by J. Randal Matheny

Each society and culture has its own identifying marks. Language, history, values, and world view distinguish one people group from another.

The gospel can reach every group, meeting every need and addressing every concern. The many threads of redemption woven together in a single cord manage to penetrate the thinking and issues of every culture.

So a few weeks ago, I shared with a congregation "The Jesus that Brazil Needs." While each point addressed a feature of Brazilian culture, these truths about the Christ need to resound in every place.

1. Jesus is Lord.

We live in a time and place where, like Israel during the judges, each one does what one thinks best (Judges 21:25). Not only in Corinth is the slogan "Everything is permitted" chanted with enthusiasm (1 Corinthians 10:23).

Saying Jesus is Lord means at least three things:

(a) He has all authority (Matthew 28:18). Authority means obedience is essential (Matthew 7:21; Luke 6:46). We are servants of Christ, or better, his slaves (Romans 6:16-18). And when things get out of hand? Get back to the original word of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:23).

(b) Jesus is our unifier (Ephesians 4:4-6; 6:9). If we all obey him as Lord, we step together. Peter finally woke up to the radical truth that all may come to God through him, making him "Lord of all" (Acts 10:36; cf. Romans 10:12).

(c) Jesus as Lord means we have been given a revelation (1 Corinthians 12:1-3). The Holy Spirit shows who Jesus is and what his Lordship means. So we must always, says Paul, "remember the words [his revelation] of the LORD Jesus" (Acts 20:35).

2. Jesus is power (to save).

Brasil has long awaited the "savior of the country," who will never appear. People feel impotent to change their lives and their own society. And right they are.

Washed with the strongest soap, man still retains his sin (Jeremiah 2:22). Who can say, "I have purified my heart, I am free from sin?" (Proverbs 20:9). No one can even identify his own sins (Psalm 19:12). Nor can anyone redeem his brother (Psalm 49:7-9, 15).

The answer to the disciples' question, "Who then can be saved?" is "No one." "For man this is impossible, but for God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:25-26).

Now, for Jesus to be Savior, he must first be, to us, Lord. The full phrase "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" is found only in Peter (2 Peter 1:11; 2:20; 3:2, 18) and always in this order. The order is important, for it is not the nice sound which dictates that "Lord" is written before "Savior," but theology -- to get into the eternal kingdom, Jesus must first be Lord, must be obeyed (Matthew 7:21-23).

The commandment of God spoken by Jesus to all men "is eternal life" (John 12:50). Not just "means" eternal life, or "brings" eternal life, but obeying the commandment of God (in the age of grace!) is so identified with eternal life that Jesus says the commandment IS eternal life. Hard to get around that one.

Jesus' power to save means he saves completely (Hebrews 7:25). He is ABLE to save. Only he can make it happen. ("Able" is from that Greek word "dunamai" from which we get "dynamite.")

Jesus saves completely, absolutely, in every way, cleansing our past, holding us in the present, guaranteeing our future. He can save everyone in every place, in every time.

Jesus can save the worst: a hated, traitorous publican (Luke 19:9-10); a criminal on death row (Luke 23:40-43); a dogged persecutor (1 Timothy 1:15-17).

Next time, more about Jesus as our fullness, our wisdom, our example.

by J. Randal Matheny

"When our days there were ended, we left and proceeded on our journey; and all of them, with wives and children, escorted us outside the city. There we knelt down on the beach and prayed ..." (Acts 21:5, NRSV)

On his way to Jerusalem, Paul passed through Tyre, staying for only seven days. The disciples of that city gave them a warm send-off accompanying them with their entire families to outside the city, where the travelers boarded ship.

They shared a last prayer, which certainly included thanksgiving to God for their time together and for Paul and company's safety in Jerusalem. Tenderness and love prevailed during this moment, for seven days, as short as they were, built bonds of fraternity and friendship.

Let us remember and give thanks to God for his servants who have blessed us with their presence.

And proceed onward, as did they, with our journey toward the Last Day, when none will be separated ever again.

by J. Randal Matheny

How does the church multiply as it evangelizes and brings people to a knowledge of the truth?

Paul offers a model in 2 Timothy 2:1-15. Here are ten points from the passage.

1. Take care of yourself (vv. 1,15). You can't pass on what you don't have. And when push comes to shove, as it inevitably will, if you don't have a handle on the grace of God, you'll quit.

2. Entrust the gospel to capable men (v. 2). If it all revolves around you, when you are removed from the picture, the work will stop. Multiply efforts by passing on the truth and the responsibility to teach.

3. Share in the suffering (vv. 3,9,10). God works when bad things happen to us. The tough life rewards him who sticks it out.

4. Keep the focus (v. 4). A soldier serves to please his superior officers. Don't get sidetracked into useless discussions (v. 14). Do all, endure all, "for the sake of the elect" (vv. 10-13).

5. Play by the rules (v. 5). Olympic athletes got stripped of medals because they were doped up. Christians lose their reward for stepping out of bounds. We must work "according to the rules."

6. Work hard, really hard (v. 6). The work of the farmer wears him out. Such is the effort necessary to a multiplying church. (See Luke 5:5; Acts 20:35; Romans 16:6,12; Colossians 1:28,29.)

7. Think things through (v. 7). To understand how the Lord wants us to work and produce fruit, we need to ponder over the inspired instructions. Otherwise, we'll use human principles and get human results. God will show us the way when we consider what the Word says.

8. Concentrate on Jesus (v. 8). Everything must revolve around him, both message and methods. It's all based on facts about him, who was real. The New Testament brings us those facts faithfully. Otherwise, we're just blowing in the wind.

