7
November
2007
Mark 1:14-22
Have you ever thought about this: No matter how large or small a building is, you enter through a small door? To go into my house or inside the church, you use the same size door. Once I visited a museum crammed with all sorts of cultural riches and valuable antiques, but I entered through a small door. Life is like that. Doors are opportunities. They are callings. Above each door is a word that describes what you are entering. Sometimes we read the name above the door and we are so overwhelmed with the magnitude of what is inside that we shy away. Many opportunities are lost because we are reluctant to enter into the places God has prepared for us.
In our passage today, John the Baptist has finished his preparation work and Jesus comes on the scene. John was imprisoned for preaching against King Herod’s marriage to Herodias. Jesus comes to Galilee, the very territory of King Herod. Like John, he came preaching. John preached that the Messiah was coming. Jesus arrived and said, “I am the Messiah.” We learn from the story of John that you can stop the prophet, but you cannot stop the word of God.
I. Jesus Extends A Public Call For Salvation
A. Jesus came preaching the Gospel of the kingdom. John’s preaching was full of warning, announcing the coming judgment. Jesus preached the “Good News” about God. His message sounded a joyful note. Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings, that publishes peace; that brings good tidings of good, that publishes salvation; that says unto Zion, Your God reigns!”
B. What is the Good News Jesus came preaching? There are four parts
to His message.
1. The time is fulfilled. The decisive hour of God’s saving action has now come. Galatians 4:4 tells us, “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son…”
2. The Kingdom of God is at hand. The Kingdom of God refers to the reign and the divine sovereignty of Christ. Everything already belongs to God. Even the Jews sang, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). However, Satan is regarded as the prince of this world and many nations and people are subject to his power and control. All devout Jews knew that one day God would defeat the power of Satan ultimately and destroy evil forever. Jesus’ message is eschatological. He is referring to the end time. The ultimate defeat of Satan begins now as Jesus begins His earthly ministry. Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come.” When Jesus said the Kingdom was at hand, he meant that it was breaking open before their very eyes with His coming to preach the Good News.
3. Repent. We all know that to repent means to change one’s direction or change one’s mind. Jesus links repentance with belief here. We must change our mind about which kingdom we belong to and which King we now serve
4. Believe the Gospel. Both words “repent” and “believe” are verbs that call for continuous action rather than a one time event. We are called to altar our lives radically and accept a whole new lifestyle. Salvation means we are converted. We become a new person with a new set of values and standards of living.
II. Jesus Extends A Personal Call For Service
To speak of the reign of God in a general sense is followed here in Mark’s Gospel by a reign in the hearts of real people. The call is personal. The Sea of Galilee is about eight miles wide and thirteen miles long. Its fresh water just abounded in fish. That was the livelihood of most people. Jesus calls four of His disciple here. Andrew and Simon were casting their circular net into the sea hoping to draw in a heap of fish to sell and eat. That was their trade. The Bible does not say they went fishing. It says they were fishermen. It was who they were.
Next he calls James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They had a business with hired servants. Again, this is their occupation. It is their way of life. So radical is Jesus’ call that all four men leave their nets and follow Jesus. “Straightway” Mark tells us. This word that means immediately and without delay appears eight times in the first 31 verses.
You talk about repentance. These men changed their direction. They left jobs, business, and family. From that day in their lives everything changed. What would happen if you dropped everything that kept you from following Jesus and immediately changed your direction? It isn’t hard to imagine. People in the Bible did it – like Saul of Tarsus. Missionaries today do it.
This does not mean that they abandoned their families and jobs. They still fished and went out on boats and their families are still mentioned hereafter – like verse 29 shows us. What changed that day was their loyalty. God became the priority of their lives. Family and making a living were still important, but not most important. Financial security gave way to service for Christ. Catching fish gave way in priority to catching men. And learning about the fishing business gave way to learning about Jesus Christ. No longer would these four men use the excuse of family or fishing or anything else for the reason they were not sold out to God. They did not sit around and debate it in their minds or with their families. They just followed Him – immediately.
III. Jesus Extends A Particular Call For Sanctification
Perhaps the most neglected call of God on our lives is this one. How many people get saved, start giving the tithe, attend worship, and get put on a committee, but never really grow spiritually to be what God wants them to be? Do you see the very first place Jesus took his disciples and they followed him? He led them into the synagogue. The Bible says “immediately” in verse 21. When I got saved, I immediately went to church. I immediately got baptized. I immediately got in to a small group Bible study called Sunday school. Why do some Christians hear the first two calls and neglect this one.
This is the call to sanctification. To be sanctified is to be made holy, to be separated or set apart for service. It means you are made different. The change that begun in you at salvation continues as you study and pray and serve. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us. But the process of sanctification is made possible as we learn and grow in our faith. Salvation is a process. You are saved when you accept Christ into your life. The Bible says we saved to do good works. All of our lives as Christians, we are to be in process – growing in our faith, learning about Jesus Christ and what it means to be His follower, digging deep into the truth of His Holy Word. That is how we grow. It is a call that so many Christians miss. I ask why? Why would we ignore or refuse a step in the process that Jesus made His first priority after he called men to follow Him?
The Bible says they were astonished at His teaching. Who is the “they”? Verse 21 says they went into the synagogue. The subject does not change. “They” refers to everyone in that room that day, but especially the four disciples. They were astonished at his teaching. All the other teachers they heard told only what they had learned. Nothing was original with them. But Jesus taught with originality. He had something to say. He spoke as authority. He was the one who came up with the thought. “You have heard it said of old”, Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount, “But I say unto you…”
When was the last time you studied the Scriptures or sat in a Sunday school class and heard something that opened your eyes? I do almost every time I get into the Word. God speaks to me. I say, “Wow! I never thought of it that way before.”
You cannot possibly be what God wants you to be if you do not grow. It is a threefold call – to salvation, to service, and to growing. Shame on us if we do not grow. Shame on us if we don’t know scripture by heart. Shame on us if we don’t use the Word of God to speak to what we are going through in our lives day to day. What is the point of knowing Jesus if you don’t listen to Him, grasp what He days, and obey Him. Most of all – Shame on us if we don’t repent and start doing something about it. You should not be a Christian for years and still be ignorant of the Bible. You should not be a member of the church for years, but never shared Jesus Christ with anyone. You should not be a part of the Kingdom of God most of your life, but never took a step of faith, never accepted a challenge to do something out of your comfort zone.
Jesus called these men to drop everything and follow Him. No excuses. Andrew and Simon, James and John could have said, “NO!” “We don’t have time!” “That’s not for me!” “I have all this work to do and money to make!” I wonder when it was all said and done years later, how much of that money these disciple would have taken with them when they died.
Many times I have chosen to watch hours of television and ignore the Bible. I have busied myself with so many good activities that I do not spend time in prayer. Many times I wake up on Sunday morning and make every excuse in the world for not being in church and Bible study. In a given week, I wonder how many hours I watch television and go shopping or go to ballgames, but can’t find an hour to spend soaking up the eternal truths of the Holy Word of God. Shame on me for missing the third part of the call of Jesus. I will never make disciples of others, as the Great Commission says, if I do not become a disciple myself.
