Grace for the Race

The other day after our service at the Cross, a couple came up to me and asked, “Pastor, what makes a good work good?” In a word, the answer is God. The eighteenth-century pastor and author Abraham Booth provided one of the best definitions I have ever seen when it comes to good works:

To constitute a work truly good, it must be done from a right principle (the love of God), performed by a right rule (will of God contained in the Scriptures), and intended for a right end (the glory of God).

The world is full of people doing “good things” that help many people. The hungry are fed. The naked are clothed. The homeless are given shelter. Yet even though a work benefits another, it is not truly good unless it is being done for the glory of God. It is a Godward motivation that makes a work good, a work rooted in the love of Christ.

And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with whole-hearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.  (1 Chronicles 28:9)

When we are doing good works in an attempt to broker God’s favor and secure His blessing, there is no “good” in that work at all. The work has become all about us rather than God. It is living under the umbrella of legalism: working (serving) to gain favor or avoid consequences. Regardless of how “good” a work might be in the eyes of the watching world, when it is done from a legalistic motive, it is void of anything good, because it becomes all about the one doing the work rather than the One it is to be done for.

Only the truths of the Gospel can free us from self-serving motives and move us to serve our God out of a heart that overflows with thanksgiving for the promised blessings already received through grace. The more deeply we grasp the truths of the Gospel, the more deeply we are able to serve God out of a loving heart that beats to expand God’s kingdom . . . rather than our own.

When we are working to expand the kingdom of God, every work we do is a good work. Every work matters at this level of living, because our hearts have been oriented away from self and toward our Savior. Now when the hungry are fed it is a good work. When the naked are clothed it is a good work. When the homeless are given shelter it is a good work. Everything is a good work when God is in it and the heart behind the work is doing it out of a grateful response to the grace of God that has been poured out in the past and promised in the future.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

On a scale of 0 – 10 (with 0 being “non-existent” and 10 being “breathtaking”), how would you rate your daily experience of the peace of God? If you are like most of us, the number probably fluctuates throughout the entire range as you go through your week. Today’s word of encouragement is dedicated to helping us all crystallize our own “personal peace plan” in order to maximize our daily experience of the peace that passes all understanding that God promises to us in Scripture.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

If you are a student of the Scriptures, you are probably quite familiar with these verses. I certainly have preached on them and prayed through them more times than I can count. Yet how often I still find myself needing to lay hold of this promised peace! How often I find myself being delivered by God’s mercy and still doubting God’s might, as if He cannot handle what I am currently going through. These are the times when I need another dose of Gospel sanity to slay the dragon of doubt.

To be sure, the God who created order and beauty out of chaos can surely meet my need for personal peace, regardless of what I may be facing. And the passage from Philippians provides us all with the only personal peace plan that really works. The key to crushing our anxiety about anything is found in the truths of the Gospel, and not in the bottom of a bottle . . . or a package of pills . . . or the countless other ways we try to dull our distresses in life. That is why we must preach the Gospel to ourselves every day—and not just daily, but moment by moment.

The Gospel frees us, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, to boldly come before the throne of grace and come face-to-face with the living God. He invites us to “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). In Christ we are granted access to the One who created all things and sustains all things; in Christ we are handed the key that unlocks the door leading to the pathway of peace.

Anxious about your finances? Pray with thanksgiving and present your requests to God. Unsettled about your career path? Pray with thanksgiving and present your requests to God. Disillusioned about your parenting? Pray with thanksgiving and present your requests to God. Stressed in your singleness? Pray with thanksgiving and present your requests to God.
Worried about prodigal child? Pray with thanksgiving and present your requests to God.

Overwhelmed by obstacles in your opportunities? Pray with thanksgiving and present your requests to God. Know this: the Bible never tells you what to do (imperatives) without first telling you who you are (indicatives). Going back to the beginning of Paul’s letter to the Philippians we read this:

To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.   (Philippians 1:1-2)

The Bible tells us who we are first before it tells us what to do because the key in doing is found in remembering. God’s personal peace plan is rooted in our remembering who we are “positionally” before we can begin living out His commands “practically.”

