The Power of An Epistle

February 27, 2022                 NOTES ARE NOT EDITED
The Power of an Epistle     
2Corinthians 3:1-18

 SIS—Christians are the only Jesus some will ever see and the only Bible some will ever read—we need to be “living epistles” bringing life-producing ministry to others.

A well-written letter is a powerful thing. In 1860 an eleven year old named Grace Bedell wrote a letter to then presidential candidate, Abraham Lincoln, suggesting he would “look a great deal better with whiskers.”  The letter touched Lincoln’s heart and well, as they say, the rest is history.  A little girl’s letter literally changed the face of history.

An “epistle” is simply a “letter,” or a message sent from one party to another.  A letter, or epistle, can be a powerful force.  A very old saying, forms of it going back hundreds of years, declares:  “The pen is mightier than the sword.” The Greek poet Euripides, who died about 406 B.C., said, "The tongue is mightier than the blade." In 1600 Shakespeare had Rosencrantz in Hamlet say that "... many wearing rapiers are afraid of goosequills”  (TriviaLibrary.com).

There are many examples throughout history that show the “power of an epistle.”  Today, we are going to discuss what it means to be living epistles bearing God’s message of life to the world.

EXCURSIS:  The Power of a Letter.  In 1962 a landmark Supreme Court case titled Engel v. Vitale cemented in stone—and inserted into the jurisprudence of our land—a phrase from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson.  This phrase from a letter has become a “de facto” part of the Constitution of the United States even though it never appears in the document.  That phrase is, “separation of Church and State.”  Every American is familiar with this phrase, though very few know that the Supreme Court in the case, Engel v Vitale, used it in the exact opposite way that Jefferson intended it.  Misusing this one phrase from a letter, or epistle, has led to the steady decline of our nation’s morality.  That’s the power of an epistle!

We will read verses 1-6 this morning and expand our study through verse 18. Verses 7-18 are actually a biblical example illustrating and expanding the truth in verse 3—that is, what it means to be a “living epistle of God.”

READING:  2Corinthians 3:1-6

A “Living Epistle” is written in three stages:

1.  A Radical Encounter (vss 3; 7-11)

All throughout the Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, we see the record of God interacting with men and women.  Every time we see these encounters between God and mankind, we see a radical change in people’s lives—usually for the better, though sometimes the interaction leads to judgment not mercy. 

Whether it was the radical encounter Noah had that resulted in the saving of the human race through a world-wide flood, or the radical encounter Paul had, as Saul of Damascus, that catapulted the saving message of the gospel to the entire known world, an encounter with God radically changes those who so encounter Him. 

Like, Noah and Paul, or so many others, this radical encounter leads to radical ministry.  This is the essence of what it means to become a “living epistle of God.”  Look at verse 3,

It is clear that you are Christ’s letter,  produced  by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God —not on stone tablets  but on tablets that are hearts of flesh.

The phrase, “not on stone tablets,” is a reference to the Ten Commandments written by the finger of God and handed down to the Israelites through Moses.  It looks back at the encounter (one of many) that Moses had with Almighty God.  That encounter radically changed Moses, even to the point of physically altering his appearance.  The Law of God written on stone should have radically altered the lives of the Israelites, but it did not.  Look at vv 7-11:

⁷ Now if the ministry of death, chiseled in letters on stones, came with glory,  so that the Israelites were not able to look directly at Moses’ face because of the glory from his face—a fading glory— ⁸ how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? ⁹ For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness overflows with even more glory. ¹⁰ In fact, what had been glorious is not glorious now by comparison because of the glory that surpasses it. ¹¹ For if what was fading away was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious.

As I said, the encounter with God in the process of receiving His law radically changed Moses—even His physical appearance (Ex.34:35).  That’s the Law of God written on “stone tablets,” in verse 3.  But, this “letter, or epistle written on stone” became a “ministry of death” (v 7).  Why?  The answer is in verse 14a:  “their minds were closed.”

There is no life in a stone.  There is no life simply by “owning a Bible,” or even reading a Bible, or even becoming a Bible scholar.  There is only “life” when there is a “radical encounter through the Holy Spirit of God.”  This is what verse 3 calls, “the law of God written on tablets that are hearts of flesh.”  This is a reference to Jeremiah 31:3.  One cannot become a “living epistle” until one has been radically changed by an encounter with the Holy Spirit of God.  It is the Holy Spirit that a gives eternal life, not a religious book, or religious ritual.  Look at verse 11 again:

¹¹ For if what was fading away  was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious.

The idea of “glory” (doxa) here paints the image of a “powerful explosion of light,” or the idea of “splendor.”  This is what happens when a person comes into contact with God and becomes “a living epistle of God with God’s message radiating from one’s life.”

Why is the world not more “impressed” by the church?  We have grand buildings, spectacular programs, and skilled orators, minister to thousands--but where is the “splendor?”  Where is the “majestic expression of God’s power?”  Where is the “explosion of glory?”

There is no “brilliant, explosion of light” because there is only a message written on “stone cold hearts.”  Religion will never cause an explosion of God’s splendor in the heart of anyone.  Only the Holy Spirit can do that.  Only a radical encounter with Almighty God results in a “living epistle of God’s message written on a changed heart.”

