Bad Influence

Can you remember when you were growing up how easy it was to be influenced by someone else? Sometimes we refer to peer pressure as a very influential thing among school children. Among these influences, we know that some are good and some are bad. We as parents know what kind of influences other children are on our children, especially those who are bad influences. While we can’t make their decisions for them, we do hope that our children will be more influenced by the good people around them and follow their advice and example. In 1 Kings chapter twelve there is a story about a king who got some good and bad advice, and we are told this king decided to follow the bad advice. Shortly after the reign of the wisest king who ever lived, being Solomon, his son Rehoboam was to be made king by all Israel at Shechem. There was an assembly of Israel which included Jeroboam who came to request that Rehoboam lighten their load from how hard Solomon had been on them by making their yoke heavy. If Rehoboam would do this, then they would serve him. Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served Solomon, and they told him to be a servant to them and grant them their petition. Unfortunately, there were some other people who influenced him. Rehoboam decided to forsake the counsel of the elders and listen instead to the young men who grew up with him and served him. They told Rehoboam: “Thus you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us!’ But you shall speak to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins! ‘Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father discipline you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’” (1 Kings 12:10-11). Upon the unfolding of these events, we know that Israel rebelled and eventually Jeroboam the son of Nebat became the king of Israel while Rehoboam became the king of Judah, the start of what we know as the Divided Kingdom which was prophesied in 1 Kings 11:30-32. Ahijah had prohesied that the kingdom would be torn from the hand of Rehoboam and given to Jeroboam, though Rehoboam would still have one tribe. My how things can change by listening to unwise counsel from younger men instead of taking the wise counsel of elders! However, this was to fulfill what had been prophesied by Ahijah. Can you look back on your life and see where you took some bad advice? I’m sure we can all relate to this story in some shape, form or fashion. We need to be really careful about who our influences are in this life. What we are influenced to do in this life will have a direct correlation with where we will spend the next life. What are you being influenced to do?

The Father Seeks Such Worshipers

Some of you may be aware, but we are in the middle of a sermon series on worship at the North View Church of Christ. I decided to title this series "The Father Seeks Such Worshipers" based on what Jesus said in John 4:23. Last Sunday we spent time dealing with the Lord's Supper, which was titled "Commemorating Christ." I wanted to preach on that first in this series since it is such an integral part of worship. This coming Sunday the lesson will be titled "He Gave Me a Song," which will center around the singing portion of our worship to God.

I hope if you are in the Columbia, TN area looking for a church home, you will consider coming to see us. We would love to have you in Bible class and worship with us. Bible classes meet at 9:30 on Sunday mornings, followed by worship at 10:30. This Sunday evening we will meet at 5:00 which will be followed by Trunk or Treat. We have a Wednesday morning Bible class at 10:00 as well as our midweek services at 7:00 p.m. For those of you who work on Sundays which might keep you from our regular services, we also have an early morning service on Sunday at 5:30.

Make your plans to join us whenever you have the chance. We would love to get to know you.
Also, I am working on trying to get my audio sermons on the blog. I did this when I was on staff at West 7th, but now that I am at North View it has not happened yet. Thanks for your patience.

He Died with No One's Regret

We have probably all been to a funeral home at some point in time to stop by and pay our respects to the family members who have lost a loved one. When we make an appearance at the visitation or the funeral, it is a way for us to show that the individual was special to us, or it can also be a way to show our support for the family members whom we might know. What would happen if someone from our community died and no one showed up to Oakes and Nichols to pay their respects? That would be awful! It would appear that it didn’t really matter to anyone that this individual had departed from this life. Wouldn’t that be awful if no one regretted your death?

Believe it or not there was a king of Judah who died with no one’s regret. His name was Jehoram, and he wound up paying the price for being an evil king. Let us take a look at what led up to this description in 2 Chronicles 21 of Jehoram’s death. One of the first evil things that Jehoram did was kill his brothers with the sword (4). Next, he struck down the Edomites who revolted against the rule of Judah (8-9) [this was probably for the same reason that Libnah revolted against his rule, “because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers” (10)]. Next, he made the high places in Judah’s mountains which caused Judah to play the harlot (12).

Elijah finally writes a letter to Jehoram which told him a great calamity was going to come upon his people, his sons, his wives and his possessions and he himself would suffer from a bowel disease because of the evil he had committed (12-15). All of this plays out just as Elijah said. The Lord stirred up the Philistines and Arabs who invaded Judah and carried away all the king’s possessions, his wives and his children except Jehoahaz who was the youngest son (16-17). God struck Jehoram with the bowel disease so that his bowels eventually came out at the end of two years, which was a very painful death (18-19).

It is in the aftermath of all of this where we find the recorded words:

And his people made no fire for him like the fire for his fathers. He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years; and he departed with no one’s regret, and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings (19-20)

Because of the evil he had done, Jehoram wasn’t given a proper funeral or burial. There is a country song titled “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone.” That wasn’t the case in this story. He literally died without the regrets of others. Let us realize the impacts that our lives have on others. I don’t know of a more insulting phrase about someone’s death than “...he departed with no one’s regret...” (20).

You Would Do What for Them?

There may be times in life when others are in a bad situation that we want to help them get out of, and we might even be able to risk our well-being to do so. Usually the person you feel that way about is a family member to whom you have a very close tie. As husbands we are to have the type of love for our wives that Christ has for the church, for which he was willing to lay down his life (Eph. 5:25). Whether we are willing to die, suffer injury, or anything else that a selfless person might be willing to do, would you be willing to go to Hell so that your kinsmen could be saved?