You may ask, “What am I to remember about my position?” The answer is that if you have trusted in Christ’s atoning work on your behalf, you are a saint—literally, one who has been set apart for God. You are a child of the Most High God! Remembering that each day will go a long way toward conquering your anxiety . . . and anything else that threatens your peace.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Today we’ll look at a portion of Scripture that is a source of great comfort and encouragement for anyone who is struggling with anything.

The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “O Sovereign LORD, you alone know.”
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. (Ezekiel 37:1-10)

For far too many today, life is being lived in a valley of dry bones, very dry bones. A career that once held great promise has careened out of control because of addiction. A marriage that started in a magical world has ended up in a world of misery because of self-centeredness. A ministry of service that began building a monument to the glory of God has come crashing down in the ruins of everything a man once stood for. Countless careers, marriages, and ministries have become nothing more than a valley of dry bones, very dry bones.
But this is not for you!
The prophet Ezekiel gives us a wonderful word of comfort and encouragement . . . no matter what circumstance we find ourselves in today. You see that the first vision given to the prophet was not a pretty sight “I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley.” Dry, dead bones were scattered everywhere.
On the heels of this desolate picture of death we have the rhetorical question asked by our omnipotent God, “Can these bones live?” The answer we all must give, of course, is a resounding “YES,” for it is God asking the question and it is God who will breathe life into them. And God will breathe life into whatever area of your life is on “life support” right now. He will breathe new life into your struggling career. He will breathe new life into your strained marriage. God will breathe new life into your misaligned ministry of service to Him.
Notice the second vision: “The bones came together, bone to bone.” As of yet, however, there was no breath in them. Imagine what was running through the mind of the prophet when he heard the rattling sound of those dead dry bones coming together, attached by tendons, and being covered by flesh and skin! But the vision did not stop there, because in spite of the miracle of putting the bodies back together again, there was still no life. So God took Ezekiel deeper in to his vision. God told him to prophesy and breath will enter them. Guess what? It did! From his first vision of being surrounded by nothing but dead, dry bones, the prophet now found himself standing in the midst of “a vast army” that God assembled right before his eyes.
Funny thing about God: He seems to enjoy bringing life out of death. He brought life to dead Adam with a breath in his nostrils. He brought life to these dead dry bones. He brought life to Lazarus in the tomb. He brought life to Peter after his denial of the Lord by giving to him a new vision of feeding God’s people. He brought life to Saul on the road to Damascus—Saul, who was dead in his trespasses and sins—and turned him into the apostle Paul.
And God can bring life to you and anything you are facing today that is either on “life-support” or already dead. You have His Word on it! “I am the way and the truth and the life,” He tells us (John 14:6). Now you need only to catch His vision in whatever valley of dry bones you are facing today . . . and watch Him work!
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

The dictionary definition of True North is the singular point from which all things radiate, the direction along the earth’s surface that points toward the geographic North Pole.  If you hold a compass and walk in the direction of the needle pointing north, you are actually approximately 18 degrees west of what is commonly referred to as north.  True North is what we call the North Pole and the needle always points in this direction, which helps your orient yourself in your travels.

True North is a popular navigational term used by sailors and explorers.  The term is also used in the business world in identifying the one true objective that will provide a strong foundation for all strategic decision-making.  Some examples are:

• Provide the absolute best customer service in our industry
• Deliver double-digit returns to the stockholders
• Grow production volumes at double-digit rates

For the Christian, Jesus is “True North,” the singular point from which everything in life is to radiate.  The Bible makes this clear from Genesis to Revelation, and it is beautifully set forth in the following verse:

In him we live and move and have our being.  (Acts 17:28)

Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer, the Author and Finisher of our faith, and He is the only reliable reference point for navigating through the twists, turns, trials, and tribulations of life.  The Lord Jesus Christ is to be the resting place for the needle of our hearts’ deepest desires.  He is to be the fixed reference point for all of life, where all of our decisions are to be rooted and realized.  In Him we live.  In Him we move.  In Him we have our being.