When this radical encounter takes place it is like the explosion of a rocket engine that sends a ship into the far reaches of outer space.  A radical encounter results in a

2.  Spirit-produced Competence and Confidence (vs 3)

Let me read verse 3 again.  It is central to the text:

³ It is clear that you are Christ’s letter,  produced  by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God —not on stone tablets  but on tablets that are hearts of flesh.

This verse makes it clear:  a believer is a living epistle of God with God’s life-giving message written in the blood of Jesus upon the heart.  A believer is in a very real sense, “The very Word of God.”

That’s what the song Bonnie sang earlier is trying to reflect:

You're the only Jesus that some will ever see
And you're the only words of life, some will ever read
So let them see in you the One in whom is all they'll ever need
'Cause you're the only Jesus, some will ever see

This song expresses the truth we read in Romans 10:13-14

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. ¹⁴ But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him?  And how can they hear without a preacher?”

So, the Bible makes it clear:  God intends for us to be living epistles of His saving message!  This presses me to ask a very penetrating, and very painful question:  “Am I an effective expression of God’s saving message?”

With a broken heart, and no a little shame, I must confess that I am NOT an effective living epistle of God.  I’m not alone in this sad confession.  In fact, I may be doing a bit better than many people.  The statistics are clear:  only 1 out of 10 people who call themselves Christian, every lead even 1 person to saving faith in Christ in their entire lifetime!

Now, maybe you have led someone to Christ.  Maybe 2 or 3.  I’ll let each man and woman judge themselves in this matter.  What is abundantly clear from the facts of the matter is this:  the church in America is NOT being effective in being living epistles of the saving message of Jesus Christ.

New polling numbers, like a recent Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life show that the decline of Christian faith in America is accelerating.  America is very clearly turning away from Christianity and has been for some time.  So what does this mean for the future of our nation? For non-believers, this may be welcome news, but for Christ-followers it should cause great concern. In days past, the Christian faith had an overwhelming influence on everyday life in America.  As late as 1972, a whopping 62 percent of all Americans were Protestant and an astounding 93 percent of all Americans claimed to be affiliated with a religion of one sort or another.  But now things are dramatically changing. Here are some startling statistics today; #1 Nearly one-fifth (20%) of all U.S. adults have no religious affiliation whatsoever.  Back in 1972, it was only 7 percent of all U.S. adults had no religious affiliation. #2 The younger you are the more likely you are not to be affiliated with a religion.  32 percent of all U.S. adults under the age of 30 have no religious affiliation. #3 A study conducted by the Barna Group discovered that nearly 60 percent of all Christians in the 15 to 29 year old age bracket are no longer actively involved in any church. #4 29 percent of all U.S. adults “seldom or never attend religious services”.#5 Islam is now the fastest growing religion in America according to the latest U.S. Religion Census.  #6 According to a professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Kentucky, there were approximately 1,200 mosques in the United States back in the year 2000.  Now there are more than 2,100. #7 It is being projected that the percentage of Americans attending church in 2050 will be about half of what it is today—less than 15%. #8 One survey conducted a while back found that 52 percent of all American Christians believe that “at least some non-Christian faiths can lead to eternal life”. #9 LifeWay Research has also found that 46 percent of all Americans never even think about whether they will go to heaven or not. (adapted from: http://thetruthwins.com/archives).

All this makes me ask:  why?  Why are we so ineffective as living epistles in the church?  Two reasons come to mind.  We already hit on the first one:  many people who call themselves Christians have never really encountered the Living God.  It’s this simple.  You cannot be a living epistle OF God until you have experienced the Indwelling of the Spirit of God. Simply stated:  you must be “born-again” to become a living epistle of God.

A second reason for the ineffectiveness of God’s living epistles, is a matter of COMPETENCE, and the related matter of CONFIDENCE.

Quite simply, most true believers are totally incompetent in sharing the gospel because they lack “CONFIDENCE” in Christ.

The first matter is a matter of TRANSFORMATION, the second is a matter of CONSECRATION.  Many lack competence in sharing Christ as a living epistle, not because they have not been changed, but because they have never grown in confidence.  The way of expressing this issue biblically is to say, “Many people are saved, but not sanctified.”

Leviticus 20: 7 entreats us to,  Sanctify yourselves] therefore, and be ye holy.  1Thessalonians 4:3 says, It is God’s will that you should be sanctified (NIV). 

Sanctification is the process of surrendering to the Indwelling Spirit so that you become more and more like Christ.  It is “Part 2” of the story of your salvation—being born-again is “Part 1.”  Sadly, very few Christians get to Part 2.  Another way of expressing the idea of sanctification is to call it, “being filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18).

This is a term that causes some confusion among Christians because some groups teach that it is a matter wholly separate from the process of being born-again.  While the process of sanctification occurs after one is saved, it is the same Spirit that does the sanctifying who also did the saving.  It is not a matter of “getting more of the Holy Spirit, but a matter of allowing the Holy Spirit to get more of you.

People lack competence, and therefore, confidence in sharing the gospel as living epistles because they stop growing (or never start) after they are born again.  Like the “law written on cold stone tablets,” the heart becomes cold toward God when one does not embrace the process of sanctification.

In order to become an effective living epistle of God’s saving message a person has to continually surrender more and more of themselves through practicing the “Five Holy Habits”:  Worship, Bible study, Prayer, Fellowship, and Evangelism.  Sanctification requires that one “take up the cross of Christ daily and follow Him.”