You may be wondering why I would ask such a question because we would never be put in such a position as this. The motivation behind this discussion lies in Paul’s desire for his Israelite brethren who had not obeyed the Gospel. In writing to the church at Rome, he says:

I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites... (Rom. 9:1-4).

Paul was essentially saying that he would be willing to forfeit his own salvation if it meant that the Israelites who were lost could be saved. One of the things this statement from Paul tells me is his concern for lost souls. If forfeiting his own soul meant the attainment of salvation for many Israelites, he would be willing to do that.

What is another person’s salvation worth to you? Examining this statement from Paul ought to make us reevaluate what the souls of those who are lost are worth. 

What Are You Imitating?

Recently in a gospel meeting at Christiana I imitated a weedeater. No, I didn’t mow the people down like blades of grass; rather I did an impersonation where I sounded like a weedeater. Little did I know that it was such a hit that was what the majority of the talk was about after the sermon. When someone does an imitation of something, they are trying to look or sound like it. When the imitation is a good one, you know that it was really close to the real deal. That’s what impersonators are good at, especially when it comes to what they can do with their voices. While I don’t claim to be a master impersonator, the weedeater is probably one of my best sound effects. I know how to imitate that sound.

The apostle Paul told the church at Corinth to “Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1 ASV). The best thing we could ever imitate is the Lord. If you really stop and think about it, the name Christian means Christ-like. We are supposed to be like Christ in our actions each and every day. He came down to live on this earth to give us the perfect example of how to follow God. Even though none of us has seen God face to face, the Son of God explained Him (Jn. 1:18). There was no one better than Jesus to provide that perfect example and to show us what the Father was like by His actions and teachings. The apostle Peter says “...because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Pet. 2:21). Though Peter was contextually speaking of persecution, I think we can see that our entire lives should be following in the steps of Christ.

What are you imitating? While it is fun at times to imitate different things of this earth, our ultimate focus of imitation needs to be that of Christ Jesus. I can do a pretty good job of imitating a weedeater, but how good is my effort to imitate Christ? Just like people in the audience last night were paying attention to how effective my sound effect was going to be, even more people are watching our efforts to try to imitate the Lord.

Seeking the Lost

This morning on the news I saw a story where three elk were spotted on 840 near the Carters Creek Pike intersection at Burwood. While that may sound strange, I had a hunch that they might have escaped from captivity somewhere locally. I have seen elk kept in pens here in middle Tennessee. Sure enough, the report was that they had gotten loose from their owner, and he was unwilling to go after them. The TWRA reported that the owner would be liable if these elk caused a traffic accident. I began to wonder why he didn’t want to go after them, because they belonged to him.

As Christians, we are the sheep who are in the care of the Good Shepherd (Jn. 10:11). If any among our number strays and wanders away from the fold, we know that the Lord wants us to come back. Examine the words of the Lord when He was responding to the shepherds, the spiritual leaders of Israel who had not taken care of the sheep: “For thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I Myself will search for my sheep and seek them out...I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick...’” (Ezek. 34:11,16).

One of the ways the Lord seeks after His sheep who have strayed from the fold is by using His shepherds. The elders of the church are those who have the responsibility of watching after the souls of those in the congregation. In speaking of the elders’ responsibility to the church, the writer of Hebrews says “...they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account...” (13:17). This is a responsibility of the eldership which cannot be taken lightly, as souls are at stake. Those who are shepherds have to be concerned about the spiritual well-being of the sheep, and when they go missing a search and rescue effort must be attempted.

Another of the ways the Lord seeks after His sheep who have wandered away is by using the sheep who are still in the fold. James says: “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth, and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins (5:19-20). Also in reference to bringing someone back to where they need to be, Paul says:

 “Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted” (Gal. 6:1).

So not only is it a prime responsibility of the shepherds of the flock of God, but it is also our personal responsibility as Christians to attempt to rescue the sheep that have gone astray. Do you know someone who has strayed from the flock? Has anybody contacted them? The Lord is concerned about His sheep, and we who are part of the flock whether as sheep or His shepherds need to be searching. Jesus said “’What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it?’” (Lk. 15:4). Let us make sure we are seeking the lost.

The Things That Are God's

Have you ever been trapped? No, I’m not talking about stepping in a trap for wild animals; rather, I’m talking about being trapped by someone in a conversation. Sometimes people can try to trap us into saying something. We know by reading the Scriptures that there were many times that the Jews tried to trap Jesus into saying something that they might use against Him. One of these passages is found in Mark 12:13-17.

In order to trap Jesus, the Pharisees and Herodians wanted Jesus to answer whether or not it was lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar. Jesus answered their hypocritical motives by asking them why they were testing Him, and then He proceeds to have them bring him a denarius. Upon asking whose image is on the coin, they reply Caesar. Jesus then answers by saying “’Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s’” (17).

For years I thought Jesus was referring to money, in that we pay the government and we give as we’ve been prospered to God. However, in a conversation with Chris Lockhart he talked about how we are made in God’s image. Ever since then I have looked at this passage with the interpretation that it is our lives that Jesus was talking about rendering to God.

Paul says: “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Rom. 12:1). He also says to the Corinthian church: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

While obeying the authorities is important (Rom. 13:1-7), we need to remember that rendering our lives to God is even more important. When is the last time you contemplated that you were made in the image of God? If we are made in his image, how should that impact the way we live our lives? I hope you think of this the next time you look at a coin with someone’s image on it.