Pointing Godward

Week 6, Day 7: Matthew 28:19 – 20

cchaddick — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 07:01:14 +0000

The commission is quite plain: make disciples. Jesus did not say “make converts” or “grow churches.” In fact, there are a lot of good things that Jesus did not command us to do. He did not command us to alleviate the world’s suffering. He did not command us to solve every social problem. He did not command us to build great buildings or create incredible organizations. All Jesus commanded us to do is to make disciples.
I consider this to be the guiding principle of the church. The organization we call “church” exists to fulfill this command of Christ. The problem, though, is that organizations cannot create disciples. Only individuals can create disciples. So we must remember that the church’s job is not to create disciples so much as it is to create an environment within which Christ-following individuals can help other individuals follow Christ.
Jesus is very clear on this point — people who commit to follow Him are committing to follow Him into the arena of disciple-making. If we are not making disciples, then we are not fulfilling His command.
So what does it take to make disciples? All of the previous devotions have led us to this point. Disciples are believers who express that belief in worship. Disciples belong to the family of Christ, and they commit themselves to living in community with other believers. Disciples are in a process of becoming more like Christ. This process includes living as a servant and a steward as well as being a witness and a disciple-maker. In short, to be a disciple is to be on a journey with Jesus where we model our lives after His life. He served, so we serve. He was a steward, so we are stewards. He was a witness, so we are witnesses. He made disciples, so we make disciples. The church provides us a place to believe, belong, and become. Within that environment, we commit ourselves to walking the journey of life with Jesus as our guide.

Who has helped you follow Jesus more faithfully?
How, exactly, did they help you?
Who are some people and what are some ways that you can help others more faithfully follow Jesus?

Lord Jesus, I want to follow You in my life. I want to become the person You have designed me to be. Help me to grow in my faith and in my obedience. Help me to become the disciple-maker You want me to become. Amen.

Week 6, Day 6: 1 Corinthians 11:1

cchaddick — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 07:00:55 +0000

As children, we learn by imitating our parents. All the family photos of the kids dressing up in dad’s shoes and hats or mom’s shoes and purse reveal this learning process that is invaluable for our development. Since we learn so much about life through imitation, it should not surprise us that imitation is essential to our spiritual development as well. We learn to pray by first listening to the prayers of our parents, our pastors, and our teachers. We first learn to serve by imitating the examples of other servants. We first learn to worship by following the patterns established by those who lead us.
The Apostle Paul understood the power of imitation. He understood that in order for new followers of Christ to grow in faith, they must be given examples that they can imitate. Paul put himself forward as a model. Be imitators of me, he said. He also understood, however, that imitating him was not the final goal. Paul pointed beyond himself to Christ: Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ Jesus.
Ultimately, we all need to imitate Christ. Jesus is our greatest example, and He is our final authority, but we are helped along the way by the examples of others who are following Him. Our church, and every church, needs more people who will offer themselves as examples to other growing Christians. It is not just boys and girls who need examples, but adults also need examples of what Christian love, worship, prayer, and witnessing look like. We need people who are intentional about modeling Christ-like living for others. We need people who are purposely pointing beyond themselves to Jesus as they pray, teach, serve, worship, love, and forgive. We need people who are working to recreate their own Christ-like life in someone else. The phrase we usually give to this activity is “making disciples.” The Apostle Paul was a disciple-maker, teaching others to live Christ-like lives by pointing to his own.

To whom can you model an aspect of the Christ-like life?
Is there someone that God is laying on your heart that you need to develop a closer relationship with for the purpose of being a good Christian example?
Who has been a Christian model in your life? Who taught you to pray, serve, or worship?

Lord Jesus, help me to be a good example for others. Let me point others to You through my life. Help me to be more intentional about modeling Christian practices for those who need a good example. I know I am not perfect, but I trust in Your ability to use even my imperfections for Your glory. Amen.

