Bartering With God

The world we live in today would have us believe that before we can love anyone, before
we can love our spouses, our children, our God, then we must first love ourselves. The Dogma
that the world espouses tells us things like:
1. It is healthy to accept and love myself and let others love me, for I am worthy of
respect and love.
2. It is okay to trust myself and others. I can be responsible for myself, just as others
can be responsible for themselves.
3. It is possible for me to be happy, since happiness depends on myself and my
attitude, not on other people or things.
4. I can't do everything or do everything perfectly, but I can do something. If I fail,
it's okay. There's no real failure except in not trying.
5. It's okay to let things go that cannot be changed or that do not matter.
Now I think having good self esteem is an important thing, if it is accomplished with
humility. Seems like a paradox, doesn’t it. We want and we want our children to have a sense of
self worth. We want them to feel like they are the most important person in the world. We want
them to know that they do not have to be perfect for us to love them. This is part of the reason
we send Grant to a Montessori school. They espouse some of the very statements we just heard.
And you can imagine the pride swelling in me when the teacher asked my wife what faith we were
because Grant talked about God a lot. I thought about all those little minds my son was exposing
to Truth. But as we read in Proverbs 16:18. “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty
spirit before a fall.” My pride was short lived when Grant came home one day asking if Jesus was
God. He must have heard this from another child. I was shocked and horrified. I tried to explain
to him that Jesus was God’s son in the same way that he was my son. But this just didn’t seem
right to me; seemed kind of blasphemous to put our relationship on that level; to imply that I
loved everyone else as much as I loved him. For that was God’s relationship with His Son. God
so loved the world that He gave His only Son that the world should be saved. Could I do it?
Could you? I would easily give my own life, but that of my son, my child? This is why it is so
important for him to know that Jesus was not God. Jesus was not God and if he were there
would be no sacrifice. We would have no example. Christ lives not because he died but because
he knew he would live. Faith and humility must go hand in hand. So how can this be
accomplished. How can we build our children up and show them that they are unworthy at the
same time?
I suspect, that for most of us, feelings of unworthiness are not uncommon. I’m sure that
most of us at some time have tried to convince ourselves of the preceding statements and failed
miserably. Psychologists of today will likely tell us that our feelings of unworthiness are
unhealthy. They base their whole practice in trying to tell us to discard those feelings of
unworthiness which, they argue, keep us from realizing, from maximizing, our true potential.
Would you be shocked to hear me say that I personally do not want to maximize my
human potential? In fact, my prayer for myself, for my child, and for all of us is that we would be
delivered from our human potential. Our human potential is sinful and corrupt . The Bible is clear
on this point. Turn with me to 1 John 1:8
(8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. (10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word
is not in us.
The reality is that we have all sinned and have good reason to feel unworthy. Masking our
sin and unworthiness with a thin layer of self-esteem just isn't going to cut it. To love ourselves,
to love our Brothers and Sisters, we need something much bigger than a positive self-image . We
need the love of God. And it is only though our love of God that we can feel Him working in our
lives; changing us ....... loving us.
We need to realize that God does allow things to happen to us that we, as mortals, cannot
cope with: That it is only through our love of God and our appreciation of the sacrifices made for
us through Christ Jesus, our savior, that we can learn to love ourselves and each other.
Now that I have disqualified myself from being a Montessori school teacher, let me show
you the Biblical basis for valuing this unworthiness.

In Genesis we read of Jacob when about to meet Esau after years of absence. He
expected his brother to be angry and force revenge on him for his Birthright. He prayed to God
saying in Genesis 32:10
“I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast
shewed unto thy servant.”

After witnessing the Angels of God in the temple, Isaiah's response was,
"Woe is me for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips.” Isaiah. 6:5.

After hearing rumors speculating that he might be the Christ, John the Baptist's reply was,
"I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals.” Luke 3:16.

When Peter recognized that he was sitting in the same boat as the promised Messiah, he
pleaded with Jesus,
"Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Luke 5:8.

So if we struggle with feelings of unworthiness, we are in good company. Moses, David,
Isaiah, John the Baptist, Peter, and Paul all knew what it was like to feel unworthy. If we want
examples of people in the Bible who subscribed to the thought of loving themselves first then we
need to look elsewhere in the Bible. Oh they are there, but not associated with Christ. We can
look at the examples of Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Herod or the Pharisees. Now, I ask you,
which group would you like to identify with? .

