Lagging Miners

This was the study of Friday for D-Groups:

Matthew 19:16-

Does it sound familiar? The rich young man represents us, we might not be physically rich, but we are spiritually; but do we even have an idea of how much? Do we even care about things we can’t see? Is going to church for us like going to mass? We feel safe in our zone of comfort, but once God shakes you from your nest and you fall, into the unknown, into new things, into a cruel and cold world that will not hesitate in striking you down, how do we react? Do we blame the Lord for not letting us keep being lazy people? This rich young man said that he had kept all the commandments regarding his neighbor since he was young, now, there is reason to believe he did, because then the Lord would have known if otherwise, but then the Lord pierced deeper into the heart of this young man and found where his heart truly lay: his riches, his zone of comfort.

What is your zone of comfort? Kicking it, listening to music, watching movies, going to church because your parents take you or because you want to hang out with your friends…is this a way of living? Do we so undermine God’s salvation as to pretend we can just say: “alright God, I know I’m a sinner, come into my life, amen,” and then go back to the old ways, the ways of death? Isn’t it contradictory? We grow sad when we get out of our protecting bubble on our own, alone, exposed to the unknown. I was shaken from my nest, big time. A year and a half ago I came from my country, from my land, from my family, from my friends, from my house, from everything I hold dear and true and love…to come to another culture, another land, another family…I had everything I needed in my country, why leave? Because the Lord wanted to. He knew we’d grown cold, so he shook us from our cloud so that we might know who is really in charge. We make plans, we dream, we hope, we seek…but all is what we want, the Lord’s become nothing more than a name, a concept, some guy who died two thousand years ago for the world…more and more it sounds like a fairy tale doesn’t it? If you claim to have Christ in your heart…why aren’t you living so? Why aren’t you trying to discover what comes with the entire package?

Salvation

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Phillipians 2:12).

Why would we care about God’s salvation? Why should we work to become more Christ-like? What motivates our lives? What do you think?

The word "work out" in the original Greek was used to express the hard work involved in digging out the hidden silver in silver mines, how constantly a miner had to dig and dig until the hidden treasure was found.
I like to find out the original words in Greek to know what the writers really wanted to say, the absolute power with which they charged their letters or books. In this case what Paul really said to those in the church of Philippi with this verse was how to discover what comes with salvation, not how to win it.. This verse is one of the most misinterpreted verses this days. Many take this verse to say that the Bible itself says we can lose our salvation and that with constant fear we must work with our own strength to keep it...
A gift is a gift. The person who gives you a gift never asks for it back. God gave us salvation when we decided to accept it. Paul told them to DEVELOP their salvation...because it is an entire package.
Salvation is not something to be kept there at home until the Lord comes back and then show it to Him and say: see, I am saved, I can enter. It is way more than that...but we cannot see that because we haven't even opened our gift.
We don't have the slightest idea of the position we have, the rank bestowed on us. Being a christian doesn't end with accepting Christ...just how we work in keeping our bodies fit and in shape, so we must shape our salvation, put it into work. Can you see now how this verse has nothing to do with either gaining or losing the salvation?
Salvation is not something static. It has to be in movement.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2). That's what renovation is for, that we might not be still, that we might be changed and dedicated to work in our salvation, not for it. That's why we work daily for a different life, one more attached to Him. Through renewal we grow more constantly and we start to see the things with the eyes of Christ, for we have his mind...or ought to reach it. The fear and trembling that it mentions is not one of fearing God will strike us with a thunder, but that respect, that honor due to Him we must give.
Have we found any silver yet? Have we even started digging? Do you have any idea of what God has stored for you both here and in heaven? and of what He expects from you? let us not waste more time and start digging now.

It sounds all pretty for me to put it this way, you know. Some of you might get all excited and say: “from now on, I’ll be a guy of prayer, I’ll do stuff, I’ll get right.” It’s nothing more than emotions. That’s why I don’t really like it when, with no offense, pastors ask people with Christ already in their hearts to raise their hands if they want to reconcile with Him again and “ask” the Holy Spirit again. There’s no such thing as “asking to come again,” no such thing as a lukewarm heart. Either you are hot or cold, but if you’re neither, beware. You’ve lost sensibility towards God’s salvation.

Lukewarm

To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."" (Revelation 3:14-22).What does it awake in you when you read this passage? Do you reflect about your relationship with Christ? Are you cold? Or are you battling day by day to reach the stature of the perfect Man? Many times we are quick to judge other brothers in Christ in their relationships with Him. We do a perfect job in tearing them apart in our minds and expose them to shame or their “nakedness.”"So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" (1 Corinthians 10:12). How firm do we believe we are walking? How apt do we think we are to judge others before ourselves? Let us measure our temperature before and fear Him who will judge the living and the dead.Ask yourself this: am I looking for the Lord’s face? Am I walking in his commandments? Am I cold? Am I hot? Am I lukewarm? Whatever it is, be afraid when you are either cold or lukewarm, come before the Lord, repent (which means to stop doing what you use to do, never do it again or come back to it) and seek for the Right way and for the holiness for which the Lord called you in the first place.


