Perry’s Scope: Christian sermons, lessons, and resources for teachers

In ancient times, rabbis said, “When two sit together and exchange words of torah, then the divine presence is among them.” Hear it from Jesus’ perspective: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20).

One of the purest forms of worship is study. When we sing or pray, we give God our words. When we study, we receive God’s words. What a great privilege it is to hear, understand, and do the words of God!

It is important to have friends to encourage us along the way. We understand the value of relationships between friends. The wise man said, “A friend loves at all times” (Proverbs 17:17a). But we also have the need to be to become more like Jesus. Again, the writer of Proverbs declares, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).

We all need people who will challenge, encourage, and hold us accountable to be better people tomorrow than we are today. We know we need to be godly people. We know we need to be like Jesus and “go about doing good.” Yet how often do good intentions come and go with no results?

I want to encourage you to find friends who will be supportive and challenging to your spiritual life. The disciples did that for each other. We need it, too.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

South Yukon Church of Christ

In every culture, there are words that have special meaning to that culture. In America we know the meaning of phrases like:

• “It is raining cats and dogs.”
• “She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth.”
• “You are pulling my leg.”
• “Stop pushing the envelope!”
• “Just cool your heels!”

If someone from outside our country translated those idioms literally into their language the translation would not make sense to the readers. The idea of raining cats and dogs would be confusing.

The same is true of the Bible. There are words and phrases in the original language that we don’t understand because we are reading a translation. Consider:

• What is the “Green Tree” Jesus spoke of in Luke 23:31?
• What is the “Good Eye” in Matthew 6:22-23?
• What is the “Finger of God” in Matthew 12:22-30?
• How did Jesus “Set His Face” in Luke 9:51?

In the next few weeks we will note some of the “idioms” used in the Bible. Perhaps we will gain deeper insights as a result of the study.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

You have probably heard about Ted Williams by now. No, not the baseball star of bygone days, the homeless, unemployed radio announcer. He is no longer homeless or unemployed.

It is interesting that his story is really the story of each of us. Ted made some bad decisions. He trashed his life with drug abuse. His decisions created a downward spiral which cost him his relationships, his career, and his dignity.

He says that he found God in 2010 and that turned his life around. Instead of isolating himself from others, he reached out for help – not a handout but help. He advertised his professional voice on his homemade sign and was discovered. His “audition” demo went onto YouTube where literally millions of people heard that golden voice. Now he has more job opportunities than he can handle. He attributes his success to God and prayer.

Whether we admit it or not, this is our story, too. How many of us have decided to go our own way instead of God’s way? How many of us have found ourselves in a jam because we did not listen to God – we knew better than He. As a result we are down and out. Yet, God is the way back!

God has given us a significant choice. Notice his declaration to the Hebrews in Deuteronomy 30.19:

¹⁹I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live. That is our choice, too.

Keep The Light Burning!

Dr. Perry Greene

Pulpit Minister

South Yukon Church of Christ

I enjoy playing, “What if?” If you keep reading my blog you will see many aspects of this game. Let’s play one today.

WHAT IF we change our self-image? If someone asked what you do, you would probably describe your occupation. “I am a doctor, lawyer, Indian chief.”

What would happen if we saw ourselves first and foremost as “Disciples of Jesus the Messiah”? Our occupation, rather than our primary self-description becomes our means of support for our life’s primary goal – following Jesus. Our jobs enable us to not only fill our bellies but also to fill our souls. The job gives us the ability to provide the resources we need to build up our spirits and expand the kingdom of heaven in our time.

The people of Jesus’ time, just like today, worked in various occupations. Jesus was a builder. Peter was a fisherman. Yet, they gave themselves to the study, memorization, and teaching of God’s words.

Imagine the scene in Luke 24. Jesus has been resurrected and appears to the two on the Emmaus Road and to his disciples. He instructs them from the scriptures about himself. Later some of the disciples went fishing (John 21) – what do you think they were talking about? My guess is they were talking about the spiritual issues related to their Master, Jesus.

