The story of Lazarus and the rich man comes at the end of a series of parables Jesus gave in response to the Pharisees who had criticized Him for dining with sinners and publicans. In this parable, Jesus describes the rich man as an ideal Pharisee, while describing Lazarus as a most-reviled beggar. But when they enter into eternity, it’s Lazarus that is welcomed into Heaven, and the rich man who finds himself in Hell.
The story of Lazarus and the Rich Man should wake us from our slumber. It should remind us that our salvation is not tied to our culture, accomplishments or expectations, but rather by God’s grace through our faith.
Listen as Pastor Leland Acker discusses this passage, describing what God wants for us, contrasting the rich man from Lazarus, and telling us how to apply this message to our lives.
Have you ever thought about how deeply Noah must have trusted God?
God warned Noah that He would bring a flood to destroy all flesh from the earth. Up until this point, it had never even rained, let alone flooded. So, what God was describing to Noah was something that had never happened in the history of mankind up until that point.
Furthermore, to be saved from the flood, God instructed Noah to build an ark, detailing the specifications, dimensions and construction type. To our knowledge, man had yet to even build a boat.
So, God told Noah that something that had never before happened was going to happen, therefore he must build a vessel that has never been built. Unprecedented weather patterns were on the way, and Noah must employ untested technology to survive the flood.
But, Noah trusted God. So, when God warned Noah of the flood, Noah believed God. And when God told Noah to build the ark, and how to build the ark, Noah built the ark according to God’s designs. Why? Because Noah trusted God.
Hebrews 11:7 states, “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”
Noah’s faith was the reason he believed God, and it was also the reason he moved quickly (moved with fear) to do what God instructed. Since Noah had this faith, God withheld the flood until the ark was finished.
Noah had faith, and that faith saved Noah, but that faith also motivated action. What does your faith motivate you to do?
The Lord Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God, the embodiment of God Himself, the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us, Who created all things and gave us life, took on the role of the lowest ranking servant in the household, and washed His disciples feet.
In this one act of humble service, the Lord not only demonstrated His indescribable humility, but sent a message that pride, self-centered ambition and promotion, and the establishment of rank and pecking order have no place in God’s Kingdom.
Think about it. If washing the feet of the disciples is not beneath Jesus, then nothing is beneath Jesus. And if nothing is beneath Jesus, how can we think that anything is beneath us, for the servant is not greater than the Master.
In this message, Pastor Leland Acker exhorts us to love one another, and humbly serve one another, taking time to understand each others’ needs and viewpoints. If we do so, we will find true happiness.
Religion has so diluted Christianity that we struggle to understand a simple word like “faith.” This is nothing new. The first century Christians faced the same problem, which is why the writer of Hebrews spent the entire 11th chapter explaining what faith is.
The problem is that religion demands adherence, obedience, and loyalty. Religion demands purity in actions, and creed. In its demand for these things, the relationship between God and man, and God’s amazing grace that has been bestowed upon man, get relegated to merely being an introductory paragraph.
Attend any seminary, and you’ll learn that there is historical faith, saving faith, and true faith. Talk to some religious leaders, and you’ll learn that there is a living faith and a dead faith. Some will even define faith as a system or a doctrine to be followed.
All of this ignores the fact that God gave us His word… and words have meanings and definitions.
Language is a gift from God. We speak in language and understand each other every day, most of the time without really thinking about it. When you tell me that you believe me, I don’t parse your statement to determine if the fact that you believe me will accompany obedience to me, or whether your belief in me is living or dead. I simply understand that, when you say you believe me, you are taking me at my word.
So it is with faith. The biblical dictionary definition of faith (this is a combination of the Strongs and Thayer’s definitions) is a deep-rooted trust, or a conviction of the truth. Simply put, faith means trust.
Hebrews 11:6 describes what it means to have a deep-rooted trust in God, and a conviction of His truth. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”
Faith in God means believing that He is, and that He is Who He says He is. It also means to trust that God is good, and that He will respond to your faith. He will reward your diligent search for Him and His truth.
