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FOLLOWERS AND FANS
Luke 9:10-17 Dr. Chuck DeVane, Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas November 26, 2017 10 On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. 11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. 12 Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.” 13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 And they did so, and had them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. — Luke 9:10-17, ESV Today we climb a mountain that can be seen from all four Gospels. It brings us up to the peak of Jesus’ popularity. It is formed by the largest crowd of Christ’s career. It features a miraculous feast which five thousand men plus women and children verified and by it they were satisfied. It even included that awesome benefit we get from our modern Thanksgiving dinners, leftovers. The most significant leftovers from “the feeding of the five thousand” include questions which linger to this day. Was this a real miracle, or just some sleight of hand? Were the first followers of Jesus amazed by what He did, or were they part of the con? What happened to the legions of fans who listened to Jesus’ words, were healed by His hands, and had their bellies filled with the multiplied loaves and fish? Most importantly, what evidence can we pick up concerning the essential differences between committed followers of Jesus Christ and casual fans of Christianity? Committed Followers The new birth that brings a person into the kingdom of God is similar to the natural birth that brings us into the world. Both have sure signs of life. You can tell when someone has been born, and you can tell when they’ve been born again. The sure sign of spiritual life is not confession, however, it is commitment. Commitment in a true follower of Jesus Christ is instant and imperfect. It is a product of divine regeneration but honed by human will. Sometimes the flesh is as willing as the Spirit, as in Saul of Tarsus. More often, though, it ebbs and flows and slowly grows, like the life of Simon Peter, one of the principals at this present miracle. It is a miracle that shows what all committed followers of Jesus Christ have in common. Committed followers of Jesus Christ believe in His divinity. We believe in the person of Christ, and that person is, was, and always will be Almighty God. Jesus knew what the Apostles had done on their mission trip, knew a crowd was going to follow them to Him, knew that at the end of the day there would be hungry people and the only groceries available would be five loaves and two fish. And, He new what He was going to do, because He is God. Jesus took that small sack lunch and miraculously multiplied it into a feast for twenty-thousand souls, with leftovers to boot. He did this because He is the Messiah, the Son of God, God in flesh. The first evidence of commitment in a true follower of Jesus is not going out and doing something for God, but trusting in something God has done for you. He has come. In Christ, God has come to tell us of His kingdom, comfort us in our pain and sorrow, and meet our every true need. The first lesson in this intensive training period for the twelve was to learn to trust in Jesus. Trust Him for who He is, trust His words, trust His provisions. Then, go out and share them. Committed followers of Jesus Christ are involved in His ministry. Twelve baskets of leftovers were gathered because twelve men had served the whole crowd. They spoke, they healed, they served food in Jesus’ name. They trusted in the person of Jesus Christ and then got busy doing His work. This is commitment from start to finish. We’d like to think that every member of Christ’s church is a minister. But it is not true in our modern day and age. Too many church members do too little to give any evidence of being a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. But those who really receive grace from God do service for the Lord. Every committed follower of Christ is a minister publicly and privately, in ways small and great. In the kingdom of God, effort matters far more than results. An immediate evaluation of this day of ministry revealed the largest head count ever, a whole host of happy souls. They wanted more, but what they wanted more of is not what Jesus wanted most. Jesus wanted followers. The crowd proved to be mere fans, in more ways than one. Casual Fans What happened to those five thousand men, plus all of the women and children? Luke does not say precisely, but the ensuing messages of Jesus on commitment and costly discipleship certainly must have scared them away. John’s Gospel is gives more specific reasons why almost everyone scattered except the twelve. But examining the account from Luke’s pen gives us a pretty good description of the casual fan of Jesus who has never experienced new birth into the kingdom of God. Casual fans come to Christ for temporary or worldly reasons. Some of these reasons can even be good, but none of them are the best. The good news of