9. Free the word (v. 9). It just doesn't matter what our circumstances or limitations are. "The word of God is not chained." No limits to what the Word can do. That's where the power is to convert the hearers.

10. So handle the Word of truth properly (v. 15). Don't shortcut its power by your ineptness. Use it wisely, explain it properly (NRSV), proclaim it clearly and boldly.

No big secrets bar the church of God from multiplying. It's a question of using basic principles, of getting out of a recreation-crazed mode and getting down to work.

by J. Randal Matheny

"Si vis doceri, doce." --Marcus Tullius Cicero

"If you want to learn, teach." Perhaps Cicero's phrase lies behind the adage that no one learns more than the teacher.

Perhaps this was, in part, the Hebrew Christians' problem, when the writer of that letter expressed exasperation over their condition.

"Concerning him [Melchizedek] we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil" (Hebrews 5:11-14, NASB).

They should have been teachers. But they had not learned beyond the basic elements of the faith. Because they had not exercised themselves in more challenging material. They had not taken on the task of knowing and passing on what they knew.

Too many are waiting to learn before they start teaching. Wrong approach! Certainly, one must prepare and know one's subject, but what better way than to accept the challenge of teaching!

James doesn't want to discourage Christians from teaching, but he does tell us to weigh the responsibility. "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment" (James 3:1). Rather than diminish their ranks, he wants to increase the company of qualified teachers. He wants us to get serious with the task of teaching.

The old problem of credit and loans doesn't apply here. How to get credit? Get a loan. But to get a loan you need credit. (Actually, we can do very well living on a cash basis, without loans or credit, but that's another article.)

To learn, start teaching. To teach, start learning.

The dearth of teachers, when it occurs in Christ's church, is not from God's miserliness. It means somebody must be hiding his talent. Or not developing it.

Might that someone be you?

by J. Randal Matheny

Good manners or etiquette is concerned with doing the proper thing in the proper place at the proper time. More important than good manners is right conduct before God. Doing the right thing. This is a part of what the Bible calls justice or righteousness.

The word "just" translates the Greek word "dikaios," meaning "upright, just, righteous" (BAGD). It also includes what is right or correct, applied especially to one's conduct.

In our series on Philippians 4:8, let's think on these five passages that encourage us toward what is just and right.

1. What's just is integrity (Matthew 23:27-38). Jesus condemned the Pharisees and scribes for their hypocrisy, for making themselves appear "just" (our word "dikaios") before the people, but not being right with God on the inside. We must be right with God inside and out, not just for show. Instead of impressing people, we should please God.

2. What's just is making peace (Luke 12:57-59). The Jews were good short-term weather forecasters, but couldn't recognize the Messiah when he came. So Jesus says, "And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?" ("Dikaios" again.) Their "accuser" carrying them to court is Jesus himself. They'd better change their minds (see Luke 13:1-9) before it's too late.

So first of all, being right is making peace with Jesus. Making sure we let him define himself and his mission. Surrender our stubborness and admiting our concept is the wrong one.

Then, that extends itself to others as well. Instead of insisting I'm right (when I may well be wrong), I should be willing to place restoring relationships above winning a point. Especially when I may wind up being the loser and find myself in prison until paying the last red cent (which means never!).

3. What's just is obeying God (Acts 4.19). Before the high Jewish council, Peter and John refused to bow to pressure to quit preaching Jesus. "Whether it is right ("dikaios") in God's sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard."

We had best be concerned with what God thinks is right rather than what man concludes or demands. After all, the Lord will be our final judge, not "mortals, who have only breath in their nostrils" (Isaiah 2:22).

In Acts 4, by obeying God, Peter means continue preaching Christ. The principle applies to ALL God's commandments (see Luke 1:6), but in this context obedience has to do with proclaiming salvation in Jesus' name, even when it's not convenient. That's right!

4. What's just is thinking the best of people (Philippians 1:7). The good Philippian church had stopped sending money to Paul. He was in prison. He could have imagined that they were ashamed of his imprisonment or had decided to apply their funds to a more worthy cause. But no! He believes God will complete their good work of faith.

"It is right ("dikaios") for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God's grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel."

Paul insists on thinking the best about the Philippians, believing, truly, they "had no opportunity to show" their concern for him (4:10).

Like Paul, we might do well (what's just!) to think the best of others' motivations, actions, silences, and words.

5. What's just is honoring the Lord by caring for reputation (2 Corinthians 8:19-21). You don't see these verses read often before the offering. But they apply there and everywhere.

Titus, the "famous brother," and the "tested brother" would accompany Paul and others to take Gentile donations to the needy Jewish churches. Paul's principle is this:

"We intend that no one should blame us about this generous gift that we are administering, for we intend to do what is right (not "dikaios" here, but "kalos"*) not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of others."

Why such extreme caution? Because in the previous verse, Paul explains the reason for "administering this generous undertaking:" "for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our goodwill." He wants to reflect glory and attention to the Lord, and build between Jew and Gentile stronger links of Christian love.

So it is right to care for one's reputation, as a means of recommending the Lord's honor. We don't want any barrier to keep people from glorifying God. The only "obstacle" to getting to God is the cross of Christ. Woe to us if we raise one through our careless actions.

So there's safety in numbers, Paul says, more men to carry the gift mean a greater safeguard to honesty and transparency in ministry. That's a good and just thing for us to think about as well.

These things are just. And these are exactly the type of things we should think about. And do.

*In this context BAGD defines "kalos" as "morally good, noble, praiseworthy, contributing to salvation." Significantly, Moulton and Milligan quote Hort that the term "denotes that kind of goodness which is at once seen to be good."