Orthopraxis

This is not the direction I had planned on taking with this blog. But, it is where I am at personally, being challenged by God and the Holy Spirit to give my all to Him. Of late, I have been challenged specifically by recent messages and talks I have had the privilege of hearing and benefitting from. So I am journaling and learning and sharing. This blog is the result of today's message by Pastor Duane - He is a man of God and an AWESOME Bible teacher.

Orthopraxis - Luke 4:31-34
Orthopraxy is a term derived from Greek (ὀρθοπραξις) meaning "correct practice"

Jesus is the smartest man that ever lived. When He talked people were astonished at His teaching. He spoke with such authority. When He spoke, He didn’t give a consensus. He spoke with wisdom and authority that no one else had. He sometimes contradicted the wisdom of the day – He lifted the Bar. Example: Matt. 5:27 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Jesus said don’t even let your thoughts go there. He took a teaching that they had accepted and he lifted the bar.

In the New Testament the people called him teacher, master; meaning almost like a professor. When Jesus taught he really didn’t teach on the subjects of religion, history, biology etc., He taught about LIFE – your life. Every one of us is building a life. When He taught He did not compartmentalize your life. Jesus does not recognize that you have ‘many parts’ in your life. He does not see you as having have a religious part, normal part, business part etc.

He sees you as having ONE life. Knowing something about the creator, and Doing something with what you know, is what He wants from you. If all you do is ‘know’ the facts or the truth; you have failed the test because there is no benefit in you knowing unless you do what he says. Knowing the right answer doesn’t matter to God. It is not like college or high school where you just need to know what is taught to pass the test. Heb 5:9 once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him NIV. If you know and don’t do what He says – He is not the author of eternal salvation to you.

In Luke 6:46 Jesus asks: "So why do you keep calling me 'Lord, Lord!' when you don't do what I say? 47 I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against the house; it stands firm because it is well built. 49 But anyone who hears and doesn't obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins." NLT

In the preceding verses we see an example of a person who hears and obeys – he dug deep and layed a foundation on the rock. When the floodwaters rose they could not shake that house. He who heard and did nothing is like the person who builds on the sand. To build on sand is easy, comfortable and just kind of falls into place. When the floods beats against this house it collapses. To hear and obey is not easy. It is like building on a rock - it is hard – it is not comfortable – it does not conform. You conform to the rock - the rock does not conform to you. Jesus said you need to conform to the rock because storms are coming - it’s a part of life. As you build your life you are building your house. So what is this ‘rock’? The rock is hearing and doing, it is unconditional obedience.

The culture of the 60’s with the Beatles and drug culture still influence us today whether we are aware of it or not. It has slipped, somewhat, into the Church. Some people have made Jesus the drug of choice. They have an experience in worship or an experience of prayer. They reduce Christianity to a feeling or a high as in the drug culture. Christianity is not about a high or a feeling. It’s about doing what Jesus taught and its about Jesus being the Lord of your life and obeying what He says. He says forgive; you forgive; he says, have compassion for the poor, the single mother, the widow etc. and you do what Jesus says.

In Jeremiah 25: the Lord has a controversy with the nations. The nations want to rule themselves, to do it their way; that is the condition that will ultimately lead to Armageddon. If, as an individual, you know the word but you are not doing it, God has a controversy with you. Christianity is about the King and the Kingdom.

Luke 6:46 Jesus says, do not call me Lord, Lord and not do the things which I say. Many of us base our faith on the verses we know; we even have them underlined and memorized. We have this collection of verses and when trouble shows up; we just start throwing all our verses at the trouble. We have our Bible and think it is like a lucky charm or rabbits foot and when we use it in this way and it doesn’t work; we are shocked when nothing happens. The truth is, we know the verses but we are not really living by the words Jesus taught. The real Christian life is not knowing a couple of verses and throwing them at trouble. It is unconditional obedience to Jesus.

The way of the transgressor is hard – you can learn that in 2 ways – transgress and get bit. Or you can listen to Jesus and say I believe that and I’ll live that.

God wants a relationship with you. He wants you to listen to what He says and not be worried about others. Example: Luke 12:13 Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." This man made the classic mistake – listening to Jesus for somebody else. This is the origin for the ugly Amen which has to do with either tone or timing. Example: When the preacher says, 'if you don’t shape up you are gonna end up in Hell' and someone shouts AMEN - you're gonna burn brother! Now that is UGLY. Do not sit in Church and look around for so and so, thinking 'oh boy – he needs to hear this!' Jesus does not want to talk to you about your brother, he want you to listen and obey what He says to you.

Jesus seldom says what you think he is going to say. In the conversation with the man in Luke 12, instead of talking to his brother – Jesus begins to talk to him. He says, I really want to talk to you about your greed, your pride, your self righteousness and lack of self control etc. He admonishes him telling him that money is not the goal of life for the Christian. The promises of prosperity for the believer are true – but you can have a bank full of money and not have an abundant life -Why? Because your life does not consist of the abundance of things. Jesus says the abundant life is to listen and to do.

Christianity is absolute surrender to Jesus in every area of your life. When you draw near to God He will draw near to you. Knowing and believing is the first step John 1:12 says ‘As many as receive him (to receive him is not in part - it is receiving All of who He is and what He came to teach you and do for you) to them he gives the right to become the sons of God.’ Obedience is the evidence of a new life in Christ.