Matthew 25:37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Read verses 31-46 for context)
The Scriptures remind us that God's priorities are often different from our priorities. It seems that popular Christian culture is bent more in the direction of "me" than in the direction of "others."
One definition of culture is: "The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization."
The culture of "me" that permeates a lot of Christian activity and ministry doesn't square with the teachings of Jesus. Matthew 25 is a troubling read because it seems to make doing good deeds the basis of entrance into God's eternal kingdom. We must remember that this story is told to emphasize the importance of serving others, not a lesson in salvation.
The culture of the righteous is serving and giving, not receiving. Jesus identifies with people in trouble because he wants them to discover God's grace and power.
Those of us who are blessed and favored must cultivate a culture of service in others so that we do not turn inward and lose sight of Christ's priorities.
Matthew 24:44, "So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
Today, we don't hear a lot about the return of Christ. As a matter of fact, I've heard people say that Jesus could not return today because the church is not ready for His return. "Could not" sounds like "not expecting" to me.
Readiness is a matter of perspective. The church in America does not necessarily look like the church in the whole earth. God always has people who love him, serve him, and are expecting his return.
The bottomline is what Jesus said, "Be ready!" The real issue is: What does "ready" look like?
Exodus 40:32 So all the work on the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the LORD commanded Moses. 33 Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work. 34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
I have often read this text and I never ceased to be blessed. Millions of dollars (by today's value) of offerings and donations of items, untold man-hours of craftsmanship by artisans, attention to instruction, and devotion to God's presence, raised a portable "facility" in the wilderness. All of the work that went into building the tabernacle resulted from God's vision that was given to Moses.
Verse 32 says, "The Israelites did everything just as the LORD commanded Moses." Verse 33 says, "….So Moses finished the work." The people supported the God-given vision and the visionary. They helped Moses finish the work.
Verses 34-35 reveal the best part of the whole project! "…The glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle."
Until they finished the work, God's glory did not come. When they finished it, God's glorious presence invaded the space they created!
This is a simple and powerful message: Understand your assignment; Follow instructions; Finish the work; Expect the glory of God to come!
Exodus 31:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts.
The Bible is full of well known people like Moses, who did great things for God in his generation. We say, "Moses built the tabernacle in the wilderness." Technically, Moses was RESPONSIBLE for the tabernacle and its articles. However, the man who actually built the tabernacle and crafted items such as the altar and Ark of the Covenant was Bezalel and a team of artisans.
God uses people of diverse gifts and skills to fulfill His purpose and bring substance to dreams and visions. The church is the Body of Christ. Senior leaders carry vision and great responsibility, but they are not alone. The church needs people like Bezalel who bring their gifts and skills to God's work. More important is the wisdom that God gives for that work.
Ask God to empower you to serve. Open your heart to GRACE to serve. Through Christ, let these words become true for you: "I have filled (your name______________) with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills.
"Renewing the Mind" is a foundational reality in the Word of God. The New Birth changed your nature, bringing new life within through the redemption and power of Christ. What remains is the same mind, personality, and physical body as before.
Bascially a "carnal" (flesh-ruled) Christian is one who claims Christ in the heart, but lives according to the desires of the flesh, not according to the purposes and holiness of God. Romans 8:5 (NIV), says, "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires."
What is a mindset? 1) It is a belief that affect somebody’s attitude. 2) A habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations
What is an attitude? 1) A personal view of something 2) A manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation of the mind.
The only way to consistently live "in accordance with the Spirit" is to allow the Word and Spirit of God to change your thinking, habits, and behavior. Refusing this change and growth is both foolish and dangerous. More importantly, there is no good reason not the change for the better since grace has been given to us for that purpose.
Read the following passages of Scripture from three Bible versions. While reading, ask yourself, "According to God's word, how should I think and order my everyday life?"
Rom 12:1 (NKJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Rom 12:1 (NLT) And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Rom 12:1-2 (Message) So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Click here to watch or listen to a life-lifting message on this topic