So it all comes down to one thing: whom do you worship? Where does your allegiance really lie? You cannot know who you are if you don’t know your past, your roots, where you were given true life, if you don’t know who you are, then you don’t know where you’re heading. Even as Christians, examine yourselves right now. I know that many of you feel completely hollow, even being Christians, you know that even though your flesh is satisfied with the materialism of this country, there is something inside that you can’t fill with anything.

Roots
"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God" (Colosssians 3:1-3).
In a country such as this (United States) it is very easy to become cold in your communion with the Lord Jesus Christ because there is no persecution or imminent trial. Temptations surround you in all forms and sizes. Materialism is gigantic and colonizes the lives of many people...myself included.
This summer I took a class titled: "History of the United States 11." The system and format of this class is completely different to all the history classes I have ever received. The pure truth about history. Real docummented evidence of all the crimes and atrocities commited against my ancestors (the incas, mayans, aztecs, etc.) and yours as well. The colonization and destruccion of the culture and society of the mayans, aztecs, incas, etc. All that it's not taught in "normal" history classes I have seen at full tilt in this class.Being exposed to all this material (which is something very shocking and it also rips your heart) took me to a dangerous road: doubt. I started to question and ask the Lord why he kept silent? why did he allow innocence to be destroyed and massacred in such a way? Of course, it was man's sin who did that, not God. But why let the evildoers to continue living? why let them continue assassinating and massacrating? why does He expect so much from human beings? I confess, it took me to the point in which I told Him: "you only lived thirty three years in this Earth...while manking has endured and suffered throughout all its existence the different variations of crimes and evilness. I know you will judge evil and that it will not be left unpunished...but what do you expect from something so fragil as a human being?"
You'll wonder: what do the verses have to do with roots? Well, all this period of doubt in my life has made my think of my ethnic roots. What did my forefathers suffer? who really am I? I certainly have no Spanish heritage, I am mayan, etc, etc. but a while ago I realized that I've been putting my eyes in the things that are visible and material, but not in the things from above, where the Just Judge sits and will not let anything escape His Judgment.
What are our roots? If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, He is your root, what keeps you alive, what gave you life in the first place...because before Christ we all were dead. That time of doubt in my life took me to a conclusion: I was beginning to trust in human knowledge, I was letting perpetual arguments to fill my mind. God will deal with all the crimes of mankind. But besides your ethnic roots, do you even know if you have a reference point? can you identify a point in which you actually started living? the point in which you started using your eyes for the first time to see the reality? what gives you life? what spurs you onwards?
Are we putting our eyes above? Are we seeking the perfect wisdom that only comes from the Lord? or are we putting our eyes in human wisdom, in that ridiculous struggle man intends to maintain between God and man to "prove" that God does not exist, that we are our own gods? that God is unjust?...whatever you want to tell me...what really matters ? what is it that at the end will define YOUR DESTINY? do you even know where you're heading? where you will end up in once you exhale your last breath?
That rain of storms I cannot answer for you. Each one of us must examine ourselves and return to our first love...again I ask you: what is your point of reference? what are your roots?


So, going back to the miners thing (which is actually where I decided to name this little study “Lagging Miners”) we are all miners in this world, some are working very hard with a hope and a goal in mind, that’s what fuels them forward, though they go through difficulties, they are still there. This kind of people remind me of the people of our countries. Something you must know: you will never be an American (referring to the United States), you will always be latino. But what does that have to do with all this? If you’ve ever been to your parent’s country of origin you will see the simplicity of the people, their humble personalities, their disposition to help others. I remember going to churches in humble towns in El Salvador, and their faith and determination to live each day for the Lord were so strong that I was completely marveled and shocked at how us, who really have everything, trample on their past efforts to have us here, not go through the violence of gangs and the economic downfall. We are really just spitting on their toil and all they did to have us here by not living the way they did, their complete submission to the Lord. We are safe in our amusement parks, countless concerts, new clothes, videogames, movies, parties, etc., but we neglect our own roots by not living like they live, for the Lord. Maybe you’ve been to missionary trips, so you have seen the need (partly) of the people, but at the same time their simplicity, their utter trust in the Lord. Why can’t we? Why can’t we renounce ridiculous monotonous lives?

