I Wanna Be...
F.A.T.
by
Pastor Robert A. Pannier
Published by
Bridge to Freedom Ministries
P.O. Box 385801
Bloomington, MN 55438
Copying for non-commercial purposes is permitted.
© copyright 2009
All Rights Reserved
Printed in U.S.A.
Chapter 1
Introduction
I wanna be FAT!! Wow, that sure isn't something you hear a lot today. In our society where thin is what everyone desires, to be boldly declaring that one wants to be FAT would not be a widely heard or accepted statement. After all, how many shows on television are devoted to becoming thin, healthy, and in shape?
So maybe I need to clarify myself. When I discuss being FAT, I am not talking about body mass. I am speaking about being spiritually FAT. What I am talking about is being:
F - faithful
A - approachable
T - teachable
Now let me say first that how you physically look is completely unimportant to me. In my opinion God made you perfect, and if He created you as thin, heavier set, short or tall, you are created perfectly in God's image. So please do not take any of my previous statements as me implying that somehow your look is bad.
I think you would agree though that not many people embrace being fat. But I want to change that right here, right now!
I want us to see FAT as good. You see I want us to see that being FAT is not only a positive thing, but it is one that all Christians should seek to be.
You see, being FAT is essential to being a good Christian. It is through these qualities, being faithful, approachable, and teachable, that we are not only able to come closer to being and acting like Jesus, but we are also able to do the things that He commands us to do. By being FAT we can change this world and truly make a difference in others' lives.
My friend Gary was the one who coined this acronym for me. He loved acronyms and FAT was one of his favorites. He used to always ask me, "Rob, you FAT today?" Some days I honestly was not. I may have been two of these three, but I was not all three.
Over time I learned that two out of three is not what God wants from me. That He is seeking to have me in a FAT mood all the time. You see if I am not approachable one time that may be the very day that someone needs to approach me the most. By me being two-thirds FAT I am denying that person the chance to get the love and grace they need from me. To stay in our motif, at that point I am being THIN.
To be THIN means to be ..
T - Treacherous, not faithful in the things you do, but dishonest and untrustworthy,
H - Hardened, not really concerned for the challenges and trials of others, but indifferent and maybe even happy about other's suffering. They also demonstrate a hardened heart toward God and what He wants for their lives.
I - Intractable, this means to be difficult to mold or shape. If we are unwilling to do things God's way we are of no use to Him. We must be open to learning things His way.
N - Neglectful, to not prioritize assisting others, and to not assist them when you have the opportunity to do so.
Being THIN is not a quality that any one of us should want in our spiritual lives. If you are THIN in even one way it is not good, and you need a "High Spiritual Carbohydrate" diet to get back on track.
In this book I hope to teach you the foundation in which we must approach God and others. I am hoping that after you have read this book you will feel more inclined to open yourself up to God's way so that together we can shut "the gates of Hell."
I want you to understand that it is not about being right or perfect. It is actually about having an attitude that is receptive to doing things God's way. For us to truly reach the lost for Jesus it means that we must decide that we are going to be faithful in the things He asks of us, approachable and available to those who need us, and teachable to reach others.
As we take this journey my hope is that at the end you will feel a greater commitment to God. What I really want is for you to desire to be FAT.
Chapter 2
F is for Faithful
If you examine the parables of Jesus one subject He frequently spoke on was the idea of being responsible or faithful with the gifts, talents and responsibilities God has given to us. We read for example in Matthew 25:14-30:
14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19 "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
22 "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
24 "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
26 "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 " 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
The important principle that Jesus teaches here is that for those who receive blessings from God much is expected by God. He expects them to take the gifts and challenges He has bestowed on us and do something with them that will further the Kingdom.
If we examine this parable we see that God is expecting us to at the very least equally increase that which He has given to us. For example this can mean that if we are given eternal salvation by God, the most incredible gift God has ever given, then He expects that we would lead someone else to the cross, thus providing an equal return on that which we were given. To God, this is being faithful.
However, we also see an example of someone who did not take the gift that God gave them and use it for the Kingdom. For this they were locked out from all the blessings that God has to provide.
This should tell us that when we receive the love of God it is not acceptable to take this gift and keep it to ourselves. We are to take that love and share it with at least one other. By not doing so we are a worthless servant, who is living in darkness. I want to explain this a little further before going on.
Many may read this and think I am theorizing that one can lose his or her salvation, but this is not what I am implying at all. Instead what I am stating is that one who has chosen to hide God's love is instead blinded to the gifts that God has for them and thus is stuck in the world.
In 1 John 2:9 we read:
9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.
This does not mean that they are not saved, it simply means that they are not living like they should. They are instead living in the world and are lost to the riches that God has in store for them. When we take the love of God and do not share it with others we are in essence "hating" them, and living in darkness.
In Luke 19 Jesus tells a parable that is very similar to the one we saw in Matthew 25. Here in verses 11-27 we read:
11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12 He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'
14 "But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'
15 "He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.
16 "The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.'
17 " 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'
18 "The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.'
19 "His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.'
20 "Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.'
22 "His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'
24 "Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'
25 " 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!'
26 "He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them-bring them here and kill them in front of me."
In the Matthew 25 parable each servant is given a different amount of talents. When the master returns the faithful servants are told that because of their faithfulness they would be put in charge of "many things." In this parable we see that everyone is given the same amount of minas - one. Each of the first two servants increased their amount of minas. As a result they were put in charge of cities. In other words, they were shown that they could govern and lead for God by being faithful with the small riches that they had.
What this may mean is that one who shows his or her faithfulness may be authorized by God to teach or lead a large group of people. They have demonstrated that they can be trusted with doing as God has asked, so they can be given a great deal of responsibility.
