Scripture: Hebrews 1:1-12
Did you know that the Lord goes to great lengths to get his people to listen to him? Last week, we considered the various ways that he got Moses, Jonah, Esther and others to listen to the word that he had for their lives. For others, He has used the prophets to bring his word to life – many of them, spread over hundreds of years – and for the most part, the people discounted their every word, they refused to believe. God must get very frustrated with us, don’t you think? But frustrated or not, he never gives up!
Pastor John Stendahl writes:
This Word, then, is not simply a message you can put into words. It comes as a person, a life enfleshed and enacted. It has to do with compassion and vision, but there is also something frightening about it, a kind of desperate insistence. “IF YOU WON'T LISTEN TO THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS, MAYBE NOW YOU'LL SEE.”
God, so vulnerable, casting this unphilosophical proposition into our world, this baby, is dependent on our response. Now even the cross that lies ahead takes on a seemingly strange and eerie reality: “THEN maybe their hearts will be moved, THEN they'll know how I love them.”
The messenger and the message are thus joined. Even in those tellings of the gospel in which Jesus struggles against this identification, it proves finally to be so. The Word is enfleshed, and born to die.
--John Stendahl, The message and the messenger, Christian Century, December 17, 1997, 1187.
And God said “Do you think they’ll listen to my Son?”
Read Hebrews 1:1-4
Jesus – heir of all things - present, past and future; jointly involved in creation of the entire universe; the radiance of heavenly glory; the exact representation of the Father; the source of purification for our sins.
What an incredible statement of faith! If we truly believe all of this, why wouldn’t we listen? I would think that every follower of Jesus would want to hang on every single word that he has to say to us. Think about some of these attributes: heir of all things – there is nothing that isn’t his; a co-creator with the Father – he pre-existed creation, he has always been and always will be, and his signature is on the created order; radiance of glory – he isn’t just filled with heavenly glory – he is the glory; the exact representation of God – whoever God is, whatever God gives, whatever God says, it’s also true of Jesus. There is no difference. They are not copies. They are exactly the same; purification for our sin – he doesn’t just redeem, he doesn’t just forgive – he is the redemption and the forgiveness for our lives.
This is what God wants us to know, this is what he has been trying to tell us for two millennium!
Read Hebrews 1:5-9
Some folks tend to get hung up on the significance of the angels, and some even believe that we should worship these heavenly beings. The writer of Hebrews, though, wants us to see them differently. Angels are not divine – they are simply the ones who carry out the desires and the message of God – they are not God themselves.
The text tells us that angels are not sons of God - but who is? First, Jesus is the one and only begotten Son, and through him, we also can become children of God. Not angels. Believers! Jesus is the first-born of God, and by being born again in Christ, we then can also come to the Father as his children.
In verse 7, we are given something else that we need to think about – our relationship with the angels. Angels, scripture tells us, are the winds, and we are the flame. Have you ever watched the fire department fight a grass or brush fire? If there is no wind, the fire moves very slowly, and sometimes, it even burns itself out. Those are the easy ones. But if even a little wind stirs up, the flames jump and you will be hard pressed to catch them. It’s a real race trying to get to the head of the fire, because that is the only place you can stop its spread.
Imagine – God’s messengers are the winds that fan the flames of our faith! And rightly so. Consider the effect that the angel had on Mary and Joseph! The fire of their spirit was fanned into a full blown blaze, to the point that nothing could interfere with their faithful completion of the task God had given them. How about the angels that visited the shepherds on that first Christmas? Were they on fire or what? You’d better believe that they were! How about the disciples on Pentecost? Paul on the Road to Damascus? You and me when we discovered how personal and loving and close Jesus actually is to us?
The angels carry a message that comes directly from God’s heart, and how could his servants not burst into a roaring inferno?
But does Jesus need to be fanned into flame? Of course not. He is God, and he is already full of the holy fire. “therefore, God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” The angels are the constant companions of the Lord. They are available to provide for any of Jesus’ human needs, such as after his 40 day fast in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), but he has no need of spiritual encouragement. He is the encouragement for our lives.
Read Hebrews 1:10-12
This is the Lord God Almighty. Eternal, imperishable, unchanging, and yet, humble, gentle, loving, forgiving. An enigma, a puzzle, if you will. The heavenly home of our Eternal God, the place that has been promised to us, is going to perish and then be remade in a whole new way. Don’t try to figure that out, just claim it. God can never perish, but everything else will either completely disappear or will be radically changed. And that includes you and me. 1 Corinthians 15:53, a passage that is used quite often in our funeral liturgy, tells us that the perishable must put on imperishability, and the mortal must put on immortality. Nothing that is created is eternal – it all is perishable, and that includes you and me.
But for those who are in Christ, for those who “are clothed with Christ” (Galatians 3:26-28), they are embraced in eternity, and are changed forever. Jesus told the parable of a wedding banquet (Matthew 22:1-14). The parable ends with the words “Many are invited, but few are chosen.” In the story, everyone was expected to be wearing wedding clothes, and those who were not were escorted out of the hall, to their eternal dismay.
“They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment.” (v.11) On that first Christmas day, everything began to change. The Newborn of Bethlehem, even though he came in a perishable human form, was the eternal and imperishable God who is both before and beyond creation. The Child who would be nourished by a human mother’s milk would, himself, bring spiritual nourishment – eternal sustenance – for the entire world. That helpless Infant who had to be held and fed and carried wherever he went, would be the One who would redeem humanity from their self-destructive existence, the One who would carry the entire burden of worldly sin all the way to Calvary.
Christmas is our beginning. It is the first ray of hope in an otherwise dark and forbidding life; it is the dawn of a new day; it is the offer to be clothed in the Immortal and Incarnate Christ; it is the gift of imperishability and the hope for eternity.
But as with any gift, it has to be accepted. In the wedding banquet parable that was mentioned before, many had been invited to come to the celebration, but many were just too busy to attend. And they soon found themselves “on the outs” with the King.
Parable after parable is offered to show us the necessity for Christ in our lives (eg. Rich man and Lazarus; The Tenants; and others). Without the Baby Jesus, the perishable world would just continue on their merry way, believing that doing “good things” is good enough.
Without Jesus of Bethlehem, mortality and finality would be our sentence. But in Christ, we will never “wear out like a garment and be rolled up like a used up robe.” His garment is forever. Hallelujah! At Last!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
“Sorry, No Room!”
Scripture: Luke 2:1-20 (Christmas Eve)
Sixty-odd years before the birth of Christ, in an aristocratic community of Rome, a very important child was born. As soon as he arrived, a messenger raced into the Roman Senate and announced, “The next ruler of the world is born.” His name was Octavius, and he was destined to become the adopted son of Julius Caesar.
He grew up in the palace. He was educated by the finest teachers of literature, philosophy and government. And at the age of 33 he was the uncontested ruler of the entire Roman Empire. He only had to give the word and armies would march and ships would sail. He only had to give the word and the world would move for him. The Senate gave him the name Emperor Augustus, meaning the exalted, or revered one, and he would reign over the golden age of the empire.
- M. Craig Barnes, Becoming God’s child, National Presbyterian Church Web Site, December 13, 1998, Natpresch.org.
Augustus would greatly expand Roman influence through conquest and subjugation, but within the core of the empire, peace would become the watchword of the day – Pax Romana – or Roman Peace would be the normal day’s expectation for his subjects. He would establish a network of roads, he would create an early form of the mail system, he would create a standing police and fire fighting force in the city of Rome, he would create the Praetorian Guard (the Roman version of our Secret Service), and the eighth month on the calendar – August – would be named after him. And upon his death, the Roman senate would declare him to be a god, worthy of worship by all of the known world.
And this is the person who is mentioned in the first 5 words of our text for this night:
Read Luke 2:1-7
For just a moment, compare the life that Augustus would lead, to that of Jesus. They were born into the opposite ends of the social spectrum – Augustus into power and superiority, and Jesus into humility. Augustus would be educated in the ways of the elite, while Jesus would be trained to be a carpenter. Augustus would live in the finest of homes, but Jesus would never have any home that he could truly call his own. Augustus would be surrounded by the most influential and powerful people of his day, while Jesus would choose to be in the midst of the poorest and rejected of earth. And even though they would both be declared to be divine at their death (Augustus by the Roman senate and Jesus by Thomas), Augustus would stay dead, while Jesus would continue to live.
And if the truth were known, Augustus would probably fit Israel’s vision of Messiah far better than Jesus ever would. He would be powerful, he would be a warrior, he would be a conqueror, he would be respected by his friends and feared by his enemies; and he brought a sense of peace and honor to those who would follow him.
Jesus would never do these things, but then, was he supposed to? He would be meek and humble so that everyone might be welcome at his side, he would offer forgiveness so that good and bad alike could come to his table, he would offer a new way to glory, but never demanded allegiance, he would be misunderstood by his friends, and hated by his opponents, and peace and respect in this life would never come to either him or those who chose to follow.
Augustus would force his way into the lives of countless people in many nations, but Jesus would never force his way into anyone’s life. Augustus would demand that others make room for him, but even at his birth, there was no room whatsoever for Jesus.
But as different as their lives were, they would intersect at Bethlehem, and even though Augustus didn’t know it, he was to become the instrument that would fulfill Divine prophesy.
Read Luke 2:8-14
Just a little difference in the birth announcements, too! Augustus’ birth was announced to the highest and most powerful government officials in the greatest empire on earth, - they were told that “The next ruler of the world is born.”
Jesus birth, on the other hand, was proclaimed to the lowest of Jewish society, the unclean, the uneducated, ones with no power whatsoever – and they were told “A Savior has been born to you: he is Christ the Lord … Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace.” Augustus may have been the next ruler of Rome, but Jesus would be humanity’s Ruler for eternity!
No matter where Augustus went, there was plenty of room and nearly unlimited glory for him. But Jesus? There was no room and no glory at all for him.
Why would his heavenly Father allow such an inordinate discrepancy to occur? Who really deserves the honor and praise and glory of earth – the Savior of the world, or the “next ruler of Rome”? But before we get too judgmental of the people of the 1st century, let’s consider who we elevate to the status of “god” in our lives – who we give honor and glory to! Our jobs? Our social position? Drugged up and over paid sports figures? Shallow, conceited, immoral movie and recording stars? Elected officials who put their own agendas ahead of the needs of the nation? People who try to use the church to implement their own form of what is right, their own personal agenda, instead of letting the Holy Spirit reform and re-make them?
We make lots of room for the “Caesars” of the 21st century, but how much room do we really make for Jesus? The fact there was no room in the inn for the Anointed One of God seems more and more appropriate. The King of kings, the Prince of Peace, the Glory of the Heavens, relegated to an out of the way stable. It was prophesy, plain and simple!
Is it any wonder that it was shepherds who were the first to hear of Christ’s birth? They had no agendas, no position, no possessions, no wealth to distract them. They could make all kinds of room for Messiah!
Read Luke 2:15-20
When was the last time that we truly spent time seeking Jesus for our lives?
Shepherds left everything behind – their supper, their blankets, even their worldly responsibilities – and headed out to discover Jesus for themselves. Shepherds, who were considered unworthy because they were covered with blood and other filth that came from caring for their sheep, were the only ones who heard the heavenly messengers that evening, and were the only ones who left earth behind to find heavenly glory. They made room for God.
Mary, an unwed teenager, and her fiancé Joseph, committed themselves solely and completely to God’s purpose, and they set their fear of the world’s condemnation aside. And burdened with condemnation, they would be. And yet, they made room for God.
Pastor and author James Harnish writes:
I've begun to think that in one sense, the manger is a very small place. There isn't room in there for all the baggage we carry around with us. There's no room at the manger for our pious pride and self-righteousness. There's no room in the manger for our human power and prestige. There's no room at the manger for the baggage of past failure and unforgiven sin. There's no room at the manger for our prejudice, bigotry and hostile national pride. There's no room for bitterness and personal greed.
There is no room at the manger for anything other than the absolute reality of who and what we really are: very human, very real, very fragile, very vulnerable human beings who desperately need the gift of love and grace which God so powerfully desires to give.
--James A. Harnish, Do You Believe the Angels? Tampa, Fla., 24 December 1994.
On this night, we all must make room for him, like Mary and Joseph did, and like the shepherds did, and as countless millions have done over the centuries. Reach out to receive the grace and mercy that he holds out to you. Will you do that, or will you be saying to Jesus “Sorry, Lord. My life is just too busy and too hectic, and there is no room for you right now. Maybe one day I can carve out some room, but not now!”
Jesus spent his entire ministry with the masses. He sought no glory, no honor, no earthly position – his only and greatest desire was to bring those gifts to the world. Will you receive them tonight as his birthday gift to you?
Sixty-odd years before the birth of Christ, in an aristocratic community of Rome, a very important child was born. As soon as he arrived, a messenger raced into the Roman Senate and announced, “The next ruler of the world is born.” His name was Octavius, and he was destined to become the adopted son of Julius Caesar.
He grew up in the palace. He was educated by the finest teachers of literature, philosophy and government. And at the age of 33 he was the uncontested ruler of the entire Roman Empire. He only had to give the word and armies would march and ships would sail. He only had to give the word and the world would move for him. The Senate gave him the name Emperor Augustus, meaning the exalted, or revered one, and he would reign over the golden age of the empire.
- M. Craig Barnes, Becoming God’s child, National Presbyterian Church Web Site, December 13, 1998, Natpresch.org.
Augustus would greatly expand Roman influence through conquest and subjugation, but within the core of the empire, peace would become the watchword of the day – Pax Romana – or Roman Peace would be the normal day’s expectation for his subjects. He would establish a network of roads, he would create an early form of the mail system, he would create a standing police and fire fighting force in the city of Rome, he would create the Praetorian Guard (the Roman version of our Secret Service), and the eighth month on the calendar – August – would be named after him. And upon his death, the Roman senate would declare him to be a god, worthy of worship by all of the known world.
And this is the person who is mentioned in the first 5 words of our text for this night:
Read Luke 2:1-7
For just a moment, compare the life that Augustus would lead, to that of Jesus. They were born into the opposite ends of the social spectrum – Augustus into power and superiority, and Jesus into humility. Augustus would be educated in the ways of the elite, while Jesus would be trained to be a carpenter. Augustus would live in the finest of homes, but Jesus would never have any home that he could truly call his own. Augustus would be surrounded by the most influential and powerful people of his day, while Jesus would choose to be in the midst of the poorest and rejected of earth. And even though they would both be declared to be divine at their death (Augustus by the Roman senate and Jesus by Thomas), Augustus would stay dead, while Jesus would continue to live.
And if the truth were known, Augustus would probably fit Israel’s vision of Messiah far better than Jesus ever would. He would be powerful, he would be a warrior, he would be a conqueror, he would be respected by his friends and feared by his enemies; and he brought a sense of peace and honor to those who would follow him.
Jesus would never do these things, but then, was he supposed to? He would be meek and humble so that everyone might be welcome at his side, he would offer forgiveness so that good and bad alike could come to his table, he would offer a new way to glory, but never demanded allegiance, he would be misunderstood by his friends, and hated by his opponents, and peace and respect in this life would never come to either him or those who chose to follow.
Augustus would force his way into the lives of countless people in many nations, but Jesus would never force his way into anyone’s life. Augustus would demand that others make room for him, but even at his birth, there was no room whatsoever for Jesus.
But as different as their lives were, they would intersect at Bethlehem, and even though Augustus didn’t know it, he was to become the instrument that would fulfill Divine prophesy.
Read Luke 2:8-14
Just a little difference in the birth announcements, too! Augustus’ birth was announced to the highest and most powerful government officials in the greatest empire on earth, - they were told that “The next ruler of the world is born.”
Jesus birth, on the other hand, was proclaimed to the lowest of Jewish society, the unclean, the uneducated, ones with no power whatsoever – and they were told “A Savior has been born to you: he is Christ the Lord … Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace.” Augustus may have been the next ruler of Rome, but Jesus would be humanity’s Ruler for eternity!
No matter where Augustus went, there was plenty of room and nearly unlimited glory for him. But Jesus? There was no room and no glory at all for him.
Why would his heavenly Father allow such an inordinate discrepancy to occur? Who really deserves the honor and praise and glory of earth – the Savior of the world, or the “next ruler of Rome”? But before we get too judgmental of the people of the 1st century, let’s consider who we elevate to the status of “god” in our lives – who we give honor and glory to! Our jobs? Our social position? Drugged up and over paid sports figures? Shallow, conceited, immoral movie and recording stars? Elected officials who put their own agendas ahead of the needs of the nation? People who try to use the church to implement their own form of what is right, their own personal agenda, instead of letting the Holy Spirit reform and re-make them?
We make lots of room for the “Caesars” of the 21st century, but how much room do we really make for Jesus? The fact there was no room in the inn for the Anointed One of God seems more and more appropriate. The King of kings, the Prince of Peace, the Glory of the Heavens, relegated to an out of the way stable. It was prophesy, plain and simple!
Is it any wonder that it was shepherds who were the first to hear of Christ’s birth? They had no agendas, no position, no possessions, no wealth to distract them. They could make all kinds of room for Messiah!
Read Luke 2:15-20
When was the last time that we truly spent time seeking Jesus for our lives?
