What would Jesus be like in our time? Уявіть собі, you hear, that a famous preacher is coming to your church. Ви чули, and read much about this famous preacher, and about all the signs and wonders, that follow him. You are so excited, that you decide to arrange a dinner party. You not only invite this famous preacher, but also the pastor, a few elders, лідери, and other members of the church. You have made all the necessary dinner preparations, and you are all set! Then the time has come. All the guests arrive, and take their seats.
An awkward silence
They are all excited, and there is a good ambiance. You begin serving the first course, and after you’re done, you take your seat and prepare for prayer. But then an awkward thing happens: the preacher already starts eating. You are amazed at his behaviour and a bit confused. You are looking at the others, who are sitting with folded hands, waiting to pray. They all look at the preacher, who is enjoying his food. You don’t know how to handle this situation, and there is an awkward silence.
Then suddenly the famous preacher arises, and says very calmly: «You are amazed about the fact, that I don’t pray out loud, together with you, and you don’t approve this behaviour? But let’s talk about you and your actions. You smile and act friendly and pious in front of everyone, and you speak those things, which people want to hear. But as soon as everyone leaves, a whole other person will come forth.
Так, you act friendly and speak nice to other people, but as soon as they leave, you speak evil behind their backs and gossip. Your actions don’t line up with the words you speak, and the advice you give to others. You say one thing, but you do the opposite, and you make a lot of promises, which you don’t keep; ти брехун. You give your money to the congregation so that you will receive more back. You live after your own will, and you only help people, so that you will be noticed by others. Так, you put yourself on a pedestal and are selfish. You judge others, for the things, you do in secret”.
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The pastor tries to interrupt the famous preacher. But then the preacher starts confronting everyone at the table and says: «you are all no better, you are just the same. You are all actors of life; you act differently in front of people. You pretend, that you are all so pious, but your heart and your thinking don’t line up with your words. You all want to be seen by others, and be put on a pedestal. You are all so fond and attached to your titles, positions, and your seats in front of the church, You judge and treat people, according to their appearance, or according to their wealth. You are more focused on prosperity and wealth than the Kingdom of God, because money has become the center of your life…….
A fellowship gathering in the church
Or imagine, you have a fellowship gathering in the church. You are having a good time with your fellow believers. While you are eating and drinking, you are discussing daily matters and sharing all the ins and outs. You are having a good time, until this famous preacher comes in, and starts saying: «You are only focused on yourself. You make time available, to please yourself and to have a good time. You are selfish. You don’t understand the Kingdom of God. How can you have a good time, а тим часом, so many souls are lost ….……… «
The famous preacher speaks hard words
Then the time has arrived, that this famous preacher, will preach in the congregation (церква). Many people have come, to hear the words of this man.
But instead of an encouraging ‘feel good’ sermon, he preaches a confrontational sermon, which a lot of people don’t like to hear. He tells them about his life, how he became born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. And how he had to lay down his own life so that he could walk as нове творіння; син Божий. He tells them, that he is a son of God because the Holy Spirit dwells in him.
He continues and tells the congregation, that it is impossible to keep walking in sin if you have become a new creation. Because if you walk in sin, then you are a раб гріха, and therefore a slave of the devil, who sinned against God. The preacher goes on and on…
Most people are not amused. They don’t like hearing these unpleasant and hard words. They don’t like this preacher at all. They like the wonders, and miracles he performs, but they don’t like his words.
They find him pious, too religious, too legalistic, старомодний, тощо. Because isn’t it all grace?
The whole congregation is confronted with their lifestyle, which they don’t appreciate. Most believers become irritated and angry at his words. They stand up and leave the church.
Only a handful of people stay and listen to the words of this famous preacher. Instead of feeling irritated and ‘attacked’, they feel sad and ashamed for the sins they walk in. On the basis of his words, they ask for forgiveness and repent.
What shall the church do with this preacher?
Що ви думаєте? Would this congregation, this church, invite this famous preacher again? Or would the church ask him to leave, as soon as he steps down the pulpit, because of his hard words? Was this man indeed unloving, суворий, грубий, merciless, і невблаганний?
What do you think about this famous preacher, after these incidents? Would you still admire him? Would you still see him, the same way as you did before; as a man of God? Do you still want to fellowship with him, follow him or listen to his messages?
Havoc at church
Two weeks later, you open the local newspaper and read the following headline: ‘Havoc at the church’. You are curious and you start reading: a well-known preacher has caused havoc in the bookstore of the church………
Could this preacher be Jesus?
Could this preacher be Jesus? This famous preacher could indeed have been Jesus in our time (Читайте також 'Хто такий Ісус?‘).
Many preachers often create a wrong image of the true Jesus Christ. They describe Jesus, as some kind of ‘new age god’, who accepts everything and tolerates everything, instead of a loving righteous, and holy God, who hates sin and would never approve of it (Читайте також: ‘Нова доба в церкві‘ і ‘Що ненавидить Ісус?«).
Через те, що, that most believers don’t study and investigate the Bible by themselves, the truth is being lost in the multitude of the words of man.
На жаль, censorship is a common phenomenon in many churches. Many times a one-sided image is created that doesn’t correspond with the truth.