If you are not in the Word daily; if you are not involved in daily prayer; if you neglect to fellowship with other believers on a regular basis, and you don’t even consider telling others about Christ, you will be a “dead letter,” not a “living epistle.

The United States Postal Service started a dead letter office in 1825 to deal with undeliverable mail.  Approximately 90 million undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) items end up in this office each year.  Many of you read Hermann Melville’s short story, Bartleby the Scrivener, in high school. Bartleby worked in the Dead Letter Office.  Letters are written and sent for the purpose of being read.  A letter that is written, sent, but never read is a dead letter, not a living epistle.

Hebrews 6:1 says, Let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity.

This is what it means to “be sanctified.”  When you are “going on to maturity” by practicing the Five Holy Habits on a daily basis seeking to die to yourself more and more every day, then you will develop the competence in sharing the gospel through your confidence in knowing the ways of the Holy Spirit.

As our text says in verse 5: It is not that we are competent in  ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God.

A radical encounter with God and a Spirit-filled competence through God will ultimately lead to the goal of being a living epistle which is:

3.  A Life-producing Ministry FOR God (vs 6)

The purpose of writing a letter is to have it read.  God has written, and is writing, His message on our hearts so that we can be living epistles ministering life to others.  Look at verse 6:

He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant,  not of the letter,  but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit produces life.

Look at that last phrase:  “The Spirit produces life.”  When it is all said and done, at the end of the day, a church full of Living Epistles will produce “new life.”  If that is not happening, something has gone amiss.

Sadly, the old cliché in business is true of many churches, “At the end of the day, when it is all said and done, more is said, than done.”

EXCURIS: God empowers us to accomplish His decrees.  God’s Spirit indwells us to equip us for “life producing ministry.”  In Romans 12 and 1Corinthians 12, as well as other passages, the Bible tells us that God has given a “Spiritual Gift” to every believer. Romans 12:6 says, According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts.

1Cor. 12:7 says, A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial.  Notice that phrase, “to produce what is beneficial.”  (HCSB).

Living Epistles produce LIFE!  Just like a shoe factory produces shoes, or a car factory produces cars, a church of Living Epistles produces disciples.  We don’t just keep recycling the old ones!

God wants us to glorify Him, and nothing glorifies the Father more than “souls being saved”  John 15:8  My Father is glorified  by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be  My disciples.

A radical encounter with God leads to a Spirit-produced competence that results in life-producing ministry.

That’s what it means to be a Living Epistle.  I’ve said it a couple of times but we will benefit from hearing it again:  Christians are the only Jesus some will ever see and the only Bible many will ever read—we need to be involved in life-producing ministry.

An epistle is a powerful thing.  As Shakespeare said, “many wearing rapiers (swords) are afraid of goosequills.”  The pen, throughout history, has indeed been more powerful than the sword.  Ideas set to paper and sent among the common men are the foundation for all revolutions.  You can suppress a person with a sword, but you cannot suppress an idea with a the edge of a sword.

A letter can kill.  One example of this is the death of young lady by the name of Charlotte Braun.  She was a loud-mouthed, obnoxious, over-bearing character created by Charles Shultz.  He wanted a counterpart for his beloved mild-mannered Charlie Brown.  Charlotte Braun was so obnoxious Charles Shultz got letters saying he should get rid of her.  One such letter was from a young girl named, Elizabeth Swaim. Shultz in the early days did all his own correspondence and sent Miss Swaim this letter:

Jan. 5, 1955, Dear Miss Swaim,

I am taking your suggestion regarding Charlotte Braun and will eventually discard her. If she appears anymore it will be in strips that were already completed before I got your letter or because someone writes in saying that they like her. Remember, however, that you and your friends will have the death of an innocent child on your conscience. Are you prepared to accept such responsibility?

Thanks for writing, and I hope that future releases will please you.

Sincerely, Charles M. Schulz (He added a his final pic of Charlotte with an ax in her head)

 

Epistles are powerful forces.  Be a force partnering with the Spirit to produce eternal life in others. 

Legendary Faith

 

February 13, 2022                     NOTES NOT EDITED
Legendary Faith
Hebrews 11: 32-40

SIS:  Legendary Faith overcomes any obstacles to accomplish tasks that are extraordinary. 

Legendary faith is remarkable faith displayed by ordinary people.

Every generation grows up with their own, “super-heroes.”  Put a handful of toddlers on a playground with some spring clips and bath towels, and it won’t be long before they are “running faster than a speeding bullet, lifting things with more power than a locomotive, and leaping stuff taller than . . . well, just really tall for a youngster.” The world has always had legendary figures that were larger than life—some real, like David who killed the giant, Goliath, and some completely fictional like Superman. 

What superheroes usually have in common are “super powers” like super strength, x-ray vision, or the ability to fly.  But, not all legendary superheroes have super powers.  Hugh Glass for instance is a “legendary super hero.”  Glass was an American frontiersman and hunter Hugh Glass endured a grizzly bear attack and was left for dead after his party concluded he could not survive his wounds. Glass woke up to a broken leg, festering injuries, and deep gashes on his back that exposed his ribs. Mustering up every ounce of strength he had left, Glass let maggots eat his dead flesh to prevent gangrene, set his own broken leg, donned a bear hide, and started crawling toward the American settlement of Fort Kiowa, which was an insane 200 miles away (copied).  Most of us know of Glass because of the blockbuster movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio titled, “The Revenant” for which DiCaprio won an Oscar.