Posted: Sermons
18
September
2007
Leviticus 8:14-15
Chapter 8 of Leviticus is an historical narrative about the ordination of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood. The ordination service follows the guidelines given in Exodus 29. One of the primary parts of the ordination service is the sacrifice that brings Aaron and his sons into a proper relationship with God. Notice verse 15 in our text: “…and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it.” This act of smearing the blood and pouring it upon the altar made reconciliation.
First of all we have to ask, “What does reconciliation mean?” That is a good question. To reconcile means to reestablish a close relationship between two people or objects. It means to settle or resolve a matter of difference. If the arm of my chair broke off and I reattached it, I would be said to have reconciled the arm to the chair. The picture is carried here of mending something broken. If two people fall out with each other over a matter, but talk it over, forgive each other, and make up, they are said to be reconciled.
The root of this word, from which we hear the word conciliatory, means to overcome anger. This is key to understanding what biblical reconciliation means. At the heart of the Old Testament Hebrew word for reconciliation is the idea of covering. Whatever issue has caused the broken relationship is covered. It means that the problem has been taken care of, resolved, forgiven. If that does not happen, two people may find themselves in a situation where they must talk to each other, like on a job where they may have no choice; but since the issue has not been resolved, they are not reconciled. Thus the relationship is still broken.
The most beautiful picture to me of reconciliation is the idea of harmony. In music, different voices may sing in different parts – like tenor, bass, and baritone, but the voices blend together and sound good. Harmony implies the getting along together with someone, although you may be different. If the notes are not sung in harmony, it will sound terrible and we will cover our ears. The thought given here is that the parts are compatible. They go together and get along together. It is like matching clothes or colors in decorating your house. If the colors clash, you know it. It will look bad and feel bad.
This brings me to the final picture of reconciliation – peace. If some- thing is not in harmony, there is no peace. When people fall out with each other, there is no peace. Nothing is in harmony. The relationship is broken.
So, what is the answer? We have to understand that there is a difference between reconciliation of two people and reconciliation of God and people. Two people may learn to forgive and overcome their differences and mend their broken relationships. These people admit they were wrong and are sorry. We are actually commanded to do this is the Bible.
It is a different story altogether being reconciled to God. In this relationship, only we have done something wrong. God has done nothing to hurt the relationship. But, sin has a two-fold effect. It affects us and God.
How does sin affect our relationship with God? Without the pardon from sin made possible by the blood of Jesus Christ, here is our pitiful plight:
1. We are brought under the power of sin and are unable to lift that burden. We refer to this as the old sinful nature. No matter how hard we try to be good, we can never be perfect. Sin has us in its grasp and will destroy us through its destructive power. We are spiritually dead. We are unable to overcome its weight that crushes us.
2. We become guilty before God without possibility of parole. A million years from now we will still be guilty. There is no such concept in the Bible as Purgatory where you work off your sins. Guilt is so deeply rooted in our souls, it will never be lifted.
3. We fall in such a great debt to sin that we can never repay it. If I could work my way into Heaven, I would. If I could only make it up to God for the way I disobey Him and fail Him, I would. No matter how hard I tried to save up all my good efforts, they could never pay the price of sin.
4. We are stained within by sin deeply and permanently. You might picture pouring grape juice or oil on a white shag carpet. You can scrub it and pour bleach on it. All you do is make the mess worse. A forensic scientist can take that carpet and tell you exactly what you spilled on it. It is ruined. Likewise sin stains so deeply, you can never remove its ugly and damaging affects. Your soul is ruined.
5. We are separated from God forever. Since God hates sin and it goes against His character, you can not enter into His presence. You are like the lepers who had to stay outside the city at a great distance. A great wall rises up between you and God. The difference however, is that your separation is eternal in a place called Hell.
6. We are made enemies to God without any negotiation for peace. Sin is rebellion against God. Rebels often describe a group of people who rise up against their government and seek to take control of it. By sin, you seek to remove God from His throne. God cannot and will not negotiate with sin. There is no opportunity to call a truce and make peace.
Sin also affects God’s relationship to us. What is God’s relationship to us without the pardon from sin made possible by the blood of Jesus?
1. Because God is holy, He is compelled to turn His face away from sin. He can have no relationship to us. We cannot even enter into His presence. We are separated from Him. Our sin is so staining that he will not even look upon us.
2. Because God is lawful and true to His character, He is compelled to judge sin. Therefore, He must bring upon us sorrow and death. Romans 3:23 tells us that “the wages of sin is death”. His wrath is directed at all of us.
3. Because God is the One, Supreme God, our sin is viewed by Him as an attack on His authority. He sees us as rebels and enemies.
4. Because God is sinless and His character is changeless, our guilt piles up like a wall before His eyes. Even if we do not feel guilty of sin, the flawless Judge has already determined us to be guilty.
You see why we are hopelessly lost in sin. We cannot live good enough to overcome sin and God, because of His character, cannot just overlook our sin. A price must be paid. The root of reconciliation is the idea of covering. Something must cover my sin. Someone must take my punishment. When Jesus’ innocent blood was shed, it had the power to cover my guilt. When He hung on the cross, he took my debt and died in my place. Only when covered by the blood of Jesus can sin be forgiven. Only then can I be reconciled to God.
Look what happens when the blood is applied to our lives by faith in Jesus Christ.
1. Reconciliation through the blood lifts the burden of the power of sin.
Look with me to Colossians 2:10-15, “And you are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and power…Buried with him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who has raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins…he has quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
2. Reconciliation through the blood provides pardon for our guilt.
Romans 5:8-10, “But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”
3. Reconciliation through the blood pays off our debt.
2 Corinthians 5:17-20, “…that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”
4. Reconciliation through the blood removes the stain of sin.
Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
5. Reconciliation through the blood brings us into the presence of God.
Ephesians 2:12-22, “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances…
6. Reconciliation through the blood makes peace with God.
Ephesians 2 continues“…for to make in himself of two one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together grows into an holy temple in the Lord: In whom you also are built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
Posted: Sermons
13
September
2007
Hebrews 9:7-12
There’s an old song that goes:
“I’ve been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb,
Filled with the Holy Ghost I am.
All my sins are washed away.
I’ve been redeemed. ”
What does it mean to be redeemed? The dictionary gives this definition: “To recover ownership of by paying a specified sum.” It means to buy back with a price.
You pay a ransom to set someone free from captivity – like a hostage or a kidnapping victim. Usually it is money exchanged, or meeting the demands of the kidnapper. Sometimes you will hear of a person trading places with the hostage and becoming the victim Himself. This is great love Christ bought us back from sin and eternal captivity with His blood, taking our place. He was not a victim. He chose to do this even from the foundation of the world. No one took His life. He laid it down for all of us held in captivity by sin. He paid the ransom price, which was his life.
The Apostle Peter writes that we “were not redeemed with corruptible things…but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot.” I Peter 1:18-19
Our text today gives a wonderful theological picture of redemption in the Bible through three short phrases.
1. First Phrase: “Not without blood” Verse 7
There is power to redeem a soul from sin only through the blood of Christ.
You might ask, “Where does the power of the blood lie?” What gives the blood power to save that nothing else can give? The answer is revealed in an obscure passage in Leviticus 17:11 in which God explains to his people why the blood is different from everything else, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul.”
The value of the blood of any living thing is based upon the value of the life that is in it. Leviticus 4 makes the comparison between a sheep or a goat and an ox. If you kill an ox, you have made a greater sacrifice than if you had killed a sheep or goat. The ox is more valuable and costs you more to give, so his blood is a great sacrifice.
