You are driving down the road in a very unfamiliar and remote area and it is very late. You passed a house with some lights on the front porch about twenty-five minutes ago. A truck came toward you driving in the opposite direction about a minute after that. Since then… you haven’t seen much of anything but dark woods. Instead of being “creeped out” by the surroundings, you decide to turn on your radio – loud! A favorite oldie is playing and you don’t notice the hissing sound coming off the engine, nor do you see the smoky trail you are leaving behind. In a few moments, the dreaded red light goes on.. and the engine cuts out. You see the light, and feel the loss of the engine. You know you have no water, but your engine temperature gauge is pinned to the top. Your cell phone is DEAD. Now you are getting ready for a good old fashioned PANIC ATTACK. You pull to a stop beside the road, and reach below the seat. Flashlight! Hallelujah! On it goes and you quickly (while you still have the nerve) pop the trunk and the hood and jump out. In the trunk you find some duct tape (now you can fix anything!) and a cooler of stinky Gatorade and melted ice from last Tuesday, when you forgot to clean out the trunk. There is also a stack of bats and some baseballs from the game. You go around to the front, see the hose that has been leaking and masterfully wrap the duct tape thickly around the hose. Lugging the half full cooler back, you fill up the radiator as quickly as you are able. Sounds in the bushes… your bravery is running thin – so you throw everything in the trunk and slam both the hood and the trunk down and you jump inside the car. Lock the doors! Now you turn the key part way to look at the temperature gauge. “Voila!” You say as you turn the car over and speed off. You found something that WORKED, though it was not what was intended to fill the need. There is nothing on the Gatorade label that suggests: “Will work well in engines!”
In our scenario, you did what you HAD to do to get safely home. Yet, sadly, as I travel and speak and share with church leaders and fellow Christians, I have become convinced that many believers today feel as though they can put anything in the system and it will all work out equally. It isn’t true. We can’t make up the program for following Jesus. He has one that works, and our substitutes are illegitimate replacements.
* Instead of teaching the Word of God thoroughly and systematically – we cannot simply choose another topic week by week on something we “think” will help people live better for Jesus. It produces an anemic church, unable to withstand the compromises of the world.
* Instead of reaching people with the Gospel that exposes all of us as sinners and selfish people – we cannot water down the message of the Gospel to a self-help pop psychology session that soothes my felt needs but doesn’t target my real one – submission.
* Instead of demanding of ourselves absolute surrender to the Lord’s will – we cannot ease up and accept a level of comfortable half-life compromise. A little praise on Sunday, a little porn on Monday, a little playing on Tuesday, a little prayer on Wednesday, etc. It fails to demand obedience in any area I don’t DECIDE to obey – which isn’t submission at all.
Key Principle: Only when followers of Jesus deliberately fill their needs with God’s answers do they become wholly effective and mature. Filling the needs with other answers creates a false maturity.
Jesus came to a Passover week and faced His death on the Cross for us, knowing what each follower of Jesus lacked. He offered the right answers to our need – and we dare not find illegitimate replacements! It is important to understand the setting so that we can see that Jesus grasped the whole situation:
* His urgency: Since the request came to Jesus by His disciple to meet with the eager Greek proselytes in the Temple court (cp. John 12:22-23), Jesus knew from His Father that the time was drawing close. (13:1a).
* His project: He loved His followers and would keep on loving them patiently and teaching them even through this difficult end (13:1b).
* His dangers: As the Passover feast was upon the people and Jesus was eating with His Disciples, Judas was already plotting – and Jesus knew it (13:2).
* His responsibility: His Father had put all the events in Jesus’ hands, certain that He would choose to do what they had planned – to die and return to the Father (13:3).
* His opportunity: With all this on His mind and heart, He got up and put a towel around Himself at the time of the meal (13:4). He poured water and began to wash and dry each of His Disciple’s feet (13:5).
While the text reveals that Jesus knew what was happening, it also clearly contrasts that picture with the fact that the Disciples were absolutely clueless to their SEVEN GREAT NEEDS:
Need #1: Humility:
When He came to Simon Peter, the Disciple objected and asked, “Should you wash MY feet? (13:6). Jesus replied: “You won’t understand this right now, but later you will grasp it.” (13:7). Jesus wanted Peter to understand that the work was not based on how good the Disciples were – for they would fail incredibly in the coming days. Humility is NOT thinking poorly of yourself (that’s poor self image), humility is thinking of another. It is making your identity about what Jesus did and not what you can do. Whether positive or negative, undue self focus is destructive.