Зараз, let’s have a look at the passages in the Bible, from which these examples are inspired.
Jesus was invited, by a Pharisee, for dinner
And as He spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with Him: and He went in, and sat down to meat. And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that He had not first washed before dinner. And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also? But rather give alms of such things as ye have; і, Ось, all things are clean unto you.
Але горе тобі, Фарисеї! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: це ви повинні були зробити, і не залишати іншого незробленим. Горе тобі, Фарисеї! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. Горе тобі, книжники і фарисеї, лицеміри! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
“You also insult us”
Then answered one of the lawyers, і сказав йому, Майстер, thus saying thou reproachest us also.
І Він сказав, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! For ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. Горе тобі! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. Тому також сказав мудрість Божа, Я надішлю їм пророків і апостолів, і деякі з них вони вбиють і переслідують: Що кров усіх пророків, який був пролитий з фундаменту світу, може вимагати цього покоління; З крові Абеля до крові Захарії, який загинув між вівтарем і храмом: по -справжньому кажу вам, Це повинно вимагати цього покоління.
Горе тобі, lawyers! For ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. And as He said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge Him vehemently, and to provoke Him to speak of many things: Laying wait for Him, and seeking to catch something out of His mouth, that they might accuse Him (Люк 11:37-53)
Many disciples left Jesus, due to His hard words
Ісус сказав їм, Воістину, воістину, Я кажу тобі, Крім того, ви їсте м’якоть сина Людського, і пити його кров, у вас немає життя у вас. Хто їсть мою плоть, і п’є мою кров, має вічне життя; і я підніму його в останній день. Бо моя плоть справді м'ясо, і моя кров справді п'є. Той, хто їсть мою плоть, і п’є мою кров, живе в мені, І я в ньому. Як послав живий батько, і я живу батьком: Отже, хто мене їсть, Навіть він буде жити мною. Це той хліб, який зійшов з неба: Не так, як ваші батьки їли манну, і мертві: he that eats of this bread shall live for ever.
These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Тому багато Його учнів, коли вони почули це, сказав, Це важкий вислів; хто це може почути? Коли Ісус знав у Себі, що Його учні нарікали на це, Він сказав їм, Вас це ображає? Що і якщо ви побачите, що Син Людський піднімається туди, де Він був раніше? Саме дух прискорюється; плоть нічого не приносить: слова, які я говорю вам, Вони є духом, І вони є життям.
But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray Him.
І Він сказав, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto Me, except it were given unto him of My Father. From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him (Джон 6:53-66)
The words of Jesus were not believed,
because they didn’t belong to His sheep
And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch. Then came the Jews round about him, і сказав йому, Як довго ти змушуєш нас сумніватися? If thou be the Christ, скажи нам прямо. Ісус відповів їм, я тобі сказав, and you believed not: діла, які Я чиню в ім’я Отця Мого, вони свідчать про Мене.
But you believe not, because you are not of My sheep, як я тобі сказав. Мої вівці слухають Мого голосу, і я їх знаю, і вони слідують за Мною: І Я даю їм вічне життя; і вони ніколи не загинуть, і ніхто не вирве їх із Моєї руки. Мій батько, яка дала їм Мене, більше за всіх; і ніхто не зможе вирвати їх з руки Мого Отця. I and My Father are One.
Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Ісус відповів їм, Many good works have I shewed you from My Father; for which of those works do ye stone me (Джон 10:23-32)
The cleansing of the Temple
And the Jews ‘Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ гроші, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not My Father’s house an house of merchandise. And His disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up (Джон 2:13-17)
Jesus spoke righteous words
Jesus didn’t only speak friendly words, and He didn’t approve of all lifestyles, and sins of man. Jesus spoke righteous words, that were often very confrontational and harsh to hear. Jesus didn’t walk by sight, but He walked and spoke about what was in the hearts of men.
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: Але з правдою судитиме вбогих, і докоряйте з справедливістю за лагідних землі: І він вдарить землю жезлом своїх уст, і подихом уст своїх уб'є нечестивих (Ісая 11:2-4)
Jesus revealed sin
Jesus didn’t accept sin, but He revealed all the (прихований) гріхи, that were in the life of men. He confronted them and commanded them to sin no more. Наприклад, when Jesus met a Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus confronted her, with her way of living, and commanded her to sin no more.
The truth is often harsh, and most people are not willing to hear the truth. This used to be the case and still is the case. Nothing has changed throughout the ages.
But if we really want to live after His will, then we must also accept these hard words into our lives, замість rejecting these hard words. When we reject these hard words, ми reject Jesus також.
Only when we hear the complete truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, then we can renew our minds with the truth, adjust our lives to the truth, і ходити в правді. When we apply the whole truth to our lives, тоді ми будемо walk in spiritual freedom, як сини Божі.
Ісус сказав важкі слова, not because He wanted to punish people or lay ‘heavy’ laws upon the people. But He spoke these words of truth; of life so that the people could experience real spiritual freedom in Him; in His words.
The freedom of this world will lead the people in spiritual bondage of the devil. Only the Truth; Ісус Христос, will open your spiritual eyes so that you will find out the truth and walk in it.
Читайте також: ‘Ісуса вигнали з церкви‘
Будьте сіллю землі’
