Application
Guide: “Are You A Pagan?” Part 2 (Mt. 5:43-6:34)
May 1st,
2005: Pastor Kimber Kauffman, Senior Pastor
of College Park Church, continued his message on the remarkably contrasting
lifestyle Christians ought to have compared to the pagan. He spoke, mostly in
review, concerning how pagans love, greet, do acts of mercy, give, pray,
practice disciplines, and worry. He finished up by challenging us to be people
who “store up their treasures in heaven” (6:20). In contrast to the pagan who
is always thinking about himself and the present moment, we need to be people
who are looking to God and thinking about the great Day of Judgment.
- We all
say we’re better Christians than we really are…
- Where is the proof that we are sons of God? What
are ways that we act pious, and yet do not practice “true religion” (cf.
Js. 1:27)?
- How should the command to “love your enemies”
affect your relationship with your spouse? Neighbors? Co-workers who are
not Christians? The people you run into at the grocery store? The way you
drive?
- What are specific instances you need to grow in
loving your enemies?
- Kimber noted that how we do our “acts of mercy” is
a direct measure of how we live out our faith. By “serving” in order to
impress others, we, in effect, say that we are walking by faith.
Conversely, doing things in secret reveal that we are walking by faith,
that we believe that God is truly watching (cf. Heb 11:1-6; 2 Cor 5:7).
- How can you tell you are serving with the right
motives?
- How do you know when you are serving just to
impress others? Consider these:
i.
Do you do “ministry” in hopes of being
mentioned in the bulletin?
ii.
Do you only do certain types of
ministry, acting as if certain acts are “below” you (e.g. “That’s not one of my
spiritual gifts…”)?
iii.
Do you create a hierarchy in your mind
regarding what acts of ministry are more spiritual than others (with yours
close to the top, of course)? Do you act like certain parts of the body of
Christ are more important to God?
iv.
Do you talk about yourself and
ministry, especially to people with “significant” titles? Do you associate with
these “prestigious” people, rather than serve the “lowly,” hoping they will
recognize all you do?
- Do you worry like the pagans, who are frantically
preoccupied with the things of this life?
- Why do we worry? What is the cure for it? How can
we become people who, rather than worrying, are consumed with a “peace
that surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:7)?
- How do you know you are seeking first the Kingdom of God? What
ways can you measure if the desires of your heart are in line with God’s
desires?
- There are only two places we can attempt to store
up treasures – on earth or in heaven.
- What is the mindset of the pagan towards God,
life, and possessions (cf. Ps. 10:1-11; 36:1-4; LK. 12:16-21)? Should our
goal in life be to retire early and spend the rest of our lives on
vacation (cf. Don’t Waste Your Life
by John Piper)?
- How should Christians view the time we have on
life if we are to store up treasures in heaven, if we are to do what is
right out of love, fear, and reward?
- Where is the balance between enjoying the world
that God has given us and denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and
living for others?