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SEEKING THINGS ABOVE
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. “(Col. 3:1)
Volume I Number 11
February 2021
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BIBLICAL AUTHORITY (6)
The New Testament: God’s Message
Mike Johnson
The Scriptures teach the authority of God, Christ, and the apostles (Ps. 50:10-12; Heb. 1:1-2; Mt. 16:19, 17:5, 18:18; 2 Cor. 5:20; Phil. 4:9). Also, the Holy Spirit played a role as He guided the apostles “unto all truth.” Consider now the authority of the New Testament, which is our guide today.
God gave the apostles the authority and responsibility to reveal God’s Will to everyone (Mt. 18:18; Jn. 16:8). However, the apostles eventually died. What then is our guide today? Our guide is to be the inspired Word of God—the Bible.
Consider the teaching of Paul in Ephesians 3:3-5. This passage says, “how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets.” God revealed this “mystery” to Paul, an inspired writer, who wrote it down so people can read and understand it. This message is a “mystery” in the sense that previously, God had not revealed it. Paul, and other inspired individuals, guided by the Holy Spirit, made known the mind of God to man.
1 Corinthians 2:12-13 says, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” The NASB renders the last part, “combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”
In 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Paul wrote, “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.” Negatively, he states they had not received his preaching “as the word of men”; positively, they had received it as the “Word of God.” Paul was thankful they had accepted him as an inspired teacher of God’s Word.
There are other passages in 1 Thessalonians, where Paul points out that his message was from God. In chapter 4, he revealed that the commandments taught were “through the Lord Jesus,” and the person who rejects their teaching “does not reject man, but God who has also given us his Holy Spirit” (vs. 2, 3, 8). Later, when instructing them about the second coming of Christ (4:15), Paul said, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord . . . .” In 1 Corinthians 14:37, Paul stated, “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.”
The Bible is the inspired Will of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17). It is the “oracles of God” (2 Pet. 1:3); it is the final revelation for us (Jude 3); it is all that we need (Jas. 1:25); it will save us eternally (Rom. 1:16, James 1:21) if we obey it (James 1:22).
Paul, and other inspired people, revealed God’s commandments through the written word.
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The Pulpit
Roger Shouse
“Ezra the scribe stood at a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hikiah, and Masseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishel, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam on his left hand.” (Nehemiah 8:4)
Ezra stood at a wooden podium. Other translations use the word pulpit. Ezra stood at the pulpit. What follows is that he opened the book of God read from it and then explained it so that everyone understood. Today, we’d say, ‘Ezra preached.’
I have stood behind several pulpits recently. Most were wooden. One was metal. Some were old, one was new. Some were big and some were small. Some I liked and some I didn’t. When I was in India, one place had a pulpit made of marble. In my office, I have a very old pulpit, probably over 100 years old. Preachers aren’t the only ones that use podiums. The president does when he gives a speech. Many important events, even high school and college graduation ceremonies will have a podium for someone to stand behind.
Have you ever wondered why church buildings have pulpits? The main purpose is to have a place to sit the Bible and any notes that the preacher may use. Most places have the pulpit elevated above the floor, this is so everyone can see. Some pulpits look really nice and add to the décor of a building. Others are more functional than pretty. One place I was at had a flat monitor screen on the surface where one would put his Bible. It was a bit awkward for me getting comfortable with that. My Bible covered the screen, and I couldn’t read it, so I had to hold the Bible in my hands most of the time.
I have spent most of my life standing behind pulpits. Youngsters have asked me, “what do you see when you are up there?” I always tell them, “I see everything!” There are some lessons we can gather from the pulpit.
First, the man behind the pulpit is not better than the audience on the other side of the pulpit. In fact, the man behind the pulpit needs the message, needs Jesus and needs to heed the Bible, just as much as the folks on the other side. Long ago, behind the pulpit represented the clergy. They wore robes and seemed to walk as if they were one of the apostles. They were not. Both sides of the pulpit must make choices about attitudes, sin and how closely they will walk with the Lord. One side of the pulpit is not better than the other.