In contrast, the one who was not trustworthy and did nothing had all that he had taken away. In fact his mina went to the one who had taken his mina and earned ten more out of it.
The intention of this parable is to show us something a little different than the Matthew 25 version. In that version Jesus was showing us that one must return an equal value of the gifts that God has given to them. In this version, however, Jesus is showing us that one can take the "talent" that God has given him or her and increase its power by five or ten times. That one can become saved, for instance, and then lead five or ten to salvation. As a result of being faithful in this way one can be entrusted with leading and teaching lots of people because they have been faithful to do great things with a small amount of blessing from God.
God expects us to be faithful with the gifts He has given to us.
The American Heritage Dictionary tells us that faithful means to be worthy of trust or belief; reliable. This is a great definition because it is the exact expectation of God. He expects that we can be men and women that He can trust and believe in; that we can be reliable with the gifts and responsibilities that He has given us.
I want you to understand that God's expectation is not limited in any way. Some of us may think that God is simply expecting us to be faithful with the Gospel message but it goes much further than this. It is not simply a matter of considering yourself faithful because you told some people about Jesus. It is about being faithful in every way that God has blessed you.
Let's explain this a little further.
Say that God has given you the ability to teach. You do a great job of telling people about Jesus, and everyone understands the amazing messages you deliver. Because of this a lot are coming to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. Have you used your blessing to its fullest? Maybe not.
It may be time to examine how you are receiving the accolades for this gift. What I mean is, are you accepting credit for the gift that God has given you? Are you getting puffed up by the adoration you are receiving? If this is the case then you are not being faithful.
In addition, if you are leading people to Christ, what do you do with them afterwards? I know many who are great at evangelizing, but once a person has accepted Christ they are cast adrift. I am not saying that you have to continue to minister to every person, but you should be assisting the person to find avenues to increase their faith.
If you look back at the parable Jesus gave us you see that we must produce at least equal to what God has given us. This means that if we have reached a certain level, then the person we are discipling should also be nearing the same level. This would be doubling God's investment in us.
Keep in mind that, at the very least, God is expecting this kind of return. He wants us to take the gift He has given us and double it; to turn ten into ten more, or five into five more. This means to inspire others to come to Christ, help them to become firm disciples in faith, and to use the gifts that God has given them.
The important words of this parable are that to everyone that has been given more, more is expected. Jesus reiterates this idea in Luke 12:48 where He says:
49 ."From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."
God has an expectation that when He gives us gifts that we will use them to further His Kingdom; to bring glory to His name.
This requires that we take the gifts of God and use them to the fullest; that we seek those who are in need of our love and concern and share our grace with them. God has shown us grace, and so we know what this looks like. Now it is time to return that grace to others.
Unfortunately this is not what happens. Too often we ignore the things that God is entrusting us with, or we wait to use them until we absolutely are forced into doing so.
It is in Luke 12 that Jesus is warning His Disciples to be watchful. He wants them to be vigilant and prepared for His return. He then states in verses 42-48:
42 The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
47 "That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
You see a faithful servant is one who is doing the Lord's work all the time. They are not waiting until they are near death or until they believe that He is close to returning. A faithful disciple is one who is dedicated to the Lord's work now!
I know many people that are comfortable with only having the salvation of the Lord, but none of His other blessings. They simply are not concerned about much else. At least that is where they are now. Some will tell me that after they accomplish something or receive something that they really desire then they will "buckle" down and get to work. I remind them of this parable. Do they want to be the disciple who is beaten with many blows or the one who is already doing His Master's work when He returns. Most ignore me, but this parable should be an important warning to them of what God expects. They need to be ready, and keep watch.
So what makes a faithful disciple you may wonder? It is a good question, because there is more theology on what pastors and ministers think about this than I care to know. There are vast numbers of lists of information by these ministers of what they believe God expects. But to understand His requirements we will use Jesus' own teaching.
In Matthew 25:31-45 Jesus tells us:
31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
I want to make one thing clear: Jesus is not talking about Believers versus unbelievers. He is speaking of Believers only. Many look at His separation of sheep and goats and see the sheep as followers and the goats as the lost, but this is not true. In the Old Testament both were considered to be clean animals. They both had cloven hooves and they both chewed their cuds. This was the requirement for an animal to be considered clean (See Leviticus 11).
Jesus chose to make this point by using clean animals only. If He was discussing unbelievers I find it hard to believe that He would be calling them "clean." On a few occasions He spoke of unbelievers and in each case He used unclean animals to describe them. For example we read in Matthew 7:6:
6 "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
Here we see unbelievers described as pigs or dogs, and neither were clean animals.
With this in mind we understand that since Jesus is using two different clean animals He must be speaking about Believers only. This tells us that He is speaking about Believers who are faithful verses Believers who are unfaithful.
The faithful Believers are the ones who do the following: clothe the naked, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick and in prison, and house the stranger and homeless. I do not think He is saying that we need to do all these things; simply that a faithful Believer is one who takes the opportunity to help those who are in need.
If you think about it there are literally thousands of opportunities each of us has each and every day to do these kinds of things. This is especially true if we are a little more liberal in our interpretation of who qualifies for each of these situations. Let me explain that further.
Is someone who is sad and depressed "sick?" I would say that they are. If you saw someone who is at your work place who has just had a really tough day can you see them as sick and go their desk or where they are sitting and visit with them? Wouldn't this be acting faithful? It may not seem like a big deal, but consider the effect it would have on the person you visited. You literally may change that person's life.
What I think is often missed is that you do not need to intervene only in situations that seem really dramatic or dire. It is actually more important to come to the aid of someone who is just having minor challenges, because if you can divert a small challenge and assist that person you can often help them to cope with the bigger challenges. In fact it may stop something from becoming a big challenge.
