Loosening My Kung Fu Grip

"And Peter said, 'See, we have left our homes and followed You.' And He said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life'" (Lk 18:28-30).

These three verses provide an epilogue to Jesus' conversation with the rich young ruler (Lk 18:18-27).  Christ's call to cash in his chips and follow revealed the man's idol: his own wealth.  Jesus then pointed out how it's easier to smush a 1500 pound camel through the eye of a sewing needle that for a rich person to squeeze himself through the gates of heaven.  The Lord pointed out that the only one capable of making that happen is God Himself.

At this point, Peter speaks up (v28).  Let's face it, when Pete says something, there's a 50-50 chance he's going to make a fool of himself.  Pastor Mike Lee says that it often seems like that the only reason Peter opens his mouth is to change feet.  But here, Simon says the right thing.

In response to the rich ruler's retreat, Rocky speaks up for all of the twelve.  It's just another example from the Bible of Peter's role as leader of the apostles.  It's a role he will retain even in the wake of his betrayal of the Lord.  He was part of Jesus' inner circle along with the Sons of Thunder.  Peter was first among equals among Christ's twelve.

The Rock reminds Jesus of all that His own disciples have left in the rear view mirror in order to follow.  "See we have left our homes and followed You."  Actually the word "homes" is not in the original text.  Pete actually says they have left "one's own" or “everything belonging to us" (Gr. adjective idios).

It is a reminder of how these twelve men walked away from not just their homes, but everything in order follow this amazing Man from Nazareth.  Professional fishermen dropped their nets and left their business behind.  A tax collector turned his back on his incredibly profitable occupation (and repaid with interest!).  They had left it all behind.

Jesus responds to Peter's statement with an encouragement (v29-30).  First, He talks about what they all have given up in more detail.  These men have left their homes, wives, brothers, sisters, parents and children.  And they didn't do it simply to hang out with some homeless and untrained Rabbi/Carpenter.  They did it "for the sake of the kingdom of God."  Somehow, someway they understood that something bigger was at stake.  And they were willing to leave it all behind.

Jesus announces here that this call to leave it all behind is not just for these twelve closest followers.  Are we willing to leave it all behind?  I'm afraid that we Americans are more like the rich young ruler than the blue-collar bunch that Jesus' assembled.  According to some statistics, 21st-century Americans are among the top 2% of the wealthiest people who have ever walked on the planet.  How many of us are willing to leave everything to follow Jesus?  House?  Family?  Job?  Cars?  401k?  I think it's time to move on.  It's getting rather uncomfortable, don't you think?

After affirming everything that His followers give up, Jesus goes on to give an overview of the benefits package (v30).  Those willing to forsake everything for the sake of the kingdom get unspeakable blessings, both in this life and the life to come.  Don't miss that Jesus speaks of receiving "many times more in this time."  Don't miss the math.  God's blessings will be multiplied "many times more!"

I would hardily disagree with those preaching a prosperity Gospel that Jesus is promising earthly riches.  It may happen.  But the blessings of God are so much more than that, so much more robust than that, so much deeper than that.  They include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22-23).  Most importantly, it is the blessing of God Himself.  He is our portion (Ps 16:5).  He is our great reward.

Jesus alone is worth leaving all.

Then Jesus points us to the most mind-blowing retirement package the universe has ever known.  He promises that we'll see those blessings continue once we pass from this life into the life to come.  Much ink has been spilled on heavenly and eternal blessings.  Christ is reminding His followers that it's worth it.  It's VERY MUCH worth it.  He doesn't deny that they've given up a lot.  But they have only begun to scratch the surface on what's to come.  And they don't have a clue of what will happen in the coming months and years.  Their minds couldn't hold it all.

This passage reminds me of the statement that hands clinging tightly to earthly possessions are not open to receive the blessings of God.  Too often we have a kung fu grip on things that have absolutely no eternal value.

Let it go.  Put it down.  Let the Lord fill your palms with His unspeakable and overflowing goodness.  We can only receive when we loosen our kung fu grip.

Jesus alone is worth leaving all.

Getting an Affluenza Shot

“For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content” (1Tim 6:7-8).

There’s a nasty bug going around. This crud is highly contagious. I’m not talking about West Nile virus. This isn’t Zika. And it’s not the bird flu. No, as a matter of fact, it’s not a new illness. It’s been taking people down for several thousand years and there’s no sign of it slowing down. It’s affluenza. Scientists define it as “a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more.”

There’s a recent case that’s making headlines. A Texas teenager named Ethan Couch is using affluenza as his defense for driving drunk and killing four people. Whether that defense will hold up in court is something else altogether. Couch’s attorney attempted to link his reckless behavior with his parents’ affluent lifestyle. One of the symptoms of affluenza is your belief that you can outspend your sin and stupidity. 

