Prioritize Scriptures?

 

PRIORITIZE SCRIPTURES?

Is it correct, or even possible, to prioritize scriptures? Specifically the Words and Commands of Jesus?

Everything in Scripture is equally true because it is God-breathed. Yet not everything in Scripture serves the same purpose for the Christian. The words and commands of Jesus are uniquely central because they define what it means to be His disciple. The rest of Scripture explains, supports, applies, and points back to those teachings rather than competing with them.

However, when asked about the greatest commandment, He answered, “Love God completely and love your neighbor as yourself.” He then added, “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Likewise, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus repeatedly moved beyond external obedience to the heart. He emphasized humility, mercy, forgiveness, purity, faithfulness, love for enemies, generosity, prayer, and seeking God’s kingdom first. These are not simply doctrines to believe—they are the pattern of life He expects from His followers.  Jesus warned against hearing without obeying. Perhaps no one emphasized obedience more than Jesus. He concluded the Sermon on the Mount by saying, “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24. Notice the emphasis is not merely on believing His words but on doing them. (This may be nuanced, but there are some things we must become and others we must do. In character, we must become humble, gentle, loving, merciful, forgiving, faithful, generous, etc. In our obedient service and acts, we must go and make disciples just like Jesus taught and modeled).

Hence:

Matthew 28:16-20, But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated to them. And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

What we are doing in our churches today fails to reach the threshold of this command—one of the most important commands of Jesus.

The so-called discipleship training in our churches ranges from nothing more than reading and talking about discipleship or simply a ‘Bible study’ so named. But does nothing in obedience or training for actual discipling as Jesus did and commanded.

Jesus Says the Words

Matthew 4:17-22, From that time (after having been led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit and after John had been taken into custody), Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. ”Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of people. Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.”

The main points here are that Jesus (1), knew His mission, and (2), led by example. How many pastors of churches that you know about know Jesus’ mission and commands, and follow this example of Jesus? (And how many of you follow it?)

Jesus, it would seem, followed this pattern: He taught the Gospel in great detail—what it says, what it means, what it means to a follower, and what we are to do with it. Another way to remember this is that He Says The Words, He Shows the Wonders, and He Sends His Workers.

He Shows The Wonders

Matthew 4:23-24, Jesus was going about in all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.

And the news about Him spread throughout Syria, and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and severe pain, demon-possessed, people with epilepsy, and people who were paralyzed, and He healed them. Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

He Sends His Workers

Matthew 10:1, Jesus summoned His twelve disciples (after having instructed them, teaching them, and having led them by example) and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and sickness. 

The foregoing is the model and pattern of discipleship. Jesus continues to teach on the attitudes and behaviors that define His disciples. But these are given by the Holy Spirit (indwelling the believer), adopted by the man or woman who has ‘died to their former self, and are not of themselves. It is only after this that Jesus imparts His authority.

Our world has been slipping ever more into darkness. The Church-at-large has become apostate, glorifying ‘stage presence,’ a secularized form of worship that uses Christian wording but emphasizes self-pleasure, creating endorphins and adrenaline for the ‘worshipper.’ People are being drawn, by the thousands, by this ‘pied piper approach’ to presenting the gospel, which is really not the Gospel of Jesus. It is another gospel.

Denominational doctrines, far too often, are taught over true discipleship, which has been creating division within the Body. (Attendance, comfort, and ease are emphasized over repentance and sorrow for sin, creating a false sense of eternal security, ongoing guilt, and shame from living sinful lives.)

John the Baptist instructed, in Matthew 3:11-12, “He (Jesus) who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

1. Jesus will baptize the repentant followers with the Holy Spirit and fire. (We rarely see this nowadays. Instead, we see “the simple sinner’s prayer).
2. A threshing floor is where the wheat is separated from the chaff (the believers from the unbelievers). It is both a harsh and violent and steady but loving act.
3. The chaff (the unbelievers) will be cast into an eternal and unquenchable fire.

Does this sound like entering the comfortable, air-conditioned environment, accompanied by lattes and finger food and small talk with acquaintances in the church visitor’s lounge and coffee shop of the modern and postmodern, current day church? Or the standing applause at the end of a church service?

Stated in its most rudimentary form, the Church, being the Body of Christ, must

1. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is now at hand.
2. Love, nourish, encourage, and protect the Body of Christ.
3. Teach, train, and edify the Body of Christ with the Word of God.
4. Commission and send each Christian to make disciples—just as Jesus modeled. (Remember: It is God Who calls, God Who saves, God Who heals, and God Who casts out demons; for we are (just) His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would (just) walk in them. (See Ephesians 2:10).

We, the church-world, have stepped away from what God has purposed and commanded and reimagined what is palatable. The fierce and awesome power of God ‘clearing the threshing floor’ is being ignored to our great peril. But make no mistake – “He who has come … is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”  

The questions that remain are, “Are you ready?” and “Will He recognize you?

Let’s return to Him, to His purpose, mission, and ways.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young