I want you to see that the simplest things can minister to a person to take one more step, to listen to one more word, maybe even to want to take one additional breath. It is the smile to your neighbor, or the pat on the back to your co-worker or employee, the card sent to your friend, or the email to let someone know that they are loved that makes a huge difference to so many people. And what is the cost to you to do these things? Virtually nothing.
I had a friend who worked at a computer programming company. Usually high tech people are not the most socially graceful, but the owner of this company was. He made sure that every day he looked to see what his employees were doing, and he always listened to their ideas. He respected their opinions and often would compliment his employees on the work they were doing. Now he did not pay as much as they could possibly earn elsewhere, but they all stayed. Why? Because they knew he cared about them. He was faithful in his concern for them. He appreciated the work they did for him, and so he showed it to them. No one felt unappreciated there.
You can make a difference in people by these simple acts of kindness and concern. We live in a hurting world and Jesus knows this. He knows that people need to be shown that others care about them. This is what the faithful are to do.
Again, I want to state that we are taking a rather liberal application in terms of many of these commands by Jesus. Consider that many are in "prison," whether it is physical or not. They are in prisons of addiction, hatred, guilt, and self-doubt. They need to be visited, and shown the grace of God. There are many who are sick that need to be visited, whether it is sick in their physical, mental, spiritual, or emotional health or in their relationships. There are many who are hungry and thirsty, whether it be for physical food and water, or the incredible spiritual food of God and the Living Water, Jesus (John 4). They can be fed by you. Many are strangers, even among their co-workers, church members and neighbors. They may be outcasts or simply be introverts that are in need of being welcomed. Can't you be that person who invites them into the House of God?
You see if we reach out like this then we are faithful. Once again I want to reiterate that I am not saying that you have to do it all. I am simply explaining that the faithful are the ones who are reaching out and making changes with those God has brought across their path. They are the ones who understand that when they help these people they are really helping Jesus. They are the true sheep of God.
But then there are the goats. They are Believers, but not faithful ones. They have chosen to take their talent and hide it, instead of going and serving God faithfully. They have watched the misery of others and have been callous and indifferent to it. They have ignored the co-worker sobbing at her desk, the neighbor who is frustrated, the child who is hungry, or the fellow church member who just lost her job. Jesus will say to these people "depart from me."
We should notice that Jesus tells this story about the goat and the sheep after He gave the parable about the servants we read at the beginning of this chapter. Jesus wanted us to understand that the two issues He was discussing were directly related to one another. That each Believer is to take the "talents" that God has given to us and go and serve others as if we were directly serving Jesus. When we do this we are true sheep of God.
For many of us we wonder why we have not received more blessings from God. Why doesn't God use us like we feel we should be used? It is a good question, and quite honestly it is rooted in these verses.
When this happens it is because we have not been faithful with the things that God has given us, yet we somehow believe that we have earned the right to receive more from God. It is an arrogant attitude that I will frankly say I am guilty of as well. God should have given to me just because I thought I was ready to receive more. Had I been faithful with what He had already given me? Sometimes no, I had not, yet I thought I still deserved more.
In some cases the things He had given to me I later had taken away from me. He warned me in this parable that I was obligated to take what He had given me and double it, yet all I did was keep it to myself. For this I had those gifts taken from me.
I mention this because I want you to understand that if you are not using God's gifts and talents, you are destined to lose them. You must be faithful and set your heart on being faithful with what He has given you.
Let me explain this a little further for a moment. I am not speaking about God taking a gift, such as healing or prophecy, away from you. What I am speaking about is God removing your ability to use these gifts with others.
In 2004 my friend Tom was the pastor of a church. He was a very good teacher and loved the people in his congregation very much. For years Tom had taught solid Biblical messages, but soon he found the number of people attending his church was dwindling. Many who attended no longer liked to hear the truth; they wanted to hear fluffy messages that would make them feel good. Tom did not want to lose any more people so he changed the messages he was delivering, and it worked; people stayed.
Less than a year later the integrity of Tom came into question from some of the members of the church board. Tom had done nothing wrong to be honest. The board members just wanted more authority, so they persuaded the congregation to fire him. And that is what they did.
Had Tom done something that should have led his congregation to remove him? No, of course not. But had Tom done something that should have led God to remove him? You bet he did, and Tom knew it.
You see Tom did not lose his ability to teach. He still was a great teacher. What he did lose was the group he was supposed to teach; those he was entrusted to help mature. Tom had failed to help them mature, and so God removed him from this position.
This leaves me with one final point. I want you to consider that faithfulness also includes using your gifts properly. That if you are using a gift that God has given you but you are using it incorrectly then you are being unfaithful as well.
I know many pastors who are exceptional teachers. It is clear that God has blessed them with the gift of teaching, yet they are using their gift to teach messages that are incredibly wrong. Many even know what is right but are more concerned with their beliefs or what is popular than speaking God's Truth. This is being an unfaithful servant.
I do not mean to criticize my fellow brothers in this ministry, but there are many that are doing things that simply are not right. They are using the gift that God has given them and are abusing others with it, leading Believers astray.
This is virtually true of any gift. Any gift can be used improperly, which means that it is not being used in a faithful way.
Remember that in our definition of faithful it meant that one was reliable and worthy of trust. Would we consider that someone who is taking something that is given to them by God and not using it properly is worthy of trust from God; that this person deserves more blessings? I am sure you would say no.
Many of you have children. When your children were old enough to drive, you gave them the privilege of driving your vehicle. Now they had the ability to drive, the gift, but some took your car and misused it. They drove it too fast, they sent text messages while they were driving, or they used the backseat as a garbage can. Did this inspire you to let them use the car more? I am sure it did not, but we misuse the "car" that God gave us, and yet we think that He should give us more privileges. How logical is that?