Shepherds left everything behind – their supper, their blankets, even their worldly responsibilities – and headed out to discover Jesus for themselves. Shepherds, who were considered unworthy because they were covered with blood and other filth that came from caring for their sheep, were the only ones who heard the heavenly messengers that evening, and were the only ones who left earth behind to find heavenly glory. They made room for God.
Mary, an unwed teenager, and her fiancé Joseph, committed themselves solely and completely to God’s purpose, and they set their fear of the world’s condemnation aside. And burdened with condemnation, they would be. And yet, they made room for God.
Pastor and author James Harnish writes:
I've begun to think that in one sense, the manger is a very small place. There isn't room in there for all the baggage we carry around with us. There's no room at the manger for our pious pride and self-righteousness. There's no room in the manger for our human power and prestige. There's no room at the manger for the baggage of past failure and unforgiven sin. There's no room at the manger for our prejudice, bigotry and hostile national pride. There's no room for bitterness and personal greed.
There is no room at the manger for anything other than the absolute reality of who and what we really are: very human, very real, very fragile, very vulnerable human beings who desperately need the gift of love and grace which God so powerfully desires to give.
--James A. Harnish, Do You Believe the Angels? Tampa, Fla., 24 December 1994.
On this night, we all must make room for him, like Mary and Joseph did, and like the shepherds did, and as countless millions have done over the centuries. Reach out to receive the grace and mercy that he holds out to you. Will you do that, or will you be saying to Jesus “Sorry, Lord. My life is just too busy and too hectic, and there is no room for you right now. Maybe one day I can carve out some room, but not now!”
Jesus spent his entire ministry with the masses. He sought no glory, no honor, no earthly position – his only and greatest desire was to bring those gifts to the world. Will you receive them tonight as his birthday gift to you?
Sunday, December 18, 2011
“You’ve Gotta Be Kidding!”
Scripture: Luke 1:26-38
For most folks, when they begin their new life with the Lord, it’s an exciting time. They begin to realize a new purpose for this existence, and a new way to walk through it. They come to know that they now have a new partner – one who cares both about and for them. And then a strange thing happens. They begin to sense that the Lord has plans for them that had never entered their mind before – plans that, at first, don’t seem to make much sense.
Consider Moses – In Exodus 3, we find him on Mount Horeb, watching a bush, engulfed in flame without being consumed, and hearing the voice of the Lord telling him that he was to go back to Egypt to bring the people out of slavery and into a new land. Moses wasn’t all that happy about going, and offered every excuse possible. But God had a response for every one of his objections.
Consider Jonah – In Jonah 1, the prophet is called by the Lord to go to the city of Nineveh to preach against their evil life styles. Down deep, he knows that God isn’t sending him to condemn the city, but rather to change the lives of the people, and he isn’t about to go quietly. He runs as far and as fast as he can, but to paraphrase the old saying - “You can’t out run God!”
Consider Esther – a young Jewish woman who has become the chosen queen of King Xerxes, ruler of the Medo-Persian empire. She is told of a plot by a man named Haman that would destroy the lives of every Jew in the empire, and she is the only one who is in position to reveal the truth to the King. She knows that to do so would violate the law and would result in certain death for her, but her cousin Mordecai reminds her that she had come to her royal position “for such a time as this.”
Consider the Gibson Corners United Methodist Church – called to go to Ecuador on a mission trip, thinking that they knew what it was all about, but in all actuality, could never have even imagined that the call would last 10 years, and that there is still more to do even today!
Consider Bill Prentice – still a relatively new man in Christ 15 years ago, who was invited to join a prison ministry. It was an effort that would reach out to drug and alcohol and sex offenders. He didn’t want to seem reluctant to serve the Lord, but he would shortly ask the same question that had to have been on the hearts and lips of Moses, and Jonah, and Esther, and some folks at Gibson Corners, as well as countless millions of the faithful over the past three thousand years - “Who? Me? You want me to do what? Lord, you’ve gotta’ be kidding!”
And then there was that young unmarried woman of Israel who was called by God to do something that was even more incredible than these.
Read Luke 1:26-29
“Greatly troubled”? I would certainly think so! Anyone who isn’t at least a little nervous when the Lord comes to offer them an opportunity to serve, probably doesn’t know just how strange God’s call can be! Mary had to have been a truly faithful woman, and when the angel called her “highly favored”, that would be equivalent to a friend of ours saying to us – “Hey – you’re really smart – I’ve got a job for you!” She knew instantly that the conversation was going to become pretty weird!
“Who? Me?”
Moses and Jonah and Esther and Gibson Corners and Bill all gave God every reason as to why his plan wouldn’t work, but in every case, God let them (us!) know that they wouldn’t be going and working alone – that he would be there with them (us!). The truth is that God doesn’t give calls to just anyone! They go to those who he knows will do it in his way and in his time. He gives them to those who know that it is the good Lord Himself who will be doing all the “heavy lifting”, and that our part of the job is to be faithful. But we all still suffer from the “Peter Syndrome”, and tend to keep at least a glimpse of the storm within our range of vision.
Read Luke 1:30-34
“You want me to what? But that’s impossible! I may be young, and I may not be married, but I know how this works, and I haven’t done that yet!” But God isn’t in the “normalcy” mode of doing things! He is in the “miraculous” mode! If his will could be accomplished in a human way, we wouldn’t need him. The calls would simply be “assignments”, and they could be completed with a conscientious attitude, a focused work ethic, and a great, personal effort.
But God calls us to do, through him, the impossible.
Consider Moses – 10 plagues that he couldn’t even have begun to put together, 2 water crossings that were miraculous in many ways, sustenance that came to them out of nowhere, visible signs that would lead them through the entire journey, and if that wasn’t enough, God’s own blessed word that was given by his own mighty hand! And after 40 years of trial, the people would receive the gift that had been promised to Abraham 600 years before.
Jonah – he would be stopped in his head long flight by a violent storm, the crew would cast lots that would fall immediately on Jonah, he would be thrown overboard and would promptly be swallowed up by a great fish, only to be vomited out 3 days later on the very shore that he had just left. He would surrender to the Lord’s desire, and as a result, 120,000 people and their herds and flocks would be saved.
Esther – she works up her courage, asks for 3 days of fasting, and then goes and does what she has been prepared to do. “If I perish, I perish” is her watch word, and not only are the Jews of the empire saved, and not only doesn’t Esther perish, but the scoundrel Haman and his henchmen are duly punished.
Gibson Corners – through their faithful struggle and loving service to the people of Ecuador, a school is now in operation, serving over 150 children with not only the 3 R’s, but is bringing the word of God to their hearts and souls.
Bill – he was scared stiff when he entered through the sally port of that Pennsylvania State Prison the first morning, wondering just what he could possibly have to say to “those despicable criminals”. But over the years, he would be blessed beyond all measure over and over again, and on one weekend a few years later, in the chapel at Waymart SCI, he would accept the Lord’s call to pastoral ministry.
And Mary, too, would accept the Lord’s impossible call on her life.
Read Luke 1:35-38
“For nothing is impossible with God.” Please note this – do NOT miss this very important point! The angel told Mary, and he tells each of us, that the impossible is accomplished “with” God, not “for” God or “through” God or "by" God! With God!
A businessman was asked to tell what his personal faith meant to him. He reached back to his boyhood experience and recalled walking with his father one day, having to reach up to hold on to his hand. After a while he said, “I can't hold on any longer, and you'll have to hold on to me for a while.” And he remembered the moment when he felt his father's hand take over. That, he said, was the way it felt to him to have faith in God. And that it was precisely an act of grace.
It is important that Christians not let grace become a universal principle or ideology. It is the grace of God of which the Bible speaks. Not the grace of some abstract principle of justice or love or acceptance. As God's grace, and not some principle of grace, God is the one who determines what it will be and where it will go. God ... called us with a holy calling, not according to our work, but according to his own purpose and grace (2 Tim. 1:9). But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift (Eph.4:7).
- Homiletics On Line
The Lord’s call to us is not just an assignment that we are expected to carry out. It is a measure of his grace that is given freely to each of us. It was to Moses, it was to Jonah, it was to Esther, it was to Gibson Corners, it was to Bill Prentice, and it was to Mary.
Grace is unexplainable, it is irrational, it is impossible, it is irresistible, and, quite honestly, it has to be just a little bit crazy.
After all, who but God Himself would ever think that the perfect way to enter this world would be through the womb of a young, unmarried virgin? Who but God Himself would ever decide that the perfect place to make this entrance would be in a dirty, drafty, smelly stable? Who but the Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient God would decide to come into this world as a helpless human infant who can’t speak or reason or even understand what is happening. Who else but a Loving and Almighty God would consent to be attended by humble adopted parents, by a group of unclean shepherds who were considered outcasts by their society, and by a few foreign astrologers? And by you? And by me?
God never “kids us” when he calls us to ministry and mission – he is always perfectly serious in his call - and yet, his ways are so unlike ours that they are hard to comprehend, and even harder to accept. And yet, as the angel told the woman who would soon bear the Son of God, “Nothing is impossible with God.”
Do you trust him enough to believe that? Do you trust him enough to accept the call that he is placing on your life in this very moment? Do you trust him enough to know that our God is always in the “let’s-do-the-impossible-together” business? “Nothing is impossible with God!”
That’s what Christmas is about. The impossible act being made real, the unworthy sinner being loved beyond all reason, the grace of God shared throughout the physical world, the glory of Jesus Christ coming down for you and me and all who will say yes to the impossible.
That is the message of Christmas. Proclaim it, live it, share it.
For most folks, when they begin their new life with the Lord, it’s an exciting time. They begin to realize a new purpose for this existence, and a new way to walk through it. They come to know that they now have a new partner – one who cares both about and for them. And then a strange thing happens. They begin to sense that the Lord has plans for them that had never entered their mind before – plans that, at first, don’t seem to make much sense.
Consider Moses – In Exodus 3, we find him on Mount Horeb, watching a bush, engulfed in flame without being consumed, and hearing the voice of the Lord telling him that he was to go back to Egypt to bring the people out of slavery and into a new land. Moses wasn’t all that happy about going, and offered every excuse possible. But God had a response for every one of his objections.
Consider Jonah – In Jonah 1, the prophet is called by the Lord to go to the city of Nineveh to preach against their evil life styles. Down deep, he knows that God isn’t sending him to condemn the city, but rather to change the lives of the people, and he isn’t about to go quietly. He runs as far and as fast as he can, but to paraphrase the old saying - “You can’t out run God!”
Consider Esther – a young Jewish woman who has become the chosen queen of King Xerxes, ruler of the Medo-Persian empire. She is told of a plot by a man named Haman that would destroy the lives of every Jew in the empire, and she is the only one who is in position to reveal the truth to the King. She knows that to do so would violate the law and would result in certain death for her, but her cousin Mordecai reminds her that she had come to her royal position “for such a time as this.”
Consider the Gibson Corners United Methodist Church – called to go to Ecuador on a mission trip, thinking that they knew what it was all about, but in all actuality, could never have even imagined that the call would last 10 years, and that there is still more to do even today!
Consider Bill Prentice – still a relatively new man in Christ 15 years ago, who was invited to join a prison ministry. It was an effort that would reach out to drug and alcohol and sex offenders. He didn’t want to seem reluctant to serve the Lord, but he would shortly ask the same question that had to have been on the hearts and lips of Moses, and Jonah, and Esther, and some folks at Gibson Corners, as well as countless millions of the faithful over the past three thousand years - “Who? Me? You want me to do what? Lord, you’ve gotta’ be kidding!”
And then there was that young unmarried woman of Israel who was called by God to do something that was even more incredible than these.
Read Luke 1:26-29
“Greatly troubled”? I would certainly think so! Anyone who isn’t at least a little nervous when the Lord comes to offer them an opportunity to serve, probably doesn’t know just how strange God’s call can be! Mary had to have been a truly faithful woman, and when the angel called her “highly favored”, that would be equivalent to a friend of ours saying to us – “Hey – you’re really smart – I’ve got a job for you!” She knew instantly that the conversation was going to become pretty weird!
“Who? Me?”
Moses and Jonah and Esther and Gibson Corners and Bill all gave God every reason as to why his plan wouldn’t work, but in every case, God let them (us!) know that they wouldn’t be going and working alone – that he would be there with them (us!). The truth is that God doesn’t give calls to just anyone! They go to those who he knows will do it in his way and in his time. He gives them to those who know that it is the good Lord Himself who will be doing all the “heavy lifting”, and that our part of the job is to be faithful. But we all still suffer from the “Peter Syndrome”, and tend to keep at least a glimpse of the storm within our range of vision.
Read Luke 1:30-34
“You want me to what? But that’s impossible! I may be young, and I may not be married, but I know how this works, and I haven’t done that yet!” But God isn’t in the “normalcy” mode of doing things! He is in the “miraculous” mode! If his will could be accomplished in a human way, we wouldn’t need him. The calls would simply be “assignments”, and they could be completed with a conscientious attitude, a focused work ethic, and a great, personal effort.
But God calls us to do, through him, the impossible.
Consider Moses – 10 plagues that he couldn’t even have begun to put together, 2 water crossings that were miraculous in many ways, sustenance that came to them out of nowhere, visible signs that would lead them through the entire journey, and if that wasn’t enough, God’s own blessed word that was given by his own mighty hand! And after 40 years of trial, the people would receive the gift that had been promised to Abraham 600 years before.
Jonah – he would be stopped in his head long flight by a violent storm, the crew would cast lots that would fall immediately on Jonah, he would be thrown overboard and would promptly be swallowed up by a great fish, only to be vomited out 3 days later on the very shore that he had just left. He would surrender to the Lord’s desire, and as a result, 120,000 people and their herds and flocks would be saved.
Esther – she works up her courage, asks for 3 days of fasting, and then goes and does what she has been prepared to do. “If I perish, I perish” is her watch word, and not only are the Jews of the empire saved, and not only doesn’t Esther perish, but the scoundrel Haman and his henchmen are duly punished.
Gibson Corners – through their faithful struggle and loving service to the people of Ecuador, a school is now in operation, serving over 150 children with not only the 3 R’s, but is bringing the word of God to their hearts and souls.
Bill – he was scared stiff when he entered through the sally port of that Pennsylvania State Prison the first morning, wondering just what he could possibly have to say to “those despicable criminals”. But over the years, he would be blessed beyond all measure over and over again, and on one weekend a few years later, in the chapel at Waymart SCI, he would accept the Lord’s call to pastoral ministry.
And Mary, too, would accept the Lord’s impossible call on her life.
Read Luke 1:35-38
“For nothing is impossible with God.” Please note this – do NOT miss this very important point! The angel told Mary, and he tells each of us, that the impossible is accomplished “with” God, not “for” God or “through” God or "by" God! With God!
A businessman was asked to tell what his personal faith meant to him. He reached back to his boyhood experience and recalled walking with his father one day, having to reach up to hold on to his hand. After a while he said, “I can't hold on any longer, and you'll have to hold on to me for a while.” And he remembered the moment when he felt his father's hand take over. That, he said, was the way it felt to him to have faith in God. And that it was precisely an act of grace.
It is important that Christians not let grace become a universal principle or ideology. It is the grace of God of which the Bible speaks. Not the grace of some abstract principle of justice or love or acceptance. As God's grace, and not some principle of grace, God is the one who determines what it will be and where it will go. God ... called us with a holy calling, not according to our work, but according to his own purpose and grace (2 Tim. 1:9). But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift (Eph.4:7).
- Homiletics On Line
The Lord’s call to us is not just an assignment that we are expected to carry out. It is a measure of his grace that is given freely to each of us. It was to Moses, it was to Jonah, it was to Esther, it was to Gibson Corners, it was to Bill Prentice, and it was to Mary.
Grace is unexplainable, it is irrational, it is impossible, it is irresistible, and, quite honestly, it has to be just a little bit crazy.
After all, who but God Himself would ever think that the perfect way to enter this world would be through the womb of a young, unmarried virgin? Who but God Himself would ever decide that the perfect place to make this entrance would be in a dirty, drafty, smelly stable? Who but the Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient God would decide to come into this world as a helpless human infant who can’t speak or reason or even understand what is happening. Who else but a Loving and Almighty God would consent to be attended by humble adopted parents, by a group of unclean shepherds who were considered outcasts by their society, and by a few foreign astrologers? And by you? And by me?
God never “kids us” when he calls us to ministry and mission – he is always perfectly serious in his call - and yet, his ways are so unlike ours that they are hard to comprehend, and even harder to accept. And yet, as the angel told the woman who would soon bear the Son of God, “Nothing is impossible with God.”
Do you trust him enough to believe that? Do you trust him enough to accept the call that he is placing on your life in this very moment? Do you trust him enough to know that our God is always in the “let’s-do-the-impossible-together” business? “Nothing is impossible with God!”
That’s what Christmas is about. The impossible act being made real, the unworthy sinner being loved beyond all reason, the grace of God shared throughout the physical world, the glory of Jesus Christ coming down for you and me and all who will say yes to the impossible.
That is the message of Christmas. Proclaim it, live it, share it.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
“A New Way In The New Life”
Scripture: Isaiah 61:1-11
When we consider the relationship that we have with God, and that God has with humanity, we usually speak of it as a “covenant”. A covenant is more than just an agreement; it is much stronger than a contract; it isn’t a pact that can be modified or broken. A Covenant is about a new relationship, an entirely new approach to life - it is mutually beneficial, and it is eternal.