Week 6, Day 5: Romans 10:11 – 17

cchaddick — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 07:00:37 +0000

How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? It seems like such an obvious question with such an obvious answer, doesn’t it? How can a person decide to receive the grace of God if they have never heard about that grace? How can a person say “yes” to Jesus’ invitation if they have never heard the invitation? Obviously someone has to tell them the truth of God’s plan if they are to respond.
Someone once told me the truth of God’s plan for my life, and I said “yes” to Jesus’ invitation to forgiveness, purpose, and hope. If you are reading this, then someone probably told you once about the grace of God, too.
So why does Paul waste his time telling us the obvious? Why bother reminding us that a person cannot receive a gift that they don’t know about?
I think Paul reminds us of the obvious because it is so obvious that we often overlook its importance. We assume that everyone already knows the story of Jesus. We assume everyone knows about God’s grace. We assume that people are already being told these great truths about God. If we assume such things, though, we may very well be wrong.
I am frequently amazed at how little people know about the Bible these days. I have led Bible studies in apartment complexes where teenagers admit they have never heard the most basic of Bible stories — Noah and the ark, Daniel and the lions’ den, Jesus and the resurrection. And how could they know them? Their parents do not take them to church and are not religious themselves. They attend public schools where, despite being the touchstone of so much important literature throughout history, the Bible is not taught. If their parents have not taught them and the schools have not taught them and they have not been inside a church, how could they know about the gift of God?
As amazed as I am about how little people know about the Bible these days, I am equally amazed by what a poor understanding people have of the biblical truths. Many take it for granted that Jesus was just a good moral teacher — like Confucius, Plato, or Buddha. Many more judge the church as hypocritical for condemning the sins of the world while still falling short themselves. How can these misconceptions be transformed unless someone speaks the truth?
Not all will believe the message, but all should have the opportunity to hear it. Don’t let the assumption that someone already knows the truth distract you from being a witness. No one can tell this message but those who have experienced it for themselves, and if we who have experienced it will not speak of it, how will the world know?

Who first told you the truth about God’s grace in a way that you understood it?
With whom have you shared the truth of God’s grace in return?
Is there someone you know who needs to hear of Jesus’ invitation?

Heavenly Father, I want to be a person who shares good news of Your great things. Help me to do more than live the truth. Help me to speak the truth so that faith may awaken in the hearts of others who need Your good news of great things. Amen.

Week 6, Day 4: John 4:31 – 38

cchaddick — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:00:19 +0000

It is amazing the difference that one person and one story can make. John 4 records a story about such a difference. Jesus has crossed over multiple boundaries and comfort zones, and he reaches out to a woman from Samaria with grace. The conversation begins easily enough with a request for something to drink, and from there it turns to talking about living water, eternal life, true worship, the woman’s family, and the identity of Jesus as the Messiah. It is interesting to note that at no time does the woman accept the Lordship of Jesus. She does not pray the sinner’s prayer, and Jesus does not walk her through spiritual laws or steps to a right relationship with God. This was a conversation that turned toward spiritual matters, and nothing specific actually happened.
Though no specific response is recorded for us, however, this encounter still had a profound effect upon the woman and upon her entire community. She was so amazed at Jesus that she left her water pot by the well and runs back to town to tell her story. With her story came an invitation to see what she had seen and to hear what she had heard. Come, see a man who told me all the thing that I have done; this is not the Messiah, is it?
In response to her story, many from the city did indeed go out to see Jesus. They accepted her simple invitation to experience Christ for themselves. Seeing them coming, Jesus said to His disciples, Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.
Truly, there are many people in our world who are hungry for an experience with Jesus, but they need an invitation. They need someone’s story to point them in the right direction. They need someone like the Samaritan woman who will simply speak of what she has seen and heard and invite them to see and hear it too.
Verses 39 through 42 give the final word about this story. Jesus stayed in Samaria for two more days. Many of the town’s people believed in Him after they saw Him and heard Him for themselves. Verse 42 is so powerful: they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.”

Do you know some people who need to hear an invitation to meet the Jesus you know?
Are you prepared, as you have the opportunity in everyday conversations, to tell your stories about our Savior?
Are there some people with whom you need to develop a relationship so that you can share with them a story about Christ?

Lord, make me a witness. Let Your presence be so real to me that my mind is filled with stories of how I have experienced You. Grant me both the opportunity and the courage to share my stories with those who have a need. Let me share with a gracious spirit that they might hear it gladly and come to You. Amen.

