Posts that reference the Gospel of Matthew

A Poor, Broken Spirit

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart– These, O God, You will not despise. Psalm 51:17

Sin
Self-centeredness
Self-reliance

Needs to be

Convicted
Confronted
Confessed

With

Honesty
Humility
Hunger

Which leads to

Restoration
Renewal
Revival

Every single time.

But we

Hide
Hedge
Hesitate

And we cling to

Fear rather than faith
Condemnation rather than cleansing
Misery rather than mercy.

Don’t do that.

Open hands to let go.
Open mouth to confess.
Open heart to receive.

Mercy. Love. Grace.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3

Sugar or Salt?

By Paula

salt or sugar title graphic featuring a spoon filled with either salt or sugar

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. Matthew 5:13

We like sugar

If I put a pile of sugar on the counter and poured out a pile of salt next to it, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference just by looking. For years, we heard that salt was the root cause of all sorts of health problems. Now doctors and researchers are backtracking on some of that conventional wisdom, and they’re taking a closer look at sugar.

Too much sugar on your teeth causes cavities.
Too much sugar in your food causes obesity.
Too much sugar in your blood causes diabetes.

Too much sugar may also play a role in conditions as diverse as hyperactivity, addiction, and Alzheimer’s disease. Besides that, sugar in juice causes fermentation which is a fancy chemical name for rotting.

And I’m not bringing all this up because I’m anti-sugar. Quite the opposite. I really like sugar. That’s the problem.

We’re supposed to be salt

Not too long ago, I heard a preacher say that while we are supposed to be the salt of the earth, we’d much rather be sugar. We want to be well-liked. We don’t want to challenge or offend. We want to blend in.

That’s not our job. We are salt. Notice Jesus said, “are,” and not “will be,” or even “should be.” Are. We are the distinctive, purifying, and preserving influence in the world and the culture around us. Just like salt enhances and brings out the flavor of food, we are tasked with bringing out and enhancing the good.

If we look around and see that the culture is not particularly purified … maybe that’s a sign we’re way too sugary.

Be the Light

By Paula

“You are the light of the world.” Matthew 5:14

I like quotes. One year, my kids got me a quote calendar for Christmas. One quote was one from Eleanor Roosevelt. She said, “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”

Cursing the darkness is easy.

It takes very little effort and requires no personal sacrifice. After all, the world is such a horrible place. There’s so much injustice and suffering and inhumanity… Cursing the darkness. And just that quickly we get dragged down in defeat and discouragement.

Jesus gives us a greater task: Be the light.

All through the preceding verses, the Beatitudes, He outlines the radical Kingdom lifestyle founded on grace and mercy. Because we’ve found peace with God, we can share what we’ve received.

We can be the voice of hope and encouragement even when we are surrounded by cynicism and derision.
We can show mercy and love even when we are faced with rejection.
We can demonstrate patience and kindness even when we encounter frustration and hatred.
We can embody peace and security even when we are pushed to fear and despair.

It won’t be easy. Living a counterculture lifestyle never is. But I think we can agree, the world is dark enough. Cataloging, quantifying, and cursing the darkness will never chase it away. Only light can do that.

Be the light.

Better Than John the Baptist

By Paula

Even before John the Baptist was born, he was given the task by God of getting everybody ready for the coming of Jesus. In one way of thinking, we have been given a similar commission to get folks ready before the return of Christ. That’s not the only thing about John worth copying.

He was aware of his own unworthiness, attesting that he wasn’t even worthy to lace up Jesus’s sandals. (John 1:27)

He was convinced about who Jesus was, the Son of God, the payment for our sins, the promised Savior. (John 1:33-35)

He told people what he knew about Jesus. (John 1:15)

He understood it was all about Jesus, not about him. (John 3:30)

He took his doubts and discouragement straight to Jesus. (Luke 7:19)

When all was said and done, John the Baptist fulfilled his mission. I know I could stand to be a lot more like John, especially when it comes to his boldness and his single-mindedness. Jesus Himself affirms that no one ever born was greater than John.

Yet in the next breath, Jesus says that whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. (Matthew 11:11) How can that be? John did some amazing things. I’d be hard-pressed to equal his accomplishments.

The greatness Jesus is talking about doesn’t come from what you and I do, though. It comes solely from what He does for us. His death and the salvation it purchased get us admission into the kingdom. We just have to accept it. Once we’re in, Jesus entrusts us with the most amazing job ever — to tell His story.

Our Mission

By Paula

“Your mission, if you choose to accept it . . .”

Most of us don’t consider ourselves special or notable. Changing diapers, doing laundry, or paying the bills are certainly not our typical idea of significant work. We are faces in the crowd, numbers on a list. One of Satan’s great weapons is getting us to forget who we are, to embrace this idea that we are nothing and nobody, incapable of doing much or leaving much of a mark.

The truth is, at the moment of salvation, Christ blessed us with “all spiritual blessings” (Ephesians 1:3) including eternal life! He also gives us the fruit of the Spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Our familiarity with the fruits may cause us to dismiss them. The fact is, all of these ‘powers’ are supernatural in origin and exercise! They are the proof of the presence and actions of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

God called us as His own and He equipped and empowered us for a Kingdom work, a mission.

So what’s our mission?

Jesus spells it out at least four times in the New Testament.

(Matthew 28:18-20) Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

(Mark 16:15-16) He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

(John 21:15-17) When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

This commission embodies the essence of Christianity, calling us to share the love and message of Christ with others. The charge to Peter to “feed my sheep” underscores our ongoing duty to care for each other.

(Acts 1:8) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

A witness is someone who tells what he knows. We don’t need lots of experience or training to tell what we know.

How did Jesus change my life?
Why He matters to me?
How are my daily activities different because of Jesus?
How is my outlook affected?
What difference does He make?

Our great responsibility

(Ezek 33:8) When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.

The character of God hasn’t changed. If He held an Old Testament prophet responsible for not doing His job, we can expect He’s going to hold us accountable as well. But it’s extremely important to understand, our responsibility is limited to the “speaking out” part. We ARE NOT held accountable for someone’s rejection of the warning.

We have a tremendous responsibility and privilege to fulfill this mission. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to accomplish it. We can rely on God’s guidance, strength, and grace as we spread His love, share His truth, and make a positive impact in the world around us.

Let’s embrace this mission wholeheartedly.

The Mission

By Paula

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58

I read a survey recently that found over half of American workers are unhappy with their jobs. Not just low-wage jobs either. Almost 60% of workers earning in the $50,000 to $75,000 range were unhappy. The reasons for this are pure speculation at this point. Some suggest that economic pressures compel people to stay in a job they don’t like for fear of not finding another one. However, one analyst believes that the root of dissatisfaction is when workers feel disconnected from their mission.

I suspect it’s not much different in our Christian life. We are part of a vibrant body of believers, lavishly blessed by Almighty God, and yet, in our quietest moments, I’d conjecture many of us, maybe most of us, feel a level of dissatisfaction, and I wonder if it’s not because we’ve become disconnected from our mission.

Jesus stated our mission succinctly in Matthew 28:18-20. It boils down to two things – evangelism and discipleship. We bring people to Jesus and we help them learn and grow. You may have already guessed, a satisfying mission is not the same thing as an easy one. In fact, evangelism and discipleship are anything but easy. They require investing in the lives of others. They call for energy and prayerfulness. They require grace and perseverance.

Relationships

I understand the hesitation. I really do. I am a 100% introvert (Seriously. I took a test. 100%) and the thoughts of knocking on doors or striking up conversations with strangers are honestly terrifying. But asking people about their lives and letting them talk isn’t so bad. You learn their needs, their hopes, and fears. You learn how to serve with love and compassion. Building relationships with people is the first step to know how to pray for them.

Prayer

Praying for people, specifically, softens our hearts toward them. It deepens our compassion and we see more of God’s heart for them. It makes us more attuned to the areas where God is already at work as well. Prayer reminds us not go in our own strength or brilliance or persuasiveness, but to follow God’s lead. And be aware, that in many cases, one quick prayer isn’t enough.

Patience

If you remember, Jesus talked about how spreading the gospel was like planting a crop. You over-plant to make sure something comes up. There are long periods of time when it looks like nothing is happening. You can do a lot of work, but the results are largely out of your hands. But Paul reminds us that the only surefire way not to see results is to give up. (Galatians 6:9)

Granted, evangelism and discipleship take on many different forms and are accomplished through a host of methods, but when we lose sight of them, we falter and flounder as the body of Christ and as individual believers. Seeing people discover the overwhelming love of God in Jesus Christ, and then continue to be blown away by that reality, is the most satisfying, amazing experience apart from our own salvation. But if it is no longer our focus, our passion, our very reason for being, it is time for some re-evaluation. It is time to re-embrace our mission.