In Isaiah 59:21, we read a few thoughts on the covenant that God has made for us. The words are generally seen as a promise to Israel, but the truth is that they are for all who come to the Lord, whether as the Chosen People of God, or as redeemed Gentiles who come to God through Jesus Christ. He has placed his Spirit upon us, and his word is on our lips, and it will not depart for generations to come. This fits with God’s word in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:6), “.. showing love to a thousand generations, of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
God’s covenant – his offer of relationship – his newness - is unlike anything created by humanity, and it never ends.
Read Isaiah 61:1-3
God’s covenant is unique in yet another way, in that it always seems to be oriented toward those who are not powerful, who are anything but worthy. And while his covenant is certainly mutual in it’s make up, the benefits are heavily weighted in our favor. These first 3 verses from our text today describe what God is and will be doing for our world, but we also must note that he does it through us. “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, ..”, and the prophet continues to list those things that the Spirit will do through those who claim God’s Holy Spirit. His people are anointed, commissioned, if you will, to carry God’s good news, his gospel message, to the masses. This preaching isn’t just scripture, but it is, in the fullest sense of the word, about being God’s representative to the world in every way possible. Let’s look at these words again to see what they are trying to tell us:
First, we are to “preach good news to the poor” – not necessarily with words, although we need to be ready to do that, but the most important way is in the way we live our lives. We are to be the reflection of God to everyone we come in contact with, and to be the good news for those who have yet to hear it. There are no exceptions as to who we share the message with, but, again, our emphasis will be on the “poor” – those who have been rejected by worldly standards.
Next, we are to “bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captive, and release from darkness for the prisoner.”
I put these 3 together because each one is about being the means of comfort and restoration and release for those who are severely burdened with life. These folks come with many faces – they are the deserted and abandoned, the abused, the shut in, the infirm, the challenged. They are our family and they are our neighbors, they live next door and they live far away, some have no place to live and others are shut away from the world. They have lost all of their family and friends, and they have no one left to love them. And we are the ones who Christ calls to bring them a sense of freedom and joy and hope.
We are to share the “year of the Lord’s favor and the day of his vengeance.” We are to be sure that others understand that both are coming, and that even though vengeance is for a day, it doesn’t mean that it will end in 24 hours. But we are to also proclaim that the year of favor will be far greater than anything we can imagine – it will be glory to eternity! And the choice is up to each and every person – it isn’t God who decides which we will receive, but it certainly is the Lord who will respond in whatever decision we make.
We are to be part of the lives of those who are distressed. And not just to make them comfortable, but to show them the joy that awaits them in Jesus Christ. We aren’t expected to take them out of their situation, we aren’t called to make everything better, but Jesus does expect that we will walk with them through their trials. We are to help them to see that the struggles of today will, one day, end, but that the glory of Christ can be theirs forever. Isaiah writes about the “crown of beauty” and the “oil of gladness” and the “garment of praise”. These are the alternatives to the dejection and the mourning and the despair that this life can bring to us; they are the better ways of life, and we are to help others to discover them. It isn’t that the trials are to change drastically – it is simply that our vision and our response to them is to change.
The next section of our text describes our lives when we do follow and carry the good news into the darkness of the world.
Read Isaiah 61:4-7
These verses speak of the glory that comes to those who put the old ways behind and begin to live in the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord. But don’t take them too literally – I believe that the references to rebuilding are intended to indicate what will become of our lives, not necessarily our cities. It is about the rebuilding of our hope, the gift of salvation, that new place in eternity that Christ has won for us. It’s about the discovery that we are working with others who we may have never thought much about before – we may have even despised “those people” in the past, and now we find ourselves walking together and serving together in Jesus name, moving in the same direction and in the same Light.
And we will be seen as priests and ministers of the One High God. Now I know that those words scare a few of you, but ministry is simply doing all of those things in the first 3 verses, and giving the Lord all the glory and credit for what they accomplish.
A number of years ago, several ministers were invited to visit the Ringling Brothers Circus at its winter quarters in Venice, FL. Coming in via the performers' entrance, they passed by the elephant area. Someone noticed that the ropes around the elephants' feet were not tied to anything.
This oversight was pointed out to the handler. “Oh”, he said, “don't worry. We never tie them up. We just tie a rope around their leg and drop it, and they think they are tied up.”
How many of us imagine ourselves tied up to something from which we cannot get away, when in truth the ropes are in our head and heart, not on our hands and feet?
--Thanks to J. Walter Cross, Bradenton, Florida, for this illustration.
Think about it – God wants us to represent him in so many ways that it boggles our minds! He wants us to experience grace instead of disgrace, mercy instead of condemnation, glory instead of rejection, joy instead of fear. And as richly as we may be blessed, it is never for our edification – it is for the benefit of others. It isn’t about dragging others kicking and screaming into the kingdom of God – it is about revealing the choices that they have before them, and showing them what the choice that we have made have brought to us. But we hesitate to take that step, because our head and heart is tied to both the failures of our yesterdays and the fears of our tomorrows.
The truth is, though, that these “ropes” that hold us back aren’t tied to anything except our own sense of limitation.
Read Isaiah 61:8-11
If we can just throw off those self-limiting ropes and chains, if we could begin thinking in a new way and living in a new life, just think what the church could become! The text says that the Lord hates robbery and injustice. And if the truth was known, these are the very things that keep us from being all that the Lord has created us to be. When we deny the Lord’s call to serve him, aren’t we robbing the Lord of our ministry? When we claim that “we can’t go out and share the Good News with others”, aren’t we creating a bias, and injustice against those who are still walking without the Lord?
He has offered an everlasting covenant to not only us, but to all the world, and when it is claimed, in its entirety, without reservation, it is then that ministry begins to happen and grow without bounds. But we can’t continue to imagine that our lives are chained to this earthly existence. We must vigorously deny the limitations of earth, and eagerly claim that we live in the soil that God has created, and that our greatest desire is that the garden that Jesus Christ has planted in us might bear wonderful fruit day in and day out.
“For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.”
We have the opportunity to be the means of allowing healing and comfort and beauty and praise and righteousness to come into the lives of this world. But we need to let the garden of Christ’s covenant in us become a new way, to be a glorious new life that sprouts and grows and blossoms and yields so that the nations can truly see the glory of God in a fresh and new and truthful way.
The Spirit of God is on us, and the Word of God is within us. So what are we going to do with them? Hide them and keep them safe? Or take them out into the world and expose them to the light of this day? Will we keep them “high and dry”, or will we dare to let them get dirty and worn and used?
It’s up to each and every one of us, and we need to make a conscious decision about them every single day.
What will you do with them? Will you minister with them, will you share them? Will you keep the Good News of Jesus Christ poised in your heart and on your lips, ready to spring into the life of the seeker?
It’s all up to you, you know! It’s all up to you.
When we consider the relationship that we have with God, and that God has with humanity, we usually speak of it as a “covenant”. A covenant is more than just an agreement; it is much stronger than a contract; it isn’t a pact that can be modified or broken. A Covenant is about a new relationship, an entirely new approach to life - it is mutually beneficial, and it is eternal.
In Isaiah 59:21, we read a few thoughts on the covenant that God has made for us. The words are generally seen as a promise to Israel, but the truth is that they are for all who come to the Lord, whether as the Chosen People of God, or as redeemed Gentiles who come to God through Jesus Christ. He has placed his Spirit upon us, and his word is on our lips, and it will not depart for generations to come. This fits with God’s word in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:6), “.. showing love to a thousand generations, of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
God’s covenant – his offer of relationship – his newness - is unlike anything created by humanity, and it never ends.
Read Isaiah 61:1-3
God’s covenant is unique in yet another way, in that it always seems to be oriented toward those who are not powerful, who are anything but worthy. And while his covenant is certainly mutual in it’s make up, the benefits are heavily weighted in our favor. These first 3 verses from our text today describe what God is and will be doing for our world, but we also must note that he does it through us. “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, ..”, and the prophet continues to list those things that the Spirit will do through those who claim God’s Holy Spirit. His people are anointed, commissioned, if you will, to carry God’s good news, his gospel message, to the masses. This preaching isn’t just scripture, but it is, in the fullest sense of the word, about being God’s representative to the world in every way possible. Let’s look at these words again to see what they are trying to tell us:
First, we are to “preach good news to the poor” – not necessarily with words, although we need to be ready to do that, but the most important way is in the way we live our lives. We are to be the reflection of God to everyone we come in contact with, and to be the good news for those who have yet to hear it. There are no exceptions as to who we share the message with, but, again, our emphasis will be on the “poor” – those who have been rejected by worldly standards.
Next, we are to “bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captive, and release from darkness for the prisoner.”
I put these 3 together because each one is about being the means of comfort and restoration and release for those who are severely burdened with life. These folks come with many faces – they are the deserted and abandoned, the abused, the shut in, the infirm, the challenged. They are our family and they are our neighbors, they live next door and they live far away, some have no place to live and others are shut away from the world. They have lost all of their family and friends, and they have no one left to love them. And we are the ones who Christ calls to bring them a sense of freedom and joy and hope.
We are to share the “year of the Lord’s favor and the day of his vengeance.” We are to be sure that others understand that both are coming, and that even though vengeance is for a day, it doesn’t mean that it will end in 24 hours. But we are to also proclaim that the year of favor will be far greater than anything we can imagine – it will be glory to eternity! And the choice is up to each and every person – it isn’t God who decides which we will receive, but it certainly is the Lord who will respond in whatever decision we make.
We are to be part of the lives of those who are distressed. And not just to make them comfortable, but to show them the joy that awaits them in Jesus Christ. We aren’t expected to take them out of their situation, we aren’t called to make everything better, but Jesus does expect that we will walk with them through their trials. We are to help them to see that the struggles of today will, one day, end, but that the glory of Christ can be theirs forever. Isaiah writes about the “crown of beauty” and the “oil of gladness” and the “garment of praise”. These are the alternatives to the dejection and the mourning and the despair that this life can bring to us; they are the better ways of life, and we are to help others to discover them. It isn’t that the trials are to change drastically – it is simply that our vision and our response to them is to change.
The next section of our text describes our lives when we do follow and carry the good news into the darkness of the world.
Read Isaiah 61:4-7
These verses speak of the glory that comes to those who put the old ways behind and begin to live in the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord. But don’t take them too literally – I believe that the references to rebuilding are intended to indicate what will become of our lives, not necessarily our cities. It is about the rebuilding of our hope, the gift of salvation, that new place in eternity that Christ has won for us. It’s about the discovery that we are working with others who we may have never thought much about before – we may have even despised “those people” in the past, and now we find ourselves walking together and serving together in Jesus name, moving in the same direction and in the same Light.
And we will be seen as priests and ministers of the One High God. Now I know that those words scare a few of you, but ministry is simply doing all of those things in the first 3 verses, and giving the Lord all the glory and credit for what they accomplish.
A number of years ago, several ministers were invited to visit the Ringling Brothers Circus at its winter quarters in Venice, FL. Coming in via the performers' entrance, they passed by the elephant area. Someone noticed that the ropes around the elephants' feet were not tied to anything.
This oversight was pointed out to the handler. “Oh”, he said, “don't worry. We never tie them up. We just tie a rope around their leg and drop it, and they think they are tied up.”
How many of us imagine ourselves tied up to something from which we cannot get away, when in truth the ropes are in our head and heart, not on our hands and feet?
--Thanks to J. Walter Cross, Bradenton, Florida, for this illustration.
Think about it – God wants us to represent him in so many ways that it boggles our minds! He wants us to experience grace instead of disgrace, mercy instead of condemnation, glory instead of rejection, joy instead of fear. And as richly as we may be blessed, it is never for our edification – it is for the benefit of others. It isn’t about dragging others kicking and screaming into the kingdom of God – it is about revealing the choices that they have before them, and showing them what the choice that we have made have brought to us. But we hesitate to take that step, because our head and heart is tied to both the failures of our yesterdays and the fears of our tomorrows.
The truth is, though, that these “ropes” that hold us back aren’t tied to anything except our own sense of limitation.
Read Isaiah 61:8-11
If we can just throw off those self-limiting ropes and chains, if we could begin thinking in a new way and living in a new life, just think what the church could become! The text says that the Lord hates robbery and injustice. And if the truth was known, these are the very things that keep us from being all that the Lord has created us to be. When we deny the Lord’s call to serve him, aren’t we robbing the Lord of our ministry? When we claim that “we can’t go out and share the Good News with others”, aren’t we creating a bias, and injustice against those who are still walking without the Lord?
He has offered an everlasting covenant to not only us, but to all the world, and when it is claimed, in its entirety, without reservation, it is then that ministry begins to happen and grow without bounds. But we can’t continue to imagine that our lives are chained to this earthly existence. We must vigorously deny the limitations of earth, and eagerly claim that we live in the soil that God has created, and that our greatest desire is that the garden that Jesus Christ has planted in us might bear wonderful fruit day in and day out.
“For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.”
We have the opportunity to be the means of allowing healing and comfort and beauty and praise and righteousness to come into the lives of this world. But we need to let the garden of Christ’s covenant in us become a new way, to be a glorious new life that sprouts and grows and blossoms and yields so that the nations can truly see the glory of God in a fresh and new and truthful way.
The Spirit of God is on us, and the Word of God is within us. So what are we going to do with them? Hide them and keep them safe? Or take them out into the world and expose them to the light of this day? Will we keep them “high and dry”, or will we dare to let them get dirty and worn and used?
It’s up to each and every one of us, and we need to make a conscious decision about them every single day.
What will you do with them? Will you minister with them, will you share them? Will you keep the Good News of Jesus Christ poised in your heart and on your lips, ready to spring into the life of the seeker?
It’s all up to you, you know! It’s all up to you.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
“A Shout for Peace”
Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-11
For many people, the Old Testament is all about a wrathful God who is out to punish anyone and everyone who doesn’t do exactly as he tells them. Personally, if that is all they have gotten out of the Hebrew text, I have to think that they have missed a good portion of God’s word for their lives! Over and over again, we see Jehovah God giving Israel second and third and fourth chances that should boggle our minds. Every time that Israel is forced to endure some privation, it is always because they have brought the trial on themselves. The restoration that God always brings to them is never because they deserve it – it is only because of God’s overwhelming love for the people and his infinite desire that they should know that love.
He comforts, he blesses, he renews, he reestablishes the relationship and covenant that the people have broken, and never lets his displeasure with them last very long. Our reading today begins with the words “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, …” Hardly the words of a hateful, condemning, judgmental God! Listen to the love and comfort that fills each and every word that he gives to both Israel and the Church.
Read Isaiah 40:1-5
“And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it.” – God himself is preparing the way for the people to once again know that he is their God, their champion, their strength, their shepherd. And he does it in the humblest and gentlest way that anyone can ever imagine.
Malcolm Muggeridge was a successful literary critic when the BBC asked him to go with a film crew to India to see what was going on with some “do-gooder” named Mother Teresa. Muggeridge tells of watching her work with the very lowest of the low, and he wrote about the absurdity of bringing comfort and affection to men and women who were the derelicts of Indian society and who could have no possible influence upon history.
“Is this any way to spend one's life?” he asked.
Years later, in explaining how these five days spent in India were the most important five days of his life, literally turning his life upside down, he put it like this: “Humankind will not be changed by being taught, but they will be changed by what is caught.” This is what happened to him: the infection called Christianity. He caught it from a carrier of the infection named Mother Teresa, and from then on he has shared her disease.
- Homeletics On Line
Malcolm learned about grace through a loving “do-gooder” who was living out the glory of God in the slums of Calcutta. And as the story tells us, it was “infectious”. You see, we have no chance whatsoever in creating peace and comfort for ourselves – as a matter of fact, whenever we do try to gain that on our own, we always seem to fail in the most spectacular ways possible!
Read Isaiah 40:6-8
People are like grass – even when we try to gain a little glory for ourselves, it never lasts – we are bound to simply wither and fall away. So, since we are so inadequate, what words do you suppose God wants us to cry out? Simply this – We can’t, but God can. We aren’t, but God is. We don’t, but God does. We fail, but the word of our God stands firm forever.
Those are some pretty good words, aren’t they? But how often do we shout them out? How often do we let the world know just how incredible our God really is? Have you been sharing the Lord with folks this week? Have you invited anyone to join you in worship today? Are you afraid that you won’t say the right thing, or even worse, say the wrong thing? Every morning, read Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
Do you think that maybe the words we are to call out to our world aren’t supposed to be our words! Maybe we are to call out to almighty God, to seek his plan for our lives, his words for our joy, the love and peace that he wants us to share with others.
After all, isn’t that what the season is all about? To share the Christ Child with others who don’t yet know that he has come? Think ahead to Christmas eve when we read of the shepherds, who, after they had visited the manger in Bethlehem, returned home, and, as Luke 2:17 tells us, “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who hear it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”
Remember the Samaritan woman in John 4? After meeting Jesus as Jacob’s well, and discovering for herself who this man was, she went to all the townspeople, who, no doubt, had been ridiculing her on a daily basis, and told them (v.28) “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” A question that is also an invitation to come and decide for themselves!
Remember the man who was filled with a Legion of demons until Jesus healed him? Mark 5:20 “So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.”
These people – the shepherds, the woman, and the man – were shouting the glory of God to the nations. Not by raising their voices, but simply by offering their witness to Christ’s presence in their lives. Raise a Shout for peace and glory in the world, by sharing your life in Christ with others.