What if Peter was allowed to wallow in self focused identity? What if Jesus had left him in his “Aw shucks guys, I‘m not good enough” state? The focus of the early story of Peter’s preaching may well have been very different! He wouldn’t understand that HE wasn’t the story – Jesus was – and is. A Christianity that has MY NEEDS at the center isn’t the Christian message of the Gospel. I don’t mean that Jesus’ death didn’t meet my need for salvation. I mean that the message isn’t all about ME – it is about the Father’s plan to tell His story. Jesus gave and emptied Himself and then called on us to do the same (Philippians 2). He doesn’t need people that are SELF FOCUSED, but rather OTHER PERSON CENTERED.
The counseling craze of the church of my generation left us with a great many church people who were used to focusing on why they were the way they were, who helped to contribute to their malady, and what labels were placed on their issues. When you are injured, there is naturally a time when you are self focused in the healing process. The problem is, some never get out of it.
A truly humble man is hard to find, yet God delights to honor such selfless people. Booker T. Washington, the renowned black educator, was an outstanding example of this truth. Shortly after he took over the presidency of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, he was walking in an exclusive section of town when he was stopped by a wealthy white woman. Not knowing the famous Mr. Washington by sight, she asked if he would like to earn a few dollars by chopping wood for her. Because he had no pressing business at the moment, Professor Washington smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and proceeded to do the humble chore she had requested. When he was finished, he carried the logs into the house and stacked them by the fireplace. A little girl recognized him and later revealed his identity to the lady. The next morning the embarrassed woman went to see Mr. Washington in his office at the Institute and apologized profusely. “It’s perfectly all right, Madam,” he replied. “Occasionally I enjoy a little manual labor. Besides, it’s always a delight to do something for a friend.” She shook his hand warmly and assured him that his meek and gracious attitude had endeared him and his work to her heart. Not long afterward she showed her admiration by persuading some wealthy acquaintances to join her in donating thousands of dollars to the Tuskegee Institute. – Our Daily Bread.
Need #2: Submission:
Peter more strenuous objected: “Lord, You CANNOT wash my feet!” Jesus replied: “If you will not let me, you cease to be My Disciple!” (13:8). Jesus needed to impress on Peter that as Master he knew things Peter couldn’t see yet – for the days ahead would grow very cloudy for His followers.
Peter thought HE could determine what he needed. He thought HE could tell Jesus that he knew what Jesus should bring into His life, and what He should not. Jesus offered an urgent correction that should ring in our Spirit – “If I am not in charge, you are not MINE!”
“Driving down a country road, I came to a very narrow bridge. In front of the bridge, a sign was posted: “YIELD.” Seeing no oncoming cars, I continued across the bridge and to my destination. On my way back, I came to the same one-lane bridge, now from the other direction. To my surprise, I saw another YIELD sign posted. Curious, I thought, “I’m sure there was one posted on the other side.” When I reached the other side of the bridge I looked back. Sure enough, yield signs had been placed at both ends of the bridge. Drivers from both directions were requested to give right of way. It was a reasonable and gracious way of preventing a head-on collision. When the Bible commands Christians to “be subject to one another” (Ephesians 5:21) it is simply a reasonable and gracious command to let the other have the right of way and avoid interpersonal head-on collisions.” – Stephen P. Beck.
Need #3: New Thinking:
Peter was startled and said: “No Lord! If that is so than wash my feet and hands and head!” (13:9). “No, Peter!” Jesus said, “It is enough for me to wash merely your feet, since you have been cleansed already! It is also true that not ALL of you are clean!” (He said this because He knew Judas was plotting against Him secretly – John 13:10-11). Peter was not suddenly extreme – it was a lifelong character trait! Yet, he wanted to be sure Jesus was not about to write him out of the disciple’s circle.
Jesus was speaking more deeply in the lesson than Peter was thinking. It wasn’t about FEET, it was about IDENTITY.
· First, Jesus HAD cleansed those who followed Him with their hearts, and was now cleansing the small part of them that required cleansing.
· Second, they were to understand that HIS CLEANSING of them made them one body – and that body was to care for each other while His continued work would maintain them. Their communal caring for each other and service to each other was a symbolic way of showing their spiritual bond one to another.