No one group showed their unfaithfulness to God more than the Pharisees. These men were the religious leaders of Jesus' day, the ones who knew more about the Law of God than anyone else. They were entrusted with the priesthood of God, yet they abused this authority.
Consider for a moment how the Pharisees completely misused the Law to not only injure people and to try to stop the amazing work of Jesus, but they constantly used it as a means of trapping Him. Did God give them the Law to catch someone sinning so that person could be killed? Of course not, but this is how the Pharisees planned to use it to destroy Jesus.
Over the three years that Jesus taught they took numerous opportunities to trap Jesus using their knowledge. The woman caught in adultery (John 8), the paying of taxes (Matthew 22), and healing on the Sabbath (Matthew 12) are just a few examples of how they used their understanding of the Law to try to find a way to expose Jesus as a lawbreaker. This was an unfaithful use of their gifts and position.
What made it worse is that they were unwilling to see the error of their ways. I am going to speak more on this in chapter 4, but they were unwilling to see that they were wrong in their thinking. In fact, when they were told by Jesus that they were wrong in their thinking their response was to figure out how to kill Him. Not the best response for people that were charged by God to lead His people.
God wants a people that He can trust and rely on. A group that is willing to be obedient with the gifts, talents and opportunities that He has given them. When we act faithful in doing the things that Jesus expects of us then we can truly receive those words that many of us long to hear: "Well done good and faithful servant."
Chapter 3
A is for Approachable
When you review the Gospels you will quickly learn one thing about Jesus. He was approachable and available to people. You rarely read of stories where Jesus was off by Himself. When you do read these accounts you find that His reason for being away from others was to pray and speak to the Father.
Before we go further I want to say that I realize that everyone needs time to be alone. It is important. Whether you are using it to pray or to just have some quiet time, I understand the need to have a little peace and quiet. So do not read this chapter and think I am saying you are wrong if you are taking some time to pray or to rest.
When you look at Jesus' life He, too, went off to take some time for Himself. Sometimes He was praying, other times I am sure He was just drained from the events of the day, so He took a little sabbatical to rejuvenate.
But I want you to understand that Jesus was by no means a hermit. He was constantly found among the people, in the open, at markets or in the villages and cities. He was where people could find Him. In fact when you read most stories about Jesus where people were looking for Him, He was always among people; right out in the open.
For example, we read in Luke 3 that His parents had brought Him to Jerusalem for Passover. When they left the city they were unable to find Him, so they returned looking for Him. We read in Luke 2:45-46:
45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
Where was Jesus? In the temple with the people, listening and teaching. When His parents confronted Him about this we read His response in verse 49:
49 "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"
Jesus knew that He belonged in the Temple because this is where the people were. There was no doubt in His mind about this. In the temple He was available, not only to teach, but to listen and learn.
This was the story of Jesus' life. He was always approachable. Let us get a definition of approachable before going any further. Returning to the American Heritage Dictionary we find that it means accessible, easy to talk to, friendly. What a perfect way to describe Jesus, and what a perfect way for us to be as well.
When you read many of the stories of people's interactions with Jesus you find that He was always available to others. Even when people tried to trap or trick Him He was still approachable; He turned away no one.
This is very important for us to understand because many approached Him that were considered horrible and evil people. Look at Matthew 8-9 just to get a taste of how approachable Jesus was to everyone. In these chapters He spoke to and helped.
- A man with leprosy - people with leprosy were considered to be the worst of the worst; that they had committed such egregious sins that God had to punish them with this horrific disease.
- A Roman Centurion - Romans were deeply hated by Jews, and Roman soldiers were treated with even greater contempt.
- Two demon-possessed men - those who were possessed by demons were despised by the religious leaders as the epitome of evil on earth.
- A paralytic man - like the person with leprosy, the religious leaders created theology that taught that those who were paralytic were evil persons judged by God.
- Levi - he was a tax collector and would be hated by the Jews as a collaborator with the Romans. He became the Disciple Matthew.
- A secular ruler - this would have been a person who was despised because he would have been seen as one who was sub-human, not as good as Jews. What made it more despicable was that this "sub-human" had authority over Jews.
- Two blind men and a person who was mute because of demonic spirits.
This was quite a group of misfits and "sinners" that came seeking an audience with Jesus, but notice that all felt that they were totally welcome to approach Him. In none of these stories do you read where Jesus told them to go away. You also do not read that they felt afraid to approach Him. He welcomed all of them, and they all felt welcome.
This is especially amazing in the case of the leper. If you know anything about leprosy it is a very contagious disease that is deadly. If one comes in contact with a person who is a leper they can easily contract the disease and as a consequence they will live an agonizing life until they die. It is not a pleasant sight at all.
In Matthew 8:1-4 we are told of this leper approaching Jesus asking to be made clean.
1 When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, "See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."
As a little point of reference, the rabbis hated lepers. They threw rocks at them, and treated them with complete contempt. When this leper approached Jesus I am sure you can see that the crowd would have been shocked at the audacity of this terrible sinner, that he would have the nerve to approach this great Man of God.
Understand too that Jesus could have earned a great deal of respect from the Pharisees if He would have had this man beaten or stoned to death. He would have shown His "righteousness." But that is not what He did.
Instead He welcomed the man, even touched him, and because of this man's faith Jesus healed him. What an astounding moment this would have been.
But I want you to see that this man knew that something was different about Jesus. Remember that Jesus is a Rabbi and as such this man could have easily believed that if he approached Jesus, Jesus would demand that he be killed. Yet he knew that somehow Jesus was different. He knew that he could safely approach Him and be welcomed.