When our “True North” is not in Him, we veer off course, we become disoriented, and we head off in the wrong direction.  When our hearts deepest desire is anything smaller than God, our “True North” becomes that thing.

We all worship something.  Either is it God or it is something smaller than God . . . and anything smaller than God is an idol.  I’m not talking about a statue of wood, stone, or metal.  No, we are far too sophisticated for that.  Anything that holds the affections and desires of our hearts other than God is an idol.  Just a few of these idols are:

• Professional success
• Financial security
• Power
• Applause of man
• Sexual pleasure

The great reformer John Calvin once said, “Our hearts are idol factories!” The list is virtually endless.  The desires of the heart that properly belong to God can be given over to anything.  We make idols out of everything.  We may even make idols out of things you and I would call “good things,” such as our children or our church service. And that is why we need Jesus as our “True North” to fix our focus and orient our lives.  When Jesus is our “True North,” we do not waver when we face that proverbial “fork in the road.”  Instead of wondering which route to take, we simply continue on the path toward Jesus.

One of the best Scriptures for identifying our “True North” objective is Matthew 6:33.

Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

So . . . do you feel like you have been drifting lately?  Spending any time careening from wall to wall?  Get back to your “True North” and you will get back on track.  When we are seeking Jesus and His kingdom and His righteousness first, we will not seek anything else.  Saying YES to Jesus means we are saying NO to everything else.  Living in the light of the truth of “True North” will have us living for the glory of God and the good of others.  Now that is a life that has meaning and purpose . . . a life that is truly worth living.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

I awoke this morning beside my best friend and beloved wife of twenty years—twenty years today!  The time has flown by . . . especially because I have been blessed to spend it with the one I simply can’t imagine being without.  This morning my mind is flooded with memories that fill my heart with unimaginable joy and thanksgiving to the One who brought us together and has seen us through it all.

CHEERS: Kim has been my greatest cheerleader for twenty years.  She has cheered me on, regardless of how the scoreboard read.  Funny thing about remembering the cheers, you would think they would be the loudest when we were ahead on the scoreboard.  But I seem to remember that the loudest cheers from my beloved came when I was behind on the scoreboard.  On those days, when my performance left much to be desired and my effort did not measure up, instead of questions and condemnation, Kim simply kept cheering me on.  Through every foible, fault, and failure, the forgiving cheers of my Kim kept urging me onward.

FEARS: The Bible tells us to “fear not,” but I am a sinner, and the past twenty years have not been without some fears.  I remember the fear that seized me when our firstborn was almost lost to hemorrhaging in the womb early in the pregnancy.  I remember the fear that gripped me when our youngest son had a night of seizures that the doctors could not explain and could not stop.

I remember the fear of failing in business, losing our home, and pawning everything we owned . . . expect our wedding rings.  I remember the fear of starting all over, going back to school, and launching out into ministry. And then just over a year ago, there was the fear of stepping out into the unknown and beginning this church planting journey.

Yet every one of those fears was answered by faith—not mine, but Kim’s.  Oh sure, she dealt with the same fears, but instead of dwelling on her fear, she focused on feeding her faith. Kim modeled the power of the Gospel for me through a life marked by constant prayer.  The road has been long, winding, and bumpy at times, but she has never faltered.

TEARS: Who can count the tears that fall during twenty years of marriage?  Only God knows, for He numbers our tears (Psalm 56:8) and knows our every thought. There have been tears for family . . . tears for friends’ betrayal and friends’ commitment . . . tears for each other . . . tears of sorrow . . . tears of joy.

For me, the most troubling tears are the ones I have caused Kim.  Like a bull in a china shop, I rumbled, bumbled, and stumbled through our early years together, leaving behind a roiling wake of broken promises and unfulfilled dreams.  How often she came looking for her best friend, wanting him only to listen! And instead of meeting her in her place of need, I paraded my utter insensitivity by quickly providing answers to questions she had never asked.

