The teachings of Jesus are clear, consistent and powerful. Jesus said his words would last forever - would not pass away. And his teachings about how we should act in this world were profound.
If we understand this, we will naturally put Jesus' clear, plain teachings at the center of our Faith, and they would obviously be placed at the core of any teachings about that Faith.
And yet, modern Christianity has been bogged down with man-made words and man-made doctrines that muddle Jesus' teachings and message, and often obscure it entirely, making them of no effect and little importance.
Many of man's clever words give birth to man-made doctrines that turn Jesus' religion toxic. Let’s begin to examine some hard truths modern Christians need to hear about what they’ve been taught that aren't consistent with the teachings of the one they claim to call "Master."
1) A Faith in Jesus actually means following his teachings.
Churches rarely focus on them – and in fact, sometimes rarely speak them from the pulpit or TV screen – but the teachings of Jesus aren't just the core of the Gospel, they ARE the Gospel. In his Great Commission, Jesus called those who followed him to go out into the world telling people to obey ALL that he taught them. (Matt. 28:20) When Jesus says "Take up your cross daily and follow me," (Matt. 16:24) he's calling us to join him on a journey of joyful obedience, love, and service, one just as he embarked upon.
But if we do not seek to follow his words, if we claim these words and teachings are too hard for us, impossible for "mere" humans, not necessary for our salvation, or not relevant for us today, then we are not really following Jesus, but other men's teachings. In fact, we HATE him if we reject, warp or minimize his teachings. It's clear from all of these sayings of Jesus, that he believed being called a follower of Jesus, or having faith in him, meant that we are to following his teachings.
2) Prayer doesn't put God to work granting our wishes, it puts us to work serving others.
Many Christians want God to be our magic genie, our butler and our doorman, and He cannot be any of these. And even as Jesus consistently preached that we should desire spiritual things and not earthly treasures (Matt. 6:19-20; Luke 12:33) many Christians pray to God for new cars, more money, a promotion and for an end to sickness and pain. That’s witchcraft, not faith in God. We should be seeking God’s help to overcome adversity, endure suffering, avoid temptation, and grow stronger from all that the world sends our way, and speak to God about all things and all of our troubles and concerns.
When King David prayed to God, he prayed seeking to be renewed and for his soul to be restored (Psalm 23:3) and acknowledged that it was God Who would lead him towards righteousness. This is just as it should be. Through the example of Jesus, the one God has anointed as His Spokesman, we know that God wishes us to seek Him in prayer for spiritual, not material, things. Let us pray with honor and respect to the One Who created us and has the ability to give us all the spiritual help we need from his vast spiritual storehouse.
3) If you're waiting for God to clothe, house and feed you, you're doing the Gospel backwards.
Are we fully prepared to face all of life's challenges? We can be. But we can't if we're paralyzed by the thought that we don't have the "right" opportunities before us. Some people are waiting for God to act, to "open a door," to make things "right" for us so we can finally be the people God wishes us to be. They wait, sometimes a lifetime, for God to "put the right person" into their lives, either a mate or a boss or a benefactor.
But we should stop waiting, and start acting. Because Jesus, the one He chose and sent to us as a teacher, tells us God does not show favoritism among people, and the scriptures teach us that He does not accept bribes to do our bidding for us (Deut. 10:17.) Jesus calls us to a life of Good Works, done in humility and compassion. (Matt. 5:16; 6:5)
Service to others leads to spiritual completeness. (Matt. 5:48) “I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me" (Matt. 25:36.) We are called to serve others' needs. That's how God's Kingdom becomes established here on earth.
Let's be about our Father's business and do as Jesus calls us to do!
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