The Heaton File

I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true. (3 John 1:9-12)

Two Kinds Of Church Members

The early church faced internal problems because the human spirit would not submit to the will of Christ. Luke traces the origins and history of the church in the Acts of the Apostles, including the many problems it faced. The Jerusalem church dealt with prejudice and neglect against the Greek widows, and then the shocking news of the death of Ananias and Sapphira, who lied to God and were struck dead. Certain men came down from Judea to Antioch, teaching that circumcision was necessary for salvation, causing no small stir among the churches. Paul’s letters to the churches addressed problems of carnality, sexual immorality, false doctrine, submission to government, disputes over doubtful things, abuse of the Lord’s Supper, and a host of challenges the early church faced.

There were problems in the church because the body of Christ is made up of sinners. What hindered the work of the Lord were those members who were carnally minded, seeking their own wills rather than submitting to the will of the Lord. Such was the case when the apostle John writes to a fellow saint named Gaius. It seems that in the church where Gaius was a member, there were problems with a member named Diotrephes. This man loved to have preeminence among the saints, making false claims against men like the apostle John and casting out some members of the church. His actions were full of deceit and maliciousness. Diotrephes ran the local church as if it were his own group of saints.

John asks Gaius not to allow the ungodly example of Diotrephes to influence the work of the church. The malicious character of Diotrephes should not be allowed to guide the spirit of the church. John exhorts Gaius to follow the examples of good people among the brethren, especially the example of a saint named Demetrius. His example was that of goodness and kindness. The example of wicked men shows themselves to be wicked, and the example of good men shows themselves to be good men. John wants the brethren to look to the good examples among them and to imitate their lives as they imitate Jesus Christ. Demetrius was a model of seeking the higher calling of God’s will with humility. Diotrephes was an example of carnality and worldliness.

Many congregations have members like Diotrephes who try to impose their will on others for their own glory. Men like Demetrius are quiet workers doing the work of the Lord with little fanfare. The church was bought by the blood of Jesus. Headship of the church belongs only to Christ. No man should think the church belongs to him. The early church faced the challenges of members who were examples of ungodliness and those who were godly. John exhorted the saints to seek out those who gave good examples of faith and fidelity and to follow their example. He warned them against following men like Diotrephes, as both will fall into the ditch. Paul asked the saints in Corinth to imitate him as he imitated the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the only model of following another man’s example. The example of a godly man reflects the glory of God. That is the example that leads to righteousness.

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. (Mark 16:9-11)

They Forgot What Jesus Said

The resurrection of Jesus should not have surprised the eleven. In the final year of His ministry, Jesus told the apostles that He was going to Jerusalem, where He would be handed over to the Romans, who would kill Him, but that He would rise on the third day. He told them this on numerous occasions. On one occasion, Peter was so upset about the Lord speaking of His suffering in Jerusalem that he took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him. How dare Jesus suggest He would suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed? What the eleven did not hear was how often Jesus said He would be killed and rise on the third day.

Listening is more than hearing words. Understanding what is being said requires paying attention to the message. Thomas was one of the apostles who understood more of what Jesus was teaching than the others. When Peter told Jesus he would lay down his life for the Lord, Jesus told Peter that in a short time the emboldened apostle would deny Him three times before the rooster would crow. Jesus tells Peter not to be troubled by what the Lord was saying because the will of the Father was for the Son to give His life to prepare the way of salvation. The Lord tells the eleven that He must go away, and they should know where He is going. It was then that Thomas told the Lord they did not understand and wanted to know more.

The arrest, trial, and crucifixion came as a shock to the eleven. On the evening of the day Jesus rose from the dead, ten of the apostles were gathered in a house with the doors shut for fear of the Jews. They were crying and mourning the death of Jesus, fearful of reprisals; the mob of Jews who cried for the death of Jesus would do the same to them. When Mary Magdalene burst in the door telling them Jesus was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna, and Salome, had been to the tomb and found it empty. Peter and John inspected the tomb and found it empty. The women’s report seemed to the apostles like idle tales, and they did not believe them.