We make the same comparison. You value a horse more than a rabbit. You might kill a mouse in your house, but it would be harder for you to kill a cow. If you had a valuable, rare breed of a dog, you might expect to get more money for it than for a stray mutt. But if your rare breed had the mange and was sick all the time, you would lose value.
There is power in the blood that corresponds to the value of the life. That is why God commands the first and the best of animals to be sacrificed. If you gave only your mangy and sick sheep to the priest, you have not really given much. So, who can imagine the power that is in the blood of Jesus? He is called the perfect sacrifice, without spot or blemish. Since Jesus is part of the Holy Godhead and is God Himself, the power in His blood is nothing less than the power of God Himself.
2. Second Phrase: “Neither by the blood of goats and calves.” Verse 12
The power of the blood of any other creature is not adequate to save.
Verses 8-10 describe the problem with the old system of sacrifice, referred here as the old tabernacle or first tabernacle. This was the first place of sacrifice. An animal was brought to be sacrificed. The blood of that animal was laid on a second goat, which was run out of the camp carrying the sins of the people. The priest entered into a special place in the tabernacle called the Holiest of Holies. Only the high priest could enter here into the very presence of God one time a year on the Day of Atonement to offer sacrifice for, as verse 7 tells us, “for his own sins and the errors of His people”.
No matter how sorry you were for your sins and no matter how good a life you lived, if the blood did not spill to pay the ransom for your sin, you could not be forgiven. Why? If God simply overlooked your sin, you would still be unclean. No sin will enter into the presence of God. If you are not redeemed by the blood, your sins cannot be forgiven. God states it plainly in Hebrews 9:22, “Without the shedding of blood is no remission (for sin)”.
The old system worked. An animal had to die and give its blood. But the problem with the old system is that the blood of goats and calves, or any other creature, could not forgive sin eternally. It had to be repeated. The animals were good sacrifices. They were the best the person could give. They were the most valuable sacrifice they could make. But it was not enough. Five minutes later, if you thought a bad thought or lusted or lied, you were on your way to eternal damnation again.
Verse 9 tells us that even making the sacrifice himself, the priest was unable to make his own self perfect. Verse 10 tells us that this old system became only a bunch of rites and rituals that could not change a person’s heart or eternal destination. Today, many people practice religion. They go through the services and even participate. It might even make them feel good. They may seek forgiveness and try to live right. But if they are not redeemed by the blood of Jesus, they are still in bondage to sin and just as far from God.
3. Third Phrase: “But by His own blood.”
Jesus shed His own blood to redeem us eternally. Verse 12
Jesus is the great High Priest. He too entered into the Holy of Holies. Instead of once each year, he went once and for all. Look at verses 24-26 as a comparison of the roles of Jesus and the earthly priests. Jesus did not offer sacrifice for Himself, because He is the perfect priest. The Bible describes Jesus as, “He who knew no sin.” He was both priest and the sacrifice. John the Baptist, upon seeing Jesus for the first time, declared in John 1:29, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
Verse 9 tells us that the old priests could not make themselves perfect. His conscience or soul could not be radically changed by the blood of animals. But Jesus, the Son of God, is perfect. By His blood he obtained eternal redemption for us. He paid the price, His own life, one time. For that was adequate, more than adequate to pay the price of sin.
What is the price of sin? When you hear the word sacrifice and the shedding of blood, you think of death. Romans 3:23 alerts us to the wages of sin – it is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Because we are sinners, we deserve to die. Verse 27, “And it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.” We can try to make sacrifices, live the best we can, ask forgiveness, attend all the rituals and services we can, but since we are not perfect, we cannot deliver ourselves from the bondage of sin. We will die and face the judgment.
As the great High Priest, Jesus intercedes for us. His desire is that, “Where I am, there you may be also.” He leads the way. He is our Mediator. Look at verses 14-15, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”
Conclusion: How do we receive this power in our lives? How are we redeemed? By Faith. There is nothing else you can do. You are not the perfect lamb. You cannot obtain eternal redemption by any means. We receive by faith that Jesus is the perfect Son of God who died on the cross and rose again. Believe that you are a sinner and face eternal death and separation from God. Believe that there is power in the blood of Jesus to save. Call on Him in prayer.
1 John 5:4-13, “For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood… And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one… And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
The water refers to baptism. Not simply being baptized, but baptism that follows genuine repentance. The blood refers to the power of Jesus’ life and death that redeems us. The Spirit is He who supplies the power to accomplish this miracle called salvation. Today, if you are a believer, thank God for His precious blood. Thank Him for His love and mercy show to you. If you are not yet a believer, call upon Jesus in prayer, believing that He has the power to save. The Bible says that “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13. If you have called upon the Lord, follow through with believer’s baptism. Baptism is an outward sign of what has taken place on the inside. God commands baptism.
I will continue this four part series on the blood of Christ by preaching next Sunday on reconciliation through the blood. God saves us with the power of His blood, but He does not stop there. He continues to keep us saved through His blood and gives us power to live through the Holy Spirit.
Posted: Sermons
18
May
2007
Proverbs 24:30-34
“I went by the field of the slothful and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face of it, and the stone wall there was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So will your poverty come as one who travels; and your want as an armed man.”
GOING FOR A WALK
In this parable today, the writer of the Proverbs takes a walk. He walks by a field, a vineyard to be specific. Today you might call it a farm. He takes a walk. It reminds me a lot of prayerwalking. The man observes something about the field as he walks by. It is overgrown with thorns and nettles.
We all know what thorns are. They are sharp and, in this case, wild, like weeds. They stick you and hurt. They attract birds – the enemy of every garden. Thorns are really modified stems. Instead of a branch growing out, it stops with a sharp point. You might say the field started out right, but the stems never made it.
Nettles, on the other hand, are irritants. They irritate your skin. The Hebrew word. Haral, means “pricking” or “burning. Scholars have supposed that some thorny or prickly plant is intended by this word, such as the bramble, the thistle, the wild plum, the cactus or prickly pear. It may even be a species of the mustard, which is a pernicious weed abounding in corn-fields. This word may designate the prickly acanthus, a very common and troublesome weed in the plains of Palestine. These vigorous plants may grow as tall as six feet.
Nettles are unisexual, meaning they don’t need another plant to reproduce. They are like cancerous cells that spread. Oddly enough, nettles are known world wide for their medicinal purposes. They can be good. But in this case, they are wild and unkempt. Thorns and nettles both can flower. But in this case, they serve only as eyesores.
The stone wall that circled the garden had broken down. No longer did it protect from animals or people that might trespass and rob the crop. What are they going to rob anyway? The broken wall did not happen overnight. It says to the man walking by that this piece of property had been neglected for a long time.
KEEPING AN EYE OPEN
Have you ever heard anyone say, “Keep an eye open for anything suspicious”? That usually means you are going to observe more closely than you ever have. He says that he considers this field, literally “sets his heart upon it”. At this point we know that the walker is no longer looking with his eye, but with his heart. He begins to see something more that thorns and nettles and a broken wall. He sees more than a field overgrown with weeds. He sees deeper than the soil. He begins to see the farmer or the one who owns the field.