· Finally, He wanted them to know that He KNEW there was one of them that was not clean at all.
Need #4: Bonding:
When He washed them all, He asked them, “Do you understand what I just did? You call me Teacher and Master and that is right, but if I can do this, so must you do this for one another! I did this as an example for you to actively follow with each other!” (13:13-15). These words added a second layer to this teaching. On the one hand, only Jesus could offer the cleansing He talked about that bonded them together as one body. At the same time, they could serve one another as an outward symbol of what the Lord bonded them into – His body. They were commanded to wash each other’s feet – to dramatically serve one another at every opportunity to grow into a singular body!
A follower of Jesus gains admittance to the Kingdom by the work of Jesus alone (no Sunday school ins or nursery worker plaques accepted). At the same time, those who know Jesus SERVE EACH OTHER as a way of SERVING THEIR KING. Our bond to each other is a demonstration of our bond to the head – Jesus Himself.
Need #5: Imitation:
“I tell you truly that no slave is greater than his master, and no ambassador is greater than the one he represents. You
will happy if you know and then do these things!” (13:16-17). Jesus was a servant, and He wanted His followers to serve one another as a demonstration that they learned from Him how to act. He wanted them to gain satisfaction from the caring for each other, while He cared for all of them in Heavenly places.
We have already established that we were called to be SERVANTS, but I want to add to that thought – we are to TAKE JOY from the identity as a servant. I am personally convinced that the reason some women have moved to try to gain Pastoral positions is because they see them as places of AUTHORITY. I do not share that view. The position is a LEVEL OF SERVICE position. It is my work to know the Word well, teach it carefully and model in fully. I confess I am a work in progress, but it about providing the body a service – searching the Scriptures and leading in them. It is NOT about telling people what to do. I haven’t found many that were all that interested in my thoughts on what they should do. If I don’t offer the service I am called to perform, you will sense it. The room will change. Many of you have been in that kind of room and know exactly what it is like. If the shepherd drives the sheep, you will know. If he undercuts the food so that they starve, you’ll know. Jesus wants us to take our area of SERVICE seriously. By the way, what is your area where YOU are SERVING the body? Attendance is services doesn’t count – since that is FEEDING time.
In 1972, NASA launched the exploratory space probe Pioneer 10. According to Leon Jaroff in Time, the satellite’s primary mission was to reach Jupiter, photograph the planet and its moons, and beam data to earth about Jupiter’s magnetic field, radiation belts, and atmosphere. Scientists regarded this as a bold plan, for at that time no earth satellite had ever gone beyond Mars, and they feared the asteroid belt would destroy the satellite before it could reach its target. But Pioneer 10 accomplished its mission and much, much more. Swinging past the giant planet in November 1973, Jupiter’s immense gravity hurled Pioneer 10 at a higher rate of speed toward the edge of the solar system. At one billion miles from the sun, Pioneer 10 passed Saturn. At some two billion miles, it hurtled past Uranus; Neptune at nearly three billion miles; Pluto at almost four billion miles. By 1997, twenty-five years after its launch, Pioneer 10 was more than six billion miles from the sun. And despite that immense distance, Pioneer 10 continued to beam back radio signals to scientists on Earth. “Perhaps most remarkable,” writes Jaroff, “those signals emanate from an 8-watt transmitter, which radiates about as much power as a bedroom night light, and takes more than nine hours to reach Earth.’” The Little Satellite That Could was not qualified to do what it did. Engineers designed Pioneer 10 with a useful life of just three years. But it kept going and going. By simple longevity, its tiny 8-watt transmitter radio accomplished more than anyone thought possible. So it is when we offer ourselves to serve the Lord. God can work even through someone with 8-watt abilities. God cannot work, however, through someone who quits.
Need #6: Trust:
“I do not speak of all of you, for I am aware of the ones that follow me, and those who have plotted against Me, as the Scripture has promised. I say this now so when it happens you will know that I was prepared.” (13:18-19). Jesus hadn’t lost control of the situation, and He wasn’t taken unaware of the plots against Him. They didn’t grasp that at the time, but Jesus let them know openly, they would later see that He was not a hapless victim -they needed to TRUST that His control was not a myth – no matter what happened.
