"He's Coming!"

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:12-22

Today, Advent begins. This is the time of preparation for Christmas; it is the day when we are reminded that God has made an unbreakable promise of salvation; it is the hour when we rejoice in the fact that Almighty God is good and loving beyond our wildest expectation; he has come to not only live with us but to live as one of us! Advent means “preparation” – a spiritual preparation to celebrate God’s presence in our lives.

But, you may ask, why should we have to prepare for something that we already know about? These next four weeks are an opportunity for personal reflection on the lives we have been living, and whether they are worthy to be offered in celebration of the Lord’s birth. After all, how do you get ready to celebrate your closest friend’s birthday? Would you think that any old gift will suffice? Would you decide to fix the easiest meal that you know of? Would 10 minutes be enough time to spend with your friend? Would you decide that you would rather spend the day with a different person?

Of course not – you would want to offer your friend the very best that you could give, and that requires time and preparation. Christmas is no different. And Jeremiah’s time was no different than ours. Jeremiah was a prophet to the people of Judah at a time when their lives were hanging by a very slender thread. The Babylonians were knocking at the door of Jerusalem. The Northern Kingdom had already been defeated by Assyria some 80 to 100 years before, and the day of Judah’s captivity was drawing near. Jeremiah had been called to minister to the nation, to remind the people of the errant lives they had been living, and to call them back to the way that the Lord God Jehovah had laid out for them.

But even in the midst of his prophecy of impending calamity, there were also words of hope and pardon. Today’s text is but one passage that promises restoration, even before defeat occurs at the hands of a brutal enemy.

Read Jeremiah 33:12-13

Desolation! The prophet describes a place where nothing lives – not humanity, not animals, not anything that could sustain life, even if it did live there. That’s what our lives are - without the Lord’s presence, that is. Without God’s word for our lives, life is tentative and temporary; it’s uncertain and without direction; it has no worthwhile substance. Oh, some will say that their careers are fulfilling, that their children give them a sense of worth, that 70 or 80 years of life is quite enough for them, but not a word about the Lord’s guidance, or that they are accomplishing anything of lasting value, or that they are living within God’s promise of eternal life.

Life can be a veritable wasteland, even if we think that things are going well. After all, if we don’t know what it is like to walk with the Lord, how can we adequately judge the quality of our life without him? But the prophet tells us that even in an existence that is devoid of true life, there can still be hope. He tells the nation that even though all may look hopeless right now, the Lord God Almighty has a plan that is already in place, and that it will not only restore all that they had, it will bring a life that is even better. What he is actually describing is healing for the nation. And healing is something that we have no control over.

If we cut our hand, we clean the wound and bandage it, but we are only assisting the healing process that the body has already begun. If a skilled doctor performs a heart transplant, the healing only begins when the body acclimates the new organ to the rest of the body. And forgiveness for our less than stellar lives is nothing less than a spiritual healing that only God, through his perfect design, can accomplish.

In this passage, Jeremiah is describing God’s healing plan for the nation.

Read Jeremiah 33:14-16

The plan is being laid out for the people. It will have nothing to do with human leadership or human wisdom, as human abilities are limited in vision and imperfect in performance. The One who will restore humanity to greatness will come from David’s line, but will also only come in the Lord’s true Presence. It is God who will initiate the “righteous Branch”, and not David or his descendants.

Two additional thoughts on these verses.
First, this isn’t a new start for Judah – it is the fulfillment of the promise God made to the people many years before. (Genesis 15:9-21) They would be numerous, they would be honored, and the promise - the covenant - would be in place “throughout the generations”. All of their problems, all of their failures, all of their sinful living could do nothing to prevent the covenant from playing out in God’s way and in his time.
Second, verses 15 and 16 appear to proclaim both Christ’s first coming as well as his second. Verse 15 tells of Jesus - the “righteous Branch” - who will bring justice and righteousness to the world, which is ours now, and verse 16 tells of salvation and safety, which won’t be completely ours until the Lord returns.

These two events are evidence of God’s promise to the nations - in Genesis 17:4, Abraham will be ancestor of a “multitude of nations”, not just Israel. The covenant is secure, it is in place, and it is working toward its glorious conclusion. And when we are told that we must keep the covenant (Genesis 17:9), it means that we are to keep faith in Christ, who represents the covenant.

The “Day” and promise of Almighty God is on its way. Can we truly say that we are ready?

Read Jeremiah 33:17-22

This passage is interesting, in that while we know that Jesus was a direct descendent of David, the prophecy that the priestly tribe of Levi will always have someone to present sacrifices to God seems a little vague. After all, Jesus was of the tribe of Judah! But the book of Hebrews repeatedly tells us that Jesus is our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14, etal), so while the lineage of David will remain intact, the lineage of the high priest, which had always come through the priestly ranks of Levi, is going to change.

The second issue is that the Lord’s covenant will never be broken until the difference and separation between day and night no longer exists. And when that time comes, the covenant with both the line of David and the tribe of Levi will no longer stand. David and Levi will only have a place in the Divine Promise until the Promise is complete.