There are also mythical or fictional superheroes without super powers like archeologist Henry Watson Jones, Jr.  He was created by film maker, George Lucas, and we know him as the Legendary Adventurer, Indiana Jones.  The fact that Indiana Jones is very “ordinary” allows the audience to accept him more easily as a “non-hero superhero” and role model for living a courageous life.

Well, today I want to introduce you to some “Legends who were leaders in the Legion of God.”  Some very ordinary people—some named, some unnamed—who exhibited a very “Legendary Faith.”  These “Legendary people of faith” are the real role models for you and I. 

What are the characteristics of a “Legendary Faith that overcomes any obstacles to accomplish tasks that are extraordinary?  Does it require “superpowers like Superman’s x-ray vision or ability to fly?”  Or, is faith itself like a superpower that allowed David, and ordinary shepherd boy to slay a giant?  Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephtah, and “some unnamed men” were able to accomplish legendary feats through ordinary faith.  What made their faith, “legendary?”

Legendary faith can be practiced by ANYONE, solve ANY PROBLEM, and accomplish ANYTHING imaginable! 

1.  Legendary Faith:  ANYBODY Can Do it (v32, 36)

Heb 11:32 ^{(CSB) 32} And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, Then verse 36  ³⁶ Others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment.

Were it not for their “faith,” that is their obedience to the God of the Bible, nobody would know anything about anybody mentioned in the list.  Then, an even more anonymous group is referred to in vs 36 as simply, “others.”  These people were not only “ordinary,” they were “obscure.”  Their reference in the Eternal Word is due to their “Legendary Faith.”

God uses “ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary feats.”  Gideon was a cowardly farmer.  David was a mere shepherd.  Barak, Samson, Jephthah, and even Samuel were pretty ordinary people. But, at least they had names!  The “others” referred to in verse 36 and following aren’t even given names!

And this is how it has been throughout Christian history.  The Bible is a book ABOUT ordinary people FOR ordinary people.  It is about “you,” and “I.” 

I remember asking my professor in college once why God chose such lousy leaders.  Adam didn’t wear the pants in his family.  Noah was a drunk.  Moses had anger issues.  David was an adulterer and conspired to have a man killed.  Peter was a coward and denied Christ.  I didn’t understand how God chose so many misguided people to be the vessels of his power and plan.  Here’s what my venerable professor replied, “Son, God gets some pretty good licks with some pretty crooked sticks.

Take Gideon for example. Here’s the defining description of Him by an angel from heaven:  Judges 6:12 ^{(CSB) 12} Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “The Lord is with you, valiant warrior.”

Gideon is declared to be a “valiant warrior!”  However, there is more to the story.  Look what Gideon was doing when the angel found him:

Judges 6:11 ^{(CSB) 11} The angel of the Lord came, and he sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash, the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress in order to hide it from the Midianites.

Think about those words, “threshing wheat in the winepress in order to hide.”  The winepress was a hollowed-out place in the ground that would have been safer than threshing grain on an open threshing floor.  He was called a “valiant warrior” while acting like a ****** coward!  God’s story of redemption both in the text of the Bible and in the testimony of history shows us that when it comes to having “Legendary Faith”:  anybody can do it!

One of the most “Legendary Christians in modern history” was Billy Graham.  He was known and loved by multiple millions of people on every continent of the world.  It would be hard to find a person who did not recognize the name, Billy Graham.  Billy Graham is the most extraordinary preacher in modern history.  We all know his name.  But, very few people have ever heard of Edward Kimball.  He died 17 years before Billy Graham was born, but without Kimball there would never have been a Billy Graham.  Kimball was a shy dry goods salesman that taught a Sunday School in Boston, Mass.  One of his students (but not a very good one), was a young shoe salesman.  Kimball won this young shoe salesman who became the great evangelist Dwight Moody.  Moody had a great influence on a man by the name Meyer who became an evangelist.  Meyer won a man named Chapman who became an evangelist.  Chapman retired and turned his ministry over to a professional baseball player turned evangelist by the name of Billy Sunday.  Billy Sunday inspired a group of men to hold a revival meeting with the evangelist, Mordecai Ham.  Billy Sunday went to those revival meetings and was saved.  The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

We all know how God used great evangelists like Moody and Billy Graham.  But, it was a shy grocery salesman that nobody knows that started it all.  Legendary Faith can be practiced by ANYBODY.

2.  ANY PROBLEM can be solved (33-38)

Take note of the trouble Legendary Saints faced in our text: Heb11:33–38^{CSB  33} who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight. ³⁵ Women received their dead, raised to life again. Other people were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection. ³⁶ Others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment. ³⁷ They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated. ³⁸ The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

Legendary Saints overcame everything from lions to stoning to being banished in an unforgiving wilderness.  They faced being burned to death, cut in two by swords, and left chained to the walls of a prison to starve to death.  The problems they faced were monumental compared to what most of us face.  But . . . no problem was too big for God to solve.  Notice how the verse begins: 

by faith conquered [they] kingdoms (v33). 