Nothing rocked the faith of the early church more than when it went through the defection of some of its leaders. The believers became very unsettled. The Epistle to the Hebrews answered ten questions that Messianic Jews of the first century wanted to know. The fifth of ten questions answered in Hebrews was: “If our message is true, how is it that some have begun with us, only to fall away into disbelief?” This was such a powerful issue that he offered a response in two places: Hebrews 3:7-4:13 and again in Hebrews 5:11-6:17. This seems to be one of the toughest issues! The writer gives four insights:
1. This problem of defection is not new! Our fathers in the wilderness had the same trouble when they were presented God’s revelation! (3:7-11). Listen to this message and remain unswayed by sinful thoughts (3:12,13). We remain in Him if we hold on to the beliefs to the end (3:14-15)!
2. Moses was most grieved by those of our fathers who began the wilderness journey and then did not believe in God’s provision in the journey. They could not REST in their God (3:16-19)! Let us learn from their trouble, and rest in God’s revealed provision instead of acting like those who had no faith in it when they heard it! God’s people can rest in His powerful Word – NOW! (4:1-13).
3. Later he rebukes them and says: “You are not listening! I should be able to go deep, but you are not ready! (5:11-14) Some abandon the belief, and I am unable to help them unless they turn to Yeshua. There is no other plan, and those who seek another are rejected! (6:1-8).
4. And finally the encouragement, he offers – As we move on to completion, God remembers your work. When God promised Abraham our father, he had to wait. God has spoken and confirmed His Word to you, and you must be patient (6:9-17).
Need #7: Identity Markers:
“I tell you truly that whoever receives My disciple, receives Me, and if he receives Me, he receives My Father who sent Me!” (John 13:20).
Jesus was always interested in His Father’s glory. He lived, died and was raised for that purpose. He knew the One on the throne of Heaven, and was sent by Him to do His will. He acted in His Father’s character and lived to reflect His Father’s values and Person. At the same time, Jesus said that a believer should live in the process of reflecting the values of His Savior, and receive His call and commission from the Savior. Even further, He argued that if we couldn’t receive the real disciples of Jesus – we don’t truly accept Him.
The implications are two fold:
· If I reject Jesus’ followers, I cannot claim that I love and walk with Jesus: In order for one to claim they have a walk with Jesus, there is a demand that they untie their individual willful spirit and walk with t
he others in the body in unity. That unity shows they belong to each other, and they belong to One Master.
· If I reject Jesus, I cannot claim I love the Father: When Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father but by Me” He precluded other options. In order for one to have a relationship with the Father in Heaven, they must acknowledge the work of the Son. No amount of spiritual fervor can replace belief in the Truth. Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father, but by Me.”
The Greeks had a race in their Olympic games that was unique. The winner was not the runner who finished first. It was the runner who finished with his torch still lit. I want to run all the way with the flame of my torch still lit for Him. – Fan The Flame, J. Stowell, Moody, 1986, p. 32
I want to find my satisfaction in fulfilling the needs of life with the substance of what Jesus told us would truly work! Want to join me?
Only when followers of Jesus deliberately fill their needs with God’s answers do they become wholly effective and mature. Filling the needs with other answers creates a false maturity!
In our scenario, you did what you HAD to do to get safely home. Yet, sadly, as I travel and speak and share with church leaders and fellow Christians, I have become convinced that many believers today feel as though they can put anything in the system and it will all work out equally. It isn’t true. We can’t make up the program for following Jesus. He has one that works, and our substitutes are illegitimate replacements.
* Instead of teaching the Word of God thoroughly and systematically – we cannot simply choose another topic week by week on something we “think” will help people live better for Jesus. It produces an anemic church, unable to withstand the compromises of the world.
* Instead of reaching people with the Gospel that exposes all of us as sinners and selfish people – we cannot water down the message of the Gospel to a self-help pop psychology session that soothes my felt needs but doesn’t target my real one – submission.
* Instead of demanding of ourselves absolute surrender to the Lord’s will – we cannot ease up and accept a level of comfortable half-life compromise. A little praise on Sunday, a little porn on Monday, a little playing on Tuesday, a little prayer on Wednesday, etc. It fails to demand obedience in any area I don’t DECIDE to obey – which isn’t submission at all.
Key Principle: Only when followers of Jesus deliberately fill their needs with God’s answers do they become wholly effective and mature. Filling the needs with other answers creates a false maturity.