Second, I have learned that behind the pulpit does not indicate that you know more about the Bible than those on the other side. That impression is often left there. Behind the pulpit is not infallible. Behind the pulpit does not have every question figured out and everything running just as it should be in his life. Knowledge of God’s word isn’t based upon which side of the pulpit you are on. It’s based upon how much effort, energy and time one has put into studying God’s word. Many a preacher has made the mistake of thinking that he knew more Bible than anyone else in the building. Many learned the hard way, that wasn’t the case.
Third, Ezra is a great reminder of what is to be done with the pulpit — he read God’s word and explained it to the people. Sometimes we mistake our opinions for God’s word. We push our thoughts, our agendas, and our wishes rather than sticking with God’s word. There is no place for politics in the pulpit. We don’t want Washington preaching to us and Washington doesn’t want the church campaigning for it’s favorite candidates. Advice can come across rather “preachy” sometimes.
Fourth, the power of the pulpit lies within the word of God and not the charm or the abilities of the preacher. Some preachers are just natural public speakers. They are smooth, good and know how to connect with an audience. For others, it’s a work. The sermon on paper sometimes is lost in the delivery. Other times, there is not much to the sermon, but the smooth talking preacher can sure make it seem like he’s got a lot there. The temptation for the gifted speaker is to be careless and cut corners and not do his homework that is necessary in developing a sermon. He can ‘talk his way through anything,’ can actually be a curse rather than a blessing. Error can slip in through one who is not using the Bible very much. Preaching is more than just reading verses. It’s explaining and making sense so the people will understand, as our Nehemiah context tells us. This necessitates that the preacher first understands the concepts and passages and makes sense of them in his mind and heart before he teaches others. He can’t really teach what he doesn’t know. Jesus described it as the blind leading the blind. Preachers can make us laugh. They can make us cry. They can make us feel good. They can tell amazing stories. But in the end, they are supposed to be preaching and teaching the word of God. They are not stand up comics. They are not leading a pep rally. They are not motivational speakers. They are preachers of God’s word. Paul told Timothy to “preach the word.” Now, each of us must use our personalities, abilities and know-how to do that the best that we can. The power of persuasion lies within the powerful word of God. It is the power to save. It can drive away fear and worry. It can answer questions and establish faith. We rally around the word of God, not the preacher. Preachers come and go. Some preachers are really good. Some are so-so. But it’s not the ability of the preacher, but the word of God that matters. Paul wasn’t a favorite in Corinth. Some didn’t think too much of his preaching. But that’s ok. What he spoke was the word of God, and it was that word that mattered.
There is an old saying in prayers that we don’t hear much any more. Someone would pray that the preacher would “hide himself behind the cross!” The thought was that at the end of the sermon, the audience thought more of the cross than they did the preacher. In fact, in great sermons, the preacher is forgotten. He’s just a tool, like a pencil, a keyboard, or a piece of paper. What the focus is upon is the words of God. Egos, self-esteem issues, pride, and things like that can occasionally cause that preacher to come out from behind that cross and stand in the way. When that happens, it’s more about the preacher than the message.
Ezra stood behind a pulpit. Wish I had a picture of that old pulpit. I look at that old one in my office and wonder who all stood behind there and the wonderful good that came from those old sermons long ago. It’s not the pulpit, nor the messenger, but the message that builds faith and develops strong families and churches.
The question is not which side of the pulpit are you on, but rather, which side of Christ are you on? Now, that’s a question to ponder.
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Buy the Truth & Sell It Not
Bob Waldron
One of the most important attitudes one can have in striving to go to heaven is that of intense zeal for the truth of God. Too often, people settle on something far less than the truth. Remember, a counterfeit, though it may look relatively genuine, is nevertheless worthless. Likewise, we cannot enjoy the benefits of truth just by getting pretty close. We must take our position firmly and foursquare on the truth. “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
There are many among us who, like Pilate, would ask, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Many do not believe in absolute truth. The Bible, however, is absolute, unchanging truth. “Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven” (Psalms 119:89). The belief that there is absolute truth is fundamental to one who desires to “buy the truth and sell it not” (Proverbs 23:23).
