Teacher Devotions: Real Results

1 Corinthians 9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?

Podcast version here:

The apostle Paul went through some really tough times. Apart from being persecuted and hunted down by his enemies, he was also heavily criticized by members of the churches that he had established and developed. It must have been hard for him to receive such complaints, especially when he believed that the Corinthian church’s strength had much to do with his own work for the Lord. I guess that they must have forgotten how much they owed to Paul for bringing them out of obscurity and into the light of steady growth.

This passage makes me wonder what are the results of our own work in the Lord? How many people have been blessed or touched by our words and acts of Christian faith? If we were to take the faith component out of each of our lives, what kind of gaps would there be? We will probably never know, but it is perhaps something that we each should personally ponder: how effective and influential is my faith? What are the results of my work in the Lord?

Yesterday, I received an email out of the blue which touched my heart and reminded of the importance of this devotional work that I do for the Lord. I’d like to share the email with you. I’ve left the spelling and grammar uncorrected because I want you to experience the email the way I did.

Dear Sir John Stuat,

Thank you for your message in Hebrews 10:33 which conforted me

I have read this in Uganda/ Africa having fled my country due to insecurity but am alive with my wife and children now refugees many things have been destroyed but we were not distroyed.

God bless you

Kakule Kisunzu

I do not know who Kakule Kisunzu is, but I am both humbled and delighted that something I wrote a while back has helped him and his family. To me, that is a wonderful result in this work that I try to do for the Lord.

So the question for all of us is this: what are the results of our work in the Lord?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, through Paul’s ministry You have reminded us that our faith is not something that we keep to ourselves. As Christians we are meant to share Your teachings and influence others to come to You. May we take the opportunities that You give us each day to reach out to those who do not know You. May we also see the results of our work in You. 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.

Teacher Devotions: Peer Pressure

(It's getting harder to preach the Gospel these days - even in the Church, of all places!)

Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by whom we must be saved.”

Podcast version here

I’m having a tough time relating to my peers. It’s always been hard because I didn’t go to an American seminary, so I’ve no class fellowship to identify or connect with. I also was brought up in old-school Presbyterianism, so my Scottish Calvinist background doesn’t help me get close to my progressive Presbyterian associates.

At times, I feel like a fish out of water and I wonder if my family and I would have been better staying in Scotland. And then I remember that I am called by God to be here, so there must be a reason that I am constantly crying in the wilderness and feeling out of place.

I’m a Gospel preacher by trade. I owe everything to Jesus and because of that I’m not willing to give up on His ways, His teaching, or His Lordship. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not perfect by any means, but I believe that Christ is. And I fervently believe that everything which the Old & New Testament reveal about Christ is completely true, unchangeable, and unarguable.

There’s a lot of pressure put on Christian people to give up part of their beliefs by equating Christ with Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius, or even Krishna. Religious people are all part of one theological soup that tastes of God. The Gospels are just another batch of sacred documents which tell us tales about a great teacher called Jesus. Other religious documents from all over the world are supposed to be just as insightful, instructive, and important about showing us how to find God.

I’ve even got peers, who are Presbyterian pastors, who don’t believe in the Resurrection, nor do they think the Gospels are trustworthy. They follow their own path and sadly they take other people with them down a dead end.

When Peter the fisherman stands up fearlessly in front of the Sanhedrin and boldly declares that “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by whom we must be saved,” I believe him. He’s just a fisherman from Galilee, putting his life on the line, and courageously preaching the Gospel. He’s out of place in Jerusalem. He’s crying out for Christ in a theological wilderness. He’s declaring the divine truth and does not care what his peers, elders, and leaders believe. Peter has given his life, heart, and soul to Christ. He can do nothing else but preach the Gospel.

I choose to be like Peter because I want to serve the Lord. I will always preach the Gospel because I truly love Jesus. And whether my pastoral peers like it or not, I will keep the New Testament Christ in my heart because I know of no other Name through whom humanity can be saved.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we live in troubled times and the Church is causing a lot of trouble for herself by mincing Your words and devaluing Your truth. Help us to get back on the right track. Grant us the courage to remain loyal to You and to the Gospels that reveal Your ways, Your words, and Your holy works. In Your sacred Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment upon today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org. Please feel free to forward this message to your friends.

Teacher Devotions: No Favoritism

Acts 10:34, 35 Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.

It’s a problem for every generation of Christians. How does God treat and judge those who do what is right, but have no knowledge of Jesus? Are they lost forever, or does God give them credit for being good people?

Over the years, I have struggled and wrestled with this. Scripture is absolute when it states that those who believe shall be given everlasting life, whereas those who have no belief shall perish (John 3:16-18). In our cosmopolitan and pluralistic society, those words of John seem to be unacceptable, archaic, and out of touch with the real world. And yet, they were written at a time when the world was just as cosmopolitan and pluralistic as it is today.

When I read Peter’s words this morning, I thought that they might provide the loophole that most of us look for when dealing with this subject. ‘God shows no favoritism’ - not even to Christians? ‘God accepts men from every nation, who fear him and do what is right’ – does this not validate that God accepts all of those who try to do good, no matter what they believe? On the surface, it appears to be that way.

And then, just when I think this serious issue is resolved, Peter adds something to the equation: “You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.”

Knowledge of God’s message and the good news (Gospel) of peace through Jesus Christ is required. Universalism is therefore not the answer – knowing Jesus is.

People say that Christianity is dying out and they clutch at straws about salvation. However, there are more Christians in the world today than at any time in the history of our faith. Christ’s message is expanding and more people are being saved each day. The world may cling to its own understanding, but the Christian faith has never altered its message: those who know the Lord will know salvation.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, today there will be many people throughout the world who will turn to You and believe. They will set aside their fears and place their faith in You. They will give up on their doubts and give themselves to you. Thank You for increasing the number of Christians on Earth each day. Help us to do whatever we can to bring other people to You. 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: Mardi Gras or Mighty Grace?

Psalm 97:12 Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise His Holy Name.

Today is Shrove Tuesday and usually our church gathers this evening for a Pancake Supper. It’s a great time of food, fellowship, and fun. Pancakes and sausages are served to our families, and then we have a sing-along. We often sing old spirituals like ‘O When the Saints,’ ‘Down By the Riverside,’ and ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.’

I love the party atmosphere at the church and I think it’s a much better tradition than the brazenness of Mardi Gras parades and Fat Tuesday fiascoes that take place all over the world. People go overboard and turn the whole celebration into a drunken orgy, instead of taking time to gather together for one last community meal before Lent begins.

A lot of Christians ignore the feast because of the all night partying that is sadly associated with it, but I believe that our families and kids should get the opportunity to experience the religious side of the celebration and show that faith can be full of fun.

Wherever you are today, take time to praise God for the life we have, the food we eat, the friends we know, the families we love, and the faith that we cherish. Mardi Gras then becomes a feast of Mighty Grace, which is something more worthwhile and everlasting than anything that New Orleans, Rio, or anywhere else has to offer this day.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank You for this day of celebration where we cast off our sins and look forward to Your coming sacrifice. We praise You for the forty days of faith that begin tomorrow with Ash Wednesday and end on Easter. Help us to prepare our hearts and homes to welcome You as our Resurrected Savior and Everlasting Lord. 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.