The “righteous branch of David” is going to make all things new! (Revelation 21:5) Newness and new ways have always been evidenced in the ways and words of Jesus, but now we know what his coming will mean to us – that it will change everything – that it will be renewing!

But that doesn’t mean that we can defer our “renewal” until he returns. (Matthew 25:1-13) His first coming initiated that entire process of newness and new birth, but most of us are unclear on how to even begin to fully immerse ourselves in this new way of Jesus. We’re still human, we’re still fallible, we’re still sinful beings whose wisdom and focus is constantly getting blurred by the things of earth.

Rachel Remen, an author and teacher, wrote:
The most important questions don't seem to have ready answers, but the questions themselves have healing power when they are shared. An answer is an invitation to stop thinking about something, to stop wondering. Life has no such stopping places. Life is a process whose every event is connected to the moment that just went by. An unanswered question is a fine traveling companion. It sharpens your eye for the road.
--Rachel Naomi Remen, Kitchen Table Wisdom (Penguin, 2006).

It appears that some questions may be OK for now. We know that Jesus is the incarnate Son of God, and that he died that we might live in him. But what about Matthew 5:48, when Jesus tells us to be perfect just as God is perfect? What about John 14:6, when Jesus tells us that he is the only way to the Father? If we don’t live the perfect life, it would seem that we are in trouble!

In case you hadn’t noticed we aren’t perfect – not by a long shot! But by faith in Christ we will be made worthy in life, even though we are imperfect in our actions. Yes, I know, there isn’t a lot of worldly logic in these words, but then Jesus isn’t worldly or logical! Faith isn’t about logic, or perfection, or understanding, or even completeness. It’s about believing that Jesus came to start us on his way, and will come again to lead us to the final goal. Today is about beginning our preparation for that marvelous walk with him, and the walk begins now, even though we are not completely prepared.

Remen’s thought, that the unanswered questions of this life sharpen our eye for the road ahead, is pretty good advice. Never stop asking questions, and never stop seeking their answers. That is how we prepare for the wonderful day that awaits us.

Never stop asking, and never stop wondering, and never stop preparing! The Lord is on his way, you know!

"Don't Worry - Just Give Thanks" (Thansgiving Eve)

Scripture: Matthew 6:25-33

In 1988, Bobby McFerrin released a song titled “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”. Essentially, the song advances the thought that no matter what happens in your life, you can be happy by just ignoring all your troubles. The song says that if you worry, it will just make you sadder, and will make everyone else sad with you.
The song was quite popular and actually made it to the top of the charts, but quite honestly, it has nothing whatsoever to do with the reality of life. When our lives are heading down hill, we can’t, and in most cases probably shouldn’t, ignore the issues, and happiness will always continue to be illusive.

But in our text today, Jesus, in his Sermon on the Mount, also tells us not to worry, but in this case, he says not to worry about the necessities of life. So let’s go to scripture, and see what the Lord has to tell us about life and worry.

Read Matthew 6:25-27

First, note that Jesus doesn’t say that we should just leave everything up to him! Some would love to read this passage as “You don’t have to work or earn a living or buy food or care for yourself or own property and possessions – God will do it all!” That attitude is the last thing we should learn from these words! But this is about those who base their entire life in their work and the accumulation of “things”.
He offers an analogy based in wildlife and the provision of their needs. Have you ever seen a bird or wild animal that didn’t gather seeds, or hunt for their food? They wouldn’t last long if they did. But do they have to have employment to earn a living? Do they have to plant seeds to raise a crop? Do they have to build bridges and roads and skyscrapers to advance their culture and provide for their families?
Of course they don’t – God has provided them with all the abilities and instincts that they could possibly need to not only survive, but to thrive. And the Lord tells us that he has given us all of the abilities and instincts that we need, too.

Do we need a million dollar home to live in? Do we need to work 7 days a week to establish position and authority in our jobs? Do we need to attend the finest university, to obtain the most prestigious degree so that we can succeed in this life? Do we need to be chair of every committee we serve on and president of every organization we belong to?
Of course not – life should be far more than this. Life isn’t about creating a name for ourselves, or about looking to the things of earth to bring us happiness – it’s about discovering a sense of worth that is personal and fulfilling. Remember Jesus Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:16-21)? The man was totally focused on raising more crops, and gaining more wealth, and decided to build bigger barns, so he could store more of his crops, and then feel safe and secure in all that he had accumulated. Then he said “I can take life easy; and eat, drink and be merry.”
But God told him that his plans and efforts and wealth would all be wasted, because he was going to die that night. So much for happiness!

Read Matthew 6:28-33

What is wealth? What is beauty? What is success? What brings us true joy? The Lord talks about the flowers that grow wild in nature, and the beauty that they exhibit. In the spring, the slope behind our house becomes covered with wild flowers. I used to keep it mowed down, thinking that a neat slope looked far better than one covered in weeds. But one year, I didn’t get it mowed early enough, and was amazed at the color and beauty that those “weeds” brought to my life and to our home. Today, I’m not so quick to create my own “beauty”, and have avoided destroying the glory that God has put before me. I’ve saved myself some work, and in doing so, have discovered some of the beauty that my Lord has placed in my life.