One Can Be Wrong
It is a fact that anyone can mistakenly be wrong. Paul, when speaking of his past manner of life, before his conversion, said, “I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day” (Acts 23:1). Yet he was before a “persecutor, and a blasphemer, and injurious” (1 Timothy 1:13). How could he have lived in all good conscience when he had been so wrong? The answer is simple. He thought he was right. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 16:25). The fact that we can be wrong means that it does not behoove us to close our minds to further investigation. Jeremiah said, “Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16).
Faith vs. Opinion
Naturally, study brings us to certain conclusions. All of us live by certain principles. But upon what do our conclusions rest? All too often they rest upon mere opinion. Realize that if something is a matter of faith, then God must have said something about it. We cannot know the words of eternal life by opinions. One man’s opinion is just as good as another man’s; but no man’s opinion is worthy to be compared to God’s.
You would not want to risk crossing the ice over a river merely because somebody thinks you can. Neither should we risk trying to go to heaven by the opinions of men. The difference between an opinion and conviction is that an opinion is usually a spur-of-the-moment conclusion someone comes up with based upon skimpy premises, if any. A conviction is a conclusion based upon evidence which has been thoroughly studied and meditated upon. God has given us a wonderful book. It furnishes man with doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness, that he may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
The Bible is our evidence. It is the truth. When believed, it becomes subjective faith. The Bible did not come from men, so there need be no question about its reliability. It was given unto men though, and designed so they could understand it when they read it (Ephesians 3:3-5). This is not to say that all the Bible is simple to understand. There are difficult portions of it that demand much study. The matters of conversion to God and everyday living are simple and easy to understand. What many find difficult about such matters is the application of that which may be so simple to understand.
Feelings — A Poor Standard
Do not base your conviction upon some peculiar feeling you might have. Feelings are a poor standard of truth. We have already mentioned Paul. We might mention Jacob also who believed with all his heart that his son Joseph was dead, but that did not make it true. Remember, God has given us revelation, facts. Our convictions must rest upon these facts or else we will find ourselves upon shifting sand.
Conscience — Not a Reliable Guide
Neither is conscience a reliable guide in determining whether your convictions are sound or not. The conscience is very pliable to begin with. Our conscience is usually formed at a tender age. At that time it may be trained to approve good or evil. When we reach maturity our conscience alters and becomes almost unchangeable. From then on it tells us only whether we have done as we learned to do or not.
Changing the conscience then is a slow, difficult project. If your conscience were trained correctly, well and good. If it were trained incorrectly, then it will approve even when you do things that are really wrong, because it was taught that which was wrong. “Let your conscience be your guide” is therefore poor advice.
This brings us back again to the fact that we must ultimately make our stand upon the word of God. Everything is to be judged by it.
— via Bible Study, Hanceville, Alabama
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A Good Name
Mike Johnson
Ecclesiastes 7:1 says, “A good name is better than precious ointment . . . .” Parents may choose what they consider a good name for their newborn baby. In this text, he is not speaking of a good name in that sense but a good reputation, which the writer compares to costly ointment or “fine perfume (NIV). In biblical times, expensive ointments were considered extremely refreshing in the sultry East, and people used them lavishly at costly banquets. (Regarding the value, consider the time Mary anointed Jesus’ feet in John 12:3-6.) The text says a good reputation is better than “precious ointment.” An even more emphatic statement occurs in Proverbs 22:1, which says, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.”
The Bible speaks of various people having good reputations or names. Consider some now.
- Jewish Elders – Hebrews 11, the great chapter of faith, speaks of the elders (ancestors) having obtained “a good testimony” due to their faith (2, 39).
- Cornelius – Messengers describe Cornelius to Peter even before he became a Christian. They said, “Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews . . .” (Acts 10:22).
- Ananias – This is the person who taught Paul after the events on the road to Damascus. Paul describes him as a devout man and one who had a “good testimony” among the Jews (Acts 22:12).
- Demetrius – This early Christian is described by John as having “. . . A good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. . .” (3 Jn. 12).
