CHRIST’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE FALSE SHEPHERDS

In the Bible, any leader of God’s people might be referred to as a shepherd—whether it be a prince, prophet, or priest.  In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees had taken the position of being spiritual shepherds in Israel.  Jesus calls them, “hirelings,” or as the ESV renders it, “hired hands.”  It was a labor to perform and not a love to pursue.  They were about prestige, power, and possessions.

In contrast, we see Jesus as FAITHFUL RATHER THAN FAITHLESS.  A good shepherd would be loyal to the flock when a predator attacked, but a hired hand would leave the flock to save their own skin.  I think about so many so-called shepherds today who are fleecing the sheep for their own benefit rather than feeding the sheep for the flock’s blessing.  They get on TV and tearfully plead with poor widows to help fund their ministry and feed the needy, while they live in luxury.  What a contrast to Jesus, who was a giver and not a taker!

Another way to describe the contrast is SACRIFICIAL RATHER THAN SELFISH.  Jesus would lay down His life for the sheep.  The hired hands run for their lives.  Jesus described His mission in Mark 10:45, “For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”  Here is a strategic difference: the Good Shepherd loves the sheep for He has paid a price—a ransom for them—His own life.

Look at what Jesus says about these hired hands:  “But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.” (John‬ ‭10:12).  Every one of His sheep are precious to Jesus.

Do you love the church?  That is His flock.  How do you respond when called to serve the sheep?  If you are a leader, do you do it in love?  Be careful how you criticize one of Christ’s sheep and how you treat them. The Good Shepherd is watching!

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

We tend to identify ourselves by what we do.  When asked about yourself, you might tell your name, something about your family or where you are from—but, very quickly you will get to what you do for a living.  We say, “I am a baker;  I am a banker;  I am a builder,” or some such.

Jesus identifies Himself in John 10:11 as, “The Good Shepherd.”  Bible teacher, Warren Wiersbe points out that some of the greatest people in the Bible were shepherds by occupation—people like Abel, Moses, and David.  But, as the stars vanish at the rising of the sun, so Jesus outshines them all.

In the Bible, Jesus is called, “the Good Shepherd,” here, “the Great Shepherd,” (Heb.13:20), and “the Chief Shepherd,” (1 Pet.5:4).  As such, Jesus seeks and saves His lost lambs and then shepherds His flock. There are three relationships of the Good Shepherd we want to discuss this week. I hope you will join us each day.

THE ONLY DOOR

The Methodist missionary, E. Stanley Jones, was once lost in the jungles of India. He secured a native to guide him back to civilization.  For many hours the man cut through the bush, and Jones became worried. He asked, “Where’s the path?”  The guide answered, “I am the path!”  

Jesus says that to you today. He is the door—you must come through Him.  There is no other entrance to heaven. Christ declared, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.” (John‬ ‭10:1‬)

Yes, there is only one door, but because of the grace of God, there is a door!

JESUS IS A SECURE DOOR

Doors offer protection.  They are a way in for friends and family, but a way to close access by fiends and foes.  Jesus as our door offers us protection.

This suggests that there is PERIL.  Our text speaks of a thief come to steal, kill, and destroy.  Sheep are in danger of rustlers who will steal them and ravenous beasts who will slay them.  This symbolizes Satan and his henchmen.  Jesus warned in the Sermon on the Mount about false teachers—“wolves in sheep’s clothing.”

Remember the setting of this teaching.  Jesus has healed a man blind from birth, but because it was done on the Sabbath Day, the religious leaders attacked Jesus (see John 9:26-34).  Jesus condemned these religious teachers as being spiritually blind (9:39-41).  Elsewhere Jesus called them blind guides, leading those blind in sin—and both would end in a ditch of doom!

Their kind are still around today. They show up at your door peddling their poison or gain access to your mind through TV, radio, and the internet.  Sadly, some stand in pulpits. Be careful who you listen to! Don’t be led astray!

There is peril, but thankfully PROTECTION.  The true flock of God are said to recognize the shepherd’s voice and follow Him, while also recognizing a stranger’s voice and fleeing him (10:3-5).  By this inner witness—a spiritual alarm goes off when you hear deception.  You are kept safe.  You run to Christ as your refuge.

Satan has to go through Christ to get to you.  Whether you are in the fold or in the field, He is there to watch over you.  Christ is our protection—a secure door.

JESUS IS A SATISFYING DOOR

Jesus promises a door that leads His sheep into the safety of His care and the satisfaction of His pasture.  What He gives us is real, deep, abiding satisfaction—the abundant life!