Jesus came to a Passover week and faced His death on the Cross for us, knowing what each follower of Jesus lacked. He offered the right answers to our need – and we dare not find illegitimate replacements! It is important to understand the setting so that we can see that Jesus grasped the whole situation:
* His urgency: Since the request came to Jesus by His disciple to meet with the eager Greek proselytes in the Temple court (cp. John 12:22-23), Jesus knew from His Father that the time was drawing close. (13:1a).
* His project: He loved His followers and would keep on loving them patiently and teaching them even through this difficult end (13:1b).
* His dangers: As the Passover feast was upon the people and Jesus was eating with His Disciples, Judas was already plotting – and Jesus knew it (13:2).
* His responsibility: His Father had put all the events in Jesus’ hands, certain that He would choose to do what they had planned – to die and return to the Father (13:3).
* His opportunity: With all this on His mind and heart, He got up and put a towel around Himself at the time of the meal (13:4). He poured water and began to wash and dry each of His Disciple’s feet (13:5).
While the text reveals that Jesus knew what was happening, it also clearly contrasts that picture with the fact that the Disciples were absolutely clueless to their SEVEN GREAT NEEDS:
Need #1: Humility:
When He came to Simon Peter, the Disciple objected and asked, “Should you wash MY feet? (13:6). Jesus replied: “You won’t understand this right now, but later you will grasp it.” (13:7). Jesus wanted Peter to understand that the work was not based on how good the Disciples were – for they would fail incredibly in the coming days. Humility is NOT thinking poorly of yourself (that’s poor self image), humility is thinking of another. It is making your identity about what Jesus did and not what you can do. Whether positive or negative, undue self focus is destructive.
What if Peter was allowed to wallow in self focused identity? What if Jesus had left him in his “Aw shucks guys, I‘m not good enough” state? The focus of the early story of Peter’s preaching may well have been very different! He wouldn’t understand that HE wasn’t the story – Jesus was – and is. A Christianity that has MY NEEDS at the center isn’t the Christian message of the Gospel. I don’t mean that Jesus’ death didn’t meet my need for salvation. I mean that the message isn’t all about ME – it is about the Father’s plan to tell His story. Jesus gave and emptied Himself and then called on us to do the same (Philippians 2). He doesn’t need people that are SELF FOCUSED, but rather OTHER PERSON CENTERED.
The counseling craze of the church of my generation left us with a great many church people who were used to focusing on why they were the way they were, who helped to contribute to their malady, and what labels were placed on their issues. When you are injured, there is naturally a time when you are self focused in the healing process. The problem is, some never get out of it.
A truly humble man is hard to find, yet God delights to honor such selfless people. Booker T. Washington, the renowned black educator, was an outstanding example of this truth. Shortly after he took over the presidency of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, he was walking in an exclusive section of town when he was stopped by a wealthy white woman. Not knowing the famous Mr. Washington by sight, she asked if he would like to earn a few dollars by chopping wood for her. Because he had no pressing business at the moment, Professor Washington smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and proceeded to do the humble chore she had requested. When he was finished, he carried the logs into the house and stacked them by the fireplace. A little girl recognized him and later revealed his identity to the lady. The next morning the embarrassed woman went to see Mr. Washington in his office at the Institute and apologized profusely. “It’s perfectly all right, Madam,” he replied. “Occasionally I enjoy a little manual labor. Besides, it’s always a delight to do something for a friend.” She shook his hand warmly and assured him that his meek and gracious attitude had endeared him and his work to her heart. Not long afterward she showed her admiration by persuading some wealthy acquaintances to join her in donating thousands of dollars to the Tuskegee Institute. – Our Daily Bread.
Need #2: Submission:
Peter more strenuous objected: “Lord, You CANNOT wash my feet!” Jesus replied: “If you will not let me, you cease to be My Disciple!” (13:8). Jesus needed to impress on Peter that as Master he knew things Peter couldn’t see yet – for the days ahead would grow very cloudy for His followers.
Peter thought HE could determine what he needed. He thought HE could tell Jesus that he knew what Jesus should bring into His life, and what He should not. Jesus offered an urgent correction that should ring in our Spirit – “If I am not in charge, you are not MINE!”