the kingdom of God concerns salvation and service. Most people, however, do not consider such news to be very good. It seems on the day of this feast that some came for the health gospel, some came for the wealth gospel. Free medical care and food sounds good, and many received it, only to get sick and hungry again. Some came for the political gospel and many in the crowd tried to force Jesus to represent them as their king, depose that old tyrant Herod, and do their bidding. Some came for the excitement gospel, just longing to be part of the next big thing, whether it be a concert, a shopping center, or a church. And while the crowd craved for all of those things, Jesus gave them words about the kingdom of God, the true gospel of repentance and faith, which sadly fell on thousands and thousands of deaf ears. It is much the same today. As a pastor and short-term missionary I have offered free health screenings and food pantries, then watch as people come in droves. Invite them to worship and Bible study, however, and few are there for the taking. To this day I hear prominent pastors preach politics instead of the gospel to their people, and the people love it so. Today our nation's largest church and many mega-churches are nothing more than crowds gathered for musical excitement and positive-thinking reinforcement. Instead of making followers they are merely entertaining fans. To church leaders I’d like to say that if you have a flock of twelve or more genuinely committed disciples of Jesus Christ, you have found gold. You have something infinitely greater and enduring than some gymnasium or conference center filled with screaming fans of Jesus. Keep preaching the word of the kingdom of God, and the kingdom will come. To church members everywhere I would simply like to ask a simple question. Are you a follower or a fan? I am aware of a best-selling Christian book that poses a similar question, but I have not read it. The fact that it has spawned large conferences, DVD’s, and movies makes me worry, just a little. I hope they are all good, because it raises the very question I am asking today, one with enormous consequences. To unbelievers amongst us, I would simply beg. Take your eyes off of the televangelist, the mega-church, the health and wealth charlatans, and even the small and sincere preachers for a moment. Just take a look at Jesus. See Him teaching, healing, feeding. Receive, but don’t just receive. Believe. Gather regularly for worship, and make every day an opportunity to serve the Lord by serving others. In other words, be a follower, not a fan. Copyright © 2017 Lake Hamilton Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Check out the weekly happenings at Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
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ENEMIES AND ERRORS
Luke 9:7-9 Dr. Chuck DeVane, Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas November 19, 2017 7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done: and he was much perplexed, because that it was said by some, that John was risen from the dead; 8 and by some, that Elijah had appeared; and by others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. 9 And Herod said, John I beheaded: but who is this, about whom I hear such things? And he sought to see him. — Luke 9:7-9, ESV Most people would like to think of themselves as friends of God and followers of Jesus Christ, at least on some level. Most people think they have a good idea of who Jesus is, good teacher, kind man, son of God (aren’t we all?), etc. Most people are wrong. Most people are enemies of God and filled with fatal errors in their understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is an unpleasant fact, though it can be proven from Scripture and history. One man from the annals both is a particularly good example of an enemy of God and an error-filled analyst of Jesus. His name is Herod Antipas, the governor of Galilee in the days of John the Baptist and Jesus the Messiah. Enemies of God If the ten most wanted criminals against the kingdom of God could be put on a wanted poster, half of them would be named Herod. This clan claimed a half affiliation with God and the Jewish people, but their hearts were wholly against the great Jehovah and two of the most prominent Jews who ever lived: John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. It was Herod “the Great” who bribed and built his way into favor with the empire of Rome and the nation of Israel. A wealthy, politically connected half-Jew seemed a good man for Rome to appoint king over Israel, and Herod the Great reigned from the time Rome came into power in Palestine to the birth of Christ. During his tenure, Herod did rebuild the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. He pretended to be a friend of God for political power. But when Herod learned late from the Magi that God’s Son had been born in Bethlehem, that enemy of God and all that is good murdered all the male children in the area two years of age and younger (ref. Matthew 2:16). It was his son Herod Antipas, “Herod the Tetrarch” in our text, who created a scandal by committing adultery with his brother's (Herod Philip) wife. He then falsely imprisoned John the Baptist when the great preacher called him on the carpet for his sin. Herod Antipas compounded his sin by cutting off the head of John the Baptist at the whim of a stripper, who was the daughter of his cousin, who he had stolen from his brother and married (you can’t make this stuff up!?). Perhaps Herod Antipas at least had some guilt about what he had done, and in his guilt reached out and claimed to be a seeker of Jesus Christ. When He finally found Jesus, however, arrested and in the criminal court of Pontius Pilate, Herod mocked the Lord and moved Jesus along one step closer to the cross. In the next generation, Herod Agrippa I persecuted the church, murdered James the Apostle, and sought to do the same to Simon Peter (ref. Acts 12). Go down one more limb on this rotten family tree and you find Herod Agrippa II mocking the Apostle Paul as he preached the gospel (ref. Acts 25). It would be hard to find anyone with harder hearts towards God than the Herod family, would it not? No, not really. You may be surprised to find out just how many enemies of God exist. It is virtually everyone on planet Earth. Unless, of course, you are a part of the small remnant of fully devoted followers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the only peace treaty between God and man. Jesus said, “Whoever is not with Me is against me” (ref. Matthew 12:30). “With Me” means saved by grace through faith. “With Me” means faithful to the word and will of God. “With Me” means Christian, through and through, and no amount of money or religion, of which Herod had plenty, can make it otherwise. But lest we Christians get too proud that we are exclusively the friends of God, we must remember that we were once enemies, too. “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (ref. Romans 5:10). God has shown mercy to us, so let us show mercy to others by sharing with them the life-changing, soul-saving, side-switching gospel of Jesus Christ. “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (ref. Romans 10:13). But just who is the Lord? This is a question Herod could not answer correctly. Errors About Jesus Christ Herod Antipas could not pin down the person of Jesus Christ. At first he seemed to misunderstand the Christian doctrine of resurrection. Perhaps, he thought, John the Baptist had risen from the grave, reattached his head, and started preaching again. Or maybe it was just after killing John for his powerful and pointed preaching, he found in Jesus another mere man like John who was at it again. Then Herod moved more towards a synchronistic combination of Jewish tradition and eastern mysticism. He thought that maybe Jesus was the reappearance of Elijah or the reincarnation of another ancient prophet, perhaps Moses or Isaiah. Some Jews believed that one or more of the three would reappear one day, and Herod was half Jewish. He was also wholly wrong about the person of Jesus Christ. Herod is not alone in his mistaken ideas about the person and work of Christ. The same high percentage of enemies of God in the world are also erroneous in their understanding of who Jesus is and what He has done, and will do. Like Herod, people inside and outside of Christendom believe Jesus to be some kind of a combination of man and myth. Heretics, people holding false and dangerous views of Jesus and the gospel, emerge early, middle, and late in church history. They typically deny either the full deity and/or the true humanity of Jesus Christ. Modern Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses are perhaps the most prevalent preachers of the old Arian heresy. Heretics are often more sincere than nominal Christians who claim to hold to orthodoxy, but they are sincerely wrong. Heresy is just as fast a track to hell as hypocrisy. Let the truth be told. Jesus of Nazareth, born two thousand years ago but existing from eternity past, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and rose again the third day. He is fully God and became a flesh and blood man. He is the one true and living Lord and the only Savior of the world. He is the bearer of righteousness and the substitute for sinners. He is Jesus Christ, and the only way of salvation is repentance toward God and belief in Him. The gospel is a white flag being waved by God in pursuit of peace with men. Only it is not God who is surrendering, it is God commanding you to surrender. Herod claimed to be a seeker of Jesus, like the thousands who attend shallow seeker services in so-called churches today. But they cannot see the white flag for the black sin in their hearts. They may sing, “I am a friend of God,” but without real repentance and genuine faith wrought by spiritual regeneration, they remain God’s enemies. The gospel is a book of perfect understanding, capable of being read by child and scholar alike. It is published from Heaven by the Spirit of God and placed on shelves since the fall of man (ref. Genesis 3:15). Herod should have read it, but he didn’t. People today should know it, but they don’t. An error in the lab may cause an explosion, but an error about Jesus can result in a far greater fire. The gospel of Jesus Christ is peace with God and perfect forgiveness of sin. The Herod clan did not find it and could not kill it. But through their bad example, you have heard the gospel today. Copyright © 2017 Lake Hamilton Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Check out the weekly happenings at Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas. APOSTLES AND APOSTATES