This conversation would probably have been different from what most fishermen would be talking about. Their language was cleaner. Their topics were more than sports and troubles on the job.

That is the change in perspective. If I change from seeing myself as a plumber, accountant, etc., to a disciple who supports his spirituality with this profession, then perhaps I will see a difference in my life, too.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

In church circles we talk a great deal about “life after death.” We give the “invitation” (or “altar call”) at the end of a sermon in case someone wants to become a follower of Jesus for what? Typically we say, “And go to heaven when you die.”

The eternal afterlife is a gift from God to all who will follow his Son. It seems in reading the scriptures that this is a given fact. It does not seem to be a dominant incentive to entice people into following Jesus. In fact, as you read through the gospels and the book of Acts, count how many times the speakers use the reward of heaven as a motivation to obey God.

As a Minister, the thought of not being able to use the carrot of eternal life to get people to obey God seems disarming. Yet, as we search the scriptures, we see many people obeying God. Why would they if heaven is treated as a matter of fact and not motivation?

Perhaps we can see that there is a different focus given by the Messiah, Jesus and his disciples. They did preach eternal life, but that life is not just some far off event. The gospel to them was more than fire insurance against hell. The message they preached involved life NOW.

Eternal life begins when we walk with God. Jesus said He is the key to abundant life (John 10:10). Note John’s use of “eternal life” as present, not merely future in 1 John 5:11-13.

¹¹And this is the testimony that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.  ¹³I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

What would be the enticement to follow Jesus if we do not emphasize the afterlife? Perhaps we can take a lesson from the Messiah and see that the abundant, eternal life not only begins in our walk with him, it impacts every aspect of our lives. We become transformed people. We see life through a new set of eyes. We do not despair over every little thing. We have a hope that the world does not have and a life worth living NOW as well as in the resurrection (see John 11:24-27).

Maybe instead of asking, “Do you believe in life after death?” we should be asking, “Do you believe in life BEFORE death?”

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

A contract is a formal or legal agreement. It may take a written form in which two parties come to an agreement and hold each other to it. Entrance into the contract is usually voluntary, but once in, it is impossible to get out of the agreement without violating the contract. One must live up to the stipulations until the end of the contract period. At that point, each party is free to go his own way.

Most Western Christians treat God in this fashion. Typically, we try to “trap” God in his agreement. We legalistically approach him and see that he has made us an offer we really can’t afford to refuse. Then we leap into the agreement. Going through the motions, we try to force God into living up to his side of the deal with little to no real commitment on our part. We reason, “He OWES this to me because I entered into the contract. Does this sound at all familiar?

This gets a little tricky because there are some legal applications to what God offers us. The Bible teaches, though that we cannot earn our salvation or do we deserve it on any level (Ephesians 2:1-10). We cannot earn or receive it from God regardless of what we do to achieve it on a legal level. We violate the “contract” daily but expect exemptions. We cannot simply comply with a few rules or regulations and demand blessings from the Creator of the universe.

We are actually in a covenant relationship with God. While there are legalities within it, there is an emphasis on relationship over law. We see covenants all through the Bible. God made covenant with Adam; by means of Noah; in Abraham; by way of Moses; and especially in and through Jesus. A key to covenants that came by these men is the relationship that God wanted with his people. The covenant expresses contractual obligations but create a relationship between the parties.

In Luke 22:20, Jesus said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” The fullness of the covenant is seen in Jeremiah 31:31-34. Jesus expresses the ultimate aspect of relationship by his willingness to pour out his blood (a sacrifice) for his people. He expresses relationship as well as contract obligations.

Maybe the story of the “loving Father” in Luke 15 can better express this. Both the “prodigal” (i.e., wasteful) son and the older brother treat their father in a legal way. The younger son declares, “Give me what is mine.” He expected his legal rights in the form of his early inheritance, even though this was highly insulting to the father. In essence, the son is saying he wishes his father was dead and that he preferred stuff over his parent. The older brother also winds up with an inheritance. However, as the story unfolds, the father (obviously representing our heavenly Father) expresses a covenant relationship with his sons which supersedes contractual obligation. Because the father loves the sons, he is willing to humiliate himself with both of them and went beyond the law to restore relationship.