We read this morning in Luke Chapter 7 of a Centurion and the slave that was highly
regarded by him. Upon Jesus' arrival in Capernaum this slave was sick and about to die. And
when the centurion heard about the miracles of Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to ask Jesus to
come and save the life of this slave. This centurion, most probably of Roman descent, must have
assumed that his request would gain a better hearing if he sent Jewish elders to ask Jesus to come,
after all, Jesus was Jewish.
Now the centurion himself must have been a man of influence and position. The office of
centurion, by itself, required an individual with tremendous intellect and courage. The centurion
was also, quite obviously, a compassionate man. The average first century citizen, let alone a
centurion, would not normally be concerned about the welfare of a slave. Slaves could be easily
replaced. But Luke tells us that this particular slave was so "highly regarded " by the centurion
that he did everything he could to save his slave's life. Also, centurions did not usually have good
relations with the Jews. This centurion, however, was clearly held in high esteem by the local
Jewish elders who were quite willing to speak on his behalf. The reason this centurion was
popular with the Jews becomes evident when we read in verse 5 of this chapter that he built these
Jews a synagogue.
If there was ever a man deserving of Jesus' help it was this centurion. And this is the very
approach taken up by the Jewish elders. Luke tells us that when they had come to Jesus, they
earnestly pleaded with Him, saying, “He is worthy for You to grant this to him; for he loves our
nation, and it was he who built us our synagogue” (Verse 5).
Does anyone else see what the Jewish elders are doing here? In an attempt to get Jesus to
help the centurion, they point to the centurion's good works--"he loves our nation, and it was he
who built us our synagogue ".
How prone are we to doing the same thing? We, like the Jewish elders in this account,
often resort to bartering with God. Figuring that because we have taught Sunday School, or
attend the meeting regularly, or helped out with other functions--that we are worthy of God’s
love. Rather than approaching God as the creator of the universe, many of us treat God as if He
owes us His love. We think that if we pray the right way, quote the appropriate Scriptures, and
claim the correct promises, that God will surely answer our prayers.
I hear this theology coming from many people today; treating God as some Heavenly
vending machine Whose primary purpose is to give us what we ask for. In the story in Luke, the
Jewish elders approach Christ in this very fashion--they use the centurion's good works as
currency for the vending machine, bartering for favor.
There are many among us who have heartfelt needs. And we have some very sincere
prayer requests. We may want healing for a physical illness. We may want healing for emotional
illness. We may want a solution for financial woes. We may want healing for a relationship. We
may indeed have a genuine need that we want God to help out with. At the same time, we must
remember that there is a correct way to approach God. Asking for something on the basis of what
we deserve is never appropriate. We cannot say “Look at all I have done, why haven’t I received
a blessing?.” When we do this, we are teaching our children that there is a direct correlation
between the good things we do and the good we receive. How many times have we heard “I
cleaned my room so I get to stay up late,” or “I was good during the meeting so I get Ice Cream
for Lunch.” They expect certain rewards for their actions. But do we want to respond only to
works? Do we want God to respond only to our works?
The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 4:4-5 that:
(4)Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. (5)But to
him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted
for righteousness.
Paul is telling us that if we want to barter with God we are going to get "what is due "
--and this, Paul tells us, is not favor. We don't want to engage in a transaction with God, we don't
want wages from God because as we read in Romans "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23) and
we all have sinned. Now, do we really want what we deserve?
But, now we have to ask “if God does not bless us according to our deeds, how then are
we to approach Him?” It is in the example of the centurion where we learn how God is to be
approached. Jesus was on His way with the Jewish elders sent by the Centurion when friends of
the centurion came with a message from him, let us read what happens. Luke 7:6-8
(6)Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion
sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that
thou shouldest enter under my roof: (7)Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come
unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. (8)For I also am a man set
under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to
another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth [it].

