Coffee With The Lord

Just a post of a personal nature in “Coffee with the Lord” this morning… Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE to teach God’s Word, the Bible. I joke about the fact that, at SAGU “I’d do it for nothing (but don’t tell the president!). If anything “cranks my engine” it’s seeing the “light come on in someone’s eyes” with the awareness of a new personal discovery or insight into God’s truth. I just love it! I believe I was created to teach! (Now I enjoy preaching as well, don’t get me wrong, and have taught preaching classes for years… but I LOVE to teach!)

This morning during my time of “Coffee with the Lord” I came across a verse in Psalm 119 that summarizes so much about why I love to teach the Bible. Here it is…

“The unfolding of Your words give light – it imparts understanding to the simple.” (vs. 130)

Why I teach… God’s word “GIVES LIGHT.” It reveals truth – it illuminates or makes truth personal and clear to us. Earlier in this same Psalm is a verse that puts it this way: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (vs. 105) Anyone who knows me, knows that I passionately believe this assertion about the Bible… “The Bible is my all-sufficient guide for faith (i.e. my relationship with God) and daily living!”

What good teaching does… “It IMPARTS UNDERSTANDING to the simple (i.e. the uninformed, the impressionable). Here’s what 2 Timothy 3:15-17 says: From childhood you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man (or woman) of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

How I want to teach… I want to “UNFOLD His word” to those I teach – to open it up, to explain it simply and clearly, to structure learning experiences that will bring insight and those “Aha” moments or epiphany experiences that result in life transformation.

Those are just a few reasons why I love to teach the Bible! I plan to give the rest of my life to that noble task!! … And I pray a special blessing and anointing upon all those are involved in teaching ministry (whether it is to children, youth, adults or a special grouping of people anywhere in the world)!

Salvation is by “grace alone” – God’s free gift through faith in Christ! (Ephesians 2:8-9) Discipleship, however, is not for “wimps”! (Luke 14:25-33)

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

Three key figures of speech dominate this passage dealing with the cost of discipleship…

“Hate” – not literal hatred, or the meaning would violate other passages that demand that we “love.” The sense seems to be that in comparison to our love for God and our commitment to follow His will regardless of the cost, all other relationships are “hated” (i.e. there is no comparison).

“Bear his own cross” – Those followers of Jesus who have had to actually die on a cross, like their Savior, have been rare! The meaning that appears to be intended here is the depth of our self-renunciation in order to follow Christ and do His will. We “die to self” in order to follow Christ completely (Romans 6:5-14)

“Count the cost” – This figure of speech and its intended meaning is reinforced by two other images: First, the appropriate consideration of the cost of building a tower before beginning to build it. Secondly, the image of warfare and the importance of weighing carefully whether there are enough resources at the disposal of the “king” to defeat the enemy.

So the point is, “discipleship is not for wimps!” Jesus put it this way at the end of the passage: “Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple!”

My response? I’ve heard Your call Lord, and I’ve seriously considered the cost… I still want to be Your disciple!

It’s just embarrassing! You spent big bucks on an exquisite venue, got a quote from the caterer that could scare you to death, spent hours going over the guest list, sent out beautiful invitations, asked those invited to RSVP … and NOTHING! NO ONE! I mean, how does that make a person feel?! Ticked off really!
There’s a story just like that one that I read this morning in the Bible!
“A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’ ” (Luke 14:16–24 ESV)
Those you thought would have responded – didn’t! Those who were invited – rejected the invitation! So who is going to enjoy the beautiful venue, the succulent cuisine, the incredible hospitality and great celebration? Those you would never expect! Those who WILL respond with appreciation and gratitude – The poor! The needy! The marginalized! Those lacking education and the finer points of etiquette! Those who live “on the wrong side of the tracks!” Those down on the dark edge of the city square looking for a job – any job! Those the socialites look down upon as second or third class citizens! They’re the ones who fill the banquet hall!
Reminds me of a Scripture passage Apostle Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write…
“For consider your calling: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God! And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption! So as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord!’”
Gotta tell you, It’s really going to be interesting to see who enjoys a place of honor at “the Marriage Supper of the Lamb” – the greatest feast of all! (Revelation 19:9) I intend to RSVP! Thank the Lord, I’ve been summoned to attend! I intend to be there! How about you?