IN HIM THERE IS SATISFYING FREEDOM.  We can go in and out.  Once we were sheep penned up and destined for the slaughter.  Jesus set us free!  Maybe you’ve heard the story told by Pastor S.D. Gordon about running into a small boy with a cage full of birds. He planned to play with them, then feed them to his cat.  Gordon bought them and set them free.  Satan had us caged, and playing with us, at last planning to doom us, but Jesus paid the price to set us free!

IN HIM THERE IS SATISFYING FOOD.  This is the promise of pasture.  What Satan will feed you can never satisfy you.  The stuff of this world is junk food, that rather than nourishing you, will kill you.  What Jesus offers is peace, joy, love, forgiveness, hope, and ultimately heaven!

IN HIM THERE IS SATISFYING FULNESS.  We have abundant life.  The word abundance comes from a Latin expression meaning, “to rise in waves; to overflow.”  It pictures the waves of God’s blessing rolling in—one after another—until our life is flooded with His fulness!

Why would you not want to enter that Door?

JESUS IS A SINGULAR DOOR

Jesus claimed to be “the Door”—the one and only (John 10:9a).

On one hand, doors are commonplace.  There are ornate doors at the Biltmore House, steel doors in a bank vault, canvas doors in a tent, glass doors in greenhouses.

How many doors do you have at your house?  Whatever kind of door we talk about, they serve basically two purposes: entrance when open and exclusion when closed.

• ENTRANCE.  In the days of Noah, God said He would judge the wicked populace with a flood.  He told Noah in grace to build an ark.  It had a single door.  When the time for judgment came, God invited Noah and his family into that door and to bring the various species of animals to preserve them.  Noah had been warning sinners to repent and inviting them into the ark—the door was wide open, but it was the one way.  You could not be saved unless you entered that one door.  Jesus is the one way to escape God’s wrath.  Today the invitation is open to all—just step inside and come to Christ!

• EXCLUSION.  The door that Noah entered was closed by God—securing him in, but shutting others out.  So, Jesus pleads with you to come to Him today, but tomorrow might be too late.  How many will climb in a car today for a trip and never reach their destination—dying suddenly in a fiery car crash?  You might leave your house today for the last time—and before the night is out a heart attack brings you face to face with God. We don’t know when, but we know that day is coming.  Are you ready?

There is a singular door to salvation—Jesus!

I AM THE DOOR

“Then Jesus said to them again, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.’” (John‬ ‭10:7‬‬)

They called us the Jesus People. In the late 1960’s and early 70’s, a number of hippies were turning off to drugs and turning on to Jesus.  A lot of these former flower children became evangelists, missionaries, and pastors.  I was one.

A popular expression of the time was an index finger pointing skyward and declaring “One Way.”  I had a patch that proclaimed that on the back pocket of my bell-bottom jeans.

That message, whether expressed by a teen in jeans or a pastor in a suit is still true. There is but one door into eternal life and Jesus is that Door.  Jesus Himself declared that here.  This week we will dig deeper into that claim of Christ.

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD REFLECTED

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.”  (John 8:12a). But, in another place, He declared, “You are the light of the world.” (Matt.5:14a). This is what it means to be a disciple—a Christ-follower. “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. “ (John 8:12b).

Our light is a reflected light. Think in terms of the light of our sun and moon. The sun is the source of light. The moon does not generate its own light, but reflects the light of the sun. Thus, the Son of God is the source of any light we have, but we are designed to radiate His glory to the world.

Jesus is in heaven. If He is to be seen on earth, it will be through His church. The glory of God that was manifested in His human body on earth is now meant to be revealed in His spiritual body—the church.

Our world is a dark place. The night of sin has fallen upon the planet. Yet, that makes the need for light all the greater, and causes our light in contrast to be so bright—just like a full moon in a clear sky.

Maintain fellowship with the Lord. Spend time in His presence. In a lunar eclipse, the shadow of earth comes between the moon and sun, and the light of the moon is obscured. If we are not careful, this world can have that effect on us.

In your showing of good works and the sharing of Gospel words, let your light shine today!

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD REJECTED

So many reject the Light because of an obstinate darkness.

“The Pharisees therefore said to Him, ‘You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.’ Then they said to Him, ‘Where is Your Father?’ Jesus answered, ‘You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.’” (John 8:13-19).

The darkness of unbelief is a stubborn thing.

