Teleos Blog that we may present everyone complete in Christ

Lost Parables: Persistent WidowPosted by Phil on May 20th, 2009

think back to when you were a kid and there was a toy you just had to have.  did you get it?  how did you ask for it?  how many times did you have to ask?  cause you had to ask more than once…my parents said no far more often than they said yes.  but time after time, the more you asked the more you wore them down.

why do you think that is?  i probably asked for hundreds of things…most of which i asked for once and then gave up on.  parents probably say no initially and then find out how much you want it.  but when you really want something, you’ll be persistent.

we come to the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18 and it explains right up front what it’s about.  in short, a widow keeps coming to a judge every day pleading for justice.  she keeps coming back over and over until the judge gives in and grants her wish.  and it says this is how we should pray.

prayer doesn’t seem like it should be a difficult thing…but for me, it is.  too often, i pray for something or someone a few times and then i forget and stop or i just give up.

why don’t we pray more persistently?  sadly it usually comes down to selfishness and a lack of faith.  selfish in that i value my time, at night i want to get to sleep, or i just get caught up in other things. and lack of faith because if i really thought that God would act…wouldn’t i keep praying?

Jesus tells this parable and says, if this calloused judge will answer the widows request, how much more will a loving Father respond when we constantly call on him?

have you thought that maybe God wants to you keep coming?  to keep asking?  to wrestle with him?  the process of coming back to God over and over and over again will build faith.

sometimes you might feel like the widow when you pray.  that your prayer falls on deaf ears.  but Hebrews 14 tells us that we have an advocate that pleads on our behalf.  so approach the throne with confidence.  you can show your motives in prayer through your persistence.  it shows a genuince call for change.

if we were a community of persistent prayer, what do you think would change?  what would happen?

verse 7-8 says that if we cry out to him day and night, will God put us off?  no, we will receive justice…and quickly.  this parable ends with this….”when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”  when Jesus returns, will he find people of faith who persistently cry out to God believing that He will respond if we keep calling.

pick 1 area where you want God to work…and for 2 weeks…daily take it to God….more than once a day.  beg God to act.

Lost Parables: Shrewd ManagerPosted by Phil on May 19th, 2009

typically we take the word shrewd to be somewhat on the negative side…yet Jesus tells a parable about how we should be like the shrewd manager.  webster defines shrewd as….clever discerning awareness.

this is a parable seems like it would have been written today, not 2000 years ago.  but at the time, Jewish people were not to charge interest on loans they give to people.  however, they would at times fudge their books a bit and record more than they gave out to make up for this.

so in Luke 16, we have the property manager of a rich landowner who is being called into questioning. we’re told he is going to lose his job and is asked to give an account of the books.  so the manager calls all the owners debtors and cuts them a deal.  “you owe how much?….how ’bout we knock 30% off that and call it good?”  he’s trying to make a good name for himself to make him worth hiring once he loses his job.

we hit verses 8-9 and it doesn’t fit into our normal understanding of the Christian life.  its one point where people of this world are given credit over people of light.  they’ll sacrifice the way things should be done in order to make friends.

really…we have so much.  we have been blessed beyond what we can imagine.  feeling guilty about it doesn’t do any good.  but money is a tool and if not watched closely can consume you and become a god.

as believers, do we use our talents, abilities, and/or finances to cleverly reach people.  you see, there are times when people aren’t ready for Christ.  a relationship w/ God is a huge need in their life, but it’s not a felt need.  your compassion towards others to meet their felt needs might open the door later on to point them to the greatest need they didn’t even know existed.

Lost Parables: The Growing SeedPosted by Phil on May 3rd, 2009

if you grew up in church at all, you probably know that Jesus often taught in parables.  in fact, many could probably list off a half dozen without too much thought.  but why did Jesus teach in parables?

first of all….people love stories.  people enjoyed a good story then just as much as we do now.  but today, we get stories through books, tv, and movies.  the only option then was really spoken stories.  storytelling was a great form of entertainment.  good storytellers could make a living as street performers.  tell a good story and people will pay them for it.

but parables were also a way to teach those who cared and would just be a story for those who didn’t.  did you catch that?  Jesus wasn’t trying to teach everyone?  he taught in parables for those that cared?

if you look at the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, Mark 4, or Luke 8.  Jesus tells the story about a farmer who throws seed on 4 different soils that range from bad to good.  and in the end he says, “he who has ears to hear, let him hear”…..or….if you get it, you get it.  at this point, his disciples kindly pulled him aside and asked…”what was that?  what’s it even mean?  do you realize how confusing you just were?”

and Jesus says, “yeah…and that’s ok.”  he got what he wanted.  he wanted those who were hungry to stop and ask questions.  he wanted them to not be satisfied and demand a deeper understanding.  so parables were stories for some and then opened new doors, asked new questions, and changed the lives of others.

with that in mind and with the parable of the sower in mind, we come to the parable of the growing seed in Mark 4.  summed up…a farmer plants seed and waits.  day and night, he doesn’t ever see it grow before his eyes, but the seed transforms and grows w/out his knowledge and without his effort until it was fully mature.

now, it doesn’t say that the farmer did anything other than plant the seed.  says nothing about watering or caring for the soil.  however, coming out of the parable of the sower, a seed only grew to full maturity in good soil.  in other soils it was eaten up, burned by the sun, or choked by thorns.  this seed grows.

Philippians 1:6 says, “that he who begane a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

the seed planted in good soil takes off.  it grows.  you don’t necessarily see the growth while its happening, but looking back, you see how much change has taken place.

for me sometimes, i feel like i’m standing still.  i feel like i’m not growing at all…but if i step back and look at my life, i can see how far God has brought me.  sometimes, i don’t notice how much i’ve grown until i take a look over time.  sometimes i need a good friend to point out how God has changed me when i don’t notice it.

but a seed planted in good soil takes off….it just grows.

so are you a seed planted in good soil?  Francis Chan says that too often American Christians assume they are good soil, when so many times we allow ourselves to be choked out by activities, sports, sin, or money.  Jesus wants us to want him.  so are you hearing?  are you asking questions?  and are you desperately seeking answers to those questions b/c your not satisfied with what you know now?

Jesus tells parables for people who are not satisfied with who they are now, but want so much more.  can you look back and see how God has helped you grow over time?  do you have friends who will help you with that as well?  are you a growing seed?