Seems simple, yes? But I know that it isn’t all that simple when it comes to the doing. There is always the human factor to contend with.
Read Isaiah 40:9-11
“Lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the [people of our towns], “Here is your God!”
Advent is about shouting out the praises of our God! And just what does he bring to our lives? It isn’t condemnation, it isn’t impossible commandments, it isn’t rejection, it isn’t suffering. The Lord brings, as described in Galatians 5:22, the fruit of the Spirit - “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
These are the things of Advent. Each week, we light candles representing these Godly attributes, and each week, we are encouraged to live by them.
A man is flying in a hot-air balloon and realizes that he's lost. He reduces height and spots a man down below. He lowers the balloon further and shouts: “Excuse me - can you tell me where I am?”
The man replies: “Sure - you're in a hot-air balloon, hovering 30 feet above this field.”
“You must work in Information Technology”, the balloonist says.
“I do”, the man replies. “How did you know?”
“Well”, says the balloonist, “everything you told me is technically correct, but it's of no use to anyone.”
The man below says, “You must work in business.”
“I do”, the balloonist replies, “How did you know?”
“Well”, says the man, “you don't know where you are, or where you're going, but you expect me to be able to help. You're in the same position you were before we met, but now it's my fault.”
- Homeletics OnLine
Are we in the “same position” that we were in yesterday, or last week, or last year? Are we still searching for the evidence that Galatians 5 is an active and intimate part our lives? Or are we secure in our knowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that the glory of God is ours for the claiming? It’s certain that the world is still searching and struggling, and needing something new, and they may even be in a worse position now than they were before!
There is only one way for them and us to make any headway, and that is to look to the only one who has made all the plans and who knows all the directions. The balloonist and the man on the ground weren’t a bit of help to each other, and both of them did nothing but aggravate the situation even more. Christians are called to resolve the quandaries of life for each other and not to feed them! But if we just sit on our hands and keep our mouths shut tightly, everyone is going to stay right where they are.
Lift up your voice with a shout this week. Shout a word of peace, shout a word of love, shout a word of kindness, tell just one person that “their God is here”! Be a lowly shepherd, be a rejected woman, be a healed man – be a disciple of Jesus Christ, and share the good news that Jesus Christ is born with one person who hasn’t met him yet. And as scripture tells us, “don’t be afraid”. Just tell others what you know and what you have experienced. And then let the Holy Spirit bring the sense of amazement into their lives.
For many people, the Old Testament is all about a wrathful God who is out to punish anyone and everyone who doesn’t do exactly as he tells them. Personally, if that is all they have gotten out of the Hebrew text, I have to think that they have missed a good portion of God’s word for their lives! Over and over again, we see Jehovah God giving Israel second and third and fourth chances that should boggle our minds. Every time that Israel is forced to endure some privation, it is always because they have brought the trial on themselves. The restoration that God always brings to them is never because they deserve it – it is only because of God’s overwhelming love for the people and his infinite desire that they should know that love.
He comforts, he blesses, he renews, he reestablishes the relationship and covenant that the people have broken, and never lets his displeasure with them last very long. Our reading today begins with the words “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, …” Hardly the words of a hateful, condemning, judgmental God! Listen to the love and comfort that fills each and every word that he gives to both Israel and the Church.
Read Isaiah 40:1-5
“And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it.” – God himself is preparing the way for the people to once again know that he is their God, their champion, their strength, their shepherd. And he does it in the humblest and gentlest way that anyone can ever imagine.
Malcolm Muggeridge was a successful literary critic when the BBC asked him to go with a film crew to India to see what was going on with some “do-gooder” named Mother Teresa. Muggeridge tells of watching her work with the very lowest of the low, and he wrote about the absurdity of bringing comfort and affection to men and women who were the derelicts of Indian society and who could have no possible influence upon history.
“Is this any way to spend one's life?” he asked.
Years later, in explaining how these five days spent in India were the most important five days of his life, literally turning his life upside down, he put it like this: “Humankind will not be changed by being taught, but they will be changed by what is caught.” This is what happened to him: the infection called Christianity. He caught it from a carrier of the infection named Mother Teresa, and from then on he has shared her disease.
- Homeletics On Line
Malcolm learned about grace through a loving “do-gooder” who was living out the glory of God in the slums of Calcutta. And as the story tells us, it was “infectious”. You see, we have no chance whatsoever in creating peace and comfort for ourselves – as a matter of fact, whenever we do try to gain that on our own, we always seem to fail in the most spectacular ways possible!
Read Isaiah 40:6-8
People are like grass – even when we try to gain a little glory for ourselves, it never lasts – we are bound to simply wither and fall away. So, since we are so inadequate, what words do you suppose God wants us to cry out? Simply this – We can’t, but God can. We aren’t, but God is. We don’t, but God does. We fail, but the word of our God stands firm forever.
Those are some pretty good words, aren’t they? But how often do we shout them out? How often do we let the world know just how incredible our God really is? Have you been sharing the Lord with folks this week? Have you invited anyone to join you in worship today? Are you afraid that you won’t say the right thing, or even worse, say the wrong thing? Every morning, read Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
Do you think that maybe the words we are to call out to our world aren’t supposed to be our words! Maybe we are to call out to almighty God, to seek his plan for our lives, his words for our joy, the love and peace that he wants us to share with others.
After all, isn’t that what the season is all about? To share the Christ Child with others who don’t yet know that he has come? Think ahead to Christmas eve when we read of the shepherds, who, after they had visited the manger in Bethlehem, returned home, and, as Luke 2:17 tells us, “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who hear it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”
Remember the Samaritan woman in John 4? After meeting Jesus as Jacob’s well, and discovering for herself who this man was, she went to all the townspeople, who, no doubt, had been ridiculing her on a daily basis, and told them (v.28) “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” A question that is also an invitation to come and decide for themselves!
Remember the man who was filled with a Legion of demons until Jesus healed him? Mark 5:20 “So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.”
These people – the shepherds, the woman, and the man – were shouting the glory of God to the nations. Not by raising their voices, but simply by offering their witness to Christ’s presence in their lives. Raise a Shout for peace and glory in the world, by sharing your life in Christ with others.
Seems simple, yes? But I know that it isn’t all that simple when it comes to the doing. There is always the human factor to contend with.
Read Isaiah 40:9-11
“Lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the [people of our towns], “Here is your God!”
Advent is about shouting out the praises of our God! And just what does he bring to our lives? It isn’t condemnation, it isn’t impossible commandments, it isn’t rejection, it isn’t suffering. The Lord brings, as described in Galatians 5:22, the fruit of the Spirit - “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
These are the things of Advent. Each week, we light candles representing these Godly attributes, and each week, we are encouraged to live by them.
A man is flying in a hot-air balloon and realizes that he's lost. He reduces height and spots a man down below. He lowers the balloon further and shouts: “Excuse me - can you tell me where I am?”
The man replies: “Sure - you're in a hot-air balloon, hovering 30 feet above this field.”
“You must work in Information Technology”, the balloonist says.
“I do”, the man replies. “How did you know?”
“Well”, says the balloonist, “everything you told me is technically correct, but it's of no use to anyone.”
The man below says, “You must work in business.”
“I do”, the balloonist replies, “How did you know?”
“Well”, says the man, “you don't know where you are, or where you're going, but you expect me to be able to help. You're in the same position you were before we met, but now it's my fault.”
- Homeletics OnLine
Are we in the “same position” that we were in yesterday, or last week, or last year? Are we still searching for the evidence that Galatians 5 is an active and intimate part our lives? Or are we secure in our knowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that the glory of God is ours for the claiming? It’s certain that the world is still searching and struggling, and needing something new, and they may even be in a worse position now than they were before!
There is only one way for them and us to make any headway, and that is to look to the only one who has made all the plans and who knows all the directions. The balloonist and the man on the ground weren’t a bit of help to each other, and both of them did nothing but aggravate the situation even more. Christians are called to resolve the quandaries of life for each other and not to feed them! But if we just sit on our hands and keep our mouths shut tightly, everyone is going to stay right where they are.
Lift up your voice with a shout this week. Shout a word of peace, shout a word of love, shout a word of kindness, tell just one person that “their God is here”! Be a lowly shepherd, be a rejected woman, be a healed man – be a disciple of Jesus Christ, and share the good news that Jesus Christ is born with one person who hasn’t met him yet. And as scripture tells us, “don’t be afraid”. Just tell others what you know and what you have experienced. And then let the Holy Spirit bring the sense of amazement into their lives.
Monday, November 28, 2011
“The Beginning of the Beginning”
Scripture: Mark 13:24-37
Today is the first Sunday in Advent. Advent, of course, is the time when we prepare our lives for the coming of the Christ Child. Truthfully, though, we should be doing that every day of our lives, but for most, we need a specific reminder and a specific season to consider the full impact that his life has had on ours.
The effect that his arrival had on this world is described by the various names that Jesus is called – Prince of Peace, King of Kings, Savior, Redeemer, the Hope of the world. An anonymous writer once wrote this about the hope of Christ:
We tend to think of hope as a winged thing, flying serenely above the storms, untouched by the mundane earth. But the value of hope lies in its presence in our everyday lives, a constant earthly promise of welcome into ultimate fellowship with God. And hope doesn't have wings - if we choose to invite it, hope walks beside us as we travel.
- Homiletics On Line
Have you ever heard a better explanation of Christ’s presence in our lives? Intimate, personal, immediate, near, never aloof.
Our reading today is Jesus’ words on our hope for his Second Coming, but I think we need to also consider it in light of our preparation for the First.
Read Mark 13:24-27
Throughout the Bible, signs and wonders are constantly being given as proof of God’s almighty power. And how often do the people see them for what they really are? There were ten miracles in Egypt, all designed to show Pharaoh just who he was up against, and he ignored them all. The children of Israel saw the same miracles, and the only thing that they did was to complain and grumble all the more.
During the 40 years in the wilderness, God lead the people with the signs of cloud and fire; he fed them with the sign of manna and quail; he satisfied their thirst with the sign of water out of solid rock; he rescued them and gave them victory after victory, simply through the sign of the raising of Moses’ staff; and they settled in a land that was gained, not by their hands, but by God’s.
And in return, they continued to be unfaithful to the God who had given them so much. The sign of a holy birth would be given, and only lowly shepherds and foreigners would pay any attention. And in our reading today, Jesus gives all the signs of his return, and the world is still going to turn a blind eye to the glorious happenings.
But in grace, Jesus gives us the word, just the same. And the best part is in verse 27 – “He will send his angels and gather his elect from ... the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.” That will be the final and greatest sign, and no one is going to be able to miss that one. But what about his First Coming? Do people focus too much on the Second, and nowhere near enough on the significance of the First? Are we still looking for signs of the Second, but missing the signs that are still coming to us from his holy birth?
Read Mark 13:28-31
We all know that Spring follows the Winter, and the Summer follows the Spring, but does anyone really know when Spring will arrive? When next Summer finally gets here? Now I don’t mean the calendar date that is designated as the first day of each season. I seem to remember some snow a few weeks ago, and the calendar date for winter is still a few weeks away!
The seasons arrive when they arrive. And so does Jesus – both the first time and the second.
And I expect that in the moment that Christ came into your life, that this was unexpected, too. At least it was for me; it was unplanned, startling, and over the years, I still describe it as “traumatic”. And every time that Jesus touches us in some new way, it becomes a new beginning – Christ is “the beginning of each beginning”, if you will. There never is an ending, except for the life that was before Jesus. Each new beginning in Christ is a new phase, a new opportunity, and life in him just keeps getting more interesting and more exciting!
But we have to accept him and welcome him if we truly want each and every new beginning. And we can’t wait until the signs indicate that time has nearly run out!
The ark was completed, the storm clouds were beginning to gather, and Noah was waiting patiently at the foot of the gang plank. Very soon, the animals began to arrive and they started boarding the ship two by two.
Pair after pair of animals passed by Noah, heading up the ramp into the ship. Finally a lone hippo waddled up and Noah asked him where his mate was. The hippo replied “Well, I was hoping to meet her on the cruise!”
--With thanks to Kirk A. Erwin, Lyons, Neb.
We can’t wait and hope to meet Jesus on the eternal cruise! We have all the signs that we need, and the time is running out. Summer is coming, even though we have a few months of cold ahead of us yet, but do we stop planning for our summer projects and get togethers? Not on your life! My brothers and I have already started talking about our weekend together in the late Spring. I am already thinking about the things that I didn’t get done this year, and what I need to do when the weather turns warm again. I already have my application in for a Course of Study class in March and April. Waiting until the last minute never works out very well for me, and in Christ, it may mean that when the “ship of eternity” sails, we will be left standing at the wrong end of the gangplank.
Advent is about getting on the ball and beginning our celebration, our reflections, our relationship with Jesus Christ now. We can’t wait for his arrival to discover the plans he has made for us – that will be too late.
Read Mark 13:32-37
Jesus told a number of parables that dealt with the topic of waiting and watching. But the bottom line in each of them was that while we must be alert and watchful for the great event, we need to be prepared for the arrival. He told of the 10 virgins who were waiting at night for the bridegroom to arrive for the wedding feast. 5 of them had their lamps ready, and 5 did not; the ones who were ready were honored to escort the groom into the feast, while the unprepared were left on the outside, wondering what had just happened. (Matt 25:1 – 13) He told 2 other parables that are seen to be similar to each other – the Talents, and the Minas. Each was about how we are to act while we wait for our Master to return. (Matt. 25: 14 – 30 & Luke 19: 12 – 27) And this story that we just read is about the servants who are told to be alert for their master’s arrival, because they don’t know when he will be returning. Not one of them tells us that we can sit back and not worry about the Lord’s return. Even though there will be signs and wonders giving us all kinds of hints, we will still be surprised and amazed when the time arrives. Each and every parable tells us to be prepared and ready throughout our time of waiting.
Advent is not the time to sit back and take it easy – it’s a time to prepare. Advent is the beginning of the new beginning, when everything will be made new (Rev. 21:1-5). It is a time when we surrender our old lives in order to receive the new. It is a time when we wait eagerly, but at the same time, preparing for the greatest moment we will ever experience.
Advent is not the time to become complacent – it’s a time to become energized and expectant! And I don’t mean for the commercialized form of Christmas – I mean for the celebration of God’s arrival in the world! It’s a time to put the past behind and to start preparing for the “beginning of our beginning”. It will be here before you know it!
Today is the first Sunday in Advent. Advent, of course, is the time when we prepare our lives for the coming of the Christ Child. Truthfully, though, we should be doing that every day of our lives, but for most, we need a specific reminder and a specific season to consider the full impact that his life has had on ours.
The effect that his arrival had on this world is described by the various names that Jesus is called – Prince of Peace, King of Kings, Savior, Redeemer, the Hope of the world. An anonymous writer once wrote this about the hope of Christ:
We tend to think of hope as a winged thing, flying serenely above the storms, untouched by the mundane earth. But the value of hope lies in its presence in our everyday lives, a constant earthly promise of welcome into ultimate fellowship with God. And hope doesn't have wings - if we choose to invite it, hope walks beside us as we travel.
- Homiletics On Line
Have you ever heard a better explanation of Christ’s presence in our lives? Intimate, personal, immediate, near, never aloof.
Our reading today is Jesus’ words on our hope for his Second Coming, but I think we need to also consider it in light of our preparation for the First.
Read Mark 13:24-27
Throughout the Bible, signs and wonders are constantly being given as proof of God’s almighty power. And how often do the people see them for what they really are? There were ten miracles in Egypt, all designed to show Pharaoh just who he was up against, and he ignored them all. The children of Israel saw the same miracles, and the only thing that they did was to complain and grumble all the more.
During the 40 years in the wilderness, God lead the people with the signs of cloud and fire; he fed them with the sign of manna and quail; he satisfied their thirst with the sign of water out of solid rock; he rescued them and gave them victory after victory, simply through the sign of the raising of Moses’ staff; and they settled in a land that was gained, not by their hands, but by God’s.
And in return, they continued to be unfaithful to the God who had given them so much. The sign of a holy birth would be given, and only lowly shepherds and foreigners would pay any attention. And in our reading today, Jesus gives all the signs of his return, and the world is still going to turn a blind eye to the glorious happenings.
But in grace, Jesus gives us the word, just the same. And the best part is in verse 27 – “He will send his angels and gather his elect from ... the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.” That will be the final and greatest sign, and no one is going to be able to miss that one. But what about his First Coming? Do people focus too much on the Second, and nowhere near enough on the significance of the First? Are we still looking for signs of the Second, but missing the signs that are still coming to us from his holy birth?
Read Mark 13:28-31
We all know that Spring follows the Winter, and the Summer follows the Spring, but does anyone really know when Spring will arrive? When next Summer finally gets here? Now I don’t mean the calendar date that is designated as the first day of each season. I seem to remember some snow a few weeks ago, and the calendar date for winter is still a few weeks away!
The seasons arrive when they arrive. And so does Jesus – both the first time and the second.
And I expect that in the moment that Christ came into your life, that this was unexpected, too. At least it was for me; it was unplanned, startling, and over the years, I still describe it as “traumatic”. And every time that Jesus touches us in some new way, it becomes a new beginning – Christ is “the beginning of each beginning”, if you will. There never is an ending, except for the life that was before Jesus. Each new beginning in Christ is a new phase, a new opportunity, and life in him just keeps getting more interesting and more exciting!
