Tag: Teachings

  • We are His Workmanship

    For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
    Ephesians 2:10

    John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by preaching repentance. In that message, John was preparing the people’s hearts to understand their need for Jesus. After John the Baptist introduced the people to Jesus, read what happened. “35. Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; 36. And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:35-36). John again declared Jesus as the Lamb of God. “And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus” (John 1:37). Recognize that these men left John the Baptist to follow the One for which John had come to prepare the way. John had done His job: he had directed the people’s attention to the Savior of the world, Jesus. These men left John, and they followed Jesus.

    38. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? 39. He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day … 40. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother” (John 1:38-40). John’s disciples called Jesus Rabbi (Master); yet another indication that they had turned their focus from John to Jesus. They were ready to hear the teachings of Jesus now that they had met Him. Rabbi means “a doctor, teacher, master; a title of honor in the Jewish schools.” After Andrew believed in Jesus, he immediately found his brother, Simon (Peter), and took him to meet Jesus.

    The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me” (John 1:43). Jesus called Philip, too. What did Philip do? “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45). Philip recognized who this man was that called him. Philip understood that Jesus was the Promised One that Moses and the prophets had written about in the Old Testament. Immediately he went and found Nathanael to bring him to Jesus. (Remember, that is what Andrew had done. Andrew immediately went and found his brother, Simon.) Today, when a person meets Jesus, becoming a Christian, the immediate response should be to introduce others to Jesus, too.

    Nathanael was a skeptic – at first. Nevertheless, after Jesus told him where he had been, Nathanael believed. Remember that each person has the choice – to believe or not to believe. Nathanael believed.

    Many people followed Jesus because they wanted to hear His teachings – so many that they crowded Him. Jesus saw the empty ships, and asked Simon to thrust the ship out a little from the shore. Jesus taught the people from the ship. After finishing teaching, Jesus told Simon (Peter) to go out to the deep water and throw out their nets again to fish. Simon (Peter) initially objected – but then he obeyed Jesus. They caught so many fish that their nets broke, and then both ships began to sink because of the number of fish caught. How did Peter respond? “8. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken” (Luke 5:8-9). Especially notice that Peter was not the only one affected by this miraculous catch of fish. “10. And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. 11. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him” (Luke 5:10-11). It was at this point that these four men forsook their old occupation as fishermen of fish, and followed Jesus as fishers of men. If you notice, it said, “they forsook all.” In Matthew, chapter four it tells us that James and John were working with their father. They left him, too. 

    People were trying not only to hear Jesus’ teachings, but also to be healed. Many people followed Jesus. He was drawing the people from a religious practice to a commitment of the heart – a heart committed to Jesus. Jesus saw the need of the people. Read what Jesus did. “12. And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles” (Luke 6:12-13). Apostle means “an ambassador; it indicates the distinctive relation of the 12 men Jesus chose to be His witnesses of Him before the world.” This was the third call of these men. They were initially called to believe in Jesus. Then they were called to follow Jesus. Finally, Jesus called them for a special purpose – to be His apostles.

    Just as Jesus called the twelve disciples (Apostles) for a special purpose, when someone today is saved (asks Jesus into their heart), Jesus has a special purpose for them as well. “8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8, 10). Not only are Christians His workmanship (workmanship means “the result of work; something produced; something made”), but God has before ordained (before ordained means “to make ready beforehand; used of God’s foreordaining for good, referring to glory and good works”) that new Christian to walk in that new life Jesus has for them. Jesus has a job for each Christian.

    Have you believed in Jesus, becoming a Christian?

    Do you follow Jesus and His teachings?

    Have you recognized the job that Jesus has for your life?

  • Watch

    “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:42)

    In some of Jesus’ final teachings to His disciples, He gave them a specific warning that we must heed today.“37. But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe (Noah) entered into the ark, 39. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. … 42. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:37-39, 42).

    Remember back for a minute to Noah. You can read the events in Genesis 6-8. “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). God said He would destroy man and beast. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8). We can read that God described him as just, and Noah walked with God. God told Noah to build an ark for his family and two of every animal. Noah obeyed. It took him 100 years to build that ark. That means that everyone around saw what he was doing. See what we can read in 2 Peter 2:5: “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.” This means that while he was building that ark, he was warning people (preaching) of what was coming. Notice that in Genesis, God revealed that “the wickedness of man was great in the earth … only evil continually.” Jesus helps us understand that in this wickedness “they were eating and drinking, marrying and given in marriage” until the day that Noah entered into the ark. They were just living their normal lives. But God told us that they were living wickedly. And they had no idea that a flood was coming to destroy them and the whole earth. But Noah knew. And while he was building that ark, he warned people.

    Now, think of today. We know that when Jesus went back into heaven after His resurrection, we have the promise that He would return in like manner (Acts 1:11). Right before that promise, Jesus told those that had trusted and believed in Him to be witnesses. Christians are to proclaim the Gospel message (that Jesus lived a sinless life, died for sinful man, rose from the dead, and will one day take us to heaven with Him) to a lost world. A world full of people that eat, drink, are married and given in marriage — just living normal lives. But a life without Jesus is a life that God sees as one who is wicked, and that every imagination of the thoughts of the hearts are only evil continually (remember Genesis 6:5).

    What did Jesus tell us (Christians — those who belong to Jesus) to do?

    Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:42). Watch means to “keep awake; be vigilant; awaken; figuratively to rouse from inactivity.”  From what are we to awaken? From what inactivity are we to rouse? In what are we to be vigilant? We must do just as Noah did. Wake up and become preachers of righteousness! How do we do that? A preacher in this context is just one who delivers a message. All we need to do is warn people of their eternal separation from God by sharing with them the Gospel message of Jesus. For we hold the truth that Jesus is the only Way to heaven! “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 16:6).

    Are you watching?

    Have you warned anyone today?