Do we see the difference between this approach and the approach of the Jewish elders?
The Jewish elders told Jesus that "the centurion is worthy for You to grant this to him" (v.4). But
what message does the centurion have communicated to Jesus through his friends? "Lord, do not
trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, for this reason I did
not even consider myself worthy to come to You" (v.6, 7) .
So what’s the difference here? How did the centurion approach Jesus? He approached
Jesus as someone unworthy of being helped. The centurion approached Jesus with genuine
humility.
This is how we must approach God. After all He owes us nothing. It is all grace. Every
blessing is undeserved favor. But here is the wonderful news: God is eager to bless us. We clearly
see genuine humility in the centurion's approach to Jesus, but we also see genuine faith . The
centurion's message to Jesus was "just say the word, and my servant will be healed" (v.7). "Just say
the word, and my servant will be healed "--this is genuine faith. This is not presumptuous faith
either--the centurion is not forcing Jesus' hand here. Rather, it is clear that the centurion
recognizes Jesus as having great authority. And it is on the basis of this great authority that the
centurion comes to Jesus with both humility and faith .
Now we all have burdens that we are carrying. We all have things in our lives that are
causing us grief and pain. We are struggling with our relationship with God and our relationship
to Christ. But I ask now, what are we doing about them? Are we trying to solve our problems by
our own strength or are we relying on His love? Are we presently bartering with God until we
get our way or are we humbly presenting our requests to Him?
The first thing that we must realize is that Christ is given authority over all things.
Everything and everyone is subject to Him. We can do nothing apart from Christ. For He tells us
in John 15 starting at verse 4:
(4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in
the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (5) I am the vine, ye [are] the branches:
He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye
can do nothing. (6) If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered;
and men gather them, and cast [them] into the fire, and they are burned.
He that abideth in me, and I in him. I have heard this phrase used many times in
mainstream Christianity. They believe that Jesus actually takes up residence in their hearts, their
eternal souls and causes them to do the right thing. But they are forgetting part of this equation.
He said “He that abideth in me, and I in him”. There is an order to that statement. And I believe
that the first part “He that abideth in Christ” is the most important because it is only through our
desire to be like Him that we model our thoughts and actions after His. Then and only then can
come to know him and we can say that He abides in us. He lives through us. I personally think
mainstream Christianity confuses the words abide and reside.
We do not have to live inside of Christ to know that apart from God our burdens will
grow heavier. Apart from Christ, our pain and grief will increase. Away from Christ, our ability to
please God will cease. So we do not want to live apart from Christ. And since we do not want to
live apart from Christ, we must first learn how to approach God through Christ. There is value in
being unworthy. There is value in being unworthy because these are the terms on which God
accepts us. Christ lives not because He died; but because He knew he would live.
The centurion approached Jesus with genuine humility , "I am not worthy ", he told Jesus.
But the centurion also approached Jesus with genuine faith , "Just say the word, and my servant
will be healed ". And how did Jesus respond to this approach? Let us read further in Luke
Chapter 7:
(9) When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turned him about, and said
unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not
in Israel. (10) And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that
had been sick.

We all face many trials. The question is, are we going to face our trials alone or are we
going to humbly trust in God to sustain us? Do we want our children to judge our works or our
faith? Do we want to teach our children that everything will be OK as long as they love
themselves. Or that everything will be OK because God so loved them that He gave his only
begotten Son for them. Do we want them to think that we come here each Sunday because
partaking of the emblems leads us to love or that it is because we love Him, we show our respect
and love in partaking of the emblems.
I don’t want to teach my child that He must love himself to love God. I want him to know
that God loves him therefore he should love himself and others. Christ lives not because he died
but because he knew he would live. This was not Christ’s sense of self esteem. It was His
humility; the bowing His will to that of His Father’s, and His faith , His trust in God’s word.
So how do we avoid bartering with God for those things we think we need? Christ tells
us in John 15:7. He tells us
(4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in
the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (5) I am the vine, ye [are] the branches:
He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye
can do nothing. (6) If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered;
and men gather them, and cast [them] into the fire, and they are burned. (7) If ye abide in
me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

We need to learn that:
1. It is healthy to accept and love myself and let others love me, because God loves
me.
2. It is okay to trust myself and others as long as I trust more in God’s love.
3. It is possible for me to be happy if I accept God’s love.
4. I can't do everything or do everything perfectly, but I can do something. If I fail,
it's okay. There's no real failure except in not recognizing God’s love for me.
5. It's okay to let things go that I cannot be change for I trust in God’s will.

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be
done unto you.”

Given By Sol L. Gorrell
Wanatah Christadelphian Ecclesia
10/13/2002