This does not mean his is judgmental. He is merely looking at the evidence. I can tell a great deal about you by walking past your house. I can tell if you have money or not. I can tell what your priorities are. If I see you out washing your boat on Sunday morning, that says something about you. If you have marijuana plants growing in your back yard, that says something about you. If your home looks as though you spend every dime you have keeping it up, that also says something about you. If the grass is never cut and the paint have chipped off the walls, that also says something about you. That is not being judgmental. The Bible tells us clearly, “You will know them by their fruits.” If your life is constantly covered with spiritual thorns and nettles and your walls stay broken down all the time, that says something about what kind of person you are.
GETTING A GOOD EDUCATION
The walker learns something here. He learns something about the farmer. He learns something about himself. He learns something about life.
The Bible tells us here that he “received instruction”. It was given to him. By whom? Well, in the context he is talking about Godly wisdom. The Holy Spirit of God is our teacher. That’s how we learn the truths about life, even about ourselves. The world might call it “common sense”. Not everyone uses wisdom or common sense all the time. If we did, we would not do the things that we do or neglect the things that we neglect. We make mistakes. We make foolish decisions, many of which we live to regret. And, even more foolish that the worst decision you have ever made, is to continue in it without making the changes you know you should make. The farmer not only neglected the field. He continued to neglect it without making any attempt to fix the problem. Do you do that?
The Bible says something along this line in the New Testament. “To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
WHAT DOES THE WALKER LEARN?
He learns from observing this neglected field that someone had fallen asleep on the job. Have you ever fallen asleep on the job? My parents enjoy taping their favorite television shows so they can fast forward through the commercials. I told my mother not to do that any more because the commercials on television are better than the shows. Each night I would sit on the couch beside my mother. At each commercial break my father, in his easy chair, would fast forward through ten minutes of commercials in about one minute. Then, all of a sudden, my mother and I would realize that we were watching the commercials. She would talk loudly to my Dad and say, “Hey commercial man, you are falling asleep on the job.” After she yelled it three or four more times he would open his eyes, raise his head, and pick up the remote. And can you guess what he would say every time? “I wasn’t asleep.”
The walker reflects back to what he said in Proverb 6:6-11:
“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler provides her meat in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So will your poverty come as one that travels, and your want as an armed man.”
He tells us there to consider the ant, a little creature that needs no one to guide her or crack a whip over her to get her to work. Yet her work habits put most of us to shame. Then he uses these verses found here in chapter 24.
The Observing Walker realizes that the man who owns this field is lazy. He calls such a person a sluggard in chapter six. That English word comes from the Scandinavian word sluggi. I don’t want a nickname like sluggi. Do you? Of course, the root word is slug. That is a little snaillike creature that moves slowly and leaves a wet, slimy trail behind. These words are not complimentary.
This is a lazy farmer. Proverb 26:13-15 refers to him as a sloth.
“The slothful man says, ‘There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.’ As the door turns upon his hinges, so does the slothful upon his bed. The slothful hides his hand in his bosom; it grieves him to bring it again to his mouth.”
What is a sloth? It is a mammal that sleeps up to 15 hours a day…upside down. Have you ever gone to the zoo? The monkeys swing and screech. The elephants roar and squirt water. But the sloth just hangs there and does not move. He has feet, but cannot even walk. Boring! This slothful person is so lazy that he makes up excuses for getting out of work. “I can’t go outside. I might meet a lion in the street.” If you want to get out of work, one excuse is a good as another. He makes a joke in verse 14. What does a door and a slothful person have in common? They both move, but don’t get anywhere. One moves on its hinges while the other turns over in bed. He hides his hands in his pockets so that no one will expect him to give any help.
In 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12, Paul told the church, “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.”
MAKING SOME GOOD CONCLUSIONS
Why do people fall asleep on the job? Assuming you are not sick or taking medicine or drunk, here are some concluding reasons you sleep when you should be working.
1. YOU ARE TIRED. You need rest. Spiritually speaking now – about life. A person is spiritually tired because he or she has not spent times of refreshing with the Lord. Spend time in His word and in prayer. Fellowship with other believers. Learn to worship God. God created the Lord’s Day to worship Him and to rest. If we try to go at this life without spiritual rest, we are like the farmer who is not prepared. Imagine a farmer without a tractor or a hoe, without knowledge of seeds or insects or fertilizers, who does not know one season from another. The farmer in this story could see the crop that was yet unseen. Had he been prepared he could have recognized that out of all this dirt, something good could happen. Laziness robs you of potential, of what God could do if you were only prepared to be used of Him.
2. YOU ARE BORED. People will often say they are bored, not because they have nothing to do, but because they don’t recognize that work is good as long as it accomplishes something and pleases God. The farmer knows the power in a seed. He knows that there are hungry people around him. He can see the potential in the ground. But he chooses to nothing about it. He misses out on what can be seen.
3. YOU ARE APATHETIC. You fall asleep on the job because you don’t care enough about what you are doing. The farmer lacked vision. Before the seed was planted, when there was just dirt, he could not see the crop coming in because there was nothing prepared. No seed planted. But once the seed is in the ground, he can still let the field go to waste if he does not have vision to see what could be produced. Before we started talking about a family life center, it was hard to see any harvest. But once we prepared, once we sought out God’s presence, once we began to sow the seed, then we began to see what could be seen. We could envision an abundant harvest.
So, how do you rob yourself? Do nothing. Be lazy. Don’t care. Never discover the purpose of your life. Don’t worry about the future generations. Stay in bed and sleep through it all.
The walker concludes the whole story with this thought: Somebody has robbed the field. Imagine a great field full of ripe fruit. Someone breaks down the wall, tramples down the plants, and steals all the fruit. That’s the scene here. You are like a traveler. That is the word for robber, a traveling bandit. The field looks as though an invading army has hit it and robbed it. It looks like a bomb went off there. He uses the word here for armed man. That means a man with a shield. The farmer became so impoverished because of his laziness that now he has to rob someone else to get some fruit. The ironic point in this story is that the farmer himself, not the invading army, robbed the field. To be lazy and not work for the Lord will rob you of spiritual prosperity the same as though an invading army or a bandit came in and took it from you.
How do you keep from robbing yourself?
1. Train your mind to see what cannot yet be seen. PREPARE
2. Train your mind to see what can be seen. WORK
3. Train your mind to see what will be seen. VISION
Hebrews 6:10-12, “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which you have showed toward his name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That you be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
Posted: Sermons
2
April
2007
Philippians 1:27-30
Many times during my Christian walk, I have wanted to be like Jesus. I want to love like He loves. I want to forgive as He forgives. I want to be able to witness for Him, teach for Him, and preach for Him. I want to be His hands and feet to serve people on His behalf, to give a cup of cold water in His name. But I never thought about suffering like Jesus or for Jesus.
Yet, that is what Paul tells us here. Read verse 29 again. “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.”
The specific kind of suffering Paul is talking about here is brought about by the opposition. He calls them adversaries. He refers to the problem as conflict. Perhaps, because the opposition from the enemy had been so great, Paul feared that some of the Philippians would give up. That is why he encourages them here in these few verses to be strong in the threat of persecution. How does he instruct us to do this? He offers three attitudes towards suffering that would honor Christ and encourage us to stand fast.