One of my favorite T.V. shows these days is “Paw Patrol.” I actually have two.  One is Peppa Pig that my granddaughter, Mimi watches with me. It is a show based in England, so Mimi helps translate the “Queen’s English” for me.  Paw Patrol is a T.V. show I watch with my grandson, James.  It is a group of “Search and Rescue Puppies” led by a boy named Ryder.  They work together on missions to protect the shoreside community of Adventure Bay and surrounding areas. Each dog has a specific set of skills based on emergency services professions, such as a firefighter, a police officer, and an aviation pilot. They all reside in doghouses that transform into customized vehicles, or "pupmobiles", for their missions. They are also equipped with special hi-tech backpacks called "pup packs" that contain tools relating to the pups' jobs. (Wikipedia).

When trouble strikes in Adventure Bay, Ryder calls together the PAW Patrol.  Then he gives his famous catchphrase:  “No job is too big. No pup is too small!”   This is a great way to describe “Legendary Faith.”  No job is too big, for God.

Those of us here in the U.S. really do not understand how bad life is for devoted followers of Jesus in other countries.  And, I’m not just talking about the torture and threats of death from the godless governments that would like to wash away Christian in a flood of blood.  There are the everyday struggles that persecuted Christians face.  Many of them are denied jobs and must scrape by on scraps.  Their problems is that they lack toilet paper but that they suffer from water born diseases like dysentery and typhoid.  In places like the slums of Guatemala, children must make do with a soccer ball with no air, kicking it with mismatched shoes that are two or three sizes too big.

Yet, what really captured my heart in the slums of Guatemala was that somehow the children still found ways to be happy. Another evidence of Legendary Faith in this community was the church service.  It was held in a sweltering, steaming in a cement block building with a tin roof.  It was packed with people praising God who I really thought had little to nothing to praise God for.  Somehow, their faith in God overcame what appeared to me “overwhelming obstacles.”  Legendary Faith can overcome ANY PROBLEM.  From swords to flesh-tearing scourgings to shackles in a prison, the saints with Legendary Faith, “conquered them all!”

I am not making light of your troubles suggesting you have nothing to fret over or fight with in life.  We all have problems—some seemingly insurmountable.  Some problems may even seem like they are bone-crushing.  All I know to do is to realize that Legendary Faith can solve ANY PROBLEM. 

It comes down to how we “measure” our problems. If we stack up our problems alongside ourselves, they will look menacing and bigger than we could ever overcome.  But—and here’s the measure of Legendary Faith—if we stack up our problems alongside of God, they shrink to the size of insignificance.  “There’s no job too big” for God.

3. ANYTHING is Possible (v40)

Hebrews 11:40^CSB  since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.

Sometimes our circumstances are so hard all we can see are the problems of the present and not the possibilities for the future.  We become “nearsighted to the point of blindness.”

Often in the Book of Hebrews there are transitional verses.  This one such verse.  It ties the historical record of Legendary Saints of the past to an exhortation for Legendary Saints of the future—you and I.  Verses 39 and 40 point us to verse 12:1.  Hebrews 12:1–3^CSB  

¹ Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, ² keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up.

Underline those words, “so that you won’t grow weary and give up.”

When we stop fixating on problems and focusing on possibilities we have the stamina and perseverance of Legendary Faith to not only face our problems but to “conquer” them.  The Bible is more than a “self-help manual.”  It’s more than a “problem-solving manual.”  The Bible is a “hope chest” containing a “bucket-list of dreams.”  Yes, God’s grace does solve problems, the greatest of which is our sin, but that is the beginning of our faith journey, not the destination.

Having a problem free life is not the same as living a purposeful life but almost the opposite.  We must focus on Jesus and not fixate on our problems and when we do—ANYTHING is Possible!  We can’t let big problems turn us into small thinkers.

As we close consider this, not all legends are dead, like Daniel Boone or Babe Ruth.  Some are still very much alive.  Remember, “legendary” means, “remarkable or spectacular.” Some became legends before they were 20 years old.  One such legend is Bethany Hamilton, the Soul Surfer.  She credits her faith in God for not only helping her stay alive and go on to fulfill her lifelong dream of being a professional surfer.  In fact, she continues to compete to this day.

Bethany Hamilton was a young Hawaiian girl who was on her way to become one of the top professional surfers in the world.  One fateful day in an incident that took about two seconds, a shark bit off her left arm at the shoulder.  It looked like her short life would soon be over.  She lost 60% of her blood.  Certainly, nobody thought she would ever surf again, much less be able to surf as a professional.  Here’s the trailer from the movie made of her life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePFKksD0XkQ

Regardless of how tough life gets—and it can get very, very tough—Legendary Faith always perseveres, always overcomes.  Let the Legendary Saints listed in Hebrews be your model for following Christ in bold, courageous ways, regardless of circumstances.

PERSONAL APPLICATION

1. What famous person from history would you like to meet?  Why?

 

2. Heb. 11:33-38.  When you read of all that the common followers of God endured in these verses, how does it change your perspective of what it means to follow Christ? How are you like the people mentioned in this passage?  How are you different?

 

3.  As you learned in this lesson, Gideon was somewhat of a coward, hiding in a winepress to process his grain.  David’s sins and human failings are well known, including adultery and conspiracy to commit murder.  Yet, they are shown to be examples of Legendary Faith.  What lesson do you see for your life in regard to this? 