The Roman Centurion would also have had some reservations. Jews hated Roman soldiers and treated them with disdain. If he approached any other rabbi he would probably have been spit on. But he knew Jesus would not do this. Jesus not only welcomed him, but later was openly astounded at the faith of the centurion. On top of this, He declared to all around Him that this Centurion had greater faith than any man in all of Israel. I am sure the Jewish people were shocked to hear such a declaration made about a pagan.
This Centurion knew he was welcome with Jesus. Jesus was accessible to this man. He was friendly.
Consider these demon-possessed men for a moment. Let me first say that whether you believe in demon possession or not, it is real. I have seen demons cast out on a few occasions, and let me tell you, it is the most terrifying and awesome thing I have ever seen. To see these spirits fighting and screaming to remain in the person was beyond words.
I share this with you because I want you to understand that everyone would have been terrified of these men. Matthew 8:29 tells us that these men were so violent that no one passed by them at all. It was simply not safe. Yet when Jesus came near where they were He did not run away. They even came out to meet Him. He was approachable even to those who had demons in them. If you think about that it is pretty amazing. Who of us would want people possessed by demons coming to them? Not many I would think.
All of these people wanted Jesus to do amazing healings in them, but let us also understand that Jesus was just as approachable to those who wanted to be taught His message, whether their motives for their desire was good or not. Religious leaders, scribes, and teachers of the Law all came to Him, and He gladly answered all of their questions, even when He knew that their motive for coming to see Him was to trick Him.
In John 3 we read of Nicodemus who came to Jesus by night to ask Him about what it took to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. That he came to Jesus at night is interesting, because people did not go to other's homes when it was dark. This was a social transgression, yet Jesus gladly welcomed him in.
In Matthew 19 we are told of a rich man who came to ask Him how to gain eternal life. Verses 16-22 read:
16 Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
17 "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
18 "Which ones?" the man inquired.
Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.' "
20 "All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
21 Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
I have always found this to be a perfect example of Christians today. He asks Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life and Jesus tells him to obey the commandments. He then asks Jesus "which ones?"
I have always thought when I read this "What do you mean which ones? Why not follow all of them?" It would seem logical to me that he would think he had to follow all of them. Yet he wanted to know the bear minimum that he needed to do to get into heaven. I equate this with Christians who will invite Jesus into their lives to have their sins forgiven so they will be able to enter heaven, but they don't want to do much else. This is their version of "which ones."
This man wanted to know something that was very important: How do I live eternally with God? I understand that in my own judgment I think his follow-up question is kind of stupid, but Jesus did not. He did not insult the man. He didn't' tell him, "Fool, all of them," or "Come on, what you mean which ones?" He just provided the information in a non-judgmental way. Jesus was not only approachable, but He remained approachable. He did not make others feel unwelcome once they had engaged them. He remained friendly.
There is no greater example of this than in the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8. We read in verses 1-11:
1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11 "No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
The Pharisees are approaching Jesus to try to catch Him. They know He has been merciful on sinners, well at least those the religious leaders have perceived as sinners (lepers, paralytics and blind persons). To this point He has done nothing wrong in healing these sinners. After all, no one said that sinners could not be healed of their afflictions.
But here is their big chance to catch Him and expose Him as the rule breaker that they perceive Him to be. Leviticus 20:10 stated:
10 " 'If a man commits adultery with another man's wife-with the wife of his neighbor-both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.
This woman was caught in adultery, and the punishment for her transgression was death. Jesus has to adhere to the Law. He swore that He came not to change the Law, but to uphold it (Matthew 5:17-20).
But here is where Jesus shows us His incredible wisdom. It is also a great chance for us to see that the Bible never contradicts itself or makes statements that seem contradictory.
In Proverb 26:4 it reads:
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.
Sounds pretty straight forward, but then look at the next verse:
5 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.
In verse 4 we were told not to answer a fool according to his folly, and in the next verse we were told to do so. That seems to make no sense. But let me show you how Jesus does this.
The religious leaders bring this woman to Jesus to demand that she be stoned to death. She has broken the Law and they demand that she be punished. They are trying to trap Jesus, and this is the folly of the fools. If He answered them in the way they wanted, by either condemning her or letting her go in grace He would be like them. Jesus would be a fool, but Jesus is never a fool.
So he makes a statement instead. "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." I have listened to many pastors tell me that Jesus was telling us that no one is to be condemned for their bad behavior. That God has put away the Law completely; that He is saying that all is forgiven. These pastors are making Jesus answer according to their folly.
Others tell me that this verse means that it is not our place to judge the bad acts of others, and so Jesus is saying to us to mind our own business; to find no fault in the actions of others. This is just another form of folly.
Jesus needed to answer their folly but He needed to do it in two ways: so that it did not make Him look like them, and so that they would not be wise in their own eyes. So let's examine His answer a little closer in light of Leviticus 20:10.
In the Law what was demanded? That the man and woman caught in adultery be put to death. So the question to ask is, you have the woman, where is the man? You have condemned this woman under the Law, and you would be right to do so, but only if you applied justice equally and condemned the man as well. Because you have not, you have made yourselves into sinners, and thus have no right to condemn this woman anymore.
He showed them that they were not so wise, and as a result they all left Him. He had met both conditions of Proverbs 26:4-5..
But notice throughout these verses, Jesus remained approachable. He didn't start berating them for their unlawfulness, or call them fools. He simply answered their questions, and used His answers as an opportunity to teach them.
The story of the Pharisees questioning Jesus about paying taxes is another great example of this. Matthew 12:12-17 reads:
13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn't we?"
But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?"
"Caesar's," they replied.
17 Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him.
The folly is to trick Jesus into saying that He did not have to pay taxes. By doing so they can declare Him a traitor of Rome and have Him executed by the Romans. But Jesus doesn't answer according to their folly so that He would become like them. Instead He shows them they are not as wise as they think they are.