God knows what the true beauty of this life is all about, and he wants us to give him a chance to show it off.

From Homiletics:
Some years ago, during the depression, a government agent traveled through the Tennessee Mountains making small allotments to impoverished farmers for seed, stock or needed improvements.
He found one woman who lived alone, scratching out a bare living on two acres of barren ground. “If the government should allot you $200, what would you do with it?” he asked her.

The woman thought a moment. Her cabin had no floor, its windows were covered with tar paper, light came through the broken walls.
Finally, she looked up and said, “Reckon I’d give it to the poor.”

From The 30th Anniversary Reader’s Digest Reader, The Vanishing
American, F. Emerson Andrews in the Atlantic Monthly, Doubleday
& Company, Inc., Garden City, NY 1951.

That woman knew what wealth and glory and beauty were all about, and while her life wasn’t one “happy” moment after another, she did have joy, and success, and all the wonders that the Lord had provided her.

Jesus finishes this passage with his advice on where and how to discover true beauty and joy. It all comes by seeking the kingdom of God and receiving his righteousness. But where do we find that?
Back in Matthew 5:6, we read that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. And in Matthew 5:10, Jesus says that those who are persecuted for righteousness sake will be blessed, and the kingdom will be theirs. But what is it and where do we get it?

In Romans 1:16-17, we read that righteousness will be revealed by faith and trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Righteousness, and the joy that it brings, is never found in the things we create or say or do – it is exposed by believing in the Good News of God as revealed in his Son Jesus Christ. Nothing more than that is required on our part – just faith. And when we consider the generous nature of Almighty God, and trust in his generous gifts, what could possibly be left to worry about?

McFerrin thought that worry obscured our efforts to find happiness, but the truth is that happiness isn’t all that it’s made out to be. Joy is what we should be striving for – joy that comes in the knowledge that, by faith in Christ Jesus, we will have all that we will ever need – both now and forever.

So tomorrow, as you gather around the dinner table with family and friends, don’t worry about all the things you don’t have, and give thanks instead - and not for what you have gained in this life, but for what you seek, and what you know that the Lord has, and will continue to provide for the rest of your life.

"Seeking the Righteous Life"

Scripture: Matthew 7:1-29

As we have been working our way thought Jesus’ powerful sermon, we have experienced many commandments, some of which were new to the people, and others that were simply clarifications of what God had been telling them all along. But every single one had the same intent – to strengthen the relationship between humanity and Almighty God.
The bond that the Lord had created at the beginning of time had not only suffered, it had been damaged over and over again through the neglect of humanity. Fortunately for us, God wasn’t about to let it become irreparably broken, so he took pains to repair it as often as we caused it great harm.

But in strengthening our covenant with the Lord, it meant that the grasp that we have on our humanness and our worldly ways, would have to be weakened. And even though that wouldn’t be easy for us, it will become eternally worthwhile.

Today’s text teaches us about the worthiness of keeping a strong connection with the Lord.

Read Matthew 7:1-6

Let’s take a minute to consider what these verses do say, as well as what they do not say. First, they tell us that if we are critical or condemning of others, then we must expect the same standard at our Judgment. Second, they do not say that we are to ignore the sinful failings of this world. Judging others, and being discerning in the things they do, are two completely different issues. Judgment implies either the acquittal of a charge that has been leveled against us, or the determination of guilt and punishment for that infraction. Judgment for sin, in either case, is God’s prerogative. We have no standing in the Divine Court – not in defense and not even in accusation.
In Zechariah 3, we read of the high priest Joshua who was standing before the Seat of Judgment. With him was both the Lord and the Satan, but God was the only one who spoke any words. Satan was muffled, and Joshua never even offered a thought in his own defense. Jesus, the Angel of God, was the only voice that would be heard that day.

And when we attempt to offer a decision as to a person’s guilt or innocence, we are, in essence, taking the authority to judge away from God, and when we judge others in an un-Godly way, the sentence that will be handed down to us will be just as harsh as ours was on the other person.

But what about our being discerning (ie. understanding and aware) as to what God’s commandments tell us (Matthew 28:16-20)? What about our call to hold each other accountable to the things we say and do (Hebrews 3:13-14)? Hebrews 3 tells us that we must encourage each other so that no heart will ever become hardened because of sin. Notice that scripture doesn't say condemn - it says "encourage"!

Be discerning of whether the things that we and others are doing are righteous or not, but never become judgmental of the people themselves.
And the concluding verse tells us to protect the word of God. Wild dogs will rip and tear anything that they can get ahold of, and pigs will trample anything that gets in their way into the mud. The “sacred”, or the Divine Word, must be cared for, keeping it from either being ignored, or trampled or destroyed. And this commandment is not only about keeping it safe from others, but also about keeping it safe within our own lives – and, quite honestly, that may be the harder of the two tasks!.

