to be busy bodies looking spiritual while not growing in Christ. We are in the body of Christ with a Godly purpose. Cells in a body with no purpose are intruders. They are bacterial or viral intruders. Not there for the building up or edification of the body of Christ but are in fact cancerous.
Claiming to be a Christian yet doing nothing in the body of Christ should make people really concerned about their salvation.
Don't follow in the footsteps of those Jewish leaders.
Be sure of your salvation and go after whatever God has given you to be doing.
It used to really bother me that I had pursued and mostly accomplished my dreams and aspirations...until I understood that those weren't as important as whatever I am directed to be doing by the Spirit.
The approval of man only goes so far...sooner or later that is lost.
The Early Church had their priorities right. The Church today wants to see their kind of growth in our time. The key is getting back to Jesus. Get rid of what we call important and replace it with what Jesus said is important.
Get in the right huddle.
What you're given to be doing by God may make no sense...trust Him and do it anyway. He's calling the shots. Run your play as He sees fit for you. Do your part as unto the Lord. Let go of whatever is keeping you from doing your best as unto the Lord Jesus Christ.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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