As we mentioned before, this illness is nothing new. A wicked strain of it ran rampant through the church in Ephesus. The Apostle Paul and his young sidekick Timothy faced the outbreak head-on. Paul not only understood the dangers of this highly contagious disease but also that it is easily preventable. He writes to Pastor Tim and reminds him the very simple treatment for affluenza to keep it from spreading. “For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content” (v7-8). The key to containment of greed contentment in Christ. It’s a guaranteed affluenza vaccine. 

So just how did this Ephesian epidemic get started? The source of the infection was a team of spiritual hucksters who peddled a false gospel of goofball religion, conspiracy theories, and legalistic self-salvation (1Tim 1:3-7; 4:1-3). These false teachers were incredibly cocky and loved nothing better than to distract folks from following Jesus with all sorts of endless arguments and debates over things that really didn’t matter (1Tim 6:3-4). They quickly figured out that there’s no business like God’s business when it comes to turning a fast buck from unsuspecting suckers (1Tim 6:5). 

I would LOVE to tell you the carriers of this crud are no longer around. But I can’t. As long as church doors are open, there are going to be greedy charlatans looking to put the squeeze on believers. I fully realize I’m treading on tender turf when it comes to this topic. The so-called “prosperity gospel” is what happens when affluenza infects the followers of Jesus. The only people to prosper are the preachers and peddlers of this garbage. The sell a false message that turns our great Giving God into a supernatural vending machine that must deliver each time punch His buttons. Yeah, it doesn’t work that way.

Now before we limit the blame of this illness to a small sample size, we’re all carriers of affluenza. You. Me. Us. Them. All of us. If we trace the spread of the contagion, we’ll see that our first parents, Adam and Eve, are actually Patients Zero in this pandemic. God places them in paradise and tells them enjoy His entire creation (Gen 2:16). Go for it. There’s only one restriction. See that tree over there? Yeah, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Don’t eat any fruit from it. It’s fatal (Gen 2:17). That’s when a satanic snake convinced Adam and Eve that God was actually holding out on them (Gen 3:1-5). Suddenly they weren’t content with God’s overwhelming goodness. They ate. Sin takes the stage. Affluenza begins to spread. But don’t miss the announcement of the ultimate Cure that on its way. Or should I say His way. One is coming to heal us all (Gen 3:15)!

Meanwhile back in Paul’s letter to Tim, the apostle reminds the young preacher how “we brought nothing into the world” (v7). I’m not sure how many of you had the blessing of being in the delivery room for the birth of your children (I do realize that when it comes to moms, the answer is 100%!), but I don’t remember seeing any luggage carousels. We don’t roll into this world as newborns with any checked or carry-on baggage. We don’t even have anything in our pockets…since we don’t have any pockets!!!

At this point, Paul fast forwards from the maternity ward to funeral home. Just as we arrive into this world without a single possession, we leave empty-handed as well. “We cannot take anything out of the world” (v7). My hearse won’t have a trailer hitch. My coffin won’t be pulling a U-Haul trailer. Oh, it’s not like we don’t try. We just can’t. God won’t let us. 

This idea of “naked in/naked out” is a mega-theme throughout the Bible. When Satan sideswiped God’s servant Job (at God’s invitation, mind you!), the man from Uz STILL worshiped the LORD. “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed by the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). One of the songwriters of the OT wrote a similar lyric. “For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him” (Ps 49:17). Solomon is the wisest and wealthiest dude who ever walked the earth. Despite a portfolio that would make Bill Gates blush, this king new his treasure was temporary. “As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand” (Ecc 5:15). 

Paul reminds us that we simply need to find satisfaction in the necessities of life. “But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content” (v8). Do I have enough to eat? Do I have water to drink? Do I have clothes to wear? Do I have a place to sleep? Has God given me the basic necessities of food, water, clothing, and shelter? It all comes down to wants and needs. Am I obsessed over getting everything I want? Or am I grateful to have all that I need? That’s the key to kicking affluenza.

When we have appreciate having everything we need, we’ll be “content” (v8). The apostle drops a Greek word here (Gr. arkeo) which means to have enough, satisfied, or be sufficiently supplied. It’s from a root word (Gr. airow) which means raising up a barrier to establish a defense. Contentment builds a wall against want. The key to containing greed is contentment in Christ. 