Faith means believing God is, and that God is good.
Faith really is that simple. And that simple faith is the faith that saves.
Enoch is probably one of the most enigmatic figures in the Bible. He was pivotal. At least two New Testament writers made references to him, and he is remembered as one of the Godliest men who had ever lived. Yet, despite all this, we actually know very little about him.
Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped writers from exploring the man and myth of who Enoch was. Some of what is written is based on ancient manuscripts. Other writings are based on legends and myths. From all this, entire belief systems and doctrines have arisen from perceptions of who Enoch was, what he wrote, and what he did.
Here’s the thing. The only relevant information about Enoch was given to us in the Bible. Genesis 5 tells us that Enoch was the father of Methuselah, that he walked with God for 300 years, and then was translated up into Heaven.
Hebrews 11:5 summarizes Enoch’s life this way, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”
All God wants us to know (because this is all He inspired to be included in scripture) is this. That he fathered Methuselah, walked with Him for 300 years, and was captured up into Heaven. God also makes the note in Hebrews 11:5 that Enoch pleased God by his faith.
So, what God wants us to know is that He is pleased by our faith. When we trust God, God sees that faith and places us in the same league as Enoch.
Hebrews 11 follows that thought with verse 6, which says, “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him. For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”
There are many things written about Enoch, and there are entire religious doctrines built on myths surrounding a relatively unknown, yet pivotal Biblical figure. However, what God wants us to know is that Enoch had faith and lived by his faith in God, and that pleased God. Further, God wants us to follow that example.
One of the most amazing things about God, and one of the unique things about the Christian faith, is how God can take a deeply flawed individual and transform him, using him in an amazing way. One of the most iconic stories in the Bible about this is the story of Jacob.
Jacob lived his entire life under God’s favor. God had favored him from the time he was conceived, and throughout his life, Jacob was reminded by God and others of the Lord’s favor upon him. Yet, Jacob continually lived as if he had to work it out on his own. That lack of faith led to some of Jacob’s biggest sins and mistakes, and cost him dearly.
However, by the end of his life, we find Jacob trusting and worshipping God. Take a listen to “Jacob Have I Loved,” from the Gospel Expedition Podcast, via Soundcloud or YouTube, below:
In Genesis 4, Cain and Abel both brought offerings to the LORD. Scripture tells us that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground, which makes sense because he grew crops for a living. Abel, on the other hand, brought one of the firstlings of his flock, which also makes sense as Abel kept sheep for a living.
Now, Genesis 4 tells us that God had respect for Abel’s offering, but not Cain’s. As a result, Cain became very upset. God confronted Cain about his attitude, saying, “If you do well, won’t you be accepted? And if not, sin lies at the door.”
Cain did not do well, however. As he and Abel worked in the field, Cain vented his frustration on Abel, resulting in a fight that led to Cain killing Abel. Cain was subsequently banished, leading him to found a godless society. Adam and Eve had another son, who fathered the Godly lineage in the pre-flood world.
Such set the stage for the downfall of mankind, leading to the flood in Genesis 6-9.
In taking all of this into consideration, the question is often posed, “Why did God respect Abel’s offering, but not Cain’s?”
One answer commonly given is that Abel offered a blood sacrifice, while Cain did not. While this explanation harmonizes with the Gospel pattern of the shedding of blood for the remission of sins, the fact is that there is little Biblical evidence for it, especially when you consider that grain offerings were a completely legitimate part of the temple system of worship in the Old Testament.
The explanation with scriptural evidence is actually much simpler. Abel offered his sacrifice by faith, whereas Cain did not.
Hebrews 11:4 says, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”
Abel offered his sacrifice by faith. He knew God was God, trusted in His goodness, and rested in His grace.
On the other hand, Cain lacked this faith. He obviously knew God existed, but did not trust God’s goodness and grace. For Cain, the offering was more of an obligation than an offer of thanksgiving or worship. Thus, God rejected it.