- Ruth – In the Old Testament, Ruth receives praise for being devoted to her widowed mother-in-law, Naomi (Ruth 1). When her husband also died, she continued to care for Noami. Ruth even left her native area of Moab to go to Noami’s home in Bethlehem to continue her care. While gleaning in a field there, a man named Boaz, the owner of the field, noticed her and inquired about her identity. When he learned her name, he granted Ruth many favors in the work she was doing. When Ruth asked why he did this, he responded, “. . . “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before.” Ruth’s good reputation had preceded her.
- Timothy – On Paul’s second missionary journey, he came to Derbe and Lystra, where he contacted a young man named Timothy. Acts 16:2 says, “He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium.” As a young man, Timothy had a good reputation and became Paul’s most constant companion in doing the work of the Lord.
- Widows – In 1 Timothy 5, Paul discusses widows who would qualify for assistance from the church. Qualifications are listed in verses 9-10, and among these qualifications, she needed to be “well reported for good works.” A good reputation was essential.
- Elders – In listing the qualifications of an elder, Paul revealed, “Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil” (I Tim. 3:7). Thus, an elder would need to have a good reputation even among non-believers.
When the Bible speaks of having a good reputation, it doesn’t mean just to have a good reputation, but it means to have one that a person deserves. From a biblical standpoint, what is the value of an underserved good reputation? A person may have a good reputation but a bad character. A good reputation is based on what people know about us — it is how people perceive us — a good character is who we are.
There are several ways to acquire an undeserved good reputation. It can come 1) by associating with the right people; 2) some may “inherit” a good reputation from their parents; 3) others might gain it by an outward show of piety like the Pharisees (Mt. 6:1-8). One example of an underserved good reputation is the church at Sardis, which many viewed as being spiritually “alive,” but Christ said it was “dead” (Rev. 3:2).
On the other hand, people with a good character might have a bad reputation due to gossip, evil suspicions, and a misguided value system. Consider Paul as an example. As he preached God’s Word, many people rejected his teaching, and he faced persecution (2 Cor. 6:4-10). Imagine his reputation among these people. In the Old Testament, consider what Potiphar’s wife’s accusation must have done to Joseph’s reputation in Egypt (Gen. 39). Further, Jesus was not regarded highly by the people who opposed Him, and He was rejected (Jn. 1:11).
There are times when a bad reputation can be good, e.g., if it comes about because of our stand for truth and righteousness. Jesus said, in Luke 6:22-23, “Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.”
We should all want to maintain a good reputation, if possible. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught the need for His followers to be the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” and then urges, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” There is also value in being well thought of even among non-Christians — among those with whom we may disagree — as this puts us in a better position to influence them in the right direction. In 1 Peter 2:11-12, Peter pleas, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
A good reputation is critical; it is more valuable than precious ointment or riches, as noted at the beginning of this article. We start by faithfully serving God, which will result in us having the right character. Doing this should result in a good reputation, especially among Christians. Regardless, what is of paramount importance is what God thinks about us. We long to hear God say, “Well done, good and faithful servant . . . Enter into the joy of your Lord” (Mt. 25:21).
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“They Were All Wrong”
Many years ago, a preacher went into a town where there was no New Testament church. He preached in a house of worship and then in the market place of the city. Soon the religious leaders of the city heard him and invited him to address them. They thought if his religious claims seemed meritorious to them, they would fellowship him. But to their dismay and confusion, he preached that they were wrong and he was right; that their worship was not acceptable to the God of heaven. He preached that the church to which he belonged was the only true church of the living God. Such a preacher! Don’t you know he hurt their feelings? Evidently, they were sincere. Surely he could have made a nice talk and got away without causing any discord! Who was this preacher anyway? His name was Paul, and he preached this sermon in Athens. It did cause some stir. It did not please those leaders at all. They got up and left before he finished. But the sermon pleased God. You can read it in Acts 17. There is no room in Christ’s church for a compromiser.
Author Unknown
From Walking in the Light
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Short Audio Message
The Sinner’s Prayer
Mike Johnson
Sermon (Audio)
Let Us Finish Our Course
Granville Tyler
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Editor: Mike Johnson
www.seekingthingsabove.org