It only got worse when I started my seminary education.   What an “authority” I thought I was becoming! How proficient I was getting at saying “God” in three syllables!  Yet, even through a veil of tears, Kim never wavered as my wife, my best friend, and my partner . . . in sickness and in health . . . in plenty and in want . . . in sorrow and in joy.

Only the grace of God could have carried us through these past twenty years of cheers, fears, and tears.  And only the grace of God poured out into the heart of a Gospel-saturated wife could keep this marriage together and keep making it better and better.

I am a whole lot older and a little bit wiser than I was on that day—March 6, 1993—when Kim and I looked at each other and said, “I do.”  I have learned to read between the lines of our incredible life together and to remember the fact that God gave me two ears and one mouth because He knew I would do well to listen to Kim more than I speak!

“It is not good for the man to be alone,” the Lord said. Two decades of marriage have taught me that I am in no way self-sufficient. God showed me my need for a wife and was gracious to give me the wife I needed.  And those friends who are closest to us know just how true that statement really is! To borrow a line from Hollywood, Kim completes me.

Another twenty years?  Only the Lord knows.  But whatever time He is pleased to give to me with my beloved wife and best friend in all the world, I pray there will be less of me in it and much more of Him.

How I love you . . . my DEAR WIFE!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

I like to cook. Kim and I work as a team in everything we do, including sharing the duties in the kitchen. Much of what we prepare is done from memory, but occasionally we need to break out the cookbook to make sure we have measured out the right amount of ingredients. If I make a mistake on those measurements, I mess up the meal.

There is, however, a measurement mistake that does more than mess up a meal. It messes up your entire life!

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”  (Luke 18:9-14)

In the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, both men measured themselves. The Pharisee made the mistake of measuring himself against other men. His sin was the sin of comparison, rooted in religious pride and self-righteousness.

The tax collector, on the other hand, refused to compare himself with other men. Instead, he examined himself to see how he measured up against God and His standards. When he did, he came face to face with the truth that sets you free: we don’t measure up, and that is why we so desperately need the One who does. His name is Jesus Christ.

Ever wonder why the Pharisee measured himself against robbers, evildoers, and adulterers, and “even . . . this tax collector”? Because he was sure he would measure up against them and come out on top . . . as opposed to measuring himself against Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

So . . . how often do you do the very same thing?

The tax collector refused to measure himself against other men. He knew he stood alone before the judgment bar of the Almighty, and instead of making the measurement mistake of comparing himself against other men, he pleaded for mercy. He understood the deepest truths of the Gospel: it is not about our merit and measuring up. It is only about God’s mercy.

In fact, the tax collector sounded a great deal like the apostle Paul, who referred to himself as “the worst of sinners” in his first letter to Timothy. The literal Greek translation of the tax collector’s prayer is, “Lord, be merciful to me, the sinner!” Did you catch it? The tax collector called himself the sinner. Unlike the proud Pharisee who could not see or sense his own sin, the tax collector was personally, profoundly and painfully aware of his own sinfulness.

It’s important to note the tax collector did not rattle off a long list of his many sins and ask forgiveness for them. Instead, he pleaded for forgiveness, because he knew he was a great sinner and in need of an even greater Savior.

One more thing to reflect on is the honesty of the Pharisee in listing all the “good” he was doing. He really did fast twice a week and tithe. He was very religious, not only in following the letter of the law, but going beyond the letter whenever possible. The problem with the Pharisee was not in what he did, but in what he didn’t do. He did not acknowledge God’s grace in all of his “good works,” but instead took credit for it. He did not see his need for a Savior because he was saving himself.

The tax collector “smote his breast” in repentant sorrow, but the Pharisee thumped his own chest in self-righteous confidence: “I do this,” he purred contentedly, “and I do that.” He had completely forgotten—or perhaps he never knew—that “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

So who do you most closely relate to in the story? The tax collector? Or the Pharisee? How would those closest to you answer? Only when we see ourselves as the tax collector, who believed he was THE sinner, do we begin to understand the Gospel in all of its glory and begin basking in the grace of God.