Jesus told the apostles He would die and rise on the third day, but they did not realize what they were witnessing was the fulfillment of that promise. They forgot the words of Jesus, causing them to disbelieve. The miracles of Jesus proved He was the Son of God. Jesus brought Lazarus from the dead after four days. This should be the testimony that if Jesus could raise the dead, God would make a way to raise His only begotten Son from the grave. The proof was in the word of God. Forgetting what Jesus said led to a lack of faith in God’s promises. They relied on their own understanding and wisdom to understand how Jesus was crucified and how, according to those who saw Him, He was alive.

Jesus was alive because His word testified to the Father’s will. Faith comes from hearing the word of God, but hearing is not just about making a sound. It requires a deep understanding of what Jesus is saying, remembering the words of God, and accepting them as truth. The word of God is truth. Hosea, the prophet, declared that Israel’s fall was because the people lacked knowledge. The apostles would believe when Jesus stood before them, and the following week Thomas would see his Lord face to face. Jesus reminds the eleven that the ones who are blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Trust the word of God. Do not forget the promises of God. God can’t lie. If Jesus said He would rise on the third, the eleven should have been looking for Him. It was Jesus who found them. Praise God.

And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Mark 8:31-33)

The Mind Of Man Is Not The Mind Of God

Peter was an impetuous person with an independent streak of stubbornness that often put him at odds with Jesus’ purpose and mission. As a disciple of the Son of God, Peter was deeply devoted to Jesus’ work. There were few disciples as loyal as the man called Simon. He was a fisherman who spent many hours at his craft in harsh, challenging places, trying to provide for his family. Fishing was a job requiring courage, tenacity, and a hardened spirit. Peter was all of those and more. Few of those who followed Jesus could grasp the full meaning of His work. Much of what Jesus came to do was hidden from the minds of men. Many disciples thought Jesus would restore the kingdom of God to Israel.

In the final year of His ministry, Jesus spoke openly about the fulfillment of His mission. He had only been preaching for a little over two years when the language changed to the message of the suffering Servant. Jesus began to teach the multitudes that He would suffer many things in the coming months. He would be betrayed into the hands of His enemies, and they would kill him. They would mock Him, scourge Him, and spit on Him, and be delivered to the Gentiles (Romans) to be put to death. The disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying and were afraid to ask Him. Peter decided to take matters into his own hands because it was obvious to him that Jesus did not know what He was talking about.

Earlier, Jesus had asked His disciples who men said that He was. Peter had proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, and Jesus commended Peter for his bold declaration. Soon after, when Jesus began to teach them that He would suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, Peter took it upon himself to take Jesus aside from the other apostles and openly rebuke Him. The scene could not have been of any greater parallels. Peter, an apostle of Jesus who just declared that Jesus was the Son of God, a divine being proven to be the Messiah by the miracles, signs, and wonders; and Jesus, standing off to the side, being berated by one of His disciples that He did not know what He was saying.

Peter was reprimanding Jesus for talking about His suffering from the Jewish leaders, and that Jesus did not know what He was talking about and should stop telling the other disciples such things. Man telling God that God does not know what He is doing. Peter forbade Jesus from talking like that. Where did Peter find such boldness to openly rebuke and challenge the word of God in the face of the one he declared to be the Son of God? Jesus answered the question when He turned to the other disciples and rebuked Peter in their presence. What Peter was doing was trying to tell God how to do His work. It seemed that Peter knew better how to do the Lord’s work than the Lord.

The failure of religion has always been when men think they know better than God. Biblical history is filled with those who decided they knew better how to accomplish the will of the Lord than the Lord Himself. They all failed. The problem with modern church theology is that men reject the word of God for their own wisdom, apparently because God does not understand the contemporary mind or what people long for. Communities are filled with churches of various faiths, beliefs, and practices because people want to worship God in ways that suit them. It is as if religious leaders, like Peter, take God off to the side and rebuke Him for not understanding the modern mind. It does not matter what the word of God says. What matters is what the hearts of men believe.

Peter failed his Lord that day because he was mindful of what he thought was the best course of action for Jesus. The Lord firmly rebuked Peter in the presence of others to show Peter and the rest of the disciples that there is one word, one faith, one Lord, and one way. If the religious world does not wake up to the reality of the unity of the faith under the banner of one Lord, they will perish in their ignorance and lead the masses to an eternal perdition. Human wisdom can never trump the wisdom of God and be successful. Let anyone beware who decides to tell God He does not know what He is doing.

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ‘ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:16-21)

The Challenge Of Prosperity

Success can breed contempt. One of the great challenges to faith is the spirit of accomplishment. When the heart becomes satisfied, believing that everything in life has been gained, the need for God can begin to fade. Materialism replaces the Lord. Success highlights the individual’s accomplishments. When the heart is in a state of satisfaction, there is a temptation to forget God, deny His blessings, and become spiritually blind to all that God has provided. Faith becomes choked by the things of the world rather than living for the glory of God. The heart believes the soul is fully satisfied and life will never change. This is a tragic mistake.

When Israel was about to cross the Jordan and possess the land of Canaan, Moses warned the people about the challenges of success. God had given the land to Israel forty years earlier, but the people were fearful and did not trust God. He punished them for forty years. A new generation now stood at the border of the promised land, anxious to conquer and possess the land. Canaan was described as a land flowing with milk and honey. A land with brooks of water, fountains, and springs with fields of wheat, barley, vineyards, fig trees, and pomegranate, a land of olive oil; a land in which they would never go hungry. Moses warned that in their season of success, they would forget the Lord by failing to keep His commandments, judgments, and statutes.

Seeking greater faith is often more challenging in times of success than in times of persecution. History has borne the wisdom that the church is stronger under persecution than under freedom and prosperity. The reason is clear: success can lead to apathy. Moses warned the people they would forget God, and they did. Life became so bountiful that faith turned toward the cares of the world instead of trusting in the care of the Lord.

Jesus told the parable of a rich man who prospered greatly. The ground yielded plentifully, and the man did not have barns big enough to store his crops. God blessed the man with a prosperous harvest. Instead of giving God the glory and using the crops to share with others, the greedy man desired to keep the blessings of God to himself. He decided to build greater barns to store all his crops and goods. He thought he had many years left on earth to enjoy the fruits of his labor. He was a fool. His barns were never built. The abundance of his crops never made it to the barn. Everything he had held on so tightly was lost the night he died. His treasure was in the things of the world. He was not rich toward God.

Faith must be found when the days are good and bad. There should be no seasons of faith. Faith must be resilient whether facing persecution or enjoying peace. Seeking greater faith may require greater effort when the days of prosperity come, because the heart is drawn away from God. In the parable of the sower, it was the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches that choked the ground with thorns. There is no productivity in lives filled with worries about life and the belief that happiness comes from the things of this world. That is a fool’s errand and a fool’s end.

When the days of success come, remember from whom all blessings come. Abraham and Job were immensely successful men, but their faith rested in the word of God. When all was taken from Job, his faith remained in the God who had given him everything. He accepted good from God, and he accepted adversity. In all things, he could only bless the name of the Lord. He did not sin nor charge God with wrong. His season of success did not cause him to forget God. When he lost everything, he did not forget God. Be thankful. Do not forget God in seasons of success.

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. (Philippians 3:13-15)

Faith Struggling With Motivation

The root of motivation is the word motive, “That which causes one to act.” Faith and motivation are keenly connected because faith can falter under pressure, and the desire to act can be difficult. Satan constantly seeks to discourage and dissuade the loyal heart from serving the Lord. When a spirit of apathy enters the heart, the zeal for knowledge, grace, love, and obedience diminishes, and if left unaddressed, can devastate the soul. A lack of faith can come from a lack of motivation. When the cares of the world overwhelm the spirit, a feeling of despair can arise that hinders the soul from acting. Motivation is a crucial ingredient in faith that helps us maintain it through difficult days and challenging times.

The challenge to one’s faith is never-ending. It is exhausting facing the wiles of the devil every day, and he will not give up. His relentless pursuit of deceiving the heart is a constant battle that must be fought in the trenches of God’s promises, which He cannot lie about, and for which victory is assured. The motivation to carry on through thick and thin inspires the heart to trust in the Lord. Abraham was told to leave his family and go to a place the Lord would show him. He did not know where he was going. Every morning, Abraham arose and moved his family a little further down the road as he made the journey to where God was taking him. His motivation stemmed from his faith in God’s promises. It took twenty-five years to realize the promise of a son. His motivation kept his faith alive.

Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers as a teenager. He faced harsh conditions and humiliating experiences, but he never gave up his faith in God. When the wife of Potipher falsely charged him, he did not give up on the Lord. His motivation was to see through whatever God had in store for him. It would be twenty-two years before he realized the meaning of his dreams. His motivation was to trust in the will of the Lord. Because of his faith, he came to realize God’s plan in his life. Daniel and his three friends were taken as prisoners to a foreign land. They did not let the circumstances of their lives determine the motivation of their hearts. Everything they did was motivated by trusting in the Lord to deliver them.

Jesus lived with a strong motivation to serve His Father. He faced many obstacles in His faith, but He always trusted in the will of the Father alone; not his own. The proper motivation is established in faith by trusting that God is right and His will must be followed to receive the blessings of the Father. In the book of Hebrews, the chapter on faith showcases the motivation of people like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, and many others, who gained victory in the face of persecution. Many saints had trials of mockings, scourgings; they were stoned, slain with the sword, and made to wander the earth as vagabonds. What was their motivation? The same as all the faithful. They were motivated by God’s promises.

Seeking greater faith can pose a challenge to the motivation to persevere. There is no greater reward for the people of God to endure till the end, never give up hope, be found faithful unto death, and in the words of Winston Churchhill, “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.” The motivation of faith is to trust in the Lord with all your might and never give up. Remain faithful. Serve the Lord.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:9-10)

Doing Good For Others

The life of a Christian can be exhausting through the trials of temptation, discouragement, and ridicule of the world against a character of righteousness. Jesus described the life of a disciple as one that must bear a cross daily. This can be overwhelming. There are times of discouragement when opposition to doing good fills the heart, and the desire to give up arises. Doing good does not always bring a good reward. The world cannot see the value of living a righteous life. Living in holiness, sharing kindness with all men, is ridiculed. The Christian is a model citizen who obeys the laws of the land, seeks the welfare of his neighbor, and does good things for all men, and faces criticism and disapproval from the world. Feelings of discouragement can overwhelm the soul.

Every Christian should remember that the discouragement they feel is nothing compared to how they treated Jesus Christ. As the Lord faced the reality of the cross, He told the eleven that if the world hated Him, the world would hate them. Luke writes in the Acts of the Apostles how the apostles were warned not to teach in the name of Jesus; they were beaten, and the enemies of God stoned Stephen to death. Did this stop the work of the faithful of God? Even when Saul of Tarsus mounted a fierce persecution of the early church, the saints went everywhere preaching the word. They did not grow weary; they continued to preach and teach about Jesus Christ.

The challenge of losing heart is forgetting that if one keeps the faith and continues to do good, they will reap in time. It may not seem apparent at first, but the fruits of their labor will be evident. People of God must be people of action who, when opportunity presents itself, will do good to all. This is especially important for people of God to do good to their brethren. A higher calling is for the saints to look out for their brethren as a higher calling of duty and obligation. The reason this relationship is higher is because of the shared experience in the blood of Christ. Doing good to the household of faith shows the Father how much His children love and care for one another.

God wants His children to do good to all men, and He especially wants His children to look after one another. The life of the Christian is one of action. There is no room for a lazy spirit neglecting the needs of others. If a brother or sister in Christ is in need and their brethren will not provide for their needs, it brings shame to the family of God and to the name of Christ. There is no need to get discouraged if the hand of diligence is helping others. The world may not understand the spirit of benevolence in the heart of the Christian, but through their good deeds, they will shine as a light in a dark place. Instead of neglecting others, the child of God will show love to all.

