Appreciating The Church’s Most Precious Treasure

Most companies choose layoffs, or pay cuts before they choose to sell off a portion of the business or some key intellectual property, or an important physical asset (like a company jet). If employees were the company’s most important asset, the asset would be protected before any other asset.

This is the issue addressed in Mike Caracalas’ article, The Myth of “Our Employees Are Our Greatest Asset,”

Mike Caracalas on further to state:

The phrase is a myth because employees are not assets. They’re people.

Employees are humans

According to humanrightscareers.com

At its most basic, the concept of human dignity is the belief that all people hold a special value that’s tied solely to their humanity. It has nothing to do with their class, race, gender, religion, abilities, or any other factor other than them being human.

Within the Westminster Confession of Faith, 4th Chapter (Of Creation), Section 2 is contained the following statements:

After God had made all other creatures, he created man, male and female, with reasonable and immortal souls, endued with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, after his own image; having the law of God written in their hearts, and power to fulfill it; and yet under a possibility of transgressing, being left to the liberty of their own will, which was subject unto change. Beside this law written in their hearts, they received a command, not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; which while they kept, they were happy in their communion with God, and had dominion over the creatures.

Transition To Body- Mercy Over Sacrifice On the Sabbath

Matthew 12:7 ESV

And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.

Matthew 12:8 ESV

For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

Body- When we recognize the Church’s Most Precious Treasure we

Gather For Jesus’ Glory

Matthew 12:9 ESV

He went on from there and entered their synagogue.

Luke 6:6 ESV

On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered.

Synagogue- of the Jewish synagogue (it is used for a place of assembly for Jews

Not Our Glory, But the LORD’s Glory

Matthew 23:1–12 ESV

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Psalm 122:1–4 ESV

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together, to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.

Psalm 122:9 ESV

For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.

Matthew 21:12–13 ESV

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

{ When we recognize the Church’s Most Precious Treasure we

Gather For Jesus’ Glory

}

Inquire Without Prejudiced Intentions

Matthew 12:10 ESV

And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him.

What is Prejudicial Evidence?

Your honor, I object- the question is Unfair/prejudicial You can object to evidence, even if it’s relevant, if the evidence would unfairly turn the judge or jury against you. This is what is meant by saying the evidence is prejudicial.

Consider a criminal trial where the prosecution wants to introduce evidence that the defendant has a prior criminal record. While this evidence may be relevant to the case, it could unduly influence the jury to convict the defendant based on their past rather than the facts of the current case. Such evidence is likely to be considered prejudicial and may be excluded by the court.

Mark 3:2–5 ESV

And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

Luke 6:7–9 ESV

And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?”

{ When we recognize the Church’s Most Precious Treasure we

Gather For Jesus’ Glory

Inquire Without Prejudiced Intentions

}

Prize People Over Protocol

Matthew 12:11–14 ESV

He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

Protocol- an accepted way of conducting oneself in a given situation

Matthew Violating Religious Custom in Favor of God’s Will (12:14)

Violating Religious Custom in Favor of God’s Will

More Value- differ to one’s advantage fr. someone or someth., be worth more than, be superior to

Illustration: People valuing animals and dogs over people and dressing and taking care of animals better than their own children and family

Do good- to being of advantage, in a manner that is beneficial/acceptable, well κ. ποιεῖν do good

Biblical Illustration: Indignant Ruler of the Synagogue

Luke 13:10–16 ESV

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?”

Matthew 12:7 ESV

And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.

Hosea 6:6 ESV

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

{ When we recognize the Church’s Most Precious Treasure we

Gather For Jesus’ Glory

Inquire Without Prejudiced Intentions

Prize People Over Protocol

we follow and model our

}

Spirit-Anointed Humble Servant

Matthew 12:15–21 ESV

Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all and ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

Jesus Withdraws from Confrontation

Avoiding a Further “shouting-match” with the Pharisees

The Servant as God’s Chosen

Chosen- to choose or select for the purpose of showing special favor to or concern for

Beloved- to one who is in a very special relationship with another, only, only beloved, in ref. to an only son

Take pleasure- to take pleasure or find satisfaction in someth., be well pleased, take delight

ⓐ w. pers. obj. ἔν τινι with or in someone (of God’s delight in someone

The Servant’s Endowment with the Holy Spirit

Matthew 3:16–17 ESV

And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Servant’s Mission of Justice

Proclaim- to announce what must be done

Justice- administration of what is right and fair, right in the sense of justice/righteousness

The Hope of the Nations

Hope- to look forward with confidence to that which is good and beneficial—‘to hope, to hope for, hope.’

Ephesians 2:12–13 ESV

remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

According to The New International Commentary on the New Testament’s Gospel of Matthew by R. T. France:

A reed was used for measuring and for support, so that once its straightness was lost by bending or cracking, it was of no further use. A strip of linen cloth used as a lamp-wick, if it smokes, is no use for giving light and is simply a source of pollution; it is in danger of going out altogether. Common sense would demand that both be replaced, the reed being snapped and discarded or burned and the wick extinguished.

The imagery thus describes an extraordinary willingness to encourage damaged or vulnerable people, giving them a further opportunity to succeed which a results-oriented society would deny them.

The servant will not be quick to condemn and to discard, but will persevere until God’s purpose of “justice” has been achieved.

Jesus is Our Peace!

Ephesians 2:14 ESV

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility

{ When we recognize the Church’s Most Precious Treasure we

Gather For Jesus’ Glory (Matt. 12:9)

Inquire Without Prejudiced Intentions (Matt. 12:10)

Prize People Over Protocol (Matt. 12:11-14)

Spirit-Anointed Humble Servant (Matt. 12:15-21)

}

Transition To Close- The Letter Kills, but the Spirit Gives Life

2 Corinthians 3:4–6 ESV

Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Close- The Church’s Most Precious Treasure is Jesus Christ!

2 Corinthians 4:1 ESV

Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.

Treasure in Earthen Vessals

2 Corinthians 4:7 NKJV

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

2 Corinthians 4:7–18 ESV

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

For God So Loved the World…

John 3:16–17 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Thanks Be to God Who Gives Us Victory Through…

1 Corinthians 15:55–58 ESV

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

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