But we have to accept him and welcome him if we truly want each and every new beginning. And we can’t wait until the signs indicate that time has nearly run out!
The ark was completed, the storm clouds were beginning to gather, and Noah was waiting patiently at the foot of the gang plank. Very soon, the animals began to arrive and they started boarding the ship two by two.
Pair after pair of animals passed by Noah, heading up the ramp into the ship. Finally a lone hippo waddled up and Noah asked him where his mate was. The hippo replied “Well, I was hoping to meet her on the cruise!”
--With thanks to Kirk A. Erwin, Lyons, Neb.
We can’t wait and hope to meet Jesus on the eternal cruise! We have all the signs that we need, and the time is running out. Summer is coming, even though we have a few months of cold ahead of us yet, but do we stop planning for our summer projects and get togethers? Not on your life! My brothers and I have already started talking about our weekend together in the late Spring. I am already thinking about the things that I didn’t get done this year, and what I need to do when the weather turns warm again. I already have my application in for a Course of Study class in March and April. Waiting until the last minute never works out very well for me, and in Christ, it may mean that when the “ship of eternity” sails, we will be left standing at the wrong end of the gangplank.
Advent is about getting on the ball and beginning our celebration, our reflections, our relationship with Jesus Christ now. We can’t wait for his arrival to discover the plans he has made for us – that will be too late.
Read Mark 13:32-37
Jesus told a number of parables that dealt with the topic of waiting and watching. But the bottom line in each of them was that while we must be alert and watchful for the great event, we need to be prepared for the arrival. He told of the 10 virgins who were waiting at night for the bridegroom to arrive for the wedding feast. 5 of them had their lamps ready, and 5 did not; the ones who were ready were honored to escort the groom into the feast, while the unprepared were left on the outside, wondering what had just happened. (Matt 25:1 – 13) He told 2 other parables that are seen to be similar to each other – the Talents, and the Minas. Each was about how we are to act while we wait for our Master to return. (Matt. 25: 14 – 30 & Luke 19: 12 – 27) And this story that we just read is about the servants who are told to be alert for their master’s arrival, because they don’t know when he will be returning. Not one of them tells us that we can sit back and not worry about the Lord’s return. Even though there will be signs and wonders giving us all kinds of hints, we will still be surprised and amazed when the time arrives. Each and every parable tells us to be prepared and ready throughout our time of waiting.
Advent is not the time to sit back and take it easy – it’s a time to prepare. Advent is the beginning of the new beginning, when everything will be made new (Rev. 21:1-5). It is a time when we surrender our old lives in order to receive the new. It is a time when we wait eagerly, but at the same time, preparing for the greatest moment we will ever experience.
Advent is not the time to become complacent – it’s a time to become energized and expectant! And I don’t mean for the commercialized form of Christmas – I mean for the celebration of God’s arrival in the world! It’s a time to put the past behind and to start preparing for the “beginning of our beginning”. It will be here before you know it!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
“Living in the Life of Light”
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24
Last week, we took a look at what the Light of Christ means for our lives, that it is our call to ministry, that it is the proof that God has a glorious plan for our lives, and a challenge was offered to each person to take a step in Christian faith. Was anyone able to shine the light that they carry in the world to illuminate a life? How did it go this week?
(Note: Several people at each church offered invitations, and 2 folks at one church brought guests!)
The truth is that people are drawn to the light, regardless of how bright and how consistent. When I was growing up, summer evenings always seemed to have a special significance when the fire flies were out. My brothers and I would follow their light, blinking and moving and then blinking some more, until we could catch them in a jar and proudly take the prize to show our folks. We would then sit enthralled for quite some time, watching them light up the jar, and more importantly, our lives. The smiles in the darkness of those evenings were nothing short of infectious.
The light wasn’t continuous, and it wasn’t especially brilliant, but it certainly was effective in its call to my brothers and me.
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15
Walking and living in the light of Christ involves a responsibility to not only serve others well, to not only walk in the Christ Light, but to also hold each other accountable for our walk.
The first item in the list that Paul offers to us today is that we are to respect those who work hard in faith, and to show respect to those who call us to account. We don’t always understand why or even what others may be doing, but if they are working for the kingdom, then we are to encourage them in their efforts. If we are admonished for something that we have done by a church leader, we can certainly discuss the situation with them, but we are to consider their decision in a respectful and loving manner. This respect and obligation to each other is not only vital, but it is to be extreme. It is the way that we share our light with other believers.
Take the case of the current situation in our own Annual Conference. There is a great divide within our community over a significant issue of faith, and it’s growing greater every day. We should certainly be engaged in the discussions and to always present our view of the call of scripture, but it must be done in as civil a manner as possible. No name calling, no trading insults, no hateful confrontations – just honest and accurate representations of what scripture is telling us.
The second item comes out of our consideration of the first – “Live in peace with each other.” If we truly show respect for each other, peace will naturally follow. And think about it – if we are to be the united and only Body of Christ, how can we not live in peace with each other? Peace does not mean total agreement, it does not mean never questioning a motive or action, it does not mean that everyone does the same things in the same way. Peace comes from a respectful attitude toward the other members of the Body – it is the result of helping each other carry the light of Christ.
The next series of items continue in this theme of relationship.
#3 – “Warn those who are idle.” Again, not berate and not belittle. Warn! And it doesn’t mean that we have to be busy every moment of every waking hour! We need some relaxation time every day, but when we develop a tendency to routinely waste our time on frivolous matters, we desperately need the challenge to put those things aside, and to get back in the game. Our inclination, though, is to see this as a scolding, and we seldom react in a positive way to it. But if the challenge is true, why not take it as a constructive suggestion? Why not readily admit that our friend is right, and thank them that their love for us is great enough to even bring the issue up? Idleness is not about shining our light in the world – it’s about intentionally covering it up.
#4 – “Encourage the timid”. Remember Matthew 5:5 – “Blessed are the meek”? Remember Matthew 25:40 – “Whatever you did for the least of these … you did for me.” The timid will include the bashful, the shy, the fearful, the emotionally challenged, the withdrawn. Don’t ignore them. Don’t treat them in a condescending way. Don’t pass by them on the opposite side of the street! Instead, why don’t we work to inspire them! Reassure them! Reinforce their self-confidence! Help them to be all they can be, and to do all that they can do! “Whatever you did for the least of these …”? Even the timid deserve to carry the Light!
#5 – “Help the weak”. Have you ever felt weak? Unable to do those things that you would like to do – unable to do the things you need to do? When I came down with mononucleosis during my radiation treatments, there were a lot of things that I couldn’t do – like mowing the lawn, climbing a long flight of stairs, walking more than a hundred steps (give or take), and nearly anything that required any exertion whatsoever. Diane had just given birth to our second son, and Nathan kept her kind of busy, but our neighbors and friends from church came to our aid, and even though I wasn’t real comfortable with the fact that I couldn’t do the routine things that I had always done, I had no choice. And the help that the “weak” received from the “able” was greatly appreciated, and obviously memorable. They not only carried their own light, but they helped me carry mine.
#6 – “Be patient with everyone.” Not just the ones who make patience easy, but EVERYONE! This will undoubtedly be the most frustrating task any Christian is called to carry out. We can’t just be patient to those who are patient with us (not that any of us would ever need the patience of others!), but we are called to maintain control of our emotions regardless of the situation. In Galatians 5:22, we read that two aspects of the “fruit of the Spirit” are patience and self-control. And verse 25 tells us that “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is the ultimate Light carrier, and we are to keep up with him!
These first 6 efforts are about our relationships with others. Respect, peace, counsel, encouragement, assistance, and patience. But I think we all can agree that they aren’t easy to do – just one or two of them is hard enough, but all 6?? Without the Holy Spirit working with and through us constantly, we will surely fail, but the presence of the Spirit in believers is never in question! We always have that support and encouragement to help us in life.
If our relationships with others is a tough row to hoe, consider the next list, which is about our personal attitudes and efforts in our relationship with God.
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
#7 – Be joyful always
#8 – Pray continually
#9 – Give thanks in all circumstances
These 3 truly go together, because they are all about knowing Jesus Christ in a personal way. Without the Lord at our side, how could we possibly be joyful all of the time, or be able to live our life in a prayerful way, or be thankful regardless of our personal situation? The honest answer is that we can’t! It is Christ who gives us that everlasting joy. It is our desire to remain in constant touch with the Lord that keeps us prayerful. It is because of the bounty that comes to us in faith that makes us justly thankful.
We aren’t always happy, we aren’t always walking in perfect faith, and it is seldom that we are focused on the many blessings that come our way. Our joy and connection and thankfulness, though, will always be the most obvious and outward signs of a committed disciple of Jesus Christ, and they are the unmistakable light for both believers and nonbelievers alike.
And how do we see the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives? The next 5 are important in this regard for our consideration this morning.
#10 – Do not put out the Spirit’s fire;
#11 – Do not treat prophecies with contempt
#12 – Test everything
#13 – Hold on to the good.
#14 – Avoid every kind of evil.
We could spend the rest of the morning discussing these in detail, but suffice it to say that these are the challenge for all Christians today. To follow the leading of the Spirit, no matter where we may have to go; to accept prophecy, or the true word of God, without question; but at the same time, to test, to ensure, that the direction of our walk and the action of our lives are being given in a faithful manner; to cling to the things of God and to totally reject those that are not. These all come back to the call to “pray continuously”, for that is the only way to know if we are on the right track. The Spirit’s fire!
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
If our heart is right, if we avoid taking advantage of both the kindness and ignorance of others, if we strive to the best of our abilities to walk in the Lord’s light and in his word, and to carry his light wherever we go –
then we’ll be headed in the right direction. Is it easy? No. Will we ever be tempted to do otherwise? Yes. Will our relationships with others be perfect? No. But should we always work to make them better? Without question!
Paul writes that “The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – will always keep his word for our lives – “I will be your God, and you will be my people.” He tells us that over and over, and we must believe that the Lord will be with us through thick and thin, in good times and in bad, in the light of day and in the darkness of the night. And the reference to our spirit, soul and body being kept blameless? That, too, can only come from a life lived in the light of Christ.
Living a life in the light – one of constant temptation and failure, but also one of glory and blessings that are never ending.
Last week, we took a look at what the Light of Christ means for our lives, that it is our call to ministry, that it is the proof that God has a glorious plan for our lives, and a challenge was offered to each person to take a step in Christian faith. Was anyone able to shine the light that they carry in the world to illuminate a life? How did it go this week?
(Note: Several people at each church offered invitations, and 2 folks at one church brought guests!)
The truth is that people are drawn to the light, regardless of how bright and how consistent. When I was growing up, summer evenings always seemed to have a special significance when the fire flies were out. My brothers and I would follow their light, blinking and moving and then blinking some more, until we could catch them in a jar and proudly take the prize to show our folks. We would then sit enthralled for quite some time, watching them light up the jar, and more importantly, our lives. The smiles in the darkness of those evenings were nothing short of infectious.
The light wasn’t continuous, and it wasn’t especially brilliant, but it certainly was effective in its call to my brothers and me.
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15
Walking and living in the light of Christ involves a responsibility to not only serve others well, to not only walk in the Christ Light, but to also hold each other accountable for our walk.
The first item in the list that Paul offers to us today is that we are to respect those who work hard in faith, and to show respect to those who call us to account. We don’t always understand why or even what others may be doing, but if they are working for the kingdom, then we are to encourage them in their efforts. If we are admonished for something that we have done by a church leader, we can certainly discuss the situation with them, but we are to consider their decision in a respectful and loving manner. This respect and obligation to each other is not only vital, but it is to be extreme. It is the way that we share our light with other believers.
Take the case of the current situation in our own Annual Conference. There is a great divide within our community over a significant issue of faith, and it’s growing greater every day. We should certainly be engaged in the discussions and to always present our view of the call of scripture, but it must be done in as civil a manner as possible. No name calling, no trading insults, no hateful confrontations – just honest and accurate representations of what scripture is telling us.
The second item comes out of our consideration of the first – “Live in peace with each other.” If we truly show respect for each other, peace will naturally follow. And think about it – if we are to be the united and only Body of Christ, how can we not live in peace with each other? Peace does not mean total agreement, it does not mean never questioning a motive or action, it does not mean that everyone does the same things in the same way. Peace comes from a respectful attitude toward the other members of the Body – it is the result of helping each other carry the light of Christ.
The next series of items continue in this theme of relationship.
#3 – “Warn those who are idle.” Again, not berate and not belittle. Warn! And it doesn’t mean that we have to be busy every moment of every waking hour! We need some relaxation time every day, but when we develop a tendency to routinely waste our time on frivolous matters, we desperately need the challenge to put those things aside, and to get back in the game. Our inclination, though, is to see this as a scolding, and we seldom react in a positive way to it. But if the challenge is true, why not take it as a constructive suggestion? Why not readily admit that our friend is right, and thank them that their love for us is great enough to even bring the issue up? Idleness is not about shining our light in the world – it’s about intentionally covering it up.
#4 – “Encourage the timid”. Remember Matthew 5:5 – “Blessed are the meek”? Remember Matthew 25:40 – “Whatever you did for the least of these … you did for me.” The timid will include the bashful, the shy, the fearful, the emotionally challenged, the withdrawn. Don’t ignore them. Don’t treat them in a condescending way. Don’t pass by them on the opposite side of the street! Instead, why don’t we work to inspire them! Reassure them! Reinforce their self-confidence! Help them to be all they can be, and to do all that they can do! “Whatever you did for the least of these …”? Even the timid deserve to carry the Light!
#5 – “Help the weak”. Have you ever felt weak? Unable to do those things that you would like to do – unable to do the things you need to do? When I came down with mononucleosis during my radiation treatments, there were a lot of things that I couldn’t do – like mowing the lawn, climbing a long flight of stairs, walking more than a hundred steps (give or take), and nearly anything that required any exertion whatsoever. Diane had just given birth to our second son, and Nathan kept her kind of busy, but our neighbors and friends from church came to our aid, and even though I wasn’t real comfortable with the fact that I couldn’t do the routine things that I had always done, I had no choice. And the help that the “weak” received from the “able” was greatly appreciated, and obviously memorable. They not only carried their own light, but they helped me carry mine.
#6 – “Be patient with everyone.” Not just the ones who make patience easy, but EVERYONE! This will undoubtedly be the most frustrating task any Christian is called to carry out. We can’t just be patient to those who are patient with us (not that any of us would ever need the patience of others!), but we are called to maintain control of our emotions regardless of the situation. In Galatians 5:22, we read that two aspects of the “fruit of the Spirit” are patience and self-control. And verse 25 tells us that “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is the ultimate Light carrier, and we are to keep up with him!
These first 6 efforts are about our relationships with others. Respect, peace, counsel, encouragement, assistance, and patience. But I think we all can agree that they aren’t easy to do – just one or two of them is hard enough, but all 6?? Without the Holy Spirit working with and through us constantly, we will surely fail, but the presence of the Spirit in believers is never in question! We always have that support and encouragement to help us in life.
If our relationships with others is a tough row to hoe, consider the next list, which is about our personal attitudes and efforts in our relationship with God.
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
#7 – Be joyful always
#8 – Pray continually
#9 – Give thanks in all circumstances
These 3 truly go together, because they are all about knowing Jesus Christ in a personal way. Without the Lord at our side, how could we possibly be joyful all of the time, or be able to live our life in a prayerful way, or be thankful regardless of our personal situation? The honest answer is that we can’t! It is Christ who gives us that everlasting joy. It is our desire to remain in constant touch with the Lord that keeps us prayerful. It is because of the bounty that comes to us in faith that makes us justly thankful.
We aren’t always happy, we aren’t always walking in perfect faith, and it is seldom that we are focused on the many blessings that come our way. Our joy and connection and thankfulness, though, will always be the most obvious and outward signs of a committed disciple of Jesus Christ, and they are the unmistakable light for both believers and nonbelievers alike.
And how do we see the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives? The next 5 are important in this regard for our consideration this morning.
#10 – Do not put out the Spirit’s fire;
#11 – Do not treat prophecies with contempt
#12 – Test everything
#13 – Hold on to the good.
#14 – Avoid every kind of evil.
We could spend the rest of the morning discussing these in detail, but suffice it to say that these are the challenge for all Christians today. To follow the leading of the Spirit, no matter where we may have to go; to accept prophecy, or the true word of God, without question; but at the same time, to test, to ensure, that the direction of our walk and the action of our lives are being given in a faithful manner; to cling to the things of God and to totally reject those that are not. These all come back to the call to “pray continuously”, for that is the only way to know if we are on the right track. The Spirit’s fire!
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
If our heart is right, if we avoid taking advantage of both the kindness and ignorance of others, if we strive to the best of our abilities to walk in the Lord’s light and in his word, and to carry his light wherever we go –
then we’ll be headed in the right direction. Is it easy? No. Will we ever be tempted to do otherwise? Yes. Will our relationships with others be perfect? No. But should we always work to make them better? Without question!
Paul writes that “The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – will always keep his word for our lives – “I will be your God, and you will be my people.” He tells us that over and over, and we must believe that the Lord will be with us through thick and thin, in good times and in bad, in the light of day and in the darkness of the night. And the reference to our spirit, soul and body being kept blameless? That, too, can only come from a life lived in the light of Christ.