Check out some of the other uses of arkeo in the NT. John the Dunker encouraged Roman soldiers to stop putting the squeeze on civilians by running protection rackets. Instead, “be content (Gr. arkeo) with your wages” (Lk 3:14). In one of his letters to the Corinthian church, Paul tells how he has pleaded with Jesus to remove a painful thorn in the flesh. Instead of pulling it out, Christ left it in and told the apostle He did it in order make sure the former Pharisee would only rely on God’s goodness. “My grace is sufficient (Gr. arkeo) for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2Cor 12:9). The writer of Hebrews tells us to not get sucked into an obsession with money but “be content (Gr. arkeo) with what you have,” remembering God is your ultimate treasure and will ALWAYS be with you (Heb 13:5)!

The key to containment of greed in contentment in Christ.

Scripture is absolutely jam-packed with finding our satisfaction in our Savior. Jesus made this a major point in His most famous message. “Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will wear, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing” (Mt 6:25). The Rabbi/Carpenter reminded the crowds that God feeds the birds. Aren’t you more important to him than they are? Check out the flowers. They are gorgeous, but they’ll be gone in a few days. Stop freaking out. God will make sure you have something to wear. There’s absolutely no reason to wig out when it comes to your what you eat or your wardrobe. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Mt 6:33).

We all might want to take a lesson from a guy named Agur son Jakeh. Late in the Book of Proverbs, he shares his two-pronged prayer which was the key to his contentment. “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny You and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God” (Prov 30:8-9). Don’t give me too much. Don’t give me too little. Give me just what I need, God. Do you have the guts to pray that prayer? Yeah, I’m not sure I do either. I pray one day that I will.

Affluenza still threatens every church and every follower of Jesus. But there’s one sure fire cure. Satisfaction in our Savior. Contentment in Christ is the key to containment of greed. It’s the ultimate affluenza vaccine.

There's No Business Like God's Business

“imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain” (1Tim 6:5-6)

I’ll never forget the sign hanging along the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem. The Stairway to Heaven Gift Shop. Yeah, you read that right. On the same street where Jesus carried His cross stood a slimy souvenir stand selling tacky t-shirts that said things like “I Got Stoned in the Gaza Strip.” That’s when our guide David uttered words I would never forget. “There’s no business like God’s business.” Ain’t THAT the very sad truth!

Well, the idea of leveraging people’s faith to make a fast buck is nothing new. Paul and Timothy faced same kind of sleaze back in first century Ephesus. A posse of greedy hucksters had weaseled their way into the church and sold a boatload of spiritual snake oil to the followers of Jesus. They peddled a phony gospel in order to cash in big time. The apostle tells the young pastor how these false teachers were “imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain” (v5-6). In other words, we don’t use God to get what we want. God IS Who we want!

Don’t think could ever go down at your church? Think again, bruh. Ephesus Community Church was the model for congregations all around the Mediterranean Rim back in the day. Paul planted the church during his third big road trip (Acts 19). He told folks in the big port city that the resurrection Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth is not only the Jewish Messiah but He had thrown the doors open to God’s kingdom to anyone who turns to Him. 

The grace of God turns the town upside down during Paul’s time there. Over the next three years, all sorts of crazy stuff starts happening. Lots of folks place their faith in Jesus. Paul’s handkerchief heals the sick. Demons kick the crap out of seven dudes who think they’ve got the juice to pull off an exorcism. People who used to practice witchcraft burn their black magic books in a massive bonfire. As folks trust in Christ, they stop patronizing the local Greek temple. That freaks out the chamber of commerce and starts a riot. You can read it for yourself in Acts 19.

The Lord used the Ephesian church to not only transform this huge center of trade in what we now know as western Turkey, but to take the Good News all throughout the Greco-Roman world. While no church is perfect, this was seemed pretty close at the time. Paul wrote a letter to believers there from prison. The former Pharisee goes on to write not one, but two notes to his protege Timothy who was the pastor there. The resurrected Jesus told His best friend John to write one of his seven letters in Revelation to His followers there (Rev 2:1-7). And there’s plenty of historical evidence that this same John led the church in Ephesus near the end of his life. 

We know more about the Ephesian church than any other congregation in the New Testament. This church was big time. It probably hosted conferences. Think North Point. Imagine Lifechurch. Picture Newspring. But despite all that success, it all came crashing down thanks to a group of religious grifters who snookered suckers while Paul was in prison. Still don’t think it could happen in your church?

False teachers had fooled themselves into “imagining that godliness is a means of gain” (v5). And why not? That was certainly the successful business model back at the temple in Jerusalem. Religious leaders were making some serious cheddar by running a racket of selling only the officially licensed sacrifices to worshipers. Just like the gift shop in Jerusalem, there’s no business like God’s business. It ticked off Jesus so much that He cleaned house not once, but twice (Mt 21:12-13; Jn 2:13-17). Stop using God to get what you want. God IS Who you want!