Read Matthew 7:7-12

These first 2 verses tell us to be “asking”, “seeking” and “knocking” for all of our needs. First, it is about remaining faithfully dependent on God for all our needs, and not to try to become self-sufficient in this life - Jesus would have us commit to being perseverant in our “asking”, “seeking” and “knocking”. “Never Give Up!” is a more current mantra, and it, too, encourages us to never pray just once about some issue, but to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Second, this is about God’s faithfulness. The Lord reminds us that God will always give good things to those who seek his provision for their lives.
And third, we are called to do these very things for others. As the Lord has cared for our lives, do the same for those who we know are in need. Matthew 25:35-46 tells us that when we care for the needs of others, it is the same as doing them for Jesus!

And we are enabled to do this through the power of prayer - prayer that cements all of our asking, all of our seeking, and all of our knocking, in a way that will bring glory to our Lord. This is the significance of the Golden Rule, that it is not only required in the Law, but that it also is a means of our Faith.

Read 7:13-23

In John 10:1-18, Jesus offers an analogy regarding the relationship between that of a shepherd and his sheep, and the relationship between him and us. He tells of the shepherd who would lie down in the opening to the fold every night, and anyone or anything who tried to enter the fold would have to encounter the protective vengeance of the shepherd. And, of course, this relates to the “Gate of Heaven”, which is also secured by Jesus. Unless he grants entrance by faith in him, there is no hope of heaven.
And the way that leads to the Narrow Gate is not especially broad either – it is the way of Jesus, which is very narrow by worldly standards (John 14:6). If we seek a broader and alternative way for our life, or if we even teach others that there is another way, we are nothing more than butchers and thieves.
Do you know of someone who believes that any and every way is just as good as any other? There are many out there who do, and regardless of the apparent truthfulness of their words, these are the “wolves” that Jesus speaks about. Let them know – by discernment, not judgement! – that there is only one true way, and that is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and no other!

But how do we know if they are speaking truthful words or not? Some of the greatest lies of all time seemed to ring true at the moment! Whether they sound good or not, test them against the power and authority of scripture, for the Word is always true and dependable, and is the “good fruit” that we are to look for. If it doesn’t match, then its goodness must be in question.

And no matter what we might say or do, even if we claim to offer them in the name of the Lord, until we have truly surrendered our life to Christ, nothing else is going to count when we stand mute before the throne of Almighty God. There is no justification, no explanation, no excuse, no hope for glory, except by faith in Jesus.

Read Matthew 7:24-27

There is a contemporary song that has gained popularity with young Christians titled “Jesus is the Rock”, and the repeating verse in the refrain says “Jesus is the Rock and he rolls my blues away!” The point of the song is that Jesus is such a powerful and solid and dependable support for our lives, that there is nothing in this life that can deter him from leading us through the most terrible of times. That’s the promise of Jesus, the promise of the Rock of heaven and earth.
This passage also tells us that not only is he the only foundation that can help us withstand every storm, but that every other claim of support will be washed away, taking with it the hopes of all who falsely trusted.

“Jesus is [truly] the Rock” that will never fail us and will never fall away from us, and with him at our side, we can discover that even the greatest sorrow and the greatest assault that can ever come against us will be turned aside and we will know for certain the joy of Christ. (Romans 5:1-5)

Read Matthew 7:28-29

In chapter 5, we read that Jesus had only sat down to teach his disciples, but now we read that the crowds of people were there, too. The “crowds aren’t identified, and they aren’t numbered, so we can assume that these folks represent the people of the world who need to hear the gospel message. The Church of today must also understand that we, too, are to carry this message to the same people who now live in the 21st century.

The disciples are silent – it is only the crowd that expresses such amazement over the authority and power that is so prevalent in Jesus’ words. But how do we respond to the Lord’s teaching? Do we stand in awe of what we have learned during these past 7 weeks, or will we simply remain silent?
With all due respect, silence is not an option for those who claim the name of Christian! And we must always remember that the actions of our lives speak even louder than the words we utter – but use words, just the same! Live the teachings of Jesus' Sermon; share the teachings of his Sermon; rejoice that the Lord has given this word for our lives, and that he trusts us to carry his message throughout the world.

These are words not only for Jesus’ time, but for our time, and for all time until the Lord returns. Learn them, live them, love them, and discover the fullness of his authority and promise that is within them for each of us, and when we do, we will discover that the righteous life is not such a distant hope.

"Holy Living"

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-18

This week, we continue to study Jesus’ words from his Sermon on the Mount. By now, you may have tumbled to the fact that everything that Jesus has ever taught is about how to live a Godly life. Whether it is about the Lord’s response toward our attitude in life, or how we use the resources that that he has placed at our disposal, or how we act and relate toward others, Jesus wants us to understand just what a Godly life not only requires on our part, but also what it can bring to our life.
Today, we delve into 3 more aspects of Godly living – prayer, forgiveness, and fasting. And as I’m sure you know, each one is about far more than simply engaging in each of these acts – it is about why we do them, how we do them, and where God and we intersect within them. In essence, it is about the purpose and depth of our search for holiness.