 

FOR FURTHER STUDY AND REFLECTION

 

   Is there a      S in I should confess or avoid?
   Is there a      P romise I should claim?
   Is there a      E xample I should follow?
   Is there a      C ommand I should obey?

   Is there         K nowledge gained about Jesus that I should

                            take special note of?

THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON I LEARNED TODAY

 

 

 

 

SPECIAL MEMORIES FROM TODAY

 

Casting Crowns--What Matters Most to God?

 

February 6, 2022             NOTES NOT EDITED
Casting Crowns:  What the Bible Says About Rewards in Heaven
Revelation 4:10-11, et. al.

SIS—Bible crowns show us what is important to God and what we as His children should be focusing on in this life.

Every one of us expects to be rewarded for a “Job Well Done.”  Without the expectation of “rewards,” we would not perform as well. 

There are a few things that trouble me in the Bible.  One question relates to “rewards in heaven.”  This is also referred to as “crowns.”  If everyone is equal in heaven, then how can some have rewards that others don’t have?  And, since covetousness or envy will not be in heaven, then those without rewards will be perfectly happy—so, what good are rewards in heaven?   Good questions you might say.  Let’s read the answer together:

Revelation 4:10–11 (CSB)  ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before the one seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne and say, ¹¹ Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created.

This shows clearly that “rewards do NOT matter to us in heaven.”  We cast them at the Lord’s feet.  But—and this is a very important “BUT”—rewards, or crowns, matter greatly to God in heaven!  The Lord Jesus Christ will receive great glory by the casting down of our crowns.  So, rewards should matter to us, now, because they will matter to Our Lord in heaven.

Also, crowns or rewards demonstrate for us what is important to Our Heavenly Father, and what is important to Our Heavenly Father and Our Lord Jesus Christ should be important to us.  That’s why “rewards or crowns” matter greatly. 

Let me say a little bit about crowns.  In the O.T. there are five words translated “crown.”  There is the “crown” of the head, or scalp.  There is a word referring to decorative molding (crown molding); a word mean “to set apart;” the usual word for a headpiece; and a word referring to “circle about as with an enemy.”  The idea running through all the words is the idea of a “circlet” of some kind. 

The Greek word for crown, diadema, carries that meaning.  It comes from two words which literally mean “to bind (deo) through (dia),” as twisting the ends of an olive branch through each other to make a circle.  Diadema is one of two words for “crown” in the N.T.

The word diadema refers to the crown of a king.  It is a crown given to honor one’s position in life.  It is given to someone who possessed the right to be a king, usually by lineage. You could not in the usual case win a diadem as a reward. 

Take for example the “diadem, or crown of England.”  The St. Edwards Crown, the centerpiece of the crown jewels of England, weights five pounds and is worth over $39 million.  Nothing any person has ever done, or ever will do—except be born into the royal family—could ever gain possession of this crown. 

The other word for crown,  stephanos, refers to a twisted branch, usually of the olive tree, that was awarded to the winner of a contest—as in the ancient Olympics.  It was something one “earned” or presented, because of one’s performance.

In all five references to crowns we will examine the word used is stephanos, referring to a reward for meritorious service—a “Pay Day, Someday,” as one preacher called it.  This “pay day” or Judgment Day will be both positive and negative.  In a negative sense sinners will receive their pay in accordance with their service to the Devil.  The Bible makes this clear:

“The wages of sin is death.”(Romans 6:23a).

This happens at the Great White Throne Judgment.  Every person alive or who has ever lived will be there:  saints and sinners. 

^{Rev. 20   11} Then I saw a great white throne and One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.  ¹² I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.  Another book was opened, which is the book of life,  and the dead were judged according to their works  by what was written in the books.

Now, there will not be any judgment handed out for saints at the Great White Throne.  For the wages of serving Jesus in this body is not “death,” but “life”—eternal life.  Saints will go before the BEMA SEAT to receive eternal rewards for good done in the body.

1Cor. 5    ⁹Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ,  so that each may be repaid  for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.

Both Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:9 speak of the “judgment seat.” This is a translation of one Greek word, the word bema.  Bema is used in the gospels and Acts of the raised platform where a Roman magistrate or ruler sat to make decisions and pass sentence (Matt. 27:19; John 19:13).  The more instructive use of bema is by Paul.  Paul’s use highlights the bema in regard to the award ceremony of its Greek athletic contests.  Atheletes would compete for a prize under the careful scrutiny of judges who would make sure that every rule of the contest was obeyed (cf. 2 Tim. 2:5). The victor of a given event who participated according to the rules was led by the judge to the platform called the Bema. There the laurel wreath was placed on his head as a symbol of victory (cf. 1 Cor. 9:24-25).  The Bible pictures the believer as a competitor in a spiritual contest.  The Christian will appear before Christ’s Bema to receive his imperishable award. The judge at the Bema bestowed rewards to the victors (from Bible.org).

Here’s five crowns that can be gained by believers:

1.  The Crown of Righteousness (2Tim. 4:7-8)

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ There is reserved for me in the future the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing. 

God highly values humility.  The first and most important act of humility is to recognize that we cannot do anything to establish a right relationship with God.  All we can do to become “righteous” is to accept what God has done for us through Jesus Christ.  The Bible says,

^{2Cor. 5   21} He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, 
so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

If there is anything like a “participation trophy” in heaven, this would be it.  But, true righteousness is evidenced by a deep humility and genuine repentance.  Theologians call this “imputed righteousness,” as opposed to “applied righteousness” we will examine in a minute. There must never be any confusion that our “right standing” with God comes as a “free gift” based upon what Jesus has done, not what we do.  That is “imputed” or assigned righteousness.