The next time you inclined to compare yourself with someone else, look up . . . instead of out! Then fall to your knees and thank God for His amazing gift of grace, nailed to a rough cross on Golgotha’s hill a little over 2000 years ago. The One who hung there had your name written on His heart. He became “the sinner” . . . in your stead and in mine. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

On March 3, 2012 we launched Cross Community Church, our church plant in Deerfield Beach. Twelve months later we are overwhelmed by what God has been pleased to do. I write this today simply to utter a heartfelt “THANK-YOU” to so many of you for your faithfulness throughout this past year.
What started as a simple Saturday evening gathering in a rented building (a converted movie theater) has grown into two services (one Saturday evening and one Sunday morning) in an existing church/fellowship facility that God was pleased to give us. When Jesus said He would build His church (Matthew 16:18), He meant what He said! He is building us up at The Cross in every way. And we have Him—and you—to thank for it.
Your prayers . . . your participation . . . your service . . . your “shouting from the rooftops” to everyone you know about what God is doing at The Cross has blessed us beyond what the words in this message could ever convey to you. You are both vital and valuable and a source of great encouragement to my beloved Kim and me.
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:3-6)
Your partnership in the Gospel from the first day of our launch until now has been used by God to reach lost souls, feed hungry sheep, and minister to a hurting city. What God has in store for us I do not know. I do know this: whatever God’s sovereign will for The Cross will be, I am thankful and blessed to have you doing it with us!
Please keep praying that God will continue increasing at The Cross while I continue decreasing. This is His way of expanding the cause of His kingdom. This ministry must never be about a man . . . or even about the preaching of a man. The ministry of Cross Community Church must always be about introducing men, women, and children to Jesus Christ; it is He alone who is the way, the truth, and the life. My prayer is that God will grow me into a pastor known for simply one thing: POINTING OTHERS TO THE PRINCE OF PEACE!
Again, from my heart: thank you for what you have done and are doing to co-labor with us to lift up the name of Christ. Along the way may you be continually blessed by the Best and poured out for the rest!
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

We have all heard about cannibalism—the ritualistic eating of human flesh by another human being. But did you ever hear about Christian cannibalism? If not . . . let the Scriptures explain:

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Galatians 5:13-15)

The apostle Paul is providing us all with a stern warning against Christian cannibalism—biting and devouring one another—which means that we all must act the part of a cannibal from time to time.

So . . . when was the last time you played the role of a Christian cannibal? When was the last time you found yourself as the “main course” on someone else’s plate?

How easy it is for us to bite into the brokenness of another! How quick we are to devour the differences and difficulties in others! The problem of Christian cannibalism is just as prevalent in the church today as it was in the church of Galatia. We bite and devour each other in our marriages. We bite and devour in our friendships. We bite and devour in our associations. Sadly, it is a meal we indulge in far too often and enjoy far too much.

The only cure for Christian cannibalism is to feast on the Gospel. Without daily doses of the Gospel, we eventually find ourselves consuming and being consumed by each other. Only Gospel love liberates us from our natural tendency to feast on our family of faith. Only Gospel love transforms us from biting others to blessing them . . . from devouring others to delighting in them! Only Gospel love will replace a critical spirit with a compassionate soul.

When Christ’s love is the foundation upon which we build our lives, we begin living for the glory of God rather than our own personal gain. We no longer have to make every point. We no longer have to win every argument. We no longer have to try and “fix” everyone around us. We no longer have to lift ourselves up by putting others down. We can simply rest in our redemption, knowing that God is working all things together for the good of those who are His (Romans 8:28) and working to conform all those who are His to the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:29).