Living a life in the light – one of constant temptation and failure, but also one of glory and blessings that are never ending.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
“Destined For the Day”
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
In the theology course that I just finished (Wesley Theological Seminary for Course of Study), we dealt with a lot of terms and phrases, and had great discussions as to what they mean to us and what they don’t mean. The interesting thing about words is that they can have a number of connotations, and can have even more personal implications for our lives. One of the terms that we considered and discussed at some length was “predestination”.
In a religious sense, we see the concept traditionally as meaning that God has preordained, has made a choice for our lives, and we are stuck with it. Presbyterians has taken this notion to heart, even though Calvin actually had little to say about it, and placed very little emphasis on the thought. However, it seems that the intent of New Testament writers in using the term was more in line with Wesley’s term “prevenient” – or the grace that pursues us all until we either surrender our lives to God’s grace, to his invitation, or pass from the earth. Theologically speaking, God would desire – predestine – that all of humanity be saved, but it isn’t forced upon us. We get to choose whether we accept his grace or not. The writers apparently never intended the word to mean “pre-chosen”.
Which brings us to the issue for today – who is living in the light, and who is living in darkness – who will experience destruction, and who will not.
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3
Confession time – I have a very limited experience with labor pains, and so I hesitate to venture too far into the topic, either to discuss the impact of them on the mother, or the rapidity of their onslaught! But in the context of our passage for today, I would guess that they come on pretty fast.
In my experience with the birth of our first child, the pains came totally unexpectedly. It was a Monday evening, we were getting ready to attend our 2nd Lamaze class, but were abruptly detoured to the delivery room to welcome our son in his 8 week early arrival. (As a matter of interest, we did get our Lamaze registration money back, though!!)
Son number 2 behaved a little better, except the pains began at about 3:00 AM – in farming terms, that’s before the rooster wakes up (!), and 2 hours later, he had arrived.
From my limited sampling of the concept of labor pains, I think it is safe to conclude 2 concepts – that 1) they can come at any time, and 2) they generally come at the most inconvenient time!
So if we carry that assumption over to the word for today, we discover that the comparison to the coming of a thief in the night isn’t too far off.
We are walking around, enjoying our solitude, basking in the beauty of our life, and suddenly, without warning, the “day of the Lord” occurs, and everything changes. We can’t go back, there are no “do overs”, and we find ourselves wherever we are in that moment.
“Predestined”? The Lord’s greatest desire is that all would find that they were on his side of the fence, but scripture is very clear that many will be on the other side. Don’t blame God for the failure to choose correctly, don’t blame God for not “fixing” everyone before his “day” comes. The only blame is for our own lack of decision today, and possibly for the Church’s failure to spread his light wide enough and far enough. God has a wonderful plan for life, and that plan extends beyond the here and now, and reaches into eternity. But each and every person has to claim it, and each and every person has to live it.
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8
Just a word regarding verse 4 – the intent of the words are that if we were in darkness, we would be surprised by the events of the day, but the truth is that we are not blinded – we are people of the light. Remember that Jesus told us in John 8:12 that he is the light of the world, and whoever follows him will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. And Matthew’s gospel (5:14) tells us that we are now the light of the world. Jesus fills all believers with his glorious light, and now we are to use it to light the way for others.
As the current Fall season advances, and as it begins to bring us more and more darkness, more and more “night”, light becomes more and more precious for our lives. When I get up in the middle of the night, I never turn a light on because I don't want to bother Diane. But I tend to stumble around, stubbing my toes on the chest at the end of our bed, tripping over a cat who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I generally create a lot more disturbance than if I had turned a light on in the first place. Darkness is not a friend – even if we are in a totally familiar room, we can still be lost and disoriented and out of touch with our surroundings. But a little bit of light can do wonders.
Friday night, as I went to bed in my hotel room in Washington, I left the bathroom light on. It was dim enough not to bother my sleep, but bright enough to guide me safely through the darkness if I needed it. We are to be that very light. Matthew 5:15 admonishes us to never hide our light – that we should let it shine out into the world so that others will see it.
It is the Lord’s greatest desire that all would experience his light, and would claim it as their own, but someone needs to lead them to the source of this great light. In John 12:36, Jesus tells his disciples to put their trust in the light while they have it, so that they might become the sons of light. And one day, they would carry the light of Christ to the far reaches of the earth, for the sole purpose of passing that light on to others. And the light has been carried and shared and passed throughout the centuries, and now it is our turn to carry and share and pass it on to others. That is the gist of the Great Commission’s call to make “disciples of all nations”. It doesn’t mean that we ourselves must travel to every nation on earth – it means that we can never withhold the light from anyone, for any reason. In accepting Christ, in becoming a Jesus follower, we also take on the obligation to share our personal story of the Lord with everyone we meet. If every Christian in the world would lead just one other person into the light, and then they would lead one other, God’s desire, his “predestined” plan for the world, his deepest yearning for humanity, his longing that all would walk in his light and life, would very quickly become a reality.
We need to walk in the light of Christ, day and night, in good times and bad, in times of absolute certainty and in times of wretched uncertainty. The Lord wants us to carry our light throughout the world, without hesitation and with great expectation.
But the problem today is that even though we are people of the light, we seem to be afraid to show our light, and so we keep it covered and out of sight most of the time. And when we hide it, not only will others continue to stumble around in their spiritual darkness, we will be stumbling, too!
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11
In our discussion earlier regarding the concept of “predestination”, we need to know that there is a second part to it. Not only is the concept that some are “predestined to be saved”, the other side of the thought must be that others are “predestined to be lost”. It is a “double predestination”, and this, too, is a falsehood. God desires that all would be saved, and we have been “appointed” to carry his salvation, his promise of life, his gift of light, out into the world. He doesn’t want anyone to suffer “wrath”, but if we fail to carry out the mission that we have told God that we accept, the wrath will win and the life of salvation that Jesus died and rose again in order to win for us, will simply lie dormant.
Are we really willing to let this happen?
Are we willing to abandon our God given opportunity to lead someone else into the light of Christ?
I want to challenge you to do something. For the next year (this is not a one time thing!), I want everyone to get serious about carrying their light. And during the year, I want to challenge you to a weekly project – that every week, you invite one person to come to church with you. Not to meet you here, but to ride with you, perhaps even to have lunch with you afterward, to come with you in the light that you carry, that they might begin to see in a new way. And if everyone gets just one new person to join them regularly in worship, think what that can mean for the kingdom – think what that can mean for Jesus!
Are you willing to make the effort? It can be a person who has never been in a church, it can be someone who has stopped attending worship for some reason, it can be a young person or an older person, it can be a neighbor, a co-worker, a family member, even a stranger who you may meet in the check out line at the grocery store. If you will commit to doing this, then I will commit to try to keep my messages interesting and pertinent for life. Don’t count on them getting any shorter, but we’ll work together to make this happen. And we will take a moment at the very beginning of every worship to introduce our friends and make them feel welcomed and loved.
What do you think? Can this happen? Will you give it a try? Just 1 invitation each and every week for a year? No goals for victory – we’ll leave that part up to the convicting of the Holy Spirit. But we still need to do our part.
Verse 11 – “Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” We will continue to encourage each other, but we’re just going to take that encouragement to a whole new level, that we might bring new folks into the light of Jesus Christ. They, too, are destined for the light of Christ’s day, you know! Who are we to decide that it’s OK to leave them behind in their darkness?
In the theology course that I just finished (Wesley Theological Seminary for Course of Study), we dealt with a lot of terms and phrases, and had great discussions as to what they mean to us and what they don’t mean. The interesting thing about words is that they can have a number of connotations, and can have even more personal implications for our lives. One of the terms that we considered and discussed at some length was “predestination”.
In a religious sense, we see the concept traditionally as meaning that God has preordained, has made a choice for our lives, and we are stuck with it. Presbyterians has taken this notion to heart, even though Calvin actually had little to say about it, and placed very little emphasis on the thought. However, it seems that the intent of New Testament writers in using the term was more in line with Wesley’s term “prevenient” – or the grace that pursues us all until we either surrender our lives to God’s grace, to his invitation, or pass from the earth. Theologically speaking, God would desire – predestine – that all of humanity be saved, but it isn’t forced upon us. We get to choose whether we accept his grace or not. The writers apparently never intended the word to mean “pre-chosen”.
Which brings us to the issue for today – who is living in the light, and who is living in darkness – who will experience destruction, and who will not.
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3
Confession time – I have a very limited experience with labor pains, and so I hesitate to venture too far into the topic, either to discuss the impact of them on the mother, or the rapidity of their onslaught! But in the context of our passage for today, I would guess that they come on pretty fast.
In my experience with the birth of our first child, the pains came totally unexpectedly. It was a Monday evening, we were getting ready to attend our 2nd Lamaze class, but were abruptly detoured to the delivery room to welcome our son in his 8 week early arrival. (As a matter of interest, we did get our Lamaze registration money back, though!!)
Son number 2 behaved a little better, except the pains began at about 3:00 AM – in farming terms, that’s before the rooster wakes up (!), and 2 hours later, he had arrived.
From my limited sampling of the concept of labor pains, I think it is safe to conclude 2 concepts – that 1) they can come at any time, and 2) they generally come at the most inconvenient time!
So if we carry that assumption over to the word for today, we discover that the comparison to the coming of a thief in the night isn’t too far off.
We are walking around, enjoying our solitude, basking in the beauty of our life, and suddenly, without warning, the “day of the Lord” occurs, and everything changes. We can’t go back, there are no “do overs”, and we find ourselves wherever we are in that moment.
“Predestined”? The Lord’s greatest desire is that all would find that they were on his side of the fence, but scripture is very clear that many will be on the other side. Don’t blame God for the failure to choose correctly, don’t blame God for not “fixing” everyone before his “day” comes. The only blame is for our own lack of decision today, and possibly for the Church’s failure to spread his light wide enough and far enough. God has a wonderful plan for life, and that plan extends beyond the here and now, and reaches into eternity. But each and every person has to claim it, and each and every person has to live it.
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8
Just a word regarding verse 4 – the intent of the words are that if we were in darkness, we would be surprised by the events of the day, but the truth is that we are not blinded – we are people of the light. Remember that Jesus told us in John 8:12 that he is the light of the world, and whoever follows him will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. And Matthew’s gospel (5:14) tells us that we are now the light of the world. Jesus fills all believers with his glorious light, and now we are to use it to light the way for others.
As the current Fall season advances, and as it begins to bring us more and more darkness, more and more “night”, light becomes more and more precious for our lives. When I get up in the middle of the night, I never turn a light on because I don't want to bother Diane. But I tend to stumble around, stubbing my toes on the chest at the end of our bed, tripping over a cat who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I generally create a lot more disturbance than if I had turned a light on in the first place. Darkness is not a friend – even if we are in a totally familiar room, we can still be lost and disoriented and out of touch with our surroundings. But a little bit of light can do wonders.
Friday night, as I went to bed in my hotel room in Washington, I left the bathroom light on. It was dim enough not to bother my sleep, but bright enough to guide me safely through the darkness if I needed it. We are to be that very light. Matthew 5:15 admonishes us to never hide our light – that we should let it shine out into the world so that others will see it.
It is the Lord’s greatest desire that all would experience his light, and would claim it as their own, but someone needs to lead them to the source of this great light. In John 12:36, Jesus tells his disciples to put their trust in the light while they have it, so that they might become the sons of light. And one day, they would carry the light of Christ to the far reaches of the earth, for the sole purpose of passing that light on to others. And the light has been carried and shared and passed throughout the centuries, and now it is our turn to carry and share and pass it on to others. That is the gist of the Great Commission’s call to make “disciples of all nations”. It doesn’t mean that we ourselves must travel to every nation on earth – it means that we can never withhold the light from anyone, for any reason. In accepting Christ, in becoming a Jesus follower, we also take on the obligation to share our personal story of the Lord with everyone we meet. If every Christian in the world would lead just one other person into the light, and then they would lead one other, God’s desire, his “predestined” plan for the world, his deepest yearning for humanity, his longing that all would walk in his light and life, would very quickly become a reality.
We need to walk in the light of Christ, day and night, in good times and bad, in times of absolute certainty and in times of wretched uncertainty. The Lord wants us to carry our light throughout the world, without hesitation and with great expectation.
But the problem today is that even though we are people of the light, we seem to be afraid to show our light, and so we keep it covered and out of sight most of the time. And when we hide it, not only will others continue to stumble around in their spiritual darkness, we will be stumbling, too!
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11
In our discussion earlier regarding the concept of “predestination”, we need to know that there is a second part to it. Not only is the concept that some are “predestined to be saved”, the other side of the thought must be that others are “predestined to be lost”. It is a “double predestination”, and this, too, is a falsehood. God desires that all would be saved, and we have been “appointed” to carry his salvation, his promise of life, his gift of light, out into the world. He doesn’t want anyone to suffer “wrath”, but if we fail to carry out the mission that we have told God that we accept, the wrath will win and the life of salvation that Jesus died and rose again in order to win for us, will simply lie dormant.
Are we really willing to let this happen?
Are we willing to abandon our God given opportunity to lead someone else into the light of Christ?
I want to challenge you to do something. For the next year (this is not a one time thing!), I want everyone to get serious about carrying their light. And during the year, I want to challenge you to a weekly project – that every week, you invite one person to come to church with you. Not to meet you here, but to ride with you, perhaps even to have lunch with you afterward, to come with you in the light that you carry, that they might begin to see in a new way. And if everyone gets just one new person to join them regularly in worship, think what that can mean for the kingdom – think what that can mean for Jesus!
Are you willing to make the effort? It can be a person who has never been in a church, it can be someone who has stopped attending worship for some reason, it can be a young person or an older person, it can be a neighbor, a co-worker, a family member, even a stranger who you may meet in the check out line at the grocery store. If you will commit to doing this, then I will commit to try to keep my messages interesting and pertinent for life. Don’t count on them getting any shorter, but we’ll work together to make this happen. And we will take a moment at the very beginning of every worship to introduce our friends and make them feel welcomed and loved.
What do you think? Can this happen? Will you give it a try? Just 1 invitation each and every week for a year? No goals for victory – we’ll leave that part up to the convicting of the Holy Spirit. But we still need to do our part.
Verse 11 – “Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” We will continue to encourage each other, but we’re just going to take that encouragement to a whole new level, that we might bring new folks into the light of Jesus Christ. They, too, are destined for the light of Christ’s day, you know! Who are we to decide that it’s OK to leave them behind in their darkness?
Sunday, November 6, 2011
“Standing Stones”
Scripture: Joshua 4:1-9
We all have those great memories of important times in our lives – a special birthday party that you’ll never forget, a family vacation that everyone enjoyed, the time we met the person who would one day become our husband or wife, graduation from school, the birth of each and every one of our children, the day we welcomed Christ into our lives. Some memories tend to come and then slowly go away, but others remain with us throughout our life.
Why would some be so fleeting, while others become a lasting part of our make up? Why are some memories so ingrained in our subconscious, while other times, that may have been equally important at the time, pass out of our awareness?
I think that the difference in them is not so much in the memory itself, but more so in the impact that it has on the rest of our life. It isn’t about the past – it’s about what it means for us today, and how that memory will prepare us and serve us as we travel into the future. That life long memory – whether it came as moment of awakening, or as one of heartache – is the very thing that defines the event to be “life changing”.
Read Joshua 4:1-7
As we read last week, the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant were called to step into the raging waters of the Jordan as the leaders of the nation, and in their faithfulness, the waters began to pile up miles upstream and downstream, and the people were able to cross into the Promised Land on dry ground. Now we see that there was another group of leaders who would represent the nation – the 12 who had been chosen to select and carry the memorial stones from the middle of the river bed to the far shore. And what would they memorialize?
God simply told them to pick up 12 stones from the river bed, and put them down wherever they would stop for the night. There was no mention by the Almighty as to what they were to memorialize, or even that they were to be a memorial in the first place. It was Joshua who told the people that they would be a memorial to what God had done for them that day.
But personally, I think that the memorial should have had a far greater significance in the minds and hearts of Israel. They had been enslaved in Egypt with no way out until the Lord lead the fugitive Moses back to confront Pharaoh, and then miracle after miracle was brought to bear, simply to bring to fruition the promise that the people would live in the land promised to the descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 10 plagues would be brought against the people of Egypt, and when they finally left slavery, the sea that stood as a barrier to their escape would be divided, and when the army of Pharaoh pursued them, they would be confused and delayed and eventually completely destroyed. The people were given the commandments of God directly from God; they were fed on a daily basis with no interruption; water was provided out of solid rock; they defeated enemy after enemy, and for 40 years, God, in the image of a cloud and a column of fire, lead them through the wilderness.
And in spite of their corporate unfaithfulness and constant grumbling, they finally reached the Jordan and in another miraculous moment, this last water barrier was also defeated and the people would be able to enter their promised home. Did the nation have something to remember? I should say so!!!
There would be many memorials given to this journey, and hundreds of years later, the Psalmist would memorialize the journey this way.
Read Psalm 114:5-8
Remember? How could they ever forget? But the stones would still be set up as “a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”
Standing stones – not the miracle itself, but a tribute to the miracles of God. It’s been said that we can “choose to throw stones, to stumble on them, to climb over them, or to build with them.” In this case, Israel chose to build with them.
Read Joshua 4:8-9
But stones can’t talk, can they. They can’t tell the story – the significance – of how they came to be where they are. A stranger who doesn’t know how and why they have been placed in such a manner can only wonder about them. Don’t you wish the stones had a voice? That they could regale us with the entire wonderful experience?