 “And He said to them, ‘You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.’” (‭‭John‬ ‭8:23-24‬)

 At last, these who spurned the Light and sought the darkness committed the sin for which there is no forgiveness. ‘Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?’” (John‬ ‭8:48‬)

Christ offered Himself as their King, and they would cry, “We have no king but Caesar!” (19:15).  Jesus demonstrated the credibility of His claims by the miracles He performed, but they attributed it to the power of Satan.  Their obstinate darkness would take them into outer darkness.  That is how Jesus described hell—a dark pit of torment where the light of life is shut off—a second death; a place where the light of love is shut out—away from God’s gracious presence.

I beg you—don’t reject the Light of the World!

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD RECEIVED

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” (John‬ ‭8:12‬‬).

Consider the context of John 8:12.  

As the Kingdom of God is defined by light, the kingdom of Satan is dominated by darkness.  The previous verses (v.1-11) tell the story of a woman caught in the act of adultery, but the light of Christ shone upon her and changed her life forever.  The dominion of sin was overthrown. Jesus also exposed the self-righteous in His light, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (v.7‬). They all had to drop their rocks. The only One sinless who could have condemned her, chose to forgive her (v.11) and called her to a life of walking in the light.

In the next chapter, we read of a man blind from birth (9:1ff).  The Kingdom of God is defined by life, while the kingdom of Satan is dominated by death. That is the spiritual condition of all in this world by virtue of their physical birth who need a spiritual birth to open their eyes to the light of truth and life (see John 1:4-13).  We dwell in a shadowland of sin, spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. When the blind man received Christ, he became a new person.  Christ can break the bondage of darkness in your life and bring you into new life in Him!  It is the dawn of a new day.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Eph.‭5:8‬).

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD REVEALED

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” (John‬ ‭8:12‬‬)

The purpose of light is to reveal—to shine out and to show up a thing.  This revelation is the outshining of God’s very glory.

Christ shines out the person of God.  When He claims to be the Light, He claims to be God.  Is He a liar, lunatic, or Lord?  Those are the only options.  He is either a deceiver, delusional, or Deity.  John was an eyewitness to His glory revealed on the Mountain of Transfiguration and testified, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John‬ ‭1:14‬).  Paul saw that Light and said Jesus is “the image of the invisible God” (Col.1:15). Hebrews 1:3 speaks of, “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person….”

Christ shows up the path to God.  The Lord had just attended the Feast of Tabernacles (7:2). This feast celebrated the pilgrimage of the Jews through the wilderness. You may recall the glory cloud—a pillar of cloud that directed them by day and a pillar of fire by night. This glory cloud rested above the tabernacle. When it moved, they moved. As the glory cloud led the Israelites through the wilderness, so Christ is the Light of the world to guide us to God and in the path of His will day by day until we reach the eternal light of glory.

“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Cor.4:6).

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” (John‬ ‭8:12‬‬)

Seven times, in John’s Gospel, Jesus identified Himself with metaphors in which He connected Himself with Yahweh, “I AM.”  The one we will consider this week is Jesus claim, “I am the light of the world.”

Light means life. Without it, living things would die. The plants would shrivel and decay, and with that animals and humans would perish.

Jesus uses that to illustrate that He as the Light of the World gives life to the world. He is the source and sustainer of life—real life, eternal life. We cannot have it apart from Him.

Without that light we stumble in the darkness—lost and headed into the Abyss, and a doom that is the deepest darkness of utter despair. Yet, today the Light of the World beckons us to come to Him, and by following that Light we find eternal life.

There shines the Beacon of Hope. Do you see it?  Have you come?  There is a way out of the darkness!

THE BREAD OF LIFE: Come to the Table

“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” (John‬ ‭6:27‬)

I have heard this story several times, and now share it with you:

Years ago, in the Midwest, there lived an ungodly German farmer named Klein.  His house was across from a Lutheran church, yet he wouldn’t cross the road to attend.  But one day, he heard some Bible school children singing, “Jesus died for all mankind.”  He thought they were singing, “Jesus died for old man Klein.”  The thought that Jesus died for him personally melted his icy heart and he gave his life to Christ.

Jesus is the Bread for the world, but I want you to now He is Bread for you.  Jesus died for the sins of the world, but specifically, He died for Betsy, John, Susie, James—put your name in there.  The table is set. Eternal life is as simple as reaching out a hand of faith and receiving Christ.  There is no goodness you must attain and no works you must do, for this is God’s work: “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’” (John‬ ‭6:29‬‬)

Will you come to the table? BREAD OF LIFE: Come to the Table

“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” (John‬ ‭6:27‬)

I have heard this story several times, and now share it with you:

Years ago, in the Midwest, there lived an ungodly German farmer named Klein.  His house was across from a Lutheran church, yet he wouldn’t cross the road to attend.  But one day, he heard some Bible school children singing, “Jesus died for all mankind.”  He thought they were singing, “Jesus died for old man Klein.”  The thought that Jesus died for him personally melted his icy heart and he gave his life to Christ.