Notice though that He is perfectly welcoming to their question. He is available to them and receives their question. We are not told that Jesus threw a coin in their faces, or that He spit on them. He simply answered them. He remained approachable.
There are numerous examples of the leaders trying to trick Him. The Sabbath was one of their favorites. Healing, eating, gathering food - they all violated the Law in the Pharisees eyes, and they were quick to point this out to Jesus. But He did not become upset about this, and He did not tell them to go away when they came to Him with their questions. He instead welcomed them and answered them.
What I want us to see in these examples is that if Jesus could be approachable to all these outcasts, then we should be able to do the same with the "outcasts" that we know.
I know that inevitably there will be someone that will have an example that they will want to share with me where they will feel that the person they are shunning or ignoring is an exception to the rule. Homosexuals, prisoners, nerds, Goths, drug users, disabled, mentally handicapped, and the like are often examples I am told about. But Jesus was approachable to people who were just like this.
Those who are demon-possessed are today's Goth followers. They are the ones who have chosen dark imagery, and sometimes have even turned to Satan worshipping. Are they demon-possessed? Of course they are. Does that mean we can be unapproachable to them? Of course not!
Homosexuals are widely shunned by church members, but comparatively they are the adulterers of Jesus' time. One of the most famous women caught in adultery was Mary Magdalene. She was not only committing this offense, but we are also told that she had demonic spirits in her as well. Yet she worshipped Jesus as one who was truly grateful for the amazing mercy she was shown.
She was one who was seen as despicable by most of society; an adulterer and filled with demonic spirits. She was abhorred by most, yet she was adored by Jesus. And this began because Jesus was totally approachable to her. You see Mary would soon become one of the most dedicated followers of Jesus, and this happened because He made Himself available to her.
What I want you to understand is that being approachable is not about being physically present for someone. While that plays a part in it, the primary way that one is approachable is to have an attitude of caring about reaching others. You see I have often seen people in a crowded room and their location was such that they were easily accessible to others, yet no one approached them. Why? Because they displayed an attitude of dislike to the people around them. Who wants to approach someone like that?
One of my favorite examples of being unapproachable are the men and women that stand on busy street corners and shout at all who pass by them that they need to "repent or they are going to hell." While they bellow their rhetoric they condemn certain sins, often mocking the "sinners" who are involved in these forms of lawlessness. The reality is that there are some who are passing them who are caught in those sins, and they would like to be released from them. However, these street "evangelists" were surely not approachable to them.
This gives us a foundation for what makes one approachable. There are three key ingredients. The first is to want to listen to others and make yourself available to do so. I understand that you may be busy at times, and that this may make you unapproachable, but you cannot make this the standard practice of your life.
To be honest, this is the area where I fall short the most. Sometimes I am working so hard at trying to assist as many as I feel that God is leading my way that I find that I am unable to listen to those who are already part of this ministry. This honestly makes me unapproachable. When people see I am busy they feel that they should not disturb me. How approachable am I then?
But it does not have to be our job that can make us unapproachable. Watching television programs, reading books, or even sleeping too much can make us unavailable. These things hinder our ability to listen to others. When this occurs we are no longer FAT.
The second ingredient is to position ourselves in such a way that we can be available to others. Whether it is being available to answer the phone, sitting in a place that people can speak to us, or answering electronic or regular mail, we need to be in some position where people can be able to share their burdens with us.
Again, I know that this is an area in my own life where I am falling short. Sometimes I am just "unable" to answer my phone (according to me), and so I don't. I am getting THINNER all the time.
I am telling you about my own shortcomings, because I want you to see that this can happen to any one of us. Just because I am the author of this study does not mean that I am getting it right all the time. I am just as guilty of being THIN as anyone else. Maybe even more so.
The third factor that makes us approachable is to be concerned and not condemning.
When I was in the army there was a nurse named Bobbi who worked on the medical unit I was assigned to. Everyone used to talk about how much they admired Bobbi because she always spoke honestly about what she thought. "If you want to know the truth, ask Bobbi," they would say. Truthfulness is a great quality, but honesty without love is like anything else without love.useless.
I remember that often patients approached Bobbi to tell her of the events that led to their hospitalization. She was a nurse, after all, and nurses were supposed to be understanding and compassionate. I cannot tell you how many times I heard Bobbi telling some poor patient that what they had done was stupid, inconsiderate, or just down right moronic. Was she right in her assessments? In most cases I suppose she was, but was that helpful to the patient? Of course not, and I am sure you can see that no one ever approached her twice to speak of the events that led them to the hospital. She was simply unapproachable.
I know this seems like an extreme case, but it honestly is not. Most parents use condemning insults like this on their children all the time. We tell our children that their choices were stupid, that they simply don't think, or that they lack any real sense. Then we don't understand why it is that they don't want to talk to us. And we say that they are the ones who are dense?
When we say and do things that are condemning and judgmental it shuts down our ability to be approachable. But this does not mean that we cannot tell people that they need to stop sinning. Look back at the story in John 8. Jesus did not condemn this woman caught in adultery, but He told her to stop doing this. He did admonish her to sin no more, but He did not tell her how bad she was or give her dirty looks.
This last point I made is where I want to focus for a moment. I have seen all kinds of studies that have concluded that only seven percent of all communication is verbal. That means that the vast majority of our communication is in how we say things and how we look when we say them.
To understand this principle better, let's take a little test. You tell me if you would consider this person approachable or not.
- The person is watching television while you talk to them.
- The person is nodding their head and showing facial expressions that match the subject matter.
- The person is looking straight at you.
- The person looks angry at you.
- The person is slumped over looking away from you.
- The person gives very short answers, mostly yes or no, but does not really seem to want to understand your situation.
- The person is doing a crossword puzzle while you talk to them.