Do not grow weary and stay busy. There is much work to be done. Doing good shows a heart of compassion for the needs of others. The harvest of doing good will come one day if discouragement is not allowed to hinder doing good for others. Opportunities abound to do good to all. The Christian must be especially busy in helping those in the kingdom of God. God wants those in His household of faith to take care of one another. Be blessed by doing good. For this, God is well pleased.

I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. (John 14:30)

Having The Mind Of Christ

Jesus knew the cross was His only way back to the Father. Judas has left to betray Jesus to the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees, and the Lord takes the remaining eleven apostles to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. His mind is resolved to finish the mission He came to carry out for the redemption of all mankind. There is no doubt what He must do. His mind is firmly grounded in pleasing the Father. The suffering on the cross will be intense as He knows the nature of crucifixion and what He must endure. Before leaving the upper room, He tells His disciples, in language couched in mystery, that Satan is coming, but nothing the adversary can do will change the mind of the Son of God.

The resolution of Jesus is incredibly strong. Rooted in the obedience to His Father and His willingness to lay down His life for sinful man, Jesus is resolute within His heart, soul, and mind that nothing will sway Him from carrying out the will of His Father. Satan is a powerful force to reckon with, and the path to resurrection will be an incredible journey of suffering, denial, and pain. Jesus firmly resolves in His heart that nothing will keep Him from His appointed place as the sacrificial Lamb of God. The devil will try his best to shake Jesus. God could provide twelve legions of angels to protect His Son if only Jesus would beckon the call. He refuses. When the soldiers bring Jesus to the cross, they offer him a mild anesthetic to calm the pain, and Jesus refuses it. The mind of Jesus is completely established in the love of His Father to endure whatever the world will do to Him. There is nothing that will change His mind.

Facing the horrors of crucifixion and showing humility and grace in the face of torment is the example of Jesus, who placed His mind on doing the will of the Father regardless of His circumstances. The eleven apostles do not know what is about to happen, so the words of Jesus will not impact them until later. Rising to leave the upper room, Jesus makes a statement of commitment that He goes to battle the great dragon of wickedness, but that nothing will change His mind from His appointed destiny. Jesus tells the eleven that Satan has nothing in Him to dissuade His heart from accomplishing the will of His Father. He walks out of the door and into the Garden of Gethsemane with a heart fully committed to die for the world and redeem sinful man from sin.

The example of Jesus has been left for His disciples to learn the same discipline of having a firm mind to commit to the will of the Father, regardless. Serving in the army of the King of kings takes a resolution of one who is willing to be crucified for Jesus. Throughout His teachings, Jesus emphasized that no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. Service to God required the heart, soul, mind, and body to be fully committed to the word of the Lord. Jesus did not come to bring peace but a sword, which would divide a father from his son and a daughter from her mother. The gospel of Christ is a militant stand for righteousness, requiring a committed mind that Satan cannot sway.

Fighting against the wiles of the devil is a formidable task. It is not something done by the faint of heart. Jesus faced the cross with the attitude that Satan had nothing in Him. Facing the daily cross-bearing of being a Christian demands an attitude of the heart that Satan will not have his way in the heart of God’s people. Every defense needed to protect the heart is in place to keep the dragon away. Having the mind of Christ is resolving that Satan will have no part in the life of the child of God. There is no room for any part of Satan. That is an individual choice. Yell at Satan directly in his face: “You have no part in my life.”

And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:13-14)

Asking In His Name

Prayer is the attempt by man to approach a holy and awesome God who has allowed His creation to petition Him. Only through the grace and mercy of God is man allowed into the presence of the Almighty. Prayer is the humbling experience of dust standing before its Maker. There is nothing in the arsenal of human wisdom that can boast itself against the favor of the Lord God, Jealous, and I AM. Prayer is a privilege of a humble heart. Jesus taught His disciples to pray with honor given to the Father. His name must be hallowed in reverence to the sanctity of prayer with the authority of the King of kings and Lord of lords. The Son of God taught His disciples to ask whatever they needed in His name that the Father may be glorified in the Son. When prayers are framed in the name of Jesus, the divine will is accomplished.