This is exactly what the Father has done for us through Jesus. What do we deserve as sinful children? The obvious answer is death (Romans 3:23; 6:23). If God was merely a contract lawyer, that is what we would get. He is, instead, a loving Father. He desires relationship with us (your guess is as good as mine as to why). Therefore, God establishes a covenant with us which is ratified in the blood of his Son. He actually took on the whole legal obligation of the covenant because we cannot (also see Genesis 15 when God ratified the covenant with Abraham by taking the Abraham’s responsibility as well as His own).

Let’s live beyond contractual obligations with God. That is what we want in our homes, why not in God’s household? Even the Torah states we are to LOVE God (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), not just abide by a set of rules. Jesus states it this way in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

One of my favorite things in Bible study is to look at the symbolism that God uses to describe various things that he did. I have heard that some rabbis teach multi-levels to the words of God. The first level is the historic event. Embedded in the event is symbolism of things to come. The use of a lamb at the initial Passover and the annual feast, reminds us, of course of what he would do in Jesus. Jesus, as the Lamb of God took away the sins of the world to deliver us from its condemnation and power over us.

There is symbolism in the numbers used – 3, 7, 12, etc. There is symbolism in the feasts of Israel such as Passover; Shavuot (Pentecost); Trumpets; Tabernacles; Yom Kippur; etc. These feasts, in some way, point to the work of Jesus, some of which is yet to be fulfilled.

The Tabernacle (and later the Temple) also contains great symbols. I won’t describe all of them here. The Tabernacle was divided into a Holy Place (where only priests could go) and the Most Holy Place, where only the High Priest could go into the very presence of God. In the Most Holy Place there are numbers of symbols. The Ark of the Covenant contained the “Mercy Seat.” This was the “residence” of God.

What strikes me about this is that it is the MERCY seat. Pilate sat on the JUDGMENT seat (Matthew 27:19) and sentenced Jesus (and others) to death. God, in his MERCY, wants to give life.

Our picture of God, especially in the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible), is that he is angry and wanted to condemn the Hebrews (and us). We seem to think that he is lurking in the shadows, watching our every move so that he can pounce on us with, “Aha! Now I’ve got you!” Maybe you had a teacher like that in school, that through his insecurity he could not let you have a good grade. He had to find something wrong with your work so he would not have to give you an “A.” Not so with God.

He sat on the MERCY seat. THEIR view of God was that he was there to HELP them through his instructions/commands and his PRESENCE. While that was an awesome thing, it was a privilege for them. They did fear God in admiration and appreciation of his presence. It was not a burdensome to do his will. It was a privilege that they looked forward to because he is merciful, not vengeful (at least not until pushed to his limit – see Jeremiah).

Jesus has opened the way for us to personally go into the Most Holy Place of heaven today. We may daily come confidently into that place and make our offerings of prayer and worship to our God (see Hebrews 4.14-16). Here we remember that God wants to give us MERCY not JUDGMENT.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

Have you noticed that some church people are not fond of Jewish people? Christians at times can be highly anti-Semitic. Why do you think that is?

One person told me that she did not like Jews because they crucified Jesus, or at least initiated it. Another said that he did not like Jews because they still reject Jesus as the Messiah. These ideas set me to thinking about Jewish-Christian relationships.

Without getting too far into Christian atrocities toward the Jews, it seems interesting that Christians have little animosity toward the Italians. Pilate and his Roman Legions had a significant role to play in the death of Jesus. They were just as guilty as Jews in his crucifixion. In addition, there are hosts of Italians who do not believe in the Jesus of the New Testament.

A question comes to mind. Which of the Jews actually wanted Jesus to die? It was not his Jewish disciples – not the 12; not the 120. It was not the Essenes. It was not the Pharisees. It would not have been the Zealots. It was not the working class. The group primarily responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus was the Sadducees.