The only two approachable persons are in situations two and three. In the others, while they may answer your statements and listen to you, it would be hard to feel that they were approachable.
Look at how Jesus engaged people. In John 8 we are told that after everyone left He "sat straight up" probably looking directly at her to speak to her. In the story of the man who had leprosy we are told that Jesus touched the man before speaking to him. This again probably meant that Jesus made direct eye contact with him. In the story of the paralytic we are told that Jesus saw the faith of the man's friends and looking at the man told him that his sins were forgiven.
These are just a few examples meant to show you that to be approachable one must also be engaging. You must do things that make people feel that you are available.
To be honest, it is not really hard to do this. It simply means to look them in the eye, nod when it is appropriate to do so, face toward them, and show compassion for their troubles/elation for their joys. I would also suggest the 80-20 rule for you. Let them talk for eighty percent of the time, and you for twenty percent. You don't need to have all the answers, or be able to solve everyone's problems. Often they just want to talk, so let them.
Mostly people want to just share their burdens and know that someone cares. However, often we feel compelled to share our anecdotes of how our situations are worse than theirs. It is like comedian Brian Regan says. He was telling a tale of how he was sharing a story with some people at a party. When he finished someone standing near him said, "That ain't nothing." He then responded, "Well, I didn't mean to waste everybody's time." When we minimize people's situations we are being THIN. Let people have their day by sharing their burdens and joys. Let them have your focus.
Consider that even in His death Jesus was approachable to the end. Two thieves are being crucified with Him, one of whom is mocking Him. Of all the times that Jesus could have spoken up and said something like, "Hey shut up! You deserve this, but not me," He did not do so. He still just listened, did not condemn, and this won the affection of the other thief. You see our willingness to be open to hear the words of others may not change that person, but it probably will have an affect on someone else.
If you want to be FAT, you need to start finding opportunities and ways to make yourself more approachable. Start listening more attentively, and let others feel that they are welcome in your life.
Chapter 4
T is for Teachable
I often hear teachers say that everyone is capable of learning. That is a nice sentiment, but truthfully it is not right at all. While all of us have brains that can learn, not all of us are capable of learning because we don't want to.
This means that the primary ingredient in learning is to have an attitude that wants to learn. I can bring the greatest teachers of all time, create the greatest lesson plans, and develop the most perfectly conducive environment to learn in, but if that student does not want to learn they will not. They must be willing to open their minds to the material that is to be taught to them or they will not get it.
This is what happened to the Disciples. Let's face it, Jesus was the greatest Teacher ever, however they just did not want to learn things the way He wanted them to learn. They just didn't get it.
While all the Disciples were equally dense in relation to understanding His teachings, no Disciple is depicted more in this manner than Peter. In most cases when Jesus tried to teach Peter something, he came back with a response that was in opposition to what Jesus said.
In John 13 Jesus is going to wash the Disciples' feet. He must do this to teach them to have a servant's heart. But Peter is not going to let this happen. In verses 6-9 we read:
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
7 Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
8 "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."
Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
9 "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
Jesus is showing the Disciples what they must do to demonstrate their ability to serve. However, Peter is not concerned with Jesus' teaching. Once He understands why Jesus is doing this, He still is not concerned with the teaching, demanding to have his head and hands washed as well. He is completely missing the point of the teaching and is trying to install his own interpretation.
Other times Jesus would explain things and Peter and the other Disciples would be lost as to what He meant. We see in Matthew 15 that Jesus has just explained to the Disciples about what really makes a person unclean. He explains in verse 10-11:
10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. 11 What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.' "
This seems like a pretty straight forward teaching, but we see in verse 15:
15 Peter said, "Explain the parable to us."
Jesus agrees with me that this is a pretty basic lesson and so in verse 16 we read:
16 "Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them.
That may not have been the nicest response for Jesus to give, but it was clear that He was agitated by the fact that the Disciples just didn't get what He was saying. He was getting frustrated with their pre-conceived notions about things, and He wanted to express this frustration with them.
This was a frequent problem among them.
Even when Peter got it right he figured out how to make it wrong. In Matthew 16:13-17 it reads:
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.
Here we see that Jesus is praising Peter for his ability to learn who Jesus really was. He even tells him that the reason he understood this is because the Father taught him this. It was revealed or taught to him by God.
Yet moments after Jesus' rewards Peter, He has to chastise him. We read in Matthew 16:21-23:
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
Jesus is teaching that He must die, something He had taught on previous occasions. It is something He had taught must happen. It is not that it was a good idea, or that it was one of the options. He was saying that this MUST happen. But not in Peter's way of thinking. He had other plans. So He rebuked the Lord. Jesus then told Peter that His thinking was from Satan and not from Jesus.
I do not add these examples to make fun of or belittle Peter. Peter was a great man, and is a wonderful Disciple. I use these examples because I want you to see that all of us can miss this ideal part of being FAT - the need to be teachable.
The definition of teachable is one who is willing and able to learn. All of us are able to learn, maybe not at the same ability level or speed, but we all can learn. Not all of us are willing to learn however.
Often we have preconceived notions about what is right and wrong and we are unwilling to alter those beliefs. There are also many cases where we are unwilling to admit we are wrong because we do not want to admit to being human - being flawed. We say things like "nobody's perfect," but we don't really apply that to ourselves, so we continue to profess our beliefs even if they are inaccurate.
This leads to an attitude that is unwilling to learn. It leads to an ignorant group who cannot really reach others because they do not know how to do so.
The wonderful thing about new Christians is that they are really excited about God when they first accept Him into their lives. They are thrilled at the new relationship and want to know all they can about Him. They are ripe for being taught.
The problem is that often those who are teaching them are providing false teachings and beliefs. They are teaching church doctrine and man-made traditions, and not the truth contained in the Bible.