Prayer is a learned experience that must be taught to understand the honor of seeking the Almighty’s favor. It is not a casual conversation with a fishing buddy or a ‘slap-on-the-back, good-buddy’ kind of chat. When men approach without revering the name of the Father, they do a disservice to the holiness of God. Praying without seeking the blessings in the name of the Son of God dishonors what Jesus came to accomplish. He is the Lord and Christ who died for the sins of the world. Not everyone can approach God in prayer seeking His divine blessings. All spiritual blessings are found in Christ Jesus, and if someone is not in Christ, they cannot seek the blessings of the Divine. If a man approaches God without honoring Christ, they fail to honor God.

Jesus taught that prayer is seeking the Father’s favor in the name of the Son of God, and that by asking in His name, the Father will grant the petition. All thanksgiving comes through the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is in the name of the Judge of the living and the dead, Jesus Christ. The disciples in Samaria were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Jesus told the eleven that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in the name of Jesus to all nations. Paul reminded the saints at Ephesus to do whatever is done, in word or deed, in the name of the Lord Jesus.

The Holy Spirit declares throughout the New Covenant that Jesus is Lord and Christ. He is the Blessed and only Potentate. Paul describes Jesus as the Master in his writings. Jesus is the vine, according to John. The Son of God is Emmanuel, the Holy One, Lord from Heaven, Alpha and Omega, the Amen, the Bread of Life, Bridegroom, and many other names showing His divine glory. Praying in the name of Jesus is recognizing that all blessings come through Him and honor belongs to Him because of His authority. He is the High Priest of every Christian, the Mediator and Advocate through whom petitions through the Father are made. To do any less is to disrespect the name of Jesus and dishonor the nature and character of the Father and the Holy Spirit.

But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Joshua 22:5)

How Do You View God?

C. S. Lewis suggested many people have an erroneous view about God: “We regard God as an airman regards his parachute; it is there for emergencies, but he hopes he’ll never have to use it.” This view is widely held by those who believe in God but are unwilling to commit to him. As long as life remains on an even keel, God is a good thing to think about occasionally and to offer a few thank-you prayers, but getting serious about a relationship with him is out of the question. Life is about the here and now, and how much can be gleaned from the harvest of prosperity in the world. Young people aim to get a good job and work long enough to retire and enjoy the finer things of life without regard to anything beyond. Life becomes a daily grind of squeezing out as much gusto as life offers.

The central issue with the human mind is to dispose of God until and unless He is needed. There is an oriental proverb that suggests that once on shore, pray no more. The need for God is only when one is in a foxhole or adrift on the ocean facing death. Once the immediate situation has passed, God is no longer needed. He becomes, in effect, only a safety net in case of a fall. Until that time, life continues on full speed ahead. The Bible is a tabletop ornament, dusted by the passage of time and opened only in times of crisis. God is a vending machine that awaits the demands of the one who drops a quarter in the slot, seeking what they want from the Creator. It is a selfish world seeking only the needs of a selfish heart.

If there is an image of God that is foreign to truth, treating the Lord God Almighty like a parachute in case of emergency is the most erroneous and foolish belief known to man. When men package God as a wrapped bundle of silk, they make the fundamental mistake of human wisdom – they believe they can wrap God up in a package. God is the Sovereign Creator of the world, demanding respect, honor, and loyalty. If a man faces a crisis seeking God as his parachute, he will fall to his death because God will not be treated as a fool. The Lord does not come to the rescue of those who refuse to submit, obey, and follow His will. This requires a daily allegiance to the commandments of the Lord, who, by His grace, offers the world a way of escape.

It does not matter what men think of God, but it does matter what God knows about man. He knows those who love Him and obey Him. The Bible is not a book of suggestions. God will not be treated as a fool. God is full of love to those who seek Him. It requires the full measure of dedication to God without treating the Lord as a convenience when needed. God expects His children to love Him with all their hearts, souls, and minds. How a person views God determines how he responds to the word of God. The only place God can be is first place in everything. He will not accept anything less.