Week 6, Day 3: Acts 1:8

cchaddick — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 07:00:44 +0000

Good news! Jesus has not left us without resources. It is not as if He has handed to us a great purpose and then stepped back to see if we can handle everything on our own. No, Jesus has given us a purpose, and He provides the power to fulfill that purpose.
Immediately prior to His ascension, Jesus reminds His disciples of both the purpose and the power that He is giving to them. The purpose is to be His witnesses. The scope of their activity is the entire world. Everywhere there are people, those who follow Jesus are commanded to go and share what we know to be true. You will notice that Jesus did not command His disciples to go and provide every answer for every question in life. He did not command them to solve every problem that plagues society. His command is simple: you shall be My witnesses.
A witness is someone who has a story to tell. A witness has seen something or heard something or otherwise experienced something. Witnesses have literally witnessed something happen in their lives, and they are then called upon to share about what they have seen, heard, or experienced. At the beginning of the book of Acts, Jesus calls His disciples to go and share their particular experiences with every person in the world. That is what it meant for them to be His witnesses, and that is what it still means for us to bear witness for Him.
We are not alone in our witnessing. In our story-telling and experience-sharing, Jesus does not leave us by ourselves. Instead, He provides for us both a power and a presence through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit gives courage for the sharing. The Spirit gives strength for the going. The Spirit works in the one who is a witness, and the Spirit works in the ones who receive the witness. Disciples of Jesus cannot save the world. We cannot even save an individual. It is the Holy Spirit of God that effects salvation through Jesus. As witnesses, we simply share the story, and we trust that God will work through our words and our experiences to change the hearts and lives of those with whom we speak.

What story could you tell about a time that God was very real to you?
Have you ever tried to be sensitive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit of God for the purpose of being a witness in someone’s life?
Who is someone that you could get to join you today in praying for an increased sensitivity to the Holy Spirit of God in your life?

Lord Jesus, I do want to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in my life. I want to speak when You want me to speak. I want to serve where You want me to serve. I want to honor You with all I do. Help me to be a good and faithful witness for You. Amen.

Week 6, Day 2: 2 Corinthians 5:20

cchaddick — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 07:49:53 +0000

How would you like to be an ambassador for our country? Your job would be to represent our country in a foreign land. You would represent your country’s citizens among the citizens of that other country. You would represent your country’s interests, and you would represent the interests of your fellow countrymen. The title “ambassador” is both a great honor and a great responsibility.
So it is in the Kingdom of God. All of us have received the undeserved honor of being made citizens of God’s Kingdom the moment we received the grace He has so freely given to us. There is no greater honor than to bear the name of Jesus.
As with earthly ambassadorships, though, this honor comes with responsibility. We no longer live for ourselves or speak for ourselves. Everything we do now represents our new country and our great King. As long as we live anyplace that is not heaven, then we are ambassadors for Christ in a foreign land. The people around us will know that we bear Jesus’ name. They will know because we go to church. They will know because they see us carrying our Bibles. They will know because of our bumper stickers and our t-shirts. The will know because they are watching.
What they do not know is God. They are watching us for some instruction about this. They are looking at our lives and expecting us to represent God to them. Not only does God expect us to live as ambassadors, but our neighbors do, too. They expect us to live out the truth of what we say we believe. If we say we believe in Jesus, they want to see what that means. We must represent Jesus to them, and we will be Jesus’ ambassadors whether we want to or not. We are Jesus’ ambassadors in those moments when we are doing good. We are also Jesus’ ambassadors in moments of selfishness. Being an ambassador is a full-time job. We cannot be ambassadors on a select few days of the week and then be ourselves the rest of the time. We are always and in all places representing Him.
Represent Him well.

What are some ways that you can better represent Jesus to those around you?
Who is someone you can ask to pray with you about being a great ambassador for Jesus?
Grace does more than give us the honor of representing Jesus. Grace also helps us live with the responsibility of the task. How has God’s grace freed you to live for Him?

Heavenly Father, thank You for bringing me into Your Kingdom. Thank You for the honor and privilege of representing You. Help me to be a good ambassador. Let the words of my mouth and every action I take reflect well upon You. Amen.

Week 6, Day 1: Matthew 5:13 – 16

cchaddick — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 07:47:03 +0000

Every time I read this passage, I am reminded that Jesus does not speak about salt and light as if they were possessions. I do not have salt and light to give the world. Jesus has not given me salt and light to distribute where they are needed. Salt and light are not something that I can share. Salt and light are what I am.
This may not seem like a very big difference at first, but the more you meditate on this image, the more it can transform you. You see, if salt and light are things that I possess, then it is within my power to produce them or withhold them as I desire. But if salt and light are what I am, it is no longer a question of whether I am a witness for God. The only question that remains is: what kind of witness am I?
That I am a light now goes without saying. Jesus’ call upon my life has made me light. Indeed, it is His light that shines in me. So I am a light. This is my identity, and it gives shape to my purposes in life. As a light, I am meant to shine. To try and not shine is to fight against my new nature in Christ.
The Tempter would like very much for me to reject my new identity. He would be pleased if I would try and cover my life and my light with an unholy basket of denial. But a light that will not shine is not a joyful light. How can it be? It is denying its very nature.
Unfortunately, there are many who claim the name “Christian” who then deny their nature. They wonder why the joy of the Lord eludes them. They wonder why the peace of God does not guard their minds as it does others. Often, the reason is simply this: they have refused to embrace their new identity as salt and light for the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Jesus’ words are clear: You are the salt of the earth; and You are the light of the world. We have no choice in the matter. As soon as we receive the grace of God offered to us through Jesus, we are witnesses of God’s truth whether we like it or not. Our goal is now to live up to the identity that God has given us. We must shine and we must season, and we must do so in such a way that those who see us and experience us will have no doubt that we belong to God. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

How does it make you feel to know that you are a witness of God’s truth in Jesus?
Who is someone other than a pastor or evangelist who has pointed you toward God by their life and their words?
Who are you pointing toward God with your life?

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of grace I have received. Help me now to live as holy seasoning and holy light. I want my life to point others toward You. I want others to give You glory and praise because I have shed a little of Your light and love in their lives. Make me an effective witness for You. Amen.

Week 5, Day 7: Matthew 13:44 – 46

cchaddick — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 07:01:39 +0000

The pictures are that of business transactions. In verse 44 a man finds an incredible treasure, and to get it, he gives all he has to purchase the field in which he found it. In verses 45 and 46, a merchant finds a pearl of surpassing value, and he, too, is willing to sell all he owns in order to possess it. The implication of both these stories is that in both cases the treasure is of such surpassing and enduring value that it is well worth the cost of all they own.
The Kingdom of heaven is of such value.
Jesus doesn’t offer this judgment as an opinion. He is stating it as fact. The quality, the value, and the enduring nature of the Kingdom of heaven are all such that this is a treasure that is worth all you have. Even then, it is a bargain.
The point that Jesus is making here is not that we can somehow buy the Kingdom of heaven ourselves, even if we give all that we have. The point is that the Kingdom is worth us giving up all we have to obtain it. The Kingdom is worth the costly investment of our lives. The Kingdom is rewarding enough to justify any price we must pay for it. The Kingdom is enduring enough to ensure an unbelievable return on any investment we make in it.
The question is not, can you buy it? The question is, will you give yourself to it? The treasure is larger than the treasure hunter. The pearl is greater than the pearl merchant. The Kingdom of heaven is greater than any one citizen. We cannot own it, so much as we can allow it to own us. The Kingdom is meant to dominate our lives. So influential is the Kingdom that it should touch every recess of our mind, every value of our heart, every relationship we have, and every action that we undertake. Allowing the Kingdom such influence is a small price to pay to be blessed by it.
Too many Christians today live as though the Kingdom of heaven and the will of God are cheap trinkets we collect and adorn ourselves with. Too many Christians treat the call of God as something we put on and take off according to our whims. But the Kingdom of heaven and the grace of God is no dollar store costume jewelry. This is the real thing. This is the pearl of great price, and no greater pearl exists. This is the unbelievable treasure, and there is nothing to compare to it. Nothing is more important, more valuable, more compelling, or more rewarding than the Kingdom of heaven.

What is the will of God worth to you?
What is the promise of heaven worth to you?
How can you demonstrate the value of God’s gift to you in your daily life?

Heavenly Father, words cannot express the greatness of the gift You have given me through Jesus, Your Son. I can only say, “thank You,” and respond by giving all I know about me to all I know about You. Help me see and appreciate the surpassing value of what You have done for me. Amen.

Week 5, Day 6: Malachi 3:8 – 18

cchaddick — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 07:40:34 +0000

There are two things in this passage from the last book of the Old Testament that jump out at me as I read it. The first is the seriousness with which God treats our giving to Him. The question, Will a man rob God? is a serious question. I, for one, do not want to be found guilty of robbing the King of creation and the Almighty God. Yet this is precisely what God says is going on. Through inattention, negligence, and a lack of faith, the people of Malachi’s day were simply not giving to God. They were keeping their money and their material possessions to themselves.
But God reminds them that all they have comes from Him. The land in which they live, the houses in which they dwell, the crops they plant and harvest, all of it is a gift from Him. He has created the land. He has provided the means for building upon it. He has designed the seeds to grow and has created an atmosphere that gives rain and nutrients in the right amounts. Despite all of this, the people act as if all they have is of their own creation. God takes such pride very seriously.
But it is not just the seriousness of giving that stands out in this passage. There is also the great promise – “test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.“

This is not necessarily a promise of material blessing like I often hear from the TV preachers of prosperity. God is not the vending machine in the sky where we put in a little of our money to receive a great deal of God’s money. But God does promise a blessing, and the blessings of God are often such that we cannot put a price on them. The blessing of peace, for instance. The blessings of joy and satisfaction are other good examples. We are not in a place to tell God how He has to bless us, but we can trust that this God who loves us and seeks our very best will bless us in ways that are good. Consider it this way: would you rather be able to name your blessing when you cannot see the future and when you cannot understand the past and when you see only a small part of the present? Or would you rather trust that God, the one who is, who was, and who will be, the Almighty who loves you and cares for you, will choose the very best blessing for you? Test Me now in this, He says.

Can you remember a time when God responded to your giving with an unexpected blessing?
Why do you think God takes our giving so seriously?
What does your giving/spending say about your priorities in life?

Heavenly Father, I never want to rob You of anything. I know that all I have is from You. I also know that I can’t take most of it with me. Help me to order my life around those things that will last for eternity. Amen.

Week 5, Day 5: 1 Corinthians 12:4 – 14

cchaddick — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 07:01:07 +0000

Unity in diversity. Diversity in unity. This is the theme of 1 Corinthians 12. Every person who receives the grace of God through Jesus Christ is filled with one Spirit – the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit does not strip away every difference between us in order to create some kind of forced uniformity. Instead, the Holy Spirit actually enhances some of our differences. Talents that were unused or wrongly directed are now redeemed and put into God’s service. New gifts are given, different gifts to each person. These gifts are the manifestation of the Spirit. In other words, though we cannot see the Spirit of God dwelling in each one of us, we can see the effect of the Spirit of God as it shines through our lives in a variety of ways.
As I think of the ways that the Holy Spirit of God shows up in each of our lives, it is always good for me to remember that these gifts of the Spirit are not gifts for personal gain or personal blessing. These gifts are not to bring me glory or fame or applause. These gifts are for the common good. I am blessed to be a blessing to others. Every gift of the Spirit is a gift that equips me to better serve, better encourage, and better help my brother or sister in Christ as they develop in their life with Jesus.
Of course the great thing about the blessings of God are that no matter how much we share them, we can never use them up. They are like the widow’s oil in the Old Testament. Because of her faith, God caused the little oil that she had for herself and her son to multiply. She was able to feed not only herself and her son, but also the prophet of God throughout a period of drought. No matter how much she poured out, she always had more.
So it is with the blessings of the Spirit in our own lives. No matter how much of our talent and our time we give to others, when God is in it, we always have enough for ourselves as well. When we give away the blessings of love and joy, instead of diminishing them in our lives, we find them being multiplied.
So remember that to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good, and seek ways to use what has been entrusted to you as a blessing in the lives of others.

What is one thing you can do this week that will bless someone else?
Is there some talent or some opportunity that God is encouraging you to use in His service?
Can you think of a time when you gave of yourself and found that God multiplied the blessings in your life?

Gracious God, thank You for the gift of Yourself. I am amazed when I think that Your Holy Spirit dwells in me and desires to work through me. Today I want to open myself up to be used by You. Use my talents and my abilities. Show up in new ways with new gifts if necessary. Let me be a blessing to others. Amen.