“Driving down a country road, I came to a very narrow bridge. In front of the bridge, a sign was posted: “YIELD.” Seeing no oncoming cars, I continued across the bridge and to my destination. On my way back, I came to the same one-lane bridge, now from the other direction. To my surprise, I saw another YIELD sign posted. Curious, I thought, “I’m sure there was one posted on the other side.” When I reached the other side of the bridge I looked back. Sure enough, yield signs had been placed at both ends of the bridge. Drivers from both directions were requested to give right of way. It was a reasonable and gracious way of preventing a head-on collision. When the Bible commands Christians to “be subject to one another” (Ephesians 5:21) it is simply a reasonable and gracious command to let the other have the right of way and avoid interpersonal head-on collisions.” – Stephen P. Beck.
Need #3: New Thinking:
Peter was startled and said: “No Lord! If that is so than wash my feet and hands and head!” (13:9). “No, Peter!” Jesus said, “It is enough for me to wash merely your feet, since you have been cleansed already! It is also true that not ALL of you are clean!” (He said this because He knew Judas was plotting against Him secretly – John 13:10-11). Peter was not suddenly extreme – it was a lifelong character trait! Yet, he wanted to be sure Jesus was not about to write him out of the disciple’s circle.
Jesus was speaking more deeply in the lesson than Peter was thinking. It wasn’t about FEET, it was about IDENTITY.
· First, Jesus HAD cleansed those who followed Him with their hearts, and was now cleansing the small part of them that required cleansing.
· Second, they were to understand that HIS CLEANSING of them made them one body – and that body was to care for each other while His continued work would maintain them. Their communal caring for each other and service to each other was a symbolic way of showing their spiritual bond one to another.
· Finally, He wanted them to know that He KNEW there was one of them that was not clean at all.
Need #4: Bonding:
When He washed them all, He asked them, “Do you understand what I just did? You call me Teacher and Master and that is right, but if I can do this, so must you do this for one another! I did this as an example for you to actively follow with each other!” (13:13-15). These words added a second layer to this teaching. On the one hand, only Jesus could offer the cleansing He talked about that bonded them together as one body. At the same time, they could serve one another as an outward symbol of what the Lord bonded them into – His body. They were commanded to wash each other’s feet – to dramatically serve one another at every opportunity to grow into a singular body!
A follower of Jesus gains admittance to the Kingdom by the work of Jesus alone (no Sunday school ins or nursery worker plaques accepted). At the same time, those who know Jesus SERVE EACH OTHER as a way of SERVING THEIR KING. Our bond to each other is a demonstration of our bond to the head – Jesus Himself.
Need #5: Imitation:
“I tell you truly that no slave is greater than his master, and no ambassador is greater than the one he represents. You
will happy if you know and then do these things!” (13:16-17). Jesus was a servant, and He wanted His followers to serve one another as a demonstration that they learned from Him how to act. He wanted them to gain satisfaction from the caring for each other, while He cared for all of them in Heavenly places.
We have already established that we were called to be SERVANTS, but I want to add to that thought – we are to TAKE JOY from the identity as a servant. I am personally convinced that the reason some women have moved to try to gain Pastoral positions is because they see them as places of AUTHORITY. I do not share that view. The position is a LEVEL OF SERVICE position. It is my work to know the Word well, teach it carefully and model in fully. I confess I am a work in progress, but it about providing the body a service – searching the Scriptures and leading in them. It is NOT about telling people what to do. I haven’t found many that were all that interested in my thoughts on what they should do. If I don’t offer the service I am called to perform, you will sense it. The room will change. Many of you have been in that kind of room and know exactly what it is like. If the shepherd drives the sheep, you will know. If he undercuts the food so that they starve, you’ll know. Jesus wants us to take our area of SERVICE seriously. By the way, what is your area where YOU are SERVING the body? Attendance is services doesn’t count – since that is FEEDING time.
In 1972, NASA launched the exploratory space probe Pioneer 10. According to Leon Jaroff in Time, the satellite’s primary mission was to reach Jupiter, photograph the planet and its moons, and beam data to earth about Jupiter’s magnetic field, radiation belts, and atmosphere. Scientists regarded this as a bold plan, for at that time no earth satellite had ever gone beyond Mars, and they feared the asteroid belt would destroy the satellite before it could reach its target. But Pioneer 10 accomplished its mission and much, much more. Swinging past the giant planet in November 1973, Jupiter’s immense gravity hurled Pioneer 10 at a higher rate of speed toward the edge of the solar system. At one billion miles from the sun, Pioneer 10 passed Saturn. At some two billion miles, it hurtled past Uranus; Neptune at nearly three billion miles; Pluto at almost four billion miles. By 1997, twenty-five years after its launch, Pioneer 10 was more than six billion miles from the sun. And despite that immense distance, Pioneer 10 continued to beam back radio signals to scientists on Earth. “Perhaps most remarkable,” writes Jaroff, “those signals emanate from an 8-watt transmitter, which radiates about as much power as a bedroom night light, and takes more than nine hours to reach Earth.’” The Little Satellite That Could was not qualified to do what it did. Engineers designed Pioneer 10 with a useful life of just three years. But it kept going and going. By simple longevity, its tiny 8-watt transmitter radio accomplished more than anyone thought possible. So it is when we offer ourselves to serve the Lord. God can work even through someone with 8-watt abilities. God cannot work, however, through someone who quits.