The Sadducees are noted for their disbelief of the resurrection and angels (they are “Sad, You See”). They did not believe in the Oral Law as did the Pharisees (and Jesus). They were primarily the Priests of the day headed by Annas and Caiaphas. They made a great deal of money trafficking in the religion of the Jews. This was done at the expense of the individual worshiper. Jesus was a threat to them and their financial gain (“It’s the Economy, Stupid!”)

Let’s go another step. Consider this. The priests had some significant duties according to the book of Leviticus. They tended the altar fire. They made the ritual sacrifices of animals. They determined the cleanness of animals and people. They determined leprosy and the healing of leprosy in individuals and mold in the homes. They had a great number of things to do, especially where the tabernacle and temple were concerned. At Passover and Day of Atonement, and daily, they made the animal sacrifices – the blood of the innocent for the cleansing of the guilty. These sacrifices foreshadowed to the death of Jesus as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29).

Isn’t it fitting that the Sadducees (priests) would be responsible for the death of Jesus? They were the ones charged with making the sacrifices. They would be the ones to initiate Jesus’ once for all sacrifice (see John 11:49-53). These priests offered up the Lamb of God for the sake of the nation and the world (John 3:16).

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, were among those chosen by God to be his priests. However, they were executed by God for bringing “strange fire” to him (see Leviticus 10.1). Does it make you wonder what that fire was like? Was it the wrong color? Was its temperature wrong? What was “strange” about it?

Among other things, the Levites had been given an important task of keeping the Tabernacle’s and Temple’s fire going – always. In Leviticus 6:13, God told them, “The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.” They used this fire to burn the morning and evening sacrifices and all the ones in between. In addition, the priests would light the menorah with it and use its coals to burn the incense.

The altar fire was from the Lord. It was intended for HIS use. No other fire was to be used. If the priests brought in unauthorized fire, it was considered “strange fire.” Thus, when Nadab and Abihu brought in their strange fire, it was without God’s authorization.

To American Christians this may seem trivial. Fire is fire, right? What difference does it make where we get it? It all burns and does the required job.

While fire may be fire, God is not just a god. He is supreme and deserves respect and love. Who are we to trivialize ANY of his instructions? Who are we to replace anything he has revealed to us?

God teaches and tests us with his commands. His words carry symbolism as well as practical applications. If we violate one, we violate the other. If we omit a small one, we will likely omit larger ones. It is just a matter of time (Luke 16:10).

Let us keep his fire burning in our lives. That is the fire that comes from him and cannot be replaced by any worldly allure. It is a fire of passion (Jeremiah 20:9). It is a fire of love and respect (Matthew 22.34-40).

Keep The Fire Burning!

Perry Greene

“The priest shall then put on his linen clothes, with linen undergarments next to his body, and shall remove the ashes of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed on the altar and place them beside the altar.” Leviticus 6.10

One of the more mundane activities of the Levitical priests was the removal of the ashes of the sacrificial animals from the altar. I read that during the period of the second temple, priests would race to claim the privilege of ash removal. They must have been the younger priests!

What would make those men compete to dispose of these ashes outside of the city? It was a dirty job. It was a tedious job. It was not a sensational job, but it had to be done.

This was a small part of the worship of God. The upper echelon of priests, particularly the High Priest, would be a lot more glamorous to us. Can you imagine our most popular TV evangelists in a foot race to win the privilege of ash removal?

When we consider the instructions of God, we may be tempted to overlook the simple things. We may not want to have a hand in the “small” things God ordains. We may prefer the attention-getting activities over the “lesser” ones. Yet, God teaches that his “small” commands are not to be overlooked.

What would our churches be like if we developed an attitude of accentuating the small? What would it be like to have “competitions” to: fill communion trays; empty the trash; clean the fellowship hall; or teach Jr. High? This attitude has the power to transform a Christian community.

Jesus said, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much” (Luke 16:10). Too often we want the much before we master the little. If we can learn not to overlook the little, God will give us much in due season – “if we faint not.”

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene