Encountering Jesus

MY CLOAK put before Jesus demonstrates my surrender and submission to HIS KINGSHIP

Read Psalm 118:26-29

Learning to worship God is a journey. I have beautiful memories of hymns played on the pipe organ, singing in the children’s choir, and standing to the Hallelujah chorus every Easter morning. This began my journey of worship, but it wasn’t until high school when I asked Jesus to be the Lord of my life that worship became more than something around me. On my first mission trip, worship came from the inside of me for the first time. When I realized who I was, who he was, and what he had done for me, I responded in grateful adoration for his authority in my life.

Hebrews 13:15 says, “Through [Jesus] then let us continually o er up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” As believers in Jesus, through his final work of forgiving us by his payment of death on the cross, we have nothing to do with altars of gold or stone. Our worship is spiritual and our hearts have become the altar of worship. Instead of bringing lambs and bulls every morning and evening, we’re to bring sacrifices of praise continually – not only in spiritual places, but in every place, not only in a happy frame of mind but also when we’re cast down.

Christ’s offering was a sacrifice of atonement, ours is the sacrifice of acknowledgement. The Passover crowd acknowledged the Kingship of Jesus by placing their cloaks on the road for him to walk on. This was an act of honor and submission, similar to saying “I am under your feet and under your authority.” In my journey of worship, I’ve found the act of sacrificing continual praise to be the cloak put before Jesus demonstrating my surrender and submission to his Kingship. Worship looks different in my life than when I sang my first praise song years ago. Now, my desire is to keep a song filling the tabernacle of my heart. It’s his presence within me and it’s what make worship not only corporate, but personal.

perceptions have ETERNAL effects

Salvation doesn’t just rescue us from Hell, it transforms us on the INSIDE

Read Titus 2:11-14

I can remember the moment it happened to me. After years of being around church and hearing the story of Jesus, I finally met him. It was an experience like no other. Esoteric and spiritual, but there was a very real and concrete change that happened in my life. It was the same change the blind man and Zacchaeus experienced.

Two phrases in this passage of Scripture stand out to me. “Your faith has made you well” and “salvation has come to your house.” ‘Healed’ and ‘saved’ are the same Greek word. The word ‘saved’ is a loaded word in our culture. It harkens to images of revivals and televangelists. Sometimes, the stereotype in our mind carries with it the idea of an angry person shouting and beckoning people to avoid the torments of hell by trusting in Jesus. However, when the Scriptures use the word ‘saved,’ they mean a holistic healing, a restoration, or a redemption. It was something that both the blind man and Zacchaeus experienced because of their faith in Jesus.

When the Apostle Paul writes to Titus, a church leader in Crete, he explains the multifaceted beauty of the salvation God brings. He writes, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11-14). Salvation is birthed in God’s grace. Salvation trains us to walk with Jesus. Salvation plants hope within us. Salvation redeems us and forms us into the people of God. Salvation doesn’t just rescue us from Hell, it transforms us on the inside.

Jesus wants to save – it’s why he walked the earth, and it’s why he still does it today. However, his salvation isn’t just a token handout or cheap grace. It’s costly love. To save, Jesus gives his very life. It’s his costly love that saves us – and it’s that same love that transforms us.

our relationship with Jesus is indeed PERSONAL, but it’s NOT PRIVATE

if you’re convinced Jesus is the CHRIST, you’ll be determined to find Jesus

If you stop and consider what the people around you are saying about Jesus, you’ll find a plethora of philosophies and worldviews competing for your allegiance. Just stand on top of Lookout Mountain and the Denver landscape will reveal the domes of world religions – Buddhist temples, Islamic mosques, Mormon spires, and centers of cultural humanism. Followers of Jesus have to intentionally fight to hold on to a Biblical worldview in a postmodern, post-Christian, post-truth world. Everyone has an opinion, and as much as people try to ignore Jesus, push him o to the margins of life, he still proves himself to be the central figure of humanity and the most controversial person in human history.

Scattered all around Caesarea Philippi were magnificent palaces to Roman governors, temples to Syrian gods, places where Greek gods were believed to be born and Jewish history from the mouth of the Jordan River. In Matthew 16, it’s as if Jesus gives his disciples a test of all he’d taught them. He sets himself against the background of world religions and asks them who identify who he is. Peter responds personally, with a profound confession that has echoed down through the centuries. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus arms and states that this truth was revealed to Peter by the Father Himself, giving by divine authority.

Amidst the competing religions of the day and the personal obstacles that deter people from meeting Jesus, nothing, not the crowd, not his small stature, nor rejection could stop Zaccheus from climbing a tree to see Jesus personally. Nothing could stop the blind man from crying out for Jesus. Whether climbing or crying, both did whatever was needed, to not only know about Jesus, but to encounter him face-to- face. Now, we all encounter people and ideas of our day competing for our attention and distracting us from encountering Jesus face-to-face. But, no matter what obstacles may be in our way, if you’re convinced Jesus is the Christ, you’ll be determined to find Jesus, to acknowledge God’s work and to confess him as the reigning King and Lord of your life.

He calls them to exchange ‘WORK’ that is frivolous for JOY that is endless

All of life is built around choices. When we choose to do one thing, we choose not to do another. This is true in the way we spend our energy, our time, and our money. When we’re thinking clearly, we make decisions based on what adds the greatest value to our lives and to the lives of those around us. That’s what makes Jesus’ statement at the end of this story about Mary and Martha so fascinating. Jesus a rms Mary’s choice to sit at his feet claiming that it will “not be taken from her” (Luke 10:42). Jesus says Mary has chosen the right focus and correct investment because it’s something that will last. The food Martha is preparing is essential, but the transformation Mary is experiencing is eternal.

Throughout the Scripture, Jesus pleads with people to invest their lives into things that last. In John 6:27- 29, Jesus teaches the crowds and he says, “‘Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him, God the Father has set his seal.’ Then they said to him, ‘What must we do, to be doing the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’” All our work, all our energy, and all our focus, is yielding some sort of food – the question remains, is this food that will last? Jesus teaches his followers to build their lives around the things that will last forever. He calls them to exchange ‘work’ that is frivolous for joy that is endless.

Jesus claims the only thing that lasts is “believing in him.” The reason believing in Jesus lasts is because it leads to our becoming. When we trust Jesus and abide in him, it leads to our transformation. The reality is, the only thing we carry into eternity is the people we’ve become and the character within us. When Jesus commands us to focus our life on him, he’s not being self-absorbed, he’s being others-focused. He’s challenging his followers to focus on right things because he knows that our eternal joy hangs on the choices we make. Jesus knows that humanity was designed to commune with God and he’s beckoning us to walk in our original design by fighting for our everlasting destiny.

We have CONFIDENCE in moving toward our Savior no matter how frazzled our life feels because we KNOW how tenderly he will respond

Multitasking, high-speed internet, and the tyranny of the urgent seem to dominate our lives. To be faster, better, stronger, and having picture perfect lives keeps us rushing on, even to the point of obsession. This frantic pace brings frazzled nerves and fractured lives. In the midst of this pace and energized agenda, no one likes to be interrupted or told what to do. Yet, Martha does both. She interrupts Jesus and tells him what to do.

Notice how this happens in Martha’s own home, in the midst of her family dynamics. First Martha questions, “Don’t you care that my sister has left me to all the work?” But now, let’s look closer at how Jesus responds. Jesus tenderly speaks her name twice which shows his personal care. He sees into her heart and puts his finger on what’s going on. He acknowledges her feelings. She is distracted and anxious and troubled about not one, but many things. Martha also commands Jesus to tell Mary to help. Yet, Jesus sees and gently tells her that “only one thing is necessary.”

It’s easy to feel the same way as Martha, distracted, frazzled, and controlled by the tyranny of the urgent. It’s easy to feel in the midst of our crazy lives that Jesus doesn’t care and have a demanding attitude toward him. It’s so human nature. But the God-man, Jesus, knows our troubles and can relate to our need. Jesus sees into our hearts. Jesus always responds with gentleness. It’s his kindness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). We have confidence in moving toward our Savior no matter how frazzled our life feels because we know how tenderly he will respond.

turn the attitude of prayer from SELF – fixation to JESUS – fixation

We live in a fast-paced society. We like to get things done quickly and efficiently in order to accomplish as much as possible in as little time as possible. And, when there is a major event coming up, we add even more things to our to-do list. Our heads spin around trying to keep track of all the details so that when the event actually takes place we can be present to enjoy all the work put forth. This was likely the headspace Martha was in the day Jesus came over for dinner.

Martha had a list of things to do before Jesus arrived and likely many expectations of what would happen when he did. She had spent hours planning ahead, going to the market, cleaning, cooking, setting up, and finalizing all the last minute details. All the normal things that must be done for a lovely meal to occur. There would be no meal without the preparation and there would be no preparation without the planning. So, where did Martha go wrong?

When Jesus arrived, Martha was there – present and ready to greet him. She created a beautiful gathering for her dear friends and her precious Lord. It appeared she was serving with a heart to please God. But, the state of her soul was exposed when she interrupted Jesus. The conversation with her Lord revealed her overemphasis on all the details spinning around in her head and her distracted soul. Her soul was still fixated on her current activity and couldn’t slow down to be present and at peace.

We, like Martha, are easily distracted by life – even good things – like making dinner for friends or serving God at church. But, to evaluate the state of our souls, we need to look at the attitude behind our prayers. Sometimes prayers sound more like interrupting Jesus by asking him if he even cares about our current situation or asking him why he doesn’t tell others to help us out immediately. Instead, let’s notice the remarkable things about Jesus and tell him about what we love about him. This can help turn the attitude of our prayer from self-fixation to Jesus-fixation.