Need #6: Trust:
“I do not speak of all of you, for I am aware of the ones that follow me, and those who have plotted against Me, as the Scripture has promised. I say this now so when it happens you will know that I was prepared.” (13:18-19). Jesus hadn’t lost control of the situation, and He wasn’t taken unaware of the plots against Him. They didn’t grasp that at the time, but Jesus let them know openly, they would later see that He was not a hapless victim -they needed to TRUST that His control was not a myth – no matter what happened.
Nothing rocked the faith of the early church more than when it went through the defection of some of its leaders. The believers became very unsettled. The Epistle to the Hebrews answered ten questions that Messianic Jews of the first century wanted to know. The fifth of ten questions answered in Hebrews was: “If our message is true, how is it that some have begun with us, only to fall away into disbelief?” This was such a powerful issue that he offered a response in two places: Hebrews 3:7-4:13 and again in Hebrews 5:11-6:17. This seems to be one of the toughest issues! The writer gives four insights:
1. This problem of defection is not new! Our fathers in the wilderness had the same trouble when they were presented God’s revelation! (3:7-11). Listen to this message and remain unswayed by sinful thoughts (3:12,13). We remain in Him if we hold on to the beliefs to the end (3:14-15)!
2. Moses was most grieved by those of our fathers who began the wilderness journey and then did not believe in God’s provision in the journey. They could not REST in their God (3:16-19)! Let us learn from their trouble, and rest in God’s revealed provision instead of acting like those who had no faith in it when they heard it! God’s people can rest in His powerful Word – NOW! (4:1-13).
3. Later he rebukes them and says: “You are not listening! I should be able to go deep, but you are not ready! (5:11-14) Some abandon the belief, and I am unable to help them unless they turn to Yeshua. There is no other plan, and those who seek another are rejected! (6:1-8).
4. And finally the encouragement, he offers – As we move on to completion, God remembers your work. When God promised Abraham our father, he had to wait. God has spoken and confirmed His Word to you, and you must be patient (6:9-17).
Need #7: Identity Markers:
“I tell you truly that whoever receives My disciple, receives Me, and if he receives Me, he receives My Father who sent Me!” (John 13:20).
Jesus was always interested in His Father’s glory. He lived, died and was raised for that purpose. He knew the One on the throne of Heaven, and was sent by Him to do His will. He acted in His Father’s character and lived to reflect His Father’s values and Person. At the same time, Jesus said that a believer should live in the process of reflecting the values of His Savior, and receive His call and commission from the Savior. Even further, He argued that if we couldn’t receive the real disciples of Jesus – we don’t truly accept Him.
The implications are two fold:
· If I reject Jesus’ followers, I cannot claim that I love and walk with Jesus: In order for one to claim they have a walk with Jesus, there is a demand that they untie their individual willful spirit and walk with t
he others in the body in unity. That unity shows they belong to each other, and they belong to One Master.
· If I reject Jesus, I cannot claim I love the Father: When Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father but by Me” He precluded other options. In order for one to have a relationship with the Father in Heaven, they must acknowledge the work of the Son. No amount of spiritual fervor can replace belief in the Truth. Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father, but by Me.”
The Greeks had a race in their Olympic games that was unique. The winner was not the runner who finished first. It was the runner who finished with his torch still lit. I want to run all the way with the flame of my torch still lit for Him. – Fan The Flame, J. Stowell, Moody, 1986, p. 32
I want to find my satisfaction in fulfilling the needs of life with the substance of what Jesus told us would truly work! Want to join me?
Only when followers of Jesus deliberately fill their needs with God’s answers do they become wholly effective and mature. Filling the needs with other answers creates a false maturity!
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