My friends, that is why we need to take the place of those stones. Every one of us has been the recipient of God’s blessings throughout our lives. Oh, yes, we’ve grumbled, we’ve created our own disastrous detours, we’ve sinned, we’ve failed the Lord over and over again, and even in our faithlessness, our blessed Lord has remained faithful to us and has continued to work his wonders in our lives. We must be the “Standing Stones” of today. Amen?
And so, I have to ask, when was the last time you shared a witness with someone else? When was the last time that someone saw you as a memorial to the glory and majesty of our God?
I love stories about Mother Teresa, because she is one of the great witnesses, one of the great “Standing Stones” of all time. This is how one of those stories goes:
When Mother Teresa first began her work among the dying on the streets of Calcutta, she was obstructed at every turn by government officials and orthodox Hindus, who were suspicious of her motives and used their authority to harass her and to frustrate her efforts. She and her fellow sisters were insulted and threatened with physical violence. One day a shower of stones and bricks rained down on the women as they tried to bring the dying to their humble shelter. Eventually Mother Teresa dropped to her knees before the mob. “Kill me!” she cried in Bengali, her arms outstretched in a gesture of crucifixion, “And I'll be in heaven all the sooner.” The rabble withdrew but soon the harassment increased with even more irrational acts of violence and louder demands were made of officials to expel the foreign nun in her white sari, wearing a cross around the neck.
One morning, Mother Teresa noticed a gathering of people outside the nearby Kali Temple, one of the holy places for Hindus in Calcutta. As she drew closer, she saw a man stretched out on the street with turned-up eyes and a face drained of blood. A triple braid denoted that he was of the Brahmin caste, not of the temple priests. No one dared to touch him, for people recognized he was dying from cholera.
Mother Teresa went to him, bent down, took the body of the Brahmin priest in her arms and carried him to her shelter. Day and night she nursed him, and eventually he recovered. Over and over again he would say to the people, “For 30 years I have worshipped a Kali of stone. But I have met in this gentle woman a real Kali, a Kali of flesh and blood.” Never again were stones thrown at Mother Teresa and the other sisters.
--Donald J. Shelby, Weakness and Power, 22 December 1991, Santa Monica, California.
Now I have to admit that there aren’t a lot of people around with the faith and fortitude of a Mother Teresa, but what an incredible witness! But even if we aren’t quite as courageous as this marvelous lady, we have to take a stand, none the less. The priests of Israel had to take that risky step into the raging waters of the Jordan. The prophets of Israel had to carry the message that the nation had to change their ways – a not very popular message at that. The disciples would be called to carry their witness to the gospel into a world that would hate them for it. The early church would grow by leaps and bounds, even as they were being persecuted to the fullest extent of worldly force. Each and every one of these would become “Standing Stones” in their own right. They are living memorials to what Almighty God can truly do.
So when will we start? When do we accept the call to be a flesh and blood, a living “Stone”? Not one that weaves and bends to the changing winds of the world, not one that hides in the middle of a gravel pit, surrounded by a lot of other anonymous stones, but one who takes a stand in plain sight for the entire world, and proclaims in no uncertain terms, that Jesus Christ is Lord, and he wants to be their Lord, too.
Will you become a new and living “Stone” for Christ today?
We all have those great memories of important times in our lives – a special birthday party that you’ll never forget, a family vacation that everyone enjoyed, the time we met the person who would one day become our husband or wife, graduation from school, the birth of each and every one of our children, the day we welcomed Christ into our lives. Some memories tend to come and then slowly go away, but others remain with us throughout our life.
Why would some be so fleeting, while others become a lasting part of our make up? Why are some memories so ingrained in our subconscious, while other times, that may have been equally important at the time, pass out of our awareness?
I think that the difference in them is not so much in the memory itself, but more so in the impact that it has on the rest of our life. It isn’t about the past – it’s about what it means for us today, and how that memory will prepare us and serve us as we travel into the future. That life long memory – whether it came as moment of awakening, or as one of heartache – is the very thing that defines the event to be “life changing”.
Read Joshua 4:1-7
As we read last week, the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant were called to step into the raging waters of the Jordan as the leaders of the nation, and in their faithfulness, the waters began to pile up miles upstream and downstream, and the people were able to cross into the Promised Land on dry ground. Now we see that there was another group of leaders who would represent the nation – the 12 who had been chosen to select and carry the memorial stones from the middle of the river bed to the far shore. And what would they memorialize?
God simply told them to pick up 12 stones from the river bed, and put them down wherever they would stop for the night. There was no mention by the Almighty as to what they were to memorialize, or even that they were to be a memorial in the first place. It was Joshua who told the people that they would be a memorial to what God had done for them that day.
But personally, I think that the memorial should have had a far greater significance in the minds and hearts of Israel. They had been enslaved in Egypt with no way out until the Lord lead the fugitive Moses back to confront Pharaoh, and then miracle after miracle was brought to bear, simply to bring to fruition the promise that the people would live in the land promised to the descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 10 plagues would be brought against the people of Egypt, and when they finally left slavery, the sea that stood as a barrier to their escape would be divided, and when the army of Pharaoh pursued them, they would be confused and delayed and eventually completely destroyed. The people were given the commandments of God directly from God; they were fed on a daily basis with no interruption; water was provided out of solid rock; they defeated enemy after enemy, and for 40 years, God, in the image of a cloud and a column of fire, lead them through the wilderness.
And in spite of their corporate unfaithfulness and constant grumbling, they finally reached the Jordan and in another miraculous moment, this last water barrier was also defeated and the people would be able to enter their promised home. Did the nation have something to remember? I should say so!!!
There would be many memorials given to this journey, and hundreds of years later, the Psalmist would memorialize the journey this way.
Read Psalm 114:5-8
Remember? How could they ever forget? But the stones would still be set up as “a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”
Standing stones – not the miracle itself, but a tribute to the miracles of God. It’s been said that we can “choose to throw stones, to stumble on them, to climb over them, or to build with them.” In this case, Israel chose to build with them.
Read Joshua 4:8-9
But stones can’t talk, can they. They can’t tell the story – the significance – of how they came to be where they are. A stranger who doesn’t know how and why they have been placed in such a manner can only wonder about them. Don’t you wish the stones had a voice? That they could regale us with the entire wonderful experience?
My friends, that is why we need to take the place of those stones. Every one of us has been the recipient of God’s blessings throughout our lives. Oh, yes, we’ve grumbled, we’ve created our own disastrous detours, we’ve sinned, we’ve failed the Lord over and over again, and even in our faithlessness, our blessed Lord has remained faithful to us and has continued to work his wonders in our lives. We must be the “Standing Stones” of today. Amen?
And so, I have to ask, when was the last time you shared a witness with someone else? When was the last time that someone saw you as a memorial to the glory and majesty of our God?
I love stories about Mother Teresa, because she is one of the great witnesses, one of the great “Standing Stones” of all time. This is how one of those stories goes:
When Mother Teresa first began her work among the dying on the streets of Calcutta, she was obstructed at every turn by government officials and orthodox Hindus, who were suspicious of her motives and used their authority to harass her and to frustrate her efforts. She and her fellow sisters were insulted and threatened with physical violence. One day a shower of stones and bricks rained down on the women as they tried to bring the dying to their humble shelter. Eventually Mother Teresa dropped to her knees before the mob. “Kill me!” she cried in Bengali, her arms outstretched in a gesture of crucifixion, “And I'll be in heaven all the sooner.” The rabble withdrew but soon the harassment increased with even more irrational acts of violence and louder demands were made of officials to expel the foreign nun in her white sari, wearing a cross around the neck.
One morning, Mother Teresa noticed a gathering of people outside the nearby Kali Temple, one of the holy places for Hindus in Calcutta. As she drew closer, she saw a man stretched out on the street with turned-up eyes and a face drained of blood. A triple braid denoted that he was of the Brahmin caste, not of the temple priests. No one dared to touch him, for people recognized he was dying from cholera.
Mother Teresa went to him, bent down, took the body of the Brahmin priest in her arms and carried him to her shelter. Day and night she nursed him, and eventually he recovered. Over and over again he would say to the people, “For 30 years I have worshipped a Kali of stone. But I have met in this gentle woman a real Kali, a Kali of flesh and blood.” Never again were stones thrown at Mother Teresa and the other sisters.
--Donald J. Shelby, Weakness and Power, 22 December 1991, Santa Monica, California.
Now I have to admit that there aren’t a lot of people around with the faith and fortitude of a Mother Teresa, but what an incredible witness! But even if we aren’t quite as courageous as this marvelous lady, we have to take a stand, none the less. The priests of Israel had to take that risky step into the raging waters of the Jordan. The prophets of Israel had to carry the message that the nation had to change their ways – a not very popular message at that. The disciples would be called to carry their witness to the gospel into a world that would hate them for it. The early church would grow by leaps and bounds, even as they were being persecuted to the fullest extent of worldly force. Each and every one of these would become “Standing Stones” in their own right. They are living memorials to what Almighty God can truly do.
So when will we start? When do we accept the call to be a flesh and blood, a living “Stone”? Not one that weaves and bends to the changing winds of the world, not one that hides in the middle of a gravel pit, surrounded by a lot of other anonymous stones, but one who takes a stand in plain sight for the entire world, and proclaims in no uncertain terms, that Jesus Christ is Lord, and he wants to be their Lord, too.
Will you become a new and living “Stone” for Christ today?
Sunday, October 30, 2011
“Trust, and Then Pass Over”
Scripture: Joshua 3:7-17
One of the greatest struggles in the church today is that of “Trust”! We are under attack by the world, and we know that Christ is our only hope for victory, but how often do we really trust the Holy Spirit enough to follow him wherever we are led?
We want the Spirit to follow us and support us in whatever efforts we may decide are worthwhile. Of course, Satan also has plans for us, and when we decide to make our own way, we get lost. And even when we are on the Lord’s path, Satan is actively attempting to thwart our efforts, and we seldom know whether we are heading in the right direction or if we are completely turned around and heading “God knows where”! It all comes back to trusting that the Lord has a plan for both our lives and his Church, and in our faithful discipleship, we need to seek his leading and guidance, and to know the difference between the Lord’s plan and the world’s.
So how do we know the difference? Usually, it is simply a matter of prayer, being as direct as possible in our inquiries, and then waiting for the perfect answer. But other times, it’s a more a matter of taking a step in faith - not waiting for the proof, not waiting for certainty – but simply going wherever the Spirit seems to be leading us.
Read Joshua 3:7-13
Now there’s a challenge! Joshua hears the message directly from God, but the people, and especially the priests, only heard the message second hand. “Just go and stand in the middle of this raging river, because I intend to show you a marvelous thing!” How many of us would have had the faith to actually do that? What certainty was there that the Jordon’s flood waters would not only stop, but actually begin to pile up? Have you ever seen, or even heard of, that sort of thing happening before? Imagine how high the pile would have gotten during the time it took for a million or so people to cross over! And no flooding! Can you even begin to imagine that!
That is what faith is all about. It isn’t about seeing, or understanding, or knowing – it is about trusting in something that is far greater than ourselves. It’s about taking a risk, regardless of what or where the call may be. It’s about knowing for certain (and this may be the only certainty!) that God is going with us, wherever “there” may be.
The instructions that God gives are seldom complete – we never seem to know what we will be doing once we get “there”, or even how we will get “there”, and sometimes we aren’t even sure of where “there” is! All we have been told is “Go”. And so, in faith, we go.
10 years ago, Gibson Corners was told to go to Ecuador. They thought that they knew what they would be doing, but as it turned out, the faithful who struck out in the name of the Lord didn’t have a clue as to what would come of their “going”! And the result has been far greater than anything that they could have imagined! Sometimes we are told to go to those bothersome next door neighbors. Sometimes we are to go into the worst part of town. Sometimes we are told to go to a specific person’s home, and that we have to go now! Sometimes we are told that someone is coming to us, and that we are to be ready to welcome them. Sometimes we are called to go and step into the raging flood waters, and watch what the Lord does then!
And the priests of Israel were called to go and do that very thing. But when we read this passage again, we discover that Joshua tells the people that the Ark of the Covenant will go ahead of them. This small group of men – the priests who had been chosen to carry the Ark – the very thing which represented the presence of God in their lives – would be leading them. God himself would be leading the nation of Israel into the Promised Land. Of course it also required that a few of the faithful join him in those first few risky steps, but the Lord was with them, and they trusted in that promise.
Read Joshua 3:14-17
There are three lessons that we need to take from this passage.
First, the priests took a risk. Common sense would tell you that by the second step, or the third at the most, those men would have been swept away by the current, and they would never be heard from again. But a walk with Almighty God has nothing to do with “common sense”! It is about faith.
Second, the priests exhibited all of the characteristics of true leaders. They didn’t decide that this was a ridiculous plan, and that they would have to find a better place to across the Jordan. They didn’t stand back and tell the people to go first so that their responsibility would be protected. These priests took the first step as an example of what faith could do. And it was only then that the people followed.
Third, the priests showed the people what trusting in God could accomplish. They stood firm in faith, and did exactly what Joshua told them the Lord wanted of them. They trusted that God would be faithful to them, and in return, they were faithful in responding to God’s need of their lives. “Step into the water, and I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you.”
What if they had balked at this “uncommon” sense of faith? What if they listened to their wildly beating hearts and clammy skin, and decided that the risk was just too great? What if they had said “Let’s wait for the water level to go down – that’s a lot safer!”
If they had hesitated, who would have enabled the nation of Israel to claim its God-given promise of this new and wonderful home? Who would have led them into that place of glory? The answer is – No One! Israel would still be standing on the eastern bank of the Jordan, waiting for the flood waters to recede so they could easily wade across.
But God wanted to show them what a little faith in him could do. Note that not only did the waters pile up upstream and downstream, but that the river bed was dry! No small pools of water in the depressions, no mud on the river bottom, no small rivulets that they had to step across – by faith, the river bed was dry! How powerful is our God? If this doesn’t answer the question in a mighty way, then nothing will!
By taking that risk, by being true leaders of the nation, by living a faith that grew in trust of God, the priests who had been charged with carrying the Ark of God enabled the people to safely pass through the waters and never even dampen the soles of their sandals.
There’s an old saying, that says:
We're not in this to test the waters, we are in this to make waves.
--Anonymous
And that is exactly what the priests were doing – stirring up the spirits of Israel, making waves in their otherwise flaccid lives, showing them the power and majesty that was of their God. And in faith, that is what we, too, must be about.
How strong is our faith? The truth is that we usually don’t know until we are faced with taking that next step that will place us firmly in the torrential flood, or in the depths of the lion’s den, or face to face with our greatest fear, or reaching out to help our greatest enemy.
We can never pussyfoot around in our faith – we have to take a faithful leap into the unknown and trust that the Lord will be there when we come down, to plant our feet on firm and dry ground.
Where is the Lord leading us as individuals? Where is he leading us as his church? The question for us is not does the Lord have a plan for us, but rather what does he require of us! Remember that Jeremiah 29 tells us that the Lord knows the plan that has been created for us, and that it is an incredible and wonderful design. The problem is that all too often, we try to create our own plan of action, and when it doesn’t work out, we wonder where in the world God was when we were working so hard and yet failing so miserably!
Next week, we hold our annual Charge Conference. It is a time to not only celebrate the victories that we have experienced in the past year, but to commit to our missions and ministries for the coming years. But we need to know what the Lord desires of us before we go very far in our preparations. And that requires concerted prayer – both individually and corporately. We are in a partnership with the Lord, and we can never exclude him, anymore than he will exclude us.
Pray for his guidance and the glory of his great plan for our lives and his church.
One of the greatest struggles in the church today is that of “Trust”! We are under attack by the world, and we know that Christ is our only hope for victory, but how often do we really trust the Holy Spirit enough to follow him wherever we are led?
We want the Spirit to follow us and support us in whatever efforts we may decide are worthwhile. Of course, Satan also has plans for us, and when we decide to make our own way, we get lost. And even when we are on the Lord’s path, Satan is actively attempting to thwart our efforts, and we seldom know whether we are heading in the right direction or if we are completely turned around and heading “God knows where”! It all comes back to trusting that the Lord has a plan for both our lives and his Church, and in our faithful discipleship, we need to seek his leading and guidance, and to know the difference between the Lord’s plan and the world’s.
So how do we know the difference? Usually, it is simply a matter of prayer, being as direct as possible in our inquiries, and then waiting for the perfect answer. But other times, it’s a more a matter of taking a step in faith - not waiting for the proof, not waiting for certainty – but simply going wherever the Spirit seems to be leading us.
Read Joshua 3:7-13
Now there’s a challenge! Joshua hears the message directly from God, but the people, and especially the priests, only heard the message second hand. “Just go and stand in the middle of this raging river, because I intend to show you a marvelous thing!” How many of us would have had the faith to actually do that? What certainty was there that the Jordon’s flood waters would not only stop, but actually begin to pile up? Have you ever seen, or even heard of, that sort of thing happening before? Imagine how high the pile would have gotten during the time it took for a million or so people to cross over! And no flooding! Can you even begin to imagine that!
That is what faith is all about. It isn’t about seeing, or understanding, or knowing – it is about trusting in something that is far greater than ourselves. It’s about taking a risk, regardless of what or where the call may be. It’s about knowing for certain (and this may be the only certainty!) that God is going with us, wherever “there” may be.