And along the way He wants us to feast on the truths of the Gospel—not on each other!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

The next time you find yourself frustrated by failure—either yours or somebody else’s—remember that both of you are still under construction, as Scripture clearly attests:

I am 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 ESV)

To know that God is not finished with us yet is to know an incredibly comforting truth! Until we get to the other side of the grave, we all will be under construction . . . a work in progress . . . and that means we all will make mistakes along the way.

I preached on this text some time ago and my oldest son, Brock, must have paid close attention to it. The next day, as we were working through a “minor” issue that all parents of 16 year-olds go through, Brock reminded me: “Dad, God is not finished with me yet!”

We all need this Gospel-reminder daily. Because God is the One who began the work in us and is also the One who will complete it, we can rest in our redemption, knowing the power for positive change is found in the promise itself, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). What God promised to do—to bring us to completion—He will carry out. Nothing can stop Him. Nothing will get in His way. Now, to be sure, it may not happen the way we expect it to happen or within the time frame we would wish for, but what God began He will most certainly complete!

I think we find this truth easier to swallow when it comes to applying it to ourselves . . . but it is much more difficult to apply to others! All too often the patience we’re willing to lavish on ourselves suddenly turns into impatience when it comes to the lives of others. Or we may lapse into allowing fear to overcome our faithfulness, and we end up becoming a source of tension and discouragement, rather than peace and encouragement. And so we need a daily dose of Gospel-sanity, just like the one the apostle Paul gave to his Philippian brothers and sisters.

Remembering that everyone is under construction is the key to accepting their place in their story, knowing that it is God who is writing it. How freeing to know the pen is in the hand of our God! He alone is responsible for completing what He started. And what He has said, that He will bring about; what He has planned, that He will do (Isaiah 46:11).

The Gospel tells us that the same grace that saves also sanctifies. God does not raise us from death to life by saving grace and then expect us to make progress by the spiritual sweat of our brows. Yes, there is much for us to do along the way to glory. God identifies the “spiritual disciplines” (Bible study, prayer, church attendance, service, etc.) as the means He is pleased to use in completing what He began in us. But we must remember we are not completed by the good things we do; we are completed by the good God who calls us to do them.

Only the Gospel frees us to see ourselves as we truly are—broken and incomplete sinners in daily need of our Savior—as well as seeing all others as they truly are . . . broken and incomplete sinners in daily need of the Savior. We are all under construction!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

There is one thing we all have in common: BURDENS. Everyone who is still breathing is carrying burdens. But we are not called to carry them alone.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)

Here we see a great blessing that can easily be missed: the blessing of shouldering up under the burdens of another. We can be so caught up in our own lives that we miss a ministry opportunity right in front of our noses. How often we are busy being busy and miss the blessing of burden-bearing in the life of someone who truly needs our help.

Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’”  (Luke 10:30-35)

The priest missed it . . . The Levite missed it too . . . But not the Good Samaritan. There are a few remarkable things in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. First, the two characters who should never have missed the blessing of burden-bearing were the priest and the Levite. Both knew the Law of God and what it required of them, yet both of them went out of their way to keep from helping someone in great and obvious need.

Next we find the person least likely to respond appropriately (that is, biblically) was the Samaritan. Samaritans were a mixed race (unlike the priest and the Levite who were the pure descendants of Abraham) and they were generally despised by the Jews.

To the priest, the injured man was problem to avoid. To the Levite, the injured man was an obstacle to get past. But to the Samaritan, the injured man was a person to come alongside of and shoulder up under the weight of his burdens. The priest missed the blessing; the Levite missed the blessing; but the Samaritan received the blessing of burden-bearing in the life of a complete stranger, treating him like a neighbor.

Let’s take a look at the conclusion our Lord drew from this story:

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “go and do likewise.”  (Luke 10:36-37)

The ultimate burden-bearer was the Lord Jesus Christ. He bore the impossible burden of the Law’s demands. He bore the horrific burden of the Cross. He bore the unimaginable burden of the wrath of Almighty God. And He bore these burdens for you. Jesus gave us the perfect model of burden-bearing and made sure there is no confusion about how we are to view His model. He told us: “Go and do likewise.”

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!