Scripture is very clear, and the point is driven home in Hebrews 11. What pleases God is faith, that simple trust in His existence and grace. While that faith motivates action, the fact is without that faith, the most righteous acts in the world will not please God.
So, with all that in mind, do you have faith. Do you believe that God is? And do you trust in His goodness and grace? (Hebrews 11:6)
And if so, are you living by that faith? May God grant you clarity as you reflect on your faith.
During an annual meeting of the Missionary Baptist Association of Texas, Pastor Bobby Sparks of Emmanuel Baptist Church of Greenville, Tex., preached that the glory of Christ is in the cross.
That statement drew dozens of “amens” from the congregation of pastors, deacons and church representatives, but it also prompted me (Leland) to study what glory is, and how the Gospel glorifies Christ.
The word “Glory” is translated from the Greek word, Doxa, which means to make renown, to cause to be well-known and well though-of, to magnify and to be great.
In this message, I discuss how the cross (and the Gospel as a whole) brings glory to the name of Christ, and how it should bring us glory as well.
Many Christians mistakenly define faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” That definition, which is a quote of Hebrews 11:1, doesn’t really tell you what faith is, rather it tells you what faith does.
Faith is a deep-rooted trust in the Lord and a deeply held conviction of His truth. Faith means having a belief that cannot be deterred by circumstance, blessing or curse.
When you hold this level of faith in the Lord, the intangible things of God no longer cause you to question His existence or goodness.
That’s why Hebrews 11:1, which kicks off an entire chapter demonstrating faith through the lives of the Old Testament saints, states that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Because we strongly believe in the Lord, He is real to us.
It’s not that faith can create a being and alter reality, but rather, because of our faith, we can see the unseen God move. We can see His work. And because we see His work and the effects of His working, we see further evidence of His existence, power and goodness.
It’s like Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:8, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
We don’t see the wind, but we know it exists because we feel its presence and we see the effects of its movements. Likewise, because we believe in God, we can feel His presence and see the effects of His movements.
This faith, in turn, shapes our worldview, which then influences our actions and our choices. It’s this faith that pleases God and guides us to where He wants us to be and what He wants us to do.
It’s this faith that gives substance (tangibility) to the things that we hope for, like Heaven, healing and peace. It’s this faith that shows us the proof (evidence) of the things of God that we do not see. And it’s this faith that helps us understand that God created all things by His word (Hebrews 11:3).
And it’s this faith that pleases God (Hebrews 11:2, 6) and brings us salvation (John 3:16, Romans 5:1, Ephesians 2:8-9).
Do you trust the Lord? Do you have this level of faith?
John 12 records the powerful moment that Mary anointed the feet of Jesus with the expensive spikenard ointment, which John records was worth about 300 pence, approximately a year’s wage for a laborer.
Why would Mary pour such an expensive ointment on Jesus’ feet? That was the question posed by Judas, who noted that the ointment could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. While John notes that Judas was being dishonest about his intentions, Jesus answers the question.
“Against the day of my burying has she done this.”
This is Mary, the same Mary who sat at the feet of Jesus as He taught, while her sister Martha served dinner. This is Mary, who fell at the feet of Jesus when Lazarus died. And here is Mary, anointing the feet of Jesus.
It seems that every time we see Mary in the scripture, she is at the feet of Jesus. And why wouldn’t she be?
Jesus had given her hope. Jesus had given her redemption. Jesus had lifted her from a life of want, hopelessness and despair to a life of hope, fulness and meaning. Mary was truly living now that she met Jesus, even though her social and financial situation hadn’t changed.
So, since Jesus gave Mary everything that was dear to her, and since He became everything she was about, it makes sense that she worshipped Him with everything that she was, and everything that she had.
Do we see Jesus the same way that Mary does? And do we look to Him for hope, fulfillment and meaning? Or are we still looking to ourselves?
Check out Pastor Leland Acker’s sermon, posted above via YouTube, or below via Soundcloud, and reflect on whether you have the love and faith toward Jesus that Mary had, or whether you are looking for something for this world like Judas was.
The Point... 