Monthly Archives: June 2010

Today is the first of a 3-part message on Treasure Hunters.  The adventure film National Treasure has been a favorite of mine since I first saw it in 2004.  It is loosely based on the myth of a secret code inscribed on the back of the Declaration of Independence by its signers.  The deciphering of this secret code would lead the treasure hunters, led by Ben Gates (Nicholas Cage), to the discovery of a fantastic collection of treasure that had been protected and passed down by the Knights Templar and Freemasons for centuries. 

I am convinced that films like National Treasure and the hugely successful “Indiana Jones” series are so popular because they connect the viewer with the “treasure hunter” inside of all of us.  If, indeed, we are all treasure hunters, the question that must be asked and answered is: “What kind of treasure are we spending our lives to discover?”

Jesus cautioned His disciples, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).  In this brief but penetrating passage, Jesus sets forth four powerful truths that relate to treasure hunting.  Today we will confine our focus to the first truth.

TRUTH #1

The first truth is found in the fact that, yes, everyone is a treasure hunter.  Jesus does not leave room for any other option.  He assumes treasure hunting as a mark of all humanity.  Anything of value is a treasure, and we are all seeking value.  It may be the value of a certain amount of income.  Perhaps it is a style of living that indicates you have “made it.”  Maybe it is a position of power and prestige in your company, community, or church.  In his book, A Quest For More, Paul Tripp writes, “If I watched the video of your last year, what treasure would I conclude you’re after?”     

So, what is the answer to this penetrating question?  What is the confession of your treasure hunting life?  Take some time to prayerfully consider both your personal and professional life and check back in on Wednesday for our second truth…

We have all heard the phrase “Coming to Christ.”  Rightly understood, we realize that it is the enabling grace of God that calls us to come to Christ.  “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him,” Jesus said. “And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44).  By nature, we will always choose our own way of salvation and not the way of salvation through Christ.  Our minds are too fickle, our hearts are too hard, and our wills too stubborn.  It is only by a supernatural work of God’s grace that anyone comes to Christ and receives the gift of eternal life.  Salvation is all of grace, from beginning to end.

We have all heard the phrase “Going for Christ.”  Rightly understood, we must realize that this too is the enabling grace of God.  Without the same enabling grace that raised us from death to life, we would always choose to go our own way.  We would go where we want to go, when we want to go, and get there in the way we think best.  Without grace, we would be going for ourselves and for the advancement of “the kingdom of one,” in which we consider ourselves to be the sovereign ruler, lawgiver, judge, and jury.  So whether we are coming or going for the glory of Christ, it is because of God’s grace that is at work within us. Paul confirms this in the following verses:

COMING:   “To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:14). 

GOING: “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). 

As Christians, we should be every bit as comforted as we are challenged to grow into the person God is calling us to be, knowing that it is all of grace.  Yes, we strive, but we strive in His strength.  Yes, we work, but we work in His wisdom.  Yes, we participate, but we participate in His power.  In His strength, His wisdom, and His power we are able to engage in the advancement of His kingdom with all the joy and confidence imaginable.  If God began this work in our coming to Christ, and it is all of grace even after we are saved, we can rest assured that God will complete His work in our lives, providing all the grace we need in our “going” for Christ wherever He sends us.  Paul wrote that we can be “sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

It is important to understand that “going” for Christ is not synonymous with foreign missionary work—as important as that work is in advancing the cause of Christ.  Think mission right where you are:  mission in marriage; mission in the marketplace; mission in the mundane;  mission in every ministry you have been called to serve in—right where you are!  This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

I have been a coach for more than twenty years and currently serve as the middle school baseball coach for Westminster Academy. I understand the importance of practice.  Contrary to the old homily, practice never makes perfect, but it certainly helps make progress!  There is an important principle regarding practice which we attempt to instill in the minds of the players: the way we practice will determine how we perform in the actual game. An individual or team who practices in a lackadaisical manner will not suddenly transform into a focused, powerful champion when the actual game begins.

What is true in the practice of sports is also true in the practice of spirituality—what we might call practicing the presence of God.  The way we practice the presence of God will determine how we perform in the life God has called us to live.   

Paul made this crystal clear when he wrote, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14).  Practicing the presence of God begins and ends at the cross.  It is at the cross that we find the meaning of life, the message of life, and the Master of life.  And because practice never makes perfect, we must continuously return to the foot of the cross, where grace renews us for practicing the presence of God.

So, what does it really look like when we are practicing the presence of God?  In the words of Jack Miller, we are to “preach the gospel to ourselves every day.”  This is the most important discipline in practicing the presence of God.  Sinners are the only ones in need of the Gospel.  So preaching the gospel to ourselves every day continually reminds us of two incredibly important truths:

1. We are sinners.  Even the good works that we do are so stained by our sin as to be nothing more than “a polluted garment” in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6).

2. Our sins are forgiven.  When you practice the presence of God by preaching the Gospel to yourself daily, you reinforce this glorious truth, that God has removed our sins from us “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12).  This gives you both the permission and the power to go on.  Only sinners who know they have been forgiven can continue practicing the presence of God, even in the presence of our own sin. Practice was never intended to make perfect on this side of the grave, only progress.  This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT…AMEN!