And just as we pretend to be from this culture and reject our ancestor’s struggle, the same way we are kicking God out of our lives today. We received the gift of salvation, but that’s it, we went and hid it under our beds, or under the Earth or wherever you want, and never opened it, never dug deep and deep and found all that the Lord has for us. Why don’t we wake up? Yes, you might have troubles in your house with your parents, your family, friends, etc. But how can you compare those with what the apostles went through? The church (meaning those of us who have accepted Christ), as we speak, is dead. We fight each other, we seek to achieve the “American Dream” and not God’s dream for us. When will you wake up? When will you start using the tools given you and start discovering the Lord’s plan for your life. How will He find you when He comes?


Parable of talents

Matthew 25:14-30 (read all) (parable of talents. Are we putting what the Lord has given us (gifts, etc) into work? Or do we simply don’t care and just pretend to hide it until He comes?)

(ASK IF SOMEONE WANTS TO RECEIVE CHRIST
If you are here today, and you have no idea who Jesus Christ is what is all this we’re talking about, let me put it simply to you: Jesus is the Son of God, he came to die here for you many but many years ago. Well, what did I do you will say. Sin, that is what separates us from God. We mess up all the time, if there would be no sacrifice then there would be no hope for us. You don’t need to tell me, but I know that you have a big void in you, and you don’t know how to fill it. It makes you desperate sometimes, it makes you anxious on another. You try to easy that longing by accepting all that this world offers you, hey, maybe that’ll work. But once it’s over every day, you know your void just got bigger, you can’t fill it up, so you just try to become numb to it. So you don’t feel the pain, you know. But it never works. Why would you want to accept Christ and how do you do that? He came to give us hope of an eternity at His side, to fill that void in you until it overflows. If you die today, do you know where you’re going? Do you even know if you’re going somewhere? The Bible says that all those who invoke Him will be saved…from hell. Maybe you’ve heard about hell before, maybe it’s just something the Greeks made up and stuff. Well, it’s not. It’s more real than you think, both God and Satan are more real than yourself. For God doesn’t want any to perish, but that all come to repentance and salvation. (Ask if anyone wants to accept Him) If you want to be free, if you want to fill that void, all you have to do is say this: “Jesus, I may not really know you but…I just want to fill this void and know what true contentment is. Come into my life today, and give me this hope they’re talking about, let me be able to dig and find all the great stuff you have for me. Thank you, Amen.” If you did this prayer, welcome to the family! You might be like what? Was that it? Yes, it is simple now, but it was paid with the highest price. Now all you have to do is congregate in a church where the sound doctrine is taught and keep growing in His love, keep digging and digging. (See before if they have Bibles to give).)

Read verses

Luk 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, (discern clearly) and beware, (be on guard, prevent, avoid) of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

“Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked” (Psalm 37:16).
“Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil” (Proverbs 15:16).

“I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner” (Ecclesiastes 5:13).
“Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand” (Ecclesiastes 5:15).
There is not a more absurd and vain life than that which is lived to accumulate wealth on this Earth. All we possess is borrowed; our life, our time, our resources, the life of the children for those who are parents. And what is really worth in life is what we do with those things for eternity, and that is what our first principle is about.

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).

Where are your eyes set?
Genesis 47:15 (money is temporary, we come to acknowledge our need).
When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, "Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is used up."
Genesis 47:16 (God provides, His love doesn’t expect anything in return, but since He has saved us we should bring him our lives…completely).
"Then bring your livestock," said Joseph. "I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone."
Genesis 47:18 (complete surrender, humility).
When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, "We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land.
Proverbs 17:16
Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?
Ecclesiastes 5:10
Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.
Ecclesiastes 7:12
Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor.
Isaiah 55:2 (New International Version) (vain) (what really matters)
Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Matthew 6:24
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Matthew 21:12 (how we have defiled the Lord’s temple (us) by filling it with sin and the world’s riches, process of cleansing, harsh but healing).
Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.
Matthew 25:13
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
Mark 12:41 (humility)
The Widow's Offering
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.
Acts 3:2-8 (God’s wisdom and power are greater than money).
Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.
Acts 4:32-37 (summarize)
The Believers Share Their Possessions
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

Annanias and Sapphira

What part of our lives (if not all of it) do we keep to ourselves and pretend we can fool God?

Acts 8:18-25 (can’t buy or earn God’s Holy Spirit).
1 Timothy 6:3-20
Love of Money
If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Paul's Charge to Timothy
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge,
2 Timothy 3:1-9
Godlessness in the Last Days
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.
We are in the last days.
Hebrews 13: 5
Concluding Exhortations
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
James 4:13-17
Boasting About Tomorrow
Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

We make plans but we don’t put them in the Lord’s hands.
1 Peter 5:2-8
Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.