Luke 9:1-6 Dr. Chuck DeVane, Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas November 12, 2017 1 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. — Luke 9:1-6, ESV The Old Covenant comes into focus when twelve tribes are established, enslaved, and escorted out of Egypt into the promised land of Israel. The New Covenant comes into focus when twelve men are chosen, trained, and given power and authority by the Messiah to go out into the world and preach the gospel. While we appreciate the twelve patriarchs of the Old Testament, it is the twelve Apostles of the New Testament we should follow most closely, especially this account of their early work. They were unique and ordinary men, as was the response to the good news they preached about Jesus Christ. The Unique and Ordinary Ministry of the Apostles In the middle of His earthly ministry, Jesus was gaining an illusion of popularity that in reality created a workload greater than one man could bear, even the God-man. Already our Lord had called out a specific number of His disciples, twelve to be exact, and commissioned them as Apostles with a capital “A.” Christ counted on them to handle the short-term work with the so-called seekers and the longer term mission of establishing the New Testament church. An apostle is literally an ambassador, a person sent with the authority and a message from a superior. The United States has ambassadors in almost every country in the world. These men and women do not act or speak on their own authority, but on that of the President or government. I will explain in a moment how all Christians are apostles (with a little “a”), or ambassadors for Christ, but right now I want to focus on the unique ministry of the first twelve Apostles. Simon (Peter), James, John, Andrew, Philip, Nathaniel (Bartholomew), Matthew, Thomas, Simon, James, Judas (Thaddeus), and Judas Iscariot (our sovereign God uses even sinful unbelief to accomplish His purposes in salvation) were specifically chosen for a specific mission and given specific gifts to carry it out. They carried the specific and symbolic number of twelve. They communed with Jesus and were commissioned by Jesus, in person. The carried “power and authority,” most of which Jesus ultimately gave to all of His followers (ref. Matthew 28:18-20). However, at least one gift was especially limited to the twelve: healing. Jesus used miraculous healing to show compassion and gain attention. This was necessary to break through the hardened arteries of the Old Covenant and implant the new heart of the New Covenant. The God of all creation came to earth in the person and work of His Son, Jesus Christ, and used physical healings as metaphors of the spiritual salvation He brings by grace through faith in the gospel. God passed this ability to heal along to His first Apostles, but not before and not since, no matter what wool the televangelists try to pull over our eyes. Since then, no one has been able to heal with a touch, but we can pray for healing. We can show compassion for those who are suffering with illness, provide for their medical care, and make provision for their families. In history and contemporary settings the church has risen to this occasion by providing visits, ministry, prayer meetings, and financial help for the sick. It is amazing how many hospitals in the world were founded by ordinary Christian apostles seeking to honor the Lord and spread the gospel by ministering to the sick. We are apostles, not Apostles, and this is our ordinary way of healing today. In most other ways, however, we apostles can function pretty much like the originals: We can fight the devil. Demons are real, finite, evil, and under the power and control of God. They cannot touch a child of God without the Father’s permission (but remember, just like God used Judas Iscariot to accomplish His will, so the Father sometimes uses devils to do necessary surgery on even the elect, as we learn from Job). Their main job seems to be to temp people to sin and rebel against the Lord. They must be fought in spiritual warfare and our main weapons are prayer and the word of God. We can preach and value the preaching of the word of God, God’s means for bringing people into His kingdom. This was Christ’s main mission, apart from His atoning work on the cross (ref. Mark 1:38). This was the main apostolic mission, to preach