From Jerry Bridges, an evangelical Christian author:
Many Christians have what we might call a "cultural holiness." They adapt to the character and behavior pattern of Christians around them. As the Christian culture around them is more or less holy, so these Christians are more or less holy. But God has not called us to be like those around us. He has called us to be like himself. Holiness is nothing less than conformity to the character of God.
-Jerry Bridges.

The “holy life” is about setting the behavior and standards and attitudes of the world behind us, and beginning to set our focus on serving God in the way of God.

Read Matthew 6:5-8

Jesus is saying that prayer, for prayer’s sake, is not enough. He wants us to consider whether our prayers are a conversation with God, or simply our talking at God. Prayer, if it is to be effective and authentic, must be two way.
Through the years, there have been times when I have been asked the question “Are you listening to me?” When I was growing up, it was usually my mother who asked the question, and since I didn’t take her inquiry to heart, it would have to be asked again in later years - by my wife. And I suspect that the Lord has uttered those same words to me time and time again, because I haven’t always listened to him, either!

In this passage, Jesus isn’t demeaning prayer per se, but is calling us to consider our prayer as a type of worship, with both of us listening to each other. In worship, our lives are turned from our normal inward focus – from being self-centered – to an outward focus, or becoming God-centered. The same must be true of prayer.
Jesus’ comments toward hypocritical prayer, just as with last week’s look at hypocritical giving to the poor, is not against public prayer, but rather about our attitude in prayer. There are a number of acronyms that can help us consider our approach to prayer – the one I like to use is the word A-C-T-S. The letters stand for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. If you think about these 4 descriptives, the first three are directed solely toward the Lord and his goodness, and it isn’t until we get to the fourth that we begin to offer our personal requests and needs. It puts the primary emphasis on God, and places our self in a secondary position.

Jesus also offers the thought that our prayers should be keep secret. I believe that this isn’t so much a condemnation of public and corporate prayer (which I believe is vital for the life of the Church), but more about the “why” of our prayer. If we are tempted to seek glory for ourselves when we talk at God, then let’s remove that temptation, and keep the conversation purely between us and the Lord, and offer our prayers in complete isolation.
But aren’t we supposed to encourage and support others by praying with and for each other? Aren’t we to join with others in prayer every time we gather as the Church, wherever and whenever that may be? Aren’t we to celebrate the Lord’s presence and glory, not only when we are alone, but whenever two or more gather together? Of course we are, but we are also called to put the Lord first in our prayer, and through that, to bring honor and glory to his name.

His last thought on this matter is that prayer should be offered in a way that is natural for us. Lengthy and verbose prayers will only serve to show how great our grasp of the language is, and can, at times, be misconstrued as bragging about all that we have done, and not necessarily that most of them have been failures! Martin Luther was known for his excessive confession of practically every miniscule sin he had ever committed – with his confessional going on for hours at a time. Our prayers should be complete and loving, not long-winded!

I would like to suggest that before every prayer that each of us offers, whether it is at church, or at home, or at some public gathering, we consciously consider the fact that our conversation with God is, in all actuality, a form of worship, and then and only then, to begin to pray accordingly.

Read Matthew 6:9-15

On the surface, these verses also seem to be about the depth and focus of prayer, which they certainly are. But let’s use our acronym ACTS for just a moment. The first two verses of the prayer are intended solely to offer praise and glory to God. The next verse – “Give us today our daily bread.”, is the beginning of 3 verses of petition, with the last 2 focusing on forgiveness and prevention of our sinful choices.
The first petition, the one for “our daily bread”, raises the image of the heavenly sustenance (manna) that Israel received during their 40 years of wilderness life. It came each and every morning, it never lasted beyond that day except on the Sabbath, and it never failed to provide the daily nutritional needs of the people. The point of this is that we are to seek the Lord’s presence and guidance each and every day, and to never assume that the opportunities and blessings that it brings will last beyond today.
This then connects to the thoughts on forgiveness. Forgiveness for our wayward lives is something that we also need each and every day, and we can never trust that God will make everything right at the Judgment, whether we ask for it or not!

Our request for forgiveness must be honest and focused, and when we realize that we have sinned, we don’t wait quietly for a couple of days, hoping that the Lord will have forgotten what we did! That’s not going to happen! We go to him immediately, seeking his grace and mercy for our lives.

We are also told to pray that even the temptation to sin might be taken from us, because avoiding sin is far better than having to seek forgiveness for doing it. This part of the prayer also seems to imply that God might lead us to be tempted, just as Jesus was after his baptism. I believe that it isn’t that God will be the temptation for us to sin, but that his leading will, in some instances, cause us to be in a place or situation that can be sinfully tempting in a worldly sense. Jesus is calling us to pray that temptation, regardless of where we may go in his name, will never even cause us to be tempted to sin, and in doing that, that we will be delivered from the clutches of Satan.

This prayer definitely has overtones of the Final Judgment, but whether it is for the end times, or each and every day of our lives, the importance of seeking forgiveness, as well as our being delivered from the temptation to sin, is just as essential for our lives.