1. Embrace anything in your every day lives that would be worthy of the Gospel of Christ
He tells us to let our conversation be…or…our manner of walk be…that which is worthy of the Gospel of Christ. The word for conversation is actually the word for citizenship. Let your citizenship be… You see, we are citizens of Heaven already, though we still live in the flesh. Live everyday aware of the fact that this world is temporary and all suffering and persecution is temporary. In Philippians 3:20, Paul speaks of citizenship in Heaven: “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Some people lived as though they were citizens only of this world. They lived for personal pleasure and physical satisfaction. He says that they have their mind on earthly things. What should guide the Christian instead is the Gospel of Christ. Our lives should witness to the fact that Jesus lived and died and rose again…and has the power to save. Gospel means “the good news of what Jesus has done”.
1 Thessalonians 2:12, “That you would walk worthy of God, who has called you unto his kingdom and glory.”
Ephesians 4:1, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called.”
Our lives, our conversations, our every step should reflect our devotion to the wonderful story of Jesus. The right focus on Christ and our promise of Heaven should motivate us to stand fast in the face of persecution.
Paul uses two military or sports words here. Stand fast pictures a team standing together as one. Striving side by side gives the image of soldiers marching together in formation. The idea he conveys is one of unity. You know the saying, “United we stand, but separate we fall.” In unity we can face the enemy without fear. Alone, we flee in fear. That’s why we need our church family. We are strong together, weak when we separate ourselves from the Body of Christ.
2. Live with courage in the faces of the enemies of the Gospel
We are to be frightened by nothing the enemy throws at us. The word for fear or fright in this verse refers to a horse that is suddenly startled by a noise. You are only startled by that which you are not expecting. So, if you expect the enemy to sneak up on you and try to scare you, you won’t be afraid.
Fearlessness on our part is assurance of our salvation and an indication of the ultimate judgment of evil. We can live fearlessly only when we know in our hearts that we are on the Lord’s side. It is a confidence in the triumph of Heaven over the evil of this world.
Paul uses two military or sports words here. Stand fast pictures a team standing together as one. Striving side by side gives the image of soldiers marching together in formation. The idea he conveys is one of unity. You know the saying, “United we stand, but separate we fall.” In unity we can face the enemy without fear. Alone, we flee in fear. That’s why we need our church family. We are strong together, weak when we separate ourselves from the Body of Christ.
Philippians 2:2 “Fulfill my joy, that you be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”
I Corinthians 1:10, “Now I beseech you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”
3. Learn to accept suffering as a means that glorifies Jesus Christ
Two great privileges of our Christian faith are the gift of believing in Jesus and the gift of suffering for Him. Oddly enough, Paul does not speak of suffering as a result of our Christian faith, rather the goal of it.
Look at the example of Jesus:
Philippians 2:5-8, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Hebrews 12:2-3, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds.”
God gives us the grace to be able to suffer on behalf of Jesus. Suffering is the result of conflict. The word for conflict in verse 30 translates the Greek agona, from which we get the word agony. It was a Greek term in Paul’s day that referred to an athletic struggle, like a wrestling match or a tug of war. The Apostle Paul talks personally about his own conflicts. He was flogged, stoned, jailed, and more. The Philippian Christians were well aware of his conflicts.
CONCLUSION:
This passage affirms that suffering as a Christian on behalf of Christ is a privilege. We identify with him in suffering. Jesus stated himself in Matthew 16:24-25, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
He clarifies in Luke 14:26-27, 33, “And whosoever does not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he has, cannot be my disciple.”
As Christians we are to be actively engaged in battling evil and the mindset of the world. Paul told us already in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.”
Posted: Sermons
23
February
2007
Luke 4:14-15
It has been said that these two verses in Luke’s gospel are an editorial comment. They bridge the stories of Jesus’ baptism and temptations with His ministry to Galilee that follows. I think that this is a bridge passage, but certainly more than just that. For in these two verses I see four characteristics of Jesus’ ministry:
1. Jesus Returned to Galilee in the Power of the Holy Spirit
Luke 4:32, “And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.”
Acts 10:37-38, “That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
The anointing of the Holy Ghost refers to the passage in Luke 3:21-22. Not only was Jesus filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Mary was confused about how she could conceive a child; so she asked the angel:
Luke 1:34-35, “Then said Mary unto the angel, how shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”
The Holy Spirit is called here “the power of the Highest”.
Jesus has all power.
Matthew 28:18-19, “And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost…”
Matthew 9:6, “But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins…”
Luke 11:20, “But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.”
That same power of the Holy Spirit is available to us today as believers in Christ.
Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Jesus still has that power today in Heaven.
1 Peter 3:22, “Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.”
2. Jesus’ Fame Spread Throughout the Entire Region
One of the first decisions Jesus had to make was where to begin His ministry. He began in Galilee, an area in the north of Palestine, about fifty miles north to south and twenty-five miles east to west. The name itself means “a circle”. It was literally encircled by non-Jewish nations. Because of that non-Jewish influence, it was the least conservative part of the nation. It was also densely populated.
Josephus, once a governor himself in that area, wrote that there were 204 villages, each with a population of 15,000 or up. As small as that area was, it seems hard to believe that 3 million people made their homes in Galilee. The land was fertile, beautiful, and filled with strong, courageous people. What a place to begin your ministry – right at home.
Luke 5:17, “And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.”
Matthew 8:27, “But the men marveled, saying, what manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!”
3. Jesus Began His Ministry Teaching in the Synagogue
Jesus taught like no scribe they had ever heard. He taught with authority, with power, and with the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 7:28-29, “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”
Somebody said there are two kinds of teachers: those who have something to say and those who have to say something. Jesus had something to say. He chose to begin in the synagogue. This was the center of religious life in Palestine. Since there is only one temple, every town and village had a meeting place called a synagogue. The law required a synagogue if there were at least ten Jewish families in an area. There were no animal sacrifices here. It is much like our worship today – singing hymns, scripture reading, a sermon, a pulpit, and even congregational scripture readings. Our worship in church is patterned after them.
There was no professional ministry in the synagogue. No one person gave the message. The president would invite any distinguished men to speak. Then discussion would follow. Jesus, because He was famous and Spirit filled and a great teacher, was permitted to bring the message that follows in this passage.
4. Jesus Won the Hearts of Everybody
This short passage ends by telling us that Jesus was held in high regard by everyone. To glory means to praise or to compliment. This phase of Jesus’ ministry is called by some the Galilaean Springtime. He arrived on the scene in this God starved country with a message of Hope. People were hungry for Good News. When someone comes with a God given message of hope, people will listen. Opposition had not yet begun against Jesus, except from Satan. Right now He is welcomed and invited to bring a message. But after His first message, the people in control of the establishment will start to oppose Him. Jesus’ message will set the people free and the opposition fears that freedom.
Likewise the message we preach, the message of Jesus, is a message of power. Paul wrote to the churches these words about His message.
1Corinthians 2:4, “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”
1Thessalonians 1:5, “For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.”
Posted: Sermons
29
January
2007
Luke 3:7-14
Verses 7-9, “Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”
Not many people would be happy if the preacher started his sermon with, “You bunch of poisonous snakes”. John does it and the people are moved to conviction and repentance. Do you know why? We are often mistaken when we come to church and expect to leave feeling good. We often expect the church to meet our needs, to feed us. We want music we like. We want comfortable pews. We expect the service to last only as long as we want it to last. We want sermons that help us to grow, that nourish us. We want to say, “Pastor, what a great service. I got so much out of it.”
That’s when I ask myself, “What did I do wrong?”
Occasionally, someone will say, “Pastor, I didn’t get anything out of the service today.” That’s when I say, “All right! I have finally done something right.”