Here in these verses, Paul twice uses a Greek word that we translate as “godliness.” Eusebeia refers to reverence toward God, devotion to the Lord, or the appropriate application of your belief and practice of your faith in general. NT authors drop the term when talking about living a godly lifestyle. It’s actually a compound word that literally means “good (eu-) worship (-sebia).” You find it used 15 times in the entire Bible and eight of those are here in 1 Timothy. Good worship is a mega-theme of this letter. 

The spiritual scammers in Ephesus saw good worship as a good way to make a good buck. It was a “means of gain” (v5). It’s right about here where we could go on a long rant about the preachers of the so-called Prosperity Gospel. They pitch a particularly appealing message of health, wealth, and happiness. According to them, God wants you to dress in designer clothes, live in a big house, drive a nice car, and wear a Rolex. If you name it and claim it, God will give it. Sounds pretty sweet, don’t you think? 

There’s just one little problem with all that. It’s called the Bible. While God certainly loves you more than you could ever imagine, He’s certainly not a uber-wealthy sugar daddy. He’s not a genie in a bottle waiting to grant your three wishes. He’s no metaphysical vending machine loaded with all your favorites. I wonder if Paul simply failed to have enough faith when he was floating around in the ocean after a shipwreck or getting the crap kicked out of him by his enemies (2Cor 11:23-29). 

According to Paul, the key to receiving God’s blessings is something else altogether. “But godliness with contentment is great gain” (v6). In other words, the cheat code is actually finding satisfaction in Jesus Himself. The term here is autarkeia, which means fulfillment, possessing the necessities of life, or not lacking anything. Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones are right. You can’t get no…satisfaction. Not without Jesus anyway. 

As Paul writes to the Corinthian church, God drenches us the tsunami of His grace. “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency (Gr. autarkeia) in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2Cor 9:8). According to John MacArthur, ancient philosophers used this Greek word to word when talking about someone who was absolutely unflappable by external circumstances. Similarly, the followers of Jesus are to be unmoved by their situation after finding contentment in the One who is the ultimate source of satisfaction. Our fulfillment is in the Fulfiller. Or as the apostle has been known to say, “Our sufficiency is from God” (2Cor 3:5).

If anyone knows this, it’s the man from Tarsus. Despite being behind bars in Rome, Paul tells his Philippian friends he’s unlocked the secret of satisfaction. “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:11-13). 

Did you catch that? The apostle’s whole point of writing about the strength of Jesus has nothing to do with converting fourth and goal or knocking down a buzzer beater for the win. I’m not saying you shouldn’t write “Philippians 4:13” on your eyeblack or on a coffee mug. But it’s a good idea of remembering Paul is talking about how Christ gives you and me the strength of being satisfied in Him alone. Remember, we don’t use God to get what we want. God IS Who we want!

All throughout His Word, God wants us to want Him. Stop worshiping His gifts and start worshiping the Giver. King David loved writing songs about finding satisfaction in His Savior. “The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup” (Ps 16:5). Another psalmist named Asaph sums up how only God alone fills the void in his soul. “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps 74:25-26). When His friends throw Jesus a house party in Bethany, one of the hosts named Martha blows her stack when her sister Mary just sits there with Christ and won’t help her. The Son of God tells Martha, “One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion and it will not be taken away from her” (Lk 10:42). Mary figured out that God is Who she wants.

Just like the false teachers of Ephesus, there are plenty of folks up to the same old scheme 2,000 years later. Using people in order to love money instead of using money to love people. Christ told His crew not to fall into the trap of serving both God and money (Mt 6:24). Can’t be done. Paul orders Titus to shut down religious hucksters on the island of Crete who “are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach” (Titus 1:11). The apostle Jesus called Rocky also saw false prophets who were out to make a profit “in their greed they will exploit you with false words” (2Pet 2:3). The bottom line about the bottom line? We don’t use people to love money. We use money to love people.

It’s incredibly easy to shift from enjoying the gracious Giver to simply enjoying His gifts. There’s nothing inherently evil about money. It can be a blessing used to bless others. It can also be false god to be worshiped. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to ruthlessly eliminate greed and find satisfaction in what we have. “Keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Heb 13:5). Your money will leave. Jesus never will. 

Andy Stanley wants the followers of Jesus to learn to be rich. NOT get rich. BE rich. God has blessed most of us with more than the rest of the world could ever imagine. But more than that, we’re mega-gazillionaires when it comes to eternity. As followers of Jesus, we already have everything we’ll every need. We don’t use God to get what we want. God IS Who we want!