And even though it isn’t included as an integral part of the prayer, Jesus offers an additional thought on our forgiveness of others. Interesting, isn’t it? He doesn’t say that if we forgive others, that God will also forgive them. He says that however we forgive others, that is how God will forgive us.
In Matthew 18:23-35, Jesus tells the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, in which a servant is released from a very large debt to his Master, but is unwilling to forgive a much smaller amount that another servant owes him. As a result, the Master’s forgiveness is rescinded, and the first servant is required to pay his original penalty in full. And the Lord says this is how we will also be treated if we do not forgive others.
It seems, then, that our forgiveness is dependent on how we treat the sins of others! It sounds strangely similar to Jesus’ call to love our enemies! (Matthew 5:43-45)

Read Matthew 6:16-18

Fasting is intended to be a spiritual cleansing of our soul, just as medical fasting does the same thing for our bodies. Fasting can be seen as a form of preparatory worship and prayer, but in this instance, it truly should be done privately. Of course, that doesn’t mean that we do it in solitary confinement! Isaiah 58, which I will leave to your personal study, addresses the issue of holy fasting verses fasting that only glorifies ourselves. He even gives instructions that reflect Matthew 25:35-40 – that even in our time of fasting, we are to care for the needs of others, without letting them know, however, that we are abstaining from satisfying our own personal needs.
That is what will bring honor and glory to Almighty God.

And it is our Godly, holy, righteous faith that will always bring glory to the Lord, and it is by our holy living - living in the way that Jesus lived - that will strengthen our faith, and grow our trust in Christ.
May your life become one great and glorious means of worship.

"Stewardship"

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-4; 19-24

As we continue in our examination of Jesus’ Sermon, we come to the passage that I have chosen to call “Stewardship”. Now I know what you’re thinking – “Oh no – he’s going to give us the “money pitch”! But actually, I’m not – today we will be looking far beyond just money and into what the Church should be about.

Homiletics reports, regarding Leonard Sweet’s book “Soul Tsunamu”:
“God is the giver. The believer is the receiver.” Sweet writes that most stewardship programs have a theology of “giving.” He believes that Christians must return to Scripture for a theological understanding of God as “giver.” This, he says, will redefine one’s relationship with God.
The philosophy goes back to the basic truth that God is the giver and the believer is the receiver. Christians love God because God first loved them. The good things of life are available to enjoy because of God’s gracious giving. Sweet writes, “In a theology of receiving, the first question is not ‘How much do I give to God [out] of what is mine’ but ‘How much of God’s do I keep for myself?’”

Sweet further develops this idea by contrasting a traditional emphasis on stewardship, which he says is poorly understood, with an emphasis upon trusteeship. “The fundamental question of anyone who is a trustee of an estate is not ‘How much do I give away of what is mine’ but ‘How much of this estate do I receive for myself so that the estate might grow and prosper and do good?’”
The language of trusteeship is the language of receiving first, and only after the receiving question is settled does it become the language of giving.

In Psalm 50:7-15, we read that the animals of the forest, the birds of the air, the cattle of a thousand hills, and everything that moves in the fields are all God’s. And yet, we have been given responsibility for them all. In Genesis 2:19-20, we read that God has created all life, including animals and birds, but he gives the Man authority to “name” each one. The word “name”, in this context, implies authority over, but not just the right to do whatever we wish, but that we have been appointed as “trustees” to care for and administer the Lord’s creation.

So stewardship for us, in combining Sweet’s theological ideals with the scriptures, is that we have been appointed as managers of the Lord’s creation, with the right to keep some of these resources for our own use.

With that, let’s turn to our text for the day.

Read Matthew 6:1-4

In Jesus’ teaching for today, his emphasis seems to be on money, but try to remember that money is simply an analogy for the things of earth. The Lord’s lesson is about our “trusteeship”, our “managerial responsibilities”, our stewardship over all that he has given us.
And in our text, Jesus doesn’t say anything about how much we should give to those in need – he is talking strictly about our attitude in giving. This takes us back to Leonard Sweet’s thoughts – namely do we think “How much am I willing to give to God?”, or do we think “How much of God’s do I keep for myself?” In Jesus’ teaching, he is telling us that those “hypocrites” are thinking along the line of the first question, when they should have been considering the second.
When we think of our offering as “our giving to God out of what we have”, and want others to know just how much that may be, Jesus says that the honor given to us by others will be our reward, and that on the Judgment Day, we may very well miss out on his eternal reward!
And one more thought on the issue of secrecy – it isn’t so much that no one else can ever know what you have returned to the Lord, it’s actually more about our attitude in the offering. Do we brag about our gift, or are we humble in the giving?

Read Matthew 6:19-21

This is about our priorities in managing the resources that the Lord has entrusted to our care. It all comes back to Sweet’s questions on who actually owns the resources? If we see our resources as ours to do with as we see fit, we are, in essence, “storing up treasures on earth”. And if we readily acknowledge that they are all God’s to begin with, and return a portion of that glory to his honor, these very same resources become “the treasure of heaven.”
So the question for us now is “Are we returning true honor and glory to the Lord, or are we a bit sparing in showing him our gratitude”?