“What do you mean, Pastor?”
Well, I don’t prepare the order of service or my sermons in order to make people miserable. But worship simply is not what I can get out of it. Worship is what I can give of myself to God. You see, we are not the audience that is to be entertained or fed; we are the worshippers who give to God. If you don’t worship, it is because you came unprepared to worship or you came with the intention of the church catering to your needs.
That’s why John could get away with calling them snakes. A viper is a poisonous snake. The poison in us is sin, pride, self centeredness that makes us think it’s about us instead of what we give to God. John didn’t care that the people got fed or felt good. He was concerned about the poison in them and what they could do to open their hearts in genuine worship of God.
John makes a couple of accusations at the start of this message. First, he tells them that they have come to get baptized, not because they are truly responding to God’s love and want to know Him. They have come because somebody told them that judgment day was coming and you better do something about it. Do you see the focus? It is on me. How can I avoid judgment? How can I come away from this baptism feeling good? It was not about God. It was about them.
Second, he tells them, if you really come seeking God and you say you truly worship Him, them show it. Bring forth fruit that shows you are truly sorry for sin in your life. Some of them were using the argument that they were descendants of Abraham. They had a religious identity and a religious heritage. John said, “That won’t do it.” Race will not get you into Heaven. Heritage will not get you right with God. True repentance! That means repentance in which you are sorry, but you also start living like you meant it. After an encounter with God and believer’s baptism, you cannot continue to live like the world. You cannot meet God and stay the same. A genuine, born again child of God will show evidence in his or her life that they are new creatures.
If that isn’t enough, he tells the people here that real judgment is coming now. We are like trees, he tells them. If you don’t show any fruit in your life, you will be cut down. Fruit here means evidence. You must be different from the world. You must know Christ and grow in Him. You must be filled with His Spirit and carry the fruit of the Spirit in our life.
You have come to be baptized today because you are concerned about what you can get out of it. Your focus is not really God. And if God is not the center of your worship, WATCH OUT!” That is John’s message.
No wonder the people start coming and asking that important question.
The First Group. Verses 10-11, “And the people asked him, saying, what shall we do then? He answered and said to them, He that has two coats, let him impart to him that has none; and he that has meat, let him do likewise.”
When was the last time you came to church with the question on your heart, “What is it that God wants me to do?” Did you ask this question before you came today? Or, “What is it that God wants to say to me in this service?” The people asked for guidance. When you come to church and listen to the message, do you say, “Pastor, I am wanting guidance in my life. Speak to me the message God has laid on your heart and I will do what He says.” The pastor might preach about tithing. Do you start tithing that Sunday? The preacher might preach that we are supposed to love and forgive one another. Do you leave church and ask God to forgive you for treating someone unkindly and start that day seeking reconciliation? The pastor may preach a solid Bible message that truthfully informs us that adultery and sex outside of marriage is sin. Do you leave church and end that relationship immediately?
John replied to this question with a description of righteousness and how we ought to treat relationships. The coat here is an outer tunic. Many people owned and wore two at the same time as they traveled. If they were to see someone without one, they were to share. Food and clothing are examples of the basic necessities of life – not luxuries. The point of his response is that we are responsible to care for one another and that helping the needy is a sign of righteousness
The Second Group. Verses 12-13, “Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.”
John seemed to attract the same kind of people Jesus did. Isn’t that something. The tax collectors, prostitutes, and other known sinners frequently found love and forgiveness from Jesus. But those considered good, religious, and moral people were offended at Jesus’ words. Could that be true here today? Perhaps you see yourself as such a good person that you think the message the pastor preaches is intended for other people. I am a good person. I don’t commit any of those flagrant sins you preach about, Pastor. Well, friend, you are the hardest to reach because you don’t recognize the needs that you have. You will be the one who never asks, “What is it you want me to do?” You come to church every Sunday, but are no different for it.
John’s message to the tax collector’s is honesty and treating people fairly and with respect. Their occupation helped to draw a wedge between them and their own people. Are you guilty from your own actions or your own words of driving a wedge between you and others? Sometimes you have to bend over backwards until it hurts you to show kindness and respect to others. If you continue to treat people harshly, backbite, and say mean-spirited things, you are like the tax collectors – robbing from others instead of being kind and honest.
The Third Group. Verse 14, “And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said to them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.”
Once again, I am surprised at John. The people asked him a good question. “What are we to do?” Instead he tells them what not to do. These men were soldiers. Perhaps they were the soldiers who assisted the tax collectors…because the Greek text implies that they asked the question like this… “and we…what about us…. What are we to do?” Again it is relationships.
Don’t be cruel to people. Don’t rough them up. Don’t take advantage of your position to get what you want from others. Don’t lie or stretch the truth to get what you want. Don’t grumble and complain all the time. Basically, treat people as you would have them treat you.
We often have many opportunities to take advantage of our position to get what we want. As pastor, I may get upset with someone and use my sermon to talk about them. As a deacon, you might threaten someone and say, “well, I’m a deacon and if you do that again, I bring your name to the deacons meeting and we’ll expose you to the whole community.” As a stewardship team member, you might cut a staff member’s salary or refuse to give them a raise…because you don’t like them. You might say, “I never was for that new ministry, so let’s propose that we cut their budget next year….and we’ll make up something to tell the church.”
You can use your authority in such a way that it takes advantage of other people. John tells them to learn to be satisfied, treat people with dignity and respect, and be honest. So, what about you? What is it that God wants you to do? Have you asked God to show you? Are you open to the truth? Do you even want to know? If you did know, what would you do about it?
John tells us that we repent and be baptized. The he gives specific advise on living in proper relationship with those in our lives…friends, family, even strangers. You cannot live in proper relation with God if you do not love your neighbors and treat them with dignity and respect. What is it that God wants you to do today?
Posted: Sermons
30
December
2006
“WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING FROM GOD?”
I Peter 1:18-21
How does an event that occurred over 2000 years ago give me hope today? This Jesus Christ, as verses 19-20 tell us, “The lamb without blemish and without spot, who was foreordained before the foundation of the world, was manifested in these last times for you.”
Did you hear that? Manifest means made visible, made in the flesh – God incarnate – for you. So, what did he do for you?
The scripture tells us here that by Him we believe in God. Many religions in the world teach a belief in God, but not one teaches the concept of redemption. Redeem means to buy back that which was lost or stolen. Verse 18 tells us that we were not redeemed because God bought us back from sin with money or with words or even the religious traditions of those who lived before us. God bought you back with “the precious blood of Christ”.
I Corinthians 6:20 describes it this way, “You were bought with a price.” A heavy price. The death of Jesus Christ and His spilt blood.
Verse 20 couples with His death another significant event. God “raised Him from the dead.” God then gave Him glory. Peter describes this glory in His powerful Pentecost sermon in Acts 2:32-33, “This Jesus has God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted…” Hebrews 10:12 affirms this, “But this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down at the right hand of God.” Paul wrote in Philippians in 2:9 that “God highly exalted Jesus and gave Him a name which is above every name…the name of Jesus.” The angel told Joseph, Mary’s husband, in a dream in Matthew 1:21 that “she shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.”