One of the fundamental "truths" that is taught in many churches is that their way is right and every other way of thinking is wrong. I don't care if you are talking about Catholics, Lutherans, Baptists, Seventh Day Adventists, Mennonites, or any other denomination, one of the fundamental teachings is that anything that contradicts their message is wrong.
This does not make for a teachable church or denomination. In fact it makes for an intractable group. They are not able to be molded by God, and so they have a form of godliness but are denying its power (2 Timothy 3:5). They are THIN.
As I mentioned, all of us are wrong at times, even our church leaders. The religious leaders in Jesus' time had it wrong and Jesus had to correct them on many occasions.
In Matthew 5 Jesus is beginning His famous Sermon on the Mount. During this teaching He gives six statements that begin with you "You have heard it said..but I tell you." What they had heard said was the theology that the religious leaders had created over the centuries. The ideas were wrong, and so Jesus was going to correct these errors.
The subject of His correction included murder, adultery, loving your enemy, divorce, an eye for an eye, and oaths. All of these great men of God had read the Torah (the Books of Moses) and knew what they said, but they had still developed ideas that were wrong. Did the religious leaders in Jesus' day want to admit this? No, and they were angry that He corrected them.
What is amazing is that many of the same things that Jesus had to correct then are still not understood today. If I asked most Christians what murder was they would tell me that it is the taking of another's life. If I then asked them if it also included hating a brother, they would probably tell me no. But Jesus said it was. You see Jesus corrected this, and still it is taught wrong.
What this tells us is that our churches are still wrong in their teachings. They are making errors and need to correct them, but many are not teachable. They don't want to be corrected on what they believe.
Consider most churches' attitudes toward Muslims. They love them so much that they want to send them to Allah - kill them. I have actually heard a few pastors and TV commentators say this. So they literally want to love them to death. Did Jesus say to do it this way? Of course not. He said to love them and bless them. Paul reiterated this, yet they still believe it is ok to hate and hurt Muslims.
This needs correcting, but I have a very hard time showing people that they have no right to hurt anyone. They must bless and show blessing to these men and women, including terrorists. That is the true teaching of Jesus, but it is not accepted. They are getting THINNER.
I don't care how much you admire any teacher, or how wise they are in Biblical matters, they can still be wrong. I will be the first to say that I think I have pretty sound doctrine, but I am not perfect, and I will be wrong at times. I am not afraid of being wrong. When I am wrong and am shown the correct way it just allows me to learn to be better, and this is what I want. I want all of God in me; for me to know His truth, and not a man-made truth.
This should be our attitude; that we can be receptive to the idea that sometimes we will be wrong, and when we are we will open our hearts and minds to truth.
To be teachable we must be willing to learn. To be willing to learn starts with one important principle - the idea that none of us knows everything. You can study a thousand years, know Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic, and have spent hours in meditation, but you will still not know all that God does. That is ok though. You don't need to be right in every way.
You see this is the amazing way that God works. He gives a piece of His knowledge to many different people. Combined, all of us know the mind of God, but to know His mind, we have to come together and be willing to learn from one another. By doing this we can learn and mature, and we will demonstrate our ability to be teachable.
I want to close this chapter by adding a piece of information that should console some of you. You may know someone that you care deeply about that is terribly rooted in some bad teachings, and they are completely unwilling to be teachable. You may even be that person.
There were lots of people like this in the Bible. Paul (when he was Saul), Jacob, Peter, John, even Nebuchadnezzar was like this. Yet they did mature and they did become teachable, and look at the amazing things that happened through many of these men. Paul spread the Gospel throughout the Gentile world. Peter and John helped to reach millions for Christ. Jacob was the father of the twelve tribes of Israel and the recipient of the name Israel. Nebuchadnezzar came to honor and know God and is the only non-Israelite to add text to the Bible. These men were all unteachable at one point, being sure that they knew it all, but they came to know that they didn't, and it was when they saw their ignorance that they were really able to do good. It was in learning that they were not really wise that they learned to truly become wise.
If you know someone that is unteachable, know that this can change, and that they can then become amazing disciples for God. Don't get discouraged; just keep praying for them.
God wants us to reach every man and woman on this earth for Jesus. He commanded us to do this. He knows what it takes for every man and woman on this earth to want Jesus in their life. He knows the words, the circumstances and the events that must occur to make that happen. So why wouldn't we want to let Him teach us the way to do things.
Jesus is the amazing Teacher who has the answer to every question we could ever ask. He is not only willing to teach us, He died to do so. We must open ourselves to Him, seeking to be better, to be wiser, to be more mature. That only comes by being teachable.
Chapter 5
Conclusion
I am sad to say that most Christians are a lot of talk and very little substance. I am even sadder to say that at times I am that way as well. If we are going to truly make a change in this world, in the lives of others, and in ourselves, it is time to get FAT. It is time to change the attitudes we have about our lives and embrace being FAT.
My prayer is that everyone out there will be tired of being THIN, even just a little bit (yes that was my bad pun), and will want to be FAT. That you will see that there is greater joy in being FAT than being THIN.
In "My Blue Heaven" Steve Martin has a line I've always liked to apply to this discussion. He is at a baseball game with a mom and her two sons. He offers the mom a hot dog, and she refuses. He then turns to the boys and said, "Your mom is on a diet isn't she? You can always tell when a woman is on a diet because she is always in a bad mood."
This is true of those who are THIN. There is no joy in being THIN. True joy only comes from being FAT. This is why they say that FAT people are jolly. They are not talking about physically fat people, but instead are speaking about those who are FAT in the Lord. There is nothing sad about being FAT.
My hope for you is that you will embrace these teachings and start to make some decisions about what kind of person you want to be. So ask yourself, are you ready to be FAT, or are you satisfied in being THIN?
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