Jesus is the Bread for the world, but I want you to now He is Bread for you.  Jesus died for the sins of the world, but specifically, He died for Betsy, John, Susie, James—put your name in there.  The table is set. Eternal life is as simple as reaching out a hand of faith and receiving Christ.  There is no goodness you must attain and no works you must do, for this is God’s work: “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’” (John‬ ‭6:29‬‬)

Will you come to the table?

THE BREAD OF LIFE: Jesus as the Security of Life

The focus in John 6:37 is preservation.  “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”

God’s seal of approval has been placed on Christ and we are accepted in Him, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” (27‬)

If I come to Him, I will never be cast out and never thirst (v.35-37), yet to die in sin is to be cast out and suffer everlasting thirst in unquenchable fire.   Now, I must truly believe in Him. Many just fake it, “But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.” (v.36)‬. Such frauds will be exposed in the end (see Matt.7:21-23).

So how are we to understand this?  How are we to be sure?You may say, “Pastor I thought you were talking about the assurance of salvation; I’m not being more assured, but becoming more anxious. What am I supposed to do?”

Let’s dive back into our text.  The first century audience had the same question, “Then they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’” (v.28).  Look at Jesus’ answer, “Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (v.29).

Jesus is the Bread.  He promises eternal life if we receive Him.  Do you believe Him?  That is how we receive Him. Reach out a hand of faith—feeble and trembling though it may be—and take it!  Trust Him!

How many will Jesus lose who come to Him?  “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.”(v.39).   Jesus loses NONE!  He gives us everlasting life , “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (v.40).  All who truly come to Him will be raised to Heaven!  Everlasting means lasting forever. You cannot have it and lose it. If you lose it, you never had it, for that would not be everlasting!

THE BREAD OF LIFE: Jesus as the Sustainer of Life

Read John 6:48-58.

The focus here is provision.  As the Jews fed daily on the manna and it sustained them, so Jesus is to be the nourishment of our soul. Only as we feed on Him can we have satisfaction, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” (v.27).

Consider the context of this teaching.  In chapter 6, thousands gathered to hear Jesus.  They become hungry, and all the food they could find was five loaves of bread and a couple of fish (v.9).  Then Jesus performs a miracle and multiplies the loaves and fish till all are fed and twelve baskets of leftovers are collected—one for each disciple!

The crowd went wild and wanted to crown Jesus as king (v.14-15).  Instead, Jesus walked away. Why?  He had not come to be a celebrity.  He had not come to be a Bread King for people who only cared about their physical life and had no concern for their soul (v.26).

Most people labor for the food that perishes—for the material things of this world. Jesus asked, “For what does it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). You can cram all this world offers into that hole in your soul, and nothing will satisfy you, for it is a God-shaped hole only He can fill.  Augustine said, “Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in Thee.”

Taking in Jesus day by day—abiding in Him as our very life—not only is our source of satisfaction, but of strength.  His life produces power and productivity, just as bread sustains our physical life.  Look to Him, lean on Him today; Jesus is your life!

THE BREAD OF LIFE: Jesus As The Source of Life

Read John 6:27-47.

Jesus identifies Himself as the Bread of Life. The focus in these verses is predestination.

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. ...This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. ...No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (v.37, 39, 44‬)

Let us not avoid a doctrine clearly taught in Scripture because some have taken this doctrine to extremes.  Some emphasize the freewill of man to the neglect of God’s sovereignty, while others stress predestination to the neglect of human responsibility. We must choose both, for both are taught in Scripture—and in this text for one.  They are not contradictory, but complementary—two sides of the same coin of salvation.

“And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. ...All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. ...Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.’” (v.35, 37, 47‬). God calls, but I must come. God speaks, but I must believe.

You may argue, “I can’t reconcile the two ideas.”  The great Baptist Pastor of the 19th century, Charles Spurgeon, was asked how to reconcile these and he answered, “I never try to reconcile friends.”

These ideas have been the source of debate among theologians for 2000 years of church history, and so we won’t solve the puzzle today.  The issue is that God is God and we are not.  We are not omniscient.  “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deut.29:29)

Here’s what is revealed—Salvation is of the Lord.  The Bible portrays us as spiritually blind.  The Spirit must open our eyes to see.  We are scripturally deaf—and God must enable us to hear.  We are dead in sin, and God must give us life.  Lost sheep cannot find their way home, but the Good Shepherd seeks them.  Jesus came down for us, when we could not go where He was.  He is the Bread from Heaven.

