Teacher Devotions: More Than Being Saved

Psalm 9:18      But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.

When I first became a Christian, I thought that my mission was to ensure that the world was saved. Being born again had such an impact upon me that I wanted other people, my family and friends, to experience the same spiritual awakening and dynamic change. To be saved meant more to me than anything because I knew that without Jesus intervening in my life, I would have ended up as an alcoholic on skid row. Jesus changed my life completely, so I expected that everyone else would want the same.

It’s been almost thirty three years since I have had that wonderful experience and although I am truly thankful for being saved, I now know that it’s not what the Kingdom of God is all about. If that was the case, I could rest upon my spiritual laurels and live the rest of my life without any changes. Being saved is extremely important in the eternal scheme of things, but what I do with that salvation is crucially important with regard to being a saved Christian in the world.

Christ didn’t ask us to become His disciples just to look after ourselves. He called us to God’s Kingdom so that we could go out into the world to right the wrongs, heal the brokenness, and support the needy. Faith is a wonderful gift for the believer, but faithful works are precious gifts to the world. If we think about what’s currently happening in Haiti, we know that the people who are suffering over there don’t need a bunch of Christian groups telling them that they must be saved. Instead, they need to be shown the loving kindness, tender care, and compassion of the Kingdom of God.

The Haitians are looking to survive this terrible catastrophe. As Christians, we can build the Kingdom of God over there through acts of support rather than brow-beating them with the Bible just to add numbers to the ranks of people being saved. This is what makes it crucial to the growth of the Kingdom of God on Earth. Faith alone saves an individual person; faith and good works saves the world.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You are the Savior of the World and the Healer of the Nations. You bring the Kingdom of God into our hearts through our salvation, so that we can take that precious gift out into the world through acts of love and compassion. Help us to do what we can to help the needy, support the poor, and care for the perishing, so that God’s Kingdom may be effective and restorative in the world today. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Teacher Devotions: Making Jesus Angry

Mark 3:5              Jesus looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.

Injustice mixed with religious hypocrisy was the one thing that caused Jesus to get angry.  His Spirit could not abide heartless people who used their faith as a shield to stop them from being charitable or generous. Religious rules and traditions were meant to make people better, but instead they used them as spiritual tax loopholes to circumnavigate the needs of the poor and to block out the cries of the oppressed.

That’s why He got angry in His hometown synagogue. A man with a withered hand, which may have been a form of polio, was in need of a miracle. The pious congregation, especially the clergy, were not looking for Jesus to heal the man. Instead, they were like spiritual vultures waiting to see if Christ would break the Sabbath by working the miracle. They were more concerned about their religious rules than they were for the needs of the sick man. The cripple was being used as a guinea pig to feed the fanaticism of the ‘faithful;’ and this is what angered Jesus.

I’ve read some reports and heard some broadcasters say that we’ve done enough for Haiti over the years with our tax dollars. I even read a statement by a politician who compared giving welfare to the poor to the feeding of stray animals. All I can say to them is this: Christ tells us that the poor will always be with us and we have to do for them whatever we can. Our tax dollars may have helped the people of Haiti in the past, but it’s our charitable dollars that need to do the work now. If we fail to help provide for the least, then as Jesus says elsewhere in the Gospels, we fail to help Him.

As Christians we need to do more than just sit on the sidelines, expecting someone else to give or help. We have to be amongst the first responders in charitable giving and second responders in sustaining the missions that help the poor at home and abroad. If we do this, then both justice and faith will be perfectly combined, just as Jesus did when He actually healed the man’s hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath.

Prayer:                 Lord Jesus, You made us Christians not just for ourselves, but for the sake and welfare of the world. Help us to follow Your compassionate heart and do whatever we can to relieve the suffering of the poor, at home and abroad. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, pleases end him an e-mail to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Helping Haiti: Good News

Mark 1:15            "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

We talk a lot in church about the good news, but do we actually take it to others?

I’m thinking about the horrific devastation that has taken place in Haiti since yesterday and the hundreds of thousands of lives that have been taken away by the terrifying earthquake. It’s one of the poorest countries in the world and it’s right on our front porch. How can we talk about good news in the church when our neighbors are dying in poverty, squalor, and cataclysm?

Our town was raging last night about the sudden departure of our football coach. People were out on the streets of Knoxville angry and furious, feeling betrayed and embittered. This morning our local newspaper has devoted many pages to football. But it’s just a game; the devastating earthquake in Haiti is a disastrous reality.

If we’re actually serious about the good news of the Gospel, then we will mobilize our churches to begin collecting money and supplies for the devastated people of Haiti. The good news that they need right now is to know that they are not isolated in their grief and that they are not cast off by the rest of the world. These people are amongst the poorest on earth and right at this moment we need to stop focusing on our own little problems and insignificant worries. We need to show them compassion and love. We need to embrace them in their darkest time. We need to comfort, support, and rebuild their lives.

This coming Sunday, I’m going to ask our congregation to hold a special offering for the people of Haiti. Our first response will be to send money to buy and ship the supplies, food, and medicine that are desperately needed. We’ll do this through the Presbyterian Disaster Agency so that help can get there quickly. Then we’ll approach the Red Cross and other relief agencies to see what supplies we can gather that will help.

That’s how the good news of Jesus Christ operates. In the midst of death, there is the promise of resurrection. At a time of despair, there is hope.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, what can we do to help Your people in Haiti? How can we show them the good news of Your love? Grant us the focus to use our resources and our money to alleviate as much suffering as we can. Allow us opportunities to restore and rebuild this nation. In Your Holy name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

If you would like to help the Haitian people now, you can give online to the Presbyterian Disaster Agency at the following link: http://www.pcusa.org/give/online/projectSelectAction.do?numberString=DR000064