How can an event that happened over 2000 years ago give you hope? Well, to summarize all this, for you Jesus was manifest (born). He died and came back from the dead. He ascended to the Father and sits on the right hand of God, interceding for you. He will complete your salvation when He returns one day and gives you a glorified body and you spend eternity in a beautiful place called Heaven, where there is no more sin or separation, death or pain…but in the presence of the one who loved you and died for you. That certainly gives me hope.
Verse 21 ends with these words, “that your faith and hope might be in God”. Is your faith and hope in God?
First, we need to ask what is meant by faith. The Greek word is pistis. Used 244 times in Scripture. It means having a solid conviction about something you believe to be the truth. It is more than mere belief. I may believe that the world is flat, but I wouldn’t waste my time studying and arguing my case for a flat world. I may believe it, but I am not so convicted by it that it drives me. This kind of faith is a strong conviction about something. You stand upon it. You bank on it. It directly affects your life. You are totally persuaded.
Second, we need to ask what is meant by hope. The Greek word is elpis.
Used 54 times in scripture. Both of these words are feminine nouns and are similar in meaning. Hope means expectation of something happening. In this context it is a joyful expectation and a confident expectation. It does not mean wishful thinking.
Someone might ask you, “Do you think you’ll get what you asked for Christmas?” You might reply. “I hope I do.” That means you do not expect to receive it, but you are wishing it could be so. Christian hope is confident expectation. Someone might ask you, “Do you think the Lord is coming back one day?” You answer with confidence. “Yes, I am expecting Him to return.”
A woman may say that she is expecting a baby. That does not mean she is wishing she were pregnant. It means she is anticipating a delivery. Not maybe. Definitely. She will pick out names, decorate the nursery, buy clothes…because she knows with confidence that a baby is coming. If you truly expect something from God, you will live your life as though it will happen.
We say sometimes in conversation something like this, “He has no hope for the future. She has no hope of ever finding her lost ring. He has no hope of getting that job. The truth is many people live their lives without hope. In Christ Jesus, because he died for me and saved me and promises me so much in the future, I live by hope. I have confidence that God will supply my need. I believe God can work everything in my life for the good. I believe God has a calling on my life and a bright future for me.
I thank God that I do not live by wishful thinking. I do not determine my direction by the roll of dice. I do not accept that the world was created by a big accidental, explosion. You see hope is confidence in the sovereignty of God. Despite all the obstacles in Mary and Joseph’s paths, despite the evil King Herod, despite any circumstance in Jesus’ lowly birth, God’s plan was carried out. God has a plan for your life. You are not on your own turned lose to grope around in the darkness of the future.
Matthew 10:29-33 assures us, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore, fear not. You are of more value than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”
You see, when you have a confident hope in Jesus, you are willing to publicly confess Him. If you truly believe in something and place your expectations in something, you are not ashamed to take a bold stand for it.
Many people believe in God – as the devils do too. But not everyone is willing to confess Him before men. To confess Jesus is to declare that your confidence is in the Lord. And then, and only then, can you live your life in great expectation of what God is going to do.
Posted: Sermons
24
October
2006
Lamentation 3:21-26
Recently I had a dream. In this dream I found myself preaching on a sidewalk on the main street of a town here in the mountains. Rain fell hard on the street. It was dark and cloudy. A crowd had gathered around me, which I recognized as friends and church members. Across the street people continued to walk, carrying umbrellas, glancing over at me on occasion. Cars continued to pass by, splashing water from the puddles. Horns blew. Windshield wipers waved back and forth.
The church people were listening intently and sounding “Amens”. But the people across the street appeared to pay very little attention to what I had to say. Then I reached a point in my preaching where I suddenly captured the attention of everyone. They stopped – seemed to freeze where they stood – and listened. I said in my dream something like this. “It takes people to keep our cities thriving. There is power in the human mind, power that keeps our hearts beating continuously. But, there is something here today more powerful than people. The storm and the rain you see all around us have great power to bring destruction on us – but this is something more powerful than the storm. It takes a power to enable these automobiles to move back and forth on the street. Yet the power I’m talking about is far greater than our technology.”
After I had built up to the climax with these comparisons, I concluded my sermon. “The power I am talking about is the Grace of God.” As I stated those final words, the people across the street smiled, broke out in applause, and rejoiced.
I have thought a lot about that dream these past two weeks. It is a dream that has incubated in my heart for a long time – a dream to witness and experience a sweeping revival across the mountains of eastern Kentucky. Is it possible? Our speaker at the prayer summit last Tuesday, John Franklin, who has studied great revivals of the past, shared with us about the great revival of the 1740’s. He told us how this awakening swept across the nation as it was at that time – the Midwest, western Kentucky, Louisville and Lexington, all up and down the 13 colonies from New England to Florida. But one area the revival skipped over was the area in which we live today – Appalachia. He told us that there was no report of a breaking out of revival here among the mountain people. Why did it skip over our area?
Could it have been pride, self dependence, or a hardening of the hearts of the people then? Could it have been that God wanted to pour our revival, but the people were not in tune with him? They weren’t prepared? They weren’t seeking Him in their lives? I don’t know why.
But I do believe today that God wants to send seasons of refreshing to us. Do you know what refreshing means? Re means “again” – to be made fresh again.
1. New to one’s experience; not encountered before.
2. Novel; different
3. Recently made, produced, or harvested; not stale or spoiled:
4. Not preserved as by canning, smoking, or freezing:
5. Not saline or salty: fresh water.
6. Not yet used or soiled; clean: a fresh sheet of paper.
7. Free from impurity or pollution; pure: fresh air.
8. Additional; new: fresh evidence.
9. Bright and clear; not dull or faded: a fresh memory.
10. Having the glowing, unspoiled appearance of youth: a fresh complexion.
11. Revived or reinvigorated, stimulated
Imagine being tired, hot and sweaty, and dirty. You step into the shower and wash up, rinse off, and dry off. You feel like a new person. That’s why rain is such a good thing. It not only provides us with water, but it literally cleans the roads, the rivers, and so on.
The book of Lamentations is a small book. If you look at this book in your Bibles today, you will notice that it has four chapters. The first, second, and last chapters have 22 verses each. That’s because the writer started each verse with a letter in the Hebrew alphabet. There are 22 letter in the alphabet, one for each verse. But in chapter three he starts three verses in a row with each letter – thus 66 verses. Why does he do this? I don’t know. But I do know that the third chapter gives us the formula for spiritual refreshing. He begins by talking about God’s wrath against sin, then God’s love for sinners (our text). Verses 37-41 are a call to repentance followed by a prayer of repentance in 42-47. The last part of the chapter voices the expectation that God is going to send relief.
There are three main messages in this little book.
First, the national disasters we face are directly linked with our neglect of God and neglect of social justice.
Look at America today. Breakdown of the family (abuse, divorce, homosexual unions, etc…), hurricanes unlike any in our history, terrorism attacks, suicides, violent crime, devaluing of human life, materialsm, drug and alcohol abuse, record number of prisons and inmates, loss of respect for authority, love of entertainment… In this book, the destruction of Jerusalem and Judah are to be understood for what it was – the direct hand of God to punish his people for years of sin and disobedience- and to open their eyes
Secondly, our only response is a simple return to God and a trusting obedience to the Lord.