Bread is made when living grain is cut down, crushed, and the flour thrust into an oven.  So, Jesus suffered for our salvation.  But God doesn’t cram the bread down my throat.  I must receive it.  Have you?

THE BREAD OF LIFE

“I am the bread of life.” (‭‭John‬ ‭6:48‬‬)

Jesus uses seven metaphorical, “I am,” statements that are recorded in John’s Gospel to describe Himself. That Jesus would identify Himself as, “I am,” shows His intention to connect Himself with the great I AM of the Old Testament—that Jesus and Yahweh—Father and Son—are one. Jesus is fully God, and this fits John’s purpose in presenting Christ’s deity. In these final seven weeks of 2019, with God’s help, we will examine each of these, “I am,” expressions. The first is His claim, “I am the bread of life.”

Ponce DeLeon traversed Florida in 1512 searching for the fountain of youth.  That search, though fruitless, was neither new nor novel.  Engraved in the human heart is a desire to live forever. It is the deep hunger of our soul. In answer to that hunger we hear Jesus claim in John 6:51, “‘I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.’”

As bread feeds our body and sustains our physical life, so Jesus feeds our soul and sustains our spiritual life.  When we, by faith, receive Christ as our Lord and Savior, we feed on this Living Bread. This is eternal life. Then, it is our privilege to have a feast on Him, day after day. Is Jesus your Bread of Life?

IS THERE STUBBORN REJECTION OR SCRIPTURAL RECEPTION?

“‘But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.’” (Zechariah‬ ‭7:11-14‬‬)

If you were to ask me about how many responded to the sermon last Sunday, I would tell you, “100% !  Everyone responded. Some said, ‘Yes,’ and some said, ‘No,’ but all responded.” Each time you walk out of the meeting house doors, you leave better or worse—closer to God or farther away.

Notice in these verses how the rejection of the Word became more pronounced. Truth makes a heart healthy or hard.

Arteriosclerosis is a physical malady where the arteries that carry the life-giving flow of blood become hard and clogged by cholesterol.  The result can be stroke, heart-attack, even death.  It is all the more deadly because the development of the disease is slow, gradual, almost imperceptible.

Spiritual arteriosclerosis is the hardening of our heart against the Word and the Lord. Likewise, the sinister, subtle nature of it can be deadly to the state of our soul. There is a way back to God. Repentance can be the surgical scalpel to open our heart and begin restoring our health.

What you have just read will be helpful or hurtful, depending on your response. Don’t shrug your shoulders, stop your ears, and stiffen your neck against the Word, as these did in Zechariah’s day.

IS THERE PROFESSED FAITH OR PRACTICAL FRUIT?

“Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.”’”
(Zechariah‬ ‭7:8-10‬‬)

Outwardly, we come to worship, and profess our faith, but far too often, inwardly, our hearts are far from God.  Our hearts have not been prepared for encountering God.

These verses in Zechariah connect the two. Justice, mercy and compassion are essential heart preparations for worship.  If we are not in a right relationship with people we aren’t in a right relationship with God. Jesus told us when we bring our gift to the altar and remember our brother has ought against us, we must first go to them, and attempt reconciliation, before our worship will be acceptable.  John said that if we can’t love our brother whom we can see, how can we claim to love a God we cannot see?

The fact is that where bitterness, anger, and an unforgiving spirit are manifest, God will not manifest His presence.  Yet, it is not enough to seek to remove these relational cancers. We must actively pursue justice, mercy, and compassion.

IS THERE SELF-CENTEREDNESS OR GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS?

“Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, ‘Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: “When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me? When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? Should you not have obeyed the words which the LORD proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?”’” (Zechariah‬ ‭7:4-7‬‬)

What they were doing was worthless.  It wasn’t worship, for it was not directed to God.  They were trying to earn points with Him.  That isn’t love.

The attitude in marriage would be, “I’ll scratch your back, if you scratch mine.”  We expect a quid pro quo. That’s a contractual partnership, not a covenant relationship!

With the Lord, it may be expressed this way, “Well God, I went to church today!  How many points do I get for that?”

God’s answer is, “Zero!”  Worship isn’t about us; it’s about God!  Yet, so much of our worship is about our preferences, our style of music, and how many spiritual goose bumps we get.

A man was leaving the church, complaining about the music.  “I didn’t like the hymns you chose today.”  The pastor simply said, “That’s okay; we weren’t singing them for you.”

The late William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury, said, “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, and to devote the will to the purpose of God.”  Let us seek to offer that kind of worship!