But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!” And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection—and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both. (Acts 23:6-8)

Sadducees In The Church

Among the Jewish elite and leaders of Israel was a religious sect called the Sadducees. The scriptures are silent as to their origin, and only Matthew, Mark, and Luke mention them. They are sometimes found with the Pharisees, another powerful group among the Jewish leaders included in the Sanhedrin. Like the Pharisees, the Sadducees tried to discredit and disavow Jesus and His teachings. Jesus warned His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, pointing to their false doctrines forced on the people.

When the apostle Paul defended himself before the Jewish council (Sanhedrin), he saw the council included both Sadducees and Pharisees. Paul declared that he was a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee, referring to his former life before following Christ. He knew he was being charged with a crime for teaching that Jesus was raised from the dead, a doctrine vilified by the Sadducees. Luke points out that the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection or in angels or spirits. Paul’s declaration caused such an uproar that the Roman commander ordered his soldiers to forcibly remove Paul from the council and bring him to the safety of the barracks.

It seems incredulous that a sect of the Jewish people would deny resurrection. However, the doctrine of the Sadducees is not foreign to many in the body of Christ who, in principle, follow the same line of teaching. If a man does not believe in resurrection, they deny that the soul dwells in an eternal state after death. There is no future state. Everything about a man is found in this world. There cannot and will not be life after death. All that a man is can only be found in this life and this life alone. The Sadducees created a sect that denied the spirit world, such as angels and spirits, because they believed in only the material world. If there is no resurrection, life must be gained here and now.

The Sadducees made a doctrine of their unbelief. It is not hard for many Christians to follow the Sadducees’ doctrine in their daily lives. What the Sadducees saw was a very material world with only rewards here. Accepting that there is anything better than life on earth is rejected. If a man spends his life seeking after all the glitter and gold of this life, he can miss eternal life. The focus of the heart must be on resurrection, not the trinkets of this world. Paul likens life to a tent that is easily folded up and discarded. Jesus asked, “What value is a man’s life if he gains everything here and loses his soul?” Life cannot be about the here and now. That is a tragic mistake.

Resurrection is the reality of man’s creation. God created man in His own image as an eternal creature. Animals die, and that is all. There is no afterlife for animals. Man was created never to cease to exist. Everyone who dies rises to a resurrection of either glory or perdition. Believing or not believing in the resurrection does not change the reality of life after death. The Sadducees were people of God in the nation of Israel who lived only for the material world. They did not believe death was for glory. Their happiness came from the tangible, real world they built around them. The sadness came when, in death, they realized they took nothing with them, and now they faced eternity.

There are Sadducees in the church of the Lord. They believe their jobs are more important than serving God. Excuses are made as to why they cannot obey the will of the Father. They have a family to feed and retirements to build. If and when they have time for God, they will try to squeeze him in. Christian Sadducees believe that money will bring them happiness. They do not believe in the eternal world because how much more enjoyable can that be than the toys money can buy now? Life is for living to the fullest gusto. Building bigger homes with cars, boats, toys, and gadgets to play with is what life is all about. Children are taught to put the pursuit of worldly gain first. They see their parents rushing through life, money-hungry and debt-ridden.

If there is anything to enjoy, it is in this life. Sadducees in the church look for the pleasures of life in the carnal fulfillments of the here and now. God’s law of marriage is not kept because “God wants me to be happy.” Sexual immorality is accepted as part of life. Immorality is not shunned. Sin is no longer viewed with fear. A spirit of acceptance is common. If there is no resurrection, there is no penalty. Sadducees can only see the joys of this life. What they do not see is God’s wrath upon this pernicious false doctrine.

The Bible is clear. What the Sadducees believed and practiced was false. There is a resurrection, and there is eternity. Jesus is the resurrection. Sadducees in the church are endangering their souls with the wrath of God. A man cannot live in the world in this life and expect eternal life in the next. As someone said, “Too many people want to live like the rich man, and die like Lazarus.” Church Sadducees need to repent and put God first. There is no other first place but the Lord God Almighty. Anything that comes before service to God is sin. Are you a Sadducee?