If things are bad today, they can only get worse. The write tells us here that the only reason it isn’t worse is that he has mercy. Or we would have been completely consumed. His steadfast love never ceases and His mercies never end. If we got what we deserve, we’d all be in Hell. But his mercies are new every day. A new start. A new opportunity. A refreshing time. But these times can come only if we return to Him and do what He says. We have to stop making excuses and blaming the government and society. II Chronicle 7:14 -22, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Thirdly, Our Future Hope For Blessings Lies Only In The Lord.
This book is filled with prayers – prayers that God will make a change – that He will reverse their fortunes and do good to them. This book still lacks the complete revelation through Jesus Christ. We know that if we come to Him, he will give us rest. The writer tells us here (verses 24-25) that we are to hope in Him, wait for Him, and seek him.
Unless we turn to Him and seek Him in our lives, our future here looks dim. Without Jesus Christ, we have no hope.
So what do I do? One of my favorite verses in the Bible makes it quite simple. Acts 3:19-20, “Repent therefore, and be converted (return), that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you.”
Through genuine repentance, we can experience God’s power and times of refreshing.
Posted: Sermons
16
May
2006
THE BUTTON THAT NEVER COMES OFF
(Psalm 139:13-18)
I know you have had this experience before. Your button falls off. If it’s a top button on your blouse or shirt, your collar stands wide open. If it’s a sleeve button, your sleeve may flop around on your arm all day. If it’s a button on your pants….watch out they don’t fall down. Some buttons don’t really matter that much. They’re for looks. If one falls off, you might not even pay any attention to it – and maybe no one else will either. You may wear a campaign button or a smiley face or one of thousands like that which advertise something you won’t to say.
Once when I was in the service, I got written up for missing a button on my dress blue jacket uniform. It was pretty obvious. They were large silver buttons with a design in them. One missing really stood out. I complained that it fell off and I didn’t see if fall. That didn’t matter. All that matter is that it was missing. The how or why seemed irrelevant.
I may not be the smartest person in the world nor do I claim to be a seamstress. But I have figured out why buttons fall off. It’s not the button’s fault. That’s true. The fault lies in the thread. I have sewed buttons back on before only to have them drop off again. At first the threads come loose and then…before you know it, the button is gone. I have even doubled and tripled my thread – in anger – and sewed it so thick that I had this big wad of thread in the middle of my button. I have sewn them so tight before that I couldn’t even tilt the button enough to make it go through the button hole. And somehow – yes, somehow – they still managed to fall off.
But I have discovered one button that never falls off. It’s not a shirt button or a campaign button. Some buttons are for fastening while some are ornamental. This button is neither. This button never falls of because God made it. And He made it to stay there with a thread that never wears out. You can’t lose this button even if you wanted to – although there are people in this world today who are trying everything they know to get rid of it.
It’s an identity button. It tells something about you that no man made button could ever tell. It has a unique design. You don’t actually have this button when you are born, but you get it soon after free of charge simply because God wants you to have it. We call it by a very poor choice of a name. We refer to it as a belly button.
The one hundred-thirty-ninth Psalm contains one of the most personal and inspirational testimonies concerning the inescapable presence of Almighty God. In the first six verses the Psalmist describes God’s perfect knowledge of us. He searches us and knows us. His complete knowledge of us is so great that the writer admits he could never understand it. In the next six verses, he declares the presence of God is everywhere at all times. One could not escape the presence of God if he tried desperately to do so. We may lose His power and the filling of the Spirit to accomplish His work (Psalm 51:11), but we can never escape His presence. God is just as visible in the darkness as He is in the light (verses 11-12). How comforting and encouraging to rest on that truth, even in our darkest times.
But the third section of six verses, 13-18, refers specifically to the marvelous work of God in creating us. Even then, during creation, God knew us and was ever present. But, even then, He was involved in forming our lives to be what He wanted us to be.
1. God Created Us While We Were Protected in a Very Special Place of Warmth and Safety
That miraculous place is called the womb. It is the only place I am aware of in which a human can live and grow, yet not breathe. God created this place to keep the baby warm and to protect her. The Bible speaks many times of this place. It is often linked to the presence of God and the blessing of God. It is a sanctuary. A sanctuary is a place set apart, sanctified or made holy…a place of refuge, asylum, and immunity.
Before you were born, God knew you and searched you and was with you.
In Job 1:21, Job declared, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb…”
Psalm 22:9-10, “But you are he that took me out of the womb: you did make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon you from the womb: you are my God from my mother’s belly.”
Isaiah 44:2, “Thus says the LORD that made you, and formed you from the womb…”
Isaiah 49:1, “…The LORD has called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother has he made mention of my name.”
Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet unto the nations.”
Luke 1:42, “Blessed is the fruit of thy womb.”
Luke 11:27, “And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bore you…”
It is sad to think that this place of warmth and safety has become a place of death for so many babies. The very place designed by God to enable a baby to live and thrive has, for many, become the place of terror and death. Look at verse 13. God’s presence was there before this baby even had developed his mind and emotions. The brain and the heart were not fully functioning yet, but the soul is already there. God fashions…or weaves…this child while still in his mother’s womb. That’s a miracle.
2. God Created Us While We Were Attached to a Very Special Person
Do you know what medical people call a belly button? I mean, what really is it to be called? Of course we call it a navel. Navel is a word that means the center of something. The bellybutton is in the center. But actually, it is a scar. That’s right. It is a scar left when the umbilical cord is cut off and withers.
A scar is something left on your body or your mind after something painful has happened. We carry scars on our bodies that remind us of an accident or a war injury. Your belly button is a scar. It not only reminds us of the nourishment we received from our mothers that enabled us to live, but it is a scar that reminds us of pain. Not our pain. Our mother’s pain when she bore us.
As long as you live, you carry a scar on your body that serves as a reminder that someone loved you and cared for you and suffered for you. Your belly button teaches us an important truth: You need somebody. Even the strongest, most independent, most arrogant people who have ever lived carry the same scar. The scar tells us that “you would have never made it on your own”. God designed umbilical cords to keep us attached to our mothers. Let that scar serve as a reminder of her love and suffering and our dependency on her to survive.
No matter how long you live, that button does not come off. The cord may be cut, but we never cease to be dependent on that woman who brought us into this world. God intended it that way.
3. God Created Us While Thinking Very Special Thoughts About Us
Look at verses 16-18. God took time to record your progress in the womb. He gave you what you needed to make it through this life. Sin in our human race has caused problems that God did not originally intend to be there. The precious thoughts that God had for you while you were still in the womb and still attached to an umbilical cord are more than you could ever count. They number more than the sand on the shore. Verse 18 concludes this section of verses with the assurance once again of God’s presence. Whether in the womb or hidden in some other dark place, whether asleep or awake, God is always with us.
Jeremiah 29:11-14, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall you call upon me, and you shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, says the LORD…”
CONCLUSION:
Two Points to Consider:
A. God’s presence to the believer is a promise. Even before we are born, God is with us. No matter where we go, God’s presence will be there. The Psalmist declares in Psalm 23, “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me.”
Jeremiah 23:23-24, “Am I a God at hand, says the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? Says the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? Says the Lord.”
Do you know the Lord’s presence in your life? The Good news is that you can know him and discover meaning and purpose in life.
B. Just as your own belly button is a scar that reminds you of your mother’s love and suffering; so the scars in the hands and feet of Jesus remind you of His love and suffering for you. Your mother sacrificed so you could be born. Jesus sacrificed His life so you could be born again.
Have you been born again? He is near and available today. Call upon Him and be saved.
Posted: Sermons