Read Matthew 6:22-24

In the understanding of today, the eye allows light and vision to come into our lives, but in the context of Jesus’ day, the eye was seen as that which reveals all that is at work within our lives. If our life is about bringing honor to Almighty God, then the eye projects a “light” to the world – we become an example of Christian living to others, if you will. But if our life is all about ourselves, then we are told that there is no “light”, that there is only darkness within us. And, of course, “darkness” of the soul refers to our sinfulness.
Once again, it’s our attitude toward God and his great gifts to each of us – are they ours, have we produced them, or have they simply been on loan to us from the Lord?

And then the Lord concluded this section with his thoughts on serving two Masters, and he says that we can’t! We can’t serve, or bring glory and honor, to both God AND the things of earth, for if we do, we will never be able to love them both. And from personal experience, we will nearly always wind up loving the secular, and will turn away from the divine.

Now a few other thoughts that may have come from Jesus’ teaching – first, how much is a tithe? A tithe is that which we return to God to help the kingdom grow and thrive. For many, we believe that this amounts to 10% of all we have. But I have found only one reference in scripture that equates a tithe to 10% (Leviticus 27:30-33). And 10% isn’t a bad place to start, but can we truly place a set amount on the gratitude we show to the Lord for all that he has given us? How much is enough? How much time do we give for the growth in the Kingdom? How often will we use our God given abilities to help those who are in need? How much or our finances is the right amount to dedicate to the growth and strength of the church?
How much is enough to give sufficient glory to God for all he has given for us?


Second, stewardship of the Lord’s resources is not just about how much money we put in the plate each Sunday morning. It is about our generous gift to God for all that we have received – our time, our abilities, our family, our passion and compassion, our health (even when our life hasn’t been exactly perfect!), and yes, our finances, too.
There’s an old saying that “You can’t out give God.” But have any of us really tried?

Yesterday at the regional Church Conference, our District Superintendent Dave Kofahl presented an excellent message, with the theme being “Refresh: Reclaiming Our Wesleyan Heritage”. Now his message wasn’t specifically about stewardship, but it was about the attitude we have in faith. (Remember Sweet's thoughts?) He told us that our Christian faith must have both an inlet and an outlet, and he offered a comparison between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea.

The Sea of Galilee is a living and vibrant body of water. It has provided food for countless millions of people, as well as employment for many, for thousands of years. It has a fresh water inlet from the Northern Jordan River, and it has an outlet for water to flow south through the Jordan itself. On the other hand, the Dead Sea, being 1,500 feet below sea level, has no outlet, and even though water continues to flow in, evaporation continues to make it more and more salty with each passing year. While the ocean has a salinity of 2-3 %, the Dead Sea is in the 25-30 % range, and as such, is dead - nothing can live in it. As a matter of fact, there are signs at the beach warning everyone about the hazards of ingesting the liquid, or even of getting the water in your eyes! It has become worse than stagnant simply because it has no outlet.

Jesus is the source of our faith, and showing him honor by giving back to his glory, is the outlet. And that honor is given every time we “refresh” the church. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, we read “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
How “fresh” and “new” are each of us? Are we prepared to honestly say YES to bringing honor and growth to the Kingdom by faith and following in Christ? Do we truly want to be refreshed and return to our Wesleyan heritage, or do we just expect others to do that, while we sit and watch?

"Right Living, #2"

Scripture: Matthew 5:33-48

We have been considering the teachings that Jesus offered in his Sermon on the Mount for the past four weeks. It would be the Lord’s first major teaching since his baptism, his 40 days of temptation in the wilderness, and the beginning of his calling of the 12. Today we continue our study of Jesus instruction on what it means to live the righteous life.

Read Matthew 5:33-37

This was rather radical teaching, even for Jesus, as it had no basis whatsoever in Judaic law. As a matter of fact, both Judaism and the Gentile world used oaths and vows extensively in asking their God, or gods, to verify the truthfulness of their words. If an oath was uttered, the words must be taken as true. If a vow was offered, the promise had to be kept. Even in our own legal system, statements offered under oath, such as in a court room or during a deposition, are legally requiring truth, and if they aren’t, a crime has been committed.

But with Jesus’ words, he is saying that anyone who claims to be his follower must always tell the truth, and if they say that they will do something, it must be done. He is initiating an entirely new standard in faith. And why not? When we commit our lives to Christ Jesus, we are also dedicating our lives, our actions, and our words to his glory, and to living our life in his way. The words and acts of Jesus are always true – after all, how could God be anything BUT true and honest?
But what about those times when absolute truth might be harmful, that it is anything but “loving your neighbor”? When I was in the Navy, stationed on a ship that was home ported in Norfolk, I dated a girl who lived in Delaware. One weekend, she prepared a very nice dinner for us, and as I sat down at the table, I noticed that there was a glass of red juice at our places. I thought “Oh, we’re having tomato juice – I really like tomato juice.” But as the liquid passed through my lips and onto my taste buds, I suddenly realized that it wasn’t tomato. I then thought “This isn’t tomato juice!” - of course it was V-8, which I didn’t care for all that much - and if the thought had just remained in my mind instead of traveling down to my lips, I would have been OK. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as well as I had hoped, and I’m afraid that even though I was completely truthful in my comments about the juice, my words did absolutely nothing to endear me to Peggy that evening.
These situations require some tact, and even though Jesus has called us to truthfulness, I think he might want us to avoid being brutal in these situations, if you know what I mean!