the gospel and write the New Testament. This is the main focus of Christian worship and the main work of the church. And you do not have to be an Apostle to do it, just an apostle who loves God and people. We can be content with our possessions and trust the Lord for what we need. The Apostles were especially austere for a specific cause. Today, however, we are not expected to live without possessions. But we must maintain a guard against greed and the unnecessary accumulation of wealth. The measure for this is relative, I know, and nothing is wrong with good food, shelter, and clothing, plus saving for contingencies and retirement. But nothing turns people away from the kingdom more than the self-centeredness and greed of nominal, hypocritical Christians. We are apostles. Like our forefathers the Apostles, we can love, fight, preach, and share. Also like them, we can learn to expect constant rejection, even from people who claim to know God. The Unique and Ordinary Unbelief of the Apostates Jesus and the Apostles came to a world even more religious than our own. Everyone was either an apostle or an apostate. As you can see, back then there weren’t many apostles. An apostate, capital “A” or little “a,” is a person who falls away from truth. More specifically, it is someone who lets go of a previously held belief in God. At this point of Jesus’ and the Apostles’ ministry, apostasy was everywhere, so a lot of dust got shaken off of their feet. In Judea and Galilee, everyone believed in God, even the God they gleaned from the patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament. Jesus Christ came as the incarnation of this true and living God. Yet time and time again, the Messiah was rejected by the first century inhabitants of Israel, as represented by the four major religions denominations. The Pharisees rejected Jesus. They claimed to believe in God, but believed mostly in themselves and their ability to keep religious rules and regulations. They were extremely judgmental, judging Jesus to be a fraud and His Apostles to be fools. God showed up to them, personally, and they rejected Him. The Sadducees rejected Jesus. They claimed to believe ion God, but believed in nothing in particular. Too sophisticated for the supernatural, they thought Jesus’ miracles were fake and the Apostles’ preaching a fantasy. God showed up to them, personally, and they rejected Him. The Herodians rejected Jesus. They claimed to believe in God, but though politics was the way to redeem society. Religion was merely a tool to wield political power for these apostates. God showed up to them, personally, and they rejected Him. The Essenes, or Zealots, rejected Jesus. Judas Iscariot was allegedly among their number. They claimed to believe in God, as long as God did what they wanted Him to do. Jesus was not radical and powerful enough for them. God showed up to them, personally, and they rejected Him. So, as these groups represented most of the religious people in Israel. Most of these people rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were apostates. And, they still abound. Today, we have dozens of denominations that are dens of denials of the word of God and the gospel. Baptists and Catholics and Episcopalians and Methodists and Presbyterians and professing Christians of every stripe are modern apostates. They have Bibles but do not read them. They recite the Apostles’ Creed but do not take it literally. Our country puts “In God We Trust” on our money, but over and over we prove that we love money more than God. Countless amateur and professional athletes pray the “Lord’s Prayer” before playing a game, but it is just a game they are playing because they do not know what they are saying or to whom they are speaking. Even atheists and agnostics are forms of apostates, as they reject the God who made them in His image. God is everywhere today, but the gospel is hardly believed. Do you believe? Are you and apostle? Yes, you are, if you are a true Christian. Take this text and let it speak to you, so that you will be more focused on speaking to others about the kingdom of God. You may not be able to heal diseases. You don’t have to wander around without any money. And, you probably shouldn’t throw dirt on those who reject you. Otherwise, though, today’s apostles are much like those original twelve Apostles. Take up the commission and go to the apostates, because God wants at least some of them back. We need apostles today. We need to reach out to the apostates. Because at the end of the day, every person is either one or the other. |
AuthorDr. Charles F. "Chuck" DeVane, Jr., is the Pastor of Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas. His weekly sermon article, "The Gospel Truth," has been published in newspapers in Arkansas and Georgia. Dr. DeVane is a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and has served in the pastorate for over 20 years. Contact Pastor Chuck at PastorChuck@lakehamiltonbaptistchurch.org
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