“Imputed righteousness” requires humility.  Pride says, “Give me what I deserve.”  Humility declares, “Thank you for NOT giving me what I deserve but for giving me what I could never gain on my own.  When we wear this crown in life, it demonstrates to all the world that one’s only hope for eternity lies in a right relationship with Almighty God based upon what Jesus Christ did on the cross.  This humility is a life-long pattern for the believer.  Notice that our text says this crown is given, “to all those who have loved His appearing.”  That refers to those who patiently and humbly wait for the Lord’s Second Coming.

Those wearing the crown of righteousness are not placing our hope in ourselves, our government, social activism, or any other worldly thing.  The hope of the true believer lies in Jesus Christ, and Him alone.

God highly values humility.

2.  The Incorruptible Crown—1Cor. 9:25-27

²⁴ Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race,  but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize.  ²⁵ Now everyone who competes exercises self-control  in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown  that will fade away,  but we a crown that will never fade away. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. ²⁷ Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified. 

God values obedience, closely associated with self-discipline.  I call this, “righteousness in action, or applied righteousness.”  We have seen already that our righteous standing with God has absolutely nothing at all to do with our performance in regard to the Law.  That righteousness is “imputed righteousness,” or righteousness established by God, Himself.

There is another aspect to this righteousness which is “applied righteousness,” or the “working out of the righteousness God put in us.”  Paul said,

^{Phil 2   12} So then, my dear friends,  just as you have always obeyed,  not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

God values obedience.  God values a disciplined life that attempts to conform to God’s standard, the Law, as much as is humanly possible with the aid of the Holy Spirit.  This is “practical righteousness,” as it complements “imputed righteousness.” 

It is hard to tie down a simple definition for righteousness, but in a simple sense it means, “right behavior.”  It is not an abstract idea but an idea, securely founded in Hebrew thought:  a right relationship with God in regard to the Law.  It is not about “winning a relationship with God” by keeping the Law, but winning favor with God once God has established a relationship with you through His Son. 

There can never be any confusion that our “right standing” with God comes as a “free gift” based upon what Jesus has done, not what we do.  That is “imputed” or assigned righteousness.  But, we must also understand that God’s Law (torah, instruction) is still, “perfect refreshing the soul” (Ps. 19:7).  Jesus did not “abandon” the Law but “filled it up to its fullest meaning.” (Mat. 5:17): The Law, as fulfilled by Jesus, is the goal or standard for the Christian’s life.  You cannot know what sin is without the Law (Rom. 7:7).

Once God establishes a relationship with us—that is fulfills the requirements of the Law through Christ—and we have accepted that free gift, then we have “right standing” with God, or imputed righteousness.  Then our love and devotion to God requires that we monitor and adjust our behavior, as much as possible with the aid of the Holy Spirit, to conform to God’s Law.  Thus, we fulfill the command, “Be holy as I am holy” (Lev. 11:44; 1Peter 1:16).  This is “applied righteousness.”  We avoid bad things, like lying, stealing, lust, etc., and we pursue good things like praying, loving, worshipping, meditating on the Word, and serving.  God highly values “good behavior” or obedience from his children.

3.  The Crown of Life—James 1:12; Rev. 2:10

¹² A man who endures trials  is blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown  of life that God  has promised to those who love Him.

^{Rev 2   10} Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the Devil  is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will have affliction for 10 days.  Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown  of life.

God values sacrifice.  There is something very wrong with a person that likes suffering and sacrifice.  In fact, something is not much of a sacrifice if it doesn’t create some measure of hardship or even pain.  But, as unpleasant and difficult as sacrifice is, it is a mark of every true believer. 

All people suffer, but not all suffering will lead to a reward or crown.  It is suffering and sacrifice for the Lord Jesus and His Kingdom that will gain the Crown of Life.

It’s not the fact that one suffers, but how, and why, and for Whom one suffers.  Only suffering for Christ leads to a Crown of Life.

This crown is sometimes called, The Martyr’s Crown, because a Christian martyr is one who pays the ultimate price for his or her Christian faith.  We often think of martyrs as those who lived in Bible times and faced the great persecution from the Roman Emperors like Nero, Domitian, and Diocletian.  But, the fact is that more people have died for the Christian faith in the last 100 years than in the previous 1900 years combined!  One such martyr is a young lady by the name of Rachel Scott.  Rachel was the first person murdered at Columbine High School April 20, 1999.  Rachel was asked by the gunmen if she believed in Christ, and when she answered in the affirmative, she was shot. Minutes later, they returned to her, as she was lying on the ground wounded, asking her a second time if she still believed. On answering yes again, she was shot in the head.  She had gone to school for 12 years (since kindergarten) with Dylan Klebold, one of the shooters.  Her Christian faith was well-known by her classmates—including the shooters.  She left several diaries behind, and in one she wrote this: “I am not going to apologize for speaking the Name of Jesus,” she wrote in a letter to her friend one year to the day before her death. “I am not going to justify my faith to them, and I am not going to hide the light that God has put into me. If I have to sacrifice everything…I will.” This was one year earlier.