I think the point that the Lord is making, though, it this – if you lie to make yourself look better, it’s a sin. If you say that you will do something, do everything in your power to be faithful to that promise. Of course, there will be those times that you forget to follow through, or that you say something that you believed was true, but wasn’t. Those times require apologies to the person you may have harmed, but if your falsehood was intentional, you have violated the Lord’s trust.

When you say “Yes”, or when you say “No”, let it be even better than any oath or vow you could ever make, for that is what the Lord is calling us to do. Love is unconditional.

Read Matthew 5:38-42

Remember last week’s thoughts on anger and revenge? These verses for today highlight Jesus’ thoughts on “getting even”. Remember that his words are about personal vendettas, and not about accountability for our actions. Every society and every faith expression has laws regarding what constitutes acceptable behavior, and most include consequences for violating those laws. That is not what Jesus is talking about – he’s addressing our personal response to issues of life.

In this instance, Jesus is actually telling his followers that the law, by itself, is totally inadequate, and if you truly wish to follow him, you are expected to act in a completely different manner. He offers 5 situations, three of which are oppressive conditions, while the other two are more acts of social justice.

1. The first example, that of being struck on your cheek, is more about an insult than it is a violent attack. And Jesus says that not only should we never seek revenge, but that we are to allow the other person to hit us a second time. This would not only demonstrate courage on our part, but it would also be a loving act not to retaliate.
2. If they take your shirt, give them your coat, too. The law in Jesus time demanded that, legally, a person’s cloak could never be taken in a court judgment. The cloak was the outer garment that a person wrapped themselves up in at night to keep warm, and without that garment, they could easily freeze to death. But Jesus says, either directly or figuratively, that we are to give beyond what we are required to give, as an example of “loving your neighbor.
3. If required to give one mile, then give two. In Jesus’ day, Roman soldiers and officials could demand that citizens of an occupied nation assist them by showing the way, or by carrying their luggage, for up to a mile. Jesus says to give them even more, and not try to get out of giving what is demanded.

The next two are a little different, in that these are truly acts of kindness, and not based on the demands of others.
4. If you’re approached by someone in need – whether a beggar, or a neighbor, or a relative – give them whatever you can to help them. I don’t believe that the Lord expects us to give everything that we have, leaving ourselves destitute, but to give whatever we can, even sacrificially, to benefit others.
5. Borrowing was another issue. Every seven years was declared to be a Year of Jubilee, when debts would be forgiven. For most lenders, the last couple of years before the Jubilee would be a time when loans were almost never given, because the lender would receive little in repayment. But Jesus is saying that we are to lend regardless of when the request is made, and regardless of what we will receive in return.

Hard teaching, but Jesus never said that the way of God would be easy!

Read Matthew 5:43-48

Now we get to the one on “loving your enemies and praying for those who persecute you.” In Leviticus 19:18, Israel was called to "love their neighbor as their self". In this context, “neighbor” was intended, or at least was understood to mean a fellow Israelite – someone who was like you. But Jesus takes it up a step – that we are to love all people, not just who we like, or those who live as we live. Just because we see someone as an outsider, as a sinner, as an undesirable, as one of “them”, it is no reason not to show them compassion and love.

Remember Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, and the question “who is my neighbor”? (Luke 10:25-37) Remember the Pharisees’ question to the disciples “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’? (Matthew 9:9-13)
It turns out that from God’s perspective, our “neighbor” is even a half breed, who we know is a lousy sinner, and who is worthless, or even one who is collaborating with the enemy! And as followers of Jesus Christ, we must love even the most unlovable person we will ever meet or hear about.
From Jesus’ perspective, love is a universal trait that we must accept and share with the world.

Does anyone think that they will ever live all of these teachings perfectly? To our benefit, there is one other Christian teaching that isn’t mentioned here that will help us. For those times when we sin and miss the mark set by Jesus, 1 John 1:9-10 calls us to confess our failures to God, and we will be forgiven. The 6 teachings that we have considered during these last two weeks are difficult to follow, and we will always need the Lord’s strength and forgiveness in our lives.
Controlling our anger to keep it from consuming us – maintaining control of our thoughts about the opposite sex – ensuring that our marriage is a holy and God blessed institution – to be honest and forthright in all we say and all we promise to do – to lovingly give to others and never seek revenge for the things they do – and to love others, even those who abuse us and hate us and oppress us.

When we fail to heed the instructions and teaching of our Lord Jesus, he wants us to confess our sin and seek his mercy. In Matthew 9:13, Jesus says that he desires mercy above all other things – that means that the mercy he offers for each of us is at the top of his list of gifts, and he wants it at the top of ours, too.

Give his way a chance, and discover what he will give in return.