The instructions that God gives are seldom complete – we never seem to know what we will be doing once we get “there”, or even how we will get “there”, and sometimes we aren’t even sure of where “there” is! All we have been told is “Go”. And so, in faith, we go.
10 years ago, Gibson Corners was told to go to Ecuador. They thought that they knew what they would be doing, but as it turned out, the faithful who struck out in the name of the Lord didn’t have a clue as to what would come of their “going”! And the result has been far greater than anything that they could have imagined! Sometimes we are told to go to those bothersome next door neighbors. Sometimes we are to go into the worst part of town. Sometimes we are told to go to a specific person’s home, and that we have to go now! Sometimes we are told that someone is coming to us, and that we are to be ready to welcome them. Sometimes we are called to go and step into the raging flood waters, and watch what the Lord does then!
And the priests of Israel were called to go and do that very thing. But when we read this passage again, we discover that Joshua tells the people that the Ark of the Covenant will go ahead of them. This small group of men – the priests who had been chosen to carry the Ark – the very thing which represented the presence of God in their lives – would be leading them. God himself would be leading the nation of Israel into the Promised Land. Of course it also required that a few of the faithful join him in those first few risky steps, but the Lord was with them, and they trusted in that promise.
Read Joshua 3:14-17
There are three lessons that we need to take from this passage.
First, the priests took a risk. Common sense would tell you that by the second step, or the third at the most, those men would have been swept away by the current, and they would never be heard from again. But a walk with Almighty God has nothing to do with “common sense”! It is about faith.
Second, the priests exhibited all of the characteristics of true leaders. They didn’t decide that this was a ridiculous plan, and that they would have to find a better place to across the Jordan. They didn’t stand back and tell the people to go first so that their responsibility would be protected. These priests took the first step as an example of what faith could do. And it was only then that the people followed.
Third, the priests showed the people what trusting in God could accomplish. They stood firm in faith, and did exactly what Joshua told them the Lord wanted of them. They trusted that God would be faithful to them, and in return, they were faithful in responding to God’s need of their lives. “Step into the water, and I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you.”
What if they had balked at this “uncommon” sense of faith? What if they listened to their wildly beating hearts and clammy skin, and decided that the risk was just too great? What if they had said “Let’s wait for the water level to go down – that’s a lot safer!”
If they had hesitated, who would have enabled the nation of Israel to claim its God-given promise of this new and wonderful home? Who would have led them into that place of glory? The answer is – No One! Israel would still be standing on the eastern bank of the Jordan, waiting for the flood waters to recede so they could easily wade across.
But God wanted to show them what a little faith in him could do. Note that not only did the waters pile up upstream and downstream, but that the river bed was dry! No small pools of water in the depressions, no mud on the river bottom, no small rivulets that they had to step across – by faith, the river bed was dry! How powerful is our God? If this doesn’t answer the question in a mighty way, then nothing will!
By taking that risk, by being true leaders of the nation, by living a faith that grew in trust of God, the priests who had been charged with carrying the Ark of God enabled the people to safely pass through the waters and never even dampen the soles of their sandals.
There’s an old saying, that says:
We're not in this to test the waters, we are in this to make waves.
--Anonymous
And that is exactly what the priests were doing – stirring up the spirits of Israel, making waves in their otherwise flaccid lives, showing them the power and majesty that was of their God. And in faith, that is what we, too, must be about.
How strong is our faith? The truth is that we usually don’t know until we are faced with taking that next step that will place us firmly in the torrential flood, or in the depths of the lion’s den, or face to face with our greatest fear, or reaching out to help our greatest enemy.
We can never pussyfoot around in our faith – we have to take a faithful leap into the unknown and trust that the Lord will be there when we come down, to plant our feet on firm and dry ground.
Where is the Lord leading us as individuals? Where is he leading us as his church? The question for us is not does the Lord have a plan for us, but rather what does he require of us! Remember that Jeremiah 29 tells us that the Lord knows the plan that has been created for us, and that it is an incredible and wonderful design. The problem is that all too often, we try to create our own plan of action, and when it doesn’t work out, we wonder where in the world God was when we were working so hard and yet failing so miserably!
Next week, we hold our annual Charge Conference. It is a time to not only celebrate the victories that we have experienced in the past year, but to commit to our missions and ministries for the coming years. But we need to know what the Lord desires of us before we go very far in our preparations. And that requires concerted prayer – both individually and corporately. We are in a partnership with the Lord, and we can never exclude him, anymore than he will exclude us.
Pray for his guidance and the glory of his great plan for our lives and his church.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
“And Back to Imitation!”
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:13-20
2 weeks ago, we considered the need to imitate Christ’s walk and attitude and love for the gospel of God. Last week, we considered what makes our ministry truly authentic. And today, we continue with our reflection on Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessalonica, in which he continues to encourage the church to be faithful and courageous in their witness.
So before we venture back into Paul’s thoughts, let’s take just a moment to consider those things that draw us away from the mission that the Holy Spirit leads us through. We all know what they are – we’ve all had to live with them, we’ve all been tempted by them, and I expect that we all have succumbed to the siren’s call at one time or another. The call to personal success in business, the call to “live it up” through the use of alcohol or drugs or in some other worldly pleasure, the call to exert an authoritarian attitude over the very people who love us the most, the call to take pride in our own accomplishments, the call to abusive behavior toward the rest of creation, and the list can go on and on without end.
And as long as we live our lives to the standard set by the world, we will never be bothered by them. As a matter of fact, they may even support us in ways that the church never does. The world can be our best friend at times, but the problem is that it is all based on a lie.
Read 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16
In the Course of Study class that I’m currently taking (“Theology for the Practice of Ministry”), we are looking at the things that we truly believe about God and our relationship with him. We touch on salvation and other issues of faith, but the greatest amount of time has been spent on discovering who God is, as John Wesley put it, in the “One and Three”. Discussions, presentations of various theological readings, lecture, paper preparation – it is not an easy way to discover God! There must be a better way!
As the story goes, someone has developed a “Ticket to Heaven”, to eliminate all the fuss and bother. I found this notice:
If you ever lost sleep fretting over your eternal destiny, help is at hand. “Ticket to Heaven” provides just what it says - an “admit one” invite to the afterlife. Believers can find peace of mind and atheists can hedge their bets. There are no implausible doctrines to believe, no tiresome works of charity to perform. Just a very modest - all things considered - $10 to pay. (Paradise also accepts all major credit cards.)
Then all you have to do, presumably, is work out a way of getting your certificate beyond the grave.
-Ship of Fools Online Magazine, September 1999, www.flash.net/~thedoor.
But it is never quite this easy.
Israel wanted to keep their relationship with God on an up and up basis. They were comfortable with the sacrifices and prayers and they were easy to understand. They didn’t want those Gentiles to have any footing whatsoever on what they had, seemingly, cornered the market on. God liked them, and no one else deserved any of their God! It just wasn’t right - that all those people had to do is imitate this Jesus! What about all of the righteous acts that they weren’t doing? It was just too easy!
But Paul is reminding the church that imitating Christ isn’t all that easy! The suffering church wasn’t all that unique, in that all faithful congregations were suffering right along with them. And this is one of those things that never changes. The world is not about to lay down and just let Christians be Christ-like.
Consider the situation for Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani in Iran. He renounced his Islamic faith in favor of Christianity, and now he is facing the death penalty. He has been given 3 opportunities to recant his faith, and each time he has refused. International pressure continues to be exerted on the government, and the courts may be feeling the weight of International opinion. And what about the fate of his family? That is still an unknown. And it is said that even his Islamic lawyer has been imprisoned, simply for defending Youcef and other Christians like him.
Easy!!??
Consider Christians in China! It is, for all practical purposes, an underground movement. When pastors are discovered, they are imprisoned and tortured. Their congregations are sought out and persecuted in many different ways. When a Christian is able to get out of China and travel overseas to speak about the “dissident church”, their chances of returning home unscathed is slim, at best. And their families? It isn’t good.
Easy!!??
Consider the early church! To imitate previously established churches meant that you would also be imitating their susceptibility for persecution. The people could be arrested and imprisoned with little fanfare. Torture was routine, and the Romans weren’t at all squeamish about eliminating this perceived threat against their theological polygamy. And the Jewish authorities weren’t any better. Imitation of Christ had become synonymous with blasphemy.
Easy!!??
And Paul tells the church that these people are just piling up sin upon sin, and eventually the “pile” is going to tip over and crush them. And “The wrath of God has come upon them at last.” – really? If that’s true, why is the persecution continuing? And it does.
Read 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20
So the question has to be asked – why does Christianity continue to grow? Why do people continue to turn to the true Lord of life? Why does the faithful church continue to expose itself to ridicule and opposition and persecution and even death? Remember that as Paul was writing this letter of encouragement, he, too, was in prison, expecting to die shortly.
The truth is that people continue to see Jesus Christ as the only way, and when we imitate Christ, there is no way to do it half way or half heartedly. We must do it all the way or not at all. Who did Jesus love? Everyone! We saw that time and time again. He spent time with the people of Israel, and he spent time with the Gentiles. He spent time with the “righteous” men in the temple, and he spent time with the sinners that walked along every road that he walked. He spent time with men, and women, and even welcomed the children to come to him. He was with everyone who would listen, and even those who closed their own hearts and minds to his teaching.
What did Jesus detest? The things that his beloved did. He detested the righteous arrogance of the Pharisees, and he detested the indifference that he was constantly being confronted with. He detested the sinful lives that people tried to justify, and he rejected the laws that demanded so much from those who had so little to give. He detested legalism, and he detested apathy. He detested self centered attitudes, and he hated the death that all were destined to suffer.
Jesus never avoided the hard words, and he never cheapened the easy ones. And this is what we must do, too.
Scripture lays out very clearly the path that our faithfulness must take, but that doesn’t mean that it is easy to understand. It takes study. It takes prayer. It takes commitment! It takes a desire that is all consuming and it requires an effort that never takes a vacation.
But it does not mean that we must be constantly busy in the church. Burn out is no stranger to Christians, and it probably accounts for more failures in faith than persecution does. If we aren’t constantly revitalized, constantly supported, constantly supporting, constantly growing, how will we ever weather the worldly storms that are always blowing up in our face?
Paul was encouraging the church to be the church together. You’ve all heard the expression “Divide and Conquer”! That is what the world tries to do to the church. They try to inject fear into the lives of the faithful. They try to cause divisiveness. They try to introduce false teaching so we are confused as to what we believe. They try to fill us with uncertainty and apprehension and apathy. And it works! If we aren’t the church together, and if we aren’t the church with Christ, then we aren’t the church at all. Imitation is the only way, and that model is only accurate in Jesus Christ.
Imitate the Lord and his goodness in all of it’s aspects, and when we do, the church will grow and thrive. Paul’s last words for us today is this – “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy!”
The faithful church, emulating the one Lord, united in one belief, living it to the fullest in our own individual lives – that is the glory and joy that Paul was talking about. Be that glory and joy for someone today.
2 weeks ago, we considered the need to imitate Christ’s walk and attitude and love for the gospel of God. Last week, we considered what makes our ministry truly authentic. And today, we continue with our reflection on Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessalonica, in which he continues to encourage the church to be faithful and courageous in their witness.
So before we venture back into Paul’s thoughts, let’s take just a moment to consider those things that draw us away from the mission that the Holy Spirit leads us through. We all know what they are – we’ve all had to live with them, we’ve all been tempted by them, and I expect that we all have succumbed to the siren’s call at one time or another. The call to personal success in business, the call to “live it up” through the use of alcohol or drugs or in some other worldly pleasure, the call to exert an authoritarian attitude over the very people who love us the most, the call to take pride in our own accomplishments, the call to abusive behavior toward the rest of creation, and the list can go on and on without end.
And as long as we live our lives to the standard set by the world, we will never be bothered by them. As a matter of fact, they may even support us in ways that the church never does. The world can be our best friend at times, but the problem is that it is all based on a lie.
Read 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16
In the Course of Study class that I’m currently taking (“Theology for the Practice of Ministry”), we are looking at the things that we truly believe about God and our relationship with him. We touch on salvation and other issues of faith, but the greatest amount of time has been spent on discovering who God is, as John Wesley put it, in the “One and Three”. Discussions, presentations of various theological readings, lecture, paper preparation – it is not an easy way to discover God! There must be a better way!
As the story goes, someone has developed a “Ticket to Heaven”, to eliminate all the fuss and bother. I found this notice:
If you ever lost sleep fretting over your eternal destiny, help is at hand. “Ticket to Heaven” provides just what it says - an “admit one” invite to the afterlife. Believers can find peace of mind and atheists can hedge their bets. There are no implausible doctrines to believe, no tiresome works of charity to perform. Just a very modest - all things considered - $10 to pay. (Paradise also accepts all major credit cards.)
Then all you have to do, presumably, is work out a way of getting your certificate beyond the grave.
-Ship of Fools Online Magazine, September 1999, www.flash.net/~thedoor.
But it is never quite this easy.
Israel wanted to keep their relationship with God on an up and up basis. They were comfortable with the sacrifices and prayers and they were easy to understand. They didn’t want those Gentiles to have any footing whatsoever on what they had, seemingly, cornered the market on. God liked them, and no one else deserved any of their God! It just wasn’t right - that all those people had to do is imitate this Jesus! What about all of the righteous acts that they weren’t doing? It was just too easy!
But Paul is reminding the church that imitating Christ isn’t all that easy! The suffering church wasn’t all that unique, in that all faithful congregations were suffering right along with them. And this is one of those things that never changes. The world is not about to lay down and just let Christians be Christ-like.
Consider the situation for Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani in Iran. He renounced his Islamic faith in favor of Christianity, and now he is facing the death penalty. He has been given 3 opportunities to recant his faith, and each time he has refused. International pressure continues to be exerted on the government, and the courts may be feeling the weight of International opinion. And what about the fate of his family? That is still an unknown. And it is said that even his Islamic lawyer has been imprisoned, simply for defending Youcef and other Christians like him.
Easy!!??
Consider Christians in China! It is, for all practical purposes, an underground movement. When pastors are discovered, they are imprisoned and tortured. Their congregations are sought out and persecuted in many different ways. When a Christian is able to get out of China and travel overseas to speak about the “dissident church”, their chances of returning home unscathed is slim, at best. And their families? It isn’t good.
Easy!!??
Consider the early church! To imitate previously established churches meant that you would also be imitating their susceptibility for persecution. The people could be arrested and imprisoned with little fanfare. Torture was routine, and the Romans weren’t at all squeamish about eliminating this perceived threat against their theological polygamy. And the Jewish authorities weren’t any better. Imitation of Christ had become synonymous with blasphemy.
Easy!!??
And Paul tells the church that these people are just piling up sin upon sin, and eventually the “pile” is going to tip over and crush them. And “The wrath of God has come upon them at last.” – really? If that’s true, why is the persecution continuing? And it does.
Read 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20
So the question has to be asked – why does Christianity continue to grow? Why do people continue to turn to the true Lord of life? Why does the faithful church continue to expose itself to ridicule and opposition and persecution and even death? Remember that as Paul was writing this letter of encouragement, he, too, was in prison, expecting to die shortly.
The truth is that people continue to see Jesus Christ as the only way, and when we imitate Christ, there is no way to do it half way or half heartedly. We must do it all the way or not at all. Who did Jesus love? Everyone! We saw that time and time again. He spent time with the people of Israel, and he spent time with the Gentiles. He spent time with the “righteous” men in the temple, and he spent time with the sinners that walked along every road that he walked. He spent time with men, and women, and even welcomed the children to come to him. He was with everyone who would listen, and even those who closed their own hearts and minds to his teaching.
What did Jesus detest? The things that his beloved did. He detested the righteous arrogance of the Pharisees, and he detested the indifference that he was constantly being confronted with. He detested the sinful lives that people tried to justify, and he rejected the laws that demanded so much from those who had so little to give. He detested legalism, and he detested apathy. He detested self centered attitudes, and he hated the death that all were destined to suffer.
Jesus never avoided the hard words, and he never cheapened the easy ones. And this is what we must do, too.
Scripture lays out very clearly the path that our faithfulness must take, but that doesn’t mean that it is easy to understand. It takes study. It takes prayer. It takes commitment! It takes a desire that is all consuming and it requires an effort that never takes a vacation.
But it does not mean that we must be constantly busy in the church. Burn out is no stranger to Christians, and it probably accounts for more failures in faith than persecution does. If we aren’t constantly revitalized, constantly supported, constantly supporting, constantly growing, how will we ever weather the worldly storms that are always blowing up in our face?
Paul was encouraging the church to be the church together. You’ve all heard the expression “Divide and Conquer”! That is what the world tries to do to the church. They try to inject fear into the lives of the faithful. They try to cause divisiveness. They try to introduce false teaching so we are confused as to what we believe. They try to fill us with uncertainty and apprehension and apathy. And it works! If we aren’t the church together, and if we aren’t the church with Christ, then we aren’t the church at all. Imitation is the only way, and that model is only accurate in Jesus Christ.
Imitate the Lord and his goodness in all of it’s aspects, and when we do, the church will grow and thrive. Paul’s last words for us today is this – “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy!”
The faithful church, emulating the one Lord, united in one belief, living it to the fullest in our own individual lives – that is the glory and joy that Paul was talking about. Be that glory and joy for someone today.
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