The Crown of Life will oftentimes be secured by your death.  God highly values sacrifice, whether it is sacrificial living or sacrificial dying. 

4.  The Crown of Glory—1Peter 5:2-4

² Shepherd God’s flock among you,  not overseeing  out of compulsion but freely, according to God’s will;  not for the money but eagerly; ³ not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. ⁴ And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown  of glory.

God highly values leadership.  As we said above, God highly values obedience from all of His children.  But, God even more highly values those who step up the game a notch and accept a place of responsibility in His Kingdom. In fact, everybody in church should be the leader of some function in the church.

God’s Army requires faithful followers, but faithful followers require effective leaders.  When I first climbed down the hatch of the USS Ethan Allen, I was amazingly astonished by the technology of the inside of a nuclear submarine.  My eyes were probably as big as saucers.  This mighty war machine carried more fire power than all the bombs dropped in WWII combined.  The ship was impressive.

But, I want to tell you what was even more impressive to me--the officers and senior petty officers that commanded that ship.  Their leadership, I would come to experience, during very stressful and dangerous situations caused me as a junior sailor to want to do my very best and pay any price to accomplish the mission.

That’s what great leaders do.  They encourage, motivate and support others to become all that they can be.  God highly values leadership.

5.  The Crown of Boasting—1Thess. 2:19; Dan. 12:3

^{1Thess. 2    19} For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting  in the presence of our Lord  Jesus at His coming?  Is it not you?  ²⁰ For you are our glory and joy 

^{Dan. 12   3} Those who are wise will shine like the bright expanse of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

This is normally taught to be the Crown of Rejoicing.  Rejoicing and boasting are synonyms, but boasting often has a negative connotation.  But, there is nothing negative about boasting about how God has used you to bring others into the kingdom of God.

 God highly values soul-winning.  Notice in the Thessalonian text that Paul is boasting about people—those he has won to the Lord in this world.  Then notice how the Daniel refers to those who have been led to the Lord as “shining stars in the bright expanse of the heavens.”  No work is more important than the work of evangelism—sharing the good news with a lost person, and seeing that person turn away from a life of sin and turn toward a loving Savior.  Many things we do can make a difference in our world—feeding the poor, finding shelter for the homeless, ministering to widows and orphans, or a multitude of other activities—but one activity will not only change our world today, but also change eternity.  That activity is soul-winning.

The Word of God tells us:  Pvr 11:30  The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. 

The Crown of Boasting, or Rejoicing shows us that God highly values soul-winning, and so of course it would be wise to be a soul-winner. 

This is also called the Crown of Rejoicing because nothing brings greater joy in heaven or earth than a sinner coming home to the Savior.  The Bible shows how much God values soul-winning,

Lk 15:7   ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Nothing thrills God’s heart more than one of His lost children being found and led back into the safety of the fold.  God values soul-winning.  We would be wise to value it also.

Here’s the conclusion of the matter:  God outlines what is important and pleasing to Him by giving us Crowns.  Humility is important to God; Obedience is important to God; Sacrifice is important to God; Leadership is important to God; and most of all, soul-winning is important to God.  God has promised to reward us for doing those things that bring Him pleasure and glory.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is coming soon and He will be bringing “rewards,” or “crowns,” for His faithful followers:

Rev 22:12 tells us,  “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.

Heaven is a perfect place—but not a place of absolute equality.  I cannot fully explain how in a perfect place where people are perfectly happy that some people have rewards, or crowns, that other people do not have.  But, I cannot explain a lot of things, but that does not mean they are not true.

Reward, or crowns, matter enough to the Lord Jesus Christ that He is going to bring them with Him when He comes again.  All I can really know is this:  what matters to God should matter to you and I.  The Five Crowns show us what matters to God:  humility, obedience, sacrifice, leadership, and soul-winning.

I cannot think of anything more foolish than to know what matters to God, and yet, fail to make these a priority in your life.  I may not understand how God’s rewards work, but I know without a doubt what God has said in His Word will bring a reward.

Let’s honor God by valuing those things that He values.

PERSONAL APPLICATION                                                                      

1.  What trophy or award have you received that matters most to you?

2.  What feeling do you have when you think about getting (or not getting) crowns in heaven?

3.  Rev. 4:11.  Does casting down the crowns at Jesus’ feet mean the crowns are not valuable?  Why or why not?  Explain.                                                                                                   

4.  Which crown do you find the hardest to strive for?  Pick only 1\

#1___  Crown of Righteousness (Humility)

#2___  Incorruptible Crown (Obedience)

#3___  Crown of Life (Sacrificial Living)

#4___  Crown of Glory (Leadership)

#5___  Crown of Boasting (Soul-winning)

If you picked #5, what other crown are you missing that most hinders you in obtaining #5?  #___

5.  Why is it unbiblical to have the attitude that we should not strive to gain these crowns God has promised to us for our service and devotion?  Explain.                     

FOR FURTHER STUDY AND REFLECTION

Is there a      S in I should confess or avoid?
Is there a      P romise I should claim?
Is there a      E xample I should follow?                
Is there a      C ommand I should obey?

Is there         K nowledge gained about Jesus that I should

                            take special note of?

THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON I LEARNED TODAY

                                                                                            

SPECIAL MEMORIES FROM TODAY